1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ could mean “the revelation by (or from) Jesus Christ” or “the revelation about Jesus Christ,” or both may be included. The word revelation (or “apocalypse,” Greek apokalypsis) expresses the subject and nature of the book. The book is a heightened form of prophecy, which can be referred to as “apocalyptic,” as apparent from the use of “revelation” and “prophecy” in vv. 1-3 and in 22:7. John begins by describing his vision as a revelation which God gave him to show His servants things which must soon take place. The roots of this verse are in Dan. 2:28-30, 45-47, where in the Greek translations of the OT the verb “revealed” appears five times, the verb “show” (“signify,” “communicate,” Greek sēmainō [only in OG]) twice and the phrase “what must come to pass” three times. The key to the significance of these allusions to Daniel is that Daniel is speaking there of the kingdom of God which will come to pass in the latter days. But what Daniel explicitly states will come to pass “in the latter days” John rewords: these events will take place quickly or soon. These words do not connote the speedy manner in which the Daniel prophecy is to be fulfilled, nor the mere possibility that it could be fulfilled at any time, but the definite, imminent time of fulfillment, which likely has already begun in the present. What Daniel expected to occur in the last days, John is announcing as imminent, or beginning to occur now. The change of phraseology implies that the final tribulation, defeat of evil, and establishment of the kingdom, which Daniel expected to occur distantly in “the latter days,” John expects to begin in his own generation — and, indeed, it has already started to happen (for the idea of tribulation preceding the divine kingdom see Daniel 7, which is a parallel prophecy to Daniel 2). The focus of “quickness” and “nearness” in vv. 1-3 is primarily on the inauguration of prophetic fulfillment and its ongoing aspect rather than nearness of consummate fulfillment (the return of the Lord), though the latter thought is secondarily present.
The following context shows that the beginning of fulfillment and not final future fulfillment is the focus. The references to the imminent eschatological period (v. 3b), the fact of Christ’s present kingship over the world’s kings (v. 5), the beginning form of the saints’ kingdom (vv. 6, 9) and the following “Son of man” reference (v. 13) and vision (vv. 13-15), also indicating initial fulfillment of Daniel 7, point strongly to this focus and to the presence of a Danielic frame of reference (cf. discussion of these texts below). Similarly, the allusion to seven lampstands from Zechariah 4 in vv. 12, 20 and the reference to Isa. 49:2 and 11:4 (the sword in the Messiah’s mouth) in v. 16 also indicate that the OT prophecies in those texts have begun to be fulfilled. In fact, only one verse in all of Revelation 1 clearly includes reference to Christ’s last advent. And even that verse, 1:7, refers to the progressive nature of the fulfillment of Dan. 7:13 throughout the age, which will culminate in Christ’s final coming. There is no doubt that John saw the resurrection of Christ as fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel regarding the inaugurating of the kingdom of God. This indicates that what is about to be written concerns not just the distant future, but what is before us here and now.
The chain of communication in v. 1 is from God to Christ to His angel to John and on to God’s bond-servants. The latter phrase refers to the community of faith as a whole, which has a general prophetic calling, rather than to a limited group of prophets. Where later in the book it is sometimes difficult to determine whether God, Christ, or an angel is speaking, the reality is that the message comes from all three. Therefore, John’s book is a prophetic work which concerns the imminent and inaugurated fulfillment of OT prophecies about the kingdom in Jesus Christ.
2 The subject of the revelation is now made more explicit. John’s seeing of all the visions is none other than his witness of the revelation about God and Jesus Christ, and the revelation given by them. The wording the witness of Jesus Christ is parallel with the preceding phrase, the word of God, clarifying its precise content. The revelatory word of God concerns what He has carried out through Jesus Christ.
3 In v. 3, John declares that the one who takes to heart the words of the prophecy will be blessed. The message of Revelation, as it unfolds, is not designed to provide fodder for intellectual speculation about the end times but is rather a series of commands addressed to the present-day lives of all who read it. Prophecy in the OT generally had two time references: it was a forth-telling of God’s word for His people in the present, and a foretelling of events to happen in the future. Revelation maintains these two features of prophecy. Those who read and those who hear and obey its message will be blessed. That the book has an ultimate ethical aim is borne out by the conclusion in 22:6-21, which is an intentional expansion of the prologue in 1:1-3, and especially of the ethical emphasis of 1:3. The prophecy of v. 3 is not a set of predictions but, in the biblical tradition, a word from God calling for obedient response in the lives of believers.
