Revelations from Revelation 7: chapter 1, verses 4-8

In previous verses, John has told us about the nature of his letter, the author(s), and audience. Scholars have identified vv. 4-8 as the "greeting," a distinctive feature of Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) letters. You may recognize the style from Paul's letters since he often stays true to epistolary form. Sadly, modern readers tend to skip over greetings to get to the supposed meat of the letter and miss these very important verses. Paul, for instance, often uses the greeting and thanksgiving to give a summary of the ideas he will cover in the letter. Here in The Revelation, the author gives us a massive spoonful of theology in these four short verses.

In v. 4, John further specifies his audience as the seven churches of Asia, presumably the same as those who will receive specific challenges, warnings, and commendations in chapters 2-3. Again, he does not greet those of us in 2010 America, because we aren't the supreme focus of his letter. Nevertheless, he offers a common Christian greeting of grace and peace, but expounds on those theologically rich blessings by attributing them to a timeless God. God was, and is, and is to come. You'll see this description often throughout The Revelation, but here I will at least note that the circumstance of John's recipients makes the author's theology come alive. Sure, it is encouraging in any situation to know that God is timeless, but it is a truth that allows a suffering Christian to hold on to his last thread of hope when God seems as if he has disappeared. When all seems lost, God is not dead and he has not abandoned his people. A God outside of time is present at all times.

For the sake of length, I will simply say that the seven Spirits likely refer to the Holy Spirit. Thus, one might note that John includes the three persons of the Trinity in his greeting. Recently, I've been studying early church history and am surprised at how long it took to grasp the concept of the Trinity. Remember that this confusing doctrine is never concisely explained in the Bible. I believe that the doctrine of the Trinity is certainly implicit. But based purely on scripture, I cannot be surprised that the early father's struggled to understand the Trinity. My point is that we read right past references to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit because it has been taught to us since childhood. But, for John's audience, his reference to each person of the trinity is revolutionary.

In verse 5, Jesus is described in 5 ways. First, he's the faithful witness, a term used in chapter three to describe a martyr who retained his faith in spite of persecution. Jesus is the supreme example to follow. Second, he's the firstborn of the dead, implying there will be a second and third and so on. If John's readers remain faithful witnesses and die for their faith, it will not be the end because there is a resurrected. Easter brings a hope that cannot be stolen or murdered. Third, Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth. His reign is sovereign, even when suffering persists. Just as God used Pharaoh and King Nebuchadnezzar to accomplish his will, so he can use the emporers because he is their king. Fourth, Jesus is one who loves us, so when his sovereignty allows his people to suffer his love for them is not diminished. And fifth, he is the savior who has freed his followers from their sins by his death. When life is looked at in perspective, salvation the only rescue that will ever be absolutely vital. Even when persecution brings death, victory has still been won for the believer by Jesus' death.

Verse 6 speaks of the Church's status as a kingdom. Christians did not have their own country, nations, or probably even neighborhoods at this time. They felt like foreigners or aliens in a strange land. Thus, it must have been comforting to know that they were a kingdom in themselves. And their role within this kingdom is that of a priest: to facilitate worship. I want to note here that practically every phrase is pregnant with references to Old Testament images. Other than Hebrews and possibly Matthew, The Revelation is one of the most Jewish books in the New Testament. So, when you have questions concerning John's language or subject matter, it probably seems odd because it's quite Jewish.

Verse 7 moves us from who Jesus is and what he has done, to future events. He will return some day. In my own life, I notice that I don't anticipate Jesus' return when life is going well. It's easy to secretly hope that Jesus waits until I have kids or until I'm done with school. But when my heart is heavy and life is oppressive, I find it easy to hope for a speedy return. In the words of Janis Joplin, "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose." It's the broken person who is blessed with a genuine anticipation for the Second Coming. On a side note, the images of clouds and wailing come from Daniel 7 and Zech. 12.

You might notice that v. 7 doesn't leave much room for two separate returns of Christ. Jesus is coming and "every eye will see him," which doesn't sound like the secret rapture of believers described in Left Behind. Premillennialists might say that he's referring to the Second Coming that will occur after a rapture and then 1,000 interim. If that's true, why wouldn't the author encourage these persecuted people with the promise that God will scoop them off the earth soon? Why encourage them with an event that won't take place until a millennium after they've already reached Heaven?

Anyway, v. 8 contains the words of God, that he is the "alpha and omega," which are of course the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. And again, he was and is and is to come. God's mini-autobiography in this verse remains an encouragement to me when I get discouraged about the events of my life or feel frustrated with my lack of control. I've been trying to look at the stars more because they remind me that God is Creator and that the One who sustains far away galaxies and created all that I know can surely take care of my relatively small situations.

My further point of application is this: theology is practical. I hate that modern Christians ONLY want to know how something applies "practically" to their lives in the sense that it suggests a specific action. Most people deal with discouragement by talking with someone, or journaling, or any number of action oriented ways. But we forget that theology is like the neosporin that must underlay the band-aids of physical actions. When the going gets tough, think about and remember that God is present, in control, the author of hope, a perfect example of endurance, and the defeater of life's biggest problems: sin, death, and Hell. Let that theology be the base of what you do, so when you talk to someone about your problems, talk about who God is. When you write about your hurts, write also about the nature of God. There is nothing more practical that that.

Sorry I'm becoming more sporadic with my posts. I've been brushing up on Greek and learning Hebrew in preparation for school. I love learning languages, but it is very time consuming. I'll try to be more consistent.

-Matt