1. The Greeting to the Judeo-Christian Church Members in the Churches of Asia Minor (Revelation 1:1-3)
REVELATION 1:1-3
1 This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John, 2 who testified to God’s word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is at hand.
The Event of the Revelation: At the very beginning John emphasizes that the documenting of his visions is called “the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Therefore, it is not to be called “the revelation of John.”
John did not begin his scroll by writing his own name as the sender or author of this writing, as one reads in most of the New Testament letters of the apostles; rather, from the very beginning, he bears witness to the alarming event of the revelation. The resurrected Lord, who appeared out of His seclusion, is more important than the mediator of this revelation. Jesus is the cause, the subject, and the realization of this exciting historical prophecy.
The outward form of the introduction of this letter corresponds to the structure of the introductions to the prophetic books of the Old Testament (Isaiah 1:2; Joel 1:2; Micah 1:2, etc.). The word of the Lord – His Revelation – was the deciding event, the manifesting of the Eternal One into our realm of time. That is why, in Jewish writings, the event of the revelation appears at the beginning of a document as the legitimization of the prophet and his words.
A large part of the church members in and around Ephesus were Jewish Christians. The first greeting is for them. To the Jews, he himself became a Jew.
In the visions described by John, the crucified and resurrected One does not speak of events from the past; rather, He immediately prophesies about the future of our world as the unfolding of His finished victory on the cross. His name, Jesus, which appears 975 times in the New Testament, means “Yahweh saves” (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31). Christ is the descriptive office of Jesus and means, “the Anointed One” (Luke 4:18-19). This title appears 569 times in the New Testament. With these two names, the theme, direction, and goal of the revelation of Jesus Christ are established according to the principles of His plan of salvation. The plan of Jesus is rooted in His name and in His title.
God gave Jesus the Revelation: Jesus did not reveal His end-time prophecy of the course of history to John in a self-glorifying way. He received these mysteries from God. After His ascension into heaven, Jesus received the book with the seven seals at His enthronement. The Son humbled Himself before His Father and allowed Himself to be given the recognition and power to carry out the completion of salvation and judgment. He did not assume these for Himself, but waited until His Father gave them to Him.
Again and again in his account of the Gospel, John emphasizes the Father’s granting and the Son’s receiving (John 3:35, 5:22, 27, 36; 6:39, 65; 13:3; 17:2-12, 22-24 [13 times]; 18:11). The Father has given His Son all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). The holy oneness of the Father and Son is found in the humility, love, and trust between them (John 12:49-50; 14:8-12).
To Show His Servants: The Son did not keep the mysteries of the end times to Himself, but revealed them to His servants, who subordinated themselves to Him freely as slaves. None of them wanted to express their own thoughts or words. They understood themselves to be the mouthpiece of their Heavenly Inspirer.
The manifold end-time revelations were not given only to one single prophet in Jesus’ Church; rather, they reached different prophetically-gifted servants in the churches. In the revelation to John, their visions completed the picture of what was to come.
The Godly Requirement: The sequence of end-time events is no mere coincidence, but a result of an essential, godly requirement issuing from God’s holiness and love. His patience has an end when the measure of individual and corporate sins is overflowing. His mercy, however, covers and protects all who repent. Jesus does not lose a single sheep from among His flock (John 10:27-30). At just the right time, He lets His followers know what must come in terms of judgment and protection, so that they realize: our Lord holds the reins of world history in His hand! Only that which He allows can happen.
The requirement of God’s love and holiness are often visible in the life of Jesus, particularly during the Passion Week. In the obedience of Jesus, we recognize that the Lamb of God is the executor of this godly requirement (John 19:28; Revelation 5:1-14).
The End is Near: The last days began with the birth of Jesus. Ever since, the result has been that believers in Christ grow spiritually, while the unbelievers continue in their unrepentant obstinacy. Wickedness must continue until the full measure of its evil has come. However, the repentant become holy and are tested and purified through suffering (Romans 5:1-5). The end of the world is closer today than we can imagine. The end will come quickly and suddenly.
