Lesson #05

REVELATION 1:9-20
LESSON #05
CHRIST IN THE CHURCH

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 1:18

• READ REV 1:9-20 CHRIST IN THE CHURCH
• WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT JOHN FROM VERSE 9?
• HE WAS IN PRISON ON THE ISLE OF PATMOS, IMPRISONED UNDER THE ROMAN RULER DOMITIAN AND ALLOWED TO RETURN TO EPHESUS AFTER DOMITIAN DIED IN 96 AD. JOHN WAS AN OLD MAN WHEN HE WROTE THE BOOK AND THE ONLY DISCIPLE WHO DIED A NATURAL DEATH.
• THREE THINGS SUSTAINED HIM IN PRISON:
• A PATIENCE THAT ONLY JESUS CHRIST CAN GIVE (9)
• AN ANTICIPATION OF THE SECOND COMING (9)
• AN INSPIRATION BY THE HOLY SPIRIT (10)
• WHO IS TALKING STARTING IN VERSE 10?
• JESUS CHRIST SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO JOHN FROM HEAVEN.
• HOW DO WE KNOW THIS IS JESUS SPEAKING?
• VERSE 11 SAYS “I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA” THIS IS THE NAME OF JESUS USED THROUGHOUT THE BOOK OF REVELATION.
• NAMES OF JESUS CHRIST IN THIS SECTION:
• {8} THE SON OF MAN (13)
• {9} HE WHO LIVES (18)
• JOHN “IN THE SPIRIT”
• THIS PHRASE IN THIS CONTEXT DOES NOT MEAN BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• IT MEANS HE WAS PHYSICALLY TRANSPORTED TO THE TIME WHEN THESE EVENTS WOULD HAPPEN SO THAT HE ACTUALLY WAS THERE AND SAW THEM TAKE PLACE. THIS IS SUPERNATURAL TIME TRAVEL!
• IT IS NOT LIKE WATCHING IT ON TV WHERE YOU ARE ABLE TO SEPARATE REALITY FROM FICTION BECAUSE OF YOUR PHYSICAL SEPARATION FROM THE EVENT.
• JOHN WAS PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY SHAKEN BY WHAT HE EXPERIENCED BECAUSE HE WAS THERE IN THE FUTURE.
• THE VISION DESCRIBED (12-18)
• IDENTIFICATION OF SYMBOLS
• 7 LAMPSTANDS (CANDLESTICKS) (12) = LAMPSTANDS ARE GOLD BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS VALUABLE, PRECIOUS, AND ROYAL.
• 7 CHURCHES OF THE CHURCH AGE PERIOD.
• THE CHURCHES ARE REFERRED TO AS LAMPSTANDS, NOT VASES OR BOWLS, WHY?
• THE CHURCH IS SPOKEN OF AS A LAMPSTAND BECAUSE OF ITS INTENDED MISSION AND PURPOSE. (ZEC 4:2-10)
• THE CHURCH IS TO SET THE LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST HIGH UP SO ALL CAN SEE THE LORD AND BE SAVED.
• THE WORLD IS TO SEE JESUS AS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IN US.
• THE BIBLE TELLS US NOT TO HIDE OUR LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL BASKET. THE CHURCH IS NOT THE SOURCE OF LIGHT BUT THE BEARER OF LIGHT. (JOH 1:4,5,9)
• THE CHURCH IS NOT A BUILDING BUT A BODY OF BELIEVERS REFLECTING THE LIGHT OF JESUS TO THE WORLD.
• WHERE IS THE LORD IN RELATION TO THE CHURCHES?
• THIS SCRIPTURE IS CLEAR THAT HE IS IN THE MIDST OF THE CHURCHES EVEN THOUGH CHRISTIANS DO NOT ALWAYS ACT AS THOUGH HE IS.
• DISCUSSION: HOW IS THIS SIGNIFICANT IN REGARDS TO THE CHURCH TO WHICH YOU BELONG?

