Rev 1:3 | KingComments | STEP | . The revelation of which John is a witness and in which he involves you, is no fabrication of himself. It comes to you with all the authority of the Word spoken by God. What John testified about the coming events, comes from the mouth of God. As an extra emphasis it is added that what God has said is completely covered by “the testimony of Jesus Christ”. The Lord Jesus testifies to what God has spoken. “All that he saw” is the contents of this whole book. Everything that John has seen and what he has written in this book is therefore the Word of God, while the testimony of Jesus Christ indicates the prophetic nature of it. After all, it is about the revelation, the becoming visible in the world, of Him. . There is a special blessing associated with reading or the reading aloud this book and the listening to its contents: you are “blessed”. No one can ‘read’ it and ‘hear’ it without being blessed. What you read and hear are messages about future events that are inspired word for word. Beside reading and hearing it is also important to “heed the things which are written in it”. “To heed” means that you treasure these things in your heart, so that they may have an influence in the practice of your life too. After all, from your heart your life is governed ( ). The call to heed returns one more time at the end of the book ( ). What is written in this book is therefore sandwiched between these two calls. As a matter of fact, that it is “written”, means that it is of lasting value. It is always possible to be read in order to see what must yet take place and it can also be read to check on what is happening around you. You therefore have a perfect manual of the future in your hands. I would like to advise you to often consult it because “the time” when everything is brought to a decision “is near”. The Lord Jesus is about to appear and to judge. . John is the right person to write this book. The Lord Jesus said of him that he, concerning his ministry, would remain until He comes ( ). That means that John also has a ministry regarding the future. He already achieves that ministry in a sense when he speaks in his first letter about the antichrist and the return of Christ and the decay that was already showing up. But the full achievement of it we find in this book of Revelation. He writes the book “to the seven churches that are in Asia”. The mention of the number “seven” is not insignificant. The number seven represents perfection. The seven churches represent the whole church. It indeed are seven different churches. You will see it better when we will study chapters 2 and 3. That means that the whole church has been manifested on earth in different ways. You must have noticed in the letters which Paul has written to various churches that local churches are different from each other. That variety is not only seen in the different local churches, but also in the various periods of the existence of the church on earth. You recognize that directly if you only think of how the church was at the beginning and how the church is today. In that way there are more differences in the development of the church. All those different churches may learn a lot from one another and we also can learn a lot from it. That’s why it is so wonderful that in God’s Word we have this writing of John to them. It is also beautiful to see that the blessing of “grace” and “peace”, which you can remember from the letters of Paul, is also wished by John here to the seven churches. “Grace” is the source of all blessing, it is the unmerited favor of God, which you receive just on the basis of Who He is. If you realize that God deals with you in grace, the result will be that you will go your way with “peace” in your heart, whatever the circumstances. But there is a difference with the letters of Paul when it comes the question from Whom you get the blessing. In those letters the blessing comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Here it is “from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne”. That is fitting with this Bible book. Here you see God as He is presented in the Old Testament: as Yahweh, the God of the covenant, the God of faithfulness to His covenant. Then what is said next is not first ‘Who was’, but “Who is”. That means that He is seen as the “I AM WHO I AM” ( ). But He is also the One “Who was”. That is the God of the past, Who has always taken care of His people and the whole earth. He is also the One “Who is to come”, for He is also the God of the future. Then in the blessing “the seven Spirits” are mentioned. This is the Holy Spirit, but as the Spirit of power through Whom God will execute the judgments from His throne. The number seven refers to the variety and the perfection with which the Lord Jesus will execute the judgments in the power of this Spirit at His return (cf. ). Therefore the attention is drawn to the “throne” of God, which emphasizes that it is about reigning and the exercise of power. . Finally grace and peace are wished “from Jesus Christ”. Just like with the seven Spirits, to Whom is added “Who are before His throne”, also something is added to the name of Jesus Christ. You can actually say that three titles of Him are mentioned which all are in relation with the earth. He was “the faithful witness” to God in the past on earth ( ), from the manger to the cross ( ). He has always been faithful. The church was also meant to be like that, but it failed and still fails to do so. He is also “the firstborn of the dead”. This He is in the present time, since His death and resurrection ( ; ). ‘Firstborn’ means that He is the highest in the realm of the resurrection. Third He is “the ruler of the kings of the earth”. This He is also now, but this He will be openly in the future, so He will be revealed ( ). When He is thus presented, the church spontaneously responds. That will be your response too. The heart of each who loves Him agrees to it that He “loves us”. He has loved us and still loves us. Isn’t it great that He, Who is emphatically presented in this book as Judge, is the One Who loves you? His love has been especially expressed in the way that He “released us from our sins by His blood”. This meant to Him that He had to go into death, for only His blood could redeem you from your sins. To you it means that all future judgments will pass you by completely, for He has redeemed you once and for all. Isn’t that a reason to praise Him? . But He has done much more than He did regarding the past, which was necessary to deliver you from judgment. He has taken away your sins to make you to something together with all believers, namely, “[to be] a kingdom, priests to His God and Father”. What you have become is what He has made you to be. There is absolutely no achievement from your side. You owe everything to Him. It is nothing more than great grace that you may partake of His government. As a redeemed person you receive, together with all believers, royal dignity together with Christ, “the ruler of the kings of the earth” ( ), so that you also are exalted above the kings of the earth ( ; cf. ). In addition to this, you are also made a priest before His God and Father. Everything that the Lord Jesus did He did with a view to the honor of His God and Father. You are made someone who may praise and worship in God’s presence ( ; ; ). You can do that now already. When the Lord Jesus will take His royal majesty upon Himself, you may be a means of blessing to those who are enduring hardships on earth and who go to God with their suffering. You then may bring “the prayers of saints” before God ( ). To Him be the glory for everything He has done for you. Everything you have become reflects His glory. While man always did all things to his own glory and in his own strength, the Lord Jesus did everything to the glory of God from Whom He drew all power as a Man. As a Man He lived from all the words that came from the mouth of God ( ). What characterized Him as Man and what He has achieved, will be seen and rejoiced in forever. There is nothing more left for you to do than to wholeheartedly agree with the “amen” with which this praise ends. Now read Revelation 1:2-6 again. Reflection: What do you learn here about the Word of God and about the Lord Jesus?

