In verse 9, John referred to himself as a brother to
the believers he was addressing. This reference is understood, as all Christians
belong to the family of Christ. Hence each believer is a brother or a sister to
the other. We also get to see what John was going through. Like many Christians
under the rule of the Romans then, he was also suffering tribulation because of
their refusal to worship the Emperor, who claimed to be divine. He was there more
specifically for his belief in Christ Jesus whom he was convinced would return
again to judge the enemies and all wickedness. What John was narrating took
place while he was on the Isle of Patmos, located in the Aegean Sea. He was banished
to that island because of his faithfulness to God’s Word and the testimony of
Jesus. It was on the Lord’s Day, as he was totally yielded to the Holy Spirit,
that he had this vision of the resurrected Christ.
He heard a voice
like a trumpet blast from behind him. The voice of Jesus instructed him to
record all that he was about to see and to write it in a book, and sent it to
the seven churches. The voice identified the seven churches in seven locations
- in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
John’s
immediate response was to turn to where the voice came from. It was then that he
saw this magnificent vision of Christ. In verses 12-16, he began to describe the
magnificent Christ. We need to know that John was not describing the physical
appearance of Christ. He was in fact giving us a symbolic description of Christ
showing His attributes as Priest and Judge, as He walks in the midst of the church
as the Glorified Son of Man. The combination of the seven churches located in
Asia Minor is a picture of the universal church of Jesus Christ.
John first indicates the position of Christ to the church.
Here Christ is described as walking in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks (lampstands), a symbol of the altar of the church. As Priest and
Judge, Christ inhabits a central position in the church. His dressing, a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a
golden sash, is a symbol of His Priesthood over His church.
Christ’s pure and sinless character is being depicted by His head and hair that were like white wool, like snow. His
eyes of flame and fire speaks of His capacity to see all things, hence His knowledge
of all things. “His feet like
burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace” is a picture of
His judgment of all sin in the churches. His voice was like the sound of many waters which tells us of His authority and
power that could not be resisted. His authoritative voice would easily drown
out all other voices. The seven stars in His right hand are the angels, the messengers
or the leaders of the seven churches. They are in His hand because He owns, controls
and safeguards His appointed leaders. Verse 16 also said that “…Out of His
mouth came a sharp two-edged sword.” This is a symbol of His judgement on all
false believers. Today Christ is still judging all false believers by His infallible
and inerrant Word. His face was like the
sun shining in its strength refers
to Christ’s visible glory. It’s a glory that will bring terror to all sinners,
but to us who follow Him committedly and faithfully, it brings hope.
Let us take a few moments and imagine the searing look
of His eyes of flame and fire. Let’s shut out all voices and listen to the sound
of His voice with all the resonance of the sound of many waters. Just allow His
hand reaching out to touch us, and His glorious brilliant face with all the
brightness of the sun shining at the intensity of the noon day brightness,
beckoning us to bask in His glorious presence. Let us not allow our mundane life
and all its weight keep us from entering into His glorious presence and fellowship
and commune with Him!
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