Revelation 1:11 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Revelation 1:11

Comments

The words are repeated by the one John turns to and sees. ‘What thou seest, write in a book [a scroll of course].’ This no doubt applies to the whole book, so the seven literal churches which are listed and are going to be spoken about will each receive not just the letter to that church, but the whole book. Christ has a particular message for each one, but every church will receive the message to all the other churches, as well as the rest of the book.These seven churches are the literal part of the chapter; they existed. We read about them elsewhere. Their state and condition is described. Exhortations and warnings are given to them, and encouragements.

Application

There is no attribute that belongs to the Father that does not also belong to the Son. Some attributes of God can be found to a small extent in his creatures, others are his exclusively. The first we call communicable, the others incommunicable. The Jehovah’s Witnesses fail to recognise the distinction between the communicable and incommunicable attributes of God. They claim that Christ is a created being, and yet they attribute incommunicable attributes to him. But only God can be called ‘the First and the Last’, only God can create, only God can redeem, and only God can be called Almighty. When therefore these things are attributed to Jesus Christ, they are an unmistakable assertion of deity. Verse 8 has the two phrases, ‘the Alpha and the Omega’ and the ‘beginning and end’. Here a new phrase ‘First and the Last’ is substituted for the latter. In Revelation 22:13 the one who says ‘I come quickly’ applies all three phrases to himself. The one for whose sake all things exist, and whose glory the whole creation exists to serve: this one was incarnate and lived among men; this one spoke with John.

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Revelation 1:11 Commentary and Bible Study