DEVOTIONAL INSIGHTS & REFLECTIONS

Day Six - Revelation, Part 2 of Chapter 1

Day Six – Revelation, Part 2 of Chapter 1

         John was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind him a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying:  I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. (Revalation 1:11)

         John turned to see the voice that spoke with him and he saw the Lord in the midst of seven golden candlesticks. The candlesticks represent the seven churches. John describes the Lord as being clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about with a golden girdle. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow. His feet were like fine brass as if burned in a furnace and His voice was as the sound of many waters… probably like Niagara falls and a trumpet all rolled into one. We know His voice was impressive, to say the least. In His right hand were seven stars. This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20) An angel (a guardian from God) is assigned to each church.

         I remember the parable of the lampstand. Also, Jesus is the Light of the World and He says that we are the light of the world. Lights help us to see in the midst of darkness. (See Matthew 5:14-16; Mark 4:21-25; Luke 8:16-18; John 8:12.)

          Prior to Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, God dwelled in man-made temples. Because of what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross as our scape-goat, burden-bearer---becoming sin in our stead, and taking our deserved punishment upon Himself and thus removing and cleansing us from sin---God now dwells in His holy people via the Holy Spirit. (See Isaiah 53; and John 1:1-14.)

         The scriptures also tell us that we are the “temple” of the living God. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) We are “the church.” When we confess, turn from sin and turn our lives over to Him---repent---His Holy Spirit comes to live on inside us. This is the new birth, being “born again.” As we yield to Him, He then empowers us to do the work He has called us to do by His indwelling Spirit. Contrariwise, when we do not yield and/or oppose the Holy Spirit by our action or inaction upon His promptings, we limit what He is able to accomplish through us. This is called “quenching the Spirit.” (See http://biblehub.com/commentaries/ephesians/4-30.htm on grieving and/or quenching the Holy Spirit.) We must guard against this through prayer and by studying and meditating on His Word so that we know the will of God.

         Being born again and being baptized in the “fire” of his Spirit are two separate things. We will touch on this another time.