Revelation 1:1-19

Revelation 1:1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

John was one who was of the same spirit as his Master. He lived in very intimate communion with his Lord, and, therefore, to him the choicest revelations were made. The Lord does not reveal his secret to uncongenial minds. He that will do his will shall know of the doctrine, and he shall know all secret things. Oh! if we lived nearer to God, if we walked more in the love of Christ, how much more we might know and see; or, if we saw not visions, yet there are inward perceptions to the heart which God would grant us if we lived more in the light of his countenance.

Revelation 1:3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep these things which are written therein for the time is at hand.

It is not a book to be put on the shelf. There is practical teaching in it, It is not intended to lead us into vagaries of speculation, but it is meant for practical purposes. We are to keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.

Revelation 1:4. 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.

Think, dear friends, how this benediction may be fulfilled. «Grace be to you,» he says, «and peace.» And what are to be the fountains and springs of this peace? It is to come from God first, from him which is. All that God is, is a fountain of peace and grace to us. And from him which was all that he has ever been, the eternal past, the changeless purposes, the divine predestination of the Infinite. There are springs of peace and grace here. And from him which is to come. All that God will ever be, all the manifestations of his power, his justice, his love, which the ages are yet to see all these are wells of grace and peace to God's own people. I want you to think of this. And when your minds are disturbed, and you have need of peace, and when your heart is sinking and you have need of grace, come to God for both of these things, regarding him as him which is, which was, and which is to come. And there are seven spirits which are before his throne. The Holy Ghost, in whatever way he operates in any of his divine works in all these he is the Comforter, the source of grace and peace to us. You need not be afraid of the Holy Spirit, even though he be the Spirit of judgment and the Spirit of burning, for he will burn up nothing in us but what ought to be consumed, and will judge nothing but what ought to be judged and to be condemned; so that peace may come to us from the seven spirits which are before the throne; but specially grace and peace from Jesus Christ as the Faithful Witness. Whatever he bears witness to, it is full of grace and peace to believers, and he himself is the first begotten from the dead. Oh! his resurrection! what a wondrous fountain of grace and peace that is to us! And then his divine sovereignty his rule over all providence and nature, the Prince of the kings of the earth what grace and peace may every one of you who love him find there! At the thought of this, the divine writer turns from his benediction to a doxology.

Revelation 1:5. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father: to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Brethren, the very best work which we ever do on earth is to adore. You are blessed in prayer, but you are seven times blessed in praise. When you get to the doxology, it is the benediction made more sublime. The benediction takes wings and mounts into a celestial atmosphere, when you begin to adore and magnify him that loved you, and washed you from your sins. There is one thing that adoration does: it helps us to see: and when you close your eyes in adoration, you see more than when you have them open in any other way. I am sure of this, for the next line is:

Revelation 1:7. Behold he cometh with clouds;

John sees him. He adored, him. Strong Son of God, Immortal love, Whom though we have not seen thy face, Unceasing we adore. In that adoration we behold thee. «Behold he cometh with clouds.»

Revelation 1:7. And every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so. Amen.

What is more, adoration helps us to hear as well as to see. It supplies us with new senses. John hears this voice.

Revelation 1:8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Happy man that thus in reverent worship hears God speaking to him in answer to his voice to God.

Revelation 1:9. I John, who also am your brother,

How sweetly this sounds. This is a man that has seen and heard God. This is a man who is full of visions, who has beheld the broken seals and the poured out vials; the man that is familiar with the infinite. «I, John, who also am your brother.»

Revelation 1:9. And companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patches, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

That is a wondrous linking, is it not, in this verse? «the kingdom and patience.» You must have the cross and the crown together. We get the kingdom of Christ, but not without the passion of Christ. There is the cross marked on all the treasure trove that we find in Christ. It is not genuine if it is not marked with the cross. «The kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.»

Revelation 1:10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:

What evidence we have here of the divinity of Christ, for we shall see, as we read on, that it is Christ that is speaking here; and just now it was the Father which in much the same words said, «I am Alpha and Omega.» We cannot always draw the line between the voice of God and the voice of the God-man, Christ Jesus, and we need not wish to do so, for Holy Scripture does not draw us up rigid, but it would have us believe it, all the same for that. Yet it is always accurate, always true, where it has shades of definition; for, after all, Christ is so truly God that whether it speak of him absolutely as God, or of him as God and man, Mediator, it matters little to us.

Revelation 1:11. And, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me.

It is so natural in us to want to see the place from which the voice proceeds.

Revelation 1:12. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace: and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

I will not stop to explain those details. The picture is too sacred. Let it stand before you in its glory, and listen to these words.

Revelation 1:17. And when I saw him. I fell at his feet as dead.

Oh! how the «I» dies when Christ is manifested! How we sink! And yet our joys shall rise unutterably, immeasurably high. I fell at his feet as dead.

Revelation 1:17. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

There is where your comfort comes from not from what you are, but from what he is. You are the last, but he here is the point he is the first and the last.

Revelation 1:18. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, Come, lay aside thy fears. Thy fears disqualify thee from holding the pen.

Thou hast scarcely dared to look. I am sure thou wilt not date to write until I strengthen thee.

Revelation 1:19. And the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: The messengers, the ministers of the seven churches.

Revelation 1:20. And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

God bless our reading to our rich instruction.