Revelation 1:4-8 The Expectation of His Servants

Introduction/Review

There will be times when we move through larger portions of this book. Much of what we will look at we will take in 3-4 verse sections, sometimes we will look at whole chapters. The introduction to this book doesn’t lend itself to that because it really is packed with things that are critical for our overall understanding of the book. These first few verses are incredibly dense with material

The first 3 verses were a prologue to the book and they announced to us what we are receiving. What is that? Well it’s an unveiling. It’s the opening of something.

The prologue tells us that the book is a revealing/unveiling consisting of things which must shortly come to past.

There is a series of imperative events coming.

The centerpiece of those events is the coming of Christ.

It’s a revelation of Him, His majesty and glory, and what it is that He is going to be doing during that period of cataclysmic events. In concludes, in the 19th chapter, His return and His setting up of a Kingdom.

But.... it is also an unveiling as it is given by God the Father to show what should come to pass

It is also given as a source of unusual blessing to the people of God.

A three-fold blessing.

to those who read, hear, and keep it

Every one of the NT letters has a formal opening to it. So something interesting or peculiar about this book is that even though it is a prophecy, it has an epistolary opening. so.... in the 4th verse, we have that formal and formulaic opening.

Revelation 1:4–6 KJV 1900

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; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 1:1-3 tells the early christian readers what it was that God was giving them in this book. So what are verses 4-8 doing?

Remember that this book is written within the context of persecution. John Himself is suffering for His testimony for Christ. Many of those early believers experienced that.

Dio Cassius tells of something that happened during the reign of Domitian

A man named Flavius Clemens was killed by his order. His wife, Flavia Domitilla was banished. The charge against both of them was atheism. He was killed and she was banished under the indictment of Atheism.

In those days Atheism was a common charge against Christian people. They were viewed as “no-god” people because they refused to pay homage or regard the Roman pantheon or Caesar. Remember that Domitian deified himself.

Eusebius, an early church historian, confirmed that Flavia was a professing Christian and it is assumed her husband was the same.

1 Clement (Not inspired, but for historical context) was written in AD 96. He spoke of their sudden and repeated calamities and reverses that had befallen them. That was the common state of things and still is in many places.

America is a historical aberration of persecution. Even though we know that all who live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, where we are is an exception.

This may be difficult for us to sympathize with what is going in other people in the world, but if we were there, verse 4-8 would have much more of their intended impact.

Verses 4-8 are given so that believers can have an expectation of Hope in the midst of persecution and trouble

Everything on these verses hang on two lines

Revelation 1:4 (KJV 1900)

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;

In your present experience you can expect grace and peace. And also…

Revelation 1:7 (KJV 1900)

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

We are going to look just at this first communication of Hope, which is the grace and peace given to us.

It may that you are persecuted for your beliefs. If you are like me, you have a feeling of a constant attempt to hem you in. However, I have no fear that tonight there could be a knock on the door and that I would be ripped away from my family, not yet.

But even without that… you may be experiencing oppression or trouble. Some kind of trial. But what are we supposed to expect? In the world you will have trouble/pressure, but.... you may also anticipate what is coming And that is what is written here. These verses tell us what it is that way may expect in trouble.

What we can expect is the same thing we have been assured of at the beginning of every one of Paul’s letters and both of Peter’s Epistles, that is an expectation of Grace and Peace

Those epistles begin with both of those two benefits, not because that is the spiritual thing to say and not because that was some common social convention. This wasn’t something that just sounded good. Those epistles begin with those things because that is exactly what the people of God need. Everyone of Paul’s epistles opens with this and they all end with a reference to grace.

2 Peter 1:2 KJV 1900

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

Every believer needs a multiplied experience of Grace and peace. You need that exponentially. The longer you have been a believer the more you will understand and desire that. It was grace that brought you to salvation and it is grace that will sustain you throughout eternity.