The reason those who hear the prophetic words must heed them is now given: for the time is near. Here John echoes the words of Jesus in Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God at hand,” where “at hand” has the meaning of “about to arrive” or “is now arriving.” The two clauses are parallel: the time Jesus spoke of is now fulfilled and the kingdom has arrived. The connection between for the time is near and quickly in v. 1 indicates that in v. 3b John is developing further the “inaugurated” latter-day perspective on the OT (especially Daniel 2) which v. 1a conveys. The connection between the two clauses is highlighted by the conclusion of the book, where 1:3a is reiterated in 22:7b (“blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book”) and introduced by a repetition of 1:1a in 22:6 (“to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place”). John views the death and resurrection of Christ as inaugurating the long-awaited kingdom of the end times that the OT books (such as Daniel) predicted and that will continue to exist throughout the church age. He sees the end-time kingdom of Daniel as having arrived in the person of Jesus Christ. His prophetic words will speak into the heart of the present, not simply the distant future. To claim to have benefited from Christ’s past redemptive work entails an acknowledgement to submit to Him as Lord in the present.
On understanding the book of Revelation. The fact that God spoke to John in the way that is unfolded throughout Revelation is remarkable. It would seem that God puts a premium on His people being prepared to understand how the OT is referred to in Revelation. Have we viewed Revelation in this way or have we tended to shy away from it because we feel unable to understand it properly? One of the main keys for understanding Revelation is to understand how the OT is used in the book.
On understanding prophecy. There is a great deal of emphasis on “prophecy” today. How do we relate the prophetic word that God spoke to John, which has begun fulfillment, with the “prophetic” messages or interpretations so commonly offered today, which view John’s Revelation only as pertaining to yet future latter-day events?
On understanding prophecy: further reflections. Much teaching on prophecy today suggests that God gives prophetic words simply to show His servants what is about to happen in the future latter days. But is there more to it? What does it mean to “heed” the prophetic word (v. 3)? Is there a response to prophecy which is more than the accumulation of knowledge about the future?
4John 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 who are before His throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood — 6and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father — to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
4 John now addresses the seven churches. His choice of the number “seven” is no accident. “Seven” is the favorite number of Revelation. Biblically, it signifies completion or fullness and is originally derived from the seven days of creation. In Lev. 4:6, 17, the sevenfold sprinkling of the blood signified a completed action, as did the seven-day duration of the festivals, services of ordination, the march around Jericho, and the length of periods of cleansing from uncleanness. The significance of the number here is that the seven churches represent the fullness of the church. The universal nature of the seven churches will become clearer from the following context (e.g., 1:6; 5:9-10), especially the significance of the seven lampstands of the temple as representing the entire people of God during the inter-advent age (on which see 1:12; 11:3-4ff.). Likewise, Zech. 4:2, 10 and Rev. 5:6 also understand the “seven lamps” (= the seven spirits = the “Holy Spirit”) of the temple as carrying out God’s effective, universal work (5:6: in “all the earth”) as they are mounted on the lampstand(s). Therefore, the lampstands also must be included in that universal work and have a universal identity. That the seven churches represent the whole church, at least in Asia Minor if not the world, is suggested further by noticing that each letter addressed to a particular church in chs. 2–3 is also said at its conclusion to be addressed to all the churches. It is no accident that after chs. 2 and 3 only the universal church is alluded to, and these seven churches disappear from sight. John’s prophetic message is actually addressed to the entire body of Christ, the church in every age.
The typical elements of the epistolary greeting (grace to you and peace) are, as in other NT epistles, conditioned by the following contents of the letter and the historical situation of the readership. The Christian readers need grace to persevere in their faith in the midst of tribulation, especially pressures to compromise (cf. chs. 2–3). And in the midst of such external turmoil, they need the inner “peace” which only the eternal God who is sovereign over and above the vicissitudes of space-time history can give. The purpose of this revelation is to give the eternal, trans-historical perspective of Him who is and who was and who is to come, which can enable the readers to understand His commandments and so motivate them to obedience (cf. v. 3). The complete threefold clause is a reflection of Exod. 3:14 together with twofold and threefold temporal descriptions of God in Isaiah (cf. Isa. 41:4; 43:10; 44:6; 48:12), which themselves may be developed reflections on the divine name in Exod. 3:14. All these phrases are used in their respective OT contexts to describe God not merely as present at the beginning, middle, and end of history, but as the incomparable, sovereign Lord over history, who is therefore able to bring prophecy to fulfillment and deliver His people despite overwhelming odds, whether from Egypt, Babylon, or other nations. Similarly, the expression is used here to inspire confidence in God’s sovereign guidance of all earthly affairs and to instill courage to stand strong in the face of difficulties which test faith.
