Revelation 1:11-12

¹¹ Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Write promptly what you see (your vision) in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia—to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.

 

·         Asia means sunrise.

·         Ephesus means the desired one

·         Smyrna means a highly valued spice

·         Pergamum means mixed marriage

·         Thyatira means hill graveyard

·         Sardis means those who come out

·         Philadelphia means brotherly love

·         Laodicea means law abiding people

·         I really do not know if the name of the seven churches means anything more than their name. But at as we study Revelation and we focus on the spiritual side and meaning of what we are shown I thought it would be nice to know.

¹² Then I turned to see [whose was] the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,

·         Seven represents God’s timing, so the message has perfect timing. Remember too that we are being shown everything in its entirety for the end times, Revelation 1:1.

·         Gold represents perfect and true riches of faith.

·         Lamp stands are the holders of the Light. The Light is Jesus, so the lamp stands are seven churches. We will be shown this at the end of Chapter 1.

·         Jesus is everywhere. As we will read He is even in churches that are not really doing what they should or could be doing. The actions of the churches does not for one second limit Jesus from being there with them.  

·         This is a Truth that many fail to understand. Even when sin is abounding, our Father’s grace is there super abounding it.

·         But then Law came in, [only] to expand and increase the trespass [making it more apparent and exciting opposition]. But where sin increased and abounded, grace (God’s unmerited favor) has surpassed it and increased the more and superabounded, Romans 5:20

·         Our Father is the Father of all. So of course He is there regardless of how we are acting. A loving parent doesn’t abandon a child, they correct the child. So Jesus is everywhere regardless of the situation.

·         This is a great Truth to keep in mind as we study about the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation is a time of correction, it is not a time of our Father getting even with His children. It is a time that He corrects them. We  may kick and scream, but our Father will be victorious. He would that all men be saved and through Christ, all men will.

·          Who wishes all men to be saved and [increasingly] to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [divine] Truth. 1 Timothy 2:4