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-CHAPTER One-

1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass;

--The Book of Revelation begins with the wonder of the Trinity—how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit can be individuals, yet be One. In this passage we see the individuality being stressed; i.e., God is showing His Son things to come suggesting that God the Father knows things that Jesus doesn't. Another example of this individuality is found in Matthew 24:26 where Jesus is speaking of His return at the end of our age. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

--As we'll see when we get on into the Book of Revelation, the angels are not only messengers of prophecy, but they will play a key role in bringing it to pass.

1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

--the one bearing record here is, of course, the beloved Apostle John, one of the twelve disciples who also wrote the Gospel of John and three of the epistles: I John, II John, and III John.

1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

"At hand" (click here for definition): this term means that this is the next major change in God's prophetic time line. It does not apply to the signs and events leading up to that change. (For our study of  the prophetic term "at hand," CLICK HERE.)

Before John is given the message concerning the time "at hand," the Lord Jesus has given him a word for His Church. Although the word is addressed to "seven churches," nowhere in the Scriptures is there even a hint that Jesus has "seven churches"— except in prophecy. And as to John simply addressing the seven churches in Asia, according to the Zondervan Bible Dictionary: "...There were other churches in Asia at the time Revelation was written."  It's plain that the Book of Revelation is a book of prophecy; and as we will see when we get on into the study of the seven churches, all seven churches of Revelation do have prophetic connotations.

...Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come;

…him which is, and which was, and which is to come –These are descriptive, prophetic terms assigned to the Lord Jesus.

...and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

the seven Spirits—The Scriptures never suggest that there is more than one Holy Spirit, so this expression, too, has prophetic connotations; i.e., it refers to His work with man under the differing covenants of the seven dispensations / ages.

--These are more prophetic titles of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

This Study is presented to the reader with the assumption that he or she is familiar with the seven dispensations (divisions) or ages of the Bible (Eph. 2:7; 3:5); i.e., [1] the Age of Innocence (in the Garden before the fall), [2] the Age of the Conscience (brought on by  the fall when the conscience replaced the spirit which died as a result of eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil), [3] the Age of Human Government (after the flood), [4] the Age of Promise (given to Abraham), [5] the Age of the Law (given to Moses), [6] the Age of Grace (in which we now live), and [7] the Kingdom Age (yet to come). (Click here to go our STUDY CHART OF THE AGES.)      (If you go to the STUDY CHART, use the "back" button on your browser to return to this page.) For a more in depth study of the ages with their covenants, testings, and subsequent failures on the part of man, see a good study Bible or booklet one of the Author's book CLOCK OF THE AGES.   (Click here to go to the book CLOCK OF THE AGES.)

--These are the two elements that give our lives rhyme and reason, and hope.

1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

--Although the Grace Age believers are already a royal priesthood (I Pet. 2:9), it will not be until the Kingdom Age that we shall visibly co-rule with Christ Jesus who will then be King Jesus.

--Cf .(Acts 1:9-11) "And when he [Jesus] had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up! behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Not only do these verses describe how Jesus will return, but they also blow out of the water anyone’s claim to be the Christ by labeling them to be the false Christs of which Jesus warned us.

...and they also which pierced him:

(cf. Zech. 12:8-10)
8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn..

...and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

--The reasons for this will be explained as we get on into the Book of Revelation.

1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

--More prophetic titles of the Lord Jesus.

1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

--According to tradition, the Roman Emperor Domitian banished John to this small island in 95 AD. He received these revelations sometime during the 18 months he spent there (Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary).

1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

• the Lord's day—The Grace-Age Church worships together on the Lord’s day (not the Sabbath)..
• a trumpet— The trumpet played a significant role in Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness, being blown when there was a need to call the tribes together (Exodus 19), when it was time for her to break camp and continue moving in the wilderness, or when it was necessary to go to war (Numbers 10).
• a great voice—This term is associated with the giving of the Law (See Deuteronomy 5:22) and with God’s judgment on those who scorn / misuse His Law (See Zephaniah 1:14, Revelation 16:1, etc.)

