January 31, 2022 · 6:14 pm

0.0.3c ALARM #15: Deuteronomy 5:27; “Go thou near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall Say…”

0.0.3c ALARM #15:

Deuteronomy 5:27;

“Go thou near, and hear

all that the Lord our God shall Say…”

…

0.3c.III

“Go thou near,

and hear all that the Lord our God shall Say;

and speak thou unto us

all that the Lord our God shall Speak unto thee,

and we will hear it, and do it.”

Deuteronomy 5:27

…

The flesh of men’s minds

are weak and blind in pathetic

SHORTSIGHTEDNESS,

to “think” that these expressions,

of God,

are thought to imply,

that God Gives to all men

Sufficient Grace for Conversion,

(??????)

and

to militate against the necessity

of the Unfrustrable

Operation of His Grace

in THE TRIUNE GODEAD’S

Eternal Work

of God’s Salvation.

…

Adapted from The COMPLETE TEXT

of ORIGINAL MATERIAL in PDF,

here: in Part 1, Section 3—

John Gill

Cause of God and Truth.pdf

…

0.3c.III.1

Admitting that

the Saving Work of Conversion

is here Wished for;

such a Wish does not necessarily suppose

that Sufficient Grace for that Work

either was or would be Given;

and if the thing Wished for was Effected,

it does not follow from hence,

that this was not Performed

by the unfrustrable

Operation of God’s Grace.

…

0.3c.III.2

Allowing that this Grace,

an heart to Fear the Lord,

and all that is requisite to it,

were given to the Israelites;

it ought not to be concluded from hence,

that all men have the same,

or that God Wishes the same to all men.

…

0.3c.III.3

We are not to imagine

that such Velleities and Wishes

are strictly and properly in God;

Who here Speaks,

as R. Aben Ezra observes,

Mda ygb zwvlk,

by an anthropopathy,

after the manner of men;

such Desires are ascribed to Him

in the same way

as human passions and affections are;

as anger, grief, repentance, and the like:

nor do such Wishes and Desires Declare

either what God Does or Will Do;

but what He Approves of,

and is Grateful to Him;

as are an heart to Fear Him,

and a Constant and

Universal Obedience

to His Commandments.

…

0.3c.IV

The words are so rendered by some,

as that they express

no Wish or Desire in God,

but rather what was to be desired

by the Israelites themselves;

so the Arabic version,

it should be wished for by them,

that such an heart would continue in them;

that is, such an heart

as they professed to have in verse 27,

when they said to Moses,

“Go thou near,

and hear all that the Lord our God shall Say;

and speak thou unto us

all that the Lord our God shall Speak unto thee,

and we will hear it, and do it.”

…

The Lord takes Notice of this Declaration,

in verse 28:

I have Heard, says He,

the voice of the words of this people,

they have well said all that they have spoken;

and then adds, according to this version,

that a continuance of such a heart

to hear and do,

should be very desirable by them.

…

Moreover, the words zty ym,

may be rendered as they are by the Septuagint,

tisdwsei, who will give?

and so be considered as an inquiry,

as Dr. Whitby himself says

who will give them this heart?

they could not give it themselves:

no creature could give it them;

only God could Give them such a heart as this.

…

And perhaps this mode of expression

may be used on purpose

to convince them of their want of such an one,

and that God only could Give it to them;

and therefore they should apply to Him for it,

and not presume, as they seemed to do,

to hearken to His commandments,

and obey them in their own strength,

and without the assistance of His grace.

…

Or,

0.3c.V

These words may be considered

as an upbraiding of these people

with the want of an heart to fear the Lord,

and with want of ability,

to keep all his commandments,

and that always,

notwithstanding the vain boasts

and empty resolutions

they had just now made.

…

In the same manner

are we to consider other pathetic expressions

of the like nature;

such as Deuteronomy 32:28, 29

and Psalm 81:11-13.

*****

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Filed under ( 1.0.1) GOD HAS REVEALED that We Are ALL Naturally Born SINNERS AGAINST GOD & "WILL NOT COME' to JESUS, unless GOD GIVES The HOLY SPIRIT & it is OUR OWN HEARTS that are DECEIVED.

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Aside

1.0.2.2a: Worship of “saints departed” by the Papists is called, “The Doctrine of Devils”, by the Revealed Words of the Triune Godhead.

…

Every Created creature, or Creation

in the Heavens, or on the Earth,

are excluded

from being Divinly Worshipped.

…

Adapted from

The Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity

by John Gill

…

Creations in the Heavens

such as the sun, moon, and stars

are NOT to Be Worshiped;

While, the sun, moon, and stars

seem to be the foremost objects of “worship”

among the idolatrous heathens;

Indeed when any men

are departed from the True God

what could they think of

in place of the True God

more than those gloriously Created Planets

so visible to them,

After all, men receive light and heat,

and direction and many blessings

from the sun, moon, and stars.

