With the aforementioned in mind, the heights of stupidity reached by the modern pseudo-Christian antisemites are beyond comparison. One of their common antisemitic tropes relies on the present verse being taken out of context, and by ignoring its literal and plainly obvious meaning. They say to us Jews, “You are not Jews, you are a synagogue of Satan” failing to understand that the verse they’re referencing doesn’t refer to Jews in any way, hence “who say they are Jews but are not.” The irony continues when one observes that the pseudo-Christian antisemites who say these abhorrent things consider themselves chosen and in turn claim that the Jews (contrary to Scripture) are no longer chosen. Therefore, they prove themselves to be the very people described in Revelation 2:9 who claim to be chosen (Jews) but are not. Introduction:
The letters to the various believing communities are each given a similar structure and form, with some slight differences regarding the messages to Laodicea, Smyrna and Philadelphia. The pattern of writing is as follows: 1.) An address to the, “Messenger/Angel” of the specific congregation. (Perhaps proof of a human messenger, given that Yochanan is instructed to “write” to each messenger). 2.) Yeshua names Himself (speaking of Himself in the third person, He uses the symbolic titles of the previous chapter in reverse order, beginning with the final title, “Who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven menorot” [seven communities]). 3.) The congregation is praised for her virtues (except Laodicea). 4.) The congregation is warned to turn from its sinful practises (except Smyrna and Philadelphia). 5.) Yeshua promises good things to those in the congregation who are overcoming in Him. The rewards/blessings to come are related to the issues faced by each congregation, e.g. Pergamum must refuse food sacrificed to idols (2:14), their reward, “Hidden Manna” (2:17). 6.) Yeshua reminds His Ecclesia that only those who have ears to hear will hear (Shema: listen, perceive, understand, absorb, practise, take to heart), what the Spirit (Ruach) is saying to the communities of believers. Apart from being an exceptionally well ordered historical record and proof of Messiah’s gracious character, the rhythm of the letters affords us a foundation for our communications with other believers, both individually and corporately. Each of the letters is addressed to the angel/messenger for the purpose of being delivered to the respective communities. In addition, each of the community’s names have both historical and symbolic value: 1.) Ephesus, “Permitted” (Free will) 2.) Smyrna, “Myrrh” (Mourning, Intimacy, Royal luxury, Joy) 3.) Pergamum, “High Tower” (Pride) 4.) Thyatira, “Odour” (Consequence of Sin) 5.) Sardis, “Deep orange/red” semi-precious stone used in making jewellery (façade, pretence) 6.) Philadelphia, “Brotherly love” (Faithfulness) 7.) Laodicea, “People under Judgement” (Judgement) It's no coincidence that each of the city’s names correspond to the issues and consequences alluded to in the letters pertaining to them. This gives us a strong remez (hint at something implied) that can be applied to the entire Ecclesia (The entire body of believers). Each of the issues addressed to these seven communities is equally relevant today in our lives as both individuals and believing communities. The challenge of Messiah remains and the threat of the removal of His menorah (manifest Light presence) from the midst of certain communities also remains. So too do the promises of reward and overcoming in Him. The Text: Revelation 2: 1 “To the messenger of the assembly in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, Who walks in the midst of the seven menorot, says: This message is dictated to Yochanan for the messenger to Ephesus, the city whose name means, “Permitted.” The purpose of a messenger is to deliver a message, therefore the letter is intended specifically for the believing congregation in the city of Ephesus. It's unlikely that the messenger is an angel because Yeshua need not convey a message through His Angel to Yochanan in order for Yochanan to relay that message to an angelic being, who will then pass it on to the Ephesian community of faith. What is most likely is that Yeshua is instructing Yochanan to “write” to a human messenger related to the community in question, who will in turn relay the message to the community. This applies to all seven letters. Ephesus, is the first/head/chief of the communities, therefore the Messiah names Himself as the One Who is over all the communities, by identifying with the present Shekinah (feminine glory) and the oil of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh, seen symbolized by the menorot. He also presents Himself as the One Who holds the messengers of the communities of faith securely in His strong, and safe right hand. Therefore, He effectively begins by saying, “I Am the One Who with The Father imparts the Ruach to you, I Am the One Who holds you securely in my right hand, See, I have engraved (atoned) you on the palm of my hand (a reference to the crucifixion).” [Yeshayahu/Isaiah 49:16] 2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; The Ephesians exhibit an ability to remain faithful to the ketvi (written word), testing those who are false and through the truth of the Instruction of God and the revelation of His Spirit, proving them to have evil intentions. They have been very careful not to tolerate evil people or permit them to remain within the Messianic community. This is to their credit. 3 and you have exhibited perseverance and have endured for My Name’s sake (The name of both HaShem and Yeshua His Messiah), and have not grown weary. The community has stood up for both their belief in Yeshua as Messiah and for the God of Israel. It’s important to remember that both Jews and members of the Jewish sect called The Way (which included Jewish and Gentile followers of Yeshua a.k.a Christians) were being persecuted at this point in Roman history. It's interesting to note that the community of believers in Ephesus have persevered and stood up for the Name of Messiah and that they have not grown weary. However, the following critique exposes something further, something that is extremely serious. 4 But I have this against you, that you have forsaken your first love (ἀγάπην agapēn: all-encompassing love אהבה Ahavah: all existing love). 5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen and were driven off course, and return and act out the mitzvot (right actions) that you did from the first; Or else I am coming to you and will remove your menorah (sevenfold Temple lamp stand) out of its place—unless you return (to your first love). The Ephesian believers have not permitted false apostles to enter their midst, however, they have permitted themselves to forsake their first (chief) love. What is, “First love”? The Greek text reads, “τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην” (tēn agapēn sou tēn prōtēn) literally, “The love of you the head.” Which best translates into English as, “Your chief love.” This alludes to the love of God in Messiah as Head/Chief. It can also infer that the community of faith in Ephesus had a role among the other communities as the head or leader of the spread of the love of Messiah to the other six communities. The Greek, ἀγάπην agapēn is an all-encompassing altruistic love that touches on aspects of all the other Greek forms but is outside them, holding them together (we note that the Greek Έρως Eros [associated with a sex deity and expressing sexual “love,” is never used in the New Testament.] In fact from a Biblical perspective love informs relationship, whereas sex is to do, not with love but with knowledge יודע yada). All of the diverse forms of love expressed in New Testament Greek are summed up in the Hebrew, אהבה Ahavah which denotes a connection to all forms of love, excluding sex, but is primarily a composite of intentional commitment and authentic emotion. God defines love. The love of God has an inexplicable quality that transcends definition, however, as His love interacts with the sin affected world it is expressed as a decision, established through sacrifice and maintained by commitment. It’s foolish to demand that the word love (in its Greek and Hebrew context) must represent one element of its meaning over another, after all the Ephesians exhibit commitment and intentional devotion and yet have forsaken their first/chief love. While they’re doing good things, they are not doing those things that give evidence of first/chief love. First love is the love of God. We are commanded to first love God with all that we are and only then to love others out of the overflow of God’s love. Love that neglects intimacy with God in order to show love to others harms both ourselves and others because it is expressed out of our own strength and not from the power of Messiah in us. Therefore, First Love is expressed as certain security, an all-encompassing desire for the Head (Yeshua) and an intentional commitment. It’s the first taste of the Messiah’s lips and the receiving of His wedding proposal, it’s the complete awareness of our frailty and the freedom to accept His protection, and it’s the humility of returning and the confession of guilt, the trust that opens the gift of salvation. First/Chief love is a Person, His name is Yeshua. Sadly it’s often true to say that we as believers have forsaken Yeshua, reasoning that doing for Him is more important than being in Him. Godly love is expressed in relationship and right actions flow from it. Given the full meaning of the text understood contextually, we could paraphrase it to read: “I have this against you, that in spite of all your efforts to refute evil, you haven’t bothered to take time to just sit with Me. Remember when we used to dance barefoot in the long grass and picnic on the beach away from the maddening crowed? Sit with me, return to me.” Yeshua reminds the Ephesians that they have allowed themselves to be driven off course. They’ve fallen from a great height to their own detriment. He implores them to remember Him and their First Love for Him unto the Father, and to simply return תְשׁוּבָה teshuvah. We see in the actions of the Ephesian believers the same error that we ourselves perpetuate