2. Among the Lambstands Jan 5-11

A The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John (Revelation 1:9-18) 

❖ Where: In Patmos (1:9) 

— WHAT WAS THERE IN PATMOS? 

(1) Patmos is a barren and rocky island (10x6 mi—16x10 km). Romans established a penal colony there. 

— WHY WAS JOHN THERE? 

(1) He was accused of heresy for preaching about Jesus Christ when he was an elderly man. The Roman emperor Domitian banished him there (between 81 and 96 AD) 

— WHAT DID JESUS DO FOR JOHN? 

(1) Jesus brought John words of hope and encouragement, like He did for the young men in the fiery furnace and for Stephen when he was being killed. — We can be sure that Jesus will always be with us when we suffer tribulation for being faithful witnesses. 

❖ When: On the Lord’s day (1:10) 

— How should we interpret “The Lord’s Day”? 

(1) Sunday: “The Lord’s Day” was used to refer to Sunday for the first time by the end of the 2nd century. It didn’t mean “Sunday” in John’s time. 

(2) The Second Coming: That would mean that John was already receiving a vision of the Second Coming when he received this new Revelation (Is. 13:6; 2P. 3:10). This theory is not supported by the text in Revelation. 

(3) Sabbath: In the Old Testament, God (the Lord) called the Sabbath “mine”, so it’s His day (Ex. 31:13; Is. 58:13). Jesus also called Himself “Lord of the Sabbath” (Mt. 12:8; Mr. 2:28). So John received the Revelation on Sabbath, the Lord’s Day. 

❖ How: As the High Priest (1:12-18) 

— What was the physical appearance of Jesus in Revelation 1? 

Compare Revelation 1:13-16 with Daniel 10:5-6. — Their visions were very similar, so both prophets saw the same vision of Jesus Christ. Daniel specifies that the long robe that John saw was made of linen (the robe of a priest). 

— The message to each church begins with “I know your works.” (2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). Jesus is always amid His people. He knows His people and He knows each one of us. — He is the One who died and resurrected. He has the keys of death. He is powerful over death and He takes care of the living ones. B The letter to the seven churches (Revelation 1:11, 19-20; 2:1-7) 

❖ How to interpret it (1:11, 19-20) 

— The message to the seven churches in Asia can be interpreted in three different and supplementary levels (1:19): 

(1) IMMEDIATE (HISTORIC): A message from Jesus to every church meeting in seven cities of Asia Minor in John’s time. 

(2) FUTURE (PROPHETIC): A message to each historical age of the Church from John’s time till our days. 

(3) UNIVERSAL: A message to every church and believer in every moment of history. 

❖ The message to the church of Ephesus (2:1-7) 

— Ephesus was a very important city in Asia. John was a pastor in that city which was full of immorality and witchcraft (Acts 19:19). 

— The church remained firm in that turbid atmosphere. However, they forgot their first love as the old Israel did (Jeremiah 2:2). 

— This church represents the 1st century Christian church (approx. from 31 AD to 100 AD). 

— Let’s follow the divine advice to keep their virtues and avoid their mistakes: 

(1) Remember your first love. 

(2) Repent. 

(3) Do good works