Scripture On Scripture: The Book of Revelation

By Jonathan Witt

"Scripture On Scripture: The Book of Revelation" is a Bible commentary written to explain this book of the Bible verse-by-verse, while also demonstrating how this book fits with the rest of Scripture.

The Book of Revelation is one of the most unique and interesting books in all of the Bible. There is much debate between Christians about whose interpretation of Revelation is correct. This commentary is written from the perspective that the book of Revelation describes those things that are yet to come in the future, and most likely the near future.

This commentary is written with several key beliefs in mind, namely, that Jesus Christ promised to literally return to rule over the Earth, that His return will be preceded by a seven year Tribulation Period of judgment from God upon the Earth, and that this Tribulation Period will be initiated by a supernatural Rapture of His Church from the Earth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781329947047

Jonathan Witt

Jonathan Witt (Ph.D., University of Kansas) is research fellow at the Acton Institute in Grand Rapids, MI and senior fellow with Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture in Seattle, Washington. He was formerly an associate professor at Lubbock Christian University. He has published articles in Philosophia Christi, Touchstone, Literature Theology, Windover and Princeton Theological Review and Philosophia Christi.

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Scripture On Scripture: The Book of Revelation

Scripture On Scripture:

The Book of Revelation

Jonathan Witt

Copyright © 2016 Jonathan Witt.  All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."

ISBN 978-1-329-94704-7

This book is dedicated…

…to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Without You, I would not have anyone else to dedicate this to.

I am forever grateful for Your love and sacrifice for me.

I will spend the rest of my days in Your service.

…to my wife, Beth, who has served the Lord beside me.

You will always have my love and gratitude.  Though you once said that you would never marry a preacher, no preacher has had a better wife.

…to my children, Caitlin, Kristen, and Sarah.

I am so proud of the Christian ladies that you have become.

Your faithfulness to our Lord gives me hope for the future.

…to my parents and all of my extended family.

Thank-you for the Christian example that you have demonstrated and the upbringing that you gave me.  I may have gone astray for a time, but I have returned to the faith of my fathers.

…to the Churches that I have had the pleasure of serving as pastor,

Sladesville Missionary Baptist in North Carolina,

First Baptist McEwen in Tennessee,

and First Baptist Louisville in Georgia.

I am thankful to have studied the Scriptures together with you and to have the opportunity to present this work to you.

Preface

The Book of Revelation is one of the most unique and interesting books in all of the Bible.  It is studied and debated over by both Christians and skeptics, by those who believe it as the truth of God and those who ridicule it as a work of ancient imagination.  It has been the subject of countless books, television documentaries, as well as fictional dramatizations.  Regardless of what one believes about the book of Revelation, it has not been ignored and it has had an impact on millions of people down through the centuries.

One of the keys to understanding this book and the controversy that surrounds it is given in the first five words.  The book of Revelation begins with an identification of itself, saying that it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.  From the moment that the name Jesus Christ became famous until now, controversy has surrounded anything related to Him.  It is no wonder then that controversy would also surround a book that claims to record something that Jesus Christ personally revealed.

This book is not written from the standpoint of someone who doubts that the book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, but rather from the standpoint of someone who has become absolutely convinced that what has been written is nothing less than the revealed truth of things to come from the One who died on the cross, who rose again from the dead, who ascended to Heaven, and who is now preparing to return to Earth.

This book is also written from a particular theological point of view that not every Christian shares.  In fact, it is okay for Christians to disagree about the interpretation of Revelation, as long as we do so without acting un-Christian toward one another.  It is not true, however, that every Christian’s interpretation of Revelation is equally valid or correct.  Simply put, we cannot all be right.