The prophetic message is not only from God and Christ, but also from the seven spirits before the throne. The reference here is to the Holy Spirit, the number “seven” again representing fullness. The Holy Spirit is needed to bring to believers the grace and peace John greets them with here, and His work will be needed if believers are to respond obediently to the prophetic words shortly to come. The Christian readers need grace to persevere in their faith in the midst of tribulation, especially the pressure to compromise (cf. chs. 2–3). And in the midst of such external turmoil they need the inner peace which only the eternal God, who is sovereign over and above the trials and struggles of the day-to-day realities believers face, can give. John is alluding here to Zech. 4:2-9, where seven lamps represent one Spirit which brings grace for the building of the temple. Note again how Rev. 4:5-6 identifies the seven lamps before the throne with the seven spirits. The Holy Spirit empowers us to become the temple in which God dwells.
5 John’s greeting comes from Jesus Christ, who is described as the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. John is quoting Ps. 89:27, 37, where all three phrases are used. The Psalm speaks of the king who will rule over his enemies and whose seed will sit on his throne forever (vv. 19-29). “Firstborn” from the Psalm is defined clearly as firstborn from the dead. Christ has gained a sovereign position over the cosmos. This is not to be understood in the sense that He is recognized as the first created being of all creation nor even as the origin of creation, but rather that He is the inaugurator of the new creation by means of His resurrection, as 3:14 explains. John thinks of Jesus as the seed of David, whose resurrection has resulted in the establishment of His eternal kingdom. The kings of the earth, as generally elsewhere in Revelation (6:15; 17:2; 18:3, etc., though see on 21:24 for an exception), are not the loyal subjects of the kingdom but those earthly kings who oppose Christ’s rule. This includes not only the kingdoms and peoples represented by them but also the satanic forces behind these kingdoms. That Christ now rules over these kings shows again that the events unfolded in the visions refer to present realities throughout the church age, not just to events of the future immediately preceding the Lord’s return. As a result of reflecting on Christ’s fulfillment of Psalm 89, at the end of the verse John breaks out into an exclamatory Christological doxology To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood that continues through to the end of v. 6, concluding with a doxology to God.
6 The Christological praise continues from v. 5: what Christ has done has made believers a kingdom and priests to serve His God. Their identification with His kingship (v. 5a) means that they too are considered to be resurrected and exercising rule with Him as a result of His exaltation. They have been constituted kings together with Christ and share His priestly office by virtue of their identification with His death and resurrection. The reference here is to Exod. 19:6: “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Notice how significant is the change of tense. What was prophesied as Israel’s role as in Exodus, and never fulfilled by Israel, is now stated as accomplished by John, for the verb (has made) is in the past tense. Kingdom here refers not just to a place but, in parallel with priests, to an action. “Kingdom” can also mean “kingship” or “royal power.” Believers do not merely live within a kingdom; they exercise its kingly power (albeit under Christ). Believers have already entered into this role as priests and as kings, even though the manner of their performance is still incomplete. Christ exercised His role as priest through His sacrificial death (“released us from our sins by His blood”) and “faithful witness” (v. 5), and exercised His role as king by spiritually defeating sin and death on the cross and subsequently being raised from the dead (“firstborn” and “ruler,” v. 5). The church is identified also with Christ as a priest and now exercises its role as priests by maintaining a faithful witness to the world and willingness to suffer for Christ. It defeats the strategies of the enemy even while suffering apparent defeat, yet still ruling in a kingdom (as Christ did on the cross). We will find these themes often revisited as Revelation unfolds, though it first occurs only three verses later (v. 9).
