Revelation 1:1

"The revelation of Jesus Christ" is the subject of this book. "Revelation" (from the Latin revelatio) means unveiling or disclosure and is a translation of the Greek word apokalypsis, the transliteration of which is an alternative title for the book (i.e., the Apocalypse; cf. Daniel 2:28-30; Daniel 2:45-47). The Greek word occurs only here in the book. Jesus Christ was the giver of this revelation (cf. Matthew 11:27; John 1:18; John 5:19-23; John 12:49; John 17:8), and He is its main subject. The genitive in the Greek text is probably both objective and subjective. "Communicated" (Gr. esemanen) simply means "indicated" (cf. John 12:33; Acts 11:28); it does not mean "signified" in the sense that everything that follows is symbolic, though much of what Jesus communicated is symbolic. Whereas the Gospels reveal Jesus in His humiliation, Revelation reveals Him in His glory.

"It will be vain to become occupied with ’sevens,’ ’hundred-forty-four-thousands,’ ’six-sixty-sixes,’ the restoration of the Roman Empire, the person of the antichrist, the two wild beasts, the ’millennium,’ or even the new Jerusalem; unless, along with God the Father, who has subjected all things unto Him, Christ is ever before our eyes!" [Note: William R. Newell, The Book of the Revelation, p. 31.]

God wanted the bond-servants of Jesus Christ (cf. Revelation 22:6; Acts 2:18) to have this revelation of things that will happen soon.

"If we are having difficulty with this blessed closing book of God’s holy Word, let us surrender ourselves to Jesus Christ as His servants. The book was written to bondservants." [Note: Ibid., p. 4.]

The idea behind the Greek words translated "shortly" (en tachei) is probably that the events to be revealed will appear soon rather than speedily.

". . . the view that sees en tachei meaning ’soon’ and thereby focuses on the imminence of the predicted events is impressive. A major thrust of Revelation is its emphasis upon the shortness of time before the fulfillment. In the midst of persecution God’s people do not have long to wait for relief to come. To say that the relief will come ’suddenly’ offers no encouragement, but to say that it will come ’soon’ does. . . .

"The presence of en tachei in Revelation 1:1 shows that for the first time the events predicted by Daniel and foreseen by Christ stood in readiness to be fulfilled. Therefore, John could speak of them as imminent, but earlier prophets could not." [Note: Thomas, Revelation 1-7, pp. 55, 56. Cf. 22:6; Deuteronomy 9:3; Ezekiel 29:5 (LXX); Luke 18:8; Romans 16:20. See Mark L. Hitchcock, "A Critique of the Preterist View of ’Soon’ and ’Near’ in Revelation," Bibliotheca Sacra 163:652 (October-December 2006):467-78.]

There are many similarities between how John wrote Revelation and how Daniel wrote the book that bears his name. Both prophecies deal with God’s sovereign rule over world history.

Jesus Christ communicated this revelation to an angel (Gabriel? cf. Daniel 8:16; Daniel 9:21-22; Luke 1:26-31) who passed it on to the Apostle John. This is the first of some 67 references to angels (messengers) in Revelation. John used the traditional title of bond-servant (slave) to describe his relationship to Jesus Christ, as did all the other apostles (cf. Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Judges 1:1). The chain of communication was from God the Father to Jesus to an angel to John and to Christians.