Philippians 2:10-11 ESV
Revelation Chapter 1
The first chapter of the Apocalypse, Revelation chapter 1, features many symbolic visions including the Son of Man, seven golden lampstands, stars, angels and seven spirits. There is a lot to unpack in this book of Revelation Bible study. Perhaps the greatest challenge you and I face as we try to make sense out of John's Apocalypse, is the difference in the spiritual world view of first century A.D. residents of Asia Minor, and the spiritual world view of modern day people. Greco-Roman theologies were the dominant religions of the known world at the time John wrote the Revelation, and had been for centuries. Revelation chapter 1 starts off with symbols and images that are probably foreign to most 21st century A.D. believers and non-believers alike. Contemporary readers of Revelation would readily understand the powerful spiritual struggles between the one true God, the God of Israel, Jesus Christ and the powers of darkness that John's Apocalypse brings quickly into view, via visions in Revelation chapter 1.
Revelation 1:1-8 English Standard Version
Prologue
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Greeting to the Seven Churches
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 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.”
Who is and who was and who is to come
Revelation 1:4a …English Standard Version (ESV)
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come
John departs from the typical salutation most often used by New Testament writers, for example “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:2 ESV
John transforms that typical Christian salutation by using three separate clauses; who is, who was, and who is to come, each functioning as a divine title.
The Apostle used those three phrases as a polemic against Zeus, who was considered the Most High God by Greco-Roman theology, the world's predominant theology at the time of the New Testament writings. A polemic is a speech or piece of writing expressing a strongly critical attack on or controversial opinion about someone or something.
The oracle at Dodana, who was contemporaneous with the NT, and preceded the oracle at Delphi, has been cited as describing Zeus as “Zeus was, Zeus is, Zeus shall be. Oh Mighty Zeus''.
Revelation 1:4a would have been recognized by everyone familiar with the descriptions of Zeus that the Apostle was making a bold theological claim to the Greco-Roman world. That the God of Israel was what Zeus claimed to be, the true one God, who is, who was and who is coming. Hopefully, Revelation Chapter 1 is clearing some of the fog and confusion of John's Apocalypse.
The statue of Zeus located in Olympia, Greece, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world. Shown here as an artistic reproduction.
The statue of Zeus was made by the Greek sculptor Phidias, completed in 430 BC. It is 41 feet high. The armature and framework is made of cedar wood, covered with ivory, ebony, bronze, gold leaf and precious stones.
Zeus’ robe and pair of sandals were made out of gold. His footstool was upheld by gold lions. In his left hand was a scepter crowned with an eagle's head symbolizing his dominion over Earth. In his right hand sat a life-size statue of Nike, the winged goddess of victory.
Rome’s new Christian emperor Theodosius I ordered the statue dismantled and stripped of its gold in 391 AD. All that remains of the temple and statue of Zeus in Olympia, Greece are the temple's fallen columns and the foundation of the building, which were uncovered during 19th and 20th Century archaeological digs.
Revelation Chapter 1:4-7
Revelation 1:4-7 ESV
Greeting to the Seven Churches
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 on account of him. Even so. Amen.
Verse 4 mentions "the seven spirits who are before his throne." Who those seven spirits are and what their relationship to the seven churches is, can be derived from the following verses.
Seven golden lampstands are mentioned...
Revelation 1:12 ESV
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
Seven stars are in the right hand of the glorified son of Man...
Revelation 1:16 ESV
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
Seven stars are identified as angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are identified as the seven churches...
Revelation 1:20 ESV
20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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.
Jesus holds the seven spirits, the seven stars...
Revelation 3:1 ESV
To the Church in Sardis
3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Rev 1:16, the glorified son of Man of Jesus, has seven stars in his right hand;
Rev 1:20, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches
Rev 3:1, Jesus has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, implying that the seven stars, who are the seven angels are also the seven spirits of God in Revelation 1:4
As you can see, demystifying the Book of Revelation, gets off to a really good start in Revelation Chapter 1.
Revelation 1:7 ESV
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 on account of him. Even so. Amen.
Several times in the OT, the cloud rider motif is used to describe the God of Israel, Yahweh. John alludes here with the phrase "coming with the clouds" motif the only occurrence in the Old Testament where the riding on the clouds imagery refers to someone other than Yahweh, which is in Daniel 7:13, and that occasion refers to the Son of Man, Jesus Christ.
Daniel 7:13 ESV
The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
John sees "even those who have pierced him" in verse 7, as a fulfillment of Zechariah's Old Testament prophecy.
Zechariah 12:10 ESV
Him Whom They Have Pierced
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
The Alpha and Omega
Revelation 1:8 … ESV
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
In Revelation chapter 1, verse 8, we have this same threefold description in tandem with "I am the Alpha and the Omega, which we later learn means the first and the last (Rev 21:6; 22:13). John is once again alluding to Old Testament passages such as these.
Isaiah 41:4 English Standard Version
4 Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.
Isaiah 43:10 ESV
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.
Isaiah 44:6 ESV
Besides Me There Is No God
6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
Isaiah 48:12 ESV
The Lord's Call to Israel
12 “Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last.
