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Chapter One
The Purpose of the Apocalypse and the Means By Which It Was Given To John
1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.
These words clearly define the character and purpose of the Apocalypse as a prophetic book. By this the Apocalypse is to be essentially distingished from other books of the New Testament, the content of which is primarily one of instruction in faith and morals. The importance of the Apocalypseis evident here from the fact that its writing was the result of a direct revelation and a direct command given to the holy Apostle by the Head of the Church Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. The expression "shortly" indicates that the prophesies of the Apocalypse began to be fulfilled right then, immediately after the book was written, and likewise that in the eyes of God a thousand years are as one day [II Peter 3:8]. The expression of the Apocalypse concerning the revelation of Jesus Christ, "which God gave unto Him," one must understand as referring to Christ in His human nature, for He Himself during His earthly life spoke of Himself as one who did not know everything [Mark 13:32], and as one who receives revelations from the Father [John 5:20].
1:1-2 And he sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John, who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jess Christ, and of all things that he saw.
1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.
The book of the Apocalypse has, consequently, not only a prophetic, but also a moral significance. The meaning of these words is as follows: Blessed is he who, reading this book,will prepare himself by his life and deeds of piety for eternity; for the translation to eternity is near for each of us.
1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia
The number seven is usually taken as an expression of fullness. St. John addresses here only the seven churches with which he, as one who lived in Ephess, was in especially close and frequent contact. But in these seven he addresses at the same time the Christian Church as a whole.
1:4 Grace be unto you, from Him which is, and which was and which is to come.
"Grace to you and peace from the Tri-Hypostaticaol Divinity. The phrase 'which is' signifies the Father, Who said to Moses: I am He that Is [Ex. 3:14]. The expression 'which was' signifies the Word, Who was in the beginning with God [John 1:2]. The phrase 'which is to come' indicates the Comforter, Who always descends upon the Church's children in holy baptism and in all fullness is to descend in the future age [Acts, ch.2]" [St. Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ch.1].
1:4 And from the seven spirits which are before His throne.
But these "seven spirits" it is most natural to understand the seven chief angels who are spoken of in Tobit 12:15. St. Andrew of Caesarea, however, understands them to be the angels who govern the seven churches. Other commentaries, on the other hand, understand by this expression the Holy Spirit Himself, Who manifests Himself in seven chief gifts: the spirit of fear of God, the spirit of knowoledge, the spirit of might, the spirit of light, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of the Lord or the spirit of piety and inspiration in the highest degree [compare Is. 11:1-3].
1:5 And from Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead and prince of the kings of the earth.
The Lord Jesus Christ is called here "the faithful witness" in the sense that He has witnessed His Divinity and the truth of His teaching before men by His death on the Cross.
"As Life and Resurrection, He is the first-born from the dead [Col. 1:18, ICor. 15:20], and those over whom He rules will not see death, as did those who died and rose before, but will live eternally.* He is 'prince of kings,' as King of kings and Lord of olords [ITim. 6:15], equal in might to the Father and one in essence with Him" {St. Adrew, ch.1].
*St. Athansius the Great interprets this passage as follows: "He is said to be 'the First-begotten from the dead,' not that he died before us, for we had died first; but because having undergone death for us and abolished it, He was the first to rise as man, for our sake raising His own Body. Henceforth, He having risen, we too frolm Him and because of Him rise in due course from the dead" [Second Discourse Against the Arians, ch. 21, Eerdmans transolatiol=n, p. 381]. [Translator.]
