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The Revelation of Jesus Christ
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| 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: 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 1:4 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; 1:5 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 us from our sins in his own blood, 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 1:7 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. 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
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An opportunity to explore the Bible using the Bible itself as the map |
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1. Find out what the Bible says about
"Revelation","Jesus
Christ" and eventually every phrase in Revelation.
2. Allow the Holy Spirit to quicken your understanding. 3. Compare your views with the Scriptures To get the most out of this experience, we recommend that you study reverently and spiritually rather than academically. |
“…the
things of the Spirit of God
…are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14 |
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How to use the Prophetic Verses online Bible study site |
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| 1. From the Revelation chapter in the left hand column, click the word or phrase you are interested in studying. This will take you to the first page of the study related to that word or phrase.
2. Many of the words occur more than once in the Book of Revelation. If the word you select appears earlier in the Book of Revelation, then you will always be taken to the FIRST occurence of that word. 3. Click a Bible book in the left hand column to go directly to the verses from that Book in which the word or phrase occurs. |
4. You can always get back to the beginning by clicking 'home' near the top right hand corner. 5. The verses are divided into groups with a picture for each group. The picture illustrates one or more of the verses in that group. 6. The notes, in the left hand column below the list of Bible books, relate to the specific page on which they appear. They aim to clarify the meaning and significance of the word or phrase within the context of the verses on that page. |
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From papyrus bark to printing press |
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| The Bible began as an oral record of God's interractions with man - until Moses, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, began to write it down on papyrus. In fact the term 'biblos', from which the word 'Bible' comes, refers to the inner bark of the papyrus plant. By Jesus' time the Bible had grown, into what we now call the Old Testament, and been transfered onto scrolls. To get to a particular passage it was necessary to unwind one side and wind up the other side until the desired passage was reached - rather like using an old audio tape to access a piece of music. Some papyrus scrolls were 35 feet long.
In that same era, papyrus was giving way to parchment (made from leather) as the material chosen for writing down Scripture. Around the second century, scrolls were replaced by codices - each hand-written codex was a book made up of folded sheets or leaves. |
However parchment scrolls continued to be used in Jewish synagogues. Movable clay type was first invented in China in 1041. But the first printing press was invented in Germany in 1440, by Johannes Gutenberg. The very first book that Gutenberg printed was the Bible, known as the 42-line Gutenberg Bible because there were 42 lines on each page. The development of the printing press revolutionised not only printing but also the sciences, arts and religion, making written material, including the Bible, available to the masses for the first time. During the centuries, many newer printing technologies were developed based on Gutenberg's printing machine e.g. offset printing. But it has basically remained the standard right up to the 20th century. |
 Luther's German New Testament was published in 1522. The first complete printed Modern English translation of the Bible (Old and New Testament) was compiled by Myles Coverdale and published in 1535. The Authorized King James Version is an English translation first published in 1611. |
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The stones would cry out |
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The Bible continues to be the most translated book in the world. It is currently thought to be translated into about 2,500 languages. This enables about 98% of the world's population to read it in a language in which they are fluent. "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."
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In the 21st century the stones themselves can indeed shout God's praises.
Today we are in a unique position not only to study the Word of God electronically but also to use these new tools to give the message more clearly. "...to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." |
 Our vision is to use this knowledge for His glory and purposes. And so we are delighted and awed to continue developing the Propetic Verses on-line Bible study. Delighted because we receive such a blessing from compiling these pages, and awed because God has seen fit not only to put it into our hearts to do this work but also to give the resources to complete it. |
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The Prophetic Verses study uses the principles established by Scripture itself |
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On the road to Emmaus, Jesus went through the Bible expounding on those verses that spoke of Himself “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” He was using a thematic approach. And when God spoke to Habakkuk, He told him to write the vision down plainly so that people 'on the move' could spread the message. He wanted the meaning to be presented in as clear a manner as possible. “… the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”
Habakkuk 2:2 This Prophetic Verses study, based on the book of Revelation, uses the Bible to interpret itself using these methodologies. It is divided into phrases, each with a particular theme or thought. |
The study of each phrase ‘unpacks’ what the Bible says about that topic and is used to make up a book, or table, of Bible verses that ‘make plain’ the topic. For example, the all-important phrase “Jesus Christ” inspires a table which tells us what the Bible says about Jesus, clearly revealing His loving ministry to the people of the world. In the Book of Isaiah, the prophet predicts a time when even the remnant of God's people will err in vision because of 'drunkenness'. A time when they despise the simple way the Lord is trying to teach them - here a little, there a little, rule upon rule. “… precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little…”
Isaiah 28:13 Although He is seeking to relieve their burdens and give them peace, they resent His efforts. And so they get caught up, trapped and lost. |
 This Prophetic Verses compilation uses the simple technique of studying the Bible word by word as each word appears in its pages, 'here a little, there a little' 'rule upon rule'. What shall our response be? |
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The First Chapter of Revelation |
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The beginning of the Book of Revelation heralds the start of the last scriptural period of revelation - the time when Jesus appeared in vision to John on the island of Patmos.
This vision covers the era stretching from the formation of the Christian church to the very end of the world. It is given in great and glorious detail. It is a creative work of art that often uses symbolic language and imagery, and we need spiritual discernment to understand it. But the reason for this revelation is not obscure. It is clearly to equip and prepare God’s people, especially those who will be alive just prior to His glorious appearing in the clouds. This is the back drop to the Prophetic Verses compilation that follows. Based on the book of Revelation, it is a deep exploration of the Bible using the Bible itself as the map. Just as much as it gives us insight into this Revelation, may it help to equip us and prepare us to meet our Lord when He comes. This is the prayer of the compilers. |
The first two verses of this chapter promise that this book is all
about Jesus. John, His disciple, had been exiled to the island of
Patmos for preaching the word of God and the word of Jesus. This
'Revelation' is his letter to seven churches in the province of
Asia. Jesus declares Himself to be the one who is, who always was,
and who is still to come, the Almighty One. The Lord has a special day 'the Lord's Day'. It was on this day that Jesus revealed Himself to John to give him the message for the seven churches in Asia. And John saw Jesus in awesome heavenly attire walking amongst these churches, holding up those who spread His Gospel. His face is as bright as the sun, his hair white, his eyes like flames of fire. His voice thunders out words which, like a two-edged sword, cut through doubt and defence. No wonder John fainted as dead at His feet! But Jesus pulled him up, reassuring him: "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave." Magnificent! |
 This first chapter of Revelation is so rich in imagery and concept that as each phrase is studied – “Revelation”, “Jesus Christ”, “God”, “gave” …. – we do indeed experience a revelation of God, His personal commitment and loving ministry to humankind. |
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