Letters to the 7 Churches of Revelation Pt. 2 What John saw.

Psalm 99:5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

Greetings from our home to yours!  This text is a call to worship for the redeemed sheep of Jehovah's pasture.  We are called to exalt Him and this means lifting Him up, elevating Him with joy and confidence and magnifying or highly esteeming God.  In essence, exalting our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will shape how we think, what we say and determine the choices that we make.  This is truly a worthy pursuit for the born again believer.

Exalting Jehovah will lead us to worship Him in Spirit and truth.  We will want to sit humbly at His footstool like a servant waiting to do his Master's bidding.  We will be overwhelmed with the beauty of His holiness.  We will fall down before the God of Glory and praise Him.  May this become the attitude of our hearts toward Jehovah.

Caught in the power of the Holy Spirit, John was suddenly whisked up to heaven and brought into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He saw many unusual events and graphic scenes of God’s judgment transpire, some of which must have severely taxed the limits of his ability to comprehend. 

Jesus instructed John to faithfully record his observations and with the unfailing guidance of the Holy Spirit.  John penned arguably the most fascinating and mysterious book of the New Testament.

John's greeting and purpose in writing

The aged apostle knew the churches in this area very well since he had lived at Smyrna for a number of years.  He begins with an apostolic greeting extending grace and peace to the readers and then including the Lord Jesus Christ in this greeting.

He reminds us that Christ died in our place to pay for our sins with His own blood because of God's great love for us.  He reminds us that our Lord is resurrected and is at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  John points out the great blessings that Christ has bestowed on each born again child of God. 

The next item seems to be a summary statement that tell us why John is writing.  The purpose of the book is to show us what will happen when Christ returns as King of Kings and Lord of lords to establish His kingdom. 

Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Jesus will come in the clouds and glory just as He left as noted in the text above.  When Jesus returns, every human eye is going to see the Creator of all and the Savior of all who trust Him.  Those who reject Christ and those who crucified the Lamb of Glory will wail because all false religion and idolatry will be destroyed at His judgment seat. 

Jesus is Jehovah (I Am) in the flesh

The Jehovah in the flesh, the eternal I AM says "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending saith the Lord, which is, which was and which is to come, the Almighty. 

Revelation 1:4-8 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

The statement "beginning and the ending" reminds us that Jesus Christ is also Creator and in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  At the same time, He is working out the good pleasure of His will and bringing all things to their intended conclusion. 

Isaiah tells us about the eternal "I Am" in these statements that echo the words of Christ in Revelation.  God began all things with regard to creation and He will conclude all things with regard to creation.  This is a central theme of Revelation. 

Isaiah 41:4  Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. 

Isaiah 44:6  Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. 

Isaiah 48:12-13  Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. 

Typically, the letters to the seven churches are full of interesting details and they share some common features.  For example, each church was the recipient of a unique description of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Each church also received a standard salutation in their message from Christ, a similar assessment of strengths and weaknesses and a clear recommendation from Jesus regarding what course of corrective action should be implemented.

Listed below are the 7 unique pictures of Jesus Christ with the respective churches listed by each description.  We will see these in greater detail as we study each letter sent to the churches. 

CHURCH                          DESCRIPTION                                                               

EPHESUS                      REVELATION 2:1                 LIGHT GIVER

SMYRNA                       REVELATION 2:8                 LIFE GIVER

PERGAMOS                   REVELATION 2:12              WORD GIVER

THYATIRA                    REVELATION 2:18              JUDGMENT GIVER

SARDIS                         REVELATION 3:1                 KNOWLEDGE GIVER

PHILADELPHIA             REVELATION 3:7                 OPPORTUNITY GIVER

LAODICEA                     REVELATION 3:14              TRUTH GIVER

John sees the Glorified Son of God

Yesterday we looked at what John heard and today we examine what he saw.  He turned to see who was speaking to him.  First John sees 7 golden candlesticks which we later learn represent the angels of the 7 churches in Asia. 

The glory of Christ

Next, John sees Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man.  He probably thought back to the glimpse of Christ's glory that Peter, James, & John saw when Jesus was transfigured.

Matthew 17:1-2 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

The Priestly garments of Christ

His garment reached to His feet.  This may have been the garment worn by Jesus Christ our High Priest since this word is not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.  This description seems to connect to a prophecy of Isaiah concerning Christ.

Isaiah 22:21-22 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

The white hair of Christ

He had a golden girdle which would be a wide belt or sash.  His head and hair was white like wool or snow.   His eyes flamed with righteousness.  His feet were like brass perhaps seeming to glow as John beheld them.  This is connected to Daniel's glimpse of the glory of God.

Daniel 7:9-10 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 

A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

The 7 stars of Christ

The risen Christ held 7 stars in His right hand that are symbolic of the 7 churches.  Christ holds their fate in His hands. 

Amos 5:8  Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:

Revelation 1:12-17 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.

The flaming eyes of Christ

The flaming eyes of Jesus Christ reminds us of several things about God.  These remind us that Christ will be the Final Judge and His judgment will be measured out to every man, woman, or child that has ever lived.  Flame represents purifying power and the power to destroy. 

Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. 

Paul describes this fiery judgment of the believer's works in his letter to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 3;13-15 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 

If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The powerful voice of Christ

The voice of God sounding like many waters is also testified to in the Old Testament.  His voice had the sound of many waters, maybe similar to ocean waves or a waterfall.

Psalm 29:3-4  The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 

The two edged sword of Christ

The sword in the mouth of Christ reminds us that Jesus is the Word of God.  (John 1:1-3) He speaks with all the absolute authority of the Godhead and what He says will come to pass exactly as He declared it. 

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

The impact of seeing the glorified Christ upon John

He fell at the feet of Christ as one that was dead.  It overwhelmed John and he fully recognized the beauty of the holiness of Jehovah in contrast to the corruption of his own flesh.  He could not stand before such a God.  No one could.  (See Isaiah 6:1-8; Ezekiel 1:26-28 and Daniel 10:1-9).

The comforting words of Christ

Jesus reached out with his right hand to pick John up and told him "Fear not." John was called the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Our risen and glorified Lord is also our Friend and faithful High Priest who intercedes for us. 

Jesus goes on in the first chapter to give John a commission to write the things he has seen, the things which are and those things that will come to pass.

Revelation 1:17-18 And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

In our next post we will look at the first letter to the 7 churches that was sent to Ephesus.

Bob