The address and greeting. Of this section only Revelation 1:4-6 are, strictly speaking, the salutation; Revelation 1:7 , Revelation 1:8 constitute a kind of summary, or prelude— Revelation 1:7 being more closely connected with what precedes, Revelation 1:8 with what follows. The salutation proper ( Revelation 1:4-6 ) should be compared with the salutations in St. Paul's Epistles. read more
Doxology; or, the upspringing of praise. "Unto him that loved us," etc. It has been remarked that the writer of the Revelation had hardly set himself down to his work ere he felt that he must lift up his heart in joyful doxology. The very mention of the name of the Lord Jesus, by whose Spirit he was writing, starts him off in this heart song of praise. He could not go on until he had given utterance to the irrepressible love for his Lord with which his soul was filled to overflowing. And... read more
Christ and the soul "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," etc. These words suggest a few thoughts concerning Christ and the soul. I. CHRIST IS THE LOVER OF THE SOUL . "Unto him that loved us" ( Revelation 1:5 ). Other beings may love the human soul—angels may, saints may—but no one has loved it as Christ has. 1 . He loved it with an absolutely... read more
And hath made us kings and priests ; rather, as in the Revised Version, and he made us (to be) a kingdom, (to be) priests. "Made us" is not coordinate with "loosed us;" the sentence makes a fresh start. "Kingdom," not "kings," is the right reading. Christians are nowhere said to be kings. Collectively they are a kingdom—"a kingdom of priests" ( Exodus 19:6 ), or, as St. Peter, following the LXX ., gives it, "a royal priesthood" ( 1 Peter 2:9 ). Each member of Christ shares in... read more
And hath made us kings and priests unto God - In 1 Peter 2:9 the same idea is expressed by saying of Christians that they are “a royal priesthood.” See the notes on that verse. The quotation in both places is from Exodus 19:6; “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests.” This idea is expressed here by saying that Christ had made us in fact kings and priests; that is, Christians are exalted to the dignity and are invested with the office, implied in these words. The word “kings,” as applied... read more
Revelation 1:4-6. John The dedication of this book is contained in the 4th, 5th, and 6th verses; but the whole Revelation is a kind of letter. To the seven churches which are in Asia That part of the Lesser Asia, which was then a Roman province. There had been several other churches planted here; but it seems these were now the most eminent. And it was among these that St. John had laboured most during his abode in Asia. In these cities there were many Jews. Such of them as believed, in... read more
1:1-20 JOHN’S INTRODUCTIONGreetings to the seven churches (1:1-8)Jesus Christ received this revelation from God and passed it on to John by a series of visions that an angel interpreted for him. John, in turn, was to pass this revelation on to God’s persecuted people in Asia Minor, for it concerned events about to take place that would affect them. All who took notice of the book would be blessed, both the person who read it to the church and those who listened as he read it (1:1-3).The writer... read more
hath. Omit. kings and priests = (to be) a kingdom (so all texts) and (to be) priests. See Revelation 5:10 ; Revelation 20:6 . Exodus 19:6 (Septuagint "a royal priesthood") Father. See App-98 . glory = the glory. See p. 1511. dominion = the dominion. App-172 . for ever, &c. App-151 . a. First of fourteen occurances: (including Revelation 14:11 ). Amen = even (the) Amen: See Revelation 3:14 . read more
And he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.And he made us ... a kingdom ... priests unto his God and Father ... The first step in understanding this passage is to get rid of the two verbs in the future tense that have been added to the passage by the translators. (Note the italicized words in the ASV text.) There is a world of difference in the statements, "God made us a kingdom" and "God made us to be a... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 1:4-7
The apostolic salutation. The servant John, by no other name known, in fulfilment of his duty as the one by whom the great revelation was "sent and signified," hurries to pronounce his salutation to "the seven Churches which are in Asia"—typical examples of the one Church in its sevenfold, universal experience. I. The salutation INVOKES BLESSINGS : 1 . Of the highest character: "grace and peace." The entire revelation is, for the Church, a revelation of "grace and peace." It... read more