Revelation 1:1-2
Meet the Author
I enjoy preaching from the book of Revelation and on the topic of end
times; however, I have a problem doing so. I can never find a good
place to jump in. Everything end time is built on the first to the
most recent times, and it is hard to understand the end-time truths
if you don’t know the first and most recent truths. So for me, the
best way to preach a sermon from this book is to start at the
beginning and preach all the way through it. That is what I would
like to do but—as always—I do not know how the Lord will lead me.
I do know that this morning, I feel lead to preach on the Author of
the book. The Author is NOT John the Apostle. John is described in
this chapter. In \\#9\\, John described himself as:
1. Our brother
2. Our companion in tribulation, in the kingdom, and in patience
waiting for God to bring all things to their final
conclusions.
But John never called himself the author of this book. John was the
stenographer. John wrote what he saw and what he was told to write,
but John is not the author. the Author’s name is given in verse 1:
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ….
This is Jesus’ book. He is the Author and He is writing this book
because He has a message He wants us to understand. I pray that we
will get that opportunity; but for this morning, let’s look at the
One who wrote this book.
Pretty much the entire first chapter is about Jesus. It is Jesus
introducing Himself: first to John, then to seven specific church,
and finally to us.
Let’s meet Jesus by thinking along three main thoughts.
I. This is not the Jesus of the Gospels.
A. Actually, yes it is, but what I mean is that Jesus in this
book does not have the same demeanor as the Jesus of the
Gospels.
B. When Jesus came to the earth 2,000 years ago, He came as the
gentile and meek, the Teacher and Guide.
1. On that trip, Jesus let people mock Him, laugh at Him,
and even spit upon Him.
2. He was lied about, arrested, slapped, falsely accused,
railroaded, condemned, beaten, scourged, and crucified.
3. All of this was done against Jesus while He taught people
about God, performed miracles of help and healing, and
generally demonstrated love to everyone—even to those
who were abusing Him.
4. In those days, Jesus took the abuse because He wanted to
do at least three things:
a. He wanted to convince the world that He was the Son
of God.
b. He wanted to show the world that God is love.
c. He wanted to pay the price of death for our sins.
C. However, that is not the demeanor of the Jesus in this book.
1. In this book, Jesus is changed.
2. Changed to what? That is what this chapter is about to
tell us.
D. In this chapter, Jesus re-introduced Himself to us and spent
a good deal of time doing so. In fact, Jesus will introduce
Himself to us in two different ways.
1. \\#1-8\\ Jesus will use words to tell us who He is.
2. \\#9-20\\ Jesus will use imagery (vision) to tell us who
He is.
II. \\#1-8\\ The Words Used to Introduce Jesus.
A. Jesus, the Author of this book, used twelve statements to tell
us who He is.
1. I have often thought about how much I would love to
have artistic abilities. So often in preaching, I
simply cannot find the words to express what I know
is true. In those times, I have thought that if only
I could draw, perhaps I could produce a picture that
would help convey the message.
2. God can draw. Revelation is a picture book about what
is going to happen in the last of the last days.
3. But apparently, all that God wanted us to know about
Jesus could not be discerned from just the picture
either so God gave us twelve statement and a picture.
B. I can’t take the time to elaborate on all twelve, but let’s
think on at least a few of them.
C. The statements seem to fall into categories.
1. The first and the last ones tell us about Jesus.
Rev 1:5 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,
a. Jesus is the faithful Witness
(1) Again, Jesus is the Author of this book.
(2) Can we trust Him? We can. How do I know?
Because He is a faithful witness.
(3) Jesus does not lie or get things wrong.
b. Jesus is the First-Begotten of the dead
(1) Jesus died and rose again.
(2) The fact that He is the First-Born indicates that
there will be a second born, and a third born,
and so forth.
c. Jesus is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth
(1) A prince is one who will rule when it is time.
(2) Jesus is God and He is Lord, but He has not
demanded rulership over earth or from the
powers that presently ruling—YET.
(3) He will and this book will detail when that will
be.
d. Jesus is the One who loved us.
(1) To love someone is to choose to put that person
above yourself and all others forever.
(2) This is what God has chosen to do for us forever.
2. Two more statements go further to show just how much Jesus
loved us.
a. Jesus is the One who washed us in His own blood.
