Lesson #04

REVELATION 1:1-8
LESSON #04
AN INITIAL REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 1:6

• READ REV 1:1-3 CHRIST COMMUNICATING
• A REVELATION OF JESUS, THE WORD OF GOD, THAT GOD GAVE TO JESUS, WHO REVEALED IT TO THE APOSTLE JOHN FOR THE PURPOSES OF SHOWING US THE END TIMES IN THE PLAN OF GOD.
• THIS REVELATION IS SENT THROUGH A MESSENGER ANGEL TO THE APOSTLE JOHN. JOHN WROTE IT DOWN AND THIS DOCUMENT IS THE BOOK OF REVELATION.
• THERE ARE SOME THINGS REVEALED ABOUT JESUS THAT ARE NOT FOUND TO THIS EXTENT ANYWHERE ELSE IN SCRIPTURE.
• FOR EXAMPLE:
• JESUS IS REVEALED AS WORTHY TO RELEASE THE WRATH OF GOD ON EARTH (6:16-17)
• JESUS IS REVEALED AS RULER OF ALL THE EARTH (19:16)
• JESUS US REVEALED AS JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH (11:18)
• JESUS IS REVEALED AS THE TOTAL CENTRAL FIGURE OF ALL OF CREATION (22:13)
• “THINGS TO COME TO PASS SHORTLY” (1)
• THE EVENTS IN THIS BOOK WILL COME TO PASS SPEEDILY. ONCE EVENTS BEGIN TO HAPPEN IT WILL ALL MOVE VERY QUICKLY.
• THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD WILL HAVE SO MANY WORLD- WIDE EVENTS PACKED INTO IT THAT IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE THAT SO MUCH COULD HAPPEN SO FAST.
• THERE ARE MANY, MANY SEVENS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION. THE FIRST CHAPTER INTRODUCES US TO MANY OF THEM.
• REMEMBER THAT THE NUMBER 7 IS A PROPHETIC NUMBER MEANING = COMPLETENESS OR PERFECTION.
• “PROPHECY” (3) IS MENTIONED 7 TIMES.
• SEVEN TIMES IT IS STATED THAT HE WILL COME.
• BLESSED IS HE THAT READS THIS BOOK. (3)

• THE SEVEN BLESSEDS OF REVELATION

• BLESSED IS HE THAT READS, HEARS, AND KEEPS (3).
• EVEN THOUGH REVELATION IS A DIFFICULT BOOK, THE BELIEVER WILL BE BLESSED IF HE READS IT, IF HE SEEKS TO SPIRITUALLY DISCERN ITS MEANING, AND IF HE OBEYS THE MANY CHALLENGES IN THE BOOK.

• READ REV 1:4-8 SALUTATION
• THE BOOK IS PRIMARILY WRITTEN TO 7 CHURCHES OF ASIA MINOR (TURKEY)
• THE SEVEN CHURCHES CHOSEN WERE NOT THE ONLY CHURCHES IN ASIA MINOR, NOR WERE THEY THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES, NOR WERE THEY THE LARGEST ONES.
• WHY WERE THESE 7 SPECIFIC CHURCHES CHOSEN?
• THESE 7 CHURCHES WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE THEY WERE REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL CHURCH VIRTUES AND VICES THROUGH ALL HISTORY AND IN ALL PLACES ON THE EARTH.
• THESE 7 CHURCHES WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE THEY ARE ALSO PROPHETIC OF HISTORICAL TIME PERIODS IN CHURCH HISTORY.
• THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS PRIMARILY A PROPHETIC BOOK. HOWEVER, SOME FEEL THAT THE PROPHECIES DO NOT START UNTIL CHAPTER 4.
• NOTICE THAT REV 1:3 INDICATES THAT EVERYTHING THAT COMES AFTER THAT VERSE, IN OTHER WORDS THE WHOLE BOOK, IS A WORD OF PROPHECY. WE WILL, THEREFORE, TREAT THE MESSAGES TO THESE 7 CHURCHES AS PROPHECY ALSO.
• WHAT IS MEANT BY THE PHRASE “FROM HIM WHO IS, WHO WAS, AND WHO IS TO COME”? (4)
• THIS PHRASE REFERS TO THE ETERNAL NATURE AND CHARACTER OF GOD, THE GREAT I AM, WHO IS THE LIVING GOD FROM ETERNITY PAST TO ETERNITY FUTURE; THE UNIVERSAL SOVEREIGN.
• WHAT IS MEANT BY THE SEVEN SPIRITS? (4)
• OUR GOD IS A TRINITY, THREE IN ONE. ONE MEMBER OF THAT TRINITY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSONALITY WITH MULTI-FACETED CHARACTER. THERE ARE 7 ASPECTS TO HIS CHARACTER.

