NOTES ON THE BOOK OF REVELATION

Submitted by Phil Edmonds - November 2000

Chapter 1
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The context of a number of quotations in chapter 1 provides an indication of the subject matter of the book of Revelation. This is seen to include:

a)   The overthrow of the Kingdoms of Men and the establishment of the Kingdom of God;
b)   The destruction of the "little horn" that arises out of the fourth of the beasts that Daniel saw;
c)   The establishment of the covenant made with David;
d)   The cleansing of ungodly Israel at the return of Christ;
e)   The supremacy of Christ over the "kings of the earth".

Verses 1/4

The Book is described as "the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him" (v 1).  The reference to "revelation" could be understood in the sense of Galatians 1 v 12, where Paul speaks of receiving the gospel "by the revelation of Jesus Christ", i.e. it is something that Jesus revealed to his followers. However, it could also include the sense of  1 Peter 1 v 7, which speaks of  disciples being "found unto praise and honour and glory at the revelation (AV "appearing") of Jesus Christ". The Book can be understood in both senses, it is a revelation which Jesus gave to his followers and it does deal with his revelation at the end of this age and the establishment of the kingdom.

The revelation was given to Jesus by God and was "sent and signified  by his angel unto his servant John" (1 v 1). The Book of Revelation does contain signs (e.g. Revelation 12 v 1, 3 - "wonder" is the greek semeion, which is related to the greek word translated "to signify" (semaino)), however other uses of the word translated "to signify" indicate that it does not necessarily require the use of signs. For example, when Jesus said "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12 v 32), "he signified the death he should die" (v 33). This signification does not include the use of signs, but is a description of things that are to happen. Other uses of  the word semaino also indicate that it does not necessarily refer to the use of signs (e.g. John 21 v 19, Acts 25 v 27). The process of "signifying" something in the New Testament involves imparting knowledge, and when the angel signified the Revelation to John it was with the purpose of informing him of things that were to come to pass, like Jesus informed his disciples of the sort of death he would suffer. The fact that the Revelation was "signified" does not necessarily mean that it has to contain signs, or that none of its statements can be regarded as literal descriptions of future events.

Verse 1 contains two references to Daniel chapter 2, which describes the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had ("shew unto" - Daniel 2 v 27 ; "which must shortly come to pass" - Daniel 2 v 29). Nebuchadnezzar's dream related to the kingdoms that would rule over the land of Israel and the overthrow of these kingdoms by the kingdom of God. The part of the book which relates to the things that are to shortly come to pass begins in Revelation 4 v 1 (as this verse speaks about describing the things which "must be hereafter").
 
In verses 4, 5 John says "Grace ... and peace from him which is, and which was and which is to come" (i.e. the Father) and ... from Jesus Christ". This is the same sort of pattern as occurs in other places (e.g. Galatians 1 v 3). The expression "which is, and which was, and which is to come" occurs again in verse 8, where it is said by "the Lord", who also says he is "Alpha and Omega" and "the beginning and the ending". These last two statements are used of Jesus Christ elsewhere in the book ("Alpha and Omega" and "Beginning and Ending" in 21 v 6, 22 v 13).
 
This raises the question of who "the Lord" in verse 8 is? Is it the Father or Jesus? The answer is that it is both. The expression "which is, and which was, and which is to come" picks up on the name of God given in Exodus 3 v 14 "I am which I am", and forms the basis of the name Yahweh ("he who will be"). "The Lord" in Revelation 1 v 8 can be considered to contain the ideas represented by the name Yahweh, which is of the Father being manifested to men through various individuals, for example through Moses (Exodus 7 v 1). However, the clearest manifestation of the Father was through Jesus (which means Yah(weh) is salvation). Jesus showed that he was a manifestion of the Father by using the term "I am" (e.g. in John 18 v 5) and this was understood as such by the Jews (note their reaction in passages like John 18 v 6). However, Jesus makes it clear in John 8 v 28 that although he is a manifestation of the Father, he is also dependant on him. He says "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am, and I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things".
 
In summary, the use of "the Lord" in Revelation 1 v 8 expresses the meaning of Yahweh, which is of the Father being manifested through individuals to achieve his purpose. Jesus is one of these manifestations and can rightly bear the name of his Father, who is, was and is to come.

The phrases "Alpha and Omega", "Beginning and Ending" and "First and Last" (see 1 v 11, 2 v 8 and 22 v 13) all emphasize the same thing about Jesus. The beginning/first aspect is explained by Colossians 1 v 18 which says that Jesus is "the head of the body; the ekklesia : who is the beginning, the first born from the dead". Now that Jesus has been raised from the dead and has been given eternal life by the Father, others can obtain salvation through him. As such, he is the beginning of the process that leads to the godly being given eternal life.

