"9 I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet 11 saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle. 14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last, 18 and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19 Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter; 20 the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches" (Rev. 1:9-20).

The first thing to notice is that the Apostle John was in prison when he received this revelation. In writing to the seven churches of Asia, the Apostle spoke of himself as "your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience. ..." A person is impressed, as he reads the Scriptures, with the thought that the apostolic writers placed themselves on the same level as the laymen and never climbed upon an ecclesiastical pedestal to usurp authority over the laity--as has been done so very frequently since then. He was simply a brother along with the other brethren of the churches, because he had the like precious faith as they did in the one common Lord, Jesus Christ.

Another thing that they had in common was that they were partakers of the tribulation, and of the kingdom, and of the patience that are in Christ. The churches in Asia at this time had not suffered any great persecutions, so far as we know. The church at Smyrna was facing, as John told them, some persecution that was in the immediate future. The apostolic writers never shrank from persecution, but they considered such a part of their lives, a part of the program for their lives and testimony. Let us differentiate the statement by John that he was a partaker with them "in the tribulation" from that period of time which is usually called "the great tribulation." The Apostle Paul assured the churches which he established on his first missionary tour that "through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God [the Millennial Kingdom]" (Acts 14:22). Such tribulations are the ones concerning which John was speaking on this occasion. But the great Tribulation, mentioned in Revelation 7:14, is a period of seven years with which this present Christian Dispensation concludes, and during which God's severest judgments will fall upon the earth.

John was likewise a partaker of the kingdom, along with the brethren to whom he was writing. The kingdom of which he was speaking is the present, spiritual kingdom into which we have been brought by being translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the Son of God's love (Col. 1:18). This spiritual kingdom was established on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ. One enters it by being born again, by being regenerated by the Spirit of God. But those who are in the present spiritual kingdom will enter "into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" when the Lord comes with His saints at the conclusion of the Tribulation Period. These two different phases of the kingdom must be clearly kept in mind if we are to understand correctly the Scriptures, especially the prophetic word. John was likewise a partaker of the patience which is in Christ. The word rendered "patience" is, in the footnote of the Revised Version (published 1901) translated stedfastness. Persecutions and trials develop in the faithful child of God the qualities of stedfastness and patience. These persecutions are necessary for the development of our Christian character.

John was on the Isle of Patmos because of his preaching the word of God and giving his testimony concerning the Lord Jesus. How long he was there, we do not know. Where he was when he was arrested and banished to the island, we do not know--we have no information regarding these points. It is quite probable, however, that he was arrested in Ephesus, where he engaged in a long ministry.

If a person preaches faithfully the Word of God and gives forth a clear, ringing testimony, as did the Apostles from personal experience, regarding the resurrection of Christ and His being the Son of God and Saviour of the world, he will have clashes with the world and, sooner or later, will undergo persecution. Yea, all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecutions!

John states that be was "in the Spirit on the Lord's day," when he received this communication from the Lord Jesus Christ. What is the meaning of "the Lord's day"? Two answers are given: First, that it refers to the first day of the week; second, that it indicates the day of Jehovah, or the day of the Lord. It seems probable that it here refers to the first day of the week. The fact which points in this direction is that the word translated "Lord's" is an adjective which is used only twice in the New Testament, and which, properly rendered, is "lordly." In I Corinthians, chapter 11, Paul speaks about the "lordly supper." But our translation renders the passage: "the Lord's supper" (I Cor. 11:20). Since John was, in this verse, giving the data concerning his whereabouts and the time, naturally this expression, "lordly day," would indicate what is called "the Lord's day," the first day of the week.

In what way could John mean by our term, "the day of Jehovah," or, "the day of the Lord"? It is altogether possible that, when the Spirit came upon him, he was carried forward in vision by the Spirit to the time of the Tribulation which in the Old Testament, is called "the day of Jehovah," or, "the day of the Lord." Thus John could have been thinking in such terms and could have meant that he was transported to the time of the great Tribulation. There is no doubt that he was carried forward by the Spirit according to II Peter 1:19-21, and that he was let down in the midst of the judgments of the day of the Lord. But it is not likely that this is his thought in verse 10. It is more probable, as already suggested, that he was talking about the first day of the week and his receiving the revelation on that day.

The Book of Revelation was sent, according to the instructions given John, to the seven churches in the little province of Asia which was in the western part of Asia Minor. Since it was directed to seven different churches, we might think of it as a circular letter, dispatched to these various congregations. They were of like faith and order and were not seven churches in the modern denominational sense of the term. It is quite likely that the original autograph penned by the Apostle John was sent to the church at Ephesus first, for that is the first one that is mentioned, in 1:11, and is the first of the seven to which a letter is directed; as indicated in 2:1. It is quite likely that, when this letter was received by the church at Ephesus, a copy of it was made and then the original was sent to Smyrna, the next church. This church also possibly had a duplicate of the letter made and, retaining their copy, sent the original on to the next church. Finally, it is quite likely that copies were made of this book and were sent to other churches in various parts of the world. A little insight as to how the New Testament letters began to be circulated in larger circles than the local groups to which they were originally addressed is found in Colossians 4:16: "And when this epistle hath been read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye also read the epistle from Laodicea." In just such a manner the letters addressed to various churches and the Gospels addressed to certain nationalities began to be spread out over the Greco-Roman world, by being copied by different scribes.