‏ Revelation of John 1:3

Recipients, Blessing and Praise

Rev 1:2. The revelation of which John is a witness and in which he involves you, is no fabrication of himself. It comes to you with all the authority of the Word spoken by God. What John testified about the coming events, comes from the mouth of God. As an extra emphasis it is added that what God has said is completely covered by “the testimony of Jesus Christ”. The Lord Jesus testifies to what God has spoken.

“All that he saw” is the contents of this whole book. Everything that John has seen and what he has written in this book is therefore the Word of God, while the testimony of Jesus Christ indicates the prophetic nature of it. After all, it is about the revelation, the becoming visible in the world, of Him.

Rev 1:3. There is a special blessing associated with reading or the reading aloud this book and the listening to its contents: you are “blessed”. No one can ‘read’ it and ‘hear’ it without being blessed. What you read and hear are messages about future events that are inspired word for word.

Beside reading and hearing it is also important to “heed the things which are written in it”. “To heed” means that you treasure these things in your heart, so that they may have an influence in the practice of your life too. After all, from your heart your life is governed (Pro 4:23). The call to heed returns one more time at the end of the book (Rev 22:7). What is written in this book is therefore sandwiched between these two calls.

As a matter of fact, that it is “written”, means that it is of lasting value. It is always possible to be read in order to see what must yet take place and it can also be read to check on what is happening around you. You therefore have a perfect manual of the future in your hands. I would like to advise you to often consult it because “the time” when everything is brought to a decision “is near”. The Lord Jesus is about to appear and to judge.

Rev 1:4. John is the right person to write this book. The Lord Jesus said of him that he, concerning his ministry, would remain until He comes (Jn 21:22). That means that John also has a ministry regarding the future. He already achieves that ministry in a sense when he speaks in his first letter about the antichrist and the return of Christ and the decay that was already showing up. But the full achievement of it we find in this book of Revelation.

He writes the book “to the seven churches that are in Asia”. The mention of the number “seven” is not insignificant. The number seven represents perfection. The seven churches represent the whole church. It indeed are seven different churches. You will see it better when we will study chapters 2 and 3. That means that the whole church has been manifested on earth in different ways.

You must have noticed in the letters which Paul has written to various churches that local churches are different from each other. That variety is not only seen in the different local churches, but also in the various periods of the existence of the church on earth. You recognize that directly if you only think of how the church was at the beginning and how the church is today. In that way there are more differences in the development of the church.

