Revelation 1

John T. Hinds Commentary On Revelation 1 PART FIRST OF THE CHURCHRev 1: 1 to 3: 22SECTION ONE GENERAL Rev_1:1-20PURPOSE STATED AND Rev_1:1-3 Rev 1:1 —The Revelation of Jesus Christ,— This expression evi­dently is a title for the entire book, being comprehensive enough to include all its contents. The Greek word Apocalypse — here rendered “ Revelation”— properly means the uncover­ing of anything; an unveiling, so that what is hid may be known. Spiritually it denotes the making known of divine truth that had not before been understood, as the following passages indicate: Romans 16:25; Galatians 1:12; Ephesians 3:3. If it had not been intended that the contents of this book should in some measure be understood, it would not have been called a Revelation. It does not mean a revealing of things con­cerning Christ, but a revelation which Christ himself made of things involving his church. The book is often referred to by its Greek name— Apocalypse. As its contents clearly show, the revealing is done through words, signs, and symbols, and includes things both present and future at the time John wrote. Revelation 1:1 —which God gave him to show unto his servants,— These words clearly indicate that God is the original source or foun­tain of truth. Notwithstanding the unexplained unity between God and Christ (John 17:20-21), as mediator between God and man, Jesus recognizes his dependence upon the fa­ther. He said: “ My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me.” (John 7:16.) Again he said: “ For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a com­mandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” (John 12:49.) In John 5:20 he said the Father “ showeth” all things to the Son. Paul shows that a dependence upon the Father still exists by saying that when all things were put under Christ it is evident that God was excepted. (1 Corinthians 15:27.) Hence, though at God’ s right hand, he is represented as receiving from the Father the revelation he was to com­municate to man. All Christians are “ servants” of God in some sense (1 Peter 2:16), and the revealing here promised was intended, doubtless, for all God’ s children. All would need the encouragement which such a disclosing of events would produce. It would also serve as a protection against being overcome by the disasters that were certain to come upon the church.

Revelation 1:1 —even the things which must shortly come to pass:—The words “ must shortly come to pass” indicate that the things to be revealed to John in vision would most certainly take place. It does not mean that all the things would “ shortly” come to pass, but that they would begin to transpire soon after the time John wrote. This must be the correct view since the seals, trumpets, and vials necessarily imply a series of events. To imagine all the things depicted as occurring at exactly the same time is out of the question. The thousand- year period (chapter 20) would prevent any such theory. Since there was to be a succession of events, they began to transpire when the first one commenced.

The period covered by the word “ shortly” varies according to the nature of the subject in question. A short time could be a few hours, a few days, a few years, or even many years if compared with several centuries. Revelation 1:1 —and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John;—He (Christ) signified the things shortly to come to pass, sending them to John by his angel. The term “ signify” comes from the word “ sign” and indicates that the things to be revealed to John would be presented through signs and sym­bols. This word is used in the same sense by John in the following passages: John 12:33 John 21:18-19. It is an appro­priate word to express a revelation which was to be made largely through symbols. The symbolic nature of much of the book is evident from even a casual reading of it. The word “ angel” means messenger, and this shows that the vi­sions were conveyed to John through the medium of some heavenly messenger.

How this was done is a matter that must be left to the secret things known only to divine wis­dom. (Deuteronomy 29:29.) It is a matter of first importance in the study of God’ s word to stop where Revelation ends. In no part of the sacred record is this more important than in the study of the Apocalypse. Revelation 1:2 —who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw.—This language shows that John regarded himself simply as a witness of God’ s revelation. In general God’ s word means any declaration or truth coming from him. But here he means that John was giving a true record of the things recorded in this book. This is evident from the explanatory clause “ even of all things that he saw.” Of course, John was a witness of the things he had seen in the personal ministry of Christ. (John 19:35 John 21:24.) The “ testimony of Jesus Christ,” as indicated in verse 1, was the witness that he bore to the word of God; or, that this revelation came through Christ and was delivered by John.

Revelation 1:3 —Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear—In that early time copies of the sacred writings were scarce and doubt­less much truth was imparted through public readings. Many think the language here refers to that custom, because he that readeth and they that hear imply that one read while many listened. This did not exclude individual and private reading; but, since the other was probably more common, the blessing was pronounced on both reader and hearers. No special bless­ing is mentioned, but there are always benefits to come to those who are obedient. Nothing is more conducive to hearty obedi­ence than a faithful hearing of God’s word.

Revelation 1:3 —the words of the prophecy,—The word “ prophecy” here is synonymous with “ Revelation” in verse 1 and the “ things saw” in verse 2. It is used in its narrow sense of disclosing future events, for the main part of the book is devoted to such matters. John did not say that all who read the book would understand it, for that is not true of any part of the Bible written in literal language. But there would be no point in saying a blessing would come to those who heard it unless some degree of un­derstanding were possible; at least enough to make the study profitable.

Revelation 1:3 —and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.—To keep things written meant that they should not forget what related to the future as a matter of encourage­ment and warning, and they should obey any duty that the book required. Present-day Christians should maintain the same attitude toward the teachings of this divine volume. It came from God through Christ and was delivered through an inspired apostle. No book of the Bible has stronger claims for its authority. Disobedience is inexcusable when God speaks.

Since the visions presented to John unquestionably cover a long period of time, the expression “ at hand” cannot mean that the completion of all the events was near. The thought must be then that the things that were to come to pass would begin to transpire in a relatively short time. “ At hand” should be understood in the same sense as “ shortly,” verse 1.

ADDRESS TO THE SEVEN Rev_1:4-8 Revelation 1:4 —John to the seven churches that are in Asia:—As the writer does not call himself an apostle, or use any other de­scriptive term, it is safe to presume that he was well known to the churches addressed. The fact that he was chosen as the one to write these letters is presumptive proof. To those churches the name John was sufficient identification. The territory here called “ Asia” was the Roman province embrac­ing the western part of Asia Minor, of which Ephesus was the capital city. The seven churches addressed were in this territory. There were other churches besides those mentioned, for Colossae and Troas are referred to (Colossians 1:2; Acts 20:5-7), but there was evidently some divine reason why letters were sent to the seven named.

As seven is supposed to be a sacred number indicating perfection, it has been suggested that seven were addressed to signify the perfection of the instruction given; or, that the seven would represent the whole church and the combined instruction be complete and applicable to all con­gregations for all time. It is unquestionably true that the instruction given the Asiatic churches was for any and all churches in like conditions.

Revelation 1:4 —Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come;— Asking for God’ s favor and peace to rest upon them is the same form of salutation used by Paul in all his epistles. God is here referred to as one who was, who is, and who is to come. That means an everlasting duration, in­cluding time past, present, and future. In speaking to Moses God called himself “ I AM.” (Exodus 3:14.) The existence of God is, of course, incomprehensible by man, but these expres­sions include not only his existence, but his unchangeableness. We may therefore depend implicitly upon his power and promises. Revelation 1:4 —and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne;—The most satisfactory explanation of the expression “ seven Spirits” is that it means the Holy Spirit. The decisive reason for that is that it is used in the salutation in direct association with God and Christ, and that a blessing is invoked from the three. Though Paul usually leaves the Spirit out of his salu­tations, he includes it in 2 Cor. 13: 14. It would appear out of place to invoke a blessing from any but a divine being. To ask such benedictions from angels or other creatures would necessarily imply the worshiping of angels, yet we know that angels are required to worship Christ. (Heb. 1: 6.) Wor­shiping creatures instead of God is clearly wrong. (Rom. 1: 25.) It is true that the Holy Spirit as a person is one (Eph. 4: 4), but symbolically may be referred to as “ seven Spirits” to indicate the fullness of his work; the one personality but diverse manifestations of power. (1 Cor. 12: 4.) The word “ seven” is used too often in Revelation not to recognize this significance of the term. The Spirit “ before his throne” prob­ably represents readiness to carry out God’ s will just as Christ is presented as a Lamb “ in the midst of the throne” ready to open the seals. (5: 5, 6.)

Revelation 1:5 —and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,—Since this revelation of future events was to be made through Jesus, John here declares that he is “ the faithful witness.” That means that what he said would be the exact truth and in strict accord with the will of his Father. Of course his testimony on any phase of the plan of salvation was faithfully told, but here John evidently refers to the fact that his wit­ness regarding the future history of the church would be a true portrayal of the facts. Jesus is mentioned after the Spirit here because what follows in this paragraph has direct refer­ence to him, not because the Spirit is in any sense superior to him.

Revelation 1:5 —the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.—Paul uses a similar expression in Colossians 1:18, and in 1 Cor. 15: 20 he refers to Jesus after his resurrection as “ the firstfruits of them that are asleep.” There had been resurrec­tions before Christ (Lazarus and the widow’ s son), but Jesus was the first to rise to die no more, to become the “ firstfruits” and guarantee the resurrection of all at the last day. (John 5:28-29 John 11:23-24.) Paul further states that Jesus was “ de­clared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:4.) He assures us that the promise God made to the fathers and the prediction that he was the begotten Son of God were ful­filled in Christ’ s resurrection. (Acts 13:33.)

At the time John wrote Jesus had not only been raised from the dead, but he was the “ ruler of the kings of the earth.” The word “ ruler” means that he was above all kings; occu­pied a position far more exalted than any earthly ruler. Paul tells us that because of his humility in submitting to death God “ exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name.” (Philippians 2:9.) Paul also states plainly when he was given this exalted name and position. It was after his resurrection and ascension to heaven that God made him to sit at his own right hand “ far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named.” (Ephesians 1:19-21.) This position and power, which had been in existence since Pentecost, could not be less than a reign­ing King. Whatever interpretations may be placed upon the visions of future events, as we proceed in this book, noth­ing must set aside this basic truth in John’ s introductory statements.

Revelation 1:5 —Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;—The revised text reads “ loveth,” present tense, in­stead of “ loved,” past tense, in the King James. This is doubtless correct as the love of Jesus did not end with his death. His love not only led him to die for us, but also to provide all else for our salvation here and hereafter. This text has “ loosed” from our sins while the King James has “ washed.’ ’ The two Greek words are so nearly alike that only a slight change would turn either one into the other. This could easily have happened in making copies by hand. It is immaterial which is the true reading since both words state true facts.

That Christ “ washes”— cleanses— us through the merits of his shed blood is unquestionably true. In fact, that is what occurs, for it is so stated in substance in Revelation 7:14, a text about which there is no question regarding the translation. But by Christ’ s blood we are “ loosed” from our sins also. The Greek word for “ loosed” is in the aorist tense, and expresses a completed past action. Christ had already died, the price had been paid, and the means for securing individual pardon had been provided. That was all past when John wrote this text.

The fountain “ for sin and for unclean­ness” had already been opened “ to the house of David” by his descendant, Jesus Christ, making the everlasting atonement in heaven. (Zechariah 13:1; Hebrews 10:12.)

Revelation 1:6 —and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father;—The words “ to be” are in italics to indi­cate there is nothing in the original for them. They are un­necessary to the thought here. Christ made his disciples “ a kingdom, priests unto his God.” The word kingdom describes them collectively; the word priests individually. In 1 Peter 2:5 Peter makes the same distinction, calling them living stones individually and a spirit house collectively. In verse 9 he combines both kings and’ priests in the name “ royal priest­hood.” Similar language was used in reference to ancient Israel. God said to them: “ And ye shall be unto me a king­dom of priests, and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:6.) In the expression “ he made us” John again uses the past tense, show­ing that they had been made a kingdom and therefore were one at that time.

This is doubly certain when we consider the fact that they had also been made priests. That the priesthood of Christ, which justifies calling Christians priests, began on Pentecost does not admit of denial; in fact, it is universally admitted. No one can logically deny the existence of Christ’ s kingdom without rejecting John’ s words; their meaning does not admit of doubt.

Revelation 1:6 —to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.—“ To him” refers to Christ, as reading verses 5 and 6 will show. In this expression John ascribes both glory and dominion to Christ forever. That means that Christ had both then and will continue to have both until he delivers the king­dom back to the Father after the judgment. (1 Corinthians 15:24­28.)

Revelation 1:7 —Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him;—John had just said that Christ’ s glory and dominion would be “ for ever and ever” ; that is, throughout the age. This probably suggested the thought of his return to judgment after which the dominion would be returned to God. He wished to assure the readers that there would be no doubt about Christ’ s return. This led to his mentioning the fact that he would come “ on the clouds,” a fact referred to in Matthew 26:64; Acts 1:9 Acts 1:11. That the coming here means his appearance to judge is seen in the words “ every eye shall see him.” That will only be when all the nations are gathered before him as indicated by Matthew 25:31-46. They that pierced him refer to all those who, directly or indirectly, had anything to do with his crucifixion, and means that even his enemies must face him at the judg­ment. Revelation 1:7 —and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.—All the tribes— peoples— will mourn when he comes because of their sins and the knowledge that their con­demnation is a certainty. The redeemed will rejoice, of course, but the lost will bewail their undone condition. In the words “ Even so, Amen” the thought probably is that John wished the things to transpire just as they would be revealed, and thus his words would be verified. Revelation 1:8 —I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.—Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; hence, mean the first and last, the beginning and the end. (Revelation 22:13.) The Revised makes this language refer to God rather than Christ, though elsewhere the same language re­fers to Christ. (Verses 17, 18.) God is called the Almighty to indicate his power to fulfill his promises and grant the blessing mentioned in verse 3. Being eternal in existence guar­antees his promises, however long the fulfillment may be in coming. JOHN’ S TO WRITERev_1:9-11 Rev 1:9 —I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribu­lation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus,—This is the third time that John has named himself in this book. The words “ your brother” mean that he belonged to the same divine family as those to whom he was to write— God’s house or family in the church. (1 Timothy 3:15.) By “ partaker” he meant that he was sharing in common with them both the joys and sorrows incident to being a member of God’ s family. Jesus had taught that persecutions and tribulations would come. (Matthew 13:21.) John’ s banishment on Patmos was evidence that he was then enduring tribulation. The persecution that sent him there was no doubt felt by the churches in Asia, and the main reason for writing them was to encourage them to faithfulness in spite of their persecutions. And, incidentally, also to encourage the saints of all time to overcome trials. As he was then in tribulation, he was also in the kingdom.

The words “ tribulation” and “ kingdom” are in the same grammat­ical relation. If in one, then in both. No doubt about his being in the tribulation; then none about being in the kingdom. This again fixes the existence of the kingdom then as beyond question.

It was the joy of being in the kingdom that made them endure the tribulation with patience. All these were “ in Jesus”— were successful through the means he had provided to meet tribulation. The word kingdom in some passages means the final state or heaven. (Acts 14:22; Ephesians 5:5; 2 Timothy 4:18; 2 Peter 1:11.) But here John means the present kingdom, for in verse 6 he declared that Christ “ made us to be a kingdom.”

Revelation 1:9 —was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.—Patmos is a rocky island in the Aegean Sea not far from the west coast of Asia Minor. It is about ten miles long by five or six wide. The only explana­tion of his being on that island is that it was “ for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” The commonly accepted view is that he was there in exile because of his fidelity in preaching Christ. It is also supposed that he was banished to this lonely place by Domitian who reigned A.D. 81-96.

Revelation 1:10 —I was in the Spirit on the Lord’ s day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet—“Was in the Spirit” means he came to be in the Spirit; was in a kind of spiritual ecstasy and exalted under the Spirit’ s influence till he could under­stand the visions presented and accurately repeat them. The word translated “ Lord’ s” occurs only one other time in the New Testament—1 Corinthians 11:20— where it describes the supper of the Lord. Evidently it refers to something about Jesus. As he arose on the first day of the week, and the Lord’ s Supper is observed on that day (Acts 20:7), it is most nat­ural to say John meant the first day of the week by the expression “ Lord’ s day.” Several writers in the centuries following the apostolic day say it was the first day of the week. Evidently it was so well understood then that no ex­planation was needed. The voice he heard is called “ a great voice, as of a trumpet.” This means that it rang loud and clear like the sounding of a trumpet. Such a voice would command instant attention and impress the necessity of obedience to what it said.

Revelation 1:11 —saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches:—In these words John received his author­ity and commission to record what he saw. The verb “ seest” is present tense, which often means a continuous action. The meaning then would be what you see now and what will con­tinue to be revealed to you. This view is required by the nine­teenth verse; the things to be recorded are extended to the future. In the remainder of verse 11 the churches are named. Any necessary description will be given in the comments on tlu* letters sent to them THE INITIAL VISIONRev_1:12-18 Revelation 1:12 —And I turned to see the voice that spake with me.—Turning to see who was speaking was the natural thing to do. The text says to “ see the voice/’ By a common figure of speech the voice is put for the one speaking.

Revelation 1:12 —And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks;—Here the vision proper begins. In the tabernacle and temple there were golden candlesticks. Each had seven prongs with a lamp on each prong. But in this vision there appeared seven distinct lampstands. This is evident from the following verse where Christ is represented as being “ in the midst of” them. Neither is there anything said about these candlesticks having more than one lamp. Being made of gold probably represents their great value as well as their enduring qualities. In this book there are a number of things described as golden or made of pure gold. Each will be noted in its proper place. Revelation 1:13 —and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man,—There is no question but that the one John saw in this vision represented the Lord. The King James Version translates “ the” Son of man. Christ often applied this title to himself. (Matthew 8:20 Matthew 9:6.) A like expression is found in Daniel 7:13, also referring to Christ. Commentators have disagreed as to whether John saw Jesus himself or the ap­pearance of a human to represent him. Such controversy is useless. Both would lead to the same truth. This part of the vision clearly was intended to represent Christ’ s relation­ship to churches. Whether he really appeared or a form of man to represent him affects not the case. The fact that John was looking at a picture favors the Revised Version and the latter view. Revelation 1:13 —clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.—The robe reaching to the feet and the girdle around the breasts are supposed to repre­sent the dignity that belonged to both priesthood and king­ship. Girdles were then worn around the body to fasten down the flowing robes, but one richly ornamented with gold, placed about the breasts, indicates royal dignity. This is what should naturally be expected, as the vision was intended to show Jesus as one having both the power and authority to open the seals— reveal the things that the church should know. As the great Prophet, he would know exactly what was to transpire that should be told; as Priest and King, he would have full authority to make such revelations as were needed to give any commands necessary to the doing of his will. Revelation 1:14 —And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;—It is perfectly evident that the language here used is not intended as a natural description of the Lord as he lived on the earth; for being in his thirty-fourth year when he ascended he was a young man, and probably in physical appearance not greatly different from others. Neither is it necessary to conclude that the description here correctly represents his glorious appear­ance in heaven. It seems more probable that the appearance of the one John saw was assumed to impress the apostle with a sense of Christ’ s majesty and glory. White as a color indicates purity and victory; the expression white as wool and snow means that it was perfectly white. The intention here is not to indicate age, but to show that Jesus was perfectly sinless and fully able to do what was proposed. The eyes appearing as a flame of fire indicates their penetrating power, probably meaning that the Lord was able to look into the future as well as into men’ s hearts and reveal both the true and false.

