Opening
Revelation Chapter 1
The opening to the Book of Revelation has four distinct sections:
- Prologue - 1:1 through 1:3
- Greetings from John - 1:4 through 1:8
- Situation of John - 1:9 through 1:20
- Greetings from Christ - 2:1 through 3:22, with messages for the seven churches
In particular, the first chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book. It is heavily loaded with themes and images because it establishes
the essence of the rest of the book up front. While this is poor form in writing a symphony, it is excellent form for a speech
writer, "tell you what I will tell you, then tell you, then tell you what I told you." As a result, we will spend quite a bit of time on the
first chapter to firmly establish our understanding of these key themes.
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent
and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
John considered this letter to be so crucial that he wrote a prologue to it to set the stage. This grabs attention in that this appears
before the "address" - kind of like us writing a special note on the outside of an envelope.
The first words declare this to be a Revelation, or an Apocalypse, directly from Jesus Christ. The word Apocalypse is two Greek words
meaning "away from" and "veiling", or a revealing, which in first century Christian usage came to mean God's revealing of a specific
action for the recipient to take. Example: in
Galatians 2:2,
Paul says God revealed that he was to go up to Jerusalem and declare his
calling to go to the Gentiles.
Note that John doesn't consider this to be distant future, instead this is "what must soon take place." This is the opening statement to
the ongoing theme that Christians should live their lives in constant preparedness for Christ's coming.
Verse 3 gives blessing to the "reader," an official position in the early church who played a central part in worship; and to the hearer
and keeper - joined actions - of the Word. This is the first of seven "blesseds" (a number meaning balance, completeness) in Revelation,
including 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7 (which ends the vision section), and 22:14 (in the benediction section).
4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and
from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him
that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Now we get into a traditional letter opening, like we see in Paul's letters. Letters started by stating the writer, stating the recipient, and
offering a blessing to the recipient.
Note the recipients are "the" seven churches in Asia Minor. There were more than this - a quick study of Acts also shows churches in Colossae, Troas, and Miletus. Why these seven?
(a) In a practical sense, these seven were geographically chosen so that all the other churches of the region were within walking distance of
one, so all could get the letter. The order of the churches appears to be pragmatic - a messenger carrying the letter could land at Ephesus
and travel in order to the churches without backtracking or crossing over mountain ranges.
(b) In a symbolic sense, the choice of seven (again meaning completeness) underscores that this message was for all the churches, not
just those selected and not just those in Asia Minor.
(c) In an instructive sense, John was very familiar with the specific problems in these specific churches, and this provided him
the breadth to write a universal message. Example: the harshest criticism in chapters 2 and 3 goes to the church in Laodicea, which
geographically could have just as easily been written to Colossae or Hierapolis.
John gives a blessing for Grace, the undeserved gift of God, and Peace, the harmony restored between God and man. Those
two words alone speak the story of God's love.
"From him who is and who was and who is to come" was crafted with far more meaning than it appears in our translations
today. First, it
parallels a common Greek truism: Zeus een, Zeus esti, Zeus essetai, referring to the ancient Greek god Zeus.
However, John isn't about to let a reference to God coexist in such company. He first violates a rule of Greek grammar in the choice of a
stronger pronoun, literally "from he who is," and continues stronger in the second phrase, "from the he who was." John was faced with
a problem in essetai, for the same word meant "will be" and "will become." John instead used a present tense verb in a future
tense setting with the same strong pronoun - an impossible and difficult grammar, "the coming he." In no way was John, in writing to
his audience, going to portray God as changing over time - God was the eternal "I AM" Yahweh, and John would "break" Greek syntax to say so!
The reference to the trinity here is odd - we get the Godhead, we get the Christ, but we also get the seven spirits. The concept of the
trinity was well established decades before this letter, so we believe John was being figurative and descriptive, rather than challenging
our concept of the Holy Spirit. There are several references that this reference calls to bear:
(a) Jewish thought had seven archangels surrounding the throne, calling to mind the images that John would soon share.
(b) The sevenfold gifts of the Spirit were known as wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, piety, and fear of God.
(c) The third reference, similar to other writings of the time, was the image of "shares" of the Spirit given to the seven churches, giving
a sense of intimacy of God to the readers.
Note the three titles given to Jesus: the faithful witness (resonates with the Gospel of John), the first-born of the dead (equates to
birthright), and the ruler of Kings (from
Psalm 89:27,
a clear reference to the Messiah.) This image of a ruler calls to
mind a tremendous contrast between Jesus and earthly rulers. It's difficult to imagine an early king "loving" his subjects - instead, as
in elections and in the song from "Evita," we are called to love the rulers. Jesus our Lord, in contrast, loves each one of us.
"To Him who loves us (present tense) and freed us (past tense) from our sins by (or at the cost of) His blood." While later passages in
Revelation, like chapter 7, speak of washing in the blood of the Lamb, the best Greek texts here describe the incredible price He paid
for us. The Greek verb "to wash" - louein - and "to set free" - luein - sound the same, so differences see in the translation of this verse
are easy to understand.
