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The Revelation Of Jesus Christ
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John Henry
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Feb 12, 2004 06:14 PST
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THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
A Verse By Verse Commentary
By John Henry
REVELATION CHAPTER ONE
Verse 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:
People sometimes erroneously call this Book "Revelations"
(plural). However, it is but one revelation. Elsewhere in the New
Testament the Greek word, "apokalupsis," which is translated “Revelation”
here is translated “manifestation” (Rom 8:19), “appearing” (1 Pet 1:7) and
“coming” (1 Cor 1:7). So we see that the very name of the Book points to
the second coming of Jesus. It is the unveiling of the events that lead to
Christ’s return to planet Earth. Basically the Greek word "apokalupsis"
means to show forth, lay bare, unveil or disclose truth previously
unknown. The Book is also mistakenly called, "the Revelation of John," but
it is actually Jesus Christ who is revealed, not of John.
The Book of Revelation is not a sealed Book as Daniel was when it was first
written (Dan 12:9, Rev 22:10). Revelation can be understood if the Holy
Spirit and the whole tenor of Scripture is relied upon to show us the
meaning (Isa 28:9-10; 1 Cor 2:9-16). God (the Father) gave the Revelation
of Jesus Christ (the Son) to the Apostle John by way His angel (the Holy
Spirit) so that John could reveal Christ's second coming to His servants.
“This Revelation was given to Jesus, as is everything, by God the Father”
(Matt 11:27) [1]. The incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, is God from all
eternity (John 1:1, 14). However, when the Word became flesh, He
temporally laid aside some of the attributes of His deity (Phil
2:5-8). "We learn that as a boy He ’increased in wisdom’ (Luke 2:52). We
know that He ‘learned … obedience by the things which He suffered’ (Heb
5:8)." [2] In reply to the apostles question: "when shall these things
be? And what shall be the sign of the coming?" (Matt 24:3 cf. Mark 13:4)
Jesus answered, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the
angels who are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father’ (Mark
13:32). Jesus, during His earthly ministry did not have all knowledge, but
once He ascended back to heaven "God gave unto Him" the Revelation. Since
the Lord's ascension back to Heaven, once again, He knows everything (Phil
2:8-9; Acts 15:18).
The Father gave the Revelation to Jesus “to show unto His servants.” The
question arises, "Are we His servants or not?” We need to ask ourselves,
"Are we self willed; do we want to run our own lives, or are we surrendered
to do His will?" Writers of the New Testament like Paul, Timothy, James,
Peter and Jude flatly stated that they were servants of Jesus Christ (Phil
1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1). It is of necessity that one love
Christ above all if he truly intends to be a student of His Word. We must
submit to God’s rulership and be ready to do His will if we expect to
understand the Revelation. (Matt 10:24-25; Luke 14:26-27; 1 John 5:3)
God says that the things recorded in the Book of Revelation “must shortly
come to pass.” Some scholars say the word “shortly” here means “rapidity
of action once there is a beginning.“ [3] Others believe refers to time as
God sees it. God said: “Beloved be not ignorant of this one thing, that
one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one
day” (2 Pet 3:8). [4] Both ideas have merit and perhaps both are
true. When Jesus comes again it will be “as the lightning cometh out of
the east, and shineth even unto the west” (Matthew 24:27), suddenly once
the event begins. On the other hand it has been 2000 years, 2 days
according to God’s calender, since He made this promise. Dr. John Gill
(1697-1771) has this to say on the subject:
"... these were to come to pass quickly, in a very little time; not that
they would all be fulfilled in a short space of time, for there are some
things not fulfilled yet, though it is nineteen hundred years ago and more,
since this revelation was made; and we are sure there are some things that
will not be accomplished till a thousand years hence, and more, for the
millennium is not yet begun; ... but the sense is, that these things should
very quickly begin to be fulfilled, and from thenceforward go on fulfilling
till all were accomplished. ..." [5]
The Lord Jesus Christ “sent and signified it [Revelation] by His angel unto
His servant John.” Jesus sign-i-fied the Book of Revelation. That is to
say, Jesus made it known to John with signs or symbols. Great use of
symbolic language is made in Revelation. For example, John vision of
Christ in this chapter is packed with symbolism. There are seven golden
candlesticks, that woman Jezebel, seven Spirits, ten horns, a lamb, a
lion, a sea of glass, two olive trees, a woman clothed with the sun, a
beast rise up out of the sea, a great whore that sitteth upon many waters,
etc., etc. All these are symbols of literal people and things.
The Lord signified the Revelation "by His angel unto His servant
John.” The word angel in the Bible generally refers to spirit beings
created by God. However, the Greek word simply means “messenger” and is
thusly translated seven times (Matt 11:10; Mark 1:2 ; Luke 7:24, 27, 9:52;
2 Cor 12:7; James 2:25). This Greek word is used of both men and spirit
beings. Scripture gives good reason to believe that the messenger referred
to here in verse one is none other than God the Holy Spirit (John 15:26-27,
16:13; 2 Pet 1:21). Christ Himself is referred to as the “Angel of the
Lord” (Gen 22:8-16; Ex 3:1-6), and all three members of the Trinity appear
as men and angels in Genesis 18 and 19 (Gen 18:1-3, 20-21, 19:1). Was it
not "the Spirit of Truth" that the Lord Jesus said would guide us into "all
Truth" and show us "things to come" (John 16:13) So we understand that God
the Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus who had been given the Revelation by His
Holy Father.
Verse 2: “John, who bore witness of the Word of God, and of the testimony
of Jesus Christ, and of the things that he saw.”
John says he is witness to three things: 1) the Word of God, 2) the
testimony of Jesus Christ, and 3) the things he saw. Let’s examine each
of these individually.
John is witness to the Word of God: In the Gospel of John, the Apostle
John records this: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father), full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). Again, in John's First
epistle, John wrote: "That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our
hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and
we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)." (1 John
1:1-2) Here in Revelation 1:2 John is reiterating what he had said in his
previous books, namely that he was eye witness to the fact that Jesus is
God who took upon Himself human flesh. Plus the fact that the Bible is
Christ's story that relates His person and will to man. The Greek word
"Logos" is used for both Christ and the Bible. Both the Lord and the Bible
are holy, true, powerful, life giving, and able to cleans us from our sins.
