Revelation Chapter 1

 A Brief Look at Differing Views of Predictive Prophecy

Bible commentators have developed three different views of end-time prophecies: amillennial, postmillennial, and premillennial.

Amillennialism

To the amillenialist, the prophecies of the end-times are figurative, and the book of Revelation is entirely symbolic and not a prophecy of literal future events.

Amillenialists generally believe that Christ will return to  at the end of a long age, but not literally 1,000 years, in order to establish the eternal state. Amillennialism originated with the theologian and philosophy Augustine in the 4^th century A.D. and is still a popular view.

Postmillennialism

Popular in the 17th-19th centuries, postmillennialism is the position that the church, through the preaching of the Gospel, will bring the world into a “golden age,” which will be characterized by the universal acceptance of God and the end of evil, followed by the return of Christ to establish the eternal state. Postmillennialists hold that end-times events foreseen in the book of Daniel happened in the second century B.C. and that the prophecies of Revelation were fulfilled in the first century A.D. The Puritans held this interpretation of prophecy. Also called “preterism,” it has gained some popularity today.

Premillennialism

The premillennialist believes that biblical prophecies are literal and that the fulfillment of end-times prophetic events of Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Paul (in 1 and 2 Thessalonians), and John in the book of Revelation are still in the future. These include the regathering of Israel and rebuilding of the Temple, the return of Christ for His church and the rapture, a tribulation period lasting seven years, the return of Christ with His church at the end of the tribulation to reign for 1,000 years, and finally, the judgment and our eternal state.

The premillennial viewpoint comes from interpreting the Bible literally, which I believe is the simplest and most reliable interpretive method. Predictive prophecy of the future will be fulfilled just as surely as the prophecies we have seen fulfilled in the past.

Revelation Chapter 1

Written in the late-90s A.D., the book of Revelation is also known as “Apocalypse,” from the Greek ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis), which means “an unveiling” or “an uncovering.” It is the first word in Revelation 1:1 and is translated simply “The Revelation…” in English.

As we discussed last time, the author of the book was John, the apostle. In their writings, the church fathers in the early second century A.D. recognized John as the author. John also wrote the fourth gospel and three epistles—1, 2, and 3 John. He outlived all the other apostles and passed away about 100 A.D. on the island of Patmos where the Roman Emperor Domitian sent him as punishment for his ministry activities. As John himself put it, he “…was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus…” (Revelation 1:9). Patmos is a small, isolated island in the Aegean Sea, about 60 miles southwest of Ephesus and about 150 miles east of Athens. It is 10 miles long and six miles wide, volcanic, rocky, and almost treeless and is one place to which the Romans banished exiles. Today, the island is a tourist attraction and a site of Christian pilgrimage.

In the book of Revelation, John’s recounts a vision in which the resurrected Christ appeared to him and told him to write what he saw and heard. In the book, Christ first conveyed commendations and warnings to seven churches in Asia Minor, the region where John had conducted his ministry chapters 2 and 3). Then, in chapters 4-21, He gives John a series of visions revealing the future history of the world.

Specifically, in His message to John about the future, Christ reveals:

• The doctrine of the last days,
• Final political makeup of the earth at His appearing,
• The last battle in human history,
• The career and ultimate defeat of the antichrist,
• His future thousand-year kingdom on earth,
• The glories of heaven and the eternal state, and
• The final state of the wicked and the righteous.

In his opening verses, John tells us of the vision he received (vv. 1-3):

¹ The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

V. 3 is the only place in the Bible that promises blessing for the one who reads it and “…take to heart what is written in it…”

John warns that “…the time is near…” (v. 3), referring to an epoch, age, era, or season. Many interpret this era as this present time or church age, and believe that the time is near now for Christ’s return for His church.

Jesus taught that no one can know the time of His return:

“³⁶ But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left” (Matthew 24:36-39).

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy…” (v. 3) is a reference to the early church’s form of worship in which a reader read the Scriptures aloud on the Lord’s Day.

In vv. 4-8, John addresses his message to seven churches in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and indicates Jesus will come in the clouds and “…every eye will see him…”:

⁴ John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶ and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. ⁷ “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. ⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

“…the seven spirits before his throne…” (v. 4) most likely refers to those seven churches to which the book of Revelation is addressed.

John refers to Christians in v. 6 as “…priests to serve his God and Father…,” reminiscent of God’s description of His people Israel I n Exodus 19:6: “…you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” John sees the Christian community as the continuation of the Old Testament people of God, but now redeemed by Christ and made heirs of his future rule on the earth. Furthermore, all believers are called to be priests. Peter describes God’s people as “…a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 2:5).

V. 7 (“‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,’ and ‘every eye will see him, even those who pierced him’; and all peoples on earth ‘will mourn because of him’”) brings to mind the words of the prophet Daniel, recorded in Daniel 7:13: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.”

Christ’s coming will be supernatural (“…with the clouds…,” v. 7) and in some manner open and known to all (“…every eye will see him…”), even to those who put him to death.

Jesus describes Himself as “…the Alpha and the Omega…who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (v. 8), “…the Almighty” likely an allusion to the Old Testament name El Shaddai, the name of God meaning “God Almighty.” From these verses, there is no doubt about who is speaking to John—it is God.

Vv. 9-11 identify the churches to which Christ is about to give his commendations and rebukes:

“⁹ I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰ On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹ which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.’”

