What is This Book? Rev. 1:1-3

I. It is a Gift (v. 1-2)
A. It reveals what is to come. (v.1a)
a. The need for the church to repent from sin (1-3)
b. The strength and rewards believers have in overcoming sin (2:7, 11, 17, 26-28; 3:5, 12, 21)
c. The Glory and Power of The Father and Son (4-5)
d. The various calamities that will strike the earth (6)
e. The plan and purpose of the Antichrist & false prophet. (13)
f. The climactic battle of Armageddon (16)
g. The return of Christ and the Millennial kingdom (19-20)
h. The ultimate judgment of the wicked and lost (20)
i. The fall and punishment of Satan and his angels (20)
j. The establishment of the New Heavens and Earth (21-22)

B. It reveals the speed with which events occur (v.1b)
a. Soon has 3 possible meanings in this verse.
1. The phrase requires all of the events set forth in the book to have transpired within the lifetimes of John’s initial readers (the Preterist interpretation).
2. The phrase denotes events which may be in the distant future, but which transpire in rapid sequence once they begin.
3. The phrase denotes both immanency in time and occurrence of an event.
C. It is supernatural in origin (v. 1c-2)
a. Given by an angel
1. An angel brings John the message of the Revelation.
2. The Word angel or angels are mentioned 71 times in the book.
3. Angels are mentioned in every chapter except 4 and 13.
4. The book is a unique source for describing the ministry and work of angels.
b. Given by a human author
1. As John had written his Gospel and Epistles, He now writes as the human author all that he saw concerning Jesus’ second coming.
2. He is a witness to and of God’s truth. (cf., 2 Pet. 1:16-18; Mt. 17:1-9)

II. It is a Guarantee (v. 3a)
A. Blessed or happy are those who read and hear this book.
a. There are 7 Beatitudes in Revelation
1. The Blessed Challenge (1:3)
2. The Blessed Comfort (14:13)
3. The Blessed Cautiousness (16:15)
4. The Blessed Calling (19:9)
5. The Blessed Conquest (20:6)
6. The Blessed Cherishing (22:7)
7. The Blessed Conformity (22:14)


III. It is a Guide (v.3b)
A. It tells Christians how to live to be ready. (cf., Lk. 12:35-40)
B. It reveals the season of Jesus’ return.
a. The season or epoch of Christ’s return in soon or near.
b. Why Christ’s return seems distant to us. (2 Pet. 3:3-9)
1. God’s Perspective – God sees time differently than man. Man sees time compared against time. God sees time in reference to eternity. A day for God is like 1,000 years (Ps. 90:4).
2. God’s Plan – God is patient in waiting on His people to get saved before initiating the next phase of His eschatological program. When that occurs, Christ will return.


Points to Ponder:
1. Be ready – God’s timing and Jesus’ coming are closer now than ever before.
2. Be reading – Content are those who read and find comfort in the truth of God’s Word.
3. Be reaching – Spend time sharing the Gospel with your friends and neighbors. The light of the Gospel shines brightest in the darkest of days.



John F. MacArthur Jr., Revelation 1–11, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 15.
Thomas Ice, “Preterist ‘Time Texts’.” In Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, eds., The End Times Controversy (Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2003), 83-108.
MacArthur, MNTC, 21.
Ibid., 22.
Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), 60.
John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 928.
Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Study Bible (Nashville: Holman Bible, 2019), 1511.