Bible Study no 3 of Revelation

Well, good evening, brethren. Yeah, we are starting with the third study on this theme.

And we, I just want to summarize very briefly the objectives that we have given ourselves. We have covered this before, so just summarizing these objectives. And they are related to discerning current events and understanding Bible prophecy. That's basically the objectives as far as from a Bible point of view. As far as our point of view is that when we see these things happening, we now are encouraged to be careful with our Christian conduct. It really is very important that we are very careful with our Christian conduct and that we are indeed behaving in a way that is pleasing to God.

And this statement is extracted from 2 Peter chapter 3 right at the end in verse 11. It says, because these things are going to happen and everything is going to be dissolved, it is going to be a judgment, everything is going to be all evil, it is going to disappear from the world, all this is going to happen. Therefore, we need to be careful how we conduct ourselves. It is very important that we are careful. So that is basically the objectives that we have from this book of Revelation. Understand the events around us so we don't get confused. Understand Bible prophecy because people come out of different ideas and we don't want to be deceived. And look at ourselves. Make sure that we watch our conduct because days are short.

The first chapter in verse 1 and 2, it's the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave in to show His servants, things which must shortly take place, and is sent and signified by His angel to His servant John, who brought witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that He saw. So here we have a couple of words that we want to emphasize. The first one is witness. John is a witness to the Word of God that he heard. This is the testimony also of Jesus Christ. And let's call it the visual graphical representation of events of the future. So he's a witness of these things.

And therefore, also, it says witness to the Word of God. Now, literally, it's God's Word, which is the Bible, but it also says end to the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is interesting for us to note that Jesus Christ, He's the spokesman, and His testimony that represents what He did, what He loved, what He acted, is indeed something that we have to pay attention to. Then the next thing He says, therefore, it applies to the Bible, applies to everything of the Bible, the law, of the Bible, the prophets, all that.

But it also applies to the whole truth, because this is truth. And this is a reminder that we've got to live the correct way. And if not, we are going to be impacted. That's why we have to watch our conduct. And so it's all things that He saw, that He witnessed with His own eyes, through symbols, through visions. So He's a witness of all these things. Then in verse 3, it says, blessed is He who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near.

So a couple of points here. The first one is, we see three blessings. Three blessings, that is to Him who reads, those who hear, and those who keep those things which are written in it. So three blessings to He who reads. Now, interesting point here. The verb is He who reads, it's not they who read. The verb is in singular. And this is basically looking at the time that this was written, not everybody had a Bible in front of their laps. So there was only a manuscript, and then somebody maybe read it, and the others then heard it.

So that would be the one that would be reading it. It's a blessing to Him that would be reading it. Then it's those who hear, those that are listening to the person that is reading, those who hear. So now it's in plural, it's to all of us. So in our case, in our age, it applies to us, we read and we hear, we do both. But in addition to that, blessed is if we obey. Then we take these instructions, and they are lessons in them, they are principles that we need to follow, and we need to obey.

Then, looking at also grammatically speaking, all these verses, all these verbs, these action words are in the present tense. In other words, it's not, He will read in the future, or who will hear in the future, or will keep in the future. It's in the present.

Now, as we read, as we hear it, as we keep it in the present tense, now at our time, as we do. So these are the first of seven blessings. Think about this like seven beatitudes, seven blessings of the book of Revelation. This is the first one, blessed is he who reads in verse three.

Let's just quickly look at the other ones, because I want to be looking at them from this point of highlighting these blessings again, but it's just highlighting now that there are seven in the book of Revelation, and our seven means complete. So it's completely blessed when we do these things as the Bible, as the book of Revelation is highlighting to us. But the next one, the next blessing is on 1413, and it says, I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, right, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.

And you know, we have had a lot of people die recently, and a lot of healthy issues. And it says, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. It's a very, very significant Scripture. I know it's a loss for us when our friends are not with us, but they've made it. They have completed the race, and they are protected.

