Monday, December 1, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Revelation 1

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Introduction and Benediction

Revelation 1:1–3 (NKJV)

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Points to Ponder:

• Although Paul is credited with writing most of the books of the New Testament, it is noteworthy that John wrote five books, including the book of Revelation. There is some scholarly speculation that a different John (John the Baptist, John Mark, the Elder John) may have written the Revelation, but those are in the minority. The simple and most likely author is John, the Apostle Jesus loved.
• John introduces the apocalyptic writing as a revelation from Jesus Christ, delivered by His angel and meant for all Christians to hear and abide by.

Greeting the Seven Churches

Revelation 1:4–8 (NKJV)

4 John, to the seven churches which 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 who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Points to Ponder:

• John addresses the writing to the seven churches in Asia (Asia Minor) and offers greeting from the eternal God and His Son.
• He then offered a blessing of glory and dominion to Jesus, who saved us by His blood.
• John then announced that Jesus would be coming in the clouds, and that every eye would see Him, even this who participated in His death.
• He then quotes the Lord as saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”

Vision of the Son of Man

Revelation 1:9–20 (NKJV)

9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

Points to Ponder:

• John shifts his focus in this longer section to the setting for his receiving the vision, and for the vision itself.
• John shares that he is a brother to all who read, and that he was on the island of Patmos in some type of imprisonment for the gospel when the vision came to him.
• John stated that he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) and heard a loud voice, in tone like a trumpet blast, announcing the presence of God.
• Jesus announced His titles just as John described in the previous section (Alpha, Omega, First, Last). He then instructed John to write the vision and send it to the seven churches in Asia, and then lists their names (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea).
• When John turned around, he saw seven golden lamp stands, and it appeared that Jesus (Son of Man) walked among them. He was clothed in a long garment and wore a band of gold around His chest.
• He further described Jesus as having white hair and eyes like a flame. He feet shined like polished brass, and His voice was overwhelmingly loud. He held seven stars, and a sharp, two-edged sword came out of His mouth (the word of God). His appearance was so bright it rivaled the sun in strength.
• John was so overwhelmed that he fell at His feet as dead. Jesus touched him and further identified Himself as the First and the Last, the one who was dead, but it now alive forevermore.
• Jesus declared His authority (keys to hell and death) and again told John to record everything that he has seen, is seeing, and will see.
• Jesus then explained the imagery. The stars in His right hand were the angels (messengers) of the seven churches, and the lamp stands were the seven churches themselves.
• From this point, Jesus will speak to each of the angels a message of praise or condemnation to each of the churches.

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.