“I have this against thee…”
“Theophany” is a Greek word that means an appearance of God. There are a number of theophanies in the Old Testament as God appeared to His people at various times in history. In particular, these appearances could be described as Christophanies: pre-incarnate appearances of the Lord Jesus. Often in these appearances the title “Angel of the Lord” is used to describe the One who has appeared.
When these appearances are studied, we find that they were revelations of the Lord’s person and character; furthermore, He always appeared in a way that met the need and circumstances of His people.
When the Lord appeared to Abram (Gen. 18:1-15), he was a pilgrim and a stranger in this world and indeed the Lord met him as a pilgrim. The Lord too was passing through and stopped to have a time of fellowship with His servant.
For Joshua, it was as he was about to embark on the conquest of Canaan that the Lord appeared as the Captain of the Lord’s Host (Josh. 5:13-15). Joshua had to submit to His leadership, but was also able to go on in the confidence of the truth.
The Lord’s appearance to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace gave comfort and assurance that He was right there with them when they went through the fire untouched (Dan. 3:24-25).
The Appearing of Christ in Revelation 1-3
In Revelation 1, Christ appears in glory to John and personally gives him specific messages for seven churches in Asia. These messages are recorded in chapters 2 and 3. To each church He reveals Himself by a title that answers to the condition and the character of that particular church. Depending on the state of the assembly, to some the title is reassuring, while to others it is a rebuke.
Each aspect of His person that is revealed to the churches is first seen in chapter 1, where the Lord is shown in all His majesty and glory.
To the church at Ephesus, the revelation of the Lord Jesus was of the One who holds seven stars in His right hand and who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars and the seven lampstands are explained in Revelation 1:20: “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” The seven churches are readily understood and their names are given through the first three chapters of the book. However the identity and interpretation of “the seven angels of the seven churches” pose some challenges.
There have been several reasoned suggestions put forth by biblical scholars. Some feel the angels are the messengers who were to take the letters to the various churches, and even translate the word as “messengers” instead of “angels.” Others see the angels as the responsible element in the church, either elders, a pastor or a bishop depending on one’s view of church government. Still others view them as actual angels who have a special, if unspecified, roll regarding those particular churches.
James Allen, in his commentary on Revelation, as part of the What the Bible Teaches series, presents another option.
If the lampstands represent the literal physical congregations viewed against an earthly background, then the stars must represent the same company but in their moral and spiritual condition. The term the Lord uses to represent their true condition is ‘angel.’
Allen goes on to say:
In the representative ‘angel’ the company is seen against a heavenly background and hence there can be no deceit—all is real, the actual state of the assembly is in view. For this reason it is the angel, the church viewed in its actual spiritual state, which is variously commended, condemned, charged and challenged (pp. 55-56).*
The Lord’s Revelation to Ephesus
The fact that the Lord Jesus is walking in the midst of the lampstands, which are symbolic of the churches, suggests four things. It speaks first to us of the centrality of His person. He is the One that we are to gather to and His name is the one we are to own. His position also reveals His omniscience in that He knows all that is going on. He knows what is commendable and what is condemnable in each local church. This position furthermore displays the concern He has for each local church. The One who upholds the entire universe is seen in the midst of the churches, which demonstrates the value the Lord places on the church, which He purchased with His own blood. Lastly, it reveals that the Lord is the One who is in full control of the churches and that He alone is the One who can, and does, remove the lampstand.
For the believers at Ephesus there were great lessons in the consideration of these two truths about the Lord Jesus. Had they thought these lessons through and meditated on them, it would have challenged them to change their conduct and adjust their attitude.
Consider what this church was like. Here was a busy assembly that could be described as orthodox, energetic, dedicated, and discerning. If outsiders were to visit, they would have undoubtedly been impressed at the level of activity and the no-nonsense approach to error. False apostles did not easily fool the assembly and those who practiced what the Nicolaitans preached were not tolerated. The Ephesian believers were careful to uphold the honor of the name of the Lord Jesus in that they truly labored for Him. The saints persevered in their efforts for Christ. They were industrious and did not grow weary in well doing.
To the outsider the assembly would appear to be the perfect local church, but the Lord Jesus saw the true spiritual condition. As the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, He is the One who is aware of all. The church looked good to those in it and to believers looking from the outside, but the Lord “looks at the heart”. The Lord Jesus reveals that there was one essential ingredient missing: they had left their first love! All their commendable activity and orthodoxy was not motivated by love for Christ, the very thing the Lord desires above all else!
The One in the midst of the seven golden lampstands has a message for this church. The first word for them is “remember.” Jesus wants them to think back and consider what it was like at the beginning of their love for Him. Then they are warned to “repent,” which is to confess their failure and return to their former condition. And this solemn warning describes the result of a lack of response: the One in the midst of the lampstands will come and remove their individual lampstand. This seems to mean that the Lord Himself will cause the local assembly to be removed and the light of testimony to be extinguished.
He Still Walks in the Midst of the Lampstands
The same Lord reveals Himself in a similar way to local assemblies today. He sees the moral and spiritual condition of each assembly. The truths about His person, position, and power remain unchanged. He is in the midst and is still concerned about the true character of each and every local church. He is still cognizant of what is commendable and what is condemnable in each assembly. He also is the One who is still in control and He, and He alone, takes responsibility for the removal of the local assembly and the extinguishing of the light of its testimony.
Local assemblies today refuse this revelation of Christ at their own peril. They may be busy, industrious, well-organized, and orthodox as to doctrine—all of which is admirable. But above all, the Lord is interested in the motivation that guides the assembly. Is there love for Him? There is a call to each assembly to remember its first love and then to repent or else face removal of the lampstand.
The messages to each church are also relevant to individuals. Individual believers in local assemblies are called “overcomers” and as such need to remember and repent. It is important that each believer consider these aspects of the person of Christ and our love for Him. May the words of R. M. McCheyne, “teach me, Lord, on earth to show, by my love how much I owe,” mark each of us in our response to the Lord.
* A similar use of this word is found in Acts 12:15, when the recently incarcerated Peter arrived at the house where prayer was being made for him. When Rhoda told them Peter was at the door, “Then said they, It is his angel.” In other words, “It is his spirit.” So in Revelation 2 and 3 the Lord is addressing the true spirit of Christianity in the seven churches. —ed.
Written by Gary McBride