Location, and Activity
Starting in verse 9 of chapter one John identifies himself and associates himself with the church as going through the same thing that the church itself is experiencing. John states that he is a fellow partaker of the tribulation of the kingdom and the perseverance of which are in Jesus. John is a pastor at heart, and there is some comfort to know that the leader is going through the same thing that you are going through. This is not to say that people are happy when others go through trouble, but it is comforting to know that your leaders know and understand what it is you are dealing with.
This is not just a surface understanding, such as, one knows about your situation, but one knows from first hand knowledge of the things that you are going through. In this case John let’s them know that he is suffering as well, and he knows because of intimate knowledge of suffering what they are feeling.
At the same time John wants them to understand that perseverance has to be of this experience. One must not give in to the pressures of this tribulation they were all experiencing. Jesus has made it clear that it is those that persevere that will be saved, and that we are suppose to come along side of one another and encourage one another in the faith.
This is exposing John’s heart as a pastor, one that leads not only through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ Himself, but one that also leads with the intimate knowledge of the suffering they are experiencing.
John says that he is on the Island of Patmos. Patmos was a penile colony, an island where the Romans sent the worst of the worst. This was a place they sent people that they wanted them to have absolutely no contact with the outside world. This is what you would want to do if someone wanted to stop you from preaching the Gospel, and that is exactly what John says that he is on the island for.
In verse ten, John describes himself as being in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. The Lord’s Day has commonly come to be known as the Sabbath or the chosen day of worship set-aside for Him only. Some say that it would be better to translate that John was carried away in the Spirit.[1]More literally translated from the Greek is “I came to be in the Spirit”. The Amplified New Testament says, “I was in the Spirit- rapt in His power”. This particular Greek word for Spirit here speaks of John’s state of mind, which the word Spirit in this verse is capitalized, meaning Holy Spirit as Deity. So what is being said here is that the Holy Spirit had control or he was under the control of the Holy Spirit.
John then describes hearing a voice behind him that sounds like a trumpet. This word in the Greek could be trumpet blast, which gives us the sound of greatness. Here he is on the Lord’s Day praying, the Holy Spirit comes over him, and at that time there is a trumpet blast that sounds behind him, only this trumpet blast is a voice. It means a very powerful voice behind him. This voice could not be mistaken for someone human talking.
The voice in verse 11 tells John to write a book telling the seven churches that this voice describes what John sees. This voice tells John that he is to write a book of things that he will see, and give it to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. These are the seven churches in Asia that had been spoken of earlier in this chapter.
At this point John had not turned to see where or from whom the voice was coming from. Now we are in verse twelve John turns to look. The first thing John sees is seven golden lampstands. It is not hard to understand the meaning of the seven golden lampstands, because the John is given the translation in verse 20 of chapter one.
The seven lampstands represent the seven churches themselves. Verse 13 gives us a picture that I don’t want to pass over, this must have been an encouragement for the church then, and I think it ought to be an encouragement for us today as well. In the midst of the lamp stand stood one that looked like the son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and was girded with a golden sash. This is Jesus standing in the midst of His church. Isn’t it comforting and encouraging to know that He is in our midst in the church. We don’t have to go somewhere and find Him, He is in the middle of us to direct and guide us through all of the things that we face.
Look at his description, Robe to His feet, girded across His chest with a golden sash. Verse 14 continues, His hair was white like wool, His eyes were like flames of fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, and His voice was like many waters.
John had seen this face that was glowing and the white clothes or robe before on the mount of transfiguration. Some expositors say that the robe that goes to His feet is a priestly robe, which this is brought out in Heb. that He is our High Priest. The golden sash across His chest represents a high rank as one in the high position in the army. The hair is a symbol of age and honor and wisdom, the eyes like flames of fire represent piercing vision or to see through anything.
Verse 16 goes on to say that out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, representing His judgment. This is where the shining glory came in which was seen before by John. In this verse we find that He has the stars in His hand, and in verse 20 we find that those stars represent the angels of the seven churches.
The word angel used here means messenger, or one who is sent. Some say that this is in reference to some heavenly angels that are guardians of the church, and others say that they are the pastors of the church. They could be both. There could be heavenly angels that are in charge of the pastor of these churches. This is found in Daniel 10:12-13 it says, “Then he said to me, Do not be afraid, Daniel, for the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had left there with the kings of Persia.”
In this passage, Daniel had prayed for understanding of Israel’s situation, and he humbled himself before God. God heard him and dispatched an angel, messenger, to go to Daniel. The problem was that there were other angels, dark angels or fallen angels that were in charge of Persia that tried to block that answer. God sent Michael, one of the chief angels to fight against this fallen angel and the messenger was released to go to Daniel with God’s answer.
This shows that there are angels or messengers that are heavenly in nature that is assigned to speak to the churches. The same thing is happening to John on the Island of Patmos, and this time it is in response to the church praying and humbling themselves before God. An angel is dispatched to answer the petition offered up.
In verse 17, this angel, who has come in the authority of Jesus to give answer to the church, responds the same way that the angel responded to Daniel, do not be afraid. And once again Jesus is identifying Himself.
Verse 18 adds that Jesus is the one that holds the keys to Hades and He is the one who has authority over death. This ought to be a comforting thought in the aspect that the enemy, even though he will try and make you think he can take you out, it is simply untrue, only Jesus holds that authority.
Verse
19 tells us three very important facts about the Book of Revelation. It is
written for the express purpose of showing things that are seen now, the things,
which will take place after these things. This book will tell us the way things
are right now, and the way things are going to be later. Look at verse 20, it
is revealed to John some of meaning such as the stars and the lampstand. The
seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands
are the seven churches.
[1] Revelation the four views, Steve Gregg, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997