What is the meaning of Revelation 1:1? This is the revelation of Jesus Christ • “Revelation” means an unveiling. What is being unveiled is Jesus Himself—His character, His authority, and His future actions. • The same Jesus who once veiled His glory to walk among us (John 1:14) now pulls back the curtain. The Gospels reveal His first coming; Revelation unveils His return in triumph (Matthew 24:30). • Every vision, trumpet blast, and seal broken in this book centers on Him, not on speculation. As Revelation 19:10 reminds, “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”. which God gave Him • The Father is the source. Just as Jesus said during His earthly ministry, “The words I say to you I do not speak on My own” (John 14:10), here the risen Christ receives the prophetic plan from the Father. • This underscores perfect unity: Father, Son, and Spirit work together to reveal truth (John 16:13-15). • It also reassures us that Revelation carries the same divine weight as Genesis or the Gospels; its origin is God Himself (2 Timothy 3:16). to show His servants what must soon come to pass • Audience: “His servants”—faithful believers who, like Daniel in Babylon, serve God amid a hostile world (Daniel 2:28). • Purpose: to “show,” not hide. Prophecy is meant for clarity, comfort, and readiness (Amos 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6). • Timing: “must soon come to pass.” ◦ “Must” signals divine necessity; nothing can thwart God’s timetable (Acts 2:23). ◦ “Soon” conveys expectancy. From God’s eternal vantage, “with the Lord a day is like a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8), yet for us it keeps watchfulness alive (Hebrews 10:37; Revelation 22:6-7). He made it known by sending His angel • Angels often serve as messengers of pivotal revelation (Luke 1:26-38; Hebrews 1:14). • In Revelation, an angel repeatedly guides John through visions (Revelation 22:6, 16), underscoring angelic involvement in end-time events. • “Made it known” highlights the reliability of what John sees; these are not human guesses but heavenly disclosures. to His servant John • John is the beloved disciple, eyewitness of Christ’s first coming (John 21:24) and now chosen recorder of His return. • Calling John “servant” places him alongside every believer who heeds the prophecy (Revelation 22:9). • John’s faithful recording, even while exiled on Patmos (Revelation 1:9), models obedience despite hardship. summary Revelation 1:1 roots the entire book in God’s authority, Christ’s centrality, and the believer’s need for readiness. The Father entrusts a glorious unveiling to the Son, who graciously passes it through an angel to John for the benefit of every servant. Because these events “must soon come to pass,” we read with expectation and live with unwavering hope. |
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