Revelation 1:1-9

>>>Notes for Revelation can be found HERE <<<

The three-fold outline of the book Revelation one is found in verse 1:19. Notice that Jesus says, talking to John, “Write the things that you have seen, the things which are, and the things that shall take place after these things.” If you look through the Book of Revelation, you’ll find that the phrase “after these things” is repeated over and over. And why is that? I think John is emphasizing to us that there is an orderly development of how things are going to happen. Some of it’s difficult to understand. Some of it we probably can’t fully grasp. But John wants us to understand that what is coming during the seven years of tribulation is going to be a very orderly, systematic judgment of God on the Earth. So he says, “Write the things that you have seen,” in the past tense. Right? So, what has John seen in the past in Revelation chapter one? The vision of Christ. He’s recorded that for us. “And the things which are” represent chapters two and three which deals with the seven churches of Asia. “The things that will take place after this,” represent Chapters four through 22. So, John really gives us his own outline. And if we just follow that outline, it’ll save us from a lot of confusion.

In the first few chapters, we have the seven churches as John ministered to them. In Chapters four and five, we see the church in heaven. There are certain things that are said that tell us that that can only be the church in heaven, which fits with our understanding of the rapture of the church. What do we read in Revelation 4:1? “I heard a voice saying, ‘Come up here.’”. Then in Chapters six through 19, we have the tribulation period itself. It’s very interesting to notice, the word church occurs 19 times in the first three chapters. It does not occur from Chapters six to 19 — the section that deals with the tribulation period. Instead, who do we read about? The nation of Israel. Remember that Paul tells us in Romans 11:25. “Blindness, in part, has happened to Israel.” God is faithful to His promises; what about the nation of Israel? Is God finished with the nation of Israel? Their time is yet coming, and that’s going to be the tribulation period. So, in chapter six through 19, we read about Israel. We read about the tribes. We read about Jerusalem. The whole focus goes back to the promised land.

So let’s go back to Revelation 1:1. “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show His servants things that must shortly take place and He Jesus sent and signify it by His Angel to his servant, John.” So, this book has been passed down from the Father to the Son to an angel to John. “Who bore witness of the Word of God in the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that He saw. Blessed are those that read and hear the words of this prophecy and keep the things that are written in it for the time is near.” Because the Book of Revelation deals with everything from the time of John till the end of the Kingdom. No matter where you live in that time, the time is near because whatever is next to come is going to come and it’s going to come quickly. We notice several purposes behind the book: 1) to reveal Jesus Christ, 2) to reveal the course history, 3) to finish John’s testimony, and 4) to bless those who study the book and not only study but obey the book.

John identifies himself now in Revelation 1:4, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia.” This a typical opening of a letter in the ancient world; you identified yourself first and then identified who you’re writing to. “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 the throne.” So, what is “who is and who was and who is to come?” They mean that He’s infinite, and eternal. “The seven spirits before his throne” harkens to Isaiah 11:2, which lists the spirits of God having seven characteristics. So essentially, he’s talking about the Holy Spirit. The interesting thing to me at this point, in the first four versus we have the Father, we have the Son, we have the Holy Spirit, and they’re all sending greetings to us. They’re all working for our spiritual well-being.

Revelation 1:5 says, “From Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the day of the ruler over the kings of the earth. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” This is talking about the finished work of Christ on the cross, the one who provided for us our so great salvation. Revelation 1:6 should really excite us, “and has made us kings and priests.” In all the Old Testament, you never read of a prophet, priest, and king together. Jesus is prophet, priest, and king. Here, we’re told, “He has made us kings and priest.” You can go to 1st Peter 2:9, where Peter reminds us that we are a royal priesthood. There was no royal priesthood in the Old Testament, with one exception: Melchizedek the King priest.

Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold, He is coming with clouds.” I don’t know about you, but I long for it more and pray for it more every day. “He is coming with clouds and every I will see him. Even they who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him.” Which coming is John talking about — the Rapture or Jesus’ second coming? Ask yourself the question, at the rapture will every eye see Him? No, not unbelievers. It’s going to be a secret departure. They will not see him. We will simply be gone. So, we know we’re talking here about the second coming. “All the tribes in the earth will mourn because of him.” Revelation 1:8 says, “I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end says Lord.” Which “beginning” is this? Go back as far as you want. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” That’s the beginning of creation. And then we have in John 1:1, “ In the beginning was the word.” What beginning is he talking about? As far back as you want to go into eternity past, and whatever beginning you can imagine and He was there. That’s the one “who was.” In first John 1:1 says, “That which you heard from the beginning.” You might remember too in Mark 1:1, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” a different beginning. Here in Revelation 1:8, the Lord says, “I am the beginning, and the end says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come. The Almighty.” What amazing statement of His dignity and glory and majesty.

In Revelation 1:9, John begins to describe for his congregations the conditions of his vision. “I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” We’re all in this together as children of God. He continues, “I was on the island that is called Patmos” off the coast of Turkey, “for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” In other words, under persecution under Emperor Domitian, John was having too much effect, just like Paul was earlier. But unlike Paul, who was executed for his testimony, Domitian just shut him away on the Isle of Pattern of Patmos so John could write Revelation.