John is witness to the testimony of Jesus Christ: The Apostle claims to
have born witness "of the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Later in this first
chapter, in the last chapter and the entirety of chapters two and three the
Lord Jesus speaks to John, face to face (Rev 1:8, 11, 18-20, 2:1-3:22;
22:7, 12-13, 16, 20). So John is witness to the Lord’s testimony to
him. Revelation 19:10 says: "... worship God: for the testimony of Jesus
is the spirit of prophecy."
John is witness to the things that he saw: He actually saw the things he
describes for us. John uses the words "I saw" no less than 31 times in
Revelation. For example John says:
"...I saw seven golden candlesticks" (Rev 1:12)
"... I saw him [Jesus] ..." (Rev 1:17)
"... I saw four and twenty [24] elders ..." (Rev 4:4)
"... I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book ..." (Rev
5:1)
"... I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word
of God ..." (Rev 6:9)
"... I saw four angels ..." (Rev 7:1)
"... I saw the seven angels ..." (Rev 8:2)
"... I saw a star fall from heaven ..." (Rev 9:1)
"... the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard ..." (Rev 13:2)
"... I saw three unclean spirits like frogs ..." (Rev 16:13)
"... I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints ..." (Rev 17:6
"... I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon
him ..." (Rev 19:11)
"... I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God ..." (Rev 20:12)
"... I saw a new heaven and a new earth ..." (Rev 21:1)
(cf. Rev 5:2, 6:1, 2, 7:2, 9:17, 10:1, 5, 13:3, 14:6, 15:1, 2, 17:3, 18:1,
19:17, 19:19, 20:1, 4, 11, 21:22 )
In the Gospel of John he records that Peter asked Jesus about John’s
destiny. The Lord replied: “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is
that to thee? Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that
disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die;
but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is
the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and
we know that his testimony is true. ” (John 21:22-24) John did tarry till
Christ came in the form of these visions (Rev 1:10-13, 4:1, 5:5-6 19:11-13)
that he recorded for us. He literally saw the Lord Jesus and the events of
Revelation "in the Spirit" (Rev 1:10, 4:2, 17:3, 21:10). He was eye
witness to all these future events before they happened.
Verse 3: Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is at
hand.
This is the first of seven blessings promised in the book of Revelation
(cf. Rev 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, 14).
The Apostle Paul describes Christ’s second coming as the “blessed hope, and
the glorious appearing of the great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ” (Titus
2:13). Blessed means “happy.” God through the book of Revelation blesses
His servants by showing them the ultimate victory of Christ over Satan and
by giving us a glimpse of heaven. God blesses the study of the whole Bible
(Psalm 1:1-2), but a special blessing is here promised to those that study
the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
“[T]hey that ... keep the things written therein” refers to those, like
Mary, who “kept all the things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke
2:19).[ 6] But even more than that It has to do with the task charged by
God to the local church of guarding the Bible from corruption (Jude 3),
here specifically the Revelation record,. The Greek for word "keep" here
is "tereo." Elsewhere in the New Testament it is translated, "reserved
(i.e.kept for)," "watch," "observe," "keeper," "hold fast "and "preserve"
(2 Pet 1:4; Matt 28:4, 20, Rev 3:3; 1 Thess 5:23; Jude 1). Pilate used a
word of Latin origin which is translated "watch" when speaking to the chief
priests and Pharisees who wanted him to secure the Lord's tomb. Pilate
told them, "Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So
they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a
watch" (Matt 27:65-66). The word translated "watch" here in Matthew had to
do with a Roman guard that was made up of from four to sixteen solders.
Those of this Latin "watch" are called "keepers" in Matthew 28:4 and this
is the same Greek word "tereo" used here in Revelation 1:3. This task of
guarding God's Truth was originally given to Israel (Rom 3:1-2), but now
the Lord has commissioned His church to do so (John 16:13, 17:17; Matt
28:20). Christ's church, in former ages were called Montanists,
Novations, Donatists, Paulicans, Albigenses, Waldenses, etc., and later all
these were called Anabaptists, and finally just Baptist. The local
churches of those called by these names were "... the church of the living
God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Tim 3:15) These are the
keepers of the Book. These have "earnestly conten[ed] for the Faith which
was once delivered unto the saints" for 2,000 years now. And these will
receive a special blessing for keeping and contending for the one delivered
Faith.
By studying the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we, as born again servants of
God, can be happy or blessed in knowing that regardless of how hopeless
world conditions may appear. God is in complete control. But to the
unregenerate, and even worldly Christians, the Revelation is an unresolved
mystery (1 Cor 2:14; 2 Tim 2:15; Dan 4:17, 32-33; Psalm 75:6-7). [7]
The phrase “for the time is at hand” refers to imminence of the beginning
of the fulfillment of the prophecies of Revelation. They began their
fulfillment immediately upon the completion of the Revelation. For example
Revelation 22:16-19 began to be fulfilled quickly after the completion of
Revelation which was the completion of the cannon. Revelation 22:16-19 says:
"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the
churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and
morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that
heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will,
let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that
heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto
these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this
book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of
the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
This and other prophecies of Revelation began to be fulfilled quickly after
it's completion.
Verse 4 & 5 : John to the seven churches which are in Asia: 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; 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. …
In verse 1 we saw the chain of transmission of the Revelation from the
Father to John. Here we see the transmission of the message taken another
step to the seven churches in Asia. The Revelation is specifically to "the
seven churches which are in Asia" which were local New Testament churches
in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey). However, these seven churches
symbolize all New Testament churches of this Church Age. Therefore, it is
to all New Testament churches.
John greets the churches: “Grace be unto you, and peace, from
[God].” Almost every one of the letters of Paul have a similar greeting in
the first three verses, and Peter is in agreement with John and Paul in the
second verse of both of his letters. It is always grace first then peace;
never peace then grace. This is God’s program for sinners. We cannot have
peace until God has shown us His grace. God must show His unmerited favor
and love (grace) before one can experience peace with God. [8] Without
the grace of God we would all burn in hell. Mankind is in rebellion, at
war with God, and until one receives the grace of God by simply turning
from his sins to Christ, he will never make peace with God (Rom 5:1-2; Eph
2:8-9; Col 1:20; Phil 4:7).
