Understanding Revelation

Last week in our opening message to our Revelation series I said we would learn about the symbols, numbers, metaphors, Old Testament stories, the beasts of Revelation and such as we worked our way up to chapter four. I said we would learn a little as we go each week so that we would have a better view of the imagery we would encounter in and beyond chapter 4—it get’s intense visually after chapter 3. Each week I was going to put that in the beginning of each message. But this week (and maybe every week) it makes the message too long and too broad in scope. I’ve decided to write to you rather than include the lesson in this week’s message. 

This is the first installment of us building a KEY or a LEGEND together. If you’re familiar with maps (this is a dying discipline in our GPS world) you are familiar with the corner legend that helps interpret the scale, the routes, the railroads, the colors, and any other helpful symbol on the map. We are making something similar for our understanding of Revelation. This morning’s legend entry is brought to you by the number “seven.” 
  
This is the first installment of us building a KEY or a LEGEND together. If you’re familiar with maps (this is a dying discipline in our GPS world) you are familiar with the corner legend that helps interpret the scale, the routes, the railroads, the colors, and any other helpful symbol on the map. We are making something similar for our understanding of Revelation. This morning’s legend entry is brought to you by the number “seven.” 

The Number 7

In the first chapter the number “7” was used a lot. John wrote about seven churches, seven spirits, seven golden lampstands and seven Stars. That’s quite a few “sevens” in this first chapter. We will encounter over 60 times when the number "7" or “seventh” is mentioned throughout the book.  

The Seven Churches in Revelation 2–3

There are seven: churches, letters, spirits, lampstands, stars, seals, horns, eyes, angels, trumpets, thunders, (7) thousand people, heads, crowns, plagues, bowls, hills, kings, last visions. There is also seven blessing statements beginning with the one we found last week in verse three. Wow! That’s a lot of sevens. 

You may have heard someone say before, “Seven is God’s perfect number.” True, it is. It is perfect in that it is the number God uses to communicate completeness, wholeness or fullness going all the way back to the beginning when He rested from the completed work of creation on the seventh day. The Israelites were taught that every seventh year their fields were to lie fallow—unplanted; a year of rest after the completion of work. In the New Testament there are seven statements of Jesus recorded during His crucifixion, ending with Him surrendering His Spirit into the Father’s hand—His sacrifice was complete—it was finished. 

So, when we run into the number seven in the Bible, especially here in Revelation, we should think in terms of fullness, wholeness or completeness. 

For instance, when John writes to the seven churches—and we’ll talk more about this going forward—we should think in terms of wholeness and completeness. John most assuredly knew of more than seven churches to whom he could have written. And we are certain he expected his letters to be shared beyond the seven churches he mentions. When he writes to the seven churches he is writing to the whole, full, complete Church. He is writing to all the churches. These seven individual churches represent all the churches at the time and throughout time. The struggles these seven churches have, represent the struggles that many churches throughout time and location have struggled with and are struggling with. The letters were written to these particular churches for their specific help, encouragement and warning. But the letters were intended also for all churches throughout time that make up the Church. 

Seven represents FULLNESS, WHOLENESS, COMPLETENESS. 

Another example would be “the Lamb that was slain and yet standing”—a reference to the resurrected Christ—who has seven horns. The horns represent power and strength. When we understand the number seven, the way the first century listeners understood the number, we will see what they saw when they heard the book being read. 

Hopefully this makes sense to you. That’s our first lesson in helping us understand the imagery that is coming. I look forward to being with you tomorrow as we focus on the person of Jesus Christ revealed in verses fourteen through twenty.