• SON OF MAN (13) = JESUS CHRIST.
• THIS IS A TITLE THAT JESUS CHRIST USED TO REFER TO HIMSELF. IT WAS FIRST GIVEN IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL TO REFER TO THE MESSIAH. (DAN 7:13)

• SEVEN QUALITIES OF THE SON OF MAN

• GOLDEN (13) = WEALTH OF ROYALTY
• GIRDLE (13) = HEART OF TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS (EPH 6:14)
• IT CORRESPONDS TO THE GIRDLE OF THE HIGH PRIEST (EXO 28:8)
• GARMENT TO HIS FEET (13) = RIGHTEOUS JUDGE (EZE 44:17-19)
• THE GARMENT OF A JUDGE OR A PRIEST.
• ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A PRIEST WAS TO KEEP THE LAMP IN THE TEMPLE BURNING.
• HAIR WHITE LIKE WOOL OR SNOW (14) = CLEANSING AND PURITY (ISA 1:18) AND THE WISDOM OF ADVANCED AGE. (DAN 7:9-10)
• EYES AS FLAME OF FIRE (14) = DISCERNMENT (REV 2:18 HEB 4:13 HEB 12:29)
• FEET LIKE BRONZE (BRASS) (15) = BRONZE OR BRASS THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE IS A SYMBOL OF TESTING OR JUDGMENT.
• JESUS WAS TEMPTED AND ENDURED TESTING SO HE IS THE JUDGE. (NUM 21:9 REV 19:15)
• A VOICE AS THE SOUND OF MANY WATERS (15) = TO SPEAK WITH AUTHORITY (PSA 93:4 HEB 12:25-26)
• 7 STARS (16) = THERE ARE VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS:
• 7 ANGELS ASSIGNED TO THE 7 CHURCHES (1:20)
• 7 MESSENGERS, LEADERS, OR PASTORS
• WHERE IS JESUS IN RELATION TO THE 7 ANGELS?
• HE HOLDS THEM IN HIS HAND.
• THIS INDICATES THAT HE IS VERY MUCH IN CONTROL AND INVOLVED WITH THE LEADERS AND CHURCHES.
• DISCUSSION: HOW IS THIS SIGNIFICANT IN REGARDS TO THE PASTOR WHO LEADS YOUR CHURCH?

• READ JUDE 13
• STARS WERE TO GIVE LIGHT AND DIRECTION IN THE SAME WAY THAT PASTORS OR LEADERS ARE TO GIVE DIRECTION TO THE CHURCH.

• GOD SAYS JESUS’ RELATIONSHIP TO PASTORS AND THE CHURCH IS A “MYSTERY” (20).
• THE WORD “MYSTERY” REFERS TO SOMETHING PREVIOUSLY HIDDEN THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT TIMES AND IS NOW BEING REVEALED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

• ELEVEN NEW TESTAMENT MYSTERIES

• TWO-EDGED SWORD (16) = THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD WHICH OFFERS A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD OF GRACE IN SALVATION AND JUSTICE IN JUDGMENT. (HEB 4:12)
• COUNTENANCE AS THE SUN (16) = THE GLORY OF HIS DEITY (LUK 2:9 MAT 17:2 MAL 4:2)
• “LAID HIS RIGHT HAND” = THIS WAS THE HAND OF FAVOR AND BLESSING (GEN 48:13,14 EPH 1:20)
• JESUS’ STATEMENTS OF DEITY (18) = “I AM HE THAT LIVETH…I AM ALIVE…”
• THIS STATEMENT OF THE “I AM” IS THE SAME NAME FOR GOD THAT WAS GIVEN TO MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH. (EXO 3:2-15)
• “AND HAVE THE KEYS OF HADES AND OF DEATH” (18).
• WHAT DOES THIS PHRASE MEAN?
• SEE THE TIME LINE CHART (LESSON #2) WHERE CHRIST MOVED ABRAHAM’S BOSOM TO PARADISE AT THE CRUCIFIXION.

• APPLICATION:
• WE NEED JESUS TO BE FULLY MAN AND FULLY GOD.
• IF WE UNDERVALUE HIS HUMANITY, HE WILL BE A DISTANT GOD TO US.
• IF WE UNDERVALUE HIS DEITY, HE WILL BE A POWERLESS GOD TO US.
• IN EITHER CASE, WE WILL NOT HAVE A FAITH THAT RESPONDS TO GOD’S EXPECTATION OF OBEDIENCE AND WORSHIP.

HOMEWORK
REVELATION 2:1-7
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF REVELATION 1
• DESCRIBE WHAT YOU THINK IS THE MAJOR PROBLEM IN YOUR CHURCH.

• SINCE CHRIST IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH AND HAS YOUR CHURCH IN HIS HANDS, COMMIT THIS PROBLEM TO PRAYER THIS WEEK.

• PREPARATION FOR REVELATION 2:1-7
• READ REVELATION 2:1-7
• READ ACTS 19

• WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS FROM THESE PASSAGES? CONSIDER WHAT CHRIST CONDEMNS AND WHAT CHRIST PRAISES IN THIS CHURCH.

• WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LEAVE YOUR FIRST LOVE?

• WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DO YOUR FIRST WORKS OVER AGAIN?

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 2:7