Revelation 1:4

John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; JOHN the apostle None but he (supposing the writer honest) would sign himself nakedly without addition JOHN - the apostle. None but he (supposing the writer honest) would sign himself nakedly without addition. As sole surviving representative of the apostles and eye-witnesses of the Lord, he needed no designation except his name to be recognized. SEVEN CHURCHES - not that there were not more churches in that region, but seven expresses totality. These seven represent the universal Church of all times and places. See Trench's 'Epistles to Seven Churches,' note, Revelation 1:20, on...

4-8 There can be no true peace, where there is not true grace; and where grace goeth before, peace will follow. This blessing is in the name of God, of the Holy Trinity, it is an act of adoration. The Father is first named; he is described as the Jehovah who is, and who was, and who is to come, eternal, unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is called the seven spirits, the perfect Spirit of God, in whom there is a diversity of gifts and operations. The Lord Jesus Christ was from eternity, a Witness to all the counsels of God. He is the First-born from the dead, who will by his own power raise up his people. He is the Prince of the kings of the earth; by him their counsels are overruled, and to him they are accountable. Sin leaves a stain of guilt and pollution upon the soul. Nothing can fetch out this stain but the blood of Christ; and Christ shed his own blood to satisfy Divine justice, and pu...

Verse Revelation 1:4. _JOHN TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES_] The apostle begins this much in the manner of the Jewish prophets. They often name themselves in the messages which they receive from God to deliver to the people; e.g. "The vision of ISAIAH, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem." "The words of JEREMIAH, the son of Hilkiah; to whom the word of the Lord came." "The word of the Lord came expressly unto EZEKIEL, the priest." "The word of the Lord that came unto HOSEA, the son of Beeri." "The word of the Lord that came to JOEL." "The words of AMOS, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa." "The vision of OBADIAH; thus saith the Lord." "The word of the Lord came unto JONAH." So, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which he sent and signified to his servant JOHN." "JOHN to the seven Churches," c. The _Asia_ here mentioned was what is called Asia M

JOHN TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES WHICH ARE IN ASIA - The word “Asia” is used in quite different senses by different writers. It is used: (1)As referring to the whole eastern continent now known by that name; (2)Either Asia or Asia Minor; (3)That part of Asia which Attalus III, king of Pergamos, gave to the Romans, namely, Mysia, Phrygia, Lycaonia, Lydia, Carla, Pisidia, and the southern coast - that is, all in the western, southwestern, and southern parts of Asia Minor; and, (4)In the New Testament, usually the southwestern part of Asia Minor, of which Ephesus was the capital. See the notes at Acts 2:9. The wo

EXPOSITION THE TITLE. The simplest form of this, as of other books of the New Testament, is the oldest: 'The Revelation of John' (Αποκάλυψις Ιωάννου). Other forms worth noting are: 'The Revelation of John the Apostle and Evangelist;' 'The Revelation of the holy and most glorious Apostle and Evangelist, the virgin, the beloved, that leaned on the breast, John the Divine.' 'The divine' as a title for St. John, which is retained here in both the Authorized Version and the Revised Version, is certainly as old as Eusebius ('Praep. Evan.,' 11.18). Recent discoveries at Ephesus have shown that "divines" (θεολόγοι) was a title of the chief priests in the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. It is possible, but hardly probable, that this suggested the title for St. John. It probably points to his witness to the Divinity of the Logos or Word. Eusebius ('Hist. Eccl.,' III. 24.13) remarks that John omit...

JOHN TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES WHICH ARE IN ASIA,.... In lesser Asia; their names are mentioned in Revelation 1:11; GRACE [BE] UNTO YOU, AND PEACE; which is the common salutation of the apostles in all their epistles, and includes all blessings of grace, and all prosperity, inward and outward: Romans 1:7. The persons from whom they are wished are very particularly described, FROM HIM WHICH IS, AND WHICH WAS, AND WHICH IS TO COME; which some understand of the whole Trinity; the Father by him "which is", being the I am that I am; the Son by him "which was", which was with God the Father, and was God; and the Spirit by him "which is to come", who was promised to come from the Father and the Son, as a Comforter, and the Spirit of truth: others think Christ is here only intende

Revelation 1:1. _The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw._ John was one who was of the same spirit as his Master. He lived in very intimate communion with his Lord, and, therefore, to him the choicest revelations were made. The Lord does not reveal his secret to uncongenial minds. He that will do his will shall know of the doctrine, and he shall know all secret things. Oh! if we lived nearer to God, if we walked more in the love of Christ, how much more we might know and see; or, if we saw not visions, yet there are inward perceptions to the heart which God would grant us if we lived more in the light of his countenance....

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE PATMOS VISION OF THE GLORIFIED SON OF MAN CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The introduction (Revelation 1:1)_ 2. Greeting and benediction (Revelation 1:4) 3. The praise (Revelation 1:6) 4. The testimony of the Almighty (Revelation 1:8) 5. John in Patmos (Revelation 1:9) 6. The vision of Christ in glory (Revelation 1:12) 7. The commission ...

THE GREETING is addressed to the seven churches of Asia for whom the book was written. REVELATION 1:4. SEVEN CHURCHES, _ i.e._ Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. ASIA: not in the modern sense but the Roman province, which extended along the western coast-line of what is now known as Asia Minor. WHICH WAS, etc.: this phrase describes the eternity of God. He is Lord of the past, the present, and the future. THE SEVEN SPIRITS: a startling expression. We expect a reference to the Holy Spirit as in the benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14. Many scholars think the writer uses this phrase to describe the Holy Spirit in His plenitude and perfection, and with the intention of signifying that each of the seven churches has its spe

The opening scenes of Revelation are of the most striking character. Though the apostle is confined upon. lonely rock of the sea and is far away from the saints assembled in the name of Christ, yet be is "in the spirit" upon the Lord's day. This day, rendered sacred by the resurrection of the Savior, the day on which he appeared. second time, and upon which the wonderful scenes of Pentecost occurred, had been observed by the Church from its organization as. time set apart to congregational worship. John, though denied the privilege of joining in the exercises of. Christian assembly, evidently devoted the day to prayer and meditation, thereby setting an example for every lonely saint; and his soul was lifted to. spiritual exaltation that peculiarly fitted him for communion with God. While thus engaged, the silence and loneliness of Patmos were broken by the sound of. mighty voice which ra...