a. These chapters are different from the rest of the book in that theyre not specifically a prophecy, though they do contain prophetic elements b. The first three chapters are an introduction of sorts for the rest of the book i. John has a vision of Jesus, who commissions him to write a letter to 7 churches
2. Vs. 1-3 The Introduction
a. 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. b. An Introduction i. This is the only part of Revelation thats not written from Johns perspective, leading many to believe he didnt write this part. ii. Many believe this part is an introduction to Johns original letter that the church in Ephesus added after receiving it. John served in Ephesus, so we assume that church took the most active role in preserving this letter and spreading its message and could have added this introduction as something of a seal of approval. 1. Preterists say that Ephesus added this introduction after they received the letter 2. Others say they added it after John died c. Six Levels of Delivery i. The revelation originates with God ii. God gave the revelation to Jesus iii. Jesus made it known to his angel iv. The angel spoke to John v. John bore witness to the churches vi. The churches preserved it vii. We get to read it today d. The book is clear that the things it foretells are expected to happen soon i. things that must soon take place (vs. 1) ii. the time is near (vs. 3) iii. If God thought it important enough to mention twice in the introduction that the things are happening soon, it probably means theyre happening soon. If the events wouldnt happen for thousands of years, He wouldnt have been so adamant that the time is near. e. the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ i. These concepts are used repeatedly throughout the book ii. testimony = marturia (Greek) = eventually this word came to mean a martyr, someone who gave his life for his testimony, but the original meaning is as a witness who saw something and told about it, like in a court of law. 1. A testimony gives witness to something seen and heard and known as fact 2. Background: Roman Persecution a. Revelation was written during a time of persecution against Christians in the Roman Empire. b. During times of persecution, people were put on trial for their testimony, their witness of what they had seen and heard c. The church dealt with three types of people in times of persecution i. A Martyr someone who stuck to their testimony and never backed down, eventually being killed for what they said was true ii. A Lapse someone who recanted their testimony on fear of death 1. It was a very real problem in the early church to figure out what to do with lapses who wanted to come back into fellowship with the church family after persecution. Should they receive them back? Or were they barred for life because they had recanted? iii. A Confessor someone who stuck to their testimony, was prepared to die, but somehow escaped death 1. Polycarp was a confessor he was burned alive but the flames didnt touch him. 2. John the Apostle was a confessor he was tried for his faith and sentenced to death by being dipped in boiling oil, but the oil didnt harm him. He escaped death, but the Romans in anger exiled him to the island of Patmos iii. John equates the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ with each other 1. Throughout Revelation, he uses these two as a way to talk about preaching the Gospel f. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy i. When John wrote Revelation, people didnt have their own copies of it (or much of any literature at all). There were no printing presses, so every copy had to be written by hand. Generally, each church would have someone whose job it was to read the different letters out loud, so all could hear. g. Blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. i. The writer pronounces a blessing on the ones who hear and keep what is written. This doesnt mean those who hear and preserve what is written but those who hear and do, obey what is written. 1. This means that this isnt just a book of predictions to remember, but that there are commands within this book that should be obeyed. If you obey them youll be blessed, but if you dont you wont be blessed. ii. The writer then reiterates the fact that the time is near, stating emphatically, Youll be blessed if you hear and obey, for the time is near. In other words, Because the time is near, youll be blessed if you hear these words and obey them. 1. Something critical, a terrible judgment of God, is going to happen soon that will bring calamity upon many, but if you hear and obey the warnings of this book you will be blessed in the midst of it.
