Revelation 1

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1. Introduction and Jesus Glorious Appearance) (1:1 20)) ) Outline) I. Introduction (1:1 8) ) A. Prologue (1:1 3) ) B. Greeting (1:4 5a) ) C. Doxology (1:5b 6) ) D.

Prophecy (1:7 8) ) II. Vision 1: The Church on Earth (1:9 3:22) ) A. Jesus Glorious Appearance (1:9 20) ) 1. Location (1:9 11) ) 2. Appearance (1:12 16) ) 3. Message (1:17 20) ) ) I.

Introduction) 1:1 8) 1 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. And he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testified to do the things he saw, that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud and the ones who hear the words of this prophecy and heed the things written in it. For the time is near.) 4 John to the seven churches that are in [the province of] Asia. Grace to you and peace from him who is and who is to come, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.) To him who loves us and set us free from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us a kingdom and priests to his God and Father: to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.) 7 Look, he is coming with the clouds,) and every eye will see him,) even those who pierced him,) and all the tribes of the earth) will mourn because of him. Yes indeed, amen.) 8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.) ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.1|AUTODETECT|” John s introductory words in his Gospel describe Jesus as the Word of God 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.1|AUTODETECT|” John 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.1.1-62.1.3|AUTODETECT|” ), and in the opening verse of his First Epistle, he introduces Jesus as the one from whom the disciples heard the word of life 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.1.1-62.1.3|AUTODETECT|” 1 John 1:1 3) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). In Revelation he states that God gave Jesus his revelation to make it known to John, who wrote it down and passed it on to the church. Although the title of the last book in the canon is often listed as The Revelation of John, it is in fact The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, having received God s revelation, Jesus reveals himself to John on the island of Patmos. He tells him to write seven letters to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Jesus indeed is the living Word of God, and John is on the island because of the word of God and the testimony he has presented about Jesus. In short, John has been faithful in proclaiming God s revelation in Jesus Christ.) 1 7 2 8 0 0 John begins the first chapter of Revelation with a twofold prologue in which he states first the origin and recipients of the Apocalypse and then the formulation of the first of seven beatitudes in this book.��1�� Identifying himself as John, he addresses the seven churches in the province of Asia and greets them in the name of God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ (1:4 5). He purposely places Jesus last in this trinitarian greeting, because John makes Jesus known as the Redeemer who is coming back on the clouds.) A. Prologue) 1:1 3) 1. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. And he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2. who testified to the things he saw, that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.) a. The revelation of Jesus Christ.

The term Apocalypse derives from the Greek word apokalypsis, which means an uncovering or revealing. Technically, as a heading, the term relates to only one book in the entire canon of the Scriptures, namely, Revelation, but the initial readers were not unacquainted with the Greek word apokalypsis, which occurs eighteen times in the New Testament, thirteen of them in Paul s epistles.��2�� From time to time, God revealed messages to his people, but in the Apocalypse he presents an extended uncovering of his biblical revelation to Jesus. Hence a lengthy title for this book is The Revelation of God to Jesus Christ. ) When Jesus Christ imparts the revelation he has received, at that moment it becomes his own revelation. Indeed, the title of this book can also mean that Jesus Christ presents revelation about himself. This is so in the second half of the chapter and elsewhere, where he reveals himself to John and to the readers of the letters (1:12 13; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). Jesus is both the object and content of the revelation that ultimately belongs to him.��3�� He is not an angel who passed it on to John, but he is the revealer of and about himself.

In short, Jesus revelation is both subjective and objective.) The double name Jesus Christ is his given name and a description of his mediatorial office. In succeeding verses and chapters, the single name occurs either as Jesus (e.g., 1:9) or Christ (e.g., 11:15).��4�� The double name tells the reader not only who Jesus is but also what he has done and continues to do as Lord and Savior. This combination appears at the beginning of the book to identify him fully (see also 1:2, 5). He is the Son of God who appeared in human form to take upon himself the obligation to redeem and restore God s covenant people.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.12.49|AUTODETECT|” b. Which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. Notice that Jesus Christ is subordinate to God, who by giving Jesus the revelation implicitly appoints him to an assignment. The verb to give is not merely a handing over of a gift, but rather it intimates the task of making God s revelation known to his people 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.12.49|AUTODETECT|” John 12:49) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.14.27|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.14.27|AUTODETECT|” 14:27) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.17.8|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.17.8|AUTODETECT|” 17:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Jesus Christ receives the task of showing it in the manner of a pictorial display. The book itself is an eloquent testimony that this display is given by signs, symbols, names, numbers, colors, and creatures. At the beginning of this book, its pictorial characteristics already become visible in the verb to show. It is a hint to the reader as to how the book should be read and understood.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=24.7.25|AUTODETECT|” The word servants denotes not slaves but God s people who obediently do his will (see 2:20; 7:3; 19:2, 5; 22:3, 6). Here the word bears a single message, whereas in two other places it has a dual message: his [your] servants the prophets (10:7; 11:18), which is a common Old Testament appellation 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=24.7.25|AUTODETECT|” Jer. 7:25) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.38.17|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.38.17|AUTODETECT|” Ezek. 38:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.9.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.9.10|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 9:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=30.3.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=30.3.7|AUTODETECT|” Amos 3:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). The single message states that God s servants withstand temptation, bear his seal on their foreheads, and sing his praises.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.2.28|AUTODETECT|” God s servants are to be informed about the things that must happen soon. What is the meaning of the word soon? To the recipients of the seven letters it meant that persecution would soon be reality. But this is only one aspect of the things that will come to pass. Throughout the ages, God s servants have experienced that the things Jesus made known to them truly occurred. Therefore, the church today is anxiously waiting for Jesus promised return. The repetition of the words what must soon take place is significant because they are part of the last chapter of the Apocalypse (22:6) that features the promise of and petition for the Lord s return 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.2.28|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 2:28) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.2.29|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.2.29|AUTODETECT|” 29) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.9|AUTODETECT|” ). To quote a reassuring word from Peter, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.9|AUTODETECT|” 2 Pet. 3:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.12|AUTODETECT|” c. And he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. It is significant that the verb to make known/to signify in the Greek language is related to the noun sign. Here then is a foreshadowing of the method in which revelation is conveyed. The conveyor of the message is an angel, who differs from Jesus Christ, the revealer. An angel is a messenger, never a revealer 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.12|AUTODETECT|” 1 Pet. 1:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). And this angel conveys the message to John, the author of Revelation (22:6, 16). Here is John s first self-designation (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8), which he gives in the third person as his servant. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.21.24|AUTODETECT|” d. Who testified to the things he saw, that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. We would expect John to pen the present tense of the verb to testify as he did in the concluding words to his Gospel, This is the disciple who testifies to these things, and who wrote them down 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.21.24|AUTODETECT|” John 21:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). But in the case of the Apocalypse, John is resorting to the technique of seeing himself from the perspective of his readers. They would realize that by writing the past tense testified John placed himself in the time when they received the Apocalypse. This is the so-called epistolary aorist.��5�� Some scholars are of the opinion that John wrote the past tense because he first wrote his Apocalypse and afterward added the prologue.��6�� But this is unlikely because John wrote not on individual sheets of papyrus but on a scroll, which precludes adding a prologue. The author first had to see the things that were revealed to him before he could record them in a book.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.1|AUTODETECT|” The word of God does not mean the person of Jesus Christ 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.1|AUTODETECT|” John 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.3.31-43.3.34|AUTODETECT|” ) but refers to God s revelation. The Apocalypse originates not with John who is the writer but with God, who reveals his word to the readers through John (1:9). And the testimony of Jesus Christ is the completion of this clause, which in slightly altered form appears repeatedly throughout the book (1:9; 6:9; 12:17; 20:4). The question is whether the genitive in the phrase testimony of Jesus Christ is subjective or objective. Subjectively, the testimony belongs to Jesus who is the messenger of the word of God 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.3.31-43.3.34|AUTODETECT|” John 3:31 34) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Objectively, the phrase points to God s faithful servants, including John, who proclaim the word and preach about Jesus. In this particular text, however, the choice is the subjective genitive because the context demands it. The first phrase word of God calls for it, and similarly the second requires it. Even though these phrases pertain to the Apocalypse, they embody the fullness of its content, namely, the numerous allusions to the Old Testament together with the earthly life and ministry of Jesus.) 1 2 2 8 0 0 3. Blessed is the one who reads aloud and the ones who hear the words of this prophecy and heed the things written in it. For the time is near.) a. Blessed is the one who reads aloud and the ones who hear the words of this prophecy. This is the first of seven beatitudes in the Apocalypse (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). The word blessed is sometimes translated as happy, but its meaning is more than happiness. It points to God from whom all blessings flow, to borrow the opening line of Thomas Ken s doxology. And in both the Old and New Testaments, the blessings of the Lord are reflected in the delightful faces of his faithful servants (see, e.g., numerous Psalms, Prophets, and the Beatitudes).��7��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.4.16|AUTODETECT|” The blessings of the Lord descend on both the person who reads aloud the words of this Apocalypse in the local worship service and the hearers who listen reverently and obediently to these words. In the ancient synagogues the Law and the Prophets were read on the Sabbath days 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.4.16|AUTODETECT|” Luke 4:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.13.15|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.13.15|AUTODETECT|” Acts 13:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.15.21|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.15.21|AUTODETECT|” 15:21) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.5.18|AUTODETECT|” ), and in the churches the Gospels and the Epistles were added to the reading of the Scriptures 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.5.18|AUTODETECT|” 1 Tim. 5:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.4.16|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.4.16|AUTODETECT|” Col. 4:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.5.27|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.5.27|AUTODETECT|”

1. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=52.5.27|AUTODETECT|” Thess. 5:27) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). The verb tense of to read and to hear is in the present to indicate that this is not merely a single exercise but rather that the religious exercise must be kept regularly, especially on the Lord s Day. This exercise is meant to worship God and to strengthen believers in their faith. The term prophecy appears seven times in Revelation (1:3; 11:6; 19:10; 22:7, 10, 18, 19) and does not necessarily refer to predictions. Prophecy in this book relates to God who through his messengers makes his truth known to his people. Prophecy means a continuation of God s word in the Old Testament Scriptures and indicates that God is its author who endows it with his authority. The prophetic message of the Apocalypse, therefore, assumes its rightful place among the other books in the canon.) 1 20 2 8 0 0 b. And heed the things written in it. Through these words of prophecy, God s messengers call people to a life of obedience and love for him. They are those who are the hearers of the words that are read; they must put these words into deeds to demonstrate that they are indeed children of God and followers of Jesus. They must keep these written words that never lose their power and authority.) For the time is near. The Greek language has at least two words for time: first, chronos, from which we have the derivatives chronic and chronicle, denotes calendar time of longer or shorter duration.

