THE NUMBER SEVEN
Dr. Stephen R. Phinney
I want to remind you that a vital point of the book of Revelation is that this revelation was given to His Son, not to John. For whatever reason, it was shown to John, the Beloved Disciple of Jesus. All of these events were revealed to him to explain to the people must what happen, which, as he made known to us, will soon come to pass. Remember, these things were revealed by an angel, sent by God, to be written down for our benefit.
The Revelation given to John was not just revealing Christ Himself, but the final events that were, are and will be occurring around Him. While Jesus was still with His disciples, He spoke of the things written in this book. The disciples had a human curiosity and wanted to know, “When shall these things be?” (Mark 13:4) Jesus’ response was just as curious.
An interesting note is that Jesus Himself, as well as all the angels, did not know of these things until He ascended, not His Father. As far as we can tell, Jesus was not given the details of Revelation until after His return to heaven when the Father decided to reveal it to Him. That makes the writing of this book very significant.
Take a look at our opening passage—the Seven Spirits: “John, to the seven churches that are in Asia: ‘Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—and He has made us be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen!’”
A quick recap of what I talked about before: John’s greeting is to the seven churches which are located in Asia Minor (Turkey). Even though these were actual churches during the time of John’s writing, the seven churches represent the churches throughout the Church Age. Every type of Christian, every kind of church depicted in the world today, falls into one of these seven types. These churches represent periods clearly defined in both secular and Christian history. The seven churches are Ephesus, known for forsaking her first love; Smyrna, the persecuted church; Pergamum, the worldly church; Thyatira, the false church; Sardis, the dead church; Philadelphia, the church of brotherly love; and Laodicea, the lukewarm church.
What is the big deal about the number seven—for example, seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven personages, seven vials, the seven spirits, seven dooms, and seven new things? Seven is the number of God. Six is the number of man, which is one mark short of perfection. The Lord God worked for six days and rested on the seventh, which is why man labors in vain to discover God. No works can be accomplished to enter into God’s rest without Christ. Even in our study of the seven churches, only six of them are found with genuinely born-again believers. The seventh church attempted to enter the Sabbath by the blending of Roman culture with Christianity, which is a big no-no to God. It resulted in a lukewarm church, which repulsed the Son of God and caused Him to spit this church out of His mouth.
A full list of The Sevens of Revelation are:
- Seven Spirits of God
- Seven Seals of the Book
- Seven Golden Candlesticks
- Seven Stars in Christ’s Hand
- Seven Angels of the Seven Churches
- Seven Letters to the Seven Churches
- Seven Eyes and Seven Horns of the Lamb
- Seven Mountains
- Seven Thunders
- Seven Kings
- Seven Angels with Seven Trumpets
- Seven Angels with Seven Vials
- Seven Heads and Seven Crowns of the Dragon
Yes, seven does appear to be a significant number to God.
In verse five, we are shown that Christ is the first witness. Christ is First in everything. Let’s look at the following things in which He was first.
1. The First Faithful Witness (Rev.1:5)
2. The Word in the form of flesh (John 1:1)
3. The First begotten of the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-30)
4. The First and only Prince of all kings (Isaiah 9:6)
5. The First to have blood cleanse all sin (1 John 1:7)
6. The First to shed blood for redemption (Heb. 9:22)
7. The First to show redemption (1 Peter 1:18-23)
Being First is what gives Christ authority over all things—first place shows and reveals authority. Christ was the first in all things; therefore, He is over all things.
Verse six tells us that we (born-again believers) have been made priests and kings. Every believer has been washed as white as snow through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Because of this purification, we have been made by God, through Christ, to live out of these new positions. In God’s eyes, there is no longer a separation of the laity of the church versus the priest of the church. All born-again believers have now been labeled priests, which makes us all privileged to have direct orders from God through Christ in and through the Holy Spirit. The cross not only purified our condition, but it also brought us a new position. Be on guard for any church that keeps the priesthood separated from the laity (ordinary believers). They are supporting a movement of the False Prophet. The False Prophet needs this separation to have “authority” over the people.
In Revelation 1:7 it says, “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be.”
The Second Coming of the Lord is critical as we study the book of Revelation. It is the most significant part of our belief system as believers. The Hebrew reason for the rapture is the Groom (Christ) is coming to get His Bride. That is the simplest way you can remember the purpose of the Second Coming—Christ needs to return and remove His Bride from the earth before He takes acts of revenge on all those who tried to harm His Bride. Jesus courted us during His ministry and became engaged with us during the New Testament period. As verse seven reveals, Christ returns to the earth (the Second Coming) for the gracious act of coming for His Bride—bringing His Bride unto His Father to wait for the final Wedding Feast.
