This is an article in the series on the question: Is Jesus the Most High God?
Purpose
In the Trinity doctrine, God is one Being or substance consisting of three co-equal Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In other words, all Three are “Almighty” and all Three are the uncaused Cause of all creation. The purpose of this article is to determine whether Revelation describes Jesus as God Almighty.
Summary
Who Is God?
The title “God” is found about 100 times in Revelation. In most instances, nobody else is mentioned in the context so it is not immediately clear whether the title “God” refers to the Father, to the Son or to both (e.g., Rev 14:19). However, the 17 instances listed below mention both the Father and the Son and consistently identify the Father alone as “God.” In other words, in the way that Revelation uses the title “God,” the Son is NOT God:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave Him” (Rev 1:1)
“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb” (Rev 7:10).
“You (the Lamb – Jesus) were slain,
and purchased for God with Your blood
men from every tribe …” (Rev 5:9).
“Now … the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come” (Rev 12:10).
For similar statements, see Revelation 1:2, 9; 7:17; 12:5, 17; 14:4, 12; 20:4, 6; 21:22, 23; and 22:1, 3.
In these 17 instances, the title “God” ALWAYS refers to the Father exclusively. Revelation NEVER refers to Jesus as “God.”The point is that God is one Person and Jesus is somebody else. In other words, when the angel instructs John to “worship God” (Rev 19:10; 22:9), it is a command to worship the Father.
God’s Divine Titles
Revelation describes the Ultimate Reality also using several other titles, including:
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- Him “Who Was and Who Is and Who Is to Come” (Rev 4:8),
- “The Almighty” (Rev 4:8),
- “Him who sits on the throne” (Rev 4:9),
- “Him who lives forever and ever” (Rev 4:9), and
- “Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters” (Rev 14:7; cf. Rev 4:11).
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The following analysis shows that these descriptions also ALWAYS apply to the Father only and NEVER to the Son:
Him who sits on the throne
The throne is an important concept in Revelation. Much happen “around the throne” (Rev 4:3, 6; 5:11; 7:11, etc.), “before the throne” (Rev 4:5, 6, 10; 7:9, 11, etc.), and comes “from the throne” (Rev 4:5; 16:17; 22:1; etc.).
Revelation 4 may be called the throne room chapter for the word “throne” appears at least 10 times in that one chapter alone. After God is introduced as the “One sitting on the throne” (Rev 4:2), He is often referred to later in the book as “Him who sits on the throne” (Rev 4:9, 10; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16). For the following reasons, this always refers to the Father alone and never to the Son:
1) Since Jesus is absent from Revelation 4 (He only enters the throne room in Revelation 5:6), the “One sitting on the throne” in that chapter is the Father.
2) The “One sitting on the throne” is also called “God” (Rev 4:8, 11; 19:4) and, as shown above, Revelation uses the title “God” only for the Father.
3) Several verses make an explicit distinction between “Him who sits on the throne” and Christ. For example:
“The Lamb” (Jesus) “came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne” (Rev 5:6-7).
“Every created thing … I heard saying,
To Him who sits on the throne,
AND to the Lamb” (Rev 5:13; cf. Rev 12:5; 6:16; 7:9-10).
Since Jesus sat down with His Father on His Father’s throne (Rev 3:21), the Lamb also sits on the throne (Rev 22:1, 3) but it remains the Father’s throne. Even human beings may sit on the Father’s throne, for Jesus promised:
“He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne” (Rev 3:21).
This is not a literal throne. The throne symbolizes authority. Since it is the Father’s throne, He is the Supreme Ruler of all creation. By contrasting Jesus with “Him who sits on the throne” (Rev 5:7; 12:5), Revelation indicates that the Son is subordinate to the Father.
The Creator
Elsewhere in the New Testament, we read that God created all things “THROUGH” His Son:
“THROUGH whom (His Son) also He (God) made the world” (Heb 1:1-2; cf. 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:16; John 1:3).
The Son, therefore, was God’s agent through whom God created all things. Similarly, in Revelation, the beings in the heavenly throne room worship the “One sitting on the throne” – the Father – because He has “created all things” (Rev 4:11). The Father alone, therefore, is the uncaused Cause of all things.
Him who lives forever
This title appears four times in Revelation:
It appears twice in chapter 4 (Rev 4:9-10) where Jesus is not present and, therefore, describes the Father.
