The first phrase in this verse is a good one. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying today to individual christians everywhere. How sad it is that many believers are taught that the Spirit has retired to Heaven and does not speak to mere mortals today.
Many churches today started because a few people wanted to spend time praying and worshiping together. Whether that developed into a whole movement or a denomination is not the issue here. But churches, prayer groups, study groups all began because two or three joined together in the name of Jesus.
The first letter dictated by God to John was to the church in Ephesus where the Apostle Paul had done so much good work. These verses are an encouraging beginning to the writings of John. They are also an encouragement to all of us to remember that God sees EVERYTHING.
The Holy Spirit who spoke to John that day was very clear in his instructions. And the vision that John saw was also clear. The next few verses describe in detail what John saw. John was under the influence of Holy Spirit at that time, and fell as though dead.
John was in prison on Patmos, and could have been sad and frustrated that he was not out in the world sharing the love of Jesus and praying for miracles for others. But his isolation turned out to be a very special time of revelation because he used it wisely.
This verse contains quotations from two Old Testament prophets. It is always interesting to see how the Bible holds together in what it tells us. John must have known the scriptures and as he spent hours alone, he had ample opportunity to consider the way Jesus fulfilled so many prophecies.
As a kingdom of priests on the earth, we should live by His rules. And we have God given authority to chase the demons out of our territory. We do not have to draw attention to ourselves. But most of us can pray and take authority more than we do.
We sing songs and say prayers to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but who are the seven spirits in this verse? Seven is the perfect number. In that case, then these seven spirits are another way of describing the fullness of Holy Spirit. An expression of the completeness of God.
If we read something silently, we take it in, just using our one sense – sight. But if we speak what we are reading, then we use a second sense, - hearing. The fact is that we remember much more what we have read if we use two senses instead of one.
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