Revelation 1:9-16
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
So here in verse nine the first question arises that we need to give attention to and that is what is the tribulation? In short we could say this as a definition of sorts, it is a specific future period of time when severe judgment and persecution on the earth, marked by Satan's release and the rise of the Antichrist, before the return of Christ.
The key in that definition is in two words, severe judgment. So why are these two words important you may ask. The sever judgment that is spoken of is by the only one possible of this judgment and that is God. This means that God himself being sovereign in and over all things is either ordaining these things to happen or knowingly allowing these things to happen for the purpose of placing His wrath on the sinful world.
Some may say, but what about John 3:16? God says he loves the world so why would He do this? This is where many Christians today fall very short of who God is and God's attributes. Many think God is only capable of love and that He doesn't have any other attributes. Of course that understanding falls very short of any biblical truth and understanding about God. As a matter of fact this understanding creates a false God. God is as much love as He is wrath.
The story of Noah is much the same in that God chooses Noah and his family to survive His wrath by flood while choosing to allow all other men women and children to die because of their sin.
I would argue that God's love, mercy and grace are far more prevalent in Revelation than in the flood because God is still allowing people to live and come to faith through this time while not in the case of the flood.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
The Lord's day at this time was Sunday the day that Jesus rose from the dead and it has been this day pretty much ever since that day.
What does it mean to be in the Spirit as John said he was? I can tell you for sure that it doesn't mean what many churches would teach it as today. John wasn't speaking in tongues or flopping around on the floor as if he was having some sort of convulsive attack. What it means in the few times we see the word used in Revelation is when a person is given direct revelation by the Spirit of God.
Now we know today we don't see any true form of this being “in the Spirit” because God has revealed everything He wanted us to know in scripture, thus we are to look for revelation there.
John goes on to say that he hears a voice like a trumpet behind him telling John to write down everything he sees in the book and send it to the seven churches. Notice it doesn't say what he sees written in the book though it could have been written words. There is a possibility of course that what John was seeing within the pages of this book in his vision was more of images of what's going to happen.
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
The lampstands mentioned could have been similar to the ones mentioned in the Old Testament which use to be a representation of Israel, but that has obviously changed. There are seven lampstands now one to represent each of the seven churches mentioned.
13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
The reference that John turned and saw “one like the son of man” is interesting to me. The son of man is a reference we see in scripture about Jesus, so did John see someone like Jesus or was it Jesus? I think we can be assured it was Jesus but it wasn't exactly like the way John remembered Jesus, there were things different but John saw the resemblance of Jesus enough to have made the comment. John is seeing Jesus as human in a way but a glorified version of Jesus.
Jesus' hair is now white in color and like wool it says. This would usually indicate maturity, wisdom and due respect such as someone older than you.
Jesus' eyes were like a flame of fire. Keep in mind Jesus being sent by God to oversee His wrath upon the earth and His eyes being like fire indicates the severity of this judgment to come.
Jesus' feet being like bronze could be an indication of someone such as a soldier who wore bronze as protection when going into war.
Last, Jesus' voice being like many roaring rivers may indicate that when Jesus speaks the volume and presence of His voice overcomes all other sounds and washes them away.
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
The seven stars is another reference to these seven churches in which Jesus has full control over and are placed in His hand showing this.
John 10:28 ~ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
The safety of the true church placed in Jesus' hand shows we are His. We are His sheep and He is our shepherd in which He leads us in all things, and He is responsible in all things over us.
A two edged sword fits perfectly as Jesus is the word and His word cuts even to divide which is what we will see throughout Revelation, the dividing of believer from non believer.
Jesus' face being like the sun reminds me of when Moses attempted to look at the burning bush which is an indication of Him being God. The glory of God being either the Father or Jesus would be the same and so bright we cannot look upon their holiness.