Verses 4 and 5 speak of the Holy Trinity where it says, “Grace be unto
you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come [the
Father]; and from the seven Spirits [the Holy Spirit] which are before his
throne; and from Jesus Christ [the Son].” These three make up the
Tri-unity or Trinity. John also records this about the Trinity of
God: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the
Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." (1John 5:7; cf. John
1:1) Just as "these three are one" so man also is a three part being
consisting of "spirit and soul and body" (1 Thess 5:23) for man was created
in God's "own image" (Gen 1:26-27).
That the sevenfold Holy Spirit” is meant when referred to as “the seven
Spirits” is seen from His description as resting upon Jesus in Isaiah
11:1-2 where it says:
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch
shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon
him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and
might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD..." (Isa 11:1-2)
“Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness” is descriptive His
character. The Bible teaches that it is "impossible for God to lie" (Heb
6:18). And again it says, "In hope of eternal life, which God, that
cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2). Jesus has given
us the Truth concerning our lost and hopeless condition without Him (John
8:24) and He has faithfully witnessed to us concerning the way of salvation
(John 3:5-8, 14:6, cf. Acts 4:12; Isaiah 55:3-5).
The Lord Jesus as "the first begotten of the dead” refers to His
resurrection. The Bible says that "[Christ] should be the first that
should raise from the dead" (Acts 26:23). "Others were raised from the
dead but they died again. They were raised from physical death to physical
life. ... Jesus Christ was raised from the dead to immortality - never to
die again! So, He is the first to have been resurrected with a new,
never-dying body." [9] Christ's resurrection is the most important event
in all history. Without it no one could ever be saved! But because of it
the believer can never loose his salvation. The Word of God says, "For if,
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." (Rom
5:10-11) "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
(Heb 7:25) When Christ is called “the firstfruits,” “the firstborn from
the dead, and "the first begotten of the dead"(1 Cor 15:20-23; Col 1:18;
Rev 1:5) it refers to His resurrection; while, when the Lord is called “the
only begotten” it speaks of His incarnation (John 1:1, 14, 18, 3:16, 18; 1
John 4:9). Neither of these phrases have anything whatsoever to do with
Him having a beginning as cultist would have us believe (John 1:1-3; Col
1:16; Micah 5:2). The result of Christ's resurrection is His "preeminence"
(Col 1:14-18; cf. Rom 8:29)
At this time “[Christ] only hath immortality” (1 Tim 6:16), because no one
as of yet has been resurrected bodily except Him. But at the Rapture all
the saved of this Dispensation of Grace will receive their new glorified
bodies. The Old Testament saints, however, will be raised seven years
after the Church Age saints have been “caught up … to meet the Lord in the
air” (1 Thess 4:17). The Old Testament saints are alive spiritually
through the promise of the coming Redeemer, but they are waiting for their
new bodies which they will receive after the 7 year Tribulation
(Job:19:25-27; Dan 9:24-27, 12:11-13; Heb 11:39-40). Jesus, after His
crucifixion, descended into the abode of the dead called, "Abraham's bosom"
and "Paradise" (Luke 16:19-31, 23:39-43). Then on the third day He arose
from the dead and like a firstborn son who opens the womb, He came forth as
“the first begotten of the dead.” Then, 40 days later, He “led captivity
captive" transferring "Paradise" from "the lower parts of the earth" to
Heaven "on high" (Eph 4:9-10). The souls and spirits of these Old
Testament saints are now in heaven with God. Their bodies, however, are
still in the grave awaiting redemption (Job 19:26; Rev 6:9-11; Dan 12:13)
at the beginning of the the Millennium (Rev 20:4-6). The Old Testament
saints, as the Church Age believers, will take part in what is called “the
first resurrection” (Rev 20:5). The difference is that the Old Testament
believers are raised at the end of the first resurrection while believers
of our Dispensation will be raised at the beginning of the first
resurrection (Rev 4:1; Col 1:18; Rom 8:29) "But every man in his own
order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his
coming." (1 Cor 15:23) The second resurrection is strictly for the lost
(Rev 20:11-15).
“Jesus Christ … the prince of the kings of the earth” expresses the Lord's
rulership over those who it it will be given power to rule during the
Millennium (2 Tim 2:11-12; Rev 5:10, 20:6, 22:3-5). He is the ruler of the
universe and “in His times He shall show who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim 6:15; cf. Isa
9:6-7; Rev 19:14-16).
Verse 5 & 6 : … Unto him that loveth us, and washed us from our sins in his
own blood, and hath made us a kingdom of priests unto God and his Father,
to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
We saw previously that Jesus Christ is "the first begotten of the dead" and
that this was the most important event of all history. Now we read that he
"washed us from our sins in his own blood." This speaks of the second most
important event in history. These two together, the Lord's bloody death on
the cross and His resurrection from the dead, constitute the Gospel, the
death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The Apostle Paul defines the
Gospel thusly:
"... I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye
have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved .... For I
delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and
that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." (1 Cor 15-1-4)
The Old Testament tabernacle and animal sacrifices were "figures of the
true" tabernacle and sacrifice in Heaven. They were "patterns of things in
the heavens" which pointed to Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His
offering of His own blood in the heavenly tabernacle. Again Paul says:
"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of
this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own
blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes
of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the
flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God? And almost all things are by the law purged
with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was
therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be
purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made
with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now
to appear in the presence of God for us .... So Christ was once offered to
bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the
second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb 9:11-14, 22-24, 28)
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom
God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through
the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness:
that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
(Rom 3:23-26)
Faith in the fact of the Gospel (i.e. Christ "washed us from our sins in
his own blood" and is "the first begotten of the dead.") is the only way by
which one may be saved from Hell (1 Tim 2:5-6; Rom 5:8-10, 6:23; Rev 20:14).