Second, kairos signifies an opportune moment or a time of decision. This is the word used in the clause for the time is near. For readers of Revelation, the time is at hand to make a decision. The word occurs seven times in the Apocalypse (1:3; 11:18; 12:12, 14 [three times]; 22:10).��8�� With the composition of this book the kairos has come; aside from the chronos, it spans the passing of the ages. Although the end has not yet come, and the kairos is still in progress, so much of what was to occur has already occurred, that now, surely, we may look the more eagerly for the end. ��9��) The Book of Revelation repeatedly states that its contents relate to the time at hand (1:1, 3; 22:6, 10). It informs the readers that its message is applicable to the time in which they are living: the conflict between God and Satan, Christ and the Antichrist, the Holy Spirit and false prophets, the church and immorality is occurring in their lifetime.

Consequently, every generation has to appropriate and apply the message of the Apocalypse. And each generation of believers must wait with eager expectation for the Lord s return.) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:1 3) Verse 1) ��� �������� that which must take place. The word ��� denotes necessity that God controls. The aorist tense of the infinitive is constative to encompass lime from beginning to end.��10��) Verse 2) ����������, ��������� these two words (to testify; testimony) are typical Johannine expressions that frequently appear in the Gospel, Epistles, and Apocalypse. The verb is the aorist active indicative and its cognate the accusative noun) Verse 3) �1 �������� the definite article introduces a class of people. The verb to hear (in the present participle) is followed by the accusative that expresses the act of hearing and expects obedience.) ���������� this is the perfect passive participle has been written.

The perfect tense implies that the action occurring in the past has lasting effect for the present and future.) ������ Augustine differentiated kairos and chronos by saying, The Greeks indeed use kairos as a particular time not however as one which passes in an alteration of divisions, but as one which is perceived & as time for harvesting, gathering grapes, warmth, cold, peace, war, and anything similar. They speak of chronoi as the very divisions of time. ��11��) ) ) B. Greeting) 1:4 5a) 4. John to the seven churches that are in [the province of] Asia. Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne, 5a. and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.) a. John to the seven churches that are in [the province of] Asia.

This self-identification (see vv. 1, 9) presents the writer as a well-known person in the western part of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). He identifies himself in the Apocalypse because this genre differs from his Gospel and Epistles. The readers needed no further identification than the name John, because for the Christians throughout the province of Asia there was only one person who could speak with authority, namely, the apostle. As members of the seven churches residing in the province of Asia (the western region of Asia Minor), they knew the venerable John. When Jesus appeared to John on Patmos, he mentioned the seven churches by name: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (v. 11). These seven churches receive greetings from the triune God and in addition they obtain the text of the Revelation.

Notice that this is the first time the number seven appears in the Apocalypse seven signifies completeness.) Beginning with the address, John demonstrates that the Apocalypse is written in epistolary form. In brief, the first line of verse 4 is equivalent to the address on an envelope.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.1.2|AUTODETECT|” b. Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come. The greeting of grace and peace also occurs in other New Testament epistles 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.1.2|AUTODETECT|” Phi. 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.2|AUTODETECT|”

1. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.2|AUTODETECT|” Pet. 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.2|AUTODETECT|” ); other letters add mercy 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.2|AUTODETECT|” 1 Tim. 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.2|AUTODETECT|” Jude 2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.23.26|AUTODETECT|” ). The salutation grace (charis) is variation of the Greek chairein, which was the common greeting of the Greek-speaking population 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.23.26|AUTODETECT|” Acts 23:26) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ); the word peace (Hebrew al�m, expressed here by the Greek eirn) was used by Jewish people as a salutation.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Further, John differs from other letter writers in delivering greetings from all three persons of the Trinity. He describes the Father as the one who is and who was and who is to come. This greeting is unique and reveals God s infinity with respect to present, past, and future. God is timeless from eternity to eternity.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.13.8|AUTODETECT|” The description of God would also be applicable to Jesus Christ [who] is the same yesterday and today and forever 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.13.8|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 13:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.11.3|AUTODETECT|” ). The Messiah was known as the coming one 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.11.3|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 11:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.11.27|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.11.27|AUTODETECT|” John 11:27) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). But in this trinitarian greeting, Jesus Christ has a place and so do the seven spirits, that is, the Holy Spirit.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.3.14|AUTODETECT|” Paul usually greets the recipients of his Epistles in the name of God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ; here, however, all three are mentioned preceded by the preposition from. At this point in Greek, the grammar is extremely awkward, which translators sidestep by providing a smooth translation. Critics are quick to declare that the author of Revelation cannot have been the writer of the Fourth Gospel, who writes acceptable Greek without grammatical errors. They conclude that if the apostle John penned the Gospel, another John must have written the Apocalypse. This is not necessarily so if we consider that the apostle John was surrounded by assistants in Ephesus where he wrote his Gospel but was alone on Patmos. Because of his Jewish heritage, John would not dare to bring any changes to the appellation I am by which God reveals himself 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.3.14|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 3:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.58|AUTODETECT|” ; see also ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.58|AUTODETECT|” John 8:58) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.3.14|AUTODETECT|” ). The Greek translation of the Old Testament has the expression ho Mn 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.3.14|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 3:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.118.26|AUTODETECT|” LXX), which is exactly what John writes in this text. John refuses to have the name of the I am conform to the rules of Greek grammar. Thus, he breaks grammatical rules so as not to discredit God s immutability. And John is consistent in his refusal, as is evident from other places where the same expression appears (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 16:5). His wording the one who was refers to God, who existed in eternity before cosmic time came into being. And the futuristic phrase the one who is to come appears in the Greek text of ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.118.26|AUTODETECT|” Psalms 118:26) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 (117:26 LXX). So the entire clause from the one who is and who was and who is to come must be understood as an unalterable noun.��12��) 1 1 2 8 0 0 c. And from the seven spirits that are before his throne. John repeats the phrase seven spirits a few times in the Apocalypse (3:1; 4:5; 5:6) but does not explicate. Some translations have sevenfold Spirit or seven Spirits as the reading in either text or margin.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.7|AUTODETECT|” Interpretations of the expression seven spirits vary: First, some scholars say that they are seven angels because spirits are sometimes called angels 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.7|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 1:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.14|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=58.1.14|AUTODETECT|”
2. 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).��13�� But angels are created beings, subordinate to God, and in the Apocalypse are never called spirits. The term seven angels occurs frequently (15:1, 6 8; 16:1; 17:1; 21:9). Indeed, angels remain God s servants who can never fill the role of the third Person in the Trinity.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Second, others contend that the seven spirits are symbols of divine majesty as powerful beings through which God blesses the church.��14�� These powerful beings, however, are inferior to God and thus cannot complete the fullness of the Trinity expressed in the greeting.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=38.4.2|AUTODETECT|” Third, the Apocalypse speaks of the Spirit but never uses the name Holy Spirit. Instead we assume that John employs the symbolism of the number seven and thus describes the Spirit The seven spirits (1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6) are sent out to all the nations of the world, so that through the church s faithful teaching of the Word, people everywhere may come to know and worship God.��15�� The number seven signifies the fullness of the Holy Spirit in his person and work as exemplified in the prophecy of ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=38.4.2|AUTODETECT|” Zechariah 4:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=38.4.6|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=38.4.6|AUTODETECT|”
3. 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .��16�� In the Holy Place of the temple, Zechariah sees a golden lampstand with seven lights each having seven spouts and wicks (v. 2). The abundance of oil symbolizes the Holy Spilt at work, as is evident from God s declaration, Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty (v. 6). God rules this earth not by an earthly power but by his Spirit. In short, John relies on Zechariah s prophecy when he writes the greeting in his Apocalypse.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 d. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Once again (as in v. 1) John pens the full name Jesus Christ to stress the earthly life of Jesus and his messianic office. He is the second Person in the Trinity, but John puts him in third place. John first sees the temple as the place where God the Father dwells in the Most Holy Place. Then in the Holy Place he notes the candelabra with the seven branches symbolizing the Holy Spirit.

And last, at the altar blood was shed for remission of sins, pointing to the mediatorial work of Jesus Christ. This interpretation finds its basis in the expression before his throne (v. 4), referring to God on his throne. The candelabra in front of the Most Holy Place exemplified the Holy Spirit. And at the altar it is Jesus Christ who set us free from our sins by his blood (v. 5b).��17��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.89.36-19.89.37|AUTODETECT|” Three designations are given to Jesus Christ: he is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. First, let us consider the faithful witness which in the Greek is rendered emphatically as the witness, that is, the faithful one (3:14). John may have taken the phrase from ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.89.36-19.89.37|AUTODETECT|” Psalms 89:36 37) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , where God mentions his faithfulness to David s lineage: his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky. The throne typifies divinely granted authority over the earth. ��18�� God swore an oath that David s lineage would be seated on the throne and now fulfilled it in Jesus Christ.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.1.18|AUTODETECT|” Jesus as the firstborn from the dead has conquered death and exercises absolute authority over both the living and the dead 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.1.18|AUTODETECT|” Col. 1:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.89.27|AUTODETECT|” ). He rules sovereignly over the kings of the earth. The wording derives from ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.89.27|AUTODETECT|” Psalms 89:27) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , where God says concerning David, I will appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted over the kings of the earth. God s promise has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, to whom everything has been subjected.) 1 3 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:4 5a) Verse 4) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.32.39|AUTODETECT|” �� this preposition governs the genitive case, but here it is succeeded by the nominative case A b� ��v A &� ��v A ��������. The grammatical construction of this clause is incorrect in more than one sense. But John writes from a Jewish perspective according to which God s name might not be altered by grammatical rules. Swete notes that Philo (Life of Abraham 24 �121) writes that the name of God is A d� and that Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.32.39|AUTODETECT|” Deuteronomy 32:39) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 reads, I am the one who is and who was and who will be. And even in Greek poetry, divine life is described as Zeus was, Zeus is, and Zeus will be. Swete concludes, Thus the Apocalyptist strikes a note familiar both to Jewish and Hellenic ears. ��19��) 1 11 2 8 0 0 John proves that he knows Greek grammar, for in thirty of the thirty-one times in the Apocalypse he correctly construes the preposition �� with the genitive case. Clearly he shows deference to the divine name.) Verse 5a) A ������, A ������ the faithful witness. John customarily writes titles and descriptions in the nominative, even though Greek grammar demands the genitive (e.g., 2:13, 20; 3:12; 20:2). The term ������ primarily means one who testifies and secondarily one who suffers death. In this verse, both meanings are relevant even though the first meaning is stressed and the second implied.��20��) ) ) C. Doxology) 1:5b 6) The paragraph division in the middle of verse 5 is necessary because of the subject matter.

John moves from the trinitarian greeting to the doxology and applies it to Jesus and God the Father.) 5b. To him who loves us and set us free from our sins by his blood, 6. and made us a kingdom and priests to his God and Father: to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.) a. To him who loves us and set us free from our sins by his blood. John continues his comments on Jesus Christ by devoting praises to him. The graphic description of Jesus who loves us appears only here in the present tense.

