Chapter 01 03

REVELATION
Chapters 1-3
PowerPoint presentation by Mark E. Hardgrove, Ph.D., D.Min. © 2010

Rev. 1:1-3
1 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, 2 who bore witness to the
word of God, and to the testimony of
Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3
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.

The First Word
The opening word of the work is the
Greek word apocalupsis, which is
derivative of apokalupto meaning, “to
take off the cover” (Strong’s). It means
to reveal, uncover, or unveil something
that has previously been hidden from
view. This is the unveiling of Jesus
Christ in the fullness of His glory and
power.

The Blessing
John promises a blessing to those who read
and hear the words of the prophecy of this
book.
Revelation was probably intended as a
circular letter, much like the Epistle to the
Ephesians. The entire letter was to read in
all of the seven churches. There was a
blessing for the one who read it, and for
those who heard it.

Rev. 1:4
4 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,
Who are the “seven Spirits”? Many believe
this is a reference to the sevenfold Spirit of
God referenced in Isaiah 11:2

Isaiah 11:2, NKJV
2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon
Him,
1. The Spirit of wisdom and
2. understanding,
3. The Spirit of counsel and
4. might,
5. The Spirit of knowledge and of the
6. fear of the LORD.

Jesus
The name “Jesus Christ” is found 5 times in
this chapter. After all, this is the
Revelation (unveiling) of Jesus.
“Of” may mean that it is “about” Jesus or
that it “from” Jesus, or that it “belongs to”
Jesus.
We know that it comes from Jesus to the
angel, but we also know it reveals Him as
well.

Rev. 1:5
5 . . . 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,
1.) He is the faithful witness
2.) He is the firstborn from the dead
3.) He is ruler over the kings of the earth
4.) He loved us
5.) He washed us from our sins in His own blood

Rev. 1:6
6 and has made us kings and priests to
His God and Father, to Him be glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen.
6.) He made us kings (literally, “a kingdom”)
7.) He made us priests to His God and
Father
8.) To Him (Jesus Christ) be glory
9.) To Him be dominion
10.) Forever (He is eternal)

Rev. 1:7
7 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.
11.) He is coming with clouds
12.) Everyone will see Him when He comes
13.) Everyone remaining upon the earth when
He comes will mourn because of what
they have done to Him.

Rev. 1:8
8 “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.”
14.) He is the beginning and the end
15.) He is—the eternally present, always being
16.) He was—prior to anything being, He was,
eternal past
17.)He is to come—He is returning bringing our
eternal future with Him
18.) He is “The Almighty,” He is Deity

Rev. 1:9
9 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
Who is the author? John
1. He calls himself a “brother” of the believers,
therefore a Christian.
2. He refers to himself as a “companion in the
tribulation and the kingdom and patience of
Jesus Christ,” therefore a fellow saint suffering
for the cause of Christ.

Rev. 1:9
9 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
He was on Patmos, an Island in the Aegean Sea off the
coast of Turkey.
“For . . .”
1. The Word of God, that is, the proclamation of and
allegiance to, the Word.
2. The testimony of Jesus Christ, that is, either the
witnessing to others of the life and message of
Christ, or, the self-identification with Jesus Christ as
a disciple.

Rev. 1:10
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day,
and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of
a trumpet, 11 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.”

Ezekiel 11:5
John is in the Spirit on Sunday, is like
prophets of old. For example, Ezekiel,
Then the Spirit of the LORD fell
upon me, and said to me,
‘Speak!’

Seven Churches
Modern Day Turkey
Modern day Turkey, know
as Asia in the Roman
Empire

12 I turned around to see
the voice that was
speaking to me. And
when I turned I saw seven
golden lampstands,
John turned to see the
voice that was speaking
and he saw seven golden
lampstands and in the midst
of them he saw the
resurrected Lord.
13 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.

Rev. 1:13
“The Son of Man” (Jesus Christ)—symbols
and similes that describe Him:
1.)Clothed with a garment down to the feet
(priestly robe, He is our High Priest)
2.) Girded about the chest with a golden
band (pure heart, intentions, and
motivations)

Rev. 1:14
14 His head and hair were white like wool,
as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame
of fire;
3.) His head and hair were white like wool, as
white as snow (white is a word symbolic of
purity, righteousness, holiness—He is all
these.)
4.) His eyes are like a flame of fire (fire
penetrates, fire also represents judgment. He
is coming to judge the world with righteous
judgment.)

Rev. 1:15
15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined
in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of
many waters;
5) His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a
furnace (brass that has been refined again
represents purity, while His feet represent His
journey, where He has been, where He is,
and where He is going.)
6) His voice as the sound of many waters (the
sound of His voice commands attention and
respect. His word is authoritative.)

