Revelation 1:1-8

Tomlinson's Comments
PROLOGUE 1:18

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John 2:1-25 who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein; for the time is at hand.

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood; 6 and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Revelation 1:1 What a tender introduction is given by Christ to the church. This prologue runs through the first eight verses. This opening phrase could well read, The uncovering by Jesus Christ, which God gave to show unto his servants. And the things shown were shortly to come to pass. The literal meaning is to come to pass in quick succession. Christ sent and signified by his servant John or, he sent and sign-i-fied, uncovered the future in signs and symbols. He also signified by his angel. Throughout the apocalypse an angel appears to be employed in the task of unveiling the scenes that follow in successive order.

Revelation 1:1, Revelation 1:1 John bore record of all he saw and heard. A special emphasis is given here of his record because such world shattering events were revealed to him under such startling symbolism.

Revelation 1:3 While the reading of any book of the Bible brings its blessing, it would seem that a special one is pronounced here upon the reader, the hearer and the faithful keeper of the those things that are written therein. And it is an oft experienced fact that whether we can understand all that is written in this book or not yet it is always true that the book takes a peculiar hold upon the reader and hearer, as if to say, stay by me, study me, search me. And this grip the apocalypse lays upon the one who studies its contents is further enhanced by the fact that the time is at hand.

Revelation 1:4 Now John begins to deliver the record of the visions given him to be in turn, given to the seven churches of Asia. The Asia of John's day did not refer to our Asia as we understand it today, but rather to the Roman province called Asia of which Ephesus was the capitol. All seven churches named in Revelation 1:11, were in that province. It would seem that seven, the perfect and sacred Scriptural number was chosen, because the seven were to refer not alone to the seven individual churches within the province, but symbolize the whole church of Christ throughout her history. This becomes patent when we keep in mind that John was to write of the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. (Revelation 1:19)

Again he addressed himself to more than the seven individual churches, because we know there were more than seven churches in the province of Asia at this time. The New Testament speaks also of Colosse, Meletus (Acts 20:17) and Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13)

Even a casual study of the salutations and benedictions of each church of the seven demonstrates to us that these refer to seven great epochs or periods in the entire history of the church.
The benediction, like that in other New Testament Epistles, shows that Revelation is also classified by John as an epistle. While this epistle is addressed to seven individual churches, yet through them it is addressed to all the churches in every age.

Grace comes from the Holy Spirit, the numbers even indicating fullness, completeness, perfection. In (Revelation 3:1) we read These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God. Christ, the speaker, has the fullness of the Spirit. Whereas, the apostles had the baptismal degree, others had a less measure conferred by the laying on of the apostle's hands, and those obedient to the gospel have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, as a teacher, comforter, energizer. Christ had the spirit without measure. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the Words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. (John 3:34) To give anything by measure indicates a partial, scanty bestowal. The Spirit of God, even in inspired prophets was but a partial and intermittent gift, but in Jesus, the Son of God, the Spirit of God dwelt fully and uninterruptedly. The present tense, giveth indicates a continuous communication of the Spirit. If Christ had received the Spirit by measure, then his gift of the Spirit could become exhausted. Hence the fullness of the Spirit possessed by Christ, is presented by John as the seven Spirits of God. This benediction comes from the Christ in whom dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9)

Revelation 1:5 We are loosed from our sins by the shedding of Christ's blood, which is applied to us when we are baptized into his death, where He shed His blood. And through Christ's resurrection from the dead, life and immortality are brought to light for us all as we arise from baptism to walk in newness of life.

Revelation 1:6 In Christ's church, or kingdom, each obedient baptized believer is a priest. No Christian needs a priest to offer up sacrifice for him, for he can go directly to the throne of grace, by a new and living way, which He (Christ) hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say the flesh (Hebrews 10:20) Peter, himself, said, ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. (1 Peter 2:9)

Revelation 1:7 This refers to Christ's second advent when He shall return to judge all nations (Matthew 25:31-46). (Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11). The clouds always accompany Christ's heavenly presence. All shall see Him because He will judge all and Israel which pierced Him in the crucifixion shall see him. While all shall see Him in His return, they particularly are selected out because of what they did to Him in the flesh. John here quotes (Zechariah 12:10). Consternation shall reign because it will be the time of judgment.

It cannot be too carefully noted that here, as in many other references to His return. Christ makes his second advent at the time of judgment and not before.

Revelation 1:8 Alpha and Omegathe first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, hence also called the beginning and the end. All begins with Him and He will ring down the curtain on the drama of human history.

This verse closes the introduction and the apocalypse proper begins with verse nine. Verse nine marks the beginning of Part 1, of Division 1, of Revelation.