The opening chapter of the 95AD Book of Revelation begins by introducing the author, John (the apostle) - note verse 9 review. It continues on to instruct, that this is a message to the Christian churches, being addressed by the Trinitarian God; described in entirety as the Father, Holy Spirit and Christ the Son. It includes a one verse description of Christ’s second coming, which is the primary topic of the amazing Book of Revelation. And finally, a visual description of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary is shown.
1:1 The (1) Revelation of Jesus Christ, which (2) God gave unto (3) him, to shew unto his (4) servants things which (5) must (6) shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
(1) Revelation: revealing; the Greek word apokalupsis, Strong’s #602 - sometimes translated “Apocalypse.” (2) God: here refers to the Father, Yahweh, part of the Holy Trinity (Matt 28:19 “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” being the Trinity; which is “the Godhead” Col 2:9, Rom 1:20). See the Trinity denoted as “these three are one” in 1John 5:7.
(3) him: the “Word of God” (in Rev 19:13, John 1:1, 1John 5:7), Jesus, Yeshua (actual 30AD pronunciation of Christ’s name). So the beginning of the opening verse describes that this book is the Revelation of Jesus Christ (the Son). However, these things are being relayed for they originated with the Father, who gives the Son the words which to speak. We can also see this described in straight forward fashion, in the Gospel of John 12:49.
(4) servants: true remnant Christians (Rom 9:27 & see Rev 7:4 review), whom are defined in Rev 12:17 as those that “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Matt 7:14, 1John 3:3-10; and note Rev 11:1-2 review for inner verses outer court of the temple). (5) must: Revelation events cannot be stopped (see Rev 4:1). Also, their timing cannot be altered (Rev 9:15 review).
(6) shortly come to pass: shortly denotes the time gap between the writing of Revelation in 95AD (see verse 9) & the return of Christ (Heb 9:28 “second time”). The period is a continuation of the last third (note the “end of the world” began with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross in 33AD; Heb 9:26-28) of elect covenant history.
The last third of covenant history is the last 2,000 year period (last 2 days; “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” 2Pet 3:8) before Jesus’ 1,000 year (seventh day) reign, as in Rev 20:4 (refer to Rev 3:11 review for more). These 2,000 years are in total, the last days (“last days” 2Pet 3:3). This is the current era of New Covenant Christianity.
The first 2,000 yr (2 days) period of history (Pre-covenant Era) spans from approximately 4000BC (creation of Adam and Eve; Gen 2:7-25 & Luke 3:23-38), to about 2000BC (see 99 year old Abraham / Old Covenant; Gen 17:1-10). The second period (Old Covenant Era) goes from about 2000BC, to around the year 0AD (New Covenant at the Last Supper [in Luke 22:20] /death of the Messiah [in Luke 23:46], most precisely 33AD per early church records). The last third (New Covenant Era), being the last two days, runs from around 0AD, to approximately 2000AD (return of the Messiah as told in Acts 1:6-11 & Rev 19:11-21, therefore [??] 2033AD; refer to Rev 3:11 review for the “seventh day”).
1:2 (1) Who bare record of the (2) word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that (3) he (4) saw.
(1) Who: John. (2) word: inspired scripture (2Tim 3:16-17, 2Pet 1:21). (3) he: John the Apostle speaking in the 3rd person about himself (see “I” verse 9). (4) saw: indicating visions to come.
In this verse, John is informing us that he is transcribing inspired scripture through the words that he heard from Jesus Christ, and of the visions that he saw contained herein.
1:3 (1) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that (2) hear the words of this prophecy, and (3) keep those things which are written therein: for the (4) time is at hand.
(1) Blessed is he that readeth: reveals the spiritual productivity of biblical study, which is what inspired me to author this study guide (note Hos 4:6, 2Tim 2:15, Heb 11:6-7). (2) hear: listen to discussion on these prophecies. (3) keep: Strong’s #5083 tereo; tend to carefully. (4) time is at hand: as discussed in verse one shortly, the “last days” are the post-Christ era, which is the last redefined 2,000 year (2 days) covenant period prior to the 1,000 year millennial reign of Christ (revealed in Rev 20:4).
