{"id":16,"date":"2023-03-16T21:22:16","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T21:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/?p=16"},"modified":"2023-03-16T21:22:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T21:22:16","slug":"instructions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/2023\/03\/16\/instructions\/","title":{"rendered":"Instructions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Revelation 1:10-11<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I was in the Spirit on the Lord\u2019s day, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

and I heard behind me a loud voice like <\/em>the sound of a trumpet<\/em><\/strong>, saying, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWrite in a book what you see, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

and send it to the seven churches: <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John made it clear that his focus was not on his temporal circumstances.  The author was concentrating on the Spirit of God within him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is this spiritual focus that enabled John to receive what Christ has for him\u2014His Revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLord\u2019s day\u201d is only found in Scripture here.  Sunday, however, is always rendered \u201cthe first day of the week\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taken as a whole, what John is describing is not where or when he was physically on Patmos.  Instead, John is telling us where and when he was spiritually<\/em> at the time of the Revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I submit:  John is, throughout the book, describing the Day of the Lord.  He is adding the prophesy given him by Jesus Christ to those already written, including Joel 2:1-2:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blow a trumpet in Zion,<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And sound an alarm on My holy mountain!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For <\/em>the day of the Lord<\/em><\/strong> is coming;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surely it is near,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A day of darkness and gloom,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A day of clouds and thick darkness.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the dawn is spread over the mountains,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So there is a great and mighty people;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There has never been anything like it,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nor will there be again after it<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the years of many generations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John heard the Voice of the Savior, commanding His apostle to take three actions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. See everything presented in His Vision.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Write down exactly what is seen.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. Send the account of His Vision to the seven churches.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Continuing, in verses 12-13:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And having turned I saw <\/em>seven golden lampstands<\/em><\/strong>; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and in the middle of the lampstands I saw <\/em>one like a son of man<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and girded across His chest with a golden sash.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The seven lampstands are familiar, first shown by The Almighty to Moses in Exodus for the illumination of the Tabernacle.  Then, these same lampstands were shown by an angel to Zechariah, written in chapter four of the book bearing his name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In the midst of the lampstands, John saw what the prophet Daniel saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Daniel 7:10<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        I kept looking in the night visions,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And behold, with the clouds of heaven<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        One like a Son of Man<\/em><\/strong> was coming,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And He came up to the Ancient of Days<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And was presented before Him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The prophet also recognized the clothing seen by John, in 10:5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I lifted my eyes and looked, and <\/em>behold<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        there was a certain man dressed in linen, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Revelation 1:14-15<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and His eyes were like a flame of fire. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        His feet were like burnished bronze, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        when it has been made to glow in a furnace, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and His voice was like the sound of many waters.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        John is describing essentially the same vision as that written in Daniel 7:9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I kept looking<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Until thrones were set up,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And the Ancient of Days took His seat;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        His vesture was like white snow<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And the hair of His head like pure wool.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        His throne was ablaze with flames,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Its wheels were a burning fire.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And, in 10:6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        His body also was like beryl, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        his face had the appearance of lightning, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        his eyes were like flaming torches, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        John continues in verse 16:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In His right hand He held <\/em>seven stars<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The prophet Isaiah described the sword, in 49:2:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        He has made <\/em>My mouth like a sharp sword<\/em><\/strong>,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And He has also made Me a select arrow,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        He has hidden Me in His quiver.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The author of Hebrews also wrote, in 4:12:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        For <\/em>the word of God<\/em><\/strong> is living and active <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and <\/em>sharper than any two-edged sword<\/em><\/strong>,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        of both joints and marrow, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The appearance of Christ\u2019s face was like that witnessed by Peter, James, and John at the Transfiguration.  John\u2019s reaction in Matthew 17 foreshadowed what occurred in Revelation 1:17-19:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And He placed His right hand on me, saying, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cDo not be afraid; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I am <\/em>the first and the last<\/em><\/strong>, and the living One; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and I was dead, and <\/em>behold<\/em><\/strong>, I am alive forevermore, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and I have <\/em>the keys of death and of Hades<\/em><\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Therefore write the things which you have seen, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and the things which are, <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and the things which will take place after these things.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        John\u2019s vision, as compared to the one he shared with Peter and James, has Christ revealing His Deity, repeating His declaration from verse eight.  But, wait. There\u2019s more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Jesus affirms His Resurrection, along with a powerful declaration of His Authority:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Christ has the keys of death and of Hades.  At the very moment of His Resurrection, Jesus took possession of the conquered regions.  The stage is set.  The Day of The Lord is near.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Finally, Jesus Himself reveals the mystery of the symbols used in verses 12, 13 and 16 in verse 20:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        As for the mystery of the seven stars <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        which you saw in My right hand,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and the seven golden lampstands: <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        For now,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        ‘The Lord bless you, and keep you;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Lord make His face shine on you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And be gracious to you;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Lord lift up His countenance on you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And give you peace.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Revelation 1:10-11 I was in the Spirit on the Lord\u2019s day,  and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying,  \u201cWrite in a book what you see,  and send it to the seven churches:  to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17,"href":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16\/revisions\/17"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/athome114.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}