“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 1:20 – 2:1
The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ has 22 chapters and 404 verses, of which at least half of the verses have reference to the Old Testament Scripture. The book is about the redemption of God’s people and about judgement. The words spoken by God are known as prophetic hyperbole. These are exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally. This is how God speaks about judgement. Today, these words full of clear, biblical imagery and symbols have been taken out of context and applied in creative fashions to our modern technology and times and called interpretation of Scripture. This is a travesty and a mishandling of the precious words of God. It would be well for the Bible reader and for the Church to heed the warning set forth in this book in chapter 22. Verses 18 and 19 state, “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.”
Verses 1-2 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: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
The reason that the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ has been so difficult to understand is because this first verse has been and continues to be ignored. This book is prophetic in nature, but it is written in metaphor. It was signified which means it was given to the Apostle John in word pictures. Therefore it is made known by signs and symbols. It can not be read literally. To repeat, this book cannot be read literally. To do so is what has caused so much confusion in the Church world as the book simply will not make sense. This book also cannot be read chronologically. To repeat, it cannot be read chronologically with the idea that one chapter will lead into the next chapter like a novel or a letter. Please remember this when reading this book.
The writer of this book is the Apostle John, the brother of James and the son of Zebedee. As far as is known, the Apostle John was the only disciple (the original 12) that died of old age and the only disciple who was not executed for the cause of Christianity. He was exiled to the lsle of Patmos where his enemies thought he would no longer be able to trouble them with his preaching and teaching. They were wrong.
Notice that the information was for the purpose of showing “unto his servants (plural) things which must shortly come to pass” If you, the reader, are a believer, you are His servant and this book is for you. You have this book in your hands or on your computer screen because of the Apostle John who carefully wrote down all that he was shown.
Notice also that the things revealed in this book were to “shortly come to pass.” Primarily because of the writings and teachings of Cyrus Ingerson Scofield (1843-1921), the organized religious establishment churches of today have an end time scenario which places most of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ at the end of time. John would have written this book during the first century AD. Shortly means shortly and does not mean some 2000 years into the future. This is necessary to understand in order for the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to be clearly understood.
John had the credentials to be entrusted with writing this book. He walked and lived with the LORD Jesus Christ throughout His ministry and therefore was a witness to all that Jesus said and did. He was there when Christ was transfigured. He was there when Christ healed, raised the dead, fed thousands, and preached the good news. He saw the murder and death of Jesus and then he saw His resurrected body ascend up into the Heavens. Yes, John was fully qualified to write the message of the LORD Jesus Christ for all the believers to have and to cherish down through time.
Verse 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
The Greek word translated as “blessed” is “makarios” and it means happy. So the person who reads this book, and the person who hears or attends to the words of the prophecy, and the person who keeps or observes that which is contained in the book will be happy. This is a promise from God. Yet most people are afraid to read and study this book. Time to get happy.
In the King James Bible, verbs that have an “eth” ending mean that the action is ongoing. So readeth means to read over and over. Also note that there is an urgency to read the book because “the time is at hand.” So in only three verses, the Apostle John lets the reader know that the things written about in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ are at hand or near, not reserved for some time in the distant future.
Verse 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;
The entire book written under the inspiration of the LORD Jesus Christ by the Apostle John is addressed to seven particular churches that were in existence at the time of the writing. Seven is God’s number and shows possession of these churches by God. These churches were located in what is today modern Turkey, but in the Apostle John’s day it was considered to be Asia or the Orient. Some of these churches were known to and established by the Apostle Paul, but this writer does not know if the Apostle John was ever in these churches and personally familiar with them in any way. This writer also does not know why God chose to address this letter to these churches instead of churches in Israel or Rome.
Notice that the Apostle John extends the LORD’s grace (undeserved love) and peace (that which only comes from the presence of the Holy Ghost/Spirit) to these churches and identifies Jesus as the one which is, which was, and which is to come. Jesus was at creation and was walking on Earth among mankind. Jesus rose from the grave and is sitting at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is coming back on the last day to gather His people and to judge the Earth and all that are in it.
Application: God does things in threes a lot of the time. He manifests Himself in three forms. He has always been and therefore encompasses all that is known by mankind who live in time and space and matter. Hence, He was in the past, He is in the present, and He is in the future. Three is the number of perfection in the Scripture and since He is perfect, He was, He is, and He is coming again. What a wonderful promise and anticipation for the believer to remember every day and to look for that day when time will be no more and all God’s people will be together in the Heavens with their LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.
