Revelation 1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
We are starting a series on the book of revelation. This book is about the end times, the return of Jesus, and the judging of the world and the vindication of God’s people. I recently saw a poll that asked which book of the Bible people most to hear taught in church: Revelation. The next question was which book of the bible pastors least wanted to teach: Revelation.
I certainly feel that as we begin.
Augustine (5th century): Though cautious in interpretation, he said: “The Apocalypse of John is a great book, whose obscurity is matched only by its greatness.”
William Barclay: “There is no book in the New Testament which has given such comfort and courage to Christians under persecution as the Book of Revelation.”
Revelation is not a code to crack but a comfort to embrace — it shows us Jesus reigning when the world feels out of control. Revelation is not just about “end times,” it’s about this time — and how to live with courage, endurance, and worship because Jesus is enough.
We are looking at the first chapter today. I want to look at some themes in this first chapter that set the trajectory for the whole book.
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A Revelation of Blessing. (vv. 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.
The revelation is from Jesus Christ and it shows God’s servants what must soon take place. Revelation (Apokolupsis) means an uncovering. Kalupto is to cover, so this book is an uncovering, a revealing. God is revealing the things that are soon to take place. Apocalyptic writings were a genre of writing in this time. Book of 4 Ezra, Enoch. These wrote about the end times and what God would do. Revelation is an inspired apocalyptic writing that reveals what God has done, is doing, and will do, its power comes from how it describes the end of the world as we know it. It is a prophetic apocalyptic writing.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.
The book is to “Show what must soon take place” V1. This is a key to the book. That word can mean to show, make known, communicate. The word was used in the military to “communicate by symbols.” It is from the word snmainw. If you remember from the gospel of John that Jesus performed miracles that John called signs. Those acts pointed to something beyond themselves. Changing water to wine. Healing the lame man in Mark 2 symbolic of his ability to forgive, feeding the multitudes symbolic of his power to give and nourish spiritual life, healing, and that he did many other signs. He is not just showing them what is to happen, but rather he is signifying what is to happen. Dan 2:28-29, 45.
We want specifics (timelines, graphs, cold hard descriptions) but Jesus gives us signs. We want things that remove our need to depend on and trust God. We want everything carefully scripted out. God calls us to walk with him and depend on him. Powerful signs that may leave some mystery but convey a point that is more powerful than exaction.
A picture is worth a thousand words. There is a power to these. Many times the images are jarring. It is God warning us. Wake up call. Many times the images are deeply encouraging.
It’s not just about “end times,” it’s about this time — and how to live with courage, endurance, and worship because Jesus is enough.
Typically when we come to the New testament we interpret it literally unless there is a reason to interpret symbolically. In Revelation that changes. It tells us it is symbolic.
An example of this is in verse
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,... 16 In his right hand he held seven stars,
You may wonder what these things are. Well it’s clear the seven golden lampstands are the seven churches and the seven stars are the seven angels of the churches. We know that symbolism because… v20 tell us. It interprets the signs. This interpretation explains it. If this happened every time we would have far fewer questions.
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. Revelation 1:1–20.
The seven stars are the angels of the churches (could mean literal angels, some have interpreted as the pastors of these churches) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. We know this because Jesus tells us what they are. He interprets them explicitly. We do not get this for every vision. If we did it would clear a lot of things up. But informing us of every detail was not the intention of our Lord. He wants us to trust him and walk with him.
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.
A consistent theme of Scripture. Read the word. Take it to heart. It doesn't mean you understand everything. There is a blessing to all who hear it and obey. My goal in this is the same with all Scripture. We will never exhaust the meaning of it. We will never comprehend everything. But we can grow each and every day.
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Care and Grace to the Seven Churches (vv. 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,
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.”
John is writing this to the seven churches in Asia. Other New Testament books were written to specific people and churches. Similar pattern.
Seven is the number of fullness or completeness. The earth was completed in seven days. So when he addresses the seven churches it does not mean the letter is only to these seven churches in Asia and no others. It is intended to be for the whole church, the seven fold church– the entire church universal..
