The Why and the What “The Blessing of Revealing Jesus” Revelation 1:1-3

Bro. Mike Roberson - FBC Canton - Sunday am - September 6, 2020

Introduction: The greatest blessing is when Jesus is revealed in our world and your life!

The Book of Revelation REVEALS Jesus, He is doing the revealing and He is the focus of the

Revealing!

Slides from Chuck Missler, Revelation Commentary session 1

The more of Him you intimately know the greater the impact He will have on you, your family, and

your world!

So, when John begins to record “The Revelation” it is 1 revelation of the 1 perfect God-man…Jesus!

That is what our world needs today.

This book is all about what will change when Jesus returns;

All doubters of God existence will be silenced.

All doubters that God’s Word is perfect will be proved wrong.

All of us will know how much He loves us because perfect love casts out

fear!!!

That is what you need today.

You need to know all these things are now true…

This Revelation of Jesus has been given to each servant of the Lord and every servant of the Lord.

v.1

This Revelation of Jesus has been given as prophecy.

These things will happen quickly when they begin to happen. v. 1

And these prophetic words are near to being fulfilled in our time.

That “time is near” is a reference to the last days, which began at Pentecost 2000

years ago, and will come to their conclusion at the Rapture of the Church, which is the

beginning of the Day of the Lord.

MercyMe - Almost Home (Official Music Video) - YouTube

www.youtube.com › watch Lyrics Are you disappointed Are you desperate for help You know what it's like to be tired And only a shell of yourself… Are you disappointed Are you desperate for help You know what it's like to be tired And only a shell of yourself Well you start to believe You don't have what it takes 'Cause it's all you can do Just to move much less finish the race

But don't forget what lies ahead Almost home Brother it won't be long Soon all your burdens will be gone With all your strength Sister run wild, run free Hold up your head Keep pressing on We are almost home

Well this road will be hard But we win in the end Simply because of Jesus in us It's not if but when So take joy in the journey Even when it feels long Oh find strength in each step Knowing heaven is cheering you on

We are almost home Brother it won't be long Soon all your burdens will be gone With all your strength Sister run wild, run free Hold up your head Keep pressing on We are almost home Almost home Almost home

I know that the cross has brought heaven to us But make no mistake there's still more to come When our flesh and our bone are no longer between Where we are right now and where we're meant to be When all that's been lost has been made whole again When these tears and this pain no longer exist No more walking we're running as fast as we can Consider this our second wind

Almost home Brother it won't be long Soon all your burdens will be gone With all your strength Sister run wild, run free Hold up your head Keep pressing on We are almost home Almost home Almost home We are almost home Almost home Almost home We are almost home

That may seem like a long time to you, but it is not a long time in comparison to

eternity, nor is it a long time in comparison to the Millenia of time before the

cross, approximately 4000 years.

Dan 8:15-27 15 Gabriel Interprets the Vision Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had

seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me

one having the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the

banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the

vision." 17 So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell

on my face; but he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to

the time of the end." 18 Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep

with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright. 19 And he

said, "Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the

indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be. 20 The ram which you saw,

having the two horns — they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 And the male

goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first

king. 22 As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four

kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power. 23 "And in the latter

time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king

shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes. 24 His

power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And

shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. 25

"Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall

exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even

rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means. 26 "And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which was told is true; Therefore

seal up the vision, For it refers to many days in the future." 27 And I, Daniel,

fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king's business.

I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.

This Revelation is given in the form of signs, by an Angel to John.

These signs are explained here in the text.

These signs are explained in the rest of the Bible, that is why Revelation is at the

end of the Bible.

These signs are found in the OT especially, but also the NT.

John is saying He bore witness…i.e. he saw these things

These things are the Word of God to us. John SAW these things.

These things are the testimony of J.C. Jesus was given this Revelation by God

That means we are to take these things seriously, literally and apply them into our lives!

Let’s stand and read and begin our journey to God’s blessing.

I. The Greatest Blessing We all Need. v. 3

a. What does it mean to be blessed by God?

i. It does not mean everything will be easy.

ii. It does not mean everything will be the way we want it.

iii. It does not mean everything will happen when we want it to.

What Does It Really Mean to Be Blessed?

Sarah Walton November 26, 2015

I often hear statements such as, “I am so blessed to have three healthy children!” or “I received the

promotion that I’ve been waiting for…I feel so blessed!” or “We just bought the home of our dreams.

We are incredibly blessed!” or “We are blessed to live in a country of such comfort, freedom, and

opportunity, aren’t we?”

But what happens when you don’t feel so “blessed” in your current circumstances? For example, one

of my children has several disorders that have often left us devastated, broken, and uncertain about

the future. Are we no longer considered blessed?

My husband lost half of his salary, forcing us to lose our home and all we had worked for. Are we no

longer considered blessed?

I have battled multiple health issues for most of my life. Did I just happen to draw the short stick and

miss out on the blessings that so many others seem to have been given?

Why do we most often associate being blessed with positive circumstances, wealth, comfort, and the

absence of problems? I believe it’s because many of us have a very short term and shallow view of

what it means to be blessed.

This begs the question – what does it mean to be blessed?

The Meaning of Blessing

There are several definitions of blessed in the English language, according to the Oxford Advanced

Learner’s Dictionary:

“Made holy; consecrated” “Endowed, with divine favor and protection”

• “Bringing pleasure or relief as a welcome contrast to what one has previously experienced”

The Greek definition of the word “blessed” comes from makários. This describes a believer as being

in an enviable position for receiving God’s provisions (favor) – as being an extension of his grace.

