Revelation 1:1-3, 12-20:
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He sent this revelation through his angel to his servant John. John testified about what he saw: God's word and the testimony about Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads, as well as those who hear the words of this prophecy and pay attention to what is written in it because the time is near. I turned toward the voice which was talking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lamp stands. There was someone like the Son of Man among the lamp stands. He was wearing a robe that reached his feet. He wore a gold belt around his waist. His head and His hair were white like wool—like snow. His eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like glowing bronze refined in a furnace. His voice was like the sound of raging waters. In His right hand he held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. His face was like the sun when it shines in all its brightness. When I saw Him, I fell down at His feet like a dead man. When I saw Him, I fell down at His feet like a dead man. Then, He laid His right hand on me and said, “Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last, the Living One. I was dead, but now I am alive forever. I have the keys of death and hell. Therefore, write down what you have seen, what is, and what is going to happen after these things. The hidden meaning of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand and the seven gold lamp stands is this: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches.”
In the beginning of the Book of Revelation, John states how we should understand its contents. John, then describes an encounter he has with Jesus Christ. This encounter is a key to us understanding the seven letters that follow.
After Jesus Christ appeared to John in this way, He commanded John to write to the seven churches. Each of these letters was dictated to John by Jesus Christ, so they are written in the first person. In them, Jesus Christ uses the visionary revelation of Himself that He had just shown to John to introduce Himself at the beginning of each letter.
These “self-descriptions” of Jesus Christ are a small selection from the larger description given in Revelation 1:12–18:
1) Ephesus: He “holds the seven stars and walks among the seven lampstands” {Revelation 2:1}.
2) Smyrna: He is “the First and Last, the Living One” {Revelation 2:8}.
3) Pergamum: He has “the sharp, double-edged sword in His mouth” {Revelation 2:12, 16}.
4) Thyatira: He is “the Son of God, whose eyes are like fire and His feet like bronze” {Revelation 2:18}.
5) Sardis: He “holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars” {Revelation 3:1}.
6) Philadelphia: He is “Holy and True, and He holds the key of David” {Revelation 3:7}.
7) Laodicea: He is “the Faithful and True Witness, the ruler of God’s creation” {Revelation 3:14}.
John (in obedience to Jesus Christ) takes the revelation of Jesus Christ he had just received and shares it in seven letters. The revelation of the risen Jesus Christ is spread out among the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2-3. This is a beautiful picture of how His body knows in part {1 Corinthians 13:9}. The Holy Spirit takes the revelation given by Scripture (that God has given to all of us) and He applies it individually and contextually to us in a way that we will each understand and that will be uniquely meaningful.
We all see part of who Jesus Christ is, however, none of us see Him fully or perfectly yet. So, we need to work together and learn from each other to begin to see the whole picture of Jesus Christ. This is why every joint in the body of Jesus Christ must supply its part or its unique perspective {Ephesians 4:16}.
No comments:
Post a Comment