"Unto him that loveth us ... be glory and dominion forever and
ever. Amen." Jesus said in the Gospel of John: “Greater love hath no man
than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John
15:13). Paul compares Christ’s love to that of a husbands: “Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ loved the church; and gave Himself for it,
that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
Word” (Eph 5:25-26) This love of Christ’s is forever and unwavering. It
will keep all that come to Him in repentance and faith (Rom 8:38-39; 2 Tim
1:12-14). “The Lord … is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any
should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9). But if
we spurn or neglect His love, which He demonstrated for us by shedding His
blood and dying in our place, then He has no other choice but to reject us,
because God is holy and cannot stand unholiness, and He will not allow
anyone unholy to enter heaven. He makes repentant believers holy by
washing our sins away in His own blood thus allowing us entry into the Holy
City. When God looks at a saved sinner He no longer sees his sins, but
only the blood of Jesus (Heb 9:22). Don’t neglect God’s love!
The Lord Jesus "hath made us a kingdom of priests unto God." In Old
Testament times only the high priest was allowed to enter into the holiest
room of the earthly tabernacle (Heb 9:1), but now Jesus has opened a way
that “whosoever” may enter the Heavenly Tabernacle (Heb 9:11-12; Rev
22:17; Rom 10:13; John 11:25-26; Acts 2:21,10:43 ). No longer do we need
a priest to intercede for us to God, because believers are made priests by
trusting in Him and His finished work for sin (1 Pet 3:18; Rev 5:10, 20:6;
1 Pet 2:9). As the result of Jesus Christ’s death in our stead believers
may “have ... boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by
a new and living way, ... and having an high priest over the house of God;
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure
water.” (Heb 10:19-22, cf. Titius 3:5; Eph 5:26). In the Old Testament,
Levitical priests were consecrated by the sprinkling the blood of a ram on
them which was symbolic for the blood of Christ (Ex 29:20-21; Lev 8:30; Heb
12:24; 1 Pet 1:2). In the same way true believers are made "priests unto
God and His Father."
As “a kingdom of priests unto God” Christians are to come boldly before the
Father on their own behalf (1 John 2:1-2; Heb 2:17-18, 4:14-16, 7:26-27),
and to intercede on the behalf of others. Believers should intercede by
praying to God for the lost, for the needs of our brothers in Christ, as
well as for our own needs (1 John 5:16; James 5:14-16; 1 Tim 2:8).
The office of a priest is one of three major Old Testament offices. The
other two are prophet and king. The Lord Jesus holds all three of these
offices. A priest by intercession represents man to God, and a prophet
speaking by the Holy Spirit represents God to man. Prophets of old were
"holy men of God" who "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Pet
1:21). Prophets since the completion of the Revelation are those that tell
forth what has been foretold. Christ commission His church to do this. As
“a kingdom of priests” believers have been made "unto our God kings and
priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev 5:10, cf. 21:7, 22:5; 2 Tim
2:12). But let us never forget that Jesus Christ is the "High Priest" (
Heb 2:17, 3:1, 4:14-15, 7:26, 8:1, 9:11) and that He is "the blessed and
only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" and "the prince of
the kings of the earth" (1 Tim 6:15; Rev 1:5, cf. 17:14, 19:16)
END NOTES :
1. Van Impe, Jack, Revelation Revealed, Royal Oaks, MI: Jack Van Impe
Ministries, 1982, p. 17
2. Rice, John R, Behold He Cometh, Murfreeboro, TN: Sword Of The Lord
Publishers, 1977, p. 20
3. Van Impe, Jack, Revelation Revealed, Royal Oaks, MI: Jack Van Impe
Ministries, 1982, p.17
4. Green, Oliver, B, The Revelation, Greenville, SC: The Gospel Hour,
Inc., 1963, p. 20
5. Gill, John, An Exposition of the Old and New Testament, London: Mathews
and Leigh, 1809 (Online Bible Edition, 1994-1995), Rev 1:1.
6. Webber, David & Hutchings, Noah, The Revelation Of Jesus Christ,
Oklahoma City: Southwest Radio Church, 1983, p.8
7. Webber, David & Hutchings, Noah, The Revelation Of Jesus Christ,
Oklahoma City: Southwest Radio Church, 1983, pp. 8, 9)
8. Van Impe, Jack, Revelation Revealed, Royal Oaks, MI: Jack Van Impe
Ministries, 1982, p.19)
9. Van Impe, Jack, Revelation Revealed, Royal Oaks, MI: Jack Van Impe
Ministries, 1982, p.20)
___________________________
(c) Copyright 2004 by John Henry.
Readers are encouraged to share this information with others. There must no
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E-mail: KJ-@LandmarkBibleBaptist.net
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John Henry
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<font size=1>2-1<br>
</font><div align="center"><font size=6 color="#FF0000"><b>THE REVELATION
OF JESUS CHRIST<br>
</font><font size=5>A Verse By Verse Commentary<br><br>
</b></font>By John Henry<br><br>
<br><br>
<font size=4><b>REVELATION CHAPTER ONE<br><br>
</font></div>
Verse 1: </b>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:
<br><br>
People sometimes erroneously call this Book "Revelations"
(plural). However, it is but one revelation. Elsewhere in the
New Testament the Greek word, "<b>apokalupsis</b>," which is
translated “<b>Revelation</b>” here is translated “manifestation” (Rom
8:19), “appearing” (1 Pet 1:7) and “coming” (1 Cor 1:7). So we see
that the very name of the Book points to the second coming of
Jesus. It is the unveiling of the events that lead to Christ’s
return to planet Earth. Basically the Greek word
"apokalupsis" means to show forth, lay bare, unveil or disclose
truth previously unknown. The Book is also mistakenly called,
"the Revelation of John," but it is actually Jesus Christ who
is revealed, not of John. <br><br>
The Book of Revelation is not a sealed Book as Daniel was when it was
first written (Dan 12:9, Rev 22:10). Revelation can be understood
if the Holy Spirit and the whole tenor of Scripture is relied upon to
show us the meaning (Isa 28:9-10; 1 Cor 2:9-16). God (the Father)
gave the Revelation of Jesus Christ (the Son) to the Apostle John by way
His angel (the Holy Spirit) so that John could reveal Christ's second
coming to His servants.<br><br>
“This Revelation was given to Jesus, as is everything, by God the Father”
(Matt 11:27) [1]. The incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, is God from all
eternity (John 1:1, 14). However, when the Word became flesh, He
temporally laid aside some of the attributes of His deity (Phil
2:5-8). "We learn that as a boy He ’increased in wisdom’ (Luke
2:52). We know that He ‘learned … obedience by the things which He
suffered’ (Heb 5:8)." [2] In reply to the apostles question:
"when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of the
coming?" (Matt 24:3 cf. Mark 13:4) Jesus answered, "But
of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels who are in
heaven, neither the Son, but the Father’ (Mark 13:32). Jesus,
during His earthly ministry did not have all knowledge, but once He
ascended back to heaven "<b>God gave unto Him</b>" the
Revelation. Since the Lord's ascension back to Heaven, once again,
He knows everything (Phil 2:8-9; Acts 15:18). <br><br>
The Father gave the Revelation to Jesus “to show unto His
<b>servants</b>.” The question arises, "Are we His servants or
not?” We need to ask ourselves, "Are we self willed; do we
want to run our own lives, or are we surrendered to do His
will?" Writers of the New Testament like Paul, Timothy, James,
Peter and Jude flatly stated that they were servants of Jesus Christ
(Phil 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1). It is of necessity that
one love Christ above all if he truly intends to be a student of His
Word. We must submit to God’s rulership and be ready to do His will
if we expect to understand the Revelation. (Matt 10:24-25; Luke 14:26-27;
1 John 5:3) <br>
<br>
God says that the things recorded in the Book of Revelation “<b>must
shortly come to pass</b>.” Some scholars say the word
“<b>shortly</b>” here means “rapidity of action once there is a
beginning.“ [3] Others believe refers to time as God sees it.
