Revelation 1:4
“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;”
King James Version
John greets the churches from Him who is, and was, and is to come. Four verses later that Person says, 'I am Alpha and Omega... the Almighty'.
Fulfillment References
Revelation 1:8 Revelation 1:17-18 Revelation 5:6 Isaiah 11:2 Exodus 3:14
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalWho is 'him which is, and which was, and which is to come'? Four verses later He says it Himself: 'I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty' (1:8). Then the One speaking says, 'I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead' (1:17-18). The Almighty who was dead is Jesus. The 'seven Spirits' are the fulness of the one Spirit (Isa. 11:2), and in 5:6 they are the Lamb's own 'seven eyes'.
Jewish'Who is, and was, and is to come' echoes the divine name (Exodus 3:14) as Jewish interpreters expanded it.
CatholicRead as the Trinity: the Father, the sevenfold Spirit, and Jesus Christ (1:5).
ProtestantMost read a Trinitarian greeting: from God, the Spirit (the 'seven Spirits'), and Jesus Christ.
OrthodoxRead as Trinitarian; the seven Spirits as the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
DispensationalRead as Trinitarian; the seven churches are often seen as stages of church history.
Academic'Who is, who was, who is to come' expands the divine name of Exodus 3:14, as in some Targums. The 'seven Spirits' are much debated: the sevenfold Spirit, or seven angels.
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Audio narration (listen to this prophecy read aloud), cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, a prophetic timeline, network maps, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Why it was written“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31). Peter told the first crowd how to begin: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
The new birth → · How to receive the Holy Ghost →
The new birth → · How to receive the Holy Ghost →
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, D.Min. · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.