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Rev_1:17. The impression made by the appearance of the Lord[819] is that of mortal terror; for, since death is the wages of sin, no sinful man can stand alive before God.[820] Yet John is supported by Him who is not only absolutely the living, but also, since he himself has passed into death,[821] and has overcome it, has redeemed his people therefrom, as he has the keys of death and hell.
De Wette finds a contradiction in the fact that “the seer beholds all this in spirit, and so represents things as though he had stood opposite to these appearances in his bodily form, and with his ordinary human powers of conception and feeling: cf. Rev_5:4, Rev_17:6, Rev_19:10, Rev_22:8; Dan_7:15.” But by the ἘΝ ΠΝΕΎΜΑΤΙ (Rev_1:10), his being in the body is not removed. Just as the feeling of those who dream is also customarily expressed in a bodily way, e.g., by actual weeping, it may readily be thought that while John actually sees ἘΝ ΠΝΕΎΜΑΤΙ —i.e., in prophetic ecstasy—the actual appearance of the Lord, he bodily sinks down.[822]
Ὡς ΝΕΚΡΌς is not “like one dying,”[823] but “like one dead.” The laying-on of the right hand is, like in Christ’s miracles of healing,[824] an accompanying friendly sign of the aid peculiarly offered through the Word.
The Lord begins his words just as heavenly beings have ordinarily to address men: ΜῊ ΦΟΒΟῦ . Cf. Luk_1:13; Luk_1:30; Luk_2:10; Mar_16:6 (Mat_17:7). This, as also in general Rev_1:17 sqq., suits the opinion of Ebrard, that the falling-down of John was not merely an effect of terror, but “an act of love.”
ἘΓΏ ΕἹΜΙ Ὁ ΠΡῶΤΟς , Κ . Τ . Λ . Incorrectly, Wetst., Grot., etc., from dogmatic prejudice: “the highest in dignity—the most despised.” Three times after ΕἾΜΙ , Eichh. mis-points “I am,”—as, Mat_14:27; Joh_6:20, which is entirely inapplicable here; and then, Ὁ ΠΡ . Κ . Ὁ ΕΣΧ . = “the only one in his class,” ΚΑῚ Ὁ ΖῶΝ = “with respect to life, among the living”! Christ is, as the Father (Rev_1:8), the First and the Last, i.e., he is personally the A and the Ω ;[825] and in this lies that which is epexegetically[826] added, that he is absolutely the Living One,[827] who, just on that account, can also give life. This reference of the conception ὁ ζῶν ,[828] which is in itself already necessary, since the personal Eternal One must have his eternity as an energetic attribute, is yet specially emphasized by Rev_1:18; and that, too, in such way that what is said in both halves of the verse, even though not according to form, yet according to meaning, is related as foundation ( καὶ ἘΓΕΝ .
ΑἹΏΝΩΝ ) and consequence ( ΚΑῚ ἝΧΩ , Κ . Τ . Λ .). For, just because Christ who suffered death,[829] after having risen,[830] henceforth does not die,[831] but is living to eternity,[832] he has the keys of death and of hell, i.e., power over them, so that he can preserve and deliver therefrom, but also can cast therein.[833] The figurative presentation of the keys[834] must not be regarded a personification of the θάνατος and the ᾅδης ;[835] but, on the other hand also, both can be regarded only as a place, when it is said that “both designate one and the same idea.”[836] Yet the θάνατος , after which the ᾅδης , Rev_6:8, appears, is, more accurately speaking, to be distinguished from the latter.[837] To think of θάνατος as a place, is inadmissible. The gates of death[838] are spoken of in opposition to the gates of the daughter of Zion;[839] here death is personified, and regarded as a possessor or lord of the gates. The place of death, which appears closed in with gates, is ᾅδης .[840] In this double and not completely symmetrical delineation of the idea, according to which “gates” are ascribed to personal death as well as to local hell, the ΚΛΕῖς must here be understood.
The intention of this entire detailed address is so far in advance of merely freeing John from his terrors of death, as John is the prophet, who himself must experience and understand the majesty of the Lord, whose coming he is to proclaim, in order that he may bring to the churches full testimony concerning the same.[841] Thus Rev_1:19 suitably concludes.
[819] Isa_6:4; Exo_33:20; Eze_1:28; Dan_8:17 sqq., Rev_10:7 sqq.
[820] Cf., especially, Isa_6:4.
[821] ἐγεν . νεκρός .
[822] Cf. Act_9:4.
[823] Eichh.
[824] Beng., Hengstenb.
[825] Rev_22:13.
[826] καί .
[827] Cf. Joh_1:1 sqq., Joh_5:26.
[828] Not equal to ζωοποιῶν , Grot.
[829] ἐγεν . νεκρ . Concerning the aor., cf. Rev_2:8.
[830] Cf. the ἕζησεν , Rev_2:8.
[831] Cf. Rom_6:9; Act_13:34.
[832] ζῶν εἰμι , κ . τ . λ ., a strong emphasis of the conception ζῶν .
[833] Cf. Rev_3:7. This has an entirely different meaning from when Acacus, the porter of the lower world, is called κλεισδοῦχος . Cf. H. L. Ahrens, Das Amt der Schlussel, Hannover, 1864, p. 6.
[834] Rev_9:1, Rev_20:1. Cf. Targ. Jon. on Deu_28:12 : “Four keys are in the hand of the Lord,—a key of life and of tombs, and of food and of rain.” Still more, the mode given in Wetst.
[835] Rev_6:8; Rev_20:11. Züll.
[836] De Wette.
[837] Rev_20:13-14.
[838] îÈåÆú , LXX. θάνατος .
[839] Psa_9:14; cf. Job_38:17.
[840] ùÑÀÉàåÉì , Isa_38:10; cf. the öìÀîÈåÆú , LXX. ᾅδης , Job_38:11.
[841] Cf. Exodus 3; Isaiah 6; Acts 9.