Seven

DEVOTION

THE REVELATION

SEVEN

Rev 1:19-20

19 "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

NIV

Jesus is instructing John to write down what he is now seeing, which of course we have already read, and what he is going to see that will take place later, which is still going to take place. We have not seen the later yet, but we can be sure this later will someday be the now. What John is seeing is Jesus standing there with these seven lampstands in one hand and seven stars in the other. Here Jesus explains the mystery of them. It would be good to note that word mystery simply means something which is hidden. The truth of a matter is hidden from the understanding of the viewer. Some of us are guilty of thinking that God, the three in one, is a mystery. Are they actually three distinct persons or are they all the same one in different forms? Yet a mystery is only a mystery until the truth of it is revealed, which Jesus is doing here. He is revealing a mystery so that John has the truth of the matter in the vision he saw. As to this explanation we might think it still is somewhat of a mystery. Who are the seven angels or messengers? Who are the seven churches? We know the names of them as they are given to us in the following letter which is to be written to each of them. Much discussion has been had over the meaning of who these churches represent. Are we to suppose there are only seven churches in all the lands, by the time John had been banished to this Island of Patmos? Is that all there is? Paul, with all his travels was only able to start seven churches? What about the other disciples? We are not told of any effects they had on starting new churches, except we know there were home churches all over. Although we have locations given but yet as we will see, can we assume that each location, each church only had one good aspect and one specific bad aspect? Some scholars are thinking these seven refer to seven ages in the course of church history. Other scholars have slightly different opinions. It would be wise of us to understand many people, including scholars and theologians look through filters or prisms from either a denominational bias, or perhaps from a more general bias toward either Calvinistic, Wesleyan or Armenian views. Most of us approach whatever we read or see from some sort of preconceived notion, or filter. That is the human way. If we approach these words with the filter of God, with an open heart and mind, setting aside any human filters, we should be able to see it through the power of the Spirit in the filter of God.  So again are they saying that only during certain times in history the church had only one good aspect and only one specific bad aspect? That just does not make any sense at all. It would seem they are simply trying to understand a mystery that has not been revealed to them. But if we take them all, all seven and apply them to our life, then we can see that we have some areas in our life that pleases the Lord but we also have some areas in our life that displease him and we need correction, we need to overcome those areas with the help of the Spirit. We need to become overcomers and when we do we can see all the blessings that will come upon us from the hand of God. We have to always be aware the word of God is not directed just for one person or one people, or for one moment in history, or time. The word is a living word for all mankind to be able to know God, and to know his relationship to his creation. It is a living breathing truth for all of us in all times in history and the future. These words were not just for seven specific historical churches. These words are for us. We need to see them for what they are. We have been given the Spirit who leads us into all truth and that would mean these words are not a mystery, but a revealed truth to us for our benefit. Does this mean all the scholars who still think of them as a mystery are not actually being led by the Spirit? That is not for us to say, but what we can be sure is that God does not intend for us to live in a mystery. The Bible is not a mystery novel. It is the truth, and that truth is revealed to us through the Spirit. What we do know is that seven is God’s perfect number. There is meaning in that as well. We will see the use of the number 666 at some point and that is nothing more that something short of God’s perfect number, it represents imperfection. God is simply using his perfect number to show us how we need to live as overcomers. Seven good areas, seven not so good areas and seven rewards for being an overcomer. This is what we will see. To him who overcomes.