SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 1
INTRODUCTION:
While King Domitian was the emperor of Rome, he assumed the title “master and god”, and demanded that people take an oath to worship him. Apostle John refused to obey such a command. For his crime, he was sent to the isolated island of Patmos, a rock, treeless wasteland covered with volcanic hills and dented with caves. With criminals in that barren land, John took this opportunity to reach those wretched people with the love of Christ. God also gave him a greater mission by telling him the future events through an angel.
The purpose of writing this book was to give hope and encouragement to those Christians who were suffering severe persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ. This book confirmed that God is the ruler over everyone. He is in control of everything and will one day vindicate the righteous and judge the wicked. He assured us that He will establish an everlasting kingdom with a new heaven and a new earth. This book is a book of hope and a book of warning. Hope because Christ’s victory is assured and all who trust him will be saved. Warning because He would settle accounts with all who defy him.
This book revealed that Jesus Christ is the Priest-King, the Judge of the churches, the Creator, the Redeemer, the Lord of history, the Conqueror and the Bridegroom. It tells us that Jesus is coming again, how He is coming and what condition the world will be in when He comes. Jesus will return again to take His church to be with Him forever. The church is called the bride of Christ who will be reunited with Christ, the Bridegroom and they are to be one forever in eternity.
MEMORY VERSE:
‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)
“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17-18)
PROLOGUE (vs. 1-3)
The revelation of 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, who testifies to everything he saw – that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads 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.
GREETINGS AND DOXOLOGY (vs. 4-8)
John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia:
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.
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: “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the people of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen..
I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is, and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
ONE LIKE A SON OF MAN (vs. 9-20)
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. On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone “Like a son of man” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
When I saw him, I felt at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is not and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
THOUGHTS:
THE BOOK OF REVELATION (FROM LIFE APPLICATION BIBLE)
- It is a book of prophecy that is both prediction (foretelling future events) and proclamation (preaching about who God is and what he will do).
- It is the climax of the Bible, the fulfillment of what God had started in Genesis.
- It is a book of hope and comfort to those who are under persecution for faith.
- It is a book of warning for churches to commit themselves to live in righteousness.
- It is a book of God’s promise to return and vindicate the righteous.
- It is a book with the main message of Christ’s infinite love, power and justice.
- It is a book of inspiration and encouragement with the assurance that God will triumph.
- It is a book that reminds us to be prepared and ready to meet the Lord anytime.
WHO IS JESUS? (vs. 5-7)
- The faithful witness.
- The first-born from the dead.
- The ruler of the kings of the earth.
Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The Lord God is the beginning and the end of existence, wisdom and power. He is the eternal Lord and Ruler of the past, present and future.
John heard a voice that told him to write on a scroll on what he sees and send it to the 7 churches in the province of Asia as follows:
- The Church in Ephesus
- The church in Smyrna
- The church in Pergamum
- The church in Thyatira
- The church in Sardis
- The church in Philadelphia
- The church in Laodicea
VISION OF THE SON OF MAN THAT JOHN SAW (vs. 13-16)
- He was dressed in a robe with a golden sash around his chest.
- His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow.
- His eyes were like blazing fire.
- His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace
- His voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
- He held on his right hand seven stars.
- His mouth has a sharp double-edge sword.
- His face was like the sun shining with brilliance.
When John saw the Son of Man, he fell at His feet as though dead but Christ gave him the assurance that He holds the keys of death and Hades. He alone can free us from eternal bondage to Satan. He alone has the power and authority to set us free from sin’s control. As believers, we don’t have to fear death or the grave because Christ holds the keys to both. All we must do is turn from sin and turn to him in faith. When we place our life in Christ’s hands, He restores us and resurrects us later to an eternal and peaceful relationship with him.