Revelation Verse by Verse

Grant R. Osborne

• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781577997351
• Topic: Théologie et religion
• Subtopic: Commentaire biblique

Revelation is like no other book in the New Testament. Its bizarre images need explaining even for seasoned Bible readers, but when we turn to biblical scholars we find that they don't all agree.In Revelation Verse by Verse, Grant R. Osborne offers a clear exposition of the book that takes seriously both its first-century context and what it means today. Where he disagrees with other interpretations of particular images, he briefly mentions them but remains focused on the text throughout. Rather than being a book that stirs up fear, Revelation is instead a hopeful and even devotional book, focused on the certainty of God's bringing his plans to completion, the futility of Satan and his plans, and the glory of the Lamb. Revelation Verse by Verse is the first volume in the Osborne New Testament Commentaries, a new series from noted Bible scholar Grant R. Osborne directed toward pastors and committed laypeople.

PROLOGUE

THE WORK OF THE TRIUNE GODHEAD

(1:1–11)

John begins his visionary tract with an introduction showing he considers this to be a prophetic letter addressing the situation of the churches in the Roman province of Asia (the western third of modern-day Turkey). The letter greeting occurs in 1:4–5, and is preceded by a highly theological foreword. This foreword contains the most dramatic statement in Scripture on the process of revelation (1:1–2) and the first of seven blessings, or beatitudes, in the book (1:3). The core part of the section has to be 1:4b–5, in which the work of each member of the Trinity is placed at the center of the apocalyptic action to come. The passage continues with the motto of the book (1:7–8), which establishes the perspective that the Lord over history is in control and that readers must repent or face divine judgment. Finally, John specifies his situation as the seer communicating the visions to the churches (1:9–11). He encourages them with the news that even though he is in exile on the island of Patmos, his kingdom ministry to the province’s churches continues. Like other prologues in the New Testament (e.g., Mark 1:1–15, John 1:1–18), the purpose of this section is to establish the theological foundation for the book. Through this the readers understand the basic themes, and they will then see these theological themes worked out in the rest of the book.

JOHN DISCLOSES THE FOUR-STAGE PROCESS OF REVELATION (1:1–2)

John uses a highly unusual foreword—there is nothing like it in any of the other New Testament letters—to establish at the outset the divine authority behind the book. God is not silent as the churches face the crisis of persecution but speaks powerfully through apocalyptic visions sent to assure the believers that he is still in control. The title itself is important, as the opening should be rendered “the revelation from Jesus Christ.” Jesus wants to strengthen their resolve by revealing to them God’s “hidden secrets” or mysteries (the meaning of apokalypsis) about the end of history and his sovereign control over this world (see also Matt 10:26; Luke 17:30; 1 Cor 1:7, 14:6; Gal 1:12; Eph 3:3, 5). Through the visions sent to John for the church, the formerly hidden truths about the end of this age and the destruction of evil powers are now being uncovered.

This is the only place in all of Scripture where the actual process of revelation is explained. It is a four-stage movement: God gave it to Jesus, who had the angels mediate it to John, who then wrote it down for the churches.1 This nearly parallels the Gospel of John, where the process is God—Jesus—Holy Spirit—disciples—world (John 7:16–18; 8:26, 28, 38; 14:10). This also begins the theme of oneness in the book, as God and Jesus together show these visions “to their slaves,” meaning they unveil the reality and meaning of the divine actions in present and future (as in John 5:20; 10:32). The saints are “slaves,” a special term used often in the New Testament for Christians as the “special possession” of God (1 Pet 2:9; see Rom 1:1; Phil 1:1; Titus 1:1; Jas 1:1). The content of the revelation is the imminent events of the end of history (“what must soon take place”). This stems from Daniel 2:28–29, where Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about “things to come.” It is found at other key points in this book regarding God’s absolute control over future events (Rev 1:19; 4:1; 22:6).

The adverb in the phrase “what must soon take place” can refer to imminence (“soon”) or the swiftness with which God will act (“suddenly, without delay”). While “I come quickly” in 2:16; 3:11; 11:14 refers to God’s swift actions, the phrase here more likely refers to time. Yet this is also problematic, for it has been nearly 2000 years since these prophecies and little has happened. It is important that “soon” in the New Testament seldom means there is nothing yet to occur. It is eschatological (= end times) language intended to draw the reader into a sense of expectation and responsibility in order to recognize God’s hand in the events of history. It means that God has initiated the events of the last days, and we must ready ourselves for the end. Remember the twofold clarification in 2 Peter 3:8–9: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.… He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” We all must be grateful to the Lord for his patience—if we have been Christians for 20 years, we thank God that Christ did not return 21 years ago! Revelation 6:11 recognizes that a period of time will ensue before the Parousia (the second coming), so “soon” does not mean “in the next moment.” Rather, it means the climactic events have already started, and in God’s own time the end will be soon.

