Unveiling Jesus: A First Look at Revelation Chapter 1
An excerpt from our weekly bible discussion on the book of Revelation
The word "apocalypse" might sound scary, but it actually means "an unveiling."
I like to think of it like walking into a theater just before a show. The big curtains are closed in front of the stage, and then they pull them back to reveal what you hadn't seen before. That's what the book of Revelation is—an unveiling. God is pulling back the curtain to give us a glimpse of heaven. It's supernatural. It's spectacular. And as always, it's about the Lord God Almighty.
Let's be clear from the start: Jesus is fully God and fully man. He's as much God as the Father and the Holy Spirit. This book is unveiling Him because He's going to come back. He's going to judge His enemies, destroy them, and then set up His kingdom—and we're going to be part of it.
But here's the thing: in the meantime, He's telling us we're going to have to endure. That's the other big part of this book. It's not escapism. It's endurance.
"Must Soon Take Place"—Really?
The text says these things must soon take place. It was written around 90 AD, and here we are, 2,000 years later. How do we wrap our heads around that?
Simple. We have to be ready for the return of Christ, and yet we still carry on with daily life. We still go to work—just like the Thessalonians. We're not supposed to stop working because Jesus is coming back. You still go to work. You still do what you have to do every day: feed your kids, take them to school, clean your house. But in our hearts and minds, we're ready.
A Promise You Won't Find Anywhere Else
Look at verse three. It says:
"Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
There's a blessing in reading this book that isn't promised anywhere else in the Bible. That excites me. I know that because it's apocalyptic literature, people are a bit afraid of it. But don't be afraid. Read it. Read it through again and again. Take notes. And I guarantee you, it will become clearer and clearer as you go.
The word "blessed" could also mean happy, fortunate, or to be envied. And here's something to watch for: there are seven blessings in this book. Actually, as you go through Revelation, you'll see the number seven come up a lot. The seven churches, the seven spirits, seven trumpets, seven seals. Seven means completeness. So there's a lot of numerology and symbolism—but don't let that intimidate you.
Who Is This Book Really About?
Whether it's a New York Times bestseller about the mark of the beast, a Hollywood movie, or even Christian literature focusing on the Antichrist—the focus of this book is Jesus. Not the Antichrist.
The focus is for us to know what's going to happen in the future, to be ready, and when persecution does come, that we won't fall away. There's a lot of warning in these pages, but it all points back to Him.
Notice how it begins: "The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him." God the Father gave it to Jesus to show His servants what must soon take place. It wasn't given to Daniel or someone else—it was given directly to Jesus. That's what makes it so significant.
The Man Who Saw It All
Remember who wrote this. John was a very old man at this point, probably in his 90s. He was on the island of Patmos, which was a prison island. You think after serving God for so long, why endure more suffering? But ultimately, it was for the glory of God and for his reward. History tells us he led many people to Christ on that rocky, barren island.
John also wrote the Gospel of John, 1, 2, and 3 John. God specifically chose him. He's the only gospel writer who continuously emphasizes the divinity of Jesus. The other Gospels focus more on teaching and how to follow Christ. John's purpose was to show Jesus as God.
By this time, all the other disciples had been martyred. John was the only one left alive. And he didn't just have a dream—he had a vision. At one point, Jesus actually touched him. He was transported into heaven. We can't fully comprehend that, but that's what an unveiling means.
A Message for Seven Churches—And for Us
John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
This is a real, historical document written to seven actual churches in the province of Asia—modern-day Turkey. These weren't denominations. They were seven individual churches. Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
Here's something worth pondering: these churches were in one province. They weren't far from each other. They could have said, "Let's unite together—we'll be stronger. We'll have one head over us." Our human tendency is to want one person to dominate over us. But that's actually the Antichrist's role. That's how he'll present himself: "I'll look after you physically, emotionally, spiritually, economically. You just have to worship me."
Jesus has churches all over the world. He doesn't have one church that dominates all the others. Each church is individual. Each church is autonomous. Every church is under Christ, and the Bible is our template—for how we do church and how we organize.
And because seven means completeness, this message isn't just for them. It's for us in 2025. As we look at the seven churches, we see ourselves. Jesus addresses each church, pointing out the good and the bad. It's quite convicting to read.
Take Ephesus, for example. They had lost their first love. You can go to church, read your Bible, preach, and do all sorts of things—but if you lose your love for Jesus, how good is that? I don't want that. But it can happen so easily.
Grace and Peace—From the Eternal One
Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come.
Our minds can't fully comprehend that, but we know there is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Then it mentions "the seven spirits before His throne." This could be a symbolic way of describing the complete Holy Spirit—seven representing completeness. Or it could refer to seven actual spirits before the throne of God. There are some things in Revelation where I can't be dogmatic, because it is a challenging book to understand in every detail. But the big picture is what matters most. If you don't get bogged down in the smaller details, you'll be fine. If you do, you'll end up going down a rabbit hole.
The Faithful Witness
Jesus is called "the faithful witness." We are called to be witnesses too. The word martyr comes from the word witness. As we speak, there are many around the world being killed for Jesus. For such a time as this, God has placed us here. We want to be faithful witnesses.
