Write the Things

Revelation 1:19-20 Write the things which thou had seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seven stars which thou had seen in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou had seen are the seven churches. 

‘Write the things which thou had seen’ John is now commanded to write. In verse 11 he was told to write what he was about to see that is, Christ in the midst of the seven candlesticks (Rev. 1:12-18, 20), now he is told to write what he has already seen – the vision of verses 16-18. ‘Which are’ that is, the things concerning the congregations then existent and those which should exist throughout the Congregation-Age to the Rapture. This division takes in only Revelation 2-3.

‘Hereafter’ after the things which are, that is, the things which shall come to pass after the Rapture of the body of Christ. This division includes all of the events of Revelation 4-22. One has only to believe this threefold natural division as given by Christ to understand the book fully, especially as to the time of the fulfilment of the things of each division. The moment these divisions are forgotten and the reader begins to disarrange them and insert certain things into the one or the other that are not part of the division, he will become confused as to the divine order of these “things” which are so clearly given in consecutive order, and he will miss the true intent of the “things” written therein. The events are consecutive in order with parenthetical passages inserted between the main events, which explain certain things that are to happen along with the main events but are not the same as these events.

‘Mystery’ the Greek word musterion, used four times in Revelation (1:20; 10:7; 17:5, 7). Mystery is something that was previously hidden, but now fully revealed. In the New Testament it always means any doctrine that has not, in former times, been made fully known to people.

‘Candlesticks’ Greek: luchnia meaning lampstand or portable lamps. Used seven times in Revelation 1:12, 13, 20; 2:1, 5; 11:4. Believers become lights of divinity in the world (Matt. 5:14). ‘Angels’ the Greek word angelos which means messenger. Here it refers to the leaders of the seven congregations. It is used of people in Revelation 1:1, 20; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14; 15:1, 6, 8; 16:1-17; 17:1; 21:9, 17; 22:8-10 and Jude 1:13.

‘Seven churches’ the messages to the congregations are given immediately after the vision of Christ described in verses 1-20. Revelation 2 – 3 makes the second division of Revelation, containing only “the things which are,” that is, the things concerning the body of Christ on earth until its rapture (1Cor. 15:23, 51-58; 1Thes. 4:13-17; 2Thes. 2:7). The letters have a threefold application:

A local application to the congregations in John’s day. The letters portray actual conditions in seven local congregations in Asia Minor, the western coast of modern Turkey. This is clear from the messages themselves, as well as from 1:4, 11, 20.

A prophetic application to the body of Christ and the congregations representing His doctrine throughout this dispensation to the rapture, revealing spiritual conditions in local groups/assemblies and in individuals in these groups.

An individual application, so that the individual in any generation may be warned and profit by the failures of the seven congregations (1:3; 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21).

There are ten points of similarity in the letters: In nearly all of the letters, there is a reference to one or more of the details of the description of Christ in 1:12-16; Each is addressed to the leader of the congregation; each congregation is commended for its works except the last one and each one is rebuked except the second and the sixth. Each congregation is commanded to repent except the second, fourth, and sixth. The fourth has sin of which to repent but is not commanded to do so. Warnings of judgment are given to all the congregations except the second and sixth. Each congregation was more corrupt than a preceding one except the first, second, and sixth. The first one was commended for ten things; the last one condemned for ten things. Promises to over-comers are in each. Each has the same admonition to hear. John is told to write in each case. When he finishes one letter he is directed whom to write and what to write, until the last is completed. Then he is told to write “the things which shall be hereafter” this period of the body of Christ (1:19; 4:1).