The Revelation of Jesus. (Introduction 1: 1 - 8)

[Marilyn C]

The book of Revelation is often discussed from the earthly view of `beasts, the dragon, world powers etc however I believe it will be good to focus on the Lord, Himself, as He is known in the heavenly realm & describe what we see.

 

INTRODUCTION ch. 1: 1 - 8.

`The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him…` (Rev. 1: 1 - 8)

Revelation – from the Greek word `apocalypse,` meaning to `unveil.`

I believe there has never been any monuments in honour of great personalities throughout the centuries that is comparable to the magnificence of this unveiling of Jesus Christ & the magnitude of His triumph.

What inexpressible pleasure God the Father enjoyed when unveiling His Son`s true character & credentials, for the purpose of showing to His bond servants the regal nature of His Well Beloved.

This unveiling of Christ`s Deity was given to John, the Apostle. He was to write it down for the Body of Christ down through the centuries. `Blessed is he that reads…` (Rev. 1: 3) this prophecy as it shows the full manifestation of Christ enthroned & empowered on high. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, not only the Son of Man, but the Son of God.`

What is something that you see of our precious Lord, from the Introduction of Revelation 1: 1 – 8?

Looking forward to your comments. Marilyn.







 

Edited May 25, 2015 by Marilyn C

[Marilyn C]

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. The Introduction: Ch. 1: 1 - 8

`The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave to Him to show his servants –
things which must shortly take place.

And he sent & signified it by His angel to His servant John,
- who bore witness to the word of God,
- & to the testimony of Jesus Christ,
- & to all things that he saw.

Blessed is he who reads
& those who hear the words of this prophecy,
& keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

John, to the seven churches which are in Asia;
Grace to you & peace from –
- Him who is & who was & who is to come,
- & from the seven spirits who are before His throne,
- & from Jesus Christ,

The faithful witness,
The first-born from the dead, &
The ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us & washed us from our sins in His own blood,
& has made us kings & priests to His God & Father,
to Him be glory & dominion for ever & ever. Amen.

Behold He is coming with clouds,
& every eye will see Him,
& they also who pierced Him.
And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so. Amen.

“I am the Alpha & Omega,
the Beginning & the End,” says the Lord,
“who is & who was & who is to come, the Almighty.”
 

[Spock]

This part encourages me greatly....

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom (I think king may be a better translation) and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

He has made us kings and priests to serve God his father.....

I'm not sure I understand this verse. I never thought I would be a king or a priest......

[Marilyn C]

Hi Spock,

What a wonderful truth to point out - `kings & priests.` And yes it is difficult for our human mind to understand this, however I always think, well, what did we do to put our bodies & minds together with all the gifting we have been given. Thus it will be, I believe that God will endow us with capabilities (eye has not seen…) etc in our glorified bodies that will enable us to do the work he has called us to do in eternity.

And most importantly because we will have Christ`s divine nature (2 Peter 1: 4) of goodness, kindness, faithfulness, meekness, humbleness, holy, pure, gentle, wise, truthful, peaceful, etc etc then we will operate in obedience under Christ.

As to `KING/PRIESTS,` we know that Christ Himself is the Royal High Priest, the King Priest over all. Thus as His Body we will also function in that way too, as King priests. Now Israel only had `a king,` & `some priests,` never kingpriests. Those offices were always separate. However the Apostle Paul was given the revelation that we would indeed have that very `high calling.`

To me the `kings,` represent government & activity, while the `priests` represent worship & spirituality. One is service & the other is supplication.

Thank you for your interest & input, Marilyn.

[Marilyn C]

When the Father first describes His Son I would have thought, - `King of Kings,` or `Lord Supreme of the Universe,` but no, Jesus is called `the faithful witness.` It didn`t seem that important somehow until I began to think about it.

A witness, as we know is someone who speaks of what they have seen or heard & Jesus was sent from the heavenly realms on a special mission, to speak, witness of the Father. He was to tell of His great love for us & how He had planned to restore mankind from the ravages of sin.

Faithful Witness to the Father`s love.

