|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is an Israel friendly site! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Church Age
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1: "Christ and The Church"
|
|
|
|
|
Link to Printer Ready PDF Version of this document. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chapter Highlights
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chapter Aids
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topical Index
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Since we will be studying Revelation, it is important to understand what a revelation is. The word revelation comes from the Greek word apokalupsis. It means the uncovering, the
unveiling, or the disclosing. Revelation is the disclosing of Jesus Christ. It can be taken two ways: as the revealing of the person of Jesus Christ, or as the revealing of what he intends to do starting with the Church Age and running through to the end of time.
The Church Age is that period of time that the Church is on earth. The Church consists of the followers of Jesus Christ, as opposed to a church which is a building where people meet to
worship. The Church Age started fifty days after Jesus was raised from the dead on the Jewish holy day called Pentecost (The Feast of Weeks, Exodus 34:22,23; Acts 2:1-47). It will end when the Church is raptured (1 Corinthians 15:52). Just as one week is divided into seven days, the Church Age is divided into seven periods (more on this later in Chapter 1).
John, one of Christs original twelve disciples, was selected by Jesus to record Revelation. Since he knew Jesus personally, John is often called the Apostle John (Acts 1:21-26). He never boasted of that, but simply called himself a servant of Jesus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
Most people who study Revelation have a tendency to rush to those hot-button topics like the Mark of the Beast and the Two Witnesses that come later. They are skipping parts of the Bible that contain many great truths. Every verse in the Bible is important, and we should want to understand what each one of them has to say.
God gave the message of Revelation to his Son Jesus. He wanted Jesus to pass it on to his servants, so Jesus gave it to an angel. The angel then gave it to John, who gave it to the Church.
God's purpose for giving this message was to let the Church know what was to come in the future. Must means it is absolutely certain that these events will take place, and soon means they will begin in the near future. However, remember that God's definition of soon is a lot different than our definition.
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
John wrote it. It was his task to record what he saw, and what he saw was the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. The things written in this book are the Word of God and they come from God through his Son Jesus.
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Revelation is more than a book of doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction (2 Timothy 3:16, kjv). It is also a book of prophecy. The fulfillment of this prophecy began on the first day of the Church Age (Pentecost).
God did not have John write Revelation for it to be ignored. He had John write it to be read, heard (hear), and kept (keep, take to heart). Yet some people won't read it because they are either uninterested, scared, or find it difficult to understand. All God asks is simply for us to read Revelation.
The word hear could simply mean to listen to someone else read Revelation. But it probably means to recognize that Revelation is the Word of God and needs to be heard with one's heart. The word keep requires obedient action to do what the Bible says. God promised a blessing to those who read, hear, and keep the Word of God.
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
Revelation is for all believers, but here at the beginning is a section specifically addressed to seven particular churches (see Illustration #1). The greeting is "grace" and "peace," the common need of all people. Without the grace of God we would perish. Without the peace of God we would be unsure of our salvation (John 3:16; Romans 10:19). The source of grace and peace is the eternal God; the God who is, who was, and who is to come.
The Holy Spirit occupies a place before the throne of God. He has a sevenfold nature (Isaiah 11:2). This nature is made up of seven virtues which are called the seven spirits.
Remember This…
- The Seven Virtues (seven spirits) are:
- the spirit of the Lord—the nature of Jesus
- the spirit of wisdom—the ability to make the right decision
- the spirit of understanding—the ability to understand everything
- the spirit of counsel—the ability to give sound advice
- the spirit of might—the power to do what God wants
- the spirit of knowledge—the ability to know beyond human comprehension
- the spirit of the fear of the Lord—the ability to respect God's will
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
God intends to establish his kingdom here on earth, and Jesus is the Chosen One who will rule over that kingdom. Even at his birth, an angel visited his mother, the virgin Mary, and told her she would have a son who would sit on a throne and his kingdom would never end (Luke 1:29-33). The promise that God would send his Son Jesus the first time to die on a cross was literally fulfilled. Therefore, many believe the promise that God will send his Son Jesus a second time to rule over all things will also be literally fulfilled.
Jesus is called:
- The Faithful Witness—Jesus was faithful in all the things God gave him to do. He was the Word Made Flesh. A faithful example of the very nature of the Living God (Jesus).
- The Firstborn from the Dead—Jesus was the first to die and be raised from the dead. He never died again. Others have been raised from the dead, but they eventually died again.
- The Prince (Ruler) of the Kings of the Earth—This is his position in the world. World rulers do not yet realize that Jesus is in charge, but he is. The day will come when he will physically reign over every power on earth.