This happens with receiving the Lord’s inbirthings of faith (HELPS Word Studies).

I admit, these definitions somewhat surprised me. Growing up in western culture, I have most

commonly heard the phrase “I am blessed” in reference to good fortune, a desired outcome, or

comfort. In fact, I myself have often used it in this way.

It’s certainly true that the earthly gifts we receive on earth, such as comforts, desired outcomes,

success, and the friendships we enjoy, are all unmerited blessings from the Lord. These undeserved

blessings, which God pours out on all people through his grace, ought to be received with

thanksgiving and praise, leading us to find joy as we glorify God through them. In our flesh, however,

we are often prone to attitudes of entitlement, pride, and seeking happiness in worldly circumstances.

Therefore, I find it enlightening that even in the English dictionary, the primary definition of the term

blessing is not wealth or comfort, but rather “being made holy.” Since we are made holy through

salvation in Jesus Christ, in essence, the truest form of being blessed is to be made aware of our

wretched state, led to repentance, sanctified for holiness, and to one day receive the crown of

righteousness. All other earthly blessings should greatly pale in comparison to this!

Yes, non-believers receive blessings as well, but not in the same way. They are blessed through the

common grace of God that extends to all people. However, because this grace has an expiration date

on Judgment Day, the blessed circumstances of their lives are short-term gifts of God’s grace, rather

than the life-giving, eternal blessings that are poured out on believers. Sadly, the comfort of these

temporary blessings often end up blinding many from their true state of poverty and their need for a

Savior .

We see this clearly in Christ’s strong words of warning to the church of Laodicea in Revelation.

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So,

because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you

say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched,

pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you

may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your

nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those

whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. (Revelation 3:15-19)

Much like Laodicea, many cultures today, including our own, have adopted a watered down and

skewed perception of being blessed. Unfortunately, even many believers (myself included at times)

who have been raised in these wealthy cultures, have fallen victim to this wrong perception as well.

Many have seen blessing as being fortunate, comfortable, and happy.

This, of course, presents a problem for a believer when they suddenly find themselves in

circumstances that fall short of the blessed life they expected. They struggle to understand why,

when they have chosen to obey and follow Christ, they see non-believers all around them earning job

promotions, succeeding in their efforts (even at the expense of others), buying the big houses, and

seeming to flourish in all they do.

The Biblical Reality of Blessing

Because of this, we must anchor ourselves in what is true, rather than what we see and can make

sense of. For while it can be tempting to look at the surface level of peoples’ lives and struggle to

understand why they seem to be flourishing, we must remember that those very blessings may be

blinding them from their need for a Savior and leaving them unfulfilled and empty.

Before we allow ourselves to become prideful, however, we need to remind ourselves that each of us

was once in that same blind state and, apart from the gracious and merciful work of Jesus Christ, we

would still be just as blind and needy. May that truth drive us to share the life-giving gospel to all who

are lost and blinded by their own false sense of comfort and security!

So what does this mean for us as believers? Here are a few questions to ask ourselves.

• What am I seeking more than anything else? • Am I following Christ, expecting earthly gifts of comfort and prosperity to follow? Or am I

seeking Christ because he is the ultimate blessing and worth every sacrifice? • Are my comforts causing me to be lukewarm, rather than living with ongoing repentance and

zealousness for the gospel of Jesus?

These are pivotal questions because, if we think that following Christ will guarantee us earthly

blessing (the prosperity gospel), then we need to open the Bible and read it. It won’t take long to

realize that Christ promised completely the opposite.

We are actually promised that this life will be filled with suffering, hardships, and dying to ourselves

and our earthly desires. If we do not reframe our thinking to view our circumstances through the eyes

of the incredible blessings and assurances we have in Christ, we will quickly question God’s

goodness and love when earthly “blessings” seem to fall on everyone but us.

Unlike much of the world, Christians in the West are often seem so accustomed to comfort and

wealth that we have an incredibly low tolerance for pain and inconvenience. That means we must

work extra hard at keeping the truth of who we are, what we deserve, and the true blessings that we

have in Christ before us at all times. Christ can reshape our entitled perspectives through the power

of his Word and the Holy Spirit. This will also prepare and equip us for the trials, disappointments, and

overwhelming circumstances that we are guaranteed to face as we travel the road set apart for the

gospel.

So let’s freshly remind ourselves of how blessed we are from the truth of God’s Word.

1. We are blessed because of spiritual blessings that far outweigh any earthly blessings.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with

every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… (Ephesians 1:3)

No matter what we receive or don’t receive in the temporal form, we have been given every blessing

through the complete work of Christ – his righteousness, resources, privilege, position, and power.

But he often works these spiritual blessings into our lives through circumstances that most people

would not consider to be blessings. Some of the greatest spiritual blessings of my life have come

through undesired earthly circumstances.

2. We are blessed because, as chosen and adopted sons and daughters of the King, we will receive the riches, blessings, and very nature of Christ.

…even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and

blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ,

according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has

blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:4-6)

Could there be a greater blessing than this?! If you are in Christ, you have been chosen before the

foundation of the world to be adopted as a beloved son or daughter of the King through Jesus Christ.

Chosen and loved, we are blessed beyond measure as we are being made holy through his

undeserved grace. There is no greater blessing than this!

