The Trinity in Revelation—Even If the Word Isn’t There

Wait a second. Where did that word Trinity come from? It’s not in the beginning of Revelation. Actually, it’s not in the middle or the end of it either. In fact, the word isn’t in the Bible anywhere. But then, unless you’re reading a Hebrew or Greek translation of what I wrote, none of these words are in the original “Bible”. Not in the original writings of any of the authors of the books we call the Bible. So, let’s explore the Trinity in Revelation, looking at the Greeting in Chapter 1.

The Trinity in Revelation—Even If the Word Isn’t There is article #03 in the series: Revelation without the weeds. Click this button to view titles for the entire series

So yeah, the word isn’t in there. But what if the reality behind it is staring us in the face—right from the start?

When I looked into the greeting in Revelation, I was struck by how much is packed into just a few verses. The word “Trinity” isn’t used in the Bible, and certainly not in Revelation, but I couldn’t help but notice how clearly the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all present in the text. It reminded me how important it is not just to read Scripture, but to pause, dig in, and ask what’s really being said—especially when that “simple greeting” turns out to be laying a foundation for everything that follows. This series is about drawing attention to the desire for relationship with us and inviting others to explore it with fresh eyes.

So, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use the word “Trinity”.

Of course, Muslims will disagree.

And yet, the fact remains, the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit are present throughout the Bible.

Summary (from AI)
Biblical Trinitarian Greeting: Revelation 1:4–5 subtly presents a triune salutation—God the Father (“who is, was, and is to come”), the Holy Spirit (represented by “the seven spirits before His throne”), and Jesus Christ (the faithful witness and redeemer).
The Significance of “Seven Spirits”: Drawing from Isaiah 11, the “seven spirits” are interpreted as a symbolic representation of the Holy Spirit’s fullness—wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, fear of the Lord, and the Spirit of the Lord Himself.
Theological Weight of Names and Titles: The piece highlights how divine titles like “Alpha and Omega” and “the Almighty” are used interchangeably for the Father and the Son, underscoring Jesus’ full divinity.
Understanding Matters: The article stresses why parsing these distinctions isn’t academic nitpicking—it’s an act of reverence that strengthens relationship with God and equips believers to grasp the work and identity of each Person of the Trinity.
Invitation Amid Warning: Though the greeting conveys grace and peace to believers, it also foreshadows judgment and mourning for those who reject Christ—urging readers to embrace the awe-filled response rather than the fear-filled one.

Closing Paragraph In the end, the greeting in Revelation isn’t just a pleasantry—it’s a theological anchor that sets the tone for everything to come. By recognizing the triune presence in these opening verses, believers are reminded of the unity, purpose, and invitation of God to step into covenantal relationship. It’s a call to discernment and transformation, to shift from fear to awe, and to seek the fullness of God as revealed in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As the journey through Revelation unfolds, this greeting becomes a constant: both a compass and a reminder of the One who greets—and ultimately redeems.

Even the Old Testament, the Hebrew/Jewish scriptures, include the Father (by various names that describe Him), the Holy Spirit (as when David asked God not to take His Spirit away), and the Son, by way of prophecy going all the way back to Genesis 3:15.

The Fall of Man

…

Ge 3:13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Ge 3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
“Cursed are you above all the livestock
and all the wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.

Ge 3:15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

…

So, let’s take a look at this greeting, and see what it really says.

Greetings and Doxology

Rev 1:4 John,

To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Rev 1:7 Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
So shall it be! Amen.
Rev 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Let’s begin with this portion:

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

I’ve always disliked – hated – sentence construction. But sometimes it’s essential to our understanding of what we’re reading. In this case, there are three parts to the portions of verses 4 & 5 that I pulled out of the greeting.

God the Father or God the Son?

OK – that’s all nice and good. But other than Jesus, how do we know the first one’s the Father and the Second one’s the Holy Spirit? I mean, what’s this about the seven spirits of God? Where’d they all come from? And didn’t Jesus say something like being the first and the last? How do we know the first one isn’t Jesus as well as the third?

But first, does it really matter? Who cares which one is which?

Well, we should care. After all, Jesus said this when He promised us Life Through the Son:

Life Through the Son

Jn 5:16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jn 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

Jn 5:24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Jn 5:28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”

As Christians, we believe (at least we’d better believe) what the Bible says in John 3:16 –

Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

If we don’t believe that, we need to go back to square one.

If we do believe that, then we should certainly care about both the Father and the Son being represented in not only the Greeting, but throughout Revelation and the entire Bible!

As for the Holy Spirit, let’s also remember something Paul wrote about Life Through the Spirit –

Life Through the Spirit

Ro 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Ro 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Ro 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Ro 8:12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

So now, to say the least, we have a vested interest in finding, seeing, understanding, and acting on the reality that all three members of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit act as one to guide us to the “Promised Land” of the New Covenant – eternal life with (Them/)Him. Since that’s the case, we should settle for nothing less than reaching a point in our faith where all three of them are important to us.

