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Revelation 1: 9-15: Clarion Call.

^“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. ¹⁰ On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹ which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.’¹² I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest. ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.” NIV

Lord, you know I need to hear your voice – that voice like a trumpet. You know where I need guidance. In your mercy, let me hear the voice that is as unmistakable as a great, powerful cataract of water pouring over some majestic falls. Lord, when your Word pierces me, help me not to resist, but to be happy for my whole being to be open to you.

Lord Jesus, living Word of God, please speak to me. Help me to listen. Enable me to obey. I want to be your disciple.

Revelation 1:9-12: Christ among the churches.

^“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. ¹⁰ On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹ which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.’¹² I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lamp stands,”NIV

John was on ‘’Patmos’’, a small island, about four miles square, located in the Aegean Sea south of present day Turkey. The Romans used to banish criminals and other prisoners there. The island served as a jail from which no-one could escape. But someone rightly said that although John’s body was confined, his spirit roamed eternity. Best of all, he saw Jesus. When we see Him everything changes, even if our circumstances don’t!

As previously noted, 7 is the number of perfection. So these 7 churches represent all churches, everywhere, in all ages. It is clear, then, that God wants the church to have a vision of Jesus. We need to see Him at all times. But especially when days are hard for the church, we need to understand that He is with us; He is among us. He is not remote or aloof, but He is in the churches. He doesn’t abandon us in our distress and suffering, but is right here with us.

The Someone ‘’Like a son of man’’ (13) John saw is none other than Jesus Himself (Daniel 7:13). The prophet Daniel saw a similar vision of the glorified Christ (Daniel 7:9; 10:5,6).

The church is a ‘lampstand’. The light we are called to shine into the world is but a reflection of Christ’s own glory (16b).

PRAYER: Day by day, Lord, three things I pray: to see you more clearly, to love you more dearly and to follow you more nearly.

Revelation 1:10-12: The Voice!

^“10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹ which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.’¹² I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lamp stands,” NIV

As we come to look at the details of this vision, these comments about John, the writer of ‘Revelation’, are helpful, I believe: ‘Like someone reporting a strange dream, the things he says are hard to imagine all together. It’s more like looking at a surrealist painting, or a set of shifting computer-generated images.’ Tom Wright.

One Sunday, while on Patmos, John ‘’was in the Spirit’’. This doesn’t mean that he was in an especially happy spiritual mood; but he did have an anointing of the Spirit to see things the natural eye cannot usually see. It’s worthy of note that the ‘’loud voice’’ John heard (11), he then turns round ‘’to see’’ (12). What a Voice! We should not miss the connection that John speaks of Jesus as ‘’the Word’’ in the first chapter of the fourth gospel, and here he sees Him as ‘’the Voice’’.

 Prayer: Lord, whether softly or loudly, let me hear you speaking to me today, and help me to believe and obey.

Revelation 1:9-20: Gentle Jesus?

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. ¹⁰ On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹ which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.’¹² I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest. ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.¹⁹ ‘Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Before getting into the details of this great vision, have a read-through Of the whole. Tom Wright points out that to try to look into the full glare of sunlight is dangerous and could cost you your sight. He then makes these comments:

‘…the danger of full-power sunlight is worth contemplating as we hear John speaking about his vision of Jesus…we should learn to think of this Jesus with a new kind of reverence…John…would warn against imagining that Jesus is…a cosy figure, one who merely makes us feel happy inside. To see Jesus as he is would drive us not to snuggle up to him, but to fall at his feet as though we were dead.’

PRAYER: Lord God, by your Spirit, please give me a bigger vision of Jesus.

Revelation 1:9: Ours in Christ

^“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.” NIV

Many years ago, when my dad led a Sunday School, we used to have annual outings. One year we had been to Southport on the train. Dad had prepared a quiz to keep the children occupied on the homeward journey. ‘On which island was the apostle John when he wrote the book of ‘Revelation’?’ This was one of his questions. A little hand shot up. This young man was sure he knew: ‘Sir’t th’isle o’ man!’

Not even close! But it must have entertained some of the other passengers. John was exiled on ‘’Patmos’’ because of his faithful Christianity and preaching. Someone said that in those days, Patmos was the Roman equivalent of Siberia.

It is good to know all that we have in Christ, but we may not be equally happy about everything. In Jesus we have the ‘’Kingdom’’. He is our King and we are part of that unstoppable, unshakeable Kingdom. But although the Kingdom will triumph ultimately, in the short term it is opposed violently. So along with the ‘’Kingdom’’ we also have ‘’the suffering…and patient endurance’’. All these are ‘’ours in Jesus’’. Let’s thank God that He will never allow us to go through anything without also imparting the grace to endure it. In all that we face, it’s good to know that we have brothers and companions in the fight.

Revelation 1:4-8: All about Jesus.

^“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.⁷ ‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,’   and ‘every eye will see him,even those who pierced him’; and all peoples on earth ‘will mourn because of him.’[c]So shall it be! Amen,⁸ ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’ NIV

Yesterday we saw that the church has a Trinitarian experience of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. But it is also a Christ-centred experience. A number of important things are said about Jesus:

• He is the ‘’faithful witness’’ (5): the Greek word for ‘’witness’’ sounds like the English word for ‘martyr’. It carries with it the idea of the very real possibility of suffering, and even dying, as we follow the One who laid down His life for the truth;
• He is ‘’the first-born from the dead’’ (5): Yes Jesus died, but He also rose from death, and all who die trusting in Him will rise too. But He came out of the grave ‘first’;
• He is ‘’the ruler of the kings of the earth’’ (5): He is the ‘’King of kings’’ (17:14; see Phil.2:9-11). The church was in deep trouble with the authorities, and needed to take heart that there is a higher authority;
• He ‘’loves us’’ (6): Lovely thought!
• He ‘’blood-washed our sins from our lives’’ (5b, The Message): Jesus’ sacrificial death has dealt with man’s greatest problem. All who trust in Him are ‘’freed’’ (‘’loosed’’) from their sins;
• He has work/service for us to do. We are saved to serve: ‘’and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father’’ (6a);
• He is deserving of eternal worship: ‘’to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen’’ (6b);
• He is coming back to this world: ‘’Riding the clouds, he’ll be seen by every eye, those who mocked and killed him will see him, People from all nations and all times will tear their clothes in lament. Oh, Yes’’ (7).

