INTRODUCTION. What do you think about when the book of Revelation is mentioned? Do you think of clarity or obscurity? In his book Victory in Jesus, Dr. Greg Bahnsen writes, “The title of the book is called Revelation. The Greek word for revelation is “apocalypses” which means “unveiling,” or “pulling back the veil.” The sad fact is that many Christians look upon the book of Revelation not as a pulling back of the veil so that we might see the truth, but rather as God pulling the veil together and obscuring it so that we will not be able to see clearly. As a result, we are confused and there is all this controversy. We should, however, take heart just from the title of the book itself—it is the unveiling. God says if you want to know what this is all about, if you want to know where things are going, then let Me pull the curtain back for you. This is the revelation, not the obscuring; not the closing of the veil, but the opening of the veil so that we might be able to understand what God intends to do. He does not want to blind us in our outlook and our attitudes; He wants to open our eyes so that we can see.“ Amen. Let us approach the Revelation expecting God to help us understand what this unveiling reveals for our good and His glory.
DOCTRINE. Because Christ loves us, He wants His slaves to know what He is doing in history, so that we may not lose heart and obey His commands despite the seeming odds.
OUTLINE. In chapter one we have the recipients, purpose, promise, Alpha, and outline of the revelation of Jesus Christ. Consider each of these with me in turn.
I. THE ORIGINAL RECIPIENTS OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. . . John to the seven churches that are in Asia: . . . I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book 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” (Revelation 1:1-2, 4, 9-11). The original recipients are the seven churches in Asia. Each of them also has a specific portion of this book dedicated just to them (ch. 2-3).
II. THE PURPOSE OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Rev. 1:1-3).
PURPOSE 1. To reveal Jesus Christ. “The revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1a). Think of the titles of the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of the Revelation: The Faithful Witness (Rev 1:5); The Firstborn of the Dead (Rev 1:5); The Ruler of the Kings on Earth (Rev 1:5); The Lord God (Rev 1:8); The Almighty (Rev 1:8); The Alpha and Omega (Rev 1:8; 21:6; 22:13); The First and the Last (Rev 1:17b; 2:8; 22:13); The Living One (Rev 1:17b); The Faithful and True Witness (Rev 3:14b); The Amen (Rev 3:14b); The Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5); The Root of David (Rev 5:5; 22:16); The Lamb (Rev 5:6, 8, 12, 13; 6:1, 16; 7:9, 10, 14, 17; 12:11; 13:8, 11; 14:1, 4 (twice), 10; 15:3; 17:14 (twice); 19:7, 9; 21:14, 22, 23; 22:1, 3); The King of Nations (Rev 15:3); The Shepherd (Rev 17:7); The King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev 17:14a; 19:16); The Faithful and True (Rev 19:11); The Word of God (Rev 19:13); The Husband (Rev 21:2); The Beginning and End (Rev 21:6, 13); The Lamp (Rev 21:23); The Bright Morning Star (Rev 22:16); The Offspring of David (Rev 22:16).
Think of a few other definitions of the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of the Revelation: He the Son of Man in the midst of the lampstands, which are His churches (Rev. 1:13-16); He holds the seven stars in his hands, and walks among the seven golden lampstands (Rev. 2:1); The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lamb standing, as though it had been slain (Rev. 5:6). One of the main purposes of the revelation of Jesus Christ is to reveal Jesus Christ. Do not miss out on this by getting bogged down in what is difficult in this book.
PURPOSE 2. To prepare the slaves of Jesus Christ. “…which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw” (Rev. 1:1b-2).
PURPOSE 3. To bless the slaves of Jesus Christ. “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3). You need to Read. You need to Hear. You need to Keep. (i) The blessing is an increase of grace and peace from our triune God. “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, and from Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:4-5a). (ii) The blessing of an increase of grace and peace from our triune God comes through the Mediator, Christ Jesus, who is Prophet, Priest, and King. “Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth” (Rev. 1:5a).