3. Vs. 4-6 The Greeting
a. 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. b. John to the seven churches that are in Asia i. With the introduction added by Ephesus done, John begins his letter like a typical epistle. ii. Seven churches at the time of writing, we know of at least ten churches in Asia (Troas, Colossae, and Hierapolis in addition to those addressed here), and there were perhaps others we simply dont know about. 1. John addresses only seven churches instead of all ten. Why? Because seven suggests completion, wholeness. He probably uses the number seven as a way of saying, to all the churches c. He freed us from our sins by His blood i. Modern translations that use Textus Receptus (a Greek New Testament from the 1500s compiled by Erasmus, who didnt have a Greek copy of Revelation) all write washed us of our sins, but older, better manuscripts in the original Greek all say freed us from our sins, a clear allusion to Exodus. 1. The ESV and Orthodox translations are based on older Greek manuscripts and therefore say freed, but KJV, NKJV, Cornilescu, and Fidela are based on Textus Receptus d. Made us a kingdom, priests to His God i. Older, better original Greek manuscripts all say a kingdom of priests e. Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. i. Most epistles say simply, Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ but John does better by including the whole Trinity. ii. him who is and who was and who is to come God the Father, Yahweh iii. the seven spirits who are before His throne the Holy Spirit 1. The seven spirits of God are mentioned 3 times in Revelation 2. Its not exactly clear what these seven spirits of God are (Revelation 4:5 says theyre the seven torches of fire around the throne of God, and Revelation 5:6 says theyre the seven eyes on the Lamb) a. Most scholars assume its a term for the Holy Spirit (In Isaiah 11:2, there are seven different names used for the Holy Spirit) 3. Using the number seven is perhaps symbolic of the wholeness and unity of God, the entirety of His Spirit iv. Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings Jesus 1. John is writing to churches being persecuted for their faith, and these three titles of Jesus would provide encouragement to them in their suffering: a. Faithful Witness Hes a martyr who never recanted, which would encourage the churches to not give up on their witness, to be faithful as Jesus was faithful, even to the point of death. If Jesus made it, you can too! b. Firstborn of the Dead What an encouragement for those who lost loved ones to martyrdom, or those facing the possibility of martyrdom. Jesus was martyred but rose from the dead, as the firstborn, meaning that there will be others who will also rise from the dead. Death didnt hold Jesus, and it wont hold us either. c. Ruler of the Kings of the Earth To the suffering church, facing a hostile government that seemed all-powerful, they needed to know that Jesus was still in control, that He is sovereign above all the rulers.
4. Vs. 7 Coming with the Clouds
a. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. b. Theme for Revelation this is something of a theme statement for the book i. The most common interpretation people give for this verse is that its obviously a reference to the Second Coming, but this is not necessarily the right interpretation c. Behold, he is coming with the clouds i. This is not necessarily a term referring to the Second Coming ii. Figurative use of Jesus coming in Revelation 1-3 This does not mean His literal appearance 1. Revelation 2:5 Jesus warns the church in Ephesus that if they dont repent, He will come and remove their lampstand. In other words, Repent or Ill close your church. Well, that church is gone. Its been gone for a long time. So clearly Jesus did come and remove their lampstand. He wasnt, clearly, referring to His Second Coming because when Jesus comes, that church wont be there. Instead, this is referring to how He figuratively came and got rid of the church because they didnt repent. 2. Revelation 2:16 Jesus warns the church in Pergamum to repent or He will come and fight against those in the church teaching heresy. Again, there is no longer a church in Pergamum, so clearly Jesus did come and fight against them, but not in a literal sense. 3. Revelation 2:25 Jesus tells the church in Thyatira to hold fast until He comes to them. There is no longer a church in Thyatira, so Jesus cant come to them any longer. This cant, then, be referring to His Second Coming but must be referring to some sort of figurative coming of Jesus to comfort and rescue them. 4. Revelation 3:3 Jesus warns the church in Sardis to repent or He will come like a thief. Again, this church is gone, so Jesus wont be able to come to them for His Second Coming. Clearly, however, Jesus did come to them as a thief, because the church is not there anymore. Its a figurative coming. 