3. We are blessed because we are redeemed and forgiven, receiving the riches of his grace as he has made known to us the mystery of his will, the gospel.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according

to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known

to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan

for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

(Ephesians 1:7-10)

The greatest blessing God can bestow on us is helping us to see our need for Christ, then growing in

us an increasing spiritual understanding of the gospel. Out of love, he sometimes does this through

circumstances that take away the desired earthly blessings we are prone to seek, replacing them with

the greater blessing of knowing him more.

4. We are blessed because we have a guaranteed inheritance, and we have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit until we acquire possession of it.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of

him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to

hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the Word

of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy

Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise

of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11-14)

Buying your dream house, restoring your health, and experiencing loss and trials in this life all begin to

pale in comparison as we grasp the eternal inheritance that we are guaranteed as a child of God. Our

citizenship will be in the new Jerusalem, an unshakable, secure, and eternal kingdom (Revelation

3:12, 21).

Let’s fix our eyes on the incredible inheritance that we are guaranteed whenever we start grieving over

what we’ve lost, when we long for things to be made right, and when we groan in these earthly bodies.

If that remains our focus, we will never have a reason to despair. The grieving we experience on earth

will make our eternal inheritance all the more beautiful!

On the other hand, because we have far more more blessings than we realize, we can become

complacent. If you see this in yourself, go to the Lord in repentance and ask him to stir up your heart

with a greater zeal for him than for comfort. Time is short and we do not want to be found asleep! So

boldly pray for Christ to do what he must to set your heart ablaze for him. For those who feel weary

from a season of loss and pain, remember that because of the gospel, our greater blessing is the

holiness and character that Christ is working in us. So press on!

The Testimony of Blessing

I now see that the gift of a child with special needs and the loss of many of my earthly comforts

(though I am still far more comfortable than the majority of the world) have been some of God’s

greatest blessings in my life. He has used them to pour out spiritual blessings that have been far

more precious than I ever would have known to seek or desire on my own.

Yes, brother or sister, we are blessed. In Christ, we are loved, chosen, redeemed, forgiven, freed,

sanctified, and promised an eternal inheritance with all the riches, glories, and character of our Savior.

For the glory of God, we are blessed. May we all proclaim how truly blessed we are as we see Christ

working himself more deeply in us, even through circumstances that seem far from being blessings.

For it is better to be desperately poor and weak in the eyes of the world and eternally blessed in the

glory of Christ, than to be abundantly blessed in earthly measures and found naked and poor before

the judgement seat of Christ.

How have you been blessed in Christ? Comment with some ways that you’ve seen God working his spiritual blessings despite hardship and trials.

THE AUTHOR Sarah Walton

Sarah Walton is the co-author of Together through the Storms: Biblical Encouragement for Your

Marriage When Life Hurts (The Good Book Company, 2020). She is also the co-author of the award-

winning book Hope When It Hurts and blogs at SetApart.net. She lives with her husband, Jeff, and

their four children in Chicago, Ill. You can find more of Sarah and Jeff’s story in their book trailer. In

her free time, she dreams about what she would do if she actually had free time.

b. How will we receive these blessings?

i. Read

1. Study to show yourselves approved.

a. 2 Timothy 2:14-16: Remind them of these things, charging them

before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of

the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a

worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word

of truth.

2. Cut your own meat.

a. Hebrews 5:12-14: “For though by this time you ought to be

teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles

of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not

solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in

the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food

belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of

use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

3. Read through the Bible.

a. Through this book. Receive the blessing by reading Revelation.

b. Through the entire book.

4. How to read the Bible?

5.

ii. Hear. Romans 10:14-17

1. He who has an ear. 7 times in chapters 2 and 3.

2. What does that mean?

a. It does not mean we who have physical ears.

b. It means those who receive by faith the things said by the Lord.

i. Matthew 13 parables.

1. Given to those who hear, confusing to those who do

not believe.

3. Faith comes by hearing.

a. Romans 10:14-17: How then shall they call on Him in whom they

have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they

have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of

peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!" 16 But they have

not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "LORD, who has

believed our report?" 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and

hearing by the word of God.”

4. How do I keep my spiritual ears open? Matthew 13:10-17

a. Remove the calluses.

b. Matthew 13:10-17: 10 The Purpose of Parables: (Mark 4:10-12;

Luke 8:9,10) And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You

speak to them in parables?" 11 He answered and said to them,

"Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the

kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For

whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have

abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be

taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables,

because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor

do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is

fulfilled, which says:

c. 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will

see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown

dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have

closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their

ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So

that I should heal them.' 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see,

and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many

prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did

not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. “

iii. Guard. James 1:22-27

1. Be doers of the Word and not just hearers.

a. James 1:22-27: 22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,

deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and

not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24

for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what

kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of

liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of

the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone

among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but

deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. 27 Pure and

undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans

and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the

world.”

2. The more you do the more you understand.

3. The more you just take it in and not do what you have read, the less you

will understand.

Conclusion: Are you ready to receive the blessing promised by Revelation?

1 pastor dead, Cameron remains flooded, many

churches damaged by Laura

By Diana Chandler, posted August 31, 2020 in Churches and Ministry, Disaster Relief, National News,

SBC News

Hurricane Laura's winds took the roof off the worship center of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Lake Charles, La.

LAKE CHARLES, La. (BP) — A Southern Baptist pastor is among 18 deaths related to Hurricane Laura, dozens of churches are damaged and parts of Cameron Parish remain flooded five days after the storm, according to news reports and interviews.

Pastor James Cart (left) was killed when a tree fell on his roof

during Hurricane Laura. His wife Dianne was also in the home at the time.