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto
God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion
for ever and ever. Amen.
b. Jesus is the One who made us kings and priests to God.
3. Then God described Jesus’ coming.
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every
eye shall see him, and they also which pierced
him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.
a. Jesus is the One who is coming in the clouds. This is
not Jesus come for the saints, but Jesus coming WITH
the saints.
b. Jesus is the One whom every eye shall see.
(1) Even those who pierced Him.
(2) Those folks are dead so even the dead are going
to this return of Jesus.
c. Jesus is the One who will cause all of the earth to
wail.
(1) That is because Jesus is not just coming to
deliver the saints.
(2) He is also coming to judge the world.
4. The last statements go back to describing Jesus.
Rev 1:8 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.
a. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, which is the beginning
and the end.
b. Jesus is the One which is, was, and will be. This
speaks of Jesus being the eternal God.
c. Jesus is the Almighty.
(1) That means Jesus has ALL MIGHT.
(2) There is no might or power that Jesus does not
possess.
(3) Don’t try slapping this Jesus!
(a) He is no longer the meek and the gentle.
(b) He is no longer the Teacher or the Guide.
(c) He is Judge coming in glory and power!
III. \\#9-20\\ Jesus appears to John in a human-like form.
Rev 1:12 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 twoedged sword: and
his countenance was as the sun shineth in his
strength.
A. The image is OF Jesus, but even before we notice much about
the image of Jesus, we need to notice where He is standing
and what He has in His hand.
1. \\#13\\ He is standing in the midst of seven candlesticks.
a. We are told in \\#20\\ that the seven candlesticks
represent the seven churches to which this book was
being written.
b. They were named in \\#11\\.
c. So there is Jesus, in the middle of His church.
d. That includes this church.
e. Of course, that should not surprise us.
Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them.
f. Bear that thought in mind while we notice what is in
Jesus’ hand.
2. \\#16\\ "And he had in his right hand seven stars…."
a. \\#20\\ "…The seven stars are the angels of the
seven churches…."
b. The word angel means messenger.
c. It could be a spiritual messenger or it could be an
fleshly one.
d. Each church has its own messenger.
e. They are called PASTORS.
3. Those two truths are important.
a. No matter how late on God’s end-time clock we are or
how difficult the times get; if there is a church,
Jesus will be in it and the Pastor will be in His
hand.
b. That does not mean He will always be there to bless.
c. He might be there to curse and to judge but if it is
a church, Jesus will be there.
B. Now consider the image OF Jesus.
1. It is the image of a Judge.
a. Not just any judge, but of the holy, eternal Judge.
b. This Judge does not just judge over who will go to
jail and who will not. He judges over who will go to
hell and who will not.
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and,
behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have
the keys of hell and of death.
2. \\#14\\ This Judge has eyes of fire meaning He can see
everything, nothing is hid from His sight.
3. \\#15\\ This Judge has feet of brass meaning that He
everywhere He talks, justice is carried out.
4. \\#16\\ A two-edged sword leaps from this Judge’s mouth
every time He speaks meaning His words are always carried
out.
5. \\#14\\ This Judge’s hair is as white as wool \\#14\\
means this He is pure.
6. \\#16\\ This Judge’s bright countenance, as bright as the
sun shining in its strength, means this He is adorned
with the glory of God.
a. And why not?
b. Jesus is God.
C. This is not the meek and the gentile Servant of the gospels.
No!
1. In this book, He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
2. In this book, He is God the Almighty.
3. In this book, He is the Judge.
D. It is strange but in this book, Jesus is not attempting to
convince anyone of anything; yet, from every page the aware
reader will be convinced that this Judge is a Judge like no
other!
1. In this book, Jesus is warning every one of the last
things.
2. You either listen to Him today or you will stand before
His justice tomorrow.
3. This book is not telling us how things might end but how
things will end.
4. This book is not telling us what we can do but what God
will do.
5. The whole book is to inform and to warn.
6. So much so that a blessing is given to those who read and
understand it.
Rev 1:3 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.
We must stop, but let me tell you that before you meet the Jesus of
Revelation, you need to meet the Jesus of the Gospels. Jesus died
for your sins, and He will forgive you if you will let Him.
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