seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 1:1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
4 John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits[a] before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”[b]
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”[c]
So shall it be! Amen.
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”[c]
So shall it be! Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
This is from the easy English site.
Patmos is an island. On it, there are many rocks. There is not much plant life. It is eight miles long and five miles wide. It is 40 miles away from the main land of Asia. It is about 65 miles from Ephesus. John was probably not a prisoner. One of the rulers in Asia had sent him there (1:1). John had a special relationship with the 7 churches. But he was alone. He could not visit his friends. He knew that persecution was increasing. It affected all the believers in Asia. So he writes to them. He wants to help them to be strong. God brings a message to John. The message is for the Christians in the 7 churches. The message is in the Book of Revelation.
Many people neglect this book. It has strange language. It has signs and pictures. They are difficult to understand. But some people spend a lot of time studying it. It is like a puzzle book to them. Revelation is about Jesus. It is about his power and his strength. It is ‘the Revelation of Jesus Christ’.
In each of the 7 letters, Jesus says, ‘He who has an ear to hear…’ Jesus expects us to hear what he says. The church belongs to him. We need to understand this. He can therefore say what he likes. He can do what he wants with his church. The book of Revelation brings a message to each one of us.
This is from enduringword.com.
From the outset, we are given the most important truth about the Book of Revelation. This book shows us the Antichrist, it shows us God’s judgment, it shows us calamity on the earth, and it shows us Mystery Babylon in vivid detail. Most of all, it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to us. If we catch everything else, but miss Jesus in the book, we miss the Book of Revelation.
Since so much controversy has risen over the interpretation of the Book of Revelation, it is helpful to know the four basic approaches people have used through the centuries to understand Revelation.
The Preterist View: This approach believes that Revelation dealt only with the church in John’s day. In the Preterist approach, Revelation doesn’t predict anything. John simply described events of his current day, but he put them in symbolic code so those outside the Christian family couldn’t understand his criticism of the Roman government. In the Preterist view, the Book of Revelation was for then.
The Historicist View: This approach believes that Revelation is a sweeping, disordered panorama of all church history. In the Historicist approach, Revelation predicts the future, but the future of the “church age” – not the future of end-time events. In the Historicist view, Revelation is full of symbols that describe now.
For example, many of the Reformers called the Pope the beast of Revelation chapter 13, but they didn’t necessarily want to believe that the end was very near. So they believed that Revelation spoke of their time, without necessarily speaking to the end times.
The Poetic View: This approach believes that Revelation is a book full of pictures and symbols intended to encourage and comfort persecuted Christians in John’s day. In the Poetic or allegorical view, the Book of Revelation isn’t literal or historic. Revelation is a book of personal meaning.
The Futurist View: This approach believes that beginning with chapter four, Revelation deals with the end times, the period directly preceding Jesus’ return. In the Futurist view, Revelation is a book that mainly describes the end times.
And this is form bible-studys.org.
The Greek word, Apokalypsis, means to "reveal" or "unveil" that which is hidden. The term "signified" does not mean that this is a book of unknowable signs, but that God signified by the miraculous presence of the announcing angel that the message was from Him.
When "Apokalypsis" refers to a person, it means that person becomes clearly visible (see John 1:14). This Revelation is a revealing of the mysteries of Jesus Christ. God the Father gives this message to Jesus, Jesus gives it to His personal angel, the angel gives the message to John, and John writes this message to all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. This message is given to John to encourage the Christians. These Christians should not be caught unaware. These things must come to pass because it is the will of the Father.
Yesterday I was reading about how Diotrephes called John, the close personal friend of Jesus the Messiah, a liar. Yesterday I was reading about how Diotrephes would expel people from the church who didn't agree with him.
Yesterday.... John told us... through his letter to the churches.... that the church was in trouble.
Today.... According to the commentary.... I am reading that John has been plopped on a deserted island.
So... now I need to tell you which view I'm taking so you will know where my Bible Study is heading.... I believe that while John was definitely persecuted by the Roman government..... and the Jewish Leaders.... because of his close personal relationship with Christ..... This was bigger than John or his feelings. John understood Jesus better than anyone. I believe John considered the church to be above all the governmental bigheadedness. John had seen Christ in action.... John witnessed the transfiguration. John knew Jesus could have called down legions of angels if He so chose..... but He didn't because He was on a Mission. Jesus had to be human.... He had to be persecuted.... He had to be tried and beaten.... He had to go to the Cross.... and He had to be laid in a tomb... sealed and guarded by a Roman guard who feared for his own life if Jesus somehow disappeared.... so that He could beat death. Jesus had to be the first human to walk away from death on His own.... not like Lazarus... called out still wrapped.... but with finality.... leaving the wrappings of herb soaked, dried to form a hard cast, behind like an empty cocoon, I think John knew this was bigger than government.... bigger than himself.... bigger than Paul or Peter.... bigger than the demise of Stephen at the hands of Romans while Saul [who became Paul] held their coats.
John knew Jesus was going to return. Jesus sent a message to John through one of His angels..... and Jesus told John how it was going to go down.
I am a futurist.... and I think that the dead will rise.... and I will rise... and then the worst will come down on the "unbelievers".
So.... here we go.... I think this book is what Jesus told John about the end times.... and the new beginning times [Heaven for me] will happen.
Watch for the signs......
The church John helped establish was being run by a guy who was calling John a liar.
John was living alone on a rocky island.... Jesus sent John an angel with a vision..
