Revelation 1:4-8

The number seven¶

As we go through Revelation, what I will attempt to do is define whatever I am able to by Scripture itself. This is a good practice — to define the Bible by the Bible rather than by other people's ideas or opinions.¶

One of the symbols we will come across quite often in Revelation is the number 7. This number is mentioned more times in Scripture than any other, and it often represents completion or perfection. We see this in the 7 days of creation — the 7th being the day the Lord rested from his work, because it was finished, complete, and very good.¶

We see it in the 7 statements of Christ on the cross:¶

• "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
• "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)
• "Woman, behold, your son!" ... "Behold, your mother!" (John 19:26-27)
• "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" — "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
• "I thirst." (John 19:28)
• "It is finished." (John 19:30)
• "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" (Luke 23:46)
• ¶

When teaching his disciples to pray, Jesus gives 7 petitions (Matthew 6:9-13): "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."¶

Jesus gives us 7 metaphors about himself:¶

• The bread of life
• The light of the world
• The door to salvation
• The good shepherd
• The resurrection and the life
• The way, the truth, and the life
• The vine
• ¶

And there are so many more that illustrate completion, perfection, and fulfillment. So when we see this number, this is one way we can look at it to help us understand the vision and the message being shared with us.¶

The words of this book are alive¶

The words in this book are alive (Hebrews 4:12). They are divine (John 1:1). They are permanent (Matthew 24:35). So we cannot look into it and believe that we will tell it what it is saying — rather, it tells us. Nor that everything purposed to be discovered must already have been found, nor that only the educated can understand its contents.¶

God has given us something of His own character and being. These words are active, like the moving of a river. We do not tell the river where it is going, or how deep or shallow it must be. We simply get to dive in and learn to swim in it and go where it takes us. But praise God, he sent us the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to teach us how to swim. God's word has something for every maturity level of believer, whether new convert or elder, the simple and the clever. No one can or should ever say, "I can't receive from it."¶

The seven churches and seven spirits¶

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,

Revelation 1:4 (ESV)¶

John starts by introducing himself, the One giving the message, and who he is writing to. "Who is and who was and who is to come" is God. We have the number 7 twice in this one verse: 7 churches and 7 spirits.¶

This letter was written and sent to 7 actual churches that existed at that time — we will find out which soon — and we can also see this with a dual, prophetic purpose. The 7 churches represent the whole, complete church. Christ is head over the whole church, which is his body. This is why we can take truths from this message and make some application to the here and now, rather than write it all off as not relevant to us today. But it also does not mean that everything said about them is directly applicable to us.¶

The 7 spirits before God's throne can show us the completeness of his holiness, the perfection of his authority and rule, the fullness of his righteousness and judgment. Although the Bible doesn't explain exactly what or who these 7 spirits are, we know they are before God's throne. In my search, these may have something to do with the spirits mentioned in Isaiah.¶

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD...

Isaiah 11:1-4 (ESV)¶

This shows us that there are 7 spirits with Jesus that are from God, and they represent his character. And one last note: all throughout Scripture, and especially in Revelation, we are shown a realm we cannot see with our natural eyes — spiritual beings that are not God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. Our faith is not in these other spiritual creatures, for they are created beings like everything else. Let's not get uncomfortable with the idea that there are spiritual creatures in heaven; let's simply understand that they exist and were created for the same purpose as everything else.¶

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

Colossians 1:16 (ESV)¶

The gospel in a greeting — and every eye will see him¶

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 (ESV)¶

These few verses essentially share the gospel — again showing that there is blessing in this text for those who read it. Jesus loves us, has freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us into a kingdom. He is Lord. But verses 7-8 carry a great warning for those who are not of the kingdom of God but of the tribes of the earth.¶

This is what was told to the disciples after Jesus ascended into heaven.¶

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight... "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

Acts 1:9-11 (ESV)¶

The phrase "and every eye will see him" is one of the prophetic statements that sounded completely impossible to many Christians over the centuries — until the creation of the television. It wasn't until images could be transmitted instantly across the globe that we could imagine how this might be fulfilled. But regardless of technology making it possible today, what we know through Scripture is that nothing is impossible for God; he does not need technology or the help of man to fulfill his word.¶

Look what it says next: "even those who pierced him." Like the Roman soldiers who put the nails in his hands? And those who chanted, "Crucify him"? They are going to see Jesus coming on the clouds?¶

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

Zechariah 12:10 (ESV)¶

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)¶

He was pierced for us all — so then we all pierced him? Maybe it's all of the above; I think so. God is eternal, outside of time. Time is something God created; it is subject to him. So I think that in that very moment every eye will see — every single one, past and present. There is also this matter of the resurrection of the dead, which tells us that every eye may very well be open in that moment. We see a foreshadow of this in verse 5: "Jesus... the firstborn of the dead," reminding us that everyone will one day be resurrected — either to eternal judgment or to eternal life with God. I'm not exactly sure how every eye will see, but I know it will happen just as God's word says it will.¶

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout... so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV)¶