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CHAPTER 1

UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY

(Revelation 1:1–3)

Many people think of the book of Revelation as an enigma, a mystery, a puzzle to solve — or a puzzle that can't be solved! But the word revelation is a translation of the Greek word apokalupsis, which means "to reveal, to disclose, to uncover."

The purpose of Revelation is not to conceal but to reveal. The message in the book of Revelation seeks to more fully reveal Jesus Christ to us, to show us who He truly is, in all His glory. The book of Revelation is written both about Jesus and by Jesus. It tells us that He is coming again, how He is coming, and what condition the world will be in when He comes. It unveils the Lord Jesus Christ as the sovereign King, ruler over all the earth.

It also describes the unfolding of history and the end of the world as we know it. There have always been stories, prophecies, rumors, and questions about "the end." Revelation gives us answers.

In verse 1, John says this book will reveal the events that "must soon take place." This phrase describes an event that will occur suddenly, but not necessarily in the near future. In other words, the events of Revelation may not occur today or tomorrow — but once they do begin to unfold, they will progress in rapid succession.

It's interesting to note that Revelation is the only book in the Bible that promises a blessing to those who read it.

In fact, there are seven distinct blessings in the book:

• "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" (1:3).

• "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on" (14:13).

• "Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed (alert and spiritually prepared), so as not to go naked (spiritually unprepared) and be shamefully exposed" (16:15, parenthetical added).

• "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb" (19:9)!

• "Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years" (20:6).

• "Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll" (22:7).

• "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city" (22:14).

You can be blessed just by reading Revelation, but the greatest blessing comes when you obey it. The road to true success is found in submitting ourselves to the Word of God and its life-transforming power (Luke 11:28).

Read Revelation 1:1–3 in The Jeremiah Study Bible.

CHAPTER 2

THE RETURN OF THE KING

(Revelation 1:4–8)

Ever since Jesus disappeared in the clouds (Acts 1:9), true believers have been looking and longing for His return.

There are two primary purposes of the book of Revelation: to describe the triumphant return of the King and to detail His victorious rule over the kingdom. The apostle John sent this letter to seven churches in Asia, which represented the physical churches of John's day in that area and continues to represent the Church throughout history.

Persecuted believers throughout the Roman Empire would have been especially encouraged to learn that the Savior who was pierced for their transgressions — the One who bore the suffering and shame of death on a cross — would be coming back as King over all the earth, even over the emperor of Rome!

The word coming in Revelation 1:7 is the Greek word parousia. It not only describes the King's arrival but the profound changes that His arrival produces (Zechariah 12:10–13:6). When I was in school, whenever my teacher stepped away from the classroom, an eraser fight would erupt. Chalky missiles would spread dust all over the room until she returned. Her arrival into the classroom would be aparousia. Erasers would drop, and students would become models of good behavior! In a similar way, Jesus's parousia will significantly affect the affairs of the world.

When Moses was given the Law by God, a cloud surrounded Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16). Daniel said that the Messiah would "come with the clouds" (Daniel 7:13). At the Transfiguration, Jesus and His closest disciples were over shadowed by a cloud (Matthew 17:5). And when Jesus ascended to heaven, a cloud received Him (Acts 1:9).

In Revelation 1:8, Jesus Christ announces that He is "the Alpha and the Omega." Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet (the beginning), and Omega is the last letter (the end). Jesus is saying, "I am A to Z, the beginning and the end and everything in between."

Jesus is also greater than the concept of time. He is the One "who is, and who was, and who is to come" (1:8). He preceded the creation of the earth, and He will succeed its re-creation with the new heavens and the new earth.

In addition to revealing that Jesus is boundless and timeless, Revelation tells us that He is more powerful than we can even begin to comprehend. He is "the Almighty" (1:8). He has been appointed by the Father to defeat Satan once and for all, and soon He will return in power and glory to establish His eternal kingdom.

All believers should study this wonderful book with great excitement and eager anticipation of Jesus's triumphant return!

Read Revelation 1:4–8 in The Jeremiah Study Bible.

CHAPTER 3

THE SUFFERING SCRIBE

(Revelation 1:9–11)

John had been a leader in the early church as well as a bold and powerful witness for Jesus among Roman believers. As a result, the emperor Domitian, who feared for the control of his empire, forced John into exile on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. That's where he received his visions and wrote the book of Revelation.

John described himself as a "companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus" (1:9). He was not the only biblical writer who experienced hardship and suffering. Think of Moses in the wilderness, David fleeing from Saul, Isaiah being persecuted by kings, and Paul in all sorts of trials.

The apostle John had every right to bemoan his fate — after all, he was the "disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23). He had a track record of great sacrifice, unwavering loyalty, and loving service to the cause of Christ. Yet despite all of this, John was forced into exile in his last years, far removed from everyone and everything he loved. The now-elderly apostle could have moaned, "What did I do to deserve this?" Yet John understood an essential truth about life as a believer in Jesus Christ: we can endure because God is at work, establishing His kingdom for us and through us. His kingdom will prevail!

So many of us cry, "Why me?" when we face problems. But our question should be, "Why not me?" Consider: Why should we alone be exempt from trials and suffering? And how might God want to use our pain for His greater purposes?

Alone on the island, when John yielded himself to the Lord, he saw a vision of such majesty that he passed out! You and I probably would have too.

Artists through the centuries have tried to depict the physical appearance of Jesus. But even if we could create an accurate representation of what Jesus looked like when He walked the earth as a man, that appearance is nothing like what John saw on Patmos. When Jesus appeared to John there, He did not appear as the rugged man who walked the hills of Judea. He appeared as the risen, exalted, and glorified Christ who will one day return to establish His eternal kingdom here on earth.

