My Commentary On Revelation Chapters 1-3. What The Chapters Tell Us About Christ Our Lord.
This Article is going to focus on what Revelation 1-3 tells us about Christ our Lord. I will be quoting from various other books from Scripture that is in connection with the details within Revelation chapters 1-3. This Article should be taken in account with my previous Article, in which I explain why Christ didn't come out directly and say, "I am God." If you have not read that Article yet, go and read it, then come back to this Article and continue on.
Section 1. Revelation Chapter 1
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
Take note, Jesus Christ is called "The Faithful Witness." And Notice how verse 4 seems to make it out like someone else is the One who is coming.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
It is clear that Christ is the subject of these verses. The end of verse 6 has a call to worship Christ, this very same phrase is used towards God and here is used towards Christ. And remember Christ is the subject of these verses, now when we look at verse 7, it says that Christ will be coming on the clouds and everyone will see Him. We know this is Christ because it says, "everyone who pierced him." There is no doubt that this is Christ. [ 1. Matthew 26:64 ]
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 Lord God the Almighty says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega." This is Christ, notice it says " the Lord God." Christ was called both Lord and God. [ 2. John 20:26-29 ] But then notice this, it says the Lord God is the One who is coming. And if we glance back up to verses 5b-7 Christ is the One who is coming.
9 I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Per′gamum and to Thyati′ra and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to La-odice′a.”
Notice the description Saint John gives us about this voice that is speaking to him. Now let's look at what happens next—
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; 14 his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; 16 in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
Saint John sees "one like a son of man" This figure has a head and hair that's white like snow and wool and Saint John goes on to give a total description of the being. It appears that Saint John is before God, the Ancient of Days. [ 3. Daniel 7:9 ]
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last
Now we have no doubt, the figure just called Himself God. He said: "Fear not, I am the first and the last." [ 4. Isaiah 41:4; 5. Isaiah 44:6; 6. Isaiah 48:12 ]
18 and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Verse 18 starts off consistent. The being says that He is the living One. [7. Deuteronomy 5:26; 8. Joshua 3:10; 9. 1 Samuel 17:26; 10. 1 Samuel 17:36; 11. 2 Kings 19:4;
12. 2 Kings 19:16; 13. Esther 8(16):16; 14. Psalm 42:2; 15. Psalm 84:2; 16. Isaiah 37:4; 17. Isaiah 37:17; 18. Jeremiah 10:10; 19. Jeremiah 23:36; 20. Daniel 6:20; 21. Daniel 6:26;
22. Daniel 14:5; 23. Daniel 14:6; 24. Daniel 14:24; 25. Daniel 14:25; 26. Hosea 1:10; 27. Matthew 16:16; 28. Matthew 26:63; 29. Acts 14:15; 30. Romans 9:26; 31. 2 Corinthians 3:3 ; 32. 2 Corinthians 6:16; 33. 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 34. 1 Timothy 3:15; 35. 1 Timothy 4:10;
40. Hebrews 12:22] But then the curve in the path comes, "I died, and behold I am alive for evermore." Woah woah, when did God die? If you are someone who denies Christ being God but accept the Bible, you are shocked now that you see this being broken down in this way. If you are using this to witnesses to people, emphasize this verse. Now, remember the description of the figure, presumably God, that Saint John gave.
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
So verse 1 here tells us the words that will follow are of the figure Saint John saw, presumably God.
2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear evil men but have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and found them to be false; 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
Notice this one speaks with authority and there is not doubt that it is the being Saint John saw and described.
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
Remember each of these addresses are from the mouth of the figure Saint John saw. He calls himself the First and the Last who died and came to life. Again when has God died and come to life? (emphasize this point if speaking)
9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.’
Again, notice the authority this One speaks with, knowing from Heaven the tribulations of people among the churches and telling them the future.
12 “And to the angel of the church in Per′gamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
Again the figure who Saint John saw speaks again, and does not give to many details of His power and authority as the previous sections. (can read verses 13-17 if needed
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyati′ra write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
Oh wow, so the figure that Saint John saw in chapter 1, was Jesus Christ. Notice Christ appeared like human but with more glorified features and white hair symbolizing that He is God now that His mission as the Messiah has finished. And if you read the next section that always follows, verses 19-29, someone who denies Christ being God will bring up verse 27.
27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from my Father;
They will see this verse and say that this proves that Christ cannot be God because He received His power from the Father. Now this is where you need to read my previous Article. Christ is saying that He received His power now that He is no longer a servant upon the Earth.
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
Again we are still seeing Christ speaking and Christ is letting us know that the figure from Chapter 1, was Him.
“‘I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead. 2 Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3 Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Again, Christ makes it known that He is aware of the deeds of many people from Heaven. And He mentions again that HE is the One who will be coming on the day of Judgement. The beginning of verse 5, Christ tells us the authority He has. He can either keep or blot out names within the Book of Life. Now, someone may see the second half of verse 5 and try to say that it proves Christ isn't God, however that is not the case. It is simply a continuation of something that was previously said to occur. [ 41. Matthew 10:33; 42. Luke 12:9 ]
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens.
Here Christ is making known to us that He can open doors to things and shut doors to other things. That is a very high authority, which is the authority of God. And the other meaning is that Christ opens the path to His Father and closes it because He is the One Mediator between man and the Father.
8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. 11 I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Christ here again talks about knowing peoples deeds, and speaks on the opening of doors and shutting of doors. Then in verse 9, Christ says that He has the authority to make all the Jews who practice Judaism to bow before the feet of the Believers in Christ. In verse 10, Christ appears to tell the members of the Church in Philadelphia that He will keep them from experiencing the trials that will occur before the Judgement. And finally in verse 11, Christ reminds them and us that He is the One coming. Now someone will read verse 12 and again say that it appears Christ is not appearing as God. Yet notice the way Christ is speaking. He does not say, "our God." He is saying "my God." He is speaking about His Father from the role as a servant being that He although is in Glory again, still has His flesh and humanity.
14 “And to the angel of the church in La-odice′a write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
Now, it surely does appear that Christ here is being called the first thing God created while creating well—creation, however that is not the case. Remember that Christ was present at creation because all things were made through Him. [ 43. Psalm 33:6; 44. John 1:1-3;
45. John 1:10]
But to not forget that Christ also created the Heavens and Earth.[ 46. Hebrews 1:8-10 ]
15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
Christ says that He will grant anyone who conquers to sit with Christ on His throne as Christ sits on the throne with His Father. Showing that He has supreme Authority to grant people to rule over all things because we will be above angels and above us is God, The Father and Christ and the Spirit.
My Final Thoughts
I have enjoyed doing a commentary on these beginning chapters of Revelation. Revelation is one of my favorite books because of the fact that Christ claims to be God so openly and clearly within this book. Look out in the future for a continuation of commentaries on Revelation.
"The LORD bless you
and keep you;
the LORD make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn His face toward you
and give you peace." ☦
Comments
Post a Comment