Revelation Chapter 1

Revelation Chapter 1

Revelation 1 The Revealing Revelation 1:1-2 (Amplified Greek) (1) The Revelation by visions, which consisted of future things relating to the consummation of the divine Kingdom and of Jesus Christ the Messiah, was given to Jesus by God to present to John, and he in turn to the prophets, whose services God employed in executing His purposes. The vision showed those things which must shortly come to pass. God accomplished this through a messenger angel to whom he had made the vision known. The angel then showed the vision to his servant John the apostle, (2) who visually witnessed the Apocalypse, what God had spoken and what Jesus Christ had testified to concerning these future events and the consummation of the Kingdom of God. We must understand what the consummation of the Kingdom means. The word rapture is not used in the Bible. The word used instead is consummation. Consummation night is when a husband and wife come together for the first time. In Revelation, the consummation is when Christ returns from Heaven for His bride and consummates the Kingdom of Earth with the Kingdom of Heaven. The Thayer s Greek Lexicon states: The consummation is a future blessing, because its consummate (complete) establishment is to be looked for on Christ s solemn return from the skis, the dead being called to life again, the ills and wrongs which burden the present state of things being done away with, and the powers which are hostile to God being defeated. Christ will return in the clouds for all believers, and then the powers which are hostile to Him will be defeated. Revelation 1:3-6 (Amp. Greek) (3) Bless the man that reads and understands the contents of this prophecy, for he has a divine mind to which the prophetic ability is due. Blessed also is he that does the works, which I have commanded, that are written in the prophecy, because the time concerning these things and the Messiah s visible return from heaven, is soon to come to pass.(4) John, write: To the seven churches otherwise described as companies of Christians, which are in Asia, who hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs according to regulations prescribed to the body for order s sake, I wish you the favor and grace of God and Christ, to which all blessings, especially spiritual ones are due. Peace to you from Him who is everywhere, who has always existed and who is coming back, and from the divine Spirit who manifests Himself in seven energies or operations, who is before the throne of God, the Governor of the world (5) and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful interpreter of God s plan of action and advice, and the first of the dead, who was raised to life, who was the Son of God long before those, who by His acts of mediation and merits are exalted to the nature and dignity of sons of God, and who is the commander over the Kings of this earth. Unto Him be glory who loved us and suffered a bloody death, being sacrificed in our place in order to cleanse us from the guilt of our sins with His blood. (6) And glory to Him who has bestowed upon Christians royal power and dignity, and made them to reign over the world with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom, because they have been purified by the

blood of Christ and brought into a close relationship with God and they have devoted their lives to Him and Christ alone. They shall be citizens in the royal Kingdom of God. To God be the glory, for He is the supreme ruler of the world for as long as time shall be. May it be fulfilled. The seven energies or operations of the Holy Spirit are listed in one of the oldest versions of the Bible called the Latin Vulgate. I have amplified them. Isaiah 11:2-3a (Amp. Hebrew) (2) And the kingly virtues of the Holy Spirit of the Lord God Jehovah shall come down and rest upon Him. The Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Understanding, the Spirit of Prudence (or good judgment in executing the plans of God), the Spirit of Might/Strength (being a warrior of noble status who has the privilege of bearing arms for their King), the Spirit of Knowledge (Knowledge of the Lord God), the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord (Holy reverence and holy fear towards God, piety). (3a) and shall make Him of Quick Understanding in the fear of the Lord: (shall make Him a sweet smelling savor to God). LET THE PROPHECY BEGIN. Revelation 1:7 (Amp. Greek) (7) Behold He is coming in the clouds and everyone will see Him, including those who pierced Him; and all of the nations of people of the entire earth shall wail and cry out over Him. Even so, so be it. Revelation 1:8 (Amp. Greek) (8) I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning of all things and the end of all things, I am He who is everywhere, who has always existed and who is coming back, I am He who holds dominion and control over all things, the almighty God. The word Revelation in the Greek is apokalypsis and it means: the unveiling or the revealing. Jesus reveals He is coming back to earth and also reveals His identity. In the Greek, almighty is pantokratōr - He who holds dominion and control over all things, the almighty: God. Revelation 1:9-16 (Amp. Greek) (9) I, John the apostle, am a fellow believer and brother-in- Christ and joint-partner with you in tribulation and affliction. I stand with you and the others of the kingdom who patiently and steadfastly wait for the return of Christ. I am on the Isle of Patmos suffering because I am to receive oracles and utterances from God as to future events that have been testified by Christ.[God s messenger Angel] (10) I was under the power of the

