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Revelation
Chapter One
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
I. The process of the revelation (v.1): A. God gave
Him; B. He sent His angel; C. the angel told His servant John; D. showing His
servants.
II. The nature of the revelation (v.2): A. the word
of God; B. the testimony of Jesus Christ; C. all things that John saw.
III. The aim and effect of the revelation (v.3): A.
making men read, hear and keep it; B. making men be blessed.
IV. The targets and blessing of the revelation (v.4-6):
A. the seven churches in Asia------they represent all churches of all the past
dynasties; B. greeting; C. blessing; D. praise.
V. The theme of the revelation (v.7-8): A. the Lord
shall come again; B. God is the faithful one, the Almighty.
VI. The witness of the revelation (v.9-11): A. John
the apostle was on the island that is called Patmos; B. he was in the Spirit on
the Lord's Day; C. he was asked to write a book in a loud voice.
VII. The sign of the revelation (v.12-16): A. the
Son of Man stands in the midst of the seven lampstands; B. His majesty.
VIII. The commission of the revelation (v.17-20):
A. John’s reaction after he had seen the sign; B. the Lord’s comfort; C. the
Lord’s calling Himself; D. the Lord’s instructions.
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Rev. 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus
Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take
place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,”
YLT: “A revelation of
Jesus Christ, that God gave to him, to shew to his servants what things it
behoveth to come to pass quickly; and he did signify [it], having sent through
his messenger to his servant John,”
Meaning of Words: “revelation”:
appearing, disclosure, unveiling, manifestation; “must”: behooved, ought;
“shortly”: suddenly, quickly; “sent”: send out, set apart; “signify”: indicate,
show.
Literal Meaning: “The Revelation of Jesus
Christ” this sentences has
two meanings: 1) Jesus Christ is the revealer and the revelation of this book
is by Him; 2) Jesus Christ is the center of the revelation and the Lord Jesus
Himself and what He is are revealed in this book.
“Revelation” refers to
disclosing the things that are formerly covered, that we can see them.
“Which
God gave Him” it means that God
is the source of revelation and it is God that gives the revelation of this
book to Jesus Christ.
“To
show His servants--things which must shortly take place.” “Must” refers to being unchangeable. “Things which must shortly
take place” refers to things
that cannot be delayed. “To
show His servants” means that all
believers are able to know because believers are all the Lord’s servants.
“And
He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John” “His angel”, the Holy Bible is handed to
men by the hand of angel (See Acts. 7:53; Heb. 2:2) because angels are all
ministering spirits (Heb. 1:14). “Signified” refers to manifesting what shall
be revealed through various kinds of ways, including various signs and visions.
And it implies act. “His servant John” refers to John the apostle, the author
of this book.
This verse shows the nature and procedure of the
revelation: the nature: 1) it is the revelation of Jesus Christ; 2) they are things which must shortly
take place.
The procedure: 1) God gave Christ; 2) Christ sent
His angel; 3) the angel spoke to His servant John; 4) the aim is showing His
servants.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Jesus Christ is not only the revealer but also
the center of the revelation. When reading the Book of Revelation, we should
look upon the Lord on one hand, and on the other, we should see all the aspects
concerning the Lord Jesus.
2) The Book of Revelation is a book which has been
opened for us. Though some places are abstruse and difficult, they are really
not unable to be read. And therefore we should search and read it well.
3) Though the Lord Jesus has been raised and taken
up into heaven, He still kept His own position and humbly received the
revelation from God the Father. God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the
humble (James. 4:6; 1Pet. 5:6).
4) “Things which must shortly take place” this sentence shows the importance of the
Book of Revelation: a) the word “must” refers to its certainty, affirmation and
credibility. b) the word “shortly” refers to its approaching, quickness and
urgency. c) the word “take place” refers to its nature of being fulfilled,
realized and accomplished.
5) What is written in the Book of Revelation is
“the things which must shortly take place”. They shall take place quickly and
they won’t be changed or delayed (See 2Pet. 3:9). Believers should never rely
on luck and think that these things won’t take place upon us.
6) We are all His servants and servants must
understand what the master wants us to know, that we will please the master.
The Lord intends to let us know and keep (See v.3) and therefore we should not
regard this book as unimportant.
Rev. 1:2 “who bore witness to the
word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.”
YLT: “who did testify the
word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, as many things also as he did
see.”
Meaning of Words: “bore witness”:
testify.
Literal Meaning: “the word of God, and to the
testimony of Jesus Christ” “the word of God”,
the word of God expresses the will and plan of God. The Bible is the word that
God has written. The Lord Jesus Christ is the word that God lives out. What men
see and hear is the word that God expresses through the Holy Spirit. “The testimony of Jesus
Christ” on one hand refers
to the witness that is born to Jesus Christ (See John. 5:31-32; 8:17-18) and on
the other indicates that the being, works and words of Jesus Christ Himself are
His testimony (See v.13-18).
