At the beginning of the very beginning, in the Book of Genesis, God said: “Let there be light.” (Genesis 1:3)
Here we see that the Word of God produced light and physical life.
Later, the Word of God, in the physical realm, became Jesus Christ in the flesh. In the spiritual realm, Jesus, the living Word of God, became the spiritual light and life of those who would become God’s children.
After the mission of Christ was completed on Planet Earth, as the end times approached, one more very important thing had to be accomplished.
So, at the beginning of the end, in the Book of Revelation, Jesus said, “Write.” (Revelation 1:19)
God the Father gave the Word of Revelation to His Son, Jesus, to “reveal” to His servants (to all who follow Him) the things that will soon happen (“soon” in relation to all of world history).
Then Jesus sent his messenger angel to make known to John the meaning of this revelation. Therefore, John was the first Disciple and servant of Jesus Christ to receive this specific End Times message.
John was commissioned to establish this record in the Word of God. His account includes the testimony of Jesus Christ and all that John had seen related to the life and Word of Christ, during the time that Jesus walked the earth.
The Book of Revelation tells us that those who read or hear the words of this prophecy and hold fast to the things that are written in it will be blessed. They will be given the favor of God and will benefit by being spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally prepared to overcome and endure the End Times.
John emphasizes that this Word is from Jesus Christ, who is the only one qualified to be a reliable witness because He is the one who loved us, suffered, and died so that our sins could be washed away by His blood. He is the first to rise from the dead. This makes him the pre-eminent ruler over all authorities on planet Earth, in addition to his right as Creator.
Now Jesus has given His people the responsibility to be rulers and intercessors in the service of God the Father so that we can give Him glory, forever honoring His authority over all that is. He identifies this mission as the primary purpose of those who truly belong to him (Revelation 1:6).
Soon we will see Jesus coming in the clouds. Everyone will see it then. Those who physically tortured him and all “worldly” (those who loved the world more than Christ) will cry in agony when they see him.
Judgment day is coming. So be it.
Jesus refers to himself as “Almighty God”, the “Alpha and Omega”. He is the Infinite, the beginning and the end of time and of all that exists. It is interesting that Jesus reveals this in Revelation 1, verse number “8”, which is the symbol for infinity.
It was in the beginning and will be present in “the end”, according to our historical and current concept of time. Further understanding will be given to us in the future when time as we have known it merges with infinity.
The message given to John emphasizes that Jesus Christ is the Ruler of all that exists. He is the One True God.
John qualifies himself by telling all who are and will be Christ’s that he is our spiritual brother and therefore capable of identifying with us and our circumstances. He too suffered for the Kingdom and patiently awaits the return of Jesus. In fact, John was sentenced to the Isle of Patmos for his commitment to the Word of God and for telling others about Jesus Christ.
In Revelation 1:10, John begins to share his vision experience. He says that he was “in the Spirit,” a specific time during the Lord’s Day, when the Spirit came upon him (possibly while he was studying and contemplating the Word and memories of Christ) and at first he heard a loud voice that sounded like a trumpet.
This voice, which sounded like a trumpet, was the voice of Jesus Christ, who is the living Word of God. Therefore, the voice, the Word and the trumpet are one. It is appropriate that the voice of Jesus sounds like a trumpet, because He is the voice that carries the powerful frequency or sound of the Word of God.
The first thing that Jesus said to John was: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last; and write in a book what you see.” This is the first thing, the number one thing, found in Revelation 1:11, referred to in the Book of books by three ones that emphasize the meaning that He is the first, is the first of the first and will remain first, or preeminent, even. until the end.
Then, in this same verse, Jesus tells John: “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches that are in Asia…”
Jesus identifies himself again as “Alpha and Omega” just as he did in verse 8. Jesus is saying that John is going to see something he wants him to write about in a Book and that John is to send this Book to the seven churches in Asia. .
God resides in His Word. Because God is preeminent, his Word must also be preeminent. What does the “Author and Finisher of our faith” do with the Word? He writes it down and puts it in a Book, through his servants, and then sends his servants to deliver his Word to his people so they can feed on it.
This is God’s “mode of operation” that has been repeated throughout history.
Children follow in their father’s footsteps. Therefore, God’s priority, focus, and activity become the priority, focus, and activity of his children.
God’s priority is His Word.
John tells us that Jesus’ feet are like high quality bronze that has been heated in a furnace and his voice is like the roar of many waters.
Again His voice is compared to sound or frequency. The sound of many waters carries a powerful energizing frequency that can not only be heard but also, no doubt, felt by a force that shakes John to his core as Jesus speaks to him.
Seven stars are in the right hand of Jesus and a sharp two-edged sword comes out of His mouth.
Later in this first chapter of Revelation, we see that the seven stars in His right hand are the angels, or messengers, of the seven churches. The two-edged sword refers to the Word of God and we are told that his face or expression was like the sun.
What is the expression of the sun?
The significant appearance of the sun exemplifies energy, life, light and power.
His countenance (expression/behavior/character) was either as powerful as the sun when it shines or as full of energy as the sun. In other words, the powerful life-giving energy evident in the character of Jesus Christ revealed that He is the Universal Creator.
It is impossible for anyone to be in the powerful presence of Jesus Christ. John immediately faked it and dropped at the feet of his Savior. Jesus touched John, restored his strength, and enabled him to endure the awe (awe) of God’s dynamic majesty.
Jesus continues to introduce himself so that there is no mistake regarding his identity and John is sure that this is the genuine Jesus. When He says that He is the first and the last, he is telling us again that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first Adam and the last Adam of God’s plan of salvation.
Jesus verifies that he rose from the grave and will live forever. His death and resurrection qualify him to hold the keys of hell and death.
The power that controls our eternal life is in good hands.
In Revelation 1:19, Jesus instructs John to write about the specific and unique time in history in which he is living, as well as the vision that it will give him. But first Jesus instructs John to write about “the things which you have seen.”
Does this include all the things John has seen in the past, all his relationship and experience with Christ as the living Word of God?
If this is the case, this verse contains not only Christ’s instruction to record John’s prophetic and historical vision in the Book of Revelation, but also serves as evidence and specific reference that Jesus gave John (and the other followers of Christ) the commission to record the entire written Word of God, which includes everything that has been written about Jesus and the Father’s plan of redemption (both the Old and New Testaments) and put it in the Book, the God’s most sacred and historically protected book, the original Holy Bible.