Daily Scripture Reading Revelation 1:1-20

From time to time there are people who claim they had a vision or near-death experience in which they saw heaven and/or Jesus. It is logical and proper to question whether they are telling the truth or making up their story. One way to evaluate their claim is to compare their supposed vision of heaven with what the Bible tells us about heaven or visions of heaven.

Today, we will start reading through the book of Revelation. The first chapter contains a vision of heaven seen by John, the author of Revelation. There is one particular line about John’s response to what he saw that we can use to evaluate any so-called near-death experience or vision of heaven that occurs in our lifetime.

Rev. 1:1 ¶ The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His slaves the things which must soon happen; and He indicated this by sending it through His angel to His slave John,

Notice the word “Revelation”. This book reveals Jesus.

The phrase “which must soon happen” tells us this book reveals what will happen in the end times.

Rev. 1:2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the witness of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

Rev. 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it, for the time is near.

Rev. 1:4 ¶ John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from the One who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,

Take note of the name “Asia”. John wrote Revelation to the seven churches in Asia.

Asia was a Roman province in the area known today as Turkey.

Rev. 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—

Rev. 1:6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the might forever and ever. Amen.

Rev. 1:7 BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM, EVEN THOSE WHO PIERCED HIM; and all the tribes of the earth will MOURN OVER HIM. Yes, amen.

Rev. 1:8 ¶ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Rev. 1:9 ¶ I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the witness of Jesus.

Don’t overlook the fact that John called himself a fellow partaker in tribulation. Many Christians think they are entitled to a pain free life, but John, one of the authors of Scripture, endured tribulation. If he was persecuted, we should not be surprised when we are persecuted.

Rev. 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

Rev. 1:11 saying, “Write in a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

This verse lists the seven churches referenced in verse 4.

The seven churches were in the province of Asia, which was in the western end of the area known today as Turkey.

Rev. 1:12 ¶ Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;

Rev. 1:13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.

John saw Jesus.

Rev. 1:14 And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.

Rev. 1:15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters,

Rev. 1:16 and having in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp two-edged sword which comes out of His mouth, and His face was like the sun shining in its power.

Rev. 1:17 ¶ And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not fear; I am the first and the last,

Rev. 1:18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Pay attention to the phrase in verse 17 “fell at His feet like a dead man”. John saw Jesus, but the sight was so frightful that John fell down like a dead man. Remember, John was an apostle of Jesus. John walked with Jesus for several years. And yet, when he saw the glorified Jesus, he was afraid. He was afraid because when we see the true Jesus, we will realize how insignificant and powerless we are compared to Jesus.

There are various people today who claim they saw Jesus in a vision or near-death experience. When they describe their supposed encounter with Jesus, they often do not mention anything about being afraid. Many times their account indicates the opposite, that they had no fear whatsoever. Since John fell down like a dead man when he saw Jesus, I am skeptical of any so-called vision of heaven that does not include being afraid.

Rev. 1:19 Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.

This verse divides the book of Revelation into three parts. The “things which you have seen” refers to John’s vision recorded in chapter one. The “things which are” consists of the letters to the churches which we will read in chapters 2-3. The “things which will take place” refers to the rest of Revelation, the vision of future events.

Rev. 1:20 As for 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 are the seven churches.

From time to time there are people who claim they had a vision or near-death experience in which they saw heaven and/or Jesus. It is logical and proper to question whether they are telling the truth or making up their story. One way to evaluate their claim is to compare their supposed vision of heaven with what the Bible tells us about heaven or visions of heaven.

John was an apostle of Jesus. John walked with Jesus for several years. When he saw the glorified Jesus, he fell down like a dead man. If John, who walked and talked with Jesus here on earth, was afraid when he saw the glorified Jesus, then I think we should assume that if any person today actually sees a vision of heaven, then they will be afraid. Therefore, I am skeptical of any so-called near-death experience that does not include fear.

What supposed near-death experiences have you heard about in which the person having the vision did not recount having any fear whatsoever?

What vision of heaven have you read in which the person seeing the vision fell down like a dead-man similar to how John fell down like a dead man?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”