And he sent forth his angel and presented it in signs through him to his slave John.” (Revelation 1:1)

17. (a) What assurance is given at Revelation 22:6? (b) What should we be alert to avoid?

¹⁷ Revelation’s happy readers will remember that words similar to these occur at the beginning of the “scroll.” (Revelation 1:1, 3)

If Revelation had been read into your ears about 96 C.E., would you have said you were hearing dreams of a lonely man exiled on an island or would you have acknowledged it as “a revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him” (Rev. 1:1), and that it was made known by God’s spirit as the medium to carry the communication to earth?

6. What does God’s spirit have to do with thirteen other events described in the Bible?

⁶ Examine just a few of the many more events that you will find in the Bible and that are results of Jehovah God’s spirit in operation: (1) Creation—Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30; (2) Birth of Jesus—Matthew 1:18; (3) Resurrection of Jesus—Romans 8:11; (4) Miracles performed by Jesus—Matthew 12:28; Acts 10:38; (5) Jesus’ baptism—Matthew 3:16; (6) New ministers to be baptized must recognize spirit’s operation—Matthew 28:19; (7) Providing Cornelius with help—Acts 10:1-48; (8) Building of temple in Solomon’s time—1 Chronicles 28:11, 12; (9) Feeding Israelites—Nehemiah 9:20, 21; (10) Interpreting of Pharaoh’s and Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams—Genesis 41:25, 38, 39; Daniel 4:18; (11) Producing the Bible—2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 3:16; (12) Appointing overseers in Christian congregations—Acts 20:28; (13) Getting proclamation of God’s kingdom in last days accomplished, earth wide—Revelation 1:1; 14:6; Matthew 24:14.

So its writing was near the close of the first century of our Common Era; and Revelation, chapter one, verse one, says: “A revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show his slaves the things that must shortly take place.”

According to Revelation 1:1, why could what is described in Revelation, chapter twelve, not have occurred back at Eden?

And he sent forth his angel and presented it in signs through him to his slave John.”—Rev. 1:1.

And since with God “a thousand years [is] as one day,” “shortly” may well mean a thousand years or more.—Eccl. 3:1; Dan. 12:9; Rev. 1:1; 2 Pet. 3:8.

One must be fully on Jehovah’s side and appreciate spiritual riches, which come in rendering exclusive devotion to Jehovah.—Rev., chapters 1 to 3.

(b) Revelation chapter 1 portrays Christ as doing what, indicating that he is a thorough overseer?

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him.”—Apocalypsis Re 1:1, Dy.

Happy is he who reads aloud and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and who observe the things written in it; for the appointed time is near.” (Rev. 1:1-3)

John wrote the Revelation toward the close of the first century and spoke of the reign of Christ as yet future, as one of the “things that must shortly take place.” (Rev. 1:1, NW)

John projects the abyssing of Satan into the distant future, thus remaining in harmony with the other apostles.—Revelation, chapters one and two.

1:1 118

1:1, 5 148