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“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:” Revelation 1:1
This revelation was given to Jesus Christ by God the Father for Him to show unto His servants, the saints. John the Apostle was chosen by God to write down the things that Jesus showed him. John tells us in verse 9 that he was on the island of Patmos when he wrote this book. Most people assume that he was exiled by the Romans to this island but the scriptures never indicate this. Besides, if this were the case, John would not have been able to send the book of Revelation to the churches of his time and we wouldn’t be reading it today.
Whatever John’s reason was for being on the island, it was here that he was given revelation knowledge from the Lord. This knowledge is so profound that John wrote in verse three:
“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:3
Not everyone has the opportunity to read and hear the prophecies of Revelation and to be able to do so is a blessing from God. He is the one who allowed you to hear the words of this book and/or to read it. Once you thoroughly study the book of Revelation for yourself, you will be blessed with the knowledge of the truth about the prophecies. For everyone who reads and hears the prophecy of this book, it is extremely important that they keep the words of this book as they were originally written.
In verse 10 John said that he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day when he received the vision from Jesus. Most people assume the Lord’s day refers to Sunday, but that is not the case at all. Rather, it refers to John’s condition which he experienced while being under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The phrase “the Lord’s day” is translated from the adjective use of this phrase in the Greek. In other words, John was describing a day that was “lordly” or supremely unique to him. It doesn’t refer to the first day of the week or the day of the Lord which is the time of God’s full wrath and Jesus’ second coming (this is discussed further in Chapter 30: The Day of the Lord).
In Revelation 1:11 John was commanded by Jesus to write everything he saw in the visions in a book and send it to the seven churches that were in Asia (modern-day Turkey). Having to do this meant that the book of Revelation had to be copied seven times to ensure that the message was preserved. If Jesus had not told John to do this, unbelievers would have seized the book and either rewrote it or simply destroyed it and we would not have the book of Revelation today. Praise the Lord!
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto 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.” Revelation 1:10-11
The phrases “Alpha and Omega” and “the first and the last” are declarations of the eternal existence of God; they state that He is the beginner, meaning initiator, and the finisher of everything, both seen and unseen. Nothing starts nor ends without Him. This gives us assurance of His control of all creation, even over the disasters that are prophesied in this book. Nothing happens without His constant supervision.
In verses 12-16 John saw the Lord in His glorified body standing in the midst of seven candlesticks.
“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” Revelation 1:12-16
The color of Jesus’ garment is never given in verse 13, although it is widely assumed that it is white because white is a symbol of righteousness. The mention of white robes or fine linen, which is white in color, is found throughout Revelation as a symbol of righteousness. Jesus’ garment, then, symbolizes His righteousness “clothing” His whole body. The golden girdle that wraps around this garment across His chest also indicates His righteousness and faithfulness (see Isaiah 11:5), with the gold color denoting the supremacy of this righteousness and faithfulness which originates from God. It is only by our faith in Jesus and His sacrifice that we attain this righteousness from God.
It is often said that white hair is a symbol of wisdom gained by age and experience. Jesus’ wooly-white hair denotes His superior wisdom that surpasses all understanding, attained not by age but by His Father. Throughout scripture eyes are used to denote a man’s character driven by his spirit as well as understanding (Proverbs 22:9; Isaiah 3:16-17; Matthew 6:22-23; Matthew 7:3; etc.). Fire is often used as a symbol of passion and holiness because it is related to God, the Father of holiness and passion; He is even called a consuming fire in Hebrews 12:29.
“For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29
The flame of fire in Jesus’ eyes, then, denotes His holy and passionate character driven by His Holy Spirit.
Revelation 1:15 describes Jesus’ feet being like unto fine (polished) brass that had been burned in a furnace. In most cases the use of the word brass in scripture is the same as bronze. Brass being burned in a furnace is a symbol of enduring tribulation and hardship which, if coupled with faith, leads to a glorified character likened to the character of God. So the feet of fine brass indicates the perseverance and faithfulness of our Lord.
His voice is likened to the sound of many waters, indicating His immense authority reverberating with power when He speaks. Jesus is also seen holding seven stars in His right hand whose symbols are revealed by Him later in Chapter 1.
When someone tells another something factual that is perceived as touchy, it is often said by the truth-teller, “The truth hurts.” Frankly, the truth doesn’t hurt, but rather it convicts the soul of sin; it sends a striking feeling in a person’s spirit that is often perceived as a “gut feeling.” Jesus’ words, which are full of truth, penetrate the soul like a two-edged sword, deciphering all thoughts to reveal the truth of the person’s spiritual state.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
Finally, His face is said to radiate with light like the sun shining in its strength. Just like we cannot look directly at the sun because of its intense brightness, Jesus’ glory is too great for any mortal man to look upon without being overwhelmed by a compelling feeling of submission. When John saw Jesus in His glorified state, he went limp in His sight. The fear of God came over him, compelling him to fall at the Lord’s feet.
“And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Revelation 1:17-18
Jesus reassured John, telling him again that He is the first and the last. Jesus also told John that He has the keys of hell and death. Keys are a symbol of control; they control who or what enters or leaves. They grant the holder access to any place. Jesus having the keys of hell and death is a symbol of His authority over hell and death and the power to determine who enters (and leaves) death and hell. No one has ever possessed these keys except God. Satan never owned these keys; while he may be able to cause someone to die, he himself cannot bring death to a person, neither can he himself send someone to hell. He can only execute his evil work by God’s permission; he cannot do it outside of God’s authority (more in Chapter 15: Revelation 12: The Woman & the Dragon).
In verse 19 Jesus gave the command to John to write the things which he had seen, the things which were happening currently, and the things prophesied to happen. This instance indicates to us that the one who wrote the book of Revelation is John the Apostle and not another John. John the Apostle witnessed the works of Jesus while He was on earth. John was told in Revelation 1:19 to write those things down which he had seen (hence the book of John). Jesus also told John to write the things of the present and things that were to occur in the future (hence the books of 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation). It is safe to conclude that John the Revelator is John the Apostle.
“Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;” Revelation 1:19
In the very last verse of Revelation 1 Jesus tells us what the seven stars and the seven candlesticks are.
“The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20
The Greek word for angel, aggelos² (ang-el-os), means “messenger.” In this passage, the seven angels are not referring to heavenly beings but to the seven messengers (pastors) of these churches. The seven candlesticks are clearly stated as the seven churches which were in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The word church in the Bible does not refer to a building, but it means “congregation,” a group of saints. So these seven churches were seven congregations of God. All believers from all over the world together make up the Church. The Church is also called the Body of Christ because all believers with their God-given gifts work in unity like the human body, with Christ being the head (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Colossians 1:18). In the next chapter, we will discover how each church’s situation relates to the circumstances of modern Christians.
This post is an excerpt from Chapter 1: The Revelation from Behold, I Come Quickly by Stephanie M. Perry. Buy today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play. Hardcover is available at Barnes & Noble only.
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