THE BLESSED REVELATION – Revelation 1:1-3

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on December 2, 2015 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group; December 2, 2015 from Revelation 1:1-3

Theme: The first three verses of Revelation give us a basic introduction to this book.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

This morning, we begin a study of the last book of inspired Scripture to have been given by God to His church. The Revelation of Jesus Christ (which is its God-given title) is not a book intended to be obscure or difficult. Unlike the Old Testament book of Daniel (see Daniel 12:9); Revelation is not a closed and concealed book. Instead, it’s one that is commanded by God to be kept ‘unsealed’ to God’s people (Revelation 22:10). It begins with a blessing to those who read it (1:3); and it closes with a warning not to add to it or take away from it (22:18-19).

Traditionally, there have been four ways of interpreting this book:

(1) The Preterist view (praeter is a Latin prefix for “past”) holds that the book is strictly describing events that occurred in 70 A.D.; and therefore was written after the facts as God’s authorized description of the significance of those events.

(2) The Historical view holds that the book is describing events that would occur in the unfolding history of the church; and concerns itself with events that are occurring even now.

(3) The Symbolic view holds that the book presents lessons in the form of allegories and symbolisms; and therefore is not concerned so much with objective historic events as it is with abstract spiritual concepts.

(4) The Futurist view assumes that the writer is prophetically describing, through signs and symbolisms, literal events that are yet to occur in the future.

The Futurist View is the view we will follow in this study. It allows that some portions of the book describe an unfolding history over a long-period of time (e.g., Chapters 2-3), or contains much that symbolically represents spiritual truths. But the primary interpretive principle of this view is that the book is a prophetic in nature; and that it speaks of literal, future events.

There have also been three basic views of the structure of the main body of this book:

(1) A Linear Structure sees the events of Chapters 6-19 as flowing in a straight, chronological sequence of distinct events (i.e., the seven seals are followed by the seven trumpets, which are followed by the seven bowl judgments).

(2) A Telescopic Structure sees the events as contained one in another (i.e., the seven bowl judgments are contained in the seventh trumpet, and the seven trumpets are contained in the seventh seal).

(3) A Recapitulation Structure sees the description of the events as a repetition (i.e., the seven seals of Chapters 6-7 are the seven trumpets of Chapters 8-11, which also are the seven bowl judgments of Chapters 15-16).

Our study will follow a modified form of the Recapitulation approach. It sees the telling of the seven seals of 6:1-8:1 as being repeated in the pageant of the woman and the dragon in chapters 12-13; and the telling of the seven trumpets of 8:2-11:19 as being repeated in the seven bowl judgments of 15:5-16:21.

The key verse of this book is Revelation 1:19; which gives us the basic outline of the book itself. It’s there that our Lord tells John, “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” Thus, the three main divisions of this book are:

(1) “the things which you have seen” (being described in 1:10-18),

(2) “the things which are” (being described in chapters 2-3; see also 1:20ff), and

(3) “the things which will take place after this” (being described in chapters 4-22:7; see 4:1ff).

* * * * * * * * * *

This precious book needs to be handled with the utmost humility and reverence; and always while keeping the great theme—the revealing of the Lord Jesus Christ—ever in the forefront. The first three verses tell us much about how to approach this book; giving us such things as . . .

1. ITS THEME (v. 1a).

Its great theme is Jesus Christ (see 19:10). Specifically, it is “the revelation” (that is, the apokalupsis–the unveiling or manifesting) of Jesus Christ. In it, the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed in terms of the glory with which He will return and commence His reign on this earth. Note then that the proper title of this book is not (as some habitually call it) “Revelations”. It is only one revelation; and it has, as its one great purpose, the revelation of Jesus Christ. Note that this “revelation” has divine authority. It is given to Jesus Christ by the Father. Before He went to the cross, our Lord prayed that the Father would glorify Him with the glory that He had with the Father before the world was (John 17:1-5). This book gives us the telling-forth of that glorification as “things which must shortly [or swiftly] take place” (see also Revelation 22:6, 12).

2. ITS TRANSMISSION (v. 1b).

The message of the revelation of Jesus Himself (which is the gift of the Father to Him), was given to Him “to show to His servants”. It is a book that is meant to minister to and edify those who belong to the Lord Jesus while they are on this earth. The Father gave this revelation to His Son; and the Son then sent His angel (or “messenger”) to communicate it to its human author, the apostle John. It was communicated to John by being “signified”—that is indicated or shown by signs. And John, in turn, is the human instrument by which it is then communicated to us. Note that this book is not John’s imagination or dreams; but rather of divine “signification”. He was objectively shown signs while “in the Spirit” (see 1:10), able to write (1:19), and to look (4:1).

3. ITS HUMAN AUTHOR (v. 2a).

John identifies himself as he “who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ . . .” He is the same writer who wrote the Gospel of John (1:1-5; 19:35; 21:24), and the letters that bear his name (1 John 1:1-4); who leaned on Jesus’ breast (John 13:25; 21:20).

4. ITS COMMUNICATION (v. 2b).

Note that John wrote as if an eyewitness to literal events; bearing witness “to all things that he saw”. Though the book is filled with symbolism and signs, John did not write what he merely “dreamed” or “imagined”; but as a faithful reporter of things he was deliberately shown.

5. ITS BLESSING (v. 3a).

There is great blessing attached to the study of this book. No other book of the Bible is spoken of as having so much of a blessing in store for those who read it, for those who hear it, and for those who heed it or keep it. It leads, through obedience, to a deeper relationship with the One who is its great theme (see also Revelation 22:14).

6. ITS GENRE (v. 3b).

Note that this book is specified as “prophecy” (see also 22:10). It prophetically forth-tells to us that which is to come; things which must shortly take place, and that are near. (This justifies our taking the “Futurist” approach to its interpretation.)

7. ITS RELEVANCY (v. 3c).

It’s meant to be a book that is to be applied to practical, everyday living. It is specifically a blessing to those who “keep” it; because, from the standpoint of God’s plan in redemptive history, “the time is near” for the fulfillment of the things it describes (see 1 John 2:18).