Revelation Part 1 – The Seven Golden Lampstands
"Write on a scroll what you see"
The book itself outlines where the body of Christ is in the ordering of this prophecy. Many commentators have already explored this subject, so it's unlikely that I'll uncover anything entirely new, other than a few conclusions I've drawn from patterns in the text. The argument we arrive at will define our eschatology, and the extent to which this alters our ecclesiology is another conversation. The ideal situation would be that both would come together without torturing the text beyond recognition. While the letter to the Churches in Chapters 2-3 is perhaps the most relevant for believers today, my focus here is on who and where the Church is, leading up to the final chapter. The blessing promised in the reading and keeping of this book is true, but come to your own conclusions.
The process wasn't without effort—many hours were spent grappling with the grammar and structure—and discovering how the layers fitted together. The turning point came when the structure became logical and coherent, and the theology made sense, without the distraction of metaphor and allegory.
The patterns that developed echoed throughout the biblical corpus, and recurring themes began to emerge. John’s vision outlined present and future events, yet much of the detail concerning the Church goes unnoticed, especially if we approach the topic based on the limitations of what others have told us. Moreover, our preconceptions of passages such as Matthew 24–25 significantly influence our view of where the Church is, and who the twenty-four Elders represent.
The spiritual significance of this book is expressed in the first chapter, “a revelation from God to Jesus Christ.” Jesus conveys to John the events leading up to, and beyond, the "Day of the Lord"; that's something to digest. I began this with a degree of ambivalence—and seriously questioned whether an understanding of this book was worth the effort. However, my ambivalence quickly shifted to curiosity, then to exhilaration. As I gave my time, God gave His—and He revealed abundantly more than I gave. This stirred emotions I cannot adequately explain—the love embedded in God's design, the brilliance of the language, the hints and echoes throughout the Old and New Testament, and the destiny of time— a menagerie of thoughts evolved into unambiguous certainty. I’ll leave it for you to decide where I ended up.
The book divides itself into three sections, beginning with “what John sees” (Rev 1), then “what is now” (Rev 2–3), and finally Revelation 4 begins “what will take place after this”—a recurring phrase that's important to keep in mind because it emphasises the linear structure of the vision: one event follows the other, with pauses between some chapters. These pauses provide keys that unlock the sequence of events that follow.
In Rev 1:4-6, John extends a greeting to seven Churches and states that Jesus "hath made us kings and priests unto God" to serve His God and Father. In the Bible, only three identities are represented as Kings and Priests: Jesus Christ, Melchizedek, and those in the Body of Christ. Therefore, the positioning of Priests and Kings within the prophetic timeline indicates where the Body of Believers is as we move into Chapters 4-8. John is applying this directly to himself and the believers in these seven Churches on the Earth.
John was on the island of Patmos—he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. Some commentators have suggested this is the same as " the Day of the Lord" (Isaiah 13:6, Joel 1:15). However, the language and context don't support this. The "Day of the Lord" is contextualised throughout the Bible as the "second coming of Christ" or "the day of the Lord's Wrath". Here, John is introducing himself at the beginning of his letter–he writes about where he is at the time of receiving this vision–he's referring to a Saturday, the first day of the Jewish week—he's in a posture of prayer—not in a dream, but seeing a vision of Jesus Christ standing among Seven Golden Lampstands, something that was hidden from the Old Testament Prophets. These lampstands are situated on the earth.
Jesus explains that the Lampstands represent seven existing Churches (Rev 1:20) and therefore metaphors for the Body of Christ, which is positioned on the earth at this point. The report on these seven Churches is sandwiched inside the body of the book, much like an addendum that's related, but, if removed, wouldn't alter the prophetic structure if we jump from Chapter 1 straight to Chapter 4. John is told to write "what he sees" and send it to these Seven Churches, and this letter becomes the "what is now" section of the prophetic timeline. Again, this is where I depart from some commentators—systematically, each report was addressed specifically to each Church. That the details to each were contained in one letter to the Churches (plural) can also mean that one letter was the most efficient means of communicating specific details to each Church. The grammar doesn't suggest that the detail to each, applied to all seven. However, the details sent to each of the seven Churches do appear relevant for all Churches today.
John's revelation was NOT positioned in Heaven, at this point, because later, he says, "After this, I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me, like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." (Rev 4:1)
Considerations
"And hath made us kings and priests unto God." Only three are named as Kings and Priests: Jesus Christ, Melchizedek, and believers in Christ.
"After this”—a recurring phrase that's important to keep in mind because it emphasises the linear structure of the vision.
An intersecting pause introduces a key that helps unlock the timing of events.
The "Lord's day" and the "Day of the Lord" are not to be considered the same
Part 2 of this commentary will look at the snatching away of believers (harpazo), the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel, the multitude of tribulation saints, the seventieth week of Daniel (the Great Tribulation), and finally the New Jerusalem.