Just as Jesus is the start of the process, he is the end as well, in that everyone who enters the kingdom will be judged by him on their "end" or "last" state. This can be demonstrated by considering the statements about the ekklesia in Thyatira in chapter 2. It says about them, "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first" (2 v 19), also "he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations" (2 v 26). From these it is seen that a disciple's last or end state will be judged by Christ and will form the basis of whether he or she enters the kingdom.
 
Revelation 1 verse 4 also says "Grace .... from the seven spirits which are before his throne". The seven spirits  are mentioned again in Revelation 3 v 1 and 4 v 5. The notes on chapters 4 and 5 deal with the seven spirits in more detail.

Verses 5/6

In verse 5 Jesus is described as a "faithful witness", the "first begotten" and "prince of the kings of the earth". These descriptions come from Psalm 89 verses 27 and 37. The psalm considers God's covenant with David (Psalm 89 v 3) and with his seed (v 4). (See also the relationship between Psalm 89 v 26 and 2 Samuel 7 v 14, which is quoted in Revelation 21 v 7.)

Verse 5 contains the first mention of the kings of the earth in the book, and a major theme in it is how Christ will overcome them. The kings of the earth are mentioned again in Revelation 6 v 15, 16 v 14, 17 v 2,  17 v 18, 18 v 3, 18 v 9, 19 v 19 and 21 v 24. These notes will conclude that these kings will not be finally eradicated until the end of the 1000 year reign of Christ and the saints (see notes on chapters 19 and 20).

Revelation chapter 1 contains two references to Exodus chapter 19 (v 6 "and hath made us kings and priests unto God" - Exodus 19 v 6 ; v 10 "voice ... of a trumpet" - Exodus 19 v 16). In addition, verse 5 says Jesus "washed us from our sins in his blood", an idea which is taken up in Revelation 7 v 14 when it says that the great multitude which John saw "washed their robes (quoting Exodus 19 v 10) and made them white in the blood of the lamb".

(See appendix at the end of this section for more details on quotations from Exodus chapter 19 in the Book of Revelation.)
 
Verses 7/11 

Verse 7 contains a reference to Matthew 24 v 30 ("behold he cometh with clouds ... all the kindreds/tribes of the earth ... wail/mourn"),  and many more similarities between the Book of Revelation and Jesus' prophecy on the Mount of Olives are identified in the notes on chapter 6.  However, the basis for both Matthew 24 v 30 and Revelation 1 v 7 is Daniel 7 v 13, which describes the overcoming of the little horn which arises out of the fourth beast that Daniel saw. These notes will suggest that the little horn of Daniel 7  is the beast of Revelation 13. Revelation 1 verse 7 contains the first of many references in the Book of Revelation to Daniel chapter 7.

Verse 7 also refers to Zechariah 12 vs 10 - 12 ("they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him ... the land ... every family"). This passage describes the repentance of an ungodly Israel and Jerusalem when Christ returns.

Verses 12/20

The reference to golden candlesticks in v 12 leads to a consideration of Zechariah 4 v 2. The candlesticks are ekklesias (Revelation 1 v 20) which give light to a dark world. The candlestick in Zechariah 4 v 2 has two olive trees at the side of it, and these are referred to in Revelation 11 v 4 as being two witnesses  (see notes on chapter 11).

Verses 13 - 17 describe "one like the son of man" (v13), a quotation which comes from Daniel 7 v 13. These verses contain a number of references to Daniel 7 and 10 when describing Jesus:
 
 

The context of Daniel 7 is the punishment of the little horn and the establishment of the kingdom, whereas the vision that Daniel saw in Daniel chapter 10 was tied up with making him "understand what shall befall (his) people in the latter days (v 14)". It will be seen that the Book of Revelation provides John with a similar insight into the jews, his people according to the flesh, and the saints. It also provides a description of the defeat of the little horn.

Verse 16 has a reference to Isaiah 49 v 2 ("my mouth  ... sharp sword"). Isaiah 49 is a prophecy about the work of the Lord Jesus (Isaiah 49 v 6 is referred to in Luke 2 v 32), which includes "bringing Jacob again to (Yahweh)" (Isaiah 49 v 5). The Book of Revelation describes how this work of gathering the saints and the nation of Israel will be achieved and the stages involved in this process.
 
 
 
Appendix:   The use of quotations from Exodus 19 in the Book of Revelation
 
There are a number of other references to Exodus 19 in the Book of Revelation, apart from those in chapter 1:

4 v 1      "the voice of a trumpet" - Exodus 19 v 16
4 v 5      "lightnings and thunderings and voices" - Exodus 19 v 16
5 v 10    "kings and priests" - Exodus 19 v 6
8 v 5      "lightnings and thunderings" - Exodus 19 v 16
9 v 2      "there arose a smoke ... as the smoke of a ... furnace" - Exodus 19 v 18
11 v 19   "lightnings and voices and thunderings" - Exodus 19 v 16
12 v 14   "wings" - Exodus 19 v 4
16 v 18   "voices and thunderings and lightnings" - Exodus 19 v 16
20 v 6     "priests of God" - Exodus 19 v 6.

