"I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
I should have included the first part of the verse above which says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega." This just another of the many designations of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega of course being the first and last letter in the Greek alphabet. This goes along with reference to the words "first and last." The meaning of this being the Lord's preeminence over all creation. This designation is also found in the scriptures within Revelation:
"Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What you see, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." - Rev.1:11
Note: the first part of verse 11 "I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last," does not appear in some of the other translations. But, it is included in the interlinear and so I also included it here.
"And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end."- Rev.21:6
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each person according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
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I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.
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As previously stated, John was exiled by the Roman government to the island of Patmos for his testimony about Christ and the word of God. The majority of scholars put his exile being during the reign of Domitian who was Emperor from 81 - 96 AD, which would put the writing of the book of Revelation after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
All believers throughout the entire church period are also partners in the tribulation, kingdom and perseverance that is in Christ Jesus. Meaning that as believers in Christ we should be ready to go through trials, persecution and even death for his name sake and for the word of God. We should have the same spirit as Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, who would rather be thrown into the fire than disobey God by bowing down to Nebuchadnezzar's statue. We should pray that God would give us such a spirit.
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On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, “Write in a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."
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"On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit"
On the Lord's day, (not to be confused with the day of the Lord) is referring to the first day of the week when He rose from the tomb.
On that day John says, "I was in the Spirit." Keep in mind because he is going to say it a second time in Rev.4:2, both having two different meanings. Here he is referring to his meditating on the Lord and His word in worship. We will look at the other meaning when we get to Rev.4:2
"and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet"
Keep the reference to the "voice like a trumpet" in mind also, because John is going to mention that voice that sounds like a trumpet again in Rev.4:1 and which is relevant to the gathering of the church, which we will delve into when we get there. Lot's of material!
"saying, “Write in a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."
What John wrote on the scroll, being everything that he saw, is the entire book of Revelation. Thought there are letters to the seven churches mentioned, what John wrote and what they received was the entire book of Revelation, exactly what we are reading. The churches of course being the seven churches of Asia at that time. We will discuss the relevance of the churches when we come to verse 19.
By the way, the Greek word "Biblion" translated "scroll" is of course where we get our English word "Bible" from. It's definition is - papyrus roll, book, scroll, writing, etc.
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Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lamp stands, and among the lamp stands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest. The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
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The description above is none other than the Lord Jesus in His glorified state. This is the same glorified state that Peter, James and John saw Him in as He was transfigured on the mount of transfiguration where Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with him, as described in Matt.16:28 - 17:1-3.
That "His eyes are like blazing fire" also identifies the one who is speaking to John with a voice that sounds like a trumpet as the Lord Jesus, as he introduces himself in the letter to the church in Thyaira as "the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire." The meaning of which can be found in the same letter in Rev.2:23 as "the One who searches the hearts and the minds."
This same characteristic can also be found in the description of Christ in Rev.19:12.
Therefore, the voice that sounded like a trumpet telling John to write on a scroll "what you see" is none other than the Lord Jesus in His glorified state.
Again, keep in mind what John said regarding the voice of the Lord sounding like a trumpet," as well as Johns claim of being in the Spirit, as we will go over this in Rev.4:1-2"
To be continued .......
I should have included the first part of the verse above which says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega." This just another of the many designations of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega of course being the first and last letter in the Greek alphabet. This goes along with reference to the words "first and last." The meaning of this being the Lord's preeminence over all creation. This designation is also found in the scriptures within Revelation:
"Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What you see, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." - Rev.1:11
Note: the first part of verse 11 "I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last," does not appear in some of the other translations. But, it is included in the interlinear and so I also included it here.
"And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end."- Rev.21:6
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each person according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As previously stated, John was exiled by the Roman government to the island of Patmos for his testimony about Christ and the word of God. The majority of scholars put his exile being during the reign of Domitian who was Emperor from 81 - 96 AD, which would put the writing of the book of Revelation after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
All believers throughout the entire church period are also partners in the tribulation, kingdom and perseverance that is in Christ Jesus. Meaning that as believers in Christ we should be ready to go through trials, persecution and even death for his name sake and for the word of God. We should have the same spirit as Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, who would rather be thrown into the fire than disobey God by bowing down to Nebuchadnezzar's statue. We should pray that God would give us such a spirit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, “Write in a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit"
On the Lord's day, (not to be confused with the day of the Lord) is referring to the first day of the week when He rose from the tomb.
On that day John says, "I was in the Spirit." Keep in mind because he is going to say it a second time in Rev.4:2, both having two different meanings. Here he is referring to his meditating on the Lord and His word in worship. We will look at the other meaning when we get to Rev.4:2
"and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet"
Keep the reference to the "voice like a trumpet" in mind also, because John is going to mention that voice that sounds like a trumpet again in Rev.4:1 and which is relevant to the gathering of the church, which we will delve into when we get there. Lot's of material!
"saying, “Write in a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."
What John wrote on the scroll, being everything that he saw, is the entire book of Revelation. Thought there are letters to the seven churches mentioned, what John wrote and what they received was the entire book of Revelation, exactly what we are reading. The churches of course being the seven churches of Asia at that time. We will discuss the relevance of the churches when we come to verse 19.
By the way, the Greek word "Biblion" translated "scroll" is of course where we get our English word "Bible" from. It's definition is - papyrus roll, book, scroll, writing, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lamp stands, and among the lamp stands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest. The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The description above is none other than the Lord Jesus in His glorified state. This is the same glorified state that Peter, James and John saw Him in as He was transfigured on the mount of transfiguration where Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with him, as described in Matt.16:28 - 17:1-3.
That "His eyes are like blazing fire" also identifies the one who is speaking to John with a voice that sounds like a trumpet as the Lord Jesus, as he introduces himself in the letter to the church in Thyaira as "the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire." The meaning of which can be found in the same letter in Rev.2:23 as "the One who searches the hearts and the minds."
This same characteristic can also be found in the description of Christ in Rev.19:12.
Therefore, the voice that sounded like a trumpet telling John to write on a scroll "what you see" is none other than the Lord Jesus in His glorified state.
Again, keep in mind what John said regarding the voice of the Lord sounding like a trumpet," as well as Johns claim of being in the Spirit, as we will go over this in Rev.4:1-2"
To be continued .......
