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Revelation

Revelation. Chapter 1. Chapter 1:1-3. Revelation = Apocalypse This isn’t John’s apocalypse but Jesus’ apocalypse – through John – to the 7 churches (and the whole Church) Jesus delivers His apocalypse to John by the angel “must soon take place” The return of Christ

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Revelation

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  1. Revelation Chapter 1

  2. Chapter 1:1-3 • Revelation = Apocalypse • This isn’t John’s apocalypse but Jesus’ apocalypse – through John – to the 7 churches (and the whole Church) • Jesus delivers His apocalypse to John by the angel • “must soon take place” • The return of Christ • The ending of this world and the inauguration of the new heaven and new earth • The judgment of the believing and the unbelieving • The devil and his minions locked away forever in hell

  3. Chapter 1:1-3 • “Servant” is the “politically correct” translation. • The actual word is “slave” • We are not “employees of Jesus” • Jesus is our master and we serve/slave for Him out of obligation and NOT so that we receive something (wage, recognition, etc.) in return. • Theologically, being a slave of Christ is a GOOD thing. The world takes issue with the word, but we don’t. • “and to” is better translated to, “that is” • John bears witness to the Word of God, THAT IS, the testimony of Jesus Christ. • God’s Word and Jesus’ testimony are one in the same for Jesus IS the Word

  4. Chapter 1:1-3 • Blessed is the one who READS ALOUD the words of this prophecy, who hear, and who keep what is written • NO REASON to fear or shy away from this book! • God offers great comfort and assurance within its pages • “This prophecy” • Only NT book which gives itself this designation • John is serving as a prophet, like a prophet of old • Speaking on behalf of God just as the old prophets did • Speaking/writing of the Messiah just as the old prophets did • And with the sure hope that what he says will come true

  5. Chapter 1:4-5a • The TRUE King is Jesus (the ruler of all the kings) • No government, president, king or queen, dictator, etc. is outside of the control and power of Christ. • “the faithful….martyr”??? • Yes! Jesus is given the title of martyr quite often in Revelation (martyr, witness, testifier) • A martyr is one who is a witness and a testifier and one who gives his life for the message • Christians are also called to be “faithful martyrs” in the world. How? • By faithfully giving testimony to the TRUTH even in the face of suffering and death • To the seven churches • The entire apocalypse was to be given to the seven churches

  6. Chapter 1:4-5a • To the seven churches • The entire apocalypse was to be given to the seven churches • Seven churches in Asia Minor • Each church also had a particular message beyond the totality of the book

  7. Chapter 1:4-5a • The One who IS…Was…Is Coming • Title for God the Father (in this verse) but also God the Son in other passages • John is explicitly using this title for both Father and Son! • Trinitarian theology was a live and preached in the 1st Century • The One who IS…Was…Is Coming/The Seven Spirits/Jesus Christ • Clear, bold proclamation of the Trinity • Seven Spirits • The Holy Spirit (not seven holy spirits, but one Spirit) • Numerology!!! Number 7 = perfection/fullness/holiness/righteousness. • Here 7 is used to show the fullness of the Spirit (Isa 11, Zech 3:9 – 4:10) • Jesus, in the wilderness: the fullness of the Spirit rests upon him (the 7 spirits…numerology, see??)

  8. Chapter 1:4-5a • Firstborn from the dead • Resurrection of Christ (Col. 1) • His witness leads to his death (martyrdom) • But Christ is the first to be raised FROM the dead • And by doing so He conquers death • Jesus continues to be the faithful martyr, serving the Father and proclaiming the Word to all • He is “firstborn” because we will all follow

  9. Chapter 1:4-5a • The Spirit is not the object of worship in Revelation • Though the Spirit is God and deity, • The Spirit seeks that we should worship the Father and the Son • We NEVER worship the Spirit apart from the Godhead or make the Spirit a primary focal point of our worship services. • The Spirit always draws us to worship Christ • At the same time, we worship the whole trinity, Father, Son AND Spirit, and we NEVER worship the angels (as we will see). The angels, in fact, direct us to worship the Lamb, for when we worship the Son, we worship God the Father, Son and Spirit – Triune God. • Too many Christians, this day and age, seek to be “spiritual” and to worship the Spirit. This is blaspheming!

