Revelation 1:1–8

TABLE 9.4: The Seven Blessings in Revelation

Given the significance of numbers in Revelation, and especially the import of the number seven (fifty-five occurrences), it seems significant that there are seven blessings. The sevenfold blessing probably signifies completeness and fullness in the blessing promised. The contents of the blessings all relate to future reward promised to believers, to bliss they will experience after a period of testing.

Here the blessing is promised to the one who reads the book aloud and to those who hear and keep it. We see here that the book was read out loud to the churches receiving it. The oral impact of the book is slighted in Western cultures, where the reading of Scripture in church is confined to brief passages, and most private reading is silent. We can imagine, however, the impact this stunning book had on those who first heard its message. Blessing comes from hearing the message of the book, but hearing alone doesn’t bring blessing, for hearing must be accompanied by obeying. The book of Revelation isn’t merely information; it shouldn’t be confused with a prophecy chart. The book calls upon its readers to act, to heed the message conveyed, and we shall see the focus is on the call to persevere to the end. The message must be attended to, since the “time is near” (1:3).³ Readers must not compromise with the world and grow lackadaisical, as if they had plenty of time to respond. The call to obedience is urgent and must be heeded immediately. We should also note that the message of the book is also designated as “prophecy.” The book isn’t limited to apocalypse but is also prophetic in nature. We could say that the book is prophetic-apocalyptic.

1:4 The epistolary character of the book now surfaces as John writes to seven churches. The seven churches are named in 1:11, and thus are not merely symbolic but rather real churches in particular locations in the Greco-Roman world. The historical character of John’s writing is apparent from the reference to Asia, a Roman province in the western part of what is today Turkey. Emperor worship was quite common during the first century in the province of Asia, and hence, as we shall see, John’s message was directed to concrete circumstances in the life of the churches. Still, the number seven seems to have symbolic import as well, for the message ultimately isn’t limited to the seven churches but applies to all churches throughout history.

As is typical in Christian letters, we find a grace wish (e.g., Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:2; 2 John 3) extended to the readers. In this instance the grace wish concludes in verse 6 with a doxology. What is particularly striking is the Trinitarian nature of the grace wish, for the Father, Spirit, and Son are all mentioned. No other grace wish in the NT includes the Spirit, making this one distinctive.

The prayer for grace also includes peace. Grace refers to God’s gracious favor granted freely from the abundance of his love, while peace centers on the right relationship with God belonging to believers as a result of God’s grace. Here the focus is on the subjective experience of that peace, since Christians are already in a right relationship with God. Believers continue to need God’s grace and peace daily, especially when they face persecution and discrimination from the world. Hence John prays that they will know God’s grace and peace from the Father, Spirit, and Son.

Grace and peace come first from the Father, who is designated as the one “who is and who was and who is to come.” John alludes to Exodus 3:14, where the Lord reveals his name to Moses by declaring, “I AM WHO I AM.” In Exodus Yahweh discloses himself as the everlasting God who reigns over heaven and earth, and as the covenant God faithful to his people and his promises to them (cf. Ex. 6:3–8). Isaiah particularly picks up on the “I am” formula from Exodus (e.g., Isa. 41:4, 10; 42:8; 43:3, 5, 10, 11, 25).⁴ Isaiah emphasizes Yahweh as Israel’s Creator, Lord, and Savior in a situation where Israel fears it will never be liberated from exile but instead will be swallowed up by Babylon forever. So too John in Revelation calls attention to the greatness of God. He “is”—i.e., he reigns over the world and the church, even though the Roman Empire contests his lordship. He “was”—he has always been the sovereign Lord of history. There has never been a time he was not mighty God of the entire creation. He is the “coming one”—he is coming to establish his rule over the world in a new and decisive way. Yes, God has always been King and Lord, but the fullness and completeness of his reign has not yet been realized or acknowledged. He is coming to judge the wicked, vindicate the righteous, and bring about the new creation. We may think it odd to speak of the Father as coming, for isn’t Jesus Christ the “coming one” rather than the Father? We should note that this very same phrase is used of the Father in Revelation 1:8 and again in 4:8. Since Jesus Christ appears at the end of the grace wish in 1:5, the Father is obviously in view here in 1:4. In one sense, we should not be surprised that the Father is declared the “coming one,” for even though the Son comes physically, what is true of the Son is true also of the Father. In Trinitarian terms, we call this coinherence. The members of the Trinity inhere in one another; the action of one member can be predicated also of another. Hence the judgment of the Son is the judgment of the Father as well (John 8:16), and the love of the Son represents the love of the Father also.