Picture a typical American home.  Each individual member of the family is doing his or her own thing.  One child is watching television, while the other is on the internet.  The mother is catching up on laundry, while the father is working on his to-do list.  Suddenly, the father realizes that he needs to go to the store.  He tells his wife and children that he has to go, but that he will be back when his errand is complete.  Now suppose that while he is gone a debate begins between the two children and their mother about what he said.  The mother says that he will get back after picking up some things at the store.  One of the children disagrees, saying that he will not be coming back at all, while the other child claims that he already came back and that he is in the house somewhere.  All three honestly believe what they are saying, but only one is correct.  In fact, the mother is proven to be correct and the children wrong when the father shortly returns just as he said he would.

There is much debate between Christians about whose interpretation of Revelation is correct.  There are those who believe that the things described in Revelation have already happened long ago in the history of the early Church under the rule of the Roman Empire.  There are others who believe that the things described in Revelation are unfolding right now as we speak.  I happen to be among those who believe that the book of Revelation describes those things that are yet to come in our future, and most likely our near future.  So whose interpretation is correct?

The only way that any interpretation of Scripture can be shown to be correct or not is through measuring it against the Bible as a whole.  There are certain questions that we must ask of every interpretation, such as:  Is it entirely based on Scripture or simply speculation on Scripture?  Does it contradict some other passage of Scripture or does it conform to what is said elsewhere in Scripture?  Does it fit with the overall message of Scripture or does it stand alone?  This is the method by which I have attempted to interpret the book of Revelation.

Since I began to study the Bible, I have found that no doctrine in Scripture is built upon one verse or passage, but rather upon many verses and passages that discuss the same subject.  This truly demonstrates the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in that there is a unified message overall despite the various authors that He used to write the Bible over the centuries.  I believe that the best interpretation of any given passage in the Bible is the one that allows Scripture to explain Scripture.  This book is written with the goal of showing how the book of Revelation fits with the overall message of Scripture and how Scripture itself is the key to understanding it.

This book is not meant to be a big-worded tome of higher learning that only an academic could decipher, but rather a down-to-earth commentary that any Christian can benefit from.  This book is also written with several key beliefs in mind, namely, that Jesus Christ promised to literally return to rule over the Earth, that His return will be preceded by a seven year Tribulation Period of judgment from God upon the Earth, and that this Tribulation Period will be initiated by a supernatural Rapture of His Church from the Earth.  One of the goals of this book is to demonstrate why I believe that this is the most Biblical point of view.

Personally, I believe that my interpretation of the book of Revelation passes the test.  You may or may not agree with me, but all I ask is that you give it a fair hearing and study the Bible for yourself.  If you do that, then all of my study and effort will have been worth it, regardless of whether or not you agree with me.  Ultimately, when the things written in the book of Revelation are fulfilled, we will know which interpretation was right and which interpretation was wrong, but the most important thing for us to do now is to study what Jesus revealed to us in this book called Revelation.

Introduction to the Book of Revelation

(Revelation 1:1-8)

The book of Revelation actually provides its own introduction.  In the first eight verses of this book we are given all the facts that we need to begin to dig in and learn from it.  The author of the book of Revelation, the Apostle John, tells us three key facts about the book in this passage:  what it is, who it’s from, and what it’s about.

1. John’s Explanation of Revelation:

We are first given John’s explanation of Revelation.  It is here that John answers the most important questions about Revelation.  He first answers why Revelation was written in the first place.  John explains that this book is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants -- things which must shortly take place (Rev. 1:1a, NKJV).  Many have taken these words to mean that the events of Revelation would happen soon after John wrote them, which was sometime between 54 and 96 A.D., but the Greek word "tachos, that is translated here as shortly, is more literally translated as speedily, quickly, or suddenly.  Rather than being a warning about that which would happen soon, Revelation is a warning about that which will happen suddenly."  This fits with one of the key elements of God’s promised judgment on the world.  No matter how much we try to figure out when it will be, it will happen very quickly and unexpectedly.  To warn us of something that will happen all of a sudden, is to warn us to always be prepared.  That’s part of Revelation’s overall purpose.

