Revelation 1:1-6 Notes

At the request of the class, we started looking at Revelation during Teen Sunday School this week. Here are my notes from chapter 1:1-6

V1a: Revelation is a book that shows us the truth. It’s full of strange and wonderful images, but it’s essential for our understanding of the truth about the end of the world.

V1b: It’s theme is Jesus Christ. That’s ultimately who this book is about. Not when the rapture is, not who will be ruling when the antichrist comes, but Jesus. It’s about His ultimate victory? Simply put, what is revelation about? Jesus winning! Revelation is such an exciting book to read and understand, because it shows us how Jesus will ultimately sit on the throne and receive all the glory He is due.

V1c: This revelation was given to Christ, by God to show to his servants. Not everyone can receive the truth that is contained in Revelation, but only those who believe in Jesus, only those who love Jesus. That’s the meaning of the word translated as servants here. A doulos was a special type of slave who served his master out of love, rather than because he had to. This revelation comes to Christ’s followers.

V1d: Revelation is focused fully on future events, and this is what sets it apart from other NT books. There’s no history here, only prophecy. We’re told that these things take place soon. It’s not our place to try and figure out when soon is, but to have faith that these things are coming. Remember that to the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. The Lord is patient in His coming, but coming He is.

V1e-2: God made this revelation known though an angel and a servant. This perhaps is how John was taken up into Heaven to receive the revelation, by an angel. So what have we learnt from the first two verses of this book. Firstly perhaps, that there’s nothing to be scared of in studying Revelation. It may seem complicated, and parts of it are, but it’s a Revelation, not a mystery. Second, everything in this book centres around Jesus. If we can’t figure something out, thinking about how it relates to Jesus will help. Thirdly we’ve seen that this book is written to help us deepen our relationship with Christ, and because of that, we should pay attention.

V3: We see this last part in verse 3. When we hear God’s desires and demands written in His Word we have to obey, because the time is near. Time is running out before Christ comes again. He’s closer now that He was when you woke up this morning, so we must pay attention if we are to receive the blessing. And what a blessing it is.

V4-5: We see the setting for this letter, John is writing to churches in Asia who are being persecuted. He will later address each one of these churches, but it’s interesting that Revelation doesn’t look like a normal letter. Most of it, as we’ve said is set well into the future, what is to come should shape the way we live today. These verses contain John’s greeting, and we learnt that it’s not just John who is writing this letter, but that it comes directly from Jesus. This is even more reason to pay attention to what’s being said.

V6: Here John just bursts forth with praise. ‘to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.’ Jesus deserves all praise and worship, and one day that’s exactly what He will get. That Jesus has freed us from our sins by His blood is the heart of the Gospel, and it’s that thought which causes John to praise Him here. Jesus will eventually take His rightful place on the throne, and all will worship Him, Revelation tells us how that happens at the end of human history.