In the first chapter, John introduced himself and his composition (1:1–3; 1:9–10) and then greeted his readers who belong to seven different congregations of the Asian church (1:4; 1:11). Chapters 2 and 3 expand upon this introduction in continuation from the preceding commissioning vision (1:12–20). In this way, John’s own perceptions of his audience are conveyed through the authoritative voice of “the First and the Last,” who instructs the seer to write the Lord’s greetings to the angelic representatives of the seven congregations.

Scholars continue to disagree over the literary suitability and thematic unity of this particular vision within the context of the entire apocalypse. These discussions, however important, tend to distract the interpreter from John’s overarching purpose for th…