That is very special. Look at chapter 16 verse 15 as well. 16 verse 15. Be all, I'm coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments lest he walk naked and see his shame. So this is right at the end in the seven lost place. This is after the opening or the blowing of the seventh trumpet, which is basically the resurrection. And then there's a series of events that happen, and there it in the middle there says, Be all, it's just like an insert in the middle of these verses of the sixth bowl, which the sixth lost plague, saying, Be all, I'm coming as a thief.

Be a pardon. So it's again a reminder that to blessed he who watches and keeps his arm gone, so it is a blessing there. The next one is in 19 verse 9. This is regarding the marriage supper. And then it says, Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper. This is very significant. Many people will be called during the millennium or afterwards, but it will be after the marriage supper.

So blessed are those that are called, basically are called now and respond now and are faithful to the end now because they will be in the marriage supper. So blessed, this is a special calling we have, a very special calling, and we really have to be very careful with ourselves. Then chapter 20 verse 6 says, Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection, again, to be in the first resurrection, to be called now and to be part of the first resurrection, which is a better resurrection, because it says, Alpha such the second death has no power, because those will be resurrected directly to eternal life, to a spiritual life, and therefore that is a blessing. Then we have the last two blessings are on the last chapter 22 verse 7. It says, Behold, I'm coming quickly, blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. So again, emphasizing as in chapter 1 verse 3, blessed is he who keeps the words of this book. And then, lastly, in verse 14, blessed are those who do his commandments. Blessed are those who keep God's laws, do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life. Now, I just want to insert here in brackets that some of your Bibles probably do not say, blessed are those who do his commandments. But your Bible, if it does not say, blessed are those who do his commandments, is based on what I would call a fake manuscript. A manuscript that has been already adulterated, and that is the Alexandria manuscript. I will mention a little bit about that again a little later today, but it is important to understand that the Alexandria manuscript has been adulterated, and most modern versions, Bibles, be they paraphrases or whatever, use the Alexandria manuscripts, and they have already been adulterated. So be careful with that. That's why we recommend to use a Bible that uses either the text received, which by the way none is perfect, but it's a lot better, or the majority of the manuscripts. But anyway, let's continue about the seven blessings in Revelation 1 verse 3. So this is the first time that is mentioned about these blessings, and you can see they all are related to this calling, and for us to obey God's laws, a big part to keep, obey God's laws. So yeah, and basically, in a way, think about it, if it's saying, blessed are those who read and hear and keep the things that are written in that obey. In a sense, it is anticipating that many will ignore or neglect this revelation, because it's a blessing to read it, to hear it, to keep it, and another blessing is to understand it, to have our minds opened through the calling that we can understand it.

And that is a blessing, but it does anticipate that many will ignore this prophetic revelation. And then it says, for the time is near, here was the time period of this revelation, the day of the Lord is near the final fulfillment. Christ's coming, the final redemption mankind, the days are near. So blessed is for us to keep these things because the days are near. Then, in verse 4 says John, that's the Apostle John, of course, the righter, who wrote this that was destructive to right, to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be up to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne. So let's look at these very carefully. To the seven churches, the year is a very clear understanding or statement to whom this revelation of Jesus Christ is addressed. Now, as we know, it's a revelation of Jesus Christ we read in verse one, and it's addressed to the seven churches. And we will talk a little bit more about that today and a lot more in the following seven studies, because we're going to go through each church area with one individual study. So it's addressed to the seven churches.

Then it says grace. Grace is God's kind, loving, outgoing, concern of desiring everything of good towards us. You know, that's God's graciousness. His grace, his attitude and gifts of outgoing love towards us. So grace to you and peace.

