Part 4 | Chapter 1:1-8

Revelation 1:1–8 ESV

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, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 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. 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, 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 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 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. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Introduction

For the past few weeks, we have studied—with great depth— the background of the book of Revelation. We saw that it was written by the apostle John—likely around 95 or 96 AD, while he is exiled on the island of Patmos. Domitian is emperor during this time and these 1st Century Christians to whom John is writing, are being persecuted and discriminated against.

Finally, we saw that that Revelation falls into three different genres:

Epistle: It is an epistle: written to real churches at a real time who are dealing with real issues.

Prophecy: the book also falls into the prophetic genre.

Apocalyptic: Revelation, finally, falls under the category of apocalyptic literature, which leans on symbols to communicate transcendent realities. The book reveals of what is going on behind the scenes in the midst of—what appears to be—chaos.

Tonight, the plan is to start studying the text itself. I told you that I plan to preach Revelation a bit differently than I do other books of the Bible: instead of going verse by verse, I will try to unpack larger sections at a time. With chapter 1, however, we are going to go into a bit more detail because it sets the stage for the rest of the book.

This evening we will look at Revelation 1:1-8 and as we do, we will consider three themes:

The Splendor of Jesus

The Sovereignty of God

The State of the Church

I. The Splendor of Jesus

The book of Revelation makes much of all three persons of the Triune Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, yet, the person and work of Jesus is Central to the book.

Revelation 1:1 ESV

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,

In the first verse we see that the book is “the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

He is seen as the central figure of Revelation. The book opens with the revelation of Jesus to John and its climax is found in His return in which He will consummate God’s Kingdom.

Revelation 1:2 (ESV)

(John)... bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

It is clear that Revelation is the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Which shows that God’s word especially centers around Jesus.

Revelation is—wonderfully—about Jesus. Isn’t it interesting that when we talk about Revelation, that often we spend more time talking about the antiChrist and the mark of the beast than we do Jesus Christ?

It is important to note that the centrality of Jesus does not diminish the glory of the Father.

Hebrews 1:1–3 (ESV)

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

It is through Christ that God’s glory realized. It is through His work that we are redeemed as God’s people. It is through Him that we have access to the Father.

Consequently, when we make much of Christ, God the Father is magnified.

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In verses 5 and 6 we find three titles that describe the person of Jesus, followed by three statements about His work and what it accomplished for the believer.

Revelation 1:5–6 (ESV)

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 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

John, here is quoting from Psalm 89:27 and 37.

Psalm 89:27 ESV

And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

Psalm 89:37 ESV

Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah

A) Three Titles that Describe the Person of Jesus

i. Faithful Witness

In the OT, there were prophecies about the Faithful Witness who would come and lead God’s people.

Jesus is the faithful witness. He was the faithful witness in His earthly ministry, revealing the truth of God’s Word and perfectly reflecting His glory.

Jesus remained the faithful witness, even when faced with death.

1 Timothy 6:13 ESV

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,

With Christ being the faithful witness, believers know they can trust His promises.

Proverbs 14:5 ESV

A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.

Proverbs 14:25 ESV

A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.

Jesus proved Himself to be a faithful witness. This means that the churches in Revelation can trust His promises, even in when the world seems to be spinning out of control.

We have this same hope. Our world seems to be in a state of mass chaos. But we must remember that Jesus— the faithful witness— said that these things would happen, and yet promised His people that God’s redemptive purposes are at work, and that He will return to bring justice and to consummate His Kingdom.

John is calling these first century believers—and us—to emulate Jesus in being faithful witnesses, even in the face of death.

ii. Firstborn from the Dead

This title “firstborn from the dead” is a common phrase used to describe Jesus’ resurrection— the fact that He was the first one to be raised from the dead.

You could argue that Lazarus and others were raised from the dead before Jesus. And, fair enough, but Lazarus died again. Jesus is the first to be raised to a glorified state.

Colossians 1:18 ESV

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

By including the word “firstborn” in this title, believers are reminded that what is true of Christ is true of all those who are in Him.

Though Christians may face persecution, discrimination, and even death, we have the hope of resurrection in Christ.

There is one more layer to this title:

Revelation 3:14 (ESV)

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

The world “firstborn” does not suggest that Jesus was created, but that He is the inaugurator of the new creation through His resurrection.

iii. The Ruler of Kings on Earth

This reference to the kings of the earth is not in relation to those on the earth who are part of God’s Kingdom, but rather those who are in opposition to the Lord.

G.K. Beale points out that the kings of the earth includes not only the kingdoms and people represented by them, but also the satanic forces behind these kingdoms.

The text says that He is presently ruling over these opposing Kingdoms, reminding us that the visions that John sees unfolding are NOT just regarding future events, but also refer to present realities.