Revelation 15:7 identifies this Being as “God” and, as discussed, Revelation uses the title “God” only for the Father.
The fourth instance (Rev 10:6) is a quote from Daniel 12:7 which, arguably, refers to the “Most High;” a favorite term for God in Daniel (e.g., Dan 4:24).
All four instances, therefore, identify the Father as the One “who lives forever and ever.” Since the Father is described in this way, as Paul stated, He “alone possesses immortality” (1 Tim 6:16). The immortality of all other beings, including the Son, is dependent on the Father’s immortality.
Who Is and who Was and is To come
For the following reasons, this title refers to the Father alone:
1) The one sitting on the throne, who has been interpreted above as the Father, is also identified as Him “Who Is and who Was and is To come” (Rev 4:8).
2) In the opening verses of the book, John mentions the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together. In these verses, John describes the Father as, “Him who is and who was and who is to come” (Rev 1:4-5).
3) Him “who is and who was and who is to come” is also called “God” (Rev 1:8; 11:17) and it was already shown above that Revelation refers to only the Father as God.
This title may be related to Exodus 3:14, where YHVH (or Yahweh or Jehovah) identified Himself as “I AM WHO I AM.” Both titles may be understood to mean the One who exists without cause.
The Almighty
This title appears:
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- 17 times in the Old Testament (OT),
- Once in the New Testament outside Revelation in a quote from the OT (2 Cor 6:18), and
- 9 times in Revelation.
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Therefore, if we want to understand what this term means for the church, we need to study it in Revelation. In Revelation, it is “God” who is identified as “the Almighty.” For example:
“The war of the great day of God,
the Almighty” (Rev 16:14; cf. Rev 1:8; 4:8; 11:16-17; 15:2-3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 13-15; 21:22).
Since, as discussed above, the title “God” refers to the Father alone, the Father alone is the “Almighty.” Revelation never uses the title “Almighty” for Jesus. On the contrary, it makes an explicit distinction between Christ and “the Almighty:”
“I saw no temple in it,
for the Lord God the Almighty
and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev 21:22; cf. Rev 19:13-15).
Subordinate to the Father
In Revelation, Jesus is subordinate to the Father. For example:
1) Revelation refers only to the Father as “God,” “the Almighty,” “Him who sits on the throne,” and as the Creator. As such, the Father is the ultimate Ruler.
2) Jesus received the Book of Revelation from God (Rev 1:1). When He was on earth, Jesus similarly said that the Father gives Him “what to say” (John 12:49). Revelation 1:1 shows that, 60 years after His resurrection and ascension, Jesus still received from God the words of this prophecy.
3) In Revelation, God is also Jesus’ God (Rev 1:6; 3:2, 12).
For evidence that the Son is subordinate to the Father in the entire New Testament, see – God is the Head of Christ.
Jesus belongs with God.
Revelation shows that Christ is distinct from and subordinate to God, but Revelation also puts God and Christ together over against the created universe. For example:
Both are the temple and the light of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:22-23).
Both are “the beginning and the end” (Rev 1:17; 2:8; 21:5-6), meaning that both have always existed.
The saved belong to both God and Christ (Rev 14:4; 20:6).
The throne belongs to both (Rev 22:3), symbolizing that the Father and the Son will rule together.
They are praised together (Rev 5:13-14).
These verses imply an extremely close relationship between God and His Son.
Who is the Son?
So, if the Bible refers to the Father alone as God, and if the Son is distinct from and subordinate to God, but also belongs with God, who is the Son?
I like Tertullian’s analogy in which he compared God to the sun and His Son as the rays of the sun. In that metaphor, the Father is the Source of all things and the Son is the link between God and the created universe. Just like the rays of the sun brings us warmth and life from the sun, the Son is the Means through whom God gives us everything we need, including creation, knowledge of God, a Savior, redemption, restoration, and eternal life. This relationship is perhaps well explained by Paul:
“There is one God,
and one mediator also between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5).
Final Conclusions
In conclusion, in the Trinity doctrine, Jesus is God Almighty; the uncaused Cause of all creation. But this article has shown that Revelation refers to the Father alone as:
Him “Who Was and Who Is and Who Is to Come,” meaning that the Father is the One who exists without cause,
“Him who sits on the throne,” meaning that the Father is the Supreme Ruler of all creation,
“Him who lives forever and ever,” meaning that immortality of all other beings, including the Son, depends on the Father’s immortality,
“Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters,” and as
“The Almighty.”
