Revelation 8:6-9

The Trumpets
6Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.




8:6-7 - The imagery here reminds not only of the fall of Jericho but also of the plagues that came upon Egypt in the Exodus. As the judgments are cast down to earth, a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. If John intends to use the trees and grass (all the grass on a third of the land burned up) as imagery for the righteous (as we mentioned in 7:3), then he seems to be indicating here that some individuals will not be completely exempt from physical suffering and death as God’s wrath is poured out on apostate Israel. If this is meant to include some members of the Church, the point must be remembered that the Church cannot be completely destroyed in any judgment (Matt. 16:18), and even better, unlike the wicked which face eternal judgment, the Christian’s ultimate destiny is not wrath but life (Rom. 2:7-9; 1 Thess. 5:9).

John, most likely, is also making reference to the physical landscape of Israel, and Jerusalem in particular. It is more likely that the earth, trees, and grass represent Israel, of which a third will be destroyed. This means that the devastation will bring about the end of the Jewish nation but will certainly not destroy all of Israel or kill all Jews. Jewish historian, Josephus, confirmed the destruction of the Judean countryside at the hands of the Romans writing, "The countryside, like the city, was a pitiful sight, for where once there had been a multitude of trees and parks, there was now an utter wilderness stripped bare of timber. . . The war had blotted out every trace of beauty, and no one who had known it in the past and came upon it suddenly would have recognized the place."

8:8-9 - The second angel sounds the second trumpet. We are told that something like a huge mountain was thrown into the sea. This makes more sense when we remember that the nation of Israel was God’s "holy mountain," (Ps. 43:3; 48:1; 87:1; 99:9; Isa. 11:9; 56:7) the mountain of God’s inheritance" (Ex. 15:17). What was once the "holy mountain" of God had now become a "destroying mountain." God now speaks of Jerusalem in the same way that He once spoke to Babylon (this will become one of the central pieces of imagery in the book). In Jeremiah, speaking to Babylon, God says, "I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth. . . I will stretch out my hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain" (Jeremiah 51:25).

Also consider that in a series of parables and talks about the destruction of Jerusalem (Matt. 20-25), after cursing a fig tree as a symbol of judgment on Jerusalem, the disciples asked how this happened so quickly. Jesus responded, "if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matt. 21:21-22). Jesus was not literally telling his followers that they could pray mountains into the sea, nor was He curiously changing the subject, He was instructing them to pray for the destruction of the apostate mountain of God. John is encouraging that Jesus’ words were even closer to being fulfilled than when He said them. They need to continue praying in faith, for the time is soon to come. Just as John had written in the beginning of the Revelation: "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near" (Rev. 1:3)

Revelation 8:1-5

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
1When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
3Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.



8:1-2 - This fourth section of the book (chpts. 8-14) deals with the sanctions of the covenant, that is, the blessings and curses. Deuteronomy 28 is the most detailed blessing and curse section in the entire Bible. The Jewish War by Jewish historian Josephus nearly reads like a commentary on Deuteronomy 28 as it describes the great tribulation and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This section will detail the curses of Deuteronomy 28 that are about to be poured out on Israel.

The seventh seal is finally opened, revealing the seven trumpets. Just as the blast of the seven trumpets signaled the fall of Jericho (Josh. 6:4-5), these seven trumpets signal the destruction of Jerusalem. As the seal is opened, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Milton Terry suggests that the imagery from the silence comes from 2 Chron. 29:28-29 when King Hezekiah and those around him bowed in reverent worship as the singers and trumpets stopped playing. The half hour may come from verses 3 and 4 in this passage, which would be the time necessary for the priest to enter the temple and offer incense and return. Following the silence, the seven trumpets are given to the seven angels. It appears from the language that John assumes the reader knows who the seven angels are. We have met them before; they represent the angels from the seven churches. Just as as worship is patterned after heavenly worship (Heb. 8:5; 9:23-24), so is the government of the Church (Matt. 16:19; 18:18; John 20:23). Thus, the structure of the earthly church corresponds to the heavenly, angelic structure, just as our earthly worship corresponds to the worship conducted around the heavenly throne.

8:3-5 - John sees another angel, holding a golden censer, who comes forward to stand at the altar. The angel is given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints (Rev. 5:8), on the golden altar before the throne. The incense is added to the prayer of the saints, and then they both went up before God from the angel’s hand. The next action is quite surprising. The angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and throws it down to earth as a judgment. Peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lighting, and an earthquake, the now familiar phenomenon that follow the presence of God in the glory cloud, especially when He comes in judgment (Ex. 19:16, 18).

In the Old Testament, the fire on the altar of burnt offering originated in heaven, and came down upon the altar when the Tabernacle and Temple were readied (Lev. 9:24; 2 Chron. 7:1). This heavenly fire was kept burning by the priests and moved from place to place (Lev. 16:12-13; Numb. 16:46-50), similar to the way the Olympic flame is kept burning on torches. When the Israelites were commanded to destroy apostate city, they were to do so as a burnt offering to the Lord (Deut. 13:16; Jud. 20:40). The only acceptable way to do this was to burn the city as a whole burnt sacrifice, using God’s fire (Deut. 13:12-18). In a sadly ironic turn, God’s fire was now being cast down on Jerusalem, herself, who had become an apostate city in the sight of the Lord.

God’s judgment here is seen in direct response to the prayer of the saints. They have petitioned for God’s judgment, and now it is at hand. God acts in history in response to the corporate worship (liturgy) of the saints. Official prayer and worship of the community of Christ is significant in history. When the Church assembly calls upon the Lord of the Covenant, the world will experience His judgments. History is directed from the altar of incense, where the prayers of the Church have been lain (Read Psalm 18:6-15 to see this concept in action).

There are at least five significant areas of symbolism evident in the use of trumpets in this passage. First, they were used in the O.T. For ceremonial processions (Josh. 6; 1 Chron. 15:24; Neh. 12:41). Second, they were blown to proclaim the rule of a new king (1 King 1:34, 39; Ps. 47:5). Third, they sounded an alarm warning Israel of approaching judgment and calling to national repentance (Isa. 58:1; Jer. 4:5-8; 6:1, 17; Ezek. 33:1-6; Joel 2:1, 15). Fourth, they were used to call the people to worship and warfare (Num. 10:1-9). Finally, they were blown at the feast and on the first day of the month (Num. 10:10). All of these are in sight in this section.

Revelation 7:9-17

The Great Multitude in White Robes
9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb." 11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying:
"Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!"
13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"
14I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore,
"they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."




7:9 - The immediate question raised here concerns the identity of the great multitude. Earlier we talked about the pattern of John first hearing, then seeing. This pattern helps us to identify the multitude. In 7:4, John hears the number of those who were sealed and tells us that it was 144,000. Now he sees the great multitude that no one could count. This fact and the fact that both groups are described in language ascribed to the Church (the 144,000 are sealed as the servants of God and the multitude is wearing the robes that symbolize righteousness). The 144,000 and the great multitude are different aspects of the one, universal Church. In the 144,000, John emphasizes the fact that the Church is the remnant of Israel. They are the New Jerusalem. At the same time the great multitude that no one could count is made up of every nation, tribe, people, and language. This confirms Jesus’ prophecy to his disciples that this would happen (Luke 13:22-30). In warning the Jews that few would find the road to salvation and the Kingdom, Jesus told them that the doors would be thrown open, as people "will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God" (13:30). The sealed remnant of Israel has become the Church complete with redeemed from every nation in fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise (Gen. 15:5; 22;7-8). John also shows us that this multitude is holding palm branches in their hand, in what is a clear reverse image of the great multitude that greeted Jesus with palm branches (Matt. 21:8). The word phonix translated palm occurs only two times in the New Testament: here and in John’s description of the Palm Sunday event in John 12:13. Whereas the the palm branches of the Palm Sunday group bore no fruit, Christ’s new nation in Revelation 7 bears fruit and inherits the Kingdom.

7:10 - The uncountable crowd now joins in the heavenly worship service, crying out "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." Thus, the crowd attributes to the Lamb what the Caesars would claim for themselves, the power of salvation. Both Julius Caesar and Nero had directly claimed the power to save humanity, but it is the Lamb who truly has this power. We must remember this lesson today, that only Christ, not the State can ever provide salvation.