James Vernon Cart Jr., who pastored First Baptist Church of Iota, La., in Acadia Parish, died early Aug. 27 when a tree fell on his home around 2 a.m. as he slept. Bert Langley, director of missions with the Acadia Baptist Association, said the 68-year-old had gone to bed ahead of his wife, who remained in the living room with a grandchild who was visiting.

Bruce Baker, director of missions with the Carey Baptist Association in Lake Charles, said Hurricane Laura “severely damaged” about 10 churches, 15 to 20 have “moderate” damage, and a few others have minor damage, including churches in Lake Charles, Sulfur, Benton, Cameron, Hackberry, Moss Bluff and West Lake.

Water had not fully receded Monday (Aug. 31) in Cameron, a small coastal community that took Laura’s full impact.

“Cameron is still under three feet of water,” Baker said. “That will take a long time for that to recede.”

The floodwater, which is dangerously interspersed with downed power lines, is making damage assessments difficult there, First Baptist Church of Cameron Pastor Charles Hugonin said Monday. He said a deacon was headed to Cameron Monday morning to try to get a closer look at the church, which is located just a mile from the Gulf of Mexico.

“As far as we know right now, the front doors are blown off and it’s flooded inside. Our Sunday School wing collapsed,” Hugonin said. “There’s power lines down. It’s still flooded. It’s dangerous as far as snakes and stuff.”

Hugonin hasn’t been able to determine whether the church will remain. When Hurricane Rita destroyed its sanctuary in 2005, the church chose not to rebuild the structure, but renovated its gym to include worship and education areas.

“Right now there’s just a lot of uncertainty,” he said. “My members are without homes right now. Once we find out what the damages are, I have to see if my members are staying there, if they’re planning on rebuilding in Cameron or not.”

Many are suffering. Widespread power outages and the lack of clean water have displaced thousands in Laura’s strike zone, even those with no damage to their homes, Baker said.

“There are thousands of families, they can’t stay in their homes and they can’t afford a hotel,” Baker said. “No shelters were set up because of the COVID thing. So we’ve got a lot of families that are really, really in dire circumstances. It’s a challenge now to figure out how to help them.”

Baker anticipates a long recovery, but said the area is not ready to receive volunteer disaster relief crews from other states because of the lack of shelter, food and water.

“Our DR structure can manage Southern Baptist DR. They’re just excellent at that,” he said. “… Southern Baptists across the country have already been pouring out a lot of love and we’re incredibly grateful for that. It’s one of the best things we do as a denomination. We send missionaries around the world and we send people to help when there’s a disaster. … Proud to be Southern Baptists today.”

Nearly 360,000 customers remained without power in Louisiana Sunday, and it could take a month or more for all power to be restored due to catastrophic damage to the power grid. In the days after the storm, at least eight deaths were reported as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning from generators inside homes, according to news reports.

Baker appreciates that Laura came ashore during low tide, which prevented the unsurvivable storm surge the National Hurricane Center had predicted. Instead of 20 feet, the storm surge was likely about 13 feet, Baker said.

About 150 people chose not to adhere to mandatory evacuation orders in Cameron Parish, according to news report a day ahead of the storm.

INTRODUCTION; A VISION OF JESUS : DAVID GUZIK

A. The introduction and prologue to the Book of Revelation.

1. (Rev 1:1-2) The writer of the Book of Revelation.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants; things which must

shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore

witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

a. The Revelation of Jesus Christ: The ancient Greek word translated Revelation is apokalupsis

(apocalypse). The word simply means “a revealing, an unveiling.” The Book of Revelation is the

Revelation of Jesus Christ in the sense that it belongs to Him, He is the one doing the revealing. It

is also Jesus’ Revelation in the sense that He is the object revealed; Jesus is the person revealed by

the book.

i. From the outset, we are given the most important truth about the Book of Revelation. This book

shows us the Antichrist, it shows us God’s judgment, it shows us calamity on the earth, and it shows

us Mystery Babylon in vivid detail. Most of all, it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to us. If we catch

everything else, but miss Jesus in the book, we miss the Book of Revelation.

ii. How we need a revelation of Jesus! “The great fault of many professors is that Christ is to them a

character upon paper; certainly more than a myth, but yet a person of the dim past, an historical

personage who lived many years ago, and did most admirable deeds, by the which we are saved, but

who is far from being a living, present, bright reality.” (Spurgeon)

b. Which God gave Him to show His servants: This is an important reason why God gave this

Revelation of Jesus Christ. He gave it to show His servants. God gave this revelation that it might

be shown, not hidden. This is an apocalypse – a revelation, not apocrypha (something hidden).

c. Things which must shortly take place: This describes when the events of this book will take

place – they will happen shortly, and they must happen shortly. This means that the Book of

Revelation is a book of predictive prophecy. It speaks of things that will happen in the future – at least

future from the time of its writing.

i. Not all prophecy is predictive, but this prophetic book clearly is predictive. It describes things that

must shortly take place. The time is near (Revelation 1:3) for the fulfillment of these things, but the

time was not present at the time of writing.

ii. Some would say that we should not be concerned with prophecy, that it is a frivolous exercise – but

if God was concerned enough to talk about it, we should be concerned enough to listen. “Some tell us

that what is yet future ought not to be examined into till after it has come to pass. I can hardly realize

that this is seriously meant.” (Seiss)

d. Shortly take place: Short and near are relative terms, and this is God’s timetable, not man’s. Yet

for 2000 years, history has been on the brink of the consummation of all things, running parallel to the

edge, not running towards a distant brink.