5. Revelation 3:11 Jesus tells the church in Philadelphia that He is coming to them soon. There is some evidence that this church still exists, so this could in theory be referring to His Second Coming, except or the fact that Jesus says Hes coming soon, which would mean He must be referring to some other sort of figurative coming, because 2000 years later is not soon. 6. Revelation 3:20 Jesus tells the church in Laeodicea that He will come to those who open the door to Him. We all assume this means a figurative coming, not the literal Second Coming, that Jesus will send His Spirit to come and dwell with them. iii. Jesus spoke of His coming in a figurative sense in the Gospels 1. Matthew 10:23 Jesus sends out His disciples to preach the Gospel, and he warns them to hurry, because you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes a. Jesus is telling them the Son of Man will come before theyve preached in all the towns of Israel. b. It wouldnt take 2000 years to preach in all of Israels towns, so Jesus cant possibly be referring to His Second Coming He must be referring to His coming in some other, figurative sense. 2. Matthew 16:28 Jesus tells His disciples, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. a. All those disciples are dead, they tasted death, so Jesus cant be referring to His Second Coming, which hasnt yet happened Again, He must be referring to His coming in some other, figurative sense. 3. Matthew 24:30,34 (Olivet Discourse) Jesus tells His disciples, Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory this generation will not pass away until all these things take place a. This sounds exactly like Revelation 1:7 b. Both Revelation 1:7 and Matthew 24:30 are echoing a prophecy in Zechariah 12:10 about the tribes of Israel mourning when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child c. Jesus clearly states that the generation of those Hes speaking with, His disciples, will see all these things take place i. If this generation would see these things, He cant be talking about His Second Coming, which hasnt happened yet though its been over 2000 years. iv. These references to the Son of Man coming (Revelation 1:7, Matthew 10:23, 16:28, 24:30-34) cant possibly be about the Second Coming but must be about something else, some sort of figurative coming of Jesus in that generation. What could it be? 1. Some say Matthew 16:28 is about the Transfiguration, but this cant be true because Jesus makes the same prediction again after the Transfiguration in Matthew 24 and Revelation 1 v. Coming with the Clouds means Gods Judgment 1. The Old Testament used the expression coming with the clouds as a term for God bringing divine judgment on a nation 2. Isaiah 19:1 Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt a. This is a prophecy about the Assyrian invasion of Egypt in the 8 th century BC, when God judged Egypt by sending invasion b. God didnt literally ride clouds or visibly come to Egypt. This is figurative language to describe His judgment coming 3. In Revelation 1:7 (and Matthew 10:23, 16:28, and 24:30-34), Jesus is talking about some sort of divine judgment that He was going to bring in that generation d. all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him i. This, again, echoes the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10, which is about all the tribes of Israel mourning ii. tribes = Greek phule = almost always translated as the 12 tribes of Israel 1. So, we can pretty safely assume this is a reference to the 12 tribes of Israel, not to all peoples of the earth iii. earth = Greek ge = translated either earth or land 1. Here, it makes more sense to translate it as land, because the earth is not divided into tribes but nations (hence, the Bible often refers to all the nations of the earth), but lands are divided into tribes (ie. Israel is divided into the 12 tribes) iv. Its very possible that a more accurate translation of these verses would be, All the 12 tribes of the land (ie. the land of Israel) will mourn which is exactly what they did when Jerusalem fell to the Romans e. Is Jesus here referring to His Second Coming? Not likely i. The figurative use of coming in Revelation means its not an actual physical visitation ii. The expectation that Jesus disciples would live to see this event means it would have happened many years ago 1. If we want to take Jesus words seriously in Matthew, then he clearly wasnt talking about His Second Coming here but some other event that happened in their lifetime. iii. The fact that this event seems to affect specifically the 12 tribes of Israel and not the whole earth means its probably not His Second Coming, which would affect everyone f. Is Jesus here referring to the fall of Jerusalem? Very possible i. The fall of Jerusalem happened in 70 AD, the same generation as the original disciples ii. The fall of Jerusalem happened before some of the disciples tasted death iii. The fall of Jerusalem happened before the disciples reached every city in Israel with the Gospel iv. The fall of Jerusalem specifically effected the 12 tribes of Israel (the land) v. Apocalyptic literature uses figurative language to talk about natural events, like talking about the fall of Jerusalem as Jesus coming with the clouds vi. The idea of God coming with the clouds is used in the Old Testament to talk about the judgment of God on a nation, and the fall of Jerusalem seems a pretty clear judgment of God on Israel vii. Revelation clearly uses the idea of Jesus coming in a figurative sense, so the logical thing to assume is that its also meant figuratively here. g. Does this mean that there is no Second Coming of Jesus? i. Not at all. ii. Other places in the Bible that are not symbolic apocalyptic literature (like the Gospels, Acts, and Pauls epistles) are clear that there will be a Second Coming but these verses in Revelation arent referring to it
