The Godhead in Revelation 1

In the beginning of the book of Revelation, we can find each member of the Godhead described. Revelation is a book of signs and symbols so we must be careful with our interpretation but there are important truths revealed here.

The Father. “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come…” (Revelation 1:4). This is a description that technically applies to the Father, Son, and Spirit alike. One of the defining characteristics of deity is being without beginning or end. However, another key to understanding Revelation is to respect its near-constant quotations of and allusions to the Old Testament. To read Revelation without a working knowledge of the Old Testament is an exercise in futility!

 

In this case, there are several passages in the Old Testament that this passage is making reference to. When Moses asked God who he should tell Israel sent him to them, God said, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). Also compare Isaiah 57:15 where God is called the One who “inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy”.

 

The Spirit. “Grace to you and peace… from the seven spirits who are before his throne” (Revelation 1:4). “Seven spirits” sounds incredibly mystical, but remember that numbers in Revelation are almost never quantitative. Revelation is apocalyptic literature, so it uses numbers to represent ideas different than what we are used to. These symbols would not have been unheard for the original audience, however. So in this passage, we should not imagine seven Holy Spirits but a perfect and complete Spirit of God.

 

The Holy Spirit is often ignored and minimized due to our lack of understanding of His work, but He embodies perfection all the same. Jesus emphasized the sufficiency of the Spirit as the One who would reveal all truth, which connects well with the revelation that is being given to John (John 15:26; 16:13).

 

The Son. “…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 1:5-8).

 

Jesus is the “faithful witness”. The prophets of old bore witness to a message from God. Jesus did the same when He came to the earth to preach the new kingdom that was fast approaching and the opportunity for true salvation (cf. John 1:18, among others).

 

“Firstborn from the dead” might give us pause. Jesus was not the first person to ever be raised from the dead—He even resurrected several people while He was on the earth! However, what makes Jesus different is that He was the first one to rise and never die again. Every other person who had been resurrected would eventually succumb to death once more, but not Jesus. In this way, He is the firstborn of the final resurrection (cf. Colossians 1;18; 1 Corinthians 15:20; Acts 13:34; Romans 6:9). This status as firstborn from the dead was an important part of Jesus’ work as our high priest (cf. Hebrews 9:23-28; 10:19-22).

 

Jesus’ authority is ultimate, here reflected in the phrase “ruler of kings on earth”. It is by His power and authority that He freed us from our sins, made us a kingdom of priests, and will one day return to judge those who reject Him.

 

Finally, the same definition of deity that was applied to the Father in verse 4 is applied to Jesus here. Jesus is the beginning and the end. He is no created being—not even the greatest of God’s creation. He is God Himself.

 

Conclusion. The book of Revelation features some of the most powerful works of Satan and his servants, and these accounts terrify people to this day. Yet, if we carefully read, we see the hand of the Godhead on the very first page of the book, revealing His ultimate power and presence. The promises that come in the rest of the book can be believed if we have faith in Him.

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