PURPOSE 4. To result in worship both now and forever. “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:5b-6).
Are you depressed or self-pitying? Look who loves you, believer. Are you feeling guilty over past sin? Look who freed you from the penalty of your sins by His blood. Are you a new creation, no longer loving the sins you used to but loving righteousness? Look who freed you from the power of sin by His blood. Are you feeling unworthy? Look who made you a priest. Are you feeling insignificant? Look who put you in His kingdom, to ascribe glory and dominion to Him. Consider all these great truths and worship both now and forever.
III. THE PROMISE OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth (or land) will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty’” (Rev. 1:7-8). The promise of the revelation of Jesus Christ is judgement on the enemies of God.
IV. THE ALPHA OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades“ (Rev. 1:12-18). O the beauties and excellencies of Christ! Look at the Alpha of the Revelation, the preeminent one, and take heart, men. This is your Prophet. This is your Priest. This is your King. You are His and He is yours. What can man do to you?
However we should make sure we do not miss what God is doing here: This magnificent revelation of the glorious and powerful Jesus begins by showing us that He is in the midst of the lampstands. These lampstands represent His churches! The Alpha of the universe is the Head of the church. In Ephesians 1:15-22, Paul writes, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Are you weak? Look to your Head, Jesus Christ! He is strong.
V. THE OUTLINE OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. “Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (Rev. 1:19-20).
Concerning the outline of the Revelation, Greg Bahnsen wrote, “The book of Revelation has its own outline. You know the old saying, “when all else fails, read the instructions.” Well, if we are having trouble understanding the book of Revelation, then we have not been paying attention to it since the book of Revelation has its own interpretive guide built right into it; we see it in Revelation 1:19.”
In verse 19, Christ tells John, and us by implication, how to rightly divide this Revelation. The first things in the book of the Revelation are, “the things that [John has] seen” (v. 19a), which is what we have in Chapter 1. The second things in the book of the Revelation are “those that are” currently (v. 19b), which is what we have in Chapter’s 2-3. Now, some think that these 7 churches represent the different stages in church history. I am unconvinced of this. This argument cannot be made from Scripture, but seems forced upon the text. The third things in the book of the Revelation are the things that are “to take place after this” (v. 19c), which is what we have in Chapter’s 4-22. Chapter 4 even begins with “After this.” Chapter’s 4-5 introduce the things that will take place after this; Chapters 6-12 highlight the judgement on and destruction of Jerusalem; Chapters 13-18 highlight the judgement on and destruction of the Roman Empire; Chapter 19 shows the bride’s enjoyment of her relationship to her Husband, as well as Christ riding on His white horse to conquer the nations through the preaching of the Word of God (as had been introduced in chapter 6). The first half of chapter 20 deals with the binding of satan (with reference to deceiving the nations), and subsequently the saints then reigning with Christ for a thousand years. Halfway through chapter 20 until the end of 22, we have what is like the Postscript of the Revelation. John sees the second coming of Christ, followed by the great white throne judgement. Then in chapter’s 21 and 22 we have the perfection of the eternal state where believers dwell with Christ in the new heavens and the new earth for all eternity.
The Revelation then ends with reminding the readers of many of things that had been mentioned at the beginning. Why is this important to understand? Because many today divide the Revelation up into 7 parts, and some even into 10 parts. I think it is much simpler than that. I am most convinced from the Scriptures of the three divisions that Bahnsen points out.
CONCLUSION. So there you have it. In the first chapter we have the recipients, the purpose, the promise, the Alpha, and the outline of the revelation of Jesus Christ. Let me remind you of the doctrine: Because Christ loves us, He wants His slaves to know what He is doing in history, so that we may not lose heart and obey His commands despite the seeming odds. Whatever your position the revelation of Jesus Christ, as you read it, keep your eyes fixed on the Alpha, the Lord Jesus Christ! He wins and we win with Him. In Him, we can all take great comfort. In Him, we can all press on for His glory in faith.