  10. Chapter 1:5b-6 • Good theology (study of God) leads to right doxology (praise of God) • “to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. • How DID Christ love us? • By freeing us from our sins by His blood • By making us a kingdom of priests to His God and Father • Fulfilling the promise made to Abraham and through Moses • Passover was the atoning sacrifice pointing forward to Yom Kippur where the sacrifice for the sins of the people was made, which all pointed to Christ our Passover Lamb – the Lamb for New Israel – the Holy Christian Church

  11. Chapter 1:5b-6 • Kings and Priests • Even though we may be in subjection to earthly kings and kingdoms, still, we ARE a Kingdom and we are kings in His kingdom! • Jews were priests on the earth (and did a bad job of it) • They claimed that they had the only access to God and that Christians had no access to it • Jesus ASSURES us that we ARE his priests and we DO have access to God • We are priests in the Holy Priesthood of all believers through our baptisms (1 Peter 2:9ff, 3:18ff) • We have the divine name forever written on our foreheads (Ex 28 29-41) • The Jews are the synagogue of Satan (Rev 2:9; 3:9) and do not have access to the Father, but only Christians and we enter the Holy of Holies every time we enter the church for the Divine Service where God is working forgiveness and salvation

  12. Chapter 1:7 • Behold, He is coming in the clouds, etc. • Eschatology – the study of the last things (remember, different than apocalypse) • Daniel 7 • EVERY eye shall see Him • No “secret rapture” • No people disappearing suddenly, i.e. “Left Behind” • The tribes will wail on account of Him • The judgment where the evil and wicked and unbelieving will face eternal torment • Both soul AND body forever in hell • The righteous, chosen, and called believers in Christ will be raised and those still living will, along with them, have renewed/restored bodies forever in paradise

  13. Chapter 1:8-9 • I am the Alpha and the Omega… • This is God the Father speaking • The Almighty One • Again, calling Himself the one who is and who was and who is to come • John, as prophet, is using similar language to OT prophets • Lord God, “thus says the Lord”, first person language, speaking FOR God, etc. • John is a fellow partner in the tribulation AND partner in the Kingdom AND the patient endurance that is in Jesus • He is on equal ground with all His Christian family

  14. Chapter 1:8-9 Island of Patmos Prison colony

  15. Chapter 1:8-9 • Christianity is NEVER taught (in the Bible) as a religion of fun, getting everything we want, abundance “now”, or daily bliss • Christianity is regularly described as one of suffering and tribulation for the sake of Christ. WHY?? • Why is suffering a given when it comes to the Christian faith? • Remember what St. Paul writes about the war we wage • Revelation is about how to remain faithful in the midst OF suffering!

  16. Chapter 1:8-9 • Account of the Word of God…testimony of Jesus • Proclaiming Christ (teaching the Scripture, preaching, etc.) will lead to some level of persecution. • It may not be imprisonment • But persecution will come none the less • Note: YHWH is the Hebraic tetragrammaton (of four letters) divine name. It is without vowel and was never spoken by a devout Jew. It literally translates to “I am”. In Greek it translates to “IAW” (Iota, Alpha, Omega). “Jehovah” is a Latin derivative of YHWH, which combined the Hebrew TGT (YHWH) with the Hebrew title “Adonai” (Lord) and the “J” and “V” sounds assumed (YaHoWaHi, or JaHoVah).

  17. Chapter 1:10-11 • A Great Voice, like a trumpet • NOT Jesus’ voice! • This is the Spirit’s voice, the guide to John’s vision • He hears this voice again in 4:1 • Trumpet angels before the throne (the 7 spirits) • In the Spirit • Doesn’t mean he was rolling all round or speaking in tongues or anything like that • He was likely asleep and having a vision/dream, just as the prophets of old • On the Lord’s Day • He may have been awake and studying the Scripture or worshiping as well since it was Sunday

  18. Chapter 1:10-11 • Seven churches • The actual, physical seven churches in Asia minor, to which John was overseer/bishop. • While this “book” was meant for them specifically, it is also meant for us still today • God’s Word is never kept secret from one person/group but revealed to another person/group but it is for all His people of all time and place • Apocalyptic literature usually keeps messages/books “sealed up” but in this case the message given by the Spirit is to be open.

