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REVELATION CHAPTER 1 KJV WEB Rev 1,1-6 (50e) Judgment >> Sequence of Revelations >> Great endtime revival >> Church gets right with God -- These verses go with verses 8-20. Many people have all kinds of ideas about the first three chapters of Revelation. However, there are a few things we know for sure, such as: it is unquestionable that Jesus was talking about certain churches at the time, and since Revelation is a book about the last days, we also know that these churches also depict traits that the Church in the last days also have. Rev 1,1-3 (214h) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God’s time is soon >> Relatively soon – John emphasized twice within three verses that endtime prophecy would soon begin to unfold. Of course, this was written 2000 years ago, so the word “soon” is a relative term, and all the people who have patiently waited for Jesus “imminent” return were disappointed. To God a thousand years is like a day, and so the cross happened only two days ago. Had they known that biblical dispensations occur approximately every 2000 years, they would have known that Jesus would return in our lifetime and not in 1100 AD or 1400 AD, etc. That is, since major biblical events occur roughly every 2000 years, His return would seem that much more probable for us. One thing is inherently true: we are more likely to see His return than any generation before us. Between Adam and the birth of Abraham were 1949 years; between Abraham and the cross were 1995 years, and between the cross and us were 2022 years. Therefore, there is a well-established pattern of approximate 2000 year periods existing all the way back to Adam. This is highly suggestive that the end of this age is at hand. See also: Daniel's 70 Weeks / See also: God is eternal; Jn 21-21,22; 89d Rev 1-1,2 (255c) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> God’s word is Spirit >> Jesus is the word of the Spirit >> Jesus is the manifested word of God Rev 1-1 (12k) Servant >> Bondservants the prophets – We can talk about all the trauma that God’s bondservants endure; they are mistreated and maligned, and they only love in return. When God is ready to reveal His word, He reveals Himself through His bondservants the prophets. This is not only the greatest honor of all; it is also the greatest joy that could befall a person. To breathe the utterances of God for the first time, knowing it will affect every man, woman and child on earth, including the greatest kings and the lowliest of men, is part of a bondservant’s role that anyone would envy, but their suffering is not enviable. (15e) Servant >> Angels are messengers from God >> They are sent to impart information -- This verse goes with verses 10,11. The Apostle Paul claimed that the Holy Spirit was responsible for giving him the revelations that he shared with us throughout his writings. However, the Holy Spirit did not reveal the book of Revelation to John but an angel; yet it is the Holy Spirit who gives the revelation to us about this book. In other words, the book of Revelation is from a different origin than other writings of the Bible (by a holy angel), indicating that the message John received was special. This also suggests that angels will be very much involved in the fulfillment of endtime prophecy. (87a) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >> God blesses us for doing His word, not for knowing it KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 1-2 (55f) Paradox >> Opposites >> What does the voice of Jesus look like? -- This verse goes with verse 12 (144d) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> The Church bears witness of Jesus >> It bears witness of His word – John testified by the things he wrote; he didn’t go through the countryside preaching the book of Revelation. By this time he was an old man and confined to the Island of Patmos and was unaccepted even by his fellow prisoners. When the boat came with food they threw it on shore and the strongest ate, and the rest starved. John was not about to contend with his fellow prisoners for food; he would rather die than dishonor his Lord. He lived in what was probably a cave with an assistant that God had given him to transcribe the words what John spoke. The written word has advantages and disadvantages, and so does the mediation of preaching. The advantage of preaching is that you hear it whether you want to or not (if you are in earshot of the preacher). The disadvantage of preaching is that its influence is restricted to space and time. The advantage of the written word is that it can be duplicated and is timeless; the disadvantage of the written word is that it is easily shunned simply by not reading it. See also: Island of Patmos; Rev 1-9; 229ia Rev 1-3 (34j) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> Receiving God’s blessings through endurance (80h) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word to minister to God >> In your inner man (106j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Means of hearing from God >> Through the Bible (109e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of the word of God >> Revelation of the meaning of God’s word – Two millennia ago when this book was written people were hardly blessed when they read it, because they couldn’t possibly know what it meant, but as we approach the fulfillment of endtime