The Revelation of Jesus Christ
In order to understand the seven churches of
Revelation we need to understand the Book of Revelation itself – what it is and
what it means. We get a clue about
that by reading the very first verse of this Book.
It says there, “The revelation of Jesus Christ…”
The Book of Revelation is THE REVELATION OF THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.
More specifically, it is the revelation of Jesus Christ in His people
through His redemptive work.
Included is the impact of that upon all humanity -- and really upon all of
creation.
Note that word:
Revelation. The Greek word
is, “apocalypse.” It means to,
“uncover, expose, to make manifest.”
Yet that most people would tell you that the Book of Revelation is the
most mysterious, hidden, most difficult to understand book that God inspired in
the Bible. But if God inspired this book
-- and it is called, “an uncovering of Jesus Christ” -- then how is itthat this,
“uncovering,” or,“revelation,” seems to be the exact opposite?
Despite the title, to many of us it seems to be a book which carries a
HIDDEN message – with very little that we can understand.
There are, of course, many popular
interpretations of this book. For
example, there are many people, especially in the last one hundred twenty years
or so, who have taken the Book of Revelation and turned it into a prophecy chart
of future world events. You have
probably heard many interpretations of this book along that line.
People feel that they have it all figured out as to when future world
events are going to happen — the Great Tribulation, the millennium, when Russia
is going to invade Israel, etc. — and they find verses in this book to
supposedly prove these things.
But none of these common interpretations of
the Book of Revelation hit the target.
Again, the first sentence of this book tells us what the Book of
Revelation is: The Book of
Revelation is not a prophecy chart of events taking place in this physical
world. It is a revelation of the
Person of Jesus Christ, and of all the spiritual Truth found in Him -- and His
impact upon humanity and all of creation through His Redemptive work.
How about world events?
There will be an impact upon world events.
But the focus of this book is not world events.
The focus is the PERSON of Jesus Christ.
His impact upon all of creation, including world events, is secondary.
Both the Giver and the Subject
The
revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him to show unto His servants --
things which must shortly come to pass -- which He signified by His angel unto
his servant, John. (Rev. 1:1)
The Book of Revelation is a VISION (see Rev.
1:10) – it is a vision that God gave OF Jesus Christ and THROUGH Jesus Christ --
to the apostle John. In other words,
Jesus is the GIVER of the revelation found in this vision.
But He is also the SUBJECT.
Again, the book is a vision of the Person of Jesus Christ -- and of God’s
dealings with His people and with all of humanity through Christ.
At first glance, it might appear as if Jesus
Christ is merely the GIVER of this revelation.
Verse 1 does say, “The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave Him to
show unto His servants.” Butas
noted, if we dig a little bit deeper, we will see that Jesus Christ is not just
the giver of the revelation -- He IS the revelation.
He is the subject of it.
There is no contradiction there – Jesus is
easily both the giver of the revelation and the revelation itself.
He can be both because Jesus is revealing HIMSELF.
How many realize that God wants to reveal
HIMSELF to us and in us? That He
does so by revealing in us Jesus Christ?
And to the degree that we receive a personal inward revelation of Jesus
Christ we will be able to see all else in HIS light.
In short, we must come into an inward realization of Jesus Christ – HE is
God’s revelation to us. But if we
are coming to know Christ, He will likewise enable us to receive God’s
revelation on all else.
That Jesus is both the SUBJECT of all
revelation – through the spirit – but likewise the GIVER of all revelation –
through the spirit – is not only what we find stated in Rev. 1:1, but it is
exactly how God always works. For
example, Jesus Christ said -- NOT that He merely had some Truth to give --
although He did give plenty of Truth in His teaching and parables -- but more
than that, He said, “I AM the Truth.”
So there you have the same principle again: Jesus Christ IS the Truth.But
how many understand that knowing Jesus -- who is THE LIGHT -- will shed light
upon everything else? It can hardly
be otherwise; you cannot really divorce the two.
