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 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.

The Sword of My Mouth

Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
-- Revelation 2:16 ESV; see also 1:16 and 19:11-16

Many symbols which reveal a spiritual truth in Revelation come from the sphere of a kingdom. One of those symbols is "the sword of my mouth." The picture involves a play on words. In OT Hebrew, people were slain with the "edge of the sword" which was literally the "mouth (pěh) of the sword (ḥereb)."  Isaiah made a play on these words when he wrote, "He made my mouth (pěh) like a sharp sword (ḥereb)" (Isaiah 49:2). Here, John accomplishes the same thing by changing the construction from "mouth of the sword" to "sword of the mouth." The "sword of my mouth" is a symbol for the words Jesus speaks. The words of Jesus are compared to a sword.

By comparing the words of Jesus to a sword, John reveals a spiritual truth about his words. His words are powerful. They can judge and give the sentence of death (John 12:48). In Revelation 2:16, the words spoken by Jesus will effectively bring judgment and death on those who follow Balaam and the Nicolaitans. We are not to think this picture refers to a bloody sword fight, but to the powerful sentence of a judge.  Likewise, in Revelation 19, Jesus does not engage the unbelieving nations in a bloody battle with a literal sword, but his word of judgment consigns them to eternal death (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:8). His words are as powerful as a sword.

Lowery summarizes the comparison and its purpose with these words: "Symbols are commonly used to communicate abstract ideas in concrete ways. Revelation's symbols represent spiritual realities; thus the double-edged sword in Jesus' mouth (Rev. 1:16) represents power and truth, not an actual sword in his mouth."[1]

[1] Lowery, R., 2006. Revelation’s rhapsody: listening to the lyrics of the lamb : how to read the book of Revelation, Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co., p. 215.

Symbols Reveal Rather than Conceal

John does not use symbols as a secret code to conceal anything. Rather, he uses symbols for common things, people, or experiences to reveal spiritual truths which are easily missed or forgotten. For example, he calls the churches to which he is writing "a kingdom" and "priests" (Revelation 1:6). John uses this symbol borrowed from the Old Testament to reveal the glorious nature of the church. In an age when the churches were being persecuted and oppressed, it would be easy to forget the glory of the church.

Later, John describes Jesus as the  "Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David" and then as "a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain" (Revelation 5:5-6). He uses these symbols to emphasize the glorious position and ministry of their crucified Lord.

In the examples just cited, the symbols are drawn from two spheres: the kingdom and the temple. In fact, symbols relating to the kingdom and the temple recur so often that they form motifs or themes that will be considered in more detail in following posts.

Internal Evidence for Time of Nero Unconvincing

Attempts to show from internal evidence that Revelation must have been written before the destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD) and shortly after the reign of Nero (54-68 AD) are not convincing.

1. The command for John to measure the temple in Revelation 11:1 is sometimes seen as evidence that the temple in Jerusalem was still standing. The problem here is that what John sees in a vision is visionary, not necessarily a physical reality. Throughout the visions, temple furnishings such as the golden altar and incense offered up by angels are used symbolically. Therefore, making this a reference to the physical temple is not consistent with the context.

2. The reference to Jerusalem in Revelation 11:8 is sometimes seen as evidence that Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed. Again this is part of a vision. Although it is said to be the city "where they Lord was crucified," it is also said to be "the great city," which later is called "Babylon" (Revelation 16:19). John uses Old Testament language describing Tyre, Babylon, and Jerusalem to describe the great city in Revelation. John appears to be describing an archetypical city, a world system, rather than the pre-70 AD city of Jerusalem.

3. Some say that the mark of the beast in Revelation 13:18 refers to Nero. The number 666, however, can only be obtained by transliterating Nero's name from Greek to Hebrew and then leaving out one letter.[22]

4. Finally, some say that the explanation of the seven heads of the beast in Revelation 17:9-10 points to a time of writing immediately after the death of Nero. The seven heads are said to be seven kings. Of those seven, five had fallen, one was, and one was yet to come. Nero was the fifth emperor following Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius. If the kings refer to the Roman emperors, then John would have been writing immediately after Nero's death. The problem here is that four more emperors ruled before a year and a half elapsed after the death of Nero and there is nothing significant about either the seventh or eighth emperor.

