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Revelation Lecture 1

I AM THE LIVING ONE

Revelation 1:1-20

Key Verse 1:17-18

1. Why is it important that this is “the revelation from Jesus Christ” (1)? What role did John play in communicating this revelation (2)? Why are the one who reads aloud and those who hear and obey “blessed” (3)?
2. What does each description of Jesus and his ministry mean (4-6)? Why will “all peoples on earth mourn because of him” when Jesus comes (7)? What does the title “the Alpha and the Omega” reveal about God (8)?
3. What were John’s spiritual and physical conditions when he received the command? (9-11)? Why is it significant that the “son of man” is standing among the lampstands (12-13)? What does each feature of the Son of Man—his clothing, white hair, fiery eyes, bronze feet, powerful voice, seven stars, sharp sword, and shining face—reveal about Jesus (14-16)?
4. What do Jesus’ titles and his words reveal about his identity and authority (17-18)? Why did Jesus command John to write what he had seen, what was happening, and what would take place later (19)? What does the meaning of the seven stars and seven lampstands teach us about Jesus’ relationship with his churches (20)?

Revelation Lecture 1

LOOK, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS

Revelation 1:1-8

Key Verse 1:7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”

So shall it be! Amen.

Last Sunday, we studied an introduction to the book of Revelation. How was it for you? To be honest, I was a little concerned that it might be too difficult or complicated. But after receiving feedback from several people, I was relieved to hear that it was clear and helpful. If you missed last Sunday’s message, you can find the video on the NY UBF YouTube channel. I encourage you to watch it because it will give you helpful background and interpretation methods for understanding the book of Revelation.

Today’s passage is the prologue to the book of Revelation. Look at verse 1: “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.” The opening phrase, “The revelation from Jesus Christ,” tells us the nature of this book. As we learned in the introduction last Sunday, the Greek word translated “revelation” is ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis). It means “revelation” or “unveiling.” In other words, the purpose of this book is not to hide God’s truth, but to unveil it and make it known.

This revelation is “from Jesus Christ.” It came to us through Jesus. But verse 1 also says that God gave this revelation to Jesus. So the ultimate source of the revelation is God the Father. Why did God give this revelation to Jesus? It was “to show his servants what must soon take place.” Here, “his servants” refers to all believers. This revelation was given for all Christians including us. The verse continues: “He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.” The word “angel” is singular, so it refers to a particular angel, although we are not told the angel’s name. This angel served as a messenger, delivering the revelation to John, who is also described as Jesus’ servant. So we can summarize the process of revelation like this: God the Father gave it to Jesus Christ; Jesus sent it through an angel; the angel delivered it to John; and John communicated it to all Christians.

Verse 2 says that John testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. This tells us that John’s mission was to bear witness to everything God showed him. In Revelation, the expressions “the word of God” and “the testimony of Jesus Christ” repeatedly appear together (1:2; 1:9; 6:9; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4). This shows us that one of the central themes of Revelation is bearing witness to Jesus Christ. In verse 9, John says: “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” This suggests that John was persecuted and exiled to the island of Patmos because he faithfully bore witness to Jesus Christ.

Now look at verse 3: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” The book of Revelation contains seven beatitudes. Verse 3 is the first. The second is, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on” (14:13). The third is, “Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed” (16:15). The fourth is, “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” (19:9) The fifth is, “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection” (20:6). The sixth is, “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll” (22:7). Finally, the seventh is, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city” (22:14). Because Revelation contains these seven beatitudes, it is also called a book of blessing. Do you want to receive these blessings?

But we are already enjoying the first of these seven blessings today: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it” (3). This verse gives us a picture of public worship in the early church. When the churches received a letter from one of the apostles, the letter was circulated among the congregations. During worship, a leader would stand up and read the letter aloud. The believers would listen carefully, take its message to heart, and live in obedience to it. Revelation says that both “the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy” and “those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it” are blessed. So today, as we gather for public worship and listen to the words of Revelation, we are already receiving this blessing. Please turn to the person next to you and say, “We are blessed!”

Verses 4–9 follow the form of a letter, beginning with a greeting and a doxology. Letters in those days followed a certain pattern, as we also see in the letters of the apostle Paul. They usually began by identifying the sender and the recipients. Then came greetings, thanksgiving, prayer, and praise. After that, the main body of the letter began. In verse 4, both the sender and the recipients are clearly identified. The sender is John. Since we already learned about John in last Sunday’s introduction, I will not discuss him again here. Who are the recipients? They are “the seven churches in the province of Asia.” If you look at this map, you can see where these seven churches were located. Chapters 2 and 3 contain Jesus’ messages to these seven churches. At the same time, the recipients of Revelation extend beyond these seven churches. This letter was also written for all the churches of that time and for all churches throughout history, including the churches today.

The number seven is the most frequently repeated number in Revelation. We read about seven churches, seven spirits, seven golden lampstands, seven stars, seven seals, seven horns, seven eyes, seven angels, and many others. The number seven appears 54 times in the Greek text of Revelation. In last Sunday’s introduction, we learned about the symbolic meanings of different numbers. Do you remember what the number seven symbolizes? It represents completeness and fullness. Therefore, the seven churches represent not only seven actual churches in Asia Minor but also the whole Church throughout history. This means that we are also the recipients of the book of Revelation.

Now let us look at the greeting: “Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (4b-5a). This greeting of grace and peace comes from three divine sources. First, it comes “from him who is, and who was, and who is to come.” This refers to God the Father. Second, this greeting comes “from the seven spirits before his throne.” Who are these seven spirits? There are several different interpretations, but the most widely accepted view is that they refer to the Holy Spirit. The seven spirits represent the perfect fullness of the Holy Spirit. Third, the greeting comes “from Jesus Christ.” So in this greeting, we encounter the triune God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. John is delivering a greeting of grace and peace to all the churches from the triune God.

