9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the witness of Jesus.
JOURNEY / REVELATION
TO THE
CONQUERORS
Jesus among His churchesRevelation 1:9–20
Revelation 1:9
Revelation 1:10–11
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice like a trumpet, 11 saying: What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches — to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
They already share His Kingdom
- 01
Tribulation, Kingdom, and endurance are one shared life in Jesus.
- 02
John writes from exile to seven real churches.
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The vision is written for them.
Revelation 1:12–13
12 I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. When I had turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw One like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to His feet, with a golden sash around His chest.
Revelation 1:19–20
19 So write what you saw, and what is, and what is about to happen after these things. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are seven churches.
What would it take to keep these lamps burning?
Seven oil lamps on one gold stand.

Exodus 25:31–32, 37
31 "You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it… 37 You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it.
Exodus 27:20–21
20 "You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.
Jesus stands among His lampstands
- 01
The lampstand of Israel's sanctuary now stands for the churches of Jesus Christ.
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They are God's covenant people, and Jesus is in their midst.
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He wears the high priest's robe, and the priest's work was tending the lamps.
The sanctuary had one lampstand. Why does John see seven?
Zechariah 4:2–3, 6
2 And he said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." 6 Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

Revelation 4:5; 5:6
4:5 Lightning and rumbling and thunder were coming from the throne. Seven torches of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. 5:6 I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the middle of the elders a Lamb standing, as though He had been slain, with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
The Spirit is wherever Christ's people are
- 01
The oil is the Spirit: "by My Spirit." (Zechariah 4:6)
- 02
One lampstand stood where God's presence was.
- 03
The Spirit is poured out on God's people in Christ, so every church is a lampstand.
You can't just say stuff
Christians say we can worship God anywhere, "in spirit and truth." How would you back that up with some Bible?
Deuteronomy 12:5, 13–14
5 But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put His name and make His habitation there. There you shall go… 13 Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, 14 but at the place that the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.
John 4:21, 23–24
21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father… 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
Acts 2:17; 1 Corinthians 3:16
Acts 2:17 "And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh…" 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
The Bible tells us why we can worship anywhere
- 01
Israel brought its offerings to the one place God chose for His name. (Deuteronomy 12:5, 13–14)
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At Pentecost God poured out His Spirit on all His people, and they became His temple.
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Every church is a lampstand.
- 04
This matters because we can't just make stuff up. We've gotta be able to back it up from the Bible.
What kind of power does He Who walks among the churches have?
Revelation 1:14–16
14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire, 15 and His feet like burnished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice like the voice of many waters. 16 He held seven stars in His right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword was going out of His mouth, and His face was like the sun shining in its power.
Daniel 7:9
9 "As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
Daniel 7:13–14
13 "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came One like a son of man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. 14 And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Daniel 10:5–6
5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
Their Lord (and ours) has dominion that never ends
- 01
He has the Ancient of Days' white hair: the glory of God Himself. (Daniel 7:9)
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He holds the dominion that will never pass away. (Daniel 7:13–14)
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His fiery eyes and bronze feet see what is hidden and judge it. (Daniel 10:6)
Why can John stop being afraid?
Revelation 1:17–18
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. He laid His right hand on me, saying: Don't be afraid. I am the First and the Last, 18 and the Living One — and I was dead, and Behold! I am living forever and ever — and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
Isaiah 44:6
6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no god.
Jesus' own death and life are the answer for their fear
- 01
The hand that holds the stars touches John.
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He is the First and the Last, the LORD of Isaiah 44.
- 03
He died, and He lives forever.
- 04
He holds the keys of Death and Hades.
When John's churches were in danger, what in this vision gave them reason to hope?
THE ONE WHO LIVES FOREVER IS AMONG HIS CHURCHES
They are God's covenant people, and Jesus is in their midst.
He sees their condition, and He has the power to act.
They can entrust their future to the One Who holds the keys of Death and Hades.