WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Patmos

Again the hand of persecution fell heavily upon the apostle. By the emperor's decree John was banished to the Isle of Patmos, condemned “for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 1:9. Here, his enemies thought, his influence would no longer be felt, and he must finally die of hardship and distress. AA 570.3

Patmos, a barren, rocky island in the Aegean Sea, had been chosen by the Roman government as a place of banishment for criminals; but to the servant of God this gloomy abode became the gate of heaven. Here, shut away from the busy scenes of life, and from the active labors of former years, he had the companionship of God and Christ and the heavenly angels, and from them he received instruction for the church for all future time. The events that would take place in the closing scenes of this earth's history were outlined before him; and there he wrote out the visions he received from God. When his voice could no longer testify to the One whom he loved and served, the messages given him on that barren coast were to go forth as a lamp that burneth, declaring the sure purpose of the Lord concerning every nation on the earth. AA 570.4

John’s Vision of the Son of Man

Revelation 1:9–20 NKJV

9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” 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. 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. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 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.

The holy place in the earthly sanctuary

Lampstands

Table of shewbread

Alter of incence

Structure of Revelation

The Seven Stars

Jesus holding the stars

In the conclusion of His words to John, Christ makes an interposed explanation regarding the meaning of the stars in His hand (v. 16) and the seven lampstands (vv. 13, 20). The stars are the angels of the seven churches. In the Bible, the word "angel" can figuratively refer to persons in God's service since, in the Greek, it simply means “messenger" and thus does not refer to heavenly beings alone (Mal. 2:7; 3:1; Matt. 11:10). John's text regarding the angels most likely indicates the respective leaders in the seven churches. Christ held those leaders in His hand as His chosen instruments in the service of the churches, which are symbolized

by the seven lampstands that stood with Christ in their midst. Christ gave to John a special message for each of the seven churches (see "The Seven Churches: Application and Organization," p. 1942).

RH 1887 - He walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks. Thus is symbolized the relation of Christ to his churches, and the stars are used to represent his ministers. He is represented as walking up and down among the golden candlesticks. He is in communion with his people. He knows their true state. He observes their order, their vigilance, their piety, and their devotion; and he takes pleasure in them if he sees these fruits manifest. Although Christ is mediator in the heavenly Sanctuary, yet he walks up and down in the midst of the churches on earth. He goes about from church to church, from congregation to congregation, from soul to soul. He observes their true condition,—that which is

neglected, that which is in disorder, and that which needs to be done. He is represented as walking, which signifies unrest, wakefulness, and unremitting vigilance. He is observing whether the light of any of his sentinels, or candlesticks, is burning dim or going out. These under-shepherds may sleep, but He that keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. If these candlesticks were left to the charge of human powers, the flickering flame would languish and die. But He is the true watchman of the home, the sleepless warden of the temple courts. The continual watch-care and presence and sustaining grace of Christ are the source of all light and life.

The Seven Churches - Revelation 2, 3

The churches

The names of the seven churches are symbolic of the church in different periods of the Christian Era. The number 7 indicates completeness, and is symbolic of the fact that the messages extend to the end of time, while the symbols used reveal the condition of the church at different periods in the history of the world. AA 585.3

Then when the book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ, and the church is the body of Christ, with what does the revelation deal?—With the church. It is the history of the church. The book of Daniel is a history of the ruling of the Most High among the kingdoms of men; the book of Revelation is a history of the ruling of the Most High in the church. Daniel is national history; Revelation is church history. ARSH June 6, 1899, page 356

God had in old time foretold the fall of Babylon and the succession of Medo-Persia to her place of power in the world. He had told of the passing of this power from Persia and Media to Grecia, and from Grecia to Rome. And now, before closing the book of His counsels He would tell of the fall of Rome and the passing of power from her to others who should succeed. In the line of the Seven Trumpets of the book of Revelation is given the breaking up of the might, empire and power of Rome. There are three great lines of prophecy in the book

of Revelation, that run by sevens, and all extend to the end of time—the Seven Churches, the Seven Seals, and the Seven Trumpets. The line of the Seven Churches is the Lord’s messages to the seven stages of the church to the end of time, and treats only of the church. The line of the Seven Trumpets marks the great events in the ruin of the Roman power, and what should follow to the end of time, and thus treats only of the world; while the line of the Seven Seals treats of the church and the world as they would be related to the end of time, and thus treats of both. PTUK March 5, 1896, page 149.4