Peace is really an outcome of a sound, good, healthy relationship. It's really about a relationship. And when there is a harmonious relationship, there is peace. So that points to a relationship of peace, sound, harmony. There is unity in this peace. There's no fighting this peace. And then it's from him who is, who was, and who is to come. It's clearly a reference to Christ, because Christ is the one that is and was. You see, the Father is always is. Christ was because he was dead for three days and three nights. Maybe just a few hours more, but he was in the tomb for three days and three nights. So it's a reference, a characteristic of Christ. And who is to come? The Second Coming, to come. And so, and then it says, and the seven spirits of God. It is important for us to just take a little bit of study or a reading of these seven spirits, because I've had people telling me, oh, God's only spirit is seven spirits. No, this is not referring to God's only spirit. So let's look at about this a few places in the scriptures where he talks about these seven spirits. The one is in chapter four, verse five. In chapter four, verse five, it says, and from the throne proceed the light means thunderings, voices, and that seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. So there was these lamps, lights, which are the seven spirits of God. Now let's look at chapter five, verse six. Chapter five, verse six, it says, and I looked and beheld in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the eldest to the lamb, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the world, into all the earth. So it's talking about seven spirit beings, seven angels of God that are serving Christ, and Christ is sending out as messengers, but from a point of being eyes and bringing information back to Christ about what is happening. That's what we conclude from this, sent out into all the world. Look at also Zechariah chapter three, verse nine. Zechariah chapter three, verse nine.

Zechariah chapter three, verse nine.

And it says, for beyond the stone which have laid before Joshua, you know about the scripture being Christ be the cornerstone. Christ being the cornerstone is the stone, that have laid before Joshua. Upon the stone are seven eyes. So the stone is Christ symbolically, you know, are seven eyes, beyond our engrave, its incrudent description says the Lord of hosts, and I'll remove the iniquity of that land in one day. So it's seven eyes, seven ways of looking around what is happening through these seven spirit beings. Look also in Zechariah also, chapter four, verse 10. For who has despised the day of small beginnings? For these seven rejoice to see the plan line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord which scan to and fro throughout all the earth. So it's the seven spirits, seven eyes, scamming, they belong to God, and they scan the world to see the whole earth throughout all earth.

Let us continue reading also in Hebrews chapter one, verse seven. Hebrews chapter one, verse seven.

And here we read, and of the angels he says, who has made his angels spirits? So the angels are spirits. So the seven spirits of God are the seven angels. He's made his angels spirits, and he's ministers a flame of fire. So they are ministers. They are serving him, and he is talking about seven angels that serve Christ as like being watching out for him and bringing information back to him, serving him. So that is verse four. Let's move on to verse five and six. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth to him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, he has made us kings and priests to his God and Father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. So Christ is our faithful witness. He's the firstborn from the dead. Right. So he's the first one that has died and resurrected. Nobody else has resurrected at this time. And in the future, when we and those in Christ have resurrected after the seventh trumpet, he will still be the first one that would have resurrected from the dead, the firstborn from the dead. And he is the ruler over the kings of the earth. Christ is the ruler over the kings of the whole earth to him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. So he is the one that's washed us from our sins in his blood. And he has made us kings and priests. So we are going to be kings and priests to God and Father and to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. So we're going to be having responsibilities under Christ as kings and priests. Like it says in Revelation 19, he's king of kings and lord of lords. In other words, over all the priests, over the teachers, over the educators. Basically, that's what priests are representing the lords, the teachers, the educators. And now I'm continuing in verse seven. Be all is coming with clouds, and every eye will see even those, even they who pierced all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him even so. Amen. Now, this verse sometimes is also a little bit controversial by some people. Let's just look at the first part here. He's coming with clouds. So when Christ comes at the seventh trumpet and he comes with clouds and everyone will see him. Everyone living on earth will see him. Even they will pierce him. They will pierce him, or those of the tribe of Judah that will be alive at that time, they will see him. Now, some people say, ah, but they did not literally pierce him. The ones that literally pierced him died 2000 years ago, nearly 2000 years ago, and therefore those people that are dead will be resurrected to just see him. No, that's a false reading into this verse. Now, it is granted that those people that are dead and that pierced him 2000 years ago, the Romans and the people that live there, they will see him when they do resurrect. But he is talking about that every eye when he comes will see even those who pierced him and who pierced him. We, mankind, the Jewish people, the accusers, we have all accused him. We have all pierced him. So it has different layers here. So it's not saying that those people that are dead, the Roman soldiers that pierced him 2000 years ago, will suddenly resurrect to see Christ coming. No, that is human reasoning apart from God. Remember when I showed that triangle? It's human reasoning apart from God. Everything's got to fit within the scriptures. So that obviously is incorrect. And then it says, even so, amen. Amen means it's true. It's the truth and so be it.

