10:6, where Daniel saw an angel with “eyes” (LXX= ophthalmos) like “flaming torches” (LXX= lampas pur). 1:13-15 are all directly parallel to Dan. The golden sash, eyes like fire, feet like burnished bronze, and roaring voice in Rev. Moreover, many of his features are identical to those of the angel who visited the prophet Daniel. 1:10), the instrument blown by angels in Rev. This figure has a voice like a trumpet (Rev. John is met by a dramatic figure who tells him to write down his visions and send them to the seven churches. What can we learn from John’s initial revelatory encounter that might tell us more? Yet it also leaves us wondering where the Holy Spirit figures into the picture. This suggests that the angel and the seven spirits are somehow related. John The Seven Churches (1:4-5)įour of the five entities in each list (God, Jesus, John and the seven churches) are unquestionably the same. Strikingly, just a few verses later we encounter another list of five entities in John’s greeting to the churches: The message originates with God and is channeled through Jesus, an angel, and John before it is finally made known to God’s “servants,” which clearly refers to the seven churches. This list contains a total of five entities. God Jesus Angel John “Servants” = the Seven Churches (1:1-2) John opens Revelation by explaining the precise chain of custody for the visions contained in the book: But are they mutually exclusive? The chain of custody gives us some insight into this question. Isaiah 11:1-3 LXX – And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse and a blossom shall come up from his root: and the Spirit of God shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom (1) and understanding (2), the spirit of counsel (3) and strength (4), the spirit of knowledge (5) and godliness (6) shall fill him the spirit of the fear of God (7).īoth sets of arguments are compelling.There is a possible parallel between the seven spirits mentioned in Rev 5:5-6 and the seven attributes of the Holy Spirit listed in Is. 4, where it is directly connected to the Holy Spirit. 4:5 and 5:6, the seven spirits are identified as seven “torches of fire” and seven “eyes.” Most scholars think John draws this imagery from Zech. according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.ģ. 1:1-2 - Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles. 1:4 - 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, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness. A similar formulaic greeting of grace and peace appears in 1 Peter: 10:29 and which produces the fruit of “peace” in Gal. 1:4 greeting of grace and peace is fitting for the Holy Spirit, which is called “the spirit of grace” in Heb. 1:4, it characteristically refers to the Holy Spirit. When pneuma is used “as part of an apparent formula with God and Christ” as seen in Rev.
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