Chapter 1 - part 2
“I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient
endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the Word of G-d and the testimony of
Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the L-rd’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to
Smyrna, and to Per’gamum, and to Tyati’ra and to Sardis and to Philadelphia, and to La-odice’a.”
Rev.1.9-11
John is imprisoned at the time of this writing and to the ones he is writing, he says that he is one “who share(s) with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance”. First question we have is why when John talks about his present situation does he use the past tense “was” yet when talking to his audience he uses the present tense “share”? Most commentaries say he was talking to fellow Christians of his time and that this “book” was a book of hope. We disagree because so much of the book of Revelations has secret wording that many could not understand all that was said. In fact please go to our previous writing on the first chapter and you will see a criteria to read with understanding, then we know that Yeshua will near to coming. We believe there are two possible explanations for the change in tense. The first is that he was caught up in the Spirit, thus he was truly free from his imprisonment at the time of the writing. The second is that it was meant for a future time, which would better fit the introduction John gave in the beginning of Revelations.
Besides, John was Jewish and the Words he used belonged to a special group of Jews who had obtained the “higher learning” known as the Kabbalah (or “to receive”). This teaching was locked away from the young, was unknown by the Goyim (it was handed down verbally until very recently- Jewish scholar to mature Jewish student) and unapproachable to the poorly educated (it required thirty years of study in Yeshivas before even the basics could be learned). Short of the grace of G-d that can overcome all these obstacles, there was little or no chance for a non-Jew, or a Jewish Christian to learn the Kabbalah until recently. It was truly the Grace of G-d that called to Judah to write most of the Kabbalah down and to open these secrets through the Internet. Knowing Kabbalah opens prophetic scripture to those once blinded to the meanings and this will become clear as we show the definitions to commonly misunderstood words for beings and their attributes. It’s not mere “symbolic language” but a language to a disciplined mind, like music notation is in the score of an overture. Give the score to someone who knows nothing of sharps, flats and measures and it will look like gibberish, unrelated symbols without clear meaning. But hand this same score to a conductor of an orchestra and he will understand it without any trouble at all.
When John wrote this letter, the Church was beginning to move away from it Jewish roots towards it mission to reach out to all the earth with her testimony. John was a rabbi, a scholar and an elderly sage. Yeshua called him after he had learned the deep secrets and then gave John this prophecy to write in the language of the Kabbalah. Then few if any in his time would understand his words because they were not for his time, but ours. Because the Internet has allowed Christians to peer into Judah’s secret places as well as the Church graciously allowing her Jewish children to also return back to Torah, the words once hidden are now easier to understand. After all, the foundation was calling out to us with the other seven spirits of the Tree of Life and these spirits were the ones we can perceive. Therefore the words “who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance” was to not so much for earlier Christians; although these did find some comfort in the confusing book (in fact their ignorance was a blessing because all they could accurately perceive was the hope for the righteous and the judgment on the unrighteous). So why say that we share “tribulation” and “patient endurance”? Maybe the text itself will give us all a clue.
“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a Son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round His beast; His head and His hair were as white wool, white as snow; His eyes were like a flame fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters; in His right hand He held seven stars, from His mouth issued a sharp sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength.” Rev.2.12-16
The seven golden lampstands are the seven churches and are explained in verse 20. Yet they are also seen in the Tanakh (Hebrew scriptures) in Zech.4.2:
“And he (the angel) said to me, ‘What do you see?’ I said, ‘I see, and behold, a lampstand, with a bowl on top of it, and SEVEN LAMPS on it with seven lips on each of the lamps which are on the top of it.”
And little further we read:
“These seven are the eyes of the L-rd, which range through the whole earth.” 4.10
Note first, that these seven churches are founded upon one, which we see as the one founded on Peter- the Holy Roman Catholic Church. These lamps also have eyes that range over all the earth so we read that they cannot be limited to Asia Minor as the name of these churches suggests. Lastly, they have seven lips - but what are these? These we feel represent the spirit given to each of the seven churches (we discuss this further in the discussion of each church). Yeshua stands amidst them wearing a long robe and a golden girdle, which we suspect belongs to the High Priest, Ex.28.15. He is our High Priest and He wears the Breastplate of Judgment, thus it is Yeshua, our High Priest who has come back to judge His church. And of the hair, it is our strength and his is pure and His eyes flame with fire.
On the flame of fire Paul writes:
“Each man’s work will become manifest; for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed in fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” 1Cor.3.13
All those who die before this day have purgatory’s fire to refine them (though some righteous avoids the fires of purgatory). Yet here lays a promise that one day purgatory will break forth on our earth, upon those not destined to be among the 144,000, and they will be refined or cast away. Here in this prophecy His eyes (sharp/penetrating into the heart) burn with this flame, which may be seen as judgment but can also be perceived from 1Cor.3.13 as a refiner’s fire like the fires of purgatory which purge the dross from the metal of our souls. Thus from these clues we see this as the judgment He brings is to purify the hearts of the righteous in His Assembly.
