Revelation 1:4-20
Notes
Transcript
Prayer Requests
Read Revelation 1:4-8
Who is writing?
Who is he writing to?
Who gives us grace and peace? [God, the One who is, who was, and who is to come]
Why does John say there are “seven spirits before God’s throne”?
The number seven is often used in Scripture to signify completeness.
So the Spirit is present in all His fullness
Isaiah 11:2 says the Messiah will be anointed with the sevenfold fullness of the Spirit
Revelation 3:1, 4:5 also mention the sevenfold Spirit
How does John describe Jesus?
Faithful witness
Witness is the same word from which we get our English word martyr
This word is used throughout Revelation and is one of John’s favorite ways to talk about Christians.
But Jesus is the ultimate faithful witness!
Beeke—The great temptation for people who are experiencing hostility, opposition, persecution, pain, and possible death is to become so discouraged that they cease to be faithful. History tells us that this was precisely what happened to the Christians of John’s day. So here God says that Jesus was a faithful witness who did not turn aside, even from the shameful death of the cross. [1]
Firstborn of the dead
What does firstborn mean in biblical language?
Jesus is the first to rise from the dead and He earned the inheritance that all of us will receive
What’s the implication in calling Jesus the first? [we will rise too!]
Ruler of the kings on earth
Chester—Archaeologists have found graffiti in Ephesus, one of the churches to whom John writes, which reads, “Rome—your power will never end”. We don’t know whether it was written in triumph or despair. But for John’s readers, Roman power was a present and serious threat so this claim was bad news. Rome was known as “eternal Rome”. It seemed as if Roman power would last for ever. [2]
He loves us
He freed us from our sins by His blood
He made us kings and priests
Allusion to Exodus 19:4-6
Israel was meant to be a nation that made God known to the world and brought the nations to the sacrifices that would free them from sin through the blood of the lamb
Now the church is the priestly kingdom that makes God known to the world and brings people from every nation to the sacrifice of Jesus that frees them from sin through His blood
He deserves all glory and dominion forever!
He is coming again and everyone will see Him
Some will weep when they see Him
He is the beginning and the end
He is Almighty
Read Revelation 1:9-11
What do we learn about John?
Beeke—Patmos, an island ten miles long that is “volcanic, rocky, and mostly treeless,” one of several places where exiles were sent. One source in the early church said that John had to work in the marble quarries. [Beeke, 22]
Why does John call himself a “partner in tribulation”? What does that say about his audience?
Beeke—According to Irenaeus, John wrote Revelation “towards the end of Domitian’s reign,” about AD 95. Secular writers of the Roman Empire described Emperor Domitian as a savage monster who conducted a “reign of terror.” He abused distinguished citizens in front of crowds. He hated Christians and despised the church of Christ. He reigned in darkness, loving the pains and lamentations of people he tortured. He was a beast of a man. He commanded everyone in the empire to call him “Lord and God.” When Christians refused to do so, he persecuted and killed them. [Beeke, 21]
Why is John suffering?
When does John have his vision? [the Lord’s day]
What does it mean that John is “in the Spirit”?
What is John instructed to do?
The seven churches listed are all in modern-day Turkey
Is there any significance to the number of churches to which John is instructed to write?
Again, seven signifies completeness, so these seven churches (which were real churches) also represent the entire church of Christ in every age until the end of the world.
Preterists say there is nothing for today’s church in most of Revelation (describing mostly past events)
Futurists say there is nothing for today’s church in most of Revelation (describing mostly future events that only apply to ethnic Israel and believers living just before the end of the world)
It’s better to see the entire book of Revelation as given for the whole church in every age and every circumstance
Read Revelation 1:12-16
What does John see first?
Where else do we read about lampstands in the Bible? (think the temple and the tabernacle)
What do the lampstands represent? (see verse 20)
The fact that lampstands (which were common in the temple) represent the church suggests that the church is the new temple of God.
Who is the “one like a son of man”?
Beeke—The New Testament refers eighty-one times to the Son of man, and in all but a few places, our Lord is speaking about Himself. [Beeke, 42]
This is doing more than emphasizing Jesus’ humanity. It also emphasizes His deity (Daniel 7:13-14)
What does it mean that Jesus is standing in the middle of the lampstands?