“The Father loves the Son, & has given all things into His hand.” (John 3: 35)

“For the Father loves the Son, & shows Him all things that He Himself does…” (John 5: 20)

The Father regards the Son in the highest intensity of love, & fully confides & entrusts Him to all secrets. In Christ`s final witness of God`s wonderful love, He said, -

“O righteous Father! The world has not known you, but I have known you; & these have known that you sent me. And I have declared to them your name, & will declare it, that the love with which you loved me may be in them, & I in them.” (John 17: 25 & 26)


Faithful Witness of His kingship & kingdom of truth.

`Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world……” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, & for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18: 36 & 37)

Here we see Jesus without a bejeweled crown or golden scepter, no palace, servants or royal possessions, no army or guards, yet there he stands & witnesses to Pilate that He is a king from another realm. He came to witness to the truth, spiritual truth which He did, in His teaching, His life & in all His activities.

There are many other aspects that Jesus witnessed to – future events, invisible realities in the life to come, foretelling the resurrection of the dead, & many other wonderful things. Truly He is a wonderful witness, a faithful witness from the Father.

 

Marilyn.



 

Edited May 27, 2015 by Marilyn C

[Retrobyter]

Shalom, Spock.

 

This part encourages me greatly....

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom (I think king may be a better translation) and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

He has made us kings and priests to serve God his father.....

I'm not sure I understand this verse. I never thought I would be a king or a priest......

 

We CAN be kings and priests, but first we must learn the roles and ask for wisdom to perform the tasks of each. A priest was a "go-between” between the people and God. He had certain duties to perform, and he had tasks that were on a time table. His “shift” was often for a set period of time.

 

A king’s primary role is that of an administrator. He must be able to plan (or take His plan from the Higher King) and work that plan. Another role of the king was as a judge of the land. David’s throne was a crude backless bench on which he sat to judge matters of state and matters between people whose matters could not be settled by the individual city judges. His was the Higher Court, like our Supreme Court.

 

We are told by preachers and teachers that we “go to Heaven when we die” and that’s it. What most of us FAIL to understand is that there’s yet more time to work on this earth. We are told in SCRIPTURE that we are to look forward to the RESURRECTION of our bodies!

 

Let’s focus on Yeshua` the Anointed One to be King in the following verses:

 

Revelation 20:1-8

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

KJV

 

 

We know that the following is true of our Master, as well:

 

Luke 1:30-33

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. (Pronounced “Yay-SOOS,” a Greek transliteration of “Yeshua`”.)

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

KJV

 

What makes the “Millennium” a “millennium” [Latin for a “thousand (mille) years (annum)," which is why we double the ‘l’ and double the ’n’ in spelling] is that it is a time period in which haSatan is confined to the Abyss [Greek: “Abussos" meaning “No bottom,” short for “to frear tees abussou” meaning “the pit of the no-bottom”]. It really doesn’t have anything to do with how much time Yeshua` shall be King, on earth or otherwise, nor does it have anything to do with how long WE shall be king with Him!

 

Revelation 21:24-27

24 And the nations of them which are saved (rescued; delivered) shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

KJV

 

Thus, we know that these “kings of the earth” cannot be “anyone who defiles, ... works abomination, or makes a lie: but [are] they who are written in the Lamb’s book of life."

 

Revelation 22:3-5

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

KJV

 

Some confuse the Millennium with the Eternal State. However, there SHALL BE a Millennium that is SEPARATE from the Eternal State; that is, a period of 1,000 years (YET to come) in which we shall live and reign with the Messiah (the Christ). What is the Messiah going to be doing during that time?

 

1 Corinthians 15:20-28

20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

KJV

 

This passage has NOT been accomplished, yet, as some teach, because while death’s power is broken, it has yet to be destroyed! People still die and the Resurrection of our bodies has not yet occurred.

 

Here are some other passages that are yet to be fulfilled:

 

(I’ve always found it helpful to add in the quotation marks, “ ‘ < > ’ ”, in the second psalm.)

 

Psalm 2:1-12

1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed [Messiah], saying,

3 "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

6 "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

7 I will declare the decree: 'the LORD hath said unto me, <Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.>'

10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."

