Revelation Study Week 4: Chapter 1:17-2:7

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

Things which you have seen

Things which are

things which will take place after this

There are two ways to understand verse 19.

Understand it as a metaphor meaning God has all in his hand the past, present, future. He is saying in these verses that he is control of everything,

The second understanding is that it applies specifically to what God has shown, is showing and will show John.

Things which you have seen: refers to chapter one, what Jesus has already shown John.

Things which are: deals with the letters to the 7 churches

Things which will take place after this: but how do we know when this is?

“After this” or “after these things” is same Greek wording we read in Revelation 4:1

Revelation 4:1 NRSV

1 After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

After this…is a natural break in subject matter and informs the readers that a new section is starting…That new section is “things which will take place after this...”

The seven churches, seven being the number for completeness, represent the whole church, but what do we mean by the whole church? When we say the whole church we mean form it’s inception in the mid part of the first century until the church ceases to be the church here on earth, the rapture.

The seven letters are represented as the “things which are.” Since the whole church spans from it’s inception to when it is caught up. The things that are represent everyone from the mid 1st century until the rapture, which includes us.

Diagram of things which are...

The things that are represent the 7 church and by natural deduction us! Many scholars also believe that there was a prophetic aspect of the seven churches…That each church represented a time period in all of church history.

Ephesus - Apostolic Church - 30-100

Smyrna - Roman Persecution - 100-313

Pergamum - Age of Constantine - 313-600

Thyatira - Dark Ages - 600-1517

Sardis - Reformation - 1517-1648

Philadelphia - Missionary Movement - 1649-1900

Laodicea - Apostasy - 1900-Present

Diagram of the Church age...

The Mystery revealed

the 7 Stars

The 7 lampstands

Chapters 2-3 contain specific letters to 7 churches.

Four ways to interpret the 7 letters section of Revelation:

Literal - It speaks to the original audience for a specific time.

Universal - It speaks to any church as any time during the church age

Prophetic - John gives us a preview of the whole history of Christendom

Personal - How does this speak to me