“Who
bore witness to…all things that he saw” “all things that he saw” refers to all things that John had seen by
himself when he wrote the Book of Revelation. Actually these things refer to
the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ instead of other things
besides the previous two things. “Bore witness to” indicates that he had born witness
to all that he had seen so that we can know. John can only bear witness to what
he had seen and he cannot completely bear witness to the word of God and the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
Please note that some Bible exegetes held that the
revelation of Jesus Christ included three things: 1) the word of God; 2) the
testimony of Jesus Christ; 3) what John the apostle had seen. Though the editor
did not agree with it, it is still recorded here for the reference of readers.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When we read “the word of God”, besides the word
recorded in the Bible, we should also read out the word of God from the being
and works of the Lord Jesus and what the Holy Spirit has said through
circumstances.
2) If we want to “bear witness” to God, we have to
“see” and “hear” first. And therefore we should ask God to open our eyes (See
2Cor. 4:4-6) and give us the tongue of the learned (See Is. 50:4).
Rev. 1:3 “Blessed is he who reads
and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are
written in it; for the time is near.”
YLT: “Happy is he who is
reading, and those hearing, the words of the prophecy, and keeping the things
written in it -- for the time is nigh!”
Meaning of Words: “read”: read aloud;
“prophecy”: the message of prophets; “hear”: hearer; “keep”: preserve;
“blessed”: happy; “near”: nigh.
Literal Meaning: “he who reads the words of this prophecy” “read” refers to
reading aloud and it means the words in this book are for men to read and
understand. “Prophecy” refers to the words said for God and many of which
express the things that will happen in advance. However, to us who live in
later generation, it includes the things that have taken place and the things
that are taking place.
“Those who hear and keep those things
which are written in it” “hearing” refers
to hearing by “reading by oneself, reading by others, reading to each other and
reading together”, however, probably some people are hearing but they do not
hear (See Matt. 13:13). “Keep” if we only hear the word and do not do the word,
it does not benefit us and therefore the most important thing is to hear the
words and do them (See Matt. 7:24-25). “Those things which are written in it” It means that the book cannot be added or
taken away (See 22:18-19). Many believers do not keep what they should keep but
keep “the tradition of men” (See Matt. 15:3-9).
“Blessed is…for the time is near” “blessed” is the first one of the seven
blessings in this book. “The time is near” indicates that the time of the
Lord’s second coming is very near, showing that we should make use of the time
before the Lord’s second coming and seize the opportunity to keep the word of
the Lord.
This verse shows the four reasons of “blessing”: 1)
reading; 2) hearing; 3) keeping; 4) the time is near.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It is a good practice that believers read the
Bible aloud. However, we should read the Bible no matter we read it aloud or
not.
2) Many people read the Bible in order to
understand the Bible or for others. We must know that we read the Bible in
order to keep the words in the Bible and the more we keep the word, the more we
will know the word (See John. 7:17).
3) When the Lord’s servants interpret the Bible,
what they should avoid mostly is that they should not add men’s ideas into it
or shun to declare all the counsel of God (See Acts. 20:27). And the common
fault that believers make is that they listen to the word of men above that of
God and honor men above God (See 1Sam. 2:29).
4) We are indeed blessed because we read, search
and hear this book so that we have the opportunity to know and keep the words
in the book. And now the problem is that we should desire to do His will (See
John. 7:17).
5) We, believers in the last time, are more blessed
than the past men because the coming of the Lord is near, at the doors (See
Matt. 24:33).
Rev. 1:4 “John, to the seven
churches which are in
YLT: “John to the seven
assemblies that in
Meaning of Words: “who is to come”:
who is in future and forever.
Literal Meaning: “John, to the seven churches
which are in Asia” “Asia” was a
province in the Roman Empire at that time, i.e. a part of Turkey today. “The
seven churches” besides the seven churches (See v.11), there were other
churches in the area of Asia at that time, e.g. the church in Colosse (See Col.
1:2), the church in Hierapolis (See Col. 4:13) and etc. And therefore the seven
churches were not the whole but the representative of that area. The number
“seven” implies “perfection” in the Bible and therefore writing to these seven
churches was equal to writing to all churches from ages and from generations.
“Grace to you and peace” “grace” indicates that men can enjoy what
He has accomplished, His own life and all His abundance. “Peace” indicates that
we can be reconciled to God because we have enjoyed His grace and have peace in
the depth of our hearts.
