The Great Doxology

The beginning of Revelation reveals that those who dwell on these words will be blessed. There are many blessings throughout the book of Revelation that are available to us, but there’s a special blessing here at the start of this book that’s disclosed to us.

In verse 4 of the first chapter, the Word says, “Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come...” We have a beautiful depiction here of the Triune God—the Trinity, which is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. This scripture passage magnifies and glorifies the attributes of God, recognizing Him as the Father who is, who was, and who will be, acknowledging Him as the Spirit who is before the throne, and finally as Jesus Christ, who is the witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of kings.

This scripture passage is noted as the Doxology. What does that mean? In Greek, the word Doxology translates as ‘praise’ or ‘glory.’ So, verse 4 is a declaration of praise to the Tribunal God in His entirety.

First, He is God the Father, who IS. He is the great I AM.

Then, we see the reference to the seven spirits before the throne of God. It’s always a good idea to watch closely when numbers are given in the Bible. God is a fantastic mathematician. He often uses numbers to convey significance.

The Holy Spirit is His own being, but in Isaiah, we’re also told that the Holy Spirit has seven dimensions. These dimensions, or parts, include: the presence of the Lord, wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2-3). The Holy Spirit is alive and active within us, representing the power of God through these seven spirits all within the One.

Finally, we have Jesus.

He is the faithful witness. John 14:6 explains that He is truth. Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is Truth—a reliable and trustworthy witness. He is also the firstborn from the dead. Lazarus died and was raised again, but he died again. Jesus alone has died, was resurrected, and never died again. Jesus is the only one who ever fully defeated death. Therefore, He is the first one born from death.

And finally, He is the ruler of kings on earth. There will never be another like Him. No one will ever again embody truth or tame death because Jesus sits on the throne and will never be replaced. He is the King of Kings, forever and ever, amen.

The Doxology is the declaration of praise and glory to God, setting up the stage and the story for the book of Revelation. It glorifies the Trinity and highlights our testimony, which is this: we belong to the only One worthy of praise, and at the end, we will live with Him in glory.