Greeting and the Lord's Self‑Declaration
Revelation 1:4-8
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Rev.1.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ιωαννης: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ταις: ART,dat,pl,f
- επτα: NUM,acc,pl,neut
- εκκλησιαις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- ταις: ART,dat,pl,f
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- Ασια·χαρις: NOUN,dat,sg,f+NOUN,nom,sg,f
- υμιν: PRON,dat,pl,2
- και: CONJ
- ειρηνη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- απο: PREP
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ερχομενος: PART,pres,mid,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- απο: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- επτα: NUM,acc,pl,neut
- πνευματων: NOUN,gen,pl,neut
- α: PRON,nom,sg,n
- ενωπιον: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θρονου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Romans 1:7 (verbal): The greeting formula 'grace to you and peace' parallels John's opening blessing to the seven churches—common apostolic salutation invoking divine favor and peace.
- Revelation 1:8 (verbal): The phrase about the One 'who is and who was and who is to come' recurs in 1:8 as a self‑designation of God/Christ, echoing the same sovereignty over time.
- Revelation 4:8 (verbal): Heavenly beings ascribe to God similar timeless titles ('who was and is and is to come'), linking the worship language of chapter 4 to the opening address in 1:4.
- Revelation 4:5 (verbal): Explicit identification of 'the seven spirits' before God's throne—Rev 4:5 describes seven lamps/spirits, providing the same imagery referenced in 1:4.
- Isaiah 11:2 (allusion): The sevenfold description of the Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the LORD) functions as an OT background to the motif of the 'seven spirits' before God's throne.
Alternative generated candidates
- 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.
- 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 before his throne,
Rev.1.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- απο: PREP
- Ιησου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- Χριστου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- μαρτυς: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- πιστος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- πρωτοτοκος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- νεκρων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- αρχων: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- βασιλεων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- γης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- Τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- αγαπωντι: VERB,pres,act,ptc,dat,sg,m
- ημας: PRON,acc,pl,1
- και: CONJ
- λυσαντι: VERB,aor,act,ptc,dat,sg,m
- ημας: PRON,acc,pl,1
- εκ: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- αμαρτιων: NOUN,gen,pl,f
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- εν: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- αιματι: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Colossians 1:18 (verbal): Calls Christ the 'firstborn from the dead'—direct verbal parallel to Revelation's 'firstborn of the dead,' stressing his primacy in the resurrection.
- Revelation 3:14 (verbal): Describes Jesus as 'the faithful and true witness,' closely echoing Rev 1:5's title 'the faithful witness' and linking witness-language within Revelation.
- Ephesians 1:7 (verbal): Speaks of redemption and forgiveness 'through his blood,' paralleling Rev 1:5's claim that he 'released us from our sins by his blood.'
- Daniel 7:14 (thematic): The Son's given universal dominion in Daniel (authority over peoples and kings) thematically parallels Christ as 'ruler of the kings of the earth.'
- 1 John 1:7 (thematic): Affirms that 'the blood of Jesus... cleanses us from all sin,' thematically echoing Revelation's emphasis on liberation from sin by Christ's blood.
Alternative generated candidates
- And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood,
- and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
Rev.1.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- εποιησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- ημας: PRON,acc,pl,1
- βασιλειαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- ιερεις: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- θεω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- πατρι: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- δοξα: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- κρατος: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- εις: PREP
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- αιωνας: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- αιωνων·αμην: NOUN,gen,pl,m+INTJ
Parallels
- Exodus 19:6 (verbal): The phrase 'kingdom of priests' (or 'a kingdom of priests') in Exodus is the clear OT background for Revelation's language of being made a kingdom and priests to God.
- 1 Peter 2:9 (thematic): Speaks of believers as a 'royal priesthood' and 'a holy nation,' echoing the New Testament adaptation of the Exodus notion of God's people as both royal and priestly.
- Revelation 5:10 (verbal): Within the same book the identical role is affirmed: the slain Lamb has made believers 'a kingdom and priests to our God,' reinforcing the same soteriological and eschatological identity.
- Romans 11:36 (verbal): The doxological ending ('to him be the glory forever. Amen') closely parallels Revelation's closing ascription of glory and dominion to God for eternity.
- Revelation 1:5 (structural): The immediate context: verse 5 names the one who 'loves us and freed us from our sins' and leads directly into verse 6's statement that he 'made us' a kingdom and priests—showing close literary and theological connection.
Alternative generated candidates
- and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father— to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
- and has made us a kingdom and priests to his God and Father—to him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Rev.1.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ιδου: PART
- ερχεται: VERB,pres,mid,ind,3,sg
- μετα: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- νεφελων: NOUN,gen,pl,f
- και: CONJ
- οψεται: VERB,fut,mid,ind,3,sg
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- πας: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- οφθαλμος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- οιτινες: PRO,rel,nom,pl,m
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- εξεκεντησαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- και: CONJ
- κοψονται: VERB,fut,mid,ind,3,pl
- επ᾽αυτον: PREP+PRON,acc,sg,3,m
- πασαι: ADJ,nom,pl,f
- αι: ART,nom,pl,f
- φυλαι: NOUN,nom,pl,f
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- γης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ναι: PART
- αμην: PART
Parallels
- Daniel 7:13 (verbal): The image of a figure coming 'with the clouds' (the 'one like a son of man') is the principal Old Testament antecedent for Revelation's cloud-coming motif.
- Zechariah 12:10 (quotation): 'They will look on me whom they have pierced' closely parallels 'those who pierced him' in Rev 1:7; Revelation echoes this prophetic phrase.
- John 19:37 (verbal): John cites Zech.12:10 of one 'whom they pierced' applied to Jesus; Revelation repeats the same pierced-language, linking crucifixion and eschatological sight.
- Matthew 24:30 (thematic): Eschatological depiction of the Son of Man coming on the clouds, seen by all, with worldwide mourning—parallels 'every eye shall see' and 'all tribes of the earth shall wail.'
- Acts 1:11 (allusion): The assurance that Jesus 'will come in the same way' as he ascended (clouds) echoes Revelation's promise that he is coming with the clouds.
Alternative generated candidates
- Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will wail because of him. Even so. Amen.
- Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be. Amen.
Rev.1.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Εγω: PRON,nom,sg,1
- ειμι: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,sg
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- Αλφα: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- και: CONJ
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- Ω: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- λεγει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- κυριος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- θεος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ερχομενος: PART,pres,mid,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- παντοκρατωρ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
Parallels
- Rev.22.13 (verbal): Repeats the explicit self-designation 'I am the Alpha and the Omega' and 'the First and the Last,' reinforcing the same christological title and eschatological sovereignty.
- Rev.1.4 (verbal): Uses the identical phrase 'who is and who was and who is to come' in the opening greeting, echoing the same temporal formula of divine eternal existence.
- Rev.4.8 (verbal): Heavenly beings worship 'holy, holy, holy' and ascribe to God the description 'who was and is and is to come,' paralleling the triadic tense formula of eternal being found in 1:8.
- Isa.44.6 (thematic): Isaiah proclaims 'I am the first and I am the last,' an Old Testament proclamation of God's unique, sovereign eternity that Revelation adapts to the risen Lord.
- John 8.58 (allusion): Jesus' 'Before Abraham was, I am' asserts divine self-existence and timelessness; Revelation's 'who is and who was and who is to come' similarly claims an unchanging, eternal divine identity.
Alternative generated candidates
- “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
- “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
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 stand before his throne,
and from Jesus Christ—the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
and has made us a kingdom and priests to his God and Father—to him be the glory and the 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 the tribes of the earth will wail because 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.”