Shepherds Bible Revelation Chapter 1
The word “revelation” is one of the few words in English that means the same in Greek or any other language. Many people feel that we are not meant to understand this book now, but the word “revelation” in Greek means a “disclosure, an appearing, a coming, an enlightening, a manifestation or to be revealed.” It comes from the root word which means “to take off the cover, or to disclose or to reveal.” CHAPTER 1 1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John: #Understand the strength of this verse. This was the revelation: not of man, but of Jesus, the Christ, given to Him by His Father to show unto His servants, things which must shortly come to pass. Who are His servants? His servants are the called, e lect, if you would have it so, the first fruits, those in this great nation and other Christian nations that He has give n ears to hear and eyes to see, whereby the y may unde rstand the things that He has to say. These make up true Israel. 2. Who bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. #The Greek word translated as “saw” means bo th to hear and see. John was take n spiritually a nd inasmuch as he was in the Spirit, he actually saw, heard, and witnessed those things firsthand. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this pro-phecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. # It says here, “the time is at hand.” Remember, these are Christ’s words, and one day is as a thousand years to God. (Ref: II Peter 3:8) 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; #Note the number “seven.” In Bible numerics, this is the number of perfec-tion. Asia, at the time this was written, was more or less the outer world in a sense. It was the outer area, and it was to spread and enlarge. So this was not necessarily written just to the churches in Asia of toda y, but it meant the outlying area. It means even the United States of America of today. Understand the terms “which is, which was, and is to come”. He was in the beginning, or before the beginning; He came and was cruc ified, a nd He shall return again very soo n. 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, a nd washed us from our sins in His own blood, #Christ is King of ALL. We know, from our studies in the book o f Daniel, that Christ is the One that took away the, daily sacrifice, the daily letting of blood as a ritual, when He died on the cross. We know that His blood was the sacrifice for one and all times and the cleansing part of this is simp- ly knowing the truth and believing on Him. To go one step further is to know your destiny and how you are to serve Him.
6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and e ver. A’- men. #He has made us kings and priests unto God. You are priests. When the son of perdition, or the false christ, comes saying he is Christ, you will be priests to the whole world. You are the firstfruits, those that have ears to hear and understand what is about to happen. You will stand against this Satanic force, the political sys-tem and Satan himself, to let your loved o nes and the world k now the truth. 7. Behold, He cometh with c louds ; and e very eye shall see Him, a nd they also which pierced Him: and all kin-dreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, A’- men. Him.” Even the ones who crucified Him, the Kenites, will see Him come. The word “Kenite” means sons of Cain. See App. 11. It is these sons of Cain who have carried on the work o f Lucifer dow n through the years until the pre-sent da y. Those who have been chosen by Him, as well as the Kenites, (who slipped in among the Jewish people in Jerusalem in 1948 and claim to be God’s chosen people, when in fact they are of Lucifer,) will all witness this great time of His coming. 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. 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 leaves no do ubt that he was for Jesus Christ and His total Word. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. # What is the “Lord’s day”? It is that final day, the last day of the sixth dispe nsation, the day just before the millennium begins. To fully under-stand the book of Revelation, you must understand that John was taken from the isle of Patmos in the Spirit, and was lifted up to this day, beyond us, and was shown things that would soon happen to us. This is why it is stipulated in the second verse that he saw and heard these things, was actually there witnessing this and the time was the very last day of this dispensation. 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 Eph’-e-sus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Per’ga- mos, and unto Thy-a-ti’-ra, and unto Sar’-dis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto La-od--i-ce’—a. #Notice that it is Christ Himself speaking here. Note how He wants it all written down in a book, and that book o f truths give n to each and every one of the seven churches.* 12. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golde n candlesticks; 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. #Note this Son of man, was Jesus Christ Himself.
14. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; # The eyes mirror the soul. With the soul that He has embod ied within Him-self as the true Son of God, the eyes would set forth quite a countenance. 15. And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. # The word “waters” is symbolic of peoples in Revelation. He had a voice that was the sound of many people, a voice of authority. 16. And He had in his right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strengt h.
# This sword would be quite a spectacle to a person picturing an actual sword sticking out of Jesus’ mouth. W hat comes from your mouth, other than your voice? His truth is the two-edged sword, tie very tongue of His mouth. Babylon, which comes from the Hebrew word “babel”, means confusion. This sword of truth is going to cause pre-sent day babylon to fall, because a lie cannot stand in front of truth. He will be using YOU as a tool to speak through, so your own mouth will be a part of the sword.
17. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid his right band upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last: 18. I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for ever-more, A’- men; and have the keys of hell and o f death. # “I am alive for evermore.” Or, He will return at the end of the sixth dispensation to be gin His millennial reign with you. You who join Him at His return will be gathered; (this is your so—called rapture”). He will gather the elect to teach with Him. In Hebrews 2:14, He tells that His purpose for coming here was to do the very things that are entailed in this verse. He came here to die on this earth, a nd that gave Him the ke ys and the author ity whereby He could o nce and for all destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. 19. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; #Understand that they were on the Lord’ s Day at that time or the last da y of this sixth dispe nsation. He said to write about things which are and things that shall he hereafter. 20. T he mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in M y right hand, and the seve n golde n candlesticks. The seve n stars are the angels of the seven chur ches: and the seven can-dlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. # Christ used symbo lic things throughout the scripture, whether of nature or just as a prop to get a point across. What He is saving here is that these things John has seen are actually the seven churches that shall be at this time, or just prior to this, and how they will be reacting.