Bible Commentaries
Revelation 1

Verses 1-4

SAINTS, GET PREPARED!
JOHN'S ALARMING VISION

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. Revelation 1:1

Servants of God, look out! Something is coming down the pike that will change everything. The earth as we know it will not survive this time. Billions of God's enemies will be destroyed in a horrible conflagration. Apparently many Christians will be severely chastened and lose all for which they have labored, but somehow these will be saved through the fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Amazingly, the true and faithful saints of God will survive intact and will be totally victorious.

So it is obvious from the beginning of Revelation that something terrible is approaching. It is also obvious that something indescribably glorious is about to happen. It will no doubt be the finest hour for the true church of Jesus, but it will come at a great price. Many of God's dear saints will stand against the Beast or Antichrist and lay down their lives for the Lord Jesus. The prophet Joel described this difficult time. He cried out, "Alas for that day! For the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty" (Joel 1:15). Thus what we immediately hear in Revelation is an urgent message from the risen Lord himself that certainly applies to twenty-first century Christians just as it did to first-century Christians. It is a "wake up call" for all of God's saints to get prepared for what is coming. As Joel also exhorted long ago concerning this day: "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill…" (Joel 2:1).

In our day, we can already feel the heat from God's approaching fire. Even those who are not religious seem to sense that our world is racing toward judgment. We live in a time when even the secular books and movies are focusing upon the apocalypse and its characters, such as the Antichrist.

When we look around we see that indeed, the birth pangs of a new era already seem to be upon us. In our time we have many apocalyptic-type events taking place, like the dreadful terrorist attacks of 9/11, the awful worldwide plague of AIDS; the killer Tsunami of Southeast Asia and the hurricane devastation of America's Gulf Coast.

Thus it is urgent for us saints of God to be prepared so that we can obey the Lord and be shielded in the coming day. The Beloved John says, "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever" (1 John 2:17).

Throughout the ages virtually every prophet of God spoke about this dreadful day that is coming upon the earth. The prophets of old often called it "the Day of the Lord" (Joel 2:28-32; Amos 5:18-20; Obad. 1:15; Isaiah 2:12ff.).

The early Christians actually looked forward to this special time and they also called it "the Day of the Lord," just as the prophets had done before them (1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:2). They had several other designations for this period. They referred to it simply as "the day" (2 Thessalonians 1:10), and sometimes as "that day" (2 Timothy 1:12; 2 Peter 3:12). In addition they called it "the day of Christ" (Phil. 1:10; 2:16).

It is variously referred to by other titles such as "the day of God's wrath" (Romans 2:5); "the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30); "the day of evil" (Ephesians 6:13); "the day he visits us" (1 Peter 2:12); and "the day of judgment" (2 Peter 2:9). In these differing expressions the Bible is describing for us Christ's coming kingdom and the terrible suffering that will precede and accompany it.

John, the author of Revelation, is allowed to see this day in a fullness and completeness that no other prophet of God had ever experienced. John says, "On the Lord's Day [the Imperial Day] I was in the Spirit" (Revelation 1:10). The remainder of the book of Revelation is simply a description of this day that John saw coming. Although this day contains horrible suffering for the world, it brings about the glorious consummation of the kingdom. In many ways it will surely be the brightest and most glorious era of all Christian history.

It is puzzling that most commentators still refer to the "Lord's Day" mentioned here as a reference to Sunday, while the awesome context of the book seems to negate this conclusion. The content of the vision that John is about to see has absolutely nothing to do with Sunday but with the end of the age. The well-known seminary president, John Walvoord, assures us that this passage is speaking of the Day of the Lord and that the expression used here, "the Imperial Day," is never used in the Bible for "Sunday."^(F1)

The purpose of John's incredible vision is to "show his servants what must soon take place" (1:1). Thus we should understand that this vision is primarily for the servants of God. It is for us who live at this moment in history! The Greek word for "soon" (en tachei) indicates a future event that is coming with suddenness or swiftness. From this root we get our word "tachometer." ^(F2) Here we are reminded of Zephaniah 1:14, "The great day of the LORD is near – near and coming quickly…"

Once they begin to happen, things will develop rapidly.^(F3) We thus see that the Book of Revelation is not a history book. It is a book of the future (cf. 4:1; 22:6). Unless it is very clear in the context, we should assume that all figures and events of Revelation are figures and events of the future.