today. In our zeal for righteousness we leave behind the root of that same righteousness. Our good deeds must come from our First Love (Yeshua), they cannot come from our fallen need to prove ourselves righteous. Isaiah 64:6 teaches us that righteous acts born of a wrong motivation are like used tampons (menstrual cloths). “Or else I am coming to you and will remove your menorah out of its place—unless you return.” This is not a threat to the salvation of individuals within the Ephesian Ecclesia (or any other for that matter). What Yeshua is saying is that He will remove His present power and Shekinah, kevod Adonai (feminine glory), the manifestation of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh, from the midst of the community of believers in Ephesus. To follow the symbolism with a practical observation we could say, “If the menorah is not tended to the lamps will burn out.” This corresponds to the Temple Menorah which was first lit at its inauguration and then kept alight by the priests with oil supplied by the community, the light is born of fire and oil, cleansing and spirit. If the Menorah is not tended to it will cease to provide light to the Temple, this happened during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, who desecrated the Temple leaving it pitch black, and subsequently during the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, which happened at least ten years prior to the writing of the scroll of Revelation. The same will be true of any Messianic community today, that turns from authentic Messiah ignited, Spirit filled faith. The alternative is simple, return to first love in Messiah, and the menorah’s light will remain. 6 Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. The Nicolaitans are thought to have been a libertine sect that taught there followers to “sin that grace may abound” (hyper-grace). They compromised their faith by merging it with pagan forms of worship that included idolatry and sexual immorality. They may also have adopted aspects of the mystery religions of the period. Notice the use of the Greek, μισῶ misō meaning, “detest.” Evil actions are detestable to God. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the believing communities. To the person who overcomes, I will give the right to eat of the עץ החיים Eiytz Chayim (tree of life) which is in the גן עדן Gan-Edan (Paradise) of God.’ The meaning of the phrase, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the believing communities” is clear. These are the same words that Yeshua used during His earthly ministry. He often used the phrase, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear (שְׁמוֹעַ Shema: take to heart, understand, implement etc.)” [Mark 4:9]. This phrase regularly followed the exposition of משלים mashalim (parables) by Yeshua, and was intended to denote the words of the prophet Isaiah: “They may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.” –Mark 4:12 & Yeshayahu/Isaiah 6:9-10 The famous aphorism, “No one is blinder than he who refuses to see” is the perfect modern representation of this prophetic Hebrew concept. The message of the Messiah is clear, He intends His letter to be understood, not by everyone in the community—for there are surely goats among the sheep—but by everyone who has been given the ability by Yeshua Himself to take the words to heart. This is seen in the context of Mark 4:9-12: Yeshua explains to His talmidim (disciples) that the secrets of the Kingdom have been given to them—that is those who have accepted Him as Messiah (by extension, all believers). This is a preface for the Revelation of Yeshua, where He unveils the past, present and future to His Ecclesia (Worldwide community of believers). To all others the Revelation remains a difficult parable that is beyond the understanding of natural human intellect. The phrase, “to the person who overcomes” needs to be understood in reference to the story of Israel (ethnic) and his beginning as one who wrestled with God and man and overcame. Jacob’s name was changed from, “to follow, grasp at the heal” to Israel, the one who “overcomes in God.” Yeshua Himself gave Jacob his new name, He also gives every believer a new name, in that it is in Yeshua that we overcome in God. This is a better translation than, “to him who is victorious,” because it is not us but Messiah Who is the Victor, we overcome through the victory won by Yeshua Himself. The reward is the counterpoint to the possible punishment. Where the punishment was the removal of the community menorah, the reward is the assurance of the individual’s access to eternal life. עץ החיים Eitz Chayim (Tree of life) is a powerful Hebrew symbol that connects the creation and the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:9; 3:22, 24) to גן עדן Gan Edan (Paradise: the distinct part of Sheol set apart for the righteous, also known as the bosom of Avraham. Luke 16:19-31; Luke 23:43). It also connects the believer to the future unifying of גן עדן Gan-Edan (Paradise) and the עולם הבא Olam Haba (World to come), in that the Eitz Chayim (Tree of life) seems to act as a conduit between the temporal Gan-Edan of Sheol and the eternal city which is outside of the universe in the third heaven awaiting the time of the end when eternity will consume time and the New Jerusalem will come down to engulf the righteous. It's interesting to note that modern Rabbinical Judaism refers to the Torah as, “Eitz Chayim” and that the prayers chanted in acknowledgement of this affirm the intrinsic connection between the everlasting aspects of the Torah (Written Word) of HaShem and eternal life. 8 “And to the messenger of the community of believers in Smyrna write: These are the words of The first and the last, Who was dead, and has come to life: Smyrna means, “Myrrh” a perfume used to dress the dead and a symbol of mourning, intimacy, royal luxury and joy. Due to the fact that Myrrh is derived from a bitter sap, it can be understood as a symbol of the joy that is born through suffering. It’s therefore poignant that Yeshua identifies Himself to the Ecclesia of Smyrna as The One Who is all existing (Royal), Who was dead (Mourning), but is resurrected, alive (Joy). 9 ‘I know your afflictions and your poverty (but you are rich), and the slander (blasphemy) by those who call themselves Jews but are not, rather they are a gathering (synagogue) belonging to the Accuser (Satan). The Suffering Messiah, Who from birth was marked by myrrh in anticipation of His sacrificial death, acknowledges the shared suffering of His people in Smyrna. He is present in their suffering, by His own admission He walks in the midst of the communities. He also illuminates the spiritual reality of their present/future glory in the Olam Haba (World to come), saying, “But you are rich!” Like the false apostles—that is, people who were not apostles at all but proven to be liars—the people indicted here as slanderers/blasphemers, are not Jews but Gentiles pretending to be Jews. They identified as Jews but were not. They are a gathering (συναγωγὴ synagōgē: this ancient Greek word is used to describe both a gathering of people and a building or meeting place, not necessarily a traditional Jewish Synagogue), or organised group. These Gentiles may have been influenced by the Judaizers whom Paul rebukes in Galatians 6:12-13. They appear to have focused only on certain aspects of Judaism, claiming to be delivered by their observance of Torah rather than by grace through faith in Messiah. In spite of their many claims they failed to live devoted lives according to the Torah, making them hypocrites of the worst kind. They were probably subject to a false legalistic observance of the Torah like that refuted by Shaul/Paul the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 9:20. These Gentiles may have been responsible for drawing other Gentile Christians away from the freedom of the Gospel and into a pseudo-Messianic Synagogue version of faith that desecrated both Judaism and Christianity. The βλασφημίαν blasphēmian “Slander (blasphemy)” of the aforementioned non-Jews, a synagogue (gathering, collective) of Satan (the slanderer) could have covered a number of things from desecrating the Holy Name YHVH to denying that grace through faith alone saves, and even as abhorrent as denying the deity of Messiah. It may also refer to the slandering of individuals within the body of believers at Smyrna, and the faith community as a whole. I’m sad to say this very thing is happening in my own city today, where there are groups of Gentiles, who are so desperate to win their own salvation that they have begun to pretend to observe the Torah devotedly in order to show themselves superior to the so called apostate Church. This is the very antithesis of the Gospel of Messiah: “for it is by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest anyone should boast.” –Ephesians 2:8-9 Myself and other members of our community have been slandered and are hated by some Gentile Christian/Hebrew Roots/Messianic (Not Jews) for our firm stance in Messiah upon the Scriptures and the freedom that the Gospel brings. If this present situation weren’t so sad it would be hilarious. What irony, a Group of Gentiles claiming to be Jewish (but are not) and accusing actual Jews and other Gentile followers of Messiah of not being Jewish enough (among other things). The tragedy is that this type of thinking makes room for the lie of Replacement theology (a.k.a Supersessionism), which these same groups seek to refute; given that they themselves are literally seeking to replace the Jewish people, appropriating our identity as a result of their own perceived lack of identity. We should not steal from the Kingdom of God the beauty of the cultural worship of the Gentile nations, who through Yeshua have been set free to honour God in unique and powerful ways. Yeshua Himself reminds us that He has, “sheep from other sheep pens.” That which is godly in every culture has value, while that which is not is to be cast aside. With the aforementioned in mind, the heights of stupidity reached by the modern pseudo-Christian antisemites are beyond comparison. One of their common antisemitic tropes relies on the present verse being taken out of context, and by ignoring its literal and plainly obvious meaning. They say to us Jews, “You are not Jews, you are a synagogue of Satan” failing to understand that the verse they’re referencing doesn’t refer to Jews in any way, hence “who say they are Jews but are not.” The irony continues when one observes that the pseudo-Christian antisemites who say these abhorrent things consider themselves chosen and in turn claim that the Jews (contrary to Scripture) are no longer chosen. Therefore, they prove themselves to be the very people described in Revelation 2:9 who claim to be chosen (Jews) but are not. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil (Slanderer) is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be proved, and you will be tortured for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. The Greek διάβολος diabolos, is used here rather than the title Σατανᾶς Satanos, Satan. διάβολος diabolos can refer to the particular aspect of Satan’s character, “slander,” or to a demonic spirit. Therefore, given the fact that the definite article is used, “the slanderer” could refer to Satan as “slanderer,” and could also refer to the demonic strongman in charge of slander. In either case the entity is being sent to instigate the persecution. We must keep in mind that Satan is not omnipresent, He can’t be everywhere at once. God is in control of this proving and has already established its outcome. The ten days are both literal and symbolic; they represent the completion of the trial of this specific community and the limit set upon the time allowed for the enemy to touch the believers of Smyrna. This is similar to the account of Job in that God was in control of Satan’s participation from beginning to end. Smyrna is symbolic of death and mourning, here her faithfulness even unto death (temporary) is rewarded with a victor’s wreath of life (eternal). The Victor is Messiah, and the crown of everlasting life is given to His spiritual sons and daughters, crowned as princes and princesses. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’ Ears are designed to hear, however hearing (Shema) from the Hebrew perspective must result in understanding and action. The phrase “He who has an ear, let him hear” means “He who has the ability to hear must act in acknowledgment of what’s said.” Therefore, everyone hears but some refuse to listen and still others refuse to act. The person who overcomes in Messiah will not be hurt by the second death (Myrrh). This makes two things clear, there is both a death and a life beyond this one, and only those who rely on Messiah Yeshua will overcome. 12 “And to the messenger of the community of believers in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: Pergamum means, “High Tower,” symbolizing pride. In fact the city was built on a high hill, giving it wonderful views of the not too distant coastline. The sword is the word of God, able to divide soul and spirit. It is the word of God that will slice pride free from the believers of Pergamum. In this case it is a broad sword that divides between the bone and marrow of an entire community. As explained in the previous chapter: The Greek ῥομφαία rhomphaia, translated “sword” is a double-edged broad sword, a long Thracian sword, designed for cutting and piercing. It’s said to have been an imposing weapon. The same word is employed throughout Revelation and is used in Luke’s Gospel to describe the metaphorical sword that will pierce Miriam’s (Mary the mother of Yeshua) heart in both grief and revelation: “34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Miriam (Mary) His (Yeshua’s) mother, “Behold, now, pay attention, this One is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that is spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (this word shares its root with Apokalypsis [Revelation]. (And even for you, a sword [ῥομφαία rhomphaia] will pierce through your soul.)” -Luke 2:34-35 [Author’s translation] 13 ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast to My Name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. Pergamum was a centre of emperor worship in the Roman province of Asia, therefore, given that the worship of the Roman emperor was tantamount to the worship of an antichrist, the city is rightly identified as the place, “Where Satan’s throne is.” The faith that the Pergamum believers have held on to is the faith that comes from Yeshua. They hold fast to all that Yeshua’s Name and Person mean, “God is our salvation, God with us, King of kings” etc. Antipas, whose name means, “substitute father” may well have been a father in the faith to many of the believers in Pergamum. He is an example of one who suffered unto death and overcame. In Hebrew this is called, על קידוש השם al Kiddush HaShem (upon the sanctification of The Name). Less than 40 years later the same Roman government put 10 prominent Jewish leaders to death, among them were Gamliel II (Grandson of Gamaliel the Elder [Acts 2:33-34, 22:3]) and the famous Talmudic Rebbe Akiva. Not only is Σατανᾶ Satana, Satan’s throne there, He also spends much of His time there. This is because the focus of emperor worship is such that it sets itself up in direct opposition to Messiah. The satanic modus operandi is antichrist. Satan longs to rule, and will not. It’s worth asking, “Where is the ultimate seat of power sought today?” If we live under its temporary dominion, how are we to respond to times of proving? 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam (Greek) [Bil’am (Hebrew)], who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit immorality. God wouldn’t allow Bil’am to curse Israel (Num. 22-24; ref. 2 Peter 2:15-16), however Bil’am, having been afforded the opportunity to enter into relationship with HaShem, chose instead to placate the king of Moab by tempting Israel to engage in idolatry and sexual immorality with Moabite women (Num. 25:1-3; 31:16). Bil’am is the perfect example of one who claims to hear from YHVH but is ultimately only interested in opportunities to seek to use what he hears of YHVH to facilitate his own prowess and spiritual power. This is not unlike many in the modern body of faith who are spiritual but not godly. This text is not referring to the issue of eating meat, as addressed in 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, 10:21; rather, it refers to the act of participating in the pagan rituals of sacrifice to false gods, eating at love feasts (orgies) and engaging in sexually immoral activity in worship of these same deities. These acts are in direct opposition to the mitzvot/instructions/commands given to Israel, and in a concise form concerning the abstaining from idolatry, are also given to Gentile believers by the Jewish Church fathers in Acts 15:28-29. 15 You also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. The Nicolaitans were a libertine sect that taught there followers to sin that grace may abound. There is a direct correlation between the sin of Bil’am and the Nicolaitans. They are pseudo-spiritual false guides who encourage debauchery while calling also claiming to be worshippers of the High God YHVH. “1What shall we say then, ‘Let’s keep on sinning, so that there can be more chesed (mercy, loving kindness, grace)?’ 2 A curse on it! How can we, who have died to sin, still live by it?” -Romans 6:1-2 [Author’s translation] 16 Therefore return; or else I am coming to you quickly (immediately), and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. The Greek, ταχύ tachy means immediate, without delay. Yeshua will not stand for this type of abomination within the believing community any more than HaShem would stand for such actions in the community of ethnic Israel. Just as HaShem took immediate action, so too will Yeshua. He will rebuke the offenders using His word, bringing swift judgement against them. Yeshua’s word contains both warning and discipline, hope and destruction. This war of His word is being carried out against the Ecclesia in order to purify the soon to be bride of Messiah. Note that Yeshua says that He is coming quickly to make war against the evil in question. Yeshua is both the Prince of Peace and the Conquering King. He is no pacifist. Note further that the threatened punishment reflects the associated description of Yeshua. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the community of believers. To the person who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a light/white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’ Pergamum (Pride), has been rebuked and humbled by the word of Yeshua, the sword that divides the righteous from the unrighteous. The High Tower (Pergamum) of pride is now replaced with the promise of true heights of faith found in the third heaven. The High city of Pergamum (earthly temporary) may stand in its pride temporarily but the transcendent city of Jerusalem in the Olam Haba (World to come) awaits the people of God outside of time in the third heaven, the highest of heights. Hidden Manna: Manna, from the Hebrew מָן maan, derived from the phrase מה זה Ma zay? (What is it?), is first referenced in Exodus 16:4, 15-31, 35 and is also referred to as the “bread from heaven,” [Exodus 16:4; John 6:31-35]. Messiah uses this image as a symbol of His own body. A portion of this manna was preserved in the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 16:32-34; Hebrews 9:4). The Talmud claims that in the third heaven (outside of time and space), “mills grind manna for the tzadikim (righteous ones)” – Chagigah 12b The Jewish apocalyptic writing of 2 Baruch 29:8 speaks of the Messianic age to come when, “the treasury of manna will again descend from on high, and those who live in that time will eat of it.” It's recorded that when the first Temple was destroyed, either Jeremiah (2 Maccabees 2:4-8) or an angel/messenger (2 Baruch 6:5-10) rescued the ark with its pot of manna, and both the ark and the manna are being kept for the days of the Messiah, when God’s people will eat manna once again. Yochanan relays the message of Messiah, which uses these traditional Jewish beliefs as a platform for showing that those who believe in Him will gain access to the, “Wedding Banquet of the Lamb” (19:19). The white stone, or stone of light relates to the use of stones as tickets of entry into the public events of the time. The message is one of admission, the believer is symbolically given a stone of