Revelation 1:15 —and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.—The feet of the one speaking to John looked like burnished brass that had been fully refined. Perhaps there is no special significance in this more than that it harmonizes with the majestic splendor of Christ as able to do the work proposed. The voice John heard was like the sound of many waters, the roar of the ocean or a great cataract. God himself is referred to in a similar way. “ And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shined with his glory.” (Ezekiel 43:2.) See also Ezekiel 1:24; Daniel 10:6. Representing the sound of the voice as the roar of many waters is another sublime way of expressing divine majesty and power.

Revelation 1:16 —And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword:—In verse 20 these seven stars are said to be the angels of the seven churches. Here we have in this book the first direct explanation of the symbol used, being definitely told what the stars represent. When the book itself explains a symbol, there is an end of controversy on that point whether we understand it or not. Being held in the right hand probably indicates that the angels were to be sustained and protected by the Lord— would re­ceive their support and instruction from him. The appearance of a sword proceeding from his mouth must in some way refer to his words. This is perfectly natural when we note that the word of God is said to be “ living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12.) Isaiah said that Jehovah had made his “ mouth like a sharp sword.” (Isaiah 49:4) The words proceeding from the Lord’ s mouth would not only comfort and instruct the saints, but would also terrify and destroy the ungodly. Through a prophet Jehovah said: “ I have slain them by the words of my mouth.” (Hosea 6:5.) Paul said that Jesus at his coming would slay the lawless one “ with the breath of his mouth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8.) The word “ sharp” indicates the penetrating power of Christ’ s words, while the two-edged nature represents the thoroughness of its work.

Revelation 1:16 —and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. —The hair, eyes, mouth, and voice have already been described. This expression is evidently intended as a general description of his appearance; it was as the sun in its full strength and not obscured by any clouds. It was probably like his appear­ance on the mount of transfiguration. (Matthew 17:2.) The entire description most appropriately presents the majesty, pow­er, and authority of Jesus to make the revelation intended, and most solemnly to impress John with the necessity of giving heed to what was revealed to him.

Revelation 1:17 —And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not;—John was overwhelmed by the divine majesty and the suddenness with which the vision came. Losing consciousness, he fell as one,, would who was really dead. The overpowering influence of supernatural events was not an uncommon thing. (Daniel 8:18 Daniel 8:27 Daniel 10:9; Ezekiel 1:28; Acts 26:13-14.) John, remem­bering Jesus as he saw him here on earth, probably did not recognize the being in the vision as representing the Lord. The explanation that follows immediately is further proof that he did not at first know who was represented by the vision. Laying his right hand upon John was doubtless for the purpose of raising him up.

Compare Dan. 8: 18. The command to “ Fear not” was intended to give John assurance to hear what would be revealed to him. Once Jesus gave a similar command to his apostles, saying, “ It is I; be not afraid.” (Matt. 14: 27.) In the midst of manifestations of divine power man needs assurance from God to calm his fears. Jesus gave it when he was here in person (Luke 9: 34, 35); his words supply the same assurance now (Iieb. 6: 18-20).

Revelation 1:17 —I am the first and the last, Revelation 1:18 —and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore,—Alpha and Omega, which mean the first and the last, probably refer to God in verse 8; here the words first and last clearly refer to Christ. They declare his existence from eternity which is also asserted by both John and Paul. (John 1: 1, 2; Col. 1: 16, 17.) If of eternal existence, John could well afford to depend implicitly upon his word and power; hence no reason why he should fear. Referring to Christ as the “ Living one” means he was in his very nature the source and fountain of life. Jesus said: “ For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself.” (John 5: 26.) Saying that he had been dead, but was now alive effectively identified the one represented in the vision as the Lord. This was evidence that John’ s faith in the Lord’ s res­urrection had been no delusion. Jesus had died once, but never could die again. This should remove all fear and give perfect assurance that he is able to fulfill all his promises.

Revelation 1:18 —and I have the keys of death and of Hades.—Hades is a Greek word and means the “ unseen.” It refers to the state between death and the resurrection, the place of abode of dis-

AND SYMBOLS Rev_1:19-20 Revelation 1:19 —Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter;—In verse 11 is the general command to write what he saw; in this verse the command is repeated with more defi­nite instruction about what was to be written. He was to record what he had seen— the initial vision described in verses 12-18. This would show’ by what power and authority he wrote. The things “ which are” would include the state of the seven churches then, which necessitated the instructions and rebukes found in the second and third chapters. Of this fact the contents of these chapters is sufficient proof. The things which were to come to pass “ hereafter” must mean the future events from the time that John wrote.

They are presented in the symbols found in chapters 4 to 22. The contents of these chapters furnish proof of this fact. That the things recorded in this third division extended into the future is evident be­cause the last two chapters of the book unquestionably describe the final judgment and the heavenly state. Of course the symbols used to portray the future events were given to John in visions that came after he received the command to record them. Revelation 1:20 —the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks.—The word mystery does not mean something that cannot be understood, but something that is secret, hidden, or will not be understood, till its meaning is revealed. To find the hidden thing or make known the secret means that the symbols were to be explained. When the explanation was given the symbols were understood and the mystery known.

The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.— John was told that the seven candlesticks “ are seven churches.” This language means that they represent or denote seven churches. Without this explanation the candlesticks would have been an unrevealed mystery, for it is evident that the word is used symbolically. A candlestick is intended to give light. Nothing is more cer­tain than that God’ s people, individually and as congregations, are to be light bearers. Jesus told his disciples that they were “ the light of the world (Matthew 5:14); Paul told the Philippians that they were “ seen as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). Since Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12), and is repre­sented in this vision as being in the midst of these seven churches, the light shed abroad by the churches came from him. He alone supplies the true light; faithful congregations reflect it to those about them.

The seven stars are called the “ angels of the seven churches.” There is much difference of opinion regarding the proper appli­cation of the word “ angels” in this instance. As a word it means “ messenger” and would appropriately apply to any kind of messenger, heavenly or human. In the Old Testament it referred to either priest or prophet. (Mai. 2: 7; Haggai 1:13.) It also referred to John the Baptist who announced the coming Messiah. (Mai. 3: 1; Matthew 11:7-10.) In the cases being considered it must refer to beings to whom these short letters were addressed and by whom the) would be delivered to the churches, not to heavenly angels. .Addressing “ the angel” (sin­gular number) of each individual congregation is the reason for such divergence of views among commentators. The angel could not refer to the modern denominational “ Bishop,” exercising authority over a diocese, for “ the angel” of each congregation is addressed. Elders, bishops, and pastors are words referring to the same class and each congregation had a plurality. ( Acts 14:23.) There is no scriptural authority for any elder or bishop having pre-eminence over his fellow elders. Without reference to the various views in detail, the following seems most probable as well as in harmony with known Bible teaching.

Seven candle­sticks represent the seven congregations; each candlestick (sin­gular) must therefore represent one congregation. But the con­gregation is made up of a plurality of individuals.

In like man­ner, as the eldership is made up of a plurality of persons, the star— angel— of each congregation may mean the whole eldership, the word being used collectively to describe the medium through which the messages would be delivered to the congregation. The position of the elders collectively as teachers and shepherds of the congregation lends much plausibility to this view. It can do no violence to any true scriptural teaching. The value of the seven letters, however, will not be affected by any failure on our part to determine with certainty the proper application of the word “ angel” here. No plain facts regarding the apostolic churches must be set aside by any fanciful interpretations.Revelation Chapter OneVerse 1 THE (Revelation 1-3) Revelation 1The predominating thought in this chapter is that of the exalted and glorified Christ amidst the congregations of his church, his constant attendance with them and concern for them being represented in this chapter as a fact connected not merely with the salvation of people, but especially with the execution of judgment, not merely upon the church alone, but upon all people. The judgment is the theme of Revelation, and that subject is stated in the master-sentence of the whole book in Revelation 1:7. In the first paragraph (Revelation 1:1-3), the writer introduces himself, states the nature of what he is about to write, and pronounces a double beatitude upon those who read, and upon those who hear and keep the words of the prophecy. The second paragraph (Revelation 1:4-8) contains the salutation to the original recipients of Revelation and a noble doxology in which appears the grand thesis of the whole book. The third paragraph (Revelation 1:9-20) has the introductory vision of the Christ glorified, the details of which strongly emphasize his character and office as the Judge of all people. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.(Revelation 1:1) The Revelation of Jesus Christ … Although the primary meaning of this phrase regards the source of the prophecy as having come from God through Jesus Christ, it is also true in the extended sense of being a revelation of the Son of God in his capacity as the judge appointed by the Almighty God himself and divinely commissioned to “execute judgment” (John 5:27). The word “Revelation,” capitalized in the text, was so rendered in order to indicate the word as the title of the prophecy. It is translated from a Greek word [@apokalupsis], from which also comes the similar English word given to the book and also applied to a whole field of similar writings. It means “an unveiling.” The things which must shortly come to pass … Scholars generally assume that this means: (1) either that all of Revelation was fulfilled within a very short time after John wrote, or (2) that such events as “the thousand years” and the final judgment were mistakenly believed by the apostle to lie in the near future. We simply cannot believe that either proposition is true. Caird declared that all of the events John prophesied were “expected to be accomplished quickly in their entirety."[1] Even the respected Foy E. Wallace, Jr., wrote that, “The word “shortly” denotes immediacy; the events applied to them, not to centuries after their time, and even yet to come.[2]The objection to the view in (1) is twofold: first, many of the events foretold in Revelation, notably the final judgment, did not take place “shortly”; and secondly, it is incorrect to suppose that the holy apostles of Christ erroneously “taught” that the end of all things would occur soon. It may be freely admitted that they may indeed have been mistaken in thinking such a thing; but, in fairness, it must be admitted that none of them either implied or declared the Second Advent to be an event in the immediate future.

The statement before us teaches no such thing. The meaning of it is the same as when Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is at hand,” meaning that the “beginning of it” was near at hand. Furthermore, the declaration of John in 4:1 that some of the things he prophesied were to “come to pass hereafter” categorically refutes such views. Regarding the view in (2), we heartily agree with McGuiggan who said: The claim is made that the early church believed that the second coming was near in time; but this is just not true. They may have lived aware of the possibility of his coming soon, but that they believed he was coming soon is not at all established by the New Testament.[3]Furthermore, such a figure as reigning with Christ “a thousand years” could not possibly have been written by one who believed the end of the world would occur in a few weeks. No matter what view of the prophecy is taken, the extensive treatment of the Second Advent and accompanying judgment of all mankind absolutely forbids the notion that all of this great prophecy has already been fulfilled. There are some who delight in attributing ignorance and misunderstanding to the New Testament writers, using their false interpretation of this verse to bolster their opinions. For a more thorough refutation of the false view that the apostles all expected the speedy return of Jesus, see in my Commentary on 1Thessalonians, pp. 18-20. Signified it by his angel … The use of angel (singular) here is strange, especially in view of the fact that a number of angels are seen in the course of the Revelation. Lenski’s explanation of this has the ring of truth: Such singulars are at times generic. “His angel” does not necessarily mean only one and the same angel. Any angel, now one, now another, would be Christ’s (and God’s) angel … that conferred the commission on John.[4]Unto his servant John … The only person who ever lived in the first century, speaking with the great authority evident in Revelation, who could possibly have identified himself in these words, was the holy apostle John, the son of Zebedee, and author of the fourth Gospel and the three Johannine epistles. As Hendriksen expressed it: We are thoroughly convinced that there was only one John who did not need to add “the apostle”, for the very reason that he was the apostle! Besides, he does not call himself “the apostle” because he (in this book) wrote in his capacity as a seer (or prophet).[5]Further comment on the authorship of this book is in the introduction. [1] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 12. [2] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., The Book of Revelation (Nashville: Foy E. Wallace, Jr., Publications, 1966), p. 63. [3] Jim McGuiggan, The Book of Revelation (West Monroe, Louisiana: William C. Johnson, 1976), p. 32. [4] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Revelation (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 31. [5] William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956). Verse 2 Who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all the things that he saw.Some interpreters of this verse have found a reference to the gospel and John’s testimony there; but the final clause appears to define the testimony as that contained in this prophecy. Of the word of God … This is the great affirmation here. It declares the Book of Revelation to be indeed and in truth the word of God, given by the Father to Christ, and by Christ to John, who in turn delivered it to the churches. This is the very loftiest claim that possibly could be made upon behalf of this sacred writing. Of all things that he saw … The one verb saw embraces also the things which John heard in the course of his seeing the visions. Verse 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.It was noted above that “shortly come to pass” cannot be applied to all that is revealed in the prophecy; but the last clause here surely indicates that some of the events foretold would soon occur, the very imminence of them leading to this double beatitude which was to be heeded by the persons who originally received the epistle. Regarding the events which were indeed imminent, the great persecution about to break forth against the Christians was most certainly one of the things in view. “There is general agreement that John expected persecution of the church by the Roman Empire."[6] Frank L. Cox noted that, “This is the first of seven beatitudes in the book, the other six being found in Revelation 14:13; Revelation 16:15; Revelation 19:9; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 22:7, and Revelation 22:14."[7] Regarding this one, Beasley-Murray wrote: The blessing invoked is on the one reading aloud to the congregation and on those hearing and observing that which is enjoined. There are two classes here, not three, the last two participles being governed by one subject.[8]The words of this prophecy … Although the book is called “Revelation” in Revelation 1:1, it is here also called “this prophecy,” a title for it which appears five other times in Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:7;Revelation 22:10; Revelation 22:18; and Revelation 22:19. [6] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 12. [7] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 2. [8] G. R. Beasley-Murray, New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 1280. Verse 4 John to the seven churches that are in 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.To the seven churches … It is evidently John’s preference for the number seven that lies behind this book’s being directed to only seven congregations, because the New Testament names others in the same province, namely, Troas, Colossae and Hierapolis. Among the Hebrews, this was a sacred number often used to symbolize the whole or the completeness of something. Thus, the interpretation of these seven standing for all of the congregations of Christ throughout the world would appear to be correct. “It is certain that while the book is addressed to a limited circle of Asian churches, the author’s purpose was to reach beyond these to all the churches throughout the world."[9] The evidence of this universal destination of the book is found in the repeated injunction, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.” Of Asia … In the New Testament, Asia always means the Roman province located in the western part of what is now known as Asia Minor, with a possibly wider meaning in Acts 2:9. Grace to you and peace … Greetings similar to these are found in nearly all the New Testament epistles, especially those of Paul. From him who is and who was and who is to come … The Greek words from which this is translated are literally, “The BEING and the WAS and the COMING."[11] There are many examples of such awkward grammar in this prophecy; but “(They) are not due to ignorance of Greek construction, as shown by the predominantly correct uses in the book."[12] This title of God is essentially that of Exo 3:14, “I AM who I AM.” Christ also used this title of himself in Mark 6:50; Mark 13:6; Mark 14:62, and in John 6:35; John 8:12;John 10:7; John 11:25 and John 14:6. And from the seven Spirits that are before his throne …; Isaiah 11:2 has this: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. There are seven titles of the Holy Spirit in this passage from Isaiah, and from very early times this reference in Revelation has been associated with it. “It denotes the Holy Spirit in the plenitude of his grace and power."[13] The decisive reason for this interpretation was given by Hinds: “It is used in the salutation in direct association with God and Christ, and a blessing is invoked from the three."[14][9] Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 423. [11] James Moffatt, Expositor’s Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 337. [12] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 424. [13] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 634. [14] John T. Hinds, A Commentary on Revelation (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), p. 20. Verse 5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood.Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness … There is a powerful New Testament emphasis upon the faith of Jesus Christ, as in Paul’s writings, especially in Galatians 2:16 Galatians 2:20 Galatians 3:22; Romans 3:22 Romans 3:26; Ephesians 3:12;Philippians 3:9; etc. There is a false impression that since Christ was deity incarnate he did not need to have faith; but in our Lord’s humiliation as a man, faith in the Father was his predominate characteristic. All hope of salvation rests ultimately in the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the faithful witness in the sense of delivering accurately to mankind the word and the commandment which the Father gave him on behalf of humanity. The firstborn from the dead … The New Testament records the resurrection of Dorcas, the daughter of Jairus, Eutychus, the widow’s son at Nain, and that of Lazarus in addition to the resurrection of Christ. In addition, there were “many of the saints” who came out of their graves following the resurrection of Christ (seven resurrections). In what sense, then, is Christ the firstborn from the dead? He alone came back from death never to die again; and besides this, there is the inherent significance of his being the first of many to triumph over death. As Beckwith put it: “The language implies the future resurrection of the saints."[15]The ruler of the kings of the earth …

Christ is here spoken of as the possessor of all power and authority, fully in keeping with the Saviour’s words, “All authority in heaven and upon earth has been given unto me” (Matthew 28:18). It should be noted that this authority belongs to Christ in the present time and perpetually.

He is not planning to start ruling at some future time; he rules now! A great deal of the misunderstanding of this prophecy, as well as of the whole New Testament, derives from a failure to take account of this tremendous truth. Many have difficulty believing that Christ rules now; because, as they say, the world is in such a dreadful mess. However, the world was in a dreadful condition in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, who had to eat grass with the beasts of the field for seven years to learn that “The Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:25). As for the reason why God’s rule permits such atrocious wickedness on earth, it is clear enough that God permits it because it is in keeping with his purpose. The reign of Christ now in this present time will be more extensively treated under the “thousand years” interpretation (Revelation 20:2).

