"Let the Revelation speak and tell what is truth. . . . Uplift Jesus as the center of all hope."
III. The Divine Threefold Greeting
LET us ever bear in mind that this is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, a Revelation of the human-divine Christ, given of God through His Son, our Brother in the flesh, both truly divine and truly human, the God-man.
In Christ Jesus was the revelation of the mystery of God to the world. What God had set forth in His written Word, He had set forth in Christ Jesus, the Word personified, in order that men by faith might, as did He, empty themselves, grasp the same "power of an endless life," and be filled with all "the fulness of God." Thus Paul expresses it in his own experience: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me." Gal. 2: 20. Thus was the Son of God revealed in Paul, that Paul might tell the glad tidings to those who knew not the Saviour.
It is even thus that the revelation of Jesus Christ must come to us, not as a mere theory, not as mere knowledge of a book, but as the very life of God in our own souls, to cleanse from sin, and to keep from its power. He must be to us the Wisdom, the Righteousness, the Sanctification, the Redemption of God. Such He longs to be to every soul. Why not grasp it now by faith?
The Answer of the Text
[The answers to the questions are from the American Revised Version. Omitting questions, and disregarding sometimes the capitals at the beginning and the period at the close of an answer, the text may be read continuously. In notes and comments both versions are used without designation.]
1. To whom is John's message sent?
"John to the seven churches that are in Asia."
2. With what assuring words does he begin his message?
"Grace to you and peace."
3. From whom does the message come?
"From Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ."
4. What three things is Christ said to be?
"Who is the faithful Witness, the First-born of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth."
5. What regard has Christ for us? and what has He done for us?
"Unto Him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by His blood."
6. What has He made us?
"And He made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto His God and Father."
7. What is ascribed to Him, and for how long?
"To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
8. What is the promise concerning this Being of matchless goodness?
"Behold, He cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they that pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over Him. Even so, Amen."
9. What does the One who gave the Revelation declare Himself to be?
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Notes of Explanation
1. "IN ASIA."— Asia is a symbol of the entire world. Seven churches in Asia Minor whose names and conditions are fit symbols, are taken as the types of the condition of the entire Christian church throughout the present age, seven indicating completeness; for it is not reasonable to suppose that this whole book was written to be sent to the seven churches named, and no others. There were other churches in Asia equally prominent with these mentioned, as for instance, at Colosse, Troas, and Miletus. The conclusion is irresistible that these named are types of the whole church. It would be out of harmony with the whole book were it otherwise.
2. "GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE."— That is God's attitude always toward His children. Grace is His favor unmerited by us; it is the revelation of His goodness, His sacrifice, His love — Himself — pleading to us ever to come to Him. His peace is extended to all. He is not at war with us. His thoughts toward us are "thoughts of peace, and not of evil." He has given Christ "our Peace." All the war, all the rebellion, all the disagreement is on our part, in our turning aside from eternal good. "The mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be." Rom. 8: 7. Yield to Him; reckon the flesh crucified with Him; accept Him; and the peace is yours. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 5: 1.
3. WHO IS AND WAS AND IS TO COME. — This is but another form of expressing the great I AM, the eternally-existent One. As He is, He ever has been, He ever will be. He changes not. He will ever give grace and peace. If grace fails to do the work for us as He desires, it will be because we will not receive, not because He fails to give, or fails in the giving.
4. SEVEN SPIRITS, denoting the fulness, the offices, the operations, the omnipresent workings, of the eternal Spirit of God.
5. JESUS CHRIST. — The only perfect Witness. God's works witness for Him. Good men witness for Him. But these are all finite and marred by sin. Christ was and is the faithful One. Because others were raised from the dead before Christ was raised does not make Him less the First-born. Esau was older than Jacob, yet to Jacob was given the birth-right. Manasseh was older than Ephraim, yet the birth-right was Ephraim's. Reuben was the first-born, but the birth-right was given to Joseph. Ex. 4: 22; Gen. 48: 8-20; Jer. 31: 9; 1 Chron. 5: 1. Jesus was the first-born by preeminence, the One by virtue of whose offering and work all others are brought from the dead. Ps. 89: 27. And He rules. In His own wisdom evil is permitted to work out its poison, that those who will not learn in any other way may see it, and separate from it. Yet Christ rules. "The wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain."
6. NOTICE THAT THE LOOSING FROM SIN, the payment of the great purchase price of our redemption, is past; it was wrought in the very beginning, when Christ gave Himself — the Lamb slain — from before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1: 19, 20; Rev. 13: 8), and Christ with open hand and constant heart ever offers it. He "loveth us;" it is present tense. He ever loveth; He is "the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever."
7. "A KINGDOM." — The dearest thing in a kingdom, to its ruler, is His people. Christ has made us — His people — to be a kingdom. Nay, more, He makes each one to be a kingdom, in whose being He reigns supreme. That is the prayer He taught us: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven," and first of all places in earth in our life. And every one in whom Christ thus reigns is a living pledge of the coming everlasting kingdom of a sinless dominion. AND8PRIESTS.— With our Lord Jesus Christ, to minister His character, His life, to all others; royal priests, sons of the King (see 1 John 3: 1; 1 Peter 2: 9); priests to show forth not ourselves, but Christ's virtues, and that not only here and now, but to all eternity.
8. "HE COMETH." — His coming is to be a literal one—"this same Jesus." Acts 1: 9-11. Clouds of angels will accompany Him. Matt. 25: 31. It will not be a "spiritual" coming or a coming by proxy; it will not be a secret coming; it will be literal, visible, to all. The righteous will welcome Him as "our God" (Isa. 25: 9), the tribes of earth shall mourn because all earthly hopes die; they are not ready to meet their Judge. The same Jesus, the anointed of God, is coming again. "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
9. "THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA." — The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; the eternal Father, the great I AM. See note 3. By illustration, by positive assurance, God would impress upon us the great fact that apart from Him all is nothing. In Him must be spelled out by simple faith all life's lessons. And He is able to save to the uttermost and to the end.
"All without Thee only seems,
All beside is choice of dreams."