When you know Jesus Christ, you know the Person who is the Truth – and
this opens the Truth about all else.
Paul said essentially the same thing in
Colossians 2:3: “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Jesus
Christ.” They are hid IN Him -- consequently it is only as Jesus Christ is
unfolded and revealed to the individual that all that is IN Him -- the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge on any number of things you might want to imagine -- it
is only in the unfolding of Christ that these things are likewise unfolded.
Likewise, Jesus Christ said, “I AM the
light.” How can you see anything
without the light? If you
don’t see Jesus -- if He is not your light and you do not know Him -- then you
are going to be in the dark about all else as to the mind of God.
Again -- ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; all of the light and
Truth of God is found in the Person, Jesus Christ.
If you know Him, then you are going to discern the mind of God, and you
are going to see things the way that God sees them.
One other scripture that illustrates this
very well is Galatians 1:12 -- which has a phrase very similar to the one we are
reading here in Rev. 1:1. Rev. 1:1 says, “The revelation of Jesus Christ.”
But in Galatians 1:12, with regard to the gospel, Paul writes, “For I
neither received this gospel of man, neither was I taught it, but by revelation
of Jesus Christ.” Now what does
Paul mean by that statement? Is
Paul simply saying that Jesus Christ appeared to him and narrated
to him teaching that constituted the
gospel? And then told him to go out
and parrot that teaching to others?
Is that what happened? No, Paul is
saying that he had a personal, inward revelation of the Person of Jesus Christ
–but that it was because of that revelation of Christ thathewas able to
understand the gospel.
If you read down through Galatians 1 you
will see that this is exactly what he is saying.
For example, read Galatians 1:16, where it says, “It pleased God to
reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen.”
It was the fact that Christ was first revealed IN Paul that he was then
able to preach Christ; preach the gospel.
It is evermore so with all of us:
We must first receive a revelation of Christ before Christ – through the
spirit – can reveal to us the Truth on any matter, including the gospel.
Christ is the SUBJECT of all of God’s revelation.
But He is likewise the GIVER of all revelation that proceeds from out of
Himself.
Paul, in another place, called the gospel,
“the gospel concerning His Son.”
The gospel is a message of the good news of Jesus Christ.
But I think it is more accurate to say that the gospel IS Jesus Christ.
Everything God is doing is concerning His Son.
So, when Paul received a revelation; received Jesus Himself within, he
came to have a revelation, not only of Jesus, the Person -- but Christ revealed
in Paul also brought the revelation to him of the Truth of the gospel.
Can we see that it would be nonsense to
preach, “the gospel concerning His Son,” if we did not personally have a
revelation of that Son? For if that
is what I am doing the gospel I preach will eventually be exposed as a product,
not of Christ, but of natural, religious man.
So this Book of Revelation is a revelation
of the Person of Jesus Christ. But
it is also a revelation of so much more that is made possible by receiving that
revelation of Christ Himself. He is
the Truth – so it is by knowing Him that we know the Truth.
He is the Light – so it is by knowing Him that all is illuminated.
He is both the SUBJECT of the revelation in this book – but likewise the
giver of all else as it is related to Him.
Jesus Christ is God’s Revelation
Contrary to the thinking of some, God
Almighty does not speak to people in their head every five minutes, giving
specific directions to do this or that.
Not that He would never lead a person or speak to them.
But if you have walked with Christ for very long, you have discovered
that even during seasons of stress, when you may be crying out to God for Him to
tell you what to do or asking Him to show you His will – you have likely
discovered that your prayers and cries are often met with SILENCE.
Why?
Aside from the possibility that God is
actually being silent to you for some purpose He has in your life – the silence
in these matters is usually NOT because God is not speaking.
Rather, the silence is usually because we may not, “have ears to hear,”
what God IS speaking. We are
listening for one thing and God is speaking another.
We may be listening for INFORMATION.
God may be speaking REVELATION.
