Open the Book of Revelation

[johnchao]

Chapter 1
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated [it] by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all that he saw.

Notes:
Search: the revelation of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 1:10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that [would come] to you made careful search and inquiry, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things into which angels long to look.
(Attention: all the prophets were speaking in the revelation of the Spirit of Christ.)
Paul:
Gal 1:11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Gal 1:15 But when He who had set me apart, from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,
2Co 13:3 since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.
(Attention:Christ speaks in Paul.)
The words Christ speaks are spirit, the Word of God and God:
Jn 6:62What if you see the Son of Man ascending where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Rev 19:11 I saw heaven opened; behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
(Attention: The Word of God is King of kings and Lord of lords.)
Jn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
Christ belongs to God:
1Co 3:23 and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.
John bears witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ:
Rev 19:10 I fell at his feet to worship him. And he *said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." 11 And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
(Attention:Prophecy:
2Pe 1:21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
is the words of God, the testimony of Jesus and the Word of God)

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

(Notes:
1Ki 9:2 Yahweh appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 And Yahweh said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
2Ch 7:12 Then Yahweh appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, 14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15 "Now My eyes shall be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. 16 "For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.
The name of Yahweh is always put there with His eyes and heart perpetually. The spirit of prophecy of this book is Jesus. See:
Jn 5:39 You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me;)
Blessed are those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it:
Ac 28:23 when they had set a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning until evening.

 

[johnchao]

Rev 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth[FONT=宋体]，[/FONT]Grace to you and peace. He loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood,

Notes:
The faithful witness:
Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
The first-born of the dead: after resurrection is the Word of God again:
Tit 2:10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.
2Ch 17:6 And he took great pride in the ways of Yahweh and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah.
Jesus Christ, the ruler of the kings of the earth:
Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Pr 8:22 "Yahweh possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. 23 "From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. 24 "When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water. 25 "Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth; 26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world. 27 "When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, 28 When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed, 29 When He set for the sea its boundary, So that the water should not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth; 30 Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, 31 Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.
Grace:
Hos 3:5 Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek Yahweh their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to Yahweh and to His goodness in the last days.
Ps 5:10 Hold them guilty, O God; By their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out, For they are rebellious against You. 11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And mayest You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You. 12 For it is You who dost bless the righteous man, O Lord, You dost surround him with favor as with a shield.
Ps 68:9 You didst shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God; You didst confirm Your inheritance, when it was parched. 10 Your creatures settled in it; You didst provide in Your goodness for the poor, O God.
Ps 84:11 For Yahweh God is a sun and shield; Yahweh gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Ac 20:31 "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32 "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
By His blood: Blood is life:
Lev 17:10 ' And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'
Dt 12:23 Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.
1Jn 5:10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning His Son. 11 And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
Peace to you: Jesus is the king of peace:
Heb 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all [the spoils], was first of all, by the translation [of his name], king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually.
Mal 2:5 "My covenant with him was life and peace, and I gave them to him [as an object of] reverence; so he revered Me, and stood in awe of My name.[FONT=宋体][/FONT]
Jesus released us from our sins by His own life:
Ro 11:26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob." 27 "And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins."
Isa 44:21 "Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. 22 "I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud, And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."
Isa 43:22 "Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; But you have become weary of Me, O Israel. 23 "You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings; Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, Nor wearied you with incense. 24 "You have bought Me no sweet cane with money, Neither have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices; Rather you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities. 25 "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.
Jer 50:20 'In those days and at that time,' declares Yahweh,' search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I shall pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.'
Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and from where have they come?" 14 And I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

 

[johnchao]

Rev 1:6 and He has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Notes:
Made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father:
Php 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has to subject all things to Himself.
1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy .
Heb 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2 he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. 4 And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.
Ex 19:5 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel. " 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Yahweh had commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together and said, "All that Yahweh has spoken we will do!" And Moses brought back the words of the people to Yahweh.
Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the book, and to break its seals; for You were slain, and didst purchase for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 "And You hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
To Him the glory and the dominion:
Mt 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
1Pe 4:11 Whoever speaks, let him speak the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1Pe 5:10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11 To Him dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

[johnchao]

Rev 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.

Notes:
Coming with the clouds:
Ex 16:10 And it came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud. 11 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12 "I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God.'"
Ex 24:17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. 18 And Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Ex 34:5 And Yahweh descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of Yahweh.
Ex 33:9 And it came about, whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and Yahweh would speak with Moses. 10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 11 Thus Yahweh used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Nu 11:24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of Yahweh. Also, he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and stationed them around the tent. 25 Then Yahweh came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took of the Spirit who was upon him and placed [Him] upon the seventy elders. And it came about that when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do [it] again.
(Yahweh came down in the cloud: it means that Moses speaks in the revelation.)
Every eye will see Him: it refers to the eyes of the heart.
Eph 1:17 [I pray that] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Mt 6:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
2Pe 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.
Rev 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star."
(Attention: the eyes of the heart shall see Jesus.)
Even those who pierced Him:
Eze 28:24 "And there will be no more for the house of Israel a prickling brier or a painful thorn from any round about them who scorned them; then they will know that I am Yahweh God."
(There will be no more for them a prickling brier or a painful thorn, thorn:
Lk 8:14 "And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.)
Ac 26:12 "While thus engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, 13 at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 "And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' 15 "And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 'But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. '
(Attention: Paul kicks the goads by persecuting believers and preachers of the word. When the word of God is revealed within, the eyes of the heart see Jesus.)
Ecc 12:10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. 11 The words of wise men are like goads, and teachers of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd.
Isa 30:20 Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. 21 And your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.
(Notes: the Teacher, see:
Jn 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Him by night, and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.")
(The eyes of the heart will see the Teacher, see:
Mt 23:8 "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 "And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 "And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.)
All the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him:
Lk 19:41 And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If you had known in this day, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 "For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, 44 and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. "
Mt 2:17 Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, 18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she refused to be comforted, Because they were no more."
Jer 31:15 Thus says Yahweh, "A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more." 16 Thus says Yahweh, "Restrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded," declares Yahweh, "And they shall return from the land of the enemy. 17 "And there is hope for your future," declares Yahweh, "And your children shall return to their own territory.
We believers of Jesus Christ must test if He is in our hearts:
2Co 13:3 since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. 4 For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you. 5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test? 6 But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
2Pe 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.
Rev 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star."
(Attention: If Jesus is not in the heart, all will wail over Him.)