You know that? John 14 verse 6 Christ said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes unto the Father but by me. Amen. That's the truth. And so it will be it. I beg your pardon, let it be true. So that's basically the meaning of the word amen there.

Let's then now go on to verse 8. It says, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord, which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty. So again, this is referring to Christ. Who is talking? This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Who is talking is Jesus Christ. And he is the central person, he is the central being or person of the book of Revelation. And he, if you look at Revelation verse 1, says the revelation of Jesus Christ. So in Revelation verse 1, he says, 1 verse 1 says the revelation of Jesus Christ. So he is the source of revelation. Yes, the Father gave him but he is, he's got the ownership of it now. And he is the source, giving it to us. And so through him, God's word is revealed through Christ. Everything is done through Christ. He is the central person. He is, it's so important for us to understand exactly what it's saying here. He is a big part of the center. And when we read in verse 3, that it says, blessed be he who read and also listen and also keep the words of this revelation. There are his blessings from Christ. He is saying, you are blessed to understand, to read this. And it's seen that he's greeting us with grace and peace. It's all about Christ. It's Christ. He is greeting us grace, all of goodness and peace and harmony.

He is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the king of kings, as we read in verse 5. He washes us from our sins. Again, that's Christ. He comes with clouds. Verse 7. And now, in verse 8, he is the beginning and the end.

You know, the Alpha and the Omega is the Greek alphabet, which starts with Alpha, which is A, and the Greek alphabet ends with Omega, which to us is like a Z. It's the lost letter of alphabet. So he's the beginning and the end. The Alpha and the Omega, it was from A to Z. It's complete. The beginning and the ending. Says the Lord, says Christ. I am the beginning and the ending, the Alpha and the Omega. And I am eternal. I was, yes, I was dead.

And I'm coming back again. I was on the earth as a physical human being. I died, but I'm eternal, and I'm to come back. And I have all power, because all power is being delegated to Christ. Look at Hebrews chapter 5 verse 9. Hebrews chapter 5 verse 9. It says, And having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey. He is the author of eternal salvation. The salvation, the author of salvation, is Christ. Why? Because he is the one that emptied himself from the form of God, became a human being, and died for us. He is the author. He is the one that through this is possible because of his sacrifice. And then another simple way to maybe explain it is that everything, all authority, has been delegated to him.

It's not all authority being delegated to him by the Father. Look at Matthew chapter 11 verse 27. Matthew 11 verse 27. That's just before he discusses a number of the parables in Matthew 11 verse 27. And it says, He is grateful to the Father for having hidden these things from the wise because to you, Father, that seemed good. And then verse 27, All things have been delivered to me by my Father. Everything has been delegated, has been delivered to Jesus Christ. He's got complete authority. In other words, He has all power, all might. And no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal him. He's got all authority. And also right at the end of the book of Matthew, when he appeared after this resurrection, and he then says goodbye basically to the apostles before he's going back to heaven. He says in verse 18, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. In heaven, all authority, all power, has been given to Christ. All authority.

And so with his authority, it's like saying in Christ's name. When we say in Christ's name, what do we mean? It's by Christ's authority, right? So all authority is given to me. Therefore, verse 19, Go therefore and make the disciples. In other words, in my name, or by my authority, go and make the disciples and baptize them into the family name, into the name of the family, which is God. The name of the family is God, because Father is God the Father.