KJV

 

Within these nested quotation marks, the < > marks are God the Father talking to the Son, the ‘ ‘ marks are the Son of God, the Messiah, talking, and the “ “ marks are God the Father talking to the leaders of the nations in their meeting. This has yet to happen like this, although the attitude has already started.

 

This “Millennium” shall NOT be a “time of peace” for these leaders! Just imagine that happening at a UN meeting today! Can you imagine security scrambling, trying to figure out from where that Voice was coming?

 

Also, we are told:

 

2 Corinthians 5:10-11

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (the Messiah); that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

KJV

 

Now, I know many teach that this will happen “in Heaven,” and some say that it will occur during the “seven years of Tribulation,” but the text doesn’t say any of that, does it? Wouldn’t it make more sense to occur when He is actually reigning in Jerusalem “over the house of Jacob forever” and “soon” after that as He “puts down all rule, all authority, and all power” and “puts all enemies under His feet?” The term “King of kings” is one that means “World Emperor,” just as Nebuchadnezzar wore the title in his day. Literally, He shall be a King over other kings! He shall be those kings’ King! And, in the role of King, He shall be a judge over all His subjects - a Supreme Court. That’s what a King does! Just as Shlomoh (Solomon) was a judge over the people, so shall be the One "greater than Shlomoh!"

 

Also, we are told this about David:

 

1 Chronicles 14:16

17 And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.

KJV

 

1 Chronicles 18:6

6 Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David's servants, and brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

KJV

 

1 Chronicles 18:14

14 So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.

KJV

 

1 Chronicles 20:1-2

1 And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.

2 And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city.

KJV

 

Ezekiel 34:23-27

23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

KJV

 

So, I believe that (1) David will be resurrected and (2) David will literally be a king over Israel again UNDER the King of Kings! And, why not? I’d say he’s got the experience and the credentials! Who easier to trust than His own great ... grandfather who had the reputation of being Israel’s first and greatest king with a heart "after God’s own heart?"

 

And, what are we told about “wisdom,” which is especially necessary for reigning?

 

James 1:5

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

KJV

 

And, we are also told by Yeshua` Himself:

 

Luke 19:11-28

11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

KJV

 

So, don’t feel too badly, Spock; most aren’t taught all this. They are going to go through a “learning curve” before they will be ready to reign over anything. You now have some foresight of what is needed; so, you can begin to prepare. Follow David’s example: Have a heart after God’s own heart.

[Marilyn C]

The Apostle John is writing to the seven churches in Asia, however they are but a representative of the whole Body of Christ down through the ages, who will read this wonderful revelation. Grace & peace are given from the Father, the Holy Spirit & Jesus Christ.

`John, to the seven churches which are in Asia;
Grace to you & peace from –
- Him who is & who was & who is to come,
- & from the seven spirits who are before His throne,
- & from Jesus Christ,…` (Rev. 1: 4 & 5)

The Father then presents us with the first of Jesus` triune titles. To me this gives a fuller picture of what God is presenting.

`The faithful witness,
The first-born from the dead, &
The ruler over the kings of the earth.` (Rev. 1: 5)

The Faithful Witness – I see this as showing us the integrity of His ministry.

As a witness Jesus far exceeded all others because of the greatness of the witness He bears. He did not trifle over transient things but testified to eternal truth. In His message to mankind He unveiled the mysteries of God, foretold the future of nations & disclosed the issues of life.

The Firstborn from the dead – This I believe shows His conquering victory over the enemy.

This title shows Jesus` victory over Satan, sin & death. He battled against the enemy & conquered victoriously. He died, rose again & ascended to sit at the Father`s right hand on high. This certifies His authority forever as the One who can never know defeat. He is preeminent even of the dead, as the first manifested alive from the dead.

The Ruler over the kings over the earth – We can see this as His ultimate authority over all Rulers.

The Lord Jesus Christ is ruler, King of Glory, King of heaven, & King of the ages. His Kingship is of the regency of truth & finally He will bring this rule to bear over the nations of this world.