We are also told that Jesus loves us. He loves us with an everlasting love; a love that never fails. And the proof of his love is in the fact that he removes our sins through the shedding of his own blood—his crucifixion.
What Others are Saying:
- David Breese: We should never forget that we are what we are, and we are participants in the grand scenario of history, because Jesus Christ in his own blood has given forgiveness and cleansing. 1-1
Remember This…
- The Faithful Witness—the first coming of Jesus (his physical birth and life on earth)
- The Prince of the Kings of the Earth—the second coming of Jesus (the Millennium)
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Jesus has made us a kingdom of priests, a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). This is what he has done for us. Here is what we can do for him. We can give him glory and dominion throughout all eternity. Jesus is our king and we are subjects in his kingdom. Because he has exalted us, we will exalt him.
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
Jesus went away in the clouds (Acts 1:9) and he is coming back in the clouds (Matthew 24:30). When he does, it will not be a secret. Even those who rejected and crucified him will see him. Everyone will know who he is, and those who rejected him will mourn because they were so blind to the truth.
Remember This…
- Q: Why will the unbelievers mourn?
- A: Because they rejected him.
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
Jesus says he is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is everything that can be said about God from start to finish, from A to Z. He is the creator of all things, and will be the final judge of all things. He is the Lord of all.
In verse four of this chapter we noted that God is the eternally existing God; the God who is, was, and is to come. Here again in this verse he calls himself the same thing. He is equal to the Almighty God who has power over all things.
What Others are Saying:
- J. Vernon McGee: From an alphabet you make words, and Jesus is called the "Word of God"—the full revelation and intelligent communications of God. Jesus is the only alphabet you can use to reach God, my friend. The only language God speaks and understands is the language where Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega and all the letters in between. 1-2
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
In verse 8, Jesus introduced himself. Now, John introduces himself. He is the Christian's spiritual brother, a brother in Christ. He is also the Christian's companion, a companion in suffering for Christ's sake. All Christians are members of God's spiritual kingdom (the Church), a kingdom that teaches, and requires patience.
John was on the Isle of Patmos, a small island in the Mediterranean Sea (see Illustration #1), where he was imprisoned by the Roman Emperor Domitian. That explains his suffering.
What was his crime? Two things: 1) he would not deny the truth of the Bible, and 2) he would not deny the witness of Jesus Christ. John would rather be cast in prison and killed than reject Christ.
Becoming a servant of God will not keep a Christian out of trouble. We are not going to slide through life without problems. We are in the process of winning crowns. However, there are crosses to bear (persecution, 2 Timothy 3:12) before we receive them.
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
By the time John was in prison, Christians had adopted the practice of worshipping on Sunday. There are two reasons for this: 1) Jesus arose on Sunday, and 2) Pentecost falls on Sunday.
It was Sunday, the Lord's Day, and John was most likely praying when the Holy Spirit began to take control of him. While under the Holy Spirit's influence, John heard an unusual voice, a voice that sounded like a trumpet.
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."
The voice told John to write on a scroll what he was about to see. That scroll is Revelation. By this time in history there were probably thousands of churches in the world. Out of all of those churches, Jesus picked seven. He even identified them in a precise order.
Looking back on history, we now realize why Jesus picked these seven particular churches, and why he listed them in that order. Their good and bad qualities and the problems they faced are ideal for instructing all of God's people, and those same qualities and problems have turned out to be prophecies revealing the future history of the Church.
What Others are Saying:
- Hal Lindsey: If you are going to be an interpreter of the Scripture, you have to have a sanctified curiosity. You cannot study the Bible without having six friends. My six friends for studying the Bible are who, what, where, when, why, and so what. 1-3
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
Upon hearing the voice, John turned around to see the speaker, but the first thing he saw was seven golden lampstands. In verse 20, we will learn that these seven golden lampstands represent the seven churches. These seven churches represent seven different periods of the Church Age. (see Time Line #1).
Key Symbols:
|
|
|
|
Revelation 1:13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
Next, John saw where the voice came from. Someone who looked like the Son of Man was standing in the middle of the seven churches. He was wearing a long robe that went down to his feet with a golden sash around his chest.
What is the significance of this? Why this vision of Jesus standing in the middle of these seven churches dressed in the official attire of the high priest (Leviticus 8:7-9)? Jesus said, For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them (Matthew 18:20). This vision means that Jesus will stand in the midst of the Church throughout the Church Age. He is the Great High Priest who is always with his Church; a priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:17-27); a priest who is always able to intercede for us.
|
|