All of these titles may be combined into the single title “God,” which Revelation also uses for the Father alone. Consequently, the Son is subordinate to the Father. However, when compared to the created universe, Christ belongs with God.
Similar to the analogy of the sun and its rays, the Father is the Source of all things and the Son is the Means through Whom God gives creation everything it needs.
– End of Summary –
Who is God?
The title “God” is found about 100 times in Revelation. In most instances, nobody else is mentioned in the context so it is not immediately clear to whom the title “God” refers. For instance:
“The great wine press of the wrath of God” (Rev 14:19), or
“The seal of the living God” (Rev 7:2).
However, the 17 instances listed below mention both the Father and the Son and consistently identify the Father alone as “God.” This means that, in the way that Revelation uses the title “God,” the Son is NOT God:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave Him” (Rev 1:1).
“John, who testified to the word of God and
to the testimony of Jesus Christ”
(Rev 1:2; cf. Rev 1:9 and 20:4).
“You (the Lamb – Jesus) were slain,
and purchased for God with Your blood
men from every tribe …” (Rev 5:9).
“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb” (Rev 7:10).
“The Lamb … will be their shepherd …
and God will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Rev 7:17).
“She gave birth to a son, a male child,
who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron;
and her child was caught up to God and to His throne” (Rev 12:5). (To see that this Child is Jesus, compare this with Revelation 19:15.)
“Now … the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come” (Rev 12:10).
“Her children … keep the commandments of God
and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 12:17; cf. 14:12);
“These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb” (Rev 14:4).
“They will be priests of God and of Christ
and will reign with Him for a thousand years” (Rev 20:6).
“I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev 21:22).
“The glory of God has illumined it,
and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev 21:23).
“A river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev 22:1).
“There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it” (Rev 22:3).
These examples show that God and His unique Son belong together over against the created universe. For example, they share a single throne (Rev 22:1, 3) and, together, they are the temple and the light of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:22-23).
Nevertheless, in these 17 instances, the title “God” ALWAYS refers to the Father and NEVER to Jesus. The point is not that the FATHER AND THE SON are different Persons, for that we all agree, but that GOD AND THE SON are two distinct Persons. In other words, God is one Person and Jesus is somebody else. And since this is true in all the verses that refer to both the Father and the Son, this is also true in all instances where the title “God” appears by itself. In other words, when the angel instructs John to “worship God” (Rev 19:10; 22:9), it is a command to worship the Father. (For further discussion, see the article – Jesus is not God.)
God’s Divine Titles
Revelation describes God also in several other ways, including:
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- Him “Who Was and Who Is and Who Is to Come” (Rev 4:8),
- “The Almighty” (Rev 4:8),
- “Him who sits on the throne” (Rev 4:9),
- “Him who lives forever and ever” (Rev 4:9, 10), and
- “Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters” (Rev 14:7; cf. Rev 4:11).
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Each of these descriptions says something about God. The question is, do these descriptions apply to the Father only or also to the Son? For example, is the Son also “Almighty?”
The Being in the throne room in Revelation 4 is described by all five of these descriptions. Since Jesus enters the throne room only in the next chapter (Rev 5:5-6), the “One sitting on the throne” (Rev 4:2) in Revelation 4 is the Father. (For more detail, see – Revelation 4:1-8 – a visual description of God’s throne room.) These, therefore, are descriptions of the Father. The question is, are these titles anywhere else applied to the Son? To answer that question, and to discuss the meaning of these titles, the remainder of this article discusses these titles one by one:
Him who sits on the throne
The word “throne” is found about 100 times in the Bible, of which 50 are in Revelation. The throne, therefore, is an important concept in Revelation. Much happen “around the throne” (Rev 4:3, 6; 5:11; 7:11, etc.), “before the throne” (Rev 4:5, 6, 10; 7:9, 11, etc.) and comes “from the throne” (Rev 4:5; 16:17; 22:1; etc.).
