Revelation 1:4-8

In Reversed Thunder, Eugene Peterson helps us discover why the book of Revelation has never ceased to captivate and challenge its readers:

This last book of the Bible takes the entire biblical revelation and re-images it in a compelling, persuading, evangelistic vision which has brought perseverance, stamina, joy, and discipline to Christians for centuries, and continues to do so. Not everything about everything is in the scriptures, but all that God intends for us to know of his love for us and his salvation for us and our responses to him is here.

Mystery and allegory and imagery mix freely with doctrine and proposition in this book. But the meaning of the first eight verses of chapter one, at least, is not incomprehensible or shrouded in spiritual imagery.

After a general introduction (vv 1-3), John begins his letter in earnest:

John,

To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (vv 4-5 a).

The seven churches are named in verse 11. John had lived at Ephesus before the Roman authorities banished him to the island prison of Patmos. These churches lay in what is now Western Turkey.

There were at least ten churches in that region, between the Aegean Sea to the west and the Anatolia plateau to the east (others included Troas, Colossae and Hierapolis – Ac 20:5ff; Col L2; 4:13).

We don’t know why John only wrote to seven. Perhaps he knew these people better than he knew the other congregations. The number “seven,” especially in Revelation, symbolizes perfection, wholeness or completion.

So we may say that these seven churches, and the messages from the Lord to them, are addressed to every church, and to the worldwide church in any time. This, then, is a letter addressed also to us.

Finding peace and grace

Using a customary greeting, John wishes “grace and peace” to his readers.

In Mustard Seed Versus McWorld, Tom Sine looks at conspicuous social change. He uses the term “McWorld” to describe the global culture promoting common consumer symbols such as Nike, Microsoft, Ford and McDonalds.

“McWorld is driven,” he says, “… by the aspirations and values of modernity and is aggressively at work creating a one world consumer culture where the shopping malls are replacing the church as the centres of religious devotion and all of life is reduced to a commodity.”

There is more to life than McWorld, endless competition and pressure, mindless consumerism. What about grace? What about peace? You won’t find these on the supermarket shelf or in your online store.

You find grace and peace in “him who is, and who was, and who is to come” – that is, God the Father (v 4c; cf Ex 3:14-15; Heb 13:8).

The next phrase, “from the seven spirits before his throne,” troubles scholars. Some see this as a reference to archangels (cf 4:5; 5:6; 8:2; Lk 9:26; 1 Tim 5:2 1); others as the Holy Spirit (cf Isa 112-3).

If we take it to mean the Holy Spirit, we have a Trinitarian statement here. If it refers to the seven archangels, we have a reference to the awesome and holy presence of the Lord God Almighty, in whose presence they stand. Either way, grace and peace emanate from God’s presence.

Grace and peace also emanate “from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (v 5).

What Jesus is and does

Here John identifies the three great roles by which the work of Jesus is known to us. He is “the faithful witness” – the Revealer (cf L2; Jn 1: 14; 3:32-3 3; 14:6; 18:37), revealing God’s nature and will to us.

Jesus is also “the firstborn from the dead” – the Reconciler (cf Col 1: 18; 2 Cor 5:19; Rom 5: 10-11). As priest and sacrifice, he makes peace between God and us.

John also describes Jesus as “the ruler of the kings of the earth” – the Ruler (cf Ps 89:29; Php 2: 10-11; Rev 17:14; 19:16).

What the devil offered Jesus in return for obeisance in the temptation in the desert (Mt 4:8-10), Jesus obtained through obedience to his Father and suffering for sinners. Thus we sing the hymn (based on Psalm 72):

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun

Does his successive journeys run;

His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,

Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

Jesus is right now the unsurpassed King of kings, and one day he will certainly be the unopposed Ruler of the kings of the earth. All people – yes, all kings, emperors, presidents, prime ministers – will look on him and worship him. Jesus shall reign!

Then John breaks into song, proclaiming a doxology to Jesus: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen” (vv 5b-6).

This is a song every Christian can sing: it is a song of redemption; it is a song of commissioning. Jesus loves us; he frees us; he commissions us as royal priests.

Re-entry to our world

Then John looks forward through time, envisioning the day when Jesus will return to achieve the final defeat of all that is not of God, and rule the earth in justice and righteousness:

“Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen” (v 7; cf Dan 7:13; Zec 12:10).

Jesus is coming back! We are living in the interval between his first and second coming. How terrible for those who reject him in the interval. But how awesome for those who are his faithful followers here and now! Theirs will be tears of remorse; our will be tears of joy.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (v 8).

This is how John concludes the introduction to his great letter (I regard vv 9-20 as the introduction to the next section comprising chapters 2-3).

This is the first of only two times when God himself speaks in Revelation (the other is in 21:5-8). Here John reminds his readers that God is the Almighty One. He is in control of history. You can trust him. You can rely on him.

Truth that reaches out and grabs you

John has now set the stage for the main drama of his book. He has given us a cogent, theologically rich foundation of truth for the unfolding revelation.

There are two ways to think about truth. First, say you are working on a mathematical problem. You work on it, trying to figure it out. Suddenly, everything falls into place and you shout excitedly, “I’ve got it!”

Second, say you go to a really good movie and emerge deeply moved by what you saw. You don’t know what to say. You don’t want anyone to speak to you for a while. In this case you don’t shout, “I’ve got it!” What you mean is that it got you.

The latter way is the primary way in which biblical truth. It reaches out and grabs us. We don’t apprehend it – it apprehends us. Biblical truth is proclaimed. Then it is performed.

Has this awesome truth about Jesus got you? Has Jesus captured your heart, and captivated your intellect and will? Have you experienced this grace and peace that comes from the heart and throne of God? Has the Truth reached out and grabbed you? Are you following Jesus?

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E119 Copyright (c) 2003 Rod Benson. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: New International Version (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1980). To talk with Rod about this message, email or write to P.O. Box 1790, MACQUARIE CENTRE 2113 AUSTRALIA. To subscribe, email with “subscribe” in the subject. To unsubscribe, type “unsubscribe” in the subject.