Last weekend, I asked all my Crossroads family to read the first three chapters of Revelation and I’ve had some people asking questions. So, I thought I would just use my blog and cover a few things.
First of all, did you realize that you are blessed if you read, hear and take to heart the message in Revelation? Says so in Rev. 1:3. That is an awesome promise!
Who are the angels and stars that are mentioned? Most scholars believe these to mean the messengers of the seven churches. This means that Jesus is holding these churches and leaders in His hand. They are not sovereign, but under the authority of the One who paid the price for His church. He walks among them and is very much concerned about them. Just like He is still concerned and watching over His church today. God is still the true leader over His church and it’s leadership.
What is the sword from his mouth? The sword in Jesus’ mouth symbolizes the power and force of His message. Even when Jesus walked the earth in human form, his voice had power to raise people from the dead and cause others to fall to the ground (John 18:6). In Ephesians 6:17, we are told to take up the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Back at the beginning of creation, God set things in motion through the power of His word. True Christ-followers do not need to fear the words of Jesus, only those who will come under His judgment. For them, it will be terrifying.
One has to keep in mind that much of Revelation is figurative language. In other words, it most likely is not a true sword that will come from Christ’s mouth, but rather the power of His voice and words will be like a sword of spiritual power upon His enemies. Also, consider how tough it would be for a man of 2,000 years ago (John) to write down the incredible things he was seeing. How could his ancient mind even wrap itself around all that he was experiencing?
You might also notice the repetition of the number seven throughout the Bible, as this is the number of completion. Though it is used over 50 times in Revelation and over 700 times throughout Scripture, we must be careful not to overemphasize it by attaching symbolic meaning in each instance. Sometimes a seven is just a seven, especially if Scripture is not explicit about a meaning. However, there are times, it seems, that God is communicating the idea of divine completeness, perfection, and wholeness.
I hope that by reading these first three chapters, you have allowed the Holy Spirit to speak a new, fresh word into your spirit. Perhaps one of these seven messages is meant for you today so you can “hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”