Revelation is not (as some translations have added) ‘the revelation of St. John the divine’. This not the revelation of the ‘end of the world’. This not the revelation of the ‘apocalypse’ (that would be redundant). This is not the revelation of the ‘anti-christ’. This not the revelation of the ‘rapture’. This not the revelation of the ‘great tribulation’ (place, time and people).
This IS (according to Rev. 1:1) The Revelation of Jesus Christ! The testimony of Jesus (1:2).
The word ‘revelation’ is the Greek word ‘apokulupsis’ and it means ‘appearing, coming, lighten, manifestation, be revealed, revelation’ and it comes from the root word ‘apokalupto’ which means ‘take off the cover, disclose, reveal.’ This is the ‘apocalypse’ of Jesus Christ. This is the appearing of Jesus, the coming of Jesus, the enlightenment, the manifestation; this is Jesus Christ revealed. This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ!
This revelation (according to 1:1) was given by God to show His servants things, which will happen QUICKLY the Greek says ‘to occur with speed’ – in other words – ‘in the twinkling of an eye’.
He sent this revelation to His servant John via an angel and John bore witness to the word of God and His testimony by what he saw.
In verse 3 it says that the one who reads AND hears AND keeps the words of this prophecy is blessed!
This is NOT a ‘doomsday’ prophecy to be feared and dreaded. This prophecy is a blessing to be kept! The word ‘keep’ used here is the Greek word ‘teros’ and it means ‘ to watch, guard, maintain, hold fast, preserve’, i.e. ‘will you keep my son for me while I go to the store?’
Read it! Hear it! Keep it! In doing so you receive the blessing that lies therein…the revelation of Jesus Christ!
‘For the time is near.’ What time is near? The time of the unveiling, the time of the manifestation, the time of the coming, the time of the ‘apocalypse’, the time of the revelation of Jesus Christ!
The first three verses then are the prologue, the preface, and the introduction to the prophecy to come. They set the tone. They give an overview, a behind the scenes view; they give details and explanations. Everything else that is read in the rest of this book must line up with these first three verses of Revelation.
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