Revelation Chapter One, Seven Twice Over

Revelation 1:20 “The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

Our Lord gives John an explanation as to what the nature of the stars and lampstands are, so as not to leave the apostle (or us) in the dark. Christ is expositing His own word so that we may clearly understand the symbolism being invoked. And to be transparent, yes, symbolism is used in Revelation.

Revelation Chapter One, Present & Future Events

Revelation 1:19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

This verse requires a little consideration, since it is something of a lynch pin for chapter one. In verse 1 we are told that there are, “things which must shortly take place.” This is further stressed in verse 3, where we read that, “the time is near.”

Revelation Chapter One, Ownership

Revelation 1:18b Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and Death.

The Lord concludes verse 18 with the factual statement that he possesses the keys of Hades, or Hell, or Gehenna, and Death. The NKJV capitalizes the word Death, almost as if the idea of death was being personalized. We find Death and Hell together again in Revelation 20:13 and 14, where both are cast into the Lake of Fire.

Revelation Chapter One, Alive Forevermore

Revelation 1:18a I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. 

Christ our Lord goes on from telling John not to be afraid, to giving His divine credentials. There are many counterfeit Christs, both ancient and modern. Paul and John wrestled with such ideologies, stemming from Judaizers to Gnostics. Today we have Rome, the Watchtower, Mormonism, Islam’s Jesus, and so many more. They are legion, but they are false, united in their efforts to dethrone the true Christ and replace Him with a man-made counterfeit that will damn those who follow and materially enrich those who endorse the lie.