Notice that the present tense is juxtaposed with the past tense of set us free to heighten the contrast of a continuous act and a completed act. Jesus shows us his abiding love, which comes to expression in his finished work on Calvary s cross. There he released us from sin and guilt once for all. We see the vivid contrast between the ruler over the kings of the earth, who shows his love by shedding his blood for sins, and us, who are undeserving sinners. Robert Thomas correctly observes, This is the only N[ew] T[estament] instance where His love is so described. ��21��) Some translations read washed us, which in the Greek differs from set us free by only one vowel (�������� and �������) and has the same pronunciation. Whatever reading one prefers, the washing away of sin results in being set free.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.19.5-2.19.6|AUTODETECT|” b. And made us a kingdom and priests to his God and Father. John had in mind an Old Testament passage that combines the concepts kingdom and priests. He reflected on the scene of Mount Sinai where God told the Israelites, Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.19.5-2.19.6|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 19:5 6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.9|AUTODETECT|” ). Now he acknowledges Jesus as King and Priest who, having cleansed his people from sin, desired them to be a kingdom of priests worthy of presentation to his Father (5:10). These people are a holy priesthood in which they presently serve as priests of God and of Christ 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.9|AUTODETECT|” 1 Pet. 2:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.18.36|AUTODETECT|” Jesus kingdom differs from a worldly kingdom, as he told Pontius Pilate 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.18.36|AUTODETECT|” John 18:36) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.2.2|AUTODETECT|” ). He has citizens in every area, sector, and segment of life. These citizens seek to live obediently by the rules of Christ s kingdom; they pray for all those who are in authority and conduct themselves peaceably in godliness and holiness 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.2.2|AUTODETECT|” 1 Tim. 2:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.25.37-40.25.40|AUTODETECT|” ). They demonstrate the love of the Lord Jesus by helping the poor and feeding the hungry 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.25.37-40.25.40|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 25:37 40) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.24.17|AUTODETECT|” ); they defend the rights of the disadvantaged 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.24.17|AUTODETECT|” Deut. 24:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.5.16|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.5.16|AUTODETECT|”

1. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.5.16|AUTODETECT|” Tim 5:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.6.10|AUTODETECT|” ); they care for needy people 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.6.10|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 6:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.28.19-40.28.20|AUTODETECT|” ); and they proclaim and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.28.19-40.28.20|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 28:19 20) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.6.10|AUTODETECT|” ). As citizens of the kingdom, they testify to the present reign of jesus in the world today.��22�� Christ s followers, who make up his kingdom, honor him as Lord of lords and King of kings and utter their daily prayer, May your kingdom come 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.6.10|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 6:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.11.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.11.2|AUTODETECT|” Luke 11:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.36|AUTODETECT|” c. To him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. The exact wording of this doxology occurs only here in the Apocalypse and is almost the same as that of Paul s doxology in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.36|AUTODETECT|” Romans 11:36) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 . John records doxologies in other parts of Revelation with similar expressions (5:12 14; 7:12; 11:15), but note that in this verse he ascribes the doxology to Jesus Christ.) 1 3 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:5b 6) Verse 5b) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.40.2|AUTODETECT|” ������� !��� setting us free. This reading has the support of the better manuscripts (P18 � A C 1611) and is reflected in the Old Testament 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.40.2|AUTODETECT|” Isa. 40:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 LXX).��23�� The other reading is �������� !��� (washed us). It has been followed by the KJV and NKJV translators.) 1 13 2 8 0 0 � John uses this preposition 135 times in Revelation in a variety of ways. Here it occurs with the verb set free. Many witnesses however, have the preposition ��.) Verse 6) ��� �0���� although leading manuscripts omit these two words from the formula �0� ��z� �0����, scholars are reluctant to omit them here because of the frequent occurrence of the full construction elsewhere in this book.��24��) ) ) D. Prophecy) 1:7 8) 7. Look, he is coming with the clouds,) and every eye will see him,) even those who pierced him,) and all the tribes of the earth) will mourn because of him. Yes indeed, amen.) This verse appears to be a liturgical passage that was composed and circulated in the early Christian church. It is a stanza that in Greek New Testaments and modern translations is set off in four lines, followed by the concluding Yes indeed, amen. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.13|AUTODETECT|” Here is a prophetic announcement based on Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah as the son of man 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.13|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 7:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=38.12.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=38.12.10|AUTODETECT|” Zech. 12:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.26.64|AUTODETECT|” ) and New Testament references to Jesus suffering and return 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.26.64|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 26:64) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.19.34|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.19.34|AUTODETECT|” John 19:34) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.19.37|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=43.19.37|AUTODETECT|”
2. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.4.17|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.4.17|AUTODETECT|”
3. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.4.17|AUTODETECT|” Thess. 4:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.30|AUTODETECT|” ). This is the first announcement of Jesus return, which becomes more pronounced in the last chapter of Revelation (22:7, 12, 20). John not only speaks about Jesus suffering and triumph, his priesthood and kingship, but also about his imminent return. John looks into the future and sees Jesus returning on the clouds of heaven, as he himself promised 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.30|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 24:30) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). John calls his readers to the reality of Christ s coming by saying, Look! He follows it up with the present tense he is coming, which has a future and incontestable connotation, he will come, For John himself, in a sense, these words were confirmed when Jesus appeared to him on the island of Patmos. Now he writes to tell the readers of the Apocalypse that the return of Jesus is truly imminent and everyone should look for his coming.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.3-61.3.4|AUTODETECT|” Scoffers say that Jesus coming on the clouds is unrealistic because vast areas of the world are cloudless from time to time 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.3-61.3.4|AUTODETECT|” 2 Pet. 3:3 4) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.13.21|AUTODETECT|” ). But John informs everyone that Jesus indeed returns seated on a cloud (14:14 16) and that his coming is sudden. Clouds are the visible signs by which God displays his majesty, and clouds surround Jesus and his angels 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.13.21|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 13:21) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.16.27|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.16.27|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 16:27) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.30-40.24.31|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.30-40.24.31|AUTODETECT|” 24:30 31) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.104.3|AUTODETECT|” ). In the words of the psalmist, He makes the clouds his chariot 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.104.3|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 104:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).��25��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=38.12.10|AUTODETECT|” John borrows language from the messianic prophecy of ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=38.12.10|AUTODETECT|” Zechariah 12:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.6.16|AUTODETECT|” . Pointing to the visible return of Jesus, he declares that every eye will see him, He writes the singular adjective and noun every eye to indicate the inclusiveness of all people believers and unbelievers alike. The clause even those who pierced him pertains not only to the Jews and Gentiles who surrounded Jesus cross. It refers also to all people who despise, ridicule, and reject him. They are unable to escape, even though they call on the rocks and mountains to cover them 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.6.16|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 6:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.23.30|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.23.30|AUTODETECT|” Luke 23:30) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=28.10.8|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=28.10.8|AUTODETECT|” Hos. 10:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Revelation gives no indication that Christ s enemies come to repentance, so that all those who have refused to put their faith in Jesus will face the Judge of all the earth. John writes all the tribes of the earth, which can refer to the tribes of Israel listed in 7:4 8 or to all the peoples and nations of the world.��26��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.30|AUTODETECT|” Further, the expression will mourn because of him means an outward display or lament but not necessarily an inner sorrow and genuine repentance. The mourners will beat their chests with their fists and rue the life they led. They will be filled with remorse but not with penitence when they see Jesus. Because they do not repent, they face personal loss at the judgment.��27�� In his eschatological discourse, Jesus speaks of the sign of the Son of Man appearing in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=40.24.30|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 24:30) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). When they see him coming with power and glory, the people who have refused to acknowledge him will realize that it is too late to repent. John concludes these poetic lines with an affirmation: Yes indeed, amen. The first part of this affirmation is a Greek idiom, the second a Hebrew idiom.) 1 1 2 8 0 0

8. I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.3.14|AUTODETECT|” Here is the first self-designation of God, which John repeats with an addition in 21:6, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. The question, however, is whether these words refer to God or to Christ. For one thing, the I am was spoken by God when he called Moses at the burning bush, I am who I Amos 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.3.14|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 3:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.58|AUTODETECT|” ). But in the Gospel of John, Jesus identifies himself repeatedly with the I am formula, for example, Before Abraham was born, I Amos 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.58|AUTODETECT|” John 8:58) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Both God and Jesus identify themselves as I am the Alpha and the Omega. Notice these parallels:) 1 4 2 8 0 0 God: I am the Alpha and the Omega (1:8).) Christ: I am the First and the Last (1:17).) God: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End (21:6).) Christ: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (22:13).��28��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.6.18|AUTODETECT|” The parallels are identical, yet not Jesus but God is called Almighty 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.6.18|AUTODETECT|” 2 Cor. 6:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.3.34|AUTODETECT|” ).��29�� Nonetheless, Christ is eternal and can say that he is the first and the last, the originator and the one who completes the work of creation and redemption. He is the first and the last letter of the Greek alphabet (i.e., everything from A to Z); he is fully the Word of God. Thus we see Christ as the divine agent both in God s creation in all things and in God s eschatological fulfillment of all things. ��30�� Jesus is the one who was sent by God the Father to deliver the words of God 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.3.34|AUTODETECT|” John 3:34) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 34 2 8 0 0 This verse summarizes the first segment of chapter 1 by emphasizing the divinity of Jesus Christ as one with God the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ has been from eternity with the Father, has come to earth to pay the penalty of our sin through his death and resurrection, and is giving us the promise of his return. Jesus himself is uttering the words of this text, as is evident from a succeeding segment (vv. 17 18) where he identifies himself as first and last, the living one who was dead, but who lives eternally, holding the keys of Death and Hades. Jesus takes center stage in the first eight verses of this chapter:) " in the opening verses as God s agent of revelation (vv. 1 2);) " in the greeting as the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth (v. 5a);) " in the doxology as the redeemer and king (vv. 5b 6);) " in the prophetic announcement of his return (v. 7);) " and in his declaration of his eternity, divinity, and power (v. 8).) John F. Walvoord rightly concludes, If no more had been written than that contained in this introductory portion of chapter 1, it would have constituted a tremendous restatement of the person and work of Christ such as is found in no comparable section of Scripture. ��31��) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:7 8) Verse 7) �������� the future middle of the verb ����� indicates beat one s breast as an act of mourning. It describes an outward display of sadness.) Verse 8) ��� & n Metzger notes that the first letter of the alphabet is spelled out, but not the last one.��32�� Some manuscripts add the words ��t ��v ����� (the beginning and the end).

