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December 9
Revelation 1:1-20
Introduction and Benediction 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Greeting the Seven Churches 4 John, to the seven churches which 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 who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Vision of the Son of Man 9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
TEACHING COMMENTARY BY NICK BOORK
The book of the revelation of Jesus Christ, commonly referred to as the book of Revelation was written by the apostle John. By this time John was an old man. Church history tells us that he was persecuted and his adversaries tried to put him to death by boiling him alive in a large pot of oil but miraculously it had no effect upon him. Because of this, they decided to banish him to a prison on the island of Patmos. It was during this time of isolation and suffering for Jesus Christ that he received in the opinion of many theologians and scholars the greatest revelation about God and his purposes ever revealed to mankind.
The book contains a promise that whoever reads and keeps its message will be blessed because the time is at hand: 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. Jesus reveals himself as our redeemer who has washed us from our sins in his own blood and has made us a kingdom of priests. He is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last. In other words, the God who created everything is the God who will finish everything according to his purposes which will prevail despite the opposition of Satan and the rebellion of mankind. The book of Revelation reveals the goodness and almighty power of God to bring about salvation for his people and eternal wrath and judgment upon the Devil and people that refuse to repent of sin and follow Christ as Lord.
The key to understanding the book of Revelation is found here in the first chapter where the Lord tells John to write about three phases that will be revealed to him: 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
Phase 1 – Things which you have seen (Past): This refers to John seeing the resurrected and glorified Christ. This is the way that the Lord wants humanity to understand who he is right now. Jesus did not stay on the cross suffering in weakness but was buried and raised again from the dead the third day. In some peoples minds, Jesus is a weak and powerless savior. However, this is not the Jesus that we see in the first chapter revelation. No, Jesus reveals himself to John as the ever-living Savior who conquered death, hell and the grave and has the keys of eternal life.
According to the book of Acts 1:3 after Jesus arose from the dead he taught the apostles and disciples for a time period of 40 days before they witnessed the Lord Jesus Christ ascending up through the clouds returning to the our Father in Heaven! Now Christ is alive and serves as our high priest also making intercession for us until he hears from the Father the command to return to earth to get his bride, his Church, his family, you and me and all that believe on Jesus as Lord and Savior to be with him forever!
What’s more is that John saw in the right hand of Jesus seven stars representing the angels which means “messenger” or what many biblical scholars believe are the leaders or senior pastors of the local churches that Christ was sending his messages to. I believe this interpretation is correct and will expound on this position in detail in tomorrow’s reading as we look at some of the content of the messages that Christ sent to the seven churches.
John understands Jesus to be in the midst of the seven churches through the vision of Jesus being in the middle of the seven candlesticks. This is black-and-white when it comes to our understanding of this part of the revelation because Jesus clarifies this to John that the candlesticks are the seven churches.
Phase 2 – The things which are (Present) This refers to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3 and means the present church age in which we live. After chapter 3 the word church never appears again in the remainder of the book of Revelation.
Phase 3 – The things which will take place after this (Future) This refers to chapters 4 through 22. From chapter 4 through the rest of the book we have a prophetic view of the purposes of God unfold on in heaven and on earth consummating with according to the promise of God a new heaven and a new earth which the saints will inherit to live in the presence of God eternally!
WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE?
1) Only Jesus blood has the power to save us from our sins
2) Those that read the book of Revelation and obey it’s message will be blessed
3) The Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation from the island of Patmos
4) The key to understanding the book is to acknowledge its three parts:
· The past Chapter 1 The resurrected and glorified Christ
· The present Chapters 2-3 Christ in the midst of the Churches
· The future Chapters 4-22 Prophetic events to be fulfilled
5) The book of Revelation is considered by most Bible scholars to be the deepest prophetic book in the entire holy bible of the plans and purposes of God for mankind. Let’s explore it’s message together.