light that bears either the Messiah’s unknown name or that of the believer and is an affirmation of the believer’s rightful entry into the Olam haba (World to come). This stone has been purchased on our behalf by the Messiah Yeshua. It's important to note that no one except the believer who receives it (and God), knows what is written on the stone. There is perhaps a connection between the stone of light mentioned here and the urim and tumim of the TaNaKh, which are named “lights” and “completions” respectively. These stones of light operated as a means of communicating direction to the High priest and the people of Israel in perplexing circumstances. Perhaps there is a sense in which the new name written on the stone of light and given to those who overcome in Messiah, also acts as a type of directing of identity in Him. 18 “And to the messenger of the body of believers in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: Thyatira means, “Odour.” This title may have derived from the fact that the town was known for its many trade guilds, perhaps some of those trades involved tanning and meat culling, resulting in a pungent odour. Regardless, the symbolic meaning is clear, the odour of sin was present in Thyatira. Yeshua is Ha-Ben Elohim, the Son of God. The rightful King over all the earth. The present verse affirms the fact that Yeshua remains The Son of God even after His resurrection (Matthew 4:3). His eyes like flames of fire symbolize refining judgement, sacrifice, fore vision, penetrating vision and a unity with the Shekinah. His feet glowing like bronze in a furnace symbolize the refining strength of the spreading Gospel, feet firmly planted on earth but intrinsically connected to the wisdom and purity of the heavens through the One Messianic King. (Daniel 10:6) 19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. Unlike the Ecclesia of Ephesus, the believers of Thyatira have retained their first/chief love and have surpassed even there first righteous acts. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, And she teaches and leads My servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. There may well have been a literal woman named Jezebel who fellowshipped among the believers and claimed to be a prophetess (this is not the same as claiming to have the gift of prophecy, this claim is to the contrary a boast that equates the speaker with one of the prophets of the TaNakh. The irony here is that Yochanan, the writer of these words from Yeshua, is the true prophet of God in this context). However, what is most likely is that the woman is being named after the Jezebel of the TaNakh who lead Ahab and Israel into idolatry and immorality and sought to eliminate completely the true worship of HaShem (1 Kings 16:30-33; 18:4, 13, 22; 2 Kings 9:22). Jezebel’s name means, “Chaste,” an ironic representation of the complete hypocrisy of the woman in question. Like her namesake, this particular woman is leading the Ecclesia into sexual immorality and idolatry. These are abhorrent to God. We note that the phrase, “you tolerate the woman Jezebel” reflects the prophet Elijah’s rebukes of Ahab and the people of Israel. The Thyatirans are being charged as enablers of sin. As far as God is concerned, those who enable sin in others are complicit, no matter how well meaning they may be. Sadly, there are many Jezebels throughout the global Ecclesia today who are being enabled by their respective Ahabs. And the Ecclesia is largely silent, instead focusing on calling those with true prophetic voice “divisive!” 21 I gave her time to return, and she does not want to turn away from her immorality. 22 Behold, now, pay attention, I will throw her on a bed of sickness (Aramaic: ערסא arsa, Coffin), and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction, unless they turn away from her deeds. Yeshua has been gracious toward this woman, giving her time to turn back to Him, however, she has refused to do so and is therefore punished by sickness which will lead to death. The Aramaic text illuminates this meaning by using the word, ערסא arsa which means both bed and coffin. Those who have engaged in her teachings and have committed similar sins under her guidance are being given an opportunity to repent immediately and avoid the affliction promised to those who continue in their sin. 23 And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the assemblies will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. Those given the opportunity to repent in the previous verses were believers who were swayed by Jezebel’s deception and drawn into her sin, where as those being called her, “children” are those who like her are instigators of the same deception, blood of her blood, both physically and metaphorically. Therefore, due to their wilful resistance toward God, they will suffer physical and spiritual death. Because God knows the end from the beginning it’s true to say that contrary to the popular evangelical aphorism, there is such a thing as an unredeemable person. One who willfully and perpetually resists God is by their own choosing and God’s foreknowledge, irredeemable. The physical deaths of these wolves who have lived among the sheep, will act as a deterrent to others who would seek to harm the congregation. This is a show of God’s power like that of Acts 5, where Ananias and Sapphira are killed in the presence of the Holy Spirit as a manifest expression of the awesome holiness of God with us. 24 But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. 25 Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. Those who have maintained their relationship with God in righteousness are asked only to continue in the same way. They are like Elijah and the 7000 prophets preserved by God for Himself (1 Kings 19:18). They haven’t sought to “know the deep secrets of Satan,” which is a reference to the mystery religions that claimed secret access to the mysteries of the universe through an intimate knowledge of the dark angel Satan. The irony here is that Yeshua is unveiling His mystery freely to all who would receive Him, Yeshua doesn’t require His followers to jump through hoops and perform foul rituals in order to know the truth, on the contrary, He reveals it freely to His bride as an engagement gift. This present Revelation utterly refutes the lies and so called mysteries of the evil one. 26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; Yeshua says here that just as He has been given authority from the Father (as prophesied in Psalm 2, below), He will bestow ruling authority over the nations to His servants who overcome in Him. 1 Why do the nations rage, and the people ponder emptiness? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against HaShem, and against his anointed (people), saying, 3 Let us break what binds them apart, and throw away their cords from us. 4 He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: HaShem derides them. 5 Then shall He speak unto them in his wrath, and agitate them inwardly because of His burning anger. 6 Yet I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7 I will declare the decree: HaShem has said unto me, “You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I shall give you the nations for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 10 Be wise now therefore, O you kings: be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve HaShem with fear (Awe), and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him. –Tehillim/Psalm 2:1-12 [Author’s translation] 28 and I will give him the morning star. Yeshua offers the, “Morning Star” to those who overcome in Him. This is the planet Venus, the brightest star in the morning sky, and is symbolic of the Messiah. Ironically it was Bil’am who prophesied, “A star shall step forth from Jacob” (Numbers 24:17). This same phrase is used to refer to Messiah Yeshua in Revelation 22:16. While Satan was a bright morning star (Isa. 14:12) and is now fallen and irredeemable, Yeshua is the bright morning star Who can redeem all who come to Him in faith. The use of the morning star as a metaphor relating to both Yeshua and Satan does not infer a connection between the two anymore than the use of a lion as a metaphor used to describe both the Lion of Judah and the devil prowling like a lion infers a correlation between the two. These are simply metaphors, nothing more. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Ecclesia (all believers).’ As this chapter ends we are faced with the same choice, will we receive belief or embrace unbelief? Will we allow our Groom to unveil us, or will we demand a different suitor? No one is as deaf as he who refuses to listen. Copyright 2026 Yaakov Ben Yehoshua
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By nature Biblical Hebrew prophecy seems counterintuitive to the time trapped mind. The natural human need to predict outcomes is evidence of the sin nature (yetzer hara) attempting to be in control. Human control is a counterfeit to godly order. To seek security in control is evidence of a lack of self-control. Introduction:
What we’ve learned so far (Please read the previous article of introduction):
