Revelation

Revelation 1:1-3

Revelation 1:1–3 NKJV

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

English Standard Version (Introduction)

“The revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1)

(properly, to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up; to disclose, make bare

metaphorically, to make known, make manifest, disclose, what before was unknown;to uncover, reveal)

written by the apostle John

Jesus first encountered John and his brother James on the shores of Galilee.

John traveled with Jesus during his ministry and was chosen to be in his inner circle as one the Twelve Disciples.

This was a special privilege because Jesus had many followers.

John was the only disciple that was present when Christ was crucified, and he also was extremely loyal to Jesus during his ministry in Jerusalem.

Christ told him to watch over Mary his mother who was also present at the crucifixion.

while in exile on the island of Patmos, off the coast of present-day Turkey.

captured in a persecution campaign by the Roman Emperor Domitian.

Patmos was a small, rocky and barren area where many criminals of Rome were sent to serve out their prison terms in harsh conditions.

There were mines on the island that the criminals were forced to work.

John was sent to the island for the same reasons because the early Christians were considered a strange cult group who were known for causing trouble within the Empire.

It was addressed to seven actual churches. Revelation begins with letters from Christ himself to these churches, letters that include commendation, criticism, and comfort.

a Roman province covering western Asia Minor

That Jesus is concerned about more than these seven is seen by the fact that He included a message to all the churches at the end of each letter to the individual churches (see 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

Then comes a long series of visions of judgment on the wicked, all in highly symbolic language.

The church is depicted under great distress but is assured of the final triumph of Jesus as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:16), bringing to an end the rebellion of humanity and ushering in “a new heaven and a new earth” (21:1), where God himself will reign forever and ever (11:15). Revelation was probably written A.D. 95–96.

At the same time, the book is not meant for the general public. It is meant for “his servants” (literally, “slaves”), that is, those believers who belong to Jesus and are fully committed to serving Him. The things it reveals, Jesus said, must begin to take place quickly, speedily, without delay. It is sent by His angel to John, also identified as “his servant,” or slave. Most slaves in John’s day were people taken captive in war. John and the other believers were taken captive by Christ, captured out of the armies of Satan, and made willing servants of Christ and the Church. Even so, as Jesus told the disciples at the Last Supper, He was not calling them servants or slaves, but friends. A master does not tell his slaves what he is doing, but a person does explain his plans to his friends. (See John 15:15.) That is, Jesus was treating John and the other believers as friends, revealing more of God’s plan to them. This revelation made known to John has been a blessing to believers throughout the history of the Church, especially in times of difficulty and trouble.

The “blessed” of verse 3 is the first of seven blessings, or beatitudes, pronounced in the book. The reference to reading (Greek, anaginoskon) means reading aloud. This implies reading it in the churches where the believers gather to hear. The blessing and happiness come to both the reader and the listeners who keep the words of this prophecy, that is, who pay attention and take its message to heart—for to hear also means to obey. That is, the blessing comes not on casual readers or careless hearers, but on those who lovingly obey the commands and injunctions found in this book.

Revelation 1:4

Revelation 1:4 NKJV

John, to the seven churches which 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,

Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (What Are the Seven Spirits of God?)

What Are the Seven Spirits of God?The “seven spirits of God” are mentioned in Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; and 5:6. The seven spirits of God are not specifically identified, so it’s impossible to be dogmatic. Revelation 1:4 mentions that the seven spirits are before God’s throne. Revelation 3:1 indicates that Jesus Christ “holds” the seven spirits of God. Revelation 4:5 links the seven spirits of God with seven burning lamps that are before God’s throne. Revelation 5:6 identifies the seven spirits with the “seven eyes” of the Lamb and states that they are “sent out into all the earth.”

There are at least three possible interpretations of the seven spirits of God.

The first is that the seven spirits of God are symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The Bible, and especially the book of Revelation, uses the number 7 to refer to perfection and completion. If that is the meaning of the “seven” in the “seven spirits,” then it is not referring to seven different spirits of God, but rather the perfect and complete Holy Spirit.

The second view is that the seven spirits of God refer to seven angelic beings, possibly the seraphim or the cherubim. This would fit with the numerous others angelic beings that are described in the book of Revelation (Revelation 4:6–9; 5:6–14; 19:4–5).

A third possibility is based on Isaiah 11:2, which says, “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” This could possibly explain the seven spirits of God: (1) Spirit of the LORD, (2) Spirit of wisdom, (3) Spirit of understanding, (4) Spirit of counsel, (5) Spirit of power, (6) Spirit of knowledge, (7) Spirit of the fear of the Lord. The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically who/what the seven spirits are, but the first interpretation, that they are the Holy Spirit, seems the most likely.

Seven churches

Seven Letters to Seven Churches: 8 Studies for Individuals or Groups: With Notes for Leaders Getting the Most out of Seven Letters to Seven Churches

What if Jesus would write a letter to your church? What would he say about your leaders and your worship? What attitudes or failures would he expose—and what would he praise? What if he laid out the options for the future of your church?

If we had a letter like that, we would have no trouble moving in the right direction or in a new direction. We would say, “This is what Jesus wants our church to do or to be,” and we would pursue that goal with all our energy and resources. Or would we? Would it really make any difference if Jesus spoke directly to us as a body of believers?

There’s a way to tell how you would respond to a letter from Jesus—look how you respond to the letters he has already written to seven first-century churches. What’s so intriguing about these churches is that you can find examples of every one of them in the community where you live. These churches exist in every city, in every rural township. They have different names and align with different denominations, but they are around, and Jesus is speaking to them. The church you attend or help to lead, or the church that sponsors your small group, is one of these seven churches!