Beginning Our Journey Through Revelation: Understanding the Unveiling of Jesus Christ
Welcome back to our Bible study series! After taking a couple weeks off for family time, we’re diving into one of the most intriguing and often misunderstood books of the Bible: Revelation. This isn’t just a study about future events—it’s fundamentally about Jesus Christ and His ultimate victory.
The True Nature of Revelation
The book is called “Revelation” (singular), not “Revelations.” In Greek, it’s “apocalypsis”—the source of our word “apocalypse”—which simply means “uncovering” or “unveiling.” This entire book is about revealing Jesus Christ in His glory and demonstrating that He wins in the end.
John received these visions while exiled on the island of Patmos, and he was instructed to write them down for the churches. Unlike Daniel, who was told to seal his prophecies, John was commanded to reveal these truths because “the time is at hand.”
This study comes from a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation perspective. We believe the church will be raptured before the tribulation period described in later chapters. However, regardless of your eschatological position, the central truth remains: Jesus Christ is coming back, and those who belong to Him have nothing to fear.
One of the most encouraging verses in the entire book comes right at the beginning:
“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 1:3)
This verse contains a threefold blessing for those who:
1. Read the book
2. Hear its words
3.
Keep (treasure and apply) its teachings
This isn’t a book to fear—it’s a book that promises blessing to those who engage with it.
The opening chapters present Jesus in terms that emphasize His eternal nature. He is described as “which is, and which was, and which is to come”—a phrase that connects directly to God’s declaration to Moses: “I AM.” This emphatic language underscores Christ’s deity and unchanging nature.
Jesus identifies Himself as “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,” encompassing all of time and eternity. He is the “faithful witness,” the “first begotten of the dead” (the first to rise never to die again), and the “prince of the kings of the earth.”
Our Identity as Believers
The text reminds us that Christ “loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God.” More accurately translated, we are “a kingdom of priests”—not individual kings, but part of Christ’s kingdom serving as His priesthood.
There is only one King: Jesus. We will rule and reign with Him, but He alone holds the ultimate authority.
The Vision of Glorified Christ
John’s vision of the glorified Christ is breathtaking. This is Jesus as John had never seen Him before—not the humble carpenter from Nazareth, but the exalted Lord of glory:
• White hair like wool, representing eternal wisdom
• Eyes like flames of fire, showing His penetrating insight into all things
• Feet like polished bronze, symbolizing His role as judge
• Voice like the sound of many waters, the voice of ultimate authority
This is the same voice that spoke creation into existence and will one day call His bride home.
The seven lampstands in John’s vision represent the seven churches, but by extension, they represent all churches. We are the lampstands because we hold the light of Christ in this world. Jesus is the light of the world, and we are called to shine that light, not hide it.
As we prepare to study the messages to the seven churches, we’ll see both commendations and corrections. These aren’t just historical accounts—they’re mirrors for modern churches to examine themselves.
The book of Revelation isn’t primarily about end-times events to fear—it’s about the revelation of Jesus Christ in His glory and the assurance that He has already won the ultimate victory. Whether we see some, all, or none of the tribulation events, our calling remains the same: to live faithfully for Christ and shine His light in the world.
As we continue this study, remember that Christ sees everything—His eyes like flames of fire penetrate to the very depths of our hearts. But this isn’t cause for fear if we belong to Him. Instead, it’s an invitation to live authentically and allow Him to work in our lives.
The God we serve is not dead or distant. He is alive, He is coming back, and He is calling us to live victoriously in the present while we await His return.
Next week, we’ll continue with Revelation 1:16, diving deeper into John’s magnificent vision of the glorified Christ. Bring your Bible as we continue our verse by verse study.