The expression from Exodus is a summary of God’s purpose for Israel. This primarily meant that they were to be a kingly and priestly nation mediating Yahweh’s light of saving revelation by witnessing to the Gentiles (e.g., Isa. 43:10-13), a purpose which, the OT prophets repeatedly observed, Israel never fulfilled (e.g., Isaiah 40–55). Like OT priests, the entire people of God now have free, unmediated access to God’s presence, because Christ has removed the obstacle of sin by His substitutionary blood. It is the light of God’s presence that they are to reflect to the world. That John sees Exod. 19:6 as fulfilled in the church indicates that the church now continues the true Israel as the inheritor of God’s promises and as His covenant people, while unbelieving Jews are described not as true Jews but as a synagogue of Satan (2:9). This accomplishment of God’s redemptive plan will bring eternal glory and culminate in His eternal dominion.
7Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
7 The conclusion of John’s greetings comes in this and the next verse. This verse is made up of two OT quotations. The first is from Dan. 7:13, referring to the enthronement of the Son of man over the nations. John sees this verse as fulfilled in the enthronement of Christ at the right hand of the Father. The second is from Zech. 12:10, which refers to the end-time victory of Israel over the nations and the repentance of Israel before the Lord, whom the people of Israel have pierced. Zechariah also speaks of mourning for a firstborn son, which echoes the quotation from Psalm 89 in v. 5. But the Zechariah text has been universalized, for in the original it speaks only of the house of David mourning over Him as a result of the Spirit of grace poured out upon them, whereas John speaks of all the peoples of the earth doing so, and also adds the phrase every eye will see Him. What is applied in Zechariah 12 to Israel is now transferred in Revelation to all the peoples of the earth, specifically those peoples who, having received the Holy Spirit and His grace (see v. 4), that is, all true believers in Jesus, mourn over what they have done to Him. This continues the same trend of application seen with the use of Exod. 19:6 in v. 6.
Therefore, repentant Gentiles are viewed as part of true Israel in fulfilling the Zechariah prophecy at the second coming of Christ. However, the Daniel 7 reference may include the whole course of the church age during which Christ guides the events of history in judgment and blessing, since the Son of man allusion in 1:13 has present application. Daniel’s reference is to the “coming” of the Son of man to receive an end-time kingdom and authority. John understands this kingdom to have been received at the resurrection, and in this sense Jesus’ final coming is the end of a process whereby He continually “comes” to the churches as their Savior and even Judge throughout the course of the church age. In 2:5, 16 and 3:3, the coming of Jesus referred to is definitely not His final return but rather His coming in present judgment to the churches. It could thus be argued that the phrase “I am coming soon” in 3:11 also alludes to a soon coming in judgment. Therefore, Christ’s coming in v. 7 and elsewhere in Revelation is understood better as a process occurring throughout history, so that His so-called “second coming” is actually a final coming concluding the whole process of comings. Consequently His “comings” in blessing and judgment throughout the course of time are but manifestations of His exercise of latter-day authority. The Zechariah quotation perhaps connotes the climax of the historical process expressed in the Daniel 7 allusion (that is, Christ’s return). However, in John 19:37, the Zech. 12:10 quotation refers to the Gentile soldier near the cross who “pierced” Jesus and then apparently repented (cf. John 19:34-37 and Mark 15:39). A strikingly similar application of Zech. 12:10 is found here. Consequently, the Zechariah 12 reference could also include application to a period preceding the final coming (the church age) when Gentiles believe in the Messiah. Amen concludes the verse to show the trustworthiness and dependability of what has just been said in the preceding part of the verse.
8 The greetings section is concluded by the Lord’s description of Himself using the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the Alpha and the Omega. This is a figure of speech that involves the stating of polar opposites to highlight everything between the opposites. Hence the statement that God is the beginning and end of history stresses His presence throughout and His rule over all events in between. God’s sovereign rule is highlighted by referring to Him as the One who is and who was and who is to come, which means that God is the Almighty. With this threefold formula not only is the totality of polarity expressed (who was and who is to come) but a middle element is added (who is) to show that God is, indeed, ruling over events between the beginning and end of history. This middle element is actually put first, out of order, to highlight for the readers that God is present with them, ruling over all the circumstances in which they find themselves. This emphasis serves as a basis for v. 7, since it is only with the presupposition of an omnipotent God that such a confident assertion about the consummation of history can be made.
On the number seven. Given John’s use of the number “seven” and its significance here as representing the church as a whole or the universal church, how should we think of the church today? Is our understanding often limited to our local congregation, or perhaps to other congregations with which we are familiar? How can we adjust our vision to see the church more broadly as God sees it?