prophecy, we can see more clearly how things could happen. When we review endtime prophecy twenty years from now (if we have twenty years), we will understand it better than today and be all the more blessed. Still, there is a lot of conjecture surrounding this book, yet the closer we get to the end, the clearer it becomes, giving way to the true knowledge of God. Most, however, won’t understand the Book of Revelation even while its prophecies are being fulfilled. Case in point, many of the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus never made sense until He fulfilled them, and even then He had to explain them to His disciples (Lk 24,13-35). The same will be true of endtime prophecy; after it is fulfilled, we will better understand the book of Revelation, and even then we may need it explained to us. Fulfilled prophecy is useful to pinpoint our position in the framework of God's plan of salvation and the emergence of His eternal kingdom, giving us a more accurate prediction of the future, though the vast majority of the populations of the earth, even after the prophecies are fulfilled, will remain in total darkness about all that is happening. (143f) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Public reading of Scripture (151a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Speak the word >> Speak the logos – What is the best way to understand the Book of Revelation and the Bible as a whole? The answer is in this verse, not only to read it but to heed the things that are written therein. If we heed the Scriptures, we will understand them (Jn 7-17), but if we don't incorporate its teachings into our lives, we will remain in the dark. What can we heed about the Book of Revelation? The first three chapters are about the seven churches, the mistakes they made and the things they did right; we don’t have to make their mistakes, and the things they got right we can imitate. For example, it says, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev 2-4). We can make sure this doesn’t happen to us. (205b) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> Promise of His rest – There are two promises in this verse: (1) the time is near, and (2) those who read this book will be blessed. The first promise, the time is near (a 2000 years-year-old promise) defines the second; the closer we get to the end, the more blessed we are when we read this book in an attitude of prayer, but there is no blessing in reading the Book of Revelation and being lost in it. Most people understand some of it, but the Church overall remains ignorant of its meaning and the mysteries that remain locked in it, and for this reason often it is intentionally overlooked. Rev 1-4 (15g) Servant >> Angels >> The presence of angels denotes authority (113l) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Anointing establishes us in His will -- This verse goes with verses 10-16. The seven spirits that are before God’s throne represent the seven churches, suggesting that these churches are a microcosm of the Church as a whole; they reside before God’s throne through these seven spirits, and the seven spirits are angels. These angels are like doors through which the churches must pass to enter the presence of God, and they grant the grace of repentance to those who seek His strength to obey Christ through the tribulation. See also: Repent; Rev 1-5; 37h (224l) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> The holy of holies >> The throne room of heaven -- This verse goes with verses 10-20 (243o) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to His increase >> He shall reign forever and ever -- This verse goes with verse 8. God is claiming to be the great I AM. The first instance was with Moses at the burning bush, when he asked, “Who should I say sent me?” and God answered, “Tell them that I AM sent you” (Exodus chapters 3&4). A couple other instances of Scripture have mentioned this, and now John is citing it in his salutation. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 1-5 (33m) Gift of God >> Believers are special to God >> We are beloved of God (37h) Judgment >> Redemption of man >> His blood delivered us from destruction – Had the Father not sent His Son to pay the ransom for our sins, He would have judged us and sent us all straight to hell with the devil and his fallen angels. The difference between man and demon is that Satan sinned in the presence of God in the fullest knowledge imaginable, whereas man has never seen God (1Jn 4-12), which is why He can forgive us. All sin is based on a gradient of knowledge from total ignorance as babies, then becoming sinners at the age of accountability, to blaspheming the Holy Spirit and developing a reprobate mind. The only reason God has blessed us with His Son is that we were born in sin through no fault of our own, being victims of our condition. Had we chosen to become sinners like Lucifer did, God could not have forgiven us, or like Adam who also chose sin, having known the presence of God. The redemption of Christ is based on the principle that if we were offered a way to remedy our sinfulness, we would take it, so when we receive His Son as full payment of our sin, God happily forgives us, and the gates of heaven are open wide to us. However, there are many people who have heard the message of salvation and have not lamented their sins, and so by the cross they are deciding to remain