The next significant event for the Church is “all about the clouds”—the Groom and the Wedding Feast that await us. Jesus’s His Second Coming will be great and glorious. His return will occur at the same time over all the earth for all to see. We will study more about this later.
In verse eight, the Alpha and the Omega is proclaimed. In this passage, God is speaking as the Great I AM. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. He is the beginning of the letter of the law, and He is the end. God is making it clear that He has always been, and will continue to be. That is significant in understanding the details of how the book of Revelation ends (Omega). If this statement is being made by God, and be assured that it is, the outcome of this book is predestined for victory.
In reviewing Revelation 1:9-18, it says, “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, ‘Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.’ Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the middle of the lampstands, I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In is right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.’"
That is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. There is so much revealed in this passage about the magnitude of Jesus Christ and the human reaction of being in His presence—falling at His feet as if dead.
Verse nine indicates that we are to embrace John as another believer, just like you and me. He is keeping himself on the same playing field as all fellow believers. He admits to his troubles, trials, and difficulties. John was in exile to this island because he was trouble and a threat to the rulers at large. John was faithful and true to His Master to the very end. The island to which he was banished was almost unknown in its day. There are no condos, markets, or local fellowship, just a dreary and lonely piece of dirt that happened to pop-up out of the ocean. God is God; John takes advantage of what they mean for evil; God means for good. He lived and wrote this book under the terrible persecution of Nero, which numerically translates out as 666. It was also during the time of Domitian. Both were ruthless and vicious rulers of that age. When the emperor banished John to this 15 mile-in-circumference island, he thought he had destroyed the influence of John. God used this banishing as a writing sabbatical for His Beloved. One has to wonder sometimes how Satan feels when he observes God always using his attacks to exalt and lift the Lord’s Saints. It’s remarkable!
In verses 10-18, it is most fitting that John was caught up in this vision on the Sabbath. I believe that is very important. It is the day that God rested from Creation, the day set aside as Holy, the day Christ was resurrected from the dead, and the day the New Testament Church was born. It was the day when John was called to write the book of Revelation. It was also the day when all of the continuous histories were written on the pages of eternity. How fitting!
Try to picture this. John’s back is toward the seven churches, and his face is toward the Kingdom of God. A high and mighty voice sounded like a trumpet announcing a King saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches.” That would be enough to wake anyone. Up to this point, John’s vision was merely introductory, but now he encounters his first of many visions, which will be revealed one by one.
Now just think of this…seven gold lampstands and the face of God. John turned around to face the thundering voice, and what did he see? He saw seven lampstands made of pure gold. In the middle of the lampstands (seven churches), he saw the “Son of Man” (Christ) clothed in a robe and breasted with a plate of pure gold. His hair was as white at the purest wool, from the purest sheep. His eyes glowed with a flame of eternal fire, and His feet were covered with bronze. His voice was like the roar of many waters. Seven stars were in His right hand. Out of His mouth came a razor-sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at the peak of the day. Can you imagine how John felt? I doubt any man can!
Once seeing the face of the Lord, John did what any Beloved of Christ would do, he fell at His feet as if he was dead. Christ reached down, took His right hand and touched John’s head, and said, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the key of death and of Hades” (vv. 17-18).
These keys represent the complete authority over the souls of all—believers and unbelievers. He is communicating that He has the right to lock or unlock the gates of hell—showing supreme authority over Satan, the Beast/Antichrist, and the False Prophet, which is a big deal. Keep in mind that Satan is the one who holds the allusive belief that he controls all the people and their destination. The one who holds the keys to a building or a room is the one who has authority over that domain. Before the act of the Cross, Satan held these keys, but not anymore. Now the decision regarding who goes to Heaven is in the hands of the Lord.
In verse 19, John is commanded to pick up his pen and write. Jesus said unto to him, “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.” Was Jesus repeating verse eleven? Most likely, John was in a state of awe and wonder. The command was needed for John to step up and step into his role as record-keeper of the Book of Life. Let’s keep things in perspective here. John had just seen his Master reveal Himself in a way he had never seen before. He completed his experience in understanding the mighty splendor of Jesus Christ in His final glory. I can’t even imagine such a moment as this. Our most exceptional imagination cannot envision or embrace this moment that John was having with his Groom. Our day is coming when we, too, will experience the mighty tenderness of our Savior, Husband, Lord, and Owner.
In verse 20, Jesus reveals the foundational and foremost Revelation. He says, “As for 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 the seven churches.”
As we go through the book of Revelation, God is going to tell us what all the sevens are. Always remember, the Church is the Body of Christ. The Seven churches surrounding Him (remember that Christ was standing in the middle of the Seven churches) at this present moment—when John was writing these things down—are sick and in need of strong exhortation and correction.
The Baptism of Fire, about to take place for our Churches, will assist in presenting the Church to Christ in its purest form.