By COGwriter
The Book of Revelation is a prophetic book as we can see from the first verse:
1a The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him (Revelation 1:1)
Note that this is the revelation of Jesus. These are matters that Jesus is revealing to John. It is the Lord's way from God the Father to convey the final canonical messages for the church age.
1b to show His servants--things which must shortly take place. (Revelation 1:1)
So, this was given BEFORE events in it happened. Bible critics like to act otherwise.
Continuing:
1c And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. (Revelation 1:1-2)
So, John bore witness. He then wrote:
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1:3)
The blessing is to those who complete all 3 commands: read, hear, and keep these words--that includes obeying what it teaches. The atheist who reads is not blessed, neither are others who refuse to keep/obey what it commands.
As mentioned in the Introduction of this series (see Commentary on the Book of Revelation), prominent Greco-Roman Catholic and Protestant leaders did not accept this book as valid and/or do not want to teach at least parts of what is in it.
1:4
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Asia, meaning ancient Asia Minor, is the land now called Turkey. And the land of all the seven churches he later refers to by name are currently in Turkey.
The emphasis on Asia Minor in Revelation has long puzzled certain Roman Catholic scholars. Instead of accepting that perhaps Asia Minor was the emphasis of the early church, notice one “explanation” by a deceased Roman Catholic priest H. B. Kramer:
The seven cities named were situated in the west and center of proconsular Asia . . .
And why not send copies to the most important churches of all, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Rome? Surely those cities needed to be warned as much as proconsular Asia. The Apocalypse itself being inspired and written at the command of Christ states positively that the Lord chose those churches and dictated each letter . . .
The following explanation is therefore ventured, because our Lord would more probably select the churches most suitable to receive his message for supernatural than for natural reasons. These seven churches and bishops may have been guilty to such a marked degree of the defects, faults and vices stated in the letters, that they would most likely admit their wrong doing if their attention was called to them. Such faults would court spiritual disaster in any persecution. (Kramer, Herman Bernard. The Book of Destiny. Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, D.D., Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1975, pp. 52-53)
Priest Kramer was biblically wrong on several of his points.
First, as nearly all scholars seem to recognize, many Christians had left Jerusalem decades before Revelation was written, so it was not then quite as important a location for early Christians.
Second, other than Paul being imprisoned there and the Apostle John perhaps temporarily being there, there is no evidence that Rome had become important to Christians in any major way in the late 1st century.
Third, it is difficult to determine how important Antioch of Syria, a city without any late apostles (though it undoubtedly had some faithful Christians), was during the latter portion of the 1st century as a location for Christians as opposed to Asia Minor.
Asia Minor is the area where the Apostles John and Philip were in the latter portion of the 1st century and there is no evidence that any of the other Apostles were in Antioch that late into the 1st century. While Antioch became more prominent in the 2nd century, the Book of Revelation was written in the 1st century.
Fourth, consider that most of the books of the New Testament were written to or from Asia Minor. Probably 14 to 20 New Testament books were written to or from Asia Minor. So, having the letters written to seven churches there is consistent with that geographical evidence (see also the free online book: Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete?).
But fifthly (and perhaps biblically most important in regards to priest Kramer's assertions), two of the seven churches of Revelation (Smyrna and Philadelphia) received no condemnation in the letters. Suggesting that the seven churches were chosen because they were guilty of “defects, faults and vices” that were in the letters to them is simply wrong. And of course, perhaps Priest Kramer and others should simply accept the fact that Christ Himself chose those cities. And there simply is no biblical support that Christ Himself ever chose Rome for leadership purposes.
Thus, from the point of view of the New Testament, it appears that Asia Minor, not Rome, was a major focus of the Christian community in the late 1st century.
The apostles, or their disciples, did go to many lands, and there are indications that at least some version of Christianity touched much of the Eastern Hemisphere. However, Asia Minor seems to have been the focus for many of the original apostles.