You need peace with God. You need to be reconciled with Him. That is something that happened at salvation. You were made right with Him. But if you were being persecuted, you would really need peace too. You are also going to need it for every trial and trouble that comes so you can rest your soul in Him.

Think about all of those epistles opening and closing with that. Those epistles walk us through the entirety of fleshing out our experience as a believer and they are book-ended with that assurance.

But what happens there is expanded here in Revelation. We really have something special here because of how it is expanded. The expansion isn’t on what that grace and peace is or what they bring

Look:

Revelation 1:4–5 (KJV 1900)

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; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

These verses expand on where that grace and peace comes from.

This passage is the most descriptive place we have in Scripture for where this grace and peace come from. And we need to meditate on this. So let’s take our time with this

God wants us to know that in the darkest and most troubling of times that there is grace and peace coming to us. And it is coming to us from a source that can be described in terms that would not be true of anyone else. It is grace and peace from:

Him which is, and which was, and which is to come

Think about that: That first descriptor is of the present. He also was. Was when, was whenever it was you could think about. And He will also be existing in the future. So who is this? Within the context it must be referring to one of the members of the Godhead. It could be said of any of them, but who must it be? This is God the Father.

Him which is, and which was, and which is to come: God the Father

These descriptors are communicating both His eternality and His immutability.

Now get this. This being is forever and He is the same as He was. He also will be the same as He is now. He is unchanging and the only thing that ever has been unchanging. And He is the source of grace and peace to you. That is what He is bringing to you. The grace and peace is coming from God the Father.

And then also in verse 4

Revelation 1:4 (KJV 1900)

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;

from the 7 Spirits which are before the throne.

Now isn’t this interesting. First of all, what do you notice about the word Spirits? It is capitalized

It is also plural

So who is this referring to? Well to really get this, we need to look at three more passages where these seven Spirits are referred to

The Seven Spirits- Revelation 3:1,4:5,5:6

Revelation 3:1 (KJV 1900)

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

So first of all. When John is writing to the church in Sardis. Who is the one who has the seven stars? We saw in chapter 1 that the person who is walking in the midst of the seven candlesticks and the seven stars in His right hand is who? This is clearly Christ. So He has these seven stars, but He also has the seven Spirits of God.

Revelation 4:5 KJV 1900

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Now we are in the throne scene of Heaven. lightening and thunderings proceeding out of this. And there are seven lamps here which ARE the seven Spirits of God

Revelation 5:6 KJV 1900

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Here we see The lamb as if it had just been slain. This lamb, we see, has seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God that are sent into all the earth.

Crazy right? So who are what are the seven Spirits?

In two of those references they are identified with Jesus Christ. He has them in 3:1 and in 5:6 they are referred to as horns and eyes that He has. That almost seems to complicate things. But at the same time in chapter 1:4-5 they are to be distinguished from Jesus Christ.

Here are the options. Don’t think of this as academic. We need to walk through this so we can come away with and understanding of what is happening here.

Is it possible that these seven spirits are angelic beings? In Rev 8:2 we see that there are seven angels before God’s throne. And in Hebrews 1:14 we see that angles are ministering spirits. So that is one possibility

Another possibility is that they are unidentified spirits that we have never heard of before.

Here is why those two options are impossible. We need to clear this up.

You have those seven Spirits included right in the middle of God the Father and God the Son. They are included in a package that is talking about deity. So that sheds doubt that they could be angels

What makes it impossible is that these seven Spirits, along with God the Father and God the son are the sources of what? Grace and Peace.

Our grace and peace are not found in angels no matter how ministering they may be nor in any other unidentified being. So the only thing that fits the context and the broader teaching of Scripture is that these seven Spirits are the Holy Spirit.

The seven Spirits of God: The Holy Spirit

What bothers us about this though? The seven

Here is an explanation, but this is sanctified speculation

Clearly from our Scripture there is only one being that is the Spirit of God. There are not seven distinct beings. If that were the case then there would be 9 beings in the Godhead, and we know that cannot be the case from other clear places in Scripture that demonstrate there are only 3

So there is one being, but… this seems to indicate that you have one being that is manifested seven times simultaneously. So how does that work?