Revelation 4 may be called the throne room chapter for the word “throne” appears at least 10 times in that one chapter alone. After John was called up to heaven, the first thing He saw was:
“A throne was standing in heaven,
and One sitting on the throne” (Rev 4:2)
Then John attempts to explain what he saw:
“And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone
and a sardius in appearance;
and there was a rainbow around the throne,
like an emerald in appearance” (Rev 4:2-3)
This is not a very exact description, but then we must remember that John also wrote that “No one has seen God at any time” (John 1:18). God certainly appears in different forms at different times but these are only appearances (theophanies); manifestations of the presence of God. Since God exists simultaneously everywhere, He cannot be limited to any one specific location. Therefore, His full being cannot be seen. He exists beyond the physical realm.
The Father sits on the throne.
After the introduction of the “One sitting on the throne” (Rev 4:2), He is often referred to as “Him who sits on the throne” (Rev 4:9, 10; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16). Since Jesus is absent from Revelation 4, the “One sitting on the throne” in that chapter is the Father. The following shows that the “One sitting on the throne” is the Father everywhere in Revelation:
1) The “One sitting on the throne” is called “God” (Rev 4:8, 11; 19:4) and, as shown above, Revelation uses the title “God” only for the Father.
2) The following verses make a distinction between “Him who sits on the throne” and Christ:
“The Lamb” (Jesus) “came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne” (Rev 5:6-7).
The son of the woman of Revelation 12 (Jesus) “was caught up to God and to His throne” (Rev 12:5).
“Every created thing … I heard saying,
To Him who sits on the throne,
AND to the Lamb” (Rev 5:13).
At Christ’s return, the lost masses cry,
“Fall on us and hide us from the presence of
Him who sits on the throne,
AND from the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev 6:16).
The “great multitude” of the saved stands
“before the throne AND before the Lamb” (Rev 7:9).
They “cry out with a loud voice, saying,
‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne,
AND to the Lamb.’” (Rev 7:9-10; cf. 7:15).
Since “Him who sits on the throne” is contrasted with Christ, “Him who sits on the throne” is the Father.
The Lamb on the throne
However, in the following verses, the Lamb also sits on the throne:
John saw “a river of the water of life …
coming from the throne of God
and of the Lamb” (Rev 22:1).
“The throne of God and of the Lamb
will be in” the New Jerusalem (Rev 22:3).
Nevertheless, it remains the Father’s throne, for Jesus said:
“I … sat down with My Father
on His throne” (Rev 3:21).
This is consistent with the frequent message in the New Testament that Jesus sat down “at the right hand of God” (e.g., 1 Peter 1:22).
Even human beings may sit on the Father’s throne, for Jesus promised:
“He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne” (Rev 3:21).
Meaning of the term
This is not a literal throne. The throne is a symbol of authority. Since it is the Father’s throne, He is the Supreme Ruler of all creation. By contrasting Jesus with “Him who sits on the throne” (Rev 5:7; 12:5), Revelation indicates that the Son is subordinate to the Father.
“The seven Spirits of God” are “before the throne,” meaning that the Spirit of God is also subordinate to the Father.
That Christ and the overcomers will also sit on God’s throne symbolizes that God will give them authority (Matt 28:18; Phil 2:9-11): They will rule with God but the Father will always remain the ultimate Ruler.
The Creator
Elsewhere in the New Testament, we read that God created all things “THROUGH” His Son:
“All things came into being THROUGH Him” (John 1:3).
“All things have been created through Him”
“THROUGH whom (His Son) also He (God) made the world” (Heb 1:1-2)
“There is but one God, the Father,
FROM WHOM are all things and we exist for Him;
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
BY WHOM are all things,
and we exist through Him” (cf. 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:16).
The Son, therefore, was God’s agent through whom God created. Similarly, in Revelation, the beings in the heavenly throne room worship the “One sitting on the throne” (the Father) because He has “created all things” and because all things exist because that was His will (Rev 4:11). The Father alone, therefore, is the uncaused Cause of all things.
Him who lives forever
This title appears four times in Revelation. It appears twice in chapter 4, where Jesus is not present and, therefore, describes the Father:
“The living creatures give glory and honor and thanks
to Him who sits on the throne,
to Him who lives forever and ever” (Rev 4:9; cf. 4:10).
Revelation 15:7 identifies this Being as “God” and, as discussed above, Revelation uses the title “God” only for the Father:
“God, who lives forever and ever” (Rev 15:7)
The fourth instance in Revelation 10:6 identifies “Him who lives forever” as the Creator, which, according to Revelation 4:11, is the Father:
“Swore by Him who lives forever and ever,
who created heaven … and the earth … and the sea“
(Rev 10:6).