5. Vs. 8 Jesus is God
a. I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. b. the Alpha and the Omega i. These were the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, so its like Hes saying, I am the A and the Z, or in other words, Im everything. ii. Isaiah uses similar language when talking about God (Yahweh) in Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, and 48:12, calling God, the first and the last c. who is and who was and who is to come i. In verse 4, John sends greetings on behalf of the Father, Yahweh, using this same title. d. the almighty i. In the Old Testament, only God the Father, Yahweh, is called the Almighty. e. Who is speaking here? i. God the Father The titles used are titles only used for God the Father in the Old Testament, leading readers to believe this is probably God the Father speaking ii. Jesus A little investigation shows this is actually Jesus speaking, making a clear statement that He is God, that He and the Father are one 1. In Revelation 1:17, the one speaking calls Himself, the first and the last (a direct quote of Isaiah, leading us to believe the speaker is God the Father), but then He says, I died, and behold I am alive forevermore. God the Father, Yahweh, never died. The Holy Spirit never died. The only one of the trinity that ever died was Jesus. Clearly in verse 18 Jesus is speaking and is equating Himself with God the Father. 2. A title applied only to God the Father in verse 18 is clearly applied to Jesus so in verse 8 the similar titles to those used in verse 18 are probably also applied to Jesus meaning its Jesus speaking here meaning that these titles which are only applied to God the Father, Yahweh (the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty), are now applied to Jesus which is an unmistakable statement that Jesus is God, that He and the Father are one. f. Revelation, more than any other book, shows unmistakably that Jesus is God yet it also shows unmistakably that the two are distinct.
6. Vs. 9-11 John Explains What Happened
a. 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." b. John explains what happened, how he got this vision i. He was preaching the Gospel and wouldnt recant of his testimony ii. So the Romans exiled him to Patmos 1. Patmos a rocky island off the coast of Turkey, where prisoners went to break rocks iii. And then Jesus appeared to him in a vision and told him to write a book c. I was in the Spirit on the Lords day i. What does this mean? 1. on in Greek can also be translated unto 2. the Lords Day is a term used only here in the New Testament but often in the Old Testament and often by the early church 3. In the Old Testament the Lords Day always refers to a day of judgment a. So some people teach that John was writing, I was carried by the Holy Spirit into the future, up unto the time of the Lords final judgment or up unto the time of the soon-coming judgment, the fall of Jerusalem 4. In the early church the Lords Day always refers to Sunday, the day the Christians would gather to worship God a. So some people say John was simply worshiping God on Sunday, as was the usual custom, when he had this revelation of Jesus ii. I think John was simply worshiping God on Sunday when he had his experience d. to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea i. Jesus tells John to write the vision and send it to the seven churches, starting with Johns home church of Ephesus ii. If you look on a map, the order of their naming is very logical. Its a normal route that a delivery person would use to go from one church to the next, starting in the southwest and moving north, then east, then south. 1. The order of writing of this list is probably the same order in which the churches received the letter
7. Vs. 12-17 Jesus Appears
a. 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last b. in the midst of the lampstands i. Where is Jesus? In the midst of the lampstands, identified in verse 20 as the churches ii. If you want to see Jesus, if you want to hear His voice, look to the church. Thats where His presence is. c. one like a son of man i. This phrase can be translated two different ways: a son of man or the Son of Man, and no one really knows which way its supposed to be ii. one like a son of man 1. Daniel also described the man in his visions this way (Daniel 7:13) 2. This means someone who looked like a human iii. one like the Son of Man 1. Its interesting that John wouldnt say, I saw the Son of Man. John had lived with Jesus and served with Jesus. If he saw Him he would recognize Him, but here he says, I saw someone who looked like Him. a. Does this mean that it wasnt actually Jesus but His angel that He sent on His behalf (Revelation 1:1)? b. Does this mean that it was Jesus but in a new glorified state that John wasnt familiar with? d. The Mans Description i. Almost exactly the same description as for the man that Daniel saw in Daniel 10 1. Most likely, this is the same man ii. The sash is different in Daniel its around his waist, but in Revelation its across his chest 1. Some say this is a symbol of Jesus authority, because some evidence shows that perhaps Roman officials of high standing wore sashes high up on their chest. 