Commentary on Revelation
Chapter 1
Prologue
The source of the revelation
Rev. 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place; and he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near.
"The revelation of Jesus Christ" means that the revelation is given by Jesus Christ, not that it is a revelation about Jesus Christ. The Greek word for Revelation is Apokalupsis: Apo meaning away from and kalupsis meaning a veiling. Thus, the revelation is an unveiling. In Gal. 1:12 we see that Paul received the gospel by apokalupsis from Jesus Christ and in Gal. 2:2 Paul says that he went up to Jerusalem "by revelation" to preach. The time frame given here is crucial to understanding the book. John was shown things that must "soon take place" and was told that the time was near. The Greek word eggus meaning near or soon is used. The same word is used in Mark 1:15 where we read that "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." A blessing is given to those who read and keep the book. Thus, the book is meant to be understood. Unfortunately, the book tends to be either ignored or elevated to a position shared by no other book in the Bible. Luther thought the book was of little account and Calvin refused to comment upon it. (Considering what Calvin did to other passages this is probably a blessing!)
The salutation
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
The seven churches mentioned in this book were not the only churches in Asia. In particular, Colossae (Col. 1:2), Hierapolis (Col. 4:13), Troas (2 Cor. 2:12; Acts 20:5), and Miletus (Acts 20:17) also had congregations. Why then single out these seven? Some suggest these seven churches were the centers of seven postal districts. Others feel that John must have had some special relationship with these seven churches. Still others feel that since the number seven is used 54 times in this book in a manner that often depicts perfection or completeness, this may have been John's way of addressing the book to all churches. "Grace and peace from him who is, who was, and who is to come": This is similar to other descriptions and titles for God. For example, in Exodus 3:14 God says "I am who I am''; in John 8:58 Jesus says "Before Abraham was, I am.''; and in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus is described as being the same yesterday, today, and forever. As Barclay points out it is interesting to note that John bends the laws of grammar to show his reverence for God. Where we have "from him who is" John retains the nominative case and in effect has "from he who is." John's reverence for God will not allow him to alter the form of his name even when the grammar demands it. Further, where we have "from him who was" John has "from the 'he was'". John uses a grammatically impossible construction to avoid using a form of "to become" that might imply that God could change. Those suffering persecution were particularly concerned with the changelessness of God. He had saved his people in the past- he would save them now. With regard to the seven spirits see also Rev. 3:1; 4:5; and 5:6. Beatus said that the Spirit is one in name but sevenfold in virtue. This may then represent the sevenfold gift of the Spirit. Compare Isaiah 11:2 where we read of the Spirit of the Lord, of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might, of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord. Also, the seven spirits may correspond to the seven churches. Hebrews 2:4 speaks of God as giving "gifts" (shares in Greek) of the Spirit and thus these seven spirits may be the seven shares of the Spirit given to the seven churches. Jesus is called a witness because he has first hand knowledge of God. John used this title for Jesus in John 3:11 and John 18:37. Jesus is the first born; that is, the prototokos. He is the one with power and honor, the one in first place. In Psalm 89:27 God said of David that "I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth." David was not the first-born son of his father Jesse but he was certainly the preeminent son of Jesse. (See also Col. 1:18.) Jesus is the ruler of kings. Earlier, Satan had promised to give Jesus all of the kingdoms of the earth if Jesus would worship him. Jesus obtained these kingdoms not by compromising with Satan but by accepting death on a cross. Lindsey claims that Jesus is not ruling now. What does the Bible say? In 1 Peter 3:22 we see that all powers have been made subject to him. In Eph. 1:22 we read that all things are in subjection under him. In Rev. 2:27 we see that Jesus has power over nations. In Ps. 29:10 we see that God ruled even at the time of the flood. Finally, in Matt. 28:18 we see that Jesus has all authority.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
What did Jesus do for mankind? He freed us from our sin. The phrase "washed us from our sins in his own blood" should read "set us free from our sins at the price of his blood." He redeemed us from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). The popular phrase "washed in his blood" has little basis in the scripture. The best Greek manuscripts have 'luein' (to set free) and not 'louein' (to wash). He loves (present tense) us and set (past tense) us free. Further, Jesus made us a kingdom of priests to God. In Exodus 19:6 God said "You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." Under the old law only the priests had access to God. Through Jesus Christ everyone now enjoys this access to boldly approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