7:11-12 - With the church engaged in liturgy, the angels engage as well. They fall down before the throne giving praise and glory to God on the Throne. Interestingly there are no cases in Scripture of official, public worship where the worshippers are sitting in prayer. Public prayers in the Scriptures are always performed in the reverential positions of either standing or bowing down. Some might dismiss this as irrelevant, but this overlooks the fact that there is a connection in Scripture between the attitude of the heart, and the attitude and position of the body.

7:13-14 - One of the elders asks John if he knows the identity of those in the white robes. When John indicates that he does not know but the elder does, the elder gives him the answer: these are they who have come out of the great tribulation. The elder is referring to the great tribulation of which Jesus spoke (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), and is making the point to the first-century church that the tribulation they were about to witness would not destroy them. In the face of tribulation, they have been shown that they are the new Israel, sealed by God, and are also the uncountable victorious multitude. Contrary to what many groups today teach, the early Christians had no expectations that they were to be preserved from hardships and persecution. Salvation is not a call to swallow a magic pill that will lead to a perfect life, it is a call to endure and overcome.

7:15-17 - The elder continues that they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. Because of this behavior which imitates the cherubim which are before the throne, they receive the most characteristic blessing of the Covenant: He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Literally, He will spread his tabernacle over them. This makes an allusion to the glory cloud that hovered over the earth at creation (Gen. 1:2) and Israel in the wilderness (Deut. 32:10-11). It also brings to the mind images of the "booths" or "tabernacles" that God commanded His people to build during the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33-43). Zechariah prophesied that the meaning of the Feast in terms of the conversion of the nations and foreshadowed the Church Age. This Church was now on the verge of a great tribulation, but it was not a death; it was a birth of the spread of the worldwide Kingdom of God.

Revelation 7:1-8

144,000 Sealed
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.



7:1-3 - John sees another grouping of fours, indicating the entire earth. He sees the four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing. In the original Greek, trees is in a different case (accusative) from the land and sea, indicating that John wished to emphasize it. Trees are often used in the Bible as images of men (Jud. 9:8-15), and in particular, symbols of righteous men (Ex. 15:17; Ps. 1:3; 92:12-14; Isa. 61:3; Jer. 17:5-8). The wind is a common symbol for the coming of God and the action of His agents in bringing either blessings or curses (Gen. 8:1; 41:27; Ex. 10:13, 19; 14:21; 15:10; Num. 11:31; Ps. 18:10; 104:3-4; 107:25; 135:7; 147:18; 148:8; John 3:8; Acts 2:2). This passage seems to draw specifically from the winds of the curses from Hos. 13:15-16. In short, then, these four angels are restraining the judgment that is to come for the time being.

Another angel, we learn in verse 2, has given the order to hold off on the action of judgment, even though they have been given power to harm the land. This angel is acting as the direct representative of Christ, which is symbolized by his rising from the east. Before the judgment can be unleashed, they must put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God. The seal of the spirit (Eph. 1:13; 4:30) is applied to the righteous before the seals of wrath are applied to the wicked. The seal in the biblical world was a sign and symbol of authority and power, a guarantee of protection, and a mark of ownership (2 Cor. 1:21-22; 2 Tim. 2:19). The primary background verses for this imagery of John’s vision is Ezekiel 9:1-7 in which God commissions executioners to destroy everyone in the city of Jerusalem. The godly are marked for protection, so that they can be distinguished from the apostates who are about to be destroyed. The one marked on the forehead by God is one who is restored to fellowship with God. For example the high priest was marked with gold letters that said that he was holy to the Lord (Ex. 28:36). In a similar way, God’s people were to be sealed in the forehead and hand with the law of God. The protective mark in Ezekiel 9 was the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, tav. The ancient form of that letter was a cross, a fact that the early church recognized immediately. Tertullian (the early church father) believed that God had given Ezekiel "the very form of the cross, which He predicted would be the sign on our foreheads in the true . . . Jerusalem." As the apostates were to be destroyed, the righteous were to be preserved. They were not to be evacuated from tribulation but would be preserved through it. Though the old Israel would be cast off, a new and holy Israel, the Church, would be chosen, sealed with the Spirit, and preserved through the tribulation to come.

7:4-8 - The number 144,000 is so obviously symbolic that it is almost laughable when groups claim that it is literal in some way. It is the number of Israel (12) squared, then multiplied by 1,000 (ten and its multiples symbolized many: Deut. 1:11; 7:9; Ps. 50:10; 68:17; 84:10; 90:4). Each "tribe" is the complete Israel within itself. In other words, John is picturing the the ideal Israel, Israel as it was meant to be, in all its perfection, symmetry, and completeness. The thousand was also the basic military division in the camp of Israel. Each of the twelve tribes could muster twelve full divisions, a numerically perfect army of 144,000. It is a picture of the "holy seed," the remnant of Israel which would remain after the oak had fallen. God would not destroy Jerusalem and cut off the once holy place until he first chooses and seals a new Israel who had its beginnings in the old. Thus, the Christian Church was formed out of the chosen servants of God from the "twelve tribes scattered among the nations" (James 1:1). John is again comforting the Church, that apostate Israel will indeed be judged, but not before a new, holy people will become the holy Israel. They are the true covenant people.

Revelation 6:9-17

9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
12I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"




6:9-10 - For the first century readers of this prophecy, the tribulation described was soon to be all-too-real. Soon many among their number would be imprisoned and killed because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. When the fifth seal is opened, John sees under the altar the souls of those who had been slain. (The soul or nephesh of the flesh is in the blood - Lev. 17:11) This brings forth the imagery from Old Testament sacrifices where the blood of the slain would flow down the sides of the altar and form into a pool at its base. The blood of the martyrs is poured out and fills the trench under the altar, crying out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" This question makes sense. Christian martyrs would wonder if they really were serving the king, why would He allow this suffering. How long before He would act? How long, is a standard phrase in the Old Testament calling for divine justice for the oppressed (Ps. 6:3; 13:1-2; 35:17; 74:10; 80:4; 89:46; 90:13; 93:3-4; Hab. 1:2; 2:6). The specific imagery here, though, comes from Zechariah 1:12. After the four horsemen have patrolled the earth the angel asks "LORD Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem?" John reverses the situation by depicting the martyrs asking how long God will put up with Jerusalem as the oppressor. Another point John was making to his original hearers is that if the martyr’s blood is flowing around the altar, it must have been the priests who were responsible. Those who were supposed to officiate the covenant have overseen the slaying of the righteous. This passage also invokes images of righteous Abel’s blood crying out from the earth, condemning Cain (Matt. 23:35-37). One of the characteristics of the people of God that the modern church has lost is the biblical practice of praying for God’s wrath to be poured out on the enemies and persecutors of the Church (See Ps. 5, 7, 35, 58, 59. 68, 69, 73, 79, 83, 109, 137, 140).

6:11 - Each of them was given a white robe as a symbol of their purity before God and a symbol of the victory of the overcomers (Rev. 3:4-5). God answers their plea for His wrath to be poured out on the enemies of the Church, telling them to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. The sin of the persecutors has not yet reached full measure just as God told Abraham concerning the Amorites in Gen. 15:16). The message is clear that God will strike and strike soon.

6:12-14 - As the sixth seal is opened, the signs that we are dealing with the last days of the Old Covenant become clear. John uses a familiar symbol in biblical prophecy: de-creation. The Bible often speaks of salvation of God’s people in terms of creation (2 Cor. 4:6; 5:17; Eph. 2:10; 4:24; Col 3:10). In the same way, God’s judgments are often spoken of in terms of de-creation. John uses the structures of creation in describing the judgment of Israel: 1) Earth; 2) Sun; 3) Moon; 4) Stars; 5) Firmament; 6) Land; 7) Man. This is all familiar prophetic imagery. First, a great earthquake (Ex. 19:18; Ps. 18:7, 15; 60:2; Isa. 13:13-14; 24:19-20; Nah. 1:5). Second the eclipse and mourning (Ex. 10:21-23; Job 9:7; Isa. 5:30; 24:23; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Amos 8:9; Mic. 3:6). Third, the continuing image of an eclipse with defilement added (Job 25:5; Isa. 13:10; 24:23; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10, 31). Fourth is the image of the stars which are images of government (Gen. 1:16) and clocks (Gen. 1:14). Their fall shows that Israel’s time has run out (Job 9:7; Eccl. 12:2; Isa. 13:10; 34:4; Ezek. 32:8; Dan. 8:10; Joel 2:10; 3:15). Fifth, Israel disappear as it is rolled up like a scroll (Isa. 34:4; 51:6; Ps. 102:25-26). Sixth, the shake up continues as every mountain and island was removed from its place (Job 9:5-6; 14:18-19; 28:9-11; Isa. 41:5, 15-16; Ezek. 38:20; Nah. 1:4-8; Zeph. 2:11) (Many Scriptures, for instance Daniel 916, Ps. 43:3; 48:1; 87:1; 99:9; Isa. 27:13 refers to Jerusalem as the mountain). God’s old creation, Israel is de-created as the Kingdom is transferred to the church.