Are the three references really to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?

There’s one way to verify that the references above are correct. Find them in other books of the Bible. So, let’s do exactly that.

Unfortunately, we’ll find it’s kind of messy. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell – just from the words – whether a reference is to the Father or to Jesus. For instance, here’s an excerpt from The Names of God showing the names used in the Bible to address God The Father and Jesus:

God – The Father		Jesus
God	θεός	God	θεός
Lord	κύριος	Lord	κύριος
God Most High	θεός ὁ ὕψιστος	Son of God	υἱός ὁ θεός
Lord God	κύριος ὁ θεός	Christ	Χριστός
God of the living	θεός ζάω	Jesus of Nazareth	Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος
Blessed	εὐλογητός	the Holy one of God	ὁ ἅγιος ὁ θεός
Master	δεσπότης	Son of Man	υἱός ὁ ἄνθρωπος
Almighty	παντοκράτωρ	Jesus of Nazareth	Ἰησοῦς Ναζαρηνός
		Jesus of Nazareth	Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζαρηνός
		Our Lord	κύριος ἐγώ
		Lord Jesus	κύριος Ἰησοῦς

Notice – the first two rows are identical. God the Father and Jesus are identified by the same Greek and English words. It’s only from context and sometimes even grammar that we can really tell which is which.

Beyond these names though, there are other times when it’s not immediately obvious in a quick reading who’s being referred to. As mentioned above, Alpha and Omega is one of those.

ALPHA AND OMEGA

Alpha and Omega Pages 141–142
This distinctive title occurs with “the Almighty” in Revelation 1:8. It is also found in two passages near the end of Revelation. In Revelation 21:6 God the Father, while seated on His throne, says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” Then in 22:13 and 14, Christ states,

And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.

It is significant that the title is used of the Father and the Son interchangeably. And it follows that in Revelation 1:8 the other titles given the Father would also apply to the Son. Concerning this verse, the Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary (Vol. 2) notes the following:

Of the many names of God that reveal his character and memorialize his deeds, there are four strong ones in this verse. (1) “Alpha and Omega” are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Their mention here is similar to the “First” and “Last” in v. 17 and is further heightened by the “Beginning” and the “End” in 21:6 and 22:13. Only this book refers to God as the “Alpha and Omega.” (2) He is the absolute source of all creation and history, and nothing lies outside him. Thus he is the “Lord God” of all. (3) He is the one who “is, and who was, and who is to come.” (4) He is continually present to his people as the “Almighty” (lit., “the one who has his hand on everything”).

The application of the title “Alpha and Omega” to both God the Father and the Son is incontrovertible evidence of Christ’s full deity.  ¹Richards, L. (2001). Every name of God in the Bible (pp. 141–142). Thomas Nelson.

So yes, sometimes it’s obvious whether a reference is to Father or Son. But sometimes it’s not. However, when it’s ambiguous on its own, we should try to determine who’s being addressed, speaking, or spoken about. It will help with our understanding of the intended message from the Bible to us.

What about God the Holy Spirit?

We read about Life Through The Spirit above. We likely know about that.

But what’s this seven spirits of God? What’s that about?

There are three references to the “seven spirits of God” in Revelation. Four to the “seven Spirits”. However, there’s no such wording anyplace else in the Bible! What then are these spirits”?

There’s a much deeper look at this question in the article from the inset box if you’re interested. But for the purpose of this limited look at the Holy Spirit / the seven spirits of God, the discussion below should suffice.

The reference is believed to be back to the beginning of Isaiah 11, which tells us of the coming birth of a savior.

What seems like the most reasonable explanation of the seven spirits of God (the Holy Spirit) comes from Isaiah 11-16.  It”s part of a prophecy about the coming of Jesus.  The first few verses tell of the seven spirits.

As you read this, look for the seven spirits.

The Branch From Jesse

Isa 11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

Isa 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—

The Spirit of the Father, resting on the Son,
with the seven spirits being the underlined items below.
Keep in mind, seven is a number representing completeness or fullness. 

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD—

Isa 11:3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

That’s six, if you counted.  Six underlined, at any rate. Did you see the seventh one?

What’s number 7?  It’s actually at the beginning of the verse – 
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him

It’s beyond our understanding to figure that one out.  It looks like the six I underlined are part of the overall Spirit of the Lord.  And yet, somehow, maybe having to do with the concept of completeness, or the perfection that comes from the synergy of all of them together, it’s seven.

Again – why does this “difference” between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit matter?

A simplistic explanation would be to just say if it didn’t matter, then all of this info wouldn’t be in the Bible. God doesn’t waste His time or ours. So learn it! But then, if you’re a regular reader here, when have I ever gone for the simplistic answer?

A slightly better answer is to say it’s important because it shows our respect for God. We learn about the names and nicknames of our friends. So, why not even moreso for God? Respect.