The phrase “made it known” contains the idea of revealing via signs or symbols. It likely refers to the symbols used in the visions to depict the imminent events that will lead to the end. So Christ will show John and the churches the symbols that will signify God’s actions in present and future and bring world history to its God-intended conclusion. John will receive these visions and witness or testify to the churches regarding their meaning.

John tells his readers that these visions constitute “the word of God” and “the testimony of Jesus.” There are two implicit sentences here emphasizing the heavenly origin of the visions—God has spoken his word, and Jesus has testified through these divinely inspired pictures to the churches. Throughout the book, these two phrases frequently emphasize the actual source of everything written down in it (Rev 1:9; 6:9; 17:17; 19:9–10; 20:4). The emphasis is on the trustworthy nature of these God-sent communications. These are not subjective dreams or imaginative stories but visions stemming from God in heaven (see also Rev 1:11, 19; 19:9; 21:5; 22:6–9). They are absolutely true, and the church must carefully study the book’s message.

JOHN BLESSES THE READER AND THE HEEDER (1:3)

The seven beatitudes, or blessings, in the book are linked to the ethical purpose of the visions, with some challenging to persevere and live exemplary lives (Rev 1:3; 16:15; 22:7) and others promising future rewards for doing so (Rev 14:13; 19:9; 20:6; 22:14). The meaning of “blessed are” is the same as in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:3–12): “God blesses those who …” The emphasis is on reading the prophecies in a church setting. The “reader” refers to the official reader in the service. In the second century, this person was a church officer, and in synagogues there were five readers for festivals and seven for the Sabbath. At times a rabbi would read a passage and then preach on it like Jesus did in Luke 4:16–30. The important thing to note is that this book was treated as Scripture from the start. It is sad that in many churches today the reading of Scripture is falling by the wayside. I have even heard it said that we must limit oral reading because Scripture is boring! We are dealing with the only eternal truth we have—the Word of God! We must recover the privilege and excitement of letting God speak in our services by reading his written Word as an act of worship.

The second divine blessing in this verse falls on those who listen and live by the exhortations. This dual injunction to hear and keep occurs often in the New Testament (e.g., John 4:42; 8:38; 12:47; 14:23–24). In this book it is a key formula in the seven letters—“Let the one who has an ear hear what the Spirit says” (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 12–13, 21–22)—and occurs frequently elsewhere (3:3; 12:17; 14:12; 16:15; 22:7, 9). We persevere by remaining faithful to God’s required lifestyle. These visions are not cute stories or imaginative fictions meant to entertain. This is a prophetic book of comfort (to the saved) and warning (to the unsaved) that calls the saints to accountability. Moreover, it is not enough just to “hear” these truths; until one “keeps” or obeys them, the Christian is disobedient to God and headed for judgment.

The reason for the special seriousness of this injunction is because “the time is near.” As in verse 1, the emphasis is on the imminence of the final events of human history. In fact, the book is framed by warnings regarding the imminent eschaton (here and in 22:10). The nearness of the Lord’s return appears frequently in the New Testament as a call to live responsibly toward God and Christ.2 Since Christ could appear at any minute, we must live decisively and completely for God.

JOHN GREETS THE CHURCHES AND PRAISES THE TRINITY (1:4–6)

These three verses go far beyond the normal prescript of a letter (with a sender, a recipient, and a greeting). Only 1 Peter 1:1–2 is similar, with its own Trinitarian anchor to the greeting. Here the work of the Trinity in 1:4–5a is followed in 5b–6 with core statements for the book having to do with salvation (1:5b) and the church (1:6).

The normal conventions of ancient letter writing begin this section, with John addressing the recipients, “the seven churches in the province of Asia.” It is hard to know why these particular churches were chosen, when many like Hierapolis or Colossae (a few miles from Laodicea) are omitted. It is possible they were chosen because these cities lay on the major Roman roads through the province, and they were intended to be representative of the rest of the churches. The cities are addressed in the geographical order by which a courier could drop off copies of the book traveling on these Roman roads.3 Each letter addresses the historical situation and needs of each church in turn. At the same time, they are intended to typify the problems of all churches. The message is plural: “what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The greeting is common to nearly all New Testament letters, with “grace” the regular Greek greeting and “peace/shalom” the Jewish greeting. This is in effect an eschatological promise and offer of God’s grace and peace to those who will turn their lives over to Christ. In the world these are a mere unrealized hope, but in Christ these become a reality. This is especially so because John goes on to anchor this promise first in the triune Godhead and then in the salvation that Christ has won by his death for his followers.

PRESENT, PAST, AND FUTURE (1:4A)

God is given a unique title, “the one who is and was and is to come.” This is a paraphrase of the divine name “Yahweh,” defined in Exodus 3:14–15 as “I am who I am.” It occurs four more times in the book (Rev 1:8; 4:8; 12:17; 16:5), and means that God is sovereign over past, present, and future; he is Lord over history and guides the affairs of mortal humanity according to his will. Here the present aspect is listed first, and this order is significant. The readers know that God controlled the past; the entire Old Testament recalls that truth. They also know he controls the future, for the visions of this book prove that. But they aren’t so certain regarding the present. It seems the powers of evil, in particular the Roman Empire, are actually in control. This title corrects that erroneous conclusion, saying in effect, “The God who controlled the past and is in charge of the future is actually sovereign over the present situation, even though it may not seem like it.”

