Lesson 3 – THE PRELUDE TO THE BOOK – Part 2: Revelation 1:1-20

I. THE PENMAN OF THE BOOK – 1:1, 2, 4, 9; 22:8

A. The Revelation from God unto Jesus Christ was signified by Christ’s angel to
John
1. Of the 133 occurrences to “John” in the NT, ninety-two refer to the Baptist, thirty-six to
the Apostle, four to Mark, and one to the one in the high priest’s family (cf. Acts 4:6).
2. According to the book itself three times in the first chapter the author’s is named as
being John (vs. 1, 4, 9) who penned “the Revelation of Jesus Christ.”
3. The author also named himself in 21:2 and who, when he errantly “fell down to worship
before the feet of the angel” (in the last chapter – 22), was addressed as a brother prophet
(vs. 8-9) by the same angel.
B. There is no question that the John mentioned in the Revelation is the son of
Zebedee and Salome and the brother of James (Mark 1:19-20; 15:40).
1. His occupation was that of a fisherman (Matthew 4:21).
2. He heard John the Baptist preach and became a follower of Jesus Christ (John 1:35, 40).
3. He was one of the three whom Jesus took with Him on several special occasions
(Matthew 17:1; 26:37; Mark 5:37).
4. John also was one of the two sent by Christ to prepare the Passover (Luke 22:8).
5. He is referred to as “that disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7, 20), and is
mentioned three times in the Acts (Acts 3:1; 4:13; 8:14).
6. He wrote five books of the New Testament, and only he uses Christ’s title of “the Word”
(Logos). (See John 1:1, 14; 1 John 1:1; 5:7; Revelation 19:13).
C. “John: Who bear record” – vs. 2
1. Punning on “the testimony of Jesus Christ,” John “bare record” or testified about “the word of
God.”
a. The Greek noun for “testimony” occurs 8 other times in Revelation
b. The expression “the testimony of Jesus Christ” occurs 6 times in Revelation (1:2, 9;
12:17; 19:10[2x]; and 20:4 [witness]).
2. The root of “bear record” (i.e. to testify) is marture÷w – martureo, which appears 79x in the
NT, 3 times occurring in Revelation (Rev. 1:2; 22:16, 20).
a. A related word martus for “witness[es]” (29x) or “martyr[s]” (3x), shows the ultimate
cost to witness for Christ in Rev. 20:4: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the
witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither
his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they
lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
b. Stephen and Antipas received the divinely-given title of “martyr” in the NT (Acts
22:20 and Rev. 2:13, respectively).
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Lesson 2 – THE PRELUDE TO THE BOOK – Part 2: Revelation 1:1-20

3. The Greek expression “the word of God” occurs 21x in the NT, 5 of which are in
Revelation (1:2, 9; 6:9; 19:13; 20:4). Certainly, John’s focus was upon the logos, word of
God, taking his readers from the classic Jn. 1:1 to the majestic expression culminating in
the Second Coming of the “The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13).
4. John saw things giving an eyewitness record of real events and real people by the one
who was there – John 19:35; 21:24; I John 1:3. To us Revelation is prophecy, to John it
was actual history
a. Since John used the past tense in vs. 2 may he maybe referring to his Gospel of John,
in which he developed the truth that the lo,goj (= God) was the only begotten, Who
in turn was the Son (Jn. 1:1, 14, 18).
b. Did not John assert earlier that he was a faithful witness, saying, “This is the disciple
which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is
true” (Jn. 21:24)? As the Apostle had done before, he asserted his practice of
witnessing about Christ and all things that “he saw” (ei=de – eido)
1) This verb becomes predominate in the Revelation, occurring 70 times, often in
connection with the Apostle’s various visions.
2) In fact, the author stated, “I saw” 38 times, ranging from “I saw seven golden
candlesticks” (Rev. 1:12) to “I John saw these things” (Rev. 22:8).
3) “I saw, looked, or beheld” is used 77 times in Revelation
D. Perhaps no violence would be done this book, or any other book in the Bible, if
we did not know definitely the identity of the penmen.
1. But we do know from John’s own witness that he saw and heard the things, which he
wrote (Revelation 22:8).
2. He lived during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (full name Titus Flavius
Domitianus: 81–96AD), under whose firm rule the Christians were severely persecuted.
3. He identifies himself with others of the suffering saints as their “brother, and companion in
tribulation” (Revelation 1:9).
4. He himself was sent in chains as a prisoner to the small and dreary island called Patmos,
about 25 mi. off the coast of Asia Minor, in the Aegean Sea.
a. It was while he was there that God turned his bondage into a blessing. The Patmos
of persecution became to John the open door for service.
b. The chains of pagan Rome bound his body but they could not bind his soul. Shut off
from the rest of the world, he entered into a communion with his Lord he had never
known before.

