REVELATION 1
Why in the world would anyone start a Bible study with a study of the Book of Revelation? I’m glad that you asked because I wanted to tell you. I know that it sounds crazy but I think that I have a good reason. A couple of months ago I was in the hospital and I heard some people talking at the nurses’ station across the hall from my room. They were discussing Revelation and its importance, especially for our day and time. One person was instructing the other that they first had to study numerology in order to understand the Book of “Revelations”. After that, the discussion got kind of crazy and I have to tell you that I didn’t understand anything they were saying about the last book of the New Testament. A few days before that, I overheard some people talking about Revelation while they were waiting in line in front of me at the super market. People frequently ask me questions about Revelation – more than any other subject in the Bible. It is a subject that really interests people and seems to really confuse them at the same time. I used to teach high school geometry and one of the biggest obstacles I had in teaching geometry was overcoming the preconceived confusion my students had before they ever entered my classroom. That is one of the major problems we have in studying Revelation: overcoming preconceived notions of confusion before we ever take a look at the text. What I would like to do in this blog is take a fresh look at the text and eliminate some of the confusion. Let’s study Revelation country style: plain and simple.
I really wish we could sit down together with a cup of coffee and read and study this together. Since that is not possible right now let’s do the next best thing. You grab a cup of coffee; open your Bible to the last book; get a pen and some paper to make some notes; and let’s start taking a look at Revelation together. If, no not if, but, when, I say something stupid, or something that doesn’t make sense to you, or, if you have any questions about the text please go to the “Contact Me” page to send them to me. I’ll do my best to answer them in a future blog or an email.
(One little, insignificant issue: I think it is because of a teacher that I had in the past. The book is REVELATION – without an “s”. When folks call it Revelations, it should not bother me, but it is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Now that I have said that, it seems even more insignificant. I probably should just get over it. But there it is. I have confessed it openly. You may not have ever called it that but if you do, now you will know why I wince and why my tongue may appear a bit bloody afterward.)
Revelation is a bit unique. Although it was a required class in Bible college I put off taking it until the very last. I dreaded it because of my preconceived confusion. So many good people said so many different things about it. Who was right and who was wrong? What if they were all wrong? I recently took another course on Revelation and thought it was great. It was so good, I think I will take the same course again. What has made the difference for me? It goes back to what my Daddy used to say. I would come to him with a question and he would inevitably ask, “What does the Bible say?” I would quote to him something I heard some powerful preacher say and he would ask, “What does the Bible say?” I would have a brilliant insight that seemed to elude most people – “What does the Bible say?” Years later when I was a pastor in California, I would call him with a question and he would ask me, “What does the Bible say?” I would then quote a few passages of Scripture to which he would respond, “There is your answer.” Now days when I hear people teaching Revelation and saying, “this means this” or, “that represents such and such”; I hear Daddy’s voice: “What does the Bible say?” I then dismiss most of their speculations and hang on to what they can show me from the pages of Scripture what the Bible actually says.
One unique feature of Revelation is found in chapter 1, verse 3: Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things that are written in it; for the time is near. NASB God has promised to bless those who read Revelation and those who listen to it read aloud. I don’t know why I would put off reading Revelation. I need and want every blessing God wants to give me. I cannot explain that. I don’t need to. It is supernatural. It doesn’t have to make sense to me. God blesses those who read Revelation.
Another unique help that John gives us in Revelation is that he gives us an outline for the book in chapter 1, verse 19, Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. NASB
- The things which you have seen – the vision John saw of Jesus (1:9-20)
- The things which are – the letters to the 7 literal churches of Asia which were in existence when John was writing (chapters 2-3)
- The things which will take place after these things – the future events which climax in the rebuilt and renewed heaven and earth (chapters 4 – 22)
Bringing It Home:
As we read Revelation (or any passage of Scripture) we should ask 6 questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? Wherefore? (or, as Howard Hendricks, the former chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys liked to put it: So what?)
Revelation 1: 1-20
The first “who” is Jesus. We call it the Revelation of John, but really it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John.
The second “who” is John the Apostle (NOT John the Baptist – he was dead by this time). The third “who” was the angel who communicated the Revelation from Jesus to John. Other “who’s” are the 7 churches of Asia Minor (mostly modern day Turkey) which were real churches existing at the time John wrote.
What? – the Revelation (unveiling) of Jesus, Himself; problems; and successes of the 7 churches; and future events.
Where? – 1:4 – John to the seven churches that are in Asia
1:9 – I, John, …was on the island called Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
When? – 1:10 – I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day – The vision came to John on Sunday, since the resurrection of Jesus on the first day of the week, that was the special day that Christians gathered to celebrate (see Acts 20:7; 1 Co. 16:2)
Why? To reveal some things we wouldn’t otherwise know
So What? So we can be supernaturally blessed (1:3); So we can know that Jesus is coming again (1:7); so we can know Jesus better – remember John saw the overwhelming vision of Jesus and fell at His feet like a dead man (1:17) In verse 12 there are seven golden lampstands and in verse 16, seven stars in his hand – symbols. Symbols of what? Well, as often happens in Revelation: after he uses a symbol, he explains the symbol: (1:20) …the seven stars are the angels (or, “messengers” – preachers) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (the Greek word translated “angel” literally means, “messenger” so the most literal meaning is the preacher, or pastor-teacher. Or, perhaps, the one who reads the letter to the seven churches. That fits the context. – “When the literal sense makes sense, seek no other sense.
Dig a little deeper: Read Revelation 1 once daily for five to seven days in a row. Read it in several different translations. One of my primary resources for this study is Revelation, by John F. Walvoord (former President of Dallas Theological Seminary), published by Moody Publishers. Another very helpful resource is Charles Swindoll’s, Living Insights, New Testament Commentary: Revelation. This book is very interesting as well as informative. I would also recommend J. Vernon McGee’s study on Revelation. If you don’t have the time to listen or read his study, then Check out his “Notes and Outline” on Revelation. Go to ttb.org; click on the Hamburger Icon on the top left; click on the “Resources” heading, then the “Notes & Outlines” sub-heading; then scroll down to “Revelation” to pull up a 12 page outline.
More next time,
Mike