…

However, The Israelites

were cautioned against lifting up their eyes

to the sun, moon, and stars and gazing on them,

lest they should be ensnared

into the “worship” of them

in Deut. 4:19

“should you lift up your eyes to Heaven,

and when you see the sun,

and the moon, and the stars,

even all the host of heaven,

you should be driven to worship them,

and serve them,

which the LORD your God

has divided unto all nations

under the whole Heaven.”

…

Other Objects of Idolatrous Worship

by lost men are “other men and women”,

like their heroes and mighty kings,

famous for their exploits;

these heroes and famous men

are the “many gods and many lords”

that Baalim often spoke of in scripture,

named Baalpeor, Baalberith, etc.

…

However, neither good nor bad men

are to be worshiped;

As when an attempt was made

to sacrifice to the apostles,

the apostles rejected

being worshipped, as men,

with the greatest vehemence

and abhorrence

in Acts 14:1-28

Acts 14
King James Version

1 And it came to pass in Iconium,

that they went both together

into the synagogue of the Jews,

and so spoke, that a great multitude

both of the Jews

and also of the Greeks believed.

2 But the unbelieving Jews

stirred up the Gentiles,

and twisted their minds to evil intentions

against the brethren.

3 For a long time therefore

they stayed speaking boldly in the Lord,

which gave testimony

to the Word of His Grace,

and granted signs and wonders

to be done by their hands.

4 But the multitude of the city was divided:

and part of them sided with the Jews,

and part of them sided with the apostles.

5 And when there was an assault made

both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews

with their rulers, to use them despite-fully,

and to stone them,

6 They were aware of it,

and fled unto Lystra and Derbe,

cities of Lycaonia,

and to the region that lies round about:

7 And there they Preached the Gospel.

8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra,

impotent in his feet,

being a cripple from his mother’s womb,

who never had walked:

9 The same heard Paul speak:

who steadfastly beheld him,

and perceiving

that he had faith to be healed,

10 Said with a loud voice,

Stand upright on your feet.

And he leaped and walked.

11 And when the people saw what Paul had done,

they lifted up their voices,

saying in the speech of Lycaonia,

The gods are come down to us

in the likeness of men.

12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter;

and Paul, Mercuries,

because he was the chief speaker.

13 Then the priest of Jupiter,

which was before their city,

brought oxen and garlands to the gates,

and would have done sacrifice

with the people.

14 Which when the apostles,

Barnabas and Paul, heard of,

they tore off their clothes,

and ran in among the people, crying out,

15 And saying,

Sirs, why do you do these things?

We also are men of like passions with you,

and preach to you

that you should turn from these empty vanities

to the Living God, which Made Heaven,

and Earth, and the sea,

and all things that are in them:

16 Who in times past

suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

17 Nevertheless

He did not leave Himself without witness,

in that He did Good,

and Gave us rain from heaven,

and fruitful seasons,

filling our hearts with food and gladness.

18 And with these sayings

they barely restrained the people,

that they did not do sacrifice to them.”

…

Also, it is the Height of Iniquity

and Blasphemy for Antichrist to permit

himself to be “worshiped”,

yes, and

the Antichrist

even commands “worship”

…
But, this is a damnable sin

to Antichrist’s followers

when they worship Antichrist

as in Rev. 13:4,

“And they worshiped the dragon

which gave power to the beast:

and they worshiped the beast,

saying,

Who is like unto the beast?

who is able to make war with him?”

…

Revelation 13:8,

“And all that dwell upon the Earth

will worship him,

whose names are not written

in the book of life of the Lamb

Slain from the Foundation of the World.”

…

Revelation 13:15;

“And he had power to give life

to the image of the beast,

that the image of the beast

should both speak,

and cause that

as many as would not worship

the image of the beast

should be killed.”

…

14:9-11; “9 And the third angel followed them,

saying with a loud voice,

If any man worship the beast and his image,

and receive his mark in his forehead,

or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink

of The Wine of The Wrath of God,

which is poured out without mixture

into the cup of his indignation;

and

he shall be tormented

with fire and brimstone

in the presence of the Holy Angels,

and in the Presence of the Lamb:

11 And the smoke of their torment

ascends up for ever and ever:

and they have no rest day nor night,

who worship the beast and his image,

and whosoever receives the mark of his name.”