On the Holy Spirit as the builder of the temple. Zech. 4:2-7 refers to the seven lamps representing one Spirit bringing grace for the building of Israel’s second temple. John represents this same Spirit as building the temple of the church. How do we learn to appreciate more profoundly what it means that the Holy Spirit is building the church into a temple? Is He often an ignored figure in the process? How could 1 Cor. 3:16-17 and 6:19 shed light on this?
On Christ’s resurrection. That Christ is the firstborn from the dead means that He has inaugurated the new creation through His resurrection. Do we appreciate the significance of the resurrection as the greatest dividing line in history, or do we think of other events, past or future, as constituting greater dividing lines? How does this understanding of Christ’s resurrection as the beginning of the new creation affect the view of many that the end times are still yet future?
On believers as a kingdom and priests. Christ has made us a kingdom and priests to serve God. In what practical ways do we as believers exercise our kingly and priestly roles today? How could Rev. 1:6 help us reflect on this question?
On Jesus’ coming. How do we understand the concept of Jesus’ “coming” to His church throughout the course of history (as opposed to His final coming)? How might the idea of Jesus continually coming affect the way in which we live as Christians and conduct our church life today?
9I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, 11saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; 13and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a Son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 16In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. 17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. 20As for 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 are the seven churches.”
9 In vv. 9-11 John is commissioned to write a prophetic revelation. He identifies himself as one with his readers in the tribulation, kingdom, and perseverance that are ours in Jesus. He thus introduces himself in a manner which continues the theme of the kingdom from vv. 5-7, especially v. 6. Only one Greek article precedes these three words, which conveys the idea that all three are part of the same reality. One cannot exercise kingdom rule except through tribulation and endurance. But this is a kingdom unanticipated by the majority of Judaism. The exercise of rule in this kingdom begins and continues only as one faithfully endures tribulation. This is the formula for kingship: faithful endurance through tribulation is the means by which one reigns in the present with Jesus. Believers are not mere subjects in Christ’s kingdom. That John uses the word fellow-partaker underscores the active involvement of saints, not only in enduring tribulation, but also in reigning in the midst of it. Their being identified with Christ is the basis for the trials which confront them, as well as for their ability to endure such trials and to participate in the kingdom as kings. This paradoxical form of rule mirrors the manner in which Jesus exercised His authority in His earthly ministry and even from the cross, and Christians are to follow in His path. This becomes a major theme as Revelation develops. Believers will conquer by refusing to compromise in the face of trials (2:9-11; 3:8-10), by suffering as John himself did (v. 9), and in general by pursuing Christlike character (chs. 2–3). Like Jesus’ beginning kingship, Revelation reveals that the saints’ reign consists in “overcoming” by not compromising their faithful witness in the face of trials (e.g., 2:9-11, 13; 3:8; 12:11), ruling over the powers of evil (e.g., see 6:8 in relation to 6:9-11), defeating sin in their lives (see chs. 2–3), as well as having begun to rule over death and Satan through their identification with Jesus (cf. 1:5-6, 18). Their endurance is part of the process of “overcoming” (see the concluding promise in each of the letters).
The tribulation is a present reality (so also 2:9) and will continue among the churches in the imminent future (2:10). John himself was enduring this tribulation on Patmos, where he had been exiled due to his witness to Christ: because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. To “testify” could connote to witness in a court of law, which was its primary setting in the Greek world and is the way it is used in John’s Gospel. This would mean that rejection of the “testimony” of Jesus and of Christians by the world and its courts becomes the basis for their judgment in the heavenly court (see on 11:3 and 22:20).
10 John introduces his commissioning (I was in the Spirit) by using language similar to Ezekiel’s (Ezek. 2:2; 3:12, 14, 24), thus placing himself on a level with the OT prophets. This is reinforced by his hearing a loud voice like a trumpet similar to that heard by Moses in Exod. 19:16-20. John has been entrusted with testifying to the revelation of the heavenly Jesus because he has been faithful in witnessing to the revelation of the earthly Jesus (this is the significance of the phrases “the word of God” and the “testimony of Jesus” in vv. 2a and 9b).
