The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (295 page)

1:6 kingdom, priests:
Believers share in the royal priesthood of Christ. This common priesthood of the faithful differs in kind and not simply in degree from the ministerial priesthood of the Church (CCC 1546).
See note on 1 Pet 2:9
. • Since the King of kings and Priest of heaven united us with his body when he offered himself for us, there is not one among the saints who does not possess the office of priesthood, for each is a member of the eternal Priest (St. Bede,
Explanation of the Apocalypse
1, 6). 
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Word Study

Revelation
(
1:1
)

Apokalypsis
(Gk.): a noun meaning "revelation" or "unveiling". In the Bible, the term always refers to a disclosure of something that was previously unknown, whether it be secrets (Sir 22:22), works (Sir 11:27), the knowledge of God (Eph 1:17), or the plan of salvation (Eph 3:3). Mysteries can be made known in the present, such as Christ's glory and Lordship (Gal 1:12), or await disclosure until the future, when God will judge the world (Rom 2:5) and bestow glory on his children (Rom 8:19). The word
apokalypsis
serves as a title for the Book of Revelation, sometimes called the Apocalypse on the basis of this Greek term (Rev 1:1). The title is well chosen inasmuch as Revelation removes the veil from God's plan for the future, drawing back the curtain that hides Christ's glory, kingship, and control over history from the naked eye (Rev 4-5) (CCC 50).

1:7 he is coming:
The towering expectation of the book, here described in the words of Dan 7:13 and Zech 12:10. • Daniel sees the Son of man riding the clouds into heaven, where the divine court grants him an everlasting kingdom that results in the destruction of his enemies. Zechariah portrays Israel mourning the death of its pierced and rejected Messiah. John blends these visions into one: Christ is the Son of man whose exaltation as king brings a sentence of judgment on those who pierced him. The passage may have provisional reference to the coming of Christ in judgment against unbelieving Jerusalem, the city that pierced him (Rev 11:8) and within a generation lay in ruins (Mt 22:7; 24:1-34). Ultimately, however, its fulfillment awaits the return of Christ in glory, when all peoples will behold his splendor and lament their participation in sin (Acts 1:11). 
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1:8 Alpha
 . . .
Omega:
The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They signify that God is the origin and destiny of all creation, as well as its sovereign Lord (22:13). • The same idea is expressed in a similar way in Is 41:4, 44:6, and 48:12. 
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1:9 Patmos:
A small island in the southern Aegean Sea that was used by the Romans as a penal colony for criminals. John was banished there for being a Christian. 
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1:10 in the Spirit:
John is seized by the Spirit while engaged in prayer and worship (see Jn 4:23-24). He is carried off into heaven (Rev 4:2), into the wilderness (17:3), and then to the summit of a high mountain (21:10). • Ezekiel was similarly transported to various locations by the Spirit (Ezek 2:2; 3:14; 11:1; 40:2).
the Lord's day:
Sunday, the first day of the week, when Christians gather for liturgy (Acts 20:7) to commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus (Lk 24:1-7) (CCC 1166-67). 
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1:12-17
The inaugural vision of Revelation. Borrowing
1
images from Ezekiel and Daniel, it describes Jesus in both divine and human terms. • His hair is white like that of the Lord, the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:9), and his voice is like the rumbling of God's glory when it draws near (Ezek 43:2). His appearance also resembles a man (Dan 7:13) whose eyes are torches and whose feet gleam like bronze fired in a furnace (Dan 10:6). John, like the prophets before him, falls prostrate before the exalted Lord (Rev 1:17; Ezek 1:28; 44:4; Dan 10:9). 
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1:12 seven golden lampstands:
Each one is modeled on the branched candelabra, or
menorah,
that flickered in the sanctuaries of Israel (Ex 25:31-39). They symbolize the seven Churches addressed by John (Rev 1:20). • The passage evokes Zech 4:2, where a Temple menorah burns with the oil of the Spirit. This is a reminder that the seven Churches remain aglow with the Spirit and depend on him to enlighten others. • The Church's preaching is steady and true, and through it one and the same salvation radiates throughout the world. Announcing the truth everywhere, the Church is the seven-branched candlestick that bears the light of Christ (St. Irenaeus,
Against Heresies
5, 20, 1). 
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1:13 long robe:
A vestment worn by a high priest (Ex 28:4; Sir 45:8). Similar attire is worn by the heavenly angels (Rev 15:6). Jesus ministers to the needs of the seven Churches just as the Temple priests tended the
menorah
lamps by trimming their wicks and replenishing their oil (Ex 27:20-21) (CCC 662). 
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1:18 keys of Death and Hades:
Symbolizes that Christ has royal and judicial power over life and death (3:7), which is the power to lock and unlock the gates of the underworld, called Hades (9:1; 20:1, 13; Wis 16:13-14) (CCC 633-35).
See note on Mt 16:18
. 
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1:19 what . . . what . . . what:
A basic outline of the book. What John
sees
is chap. 1, what
is
refers to the present state of the Churches addressed in chaps. 2-3, and what is about to unfold
hereafter
is narrated in chaps. 4-22. 
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1:20 the angels:
Perhaps a reference to the bishops or pastors of the seven churches, for each of the seven letters that follow is sent to an "angel" of the community (2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). 
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2:1-3:22
John addresses seven churches in Asia Minor that lie within a 50-mile radius of one another.
(1)
Traditionally, it is held that the Apostle John settled in this area and ministered to these very churches in the later years of his life.
(2)
Geographically, the sequence of churches moves clockwise from Ephesus to Laodicea and may reflect the postal route of the day.
(3)
Structurally, each letter begins with an image that appeared in chap. 1 and ends with an allusion to chaps. 19-22. (4) Spiritually, the zeal of these churches is declining, with Ephesus in the best shape and Laodicea in the worst. (5) Historically, these letters allude to concrete circumstances and experiences of Asian Christians in the first century. 
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2:1 Ephesus:
The most prestigious cultural, commercial, and religious center in the Roman province of Asia. Paul established the Church there (Acts 19:1-10) and later commissioned Timothy to build on his foundation (1 Tim 1:3). It is uncertain as to when John assumed pastoral responsibility over Ephesus and the other churches in the region. 
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2:4 abandoned the love:
The Ephesians had turned their hearts away from Christ and let their enthusiasm for Christian living die down (Mt 24:12). According to Jesus, this constitutes a spiritual "fall" from which they must recover (Rev 2:5). 
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