THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST |
Chapter 1Grace And Peace |
06-29-08
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(2
Pet 1:2) Grace and peace be
multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our
Lord, (Rev 1:1,2) The
Revelation of Jesus Christ [“His unveiling of the divine
mysteries” Amplified Bible], which God gave
unto him, to show [sight, see the vision is
emphasized rather than “tell,” or “explain”]
unto his [bond] servants things which must
shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his
angel [Gk: messenger] [by the thoughts of God entering]
unto his servant John [the apostle]:
Who bare record of the word of God [the thoughts of God],
and of the testimony [Gk: witness]
of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw [visions].
1.
Question:
What is the depicted five-step order of divine revelation? 2.
Commentary:
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a message in symbolic language
“signified,” i.e., conveyed by His angel. The book can only be properly
understood in light of the scores of symbols and figures derived from the Old
Testament. Its four hundred and four (404) verses contain five hundred and
fifty (550) references to the Old Testament. It is in every sense of the word the
capstone of the Bible, and its significance cannot be overestimated. It
is indeed the grand consummation of all God’s earthly and heavenly plans
and the supreme vindication of Christ’s person and work. Revelation is a
book of hope, but also a book of warning. The glorious theme
of the book is to present the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as He enters into
His purchased possession. The Bible is a love story concluding in
consummation. The Revelation is a vivid unveiling of the Lord Jesus
Christ. THE
FIRST BLESSING FOR READERS AND HEARERS (Rev 1:3)
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear
the words of this prophecy [Gk: prediction],
and keep [Gk: guard, hold fast to]
[obey] those things which are written
therein: for the time is at hand. 1.
The Nelson Study Bible:
Blessed, meaning spiritually “happy” from God’s perspective,
signals the first of seven beatitudes in Revelation (see also 14:13; 16:15;
19:9; 20:6; 22:7,14). 2.
(Rev 1:3 The Living Bible, paraphrase)
If you read this prophecy aloud to the church, you will receive a
special blessing from the Lord. Those who listen to it being read and do
what it says will also be blessed. For the time is near when these things
will all come true. 3.
(Gen 2:15) And the LORD God
took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden [Heb: delight] [the archetype of the Bible] to
dress it [Heb: serve, worship]
and
to keep it [Heb: guard, protect: preserve, watch]. (Rev
1:4-6) John to the seven
churches which are in Asia [western Turkey]:
Grace be unto you, and peace [Can there be peace without
grace?], from him which is, and
which was, and which is to come [Father God];
and from the seven Spirits [the Holy Spirit: Isa 11:2]
which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the
faithful [i.e., full of faith]
witness, and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved
us [Gk: agapao], and washed [Gk:
bathed] us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 1.
(Psa 23:6) Surely goodness
and mercy [peace and grace] shall
follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for
ever. THE
SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST (Rev 1:7)
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye
shall see him [How is that possible?],
and they also which pierced him [the unsaved]:
and all kindreds [nations] of the earth
shall wail because of him [i.e., because of their failure to believe before
their fate was sealed at His coming]. Even so,
Amen. 1.
(Heb 12:1) Wherefore seeing we
also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses [some few
of the more prominent of whom were just previously mentioned in the Hebrews
chapter 11 Hall of Fame], let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience
[i.e., with grace and peace] the race
that is set before us, 2.
(Rom 8:18) For I reckon that
the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us [this startling revelation
is repeated in 2 Thess 1:7,10,12]. (Rev 1:8)
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the
Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty [Gk:
the all-ruling, i.e. God (as absolute and universal sovereign):--Omnipotent].
(Rev 1:9-11) I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience [grace and peace] of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos [an island 35 miles in circumference, located about 50 miles offshore southwest from Ephesus in the Aegean Sea], for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ [this is the reason why John was confined to Patmos for eighteen months by the Roman emperor Domitian in about 95 A.D.]. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day [Sunday, the day of our Lord’s resurrection], and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest [in visions], write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches [seven indicating completion, i.e., a type of the church universal] which are in Asia [Turkey enlarged]; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. THE
SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS (Rev 1:12-16)
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw
seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven
candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed [as
the high priest of the eternal order of the Melchisedec Priesthood]
with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden
girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as
snow [hoary, symbolizing the wisdom of “the Ancient of days” Dan
7:9,13,22]; and his eyes were as a
flame of fire [lighting, and thereby consuming the darkness of sin];
And his feet like unto fine brass [symbol of judgment; evil
being tread underfoot], as if they burned in a
furnace [the iron furnace of the judgment of Egypt (symbol of the land of
the unsaved) Deut 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51]; and his
voice [the Bible: John 1:14] as the sound of many
waters [a multitude of peoples, of many rivers falling in together;
refreshing, life-sustaining, the “water of life” Rev 21:6; 22:1,17].
And he had in his right hand seven stars [angels]:
and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword [“his
voice,” the Bible, the “tongue” of the Lord]:
and his countenance [entire appearance]
was as the sun shineth in his strength [the Shekinah Glory]. 1.
Commentary:
The seven churches universal receive their light from Christ Jesus and the Holy
Spirit, and shine it forth to others. The seven golden candlesticks are seven
stands that hold oil lamps rather than candles. Oil is symbolic of
the Holy Spirit, and the ministering work of angels. The wonderful light given
by the seven oil lamps is symbolic of the revelation light, the rhema Word,
being brilliantly emanated by the Holy Spirit as He illuminates the logos
Word, being Himself placed “over against” (Exo 26:35) the table of shewbread (the logos Word).
Local congregations are likened to seven golden candlesticks in order to convey their
function of testimony by spreading the light of the gospel. In
the tabernacle, the candlesticks were all united, whereas they only appear
to be separate here, their unifying base not being perceptible in this vision,
perhaps indicating denominations. However, Christ Jesus “in the
midst of the seven candlesticks” is in the unifying place of preeminent
godly authority, while the candlestick churches are seen in their sphere of
earthly authority. 2.
Commentary:
In the tabernacle, these seven lamps were members of the golden candlestick
which was designed by God with 22 bowls shaped like almonds (Aaron’s
dead rod that miraculously budded almonds: Num 17:8), 22 knops, and 22
flowers, or a total number of 66 components. The Christian Bible
(minus the apocrypha) contains 66 books. If we read Exodus 25:31-37
carefully we will see that the main or center candlestick had 12 designs. If we
add to the main candlestick of 12 designs the 9 designs in each of 3 branches on
one side (9x3=27) you get the total number of Old Testament books
(12+27=39). For complete enlightenment, the remaining 27 designs on the 3 other
branches of the other side equals the number of New Testament books (27),
altogether equaling the Bible (39+27=66). 3.
The Full Life Study Bible:
The “twoedged sword” represents the Word of God, which either cuts away sin
from the churches [and individuals] and
brings God’s grace, or cuts a church [an individual]
away from the kingdom of God in judgment. (Rev 1:17-20) And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me [Christ Jesus imparted of His divine strength (Holy Spirit) into John], saying unto me [and spoke these “uplifting” words], Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death [to open or keep closed for each person, as He so chooses]. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels [“ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” Heb 1:14] of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks [of pure gold, indicating their “positional” reality] which thou sawest are the seven churches. Amen
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