Light, Life, & Lampstands
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How many of you have heard that song before?
I grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Fred Rogers was a Christian gentleman who epitomized gentleness, patience, and love.
I think most people see Jesus kind of like Mr Rodgers… meek, humble, kind, patient, soft spoken…
That is, with the exception of Jesus. Be honest. Most of us have always thought of Jesus as a deified Mister Rogers with a beard. Our minds picture Jesus as a baby born in a Bethlehem manger, a carpenter who worked with His father in Nazareth, a teaching rabbi who walked the streets of Jerusalem, a lover of children, a beaten and wounded prophet who died on a cross.
They see Jesus as a Mr. Rodgers with a beard and sandals!
Jesus was humble, meek, and kind… but that is not complete picture of Jesus!
It is for sure not the Jesus of Revelation...
The Jesus of revelation, is the King of Kings and Lord of lords… He is the Alpha and Omega, He is the warrior and judge…
Whether we like that picture of Jesus or not… it doesn’t change the fact that Jesus is not Mr. Rodgers with a Beard and sandals...
AND THE BOOK OF REVELATION GIVES US A FULL PICTURE OF WHO JESUS IS!
If you have your Bible ope with me to we are going to unpack verse 9-20 verse by verse...
If you don’t have a Bible...
LET’S PRAY!
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.
There’s an old saying that says, "A picture is worth a thousand words." I think that’s pretty accurate; Jesus seems to have thought so too. His favorite method of teaching was in parables - vivid, illustrative word pictures that helped his audience to understand. So over the next several weeks I want to take you on a tour of the book of Revelation… using pictures. Not visual pictures, but mental pictures..
First of all, I want you to think about the title - "Revelation." This is taken from the very first verse of the first chapter: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to his servants..." (). Now, what do you do when something’s revealed to you? You LOOK at it, or examine it . And that’s what we’re going to do.
Did you hear how John describes himself: “your brother and partner”.
1. THE RECIPIENT AND THE REALITY OF THE REVELATION (v. 9).
There’s a lot of things that John could’ve said about himself. You ask some people to introduce themselves and they start spewing out their resume. Men especially tend to be like that (not that you ladies are above that sort of thing). John could’ve said:
John could have given himself a little bigger introduction… He was an apostle, a close friend to Jesus, he was a leader in the Church… He could have written a pretty good resume!
"I’m one of the apostles, but I’m not just any ordinary apostle. I belonged to the inner circle; I was the one who Jesus really loved."
But he doesn’t do that… He introduces himself as a brother and partner...
But that’s not what he said. Notice how John describes himself: “your brother and companion”. You see, John wasn’t out to elevate himself. His purpose is to show us that we are united in a common bond; that bond is Jesus.
I want you to let that sink in for a minute!!!!
The Apostles.... The heroes of the faith… they were people on a journey with Jesus just like us…
We are all traveling in the same direction…
John was
This revelation given to John was a real event in history. It’s not just some made up fairy tale.
John was on a real island located in the Mediterranean Sea and he was given a message to be delivered to real churches that existed during that time.
It’s a book that is rooted in history. So if I we want to understand it, then we’ve got to place it the context of the world in which it was written.
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.”
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
2. THE RESIDENCE OF THE REVELATION (Vv. 10-12).
John was worshiping in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day… On Sunday!
Remember John is on the Island of Patmos… He has been exiled here because they couldn’t making stop preaching and they couldn’t kill him...
John hears a voice like a trumpet, and apparently it came from behind him. I don’t know about you, but when something loud happens behind me, it tends to startle me. I imagine this voice startled John as well.
The tried boiling him in oil but it didn’t work...
As far as we know there was not church on Patmos...
Yet John is still worshiping on the Lord’s Day!
If anyone had an excuse to skip church is was John on the island of Patmos…
While he is in the Spirit… he hears a loud voice like a trumpet. Notice it says LIKE!
hearslike a trumpet, and apparently it came from behind him. I don’t know about you, but when something loud happens behind me, it tends to startle me. I imagine this voice startled John as well.