“From
Him who is and who was and who is to come” “Him who” the honorable name of God shows that He
is the living God (See Exod. 3:14; Prov. 8:22-23; Ps. 90:2) and He is the same
forever.
“And
from the seven Spirits who are before His throne” “the seven Spirits” does not indicate that there
are seven Holy Spirits and it refers to the complete witness and work of the
Holy Spirit before God. Some Bible exegetes held that “the seven Spirits” here
referred to “the Spirit of Jehovah” in the Book of Isaiah because there are
seven appellations there: “the Spirit of Jehovah, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of Jehovah” (See Is. 11:1-3). However, this explanation was
farfetched.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) What the Lord says to the seven churches is also
said to us and therefore we should have the ear of the learned and pay
attention to what the Spirit says to the churches (See 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6,
13, 22).
2) Grace is before peace. Grace brings in peace and
peace confirms grace. In the world in which there is much tribulation, as long
as we have Christ as our grace, naturally we will have peace in Him (See John.
16:33).
3) He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever
(See Heb. 13:8). The world is always changing, however, God is the same and
therefore His grace and peace are the same forever.
Rev. 1:5 “and from Jesus Christ,
the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings
of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,”
YLT: “and from Jesus
Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born out of the dead, and the ruler of
the kings of the earth; to him who did love us, and did bathe us from our sins
in his blood,”
Meaning of Words: “wash”: release.
Literal Meaning: “the faithful witness” refers to the work of the Lord Jesus on
the earth------He was sent by God the Father to the world in order to bear
witness to the truth (See John. 18:37), be faithful unto death and accomplish
the great work of redemption.
“The
firstborn from the dead” it indicates that
He overcame the death and was risen from the dead, and became the firstfruits
(See 1Cor. 15:20) and gives His life of resurrection to all that believe in
Him, that we have the hope of resurrection.
“Jesus
Christ…the ruler over the kings of
the earth” He must reign in
future (See 1Cor. 15:25). When He comes again, the kingdoms of this world are
become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever
and ever (See Rev. 11:15).
“To
Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” “To Him who loved us” refers to the reason
why we are bestowed salvation. “His own blood” refers to His precious blood
shed on the cross. “Washed
us from our sins” indicates that the
precious blood makes atonement for us so that we are no longer bound by sins.
The
word “love” in the original is in the present tense, showing that He always
loves us. “Wash” in the original is in the past tense, showing that the problem
of sins had been solved.
The fourth and fifth verses shows that the Holy
Trinity, God the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ, work together
upon us that we can enjoy grace and peace.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus was faithful to Him that
appointed Him (See Heb. 3:2) and even died on the cross. We should “not love
our lives to the death” (See 12:11) to be worthy of His witnesses (“witness”
and “martyr” have the same root in original).
2)
If Christ is not risen, our faith is futile
(See 1Cor. 15:17). Thank the Lord, He is the firstborn from the dead and therefore we who are of the Lord shall
also be made alive (See 1Cor. 15:23). And now we can overcome the power of
death through Him (See Cor. 15:55-57).
3) The Lord Jesus shall reign in future. If we
suffer with Him today, we may be also glorified together in future (See Rom.
8:17).
4) The precious blood’s effect of atonement: the
precious blood not only cleanses our sins but also saves us from sins (See
Matt. 1:21).
Rev. 1:6 “and has made us kings and
priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen.”
YLT: “and did make us
kings and priests to his God and Father, to him the glory and the power to the
ages of the ages! Amen.”
Meaning of Words: “king”: nation,
kingdom.
Literal Meaning: “and has made us kings” “and” indicates that He has done two
things in His love: 1) He has dealt with the problem of our sins in the
negative aspect. 2) He promotes our relation with God in the positive aspect.
“Has made us kings” in the original is “has made us kingdom” which refers to
becoming a part of the kingdom of God or making us have the royal status in the
holy nation of God (See 1Pet. 2:9).
“And
priests to His God and Father” indicates that we
are able to serve God before Him. The salvation that we have been bestowed
makes us have two statuses: 1) kings; 2) servants. We still have these two statuses
in eternity (See 22:5, 9).
“To
Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” “Glory and dominion” indicates that the praise to
His being and works is based on the salvation that we have experienced.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The salvation that believers have received not
merely makes us become a member of the kingdom of God and even makes us
qualified to be kings. How honorable our status is and therefore we should
honor ourselves in words and deeds.
2) Today our position is “priests to God”, our regular occupation is serving God and
our side job is working to support ourselves and our family for the sake of
serving Him.
Rev. 1:7 “Behold, He is coming with
clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the
tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”
YLT: “Lo, he doth come
with the clouds, and see him shall every eye, even those who did pierce him,
and wail because of him shall all the tribes of the land. Yes! Amen!”
