This passage begins by saying, “Write, therefore, what you have seen…” In other words, John the Apostle was entrusted with the task of recording what he had witnessed up to that point. Next comes a reference to “…what is now.” This serves to identify the things that were taking place within these churches at the time John received the Book of Revelation. Jesus will elaborate on many of those topics in chapters two and three, where He will personally address each of these seven churches.
Finally, He says, “Write, therefore… what will take place later.” This is where the Book of Revelation begins to talk about the future, or the things that will occur later. So to summarize this passage, we can say that it speaks of…
- The past, or “what you have seen.”
- The present, or “what is now.” This reflects many of the subjects that will be discussed in chapters two and three.
- The future, or “what will take place later.”
This should raise an important question for modern-day readers of Revelation: “Where do current-day audiences fit within this ‘Table Of Contents?” The answer to that question largely depends on how one views the end of verse nineteen and its reference to “what will take place later.” We can look to various translations of Revelation 1:19 for help in finding an answer. For instance,
- If you are reading the GNT version, it says, “the things that will happen afterward.”
- The NKJV it says, “after this.”
- The KJV and ASV each use the word “hereafter.”
- The NASB and NET have the words, “after these things.”
- The NIV references “what will take place later.”
So, regardless of the translation, this portion of Scripture clearly points to future events. But how do we know when the future starts in the book of Revelation? We will address that question in the final installment of our look at this chapter next.
The seven churches discussed in this text were not symbolic representations; they were actual churches that existed in John’s era. In fact, one can embark on a tour of these church locations today. The distance between these congregations varied from approximately thirty to fifty miles (48 to 80 km), and a first-century messenger would likely distribute this book in the order mentioned here.
In the original language of this passage, Alpha and Omega function much like the letters A and Z, for they each represent the first and last letters of their respective alphabets. Thus, we can understand this reference to mean that Jesus is the first, the last, and the “A to Z” of everything. Therefore, our text from Revelation 1:8 establishes Jesus as the beginning and the end of all things.
One notable aspect of Revelation 1:4 involves the repetition of the number seven. This holds considerable significance, for the number seven recurs fifty-four times within the twenty-two chapters of Revelation.
The Biblical book of Revelation was authored by a man named John, a person who identifies himself by name three times within this book (
We should also note the descriptive phrase that closes this verse: “the error of the wicked.” This serves to remind us that heretical teachers are not mistaken, confused, or misguided. Instead, this passage describes such individuals as wicked…
The New Testament letter of 1 John highlights the need to evaluate the spiritual ideas and beliefs we encounter when it tells us, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1 NIV). That portion of Scripture reminds us that many spiritual teachings, experiences, or supposed displays of supernatural power may not come from God.
This also reminds us that context is important whenever we encounter those who seek to use a Biblical text to support their views. The word “context” refers to “the part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.” (2) In other words, the chapters and verses that surround a Biblical text help determine the meaning of that text. When verses are quoted outside their context, it is sometimes possible to make the Bible say some very unbiblical things.
By highlighting some of the challenging aspects of Paul the Apostle’s Biblical letters, Peter directs our attention to a practical application from this passage. For example, some may justify their reluctance to read the Bible by claiming that it is too difficult to understand. But today’s age of technological advancement has made it increasingly difficult to rationalize that argument.
So, unlike the unscrupulous advertiser who markets a “new” product that is little more than an old product dressed up in a different package, the new heavens and new earth will be pristine and unspoiled. If we were to employ some technical jargon to describe this future event, we might say that God will not simply “power off” the current universe and “reboot” it. Instead, He will completely rewrite its operating system.
We can also view this reference to “hastening” from a different perspective. As we’ve already seen, the word “hasten” is used to describe an attempt to expedite an action or activity. In light of this, our text from 2 Peter 3:12 underscores the need to avoid a passive mindset in anticipation of that day. Instead, we should actively employ the talents, skills, abilities, gifts, and opportunities that God has graciously given us for use in His service today.
Our text from 2 Peter 3:10 reminds us that the best investments are the ones that are made in view of eternity. We should thus prioritize our business endeavors, our finances, and our material possessions in light of these things. As we read in another portion of Scripture…
We’ll return to this verse from 2 Peter 3:11 shortly. But for now, we can also approach this reference to the day of the Lord from a different perspective. You see, “the day of the Lord” also arrives in a multitude of human lives each day. In this sense, the day of the Lord occurs whenever someone departs from this earthly life and enters the realm of eternity.
For instance, we can kill time, buy time, or pass the time. Musicians keep time and athletes call time out. Some have time on their hands, while others never seem to have enough. Employees and others can spend time or steal time. Time can be free or expensive, good or bad, wasted or invested, and lost or found. So we can view time in different ways, but what is it?
Nevertheless, that sustaining effort will continue only as long as God sees fit. When God ceases to maintain the current form of the heavens and earth, He will use fire as His chosen element of dissolution. This imagery should be familiar to readers of the Old and New Testaments alike. For example, the book of the Old Testament prophet Nahum alludes to the fiery presence of God…
This also corresponds to what we read later in Genesis 7:10-12. That portion of Scripture tells us “…all the underground waters erupted from the earth” (NLT) at the time of Noah’s flood. The sudden emergence of those underground pockets of water would have led to the catastrophic results associated with the flood.
For instance, many believe that the universe came into existence through an arbitrary process. This idea suggests that the universe could have formed by chance if given a sufficient amount of time. But let’s consider this premise for a moment. In this context, the word “chance” conveys the statistical probability that something will occur. However, this explanation fails if we apply it to the notion that the universe came into existence through random chance.
The assertion that “the world remains unchanged” here in 2 Peter 3:4 predates a contemporary theory regarding the processes that have helped shape our present world. That theory asserts that “the present is the key to the past.” The following commentators discuss its relevance to our text from this passage…