…

Also, Angels

are totally excluded from divine worship;

This sort of angel worship idolatry

was introduced in the times of the apostles,

but it was condemned in Col. 2:18;

” Let no man divert you from your reward

in a voluntary humility

and worshiping of angels,

intruding into those things

which he has not seen,

vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”

…

Angel worship is even rejected

by angels themselves in

Rev. 19:10;

“And I fell at his feet to worship him.

And he said to me, See you do not do it:

I am your fellow-servant, and of your brethren

that have the testimony of Jesus:

worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

as well as in Revelation 22:9;

“Then saith he to me,

See that you do it not:

for I am your fellow-servant,

and of your brethren the prophets,

and of them which keep the sayings of this book:

worship God.”

…

So, therefore devils

are NEVER to be worshiped;

and yet devils received the worship

of the blind and ignorant heathens,

as in the East and West Indies;

and even in the sacrifices of the Jews

to new gods their fathers knew not,

where these sacrifices of the heathens

are said to be offered to devils,

and not to God;

…

So, the teaching of the worship of “saints departed”

by the Papists,

is called The Doctrine of Devils,

…

The practice of the worship of “saints departed”

by the Papists

is represented as if it was none other

than worshiping of devils;

because, this worship of “saints departed”

by the Papists

is contrary to the Worship of the True God,

Who only is to be worshiped:

Deut. 32:17;

“They sacrificed to devils, not to God;

to gods whom they knew not,

to new gods that came newly up,

whom your fathers feared not.”

1 Cor. 10:20;

“But I say,

that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice,

they sacrifice to devils, and not to God:

and I would not

that you should have fellowship with devils.”

1 Tim. 4:1;

…

“Now the Spirit speaks expressly,

that in the latter times

some shall depart from the faith,

giving heed to seducing spirits,

and doctrines of devils”;

…

Rev. 9:20;

“And the rest of the men

which were not killed by these plagues

yet repented not of the works of their hands,

that they should not worship devils,

and idols of gold, and silver,

and brass, and stone, and of wood:

which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:”

*****

Adapted from

The Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity

by John Gill

**************************

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October 2, 2021 · 6:53 pm

June 1, 2021 · 10:42 am

9.2.1.0: Commentary on Revelation 2:1-7

Commentary on Revelation 2:1-7

SEPTEMBER 7, 2012 ~ JAYMAN777

King James Bible 2:1:
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand,

who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:

Notes (NET Translation)

2:1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write the following:

This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who has a firm grasp

on the seven stars in his right hand –

the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands:

The seven letters in chapters 2-3 are still part of the revelation from Christ.

Each letter begins with the formula: “To the angel of the church in . . . write the following.”

Recall from our discussion on 1:20 that the identity of the angel is disputed among scholars but that we decided it is probably a way of personifying the spirit of the church addressed.

Each of the letters then continues with the phrase “This is the solemn pronouncement” and provides a description of Christ.

When combined these two phrases sound similar to the pronouncements of the OT prophets but in this passage, Christ takes the place of Yahweh.

In this verse “the one” clearly refers back to the description of Christ in 1:13, 16.

Ephesus, one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire, may have been home to the “mother church” of Asia Minor.

The description of Christ given here reminds them that

it is Christ who is sovereign over the churches.

King James Bible 2:2;
I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience,

and how thou canst not bear them which are evil:

and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not,

and hast found them, liars:

2:2 I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance,

and that you cannot tolerate evil.

You have even put to the test those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not),

and have discovered that they are false.

“Works” (erga) refers to the whole spiritual walk of the church and not just to good deeds.

“Labor” refers to hard work, in this case, not tolerating evil and testing so-called apostles.

The “evil” in question is moral or spiritual evil.

To “test” means to critically examine a person’s claims.

The false apostles, who were prophesied by Paul (Acts 20:29-30),

claimed to be from God but were not.

The church in Ephesus was known as a church that would not tolerate false teachers into at least the early second century (Ignatius, Eph 7:1; 9:1).

King James Bible 2:3;
And hast borne, and hast patience,

and for my name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.

2:3 I am also aware that you have persisted steadfastly,

endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary.

The Ephesians have been through trying times but have persisted.

They were suffering for the sake of Christ’s name, meaning for the advancement of all that gives expression to Christ’s character (Mounce loc. 1641-2).

This suffering need not have involved physical violence.

Despite this, they have remained watchful for false teachers.

King James Bible 2:4;
Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

2:4 But I have this against you: You have departed from your first love!

The phrase “I have this against you” (echo kata sou) expresses divine displeasure and warns of judgment if the situation is not rectified.

The “first love” most likely refers to the love they had when the church was founded.

It is a false dichotomy to ask whether this is love towards God or love towards mankind for love towards God and mankind are linked together (Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:29-31; Lk 10:27).

