Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Rev 1.1 and following. Indeed, the Apocalypse is a difficult book. And yet we have reasons not to neglect reading it. For from the first verse, God reveals his intention and already mentions the events that will be described throughout the book: “To show his servants the things that are to happen soon.” At the center of these future facts, the believer discerns the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Redeemer. In the first chapter we see the righteous Judge, and in the last, the One who is coming soon. And throughout Revelation, the Lord Jesus is the one who acts. Verse 19 provides the general plan of the book: first, the things you have seen: this solemn appearance of the Lord of glory; second, the things that are: the present history of the responsible Church; and finally, the things that must happen after these: the prophetic events that will be fulfilled after the rapture of the Church. The believers represented by the twenty-four elders, will then already be introduced into celestial glory.
We will see in chapters 4 and 5, first God as Creator and Dominator, then the Lord Jesus as the Lamb slain and the believers gathered in heaven around the throne of God. In the next section (chapters 6 to 11), the opening of the seven seals of the book by the Lamb, and then the sounding of the seven trumpets, trigger two series of wounds and appalling punishments. The seventh trumpet already leads to the fulfillment of the mystery of God and the coming of Christ in his millennial reign. Chapters 12 and 13 present the people of Israel during this time of trial, Satan rushed from heaven to earth, as well as the two strong men of this period: the leader of the reconstituted Roman Empire and the Antichrist. In chapters 14 and 15 we see two groups of martyrs of those times; in chapter 16, with the seven cups of God’s wrath, a third set of judgments is presented; the judgment on Babylon, apostate Christianity, is the theme of chapters 17 and 18; finally, chapter 19 records the appearance of Christ on earth. Chapters 20 to 22 give descriptions of the Millennium and the eternal state with the new heaven and earth. The Apocalypse ends with serious calls from the Lord Jesus, addressed to men in general and to believers in particular.
It is important to note that the apostle John was God’s chosen instrument to communicate to us the writings of the New Testament, so different from the gospel and the epistles of the same apostle. But this is not the only time that God has enjoyed presenting subjects that offer the greatest contrasts through the same writer. Thus, for example, the one who is called the apostle of uncircumcision was nevertheless the witness of Christ to those who had been Jews and who were in danger of returning to the Mosaic ordinances. It was to him, and not to Peter or James, that this final and decisive message of grace was entrusted, which invited the Hebrews to sever all ties with an earthly cult in order to attach themselves to Christ glorified in heaven. Similarly, in God’s mind, the apostle John, that witness of grace and truth come through Jesus Christ, was the most suitable witness to reveal the judgments to come. The moral reason for this is clear: If Christ is rejected as the object of faith and the sole channel of grace, he necessarily becomes the executor of judgment. We find this truth formally established by the Lord Himself in John 5.
But just as Christ had once been rejected by the Jewish people, the grace and truth he had brought were also about to be ignored and abandoned entirely by those who bore the name of Christ on earth. In these circumstances, John, more than any other, was fit to unfold before us the solemn visions of the judgments by which God would claim the despised rights of his Son; providential judgments first, then executed by Christ coming in person to crush his opponents. Thus, although the Gospel of John and revelation present in their form, their subject and their conclusions, the most accentuated contrasts, it is, above all, the person of the Lord Jesus that these two books place before us, as the One to the honor and glory of whom God wants to make all things compete. From this comes that at all times, but especially during periods of trials and persecutions, souls, perhaps unable to penetrate the meaning of the visions of Revelation, contemplating Christ in this book, have found a profound edification and unspeakable consolation, while too often the comments of scholars have only dried it out.
Finally, it should be noted that the meaning of the word “angel” seems to be as follows in this case. This term, in its general sense, is used to designate a “representative,” whether or not it is an angelic being, and this is how the Lord uses it when addressing the congregations. The angel is therefore what represents each assembly. We know that in some cases this word actually refers to a representative in the literal sense, as, for example, when John the Baptist sends some of his disciples. They are with Jesus the representatives of their master; in their message, they expose his thought. However, it should also be noted that the expression has a somewhat different meaning, when it comes to assemblies that had not sent messengers. If, therefore, we stick to the abstract meaning of this expression “the angel of the assembly”, it must be understood as follows: The Lord did not necessarily have in sight an elder or a doctor of the assembly, but someone who could be one or the other, who before him, in his thought, really represented the state of the assembly and who was in a special way linked to the responsibility of this state. It could be one or more other people.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Dedication to the seven Churches of Asia:
- The throne of God, symbol of God’s Sovereignty
Ps 45:7 Your throne, O God, is forever; The scepter of your reign is a scepter of fairness. Ps 103:19 Jehovah has established His throne in heaven, and His reign dominates over all things. Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and earth my stepping stone. What house could you build me, and what place would you give me as your home? Mt 5:34 But I tell you not to swear by heaven, because it is the throne of God; Rev 4.2 Immediately I was delighted in spirit. And behold, there was a throne in heaven, and on that throne someone was sitting. Rev 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne, and the one who sat on it. The earth and the sky fled before his face, and there was no more room for them.
