“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Jesus Christ has intimate knowledge of the life and the people of the church at Ephesus because he walks among the churches, surveying the landscape, taking the pulse, evaluating. Picture that for a moment, Christ visiting western Illinois and walking among the churches here.
We remember from Revelation 1:20 that the lampstands are the seven churches. But what does that mean? The lampstand was not the light, but the light holder. This is important.
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary tells us that a lampstand is a pillar, tripod, or stand for supporting or holding a lamp. The churches were the light holders, lamp holders, vessels from which God would illumine himself, where he would place his light, his holy illumination, his holy fire. God would set his glory on the lampstand to illuminate the world around, to bring clarity, to pierce the darkness.
That is what light does. It clarifies, pierces the darkness, pushes away the shadows, allows us to see more clearly, removes ambiguity and gives us certainty about the truth of God and his word.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Let me give an example from the same author, the same John of the Revelation writes in 1 John:
- (1 John 5:13 ESV) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.
That you may know. Clarity. In SS sometime back we discussed the perspicuity of God in his word. Perspicuity refers to clearness of style or exposition, freedom from obscurity; something clearly expressed or presented; lucid, acute perception.
So then if our purpose as a church is to be a lampstand from which God sheds his light onto the world, and if the purpose of the light is to clarify who he is and his creation of this world and the rebellion of humankind and the need for the forgiveness of sins and his eternal plan of salvation only through Jesus Christ and his divine purpose and everything else from Genesis to Revelation, then I hope that we can see that whether or not the pastors and teachers of a church are teaching or preaching from the Bible, that if they are not pursuing the glory of God, that if they are not clarifying the truth of God as to who he is, and the salvation he offers, and his eternal plan and purpose for the ages, then the light of God is not on their lampstand. He has removed himself from them, and they are merely casting their own light.
They are obscuring the truth of God and receiving glory from one another and not seeking the glory that comes from the only God! However, make no mistake: the spiritual dynamic, false or otherwise, in a church of thousands and ten thousands is powerful and soul stirring. The combined voices of thousands in worship and praise and testimony, the camaraderie of the human soul, the good intentions of good, moral people. Top it off with a polished, eloquent preacher sharing from the Bible. A very powerful witness. God must be here. But, no, this is a brightly shining light, but not the light of the glory of God.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
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