11 John’s prophetic commissioning is further enforced by the command to write what he has seen in a book (or scroll), just as Moses was told in Exod. 17:14, Isaiah in Isa. 30:8 (LXX), or Jeremiah in Jer. 36:2. The reader steeped in the OT would perhaps discern that all such commissions in the prophets were commands to write testaments of judgment against Israel (so also Jer. 37:2; cf. also Exod. 34:27; Isa. 8:1; Jer. 36:2; Hab. 2:2). Therefore, at this early point in the book there is already a hint that one of its major concerns is judgment (as we shall see, judgment against both the world and those in the church who compromise with the world; see on chs. 2–3). Why John was commissioned to send his prophecy to these seven churches we do not know, other than that they may have been the leading churches of the region, but it is apparent that the biblical significance of the number seven indicates these churches stand for all churches both then and now.
12-20 The vision related in vv. 12-20 follows the typical pattern of Old Testament visions (Isa. 6:1-7; Jer. 1:11-12, 13-14; Ezek. 2:9–3:11; Dan. 8:3-27; 10:2–12:3; 12:5-13; Zech. 4:1-3; 5:1-11; 6:1-8). First, the vision is related (vv. 12-16); next, the response of the one receiving the vision is given (v. 17a); then the interpretation of the vision follows (vv. 17b-20). The vision develops the themes of suffering, kingdom, and priesthood already found in vv. 1-9 and introduces the new theme of Christ as judge. In vv. 12-16, Christ is portrayed as the eschatological heavenly priest and the end-time ruler and judge. The interpretative section reveals that it was His overcoming of death which placed Him into these offices (cf. vv. 17b-18) and that His kingship primarily concerns His rule over the church. This vision in vv. 12-20 discloses that the overall function of vv. 9-20 is to serve as a commission to John from the risen Christ to write the totality of the vision which he witnessed, as evidenced by the restatement of the commission in v. 19. How does Christ’s function as judge relate to His kingly and priestly roles? If the churches do not maintain their role as priestly kings by faithfully witnessing to “the testimony of Jesus” in the face of suffering, then they will be judged by Christ. If they are faithful and are unjustly persecuted, they need not fear (v. 17), because they can be assured that ultimately they will overcome their defeat in the same way Christ did. The OT allusions in this vision are essential (as generally throughout Revelation) for an understanding of its meaning.
12 The first things John sees are the seven golden lampstands, which represent the church (cf. 1:20). In Zech. 4:2-6, the lampstand with its seven lamps is a figurative expression by which part of the temple furniture stands for the whole temple, which by extension also represents faithful Israel (cf. Zech. 4:6-9). In the tabernacle and temple the lampstand, with its seven lamps, stood in the Holy Place before the very presence of God in the Holy of Holies, along with the bread of the presence, and the Jews understood the light that came from its lamps to represent the presence of the Lord (Num. 8:1-4). In Zechariah’s vision the seven lamps (4:2) seem to represent the power of the Spirit (4:6) which will give the people of Israel (the lampstand on which the lamps sit) the power by which to rebuild the temple. John sees seven lampstands, each representing one of the seven churches and all together representing the universal church. The church, as the continuation of true Israel, is likewise to draw its power from the seven lamps, which represent the Holy Spirit (Rev. 1:4; 4:5), as it seeks to build the new temple of God. Thus for John, the latter-day temple has already been inaugurated in the church, as has been suggested by the earlier reference to Zechariah (see v. 4 above) and implied by the use of Exod. 19:6 in v. 6 (the church as priests and kings). This is confirmed by Rev. 11:1-13, where the lampstands represent the church as the true temple during the time between the first and second comings of the Lord. In the light of vv. 5-6, Christ’s death and resurrection have laid the foundation for the new temple, which He will build through the Spirit (the lamps on the lampstand). The shift from one lampstand in Zechariah to seven in Revelation stresses not only that this letter is intended for the church universal of the escalated end times, but also the idea that true Israel is no longer limited to a nation but encompasses all peoples.