The Son is the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit of God. So baptize everybody into the family name. The word there, baptize them in the name, should be into the name, because it's the Greek, E-I-S-H, which means into the family, into that family name.

It's like the surname. It's the family name, and teach them to observe. So verse 18 says, By my name, by my authority, in the name of Jesus Christ, baptize everybody into that family. That's what he's saying here. But back to the point is, Christ has got all authority. He's the beginning and the ending. Now, the way we've explained it, and let me repeat it just to be all we are in the context, is the following. The Father and the Word planned to have more sons in his family, bringing many sons to glory as we read in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10. So that's what was their plan. Therefore, as part of their plan, that is a mission to be accomplished, a job to be performed. And the Father said to Christ, Christ, it's your job. You go out and do it. You execute it. You are the chief executing officer that you go out and do all this. So Christ, the thing about it is like the CEO is the chief executive officer, is the one that does everything for this plan from the beginning till the end. He is the author of salvation. All the power is being delegated to him. He is the one that died for us. He is the one that at the end, when everything is finished, you will then hand it over to the Father and say, Dad, mission accomplished. That's what it is. So he is the Alpha and only in the beginning, in the end, says the eternal Christ, which he is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty. He has all authority. Obviously, the Father is greater than him. Christ said, the Father is greater than I am. But he has all the authority being delegated to him. Then let's continue reading here in verse 9 of chapter 1. And it says, in verse 9, this says, I, John, says, I, John, both your brother and from Panina tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in Ireland, which is called Patmos, for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. So he was in jail. He was in prison for because of preaching Christ.

And so he was in the island of Patmos. This was in the years 90 of the AD of Anna Domini, or as they call it, which is people call it after Christ or after death. But the AD does not literally mean after death, but people usually use that terminology. But some people use current here, CE current here. But anyway, in the year 90, so he was in the isle of Patmos. Isle of Patmos was, this is the area of Greece, and there is Patmos. There is the isle of Patmos. Right, a small little island just outside of Greece.

If we look at it in a slightly zooming in or zooming out, let's follow first, there is Turkey, there is Greece, and there is Turkey. So it was in our Patmos. Actually, Patmos would belong to Turkey, but it's like a jail island for people. So at that time, so he was in there. And then continuing in verse 10, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day.

And I heard behind me a loud voice as a trumpet. Now this is an other scripture that people say, oh well, he was in the Spirit on Sunday. No, no, no, it's not on Sunday. He was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. Now which one is the Lord's Day? Because the Lord's Day is the time setting of the Book of Revelation. He was taken in a vision. Think of it like that. He was taken to a presentation, to a visual presentation in a spiritual movie theater. Let's just call it that for just to draw an analogy. He was taken into a special visual presentation based on a time setting of the Day of the Lord.

So when is the Day of the Lord? Well, one scripture that nails it quite nicely is Joel chapter 2 verse 31. In Joel chapter 2 verse 31 says, the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the Lord. So we have the heavenly signs before the Day of the Lord, which means the Day of the Lord comes after the heavenly signs. So I have shown this picture before and I'm referring to it a few times, but what we have here is the Day of the Lord. And the Day of the Lord is after the heavenly signs. For in other words, the heavenly signs are before the Day of the Lord in that time setting. Now understand, heavenly signs is the sixth seal. Therefore, he was taken into a time setting of the Day of the Lord, which is the seventh seal. He was taken, as I would say it maybe today, back to the future. Remember that movie that came out, Back to the Future, whatever it was.

He was taken like in a time machine, as he said it was, but not literally that. It was just a vision in spirit because that time has not happened yet. It was just a vision taking him into what the future will be like. All right, so on the Day of the Lord. Okay, and we've seen Joel 2 verse 31. That gives us a time setting of when there is. We also see that John was in the spirit, somehow taken to the future Day of the Lord, which is the seventh seal, like a spiritual, graphic presentation of the future. So it was like he was taking into like a graphical movie made for him in a spiritual sense to show what it will be like.