You cannot love one without loving the other (1 Jn 2:9-10; 4:16, 20-21).

Perhaps the Ephesians’ love diminished because of ongoing arguments with the false apostles.

Orthodoxy and orthopraxy must go hand-in-hand.

King James Bible 2:5;
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent,

and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly,

and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

2:5 Therefore, remember from what high state you have fallen and repent!

Do the deeds you did at the first; if not, I will come to you

and remove your lampstand from its place – that is, if you do not repent.

The term “remember” (mnēmoneue) means not just to bring to mind but to act on.

The “deeds you did at first” refers to their “first love” mentioned in the previous verse.

A failure to repent would result in them no longer being a church before God.

“The presence of Christ departs when well-intentioned people, zealous to find the right way, depart from the ultimate way, which is love” (Metzger 32).

This particular warning has created no end of trouble for later believers, who for the most part perceive the punishment to far exceed the crime.

But that says more about us than it does about the author of the Johannine literature, since he perceived the whole of the Christian faith to be a matter of experiencing God’s love for us through Christ and then returning that love to him by loving others.

From his perspective, to fail at this point is to fail exceedingly—if not altogether—which is why for him the “punishment” is precisely in keeping with the “crime.”

And “love” for John is not simply a matter of attitude toward others; the only love worthy of the name from his perspective lies in their doing the things you did at first.

Thus the only correct response to their current failure is to “repent.” (Fee 27)

Ignatius suggests that they heeded Christ’s warning (Eph 1.1; 9.1; 11:2).

King James Bible, 2:6;
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans,

which I also hate.

2:6 But you do have this going for you: You hate what the Nicolaitans practice

– practices I also hate.

The Nicolaitans are only mentioned in the NT in Rev 2:6, 15 and are hard to identify with any precision (attempts by later Church Fathers to identify the group are of questionable value).

The name implies they were followers of someone named Nicolaus (some early Christians thought it was the Nicolaus of Antioch mentioned in Acts 6:5 but most modern commentators believe this was merely a guess).

In 2:15 they seem to be linked with the followers of “Balaam” (2:14) who are guilty of eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality (contrary to the teachings in Acts 15:20, 29).

Therefore, the Nicolaitans may have been known for some form of syncretism or libertinism.

King James Bible, 2:7;
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life,

which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

2:7 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the one who conquers, I will permit him to eat from the tree of life

that is in the paradise of God.

Each letter calls on the readers to listen and obey (“hear”).

This statement is similar to that spoken by Jesus in the Gospels (Mt 11:15; 13:9; 24:15; Mk 4:9, 23; 8:18; Lk 8:8; 14:35).

“Each congregation is addressed individually, but not privately, since all the messages are available for all the congregations to read” (Koester 56).

Note that the Spirit speaks to the churches (plural).

“What we are to do with these seven [letters] is to ask, To what extent does this situation fit our church?

How can we maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses seen in these churches?” (Osborne 105).

The letters also call on the readers to “conquer” so that they may attain an eschatological reward (21:7).

“The overcomers [conquerors] in Revelation are not those who have conquered an earthly foe by force, but those who have remained faithful to Christ to the very end.

The victory they achieve is analogous to the victory of Christ on the cross” (Mounce 1688-1690). To eat from the tree of life is to gain eternal life in the age to come (22:2-4).

But there is probably also a local reference, which first-century Ephesian Christians would detect. The Artemisium of Ephesus contained a tree-shrine which functioned as a place of asylum, enclosed within a boundary wall. ‘Paradise’ is derived from a Persian word meaning ‘enclosure’, ‘garden’ or royal park. What the victorious among God’s people are offered is a far greater sanctuary than the temple ‘paradise’ of Ephesian Artemis. Indeed, there may even be a hint here of how the battle has been won, for the tree of life would evoke in the Christian mind the cross of Christ, the means by which victory is assured (e.g. Acts 5:30; 10:39; Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:24). (Boxall 51–52)

Bibliography

Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998.

Boxall, Ian. Revelation of Saint John, The. Black’s New Testament Commentary. Baker Academic, 2009.

Brown, Raymond Edward, ed. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Pearson P T R, 1991.

Fee, Gordon D. Revelation. Kindle ed. New Covenant Commentary Series. Cascade Books, 2010.

Koester, Craig R. Revelation and the End of All Things. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001.

Metzger, Bruce M. Breaking the Code: Understanding the Book of Revelation. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993.

Mounce, Robert H. The Book of Revelation. Revised. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010.

Osborne, G. R. Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002.

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Filed under ( 9.2 ) Section 2: REVELATION 4:1 - 7:17 / "The VISION of HEAVEN and the SEALS" The Second of Seven Sections in THE REVELATION 4:1 - 7:17.

