We are going to have a deeper dive into one of the most amazing books in the Bible: Revelation. I’ll be looking at this on my Sunday morning preaching lots, two Sundays a month.
Now, this might at times be controversial. You may seem bamboozled. You may have never read the book and, if you have, you may not have understood what is going on. At times it reads like something more like Game of Thrones, full of dragons, beasts and marks.
Different cultures, Christians in different parts of the word, may interpret some of the book differently. For some they may feel the tribulation has started. For others they may feel there is no correlation between its pages and what they see happing in the world.
So, in preaching through this book there is some risks.
- A risk you’ll disagree with me on certain points.
- A risk you will think it is too heavy.
- A risk you will think I have not picked up your favourite theme in the book.
But I think the risks associated with not tackling it outweigh all of those: the risks of being ignorant and unprepared.
In Revelation 1, John introduces his book and gives us the information essential for appreciating and understanding this prophecy.
The Theme (1:7–8)
The overriding theme of the book of Revelation is the return of Jesus Christ to defeat all evil and to establish His reign.
Revelation is not about the apocalypse, that is in the book, but about Jesus!
It is a book of victory and His people are seen as “over-comers” (see Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 11:7; 12:11; 15:2; 21:7).
In his first epistle, John also called God’s people “over-comers” (1 John 2:13–14; 4:4; 5:4–5).
We overcome because Jesus is victorious.
The statement in Revelation 1:7: “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.
Describes Jesus’s return to the earth, and is amplified in Revelation 19:11ff.
God the Father is called “Alpha and Omega” in Revelation 1:8 and 21:6, but the name also is applied to His Son (Rev. 1:11; 22:13).
This is a strong evidence for the deity of Christ. Likewise, the title “the first and the last” goes back to Isaiah (Isa. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12–13) and is another proof that Jesus is God.
John’s Revelation of Jesus (1:9–18)
This book was born out of John’s profound spiritual experience while exiled on Patmos.
- What John heard (9–11).
9-11: 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. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 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.”
On the Lord’s Day, John heard a trumpet-like voice behind him. It was Jesus Christ speaking!
As far as we know, the apostle had not heard his Lord’s voice since Christ had returned to heaven more than sixty years before.
He heard Jesus!
Oh, how we need to hear the voice of Jesus for our lives, for our town, for our nation!
- What John saw (12–16).
12-16: I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
He saw a vision of the glorified Christ. Revelation 1:20 makes clear that we must not interpret this vision literally, for it is made up of symbols (see blog bonus).
He saw Jesus!
This vision of Christ was totally different in appearance from the Saviour that John knew when He was ministering on earth.
He was not the gentle Jesus, meek and mild, the baby in the manger, or the carpenter from Nazareth.
He is the risen, glorified, exalted Son of God, the Priest-King who has the authority to judge all people, beginning with His own people (1 Peter 4:17).
Christ’s garments are those of a Judge-King, One with honour and authority.
The white hair symbolises His eternal nature, “the Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9, 13, 22).
His eyes see all enabling Him to judge righteously.(Revelation 19:12; Hebrews 4:12).
His feet of glowing bronze also suggest judgment, since the brazen altar was the place where the fire consumed the sin offering. The Lord had come to judge the churches, and He would also judge the evil world system.
His voice, the “sound of rushing waters” (Revelation 1:15). He speaks with power and authority and must be heard. The sword from His mouth certainly represents the living Word of God (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17). He fights His enemies by using His Word (Revelation 2:16; 19:19–21).
Jesus’ shining face like the sun His transfiguration (Matthew 17:2) and also the prophecy of Malachi 4:2 (“the Sun of righteousness will rise”). The sun is a familiar image of God in the Old Testament (Psalm 84:11), reminding us not only of blessing, but of judgment. The sun can burn as well as bless!
- What John did (17–18).
A vision of the exalted Christ can only produce awe and fear (Daniel 10:7–9).
The Lord reassured John by touching him and speaking to him (note Daniel 8:18; 9:21; 10:10, 16, 18).
“Do not be afraid!”
We need not fear life, because He is “The Living One.”
We need not fear death, because He died and is alive, having conquered death.
We need not fear eternity because He holds the keys of hades (the world of the dead) and of death. The One with the keys is the One who has authority.
At the very beginning of this book, Jesus presented Himself to His people in majestic glory.
What the Church needs today is a new awareness of Christ and His glory. We need to see Him “high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1).
There is a dangerous absence of awe and worship in our assemblies today.
Wrapping this up:
1:19: Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
The book of Revelation is the only book in the Bible that contains an inspired outline of the contents.
Revelation 1: “What you have seen” refers to the past.
