Revelation Chapter One Breakdown

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

YHWH gave a revelation to Yeshua in order for Him to show it to His servants. This revelation was of things that must take place. Yeshua gave this revelation to John. John proclaimed all the things he saw concerning the testimony of Yeshua.

3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

The one who reads and hears the words of this prophecy as well as keeps the things written within it are blessed. The time is near (John wrote this over 2,000 years ago). Considering how long ago this was written, if we are believers, we must consider our time is the biblical last days.

4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

There are seven churches in Asia, all seven are located in modern day Turkey. Yeshua is the one who is, and who was, and who is to come.

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

Yeshua is coming in the clouds, every eye will see Him as He comes. Even those who pierced Him and hung Him on the tree will see Him descend on a cloud. All the tribes of the earth will mourn at His return.

This is an interesting verse and is used to support preterism, the theory stating Jesus as already returned. Because it says even those who pierced Him will see Him descend. I disregard preterist viewpoints due to the many other things in scripture which must happen first and have yet to take place. The way I see this verse shows one of two things. First, the descendants of those who pierced Yeshua will see Him descend and we know they will, or second those who are in the ground will see 

Him descend, including the ones who pierced Him.

Mark 13:24-27

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

This passage pretty much takes care of the preterism understanding. 

Isaiah 66:15-16

For behold, the Lord will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword The Lord will judge all flesh; And the slain of the Lord shall be many.

When Yeshua comes on the cloud, He will be covered in fire. What a miraculous sight that will be. 

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Yeshua is the first and the last. He reiterates, He is, and was, and is to come. This means, at the time of John’s writing Revelation, Yeshua had not returned.

9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

John makes the claim he is a companion in the tribulation and the kingdom of Yeshua. He is locked away on the Island of Patmos because he preached the word of YHWH and the testimony of Yeshua.

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

John was taken in spirit form to the Lord’s Day. While there he heard a voice like a trumpet which we know was the voice of Yeshua. John is directed to write in a book everything he sees and the book is to be sent to all seven churches of Asia. Those churches are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philidelphia and Laodicea.

12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,  and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.

John sees the seven golden lampstands and Yeshua, who is clothed in a garment from shoulders to feet with a golden wrap on His chest.

14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

Yeshua had a snow white head and hair with flames for eyes. His feet were the color of brass, with a voice sounding like loud running water. Yeshua held seven stars in His right hand. When He spoke a sharp two edged sword emerged. His expression was like the sun shining.

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

When John looked upon him, he fell as if dead. Yeshua told him not to fear in the presence of Him.

18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Yeshua is the one who lives, and had died but lives forever. It is Yeshua who holds the keys to Hades and death.

19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

John is to write the things he sees, the things that are at his time, as well as the things that will come after.

20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

The seven starts are the seven angels of the churches. Notice, these stars are angels. This is a very interesting metaphor we will get into in later chapters. The seven lampstands are the previously mentioned churches of Asia.