We may be listening for God to tell us what to do.
But God may be speaking to us the Person of Jesus Christ.
What God wants to do is speak Jesus Christ.
This is, in fact, what God is speaking in the Book of Revelation:
He is speaking Christ. Read
Hebrews 1:1. That verse begins by saying, “God, who at different times and
different manners spoke in time PAST unto the Fathers by the prophets…”We know
that God DID speak in the Old Testament to the patriarchs and to the nation of
Israel through many different prophets – prophetic utterance and words from God
was the way in which God spoke in those day. But Heb. 1:1 says that this was the
way that God spoke in TIME PAST.
But in verse two, in contrast, we are told what God speaks TODAY: “God, in these
last days has spoken unto us IN A SON”
Now, if you look more deeply into the Greek,
what it really says there is that God is speaking to us SON-WISE.
In other words, Jesus is the,“language,” that God is speaking INTO His
people. But God is not merely
speaking words or teaching about Jesus.
No. Rather, God is revealing
His Son IN His people.
To begin his gospel, John writes, “In the
beginning was the WORD.” That term,
“word,” is translated from the Greek, “logos.”
LOGOS means, “the spoken word” – but also the mind and intent behind the
spoken word. Thus, if the Person of
Jesus Christ is THE WORD OF GOD then HE IS what God has to say.
Wrapped up in the Person of God’s Son is the entire thought, intent, and
mind of God. Sure.
Jesus is God’s Son – He is the revelation of God in human form.
Jesus is the Word that God’s speaks – He is God’s revelation of Himself.
And how does God, “speak to us Son-wise?”
Not through audible words, or necessarily through some word of knowledge.
Primarily, God speaks Christ by revealing Christ IN US – by bringing us
into an inward realization of His Son.
So, Jesus Christ is the Word that God is
speaking. Indeed, Jesus Christ is
God’s revelation – He is what God is speaking in this Book of Revelation.
We could have all the theological teaching
in the world -- and many of us have plenty of it.
We could be a Bible expert, quoting book and verse, and know all the
doctrines -- even memorize this Book of Revelation -- you could do all of that
but at the end of the day you still might not know Christ Himself.
The only way to know Jesus Christ is to first receive Him.
But then God has to progressively reveal Him to you in an inward way.
This was Paul’s great travail for the
church: That we might come into an
inward realization of Jesus Christ.
He said he travailed that, “Christ be formed,” in us.
(Gal. 4:19) The word, ‘formed’, there means, “to become inwardly realized
and expressed.” God wants us to
inwardly realize His Son -- such that His Son is expressed to us in an inward
way -- which ultimately translates into the renewing of our minds -- and into a
Christian life that is lived under that realization of Jesus.
Jesus Christ is the Word God is speaking.
He is the LOGOS. Jesus is
the revelation that God speaks, not merely TO US, but IN US.
Thus, rather than continue asking God for information, leadings, and that
He might tell us what to do, we ought to be asking that God would reveal Christ
in us. It is amazing how the
knowledge of God’s will comes along with an inward realization of the Word of
God Himself, Jesus Christ.
God’s Purpose Fulfilled
There are a couple of other things from out
of Rev. 1:1 that are important to establish.
First of all, it says, “The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to
Him to show to His servants things which must shortly come to pass.”
That can be a little bit misleading because it almost does sound like the
content of this revelation are historical events – but more so – it sounds like
this revelation that God gave consists of historical events that were going to
happen shortly after John wrote the Book of Revelation in 95 A.D.
But even if you are one who demands that the Book of Revelation is a
prophecy of future world events you must admit that most of those events have
not yet happened -- even in our time.
So unless you want to say that the Book of Revelation is a chronicle of
PAST historical events that happened shortly after John wrote, you have a
problem with this verse because it promises that the revelation in this book,
“must shortly come to pass.”
But if you look into the Greek, it actually
means, “…. which must quickly be entirely fulfilled.”
