01.2. Introduction (Chapter 1: 1-8.)

Introduction (Rev 1:1-8)

“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the Prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Rev 1:3.) The Revelation is the most neglected book in the New Testament, despite the fact that God has offered very great inducements for its study. In addition to the general blessing attending any intelligent study of the Scriptures, special blessing is promised to those who give attention to this last book in the Bible. Rev 1:3 says: “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein.”

There is a general impression that the book of The Revelation is exceedingly hard to understand, because it is so full of signs and symbols. Every book in the Bible is hard to understand, from the natural human standpoint. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1Co 2:14.) The Revelation is no exception—it can be understood only by those who yield themselves to the Spirit of Truth that He may guide s them into the truth. As for the signs and symbols, we ought not to object to them, for they are always explained, either where they are employed, or elsewhere in the Bible. Men call this book a riddle, but God’s name for it is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Unlike the Prophecy of Daniel, this book is not sealed. The Old Testament seer was commanded to shut up the words and seal his book to the Time of the End, but the writer of The Revelation was told to “seal not up the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the Time is at hand.” (Compare Dan 12:4; Rev 22:10.)

Rev 1:1-8 are introductory. The nature of the communication which follows is given in Rev 1:1-3. It is the revelation, or unveiling, of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass. It comes to us through John, who got it from an angel and who bears record of the Word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessing is here for whoever shall read or hear the words or keep the things written herein, for the time is at hand. The salutation, which follows, is from John the Exile, to the seven churches in Asia. It is also from the Eternal God, from Him Which is, and Which was and Which is to come. It is also from the Spirit of God, in all His fullness—the seven Spirits which are before His throne. This is the first symbol in the book, and it is not explained here, because of the similar symbol of the Holy Ghost in Isa 11:2. It is also from Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness, the First begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth. These titles are all significant in this place. They set forth our Lord’s threefold office work as Prophet, Priest and King. In His prophetic office He is the Faithful Witness; it was as the Great High Priest over the House of God that He came forth from among the dead, the First-fruits of them that slept; and as King He is the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

John breaks out into doxology in Rev 1:5-6, “unto Him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen!” Then in Rev 1:7, the central theme of the book rings out with trumpet sound: “Behold, He cometh with clouds! And every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him! And all kindreds of the Earth shall wail because of Him!” It is not the Rapture of the Church that John speaks of here, but the Revelation of the Lord Jesus from Heaven. It is not His coming for His saints, but His coming with them. Not of our being caught up to meet the Lord in the air, but of the glorious appearing of the Son of Man at His coming afterwards in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory—as Enoch prophesied: “Behold, the Lord cometh with myriads of His saints to execute judgment upon all.” This is the center of The Revelation. The words, “Even so, amen!” in Rev 1:7, probably belong to Rev 1:8. The Lord Himself is speaking and He says, “Even so, amen! I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, the Almighty.” This is an unusual title in the New Testament. It is El Shaddai, the name by which God revealed Himself unto Abraham. It is significantly brought in here, for this book is filled with wonders which could be brought about only by almightiness, and God is to demonstrate in this book that He is still the Lord God Omnipotent Who reigneth, the Eternal God, the Almighty.