A Study Guide for The Revelation of Jesus Christ

THE VISION OF THE RISEN CHRIST - REV. 1:9-20

GENERAL:

1. As previously discussed, the key verse is Rev. 1:19, the outline of the book. John was commanded to write:

a. The things you have seen (up to Rev. 1:19). b. The things that are (Rev. Chapters 2-3).

c. The things that shall be hereafter (Rev. Chapters 4-22).

2. “Hereafter” (Greek: meta tauta - means after these things) is the same word as found in Rev. 4:1 “after this”; therefore, Chapter 4 begins the last part of the book, “the things hereafter.”

3. Dr. Charles C. Ryrie explains that due to the Greek grammatical structure, it is possible to combine the first 2 sections of the book (past and present), since that is the order in which John received the visions. The “present things” includes John’s vision of Christ in Rev. 1:9-20 (past) and also the letters to the 7 churches in Rev. Chapters 2 - 3 (present). In other words, what John saw up to this point, pertained to the churches.

SECTION I - “THE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE SEEN” - REV. 1:9-20 – PAST

A. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE VISION (REV. 1:9-11):

1. PHYSICAL (REV. 1:9) -

a. John - himself a fellow believer.

b. John - a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos (a small island in the Aegean Sea).

c. John - persecuted because of preaching the Word of God and the testimony of

Jesus Christ.

2. SPIRITUAL (REV. 1:10-11) -

a. John - in the Spirit (Spiritual ecstasy). b. On the Lord’s day.

NOTE: Scholars debate whether this refers to Sunday or to the imperial “day of the Lord” in the Tribulation and Millennium yet future.

c. John - heard voice of Christ (The First and Last) - loud and clear.

John - commanded to record all that he saw – to communicate it to 7 particular local churches.

B. CONTENT OF THE VISION (REV. 1:12-16):

1. POSITION OF THE LORD (REV. 1:12-13) -

a. Jesus - described “like the Son of Man” (human like). In the Gospels Jesus was called the Son of Man.

b. Jesus - walked in the middle of 7 lamp stands.

c. 7 lamp stands - provide light (witness) - represents 7 churches to be addressed.

d. Jesus - wearing garments of a priest and judge - represents his relationship and authority over the churches.

2. PICTURE OF THE LORD (REV. 1:14-16) –

a. John describes Jesus:

(1) Head & Hair (Rev. 1:14) - white as wool or snow - represents wisdom, purity, and holiness (See: Prov. 20:29).

(2) Eyes (Rev. 1:14) - as a flame of fire - piercing, discerning, insight (See: 1 Cor. 3:13).

(3) Feet (Rev. 1:15) - like burnished bronze – represents trials he experienced on earth and righteous judgment (See: Heb. 4:15).

(4) Voice (Rev. 1:15) - like the noise of many waters or waterfalls – represents authority, power, majesty.

(5) Right hand (Rev. 1:16) - in his right hand (place of honor) are 7 stars – represents 7 angels or messengers.

NOTE: These stars could represent a guardian angel for each of 7 churches or the overseer/pastor of each (See: James 2:25; Luke 9:52).

(6) Mouth (Rev. 1:16) - out of his mouth went a two edged sword – represents the Word of God (See: Heb. 4:12, Rev. 19:13-15).

(7) Countenance (Rev. 1:16) - as the sun - very bright; reflects his glory - it over- whelmed John. For comparison see: Matt.17:2; John 9:29; 2 Pet. 1:16-18;

(The account of the transfiguration.)

C. CONSEQUENCES OF THE VISION (REV. 1:17-20)

1. A WORD OF COMFORT (REV. 1:17-18) -

a. Vision of Christ - so awesome John fell prostrate before the glorified Lord.

b. Jesus - comforted John - presented himself as:

(1) First and Last (Alpha & Omega) - the self-existent, eternal One, I AM. (See: Exodus 3:6, 14, 6:3, 7, 8, 33:19; Isa. 41:4, 44:6 and 48:12).

(2) I am he that lives, was dead, and behold I am alive forever - Christ conquered death.

(3) Jesus has the keys of hell (hades) and death - He controls hades and death itself.

NOTE: See Enclosure 1 & 2 - Definitions of terms: Heaven, Paradise, Sheol, Hades, Hell, Gehenna, Tartarus, Abyss, and Lake of Fire and Purgatory.

A WORD OF COMMAND (REV. 1:19-20) -

a. John – was commanded by Jesus to write:

(1) Things you have seen (Past).

(2) Things that are (Present).

(3) Things that shall be hereafter (Future).

b. This constitutes the outline - the key to the whole Book of Revelation.

(See Enclosure 1, Definition of Terms)

HEAVEN: The eternal dwelling place of God (See: Matt.5:16, 12:50; Rev. 3:12, 11:13, 16:11, 20:9). It is the abode of the angels (See: Matt. 18:10, 22:30; Rev. 3:5). It is the eternal dwelling place of the Saints in resurrection glory (See: 2 Cor. 5:1). In the present life, heaven is the region of the spiritual citizenship of believers (See: Phil. 3:20). A place of great beauty and pleasure; a state of great happiness.

PARADISE: (Greek: Paradeisos; Hebrew: Pardes) - The word is of Persian origin, first used for denoting parks, orchards, and gardens of Persian kings and nobles (See: Eccl. 2:5; Song of Sol. 4:13; Neh. 2:8). In the O.T. it is referred to as the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:8). In the N.T. it means heaven (See: Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7). It was a region of bliss which man had lost. It came to be a designation for the region of the righteous dead. HADES: The realm of departed spirits of the unsaved or lost, but it is not the permanent region of the unsaved. It is an “intermediate state” or “realm” between death and the final judgment and doom in the Lake of Fire (See Luke 16:23-31). (Not purgatory). Jesus used the term “Hades” 4 times in the gospels (See: Matt. 11:23, 16:18; Luke 10:15, 16:23). Jesus declared that he has the keys to hades and death (Rev. 1:18). It is the “temporary destiny” of the doomed