Does the refer to the coming of Christ at the end of the world? If so then it would seem to violate the time frame for the book given a few verses above. Further, recall that although Matthew 24:30 uses similar language, it cannot refer to the end of the world due to the time frame given by Jesus in Matthew 24:34. A better interpretation of the current passage in view of John's time frame would have this verse apply to the figurative return of Christ to judge Rome. The theme of this book is an assurance that Christ will return to rescue Christians being persecuted by their enemies. In Daniel 7, Daniel had a vision in which four powers depicted by beasts ruled the earth. The fourth beast was the Roman empire. (We will treat this in more detail later.) After the days of that beast's power we read in Daniel 7:13-14 that Daniel "saw in the night visions, and, behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, ... and to him was given dominion, and glory, and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him." To the enemies of Christ his return is a threat. Compare Zech. 12:10 where we read "When they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first-born." with John 19:37. When was Zechariah's prophecy fulfilled? In Acts 2:23 we see that the Jews killed Jesus by lawless (that is, by Roman) hands. Jesus came in judgment against Rome as he came in judgment against Jerusalem. In Rev. 22:7 he said he would come without delay.
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
God is the Almighty- that is, the pantokrator or the one who has dominion over all things. The word occurs seven times in the New Testament; once in 2 Cor. 6:18 where the Old Testament is quoted and six times in Revelation. Even though no earthly empire had been able to withstand Rome, John is reassuring the church by reminding them that their God is the Almighty.
The voice and the vision
9 I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, "Write what you see in a book 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."
John did not refer to himself as an apostle or as a close associate of Jesus but as a brother who shares in their tribulation. As Barclay says, John did not preach endurance from his easy chair. Banishment to Patmos for John involved hard labor at the quarries. Sir William Ramsay says that John's banishment would have been "preceded by scourging, marked by perpetual fetters, scanty clothing, insufficient food, sleep on the bare ground, a dark prison, work under the lash of the military overseer." "In the spirit" means under the influence of the Spirit. The reference to Sunday as the Lord's day given here is the first such reference in literature now existing.
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; 14 his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; 16 in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
John uses Old Testament descriptions of God to describe the risen Christ. His head and hair were white, as white wool, like snow: this description is used in Daniel 7:9 to describe the Ancient of Days. His voice was as the sound of many waters: a similar description of God's voice is found in Ezekiel 43:2. He had seven stars in his hand: Job 38:31 says that God controls the stars. A girdle was worn by a priest only when he was officiating on behalf of the people. White is the color of justice and nobility. As in Micah 4:13, his feet of bronze provide the power to trample. The sword from his mouth denotes judgment. In Isaiah 11:4 God smites the earth with the rod of his mouth. Read Hebrews 4:12-13.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter. 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.
What John sees is so incredible he falls as if dead. The purpose of the vision was to show Jesus' power to judge. The command 'Fear not' is directed toward Christians. Jesus is the first and the last: Compare the descriptions of God in Isaiah 44:6 and Isaiah 48:12. Jesus is the living one: Compare Joshua 3:10; Psalm 42:2; and Hos. 1:10. Possessing the keys of death means that he conquered death- he controls it. John is told to write what he is now seeing (what is) and what he is about to see. Jesus tells him to write down everything. In the New Testament a mystery is something that was formerly not understood but which has now been revealed. Read about the mystery of godliness in 1 Timothy 3:16, the mystery of marriage and the Church in Ephesians 5:31-32, the mystery of the hardening of Israel in Romans 11:25, and the mystery of the promise to the Gentiles in Ephesians 3:4. The churches are lampstands. They are not the light and they do not provide the light. The church is an earthly container for the true light- Jesus Christ. Although we are the light of the world, we are not the source of that light. What is the angel of the church? Milligan says that the angel of a given thing is that thing itself in its essential nature. It is invested with angelic personality in order to act out its part in the scheme of the book. Later in Revelation we will find rivers, winds, bowls, trumpets, and books that also have angels.