sinners. Ironically, the knowledge of Jesus' blood sacrifice, having rejected it, has exponentially increased their sins to the severity of Adam, who will not be with us in heaven. Although we were born in sin, we now have an opportunity to be cleansed in the sight of God through the blood of Christ. There are others who have never heard the message of the cross; yet, if they remorse over their sins and seek repentance, God will forgive them through the blood of Christ, though they may have never heard the name of Jesus. See also: Repent; Rev 1-7; 50b / Death rushed in to fill the void of God's absence; 2Cor 7,4-7; 98h; Angels different from man; Rev 22-8,9; 15k (38c) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death (Satan) >> Resurrection overcomes death -- This verse goes with verse 18. Jesus was the first born from the dead, obviously referring to his resurrection. Jesus was the first person to receive a resurrected body, and we who believe in Jesus will receive a body at the First Resurrection/Rapture that is the same form of His own (1Jn 3-1,2). (66k) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> Jesus’ authority >> He has authority over man – Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth. Most kings don’t know they have a ruler presiding over them. Jesus said that Satan is ruler of the world, who presides over the kings of the earth, but Satan has a king presiding over him too, who is Jesus, after He snatched the keys of death and hell from him through His death and resurrection. (102h) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Trustworthy >> Loyalty (119c) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Freedom >> Freedom from satanic influence >> Free from sin (153b) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Jesus bears witness of the Father (238d) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> Born again >> Jesus is born again from the dead (245e) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestation of Jesus Christ >> Manifestation of His second coming – The book of Revelation is about manifesting the spiritual realm into the natural realm and fulfilling Old Testament prophecy regarding the end of days. One of the purposes of Jesus coming in the flesh was to bear witness of the Father, and this He did in both word and deed, and as a result He became firstborn of the resurrection, and He will come back to rule the kings of the earth. He has already accomplished two of these three objectives. We know that Jesus rules the kings of the earth during the Millennium, but what after that? The last couple chapters of this book speak about what comes after the thousand-year reign of Christ, extending God’s vision past the Millennium. God will create a new heavens and a new earth, it says, and the kingdom that He builds upon it will be an extension of the one He started on this earth. That is, the Millennium is the actual beginning of Christ’s eternal reign, indicating that the Millennium is a microcosm of eternity. If He can keep the peace during during the Millennium, then His reign of peace will last forever in a world devoid of the curse. In the new heavens and on the new earth Jesus will be king of the nations and we will reign with Him over a people He will create in eternity. The only difference between the Millennium and eternity will be the size of His kingdom that will grow to fill the universe. See also: Eternity; Rev 1-8; 253b / New heavens and a new earth (We will be like gods to those we govern); Eph 2-6,7; 67e (248f) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Jesus is first >> Jesus is first born of the Father KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 1-6 (81a) Thy kingdom come >> Prayer >> The priesthood >> We are a type of Jesus’ priesthood – According to Peter, we are the Royal Priesthood (1Pet 2-9). In the Old Testament the anointing was not given to everyone, only to kings and priests and prophets. Our ministry toward God involving our discipleship in the word of God, prayer and obedience is the basis of our ministry of the new covenant priesthood that is designed to bless the Father, but our kingship is with Jesus. We perform both duties as kings and priests by worshipping God and ministering to people the message of salvation, for worshipping God makes us priests of the Great High Priest. The Book of Revelation isn’t a book describing our current status, but a future one, suggesting we will be priests to our God in eternity, and we will forever minister to His creation as kings. (213c) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> God is all powerful >> The creation is subject to Christ (231j) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Body of Christ is the organism of God’s kingdom >> We are the body of His kingdom – Some say there is a difference between receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit (being born-again) and receiving the promise of the Spirit (anointing of Pentecost), yet they appear as one divine gift according to the parable of the woman placing leaven in a lump of dough until it was all leavened (Mat 13-33). This parable suggests that the indwelling Holy Spirit is in fact the anointing, which is available to the commoner, for God has made us kings, priests and prophets through Christ to the Father. The anointing is given to advance the gospel in the world, whereas the indwelling Holy Spirit is given to advance