Our progress through the first chapter of Revelation has been with a purposely and deliberate slowness because we wanted to highlight many of the nuggets of information as pertaining to John posture and his preparation for the presentation for the greatest messages of his career as an apostle. Often taught that whom God calls, he qualifies, this cliché can be used to justify the incompetence of a self-proclaimed leader.
Consider this, if Moses had not "turned aside and listen", the only message that he would have been able to deliver was, "I met God in the mountain". Prior to the encounter in Revelation 1, John was not prepared to deliver the type of message that he delivered in Revelation. True he had walked, talked and ate with Jesus, but the message that needed delivering was not about walking, talking and eating with Jesus. The message was not about fattened one's bank account or deliverance from persecution. The message was bout I am going to keep my promise and come back for you, that I have gone away to prepare a place for you, where I am you may be there also.
There are many leaders in the Bible had to go through a special training program before they could carry out the works of God. Joshua was a skilled soldier, a leader of people but God had to train him to be the type of leader he wanted to lead his people. When Christ laid his hand on John, he was not giving John the message, nor was he sending him; he was mealy preparing him to receive the message.
Let us consider John's introduction of himself in the early part of the chapter. "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation", at no point in this elucidation did John introduce himself as an Apostle or Bishop or by some highly elevated title. Please note he did not place himself on a pedestal, He places himself on the same level as those he was to address. The desire to be a leader, the desire to stand out often overshadows our ability to lead.
Revelation 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things, which shall be hereafter;
The instructions to John were to write a message encompassing three elements, the past, the present and the future. Also, remember the presentation of this message is in the form of symbols as we discussed in the first verse. John sees, and his instructions are to write what he sees. It is necessary that John understand the meaning of the signs as well as his readers. In Revelation 1:20 Jesus give John the keys to understanding the symbols, John passes that information on to his readers. Using the keys given in the Holy scripture it should be easy to understand what is written or spoken. The shaping of a message consisting of symbols is a deliberate act. The same as today the shaping of the Word of God is a deliberate act. The message is shaped to tickle the ear. When a pastor stood in the pulpit and proclaimed that Heaven and Hell did not exist, there were church members who shouted amen.
The things, which are. Give an account of those things that thou hast seen as designed to represent the condition of the seven churches. He had seen not only the Saviour, but he had seen seven lamp-stands, and seven stars in the hand of the Saviour, and he is commanded to record the meaning of these symbols as referring to things that actually exist in the seven (divided) churches.
And the things which shall be hereafter. The Greek phrase rendered hereafter--meta tauta--means "after these things;" that is, he was to make a correct representation of the things which they were, and then to record what would occur "after these things:" to wit, of the images, symbols, and truths, which would be disclosed to him after what he had already seen.
The expression refers to future times. He does not say for how long a time; but the revelations, which were to be made referred to events that were to occur beyond those which were then taking place. Nothing can be argued from the use of this language in regard to the length of time embraced in the revelation--whether it extended only for a few years, or whether it embraced all coming time. The more natural interpretation, however, would seem to be, that it would stretch far into future years and that it was designed to give at least an outline of what would be the character of the future in general. This in itself is troubling to the churches, the nations, and the world.
Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
The mystery of the seven stars. The word means, properly, that which is hidden, obscure, unknown--until it is disclosed by one having the ability to do it, or by the course of events. When disclosed it may be as clear, and as capable of comprehension, as any other truth. The meaning here, as applied to the seven stars, is, that they were symbols and that their meaning as symbols, without a suitable explanation, would remain hidden or unknown. They were designed to represent important truths, and John was directed to write down what they were intended in the circumstances to signify, and to send the explanation to the churches. It is evidently implied that the meaning of these symbols would be beyond the ordinary powers of the human mind to arrive at with certainty, and hence John was directed to explain the symbol. The general and obvious truths which they would serve to convey would be that the ministers of the churches, and the churches themselves, were designed to be lights in the world, and should burn clearly and steadily. Much important truth would be couched under these symbols, indeed, if nothing had been added about their signification as employed here by the Saviour; but there were particular truths of great importance in reference to each of these "stars" and "lamp-bearers," which John was more fully able to explain.
Which thou sawest in my right hand. giving some support to the opinion that the stars, as they were seen, appeared to be placed on his hand--that is, on the palm of his hand as he stretched it out. The expression in Revelation 1:16 is, that they were "in (en) his right hand;" but the language here used is not decisive as to the position of the stars. They may have been held in some way by the hand, or represented as scattered on the open hand.
The seven golden candlesticks. The truth which these emblematic representations are designed to convey.
The seven stars are. That is, they represent, or they denote-- in accordance with a common usage in the Scriptures.
"Angels of the seven churches:" This does not refer to them as a collective or associated body, for the addresses are made to them as individual churches, a letter being directed to "the angel" of each particular church, Revelation 2:1,12, etc. The evident meaning, however, is, that what was written to them should be directed not as pertaining to them exclusively as individuals, but as presiding over, or representing the churches, for what is recorded pertains to the churches, and was evidently designed to be laid before them. It was for the churches but was committed to the "angel" as representing the church, and to be communicated to the church under his care.
There has been much diversity of opinion in regard to the meaning of the word angels here. By the advocates of episcopacy, it has been argued that the use of this term proves that there was a presiding bishop over a circle or group of churches in Ephesus, in Smyrna, etc., since it is said that it cannot be supposed that there was but a single church in a city so large as Ephesus, or in the other cities mentioned. This interpretation is designed to support the denominational hierarchy of the organized church, yet there is nothing in the book that supports the organized structure of the church, as we shall later see.
A full examination of this argument is in my books, "The Evolution of the Failed Church" and "Understanding the Word of God," The word angel properly means a messenger, and is thus applied to celestial beings as messengers sent forth from God to convey or to do his will. This being the common meaning of the word, it may be employed to denote anyone who is a messenger, and hence, with propriety, anyone who is employed to communicate the will of another; to transact his business, or, more remotely, to act in his place--to be a representative.
There are several interesting aspects of the message present by John. There is no promise of sunshine and favors, and all of the messages to the churches except one are a message of condemnation. There are seven different messages sent to seven different churches, indicating that the church founded by Christ had become a divided body. The revelation of Christ was his last attempt to correct those who had strayed away from the fold. In the words of Christ, " Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)
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