6:15-17 - The Old Testament prophetic imagery continues with the seventh aspecte of de-creation: the destruction of men. Just as the seventh seal and seventh trumpet contains the next set of seven judgments, this seventh contains seven classes of men, showing that the destruction is total and complete. No one will escape regardless of class or status. As this all happens, the men of Israel flee and seek protection. The great day of the wrath of the Lamb has come, and who can stand? The origin of asking the mountains to cover them comes from Hos. 10:6-8, Hosea’s prophecy against Israel. It was referred to by Jesus on His way to crucifixion (Luk 23:27-30), stating that it would be fulfilled within the lifetimes of those who were present. The generation that had rejected the Lord would soon be destroyed as apostates.

Revelation 6:1-8

The Seals

1I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
3When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
7When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.



6:1-2 - To have any chance of understanding this chapter, we must have a firm knowledge of several other passages of Scripture. The six seals of this chapter bear a striking resemblance, and are really a re-presenting of the prophecy of Jesus recorded in Matt. 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. These horsemen are the wars, famines, pestilence, and earthquakes of Jesus’ prophecy. This passage introduces us to the the famous "four horsemen." The central passage behind the imagery of the horsemen is Zech. 6:1-7, which describes the four winds as God’s chariots that patrol the earth. They also draw from the images of the four locusts in Joel 1:4; the four riders on different colored horses in Zech. 1:8; the four horns of Zech. 1:18; and the four craftsmen of Zech. 1:20. Also important as background for the imagery is Hab. 3. Consider the comparisons of God coming in judgment, shining like the sun, flashing with lighting (Hab. 3:3-4; Rev. 1:16; 4:5), bringing pestilence and plague (Hab. 3:5; Rev. 6:8), shattering the mountains and collapsing the hills (Hab. 3:6, 10); Rev. 6:14), riding on horses against enemies (Hab. 3:8, 15; Rev. 6:2, 4-5, 8), armed with a bow (Hab. 3:9, 11; Rev. 6:2), extinguishing the sun and moon (Hab. 3:11; Rev. 6:12-13), and trampling the nations (Hab. 3:12; Rev. 6:15). Habakkuk interprets his vision as the military invasion of Judah by the Chaldeans. Using similar imagery, John depicts God using the Romans as heathen instruments of divine wrath to bring about Israel’s destruction.

The first rider on the white horse, is already victorious for he was given a crown. Many who try to read Revelation from a futurist perspective claim that this rider is the so-called anti-Christ. For several reasons, this cannot be; the rider is, in fact Jesus Christ. First, He is riding a white horse, which Jesus does in Rev. 19:11-16. Second, this rider carries a bow. This imagery is from Habakkuk 3, which shows the Lord as the warrior and king, carrying a bow. The first-century readers would have understood this rider to be Christ due to the crown, the bow, and that He goes out bent on conquest. This word conquest, is the same word translated "overcome" in Rev. chapters 2 and 3. In short, the horsemen represent the forces God uses in judging disobedient nations, which are now turned against apostate Israel. Christ is coming not to heal and save as He is in chapter 19 after 70 AD. Here He is coming to judge and destroy.

6:3-4 - The Lamb opened the second seal, and John hears him say, "Come." The second rider was on a fiery red horse, symbolizing war. The rider was given power to take peace from the earth. God does not have to incite men to war with one another, He simply takes away His providence which provide the conditions of peace. The only reason there is not more war is because God does not allow it. This war was about to become a bitter reality for apostate Israel.

6:5-6 - The third rider is on a black horse who is holding a pair of scales in his hand. This rider brings economic troubles. A voice among the four living creatures says, "A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" A small measure of wheat costing a day’s wages would be devastating and chaotic to the community. Jewish historian Josephus describes just this sort of horrific economic conditions during the final siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Describing the desperation for food, he says" As the famine grew worse. . . Nowhere was grain to be seen, men would break into houses. . . Many secretly bartered their possessions for a single measure of wheat if they happened to be rich, barley if they were poor." The rider is told not to touch the oil and wine, but why? The imagery here is that the righteous are to be untouched. Scripture often speaks of God’s blessings upon the righteous in terms of oil and wine (Psalm 104:15), and these two items were prominent in the early church (James 5:14-15; 1 Cor. 11:25). This would concur with passages like Rev. 7:3 in which the godly are protected from destruction.

6:7-8 - The fourth horse is translated pale, but the word is actually the common word for green. Apparently some translators have thought think John could not have seen a green horse, so they changed it for him. This green horse is that of Death. Death and Hades are given the power to enact the Covenantal curses of Lev. 26 and Deut. 28, which are summarized in verse 8. It also parallels the four basic categories of curses used to punish disobedient nations (Ezek. 14:21; Ezek. 5:17). The key to understanding this passage is to do what many refuse; we must recognize that God is bringing forth these judgments on the land. It is Jesus who breaks the seals, and He who rides in conquest against the nations who rebel against His universal rule.

Revelation 5:8-14

8And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."
11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" 14The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.




5:8-10 - The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb as they broke out in worship. They each had a harp and were holding golden bowls full of incense. The harps are in preparation for the new song that they are about to sing. In the Temple, the altar of incense was placed closest to the 'Holy of Holies'. It was, as is the prayers of the saints, closest to the heart of God. The Bible is rich with the imagery of the smell of burning incense being pleasing to the nostrils of Yahweh.

The living creates and the elders break out into a new song. The new song occurs seven times in the Old Testament (Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isa. 42:10). Each time it is in reference to God's redemptive and creative acts in history. The new song celebrates the making of the Covenant and describes Christ coming to bring salvation to the nations. Every time a new stage in the redemptive history of God is reached in the Bible, there is also a new period of Scriptural revelation. New revelation follows new covenantal events. Because Christ was able to open the scroll and obtain the New Covenant for His people, He commissioned the writing of the New Testament through the work and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

There is a problem raised in the wording of the song. Verse 9 says literally "with your blood you purchased us for God." Yet, verse 10 says you have made them to be a kingdom. The NIV changes the wording so that it harmonizes, yet this is not in the original language. The answer is probably more obvious than might first appear. The four living creatures do not represent man and would not be included in the "us" that has been purchased. What we are reading, then, is a progressive response of choral praise, that would go as follows (NKJV):

Elders and Living Creatures: You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;

Elders: For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

Living Creatures: And have made them kings and priests to our God; And they shall reign on the earth."

Our destiny has been guaranteed by Christ to be kings and priests and to reign on the earth with Him forever.

5:11-14 - As a response to the praise of the four living creatures and the elders, ten thousand times ten thousand angels joined in the praise and worship session, declaring, "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" In answer to this incredible declaration, the entire creation praises the Lamb, to whom is due "praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever." The word translated power, is quite literally "dominion." Thus Christ is being recognized as the One who deserves: 1) praise; 2) honor; 3) glory; and 4) dominion.

The Church of the first century was experiencing the previously unimaginable alliance between Israel and the Beast of Rome. It would be necessary for them to know that history was not ruled by Satan, evil men, or even by chance. Christ was reigning over all things now. The gates of Hades could not overcome His Kingdom. Christ had already defeated Satan and taken dominion from Him. It was now the job of the Church to recognize that and exercise His dominion over the places in the world where Satan continued to rule. What was once Satan's dominion rightly, was now only bastions of illegitimate rule by a defeated foe. They were not forgotten troops fighting a losing battle, they were kings and priests already, fighting a war and overcoming in an already determined victory. They needed, as do we, an understanding that all of history is moving determinedly toward the universal and eternal dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ in the age that is to come.