John then describes Jesus in three ways: First, Jesus is “the faithful witness.” When Jesus came to this earth, he revealed God perfectly and faithfully. Second, Jesus is “the firstborn from the dead.” Jesus rose from the dead and became the firstborn among those who will rise. His resurrection points ahead to the future resurrection of all believers. Third, Jesus is “the ruler of the kings of the earth.” This describes Jesus’ kingship and his universal rule. Notice that it is written in the present tense. He is already the ruler of all earthly kings. At that time, the Roman Empire ruled the world. The Roman emperor was regarded as the king of kings. People placed him in the position of a god and worshiped him through the imperial cult. But John clearly declares that Jesus is “the ruler of the kings of the earth.” This was a challenge to emperor worship. It was also a clear and courageous confession of faith: Jesus alone is Lord, and Jesus alone is King.

Then John gives glory to Jesus Christ. Look at verses 5b–6: “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—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” Here, “to him” refers to Jesus Christ. Jesus loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. He loved us so much that he died on the cross for our sins. Through the power of his blood shed on the cross, we have been set free from sin and now live a new life. Not only that, Jesus “has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.” These words come from Exodus 19:6: “You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” What does it mean that Jesus has made us “a kingdom and priests”? “A kingdom” refers to God’s kingdom—the community of God’s people who live under his rule. “Priests” means that, because we have been freed from sin, we can now come directly into God’s presence and serve him. To be a kingdom and priests is God’s vision for us. And the purpose is that we may serve God our Father. All of this has become possible through Jesus, who gave his life for us. Therefore, John praises him: “To him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”

Now look at verse 7: “‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,’ and ‘every eye will see him, even those who pierced him’; and all peoples on earth ‘will mourn because of him.’ So shall it be! Amen.” This verse draws from two Old Testament passages: Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10. Daniel 7:13 says: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.” Zechariah 12:10 says: “They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child.” “Look!” is an exclamation to draw attention to something dramatic and important. Here, John uses it to direct our attention to the return of Jesus: “Look, he is coming with the clouds.” This refers to the second coming of Jesus. Notice that John says, “He is coming,” using the present tense. This emphasizes that his coming is certain and approaching. God’s plan is already moving toward its fulfillment. Jesus will surely come again.

But why does it say that he is coming “with the clouds”? Some people ask, “Clouds are made of tiny water droplets. How can Jesus ride on them?” Such a question comes from reading the Bible only literally through the lens of modern science and misunderstanding its symbolic language. In the Bible, clouds often represent God’s glorious presence. God appeared to the Israelites in the cloud (Ex 16:10; 19:9). Therefore, we should understand the clouds primarily as symbolic language. John’s point is that when Jesus returns, he will come with the glory, presence, and authority of God.

Jesus clearly promised that he would come again. In Matthew 24:30, he said: “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” Jesus is faithful. Therefore, just as he promised, he will surely come again to this earth. What will happen when Jesus returns? “Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all peoples on earth will mourn because of him.” Jesus’ return will not be a secret event. It will be a public event witnessed throughout the world. Here, “eye” refers to our physical eyes. When Jesus returns, everyone will see him with their own eyes. Some people ask, “How can everyone around the world see Jesus at the same time?” Some even suggest that his return will be broadcast by satellite. But the Bible does not explain the mechanism of how everyone will see him at the same time. What it clearly tells us is this: “Every eye will see him.”

When Jesus first came to this earth as a baby, he came quietly, and only a few people knew about his birth. But his second coming will be completely different. Everyone in the world will see him and recognize who he is—even those who pierced him. “Those who pierced him” refers not only to those who physically crucified Jesus but also, more broadly, to all who rejected him and refused to believe in him. When Jesus returns, they too will see him. At his second coming, he will come as the Lord of power and the Judge of all the earth. That is why “all peoples on earth will mourn because of him.” Why will they mourn? Because they will realize that the day of judgment has come. Those who rejected Jesus and lived as they pleased will realize that the end has come. Those who followed their sinful desires, pursued selfish ambitions, and cared only about themselves will have to stand before him. For believers, however, that day will be a day of salvation and victory. It will be a day of victory for those who trusted Jesus as their Savior, resisted the temptations of this world, and remained faithful to him. For those who lived for God’s glory, it will be a day of comfort and joy, when God wipes every tear from their eyes.

Do you believe that Jesus will come again? If we truly believe this, how should we live as we wait for his second coming? We must stay spiritually awake. We do not know the day or the hour of Jesus’ return. Therefore, we should keep our faith, turn away from sin, and remain spiritually alert. We must examine our hearts, listen to God’s word, and be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught this through the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. Ten virgins took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were wise, and five were foolish. The wise virgins brought extra oil for their lamps, but the foolish ones did not. Because the bridegroom was delayed, they all became tired and fell asleep. Then, at midnight, a cry rang out: “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” All ten virgins woke up and prepared their lamps. But the foolish virgins realized that their lamps were going out because they had no extra oil. While they went away to buy more, the bridegroom arrived. The wise virgins, who were ready, went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Jesus concluded the parable by saying, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Mt 25:13). What made the five virgins wise? They prepared enough oil and were ready when the bridegroom came. In the same way, we must prepare spiritually for Jesus’ return. Jesus is surely coming again. May we be like the wise virgins who prepared their oil and were ready to welcome the bridegroom. May we stay awake, remain faithful to the end, and overcome suffering and temptation until Jesus comes again. Amen.