December 1, 2022
The Final Countdown
Revelation 1
Roger Haynes
Central Truth
God's Word informs us on everything including the past, present, and even the FUTURE!
Key Verse | Revelation 1:19
Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
Revelation 1
Prologue
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants 1 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; likewise for servant later in this verse the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Greeting to the Seven Churches
4 John to the seven churches that 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, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail 2 1:7 Or mourn on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | Revelation 1
Are you on the edge of your seat? This is the moment we've all been waiting for. The final battle of the movie. The last act of the play. The book of Revelation is the description of the end of the story that the rest of the Bible has been building up to. Chapter 1 sets the stage for the description of events leading up to Christ's return and what follows His return.
For authority, John first reminds us in two different verses that this story comes from the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come" (Revelation 1:4, 8). Then John explains how the information was given to him. John is in exile on the island of Patmos because of his faith, and in a vision John hears and sees Christ. The powerful image of Christ frightens him to the point of falling on his face as if dead. But Christ comforts John and tells him to write on a scroll all that he is about to see and to send it to the seven churches.
In God's kindness, He had John write down the events that are coming soon so we can know there is hope. Even in very dark times ahead, we can have confidence in the promises of our God who is, and who was, and who is to come. This is the story of Revelation. In the midst of much chaos here on earth Christ returns in glory to rescue the faithful and to defeat evil.
What God revealed to John was to encourage and challenge both the churches then and us now to be prepared for the day Christ returns. For the faithful who have prepared well, the end of this story where good triumphs over evil will be a time of hope and joy. For the enemy it will be a crushing defeat. So settle in for the best part of the story. It's the greatest one that has ever been written and the one that all great stories are modeled after.
Discussion Questions
1. One of the things I love most about Revelation is the language that John uses to describe what he sees. His description of what Christ looks like is beautiful and powerful. What was your favorite part of the passage today?
2. John relays to us in Revelation 1:20 Christ's description of the meaning of two symbols—the stars in His hand and the seven golden lampstands. I love the image of Christ holding the angels of the seven churches in His hand and walking among the churches. How has Jesus held you in His hand and walked beside you this year?
3. In Revelation 1:3, John reminds us that when we read the words of this prophecy, hear them, and keep what is written in it, we will be blessed. How has reading, hearing, and obeying the Word of God so far this year blessed you?
4. Revelation 1:6 is a reminder that as the church we are a kingdom of priests. How are you doing at sharing the Gospel with the world around you? It's not just a job for the Pastor of the church who preaches on Sunday.
5. Have you ever read Revelation? Have you studied it and meditated on it? It is different and challenging, but hang in there as we walk through it. Read Revelation 1:3 again and let God bless you through reading and obeying this prophecy because the time is near.
Speaking of books and movies, if you are interested in an entertainment-based representation of the events described in Revelation, check out the Left Behind series. If you have read the books, you know that there is a lot of creativity added, but the concept makes for a very thought-provoking read about what this time in history may be like. Thanks for reading Join The Journey today!