All the Epistles in Series C for the Sundays after Easter are from Revelation. If you are preaching on any of them here are some notes that proceed from this hermenuetic: Scripture should be read theologically which means liturgically and sacramentally.

This necessarily means that we don't read it to marvel at its literary devices (as is common in the Concordia Commentary Series). The menu is not the meal. But we hear it, and preach it as the revelation that it is: God's revealing of himself to man. To wit: the revealing and open showing of Jesus Christ to sinners for their salvation. But not Jesus as portrayed in the 4 gospels. But Jesus as the Exalted and Eucharisticallly incarnate Lord of the church. Jesus now in Word and Sacrament but to be fully revealed at his coming again in glory. All of that (and whatever else there may be) is included in this "book" and in our mass and kerygma.

To that end I have compiled some notes from the first chapter and pass them on to you should they be of interest.

The first three verses, though not part of our lection for Easter 2, set the tone. Following the Kavouras hermenuetic that if some portion of Scripture is easily divided into versicles and responses it probably was originally used that way, here is what I did with the vss 1-3.

(Sidebar: I translate the genitive "Jesus Christ" as a genitive of apposition. Also I translate "doulos" as worshiper, and not the bland "servant" which is too abstract for the church's book. In so doing I follow a practice I've noticed in the LXX e.g. Jeremiah 13:10, 25:6 and 1 Kings 9:6.)

V: God herein reveals Jesus Christ to John by his angel so that he [John] might show         his [Christ's] worshipers, the things which must quickly come to pass.
R: He signified [these things] by sending them to his worshiper John;

V: Who bore witness to the Word of God,
R: and to the testimony of Jesus Christ that he beheld.

V: Happy is the reader of the words of this prophecy,
R: And [happy] its hearers who keep the things that are Inscripturated herein.

ALL: For the time is short!

I begin my reading of Revelation by assuming that what is taking place here is an actual Eucharist on the Lord's Day, Christ's Day, the Day he intervenes into the affairs of men with his grace, mercy and peace. It is being celebrated by John the Bishop of Ephesus and 24 actual Presbyters who are there with him, along with many other Christians.

Because of their suffering for the Lord's testimony he gives them a special revelation, as he did, e.g. to St. Stephen, and to Sts. Perpetua and Felicitas. (Cf Hebrews 12:18ff, and 2 Cor 12:2ff for more suffering saints given special visions.)

A door to heaven is opened to him (4:1) and he is given to see what factually occurs whenever the church eats this bread and drinks this cup.

"The revelation of Jesus Christ" could be taken as an objective genitive, or genitive of apposition. As a genitive of apposition it means: the revelation which IS Jesus Christ. This is what happens in the Eucharist: Jesus is revealed. Made known by the breaking of the Bread.

Thus we should not assume mere verbiage here, or visions within the prophetic eye of John alone, and now in writing, but having no basis in reality. Would we not be more true to the incarnate Christian religion to assume the factual reality of what is here described?

Consider the following translation/interpretation:

"God herein reveals Jesus Christ to John by his angel so that he [John] might show his [Christ's] worshipers, the things which must quickly come to pass."

1:1 The Divine Service is the venue where such things take place by both Word and Sacrament. We know the Word explicates the future, but so does the Sacrament. Each Eucharist is an installment of the parousia. Not just a symbol of sign of it, but God's kingdom bit by bit, day by day, factually establishing itself on earth until the prophecy of Rev. 12:10 come true: The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ.

The parousia is inherent in Eucharist which is both judgment, and salvation. Judgment on our enemies, and salvation for the Baptized. We should always remember that.

1:2 When John bears witness to the Word of God, we should not imagine verbiage, but John sees him who is the incarnate Word of God. The person of Jesus. Not only before the ascension, but now in the flesh as well, in the Eucharist and as the heavenly High Priest. And to the testimony ... here Johns does bear witness to the message that the incarnate Word speaks, and transmits the same to his hearers, to the seven churches, to all churches throughout history, and the world at large via this prophecy.

1:3 Note that what transpired on Patmos on that particular Lord's (Christ's) Day was recorded and was to be read aloud in the churches, and heard by all whom the Spirit should gather therein. Both the Reader / Lector, and the Hearers are "makarios" for their reading and for their hearing. For the time is indeed near. Maranatha. Christ is about to come to those gathered in the Mass, just as surely as he will make his final return.

In the Eucharist both happen at once. Time is compressed. Erased. So that in the former we see the latter, even as in the latter we shall receive the former in its fullness. For Christians the time is always near. We are never more than 7 days away from the parousia. Maranatha.

1:4 Note the benediction in v. 4. The very one the church still employs in the liturgy of the Word, which now commences for John and his fellow exiles. Sent to this gulag: on account of the his beholding Jesus, and hearing his testimony.

Are we to assume that the "grace and peace" extended are merely churchly etiquette, or conceptual in nature? Or are palpable tokens of grace and peace about to be factually given as believers experience intimate communioni with their Lord by this Sacrament?

1:5 Note who speaks at this Divine Service: Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the risen One, the one who is himself ruler over the kings of the earth, those kings who imprison the Lord's servant, thus persecuting the Lord himself. (Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me...) Jesus Christ is speaking. He who loves us, and though we are prisoners, has freed us from our sins by his blood. (this is why a crucifix is needed to preach the Lutheran gospel, and why a cross won't do).

1:6 Scripture is the church's book. Christ ORDAINED us a Kingdom of Priests to his God and Father. Not a school of management executives, motivational speakers, life coaches, psychologists or sociologists. But liturgical, ecclesiastical people who practice a religion, namely who gather with Christ on his Day to celebrate the divine mysteries.

1:7 Was this a future vision, of what occurs in the Eucharist? Christ coming on the clouds? Yes. But is there more? Might there have also been incense involved, to simulate the Lord's cloudy return? That is one of the chief justifications for its use in the church. It is not for mere effect, or an ecclesiastical air freshner. But it represents the prayers of God's people, and acts as an incarnational simulation of our Lord's return on the clouds (when it's done well).

The "Amen" is significant here! It is not pious verbiage, but the congregational response to all this is said on the actual occasion. Or if not original, then it was no doubt added at a future date for use in the churches where this prophecy was read. It is a liturgical response, because Scripture is a liturgical book.

1:8 One would also do well to to contend that verse eight was read as Versicle and Response as this grand writing was read in the churches.

1:10 So that we might read Scripture aright, the Lord's Day is Christ's Day. The Day he intervenes into the affairs of men. Intervenes to judge sin, to kill it in his people by remission, and to give us new life, hope and strength to live for him, by the sacrament. To give us consolation, that should even our "father and mother forsake us" (Psalm 27) the Lord will "never leave us nor forsake us." (Heb 13:5) But to the contrary, by this Real Presence he is with church until the end of the age: at which time she will be with him at His Father's side.

To be "in the Spirit" has nothing to do with the intensity of one's religious fervor. But everything to do with baptism which connects us to the vine (wine) that resurrects from the ground, namely Christ, the New Adam, raised not from virgin soil, but from the virgin's womb.

There is more to say, but let this suffice for now.

Thanks for reading,
DCK