Write What You See

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet  saying, “Write what you see in a book 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.” Revelation 1:9-11

John, the apostle was the recorder of this Revelation. He wrote it by the Lord’s command, to his fellow believers who made up the congregations of the local churches named, and by extension to all Church-age believers. It was to be read, analyzed and stored as doctrine. John identified himself as a partaker in the tribulations the Church was experiencing in the world, as a partaker of the kingdom blessings and responsibilities, and as a partaker in the patient endurance that is learned only through personal tribulation. He had been exiled to the island of Patmos because of his testimony for Jesus Christ and his faithfulness to God’s Word.

John was “in the Spirit,” that is, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and in a state of ecstasy. It was “the Lord’s Day.” That is Sunday, the first day of the week. The Church began celebrating and worshipping together on Sunday, “the Lord’s Day,” after Jesus’ resurrection on the first day of the week. Nobody has tried to replace the Sabbath. The Sabbath of rest remains the same as always, the seventh day, and it commemorates God’s rest following His completed work of creation. For the believer in Jesus Christ, Sabbath is moment-by-moment. Anytime. All the time. We REST in Him (Hebrews 4:9-10).The Lord’s Day, Sunday, is the Church’s day for corporate worship, honoring the resurrection of our Savior, Whose completed work on the cross purchased our salvation. There is no need for any Christian to be confused about this. It is clear and plain from the scriptures (Acts 20:7, I Corinthians 16:2). Therefore, it seems quite appropriate for Jesus Christ Himself to appear to John on that day.

First came the voice like a trumpet, commanding John to prepare to write what he was about to see and to send the book to seven churches, named.

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. Revelation 1:12-16

Now we have a description of Jesus Christ in His eternal glory. He looked like a man, clothed (perfect tense in the Greek, meaning He always is dressed this way) in a long robe with a golden sash around His chest. This is the attire of a priest and a judge. Daniel described this Person as the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:9.The snowy white hair represents wisdom and authority. The fiery eyes represent omniscience and power. The burnished bronze feet represent refinement, strength and stability. The roar of many waters drowns out the clamor of worldly noise. The right hand is the place of honor. The two-edged sword out of His mouth is God’s Word of truth, severity and discernment (Hebrews 4:12). His face glowed with brilliant purity, as the sun.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that 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. Revelation 1:17-20

Poor old John’s human faculties couldn’t process this. He fainted dead away. But our gracious Lord revived him and identified Himself as none other than the Sovereign of the Universe who has authority over death and hades. Hades is the abode of the unbelieving dead, where their immaterial beings are held until the final judgment, when they will be cast into the lake of fire. God Himself carries the keys to that place, and will deal with them at the appropriate time.

The Lord interpreted for John and for us the symbolism in His appearance. Remember, “mystery” in the New Testament means something known only to the elect. Biblical mysteries are not unknowable; their meanings are disclosed to those who belong to God’s family. We know, therefore, that the stars in the place of honor (the Lord’s right hand) are the messengers (angels) to the seven churches. The seven lampstands are the seven churches. Lampstands illuminate. That is the job of the Church. To illuminate, inform, shed the light of God’s Word into the darkness of the devil’s world.

What was John to write? The things which he’d already seen (chapter 1), the things which are (the present state of the churches (chapters 2-3), and the things which will happen after this (beginning in chapter 4).

Before disclosing the things which would come later, Jesus had some housecleaning to attend to with His Bride, the Church. It would not all be pleasant. However, it had to be done.