Revelation 1 (4.23.17)

Read Revelation 1

John wrote the book of Revelation (singular, no S) in the late 1st century while in exile on the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. He was sent there because attempts to kill him in boiling oil were ineffective. 

Much like an author of a book writes a prologue or preface to explain the purpose of the book and meanings of certain terms, the first chapter of Revelation is John's preface.  If you read a book without reading the preface, some things may not make sense.  Likewise, if you try to read and understand the book of Revelation without reading the preface, well, it can be a little confusing. 

Here are a few things to consider when reading the book of Revelation, although this is not an exhaustive list: 

• John was Jewish and uses Jewish symbolism to convey his message. Divorcing ourselves from a Jewish understanding of this book can lead to confusion and differing ideas of what things mean. 
• The word "angel" simply means "messenger" specifically someone who delivers a message from God. It can refer to a heavenly being sent from God, but it can also refer to a human being who delivers God's message. Sometime Scripture says "Angel of the LORD" which clearly is an angelic being. But if it just says "angel" we must keep it in context to determine if it is a an angel from heaven or a human being (i.e. pastor or evangelist). 
• Verse 3 says, "how fortunate is the one who reads the words of this prophecy..." Too many people avoid this book altogether because they find it "spooky" and confusing. Big mistake!
• The word "church" or "churches" can better be translated as "communities" or "assemblies". The Greek word used here is "ekklesia" which means "gathering", specifically a gathering or community of believers. The Greek word for church is "kuriakos" and is not found in this book. 
• The reference to "the Lord's Day" in verse 10 is not necessarily a reference to "Sunday" on our calendar. That is a general assumption which must be avoided. More than likely, John was referring to a particular day on the Roman calendar that all citizens across the empire must acknowledge that the Emperor is "Lord". You were free to worship any god you wanted, any way you wanted as long as you acknowledged his lordship over your life. Not so for the Jews and the messianic believers who would not dare break the first commandment. 
• John saw 7 golden menorahs (lampstands) that represented the 7 communities in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Again, this is Jewish symbolism that would resonate with its original readers. We must dig deeper to get understanding and not change the meaning to fit our preconceived ideas. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding. 

  

  This is a huge golden menorah that I saw in Jerusalem. Imagine 7 of these!