Revelation contains an extremely important message for the church, sent down from heaven by the risen Lord himself. How urgent this message is! It contains instructions that will enable the saints of God to prepare for these awesome future events.

Accordingly, there is a great blessing for those who read and heed what is written (1:3), because the day spoken of is almost upon us. Similar blessings are given seven times in the book: 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6 and 22:7 & 14. Revelation is said to be the only book in the Bible that contains such a direct promise of blessing for its readers.^(F4)

Verses 5-9

GETTING READY TO REIGN WITH CHRIST

…To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father… Revelation 1:5-6

John writes to the seven churches of Asia, which will all be named later. He gives greetings from the Spirit of God and from Jesus who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth (1:4-5). It is clear that Jesus is the King of Kings and that he will come to assume full control of the earth, of its kings and kingdoms (cf. 11:15; 19:16).

He reminds these early Christians that they are now made kings and priests unto God (1:6). This is a key concept in understanding the saints' future role, and also in understanding the whole book of Revelation (cf. Genesis 1:26; Exodus 19:6). Jesus is the king who is coming for his kingdom. However, along with him will be his devoted saints who will then be made kings and priests, ruling with him, even on this earth. We should note particularly that Jesus has made us to be kings and priests with him. It is not something we have done.

Admittedly, this is a foreign concept to many today, especially to those who live in Western democracies. It seems strange when we even imagine ourselves reigning with Christ or sitting with him on his throne. The concept of our exercising kingly rule and authority on this earth is also very strange and foreign to us.

Still, this prophetic book is a continuation of the central message of the New Testament. ^(F5) It is a message concerning the kingdom of God, or kingdom of Heaven, as it is also called.

John the Baptist announced this kingdom in Matthew 3:1-2. Jesus later came into Galilee proclaiming it (Mark 1:15). Much of Jesus' teaching dealt with the kingdom of God, and most all of his parables pictured it (Mark 4:30-33). It was Jesus' message even after his resurrection (Acts 1:3). The message of the kingdom was also the message of the early apostles (Acts 8:12; 19:8).

In Matthew 24:14, Jesus makes plain that the gospel of the kingdom will again be preached to the whole world in the days just preceding the end of the age. We have almost lost this aspect of the gospel in our modern church. We might well wonder if it is the absence of this "kingdom" gospel that is causing such difficulty, failure and discouragement among many modern and postmodern Christians.

In 1 Peter 2:9 we read, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." Jesus wants his people to rule with him. He wants them to rule right now in the daily affairs of life (Romans 5:17), and he wants them to rule with him on this earth in the last day. Real Christianity must be an intense preparation for this joint-rule with Christ. Of course, the devil is greatly opposed to this plan and tries to frustrate it in every conceivable way.

How desperately this message of the kingdom is needed today! God has commanded us to rule over the earth. Yet we live in a time when multiplied millions of people are overcome and ruled by wicked spirits and by the earthly things around them. Unfortunately, it seems that many of these are Christians. For instance, we all probably know Christians who are ruled by a little weed called tobacco; or by the grape, which is turned into wine; or by the poppy flower or the marijuana plant which are made into hallucinogenic drugs. There are hundreds of other earthly things that can rule over us.

Proverbs 25:28 tells us, "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls" (NKJV). This seems to be the lot of so many today. Thus it is urgent that the church begin to take seriously the teaching of the kingdom of God and how this kingdom is to be worked out in our everyday lives. ^(F6) After all, the Greek commentator, G. K. Beale points out, "It is not just how people die that proves them to be overcomers, but the whole of their Christian lives are to be characterized by 'overcoming,' which is a process completed in death." ^(F7)

The message of John is at once a message of great sorrow and of great joy. It speaks of the sorrow of the coming tribulation. It also speaks of the great joy at the appearing of the Lord with his kingdom, at the close of the tribulation period.

The coming of this Day, and the appearing of the Lord will bring sorrow to the peoples of earth. They will mourn because of him (1:7). We cannot imagine how sorrowful this mourning will be. The whole world will suddenly see how bankrupt its philosophies are and how futile are all the plans of self-redemption. People will see how they have rejected their only hope, their only way and their only chance of life. The world will mourn but God's victorious elect will rejoice. Jesus says in Luke 21:28, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Verses 10-18

ENCOUNTERING THE SON OF MAN

On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, Revelation 1:10

It is clear that John, one of the original disciples of Jesus, and known as the Son of Zebedee, is now imprisoned. This imprisonment took place around AD 95, during the brief but severe persecution under the Roman ruler, Titus Flavius Domitian. John is suffering for the gospel on the Roman prison isle of Patmos(1:9). In this verse, John refers to himself as a "…companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus…" Obviously, suffering and kingdom are both ours and they are two things that simply must go together. We have almost lost both concepts in our modern church. This is tragic indeed.

Both John and the other early followers of Jesus believed that to be a Christian was to share with Christ in tribulation in order that they may also share in the kingdom. We see this idea in 2 Timothy 2:12, "if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us." The inescapable teaching of Revelation is that this tribulation will finally become a universal thing.^(F8)

By means of the Spirit, John is now transported to the time frame known as the Lord's Day (1:10). He is commanded to write an account of what he sees and to send the account to the churches. In his vision he hears a trumpet voice behind him and turns to see seven golden lamp stands (1:12-13). This is a vision similar to one the prophet Zechariah once saw (Zechariah 4:1).

Strangely, this seems to be a vision closely connecting the churches with Israel. The Greek word, luchnias, used here is the same word used in the Septuagint (ancient Greek version of the Old Testament) to describe the menorah of the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:31ff). The menorah has been a symbol of Israel from earliest times.

Apparently there is a mystery here. Ephesians 3:6 speaks of it, "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus."

One thing is clear; what has been used traditionally to represent Israel is suddenly used to include the churches (see 1:20b). This pictures for us the great unity of God's work in the Old and New Testaments. Israel and the church have a wonderful and mysterious connection. Obviously they will draw much closer together, and even be seen as one in the end-days.

In Ephesians 2:14, we read more about this, "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one [Jew and Gentile] and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility." In this respect, we should mistrust all theologies that seek to divide Israel and the church, even in the very last days.

John sees that in the midst of the lamps there is someone like the "Son of man" (1:13). His appearance and attire are dazzling and virtually indescribable. His eyes of blazing fire, feet like glowing bronze, and voice as the sound of many waters are all descriptive of God elsewhere in biblical passages (cf. Daniel 10:6; Ezekiel 43:2; Ezekiel 1:4-14, 27; 8:2). This one is dressed in clothing strikingly similar to that of Israel's High Priest.

In his right hand he holds seven stars, who are messengers of the seven churches. We are not sure if this is a reference to the pastors of these churches, or to some angelic beings representing them. From his mouth there proceeds a two-edged sword (1:16). As we will see later, this sword represents the word of God.

At the feet of the risen and glorified Messiah John falls as a dead man. What a good biblical position for us as we face His Majesty, and as we confront the Day of the Lord. The prophet Isaiah speaks in this wise of that coming day, "The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exaltedi (and they will be humbled) – The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day" (Isaiah 2:12, 17). In Zephaniah 2:3, we also read about the Day of the Lord in these words, "Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger."

John, who has now fallen on the ground as dead, is comforted by the one who was dead and is alive for evermore (1:18). We see here that the victorious Christ not only holds the keys of death and Hades but he holds the seven stars and their churches(1:18, 20).

Verses 19-20

URGENT WARNINGS FOR THE CHURCHES

Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. Revelation 1:19

In his astounding vision, John is directed to write to the seven churches in Asia telling them what he has seen, what is at present, and what is to come (1:19). Commentators have observed that this is almost a short outline of the book. What he has seen is no doubt the vision of Christ, and what is at present is most likely the condition of the seven churches. It appears that everything afterward in the book deals with things to come.^(F9) These seven churches to which John writes are, in some mysterious way, representative of all churches.

John introduces his message, which is one telling of awesome tribulation to come as the kingdom of God approaches. His challenge to each church is that they must overcome. Indeed, in the end of days we see just two classes of people left on earth – the overcomers and the overcome.