Apocalipse 1
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Apocalipse 1
Morris writes "The reason for its pervasive use in Revelation is undoubtedly to emphasize that this book completes God's written revelation to man." (Borrow Defender's Study Bible) Revelation is like God's loud "AMEN" to His grand story of redemption of mankind and the heavens and the earth. Grace (charis) to you and peace (eirene) - The message begins with grace and peace and will end with grace (Rev 22:21+), and reminds us that we are always in need of grace, from the beginning to the very end of our Christian life! Grace is the supernatural atmosphere in which a Christian "lives and breathes." Stated another way supernatural grace is absolutely necessary for a believer to live a supernatural life. We were saved by grace (Eph 2:8-9+), must now live by grace (1Co 15:10+) and one day will be glorified by grace (1Pe 1:13+, Ro 5:2+). Grace truly is amazing! Notice the order of the text which is important - first grace, then peace. We cannot experience God's peace until we have experienced God's grace.
Apocalipse 1
Morris - Thus the first prerequisite to ascertaining God's leading in some matter, or the truth about some doctrinal question, is a genuine willingness to believe the truth and to follow God's will before they are made known, even if the answer goes against one's preference. (Borrow The Defender's Study Bible) 🙏 THOUGHT - If you are not willing to obey the truth you know, you are not likely to know the truth of the Revelation. Lehman Strauss says "If the Revelation is a closed book to the majority of God's children, it is quite possible that for this very reason it is so. Eight times in the book we find the admonition, "He that hath an ear, let him hear" (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; Rev 3:6, 13, 22; Rev 13:9). It takes the circumcised ear of a willing bondslave of Jesus Christ to hear with the understanding the truths set forth in this book (see Exodus 21:1-6 cf. Jeremiah 5:21; 6:10). It was never God's intention to hold back the meaning of the Revelation, but rather to show, to exhibit, to make known its meaning. All who willingly submit to Christ will have little difficulty with this book. (Borrow The Book of the Revelation: Outlined Studies) 🙏 THOUGHT - "Let Him hear" is a command repeated 8 times in this book (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; Rev 3:6, 13, 22; Rev 13:9) and all (except Rev 13:9) are from the lips of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Captain of the Hosts! "Let Him hear" is an aorist imperative which describes a call for urgent attention! The idea is like the Nike commercial "Just Do It!" Further this command from our Commander calls for His bondservants to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey the command! It follows that if we are to grasp the incredible truths of this book, we must be filled with the Spirit of Christ, keeping short accounts when we sin, lest we quench or grieve the Holy Spirit. The Spirit inspired His bondservant John to write these words and now the Spirit enables Jesus' bondservants to HEAR the words and to HEED the words and to receive the blessing He promises in Revelation 1:3+! Do you want to receive a blessing? Come to this book as David says when he asks "Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place (REVELATION IS LIKE A "HOLY PLACE")? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.." (Ps 24:3-5+) The pattern of the Revelation Begins with God Gave it to Jesus Christ Jesus communicated to His angel Jesus' angel communicated it to His bond-servant John John wrote it down for God's bond-servants. Show (1166)(deiknuo) means to show and has the sense of (1) to draw attention to, to point out, to show, to make known, to exhibit something (by visual, auditory, gestural, or linguistic means - John certainly uses visual means!!!) so that it can be apprehended by the senses, to cause to see (Mt 4:8, Lk 4:5, Mt 8:4) or (2) to show so as to prove something is true or to make clear by evidence or reasoning. Show in the sense of demonstrate or prove as in Jas 3:13. To explain the meaning or significance of something by demonstration. This word is characteristic of John when he means to communicate a divine revelation by means of visions Note the concentration of deiknuo in the most "graphic" NT book, the Revelation, or the revealing = Rev. 1:1; Rev. 4:1; Rev. 17:1; Rev. 21:9; Rev. 21:10; Rev. 22:1; Rev. 22:6; Rev. 22:8. 🙏 THOUGHT - How interesting that in the "revealing" we repeatedly encounter the verb to show, and specifically to show what God's plan is for the consummation of this age. Note that it is the bondservants who will be shown these heretofore previously unrevealed truths! Little wonder that many do not understand (and/or are frightened by the book of the Revelation, for they are not His bondservants, but in fact are "earth dwellers"!). Note especially that 5 of the 33 "showings" are related to heaven! God wants us to see this preview of coming attractions, so that we might be motivated to live accordingly. Mark it down that what you are looking for will determine how you live, for this world or the next. (See related discussion on Vertical Vision) Bondservant (Slave, servant) (1401)(doulos from deo = to bind) describes an individual bound to another in servitude and conveys the idea of the slave's close, binding ties with his master, belonging to him, obligated to and desiring to do his will and in a permanent relation of servitude. In sum, the will of the doulos is consumed, even subsumed in the will of the Master. A bondservant is one who is surrendered wholly to the Master's will and thus devoted to Him, to the disregard of his own interests. Believers in Jesus Christ are not their own, but had been bought with a price, redeemed with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. (1Co 6:19, 20+, 1Pe 1:18,19+). As such, we are now and forever the Personal property of Jesus Christ, His own possession. (Titus 2:14+). No man can serve two masters (Mt 6:24+). Believers once were slaves of Sin (viewed as an a entity, a "master" or a "king") by birth in Adam's likeness (Ro 5:12+), but now are in an unbreakable covenant with Christ, having become slaves of Christ by the new birth (Jn 3:3-7). Bond-servants have no will of their own, no business of their own, no time of their own and to dedicated to their Master, Christ; dependent upon His Spirit to obey His will. He had no rights No right to a soft bed, and a well-laid table. No right to a home of His own, a place where His own pleasure might be sought. No right to choose pleasant, congenial companions, those who could understand Him and sympathize with Him. No