How the Book of Revelation introduces Jesus. It is life changing! This is Part 3 of my “The Real Jesus Will Surprise You” Series

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Welcome back to Journey into Trust Day by Day. My name is Dawnn Hill, and this is the place you can come to find out biblical principles to build your life upon. Today, we are going to keep looking at how the real Jesus will surprise you. This is part three of the series I started, and we will be looking at Revelation 1:1-8. I really hope you'll stay with me to the end so that you can be sure to glean everything that God wants to give you in this short passage. There's so much packed in!

There are many aspects of the way that Jesus reveals Himself in Revelation chapters 1 through 3. We're just going to look at the introduction today. They are very surprising—Jesus is surprising. So, I will touch on a few that have helped shape me and have left a deep impression on me in this video today and in the next few. Please stay with me to the end so you can glean everything you can. It's a very incredible book.

Revelation 1:1-3 says:

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bondservants the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bondservant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 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.

Right off the bat, we see that there is a blessing—a special blessing for reading the book of Revelation and for heeding what it says, really taking it to heart. The apostle John faithfully records all he sees in the visions that God gives him.

Revelation 1:4-8 keeps going and says:

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits, the sevenfold spirit, who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 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. So it is to be. Amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

We’re going to take this piece by piece, and first off, this is addressed to the seven churches that were in Asia at the time the visions were given. Right up front, we hear that God wants to bless us with grace and peace. I think that's incredible.

We also see in this passage the Trinity. We see that this is from Him who was and is and is to come, which refers to God the Father. We see the Holy Spirit—the sevenfold spirit—and we see Jesus Christ right up front. Even though the word Trinity isn't mentioned anywhere in the Bible, we see that we have a triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That's really important.

Revelation is an apocalyptic book where so many genres converge, and the language of symbolism gives the strong impression of meaning throughout the book. Those symbols are best interpreted by the allusions that were used in the past by prophets and apostles, which these symbols correlate to. To understand Revelation, you really have to dig into other books of the Bible, like Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Zechariah, and even places in the apostles' writings. These all fit together to help us understand what God is trying to say through this book, which is given in many visions.

Those visions are not meant to be pictorially understood necessarily—they’re pictures, but the pictures are more symbolic than actual realistic images. The different parts of the picture give a symbolic meaning. That doesn't mean that the book of Revelation is just symbolic and not true. There's a lot of it that is based on the messages to the seven churches, which we'll get into in a few weeks. Those churches were absolutely real, and the things that Jesus addresses were absolutely happening. He was trying to comfort, rebuke, or help them turn away from sin. He had a definite purpose.

Also, it doesn't mean that these revelations of the future aren't going to happen and aren't going to be real. They absolutely are. It just means that it’s a book that has a lot of symbolism, so we have to see it in that genre of apocalyptic literature, like Zechariah, and try to piece the pieces of the puzzle together.

Next up, I want to zoom in and focus on verses 4-8 right now. This is from John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits, the sevenfold spirit, who are before His throne.

Pastor Guzik is a pastor whose commentaries I really like. He explains that John brought a greeting from God the Holy Spirit in this part of the passage when he says, "the seven spirits who are before His throne." He says this description speaks to the perfection and completion of the Holy Spirit. He states that John used an Old Testament description of the Holy Spirit. The idea of the seven spirits quotes from the Old Testament, specifically Isaiah 11:2, which describes seven aspects of the Holy Spirit:

The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

So, Pastor Guzik points out that it’s not that there are seven different spirits of God; rather, the spirit of the Lord has these characteristics and has all of them in the fullness of perfection. This is why it can be translated as the sevenfold spirit, and that's what Pastor Guzik points out. I think it's important to understand—it's not like there are seven spirits, all different. It's the Holy Spirit, and that's why we see the triune God there.

Even though Revelation is addressed specifically to seven real churches that existed in the geographical area of biblical Asia at the time of these revelations, that area is now considered the Mediterranean. But during that time, the emphasis on the number seven conveys the idea of completeness or totality. The book of Revelation is for the Lord's bondservants and for the church of all time as a whole.

So, the messages within the letters that will be addressed to each church by name are definitely tailored by Jesus to those specific churches. You can see on the map that there will be letters to Pergamum, Thyatira, Smyrna, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and others. We will get into those letters and some of the details. It’s really fascinating how much the Lord was specific and wanted each church to know that He saw everything going on in those churches and He was paying attention.

Some He was going to really exhort and encourage, telling them they were on track, but most of the letters have a lot that the church needed to take to heart and repent of. So, we also, in our day, even though these letters were specifically addressed to these real churches, the things that are dealt with in each of the letters are things that the church today still deals with and that we need to take to heart.

Revelation 1:4-8. I want to focus on this last part.

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth, to Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood.

This is so powerful! Jesus is the faithful witness. He has faithfully represented the Father to us, the Holy Spirit, and the kingdom of God. Jesus is the firstborn of the dead. He is the resurrected Savior of the world. Jesus rules over all—He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

This last part is the part that I just can't ever get over. It says, "Jesus is the one who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood." I cling to this verse, especially when my old sinful nature rears up and I'm tempted to think that that is still who I am. Jesus says that He has released us from our sins by His blood. He’s made us new!

The verse reminds me that I'm not bound to my sins. Jesus loves me, present tense, right now. He loves me every day, and He has released me from my sins. His finished work on the cross, 2,000 years ago, cut the ties that bound us to sin. So, if we’re in Christ, sin no longer reigns over us and rules over us.

When I believed in Jesus’ name, when you believed in Jesus and truly called out to Him to save you, that saving power released you from sin's power and gave you a relationship with God. It gave you a new start and tore that wall down so that now you can have a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Romans chapter 6 is a crucial passage to help you understand this new life you have and how the old is dead and the new has come. I'm not going to get into it, but I really encourage you to read Romans 6. 2 Corinthians 5:17 is a great verse to memorize. It kind of summarizes what is in Romans 6, but still read it!

The verse in 2 Corinthians says:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new is here.

That is the good news! We get to be brand new creatures in Christ. The old has gone, the new has come, and we have to cling to that because there are times when we don’t feel like the new has come. We just feel like the old is still here. But that’s where we need to exercise faith, learn how to reckon that old man dead, and let Jesus live His life through us.

Another really great verse is Galatians 2:20. Look that one up too.

James 1:18-22 really helps us understand what this transformation looks like practically. It says:

He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created. My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for the anger of man does not bring about the righteousness of God. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls. Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

We must be in Christ through faith and in God’s word consistently in order to look into that mirror God gives us. James tells us that His word is like a mirror that we look into, and it helps us see what needs to change and who we really are. We need to humbly obey God and become doers of His word, not hearers only. We can do all of this because Jesus loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood.

Rejoice with me and hold fast to the spiritual truth to build your life upon. Revelation 1:6-8 says:

He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

We’re going to look at that part real quick. This reminds us that we have a new identity in Christ. We are a kingdom now. The kingdom of God is in us, priests to God for His glory forever. Just think about that—we are to minister to God the Father, for His glory forever.

We are assured that Jesus will return, coming in the clouds to be seen by everyone, even those who pierced Him. Peoples from every tribe on earth will mourn over what He endured. That's that last part in verses 7 and 8, where it says:

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.

So it is to be. Amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

We’re coming to the end, but Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. He is a full member of the triune God, and He is coming again. He is the exact representation of the Father. That’s what we learn in Hebrews 1:1-3.

In our next time together, we’ll see how the way that Jesus reveals Himself to John and to us is incredible. As we look at the symbolic nature of each part of the vision, we will gain a fuller understanding of Jesus’ majesty and mission. So tune in for the next one.

Lastly, I just want to close with a piece from my book Journey into Trust. It is just my response of worship. It’s called Creed, and I just wanted to read that to you to close us out.

Creed

Creator, Eternal One, Covenant Keeper

Before dark and light, sea and land, air and life, Adam and Eve,

You Are.

Majestic, Holy, Merciful One

Before the cancer of sin eroded innocence

You walked in the garden in the cool of the day.

Protector, Accepter, Comforter

Before the eternal seal could lock us in perpetual sin,

You blocked the way with flaming sword.

Worthy of Worship, Heart Seer, Innocent-Blood Hearer

Before punishing, You warned, You grieved, You marked Cain,

the wanderer and city-builder, hearing even his undeserving plea.

Degenerate-Earth Griever, Flood Sender, Ark Giver

Before the rains fell and all the fountains of the deep burst forth,

You sent a herald of righteousness to proclaim faith through word, Gofer wood and pitch.

Whole World Holder, Every Soul Maker, Just in Every Way

Before rising again from the grave, Jesus, You carried Salvation’s torch into the depths.

For preserving human kind through Noah’s line wasn’t enough.  Only your blood would do.

Savior, Redeemer, Glorious One

After you uttered, “It is finished,” upon that Roman cross…

After You bore the Father’s righteous wrath for all our sin…

After You “canceled out the debt consisting of decrees against us”…

After “disarming the spiritual rulers and authorities, You made a public display of them.”

After preaching to those outside of Noah’s witness, You led “captive a host of captives,” rising victoriously, extinguishing death’s sting, and sin’s relentless bondage.

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Triune God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Fulfiller of Prophecy, Lamb of God

There is no one in heaven or upon the earth who compares with You.

You are Good Shepherd to all who call on Your Name;

for Your sheep know Your beloved voice,

and follow You all the way home.

I will list the scriptures I reference in the description below that I mentioned in that piece called Creed. Again, it’s from my book Journey into Trust. If you go to my website, thehopefulbuttercup.com, you can easily find the links if you'd like to buy my book. I think you’d love it, and it would make a great gift! I really could use reviews. So, if you do buy it from Amazon, I’d love it if you'd circle back and review it for me. It would just help me get the word out and let others discover my book too. Plus, I have a new Journey into Trust Companion Bible Study that I will email you for free if you send me your Amazon order number. Just email me at [email protected]

Thank you so much for this time. I look forward to our next Journey into Trust Day by Day.

Bye-bye!