We now begin our study of the book of Revelation by tossing aside our eschatological baggage, those presuppositions that cloud our judgement and turn us into Sooth Sayers. We do this with the knowledge that Biblical Hebrew prophecy is a vehicle by which God speaks into time and space through the respective prophet, that which is already established from God's perspective. Many Biblical prophecies have multiple fulfilments toward a final fulfilment. Biblical Prophetic literature is therefore not a predictive mechanism but an established eternally present reality, spoken into time and space. By nature Biblical Hebrew prophecy seems counterintuitive to the time trapped mind. The natural human need to predict outcomes is evidence of the sin nature (yetzer hara) attempting to be in control. Human control is a counterfeit to godly order. To seek security in control is evidence of a lack of self-control. It only reinforces the delusion of self-deification. The only destiny that is manifest is that which is manifest by God, the Creator of all things. “6When therefore, they had come together they asked Yeshua, saying, ‘Lord, will you restore the kingdom of Israel again at this time?’ 7And Yeshua responded to them saying, ‘It’s not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has established in His own power! 8But you will receive power after the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) has come upon you, and you will be witnesses of Me in Jerusalem and in all of Judea and Samaria and to the farthest outer parts of the earth.’” -Acts 1:6-8 [Author’s translation] Messiah says, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has established in His own power." (Acts 1:7) Yeshua spoke these words to his disciples to emphasize that only God determines the timing of future events, specifically regarding the restoration of the kingdom. A subject that is a primary theme of the book of Revelation. Therefore, those who set out to predict future events using the book of Revelation as a Biblical excuse for doing so, are acting in direct opposition to the teaching of Messiah, proving themselves to be at best disobedient children of God, and at worst purveyors of an intellectual faith that cannot save. In the context of the aforementioned scripture (Acts 1:7), the disciples had asked if Yeshua was restoring the kingdom to Israel at that time (Acts 1:6). Yeshua directs them away from speculating on prophetic timelines, noting that such knowledge is under the Father's sovereign authority alone. Instead of knowing the "when," Yeshua instructs His disciples to receive power from the Holy Spirit and act as witnesses of Him. (Acts 1:8) This repeats an established Biblical principle, “Yeshua is the Goal” Whose Gospel we witness to. Neither the goal nor the command is predicated on predicting outcomes or demanding to know the future. Thus, Yeshua instructs believers to focus on Him for the purpose of testifying to the Good News of Salvation, and not to focus on predicting the future, which by nature of misfocus, is an act of Idolatry. This aligns with Matthew 24:36, where Yeshua states that not even the angels or the Son know the day or hour of His return, only the Father. (At the time this was said Yeshua had, by choice, submitted Himself to the Human restrictions of time and space. However, following His ascending to the right hand of the Father He now shares the knowledge of His return in the Father, because He and the Father are echad [one]). With these things in mind we approach the text with humble awe, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the things of Yeshua to us in God the Father. 1 The Revelation (Lifting of the veil, manifestation, giving of sight and knowledge) of Yeshua Mashiach (Jesus Christ, God is my Salvation and the anointed One), which God gave Him (Yeshua) to give sight to His servants, the things which must soon take place; and He (Yeshua) sent His מַלְאָך malakh (messenger, angel) to His servant Yochanan (John: HaShem is gracious). The lifting of the veil is an act of bridal preparation performed by Yeshua, He has gone away according to ancient Jewish betrothal custom and has revealed His future return to John through His messenger/angel by lifting the bridal veil. In doing so Yeshua has revealed Himself to His bride the Ecclesia (community of believers), and she in turn will be revealed to Him as a pure bride clothed in white, washed in His blood (the bride price). Yeshua is manifestly present in this theophany (a tangible encounter between a physical representation of God and a human being) and is giving sight חָזוֹן Chazon and knowledge ידע yada to His servant Yochanan (YHVH is gracious) and to His bride, the Ecclesia, body of believers (Servants). The writer, Yochanan uses his own name. This reflects the style of the prophets of Israel who are identified in the Nevi’im (Prophets) by their names. Yochanan’s position as the only TaNaKh (OT) style prophet of the New Testament (his writing sharing many similarities with the writings of prophetic revelation given to the prophets of Israel) makes this text unique among the writings of the New Testament. The book of Revelation adheres to Hebrews 1:1-2, because Yochanan’s prophetic role is informed by the Word Who came to the prophets of Israel. Yeshua, the Word, has come to Yochanan (John) in like manner. Yochanan writes in his own time, looking at the past sacrifice of Yeshua in order to offer present hope for the future fulfilment of God’s reconciliatory plan for Israel and the nations. These prophetic words record past events, describe present events and will reveal things that will soon take place, firstly from humanity’s perspective and secondly from God’s perspective outside of time and space. Therefore, the term, “soon” is somewhat subjective, which explains why we are still awaiting the ultimate fulfillment of sizable portions of this book. Therefore, it’s foolish to presuppose that all of the Revelation has come to pass, and equally foolish to presuppose that all of the Revelation is yet future. Hebrew prophecy is cyclical and often has many fulfillments unto one final fulfillment. Knowing this we choose to put down our presuppositions and humble ourselves to receive this Revelation as illuminated by the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit), Who teaches us the things of Yeshua (John 14:26). Why does Yeshua send His messenger/angel? What is meant by ἀγγέλου Angelou, מַלְאָך malakh (messenger/angel)? The first century Pharisaic Jewish belief that every person has a guardian angel/messenger is evidenced in the book of Acts: “13 When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Kefa’s (Peter) voice, because of her joy she didn’t open the gate, but ran in and announced that Kefa was standing outside the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are meshuga (out of your mind!)” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel/messenger.”’ –Acts 12:13-15 [Author’s Translation] The guardian angel/messenger of an individual human being is said to resemble that person in appearance. This is the case with the messenger/angel of Yeshua who has been sent to Yochanan. This is yet another indication of the unity of God. The Father sends His Malakh (Angel of the presence), so too Yeshua the Son sends His Malakh. “I and the Father are a unity!” (John 10:30) 2 who (John) testified to the Word (Davar [John 1]) of God and to the testimony (public witness) of Yeshua Mashiach, even to all that he (John) saw. The Word (Davar) is Yeshua. Therefore, we could read: “John testified as to the Word Essence Yeshua, of God the Father and to the testimony of that same Word, Yeshua the Messiah, even to all that John saw.” The, “Testimony of Yeshua Messiah” is the Gospel of Yeshua for which His servants were being murdered (Revelation 6:9). The Hebrew equivalent for the Greek μαρτυρίαν martiriyan translated, “testimony” is, עדות eidot, which means, “Public witness” as in a court of law, evidenced testimony made before a minyan (10) of community leaders. It’s worth noting the connection between the testimony (μαρτυρίαν martiriyan) of Yeshua and the English word martyr, which is derived from the same Greek word. Yochanan is the nearest aforementioned subject of this text and it is Yochanan who is now relaying what Yeshua’s angel/messenger is revealing to him. 3 Blessed (by God) is the person who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and take to heart the things which are written in it; for the time is near. How are we blessed by reading, hearing and taking these words to heart (core being)? We are blessed in the secure knowledge that for all our struggles to fully understand this prophecy, we are part of the bride to whom it has been revealed. We are the ones to whom this is being unveiled. We are the ones being offered the opportunity to look upon Him with unveiled face. This is cause for great rejoicing. It's important to remember that Yeshua’s Revelation to Yochanan is a word of prophecy in the TaNaKh sense. After all, “The testimony of Yeshua is the Spirit of Prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). Yochanan is not exercising the New Testament gift of prophecy but is speaking the revelation of Yeshua as a prophet. In order to place the prophetic word of Revelation in context we must understand some of the key differences between the role of the TaNaKh prophet and the spiritual gift of prophecy described in the New Testament. A Concise Comparison of Prophetic Distinctions: Authority: TaNaKh Prophet Infallible, Absolute (Deut; Nevi’im/Prophets; 1 Kings) N.T. Prophetic Gift Must be tested by both the community of faith (1 Thess. 5:19-22) and others with the prophetic gifting (1 Cor. 14:29) Substance: TaNaKh Prophet The perfect inspired Word of God fully revealed (Deut; Nevi’im/Prophets; 1 Kings) N.T. Prophetic Gift Prophesied in part (1 Cor. 13:9) Accessibility: TaNaKh Prophet Generally limited to specific prophets (Deut; Nevi’im/Prophets; 1 Kings) N.T. Prophetic Gift Available to believers in all Messiah following communities of faith Main Role: TaNaKh Prophet Direct, Instruct, Foretell, Bring Judgement (Deut; Nevi’im/Prophets; 1 Kings) N.T. Prophetic Gift Encourage, Comfort, Edify (Acts 15:32; 1 Cor. 14:3) Form: TaNaKh Prophet Spoken, declared, Written, Codified (Deut; Nevi’im/Prophets; 1 Kings) N.T. Prophetic Gift Spoken, declared, Not Codified (with the exception of the Revelation, which is established as a unique stand-alone prophetic work, and the prophetic word of the prophets in the book of Acts, who spoke prior to the writing of the book to the Hebrews, there is no authoritative written record of New Testament prophecies made by members of the Ecclesia gifted with the Messianic prophetic gifting of the Holy Spirit.) “The time is near,” makes an important distinction between itself and the earlier use of the Greek term, τάχει tachei meaning, “brief, in haste, speedily, soon” (v.1). The Greek term translated “near” in the present verse is, ἐγγύς engys meaning, “near, nigh, ready.” Whereas the former term used in verse 1, gives the sense of immediacy and refers to certain parts of the prophecy that will happen in Yochanan’s immediate future, whereas the use of the term, ἐγγύς engys “near” in this verse indicates that there are events recorded in this prophecy that have been made ready and are nigh, near, but not immediate. This helps us better understand why there has been a delay in reaching the complete fulfilment of the some of the latter events of this prophecy. 4 Yochanan, to the seven communities of believers that are in the Roman province of Asia: Grace and Shalom (peace, wholeness, soundness, completeness), from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come (HaShem the Father), and from the sevenfold (qualitative) spirits (Sevenfold, Seven Messengers or Seven aspects of the Ruach), before His throne, We note that Yochanan greets the communities with peace in the unity of the God-head (1:4-5). The theological title used here to describe God the Father’s all existing eternal nature, “Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come,” is later specifically used to describe the Eternal nature of God the Son, Yeshua (Rev. 1:8). God the Father has given Yeshua the Revelation, and Yeshua in turn reveals it to Yochanan by the Spirit (v.1). The Shaliach (Apostle) Paul (Shaul) opens a number of his letters using a similar formula: “Grace to you and shalom from God our Father, and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah!” -1 Corinthians 1:3 The tri-unity of God is completed in the following verse with the phrase, “and from Yeshua Mashiach (Jesus Christ).” Therefore, the God-head is described as a unity in the following order:
The reason that this order doesn’t follow the usual order of, “The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” is because the Son is relaying the Revelation to Yochanan, and describing the God-head in relation to Himself through Yochanan. The number seven is seen as a Hebrew symbol of complete perfection and wholeness (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-10), it speaks of the created order and has a close relationship to Deity because it’s used in relating key attributes of God (Isa. 11:2) and representing His present glory in the manifestation of the שכינה Shekinah (Feminine light presence of God unveiled, represented in the sevenfold Menorah of the Temple), this glory is known in Biblical Hebrew as כבוד ה" Kevod Adonai. The number of kehilot, believing communities (congregations) of the Roman province of Asia represents both the independent communities themselves and the Ecclesia (body of faith) as a whole. Each of the subsequent letters spoken to the Kehilot (congregations) are therefore both directed at specific faith communities and also address the issues facing the Ecclesia as a whole (made up of seven parts representing a full new creation). The theme of seven continues throughout the book of Revelation: a) Seven Messianic communities (v.4) b) Sevenfold Spirit (v.4) c) Seven Menorot (Menorah/Lampstand) (v.12) d) Seven stars (v.16) e) Seven flaming torches (4:5) f) Seven seals (5:1) g) A Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes (5:6) h) Seven angels/messengers with seven shofars [Rams horns] (8:2) i) Seven thunders (10:3) j) A dragon with seven crowns on his seven heads (12:3) k) The Empire of the Beast is also represented as seven hills and seven kings (17:9-10) l) Seven angels/messengers with the seven last plagues in seven bowls (15:1, 7) m) Seven blessings are pronounced throughout the book of Revelation beginning with the blessing of Rev. 1:3 This verse is much discussed, mostly due to the difficulty arising from the Greek phrase translated either, “seven spirits” or, “sevenfold spirit”: both translations are valid but the latter is more likely because the context denotes a description of the tri-unity of the God-head. Therefore, I suggest that the sevenfold Spirit mentioned here is the Ruach Ha-Kodesh, the Holy Spirit described in terms of His attributes (Isa. 11:2). By the revelation of Yeshua, Yochanan opposes angel worship (19:10; 22:8-9) and is therefore unlikely to place a reference to angelic spirits in unity with a wider description of the God-head. In addition to this the TaNaKh describes a relationship between the Ruach (Spirit) of God and His sevenfold (qualitative) character, which rest upon and within the King Messiah, as prophesied in the scroll of Isaiah the prophet: “And rest (1) will come on him via the Ruach (Spirit) of Adonai (YHVH), The spirit of wisdom (2) and understanding (3), The spirit of counsel (4) and strength (5), The spirit of knowledge (6) and the Awe (7) of Adonai (YHVH).” –Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 11:2 [Author’s translation] “2He said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a Menorah (sevenfold lampstand of the Temple) all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it;3 also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” 4 Then I said to the angel/messenger who was speaking with me saying, “What are these, my lord?” 5 So the angel/messenger who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel (Sown in confusion) saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Ruach (Spirit),’ says HaShem Tzevaot (of heavens armies).” …Then you will know that HaShem Tzevaot (of heavens armies) has sent me to you. 10 For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel (Sown in confusion)—these are the eyes of HaShem which range to and fro throughout the land.” –Zechariah 4:2-6, 7-10 selected portions [Author’s translation] 5 and from Yeshua Mashiach (Jesus Christ), the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him (Yeshua) who loves us and released us from our sins by His (Yeshua) blood—6 and He (The High Priest [Heb.4:14-16]) has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father (HaShem)—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (Agreed: אמן agreement, trust, faith). The phrase, “faithful witness” recalls the phrase, “and the testimony of Yeshua Mashiach” in verse 2. In verses 5-6 we are given a wonderful character description of our Messiah Yeshua: 1. Faithful Witness (Rev. 2:13; John 1:18; Isaiah 55:3-4( 2. The Firstborn [from temporal death unto eternal life] (Rom. 6:5; 1 Cor. 15:20, 23) 3. King of kings, Ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev 17:14; 19:16; 1 Cor. 15:24-25) 4. He loves us (John 3:16-18, 15:9; Rom. 8:38-39) 5. He has freed us from our sins at the cost of His blood (Rom. 3:24) 6. He has caused us to be a kingdom of priests, a community who are subject to Him (Rev. 6) Cohanim/Priests (From His position as High Priest) serving under the Great High Priest Yeshua to the glory of God His Father (Rev. 1:6, 5:10, 20:6). This is the priesthood of all believers both Jew and Gentile, and is not to be confused with the specific priesthood of Israel referred to in 1 Peter 2:9 7 “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the land (of Israel) will mourn over Him.” [Zechariah 12:10-14; Daniel 7:13-14] So it is to be. Amen (Agreed, Yeshua Himself is the אמן Amen 3:14). “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days (HaShem) And was presented before Him. –Daniel 7:13 “10“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me Whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.11 In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves.” –Zechariah 12:10-14 The quotation in Revelation 1:7 employees a combination of Scriptures from the TaNaKh used by Yeshua in Matthew 24:30 “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the land (Eretz Israel) will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” –Mattitiyahu (Matthew) 24:30 It’s important to note that the quotation refers to, “the tribes of the land of Israel” and not to all of humanity. This is because what is taking place corresponds to the reconciliation of the remnant of Israel described by Paul in his letter to the Romans (11:25-27). The mourning here is not unto condemnation but unto repentance and salvation. This occurs prior to the final judgement after the fullness of those who would come to Messiah from among the nations have been made complete. “25 Therefore, Ami (my people, fellow Jews), brothers & sisters, I want you to understand this truth (mystery) which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won’t imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that a type of petrified stasis/callousness, to some degree, has come upon Israel (empirical, ethnic, spiritual), until the full number from among the nations comes in; 26 and then all Israel (that is both those Jews who have individually accepted Messiah prior to the nations coming in, and the entire remnant of the blood descendants of Jacob: empirical, ethnic) will be saved. As the TaNaKh says: “Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; He will turn away ungodliness from Yaakov 27 and this will be my covenant with them, . . . when I take away their sins.” (Isaiah 59:20–21, 27:9)” -Romans 11:25-27 [Author’s Translation] 8 “I am the Aleph and the Tav,” says the Lord (Κύριος kyrios), “Who is and Who was and Who is to come (All Existing), the Shaddai (Almighty, All Sufficient).” Here, it’s Yeshua the Son Who is naming Himself in well-known Hebraic terms. We know this is Yeshua speaking because He is the nearest subject of the preceding text. The one “coming in the clouds.” Yeshua is The First and Last letters of every alphabet, the All-Existing Word Who informs all language, meaning He is the Beginning and the Goal of all things (John 1; Romans 10:4). Additionally, He is outside of time and space, all things existing in Him. He is and was and is to come (A common Hebrew theological title that describes the eternal nature of God the Father). He is The Almighty (Shaddai), The God above all gods (El elyon). The Greek Κύριος kyrios, translated “Lord,” is used by the New Testament writers to describe both God the Father as YHVH, and Yeshua the Messiah. It’s the Greek equivalent to YHVH and also means master, lord etc. It’s employed here and elsewhere to denote אדוני Adonai, the Hebrew word used in place of the Holy Name YHVH. Therefore, Yeshua is stating that which is made clear throughout the works of Yochanan, that He is YHVH, God with us. Thus, by the Spirit Yochanan establishes the unity of the Father and the Son by using the theological title previously used to describe the Father (v.4), to describe the Son. The Father and the Son being One. As I’ve stated in the introduction to this book, Yochanan makes the Deity of Messiah Yeshua a primary theme in all his writings. He does so by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 9 I, Yochanan, your brother and fellow partaker in