Meaning of Words: “pierce”: transfix;
“tribe”: race; “mourn”: to beat the breast in grief; “Even so”: yes.
Literal Meaning: “Behold, He is coming with
clouds” refers to the
scene of the public coming in the second phase of His second coming (See Acts.
1:9-11). There are two phases concerning the second coming of the Lord: 1) the
private coming (See 3:3; 16:15); 2) the public coming (See 14:14; Matt. 24:30).
“And
every eye will see Him” It indicates all
men shall see Him coming with power and great glory (See Matt. 24:30).
“Even
they who pierced Him.” “They who pierced
Him” refers to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (See Zech.
12:10), i.e. the Jews. Though those who pierced Him were the Roman soldiers
(See John. 19:34), speaking from the angle of prophecy, it is the children of
Israel that brought about this matter. And therefore it refers to the children
of Israel (See John. 19:37; Ps. 22:16-17).
“And
all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.” “The earth” refers to the land of Palestine. “All
the tribes” refers to all the tribes of Israel. “Will mourn because of Him”
because they had abandoned Him. The whole sentence could be enlarged to
indicate that all nations and all the tribes that had rejected to receive Him
as their Savior shall mourn when the time comes because it is too late to
regret.
“Even
so, Amen.” The one word “yes”
in the original and “Amen” are equivalent in meaning. However, the former word
is Greek and the latter is Hebrew. When the two words are put together, they
show that both the Jews and the Gentiles shall bear witness to the truthfulness
of the prophecy.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God desires that all men should be saved (See
1Tim. 2:4) and He is not willing that any should perish (See 2Pet. 3:9).
However, the door of grace will be shut up and there won’t be any chance when
the Lord comes. Those who close their doors of hearts today shall be shut out
of the door of grace by the Lord.
2) Those who insist looking upon the Lord by their
“eyes” and are unwilling to look upon the Lord by “the eyes of their hearts”
today shall see the Lord with their eyes, however, they shall mourn and be
regretful for their hearts with tears.
Rev. 1:8 “‘I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’
says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who
is to come, the Almighty.’”
YLT: “`I am the Alpha and
the Omega, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is
coming -- the Almighty.'”
Meaning of Words: “Alpha”: the first
Greek letter; “Omega”: the last Greek letter; “the Almighty”: the Omnipotent.
Literal Meaning: “‘I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord,” “the Alpha” refers to the beginning of all
things. “The Omega” refers to the end of all things. When the two words are
mentioned together, they mean that He shall finish what He has initiated (See
21:6).
“‘Who
is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” It means that He is the Almighty who lives and
is the same forever.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord carries out an undertaking from start
to finish. And He shall accomplish all the work that He initiates. He has loved
His own, He loved us unto the end (See John. 13:1) and therefore we can feel at
ease to commit ourselves to Him.
2) Since the first and last Greek letters are Him,
it shows that every Greek letter is Him and He includes everything------He is
able to provide us everything that we need more than enough.
3) He is the living Almighty------with men this is
impossible; but with God all things are possible (See Matt. 19:26). He is also
the Almighty who is the same. There is one thing that He cannot do------He
cannot deny Himself (See 2Tim. 2:13).
Rev. 1:9 “I, John, both your
brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus
Christ, was on the island that is called
YLT: “I, John, who also
your brother, and fellow-partner in the tribulation, and in the reign and
endurance, of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called
Meaning of Words: “tribulation”:
pressure, exhaustion; “companion”: co-participant; “is called”: be known as;
“island”: isle.
Literal Meaning: “I, John, your brother”
“your brother” John still called himself “your brother”
after he had seen such a great vision, showing his humbleness, just as Paul did
not dare to be exalted above measure after he had seen the vision of the third
heaven (See 2Cor. 12:7).
“And
companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” “the tribulation of Jesus Christ” refers
to suffering for the Lord. We cannot partake in the Lord’s tribulation when He
bore sins for us on the cross, however, we can partake in the Lord’s suffering
on the earth when He bore witness to the truth (See Acts. 14:22; 2Tim. 3:12).
“Kingdom”, the kingdom of Jesus is the kingdom of God. The aim that we suffer
for the Lord is to realize the kingdom of God on the earth (See Matt. 5:10-12;
Rom. 8:17). “Patience” tribulation works endurance (See Rom. 5:3). Patience is
the experience that one must undergo when he suffers for the Lord, through
which the will of God shall be accomplished (See 2Thess. 1:4-5; Heb. 10:36).
“Companion” means that I am your companion and experience various kinds of
circumstances and lessons such as tribulation, kingdom, patience and etc. with
you.
“For
the testimony of Jesus Christ” refers to for
holding fast to the name of the Lord and not denying the word of God (See 2:13;
3:8), i.e. for the sake of holding fast to the faith before men.
