Revelation Part 12
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for Monday 27th October 1997
Revelation Part 12
(Revelation 1:11 NKJV) saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
First and the Last," 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 Laodicea."
God writes to people and churches. One of the great differences
between the Bible and say a book on philosophy is that the Bible is
written to specific people in specific places and times in history.
It is not separate from the stream of life. It partakes of time and
place and culture and the little idiosyncrasies of life. These were
real churches full of real people who needed to hear from Jesus. And
He spoke to them.
At the same time that God speaks into history He also lives far
beyond it as the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. [There is
some difference among Greek manuscripts here and many modern
translations leave out this part of verse 11 eg the NIV just has:
(Revelation 1:11 NIV) which said: "Write on a scroll what you see
and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum,
Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."] However I shall make
the choice to go with it. In verse 8 we have 'the beginning and the
end" here we have "the first and the last". arche and telos had
special meanings in the Gnostic world of John's day and so do protos
and eschaton (first and last). They indicate that from the beginning
to the consummation of Creation it is all Jesus. From the first
creative principle (wisdom) to the last trumpet all is Christ.
The first/last distinction may be important in the light of the fact
that the Gnostics had a strict hierarchy of 'gods' that ran from pure
spirit (first) to matter (last). Jesus as the incarnate God was the
shocking paradox of being both protos and eschaton. The first and the
last. The fullness of deity in bodily form. (Col 2:9)
The seven churches have puzzled commentators down the years and
three main interpretations have arisen....
1) Seven successive church ages.
2) Seven different types of churches found in any age.
3) Seven churches in Asia at that time. Prophecy has been fulfilled.
I side with one commentator who takes all three as occasion suits!
Each has its strengths and weaknesses and none can be dismissed
entirely. Prophecies often have multiple layers of meaning and that
well may be the case here.
Jesus has not stopped speaking to His church! Though He ascended
into heaven some 60 years before Revelation was written He still
had things to say to His people through John. Jesus has not gone
silent. He still communicates to His people through the Scriptures,
through the Holy Spirit and through godly men and women in the midst
of the church. Jesus spoke to the church through Martin Luther,
Calvin, Wesley, Finney, and many greater and lesser saints of God.
Jesus does not leave His people to "muddle through". He loves us far
too much for that!
Prayer:
PRAYER GOES HERE
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