Revelation: How is it Written? | April 13, 2023

Revelation 1:1-6 ESV

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. ³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

Greeting to the Seven Churches

⁴ John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

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The book of Revelation is a book of comfort to inject courage into us during times of oppression and persecution. It fits into three genres of literature.

1. A letter. (1:4) It is written to a specific group of people at a specific time and place. It cannot mean to us what it did not mean to them. It’s written for us but not to us. Its original audience was believers suffering intense persecution.
2. A prophecy. (1:3, 22:7, 10, 18, 19). It is not written in a linear fashion or in chronological order. It is not written according to what happens next, but what vision John sees next. It’s written in a series of windows for us to peer into. We will read phrases like, and “I turned and saw,” or “I heard.”
3. An Apocalypse – (1:1) It is visionary. Apocalypse (Revelation) means an unveiling or disclosure. It is image heavy. For example, people are represented in the likeness of animals, historical events are represented in the form of natural phenomena like earthquakes or floods, and colors and numbers have meaning.

 Why speak in images? Author Darrell W. Johnson, writes, “Imagery has the power to hook us deep inside. Images can quickly and effectively convey that which we struggle to put into words. Imagery goes beyond the intellect and through the emotions into the imagination, grabbing hold of us at the deepest recesses of our being. Imagery goes beyond the intellect and through the emotions into the imagination, informing the intellect and igniting the emotions.” Imagery provokes the spirit at the deepest place and gets hold of us.

Revelation is often feared. But it is meant to comfort and encourage the believer that God has the victory! And most importantly, He loves us and to Him be the glory! 

“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5b-6)

*Some information is taken from Matt Chandler's sermon from the Village Church, Introduction to Revelation, https://youtu.be/5FXqdzyGU3A