Welcome to the Free Grace Bible Study, where today's episode takes us into the heart of the Book of Revelation, Revelation 1:1 through 8. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, is a message that transcends time, given to John for all of God's servants. Through today's passage, we explore the profound grace, peace, and impending return of our Lord, along with the promise of being kings and priests in His eternal kingdom.
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My daughter is nine years old. She has recently discovered the enjoyment of writing letters. She has a cousin in another city to whom many letters have gone out. One characteristic of the letters my daughter writes is that the address is often hard to decipher. I noticed on one of the letters she received the zip code was incorrect, and yet the post office, in their amazing wisdom was still able to bring that letter to our mailbox. I’m pretty amazed at how well the post office does, considering how often seemingly vital information is left out of the address.
The book of Revelation is a letter, but its address is quite clear. John goes to great lengths to make sure there is not misunderstanding. He is much more clear than my daughter and her cousin are on who the letter is written to.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
1:1 John begins his letter by explaining exactly what will be contained within: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, who John knew personally. In fact, John was likely Jesus best friend on earth during His ministry, since John said he himself was the disciple that Jesus loved in his own writing (John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20). Who better to receive such an important Revelation?
John explains that the revelation he receives is not just to encourage an old man who was Jesus’ friend but it had a much broader purpose, namely it was that which God gave Him to show His servants. Just in case the reader is tempted to think that these things could not happen any time soon he is sure to add that these are things which must shortly take place. While the time scale may seem broad to the reader, it is worth remembering that throughout the book of Revelation, we discover that the events that will next happen in eschatology, are events that have no prerequisite to delay their start. In other words, we are living in a time when they could happen at any moment. This is why we say they are imminent, even though they may or may not be immediate in our human understanding of the word.
To insist that this is not a message made up by an old, exiled apostle, God sent and signified the Revelation by His angel to His servant John.
1:2 John was no novice when it came to receiving and distributing God’s revelation. About himself, he says that he was the one who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Therefore, how better to both identify Jesus on his appearing than to reveal Himself to a trusted friend, and who better was there to handle well the words he would receive?
1:3 Blessed can mean happy or experiencing a good outcome. So Revelation comes with a promise for those who read and hear the words contained within. John encourages us to read on by saying, Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, but he doesn’t stop there. The blessing is not for someone who reads and hears, but does nothing with the information. He explains that the person must also keep those things which are written in it; in order to experience the blessing. As Jesus’ brother taught, we are to be doers of the word not just hearers only (James 1:22). Why is it so urgent for a person to seek the blessing by reading, or listening to this book? Because the time is near.
1:4 In the gospel account attributed to John, he does not identify himself by name; however, in this book, the author clearly identifies himself as John multiple times.He also explains that he is writing to the seven churches which are in Asia. These churches are spread across what was then known as Asia Minor, which is located generally in the area of modern-day Türkiye.
He isn’t just greeting his readers on his own behalf but also his letter is coming from a familiar triune entity; first from Him who is and who was and who is to come. Owing to the triune structure of the following lines, this most likely refers to God The Father, since next, he will add a greeting from the Spirit and Jesus.
He gives a mysterious statement when he says that it also comes from the seven Spirits who are before His throne. Here, in 3:1, 4:5, and 5:6, he references the seven Spirits of God. There is a minority view that these seven spirits are spiritual and/or angelic beings who minister before the throne but are not part of the triune Godhead. However, more likely, this is a seven-fold manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Seven is often used to represent completeness. It is likely that he is seeing a manifestation of the full and complete Holy Spirit since the statement about God’s Seven Spirits is sandwiched between a mention of God The Father and God The Son. Admittedly, the statement is mysterious, and outside of the book of Revelation, we have very little comparative scripture to help us understand the meaning thereof.
1:5 Now, John will complete his greeting from the Trinity as he expresses that his letter is also from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. This feels like a reference to Psalm 89:27 which says, “I will also appoint him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” With this statement, John announces that the long-awaited day when Jesus takes his rightful ruling place above the world’s leaders is poised to take place. He then descends from this lofty concept to the very personal when he reminds us that Jesus is the one who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.
1:6 Not only is Jesus King the who is ready to take charge of the earth, but he also has a role for believers to play in his kingdom plan. He has made us kings and priests to His God and Father. This reminds us of his promise that if we endure, we will also reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). It’s an invitation to have incredible responsibility, and undying purpose in the world to come. Christ’s coming kingdom will employ His faithful followers, appointing them to positions as king-priests, not for the glory of the individual but to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1:7 He turns toward some dark foreshadowing as he explains that Jesus is coming with clouds, which echoes how Jesus ascended and is promised to return according to Acts 1:9-11. Unlike his ascension, his appearance won’t be for a small group of disciples to witness, but instead for the whole world to see since every eye will see Him. It seems that this is not just limited to those who are alive on the earth since even they who pierced Him will see him coming with clouds. Although it will be a happy day for those who eagerly await His return, it won’t be so happy for many as all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
1:8 Now John pulls a quote from his later conversation with Christ. “I am the Alpha and the Omega. This is like saying I am the A to Z, since Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet. He doubles down when he says that He is the Beginning and the End.” Not only twice does He give the image that His existence encompasses all of History, but a third time he reiterates the concept by saying that He is the one who is and who was and who is to come. John’s words should be impossible to misunderstand. Jesus is claiming in no uncertain terms that He is the Almighty.
How does John's personal relationship with Jesus enhance the authority and credibility of the Revelation he received?
Discuss the significance of the Revelation being intended for God's servants and its implications for us today. How does this perspective change our understanding of the text?
What does the immediacy of the events described in Revelation (things which must shortly take place) mean for Christians living in different generations, including ours?
In what ways does John's role as a witness to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ set a precedent for Christian testimony today?
Reflect on the blessing promised to those who read, hear, and keep the words of the prophecy. How does this promise motivate you personally in your faith journey?
Discuss the concept of the Trinity as presented in the opening of Revelation. How does the greeting from the triune Godhead enrich our understanding of God's nature?
The seven Spirits before the throne are a mysterious element of Revelation. What might their representation of the Holy Spirit's completeness teach us about the character of God?
Jesus is described as the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. How do these titles affirm Jesus's identity and mission?
Considering believers are made kings and priests, how should this identity influence our daily lives and our anticipation of Christ's kingdom?
Jesus's return is described as visible to all, with every eye seeing Him. How does this universal manifestation of Christ challenge or comfort you, and how does it shape your expectation of His return?