God said: “Beloved be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day
is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one
day” (2 Pet 3:8). [4] Both ideas have merit and perhaps both
are true. When Jesus comes again it will be “as the lightning
cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west” (Matthew
24:27), suddenly once the event begins. On the other hand it has
been 2000 years, 2 days according to God’s calender, since He made this
promise. Dr. John Gill (1697-1771) has this to say on the
subject:<br><br>
"... these were to come to pass quickly, in a very little time; not
that they would all be fulfilled in a short space of time, for there are
some things not fulfilled yet, though it is nineteen hundred years ago
and more, since this revelation was made; and we are sure there are some
things that will not be accomplished till a thousand years hence, and
more, for the millennium is not yet begun; ... but the sense is, that
these things should very quickly begin to be fulfilled, and from
thenceforward go on fulfilling till all were accomplished. ..."
[5]<br><br>
The Lord Jesus Christ “sent and <b>signified</b> it [Revelation] by His
angel unto His servant John.” Jesus sign-i-fied the Book of Revelation.
That is to say, Jesus made it known to John with signs or symbols. Great
use of symbolic language is made in Revelation. For example, John
vision of Christ in this chapter is packed with symbolism. There
are seven golden candlesticks, that woman Jezebel, seven Spirits,
ten horns, a lamb, a lion, a sea of glass, two olive trees, a woman
clothed with the sun, a beast rise up out of the sea, a great whore that
sitteth upon many waters, etc., etc. All these are symbols of
literal people and things. <br><br>
The Lord signified the Revelation "by His <b>angel</b> unto His
servant John.” The word angel in the Bible generally refers to
spirit beings created by God. However, the Greek word simply means
“messenger” and is thusly translated seven times (Matt 11:10; Mark
1:2 ; Luke 7:24, 27, 9:52; 2 Cor 12:7; James 2:25). This Greek word
is used of both men and spirit beings. Scripture gives good reason
to believe that the messenger referred to here in verse one is none other
than God the Holy Spirit (John 15:26-27, 16:13; 2 Pet 1:21). Christ
Himself is referred to as the “Angel of the Lord” (Gen 22:8-16; Ex
3:1-6), and all three members of the Trinity appear as men and angels in
Genesis 18 and 19 (Gen 18:1-3, 20-21, 19:1). Was it not "the
Spirit of Truth" that the Lord Jesus said would guide us into
"all Truth" and show us "things to come" (John
16:13) So we understand that God the Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus
who had been given the Revelation by His Holy Father.<br><br>
<br>
<b>Verse 2:</b> “John, who bore witness of the Word of God, and of the
testimony of Jesus Christ, and of the things that he saw.”<br><br>
John says he is witness to three things: 1) the Word of God,
2) the testimony of Jesus Christ, and 3) the things he saw.
Let’s examine each of these individually.<br><br>
John is witness to the Word of God: In the Gospel of John, the
Apostle John records this: “In the beginning was <b>the Word</b>,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word was made
flesh, and dwelt among us (and <b>we beheld His glory, the glory as of
the only begotten of the Father</b>), full of grace and truth” (John 1:1,
14). Again, in John's First epistle, John wrote: "That
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen
with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of
the <b>Word of life</b>; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen
it, and <b>bear witness</b>, and shew unto you that eternal life, which
was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)." (1 John
1:1-2) Here in Revelation 1:2 John is reiterating what he had
said in his previous books, namely that he was eye witness to the fact
that Jesus is God who took upon Himself human flesh. Plus the fact
that the Bible is Christ's story that relates His person and will to
man. The Greek word "Logos" is used for both Christ and
the Bible. Both the Lord and the Bible are holy, true, powerful,
life giving, and able to cleans us from our sins.<br><br>
John is witness to the testimony of Jesus Christ: The Apostle
claims to have born witness "of <b>the testimony of Jesus
Christ</b>.” Later in this first chapter, in the last chapter and
the entirety of chapters two and three the Lord Jesus speaks to John,
face to face (Rev 1:8, 11, 18-20, 2:1-3:22; 22:7, 12-13, 16, 20).
So John is witness to the Lord’s testimony to him. Revelation
19:10 says: "... worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy." <br><br>
John is witness to the things that he saw: He actually saw the
things he describes for us. John uses the words "<b>I
saw</b>" no less than 31 times in Revelation. For example John
says:<br><br>
"...I saw seven golden candlesticks" (Rev 1:12)<br>
"... I saw him [Jesus] ..." (Rev 1:17)<br>
"... I saw four and twenty [24] elders ..." (Rev 4:4)<br>
"... I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book
..." (Rev 5:1)<br>
"... I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the
word of God ..." (Rev 6:9)<br>
"... I saw four angels ..." (Rev 7:1)<br>
"... I saw the seven angels ..." (Rev 8:2)<br>
"... I saw a star fall from heaven ..." (Rev 9:1)<br>
"... the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard ..." (Rev
13:2)<br>
"... I saw three unclean spirits like frogs ..." (Rev
16:13)<br>
"... I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints ..."
