The Revelation of Jesus Christ opens with these words, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John”(KJV). This book is considered by many to be mysterious and full of riddles and language that is unknown. While others are confident that they understand it, it is ironic that it would seem to many that the book should have been entitled, “The secrets of Jesus Christ.” Yet, the book is a revelation of Jesus to the early Christians (“His servants”) about “things that must shortly come to pass.” Christ sent and signified it to His messenger unto John, who wrote what he saw. The words are plainly stated as to its purpose. It was for the purpose of showing Jesus’ servants things that were shortly coming to pass. Again, verse three confirms this conclusion when it reads, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” They certainly could not have heeded the things contained in the book if it was a book of mystery and could neither understand it, nor “keep” those things written in it.”
Then, in verse four, we have more detail about to whom the book was addressed — “John to the seven churches of Asia”, the names of which are listed in verse eleven.
So, the book was written Jesus who dictated it or more precisely, showed John certain things to brethren living in these seven cities of Asia Minor about matters that were to (1) “shortly come to pass, v. 1) and intended for their immediate application because (2) the time was at hand. The time of these events that John writes is revealed in two specific ways in these first three verses. It sets the stage for the entire contents of the book. Someone reiterated what is written in verse 19 regarding John writing past, present, and future things. Of course, John could have written about things 30 years in the future, and it would still be writing about things that must “shortly come to pass” and would accurately describe the phrase, “the time is at hand.” They did not all occur on one future day, but the expectation of its fulfillment was within a generation of time. Jesus explains in Matthew 24:34 in his special content, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” A generation could be seventy or extended to eighty, but not 100, 500, 1,000, or 2,000 years. The prophecies were “near, at hand, and shortly come to pass.” This would be reasonable since He’s writing to the first-century saints who lived in these seven cities.
But, not only does the first chapter set the stage for the timing of these events, but the last chapter confirms it. Revelation 22:6 is a repeat of chapter one, and in three verses (Rev. 22:7, 12, and 20), Jesus says, “Behold, I come quickly.” How can we conclude that these things of which John writes pertain to our generation when clearly the first and last chapters show something different? Stay tuned for the next bit of evidence taken from Revelation 22.