So this future is to occur after the Great Tribulation has started and also after the heavenly signs. In other words, after the fifth seal and of course after the sixth seal, because the Day of the Lord is the seventh seal.

This heavenly signs is important for us to understand. It's like a sign of Jesus Christ. It's like the sign of the Son of Man. It's a sign. It's the heavenly signs that Christ, He is going to directly intervene in world affairs because He has added enough and now it's time for him to say, that is it! That is it! Right? So let's look at Revelation chapter 6, at the end of verse 16 and 17. Revelation chapter 6 at the end of this chapter, verse 16 and 17. That is from verse 12 through to verse 15, it's basically the heavenly signs and basically I'm just calling them like the sign of the Son of Man and then it says and then when this sign happens it says that the people, the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, it says, they say, Follow us, verse 16, and I that's from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the man. It's the day of Christ's wrath. For the great day of his wrath has come, for and who is able to stand.

So the day of the Lord, the seventh seal, is the wrath of God, or the wrath of Christ, or the wrath of the Lamb. So the theme of this book of Revelation is the chaotic time events as seen from a perspective during the day of the Lord's time setting. So it's from that time setting that we're looking now at the events there. So the book of Revelation describes many events to occur on the day of the Lord, that is the judgments of God, on the scariest, on the exterior, through to Christ's Second Coming. And therefore, it's got some preambles first to get up to it. And then all the events and all the... it says, well, but now to explain, to give you a little bit more background, yeah, I've got to go back and bring that in, a little bit more background, I've got to bring that in. That's why you've got these inset chapters to bring you those bits of background to make it all fit.

And continuing them in verse 10, it says, And I heard it behind me, a loud voice as of a trumpet.

And then it says, saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Lost. And what you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Lao Vesea. So again, Christ is saying, yeah, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Lost, and what you see, write and send it to the seven churches. Again, like I mentioned earlier, this is addressed to the seven churches.

Now, I want you to note that maybe in your Bible that you have in front of you, there is an omission of the words, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Lost.

Because in Bible versions, we're based on the Alexandrian text, the same one that adulterated Revelation 22.14, as I mentioned to you a little earlier. It demonstrates the corruption of the New Testament text already early in history, because they omit that, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Lost.

So again, I want to emphasize, be careful when you read modern translations.

I tried to make it in bold and in bigger letters and in red to tell you, be careful of these modern translations, which are based on a corrupt manuscript and on top of it, the translators often introduce their false ideas, certainly under the good intentions to make the verses easier to understand. Be careful! Now, I understand that some of these Bibles, when you read certain historical things, make some of those stories easy to understand. But be careful, because many little changes here, and a little change there, and a little change elsewhere, very subtle, are hiding important meanings or diluting God's word. So be careful.

Also, John is instructed to write. He says, write!

In the book of Revelation, John is instructed to write 12 times. Now, obviously, this book of Revelation was not written in one day. Like people say, oh, well, this was on Sunday. No, it was a vision on the day of the Lord into the future, and he was instructed to write. And again, there is a blessing and a curse, a blessing to read it, and there is a curse, as we read at the end of the book of Revelation, in chapter 22. Let's just look at it there very quickly. At the end of chapter 22, in verse 18 and 19, it says, I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life. Who takes away his part from the book of life. In other words, he will not have his part in eternal life. That is quite a warning. And so, be careful with these Bibles that with good intentions are trying to make it easy to understand, but when you read it for understanding and you're reading them time and time again, their subtle words come in and they become recorded in your mind, but they have verses now in the game that have twisted God's words. So again, be careful. And once finally it is, this book is addressed or sent to the seven churches. It is important that we understand that he's sent to the seven churches.

