Jesus reveals these visions to John through his angel (2:7,11, 17, 29; 3:6,13,22; 22:16). Other examples outside the book include Acts 5:19-20, 8:26; 10:3-6,22; 12:7-11; 27:23). It is a prophecy of Jesus (19:10) coming soon in picture form. (1:3,8; 22:7, 20). Through the agency of Jesus, angels, and John, God showed his servants through the use of signs about his approaching judgment. Using our outline https://firstcenturyletters.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1648&action=edit, we are looking at this section:
I. INTRODUCTION: 1:1-8
1. The caption and salutation (1-3)
2. The Address to the seven churches of Asia and a doxology (4-6): The Salutation
3. Summary theme: Christ is coming! (7) – The Revelation of Jesus Christ (1)
4. Jesus’ Own Self-Designation (8)
1. The caption and salutation (1-3)
The “Revelation of Jesus Christ,” we believe is not merely a reference to the source of revelation coming from Jesus Christ, but a revelation about Jesus Christ. We covered this by examing the phrase “revelation of Jesus Christ” in another post located at https://firstcenturyletters.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1663&action=edit.
The apostle John was among the twelve apostles who were to “bear witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ of all things that he saw” (verse 2). The testimony of Jesus Christ was the things that John saw (v. 2) and of which he bare record concerning Jesus Christ. Compare Jesus’ promise to the twelve in Acts 1:8 who were to be his “witnesses in Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.” During this time, the Lord had promised that the Holy Spirit would come alongside them and guide them into all truth (John 14-16). This would include putting them in remembrance of what Jesus had said, as well as revealing new revelation.
The blessing of verse three (3) was not dependent on just reading or hearing it, but on keeping it. It was intended to be understood if God required the reader and hearer to keep it. One of the disconnects between our understanding of the book today is that we often try to find its relevance and fulfillment to our day instead of the readers and hearers of that day. Removing it from the first-century context presents an array of fanciful theories and searching for the same signs in this present time. It was written for the benefit of those readers and hearers of that day because it was going “shortly come to pass.” Trying to find its fulfillment in some unknown future and applying the signs of that day to ours will only offer convoluted interpretations.
2. The Salutation (4-8)
The salutation tells us the letter is from John to the saints (“called-out”) of seven cities. These are not seven dispensations of church history. Seeing that the writing of the book was early, probably around 43-44, the saints at Colossae or Hieropolis were not recognized. If there were saints living there, they had not been found, nor added by the apostles and spiritual gifts that they could impart. This Roman province of Asia Minor had literally seven cities where known saints lived. Some believe that seven, being a complete number, was a representative number of all the saints living in this region.
The salutation, also, includes the letter coming from God, the father (“who is, who was, and is to come) the seven Spirits of God, and Jesus Christ, who takes center stage and is given a lengthier description. We would expect these three to represent the three persons in the godhead. Foy E. Wallace in The Book of Revelation, (Fort Worth, TX, 1966, 68-69) believes this to be the spirits of each city addressed. This is the same seven golden candlesticks or seven lamps before the throne (4:5), which represent the fellowship with God and Jesus Christ.
The take-aways from this chapter that is critical for accurate interpretation is:
(1) The time frame of the prophecy’s fulfillment: The events John saw on Patmos were the same that Jesus said would be accomplished within that generation (Matthew 24:34). The reason for admonishing them to read, hear and keep the things signified is stated in verse 3: “for the time is at hand.” The warning has no significance if these events were not imminent.
a. Show His servants…the things that must shortly come to pass (v.1)
b. “The time is at hand” (verse 3)
(2) The character and person of Jesus Christ
a. Faithful witness – This reference stated in the salutation describes the role of Christ as “the Son of Man” who took on flesh and declared the Father (John 1:14, 18; John 4:34; 5:30, 37; 6:38-39; 7:16, 28-29; 8:18, 26, 29, 42). He came from the Father, and was sent from the Father (cf. Hebrews 3:1). When Philip asked the Lord, “Show us the Father,” Jesus explains that when you see Him you see the Father (John 14:8-9).
b. Firstborn from the dead – Though others were raised from the dead before Jesus, the firstborn suggests a place of preeminence. He voluntarily subjected himself to death, and of His will and power, resurrected himself. The reason he is the preeminent one from the dead is that death had no power over him after his crucifixion or any other time in the future.
c. Ruler over the kings of the earth [In the doxology: “to him be glory and dominion forever and ever” cf. Daniel 7:14; 1 Peter 4:11; Rev. 5:8-14] – All things were put under His feet. Ruling the nations with a rod of iron, he is King of kings, and Lord of lords (cf. Rev. 17:14; 19:16). As King, he has made us (saints) to be a kingdom and priests unto his God and father (cf. the ideal plan of God, Exodus 19:5-6, and the realized fulfillment in 1 Peter 2:5-10). As King, He is depicted as the victor, the conqueror in John’s visions.
d. He loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Motivated by love, Jesus freed us from sins by the shedding of his own blood. The blood was the element in which our sins were washed away.
(3) He is coming – “Behold, he comes with the clouds …” (v. 7)
a. Jesus predicts he would be killed, return to the father, and come again (Mat. 16:21, 27,28; Jn. 14:1-3). Coming with the clouds is found in the context of the impending judgment against Jerusalem and the Jews of that generation. Matthew 24:30 “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.” Mark 13:26 reads, “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 14:62 reads, “And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” In Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 16:27-28 reads, “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
This common theme anticipated by the first-century Christians has Jesus coming with His saints in heavenly bodies (1 Thess. 3:13; 1 Cor. 15:35-49), eternal and thus, invisible (2 Cor. 4:18 – 5:5). However, spiritual bodies can be shown to people (Ex. 2 Kings 6:14-19). Regarding Jerusalem’s destruction, consider this quote from Josephus: “On the one-and twentieth day of the month Aremisius, I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable nature as to deserve such signals; for before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding the cities” (Wars, VI, v, 3). Jesus told Caiphas that he would live to witness it and verse seven correlates Caiphas to “they that pierced him.” The Jews would also witness it ( cf. Acts 2:23, Jn. 19:37; Matt. 23:38-39; 27:20, 25).
b. It was near when John received his visions (Jn. 16:16-22; Phil 4:4; James 5:8,9; Jn. 21:22; Rev.3:11; 22:7,12,20).
(4) Jesus’ Description of Himself (8)
a. “I am the Alpha and the Omega” (cf. Rev. 22:13, Col. 1:15-17)
b. “…who is, who was, and who is to come” (same is said of the Father, Phil. 2:5,6)
c. “..the Almighty (cf. Rev. 4:8)