Grace and peace aren’t only from the Father but are also from the “seven spirits who are before his throne.” The phrase “seven spirits” occurs three other times in Revelation (3:1; 4:5; 5:6). Some doubt this is a reference to the Holy Spirit, since Jesus possesses the seven spirits (3:1) and the burning torches are also called the seven spirits (4:5). Some think the reference is to the seven angels of God or to seven archangels, for the word “spirit” often refers to angels. I will argue that each instance is actually a reference to the Holy Spirit.⁵ In this verse, a reference to the Holy Spirit is particularly persuasive. It is difficult to see how grace and peace can come from anyone but God himself. It is also quite striking in reading the NT that grace and peace are never said to come from a human being; we never read of grace and peace coming from the apostle John or Paul or anyone else. Nor do we ever find grace and peace coming from an angel or an exalted person from the past, such as Moses or Elijah. Grace and peace always come from God himself, and thus it makes most sense to see the “seven spirits” here in 1:4 as referring to the Holy Spirit. The “seven spirits of God” (3:1; 4:5; 5:6) may seem strange on first reading, for there aren’t seven Holy Spirits. We need to recall that Revelation is apocalyptic, regularly using numbers with symbolic import. Thus the number seven here designates perfection and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We almost certainly have an allusion to Isaiah 11:2, where seven things are said about the Spirit: “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.” Here we have compelling evidence that the Spirit is divine, for, as noted above, grace and peace come only from God, and here grace and peace come from the Holy Spirit, who himself contains all divine perfections.

1:5 The grace wish, as noted in verse 4, comes from the Father and the Holy Spirit. Now we see it coming also from Jesus Christ. The focus is certainly on Jesus, as more is said about him (cf. vv. 5–6) than about the Father or Spirit. We note first that grace and peace come from “Jesus Christ,” but we know that grace and peace come from God, and hence we have clear evidence that Jesus Christ is fully divine. Here we have the raw materials from which the doctrine of the Trinity was derived. The Trinity wasn’t invented by the church in later ages but was formulated through a careful and intense exegesis of the relevant NT texts. The church’s deliberations and conclusions, as expressed in the Nicene and Chalcedonian creeds, represent theological exegesis at its best. We don’t have a capitulation to Greek philosophy—quite the contrary. The doctrine of the Trinity goes against the philosophical notions reigning at the time, stemming instead from what is revealed in the NT.

Jesus Christ is fully God, but he is also fully human. His human name is Jesus—the man from Nazareth, the son of Mary who suffered and died for the salvation of his people. Jesus is also the “Christ.” John doesn’t use the title Christ as Jesus’ last name but, as a Jew nurtured in the messianic hope, he gives the title its full significance (cf. 1:1, 2; 11:15; 12:10; 20:4, 6). Jesus is the son of David (5:5; 22:16), the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant promising an everlasting Davidic dynasty (2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17; Psalms 89; 132).

Jesus Christ is the “faithful witness” (cf. Rev. 3:14; Ps. 89:37; Isa. 55:4). The word “witness” (martys) in the course of church history developed to mean one who testified to Jesus Christ by giving his or her life in death. At this juncture, however, even though Jesus sacrificed his own life, the term doesn’t have that technical sense. Jesus was a faithful witness not only in death but during his entire life as well. Jesus here functions as an example for the readers, called to be faithful witnesses like their Lord. The course the readers are called to run was traversed first by Christ.

