Today, Monday January 24
“A Loud Voice, As Of a Trumpet…” Revelation 1:10-12 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,”
We have already talked about where John was. John was an exile on an island located about seventy miles from Ephesus, where he had pastored the Asian churches. In Mark 10:35-45, James and John asked for thrones; yet in later years, both were given tribulation. James was slain (Acts 12), and John suffered exile. Maybe this should teach us to be careful for what we ask for!
We noticed why John was exiled: He was exiled because of the Word of God which he had preached. And we also saw that John was doing: He was in the “Spirit” on the “Lord’s Day”. Our geographical location or our present circumstances ought never to rob us of spiritual blessings.
We are now taking interest in what John heard! John heard the voice of Christ as a trumpet. Trumpets are important in the Bible! In the Old Testament, when the nation of Israel was about to begin their wilderness journey to the Promise Land, God gave some instructions to Moses: “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps. When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting…..” (Numbers 10:1-10). The Jews used trumpets to gather the assembly, to announce war, or to proclaim special days.
We believe God will use the trumpet sound to call His people, the Church, at the rapture, to gather in heaven for worship. (1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4) In Revelation 4:1, the trumpet calls John up to heaven, a picture of the rapture. In Revelation 8:2, trumpets announce that God has declared war on the earth and then the wrath of God will be poured out on the world. In Matthew 24:3, at the end of the tribulation, a trumpet will sound to gather Israel.
It is obvious that the voice that John heard behind him was the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. As far as we know, the apostle had not heard his Lord's voice since Christ had returned to heaven more than sixty years before. But I’m sure John recognized His voice because in John 10:1-4, he talked about how the sheep hear the voice of the Shepherd and they know His voice and they follow Him!
Also we should note that in verse 11, that the first thing the Lord said is: “I Am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last”. Jesus claimed the same thing about His eternity that God did in verse 8. There should be no doubt in our minds whatsoever about the deity of Jesus Christ!!! Jesus Himself had claimed in John 14:9-11 that, “He that has seen Me has seen the Father…. I Am in the Father and the Father in Me…”
This Voice told John to write this book and send it to the churches from which he had been separated. There were more than seven churches in this area, but Christ chose these churches to represent the spiritual needs of His people. And when John turned to see the Voice that spoke to him, he saw seven golden lampstands and in the midst of the lampstands, he saw One like the Son of Man! He saw Jesus!
Jesus is still in the midst of His church today! Are you listening to Him? And oh, may the Lord open our eyes to see Jesus today!!!!
God bless!
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