“Was
on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God” “was” shows that he had been set free when he
sorted the Book of Revelation again and sent it out. “The island that is called Patmos” was an isle in the Mediterranean Sea used
by the Roman Empire to exile and imprison felons and political criminals.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We are all brothers and equally we should
experience tribulation and patience for the Lord and His kingdom (See 1Pet.
5:9-10).
2) The cross is the inevitable test to enter into
the kingdom and patience is the inevitable lesson to pass the test of the
cross.
3) In Christians’ experiences, there is one
experience called “the island of Patmos”------being rejected by men and being
lone and helpless, however, it is the best chance that we can be with the Lord
and see the vision of the Lord (See v.12-16).
Rev. 1:10 “I was in the Spirit on
the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,”
YLT: “I was in the Spirit
on the Lord's-day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
saying,”
Literal Meaning: “I was in the Spirit on the
Lord's Day” “the Lord’s Day”
does not refer to the Day of the Lord’s second coming but the first day of the
week, i.e. the day when the Lord rose from the dead (See John. 20:1). In the
beginning of the church, all the saints had a custom of gathering together on
the Lord’s Day (See Acts. 20:7; 1Cor. 16:2).
“And
I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet” “a
loud voice, as of a trumpet” Because great
events are going to be declared.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We, the Lord’s believers, cannot ignore “the
Lord’s Day”----the great day. Thomas almost missed the opportunity of meeting
the Lord of resurrection because he was absent in the gathering on the Lord’s
Day (See John. 20:19, 26).
2) Only in the Spirit will we clearly hear and see
the revelation of Jesus Christ because the Holy Spirit makes those who are
spiritual know the things that are freely given to us of God (See 1Cor. 2:12,
14).
Rev. 1:11 “saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,’ and, ‘What you see, write in a
book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to
Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.’”
YLT: “`I am the Alpha and
the Omega, the First and the Last;' and, `What thou dost see, write in a
scroll, and send to the seven assemblies that in Asia; to
Meaning of Words: “to”: send to, mail
to.
Literal Meaning: “‘What you see, write in a
book” “write in a book” it becomes the Book of
Revelation which we read today.
“And
send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to
Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.’” “Ephesus…
Laodicea” were seven cities
in the province of Asia at that time. In the churches’ early period, the realm
of city walls was the main basis for the constitution of churches. Today the
so-called movement of restoring “one church in one place” is based on this historical allusion. However, there are the
following difficulties concerning one church in one place: 1) the recognition
of the boundaries of places. 2) the recognition of the administrative system of
the church. 3) the conflict between the oneness of the Spirit and the oneness
of administration. 4) the conflict between the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit
and the man-made authority. If the above-mentioned difficulties have not been
solved, only the name of the so-called “one church in one place” is
restored.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) What we see in the Spirit is the good spiritual
material to edify the church.
2) The headquarters of churches in various places
is in heaven and each church receives instructions directly from the Lord and
is not of any man’s direction and control.
Rev. 1:12 “Then I turned to see the
voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,”
YLT: “And I did turn to
see the voice that did speak with me, and having turned, I saw seven golden
lamp-stands,”
Literal Meaning: “Then I turned to see the
voice that spoke with me.” Please note that
John turned in order to see who talked to him.
“And
having turned I saw seven golden lampstands” according to the description of this verse, what
he saw first is “seven golden lampstands” instead of the speaker.
Spiritual Meaning: “seven golden lampstands” refers to the seven churches (See v.20).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers are saved because of the change of
their mind (the original meaning of repentance). Today we still need the change
in the Spirit in order to see visions and many former ideas and ways hinder us
from clearly knowing the mystery of the church.
2) Churches are the “golden” lampstands (See v.20)
and gold symbolizes the nature of God in the Bible. Apparently, churches are
made up by all the saints (See 1Cor. 14:34), however, only the elements of God
in you and me together are reckoned as churches that shall shine for God on the
earth.
3) The normal church should be the manifestation of
the Lord on the earth and everyone who wants to see the Lord can see Him
through the church.
Rev. 1:13 “and in the midst of the
seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the
feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.”
YLT: “and in the midst of
the seven lamp-stands, like to a son of man, clothed to the foot, and girt
round at the breast with a golden girdle,”
Meaning of Words: “clothed”: have put
on; “girded”: gird all around; “band”: sash, wide girdle.
Literal Meaning: “and in the midst of the
seven lampstands One like the Son of Man” “like the Son of Man” indicates that he has the
face and manner of man. After the Lord rose from the dead, the image that He
appeared to His disciples cannot be clearly identified (See John. 21:4, 7).