So, the promise is NOT that what is revealed will shortly happen – but
that when they do happen they will QUICKLY happen.
That does not tie the revelation in this book to a certain time frame.
It just means that when God unfolds what is in this book that He will do
so QUICKLY.
This makes perfect sense once we realize
that the revelation found in this book is that of the Person of Jesus Christ,
rather than merely future events.
God is simply promising that the revelation of Jesus Christ in His people – and
the fulfillment of His Redemption – is going to begin to be QUICKLY realized.
Indeed, it had already begun to be realized.
God’s revelation of Jesus Christ IN His people began in Acts 2 and will
continue until Jesus returns – indeed, will extend throughout the eternal ages.
This is how the revelation in this book – the revelation of the Person of
Jesus Christ – “will be quickly and entirely fulfilled.”
The, “things which must quickly be
fulfilled,” are Jesus Christ in His people – and all of the impact of His
Redemptive work upon all of creation, including the realm of darkness.
God has a purpose through His Son and He is promising that that purpose
has begun to be fulfilled in its entirety, starting with Christ in His people.
Spiritual Language
As noted earlier, rather than a prophecy
chart of world events, the Book of Revelation is a VISION that John was given of
the Person of Christ -- in His redemptive work -- including all of His impact
upon creation. Take note that this
is SPIRITUAL VISION. John said in
verse 10: “I was in the spirit.”
Thus, all of these things in the Book of Revelation are descriptions of what
John saw IN THE SPIRIT. They are
spiritual pictures of the impact of Jesus Christ upon creation.
It is at this point that we will either
realize that we are reading a description – through the use of types and figures
– of a spiritual vision --or we will try to interpret this book literally and
never be able to see the Truth in it.
There should be no confusion.
The Book of Revelation is a spiritual vision of the Person of Jesus
Christ and His redemptive work – using types, figures, symbols, and parabolic
language. We could even say that it
is one large PARABLE. In this book
God uses almost everything under creation to convey to us spiritual Truth.
But just as the disciples of Jesus tried to interpret His parables
literally – and could not grasp them -- so do many of us try to interpret the
Book of Revelation literally. And
in doing so, we do not see a revelation of Jesus Christ – but end up with a
faulty prophecy chart.
John Bore Record
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God
gave unto Him, to show unto His saints the things which must quickly be entirely
fulfilled, and He sent and signified it by His angel, unto His servant, John.”
(Rev. 1:1) Then verse two, which is speaking of John:
Who
bore record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all
things which he saw. (Rev. 1:2)
Note that the Book of Revelation is John’s
testimony of all the things John SAW.
This affirms that this book is a description of a spiritual VISION.
John SAW this revelation in a VISION and the book records that vision.
God must have some means of conveying
spiritual Truth – otherwise there could be no way that any of us could
understand it, let alone apply it.
In this vision that He gave to John, the means of conveying spiritual Truth is
types, figurative language, physical objects, situations, people, animals,
indeed, almost everything under the sun.
But these are not intended by God to be understood literally.
Rather, they are picturing spiritual Truth.
They are unfolding to us the Person of Jesus Christ and all that He
means.
In verse 2, we are told that there are three
things to which John is bearing record.
In that vision, we are being told, John SAW the word of God, the
testimony of Jesus Christ, and many other things.
In fact, verse 2 is really a promise – John is bearing witness, or a
record – that what we are going to read in this Book is the absolute Truth.
Now if you read verse 2 you will note that
we are being told that what John saw in this spiritual vision was, among other
things, of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
This brings us right back to the fact that this vision was a revelation
of the Person of Christ – Who IS the Word of God.
Likewise, the very presence of Jesus Christ in His people is the evidence
or testimony of God. (see I John
5:9-13) Everything that John saw
had to do with the Living Christ.
The Meaning of Prophecy
Now, verse three contains some interesting
things -- it says there, “Blessed is he who reads and they who hear the words of
this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is
at hand.” Let’s look at this.