There is no way in which this student of the Lord’s word can accept such a declaration as that of Hal Lindsey, who wrote: “Even though Christ has the right to rule the earth, he isn’t exercising this authority over kings and kingdoms at this time."[16] If Christ is not exercising his authority, how can the church receive his promise that Christ will be with us “even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:18-20)? Yes, despite the inability of some to see and recognize it, Christ is ruling now and will continue to rule until the last enemy is destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:25). Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood … Of significance are the present tense (loveth) and past tense (loosed), showing that Christ’s love is continuous, and that the redemption mentioned is a past accomplishment. Since it is an undeniable truth that Christ keeps on saving the saved until at last they are saved eternally in heaven, it is evident that the initial salvation in conversion is the redemption that John had in view here; therefore, the KJV rendition of this as “washed us” is likewise correct. On what the scholars consider sufficient textual evidence, this was changed to “loosed us” in subsequent versions. The Greek words for these two expressions are almost identical in appearance; and, furthermore, it is immaterial exactly which is the original reading. As Hinds said: Both words state true facts. That Christ washes us, cleanses us, through the merits of his blood is unquestionably true, as stated in Revelation 7:14. But by Christ’s blood we are loosed from our sins also.[17]The passage in Revelation 7:14, as well as the overtones of the whole context, incline us to accept the opinion of Carpenter: “The general tone of thought would lead us to prefer “washed” as the true reading."[18]The slavish following of certain preferred manuscripts is not necessarily an infallible method of determining accuracy. [15] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 428. [16] Hal Lindsey, There’s a New World Coming (California: Vision House, Publishers, 1973), p. 26. [17] John T. Hinds, op. cit., p. 22. [18] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott’s Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1939), p. 535. Verse 6 And he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.And he made us … a kingdom … priests unto his God and Father … The first step in understanding this passage is to get rid of the two verbs in the future tense that have been added to the passage by the translators. (Note the italicized words in the ASV text.) There is a world of difference in the statements, “God made us a kingdom” and “God made us to be a kingdom.” John was not writing of what Christians were to be, but of what they already were. Beckwith, like many others, applied these words to the future, saying that, “The reference is not to the saints as forming the kingdom which Christ now rules."[19] The teaching of the entire New Testament, however, makes it absolutely certain that Christians are now in Christ’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13), the precise terminology of this verse being found in Paul’s words there. This passage reflects Exodus 19:6, where it is revealed that God’s purpose for Israel was that, “Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests.” 1 Peter 2:9 is also parallel to this. Therefore, our text means that, “Christ has made us a kingdom, each member of which is a priest unto god."[20] This is not some far-off thing that will happen in some so-called millennium; it is the status of things now in Christ’s church.

As Earle said, “This is not only a great privilege, but a great responsibility."[21] All the members of Christ’s kingdom, which as far as we are concerned is synonymous with his church, should be constantly engaged in offering up the spiritual sacrifices appropriate for a kingdom of priests. For a list of the sacrifices, as outlined in the New Testament, see in my Commentary on James, pp. 196-198. The glory and the dominion … John here breaks into a noble doxology, using words which imply the present and eternal dominion of the Son of God. The New Testament doxologies invariably ascribe the same power, honor, and glory which belong to God to his Son, Jesus Christ. See Revelation 5:12-13; Revelation 7:10; 2 Timothy 4:18; Hebrews 13:21; 1 Peter 4:11; 2 Peter 3:18; and Jude 1:24. [19] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 429. [20] R. H. Charles, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Revelation of St. John, “International Critical Commentary” (Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1920), p. 16. [21] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 474. Verse 7 Behold he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so. Amen.This is the topic-sentence of Revelation, a great deal of which relates to the final judgment, an event mentioned at least seven times in the prophecy; and these are not seven different kinds or occasions of judgment, there being only one judgment day, the final and awesome event that shall conclude the dispensation of grace, see the resurrection of the dead and the assignment of every man’s destiny, and bring the redeemed into their eternal habitations. It will occur at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ our Lord. Behold he cometh with the clouds … These words apply to the Second Advent, as in Matthew 24:30;Mark 14:62; Acts 1:9-11; and Mark 13:24. Every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him … There is no connection between this and the passage in Zechariah, except that the terminology is similar, the great difference being that in the Old Testament their looking upon the one who was pierced, and mourning, was grief for the pierced one, not grief for themselves, as is clearly indicated here and in Matthew 24:30, which words John evidently had in mind when this was written. To understand exactly the object of the mourning here, one should readRevelation 6:15-17. See Zechariah 12:10 to Zechariah 13:1. All the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him … This clause, along with the preceding “’every eye shall see him” indicates the final judgment, that being the only occasion when all the tribes of earth and every eye (that is, every man) shall behold the Christ. And they that pierced him … Even the generation that crucified Christ will not be exempt from confronting him in the final judgment. The mourning here mentioned will be due to the startling realization on the part of the wicked that the whole course of their lives has been wrong. The atheist will suddenly know that God is a reality. The proud, the arrogant, the thoughtless, the sensualist, the materialist, and all who have lived as if there were no God shall be summoned to a judgment which they have never allowed as even possible. The mourning of people in that circumstance will surpass any possible description of it.

And the mourning will not be “over Christ” in the sense of their grieving for what was done nearly two thousand years ago TO HIM(how could people even imagine such an interpretation?). No, their grief will be for themselves. The Second Advent will be bad news indeed to the vast majority of mankind. Verse 8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.Who is the speaker in this verse, Jesus Christ, or God the Father? In view of the eternal power and authority of Christ, already stressed, it would appear that John is here emphasizing the Deity of Christ. Earle quoted Plummer as being of that opinion and also pointed out that J. B. Smith gave extensive quotations to show that all of the ancients attributed these words to Jesus Christ.[22] In a sense, of course, it makes little difference, because the same things are true of Christ that are true of God the Father. It makes for better unity in the passage to ascribe Revelation 1:8 to Christ. Alpha and the Omega … These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and are here used figuratively to stand for the entirety of anything. Such a comparison seems to have existed for ages. The Hebrews said of Abraham that, “he kept the law from Aleph to Tav (first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet). “From A to Izzard” was a colonial proverb in America with the same meaning. (“Izzard” was an early American name for the letter Z). Plummer pointed out that the use of this figure is progressively expanded in Revelation. Note: Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8). The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 21:6) The Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). Since the usage of this expression in subsequent passages of Revelation undoubtedly refers to Christ, there is no good reason why it should not be applied to him here. Who was and is and is to come … See full comment on this under Revelation 1:4. The Almighty … Scholars make a big point out of this word’s being one of the “the Septuagint’s renditions of Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts”[23] but there is no reason for not applying it also to Christ who was prophetically designated as “The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6). That this is indeed a proper and appropriate title of Jesus Christ will vividly appear in subsequent chapters of this magnificent prophecy. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is often referred to as God. For more complete elaboration of this see in my Commentary on Hebrews, p. 31. Furthermore, he himself used the Old Testament “I AM” no less than eight times.

See under Revelation 1:4. Also, of those eight New Testament usages of the “I AM” title for Jesus Christ, five of them are in the gospel of John; and the appearance of two more such usages here in the first chapter of Revelation emphasizes the close correspondence between it and the other Johannine works. The same mind lies behind all of them. [22] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 477. [23] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 19. Verse 9 THE GREAT VISIONI John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.I John … See introduction for comment on the authorship of Revelation. Although an apostle, and possibly the last surviving apostle, he here identified himself with his readers as their brother and a fellow-member of Christ’s kingdom. All of the sacred writers hesitated to flaunt their authority; and even Paul, who, in a sense, was compelled to do so by circumstances, proclaimed himself the chief of sinners and the least of saints. Partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience … “These are a present experience and possession”[24] of John and his readers. As Lenski put it: “We (Christians) are the kingdom, in it, partakers of it, lifted to royalty in it!"[25] All theories that deny the present existence of the kingdom of Christ are contrary to the New Testament. Which are in Jesus … It is surprising that Moffatt would perceive this as primarily “A Pauline concept."[26]While true enough that Paul did stress this conception, it surely antedates him. All of the New Testament authors wrote of it, and it goes right back to Christ himself who gave the analogy of the true vine in John 15. This corporate conception of Christ’s kingdom as being composed of those who have been baptized into Christ dominates the New Testament. The kingdom itself, as stated in this verse is “in Jesus.” Those who are “in Jesus” are the kingdom. The New Testament knows nothing of some far-off time when the kingdom will come.

It is a present reality. The thousand years’ reign with Christ is going on right now, and has been going on, since the first Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ is reigning and will continue to reign until all enemies are vanquished. His holy apostles are reigning with him (Matthew 19:28). This reign is identified in Matthew as occurring during the times of “the regeneration,” that is, the times of the new birth, meaning that it is going on right now. As for the saints reigning with Christ, John includes his readers in this very passage as being fellow-partakers with himself in the kingdom of Christ.

The trouble with many is that they have lost a sense of exaltation through being ’tin Christ” and have started longing for something different from the glorious salvation already available “in Christ,” that is, in Christ’s precious kingdom. Was in the isle that is called Patmos … This is a small island, only about half the size of Manhattan Island, ten miles long, with a maximum width of six miles, and with an area of only 13 square miles. “It is an island of the Dodecanese group, Greece, in the Aegean sea about 28 miles south-southwest of Samos (37 degrees 20 minutes north latitude and 26 degrees 35 minutes east longitude). It is volcanic, bare and rocky, rising to an altitude of 800 feet with a deeply indented coast."[27] The 1951 population of Patmos is given as 2,613; but in John’s day it is said to have been principally a rock quarry and used as a place of banishment for certain types of offenders. Regarding the tradition that the apostle John was banished to Patmos, living in exile there when he received the Revelation, both the event of his banishment and the date of it are uncertain. The usual tradition that he was banished to Patmos by Domitian (circa 95 A.D.) and released 18 months later by Nerva[28] is incapable of any dogmatic proof. Even if accepted, the question of the date would still be in doubt. The complicating factor is that Domitian was the de facto emperor for a year or so in 69-70, following his father Vespasian’s elevation as Emperor, July 69 A.D. He was hailed by the army in Rome as Caesar and continued to administer the affairs of Italy until his father’s return.[29] Vespasian was not pleased by the high-handed behavior of his son. Josephus stated that he was ruler until his father returned.[30] He moved into the royal residence, signed all edicts and proclamations in his own name, being in every sense, during that period, Emperor. Vespasian returned to Rome, however, in the latter part of 70, and promptly appointed Nerva as one of his chief administrators, who moved at once to quash some of the measures taken by Domitian. Thus we have the strange fact that Nerva, in a sense, succeeded Domitian in authority both in 70 A.D. and in 96 A.D. For this reason, the tradition that John was banished by Domitian and released by Nerva does not even touch the problem of WHEN such events occurred.

The events might have taken place either in 70-71 or in 95-96! Robinson preferred the early date, writing: “So, he was banished by Domitian and restored by Nerva, as the tradition says, but in 70-71 A.D.!"[31]Regarding the theory of John’s having been banished to Patmos, the New Testament gives no hint of any such thing, but the mention of tribulation in the same verse certainly seems not opposed to the tradition. If indeed John was an exile, it would be in keeping with the experience of some of God’s other great prophets. When Jacob saw God at Bethel, when Moses saw God in the burning bush, when Elijah heard the still small voice, when Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord by the river Chebar, and when Daniel saw the ancient of days in Babylon, all of them were exiles. Wallace, however, was of the opinion that John was not an exile, but that, “His reason for being in Patmos was no other than to receive the Revelation."[32] Certainty in the matter is impossible. For the word of God and the testimony of Jesus … The language here could mean either (1) that John was in Patmos to preach the gospel or for the express purpose of receiving the Revelation or (2) that he had been banished to Patmos as punishment for his loyalty in proclaiming the word of the Lord. There is no way to tell exactly which understanding of the words is correct. [24] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 1282. [25] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 55. [26] James Moffatt, op. cit., p. 341. [27] Encyclopedia Britannica (Chicago: William Benton, Publisher, 1961), Vol. 17, p. 383. [28] Ibid. [29] Ibid., Vol 7, p. 521. [30] Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book IV, Chapter 11,4. [31] John A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 250. [32] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., op. cit., p. 74. Verse 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.In the Spirit … Not much is known of this state of being “in the Spirit”; but, evidently, all of the Scripture writers were in such a state when they received their divine revelation. Jesus said of David, “How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord?” (Matthew 22:43). Many speculations about this have yielded little or no valuable information. On the Lord’s day … This expression is found only here in the New Testament, “and beyond all reasonable doubt it means on Sunday."[33] “There is every reason to believe the church used the word in protest against Caesar-worship."[34] Some have thought this means the day of judgment, indicating that John was transported by the vision to the time of the final judgment; but the judgment is invariably “the day of the Lord” in the New Testament. Here, “Lord’s day” is a similar construction to “Lord’s supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20). “It means belonging to the Lord', or consecrated to the Lord’."[35] The Greek construction rules out the interpretation that would make this mean the judgment.[36] According to Deissmann, from A.D. 30 and continuing until 98-117, one day of every month was called “Augustus Day” ([@hemera] [@Sebaste]); and it certainly could have been that the Christians started referring to the first day of the week as “the Lord’s day” in opposition to the current idolatry directed toward Roman emperors. It is preposterous to suppose that “the Lord’s day” is a reference to the Jewish sabbath. Saturday was a day of the week upon which Jesus spent the entire twenty-four hours of it in the tomb! On the other hand, Sunday was the day Jesus rose from the dead, the very same day the apostles met him in the upper room, and a week later on another Sunday the Lord appeared to his assembled apostles again. Sunday was the day the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost; it was the day the disciples came together to break bread (Acts 20:7); it was the day the collection was taken up (1 Corinthians 16:2); and, added to all of this, the invariable Christian tradition of more than nineteen centuries makes Sunday the day of Christian assemblies, a custom still observed all over the world. “The Lord’s day” is thus an exceedingly appropriate title for the day. A great voice, as of a trumpet … “This voice was presumably that of the Son of man."[37] Dake counted over sixty usages of the word “great” in the Book of Revelation.[38] Bruce, however, did not believe the great trumpet-like voice mentioned here was that of the Lord, basing his opinion on the fact that the Lord’s voice is said to be like the sound of many waters (Revelation 1:15).[39] He viewed it as a herald-like prelude to the appearance of the Great Conqueror. This would appear to be the better interpretation. [33] T. Randell, op. cit., p. 5. [34] Finis Jennings Dake, Revelation Expounded (Lawrenceville, Georgia: Dake, 1950), p. 32. [35] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 479. [36] Ibid. [37] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 1282. [38] Finis Jennings Dake, op. cit., p. 33. [39] F. F. Bruce, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 535. Verse 11 Saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.We shall give particular attention to each of these churches in connection with the letter addressed to each. “It is difficult not to feel that SEVEN are chosen because of the sacred nature of that number."[40] Full agreement with this view is felt, as noted under Revelation 1:4, above. There is, furthermore, a sense in which the seven here selected represent a diversity of conditions prevailing in congregations throughout history. We do not believe that these seven churches stand for seven successive periods of the history of the church throughout the current dispensation; but that, in any given age, there may be congregations exhibiting the same characteristics as those found in any one, or all of the seven churches mentioned here. This very day, there are “Philadelphia churches,” and “Laodicean churches,” and even “Sardis churches.” All seven churches lay relatively close to each other in western Asia Minor; and they have the same sequence in Revelation that would normally be followed by a person visiting all seven. ENDNOTE: [40] G. R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 1282. Verse 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.I turned to see the voice … “As in Genesis 3:8, the voice is put for the speaker."[41] One of the big things in Revelation is the voice so frequently mentioned. The voice from heaven is one of the principal focal points in the whole book. Seven golden candlesticks … Caird has a remarkably perceptive interpretation of this, thus: Once again John is asserting that the church is the new Israel, the true people of God, but with this difference: whereas Israel was represented by a single candelabra with seven lamps, the churches are represented by seven separate standing lamps; for, according to the teaching of the New Testament, each local congregation of Christians is the church universal in all its fullness.[42]For a discussion of the Jewish candlestick, its connection with Zechariah 4, and its symbolism, see in my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 181-183. One in the midst of the candlesticks … This, of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ, here represented as walking amidst his congregations, only the seven here mentioned? Of course not, but amidst all the congregations of his people throughout history. This is one of the truly great messages of the whole prophecy. Christ is with his congregations! He is fulfilling the promise of Mat 18:20 Matthew 20:28. One like unto a son of man … This rendition could be greatly improved by reading it “the Son of man,” for, as Beckwith pointed out, “the article before “son” is omitted”;[43] and this could be rendered “the Son of man.” “That Christ is meant and not an angel is shown by Revelation 1:17 f."[44]Garment down to the foot … golden girdle … Most commentators see these things as symbols of the high priesthood of Jesus Christ; but, as Beckwith said, “That office of his is not mentioned in our book."[45]We believe that Christ is here presented as the Judge of all people. The sword in his mouth a moment later in the text is no part of the trappings of a priest. The garment down to the foot and the golden girdle are marks of rank and dignity. “Neither shows Christ to be represented here in his priestly character, as many commentators interpret."[46][41] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Volume 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm.