the individual in relation to God. (243m) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to His increase >> God's kingdom is Infinite >> God will create a new Adam and Eve (252h) Trinity >> You shall put no other gods before Me >> Worship God >> Worship God for who He is >> Worship God for being God (253j) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is subject to the Father >> Jesus is under the authority of the Father >> Jesus obtained power through subjection to the Father Rev 1-7 (50b) Judgment >> God judges the world >> The second coming of Christ – This corresponds with what Paul said in 1st Thessalonians chapter four about Jesus coming in the clouds. Those of His generation who received Jesus' blood sacrifice as remission of sin are in heaven, and they will ride on horses at His second coming, and they will not be mourning. It says, “Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him.” This could not be referring to the actual man who literally pierced Jesus’ side, because this phrase speaks in plural, “Those who pierced Him,” referring to all who advocated Jesus' death on the cross and never repented, who are now in hell. They are the subjects of this verse. This passage paints a picture of hell being a place where its occupants can see the activities transpiring above them, and for this reason, “every eye will see Him.” This corresponds also with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Lk 16,19-31, where the rich man could look across the great crevasse and see that Lazarus had access to water. It is unfortunate that people in hell and those who remain on earth will see the return of Christ as a sad day. That is the day the curtain falls on man’s multi-millennial reign of terror. They will mourn because they will finally realize they were wrong about everything. They were led astray by the deceptions of Satan, who has been lying to mankind ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Satan may even spread his lies throughout the chambers of hell that he is fighting for their cause and giving them hope of escaping their prison if he could just find a way to defeat Jesus, but when they see Him coming with all His faithful ones, it is the death Nell to any hope that their misery will ever end. See also: Repent; Rev 1-10; 236l (50l) Judgment >> Sequence of Revelations >> God puts away sin and glorifies the Church >> Armageddon – Man picks a fight with God in the war of Armageddon, and the war is fought just outside Jerusalem on the Plains of Megiddo. The war of Armageddon is the last war that men fight, only this war gets its notoriety from fighting directly against God. This is when all the armies of the world surround Jerusalem and are about to pulverize it trying to destroy the antichrist who has set up his kingdom in Jerusalem during the ministry of the two witnesses. He has betrayed the world in so many ways. None of his promises came true, so those who once loved and served him now hate him and want to kill him. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 1,8-20 (50e) Judgment >> Sequence of Revelations >> Great endtime revival >> Church gets right with God -- These verses go with verses 1-6 Rev 1-8 (66f) Authority >> Jesus’ authority >> His position with the Father >> Jesus has authority over all things from the Father (243o) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to His increase >> He shall reign forever and ever -- This verse goes with verse 4 (248e) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Jesus is first >> Jesus has first place in everything -- This verse goes with verse 17 (253b) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the external qualities of the Father >> Son is infinite and eternal like the Father – In Jn 17-5,24 when Jesus asked the Father to glorify Him with the glory He had before the creation, He was making reference to the fact that He existed in eternity past. Prior to the creation and before the curse, time didn’t exist. Then God created the universe, and when God cursed it through Lucifer's sin, the curse itself (Satan) created the notion of time, in that all things after that became temporary. That is, time exists because of the curse. Before the curse there was no time, and Jesus lived in eternity with the Father before the creation. We segment time into seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years, because there is a beginning and an end to everything, but if we tried to segment eternity, each segment is eternity in itself; that is why time doesn’t exist in eternity. So if we want to say that Jesus was created at some time in eternity, eternity has no beginning or end. Therefore, we must say that Jesus is an eternal being. Jesus has always been with the father (1Jn 1-2). He is a member of the trinity; He is an aspect of God. Jesus is God (Col 2-9), as the Father is God and as the Holy Spirit is God. See also: Eternity; Rev 1-17,18; 215e (253ec) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the internal qualities of the Father >> Jesus is God in heaven -- This verse goes with verses 17&18 Rev 1-9 (100a) Thy kingdom come >> Perseverance (Working to keep in motion) >> Persevere in tribulation (147i) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Solemnly testify about Jesus (150ca) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Confessing Jesus to be saved >> Confessing Jesus as the Son of God (153a) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Church bears witness of the Father through Christ (165h) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Hardship >> The hardship of persecution (219b) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> Man is a spectator of his own salvation >> Man is not in control of God’s calling (229ia) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking of Jesus’ suffering >> Suffering as a Christian – John endured the sufferings of the tribulation on the island of Patmos, meaning that whatever he suffered while he wrote the book of Revelation will be the sufferings of those who go through the great tribulation at the end of the age. He was persecuted and sent there for the very reason that the angel was giving John a vision of the Church’s persecution in the last days. Patmos was a small island of only 13 square miles, obviously with water surrounding it, representing the Church surrounded by a sea of people. John’s experience on the island was an example of what God’s people can expect in the last days. The Church will be gathered together in one place with the entire world surrounding them, trying to engulf them, similar to the Church huddling together in the upper room while they waited for the promise of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Acts 1-4 says, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father.” Then Acts 2-1 says, “Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” The angel said at Jesus’ ascension that He would return in the same manner as the disciples saw Him leave (Act 1-11). See also: Island of Patmos; 236g (236g) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Invest your treasures into the kingdom >> Invest your flesh – We don’t know how much John suffered when he was banished to the Island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation, but we're about to find-out. It was an island where they sent criminals, like Alcatraz, a prison that nobody could escape alive, and whatever was edible was already eaten. A boat would come and deliver food to the prisoners; they didn’t divvy it to them, but dropped it and the prisoners fended for themselves. John wasn’t about to get involved in that skirmish, and so he slowly starved. It was during this time of great misery that he wrote the book of Revelation (Rev 1-9), a manuscript testifying of the saint’s coming tribulation. The tribulation of the saints will resemble John's experience on the island of Patmos, a time when civilization as we know it has ceased to exist. See also: Island of Patmos; Rev 1-2; 144d (237c) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The rapture >> Rapture is delayed (242b) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Persecution to the death >> Martyrs KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 1,10-20 (113l) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Anointing establishes us in His will -- These verses go with verse 4. All we need to know about God’s plan for His people in the last days is contained in verse ten, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet." The Church claims that God will invoke a pre-tribulation Rapture as a means of delivering His people from the antichrist, but that is simply not the case. Instead, He will give His people a profound anointing, not to just some of His people but to all of them, as John said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” John throughout the discourse of revelation acts as a microcosm of the Church, and he described the "Day of the lord" as a time when His people will be in the Spirit; it will be a time of great suffering coupled with closeness to God, and both will be extreme. (117j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Acknowledging the presence of God (253cc) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the external qualities of the Father >> Outward appearance of Jesus Christ – Jesus dwelled in a human body like ours, but after He rose from the dead he dwelled in a resurrected body, which was also human, more-so than the flesh He once inhabited, and now that He ascended into heaven and His Father glorified Him, He has become still more human. God is human; He created man in His own image according to Genesis chapter one. Being human, then, is not defined by us but by Him. This implies that the very essence of what it is to be human is to be like God. This suggests that we were “human” before we encountered God, yet now that we are born-again, we are more human than ever. When we receive our resurrected bodies, we will become still more human. The fact that we are all the more human in heaven suggests that those in hell are scarcely human, if not creatures in a human façade, since there is hardly anything about them that is like God. See also: God is human (He made us in His image) Rev 22-4; 104j (224l) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> The holy of holies >> The throne room of heaven -- These verses go with verse 4 (252c) Trinity >> You shall put no other gods before Me >> Worship Jesus (Because He is equal with God) >> Jesus is worthy of our worship >> Worship Jesus for what God made Him through suffering Rev 1,10-18 (112j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Being in the presence of truth Rev 1,10-16 (106a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >> Knowing the sound of His voice >> God speaks in the