When John was in solitude on Patmos on the Lord's day, he heard a great voice behind him which reminded him of the sound of a trumpet, calling to him and saying: "What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches. . . ." Thereupon John turned and looked around. When he did so, there was presented to his vision the likeness of seven candlesticks, or lampstands. Moving around among them was none other than the glorified Son of man, a description of whom is given in 1:13-16. According to verse 13 He was clothed with a garment down to His feet and was also girt about the chest with a golden girdle. His head and His hair were, as we see in verse 14, "white as white wool, white as snow." His hair's being white is probably indicative of His eternal existence. This thought is possibly borrowed from Daniel 7:9 which pictures the Lord God Almighty, the Father, as having "the hair of his head like pure wool," who is there called the "ancient of days," the One existing from all eternity. Since Christ on this occasion as set forth by John has hair white as wool, white as snow, doubtless the same idea or thought is advanced, namely, His eternal existence.

His eyes were as a flame of fire. This feature would naturally indicate indignation, wrath. Today we often speak of one's anger in terms of his facial expression, and say, "His eyes shot fire!" Quite obviously John recognized that the Son of God was indignant over something.

In verse 15 we are told that His feet were as burnished brass. With such feet He could go roughshod over any opposition, or any obstacles that might lie in His path. Again, in this connection we are told that His voice was "as the sound of many waters." This feature of the description likewise indicates a perturbed spirit and indignation of soul. According to verse 16 He had in His right hand seven stars and out of His mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. The seven stars, as we see in verse 20, are symbolic of the seven churches. ". . . Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword." Doubtless since words flow from, or come out of, a person's mouth, and since the sharp two-edged sword proceeded out of the mouth of the Son of God, naturally we interpret this phenomenon as indicative of His word of wrath and indignation in pronouncing judgment upon those against whom He was indignant. In Ephesians 6:10-20 the Apostle Paul compared the Christian to the Roman soldier with his armament. Among the things which he said to them was his advice that they should take "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17). Thus the Word of God seems to be symbolized by this sharp two-edged sword which proceeded out of the mouth of the glorified, indignant Son of God.

Also in verse 16 we are told that Christ's countenance was brilliant, "as the sun shineth in his strength." There was shining forth and irradiating from His person manifestations of His glorious, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent divine Being.

This description of the Son of God showed Him in His attitude in the year A.D. 96 when the Book of Revelation was written. The churches had not progressed as they should have done; but on the contrary, they were on a very low plane in comparison with that on which they should have been moving. Hence the displeasure of the Lord against them.

The glorified Christ was moving in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, which symbolized the churches, as is shown in 1:20. Though He was in heaven, yet He was in a very real sense on earth, walking in the midst of the churches.

John tells us that when He saw the Son of man thus glorified, he fell at His feet as one dead. It is no wonder that this vision of Christ had such a paralyzing effect upon the Apostle. He had seen Jesus, during His lifetime, manifesting His lamb qualities. But on this occasion he saw Him manifesting His lion traits--He was indignant at the situation, and His divine ire and wrath were profoundly stirred. He was and is both the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world and the Lion of the tribe of Judah, that will go forth against all opposition when the time comes. We are to believe that John actually fell over, almost frightened to death.

John tells us that the Lord then took hold of his right hand and said: "Fear not; I am the first and the last, 18 and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades" (vss. 17,18). Thus with these comforting words John's fears were allayed, and he quickly returned to his normal condition.

The Lord spoke of Himself as "the first and the last," or, as He at different times spoke of Himself as being the "Alpha and Omega." As alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, so Christ is from all eternity of the past and will continue throughout the ages to come.

He left glory, entered the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth, and served His day and generation. He then went to the cross, where He was crucified. Thus He was put to death. His body was laid in the tomb, but His spirit went down to Hades. On the third day He came forth from the tomb, a triumphant Conqueror! His spirit re-entered His body. He arose from the dead. During the forty days following His resurrection, He appeared at various times to different ones of His disciples. (There were ten appearances altogether.) The disciples had the opportunity of seeing, touching, and feeling His body, and of hearing Him. Thus they knew that He had arisen from the dead. He will never return to death any more. He brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. At the time of the ascension the Lord Jesus sat down at the right hand of the throne of God and is there making intercession for all who come to God by Him, being able to save unto the uttermost all who desire to be saved, and who come to Him for this redemption.

As stated above, Jesus, after He had accomplished His work by going down to Hades, seized the keys of death and Hades and came forth, liberating all the saved from the realm of death. With the keys of death and Hades in His possession He showed that He is the Master of the spirit world. When He ascended on high, He led those whom He had released from Hades to glory. Since then He has ever had the keys of death and Hades. We praise God that the believer today goes immediately upon death into the presence of Christ and does not go down into Hades, as they did prior to His victory.

John in verse 19 was commanded to write three things: (1) The things which thou sawest; (2) the things which are; (3) the things which shall come to pass hereafter. The things which John saw constitute the vision which he beheld, of the Son of man walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (chap. 1). The things which are, are the seven churches to whom the seven letters were sent (chaps. 2 and 3). The things which shall be hereafter consist of chapters 4 through 22.

As has already been suggested, the stars are symbols of the angels--literally, messengers--of the churches, possibly the leading persons in each congregation to whom the people looked for guidance. The candlesticks symbolize the churches. Candlesticks cannot give light of themselves. When, however, the oil is poured into the lampstand, it can give light. These seven lampstands symbolize the complete church, the number seven being the numeral indicating perfection, completeness.