B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 6. [42] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 24. [43] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 437. [44] Ibid. [45] Ibid. [46] Ibid. Verse 14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire.This description of the white hair is a “deliberate reminiscence of Dan 7:9, where it belongs to the Ancient of Days."[47] This application to Jesus Christ of the attributes of deity is a recurring phenomenon in Revelation. There are also a number of other reflections of the Book of Daniel, not only in this passage, but throughout the book. His eyes were a flame of fire … This indicates the omniscience of Christ, the ability to penetrate all disguises and to judge things as they are, not as they might pretend to be. ENDNOTE: [47] G.R. Beasley-Murray, op. cit., p. 1282. Verse 15 And his feet like unto burnished brass, as it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.“The sense is that the feet of Jesus resembled gold-bronze, not as this is when it is cold, but as it appears when it is glowing in the intense heat of a furnace. Where such feet tread, they utterly blast and instantly turn to ashes everything they touch, or even approach.[48]Here again, we have a figure that is utterly incompatible with the priestly function of our blessed Lord. It is in his character as Judge that he appears in this introductory vision and throughout the book of Revelation. ENDNOTE: [48] R. C.H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 66. Verse 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.Two-edged sword … A most unlikely symbol of any priestly function. As Wallace said: This sword stands for divine justice, and means that Jesus Christ was, and is now, the executor of righteous judgment and justice.[49]Sun shining in his strength … Here is a reflection of the imagery of Malachi regarding the “sun of righteousness” that shall rise with healing in his wings. Christ as the light of the world; Christ as the center around which everything else revolves; Christ the omnipresent one (who could hide from the sun?); and Christ the omnipotent one - all of these are appropriately symbolized by this glorious countenance. Despite the fact of so much of Revelation using terminology and imagery found in the Old Testament, the essential teaching of Revelation is not derived. “It conveys a conception of the Messiah which is unique, for Christ is endowed with a splendor and authority which hitherto had been ascribed only to God."[50]Before leaving this verse, it should also be pointed out that the mouth is a very abnormal place from which a sword might appear; the symbolism, therefore, includes the meaning that the gospel which came from the mouth of Jesus is the two-edged sword. And why two-edged? As Bruce expressed it: “It proclaims grace to those who repent and put their faith in God, with the corollary of judgment upon the impenitent and disobedient."[51]Seven stars … For comment on this, see under Revelation 1:20 where the key to understanding them is revealed. [49] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., op. cit., p. 80. [50] Martin Kiddle, The Revelation of St. John, “The Moffatt New Testament Commentary” (New York: Harper and Brothers, n.d.), p. 16. [51] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 636. Verse 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.I fell at his feet … Paul fell at the feet of Jesus revealed to him as a supernatural person (Acts 26:14); and the phenomenon occurs frequently throughout the Bible, especially in connection with receiving visions. SeeEzekiel 1:28; Daniel 8:17 Daniel 10:9; and Matthew 17:6. Fear not … How fully in the character of the beloved Jesus are these blessed words to the terrified apostle. With similar words he comforted the apostles that night when they were struggling to navigate Galilee, and on the night of his betrayal, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” This is the message that heaven has often shouted to earth, but the need to hear it is perpetual. The night the shepherds beheld the angelic band speaking of “Good tidings which shall be to all people,” their message began with, “Fear’ not.” I am the first and the last, and the Living one, etc. … Again, we are reminded of that holy Being who IS and WAS and SHALL BE for ever. See more on this under Revelation 1:8. This writer has made a practice for many years of reading these two verses as the final committal at the graveside, with only one deviation from the text here, using J. B. Phillips’ translation “death and the grave” instead of “death and of Hades,” as here. The Living one … This is particularly interesting, because it is a title of God himself. This is really the most important title in the verse, because it is as the Living one that Christ holds the keys of death and of the grave. Christ, like the Father, possesses life in his essential nature. “As the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son to have life in himself’ (John 5:26). Verse 19 Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter.This is John’s commission to write the vision for the benefit of the seven churches, and for all generations. Of course, the three things mentioned which John was to write have often been understood as an outline of the book, the things which he saw referring to Revelation 1, the things which are pertaining to Revelation 2 andRevelation 3, and the things that shall be “hereafter” referring to the balance of the prophecy. However, we agree with Smith who said, “This classification does not help much in interpretation."[52] Furthermore, he pointed out that the word “hereafter” is used eight other times in Revelation 4:1 Revelation 7:1 Revelation 7:9 Revelation 9:12 Revelation 15:5 Revelation 18:1 Revelation 19:1 Revelation 20:3! It is very difficult to reconcile this repeated use of “hereafter” with the theory that everything in the book was fulfilled “shortly” after it was written. Erdman also objected strongly to the “popular view” that this verse gives us a three-fold outline of Revelation.[53] Caird also thought that, “It is better to take the words “things which thou sawest” to mean the whole of John’s vision."[54] It is the view of this interpreter that in each of the cycles covered by the prophecy there are things past, present, and future in all of them. For example, the judgment, mentioned over and over again, is a future event; and it is mentioned no less than seven times, each mention of it coming in a different section of the book. [52] Wilbur M. Smith, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 1059. [53] Charles R. Erdman, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1936), p. 42. [54] G. R. Caird, op. cit., p. 26. Verse 20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.Seven stars are the angels of the seven churches … All kinds of efforts have been made to identify these “angels” of the seven churches as the ruling bishop, the pastor, the chief elder, or other human representative of the church; but such a view cannot be otherwise than incorrect. As Plummer said: Whatever may be the exact conception, “the angel” is identified with and made responsible for the church to a degree wholly unsuited to any human officer … he is punished with it; he is rewarded with it.[55]Erdman, Earle, Plummer, and many many others have understood the angel to be a personification of the church itself; but the best explanation this student has uncovered is that of R. H. Banowsky, thus: The angels are the symbolical representatives of the churches … in toto. The angels then are all those members of the church who are actively engaged in carrying out God’s commands … in any or all congregations throughout the world. Christ holds them in the hollow of his hand and gives them the strength and protection that only He can give.[56]In keeping with this interpretation is the fact that in spite of the seven letters being directed in each case to “the angel” of the church, it is not an angel, but the church itself which is addressed. “Hear what the Spirit saith to the churches” is the injunction repeated no less than seven times, applying in each case to the message that was written to “the angel” of the various churches. It is clearly the members of the church who are addressed; hence, the conclusion must be that in some kind of metaphorical language, the members are individually represented under the figure of an angel, that is a star, in Christ’s right hand. The consideration should also be noted that, if any such thing as a metropolitan “bishop” had been intended by this, there can be no doubt whatever that the primitive church would have preserved this title for “bishop.” The seven candlesticks are seven churches … It was noted under Revelation 1:13 that in the vision, these churches are not joined in one corporate unity, as was the case with the Jewish candlestick, familiar to all as depicted on the Arch of Titus. No. They were separate and independent, indicating the autonomy and completeness of each local unit of the church of Christ. Also, there is another lesson to be received from this, when the illustration is compared with the words of Jesus who warned that a person’s religious life, his spiritual life, should not be hidden under a bushel, under a bed, or under a vessel; but that it should be put “on a stand!” (Luke 8:16 and its parallels). The application is that a truly spiritual life is always identified with the local congregation of the Lord’s people. In plain words, this simply means that every Christian should “put his membership in the church.” If he does not do so, he is not likely to have any spiritual life whatever within a very short time. It is characteristic of Revelation that, even after it has been “explained,” the mystery and uncertainty often remain. It must be admitted that the interpretation we have received concerning the “angels” of the churches still leaves many questions about it. Significantly, this is true even after the heavenly voice has itself told us what the stars in Jesus’ hand represent. For those interested in a further pursuit of this, Beckwith has given a somewhat extensive review of the various solutions proposed by scholars. He concluded the review with the solution that both the lampstand and the angels represent the churches. “The lampstand represents the outward organic life of the church; the star symbolizes the angel which is the invisible spiritual life of the congregation."[57][55] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 8. [56] R. H. Banowsky, The Revelation of the Holy City (Fort Worth, Texas: The J. E. Snelson Printing Company, 1967), p. 12. [57] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 446.

Revelation Chapter I by B.W. JohnsonThe Vision of the Son of ManSummary—Preface. John to the Seven Churches. In the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. The Revelation of the Son of Man. The Seven Stars and Seven Candlesticks.Revelation 1:1-3.

The Revelation. Apocalypse, or uncovering, so the Greek word means. The curtain of the future is lifted. Of Jesus Christ. The revelation is made by Jesus Christ. See chapter 5.

God gave him to shew. See chapter 5. He who sits on the throne gave to the Son the sealed book of the future to open it. Shortly come to pass. The series of events began to unfold in a few years after John wrote, and has rolled on through all the centuries. Lange renders the Greek translated “ shortly” by the phrase “ in quick succession,” which is nearly its meaning.

It implies successive order. He sent and signified. The things “ which must shortly come to pass.” By his angel. Here, and throughout the Apocalypse the office of unveiling the different scenes appears to be assigned to a particular angel. See Revelation 4:1 Revelation 21:9 Revelation 22:1 Revelation 22:8, etc. To his servant John.

A usual designation of the prophets. See Isaiah 49:5; Amos 3:7; Revelation 19:10. Revelation 1:2. Who bare record. John is meant, who made the record of all he saw and heard. Revelation 1:3. Blessed is he that readeth. There is a reference to the custom that had already grown up, at the close of the first century, of reading the apostolic writings publicly in the churches. The benediction is pronounced on the public reader; on those that hear, and lastly upon those that keep the words contained in this prophecy. The time is at hand. The period to which the prophecy relates is near. Revelation 1:4-8. John to the seven churches which are in Asia. The churches are named in verse 11. The term “ Asia” did not mean in the first century what it does now, but only the Roman province called Asia, of which Ephesus was the capital. All the seven churches are in that province. It is supposed that seven, the perfect and sacred number, were chosen, because the seven were to symbolize the whole Church of Christ.

There were in the province of Asia more than seven churches at this time, as we know, Colosse, Miletus (Acts 20:17) and Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13) being named in the New Testament. Grace be to you. The benediction, like that in the apostolic epistles, shows that Revelation is an epistle also, addressed directly to seven churches and through them to all the church. From him which is. The I am. See Exodus 3:14.

From the seven Spirits. The Holy Spirit. The numeral seven indicates fulness, perfection. It is the sacred number. The sevens are constantly repeated through Revelation. There are seven churches, seven spirits, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven vials, etc. Revelation 1:5. And from Jesus Christ. Some of the glories of Christ, the third whose grace is invoked, are named. The faithful witness. Because all that he says is faithful and true. The first born of the dead. See notes on Colossians 1:18. Through Christ’s resurrection from the dead life and immortality were brought to light for us all. Hence he is called the “ first born.” The prince. The rightful ruler of all the rulers of the earth. Unto him that loveth us. The tense is present, as in the Revision. His love never ceases. Washed us. Rather, as in the Revision, “ loosed us.” This was done by the shedding of his blood. Revelation 1:6. And he made us. Here the Revision must be followed. He made us to be a kingdom; to be priests unto his God. His disciples are constituted a kingdom; a kingdom in which each one is a priest. No disciple needeth a priest to offer incense or sacrifice for him, for he can go directly to the Father through Jesus Christ. See notes on 1 Peter 2:9. Christians are called priests, but are never called kings in a correct translation of the New Testament. Revelation 1:7. Behold, he cometh. Christ. With clouds. See Matthew 24:30 Matthew 26:64; Acts 1:9 Acts 1:11. The clouds denote the glory and terrors of his coming. Every eye shall see him. He will then come to meet all mortals. They which pierced him. Israel, the nation which rejected and crucified him is meant. See Zechariah 12:10, which is here quoted. All the tribes of earth shall mourn over him. In consternation because he is coming to judge the world. Revelation 1:8. I am the Alpha and the Omega. The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; hence “ the beginning and the end.” All begins with God and he closes the drama of earthly history. Revelation 1:9-11. I John. He here names himself for the third time. The fourth and fifth times are in 21:2 and 22:8. Companion in tribulation. A partaker of the sufferings of the church like you. Kingdom and patience. In the kingdom they were called to patient endurance. Was in the isle that is called Patmos. For description of this island see Introduction. “ It appears to be the certain result of historical evidence that the Apostle John was banished to the island of Patmos during the reign of Domitian (a.d. 81-96) and in the fourteenth year of that reign, and was recalled from Patmos to Ephesus by the Emperor Nerva in a.d. 96.”—Bible Commentary (Speaker’s) on Revelation. For the word of God. Banished on account of preaching the word of God. Revelation 1:10. I was in the Spirit. Was lifted to that spiritual exaltation in which revelations are given. On the Lord’s day. The day of the Lord’s Resurrection, the first day of the week. In the earlier apostolic writings the day was called “ the first day of the week,” but by the close of the century it began to be called “ the Lord’s day,” as here. Epistles of Barnabas, Ignatius and Dionysius, written near this time, so style it, and the name is of common occurrence from this time onward, and is confined to Sunday. It is not confounded with the “ Sabbath day” of many centuries. See Dr. Wm. Smith’s Unabridged Dictionary of the Bible, article “ Lord’s Day.” Heard behind me a great voice. Heard but did not see the speaker. Revelation 1:11. I am Alpha and Omega. These words are omitted in the Revision, as not found in the best MS. What thou seest. In all the visions of the Book of Revelation. Write in a book. The Greek says “ in a roll,” which was the form of books in the East at that time. Unto Ephesus. The seven churches are now named. For notes on these churches and the cities where they were located, see the chapters 2 and 3. Two of the churches named had received epistles from the Apostle Paul. Revelation 1:12-16. I saw seven golden candlesticks. The first things seen when he turned to see whence the voice came were the seven golden candlesticks, which symbolized the churches (verse 20). Revelation 1:13. And in the midst. It is a beautiful thought that he who said “ I will be with you always” is represented as moving in the midst of the church. Like unto the Son of man. A term used in Daniel 7:13 and applied by the Savior to Himself, but never applied to him by the New Testament writers except here, Revelation 14:14 and Acts 7:56. A garment down to the foot. The long robe of a high priest girt about with the golden girdle of a king. Revelation 1:14. His head and his hair were white. White is the color of purity and of triumph. The idea here is not age but heavenly glory. His eyes were as a flame of fire. Bright, piercing, all seeing, flashing light, and also a consuming fire of the wicked. Revelation 1:15. Feet like unto fine brass. Shedding forth splendor like burnished brass heated in a furnace. His voice. His voice was mighty like the sound of surging waters. Revelation 1:16. In his right hand seven stars. “ The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches” (verse 20). And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. This two-edged sword is a symbol of the word by which Christ’s conquests are won. See Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12, and compare Revelation 19:15. His countenance. The glory of his countenance is the same that was manifested at the Transfiguration. Revelation 1:17-20. I fell at his feet as dead. Overcome with awe. No sinful man can stand before God and live; hence the impression made by the appearance of the Lord is that of terror. Fear not. But when the Lord spoke to the disciple it was with the old love. How often before had Jesus said “ Fear not.” I am the first and the last. See verse 8. The attributes claimed for Jehovah are also claimed for Christ. Revelation 1:18. He that liveth, and was dead. Put to death but living. Have the keys of death and of Hades. Not only a victor over death, but the very gates of death and Hades are under his control. Hence he can deliver from the dead whom he will. Revelation 1:19. Write. Not only the vision just seen, but the things which are, viz., the description of the state of the churches given in chapters 2 and 3; and also the things which shall be, viz., the revelation of future history recorded in chapters 6-20. Revelation 1:20. The mystery of the seven stars. The Lord himself at once explains what the seven stars and seven candlesticks symbolize. The seven candlesticks represent the churches, or organizations appointed to “ let their light shine” and become “ the light of the world.” And the seven stars are the angels of the churches. These were, I think, the evangelists of the churches. See note below. NOTESThe Appearance of Christ. He was arrayed in a priestly robe and girt with a kingly girdle of gold. Heavenly purity was indicated by the dazzling whiteness of his head and hair, and the splendor that shone from his countenance was like that of the unclouded sun. Every manifestation of the divine glory is accompanied with brilliancy and splendor. “ In him is no darkness at all.” The burning bush of Horeb, the glory of Sinai, the Shekinah of the tabernacle, the City of which God and the Lamb are the light, the transfigured Savior of Hermon, the Son of Man of Patmos, and all the visions of the prophets of both covenants, indicate that whenever the Deity manifests itself, there is a revelation of heavenly splendor. The Son of Man, the Man of Sorrows, the Lamb of God, is also the Bright and Morning Star, and the Sun of Righteousness. It is thus, crowned with majesty, garbed in light, and shining as the sun, that John beholds the Son of Man walking amid the golden candlesticks and holding the seven stars in his hands. The Seven Stars. I shall not take up space to discuss the various views as to the nature of the angels of the churches. It has been held that they were heavenly angels, were diocesan bishops of the cities, were pastors or elders, or were messengers sent from the churches to visit John in Patmos. The word angel means a messenger, and is equally applicable to the messengers of God and those of men. John the Baptist is called in Mark 1:2, angel, or messenger, and the term is often applied to human beings. It is certain that it is in this passage.

John is told to write to these angels, and certainly the letters were not sent to the angels of heaven. Nor does this language suggest the idea of messengers sent to visit John in Patmos. In that case the letters might be sent by them to the churches, but would certainly not be written to them. It becomes evident, therefore, that the angels were men filling some office in connection with the churches. There is not the slightest evidence that diocesan bishops existed until much later than this age, and hence I do not think that they are meant. The term can hardly apply to an elder, for there seems to have been a plurality of elders in all the churches, and it is not likely that one would be singled out.

It is my judgment that the angels were the preachers or evangelists of the churches. As these evangelists not only labored at home, but were often sent out, and were messengers to carry the good tidings, there is a fitness in applying the term to them. We know from the epistles of Paul and from church tradition, that Timothy was long the evangelist at Ephesus, and it is possible that he may have lived and labored until the time of John’s banishment. If so, he was the angel to whom the epistle to the church at Ephesus was directed. Then we conclude that the seven stars held in the hand of the Lord, supported and strengthened by him, shining with his light, are the seven preachers of the churches of Asia.

“THE BOOK OF "

Chapter One The Revelation of Jesus Christ begins with a clear statement of origin and purpose. Given to Jesus by God to show His servants things which must soon take place, it is designed to bless those who read, hear and keep the words of the prophecy (Revelation 1:1-3). John then addresses the seven churches in Asia (western Turkey), offering grace and peace from each member of the Godhead with descriptive terms which become more significant later in the epistle (Revelation 1:4-6). His greeting is followed with a declaration concerning the Lord’s coming, and a self-designation as expressed by the Lord Himself (Revelation 1:7-8).

At this point John explains how he was commissioned to record the Revelation. While on the island of Patmos (likely in exile for preaching the word of God), he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day when he heard a loud voice behind him. The voice identified itself as “the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last”, and then charged him to write what he saw to seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:9-11). Turning to see the voice, John saw seven golden lampstands and in their midst the Son of Man. Describing the awesome appearance of the Son of Man and his own reaction, John then records how Jesus comforted and then charged him to write what he has seen and will see (Revelation 1:12-19). The chapter ends with the Lord’s explanation that the seven stars in His right hand represent the angels (messengers?)of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands signify the seven churches themselves (Revelation 1:20).