(Rev 17:6<br>
"... I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat
upon him ..." (Rev 19:11)<br>
"... I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God ..."
(Rev 20:12)<br>
"... I saw a new heaven and a new earth ..." (Rev 21:1) <br>
(cf. Rev 5:2, 6:1, 2, 7:2, 9:17, 10:1, 5, 13:3, 14:6, 15:1, 2,
17:3, 18:1, 19:17, 19:19, 20:1, 4, 11, 21:22 )<br><br>
In the Gospel of John he records that Peter asked Jesus about John’s
destiny. The Lord replied: “If I will that he <b>tarry till I
come</b>, what is that to thee? Then went this saying abroad among
the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet <b>Jesus said not
unto him, He shall not die</b>; but, If<b> I will that he tarry till I
come</b>, what is that to thee? <b>This is the disciple which
testifieth of these things</b>, and wrote these things: and we know that
his testimony is true. ” (John 21:22-24) John did tarry till
Christ came in the form of these visions (Rev 1:10-13, 4:1, 5:5-6
19:11-13) that he recorded for us. He literally saw the Lord Jesus
and the events of Revelation "in the Spirit" (Rev 1:10, 4:2,
17:3, 21:10). He was eye witness to all these future events before
they happened.<br><br>
<b>Verse 3: </b>Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the
words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it;
for the time is at hand.<br><br>
This is the first of seven blessings promised in the book of Revelation
(cf. Rev 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, 14).<br><br>
The Apostle Paul describes Christ’s second coming as the “<b>blessed
hope</b>, and the glorious appearing of the great God and Saviour, Jesus
Christ” (Titus 2:13). Blessed means “happy.” God through the
book of Revelation blesses His servants by showing them the ultimate
victory of Christ over Satan and by giving us a glimpse of heaven.
God blesses the study of the whole Bible (Psalm 1:1-2), but a special
blessing is here promised to those that study the Revelation of Jesus
Christ.<br><br>
“[T]hey that ... <b>keep the things written therein</b>” refers to those,
like Mary, who “kept all the things, and pondered them in her heart”
(Luke 2:19).[ 6] But even more than that It has to do with
the task charged by God to the local church of guarding the Bible from
corruption (Jude 3), here specifically the Revelation record,. The
Greek for word "<b>keep</b>" here is
"<b>tereo</b>." Elsewhere in the New Testament it is
translated, "reserved (i.e.kept for)," "watch,"
"observe," "keeper," "hold fast "and
"preserve" (2 Pet 1:4; Matt 28:4, 20, Rev 3:3; 1 Thess 5:23;
Jude 1). Pilate used a word of Latin origin which is translated
"<b>watch</b>" when speaking to the chief priests and Pharisees
who wanted him to secure the Lord's tomb. Pilate told them,
"Ye have a <b>watch</b>: go your way, make it as sure as ye
can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone,
and setting a watch" (Matt 27:65-66). The word translated
"watch" here in Matthew had to do with a Roman <b>guard</b>
that was made up of from four to sixteen solders. Those of this Latin
"watch" are called "<b>keepers</b>" in Matthew 28:4
and this is the same Greek word "<b>tereo</b>" used here in
Revelation 1:3. This task of guarding God's Truth was originally
given to Israel (Rom 3:1-2), but now the Lord has commissioned His church
to do so (John 16:13, 17:17; Matt 28:20). Christ's church, in
former ages were called Montanists, Novations, Donatists, Paulicans,
Albigenses, Waldenses, etc., and later all these were called Anabaptists,
and finally just Baptist. The local churches of those called by
these names were "... the church of the living God, the pillar and
ground of the truth." (1 Tim 3:15) These are the keepers of
the Book. These have "earnestly conten[ed] for the Faith which
was once delivered unto the saints" for 2,000 years now. And
these will receive a special blessing for keeping and contending for the
one delivered Faith.<br><br>
By studying the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we, as born again servants of
God, can be happy or blessed in knowing that regardless of how hopeless
world conditions may appear. God is in complete control. But to the
unregenerate, and even worldly Christians, the Revelation is an
unresolved mystery (1 Cor 2:14; 2 Tim 2:15; Dan 4:17, 32-33; Psalm
75:6-7). [7]<br><br>
The phrase “<b>for the time is at hand</b>” refers to imminence of the
<i>beginning</i> of the fulfillment of the prophecies of
Revelation. They began their fulfillment immediately upon the
completion of the Revelation. For example Revelation 22:16-19 began
to be fulfilled quickly after the completion of Revelation which was the
completion of the cannon. Revelation 22:16-19 says: <br><br>
"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in
the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright
and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let
him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I
testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take
away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his
part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the
things which are written in this book." <br><br>
This and other prophecies of Revelation began to be fulfilled quickly
after it's completion.<br><br>
<b>Verse 4 & 5 : </b>John to the seven churches which are in Asia:
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;
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.
