1:4 the seven churches: Identified by name in 1:11 and addressed individually in chaps. 2-3. Asia: A Roman province in southwestern Turkey. Grace . . . and peace: A standard greeting in Christian correspondence (Rom 1:7; 1 Pet 1:2). By adding the farewell formula in Rev 22:21, John gives the entire book the character of a letter to be read in the liturgy (Col 4:16; 1 Thess 5:27). him who is: Implies that God is the eternal Lord of history. • The expression expands on the name of Yahweh revealed at the burning bush (Ex 3:14) (CCC 206, 212). Back to text.

1:4-5 Grace and peace flow out from the Trinity, as seen in the threefold repetition of from, which is linked to the Father (him who is), the Son (Christ), and the Holy Spirit (the seven spirits). Christian interpreters have often read the "seven spirits" of Revelation as an allusion to the Spirit and his sevenfold gifts mentioned in Is 11:2 LXX (e.g., St. Ambrose, On the Holy Spirit 1, 16). Symbolic reflections of the Trinity also appear at Rev 5:6 and 22:1. Back to text.

1:5 the first-born: The risen humanity of Jesus is the 1 first specimen of God's new creation (21:5). • Jesus is described in the words of Ps 89:27, where Yahweh promises to exalt the messianic heir of David over every world ruler. This was fulfilled in Christ, who became "King of kings" (Rev 19:16) through his Resurrection and Ascension into heaven (Acts 2:2936). See note on Rom 1:3. • Christ is called the first-born of the dead, not because he died before we did, but because he suffered death for us and was the first to rise again. Since he has risen, we too shall rise again through him (St. Athanasius, Discourses against the Arians 2, 61). Back to text.

1:6 kingdom, priests: Believers share in the royal priesthood of Christ. This common priesthood of the faithful differs in kind and not simply in degree from the ministerial priesthood of the Church (CCC 1546). See note on 1 Pet 2:9. • Since the King of kings and Priest of heaven united us with his body when he offered himself for us, there is not one among the saints who does not possess the office of priesthood, for each is a member of the eternal Priest (St. Bede, Explanation of the Apocalypse 1, 6). Back to text.

Word Study

Revelation (1:1)

Apokalypsis (Gk.): a noun meaning "revelation" or "unveiling". In the Bible, the term always refers to a disclosure of something that was previously unknown, whether it be secrets (Sir 22:22), works (Sir 11:27), the knowledge of God (Eph 1:17), or the plan of salvation (Eph 3:3). Mysteries can be made known in the present, such as Christ's glory and Lordship (Gal 1:12), or await disclosure until the future, when God will judge the world (Rom 2:5) and bestow glory on his children (Rom 8:19). The word apokalypsis serves as a title for the Book of Revelation, sometimes called the Apocalypse on the basis of this Greek term (Rev 1:1). The title is well chosen inasmuch as Revelation removes the veil from God's plan for the future, drawing back the curtain that hides Christ's glory, kingship, and control over history from the naked eye (Rev 4-5) (CCC 50).

1:7 he is coming: The towering expectation of the book, here described in the words of Dan 7:13 and Zech 12:10. • Daniel sees the Son of man riding the clouds into heaven, where the divine court grants him an everlasting kingdom that results in the destruction of his enemies. Zechariah portrays Israel mourning the death of its pierced and rejected Messiah. John blends these visions into one: Christ is the Son of man whose exaltation as king brings a sentence of judgment on those who pierced him. The passage may have provisional reference to the coming of Christ in judgment against unbelieving Jerusalem, the city that pierced him (Rev 11:8) and within a generation lay in ruins (Mt 22:7; 24:1-34). Ultimately, however, its fulfillment awaits the return of Christ in glory, when all peoples will behold his splendor and lament their participation in sin (Acts 1:11). Back to text.

1:8 Alpha . . . Omega: The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They signify that God is the origin and destiny of all creation, as well as its sovereign Lord (22:13). • The same idea is expressed in a similar way in Is 41:4, 44:6, and 48:12. Back to text.

1:9 Patmos: A small island in the southern Aegean Sea that was used by the Romans as a penal colony for criminals. John was banished there for being a Christian. Back to text.

1:10 in the Spirit: John is seized by the Spirit while engaged in prayer and worship (see Jn 4:23-24). He is carried off into heaven (Rev 4:2), into the wilderness (17:3), and then to the summit of a high mountain (21:10). • Ezekiel was similarly transported to various locations by the Spirit (Ezek 2:2; 3:14; 11:1; 40:2). the Lord's day: Sunday, the first day of the week, when Christians gather for liturgy (Acts 20:7) to commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus (Lk 24:1-7) (CCC 1166-67). Back to text.