In summary, Exodus chapter 19 deals with the following:

General Context - Yahweh's dealings with Israel immediately prior to the law of Moses being initiated.

19 v 1     Israel in the wilderness of Sinai
19 v 4     Israel has been brought to Yahweh
19 v 5, 6 If Israel obeyed, they would be a peculiar treasure above all people, a kingdom of priests
19 v 8     The people state that they will obey Yahweh
19 v 10   The people wash their clothes in preparation for the coming of Yahweh (v 9) on the third day (v 11)
19 v 13   When the trumpet sounds, the people may come to the mount
19 v 16  The third day, when Yahweh descends, is a day of thunders, lightnings, a thick cloud and the voice of a trumpet
19 v 18  Yahweh descends on the Mount.

Exodus 19 v 16 - 18 describes Yahweh descending upon Mount Sinai. The symbolic significance of Mount Sinai is explained in Galatians 4 v 22 - 26, where it says it is associated with "Jerusalem which now is", and that she is "in bondage with her children" (v 25). It is suggested that passages in Revelation which quote Exodus 19 v 16 - 18 are chiefly to do with Jerusalem prior to the establishment of the kingdom of God and the manifestation of Yahweh through Jesus Christ. The exception to this is the reference to Exodus 19 v 16 in Revelation 1 v 10, and this is dealt with at the end of this section.
 
The following shows the instances where Exodus 19 v 16 - 18 is quoted in Revelation and considers the context of these passages:

Revelation 4 v 1, 5

Chapter 4 describes a vision of Yahweh prior to the opening of the seven seals, which uses the language of Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1. These notes conclude that the seals describe the punishment which was poured on Jerusalem in AD 70.

Exodus 19 v 16 - 8 contains the following similarities to Ezekiel 1 and Isaiah 6:
 
 

 
The link between Exodus 19, Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1 is that they all describe manifestations of Yahweh, with Exodus 19 being at the time when the law was given and the other two being shortly before Israel and Jerusalem were punished for negelecting to obey it.

Revelation 8 v 5

This precedes a description of the seven trumpets. The second of these trumpets describes a mountain being cast into the sea, picking up the context of Exodus chapter 19. It will be argued in the notes on Revelation chapters 8 and 9 that the seven trumpets describe punishments on Jerusalem prior to the return of  Jesus,  some of which were fulfilled in AD 70 and others which are yet to take place.
 
Revelation 9 v 2

This describes the fifth of the trumpets and possibly draws on the language of Exodus 19 v 18 when it speaks of smoke arising like a furnace. However, it is possible that Genesis 19 v 28 is the source of this quotation, which is similar to Exodus 19 v 18 but uses a different hebrew word for "smoke".

Revelation 11 v 19, 16 v 28

These passages occur at the end of the 7 trumpets and 7 vials respectively. The notes will suggest that these passages refer to the same time, which is the end of this present age and the beginning of the Kingdom of God. The use of Exodus 19 in this context extends the pattern of God manifestation relating to Israel and Jerusalem "which now is" (Galatians 4 v 25) to include the last events which herald the start of  "New Jerusalem".

The references to "kings and priests" (Revelation 1 v 6, 5 v 10) and "priests of God" (Revelation 20 v 6) are quoting from Exodus 19 v 6. Its quotation in 1 Peter 2 v 9 ("a royal priesthood") shows that its fulfilment comes about through the covenant made with Abraham and not the one given on Sinai. This is borne out by the fact that the two quotations in Revelation refer to the fulfilment of God's purpose and the New Jerusalem.

At first, the reference to Exodus 19 v 16 in Revelation 1 v 10 ("voice ... of a trumpet") seems to be out of step with other references to this passage in the Book of Revelation. The context here does not seem to be one of judgement upon Jerusalem, as with the other references to Exodus 19 v 16. However, its use becomes clearer once it is realised that Revelation 1 v 10 is an allusion to Exodus 19 v 16, but a direct quotation from Isaiah 58 v 1. It says "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins".

The reference to "a voice, as of a trumpet", in Revelation 1 v 10 can be considered to be a prelude to a section which shows God's people their transgressions, and this is what happens in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 when the seven ekklesias are considered. Similarly in Exodus 19 v 16, the voice of a trumpet heralds the giving of the law of Moses. Passages like Romans 3 v 20 make it clear that the law's purpose was to bring "the knowledge of sin" and not to provide salvation. It is concluded that passages in the Book of Revelation which make reference to the sound of trumpets are describing events which aim to show mankind their transgression, however in most cases this manifestation is directed towards Israel and Jerusalem.

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