darkness to shine the light (228i) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> God works in the new creation (244h) Literal Manifestations (Key verse) (245c) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Literal manifestation of Jesus Christ >> Jesus is the light of the world Rev 1-10,11 (15e) Servant >> Angels are messengers from God >> They are sent to impart information -- These verses go with verse 1. The word "trumpet" is often used in the book of Revelation and is very significant. There are seven Trumpets of God’s judgment, which are contained in the seventh seal. The Bible teaches that the Rapture will occur at the Last Trumpet. Here we have John telling us that he heard a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet; therefore, it is no stretch to postulate that the seven trumpet blasts of God’s judgment are actually the voices of angels. Neither is it a stretch to say that the shout that Jesus described in the parable of the ten virgins was a trumpet (Mat 25,1-13), the first of seven trumpets. See also: Ten virgins; Rev 1-10; 236l Rev 1-10 (111c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit of truth (236l) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The Rapture >> The day of the Lord – The Day of the lord is a significant phrase; the Bible uses it many times, primarily in the book of Joel, “The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes” (Joel 2-31). The day of the Lord occurs over a period of years, lasting through the first five seals and through the seven trumpets of God's judgment, culminating at the Last Trumpet, which is the day of the First Resurrection when Christ raptures His Church, as the literal day of the Lord. Paul also used the phrase "Day of the Lord" in 2The 2-2,3, “[Do] not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come... for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.” Just as the Day of the Lord begins years before His actual return, so the apostasy of the Church (the falling away of the faith) will occur many years before the antichrist makes his appearance. This verse refers to the parable of the Ten Virgins, which is in reference to the First Trumpet, meaning that the Church will remain in a stupor throughout the seals of Satan's wrath. Through all the horrors of the seals, the Church will remain asleep, similar but opposite to Jesus asleep on the cushion in the boat during a great storm as the disciples tried to cross the Sea of Galilee (Mk 4-38). However, the Church will not be asleep in a peaceful state of rest but in the state of apostasy. John heard behind him a voice like the sound of a trumpet, and so the day of the Lord is associated with a trumpet and the voice speaking behind him meant that he had to turn to face Him, denoting repentance. The Church will be going the wrong direction when the Lord finds her straining at the oars, and He will speak to His people, and they will turn and see the voice that is speaking with them. See also: Repent; Rev 1,12-19; 117i / Ten virgins; Rev 1-10,11; 15e Rev 1-11 (136ha) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> Body of Christ consists of individual members >> We are chosen members of Christ -- This verse goes with verse 20 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 1,12-19 (117f) Vision (Key verse) -- Christianity does not use visualization techniques. Spiritual visualization is considered cultic, new-age, satanic methodology, imagining the divine and expecting it to affect the natural realm to achieve their objectives. The Bible has a different solution; when temptation comes to our doorstep, we “stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God” (1Cor 15-34). See also: Visions; 117i (117i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing visions – John turned and saw seven golden lampstands, where the stars are angels and the lampstands are churches, and these stars were the light of their lamps. An angel was assigned to each church, and Christ is in the midst of them, whose appearance was bright as the sun. The seven spirits sent into the world (Rev 5-6) are the seven angels, imparting seven anointings for the purpose of repentance and restoration, enabling the Church to prepare for Christ when He comes. Where there were seven weaknesses of the Church there are now seven strengths. When Jesus judged the seven churches and revealed their strengths and weaknesses, He gave an angelic anointing that enabled them to accomplish the things that Christ has called them to do. He doesn’t want His Church splintered into seven parts but united. See also: Repent; Rev 1-12; 55f / Visions; Rev 1-12; 55f Rev 1,12-18 (66a) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> He is Lord over all creation >> over life and death Rev 1,12-16 (136i) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Body of Christ is the Church Rev 1-12 (55f) Paradox >> Opposites >> What does the voice of Jesus look like? -- This verse goes with verse 2. John turned to see the voice that was speaking with him. What is the significance of mixing sensory perceptions? John saw visions through the sound of Jesus’ voice. It says that John had to turn to see the voice; that is, he had to repent in order to hear the vision that he received. John's experiences was a microcosm of the Church's experiences in the last days, who will receive a vision of the glory of Christ through the word of God and