i. Shortly is the ancient Greek phrase en tachei, which means ” ‘quickly or suddenly coming to pass,’

indicating rapidity of execution after the beginning takes place. The idea is not that the event may

occur soon, but that when it does, it will be sudden.” (Walvoord)

e. He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John: This describes how the message is

delivered in the Book of Revelation. It is a book of signs: the angel sign-ified this message to John. It

is a book that communicates in signs.

i. It is true that the signs used in Revelation have been a source of confusion or controversy for some

readers. Yet the signs are necessary because John expresses things of heaven, which Paul said he

heard with inexpressible words (2 Corinthians 12:4). John described things he saw, so he could only

use symbolic images to explain it. To us, this book is prophecy, but John simply recorded history

unfolding before him, as he saw it. “John had visions from heaven; but he described them in his own

language and manner.” (Clarke)

ii. The signs are also necessary because there is tremendous power in symbolic language. It is one

thing to call someone or something evil or bad, but it is far more vivid to describe the image of a

woman drunk with the blood of the saints (Revelation 17:6).

iii. Though it is filled with signs, the Book of Revelation is accessible to those who have an

understanding of the first 65 books of the Bible, and especially an understanding of the first 39 books

of the Bible, the Old Testament. The Book of Revelation is rooted in the Old Testament. It contains

more than 500 allusions to the Old Testament, and 278 of the 404 verses in Revelation (that is almost

70%) make some reference to the Old Testament.

f. By His angel to His servant John: This tells us who wrote the Book of Revelation. It was His

servant John, and the best evidence points to this being the Apostle John, the same writer of the

Gospel of John and the books of 1, 2, and 3 John.

i. By His angel: Many of the signs and visions of the Book of Revelation came to John through the

supervision of an angel (Revelation 5:2, 7:2, 10:8 to Rev 11:1, and 17:7 are some examples).

g. Who bore witness to the word of God: In this prologue, we see John knew this book was Holy

Scripture, the word of God. We sometimes wonder if the apostolic authors of the New Testament

knew they wrote Holy Scripture. At least in this case, John knew.

i. He knew it was Holy Scripture because he called it a revelation from God. He knew it came from

the Father through Jesus, and not from any mere human.

ii. He knew it was the Holy Scripture because he called it the word of God, as an Old Testament

prophet would say. He also called it the testimony of Jesus Christ.

2. (Rev 1:3) A blessing to the reader and keeper of this book.

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those

things which are written in it; for the time is near.

a. Blessed is he who reads... and keep those things which are written in it: The Book of

Revelation offers a particular and unique blessing to those who read and keep the message of this

book. This is the first of seven beatitudes of Revelation (Revelation 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6,

22:7, and 22:14).

i. Because they neglect the book Revelation, many people miss this blessing. For example, the

Anglican Church virtually omits Revelation in its regular schedule of readings for both public worship

and private devotions. This is a typical attitude towards the Book of Revelation. Many people believe

that only fanatics want to dig deep into this book, but really, it is a book for anyone who wants to be

blessed.

ii. Fortunately, John didn’t say that we had to understand everything in the Book of Revelation to be

blessed. There are some difficult things in this book that may only be understood as we look back at

fulfilled prophecy; but we can be blessed by reading and hearing even when we don’t understand.

b. Blessed is he who reads... and keep those things which are written in it: This promise gives

more reasons to know John believed this book was Holy Scripture. First, the words he who reads

and those who hear show that this book was intended to be read publicly, just as other books of

accepted Scripture. Second, the promise of blessing itself shows that John regarded this book as

Holy Scripture. In the Jewish world, such a blessing could never be pronounced on a merely human

book.

i. All of these things together show that beyond doubt, the Book of Revelation claims to be Holy

Scripture. A critic can agree or disagree with that claim, but it can’t be denied that Revelation makes

the claim.

c. Keep those things which are written in it: The Book of Revelation gives us much more than

information for prophetic speculation. It gives us things to keep. If we understand the Book of

Revelation, it will change the way we live.

d. He who reads: This is in the singular. It speaks of one person who reads. “Those who hear” is in

the plural. It speaks of many people hearing. The idea is probably from custom of the early church,

where attention was given to the public reading of Scripture, which was often then explained. In our

modern way of speaking John might say, “Blessed is the pastor who teaches Revelation, and blessed

is the congregation who hears it.” Most of all, pastor or congregation, blessed are those who keep

those things which are written in it.

i. “Neither must we only live up to the words of this prophecy, but die for it also, and be content to be

burned with it, if called thereto; as that holy martyr, who when he saw the Revelation cast into the fire

with him, cried out ‘O blessed Revelation, how happy am I to be burned in thy company!’ ” (Trapp)

3. Since so much controversy has risen over the interpretation of the Book of Revelation, it is helpful

to know the four basic approaches people have used through the centuries to understand Revelation.

a. The Preterist View: This approach believes that Revelation dealt only with the church in John’s

day. In the Preterist approach, Revelation doesn’t predict anything. John simply described events of

his current day, but he put them in symbolic code so those outside the Christian family couldn’t

understand his criticism of the Roman government. In the Preterist view, the Book of Revelation was

for then.

b. The Historicist View: This approach believes that Revelation is a sweeping, disordered panorama

of all church history. In the Historicist approach, Revelation predicts the future, but the future of the

“church age” – not the future of end-time events. In the Historicist view, Revelation is full of symbols

that describe now.

i. For example, many of the Reformers called the Pope the beast of Revelation chapter 13, but they

didn’t necessarily want to believe that the end was very near. So they believed that Revelation spoke

of their time, without necessarily speaking to the end times.

c. The Poetic View: This approach believes that Revelation is a book full of pictures and symbols

intended to encourage and comfort persecuted Christians in John’s day. In the Poetic or allegorical

view, the Book of Revelation isn’t literal or historic. Revelation is a book of personal meaning.

d. The Futurist View: This approach believes that beginning with chapter four, Revelation deals with

the end times, the period directly preceding Jesus’ return. In the Futurist view, Revelation is a book

that mainly describes the end times.

e. Which approach is correct? Each one is true in some regard. The Book of Revelation did speak to

John’s day. It speaks to church history. And it does have meaning for our personal life. So while

elements of the first three approaches have their place, we can’t deny the place of the futurist view.

