4 John 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, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail[a] on account of him. Even so. 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.”
As we pick up in verses 4-8, we notice that this book was not some fanciful mythology, but it was a letter which was originally written to seven churches located in modern day Turkey. This fact helps keep us from approaching the book as if it were some sort of science fiction novel. This was written to real Christians living an area we can find on the map and, in many ways, were just like us. John begins his letter the way many letters of his day begin- with blessings spoken on the recipients. In this case, we find John wishing blessings to come not simply from Jesus or from God the Father, but from the whole Trinity – from the Father, from the Spirit and from the Son.
Don’t skip through this greeting too quickly. We often think of grace and peace as relating to the work of Jesus but rarely consider the Father and the Spirit as the sources of the same. In fact, many are hesitant to presume that the Father loves them at all as they assume that Jesus’ work consisted in convincing the Father to show love, rather than wrath, towards them. Little do they realize that it is the love of the Father that Jesus puts on display in His person. John Owen puts it magnificently when he says, “Jesus Christ, in respect of the love of the Father, is but the beam, the stream….by him we are led to the fountain, the sun of eternal love itself.” This is important to grasp because, as Puritan preacher Arthur Hildersham put it, “the better a man is persuaded and assured of God’s fatherly love to him in Christ, the better service he shall do unto him.”
Paul, speaking of the Father, notes in Titus 3:4 that the “love of God our Savior” is ours. So stop thinking that Christ is for you but God the Father is far removed from you. In fact, we would do well to meditate on just how much the Father loves us. The prophet Zephaniah goes as far as to say that the Father “will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by His love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
That is the love of the Father. A love that rejoices over you, a love that sings over you with loud singing. Can you believe it? You should. And notice what His love brings with it: “quiet.” Do you need quiet? Do you need rest from your restlessness, your sense of unease, your lack of assurance, your fears? All will quieted if you would only reflect upon and receive His love. But might His love change? Is His love fickle and changing according to your own behavior? Remember God IS love. Which means that His love is like Himself. Unchanging and incapable of change. God cannot be more than He is, and He cannot be less than He is. His love for you, likewise, cannot be any greater and it cannot be any lesser. And it is, like Him, eternal. So, consider the love of the Father. Consider it, bask in it.
Now, you might respond, “But I just don’t feel a love towards Him right now in this station of life, and that causes me to doubt His love towards me.” Well, what does 1 John 4:10-11 say? “This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us.” Are you trying to reverse it? “This is love not that God loves us but that we love Him”? No. That is not what it says. Your feelings have no impact on the truth. Your feelings do not change the eternal, unchanging nature of God’s love. So, the call upon you is to simply believe. And if someone says, “Doesn’t such an assurance of God’s unchanging love create license for us to sin?” I would point them to Romans 6 and to the truth that no true believer would ever make such a case.
John likewise turns our eyes to the Spirit. The language of “seven spirits” may seem odd to us, but because they are mentioned in the same utterance as the Father and the Son and these seven spirits are the source of grace and peace to believers just as the Father and Son are, it is natural to conclude that they are a reference to the 3rd person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Why doesn’t John just say so, rather than refer to the Spirit as the “seven spirits”?
One of the things that makes Revelation hard to understand is how much it borrows from the Old Testament. Given our unfamiliarity with the Old Testament and the way it uses imagery to communicate truth, this, sometimes, creates difficulty in our attempts to interpret what it is that we are reading. This isa good example.
Zechariah 4:1-11 reads:
4 And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
“These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” 11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?”
Notice that the LORD says, in vs. 6, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” There is one Spirit. But then, we read in verse 10, “These” meaning the seven lamps, “are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth.” Now, if we turn to Revelation 4:5 we read, “From the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire which are the seven spirits of God.” This is a reference to Zechariah 4. And, then, in Revelation 5:6 we read, “Between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”
So, in Revelation and in Zechariah, the 7 lamps and the 7 eyes both represent the 7 spirits. The seven spirits represent the power of God’s Spirit as He works throughout the world. Perhaps the number 7, the number of completion or perfection, references the perfection of the Spirit or how His watch over the world, His illumination of the truth, or His casting back the darkness is perfect in its scope and power.
We also notice, in chapter 5, that these 7 spirits are connected to Christ. They are His eyes and are what give Him the perfect sight to see all that takes place on earth. As mysterious as it all seems, it is readily apparent that these 7 spirits are, indeed, the Holy Spirit and His work throughout the world and that He is the Spirit of Christ (1 Peter 1:11). He is God’s eyes on the world, He is God’s light into the world- perfectly.
Recognizing this, when we come to Revelation 1:20 and see that the lampstands represent the churches, it makes sense in light of Ephesians 2:22 which tells us that the church is composed of those “being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” And when we come to Revelation 2:5, we now recognize that the removal of the lampstand spells the end of the church because it is the removal of the Holy Spirit from that place.
