Revelation chapter 1 – The whole gospel in brief

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The first chapter of Revelation is anything but a (boring) introduction to the written word of the following chapters, but rather a summary of what is truly essential. The core of the gospel in a nutshell.

It starts with the first verse

At first glance, it seems inconspicuous and merely an introduction to what it’s actually about. However, the first chapter of the Book of Revelation offers far more information than it appears at first glance. Anyone who studies the Bible seriously, reflects on it, and internalizes what they learn knows that the Scriptures are virtually inexhaustible. One may reread the same passage again and again at different intervals, and aspects suddenly emerge that were previously unappreciated.

The very first verses of Revelation, chapter 1, contain essential statements.
(Revelation Chapter 1 – King James Version (1611))

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.“

God the Father gave the revelation to His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ gave it to His angel, who in turn gave the revelation to the apostle John. As described later, John gives the revelation to the “angels” of the churches, that is, the church elders. They pass it on to the church members. The task of the church of God is to pass on the revelation (like the gospel as a whole) to the general public.

Thus, the first two verses not only name all (seven) involved instances, but also the means of revelation.

1. God the Father
2. Son Jesus Christ
3. Angels
4. Prophets
5. Church elders
6. Church members
7. General people

Revelation 1:3

“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.“

This statement clearly contradicts the claim that Revelation is “actually” completely incomprehensible and merely a matter of “freedom and hard work” for Bible study. The third verse, however, itself completely devoid of any “mysticism” and written in plain English, emphasizes that the words of Revelation should definitely be read. Conversely, it can be stated that those who do not read the words of prophecy, do not listen to them, and do not want to keep them will not exactly be showered with “bliss.”

It’s obvious, because “the time is near.” For many “scholars,” this is the ultimate proof that the Book of Revelation couldn’t have been written for our time and that everything was therefore already over around 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. This was already the fulfillment of the “end times,” so the claim goes. But the “time is near” in no way refers to the fact that the entire book of Revelation will be dealt with in the near future, but rather that the initial events described therein will occur in a short time, but will still be far from being concluded.

The end-time events described in the Book of Revelation certainly refer to a future that was more distant from the perspective of that time. However, this future has already been reached today.

Revelation 1:5-6:

“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.“

A series of descriptions highlighting Jesus Christ and His work. He is the firstborn from the dead and also the ruler over all that calls itself king or ruler. It is Jesus Christ who cleansed humanity of their sins through His self-sacrifice and the blood shed thereby. Those redeemed through true faith will enter into the kingdom together with Jesus (Revelation 22:3-5). Holding fast to true faith according to the written Word is the glorification of the Father (Info).

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.“

This verse describes that Jesus Christ will return, and especially in what manner. The important aspect here is that all(!) eyes will see His return. Whoever or whatever may appear beforehand to claim to be a savior, if this is not seen by all eyes, but only by a (select?) group of eyewitnesses, with the rest via the media, then it cannot be Jesus Christ.

Another aspect is the statement that those who crucified Jesus will also experience His return. Jesus Christ Himself gave His false accusers a clear indication of this, especially addressed to the High Priest Caiaphas, the chief priest, and the Sanhedrin, in Matthew 26:64:
“Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.“

Just as there was a resurrection of some people at Jesus’ death on the cross (Matthew 27:52-53), so too at Jesus’ return there will be a resurrection of those who are not saved but are condemned to witness His return with their own eyes.

Revelation 1:8:

“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.“

The Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In this verse, God the Father speaks.

Revelation 1:10:

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,“

There are two possible interpretations of the “Lord’s Day.” Often, this refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. The other possibility is a reference to an actual (weekday) day, and this refers to the seventh day of the week (Sabbath). However, the “Lord’s Day” is definitely not the first day of the week (“Sunday”), as this does not appear anywhere in the Bible and is merely an invention and a tradition of the Roman Catholic and (formerly) Protestant churches, still maintained today (Info).