May 31, 2021 · 4:44 pm

9.1.0.0: Commentary on Revelation 1

Commentary on Revelation 1

AUGUST 26, 2012 ~ JAYMAN777

Notes (NET Translation)

1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must happen very soon. He made it clear by sending his angel to his servant John, 1:2 who then testified to everything that he saw concerning the word of God and the testimony about Jesus Christ.

The Greek word apocalypsis (revelation) gives the book its name (in English the book is known as Revelation or the Apocalypse). The Greek phrase translated “revelation of Jesus Christ” can mean either revelation about Jesus Christ or revelation from Jesus Christ. In this context it means the revelation from Jesus Christ as the next phrase makes clear (cf. 22:16, 20). God gave the revelation to Jesus Christ who in turn gave it to his servants. The “servants” could be prophets (Amos 3:7; Rev 10:7; 11:18) or Christians in general (Rev 7:3; 19:5; 22:3).

The revelation is primarily about “what must happen very soon” (1:3, 19; 2:16; 3:11; 11:14; 22:7, 12, 20). This phrase alludes to Dan 2:28-30, 45-47 but, whereas Daniel refers to the distant future, John refers to the near future. What must happen very soon is the inauguration of prophetic fulfillment and its ongoing aspect, not the consummated fulfillment.

Indeed, what follows shows that the beginning of fulfillment and not final fulfillment is the focus. The references to the imminent eschatological period (v 3b), the fact of Christ’s present kingship over the world’s kings (v 5), the initial form of the saints’ kingdom (vv 6, 9), and the following “Son of man” reference (1:7) and vision (vv 13–15), also indicating initial fulfillment of Daniel 7, point strongly to this focus and to the presence of a Danielic frame of reference. . . . Similarly, the allusion to “seven lampstands,” from Zechariah 4, in vv 12, 20 and the reference to Isa. 49:2 and 11:4 (the sword in the Messiah’s mouth) in v 16 also indicate that the OT prophecies in those texts have begun to be fulfilled. In fact, only one verse in all of Revelation 1 clearly includes reference to Christ’s last advent. And even that verse, 1:7, refers to the progressive nature of the fulfillment of Dan. 7:13 throughout the age, which will be culminated by Christ’s final coming (the end of the age is also included in the names for God in 1:4a and 1:8b and for Christ in v 17). (Beale 182)

The Greek verb (semainein) translated “made it clear” is related to the word for “sign.” “The choice of this verb should alert the reader to be attentive to the symbolic nature of the visions as they unfold” (Boxall 25). John did not use symbols in order to get his message past Roman censors (e.g., the description of Rome in 17:9 is rather obvious). Rather the symbols convey several meanings at once and engage readers in an ongoing process of reflection so that they will remain loyal to God and Christ (Koester 43-44). “When the images move readers to renounce evil and to affirm their loyalty to God and Christ, they are effective in their communication even if readers cannot explain the meaning of each detail” (Koester 44).

The revelation was given to John through an angel. In the patron-client structure of Roman society, John, as a servant/slave of Christ, could function as the agent of his master and possess a representative authority.

John testified to everything he saw by writing this book. The Greek phrase translated “the word of God and the testimony about Jesus Christ” is difficult to understand.

On the basis of its further occurrences in the book, the first phrase almost certainly means “the word from God” (= the word God spoke), which in this case, and in most instances throughout, primarily comes to John visually. But the second phrase is especially uncertain, since in what follows it can refer to either the testimony that Jesus himself had borne through his life, death, and resurrection or to the testimony that John had borne about Jesus that had brought about John’s exile on Patmos. While either of these is a possible meaning in terms of the narrative that follows, both the abbreviated version that occurs in 6:9 (“the word of God and the testimony they had borne”) and the present emphasis—which is not on the “life of Christ” per se but on John’s witness to that life through this book—suggest that the intent here has to do with John’s own witness that came to him from Christ himself by way of his angel. (Fee 3)

1:3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near!

Verse 3, with its contrast between the one (singular) who reads and those (plural) who hear, suggests that the recipients of this book gathered in groups and read the book aloud publicly (Col 4:16; 1 Thess 5:27; 1 Tim 4:13). The proper reaction to hearing the prophecy read is to obey the things written in it (Lk 11:28).

The content of the hearing and obeying is provided by “the words of this prophecy.” Every word in Revelation is further defined as “prophecy.” This tells us that John does not conceive of this writing purely as Jewish apocalyptic (which in the first century did not stem from prophets) but as linked with OT prophetic works. The many allusions to books like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel also attest to this. As Ladd has said, Revelation must be characterized not as apocalyptic but as prophetic-apocalyptic. Its purpose is not merely to outline the future intervention of God or to portray the people of God symbolically in light of that divine reality but to call the saints to accountability on that basis. This is a prophetic book of warning as well as comfort to the church. (Osborne 58–59)

What was near for John’s readers was the persecution they would face from the Empire.

