Week 2 - In the Presence of the King

Summary of Week 2:


Week 2 Audio
Week 2 Notes


John is writing to seven downtrodden churches who are facing the harsh realties of persecution. John is given a vision of the eternal reality so that he might share it with those consumed by the temporal reality. The message of Revelation is a call for "patient endurance" to the Church as they face the realities of fallen world and await the return of Christ.


In chapter 1, we get the first part of the vision. John says that he sees "one like a son of man". John is scared to point that he falls down as though dead. Yet John need not be afraid, for the "son of man" puts his right hand on John's shoulder. The right hand being the hand of favor.


We also see seven lampstands that are "among" the son of man. Yet we know that these lampstands are also on earth (i.e. seven churches in Asia). So what is the point? There is a cosmic/spiritual reality going on behind the visible reality of our lives. We should be encouraged by the fact that there is more to life than what we can see with our eyes. Christians are in some sense members of two different kingdoms, both the earthly and heavenly kingdoms. We are to live out our lives, in faith, here on this earthly kingdom as we await our entrance into the heavenly kingdom.