The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chapter 1)
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Submitted by JStaller on Wed, 2008-09-24 05:29.
Alright. Here we go--the first chapter of Revelation. Highly charged imagery, dense Jewish symbolism, intense cultural and religious pressure, and a rich history of literature collide, producing (in my opinion) the greatest spiritual vision in the Christian experience. If you can enter into this vision, you will see Christ.
The Time is at Hand (Revelation 1.2-3)
Revelation 1:2-3 ...Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 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.
John is doing a few different things in Revelation.
1) He is bearing record of the Word of God. This in and of itself has at least two meanings.
a) John is confirming or sustaining what the law and the prophets have written, God's written words
b) John is bearing record of the Word of God--that special and unique individual in the Christian religion who was the Word of God Incarnated, who was the scripture, walking talking, and breathing; John is bearing record of Jesus.
2) John is also definitely bearing record of the "testimony of Jesus Christ." This is the testimony belonging to Jesus Christ, the witness of Jesus, the message Jesus delivered, whatever message that was.
3) John is, lastly, bearing record of all the things that "he saw." But Who? Who saw these things? Naturally, we assume, John means, "The things I saw in my vision." But if we follow the sentence through logically, because it is ambiguous even in the Greek, John could be saying "The things that Jesus saw." That actually makes a lot of since, given the preceding verses, because John pegs this as Christ's vision, Christ's Revelation from God, Christ's message--though John is presenting it in a highly developed and complex form, the Book of Revelation essentially contains the same message preached by Jesus Christ, the message that, as even John has just said, is "at hand."
Mark 1.14-15 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Let's briefly recap. What was Jesus' historical message? To know his historical message, you have to know a little bit about his historical situation, and that is fairly well documented. Israel had been subjected, by God, to punishment for her spiritual fornication. This punishment came in the form of Caesar and his Rome, an oppressive government in a long chain of such governments. But Israel, waiting for political deliverance, had developed a nationalistic fervor, and was certain that by rebelling against Caesar that they could defeat Caeser--forgetting that, according to the prophets, Israel was the problem, and Caeser was the punishing instrument of God.
And so? Jesus message: "The time of freedom has finally arrived. (The time is fulfilled) God's kingdom from the heavens is already here. (The kingdom of God is at hand). So knock it off (Repent ye) and believe in the good news that I am preaching (the gospel.)"
This is the same message John declares himself to be a witness of--this is the essential message contained within the Book of Revelation.
Justin Staller - Moderator
justinstaller@yahoo.com
Search the scriptures--for in them ye think ye have eternal life: They are they which testify of me--and ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (John 5.39-40)