John next explains how Revelation came to be written.  He explains that God "…sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw" (Rev. 1:1b-2, NKJV).  The Greek word "semaino, that is translated here as signified, literally means to give a sign, or to make known.  In other words, God sent the message and gave a miraculous sign about the message through His angel to make it known" and to show its authenticity.  John then did his part to write the message down.

This was not John’s first time recording a message from God.  He wrote one of the Gospel accounts and three letters to the Church in the New Testament.  He had personally walked with Jesus Christ, witnessed His death and His resurrection, and served His Church for many years.  But at this point in his life, John was an old man and a convicted criminal in the eyes of the Roman Empire.  He had been exiled to the isle of Patmos because of his faithfulness to be a witness …for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:9b, NKJV).  God knew that He could count on John to continue being a witness for Him, regardless of the consequences.  So the writing of Revelation fell to the Apostle John and he faithfully did his duty.

John also explains why we should read Revelation.  He promises, 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 (Rev. 1:3, NKJV).  John uses the Greek word "akouo, telling us to hear, or more literally give heed to, what this book has to say.  That means more than simply hearing the message of Revelation, but rather hearing and acting upon it.  John also uses the Greek word tereo, telling us to keep, or more literally keep watch over, or guard with observation, what this book has to say.  That means treating the message of Revelation as valuable and worthy of keeping a close eye on.  If we do those two things with the message of Revelation, John promises with the authority of God’s Word that we will be blessed.  Revelation is written to be a blessing to those who read it, but urgency is again impressed upon the reader because the calamitous events of the book of Revelation could be unexpectedly near" for any of us.

John’s explanation of Revelation is like the very best prayers given over meals.  It was short, sweet, and to the point.  It answers the preliminary questions that we need answered to begin studying the message of Revelation from the right perspective.  But John’s introduction did not end with an explanation of Revelation.

2.  John’s Salutation of Revelation:

In the next verses, we are given John’s salutation of Revelation.  Though Revelation is a work of apocalyptic prophecy, it is also a letter that is addressed to someone.  John gives Revelation a letter’s salutation saying, John, to the seven churches which are in Asia… (Rev. 1:4a, NKJV).  If viewed separately from the rest of Revelation, this would limit the source and the audience of Revelation to being simply a message from John to seven specific Churches.

Some interpreters have claimed that Revelation is only a work of John’s imagination and others have said that Revelation is only intended for John’s immediate audience in his own time.  But Revelation is much more than a message from one man, to one audience, in one time period, as the rest of John’s salutation emphasizes.  John went on to write, 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, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:4b-5a).  In other words, Revelation is a timeless message from a timeless source.

Yes, John wrote Revelation, but what he wrote is a message dictated from God.  More specifically, Revelation is a message from the Trinity, whom Scripture has revealed to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are separate and yet combined in one person.  This concept is difficult, if not impossible, to fully grasp, but the Trinity is the Bible’s unique definition of divinity.  Each member of the Godhead is represented in John’s salutation to emphasize the fact that Revelation is not simply a message from him, but from the One True God of the Bible.

Revelation is a message from God the Father, whom John refers to as Him who is and who was and who is to come.  When Moses encountered God in the burning bush, he asked Him what His name was and God simply answered, saying, I AM WHO I AM (see Exodus 3:13-15).  In Hebrew this phrase was combined into one word, "Yahweh (a.k.a. Jehovah), which is considered so holy that the Hebrew people have traditionally not spoken it audibly, instead saying adonai (LORD") in its place.

In Revelation, John is emphasizing that this message is from the same Yahweh of the Old Testament, the One who is, who always has been, and who always will be in existence.  Though this is not specifically limited to God the Father, He is the first to come to mind in such a description, because He is the head of the Trinity with the Holy Spirit and the Son being in complete submission to Him.  That Revelation is a message from Yahweh Himself should be a comfort to all those who long for deliverance from the oppression of this world.