POINTS TO PONDER

• That the book was written to specific churches of things that would soon take place

• The implications of what is said about Jesus, in the greeting by John and in the words of Jesus Himself

OUTLINE I. (Revelation 1:1-8) A. AND (Revelation 1:1-3)1. Introducing the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1-2) a. Which God gave Him to show His servants b. Regarding things which much shortly take place c. Sent and signified by His angel d. To His servant John, who bore witness…

1. To the word of God
2. To the testimony of Jesus Christ
3. To all things that he saw

2. The benediction (Revelation 1:3)a. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear this prophecy b. Blessed are those who keep those things written in it, for the time is near

B. TO THE SEVEN (Revelation 1:4-6)1. From John, to the seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:4 a)2. With grace and peace (Revelation 1:4-6)a. From Him who is and who was and who is to come b. From the seven Spirits who are before His throne c. From Jesus Christ

1. The faithful witness
2. The firstborn from the dead
3. The ruler over the kings of the earth
4. Who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood
5. Who made us kings and priests to His God and Father – To Whom be glory and dominion forever and ever!

C. OF CHRIST’S COMING (Revelation 1:7)1. He is coming with clouds 2. Every eye will see Him, and they also who pierced Him 3. All the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him – Even so, Amen (so be it)

D. THE SELF- (Revelation 1:8)1. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” 2. “Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty”

II. THE VISION OF THE SON OF MAN (Revelation 1:9-20) A. JOHN’S LEADING UP TO THE VISION (Revelation 1:9-10 a)1. Their brother and companion (Revelation 1:9 a)a. In tribulation b. In the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ 2. On the island called Patmos (Revelation 1:9 b)a. For the word of God b. For the testimony of Jesus Christ 3. In the Spirit on the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10 a) B. WHAT HE HEARD BEHIND HIM (Revelation 1:10-11)1. A loud voice, as of a trumpet (Revelation 1:10 b)2. Saying to him… (Revelation 1:11)a. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last” b. “What you see, write in a book” c. “Send it to the seven churches which are in Asia…”

C. WHAT HE SAW, AND HIS (Revelation 1:12-17 a)1. Turning to see the voice, he saw… (Revelation 1:12-16)a. Seven golden lampstands b. In the midst of the seven lampstands, One like the Son of Man

1. Clothed with a garment down to the feet, girded about the chest with a golden band
2. His head and hair white as wool, white as snow
3. His eyes like a flame of fire
4. His feet like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace
5. His voice as the sound of many waters
6. In His right hand, seven stars
7. Out of His mouth, a sharp two-edged sword
8. His countenance like the sun shining in its strength

2. Seeing Him, John fell at His feet as dead (Revelation 1:17) D. THE LORD’S WORDS TO JOHN (Revelation 1:17-20)1. “Do not be afraid” (Revelation 1:17-18)a. “I am the First and the Last” b. “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.” c. “I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
3. “Write…” (Revelation 1:19)a. “The things which you have seen” b. “The things which are” c. “The things which will take place after this”
4. “The mystery of the seven stars…and the seven golden lampstands” (Revelation 1:20)a. “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches” b. “The seven lampstands…are the seven churches”

REVIEW

1. What are the main points of this chapter?- Introduction (1-8)

• The vision of the Son of Man (9-20)

2. What was Jesus intending to show His servants? (Revelation 1:1)- Things which must shortly take place (cf. Revelation 1:3 Revelation 22:6 Revelation 22:10)

3. How is John described in Revelation 1:2?- As one who bore witness to the word of God, to the testimony of Jesus Christ, and to all things that he saw

4. Who is this book designed to bless? Why? (Revelation 1:3)- Those who read and hear the words of this prophecy, and keep the things written in it

• For the time is near

5. To whom was the book addressed? (Revelation 1:4 Revelation 1:11)- Churches in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea

6. How is God described in the greeting from John? The Holy Spirit? (Revelation 1:4)- Who is and who was and who is to come

• The seven Spirits who are before His throne (cf. Revelation 4:5; Zechariah 4:1-6)

7. How is Jesus Christ described by John in this greeting? (Revelation 1:5-6)- The faithful witness

• The firstborn from the dead
• The ruler over the kings of the earth
• Who loved us
• Who washed us from our sins in His blood
• Who made us kings and priest to His God

8. What is said about the coming of Christ? (Revelation 1:7)- He is coming with clouds

• Every eye will see Him, and they also who pierced Him
• All the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him

9. How does the Lord designate Himself? (Revelation 1:8)- “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End”

• “Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty”

10. How does John identify himself to His readers? (Revelation 1:9 a)- Their brother and companion in tribulation

• In the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ

11. Where and when did John receive the Revelation? (Revelation 1:9 b-10)- On the island of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus

• While in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day

12. What did he hear a loud voice say? (Revelation 1:11)- “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last”

• “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches in Asia…”

13. When he turned to see the voice, what did he see? (Revelation 1:12-13)- Seven golden lampstands, and in their midst One like the Son of Man

14. How does John describe the Son of Man? (Revelation 1:13-16)- Clothed with a garment down to the feet

• Girded about the chest with a golden band
• Head and hair white as wool, white as snow
• Eyes like a flame of fire
• Feet like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace
• Voice as the sound of many waters
• In His right hand, seven stars
• Out of His mouth, a sharp sword
• Countenance like the shining sun

15. What was John’s reaction when he saw Him? What was he first told? (Revelation 1:17)- Fell at His feet as dead

• “Do not be afraid”

16. How does the Son of Man identify Himself? (Revelation 1:17-18)- “I am the First and the Last”

• “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore”
• “I have the keys of Hades and of Death”

17. What was John told to write? (Revelation 1:19)- “The things which you have seen”

• “The things which are”
• “The things which will take place after this”

18. What is the explanation of the seven stars and seven golden lampstands? (Revelation 1:20)- The seven stars are the seven angels (messengers?) of the seven churches

• The seven lampstands are the seven churches (in Asia)

Questions by E.M. Zerr On Revelation 11. What did God give to Jesus Christ ? 2. It was to show what ? 3. To whom were they to be shown ? 4. By whom was it signified? 5. Unto whom was it signified ? 6. What did he hear? 7. Tell what should be read and heard. 8. If so what is the promise ? 9. What should be done with things written? 10. Where were the seven churches? 11. Ten who was to write to them. 12. What benedictions were they to receive? 13. From what person were they to be received ? 14. From where did the spirits proceed ? 15. What other person was united in giving these ? 16. Tell what is said of his testhnony. 17. In what sense was he the first ? 18. Among whom is he the prince ? 19. What has he done for us ? 20. He has made us to be what ? 21. What is to be ascribed to him forever ? 22. With what will he come ? 23. How many eyes shall see him ? 24. What about the ones who pierced him ? 25. Ten what all kindreds of the earth will do. 26. State John’s attitude toward this matter. 27. Who is meant by Alpha and Omega ? 28. What is associated with Alpha and Omega ? 29. How many tenses describe his existence ? 30. Who is the “I” of 9th verse? 31. State his relation to the churches. 32. In what was he a companion ? 33. In what kingdom was he their companion ? 34. Tell in what isle the apostle was. 35. Why was he there ? 36. In what condition was he placed? 37. On what day of the week was it? 38. What did he hear behind him? 39. Tell what he was saying. 40. What was John told to write? 41. To whom was he to send it? 42. Name the different churches. 43. Why did John turn himself? 44. Tell what he saw. 45. Who was in the midst thereof? 46. How was he clothed? 47. By what was he girded? 48. Describe his head and hair. 49. And also his eyes. 50. Describe his feet. 51. What was his voice like? 52. Ten what was in his right hand. 53. What came out of his mouth? 54. Describe his countenance. 55. Seeing him what did John do? 56. Tell what he did for John then. 57. What assurance did he give him? 58. State the brief history he gave of himself. 59. What did he say he had? 60. State the three things John was to write. 61. Of what mysteries was he to write? 62. Tell what the seven stars represent. 63. And the seven candlesticks.

Revelation 1:1

Revelation 1:1 —General remarks. In approaching this book for the purpose of writing comments thereon, I am resolved not to resort to speculation or guesswork. True that should be one’s purpose regarding every part of the Bible. But the various extremes to which so many would-be interpreters have gone make it especially important to observe this safety principle with this book. One extreme has the position that the book is a deep mystery that the Lord never intended to be understood. The fact that it is a part of the Sacred Volume and that He pronounces a blessing on those who read and hear and keep the things written therein (chapter 1:3) Shows the error of this position.

An opposite extreme is that it is “just as simple and easy as any other part of the Bible.” At first thought one might not realize the evil of the statement, but it will be manifest by the manner of reasoning that is resorted to, in order to carry out what is thought to be required by the law of consistency. In pursuing such a course it is claimed that the prophecies of the book are literal and attempts are made to find such facts in the history of the world. This theory ignores the statement in chapter 1:1 which says the book was revealed by being “signified” or by signs and symbols, which rules out literalism in explaining the book as a whole.

We should avoid both extremes mentioned above and seek an explanation that will be consistent with the facts and other truths that are available to us. A sign or symbol must stand for something that is literally true or else its use can accomplish nothing. We should understand, therefore, that the ones in this book point forward to facts that were destined to occur literally in the then future years of the world. Since God knows the future as well as the present or past (Isaiah 46:9-10) it was possible for Him to look forward from the time of John and see the events that would occur in the world, including those of the religious and political domains of human activities. It would be unreasonable to suppose that He would direct a man to write a book with symbols which were not in harmony with the facts of history. The business of the student, therefore, is to read the symbols and then seek the explanation in the statements of authentic history. That is the task I have set for myself in writing a commentary on this book. I shall here write a brief outline of the facts of history, to show the general program that has been and is now and will be carried out, in fulfillment of the predictions that John was told to write in the language of symbols. Many of the specific and detailed incidents of history will be reserved to be cited as the particular passages are reached in our studies. Among the sources of my information are the following: Ancient Monarchies, by George Rawlinson; Mommsen’s History of Rome; Josephus’ History of the Jews; Myers’ Ancient History; Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, by Edward Gibbon; Mosheim’s Ecclesiastes History; Jones’ Church History; Eusebius’ Church History; and many others. Due to the wide field of historical material, it will not be expected that I can cite the actual text of the sources except in particular cases. The Roman Empire was at the height of its power in the time of Christ and the apostles, and continued so through several centuries. Religion was a state affair, being protected and regulated by the government under the direction of the emperor.

That of Rome was the pagan or heathen and its worship was in devotion to idolatry. Other religions were tolerated as long as they did not become too conspicuous and did not show signs of interference with the state religion. Among the religions tolerated was Christianity, started by Christ. and propagated by the apostles. At first it was regarded as an insignificant movement and little attention was paid to it by the leaders in Rome. But as it grew in numbers and influence the Empire began to fear for its effect on the state and tried to counteract it by persecution.

After a few centuries the church or leaders therein began to grow corrupt, and they sought to concentrate their power with a view to reaching a condition where one man would dominate the entire brotherhood. This ambition for power was held back by the power of Rome whose religion was the pagan or heathen. But a change took place in this Empire that removed the hindrance. In the beginning of the fourth century the emperor was Constantine the Great. He finally professed to be converted to the Christian religion and accordingly gave it the endorsement of the Empire. That resulted in the union of church and state so that the emperor over the government and the bishop over the church, both of whom resided in the city of Rome, were joined in a mutual interest and hence took away the rights or privileges of both the local leaders in the congregations, and those of kings and governors over smaller sections of the Empire.

There is a lengthy note under “General remarks” at 2 Thessalonians 2 which the reader should see again. After the union of church and state was formed there followed a period of twelve centuries known as the apostasy or Dark Ages.

During that time the Bible was virtually taken from the common people and everyone both in religious and civil matters had to bow to the dictates issued at Rome by the joint power of the emperor and bishop (who finally took the title of pope). This condition continued until the time of Martin Luther and the other Reformers, who gave the Bible back to their respective countries in the language of their people, resulting in the dissolving of the union of church and state. The preceding paragraphs give a general picture of what actually occurred according to history, and of course the symbols of the book of Revelation should be interpreted in a way that agrees with the facts of history. Various details and specific instances will be related as occasion arises in our study of the book. Before taking up the chapters and verses on the plan that has been followed throughout the Commentary, it should be noted that the symbolical part of the book of Revelation is included in chapters 4 through 20. The three in the beginning and the two at the close of the book will be considered very much like the rest of the New Testament.

Revelation 1:1. The word revelation occurs 12 times in the King James Version. It is from and Thayer defines it as follows: “An uncovering; 1. properly a laying bare, making naked.” The revelation is said to be of or from Jesus Christ and God gave it unto him. It was to show things that were to come to pass or that were in the future. Shortly is a comparative term, for while some things predicted did take place in a short time literally, some of them were hundreds of years in the future. Signified is from SE-MAINO, which Thayer defines, “To give a sign, to signify, indicate.” (See the comments on “symbols” in General remarks at the beginning of the chapter.) The revelation was sent to John and the bearer of it was an angel of the Lord.

The writer is one of the twelve apostles but he uses the term servant which indicates his attitude of modesty. In a later verse he refers to himself as a brother to his readers in the king. dons of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Comments by Foy E. Wallace:Verse 1 –Revelation 1:1-3. (1) The source of the visions.1. “The revelation of Jesus Christ”–Revelation 1:1.It was made known by Jesus Christ, that is, it was not concerning Christ himself. The language does not refer to the person of Christ, as the subject of the vision, but to the One by whom it was communicated to John–by Jesus Christ “the faithful witness,” through the agency of his angel. 2. “Which God gave unto him”–Revelation 1:1.God, the Father, was himself the source of the vision. This reverence for God was always manifested by Jesus, as he affirmed in all of the gospel records while he was on the earth, that he did not speak of, or from, himself, but from his Father who sent him. (John 12:49) This vision was first a revelation that God sent to his Son, Jesus Christ, who, in the second place, sent it by an angel, in the third place, to John, in the fourth place of the numerical declension. The angel signified the vision to John, that is, communicated it to him in the signs directed by Jesus Christ.

(2) The object of the visions.1. “To show unto his servants”–Revelation 1:1.It was on the principle that to be forewarned was to be forearmed. So the things signified, or symbolized–set forth in signs–were explained to the members of the churches for their needful information concerning the immediate events which pertained to the persons and churches addressed, and which would be fulfilled in the period of their own lives and experiences; else the language addressed to them served no purpose to the people for whom “God gave it,” and to whom it was sent. 2. “Things which must shortly come to pass”–Revelation 1:1.Reference to things indicated a definite form of events then shaping, and the word must is not a speculative or conjectural term; it was factual, and the word shortly denoted immediacy. These events applied to them, not to centuries after their time, and even yet to come. The object of the entire revelation was to inform and forewarn, to comfort and encourage the church in the time of this vision –the apostolic age, the period of the churches addressed.

(3) The method of the delivery and communication.1. “And he sent and signified it by an angel””–Revelation 1:1.The revelation was sent by an angel–that is, it was delivered by a special messenger. And it was signified, indicating how it was communicated; that it was not merely made known, but was transmitted in code by signs and symbols. It was a special message, delivered by special messengers, in the special medium of code language. It was thus dispatched unto his servant John.

2. “Unto his servant John””–Revelation 1:1.There is a difference in the meanings of the words show and signify. Jesus Christ signified the vision unto John to show unto his servants. That is, it was revealed to John in code for explanation to the churches, which could, of course, have been accomplished by the spiritually gifted teachers of that period in each church. The meaning is that as a message, it was special and not general; it was for the churches, and not for the public. As an example, the Comforter (John 14:16; John 13:13) was a special promise to the apostles alone, and not to all of the disciples, nor for the world in general–only the apostles. So it was with the apocalypse; it was a message for the early churches, not for the Jewish world nor the Roman public–and that is why it was written in code instead of the use of literal language, as in all of the other epistles.

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ,–This expression evidently is a title for the entire book, being comprehensive enough to include all its contents. The Greek word Apocalypse –here rendered “Revelation”–properly means the uncovering of anything; an unveiling, so that what is hid may be known. Spiritually it denotes the making known of divine truth that had not before been understood, as the following passages indicate: Romans 16:25; Galatians 1:12 Ephesians 3:3. If it had not been intended that the contents of this book should in some measure be understood, it would not have been called a Revelation. It does not mean a revealing of things concerning Christ, but a revelation which Christ himself made of things involving his church. The book is often referred to by its Greek name–Apocalypse. As its contents clearly show, the revealing is done through words, signs, and symbols, and includes things both present and future at the time John wrote. which God gave him to show unto his servants,–These words clearly indicate that God is the original source or fountain of truth. Notwithstanding the unexplained unity between God and Christ (John 17:20-21), as mediator between God and man, Jesus recognizes his dependence upon the Pathen He said: “My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me.” (John 7:16.) Again he said: “For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he bath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” (John 12:49.) In John 5:20 he said the Father “showeth” all things to the Son. Paul shows that a dependence upon the Father still exists by saying that when all things were put under Christ it is evident that God was excepted. (1 Corinthians 15:27.) Hence, though at God’s right hand, he is represented as receiving from the Father the revelation he was to communicate to man. All Christians are “servants” of God in some sense (1 Peter 2:16), and the revealing here promised was intended, doubtless, for all God’s children. All would need the encouragement which such a disclosing of events would produce. It would also serve as a protection against being overcome by the disasters that were certain to come upon the church. even the things which must shortly come to pass:–The words “must shortly come to pass” indicate that the things to be revealed to John in vision would most certainly take place. It does not mean that all the things would “shortly” come to pass, but that they would begin to transpire soon after the time John wrote. This must be the correct view since the seals, trumpets, and vials necessarily imply a series of events. To imagine all the things depicted as occurring at exactly the same time is out of the question. The thousandyear period (chapter 20) would prevent any such theory. Since there was to be a succession of events, they began to transpire when the first one commenced.

The period covered by the word “shortly” varies according to the nature of the subject in question. A short time could be a few hours, a few days, a few years, or even many years if compared with several centuries. and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John; –He (Christ) signified the things shortly to come to pass, sending them to John by his angel. The term “signify” comes from the word “sign” and indicates that the things to be revealed to John would be presented through signs and symbols. This word is used in the same sense by John in the following passages: John 12:33 John 21:18-19. It is an appropriate word to express a revelation which was to be made largely through symbols. The symbolic nature of much of the book is evident from even a casual reading of it. The word “angel” means messenger, and this shows that the visions were conveyed to John through the medium of some heavenly messenger.

