Revelation Study Week 3: Chapter 1:9-20

The New Revised Standard Version 1:9-20

9 I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19 Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20 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.

9 I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance,

Here John is reminding his readers that he is one of them.

They share Jesus

They share persecution

They share the kingdom

They share patient endurance

was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

John was on the island of Patmos when he recieved the vision. Probably not when he wrote the letter.

Patmos was a small island 10 miles long by 6 miles wide and was a Roman penal colony.

He wasn’t just on the island, the Greek implies he was put on the island...

His reason for being there was because the of Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Because he preached Jesus Christ crucified, resurrected, and the one true God to be worshipped, he was banished to the island.

10 I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day,

In the Spirit…the first of four times John uses this phrase; (Rev 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10).

It would imply a visionary state of being…Not to be mistaken for a time of worship, although worship may have led to being “in the spirit”

The Lord’s day…There have been a lot of discussion about what day is the Lord’s day. Some believe it is the Sabbath, some believe it is Sunday, some believe the Sabbath got changed to Sunday...

First the sabbath was never changed to Sunday. Sunday was the Lord’s day because it was the day they celebrated Jesus’ resurrection. Christian Jews in the first century would go to the synagogue on Saturday and then gather to celebrate the Lords day on Sunday.

and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

A voice like a trumpet…The voice didn’t sound like a trumpet but was as loud as a trumpet.

Write in a book what you see...

Over and over again, twelve times in all, John reminds us that he writes this book by Divine command (ver. 19; ch. 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14; 14:13; 19:9; 21:5; comp. ch. 10:4).

Send it to the seven Churches…Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea.

The order of the churches is probably the order in which they would have recieved the letter. it would be in a horseshoe shape in Asia Minor, current day Turkey.

Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man

He turned to see who was speaking and saw:

Seven Golden lampstands...who does the lampstands represent? how do we know this? vs. 20 tells us that the seven lampstands are the seven churches…ie. The church as a whole throughout the ages. Being in the midst simply imply Jesus is in the midst of his church.

one like the Son of Man…

Who is referred to as the Son of Man throughout Scripture?

Why is he “like” the Son of Man? Because he is Jesus but doesn’t exactly look like Jesus, so how does he look?

clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.

There have been many interpretations of what his appearance means. So lets look at them.

Clothed with a long robe and a golden sash across his chest -

Who wore long robes with sashes? Rulers and dignitaries, down tot he feet signifies authority and status.

His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow -

The emphasis here is on Christ’s incredible wisdom, purity, and splendor. White symbolizes both moral purity and absolute victory over the forces of evil

his eyes were like flames of fire -

At one level, it pictures the divine insight that penetrates to the core of the human situation at a deeper level, it continues the image of the judge who knows and acts against his enemies

his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace

Feet signify purpose and direction. This image is connected to the blazing eyes in both Daniel 10:6 and Revelation 2:18 (also Ezek 1:7). The idea is that of polished bronze, and the added “refined by fire as in a furnace” pictures the metal in a molten state, glowing in all its purity and glory. This is another military image, with the bronze depicting a fierce warrior about to wreak havoc upon the nations. In 2:18, it portrays judgment upon the cult followers of Jezebel in Thyatira. Glory and strength abound as the Divine Warrior goes to war.

his voice was like the sound of many waters

Don’t think of a slow moving stream or river, think of Niagara Falls...but more likely portrays the roar of the ocean’s waters breaking over the shore, as in the Aegean Sea or the Mediterranean

In his right hand he held seven stars

The right hand in Scripture symbolizes power and authority (see Psa 110:1; Matt 26:64). The image of holding the stars signifies both possession and protection. The glorified Christ is in complete control. In this military context, the emphasis likely is more on power than on protection. The seven stars in verse 20 are the angels of the seven churches. Stars are often used in the Old Testament as symbols for angels, and in the ancient world were often identified with the powers that controlled the world.

from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword

The kind of sword here is the great sword, often used in cavalry charges like a scythe. Here it is the sword of judgment, which destroys the army of the beast in 19:15, 21. The note that it comes out of his mouth stresses the proclamation of judgment, and the sword itself the carrying out of that judgment.

his face was like the sun shining with full force.

Think of the transfiguration in Matt 17:2

We could analyze each part but I think that could take away from the overall idea Jesus being the divine one with Glory and Judgement.

Consider what we read about the vision in Daniel 10:4–6 (NLT)

, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, 5 I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. 6 His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude.

Final section in this chapter

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19 Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20 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.

John’s response to seeing Jesus?

The man that walked with Jesus, was an intimate friend with Jesus, and yet when he sees Jesus in this glorified state, he falls at his feet as a dead man.

This is the real glorified body of Jesus, not what we read about in the gospels.

Jesus reassures to John

first and last

was dead now alive forevermore

hold keys to death and hades

The Commission to write

What you have seen

What is

What is to take place after this

The Mystery revealed

the 7 Stars

The 7 lampstands