Seven Takeaways from Revelation 1:1-8
John's Introduction in Review
So far in this series on Revelation, I have written fourteen posts but only covered the first eight verses.
If you’ve ever been in a Bible study with me, you are not surprised at all—I spent two years on Revelation in the small group I am part of.
But what I have discovered is that the more I give careful attention to the details of Scripture, the more clearly I see what is there. The closer I read the words, the grammar, the syntax, and the context, the more the text comes to life as the word of God.
That is certainly the case with my three decades of engaging Revelation. And as I study and write these Substack posts for you, I constantly perceive new things in Revelation—not that others have not discerned them, but reading another’s words and seeing it for myself are two different things.
Hopefully, the way I am communicating these insights are helpful for you in understanding this amazing book.
And I encourage you to do the same careful study as you are able.
A Turning Point
We are now at a turning point in this series.
The post after this one will mark a major pivot in Revelation. In 1:9, John begins to recount his visions and the prophetic messages from Jesus.
The “fun” is about to start!
But before we jump together into those visions and prophetic words, I thought it good to summarize John’s introduction with seven “takeaways.”
Why?
In a speech class, or a class on preaching, or just lessons on writing a paper, the teacher will usually say something like: “tell them what you are going to say, say it, then tell them what you said.”
In other words, introduce, expand the introduction, and conclude with a summary of what you said.
Revelation does exactly that, and I want to do that with each major section.
John introduced what Revelation is about in the opening verses of 1:1–8, expanded the content in 1:9–22:5, then concluded the book with a summary (that connects to the introduction) in 22:6–21.
I want to follow that pattern myself with every section of Revelation I cover—at least with a summary of the highpoints—aka “takeaways.” (cont.)
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So here are my takeaways from Revelation 1:1-8:
Takeaway #1
John introduced Revelation as an apocalypse, a prophecy, and a letter. An apocalypse is a type of (ancient) visionary literature, and sure enough, John filled the body of Revelation with plenty of visions with the same flavor as Jewish apocalypses before him.
By a prophecy, John did not refer to predicting the future, but to reciting the words of the Lord that he received, just like the prophets in the Old Testament.
Finally, Revelation is a letter to seven historical city churches in western Turkey, called Asia at that time.
That Revelation was written as a letter in real time and space to real people gives pause to all who would say that Revelation is only meant for the future.
John wrote the seven churches of Asia to give hope and reassurance to those Jesus followers in the first century who needed comfort and perspective concerning the evil in the world.
It just so happens—by divine intent and providence—that John’s message has continued to resonate through the centuries with its heavenly perspective on worldly chaos.
Put another way, John’s message is true—then and now.
Takeaway #2
John, the author of Revelation was the apostle John, the eye-witness of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, and the author of the Gospel of John and the Epistles of John.
Though this statement is widely disputed in New Testament scholarship (and even by a few in early centuries because of the apocalyptic nature of Revelation), the more I have considered the language and theology of Revelation in comparison to the Gospel of John, the more the two books show themselves as wed together in theology and by the same author, despite some differences in style.
As a scholar, I hold this view with openness to the arguments of others, but I have moved more deeply into this conviction over my years of study.
The style of Revelation is distinct because it is an apocalyptic, prophetic letter, but the ideas and the theology are the same as the other writings of John.
Takeaway #3
Given takeaway #2, Revelation is the continuation of the Gospel of John.
The Gospel of John concerns the Incarnation, Life, Passion, and Resurrection of the human Jesus.
Revelation is the Gospel of the Exalted and Coming Jesus.
Just as the book of Acts is the continuation of the Gospel of Luke—the Gospel of Luke focused on Jesus and Acts on the church—we can think of the Gospel of John and Revelation in a similar relationship.
As we make the exegetical trek through Revelation, I will note over and again the inextricable connection between John’s Gospel and Revelation.
Takeaway #4
John wrote Revelation to be implemented in the life of believers: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud and those who listen to the words of the prophecy and keep the things written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
I cannot overstate that Revelation is a book to be listened to and put to practice in the life of a believing follower of Jesus. This putting to practice entails taking to heart and trusting the theology of Revelation—what Revelation tells us about the triune God, about ourselves, about Satan, about evil, and about the victory of God over evil.
Revelation summons each of us to consign ourselves to the triune God—who loves us and has redeemed and forgiven us, and sealed us for himself—by depending on God alone to strengthen us and supply everything we need to persevere in the midst of the chaotic evil in our world.
The person who does this is blessed.
Takeaway #5
In his introduction to Revelation, John grounded all that comes after in what God accomplished in Jesus Christ.
John himself “witnessed the Word of God” (Jesus’s incarnation and life) “and the testimony of Jesus” (his Passion and Crucifixion) “that he saw” as an eye-witness (Revelation 1:2—see 1 John 1:1–2 and John 19:35; 21:24).
John called Jesus “the witness, the faithful one, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth … who loves us and released us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom of priests to God and his Father” (Revelation 1:5–6).
Jesus “is coming on the clouds” (Revelation 1:7).
Please get this: unless you read Revelation grounded in the bedrock of the gospel of Jesus Christ, you will never understand Revelation.
Takeaway #6
John did not rely solely on his eyewitness testimony to Jesus for his authority—John also saw the incarnate Jesus as the continuation of God’s unfolding cosmic purposes recorded in narrative and poetry in the Hebrew Scriptures—what Christians term as the Old Testament or Old Covenant.
John displayed this OT witness front and center in Revelation 1:7 with his mashup of Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10–14.
Revelation and the Old Testament are tied together as closely as Revelation to the Gospel of John.
Without an awareness and knowledge of the Old Testament, Revelation is scarcely understandable. The Old Testament, especially Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah, literally oozes from Revelation.
We will see this connection to the Old Testament played out over and over, seemingly in almost every verse. Richard Bauckham’s view that Revelation is the “climax of prophecy”—and John the last in the line of OT prophets—seems valid.
Takeaway #7
As my last post argued, Revelation consistently shows the being of God to be trinitarian, the distinct but unified Godhead of the Father, the Son—the slain but victorious Lamb Jesus Christ—and the Holy Spirit (often referred to as the Seven Spirits). Yahweh—the one who is and was and is coming—is Father-Son-Spirit.
To add to this point (and to affirm Takeaway #6 further), the pierced-one in Revelation 1:7 is Jesus, but the pierced one in Zechariah is Yahweh himself. Revelation 1:7 places Jesus in the role of the “one whom they pierced.”
John’s recounting of the visions and prophetic words from God are full of trinitarian language.
These are seven things that I believe are important to keep in mind as we continue our journey.
If you have any further observations, comments, or takeaways from Revelation 1:1–8, feel free to put them in the comments.
We will next turn to the body of Revelation with its manifold visions and prophetic words.
I trust you will join me and revel in this amazing journey. (cont.)
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