How this was done is a matter that must be left to the secret things known only to divine wisdom. (Deuteronomy 29:29.) It is a matter of first importance in the study of God’s word to stop where Revelation ends. In no part of the sacred record is this more important than in the study of the Apocalypse.

Revelation 1:2

Revelation 1:2. Who is a pronoun that stands for John in the preceding verse and he is the writer of this book. Bare record means he is making a record of what tie saw, which was according to the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is also the word of God because he gave Christ the authority to make the revelation known to John by an angel.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 2 (4) The witness of the visions.1. “Who bare record of the word of God”–Revelation 1:2.The word of God, to which John was to be the witness, was the message of the revelation itself, the word which God gave unto Jesus Christ (verse 1) at this time and in this apocalypse, not the word of God which had already been preached by the other apostles or that which was in the general epistles. This was the word of God in the special sense, belonging to the special message, for the special time. These were the special things which Jesus Christ signified to John, which did not belong to the revelation of the gospel contained in the other epistles. It was an apocalyptic revelation to the churches that were on the threshold of their peril–in that period called the hour of trial.

2. “And of the testimony of Jesus Christ”–Revelation 1:2.As previously intimated, this is a specific reference to the testimony of Christ to John, not John’s testimony of or concerning Christ. It was the testimony of this apocalypse, as stated in the first line of the first verse, the testimony of Jesus Christ.

3. “Even of all things that he saw”–Revelation 1:2.Thus it is that both the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ refer to the things that John saw, of which John bare record, not the past witness of the word which all the other apostles had made, nor the testimony of Christ in the sense of the gospel which they had preached. It was the word of God and the testimony of this apocalypse only of the things to which John was bearing witness and of which he was making a record.

Revelation 1:2 — who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw.–This language shows that John regarded himself simply as a witness of God’s revelation. In general God’s word means any declaration or truth coming from him. But here he means that John was giving a true record of the things recorded in this book. This is evident from the explanatory clause “even of all things that he saw.” Of course, John was a witness of the things he had seen in the personal ministry of Christ. (John 19:35 John 21:24.) The “testimony of Jesus Christ,” as indicated in verse 1, was the witness that he bore to the word of God; or, that this revelation came through Christ and was delivered by John.

Revelation 1:3

Revelation 1:3. Blessed means happy and it is said of those who read the words of this prophecy or book. But the blessing is not on those who read it only, but they also must hear it which means to give heed to it. The writer does not stop there but adds the condition that they shall keep ( “observe”–Thayer) them. These three significant terms certainly do not agree with the notion that the book of Revelation is one to be ignored by Bible students. Time is at hand. That is, the general program that was to extend down through the centuries was soon to begin.

Comments by Foy E. Wallace(5) The admonitions of the visions.1. “Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear–Revelation 1:3.This is, first, a reference to the person whose task it was to explain the visions, designated as he that readeth; and second, to the auditors assembled to receive it, as they that hear. As previously mentioned, there were specially endowed teachers, spiritually gifted men, in all of the churches (1 Corinthians 12:1-31), who could read and decode the revelation that was signified. The language of verse 3 indicates the need of the explanatory reading. 2. “The words of this prophecy”–Revelation 1:3.These words were prophetic in the sense of being visional. In this use of the word prophecy, it was apocalyptic only of things already beginning to occur. It was not the foretelling of far future events not connected with the experiences of his servants to whom and for whom the apocalypse was delivered. 3. “And keep those things which are written therein” –Revelation 1:3. The manifest meaning of this phrase is that his servants should remember the signified portents, and the monitory exhortations of the visions, for they would come within the experiences of their own time. 4. “For the time is at hand”–Revelation 1:3.There can be no reason to assign any other meaning to this phrase at hand than that which it had in the announcement of John the Baptist that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matthew 3:2), or of Jesus that the kingdom of God was at hand (Mark 1:14-15). The language and the context of it can mean only one thing–that these events were imminent. The sole reason for the admonition to read and hear and keep the things signified is stated in the clause of this verse: for the time is at hand. If the things written therein pertained to the remote future rather than to the immediate future, there was no application for such a warning.

Revelation 1:3 —Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear–In that early time copies of the sacred writings were scarce and doubtless much truth was imparted through public readings. Many think the language here refers to that custom, because he that readeth and they that hear imply that one read while many listened. This did not exclude individual and private reading ; but, since the other was probably more common, the blessing was pronounced on both reader and hearers. No special blessing is mentioned, but there are always benefits to come to those who are obedient. Nothing is more conducive to hearty obedience than a faithful hearing of God’s word. the words of the prophecy,–The word “prophecy” here is synonymous with “Revelation” in verse 1 and the “things saw” in verse 2. It is ‘used in its narrow sense of disclosing future events, for the main part of the book is devoted to such matters. John did not say that all who read the book would understand it, for that is not true of any part of the Bible written in literal language. But there would be no point in saying a blessing would come to those who heard it unless some degree of understanding were possible; at least enough to make the study profitable. and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.–To keep things written meant that they should not forget what related to the future as a matter of encouragement and warning, and they should obey any duty that the book required. Present-day Christians should maintain the same attitude toward the teachings of this divine volume. It came from God through Christ and was delivered through an inspired apostle. No book of the Bible has stronger claims for its authority. Disobedience is inexcusable when God speaks. Since the visions presented to John unquestionably cover a long period of time, the expression “at hand” cannot mean that the completion of all the events was near. The thought must be then that the things that were to come to pass would begin to transpire in a relatively short time. “At hand” should be understood in the same sense as “shortly,” verse 1.

Revelation 1:4

Revelation 1:4. Let the reader note the statements at the close of General Remarks, which show that the three chapters will be given before the symbolical part of the book begins. They will consist of letters or epistles sent to a group of churches not far from where John was in exile. The seven churches does not mean there were no others in that territory for there were several. It means as if it said “write to the seven that will be named.” The number seven was regarded as of special significance in old times, so that it came to be used as a symbol of completeness in many instances. Smith’s Bible Dictionary says it was so regarded even among the Persians, Greeks, Indians and Romans.

Doubtless the seven churches selected were representative of the general condition in the brotherhood at large, and hence the letters written to them may serve as important instruction for the congregations everywhere and at all times. Asia is a small province in what was known as Asia Minor until late years. It was one of the districts to which Peter addressed his first epistle (1 Peter 1:1). The familiar salutation of grace and peace is given and it is from the same source. However, it is stated in different words, namely, from the One who is, was and is to come. This means that God always was and always will be.

Seven Spirits. Paul says there is “one Spirit” (Ephesians 4:4), so the term is figurative and used in the sense of completeness as symbolized by the number seven. This unit of seven Spirits is before the throne because the Spirit has always been an agency of God and Christ in carrying out the divine plans, and it would be appropriate for it to be always near at hand to receive orders.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 4 II THE (Revelation 1:4-8)

(1) The salutation of John to the churches.As John was known to them all, familiar by name and person, it was not necessary to distinguish himself from others by any descriptive titles or designations, such as an apostle of Christ. The use of the word apostle as introductory to the epistles of Paul had a specific reason, to affirm his apostolic credentials which Judaizers had attempted to discredit. No such circumstances existed with John, and he simply said John to the churches. If the author of Revelation had been another John than the apostle, some descriptive appellation would have been required for identification.

(2) To the seven churches.The claim that seven dispensations are indicated by seven letters to seven churches, covering all Christian centuries, is reversed by the factual character of the names and the events corresponding in date to the period of the apocalypse. Though addressed to the seven churches in the Asian provinces of Mysia, Lydia, Caria and Phrygia, its contents would apply to all the early churches, as did the teaching in the apostolic epistles. The Asia of these churches is generally considered to be where John went after the martyrdom of his brother James (Acts 12:2-3), which was said to be “pleasing to the Jews,” and which connects with the Jewish persecutions belonging to the apocalypses of Revelation, and with John’s association with the seven churches of this Asian region. The geographical designation of the text, in Asia, does not include the continent of Asia, nor the whole of Asia Minor, but rather a small Roman province in the west coastal part of Asia Minor, of which Ephesus was the capital, and which included the lesser provinces named. A look at the map will settle this point in the minds of the reader who is geographically interested.

(3) From the eternal God and the living Christ.

1. “From him which is, and which was, and which is to come”–Revelation 1:4.This sublime statement refers to God, and the description which is, and which was affirms his eternal Being; and which is to come has reference to his predicted judgments and events.
2. “And from the seven spirits which are before his throne”–Revelation 1:4.The seven spirits are a designation of the spirit of each of the seven churches, having already been described as seven golden candlesticks, and later referred to (Rev. 4:50 as seven lamps before his throne. Thus the seven spirits before his throne are identical with the seven lamps before his throne. It is the continuation of the apocalyptic aspect of the seven-branched lamps (or candlesticks) which represented the seven churches, and being before his throne signified a unison with God and Christ in these salutations.

Revelation 1:5

Revelation 1:5. The faithful witness does not imply there are no other witnesses who tell the truth since we know there are many. We therefore must take this to mean that Jesus was the bearer of testimony for God in a preeminent degree. First begotten of the dead to die no more (Romans 6:9). Prince of the kings of the earth. All power in heaven and in earth was given to Christ (Matthew 28:18) thus making Him a Prince above all. Jesus showed his love for men by giving his blood for their cleansing.

Comments by Foy E. Wallace Verse 5 Revelation 1:5 3. “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness” –Revelation 1:5.It was Jesus Christ who had borne witness to the truth of his Sonship before Pontius Pilate, as mentioned in 1 Timothy 6:13. And he was associated with God in the salutatations to his servants who were on the brink of that hour of trial, which would bring death to them, for the same confession before men that Jesus had made before Pilate. 4. “The first begotten of the dead”–Revelation 1:5.The language here does not affirm that Jesus was the first person to be raised from the dead, for several names can be mentioned who were miraculously raised up out of their graves, by the prophets of the Old Testament, and by Jesus and Peter in the New Testament, all of which were for the purposes of divine demonstration. They were not resurrected to die no more, but returned to corruption -therefore they were not begotten of the dead. To him alone, who conquered death by a resurrection to die no more, belongs the title, the first begotten of the dead. 5. “The prince of the kings of the earth”–Revelation 1:5.The four appellations together accentuate first, who he was, and second, what he was, from whom this message came. 6. “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood”–Revelation 1:5.The release from sins as the result of the shedding of his own blood, represented here as the element in which the sins of man are washed away, is the heart of the remedial plan.

Revelation 1:6

Revelation 1:6. Made us kings and priests. The word kings is from and I shall quote the definitions of a number of lexicons as follows: Greenfield, “A king, monarch, one possessing regal authority.” Robinson, “A king.” Thayer, “Leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.” Groves, “A king, monarch, sovereign, prince, chieftain.” Donnegan, “A king.” Hickie, “A king.” I have quoted thus extensively because there is a tendency upon the part of some to deny that Christians should be called kings since Christ only is king. Yet it is freely admitted that Christians are priests although Christ is our priest also. There should be no difficulty on this point, for Jesus is High Priest, while Christians are inferior priests under Him. Likewise they are inferior kings under Christ who is “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Peter says Christians are a royal (kingly) priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), and Paul told the Corinthians they had “reigned as kings” and furthermore he would that they “did reign” (1 Corinthians 4:8).

Since Christ accomplishes all His spiritual work through the church (Ephesians 3:10 Ephesians 3:12; 1 Timothy 3:15), it is logical that if He is to be a king his servants are to cooperate in the work. That would make them secondary kings acting under their Chief. Glory means grandeur and dominion denotes scope or domain; John ascribes them to Christ to be everlasting.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 6 7. “And hath made us kings and priests”–Revelation 1:6.The God unto whom all members of the church are priests is here affirmed to be his Father, thus ascribing deity to Jesus Christ. The offices of royalty and priesthood are united in the members of the churches, as typified in Exodus 19:6, and finds its spiritual fulfillment in 1 Peter 2:9. The allusions to the “kingdom of priests,” in the Exodus passage, was to emphasize that Christ has made us new kings and priests in contrast with what once was but is no more. The church is the kingdom of Christ, and all the members are priests unto God–hence, the church is a kingdom of priests. The Syriac New Testament reads: “And hath made us a priestly kingdom.” 8. “Unto God and his Father”–Revelation 1:6.The eternal dominion of God is here pronounced. Although it is Christ who is King, and has made us into a new kingdom and a new priesthood, it was so done unto God and his Father. This was true of the old Israel whose kingdom, though ruled by appointed heads, was unto God; and this universal dominion of God has existed from the beginning as an eternal truth. 9. “To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”–Revelation 1:6.The glory and the dominion of God is never ending. He had unlimited dominion in all things of the past; he holds dominion over all things of the present; and he will exercise dominion over all events of the future. The dispensations changed from one age to another, from the old to the new, but the dominion of God remains the same. The things of men and of angels, and of the Son himself, are and ever shall be subservient to God, the Supreme Being and Absolute Ruler of the universe.

Revelation 1:7

Revelation 1:7. Behold is a call to attention because something of great importance is about to be said. He cometh with clouds. The two men in white apparel (Acts 1:9-11) announced the same thing, and .lesus also made the announcement before leaving the earth (Matthew 24:30 Matthew 26:64). Every eye shall see him. The fact that the writer next specifies the executioners of Christ as among those who shall sec him proves that it will not be restricted to His faithful followers.

That explodes the arrogant heresy taught by a group of materialists that Jesus came but that only they have seen Him, and that is because they are Jehovah’s Witnesses. All kindreds shall wail because they will realize that Christ has come to judge the world. But John and all other faithful servants will not wail because they will “love His appearing” (2 Timothy 4 : S). That is why lie exclaims even so, A men; both terms mean virtually the same in effect.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 7 (4) The ominous announcement.

1. “Behold he cometh with the clouds”–Revelation 1:7.The reference here is not to the second advent, or return of Christ, but to the coming events about to be delineated, as in the Lord’s reply to Caiaphas, the high priest in Matthew 26:64 : “Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” This high priest would live to see the event here foretold, the fulfillment of which occurred in the figurative coming of Christ in the destruction of Jerusalem, as previously foretold in Matthew 24:1-51, and centuries before by the prophet Zechariah in chapter 14. The prophet referred to the destruction of Jerusalem as “the day of the Lord,” and in Matthew 24:1-51 Jesus designated it as his coming. And Jesus told Caiaphas that he would live to witness it. The words behold he cometh are an announcement of warning, a call to expectancy, an alert to the impending developments. The added expression “with the clouds” is not to be literally taken for a material display of his bodily presence. In the description of God’s judgment on Egypt, in Isaiah 19:6, the prophet said: “Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt.” Also, in Ezekiel 38:16, the prophet said that the latter days God would come up against Israel “as a cloud to cover the land.” And in Matthew 24:30, Jesus describes the events in the destruction of Jerusalem as “the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” This is precisely what Jesus told Pilate that he should see, and it is the meaning of Rev 1:7, pointing to the destruction of Jerusalem.
2. “And every eye shall see him”–Revelation 1:7.Both the impact and the import of the occurring events would be of universal knowledge. The siege and fall of Jerusalem would be known to the entire population of the Roman empire both Jewish and pagan.
3. “And they that pierced him”–Revelation 1:7.The act and the fact here declared refer not merely to the Romans who wielded and thrust the sword into the Lord’s body on the cross, but also to the Jews who, through the officials of their nation, had performed the deed. The truth of this statement is affirmed by the officials of the Jews themselves in Matthew 27:25, and it is confirmed by the apostle Peter in Acts 2:23.
4. “And all the kindreds (tribes) of the earth shall wail because of him”–Revelation 1:7.The families of the Jews all over the Roman world are here mentioned. The Gentiles were never referred to as tribes; the tribes belonged to the Jews, who were dispersed into every part of the earth. Yet the events foretold of what would happen to their city and their nation, in Jerusalem and Judea, would become known wherever they were scattered, and all the Jews in every part of the earth would wail over this calamity. They would all mourn over the ruin of their city Jerusalem, and for the destruction of their system of Judaism, and for the overthrow of their theocracy in the demolition of their temple, and for the termination of their Jewish state-their national distinction and existence. And they would wail (or mourn) because of him, for it was in fulfillment of the fearful woes that he had pronounced against Jerusalem and which were figuratively ascribed to his coming. This piercing and mourning were the subjects of the prophecy of Zec 12:9-11; Zechariah 14:1, described as “the day of the Lord.” The quotation of the first reference is made in John 19:37. These scriptural applications show that the fulfillment of the coming with the clouds in Revelation 1:7 was accomplished in the events of the fall of Jerusalem. These fulfilling events, at and after the destruction of Jerusalem, have unmistakable bearing on the contents of Revelation, and the period to which it belongs.

Revelation 1:8

Revelation 1:8. The pronoun I refers to Christ because he is the one who is to come in the clouds. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet (the language in which the New Testament was written). It is a figure to indicate completeness, similar to saying a man knows his business “from A to Z.” Beginning and ending denotes the same idea as the other figure, the particular words being selected because Christ was present at all of the works of God from the beginning (John 1:1-3; Ephesians 3:9). Is, was and is to come has the same meaning as in verse 4. The Almighty.

This phrase belongs primarily to God the Father, but since God is a name for the Deity or Godhead, and Christ is a member of that family, it is proper to ascribe the title to Him also. He is called “The everlasting Father” in Isaiah 9:6, and it can be understood only because of His relation to the Deity.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 8 5. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending”–Revelation 1:8. These are the first and the last letters in the Greek alphabet, and they correspond to the Yea and Amen of the Hebrew equivalent. The one in Revelation 1:7, and the other in verse 8, appear to be an affirmation and ratification of the things about to be signified as being the irrevocable testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1:9

Revelation 1:9. John says he is in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. It is impossible to be in something that does not exist, hence the kingdom of Christ was in existence in John’s day; that disproves the heresy of pre-millennialists. Patmos. A number of reference works give a description of this place which agrees in substance. I shall quote from the Rand-McNally Bible Atlas as follows: “Patmos, to which the apostle John was banished.

