John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
— Revelation 1: 4-8
John, having completed establishing the authority and purpose of this ἀποκάλυψις (revelation of Truth) from God through Jesus, now turns his attention on the Receivers to whom he was instructed to pass it on (we’ll see that instruction in a few verses). To the Receivers, John provides a benediction or blessing.
First he brings a word of Grace and Peace from the author of both: God.
Second, he brings the same Grace and Peace from the ones who serve God around His Throne in Heaven: the Seven Spirits (πνευμάτων - pnyoo'-mah-tōn). These seven spirits are traditionally reads as the seven aspects of God as expressed in Isaiah 11:2; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD, which present His Spirit of Righteousness (Isaiah 11:5).
Third, again, he brings Grace and Peace from the one who witnessed to the Earth both through His sacrifice: Jesus Christ. Jesus is recognized here as “the Faithful Witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” These are three titles that cannot be over stated.
A Faithful Witness is a witness who has demonstrated their integrity to the point that anyone can trust anything He bears witness to as Truth.
The First Born of The Dead is a reference to the First to be Eternally Resurrected from Death. There were those who were Taken Up without Death. There were several whom were Brought Back from Death, but only One has been Resurrected and He was Jesus. We will be discussing when everyone else will be resurrected as we progress in this study.
Finally, John recognizes the things which Jesus has provided to the Receivers, for which we should give Him Glory.
First, He Loved Us.
Second, He Freed Us from our Sins by His Blood.
Finally, He has Made Us “βασιλείαν” (basileian) or a kingdom, to reign in His Name.
The authority of this Blessing is not form John, rather, from God with His entire Majesty through Jesus Christ, to whom He gave His Authority on Earth.
As we reflect on the words John is about to witness, he reassures us that these words are not provided to scare us or make us worry, but to bring us God’s Grace and Peace, as a result of reading his testimony. This Peace is achieved when we receive God’s Grace and listen to God’s Wisdom for our understanding and hear His Counsel to give us a sense of His Might, which leads to knowledge and respect (fear) for God, the most Righteous One.
He closes this with a declaration of Truth, the word “ἀμήν” (amēn).
Next, John gives the Receivers a glimpse into what he is going to reveal to us through his message and assures us with the same declaration of Truth. All the Earth will see this happen. Even those who persecuted and put to death the Messiah.
Ponder that thought for just a second. Those who crucified Jesus will come to know their shame. All of the tribes of the Earth that are not Followers of Jesus will experience significant anguish, such that they will κόψονται (ko-pon-tai).
This word is either translated wail, mourn or lament, however its root meaning is “to be cut down.” This is not a simple wailing, but an anguish that results in the screaming associated with being cut down, as one might be in a battle, when the enemy ambushes you because you are not prepared. First you shout out in surprise. Then you scream in fear as the axe or sword comes crashing down toward you. Finally, you wail profusely as you grasp your mortal wound attempting to stop the bleeding and the pain.
This is κόψονται (ko-pon-tai)!
All who do not Follow Jesus will experience this anguish upon His Return in the clouds.
Then, to make sure that the Receiver understands this to be an actual event that will happen, John closes this declaration with the double affirmative - ναί ἀμήν (nai amēn), which means This is Truly True. Out of Love for all whom we know that are living outside of Jesus’ Salvation and God’s Grace, this should motivate us, the Followers of Jesus, to move them from this Future Anguish to the Current Blessing.
As John closes his Benediction, he provides a signature block for the Blessing. Not John’s signature, but the “ἐγώ εἰμι” (I AM) signature. This phrase “ἐγώ εἰμι” is used in the Greek Translation of the Old Testament (LXX) in Exodus 3:14, when God tells Moses His Name.
This signature of the “τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ” (the Alpha and the Omega) which means “the Beginning and the End,” is a reference to Isaiah 41:4, 43:10, 44:6, and 48:12, where God tells His Followers why they should listen to him. This carries with it the following phrase that reminds the Receiver of the Eternal Nature of God. He is LORD, always is, always was, and always will be “ὁ παντοκράτωρ” (ho pantokratōr) - The Almghty.
This signature would be familiar to all Jews whom John has discipled into Followers of Jesus. This is our first real sign that John is writing to a Jewish audience, or at least an audience who has an understanding of the Hebrew Texts.
Let’s not lose the significance of this Greeting. John is bringing this Greeting to the Receivers from God. It is not a Greeting from John, but from God. If God is greeting us then we should pay attention to this ἀποκάλυψις (revelation of Truth).