II. The Promise In The Book – Vs. 3

No book in the Bible has an introduction and a conclusion quite like this one. It commences with a
promised blessing (1:3) and closes with a promised blessing (22:7). Altogether there are seven
beatitudes – the word “blessed” appearing seven times. It is the same word used by our Lord in the
Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-11).
A. The beatitudes of the Revelation provide seven texts for an interesting study:
1. The Blessed Challenge (1:3)
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Lesson 2 – THE PRELUDE TO THE BOOK – Part 2: Revelation 1:1-20

2. The Blessed Comfort (14:13)

3. The Blessed Cautiousness (16:15)
4. The Blessed Calling (19:9)
5. The Blessed Conquest (20:6)
6. The Blessed Cherishing (22:7)
7. The Blessed Conformity (22:14)
B. John records the first of seven beatitudes (from Latin beatus for “blessed”)
permeating the Revelation
1. These beatitudes seem to appear at significant intervals within the book to encourage the
audience to read on, through the predictions of terrible judgments on earth and toward
mankind, to the blessed finale of the Lord’s ultimate victory (e.g., Rev. 14:13; 16:15; 19:9;
20:6; 22:7; and 22:14).
2. Almost in staccato like form, John imparted the beatitude upon “he that readeth”1, “hear”2,
and “keep”3 the written truths.
a. John is reading the very Words – literal words. One cannot “read,” “hear” or “keep”
what one does not possess nor could he be blessed by it.
b. “Keep” is the same word as “to observe” in the great commission of Matt. 28:20 where
disciples are to guard with care, practicing what they have been taught. We are to
guard the words and practices of Scripture thereby preserving our Bible’s accuracy.
This is to be done by the church (1Tim. 3:15) not solely left to so-called scholars.
c. “Time is at hand” (repeated 22:10). If it was urgent for Christians in John’s time to
study this book how much more urgent is it for us over 2,000 years later?
C. The first “blessed” (maka,rioj)4 sets the parameters for the seven churches with
three participles.
All three participles are present active, suggesting the required habitual practice, and the first
participle is masculine singular, whereas the second and third are masculine plural.
1. First, “Blessed is he that readeth.”
a. Obviously a man (singular), presumably the pastor, would read the Revelation in
the public service of each respective church, and the congregation (plural), led by
men, had the responsibility to hear and keep the truth.
b. Paul gave instructions for the content of NT church services, saying, “till I come, give
attendance to reading, to exhortation to doctrine” (I Tim. 4:13).5

1
In Acts 8:30, the verb indicates audible reading. Acts 8:30 – “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the
prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?”
2
The root verb ajkou/w akouo (“hear”) occurs 46x in Revelation.
3
The thre,w tereo verb (“keep”) receives the KJV rendering “preserve” twice (cf. Lk. 17:33 and II Tim. 4:18).
4
Maka,rioj is translated “blessed” 44x in the KJV, “happy” 5x, and “happier” once. Cf. “If ye are reproached for the
name of Christ, happy are ye…” (I Pet. 4:14).
5
Paul also encouraged the Colossian assembly to read his Epistle to them and to distribute to others, saying,
“And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise
read the epistle from Laodicea” (Col. 4:16).
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Lesson 2 – THE PRELUDE TO THE BOOK – Part 2: Revelation 1:1-20