Because it is easier to explain additions than omissions, editors of the Greek text dismiss the addition.) ) II. Vision 1: The Church on Earth) 1:9 3:22) 9 I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet 11 saying, What you see, write in a book and send to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. ) 12 And I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. 13 And in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man, dressed in an ankle-length robe and a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like white wool, like snow, and his eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 And his feet were like exquisite brass refined as in a furnace, and his voice was as the sound of many waters. 16 And his right hand he held seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came out of his mouth, and his face was like the sun shining in its full strength.) 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. And he placed his right hand on me saying: Fear not, I am the First and the Last. 18 And I am the living one and I was dead, and look, I am alive forever and ever. And I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write, therefore, what you have seen and what is and what is about to take place after these things. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. ) ) After the introduction to the Book of Revelation, John describes the first of seven visions that divide the Apocalypse. The other visions in sequence are) " God s Throne and the Seven Seals (4:1 8:1)) " Seven Trumpeting Angels (8:2 11:19)) " Aspects of Warfare and Salvation (12:1 14:20)) " Seven Bowls of Judgment (15:1 16:21)) " Victory for Christ (17:1 19:21)) " New Heaven and New Earth (20:1 22:5)) We begin with the first vision that includes the letters to the seven churches.) A. Jesus Glorious Appearance) 1:9 20) Decades after Jesus ascension, Jesus appears to John on the island of Patmos and addresses him and the churches on the mainland.

Here is the voice of Jesus, who now in glorified appearance speaks to the church of the first century and the centuries that follow. The messages that he brings are praise and rebuke, exhortation and promise. They fit the church of any place or time throughout the ages, for the recurring refrain to his people is to overcome by being faithful to the end.) 1. Location) 1:9 11) 9. I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.5.2|AUTODETECT|” a. I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance that are in Jesus. The writer of the Fourth Gospel and the Johannine Epistles refrains from identifying himself by name, but the author of Revelation leaves no doubt about his identity. Already in verses 1 and 4 his name appears and now he writes I, John, your brother and companion. He makes it clear who he is and where he is; that is, he is a spiritual brother and fellow sufferer who has been exiled off the coast of Asia Minor (Turkey) to an isolated island called Patmos. The formula I, [+ personal name] is not limited to John. Paul refers to himself as I, Paul 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.5.2|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 5:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.3.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.3.1|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 3:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.1.23|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.1.23|AUTODETECT|” Col. 1:23) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.2.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.2.18|AUTODETECT|”

1. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.2.18|AUTODETECT|” Thess. 2:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=57.1.19|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=57.1.19|AUTODETECT|” Philem. 19) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), and in the Apocalypse Jesus says, I, Jesus (22:16).��33�� The reason for the use of the emphatic pronoun I is to avoid any misunderstanding of identity and to affirm that the speaker s message is authentic.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.15.23|AUTODETECT|” John is well known to his readers, but they have to realize that in his exile something of extraordinary significance has happened: he has seen the Lord Jesus Christ and received messages from him to be delivered to the churches. Instead of calling himself apostle, he chooses the words brother and companion and thus places himself on the same level as his readers. Paul and Peter repeatedly placed themselves on that level 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.15.23|AUTODETECT|” Acts 15:23) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.15.14|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.15.14|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 15:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.1.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=61.1.10|AUTODETECT|”
2. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.1.10|AUTODETECT|” Pet. 1:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.15|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.15|AUTODETECT|” 3:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Even though the apostles received delegated authority from Jesus, they considered themselves spiritual brothers to all who serve and follow him.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 John strengthens the concept brother with the word companion, which signifies more than partner or friend. He qualities this term by adding the words in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance that are in Jesus. As a companion he shares the suffering his readers have to endure in three areas: tribulation, kingdom, and patient endurance. Let us examine these three sequentially.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.21|AUTODETECT|” First, tribulation. Jesus told his disciples that they would experience great distress 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.21|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 24:21) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.16.33|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.16.33|AUTODETECT|” John 16:33) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.14.22|AUTODETECT|” ). Paul similarly said to the Christians in Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch, We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.14.22|AUTODETECT|” Acts 14:22) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). These hardships inevitably must take place on account of the coming of God s kingdom. For Christians, hardships necessarily belong to the world in which God has placed them as his people.��34��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.14.22|AUTODETECT|” Next, kingdom. The expression kingdom is related to tribulation; in this world the one closely accompanies the other 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.14.22|AUTODETECT|” Acts 14:22) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). As citizens in God s kingdom, Christians experience constant pressure from people who are the enemies of God, his Word, and his people. Of all the books in the New Testament, the Apocalypse especially relates how that tribulation intensifies as the kingdom approaches the consummation.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.2.12|AUTODETECT|” Third, patient endurance. John mentions it frequently in the Apocalypse as one of the characteristic features of one who follows Christ.��35�� But how do we explain the sequence of the three nouns we are examining? How does the kingdom relate to both tribulation and patient endurance? Members of this kingdom must of necessity suffer and endure, as is evident from the letters to the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, and Philadelphia. On the one hand, Christians face tribulation because they are in the kingdom; on the other hand, they are told to endure patiently so that the kingdom may come through their faithfulness to Christ. When thus we see the kingdom between tribulation and patient endurance, any tension is allayed.��36�� A hymn on the suffering for Christ sung in the early church has this line, If we endure, we will also reign with him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.2.12|AUTODETECT|” 2 Tim. 2:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.20.15|AUTODETECT|” b. [I, John] was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Revelation is the only book in the New Testament that states the place where it was composed: on the island called Patmos. This island is located some forty miles to the southwest of Miletus 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=44.20.15|AUTODETECT|” Acts 20:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), which served as a harbor for Ephesus. It measures ten miles from north to south and six from east to west and consists of hills that rise over eight hundred feet above sea level.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Patmos is a rocky, volcanic isle to which the Roman government in the first and second centuries banished exiles.��37�� During the end of Emperor Domitian s reign (81 96), John was sent to this island, in his own words, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. The conjunction because is meaningful for it illustrates why John was on this island. He did not go there to start a church, for the population was sparse. He could have sent a coworker instead. And he did not visit Patmos because he expected Jesus to appear to him there. For John, Jesus appearance was entirely unexpected.

No, John was banished as the leader of the churches in the western part of Asia Minor. The Romans persecuted the Christians who acknowledged not Caesar but Jesus Christ as Lord; Romans officials considered John an instigator of the Christian religion. Tradition says that after Domitian s death, his successor Nerva released John and permitted him to return to Ephesus.��38��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.21.24|AUTODETECT|” John had faithfully proclaimed and taught the Word of God; he had written the testimony of Jesus 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.21.24|AUTODETECT|” John 21:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=63.1.0|AUTODETECT|” ); and he was known as the revered elder in the churches of Asia Minor 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=63.1.0|AUTODETECT|” 2 John 1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=64.1.0|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=64.1.0|AUTODETECT|” 3) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=64.1.0|AUTODETECT|” John 1) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). No wonder that he was imprisoned when persecution struck in Ephesus. The phrase testimony of Jesus can be interpreted to mean either the gospel of Jesus or the preaching of that gospel for Jesus (compare v. 2).��39�� Both interpretations are applicable in this instance.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.10.9-44.10.10|AUTODETECT|” Both Peter and Paul were in ecstasy when the Lord spoke to them in a vision. Peter was in a trance on the flat roof of Simon the tanner in Joppa 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.10.9-44.10.10|AUTODETECT|” Acts 10:9 10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.22.17-44.22.18|AUTODETECT|” ), and Paul experienced a trance in the temple of Jerusalem 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.22.17-44.22.18|AUTODETECT|” Acts 22:17 18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). John was not asleep but wide awake when the Lord addressed him. His senses were alert so that with a clear mind, focused eyes, and open ears he assimilated the information Jesus supplied and he later recorded. The phrase in the Spirit occurs also in 4:2 where John is invited to look into heaven, in 17:3 where an angel carries him into the desert, and in 21:10 where the angel brought him to a high mountain to see the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. These passages point to the close relationship between Jesus and the Holy Spirit in transmitting to John the content of the Apocalypse.��40��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.11.20|AUTODETECT|” John writes that he was in the Spirit on the Lord s Day. This is the only place in the New Testament where this day is so described, for elsewhere it is referred to as the first day of the week.��41�� It is the day of the Lord s resurrection, and by the end of the first century Christians had begun to refer to it not as the first day of the week but as the Lord s Day 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.11.20|AUTODETECT|” 1 Cor. 11:20) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). It is the day that is devoted to the Lord. The text refers not to the eventual return of the Lord and the Day of Judgment but to Jesus appearing to John on the first day of the week a day consecrated to Christ.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.19.16|AUTODETECT|” John hears behind him a loud voice that sounded like a trumpet. For him, the sound of this loud voice was unexpected and startling. The resonance of the trumpet, however, told him of its heavenly origin. John was reminded of God giving the Ten Commandments at Sinai where the Israelites heard a trumpet sound 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.19.16|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 19:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.19.19|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.19.19|AUTODETECT|” 19) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.20.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.20.18|AUTODETECT|” 20:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.23.24|AUTODETECT|” ). The beginning of the New Year was marked by trumpet blasts; indeed on the first day of the seventh month, the Jewish month Tishri (September October), the people celebrated the Feast of Trumpets 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.23.24|AUTODETECT|” Lev. 23:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=4.29.1-4.29.6|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=4.29.1-4.29.6|AUTODETECT|” Num. 29:1 6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.31|AUTODETECT|” ). This was a prelude to the Day of Atonement on the tenth of Tishri. In his eschatological discourse Jesus speaks about his return as accompanied by a loud trumpet call 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.31|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 24:31) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.4.16|AUTODETECT|” ; see ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=52.4.16|AUTODETECT|” 1 Thess. 4:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). In short, the sound of the trumpet introduced the advent of a new interval.) 1 19 2 8 0 0 The trumpet sound in Revelation calls attention to an important message (e.g., 4:1), and the intensity of the voice demands alertness and obedience. Although in this verse the voice is unidentified, in subsequent verses the speech is that of Jesus, who calls himself the First and the Last, the living One who is alive forever and ever (vv. 17 18).) 11. Saying, What you see, write in a book and send to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. ) The divine voice addressing John tells him to take a pen and a scroll and write messages to seven churches that are in the province of Asia. These are churches that John has served before he was exiled to Patmos. Now Jesus has something to say to each of these seven congregations. John is told to write the epistles and see to it that they are sent and delivered to the respective addressees.) What you see refers not merely to the appearance of the Lord and the messages he must dispatch to the churches but to the entire content of the Apocalypse.

All that he observes and hears must be recorded for the benefit of the whole church. The command to write is in the present tense, to indicate that he must continue to record until the end. He must take a scroll of adequate length (approximately sixteen feet), record God s revelation, and make it available to every congregation (compare 1:3). Although questions may arise concerning the structure of the Apocalypse, its content has always been presented as one book and has never appeared in individual parts.) The trajectory of the seven cities that are mentioned sequentially is oval in form and may have been a postal route. The route is from Ephesus in the center to Smyrna and Pergamum in the north, then on to Thyatira and Sardis in a southeasterly direction, and from there to Philadelphia and Laodicea in the south. William M.

