“Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
(Revelation 1:17b-18)
John writes letters to those churches undergoing persecution, just as he is undergoing persecution, confined in exile on Patmos. The message he brings is meant to encourage them for it is a divine message from Jesus. He describes Jesus as one like the Son of Man along with images that attempt to provide a description of the one who is speaking to Him, all borrowed from Daniel 7 and 10. These images tell us that Jesus is no less than Almighty God possessing all power and glory. It is no wonder that John is shaken by such an awesome vision. But neither he nor we need to be afraid of this Son of Man: He loved us enough to die for our sins. And so we best pay heed to what John has to say because a divine message is of vital importance to the Church and to all mankind.
The churches are described as lamp stands. This is an image meant to call to mind the 7 branched lamp that stood in the Temple. That lamp symbolized Israel herself who was called to be the light to the Gentiles. The image now is applied by the vision to the seven churches and, since 7 is the number of perfection, to the church as a whole. The church is the light of the world. Each separate church within the whole functions in this capacity. The vision of the Son of Man standing in the midst of these lamp stands is one which ought to provide great comfort to those undergoing persecution: Jesus is with them in their time of trial. He holds the keys to death and Hades which means He is in total control of all that is going on. No calamity or trial, not even death, will overtake the people of God without His authority. He is with His loved ones to provide them with all they need to witness for Him as they persevere.