To reveal something is to uncover or make it known. In the Bible, God reveals many things to us, but the book of Revelation unveils Jesus Christ to us. For years I only read the book of Revelation when someone else was teaching or preaching from it. I listened closely with a bit of fear and curiosity. After reading it myself, I was often confused. It seemed like a puzzle about the end of time. However, as I studied the book line by line, it became clearer. The book was not written to hide the truth, but to reveal it. Jesus Christ is revealed as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This book shows us who truly sits on the throne. Now, instead of shying away from this book, I embrace it because it reminds me that, no matter what life throws my way, Jesus is sovereign over all creation. God gives these words to John to write down for us!
Revelation 1:1-2 “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. Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. ”
In verse 3, God is giving those who hear His words and keep them the promise of a blessing. “Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” We are not to read it to satisfy our curiosity, but we are to allow all Scripture to transform us each day. After salvation, we are on a journey of sanctification. This is a journey from the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior until the day we die, or He returns for us. We are to let the Word anchor our attitudes and actions so we please God. It will change our priorities and steady us as we adhere to its truths. The blessing comes from reading and obeying it. Knowing the truth is dangerous. The end of verse 3 tells us the blessing comes from keeping these words. James reminds us in 4:17, “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
In verses 4-6 we have a deep, meaningful description of Jesus that manifests itself in three ways. After the greeting, John begins to break down the description of Jesus. He is first a “faithful witness.” Everything about Him is truth! He never wavers, fails, or misleads us. This reminds me of an old gospel song that I heard growing up. It was simple but profound. The main lyrics were, “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it for me.”
Next, Jesus is described as the firstborn of the dead. Because of His resurrection from the grave, we know that there is life after death and that we too can have victory over sin and death.
The final description teaches us He is Prince of the kings of the earth. He rules! All powers are subject to Him. He is the ultimate authority from the beginning of time to the end of time and throughout eternity. This truth gives me great comfort. While our world seems to be splitting at the seams, with wars and evil around every corner, Jesus is still ruling as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. With this truth, we can calm our anxieties. However, this calm will come only as you spend time in His word with Him. The more you know Him, the more you will trust Him; the more you trust Him, the more you will love Him. This cycle should continue until we leave this earth. Each day, our determination and love should pick up steam and thrust forward like a race car headed for the finish line.
These verses not only teach us who He is and His authority; they tell us what He did for us. We find “He loved us.” He loved us first; in our own depraved state of sin, we do not pursue Him. In I John 4:19 we are taught, “We love him, because he first loved us.” We do not initiate the relationship. This truth is taught in John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” Because of His great love for us, He took decisive action on our behalf.
His next action frees us. He “washed us from our sins in his own blood.” He freed us from the guilt, penalty, and power of sin. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are set free by His perfect, precious blood.
The last thing we see in these verses is that He made us “kings and priests to God.” As children of the Most High God, we are given purpose and direct access to God the Father. We have been given a special mission to represent Him in the world today.
Revelation 1:4-6 “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; 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, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
This vision that John sees ends with verses 7 and 8 declaring that He is coming in the clouds and all will see Him. If we had been in the audience when Jesus died on the cross, we may have felt His humility was surrendering to a tragic ending. However, it does not end there. When He comes back, it will be in power! Those who killed Him and those who deny Him will all bow, and all will behold His glory. He lived as a humble servant, but will return as a triumphant King. For those who have placed their faith in Him, this will be an exhilarating time of rejoicing and seeing our hope come to fruition. For those who are saved, there will be no dread, but excitement and comfort.
Revelation 1:7 “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. 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.”
I am so thankful for what Jesus did for me. Knowing He rules heaven and earth gives me peace in an unpeaceful, uncertain world. I don’t have to worry about the future because I know how the story ends.