Share your comments on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/oneyearbibleclub
Revelation 1:1-20
Introduction and Benediction 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Greeting the Seven Churches 4 John, to the seven churches which 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 who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Vision of the Son of Man 9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
TEACHING COMMENTARY BY NICK BOORK
The book of the revelation of Jesus Christ, commonly referred to as the book of Revelation was written by the apostle John. By this time John was an old man. Church history tells us that he was persecuted and his adversaries tried to put him to death by boiling him alive in a large pot of oil but miraculously it had no effect upon him. Because of this, they decided to banish him to a prison on the island of Patmos. It was during this time of isolation and suffering for Jesus Christ that he received in the opinion of many theologians and scholars the greatest revelation about God and his purposes ever revealed to mankind.
The book contains a promise that whoever reads and keeps its message will be blessed because the time is at hand: 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. Jesus reveals himself as our redeemer who has washed us from our sins in his own blood and has made us a kingdom of priests. He is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last. In other words, the God who created everything is the God who will finish everything according to his purposes which will prevail despite the opposition of Satan and the rebellion of mankind. The book of Revelation reveals the goodness and almighty power of God to bring about salvation for his people and eternal wrath and judgment upon the Devil and people that refuse to repent of sin and follow Christ as Lord.
The key to understanding the book of Revelation is found here in the first chapter where the Lord tells John to write about three phases that will be revealed to him: 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
Phase 1 – Things which you have seen (Past): This refers to John seeing the resurrected and glorified Christ. This is the way that the Lord wants humanity to understand who he is right now. Jesus did not stay on the cross suffering in weakness but was buried and raised again from the dead the third day. In some peoples minds, Jesus is a weak and powerless savior. However, this is not the Jesus that we see in the first chapter revelation. No, Jesus reveals himself to John as the ever-living Savior who conquered death, hell and the grave and has the keys of eternal life.
According to the book of Acts 1:3 after Jesus arose from the dead he taught the apostles and disciples for a time period of 40 days before they witnessed the Lord Jesus Christ ascending up through the clouds returning to the our Father in Heaven! Now Christ is alive and serves as our high priest also making intercession for us until he hears from the Father the command to return to earth to get his bride, his Church, his family, you and me and all that believe on Jesus as Lord and Savior to be with him forever!
What’s more is that John saw in the right hand of Jesus seven stars representing the angels which means “messenger” or what many biblical scholars believe are the leaders or senior pastors of the local churches that Christ was sending his messages to. I believe this interpretation is correct and will expound on this position in detail in tomorrow’s reading as we look at some of the content of the messages that Christ sent to the seven churches.
John understands Jesus to be in the midst of the seven churches through the vision of Jesus being in the middle of the seven candlesticks. This is black-and-white when it comes to our understanding of this part of the revelation because Jesus clarifies this to John that the candlesticks are the seven churches.
Phase 2 – The things which are (Present) This refers to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3 and means the present church age in which we live. After chapter 3 the word church never appears again in the remainder of the book of Revelation.
Phase 3 – The things which will take place after this (Future) This refers to chapters 4 through 22. From chapter 4 through the rest of the book we have a prophetic view of the purposes of God unfold on in heaven and on earth consummating with according to the promise of God a new heaven and a new earth which the saints will inherit to live in the presence of God eternally!
WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE?
1) Only Jesus blood has the power to save us from our sins
2) Those that read the book of Revelation and obey it’s message will be blessed
3) The Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation from the island of Patmos
4) The key to understanding the book is to acknowledge its three parts:
· The past Chapter 1 The resurrected and glorified Christ
· The present Chapters 2-3 Christ in the midst of the Churches
· The future Chapters 4-22 Prophetic events to be fulfilled
5) The book of Revelation is considered by most Bible scholars to be the deepest prophetic book in the entire holy bible of the plans and purposes of God for mankind. Let’s explore it’s message together.
Share your comments on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/oneyearbibleclub
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This is your brother in Christ, Nick Boork. Thanks for listening to the One Year Bible.
I invite you to partner with us through your prayers and financial donations to expand this ministry into all the world! God bless you abundantly! |
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Nick & Yngris Boork are available to preach and minister at your Church.
We serve all Christians in the Body of Christ: Let us know how we can serve you!
We serve all Christians in the Body of Christ: Let us know how we can serve you!
- Phone: 248-535-2380
- Email: nickboorkministries@gmail.com
- Website listing all ministries: http://www.nickboork.com