First of all, let’s look at the word, “prophecy.”We usually think of
prophecy as the foretelling of future events -- and as I noted -- this is what
the Book of Revelation has been turned into -- a list of future events out here
in the world. But, in the Bible,
prophecy is more than that -- although it could include that -- but in the
Bible, “prophecy,” is first and foremost a preaching of the Truth.
It is a preaching forth of the word or Truth – it is the unfolding of
Jesus Christ. “Prophecy,” can
include ALL that is the Word of God.
Take note that in this verse that this
VISION is called, “this prophecy.”
Sure. The vision of John that
constitutes the Book of Revelation is the revelation of THE WORD OF GOD, Jesus
Christ. HE is God’s prophecy – He
is the testimony of God. We should
never separate any part of the Word of God from the Person of Christ, or any
prophecy from the Person of Christ.
No. God is speaking to us His Son –
all Truth that God reveals of Christ.
HE IS THE TRUTH.
You will also note that it also says,
“Blessed are those who KEEP the things which are written therein.”
Isn’t that interesting?
You don’t read a lot of interpretations of The Book of Revelation that
discuss things to KEEP. So what
does John mean, “Blessed are those who KEEP the things which are written
therein?” Well, “to KEEP,” in the
sense he means it is, “to revere, hold, preserve.
Not watered down.” If
someone gives you TRUTH, “to keep,” how do you KEEP it?
Well, you repeat it in Truth -- hold to it and revere it.
You BEAR RECORD to it as revealed –
which is exactly what John was doing, and now admonishes US to do.
“Blessed is he who reads, hears and he who KEEPS those things which are
written, for the time is at hand.”
Now here again we have another phase, “for
the time is at hand.” The meaning
is similar to what we saw about the phrase, “quickly be fulfilled.”“For the time
is at hand,” is a phrase that we know is used in the gospels -- when John the
Baptist came on the scene and then later by Jesus.
They both said, “the kingdom of God is at hand, so repent and believe the
gospel.” They meant that the time is upon us when these things would begin to be
unfolded and fulfilled – not fulfilled all at once – but begin to be fulfilled.
The Book of Revelation is a vision of Jesus
Christ and His redemptive work – and we are being promised that what John saw
was EVEN THEN being fulfilled. It
was not going to be fulfilled someday – it was a vision of reality in Jesus
Christ both THEN and NOW. Jesus
Christ finished His redemption -- but then He ascended and came back down via
the Spirit of God in order to, “quickly fulfill,” IN US all that He finished in
His redemption. This fulfillment is the
Kingdom of God – it is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
And so, “For the time is at hand…,” it is all now beginning to be
fulfilled. It began to be in Acts
2.
The Book of Revelation is a spiritual vision
of the Person of Jesus Christ – and more specifically – Jesus Christ in His
people. It is a vision of the
restoration of all things under Jesus Christ as Lord.
If you read the 22nd chapter of this book you will see a picture of the
Redemption fulfilled through Jesus Christ in His people:
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with men, and he will dwell
with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them,
and be their God.
(Rev. 22:3)
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the
temple of it.
And the city had no need of the
sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it,
and the Lamb is the light
thereof. (Rev. 22:22-23)
This is the vision that John saw of the new
Jerusalem. But the new Jerusalem is
NOT a literal city. Rather, it is
specifically stated that the new Jerusalem is the body of Christ; the bride of
Christ. The body of Christ is
figuratively pictured as descending down from heaven as part of, “the new
heavens and the new earth.” But
this is NOT a vision of merely the future.
No. Rather, it is a vision
of spiritual reality in Christ NOW.
The body of Christ consists of those who have been born from above, that is,
have received life from above – it is not a life that is of this earthly realm.
It is Jesus Christ Himself.
And when we are born from above we are made a new creation – in Christ we
are born into a new realm; a new heavens and new earth.
This is not to negate any possible ultimate
fulfillment of a new heavens and new earth.
