A Sample Passage from the Comments on Revelation:

AN UNVEILING OF AND FROM JESUS CHRIST

(REVELATION)

The Prologue (1:1-20)

Chapter 1

1.  An unveiling of, and which is, Jesus Christ (or: A disclosure from Jesus [the] Anointed; A revelation which pertains to Jesus [the Messiah]) which God gave by Him (in Him; for Him; to Him) to point out to His slaves that which continues necessary to come to be (or: be birthed; happen) in swiftness (= speedily; or: shortly) [note: this phrase means either the manner in which events will happen, or that it is quickly going to happen].  And sending [Him] as an emissary (or: representative), through means of His agent (or: messenger) He indicated [it] by signs (or: symbols) to (or: in; for) His slave John,

The first word of this letter describes the nature of its overall contents: an unveiling; a disclosure; a revelation.  It speaks of something that had been veiled, undisclosed and not previously seen – but now would be.  The genitive case of the Name, “Jesus,” and the title, “Christ (= Messiah),” can be rendered according to the different functions of the case:

            a) of Jesus Christ: it is an unveiling of Him

            b) which is Jesus Christ: the unveiling itself (via words; in the form of visions) is Jesus

            Christ

            c) from Jesus [the] Anointed: Jesus is the immediate source of this disclosure to John 

            d) which pertains to Jesus [the Messiah]: the revelation has reference to Him; He is the

            main topic and the main message – the Lamb rules: the old has passed; the new has come.

With this in mind, and being aware of what lies ahead in this Unveiling, consider Jesus’ words in

Lu. 17:

29.  "but on the day in which Lot came (or: at one went) out from Sodom, it suddenly rained fire and sulphur from [the] sky and atmosphere (or: fire – even deity and the divine nature – from heaven), and at once destroyed them all.

30.  "Down from and in accord with the very same things will it proceed being – on the Day in which the Son of the Man (= Adam's Son; = the eschatological messianic figure) is being progressively UNVEILED (or: continues being revealed and disclosed).

God is the author of this unveiling disclosure.  He gave it by the resurrected Christ.  The unveiling occurred "in Christ."  The revelation was for Jesus, and it was a gift to Him.  Barclay (ibid p 23) points us to the words of Jesus in Jn. 7:16, "My teaching is not My own, but rather belongs to and comes from the One sending Me." Cf Jn. 12:49.  The purpose here was for Him to point out to His slave events and situations that were going to come to be – be birthed into existence, happen, or occur.  It was binding and necessary for these things to happen – necessary to God's "plan of the ages" (Eph. 3:11).  The events would happen swiftly, and as many interpret the Greek phrase, en taxei, they would occur shortly, or soon.

The next statement has God as the antecedent of the participle sending, with Jesus Christ being the One that God sent (indicated by [Him] in my translation).  Next we see that Jesus indicated [the unveiling/revelation/disclosure] by signs (and symbols) through means of His agent (or: messenger).  That is, Christ used His agent to disclose the information to, in or for His slave, John.  Any of the functions (to, in or for) of the dative case of this final phrase seem to fit the context.  The messages are given to John, but this could have happened in him.  The entire complex of disclosures was for John so that they could be written down by him.

You will observe that I do not transliterate the Greek word angelos with the word "angel," for this is misleading.  Rather, I translate the word, which means, "an agent; a messenger."  This term is used in different ways in the book, sometimes as being part of a vision, sometimes as someone speaking with John.  Here, in vs. 1, it could even be seen as referring to Jesus Christ, as God's agent to John in the prologue.  We must look to the context of each occurrence of the word.  In chapters 2 and 3, below, we find the word used enigmatically with reference to each called-out, covenant community.  As noted in the introduction, we need to be alert to the use of signs and symbols in this apocalyptic letter, else we may be misled into literalistic interpretations which are contrary to this genre of literature.

. . . More Sample Passages/Verses:

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