The Kingdom is “already and not yet.” Jesus is reigning at the right hand of the Father. God’s redemptive purposes are at work. Yet, the forces of evil and injustice are still here. One day, however, every opposing Kingdom will be completely overthrown and God’s Kingdom will be completely established on the earth.

Verse five show us that Jesus is the ultimate fulfilment of Psalm 89. This moves John into a Christ-centered doxology that celebrates what the Lord has done for us.

B) Three Statements that Describe the Work of Jesus and What it Accomplished for His people.

i. Loves Us

Jesus loves us—not just in declaration— but in radical demonstration, seen clearly in His sacrificial death.

Romans 5:5–8 (ESV)

and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Though despised by many of the Jews and by the Roman Empire, these first century believers would have been encouraged by the reminder that they are loved by the Sovereign Lord.

If God be for us who can be against us!

ii. Freed Us of from Our Sins by His Blood

Jesus is the great deliverer. These believers may be oppressed by the leaders of the world, but they have been delivered from their greatest enemy—namely, sin and the evil one.

This is true for us! There may come a day where we experience great persecution from the powers that be, but we have been freed from the bondage of sin— which means we are free, free in deed.

We are not promised the guarantee of political freedom, but we are guaranteed freedom from spiritual bondage. This should be a great encouragement to us today!

iii. Made Us a Kingdom of Priests

Often, when we talk about salvation, we focus solely on what God has saved us from —namely, sin and hell. What we fail, tragically, to celebrate is what He has saved us for.

This idea takes us back to the Garden of Eden, prior to the Fall, where Adam and Eve were invited to be vice-regents of God’s good creation. They were to govern the earth under God’s rule as King.

After the fall, God called Israel to be a Kingdom of Priests, who would live under His rule, being salt and light to the world around them.

Exodus 19:5–6 ESV

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Israel, like Adam and Eve, failed to live as a Kingdom of priests, separated unto the Lord.

John, here, applies the Israel’s mission to all believers who have now been engrafted into Israel. Jesus is the true Israelite, and all who are in Him are part of the true Israel.

What was prophesied to Israel has been accomplished in Christ.

The Kingdom refers not necessarily to a place, but to the reign of God. We exercise power and authority now, albeit under the reign of Christ. That rule is now known in part, but will be known completely when the Lord returns.

Christ holds the offices as prophet, priest, and King. He exercised His role as priest by being the faithful witness and exercised His role as King by defeating sin and death through His sacrifice on the cross.

Believers are called to now be faithful witnesses by living as salt and light, and through our willingness to suffer for the sake of the Gospel, just as Christ suffered.

When Jesus died on the cross, it seemed that He had been defeated, yet, it is through His death and resurrection that He was crowned as King. God was always in control.

So it is with us: Christ, in our suffering it may seem that we are in defeat; yet, God is at work in and through our suffering, and we shall be raised in victory as Christ was raised.

Revelation: A Shorter Commentary John Greets the Churches on Behalf of the Father, Spirit, and Son, Whose Redemptive Work Results in the Christians’ New Status, All to the Glory of God (1:4–6)

The expression from Exodus is a summary of God’s purpose for Israel. This primarily meant that they were to be a kingly and priestly nation mediating Yahweh’s light of saving revelation by witnessing to the Gentiles (e.g., Isa. 43:10–13), a purpose which, the OT prophets repeatedly observed, Israel never fulfilled (e.g., Isaiah 40–55). Like OT priests, the entire people of God now have free, unmediated access to God’s presence, because Christ has removed the obstacle of sin by His substitutionary blood. It is the light of God’s presence that they are to reflect to the world. That John sees Exod. 19:6 as fulfilled in the church indicates that the church now continues the true Israel as the inheritor of God’s promises and as His covenant people, while unbelieving Jews are described not as true Jews but as a synagogue of Satan (2:9). This accomplishment of God’s redemptive plan will bring eternal glory and culminate in His eternal dominion.

Jesus is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the King who rules that nations. He loves us, Has freed us from our sin, and has made us a kingdom of priests.

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Revelation 1:7 ESV

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.

Verses 5 and 6 assure believers that God’s Kingdom is here in part, and that Jesus rules now at the right hand of the Father.

Now, in verse 8, we are reminded that Jesus will return to consummate His Kingdom.

John, here, Draws from Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10

Daniel 7:13 ESV

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

Zechariah 12:10 ESV

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

In Daniel 7, the Son of Man (Jesus) is not coming from heaven to earth, but from earth to heaven. He came “to the Ancient of Days.” It is about Christ’s ascension to the place of authority.

John now, as he often does in Revelation, applies this OT prophecy to Jesus in a new way, combining it with Zechariah 12:10.

Jesus, who sits in authority at the right hand of the Father, is coming again in a way in which every eye will see Him. He is coming to finally and completely establish His Kingdom on earth.