Spirit in a state of inspiration on the sacred day devoted to the memory of Christ s resurrection when behind me I heard a loud voice like a trumpet summoning me to the presence of God. (11) It said, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what you see, write in a book. The revelations are of God concerning the purposes and plan of action for the world. Send it to the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. (12) And I turned to see the voice which spoke with me. And when I turned I saw seven golden candlesticks, which symbolically were these seven more obvious churches in Asia. (13) And in the midst of the seven churches stood Christ. He was clothed in a garment, which reached his ankles, and emblematically around his chest was a golden girdle, which symbolized His Holy priesthood. (14) His head of hair was white like wool, as white as the snow, and his eyes were like a flame of fire. (15) And his feet like a brilliant white metal, like gold or even more precious than gold, as if they glowed in a furnace. And his voice was like the sound of the waves of the sea. (16) He had in His right hand, [which is a phrase used to designate someone is His assistant in the divine plan, and under His direction] the seven stars (angels) of the churches being addressed. Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and the countenance of His face was shining like the sun declaring His power and ability. These seven stars are angles according the Thayer s Lexicon. The Greek word is aster and it states: the stars signified the angels of the seven churches under the direction of Christ. Thayer s Lexicon Blueletterbible.org John is visited by Jesus and seven angels: Angel G32 (Aggelos). It is not the priests or bishops, but heavenly spirits who exercise such a superintendence and guardianship over the churches that whatever in their assemblies is worthy of praise or criticism is counted to the praise or blame of their angels also, as though the angels infused their spirit into the assemblies. There is another important note about these angels who are assisting Jesus. They are called the seven thunders in Chapter 10 who give messages to John. Jesus is the Mighty Angel in Chapter 10 and the seven with Him are called thunders. Here is the confirming verse that Jesus is the Mighty Angel of God.

Revelation 10:1 (Amplified Greek) (1) And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was shining like the sun, and his feet were as flames rising like pillars. (This is Jesus) Chapter 1 and 10 dovetail each other and both tell of this visit to John. Thunders are always messengers from Heaven, not bishops or elders of churches as some believe. Revelation 1:17-18 (Amp. Greek) (17) And when I saw Christ, I fell at His feet lifeless, as if I were dead. And He laid His right hand on me and said, Do not be afraid of these strange sights and occurrences. I am the first and the last. (18) I am Jesus resurrected from the dead and I am He that lives and was dead and my soul was in Hades and behold I am alive forevermore, Amen. And I have the power to bring souls back into life from Hades and I have the authority to leave some there. I hold the keys to the Kingdom. Jesus has just revealed many things about Himself. He stated He is coming back. He is God. He has dominion and control over all things. He has messages for John. He died and went to Hell. He rose again, and now he lives forevermore. He also holds the keys to the Kingdom. The Keys are not jail keys. Jesus didn t go to Hell to wrestle Satan for keys to cells. The Greek word for keys is Kleis and it means: He has sovereign control to bring souls back into life from Hades and the authority to leave some there. Jesus has always had sovereign control in this area. He just went down there to exercise His authority. Now John is given some instructions about what he is supposed to do after he receives all the information Jesus and the angels are about to give him. Revelation 1:19-20 (Amp. Greek) (19) Write these things which were presented so far in the vision, and the things which are, and those things which are destined to come to pass by fixed necessity or by divine appointment, after this information has been received. (20) This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches. John was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos by Roman Emperor Domitian in the years 95-96AD. He was there because he was a Christ follower. If he had been caught writing down this information as he received it, and the Romans found out he was trying to get this letter to seven churches in Asia, they would have destroyed it. Therefore we can conclude one of two things. He wrote it right before he was released, and that is why he used so many metaphors and symbols (In case it was found). Or he wrote it after he was released. Either way, he did an amazing job remembering everything because he wasn t given the ok to write everything down until the last chapter. Revelation 22:10 (Amp. Greek) (10) And he said to me, Don t seal up or keep secret the contents of the prophecy of this book, for the time when Messiah will visibly return from Heaven is soon to come to pass.