Sunday June 15, 2008

Revelation 1:9-20 Exposition

I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

John is writing these things from exile on the island called Patmos. John had been preserved from death but was still living out his punishment for preaching the Gospel. God brought about the circumstances which led to John's exile so that he would be there to receive, record, and transmit this message to the church. Many of the other Apostles had fallen to martyrdom for declaring Jesus as Lord. Yet our Lord himself had foretold that John would survive in John 21:20-23

20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" 23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?"

NASU

Jesus was not indicating anything as bizarre as an abnormally long life for John, but it was clear that ther was a different calling for John than for Peter who would die a martyr's death by crucifixion.

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,

Here was John in exile likely separated from other believers he he describes himself as being “in the Spirit” on the Lord's day. With no luxuries of gathered friends and family, music, entertaining messages or anything else which “church” affords, John is nonetheless in worship, drawing near to the presence of God on the Lord's Day. If there is a first lesson in being the church God wants us to be it is that we must be in the Spirit on the Lord's day. Should anything keep us from worship with our fellow believers in our home congregation, we are called to all the more ensure that we are “in the Spirit” participating in some genuine form of worship and devotion to our Lord on this His day.

Second it is important to note that the message to John came to him while, “in the Spirit”. We often say “I do not know God's will.” or “God doesn't seem to hear my prayers.” While your situation may be different, the first question you should ask yourself is this. Am I “in the Spirit”? That is, are you attentive to God and God alone in your times of devotion and especially on the Lord's day. God is not likely to speak to us when we are performing a religious service out of habit or routine. Should we expect to encounter God's best when we are looking to give Him our least?

The voice itself was like a trumpet. When God speaks or calls it is impossible to ignore. It would take a force of sheer will to disregard a voice like a trumpet. Too often when we know clearly what God wants we will attempt to disregard the voice, believing we may not have heard correctly, yet it is not the ears or the mind which failed but the will that resists.

11 saying, " Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."

Christs message was to His church, like any Spiritual gift, Johns vision was for the building up of the body of Christ. So it is with our own Gifts as well a Christian Spiritual experience. These are not given that we may be puffed up with pride as spiritual giants, but that we may use what God gives to build and strengthen His Church.

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;

Christ does more than reveal himself but in setting the scene for John, He displays his role in the church. John sees first the seven lampstands.

13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.

This is Christ, the Son of Man, clothed in majesty, and standing in the midst of the lampstands.

14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.

Christ appears glorified not in the humility of His earthly appearance, but more like the transfigured appearance which He had shown Peter, James and John, His whiteness and fiery eyes display His holiness and purity and you see a glimpse too of his passion and life. This is no ghost of a dead prophet like the translucent and shadowy visions we picture in movies. No one could see what John saw and believe they describing someone dead. He is also similar in appearance to the Son of Man as seen by Daniel (Dan 10:4-6)

5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.

NASU

John's continued description follows this same pattern.

15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.

John describes the Son of man in this vision in terms of beauty and awe and majesty. Our Lord is no source for us of boredom. His very person and liveliness makes us alive, grabs our attention and calls us to hear his words.

16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

Here we see two ways He shows us who He is, with the sword from His mouth, and the stars in His hand. He himself will explain the stars. We have been told in Hebrews 4:12

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edgedsword , and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

NASU

His face is glorious, shining with an intensity that would force us to look away. This also reminds us of both the transfiguration as well as the Son of Man, again as in Daniel. The similarities to Daniel are important as John's vision deals with much of the same subject matter as Daniel and sets the couse for the New Testament saints to know what to expect and hope for in the end. Knowing this will encourage the Church to stay and stand strong in the future.

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, " Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,

Even though fear gripped John in Christ's glorified presence He is comforted by the reassurance of Who it Is that is speaking to him, Namely the “first and the Last”. Our comfort is not in our situation or in any natural thing, but our comfort and courage comes from the person of Jesus Christ.

18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

As John falls “like a dead man” and perhaps even fears death, he is reassured that Life and death are in the hands of the one who holds the keys to death and “hades” the grave. Jesus conquered death and as its conquerer now exercises authority over death itself. If we know and trust Jesus, and he has authority over death, then death is not something we have to fear.

19 "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.

John is instructed to write both the events leading up to the vision he is to be shown, what he sees now, and what he is about to see. This is the purpose of the vision, that its contents be transmitted to the Church, that she may be blessed with what Christ imparts to her though His Word.

20 "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The first explanation Christ gives is of the stars and lampstands. The stars are the “angels” as it says, of the seven churches. This can either mean, angelic beings charged with the care of the churches, or the “messengers” of those churches, namely their pastoral leadership. In either sense we gain comfort knowing that the messengers, whether angelic or human, reside in the palm of Christ's hand. The greatest responsibility is the preseervation and the proclamation of Christ's own message to His Church. The task is impossible without the guidance and protection of Christ's own hand.

The lampstands are the churches which can take comfort that Christ stands in the midst of them. One can even infer that Christ does not stand closer to one than another, but stands in the midst of His faithful churches. Our congregations may know that Christ does not belong to us but that His Church belongs to Christ. He stands beside His Bride in whichever congregation she resides, and guides and protects His message and messengers.