It does not mean there are seven different spirits before the throne of God. It refers to the fullness of the one and only Holy Spirit
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,
Seven golden lampstands (Rev. 1:12) The complete church shining in the world.
Seven stars (Rev. 1:16) Christ’s full authority over His messengers and churches.
Seven seals,Seven trumpets, Seven bowls (Rev. 5–16) The full outworking of God’s judgments and purposes in history. Seven is a key theme of revelation and it is structured around seven key revelations.
Seven thunders, seven crowns, seven heads, etc. Each pointing to a complete or total expression of something (whether good or evil).
John uses “seven” to show that what he’s describing isn’t partial or incomplete—it’s the total reality. For example: The seven churches represent the whole church. The seven seals aren’t just random judgments—they symbolize the complete unfolding of God’s plan for the world. Contrast to the number 6 that symbolizes imperfection and
*Seven is the theme of the book. It is why you are getting seven points today!*
This book is for God’s people. He gives his people completely what they need to live faithfully before him. Throughout there is a care for his people and evil will not get the last word. God is providing for and caring for his church. This is what Jesus came to do. Church is central to God’s redemptive work. It should be central to your life too.
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The Sufficiency of Jesus’s work.
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.
While there is much in this book that is unclear or mysterious, there is also much that is certain. And two things here.
God’s greatest act is not the end of the world. It's not the judging of the world. His greatest act that history centers on is the death and resurrection of his Son. That is the most important thing, and throughout this book of startling imagery, of beasts and nations warring, and antiChrists deceiving, and is the reigning of the lamb who was slain.
First, Jesus is the one whom God sent to save us. Jesus’ atonement for sins is effective. He has freed us from our sins by his blood. He suffered and died for his people. He entered into our pain and hardship. He has brought us into his kingdom.
Second, he will judge the world. He is the one and only God you need to look to. We do not come to one God for pardon and another to rescue us. He is the redeemer and rescuer. He has done it all. We will be saved from judgment through his work.
Jesus is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. All peoples will mourn because of Him.
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The sufficiency of God’s Eternal Authority (v8).
8 The Lord God declares Himself the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, who is, was, and is to come—the Almighty.
Who is going to be standing in the end? The one who was from the beginning.
Those who trust in Jesus will conquer. They will overcome everything in the world. There is much that is uncertain. But what is certain, is that in Christ there is victory.
Those who oppose God are in trouble. He has the keys to death and hades. What is more, everyone will see him. He is coming with the clouds, even those who pierced him will see him. That is sobering! There will be wailing on account of the justice he will bring. God is a God of love, but if you oppose him and hurt those he loves, then you better look out. If you stand indifferent to him. Morality comes from God, and the greatest moral act you can do is to serve and honor God, and that leads to a host of other virtues. If you miss this, you miss everything else.
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.
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The call to Patient Endurance. (vv. 9–11).
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
This John the disciple. The beloved disciple. The brother of James. One of the sons of thunder. The one whom Jesus loved and who reclined on Jesus’ chest at the last supper. The one who was arrested with Peter for having healed a beggar (Acts 4).
He is on the island of Patmos. Some of you travelers may think how cool it is to be on one of the Greek islands with the lush beaches and great buffets. That is not what we have here. Patmos was a small island about 13 miles long and six miles wide. It is rocky and barren, and for that reason was used as a penal colony—a place where Rome could remove political or religious figures (like John) from society without killing them outright. John is clear the reason he is here is because of the word of God. He continued to preach the gospel despite resistance and opposition. He endured for the sake of the gospel.
This is about ad 90, so John is also about 90 years old at this time. That is 60 years after the death of Christ. That is 30 years after the death of Peter and Paul. He outlived them all. John continued to patiently endure suffering for Christ.
Consider what this old disciple has endured. After the resurrection, he and Peter are arrested, interrogated and threatened for preaching of Jesus (Acts 4), and after they pray, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak with all boldness.
John’s brother James was martyred for his faith (Acts 12:2). Some early church theologians report that John was plunged in boiling oil under Domitian but somehow miraculously survived. Have you ever splattered hot oil on yourself and felt how painful it is? Imagine your whole body submerged. Imagine the disfigurement that might have occurred.