John says grace and peace from the Holy Spirit. Perhaps he is reflecting on the words that he quoted from Jesus in his gospel (John 14:26-27), where Jesus says,
The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
The grace of the Spirit is given to us in His particular work as our Helper which leads to peace. In what way? John tells us in verse 26 that He teaches and He causes us to remember. Some translations translate this as the work of the Holy Spirit as our Comforter rather than Helper, and that is fitting as, among those things that the Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance, will be those sayings of the Lord, that offer consolation and peace in the midst of life’s storms. Jesus, after saying that He will send the Spirit, says in verse 27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” The Holy Spirit is the source of peace and comfort as He ministers to us, applying God’s Word to our specific situations. And this work is one of demonstrating God’s love to us through His Word. Recall Romans 5:5 that, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” God’s love is being poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit bringing to mind those precious promises of God’s Word and teaching us what they mean. And as He does so, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs” (Romans 8:16). This in no way covers all the Spirit does, but one of the main ways He blesses us is by being the author of peace and the giver of grace by coming to us in our afflictions, in our sorrows, in our sufferings, and communicating to us the love of the Father by bringing to mind the Word of God and teaching us to know it and to trust it.
And so when John says “grace and peace to you…,” he is reminding us of the work of the Spirit but he is also calling us to the act of receiving this work. When you are in a trial, call upon the Holy Spirit and ask the Comforter for comfort and when that comfort comes, praise His holy name for He has come on behalf of the Father and the Son to bring to you peace. Many of us are aware that the Scriptures contain warnings to not grieve the Spirit and, while there are many ways we might do that, included in them is a neglect of the Word. It is the Word that is the instrument in the Spirit’s hands to bring about the help and comfort He intends.
John continues, “and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”
John didn’t pull that description out of the air, but he is quoting, as he will often, from the Old Testament. Here he is appealing specifically to Psalm 89 which was understood by Jews to be a Messianic Psalm, meaning that it was written to describe the coming anointed king who will reign over all of his enemies as he sits upon the throne of David. Verse 27 of this Psalm puts these words in the mouth of God: “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” Verse 37 says of his throne that it will be “established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” And so, by using this language, John is saying “Jesus is the Messiah who conquer His enemies and the enemies of God’s people and will reign forever and all the promises surrounding the Messiah will be found in Him.”
It is of Christ that we most often think of when we think of the grace of God and this is only fitting. We see how John fleshes out the particular grace that comes via Christ by describing Him as the one who has freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to his God and Father.”
So, when we think of grace and peace from Christ, our minds should go to freedom from sin and freedom to service. And this addresses two of the most troubling questions that Christians face. The first is, “Who am I?” and “What do I have to offer?” “Who am I?” Through Christ you are the redeemed. You have been purchased by the blood of Christ and are now delivered and free from the bondage of sin and from the bondage of guilt. “What do I have to offer?” You are now a priest in the temple of the Most High God. And you offer yourself as a living sacrifice (Romans 12). Now don’t miss what Paul says in regards to our being living sacrifices. He writes, “By the mercies of God, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).
You are “holy and acceptable” in Christ. Sit on that for while this week won’t you? How few are those that grasp their true standing before God. Through Christ you are holy and acceptable! Incredible!
What is the response to these things? John shows us: “To him be glory and dominion forever and ever Amen.” And in that simple move, John teaches us something very important. Orthodoxy should always lead to Doxology. In other words, truth leads to praise.
We see this in Romans where Paul has spent 11 chapters spelling out great doctrinal truths, and before he shifts to calling for specific actions and applications of these truths, Paul bursts out in praise in 11:33-36: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
That is the proper response to truth. And this should mark our lives and our worship as we gather with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ each Lord’s Day. That time of worship should an act of response to the truth that is proclaimed in verse 8: “I am the Alpha and Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” John, undoubtedly, quotes this to emphasize God’s sovereignty over all history. We can have confidence in that which will come in the pages that follow because it will be the Revelation of the Almighty, the bringer of grace and peace and, thus, the One who is due our praise.
1. We can’t help but feel that the name for the Father in 1:4 echoes that of Exodus 3:14-15. In what ways do you believe these two descriptive names are similar in meaning? In what ways do these names for God provide comfort and assurance for His people?
2. We know that the “seven spirits” do not refer to a created being(s) because “grace and peace” comes from God alone. Accordingly, the phrase is understood to refer to the Holy Spirit in, as theologian Vern Poythress puts it, “sevenfold fulness.” In seeking to discern what the phrase means, we looked at Zechariah 4:1-10, Revelation 4:5 and 5:6. What conclusions did Pastor Doug come to regarding the reasoning behind the designation of the Holy Spirit as “seven spirits” based upon the reading of these three passages? Are there any other observations you might make? How does this example set the stage for how we read the book of Revelation and seek to understand it moving forward?