What a wonderful description God the Father has given us first, which actually is a summary of - Why Jesus came, what He did & finally His ultimate authority.

I personally love to look into the names & titles of our Lord as not only do I learn more of Him but my heart in enlarged with appreciation, while my mind has wondrous things to meditate on.

Blessings, Marilyn.




 

[rollinTHUNDER]

Behold He is coming with clouds,

& every eye will see Him,

& they also who pierced Him.

And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so. Amen.

This corresponds with Matt. 24:29-31 (rapture).

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The rapture, when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Then the blindness of the tribes of Israel will be removed, and they will look up and know that their redemption draws near.

Cheers

[Marilyn C]

 

Behold He is coming with clouds,

& every eye will see Him,

& they also who pierced Him.

And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so. Amen.

This corresponds with Matt. 24:29-31 (rapture).

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The rapture, when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Then the blindness of the tribes of Israel will be removed, and they will look up and know that their redemption draws near.

Cheers

 

Hi rollinTHUNDER,

So good to see your smiling face. Thank you for popping in & contributing. I hear your view on when the rapture occurs, but I wont get into that as there are many other threads on that topic. (Not that I thought you wanted to discuss that.) However I do see Matt. 24: 29 – 31 as the same events as Rev. 1: 7. That is something we can agree on.

Now I would like to bring out the next group of three, part of which you brought out.

`To Him who loved us & washed us from our sins in His own blood,

& has made us kings & priests to His God & Father,

to Him be glory & dominion for ever & ever. Amen.

Behold He is coming with clouds,

& every eye will see Him,

& they also who pierced Him.

And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so. Amen.` (Rev. 1: 5 – 7)

In this group of three I see, the Body of Christ, Israel & the nations.

1. The Body of Christ - `To Him who loved us & washed us from our sins in His own blood,

& has made us kings & priests to His God & Father,..`

2. Israel - `& they also who pierced Him. `

3. The Nations - `And all the tribes of the earth…`

God really packs a lot in a short space, doesn`t He, RH. Sometimes I think we can miss this when we don`t `smell the roses along the way.` Meaning that sometimes we can be busy reading chapters & not often meditating on the verse, if you know what I mean. Anyway, be blessed bro, in what God has called you to do & say.

Marilyn.

 

[Marilyn C]

The last group of three in this section, I believe reveals to us Christ`s eternal attributes. This is His Deity that was hidden behind the `veil` of His flesh while on earth. He is the all- knowing, all powerful One throughout time & eternity. The `I am.`



“I am the Alpha & Omega,” - His Omniscience.

Christ is the whole alphabet, from whom the entire vocabulary for expressing revealed truth is derived. All the treasures of wisdom & knowledge are in Him. (Col.2:3) There is no such thing as knowledge before Him & there cannot be any beyond Him.

Christ, as the Alpha & Omega, is the only way to spiritual secrets, (Rev.2:17) He is the key to unlock the treasures of truth, Himself the interpreter of the invisible, (Rev. 3: 7) & the Door of entrance to eternal enjoyment. (Ps. 16:11 John 10:9)



“The Beginning & the End.” - His Omnipresence.

Christ commenced & will conclude all time periods. He conceived the duration of the ages & will yet crown & consummate the ages to come. Everything is under His control. And no event came before the exercise of His will & none will come after His counsel. (1 Cor. 15: 28)

In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; therefore outside of Christ there is no wider, broader, deeper, higher, greater or vaster measure or authority known. (Col. 2: 9 & 10) He is well able to save to the uttermost all them that come to God by Him. (Heb. 7: 25)


“which is, was & is to come.” "The Almighty,” - His Omnipotence.

The strength of Christ`s might & majesty transcend all others in ability & authority. He is the competent & self-sufficient One in His almightiness.

When we pause to ponder His enormous energy, His great power, His awesome strength & might, these qualities with their tremendous potential causes us to tremble . But, when we turn & learn of the blended qualities of goodness, gracious care, glorious love which are lavished so freely, our fears depart for we view His heart. (Eph. 2: 4 – 8)

 

 

Marilyn.