Do you need an apologetic (a reason to believe) for the Christian faith? 60 years of suffering for the gospel. Small fledgling churches and he continues risking and sacrificing to advance Jesus mission. Whatever he saw with Jesus changed him forever. He gave his life to this cause, for decades.
What is more he did not see these sufferings as a reason to leave the faith. He did not view exile or being thrown in boiling oil as contrary to the teaching of Jesus. Probably something about seeing your Lord crucified that strengthened him for his suffering. If you are going to endure your sufferings then reflect on a crucified messiah. He knew Jesus' teachings about suffering, about going out like sheep among wolves, and the tribulations that awaited his followers. John patiently endured hardship while waiting for Jesus' return.
We are told John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. “in the Spirit” means John was experiencing a Spirit-given vision. There is no synagogue or church service to be in on Sundays on Patmos. But he is in the Spirit. God meets his faithful servant. Doesn't mean neglect church. Position yourself to be in the things of God, and when it's impossible trust God. When you stand by the things of God to the point of being exiled or thrown in boiling oil then trust God to provide for your needs when you can't.
But you have to see this.
-You can be on Patmos and in the Spirit.
-You can be in exile and used of God.
-You can be rejected by people and still do the will of God.
You can be at the bottom and at same time the peak of God’s revelation to you. God is giving him a mission that will change history.
**He was not looking to the world for validation but to Christ.**
We need a theology of patient endurance. Of not giving up when things get hard or when it is hard for a long time. People want to have everything just right in their Christianity and if it is not then they don't want to do it. Ever notice how we pray for our kids to have great faith and then seek to remove any obstacle that might make their life the least bit challenging. Help your kids see that we are going to have to do hard things to serve Jesus, we may be in difficult situations. Don’t make your situations difficult– pursue God, go to church– but teach them Jesus is greater than all of these and if we are ever in want, lacking, he can make it abound.
Patient Endurance. This is a theme of the Bible. It is particularly a theme of Revelation. Victory will come through Jesus. It is clear, but it is not easy. Don’t sit back and wait for things to fall into your lap. We are called to partner in this with other believers, to share in the sufferings of Christ.
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The Glorified Christ is with his People. (vv. 12–16)
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me… 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.
Revelation is packed with images, references, allusions to the Old Testament. This vision here is a reference to Zechariah 4
What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. Zec 4:2.
In Zechariah the lampstand with its seven lamps is figurative expression by which part of the temple stands for the whole temple, which also represents faithful Israel (Beal, A shorter commentary, 47). John sees seven lamps, each representing one of the churches, which represent the universal church. The Son of man is in the midst of the lamps, in the midst of his people.
Zechariah saw two figures that would attempt to lead God’s people and cause them to radiate God’s blessing. They failed. John sees one figure– Jesus.
The description of Jesus as burnished bronze, eyes of fire, golden sash, and him in the center of the lamps, make clear he is the one that gives light and life to his people. He is sufficient and what he does no one can take away.
Symbolic glory, clothed in priestly garments, with eyes like fire, voice like rushing waters, and a sword from His mouth—signifying power and judgment, and the giving of life.
This is the great promise of the gospel. It is not that Jesus takes away all of our trials. Revelation makes clear that trials are the past, the present, and future of believers but that those who are with Jesus and found in him will ultimately triumph because he has triumphed.
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The Comfort of Christ’s Assurance. (vv. 17–20).
Jesus in all his glory is not too great for his people. John falls as though dead, but Christ touches him, saying, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus declares Himself the First and the Last, the Living One who died but is alive forevermore, holding the keys of death and Hades.
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.
Jesus has overcome. He lays his right hand on him. There is a power in Jesus. This is Jesus in his glory. No longer clothed in humility.
He tells his people to fear not. He is alive forever more, and he lifts the heads of his unworthy servants.
Discussion Questions
- What is the purpose of this book (v1-3) and who is the message from? Who is the intended audience (v11)?
- What are some things said that show the sufficiency of Jesus and his work for us (v6-8)? How does that encourage you?
- How does this passage encourage us to patiently endure suffering (v9-11)?