This lies 20 miles south of the island of Samos, 24 miles west of Asia Minor, and about 70 miles southwest of Ephesus. It is about 20 miles in circumference, and is rocky and barren. Its loneliness and seclusion made it a suitable place for the banishment of criminals; and to it the apostle John was banished by the emperor Domitian, near the close of the first Christian century.” John says he was in this isle for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. The word for is from DIA, which the Englishman’s Greek New Testament translates “because of.” In other words, John was banished to this lonely spot as a punishment by the Roman emperor, because of his preaching the word of God.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 9 III THE VISION (Revelation 1:9-18) (1) The place of the vision.The location of the vision was “in the isle that is called Patmos.” This island has been described as a small rocky and rugged region off the barren coast of Asia Minor, approximately twenty-five miles from the mainland in the Aegean sea–a gulf of the Great Sea (the Mediterranean), which formed the coastal provinces of Mysia, Lydia, Phrygia and Caria, and in which were situated all the seven churches of Asia, mentioned in the vision. Tradition claims that John was banished by the Roman government and exiled on Patmos. There is no conclusive scriptural evidence nor verified factual history to sustain this traditional claim, and it stands somewhat on the same basis as the Petrine tradition that the apostle Peter once resided in Rome. It is not said in the text, nor necessarily implied in the contents of Revelation, that John was a prisoner on Patmos. If John was a prisoner on Patmos, as Paul was a prisoner in Rome, it is singularly strange, if not unaccountable, that no mention was made of it, and no reference was made to it, by himself or in any other New Testament epistle. (2) The purpose of the vision.“For the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ”– Revelation 1:9 .The English preposition for in this passage is dia, which Professor Terry states that, by its established usage with the accusative, means for the sake of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. It gives the ground or the reason for John’s presence on Patmos: that the reason for being there was no other than to receive the revelation, that is, for the vision itself–for “the testimony of Jesus Christ” and “of all things that he saw,” and not because of banishment and exile. The coupling of the testimony with the vision in verse 2, supports the view that he was there to receive the things that he saw, and that these things were themselves the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, for which he was there. A further evidence of this concept in John’s own statement, in chapter 10:11, of his intention to leave Patmos for an active itinerary among the people of many nations, to carry to them in personal evangelism the testimony of this apocalypse. If John had been prisoner in exile, no such liberty existed on which to base such an announcement, for he was imprisoned on Patmos, and his status would have been no different from Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. Further comparisons in the context will support the purpose, not the consequence, of the determinative expression for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is worthy of notation here that the similar expressions “for the word of God” and “for the witness of Jesus,” in Revelation 6:9; Revelation 20:4, are in another context and carry another connotation, therefore do not warrant the same construction as in Revelation 1:2; Revelation 1:9. In one the testimony was being received; in the other it was being upheld. (3) The companionship of suffering and citizenship.

1. “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation”– Revelation 1:9.The common ground of fellowship between John and the members of the Asian churches was not his apostleship. It was the brotherhood relation and the mutual participation in the sufferings existing and anticipated. He was speaking not of the incident of his presence on Patmos, or of imprisonment there, but rather to the threat of the gathering and darkening clouds of persecution, such as mentioned in the letters to Smyrna, Thyatira and Philadelphia; particularly as related to its then present and incipient stage; and as in Hebrews 10:31-39, the portent of the things to come.
2. “And in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” – Revelation 1:9.The preposition in with the conjunction and–that is, the phrase in tribulation and the kingdom and the patience of Jesus Christ–joins the three together as existing and present. It follows that if John was not in the kingdom then, and if we are not in the kingdom now–then John was not in Jesus Christ then, and we are not in Jesus Christ now. But the apostle, in Colossians 1:13-14, declares that all the Colossians who were delivered from darkness had thereby been translated into the kingdom when they received redemption in Christ.

Revelation 1:10

Revelation 1:10. In the Spirit means he was in a spiritual rapture in which he could hear and see things that could not ordinarily be heard and seen. Lord’s (lay. The New testament religion has no holy days as did that of the Old. However, the Lord arose from the dead on the first (lay of the week (Mark 16:9), the church was started on the first (lay of the week (Leviticus 23:16; Acts 2), the disciples met on the first day of the week to break bread (Acts 20:7), and the congregational collection of money was made on the first day of the week (1 Corinthians 1 G:1, 2). These facts would give the first day of the week some distinction that is said of no other day.

The conclusion is clear that the same day is what is meant by the Lord’s day in our verse. As of a trumpet. The comparison is made because that kind of instrument had a vibratory sound that was intense in quality and far-reaching in volume. John does not mean he thought he heard a trumpet, for verse 12 says lie turned to “see the voice.” But the voice was so impressive that John likened it to a. trumpet. Heard behind me is significant. By coming up behind John he could hear the voice before seeing the tremendous display of spiritual imagery accompanying it.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 10 3. “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day”–Revelation 1:10.The claim that John was in the spirit means that he was in visional rapture, not in the Holy Spirit, but in the state described of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:1-21, and of Peter in Acts 10:1-48. As though out of the body, John was in a state in which the external objects and material surroundings were as though they did not exist–he had for the time passed out of the physical world into the spiritual state. This was not the effect of any natural cause, but rather the result of the interposition of supernatural power. The words visions and dreams are not synonymous, and their meanings are not identical, though sometimes they are used indiscriminately in the Scriptures, as in Genesis 46:2; Numbers 12:6; Job 20:8; and Daniel 2:28. In the vision, the subject may be awake, as in 2 Kings 6:17; Acts 23:11; Acts 27:23 –in a state of supernatural ecstasy. But in the dreams through which God revealed his purposes and his will, and in the divine purpose, to him was also imparted the powers of interpretation. The examples of such dreams were numerous, as in Genesis 20:3-6; Genesis 28:12-14; 1 Samuel 28:6; Daniel 2:1-45; and Joe 2:28. This power to interpret was, of course, supernatural and, therefore, the dreams and visions belonged only to the supernatural prophetical and apostolic ages and ceased with them. Since the complete revelation of God’s will for the redemption of man and the edification of his church has been delivered, and its inspired documents committed to the apostolic records of the New Testament, there can be no need or reason for their existence, and no confidence can be held in the claims and pretensions of individuals and cults presuming to employ them, and such presumption can only be labelled as false and impious. The verse under consideration states that John was in the spirit on the Lord’s day. The preposition on is the same in the Greek as in, and the context must determine the distinction. The use of it here means in the midst of the Lord’s day. It is not a reference to the first day of the week, but to the day in which the Lord accomplished these events, as used in Isaiah 13:9 in which Isaiah described the destruction of ancient Babylon as the day of the Lord; and in Zechariah 14:1 where Zechariah referred to the destruction of Jerusalem as the day of the Lord. The phrase meant the day of events connected with the judgments of the Lord. 2 Timothy 1:18 referred to the day of God’s mercy, meaning the time in which his mercy is extended to men. In this sense the phrase in the Lord’s day is used in Revelation 1:10; it means in day of the rapture into which the Lord had placed John–that he had been transported into the midst of the scenes of the vision as though he was, himself, in the day of their happening. (4) The voice of the Son of man.

1. “And heard behind me a great voice”–Revelation 1:10.This part of the scene was not occult, but auditory. John heard this voice, and it came from behind him, from a point where he was not looking. The great voice was “as a trumpet”–a signal, as if to announce the approach of a solemn epiphany, a divine presence.

Revelation 1:11

Revelation 1:11. Before turning round the voice delivered the names of the churches to which he said in verse 4 he was writing. The remarks were repeated that are at the beginning of verse 8. What thou seest, write. This did not mean only what his eyes would behold, but also what he would hear, for later he is told what to put in the letters to the seven churches.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 11 2. “What thou seest, write in a book”–Revelation 1:11.The voice appointed John to be only the amanuensis of Jesus Christ–only the scribe of documents that were not his own; the mere chronicler of events of a supernatural apocalypse. 3. “And send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia”– Revelation 1:11 .This oracular command of the Addresser in this scene specified the seven churches as the addressees, and named them. Again, here is the indication of the period and date of the visions. If the seven churches were figurative, as some authors claim, why this factual designation of the actual names and locations of figurative churches. The argument for the early date of Revelation, as previously shown, is in the historical fact that there were only the seven churches in these western Asian provinces before the destruction of Jerusalem, but after that event the churches became numerous by the diffusion of Christianity over the empire, the opportunity for which was greatly enhanced by the removal of Judaism, its greatest foe, from the path of the church. It has been more than once mentioned that such eminent scholars as Schaff, Terry and MacDonald (and others) verify the historical fact that after the Great Earthquake (before the destruction of Jerusalem) the churches at Colosse and Hierapolis did not again maintain a separate existence, but consolidated with the nearby Laodicean church. Concluding his remarks on this point in The Life And Writings Of John, page 154, MacDonald says: “There appear to have been but seven churches in Asia . . . when the book was written. It is dedicated to these seven alone by the careful mention of them one by one by name, as if there were no others. . . . The expression ???the seven churches’ seems to imply that this constituted the whole number, and hence affords one of the most striking incidental proofs in favor of an early date. . . . Those who contend for the later date, when there must have been a greater number of churches than seven in the region designated by the apostle fail to give any sufficient reason for his mentioning no more. That they mystically or symbolically represented others is surely not such a reason.” Again, Doctor Tilloch, in his work entitled Dissertations, says “There were but seven churches in Asia when the Revelation was written.”

The historical evidences from these, and many others, cannot be spurned or waived aside with a theoretical assertion. It is weighty evidence that the visions of Revelation were composed before the destruction of Jerusalem. The history of these cities and churches supports John’s specific statement. It is a vital point in the divergence of view on the chronology of Revelation. It involves the claim that the church at Colossae is an example of another Asian church than the seven mentioned, but as previously proven by historical data, Colossae was destroyed by the earthquake in the reign of Nero, and was not thereafter identified by that name, but merged with the Laodiceans, as was true of other cities and churches in the region. In his own one volume work titled A Dictionary Of The Bible, Philip Schaff, commenting on Laodicea, makes the following statement: “When, in the middle of the first century of our era, an earthquake destroyed Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea, the latter was rebuilt by its own inhabitants without any aid from the Roman senate.”

The casual reader cannot fail to observe the significance of the statement that “the latter (Laodicea) was rebuilt,” which, mentioned in direct connection with Colossae and Hierapolis, can only mean that these two were not rebuilt. Laodicea was rebuilt, but Colosse and Hierapolis were not. This accounts for the disbanding of the two churches as separate congregations, and refutes the claim that there were more than the seven churches in the period when the Apocalypse was composed. If the facts of history mean anything at all, there is firm proof here for the pre-Destruction of Jerusalem date for John’s Patmos apocalypse.

Revelation 1:12

Revelation 1:12. Turned to see the voice. That is he turned to see the source from which the voice was coming, and when he did he saw something more than the speaker. Candlesticks (or lampstands) for the purpose of light were used in the tabernacle services (Exodus 25:31-37), but in that case there was only one unit that had seven parts to it. In the present the candlesticks are separate pieces, the reason for which will be seen in the next chapter.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 12 Verses 12-16 (5) The Son of man in the midst.1. “In the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man”–Revelation 1:12-13.When John turned to see the voice, he saw one who had the appearance of Jesus. From his own memory John knew Jesus. He could recognize the countenance of the Lord and his personal appearance by his constant association with him in the days of his flesh. And he had seen him in majesty, glory and power in his ascension. Now he beheld in the vision One who was like him–he had known his incarnate person; he saw him in ascended glory; he knew his coronated majesty; he knew his kingly power–and he recognized the Son of man! 2. “He was clothed with a garment.”–Revelation 1:13.The royal garment was in keeping with appropriate royalty, a royal garment which was indicative of monarchial dignity. 3. “And girt with a golden girdle”– Revelation 1:13.It represented the source and sway of the truth, as the girdle of truth suggests in Ephesians 6:14. 4. “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow”–Revelation 1:14.These figures symbolized his sinless purity and his sublime majesty, as employed in Isaiah 1:18 : “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” 5. “And his eyes were as a flame of fire”– Revelation 1:14 .The same symbols are used in the prophetic apocalypses to designate divine omniscience, that He is the penetrator and the discerner of all things. 6. “And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned it in a furnace”–Revelation 1:15.The reference here is to the method of refining metals and minerals in a crucible, and it is the emblem of untarnished and unmingled truth of which Jesus Christ is the source and the administrator. 7. “And his voice as the sound of many waters”– Revelation 1:15 .In this metaphor John saw Jesus as the combination of unison and rhythm in its perfect flow, signifying the accord and harmony of divine utterance, set to the melody of divine love and grace and blessing. 8. “And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword”–Revelation 1:16.The same theophany is presented in the flaming sword of Eden. It stood for divine justice, and here it means that Jesus Christ was, and is now, the executor of righteous judgment and justice. 9. “And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength”–Revelation 1:16.The sun of the solar system is the light of the world. As the monarch of the universe it rules the solar system as the earth and all planets revolve around it. So was the Son of man in this high point in the vision. In all his grandeur, as in the last prophetic glimpse of Malachi, he was the sun of righteousness, with all the spiritual benefits to mankind that the sun can bestow in its rays upon the earth.

Revelation 1:13

Revelation 1:13. Like unto the Son of man. Much of the language addressed to John is worded as if Christ did the talking personally. That is not the case, for He has been on his throne in heaven since his ascension and will remain there until He comes to judge the world (Hebrews 10:12-13). All that is said as coming from and concerning Christ is done through the instrumentality of an angel. (See chapter 22:8.) The long garments were worn by the priests, and the girdle of gold around the breast betokened a king. All this was very appropriate because Christ is both High Priest and King (Zechariah 6:13), and this angel was representing Him.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 13 Verses 12-16 (5) The Son of man in the midst.1. “In the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man”–Revelation 1:12-13.When John turned to see the voice, he saw one who had the appearance of Jesus. From his own memory John knew Jesus. He could recognize the countenance of the Lord and his personal appearance by his constant association with him in the days of his flesh. And he had seen him in majesty, glory and power in his ascension. Now he beheld in the vision One who was like him–he had known his incarnate person; he saw him in ascended glory; he knew his coronated majesty; he knew his kingly power–and he recognized the Son of man! 2. “He was clothed with a garment.”–Revelation 1:13.The royal garment was in keeping with appropriate royalty, a royal garment which was indicative of monarchial dignity. 3. “And girt with a golden girdle”– Revelation 1:13.It represented the source and sway of the truth, as the girdle of truth suggests in Ephesians 6:14. 4. “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow”–Revelation 1:14.These figures symbolized his sinless purity and his sublime majesty, as employed in Isaiah 1:18 : “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” 5. “And his eyes were as a flame of fire”– Revelation 1:14 .The same symbols are used in the prophetic apocalypses to designate divine omniscience, that He is the penetrator and the discerner of all things. 6. “And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned it in a furnace”–Revelation 1:15.The reference here is to the method of refining metals and minerals in a crucible, and it is the emblem of untarnished and unmingled truth of which Jesus Christ is the source and the administrator. 7. “And his voice as the sound of many waters”– Revelation 1:15 .In this metaphor John saw Jesus as the combination of unison and rhythm in its perfect flow, signifying the accord and harmony of divine utterance, set to the melody of divine love and grace and blessing. 8. “And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword”–Revelation 1:16.The same theophany is presented in the flaming sword of Eden. It stood for divine justice, and here it means that Jesus Christ was, and is now, the executor of righteous judgment and justice. 9. “And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength”–Revelation 1:16.The sun of the solar system is the light of the world. As the monarch of the universe it rules the solar system as the earth and all planets revolve around it. So was the Son of man in this high point in the vision. In all his grandeur, as in the last prophetic glimpse of Malachi, he was the sun of righteousness, with all the spiritual benefits to mankind that the sun can bestow in its rays upon the earth.

Revelation 1:14

Revelation 1:14. When white is used as a symbol, it indicates purity and glory. Flame of fire. The first word indicates that the eyes are active and penetrating. Fire will consume dross and rid a situation of that which is objectionable.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 14 Verses 12-16 (5) The Son of man in the midst.1. “In the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man”–Revelation 1:12-13.When John turned to see the voice, he saw one who had the appearance of Jesus. From his own memory John knew Jesus. He could recognize the countenance of the Lord and his personal appearance by his constant association with him in the days of his flesh. And he had seen him in majesty, glory and power in his ascension. Now he beheld in the vision One who was like him–he had known his incarnate person; he saw him in ascended glory; he knew his coronated majesty; he knew his kingly power–and he recognized the Son of man! 2. “He was clothed with a garment.”–Revelation 1:13.The royal garment was in keeping with appropriate royalty, a royal garment which was indicative of monarchial dignity. 3. “And girt with a golden girdle”– Revelation 1:13.It represented the source and sway of the truth, as the girdle of truth suggests in Ephesians 6:14. 4. “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow”–Revelation 1:14.These figures symbolized his sinless purity and his sublime majesty, as employed in Isaiah 1:18 : “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” 5. “And his eyes were as a flame of fire”– Revelation 1:14 .The same symbols are used in the prophetic apocalypses to designate divine omniscience, that He is the penetrator and the discerner of all things. 6. “And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned it in a furnace”–Revelation 1:15.The reference here is to the method of refining metals and minerals in a crucible, and it is the emblem of untarnished and unmingled truth of which Jesus Christ is the source and the administrator. 7. “And his voice as the sound of many waters”– Revelation 1:15 .In this metaphor John saw Jesus as the combination of unison and rhythm in its perfect flow, signifying the accord and harmony of divine utterance, set to the melody of divine love and grace and blessing. 8. “And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword”–Revelation 1:16.The same theophany is presented in the flaming sword of Eden. It stood for divine justice, and here it means that Jesus Christ was, and is now, the executor of righteous judgment and justice. 9. “And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength”–Revelation 1:16.The sun of the solar system is the light of the world. As the monarch of the universe it rules the solar system as the earth and all planets revolve around it. So was the Son of man in this high point in the vision. In all his grandeur, as in the last prophetic glimpse of Malachi, he was the sun of righteousness, with all the spiritual benefits to mankind that the sun can bestow in its rays upon the earth.