prayer. See also: Repent / Visions; 193c (193c) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Repent >> Turn from your evil ways >> Turn to God – John turned (repented) to see the voice that was speaking with Him, meaning that the word he heard gave him a vision of God’s plan and purpose for the Church. The appearance of Christ tells everything we need to know about Him. He is a competent deliverer and worthy of our service and suffering. When nothing is going our way, He will reward us if we continue to trust Him. See also: Repent; Rev 1-4; 113l / Visions; Rev 1,12-19; 117f Rev 1-13 (12n) Servant >> Jesus serves mankind >> Jesus is the son of man – Jesus is often addressed as the son of man or the Son of God. We know what “Son of God” means; He was the prodigy of the Father placing His seed in Mary, but what does "son of man" mean? It refers to Jesus in human form, youngest of all and servant of all. Not only did almighty God humble Himself to become the servant of mankind, He is still the servant of man, and He will continue to serve man, as He has called us to serve. The Kingdom of God is all about being a servant. (77h) Thy kingdom come >> Tapping into the power of God through humility >> The high position of a humble servant (113g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >> Garments of holiness Rev 1-14,15 (104d) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Purified by fire >> Purified through fiery anointing – His eyes were like a flame of fire. Build a campfire at night and sit on the picnic table, stare into the flame, the darkness cloaking all distractions, and we can hardly look away. It has captured our attention, flickering with constant motion. When we see Jesus eye-to-eye, we won’t be able to look away but will become suddenly unaware of everything around us, fixed on Him as though heaven and earth have fled away, enveloped in His presence. Rev 1-15 (91m) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Trail of good works >> The trail that Jesus walked (103f) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Spirit like water >> Cleanses you from the desire to sin – The gurgling stream has a hallucinogenic sound, like a flickering fire, and then there is the sound of many waters like Niagara Falls that is a jarring roar, crashing on the rocks with force and momentum. This is the voice of God: it sounds like a gurgling stream but its meaning roars like a lion. The antichrist will counterfeit our Lord, as it says in Rev 13-11, "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon." Rev 1-16 (46b) Judgment >> Spiritual warfare >> Subjecting your flesh >> Preparing for battle -- See commentary Rom 16-19,20 (68c) Authority >> Jesus Delegates Authority To Execute Judgment >> Against Satan KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 1-17,18 (39i) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> Jesus defeated Satan’s authority >> Jesus defeated Satan on the cross – The Father let Satan torture and kill His Son; he butchered Him until every drop of blood exited His body. Christ was literally flayed alive, His flesh torn to ribbons, Satan's rage against Him unimaginable. He must have given the men who flogged Him superhuman strength to wield the whips across His back, and then had Him nailed to a cross to die. By this Satan proved to all creation what he intended to do when he led a coo against God's throne in heaven (Rev 12,7-9). God gave Satan the entire universe as his possession but restricted His throne from him, which became his temptation. Had Jesus not risen from the dead, Satan would have defeated God, but when He rose from the dead, God forgave man for obeying Satan and for murdering His Son and defeated Satan’s power of death. Those who see the light can ask for God’s forgiveness and receive it, whereas once God defeated Satan, there was nothing left of him to redeem, for his very essence is sin. God destroyed Satan when He raised His Son from the grave, by the fact that Christ never committed a sin, proving to Satan and to all creation that God is holy, righteous and good. Man was born in sin through no fault of his own, making him a victim of sin, and those who realize they are sinners in the eyes of God and seek Jesus' blood sacrifice to forgive them are given the new creation as their inheritance, including God's throne, the very thing that Satan gambled everything to obtain and lost. See also: Satan wanted to be God; he wanted His throne; Rev 2,26-29; 70ja (56i) Paradox >> Opposites >> Last is first and the first is last (215e) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God views time in eternity >> God sees eras as moments – The scary thing about serving a God who exists outside of time is that when He says, ‘Wait a moment,’ we could be waiting a very, very long time. Whenever He talks about time we cringe, because He doesn’t think about time like we do. He has been gone for 2,000 years and some think He will never return, and when He finally does and we complain what took Him so long, He will say, ‘I was only gone two days.’ 2Pet 3-8 says, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” In light of eternity this scale is not even close, so we should view this verse as a metaphor to mean simply that God thinks about time differently than we do. There is no ratio or standard by which we can compare eternity, because it overwhelms all that is temporal. See also: Eternity; 