The Seven Churches of Revelation

Friends, let us in this moment become aware of the presence of our inner Father. He is within and around you. The only question is: "Are you paying attention?". Feel the light in this very moment, feel the Christ in this very moment.

In the name of truth, I must confess that today is an auspicious one, an august one, for we shall begin to probe the very famous book of Revelation. We shall begin to probe it to see what wonders it has in store for us.

I in this moment find it good to say that the most important verse in the book of revelation is one that unfortunately has been ignored by many. A verse, which has an intention of teaching one how to approach the book; teaching one how to read the book. Let us investigate:

'The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and SIGNIFIED it by His angel to His servant John, ' Revelation 1:1

Ahh, that very word ought to ring many bells in the heart of one who reads. "He sent and SIGNIFIED". The very first verse in the book of revelation tells us something of great relevance. I tells us that what we are about to read in that book are communications of things that are factual and true. Communications however, through signification; communication by the aid of symbols.

Friends, do you understand what that means? Can you see? This says to us that there is a concrete and definite reality to everything spoken of in the book of revelation but that concrete and definite reality is told through SYMBOLS.

Do you understand?

The book of revelation is a 'symbolic' book. It is a book that communicates a concrete and definite reality by the aid of symbols. By concrete and definite, I am speaking of both spiritual AND physical realities. The 'symbols' however are not the reality, the reality is what the symbols POINT TO.

A symbol always points to a reality other than itself, beyond itself. The symbol is a 'representation' of a reality, an 'agent' of a reality. A symbol is not a reality in itself anymore than a real estate 'agent' is the property owner in himself or an ambassador a president in himself. A symbol 'represents' something, it points to something. It is not the thing in itself.

When one takes the symbols of the book of revelation as literally as they appear, expecting things to play out as literally as was written, one would be sure to miss out on the powerful teachings delivered by such book. Teachings which are not only regarding the past or future but the eternal NOW.

The book of revelation speaks of things that have happened, things that are happening and things that will happen. The book of revelation, just like all other spirit inspired books, are books that always speak of the RIGHT NOW.

The things of the past were once a RIGHT NOW, that's why things written in the book speak of the past. The things of the present are presently RIGHT NOW, that's why things written in the book speak of things of the present. The things of the future will also become RIGHT NOW, that's why things written in the book also speak of things yet to come.

Once upon a time, when we were in the year 2018, the year 2020 was the 'future' wasn't it? Now it has become RIGHT NOW. Now that we are in 2020, the year 2018 which once upon a time was RIGHT NOW is now a thing of the past.

Life exists in the eternal now, everything springs from the eternal now. The now becomes the past and it also becomes the future. The now is what is real, the now is what is eternal. The symbolic book of revelation speaks of things that pertain to RIGHT NOW (past, present & future).

Hahaha, often times many of us face supreme discomfort at the hearing of the word 'symbolic', especially relating to matters of God and the Bible. It tends to create the idea that what we are reading is not true, it tends to feel as if what we have believed is being stolen from us.

Even though such feeling is natural and understandable, such feeling is generally built on inadequate understanding of what a 'symbol' is. An understanding which we in this moment have an intention of giving to us, in order for us to have some peace and help us make the most out of our own individual studies.

Let me first of all start by saying that none of us are foolish or dull for not having known some of the things which shall now be explained. We can only know what we've been taught. If we haven't been taught a thing, how can we know it? As the Holy spirit now wishes to teach us this now, let us be joyful for a new discovery as opposed to being sad for not knowing it beforehand.

WHAT IS A SYMBOL?

Caution

Let us take this very popular symbol for example, which I believe a good percentage of us would ascribe to 'caution' or 'danger'. Let us say that 'danger' is the 'spirit' or 'essence' behind this symbol.

What is real is the danger, what is real is the thing that one needs to be cautious of, not the symbol. Do you understand?

Now, this yellow and black, this danger, could express itself as so many things. It could mean a bio hazard, it could mean a slippery ground, it could mean a crime scene, it could mean many things. It however, always points to the REALITY of danger, the SPIRIT of danger, the ESSENCE of danger.

The symbol only serves as a bridge to connect you to that which is beyond it; it serves as a bridge to connect you to that which it represents. The symbol is powered by that which is behind it, the symbol does not have a life of its own. The symbol is not a reality in itself but a pointer to a reality.

On their own, these yellow and black stripes don't really mean anything in themselves. The yellow and black stripes only have relevance because psychologically, we have attached these colors to something one ought to be cautious of or stay away from.

