ch. ii. 7. Seven being the number of the covenant, we have in these seven a representation of the Church universal.
In Asia. See on Acts ii. 9.
Grace—peace. For grace (dps), see on Luke i. 30. Both words are used by Paul in the salutations of all his Epistles, ex- cept the three Pastorals.
From Him which is, and which was, and which is to come (dd Tod 6 dy Kal o Hy Kal 6 épyopevos). The whole salutation is given in the name of the Holy Trinity: the Father (Him which is, and was, and is to come), the Spirit (the seven spirits), the Son (Jesus Christ). See further below. This por- tion of the salutation has no parallel in Paul, and is distinct- ively characteristic of the author of the Apocalypse. It is one of the solecisms in grammatical construction which distinguishes this book from the other writings of John. The Greek student will note that the pronoun which (0) is not construed with the preposition from (a76), which would require the genitive case, but stands in the nominative case.
Each of these three appellations is treated as a proper name. The Father is Him which is, and which was, and which 2s to come. This is a paraphrase of the unspeakable name of God (Exod. iii. 14), the absolute and unchangeable. “O ap, the One who és, is the Septuagint translation of Exod. iii. 14, seit the 6 dv (Lam):” “6 dv (Lam), hath sent me unto you.” The One who was (6 fv). The Greek has no imperfect participle, so that the finite verb is used. Which és and which was form one clause, to be balanced against which is to come. Com- pare xi.17; xvi. 5; and “was (7v) in the beginning with God” (John i. 2). Which ts to come (6 épxdpevos). Lit, the One who és coming. This is not equivalent to who shall be; ie., the author is not intending to describe the abstract existence of God as covering the future no less than the past and the pres- ent. If this had been his meaning, he would have written 6 écbpevos, which shall be. The phrase which is to come would not express the future eternity of the Divine Being. The dominant conception in the title is rather that of immutability.