“Clothed
with a garment down to the feet” it is the garment
of priest (See Exod. 28:4; 29:5; Lev. 16:4).
“And
girded about the chest with a golden band” girding about one’s loins is the dress of a
priest when he ministers unto God (See Exod. 28:4). However, here the
difference lies in “girded about the chest with a golden band” and it may refer
to the dress of the royal family (See Dan. 10:5).
Spiritual Meaning: “and in the midst of the
seven lampstands One like the Son of Man” it symbolizes that after the Lord rose from the
dead, He still has the humanity and walks in the churches.
“Clothed
with a garment down to the feet” clothes symbolize
righteous works in the Bible (See 19:8). Here “garment” symbolizes the perfect
works of Christ.
“And
girded about the chest with a golden band” “the chest” is the place where the heart is and
it symbolizes love. “Girded” symbolizes working with power. “A golden band”
symbolizes the divine power. The whole sentence symbolizes two meanings: 1)
Christ takes care of all the churches by the divine power in love. 2) Christ
judges the churches by righteousness and faithfulness (See Is. 11:3-5).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord is in the midst of the seven lampstands. We are not alone because the Lord had
promised to be with us (See Matt. 18:20; 28:20).
2) Christ is the high-priest who makes
intercessions for the church in heaven (See Heb. 7:25) on one hand and on the
other He is the king who judges everything according to faithfulness and
righteousness (See 19:11).
Rev. 1:14 “His head and hair were
white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;”
YLT: “and his head and
hairs white, as if white wool -- as snow, and his eyes as a flame of fire;”
Meaning of Words: “hair”: hairs;
“white”: snow-white.
Literal Meaning: “His head and hair were
white” white head and
white hair are the marks of old men (See 1Kings. 2:6; Prov. 20:29).
“Like
wool, as white as snow”
the whiteness of wool and snow is of their nature.
“And
His eyes like a flame of fire” describes that the
eyes are sharp and awesome.
Spiritual Meaning: “His head and hair were
white” symbolizes three
meanings: 1) He is the Ancient of days (See Dan. 7:9). 2) He is the Holy and
True (See 6:10). 3) With Him is wisdom (Job. 12:13).
“Like
wool, as white as snow”
symbolizes that He is the source of holiness and wisdom.
“And
His eyes like a flame of fire” symbolizes that He
is the one who searches the minds and hearts (See 2:23) and He knows men’s
inner intentions and outer works.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord is our wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption (See 1Cor. 1:30). Only through Him will we know
God and partake in the divine nature of God.
2) The eyes of the Lord like a flame of fire and He
can search everything and refine all the impure things. May the Lord search us
and know our hearts; try us, and know our anxieties (See Ps. 139:23).
Rev. 1:15 “His feet were like fine
brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;”
YLT: “and his feet like
to fine brass, as in a furnace having been fired, and his voice as a sound of
many waters,”
Meaning of Words: “furnace”: stove;
“refine”: burn, inflame.
Literal Meaning: “His feet were like fine
brass, as if refined in a furnace”
“refined in a
furnace” refers to
undergoing the refinement of fire. “Fine brass” refers to fine and pure brass.
“And
His voice as the sound of many waters”
“the sound of
many waters” describes that the
sound is loud and powerful and rends the skies.
Spiritual Meaning: “His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace” “feet” symbolizes walkings. “Refined in a
furnace” symbolizes that He had suffered tribulation. “Fine brass” symbolizes
that after He had undergone the trial of tribulation, His walkings were pure
and bright.
“And
His voice as the sound of many waters”
it symbolizes that: 1) His word is full of prestige which can shake the hearts
of men and make them fear. 2) His word is the origin of revelation and the
revelation of God can be understood by His words.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord’s feet shall judge and tread on all the
dirty and impure things that are searched by His eyes (See v.14).
2) When the Lord Jesus was on the earth, He walked
on the way of the cross. However, He is set down at the right hand of the
throne of God because He had endured the cross. Let us look upon Him and run
with patience the race that is set before us (See Heb. 12:1-2).
3) The voice of the Lord like the sound of many waters and he who has an ear, let him hear what He
says to us (See 2:7 and etc.). However, how many sheep of the Lord know the
voice of the Lord and follow Him (See John. 10:3-4)?
Rev. 1:16 “He had in His right hand
seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance
was like the sun shining in its strength.”
YLT: “and having in his
right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth a sharp two-edged sword is
proceeding, and his countenance as the sun shining in its might.”
Meaning of Words: “sharp”: keen;
“countenance”: image, face.
Literal Meaning: “He had in His right hand
seven stars” “right hand” men
are accustomed to using their right hands. “Stars” refers to the lighting
objects set in the firmament of the heaven (See Gen. 1:16-17).