1:4 John to the (1) seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from (2) him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the (3) seven Spirits which are before his (4) throne;
(1) seven churches: this refers to seven churches of 95AD, that are individually identified in verse 11. Located then, in what is now modern day Turkey (“Asia” minor). Though we will find in Chapters 2 and 3, that they are also representative of all today’s Christian churches collectively. (2) him: Yahweh the Father. (3) seven Spirits: Holy Spirit (note Rev 4:5, 5:6). The number seven is chosen here to represent the Holy Spirit, as seven along with three, are the biblical numbers of perfection. Find that there are several sevens in the Book of Revelation: seven churches (1:4), seven candlesticks (1:12), seven stars (1:16), seven seals (5:1), seven horns (5:6), seven eyes (5:6), seven trumpets (8:6), seven angels (8:6), seven thunders (10:4), seven heads (13:1), seven plagues (15:6), seven vials (15:7), and seven mountains (17:9). (4) throne: heavenly throne; also seen in Rev 4:2, 5:1, 7:10, 8:3, 12:5, 14:3, 16:7 and 19:4.
1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the (1) faithful witness, and the (2) first begotten of the dead, and the (3) prince of the (4) kings of the earth. Unto him that (5) loved us, and (6) washed us from our sins in (7) his own blood,
(1) faithful witness: Jesus is the faithful (Rev 19:11) witness to the Father (John 12:49). (2) first begotten of the dead: Jesus (the Word) was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), died and rose from the dead (Matt 28:1-10; “first that should rise from the dead” Acts 26:23) and was first (“firstborn” Col 1:18) to receive a “spiritual” incorruptible body (see 1Cor 15:42-44; Luke 13:32 “perfected”). Recall, Lazarus (John 11:43) was brought from the dead by Jesus, but his body remained corruptible. Whereas, we find that Elijah (850BC 2Kings 2:11) and Enoch (3200BC Gen 5:24; and Heb 11:5) were taken up into heaven with corruptible bodies, for they did not suffer a physical death.
(3) prince: (Rev 19:16) on his return, he comes as “King of kings and Lord of lords,” to reign on this earth for one thousand years
(Rev 20:4, Zec 14:9). Note the “Godhead” (Rom 1:20, Col 2:9), which is represented in verses 4 & 5 in entirety. This is the Holy Trinity: Yahweh the Father and the Holy Spirit in verse 4, Jesus the Son (the Word) in verse 5 (Matt 28:19, 1John 5:7). (4) kings: God’s elect (see verse 6 “us kings”), whom are to reign as kings during the millennial reign of Christ (Rev 20:4, Dan 7:27), and following in the eternal kingdom (Rev 21:7 & 24). (5) loved us: John 3:16-18. (6) washed us from our sins: see John 1:29, Heb 9:18-28. (7) his own blood: Luke 22:20.
1:6 And hath made us (1) kings and (2) priests unto (3) God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. (4) Amen.
(1) kings: God’s elect, as in verse 5 “kings” (also 1Cor 6:2-3!). (2) priests: as any true believer (remnant of Israel in Rom 9:27; and see Rev 7:4 review) is a priest to God (1Pet 2:5, Rev 5:10). A license from an organized Church is not required; our papers do not have to be in order! (3) God and his Father: Yahweh the Father. (4) Amen: Strong’s #281, meaning “it is true.”
1: 7 Behold, (1) he cometh with (2) clouds; and (3) every eye shall see him, and (4) they also (5) which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall (6) wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
(1) he: Jesus. (2) clouds: the day of his return, Jesus shall come upon a cloud (Acts 1:9-11, Dan 7:13-14, Rev 14:14). (3) every: all people remaining on earth at the time of Christ’s return, shall see him descending from the sky, probably through some type of miraculous vision (Rev 6:14, 19:11, Matt 24:30). (4) they: non-remnant earth dwellers, whom at this point (time-line day 0) will all be embedded with the mark of the beast - 666 (Rev 13:8, 16-
18). This bunch is the members of the last generation who do not accept scriptural truth (2Thes 2:8-13, Hos 4:6).
(5) which pierced him: in both the ancient & modern times, this indicates non-believers, whom are now the spiritual Gentile body of the New Covenant Era, that consists of: #1) openly antichrist individuals; plus #2) outer court Christian Israel. See details on identity of Israel in Rev 7:4 and 11:1-2 reviews. (6) wail: this is our first hint that on his return, Jesus will not be arriving in peace (see Amos 5:18-20). It will not be a joyous event for the majority of the world’s population. Foreshadowing of the second coming event is scattered throughout the Book of Revelation: i.e. in Rev 6:14-17, 10:7, 11:15, 14:14-20, 17:14, and finally culminating in 19:11-21. Also see the eternal fate of those marked with the 666, in Rev 14:9-11. This would most certainly appear cause, for the “kindreds of the earth” to wail when they see him descending.
1:8 (1) I am (2) Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, (3) which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
(1) I: Jesus. (2) Alpha and Omega: beginning and ending. Note in Rev 3:14, Jesus is described as the “beginning of the creation of God.” Correlate with John 1:1-3, 8:58 & Gen 1:26. (3) which is, and which was, and which is to come: this is the same title given to God the Father in verse 4 (see John 10:30).
1:9 I John, who also am your (1) brother, and companion (2) in tribulation, and in the (3) kingdom and (4) patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called (5) Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
(1) brother: spiritually (Matt 12:50). (2) in tribulation: suffering (John 16:33). (3) kingdom: spiritual kingdom (Luke 17:21). (4) patience: endurance. (5) Patmos: early church records tell, that John was evidently exiled to the isle of Patmos, off the coast of Greece in the Aegean Sea, as a persecution for his Christian faith. This occurred near the finale of Roman Caesar Domitian’s reign (81-96AD). Find clear documentation on this in a 324AD book entitled, “Eusebius the Church History,” as translated by Paul L. Maier, Kregel Publications, 1999. This text is a must read for any Christian seeking a well rounded perspective, as much of what is known about pre-300AD Christianity is taken from this 324AD effort. Eusebius is generally considered as: the “father of church history.” This book is his accumulation of various early church writings, with commentary. You’ll find record along with timing of John’s exile, in Chapter 3 - parts 18 & 23 of Eusebius’ book.
Per tradition, John was not martyred for his witness of Jesus, as were the other eleven apostles (“Matthias” being #12; Acts 1:25-26). This would, in part, explain the relatively late date at which the Book of Revelation was written (in 95AD). Also, John was the youngest of the apostles. It appears that God spared (John 21:23 “tarry til I come” [til Revelation is given in 95AD]) John for the authoring of this final book. This is described in John 21: 17-24, with “the disciple whom Jesus loved” being “the disciple which testifieth of these things:” John.
1:10 I was in the (1) spirit on the (2) Lord's day, and heard behind me a great (3) voice, as of a trumpet,
(1) spirit: in prayer (similar to Rev 4:2 & 17:3). (2) Lord’s day: examination of the original Greek word in Strong’s reveals, that this refers to a religious holiday known as Yom Kippur. By Old Testament tradition, this is the “day” when God shall come and
make all things right, being a prophetic futuristic event. This will actually be fulfilled on Christ’s second coming (of Rev 6:14-17, 19:11-21), last “a thousand years” (Rev 20:4, 2Pet 3:8-9), after which there will be “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev 20:11, 21:1-2, 2Pet 3:10-13). A form of Yom Kippur is still celebrated as a modern “Jewish” Religion holiday. (3) voice: this is Jesus’ voice, which we will find in verse 13.
1:11 Saying, (1) I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou (2) seest, write in a (3) book, and send it unto the (4) seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
(1) I am Alpha and Omega: Yeshua; note verse 8. (2) seest: for much of the Book of Revelation is derived from John’s wording on his visions. (3) book: Holy Scripture (2Tim 3:16, 2Pet 1:21). (4) seven churches: as discussed in verse 4. See Chapter 3 - part 39 of “Eusebius the Church History,” listed in verse 9 review, to find a map showing the location of these seven churches, in what is now Turkey (“Asia” Minor). Detailed messages will be given to these seven churches in Chapters 2 and 3.
1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw (1) seven golden candlesticks;
(1) seven golden candlesticks: as will be revealed in verse 20, the “candlesticks” represent the seven Christian churches named in verse 11 and detailed in Chapters 2 & 3. John relays his vision of the seven candlesticks in the heavenly temple (Rev 11:19, 15:5, 8, 16:17). Christian representation by candlesticks is used here, for we are to be the “light of the world” by bearing witness unto Jesus (Matt 5:14). Note that the Old Testament holy places also
had seven candlesticks: i.e. see Num 8:2 that describes the first holy place, which was Moses’ Holy Tent (1500BC; Ex 26:11).
1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks (1) one like unto the (2) Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and (3) girt about the (4) paps with a golden girdle.
(1) one: Jesus; Yeshua. (2) Son of man: Jesus was born in the flesh (John 1:14, Heb 2:9) to a virgin human female (Matt 1:23). (3) girt: a fastened garment. (4) paps: breast. This set of verses (12-20) reveal Jesus in the heavenly (“third heaven” 2Cor 12:2) sanctuary (“temple” Rev 11:19, 16:17). He is dressed in clothing representing the high priest of the temple (Heb 8:1-2). However, he is not wearing the breastplate (Ex 28:15), and in ancient times, traditionally, the only day in which the high priest did not wear the breastplate was on Yom Kippur (consistent with verse 10).
1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as (1) white as snow; and his (2) eyes were as a flame of (3) fire;
(1) white: to represent “hairs” of wisdom & knowledge (“riches and wisdom” of Rev 5:12). (2) eyes: see Rev 5:6, describing his “seven eyes” being the “seven Spirits of God.” Therefore, seen here as “a flame of fire” (correlate with Rev 1:4, 4:5). (3) fire: judgement (note Rev 19:11-12, 2Thes 1:7-10).
1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a (1) furnace; and his voice as the sound of (2) many waters.
(1) furnace: perhaps forged in King Nebuchadnezzer’s furnace (in Dan 3:23-26). (2) many waters: “sound of” roaring waters of truth which lead to “everlasting life” (John 4:13-14); in contrast
to the flood of lies (John 8:24) cast out of the serpent’s mouth in Rev 12:15.
1:16 And he had in his right hand (1) seven stars: and out of his (2) mouth went a sharp twoedged (3) sword: and his (4) countenance was as the (5) sun shineth in his strength.
(1) seven stars: represents seven angels (in verse 20), which are guardian angels of the seven Christian churches of Chapters 2 & 3. (2) mouth: the sword (see Heb 4:12, Eph 6:17, Rev 19:15) in this verse comes from Jesus’ mouth as his weapon is the word of God (voice of “many waters” in verse 15), which he uses to pass judgement; here upon the Christians (John 5:22, 2Tim 4:1, John 12:48, 2Thes 2:8) as we’ll see in Chapters 2 & 3. (3) sword: later we shall find this used to “smite” the heathens at “Armageddon” (see Rev 16:16 “gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon;” and the 19:11-21 “sword”). (4) countenance: outward appearance of the risen Christ (this was foreshadowed in Mark 9:1-3). (5) sun: “the Light” (John 1:1-9), “shining” (note in Mark 9:2-3).
1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the (1) first and the last:
(1) first and the last: again the Alpha and Omega. Find the same described in verses 8 and 11.
1:18 I am he that (1) liveth, and was (2) dead; and behold, I am (3) alive for evermore, Amen; and have the (4) keys of hell and of death.
(1) liveth: Jesus’ life on this earth as a fleshly human being (John 1:1-14). (2) dead: for his “natural body” (1Cor 15:44) suffered the first death (Heb 2:9) on the cross, and was laid in a tomb for three days (Matt 12:40). (3) alive: he was resurrected with an incorruptible “spiritual body” (1Cor 15:42-44) on the third day (Matt 28:1-10), then forty days later ascended into heaven (find described in Acts 1:2-11).
(4) keys of hell and of death: Jesus will sit on the judgement seat (Acts 10:40-42, John 5:22 & 2Cor 5:10) during the great white throne judgment of Rev 20:11-15, which will occur after his one thousand year reign on this earth (Rev 20:4). Therefore, he holds the “keys” (one for hell, and the other for the lake of fire) to the “outer darkness” (Matt 8:12, 25:30), which includes “hell” (Rev 20:13) & the “lake of fire” (Rev 20:15). Final judgement is most precisely based on the word (of John 12:48); and note that Jesus is even referred to as “the Word” in a few passages (in John 1:1, 1John 5:7 and Rev 19:13).
The word “death” here in Rev 1:18, refers to the “second death” in the lake of fire (Rev 20:14-15). Note the placement of “death” here, as mentioned secondarily after hell, inferring that this is the second death. This is in contrast to Rev 20:13-14, where death is mentioned before hell, and therefore in Rev 20:13, “death” being the first fleshly physical death. So, this passage reveals that Jesus is the key (John 3:16-18, 2John 9) to avoiding the intermedium stage of “hell,” and the ultimate eternal fate of the unrighteous, which is the second death in the lake of fire. Refer to Rev 20:4-6 review for much more detail on the great white throne judgement found in Rev 20:11-15.
1:19 Write the things which thou (1) hast seen, and the things (2) which are, and the things which shall be (3) hereafter;
(1) hast seen: refers to Chapter one. (2) which are: this refers to the messages to the then present day (95AD) seven churches in Turkey, which are found in Chapters 2 & 3. (3) hereafter: refers to the futuristic events detailed in Chapters 4-22; see Rev 4:1 for proof text reference of “hereafter.”
1:20 The mystery of the seven (1) stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden (2) candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
(1) stars: “angels of the seven churches” as seen in verse 16. (2) candlesticks: “the seven churches” from verses 11-13. As usual, scripture explains the meaning of its symbolic language (though not always in straight forward fashion like this).
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