Originally published in 10/24/2022
Rev 1
1 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.
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 Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him (Jesus), to show his servants (us who love and serve Jesus and God) the things that must shortly happen. This was sent and signified by his angel to the servant John. John is the same John who leaned on Jesus’s chest at dinner, he was his beloved friend. John was known for his love for the Lord. You know he missed Jesus’s presence when Jesus died on the cross and rose again, and longed to be with him again. So here John was many years later on Patmos, receiving the Revelation of Jesus. John bares record of the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, and all things that he saw. The testimony of Jesus Christ is the Book of Revelation (and the rest of the Bible)…. that is the Lord’s Testimony. So when we read the book of Revelation we are reading the Testimony of Jesus…our Lord…. our savior! BLESSED is he that reads, they that hear the word of this prophecy and keeps the words written in it…because time is at hand. There is a blessing to reading the testimony of Jesus… or hearing the testimony read. This is what the entire book of Revelation is about…. the Revelation of Jesus Christ!
Rev 1 4-6
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;
5 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.
John opens his letter to the 7 churches
Rev 1: 7-8
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.
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.
Acts 1:11 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Jesus is the Cloud Rider! Here is another example of Jesus riding in the Clouds.
Numbers 9:15-17 15 And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
Reblog Notes: When I was rereading this this morning it occured to me that the pillar of clouds that followed Israel protected them from their enemies….and it gave them light at night. When the cloud rested over the tabernacle the presence of God/Jesus was there and when the cloud moved, it did so to guide the children of Israel. This cloud was the clothing Jesus wore and when he returns at the end of this age, he will once again come in this cloud. Exodus 19, Exodus 40:34-38 34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.38 For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. Matthew 17:5 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Rev 1:9-20
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.
John was sent to Patmos as a punishment for preaching the word and for his testimony of Jesus Christ. Fact: Your testimony of Jesus Christ is the MOST valuable thing you have, more valuable than your life. John was holding on to his testimony and was punished for it by being exiled to Patmos…and God used this to show John all the things written in Revelation. The word stresses over and over that we need to hold on to the words of our testimony, even unto death. John held on to his testimony and Jesus showed him all of these things….and if we hold on to our testimony we shall receive eternal life.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Reblog Notes: In Exodus 19:16&19 the Lord sounded a loud trumpet when he called Moses up to mount Sinai to speak with him. In Revelation 1:10 John compared the great voice behind him to the sound of a great trumpet. I’m noting this out of curiosity because I’m unsure if theses two are related in anyway…I’m forming no opinion about the relevance at this time.
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.
These 7 churches were actual churches that were functioning at the time John was exiled to Patmos. The admonishments to these churches are included in the book of Revelation because the problems and corrections addressed with them are present in the end time church.
12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
Reblog Notes: Yesterday I watched a teaching by a Jewish man I had never heard before, so I haven’t vetted him or his beliefs as a whole. Even though he teaches Christian theology in Israel, I still have to do my due diligence and compare what he was teaching against the word… so I listened with this in mind. One thing he said that caught my ear and has been circling in my mind since is that the 7 golden candlesticks are a temple menorah. The temple menorah is a symbol of divine light and wisdom and the mandate that Israel be a light to all nations. This seems to fits perfectly…I’ll wait on the Lord for comfirmation. This teacher went on to mention that these 7 churches are all in exile, none of them are located in Israel when these letters of admonishment are written. I hadn’t noticed this before…and it feels to me there is a greater lesson about this to be learned.
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.
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
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.
17 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:
Jesus comforts John by telling him not to be afraid because Jesus is the first and the Last. I think this must be like saying to John, “Nothing bad is going to happen to you because I’m in control of this, I have the plan and the final say.” It’s true too… Jesus has the plan and the final say… so no matter what comes your way, Jesus has you if you believe in him.
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.
19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
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.
When reading Revelation, be childlike… meaning, listen the way a child listens to a story being told. Don’t try to figure anything out, just listen to the word and let the text unfold. Children do not come up with these huge theories, thereby missing the actual story and writing their own. Children listen from a place of knowing they don’t know and are about to learn by hearing what is said. Here is an example of symbols being used…the 7 candlestick and 7 stars… and it would be easy when these are first mentioned to begin to try and figure out what they mean… and while you do that, you‘re not listening anymore, and you‘re now writing your own story based on speculations… but, if you continue to listen and read… the symbols are explained by Jesus. Let the word say what it says… and when it doesn’t say, let it be unsaid. More harm is done by trying to fill in the blanks. An analogy: You are walking along and see a huge crack in the road… you can easily skip over the crack and continue on your way. Now if you decide that you must cover the crack with something, so you place a piece of paper over it. Eventually you will step through the paper, into the crack and break your ankle. It’s better to leave it alone until you have the material you need to properly fill it up.