Revelation 5:1-7

The Scroll and the Lamb

1Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
6Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.




5:1-4 - A document in the first century that had seven seals on it indicated that it was a testament. It was common to seal a testament with seven seals. Upon the death of the individual, the testament would be opened by the seven witnesses who sealed it. The document with seven seals symbolizes the promise of a future kingdom. It should also be noted that it had writing on both sides. This brings images of the Ten Commandments which had the writing on both sides (Ex. 32:15), and was also a covenant or testament. In the Old Testament times, a covenant between the victorious king and the conquered king was drawn up. A copy would be kept in the house of the god of each king. For Israel, both copies of the Ten Commandments were kept in the Tabernacle because they kept their copy as well as God’s copy in His house. The point here is clear that this is a New Covenant. With the coming of a New Covenant, however, the Old Covenant must pass away. As the New Covenant comes, the curses of the Old Covenant will come upon apostate Israel. This becomes clear as we will look at the movement of the prophecy of John. The seven seals are broken and reveal the contents of the book. The breaking of the seventh seal initiates the sounding of the seven trumpets (8:1-2). The end of the trumpet section concludes with humans being put into the winepress and blood flowing freely (Rev. 14:19-20). This leads into the final section of Revelation in which the blood from the winepress is poured out from the seven bowls (Rev. 16:1-21). It would seem, that the seven bowls are the content of the seventh trumpet. All of the seals, trumpets, and bowls to come are the contents of the scroll with the seven seals, which is the New Covenant.

John sees a angel that declares a major problem. No one is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. In fact, John informs us, no on in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll. No one was able to fulfill the conditions necessary to be the mediator of the New Covenant. All previous attempts had failed including Adam, Moses, and David. No one could take away sin and death because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). Even the sacrificial system of the Law could not take away sins (Heb. 10:4), and the priest who offered the sacrifice was unworthy as a sinner himself (Heb. 5:1-3; 7:27). John says he wept and wept. God had offered a new and better Covenant but no one was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. This is particularly distressing for John because he knows that the Old Covenant has ended. What would happen if no one could open the New Covenant?

5:5-7 - Just when all seems lost, one of the elders consoles John, telling him that the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy. He has triumphed and is the only one able to open the scroll and its seven seals. It is the church (the elders) who preaches the message that the Christ has conquered. This is a fulfillment of the prophecy given to Judah by Jacob just before his death (Gen. 49:9-10), when Judah was promised that "the scepter will not depart from Judah." Christ is also referred to as the Root of David. How could Christ be the Root of David when David preceded Him by a millennium? To understand this we need to understand that we tend to have an incorrect view of history as a linear phenomenon where the past always leads to the future. The fact is that often times, the future causes the past. For instance, I want you to learn more about the book of Revelation so I am writing this book. Your increased knowledge (which is in the future for me right now) is causing me to write this which will quickly be in the past. The future event, your increased knowledge, actually caused the writing of this book. In the same way, God wanted to glorify and reveal Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, so He created David and all the other ancestors of Jesus to accomplish this end. The Root of David’s existence was also the one who was to come, Jesus Christ. When David looks for the Lion, however, he sees a Lamb. The point is clear, though, the Lion is the Lamb; the Jewish Messiah (the Lion) is the same as the Christian Messiah (the Lamb). The implication is not that Christ is a Lamb in personality, but rather in His work; He is the Lamb that is slain. The imagery is continued as we are told that He has seven horns. The horn in Scripture is a symbol of strength and power (Ps. 75:10), but also brings recollection of seven rams’ horns used to declare the judgment of God on His enemies and the victory of God’s people (Josh. 6:2-5). The Lamb who was slain now provides strength, power, and victory for His people in their struggle for dominion. Just as God saw that creation was "good" seven times in Genesis 1 (1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31), so He performs the complete act of seeing all that happens throughout history on the face of the earth.

Revelation 4:6-11

6Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." 9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."



4:6- 8 - Before the throne, John sees what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. This is another area which overlaps with Ezekiel’s vision of the throne area, with one difference. John is standing in the heavenly court looking down on the "sea" of glass (this was represented in the earthly Temple by the Laver: Ex. 30:17-21; 1 Kings 7:23-26). Ezekiel, on the other hand, was standing at the bottom of the glory cloud, looking up through the "sea" which Ezekiel described as "sparkling like ice" (Ezek. 1:22, 26).

John then describes four living creatures that were covered with eyes, in front and in back. (Compare John’s vision with the four cherubim (a type of angel) in Ezekiel 1 and 10, as well as the six-winged seraphim in Isaiah 6:1-4). The idea of four creatures corresponds to the biblical imagery of the altar-shaped earth. In keeping with this symbolic concept, the Scriptures describe the four corners of the earth, the four winds, four directions, the four rivers of Eden, etc. John describes the four living creatures in the form of a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. These four creatures correspond with the Zodiac signs, with one minor exception. The eagle is often substituted in the Bible for the scorpion. This was either because of the ancient association between the scorpion and the serpent, or as some have argued, because the scorpion appeared more like an eagle in the sky in the days of Abraham. The faces of the cherubim in both Ezekiel and Revelation are the middle signs in the four quarters of the Zodiac: the lion is Leo; the bull is Taurus; the man is Aquarius, and the eagle (as already discussed) is Scorpio. We should not be nervous here and assume that any mention of the Zodiac is occultic, although it has often been perverted to be used by the occult. The constellations were created by God and have been specifically arranged by God. For example, the arrangement of the twelve tribes of Israel around the Tabernacle (Num. 2) corresponded to the order of the Zodiac. Like the cherubim, four of the tribes represented the middle signs of each quarter: Judah was the lion; Reuben was the man; Ephraim was the bull; and Dan was the eagle.

Next, John describes the worship of the creatures which each had six wings. Attention is given to the six wings which ties them into the seraphim of Isaiah (Is. 6:1-4). The chief duty and purpose of these creatures is to praise God. They speak non-stop: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. The focus of the worship service on the "Lord’s Day" is simply on God. It is not to feed or encourage the needs of the creatures but to give honor and glory to God.

4:9-11 - John makes an important observation for us. The praise and worship does not stop with the living creatures. The twenty-four elders, which represent the royal and priestly church, join in the worship. The elders fall down before the throne and lay their crowns down while worshipping. In so doing, they acknowledge that their dominion (symbolize by the crowns) comes from the One who is seated on the throne and not from anything they have accomplished on their own.

The elders praise God, the Creator of all things. He created all things by His will or as the King James Version words it, "for thy pleasure." God did not need to create, He did so by choice. This is one of the areas where a proper understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity becomes important. If God were not a Trinity, and He is love as John wrote (1 John 4:16), then He would need to have created in order to love. This is not the case, however, because God is a Trinity of three persons, united in divine love for eternity. His desire to create comes from His wish to share that love with other creatures. It is vital to understand that God created us by His will, for His pleasure, and that is the only reason that we have our being.

Revelation 4:1-5

The Throne in Heaven

1After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 4Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.




4:1-3 - This verse is nearly universally cited by those who read the concept of a rapture into the Bible due to the command to come up here. They will also claim that it is significant that the word "church" is not used from this point on until the end of the Revelation. Just because the word does not appear does not mean that the concept of the church is not rife through the chapters of the Revelation. John uses the word "church" to refer only to specific congregations not the entire body of Christ, which is the subject of the rest of the book. Those wishing to read a rapture into this verse, particularly, are forcing into the text something that is simply not there. The only one called up is John to receive the vision that comprises the remainder of Revelation. John ascends up to heaven to witness a worship service on the" Lord’s Day." This is an image of the ascension of the Church into heaven every Sunday where we join in the communion of the saints (Heb. 12:22-23).

