The Revelation Sent From the Throne Room of God

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation 1:1-8 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.”

Introduction

In 1968, I went to my first of many conferences centering on the subject of “The End Times.” I attended because I wanted to find out everything I could about how the world was going to end. I studied the book of Daniel and the Book of the Revelation. After many conferences, I was discouraged and disillusioned. I was on everyone’s weekly newsletter identifying that the end time is near and every week a new “revelation” was to be had. Send your money to this ministry, for a donation you can get the latest book, etc. You get the picture.

Why did God give us a book that we cannot understand without having someone to tell me what the verses mean?

As time went by, I came to understand that many other passages gives insight into the end times, like the book of Matthew. However, it wasn’t until I attended a Bible study on the book of Revelation by a meek and kind preacher that the truth of the whole “end times” study is that, like all the other books in the Bible, he said, “Its all about Jesus.” That floored me. I wanted to talk about the “red dragon, false prophet, Antichrist, locusts, beasts, horses, cataclysmic events, the Two Witnesses, etc.” However, that one truth, put me on the path to putting everything in its proper place in understanding the end times prophecies.

For the next few weeks, we are about to discover the greatest message this world has ever known. From the opening verses, John announces that the unfolding revelation of “the things that must soon take place.” This message has been entrusted by God the Father through His Son, to an angel, to the Apostle John.

Before we begin it is very important to note that most seek the prophecies of the revelation as a book about the end times. And it does contain future events and judgments for the world. However, if you only approach the Book of the Revelation as an end times, prophetic book, you are missing the most important point.

The study of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ has been a lifelong journey for me. From my infancy as a believer to today, it remains my most studied book in the Bible. I have over 40 books that have been written about the “Revelation.” I have written a manuscript containing over 500 pages with seven (7) revisions of typed text, graphs, charts, and maps. It is my life’s work. And yet, I feel that I have but scratched the surface in its understanding. Every time I open its pages, I learn something new and wonderful about our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Creator of all things.

The Title for the Last Book in the Bible is:

· Amplified Bible – The Revelation to John: “This is the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

· Cristian Standard Bible – Revelation: “The revelation of Jesus Christ.”

· English Standard Version – The Revelation to John – “The revelation of Jesus Christ.”

· God’s Word – Revelation: “This is the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

· King James Version – The Revelation of Jesus Christ: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.”

· New American Standard – The Revelation to John: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.”

· New English Bible – The Revelation of John: “This is the Revelation given by God to Jesus.”

· New International Version – Revelation: “The revelation of Jesus Christ.”

· New King James – The Revelation of Jesus Christ: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.”

· New Living Translation – Revelation: “This is a revelation from Jesus Christ.”

· New Testament in Modern English – The Revelation of John: “This is a Revelation of Jesus Christ.”

As we begin let us remember that this book is all about the revealing of Jesus Christ in all His glory!

The Things That Must Soon Take Place

Revelation 1:1-3 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.

No matter what title your version of the New Testament you are reading from, it is very clear to me that the title of the book is found in the first two verses; “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,” or for me it is and always has been, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ makes no sense without the focus of Jesus Christ.

In the Book of Revelation, we encounter larger-than-life events, strange creatures and mysterious characters in the end-time drama. All of the prophecies found here are given in relationship to who Jesus is.

This letter then is the “testimony[1] of Jesus Christ” (v. 2). Everything in this book speaks of Christ’s presence, power, great love and sacrifice. His enemies are identified and the accounts of His complete and final victory over evil. No wonder, then, that an angel of the Lord gave strong command before the conclusion of this Revelation in Chapter 19, verse 10,

The Apostle John is speaking,

Revelation 19:10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Throughout this book, it declares that when it comes to our yesterday, our today, and our forever, it is all about Jesus!

John’s Prologue Declares That It Is All About Jesus – 1:1-3

Rev 1:1-3 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.

First and foremost, “The Revelation” is “the word of God.” Yet, while God Himself is the Author of this book, He chose the Apostle John to put pen to parchment. John the younger brother of James was counted among the Twelve. He was part of the “inner circle” with Peter and James.

John the apostle, great leader in the early Church (Galatians 2:9), and author of five books in the Bible. He wrote the Gospel that bears his name, three general epistles and the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Imprisoned on the time Greek island of Patmos, the Holy Spirt stirs John’s heart to hear the message he was to write. In confinement, due to “anti-Christian” persecution under Domitian, the Roman emperor at the time, John writes of victory.

Revelation, Greek apokálypsis which means “appearing, coming, lighten be revealed, revelation. Generally, it means unveiling or uncovering.

This book is filled with symbolism in color, numbers, characters and heavenly beings. It references the Old Testament more than four hundred (400) times and brings clarity to God’s Word on forty-eight (48) different doctrines ranging from the very nature of God to the return of Christ and His setting up His earthly kingdom to the creation of a new heaven and new earth, the Revelation is true completion of the previous sixty-five (65) previous books.

A Blessing and a Curse

On top of everything going on in the Revelation there is a blessing and curse assigned to its reading.

Rev 1:3 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.

We are first acquainted with “blessings” in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus gave reason for the believers to be “Blessed” or “happy.” (Matthew 5 and Luke 6). In the Revelation, we will find that there are “seven” blessings. This is the first of the blessings.

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy” implies to both reading in public or privately.

“blessed are those who hear” implies active and attentive listening.

“blessed are those…who keep what is written in it,” implies those that take what they have read and heard harken, guard and observe what God’s Word says.

“for the time is near” is interesting as John uses a specific point in God’s time. And John cautions that God’s timetable for all these things written in this book to be imminent…soon to come to pass.

There are no other events waiting to be made known before the events of this book unfold.

At the end of the book there is a curse:

Revelation 22:18-19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

It is very clear that God, through Jesus, through an angel to John intends that those who read, study and pursue this book are to leave this book alone. Don’t add or subtract. Leave it alone….or else.

John’s Greeting and Hymn of Praise Declare That It Is All About Jesus – 1:4-6

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.

In the fourth verse, we find the author and the audience. This is one of the keys to the Book. The audience is the “seven churches that are in Asia.”

1. the church in Ephesus (Rev 2:1) – Paul Planted

2. the church in Smyrna (Rev 2:8) -

3. the church in Pergamos (Rev 2:12)

4. the church in Thyatira (Rev 2:18)

5. the church in Sardis (Rev 3:1)

6. the church in Philadelphia (Rev 3:7)

7. the church of the Laodiceans (Rev 3:14)

These are not “prophetic” or imaginary churches. They were seven real churches that are addressed through the “angel” of each church. We will dig into each of them in the 2nd and 3rd chapters.

John opens dialog of “grace” and “peace” to the congregation and to the “spirit” standing before God’s throne. There are seven churches and seven spirits or angels. It can be drawn that each church had its own spirit or angel.

To believers then and now, John greats the seven churches with a characteristic greeting of “grace,” [undeserved loving-kindness and favor] and, “peace,” [rest and calm assurance that comes from a harmonious relationship with God.]

The Father’s Announcement of Christ’s Soon Return Declares That It’s All About Jesus—1:7-8

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.”

Conclusion

[App.] Do you know the greatness of the Almighty? Have you received the grace and peace of the One John recognizes throughout the Revelation with the most glorious names ever spoken or written? He is greater than we have understood Him to be, far greater than we have allowed Him to be to us. He is the Self-Existent One Who always has been; He is the One Who never began, and Who will never end. He is the Self-Sufficient One, who knows no lack and knows no limit. Do you know Him as your own?

[1] Or witness