Revelation 1:1

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Hi all,

The following, though a condensed version of a study on my website,
is fairly a long post.  It portrays how the Book of Revelation
is MAJORLY a book about man's salvation, and not so much Endtime
events as many feel it is. I feel the following notes prove that point
to be true.  It regards Revelation 1:1.



Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show 
unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and 
signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

This verse gives us the introductory thought which is to be kept in mind
when reading Revelation.  It informs us that the whole book of
Revelation is based upon the "revelation" which God gave to Jesus
that Jesus might give it to us, his servants.

In a study I made, as appears at the URL address:
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/mfblume/bitelife.htm,
I pointed out that the whole scope of human salvation due to Genesis'
predicament of man's fall into sin is answered in the Book of Revelation.
Adam was to go to the Tree of Life, pluck its fruit and eat eternal 
life.  But he sinned, and was cast out blocked by cherubims and a
flaming sword.

When we think of the need for someone without sin to pass the barrier
of cherubims, then pluck the fruit of eternal life and give it to 
mankind, as we read the Book of Revelation, it all becomes most clear
what major message God is relaying through Revelation.

The major thought of Revelation is laid out in verse 1.  That thought
concerns A "revelation" which God gave to Jesus to give to the saints.  
The question arises, though, what is the nature of this "revelation is.

Revelation ch. 4 shows Heaven and a throne in heaven.  John did not 
represent the raptured saints simply because he saw a vision of heaven, 
as some people think.  John simply had a vision.  That is all.  And in 
that vision he seen God sitting on a throne.  And around the Throne were
four beasts and a sea of crystal glass (Rev. 4:6).  When we read verse
7 we get a description of those four beasts.  And we find that these
beasts had the same four faces which the CHERUBIMS in Ezekiel 10:1,14
and Ezekiel 1:10.  Recall that CHERUBIMS blocked Adam from the
Tree of Life in the Garden.  These four beasts were CHERUBIMS, then.

Then in Revelation 5:1, John sees God on the throne holding a little
sealed book.  And a voice cries for a worthy one to come and take the 
book from the hand of God and open it.  Now, we must recall that
four beasts surrounded that throne just as cherubims blocked the
Garden.  In order for one to take the book from God's hand, one would
have to walk past the four beasts (cherubims) and take the book just like
a sinless man could have walked past the cherubims into the Garden and
take the fruit of life from the tree of life!!!

What we are reading in Revelation is a parallel vision to Genesis'
portrait of the Garden and Eden and Tree of Life.  It is the asnwer to 
mankind's dilemma of not having access to the tree of life.

Beasts which looked like cherubims blocked the throne just as
cherubims blocked the Tree of Life.

No "man" was worthy (Rev 5:4).  And the mention of a "man" was notable 
since "man" sinned in the Garden.  And since all are born in sin, no MAN
could pass the beasts just as Adam could not pass the Cherubims due
to his sin.

But suddenly, Rev. 5 says the LION of Judah has prevailed to open the 
book!

Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the 
four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been 
slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of 
God sent forth into all the earth.

This verse said that BETWEEN (in the midst) of the throne and the
four beasts was a lamb.  This Lamb PASSED the beasts!  He walked
past the cherubimic barrier to the Garden, in effect!  He was worthy!
He was without sin!

Rev 5:7  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that 
sat upon the throne.

Praise God!  He walked past the beasts, for He was between the beasts 
and the throne, and came to the throne and took the book!  In effect,
He walked past the cherubims into the Garden and plucked a fruit 
of life from the tree of life.

God is the Tree of Life.  The fruit is represented by the little sealed
book.

Rev. 1:1 says that God had a "revelation" which He gave to Jesus.  That
"revelation" is represented by the fruit of life and the little book.
Obviously this revelation would give a man eternal life!  The parallel
is too perfect for the symbolism of Rev 5 not to represent eternal life.

After He took the book, we know it represented His work of salvation 
for us because we read:

Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and 
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, 
and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the 
book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast 
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and 
people, and nation;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall 
reign on the earth.

Taking the book effected redemption!

Adam was KING over earth, for God gave Him dominion.  When Adam sinned,
he was cast out of his THRONEROOM, the Garden, and lost dominion.
But when Jesus took the book, the very beasts which blocked Adam
out of the Garden shouted that Christ redeemed them by His blood,
and made them KINGS TO RULE ON THE EARTH.

And Rev 1:1 says that Jesus was to SHOW that revelation to his servants 
This He did.

Rev 6:1  And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as 
it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and 
see.
Rev 6:2  And I saw,...

One of the very beasts that BLOCKED Adam from the Garden, now is seen
INVITING John to come on in and look!  To be SHOWN the revelation
which God gave to Jesus Christ!

Praise god, just as Rev. 1:1 said that God gave the Revelation to
Jesus Christ to show His servants, God gave Jesus the little book
and Jesus showed it to John!

This ties into Rev. 10.

Rev 10:1  And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed 
with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it 
were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
Rev 10:2  And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right 
foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
Rev 10:3  And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when 
he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

Here the LION is roaring as a lion, Jesus Christ.  This mighty angel
is Jesus Christ, if you study Rev 1 and Matthew 17:1-2 out.  And
He held an open book!  The fruit of life for man to eat and live forever.
He was a lamb in sacrifical death, but was the LION in victory.

Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the 
little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall 
make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

In effect, John ate the fruit of eternal life when he ate the little 
book!!  

In John 17:1-3, with all this in mind, the prayer of Jesus,
just before he was crucified to save us, comes to life more than
it would had we not understood what that little book represented
the fruit of eternal life.  With the thought in mind of God holding
the book, like the tree held the fruit of life, and Jesus taking the
book as though He plucked the fruit from the tree, we can really get a 
blessing as we read the following:

John 17:1  These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and 
said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may 
glorify thee:
John 17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should 
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
John 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only 
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

God GAVE Him POWER, as though He gave Him the "revelation."  And, in turn
, Jesus would GIVE US ETERNAL LIFE!!!!

The following verses all portray the same thought of God the Father
holding that which He gave to the Son in order for the Son to give
to us.  Think about the tree of life and the fruit combined with
the taking of the little book from the Father, as you read:

1 John 1:2  (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear 
witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, 
and was manifested unto us;)

1 John 5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us 
an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him 
that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and 
eternal life.

John 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never 
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Rom 6:23  ...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our 
Lord.

John 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him 
shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a 
well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Psa 25:14  The secret (sealed book represents a secret) of the LORD is 
with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.

John 5:20  For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that 
himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may 
marvel.

John 7:16  Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but 
his that sent me.

Folks, the little book represents the eternal life found in the
revelation of salvation through Christ!!!  I like to call the
Book of Revelation the "Gospel of Revelation" for it shows
in symbolic fashion the Gospel!!!

---------------------------------------------
-- 
In Christ,
Mike Blume
mfblume@ns.sympatico.ca
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/mfblume/mblume.htm