Introduction Rev 1:1-4
The first eight verses of Revelation act as an introduction in which John establishes both his own authority and the authority of the book. From this point, the story begins to open up into the complex series of visions and images that we know as the Book of Revelation.
Rev 1:1-4 The Chain of Revelation
Rev 1:1 - “God gave the book to Christ.”
Rev 1:1 - “Christ gave it to an angel.”
Rev 1:1 - “The Angel revealed it to John.”
Rev 1:4 - “John wrote it down for the seven churches.”
Rev 1:4 - “The seven churches then handed it on to all the other churches.”
We notice in the chain by which Revelation was handed from God to Man, that the full line of authority is used. God, as always, is the source of all knowledge and while Jesus was on earth He always acknowledged His Father as being greater than He was. Heb 8:6 tells us that God has placed Jesus as a mediator between Himself and man.
(See also my notes on John 17:8 Rev 5:7)
The next link in this chain is the angel. Although not always used, this step is often in the chain of communication between man and God as can be clearly seen below in the announcements of the birth of Jesus.
Luke 1:11-20 Gabriel appeared to Zechariah.
Luke 1:26-38 Gabriel appeared to Mary.
Matt 1:20-23 An angel appeared to Joseph.
Luke 2:8-15 An angel appeared to the shepherds.
Was the angel who the visions of Revelation to John also Gabriel. In Dan 10:21 we are told that the angel who revealed important truths to Daniel was Gabriel. Luke tells us that the angel who appeared to Zechariah (Luke 1:11-20) and Mary (Luke 1:26-38) was also Gabriel. We can be sure that the one entrusted with giving Revelation to John must have been a senior angel such as Gabriel. Of course, we can only suggest it was Gabriel as there is no evidence within the book tells us it was.
Was the angel who the visions of Revelation to John also Gabriel. In Dan 10:21 we are told that the angel who revealed important truths to Daniel was Gabriel. Luke tells us that the angel who appeared to Zechariah (Luke 1:11-20) and Mary (Luke 1:26-38) was also Gabriel. We can be sure that the one entrusted with giving Revelation to John must have been a senior angel such as Gabriel. Of course, we can only suggest it was Gabriel as there is no evidence within the book tells us it was.
In a similar manner, the visions of Revelation were revealed by an angel to John who was then told to write them down in a book. In some versions, the word used to describe John here is ‘servant’, in other versions the word is ‘bond-servant’. The idea here is one set apart by God, one who has devoted their life to serving God.
This book was then to be handed on to the seven churches of Asia which are listed in . Why these particular seven churches? We can be sure that this was partly because John was well known to these churches having spent much of his later life in this area, but there were a number of other famous churches in the Province of Asia.
Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 reveal in the messages to each church, that the selection also shows us seven churches in seven different states. The idea here is to present a cross section of various churches in various spiritual conditions. We can find hope in the fact that God desires to encourage the weak, struggling churches as well as praise the strong, faithful churches.
See my notes on Rev 1:4 .
Finally from the context of the first three chapters of Revelation we have evidence that this book was written and intended to be handed on to other churches beyond these first seven churches. The number seven was considered by the Jews to be a perfect number because it carries the meaning of completeness. Therefore the idea of seven churches suggests that John was, in fact, writing to the whole church or all the churches; both those of his time and those in the future. (See Appendix C “Symbolism of Numbers.) Because only seven churches could be selected, other well-known churches such as the churches at Galatia and Colossae had to be left out.
Rev 1:1-2 John as a prophet (see Rev 22:6 spirits of the prophets)
“… who bore witness to all that he saw…”
A mouth or spokesman for God Ex 4:10-17
1 Cor 1:4-6 - “because of our testimony about Christ…..”
The primary task of God’s prophets was to speak to the people of their own day. They delivered messages or warnings from God that usually concerned the present rather than the future. A prophet of God was usually sent to offer the people information, encouragement and hope to help them facing their current situations. We tend to think of prophets as foretelling the future but speaking and warning about the future was more of a secondary task.
See the instruction given to John in
“Write these things… the things which are …”
Seven times the Book of Revelation referrers to itself as prophecy:-
1) Rev 1:3 - “…blessed is he who reads the words of this prophecy.”
2) Rev 11:6 - “….it will not rain during the time they are prophesying…”
3) - “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
4) Rev 22:7 - “….blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”
5) - “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book…”
6) - “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book…”
7) - “….anyone takes words away from the prophecy of this book….”
One of the purposes of prophecy is instruction for God’s people. In prophecy, we learn by example as well as by direct commandments from God.
Rev 1:3 Three Way Blessing.
1) “blessed is the one who reads this book aloud.”
Blessed is the one who reads this book ‘Revelation,’ privately, in his home or family;
Blessed is the one who reads carefully and diligently, with a desire for understanding.
Blessed is the one who reads carefully and diligently, with a desire for understanding.
Blessed is the one who reads publicly in the church and who endeavours to open and explain it to others; and who gives meaning to this book by the reading and study of the law and the prophets. This second meaning seems to be a better sense of this phrase since there is a change of number in the next phrase. “He who reads…. They who hear.” Clearly, this is a teaching situation.
2) “Blessed are those who hear it.”
Blessed are they who listen attentively to the reading and exposition of this book and have ears to hear so they can understand the prophecies contained within it.
Some early versions differ to most modern versions and read the numbers in this verse differently; “blessed is he that readeth, and he that heareth,” as in the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions or “blessed are they that readeth, and they that heareth,” as in the Arabic version. Either way, the final message or meaning does not change.
3) “Blessed are those who heed it.”
Blessed are those who not only read and hear but put into practice what they read and hear; for there are some things in this book that are of a practical nature, especially in the letters to the seven churches.
The sense maybe more;
‘happy are those persons that observe and take notice of what is written herein, and meditate upon them, and weigh them in their minds, and retain them in their memories.’ John Gill - The Online Bible.
‘God does not ask us to read the Book of Revelation so that we might speculate about future events or to satisfy our curiosity concerning God’s future plans for mankind. He wants us to read it with the purpose of discovering the principles of life revealed in the book for us.’
Practical Studies in Revelation – Theodore Epp. Vol I pg 23.