Banished bronze:
As for His feet they carry the color and metal of the serpent raised up by Moshe in the wilderness that if we looked upon it (just as His cross), we would be saved from the fiery serpent’s bite, that is the bite from the fires of Hell, Jn.3.14-15 and Num.21.4-9. Why then wear His cross upon His feet? Well, many things rest beneath the feet of G-d, darkness (Ps.18.9), clouds of dust (Nah.1.3) are two, however, in Habakkuk 3.5 plagues come forth from His feet (this from the more literal interpretation). Also the Father’s feet rest on earth and He will make the place of His feet glorious, Is.60.13. Thus if the banished bronze represent His cross and this rest upon His feet, then might the cross now rest upon the earth? In other words, we are all called to “take up our cross and follow Him”. If we fail to do this might we then face the judgment of plagues come down to earth to refine the church? This is our suspicion from the clues we found.
A voice of “many waters”:
“When He utters His voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,” Jer.10.13
“And behold, the glory of the G-d of Israel came from the east; and the sound of His coming was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone His glory.” Ez.43.2
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the L-rd, as the waters cover the sea.” Hab.2.14.
Thus many waters are to signify the voice of G-d, however many waters can also mean many peoples and nations:
“The waters that you saw, where the harlot is seated, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues.” Rev.19.15
Waters can also signify danger or distress as in 2Sam.22.17: “and He reached from on high and drew me out of many waters”
So which definition might John have wanted this passage to reflect? Well, Jeremiah wrote that there is a “tumult of waters in the heavens” which erupts when He utters His voice. These waters are in heaven, not on earth. Therefore can G-d’s voice shake up G-d’s voice? We don’t think so. Neither can there be danger or distress in heaven as long as G-d is there. This would then lead us to the other possible definition of the multitude (peoples, nations and tongues). Thus might this be saying that when Yeshua speaks, a multitude from every nation and peoples will be brought unto heaven, because this influx would cause a tumult by our understanding, Rev.7.9-17? Then this would flag in our eyes that with the promise of the refiner’s fire and wrath there also rests mercy for those who are righteous, because according Paul in Rom.5.9 the righteous, because they trust in the sacrifice, will not suffer wrath which G-d will inflict on sinners. This does not however mean we will not suffer tribulations or persecutions. Paul affirms in that very same chapter that we would suffer tribulations just before reassuring us on the freedom from G-d’s wrath, Rom.5.3-5. In fact Paul mentions that we will endure tribulations for the faith two other times in Rom.8.35-39, 12.12 that only shows that tribulation and “the wrath” are not one in the same.
The seven stars:
These are also explained in verse 20 as the message that the seven angels (seven lips) are to give.
From His mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword:
In the Brith HaDoshah we find one other reference to the two-edged-sword:
“”Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, that no one fall by the same disobedience. For the word of G-d is living and active, sharp as a two-edged-sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intensions of the heart.” Heb.4.11-13
Connected to this to another passage in the actual letters and we see an even deeper meaning: “Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of My mouth.” Rev.2.16
This passage seems very clear to us that this flags Rev.19.15, and this event is HaMoshiach’s return. All those on earth have faced His wrath by this time so the sword of His mouth would be double edged because one side brings relief to the righteous of the wrath who now can rest from their labors, Rev.14.13, whereas the other side brings terror and damnation to the unrighteous that do not repent. How does this same sword connect to His Word? We feel this is by the promises made in the Tanakh (Hebrew scriptures) and Brith HaDoshah (New Testament) that say He will return again to judge the living and the dead. G-d’s word is “living and active” and will not pass away until all things promised in heaven and on earth are fulfilled.
“When I saw Him I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand upon me, saying ‘Fear not, I Am the first and the last, and the living One, I died, and behold I Am alive forever more, and I have the keys of death and Hades. Now write what you have see, what is and what is to take place hereafter.” Rev.1.17-19
When a righteous person is faced with the King of kings, they can’t help crumble beneath His glory. Does this mean they don’t know mercy? We doubt this, but we truly feel what they do know is that mercy is in the hands of G-d and it is arrogance to assume you are worthy to stand before Him and look Him in the eye. We will agree fully that we are saved by grace, but because all fall short of the glory of G-d, we need to be humble before Him. Besides, is it not true that by the name of the L-rd every knee shall bend, Phil2.10? What then should happen when we see His very presense? As for John, he knew this and being humble put his fate before the King of kings to decide his righteousness that is saying in his heart “L-rd I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the Word and I shall be healed”. This is the crucified Christ Who sees into both heart and soul and gives out to each what is their reward or judgment and He claimed John “justified in faith”. Of this John is to write, not only of His time but also of a time yet to come.
The last verse merely gives the two definitions we gave for the stars and the lampstands. Why give them here, yet give no other definitions? We guess that without the detail given in Revelations, the passage in Zechariah would have been highly obtrusive and confusing and the information on the seven Spirits serve to connect the Sephiroth to the churches active here on earth.