Revelation 2—3: “what is now”, refers to the present, John’s present.
Revelations 4-22: what will take place later, the future.
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Blog Bonus
The Name of the Book: Revelation (1:1a)
The word translated “revelation” simply means “unveiling.” It gives us our English word “apocalypse” which, unfortunately, is today a synonym for chaos and catastrophe.
The verb simply means “to uncover, to reveal, to make manifest.” In this book, the Holy Spirit pulls back the curtain.
But what is being unveiled? Really, it’s Who is being unveiled or revealed: It is all about Jesus and the fulfilment of His Kingdom.
John’s prophecy is primarily the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the revelation of future events. You must not divorce the Person of Jesus from the prophecy, for without the Person of Jesus there could be no fulfilment of the prophecy.
In Revelation 1—3, Christ is seen as the exalted Priest.
In Revelation 4— 5, He is seen in heaven as the glorified Lamb of God, reigning on the throne.
In Revelation 6—18, Christ is the Judge of all the earth.
In Revelation 19, He returns to earth as the conquering King of kings.
When Daniel finished writing his prophecy, he was instructed:
Daniel 12:4: But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end….
But John was given opposite instructions:
Revelation 22:10: Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.”
The time is near! For Daniel the time was afar off. Since Calvary, the resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, God has moved us towards the “last days” (Hebrews. 1:1–2) and is fulfilling His hidden purposes in this world.
Who Wrote Revelation?
John wrote Revelation about AD 95, during the reign of the Roman emperor Titus Flavius Domitian.
The emperor had demanded that he be worshipped as “Lord and God,” and the refusal of the Christians to obey his edict led to severe persecution.
Tradition says that it was Domitian who sent John to the Isle of Patmos, a Roman penal colony off the coast of Asia Minor.
John and his brother James asked Jesus for special places of honour by His throne:
Mark 10:35-45, esp., 38-39: “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with?” 39 “We can,” they answered.
The Lord told them that they would have suffer much for Him. James was the first apostle martyred (Acts 12:1–2); John was the last of the apostles to die, but he suffered on Patmos before his death (see Matthew. 20:20–23).
How did the Lord give the contents of this book to His servant?
Revelation 1:1b: to show his servants what must soon take place.
In Revelation, the noun is translated as sign in the NIV (Revelation 15:1; 12:1-3; 19:20). Some versions use signs, wonders and miracles. This is a book of signs and wonders. But where do they point to? Jesus! In all His glory.
Symbols
As we study Revelation, we shall expect to encounter a loads of symbolism, much of it related to the Old Testament.
Why did John use symbolism?
- Symbolism is not weakened by time. John was able to draw on the great “images” in God’s revelation and assemble them into an exciting drama that has encouraged persecuted and suffering saints for centuries. However, don't think that the events, although described symbolically, are not real. They are.
- Symbols not only convey information, but also impart values and arouse emotions.
John could have written, “A dictator will rule the world,” but instead he described a beast. The symbol says much more than the mere title of “dictator.” Instead of explaining a world system, John simply introduced “Babylon the Great” and contrasted the “harlot” with the “bride.” The very name “Babylon” would convey deep spiritual truth to readers who knew the Old Testament.
We must be careful not to allow our imaginations to run wild. Biblical symbols are consistent with the whole of biblical revelation.
Some symbols are explained (Revelation 1:20; 4:5; 5:8); others are understood from Old Testament symbolism (Revelation. 2:7, 17; 4:7); and some symbols are not explained at all (the “white stone” in Revelation. 2:17).
Nearly 300 references to the Old Testament are found in Revelation! This means that we must anchor our interpretations to what God has already revealed, otherwise we can misinterpret this important prophetic book.
The Readers (1:3–4)
While the book was originally sent to seven actual local churches in Asia Minor, John makes it clear that any believer may read and profit from it:
Revelation 1:3: Blessed is the one who reads aloud 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.
God promises a special blessing to the one who would read the book and obey its message. The verb read means “to read out loud.” Revelation was first read aloud in local church meetings.
The apostle Paul had sent letters to seven churches—Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, and Thessalonica—and now John sent one book to seven different churches.
Early in the book, he had a special message from Christ to each church. John did not send this book of prophecy to the assemblies in order to satisfy their curiosity about the future.
God’s people were going through intense persecution, and they needed encouragement. As they heard this book, its message would give them strength and hope.
Its message would help them examine their own lives (and each local church) to determine those areas needing correction.
They were not only to hear the Word, but they were also to keep it—that is, guard it as a treasure and practice what it said. The blessing would come, not just by hearing, but even more so by doing (see James 1:22–25).
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