As stated earlier, being in the Spirit is technical prophetic language. The critical event in the formation of a prophet was a personal encounter with the Spirit. The prophet emerged as a man who then reflected the divine glory of God. Being caught up in the Spirit was to be caught up in the divine assembly. The true prophet had stood before God and been transformed. Those under the New Covenant now have this once rare privilege. Surely Moses’ desire was fulfilled with the coming of the New Covenant: "I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them" (Numbers 11:29). The rapture theory is based largely on a misunderstanding of the ascension of the church. The first ascension for the Church takes place positionally with Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:20). The progressive ascension of the church takes place when we worship Christ each week (Heb. 12:22-24). The individual Christian will ascend spiritually at death (Rev. 20:4), and bodily at the consummation of all things (1 Cor. 15:50-55; 1 Thess. 4:17).

John is caught up in the Spirit and is about to see things from the perspective of Christ himself, who is on His throne in heaven. John sees a rainbow (literally "bow") that encircled the throne. The three stones mentioned, jasper, carnelian, and emerald represented three of the twelve tribes of Israel that were on the breastplate of the high priest (Ex. 28:17-19). They were also among the stones mentioned in the imagery used in describing the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 28:13). John’s vision here is quite similar with Ezekiel’s description of his vision (Ezek. 1:26-28) which lets us know that John was seeing the same true, heavenly Temple that Ezekiel saw.

4:4 - John reports that surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. There has been much speculation as to what this passage means, but it seems best to interpret this as a representation of the Church. The term elders indicate that these twenty-four beings represent the Church. They are seated on thrones and we have already been told that Christians are reigning with Christ (Rev. 1:6), that they wear crowns (Rev. 2:10; 3:11); that they have been granted authority with Him over the nations (Rev. 2:26-27), that apostates will bow before them (Rev. 3:9), and that they are seated with Christ on His throne (Rev. 3:21). Another indicator that this is referring to the Church is that twenty-four is a multiple of twelve, which is a number associated with the people of God. Thus, this is a double-portion of twelve. It is also true that in the Old Testament there were twenty-four divisions of priests (1 Chron. 24) and twenty-four divisions of singers in the Temple (1 Chron. 25). These were the leaders of worship of God’s people for over a thousand years. What John is communicating is the royal priesthood of the Church. The elders sit on thrones as kings, and number twenty-four as priests.

4:5 - John sees the typical phenomena that accompanies the presence of God and the glory cloud (Ex. 19:16-19), as he sees flashes of lighting and peels of rumbling thunder. Before the throne, John sees the seven lamps which represent the seven-fold Spirit in the completeness of His activity.

Revelation 3:14-22

To the Church in Laodicea
14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."



3:14 - Laodicea was not only the wealthiest city in the region, it was also another important center of emperor worship. In the opening verse, Christ identifies Himself in three ways. First, He is the Amen. The generic meaning of "amen" is "so be it," but the theological meaning is deeper than that. It was actually an oath that called down the blessings and curses of the covenant and was a reminder that Jesus is the perfect guarantee of the covenantal promises. Second, He is the faithful and true witness. Christ is truly the infallible and authoritative witness that brings convincing charges against the church in Laodicea. Third, He is the ruler of God’s creation. Christ is both the origin and the ruler of God’s creation. By him all things were created and He holds all things together (Colossians 1:15-18).

3:15-16 - The words, you are neither cold nor hot, has often been misunderstood. It has often been claimed that hot refers to a godly enthusiasm while cold referred to an ungodly malaise. This metaphor, however comes from the geography of the area. Laodicea was situated between Colossae, which was famous for ice-cold, refreshing mountain streams, and Hieropolis, which was well-known for its hot mineral springs that were believed to have healing powers. By the time the water reached the valley floor in Laodicea, it was neither hot (for health) or cold (for refreshment). The basic problem with Laodicea is not that they were not "hot" but that in their current state, they were not good for anything. They were not providing warm healing for the spiritually sick or cold refreshment for the weary. The church was being rebuked not for the condition of their spiritual temperature but for the lack of works. Christ is wishing that the Laodicean church would have an influence on their society. A church that is self-focused is not doing anyone any good. If a church is not transforming its society and increasing Christ’s dominion, what good is it? Because you are lukewarm . . . I am about to spit you out of my mouth. This echoes the warnings of Leviticus 18:24-28. Failure to transform or make any significant impression on the world has put the church in danger of being cut off and spit out.

3:17-18 - Laodicea was well-known for its banking and financial institutions, its textile industry which produced a world-famous black wool, and an eye salve called "Phyrgian Powder". Christ uses these things for which the city was famous to demonstrate the state of the church. They thought that they were rich and had acquired wealth but despite the wealth of the church they were completely ineffectual in effecting the culture around them. In contrast, a poor church like Smyrna was having a deep impact on the culture around them. Rather than clothing the world and providing a salve for the eyes, as Laodicea was famous for, the church was wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Despite all of this, comes on offer of grace from Christ. Christ counsels the church to buy gold, which symbolizes true faith and genuine work of obedience (1 Pet. 1:7; 1 Cor. 3:12-15). Wearing white clothes is a symbol of righteousness, while nakedness is a symbol of disobedience (Gen. 3:7). Blindness is a symbol for man’s fallenness and separation from God (Lev. 21:18; Deut. 29:4; Matt. 13:13-15; 16:3; 2 Cor. 4:3-4; 1 John 2:11).

3:19-20 - Christ reminds them that He only disciplines and rebukes those whom He loves. His love for the church is actually the source of His anger, so He calls them to repent. He stands at the door, waiting for them to open the door and come in and eat him. This is not a wide open invitation for salvation to non-Christians, rather it is a clear invitation for the church to return to the communion table with a repentant heart.

3:21-22 - To the one who overcomes, Christ promises dominion with Him and the right to sit on His throne. The call to rule with Christ is for all Christians in time and on earth. The dominion is progressive through history until the final consummation of all things. We are to be rulers with Christ now, in this age. He has given us legal title to all things (Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 3:21-22) and we are to exercise dominion under His rule in every area of life. Because Christ overcame and is sitting with the Father on His Throne, He summons us to share in His dominion and inherit all things.

Revelation 3:7-13

To the Church in Philadelphia

7"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. 13He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.


3:7 - The church in Philadelphia had much in common with the church in Smyrna, especially in that they had received much persecution from apostate Jews. In contrast to the lying Jewish leaders, Christ is the one who is holy and true. Christ holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. This line is an allusion to Isaiah 22:15-25, in which God accuses a royal steward of lying and betraying his trust. God tells the unfaithful servant that, "I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position." God goes on to tell the unfaithful servant that he will be replaced with a faithful one (Isa. 22:21-22). Christ is announcing that Israel has been found an unfaithful servant, has been thrown out of office and replaced by the One who is holy and true. The Jews in the synagogue had declared the church to be apostate, but it is, in fact, says Christ, the synagogue that is apostate.

3:8-9 - The holy and true One knows the deeds of the church and has opened the door that no one can shut. They have kept His Word and so, have been admitted into the fellowship of His Covenant. Those who pretended to hold the keys have been cast out. In contrast to Sardis, the church in Philadelphia has little strength or anything that would seem impressive but they are commended because, says the Lord, they have not denied my name. The apostate Jews are spoken of in no uncertain terms. They are no longer the chosen people of God but have become the synagogue of Satan by rejecting Christ. One cannot have a genuine belief in the Old Testament and reject Christ. There is no such thing as "orthodox" Judaism. The god of Judaism is not the God of the Bible, it is Satan. Christ promises the Philadelphians that although the Jews have the power now, I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. This is an ironic turning of the tables from Isaiah 60:14, where God gives this promise to the covenant people.

3:10-11 - Christ is not promising to rapture the church out of the coming trouble, but to keep them from it. He will preserve them during the coming tribulation and will keep them from falling. Also, they will not suffer in the same tribulation that is about to come upon the synagogue of Satan. The phrase "those who live on the earth" ("land" is the proper word here and is what John meant) is used twelve times in the Revelation (one for each of the twelve tribes). It is a common prophetic expression for rebellious, idolatrous Israel that is about to be destroyed and driven from the land (Jer. 1:14; 10:18; Ezek. 7:7; 36:17; Hos. 4:1, 3; Joel 1:2, 14; 2:1; Zeph. 1:18). The time of this tribulation is near, as Christ tells them I am coming soon. Christ would not promise the church in Philadelphia that He will protect them from something that would happen thousands of years later. The context of the tribulation and their protection is contemporary. This church has had the door of fellowship with Christ opened for them. If they hold on to what they have, their crown will not be taken away.

