(Read the passage)
(Are there any immediate questions)
Does anyone know why John was on Patmos?
What does verse 9 say? (“ . . . because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”)
Likely, John was on the island because of his faithfulness to preaching the gospel.
Banishment was a common form of punishment for some people during the time of the Roman Empire.
Church history suggests that John was there for punishment. Some say he was sent there after surviving punishment by being tossed in boiling oil (though we don’t know that for sure).
In John’s writings, we see such great joy from him. How can we remain joyful in the midst of persecution?
Look again at the description of Jesus in verses 12-16. How does this compare to how you typically picture Jesus?
Think about this question also: How does the description of the glorified Jesus give us a hint of what we might look like when we receive glorified bodies?
Listen to Romans 8:29 – “For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
Listen to Philippians 3:21 – “He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.”
Listen to Matthew 13:43 – “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen.”
There’s a sense in which even humans, who are in Christ, will have bright and glorious bodies, which would seem supernatural to our eyes today.
Pay attention once again to the double-edged sword coming from the mouth of Jesus in verse 16.
I mentioned on Sunday that this sword is referenced three other times in Revelation.
It’s mentioned in Revelation 2:12 – “Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: ‘Thus says the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword.’”
It’s mentioned in Revelation 2:16 – “So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
It’s mentioned in Revelation 19:15 – “A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty.”
That final reference really seems to refer to physical destruction, doesn’t it?
Yet, a sword is not wielded with your mouth. It’s much easier to use a sword with your hands. Likely, this is referring to actual physical destruction that is initiated by the spoken word of Jesus.
The sword, then, would refer to the authority and power in the words of Jesus to accomplish God’s plan of judgment.
In the sermon, I mentioned that Jesus held the stars in his right hand.
Look at verse 17. What else is Jesus doing with His right hand? (He laid it on John)
What is the significance of this gesture?
How should it change our lives to know that Jesus is comforting and blessing us with His right hand
Hades is mentioned in verse 18. What do we know about Hades?
Hades was present in Greek culture as the place of the dead.
In Christianity, Hades came to be known as a place similar to the Hebrew Sheol, which is the grave or place of the dead.
So, what does it mean when Jesus says, “ . . . and I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
Jesus has dominion over death and the place of the dead; He is in charge of all things.
Look again at verse 20. Let’s talk about the seven stars again.
Jesus says, “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
Again, the lampstands are really straightforward. They represent the churches themselves.
However, what do you think the angels of the seven churches are?
There are three leading theories:
First is the idea that these are literal angels.
Second is the idea that the angels are pastors or representatives in the churches. Indeed, the word angelos can mean “messenger” in addition to angel. However, the Bible doesn’t typically refer to pastors as messengers.
Third is that the “angels” are symbols that represent the heart of the church. The major problem with this view is that you would have one symbol (the stars) that represents another symbol (the angels). You would have a vortex of multiple symbols.
There’s a strong case to be made that these angels are human representatives for the churches, though we don’t know for sure. Here’s the bottom line: Jesus has a message for the churches, and He will deliver the message to them in chapter 2 and following.
Remember, this passage helps remind us that Jesus is among the church, and He is holding the church in His hands.
How should those truths affect our lives?
Concluding questions or comments?
