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.
You see, numbers often carry symbolic meaning in the Book of Revelation, just as they do in our contemporary world. For example, suppose one person said to another, “You’re number one!” This does not mean that someone is a number in a literal sense. Instead, the number one is used to identify a person who is first or best. In a similar manner, “take five” is a phrase we use to indicate a brief rest period that lasts about five minutes. In this instance, the number “five” symbolizes the approximate duration of that break.
The book of Revelation employs the number seven in a similar way. In addition to its numeric value, the number seven also holds significance as a link to the symbolic ideas of fulfillment, completion, and perfection. For instance, some commentators believe this reference to “the seven Spirits who are before His throne” speaks of the Holy Spirit in His complete fullness.
We should also note the original audience for this epistle: “the seven churches in the province of Asia” (GW). We’ll talk more about these churches as we move forward into Revelation chapters two and three. However, this reference to seven churches suggests that these messages have an intended audience that goes beyond a handful of first-century congregations. Instead, the author has something important to say to the entire Christian community.
So when we speak of Jesus, we are not speaking of someone who merely resembles God, but of someone who is the exact counterpart or image of God. In Jesus, we witness the perfect visible expression and representation of the invisible God, like an image on a coin or a reflection in a mirror.
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