Daily Bread 2010 - Revelation 1
John’s Vision of Christ
9 I, 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. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and 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. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
We begin our journey into the last book of the bible called the “Revelation”. And specifically as verse 1 says it is the, “Revelation of Jesus Christ” to the apostle John, who was on the island of Patmos having been exiled because of this proclamation of the Gospel. Specifically, John was called to write what he saw and heard and share it with the, “Seven Churches in Asia”.
There were seven churches were located in Asia Minor, in the time of the Roman Empire. Although many of these churches have died, the remains of the churches are preserved in modern day Turkey. For various reasons (i.e. trade routes) these churches were the major cultural hubs of the day.
As we read through the Revelation, we can make applications of these seven churches into the life of the Church today. Importantly, the book of Revelation describes the events surrounding the return of Christ, and how the Church can be ready for it. Although we should be careful not to be overly literal as we interpret this vision John has for the church, we should also be careful to not overlook its message for today.
Revelation is rich with symbolism as we see in the first chapter, with the seven stars and the seven lampstands, representing the seven churches and the seven angels given charge over the churches. We know seven is a significant number in scripture and while they do represent seven literal churches, by wider application the seven also applies to the universal church, with its thousands of denominations today.
Jesus help us to learn from the message John speaks to each of these seven churches. We realize that the same issues confronting the early church have significance for today’s church being ready for your return. Give us eyes to see the warnings to these churches and make the appropriate changes as you lead us. Amen.
9 I, 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. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and 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. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
We begin our journey into the last book of the bible called the “Revelation”. And specifically as verse 1 says it is the, “Revelation of Jesus Christ” to the apostle John, who was on the island of Patmos having been exiled because of this proclamation of the Gospel. Specifically, John was called to write what he saw and heard and share it with the, “Seven Churches in Asia”.
There were seven churches were located in Asia Minor, in the time of the Roman Empire. Although many of these churches have died, the remains of the churches are preserved in modern day Turkey. For various reasons (i.e. trade routes) these churches were the major cultural hubs of the day.
As we read through the Revelation, we can make applications of these seven churches into the life of the Church today. Importantly, the book of Revelation describes the events surrounding the return of Christ, and how the Church can be ready for it. Although we should be careful not to be overly literal as we interpret this vision John has for the church, we should also be careful to not overlook its message for today.
Revelation is rich with symbolism as we see in the first chapter, with the seven stars and the seven lampstands, representing the seven churches and the seven angels given charge over the churches. We know seven is a significant number in scripture and while they do represent seven literal churches, by wider application the seven also applies to the universal church, with its thousands of denominations today.
Jesus help us to learn from the message John speaks to each of these seven churches. We realize that the same issues confronting the early church have significance for today’s church being ready for your return. Give us eyes to see the warnings to these churches and make the appropriate changes as you lead us. Amen.
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