This description of God in 10:6 as “Him who lives forever” is a quote from Daniel 12:7. In both passages, a supernatural being swore by “Him who lives forever” about when the end will come. Arguably, “Him who lives forever” refers to the “Most High;” a favorite term for God in Daniel (e.g., Dan 4:24).
All four instances, therefore, identify the Father as the One “who lives forever and ever.“
The meaning of the term
Since the Father is described in this way, He alone “lives forever and ever.” Paul similarly indicated that the Father “alone possesses immortality” (1 Tim 6:16). Consequently, the immortality of all other beings is dependent on the Father’s immortality. As the only begotten Son of God, Jesus derived His eternal existence and nature from the Father. The Father is the Unbegotten Source of all things. He, alone, has inherent (essential) immortality.
While Jesus was dead (Rev 1:18), the Father “lives forever and ever,” which implies that He never was dead and will never die. This makes a huge distinction between God and Jesus.
Who Is and who Was and is To come
For the following reasons, this title refers to the Father alone:
1) The one sitting on the throne, who has been interpreted above as the Father, is also identified as “WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME” (Rev 4:8).
2) In the opening verses of the book, John brings grace and peace to the seven churches:
“From Him who is and who was and who is to come, and
from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and
from Jesus Christ” (Rev 1:4-5).
This is one of the triadic passages we find in the Bible where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned together. In these verses, John describes the Father as, “Him who is and who was and who is to come.” These verses were not part of a vision but they were John’s interpretation of his visions.
3) Him “who is and who was and who is to come” is also called “God” (Rev 1:8; 11:17) and it was already shown above that Revelation refers to only the Father as God.
(Revelation 11:17 omits the “to come” part of this title because, in the context of that verse, the kingdom of the world has already become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.)
The meaning of the term
This title may be related to Exodus 3:14, where YHVH (Yahweh or Jehovah) identified Himself:
“I AM WHO I AM …
Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel,
‘I AM has sent me to you.”
Both titles may be understood to mean the One who exists without cause. It always scares me to think about why things exist. Why is there not nothing? The answer is that things exist because God exists. In fact, He is that which exists. Everything that exists came from within Him. Our entire existence came forth from Him and depends on Him. But then I thank Him for the revelation which He gave of Himself through Jesus Christ, namely that He is kind and loving.
The Almighty
This title appears 17 times in the Old Testament (OT), once in the New Testament outside Revelation in a quote from the OT (2 Cor 6:18), and 9 times in Revelation. Therefore, if we want to understand what this term means for the church, we need to study it in Revelation.
In Revelation, it is “God” and Him “who is and who was and who is to come” who is identified as “the Almighty.” For example:
“The war of the great day of God,
the Almighty” (Rev 16:14).
“Holy, Holy, Holy is The Lord God,
The Almighty,
Who Was and Who Is and Who Is To Come”
(Rev 4:8; cf. 1:8).
“We give You thanks, O Lord God,
the Almighty,
who are and who were” (Rev 11:16-17; cf. 15:2-3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 13-15; 21:22).
Since, as discussed above, both the titles “God” and “who is and who was and who is to come” refer to the Father alone, the Father alone is the “Almighty.” Revelation never uses the title “Almighty” for Jesus. On the contrary, it makes an explicit distinction between Christ and “the Almighty:”
“His name is called The Word of God. …
and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath
of God, the Almighty” (Rev 19:13-15).
“I saw no temple in it,
for the Lord God the Almighty
and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev 21:22).
Jesus, therefore, is not the Almighty; only the Father is. See the article – Almighty – for a more detailed discussion.
Subordinate to the Father
In Revelation, Jesus is subordinate to the Father. For example:
1) The Father’s title
Revelation refers only to the Father as “God,” as “the Almighty,” as “Him who sits on the throne,” and as the Creator. As “Him who sits on the throne” (Rev 3:21; 4:2; 5:7; 5:13-14; 7:10; 12:5; 19:4), the Father is the ultimate Ruler.
2) Jesus received the Book of Revelation from God:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave Him” (Rev 1:1).
When He was on earth, Jesus similarly said:
“I did not speak on My own initiative, but
the Father Himself who sent Me
has given Me a commandment
as to what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49).