Now, continuing with verse 4 and then 5:
4 ... Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. (Revelation 1:4-5)
Now, related to these passages, here is what the Protestant Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary asserts:
1:4-8 There can be no true peace, where there is not true grace; and where grace goeth before, peace will follow. This blessing is in the name of God, of the Holy Trinity, it is an act of adoration. The Father is first named; he is described as the Jehovah who is, and who was, and who is to come, eternal, unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is called the seven spirits, the perfect Spirit of God, in whom there is a diversity of gifts and operations. The Lord Jesus Christ was from eternity, a Witness to all the counsels of God.
Regarding, "Him who is and who was and who is to come," some other Protestant scholars also suggest this is a reference to God the Father. So, do Roman Catholic ones, who also point to the seven spirits representing the Holy Spirit (e.g. Kramer, Herman Bernard. The Book of Destiny. Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, D.D., Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956. Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1975, pp. 43-44).
Yet, verse 8 identifies the "He who was, etc." statement with being Jesus. The late Herbert Armstrong also pointed this meaning Jesus (Book of Revelation Opened. World Tomorrow Radio Broadcast. https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getbroadcast&InfoID=1338040553). The seven spirits are angelic and thus do NOT represent the Holy Spirit.
While some claim the first three grace to you represent the trinity, consider that there are several ands which also point to Jesus like "and the ruler over the kings of the earth." Revelation 1:4-5 is not a confirmation of a trinity.
Some Protestant scholars, like the late trinitarian E.W. Bullinger realize that the seven spirits are NOT the Holy Spirit as he wrote:
and from the seven spirits which are before His throne ] This fact that they are "before," or in the presence of, God's Throne, shows that they occupy the position of servants (see 1 Kings x. 8), and of created beings (iv. 5, 10; vii. 9, 15; viii. 2; xi. 4, 16; xii. 10; xiv. 3, 5, 10; xx. 12). This one fact ought to have precluded the idea that these seven could be one, and that one Divine! ...
In Rev. v. 6, we see these "seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." If it be objected that this interpretation opens the door to angel-worship, the answer is that the door is effectually closed in this very book, in xix. 10; xxii. 9: "See thou do it not."
If it be objected that "angels" would not be mentioned in connection with God and the Lord Jesus, the answer is that they are so mentioned in 1 Tim. v. 21, "God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels." Are these the Holy Spirit? The answer is No! The thought embodied in this combination here, in Rev. i. 4, is not so much the Triune Deity, as such; but that of the supreme High Court of heaven having jurisdiction on earth; angels being the assessors. Compare Mark viii. 38. Luke ix. 26; xii. 8, where we have a similar thought. ...
Rev. ... iii. 1. And unto the Angel of the Assembly in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God] We submit that the Holy Spirit, ... could not be ... placed on the same footing as the seven stars, "which are the angels of the seven assemblies." and the seven stars] These are the angels of the seven assemblies, and are spoken of as belonging to Christ (equally with the seven spirits) to cast down, punish, remove or exalt as He will. In chap. v. 6 we read that "a Lamb stood as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God." Indeed, these seven angels of the assemblies on earth, and the seven angels (or spirits, see under i. 4, and compare in Heb. i. 7) in heaven are connected together in the clearest possible manner. When we read in this book of "the seven angels which stood before God" (viii. 2), and of the "seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are (or represent) the seven spirits of God," what are we to understand beyond this? Why are we to say that they are not what it is here said they are, and explain them as being something else?
2. and I saw the seven angels] i.e., at the expiration of the half-hour. Not merely seven angels, but THE seven, because well known, and before referred to as "the seven spirits which are before the throne" (i. 4; iii. 1; iv. 5; v. 6), for "he maketh his angels spirits" (Heb. i. 7). ...
who stand in the presence of God;] In chap. iv. 5, they are the called THE seven spirits of God (So. iii. 1) for it is said of the angels: He "maketh His angels spirits" (Heb. i. 14). (Philologos. Bullinger EW. The Apocalypse or "The Day of the Lord" by E.W. Bullinger, D.D. Second Edition (Revised and Corrected). 1909)
The old WCG taught:
"John to the seven churches [let's begin here with verse 4] which are in Asia: Grace and peace be unto you from him which is, and which was, and is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before his throne." (Revelation 1:4)
Now there you find something: seven spirits before the throne of God. And then there are the twenty-four elders, and there are the four living creatures, wrongly translated, 'beasts,' but they're just living creatures. Of course those are symbols. They're symbols of spirit beings at the very throne of God and they're part of the government of God.
