Jesus in His Glory: A Logical View of the Book of Revelation

By Fred Wiesen

The Book of Revelation is totally different from the other 65 books of the Bible. The study of this unusual book is often intimidating for laymen and clergy alike. Because of the use of symbols and metaphors, speculation on the understanding of the meaning of the book's content varies widely. While there is no absolute, sure, 100% commonly agreed upon interpretation of the final words of the Bible, there is much that can be understood and the Lord promises to bless the reader of the book. Fred Wiesen has spent years in the study of the Bible with greatest emphasis on Revelation, having been schooled by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, Greek Bible scholar. This book stays on track, avoiding many sensational pitfalls, false assumptions, and denominational positions. Jesus Christ in the fullness of His glory is the focus of the book and not end time events.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543950311

Book preview

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

The very first verse tells us that this book is The Revelation of Jesus Christ and not The Revelation of the End Times. Look for a full disclosure of who this person, called Jesus Christ, actually is. The first presentation of who Jesus is, began in the Old Testament with prophecies and continued in the four gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.) Jesus came to offer grace and salvation to sinful man by dying in the place of those very sinners. Thus, He could redeem man from Satan’s clutches and restore man’s relationship with God the Father.

To accomplish this, Jesus entered this world through the womb of Mary and became fully Man while remaining fully God, thus becoming the God-Man. He suppressed His glory (John 17:4-5) and the power of His deity (Philippians 2:6-8). Because He came into our world in this manner, many people do not realize that the presentation of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, was not a complete picture of the full nature of the person of Jesus. Thus, the first statement of this book tells us that the purpose of this book is to provide total disclosure so that Jesus can be seen as He is in heaven today, in the fullness of His glory and personhood.

Revelation’s author, the Apostle John, faithfully relates what he is told about this (complete) revelation of the person Jesus Christ, even when the revelation is beyond the understanding of his earthly mind. Jesus intended that the first part of this book be a comfort to His followers by giving them this complete Revelation of Himself before they learned (later in the book) of the horrific events of judgment that their Lord was about to pronounce upon this sinful world.

This is also an unveiling of things that will happen shortly (i.e., suddenly) at some point in our future. The word shortly tells us how these things will happen, not when they will happen.

The Lord pronounces a beatitude here (a blessing upon those meeting a certain condition). This is the first beatitude mentioned since Jesus presented His sermon on the mount recorded in Matthew. The Book of Revelation contains seven beatitudes. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein.

John also states that this message is from the seven spirits which are before His throne. The use of the numeral seven implies completeness or perfection. The message of this book is not only from God the Father about God the Son, but also from God the Holy Spirit, and the book needs no addition nor subtraction.

As we consider these first words that John hears spoken from the lips of his heavenly Lord, let us consider what it teaches us about Jesus. The name ‘I AM" is a present tense verb indicating a continuous action without change, which correlates with the statements that follow:

First, He is timeless: verse 8 of this chapter said, The Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come. The emphasis upon the past, the present and the future activity of Jesus is a matter of great importance, as it said in Hebrew 13:8 Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Jesus is always the same and encompasses all things, from their beginning unto their end. He wants John to write about what He has done in the past, is doing in the present and what He is going to do in the future (1:11, 19).

Second, He is the Almighty. The Almighty comes from two Greek words (panta krater, 3841), which means ruler over all things. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:14-16 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

As you turn these pages, read the words, hear the prophecies, and keep the orders. As it says in verse 2, you will be blessed!

John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne (Rev. 1:4). Being obedient to the charge he has received, John addresses the seven churches of his day emphasizing the eternal nature of his Lord, who is present at that time, was present in the past, and will be present in the future.

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

First, Jesus is the faithful witness: Jesus Christ is the only one who can tell us what God the Father is like. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him (John 1:18). John gives Jesus glory (doxa or dokeo, 1391) to think or to recognize, in this case, recognizing that He is the only One who can tell us the truth about the events that are going to happen in the future on this earth.

Second, Jesus is the first begotten from the dead. First-begotten (prototokos, 4416) means first, preeminent, or first born. Here it refers to the resurrection. In Luke 2:7 the word said, And she (Mary) brought forth her first-born son in reference to Jesus coming into this world in His physical body. Dr. J. Vernon McGee points out in his book Thru the Bible (Volume V) that The tomb was a womb, as far as He was concerned.