Now, if we say that these yellow and black stripes are not a reality in themselves, does that mean there is no reality to it? Does that mean that the symbol is nothing? Certainly not.

If we walk into a locality and see this yellow and black plastered everywhere, would not immediately be on our guard or run maybe? Let me ask, what makes us to be on guard, what makes us to run: is it the color yellow and black or is it the reality this yellow and black may be attached to?

If we say the beast with seven heads in the book of revelation is a symbol, does that mean there is no concrete and tangible reality to what that symbol points to? No. There is a tangible reality to it, both physical and spiritual.

Does that tangible reality however have to be a literal seven headed monster or is the seven headed monster representative of something?

Let us remember that the opening verse of the book of revelation teaches that we are about to engage a book that communicates a message via the aid of symbols.

It is written:

'Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. ' Revelation 13:1

In this one verse, which is a symbolic verse, have we asked what the 'sea' represents? Have we studied the Bible to see the different places a 'sea' was spoken of and what it was related to? Have we studied the different places where 'beasts' were spoken of and what they were related to?

Have we studied the number 7? Have we studied the different places horns have been spoken of and what it was related to? Have we studied 'heads', the hebrew word 'rosh'? Have we studied the usage of a crown and blasphemy?

If one does not first understand the spirit of a symbol, the essence of a symbol, how can we know what it is pointing to? If we don't know what it is pointing to, how can we know how it manifests both spiritually and physically?

When we say that the book of revelation is symbolic, we are not saying that there is no tangible reality to everything spoken therein. We are saying that the symbols are just vehicles used to convey an idea, the symbols are not the idea in themselves.

Let us take 'cash' for example. Cash is a symbol, it is not a reality in itself. What is real is bread, fish, cars, clothes & shoes. Cash is a symbol that represents how much of these things we own in potential. By 'own in potential', I mean the amount of cash I have is symbolic of how many REAL THINGS I am readily able to buy.

Why would the eyes of a young and naive girl shine at the face of cash? Is she going to eat the cash? Is she going to wear it? Do her eyes shine because of the cash or because of the reality the cash points to? Is it the cash that is real or is it the clothes, jewellery, security, and comfort the cash can bring?

So, a symbol is not nothing, it however is something that points to something else. It is not something all by itself. A symbol is like a translator. A translator can speak for me, speak as me, but a translator is NOT me.

Hieroglyph

The same concept applies to any artwork or expression of any kind. They always point to something other than themselves but we men of this modern era are not able to see past a symbol. We get stuck there and confuse the symbol, the agent, the messenger, the angel, for the reality. We accept any symbol that looks familiar to us, reject any symbol that is unfamiliar to us and take literally any symbol we don't yet understand.

That is why men of the modern world look at the arts and sculptures of the ancient men and assume they were worshippers of animals and trees; that's why we look at the ancient men as savages, thinking that they were worshippers of the literal sun.

The truth is that is we who are savage, savage because we do not know that all of creation is a great artwork, a great symbol, that points to something other than itself. We don't know that the physical sun, which gives light, is symbolic of the illumination of the spirit of God.

The sun

Why do we think the medieval painters always painted the Christ with a halo around its head? What message do we think they were trying to communicate? The physical sun shines and burns as a testament of the spiritual sun; the spiritual light. The spiritual sun is a symbol that points to a reality beyond itself.

Everyday that we experience the light and warmth of the sun, burning itself daily for our sustenance and survival, a message is being communicated to us; a sermon is being taught us. The question is "Can you read?". Do you understand the message? Do you understand the symbols?

Isn't it interesting to see that it was written that light was created in Genesis 1:3 but the sun, moon, and stars didn't come into existence until verse 14? What could that light of verse 3 have been?

'Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. - Gen 1:3

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.

Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. ' Genesis 1:14-16

Yes, there indeed exists a light beyond the light. Yes, there indeed exists a sun beyond the sun. Many of the ancient men knew this and depicted God simply as the sun. We, who mistake them for being savage and unsophisticated, are the ones who really are savage and unsophisticated. We do not know how to read.

Hahaha, I will repeat once more, there is no shame in not having known. How can we know what we haven't learnt? How can we learn what we haven't been taught? This is why God is in this moment teaching us that we may learn; that we may know.

Indeed, The Christ did not err when it said:

'Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”' John 8:12

There is a darkness that transcends the light bulb in a room being switched off. There is a light that transcends the light bulb in a room being switched back on.

'For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' II Corinthians 4:6

Friends, prepare yourselves as we begin our journey through the seven churches of Revelation.

LET THERE BE LIGHT.