Ramsay conjectures that from these cities secondary messengers went out to neighboring towns with copies of the Apocalypse. These towns included Colosse, Hierapolis in the vicinity of Laodicea; then Tralles, Magnesia, and Miletus in the central part of the province; and last Troas to the north of Pergamum.��42�� These seven letters, however, are for the church universal. It is more likely, then, that John is using the number seven symbolically to convey the idea of completeness. Hence, no church is ever left out, for Jesus has a message for each one.) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:9 11) Verse 9) �� ������ the definite article controls three nouns: tribulation, kingdom, and endurance. They belong to the same category and follow in the given sequence.) �t� ��������� 8���� the genitive is either subjective (belonging to Jesus) or objective (for Jesus). Both are applicable here.) Verse 10) �� ������� !���� notice that the adjective signifies belonging to the Lord.

In his letter to the Magnesians (9.1), Ignatius writes of no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord s Day. ) Verse 11) �������� grammatically this present participle should have been in the accusative to modify the noun voice and not the dependent genitive trumpet; this occurs again in 4:1.) ) ) 2. Appearance) 1:12 16) 12. And I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. 13. And in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man, dressed in an ankle-length robe and a golden sash around his chest.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.12.4|AUTODETECT|” a. And I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. As in the first eight verses of this chapter, so in the rest of the verses, the accent falls on the Lord Jesus Christ. John s description of the glorified Jesus should be interpreted not literally but symbolically. It is impossible for John to express a heavenly appearance in exact human terms; thus, he employs the comparative term like (e.g., like a son of man, v. 13). Compare also Paul s hesitancy when, referring to his vision of paradise, he states his inability to express the things he had heard 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.12.4|AUTODETECT|” 2 Cor. 12:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 0 John relates that upon hearing the voice that was speaking behind him, he turned around to identify the person who addressed him.��43�� In Greek he writes the verb lalein (to talk) instead of legein (to speak), which means that he wants to identify the sound of the voice and not the content of the message. We ask whether John would have recognized the voice of Jesus after many decades had passed, but we have no answer. We know that the sound he compared to a trumpet alerted him to expect a voice from heaven.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.25.31|AUTODETECT|” b. And when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. Instead of identifying a person, he describes first the surroundings and then the person himself The surroundings are not one but seven golden lampstands. The tabernacle contained one lampstand made of pure gold with seven lamps 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.25.31|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 25:31) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.25.37|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.25.37|AUTODETECT|” 37) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=11.7.49|AUTODETECT|” ). Solomon s temple had ten golden lampstands: five on the left and five on the right in front of the inner sanctuary 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=11.7.49|AUTODETECT|” 1 Kings 7:49) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=38.4.2|AUTODETECT|” ); and Zechariah saw only one golden lampstand with seven lights with seven pipes supplying oil to the lights 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=38.4.2|AUTODETECT|” Zech. 4:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.20|AUTODETECT|” ). Even though John s imagery is based on the Old Testament, here he uses the word lampstands, to which he supplies the number seven. The lampstands are seven churches 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.20|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:20) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), and seven denotes completeness. That is, John presents a picture of the entire church.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.12|AUTODETECT|” c. And in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man (see also 14:14). What comfort for the church on earth! John first describes the church and then depicts her Lord, who always walks in her midst (2:1). Jesus as the Son of Man is walking among the churches, which brightly shine their light to dispel the darkness of this world. He has not withdrawn himself to heavenly realms; rather he is with the church on earth to be their source of light 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.12|AUTODETECT|” John 8:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). The churches receiving their light from him must be light bearers; if they fail in this, Jesus will remove their lampstand from its place and they will cease to be his church (2:5).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.13-27.7.14|AUTODETECT|” By saying like a son of man, John calls attention to ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.13-27.7.14|AUTODETECT|” Daniel 7:13 14) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , where this title describes the Messiah as ruler of this universe. The Son of Man is divine, dwells in eternity, possesses ultimate authority, and is the sovereign of an indestructible kingdom. This picture expresses majesty, power, and authority that no human being can equal. During his earthly ministry, Jesus applied the name Son of Man to himself for the purpose of identifying himself with fallen humanity to redeem his people. Here, then, is the majestic Lord walking among the churches to reprove and encourage, and to command and commend them.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.23.3|AUTODETECT|” d. Dressed in an ankle-length robe and a golden sash around his chest. This sentence can mean that Jesus is high priest wearing a white ankle-length robe. Some commentators contend that the evidence to prove it is insufficient for other dignitaries were also dressed in ankle-length garb. They conclude that the long robe and the golden sash mark the dignity of the person so adorned.��44�� However, the description of the high priest s garment includes fine linen 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.23.3|AUTODETECT|” Acts 23:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.28.4-2.28.5|AUTODETECT|” ), a sash, and gold 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.28.4-2.28.5|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 28:4 5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.29.5|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.29.5|AUTODETECT|” 29:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ; Wisdom of Solomon 18:24). The Apocalypse presents Jesus as both king and priest who released his people from sin by his blood (1:5; compare 5:9). The feasibility of interpreting the sentence to refer to Jesus priesthood cannot be excluded.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.5|AUTODETECT|” The sash of gold worn around the chest is also the apparel of seven angels who come out of the temple dressed in clean, bright linen with golden sashes around their chests 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.5|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 10:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). John s wording, therefore, depicts the dignity and high standing of the Son of Man.) 1 6 2 8 0 0 14. His head and his hair were white like white wool, like snow, and his eyes were like a flame of fire. 15. And his feet were like exquisite brass refined as in a furnace, and his voice was as the sound of many waters.) a. His head and his hair were white like white wool, like snow. Again John can only describe Jesus appearance by using the comparative terms like and as throughout these two verses. The terminology is reminiscent of Daniel s description of God, whom the prophet calls the Ancient of Days:) And the Ancient of Days took his seat.) His clothing was as white as snow;) the hair of his head was white like wool.) His throne was flaming with fire,) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.9|AUTODETECT|” and its wheels were all ablaze. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.9|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 7:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 )) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.19.32|AUTODETECT|” What Daniel in this passage ascribes to God, John with variation assigns to Christ. Jesus appears as God because he is one with the Father in regard to eternity purity, and holiness. Daniel also notes that a son of man & approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence (7:13). The head and hair of Jesus are white as wool, to which John adds that they are white as snow.��45�� It is obvious that John does not have the written scroll of Daniel at his disposal and, relying on memory, he attempts to approximate the biblical wording. White or gray hair demands respect and is to be regarded as a crown of splendor 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=3.19.32|AUTODETECT|” Lev. 19:32) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=20.16.31|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=20.16.31|AUTODETECT|” Prov. 16:31) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.9|AUTODETECT|” b. His eyes were like a flame of fire. This clause again reflects an inexact memory of ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.9|AUTODETECT|” Daniel 7:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.6|AUTODETECT|” . In that passage God s throne was flaming with fire, but here John applies the flame to Jesus eyes. He seems to have in mind the wording of a similar vision that reads, his eyes like flaming torches 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.6|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 10:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). John s intent is to say that nothing escapes the penetrating eyes of Jesus. He corroborates this in the letter to the church in Thyatira (2:18), where Jesus says that he is the one who searches the minds and the hearts (2:23).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.1.7|AUTODETECT|” c. And his feet were like exquisite brass refined as in a furnace. I admit that the translation fine brass is an approximation, because the Greek gives a name for a metal or alloy, the exact nature of which is unknown. ��46�� The metal seems to have been similar to polished copper to which another metal contributed luster 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.1.7|AUTODETECT|” Ezek. 1:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.6|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.6|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 10:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.110.1|AUTODETECT|” ). We have no further information whether John wishes to convey that the metal is still in the furnace or has been through it. Nor do we understand what polished brass is supposed to represent, except to say that it reflects divine glory. The Psalter teaches that the feet of Jesus trample down his enemies 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.110.1|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 110:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.43.2|AUTODETECT|” d. And his voice was as the sound of many waters. We picture John at the shoreline of Patmos, listening to the waves beating against the rocks. Elsewhere he uses similar wording (14:2; 19:6) to convey the image of the surging of the sea that is powerfully persistent and relentless. The Old Testament passage underlying this sentence is ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.43.2|AUTODETECT|” Ezekiel 43:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , where the prophet describes the glory of God and says, His voice was like the sound of many waters (NKJV). This passage is now ascribed to Jesus.) 1 3 2 8 0 0 16. And in his right hand he held seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came out of his mouth, and his face was like the sun shining in its full strength.) This last verse in the passage on Jesus appearance lists three physical features: his right hand, his mouth, and his face. These features ought to be understood not literally but symbolically; also an astrological interpretation of the seven stars must be rejected.��47��) a. And in his right hand he held seven stars. John did not rely on phraseology taken from the Old Testament. Rather Jesus himself furnishes the explanation of the seven stars: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches (v. 20). The angels are the messengers of God appointed to serve him in the seven churches (2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.110.1|AUTODETECT|” The right hand can be interpreted as a source of power and protection. For instance, both the Old and the New Testaments speak of being seated at God s right hand as indicative of possessing authority 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.110.1|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 110:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.3|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 1:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.44.3|AUTODETECT|” ). The psalmists mention safety by his right hand 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.44.3|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 44:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.60.5|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.60.5|AUTODETECT|” 60:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.7.55|AUTODETECT|” ). The expression, then, symbolizes shelter and security through the divine power that Jesus provides for his people who serve him as messengers. From him they receive delegated authority and can expect his ever-present nearness. Jesus Christ never forsakes his own, even when they go through the valley of death as in times of severe persecution 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.7.55|AUTODETECT|” Acts 7:55) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.4.12|AUTODETECT|” b. And a sharp double-edged sword came out of his mouth. The image of the sword symbolically represents Christ s spoken word. That word is sharper than a two-edged sword and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.4.12|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 4:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.6.17|AUTODETECT|” ; see also ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.6.17|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 6:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). The sharpest weapon in the Roman arsenal was a double-edged sword, but whether this implement resembled a human tongue remains an open question.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.2.8|AUTODETECT|” At his return, Jesus will overthrow the lawless one with the breath of his mouth 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.2.8|AUTODETECT|” 2 Thess. 2:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.6.12|AUTODETECT|” ). Jesus fights his enemies not with material weapons but with his word; the battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of darkness 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.6.12|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 6:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.11.4|AUTODETECT|” ). In warfare, this word executes judgment and destroys the works of the evil one 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.11.4|AUTODETECT|” Isa. 11:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.49.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.49.2|AUTODETECT|” 49:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). And last, in the Greek the verb came out is a present participle to denote that the divine word continuously comes forth from Jesus mouth. It is constantly active, protecting his own and proving to be destructive to his opponents.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=7.5.31|AUTODETECT|” c. And his face was like the sun shining in its full strength. The phraseology derives from ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=7.5.31|AUTODETECT|” Judges 5:31) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.2|AUTODETECT|” , where Deborah and Barak conclude their song by saying: So may all your enemies perish, O Lord! But may those who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength. When Matthew records the transfiguration, he writes that Jesus face shone like the sun 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.2|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 17:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ; compare 13:43).) 1 8 2 8 0 0 John writes not the regular Greek word for face (prosMpon) but the expression opsis, which in classical Greek means appearance or face. Would John have in mind the face of Jesus after he described his hair, head, and eyes? Or does he mean the complete appearance of the Lord? We are unable to determine the exact meaning. What we can say is that from Jesus shines light as bright as the sun in full strength. In other words, it was humanly impossible to look Jesus in the face.) William Hendriksen writes that the description of Jesus must be taken in its entirety.