John is trying to discribe a heavenly experience with words we will understand… The voice didn’t necessarily sound like a trumpet… It was loud, like a trumpet!
Now if you were all alone lost in worship… and some snuck up behind you and blew a trumpet…
Now if you were all alone lost in worship… and some snuck up behind you and blew a trumpet…
What would you do?
I would jump.... it would startle me!
I imagine this voice startled John as well.
He turns and looks to see where this voice came from, but instead he sees seven golden lampstands.
So what’s so important about the lampstands?
So what’s so important about the lampstands?
Most commentators agree these were menorahs
(SHOW PICTURE)
tells what these lamp stands were to look like!
They were made to bear resemblance to an almond tree, with 7 branches… 3 branches on each side and a center branch. The menorah is represents God’s divine light spreading through out the world, In Jewish tradition if also depicts the tree of life, from the Garden of Eden.
https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/the-meaning-behind-the-menorah/
Here in Revelation the Lamp Stands represent the Church… who job is is to spread the light of God through out the world and offer eternal through Jesus Christ!
The Lamp Stands represent light and life:
WE also see these lamps stands in Zechariah’s vision in
The Lamp Stands represent light and life:
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
That is the primary message of the Church!
My prayer as your pastor is that you will hear that message over and over again...
More than anything else… I want Jesus, I need Jesus…
BUT THE TRUTH
Jesus has to be at the center of everything we do!
So the 7 lamps stands represent the complete church, who’s mission is to spread the light of christ to the world and preach the message of Eternal Life that is found only in Jesus!
The imagery of this book is so amazing…
The imagery of this book is so amazing...
BUT, John’s focus was not on the Lamp Stands, It was on the one who was standing in the middle of the 7 Lamp Stands...
They were associated with the Temple. In the original Tabernacle, there was a lampstand shaped like a tree with one branch in the middle and three branches on each side. They were made of solid gold and held seven oil lamps. (Show picture)
When God gave instructions for the building of the Tabernacle and later for the Temple, there was a reason He included a lamp stand in the shape of a tree. It represented His promise of restored life…a tree that lit the way into the Holy place. And so it was a tree of light, and a tree of life. These two things go together. John, himself, tells us so in his previous book:
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men ().
Do you remember the first mention of a tree in the Bible? It was in the Garden of Eden. There were actually two trees in the garden: The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. When Adam and Eve ate from the first tree, they were removed from the second. The first tree brought death; the second brought life.
And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps ().
FF to v. 20 and we’re told the meaning behind this symbol:
"...the seven lamp stands which you saw are the seven churches." (v. 20).
If we’re not letting our light shine in a way that can be seen, then we’re not fulling God's purpose for us as a church.
In , a warning was given to one of these churches: the church at Ephesus. This was a church of doctrinal strength; a church that had endured for the sake of Christ, and stood against wrong theology. They only had one problem...they lost their first love. And as a result, they were given a very strong warning:
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent ().
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.
4. THE RAIMENT OF THE REVELATION (v. 13).
John’s focus is on Jesus
Jesus is described as being “One like a Son of Man”.
Now John focuses on the One who is standing in the middle of the lampstands. This is none other than Jesus. He is in the midst of the church; He is described as being “One like the Son of Man”.
He is described as being “One like the Son of Man”.
This is a title that Jesus used to describe himself…
; ; ;
John wants understand that the one who is standing among the churches is the Resurrected Christ!
John also was seeing the fulfillment of Daniel’s Prophecy
“As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
John also was seeing the fulfillment of Daniel’s Prophecy
John also was seeing the fulfillment of Daniel’s Prophecy
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
“As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.
“I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
But that’s not what John does. He describes the resurrected Savior as “One like a Son of Man”. This was a special title to the Jews, and much like the lamp stand, its origins are found in the OT:
So John is making sure that we understand that the one standing in the center of the lamp stands is none other than JESUS!!!! This is the one who all scripture points to!
Daniel
John than goes on to describe the glorified Jesus!!!!