[22] "The calculation is based on the defective Hebrew spelling of qsr without a yodh after the qoph." 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). 719.

Time of Writing: External Evidence for the Reign of Domitian

External evidence confirms the internal evidence suggesting that John wrote to the churches of Asia during the reign of Domitian. Irenaeus (130-202 AD) writes that the Revelation "was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian's reign"[18] and that John, the "disciple of the Lord," lived among the Christians in Ephesus "until the times of Trajan."[19]   Domitian ruled from 81 to 96 AD, and Trajan from 98 to 117 AD. Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD), says that after "the tyrant's (Domitian's) death, he (the apostle John) returned to Ephesus from the isle of Patmos."[20] Eusebius reports that "the apostle and evangelist John … was condemned to dwell on the island of Patmos in consequence of his testimony to the divine word" during the persecution of Domitian.[21] Hence, the external evidence suggests that Revelation was written from Patmos to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia toward the end of the first century during the reign of Domitian.

[18] Irenaeus, Against Heresies, V, xxxv, 3.
[19] Irenaeus, Against Heresies, III, iii, 4.
[20] Clement of Alexandria, Salvation of the Rich Man, 42.
[21] Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, III, xviii. 1.

The Author of Revelation

The author introduces himself as "his (God's) servant John" (Revelation 1:1). In the epistolary greeting, he calls himself simply John (Revelation 1:4) as if the recipients of the letter would know who he was. Indeed, he continues by saying that he was their "brother and partner in the tribulation" (Revelation 1:9). Therefore, it appears that he was well-known in the churches of Asia Minor and that they would have no difficulty identifying him.

The early church was nearly unanimous in identifying the Apostle John as the author of Revelation. Justin Martyr (100-165 AD), who lived in Asia Minor shortly after the time of John the Apostle, writes, "And further, there was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him…." [1] Irenaeus (130-202 AD), who was born in Smyrna and later became a bishop in what is now Lyons, France, frequently quotes Revelation which he attributes to John.[2] Eusebius records these words of Origen (185-254 AD):

Why need we speak of him who reclined upon the bosom of Jesus, John, who has left us one Gospel, though he confessed that he might write so many that the world could not contain them? And he wrote also the Apocalypse, but was commanded to keep silence and not to write the words of the seven thunders.[3]

Most conservative Bible scholars take the Apostle John to be the author of Revelation.

[1] Justin Martyr. Dialogue with Trypho (81).
[2] R. J. Utley, Volume 12: Hope in Hard Times - The Final Curtain: Revelation. Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International, 2001). 11.
[3] Eusebius. Church History, Bk. VI, xxx, 9.

Survey of Revelation

Revelation 1:9 is the beginning of the first of John's seven visions. Before reading those visions, we will briefly identify them.

Vision #1 (Rev 1:9 - 3:22) Son of man dictates letters to the saints in seven churches

   Vision #2 (Rev 4:1 - 8:1) The Lamb opens seven seals

      Vision #3 (Rev 8:2 - 11:18) Angels sound seven trumpets

         Vision #4 (Rev 12 - 14) Enemies oppose God and his people

      Vision #5 (Rev 15-16) Angels pour out seven bowls filled with God's wrath

   Vision #6 (Rev 17:1 - 21:8) The king of kings defeats God's enemies

Vision #7 (Rev 21:9 - 22:5) The saints dwell in the new heavens and new earth

The first and last vision deal with the saints, first in the midst of their struggles on earth and finally when they have gained the victory and dwell in the presence of God and the Lamb. Each of the visions 2-5 deals with a situation faced by the saints on earth and ends with God's judgment of the nations on their behalf.  This suggests that they run parallel to each other, not consecutively.