- Faithfulness of Christ
1 Thess 5:24 He who has called you is faithful, and he will do so. 2 Thess 3:3 The Lord is faithful, He will strengthen you and preserve you from the evil one. 2 Tim 2:13 If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Hb 2:17 Consequently, he had to be made like his brethren in all things, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to atonement for the sins of the people; Rev 1:5 and on behalf of Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth! To the one who loves us, who has delivered us from our sins by his blood,
- The Power of God is infinite
Jb 42:2 I recognize that you can do everything, and that nothing stands in the way of your thoughts. Ps 115:3 Our God is in heaven, He does whatever He wants. Isa 43:13 I am from the beginning, and no one delivers from my hand; I will act: who will oppose it? Mt 19:26 Jesus looked at them, and said to them: To men this is impossible, but to God everything is possible. Luke 1:37 At the same time, Mary rose, and hurriedly went to the mountains, to a city in Judah.
- Glorified Christ
Seen at the transfiguration Mk 9:2-3 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, and led them alone to a high mountain. He was transfigured before them; 3 his clothes became resplendent, and of such whiteness that there is no fuller on earth who can whiten in this way.
-Described by himself Jn 1:51 And he said to him: Truly, truly, you will henceforth see the open heaven and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
-Appeared in Paul’s conversation Acts 9:4-5 He fell to the ground, and he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 5 He answered: Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said: I am Jesus whom you persecute. It would be hard for you to rebel against the prods.
-Described by John Rev 1:13-16 and, in the midst of the seven candlesticks, someone who looked like a son of a man, dressed in a long robe, and having a golden belt on his chest. 14 His head and hair were white as white wool, like snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire; 15 his feet were like fiery brass, as if he had been ablaze in a furnace; and his voice was like the sound of great waters. 16 He had seven stars in his right hand. From his mouth came out a sharp, two-edged sword; and his face was like the sun when it shines in its strength. Rev 19:11-12 Then I saw the open sky, and behold, a white horse appeared. The one who mounted it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and fights with justice. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire; on his head were several tiaras; he had a written name, which no one knows except himself;
From all of the above, we note that this book is the “revelation of Jesus Christ,” our dear Savior. For is the Son of man who appears here with the attributes of holy and inflexible justice the humble Jesus of the Gospels, our tender and debonair Savior? John once leaned over his chest with confidence (John 13:21-27). He falls here at his feet as if dead. What a contrast! Well, we must not forget this side of the glory of Christ. The Father gave all the judgment to the Son (John 5:21-24); He must exercise it later against those who have not believed. But, from now on, while the Church is on earth, He is learning about the state of each of its assemblies (the 7 golden candlesticks that must shine in His absence). Yes, the Lord can forgive everything. He died and rose again to give us forgiveness and life. But He cannot let anything pass. His eyes are like flames of fire (Rev 2:18-20); nothing escapes Him. This revelation is made by Him to his servants, among whom John the Evangelist, exiled in the island of Patmos, is happy to count himself. It speaks to us, not of a vague and distant future, but of things that must happen “soon”. Finally, let us not forget that the serious reading of a portion of Scripture is enough to bring a blessing to our soul because it is the Word of God. We are not asked to fully understand it, but to keep it (Luke 11:27-28). For, as soon as the glories of Jesus are discussed, adoration springs spontaneously: “To him who loves us and who has washed us…”. Let us notice the tense of the verbs: He loves us; his love is always present and invariable. But He has washed us: it is a work accomplished, completed, perfect. And let us also notice the order of these verbs: it is because He loves us that Christ has cleansed us of our sins. On the other hand, we had to be made today “a kingdom, priests for his God and Father” (Rev 5:6-10). And what He has done to us surpasses what He has done for us. Our prayers are you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to react to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “letters to the assembly which is in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira. »
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.