We can know the Book of Revelation speaks with clarity about the end times because of two central

principles drawn from Revelation 1:1-3.

i. First, we believe that the Book of Revelation must mean something. This is a book that Jesus gave

to show His servants something. It isn’t a book of meaningless nonsense. It has a promise of

blessing, not a promise of confusion.

ii. Secondly, we believe that Revelation definitely claims to contain predictive prophecy. John made it

clear: things which must shortly take place... the time is near. John wrote about events that were still

future to him.

Chuck Smith: C2000 Series on Revelation 1

References for Rev 1:3

Click here for the correlating audio message

Shall we turn in our Bibles now to the book of Revelation, chapter one?

The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1),

The Greek word "apokalupsis" is literally the unveiling. So in the very first phrase you have what the

book is all about. It is the unveiling of Jesus Christ, the lifting of the wraps.

When I was a child, I lived in Ventura and went to Elementary School in Ventura. I played in the

school orchestra. And in front of the city hall they had a sculptor make a sculpture of Father Juan

Opero Sierra, who had established the mission there in Ventura. So the day came for the unveiling of

the statue, and among other things for entertainment they had our school orchestra there playing. So

I was sitting there in the violin section. And the mayor made his speech and the county supervisors

made their speeches, and all, and the Catholic priest made his speech.

Then finally the crane that was there, they had a ring in the top of the canvas that was covering this

large statue. So they began to crank up the canvas and finally we could see what was under the

canvas, the statue of Father Juan Opero Sierra. It was the unveiling. It was the apokalupsis. The

unveiling of this statue and we could finally see what was behind the wraps.

Now, there is a common misconception concerning the book of Revelation, and a lot of people will

say, "Well, I never deal with the book of Revelation. That is a sealed book." Exactly the opposite,

rather than a sealed book, it is an unveiling. It is taking the wraps off. It is taking the seals off. It is

allowing you to see what the future holds, as far as Jesus Christ is concerned. So it is the revelation,

or the unveiling, of Jesus Christ as far as the future.

which God gave to him, to shew to his servants the things which must shortly come to pass; and he

sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John (Rev 1:1):

So for the most part in the book of Revelation, there will be the angel speaking to John and revealing

to him the things that were being revealed to him by Jesus Christ. So He sent this revelation by the

angel to John. And there are times when the angel appears to John. There are times when John sees

the Lord himself. There are times when the elder is explaining aspects of this revelation to John. But

the basic format was the revelation of Jesus Christ given to him by God, to show to his servants, and

it was sent to John signified by the angel, which is a messenger.

Who bore record of the word of God (Rev 1:2),

And that of course is John's declaration in his gospel and in his epistles that he was just a recorder, a

recorder of the things for which he had seen and of which he had heard. And his job was just to

record these things, and he bore record. And he said we know that our record is true, or our witness

is true.

Who bare record of the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all the things that he

saw (Rev 1:2).

Now, most of this revelation came to John by way of visions. And a vision is really insight into the

spirit world. Now, there is a spirit world that exists about us. We cannot see it with our natural eyes,

but God can open our eyes to the realm of the spirit, and the capacity of being able to see the spirit

realm is called a vision.

Now, the spirit realm is the eternal realm. So in a vision you can spiritually see things either past,

present or future, because the eternal realm is a timeless realm. So John, a little further down, is

going to say that he was in the spirit unto the day of the Lord. That is, he saw the things that are

going to yet transpire in the future. He saw things that have not yet taken place. Time hasn't yet

caught up with it.

Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy (Rev 1:3),

So it is an easy book for me to plunge into, because I know you are going to be blessed, even though

I may not say anything worthwhile. Because we are going to be reading the words of this prophecy

and hearing the words of this prophecy, and so there is a built-in promise blessing for you. You can't

escape it. It is there promised to you by the Lord, those that read and those that hear. So I am going

to be blessed. And if you keep up with your reading, you will be blessed, and you will be blessed as

you hear.

Not only hearing,

but also keeping those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand (Rev 1:3).

There has always been in the church the sense of urgency and immediacy as far as the return of

Jesus Christ. The time is short, we are told in verse one. Here in verse three, "the time is at hand."

And there is a sense in which that is perennially true. Time is always short for each of us. We don't

know how much time we do have. If we live to be one hundred years, time is short, such a short time

especially in comparison to eternity.

An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of

The Revelation of ST. John the Divine Matthew Henry

Chapter 1

This chapter is a general preface to the whole book, and contains,

• I. An inscription, declaring the original and the design of it (v. 1, 2).

• II. The apostolic benediction pronounced on all those who shall pay a due regard to the

contents of this book (v. 3-8).

• III. A glorious vision or appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to the apostle John, when he

delivered to him this revelation (v. 9-20).