I have presented a verse-by-verse interpretation, but it is helpful to see the full picture in his words:) Notice that the Son of man is here pictured as clothed with power and majesty and with awe and terror. That long royal robe; that golden belt buckled at the breast; that hair so glistening white that like snow on which the sun is shining it hurts the eye; those eyes flashing fire, eyes which read every heart and penetrate every hidden corner; those feet glowing in order to trample down the wicked; that loud, reverberating voice, like the mighty breakers booming against the rocky shore of Patmos; that sharp, long, heavy great-sword with two biting edges; that entire appearance as the sun shines in its power, too intense for human eyes to stare at the entire picture, taken as a whole, is symbolical of Christ, the Holy One, coming to purge His churches (2:16, 18, 23), and to punish those who are persecuting His elect (8:5ff.).��48��) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:12 15) Verse 12) ����� the Greek uses ������ to denote the act of speaking and ������ to emphasize the content of what is said (see v. 17, where the present participle ����� occurs).) Verse 13) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.13|AUTODETECT|” �1x� ������� the definite articles that could precede the two nouns are lacking 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.13|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 7:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 Old Greek and Theod.). Also, the adjective E����� should have been followed by the dative rather than the accusative.��49�� Here and in 14:14 John writes a solecism.) 1 8 2 8 0 0 Verse 15) ����������� the genitive case and not the dative case or nominative plural is the more difficult reading and hence preferred. The solution of inserting ��� ������������ after the perfect passive participle is commendable (see the commentaries of Beckwith, Greijdanus, Swete, and Thomas). As an alternative, it is possible to repeat mentally the word ������� in the genitive case and turn the participle into a genitive absolute, because ������� is feminine. In a genitive absolute construction, the noun or pronoun at times is lacking.��50��) ) ) 3. Message) 1:17 20) The last part of the chapter is Jesus message to John. It serves as an introduction to the seven epistles that he must address to the churches in the province of Asia.

Filled with dread at the sight of Jesus, John hears words of comfort as Jesus identifies himself as the risen Christ.) 17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. And he placed his right hand on me saying: Fear not, I am the First and the Last. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.6|AUTODETECT|” Seeing Jesus in glorified appearance proved to be too much for John, not so much because of human frailty as because of his awareness of his utter unworthiness to see Christ s glory. He fell to the ground at Jesus feet, which is a common posture of the saints who are permitted to be in the presence of holiness. John had seen his glory on the mount of transfiguration, and when they heard the voice from heaven, he and his companions fell face down on the ground 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.6|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 17:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Scripture reveals that saints in both and New Testament eras had similar experiences.��51�� The truth is that human beings are unable to face divine majesty: sinners prostrate themselves and acknowledge the presence of sinlessness.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.8.18|AUTODETECT|” Lying on the ground, John appeared to be dead. Yet his senses were alert, for he was fully aware of Jesus standing next to him. The Lord appeared to him, not to slay him, but to show him his divine power and majesty, which John should report to the churches. Both John and the churches had to become aware of Christ s awesome appearance and to do so in preparation for the message Jesus had for them.��52�� Jesus placed his right hand on John and ordered him not to fear. The hand of the Lord touched John to establish physical contact and his voice told him not to be afraid. Daniel also was touched and raised after seeing heavenly visions, and he too was told not to fear 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.8.18|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 8:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.10|AUTODETECT|” 10:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.12|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.12|AUTODETECT|” 12) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.14.27|AUTODETECT|” ). By touching John, Jesus endowed him with strength to face the future; at the same time he spoke words that were an echo from the past: Fear not. Jesus had often commanded his disciples to stop being afraid, whether it was on the stormy lake of Galilee 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.14.27|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 14:27) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.7|AUTODETECT|” ); on the mount of transfiguration 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.7|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 17:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.18.9|AUTODETECT|” ); on a missionary journey 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.18.9|AUTODETECT|” Acts 18:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.23.11|AUTODETECT|” ); or in custody 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.23.11|AUTODETECT|” Acts 23:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Jesus never deserts his own people.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.58|AUTODETECT|” In the words I am the First and the Last John recognized Jesus, who is the I Amos 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.58|AUTODETECT|” John 8:58) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.1-43.1.3|AUTODETECT|” ). Jesus is also the first as the Creator 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.1-43.1.3|AUTODETECT|” John 1:1 3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.10|AUTODETECT|” ), the author of salvation 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.10|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 2:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.1.18|AUTODETECT|” ), and the firstborn from among the dead 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.1.18|AUTODETECT|” Col. 1:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). He is the also the one who will bring all things to completion; thus by being the fulfillment of all things he is the end. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. What an encouragement to know that Jesus stands at the beginning and at the end of human history and that he is always with the saints.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 18. And I am the living one and I was dead, and look, I am alive forever and ever. And I have the keys of Death and Hades. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.3|AUTODETECT|” a. And I am the living one and I was dead, and look, I am alive forever and ever. Jesus states that he is eternal, divine, and the exact representation of God s being 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.3|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 1:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.5.26|AUTODETECT|” ). He is the living one, in contrast to all the gods of paganism. Note, he does not now say that he is alive, but that he is the living one who possesses eternal life 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.5.26|AUTODETECT|” John 5:26) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.6.33|AUTODETECT|” ). He is the giver of life 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.6.33|AUTODETECT|” John 6:33) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.5.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.5.11|AUTODETECT|”

1. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.5.11|AUTODETECT|” John 5:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.58|AUTODETECT|” ), and the life he gives is eternal. Thus he is the great I Amos 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.8.58|AUTODETECT|” John 8:58) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.14-58.2.15|AUTODETECT|” Jesus personifies life and at the same time he can say, I was dead. He refers to his sacrificial death on Calvary s cross, where he conquered death for the sake of those held in the fear of death 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.14-58.2.15|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 2:14 15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.32.40|AUTODETECT|” ). He speaks of an historical event when his body was lying lifeless in the tomb outside the city of Jerusalem. The contrast is telling, for the one who is life permits his body to submit to death. What he restores is a physical body that suffered death so that it could never die again. Hence, he triumphantly exults in life and exclaims, Look, I am alive forever and ever 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.32.40|AUTODETECT|” Deut. 32:40) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.4.34|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.4.34|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 4:34) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.12.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.12.7|AUTODETECT|” 12:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.9|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.9|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 4:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.10|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=66.4.10|AUTODETECT|”
2. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.10.6|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.10.6|AUTODETECT|” 10.6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.15.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.15.7|AUTODETECT|” 15:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). His body, which John saw and described, is alive and glorified in appearance. In this last clause, Jesus first tells John to look closely at the physical appearance of the Lord; next, he stresses that there is no time limit to the Lord s life, for he lives eternally. His life is immortal, indestructible, and unchangeable. The incontrovertible truth of Christ s resurrection causes every believer to rejoice in his power to open the graves and raise the dead.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.*?id=43.5.28|AUTODETECT|” b. And I have the keys of Death and Hades. The one who has a key is able to unlock doors that give access to possessions, treasures, and secrets. Possessing a key means having power and authority. But no one on the face of this earth is able to claim power over Death and Hades. Jesus, who triumphed over death and the grave, possesses the keys to unlock them.

Are these the keys that belong to Death and Hades (subjective genitive) or are they the keys that give someone power over them (objective genitive)? It stands to reason that Jesus, who has conquered Death and Hades, has power over them and thus possesses their keys also.��53�� That is, both the objective and subjective genitives apply, for Jesus has complete power over death and the grave 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.5.28|AUTODETECT|” John 5:28) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.16.19|AUTODETECT|” ; compare also ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.16.19|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 16:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=18.17.16|AUTODETECT|” ). Incidentally, the Old Testament frequently speaks about the gates of death 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=18.17.16|AUTODETECT|” Job 17:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=18.38.17|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=18.38.17|AUTODETECT|” 38:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.9.13|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.9.13|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 9:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.107.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.107.18|AUTODETECT|” 107:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.1.23|AUTODETECT|” What is the meaning of Hades? Is it different from death? Is it equivalent to the grave? Or is it the abode of the dead in the underworld? First, the Apocalypse personifies Death and Hades (6:8; 20:13 14). Next, Death is a state and Hades a place. Third, although Death and Hades are powerful forces (6:8), at the consummation their power comes to an end and both are cast into the lake of fire (20:14). Last, everyone faces death before Christ returns; believers do not enter Hades but enter the portals of heaven 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.1.23|AUTODETECT|” Phil. 1:23) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.5.8|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.5.8|AUTODETECT|” 2) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.5.8|AUTODETECT|” Cor. 5:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.3.19|AUTODETECT|” ).��54�� But the ungodly are in Hades. All human beings will appear before the judgment seat of God and will be judged, but the saints whose names are written in the book of life will forever be with Christ. Hence, it is incorrect to interpret Hades as the grave, for everyone will return to dust 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.3.19|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 3:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 11 2 8 0 0 Jesus Christ has authority over Death and Hades, and when he speaks both of them submit to him. He is the Victor who has absolute power.) 19. Write, therefore, what you have seen and what is and what is about to take place after these things. ) The command Write, therefore, what you have seen is a repetition of a preceding verse (v. 11). After John has described Jesus appearance, the charge to write is given again, together with the clause what you have seen, now in the past tense. Most scholars interpret the past, present, and future parts of this verse as a division of the Apocalypse.) " What you have seen points to Jesus appearance to John (1:9 20).) " What is refers to the spiritual condition of the seven churches (chapters 2 and 3).) " What is about to take place after these things alludes to the period from the time of John to that of the Lord s return.) Others point out that the three time references (past, present, and future) derive from a formula that was in use for centuries in many cultures throughout the countries around the Mediterranean basin. This formula describing prophecy encompasses the totality of history and seeks to disclose its meaning.��55�� We might consider this formula to be a proverbial saying that transcends time and place and conveys the sense of comprising all of history.) The clause what you have seen should be understood in the light of verse 11, What you see.

John saw the awe-inspiring appearance of Jesus that stayed with him as he wrote his book. The impression he received can be formulated in one short sentence: Jesus is in complete control of everything that has transpired, transpires, and will transpire. ) We are unable to ascertain whether John wrote the Apocalypse piecemeal as he received instructions and visions from the Lord or whether he composed the entire book after he had received all the information. If we interpret the three clauses of verse 19 not sequentially but comprehensively, they take on an overall perspective. The things that John has seen, those that are, and those that will happen afterward all these apply to all churches of the past, present, and future. Thus the clause what you have seen refers not necessarily to past time but to totality. Similarly the phrase the things that are is not limited to the present time of John s day but is all-inclusive.