the present sufferings and the kingdom and perseverance, which are in Yeshua, was on the island of Patmos because of the Word of God (The Messiah, the Gospel: Revelation 6:9) and the testimony of Yeshua (Faithful Witness). Yochanan now introduces the prophecy by explaining his part in its writing and the physical location of this transcendent experience, his manifest encounter with the angel/messenger of the living Messiah. He acknowledges the present suffering of all believers, the need to persevere in the work of the Kingdom and the hope that believers have in Messiah Yeshua. This rhythm is present throughout the book. It’s worth noting that “the present sufferings and the kingdom and perseverance,” are “in Yeshua.” This paints the Kingdom of God in much broader strokes than the limited definition placed upon it by many modern Bible teachers. A King is king over all that is under his authority. In the case of the Creator God, that means everything. Therefore, the Kingdom of God includes the present sin affected world, which is giving way to the fullness of the world to come. The Island of Patmos is thought to have been a Roman prison colony and is situated off the coast of modern Turkey. Yochanan had been imprisoned there because of his active spreading of the Gospel and his having passed on the Testimony of Messiah. We must remember that God is in control of all things and therefore had ordered Yochanan’s journey and his imprisonment so that Yochanan would be on Patmos at this specific time in history in order to receive Yeshua’s Revelation, and witness His face unveiled as a gift to the expectant Bride, the body of faith. 10 I was in the Spirit (Of God) in the day of the LORD (the great and fearful future day), and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a shofar (Rams horn), The translation, “In the Spirit on the LORD’s day,” is difficult because it infers that the day is one that specially belongs to the LORD. From a Hebrew perspective this is nonsense due to the fact that all days belong to HaShem and that the day that sets Israel apart unto HaShem has a name, “Shabbat,” the Greek equivalent σάββατον Sabbaton having been used throughout the New Testament to describe the Sabbath. Therefore, we must look at the literal meaning of the text and view it through the Hebraic lens of the writer. The day in question is not the Sabbath, if it were, the author would have used the Greek σάββατον Sabbaton, a transliteration for the Hebrew Shabbat, just as he had throughout his Gospel. The day in question is not Sunday (Yom Rishon), or the author would have used the equivalent Greek terminology to indicate the specific day. He would have written, “I was in the Spirit on the first day of the week.” Describing the day of the week in the same way he does in his Gospel (Ref. Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). The only contextual, cultural and Biblically relevant interpretation is the day every Jew is profoundly familiar with, “The Day of The LORD,” that is, The great and terrible final day or time period (A day is as a thousand years) known to be a day of judgement, wrath, redemption and reconciliation. Yochanan has been transported in the Spirit to the “Day of The LORD” (Isaiah 13:6-13; Ezekiel 13:5; Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 1:5; 2:1-31; 3:14; Amos 5:18-20; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7-18; 2:2-3 etc.) In other words, all that follows describes a period of time considered to be the “Day of the LORD.” In one sense it is an eternally present way of framing his experience within the temporal world. Therefore, a right interpretation silences the many predictive eschatological voices that seek to make absolute determinations and promote numerous conspiracies using the book of Revelation as a platform for their sooth saying nonsense! What follows in the remainder of the book is a mixture of chronology and symbolism that gives a clear outcome but no definitive means with which to predict it. A sound interpretation likewise silences the foolish debate between evangelical Christians and Hebrew Roots proponents fighting over whether “the day of the LORD” is the Sabbath or (Resurrection) Sunday. It’s neither. The “voice like the sound of the shofar” is reminiscent of the final shofar call but is qualified by the fact that it is a description of Yeshua’s voice and not in fact a shofar blast, hence the verb, “like.” We note that the Hebrew blessing over the shofar translates: “All blessing comes from You YHVH our God/Judge, Who sanctifies us by Your right actions/commandments and instructs us to listen to, hear, understand, receive and practice the voice of the Ram’s horn.” The ram’s horn finds its origin in the Binding of Isaac (Gen. 21:1-19), and is therefore a symbol of the strength and voice of the Ram of God, Yeshua our Redeemer, Who is prefigured in the ram who takes Isaac’s place on the altar and thus redeems Jacob, who is at that time in the loins of Isaac. 11 saying, “Write in a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven faith communities: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” Yeshua commands Yochanan to write what he, “sees,” that is, what is being unveiled, revealed, made manifest and made known. This fits the collective meanings of the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic words translated as Revelation. The seven communities form a circular pattern on the coast of modern Turkey and are seen as a symbol of the Ecclesia body of believers as a whole. In each community Yeshua identifies different struggles and successes, thus conveying a warning and an encouragement to both the individual historic communities and to the wider body of believers throughout the history of the Church to this day. We need not make the false choice between seeing these believing congregations as either historic or figurative. They are both. 12 Then I turned to see the קול kol (voice) that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden Menorot (Seven branched Temple Menorah); 13 and in the middle of the Menorot I saw one like a son of man [Daniel 7:13], clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash (the transcendent High Priest’s clothing). Notice that the קול kol (voice) of Yeshua is speaking “with,” Yochanan. As previously stated, we bless the shofar with the words, “Who has commanded us to listen to the voice (קול kol) of the ram’s horn (The Messiah’s strength).” Yochanan sees the voice, whereas typically, we hear a voice. However, Yochanan both hears the voice (of Messiah) and sees the voice (Who is Himself, Messiah). The Greek word translated “candle stick,” or “candle stand” in many English versions of the New Testament, is used in the ancient Greek manuscript of the TaNaKh called the Septuagint to describe the Menorah (seven branched candelabra) which God commands Israel to make for use in the Tent of meeting (Exodus 25:31-40) [the Greek plural λυχνίας lychnias is used in Rev. 1:12 to describe multiples of λυχνία luchnia]. Therefore, Menorot (the plural of Menorah) is the better translation. The seven branched candle stand known as the Menorah, is the lampstand of both the Tent of Meeting and the Temple of Adonai (YHVH). Its sevenfold lights/flames represent the present Shekinah (feminine presence) of HaShem, the light presence of God, also known by the Biblical Hebrew Kevod Adonai. The oil used to fuel this light is a symbol of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh, the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the seven Menorot (plural) represent the corporate revelation and presence of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh among the seven communities of believers. The present Messiah, Who stands among them, is Ruler over them. He guides them by the Spirit, Who moves to unify the wider body of believers. He is described using the title which He often used of Himself (Matthew 8:20), “Son of Man,” a prophetic title for the Messiah gleaned from the prophet Daniel (7:13). It's important to note that this text was revealed and written following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E (A.D) and the carrying away of the sacred Menorah by the Roman invaders. Therefore, the Menorot which represent the seven faith communities also represent the Light Presence of God in the midst of those communities and infer that each community is a mini-Temple reflecting the heavenly glory of God. This is consistent with the teaching of Rav Shaul (Paul): “Do you not know that you all (the Ecclesia at Corinth) are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit is dwelling in you (collectively and individually)?” -1 Corinthians 3:16 [Author’s translation] The long robe and golden sash are part of the garments of the High Priest (Exodus 28; 39). Yeshua is the Great and transcendent High Priest (Hebrews 2:17-3:6; 4:14-5:10; 6:20-10:21) who, having absorbed the priesthood of Aaron, has now formed all believers into a nation of priests. Both Jew and Gentile. It’s important to note that the gold sash Yeshua wears here is devoid of the blue, purple and scarlet strands which were combined with the gold to create the sash for the Aaronic Priestly garment. This is because Messiah’s Kingship and Priesthood are being symbolized as having dominion over all things. Gold being the symbol of royal reign. The additional colours of blue (heavens, waters, cleansing), purple (earthly royalty), and scarlet (blood atonement) are no longer necessary because Messiah returns from the heavens having cleansed all things (blue). In His heavenly authority He reigns over all the kingdoms of humanity (purple). He has paid the price of atonement once for all (scarlet). Therefore, given His completed work, only His reign (gold) and Priesthood (robe) need be symbolized. 14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like glowing bronze in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of a large volume of rushing water. This description of Yeshua mirrors the description of HaShem (The Ancient of Days) from the prophet Daniel (Daniel 7:9-10). This is one of many occasions throughout Revelation where Yeshua is identified as God with us. Sharing the attributes and character of God the Father. The Deity of Yeshua is a common theme in all of Yochanan’s writings.