• THE MULTI-FACETED 7-FOLD HOLY SPIRIT

• WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT JESUS CHRIST IN THIS SECTION?
• JESUS IS A FAITHFUL WITNESS (5) — CHRIST OUR PROPHET.
• READ HEB 1:1-2
• JESUS CHRIST SPEAKS TO US IN THESE LAST DAYS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
• JOHN HAS TOLD US ALREADY THAT THIS MESSAGE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION COMES DIRECTLY FROM JESUS CHRIST.
• THIS IS WHY IN MANY RED LETTER EDITIONS OF THE BIBLE, THE MESSAGES TO THE CHURCHES IN REVELATION ARE IN RED PRINT AS COMING DIRECTLY FROM THE MOUTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
• THIS TITLE THAT JESUS IS THE FAITHFUL WITNESS ESTABLISHES HIS CREDIBILITY.
• THE TITLE IS FIRST GIVEN TO CHRIST BY ISAIAH, THE PROPHET.
• READ ISA 55:4, JOH 18:37
• THE BOOK OF HEBREWS TALKS ABOUT JESUS AS THE WITNESS THAT GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES, THE SURETY OF A BETTER COVENANT (HEB 6:13; 8:6; 7:22)
• JESUS IS THE FIRST-BEGOTTEN FROM THE DEAD (5)
• THIS TITLE ESTABLISHES HIS SUPERIORITY.
• READ COL 1:18
• JESUS WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD NEVER TO DIE AGAIN.
• AGAIN. IT REFERS TO HIS SUPREMACY IN RANK AND DIGNITY, HIS PREEMINENCE IN RESURRECTION.
• JESUS IS THE PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH (5)
• CHRIST OUR KING
• THIS TITLE ESTABLISHES HIS SOVEREIGNTY.
• READ PSA 24:1
• ALL POWER AND AUTHORITY WERE PURCHASED ON THE CROSS.

• CHRIST THE KING

• JESUS WASHED US FROM OUR SINS (5) — CHRIST OUR PRIEST.
• HE IS OUR PRIEST NOW IN HEAVEN. (HEB 8:11)
• HE IS COMING AGAIN, AND EVERYONE WILL SEE HIM (7).
• HE IS THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA.
• WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
• ALPHA IS THE FIRST LETTER OF THE GREEK ALPHABET WHILE OMEGA IS THE LAST LETTER OF THE GREEK ALPHABET.
• THEREFORE HE IS THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING OF ALL THINGS.
• READ ISA 44:6 ISA 48:12
• SOME OF WHAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED ARE TITLES FOR CHRIST
• THERE ARE MANY TITLES FOR CHRIST GIVEN IN REVELATION.
• WE WILL KEEP TRACK OF THEM ALL THROUGH OUR STUDY OF REVELATION AND YOU WILL GET A LIST OF 32 TITLES FOR CHRIST AT THE END OF OUR STUDY.
• SO FAR WE HAVE SEEN THE FOLLOWING TITLES:
• {1} FAITHFUL WITNESS (5)
• {2} FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD (5)
• {3} RULER OVER KINGS OF THE EARTH (5)
• {4} ALPHA AND OMEGA (8)
• {5} BEGINNING AND END (8)
• {6} WHO IS, WHO WAS, WHO IS TO COME (8)
• {7} THE ALMIGHTY (8)
• WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT BELIEVERS IN THIS SECTION?
• WE ARE LOVED (5)
• WE ARE CLEANSED (5)
• WE ARE A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS (6)
• WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
• READ 1PET 2:9
• WE ARE TO BE PRIESTS ON EARTH REPRESENTING GOD TO THE PEOPLE AND BRINGING OTHER PEOPLE TO GOD.
• THE CHRISTIAN OVERCOMER WILL BE A KING IN THE MILLENNIUM WHEN WE RULE AND REIGN WITH CHRIST FOR 1,000 YEARS.
• EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM (7)
• READ ZEC 12:10-14

HOMEWORK
REVELATION 1:9-20
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF REV 1:1-8
• WHAT NEW TRUTHS HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT JESUS CHRIST?

• WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL THESE NEW TRUTHS MAKE IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE?

• PREPARATION FOR REV 1:9-20
• READ REV 1:9-20
• WHO IS TALKING AFTER VERSE 9? HOW DO WE KNOW?

• THE CHURCHES ARE REFERRED TO AS LAMPSTANDS, NOT VASES OR BOWLS, WHY?

• WHERE IS THE LORD IN RELATION TO THE CHURCHES?

• HOW IS THIS SIGNIFICANT IN REGARDS TO THE CHURCH TO WHICH YOU BELONG?

• WHERE IS JESUS IN RELATION TO THE 7 ANGELS?

• HOW IS THIS SIGNIFICANT IN REGARDS TO THE PASTOR WHO LEADS YOUR CHURCH?

• WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE PHRASE, “AND HAVE THE KEYS OF DEATH AND OF HADES”?

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 1:18