Right. Let's look a little bit more about the seven churches. The seven churches are Ephesus, Smyrna, Progamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Lytusia. We can see them here. They are like, in those days, it was like a root that let's call it the mailman would do, and then we'll come back and we'll continue that root.

Interesting. Watch a couple of things that are interesting. These seven churches are used, as we will study later, they're used because they have specific characteristics that are obviously applicable to that time, because they were characteristics of that time, but they are specific characteristics of different, let's call it, phases or attitudinal changes over time of things that have happened in the church.

And so this represents basically the church at the time of the Apostles, Ephesus, and then moves to time till the time of the end, we have basically a prevailing attitude in the world, in society, which is affecting the church, which is now the sire. But as we read it, there are still some references or influences of Philadelphia, also the time of the end, and even some smaller Ephesus or Sardis. And another interesting thing to look at here is collusions, the letter to collusions. When you read the letter of collusions, it says, read this letter also to Laodicea, because they were towns next to each other. So the letter to the collusions, you could say, was a letter also to Laodicea. That's just an interesting point to observe there in that. Let's go on reading now in verse 12. It says, Then I turn to see the voice that spoke with me, and having turned I saw seven golden lampstands. So this is the voice of Jesus Christ. He's in the middle of the church throughout the ages. We read that in verse 10. He says he's in the middle of the churches throughout the ages of the church, because we see that of the seven golden lampstands. And if you read in verse 20, he says, I saw right there the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. So he is in the middle of that voice. He's in the middle of the seven lampstands. In other words, he's in the middle of the church. Christ is actively involved with the church, and he's sending this letter, the book of Revelation, to the church, not to the wall, to the church.

Right, verse 13. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like the son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girded about the chest with a golden band. So, yeah, is Christ in the midst of the church, is the son of man, clothed with a garment.

What garment is it? It's a priesthood garment. He's the high priest. Exodus 28 verse 2. Let's look at that. Exodus 28 verse 2. Exodus 28 verse 2.

It says, And Aaron, and you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory, and for beauty. It was this priestly garments for the high priest, for glory, and for beauty. Reverend, we shall be priests under Christ.

How do we dress? How do we dress? Do we go to church dressed sloppily with jeans or beach slops or something like that? Is that dressing in a way for glory and for beauty?

So, it's the thing to think about. Verse 14 and 15 of Revelation chapter 1. And it said, And his head, and the air were like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and his voice is the sound of many waters. And basically, we see our characteristics similar to those of the Father when you read in Daniel 7 verse 9. It's talking about the ancient of days, and it's talking about the Father, and very similar characteristics. The head, the head, like wool and white as snow. And it says, And his feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters. So, this just shows the power and the glory of Christ, and his strength, and his authority. And he had in his right hand seven stars. And again, from verse 20, he says, The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. So, who are these angels? The angel is a messenger, and we believe that they are the leaders of the physical leaders of the churches in these eras, or these various leaders. And he has them in his right hand. He's got them under his control, and he allows certain things that we will not allow.

And I saw him, and I fell at his feet as dead. So John saw Christ, and he said, I fell at his feet like dead. God's revelation, and also the revelation of the Son of God, and of his glory, had a similar effect at other times. You read when Abraham saw God, and as we know, it was Christ, because Christ is the one that is interacting with mankind. He's the one that everything has been delegated to him from beginning till the end. He's the one that created everything. He's the one that is involved in mankind. He's the one that's saving mankind. He's the one that's dying for us. He's the one that's coming to rule in the Second Resurrection. It just shows that same situation in Ezekiel as well, and in Daniel, and in the transfiguration. When they saw Christ, they fell down. In a transfigured, glorious state, they immediately fell down. So that is that same reaction. Verse 17, the second part, and verse 18, the first part, But he laid his right hand on me, saying to me, Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. In other words, this is Christ saying, I am the first and the last. I am who lives and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. In other words, he's basically interpreting what we've seen, who he is, and who was, and who is to come. And he's basically saying, that's me, that's Christ. And was dead. So, and I'm the first and the last. You see, he will start the execution of the Father's will, the Father's desire to bring many sons to glory, as I mentioned earlier on, to bring many sons into the kingdom, into the royal family of God. He will also complete it. And he was dead. So clearly it's talking about Christ. It's undoubtedly, it's clear.