The Trinity doctrine, in which the Son is regarded as equal with the Father, attempts to defend against this point by saying that Jesus had to receive His words BECAUSE He became a human being. However, Revelation 1:1 shows that, 60 years after His resurrection and ascension, Jesus still received from God the words of this prophecy.
3) God is also Jesus’ God.
After His resurrection, Jesus said, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God” (John 20:17). The Father, therefore, was Jesus’ God AFTER His resurrection. Sixty years later, the Father was still Jesus’ God:
“He (Jesus) has made us to be a kingdom,
priests to His God and Father” (Rev 1:6).
“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar
in the temple of My God” (Rev 3:12, 13; cf. 3:2).
For evidence that the Son is subordinate to the Father in the entire New Testament, see – God is the Head of Christ.
Jesus belongs with God.
Revelation shows that Christ is distinct from and subordinate to God, but Revelation also puts God and Christ together over against the created universe. For example:
The 144000 “have been purchased from among men
as first fruits to God and to the Lamb” (Rev 14:4).
Those who have “a part in the first resurrection …
will be priests of God and of Christ” (Rev 20:6).
John saw no temple in the New Jerusalem
“for the Lord God the Almighty
and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev 21:22).
“The glory of God has illumined” the New Jerusalem,
and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev 21:23).
“The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in” the New Jerusalem (Rev 22:3). Since a throne symbolizes the right to rule, the Father and the Son will rule together over the New Jerusalem.
As discussed above, Christ is worshiped with God.
While Jesus said, “I am the first and the last” (Rev 1:17; 2:8), “He who sits on the throne said” (Rev 21:5), who is the Father, similarly said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (Rev 21:6).
These verses imply an extremely close relationship between God and His Son. For further discussion, see the article – Equality.
The Holy Spirit
However, the Spirit of God is not worshiped and does not sit on the throne. It is described as “before the throne” (Rev 4:5), as the seven eyes of the Lamb, and as “sent out into all the earth” (Rev 5:6; cf. Rev 3:1), indicating that it is subordinate to the One on the throne and perhaps also subordinate to the Son.
On the other hand, each of the letters to the seven churches ends with the words, “let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev 2:7, 11, etc.). When John receives a new vision, he says, “I was in the Spirit” (Rev 4:2; cf. Rev 17:3; 21:10; 22:17). Therefore, this entire vision of Revelation seems to be the work of the Holy Spirit (Rev 14:13; 19:10).
Furthermore, right at the beginning of the letter, John mentions the Spirit with the Father and the Son (Rev 1:4, 5), as if the Spirit is a third Person.
In conclusion, in the events described in the book, the Holy Spirit seems absent but we do know that the Holy Spirit is the Power through whom both God and His Son work.
Who is the Son?
So, if the Bible refers to the Father alone as God, and if the Son is distinct from and subordinate to God, but also belongs with God, who is the Son? Christians find it difficult to understand who Christ is. The essence of His being is probably beyond human understanding.
An ancient church father (Tertullian) said that God is like the sun and the Son is like the rays of the sun. I like that metaphor, for it maintains the concept that the Father is the Source of all things while it describes the Son as the link between God and the created universe.
This universe is defined in terms of time, space and matter. It came into being 13 billion years ago. Since the Son is “the Beginning of the creation of God” (Rev 3:14) and “the first and the last” (Rev 1:17; 2:8), the Son has always existed; i.e., for as long as the universe has existed.
However, this universe did not cause itself to exist. The energy and intelligence that brought this universe into being, came from beyond this universe. That incomprehensible Reality is God. He exists beyond the realm of time, space and matter.
Consistent with the metaphor of God being the sun and Christ being the rays of the sun, everything that God does in and for the universe, He does “through” the Son:
Through him, God created all things (Col 1:16; John 1:2; 1 Cor 8:6).
God sent the Son into the world so that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:17; 1 John 4:9 Rom. 5:9; Heb 7:24-25).
Through Him, the Father reconciled all things to Himself (Col 1:19-20) and disarmed the rulers and authorities (Col 2:15). Through His death, Jesus rendered powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb 2:14).
Through Him, we have access to the Father (Eph 2:18) and, through Him, do we give thanks to God the Father (Phil 2:11; Heb 13:15).
This relationship is perhaps well expressed by Paul:
“There is one God,
and one mediator also between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5).