Revelation is also a message from God the Holy Spirit, whom John describes as the seven Spirits who are before His throne.  This phrase combined with a similar description by John in Revelation 4:5, has led some interpreters to say that there is more than one Holy Spirit, but the rest of the Bible clearly explains that there is only one Holy Spirit of God.  This has given skeptics an excuse for declaring this a contradiction in Scripture, but regardless of the confusion, there is a logical explanation.  Seven is the divine number of completion in Scripture (i.e. God’s creation of the Heavens and the Earth in seven days) and when used with the Holy Spirit, it emphasizes His complete divinity, as well as His complete omnipresence.  That Revelation is a message from the one and only Holy Spirit of God should be a source of assurance for all those who have received God’s gift of the Holy Spirit through faith.

John also emphasizes that Revelation is a message from God the Son, who is Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.  John summarized the entire Bible in that brief statement about Jesus.  This Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of Old Testament prophecy.  As the Messiah, Jesus was a faithful witness of all that His Father had spoken.  As the Messiah, Jesus suffered, died, and rose as the firstborn from the dead.  As the Messiah, Jesus will be ruler over the kings of the earth.  Jesus is the main character of Scripture, the One who was promised and looked for in the Old Testament, the One who is introduced to us in the New Testament, and the One whose return is proclaimed in the Book of Revelation.  That Revelation is a message from God the Son should be something to excite all those who believe that Jesus really is the Messiah, the Son of God.

John’s salutation of Revelation is more like the brief message that one might add onto an email that is being forwarded to someone else.  John received the message from someone who intended that message to be passed on.  In this case, we received the message from the One True God through His faithful servant John, but John’s introduction to Revelation does not end with this salutation.

3.  John’s Dedication of Revelation:

In the next verses, we are given John’s dedication of Revelation, which ends his introduction in the most fitting way.  John simply dedicated Revelation to Jesus, but he didn’t do it without explaining the reasons why.  John first dedicates Revelation to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen (Rev. 1:5b-6, NKJV).  John emphasized what Christ did for us, specifically pointing out His love for us, the shedding of His blood for us, and the new purpose He has for us.  The Bible speaks to all who believe in Christ, saying, …you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10, NKJV).  Revelation is dedicated to the only One who could make such a change in sinners like you and me.

John also dedicated Revelation to the One who is returning in conquest and judgment.  He wrote of this, saying, 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 (Rev. 1:7, NKJV).  With this one verse, John focuses our attention on the most important event that he will write about in the whole book, which is the return of the Messiah to rule and reign over all of the Earth.

This promise was first uttered hundreds of years before John by the prophet Daniel, who said, I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!  He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.  Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14, NKJV).

Centuries later, when Jesus (who most often referred to Himself as the Son of Man) stood on trial before the Sanhedrin, the high priest asked Him point blank: Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?  Jesus said, I AM.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:61-62, NKJV).  Jesus was claiming that He would one day fulfill Daniel’s prophecy and the high priest knew it.  Unfortunately, the high priest did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah and subsequently declared Him worthy of death, charging Jesus with blasphemy for claiming such a thing.

In Revelation, John reaffirms the promise that Jesus will return to claim dominion over all of the nations of the Earth, saying that everyone will see it come to pass, including those guilty of piercing their Messiah.  Revelation is dedicated to the One who will one day be acknowledged by all as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (see Revelation 19:16).

John’s dedication of Revelation emphasizes the focus of all of God’s revelation to mankind.  One of the main purposes of Scripture as a whole is to point us to Christ, our Savior and our Lord.  In fact, you could say that the entire Bible is dedicated to Jesus Christ, but nowhere is that more clear than in the Book of Revelation.

John started the book of Revelation with the essentials for understanding the rest.  But after John’s explanation, salutation, and dedication of Revelation, God speaks directly for Himself, saying, ‘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’ (Rev. 1:8, NKJV).  Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter.  Just like God sums up all of time from beginning to end, He sums up all you need to know, and He wants you to know what the Book of Revelation has to say.  There could be no better endorsement for studying this book than that.

