THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST Introduction Christ told His apostles that ‘the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father’. For those who understand the Is, Was, And Will Be nature of Christ and His Word, that time begins when the Spirit of God is given. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs [Gk. Paroimia]: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs [Gk. Paroimia], but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: (Joh 16:25-26) This parable [Gk. Paroimia] spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. (Joh 10:6) This work on the book of Revelation is less of a personal commentary and more of a scriptural commentary for those to whom Christ is even now being "shown plainly of the Father." All personal commentary will either be in links to this scriptural commentary or in separate commentaries as the Lord leads us to deal with this part of His Word. As the first verse of chapter one states, this is a book which is "signified." For those who understand its signs…it speaks plainly. But the understanding of the signs is not left to personal whim or interpretation. For ‘every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven’, each and every sign and symbol inspired of the Holy Spirit in this book is taken directly from the "treasures" of both the New and the Old Testaments: Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. (Mat 13:52) When asked why He spoke in parables to the multitudes who came to hear Him Christ told His disciples it was for the purpose of keeping those very multitudes who followed Him and ate His loaves and fishes, from seeing and from hearing the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (Mat 13:10-13) And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. (Joh 9:39) Many of us have made the mistake of thinking that this was a statement only for Babylon. After all, right here in this same chapter, Christ's very own disciples thought that they understood His parables…
Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. (Mat 13:51) …When they yet did not. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. (Joh 12:16) "When Jesus was glorified then remembered they... that they had done these things unto Him." So this scriptural commentary is not for those in whom Christ is not yet glorified. But all of God's people come out of Babylon: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Rev 18:4) With this understanding that we are all, at our appointed time, in Babylon, and that we all, at our appointed time, begin coming out of Babylon, we offer this scriptural commentary on the book of Revelation. Those who take exception with this commentary are taking exception with the scriptures themselves for there is very little personal commentary to contend with. For all who can receive it we truly feel that in this book Christ is continuing to do exactly what he promised His disciples He would do when the time came that they would pray to the Father "in My name." These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: (Joh 16:25-26) It is meant to be an ongoing project, one wherein we ‘labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in us mightily’ to search out the scriptures which "show you plainly [the mind] of the Father," on each symbol in the book of Revelation. Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. (Col 1:29) It is not designed for casual readers. Like the book we are dealing with, it is designed to be used by those within whom ‘Jesus was glorified’…glorified in their lives. It is for those who already know that "the time [has been] at hand" for more than two thousand years and those who already want ‘to keep those things which are written therein’. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (Joh 7:38-39) And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. (Joh 17:10) 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. (Rev 1:3)
We always welcome any comments and contributions to our efforts. The revelation of Jesus Christ is much more than the revelation of our ‘Head’. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. (1Co 11:3) For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (Eph 5:23) It is the revelation of our ‘Head’ and His body. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (Eph 5:30) It is nothing less than life eternal: And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (Joh 17:3) You may think you know Christ. You might even know that He is ‘the fullness of Him that filleth all in all’. But until you know what it is that fills Christ, you are still unaware of exactly who is "the Lord and His Christ:" That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Eph 1:17-23) It is Christ's christ, "the church which is His body, [which is] the fulness of Him [Christ] that filleth all in all [the Father]:" The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (Act 4:26) And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Rev 11:15) It is our prayer that you come to see "plainly of the Father" as you come to see His Word, ‘the revelation of Jesus Christ’ in all of its fullness.