“Out
of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword” “a
sharp two-edged sword” is easy to pierce
and divide.
“And
His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength” “countenance” represents one’s appearance.
Spiritual Meaning: “He had in His right hand
seven stars” symbolizes that
the angels of the seven churches (See v.20) are in His grasp and preservation
(See John. 10:28).
“Out
of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword” “out of His mouth” symbolizes speaking. “A sharp
two-edged sword” symbolizes that words can pierce men’s hearts (See Acts. 2:37)
and discern everything (See Heb. 4:12).
“And
His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength” “countenance” symbolizes His image. “Like
the sun shining in its strength” symbolizes being extremely glorious (See 2Cor.
3:18).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) As long as those who take the spiritual
responsibility in the church obey the Lord’s dispatching and directions, the
Lord shall be responsible for them.
2) The words out of the Lord’s mouth are believers’
sharp weapons in the spiritual conflicts (See Eph. 6:17) and He is also the
standard of judging men (See John. 12:48).
3) The Lord Jesus is the brightness of God’s glory
(See Heb. 1:3). He is the Sun of Righteousness that shall arise with healing in
His wings (Mal. 4:2).
Rev. 1:17 “And when I saw Him, I
fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.”
YLT: “And when I saw him,
I did fall at his feet as dead, and he placed his right hand upon me, saying to
me, `Be not afraid; I am the First and the Last,”
Meaning of Words: “laid”: place.
Literal Meaning: “And when I saw Him, I fell
at His feet as dead.” It describes that
the condition that he saw is to be feared.
“But
He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do
not be afraid;” “laid His right
hand on” refers to the kind appeasement and strengthening. “Do not be afraid”
means that He is to be feared to the enemies and unbelievers, however, to those
of Him, He can be relied on safely.
“I
am the First and the Last.” It means that He
must take the responsibility for accomplishing what He has initiated.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Today the reason why believers lack of the
attitude of fearing God is that they have not truly seen the Lord. If we have
truly seen His glory, we will never be random in our words and deeds.
2) The Lord is still with love in His majesty. His
majesty makes us fear Him and His loving-kindness gives us consolation.
3) Our responsibility is obeying the words of the
Lord, doing according to His guidance and He shall take the full responsibility
of us and do of His good pleasure upon us (See Pill. 2:12-13).
Rev. 1:18 “I am He who lives, and
was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of
Hades and of Death.”
YLT: “and he who is
living, and I did become dead, and, lo, I am living to the ages of the ages.
Amen! and I have the keys of the hades and of the death.”
Meaning of Words: “lives”: is living.
Literal Meaning: “I am He who lives” it refers to life which can be manifested by
actions.
“And
was dead, and behold, I am alive”
It means that He was crucified by men, however, He had risen from the dead.
“Forevermore.
Amen.” It means that
death does not have power over Him and therefore whoever lives and believes in
Him shall never die (See John. 11:26).
“And
I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
“Death” is a kind of power and Satan formerly has the power of death and it
cows men who are afraid of death into submission and drives and enslaves them
(See Heb. 2:14-15). “Hades” is the place where souls of men are imprisoned
temporarily after their death. “Having the keys of Hades and Death” refers to
overcoming the power of Death and Hades.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus tasted death for everyone and
through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the
devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage (See Heb. 2:9, 14-15).
2) The Lord Jesus is alive now, however, through
the behavior of many believers, it seems that the Lord whom they believe is
dead so that they lose courage and will.
3) The words of the Lord shows that, fear not them
which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him
which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28). Since the
Lord has the keys of Hades and Death in His hand, whom shall we fear besides
Him?
Rev. 1:19 “Write the things which
you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place
after this.”
YLT: “`Write the things
that thou hast seen, and the things that are, and the things that are about to
come after these things;”
Meaning of Words: “take place”: occur,
become.
Literal Meaning: “the things which you have seen” refers to the vision that John saw in this
chapter (See v.12-16).
“And
the things which are” refers to the
conditions of the seven churches when John wrote the Book of Revelation (See
the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation).
“Write…and the things which will take place after this.” “The things which will take place after
this” refers to the things predicted from the fourth chapter to the
twenty-second chapter in the Book of Revelation.
Rev. 1:20 “The mystery of the seven
stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The
seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which
you saw are the seven churches.”
YLT: “the secret of the
seven stars that thou hast seen upon my right hand, and the seven golden
lamp-stands: the seven stars are messengers of the seven assemblies, and the
seven lamp-stands that thou hast seen are seven assemblies.”
Literal Meaning: “The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in
My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands:” “Mystery” refers to the things which men cannot
see or understand because they have not been revealed or interpreted.