“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed” ().
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
John saw the fulfillment of that OT prophecy; next he focuses upon the raiment (clothing) Jesus is wearing:
…clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band (v. 13).
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.
These garments are familiar in the OT as well. It’s what the high priest would've worn, and he was the only one allowed into the Holiest of Holies. Lots were cast each morning and evening to determine which priest would go into the Temple and offer incense on the altar while the others waited outside and prayed. On the right of the altar you had the shewbread; on the left would be the golden lamp stand.
Past the altar of incense was a curtain separating the Temple from the Holiest of Holies. Again, no priest was ever allowed to go past this veil…except the High Priest. And he was only allowed access once a year…the Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur. It was beyond this veil that he would offer the blood of goats and calves as an atonement for the sins of the nation. This is a picture of what Jesus did for us as our High Priest…
We begin to get a picture that heaven is diffrent than earth… Jesus glorified self is not the same...
He is dressed in royal priestly garments…
Not once a year, but “once for all”. Not with the blood of goats/calves, but with His own blood. Not in a temple made by human hands, but on the cross at Calvary. Not for the sins of a nation, but for the sins of the world. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil that separated us from God was ripped in half.
His hair is brilliant white…
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.
His eyes were like fire...
:
His feet were like bronze...
John didn’t have words to express the appearance of Jesus… He kept saying it was like...
There is symbolism in all of this, the white hair could represent his purity, holiness, and immortality...
His eyes like fire could represent his ability to see everything and comprehend and judge all things...
His bronze feet could speak of his power and strength...
His voice is like the roar of many waters… I you ever stood beside snoqualmy falls… the roar of the falls drowns out all other sound… Jesus voice is heard over everything!
BUT I THINK THE BIGGER IDEA IS THAT GOD BIGGER AND GRANDER THAN WORDS CAN DESCRIBE!
This must’ve been a pretty strange sight, but I believe that it was somewhat familiar to John because he had read something similar before:
“As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
“I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire” ().
I think it also important to note, thatJohn’s account is very similar to Daniels account…
So the One that John sees now matches the OT description of the "Ancient of Days”, a title for God. Do you see the implications? It points to the deity of Christ. He’s the "Ancient of Days”; the One who’s lived since before the beginning of time; the great I AM.
The "Ancient of Days”, is an OT title for God.
This is very important to our Christology… Which is just a big word for our teaching or theology about Jesus!
John’s description of Jesus in Revelation chapter 1 points to the deity of Christ.
Jesus is the "Ancient of Days”; the One who’s lived since before the beginning of time; Jesus is fully God!
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.
Verse 16 says that in His right hand He held seven stars; in verse 20 we’ll see that these stars represent seven angles of the 7 churches. The word angel here actually means messenger… There is some debate over what these stars represent… are they angles, pastors, or do the represent the church… could it be all three?
Verse 16 says that in His right hand He held seven stars; in verse 20 we’ll see that these stars represent seven churches. But John hasn’t been told that yet. At this point, he’s probably thinking about the OT association of seven stars. On three different occasions, the OT talks about the Lord having power over a stellar constellation called the Pleiades. This tightly knit group of seven stars is also known as the Seven Sisters.
Pastor Keith Krell, who is a professor at Mood Bible Institute explains like this:
Pastor Keith Krell, who is a professor at Mood Bible Institute explains like this:
“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion? ()
The evidence is as follows:
First, the normal New Testament meaning of the word “angel” is of spirit beings that minister to believers.
Second, the Greek word angelos appears 176 times in the New Testament. In the NASB, the word angelos is only translated “messenger(s)” 7 times. So obviously, the vast majority of these occurrences refer to spirit beings.
Third, interpreting the book of Revelation depends heavily on an understanding of the book of Daniel. In Daniel, there is precedence for understanding these angels as possible guardian angels for each congregation ()...
The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
Finally, the figure of the lampstands is not used elsewhere in the Scriptures. However, the stars, as symbols of angels, are used elsewhere. Wherever the word star is used symbolically, it is always used of an angel. This is true in both the Old and New Testaments.