This book is written to be shared and to read out to others. It is a book to be heard but even more than this, it is a book to be obeyed. In the time when this book was written many of the people in the first-century church would have been unable to read so their main source of knowledge of the scriptures was by someone reading them aloud.
The public reading of scripture was common in Jewish worship of the first century. Even Jesus read the scriptures aloud publicly. The public reading of the scriptures was also continued by the early church as well.
(See Appendix I – Lessons from Revelation.)
Revelation contains seven blessings for those who read it.
These are The Seven Beatitudes of Revelation:-
1) “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and heed it.”
Rev 1:3
2) “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth.”
(Christ’s followers on earth who die for Him)
3) “Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments.”
(The watchful pilgrim:- Remember the church at Sardius in Rev 3:1-6, the church which fell asleep. Or the parable of the Ten Virgins Matt 25:1-13.)
4) “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
Rev 19:9
(The invited guests of God.)
5) “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection.”
Rev 20:6
(This is the man whom the 2nd death cannot touch.)
6) “Blessed is he who heeds the words of prophecy of this book.”
Rev 22:7
(The wise reader of God’s word.)
7) “...blessed are those who wash their robes”
(The wise doer of God’s word.)
Rev 1:3 For the Time is Near.
Three verses in Chapter One make reference to the timing of when the events mentioned in Revelation are expected to take place.
Rev 1:1 - “must shortly take place.”
Rev 1:3 - “for the time is near.”
- “…the things which you have seen … the things which are … after these things.”
This is the strongest evidence in support of the Book of Revelation being written for 1st Century Christians about events which were to take place in the 1st Century. In fact, most of the Book of Revelation was in fact fulfilled within a few hundred years of its being written.
Rev 1:4 Destination of the Message.
“to the seven churches of Asia.”
These are the seven churches listed in verse 11 and addressed to in the letters found in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 They are individual churches but they are also representative of the Church as a whole. (See my notes for verse 1.)
The Asia spoken of here is not the continental Asia that we know today but instead, a limited area found in what we now know as western Turkey, the Roman province of Proconsular Asia. The seven churches were found in seven cities, the ruins of which can still be seen today, (see my background notes on each of the churches in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3).
The Number Seven.
Why only seven churches?
The Book of Revelation is built around a system of “sevens.” There were seven letters to seven churches, seven blessings, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls of wrath, etc.
In the Book of Revelation, the number seven is used 12 times in chapter one, six of those are found in the last verse, verse 20. Throughout the Book of Revelation, the number seven can be found a total of 54 times.
The number seven was quite conspicuous throughout the rest of the Bible as well. The Sabbath Day, the day God rested from his labours of creation, was the seventh day. The Levitical system of the Old Testament was built on a cycle of sevens. Jericho fell after seven priests, with seven trumpets, marched around the city walls for seven days, then on the seventh day blew their trumpets seven times. Naaman dipped himself in the River Jordon seven times before he was healed. The Bible begins with the Seven days of Creation and ends with Revelation, the book of sevens.
The number seven is also conspicuous in our everyday life too. Our calendar is based on there being seven days in the week. There are seven notes in music. There are also seven colours in the rainbow.
Used as much as it is, we can see that the number seven has special significance above and beyond its numerical value. Symbolically it stands for completeness, fullness, totality.
So when John came to represent the entire Church it makes sense that in context with the rest of the book he chose to use the number seven. In this case choosing seven of the churches within the area of the Roman Empire where he had spent most of the latter part of his life. We know of at least 3 or 4 other churches that could have been included from the Province of Asia but of course for the greater meaning and context of the book, and the whole of God’s Word, John was limited to the choice of only seven.
Rev 1:4-6 Source of the Message.
Rev 1:4 Grace and Peace.
“Grace and peace”
This is a very common greeting among the Apostles in the early New Testament times.
In his greeting to the seven Churches, John wished them “grace” and “peace” from the Lord. Later in verse 6, John uses “glory and dominion” when talking about God. We are inclined to pass over such phrases as ‘grace and peace’ or ‘glory and dominion’ as mere formalities of expression, but they are far more than this.
Grace – A gift without strings attached. In using this phrase, John is asking that a gift is given to each of the seven Churches. The gift of grace through the undeserved favour of God is a gift we are unworthy of and unable to obtain by ourselves. What John is asking for on behalf of the seven Churches, and also for us as well, are the gifts of life, which are eternal life, and the salvation that only God can give.
Peace – The gift asked for here is not peace as in living in harmony with other men. The whole context of the Book of Revelation concerns conflict, persecution, and trouble for the 1st Century Churches. So what peace did John have in mind here when he asks for peace for the seven Churches of Asia?
Peace:- "The harmonised relationship between God and Man accomplished through the Gospel." Vines Expository Dictionary.
Phil 4:4-9 Paul talks about receiving the peace of God. First, he lists desirable things we need such as:- rejoice; do not be anxious; pray and petition with thanksgiving. Then he tells us these lead to this peace of God when in v7 he says "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Paul then goes on to list some things we should put our minds upon such as: vs 8 & 9 "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, anything excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things........And the God of peace will be with you."
Peace:- "The harmonised relationship between God and Man accomplished through the Gospel." Vines Expository Dictionary.
Phil 4:4-9 Paul talks about receiving the peace of God. First, he lists desirable things we need such as:- rejoice; do not be anxious; pray and petition with thanksgiving. Then he tells us these lead to this peace of God when in v7 he says "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Paul then goes on to list some things we should put our minds upon such as: vs 8 & 9 "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, anything excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things........And the God of peace will be with you."
The word “peace” signifies that a war that has previously existed has ceased. The unsaved person is in a hopeless war against God. Such a person may be under conviction, but unless he accepts God’s offer of peace the warfare will continue throughout his life and into eternity. God’s peace is made through Jesus Christ. Peace must be made on God’s terms which are very clearly set forth in the Scriptures.
Paul speaks of “repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.” The word “repentance” means a change of mind which leads to a change of heart. . . . . . . . We have to change our minds about the Almighty God who sent His own Son to die in order that you and I might live. So there must be repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ before a person can have “peace.”
Practical Studies in Revelation - Theodore Epp Vol I pg 26.
When John wanted a salutation to the Churches that he loved, to people, many of whom he knew and had taught God’s word, he chose “grace and peace” as his greeting. But being more than just a greeting this was his wish for them, his prayer for them.