Gene Cunningham - April 17, 2023

The Throne Room of God

Revelation 4:1 says, “After these things, I looked and behold the door standing open in heaven.” Very interesting that “standing open” is in the perfect tense, an indication that that door was opened at some point in the past and it's still open. I would take the point of opening as the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ, and the now opened the door, is for us to enter into the presence of God. When Jesus said, “it is finished” in John 19:30, His work on the cross was done. The penalty for sin was paid. The way into heaven was open. It won't be closed until time is done. So, the door was opened, and John says, “the first voice that I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me.” The trumpet takes us back to chapter one saying, “Come up here.” Remember the passage in First Thessalonians Chapter 4, “for the Lord will descend with a shout.” What do you think your shout is going to be? I think it's going to be, “Come up here.” “Come up here and I will show you things which much must take place.” Again, we have the phrase “after this” or better translated, “After these things.” Revelation 4:2-3 says, “Immediately,” John says, “I was in the spirit. And behold, a throne said in heaven. And one who sat on the throne and he who sat there was like a Jasper and sardius.” Jasper is clear and sardius is red. So what John sees is an image sitting on the throne, but he doesn't see the clear outlines face characteristics. In Revelation 4:3 he says, “and there was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald. What is the rainbow remind us of? Remember at the flood it was a promise of peace. So, I would take this as a symbol of peace. A rainbow around the throne and “an appearance like an emerald” is very interesting. From verse three on, what we're actually seeing is something very similar to what Daniel saw in Daniel 7:4-13. You remember he saw “the Ancient of Day” sitting on the throne, being approached by “one like the son of man.” So very, very similar. And again, the connections between Revelation and the Old Testament are everywhere. Revelation 4:4 says, “Around the throne, where 24 thrones and on the thrones, I saw 24 elders sitting clothed with white robes, and they had crowns of gold on their heads.” There are lots of arguments about who are the 24 elders. A lot of people think they're angels. I'm convinced they're not because of what we see in the context of the text. I think the 24 elders probably represent the church and probably we could look at them as maybe some of the great ones that come out of the church age, maybe the ones who excelled during the church age, but they represent the church as a whole. 24 elders sitting and they've got “white robes,” of course, white robes, picture of the righteousness of Christ. They had” crowns of gold on their head.” We know in the New Testament there are five different crowns promised to the overcomer, namely, those who overcome are promised a reward at the judgment seat of Christ. As our lives are evaluated by the Lord Jesus Christ, there are those that are going to receive the reward of a crown. By the way, the word “crown” “Stephanos” – “the Victor's crown.” So, this again relates back to the overcomer. Revelation 4:5 says, “From the throne proceeded lightning and thunder, rings and voices.” Wouldn't you like to know what they said? In Revelation 10:3-4 John says the thunder spoke again and as he was going to write down as a part of this book what the thunder said, he was told not to write. Isn’t it interesting? I don't know about you, but I've heard sermons on what the seven thunders said. The truth is, we don't know. God didn't tell us. We might be better off for not knowing. We were not allowed to know at this point. Verse 5 continues, “Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.” Why the seven spirits of God? Isaiah 11:1 says, “There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” It is interesting that the Lord Jesus Christ is referred to both as “the root” and the offspring of David. As God, He is “the root of David,” as man, He's the offspring. So we have the deity and humanity of Christ pictured. Isaiah 11:2 says, “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom, and understanding, the spirit of counsel, and might the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” I think all of these are simply expressing the character of the Holy Spirit. So I take this to be the seven spirits of God. Revelation 4:6 says, “Before the Throne, there was a sea of glass like crystal.” What does that mean? I don't know. Obviously, it would imply purity. Later in the book, the sea is used as a picture of the nations. The multitudes of the nations could represent the multitudes of those who have been purified standing before the Lord. That would be the closest that I could give you. The verse continues, “sea of glass, like crystal in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.” Very interesting. Revelation 4:7 says, “The first living creature was like a lion. The second living creature was like a calf. The third living creature had the face of a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.” If you go back to Ezekiel chapter one these same creatures are not described in the same way, but they are described as a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle. Why is that? Well, one suggestion that's been presented, these four represent the story of the life of Christ. If you think about it, a gospel of Matthew presents Christ our King of Israel, symbol as lion Jesus -- the lion of the tribe of Judah. The Gospel of Mark presents Him as the calf, or Ox, a symbol of what is servant. It's interesting that the key word of the Gospel of Mark is immediately. It's a word that was specifically used of an obedient servant. It's translated “straightaway,” or “immediately” in the Gospel of Mark. Luke, of course, places emphasis on the humanity of Christ. Luke is a very human gospel, and it deals a lot with his interactions with the down and out people. And then, of course, the eagle Flying Eagle, a picture of the Gospel of John, The Deity of Christ. Revelation 4:7 says, “The four living creatures, each having six wings were full of eyes around and within.” The emphasis on eyes, I believe, has to do with divine intelligence or supernatural intelligence. What do our eyes through our eyes tell us? That's how we gather information. Revelation 4:8 says, “They do not rest day or night saying, Holy, holy, holy.” Where have we met these before? Is it Isaiah 6:3, “Holy, holy, holy.” Why three times? It's this Father, Son, Holy Spirit. “Holy, holy, Holy Lord, God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” Who’s that? Jesus Christ. Revelation 4:9-10 says, “Whenever the living creatures gave glory and honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before him, who sits on the throne and worship him, who lives forever and ever and casts their crowns before the throne.” I’ve run into a lot of believers who say I'm not interested in eternal rewards. I don't care whether I get a crown or not. I'll just be happy to be there. We need to understand that winning the Crown is not for us. It's not to our credit. It's for His glory. Every one of us can win eternal rewards. He offers us the opportunity to live lives of faith and obedience so that we are, as he said in Matthew 6:20, laying up treasure in heaven. And what's the value of all that? All of it is going to speak to the glory of Christ. It's in honor of what He's done for us. It's a way of expressing, if you will, our gratitude for his sacrifice and our great salvation. So, they cast their crowns before the throne. Revelation 4:11 says, “You are worthy, oh Lord, to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will they exist and were created.” Now, bear in mind Who's sitting on the throne of God. The Father. Right? We're about to see the Lord Jesus come into the picture. So, God, the Father is sitting on the throne. And to God the Father, Glory, “honor and power for You created all things.” This is Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Right? What does John tell us in John 1:1? “In the beginning was the word. And the word was with God. And the word was God.” And then down in verse three, “all things were made by Him. And without Him was not anything made. It was made. So, who created” the Father or the Son? The answer is “yes!” They work together, right? In Proverbs 30, the question is asked “What is God's name? Do you know it? And what is his Son's name?” That's a very interesting question. You must wonder how many ancient Hebrews pondered on that and wondered, “What does this mean”? And of course, if they pondered long enough and searched the Old Testament scriptures enough, they would know.

Scripture References: Revelation 4:1-11