Before we proceed further into the Book of Revelation, there is a major issue that needs to be addressed, which is the construction and layout of the book.  The Book of Revelation is divided into six main sections that are organized chronologically: (1) the letters to the seven Churches, (2) the opening of the seven seals, (3) the sounding of the seven trumpets, (4) the appearing of the seven signs, (5) the pouring of the seven bowls, and (6) the seven final events.  There are also a number of parenthetical sections along the way that give more information or greater detail on an event during one of those main sections, or an event that forms a bookend before or after one of those main sections.

In other words, the main sections of the Book of Revelation describe events that happen in the order that they are given, but there are also a few short sections in between where John pauses to explain or add an important detail.  For example, the opening of the seven seals leads to the sounding of the seven trumpets, which in turn leads to the appearing of the seven signs and the pouring of the seven bowls, which then leads to the seven final events; but there are subjects that come up in between, such as John’s visions of Heaven and the sealing of the servants of God.  This pattern is seen throughout the book of Revelation until we reach its conclusion.  We will talk more on this as we proceed through the book.

Section 1 – The Seven Churches

(Revelation 1:9-3:22)

The first main section of the Book of Revelation concerns the letters to the seven Churches, which John dutifully gives an introduction to in Revelation 1:9-20.  John explains why and how he came to receive these letters in these verses, before he delves into the individual letters themselves.  It was important for John to emphasize that these were not messages from him alone, but rather from the One who has the highest authority over all Churches, Jesus Christ Himself.

It is also important to note that, although these seven letters from Jesus were addressed to seven specific Churches of that time period, these messages have a timeless relevance and significance to all Christians and Churches who are awaiting the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Earth.  In fact, the letters to the seven Churches serve to bridge the gap between the Lord’s first coming and His second coming in the New Testament; that time period in which we still strive to live for Him in an increasingly wicked world.  The point is that none who read Revelation should skip the letters to the seven Churches, thinking that those messages have nothing to say for today.

Chapter 1-1

Introduction to the Letters to the Seven Churches

(Revelation 1:9-20)

1.  John’s Special Assignment:

John’s overall introduction to these letters begins with his account of how he was given a special assignment by God.  John testifies, saying, 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.  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 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’ (Rev. 1:9-11, NKJV).

Where He Was:

John first told where he was when he received this assignment, saying that he …was on the island that is called Patmos.  This island is a small, rocky bit of land jutting up out of the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey that served as a Roman prison, where the island provided the cell and the ocean provided the bars.  It was a place of exile and seclusion from civilization.  And John was there …for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.  This doesn’t mean that John was there to preach the Word of God or to testify about Jesus Christ, but rather he was there because he was being punished for preaching the Word of God and for testifying about Jesus Christ.  In a time when so many preachers of the Gospel were being martyred, it is a miracle that John was not simply executed.  It could be said that, despite the persecution involved, John’s life was spared in being exiled to Patmos.  He was exactly where he needed to be to receive God’s message of Revelation.

b.       What He Was Doing:

John next explains what he was doing when he received this assignment, saying that he …was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.  The phrase the Lord’s Day carries great significance and would have been immediately recognizable to the early Church.  Since the birth of the Church, believers began to assemble themselves together on Sundays, in order to commemorate and celebrate the Lord’s resurrection that happened on the first day of the week.  That is why the early Church referred to Sunday as the Lord’s Day, because that day had become synonymous with His resurrection victory.  It was not a new Christian Sabbath or a replacement for the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday, but rather an entirely new concept that was born with the Church itself.  Although the early Church did not limit itself to assemble and worship on Sundays only, it was the most significant day to come together as a Church.  And from that time on in Church history, Sunday has become the main day for Christians to come together and worship the Risen Christ each week.

It was on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, when he normally would have been with fellow believers to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, but instead John said that he was in the Spirit.  This was the only way that John could be with his Church on the Lord’s Day.  Though John could not be with the rest of the Church physically, his thoughts and prayers were with them while they were gathered together.  This shows how important being with his brothers and sisters in the Church was to John.

