Revelation 1:4

Prologue, Revelation 1:4-9

4. John The Apostle, the son of Zebedee, who (probably afterwards) wrote the Gospel: see Introduction.

seven churches The number of course is symbolical or representative: there were other churches in Asia, e.g. at Colossae and Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13). But the Seven Churches represent "the Holy Church throughout all the world." It was very early observed, that St Paul also wrote to seven churches the Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Philippians, Ephesians (?), and Colossians.

in Asia The proconsular province of that name. In Acts 16:6 "Asia" seems to be used in a still narrower sense, being distinguished from the adjoining districts of Phrygia and Mysia, as well as from the provinces of Galatia and Bithynia; so that it would correspond approximately with the ancient kingdom of Lydia. But as Pergamum was in Mysia, and Laodicea in Phrygia, it seems that here the word is used to include the whole province.

Grace … and peace So St Paul in all hisEpistles to the Seven Churches, Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; and so Philemon 1:3. In his later private letters the form varies "Grace, mercy, and peace," 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4 as in St John's second Epistle. St James (Revelation 1:1) uses the common secular salutation "greeting" (cf. Acts 15:23): St Peter has "grace and peace" as here, but in his first Epistle does not say fromWhom they are to come.

from him The sacred Name is in the nominative, being treated as indeclinable: as though we should say in English "from He Who is," &c. For general remarks on the grammatical (or ungrammatical) peculiarities of this book, see Introduction, p. xxi. Here at least it is plain, that the anomaly is not due to ignorance, but to the writer's mode of thought being so vigorous That it must express itself in its own way, at whatever violence to the laws of language.

which is, and which was, and which is to come A paraphrase of the "Ineffable name" revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:14 sq.), which we, after Jewish usage, write "Jehovah" and pronounce "the Lord." Or, rather perhaps, a paraphrase of the explanation of the Name given to him l. c., "I am That I am" which is rendered by the LXX. "I am He Which Is;" by the Targum of Palestine on Exod. "I am He who is and who will be." The same Targum on Deuteronomy 32:39 has "Behold now, I am He who Am and Was, and Will Be."

which was is again ungrammatical in Greek: the only word that could be used grammatically, would mean "which was made" or "which began to be," and is therefore avoided. Compare the opposition of the "being" of God or Christ, and the "becoming" or "being made" of creatures, in St John's Gospel, John 1:6; John 1:8-9; John 8:58.

is to come Probably only used to express future time not referring to the "Coming" of Christ; for thus far we have a threefold name for the Father the Son is separately mentioned afterwards. Else, "He that is to come" is often used as a familiar and distinctive title of Christ: see Matthew 11:3; Matthew 21:9; John 6:14; John 11:27; Hebrews 10:37; John Ep. John 11:7: cf. 1 John 2:18, where the same word is pointedly used of Antichrist. But with this more general sense we may compare "the wrath to come," 1 Thessalonians 1:10, "the world to come," Mark 10:30, and "things to come," John 16:13; John 18:4.

seven Spirits Song of Solomon 3:1; Song of Solomon 4:5; Song of Solomon 5:6. In the second of these passages it would be possible to understand the name of seven chief Angels (see Revelation 8:2): but here it would scarcely seem possible that creatures should be, not merely coupled with the Creator as sources of blessing, but actually thrust into the midst of His being, between the two Divine Persons. "The seven Spirits" thus made coordinate with the Father and the Son can scarcely be other than the Holy Ghost, Who is known to us in His seven-fold operations and gifts, and Who perhapshas some sevenfold character in Himself; which we cannot and need not understand, but of which there seem to be intimations in the passages of this book referred to, and in Zechariah 3:9; Zechariah 4:10, by which these are certainly to be illustrated.