For the vision, John was spiritually transported to the “Day of the Lord.” The further course of Revelation 1 shows that this time cannot be the date of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, because the subsequent letters to the seven churches mark the beginning of the Christian churches (Info). Therefore, John was spiritually transported to a Sabbath.

Revelation 1:12-13

“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 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.“

The seven candlesticks represent the seven churches of God (Revelation 1:20). Since God has only one church (His people), it follows automatically that these seven churches do not exist simultaneously, but rather describe the course or state of the church within the period from the first century AD (church of Ephesus) to the present day (church of Laodicea).

Jesus Christ “walks among” these seven candlesticks. This means that Jesus Christ does not stand externally, outside the churches, but rather He identifies with these churches. He stands within them. Jesus Christ made this particularly clear when He stopped the Pharisee Saul during his persecution of Christians on the road to Damascus with the words:
“Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4)

Jesus Christ identifies Himself with His people (His church) to such an extent that the persecution of His people is equivalent to His own persecution. The persecutor Saul subsequently became the “greatest writer and theologian” of the New Testament, Paul.

The prophet Daniel already saw the “Son of Man” in this context. This is further evidence that the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation are “siblings.” Both complement each other, while Revelation explains further details that are only roughly outlined in Daniel (Info). Daniel 7:13-14:
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.“

Revelation 1:14:

“His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;“

With this, John describes the one whom he saw walking among the seven candlesticks.

This passage in Revelation 1 also parallels a statement in the Book of Daniel.
“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.” (Daniel 7:9)

In addition, the prophet Isaiah also clarified the meaning of the “pure white” in Isaiah 1:18:
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.“

Revelation 1:16:

“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.“

The meaning of the seven stars remains no secret. In verse 20, the stars are explained as the “angels” of the seven churches—the church leaders or elders. The two-edged sword is the gospel, the transmitted or written Word of God. The very sword Jesus also speaks of in Matthew 10:34:
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.“

The true morning star is Jesus Christ (Revelation 22:16), not the one who would have liked to be. Nor, according to popular belief, is the morning star the planet Venus, but simply the sun. An attribute that the adversary has misused for his own purposes (Info).

Revelation 1:17-18:
“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: 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.“

Jesus Christ lays His hands on John to raise him up again. This is a parallel to “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” A clear sign that God, the Father and the Son, are One. Furthermore, these verses also clarify that Jesus is also the Lord over death or the “realm of the dead.” This is sometimes the justification for calling Jesus the first of the resurrected, even though other people had already risen before him (e.g., Lazarus). The major difference, however, lies (also) in the fact that their resurrection was initiated or brought about by God, whereas Jesus Christ rose of his own accord.

Revelation 1:20:
“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.“

The last verse of Revelation 1 provides a good example of how there are no real secrets in the gospel. It becomes especially suspicious when someone claims to have discovered some kind of “secret,” something “mystical,” or a “secret message” in the Scriptures. Verse 20 clearly explains what the seven candlesticks and the seven stars represent. Other symbols in Revelation are explained elsewhere in the Bible (Info). The gospel, the good news (of victory), has no secrets or hidden messages.

There are no secrets

Chapter 1 of Revelation essentially contains everything the Gospel is about. Who plays a significant role and why, as well as the broad outlines of how it will unfold. There’s no room for secrets. It would be downright cynical to, on the one hand, promise blessedness for those who read and keep the words of prophecy in this book, but, on the other hand, presuppose the necessary discovery of the “hidden secrets.” Those who don’t uncover the secrets will simply go away empty-handed. Tough luck.

A playground for those very “secretists” who create imaginative events based on their own interpretations in order to distract from the truth. A veritable majority of Christian communities have already fallen for this foul play. This applies to those who are waiting for a (secret) pre-rapture before the arrival of an (ominous) seven-year tribulation period, in order to be saved from the coming tribulation. The author of this story, however, is not God, but His great adversary, with the help of the papacy and its theological-military spearhead, the Jesuit order (Info).

Bible verses from King James Version (1611)