This is something we should pray for and ask on behalf of one another today. What better gifts can we ask for those around us, our family, our loved ones, people we know, but the gifts of “grace and peace?”
Grace – The undeserved gifts of God.
Peace – Harmony between God and man through Jesus Christ.
There can be no true peace, where there is not true grace; and where grace goeth before, peace will follow. This blessing is in the name of God, of the Holy Trinity, it is an act of adoration.
Matthew Henry Concise Commentary – Online Bible.
Rev 1:4-6 The Holy Trinity.
Rev 1:4 Eternal God. “from Him who is and who was and who is to come”
This is one of those powerful statements that God uses to identify Himself.
It clearly says God is with us now, just as He has always been there in the past and He will always be there in the future as well.
For more on this see my notes on Rev 1:8 - Description of God.
In the three tenses of the verb ‘to be,’ we have God described as the God of all eternity past, the God of the present time, and the God of time in endless future. He has neither beginning nor end. What we know of Him in the past, He will become for us now. And what He does for us now and is to us now, He will always be to us in the endless future. He is the unchangeable One who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Practical Studies in Revelation - Theodore Epp. Vol 1 pg 27
He sums this up Himself when He says – “I am the Lord, I change not.” Mal 3:6.
Rev 1:4 The Holy Spirit. “the seven spirits”
The idea here is the Holy Spirit. This is another one of those times when John uses the number seven symbolically. For example – seven churches, seven lampstands, seven stars and seven spirits are all found in Rev Chapter one. In this verse, we have God, The Holy Spirit and Jesus being talked about with “seven spirits” meaning the complete or whole spirit of God, The Holy Spirit. In our study of Revelation, we will find this grouping of seven continues throughout the rest of the book. To be consistent, we must deal with each of these cases in the same way as we deal with it here.
The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit is at work with us in the Church today, just as He has always been there with God in the past and will always be there with God in the future. The work of the Holy Spirit is best summed up by Isaiah “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of God.” Isaiah 11:2
In Acts 2:2-3 we see the Holy Spirit comes upon the Apostles to be given to early Christians for the building up of the Church. In 1 Cor 12:4-9 we see the Holy Spirit at work within the Church, giving members of the Church various gifts to be used for the building up of the body. The work of the Holy Spirit continues today, dwelling within each of us who have taken on the name of God’s Son, always there, ever guiding us we walk in the footsteps of Christ.
The Holy Spirit is included here because it is impossible to separate Him from the Father or the Son. Where ever God or our Lord Jesus Christ is, the Holy Spirit is there also. Where ever the Holy Spirit is, God and Jesus are there too.
Rev 1:5-6 Jesus Christ.
Notice that in this view of the Trinity the writer spends more time identifying Christ than he did with either God or the Holy Spirit. This is consistent with the theme of the book of Revelation because as we will see, Jesus Christ is the central character of the book. Here is a view of Jesus Christ where three of His qualities and four of His works are listed as a means of identification. Again we see the use of the number seven.
His Qualities.
1) Jesus Christ – The Faithful Witness.
“the faithful witness” John 8:14-18, 2 Tim 2:11-13. .
The word ‘witness’ comes from the same Greek word as the word ‘martyr.’ This especially fits Christ because He was a witness, even unto death. He had been a faithful witness in several ways; by His ministry, by His miracles, by His teaching, and then by the shedding of His blood when He died on the cross.
The name ‘faithful witness’ also concerns the message that He brought. During His public ministry, Christ was faithful in delivering to men the words that He had received from His Father in Heaven. “My other witness is the Father who sent Me” John 8:18. We now have “The Word”, the words of the Father, confirmed and witnessed by His Son. Words given to us by God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. Words which are final, complete and lasting forever, “until heaven and earth come to an end, not the smallest letter or part of a letter will in any way be taken from the Law until all things are fulfilled.” Matt
Christ is also a faithful witness in telling us that there is a judgement ahead for of all mankind. In Revelation, we are promised, “Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according to his works…” .
2) Jesus Christ – Our Priest.
“the firstborn of the dead” Heb .
The phrase “the firstborn of the dead” points to the fact that Christ was the first who rose from the dead by His own power, to live an immortal life. Though there were a few who were raised before Him, they did not raise themselves, instead, being raised by either Jesus or God. They also did not live forever as Christ does, but they all died again naturally.
Moreover, Christ being called the first fruits of the resurrection supports the fact that He died for the sins of His people; and then He rose again from the dead, for their justification and for their salvation.
This is summed up in Phil 2:6-11
“6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Not only does our lord have the spiritual birthright from God, but we are told that we are fellow heirs with Him.
Rom “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
But there is more than just being fellow heirs with Him. Verse 6 of this chapter also describes Him as having made us to be a kingdom of priests. If we are a kingdom of priests then this makes Him to be the head priest – our priest. The purpose of a priest is to be a go between or mediator between God and man, which is exactly the role Jesus Christ takes for Himself.
See below – (Point 6 - The Kingdom of Christ)
3) Jesus Christ – Our King.
“the ruler of the kings of the nations” Eph -22.
Christ rose first as our head and representative before God and opening the way of life for all who chose to follow Him. Christ has taken His rightful position as head of the kingdom, the church, that he established and bears His name. Man’s rebellion against God and Christ began in the days of Babel and continues to this day. Many earthly rulers have taken on the task of trying to crush the church out of existence, but Christ remains “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” .
Human leaders may have political power over individual Christians, but these men do not have the final power that belongs to Christ. One day He will return again to take up His rightful position as ruler over all the nations.
Satan, at present, is appearing to rule over the world. He is clearly shown to be running things in the Revelation story, seemingly controlling whole nations but his power is limited. This is the centre of the Revelation story, that Satan’s power is limited, Christ will eventually overcome him “and the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
His Works.
4) The Love of Jesus Christ.
“who loves us” Eph 5:2.
The love of God is an outgoing, self-sacrificing love. Not a selfish love based on what He can gain for Himself but rather a unselfish love based on what He can do for others, for mankind. This love is a love for us even when we have not earned it, do not deserve it and have not loved Him in return. This is an unselfish love, in which those who are saved have a part of the great gifts of God. These include first, salvation, then other blessings through His grace such as peace, love, & hope etc.
