Exalting Jesus in Revelation

Dr. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, Tony Merida

• Publisher: Holman Reference
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9780805496840
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

Exalting Jesus in Revelation is part of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series. This series affirms that the Bible is a Christ-centered book, containing a unified story of redemptive history of which Jesus is the hero. It's presented as sermons, divided into chapters that conclude with a "Reflect & Discuss" section, making this series ideal for small group study, personal devotion, and even sermon preparation. It's not academic but rather presents an easy-reading, practical and friendly commentary. The series is projected to be 48 volumes.

Revelation

When God Speaks from Heaven

Revelation 1:1-8

Main Idea: Those who hear and obey God’s Word concerning who Jesus is and what He does will be blessed by the Lord.

I. Receive the Blessing for the True Disciple (1:1-3).

A. The blessing comes from God’s prophetic revelation from Jesus (1:1-2).

B. The blessing comes in the church’s public reading of God’s Word (1:3).

C. The blessing comes with our personal response of obedience (1:3).

II. Welcome the Greeting from the Triune God (1:4-6).

A. The Father is perfect in His person (1:4).

B. The Spirit is perfect in His presence (1:4).

C. The Son is perfect in His provision (1:5-6).

1. In His revelation (1:5)

2. In His resurrection (1:5)

3. In His rule (1:5)

4. In His redemption (1:5)

5. In His reign (1:6)

III. Look for the Coming of the Triumphant Lord (1:7-8).

A. His coming will be seen (1:7).

B. His coming will bring sorrow (1:7).

C. His coming will be in strength (1:8).

If ever there was a book that could be described as “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma,” it is the last book in the Bible, the book of Revelation.1 And yet it is the only book in the Bible with a direct blessing for those who read it, listen to it, and obey it (1:3). Why? Because this is a book in which God speaks directly from heaven. And it is a book that talks about heaven’s favorite subject: the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed I believe the theme of the book could be described as the majesty and glory of the warrior Lamb, King Jesus, who is coming again to rule and reign forever! I believe the book addresses the future, but I believe the book is even more interested in exalting Jesus. Regardless of how you understand the book, if you miss this, you have missed its main message.

Revelation is a book that has puzzled, confused, and frustrated the minds of the best biblical scholars. Neither John Calvin nor Martin Luther wrote a commentary on it, and Luther was quite harsh in his evaluation of Revelation’s value, saying,

My spirit cannot accommodate itself to this book. There is one sufficient reason for the small esteem in which I hold it—that Christ is neither taught nor recognized. (Preface to Luther’s Bible, 1522)

Wow! One wonders if Luther was reading the same book we have in our Bible. Revelation is certainly a mystery, but it is also a masterpiece. It does not constitute an unsolvable puzzle but contains a definite promise and a magnificent portrait of the coming again of the Lord Jesus.

In 404 verses, with 285 Old Testament citations and as many as 550 Old Testament allusions, we discover not a closed book but an open book—one to be read and not rejected. Daniel 12:4 says, “Keep these words secret and seal the book until the time of the end,” but Revelation 22:10 says, “Don’t seal the prophetic words of this book, because the time is near.” Revelation is to be explored, examined, and embraced, for in it we discover a marvelous message whose theme is the theme of the Bible: the greatness and the glory of Jesus. From 1:1 to 22:21 the Apocalypse is from Jesus and about Jesus. As He is the focus of the Bible, so He is the focus of this book.

Revelation 1:1-8 constitutes the prologue or introduction of the book. Here our God speaks from heaven with power and promise to His saints on the earth. How does He want us to respond?

Receive the Blessing for the True Disciple

REVELATION 1:1-3

Revelation is a unique book because it comprises three different literary genres. It is an apocalypse (v. 1), a prophecy (v. 3), and a letter (v. 4). That God intended for us to read and understand it is made clear when He tells us twice in verse 3 that there is a blessing for those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy. God intended to bless, comfort, and encourage His people in every generation to be faithful and persevere, especially during times of persecution and suffering. Revelation had a word of blessing for the first-century church just as it has a word of blessing for the twenty-first-century church. To miss this is to immediately get off on the wrong hermeneutical foot in interpreting this book.

The Blessing Comes from God’s Prophetic Revelation from Jesus (1:1-2)

The book begins with “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” The word revelation is the title of the book and translates the Greek word apokalupsis, which means “to reveal, unveil, uncover, or disclose.” This is the only time the word appears in the entire book. It tells us God is pulling back the curtain in order to show us something previously hidden and unknown. He is letting us catch a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes in the realm of spiritual conflict. That the book is an apocalypse tells us it is highly metaphorical and symbolic. The images and symbols represent real truths and real things, but we err if we interpret them in an overly literal sense. Symbols are meant to be symbolic.

This is a revelation of, from, and about Jesus Christ. Three times John uses the phrase “Jesus Christ” in 1:1-5 but never again in the rest of the book. Notice the divine or heavenly chain of communication of this great unveiling: God ! Jesus Christ ! angel ! John ! His slaves or servants (Gk doulos). Revelation is a blessed gift from God the Father, which He gave to His Son, which the Lord Jesus graciously shares with us.

The things in this revelation “must quickly” or will soon “take place.” This phrase occurs seven times in Revelation and emphasizes imminence and expectancy. We must put this phrase in biblical and theological context. Hebrews 1:2 teaches we are now in “these last days.” James 5:9 tells us, “The judge stands at the door.” First John 2:18 affirms, “It is the last hour.” Alan Johnson says,

In eschatology and apocalyptic literature, the future is always viewed as imminent. . . . The church in every age has always lived with the expectancy of the consummation of all things in its own day. “Imminent” describes an event that is “possible any day, impossible no day.”(Revelation, 22)

To make this apocalyptic vision known, Jesus “sent it and signified it through His angel.” Angel (Gk angelos) means “messenger.” Angels are mentioned 67 times in Revelation, which accounts for one quarter of the references to them in the Bible (Johnson, Revelation, 22). Through these beings the Lord made His message known. He signified it by signs and symbols, visions and revelations.

To whom was the angel sent? Most immediately, he was sent to the apostle John, who was an old man residing on “the island called Patmos” (v. 9). Here John is referred to, not as an apostle, but as a slave. John will be faithful to testify, to bear witness “to God’s word and to the testimony about Jesus Christ, in all he saw” (v. 2). What an insightful way to talk about the Bible! It is from Genesis to Revelation “God’s Word.” Further, the heart of its message is the “testimony about” or witness to Jesus Christ. But it comes to us from faithful human servants like Joh...

Table of contents

• Acknowledgments
• Revelation
• Works Cited
• Scripture Index