But even that, it’s not the whole story. There’s even more reason why it matters. Reasons that have to do with things God did for us.

Something Jesus told us about the importance of the Holy Spirit

Consider the two passages below and what God did for us. And given that, why wouldn’t we want to take full advantage of God’s provision for us?

The passage below is Jesus talking to His disciples, before His death on the cross. Most of it applies to us today, since we are also His disciples at this time. The only difference is that not only is the crucifixion over, Jesus is also resurrected and has ascended back to Heaven. Therefore, the presence of the Holy Spirit is no longer a future promises to be fulfilled, it is done and He is in us from the moment we’re baptized.

With that in mind, consider the things we potentially miss out on from the presence of the Holy Spirit when we don’t do much, if anything, with the promises given about the Holy Spirit.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

Jn 16:5 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

Think about this. Jesus said, “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away.” That’s not the way we normally think. Maybe we never think that way. We don’t like it when someone “leaves”. When they die because they’re gone. Forever. Well, if we think about it, as when Lazarus was resurrected, if we and the person who passed away followed Jesus, we will see them again in Heaven.

But in this case, Jesus came back! And here He is telling them He’s going to leave. Again. Of course, they don’t realize the twice part yet, although it’s not for lack of having been told.

And it’s a good thing. Grief times two!

Jn 16:12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Jn 16:16 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

Of course, today, most Christians look at these verses and think they’re good. Even though we can’t truly understand the full impact of what Jesus said, we know it’s good.

Today’s Christians are not Jesus’ original audience

But try to think back to a time before you were even considering becoming a believer. If you read that passage, at best, you wouldn’t understand it. Maybe you’d think it was weird. But whatever you think know now, it wasn’t that way before. It can’t be. Why not? Because we aren’t born, physically, with the Holy Spirit. It’s a gift we receive when we “accept Jesus”.

Furthermore, we grow in our faith and understanding, because of the Holy Spirit guiding us. So even what we understood years ago, we’re hopefully further along now. And will also have a deeper understanding and appreciation for what Jesus said many years from now.

Next, try to think back to when John received the vision. And tried to put it into words. He saw things he didn’t understand. He saw things that we don’t truly understand either.

But, and this is the big one, when the time comes, we think/hope/pray that we won’t be here anymore when much of the vision takes place. So, when it does begin, for certain there will be many who don’t understand at all. How can they? Even if true believers haven’t been raptured yet when it begins, those who don’t believe will be even more upset at Christians than they are today. We’ll see that as we go along.

At some point, maybe about halfway through or so, again we think/hope/pray that true believers will be raptured. Again, If this view holds true – there’s even more reason than ever for non-Christians to be afraid and extremely angry. They’re clueless. And the vast majority will refuse to learn.

Even if they do want to learn, how? From who? What have you done to leave anything for a non-Christian to learn from, or even have a desire to learn?

Greetings. But there’s no “Do not be afraid”

Let’s look again at the Greetings and Doxology passage:

Greetings and Doxology

Rev 1:4 John,

To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Rev 1:7 Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
So shall it be! Amen.
Rev 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Yes – it says grace and peace.

But let’s be honest.

That’s for the believers. That’s the “awe kind of fear”.

But for everyone else? For the non-believers, it’s the “be afraid kind of fear”.

After all, this is the final judgment in progress.

And that’s why the adjacent image looks like it does.

If you don’t this is accurate – check out the words one more time:

Rev 1:7 Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
So shall it be! Amen.

Conclusion: Revelation – Greetings from The Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

So we see, there’s a lot more here than “just” a greeting. It’s two different greetings. But even that falls short of what it really is. We’ll soon find out it’s actually two greetings, but with an invitation to move from the “be afraid” to the “be in awe” greeting. If someone chooses to accept the offer. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, we’ll also see that most of those who are afraid, as opposed to in awe, in the image above – they’ll not only stay afraid but the fear will turn into anger. And that will seal their fate. Their final destination. A destination where they will truly learn what anger and hatred are about.

But they’ll be on the wrong end of it.

What’s next?

In the next segment of our series, Revelation without the weeds, we’ll look at the beginning of the vision given to John.

A vision given on what is today a beautiful little island. At least it was twenty some years ago when I was there. I assume it was even more so back in John’s time.

But I can tell you, unless John was let out of his tiny little cave in the rock on top of the island, he saw none of the beauty. The sea view was on the opposite side from the opening in his place of exile. The view of the island was below the horizon of what he could see from that same opening. Maybe he could stand up – but at 6′ 4″ I couldn’t. Not even close. And the opening was shorter than the ceiling inside.

And yet, here’s how John began his narrative of the events he “saw”:

Rev 1:9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Hope to see you in “One Like a Son of Man“.

Footnotes

• 1
  Richards, L. (2001). Every name of God in the Bible (pp. 141–142). Thomas Nelson.