Rev 1:1-2

Here we have,

• I. What we may call the pedigree of this book.

• 1. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. The whole Bible is so; for all revelation comes

through Christ and all centres in him; and especially in these last days God has

spoken to us by his Son, and concerning his Son. Christ, as the king of his church,

has been pleased thus far to let his church know by what rules and methods he will

proceed in his government; and, as the prophet of the church, he has made known

to us the things that shall be hereafter.

• 2. It is a revelation which God gave unto Christ. Though Christ is himself God, and

as such has light and life in himself, yet, as he sustains the office of Mediator

between God and man, he receives his instructions from the Father. The human

nature of Christ, though endowed with the greatest sagacity, judgment, and

penetration, could not, in a way of reason, discover these great events, which not

being produced by natural causes, but wholly depending upon the will of God,

could be the object only of divine prescience, and must come to a created mind

only by revelation. Our Lord Jesus is the great trustee of divine revelation; it is to

him that we owe the knowledge we have of what we are to expect from God and

what he expects from us.

• 3. This revelation Christ sent and signified by his angel. Observe here the

admirable order of divine revelation. God gave it to Christ, and Christ employed an

angel to communicate it to the churches. The angels are God's messengers; they

are ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation. They are Christ's servants:

principalities and powers are subject to him; all the angels of God are obliged to

worship him.

• 4. The angels signified it to the apostle John. As the angels are the messengers of

Christ, the ministers are the messengers of the churches; what they receive from

heaven, they are to communicate to the churches. John was the apostle chosen

for this service. Some think he was the only one surviving, the rest having sealed

their testimony with their blood. This was to be the last book of divine revelation;

and therefore notified to the church by the last of the apostles. John was the

beloved disciple. He was, under the New Testament, as the prophet Daniel under

the Old, a man greatly beloved. He was the servant of Christ; he was an apostle,

an evangelist, and a prophet; he served Christ in all the three extraordinary offices

of the church. James was an apostle, but not a prophet, nor an evangelist;

Matthew was an apostle and evangelist, but not a prophet; Luke was an

evangelist, but neither a prophet nor an apostle; but John was all three; and so

Christ calls him in an eminent sense his servant John.

• 5. John was to deliver this revelation to the church, to all his servants. For the

revelation was not designed for the use of Christ's extraordinary servants the

ministers only, but for all his servants, the members of the church; they have all a

right to the oracles of God, and all have their concern in them.

• II. Here we have the subject-matter of this revelation, namely, the things that must shortly

come to pass. The evangelists give us an account of the things that are past; prophecy gives

us an account of things to come. These future events are shown, not in the clearest light in

which God could have set them, but in such a light as he saw most proper, and which would

best answer his wise and holy purposes. Had they been as clearly foretold in all their

circumstances as God could have revealed them, the prediction might have prevented the

accomplishment; but they are foretold more darkly, to beget in us a veneration for the

scripture, and to engage our attention and excite our enquiry. We have in this revelation a

general idea of the methods of divine providence and government in and about the church,

and many good lessons may be learned hereby. These events (it is said) were such as

should come to pass not only surely, but shortly; that is, they would begin to come to pass

very shortly, and the whole would be accomplished in a short time. For now the last ages of

the world had come.

• III. Here is an attestation of the prophecy, v. 2. It was signified to John, who bore record of the

word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. It is

observable that the historical books of the Old Testament have not always the name of the

historian prefixed to them, as in the books of Judges, Kings, Chronicles; but in the

prophetical books the name is always prefixed, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. So in the New

Testament, though John did not prefix his name to his first epistle, yet he does to this

prophecy, as ready to vouch and answer for the truth of it; and he gives us not only his

name, but his office. He was one who bore record of the word of God in general, and of the

testimony of Jesus in particular, and of all things that he saw; he was an eye-witness, and he

concealed nothing that he saw. Nothing recorded in this revelation was his own invention or

imagination; but all was the record of God and the testimony of Jesus; and, as he added

nothing to it, so he kept back no part of the counsels of God.

Rev 1:3-8

We have here an apostolic benediction on those who should give a due regard to this divine

revelation; and this benediction is given more generally and more especially.

• I. More generally, to all who either read or hear the words of the prophecy. This blessing

seems to be pronounced with a design to encourage us to study this book, and not be weary

of looking into it upon account of the obscurity of many things in it; it will repay the labour of

the careful and attentive reader. Observe,

• 1. It is a blessed privilege to enjoy the oracles of God. This was one of the principal

advantages the Jews had above the Gentiles.

• 2. It is a blessed thing to study the scriptures; those are well employed who search

the scriptures.

• 3. It is a privilege not only to read the scriptures ourselves, but to hear them read

by others, who are qualified to give us the sense of what they read and to lead us

into an understanding of them.

• 4. It is not sufficient to our blessedness that we read and hear the scriptures, but

we must keep the things that are written; we must keep them in our memories, in

our minds, in our affections, and in practice, and we shall be blessed in the deed.

• 5. The nearer we come to the accomplishment of the scriptures, the greater regard

we shall give to them. The time is at hand, and we should be so much the more

attentive as we see the day approaching.

• Jamieson, Fausset & Brown: Commentary on Revelation 1 • The Revelation of St. John the Divine • Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET • CHAPTER 1 • Rev 1:1-20. TITLE: SOURCE AND OBJECT OF THIS REVELATION: BLESSING ON THE

READER AND KEEPER OF IT, AS THE TIME IS NEAR: INSCRIPTION TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES: APOSTOLIC GREETING: KEYNOTE, "BEHOLD HE COMETH" (Compare at the close, Rev 22:20, "Surely I come quickly"): INTRODUCTORY VISION OF THE SON OF MAN IN GLORY, AMIDST THE SEVEN CANDLESTICKS, WITH SEVEN STARS IN HIS RIGHT HAND.

