FBC Daily Devotions

Read Revelation 1:11-17.

And now the seven churches are identified in v. 11. As Craig noted a few weeks ago, these were churches in Asia Minor that are mentioned in a seemingly intentional clockwise order in relation to their relative geographical location. (See below) It is almost as if the letters could be delivered in a walk along this order. If nothing else, it is interesting…

It is to these churches that this revelation is to be delivered. As noted earlier, these churches likely represent more than only the churches of that day, but also the Church throughout history and into the future. This is supported by the statements in the coming chapters, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22)

And now after announcing in a loud voice the command to write down and deliver the revelation, John’s vision begins. And it is confusing.

The Vision

In the vision, John sees seven golden lampstands identified as the seven churches (1:20). They are apparently surrounding “one like a son of man” who is clearly the resurrected, glorified Jesus Christ. His description is awesome. His appearance unlike anything earthly, and yet must be described in earthly terms. His voice – like the sound of many waters. Try to imagine a discernable voice with the sound of many waters. Out of His mouth a two-edged sword, no doubt a reference to His word of truth (Eph. 6:17) living and active, able to judge the hearts of man (Heb. 4:12).

The picture of Christ surrounded by the churches – one can imagine looking at the map above with Christ centered and surrounded by the churches, a sort of beacon among the churches.

In His right hand, Jesus holds seven stars, identified as the angels of the seven churches (1:20; now that’s helpful, isn’t it). Who are these angels? While there are several possible interpretations, perhaps the best answer is that these represent the leader(s) of each of the churches. Why earthly beings? Two reasons:  (1) the Greek word translated “angel” is literally the word “messenger” (although we have to be careful here because everywhere else in the book of Revelation the word “angel/messenger” refers to heavenly beings); and (2) the letters are written to the angels of the churches (cf. 2:1, 8, et. al) not to the churches themselves. This revelation was to be delivered to an angel of each church, which seems to best fit the elder(s) of the churches who bring the message to their respective congregations. It would be unusual (in fact, unprecedented) for John to deliver the letter to literal angels.

So what we see up to this point is perhaps Jesus being the central focus and beacon of the seven churches, and Him delivering a revelation (through John) to the leaders of the churches. The symbolism in the passage underscores Christ’s unparalleled magnificence and holiness, the importance and significance of the revelation, and perhaps the power and authority of the church leaders (note they are said to be held in God’s right hand – symbolic of God’s power – Luke 22:69).

I don’t know about you, but I was already looking forward to studying the actual revelation. Now I am really looking forward to it!

LIVING IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM

Read Revelation 1:10.

How do you receive direction from God?

John’s experience on that day was described as being “in the Spirit” – a phrase that has perhaps a different meaning today than when he wrote this.

In some circles today a person “in the Spirit” might be described as one who is miraculously overcome by the Holy Spirit’s control. In this view, this would be something that happens periodically and not a continuous experience.  I believe in the miraculous empowering of the Holy Spirit who enables us to accomplish God’s work. I believe at times God through His Holy Spirit gives us words to say, directions to take, the ability to heal if He so desires. However, in this passage when John says he is “in the Spirit” it is a reference to his being transported from the earthly realm to the prophetic, spiritual realm. In the Spirit, he is transported about as if to move from one act in a play to another. He uses this phrase in Rev. 4:2, where he is told to “come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” And at that point John says, “Immediately I was in the Spirit” where he proceeds to receive another revelation from “up here”. This is seen again in Rev. 17:3 where John says, “he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness” whereafter another scene in the revelation is given. And then again in Rev. 21:10 John says “he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain” where he is shown the holy city, the New Jerusalem. “In the Spirit” for John means to see and move about within the spiritual realm.

Why does John say he was “in the Spirit”? Perhaps because he wanted his readers to understand that this revelation was not given in the physical realm – he did not see this with physical eyes, but with spiritual eyes. Perhaps he wanted his readers to understand that this was not manmade, but from the Spirit. Or maybe he wanted them to know that this was not merely a dream, but a vision of the Spirit. Whatever the case may be, it is clear that God’s revelation came to John in the spiritual realm.