…<br><br>
In verse 1 we saw the chain of transmission of the Revelation from the
Father to John. Here we see the transmission of the message taken
another step to the seven churches in Asia. The Revelation is
specifically to "<b>the seven churches which are in Asia</b>"
which were local New Testament churches in western Asia Minor (modern
Turkey). However, these seven churches symbolize all New Testament
churches of this Church Age. Therefore, it is to all New Testament
churches. <br><br>
John greets the churches: “<b>Grace be unto you, and peace</b>,
from [God].” Almost every one of the letters of Paul have a similar
greeting in the first three verses, and Peter is in agreement with John
and Paul in the second verse of both of his letters. It is always
grace first then peace; never peace then grace. This is God’s
program for sinners. We cannot have peace until God has shown us
His grace. God must show His unmerited favor and love (grace)
before one can experience peace with God. [8] Without the
grace of God we would all burn in hell. Mankind is in rebellion, at
war with God, and until one receives the grace of God by simply turning
from his sins to Christ, he will never make peace with God (Rom 5:1-2;
Eph 2:8-9; Col 1:20; Phil 4:7). <br><br>
Verses 4 and 5 speak of the Holy Trinity where it says, “Grace be
unto you, and peace, from <b>him which is, and which was</b>,<b> and
which is to come </b>[<i>the Father</i>];<b> and from the seven
Spirits</b> [<i>the Holy Spirit</i>]<b> </b>which are before his throne;
<b>and from Jesus Christ</b> [<i>the Son</i>].” These three make up
the Tri-unity or Trinity. John also records this about the Trinity
of God: "For there are three that bear record in heaven,
<b>the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost</b>: and <b>these three are
one</b>." (1John 5:7; cf. John 1:1) Just as "these three
are one" so man also is a three part being consisting of
"<b>spirit and soul and body</b>" (1 Thess 5:23) for man was
created in God's "<b>own image</b>" (Gen 1:26-27).
<br><br>
That the sevenfold Holy Spirit” is meant when referred to as “<b>the
seven Spirits</b>” is seen from His description as resting upon Jesus in
Isaiah 11:1-2 where it says:<br><br>
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a
Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the <b>spirit of the
LORD</b> shall rest upon him, the spirit <b>of wisdom</b> and
<b>understanding</b>, the spirit <b>of counsel </b>and <b>might</b>, the
spirit <b>of knowledge</b> and <b>of the fear of the LORD</b>..."
(Isa 11:1-2)<br><br>
“<b>Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness</b>” is descriptive His
character. The Bible teaches that it is "impossible for God to
lie" (Heb 6:18). And again it says, "In hope of
eternal life, which <b>God, that cannot lie</b>, promised before the
world began” (Titus 1:2). Jesus has given us the Truth concerning
our lost and hopeless condition without Him (John 8:24) and He has
faithfully witnessed to us concerning the way of salvation (John 3:5-8,
14:6, cf. Acts 4:12; Isaiah 55:3-5).<br><br>
The Lord Jesus as "<b>the first begotten of the dead</b>” refers to
His resurrection. The Bible says that "[Christ] should be the
first that should raise from the dead" (Acts 26:23).
"Others were raised from the dead but they died again. They
were raised from physical death to physical life. ... Jesus Christ
was raised from the dead to immortality - never to die again!
So, He is the first to have been resurrected with a new, never-dying
body." [9] Christ's resurrection is the most important event
in all history. Without it no one could ever be saved! But
because of it the believer can never loose his salvation. The Word
of God says, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to
God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life." (Rom 5:10-11) "Wherefore he is able
also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he
ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Heb 7:25) When
Christ is called “<b>the firstfruits</b>,” <b>“the firstborn from the
dead</b>, and "<b>the first begotten of the dead</b>"(1 Cor
15:20-23; Col 1:18; Rev 1:5) it refers to His resurrection; while, when
the Lord is called “<b>the only begotten</b>” it speaks of His
incarnation (John 1:1, 14, 18, 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9). Neither of
these phrases have anything whatsoever to do with Him having a beginning
as cultist would have us believe (John 1:1-3; Col 1:16; Micah 5:2).
The result of Christ's resurrection is His "<b>preeminence</b>"
(Col 1:14-18; cf. Rom 8:29)<br><br>
At this time “[Christ] only hath immortality” (1 Tim 6:16), because no
one as of yet has been resurrected bodily except Him. But at the
Rapture all the saved of this Dispensation of Grace will receive their
new glorified bodies. The Old Testament saints, however, will be
raised seven years after the Church Age saints have been “caught up … to
meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess 4:17). The Old Testament saints
are alive spiritually through the promise of the coming Redeemer,
but they are waiting for their new bodies which they will receive after
the 7 year Tribulation (Job:19:25-27; Dan 9:24-27, 12:11-13; Heb
11:39-40). Jesus, after His crucifixion, descended into the abode
of the dead called, "Abraham's bosom" and "Paradise"
(Luke 16:19-31, 23:39-43). Then on the third day He arose from the
dead and like a firstborn son who opens the womb, He came forth as
“<b>the first begotten of the dead.</b>” Then, 40 days later, He
“led captivity captive" transferring "Paradise" from
"the lower parts of the earth" to Heaven "on high"
(Eph 4:9-10). The souls and spirits of these Old Testament saints
are now in heaven with God. Their bodies, however, are still in the
grave awaiting redemption (Job 19:26; Rev 6:9-11; Dan 12:13) at the
beginning of the the Millennium (Rev 20:4-6). The Old Testament
saints, as the Church Age believers, will take part in what is called
“the first resurrection” (Rev 20:5). The difference is that the Old
Testament believers are raised at the end of the first resurrection while
believers of our Dispensation will be raised at the beginning of the
first resurrection (Rev 4:1; Col 1:18; Rom 8:29) "But every
man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are
Christ's at his coming." (1 Cor 15:23) The second resurrection
is strictly for the lost (Rev 20:11-15).<br><br>
“Jesus Christ … <b>the prince of the kings of the earth</b>” expresses
the Lord's rulership over those who it it will be given power to rule
during the Millennium (2 Tim 2:11-12; Rev 5:10, 20:6, 22:3-5). He
is the ruler of the universe and “in His times He shall show who is the
blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim
6:15; cf. Isa 9:6-7; Rev 19:14-16).<br><br>
<b>Verse 5 & 6 : </b>… Unto him that loveth us, and washed us from
our sins in his own blood, and hath made us a kingdom of priests unto God
and his Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen.<br><br>
We saw previously that Jesus Christ is "<b>the first begotten of the
dead</b>" and that this was the most important event of all
history. Now we read that he "<b>washed us from our sins in
his own blood.</b>" This speaks of the second most important
event in history. These two together, the Lord's bloody death on
the cross and His resurrection from the dead, constitute the Gospel, the
death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The Apostle Paul defines
the Gospel thusly:<br><br>
"... I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which
also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved
.... For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that
he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures." (1 Cor 15-1-4)<br>
<br>
The Old Testament tabernacle and animal sacrifices were "<b>figures
of the true</b>" tabernacle and sacrifice in Heaven. They were
"<b>patterns of things in the heavens</b>" which pointed to
Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His offering of His own blood in the
heavenly tabernacle. Again Paul says: <br><br>
"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a
greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say,
not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but
<b>by his own blood</b> he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and
of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth
to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall <b>the blood of
Chris</b>t, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot
to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living
God? And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and
<b>without shedding of blood is no remission</b>. It was therefore
necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified
with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made
with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of God for us .... So Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall
he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb 9:11-14,
22-24, 28)<br><br>
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through
<b>faith in his blood</b>, to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say,
at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus." (Rom 3:23-26) <br><br>
Faith in the fact of the Gospel (i.e. Christ "<b>washed us from our
sins in his own blood</b>" and is "<b>the first begotten of the
dead</b>.") is the only way by which one may be saved from Hell (1
Tim 2:5-6; Rom 5:8-10, 6:23; Rev 20:14). <br><br>
"<b>Unto him that loveth us</b> ... be glory and dominion forever
and ever. Amen." Jesus said in the Gospel of John:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends” (John 15:13). Paul compares Christ’s love to that of a
husbands: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the
church; and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the Word” (Eph 5:25-26) This
love of Christ’s is forever and unwavering. It will keep all that
come to Him in repentance and faith (Rom 8:38-39; 2 Tim 1:12-14).