All those different churches may learn a lot from one another and we also can learn a lot from it. That’s why it is so wonderful that in God’s Word we have this writing of John to them.

It is also beautiful to see that the blessing of “grace” and “peace”, which you can remember from the letters of Paul, is also wished by John here to the seven churches. “Grace” is the source of all blessing, it is the unmerited favor of God, which you receive just on the basis of Who He is. If you realize that God deals with you in grace, the result will be that you will go your way with “peace” in your heart, whatever the circumstances.

But there is a difference with the letters of Paul when it comes the question from Whom you get the blessing. In those letters the blessing comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Here it is “from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne”. That is fitting with this Bible book.

Here you see God as He is presented in the Old Testament: as Yahweh, the God of the covenant, the God of faithfulness to His covenant. Then what is said next is not first ‘Who was’, but “Who is”. That means that He is seen as the “I AM WHO I AM” (Exo 3:14). But He is also the One “Who was”. That is the God of the past, Who has always taken care of His people and the whole earth. He is also the One “Who is to come”, for He is also the God of the future.

Then in the blessing “the seven Spirits” are mentioned. This is the Holy Spirit, but as the Spirit of power through Whom God will execute the judgments from His throne. The number seven refers to the variety and the perfection with which the Lord Jesus will execute the judgments in the power of this Spirit at His return (cf. Isa 11:2). Therefore the attention is drawn to the “throne” of God, which emphasizes that it is about reigning and the exercise of power.

Rev 1:5. Finally grace and peace are wished “from Jesus Christ”. Just like with the seven Spirits, to Whom is added “Who are before His throne”, also something is added to the name of Jesus Christ. You can actually say that three titles of Him are mentioned which all are in relation with the earth.

He was “the faithful witness” to God in the past on earth (1Tim 6:13), from the manger to the cross (Jn 18:37). He has always been faithful. The church was also meant to be like that, but it failed and still fails to do so.

He is also “the firstborn of the dead”. This He is in the present time, since His death and resurrection (Acts 26:23; Col 1:18). ‘Firstborn’ means that He is the highest in the realm of the resurrection.

Third He is “the ruler of the kings of the earth”. This He is also now, but this He will be openly in the future, so He will be revealed (Psa 89:27).

When He is thus presented, the church spontaneously responds. That will be your response too. The heart of each who loves Him agrees to it that He “loves us”. He has loved us and still loves us. Isn’t it great that He, Who is emphatically presented in this book as Judge, is the One Who loves you? His love has been especially expressed in the way that He “released us from our sins by His blood”. This meant to Him that He had to go into death, for only His blood could redeem you from your sins. To you it means that all future judgments will pass you by completely, for He has redeemed you once and for all. Isn’t that a reason to praise Him?

Rev 1:6. But He has done much more than He did regarding the past, which was necessary to deliver you from judgment. He has taken away your sins to make you to something together with all believers, namely, “[to be] a kingdom, priests to His God and Father”. What you have become is what He has made you to be. There is absolutely no achievement from your side. You owe everything to Him. It is nothing more than great grace that you may partake of His government. As a redeemed person you receive, together with all believers, royal dignity together with Christ, “the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Rev 1:5), so that you also are exalted above the kings of the earth (1Pet 2:9; cf. Exo 19:6).

In addition to this, you are also made a priest before His God and Father. Everything that the Lord Jesus did He did with a view to the honor of His God and Father. You are made someone who may praise and worship in God’s presence (Rev 4:10 ; Rev 5:9; Heb 13:15; 1Pet 2:5). You can do that now already. When the Lord Jesus will take His royal majesty upon Himself, you may be a means of blessing to those who are enduring hardships on earth and who go to God with their suffering. You then may bring “the prayers of saints” before God (Rev 5:8).

To Him be the glory for everything He has done for you. Everything you have become reflects His glory. While man always did all things to his own glory and in his own strength, the Lord Jesus did everything to the glory of God from Whom He drew all power as a Man. As a Man He lived from all the words that came from the mouth of God (Mt 4:4). What characterized Him as Man and what He has achieved, will be seen and rejoiced in forever. There is nothing more left for you to do than to wholeheartedly agree with the “amen” with which this praise ends.

Now read Revelation 1:2-6 again.

Reflection: What do you learn here about the Word of God and about the Lord Jesus?