We learned in our last study that this revelation began on a Sunday, and even though John had been banished to this island of Patmos, Sunday found him worshipping.
Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
In the Spirit doesn’t imply that he was some kind of a trance, but rather, he was honoring God, thinking about him, and spending time in His presence. As we see here, when we are worshipping God, we never know what might happen. One more thing, you are never too old for God to reveal Himself to you in a whole new way. One of my favorite portions of scripture is when God calls to Abraham when he thought he was finished hearing from God.
Genesis 21
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.
34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.
Abraham was at a place in his life that he had never been in before… The promise of he and Sarah having a son of their own had been fulfilled. He was watching Isaac grow up, Abimelech, the king of the Philistines along with the commander of the Philistine army had come to make peace with Abraham. For the first time in his life, he no longer had to pull up his tent stakes and move. (When you move to a place that you never intend to leave, what is one of the things you will do? Plant a tree, because you are going to be around for a long time…you will be able to watch the tree grow and benefit from its fruit or shade.) Abraham planted a tree, but it wasn’t just a tree…it was a tamarisk tree. What kind of fruit grows on a tamarisk tree? None. It is an ornamental tree it blooms with beautiful blossoms, and HERE is the important thing: It is a slow-growing tree.
The promises have been fulfilled, Abraham is at peace, Abraham never has to move again, and Abraham has planted a tree…and is resting in its shade. But God had something else for Abraham, let me read the first few verses of the next chapter:
Genesis 22
1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
I wonder about John in his late 80’s or early 90’s, banished, rejected, probably wondering how much longer it will be before the Lord calls him home…suddenly God lets him know that He has something else to show him. The silence is broken by the loudest voice John had ever heard, even louder than the scream of the crowd demanding that Jesus be crucified. This was a voice that blared like a trumpet, and it was coming from behind him.
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.
Everything in this chapter has been easy to understand…until now. It is important that we lay down three essential rules that are important that we observe as we read through this book.
Essential Rules
1. We give the same meaning to the words of prophecy that are given to words of history.
There are many who say that you cannot read this book taking it as literal as possible because each of the words has a mystical meaning. The word day means a day and a year means a year.
Essential Rules
2. We are not going to change the literal to a spiritual or symbolic meaning, or seek hidden meanings.
You will hear teachers do this more in the book of Revelation than in any other book. They will change things from the sun being darkened to saying that represents Christ being rejected.
Essential Rules
3. We believe that prophecy can be understood just as it is without adding or removing words.
This book of Revelation specifically addresses us adding to or taking from:
Revelation 22
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
We will not be adding or subtracting scripture to support some preconceived view that we hold. I wanted to state the rules before we read the next verses.
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Let’s begin by looking at Verse 20 because it explains a few things.
20 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 which you saw are the seven churches. That dispels any speculation as to what the stars and the lampstands represent. Let’s look at each phrase from verses 13-16
and in the midst of the seven lampstands
If the seven lampstands are the seven churches that Jesus has messages for, it is important to notice that He is in the midst of the churches, which is just where He promised He would be. Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” In the midst of the lampstands, John said he saw…
One like the Son of Man that particular phrase has a familiar ring to it. Let me take you back to the book of Daniel for a moment and remind you of a description of Jesus.
Daniel 7
13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” John continues to describe this One he saw.
clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band In the Greek version of the Old Testament the word that is translated “garment” here was used to refer to the garment of the High Priest. In the same way the High Priest wore a breast plate, Jesus is girded about the chest with a golden band, or a sash. The writer of Hebrews explained Jesus role as High Priest this way:
Hebrews 4
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The garment we read of in verse 16 serves to remind us of Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. He lives to make intercession for us and yet He is standing in our midst.
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow
Listen again to a description from Daniel 7
Daniel 7:9 “I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. This doesn’t speak of kind of a flat white color, but of the Shekinah glory of God. John continues the describe this revelation of Jesus.
His eyes like a flame of fire
His eyes are piercing and see everything. Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
You can’t hide from Him and there is no where you can go from His presence. Listen to some of the words of David.
Psalms 139
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.
His eyes see you everywhere.
His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace
The altar of burnt offering was covered with brass and its utensils were made of the same material, brass speaks of judgment. Jesus feet were glowing hot, a reference to divine judgment.
His voice as the sound of many waters
His voice was no longer like the sound of a trumpet, but like the sound of many waters.
Ezekiel 43:2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. Jesus voice is the voice of authority.
He had in His right hand seven stars
The seven stars are the “angels” literally “messengers” of the seven churches. Jesus is in the midst of His churches and he holds the pastors, the leadership of the church in His right hand.
out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword
Out of His mouth comes the word of God. Listen to something we will read weeks from now: Revelation 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
His word is sharper than anything else. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Out of Jesus mouth comes that very sword.
His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength
This is similar to something John witnessed before when Jesus was here on earth. Matthew 17:1-2 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. John sees Jesus again with that same glory resting upon Him.
Next John shares the effect that this revelation had on him.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
I can’t tell you how important verse 19 is to us.
19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
You may say, “Well I don’t see anything spectacular about that verse. I mean that verse is nothing compared to the feet of brass, His eyes like flame of fire, or His voice being like many waters.” What makes this verse important is that it gives us the outline for the entire book of Revelation.
John was commissioned to write this book, and this book is divided into three sections
Write the things which you have seen
Remember the name of this book? The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Not the book of revelations, not the book of revelations about future events. Jesus revealed. John has written what He has seen. If this book ended right at verse 18, we would have heard the description of Jesus Christ, we would know that Jesus is alive and well, and that He is the first and the last, He is our High Priest, and that He is coming again. Those are the things that John saw. But that is not all he is told to write about.
and the things which are
In the next two chapters John is going to be writing down seven notes to seven different churches. The things which are…the church things. But that is not all he will be writing about.
and the things which will take place after this
The third division of the book begins at chapter 4. These are the things that take place after the church things. Everything we will read are things that are still yet to happen.
19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
Over the last three weeks we have read the things that John saw, and beginning next week we will read about thing things which are…so get ready for a truly great adventure!