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Rev_1:4-8 contain the epistolary dedication of the entire book to the seven congregations of Asia,[543] Rev_1:4-6, and its fundamental thought, Rev_1:7-8. Thus the reference of Rev_1:4-8 to the whole of the book has been correctly expressed in essentials by Beng.[544] So, also, Klief, who, however, separates Rev_1:7-8, from Rev_1:4-6, and tries to refer Rev_1:7-20 a to the fundamental vision. The opinion of Hengstenberg,[545] that Rev_1:4-6 have reference only “to the group of the seven epistles,” since everywhere, from Rev_1:4 to Rev_3:22, the treatment is concerning the wide province of the entire Church, and there is no special reference to the seven churches, is incorrect, for the reasons that not the contents of the seven epistles, but only those of the entire book, satisfy the announcement of Rev_1:7; Rev_1:19; and that, in a formal respect, the correspondence between the introduction, Rev_1:1 sqq., and the conclusion, Rev_22:6 sqq.,[546] makes manifest as a whole all that intervenes.
[543] Mentioned in Rev_1:11.
[544] Cf. Herder, Ew., Lücke, De Wette, Rinck, Ebrard.
[545] Cf., against him, Lücke, p. 420, Ebrard, and Rinck.
[546] Cf. especially Rev_22:16 with Rev_1:4.
The epistolary introductory greeting, Rev_1:4-5, is similar to the Pauline form,[547] but, in its contents, corresponds to the book which follows, with significative references to which it is filled.
John[548] writes to the seven churches in Asia. Ἀσία [549] is Proconsular Asia, consisting of the provinces of Phrygia, Mysia, Caria, Lydia, Ionia, and Æolis. Ephesus[550] was regarded the metropolis. In this Asia, Paul had planted the gospel; also, the First Epistle of Peter had its first readers there.[551]
In the greeting, ΧΆΡΙς and ΕἸΡΉΝΗ are combined, as in all the Pauline Epistles except 1 and 2 Timothy, where, as in 2Jn_1:3, ἜΛΕΟς is inserted. ΧΆΡΙς always stands in the foreground as the fundamental condition whence all salvation, all Christian ΧΑΊΡΕΙΝ , alone proceeds; the ΕἸΡΉΝΗ , the effect of divine grace, has an important significance at the head of the book which treats in an especial way of the conflicts of believers. Falsely, N. de Lyra: “grace in the present life; peace in the future, for there human appetite will be altogether quieted.” Rather is the peace which believers already have, through grace, of such nature that they maintain it through patience and victorious perseverance in all tribulations.[552]
ἈΠῸ Ὁ ὬΝ , Κ . Τ . Λ . Description of the divine name éäåä ,[553] but not under the cabalistic presupposition, that in that name itself, in a mystical way, the three tenses are indicated.[554] As to the form of the expression, neither is the manifestly intentional combination of the nom. ὁ ὤν , κ . τ . λ ., with ἀπό to be impaired by the insertion of τοῦ ,[555] or by supplying τοῦ λεγομένου ὁ ὤν , κ . τ . λ ., τοῦ ὅς ὁ ὤν , κ . τ . λ ., τοῦ θεοῦ ὅς ὁ ὤν , κ . τ . λ ., etc.;[556] nor is the irregularity, that, in the absence of a necessary preterite participle in the formula ὁ ην , the finite tense is treated as a participle, to be accounted for by the false conception that ὁ stood for ὅς ;[557] nor, finally, is ὁ ἐρχόμενος to be taken as precisely equivalent to ὁ ἐσόμενος [558] by an accommodation of the use of äëÌÈà , perhaps with an allusion to Mar_10:30, Joh_4:21; Joh_5:25; Joh_16:25; Joh_16:31 : but, in that inflexible firmness of the divine name,[559] there is something mysterious;[560] viz., an intimation of the immutability of the eternal God [see Note XVII., p. 122], who, as is