• 1. Revelation--an apocalypse or unveiling of those things which had been veiled. A

manifesto of the kingdom of Christ. The travelling manual of the Church for the Gentile

Christian times. Not a detailed history of the future, but a representation of the great epochs

and chief powers in developing the kingdom of God in relation to the world. The "Church-

historical" view goes counter to the great principle that Scripture interprets itself. Revelation is

to teach us to understand the times, not the times to interpret to us the Apocalypse, although it

is in the nature of the case that a reflex influence is exerted here and is understood by the

prudent [AUBERLEN]. The book is in a series of parallel groups, not in chronological

succession. Still there is an organic historical development of the kingdom of God. In this book

all the other books of the Bible end and meet: in it is the consummation of all previous

prophecy. Daniel foretells as to Christ and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, and the last

Antichrist. But John's Revelation fills up the intermediate period, and describes the millennium

and final state beyond Antichrist. Daniel, as a godly statesman, views the history of God's

people in relation to the four world kingdoms. John, as an apostle, views history from the

Christian Church aspect. The term Apocalypse is applied to no Old Testament book. Daniel is

the nearest approach to it; but what Daniel was told to seal and shut up till the time of the end,

John, now that the time is at hand ( Rev 1:3 ), is directed to reveal.

of Jesus Christ--coming from Him. Jesus Christ, not John the writer, is the Author of the

Apocalypse. Christ taught many things before His departure; but those which were unsuitable

for announcement at that time He brought together into the Apocalypse [BENGEL]. Compare

His promise, Jhn 15:15, "All things that I have heard of My Father, I have made known unto

you"; also, Jhn 16:13, "The Spirit of truth will show you things to come." The Gospels and Acts

are the books, respectively, of His first advent, in the flesh, and in the Spirit; the Epistles are

the inspired comment on them. The Apocalypse is the book of His second advent and the

events preliminary to it.

which God gave unto him--The Father reveals Himself and His will in, and by, His Son.

to show--The word recurs in Rev 22:6 : so entirely have the parts of Revelation reference

to one another. It is its peculiar excellence that it comprises in a perfect compendium future

things, and these widely differing: things close at hand, far off, and between the two; great and

little; destroying and saving; repeated from old prophecies and new; long and short, and these

interwoven with one another, opposed and mutually agreeing; mutually involving and evolving

one another; so that in no book more than in this would the addition, or taking away, of a single

word or clause ( Rev 22:18, 19 ), have the effect of marring the sense of the context and the

comparison of passages together [BENGEL].

his servants--not merely to "His servant John," but to all His servants (compare Rev 22:3

).

shortly--Greek, "speedily"; literally, "in," or "with speed." Compare "the time is at hand,"

Rev 1:3 22:6, "shortly"; Rev 22:7, "Behold, I come quickly." Not that the things prophesied

were according to man's computation near; but this word "shortly" implies a corrective of our

estimate of worldly events and periods. Though a "thousand years" ( Rev 20:1-15 ) at least are

included, the time is declared to be at hand. Luk 18:8, "speedily." The Israelite Church

hastened eagerly to the predicted end, which premature eagerness prophecy restrains

(compare Dan 9:1-27 ). The Gentile Church needs to be reminded of the transitoriness of the

world (which it is apt to make its home) and the nearness of Christ's advent. On the one hand

Revelation says, "the time is at hand"; on the other, the succession of seals, &c., show that

many intermediate events must first elapse.

he sent--Jesus Christ sent.

by his angel--joined with "sent." The angel does not come forward to "signify" things to

John until Rev 17:1 19:9, 10. Previous to that John receives information from others. Jesus

Christ opens the Revelation, Rev 1:10, 11 4:1; in Rev 6:1 one of the four living creatures acts

as his informant; in Rev 7:13, one of the elders; in Rev 10:8, 9, the Lord and His angel who

stood on the sea and earth. Only at the end ( Rev 17:1 ) does the one angel stand by Him

(compare Dan 8:16 9:21 Zec 1:19 ).

• 2. bare record of--"testified the word of God" in this book. Where we would say "testifies,"

the ancients in epistolary communications use the past tense. The word of God constitutes his

testimony; Rev 1:3, "the words of this prophecy."

the testimony of Jesus--"the Spirit of prophecy" ( Rev 19:10 ).

and of all things that, &c.--The oldest manuscripts omit "and." Translate, "whatsoever

things he saw," in apposition with "the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ."

• 3. he that readeth, and they that hear--namely, the public reader in Church assemblies,

and his hearers. In the first instance, he by whom John sent the book from Patmos to the

seven churches, read it publicly: a usage most scriptural and profitable. A special blessing

attends him who reads or hears the apocalyptic "prophecy" with a view to keeping the things

therein (as there is but one article to "they that hear and keep those things," not two classes,

but only one is meant: "they who not only hear, but also keep those things," Rom 2:13 ); even

though he find not the key to its interpretation, he finds a stimulus to faith, hope, and patient

waiting for Christ. Note: the term "prophecy" has relation to the human medium or prophet

inspired, here John: "Revelation" to the Divine Being who reveals His will, here Jesus Christ.

God gave the revelation to Jesus: He by His angel revealed it to John, who was to make it

known to the Church.