1:12-17 The inaugural vision of Revelation. Borrowing 1 images from Ezekiel and Daniel, it describes Jesus in both divine and human terms. • His hair is white like that of the Lord, the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:9), and his voice is like the rumbling of God's glory when it draws near (Ezek 43:2). His appearance also resembles a man (Dan 7:13) whose eyes are torches and whose feet gleam like bronze fired in a furnace (Dan 10:6). John, like the prophets before him, falls prostrate before the exalted Lord (Rev 1:17; Ezek 1:28; 44:4; Dan 10:9). Back to text.

1:12 seven golden lampstands: Each one is modeled on the branched candelabra, or menorah, that flickered in the sanctuaries of Israel (Ex 25:31-39). They symbolize the seven Churches addressed by John (Rev 1:20). • The passage evokes Zech 4:2, where a Temple menorah burns with the oil of the Spirit. This is a reminder that the seven Churches remain aglow with the Spirit and depend on him to enlighten others. • The Church's preaching is steady and true, and through it one and the same salvation radiates throughout the world. Announcing the truth everywhere, the Church is the seven-branched candlestick that bears the light of Christ (St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 5, 20, 1). Back to text.

1:13 long robe: A vestment worn by a high priest (Ex 28:4; Sir 45:8). Similar attire is worn by the heavenly angels (Rev 15:6). Jesus ministers to the needs of the seven Churches just as the Temple priests tended the menorah lamps by trimming their wicks and replenishing their oil (Ex 27:20-21) (CCC 662). Back to text.

1:18 keys of Death and Hades: Symbolizes that Christ has royal and judicial power over life and death (3:7), which is the power to lock and unlock the gates of the underworld, called Hades (9:1; 20:1, 13; Wis 16:13-14) (CCC 633-35). See note on Mt 16:18. Back to text.

1:19 what . . . what . . . what: A basic outline of the book. What John sees is chap. 1, what is refers to the present state of the Churches addressed in chaps. 2-3, and what is about to unfold hereafter is narrated in chaps. 4-22. Back to text.

1:20 the angels: Perhaps a reference to the bishops or pastors of the seven churches, for each of the seven letters that follow is sent to an "angel" of the community (2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). Back to text.

2:1-3:22 John addresses seven churches in Asia Minor that lie within a 50-mile radius of one another. (1) Traditionally, it is held that the Apostle John settled in this area and ministered to these very churches in the later years of his life. (2) Geographically, the sequence of churches moves clockwise from Ephesus to Laodicea and may reflect the postal route of the day. (3) Structurally, each letter begins with an image that appeared in chap. 1 and ends with an allusion to chaps. 19-22. (4) Spiritually, the zeal of these churches is declining, with Ephesus in the best shape and Laodicea in the worst. (5) Historically, these letters allude to concrete circumstances and experiences of Asian Christians in the first century. Back to text.

2:1 Ephesus: The most prestigious cultural, commercial, and religious center in the Roman province of Asia. Paul established the Church there (Acts 19:1-10) and later commissioned Timothy to build on his foundation (1 Tim 1:3). It is uncertain as to when John assumed pastoral responsibility over Ephesus and the other churches in the region. Back to text.

2:4 abandoned the love: The Ephesians had turned their hearts away from Christ and let their enthusiasm for Christian living die down (Mt 24:12). According to Jesus, this constitutes a spiritual "fall" from which they must recover (Rev 2:5). Back to text.

2:5 remove your lampstand: The price of impenitence is divine judgment. The threat of removal may recall the historical plight of Ephesus, a city that was twice forced to relocate because of the silting of its river and harbor. Back to text.

2:6 the Nicolaitans: Early tradition links these heretics with Nicolaus, one of the seven deacons ordained in Acts 6:5. Whatever their background and origin, the Nicolaitans are said to have had a dangerously casual attitude toward idolatry and sexual immorality. Their corruptive influence was already at work among believers in Pergamum (Rev 2:15). Back to text.

2:7 him who conquers: The one whose commitment to Jesus triumphs over every temptation to compromise or lose faith. The seven letters reveal the eternal rewards that await the saints who persevere (2:11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). tree of life: Signifies everlasting life and communion with Christ (22:14). Perhaps the promise is a strike at the Greek fertility goddess, Artemis, whose temple was located in Ephesus and who was sometimes depicted as a fruitful tree. • Humanity was barred from the tree of life after the rebellion in Eden (Gen 3:22), but access has been regained through Christ, who gives a foretaste of its blessings in the Eucharist. See note on Jn 6:58. Back to text.

2:8 Smyrna: Thirty miles north of Ephesus. Smyrna was fiercely loyal to Rome, a supporter of emperor worship, and home to a large Jewish community openly hostile to Christianity. Destroyed in 600 B.C. and refounded in 300 B.C., the city is addressed by him who truly died and came to life again. Back to text.

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