An Angel Conveyed the Visions: In the conveying of the revelations to John, once the youngest apostle, but now the oldest, Jesus did not appear personally; rather, He sent an angel (perhaps the Angel Gabriel) to convey the sequence of end-time events. All the other apostles – even Paul – had already died or been killed as martyrs.
The Book of Revelation attests to the service of angels 67 times. In the entire New Testament, angles are mentioned 175 times. They appear most often when the ability of man to grasp the unfathomable or to withstand the struggle against demons fails.
John, a Slave of Jesus Christ: John was the only remaining eyewitness of Jesus’ life, suffering, and resurrection when the angel of revelation appeared to him. He was the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13:23). The love of his Savior had cast him into the dust and turned him into His voluntary slave. John lived in accordance with the meaning of his own name: Yahweh is merciful and compassionate.
The Church fathers did not add other apocalypses to the New Testament canon, because the revelations given to John encompassed all other end-time visions.
He Proclaimed the “Word of God”: Several times in his Gospel account and other New Testament letters, John proclaimed Jesus to be the “Word of God” made flesh. In Him all promises are yes and amen. Jesus fulfilled the Law with its commandments while remaining sinless. He lived what He Himself proclaimed. The creative, healing, forgiving, comforting, and renewing power of the Word of God was personified in Him. The will of God became bodily visible in Jesus. In his biography of Jesus, John described the incarnation of the Word of God uniquely and precisely (John 1:1-8).
He Held Fast to the Testimony of Christ: John did not only bear witness to the divinity of Jesus in the realization of His love, he also recorded His victory proclamation, “It is finished!” At the time of His greatest weakness and at the moment of most extreme contempt, Jesus completed the salvation of the world, the justification for all sinners, and gained the victory over sin, Satan, death, and the wrath of God. Jesus removed the dividing wall between the Creator and His creatures. He revealed the Father to us and opened wide the door to eternal life. John preserved the testimony of Jesus Christ in a unique way in proclaiming His “I am” statements to the world.
He Proclaimed All That He Saw: John wrote to the churches all that he had seen with his eyes, heard with his ears, and perceived with his heart. He was reliable and precise in conveying each and every word. Therefore, the Lord was able to entrust additional revelations to him. He let him see the unfolding of His ultimate victory down to our own day.
The Beatification of the Recipient of this Book: Twice, at the beginning and end of this book, John emphasizes that all who read, hear, and keep the prophecy of the victory of the triune God will be blissfully happy. It takes roughly one and a half hours to read the 22 chapters of this book aloud. The joy of the Holy Spirit fills all who believe the revealed truth about the future and proclaim it to others as a godly comfort in moments of fear. His joy brings eternal gladness in times of despair, and steadfast hope in the midst of uncertainty. Especially blessed are those who keep the words of the end-time prophecy in their heart, who allow it to fill their subconscious, and who wait eagerly for the appearing of their Lord and Savior. The blessed state of believers in Christ is mentioned seven times in this book (Revelation 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7,14); while the “woe” to those who continue in their unrepentant obstinacy is mentioned 13 times (Revelation 8:13 [three times]; 9:12 [twice]; 11:14 [twice]; 12:12, 18:10 [twice]; 16 [twice]; 19 [twice]).
The Time Is Near: John impresses upon his readers the fact that the time for the fulfillment of salvation is near. Yet we needn’t fear the Last Judgment, as Muslims do, nor tremble at the thought of it; rather, we can be happy and comforted, for our Lord is coming to take His beloved unto Himself. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Those who are born again already carry the future world, born of the Spirit, within them. The glory of Christ will shine forth like the rays of the sun at the break of day. We are called to be mirrors of Christ, reflecting the glory of His love, truth, and purity.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we magnify you because you inspired your servants through Christ with the future developments, and Jesus confirmed to us through His revelation to John, the Divine, that the end of the universe is near. Help us to understand His revelations and live peacefully in the midst of our troubled world.
QUESTION:
- How did John prepare the Semitic members of the church first?