Download This  Study For Free!


Please feel free to Download this study.


REVELATION 1 - 5

THE UNVEILING OF THE GLORIFIED JESUS CHRIST
AND THE END OF THE AGE

by LARRY CORY

 

A SUMMARY OF THE MESSAGE OF
REVELATION

 

Introduction (1:1-8)

What you have seen - The Glorified Christ (1:9-20)

What is now - the church age (2-3)

What will take place later - the last days (4-22)

1. A look into Heaven (4)

2. The Lamb who is worthy (5)

3. The Seven Seals (6:1-8:1)

4. The Seven Trumpets (8:2-11:19)

5. The events that lead to God's Judgment of the earth #1 (12-14)

6. The Seven Bowls (15-16)

7. The events that lead to God's judgment #2 (17:1-19:5)

8. The Wedding Supper of the Lamb (19:6-10)

9. The Second Coming (19:11-21)

10. The Millennium (20:1-10)

11.  The Great White Throne Judgment (20:11-15)

12. Heaven (21-22)

 

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION ABOUT REVELATION

1. The author: Four times in the book of Revelation, the author identifies himself as being named John (1:1, 1:4, 1:9, and 22:8).  The early church leaders in the period immediately following the time of the Apostles wrote that it was John the Apostle who was the author of the book of Revelation.  There is also early church evidence that the Apostle John, like the John of Revelation, was imprisoned for a period of time on the Isle of Patmos during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian.  So, the evidence is strong that John the Apostle was the author of the book of Revelation.

2. The date:  Most evangelical scholars believe that Revelation was written in 95 AD, one year before Domitian died in A.D. 96

3. The recipients:  The book was written to "the seven churches in the province of Asia."  Because the number seven is used symbolically as a number of completeness throughout the book of Revelation, we can safely conclude that the book of Revelation was written to the complete church throughout the ages.  "Hence the number used fifty-four times, more than any other number in the book, refers to seven literal churches in the opening chapter.  Yet by the very usage of this number (which speaks of completion or perfection) the concept is conveyed that these were representative churches which in some sense were complete in their description of the normal needs of the church.  There were not only seven churches but seven lampstands, seven stars, seven spirits of God, seven seals on the scroll, seven angels with seven trumpets, seven vials or bowls containing seven plagues, seven thunders, 7,000 killed in the earthquake of chapter 12, a dragon with seven heads and seven crowns, the beast of chapter 13 with seven heads, seven mountains of chapter 17, and the seven kings."  "Taken from The Revelation John F. Walvoord.  Copyright 1966 by Moody Press."

4. The apocalyptic symbolism of the book of Revelation:  The first word in the book of Revelation is the Greek word "Apokalypsis."  In English it means uncovering, exposing, or unveiling.  Apocalyptic literature is a form of literature that was used during times when the enemies of God were in charge and when it appeared that they would prevail.  It, in a very dramatic way, unveils or uncovers the reality that in the end, God and His forces will overwhelmingly triumph.  The book of Revelation was written primarily using this literary form.  The books of Daniel and Zechariah, as well as parts of some other books in the Bible (Joel, Amos, Matthew 24,25, I Thessalonians 4:13-5:11) were apocalyptic.  Also, there were books outside of the Bible that used this apocalyptic method of communicating God's ultimate victory. 

The following are some of the characteristics of apocalyptic literature.  The setting of this literature is the whole world or the whole universe.  So, the stage is quite large.  The cast are the main figures in the universe: God, Satan, the angels, and all the peoples of the earth.  The plot is the struggle between God and holiness versus Satan and evil.  The books end with the total victory of God and good over Satan and evil.  The plot takes us from the present struggle between good and evil, where it appears that evil is invincible, to the dramatic and total victory of God over evil.  A primary characteristic of apocalyptic literature was the use of huge symbolic figures to describe the primary characters and the primary forces involved in this universal struggle.  Examples of these symbols are the horrible beasts in the book of Daniel; and the "enormous dragon with seven heads," "Mystery Babylon" the "great prostitute," and the description of the glorified Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation.  It is possible that these symbols were used as a sort of mysterious code so that the Romans and other nations in power over the Jews would not be able to understand that the apocalyptic books were describing them as beasts and dragons who would inevitably be totally conquered by the God of the Jews and the Christians.

The book of Revelation is filled with apocalyptical symbolism.  The following quotes provide some guidelines for interpreting these symbols.  "To be thoroughly literal we would have to insist that a literal (actual) woman sat literally upon seven literal hills! That Jesus Christ has a literal sword coming out of his mouth! and that beasts can act and talk like men!....Every effort must be made to discover whether the symbol had any meaning in the culture of the writer....With special reference to the book of Revelation the Old Testament must be searched thoroughly for every possible clue to the symbols that were used."  "Taken from Protestant Biblical interpretation by Bernard Ramm.  Copyright 1956 by Baker Book House."  "Make sure that your interpretation of such imagery would be entirely clear to the original author.  In evaluating commentaries in this regard note how far the commentator has been able to enter into the thought of the original writer.  When a commentator fills apocalyptic imagery with his own ideas he disqualifies himself as a true interpreter."  "Taken from Interpreting the Bible by A. Berkeley Mickelson.  Copyright 1963 by Wm. B. Eerdman's Publishing Company."

