Revelation Chapter One
An interesting irony has taken place in me since November 1954 (when I first felt called into the Ministry). At that time the Book of Revelation was the one book in the New Testament I understood best (so I thought). Now that I am old (78 in July 2013), it is the book I understand the least! When I was a student in Trevecca Nazarene College (now University) – even before I felt called to preach – I took a course in “New Testament”. I remember the professor announcing, “Next week we come to the Book of Revelation. Frankly, I don’t understands this book. Is there anyone here who does?” I raised my hand. “Oh, Brother Kendall, how would you like to teach the class next week?” Without the slightest blushing I agreed.
So I did. I went through the whole book of Revelation from Chapter One to the End – explaining it all in 50 minutes: the Rapture, Great Tribulation, the man of sin – the antichrist, the Second Coming, the Millennium, Final Judgment and Heaven. It was all so clear to me. I had read one book on it and heard my pastor preach on it. I was so proud of myself. I then awaited the praise of my fellow students. They all quietly filed out. One student (I will never forget it) came up to me and said, “Do you always hold your mouth like that?” As for the professor’s verdict, he only said, “You may be right R. T. I don’t know.” It was a day of humbling. I needed it. But now – some 60 years later, I have to say that the Book of Revelation is the book I least understand. And yet I probably understand it better now than I used do, and what I now believe about it is a lot different from what I used to believe.
The first Sunday evening series I did at Westminster Chapel was on Revelation Chapter One. When Dr. Lloyd-Jones heard I started a series on Revelation he said to me, “I was surprised to hear that”. I quickly assured him I was only going to deal with the first chapter. He was relieved!
Not that I fully understand Revelation 1! But I would stress one thing: the title of the book is not the book of “revelations” but the Book of Revelation; technically, the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is a book about him. That said, I have my own book on it – it is based in fact on the very series I just referred to. A secretary typed the sermons from a tape recorder; we edited them and gave it to a publisher who had requested them. The publisher chose to call the book A Vision of Jesus. I deal with the entire chapter but mainly with the various descriptions of Jesus that are given in verses 13-16. They really aren’t that difficult to figure out. So no great insight or wisdom was needed to deal with Revelation 1. But people were blessed by it. I even had some tell me it was their favorite book of all that I have written. The theme is “Who is Jesus?” but based upon those verses which unveil the way he is depicted in John’s vision of him.
The big thing I feel about the Book of Revelation now however is that what will shortly come to pass is what will be unveiled. In other words, if the fulfillment of these things was two thousand years later – after John received the revelation on the Isle of Patmos, no wonder it was not understood when it was first written (presumably around 100 A.D.) Or 500 years later. Or 1,000 years later. John Calvin wrote a commentary on every book of the Bible except the Book of Revelation. He did not understand it. I am not even sure the Apostle John himself understood it; he merely wrote down what he saw. Keep this mind: not what he understood but what he saw. But if we get close to the time of the actual fulfillment of these things in the Book of Revelation, I have a theory that some of God’s servants will see clearly what this book means. I wish I would be one of those servants!
By the way, A Vision of Jesus is out of print. We are going to reprint it down the road but have a few copies we want to get rid of. The proof of this is that we are selling them for $5.97 plus postage/shipping.
I have done some sixty “tweets” on Revelation 1 this month. May do more later. If I have got it right: the reason no person has understood the Book of Revelation is that the true meaning will be unveiled only when we are very close to the fulfillment of it. That is the meaning of the words “to show his servants what must soon take place” (Rev.1:1).
RTK
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