But all of these things must be brought to past through the Person of
Jesus Christ in His people. In
other words, believers cannot populate a new heavens and new earth unless the
Person who is the embodiment of all that is from above; all that is new; dwells
in them NOW.
Read the second passage above from Rev.
22:22-23. Right NOW Jesus Christ is
our temple. He is our dwelling
place spiritually. Right NOW Jesus
Christ is our LIGHT. This vision is
picturing the believers full redemption and experiencing of Christ now.
What is happening in believers NOW through Christ is going to all be
gathered together at the end of the age.
Jesus Christ is in the believer NOW.
We are joined to the Lord and one spirit with Him NOW.
That reality is for this age – but it is how God’s full redemptive
purpose in Christ has begun to be fulfilled NOW.
It is how the promises of God are being QUICKY FULFILLED NOW.
Paul, the apostle, states outright that
CHRIST IN US during this age is the fulfillment of the Word of God.
This does not mean that there is not much yet to be worked out in this
age, but CHRIST IN US is the basis – God is building all things upon His Son,
the Rock – and has chosen to do so upon Christ in His people.
In Col. 1:24, he writes, “I am filling up that which is behind in the
afflictions of Christ, for His body’s sake, which is the church, whereof I am
made a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for
you to fulfill the word of God.”
So Paul is talking about that which FULFILLS THE WORD OF GOD.
So, what fulfills
the word of God? Paul says, “Even
the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made
manifest to his saints.” That is
what fulfills the Word of God – this MYSTERY that had been hidden, but NOW, in
his time, had been revealed. What
is this mystery that fulfills the Word of God; the purpose of God?
Well, before we read the answer, note that this mystery had been HIDDEN,
but now was being REVEALED. Does
this not correspond exactly to the purpose of the Book of Revelation – a book
which is a REVELATION or UNCOVERING of Jesus Christ?
Sure. And so does Paul’s
answer as to what constituted this great mystery that fulfills the Word of God.
He says this mystery is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
(Col. 1:24)
And so we have these parallels:
Paul states that the great mystery that had been hidden, but now was being
revealed – the mystery that fulfills the Word of God – is CHRIST IN US.
The Person of Jesus Christ in His people fulfills the Word of God.
But then we have the Book of Revelation which is likewise a revelation of
the Person of Jesus Christ to His people, and in His people.
It is a revelation of Christ that was necessary because Christ had not
been revealed to generations and ages past – but was NOW being revealed.
Thus, the Book of Revelation, which is a revelation of the Person of
Christ, corresponds to the fact that CHRIST IN US was a great mystery and
reality that God had now begun to reveal through the coming of Jesus Christ to
dwell in His people.
In this age, Jesus Christ not only joins us
to Himself in spirit, but it is the purpose of God to reveal Christ in us.
Everything God is doing is based upon an inward realization of Jesus
Christ. He is the Rock upon which
God’s people are to be built. This
is the subject matter of the book of Revelation – Christ in His people; the
restoration of all things under Jesus Christ as Lord.
The Seven Churches
The entire Book of Revelation is addressed
to the seven churches. He says in
Rev. 1:4, “John, to the seven churches…”
It is true that God individually addresses each of the seven churches,
but even those specific messages are intended for ALL.
That is why at the end of each message to each church He says, “He that
has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the CHURCHES.”
In other words, if ANYONE has an ear to hear, let them hear what Christ
is saying to EACH church. This Book
of Revelation of Jesus Christ is intended by God for ALL who are in Christ –
just as God’s revelation of Christ today through any means is intended by God
for ALL.
What are the seven churches?
It is mistake to look at the number seven -- really to look at any number
in the Book of Revelation -- and to make that number to refer merely to an
AMOUNT. The numbers in this book,
including the number seven for the seven churches, is not primarily about an
amount. It is about what the number
symbolizes. We know that numbers in
the Bible symbolize things. For
example, the number three means completion.