I recall a trip in the Canadian Rockies where we made camp beside a wide river. On a hike we discovered a sizable waterfall. The sound of that massive rushing body of water was terrifying and yet somehow comforting at the same time. Listening to it I was in awe of God’s power and the rhythm of His all-encompassing fidelity. His abiding peace. I was utterly undone and completely secure. This is what it means to hear the voice of Yeshua, “like the sound of many waters.” The voice of the Father God is described in the same way in Ezekiel 43:2. 16 In His 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 (unbearable to the human eye). The right hand of Messiah symbolizes strength, authority, action and righteousness. It’s within this strength that He holds the stars (Which are the messengers to the seven communities). Out of His mouth issues the Word of God, the Word of Truth, the sword of the Spirit, a sharp double-edged sword that cuts surgically to discern between bone and marrow (2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 6:17). The Greek ῥομφαία rhomphaia, translated “sword” is a double-edged broad sword, a long Thracian sword, designed for cutting and piercing. It’s said to have been an imposing weapon. The same word is employed throughout Revelation and is used in Luke’s Gospel to describe the metaphorical sword that will pierce Miriam’s (Mary the mother of Yeshua) heart in both grief and revelation: “34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Miriam (Mary) His (Yeshua’s) mother, “Behold, now, pay attention, this One is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that is spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (this word shares its root with Apokalypsis [Revelation]. (And even for you, a sword [ῥομφαία rhomphaia] will pierce through your soul.)” -Luke 2:34-35 [Author’s translation] Therefore, the sword that comes from Yeshua’s mouth is an imposing weapon that gets to the heart of things, piercing deeply, with an edge for discipline and an edge for wrath. Yeshua is the Word from Whom the large sword proceeds. The writer of the book to the Hebrews uses a different Greek word when he describes the Word of God. “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” –Hebrews 4:12 The Greek word μάχαιραν machairan, a short sword or dagger mainly used for stabbing. I believe the reason for the difference between the sword of Revelation 1:16 and Hebrews 4:12 is that the sword of Hebrews 4:12 addresses the thoughts and intentions of the individual, and is therefore a short sword, whereas the sword of Revelation 1:16, a long imposing weapon, is wielded over communities and nations. Each performs the same work in their respective contexts. Yochanan was only able to look upon and describe the radiance of Yeshua’s face because he was in the Spirit observing things beyond the physical limitations of human vision. Yochanan had witnessed Yeshua’s face in this radiant state before, the Gospel of Matthew records the transfiguration this way: “And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.” –Mattitiyahu/Matthew 17:2 The prophet Habakkuk describes HaShem in a similar way: “3God comes from Teman, And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, And the earth is full of His praise. 4 His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand,” – Habakkuk 3:3-4 17 When I saw Him (Yeshua/Yeshua’s Angel), I fell at His feet like a dead man (fainted). And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, The prophets of the TaNaKh shared similar experiences (Isaiah 6:5; Daniel 7:15). “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, HaShem Shaddai.” –Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 6:5 “Do not be afraid” This phrase of comfort is used many times throughout the Scriptures. From ancient days the fearful interactions between God and human beings have terrified the servants of HaShem through the unfathomable knowledge of God’s holiness. The Divine response to our fearful awe is to comfort us with the words, “Do not be afraid.” “I am the first and the last” This statement echoes the words, “I am the Aleph and the Tav.” There is no doubt that Yeshua is claiming to be God (with us). 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I hold the keys of Death (The result of sin, temporal division) and Hades/Sheol (holding place of the departed, both the righteous and the unrighteous, divided into Gehenna [torment] and Avraham’s bosom [Paradise]). In this statement we see the risen, victorious Messiah Who has overcome death and torment on our behalf and has control over the keys to both Death (the result of sin) and Sheol (The holding place of the yet to be judged dead, which is divided into sections for the righteous and the unrighteous, Gehenna [torment] and Avraham’s bosom [Paradise]). Messiah has swallowed up death in victory (1 Cor. 15:54). Messiah holds the keys to death because He has overcome death and reigns over it. He will one day (in our future) cast death into the second death based on His authority over it. Likewise, He holds the keys to the place of the departed and rules over it. He will one day (in our future) make the holding place of Sheol (Hades) redundant and will cast Gehenna (one part of Sheol) into the lake of perpetual fire in eternity, while elevating Paradise (another section of Sheol) and causing it to converge with the Olam Haba (World to come). The holding of keys signifies the ability to both open and shut doors. This is affirmed by Revelation 3:8, concerning an open door set before the members of the Ecclesia of Philadelphia. 19 Therefore write the things which you have seen (past), and the things which are (present), and the things which will take place (Future) after these things. A great deal of confusion and many of the foolish interpretations of Revelation, could be avoided simply by understanding this verse. It’s not for nothing that these words are recorded at the outset, they are intended to give parameters for the interpretation of events described in this book. These events are divided into past, present and future as those terms relate to Yochanan in the latter part of the first century C.E./A.D. (81-96). Note that Yochanan is not simply writing down something he has heard, but is tasked with recording what he has seen, past, present and future. Having met with and talked to a person, having seen him and gotten to know him, one cannot be convinced by another at a later date that the person in question never existed. This is the nature of our relationship in Messiah. 20 As for the sod (mystery) of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven Menorot: the seven stars are the malakhim (messengers/angels) of the seven communities of faith, and the seven Menorot are the seven communities of faith. Revelation is not intended to be an unsolvable mystery, though, as with all Scripture there are some things, we will not be certain of until they are revealed to us face to face by HaShem (Deut. 29:29). To the contrary, Yeshua is making clear the meaning of these symbols which might be misinterpreted otherwise. Therefore, Yeshua explains that the seven stars are the messengers of the seven communities and that the menorot (temple style lampstands) are the seven communities in which the presence of God’s glory resides by the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew מלאך malakh equivalent to the Greek ἄγγελος angelos, can refer to a human-like messenger, an angelic manifestation or even a human being. The messengers could either be angelic guardian angels of each community or human messengers who will deliver Yeshua’s letters, given to Yochanan, to the communities of faith. In saying that the communities of faith are represented by the menorot, Yeshua is saying that the glory of the Father and the Son resides with them (the Temple Menorah being the origin of the symbolism). Therefore, they must reflect His character, hence the need for the disciplinary letters and the later threat of removal of the menorah from the midst of the Ephesian community in the message to the believers at Ephesus (2:5). In reading this text we are blessed to behold the character of our God and Messiah. We see the work of His Spirit and the loving impartation of His mighty ones, those messengers that guard us and bring His word to us. We are armed with the confidence of having been given a glimpse of our future unveiling as the bride of Messiah. We are able to see God at work, past, present and future, which reminds us of our Shabbat candles, the candles of Observance and remembrance. In Him we observe His holy convocation/gathering, and we remember what He has done, what He is doing and what He has promised to do in the future. This knowledge secures us in His safe and loving arms. The rushing waters of His voice inspire us to be in awe and at the same time they comfort us with deep peace. Copyright 2026 Yaakov Ben Yehoshua |
AuthorYaakov (Brown) Ben Yehoshua, founder and spiritual leader of the Beth Melekh International Messiah Following Jewish Community, presents a series of in depth studies of books of the Bible. Yaakov approaches the text from a Messianic Jewish perspective, revealing seldom considered translational alternatives and unique insights into the timeless nature of the Word of God as it applies to the redemptive work of the King Messiah Yeshua. Archives
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