And then let's look at verse 18, the latter part of verse 18. I have the keys of Hades and of death.

Now, the keys of Hades, that is the graves, the grave, Hades, you know, were the keys to open the graves and to bring people back to life from death. He has the keys. He is the one that has got the authority. He's got the authority to resurrect people. All authorities have been given to him. He's got the keys to open those graves and bring the dead and make them alive. He's got those keys, the keys of Hades to open the graves and to bring them back to life from death. Upon Christ's death and resurrection, he took from Satan the power of death. And he now has the power of life. Let's look at Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 and 15. Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 and 15.

Inasmuch then as children, as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same that through death he might destroy him for ruining, destroying, who had the power of death. That is the devil. He's destroying devil. He's got the power of death. Now he's got the power of bringing us back to life and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage. And you know what? He's going to release us and bring us back to life. He's got the power of life. We can live again by Christ's free gift of giving his life for us.

In 1 Corinthians 15 verse 54, the lack of power, in 55 and 56 it says death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where's your sting? Oh, Hades, in other words, oh grave, where's your victory? The sting of death, which is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. Yeah, because the law says you sin, you die.

The wages of sin is death. So sin causes death and Christ.

He's got the keys to bring us back from the grave, to bring us back to life. That's why in 1 Corinthians 15 says, oh death, oh Hades, oh death, oh grave, like in Revelation chapter 1 verse 18. Christ says, I have the keys of Hades and death. And so he's bringing us back to life because he's got the keys, he's got the authority. Why? Because he's paid the penalty of sin. So Romans 6 23 says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God, the gift of God is eternal life. So the first introduction of Revelation chapter 1, and basically verse 18, it basically wraps up chapter 1 because verse 19 and 20, as we'll see, is just saying right and explaining some symbols. So, up to you basically concludes the introduction. And this introduction now likes the very power, the very authority of Jesus Christ, his glory. It's all about Christ. You can see it's him, all about him. And it says it's given him this authority, this power. He has the keys of the graves. He has the keys to bring people back to life. He's the beginning and the end. He's got all this authority. So this in this first chapter is just info on the emphasizing the power of Christ. And then he says in verse 19, write the things you've seen and the things which are and the things which will take place. John is again, he's struck with the right down already, has seen the things that are such as the throne of God and events about the the handing of the scroll to Christ, which we'll see later in chapters 4 and 5, and the prophetic events that follow. So this shows the importance of this book and what's written here, which is the prophetic events around Christ's second coming, because he's got all the power, he's got all the authority. And he is now basically is from the heavenly signs onwards, from the sign of the man says of the Son of Man. Now I'm going to start ruling things. From that moment, he's intervening.

And therefore he says this information must be accurately stated. So is the whole Bible. You can't add or subtract from it.

And then he concludes in verse 20. It says, explaining what the seven stars are and what the seven lampstands are. The seven stars are the angels, the messengers, the Angalos, Agalos, which is the messengers of the seven churches, and the messenger, Agalos, can be physical or spiritual. But we believe it is the physical leaders of the church. Why? Because it's the revelation of Jesus Christ. Then he gave it to an angel. Then he gave it to John, and to John to write to the churches. And when he writes to the churches, it says to the angel, which basically means to the leader of that church. You see that chain of authority coming down. So it's written to the leaders of the church, to the leaders of which is in the hands of Christ. And the seven lampstands are the seven churches, the seven eras. In other words, the church of God in these two thousand years. Anyway, Brethren, I hope that becomes clear. Next week, we'll continue by starting to study the various church eras. And we'll start with the angel to the church of Ephesus.