_ God commissions John to write what he sees
in a book and to send it to the seven assemblies located in Asia.
Rev 1:9-11 NKJV I, John, both your brother and companion in
the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island
that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus
Christ. (10) I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I
heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
(11) saying, "I am the Alpha
and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in
a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to
Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to
Laodicea."
_ It seemed best to add a fair amount of
interpretation in the translation below instead of being overly literal. Most of the additions and changes to
traditional translation make implied meanings obvious in English. Brackets are
used to designate unfamiliar or novel choices in translation and
interpretation. Comments below attempt to explain rather than prove choices,
particularly those bracketed.
Rev 1:9-11 jba I, your
brother John, am a partner in the tribulation, and kingdom and endurance of
Christ Jesus. I was in the island called Patmos for the Word of God, and for
the witness of Jesus Christ. (10) I was in [ a special spiritual state] on [a
Lordian Day.] And I heard behind me a great voice, sounding like a
trumpet. (11) The voice said, [] "What you see, write
in a scroll, and send it to seven assemblies [], to those at Ephesus, at
Smyrna, at Pergamos, at Thyatira, at Sardis, at Philadelphia, and at Laodicea."
1:9.1 I,
your brother John, The
use of "brother" to address Gentile Christians is interesting. In
those epistles directed toward Jewish assemblies and in parts of Romans (see
Rom 7.1) fellow descendants of Jacob is often meant. But our Lord has broken
down the wall of separation (see Eph 2.11-22). And begotten again Gentile
Christians are now members of the Body of Jesus Christ, a Jew, the root and
branch of Israel, as well as of Jesse.
1:9.2 am
a partner in the tribulation, and kingdom and endurance of Christ Jesus. Three aspects of our Lord and of His Body,
the Assembly, are in view. The three are: Suffering Servant, King of Israel,
and Son of God. A fourth aspect, Son of Man, is missing although it is a focus
of the books of Luke and Paul, and is represented by the third cherub of Rev
4.7. "Partner" here primarily refers to John's office as the last of
the Twelve, those who continued our Lord's office as Apostle to Israel during
the first forty years of the Assembly.
1:9.3 I was in the island called Patmos Tradition tells us that John had been exiled
by Roman officials. God had provided this man with a closeness to our Lord (John
13.23-24) and His mother (John 19.26-27), an important apostolic ministry, a
long life, and a probable enforced semi-retirement so that he would be a fully
fit channel for the recording of this book of Revelation.
1:9.4 for the Word of God, and for the witness of
Jesus Christ. This is the overall aim of God working
through John to accomplish His purpose. See Rom 1.9; 8.28; Eph 2.10. Our Lord
is viewed in this book as the LORD God Almighty (Rev 1.8). His spoken words as
recorded by John may be considered both the words of God and the testimony of
the Faithful Witness.
1:10.1
I was in [a special spiritual state] on a [Lordian Day]. John's spiritual state is similar to the special
meditative psychological states of modern science. But being in the Last Adam,
John is more a life giving spirit than a living soul or psyche. See 1 Cor 15.45,
John 7.38.
1:10.2
And I heard behind me a great voice, sounding like a trumpet. The
speaker seems to be our Lord. In 1 Thess 4.16 there is a similar description of
our Lord's voice when He returns to take His Assembly to heaven. Important transitions are also announced in a
great voice like a trumpet in two places in this book. Here, Rev 1.10, the
completion of Scripture is commissioned. In Rev 4.1 the end of the apostolic
era is about to take place. There is a parallel between these three trumpet
like voice announcements during the time of the Assembly on earth and the seven
trumpets during the time of Israel's revivification during the Tribulation. See
Rev 8:2-11:15
1:11.1
The voice said, [] "What you [perceive], write in a scroll, A Revelation
is given spiritually by God to Christ, to both Head and Body. See Rev 1.1. John,
a member of that Body, perceives that Revelation spiritually, in a special
spiritual state, with an inner spiritual eye and an inner spiritual ear. John's
written record serves as a guide to other members of the Body so that they too
may spiritually perceive what is freely available to them in Christ Jesus, our
Lord. The omitted phrases are not found here in the Byzantine form text. They
are important and are found elsewhere in the book in places which make their
meaning clearer. See Rev 1.8; 21.6; 22.13.
1:11.2
and send it to seven assemblies [], Another unneeded duplication is omitted in
the Byzantine form text.
1:11.3 to those at Ephesus, at Smyrna, at Pergamos, at
Thyatira, at Sardis, at Philadelphia, and at Laodicea." In
this book "assembly" seems to primarily have the sense of all the begotten
again Christians in a community. The word also has the sense of a regular meeting
of begotten again Christians. See Rom 16.5; Col 4:15; etc. A messenger taking the scroll to the seven
assemblies could land at Ephesus and proceed along a road to the other six
communities in the order given. Interestingly, Colossae is the next town on the
road after Laodicea. This is perhaps a hint that there is special
post-apostolic application in Paul's epistle to that assembly.
I2C C 141029aa C Rev1v9to11 aa docx | I2C |
141031 2017 | C Rev1v9to11 God commissions book