shown also by the idea itself of eternity, and especially by the Ὁ ἘΡΧΌΜΕΝΟς ,[561] rules the destinies of his people, as well as of the hostile world, brings his prophecy to fulfilment, and especially holds in his firm hand the entire development of the judgment. Accordingly, John writes not Ὁ ἘΣΌΜΕΝΟς , but with living reference to the fundamental thoughts of the book,[562] Ὁ ἘΡΧΌΜΕΝΟς , as also Rev_1:8; Rev_4:8. [See Note XVIII., p. 122.] The question whether, by the formula Ὁ ὬΝ Κ . Ὁ ἩΝ Κ . Ὁ ἘΡΧΌΜΕΝΟς , the triune God, or only God the Father, be designated, can be answered only in connection with the two following members of the sentence. The ἙΠΤᾺ ΠΝΕὙΜΑΤΑ , Κ . Τ . Λ ., are, at all events, to be regarded not as angels, neither[563] as “the entire body of angels” (universitas angelorum), who are the ministers of our salvation,[564] nor[565] as the seven archangels[566] found again in Rev_8:2;[567] against this, the expression,[568] its occurrence before Ἰησοῦ Χρ ., and the circumstance that from the ἑπτὰ πνεύματα , as well as from ὁ ὤν , κ . τ . λ ., and from Ἰησ . Χρ ., grace and peace are to proceed.[569] The seven spirits are, according to Rev_4:5, where they appear “before the throne of God,” “spirits of God” himself; according to Rev_1:6, they are “the sent upon the whole earth,” and peculiar to the Lamb, as the seven eyes thereof. Christ “hath” the seven spirits.[570] Thus they belong to God and Christ himself in a way other than can be conceived of any creature. But they cannot be regarded mere attributes or manifestations, “the (seven[571]) virtues of God’s providence,”[572] “the seven members, as it were, of Divine Providence,”[573] “the most perfect nature of Jehovah,”[574] “the virtues, or what is proclaimed, of the Supreme Divinity,”[575]—which is neither clear in itself, nor consistent with John’s concrete mode of view; nor can the cabalistic personifications of the divine glory, nor the ten Sephiroth, be here thought of.[576] Essentially, by the seven spirits before the throne of God, nothing else can be understood than “the Spirit” who speaks to the churches,[577] and the Spirit of Christ[578] who makes men prophets.[579] Nevertheless, the sevenfoldness of this one Spirit is not to be explained, and, least of all, by an appeal to Isa_11:2, of the assumed “seven energies” of the Spirit;[580] but[581] John’s type is Zec_3:9; Zec_4:6; Zec_4:10. The Spirit cannot be beheld in his essential unity as he is before God’s throne, or as sent forth into all lands; besides, there is need of a concrete presentation,[582] which occurs according to the holy number of seven, representing the divine perfection; thus the one Spirit, who, as in Zechariah, is the treasure of the Church,[583] appears as seven eyes, lamps, or even as seven spirits.
[547] Rom_1:1 sqq.; 1Co_1:1 sqq. Cf. Ew., De Wette, Hengstb.
[548] Cf. Rev_1:2.
[549] ἡ ἰδίως καλουμένη ʼΑσία (Asia properly so called), Ptolem., v. 2. Cf. Winer, Reallex., in loc.
[550] Cf. Rev_1:11.
[551] 1Pe_1:1. Cf. Introduction, sec. 3.
[552] Cf. Rev_1:9; Rev_3:10 sqq.; Rom_5:1 sqq.; Joh_16:33.
[553] Cf. Exo_3:14. LXX.: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν .
[554] Cf. yet Bengel: “Incomparable and wonderful is the composition of the name éäåä from éÀäÄé , he shall be, and äåÆä , being, and äÈåÈäÈ , he was.” Cf. Jerusalem Targum on Exo_3:14 : “Who was, is, and will be, spake to the world.” [Etheridge’s translation, 1. p. 450: “He who spake to the world, Be, and it was; and who will speak to it, Be, and it will be.”] Targ. Jon. on Deu_32:39. Wetst.
[555] Erasmus.
