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Revelation 1:1-20

As noted in the Introduction to Revelation, John (along with James and Peter) was considered to be a pillar within the church of holy-people (Christians, sanctified people, saints, children of the only true God) and a minister to the holy-people with a Judean/circumcision background (refer to Galatians 2:9). John was one of the learning-disciples with Jesus before Jesus' death. After the resurrection of Jesus and the giving of the gift of holy spirit on the day of Pentecost (refer to Acts chapter 2), John received holy spirit-life and continued to do what Jesus asked of him.

As we read, we will clearly see that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed this prophetic information to John so that...

...will be able to read and understand what the Lord Jesus Christ is doing now and what he will do in the future with reference to the realm of mankind and the spirit realm. It includes prophecy regarding events occurring during the past, the present, and the future.

The date/time of the gathering of all holy-people (Christians) together with the Lord Jesus Christ in the air away from the earth is under God's own authority. God will give the Lord Jesus Christ the "go ahead" for this event which will also begin the day of the Lord (refer to Matthew 24:36; Acts 1:7; I Thessalonians 4:13 - 5:4). Therefore God and the Lord Jesus Christ made known this prophetic information to encourage God's people so that they would be happy, and to warn those who have not yet believed what God says and thereby giving them the opportunity to believe and be saved (made-safe to God from sins and their consequences, from destruction).

John introduces this writing (book) with an explanation of where the information originated from and a summary of what it contains.

Revelation 1:1 and 2:
1:1Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to point-out to His slaves, which-things are necessary to come-to-pass in quickness, and he signified having apostled by means of his angel to his slave John, .2who witnessed the word of God and the witness of Jesus Christ as-many-things-as he saw.

This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ (the information that has been uncovered or revealed pertaining-to and proceeding-from Jesus Christ, as though removing a veil to expose what had previously been hidden)...

...and Jesus Christ signified (gave the signal, designated and authenticated these things, as recorded throughout this writing)...

God is the First, Superior or Ultimate One, the One Who has power, executes judgment, and emanates what He is, His power and light; He is the only true God. The name of God refers to the fullness of everything involved with Himself, all that He is and will continue to be, all of His authoritative-power, ability, workings, etc, His distinguishing and distinctive constitution, character, and quality.

Regarding the name of Jesus Christ, it includes all that the name of "Jesus" and the name of "Christ" represent and stand for – such as all the authoritative-power, and ability, etc, that God gave to Jesus when he raised him up out-from the dead-people, and gave him the name that is above every other name, designating the resurrected Jesus being Lord and Christ (refer to Acts 2:21 and 38; 3:6 and 16; 4:7-12, and 30; Romans 1:3 and 4; Ephesians 1:19-23; Philippians 2:9 and 10; II Thessalonians 3:6; Hebrews 1:1-4). Also, it emphasizes his obedience and service to God on a horizontal level to benefit people.

A slave is a servant who is bound to serve his master. This service as a slave (bond-servant) means that the slave's whole being is at the service-of or in service-to that one master, not serving anybody or anything else! During the time-period of the writing of the Bible, a master was obligated to take-care of his slave and the slave was obligated to do all his master would ask of him; it was a mutually-beneficial relationship between the master and his slave.

 To be a "slave" was quite an honorable and responsible position to hold. However, today in the minds of some people the word "slave" has been changed from God's original design of a working-relationship to what mankind twisted, corrupted and perverted it to mean as a position of demoralization or degradation, etc. But we who are students of God's Word must consider this word "slave" as God considered it at the time of John's writing of this letter.

In the spirit relationship viewpoint as regards John and all holy-people (true Christians) - we are brothers of our Lord Jesus Christ and we are sons of God our Father by seed, by birth, because we have received the gift of holy spirit which is the spirit of Christ in us. We are servants in the work-relationship category, and as we speak and/or do what our holy spirit-life communicates to us then we are carrying-out our service appropriately.

[Reference: John 5:19-23; Acts 1:8, 2:18, 4:29, 11:28; Romans 9:28; I Corinthians 1:6-8, 7:22 and 23, 12:10, 14:26; II Corinthians 12:1; Galatians 1:12; Ephesians 3:3; II Timothy 1:6-10; Titus 1:1; Hebrews chapter 1; James 1:1; I Peter 2:16, 3:22; II Peter 1:19-21, 3:8 and 9; I John 1:2, 5:6-12; Revelation 19:10, 22:6 and 16.]

Verse 3:
.3Happy (is) the (person) reading and the (people) hearing the words of the prophecy and keeping the-things having been written2 in it, for the time (is) near.

The word translated "happy" means that the one spoken about is pronounced happy, felicitous; he is a happy person from God's viewpoint, not that he feels happy at that time necessarily, but because of the reason that John explains.

Happy is...

...why? - in truth, the time is near (the specific time, precise period, opportune occasion, the season detailed in this writing is close).

Each second and minute and hour and day and month and year that goes-by brings all holy-people (every Christian including John) nearer in time to the event of Christ's coming to gather us all together with him. When we will be gathered-together with Christ we will receive into full-manifestation the salvation which God has promised us in Christ. The fulfillment of all the prophecies regarding the day of the Lord will come to pass after our gathering-together with our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Reference: Romans 13:11; I Corinthians 12:10, 14:22; II Corinthians 3:12-16; I Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:1-3 and 20; II Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 19:10, 22:7-10, 18 and 19. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

 

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