John 15:9 “As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Now remain in My love.”
There is more to love than just Christ’s love for His followers. First, there is a relationship between Himself and His Father. This, Jesus explains in the passage above, was a relationship based on love. As much as the Father has love for His Son, the Son has love for His Father in return. What is the result of this love? Christ has love for His followers.
John “My commandment is this; Love each other as I have loved you.”
1 John “….we should love one another”
No only does Christ wish us to love Him and Love His Father; He also wants us to love one another. This is what the Church is based on, the love between Christ and His Church and the love among members of His church.
5) The Salvation of Jesus Christ.
“released us from our sins by His blood” Eph 1:7, Heb .
It is through this love that Jesus washed away our sins with His very own blood. Christ first had to die to atone for our sins and reconcile us to God. Through the resurrection of Christ, we can have the hope and assurance of our own indestructible resurrection.
Jesus said “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
What is being talked about here? In the Gospel of John, Christ claimed that He came to set men free. This is not physical freedom, even the Apostles – Paul & John found themselves in prison. This is spiritual freedom, the freedom from sin that snares us and pulls us down every day.
“I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
The “life” here is not the physical life we all know but spiritual life, eternal life, everlasting life with Christ and His Father in heaven.
See also the state of the righteous Rev 21:1-8; -27; 22:1-5.
6) The Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
“made us to be a kingdom” Col .
This is a kingdom not of the world but a kingdom of the spirit. Col 1:14. “For He has delivered us from the Dominion of Darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son.” This kingdom, being spiritual, is a kingdom of spiritual people – priests. The Word of God describes priests as being mediators or as go-betweens. Today the Lord is using us to represent Him to all mankind. II Cor . “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us…”
As ambassadors of God to a sinful, unrepentive world, for the time we spend on earth we are living in a kingdom which is not our own. Like ambassadors who have been sent to a foreign land to serve their country, we have been sent to represent God among a “foreign” people. Once the time of our service is over, we shall return to home, to be with Him in heaven.
See further down in -18 and in Rev 5 ‘The entry of the Lamb.’
See Appendix H - Death, Resurrection & Eternity.
7) Priests of Jesus Christ.
"priests to serve his God and Father"
The idea here is that where under the old covenant there was a priesthood between God and men, under the new covenant Christ performs this role. See my notes on this under point two "Jesus Christ our Priest. But this verse takes it further by saying Christ has made us priests, a priesthood to serve his Father and God.
1 Peter 2:5 "....you also like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood....."
1 Peter 2: 9 "....but you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession..."
Rev 1:6 “Glory and dominion forever”
Praises to Lord Jesus – may His glory and dominion last forever. By using a powerful praise of God, in just a few short words, John acknowledges Christ’s everlasting power and total authority over all things.
Christ had glory with His Father before the world begun. He left His glory when He took the form of a man and dwelt among men. In John 17:1-5, before He returned to His Father He asked that He might again have the glory that was previously His.
God answered this request by returning to His Son the glory that comes with the absolute righteousness found only in Christ. Complete dominion was also His since upon returning to heaven His Father placed Him over all things by making Him “King of kings and Lord of lords.” I Tim 6:15.
Rev 1:7 Comfort in the knowledge of His coming.
There is some doubt as to which coming this is as there are three possible meanings which fit this verse to some extent. At the time this was written I am still unsure as to which is the correct meaning.
First, it could mean the coming of Christ at the End of Time. This verse fits closely with what is described as the ‘Second Coming’ of Matt 24:26-31. It also fits in with the context of Revelation in Chapters 20 & 21. This would make this verse, part of a general description of Christ, one of the corner stones of the Christian faith; the returning of Christ (the Second Coming) an important part of the context of Revelation.
Secondly, it could mean some other coming of Christ such as the destruction of Jerusalem. See Isa 19:1, James 5:8, Matt 24:30, 34. While there are scriptures to back this meaning up there is some conflict as to the date Revelation was written. If you hold to an early date such as the book being written during the reign of Nero then Jerusalem is still standing but if you hold to a later date then that city will already have been destroyed.
Perhaps the final meaning is a variation of meaning two. Could this be some other city? Well, Revelation is about the final judgement and the destruction of the city of Rome. This fits in closely with the context of Chapter 17 where we will be able to identify the Great Harlot as the City of Rome. But we still have the problem that no judgement of a city is mentioned here, even though it is in other later parts of Revelation.
So let’s now look again at the verse:-
1) “Coming with the clouds.”
2) “Every eye will see Him.”
3) “Even those who pierced Him.”
This verse is very similar to what Paul says:-
“For the Lord, Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and then we shall always be with the Lord.”
I Thess 4:16-17
Clearly, the final return of Christ will be the most important and greatest event the world will ever see. The Christians of the 1st century placed great hope in this. So taking into account the fact that this verse fits into the context of a description of the qualities and works of Christ and that there is no mention of any judgement upon a particular city we are forced to place more weight on the first meaning.
I have laid out arguments for the coming of Christ at the end of time and the case for some other coming. So, after taking you around in a circle I’m going to leave you back where we started. Both meanings have some value but I’m still not completely convinced as to either meaning as I write this.
I Thess 4:16-17
Clearly, the final return of Christ will be the most important and greatest event the world will ever see. The Christians of the 1st century placed great hope in this. So taking into account the fact that this verse fits into the context of a description of the qualities and works of Christ and that there is no mention of any judgement upon a particular city we are forced to place more weight on the first meaning.
I have laid out arguments for the coming of Christ at the end of time and the case for some other coming. So, after taking you around in a circle I’m going to leave you back where we started. Both meanings have some value but I’m still not completely convinced as to either meaning as I write this.
Rev 1:7 Two Exclamations. “Even so. Amen.”
Greek – Nai – “Even so.”
(Strongs Concordance, Greek Dictionary of the New Test.
Page 49, word 3483)
Page 49, word 3483)
Hebrew – Amen – “So let it be.”
(Strongs Concordance, Hebrew & Chaldee Dictionary Page 14, word 543)
Two expressions drawn from two different languages are used to underline this verse. In effect, it is like using two exclamation marks or saying Amen twice. By using both Greek and Hebrew John is clearly sending his message to both Jew and Gentile alike.
