Revelation 1-3; 4:1
[5/15/11]
Revelation 1:1-20) (GW) This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He sent this revelation through his angel to his servant John.
2) (GW) John testified about what he saw: God’s word and the testimony about Jesus Christ.
3) (GW) Blessed is the one who reads, as well as those who hear the words of this prophecy and pay attention to what is written in it because the time is near. [GOD’S PROMISE TO US]
4) (GW) From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Good will and peace to you from the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is coming, from the seven spirits who are in front of his throne,
5) (GW) and from Jesus Christ, the witness, the trustworthy one, the first to come back to life, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. Glory and power forever and ever belong to the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
6) (GW) and has made us a kingdom, priests for God his Father. Amen.
7) (GW) Look! He is coming in the clouds. Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. Every tribe on earth will mourn because of him. This is true. Amen. [GOD’S PROMISE TO US]
8) (GW) “I am the A and the Z,” says the Lord God, the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is coming, the Almighty.
(KJV) 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.
(MSG) The Master declares, “I’m A to Z. I’m THE GOD WHO IS, THE GOD WHO WAS, AND THE GOD ABOUT TO ARRIVE. I’m the Sovereign-Strong”
QUESTION: Why does the GW translation render “Alpha and Omega” as A to Z?
ANSWER: Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet; Omega is the last.
9) (GW) I am John, your brother. I share your suffering, ruling, and endurance because of Jesus. I was exiled on the island of Patmos because of God’s word and the testimony about Jesus.
NOTE: Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea [Wikipedia].
10) (GW) I came under the Spirit’s power on the Lord’s day. I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet,
11) (GW) saying, “Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” [GOD’S COMMAND TO JOHN]
12) (GW) I turned toward the voice which was talking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lamp stands.
13) (GW) There was someone like the Son of Man among the lamp stands. He was wearing a robe that reached his feet. He wore a gold belt around his waist.
14) (GW) His head and his hair were white like wool-like snow. His eyes were like flames of fire.
15) (GW) His feet were like glowing bronze refined in a furnace. His voice was like the sound of raging waters.
16) (GW) In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. His face was like the sun when it shines in all its brightness. [JOHN’S DESCRIPTION OF JESUS] {VS. 13-16}
17) (GW) When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. Then he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the first and the last, [JESUS DESCRIPTION OF HIMSELF] {VS. 17-18}
18) (GW) the living one. I was dead, but now I am alive forever. I have the keys of death and hell.
19) (GW) Therefore, write down what you have seen, what is, and what is going to happen after these things.
20) (GW) The hidden meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lamp stands is this: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches.
QUESTION: According to verse 19, what 3 things was John to write down?
ANSWER: 1) What he has seen; i.e., the vision this chapter describes.
2) What is; i.e., the state of the 7 churches, which represent the church age.
3) What is going to happen after these things; i.e., the events that will follow the church age.
QUESTION: What do the 7 lamp stands represent?
ANSWER: They represent the seven churches mentioned in verse 11.
NOTE: These 7 churches were 7 actual churches in Asia. They also represent the church age. Some believe they represent various stages of the church age.
QUESTION: What do the 7 stars represent?
ANSWER: They represent the 7 pastors of the 7 churches.
The 7 Churches:
Revelation 2:1, 7) [GW] “To the messenger of the church in Ephesus, write: The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamp stands, says:
7) [GW] “Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the privilege of eating from the tree of life, which stands in the paradise of God, to everyone who wins the victory.
QUESTION: Who is Jesus portrayed as here?
ANSWER: He holds the ministers in his right hand, and He walks among the churches.
QUESTION: What promise does He give to overcomers?
ANSWER: We will live forever.
Revelation 2:8, 10-11) [GW] “To the messenger of the church in Smyrna, write: The first and the last, who was dead and became alive, says:
10) [GW] Don’t be afraid of what you are going to suffer. The devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. Your suffering will go on for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11) [GW] Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Everyone who wins the victory will never be hurt by the second death.
QUESTION: Who is Jesus portrayed as here?
ANSWER: He lives forever, frontwards and backwards; He was dead, now He lives.
QUESTION: What promise does He give to overcomers?
