Sevens and Threes

Jesus has a triple title in both the letter to Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) and the one to Laodicea (3:14-22).

To the Philadelphians, He is holy, true, the one-with-keys. To the Laodiceans, He is the Amen, the martyr, the beginning-of-creation.

Those traids suggest the Trinity, perhaps in detail. The Father is holy, the Son is the True, the Spirit is the one who opens and shuts. The Father is the Amen, the Son is the witness, and the Spirit is the arche of creation (cf. Genesis 1:2).

Overlapping these triads are other numerological patterns. Apart from articles and conjunctions, the name in 3:14 has seven words: Amen, martyr, faithful, true, beginning, creation, God. When you add the articles and conjunctions, there are 14 words.

The name of Jesus in the letter to Philadelphia is not as clearcut. We might say that it includes 8 key words: holy, true, key, David, open, shut, shut, open. (That excludes not only articles and conjunctions but the participle echon and the repeated pronoun oudeis .)

The numerologies of these titles are not consistent, but there are some others with similar patterns. To the Thyatirans, Jesus is the son, with fire-eyes, and bronze-feet, a triadic designation. And there are seven key words: son, God, eyes, flames, fire, feet, burnished-bronze.

In all these, the numerology underwrites what is stated explicitly and implicitly in the text: Jesus reveals God wholly as the Creator and bringer of new creation. As the Son, He reveals the three because He is the Lord of seven days.