"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first-begotten of the dead [that's speaking there from human beings; He's the first born of many brethren] and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever [now He's coming with clouds, and so on. He says]. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. ... (Armstrong HW. Angels Are a Part of God's Government. Sermon. https://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getsermon&InfoID=1404337362)
Notice also the following:
20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20)
1 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,
'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: (Revelation 3:1)
The seven stars are angels as is directly stated. So are the seven spirits. There are not seven Holy Spirits. 91 verses in the NKJV have the expression in English "THE Holy Spirit." The New Testament repeatedly speaks of "the Holy Spirit" as a single entity.
These seven spirits will be discussed later in Revelation 5. But let me add that the New Testament has the expression seven angels 9 times in the Book of Revelation.
We also see Jesus' role as ruler and basically High Priest.
1:6
6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:6)
Similar to how Jesus is NOT ruling over the kings of the earth now, we Christians are not now kings and priests--these roles will become present once Jesus returns and the saints are resurrected.
1:7
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
So, we have a prophecy of Jesus returning here. And the reference to those who pierced Him is likely literal and figurative. Figurative as sin all have sinned, all have pierced Him. And literal in that those of the first and second resurrections will see Him. A reference to the tribes of the earth will mourn looks to be related to the nations being angry at His return as is stated in Revelation 11:18.
1:8
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Alpha is the first, the beginning, letter in the Greek alphabet and omega the last, the end letter--which is basically what Isaiah 44:6 & 48:12 both say. Jesus was before all and was firstborn of creation (Colossians 1:15-17), but also He is also the first many brethren (Roman 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:23). And He is the end for us (cf. 1 John 3:2; Romans 8:29; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:49; Ephesians 4:13; Galatians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
Here in Revelation 1:8 we specifically see that Jesus refers to Himself as the one "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." So, letting the Bible interpret itself, this also helps show why the reference in Revelation 1:4 is not a reference to the Father.
1:9a
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9)
Now, Patmos was not an island that Christian leaders went to just to live. Patmos is a rocky, 16-square-mile island in the southeast Aegean Sea. It is 30 miles (about 50 kilometers) west of Asia Minor, modern Turkey. Back then, Patmos was a Roman penal colony to which authorities sent political offenders.
Notice that John wrote he was there “for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” It seems, he was imprisoned because he was a Christian leader and also probably because God wanted him there to receive the Revelation.
When and why was John imprisoned there by the Romans?
Well, when he was fairly old, John reportedly was taken to Rome from Ephesus and was ordered to be boiled in oil by Emperor Domitian. The first account is attributed to Polycarp of Smyna in the second century, followed by a later report from Tertullian in the late second or early third:
It is also read that the blessed John had been plunged in a vat of boiling oil in the name of Christ. (Polycarp, Fragments from Victor of Capua)
Rome ... Where Paul wins his crown in a death like John's where the Apostle John was first plunged, unhurt, into boiling oil, and thence remitted to his island-exile! (Tertullian. Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter 36. Translated by Peter Holmes. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 3. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885)
Basically the report that when John did not die, then he was suddenly exiled to Patmos by Emperor Domitian. Later, John returned to Ephesus. Here is an account from Eusebius of the fourth century:
Chapter 17
1. Domitian, having shown great cruelty toward many, and having unjustly put to death no small number of well-born and notable men at Rome, and having without cause exiled and confiscated the property of a great many other illustrious men, finally became a successor of Nero in his hatred and enmity toward God. He was in fact the second that stirred up a persecution against us, although his father Vespasian had undertaken nothing prejudicial to us.
Chapter 18.
