Revelation Chapter One Word Nuggets

[things] These "things (i.e. events) which must shortly come to pass" are the subject matter of the book:

1. Events of the whole church age (Rev. 1 -- Rev. 3)

2. Events in heaven (Rev. 4 -- Rev. 5)

3. Events of the future tribulation of Daniel's 70th week (Rev. 6 -- Rev. 19)

4. Events of the Millennium (Rev. 20)

5. Events of the eternal new heavens and the new earth (Rev. 21 -- Rev. 22)

g [shortly] Greek: tachos (GSN-<G5034>), swiftness; speed; quickly. Translated "shortly" (Rev. 1:1; 22:6; Acts 25:4; Rom. 16:20); "quickly" (Acts 12:7; 22:18; Rev. 2:5); and "speedily" (Lk. 18:8). The idea is that this series of events must begin quickly.

h [signified] Greek: semaino (GSN-<G4591>), to show or point out; announce; to make a note of. That it does not mean that all things are in symbols is clear from its use elsewhere (Rev. 1:1; Jn. 12:33; 18:32; 21:19; Acts 11:28; 25:27). It simply means to make a clear record.

i [unto his servant John] The book was transmitted from God to Christ, to the angel, to John, to the churches, to us (Rev. 1:1,11).

Notes For Verse 3

a [Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein] Three classes blessed:

1. Those who read the Revelation.

2. Those who hear it.

3. Those who keep things written therein.

b [prophecy] Greek: propheteia (GSN-<G4394>), occuring seven times in Revelation, indicating the prophetic aspect of the book (Rev. 1:3; 11:6; 19:10; 22:7,10,18,19).

Seven rules regarding prophecy:

1. Understand prophecy as history written beforehand.

2. Give the same meaning to words of prophecy as you do the words of history.

3. Do not seek for hidden meanings.

4. Do not think prophecy must be fulfilled before it can be understood.

5. Do not interpret God's own interpretation of anything in prophecy.

6. Take all prophecy literally unless it is clear that it cannot have a literal meaning. Then get the literal truth conveyed by the figurative language.

7. Let the Bible be its own interpreter.