Revelation 1:1-8

Posted on February 26, 2021 9:01 am by janjoybell@yahoo.com

Let’s grab our Bibles and turn to Revelation 1. My intent is to walk you through these first few verses helping you understand God’s purpose for allowing us ‘behind the curtain’: apocalypse (revelation).

John wrote this prophetic letter to seven churches who represent the complete Church in every place and for all generations. Even though as Americans we haven’t yet suffered persecution for God’s Word and our testimony of Jesus, many people have and need the unveiling of this book. There’s a blessing promised if you read it aloud, hear these words, and embrace them (vs. 1-3).

John declared grace and peace (vs. 4-5) from the Father, the Son, and the Spirit describing His undeserved kindness and wholeness radiating throughout this letter. It’s vital we recognize God the Father, Who is, Who was, and Who is to come; He’s present tense, He’s past tense, and will continue to be there in the future tense.

God the Spirit is called the ‘seven spirits’ who is before the Father’s throne. This description points us back to the Spirit’s character and purposes written by the prophet Isaiah in 11:1-2 and 61:1-4 each giving seven descriptions. The symbolic Sevens.

God the Son is described as the faithful witness who completed His Father’s assignment to become human in order to redeem us and His witness was God’s unfailing love but also His divine judgment.

Jesus is the firstborn of the dead meaning He’s the preeminent, highest, or superior One above all others: He reigns supreme, even death couldn’t hold Him down.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. Colossians 1:18b

People who are enduring suffering for their faith need to be reminded of those spiritual truths but also of a physical truth: Jesus is the ruling king over all national leaders throughout time. From Nero to Lenin, ISIS to Boko Haram (Nigeria), Mao Zedong (China) or Kim Il-sung (North Korea), Jesus is the Supreme Ruler of All and this letter reveals His supremacy over and over again. It doesn’t matter from where you’re reading or your time-period, The Revelation allows us to peek behind the curtain to see what’s coming and prepare ourselves and our families for however it will look (Luke 21:34-36).

After writing those truths John fell into a time of worshipping God for His love and freedom in Christ (vs. 6-8) and also declared we belong to an invisible kingdom and serve Him as priests with direct access to God. He closed this section by reminding us He’s returning with the clouds when everyone, dead or alive, will see Him and wail in grief (Zech. 12:10) as they realize He was truly the Suffering Servant of Is. 53. He began and closed this revelation with the same truth: I AM the Alpha and Omega, and I AM returning.