Book of Revelation Study Part 2 Revelation 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. 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 the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father to Him be the glory and the 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 the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. 8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who [f]is to come, the Almighty. 9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because 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 the sound of a trumpet, 11 saying, Write in a book what you see, 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 with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; 13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19 Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. NASB
Eight descriptions The number 8 in Scripture speaks of resurrection. This is Jesus Christ appearing in His resurrected state, the GOD MAN who will bring the age to its conclusion and bring about the resurrection of the SAINTS and the resurrection of the Heaven and Earth. This description is KEY because it explains God s STANDING, HIS RIGHTS, HIS MOTIVES and the NATURE of the judgments released upon the Earth. In effect, this vision DISPLAYS JESUS AS HE TRULY IS. We interpret the Book of Revelation by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. In so doing we see WHY He is doing this, WHAT His MOTIVES are and WHAT He intends to ACCOMPLISH. To try to interpret the Book without keeping this vision of Jesus before us will cause us to be drawn into ideas and concepts that are not congruous with who He is. In verse 13, the general statement one like a son of man describes the Jesus as Messiah, the Divine Word of God, the second person in the Trinity, in resurrected human form. It is the same description used by Daniel in Dan 7:13 I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. (also see Dan 7:13 14, 10:5 6) In Jewish thought the title Son of Man became synonymous with the Messiah, the Heavenly Savior. This title was also Jesus favorite title, when referring to His person and mission. KEVIN 2
Clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. a) Jesus is pictured in the garments of the HIGH PRIEST, Ex 28:4, 39:29 b) The Golden sash speaks of His Divine nature, as the one who is the truth c) As High Priest, Jesus is the go between the bridge (latin pontifex). It is a part of His Priestly function that He is exercises these actions. As the Great High Priest He watches over His people and prepares to rescue and transition them into their direct role as Priests to God in the new age. The pressure of the fall and the forces of darkness will be relieved and the environment cleansed. He will usher them into their place of destiny, in a new heaven and earth, where they will enjoy unfettered access to God in His three persons. d) In His intercessory role He petitions the Father on behalf of the people of God and is given leave to exercise the plan of God bringing about the new age. e) We may also declare that in this plan judgment is revealed as a redemptive act, Jesus is interceding throughout the events for those who will be saved during these years, so that not one will be lost Mat 18:12 14 12 What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; a) White hair identifies Jesus with the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:9) He is the eternal God, who is the Alpha & Omega, the beginning and the end b) This is a statement concerning Jesus authority to wrap up the end of the age. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him Col 1:16 As the Eternal Word of God He has all authority in Heaven and on the Earth Mat 28:18 c) The color white speaks of His purity. His motives are unquestionable, His judgment is perfect, He alone is Holy, perfect in Knowledge and Wisdom, the one who sees ALL things and who alone is qualified to judge the hearts of men. d) In releasing the end time plan of God, He stands unchallenged. This plan is COMPLETELY JUST, it is an action of LOVE. KEVIN 3
His eyes were like a flame of fire. a) Here is one of the most beautiful, and most completely misunderstood revelations about Jesus as He steps in to the arena of the end of the age. Fire here is a manifestation of BURNING LOVE, PASSION for God and His House (Church), and DESIRE for the Lost. John, when writing of the cleansing of the Temple by Jesus (a type for the cleansing of the Earth depicted in Revelation) wrote, John 2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for your house will consume me. This is a statement from Psalm 69:9 For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. The image of the verse is of one being consumed by fire, more specifically the fire of love, manifested in passion for God and His house. EVERYTHING that Jesus does at the end is MOTIVATED BY LOVE. b) Love is the primary motivational force of God 1 John 4:7 10 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. c) God reveals Himself to Moses in Deut 4:24 as a passionate, jealous God, For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Jesus is jealous for His people especially His Precious Bride. He wants to remove every distraction to His love, every opposition, every contrary force. Jealousy here is not a negative but positive emotion. Jesus desires all men to come to the truth and have relationship with God. Imagine a child snatched away from its Parents, it would be right to declare that the Parent was jealous for their child, wanting to rescue and protect it. This, then, is God s motivation. d) The Book of Revelation is a BOOK ABOUT LOVE. Jesus love for the Father, Jesus for His People, Jesus love for the Lost. e) God s throne room is ablaze with fire which is a symbol of His love. (i) There is a river of fire coming out of His throne. (ii) There is a sea of glass before the throne in Revelation 4. It is filled with flaming fire. (iii) Seraphim are high ranking angels; the word seraphim means burning ones. KEVIN 4
His feet were like burnished bronze a) In Revelation 1:15, brass is the word for bronze or something that is brazen, such as the brazen altar or the brazen laver used in the Old Testament and it always indicates judgment. The sacrificial animals which were a type looking to the sacrifice of Jesus, were killed at the place that indicated judgment. b) The glowing appearance of His feet as though straight from the furnace, indicates purity. God s end time judgments are pure and just. c) When Moses raised the bronze serpent it spoke of the power of the serpent being judged through the raising of the Son of God: Num 21:9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. d) The translation of the original word for brass is interesting because it s only used in the Bible here and again in Rev 2:18. It s the Greek word chalkolibanon, a compound of the words chalkos and libanos. The word chalkos describes an alloy of copper, mixed with either tin (bronze) or zinc (brass) and the word libanos is the Greek word for frankincense. But because there s no such thing as an alloy of bronze and frankincense, it seems to imply something about Jesus coming in judgment as High Priest, cleansing the earth. We know that Romans 8:22 declares that the earth is groaning under the weight of sin, perhaps in some way this picture depicts the Anointed Son, restoring the fragrance of God s rule to the earth. His voice was like the sound of many waters. a) Jesus voice is commanding, authoritative, it is the roar of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Ezekiel describes the voice of the Almighty like the shouting of a mighty army. See Ezekiel 1:24, 43:2 b) It is the voice of Jesus that causes all things to exist, it is His Word that causes the Universe to be upheld and its laws to function. When He speaks none can stand before Him. KEVIN 5
In His right hand He held seven stars a) Jesus holds in His hand seven stars (later identified as Angels) indicating that His authority extends to Heaven as well as Earth. In His wisdom He guides and directs all things. He is seen here watching over His Bride the Church as it makes its way through the world. b) This indication helps us to realize that He is control of all things. Throughout the events described in this Book He is watching, overseeing His people, protecting them and providing for them supernaturally. Each man and woman s life is held securely in the palm of His hand and none can snatch them out. HE will determine the destiny of each and apply His wonderful Grace and power to all. c) There is no fear in this picture, just the security of knowing He is managing all things Out of His mouth came a sharp two edged sword; a) The description here again is vital. John is depicting the WORDS of Jesus as He spoke them, not a literal sword coming out of His mouth, but WORDS with such life and power that they appeared as a sword going before Him. b) Paul s description of the sword of the Spirit, the WORD of God is important here for it reveals what the WORDS of Jesus are accomplishing. The primary action of the sword (which is alive and powerful, sharper than any natural sword is to SEPARATE BETWEEN SOUL & SPIRIT.` c) Jesus is coming in Revelation to DIVIDE the Soulish from the Spiritual. Jer 15:19 Therefore, thus says the LORD, "If you return, then I will restore you Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman.. 20 "Then I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; And though they fight against you, They will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you," declares the LORD. d) Even in our understanding of the Book of Revelation we need to allow Jesus and His Word to separate the soulish from the Spiritual. It is a fact that the further people get into abstract discussion, debate and argument that the more soulish they become. This was, in effect the problem of the Pharisees and Sadducees they had become soulish in their application of the Word. Correctness of interpretation became more important that the nature and character of God. If the argument becomes more important than the person revealed (Jesus) the interpretation has become soulish. e) A soulish interpretation of the events of Revelation is one that ends up with God being misrepresented as someone other than He truly is. The Jesus of Revelation IS the Jesus of the whole Book the one as the writer to the Hebrews declares is the mirror image of God Heb 1:3 KEVIN 6
His face was like the sun shining in its strength. a) The face of Jesus has such magnificent purity and beauty that it resembles the Sun in its strength. His face outshines the sun. b) The writer to the Hebrews declares that Jesus is radiant with the Glory of God, And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. Heb 1:3 c) Jesus is the light of the world John 8:12, He is coming to the Earth and the darkness will flee before Him. Every heart and the intents of the heart will be revealed in His light. The origin of every philosophy, every teaching, every belief system, will be made clear in His light. There will be no mistaking the children of light and the children of darkness for in His light truth will be revealed. KEVIN 7