Seven is the number of spiritual perfection; ten is the number of order;
two is the number of witness, and also division; six is the number of man, and
so on. This is not just some crazy
numerology which someone invented.
This is truly how the Bible uses these numbers.
As noted, seven is the number of spiritual perfection or spiritual
completion. The seven churches,
therefore, are not seven physical churches, and not seven church eras -- as some
people like to interpret -- but the seven churches of Revelation are
representative of the entirety of the Body of Christ – a complete picture of the
spiritual people of God. Indeed, as
representative of the whole Body of Christ, each of these churches represents a
possible spiritual condition that any believer could have at any time.
But there are seven messages here to seven
named churches. Doesn’t that prove
that these messages were intended only for those actual churches?
No, even though they were real churches.
Again – God often uses the physical to represent something spiritual.
And such is the case with these seven churches.
Each of the seven churches represents an
actual spiritual condition that any believer can be in at any time.
Let me give an example.
Jesus points out that the church at Ephesus had, “left their first love.”
Likewise, each of the seven churches represent a spiritual condition
which you I could have – some good and some not so good.
But if I have the problem that Christ points out to the church of
Ephesus, then I, at that point, am, a “member,” of that church.
Jesus’ admonition then applies specifically to ME.
In addition, to each church, or spiritual condition, Jesus reveals some
dimension of HIMSELF that will set us free, “if we have ears to hear.”
So we must get away from this idea of seven
as a number. No, seven indicates a
complete spiritual picture. And if
you read the messages to the seven churches, every possible spiritual problem
and condition is mentioned – as is all of the solution found in Jesus Christ.
Sure. That is why the
messages to the churches begin with Jesus saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.” -- not things, not messages, not theology, not stuff
— but, “I AM.” The
Revelation of Jesus Christ in God’s people is the answer to every spiritual
problem in the body of Christ.
Thus, it should not be surprising that this is the approach taken in this Book
of Revelation, which is the revelation of the Person of Christ.
Indeed, what is said to each church is representative of how God works
with His people: Conviction, and
then edification and freedom through the revelation of the Person of Christ.
A Vision in the Spirit
As I mentioned earlier, Rev. 1:10 says that
John was, “in the spirit on the Lord’s day.”
He was in the spirit when he had this VISION.
That is why all through this book John records, “Then I saw, then I
heard, there appeared, ” and so forth.
The entire book is a spiritual vision given to the Apostle John of the
Person of Jesus Christ -- and more specifically, the Person of Jesus Christ as
He is revealed in His people – extending out to all of creation.
He says it clearly: “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day.”
Verse 4 continues, “John, to the seven
churches which are in Asia.” Now,
somebody is going to say, “Wait a minute.
It is saying right here that these churches are in Asia.
So how can this be a spiritual vision that is being described in
figurative language?” But here
again we need to understand God’s use of type and shadow and figurative
language. Why does God do that?
God uses this tool all through scripture.
So much of the OT is a type and shadow of Jesus Christ.
Jesus continually spoke in parables.
And in some of Paul’s epistles, he openly states that he is writing, “in
a figure.” Why?
Because that is often the only way that spiritual Truth can be conveyed.
It is also God’s way of taking spiritual Truth and revealing it in a way
that can be viewed and understood from a variety of angles.
The tabernacle in the wilderness is a good example.
It is a type of Christ in His people.
But it is described in great detail.
And each of those details is a part of the revelation therein – which
could not be seen without the physical representation.
The Book of Revelation is not ALL type and
shadow; not ALL figurative. But
much of it is exactly that. The
seven churches, for example, were seven actual churches in Asia having the names
which are listed here in Revelation 2 and 3.
If you get an ancient map of these churches during that time, you will
find, and history verifies this, that mail was delivered on a route in the order
according to the way that these churches are listed in chapters two and three.
And yet the messages to the churches are not about mail delivery.
Some other people have pointed out that
the messages to these seven churches – in the order given -- symbolize the
church eras – and so what Jesus is saying is addresses only to the body of
Christ during each of those eras.