“even so, Amen,” says John, and so say all true believers; what the wicked lament, they rejoice at; they desire the coming of Christ, they love it, look and long for it; they believe it shall be, and wish it may be quickly, as in Re 22:20; This expression of faith in, and desire after the coming of Christ, is signified by two words, the one Greek and the other Hebrew; suggesting, that this is an article of faith among all the saints of all nations, Jews and Gentiles, and is what they are wishing and waiting for.
John Gill’s Expositor. – Online Bible.
Rev 1:8 Description of God.
We saw in verse one that the originator of this message was God. Further hope, confidence and assurance are given here in the use of three different ways used by God to describe Himself.
1) “I am the alpha and the omega.”
These are Greek letters. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter.
Alpha – The First or the Beginning.
Omega – The Last or the Ending.
2) “Who is, who was, who is to come.”
The Eternal God. God was there in the past, He is still there for us today, and He will always be there for His children in the future.
3) “The Almighty.”
The Almighty, God the all-powerful God.
4) We could almost add one other name to these three. The name “I AM.” This is the name that God used for Himself when He was talking with Moses.
Back in Ex -14 Moses asked God, “Who shall I say sent me.”
God answered by saying, “I AM WHO I AM.” “You shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent you.’”
Notice how John repeats himself a number of times.
1) Rev 1:1 - “must shortly take place.”
Rev 1:3 - “for the time is near.”
2) Rev 1:4 & Rev 1:8 - “who is, who was, who is to come.”
3) Rev 1:6 & 1:7 - “Even so. Amen.”
As mentioned above, John repeats himself to give extra weight, meaning and importance to his message. We will find that this continues as we move deeper in the book of Revelation.
At this point, we have reached the end of John’s introduction and opening statements. From here he begins to describe his first vision. We will call this vision ‘The Vision of the Son of Man.’ Here we get to meet the most central character of Revelation in one of the many forms which He takes on throughout this book.
I want you to notice the way in which we use the Old Testament to identify this character and give meaning to this vision. This is the key to understanding Revelation. Seek out similar images, particularly from the Old Testament and apply similar meanings to the text we are considering.
See Introduction - Theories of Interpretation.
The Vision of the Son of Man Rev 1:9-20
Chapter One can be better understood if we divide it into 2 parts:-
1) Introduction: - Rev 1:1-8.
2) The Vision of the Son of Man: - Rev 1:9-20.
In the first section, we find an introduction to the book of Revelation. John explains how this message from God came to him, he promises a blessing for all who read and study this message and finally he gives further detail as to the source of this message. Although all 3 of the God-head are mentioned, John makes it very clear the Jesus Christ is the main theme of this revelation.
The second half of Chapter One can be considered part of the main body of the book’s message. John almost repeats himself with another introduction in which he gives us greater detail as to his own situation when he received this vision. We then get to meet the most important character from this book, Jesus Christ Himself.
Rev 1:9 Greeting from the Writer.
1) “John.”
This verse gives us the most internal information as to the author of Revelation. The use of just the name ‘John’ means that the author was well known to those he was writing to.
See Author of Revelation in ‘An Introduction…..’
See Author of Revelation in ‘An Introduction…..’
2) John’s right to speak.
John gives two reasons why we should at least hear what he has to say.
a) “brother”
The use of the term ‘brother’ as used here, denotes a person or persons who are united by a common cause or common calling. In this case ‘Brothers in Christ.’
‘Fellow-member of a religious order.’
Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary.
b) “fellow-partaker” A joint sharer.
A joint sharer in three things that are found in following Christ Jesus. First, there is a sharing in tribulation, then there is the sharing in perseverance and finally a sharing in the kingdom.
These two points give us an insight into the closeness which God desires for His children. He wants the church, the kingdom setup in the name of His Son, to be like a family. God wants this family to be a body where members think of themselves as if they were brother and sister. This body should contain members who have been brought together because of what they share in common with each other.
3) John’s situation.
a) “…was on the island called Patmos.”
John was exiled to the island of Patmos for punishment.
b) Why? “…because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
He was there because of his teaching, because of his preaching, because of his holding to the word of God and for following Jesus Christ.
The Island of Patmos.
The island of Patmos is a barren rocky, crescent shaped island. It is about ten miles (16 km) long and five miles (8 km) wide and it lies some forty miles (64 km) off the coast of modern day Asia Minor (Turkey). It is closest to the ruined city of Ephesus.
In Roman times the island was used as a prison. Banishment to this island meant loss of all civil rights and property. Banishment also involved long and hard labour in the quarries and mines on the island.
Today Patmos is famous as a tourist resort for people from Northern Europe. As well as bringing in the much-needed tourist dollar there have been problems with young people wanting to party day and night which has had a negative effect on the local traditions and culture on the island.
The island of Patmos as it is today.
As a side point here it is interesting to consider John’s situation on Patmos. He was an older man who would have perhaps found the conditions and work physically difficult. For years John had lived among and worked among his brothers and sisters in Christ. He had taught them and given them encouragement, and he would have received strength and encouragement in return from them. Now he finds himself on a bleak, rocky island, 40 miles (64 km) from the nearest city or town where any of his Christian brethren would have been.
John tells us he was on Patmos because of his preaching of the Gospel of Christ. It is sure that the Romans would have done everything possible to prevent him from continuing to do this. Perhaps in a situation like this, we would be overcome with despair, feeling that God had forsaken us. But not John. It is clear that as well as dealing with his physical circumstances John was also maintaining his spiritual well-being too. He says himself that he was keeping the Lord’s Day, “in the spirit on the Lord’s Day…”
This was the time when Jesus came to him, giving John the series of visions we have before us, The Book of Revelation. When John was at his lowest, his ministry in tatters, separated from his brethren, his Lord Jesus Christ came to him to give him a gift and insight like nothing John had ever experienced before.
Rev 1:10 When did John see this vision?
“on the Lord’s Day”
1) This is not the Old Testament “Day of Jehovah” the Sabbath. This day was the New Testament “First Day of the Week,” Sunday.
See Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 16:1-2.
1) Why the Lord’s Day?
This is the day upon which Christ arose from the dead. Luke 24:1
The Day the church was established. Acts 2:1.