  19. Chapter 1:12-16 • Christ as the visible manifestation of YHWH in Revelation 1: • 13a – “one like the Son of Man” (Ezek. 1:26-28; Dan. 7:13) • 13b – “clothed to the foot” (Is. 6:1) • 13c – “ties around chest with a golden sash” (Dan. 10:5; Ezek. 1) • 14a – “head and hair white as wool/snow” (Dan. 7:9) • 14b – “eyes like flaming fire” (Dan. 10:6) • 15a – “feet like fine brass, having been refined in furnace” (Dan. 10:6) • 15b – “voice a voice of many waters” (Ezek. 1:24; 43:2) • 16a – “having in right hand seven stars” (Dan. 12:3, 6-7; Zech. 4:2) • 16b – “sharp two-edged sword from mouth” (Is. 49:2; 11:4) • 16c – “face as the sun shining” (Judges 5:31)

  20. Chapter 1:12-16 • John sees a vision of the risen Christ on the Lord’s Day • Why is this important? Is it just mere coincidence? • NO! Coincidences are rare and few in the Bible! • John was “in the spirit” on the Lord’s day and “lifted up” to the heavenly throne • While we aren’t “in the spirit” and having visions on the Lord’s Day, and we aren’t “lifted up” into heaven…but what DOES happen is amazing! • The heavenly throne room, along with the angels and archangels, all join together in worship and praise of the Lamb of God. Heaven and the Lamb DESCEND to us! • Jesus isn’t merely “spiritually” present with us in the Divine Service but is truly present with us in several ways: • In baptism where His Holy Name is stamped upon us • In the hearing and preaching of the Word where He speaks His law and gospel to us • In the proclamation of the Absolution where He forgives us our sins • In the Lord’s supper where His body and blood are given for us • Why so many Christians fail to recognize this and turn it all into a spiritual endeavor/spiritualism/experientialism is astounding. • Christians have lost the dirt and soil, the flesh and blood of Christianity and turned it all into an inward experience where all we can do is HOPE Jesus is present and seek out some manifestation to grab hold of.

  21. Chapter 1:12-16 • Revelation offers no direct quote from the OT, but Revelation is filled with OT as revelation • Christ’s “white hair” = Christ’s oneness with the Father, His eternal nature, and fully equal to the Ancient of Days (Dan 7 and 1 Enoch 46) • Revelation actually interprets Daniel! • John uses the language of Daniel, Ezekiel and Isaiah to describe what he sees in his vision. Why?

  22. Chapter 1:17-18 • Fall at his feet though dead • Similar to Isaiah and Ezekiel when they first encountered the veiled glory of YHWH • Jesus places his right hand on John and says “stop fearing, etc.” Why? • John is already fearing (present imperative) and Jesus says “stop” • Why? Because Christ has risen; he was dead and behold, He is ALIVE! • The death of Jesus is greatly emphasized in Revelation. Why? • Why have churches chided away from talking about the Death of Jesus (i.e. removing crucifixes from the church, focusing on Easter and not so much on Good Friday, etc.)? • Even in His glorified body, Jesus still bears the marks of his crucifixion (remember Thomas)

  23. Chapter 1:19 • Revelation is NOT a linear book! Apocalyptic literature seldom ever is. • Revelation is like a place with many different cameras running and recording, some pointing toward the past, some in the present, and some in the future. • Throughout Revelation, we may be looking through camera 1, or camera 2, or camera 3…but ALL the cameras are working hard to point us to heaven and eternity. • Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. • This is not a “write this…then this…then this…” idea! NOT chronolical. • A better translation: • “Write the things you have seen, both the things that are and the things that are about to take place” • John, in his vision, sees both a present and a future reality

  24. Chapter 1:20 • The seven lampstands are the seven churches • Christ is in the midst of the lampstands! • Christ is “with them/us” • The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches • Seven literal angels? • Why would Jesus ask John to send letters to angels on behalf of the churches? • This is likely referring to the seven pastors/shepherds serving at the churches. • The word for angel is “angelos” which means “messenger” • Angels are called angels, but also messengers. • The prophets are called angels, but also messengers • It is very likely that these are the seven “messengers” of the churches – the pastors. • Jesus Christ is in the midst of these messengers and their churches

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