John wants readers to know that the God of Moses, the God of Israel, who is, was, and is coming, will deliver believers under persecution as he delivered the remnant of Israel in the past, from Egypt, Babylon and now, the nations and powers of darkness. More than that, for John, this God became a man in Jesus Christ. John specifically links his description of God in Revelation 1:4a, 8 with Jesus in Revelation 1:17-18.
Revelation 1:17-18 ESV
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
The Him, is Jesus Christ, and He died, yet lives, and has the keys to everlasting life and death. Its this Jesus, in Revelation Chapter 1, that is on the side of those who believe.
Revelation Chapter 1:12-16
Seven golden lampstands and stars, son of man, two-edged sword
The theological point of the images in Revelation Chapter 1 are intended to convey that believers should understand that when Jesus returns, He will battle like He did in Old Testament times.
God battled against both the evil nations, and all those among the churches who compromised their faith.
Revelation 19:11-16 ESV
The Rider on a White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 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. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 2:14-16 ESV
14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
The seven golden lampstands
A painting made circa 1,000 A.D titled "The Son of Man and the seven lampstands."Revelation 1:12-16 ESV
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
In verses 12-15, John identifies the Son of Man, with Yahweh himself, the Ancient of Days. John fuses the imagery of the two into one.
The seven lampstands(seven churches), in Revelation 1:12 are John's allusion to Zechariah 4:1-2, which is actually describing a menorah.
Zechariah 4:1-2 ESV
Vision of a Golden Lampstand
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.
The seven golden lampstands are the seven eyes of the Lord
These seven golden lampstands are further identified as "the eyes of the Lord which range throughout the whole earth."
Zechariah 4:10b ESV
10...“These seven(lampstands) are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.”
Before going on, let's recap what we've learned about these visions so far:
Rev 1:16, the glorified son of Man of Jesus, has seven stars in his right hand;
Rev 1:20, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches
Rev 3:1, Jesus has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, implying that the seven stars, who are the seven angels are also the seven spirits of God in Revelation 1:4
Zech 4:10, these seven lampstands, seven stars, seven angels of the seven churches, seven spirits before the throne of God, are also the seven eyes of the lord, which range throughout the whole earth.
2 Chronicles explains the purpose and workings of these eyes of the lord.
2 Chronicles 16:8-11 ESV
8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”
Verse 13, the Apostle writes the phrase "clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest." This is an allusion to Daniel chapter 10. It would help if you would read all of chapter 10, which will familiarize you with many symbols, visions and allusions to appear in later chapters of Revelation.
Daniel 10:5-6 ESV
5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
Revelation Chapter 1:17-18
Revelation 1:17-18 ESV
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Verse 18, "I have the keys of Death and Hades" refers to the universal sovereignty that Jesus attained following God raising him from the dead.
The elements of this phrase are found in...
Revelation 5:5-6 ESV
5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 And 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.
Verse 6, "standing as though slain," standing refers to the fact he is now living, though he was slain. The "seven spirits(angels) of God sent out into all the earth" reveals the sovereignty of Jesus Christ.
Death and Hades in Revelation 18 are terms that often denote places, but, they are also personified as entities. Several Old Testament verses personify Death and Hades.
Hosea 13:14 ESV
14 I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death. O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.
Habakkuk 2:5 ESV
5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.”
Isaiah 5:14 ESV
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure,
and the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude will go down, her revelers and he who exults in her.
Proverbs 1:12 ESV
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
The names Death and Hades/Sheol should be understood as not only places, but more importantly as supernatural, spiritual beings governing those places.
The image of "keys" plays a very important role in all major ancient near east theologies. The Jewish, Christian, Roman and Greek theologians all wanted to portray their "god" as the keeper of the keys to the underworld.
A prominent deity in the ancient Greco-Roman world to possess the keys to the underworld is Hekate, also known as Artemis and Diana. There are many scholars who believe that Jesus holding the keys to Death and Hades is a polemic against the Hellenistic goddess Artemis, and the Egyptian god Anubis, the Egyptian guardian of the underworld.
John writes in Revelation Chapter 1, that the risen Jesus Christ, has conquered Death and Hades. Jesus is now Lord of life and death.
In fact, all imagery used to describe both the underworld and heaven is consistent throughout all the ancient near eastern religions.
An engraving by Gustave Dore done in 1865, found in a circa 1950 Swedish Bible. The engraving is titled "Death on the Pale Horse." It depicts personified Death, the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse, followed by bat-winged demons.
I hope this Bible Study of Revelation Chapter 1 has helped to bring some clarity to the often frightening and bewildering visions in the Book of Revelation.
The apostle John wanted to assure those who believe in Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ will deliver them safely to heaven through, persecution, false teachers, and the powers of darkness.
Jesus Christ delivered Israel from 400 plus years of bone crushing slavery in Egypt, 70 years of exile in Babylon and once more, soon, from Satan allied with the nations.
Jesus does call us to not defile ourselves, to not compromise the faith delivered by Jesus Christ and the Apostles, and not to fall prey to the prostitute, the allure of this world.
My hope and prayers are that this Bible study has delivered God's truth, that you will examine the Holy Scriptures to see if what's been said is so, that you will use the truth revealed, to change the way you make decisions, so that you might obey God more.
Thank you for participating in this Bible study of Revelation Chapter 1.
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