[556] Cf. Wolf.
[557] Schöttgen.
[558] Ewald, De Wette, Ebrard.
[559] ἀπὸ ὁ ὤν , κ . τ . λ . Cf. Rev_1:5.
[560] Valla. Cf. L. Cappell., Pric., Grot., C. a Lap., Beng., Stern, Hengstenb., Winer, p. 66, etc.
[561] See below.
[562] Cf. Introduction, sec. 2.
[563] With N. de Lyra.
[564] Cf. on Rev_1:4 : “By the number seven, the whole class is understood.”
[565] With Areth., Ribera, Viegas, C. a Lap., Bossuet, Drusius, J. Mede, etc. In the year 1460, their names (Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Sealthiel, Jehudiel, and Barachiel) were said to have been revealed to a certain Amadeus, a man eminent for holiness, miracles, and prophecies. Cf. C. a Lap., Tir.
[566] Cf. Tob_12:15.
[567] Ew. ii.
[568] Cf. Rev_8:2, ἅγγελοι .
[569] Cf. already Vitr., etc.
[570] Rev_3:1.
[571] Alcasar enumerates the seven virtues of God, or endowments of Providence, thus: “Wisdom, fortitude, beneficence, justice, patience, threatening, severity.” This exposition C. a Lap. tries to combine with that received by most of the ancient Catholic interpreters, by stating that it is by means of angels that these virtues are exercised.
[572] Pareus.
[573] Grot.
[574] Eichh.
[575] Heinrichs.
[576] Herder.
[577] Rev_2:7; Rev_2:11; Rev_2:29.
[578] Rev_3:1, Rev_5:6; cf. Rev_19:10.
[579] Cf. also Rev_14:13, Rev_22:17
[580] Andreas; cf. “Victorin., Primas., Beda, Revius, Zeger, Wolf, etc.
[581] Cf. Ew., De Wette, Hengstenb., Ebr.
[582] Cf. Mat_3:16; Act_2:2 sqq.
[583] Hengstenb.; cf. with Zec_4:6, also Joh_16:8.
This view of “the seven spirits before the throne of God” gives the answer to the question whether ὁ ὤν κ . ὁ ἦν κ . ὁ ἐρχ . be God the Father,[584] or the triune God[585] The question itself is properly more of a dogmatical than of an exegetical character, because nothing is more distant from John than the dogmatic reflection whence that question originates. Yet the answer must be given, on the one hand, that the expression ὁ ὤν , κ . τ . λ ., as a description of the name éäåä designates the God who in Rev_1:1 is called ὁ θεός ,[586] and in like manner is represented to be distinct from Christ, as Rev_1:4-5, treat of the seven spirits and of Christ; and, on the other, that the threeness of “him who is,” etc., of the seven spirits, and of Jesus Christ, not only has “an analogy with the Trinity,”[587] but actually includes, in itself and in the doctrinal connection of the entire book,[588] the fundamental idea of the Trinity, which, if developed and dogmatically expressed, yields the result that the designation of the divine nature ( ὁ ὤν , κ . τ . λ .,) is confined to the representation of the Father. [See Note XIX., p. 122.]
[584] Alcasar, Calov., Hengstenb., Ebrard.
[585] Ribera, C. a Lap.
[586] Cf. especially Rev_1:8.
[587] De Wette.
[588] Cf. Rev_3:1, Rev_5:6; Rev_5:12 sqq.
XVII. Rev_1:4. ἀπὸ ὁ ὢν
XVIII. Rev_1:4. ὁ ἐρχόμενος
XIX. Rev_1:4. τῶν ἑπτὰ πνευμάτων
“Tu septiformis munere,”
as paraphrased in the most widely used English translation,—
“Thou the anointing Spirit art,
Who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.”
Luther’s rendering—
“Du bist mit Gaben siebenfalt”—
more closely conforms to the original and the strict meaning of the passage, although the “sevenfold gifts” or “operations” is a necessary inference, and is sustained by such passages as Isa_11:2-3.