Fifth, it would be unlikely for John to interpret one symbol by using another. Although angelos can definitely refer to human messengers, would Jesus have chosen that particular word in this context when he was making a rather concise interpretation?
Finally, the figure of the lampstands is not used elsewhere in the Scriptures. However, the stars, as symbols of angels, are used elsewhere. Wherever the word star is used symbolically, it is always used of an angel. This is true in both the Old and New Testaments.
I agree with professor Krell that the Stars in Jesus hand are the angles of the churches…
The church is His possession… The church belongs to Jesus… It his!!!!!
You who turn justice to wormwood, And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!” He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The Lord is His name ().
We would do well to remember that!!!!
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.
Then verse 16 goes on to say that out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword.
Then verse 16 goes on to say that out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. Now remember, this isn’t to be taken literally, it’s a symbol - a picture of spiritual truth. The sword represents the Word of God.
The OT teaches that God created the Pleiades and bound them; now we see that Jesus holds these seven stars in His hand. Then verse 16 goes on to say that out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. Now remember, this isn’t to be taken literally, it’s a symbol - a picture of spiritual truth. The sword represents the Word of God.
I don’t think this meant to be taken literally… Jesus doesn’t have a sword for a tongue… It is a description of what comes out of the his mouth… the words that he speaks…
The Pulpit Commentary: Revelation Chapter 1
Richard of St. Victor explain the two edges as the Law and the Gospel.
Historically and Biblically, The sword represents the word of God!
LOOK AT:
The sword represents the word of God!
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Heb
The sword is a weapon of defense and attack...
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart ().
The sword is a symbol of power and strength...
The word of God brings both healing and judgement...
The word of God is what frees us from our enemy...
Freedom and
I love
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
God’s word is powerful and it accomplishes the purposes of God!
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it ().
If there is one reason to read your Bible it is simple this… The word of God accomplishes what God wants to accomplish!!!!
Satan wants you to think that the Word has no power, but he’s a liar and a deceiver. That’d be like a criminal trying to tell a police officer that his gun doesn’t have bullets. That’s crazy, but what’s even crazier is if the police officer believed him. That’s what we do when we fail to use the Word of God in the way it was intended to be used.
If you want to see the fullness of God in your life meditate on His Word!!!!
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.
Look back at verse 16
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.
It says his face was like the sun shining in full strength...
The church is just the lampstand… Jesus is our source of light…
I was at Starbucks this week for a meeting… and it never fails I always get the chair that is facing into the sun… The sun was so bright, I couldn’t focus on the meeting because it was hurting my eyes… and finally I had to get up an move…
When the sun is shining at full strength… you can’t see anything but the Son…
That is part of the picture here… the Word of Christ and the light of Christ dominate everything else.
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,
).
When John sees the uncovered identity of Jesus, when John gets the full revelation of who Jesus is… He falls to the ground like he was struck dead!
Now remember, John had lived with Jesus; he ate with Him, traveled with Him, and talked with Him.
John was one of the 3 disciples that was part of the inner circle of jesus.
He also had witnessed this before… at the transfiguration:
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”
So John has been here before and He is still over whelmed… I don’t think we will ever become accustomed to the revealed Glory of Jesus…
But now John sees the unveiled majesty of Christ and it quite literally sweeps him off his feet. John sees a lot of things throughout the book of Revelation:
the throne of God;
the lampstands;
the twenty four elders;
the lake of fire;
And Jesus response was to reach out and touch John and than to speak…
angels, demons, vials of wrath and trumpets of God…
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.
But nothing has the kind of impact on him as this vision of the glorified Christ. I think that too often, we lose sight of the glory, the holiness and the majesty of God. It’s evident in our prayers and in our worship…or lack thereof. I want you to notice how the Lord identifies Himself:
and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Jesus reaches out and tells John to fear not… he reminds John that he has been resurrected… and that he has the keys over death and hell… I think part of what Jesus is trying to communicate to John is that he the same Jesus that John knew on earth… He is the same Jesus that tried to reveal His full glory to John on the Mount of transfiguration… Jesus has always been both the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah..
I love what Dwight Edwards writes…
a. “I am the First and the Last” (v. 17).
Imagine with me for a moment that we are at a zoo. As we are looking at the animals, you reach down and pet the head of a small lamb. As you do the lamb lifts its head and licks your hand. You think, “That’s nice,” but move on to the other animals. Suddenly, someone yells, “Look out!” and you turn around to see what the commotion is about. But it’s too late. Standing right in front of you is the biggest, fiercest lion you have ever seen. He has just escaped his cage and you are his lunch if he chooses. There is no way to escape. Slowly he moves toward you opening his jaws wider and wider. Then he gets right up to you, he reaches out and licks your hand and stands peacefully at your side. You breathe a huge sigh of relief. Let me ask you a question: Which lick would mean more to you, the lick of the lion or the lick of the lamb? Obviously, it would be the lion. Why? Because the lion could crush you in his jaws just as easily as lick your hand, but the lamb doesn’t have that option. The primary reason people are not astonished and exuberant at the Lamb of God’s forgiveness of their sins is that they have little or no sense of the Lion’s raging fury against their sins. Until we have trembled on death row we will not dance at the granting of our pardon.
Dwight Edwards, Revolution Within (Colorado Springs: Water Brook, 2001), 68.
Dwight Edwards, Revolution Within (Colorado Springs: Water Brook, 2001), 68.
Without the picture of Jesus that is revealed for us in the book of revelation, we can’t full appreciate what we have been saved from…
The emphasis here is on the eternal character of Christ. Before anything existed, He was here. And when when everything’s gone, He’ll still be here.
b. “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore” (v. 18).
Throughout the OT, one of the regular titles for the Lord was Elohim Hay’im - the Living God. All the other gods of the ancient world are dead. They were lifeless idols of wood and of stone. But God is the One “who lives”.
c. “I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (v. 18).
In the ancient world, keys were a symbol of authority. In , Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He really was. Peter answered that He was the Christ, the Son of the Living God (). Because of His insight, Jesus gave authority to Peter over His kingdom.
“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” ().
Jesus holds the keys of the kingdom. He has authority over death. He proved that when He rose from the dead., and He is able to unlock eternal life to all who will come to Him.
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.
).
So we made it through Chapter 1...
So we made it through Chapter 1...
What can we take home with us?
One thing stands out as we read these words, It is all about Jesus!
Jesus is at the center of the Church
Jesus holds the Angles in is hands
Jesus Is the first and the last
Jesus holds the Keys to Death and Hell
When we look in to the face of Jesus we are not looking at a harmless lamb… but we are looking at the Lion of Judah...
I think way to many of us treat Jesus like our pet lamb… when we feel bad we scratch his ears, when we sin we use him as our sacrifice… but for the most part we see him as a harmless pet that we can do with as we please...
THAT IS NOT THE JESUS OF THE BIBLE!
Jesus holds your eternity in his hands… He has authority of over death and hell… he has a sword coming out of his mouth…
and until we can see Jesus for who he really is we will never be able to fully worship Him!
I want to challenge you to meditate on these 12 verses this week and simply ask the Holy Spirit to full grasp who Jesus is...
Let’s Pray!
The Seven Stars = The angels of the Seven Churches;
The Seven Lampstands = The Seven Churches
The Seven Churches are mentioned by name in verse 11; the next two chapters contain messages written to them separately. But I want you to notice that each of these churches has an angel assigned to it. The word "angel" comes from a Greek word that simply means "messenger." Any time you see the word “angel” in Scripture, usually the context will tell you whether it’s a human messenger or a divine messenger. Throughout most of the book of Revelation when we see the word “angels”, it’s a divine messenger. And that might be the case here, or it might be referring to human messengers within the church - preachers and teachers.
The point here is that Jesus is in the midst of His churches. And those who minister within His churches are carried in the palm of His hand.