1:4 From John, to the seven churches that are in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from “he who is,” and who was, and who is still to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 1:5 and from Jesus Christ – the faithful witness, the firstborn from among the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and has set us free from our sins at the cost of his own blood 1:6 and has appointed us as a kingdom, as priests serving his God and Father – to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever! Amen.

Verses 4-6 share much in common with conventional epistolary openings: the sender (John), the recipients (seven churches), and the greeting (grace and peace). “The author refers to himself simply as John. His close relationship with the seven churches and his intimate knowledge of their affairs make it unnecessary to add any identifying phrase. The authority with which he writes indicates his role as a leader in the Asian church” (Mounce loc. 1232-1233). The number seven was the number of completion or perfection. While the book was written to seven actual Christian communities it is likely that these communities also stand for the church universal (after chapters 2-3 the focus of the book moves to the entire world). The Roman province of Asia was located in what is now western Turkey.

The salutation combines a religious variation of the normal Hellenistic greeting and the customary Hebrew shalom. This dual salutation is found in all the Pauline letters (with ‘mercy’ added in 1 Tim 1:2 and 2 Tim 1:2). Grace is the divine favor showed to the human race, and peace is that state of spiritual well-being that follows as a result. (Mounce loc. 1244-1248).

“He who is, and who was, and who is still to come” is God (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 16:5). The phrase highlights God’s sovereignty over history.

The identity of the seven spirits before God’s throne is debated. In 3:1 Christ holds the seven spirits of God. In 4:5 the seven flaming torches are said to be the seven spirits of God. In 5:6 the Lamb is described as having seven eyes, “which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” This last reference is an allusion to Zechariah 4:10. In Zechariah 4:6 the Lord says, “Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,” to indicate the means by which his will is done. If John is following Zechariah closely the seven spirits in Revelation should be identified with the sevenfold Holy Spirit, where the number seven represents the Spirit’s completeness or perfection in performing its work. Isa 11:2 LXX mentions seven designations of the Spirit of the Lord (wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, godliness, fear of God), An alternative interpretation, but less likely in my view, is that the seven spirits are heavenly beings (e.g., angels) of some kind.

Jesus as “faithful witness” introduces a common theme in the book. The idea of “witness” in Revelation is linked to themes of persecution (where it comes close to the later meaning of “martyr”) and perseverance. Jesus is the archetype and paradigm for the believer, who also must stand against evil and idolatry even when it may mean one’s life. The witness theme is just as critical to the Gospel of John as it is to Revelation. In John 5:31–47; 8:13–18; 10:25, Jesus describes the many “witnesses” that prove who he is; and in 8:14 he describes his witness to himself as “valid” because of whence he comes. In Revelation the witness theme centers on Jesus’ witness (1:5; 3:14) as extended to the witness of the saints (1:9; 6:9; 12:11, 17; 17:6; 19:10; 20:4). The idea of “faithfulness” is also an important theme, linked to the central message of perseverance, namely maintaining one’s witness against the powers of evil (17:14) even to the point of death (2:10, 13). (Osborne 62–63)

As the firstborn from the dead Christ is the inaugurator of the new creation. Jesus is king of kings due to his resurrection and exaltation. “This transferal of the language of royalty and power to one who has been slain represents something of a signature tune for the Apocalypse. It calls for a radical reassessment of the nature of power and where it is to be located” (Boxall 32).

Commentators are no doubt right in seeing Ps. 88(89):27, 37 as the designation of Christ as “faithful witness,” “firstborn,” and “ruler of the kings of the earth” since all three phrases occur there. However, the significance of the allusion is usually not discussed. The immediate context of the Psalm speaks of David as an “anointed” king who will reign over all his enemies and whose seed will be established on his throne forever (Ps. 88(89):19–32 LXX; Jewish writings understood Ps. 89:28 messianically [Midr. Rab. Exod. 19.7; perhaps Pesiqta Rabbati 34.2]). John views Jesus as the ideal Davidic king on an escalated eschatological level, whose death and resurrection have resulted in his eternal kingship and in the kingship of his “beloved” children (cf. v 5b), and this idea is developed in v 6. “The faithful witness” is likely also based on Isa. 43:10–13 (see further on 3:14). (Beale 190–191)

With all of the judgment mentioned in the book it is important to note that Christ loves us. Christ freed us from the power of sin through his sacrifice. This mirrors how the Israelites were set free from the Egyptians through the death of the Egyptian firstborn. Christians are a kingdom in the sense that they are under God’s rule instead of Satan’s rule. In fact, the saints participate in God’s rule (2:26; 3:21; 5:10; 20:4, 6). They are priests because they serve as mediators between God and the rest of humanity. In this way they take on the role of true Israel (Ex 19:6; 1 Pet 2:9). It is to Christ, not God the Father, that John says “to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever!” The word “amen” means something like “so it is and forever shall be.”