3. As noted, the terms to describe Christ come from Psalm 89. Look it up. Up until verse 38, things are pretty easy. The Psalm is describing God’s faithfulness and speaks of the One who will be established upon the throne of David forever. At verse 38 though, the whole tone of the Psalm shifts: “But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed.” What do you think is going on here? Verse 46 says “How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?” Old Testament professor Marvin Tate says that the explanation for the whole Psalm lies in the section of verses 39-52. He says that it is a lament that “reflects the perplexing experience of the contradiction between old promises and understandings of the ways of God and the actuality of the developments in history.” For the writer of the Psalm (Ethan the Ezrahite), he knows the promises of God regarding the throne of David but the high hopes and promises of God seem to be crushed by the actual events of the day. This being the case, how might this Psalm have been the perfect choice for John to use to describe Jesus in the book of Revelation taking into consideration the situation facing the letter’s recipients?
Reformer Martin Luther had a different take on the Psalm. He saw verses 39-52 as a description of Christ as He bore the penalties of our sins. Do you see how Luther might have seen Christ in these verses?
Augustine, on the other hand, understood these verses to be referring to the destruction of Jerusalem. Might he have had a point?
Three different takes from three different individuals who are highly esteemed as those who believe the Scriptures to be the inerrant Word of God and who seek to be faithful in their interpretations of it. What might we take away from this in terms of our own approach to difficult texts?
4. In what ways might we be called “priests to his God and Father”? see 1 Peter 2:4-9; Hebrews 13:15-16; Romans 12:1.
P.G. Matthew has offered this following list of suggestions for how we might live as priests. Glance over this list. What do you think? How are you doing? What are some ways we could encourage one another to live as faithful priests before our God?
As priests, New Testament believers offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus, their High Priest. What are some of these sacrifices?
Self-consecration (Rom. 12:1ff; 6:13; 2 Cor. 8:5; Ps. 51:17). We are not our own! Therefore we offer ourselves for the service of God in complete surrender of body and soul. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17). We are to think God’s thoughts, do God’s will, and feel the way God wants us to feel.
Complete obedience (Ps. 40:6-8; 1 Sam. 15:22). The modern evangelical heresy that says one can be a Christian by receiving Jesus as Savior but not as Lord is incompatible with the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Obedience to Jesus is the proof of our salvation and the key to our assurance. Obedience proves our love to God. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). We read of this sacrifice of obedience in Psalm 40:6-8, “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart,’” and 1 Samuel 15:22, “… Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” Jonathan Edwards wrote, “Christians, by offering obedience to God in their lives and conversation, do what the apostle calls offering their bodies to be a living sacrifice…”17
Praise (Heb. 13:15; Hosea 14:2; Ps. 107:22). We are to praise God continually for our salvation in Jesus Christ. We do so by singing biblical hymns, confessing our sins, and testifying to the glory of God.
Prayer (Ps. 141:2). As priests we offer to God our prayers like incense that they may be acceptable to him.
Possessions (Heb. 13:16; 6:10; 2 Cor. 9:13; Matt. 25:37-40; Gal. 6:10). Those who offer sacrifices of praise to God in words must also share their material goods with the needy, especially those of the household of faith. Without material sacrifice mere praise is phony (see Acts 4:32-37). Hebrews 13:16 says, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Sacrifice must be in deed as well as word.
Ministerial and missionary support (Phil. 4:14-19). The Philippian church shared their material goods with their minister and missionary, Paul. Their gifts were “a fragrant offering [to God], an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” If Christians are faithful in this sacrificial service, ministers will be well supported and missionary enterprise will flourish.
Witnessing (1 Pet. 2:9; Is. 43:21). We are a royal priesthood with a purpose: to declare the praises of him who called us out of the darkness of paganism into the wonderful light of the gospel. As the light of the world, we are to declare the gospel of God not only in the church but to the world.
Family life (Deut. 6:4-9). We are to function as priests of the Lord in our homes by teaching God’s law and requiring obedience to it. If we do not neglect the family altar, our churches will be healthy.
Work (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:23-24). As priests we do everything to the glory of God. There is no bifurcation between worship and vocation. Luther said “if a person was justified by faith in Christ, then … any work was God’s work, whether it was ploughing the field, milling the corn, sweeping the house, or bringing up children.”18We must labor to please a higher authority than our immediate boss. Practice of this aspect of the priesthood of all believers inevitably results in excellence at work, greater productivity and increased financial freedom.
Death (2 Tim. 4:6; Phil. 2:17). We live and die as priests of the Lord. May we die praying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
How can we offer these sacrifices? In the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 3:7, 20; Phil. 4:13; Col. 1:29). His mighty, powerful energy works in us and enables us to serve God acceptably. How do we appropriate his power? By faith. In the context of self-negation and complete reliance on another, God’s power is released for our use to live all of our lives, in every area, as royal priests before God.
