Revelation 1
Notes
Transcript
Handout
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.
14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
What is the original language and word used for “Revelation”?
Revelation - Gr. apokalypsis - an unveiling or a disclosure, to reveal
The chapter opens with an introductory statement, proceeds to a greeting to the seven churches of Asia, and the original vision given to John.
Introduction
Introduction
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Who is the revelation given to?
Jesus Christ vs. 1
Who gave this revelation?
God vs. 1
What was the purpose?
To show/reveal to his servants the things that must soon take place. (Prophecy) vs. 1
Who was allowed to see the Revelation unfold?
His servant John.
How was it given to him?
He “made it known” by sending his angel.
What promise is given to us as believers?
Blessings to those who read aloud, hear, and keep what is written.
Greeting to the Seven Churches
Greeting to the Seven Churches
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Who is John to give this revelation to?
The seven churches of Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea
How does John open this letter?
Like a typical letter salutation “grace to you and peace”
Who was this apocalyptic letter sent by?
From Him who is and who was and who is to come - God (omniscient, omnipotent) . Notice this reference deals with the present, the past, and the future. Why is this important?
How is Christ described?
“the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth”.
How is Christ described to us?
We are loved, been freed from our sins, and have been made priests to serve the God and Father of Jesus.
What does John say about Jesus being seen again by the world?
“every eye” will see Christ when He returns.
Who speaks in 1:8?
“The Lord God” speaks in first person and is identified as the beginning “alpha” and the end “omega” of all that is.
Vision of the Son of Man
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.
14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
How does John describe himself as a part of the seven churches?
Brother and companion who shares with them “in suffering and kingdom and patient endurance”
Why was John on Patmos?
We know he was exiled, but he explains it “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus”.
What is John told to do?
Write a scroll, describe what he sees, and sent the book to the seven churches of Asia.
What are the first things John sees in his vision?
He turns to see the voice speaking to him, sees seven golden lampstands and in the middle of the lampstands “someone like a son of man”.
What are the symbolic items of Christ’s description?
Clothed in a long robe with a golden sash (girdle), white hair like wool or snow, eyes like fire, feet like gleaming bronze; voice is “like the sound of rushing waters”, hols seven stars in his right hand, double-edged sword coming from mouth, face is like the full strength of the shining sun.
What is John’s response to this vision?
Falls down in fear “as though dead”.
What two events in the life of Jesus are referred to by Christ in his first speech to John?
Christ refers to his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.
As a result of these events, what does Christ possess?
Keys of death and Hades.
What does Christ command John to do?
Write what he has seen, “what is now and what will take place later”.
What does Christ tell John about the seven golden lampstands and the seven stars?
The seven lampstands are the seven churches, the seven stars are the angels of these seven churches.