1:7 (Look! He is returning with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes on the earth will mourn because of him. This will certainly come to pass! Amen.)

It is quite possible that John is drawing on the words of Jesus (Mt 24:30; Jn 19:37), which in turn allude to Dan 7:13 and Zech 12:10-14. In Mt 24:30 the nations mourn over the saving of the elect. In Zech 12:10-14 Israel is called to repentance. It is ambiguous whether the tribes of the earth in Rev 1:7 are mourning because of impending judgment or because they are repenting of their sins. This ambiguity may be intentional since judgment and repentance develop side by side throughout the book. “Those who pierced him” need not refer solely to those who literally pierced Christ but could refer to everyone who is guilty of rejecting him.

1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God – the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come – the All-Powerful!

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, respectively. God controls the beginning and the end and everything in between (21:6; 22:13). Note that the deity is called the Lord God. This recalls the divine name YHWH (Ex 3:14). The God who speaks is the one and only God who created the universe. He alone is the All-Powerful (or Almighty).

1:9 I, John, your brother and the one who shares with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus.

The opening (“I, John”) of verse 9 mirrors the opening of other apocalyptic prophets (Dan. 7:28; 8:1; 1 En 12.3; 2 Esdr [4 Ezra] 2:33). John identifies himself with his readers and not as an apostle. The “persecution, kingdom, and endurance” are related to each other. Because the readers are part of the kingdom they undergo persecution (tribulation) and exhibit endurance (perseverance).

Patmos is a small island in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Asia Minor. According to Eusebius (HE 3.18-20), John was banished to Patmos in AD 95. The island had a decent-sized population so John was not placed in particularly harsh conditions. He could roam the island freely and was not placed in a prison or dungeon. The emperor Nerva granted amnesty to exiles in AD 96 so it is likely that John returned to Ephesus after a short time. Some take the phrase “because of the word of God and the testimony about [of] Jesus” to mean that John went to Patmos because he was called there by God. But it can also be taken to mean that John was banished to Patmos because of his preaching (Beale argues this is more likely on grammatical grounds). Tradition and John’s statement that he shares in the readers’ persecution favor the latter meaning.

1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day when I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

1:11 saying: “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches – to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

The notice that John was “in the Spirit” tells us that the Holy Spirit was the source of his visions (4:2; 17:3; 21:10). The “Lord’s Day” is Sunday (Barn 15:9; Gospel of Peter 35, 50), the day Jesus’ empty tomb was discovered. “As paganism had set aside a day on which to honor their emperor (Sebaste), so Christians chose the first day of each week to honor Christ (kyriake). The Lord’s day should be understood over against the emperor’s day” (Mounce loc. 1420-1421). The loud voice recalls the voice of God at Mount Sinai (Ex 19:16, 19-20; 20:18). The Greek of verse 11 literally refers to a “scroll” (translated “book”).

John then proceeds to enumerate the recipients of this apocalyptic epistle, the seven churches of the province of Asia. . . . The order of the cities is significant, for they form the circular route of a letter carrier beginning at Ephesus and moving first north to Smyrna and to Pergamum, then turning southeast to Thyatira, south to Sardis, east to Philadelphia, and finally southeast to Laodicea. Also, we must ask why these particular cities are chosen. Troas and Colosse were critical NT centers, and Magnesia and Tralles were more important cities than Philadelphia or Thyatira. The best solution is still probably that of William Ramsay, as argued further by Hemer. These seven cities formed a natural center of communication for the rest of the province, since they were in order of sequence on an inner circular route through the territory. There is good reason to suppose that since Pauline times they had become “organizational and distributive centers” from which messages would disseminate to the other churches of the province. DeSilva also points out that these particular cities were chosen partly for their relationship to the imperial cult. All but Thyatira had temples dedicated to the emperors, and all but Philadelphia and Laodicea had imperial priests and altars. I would add one other point. They also represented the problems of the other churches in the area (note how each letter includes “Hear what the Spirit says to the churches”). As we will see, each town had its own particular set of problems but also served as examples for the other churches. (Osborne 85)

1:12 I turned to see whose voice was speaking to me, and when I did so, I saw seven golden lampstands,

1:13 and in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man. He was dressed in a robe extending down to his feet and he wore a wide golden belt around his chest.