Illustration: Who indwells you? How much of Him indwells you? And all of Him indwells me too and simultaneously He indwells hundreds of others here.

Does that mean that there are many of Him? No, but He is indwelling many of us. Some think of the significance of the number seven. What is that? Completeness. So this would refer to the completeness of His being.

Either way, this must be a reference to the Holy Spirit because as a member of the Godhead, He is part of the fount from which all of the grace and peace flow to those who are sons of God.

But the greatest expansion is place on Jesus Christ Himself. Look again at verse 5 and is extended through verse 6

Revelation 1:5–6 (KJV 1900)

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

And from Jesus Christ

This would be especially comforting to those who are in danger of their lives and are living in an oppressive regime

Jesus Christ can be described in many ways because He is many things to us. But here, where comfort is probably needed most, He is described this way: the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead. The prince of kings (all the kings).

The faithful witness

Remember when Jesus was before Pilate. And when Pilate asked Him about truth and His Kingdom, Jesus responded this way:

John 18:37 KJV 1900

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

I was born for this: To give a witness and testimony for the truth

When Paul writes to Timothy years later under threat of persecution. Paul reminds Timothy of this

1 Timothy 6:13 KJV 1900

I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

Remember this. That the one who you follow witnessed a good confession in front of the Roman empire.

And now the source of all our comfort in grace and peace is referred to as the faithful witness. And what adds the punch to this, and you might already know this. But that word witness comes from the Greek word “martus” where we get the word: Martyr

another use of that same word we see in chapter 2

Revelation 2:13 KJV 1900

I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

Not just someone giving verbal testimony, we know that because of what comes right after. And so we know this person was slain for that testimony

Revelation 17:6 KJV 1900

And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

This is far ahead, but there is a women here who is drunk, she’s drunk on the blood of the saints and of Martyrs.

The same word for witness in Rev 1:5 is translated martyr in Rev 2:13 and Rev 17:6

So within this book we see that this word which is used of those who give a faithful testimony is also used of those who seal that testimony with their blood.

And so I wonder if that word, which is describing Jesus as having a faithful testimony is also intended to provide the comfort knowing that He too, sealed His witness for the truth with His own blood. Was He not a faithful witness unto death. And the very next description elaborates on this because He is also the firstbegotten of the dead.

Revelation 1:5 KJV 1900

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

He laid His life down, make no mistake, but the ones who cried out for His crucifixion did so with murder in their veins and they will be convicted as murderers. Why? Why did the kill Jesus. Because of His faithful witness to the truth.

So there is encouragement here. In the midst of the most excruciating torment, we can take heart that the one we follow sealed His own testimony with His blood. And after He did so. After He died, He also did this; He rose from the dead.

The firstbegotten of the dead

There have been many before and will be many after who have been called upon to lay their lives down for the sake of the Gospel. It could happen to us. Would it not be a comfort to you, when you are on your way to death, to know you are following the one who has power over death. This is where we see God, through John, telling us to remember who is really on the throne.

Who was it that was the first to come out of all of those dead ones. There were a lot of people who had died and much more dead are coming, but there was one who rose out of all those. That’s who you follow.

This phrase needs a bit of clarification. Look at Col 1:18

Colossians 1:18 (KJV 1900)

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

That doesn’t mean that he was the first one born. What that means is that in relation to all other things, He stands in the position that the firstborn would stand in.

During that day, the firstborn stood first in priority. They would get a double portion of the inheritance. so if there were three kids, you divided it by four and the firstborn would get two.