“The
seven stars are the angels of the seven churches” “the angels” some Bible exegetes interpreted the
angels into angels that protect the churches. However, the Lord pointed out
“you…you” again and again in the seven epistles to the angles (See 2:2, 4 and
etc.). It means that the angels represent the churches and are a part of the
churches. And therefore the correct interpretation should be the corporate ones
(“angel” in the second and third chapters is singular in the original) who
spiritually bear the testimony of the church. They may not be the nominal
elders, deacons or fellow-workers but those who actually perform the function
as “stars”.
“And
the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.” “Lampstands” are the pedestals used to
place lamps and they are beaten by pure gold (See Exod. 25:36). Pure gold
represents the nature of God in the Bible and therefore only when the work of
the cross works upon believers, deals with the “self” and renews them into pure
gold, i.e. being filled with the nature of God, will men be used as lampstands.
Here
it says that the seven lampstands are the seven churches. And therefore the
church has the following particular features: 1) without the work of the cross,
there won’t be the real manifestation of the church. 2) The church is not the
total amount of believers in a place. 3) The natural parts of believers cannot
be used as the materials for building the church and they contrarily destroy
the building of the church. 4) Please note that lampstands are not lamps but
the pedestals supporting lamps. The Lamb and the Holy Spirit are the light (See
4:5; 21:23). 5) If the lampstands want to perform the function of shining,
Christ and the Holy Spirit must be manifested.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Every believer can be “star” and “the light of
the world” (See Matt. 5:14). And therefore the responsibility of the church
should not be laid upon the minorities. The normal state of the church is that
all believers can be responsible to the Lord and shine for Him.
2) If a lampstand loses the function that the Lord
has expected, it will be removed from its place by the Lord (See 2:5). And
therefore the churches in various places should be rectified by the Lord and be
filled by the Holy Spirit more.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Passing on and Reception of the
Revelation of Jesus Christ
I. What God has
done:
A. God gave Christ (v.1b)
B. Christ sent His angel (v.1b)
C. the angel said to His servant John
(v.1c)
D. John bore witness to them (v.2)
E. showing His servants (v.1b)
II. What believers
should do:
A. reading the words of this prophecy
(v.3a)
B. hearing and keeping those things
which are written in it (v.3b)
The Origin, Nature and Contents of the
Revelation of Jesus Christ
I. The origin:
A. the revelation of Christ (v.1b)
B. the saying of the angel (v.1c)
C. the bearing witness of
John------writing them in a book (v.2, 4)
II. The nature:
A. the word of God (v.2a)
B. the testimony of Jesus Christ (v.2b)
C. all things that John saw (v.2c)
III. The contents:
A. the things which you have seen
(v.19a)
B. the things which are (v.19b)
C. the things which will take place
after this (v.1, 19c)
The Knowledge of the Holy Trinity
I. God the Father:
A. God who is and who was and who is to
come (v.4, 8c)
B. the Lord (v.8a)
C. the Alpha and the Omega (v.8b)
D. the Almighty (v.8c)
II. Christ:
A. Jesus Christ (v.1)
B. the faithful witness, the firstborn
from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth (v.5)
C. the First and the Last (v.17)
D. He who lives, and was dead, and
behold, He is alive forevermore (v.18b)
E. He has the keys of Hades and of Death
(v.18c)
III. The Holy
Spirit: the seven Spirits who are before the throne (v.4b)
The Knowledge of Believers
I. His servants
(v.1)
II. The Lord washed
us from our sins in His own blood (v.5)
III. Having made us
kings (v.6a)
IV. Priests to God
the Father (v.6b)
V. Brother (v.9a)
VI. Companion in the
tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ (v.9b)
VII. Stars (v.20)
The Vision of Jesus Christ
I. In the midst of
the seven lampstands (v.13a)------in the churches.
II. One like the Son
of Man (v.13b)------He still has the humanity.
III. Being clothed
with a garment down to the feet (v.13b)------He is the high-priest.
IV. Being girded
about the chest with a golden band (v.13c)------He has the royal status and is
also full of loving-kindness.
V. His head and hair
were white like wool, as white as snow (v.14a)------His nature is holy and
righteous.
VI. His eyes like a
flame of fire (v.14b)------His penetrates everything and destroys evil and
dirtiness.
VII. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a
furnace, (v.15a)------He judges and refines and purifies.
VIII. His voice as
the sound of many waters (v.15b)------His words have the heavenly power.
IX. He had in His
right hand seven stars (v.16a)------He holds and keeps believers who shine.
X. Out of His mouth
went a sharp two-edged sword (v.16b)------His words can damage the enemies and
discern everything.
XI. His countenance
was like the sun shining in its strength (v.16c)------He is the brightness of
God’s glory.
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren