Revelation 1

Revelation 1:1-3

This chapter is a general preface to the whole book, and contains, 1. An inscription, declaring the original and the design of it, ver. 1, 2. 2. The apostolic benediction pronounced on all those that shall pay a due regard to the contents of this book, ver. 3—8. 3. A glorious vision or appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to the apostle John, when he delivered to him this revelation, from ver. 9, to the end of the chapter.

1. THE revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2. Who bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

The book opens,

1. With a preface, declaring its sacred contents. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which comes from him, as the great prophet of his church, and which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; some of them, to be quickly accomplished, and the rest in order till the end of time:

and he sent and signified it by his angel, whom he employed on this errand, unto his servant John, who bare record of the word of God, and had before, in his gospel and epistles, spoken of the glory and offices of the incarnate word, and was one of the faithful witnesses of the testimony of Jesus Christ, of his gospel, and of all things that he saw; the miracles, life, death, and resurrection of the great Redeemer, and those amazing visions which are here recorded.

2. A blessing is pronounced on the hearers, readers, and observers of this book. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, attentively remarking the prophecies here revealed, and enquiring into the mind of the Spirit; and keep those things which are written therein; retaining them in their memory, and directed by them in their practice: for the time is at hand, when their fulfilment will begin. Note, (1.) They who diligently study the scriptures, will find the happy fruit of their labours. (2.) The shorter the period of time allotted to us is, the greater diligence should we give to improve it.

3. JOHN to the seven churches which are in Asia: 5. Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before his throne; 6. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth: Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6. And

4. hath made us kings and priests, unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7. 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: even so, Amen. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, faith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Revelation 1:4-8

The apostle,

1. Addresses the seven churches which are in Asia: and adds his benediction, Grace he unto you in all its fulness of blessings, and peace in your consciences from a bride of redeeming love, flowing from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, from the eternal Father, in his nature and perfections unchangeably the same for ever and ever: and from the seven figures which are before his throne, even that Holy Ghost who gives and graces are various and perfect, having all fatuels to communicate to the other seven churches, and to all the members of them; and from Jesus Christ, through whom in Mediator all the blessings of the trium God descend upon his people; who is the faithful witness, the anointed prophet to declare the Father’s will; and the first-figuring of the dead, who rose as our glorious high-yield, with his own blood to appear in the presence of God for us; and the person of the king of the earth, exalted to the medicinal thrones; and become the Head of all principalities and powers, as the universal King to protect his people and subdue their enemies.

2. He describes glory to the incarnate Jesus. Cuts him that lived us with an everlasting love, and weighed us from our sins in his own blood, which he should to redeem us from all iniquity; and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, intending us with dominion over all the power of evil, and conferring us for his blessed service, to offer those spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; to him, even to this amiable and adorable Jesus, he glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen! Note, (1.) Jesus by his blood hath purged our sins; and nothing but this could ever have cleansed our guilty souls. (2.) Every child of God is now consecrated to the highest office and dignity; is he to a throne of glory, and hath accels with holiness into the hulled of all through seeming blood. (3.) They who know the divine Redeemer, and are interested in his love, will be ceaseless in their adorations of him.

3. With venture the apostle looks forward to the glorious coming of Jesus as the eternal judge, and as prelate for the comfort and joy of his people, cries out, Behold, with wonder and delight, he cometh with clouds in awful majesty, surrounded with angels and archangels, ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; and every eye shall see him, fasted on the throne of judgment; and they also which pierced him, with impious and bloody cruelty nailed him to the trees; and all hundreds of the earth shall wail because of him, who go out unpronounced now shall stare them in the face, and horrors unutterable blaze upon their consciences; whilst with transport the faithful shall welcome his arrival, approving and applauding all his righteous decisions; and are now wishing for the day of his appearing, even so, Amen! come quickly. Note, (1.) A day of judgment will spread terror through a wicked world. We then to those who have pierced the Redeemer, whether in his own person, or in the inlusts shewn to his people: they shall receive a fearful recompense. (2.) Blessed and happy are they who, in the prospect of this day, can comfortably say, even so, Amen!

4. The great Judge describes his own transformation honour. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, faith the Lord, the him and substance of the scriptures, possessing all perfection, and accomplishing all my pleasure; which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty, the self-meshed and incomprehensible Jehovah, able to save or destroy to the uttermost.

5. I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the life that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. 11. Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; and, What thou itself, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephelia, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thysaia, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelpha, and unto Laodicea. 12. And I turned to be the voice that I take with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, see like unto the Son of man, cloth, and with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the page with a golden girder. 14. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes

were as a flame of fire; 15. And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead: and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Jesus, I am the first and the last. 18. I am the first, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 19. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are; and the things which shall be hereafter. 20. The mystery of the seven stars which thou saweth in my right hand; and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou saweth, are the seven churches.

Revelation 1:9-20

We have here the glorious vision which appeared to the divine penman of this book.

1. He calls himself John, your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, for all his servants follow him with their cries to glory, and must expect and be content patiently to suffer for his great name’s sake. He was now in banishment in the life of Patmos, for his fidelity to his blessed Master; and, though removed far from earthly conductors, still he found that presence of God which made his lonely abode a paradise of delights. He says in the Spirit as the Lord’s day, whilst on the high day, followed by the Christian church in memory of the Saviour’s resurrection, he was employed in sacred meditation and prayer, he felt the descending power of the Holy One, and was filled with prophetic inspiration. Note, They who on the Lord’s day employ in spiritual exercises their time and thoughts, retiring from the world and all its cares and avocations, will find a blessed intercourse with heaven, and experience that communion with God which is a foretaste of eternal blessedness.

2. He declares what he heard and saw. A great voice, as of a trumpet behind him, awakened his attention, and he heard difficulty the voice of Jesus, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; and commanding him to write what in which he was now about to see and hear, and send it to the seven churches of Asia, whose names are specified. Turning to see from whence the voice proceeded, a glorious personage meets his astonished fight, whose majesty he describes. I saw seven golden candlesticks, seven branches springing from the same stem, like that which stood in the tabernacle of old, the emblems of that light of truth and fire of love which Jesus sends into the midst of his church and people, and which they in their conversation hold forth to the world. And in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks are stood, as the priest when he came to view the image, like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, the figure of his complete and sporadic righthandness; and girt about the page with a golden girder, far forgetting the crafty girdle of the epiest, and intimating how ready and able he is to discharge his sacerdotal office on their behalf: his head and his hairs were white like wool, as the Ancient of days, as white as fume; and his eyes were as a flame of fire, piercing and penetrating into the himself decrees of men’s souls, and daring lightning against his toes; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, mighty to support the concerns of his church and people, and to tread down their enemies; and his voice as the sound of many waters, spreading to the distant corners of the earth his blessed gospel word, and terrible in his providences and judgments as the roaring waves. And he had in his right hand seven stars, the faithful bishop of his church, whom he upholds and preserves, and who thine bright in the lastest of his grace; and not of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, even the sword of his law and gospel, pricking sinners to the heart, and hewing down all opposition; and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength, reviving as the light and warmth of his invigorating beams. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, overcome with the brightness of his glory. And he laid his right hand upon me, to revive my intimidated mind by his mighty grace, saying unto me, Jesus, I am the first and the last, in kindness and love unchangeable. I am he that brunch, essentially possessed of life in and of myself; and was dead, in that human nature which I assumed; and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen! So it is, infallibly certain and true; and I have the key of hell and of death, to have so to destroy according to my sovereign pleasure; to unblock the gates of the grave to my people, and that up in the prison of eternal darkness the wicked. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter until the end of time. The mystery of the seven stars which thou saweth in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels, or meditators, of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks, which thou saweth, are the seven churches. May we by faith behold the same Jesus, and feel the enslaving influence of his pretence with our souls!

CHAP.