Jesus is also the “firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.” Paul also claims that Jesus was the “firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18). “Firstborn” in Hebrew culture designated privilege and rule, as formalized in the practice of primogeniture. In most instances where Jesus is identified as “firstborn,” his sovereignty and rule are featured (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15, 18; Heb. 1:6), just as the king in the Davidic line is identified as “firstborn” (Ps. 89:27). Possibly there is also the notion of time in Revelation, with John intending us to understand Jesus as the first person resurrected in history. Others were resuscitated (like Lazarus), but they all died again. Jesus, on the other hand, has conquered death forever. At the same time, he is sovereign over death, having triumphed over it. Death no longer rules—Christ rules. Indeed, he rules over the “kings on earth.” Those addressed in Revelation were suffering. Some were being put to death, a threat present for all believers. No one knew what might come next. It would be easy to think they were at the mercy of Rome and its emperor. Without denying the moral responsibility of rulers, the readers are reminded that Jesus rules over rulers. Hence the Christians in the churches must not fear the imperial power of Rome or any governing authorities. Even if they give their lives in death like Jesus, death will not triumph over them. They will share in Jesus’ victory over death and are to trust in his sovereignty over all opponents.

The remainder of verses 5–6 consists of a doxology to Jesus Christ for his redeeming and saving work. John begins by reflecting on the love of Jesus Christ manifested in his giving himself for the redemption of human beings. The readers can rest secure despite the storms swirling around them, for the one sovereign over death and kings loves them with a costly love. They may be hated by Roman authority and the culture they inhabit, but Jesus Christ loves them with a love that delivers them from their greatest enemy. Christ’s love expresses itself in the giving of his life for their sake, by which believers are released from their sins. Some manuscripts say believers were “washed” (lousanti) instead of “freed” (lysanti) from their sins. The former idea is quite attractive and fits with Revelation 7:14 and 22:14, where a different verb for washing is used. Still, we can be almost certain that John wrote “freed” instead of “washed.” The reading “washed” is supported by the Textus Receptus, while “freed” is supported by early and superior manuscripts (p¹⁸, א, A, C). Furthermore, there is likely an allusion to Isaiah 40:2, which speaks of Israel’s sin being “pardoned” (lelytai)—the verb translated “pardoned” in the Greek OT is the same one (lyō) in Revelation 1:5. The price of release is also specified in the preposition “by” (en), a preposition designating price in Greek. The price, of course, was Jesus’ blood. The reference to his blood picks up on sacrificial language from the OT, where blood was offered to procure atonement (cf. Lev. 17:11). Jesus’ blood, then, was the means by which believers were ransomed and purchased and liberated from the sin enchaining them (cf. Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 John 1:7). The sacrificial character of the language used indicates believers need to be forgiven to be set free from the bondage of sin (cf. Ps. 130:8).

1:6 Jesus freed his people from sin for a purpose. His people constitute a kingdom and are priests of God the Father. When God created Adam and Eve, he placed them in the garden to rule the world for him (Gen. 1:28; 2:15). They were to be his vice-regents in the world, mediating his blessing as priests to the entire world. They were to mediate such blessing, however, in entire dependence upon God, so that he would receive glory and honor and praise as they carried out their mandate. They failed in their commission, of course, and brought into the world death and devastation and ruin (Rom. 5:12–19). Israel was also summoned to be a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6), but like Adam they transgressed the Lord’s commands and did not bring the universal blessing promised to Abraham (Gen. 12:3; 18:18). Instead, Israel was exiled from the land of promise because of sin. Not only did Israel fail to bring salvation to the world; they couldn’t even find blessing in their own land because of their sin. Israel’s history demonstrated they were still in Adam.

