Revelation Bible Study

December 6, 2006

Focus: Revelation 1:4-8

Martin Marty, the “dean” of American religious life and professor of church history at the University of Chicago, wrote about a letter a pastor received from a junior high student seeking help for a sermon about the book of Revelation. The pastor wondered how Marty might respond to the student’s inquiry. A portion of Marty’s answer follows: Notice that the Book of Revelation is at the end of the Bible. It barely made it into the scriptures. It’s one of the two or three biblical books that calls itself a vision, a dream, yet it’s a book that many people seem to take more literally than they do the non-dream books. Try interpreting your dreams and you’ll see why people expound weird ideas based on this book.

Review from last time…

Two Greek words: Αποκάλμψις (revelation) in 1:1 and προΦητείας (prophecy) in 1:3. We must remember these two words as we read Revelation. It’s a ‘revelation’ (the uncovering of something) and a ‘prophecy’ (the communication of something from God.)[1] The author claims to have received a communication from God of something that has been hidden.

Revelation 1:4

The opening of this section constitutes the opening of a letter. We have the traditional mention of the one writing the letter (John) and the recipients (the seven churches that are in Asia).
The author has taken the vision received and put it in the form of a letter that can go out to the churches.
The author, John, is a common name for this period and we don’t know which John this might be. Was it the same author of John’s Gospel? What about 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd John…same author? We just don’t know.
The seven churches addressed are: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Sardis, Thyatira, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (see 1:11). We don’t know why these seven churches were singled out. Possibly, they could be postal distribution centers. If you look at a map, the cities and the order they are listed in form a rough circle.
The designation of “Asia” at the end of this verse is what we now know as western Turkey.
Note the three tenses in the expression (…who is and who was and who is to come…” (v. 4). This expression is related to Exodus 3:14 where we have God’s self-revealed name, “I AM.”
Note the expression of the seven spirits who are before his throne. The mention of the seven spirits will be found again in 3:1; 4:5; and 5:6.

It is said the seven spirits will be sitting before his throne. In the Old Testament, to sit upon a throne meant to rule as a king (see 1^st Kings 1:13, 17, 20, 24). The throne was also a place where judgment was dispensed (1^st Kings 7:7; Psalm 9:7-8; Daniel 7:10, 26). Also, God’s throne is mentioned frequently in the Old Testament (Psalm 9:4; Isaiah 6:1; Ezekiel 1:16; Daniel 7:9).
Who are the seven spirits? It is likely that John is referring to the Holy Spirit here. John doesn’t use the expression, “Holy Spirit,” but does use the singular word, “spirit.” Remember the number seven is often the number of completeness in Judaism. John is probably referring to the fullness or completeness of who the Spirit is and what the Spirit can do. We’ll see this number repeatedly: seven churches, lampstands, stars, seals, angels, trumpets, thunders, thousand, heads, plagues, bowls, and kings. John’s source of use in this expression could be Zechariah 4:2.

Revelation 1:5-6

We have in verses 4-5 a Trinitarian expression. There is grace and peace coming from three sources: (1) who is was and is to come…i.e., God the Father; (2) the seven spirits or the Holy Spirit; and (3) Christ.
What is proclaimed about Jesus in verse 5?

The wording of verse 5 points us in the direction of Christ’s Lordship of our lives. How is he Lord?

He’s a faithful witness. Jesus brings good news and this revelation from God comes through Christ.
Jesus is the first born of the dead (see Colossians 1:18) which emphasizes the resurrection of Christ.
Jesus is Lord over all the earth and all rulers.

We next have in verses 5-6 a word or formula of praise to God for Jesus and what he has done. Note the elements of the Gospel here…

Jesus loves us (note the present tense). This points to his resurrection.
Jesus freed us. Note the change here into the past tense. The freeing was completed through his work on the cross. The blood of Jesus is a major New Testament theme (see Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:14; Luke 22:20; John 6:55; Romans 3:25; Romans 5:9; 1^st Corinthians 10:16, 11:25-27; Ephesians 1:7, 2:13, Colossians 1:20; Hebrews 9:12-14, 10:19, 10:29, 13:12, 13:20; 1^st Peter 1:2, 19; 1^st John 1:7).
Jesus made us into a kingdom of priests. See 1^st Peter 2:9.
We should note that John applies language to Jesus that the Old Testament uses for God. See Hosea 3:1 for God’s love; Isaiah 40:2 for God’s loosening of iniquity; Exodus 19:6 for God making the people a kingdom of priests.

The importance of John’s use of the Old Testament language and themes is vitally important. John uses terms and expressions describing Jesus that previously had been used only for God.

Revelation 1:7

Next we have an oracle or forewarning of an event in John’s vision. This oracle is made up of clauses with Old Testament roots.

He is coming with the clouds > this wording is reminiscent of Daniel 7:13.
Every eye will see him even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. > see Zechariah 12:10. All will see Jesus and his coming will bring both redemption and judgment.

What about this coming? Is John speaking of the 2^nd coming of Christ (see Matthew 25:31-36; Acts 1:11; 1^st Thessalonians 4:15-17)?

John uses both present tense verbs and future tense verbs here. Note John says, “He is coming…” and “…every eye will see…all the tribes of the earth will wail.”
Is there a sense in which Jesus is already – or even always – coming?

Revelation 1:8

We have a self-revelatory statement from God in 1:8.
The Alpha and Omega expression point to God’s eternal nature – alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and omega is the last letter. See also 21:6 and 22:13.
The expression from 1:4 “who is and who was and who is to come” affirms God’s eternal nature and activity in the world.
God as the Almighty is an Old Testament expression stressing God’s rule (see 2^nd Samuel 7:8; 1^st Chronicles 1:9; John 11:7; Ezekiel 1:24; Amos 3:13; Micah 4:4; Haggai 1:2; Zechariah 1:3; Malachi 1:4). God as Almighty will be John’s favorite title for God in Revelation (see 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22).

What does John seek to do in this opening section?

John places this vision within a context of Churches.
John introduces some key repetitions (seven, who is was and is to come).
John places Jesus in firm standing with God.
John gives us clues as to what some key points of the rest of Revelation are about (Lordship of Christ, coming, etc.).