Third, Jesus is the prince of the kings of the earth. This speaks of His ultimate position during the Millennial Kingdom. Psalm 2:2-6 tells us that the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion.

During this time on this earth, kings and rulers think that they are powerful and can do what they wish, but there is a new day coming when each one of them shall bow in subjection to the King of kings and Lord of lords. For God, the future is as real and historical as is our past. God sees everything that happens as if it had already taken place. In this context, time is relevant to us, not to God.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

Fourth, Jesus is the One who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. Loved is a present participle (meaning continual action) and should be read the One loving us. This emphasizes not only what He has done for us but also His constant attitude towards us. We usually measure His love by the fact that He died upon the cross on our behalf while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:6-8). He loves us today just as much as He did then – His love never ceases.

The word for washed (lou, 3068) refers to the washing of the complete body. Not by any earthly means, such as water, where our sins would be washed away and separated from us. NO! Those who teach that baptism washes away sins, teach heresy and do the sinner a great disservice, causing him to rely upon something totally inadequate and incapable of washing away his sins. Only something pure and powerful coming directly from heaven can remove our sins from us.

God tells us in 1 Peter 1:18-19 that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.

Early in man’s history, in Genesis 3:21, God showed man what was required to deal with his sin. He rejected man’s efforts to cover his own sin, and instead God Himself provided a sacrificial animal, shedding its innocent blood and using its skin to cover Adam and Eve’s sin.

Then, about 2,500 years later God said that I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11). However, the blood of animals offered in the Old Testament could not cleanse anyone person of his sins – rather, it only covered them in the eyes of God. As the hymn writer said, Nothing but the blood can wash away my sins. Nothing! And Jesus gave His holy, heavenly blood to wash away our sins because nothing else could do it!

Fifth, Jesus hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever (v. 6). In God’s original plan He ruled over His people, the Israelites, through priests. The people rejected God’s plan for Him to rule over them through priests and demanded that God give them a king. All the people and cultures around them had kings, and they wanted one for themselves. Finally, God accommodated them and gave them what they wanted (1 Samuel 8:5-9), but that was never God’s plan, and the people lived to regret their choice.

When God sets up His kingdom, His millennial kingdom, believers will rule with Him (Rev. 20:6; 2 Timothy 2:12) and will be offering up spiritual sacrifices (1 Peter 2:5), because we will be a kingdom of priests serving our God as His servants (Rev. 22:3). Notice that verse 6 reads unto God and His Father. Why? First, The Son is as much God as is the Father. Also, because God the Father is a Father to God the Son in a sense that is different from being our Father. He is our Father because He has adopted us into His family. Our relationship with Him is through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, whereas Jesus’ eternal position in the Godhead has always been as God the Son.

Sixth, Jesus will receive our worship: To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. The word glory is used to express the deserved praise of the holiness of God. The Hebrew word for glory (kabowd, 3519) carries a root idea of heaviness, or weight. Often it refers to the brilliance of the expressions of God’s holy presence. The use of glory in the Old Testament indicates that the sinfulness of man could cause God to withdraw the manifestation of His glory (1 Samuel 4:21-22). This word was often associated with the Tabernacle and later with the Temple (1 Kings 8:11).

Therefore, when we read John’s testimony about Jesus in John 1:14, we can see where Jesus came and corrected man’s wrong impressions about God. He explained who God the Father is and what He is truly like. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Understanding this about the glory of God, we might read this statement as telling us that Jesus displayed the full and truthful nature of God the Father, i.e., He explained God the Father in a complete and truthful disclosure.

Dominion refers to His rule over all things, both those in this world and the next. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36). When Jesus returns He will assert His dominion over all things: The appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:14-16).

Seventh, He tells us what He is going to do. He is going to come in the clouds (descend visibly out of the sky) and every eye will see Him and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. This coming will not be what is called the rapture (which is only an appearing) but rather His victorious return to this earth so He can judge those who have rejected Him and made war against Him. They will surely have every reason to wail. See also Zephaniah 1:14-18; Zechariah 14:1-4; .Matthew 24:30; Revelation 19:11-16.

Eighth, He is everything! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty (v. 8). Here for the first time John actually hears the voice of his LORD speaking. Three times in this passage John makes a point of writing that he was hearing the very voice of the Lord, i.e., saith the Lord.

