THE
BOOK OF REVELATIONA Study of
The Last Prophetic Book
of Holy Scripture
by Clarence Larkin
1919
The Salutation
Chapter 1:4-6.
"JOHN to the Seven Churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which Is, and which Was, and which IS TO COME; and from the 'Seven Spirits' which are before HIS Throne; and from Jesus Christ who is the FAITHFUL WITNESS, and the FIRST BEGOTTEN OF THE DEAD, and the PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH. Unto Him that LOVED US and WASHED (Loosed) US from our sins in His own blood. And hath made us KINGS and PRIESTS unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
The Salutation is addressed to the "Seven Churches Which Are In Asia." By Asia is not meant the great Continent of Asia, or even the whole of Asia Minor, but only the western end of Asia Minor bordering on the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, and about the size of the State of Pennsylvania. Neither do these Seven Churches mean that there were only seven churches in that district, for there were at least three other churches, that of Colosse, Col. 1:2; Hierapolis, Col. 4:13; and Troas, Acts 20:6-7. These seven Churches then must be representative or typical churches, chosen for certain characteristics typical of the character of the Church of Christ, not only in that day, but on down the centuries until the Church shall be removed from the earth, and represent seven church periods clearly defined in Church History. This we shall see, in our study of chapters two and three, to be the case.
Map: The Seven Churches
Enlarged view
In the Benediction--"Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the Seven Spirits which are before His Throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness, etc.," we behold the Trinity. Here Jesus is distinguished from--"HIM (the Father) which Is, and which Was, and which Is To Come," but in verse 8, He claims the same Title, which only proves that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh, and that He and the Father are one.
It is also worthy of note that the "Threefold Office" of Jesus, as PROPHET, PRIEST, and KING is brought out in the Salutation. He is called the "Faithful Witness," as such he is a PROPHET. As the "First Begotten From The Dead," He carried His own blood into the Heavenly Tabernacle, and thus performed the work of a PRIEST. As the "Prince Of The Kings Of The Earth," as He will be when He takes the Throne, He will be a KING. As Prophet Jesus is God's WORD, as Priest He is God's LAMB, and as King He is God's LION.
John also emphasizes the fact that Jesus LOVED us before He WASHED (Loosed) us from our sins in His own blood, and that He has made us "Kings" and "Priests" unto God, and that we need no human Priest to stand between us and God.
The Announcement
"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall SEE HIM,
and they also which PIERCED HIM: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.
Even so, Amen." Revelation 1:7.
This refers to the Second Stage of Christ's Coming, the "Revelation" or "Appearing." The First Stage of His Coming, the "Rapture," is not mentioned in the Book. This will fulfil Zech. 12:10, "They (the Jews) shall look upon Me (Jesus) whom they have PIERCED." This is confirmatory of the view that the Book of Revelation deals mainly with the events that follow after the "Rapture" and precede and attend the "Revelation" or the coming to the earth of the Lord.
It is difficult to imagine the grief and remorse that will fill the hearts of those Jews who shall witness the return of the Lord to the Mount of Olives, when they shall see in His hands and feet the "PRINT OF THE NAILS," and He shall be revealed as the One they crucified. Like Thomas they will cry, "MY LORD AND MY GOD." John 20:24-29. The Prophet Zechariah (Zech. 12:9-14) describes it as a time of great "BITTERNESS" and a day of great mourning in Jerusalem, when families will separate themselves from their neighbors and mourn every family apart. And not only shall the Jews mourn because they rejected Him when He came the first time, but the nations of the earth will WAIL when they realize that He has come back, not as a Saviour, but a Judge to punish them for their iniquities.
Prophecy Digested
Prove All Things knowing that all Prophecy is about Jesus and God revealing His Son…To us..for our…Salvation. We post material that is questionable, objectionable, and in the opinion of the Editor of the Prophetic Perspective, valid to use as God chooses to. Sometimes that is highly suspect as material setting “dates” of the Rapture is, but often these posts, may have pieces that are correct to futher study.
“Rarely is anyone ALL RIGHT or ALL WRONG”
Fair Use Notice
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work herein is archived under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only.
“a Biblical Prophecy site”
Last Days of the Last Generation “Last Generation”
The simple format “the prophecy site just about prophecy”
‘IN THE LATTER DAYS, PEOPLE WOULD BE LOVERS OF SELF RATHER THAN LOVERS OF GOD’
We do well to seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness
Not a political or personal agenda
Just Jesus
PLEASE!
This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, is a ministry of Michael James Stone, volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them. May God Bless You as You Do!! Reading these Devotions will help you to prepare daily for life, living, and your Lord. You will hear God Speak To You thru them. Jesus is Coming Very Soon.
Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity, operates by you, with you, and for you. “Freely you have received, freely give” Pass this on, everywhere you can, anytime you can, anyway you can. You will be blessed if you do.LastCallDigest@michaeljamesstone.com
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.