right to shrink away from filth and sin, to pull His garments closer around Him and turn aside to walk in cleaner paths. No right to be understood and appreciated; no, not by those upon whom He had poured out a double portion of His love. No right even never to be forsaken by His Father, the One who meant more than all to Him. His only right was silently to endure shame, spitting, blows; to take His place as a sinner at the dock; to bear my sins in anguish on the cross. He had no rights. And I? A right to the “comforts” of life? No, but a right to the love of God for my pillow. A right to physical safety? No, but a right to the security of being in His will. A right to love and sympathy from those around me? No, but a right to the friendship of the One who understands me better than I do myself. A right to be a leader among men? No, but the right to be led by the One to whom I have given my all, led as is a little child, with its hand in the hand of its father. A right to a home, and dear ones? No, not necessarily, but a right to dwell in the heart of God. A right to myself? No, but oh, I have a right to Christ. All that He takes I will give. ll that He gives I will take. He, my only right! He, the one right before which all other rights fade into nothingness. I have full right to Him. Oh, may He have full right to me! (Mabel Williamson - Have We No Rights?) REVELATION: THE "DIVINE TACHOMETER" A tachometer is an instrument for measuring speed, revolutions per minute (RPM) displayed on a dial. Tachometer comes from Greek tachos for "speed") and métron for "measure". In short, a tachometer measures velocity, how fast a car is going. When the motor is off the tachometer is not moving. But once the motor is turned on the tachometer moves. By the same token, when the events of Revelation begin to take place, they will move speedily. The "divine tachometer" will be spinning fast. When the first Seal on the scroll is broken by Jesus, the events in the Revelation of Jesus Christ begin to move quickly and irrevocably toward the consummation of this present age in which we now live. The purpose of true prophecy is not to satisfy our curiosity about the future but to stir up our hearts to do the will of God. -- Warren Wiersbe The things which must (dei) soon (tachos) take place - What are the things? This refers to the prophetic passages, especially Revelation 6-19 and then Revelation 21-22. Notice the verb must which means the events in Revelation are not maybe but must, not optional but integral to the consummation of God's redemptive plan for the ages. God said that certain things must take place, so if God said it that settles it, whether we understand these things or not! "The things which transpire here are not without Scriptural foundation and this is the very reason they must take place." (Tony Garland)
Apocalipse 1
Morris - Having been cleansed of sin’s guilt and power (Rev 1:), we are no longer bond slaves of sin (Romans 6:20-22). But to the One who loved us, that is only the beginning. Those who were slaves became kings and priests, (or “a kingdom of priests”) seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and serving as a holy priesthood, offering up spiritual sacrifices to God (1 Peter 2:5). In the coming kingdom, He promises that we shall actually “reign with him” (Revelation 20:6; 2 Timothy 2:12). But though we shall reign with Him, we are still His servants (Revelation 22:3) and it will be our joy to acknowledge His glory and dominion forever. (Borrow The Revelation Record - page 36)
Apocalipse 1
Morris - The phrase “the Alpha and the Omega” is seen to express not only eternity, but infinitude, the boundless life embracing all while transcending all. A parallel construction was used in Hebrew: the aleph and the tau, meaning “from the beginning to the end” (Borrow The Revelation Record) Walvoord - In concluding the salutation in verse 8, Christ is quoted as declaring Himself to be the Alpha and the Omega, (Revelation 1) Lehman Strauss - He is the eternal “I AM,” a verb indicating being but not becoming. He is before all things, the One who created all things (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16); who controls all things (Hebrews 13), and who will consummate all things (Ephesians 1:10). Everything finds its commencement, course, and consummation in Him. All that letters and language were intended to be, the expression of truth, He is. (Borrow The Book of Revelation page 28)
Apocalipse 1
Morris - “Alpha and Omega!” He Who is the Word, from the first letter to the last letter of all of language itself, comprises all there is, to know and be. In Him “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). (Borrow The Revelation Record - page 38) This description speaks of present, past and future. Who is and Who was and Who is to come - NET has "the One Who is, and Who was, and Who is still to come." This description speaks of present, past and future. He has always existed (“who was”), exists now (“who is”), and will always exist (“who is to come”). It speaks of our Lord’s transcendent, eternal nature. He spans time and dwells in the endless, fathomless depths of eternity. In effect it covers all of time. Jesus is saying He always was and will always be. He is ageless. He is claiming the divine attribute of eternality (See Spurgeon on Eternal). It is surprising that the designation "Eternal God" occurs only twice in the Bible - Deut 33:27+ and Romans 16:26+. That this description is identical to the Father in Rev 1:4 should not disturb us for it simply affirms the unity of the Father and the Son. It is like the Messianic passage in Isaiah 9:6 which calls Jesus the "Eternal Father." Micah 5:2+ alludes to Messiah's eternality writing "“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel (MESSIAH ENTERS "TIME"). His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity (MESSIAH IS TIMELESS)." John 1:1 alludes to His eternality writing "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." There could be no more specific statement of the deity and eternality of Christ. Elmer Towns notes that "There could be no more specific statement of the deity and eternality of Christ. This title of Christ parallels Moses' great affirmation of faith, “From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:2+). Jesus is eternally contemporary, the “I am” of all times. The writer of the Hebrews speaks of “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8+)".(The Names of Jesus) Moses wrote: Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting (olam) to everlasting, You are God. (Ps 90:2+) (See His Attribute - Eternal; See His great Name - El Olam - The Everlasting God - Sing His Name back to Him - Everlasting God)