The apostle John was an old man when he wrote the book of Revelation. It was a special revelation from Jesus Christ Himself, and reveals the order of events commencing in John’s time, and reaching to Christ’s second coming, under various heads and series of events: The Seven Churches, The Seven Seals, The Seven Trumpets, The Three Messages, etc. It ends with the glorious restitution of all things, spoken of by the “mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began.” Here are themes worthy of the most careful study. The author has made these mysterious symbols so plain, that any one who will carefully follow him can understand the book of Revelation. Geo. I. Butler. Nashville, Tenn., April 24, 1905.

Ephesus

Smyrna

Pergamos

Thyatira

Sardis

Philadelphia

Laodicea

Avery good summary of the prophetic periods of the seven churches: - Note.—The seven churches cover the entire time between the first and the second advent of our Lord. Conditions in the actual church at Ephesus, where Paul labored and tradition says John lived, were representative of the apostolic age, say to about 100 a. d.: Smyrna, the time of the pagan persecution, to about 312 to 323, the times of the emperor Constantine, who professed Christianity; Pergamos, the time of the “conversion” of the empire, to the establishing of the Papacy, in the days of 533 to 538; Thyatira, the time of papal supremacy, during the long Dark Ages, and to a limited extent to the end; Sardis, the period following

the papal supremacy, 1798 to 1833; Philadelphia, from the rise of the advent movement to 1844; and Laodicea, from the opening of the judgment hour in 1844 to the end. These conditions do not always begin and end abruptly by definite dates; they telescope or overlap, one blending into another.—Eds. {SBBS 488.1}

‘Jesus Sees His Churches’

Hammer

He sees His churches

He is involved in His churches

He is with us as brethren, and as indivuduals

Although He is high priest and mediator in the sanctuary above, yet He is represented as walking up and down in the midst of His churches on the earth. With untiring wakefulness and unremitting vigilance, He watches to see whether the light of any of His sentinels is burning dim or going out. If the candlesticks were left to mere human care, the flickering flame would languish and die; but He is the true watchman in the Lord's house, the true warden of the temple courts. His continued care and sustaining grace are the source of life and light. AA 586.1

Christ is represented as holding the seven stars in His right hand. This assures us that no church faithful to its trust need fear coming to nought, for not a star that has the protection of Omnipotence can be plucked out of the hand of Christ. AA 586.2

He has not left His people to fend for themselves or to endure the tortuous course of history without Him. God is still His people as the shekinah was with Israel: "I will walk among you” (Lev. 26:12). Yeshua's last words before His ascension held the to the very end same promise: "And surely I am with you always, to the of the age" (Matt. 28:20). Doukhan, Jacques B. Secrets of Revelation: the Apocalypse through Hebrew eyes p. 25-26

Zechariah 4 - This figure, presented to John by Christ when he appeared to him on the Island of Patmos, is similar, in many respects, to the one shown to Zechariah. “The angel that talked with me,” writes Zechariah, “came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, and said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof.... Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of the candlestick and

upon the left side thereof? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” RH May 16, 1899, par. 2

This chapter is full of encouragement for those who do the work of the Lord in these last days. Zerubbabel had gone to Jerusalem to build the house of the Lord. But he was compassed with difficulties. His adversaries “weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,” “and made them to cease by force and power.” But the Lord interposed in their behalf, and the house was finished. “This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.... For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” RH May 16, 1899, par. 3

So, What Do We See?

Do we see Jesus?

Do we see that we are at the end of things?

The world has rejected and corrupted the word of God. The Father and the Son are wholly misrepresented, even amongst Christians. The Holy Spirit is blasphemed. The imaginations of men’s hearts....

What do we see? Is Jesus in our homes, our churches, our hearts? By our fruits we shall.....

What do we see? Do we see the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner.

What do we see?

Matthew 24:3–11 (NKJV)

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in

various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

Matthew 24:29–31 NKJV

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Acts 2:16–21 NKJV

16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’

What Do You See?

End