Revelation

1. Revelation Chapter 1

2. Chapter 1 is primarily an explanation of what is going on, how it came about and what is to come.

3. Verse 1 Revelation opens with affirmation of the Trinity.

4. God gives the revelation to Jesus (only the Father knows the hour...) who gives it to an angel, who gives it to John, as instructed.

5. John uses the words "shortly", it does not mean that this is relative to John's day but, rather, that when they begin to happen, things will unfold quickly.

6. The same Greek word is translated as "speedily" in Luke 18:8.

7. Throughout this lesson, we must always remember that this was revealed by God according to His sense of time, not ours.

8. For this reason it is never wise to assume that the uncompleted events of Revelation are a long way into the future.

9. We should always plan our lives as if the end times were yet a millennium to come but we should live our lives as if the time of the end commenced thirty seconds ago.

10. Verse 2 He, being John, who was asked to record this prophesy.

11. Verse 3 Uses the same Greek word for "blessed" as is used in the beatitudes.

12. There are seven of these beatitudes in Revelation: 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:19, 20:6, 22:7, 22:14.

13. This blessing is for those who read the letter out loud and in public, who declare it to the world and for those who hear, learn and keep the teachings of this warning.

14. It was never intended to be shut up in the hands of clergy, as the CC did, and as liberal theologians and the ecumenical movement are trying to do again in this day.

15. The reference to "at hand" conveys no definite time frame for these events to occur.

16. This highlights the foolishness of those who attempt to predict timings.

17. We will be encountering some events that certainly appear to have fulfilled some of Revelation's prophesies. Only our Creator God knows for sure.

18. Verse 4 In this instance, denotes God the Father Almighty in His eternal existence and immutability.

19. We will frequently encounter Jesus Christ the Son being considered as God because much the same character is given to Him (v8,11,17 and 21:6 and 22:13).

20. This is Trinitarian reference and not the error of the Unitarian movements.

21. The seven churches are symbolic of all the other churches, of all times to the end of time.

22. Within the Bible, there is no specific list of exactly what these attributes may be.

23. Or it may be that the number seven, reflecting absolute perfection, refers to the absolute perfection of the overall Spirit of God Himself (as separate from the person of the Holy Spirit).

24. Verse 5 Jesus was the first to receive an immortal resurrection body - a promise of more resurrected bodies (us) to come.

25. It is also authentication of His Father given authority to judge# and to rule the world. The remainder is honorifics and praise and worship, which are His right and proper due.

26. I am amazed by the liberal theologians who declare that God does not judge#. Consider this # as we go along.

27. Verse 6 see Romans 11:36 & 15:6.

28. We will see the saints called kings who, under Jesus, have power to prevail with God in prayer and who are heirs of the kingdom of glory.

29. They are as priests, having near access to God, who offer up themselves and their good works as sacrifices of gratitude, which are acceptable to God through the atoning works of Jesus Christ.

30. Verse 7 This verse is the overwhelming central theme of Revelation.There appear to be two rapture-like events in Revelation although neither is so labeled.

31. This verse speaks to the first, although it does not happen at this point.

32. The first rapture will be for those who have remained steadfast in their faith despite persecution and ridicule and they will be taken up in a manner the whole world will be aware of just as the tribulation times begin.

33. The word ''clouds'' is symbolic for the angels of Heaven (Ps 104:3/Ps 68:7 are a Hebrew parallelism).

34. This means a host of angles, so large that they will be visible to the whole world at once, will come with Jesus to gather up the elect. So much for the secret Rapture.

35. The second will occur in 18:1-4 and will involve those who return to or are newly come to Christ during the tribulation and this will occur just before the end time.

36. The AMEN (so be it) acknowledges the fact that for many on earth when this happens, this will be an exceedingly frightening event but we want it anyway. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

37. Verse 8 Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet indicating that the LORD God is the beginning and ending of all things. Omnipotent, immutable and eternal.

38. Verse 9 Patmos is a small island in the Aegean sea. In those days it was a place of exile and a prison. John was there twice for his testimony of Christ.

39. Note the signs of OUR times and the example he has set for us who follow: patiently enduring our sufferings for his witness of Christ and quietly waiting for his crown of glory in Heaven.

40. Verse 10 "in the Spirit" a state of spiritual ecstasy, perhaps like a state of reversed transfiguration (Matt 17:2).The Lord's Day is a subject of some uncertainty:

41. The Old Testament holds this to be the seventh day which we, in this day, call "Saturday" which is actually the day named after the pagan god Saturn.

42. Through Jesus' time, and the Gospels, the Hebrews only had a name for this particular day - "The Sabbath"(Exodus 20:8-11).

43. All of the other days were simply numbered one through six.

44. Within the Epistles we begin to witness divisiveness on the subject due to both the Christians and the Jews wanting to use the temple and the synagogues on the seventh day.

45. The Christians were also gathering in these places on the first day in memorial of the resurrection, hence the term ''The Lord's Day''

46. or more properly ''The Day Of The Lord'' because the Hebrew language did not have the capacity for the possessive case in their grammar.

47. The Epistles record that the Gentiles in other lands were willing to adopt the seventh day worship tradition.

48. This inconsistency carried on until the days of Constantine when the CC formalized the first day tradition.

49. Sadly, at the same time, the CC adopted the pagan names for the days of the week, all of which were the names of pagan gods. The CC also blended the Christian holy days with pagan events.

50. Throughout the centuries there has been much controversy over all of this, with many denominations holding to the seventh day Sabbath and the God selected times for the holy days.