When John had the unique experience of being "in the Spirit" (1:10), the physical limits of time and space were temporarily set aside. In the spirit realm, he was able to move upward to see things in heaven and also forward in time to see things that would happen in the future.

John received instructions to write the vision and send it to "the seven churches" (1:11). These seven churches — which represent all churches — are pictured as lampstands. When Jesus walked the earth, He was the "light of the world" (John 8:12).

Now that Christ has returned to heaven, believers are responsible for shining His light into the darkness until He comes again (Matthew 5:14).

Read Revelation 1:9–11 in The Jeremiah Study Bible.

CHAPTER 4

WHAT "AWESOME" REALLY LOOKS LIKE

(Revelation 1:12–20)

In our churches, we often sing choruses about how "awesome" God is, but John was able to see this awesomeness up close. On the Isle of Patmos, he received a revelation, a vision of glory. There among the seven golden lampstands, the risen Jesus stood before him, "son of man" — deity in human form.

As John describes Jesus's appearance, we discover that each physical aspect is in some way symbolic of His character. His long, flowing robe speaks of His greatness (Isaiah 6:1). The golden sash across His chest speaks of His faithfulness and righteousness (Isaiah 11:5). On one occasion Jesus had appeared with a towel and, as a servant, he had washed His disciples' feet (John 13:4–5). Now He is dressed in majesty, in the glorious splendor of a King.

His hair, "white as snow" (Revelation 1:14), is not a sign of advanced age but absolute holiness and wisdom. It symbolizes the purity of His righteous judgment (Daniel 7:9–13).

John had seen Jesus's eyes filled with compassion, even tears, while on earth. But now His eyes are like fire, penetrating to the deepest part of the soul. Nothing in all creation is hidden from His gaze (Hebrews 4:13).

His feet "like bronze" speak of the day when Jesus will crush all of His enemies (1 Corinthians 15:24–25). His mighty voice thunders like the roar of many waters. His weapon of warfare is the two-edged sword that proceeds from His mouth. This is the Word of God, which He will use to judge the nations (Hebrews 4:12).

John had seen Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2); His face now appears as it did that day, shining like the sun "in all its brilliance" (Revelation 1:16). And now, John is overcome — paralyzed by holy fear and reverence. He falls at the feet of Jesus "as though dead" (1:17).

One day we, too, will stand before Jesus and see Him face-to-face (1 Corinthians 13:12). We, too, will fall on our faces before Him — overwhelmed by His awesome power, His holiness, His beauty, and His majesty.

In that day, our victorious King will comfort us — just as He comforts John by placing His right hand on him when he is on his face before Him (1:17). In the Bible, the right hand of God is the hand of salvation; it's His offer of rescue, refuge, and protection. The right hand is the hand of blessing and favor. It's the hand of fellowship.

To John — and to us — Jesus says, "Do not be afraid!"

He is alive, now and forever, raised from the dead in power and glory. He has triumphed over evil, triumphed over the power of sin and death.

Because He lives, and because we are His, we have nothing to fear. Ever.

How "awesome" is that?

Read Revelation 1:12–20 in The Jeremiah Study Bible.

CHAPTER 5

HOW TO LOSE YOUR FIRST LOVE

(Revelation 2:1–4)

Ephesus was once a famous and flourishing Greek city. The apostle Paul founded the church in Ephesus and spent three years discipling the first believers there. He later wrote them the letter we know as the book of Ephesians and established Timothy as their pastor. Many believe that John became their pastor after Timothy, and that he was probably living in Ephesus when he was taken captive and exiled to Patmos.

In Revelation 2, John recorded the first of Jesus's letters to the seven churches in Roman Asia Minor, and he began with a message to the church in Ephesus.

Jesus reminded the Ephesians that He "walks among the seven golden lampstands" — in other words, He was always with them, and He had the power to supply all their needs (2:1). But His presence also meant He was aware of their shortcomings.

Before He dealt with their faults, Christ praised the Ephesian church for what they were doing right. He commended them for their "deeds" and "hard work" (2:2).

Christians today often de-emphasize the importance of works because we don't want to diminish the priority of grace in salvation. But wherever a clear message of grace is preached, you'll find an active, dynamic church, like the church in Ephesus.

In addition, this body of believers was a disciplined and discerning church. They didn't "tolerate wicked people," ignoring willful sin or excusing evil behavior (2:2). They fought hard to remain pure in doctrine as well. They "tested those who claim to be apostles but are not" and "found them false" (2:2).

Ephesus was also a persevering, enduring, determined church. They refused to give up, even as they suffered for the sake of the gospel.

So what could Jesus possibly have had against them?

In all their hard work and busyness on His behalf, they had let their hearts grow cold.

The believers in Ephesus had forsaken their first love for Jesus (Revelation 2:4). They'd forgotten the fervent, personal love they once felt toward Him.

As new believers, most of us are pretty passionate and uninhibited in our expression of love toward Christ and our fellow Christians, as well as in our loving concern for the lost.

However, our passion can fade over time — and good works can become a substitute for a real relationship with Christ. If we're not careful, we'll find ourselves simply going through the motions, acting out of duty, obligation, or even habit, instead of devotion.

We may suppose that as long as — ultimately — we're doing all the right things, the attitude of our hearts doesn't really matter. But in those times, Jesus says to us what He said to the Ephesians:

"Consider how far you have fallen! Repent" (2:5).

Read Revelation 2:1–4 in The Jeremiah Study Bible.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "When Christ Appears"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Dr. David Jeremiah.
Excerpted by permission of Worthy Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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