Significantly the first words John heard Jesus speak in this vision were the words I AM. Remember back in Exodus 3:14 when Moses asked God, What shall I tell them is your name? God’s answer was, Tell them that I AM that I AM. In Hebrew, this is spelled YHWH and is considered so holy a name by serious Jews that they will not speak it. Most people pronounce it Yahweh, from which we have our English word, Jehovah. The Bible has many compound names for God using YHWH, such as Jehovah Jireh (I am God your provider) and Jehovah Ro’he (I am God your shepherd). These are sometimes called the covenant names of God."

The symbolism here is not lost on John – No, seven times in the gospel that John wrote, he records the I AM statements of Jesus, fully aware that Jesus is identifying Himself to the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. Essentially, God is saying, Whatever you need… I AM. The gospel of John gives us seven distinct I AM statements.

I am the bread of life (6:35).

I am the light of the world (8:12 9:5).

I am the door (10:7).

I am the good shepherd (10:11, 14).

I am the resurrection, and the life (11:25).

I am the way, the truth, and the life (14:6).

I am the true vine (15:1).

Finally, the Amens simply means that He is not only the beginning of everything, but He is also the conclusion of everything, and everything about him says IT IS SO.

Revelation 1:9 said, I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle 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 heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

John wanted his brethren to know how he was doing. He told them that he was sharing in tribulation, persecution and suffering with them, but did not want them worrying about him because he was having the greatest experience of his life. They likely knew that he had been banished to the Isle of Patmos by the Roman emperor Domitian for his teaching of the gospel.

John spent ten years on the volcanic isle of Patmos, from 86 AD to 96 AD. When he used the word tribulation, John was not referring to the Great Tribulation of the end time, but simply to the sufferings of the first century church.

John was under the authority of Jesus and a member of His kingdom. He was totally yielded to His Lord and Savior to control both his life and his circumstances. This is what is meant by the term in patience (hupomone, 5281). Kingdom patience calls for us as believers to be patient, sustaining, persevering – always calm and not frustrated with whatever the Lord choses to allow us to endure.

John’s mind, emotions and actions were communing with His Lord. God’s Holy Spirit controlled the totality of his being. John saw his circumstances through the eyes of his Lord, not from his own perspective. Therefore he was prepared for what happened next – becoming the recipient of the Revelation of Jesus Christ and being entrusted with the responsibility to communicate that Revelation to man!

John heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. John’s experience was both auditory and visual. This is significant – trumpets were blown to get the attention of the people as well as summoning soldiers to war. Here it sounded for both purposes: to get the attention of God’s people and to announce the beginning of a war. And this will be no ordinary war.

11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last. As Jesus uses this phrase, He also interprets it for us: the first and the last. He existed before anything else and will exist when everything else is gone. He also created all things, encompasses all things, and holds all things together (Colossians 1:15-16). Jesus comprises the only alphabet that one can use to reach God.

John could not possibly have been prepared for what he was about to see. No human being had ever seen the sight which he would quickly behold. The most surreal, the most majestic sight that any man had ever seen, this was the glorified Son of God!

The command was clear and direct, and John was quick to obey. In the next two chapters of Revelation we find the message the Lord Jesus wanted John to deliver to these churches of his day. Each of these churches will be addressed specifically with a unique message from the Lord. In an interesting prophetic application, each church’s characteristics will be symbolic of an upcoming historical era that together cover the entire church age to come.

12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And He had in His right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

The voice that John heard was behind him. When he turned, he saw what no other living man had ever seen, the fully glorified God the Son. John had spent three wonderful, exciting years with Jesus, but he had never seen Him like this. He had only seen Jesus in human form. Even after the resurrection, Jesus still appeared in the form of a man. No longer would Jesus be seen as such.

Perhaps, after thinking about what he saw, John recalled what he had written in John 17:4-5, where he wrote of Jesus’ prayer to His Father in haven: I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Then John beheld the full glory of the Son of God, glory that had been left in heaven when Jesus came to the earth in order to die on the cross for man’s sins. In the transfiguration passage (Matthew 17:1-8), three of the disciples saw only a glimpse of this glory, but now John faces the fullness of glory of the Son of God – as it is in heaven now and forever more.

I saw seven golden candlesticks (Rev 1:12). In verse 20 we learn that the seven golden candlesticks are the seven churches that will receive these special letters from the Lord. One like