To see God’s revelation and to realize His manifestation, we need to be separated unto God. The apostle John was fully separated unto God on the island of Patmos (1:9). He was also brought to the open door of heaven (4:1) and to a great and high mountain (21:10), and thus saw God’s revelation and realized God’s manifestation. Today, many Christians who are talking about the church do not see the local churches, mainly because they are not separated unto God.
Revelation 1:10 says, “I was in spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.” The book of Revelation not only stresses the Spirit of God as the sevenfold intensified Spirit for God’s intensified move, but also our human spirit as the organ for us to realize and respond to God’s move. Only (our) spirit can respond to (God’s) Spirit. The book of Revelation is composed of four major visions: the vision of the churches (ch. 1—3); the vision of the destiny of the world (ch. 4—16); the vision of the great Babylon (ch. 17—20); and the vision of the New Jerusalem (ch. 2—22). To see these four visions, John was in his spirit (1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10), as mentioned in Ephesians 3:5 (“by the Spirit” should be “in spirit,” Gk.) for the revelation of the mystery of Christ. We also need to be in our spirit to see the visions of this book. It is not merely a matter of mental understanding, but of spiritual realization. In the first vision of this book, the vision concerning the churches, both Christ and the messengers of the churches are unveiled with the churches as never before, and this in a most particular way. For this the believers need a particular vision in their spirits.
The Lord’s day in this verse should be the first day of the week, the day the Lord was resurrected (John 20:1). The early church used to meet on this day (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2). It was on this day that John was in spirit to see the visions of God’s economy. To see the revelation of the local churches, we need to turn from our reasoning mind to our seeing spirit. Remaining in the reasoning mind confuses the vision of the churches.
If Christians only understand the doctrine concerning the local churches, they may not see the vision. All Christians need to hear the voice, the present and living speaking of the Lord. The Lord’s voice directs us to the vision of the local churches.
Revelation 1:12 says, “And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me; and having turned I saw seven golden lampstands.” To see anything requires the right position with the right angle. The apostle John firstly heard the voice (v. 10), and when he “turned to see” the voice, he saw the golden lampstands. He was rightly positioned, but he still needed the right angle to see the vision concerning the churches; thus, he turned. It is the same with us today. Many Christians need to be adjusted in their position and turned that they may see the vision of the churches.