SEVEN SPIRITS (1:4B)

The second anchor for the greeting, “the seven spirits before his throne,” is debated (see also 3:1; 4:5; 5:6). Some think the spirits are angels, perhaps the seven archangels mentioned in Jewish apocalyptic literature4 or the angels to whom the seven letters are written in chapters 2–3. However, the term “spirit” is not used of angels in the book, and the context is more favorable to a Trinitarian emphasis here. The use of “seven” probably stems from Isaiah 11:2 in the Septuagint (which adds a seventh virtue, “godliness,” to the six in the Hebrew Bible) and Zechariah 4:2, 10 (which has seven lamps as the “eyes of the LORD that range throughout the earth”). In Zechariah 4:6 the “LORD Almighty” says these things take place “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.” In Revelation 5:6 this “sevenfold Spirit” has “seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth,” a further allusion to Zechariah 4:6. Inlight of this background, it is best to translate, “the sevenfold (or perfect) Holy Spirit.” The perfect Spirit is both “of God” (3:11; 4:5) and of the Lamb (5:6); thereby he stands “before the throne,” the place of divine sovereign rule over this world. In 4:2 God sits on the throne, and in 5:6 the Lamb is “standing at the center of the throne.” Thus the Spirit of God and of Christ stands with the other members of the Godhead “before the throne.”

THE ATTRIBUTES OF JESUS (1:5–6)

The third anchor is Jesus Christ, described here with two threefold attributes, first dealing with who he is (1:5a) and second with what he does (1:5b–6). All six of these are themes that will continue in the rest of the book. As “faithful witness,” Jesus in his earthly life is the model for his followers of one who perseveres in faithfulness to God in the midst of opposition and persecution. The witness theme in the book is closely tied to martyrdom. Jesus’ witness (also 3:14) is reproduced in the faithful lives of the saints as they remain true to God in a world that has turned against them (see 1:9; 6:9; 12:11, 17; 17:6; 19:10; 20:4).

Jesus is also “firstborn from the dead,” turning to his postresurrection glory. There are two emphases here: First, he is sovereign over life and death. In Psalm 89:27 in the Septuagint David is described as “firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth,” and Jesus as Davidic Messiah is supreme over all earthly rule. In Colossians 1:15 Christ is “firstborn over all creation,” meaning supreme or sovereign Lord over God’s creation. So Christ controls the powers of death and life on behalf of his followers. This is part of the oneness motif in the book: God is sovereign over his creation, and so is his Son. Second, he is the prototype for those who will be raised with him. As in 1 Corinthians 15:20–23, Christ was raised as the “firstfruits” who guaranteed our own future resurrection from the dead. Throughout, Revelation stresses that all the faithful will share in his resurrection and exaltation (see 2:7, 11; 7:15–17; 20:6; 22:2–3, 14, 17).

The emphasis on Jesus’ absolute sovereignty continues in “ruler of the kings of the earth.” This is another central theme, preparing for Christ as “King of kings and Lord of lords” in 19:16. The same Christ who is Lord over life and death is naturally sovereign over all earthly rulers. This is contra Caesar, thought to be king of kings in his own earthly empire, with the rulers over provinces as client kings of the emperor. In Revelation, kings of this world are enemies (10:11; 17:18), evil rulers (17:2; 18:3), and gather together under the beast for the final war (16:14; 19:19) when they will be utterly defeated (17:18; 18:9; 19:18). Christ will rule them “with a rod of iron” (Psa 2:9 in Rev 2:27; 12:5).

The three attributes with a salvation-oriented thrust occur in a doxology of praise (1:5b–6) that celebrates Jesus’ work on behalf of believers. The central event in Revelation is not the Parousia; it is the cross. The final defeat of Satan is not the battle of Armageddon. The great victory over the cosmic powers and the basis of our salvation is Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross, as seen here and in 5:5–6. Armageddon is simply the consummation of Golgotha.

The first aspect worthy of praise is Christ’s love. This emphasizes his ongoing love rooted in his past loving sacrifice on the cross, his present love for his followers, and his future love in defeating the cosmic powers on our behalf. This love of Father and Son permeates the book. The result of that love is now spelled out clearly—the atoning blood that has freed us from our sins. In the book two phrases predominate: the slain Lamb as seen in 5:6, 12; 13:8; and the sacrificial blood as seen in 5:9; 7:14; 12:11. The emphasis is on the atoning effects of his death, which has freed us from sin. Sin, as in Romans 6, is an invading army that seeks to enslave us, but the blood of Christ has liberated us. The sins of the nations are bringing the wrath and judgment of God down upon their heads, but God’s people have already experienced their Independence Day!

The second result of Christ’s love is his inclusion of us in his royal and priestly offices. This is an incredible gift that fulfills one of the central covenant pro...