March 29, 2021 by Thierry

The Apocalypses: The Unveiling/Revelation of Jesus (Revelation 1: 1-20)

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

John, to the seven churches which 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, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him.

And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying,

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me,

saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. -Revelation 1:1-20

The book of Apocalypses is one of the most wonderful prophetic letters of the bible. It is a special book in its own category, because it’s the one book that Jesus wrote through his angels scribed by John the Apostle while imprisoned on the Island of Patmos in the midst of persecution.

Apocalypse (ἀποκάλυψις, apokálypsis) is a Greek word meaning “revelation”, “the unveiling or the unfolding of things not known. I would say mysteries revealed.

In the English language this book is called “The Book of Revelation”, because it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to His Bride the Church.

“God gave Him to show His servants”: The Father gave this revelation to the Lord Jesus to unveil mysteries about Himself, the battle plan, and end time events which are soon to take place.

“things which must shortly take place.”

This book is not only a prophetic message for the things “which will shortly take place”, but it has hidden rewards and secret benefits laid out deep inside for those who read it, obey it, and make it keep it during its unfolding. The book itself is the testimony of who Jesus is and His majesty.

And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

The Angel of the Lord manifests this message to John. John in turns is given the message to give to the seven messengers of the seven churches in Asia Minor or present day Turkey.

Jesus chose the one apostle who bore witness of Him being the actual “Word of God” and to the testimony of Him being the Christ the messiah.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.-John 1:1-5

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.-John 1:14

For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

-1 John 5:7

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!-Deuteronomy 6:4

John bore witness to all that he saw and alongside of him is accompanied an intermediary angel who is interrupting the vision and explaining him what he is seeing.

And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”-Revelation 19:10

The Book is called the Revelation of Jesus mainly because it reveals Jesus’ Majesty, intentions, leadership, and battle plan for the end times. You will know Him as King, Priest, and Prophet. You will also see the majesty and beauty of the Lord Glorified and how He fits in with the Father and Holy Spirit as the Son of Man forever. How He shares His heart to the seven churches to correct, discipline, and bring them to maturity. The instructions, corrections, and directions laid out for the Bride to know how to “make herself ready.” He is coming back to a prepared bride. One that is unafraid of the unveiling.

It’s a book not only about an event, but the man behind the plan—Jesus.
There are 30 descriptions of Jesus’ Majesty and Ministry.
Jesus talks about 18 or 22 eternal rewards depending on how you see them (some are possible repeats).
Prepare the end-time church for the end-time events.
How to deal with 6 specific temptations: Immorality, Idolatry, The Doctrine of the Nicoleatans, Leaving our first love, having a name that we are spiritually alive but we are actually dead, Luke-warmness (spiritual passivity)
Three of the seven churches in their individuals’ lives needed to give themselves in a more concerted way.
There are 7 pictures or letters of how an overcoming church should look like (Jesus’ solutions to these problems).
Warning against fear, warning against what other people are thinking of you as you serve him faithfully, fear of rejection or persecution
Promises when they overcome and to lay a hold of something and get a particular reward (18 eternal).

In these descriptions we learn who He is, how he thinks and feels, and what He through Holy Spirit is doing to get the Bride ready. He is first a King in the lineage of David and then the Priest according to the order of Melchizedek and the Prophet of prophets like Moses. He is the Bridegroom, King, and Judge.

The content of this book is unlike any other in the level of revelation and blessings which it offers. The reciprocal is also true for the curses for those who add or remove to this prophecy:

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. -Revelation 22:18-19

Take away his part in the Book of Life, the Holy City, and the things or Rewards which are written in this prophecy. This is very specific to the book of Revelation not the entire bible as some interpret. Although I believe there is a similar thing for those who add/remove to the other book of the bibles, but I don’t think It is as severe as tempering with the actual prophecy that Jesus gives Himself.

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

There are three things or three levels of blessings that Revelation one verse three offers:

Blessings is promised to those who;

First “read it”
Secondly to those who “hear it”
Thirdly those who “keep it” or obey it as a lifestyle. Those who will use it during the time of it taking place and keeping it until death in-order to overcome.

One would argue that hear it means obeying as well and keeping it until death maybe to memorize and becoming the word made flesh, but either way it’s acting on it.

Those who keep the prophecy are acting on the prophecy by obeying Jesus, by saying it, and praying it to come to pass.

John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

The seven churches which were in Asia minor of the time, present day Turkey:

Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea

Bible History.com photo resource

We will look in details each message to the seven churches and the remedies that Jesus gives to them.

Additional resources found in Mike Bickle notes on the “Book of Revelation Study Guide.”

photo image credits: https://revelationillustrated.com/ by Paul Marvenko Smith

For those who would like to get a word or .pdf format of this teaching feel free to contact us at me@thierrynakoa.com