The Apostle Paul expressed the same feelings when he thought of the Colossian Church, saying, For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ (Col. 2:5, NKJV).  The writer of Hebrews emphasizes the importance of believers being gathered together in the Church, saying, And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near (Heb. 10:25, NLT).  John obviously believed the same thing and hated being physically separated from the rest of the Church on such an important day.

c.       Who He Received This Assignment From:

John goes on from explaining where he was and what he was doing, to describing who he received this assignment from, saying, I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last’ (Rev. 1:10, NKJV).  These letters to the seven Churches are from the One who has authority over all of them.  The Lord of all the Church was giving John the authorization to write a message on His behalf to them.  He identified Himself in a way that could leave no doubt of this.

When He said, I am… the First and the Last, He was using words that are linked with time.  Only God has seen the beginning of time and only He could bring about the end of time.  He is the One who lives beyond the bounds of time and yet intervenes within time for those bound by it.  He is the only One who in due time… died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6b, NKJV), and the only One who is a very present help in trouble (Ps. 46:1, NKJV).  He had identified Himself this way in the Old Testament to emphasize that there are none like Him.  The Prophet Isaiah wrote, Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:  ‘I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God’ (Isa. 44:6, NKJV).  Both John and Isaiah heard the unmistakable voice of God.

When He said, I am the Alpha and the Omega, He was using words that are linked with language, specifically the language that His Word was being written in at that time.  God was not exalting the Greek language in using that title, but rather emphasizing His Word using the Greek language.  He is the One who spoke the universe into existence, as well as all of life.  He is the One who chose to reveal Himself to humanity through His own spoken and written Word.  He is the source for all we need to know to live on Earth and for going to Heaven when we die.  Scripture tells us that every word of God is pure (Prov. 30:5a, NKJV), and that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3:16a, NKJV).  He is the ultimate authority on the most important subjects ever spoken of or written down.

It is also important to note how John described the loud voice that he heard, which to him sounded like a trumpet (Rev. 1:10b, NKJV).  The Apostle Paul declared that every Christian would hear that same sound one day during the event that theologians have called the Rapture.  Paul said that …the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God (1 Thess. 4:16, ESV).  To hear a voice like a trumpet is to hear the voice of One who has the authority to interrupt whatever we are doing so that He may be heard.  When John heard that voice, he could do nothing else but listen to his Lord, but God didn’t just tell John what to say, He also showed him what to write about.

d.       Who He Received This Message For:

The Lord told John: What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia… (Rev. 1:11a, NKJV).  This presents us with an interpretive challenge, because even a cursory study of the book of Acts will show that there were more than seven Churches in Asia during that time period.  Rather than being addressed to all the Churches in Asia, this message was only addressed to seven specific Churches in Asia, which are listed as Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

This raises the question of why these seven Churches were singled out.  There are two main theories that attempt to answer this.  The most prominent theory is that these letters provide examples of Churches with seven different situations and seven different conditions of health.  From this point of view, the letters provide positive examples for every Church to emulate, and/or negative examples for every Church to avoid.  With this theory, the focus is on the relevance of each message to all Churches of all time, rather than just those seven Churches in that time period.  Interpreting the letters to the seven Churches in this way involves explaining each Church in its historical context and then explaining the overall relevance of what Jesus said about each Church for Churches today.

The other main theory claims that each of the seven Churches represent a specific time period in Church history, spanning the time period that begins with the birth of the Church and ends with the return of Christ.  According to this theory, the seven Churches are seven ages of Church history listed in chronological order.  Though each Church is an actual, historic Church from John’s time period, each is said to be an overall example of Christianity within seven successive periods of Church history.  The history of Christianity does seem to line up with the examples of these Churches, which lends the theory some credence, but one should not put too much weight on that explanation, because that could take the emphasis off of the more important relevance of each letter for Churches today.