For the Apostles and the first Christians, the first day of the week was regarded in a special sense. The Lord’s Day, or ‘Day of our Lord’ as it was commonly known, was kept as such. It was a day devoted to divine worship throughout the first-century churches and indicates to us that the will of God is that it should be observed in all coming ages as the Christian Sabbath. 1 Cor 16:1-2.
Rev 1:10
“I was in the Spirit.”
Under the influence of the Holy Spirit. (McGuiggan)
Carried out of the world of space and time and carried into eternity and God.
(Rogers)
Ezek “The spirit lifted me up.”
Ezek 8:3 “Saw a vision.”
The idea here seems to be that John was in a vision or state of trance. His physical body was still on the Island of Patmos but the Holy Spirit had taken him away from the physical world of man and into the spiritual world of God. You could almost say it was like John had died and was now in the presence of God, but of course, since it was a vision the Holy Spirit just opened John’s mind so he was able to see and experience things far beyond his own physical surroundings, his own physical reality.
See notes on Rev 4:1-2
Rev 1:10
“voice like the sound of a trumpet”
Matt 24:31, 1 Cor , 1 Thess .
This noise or voice is heard with the coming of Jesus.
Ex & 19.
The voice of God on Mt Sinai.
The voice as heard here is another example of the power of God. Throughout the Bible whenever God speaks His voice is usually described as a trumpet or as the sound of many waters.
See my notes on
Rev 1:11 John was instructed:-
“To write a book and send it to each of the seven churches.” (See the list given below.)
See also Rev 1:4 & Rev chapters 2 & 3 for more on these churches.
The term ‘book’ here is actually a scroll. Scrolls were sheets of papyrus combined to form a ‘book’. Scrolls were made by glueing sheets of papyrus (paper made from reeds) together into long strips and then winding them onto a stick. The size of the scroll was limited by the difficulty of using it. The length of an average scroll was about 20 to 35 feet (6-10m) but some scrolls have been known to be as long as 144 feet (43.2m).
(For more on scrolls see my notes on Rev 5:1 “God introduces the Sealed Book.)
Writing was usually done with a reed pen on one side only as the other side was usually too rough. See Rev 5:1 where God holds a book written on both sides. The authors of the first century wrote in columns across the width of a scroll, not down it lengthways. They used only capital letters, which were deliberately and carefully executed, then each pen stroke and letter was carefully counted as a check for accuracy. The Hebrew and Greek manuscripts were written without any breaks between words. The words were written without any vowels until approximately 900 AD as a means of saving space.
For example, that last sentence would be:-
THWRDSWRWRTTNWTHTYVWLSNTLPPRXMTLY900ADSMNSFSVNGSPC
Cambridge History of the Bible.
By Stanley Lawrence Greenstade. Pgs 29 – 30.
The seven cities listed are:-
1) Ephesus; the largest city of Proconsular Asia, lying near the Mediterranean Sea.
2) Smyrna; a seaport of the Mediterranean about forty miles (64 km) north of Ephesus.
3) Pergamos (Pergamum); the capital of Proconsular Asia, on the river Caicus about twenty miles from the sea and some sixty miles (96 km) northeast of Smyrna.
4) Thyatira; a city in the Province of Lydia northeast of Smyrna.
5) Sardis; a city east of Smyrna and about thirty miles (48 km) south-east of Thyatira.
6) Philadelphia; about seventy miles (112 km) east of Smyrna.
7) Laodicea; a city in the west of Phrygia, about a hundred miles (160 km) east of Ephesus.
Rev 1:12 – 18 Picture of Christ.
Rev 1:12 – 13 Turning to face Christ.
After his opening statements and setting the scene, John turns to see who’s voice is talking to him and finds himself face to face with his Lord. The text tells us that John saw Jesus Christ standing among seven lampstands. The mystery of the seven lampstands is explained to us at the end of this chapter in verse 20.
The Son of Man.
This verse says:- “one like a son of man” which compares closely with Dan , where “one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of Days.” In both cases, it is Christ, who when on Earth called Himself “the Son of Man.”
Matt , Luke & 26.
Description of the Son of Man (Christ).
In John’s description of this person that follows, he combines what is said of “the Ancient of Days”, that is God of Dan 7:9, and what is said of the “man clothed in linen,” Dan 10:5, 6. In this way, John ascribes to Christ the characteristics of deity.
This description of the Son of Man is very important to our study of Revelation for two reasons. First, it is one of the best pictures in the Bible of our Lord Jesus Christ. By picture, I mean ‘pen picture.’ It is a picture that rather than showing the physical features of Christ, concentrates on His qualities and character instead.
Secondly, the key to unlocking this picture is to look for parallel examples from the Old Testament. By establishing the meaning of these older examples we can then apply similar meanings to the text of Revelation. This is the first example of an interpretation method we are going to be using again and again throughout this study.
See Introduction:- Theories of Interpretation.
God is spirit and Christ is spirit. They cannot be described in terms of shape, size, colour or appearance. Nor can they be described by using physical components such as hands, feet, ears, eyes and head. When terms such as these are used in Revelation concerning Jesus or God in their spiritual forms we need to apply spiritual meanings such as the qualities of love, mercy, wisdom and understanding.
Our finite minds, which are designed to function in a physical world, cannot fully conceive the spiritual form of God but we can understand qualities such as those listed above. Keep in mind as you study Revelation that the poetic symbols have been used in an effort to impress upon our finite minds some understanding of infinite beings, events and concepts.
Finally, remember that this appearance of Christ is not Jesus whom the Apostles knew. This is the risen Christ, the glorified Christ, with all the power and authority bestowed on Him by His Father, God.
Phil 2:6-11 gives us a better understanding of the difference between the Christ of the Gospels and the Christ of Revelation. v8 "And being found in the appearance of a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!" Then as we move on to the second three verses we read, v9 "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name."
Here is the contrast between the two views of Christ found in the scriptures. Through all time Christ had been equal with God, glorified like God. He put aside His spiritual nature and equality with God to humble Himself and take on the form and appearance of a man. He lived and worked among normal everyday people, taught his disciples and followers important lessons concerning the coming of His kingdom. He followed His Father's instructions to the end, even excepting one of the most cruellest deaths, death on a cross.