Verses 5-6 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. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The Apostle John makes sure the churches know that this letter is written by him but that it is from Jesus Christ. John describes Jesus as “the faithful witness”. What is He a witness of? In John 14:9 Jesus told the Apostle Philip, “. . .he that hath seen me hath seen the Father;” Jesus was witness to the character and love of the Father.
John describes Jesus as “the first begotten of the dead”. Many people were raised from the dead as recorded in Scripture. However, these people eventually died and were buried again. Jesus died, was buried and was the first to stay alive after rising up from being dead. That is why the Christian faith has hope: hope for eternal life as witnessed by all the people that saw Jesus after the crucifixion.
Verse 7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; 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.
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (encircle or surround) us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
So it is quite possible that when Jesus appears in the sky, He may have atmospheric clouds floating about Him, but more likely the clouds are the people that have died and gone to Heaven, returning with Him to retrieve His people that are still alive from the Earth before His wrath is poured out and all is destroyed by fire. All that are alive on the Earth will see this event. It will not be a secret. The Greek word translated as “wail” is “kopto” and it means to mourn, to cut down, to cut off, or to beat one’s breast for grief. Since the people of God have been waiting for this event to happen since the ascension of Jesus Christ, they will not be the ones expressing grief. The people who have rejected the LORD will have no more opportunities to accept Him and they will know that they have made a very tragic decision when they see the LORD returning to the Earth at the end of time.
Verse 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.
Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. This is a glaring example of why Revelation cannot be read literally. Jesus was not saying he is a letter in an alphabet. The letters just help the reader understand that He is the beginning and the ending of all things. Therefore, He has always existed, He exists now, and He will exist in the future. The Greek word translated as “Almighty” is “pantokrator” and it means he who holds sway over all things and is the ruler of all.
Verse 9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Scolfield teaches that there will be a seven year tribulation at the end of time, ushering in a world ruler known as the Antichrist and that there will be severe suffering during this time. But the Apostle John stated in the above verse that he was in tribulation along with other believers that would be reading this letter to the churches. The Greek word translated as “companion” is “sugkoinonos” and it means partaker with or a participant with others. The Greek word translated as “tribulation” is “thlipsis” and it means oppression, affliction, or distress. Even a cursory study of Church history will show that the real Church has always been persecuted and has always experienced tribulation. The real Church is experiencing tribulation today, the severity depending on which country a person is living in. In China for example, Christians are arrested for no crimes and then executed so that their organs can be sold for profit. This is tribulation.
Application: This writer used to subscribe to the Scolfield doctrine, but does not do so anymore. In studying the Scripture, it became clear that his ideas were a result of taking Bible passages out of context and that he was not directed by God but by spirits of darkness when he formulated his system of belief. However, do not accept this writer’s opinion, but search the Scripture for yourself. Meanwhile, be aware that this study in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ will be dismantling Scolfield’s teachings. You, the reader, can decide if you want to read further or not. It is hard to accept that what has been taught may be incorrect. This writer struggled for two years with anger and confusion while coming to understand that the Bible really does say what it means and not what man says it means.
The name “Patmos” means “my killing”. It was a rugged and barren island in the Aegean Sea and most likely was a miserable place to be stranded. The Apostle John was exiled there by enemies of the Gospel in the hopes that he would die there and trouble the religious establishments and the governing entities of his day no more.
Verses 10-11 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: 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.
What does it mean to be “in the Spirit”? The capitalization of the word means that John is referring to the Holy Spirit/Ghost. It is when a Christian believer is totally surrendered to the leading of the Holy Ghost and is communicating with the LORD in a manner that shuts out all distractions including time. Some believers have described such an event as one in which they have been praying to the LORD and worshiping Him with their mind and heart only to cease praying and find that they have been praying all night long. They had no sense of time and often they report experiencing visions and receiving understandings that can only be from God. It is a deep communication between the believer’s spirit and God’s. Not all believers have experienced this. However, the LORD is closest when a person is going through a time of trial or testing. The Apostle John was alone and at the end of his life and experiencing great tribulation.
This writer cannot say with certainty what the Apostle John meant by the Lord’s day. The early church met on the first day of the week which would be equivalent to a Sunday. The early church was predominately made up of converted Jews and their Sabbath started at 6PM on Friday and went to 6PM on Saturday and does so today. So perhaps to not violate the Sabbath rules, the early church chose to hold Christian services on Sunday which was the first day of the week. So the Apostle John could have been referring to the first day of the week, or he could be referring to some other special day. Regardless, he was in deep communication with the LORD when he heard a voice which was a supernatural occurrence.