And who are we witnesses of? It's Jesus. Not the Republican party. Not nationalism. Not a denomination. Not Calvinism. Not Pentecostalism. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, it will go a long way. I'm a witness to Jesus. He's the one who saved me.
We're to love God's people. Love the church. But we are witnesses with the Lord Jesus Christ, not witnesses for the church. Witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Firstborn from the Dead
He is "the firstborn from the dead," which means He is the first. Every one of us will die, but He will never die again. He already died. When we are raised, we will be like Him. He had a real physical body—He said, "Touch me." He spoke with them, and He could disappear. When He went back to heaven, it wasn't at the edge of the universe.
That expression, "firstborn from the dead," doesn't mean He was the first created. It means He is the second Adam, the new head of humanity.
The Ruler of the Kings of the Earth
I love this part. It says to me that I don't have to be afraid of the ruler of any country or any nation, because Jesus is the ultimate ruler. If I am allowed to go through suffering or die for Jesus, it's because God has allowed it. And if He doesn't save me from it, He will still save me. Like Daniel's three friends said: "If our God saves us, He will. But even if He doesn't, we will not worship the false god."
Freed from Our Sins
To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
That's a lovely way of putting the gospel: freed us. We've been set free. And it says, "To Him who loves us." It's good to hear that. Jesus loves us. He likes us.
Sometimes I don't feel it, but I do believe it. Maybe a lot of the time I don't feel it emotionally. But He actually does love us. He knows each of us by name. He knows everything about us. If you had that revelation settled in your soul, you really wouldn't have anything to worry about for the rest of your life.
He Is Coming with the Clouds
"Look, He is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him"; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
This references two Old Testament passages. One is Daniel 7:13. The person described as the Messiah in Daniel is the same person described here. The second part comes from Zechariah 12:10.
The peoples on earth will mourn, but not because they're sorry. They'll mourn because they know the game is up. He is coming back. You hear it every day—people cursing His name. I can never get over that. Of all the names in the world, He's the one they always curse, whether they're from China, Ireland, Jamaica, or anywhere else.
Just as powerful as the love of God is, the wrath of God is equally powerful.
The Alpha and the Omega
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
Alpha and Omega—the beginning and the end. He is everything. All things were made through Him. Nothing was made that has been made without Him. Nothing can get past Him. Nothing can happen except that He knows it. May that comfort us and strengthen us, whatever we're going through today.
John on Patmos
I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
He was exiled to Patmos, a colony for political prisoners of the Roman Empire. And look at the reason: because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
There's nothing under the sun you can talk about as a Christian that will get you in trouble—just don't mention the Bible. Don't mention Jesus. You can give someone seven principles for living a good life, and they'll say, "Oh, that's lovely." You can share Proverbs with them. But the moment you hold up the Bible as the authoritative word of God, you get persecuted—often by so-called Christians. And the moment you lift up Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the only one who can save you from your sins, people push back.
Nothing has changed in 2,000 years. The reason John was put on Patmos was because the Roman emperor demanded to be worshipped as a god, and John said no.
Nowadays, people want to be their own god. "No one tells me what to do." It's really true.
The Vision of the Son of Man
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
When John saw Him, he fell at His feet as though dead. But Jesus placed His right hand on him and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
What It All Means
The seven lampstands? They're the seven churches. The seven stars? They're the angels—or messengers—of the churches.
A lampstand, like the menorah in the temple, brought light. And the churches are the same: we too are called to be light to the world. Jesus said, "You are the light of the world." What brings light is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. That's the church's number one way of bringing light into this world.
And notice where Jesus is standing: among the lampstands. He is among His churches. We believe by faith that our church is one of the churches that belongs to Jesus, so He is among us too. The important thing for us to take from this is that we keep our fire burning for Him. We love Him. We are responsive to Him.
A Few Final Thoughts
The description of Jesus is powerful: His hair white like wool—not blonde hair and blue eyes. His eyes like blazing fire. His feet like bronze glowing in a furnace. His voice like rushing waters. Out of His mouth a sharp double-edged sword.
He is the Word of God. When He comes back in chapter 19, He simply speaks, and His enemies are destroyed.
And He holds the keys of death and Hades. The devil does not hold those keys—Jesus does. He's the one who judges where people will go.
Then He tells John: "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later." Chapter one covers what he has seen. Chapters two and three cover what is now—the messages to the churches. And from chapter four onward, we read what will take place in the future.
One Last Thing
About those seven stars—the angels of the churches. The word "angel" means "messenger." It could mean a heavenly being assigned to each church, or it could mean a human messenger, perhaps one of the elders. I actually don't know which it is. And you know what? That's okay.
As you go through your Christian life, there will be some things you just have to say, "I don't know." The important thing is to pray about it and ask God to show you. He doesn't want us to live in uncertainty, but it's also okay not to have all the answers. These little difficulties never make a difference to the essentials of your faith. Usually, the significant things are clear.
And the most significant thing of all? Jesus is standing among His churches. He loves us. He freed us from our sins. And He's coming back.
Now that's worth reading, hearing, and keeping.