Revelation 1:9-20
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 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.”
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, u dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
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. [1]
________________
What is striking to me in this passage is how John identifies himself to the recipients of the letter. He says that he is their “brother and companion” in connection with Christ, but look he focuses on as being shared in Christ: suffering, kingdom and patient endurance.
Now, we might expect him to mention the kingdom. It would be natural to identify by the blessings that we share through our common faith and connection to Christ. But John also mentions suffering and patient endurance. These are among the items which he claims are “our in Jesus.”
No doubt John mentions this because it is a major theme of this entire book. But it is still striking. Especially in contrast to the triumphant, glorious appearance of Christ which follows. Christ looks anything but suffering. He appears completely triumphant and all-powerful. He makes reference to having been dead, but that is in the past, and now He is very much Lord of all.
This is a helpful picture to keep connected with the word about suffering and patient endurance. Christ calls us to take up a cross. He promises His followers that following Him will entail hardship, opposition and sacrifice. But at the same time He assures us that He is Lord of all. He has overcome death and the grave, and that at the conclusion of the journey, the Kingdom in its fullness awaits us.
This is essentially the main point of this book as well. Jesus summed it up in John 16:33. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
So my prayer today is for patient endurance that I may faithfully follow my Lord in any Kingdom task He calls me to do, knowing that the suffering of the present age isn’t work comparing to the Kingdom to be revealed.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
To subscribe to Abide Daily Devotion e-mail please click here.
[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Re 1:9–20). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Leave a Reply