So in relation to every single thing that exists, He is preeminent of all of those. And also of everyone who comes up out of the dead, He stands as the first in priority

Think about this as if you were on the brink of death. All of God’s people are going to rise. They are all going to come back from the dead. What is your assurance of that? Well… Jesus who was the firstfruits

We have tomatoes. When you plant something, you can’t wait until you get that first tomato. Now that tomato isn’t different than the other tomatoes, but that tomato is special because it signifies something. Signifies what? That there are a bunch more coming. Jesus rose as the first among a harvest of a whole host of dead.

Revelation 1:5 KJV 1900

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

And lastly, The source of this grace and peace is from Jesus Christ who was the faithful witness, who is the first begotten, but He is also

The prince of the kings of the earth.

Governors and mayors, dictators and Kings. He rules them all. What does that mean for us if the powers that be sign into law some decree that prevents us from meeting or worshiping the real King.

And just to tweak our thinking on this. Very often when we think of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords we usually think of that being in the future, but that’s just not the case

Ephesians 1:20–21 KJV 1900

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

That happened as His resurrection. He is not waiting to be King, He is King. And our estimation of the power that it took for that is woefully insufficient.

What makes the resurrection of anyone a supreme manifestation of the power of God is that resurrection picks up and reverses what all other powers have done in bringing destruction and death.

We can make a bomb that if you dropped it on a city like Hiroshima, it would basically wipe it off the map. Resurrection power puts that all back together.

And you experienced that in your salvation because you were dead in trespasses and sins and He made you alive.

That power that raised Him from the dead is the same power with which Jesus was set down at God’s own right hand on a throne and (v21) above all principality and power (authority) might (dunamis). Not just in this age but in the age to come. And that’s not going to happen that has already happened. Your comfort of grace and peace comes from someone in that kind of position.

It is no wonder that we see at this point, but is still fascinating to watch, that God Himself breaks into a doxology to the Son. God the Father is turning our attention to God the Son

A Doxology to the Son

Revelation 1:5–6 (KJV 1900)

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

He is getting glory and dominion. Why?

Because He is loving us

Unto Him that loved us (literally is loving us). We often look back to the cross as the pinnacle of His love. And it is, of course, a superlative view of His love. But that love for us is unchanging. He did not exhaust His love for us there. He is loving us at all times everywhere.

He also.

Because He Washed us from our sins in His own blood.

Released us/loosed us

Your sins were dealt with decisively at the cross.

And lastly, He has done something that is really just inconceivable

If I am a sinner, I could consider the possibility of me being forgiven, but it is nearly impossible for me to conceive of being a sinner, then being forgiven, and then being made a king and a priest.

That is an unbelievable elevation of a sinner, if it weren’t for the fact that it is explicitly stated in Scripture that this is so.

Did you know that the Scripture says that we will be made judges of angels? Now think about this, there is nothing to judge an unfallen angel about. So what does that mean? Would it not be great to sit in judgment upon the demon who hounded you in this life. It says were going to judge angels. We are going to be elevated to positions of authority. And all of those who have been in rulership over men here and have been oppressive and have shed blood. Those who have been breakers of men on this earth will be in abject terror in that day. And we are going to reign with Him.

That is the one, the one who has done all this for us, that is to receive glory and dominion forever.

Now I said that this was dense. And we also said that there is blessing on those who read and hear. Wouldn’t this be a blessing to them. And some of them would have walked away only with the hearing of this being read to them.

Folks, you are experiencing trouble. Grace and peace be unto you. And if you are thinking, well I’m not experiencing trouble or persecution. Well… it’s coming. And with its coming will also be grace and peace unto you from His Son. who was a faithful witness, who was the firstbegotten of the dead, and who is a prince of all the kings of this earth.

This one who loves us right now. Who demonstrated it by washing our sins in His blood and dealt decisively with them, and who has made us kings and priests of God. To Him, not in any other ruler, but to Him be glory and honor forever.

That would be enough to rest your soul. That is exactly what this is intended to do. Whatever it is that you might expect in the future. The wars and the wrath that is inevitably to come. You can expect, you can expect from God, Grace and peace.