What follows is an abbreviated transcript of the live recording. To listen to an unabridged version you can listen here: Revelenation 1 - Seeing the Voice of the Risen Christ
Revelation chapter 1 functions as the doorway into the entire book. It sets the tone, establishes the purpose, and introduces us to the Christ we will encounter throughout the vision. The chapter unfolds in three movements: a prologue, an opening greeting, and a breathtaking vision of the risen Jesus.
A Revelation, Not a Disaster
The book opens with these words:
“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place…” (Revelation 1:1–3)
The word translated revelation comes from the Greek apokalypsis. Over time, “apocalypse” has come to mean devastation or catastrophe, but that was never its original meaning. Apokalypsis means an unveiling, a revealing. Revelation is not meant to terrify God’s people—it is meant to reveal Jesus Christ.
This unveiling flows downward: God the Father gives the revelation to Jesus, Jesus sends it through an angel, the angel delivers it to John, and John bears witness to what he has seen so that the church might hear it. From the very beginning, Revelation is presented as a book meant to be read aloud in worship and received by God’s people together.
There is a blessing promised here—not only for the one who reads it, but for those who hear it and take it to heart. Revelation is not an outlier text reserved for specialists or thrill-seekers. It is Scripture given to sustain the church.
Avoiding the Two Ditches
Historically, Christians tend to fall into one of two ditches when it comes to Revelation.
The first is wooden literalism—trying to decode every symbol, map timelines, and assign modern equivalents to every image. The second is avoidance—treating Revelation as too strange or confusing to bother with, preferring to camp out in more familiar territory.
Both approaches miss the point.
Revelation is meant to be heard, received, and trusted because it forms God’s people for perseverance. When rightly understood, it encourages faithfulness in the face of suffering. It reminds us that evil does not have the final word and that history is moving toward God’s promised future.
A Trinitarian Greeting
John addresses the seven churches of Asia with grace and peace from:
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the one who is, who was, and who is to come,
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the seven spirits before the throne,
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and Jesus Christ.
This is a profoundly Trinitarian greeting. The “seven spirits” should be understood as the Holy Spirit—the fullness and perfection of God’s presence. Jesus is described as the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
That last phrase would have landed with particular force for Christians living under Roman rule. The emperor claimed ultimate authority, yet John boldly declares that Jesus—not Caesar—is the true ruler of the world. For a persecuted church, this was not abstract theology; it was encouragement to endure.
A Kingdom of Priests
Jesus is also the one who loves us, frees us from our sins by his blood, and makes us a kingdom of priests. Salvation is not merely rescue from something; it is a calling into something. God’s people are freed in order to serve—to mediate God’s presence in the world and invite creation into worship.
Revelation consistently resists the idea of faith as an escape plan. We are not saved in order to withdraw from the world, but to faithfully inhabit it as priests of God’s kingdom.
The Coming King
Revelation 1 gives us our first glimpse of Christ’s return:
“Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him…”
This is no secret event. Scripture does not envision a hidden or silent return of Christ. His coming will be unmistakable, public, and universal. The goal is not the church escaping the world, but God renewing it—bringing heaven and earth together, making all things new.
The mourning described here is not merely fear or judgment. It is the human response to overwhelming holiness. Like Isaiah before the throne of God, humanity will be undone by the beauty and purity of Christ.
Seeing the Voice
John then describes his vision of the risen Jesus—language so rich and symbolic it defies literal interpretation. The imagery is not meant to be diagrammed but felt. Jesus’ appearance overwhelms John, who falls as though dead.
Yet the story does not end there.
Jesus places his right hand on John—a sign of fellowship and reassurance—and says, “Do not be afraid.” The holy Christ is also the gentle Savior. The one who terrifies is the same one who comforts.
Jesus declares that he was dead and is now alive forever, holding the keys of death and Hades. Death is no longer the final enemy. Jesus has entered it, defeated it, and emerged victorious. For believers facing suffering or even martyrdom, this is hope: death has been unlocked from the inside.
The Church Held in His Hand
The chapter ends with Jesus explaining the vision. The seven lampstands represent the seven churches, and the seven stars in his hand represent their messengers—the pastors entrusted with their care. The image is one of protection and presence. The church exists not by its own strength but because it is held securely by Christ.
Why Revelation Matters
Revelation does not give us a timeline to master. It gives us a vision to inhabit. It shapes our imagination so that we can live faithfully in the present, confident in God’s future.
It calls us to patient endurance, faithful witness, and hope rooted not in escape, but in resurrection.
And above all, it reveals Jesus Christ—alive, reigning, and present with his people.