Verse 6, "made us to be a kingdom, priests" is a clear reference to both
Exodus 19:6,
in the original calling of the nation of Israel, and
Isaiah 61:6,
in the foretelling of the Messiah. Likewise, verse 7 and much that follows contains repeated references back to the Old
Testament. John portrayed in these quotes a credibility and weight to his writings and a message of the unfailing presence and
faithfulness of God through centuries.
The image of Jesus coming down in the clouds is also found in the apocryphal
Mark 13,
where Jesus tells his disciples of the
tribulations to come. In that passage, he talks about difficulties and strife, and he warns the disciples not to be misled, not to fall
into the trap of chasing after false teachings. Instead, we are to keep doing what he has called us to do, until we see the only true
sign that the end has arrived which is that Christ is seen by all descending from Heaven to earth. Here, John reminds his audience of
that message from Jesus and the sign of the start of the new age.
Verse 7 closes with a repeated exclamation, made more so by the repetition. The first, nai in Greek, means "Yes, indeed!" The
second, amen in Hebrew, for "so let it be."
To give these statements more emphasis, God Himself repeats the key points in verse 8, in being the first and last, in repeating
the same "was/is/to come" grammar from verse 4, and in using the Greek word pantokrator, or Almighty. This last word was a
translation of the Hebrew word found in
Amos 9:5,
where God promises punishment to all who defy Him no matter where they try
to hide, and
Hosea 12:5,
as a challenge to the tribe of Ephraim, who "herds the wind" without consistency or purpose. This word,
meaning "the one who has dominion over all things," is a direct attack on the dominion of Rome, giving comfort and joy to
believers and fear and terror to unbelievers.
9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is
called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches
which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
John is compelled to set the stage for his reader in how he came to be given this Revelation. His purpose in doing so is to emphasize his
similarity with their circumstances to give glory to God and to encourage the recipients to accept this Revelation with him.
John describes sharing in the persecution (literally, "pressure"), looking to the kingdom, which would only be achieved through the
steadfast, conquering endurance coming from Jesus.
Let me comment on the isle of Patmos. It was located 40 miles off the coast of Asia Minor, relatively close
to the churches John served. Tradition identifies a cave in a cliff overlooking the sea where John wrote the book of
Revelation. The word for the sea, thalassa, occurs 25 times in Revelation, so much that the commentator Strahan writes
that Revelation is full of "the sights and sounds of the infinite sea." Most tourists find the views and sounds to be enchanting, but for
John, sitting in his cave, the sea was a reminder of the separation he had from the churches he loved.
Verse 10 contains the first reference in the scriptures to the "Lord's Day," which, given other period writings, clearly indicates Sunday,
the day of worship. The early Christian church had grown to celebrate the weekly anniversary of the Resurrection with Holy
Communion. There's an added twist - the region of Asia Minor, in response to emperor worship, had designated a day of the month
and a day of the week as "Emperor's Day," so the Christian church responded with the "Lord's Day."
John was "in the spirit," a parallel to
Ezekiel 3:12,
what most commentators take as a state of ecstasy that carried him out
of space and time to eternity. He heard a trumpet blast, a parallel with Exodus and with other new testament writings, notable in
the volume and clarity of sound - there would be no problem hearing the words of Jesus, or the command to write down this vision
and send it to the seven churches listed by name.
12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the
paps with a golden girdle.
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun
shineth in his strength.
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels
of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Here is the first of the fantastic visions. These word pictures clearly seek to describe something that is too fantastic and emotional
to describe, and too important and vital to be left to a single image. Bruce Metzger writes, "the description does not mean what it says; it
means what it means." Some commentators wisely distinguish between taking this "literally," believing what is written, and "literalistically,"
devoid of any poetry or imagination.
John chooses images emotionally loaded with references to scripture and the culture that had developed in the Christian church:
The seven golden lamp stands: (a) refer to the seven lamps on the candlestick of pure gold in the Tabernacle as the Israelites
traveled to the Promised Land, (b) refer to the candlesticks of gold in Solomon's Temple, (c) refer to the vision in
Zechariah 4:2,
who saw a candlestick of all gold, with a bowl on top and seven lamps on it. Note the message of consistency in who God is, and the
reminder of the relevance of God's word through the ages in finding God's personal messages to us.
Like a son of man: First a diversion into Greek - the phrase "like a" is weak to us, so NRSV translates it "like the," but that confuses
the meaning since this obviously is the Son of Man speaking. This weakness in use of articles doesn't hold in Greek, where by
omitting the word "the," the reference of a visual image that is more than man encourages the reader to conclude that this is Jesus
standing among the lamp stands.
Clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash: Three similar images to this garb come from the Old Testament, all of which
emphasize a different portion of the character of Jesus: (a) identical garb to the High Priest described in
Exodus 28,
(b) similar to garb of the Hebrew kings, (c)
Daniel 10:5
describes the messenger from God bringing the Truth dressed in this
fashion. In this one image, we have Jesus as Prophet (message from God), Priest (representing us to God), and King.
The description of the Risen Christ is even more fantastic, impossible to picture, but full of significant references from history and
for the rest of the book.
First, the descriptions in 1:14-18 match the descriptions included in the introductions to the churches. Example: Ephesus in 2:1 - "the seven
stars"; Smyrna in 2:8 - "the first and last." This repetition and artful construction ties the message together in ways we can miss
when reading it in pieces. This careful structure also shows an immense effort that went into the careful crafting of this book.
Second, these descriptions were used in the Old Testament to describe God, ultimate praise and identity that John gives to Jesus
Christ; for example:
- Daniel 7:9
says the Ancient of Days had hair as white as wool, like snow
- Ezekiel 43:2
says the voice of God was like the sound of many waters
- In Job 38:31, God asks Job if he can bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion.
Third, these terms speak of images in themselves:
- Head and hair white as snow speaks of great age and timelessness
- White as snow speaks of divine purity
- Eyes like a flame of fire, refining out the impurities to see the truth
- Feet of shining brass, showing speed in the shining rays and strength in the brass
- The sound of many waters, representing a breadth of sounds from softest to loudest, highest to lowest, and from all directions at once
- Holding seven stars in his right hand, representing strength and dominion, but it was also this right hand that tenderly soothed the
frightened John in verse 17
- Out of his mouth a two-edged sword (a short, highly effective weapon for hand-to-hand combat), a reference found also in Isaiah
and in Hebrews, representing cutting away falseness and sin, leading to pardon and restoration. This was particularly significant
to the early Christians as key to their pacifist beliefs - their answer to the Roman sword was not passivity, but the Word of God
- Face glowing with the sun's full strength, certainly not human, but referencing the glow of Moses' face from seeing God on Mount
Sinai, and the glow on Jesus' face at the Transfiguration.
By the way, we don't really know what the metal chalkolibanos was, the word describing Jesus' feet. It is usually translated
as "brass", but some old writings point to a
mythical metal alloy of copper, gold, and silver that was more precious than any alone.
What was John's response? To prostrate himself before the great God in awe, reverence, shame, and fear. What was Jesus' response to
John? To tenderly calm and assure him with reminders of the permanence and steadfastness of Himself, and of the ultimate victory to
come, and to charge him with the task of writing and sharing this Vision.
Note that Jesus describes himself in v. 17-18 by a set of three descriptions, with the number three having significance as a sign of
divinity. Notice, also, that a set of three commands appears in v. 19, describing what John is to write, underscoring that the message is Divine.
The reference to the "Keys of Hades" is the root of the dogma that Jesus descended into Hell to conquered it after his crucifixion and
before his resurrection. However, John used "Hades," which is often translated "the grave," not the word "Gehenna," which more
closely fits with our concept of "Hell." Personally, this consideration of what Jesus did between Good Friday and Easter Sunday fails
my "so what" test - my faith is no different however Death and Hell are conquered.
Verse 20 uses an interesting term, musterion, which we translate as "mystery," but that means something different than
an otherwise impenetrable secret given by God to His Elect. The word is found also in Matthew 13:11, as Jesus explains his use of
parables by assuring the disciples that "to you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not
been given." John is clearly giving us more here than a "decoder ring" to figure out the imagery - John is telling us to pay attention to the deep truth in this passage.
The seven churches are represented by the candlesticks. We as a church are not the light, that is from Jesus. We are the vessels of
the light, to hold it up and give ourselves so that the light shines. We are also reassured that Jesus walks among the candlesticks,
trimming wicks and helping us to shine.
We have more trouble with "the seven stars are the seven angels of the churches." Some prefer to use this Greek word aggelos
to mean messenger, either the person to carry the letter to the churches, or the church bishops that give the message to the
congregations. This provides a vivid picture of God's care towards his followers - while he sharply criticizes some churches, he still
shows his abiding love and holds them in his right hand. Now, this usage of the word aggelos is perfectly acceptable Greek, but
John consistently uses aggelos everywhere else in Revelation to mean angels, the heavenly beings.
John earlier in the chapter referred to seven Spirits, but in that context, he was referring to a part of the trinity, the Holy Spirit.
This phrase can be taken literally, that each church has a "guardian angel" that for these seven churches is represented by the stars. However,
since the sections in chapters 2 and 3 are addressed to the angels of the churches, we have Jesus chastising angels for doing wrong, an
idea of angelic "right and wrong" that clashes with the descriptions of angels as God's faithful servants elsewhere in the Bible.
Another possibility is to draw on both Greek and Jewish thought that everything on earth had a heavenly counterpart or equivalent. In
this loose interpretation, the perfect image of the churches, represented by the stars, serves as a reminder to the churches of the perfection
that they should strive to attain.
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