Revelation 1: Opening & the Lord of the Church

• v.1-3 Prologue
• v.4-8 Greetings and Doxology
• v.9-20 John’s Vision of Christ

v.1-3 Prologue

Jesus > angel > John

v.1,2 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, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Blessing on the reader

v.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.

[Note: God’s word, Jesus’ testimony, revealed to John. Blessed are they who both read and take to heart these words

v.4-8 Greetings and Doxology

v.4-6 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, and from Jesus Christ, who is [i] the faithful witness, [ii] the firstborn from the dead, and [iii] the ruler of the kings of the earth.

 To him who [i] loves us and has [ii] freed us from our sins by his blood, and [iii] 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.

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.” So shall it be! Amen.

v.8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

[Note: Specifically to the churches of Asia Minor, a blessing of grace & peace from God, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Christ, the Son. All glory be to Jesus who will come again in the clouds – see Acts 1:11 & Dan 7:13 and Zech 12:10. God is the beginning and the end.]

v.9-20 John’s Vision of Christ

v.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.

[Note: The Place: John was on the prison island of Patmos when he received this.]

v.10,11 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 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.”

[Note: The Time & Instruction: in the Spirit on the sabbath he is told to write to these 7 churches

v.12,13 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, [see Dan 7:13] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.

v.14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.

v.15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.

v.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.

[Note: A Priest-like Instructor: 7 lampstands and one man showing signs of age, wisdom and piercing insight, feet that speak of endurance, and a mighty voice, and who holds 7 stars, and speaks with cutting authority and shines with the glory of God

v.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.

v.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.

v.19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.

v.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.

[Note: Impact, Authority & Instruction: his presence makes John fall before one he identifies with God. Yet as one who lived, died and rose again, he is clearly Jesus, and holds the power of life and death. He instructs John to write. The stars are angels or leaders, and the lampstands are their churches; the glorified Son of God holds them and stands in the midst of his churches.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: