Dear fellow redeemed: The last words that Christ gave to us came through “The Revelation of St. John.” As with a couple of Old Testament books, like parts of Daniel and Ezekiel, it is written in the form of an Apocalypse, a series of fantastical images that clearly are symbolic rather than literal. If that weren’t enough, the second sentence is often translated, “And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John1” or “Christ expressed this revelation by means of symbols sent through his angel to his servant John2” By using symbols, Christ
could speak to us in every age of the world in the same themes. By warning us of the two beasts of the antichristian power and the antichristian propaganda, for example, we can find examples in our own day, just as could Luther or Augustine.
There is no doubt that this was written toward the end of the first century by the apostle John. The fantastical images raised questions, but the early church accepted it as the work of the apostle from the beginning.
Between now and Pentecost we will read seven letters sent to actual churches in Asia.
These letters cover the first three chapters of Revelation. But in this introduction, we learn that our churches too, Faith and Our Savior are on His mailing list. While these were seven actual churches in the Roman province of Asia, churches throughout time have been like these seven at different times and in different ways.
Anyone living as a Christian in the world does well to listen to Jesus’ words of comfort and warning to us. For here …
THE ALMIGHTY LORD SPEAKS TO THOSE WHO ARE HIS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD
I. The Almighty Lord of All Speaks
II. To His Lights in the World
I. The Almighty Lord of All Speaks
With a couple of exceptions, historical and traditional sources tell us that John was the only apostle to die a natural death. All the others were martyred for their faith. This is why John is writing as an old man so late in the first century. But he had not made it through unscathed at all. He tells us, 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
He had been exiled to the small island in the Aegean Sea to prevent his testimony about Jesus. He was released to Ephesus in the year 96 and there he continued to preserve the churches from error as Christianity grew and as the devil tried to hide the light of the gospel through the introduction of many heresies, particularly from the Gnostics. Yet even then he faced persecution. He continued to be your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus. He had to endure the tribulation and suffering
that Christians have had to suffer throughout the ages and throughout the world. Even if we don’t struggle like Christians elsewhere, the fact is that we are now countercultural; we are out of step with a culture that is no longer Christian. John lived in a world that was overwhelmingly pagan and where the church was afflicted by false teachers. We live in a world in which virtues are turned into vices, and children and youth are taught to view forgiveness itself as violence and hate. We are tempted to wonder if God cares, if God is in the heavens, if
God has the power to protect His people.
In response to our wondering John passes on to us this revelation of Christ’s love and power. It comes … from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” … 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
So you should know that the One whom we worship, the One who is the Lord of the church and who urges us to bear up under tribulation and to be faithful to Him in the midst of the deceitfulness of the age is also the One whose glory shines forth in power and love and faithfulness and eternal victory. This is the One who has called us to repentance and has given us the perfect righteousness of His holy life. This is the One who has atoned for our sins and the sins of the world. This is the One who has called us to be lights in this world, proclaiming mercy,
forgiveness, and peace to a world that reeks of vengeance, condemnation, and hostility.
II. To His Lights in the World
He is also pictured standing among lights. “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, … The power of this figure, a representation of Christ, is clear, but what do the stars and the lamps mean. Some of the symbols in Revelation are interpreted for us. So also here: 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
You see that the churches are lights in the world. This is one way we understand that the letters are also to us, for Faith and Our Savior are to be lights in this world. We are in a world, and especially a part of this world that is covered in darkness. Consciences are in darkness so that truth and virtue and goodness are thought to be evil, and calls for repentance are called violence, and forgiveness is called hate.
Now it is easy to dump on the stubborn unbelievers around us, to think of how “they” are baaaad. But let’s look at ourselves, because we are the ones our Lord is speaking to here. Have we thought less of Jesus that He deserves? Have we been more afraid of what somebody in our family or circle of friends things of us than we are of the Lord of the Universe and King of all kings – and presidents and governors and bureaucrats and educators and influencers and tech moguls. They don’t stand a chance before Him, and neither do we if we are unfaithful.
Or have we perhaps been outspoken about the sins of our day, forgetting that we too are sinners? It is easy to think of ourselves as righteous amid such iniquity and forget that we too are sinners.
Or have we forgotten that our Lord came to save, and that the greatest darkness in the world is to not know Christ as Savior, and the greatest light is to proclaim the gospel of forgiveness to broken sinners? “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23, ESV)
Who will know of Christ if not from us? God have mercy on us for our silence! But that forgiveness is also for those who forget at times that Jesus Christ is Lord and are silent when they should speak of light and peace, and the hope that we have in Christ. In Jesus’ name, speaking for him, I forgive you also.
So let us now consider what lies ahead for us, who are the light of the world, and who serve the True and Living Lord. For THE LORD IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! HALLELUIA!
AMEN.
1 The New King James Version (Re 1:1). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
2 Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (Re 1:1). (2019). Northwestern Publishing House.