13-16 John now relates his vision of the Son of man. The vision is drawn from Dan. 7:13-14 and 10:5-6. Even as the OT priests tended the lamps and lampstands, so Christ is pictured here as a heavenly priest who tends the lampstands by correcting and exhorting them, as chs. 2 and 3 will unfold. That Christ’s eyes are like a flame of fire (v. 14) speaks of His role of judgment, as is clear from 19:12, where the same phrase is used to describe Christ in His role as judge. Jesus’ constant presence with the churches means that He always knows their spiritual condition, which results either in blessing or judgment. This role of judgment is enforced by Daniel 10, since there the primary purpose of the heavenly man is to reveal the divine decree that Israel’s persecutors would assuredly be judged (see 10:21–12:13). Dan. 10:6 even depicts the man as having “eyes … like flaming torches,” and Dan. 10:16 (Theod.) identifies this person as one having the “likeness of a son of man.”
That Christ’s feet are like burnished bronze, fired in a furnace (v. 15) speaks of a foundation of moral purity in Christ which He wants also to build in the church (note how the similar phrase in 3:18 refers to moral purity). The description of the Son of man’s head and hair is taken from the picture of the Ancient of Days in Dan. 7:9, showing how Christ and God can be thought of in the same terms. The description of His voice like the sound of many waters is also taken from a vision of the Almighty, though this time from Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:24; 43:2). That Christ (v. 16) holds in His hand the seven stars (identified in v. 20 as the angels of the churches) shows that His authority extends also to the heavenly realms. This may suggest that the stars, even if angelic, represent the church’s heavenly existence and the lampstands its earthly existence. The sharp two-edged sword coming out of Christ’s mouth (see also 2:16 and 19:15) is based on the prophecies in Isa. 11:4 and 49:2, both speaking of Christ in His role as judge (“He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,” Isa. 11:4). With this sword, Christ will judge both disobedience in the church (2:16) and the world (19:15). Christ’s face being like the sun shining in its strength is an allusion to Judg. 5:31, where the same is said of the victorious Israelite warrior. Here the portrayal in Judges is viewed as pointing to Christ as the ideal end-time messianic warrior.
17-18 In v. 17a is found John’s response to this vision. It follows the same pattern as that of Daniel’s (see Dan. 8:16-19 and 10:7-12): the prophet receives a vision, falls on his face in fear, is strengthened by a heavenly being, and then receives further revelation. The vision is interpreted in vv. 17b-20. The Son of man describes Himself as the first and the last, using the same words God attributes to Himself in Isa. 41:4; 44:6; and 48:12 and also in Rev. 1:8. This phrase refers to the complete sovereignty of God over human history from beginning to end, and its use by the exalted Christ here shows that He too is Lord over history, thus removing any doubt that He too is divine. This transferral is enlarged on in 22:13 in such a way that Christ there (and here) must be understood as such. Christ is the force behind history, causing it to fulfill His purposes. John’s audience, like Isaiah’s, is meant to take confidence in God’s sovereignty by allowing it to strengthen their prophetic witness.
It is in this respect that John and his readership should not fear. In v. 18, Jesus refers to Himself as the Living One, thus alluding to His triumph over the power of death. The threefold formula describing the resurrection in v. 18a (living … dead … alive) cannot be accidental, but is designed as a further support of the divine attribute ascribed to Christ in v. 17b. It does this by being modeled on the threefold temporal formula of 1:4 and 1:8 (referring to God), to which v. 17b itself is closely related. From this similarity of the threefold clauses, the careful reader should discern that Jesus’ death and resurrection was an integral working out of the divine purposes in history and established that He Himself was guiding this history. He also is the One who lives forever and ever, the same phrase used of God the Father in the OT (Deut. 32:40; Dan. 12:7).
That Christ has the keys of death and Hades shows that He now rules even over death. The background is probably Isa. 22:22, where Eliakim, who was given the key to the house of David, was seen by Jews as a type of the kingly and priestly messianic “servant” who would reign (see further on 3:7). Whereas once Christ Himself was held by death’s grip, now not only has He been set free from it but He also has the power to determine who else will be thus liberated. This verse assures believers that, regardless of what sufferings or trials they may now endure, if they persevere they will indeed reign forever with Christ.
19 The therefore of v. 19 is significant. John is commissioned anew to prophesy on the basis of who Christ is and His triumph over the powers of death, as set forth in the vision of vv. 12-18. As to the meaning of the threefold clause in this verse, on the basis of our discussion in the Introduction above (part 10.), we conclude the meaning to be as follows. The angel commands John to write down the things which you have seen. This is a simple reference to the series of visions John is about to receive from the Lord, all of which he is to record, thus giving us Revelation as we have it in our Bible. This series of visions deals with the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things. The latter phrase alludes to Daniel’s revelation of the end times, which even now, according to Rev. 1:1, are beginning to be fulfilled in Christ. Hence, as John stands at the beginning of the end times, he is to record both what is already happening around him and the things which will continue to unfold as the end times proceed. Thus the scope of Revelation deals with all the events of world history commencing with the death and resurrection of Christ and concluding with His final return. The events recorded in it will recur throughout human history and thus remain relevant to readers of all times, though they also point to a final climax at the time of the Lord’s return.