Three days later He arose from the grave and took on the form where while having flesh and bones, he was about to pass through locked doors and suddenly appear to his followers. When the time was right, God took Jesus up into heaven and exalted Him. Putting Him is a position of authority above all things. This new Christ, the exalted glorified Christ, is the one we meet here in the first chapter of Revelation. His power and authority can be seen in the verses below as we move through the illustration of Christ - The Son of Man.
The Dress of the Son of Man.
“clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle.”
In the ancient world, the dress of a person closely signified that person’s rank, office or status. The word used here in the Greek text is ‘poders.’
Strongs Greek Dictionary of the New Testament. Word 4158, page 59.
This word can also be found in some Old Testament examples:-
1) Ex 28:4, 29:5. Here it is translated as breastplate and the word used in a description of a priest’s clothing.
2) 1 Sam 18:4, 24:5 & 11; Ezek 26:16. Here the word is used in a description of a king’s clothing.
3) Dan 10:5. Here it is used in the description of the clothing of a divine messenger of God. A description of a prophet’s clothing.
Put these three examples together, a priest, a prophet and a king, and you have the three-fold office of Jesus.
The Hair of the Son of Man.
“white like wool, like snow”
There are two qualities of Christ shown in the appearance of His hair.
Dan 7:9 Description of the Ancient of Days (God).
Great Age – Eternal existence.
Isa “through your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
Sinlessness – Divine Purity.
See also Acts .
The Eyes of the Son of Man.
Penetrating eyes, all knowing eyes from which nothing can be hidden.
Dan 10:6 “Eyes like flaming touches”
John 2:24-25 “for He knew what was in man.”
This indicates Christ’s eyes saw all in clearness, and that His eyes even pierce darkness, our hearts and our souls. Therefore, Christ perceives what we think in our hearts even before we can even utter a word.
Mark 2:8 “Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit that this is what they were thinking in their hearts…”
“And immediately, when Jesus perceived in his Spirit,” "His own Spirit", as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read; not his human soul, nor the Holy Spirit of God, though both may be said to be his Spirit; but his divine nature, in and by which he knew all things, even the most sacred thoughts of men's hearts: and as soon as ever the above thoughts were conceived in the minds of the Scribes and Pharisees, they were perceived by him, and told to them.
John Gill’s Expositor – Online Bible.
Rev 1:15 Feet of the Son of Man.
“like burnished bronze”
Bronze was the strongest metal known to man at that time. Its qualities of strength and colour were due to its purity.
Angelic, divine messengers.
Dan 10:6 - “his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze.”
Ezek 1:7 - “their legs were straight …… and gleamed like burnished bronze.”
The meaning here is to highlight Jesus role as a divine messenger or His role as a spokesperson for God.
Rev 1:15 Voice of the Son of Man.
“like many waters”
The voice of God is an interesting study all in its self. On Mt Sinai, when God spoke His voice had the sound of a trumpet or thunder. In Ezekiel when God spoke He sounded like the sound of many waters. Both portrayal the image of a voice of great power. This is a voice to sit up and take notice of.
Perhaps a better way of understanding this image is to think of the crashing of surf or the roar of a great waterfall.
Ex -25; Ezek 43:2; Rev 19:6.
Rev 1:16 The Strength of the Son of Man.
“His right hand held seven stars”
These stars are very important and they are explained in greater detail at the end of the chapter in verse 20. The image here is one of great strength or power. It is interesting to compare this verse with the one following.
Verse 16 – Able to hold seven stars in His right hand.
Verse 17 – Gentle enough to comfort and wipe away tears with that same right hand.
This shows both the divinity and humanity of Jesus, strong enough to rule the nations but gentle enough to care for hurt and feelings of a single one of His followers.
These are led and held in Christ's right hand; which shows that they are dear unto him, and highly valued by him; that they are his, in his possession, at his dispose, whom he uses as his instruments to do his work; and whom he upholds and sustains, that they shall not sink under their burdens; and whom he preserves from failing, and so holds them that they shall stand fast in the faith, and not be carried away with the error of the wicked:
John Gill’s Expositor – Online Bible.
As we can see from John Gill’s explanation above, the idea here is Jesus holding the stars of the Churches in His right hand giving these Churches His full protection. John Gill has gone further in applying this to the individual members of the Churches as well.
Rev 1:16 Mouth of the Son of Man.
“out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword”
Perhaps of all of these images, this one would appear to be the most terrifying but at the same time is one of the easier ones to understand. The sword here is not the great sword used for great swipes but rather the short thrusting sword. This double-edged sword was very common in the Roman army and used by soldiers for close fighting.
Heb “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.”
Eph “....the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”
Isa 49:2 “He made my mouth like a sharp sword”
We sometimes do not realise the incredible power of God in the fact that just by His word He can do great things.
Isa 11:4 “….He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.”
Psa 33:6 “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth.”
Psa 33:9 “For he spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.”
Rev 1:16 Face of the Son of Man.
“like the sun shining in its strength”
1 Tim tells us “God dwells in unapproachable light.”
See my notes on Rev 4:3.
Matt 17:1-8 When Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John, He appeared much the same way. “and His face shone like the sun.”
Luke 2:9 When the angel appeared to the shepherds “the glory of the Lord shone around them”
Ex 34:29-35 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after standing before the Lord his face shone so brightly that “the sons of Israel saw Moses …the skin of his face shone and they were afraid to come near him.”
Some writers have said that this was much the same as sun burn caused by coming face to face with God’s bright appearance but there seems to be more to it than that. The very fact that the people of Israel were fearful to approach Moses shows he had taken on an almost supernatural appearance reflecting the glory of God.
Jesus said, “….I am the light of the world; he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
1 John 1:5 “….God is light, and in Him is no darkness.”
While we are talking about light, notice how a number of these qualities of Christ have something to do with light, shining, brightness. This connects to John's scripture above where he says "God is light." In the same way, we can also say Jesus Christ is of light too. To realise just how amazing His appearance must have been we need only look down at the following verse and see John's reaction.
Rev 1:17 Effect on John.
“I fell at His feet as a dead man.”
Not too surprising a reaction when we try to imagine how John must have felt seeing Jesus like this. This is not the Jesus John knew and came to love, this is Jesus in His spiritual form, His glorified form, with the power and splendour only God’s begotten Son could have.