253ec (243j) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> The indestructible kingdom >> The head of the body is indestructible >> Jesus is indestructible – Jesus allayed John’s fears by reminding Him that He is eternal on both ends of the timeline. John was comforted by His eternal quality in that if something could happen to Him, it would have already happened, but since nothing has happened to Him, it proves nothing ever will, meaning He is indestructible and John is safe in His presence, and so are we. (253ec) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the internal qualities of the Father >> Jesus is God in heaven -- These verses go with verse 8. Jesus gave the salutation of angels, “Do not be afraid,” but He finished the sentence with, “I am the first and the last.” That is not something angles can say. The angels were created; they had a beginning, but Jesus had no beginning. He has preceded everything, including eternity itself. We also know that Jesus will never die again as stated in verse 18, “I am alive forevermore.” To say that He is the last sounds like Christ will be the last to expire at the end of eternity, but that day will never come, and had there been a first day of eternity, Jesus would have existed before that. It wasn’t scary to Him that He never had a beginning, because He always lived with His Father, and eternal life doesn't scare us, because we will always live with Christ. Heaven follows Him. We will never have an end, and overcoming death fills us with joy, but without God eternity is hell. See also: Eternity; Rev 1-5; 245e Rev 1-17 (23n) Sin >> Poverty (Oppression) >> Fear of the unknown >> Fear the appearance of Jesus – John was the apostle whom Jesus loved (Jn 13-23), who walked with the Lord for three years, who hoped he would meet his friend Jesus again, but when he saw Him, he fell at His feet like a dead man. John described His appearance, but his description fell far short of his experience, for there are no words to describe Christ in His glory. Other instances when people saw angels evoked fear in them, but they did not fall on their faces as though dead. Jesus appeared to be a different person, yet He was the same Lord and Master, who was earlier crucified. John had to discard his memories of His Lord in the flesh, for they had no application in His glorified state. (114e) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Obeying the Holy Spirit >> Obeying the revelation from heaven >> Obeying the revelation by putting away the flesh – It says in Rev 4-10,11 that those in heaven who have been glorified will fall on their faces and worship Christ who lives forever and ever, marking the distinction between Christ and His creation. John called Him the bright morning star, the description once given to Lucifer (Isaiah 14-12). It says that Jesus' face shone like the sun, but He must by virtue as the Creator be brighter than all the stars in every galaxy, for how could He create something greater than Himself? The Bible says that no man can see God and live (Exodus 33-20), so when He reveals Himself to His creation, He limits Himself, and when He revealed Himself to John, He greatly limited Himself. (248e) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Jesus is first >> Jesus has first place in everything -- This verse goes with verse 8 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 1-18 (38c) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death (Satan) >> Resurrection overcomes death -- This verse goes with verse 5 (39l) Judgment >> The essence of life defeated the essence of death – It is encouraging to know that Satan no longer has the power of death. Jesus now has the power of death and hell. He said in Matt 10-28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” We have reason to fear God, even we who are born of God, though by faith we love Him. (46j) Judgment >> Spiritual warfare >> Demons are subject to Christ (172i) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Scripture that contradicts the Catholic faith >> Jesus never to die again >> Because He conquered sin and death (254g) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> Jesus is the substance of God’s life >> Jesus conquered death because He is life – Jesus is the living one, like a coiled spring. So long as pressure is applied it remains coiled, but the moment it is released, it returns to its original shape. Death could hold Jesus in the grave for only so long, until it got tired and had to released Him. Whatever pushes on Jesus runs out of time and energy, and eventually must let Him go. Jesus sprang back to life; that is why the Easter holiday is held in the spring! Death had Him in its grip for 3½ days, but could not hold Him any longer; death got tired and died. Rev 1-20 (15h) Servant >> Angels have authority >> They have the power to decree an order (112d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Jesus light in us overcomes darkness >> The light of His power – We know that stars shine brighter than candles. One day we too will shine as bright as the stars of heaven (1Cor 15,40-42), but for now He asks us to keep what we have received, a mere candle by comparison to the glory that will be revealed to us. (136ha) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> Body of Christ consists of individual members >> We are chosen members of Christ -- This verse goes with verse 11 See next page