Revelation Chapter 1
Greeting the Seven Churches
VERSE 4 “John, to the seven churches which 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…”
JOHN
“With simplicity John addresses himself to his task. He does not refer to his apostolic office or identify himself with a title. Such native humility is similar to and reminiscent of that displayed by John the Baptist. Common to all the apostles, this simplicity commends them as men of humble minds—the very kind the Lord would use as special servants and messengers to His people. This characteristic marks them as being in the ministry not for the gratification of vanity or the seeking of earthly rewards of any kind, but simply as the servants of God, who delight to do His will and to tell the good tidings, mentioning themselves and their affairs only when such mention is necessary and helpful to the Church.
All the Lord’s followers should note this characteristic of the Master and of those specially chosen to be his followers and the Church’s exemplars. This simplicity contrasts strikingly with the pomposity of the majority of those who claim to be pupils and fellow servants of the apostles and who delight in such titles as The Reverend such and such, Right Reverend, His Holiness, Doctor of Divinity, and so forth. In proportion to the quenching of the spirit of the world by the spirit of Christ, and in proportion to the zeal of the Lord’s people in seeking and finding “the old paths,” these human titles, which seem so important to the world, appear vain, inappropriate, and deceitful (Jer. 6:16).”
TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES
“Although the messages given to the seven churches of Asia Minor were applicable to them, these messages (enumerated in Chapters 2 and 3) have a still wider application to the whole Church of Christ for several reasons. Considering on one hand the importance of this writing, which is designed to enlighten the alert and faithful of the past and present, and on the other hand the relative insignificance of some of these seven contemporary churches, it seems unlikely that the Lord’s interest was specially centered in these congregations of Asia Minor. To think otherwise attaches more importance to the seven comparatively small churches than they deserve and implies an ignoring of other churches more numerous and more influential, such as the churches at Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Colosse, Philippi, and Thessalonica. However, if these sites are viewed from the standpoint that the Holy Spirit selected these seven churches because of their etymological meaning and their historical background, which would shed light in a symbolical sense upon the experiences of the nominal Church of God all during its seven stages of development, all then would comport well with the exalted theme of the opening lines of Revelation, viz.
“To show his servants things shortly to come to past”, ALL his servants not only those residing in these seven literal churches at the time, but to ALL his servants throughout the age.
A further indication of the wider application to the Church of God is the use of the number seven to symbolically represent completeness as, for example, in the seven golden candlesticks and the seven stars of Verses 12 and 16.”
WHICH ARE IN ASIA
“Places in the Bible represent conditions. Asia means "muddy." If it were a noun, it would clearly refer to the Churches "in the mud" —walking through this life somewhat bogged down by the flesh's relationship to the earth (the common thought). But the etymology is an adjective: muddy. This could suggest that the church's experience will be that its pure doctrine (water) will be constantly muddied by Satan and his servants. Both applications have been corroborated by history. Even though the etymology is an adjective, Asia is a noun, and it is a place. This gives the weight to the first symbology as being the best.”
GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE
“John’s heart, so full of love for fellow disciples of the Master, goes out in faith and sympathy to greet all those of the future, yet unborn, who will respond to the heavenly call of the Gospel Age. John gives assurance that favor and peace of the ever-living God will be continuously exercised toward His Church throughout this entire period of time. The Lord’s people can place complete confidence and trust in Him who ever lives to preserve the interests of His universe and the welfare of His subjects. Thus His saints are assured that both during this present life and after their death, their interests are safely entrusted to the care of the Keeper of Israel, who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psa. 121:3, 4).
The context however appears to imply that this greeting comes from the Father and Son rather than John, but as John is the Lord’s messenger we will not quibble upon which is the correct thought.
GRACE (or favor) is help from a superior. How much the Church will need this help and appreciate it during the age is without question. PEACE is that which results from a knowledge of that help.
Continued with next post.
Greeting the Seven Churches
VERSE 4 “John, to the seven churches which 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…”
JOHN
“With simplicity John addresses himself to his task. He does not refer to his apostolic office or identify himself with a title. Such native humility is similar to and reminiscent of that displayed by John the Baptist. Common to all the apostles, this simplicity commends them as men of humble minds—the very kind the Lord would use as special servants and messengers to His people. This characteristic marks them as being in the ministry not for the gratification of vanity or the seeking of earthly rewards of any kind, but simply as the servants of God, who delight to do His will and to tell the good tidings, mentioning themselves and their affairs only when such mention is necessary and helpful to the Church.
All the Lord’s followers should note this characteristic of the Master and of those specially chosen to be his followers and the Church’s exemplars. This simplicity contrasts strikingly with the pomposity of the majority of those who claim to be pupils and fellow servants of the apostles and who delight in such titles as The Reverend such and such, Right Reverend, His Holiness, Doctor of Divinity, and so forth. In proportion to the quenching of the spirit of the world by the spirit of Christ, and in proportion to the zeal of the Lord’s people in seeking and finding “the old paths,” these human titles, which seem so important to the world, appear vain, inappropriate, and deceitful (Jer. 6:16).”
TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES
“Although the messages given to the seven churches of Asia Minor were applicable to them, these messages (enumerated in Chapters 2 and 3) have a still wider application to the whole Church of Christ for several reasons. Considering on one hand the importance of this writing, which is designed to enlighten the alert and faithful of the past and present, and on the other hand the relative insignificance of some of these seven contemporary churches, it seems unlikely that the Lord’s interest was specially centered in these congregations of Asia Minor. To think otherwise attaches more importance to the seven comparatively small churches than they deserve and implies an ignoring of other churches more numerous and more influential, such as the churches at Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Colosse, Philippi, and Thessalonica. However, if these sites are viewed from the standpoint that the Holy Spirit selected these seven churches because of their etymological meaning and their historical background, which would shed light in a symbolical sense upon the experiences of the nominal Church of God all during its seven stages of development, all then would comport well with the exalted theme of the opening lines of Revelation, viz.
“To show his servants things shortly to come to past”, ALL his servants not only those residing in these seven literal churches at the time, but to ALL his servants throughout the age.
A further indication of the wider application to the Church of God is the use of the number seven to symbolically represent completeness as, for example, in the seven golden candlesticks and the seven stars of Verses 12 and 16.”
WHICH ARE IN ASIA
“Places in the Bible represent conditions. Asia means "muddy." If it were a noun, it would clearly refer to the Churches "in the mud" —walking through this life somewhat bogged down by the flesh's relationship to the earth (the common thought). But the etymology is an adjective: muddy. This could suggest that the church's experience will be that its pure doctrine (water) will be constantly muddied by Satan and his servants. Both applications have been corroborated by history. Even though the etymology is an adjective, Asia is a noun, and it is a place. This gives the weight to the first symbology as being the best.”
GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE
“John’s heart, so full of love for fellow disciples of the Master, goes out in faith and sympathy to greet all those of the future, yet unborn, who will respond to the heavenly call of the Gospel Age. John gives assurance that favor and peace of the ever-living God will be continuously exercised toward His Church throughout this entire period of time. The Lord’s people can place complete confidence and trust in Him who ever lives to preserve the interests of His universe and the welfare of His subjects. Thus His saints are assured that both during this present life and after their death, their interests are safely entrusted to the care of the Keeper of Israel, who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psa. 121:3, 4).
The context however appears to imply that this greeting comes from the Father and Son rather than John, but as John is the Lord’s messenger we will not quibble upon which is the correct thought.
GRACE (or favor) is help from a superior. How much the Church will need this help and appreciate it during the age is without question. PEACE is that which results from a knowledge of that help.
Continued with next post.