Also, notice the reaction of others when they come face to face with God or Jesus.
Ezek “And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice.”
Ezek “and behold, the glory of the Lord was standing there…… and I fell down on my face” Ezek 43:3.
Matt 17:6 “And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much afraid.”
Ex 3:6 “Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”
John also showed great fear when he came face to face with the Lord but notice the rest of verse 17. Jesus places His right hand upon John and offers him comfort. Here we can see the human side, the compassionate side of Jesus. To comfort a loved one it is common to place your arm around them or make some other form of physical contact and then offer them gentle words of comfort. Here Jesus does the same.
See Appendix I – Lessons from Revelation.
Rev 1:17-18 Jesus’ Authority.
After offering comfort to John by reassuring him and telling him not to be afraid, Jesus establishes His authority in much the same manner as God did earlier in this chapter.
“I am the first and the last.”
Eternal, ever lasting. Jesus has always been with God.
Rev 1:8 “the Alpha and the Omega.”
“the living One, and I was dead and behold I am alive forever more.”
This is His claim of power and authority. Jesus came down to the earth and lived there as a man but it wasn’t until His death that He really established Himself as God’s son. When He was raised again three days later, even death had been conquered. As Jesus says here:- “I hold the keys of death and Hades.” I died, I have been through death and Hades but I have returned. Jesus was victorious over death; this is the very-corner-stone of Christian faith.
Rev 1:19 Commission to John.
Jesus tells John to write. This is an enlargement upon what He has just said earlier before John turned around. The commission is in two parts that in some ways outlines briefly what the whole book of revelation is going to be about.
“Write……the things which you have seen and the things which are.”
The present things, things that are or are just about to take place.
“and the things which shall take place after these things.”
The future things. Revelation is partly a book of prophecy in that it deals with events that had not yet taken place. Here Jesus tells John that he will be seeing things from the future and he is to write about what he sees and hand this account to the seven churches of Asia. The rest of revelation is now concerned with these events unfolding as John saw them.
The Mystery of the Seven Stars Explained.
This verse has been greatly debated as to its true meaning. The verse says:- “the seven lampstands are the seven churches and the seven stars are the angels of those churches.”
In verses 12-13 we see Jesus walking among the seven churches. We can understand this to mean that Jesus is close to and watching over the seven churches. This, of course, will be confirmed in chapters 2 & 3 when Jesus displays His intimate knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of each church.
These seven churches are themselves seven lampstands reflecting the light and glory of Christ to the world.
Matt 5:13-16 “You are the light of the world.”
Verse 16 showed Jesus holding seven stars in His right hand. Now in verse 20, we are told that these seven stars are the ‘angels’ of these seven churches. The word used here is the word ‘Aggelos’.
Aggelos has two possible meanings – An angel or a messenger.
Strongs Greek Dictionary of the New Testament. Word 32 page 7.
The word ‘angel’ is the key to understanding this verse. Below are some possible meanings based upon possible meanings of this word aggelos.
1) Aggelos means “Human Messenger” from each church. The main objection to this idea is that aggelos is used in revelation about 50 times and in each case, it refers to an angel.
2) Aggelos means “Bishop.” The idea here being that bishop is called a messenger. Again the objection here is that portraying aggelos as a human doesn’t fit the context of the rest of the book of revelation.
3) Aggelos means “A Guardian Angel.” This idea certainly fits closer to the context of the rest of Revelation where we see that everything including rivers, winds, bowls and trumpets have their angels so why couldn’t each of the seven churches have a guardian angel too? The main objection to this idea is that why in chapters 2 & 3 are the angels rebuked and not the churches.
4) Aggelos means “Spirit of the Church.” As everything in Revelation has its angel so why can’t each of the seven churches have an angel as well? Not a guardian angel but an angelic personality so each church can act out its role in this book. This could also be explained as the collective spirit or inner soul of the church. This meaning fits best with the word ‘angel’ as used in verse 20.
Overview:- The Story so Far.
Note: From time to time during our study of Revelation we will be stopping to get an overview of the book before us. These overviews are designed to help to prevent us from becoming so caught up in the complex series of visions being presented to us that we lose sight of the overall theme of the book. Sort of like becoming so caught up in viewing the trees that we lose sight of the forest.
These overviews will appear at the end of each chapter or section. They will be clearly identified by their text colour as seen here.
The Introduction Rev 1:1 – 3:22
So in the book so far we have read John’s opening statements where he describes how this book was handed down from God to himself. He then establishes his own authority and the book’s authority as being God’s word. John finishes his introduction by stating his own situation when the vision is given to him.
The Vision of the Son of Man. Rev 1:9-20.
The Vision of the Son of Man. Rev 1:9-20.
Next, we came to the first real vision of the book of Revelation, The Vision of the Son of Man, where we saw Jesus commanding John to write down what he sees. Notice that this picture of Jesus Christ is different to others we see of Him in the Bible. This is because this is the third view of Christ, the glorified Christ.
1) The human Christ The Jesus Christ found in the gospels known to the disciples.
2) The Risen Christ. With human appearance but now changed. Even those who knew Him well didn’t at first recognise Him. See John 20:14; John 21:4-7.
3) In Rev 1:9-20 we have the third appearance of Christ after He has returned to His Father and taken on His glorified appearance.
Now, this vision continues as Jesus addresses each of the seven churches in turn. These seven messages or letters will take up all of Chapters 2 & 3 before in Chapter 4 we begin our next major section or vision, The Throne Room Scene.
Letters to the Seven Churches. Rev 2:1 – 3:22
Ephesus – “The church who lost its first love.” Rev 2:1-7
Smyrna – “Tribulation to come.” Rev 2:8-11
Pergamum – “Satan’s Throne.” Rev 2:12-17
Thyatira - “Where Jezebel is.” Rev 2:18-29
Sardis – “The sleeping church.” Rev 3:1-6
Philadelphia – “Saved from the hour of testing.” Rev 3:7-13
Laodicea – “The Lukewarm Church.” Rev 3:14-22
For greater understanding and clarity, each letter is laid out in two sections. First, we have a ‘Background’ that gives historical background on each city and church. This includes any other useful information such as other Bible references to this city or church. The second section is the “Text Notes’ where we find a verse by verse study of each letter laid out in much the same format as Chapter one.