The promise of salvation given to Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:15) and to Israel has now been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. God’s Spirit anointed him to proclaim good news, liberate those who are captive, and announce the year of the Lord’s favor (Isa. 61:1–2; cf. Luke 4:18–19). The exile will end and Israel will be restored and rebuilt (Isa. 61:3–4). God’s people will be his “priests” (Isa. 61:6), conveying his blessing to the world. According to John, this prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus’ redemption, by which he has freed his people (both Jews and Gentiles) from sin so they can fulfill the mandate given originally to Adam and Eve. The church of Jesus Christ is where God now rules. His rule over the entire world is not yet evident, but he does reign over his people. They are his realm, his kingdom, his dominion, and hence the rule of the saints is inaugurated but not consummated. And they are even now his priests (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5), enjoying access to God and proclaiming the good news of the king’s reign and his offer of amnesty to all who repent and trust in him.

We see the same theme elsewhere in Revelation. Jesus redeemed people from every tribe, tongue, and people group to make them a “kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:9–10). The rule first promised to Adam and Eve will become a reality in all its fullness. Even now believers represent the place where God rules, but the day is coming when they will reign over the entire world for his sake.

The redeeming work of Christ and the centrality of Christ in God’s purposes do not diminish the glory of God the Father. Quite the contrary. These realities maximize God’s glory. God is magnified, God is glorified, in his Son, Jesus Christ, especially in his saving work by which he redeems his people. Nor do the rule and priesthood of human beings, of the redeemed, somehow eclipse God. No, his glory shines even brighter through those he has reclaimed. His kingly power and sovereignty are displayed for all to see through the church, and thus God is to be praised forever; his kingdom will not fail. John adds the word “Amen,” meaning “May it be so”—the desire of everyone who is a member of the kingdom.

1:7 What is the relationship between this verse and the preceding ones? Verses 5–6 conclude with a promise of the coming kingdom, and now John tells us the kingdom will come in its fullness when the king comes, and he is coming with the clouds, as Daniel predicted. Everyone on earth will see him, and those who didn’t repent will mourn, for they will recognize the Lord they spurned.

John begins with the word “Behold,” summoning the readers to attention. History as it is now won’t last forever. A new day is coming, a new world is coming, and all must be prepared for that day. Jesus is coming again to the earth, on the clouds. John draws on Daniel 7 here, and in the context of Daniel 7:13–14 the “one like a son of man” comes not to the earth but to the Ancient of Days to receive the kingdom. God grants the kingdom to the Son of Man so that all will worship him and that his kingdom purposes for the world will be fulfilled.

The Gospels also identify the Son of Man as Jesus Christ, and obviously John shares the same view in Revelation, for in the subsequent passage John has a vision of Jesus Christ as the glorious Son of Man (Rev. 1:12–20). In Revelation John often applies OT prophecies in a new way, and he clearly does so here, for Jesus comes not to God in the clouds but to the earth. We know that coming to earth is in view, since “every eye will see him” and “all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him” at his coming. John has put together Daniel 7:13 with Zechariah 12:10, and the latter text clarifies that the coming here is to earth. Such a combination of Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10, however, did not originate in the book of Revelation. We see this phenomenon already in the teaching of Jesus: “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30). Allusions to both Zechariah 12:10 and Daniel 7:13 are quite clear in the Matthean text. Whatever we make of the literary or oral relationship between this saying and Revelation, it seems clear that the tradition of Jesus coming with the clouds and people of earth mourning was being disseminated in the early church. In particular, the notion that Jesus would return to earth on the clouds was quite pervasive (Matt. 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:9–11; 1 Thess. 4:17). The coming of Jesus, as we saw in 1:3, is one of the central themes of the book, and John again forecasts its importance. It hardly makes sense to limit this coming to Jesus’ “coming” to destroy Jerusalem in AD 70, for John refers not to the tribes of Israel (cf. Rev. 7:4–8) but to “all tribes of the earth,” and thus isn’t focusing on Israel’s judgment. Indeed, it is scarcely the case that every eye saw him in AD 70, nor did all the tribes of the earth mourn when Jerusalem was judged. Many in the Greco-Roman world might have rejoiced upon hearing of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. John writes, then, about a coming of Jesus that will be universal and evident to everyone on earth.