Now, it is true that these churches existed back then, and they were on a mail
route – and there is a rough correspondence to each church to the various church
eras down through the last two thousand years. But
those are only figurative representations of what God is revealing.
Think about it for a second.
Do we really believe that God inspired the Book of Revelation, chapters two and
three, indeed, the entire book, in order to give it only to a literal seven
churches in Asia at the end of the first century?
That it was only intended for them and does not apply to anyone else
since then? Do we really believe
that? No.
God never does things that way.
Not only would that be a very limited audience, but it would practically
be no audience at all. Those
churches existed for only a short period of time.
Rather, what is written to each church is written to each believer in ANY
church during ANY era of the last two thousand years.
That is why each message concludes with the proclamation, “He that has an
ear to hear, let him hear what the spirit is saying to the churches.”
These messages, indeed, this entire book, is intended for ALL who have an
ear to hear to each of the churches.
Again – the seven churches of Revelation
represent the various spiritual conditions that any believer can have at any
time, indeed, any believer can have more than one of these spiritual conditions
at one time. But along with each
possible spiritual condition Jesus points to a revelation of Himself that will
either set the believer free from a wrong condition, or will build upon a good
condition.
God’s Great Redemptive Purpose in Christ
Christianity is CHRIST IN YOU.
He is our salvation. But God
has saved us for an eternal purpose in His Son.
The Christian life is a matter of the believer coming into an inward
realization of Christ – with the intent of bringing us on into His purpose of
full inheritance and dominion in Christ.
That is what is described in the messages to these churches, indeed, it
is the primary subject matter of the Book of Revelation as a whole.
It is written in Rev. 1:4, “John, to the
seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto you and peace from Him Who is
and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before His
throne.” Note that:
Seven spirits? But we know
that there is only ONE spirit.
(Eph. 4:4) But again, don’t think of the
number seven as an amount. No, it
depicts the spiritual nature and character of something -- we are reading
language which emerged from a spiritual vision.
If we begin to interpret these things literally from the Book of
Revelation, we are going to come up with some of the most absurd things
imaginable. For example, remember how in
Rev. 8:10-11 that it says that a star fell from heaven and hit the earth?
If that was to be taken literally, the earth would be annihilated at that
point. But it is not.
And so we need to understand that we are reading a description of what
John saw in a vision – he saw physical objects which represented spiritual
reality.
The seven spirits which are before the
throne of God are the ONE Spirit – “seven,” showing that the ONE spirit is
spiritually perfect. Sure.
Seven is the number used in the Bible to most often refer to God, Jesus
Christ, or some dimension of God’s character.
Here it is used in reference to the character of God’s spirit.
Four times in the Book of Revelation Jesus
refers to Himself as, “The Alpha and the Omega,” or, “The first and the last;
the beginning and the end.” (Rev.
1:8, 1:11, 21:6, 22:13) It is not
without significance that we read this twice in the first chapter, and twice
towards the end of the book. These
are phrases that reveal that Jesus Christ is ALL.
That in HIM, and in HIM alone, is all that God has to give humanity, and
that it is only in HIM that God intends to bring to pass His full purpose.
In these words, in the first chapter of the
Book of Revelation, the stage is being set to uncover
Jesus Christ as ALL.
Jesus Christ is all for the believer.
He is our life. Jesus Christ
is the way, the Truth and the life.
Jesus Christ is the resurrection, He is the door, He is the good shepherd, He is
the living bread; Jesus Christ is Lord.
I could go on and on with this, but the fact of the matter is, that the
emphasis of the first chapter of the Book of Revelation, is the Person of Jesus
Christ, as all. And by the time we reach
the end of this Book of Revelation we find Jesus Christ above all literally and
truly. The full purpose of God in the
Redemptive is accomplished – humanity is restored back to God and all of
creation is brought back under Jesus as Lord of all.