John starts this verse with the word “Behold.” In other words, “pay attention.” It is a promise that complete justice and the consummation of the Kingdom will come at the return of Jesus .

The verse ends with the words “Even so. Amen.” The coming of Christ—for the believer—should invoke feelings of joy.

Let me read you a quote from the great commentator Dr. Thomas Schreiner:

Hebrews–Revelation - Thomas Schreiner

The salvation of the righteous and the judgment of the wicked are both a matter of joy in Revelation, the latter not because of vindictiveness but as a matter of justice. The coming of Jesus means the coming of the kingdom, the removal of everything defiling and evil upon the earth, and the inauguration of a new creation, perfect and beautiful. The natural response, the only healthy response, to such a new creation is yes and amen. This is John’s way of affirming the petitions of the Lord’s prayer. Yes and amen to the kingdom coming, yes and amen to God’s will being done on the entire earth.

Throughout verses 1-7, John sets the stage from the centrality of Jesus in the book of Revelation. He is the one who reigns at the right hand of the Father now, and He is the one who will return to Consummate God’s Kingdom.

Through Revelation, we will see the beauty and splendor of Christ.

Secondly, I want us to consider The State of the Church.

II. The State of the Church

Revelation 1:4 ESV

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,

As is typical of Christian epistles, we find a prayerful grace wish extended to the readers.

Remember, this address is to seven real churches, which John names. But the number seven is also symbolic—a number of completeness— which means that its message is for the church throughout the ages.

John’s “grace wish” also involves peace.

Believers would need God’s grace to persevere in times in the midst of persecution and tribulation, especially when it comes to rejecting the temptation to compromise their Christian walk.

In such seasons of turmoil, believers also need inner peace when it seems they are being crushed by the world.

Have you ever been in a really troubling situation, yet, you have this amazing peace that makes absolutely no sense, considering your circumstances? That is what John prays for these believers, and this is what God wishes to give to us.

So, what is the state of the church?

We have seen that we are now part of God’s Kingdom. We are priests, set apart for the purposes of God.

We are to be faithful witnesses who are willing to sacrifice—even at the cost of our lives—for the sake of the Gospel.

We have seen that the church will experience persecution for the sake of Christ.

Yet, in all of this, the church should be in a state of grace and peace. This is Johns prayer.

From whom does true grace and peace flow? John tells us: it comes only from the Triune God.

Revelation 1:4–5 ESV

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, 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

A) Grace comes from God the Father

John here is referring to the Father and not to Jesus, because He references Jesus at the end of this sentence.

By referring to God as the one was, who is, and who is to come, he likely is referencing Exodus 3:14:

Exodus 3:14 ESV

God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

Believers here are reminded that God is not just the God of the present, nor is He just the God of the past, but He has always been—and always will be—the true and living God.

Revelation gives what Schreiner calls a “trans-historical perspective of Him who was and is and is to come.”

The God who gives us grace and peace, is not going anywhere!

B) The Holy Spirit brings us grace and peace

Grace and peace come from the “seven spirits.”

Remember, the number seven is symbolic for “completeness.” This phrase is reference to the fullness of God’s Spirit.

Grace and peace only come from God, which points to the truth that the Holy Spirit is divine—that is, He is part of the Triune God. The Holy Spirit brings believers grace and peace from the Father. He is our helper and our comforter.

C) We get grace and peace because of what Christ has done on our behalf.

John states here that grace and peace come from Jesus Christ. It is only through Christ’s redemptive work that we can be recipients of God’s grace and peace.

Here, we see the deity of Jesus, because grace and peace only come from God.

But we also see His humanity:

John refers to the Lord as Jesus Christ. He uses Christ—not as a last name—but as the title, showing that He is Israel’s Messiah, the one who came through the line of David.

Jesus is both God and man.

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Grace and peace are NOT dependent upon our circumstances, but they are dependent upon the unchanging and eternal Triune God.

This brings us to our last point, namely, the Sovereignty of God. This is another theme we see in chapter 1 and throughout the book of Revelation.

III. The Sovereignty of God

Consider again, verse 1:

Revelation 1:1 (ESV)

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,

Right from the beginning we see the omniscience of God: He is all knowing… He knows the end from the beginning. Nothing happening in the first century—and nothing now—takes God by surprise. He is sovereign.

At the close of this section, God Himself gives believers a description of Himself:

Revelation 1:8 ESV

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

God uses the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet to stress that He is the beginning and end of History.

Believers are reminded that He is God Almighty!

This closing is meant to give believers a great assurance in His promises. God is truth! And, as we have seen throughout history, He is the power to bring everything He wills to pass.

Our salvation, grace and peace, and our final victory is guaranteed by the sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing God.

Even so. Amen!