1. It is said that in this persecution the apostle and evangelist John, who was still alive, was condemned to dwell on the island of Patmos in consequence of his testimony to the divine word. 2. Irenæus, in the fifth book of his work Against Heresies, where he discusses the number of the name of Antichrist which is given in the so-called Apocalypse of John, speaks as follows concerning him: 3. "If it were necessary for his name to be proclaimed openly at the present time, it would have been declared by him who saw the revelation. For it was seen not long ago, but almost in our own generation, at the end of the reign of Domitian." 4. To such a degree, indeed, did the teaching of our faith flourish at that time that even those writers who were far from our religion did not hesitate to mention in their histories the persecution and the martyrdoms which took place during it. Eusebius. Church History. Book III, Chapters 17 and 18)
1. At that time the apostle and evangelist John, the one whom Jesus loved, was still living in Asia, and governing the churches of that region, having returned after the death of Domitian from his exile on the island. 2. And that he was still alive at that time may be established by the testimony of two witnesses. They should be trustworthy who have maintained the orthodoxy of the Church; and such indeed were Irenæus and Clement of Alexandria. 3. The former in the second book of his work Against Heresies, writes as follows: "And all the elders that associated with John the disciple of the Lord in Asia bear witness that John delivered it to them. For he remained among them until the time of Trajan." 4. And in the third book of the same work he attests the same thing in the following words: "But the church in Ephesus also, which was founded by Paul, and where John remained until the time of Trajan, is a faithful witness of the apostolic tradition." (Eusebius. Church History. Book III, Chapter 23. Translated by Arthur McGiffert. Digireads, 2005 edition, p. 56).
Before going further, let me note the Domitian reigned from 81 to 96 A.D. That is important to mention because some falsely claim that the Book of Revelation was penned prior to 70 A.D. But since John wrote it on Patmos per Revelation 1:9 after Domitian banished him, that assertion is wrong. John most likely penned the Book of Revelation in the 90s A.D., and certainly no earlier than 81 A.D. Emperor Nerva succeeded Domitian (96-98) and Emperor Trajan reigned from 98-117. Therefore, since Domitian died in 96 A.D., we can conclude that since Revelation was the last of the books to be written while he was alive, all the New Testament books were written in the first century.
It has been reported that this exile to Patmos happened because Emperor Domitian's efforts to kill John in oil did not work. Here is one account of the oil incident:
But since for the gospel he is continually prepared for death, he testified about himself to die daily under this meaning. It is also read that the blessed John had been plunged in a vat of boiling oil in the name of Christ. (Polycarp, Fragments from Victor of Capua (2006). Text and translation. Translated by Stephen C. Carlson. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/pearse/morefathers/files/polycarp_fragments_01_text.htm viewed 06/04/11)
Rome...Where Paul wins his crown in a death like John's where the Apostle John was first plunged, unhurt, into boiling oil, and thence remitted to his island-exile! (Tertullian. Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter 36. Translated by Peter Holmes. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 3. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.)
Whether or not John actually was plunged into oil, about this time, a schism occurred in Corinth and someone apparently decided to contact the Christians in Rome for assistance (possibly because John may have been in Rome then). The response that came was delayed “[b]ecause of the sudden and repeated misfortunes and reverses which have happened to us” (The Letter of the Romans to the Corinthians commonly known as First Clement. Verse 1. Holmes MW, ed. As translated in The Apostolic Fathers Greek Texts and English Translations. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 3rd printing 2004, pp. 28-29 ) (perhaps including John’s exile). If this letter was sent to Rome because John and others were there, it simply shows that some in Corinth were trying to contact the leadership of the Church. Also, it seems logical that those in the Church at Rome may have decided that since John was being exiled, they should simply respond with their opinion.
Although many Roman Catholics suggest the response sent (which they call 1 Clement) is definitive proof that the Bishop of Rome was the ruling Church, the letter actually refers to its contents only as “our advice” (Ibid, Verse 58..2, pp. 94-95) , does not list any author, and does not otherwise prove anything about Roman authority (other Catholic scholars realize that since Clement is not listed as the author that this was not definitive proof of the authority of any Roman bishop, see What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History?).
According to Eusebius’ church history John’s imprisonment was during reign of Emperor Domitian (Eusebius. Church History. Book III, Chapter 23), which was 81-96 A.D.
Previous Revelation article was the Introduction Next is Revelation 1:10a