How does Revelation 1:1 connect with other prophetic scriptures in the Bible? Revelation 1:1 in its Own Words “This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John”. The Divine Chain of Revelation • God → Jesus → angel → John → Christ’s servants • Amos 3:7: “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.” • Daniel 2:28-30, 45: Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is “what will take place in the latter days.” The same God who unsealed mysteries for Daniel now does so for John. Echoes of Daniel’s Visions • Daniel 7:13-14—Son of Man receiving dominion parallels Revelation 1:12-18. • Daniel 12:4—“seal the book until the time of the end”; Revelation unseals what Daniel was told to seal. • Daniel’s phrase “must take place” (LXX: dei genesthai) reappears in Revelation 1:1, linking the two books linguistically and theologically. Jesus, the Central Figure of All Prophecy • Luke 24:27—Moses and the Prophets point to Him. • Revelation is “of Jesus Christ” (origin) and “about Jesus Christ” (content). • Isaiah 11:1-10 and Zechariah 9:9-10 picture the same Messiah who rules in Revelation 19:11-16. “Must Soon Come to Pass” and the Timing Motif • “Soon” stresses certainty, not impatience—like Habakkuk 2:3: “Though it lingers, wait for it; it will surely come and will not delay.” • 2 Peter 3:8-9 reminds us that God’s timetable differs from ours, yet He speaks literally about future events. • The same phrase “must” (dei) appears in Matthew 24:6: wars “must” happen before the end. Angels as Prophetic Messengers • Gabriel interprets visions for Daniel (8:16; 9:21); an angel interprets for John (Revelation 17:1, 7). • Zechariah’s night visions feature an interpreting angel (Zechariah 1:9,13), foreshadowing Revelation’s heavenly guide. Servants and the Prophetic Community • “Servants” (doulos) includes Old Testament prophets and New Testament believers. • 1 Peter 1:10-12—prophets searched “what time or circumstance the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating.” Revelation supplies clarity they longed for. Connections to Other Key Prophecies • Ezekiel 38-39—end-times invasion parallels Revelation 20:7-9. • Joel 2-3—sun, moon, stars darkened; fulfilled climactically in Revelation 6:12-14. • Zechariah 12 & 14—Jerusalem under siege, the Lord returns; mirrored in Revelation 19:11-21. • Isaiah 24 & 65—global judgment then new heavens and earth; Revelation 20-22 completes the picture. • 2 Thessalonians 2—man of lawlessness precedes Day of the Lord; Revelation 13 describes the beast in fuller detail. Practical Take-Aways for Today • Prophecy is Christ-centered; study it to know Him, not just timelines. • The same God who kept every promise in the past will literally fulfill what remains. • Because the revealing comes from a trustworthy chain—God to Christ to angel to John—we can rest in its certainty and shape our lives accordingly. |
    |