20 Now John begins to unfold the mystery, another clear reference to Daniel (2:29). The lampstands are now clearly identified as the churches. The angels are heavenly beings (the word is used with this reference approximately sixty times in Revelation) closely identified with the churches they represent and help. (Thus the “angels” are not human leaders or representatives of the churches or personifications of the churches or human letter carriers, though this last option is the most viable among these alternatives.) The churches are addressed through their representative angels, apparently in order to remind the believers that already a dimension of their existence is heavenly and that their real home is not with the unbelieving “earth-dwellers” (3:10 and elsewhere in Revelation). And one of the purposes of the church meeting on earth in its weekly gatherings (e.g., as “he who reads and those who hear” in 1:3) is to be reminded of its heavenly existence and identity by modeling its worship on that of the angels’ and heavenly church’s worship of the exalted Lamb. This is why scenes of heavenly worship are woven throughout Revelation. This initial vision has shown Christ standing in complete authority over human history, yet He does so standing amidst the churches (v. 13), which are undergoing all sorts of trials and even apparent defeats (as chs. 2 and 3 will unfold). Rev. 1:13-16, 20 shows the “Son of man” in a present position of sovereignty among the weak and suffering churches of His kingdom, bringing into sharper focus the unexpected form in which the expected Danielic kingdom has reached its initial fulfillment.
And the mystery has been utilized also from Daniel precisely at this point to emphasize the ironic nature of the fulfillment and its reversal of expectations. In Daniel 2, “mystery” has to do with the hidden meaning of a symbol whose interpretation has eschatological significance. Mystery, on the surface, refers to the hidden meaning of the stars and lampstands, which are about to be interpreted. But mystery also carries the connotation of unexpected, end-time fulfillment included in the meaning of the stars and lampstands in the present context. The mystery that Christ reveals here to John is the reality that His rule coexists with the suffering of the churches. This is in fact the mystery of the cross, the same mystery by which Christ Himself, though the Creator of the universe, had to submit to the power of death. This same mystery is referred to in Rom. 11:25; 1 Cor. 2:7; and Eph. 3:3-6. Jesus spoke of the mysteries of the kingdom (Matt. 13:11), by which He meant the beginning fulfillment of biblical prophecy, in a way surprising and contrary to what was commonly predicted, and, above all, the form which the kingdom of heaven took in His life and death, unlike the way in which the Jewish people expected it to come. This mystery is applied here to the church, in both its present and future situations.
On the idea of tribulation. If the kingdom as marked by tribulation and endurance was unexpected by Judaism, in what ways could we say it is also unanticipated by contemporary Christians? What happens when we wrongly understand Christianity by focusing on “conquering” or health and wealth in our lives without reference to Jesus’ cross and our imitation of his suffering?
Further thoughts on tribulation. How does understanding end-time tribulation as a present reality rather than referring to a defined future period affect how we understand challenges we may expect to face as Christians?
On Christ’s presence with the church. It seems that John is commissioned, like the OT prophets, to bring a message both of comfort and of judgment. How could these two themes coexist? The reality of Christ’s presence in the church by His Spirit reminds us of His awareness of all that goes on within it. Are we as aware of His presence as He is aware of the state of our hearts? We know that Christ comes to judge the world, but how could it be said that He also comes to judge the church? Reflect on this in the light of Rev. 2:23 (and see the comments there).
On God’s sovereign presence. God is the Alpha and Omega, and Christ is the first and the last, the force behind human history. How do the sovereignty of God and Christ and their continued presence with their people help believers to view the challenges and suffering that come into their lives?
On the significance of the end times. If Revelation teaches that the end times began with the cross and the resurrection, what then does this mean for us? Do we see this truth consistently witnessed to in other parts of the NT? Given the frequent understanding of the end times as only a future reality, how is it that we have misunderstood such a critical biblical truth?