Rev. 1:16
16 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.
7.) Verse 20 Jesus tells us these stars are seven
angels. They are in His hand, under His
command to do His bidding.
8.) The Writer of Hebrews tells us, His Word is like
a two-edged sword. His Word will bring
vengeance upon His enemies and deliverance
to His servants.
9.) The shining countenance testifies to His glory,
much like that seen on the Mount Sinai with
Moses, and also on the Mount of
Transfiguration.

Rev. 1:17
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though
dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and
said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the
Last.
1) Jesus consoles John with the words, “Do not be
afraid.” What is the significance of these words
for the early church?
2) Jesus touched John with His right hand. He fell
down as though dead at the sight of Jesus, but
was raised up at the touch of Jesus.
3) Jesus declares that He is the “First and the
Last.”

Rev. 1:18
1.) “I am” (A title of Deity and eternality, akin to
the name Yahweh)
2.) “He who lives” (Affirms the resurrection of
Jesus)
3.) “And was dead” (He really did die for our sins
and has tasted death for us, in our place)
4.) “Behold I am alive forevermore” (Claims an
eternal future)
5.) “I have the keys of Hades and Death” (Never
implies that He lost them, instead is claiming
authority over the grave and of death)

Rev. 1:19
19 “Write”
I. “the things which you have seen,”
(past, that is, prior to this vision)
II. “and the things which are,” (John’s
present at the time of the vision)
III. “and the things which will take place
after this” (the future, beyond John
himself)

Rev. 1:19
Rev. 1:19 suggests an outline for the book:
V. 4 “. . . from Him who is, and who was,
and who is to come.”
V. 8 “. . . who is, and who was, and who is
to come, the Almighty.”
V. 18 “I am He who lives, and was dead,
and behold, I am alive forevermore.”

Rev. 1:20
20 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.

Mystery
“Mystery” (Gk. musterion). This word
occurs four times in Revelation (1:20;
10:7; 17:5, 7). It is a derivative of the
Greek word muo, which means “to shut
the mouth.” It is something that has
not previously been revealed. This
word in the English occurs only in the
New Testament—once in the Gospel of
Mark and seventeen times in Paul’s
epistles.

Purpose and Impact
This book was written to comfort and to
strengthen a church that was enduring
a time of intense persecution at the
hands of the Romans.
How do you think the description, the
Revelation of Jesus Christ that we’ve
explored, would impact those
believers? How does it impact you?

THE SEVEN CHURCHES
Rev. 2:1-7 Ephesus
Rev. 2:8-11 Smyrna
Rev. 2:12-17 Pergamos
Rev. 2:18-29 Thyatira
Rev. 3:1-6 Sardis
Rev. 3:7-13 Philadelphia
Rev. 3:14-22 Laodicea

Rev. 2:12-17 Pergamos
Pergamum

Rev. 2:18-29 Thyatira
Thyatira

Rev. 3:7-13 Philadelphia
Philadelphia

Rev. 3:14-22 Laodicea
Laodicea

The Four Views of Rev. 2-3
Historicists-The letters contain cryptic
reference to the conditions in which the
whole church would be found at
varying time in her history. The church
of Ephesus represents the church in
John’s own day, while the church in
Laodicea stands for the church in the
end times.
~Gregg, p. 81

Preterists-Consider the letters to apply to
little else than the contemporary
situation of the seven churches as they
existed in John’s time. As with all
biblical epistles, however, application
to similar churches of any time is
acknowledged.
~Gregg, p. 81

Futurists-May side with the historicists
or, alternatively, with the preterists and
the spiritual interpreters as to the
application of the letters, though they
see the reference to the “things which
shall take place after this” (1:19) as
referring to the end of the present age.
~Gregg, p. 81

Spiritual-Interpreters see the purpose of
the book as communicating to the whole
church the facts of God’s sovereignty in
history and His vindication of the
righteous. The seven churches
symbolize the church in all times, and
the letters apply to any churches in
which the relevant circumstances
prevail.
~Gregg, p. 81

The Seven Churches As Seven Church
Ages:
Historicists & Futurist’s View
. http://www.cyberspaceministry.org/Lessons/Future/Lesson029/eng-p029.html

Portrayal of Jesus

What Jesus Says of the Churches

Positives

Negatives

Counsel

Warning

Promises to Overcomers

Seven Churches Correlation

The Chiastic Structure

Chaps 2-3  Chaps 21-22

Promises to Restore

Application

Chapter 01 03

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