The voice was described as great and as a trumpet. Again, a literal reading of this verse would indicate that the voice he heard was musical. This would be ridiculous, so why did he compare the great voice to a trumpet? What does a trumpet sound like? It is loud with a clear tone and it commands attention. What does a trumpet do? It sounds an alarm or a call to battle or to assembly, and it gets the attention of the listener. This voice was loud and it definitely got the attention of the Apostle John.
The voice is identified as that of the LORD and the reference to Alpha and Omega is repeated for a second time. John is commanded to write what he sees in a book and then send that book to specific churches located geographically in a circle in what was then called Asia. This writer does not know if the book was actually physically delivered to any of these churches either during John’s life or after his death. However, the book has been delivered to the Church that has existed down through time to the present.
Verses 12-13 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 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.
Notice that the Apostle John refers to Jesus as “the Son of man” which is a term used extensively in Old Testament books such as Ezekiel and Daniel. The Greek word used is “huios” and it can also mean Son of God or just son. The Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and the Apostle John, referred to Jesus as the Son of man throughout the Gospel books. In this vision John sees the garment of Jesus as extending down to His feet with a sash or belt tied above His waist. This is significant as it was customary for men to hike up their robe and secure it with the belt so that they could walk or run freely or engage in work. The fact that Jesus is seen with His garment freely flowing indicates that He is no longer working. John 19:30 states, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” Jesus finished His work here on Earth and ascended up to Heaven, leaving His Ghost here to be with His followers until He returns bodily to end time and judge the people He created.
Verse 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
This vision of Jesus is also metaphor. Hair white like wool refers to righteousness. The color white in Scripture represents purity and sinlessness. Isaiah 1:18 records God as saying, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be like crimson, they shall be as wool.” The prophet Daniel wrote, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. “
Application: Hebrews 12:29 states, “For our God is a consuming fire.” Fire purifies. Jesus can see right through all mankind’s attitudes, actions, excuses, and motives. Nothing is hidden from Him.
Verse 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Brass is a beautiful metal and is associated with power and authority. Have you, the reader, ever stood below a waterfall and sensed the power and yet soothing tranquility of the motion of the water? Have you listened to the thundering sound of the water as it strikes the rocks below? It can be a mesmerizing experience and one that commands the attention of the viewer. Perhaps the Apostle John was describing such an encounter with the LORD Jesus Christ in this vision.
Verse 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
The seven stars are identified in verse 20 below. The sharp twoedged sword appears four times in the Bible and can be metaphor for the Word of God. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” Hebrews 4:12 The power of a twoedged sword is that it cuts going in and coming out. The Word of God cuts through sin and convicts mightily.
Verses 17-18 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 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.
Ever wished that God would send a vision your way? Look at the Apostle John’s physical reaction to a vision from God. Hearing from God can be exhausting, humbling and somewhat scary. John was so overwhelmed with what he saw that he collapsed. Jesus tells him to “fear not.” Then He again repeats that He is the first (Alpha) and the last (Omega), and that He was, that He is, and that He is coming again, a repeat of the content of verse 8 above.
Verse 19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
Application: Jesus, God very God, whose book this is (the Revelation of Jesus Christ), states that the things the Apostle is commanded to record are things which were happening at the time John wrote and things which would happen later. The events described in this book span a lot of time and cannot be stuffed into an end time scenario of seven years.
Verse 20 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: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. (Revelation 1)
The golden candlesticks John spoke about in verse 12 above are explained in this verse. They are metaphor or representative of the seven churches to which this book was written. If the churches in the Apostle John’s days were represented as candlesticks, then it stands to reason that the churches today are also to be like candlesticks. And what do candlesticks do? They shine light in the darkness. The Church is to shine the light of the Gospel where the Gospel has not gone. The Church is to teach and preach Jesus. “Ye are the light of the world, A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” Matthew 5:14 “The ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as light in the world;” Philippians 2:15
Stars are metaphor for angels in Scripture. But stars are also the real thing in Scripture, so one has to discern what is being written about in each verse.These stars in the above verses were assigned to each of the seven churches. Again, since the Asian churches in existence in the Apostle John’s day had an angel in their midst, it stands to reason that each true church today has an angel in its midst. A lovely thought, don’t you think?