The notion that every person will see Jesus coming reflects the synoptic tradition (Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 21:27). At the same time, John picks up the words of Zechariah in saying David’s house and residents of Jerusalem will gaze on the one they pierced and mourn over him (Zech. 12:10). Zechariah focuses on cleansing and forgiveness granted to those in Israel as they weep over the one they have slain (Zech. 12:10; 13:1). John applies and interprets the OT text for his situation in a twofold way. First, “all the tribes of the earth” probably alludes to Genesis 12:3 (cf. Gen. 28:14; Ps. 72:17) and the promise to Abraham that many will become part of his family. In line with the original context of Zechariah, some who see Jesus will mourn and repent, which fits with Romans 11:26, where Paul says “all Israel will be saved” when the deliverer (Jesus) comes from Zion. Second, others seeing the pierced one will experience God’s judgment. John’s Gospel recounts the piercing of Jesus, constituting the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy in history (John 19:34, 37). The Israelites who put Jesus to death looked on the one they pierced. In Revelation, however, the eschatological fulfillment of Zechariah’s words is contemplated, indicating that fulfillment of prophecy may occur at more than one level. Another way to put this is to say that Zechariah’s prophecy relates not only to those who were historically responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion and piercing. John declares that “all the tribes of the earth”—all who have rejected Jesus Christ as Lord—have pierced Jesus. Or we could say that every human being has crucified and pierced Jesus, but those who have repented of doing so are freed from their sins (Rev. 1:5–6). Those who refuse to repent will be filled with grief and sorrow (cf. Matt. 24:30; Rev. 18:9), for they will realize the hour of judgment has come. They will lament never turning to Jesus for salvation.

John responds to what he has written in verse 7 with an affirmation: “Even so” and “Amen.” The salvation of the righteous and the judgment of the wicked are both a matter of joy in Revelation, the latter not because of vindictiveness but as a matter of justice. The coming of Jesus means the coming of the kingdom, the removal of everything defiling and evil upon the earth, and the inauguration of a new creation, perfect and beautiful. The natural response, the only healthy response, to such a new creation is yes and amen. This is John’s way of affirming the petitions of the Lord’s prayer. Yes and amen to the kingdom coming, yes and amen to God’s will being done on the entire earth.

1:8 The prologue concludes with an emphatic statement of God’s sovereignty. God declares himself to be “the Alpha and the Omega,” referring to the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. At the outset and conclusion of the book, God claims this title (cf. 21:6). He reigns over all history from beginning to end, and if he rules over the beginning and the end, he rules over everything in between as well. The church, suffering under the thumb of the Roman Empire, could not say that God had abandoned them or that his rule had been compromised. He rules over every particle and speck of history, and has and always will be eternally God.

John then reiterates the words said of God in 1:4: the one who is, who was, and who is to come.⁶ He is mighty God in every moment faced by those who belong to him. There was never a time he was not supreme Lord over all, and there is no chance that history will spin out of his control. He is coming through his Son, Jesus Christ, to bring in the kingdom.

Believers can be guaranteed such vindication because God is “the Almighty.” “Almighty” (pantokratōr) in the LXX is most often a translation of the Hebrew for “LORD of hosts,” referring to Yahweh as the Lord of the armies of heaven. Yahweh rules, according to the OT witness, in heaven and on earth. The book of Job often uses the term “Almighty” as a translation of shadday (Job 11:7; 22:17, 25; 23:16; 27:2; 34:12; 35:13). Typically, shadday is understood by OT scholars to refer to God’s power and might, and hence the LXX translation is fitting. The background in Job is significant, as God is designated the Almighty One in the midst of Job’s intense suffering. John explains here why God rules over history. He is Almighty God who always fulfills his purposes and plans, and thus nothing or no one can thwart his designs.