3:12-13 - The overcomer will be, symbolically, a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will the people of God leave from the fellowship of Christ. God’s people are characterized by stability and permanence. The imagery from the tabernacle and the temple are continued as Christ says, I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. The head piece of the priest was inscribed by the name of God. Thus, this speaks of the restoration of God’s people to the image of God. God writes His name on the things that He restores and redeems. The old Jerusalem had apostatized and is about to be destroyed. The Church of Christ is declared to be the city of God. Although the Church had been persecuted like Isaac had been by Ishamel (Gen. 21:8-14; Gal. 4:22-31), they would see the false sons cast out of God’s blessings; they would be the ones to inherit the world (Rom. 4:13; Gal. 3:29).

Revelation 3:1-6

To the Church in Sardis

1"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

3:1 - Christ announces Himself as the One who holds the seven spirits (or seven-fold spirit) of God and the seven stars. Christ holds all things in His hand including the rulers of the church. The elders at Sardis must have needed reminding of this because they were at the reigns of a dying church. They had a great reputation but were, in fact, dead. The church in Sardis appears to have become quite fashionable and popular. There is no evidence that they were under any persecution at all. The evidence seems to indicate that the church in Sardis had almost completely compromised with the culture around it until there was little distinction between it and the surrounding culture. The life of a church does not necessarily consist of the "coolness" of the youth ministry or music ministry, or the speed of numerical growth or even baptisms in the church. This church seemed to be busy, growing, and alive, yet Christ says that it is dead.

3:2-3 - Christ warns them to wake up and strengthen what remains. Sardis was a city that was built on a mountain and seemed impregnable, yet it had been taken unaware twice in its history and captured by enemies. This was paralleled with the state of the church. The church had not been completely written off by Christ but they were warned to take no delay in strengthening what remained. Sardis was doing deeds but they were not complete in the sight of God.

All of this activity made it seem as though the church was alive and on-fire, but this was all illusion. They lacked the zeal to have anyone jump off the heresy cliff, but they also lacked the doctrinal depth of conviction to produce persecution or intolerance. The church at Sardis was fitting in with the culture around them quite nicely. Christ admonishes them to remember the gospel that they had received and heard; and tells them to obey it, and repent. If they do not wake up, Christ promises that He will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Again, it is important to note that this is not a threat of the Second Coming. Christ is warning them that they will be included in His coming judgment of apostate Israel.

3:4-6 - There were some faithful souls in Sardis who had not soiled their clothes, and become secularized. They are told that they will walk with Christ, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The righteous saints are pictured wearing white in the Revelation on seven separate occasions (3:5, 18; 4:4; 6:11; 7:9, 13: 19:14). Wearing white is an obvious symbol for cleanliness and righteousness. The ultimate origins are the sun-like brightness of the glory cloud. Those in white are recreated in the image of God and are clothed with Christ (Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10).
The overcomer is promised that he will be dressed in white and will not have his name blotted from the book of life. This is a very real threat from Christ. Those who fell into heresy, immorality, or secularization would have their name name removed from the record of those who were redeemed by Christ. Christ will never throw us from His kingdom, but we can remove our own names from His book of life based on our own apostasy. The overcomers in Sardis are informed that Christ will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. In essence, many in Sardis were denying the true doctrine of Christ before their community. To those, Christ says that He will not acknowledge them before God. They were more concerned with the praise of men than of God, and so would not receive the praise of God when they would really need it.

Revelation 2:18-29

To the Church in Thyatira
18"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): 25Only hold on to what you have until I come. 26To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
27'He will rule them with an iron scepter;
he will dash them to pieces like pottery'— just as I have received authority from my Father. 28I will also give him the morning star. 29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.


2:18 - A unique feature in first century Thyatira was the pure dominance of the trade guilds over the local economy. In order to work in a trade in Thyatira, one had to be a member of one of the guilds. To be a member of the guilds also meant to take part in the worship of pagan gods. Two primary aspects of this pagan worship was eating food sacrificed to idols and taking part in fornication principles. This was obviously a major problem for any Christian that worked in a craft or trade. The local god, Tyrimnos, was the son of Zeus. Worship of him was intertwined with Caesar worship, who was also called the incarnate son of god. Christ directly addresses this situation in Thyatira, proclaiming Himself to be the true Son of God. His first words here declare that He is the true fiery light. It is a direct challenge to the paganism and statism of Thyatira.

2:19-20 - Christ begins commending the church in their love, faith, service, and perseverance. They have even grown in their faith and are doing more works than they had done at first. Despite that, though, Christ issues a stinging rebuke for their lax doctrinal standards. The elders are charged with allowing false doctrine to take root and those teaching it, to feel comfortable in the church. This doctrine is personified in the person of Jezebel, the queen of Israel who led the Covenant people into idolatry. Some within the church were advocating compromising with paganism. Perhaps it was along the lines of claiming that any worship offered up was really to the one, true God no matter whom it was directed to; or that they should not be so arrogant and seek to combine the good parts of paganism with the good parts of their faith; or that by taking part in the guild’s pagan worship it would offer an opportunity to share their faith. No matter the fine-sounding argument, Christ is clear that it was heresy and was not to be tolerated for even a second.

2:21-23 - It is clear that the teaching of Jezebel had led some to actually partake in fornication as well as eating food sacrificed to idols. This ties the wicked queen of Israel to the same false doctrines of the Nicolaitans, Balaam, and the synagogue of Satan. All of these, were, in John’s terms, apostate Judaism combined with the pagans around them.

Christ had been more than patient with Jezebel, but no more. She was unwilling and so the time for judgment was at hand. Yet, it is not just Jezebel that Christ was rebuking and threatening with judgment, it was the church that was allowing the false doctrines. Christ says that He will cast Jezebel on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. The suffering bed is a sickbed on which one would go to die. Christ, in a bit of grim irony, is saying "You want to go to bed? Okay, how about a deathbed?" What is translated suffer intensely here, actually says "Great Tribulation." Christ is saying that those Christians who do not repent will be victims of the Great Tribulation that is coming on apostate Israel very soon. This is further indication that the focus of Revelation is contemporary. When Christ judges apostates, all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Those who love God will be spurred towards repentance and renewed obedience, those who don’t have made a very clear choice.

2:24-29 - Evidently, part of Jezebel’s teachings were Satan’s so-called deep secrets. This was probably some early form of gnosticism that valued secret, revealed knowledge. They taught the more one sinned, the more grace could abound. Not all in the church had taken part in this. For those, no other burden would be placed on them; they should continue in their faithfulness. For those who overcome, they would be given the authority over the nations. They were perhaps tempted to believe that they were fighting a losing battle on two fronts: the pagans outside the church and the false teachers inside the church. Christ reassures them that they will be victorious and take dominion over the world. They are given the promise from the Father to the Son in Psalm 2:8-9. The point is that the Christian faithful, in this age, are promised a share in the messianic reign of Jesus Christ, in time and on earth. What the Thyatiran Christians were enduring was not glamorous but they would rule with Christ if they would overcome!

Revelation 2:12-17

To the Church in Pergamum
12"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 14Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.



2:12 - Pergamum was host to a plethora of pagan cults including Zeus, Dionysos, Asklepios (the serpent-god who was referred to as "the savior"). The most important cult in Pergamum, though, was the Emperor cult. They had bult incredible temples to the Caesars and Rome and were extremely zealous about the Emperor cult. Of all of the seven cities in the Revelation, Pergamum was the most likely place to clash with the church. To this city that had worshipped the Emperor and Rome as the be-all-end-all, Christ declares that He is the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword, that is, the true words of life.

2:13 - It has been suggested that the reference to Satan’s throne is either a reference to Pergamum being the center of Emperor worship in Asia, the throne-like altar to Zeus or the temples to the serpent-god Asklepios who officially called "the savior." The most likely reference, though is in keeping with the central meaning of the text. Satan has already been tied to the synagogues of the Jewish community. Satan had been using apostate Judaism as his major weapon against the early Church. Much of the early problems between Rome and the Church was instigated by the Jewish community. Satan was the real force behind the persecution of the church, yet Christ holds up this Church as ones who remain true to my name. Just who Antipas was has been lost to history, but he must have been remarkable to merit being singled out for special recognition. Christ refers to him as my faithful witness, and we are told that he was put to death in your city. The name Antipas means "against all"; truly he lived up to the name and personified the strength of the church in Pergamum.

2:14-16 - Perhaps Antipas was held up to highlight the fact that some in the church had not lived up to his example. When Balak, the king of Moab, discovered that he could not defeat the Israelites militarily, Balaam taught him to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. This was Balaam’s plan to cause the ruin of Israel. In the same way, records John, some in Pergamum were holding to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. As stated earlier, those who hold to the teaching of Balaam and those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans were one is the same. The primary false doctrine being referred to here was to commit idolatry and fornication. The Nicolaitans taught that because of the sacrifice of Christ, Christians were free from the law. They could do whatever they wanted and the sacrifice of Christ would cover it over.

Christ calls those in the church to repent. Remember, Christ is speaking to the leaders of the church here. If they do not repent and call the church to discipline it will lead to the downfall of the church. The church that fails to exercise biblical church discipline will lose its lampstand. If they do not repent, Christ says I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Again, this is not a promise of the Second Coming. Does this sound like a happy thing that the church would look forward to? Christ is promising that if they do not repent they will be judged according to the Word of God.

2:17 - The overcomer is promised three things: the hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name. The hidden manna is a reference to that which was hidden in the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 16:33-34; Heb. 9:4). Manna was the food of angels (Psalm 78:25) that was given to provide daily strength and sustenance to God’s people. The hidden manna, then, was the Words of Christ that provided the same sustenance for the church. The white stone is possibly a reference to the bdellium, with which the color of manna is compared (Num. 11:7). This stone is connected with and mentioned in the account of the Garden of Eden. (the NIV changes the name of bdellium to "aromatic resin"). Thus, it is intended to be a reminder of the Garden of Eden. The onyx stone had the names of the tribes of Israel engraved on them and placed on the priest (Ex. 28:9-12). It seems that John uses a common biblical device of combining imagery. In Gen. 2:12, onyx and bdellium are linked. Onyx and manna are linked in Numbers 11:7. Together they talk of the restoration of Eden in the blessings of salvation. John uses a Hebrew idiom here in which known refers to ownership. It is not that the name is a secret but it is exclusive to the individual. Only the owner belongs to the Covenant of Christ; no else can possess it.

Revelation 2:8-11

To the Church in Smyrna

8"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

2:8 - There were two characteristics of the town of Smyrna that meant trouble for the church there. First, the people of Smyrna were deeply devoted to the Emperor cult. Second, Smyrna had a large Jewish population that was extremely hostile to the Christian faith. Here we have another term for Jesus, the First and the Last. This is a name for God from Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12. It is clear, despite some current claims to the contrary, that the early church's beliefs were deeply rooted in the doctrine that Jesus Christ was divine. It was important to the early Christians to understand that Jesus had defeated death by coming back to life. The Apostle Paul was very careful in explaining that His resurrection guarantees our resurrection one day.

2:9-10 - The picture John paints of life for a Christian in Smyrna was clearly not a bed of roses. They had suffered through poverty and persecution and had remained strong. It is likely that they had persevered through confiscation of property (Heb. 10:34), vandalism, and even economic boycott on account of their refusal to align with either the pagan emperor worshippers or the apostate Jews (Rev.. 13:16-17). In Christ's eyes the church in Smyrna is rich because they have endured much tribulation for His sake. Christ knew all about their suffering because in our sufferings, He suffers (Is. 63:9). He also knew about the slander of their persecutors. This is the group also identified as Nicolaitans, and the followers of Balaam and Jezebel. They claimed to be Jews, the children of Abraham, but in reality were children of the Devil. There is no such thing as a true Jew that does not believe in Christ. If Jews believed in the Old Testament, they would believe in Christ. If a man rejects Christ, he rejects Moses (John 5:46). The point John was making that would have been clear to his original readers is who the true Jews are. According to the Bible, it has nothing to do with ethnic heritage. The one who has been clothed with Christ is the heir of the promises to Abraham and the possessor of the blessings of the Covenant (Rom. 11:11-24; Gal. 3:7-9, 26-29). Those who were still clinging to the Old Covenant of works and were rejecting Christ were a synagogue of Satan.

Despite what they had already suffered, John cannot tell them that it is over, but he does encourage them to not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Some of them would be put into prison. Christ wants them to know, however, that their promised suffering is part of the great battle between Satan and Christ. The tribulation would be intense but would last only ten days. This is symbolic for a short period of time and brings up thoughts of the ten days for which Daniel and his friends were tempted. Symbolically the choice for Smyrna was ten days of persecution in exchange for one thousand years of victory (Revelation 20:4-6). Christ encourages them to be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. There is no other choice for the true Christian. "if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us" (2 Timothy 2:12).

2:11 - The faithful Christian who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. To understand this concept we must realize that in the mind of the New Testament writers there were two deaths and two resurrections. The first death is the physical death that all of mankind will experience. The second death will only be experienced by those who are sentenced to eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire known as Gehenna. Later John writes, "Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ" (Rev. 20:6). In other words, those who take part in the first resurrection will not be effected by the second death. The promise that those in Christ are priests has already been revealed as a present reality (1:6). Thus, the first resurrection cannot refer to the physical resurrection at the end of the world (1 Cor. 15:22-28). Every Christian has died, been resurrected, and raised to a new life in Christ at the waters of baptism (Romans 6:1-4); this is the first resurrection that points to the second and final resurrection.

Revelation 2:1-7

To the church in Ephesus

1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

2:1 - The word translated as angel, simply means "messenger." It was common to refer to the prophetic rulers of the churches to be referred to as "angels of the churches." It is likely, then, that John is addressing the elder of each church. It is also possible that he could be referring to the personifications of the government of each church. Each church is addressed with the very words of Him who holds the power (seven stars) in His right hand and who walks among the churches (lampstands). Ephesus was a major center in politics and trade. It was also well known for its art, science, witchcraft, idolatry, gladiators, and persecution. It contained the temple to Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus was also a haven for Jewish occultism and magical arts.

2:2-3 - The church is praised by Jesus for their perseverance and hard work. This was not a church that compromised. In the face of compromise all around them, they had taken a strong stand for orthodoxy. Of all Paul's letters to the churches, only Ephesians does not mention a single doctrinal issue that needed correction. At the very beginning of the 2nd century, church father Ignatius noted that the church in Ephesus was still holding to doctrinal purity: "You all live according to the truth, and no heresy has a home among you. . . You are arrayed from head to foot in the commandments of Jesus Christ."

2:4-6 - As is so often the case, the church's desire for sound doctrine had hardened into a lack of love. They loved the truth more than they loved living it amongst their fellow men. It is not concern for sound doctrine that leads to an absence of love, though; it is a perversion of that doctrine. They weren't criticized for being too doctrinally sound, it was that they had lost their love. We are required to have sound doctrine and be loving. A lack of either is equally dangerous. The church is told to repent from their lack of love and do the things they did at first. Love is not simply an attitude, it is also the action of fulfilling and obeying God's law (1 John 5:2-3). Christ doesn't call for the church to change their attitude, it is a call to change their actions. If they don't repent, Jesus says that He will come to them and remove their lampstand. He is not threatening them with His glorious Second Coming. This is further evidence that the nature of the Revelation is contemporary for the original readers. The threat to remove their lampstand means that their influence and place will be taken away. They will cease to be a true church of Christ in any manner. Their lack of love has put them in danger of having the entire community excommunicated by the King. It is the vital duty of the elders to lead the church in doctrinal purity and the actions of love.

This message would have been clear to the Ephesians. This coastline city had a problem with sediment filling the harbor. They were constantly in danger of being moved out of place and cut off from the sea. They had let the harbor go for over two centuries and it was filling up. In 64 A.D., they finally began to dredge the harbor and keep their place safe. Over the centuries, this important job has been neglected. The ruins of Ephesus are now six miles away from the sea. Thus, John used a contemporary situation for them, to teach theological truth. The church is commended once again near the end of this discourse. This time it is for their hatred of the Nicolaitans. "Nicolaitans" means "conqueror of the people" in Greek. Later, John will mention the followers of Balaam, which means "conqueror of the people" in Hebrew (2:14). John's point is that the Nicolaitans and Balaamites are participants in the same heretical manner. In the letter to Thytira, those who follow Jezebel are mentioned (2:20). The doctrines of all three are identical. It seems that John is focusing on one particular type of heresy, and merely giving it different names to demonstrate that is can take on many forms. He is warning the people against following heresies that draw them into idolatry and fornication.