As is often the case, God reveals in the spiritual realm what He will do in the physical. I don’t know about you, but I often find myself looking at the physical realm for God’s direction when perhaps God is giving direction in the spiritual realm. Sometimes (maybe oftentimes) the physical realm is where God validates what was revealed in the spiritual. We can look at circumstances and sometimes they can be quite revealing. But I think God would have us look to the spiritual realm first, because it is “in the Spirit” that the work begins.

How are your spiritual eyes? Are you seeking Him in prayer and the Word first? Remember, everything that happens in the physical realm is the outworking of something that began in the spiritual realm.

The island of Patmos… where is this island you may wonder… well, it’s right here: off the coast of present day Turkey, and one of the Greek islands.

Tradition holds that John was exiled to this island in the latter years of his life and was the place where he received his revelation. Today, it looks more like a vacation island than a place of exile. With a current population of merely 2,750, it probably was a very isolated island in John’s day. It is interesting that from the island, John could see the land on which the seven churches resided. It appears God’s message to the churches were just out of reach by John.

In his isolated exile, John highlights his tribulation (suffering), the kingdom of God, and perseverance (patient endurance) — three themes found throughout this revelation. I am reminded that John wrote down this revelation some time after it was revealed to him (he writes in past tense). Consequently, these impressions probably remained with him as he sat down to write. But note also that John states that these are things that he possesses not just in the revelation, but in his life and ours now — things “that are ours in Jesus”, things that made John our “companion” and “brother”. Suffering, the kingdom, and perseverance… how much the apostle could attest to this as one who lived and testified to Christ at an unpopular time in Christian history.

Looking ahead, one thing is clear: it is going to get even worse as the end draws nearer. Perhaps any suffering, kingdom hope, or perseverance is something we need to start working on now so we’ll be ready when the time comes. Granted, some believe God’s people will be transported or raptured to heaven before the time of great tribulation described in later chapters. Whether that is true or not, these things exist even today. And for the apostle John, he saw it all — his past, his present, the future, and for him the end probably couldn’t come soon enough. Why? Because the revelation, as terrifying as it was also revealed a great hope for his future. That same future awaits us as well. So as we read through this mysterious book, it might be easy to camp on God’s wrath and judgment and Satan’s powerful but temporary influence in this world, but there is a God of love who will keep us to the end and will lead us to a place of eternal peace. Whether we live through the times to be described or whether we are spared, our future is secure in Him.

Thinking back over Sunday’s message, what things did God impress on you? How can it make a difference in your life this week?

THE ALPHA AND OMEGA

Read Revelation 1:8.

For those unfamiliar with the Greek alphabet, alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and omega the last. In essence, God is saying He is eternal, that is “who is, and who was, and who is to come.”

Let’s think about that for a moment…

God who is: God always is. He is never not is. There never was a time when He wasn’t. There will never be a time when He won’t be. God is. Whenever you go through tough times, remember that God always is. When you feel alone, remember that God always is. When you think He has disappeared from your life, remember that God always is. He is there every moment. Just as the present is always now, God is always now. 

God who was: He is always faithful. Your past reflects that.  When you thought things couldn’t get worse, He was there. When you thought He didn’t care, He was there. Even when you were far from Him, He was there. Remember that when you begin to doubt the God who is. Your past will tell you that God is also now.

God who is to come: He holds the future. He is sovereign over all events, people, and things. He is the hope that keeps us going because He is coming to do something about. Remember that when affliction strikes, that this is temporary because God is going to do something about it. He is coming to take us home, to a place where we best belong. That is a fact. Therefore, never give up hope.

And just in case you might doubt His ability, He calls Himself, “the Almighty” – literally, “the one who has his hand on everything.”

There will be some very difficult things taking place in the future as seen in this revelation, but none of them is beyond God’s knowledge and power. I believe God’s words here are given before the revelation is revealed because John (and we) might think these things are happening because God is weak or careless. Not so, says God. He knows what He is doing. And we can have that same confidence in our own lives as well.