Revelation 1:15

Revelation 1:15. The original for brass is defined by Thayer as follows: “Some metal, like gold if not more precious.” As if they burned in a furnace is said to indicate the brightness of the appearance. When used figuratively many waters means great numbers of people. The significance of this and the preceding verse is to show the dignity and authority of Christ as represented by this person.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 15 Verses 12-16 (5) The Son of man in the midst.1. “In the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man”–Revelation 1:12-13.When John turned to see the voice, he saw one who had the appearance of Jesus. From his own memory John knew Jesus. He could recognize the countenance of the Lord and his personal appearance by his constant association with him in the days of his flesh. And he had seen him in majesty, glory and power in his ascension. Now he beheld in the vision One who was like him–he had known his incarnate person; he saw him in ascended glory; he knew his coronated majesty; he knew his kingly power–and he recognized the Son of man! 2. “He was clothed with a garment.”–Revelation 1:13.The royal garment was in keeping with appropriate royalty, a royal garment which was indicative of monarchial dignity. 3. “And girt with a golden girdle”– Revelation 1:13.It represented the source and sway of the truth, as the girdle of truth suggests in Ephesians 6:14. 4. “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow”–Revelation 1:14.These figures symbolized his sinless purity and his sublime majesty, as employed in Isaiah 1:18 : “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” 5. “And his eyes were as a flame of fire”– Revelation 1:14 .The same symbols are used in the prophetic apocalypses to designate divine omniscience, that He is the penetrator and the discerner of all things. 6. “And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned it in a furnace”–Revelation 1:15.The reference here is to the method of refining metals and minerals in a crucible, and it is the emblem of untarnished and unmingled truth of which Jesus Christ is the source and the administrator. 7. “And his voice as the sound of many waters”– Revelation 1:15 .In this metaphor John saw Jesus as the combination of unison and rhythm in its perfect flow, signifying the accord and harmony of divine utterance, set to the melody of divine love and grace and blessing. 8. “And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword”–Revelation 1:16.The same theophany is presented in the flaming sword of Eden. It stood for divine justice, and here it means that Jesus Christ was, and is now, the executor of righteous judgment and justice. 9. “And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength”–Revelation 1:16.The sun of the solar system is the light of the world. As the monarch of the universe it rules the solar system as the earth and all planets revolve around it. So was the Son of man in this high point in the vision. In all his grandeur, as in the last prophetic glimpse of Malachi, he was the sun of righteousness, with all the spiritual benefits to mankind that the sun can bestow in its rays upon the earth.

Revelation 1:16

Revelation 1:16. Had in his right hand denotes the ability to grasp and support the things named. It is similar to a familiar saying that “God holds all things in the hollow of His hand.” We will learn in verse 20 what the seven stars represent. Sharp twoedged sword is the word of God (Hebrews 4:12). The original for countenance means the appearance in general, but in this passage Thayer defines it, “Face, countenance.” In comparing this person’s face to the shining sun (a, condition when the sun is not obscured by clouds), the purpose is to indicate the penetrating brilliance of the Lord’s face.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 16 Verses 12-16 (5) The Son of man in the midst.1. “In the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man”–Revelation 1:12-13.When John turned to see the voice, he saw one who had the appearance of Jesus. From his own memory John knew Jesus. He could recognize the countenance of the Lord and his personal appearance by his constant association with him in the days of his flesh. And he had seen him in majesty, glory and power in his ascension. Now he beheld in the vision One who was like him–he had known his incarnate person; he saw him in ascended glory; he knew his coronated majesty; he knew his kingly power–and he recognized the Son of man! 2. “He was clothed with a garment.”–Revelation 1:13.The royal garment was in keeping with appropriate royalty, a royal garment which was indicative of monarchial dignity. 3. “And girt with a golden girdle”– Revelation 1:13.It represented the source and sway of the truth, as the girdle of truth suggests in Ephesians 6:14. 4. “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow”–Revelation 1:14.These figures symbolized his sinless purity and his sublime majesty, as employed in Isaiah 1:18 : “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” 5. “And his eyes were as a flame of fire”– Revelation 1:14 .The same symbols are used in the prophetic apocalypses to designate divine omniscience, that He is the penetrator and the discerner of all things. 6. “And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned it in a furnace”–Revelation 1:15.The reference here is to the method of refining metals and minerals in a crucible, and it is the emblem of untarnished and unmingled truth of which Jesus Christ is the source and the administrator. 7. “And his voice as the sound of many waters”– Revelation 1:15 .In this metaphor John saw Jesus as the combination of unison and rhythm in its perfect flow, signifying the accord and harmony of divine utterance, set to the melody of divine love and grace and blessing. 8. “And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword”–Revelation 1:16.The same theophany is presented in the flaming sword of Eden. It stood for divine justice, and here it means that Jesus Christ was, and is now, the executor of righteous judgment and justice. 9. “And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength”–Revelation 1:16.The sun of the solar system is the light of the world. As the monarch of the universe it rules the solar system as the earth and all planets revolve around it. So was the Son of man in this high point in the vision. In all his grandeur, as in the last prophetic glimpse of Malachi, he was the sun of righteousness, with all the spiritual benefits to mankind that the sun can bestow in its rays upon the earth.

Revelation 1:17

Revelation 1:17. The sight and sound of this wonderful being so overcame John that he was prostrated with fear. Not that he was rendered unconscious for then he could not have been benefited by encouraging words which were spoken to him. Fear not indicates that John was affected with a feeling that perhaps something was about to happen for which he was not prepared. Hence he was given this assurance that the one who was before him was He that was the first and the last. Verse 8 tells us that the phrase refers to the Lord who is being represented by this angel.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 17 Verse 17-18 10. “I am alive for evermore . . . and have the keys of hell (hades) and death”– Revelation 1:17-18 .This is the awe-inspiring declaration that by his own death of the cross, he became Lord of Death, and of the hadean world, because its gates could not prevail against him. He is therefore the Lord of “both the dead and the living” (Romans 14:9)–by his death and resurrection, of which his appearance to John was the visible proof.

Revelation 1:18

Revelation 1:18. This verse gives further items of the dignity and power of the person speaking to John. Liveth, and was dead identifies him as Christ since the Father was never dead. Alive for evermore is further proof that it is Christ because that is declared of him (Romans 6:9). The person who holds a group of keys has the power or authority to open and shut. The places where Christ can use these keys will next he named. Hell is from HADES, which is the abode of departed spirits. Death is from , which is the state of the body after the spirit leaves it. The passage as a whole means the Lord has the power or control over the bodies and souls of men. That is why Jesus said what he did in Matthew 10:28.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 17-18 10. “I am alive for evermore . . . and have the keys of hell (hades) and death”– Revelation 1:17-18 .This is the awe-inspiring declaration that by his own death of the cross, he became Lord of Death, and of the hadean world, because its gates could not prevail against him. He is therefore the Lord of “both the dead and the living” (Romans 14:9)–by his death and resurrection, of which his appearance to John was the visible proof.

Revelation 1:19

Revelation 1:19. The subject matter of what John is to write is divided into three parts, namely, what he hast seen, are, and shall be; past, present and future. However the past goes back only to the things he had seen since coming as an exile to Patmos.

Comments by Foy E. Wallace Verse 19 Verse 19-20 THE OF THE MYSTERY (Chapter 1:19-20.) (1) The import of the mystery.1. “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter” – Revelation 1:19. Underlining the word things, used three times in this verse, it gives emphasis, first, to the past–the things thou hast seen; and second, to the present–the things which are; and third, to the future–the things which shall be hereafter. But in each case it has reference to the revealed things of Revelation itself, not to the known events of the past, or present. The things seen were not optical or perceptive, but revealed, they were seen by Revelation. The things which are, were not the knowledge of present things, but a reference to that part of the vision, or the revelation, which involved the present. The things which should be thereafter were declared to be immediate-shortly to occur. It would not require an apocalypse to reveal the past events, but it was imperative that the churches should know the present, and those things which were immediately at hand. 2. “The mystery of the seven stars . . . and the seven golden candlesticks”– Revelation 1:20 .The use of the word mystery in Revelation comports with the meaning of the word as used elsewhere in the New Testament–that is, the spiritual truths not discoverable by human reason; understandable, but hidden from human knowledge until revealed. The word has the connotation of “secret doctrine,” hence, prior to revelation it was a hidden thing; but when revealed, it was brought within human intelligence and understanding. The gospel mystery imbedded in the old dispensation, as in Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:3-9; and Colossians 1:26, was hidden beneath the types and sacrifices of the law and the prophecies and promises, which were radiant with hope and joy to a guilty world, but were rather concealed than revealed, because of the metaphorical costume and figurative style they could not be discerned, and had to await revelation. The word mystery did not mean mysterious. It meant that which could not be known until it was made known, or revealed, and in the references cited, it meant the gospel plan of salvation. The doctrine of the New Testament is in this sense called a mystery–“the mystery of the gospel,” as in Romans 11:25; Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Timothy 3:9; Ephesians 3:9. The truths thus requiring revelation and elucidation are classed as mysteries, as numerous other passages could be used to exemplify. But let it be emphasized, that in all of these examples the basic meaning inherent in the word mystery is that which cannot be known by the human mind, until by superhuman source it is made known to it.

(2) The explanation of the mystery.The seven golden candlesticks denoted, that as organized bodies, a congregation receives light and reflects it. It is a significant illustration of the functions and the ministries of the local churches. The emblem of gold underscored the evaluation Jesus Christ makes of his church, and the estimate he has placed upon it. The seven stars were representative of position, such as Christ at the right hand of God, indicating that there is something in the symbol that has this representative place in the right hand of Christ. The figure calls for pause and reflection, by all who hold position in the church, lest we should become falling stars! The angels of the churches are not to be taken as single representatives of the respective congregations, but rather the individual spirit of each church. It is the same in meaning as the description elsewhere of “the seven spirits before his throne.” It is a symbolic angel, and it refers to the spirit of the church itself. When Paul commanded the Corinthian church to exclude the incestuous person from their congregation, he gave the reason: “that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” It seems the apostle’s reference to the spirit applied to the Corinthian church–that it might be saved from corruption, and thus to receive approval in standing before him. It is well to consider the spirit that is manifested in a congregation, and that motivates and controls all of its worship and service. The connotation of the word angel may signify various ministries of physical and spiritual beings, both earthly and heavenly. It is used in Matthew 24:31 in reference to the emissaries of the gospel; and in Hebrews 1:14 it refers to immaterial and spiritual but intellectual beings whom God employs to execute the orders of divine providence, as also employed in Revelation 1:1; Revelation 22:8. The apostle Paul applied the word, in 1 Corinthians 11:8-10, to the venerable men in the Corinthian church; and the angels (spirits) of little children are said by Jesus, in Matthew 18:10, to behold the face of the Father in heaven. In Jude 1:6 it is used as an appellation for the early representatives of the race of man in an unnamed period, who forfeited their high estates by apostasy, and were condemned to darkness and judgment, and in Matthew 25:41, and 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, it is used to describe the devil and his demons. But in Revelation 20:1 the word applies to Jesus Christ himself. This is rather a wide classification of the word angel, but it is used in all of these senses. In the vision of the first chapter of Revelation it seems evident that the word refers to the spirit of each church. The stars in the vision are its members, every member –all members in the body of Christ, of the true spirit, are stars in His hand. There is no teaching that exalts one class in the church to any position above all the others, as all the members of Christ stand in equal relation to Him. For one to be exalted above another would “not be so among you,” Jesus said to his disciples, in Matthew 20:26. As each of the seven churches was individual in character and conduct, they were so in spirit also, and the letters of Jesus to these seven churches were addressed to the angel or spirit of each congregation respectively. The word angel, therefore, does not designate a representative person, but symbolically the representative spirit of each church– the spirit of the church.

(3) The central figure.Jesus Christ was Himself the abiding presence in the churches, directing their work, walking and dwelling in their midst, as the centrifugal and the centripetal spiritual force in each congregation. He was holding the stars in his hand; he was walking among the candlesticks; he was the guiding presence, the moving energy, the inspiring influence, the infinite indweller in every faithful churchand that is true of every true and faithful church of Christ today. The threefold description of the church was as gold in purity and worth–a golden candlestick; and as stars of glory in his possession, shining in his hand; and He Himself in the midst, as the sun around which the spiritual planets revolve.

Revelation 1:20

Revelation 1:20. A mystery is anything not revealed or understood, and it is here applied to some of the things which John hast seen and which until now had not been explained to him. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks represent the churches. Since the angel is telling John what are represented by the stars and candlesticks it is foolish for men to offer speculations on the subject. Angels of the seven churches. The word for angel in the New Testament is AGGELOS, which means primarily “a messenger.” But it has several shades of application and each case must be considered separately.

We should adhere to what the text says and then we will be on safe ground. The angels of these churches are spoken of in the singular number for each church. The churches were estabilshed ones and hence had elders who are always spoken of in the plural. Therefore all we know and all we need to know is that these angels were not elders but were persons who were responsible for getting the letters before the respective congregations. For that reason John was instructed to write the letters to these angels, and they in turn would see that the documents would be delivered to the churches in the proper way to make them responsible for the admonition and/or encouragement contained therein.

Comments by Foy E. WallaceVerse 20 Verse 19-20 THE OF THE MYSTERY (Chapter 1:19-20.) (1) The import of the mystery.1. “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter” – Revelation 1:19. Underlining the word things, used three times in this verse, it gives emphasis, first, to the past–the things thou hast seen; and second, to the present–the things which are; and third, to the future–the things which shall be hereafter. But in each case it has reference to the revealed things of Revelation itself, not to the known events of the past, or present. The things seen were not optical or perceptive, but revealed, they were seen by Revelation. The things which are, were not the knowledge of present things, but a reference to that part of the vision, or the revelation, which involved the present. The things which should be thereafter were declared to be immediate-shortly to occur. It would not require an apocalypse to reveal the past events, but it was imperative that the churches should know the present, and those things which were immediately at hand. 2. “The mystery of the seven stars . . . and the seven golden candlesticks”– Revelation 1:20 .The use of the word mystery in Revelation comports with the meaning of the word as used elsewhere in the New Testament–that is, the spiritual truths not discoverable by human reason; understandable, but hidden from human knowledge until revealed. The word has the connotation of “secret doctrine,” hence, prior to revelation it was a hidden thing; but when revealed, it was brought within human intelligence and understanding. The gospel mystery imbedded in the old dispensation, as in Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:3-9; and Colossians 1:26, was hidden beneath the types and sacrifices of the law and the prophecies and promises, which were radiant with hope and joy to a guilty world, but were rather concealed than revealed, because of the metaphorical costume and figurative style they could not be discerned, and had to await revelation. The word mystery did not mean mysterious. It meant that which could not be known until it was made known, or revealed, and in the references cited, it meant the gospel plan of salvation. The doctrine of the New Testament is in this sense called a mystery–“the mystery of the gospel,” as in Romans 11:25; Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Timothy 3:9; Ephesians 3:9. The truths thus requiring revelation and elucidation are classed as mysteries, as numerous other passages could be used to exemplify. But let it be emphasized, that in all of these examples the basic meaning inherent in the word mystery is that which cannot be known by the human mind, until by superhuman source it is made known to it.

(2) The explanation of the mystery. The seven golden candlesticks denoted, that as organized bodies, a congregation receives light and reflects it. It is a significant illustration of the functions and the ministries of the local churches. The emblem of gold underscored the evaluation Jesus Christ makes of his church, and the estimate he has placed upon it. The seven stars were representative of position, such as Christ at the right hand of God, indicating that there is something in the symbol that has this representative place in the right hand of Christ. The figure calls for pause and reflection, by all who hold position in the church, lest we should become falling stars! The angels of the churches are not to be taken as single representatives of the respective congregations, but rather the individual spirit of each church. It is the same in meaning as the description elsewhere of “the seven spirits before his throne.” It is a symbolic angel, and it refers to the spirit of the church itself. When Paul commanded the Corinthian church to exclude the incestuous person from their congregation, he gave the reason: “that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” It seems the apostle’s reference to the spirit applied to the Corinthian church–that it might be saved from corruption, and thus to receive approval in standing before him. It is well to consider the spirit that is manifested in a congregation, and that motivates and controls all of its worship and service. The connotation of the word angel may signify various ministries of physical and spiritual beings, both earthly and heavenly. It is used in Matthew 24:31 in reference to the emissaries of the gospel; and in Hebrews 1:14 it refers to immaterial and spiritual but intellectual beings whom God employs to execute the orders of divine providence, as also employed in Revelation 1:1; Revelation 22:8. The apostle Paul applied the word, in 1 Corinthians 11:8-10, to the venerable men in the Corinthian church; and the angels (spirits) of little children are said by Jesus, in Matthew 18:10, to behold the face of the Father in heaven. In Jude 1:6 it is used as an appellation for the early representatives of the race of man in an unnamed period, who forfeited their high estates by apostasy, and were condemned to darkness and judgment, and in Matthew 25:41, and 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, it is used to describe the devil and his demons. But in Revelation 20:1 the word applies to Jesus Christ himself. This is rather a wide classification of the word angel, but it is used in all of these senses. In the vision of the first chapter of Revelation it seems evident that the word refers to the spirit of each church. The stars in the vision are its members, every member –all members in the body of Christ, of the true spirit, are stars in His hand. There is no teaching that exalts one class in the church to any position above all the others, as all the members of Christ stand in equal relation to Him. For one to be exalted above another would “not be so among you,” Jesus said to his disciples, in Matthew 20:26. As each of the seven churches was individual in character and conduct, they were so in spirit also, and the letters of Jesus to these seven churches were addressed to the angel or spirit of each congregation respectively. The word angel, therefore, does not designate a representative person, but symbolically the representative spirit of each church– the spirit of the church.

(3) The central figure.Jesus Christ was Himself the abiding presence in the churches, directing their work, walking and dwelling in their midst, as the centrifugal and the centripetal spiritual force in each congregation. He was holding the stars in his hand; he was walking among the candlesticks; he was the guiding presence, the moving energy, the inspiring influence, the infinite indweller in every faithful churchand that is true of every true and faithful church of Christ today. The threefold description of the church was as gold in purity and worth–a golden candlestick; and as stars of glory in his possession, shining in his hand; and He Himself in the midst, as the sun around which the spiritual planets revolve.