2. Others say this is a symbol of how Jesus finished everything on the cross and in a sense isnt working anymore (with his sash loose and thrown over his shoulder), but before the cross, during Daniels time, He was working (with his loins girded, the sash around his waist holding up his robe) 3. Ultimately, we dont really know why theres a difference e. Symbolic Nature of Jesus Appearance i. We need to remember that this is a vision, that most likely there was not a literal man standing in front of John with a sword coming out of his mouth and a face shining like the sun. Its a prophetic experience, so the appearance is symbolic, just like the appearance of Jesus as a lamb is symbolic of His nature as savior 1. The sword coming from His mouth represents the word of God 2. Hair white as wool represents old age, wisdom, purity 3. Eyes like fire He has a piercing gaze that sees everything 4. Feet like bronze unbreakable Later, He uses His feet to tread grapes and bring judgment. Bronze feet would symbolize unbreakable judgment on the wicked. 5. Long white robe to his feet priests wore this (a long robe is impractical for everyone else, who wore short robes so they could work) Jesus is the High Priest 6. Holds 7 stars in his hand symbolizing how Jesus holds all the churches in his hands (Revelation 1:20 says that the stars symbolize the angels of the churches)
8. Vs. 18 Jesus Has the Keys of Death and Hades
a. and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. b. Who are Death and Hades? i. Death and Hades become important characters in Revelation 1. Fourth horseman is Death, followed by a runner named Hades 2. At the end, both of them are thrown into the lake of fire ii. Death when you stop living iii. Hades the place where the dead go in Greek religion, the grave iv. Death and Hades represent the great enemy of man the wages of sin, something God never intended to be in His creation but brought on by the cunning of Satan c. What does it mean that Jesus has the keys of Death and Hades? i. Keys open locks, so Jesus has the power to open the gates of Hades and let you out of death ii. Only Jesus determines who will live or die, who will be in Hades or not iii. Only Jesus determines who goes to Heaven or Hell iv. Only Jesus has authority over life and death
9. Vs. 19 - Write it Down
a. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. b. Jesus gives something of an outline for the book of Revelation c. Three Categories of Things to Write: i. Things he has seen what hes seen in the vision up to this point (ch. 1) ii. Things which are contemporary things in his day (ch. 2-3, the current state of the churches) iii. Things which must take place (shortly in original Greek) future things that will happen after the vision (ch. 4-22) 1. Revelation 4:1 Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. showing a clear jump to the third category of things that John must write down
10. Vs. 20 The Symbols Explained
a. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. b. This is one of the few times when the symbols are directly explained, but these explanations arent always so helpful c. the seven lampstands are the seven churches i. OK, that makes sense and is easy to understand d. the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches i. OK, thats a bit more weird ii. What are the angels of the churches? 1. Probably not angels as we think of them a. Jesus directs each of the prophecies to the angel of the church, not to the church directly (Ch. 2-3) b. This would be a very convoluted way for God to communicate. If He wanted His angels to know something, why would He tell Jesus to tell an angel to tell John to tell the angels? Why not just tell the angels directly? 2. Probably either pastors or readers of the churches a. angel = Greek aggelos = messenger i. This is the normal Greek word for any kind of messenger, whether a heavenly messenger (an angel) or a human one ii. Most commentators agree that aggelos here should be translated messengers instead of angels b. The seven angels, then, are seven messengers, which could possibly mean pastors, readers, or some other person in the church whose role was to deliver news to the congregation 3. Ultimately, no one really knows what these angels of the churches are
11. Next Time
a. After this introduction, we head into the 7 mini-letters that Jesus sends to each of the 7 churches, the only letters we know of that were written directly from Jesus.