ANSWER: We will receive the crown of life, and we’ll never be hurt by the 2nd death.
Revelation 2:12, 17) [GW] “To the messenger of the church in Pergamum, write: The one who holds the sharp two-edged sword says:
17) [GW] Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give some of the hidden manna to everyone who wins the victory. I will also give each person a white stone with a new name written on it, a name that is known only to the person who receives it.
QUESTION: Who is Jesus portrayed as here?
ANSWER: He holds the sharp two-edged sword.
QUESTION: What promise does He give to overcomers?
ANSWER: He will give us the hidden manna; and He will give us a white stone with a new name written on it.
NOTE: My physical, bodily home is David; my eternal spiritual, bodily home will have a new name/address.
Revelation 2:18, 25-29) [GW] “To the messenger of the church in Thyatira, write: The Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire and whose feet are like glowing bronze, says:
25) [GW] Just hold on to what you have until I come.
26) [GW] I have received authority from my Father. I will give authority over the nations to everyone who wins the victory and continues to do what I want until the end.
27) [GW] Those people will rule the nations with iron scepters and shatter them like pottery.
28) [GW] I will also give them the morning star.
29) [GW] Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
QUESTION: Who is Jesus portrayed as here?
ANSWER: He has eyes like fire and feet like glowing bronze.
QUESTION: What promise does He give to overcomers?
ANSWER: We will receive authority over the nations, to rule them with iron scepters. We will receive the morning star.
Revelation 3:1, 5-6) [GW] “To the messenger of the church in Sardis, write: The one who has God’s seven spirits and the seven stars says: I know what you have done. You are known for being alive, but you are dead.
5) [GW] Everyone who wins the victory this way will wear white clothes. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life. I will acknowledge them in the presence of my Father and his angels.
6) [GW] Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
QUESTION: Who is Jesus portrayed as here?
ANSWER: He is the one who has the Holy Spirit, and the one who has the 7 ministers of the 7 churches.
QUESTION: What promise does He give to overcomers?
ANSWER: We will wear white robes of righteousness, and Jesus will never erase our names from the Book of Life. He will acknowledge us in the presence of His Father and His angels.
Revelation 3:7, 11-13) [GW] “To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia, write: The one who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens a door that no one can shut, and who shuts a door that no one can open, says:
11) [GW] I am coming soon! Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your crown.
12) [GW] I will make everyone who wins the victory a pillar in the temple of my God. They will never leave it again. I will write on them the name of my God, the name of the city of my God (the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from my God), and my new name.
13) [GW] Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
QUESTION: Who is Jesus portrayed as here?
ANSWER: He is the one who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens a door no one can shut, and shuts a door no one can open.
QUESTION: What promise does He give to overcomers?
ANSWER: We will be a pillar in the temple of God. We will never leave it again. Jesus will write on us the name of His God, the name of the city of His God, and His new name.
Revelation 3:14, 20-22) [GW] “To the messenger of the church in Laodicea, write: The amen, the witness who is faithful and true, the source of God’s creation, says:
20) [GW] Look, I’m standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in and we’ll eat together.
21) [GW] I will allow everyone who wins the victory to sit with me on my throne, as I have won the victory and have sat down with my Father on his throne.
22) [GW] Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
QUESTION: Who is Jesus portrayed as here?
ANSWER: He is the amen, the witness who is faithful and true, and the source of God’s creation.
QUESTION: What promise does He give to overcomers?
ANSWER: We will forever have intimate fellowship with Jesus, and we will be seated with Him in glory.
Revelation 4:1) [GW] After these things I saw a door standing open in heaven. I heard the first voice like a trumpet speaking to me. It said “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.”
Revelation 1:19) (GW) Therefore, write down what you have seen, what is, and what is going to happen after these things.
QUESTION: What is the “after this” being referred to here?
ANSWER: The “after this” is after “what you have seen,” and “what is,” i.e., the church age.
QUESTION: What, then, is chapter 4, verse 1, referring to?
ANSWER: I believe it to be referring to the Rapture of the Church.
QUESTION: When will the Rapture of the Church occur?
ANSWER: It will occur, in my view, between “what is,” i.e., the church age, and “what is going to happen after these things,” i.e., the Tribulation Period.