Beeke—Christ has kindled these lights and placed them on the lampstands, and He continues to tend the lamps, trimming their wicks and refueling them with the oil of the Spirit so they continue to burn brightly. The image is of the priest in the temple, tending the golden lampstands so that their light burns continually (Ex. 25:31; Lev. 24:1–4). What John sees is the exalted and heavenly Christ in relationship to His church on earth, caring for her and upholding her so that her light continues to shine in the darkness of this world. [Beeke, 43]
What do these verses teach us about Jesus?
Christ’s robe—may be priestly or kingly. In the Roman army the longer your robe, the higher your rank. Jesus has a robe right down to his feet. But the lampstands evoke the temple and so we should also think of Jesus here dressed as our High Priest.
Christ’s white hair may be a sign of honour and wisdom (v 14). But primarily it’s an allusion to the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:9, for Jesus is God
Christ’s blazing eyes denote his ability to see, and therefore judge, people’s hearts (as 2:18, 23 makes clear).
Christ’s bronze feet—“Brass must be purified in a furnace and then thoroughly burnished to shine with its customary luster. Here, too, is an image of purity and perfection. Perfect in holiness from head to foot, with white-as-wool hair, laser-like eyes, and burnished feet.” [Beeke, 46]
Christ’s voice is an allusion to Daniel 10:6
Christ’s stars represent the angels or messengers of the seven churches (see verse 20)
Christ’s sword represents his power to judge
Philip Hughes says: “The sword which is the Lord’s word has two edges [so] it never fails to cut. If it does not cut with the edge of salvation, it cuts with the edge of condemnation; for the word of redemption to all who believe is at the same time the word of destruction to those who refuse to believe.” [Quoted in Beeke, 46-47]
The fact that His sword comes out of His mouth means that this power is the Word of Christ!
Christ’s face alludes to Daniel 10:6, which suggests Jesus is a warrior who fights on behalf of his people. [Chester 25-26]
Read Revelation 1:17-20
How did John respond to what He saw?
Why is John afraid?
Beeke—After we die and go to heaven, we will understand why even John, though a holy man, was yet unable to look upon the glorified Christ without falling down “as dead” (v. 17a). John was a dear child of God, but he was still a sinner. We look up to New Testament saints such as John, Peter, and Paul, yet we must remember that they too were men like us. They still battled sin and corruption. So John could not look upon this revelation of the risen and exalted Christ without fear. [Beeke, 48]
How does Jesus respond to John’s fear?
What did Jesus say to encourage John?
What does it mean that Jesus has the keys of death and hades?
A key both locks and unlocks a door.
Only Jesus has authority over when and how we die. If we’re trusting and obeying Him, we’re perfectly safe wherever we are!
Only Jesus has authority to resurrect His people!
What does Jesus tell John to do?
Who are the angels of the seven churches?
The Greek word angelos literally means messenger
Often the term is referring to a spiritual being we call an “angel,” but sometimes it just means “messenger”
Matthew 11:10—This is he of whom it is written, “ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’”
Mark 1:2 “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,”
Luke 7:24 “When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?”
Luke 9:52 “And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him.”
James 2:25 “And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”
Are the messengers angels, or are they someone else?
Why would Jesus tell John to write a message for angels?
Many believe these messengers are pastors of the churches.
Puritan writers identified the following points of likeness between angels and ministers:
First, they both study God’s mysteries. Benjamin Keach writes, “Angels desire to pry into the mysteries of grace and mercy in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:12). Christ’s true ministers also make it their business to dig into the hidden mysteries.”
Second, they are both God’s servants. Angels do not come to men unless God sends them, Fenner says. Likewise, ministers may not serve unless they are sent by God (John 1:6; Rom. 10:15). As angels fly to do God’s will (Isa. 6:6), ministers also must heed the command to bring in the harvest (John 4:38). Keach writes, “Angels are very obedient to God, they do his commands, and wait for his word. The faithful preachers of the gospel are very ready to obey God’s commands; though they are thereby exposed to great danger, if God bids them go, they go (Rom. 1:15).”
Third, they both serve the church. God sends angels to minister to the heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14). Likewise, Fenner says, ministers exist for the good of the church of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:22). They work mainly for God’s elect.19
Fourth, they both comfort the downcast. Keach writes: “Angels are often sent to comfort the saints when cast down, as they ministered to Christ in his agony. So are gospel preachers sent to comfort the feeble-minded [those given to doubt and indecision], and support the weak; they know how to comfort others with the same comfort whereby they themselves are comforted of God (2 Cor. 1:4).” [Beeke, 54-55]
What unanswered questions do you have?