“In the Spirit” was communing not conjuring
Saul, as the first king of Israel he did not launch that kingship very well. Toward the end of his reign this Jewish king consulted a spiritist, a witch or medium as the Bible calls her. He told the Witch of Endor to conjure the prophet Samuel. This may seem like a very odd thing to include in a passage about Revelation and being in the Spirit. There is a picture I wish to paint, though: Saul’s actions were “demandy.” Saul wasn’t patient, and that got him up the spiritual creek. In fact, his downfall was rushed along when he impatiently offered a sacrifice that only Samuel was God-authorized to perform. Saul was on man-time, man’s way, living Frank Sinatra’s “I did it my way” style. Saul told the witch to do a thing, to call-up Samuel, to conjure him from the dead.
Contrast that with communing. John was praying, meeting with God, going about tasks spiritual. When God was ready he sent his message to John. These contrasting approaches are critical distinctions between the way of God’s will being done versus man’s will being done. The former is the way of heaven and the latter the way of earth.
A trumpet of a voice
God came and this time he came not with a still small voice, but with a vibrant, loud voice. It was not a sound of a trumpet, but was loud and prominent like a trumpet. Trumpets are instruments of announcement and Jesus was there with one, a big one for the church.
The first thing from Jesus in this moment was a command, a command to write. It was not going to be a letter of his own initiative, but God’s. It was not a letter of instruction, but of prophecy. That is another reason why he wrote as brother not elder, partner not premiere, companion not commander. John was to do the bidding of Jesus.
It is here that we see the list of seven churches. God picked them out naming them one by one to John.
John’s job: see, write, send
This verse can be taken very literally. There are no odd Greek-English translational speed bumps here. The word see is the word blépō. In verse 71 the English word see was also used, but in that verse it meant perceive or understand. When Jesus returns people will grasp and understand what his return means with a clarity beyond words. Here in verse 11 see just means visual observation.
So John was to write a book about what he saw and then send it off to these seven churches.
Our job: read to understand
So considering verse 7 and verse 11 together some conclusions can be drawn. John was to see the vision and write a book. We are to read that book to the point of understanding. John’s role was not interpretive, but descriptive. The sevenfold spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, would then take the words John wrote and interpret, illuminate if you will, them to readers down through the various church eras. The Holy Spirit will teach and remind us of all things. Jesus said that. The Holy Spirit comes alongside and gives that insight. What I am putting here is part of that package.
Summary
- John is humble, self-identifying as a peer.
- John communed with God, not demanding God do this or that, but waiting on him.
- We are to allow the Holy Spirit to teach us from what God showed John.
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