2:7 - Each message is different for each church, but the overall command is the same for each church: Overcome! The Greek word for "overcome" is nikao. It is the same word as the root word for Nicolaitans. In other words, Christ is telling the Church to overcome those who seek to overcome them. Overcoming is the standard for all Christians. It is not a question of victory or defeat, but one of victory or treason. The promise of eating from the Tree of Life is not a future hope, it is the promise to take dominion and overcome the world now.

Revelation 1:12-20

12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.



1:12-15 - John clearly uses imagery from the Tabernacle here, with one difference. Whereas the tabernacle had one lampstand with seven lamps; John describes seven lampstands. The imagery is clear that Jesus is the one person that unites the seven lamps (each which turns out to be a lampstand itself). The church is an earthly shadow of heaven which Jesus holds together and walks around in.

The description of Jesus given in verses 13-16 make more sense when considered in light of passages like Daniel 7:13-14 and Daniel 10:5-11. His garb is reminiscent of the clothes of the high priest (Ex. 28:4; 29:5; 39:27-29; Lev. 16:4). The impression given by the vision of Christ here is that of fiery light. Many have used this passage to claim that Jesus is a black man due to the references of his hair being like wool and feet being bronze colored. This is a violent misreading of the passage. John's point in mentioning wool is that His hair color was as white as wool, he is not referring to the texture. The term for bronze here possibly refers to an alloy of gold and silver (Mal. 3:2-3). The point of John's description is that the appearance of Christ is a brilliant blaze of glory.

The statement that His voice was like the sound of rushing waters, identifies it with the sound of the glory cloud, a familiar sound throughout the Old Testament. It is a sound that is described through the terms of many earthly phenomenon: wind, thunder, trumpets, armies, chariots, and waterfalls (Ex. 19:16; Ezek. 1:24, etc.). The overall point of this description is rather plain when all the imagery is taken into account. Jesus, now resurrected and transfigured, is the incarnate glory of God.

1:16 - The seven stars are explained more fully in verse 20, but its worthy mentioning here that this would have brought forth thoughts of Pleiades. Seven stars make up the cluster of stars known as Pleiades. They form part of the constellation Taurus, and are mentioned several times in Scripture (Job 9:5-9; 38:31-33; Amos 5:8). The sun is with Taurus in Spring and was a fitting symbol (that of rebirth and resurrection) in connection with the coming of Christ. He holds in His hand the stars that announced the rebirth and flowering of the world each spring. Another common first century imagery for the seven stars was that they appeared regularly on the Emperor's coins as symbols of his supreme political sovereignty. This, then, is strong anti-Emperor imagery. The symbol of Christ holding seven stars in His hand would have been a strong and obvious statement to first century readers that it was Christ who had the real dominion through the church, not the Emperor or Rome. Out of his mouth, John describes a double-edged sword. The point is that, although they will face opposition, Christ is clearly on the offensive. He is ready to do battle for His dominion rights. The imagery here is taken from Isa. 11:4; He will be victorious over the nations with His sharp and powerful two-edged sword, His Word (Heb. 4:12).

1:17-20 - John's reaction to seeing Christ is similar to Daniel's (Daniel 1 0:9-11). Fear is a normal first reaction but Christ tells him not to fear. The presence of God is often depicted in dual terms of striking fear to His enemies but a source of comfort for His people (Hab. 3:10-13). Jesus tells John that He is the First and Last (Isa. 48:12). Again he uses another Old Testament title for God. Jesus also informs him that He has defeated death. The Roman Empire claimed to have all authority over life and death, but Jesus declares that it is He who holds the keys to that power. Holding the keys was the symbol of authority over something in the first century.
John is then told to write what he has seen (the vision of Christ), what is now (more correctly "what they are", i.e., what they signify or correspond to), and the things that will take place later. The seven stars, John is told, correspond to the angels of the seven churches. Both angels and stars are associated with government and rule in biblical symbolism (Gen. 37:9; Judg. 5:20; Dan. 8:9-11; 10:13, 20-21). Thus, the point is the seven stars, the constellation (Pleiades) of resurrection and dominion, are the angels, which correspond to the government or responsibility of the Church. The seven churches mentioned are both specific and universal images as mentioned earlier.

Revelation 1:5b-11

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

One like a Son of Man
9I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."



1:5b-6 - John breaks into a chorus of praise to Jesus Christ in these verses. Christ has done more than just release and redeem us from slavery; He has made us a Kingdom and priests. The Kingdom has begun, it is not a future event. Christians are to be ruling with Christ in this Kingdom now. We are to be a victorious priesthood that is striving to bring all areas of life under His dominion and rule.

1:7 - John announces one of the primary themes of the book of Revelation. It is not the Second Coming of Christ which will include the final resurrection, it is the coming of Christ in judgment upon Israel. The Old Covenant will be done away with as Christ establishes the Church as His new Kingdom. John uses one of the most familiar biblical images for judgment by saying that Jesus is coming with the clouds (Gen. 15:17; Ex. 13:21-22; 14:19-20, 24; 19:9, 16-19; Ps. 18:8-14; 104:3; Isa. 19:1; Ezek. 32:7-8; Nahum 1:2-8; Matt. 24:30; Mark 14:62; Acts 2:19). Coming with the clouds speaks of judgment and in no way necessitates that John is referring to the end of the physical world. Just as He had promised, Christ is coming in wrath and judgment against apostate Israel (Matt. 23-25). John says that the peoples of the earth will mourn. Jesus also says that all the tribes of the land would mourn when He came (Matt. 24:30; 24:51). Thus, Israel has gone past the point of no return. The judgment upon them is coming and will not be reversed.

1:8 - This verse alone should end any pretense at arguments that the early church did not claim Jesus to be God. Jesus refers to Himself here in terms reserved only for God. The Greek word pantokrator, translated here as Almighty, means "the One has all power and rules over everything." It is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament expression "Lord of Hosts." Christ was about to demonstrate to the whole world, including those who had pierced Him, that he had ascended to the throne and was the Supreme Ruler of the world.

1:9 - This verse is a concise picture of John’s worldview. It strikes a blow against those who would interpret Revelation as teaching that there will be no tribulation for the church due to the Rapture, that Christ’s Kingdom is to come after His Second Coming, and that perseverance is not required or expected. John teaches that these things are necessary for the Christian life. As Christians expand the dominion of the Kingdom, though, tribulation will lessen. It is silly, however, for Christians to assume that we are or will be immune from suffering. John would not know that version of the Christian life. John not only has in view the general suffering of being a Christian, but also the specific Great Tribulation that is about to befall the church. The Christian life is not just about suffering, however; it is also about Kingdom. Christ has conquered His enemies and put all things under His feet (Eph. 1:21-22; Mark 1:14-15; Acts 2:29-36; Col. 1:13). All things are subject to Christ now, but the rulers and authorities of the world have to be put down. This is much of the message of the Revelation. The dominion of Christ and His church is something to be exercised now; we do not need to wait until some future Coming of Christ. The time is now.

1:10 - When John says he was in the Spirit, he is using technical prophetic language (Matt. 22:43; Numb. 11:25; 2 Sam. 23:2; Ezek. 2:2; 3:24; 2 Pet. 1:21). He is indicating to his readers that he is an inspired apostle, receiving heavenly revelation. John sees the vision on the Lord’s Day which brings forth connotations of the Sabbath or rest. The term "rest" in Scripture often refers to God being seated on His throne as judge, receiving worship from His creation (1 Chron. 28:2; Ps. 132:7-8, 13:14; Isa. 11:10; 66:1). John, then, was caught up into the glory cloud of God’s presence to receive special revelation.

1:11 - Verses 10 and 11 demonstrate a pattern that will be seen throughout the Revelation. John hears first, and then he sees (5:5-6; 22:8, etc.). The Revelation is destined for seven churches. Seven is a major symbolic theme in the Revelation. It stands for fullness and completeness. Although John is probably writing this to the seven specific churches, it also stands symbolically for all of the Church.