--This was John's commission. He was to write what he saw and send it to seven of the churches that were in Asia. There were actually seven such churches, so the first purpose of the revelations given to John was to admonish and encourage the members of these seven churches. Then as with all of the Apostles’ epistles and letters, it was copied and read to the other fellowships of John's day. Of course, God also had in mind the scope of time and the countless believers who would be encouraged and enthralled by its content and imagery on down through the age. (In our study of chapter two, we’ll look at who the seven churches are prophetically.)

Although the actual Hebrew word [menorah] translated candlestick would be more precisely translated lampstand, the King James translation was better served by candlestick because the English speaking people who would be reading it would have a better frame of reference. The Old Testament Hebrews used small lamps filled with oil and had no inkling of what a candle might be; but any loss in meaning by the translation, if there be any, was more than offset by the use of the household term which everyone could relate to. As used here, the candlesticks stand for the bodies of believers and should not be confused with the organized church which has in it the good plants and the tares (Matthew 13:25-40). Also as we shall soon see when we study out the seven churches, the candlesticks (being plural) stand not only for the Grace-Age Church, but also for the believers of all the ages.

1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man,

--Cf. "...where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Mt. 18:20).

--Christ is totally covered by His robe of righteousness which is compared to light, with no darkness (I John 1:5 cf. Psalms 104:2).

...and girt about the paps [breast] with a golden girdle.

-- This does not refer to the common girdle in Israel which served as a sort of belt, but to the girdle of the high priest which was wrapped around the priest from his waist up over his breast. As with the Christian’s breastplate of righteousness, it seems to represent righteousness. In the case of Christ, Israel’s Messiah and ultimate High Priest, the girdle is golden which signifies a righteousness that has been tested by fire.

1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow;

--a sign of wisdom.

...and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

--He looks to and fro throughout the earth trying the hearts of his saints and moving on their behalf (II Chr. 16:9; Ps. 11)

1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace;

--Fine brass has been burned in the fire, this depicts His walk on the earth during His Visitation.

...and his voice as the sound of many waters.

--i.e., the witness of the faithful of the ages.

1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars:

--Jesus interprets the seven stars Himself in verse 20

--This, of course, is the Bible (Ps. 49:6; Heb. 4:12).

...and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

--Nothing in nature can portray His glory, the sun is the best we have.

1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.

--This is sinful man’s response to His holiness.

...And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not;

--This is His response to men and women who humble themselves before Him.

...I am the first and the last:

• --These are two more of our Lord’s titles. Admittedly, they are a mystery. They are not to be confused with His titles "the Beginning and the End" which refers to His being the One Who created the heavens and the earth, and the One who will bring it all to a conclusion. We’re told that Christ Is the "first" to be resurrected, but He cannot be the last. We’re told that He was the Last Man Adam, but Adam Himself was the first. Perhaps His being the first and the last has to do with His having tasted the second death for all who will believe. If so, then Christ was the first to have tasted of the second death. And because He did that in our stead, as far as the Church is concerned, He will be the last one to taste of the second death—as well as the only one to do so. Sadly, though, this will not be the case for those who reject His love and His death on the cross. They will have to enter fully into the second death. ("But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" [Revelation 21:8].)

1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

--These are some more of His prophetic titles and qualifications.

1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

--Again, John's commission and its scope.

1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

--The seven stars are the angels assigned to the churches (those throughout the ages with a living faith), the golden candlesticks represent the churches [the called out ones], and they are all in Christ's right hand signifying that all of His power has always been available and at work on the behalf of those who put their trust in Him.

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This finishes our notes on the first chapter of the Book of Revelation, and it finishes John’s introduction to His book of Revelation as well. The next two chapters contain our Lord’s messages to the seven churches and as we will see when we get into them, they are full of prophetic symbolism and quite interesting to study.

Return to the LAUNCH PAGE for our study of Revelations