“On the Lord’s Day…” (v. 10) was the first day of the week, the day the early church chose for worship in commemoration of the Lord’s death and resurrection, as well as the occasion to take up the collection for impoverished Christians. (“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread,” Acts 20:7; “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made,” 1 Corinthians 16:2).

 “…I was in the Spirit…” (v.10) describes John’s experience of receiving prophetic visions by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit gave him the experience of witnessing the great future day of the Lord. The voice John heard could be Christ’s or that of the angel who appears frequently to John (See 4:1 and 5:2).

Christ tells John in v. 11 to write what he sees and hears in a papyrus scroll and send to the seven Asian churches (v.4). This would include the substance of the whole book, not just the first vision. He then names the seven churches to which the Revelation message was addressed: “…Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” We do not know why the Lord selected just these particular churches to which to address His message. One view is that the characteristics of these churches make up a prophetic view of the future ages of the church. However, the seven churches exhibited typical qualities of both obedience and disobedience that are a constant reminder to people in churches of every age.

In his vision, John sees “…seven golden lampstand…” (v. 12).

Vv. 12-20:

“¹² I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. ¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. ¹⁹ Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.’”

Christ explains to John that “…the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (v. 20), but the imagery would apply to churches scattered among the nations and throughout church history. The source of light from the lampstands is Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In v. 13, Evidently the words “…someone like a son of man…” is like Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7:13: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.” The term “Son of man” is a reference to Christ, who is both God and human. It appears 81 times in the gospels and is the title that Jesus preferred for himself throughout His ministry. The early church rarely used the title “Son of Man” however.

The description in v. 13 that Christ was “…dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest…” is the first of several descriptions of the Son of Man we find in this book. The priests in the Old Testament wore a similar garment: “…a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash…” (Exodus 28:4). The robe and sash Christ wore in John’s vision signifies that Christ is the great High Priest to the churches and are symbols of dignity and divine authority.

His appearance with hair “… white like wool, as white as snow…” (v. 14) is like Daniel’s description of God in Daniel 7:9: “…the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.” Historically, white hair commanded respect and represented wisdom in the middle east. Further describing Christ, John says “…his eyes were like blazing fire…,” similar to Daniel’s description of his vision of the pre-incarnate Christ in Daniel 10:6: “…his eyes were like blazing fire…” This simile may denote the Lord’s penetrating scrutiny or fierce judgment. “…His voice was like the sound of rushing waters…” (literally in Hebrew, “many waters”). John’s description mirrors Ezekiel’s description of God in Ezekiel 43:2: “…I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.”

“In his right hand he held seven stars…” (v. 16). V. 20 identify the “seven stars” Christ held in his right hand as the seven angels of the seven churches in Asia: “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

John sees a “…a sharp, double-edged sword…” coming from the mouth of Christ. He returns to the description of the double-edged sword of Christ several times in the book: 2:12 (“…These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword”), as well as 2:16, 19:15, and 19:21. The metaphor is not intended to signify warlike aggression. The sword appears again in 2:12 and 2:16 in the Lord’s rebuke to the church at Pergamum and in 19:15 and 19:21, where He will strike down the rebellious at his coming with such a sword. The sword represents divine judgment.

In. vv. 17-18, we see John is overwhelmed in the presence of Christ: “…I fell at his feet as though dead” (v. 17). His reaction was not unusual. In the presence of God, “Abram fell facedown…” (Genesis 17:3), and seeing the pre-incarnate Christ, Ezekiel reported “…I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking” (Ezekiel 1:28). Daniel’s reaction was similar: “As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate” (Daniel 8:17). Daniel described a subsequent vision from the Lord, writing in Daniel 10:8-9: “⁸ So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. ⁹ Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.”

Immediately after John fell at Jesus’ feet, Christ placed his hand on John and reassured him (v. 17): “Do not be afraid…” and explained to John: “I am the First and the Last.” The title “…the First and the Last…” refers only to God Himself (see Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12), So Christ, in this interchange with John is claiming to be God.

In v. 18,  the Lord also calls Himself “…the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever,” which was a reminder of the miracle of His resurrection and ascension to Heaven. It was His death and resurrection that Gave Him the right to hold the “…the keys of death and Hades” (v. 18). “Hades” is a translation of the Hebrew term שְׁאֹל (sheol—meaning “death, grave” or “the place of the dead.” In the New Testament, “Hades” is sometimes used to describe the place of the dead and other times the place of the wicked dead.

Jesus then instructs John to “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later” (v. 19). This verse gives us an outline of the book of Revelation:

• “…what you have seen…”—chapter one,
• “…what is now…”—chapters two and three, the letters to the seven churches, and
• “…what will take place later…”—chapter four through chapter 22.

In. v. 20, Jesus reveals the what the seven stars (v. 16) and the seven lampstands (v. 12) represent: “The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

In the New Testament, a mystery is something that had been secret but has now been revealed.

It is difficult to identify the “…angels of the seven churches.” The term “angels” literally means “messengers.” Some commentators interpret “anfels” in v. 20 as a reference to the leaders in the seven churches. When John mentions angels everywhere else in the book (67 times), however, he means heavenly messengers. The angels in v. 20 are therefore angels as we commonly understand the term—heavenly messengers who have responsibility over the seven churches.

Locations of the seven churches in Asia Minor. The region is western Turkey today.