At this time, the fastest growing religion in the Roman Empire was Emperor worship. In city after city, there were magnificent temples devoted to the Emperor. Christians had no buildings and met in homes. Many of these were probably simple, poor homes. It looked like the power and influence lay with Rome. But when we see Jesus as He is, we get a different perspective. We see He’s in charge, in spite of appearances.

The last verse is a reiteration of verse 4, with the added words: ‘’I am the Alpha and the Omega’’. These are the first and last words in the Greek alphabet. So God is the beginning and end of everything, but He Himself has no beginning or end. He always was and always will be.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for all you are. Please help me to turn my eyes upon Jesus and keep them fixed on Him.

 Revelation 1:4-5a : Grace and peace.

“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,” NIV

A church wayside pulpit read: ‘No God, no peace; know God, know peace.’

It seems that John had pastoral oversight of 7 particular churches in Asia. But he was writing for the whole church, whether he knew it or not. Certainly the entire church, throughout history, has been blessed (if at times it has also been perplexed) by this magnificent book. There is a line of argument that the number 7, in Scripture, speaks of wholeness or perfection. So the 7 churches may be seen as representative of the total church.

Notice that the church has a Trinitarian experience of God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are alluded to. The ‘’seven spirits before his throne’’ can be translated ‘’the sevenfold Spirit’’ – again pointing to the perfection of the Holy Spirit. We are going to take some time in the next thought to look at all that is said about Jesus. The Father is referred to as the One ‘’who is, and who was, and who is to come’’ (and again in verse 8). He is the eternal God.

Only from this God can we experience the grace (undeserved favour) which leads to peace. In today’s world there are many people who are restless and unsettled, in spite of all they have. It has always been the case. Augustine observed centuries ago, that God made us for Himself, and our hearts find no rest until they rest in Him. He is the heart’s true home. Peace flows from grace. It can be experienced by those who receive the gift of friendship with the Trinity.

PRAYER: Lord, please cause every believer to walk in that peace which is the flowering of grace.

Revelation 1-3: A blessing.

“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who testifies to everything he saw – that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”NIV

A well known preacher suggested that there are two books in the Bible the devil has a particular hatred for – the first and the last. ‘Genesis’ exposes his devices and prophecies his doom; ‘Revelation’ speaks of his destiny.  Well, are now moving from the first book to the last.

For the past few years I have written these daily thoughts, covering many books in both Old and New Testaments. But so far, I have put off tackling the book of ‘Revelation’. Christians hold a variety of views about how to interpret it, and I don’t want to get lost in that particular maze.

But for a while I have felt a regular prodding to head in the direction of this book, in this new year, and I know better than to ignore it. God knows the reason why, and that is enough.

I’m not writing about ‘Revelation’ because I’m an expert, but I invite you to join me on a journey of discovery, as, together, we ask the Holy Spirit to show us Jesus. Someone said that the message of the apocalypse is simple: ‘In the end, Jesus wins!’ Whatever line of interpretation they may hold, believers tend to agree that the overall theme concerns the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Above all, this book is a ‘’Revelation’’ both of and from Jesus. It’s an unveiling of the King, and His purposes for the world.

As we embark on our journey, with ‘L’ plates firmly in place, we should surely feel blessed by the blessing of verse 3. Let’s not fear it, but be blessed as we read.

 PRAYER: Lord, in some ways this book scares me. It’s a bit of a puzzle to me. Some of its themes and pictures frighten me. But I thank you that above all it shows me Jesus on the throne of the universe, and he cannot be moved. Lord God, please open my eyes to see wonderful things in your Word.

Genesis P.S!

Just before moving on, I was impressed by these words from Warren Wierbe’s commentary, and felt they should be shared:

‘Faith (vv. 24-25). “By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones” (Heb. 11:22 nkjv). God’s promises to Abraham (Gen. 15:13-16) were passed along to Isaac and Jacob, and Jacob shared them with Joseph (48:21). Faith isn’t a shallow emotion that we work up by ourselves, or an optimistic “hope-so” attitude of “faith in faith.” True faith is grounded on the infallible Word of God, and because God said it, we believe it and act upon it.

True faith always leads to obedient action (James 2:14-26). Joseph knew what he believed and where he belonged. Therefore, he didn’t want his coffin to remain in Egypt when God delivered his people. He made his brothers swear that they would instruct their descendants, who would then pass the word along to future generations, and they kept their promise. Moses took Joseph’s remains with him when the Jews left Egypt (Ex. 13:19), and Joshua buried him in Shechem (Josh. 24:32; see also Gen. 33:19). Since Shechem became the “capital” for Ephraim and Manasseh, the tribes founded by Joseph’s two sons, that was the ideal place for him to be interred.’

As Wiersbe points out, it is remarkable that Joseph did not lose his faith, living, as he did, for many years, surrounded by paganism. But God has the power to keep His own.

Remember, the will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.