Monday 01 April 2024

Psalm 135

Background

John, formerly a Jew from Palestine, wrote the book of Revelation while banished to the island of Patmos in about AD 94-96. He was considered a criminal by the Roman authorities as he was a practising Christian within the churches of Asia Minor, now considered part of Turkey.

While on Patmos, John was open to receive revelations from God, which needed to be heard by seven churches named as Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. ( v.11)

It was the Lord's Day, and John was reverently worshipping. He was aware of the Holy Spirit and he saw seven golden lampstands (v.12) and priestly glory (v. 13ff). He was frightened because he was seeing and hearing the risen Christ among the lampstands.

He describes who he sees with vivid similes, such as "His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire."(v. 14) They are unusual but helpful in conveying a striking appearance of a God-like person before him. The person is described as holding seven stars with a sword coming out of his mouth and a face like the sun. (v. 16)

There are seven churches and seven lampstands. The number seven is very significant in Judaism, for example in the book of Genesis the world was created in seven days and even the Temple took seven years to build.

What John saw defied a simple human explanation. He was trying to record what he saw and heard in a way that might make sense to those in the seven churches. He was hearing words spoken such as "I am the first and the last" (v. 17) which echoed Isaiah 44:6 when God said "I am the first and I am the last."

Here is John seeing in a vision the risen Christ, who is alive for evermore ( v. 18) and he makes connections or comparisons with Old Testament prophetic writings such the vision of God in Daniel 9:9ff. Professor of Divinity William Barclay suggested that this striking appearance of the risen Christ with stars, sword and shining face can be explained in terms of Christ being a prophet, priest and king. That comment deserves further contemplation.

John saw and was overawed by the presence of the risen Christ. He was brought back to this new reality by the touch of the risen Christ ( v. 17) and he wrote down what he saw and heard.

To Ponder:

• John was banished into exile and labelled a criminal as he was a Christian leader. Does his example of faith in the risen Christ help us when we might be tempted to blame God for our circumstances?
• John recalls his Jewish background of Temple worship. Can our previous or present church tradition be a powerful reminder at times of trial or testing?
• The hymn ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds’ (322 in Singing the Faith) offers many words to describe Jesus ("My shepherd, brother, friend; my prophet, priest and king; my lord, my life, my way and my end"). Which ones offer you a picture of the risen Christ?
• Millions of Christians in the world, in many countries and in many families are persecuted for their faith. They are exiled, excluded, cancelled and banished. Pray for them and, if you can, support organisations offering new life and new beginnings for them.

Prayer

Reveal yourself to us as the risen Christ, give us a vision of your resurrected glory. Help us see you as the first and the last, comfort us with your living presence. Just show yourself as we worship you, be with us in spirit and in truth. Amen.

Bible notes author: The Revd Frances Ballantyne

Frances Ballantyne was ordained within the Congregational Federation and transferred to the Methodist Connexion where she served in the South Holland and Mid-Cheshire Circuits and is currently in the Leicester Trinity Circuit. She has been a volunteer for Victim Support and is currently a member of the Methodist Survivors Advisory Group. She has contributed to BBC Radio Leicester's ‘Thought for the Day’ and written articles for 'The Accord Journal' (for Christian counsellors) and prayer poems for several publications. She is currently challenged by a diagnosis of medullary thyroid cancer.