1) No doubt, the seven churches employed this instruction with regard to the Book
of Revelation.
2) The strength of the participle “keep” (thre,w = guard, preserve, protect, etc.)
receives the parameters of not adding to or taking away from the words of the
prophecy of the Book of Revelation. Rev. 22:18-19 – “For I testify unto every man
that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any
man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away
his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are
written in this book.”
3) The Lord’s churches have the responsibility of preserving the Scriptures so that
they and future generations may obey divinely-inscripturated truth. There is no
doubt that the promised blessing is to all who take up this book and read it with
regularity and reverence.
2. Secondly, the blessing is promised to those that “hear the words of this prophecy”6 and
“those things which are written therein.”
a. The Lord had given words, not just concepts,7 of “prophecy” (see Rev. 11:6; 19:10;
22:7, 10, 18, and 19), that the assembly members were to employ in their collective
sanctification (cf. Jn. 17:17).
b. These words were inscripturated in the Revelation, as John received visions and
wrote them down on parchment, producing the inspired Book of Revelation.
c. The perfect passive participle “are written” (gra,fw – grapho – denotes several
bibliological truths.
1) The passive voice declares that John was “moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet. 1:21).
2) The perfect tense indicates that the action of writing would have lasting results
into the present.
d. Writing produces words, and these words once written, would be the perpetual
results of the action. In other words, the Lord’s use of the perfect tense with regard
to the gra,fw (written) verb teaches, irrefutably, the perfect preservation of the
originally inspired words of God (cf. Mt.4:4; Lk. 4:4).8
3. Thirdly, the blessing is promised to all who “keep those things which are written therein.”
a. This ‘keeping’ is observing God’s Words in such a way that they shall govern our
practical conduct.
b. To keep is to give heed to, as of keeping our Lord’s commandments (John 14:15;
15:10; 17:6; 1 John 2:3-5; 3:22-24; Revelation 2:26; 3:8,10; 12:17; 14:12; 22:7, 9).

6
This Greek expression occurs three other times in Revelation (cf. 22:7, 10, and 18).
7
The Bible repudiates the liberal notion of “conceptual” inspiration, and the neo-evangelical and
fundamentalist notion of “conceptual” preservation. Both of these heresies are reflected in the philosophical and
translational methodology of modern versions, such as the liberal Revised Standard Version (RSV), and the neo-
evangelical English Standard Version (ESV), New American Standard Version (NASV), New International Version
(NIV), New English Translation (NET), and the New King James Version (NKJV).
8
Thomas M. Strouse, The Lord God Hath Spoken: A Guide to Bibliology (Newington, CT: EBP, 2007), pp. 112-120.
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Lesson 2 – THE PRELUDE TO THE BOOK – Part 2: Revelation 1:1-20

D. The apparent purpose of and motivation for heeding to the revelatory

Scripture, is that “for the time is at hand (near)”.
1. The word “time” (Gr. chronos) denotes a space of time, a season. It can be a short time as
in Luke 4:5, or a long time as in Luke 8:27. The statement, “the time is at hand” does not
preclude that all the events in the Revelation were to come to pass within a short space
of time in John’s day. The duration of the “season” is not stated, but we do know from
the teaching in the book that those events are related to the Second Coming of Christ.
2. The NT employs “the time” 86 times (KJV: “time” [64x]; “season” [13x]), and the
Revelation uses it six times (1:3; 11:18; 12:12, 14[2x]; and 22:10), contextually denoting a
fixed and definite unit of time. For instance, the Devil knows he has just a “short time”
(Rev. 12:12), and this period of fixed time during which he will persecute the divinely-
protected Jews is “a time, and times, and half a time” or 3 ½ units (Rev. 12:14). Using the
adverb “at hand” (evggu,j), John furthered (vs. 1) the doctrine of the imminent return
of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Rev. 22:10).