The lampstands are not candle-holders but rather stands on which lamps were set. They represent the seven churches (1:20). The churches are lights for God in the midst of a hostile world (Mt 5:14-16; Rev 11:1-13). The phrase “one like a son of man” alludes to Dan 7:13 and refers to Jesus the Messiah (1:18). That he is in the midst of the lampstands shows that he is not distant from the churches.

A long robe was associated with the high priest (Ex 28:4; 39:29) but also dignitaries and rulers. The golden belt could refer to the sacred ephod of the high priest (Ex 28:4; 29:5; 39:29) or the figure in Dan 10:5. In Rev 15:6 the angels wear sashes around their chest and there is no priestly imagery. The main point of verse 13b is to depict Christ as an exalted and dignified figure.

1:14 His head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame.

The white hair alludes to the description of God in Dan 7:9. In ancient culture it symbolized dignity and wisdom (Lev 19:32; Prov 16:31). The fiery eyes allude to Dan 10:6. This image depicts Christ’s discerning judgment (2:18; 19:12).

1:15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.

The bronze feet allude to the description of the angel in Dan 10:6 (cf. Ezek 1:7). The image emphasizes Christ’s glory, strength, stability, and purity. The loud voice alludes to Ezek 1:24 and 43:2. It shows Christ’s strength and power.

1:16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. His face shone like the sun shining at full strength.

The seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches (1:20). The right hand symbolized power and authority. To say that the angels are in Christ’s hand is to say that they are under Christ’s control. The sword symbolizes the judgment Christ brings (Isa 11:4; 49:2; Pss Sol 17:23–25; 4 Ez 13:8–11; Heb 4:12; Rev 2:16; 19:15, 21). Christ’s radiant face symbolizes his glory.

1:17 When I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last, 1:18 and the one who lives! I was dead, but look, now I am alive – forever and ever – and I hold the keys of death and of Hades!

Falling down before visions of God or angels is common in the Bible (Josh 5:14; Ezek 1:28; Dan 8:17–18; 10:7–9, 15; 1 En 14.14; Mt 17:6; Jn 18:6; Acts 26:14). Note that Jesus, unlike the angels (19:10; 22:8-9), does not rebuke John for taking a posture of worship. That Jesus placed his right hand on John may indicate that Jesus is commissioning John to write this book (Acts 6:6; 8:17–19; 13:3; 1 Tim 4:14; 5:22; 2 Tim 1:6; Heb 6:2). Jesus’ identification of himself as the first and the last links him with God (Isa 41:4; 44:6; 48:12; Rev 1:8). The reference to the resurrection in verse 18 clearly identifies the “son of man” as Jesus. God’s sovereignty is extended to Christ. He has control (the keys) over death itself and the abode of the dead (Hades). “Because Christ has the ‘keys,’ the time and manner of the death of each person are under his control. Therefore his people, who were sometimes threatened with death because of their loyalty to him, need not fear that death will separate them from his love” (Metzger 28).

1:19 Therefore write what you saw, what is, and what will be after these things.

The phrase “what you saw” refers to the entirety of John’s vision (1:11). The phrases “what is” and “what will be” refer to the contents of the vision that describe the present and future, respectively. This does not mean the contents of the book are narrated in the chronological order in which they have or will occur.

1:20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

“Mystery,” on the surface, in Rev. 1:20 refers to the hidden meaning of the stars and lampstands, which are about to be interpreted. But “mystery” also carries the connotation of unexpected, end-time fulfillment included in the meaning of the stars and lampstands in the present context. Indeed, μυστήριον (“mystery”) occurs elsewhere in Revelation, as elsewhere in the NT, to indicate fulfillment of prophecy in an unexpected manner (see on 10:7 and 17:5, 7, in addition to Matt. 13:11 par.; Rom. 11:25; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 3:3ff.; 2 Thess. 2:7). (Beale 221-222)

The seven letters in chapters 2-3 are addressed to the angels (angeloi, messengers) mentioned in this verse. This has caused disagreement over the identity of the angels. In every other passage in Revelation the term (used about 60 times in Rev) refers to heavenly beings (as opposed to human messengers) so it is most likely the case here and in chapters 2-3 as well. The angels were in charge of the churches but also identified with the churches. “In one sense they were asked to intervene in the spiritual needs of the churches; in another sense they represented the churches” (Osborne 99). R. H. Mounce writes: “the angel of the church was a way of personifying the prevailing spirit of the church. This interpretation is strengthened by the fact that all seven letters are addressed to separate angels, a strange phenomenon if they refer to anything but the church since the contents are obviously intended for the congregation as a whole” (loc. 1540-1543).