Greeting - Revelation 1:4-5a

John to the seven churches in Asia; grace to you and peace from the one who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. [Translation by David Mills]

The greeting and doxology (vv. 5b-8) introduce Revelation like a letter or epistle, and the benediction in 22:21 closes Revelation like a letter. The letter is from the apostle John to the seven churches in Asia. The seven churches are seven literal churches in the province of Asia, but the number seven also suggests completeness so that all churches should hear and keep the words written by John.[6]

As in many epistles, the greeting introduces major themes which occur in the letter. One such theme is the exodus with the plagues poured out on Egypt. This them is introduced when John says that grace and peace are from the one who is and who was and who is coming. This eternal one is the I AM who intervened on behalf of his people to free them from slavery in Egypt. The I AM has not changed. He still is the one who is and who was and who is coming. He is the faithful, ever present God who even yet intervenes with plagues in the world on behalf of his saints (Revelation 8:6 ff. and 16:1 ff.) and who is coming to dwell with them (Revelation 21:2-4).

Grace and peace are also from the seven spirits which are before his throne. Again, seven represents completeness. The Holy Spirit bestows all gifts which enable God's people to live faithful lives and bear faithful witness to God and his son Jesus Christ (Revelation 11:3 ff.).

Finally, grace and peace are from Jesus Christ. He came to earth as the faithful witness of his Father, and for that witness he suffered and died. Because he was faithful, he became the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. This Jesus is a pattern for Christians who will also be raised from the dead and seated with Christ on his throne if they are faithful witnesses in the face of persecution and death.

Footnotes

[6] Seven is associated with completeness because God completed his work of creation and rested in seven days.

Prologue - Revelation 1:1-3 (Part 2)

The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him to show his bond-servants the things that must happen soon. He made it known when he sent it by his angel to his bond-servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, to as many things as he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud and blessed are the ones who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things written in it, for the time is near. [Τranslation by David Mills]

In addition to calling his document a revelation, John also calls it a prophecy. Prophecy is a word from God spoken by a man whom God had chosen. Hence, we often read of the "word of the Lord" coming to a prophet (1 Sam. 15:10; 1 Kings 21:17; Isa. 38:4; Jer. 1:1-2, etc.). By calling Revelation a prophecy, John is emphasizing that its words are from God.

Although Biblical prophecy is more concerned with speaking the words of God than with revealing the future, there is usually a connection between God's words and the future. Prophets often warn of God's impending judgment on those who disobey and promise future blessings for those who repent and obey. Consequently, the shape of the future depends on whether those who hear ignore his words or keep them in faithful obedience. By calling Revelation a prophecy, John reminds them that they should hear God's warnings and admonitions and that they should keep his commands. To keep means "to persist in obedience" or "to continue to obey orders or commandments."[5] Those who hear and keep the words of John's prophecy will experience God's blessing and favor in the future.

Footnotes

[5] BDAG, s.v. τηρέω; Louw and Nida, #36.19.

Prologue - Revelation 1:1-3

The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him to show his bond-servants the things that must happen soon. He made it known when he sent it by his angel to his bond-servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, to as many things as he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud and blessed are the ones who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things written in it, for the time is near. [Translation by David Mills.]

John identifies this document as a revelation of Jesus Christ, which suggests that in it Jesus will fully disclose something.[1] That which he disclosed he also made known; that is, he explained it and made it clear [2] when he sent his angel to John who then bore witness to it. In this way, Jesus was able to show it to his bond-servants. To show simply means to present something to human senses so that it can be known.[3] Hence, those who heard the Revelation would expect to have Jesus make something known to them in a clear way so that they could understand it.

So, what is to be revealed? John says it is the things that must happen soon. John reemphasizes that the things revealed are near when he says the time is near at the end of the prologue.[4] Because the things that must happen will happen in the near future, a degree of urgency is created for hearing them and understanding them. These are not things in the distant future. These are things that those who originally received the message would experience.

John gives a clue to the kinds of things revealed when he writes the things that must happen soon. These words allude to Daniel 2:28 (LXX) where Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that God had revealed to him "the things that must happen in the latter days." Because John replaces "in the latter days" with "in a short time," meaning soon, he suggests that the latter days have arrived when God would set up a kingdom which would fill the whole earth (Daniel 2:44). John was a companion with his fellow bond-servants in the kingdom (Revelation 1:6, 9). Soon that kingdom would be filling the whole earth. Again, the message is urgent because those receiving the message are called to participate in the conquest and become conquerors or victors.

Footnotes

[1] BDAG, s.v. ἀποκαλύπτω and ἀποκάλυψις; Louw and Nida, #28.38. In the NT, a revelation is always a divine disclosure. God/Jesus either reveals or is revealed. Here Jesus reveals not so much himself as the things that must happen soon.

[2] BDAG, s.v. σημαίνω; Louw and Nida, #33.153. The focus of this word seems to be on the process of making something clear or understandable.

[3] BDAG, s.v. δείκνυμι; Louw and Nida #28.47. The context of this verb almost always mentions the person who receives the message, so the word seems to focus on the transfer of the message from the sender to the receiver.

[4] For an explanation of why this clause does not mean "things that must happen quickly," see G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999), 182. Alan F. Johnson, "Revelation", The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews Through Revelation, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 416.

The Key of David

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: "The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut." (Revelation 3:7-8a, ESV)

When the Assyrians were threatening the city of Jerusalem about 700 B.C., King Hezekiah, a descendant of David, entrusted the master key of the king's treasuries and armories to Shebna, who used his access for personal gain. Hezekaih stripped Shebna of his authority, and gave it to a better man, Eliakim (Isaiah 22:22). During the Assyrian threat, Eliakim was reliable, opening doors for those who needed it and closing them against those who would plunder the king's resources. However, he apparently could not support the weight of his responsibility after that threat ended (Isaiah 22:25).

Revelation uses that key to symbolize Christ's power to open the treasures of his heavenly kingdom to whom he wishes and close them to whom he wishes. In Revelation, Christ has not delegated that key to anyone who may prove to be unfaithful or unreliable. Instead, the Holy One has the key of David. The True One possesses the key that opens and closes the gates to the city and treasuries of the King. Those Jews who had denied the Messiah/Christ, could not claim entrance into the kingdom merely because they were Jews. The Messiah who held the key of David had closed the door to them, and no one could open it for them. On the other hand, those who had confessed Jesus as the Messiah would find that he had opened the door for them, and no one else could close it.

The Rod of Iron

The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. (Revelation 2:26-27 ESV)

She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, (Revelation 12:5 ESV)

"From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty." (Revelation 19:15 ESV)

These verses allude to Psalm 2:7-9. In the second Psalm, the Messiah is given the nations as a heritage, and he will break them to pieces because they plot against him. The Psalm says, "I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, 'You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.'" What is of special interest in Revelation (like the LXX) is that the verb "to break" in verse nine is translated as "to shepherd" (ποιμαίνω). The symbol of the Messiah's rod stands for his authority and power to subdue the nations in order to protect and defend God's people.

Revelation uses the symbol similarly; the rod of iron is a symbol of Christ's power and authority. As a symbol, it reveals that Christ uses his power and authority to protect the saints from their enemies and to subdue the unbelieving nations (cf. Psalm 110:5-6). Furthermore, he will share that authority with those who conquer and keep his works to the end.