I do not take anything for granted in this book and am sure that the positioning of things carries meaning. The first thing we learn is that John is located on Patmos, an island to the west of Asia Minor. It is the Lord's Day, presumably a Sunday, and he is praying. He has been facing west, looking towards Rome, the centre of the empire and worldly power, most probably the same power that has exiled him. This is deduced from the fact that when he turns to look behind him, to see who is speaking, he faces towards the churches, arrayed in the east, in Asia Minor.
Jesus himself stands behind John, and when he turns the first things he sees are the "churches", the seven candlesticks - an immediate reminder that God's light and authority in the earth are brought through the church, not through the Roman empire. Standing in the middle of them is their source of light and authority - "one like a son of man" - with a two edged sword (the Word) coming out of his mouth, stars in His left hand and His face shining with the full force of the sun, a glory so unbearable that John collapses, overwhelmed, terrified, scared almost to death.
Touching John with His right hand, Jesus revives him, saying, "Banish fear", then identifies Himself and indicates that John is to write "what he has seen, the things which are, and those which will be hereafter." Jesus wants to give John, and through John, us, the God point of view, the divine insight into current events. Cutting away all the blur of flesh, worldly systems, lies and confusion He will show John what is really going on under the surface show. But to do so, John has had to respond to the voice "like a trumpet" and turn his back on Rome, the seat of worldly power.
Are we any different today? If we want to learn what God's point of view is, don't we, like John, have to turn our backs on the world system, on the Rome of our day? We need to listen to Jesus' voice instead of swallowing the worldly version which is all too ready to give its own interpretation to our lives. I'm sure you have heard its voice before, whispering its tenets of faith: "You aren't good enough", "You failed", or, the other side of the same coin, "You're the best, better than anyone else", "This is all there is, so enjoy it, take advantage of it", "There is no king but Caesar (or Bush)", "You deserve it", "They owe it to you", ...ad nauseum.
While we occupy this created, material realm, ruled now by the power of the prince of the air through the current world system, we will always be having to choose to turn away from it, to actively reclaim the vision Jesus has for us of His kingdom and of the true spritual nature of our current situations. It is our choice to either listen and turn, or ignore that voice calling from somewhere behind us.
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