And the words what is about to take place after these things imply everything that will occur from the moment John receives the command to write until the end of cosmic time.��56�� We conclude that the entire content of Revelation is meaningful to any and every church that has existed throughout the centuries, that exists today, and that will exist in the future. The message of Revelation, therefore, is one of comfort and assurance to all believers, past, present, and future.) 20. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. ) As readers of the Apocalypse, we look for hints as to how to interpret its symbols and understand its message. Scattered throughout the book are helpful clues that facilitate us in our interpretation. This is not to say that a particular symbol has only one explanation. John writes the expression mystery, which occurs four times in Revelation (1:20; 10:7; 17:5, 7).

The first two relate to things pertaining to the church and to God, while the last two pertain to the great prostitute. Mysteries are secrets hidden from our understanding unless they are explained.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.1.2|AUTODETECT|” Jesus elucidates the symbols of the stars and the lampstands. He declares that the seven stars are angels and the seven lampstands seven churches. But are the angels heavenly beings sent out as God s messengers? Are they guardian angels, one for each congregation?��57�� The term angel is common in the Apocalypse, occurring sixty-seven times. But it is impossible to maintain that in the Johannine literature a given word must have the same meaning throughout unless the author indicates a change. To say that angels should mean ethereal beings and never human messengers runs counter to other passages in Scripture 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.1.2|AUTODETECT|” Mark 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=39.3.1|AUTODETECT|” [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=39.3.1|AUTODETECT|” Mal. 3:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.7.24|AUTODETECT|” ]; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.7.24|AUTODETECT|” Luke 7:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.9.52|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.9.52|AUTODETECT|” 9:52) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). From an analytical point of view, why would Jesus instruct John to write letters to seven individual angels? Note that in Greek the pronoun you (your) and the respective verbs in these letters are in the singular, which English is unable to transmit (e.g., 2:2). And would holy angels be held responsible for the sins of the people in the seven churches? Would it not make better sense if he told him to write to representatives of these churches who were responsible for the spiritual well-being of their members?��58�� We know that Jesus is holding the seven stars (messengers) in his right hand (v. 16) to send them forth with authority and to protect them. The interpretation that the messengers to the congregations are their pastors makes sense if we view pastors as sent forth and commissioned by Christ. They are responsible for the spiritual development of God s people.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 The seven lampstands are the seven churches. Notice the difference with respect to the first part of the explanation: the seven stars are angels of the seven churches. They are not called seven angels, and in the Greek they are merely called angels, without the definite article. The emphasis, therefore, falls not on the number of angels or the entire class of angels but on their capacity of being representatives. Pastors come and go but the pastoral responsibility remains.��59��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.6.9|AUTODETECT|” During the Old Testament era, Israel was undivided and represented a unity. In apostolic times, national identities emerged in forming synagogues, for example, the Synagogue of the Freedmen and Greek-speaking Jews 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.6.9|AUTODETECT|” Acts 6:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). When churches were established, national and linguistic differences played a role. Yet all these churches confessing Jesus Christ as their Lord express basic unity. They are the golden lampstands that dispel the darkness of the world in which God has placed them.) 1 14 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:17 20) Verse 17) �t ����� the present imperative indicates John s continued terrified condition. Jesus tells John to cease being afraid.) Verse 18) ��� �0�� this is a periphrastic construction equivalent to the progressive present tense of the indicative I am alive. ) Verse 19) �0��� correct grammar demands a singular verb with a neuter plural subject, but in Koine Greek this rule is not always observed.) Verse 20) �p� ��p ������� �p� ������ commentators think that this phrase is dependent on the expression ��������� and should have been written in the genitive case. But John may have meant to place more emphasis on the seven stars as a mystery than on the seven lampstands. The accusative is an accusative absolute.) ) ) ) ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.3|AUTODETECT|” 1 ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.3|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.14.13|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.14.13|AUTODETECT|” 14:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.16.15|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.16.15|AUTODETECT|” 16:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.19.9|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.19.9|AUTODETECT|” 19:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.20.6|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.20.6|AUTODETECT|” 20:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.7|AUTODETECT|” 22:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.14|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.14|AUTODETECT|” 14) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.2.32|AUTODETECT|” 2 ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.2.32|AUTODETECT|” Luke 2:32) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.2.5|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.2.5|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 2:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.8.19|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.8.19|AUTODETECT|” 8:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.16.25|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.16.25|AUTODETECT|” 16:25) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.1.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.1.7|AUTODETECT|”

1. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.1.7|AUTODETECT|” Cor. 1:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.14.6|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.14.6|AUTODETECT|” 14:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.14.26|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=46.14.26|AUTODETECT|”
2. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.12.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.12.1|AUTODETECT|”
3. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.12.1|AUTODETECT|” Cor. 12:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.12.7|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=47.12.7|AUTODETECT|”
4. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.1.12|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.1.12|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 1:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.2.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.2.2|AUTODETECT|” 2:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.1.17|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.1.17|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 1:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.3.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.3.3|AUTODETECT|” 3:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.1.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.1.7|AUTODETECT|”
5. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.1.7|AUTODETECT|” Thess. 1:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=60.1.7|AUTODETECT|”
6. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.7|AUTODETECT|” Pet. 1:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.13|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=60.1.13|AUTODETECT|”
7. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.4.13|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.4.13|AUTODETECT|” 4:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.1|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 4 2 8 0 0 3 George Eldon Ladd, Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), p. 21; Leon Morris, Revelation, rev. ed., TNTC (Leicester: Inter-Varsity; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987), p. 46; S. Greijdanus, De Openbaring des Heeren aan Johannes, KNT (Amsterdam: Van Bottenburg, 1925), p. 5.) 4 Eugene H. Peterson (Reversed Thunder: The Revelation of John and the Praying Imagination [San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988], p. 28) pointedly writes, The Revelation gives us the last word on Christ, and the word is that Christ is center and at the center. Without this controlling center, the Bible is a mere encyclopedia of religion with no more plot than a telephone directory. ) 5 See Morris, Revelation, p. 47; Henry Barclay Swete, Commentary on Revelation (1911; reprint, Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1977), p. 3; Greijdanus, Openbaring, p. 8; Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1 7: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody, l992), p. 62.) 6 Refer to Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (1919; reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979), pp. 422 23; compare Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, rev. ed., NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), p. 43.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.1.1|AUTODETECT|” 7 ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.1.1|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.112.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.112.1|AUTODETECT|” 112:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.119.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.119.1|AUTODETECT|” 119:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.128.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.128.1|AUTODETECT|” 128:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.30.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.30.18|AUTODETECT|” Isa. 30:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=24.17.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=24.17.7|AUTODETECT|” Jer. 17:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.5.3-40.5.12|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.5.3-40.5.12|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 5:3 12) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.3|AUTODETECT|” . David E. Aune (Revelation 1 5, WBC 52A [Dallas: Word, 1997], p. 11) points out that the beatitude in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.3|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 is unique because it is formulated in both the third person singular and the third person plural , thereby providing a blessing on the communication process itself. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.16|AUTODETECT|” 8 J�rg Baumgarten, EDNT, 2:232 35. See additional time references in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.16|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 2:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.25|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.25|AUTODETECT|”
8. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.3.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.3.11|AUTODETECT|” 3:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.6.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.6.11|AUTODETECT|” 6:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.10.6|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.10.6|AUTODETECT|” 10:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.11.2-66.11.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.11.2-66.11.3|AUTODETECT|” 11:2 3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.12.6|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.12.6|AUTODETECT|” 12:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.17.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.17.10|AUTODETECT|” 17:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.7|AUTODETECT|” 22:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.20|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.20|AUTODETECT|”
9. 1 1 -1 9 0 0 . Consult M. Eugene Boring, Revelation, Interpretation (Louisville: John Knox, 1989), pp. 68 70.) 1 18 2 8 0 0 9 R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John s Revelation (Columbus: Wartburg, 1943), p. 34. Consult Louis A.

Vos, The Synoptic Tradition in the Apocalypse (Kampen: Kok, 1965), pp. 178 81; Sam Hamstra Jr., An Idealist View of Revelation, in Four Views on the Book of Revelation, ed. C. Marvin Pate (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), p. 100. In the same volume, C. Marvin Pate ( A Progressive Dispensationalist View of Revelation, p. 136) observes. For the early Christians, the Parousia was an epilogue, albeit an important one, to the first coming of Christ.

By contrast, Gregory K. Beale (The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, NIGTC [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998], p. 185) speaks of the already-and-not-yet aspect of the end-time.) 10 Refer to Lenski, Revelation, p. 29.) 11 Augustine Letters 197.2. Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, ed. Robert G. Hoerber (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989), p. 223.) LXX Septuagint) 12 John P.

M. Sweet (Revelation, WPC [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1979], p. 65) cautions not to press this point. Likewise Beale, Revelation, pp. 188 89. They mention the irregularity of the devil s name (20:2). But John writes titles and descriptions in the nominative case (2:13, 20; 3:12; 20:2).) 13 Boring, Revelation, p. 75; Josephine Massyngberde Ford, Revelation: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary, AB 38 (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1975), p. 377. Ford calls them throne angels.

And see R. H. Charles, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Revelation of St. John, ICC (Edinburgh: Clark, 1920), 1:12 13.) 14 Martin Kiddle, The Revelation of St. John (reprint, London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1943), p. 8.) 15 See Richard Bauckham, The Climax of Prophecy: Studies on the Book of Revelation (Edinburgh: Clark, 1993), p. 336. Refer to Eduard Schweizer.

TDNT, 6:450.) 16 Compare SB, 3:788.) 17 William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (reprint, Grand Rapids Baker, 1982), p. 53.) 18 Willem A. VanGemeren, Psalms, in The Expositor s Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991), 5:582. Consult also Allison A. Trites, Martys and Martyrdom in the Apocalypse: A Semantic Study, NovT 15 (1973): 72 80.) 19 Swete, Revelation, p. 5.

See Aune, Revelation 1 5, p. 30.) 20 Refer to Trites, Martys and Martyrdom in the Apocalypse, pp. 72 80.) 21 Thomas, Revelation 1 7, p. 70.) 22 Andrew J. Bandstra A Kingship and Priests : Inaugurated Eschatology in the Apocalypse, CTJ 27 (1992): 10 25.) 23 See Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 2d ed. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellchaft; New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), p. 662.) KJV King James Version (Authorized Version)) NKJV New King James Version) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.18|AUTODETECT|” 24 ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.18|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.9|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.9|AUTODETECT|” 4:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.10|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.10|AUTODETECT|” 10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.5.13|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.5.13|AUTODETECT|” 5:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.7.12|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.7.12|AUTODETECT|” 7:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.10.6|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.10.6|AUTODETECT|” 10:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.11.15|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.11.15|AUTODETECT|” 11:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.15.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.15.7|AUTODETECT|” 15:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.19.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.19.3|AUTODETECT|” 19:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.20.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.20.10|AUTODETECT|” 20:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.5|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.5|AUTODETECT|” 22:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 8 2 8 0 0 25 Consult R. B. Y. Scott, Behold He Cometh with Clouds, NTS 5 (1959): 127 32.) 26 Norman Hillyer, NIDNTT, 3:871; Mounce, Revelation, p. 51; Greijdanus, Openbaring, p. 22; Alan Johnson remarks that although tribes is used of Israel in the Old and New Testaments, John uses phylai in a number of places to refer more broadly to the peoples of all the nations (5:9; 7:9; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6) a usage that seems natural here, also. See his Revelation, in The Expositor s Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E.

Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), 12:423.) 27 Gustav St�hlin, TDNT, 3:850.) 28 Bauckham, Climax of Prophecy, p. 34; see also his Theology of the Book of Revelation, New Testament Theology (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), pp. 26, 54 55.) 29 Charles (Revelation, 2:387 n. 4) writes that verse 8 is unquestionably interpolated and must be rejected to restore the right order of thought. But he is unable to document this statement with manuscript evidence. Also, Jesus reveals himself as God and thus speaks these words and uses the appellation the Almighty.) 30 Bauckham, Theology, pp. 56 57.) 31 John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chicago: Moody, 1966), p. 40.) 32 Metzger, Textual Commentary, p. 663 n. 2.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.15|AUTODETECT|” 33 See also ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.15|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 7:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.28|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.28|AUTODETECT|” 28) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.8.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.8.1|AUTODETECT|” 8:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.8|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.8|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 22:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 1 2 8 0 0 34 Refer to Reinier Schippers, NIDNTT, 2:808; Heinrich Schlier, TDNT, 3:144.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.9|AUTODETECT|” 35 ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.9|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.2|AUTODETECT|” 2:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.3|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.3|AUTODETECT|” 3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.19|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.19|AUTODETECT|” 19) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.3.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.3.10|AUTODETECT|” 3:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.14.12|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.14.12|AUTODETECT|” 14:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 5 2 8 0 0 36 Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, The Book of the Revelation: A Commentary (Leicester: Inter-Varsity; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), p. 23. See also Lenski, Revelation, pp. 55 56; Walter Radl, EDNT, 3:406.) 37 Pliny Natural History 4.12.23. In addition, see Irving A. Sparks, ISBE, 3:690. Aune (Revelation 1 5, p. 79) notes the Latin terms relegatio (temporary banishment) and deportatio (deportation). Pliny the Younger (Letters 10.56) mentions a three-year banishment as relegatio.

See also Gerhard A. Krodel, Revelation, ACNT (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1989), p. 93.) 38 Eusebius Eccl. Hist. 3.20.8 9: After Domitian had reigned fifteen years, Nerva succeeded [96 98]. The sentences of Domitian were annulled, and the Roman Senate decreed the return of those who had been unjustly banished and the restoration of their property.& At that time, too, & the Apostle John, after his banishment to the island, took up his abode at Ephesus (LCL).) 39 The expression the testimony of Jesus appears six times in the Apocalypse (1:2, 9; 12:17; 19:10 [twice]; and 20:4). P. Vassiliadis ( The Translation of Martyria Isou, BibTrans 36 [1985]: 129 34) avers that the expression has martyrological overtones and means witness (unto death) to Jesus as an objective genitive.) 40 Aune (Revelation 1 5, p. 82) prefers the translation, I fell into a prophetic trance on the Lord s day.

Although action of the Holy Spirit could be implied in his translation (p. 63, 10a), the fact that it is not stated weakens the wording of the Greek text. See R. Bauckham, The Lord s Day, in From Sabbath to Lord s Day, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982), pp. 222 32.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.28.1|AUTODETECT|” 41 ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.28.1|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 28:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.16.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.16.2|AUTODETECT|” Mark 16:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.16.9|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.16.9|AUTODETECT|” 9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.20.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.20.1|AUTODETECT|” John 20:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.20.19|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.20.19|AUTODETECT|” 19) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.20.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.20.7|AUTODETECT|” Acts 20:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.16.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.16.2|AUTODETECT|”

1. 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.16.2|AUTODETECT|” Cor. 16:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 . It is interesting to note that in Greece the first day of the week is called hmera kyriak (the Lord s day), with Monday being the second day, Tuesday the third, and Wednesday the fourth, etc. In Portuguese-speaking countries the same phenomenon occurs: Sunday is Domingo (Day of the Lord), Monday the second day, and Tuesday the third, etc. See also Didache 14.1; Ignatius Magnesians 9.1; Eusebius Eccl. Hist. 4.26.2; and consult Adolf Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East (reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker 1978), pp. 361 63.) 1 3 2 8 0 0 42 Refer to William M. Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia and Their Place in the Plan of the Apocalypse (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1904; reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979), pp. 191 92; Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting, JSNTSup 11 (Sheffield: JSOT, 1986), pp. 14 15.) 43 Compare James H. Charlesworth, The Jewish Roots of Christology: The Discovery of the Hypostatic Voice, SJT 39 (1986): 19 41.) 44 Beckwith, Apocalypse, p. 438; Thomas, Revelation 1 7, pp. 99 100; Swete, Revelation, pp. 15 16; Charles, Revelation, 1:27 28.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.0|AUTODETECT|” 45 Charles (Revelation, 1:28) calls the words white as snow a marginal gloss that is extremely awkward in its present context. That these three words are a gloss is unlikely, because John resorts to Hebraic parallelism that in this case he borrows from Daniel s prophecy. And arguments on accidental transpositions lack manuscript evidence. G. K. Beale observes, About fifty percent of the OT references in vv. 7 20 are from Daniel, and of these the majority are from ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.7.0|AUTODETECT|” Daniel 7) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 and 10 (The Use of Daniel in Jewish Apocalyptic Literature and in the Revelation of St. John [Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1984], p. 171).) 1 3 2 8 0 0 46 Bauer, p. 875. Hemer (Letters to the Seven Churches, p. 116) conjectures an alloy of copper with metallic zinc which he calls copper-zinc. ) 47 A coin minted during the first part of Domitian s reign (a.d. 81 96) pictures his wife Domitia as queen of heaven and her son seated on a globe stretching out his hand toward seven stars. Ethelbert Stauffer, Christ and the Caesars, trans. K. and R. Gregor Smith (London: SCM, 1955), p. 152; Hemer, Letters to the Seven Churches, pp. 4, 214 n. 8; Walvoord, Revelation, p. 45.) 48 Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors, pp. 56 57.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.15|AUTODETECT|” 49 See ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.15|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.18|AUTODETECT|” 2:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.3|AUTODETECT|” 4:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.6|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.*?id=66.4.6|AUTODETECT|”
2. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.7|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.7|AUTODETECT|”
3. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.9.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.9.10|AUTODETECT|” 9:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.9.19|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.9.19|AUTODETECT|”
4. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.13.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.13.2|AUTODETECT|” 13:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.13.4|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.13.4|AUTODETECT|”
5. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.13.11|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.13.11|AUTODETECT|”
6. 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.18.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.18.18|AUTODETECT|” 18:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.21.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.21.11|AUTODETECT|” 21:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.21.18|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.21.18|AUTODETECT|”
7. 1 1 -1 9 0 0 . Consult Friedrich Blass and Albert Debrunner, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament, trans. and rev. Robert Funk (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961), �182.4; A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (Nashville: Broadman, 1934), p. 530.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 50 See Aune, Revelation 1 5, pp. 65 66; compare Beckwith, Apocalypse, p. 439.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.17.3|AUTODETECT|” 51 ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=1.17.3|AUTODETECT|” Gen. 17:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=6.5.14|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=6.5.14|AUTODETECT|” Josh. 5:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=7.13.20|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=7.13.20|AUTODETECT|” Judg. 13:20) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.1.28|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.1.28|AUTODETECT|” Ezek. 1:28) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.3.23|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.3.23|AUTODETECT|” 3:23) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.43.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.43.3|AUTODETECT|” 43:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.44.4|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.44.4|AUTODETECT|” 44:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.8.17|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.8.17|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 8:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.9|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.9|AUTODETECT|” 10:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.6|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.6|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 17:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.5.8|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.5.8|AUTODETECT|” Luke 5:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.9.4|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.9.4|AUTODETECT|” Acts 9:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 1 2 8 0 0 52 Compare Greijdanus, Openbaring, p. 36.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.28.12|AUTODETECT|” 53 Jewish rabbis mention four keys in the hands of God, the keys of life, the graves, food, and rain 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.28.12|AUTODETECT|” Deut. 28:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ); or three keys of birth, rain, and the resurrection of the dead (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 113a). Refer to SB, 1:737; and the commentaries of Swete (p. 20); Beckwith (p. 441); Charles (1:33).) 1 1 2 8 0 0 54 Compare Hans Bietenhard, NIDNTT, 2:207; Joachim Jeremias, TDNT, 1:148 49.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.19|AUTODETECT|” 55 Sweet, Revelation, p. 73; W. C. van Unnik, A Formula Describing Prophecy, NTS 9 (1963): 86 94, and in Sparsa Collecta: The Collected Writings of W. C. Van Unnik, part 2 (Leiden: Brill, 1980), pp. 183 93; Gregory K. Beale, The Interpretive Problem of ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.19|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.2.29|AUTODETECT|” , NovT 34 (1992): 360 87. It is interesting to note that the wording of the third part is an echo of what Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar: O king, your mind is turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen, and, The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.2.29|AUTODETECT|” Dan. 2:29) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.2.45|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.2.45|AUTODETECT|”
8. 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ; see especially v. 45 in the LXX [Theod.]). Geoffrey B. Wilson (Revelation [Welwyn, England: Evangelical Press, 1985, p. 25) observes, Hence this verse does not announce the programme of Revelation, except insofar as it constantly relates the present to the future. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.19|AUTODETECT|” 56 Beale, Revelation, pp. 152 70; see his Interpretive Problem of ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.19|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , pp. 360 87. Also consult his John s Use of the Old Testament in Revelation, JSNTSup 166 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998), pp. 169 71.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.13|AUTODETECT|” 57 Refer to ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.13|AUTODETECT|” Daniel 10:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.20-27.11.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.10.20-27.11.1|AUTODETECT|” 10:20 11:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.12.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=27.12.1|AUTODETECT|” 12:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.18.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.18.10|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 18:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.12.15|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.12.15|AUTODETECT|” Acts 12:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 3 2 8 0 0 58 Hughes (Revelation, p. 31) writes, Though it is possible to conceive of a guardian angel being assigned to each church, it is unlikely that the letters would have been addressed to these spirits. To understand these angels as human beings, whether local church leaders or appointed delegates, is therefore more satisfactory. Compare Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors, p. 58 n. 1.) 59 See Greijdanus, Openbaring, p. 42.) )