“The Lord … is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should
perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9).
But if we spurn or neglect His love, which He demonstrated for us by
shedding His blood and dying in our place, then He has no other choice
but to reject us, because God is holy and cannot stand unholiness, and He
will not allow anyone unholy to enter heaven. He makes repentant
believers holy by washing our sins away in His own blood thus allowing us
entry into the Holy City. When God looks at a saved sinner He no
longer sees his sins, but only the blood of Jesus (Heb 9:22). Don’t
neglect God’s love!<br><br>
The Lord Jesus "<b>hath made us a kingdom of priests unto
God</b>." In Old Testament times only the high priest was
allowed to enter into the holiest room of the earthly tabernacle (Heb
9:1), but now Jesus has opened a way that “<b>whosoever”</b> may enter
the Heavenly Tabernacle (Heb 9:11-12; Rev 22:17; Rom 10:13;
John 11:25-26; Acts 2:21,10:43 ). No longer do we need a priest to
intercede for us to God, because believers are made priests by trusting
in Him and His finished work for sin (1 Pet 3:18; Rev 5:10, 20:6; 1 Pet
2:9). As the result of Jesus Christ’s death in our stead
believers may “have ... boldness to enter into the holiest <b>by the
blood of Jesus</b>, by a new and living way, ... and having an high
priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart <b>in
full assurance of faith</b>, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb 10:19-22,
cf. Titius 3:5; Eph 5:26). In the Old Testament, Levitical
priests were consecrated by the sprinkling the blood of a ram on them
which was symbolic for the blood of Christ (Ex 29:20-21; Lev 8:30; Heb
12:24; 1 Pet 1:2). In the same way true believers are made<b>
"priests unto God and His Father</b>." <br><br>
As “<b>a kingdom of priests unto God</b>” Christians are to come boldly
before the Father on their own behalf (1 John 2:1-2; Heb 2:17-18,
4:14-16, 7:26-27), and to intercede on the behalf of others.
Believers should intercede by praying to God for the lost, for the needs
of our brothers in Christ, as well as for our own needs (1 John 5:16;
James 5:14-16; 1 Tim 2:8). <br><br>
The office of a priest is one of three major Old Testament offices.
The other two are prophet and king. The Lord Jesus holds all three
of these offices. A priest by intercession represents man to God,
and a prophet speaking by the Holy Spirit represents God to man.
Prophets of old were "holy men of God" who "spake as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Pet 1:21). Prophets since the
completion of the Revelation are those that tell forth what has been
foretold. Christ commission His church to do this. As “<b>a
kingdom of priests</b>” believers have been made "unto our God
<b>kings and priests</b>: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev
5:10, cf. 21:7, 22:5; 2 Tim 2:12). But let us never forget that
Jesus Christ is the "<b>High Priest</b>" ( Heb 2:17, 3:1,
4:14-15, 7:26, 8:1, 9:11) and that He is "the blessed and only
Potentate, <b>the King of kings, and Lord of lords</b>" and
"the <b>prince of the kings of the earth</b>" (1 Tim 6:15; Rev
1:5, cf. 17:14, 19:16) <br><br>
<br>
<b>END NOTES :<br><br>
</b>1. Van Impe, Jack, Revelation Revealed, Royal Oaks, MI: Jack
Van Impe Ministries, 1982, p. 17<br>
2. Rice, John R, Behold He Cometh, Murfreeboro, TN: Sword Of The
Lord Publishers, 1977, p. 20<br>
3. Van Impe, Jack, Revelation Revealed, Royal Oaks, MI: Jack Van
Impe Ministries, 1982, p.17<br>
4. Green, Oliver, B, The Revelation, Greenville, SC: The Gospel
Hour, Inc., 1963, p. 20<br>
5. Gill, John, An Exposition of the Old and New Testament, London:
Mathews and Leigh, 1809 (Online Bible Edition, 1994-1995), Rev 1:1.<br>
6. Webber, David & Hutchings, Noah, The Revelation Of Jesus
Christ, Oklahoma City: Southwest Radio Church, 1983, p.8<br>
7. Webber, David & Hutchings, Noah, The Revelation Of Jesus
Christ, Oklahoma City: Southwest Radio Church, 1983, pp. 8, 9) <br>
8. Van Impe, Jack, Revelation Revealed, Royal Oaks, MI: Jack Van
Impe Ministries, 1982, p.19)<br>
9. Van Impe, Jack, Revelation Revealed, Royal Oaks, MI: Jack Van
Impe Ministries, 1982, p.20) <br><br>
<br>
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___________________________<br><br>
<b>(c) Copyright 2004 by John Henry.</b> <br><br>
Readers are encouraged to share this information with others. There must
no charge for it, and please include this notice including the below
e-mail and web site addresses.<br><br>
E-mail: KJ-@LandmarkBibleBaptist.net<br><br>
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</a>John Henry </body>
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