Often, the symbols can be interpreted by looking at their meaning within the book of Revelation.  Secondly, we can often use the Old Testament and particularly the book of Daniel to interpret these symbols.  Finally, the use of the symbols in other apocalyptic literature of the time can be helpful in the interpretation of the symbols in the book of Revelation.  In short, a knowledge of the whole Bible and its overall themes help us to interpret the symbolism in this the last book of the Bible.  We need to have done a thorough reading of the whole Bible before we can understand the final chapter of the Bible.

 

THE MESSAGE OF REVELATION

"I am the Alpha and Omega"; You have forsaken your first love"; He who has a ear, let him hear"; "you are lukewarm"; "I am about to spit you out of my mouth"; "I stand at the door and knock"; "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain"; the "seven seals"; "seven trumpets"; "seven bowls of God's wrath"; the four horsemen of the Apocalypse"; "144,000"; the two "beasts"; "666"; the "accuser of our brothers"; "Armageddon"; "Babylon the Great"; the rider on a white horse"; "King of King and Lord of Lords"; the "abyss"; a "thousand years"; "a great white throne"; the "New Jerusalem"; and more!  They are all found in the book of Revelation.  Someone has said that the book of Revelation is hard to understand, but impossible to forget.  But, every day we are moving closer to that time when what the book of Revelation predicts to happen will actually happen; and every year it is just a little bit easier to understand.  At the very end of time it will be very easy to understand, for all that is described in this most unique of books will be happening right before the eyes of one of our future generations; or it might even happen before the eyes of our own generation!

INTRODUCTION (1:1-8)
1. Introduction to the Revelation of Jesus Christ (1:1-3)

"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw–that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."

Thought Question #1:  Who is the hero of the book of Revelation?

 

 

Thought Question #2:  Why do you believe you will be blessed if you read the book of Revelation and "take to heart" what is written in it?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  Why does John says the "time is near" and "what must soon take place" when almost 2,000 years has passed since the book of Revelation was written?

 

 

a. The Hero of Heroes! (1:1a)

We are immediately introduced to the main character in the book of Revelation.  Novels have a main character.  As a young person, many of us read the novel, Heidi. Who was the main character in Heidi?  Heidi!  Who is the obvious main character in the book of Revelation?  The first words of the book of Revelation tell us that book of Revelation is "The revelation of Jesus Christ."  The main character in Revelation is Jesus Christ!

In Philippians 2:6-11, we read "Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death---even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father."  The Gospels describe Jesus Christ, God's Son, humbling Himself as a man, serving us, and even to dying for us.  The book of Revelation is much different, for it describes Jesus Christ in His glorified state!

The word "revelation" is a translation of the Greek word "apokalupsis."  This word describes the unveiling of something that was previously unrevealed.  The book of Revelation is a removing of the veil and a revealing of the glorified Jesus Christ.  In the Wizard of Oz we can remember when the Wizard was unveiled.  He turned out to be just an ordinary man making a lot of noise.  What will happen when the glorified Jesus Christ is revealed?  What will happen when the One who is described in Isaiah 9:6 as the "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" is finally revealed in all His glory?  The book of Revelation begins to take away the veil, so let us begin to see together what it will be like on that day!  Then, the world will see Who He is, face to face!

b. The author of the book of Revelation (1:1b)

"which God gave him"  Who is the author of the book of Revelation?  The book of Revelation was given to John by God!  It is very clear in this first verse of this book that the author of the book of Revelation is God.

c. The purpose of the book of Revelation (1:1c)

"to show his servants what must soon take place"  The early Christians believed that all that is predicted here would happen in their lifetimes.  It does say here that it would "soon take place."  But, here we are 2000 years later and it still has not happened.  Why was John told it would be soon when it has taken so long to happen?  I will use an experience from our lives to answer this question.  Those who have already raised their children often tell young parents, "Enjoy your children when they are young, because it will not be long before they will be grown up and be out of your house.  Children grow up quickly!"  When we get to the end of time and it is the very last days of the earth as we know it, we will also feel that it happened very quickly.  So, just as young parents should take full advantage of their time with their children, we also should take full advantage of the time that we have before the Lord returns!  Now, let us continue to look at the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

d. How was the book of Revelation written? (1:1d, 2)

"He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,"  In Revelation 22:16 Jesus spoke these words to John:  "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches."  An angel guided John in the writing of this amazing book.  See also 22:6,8,9

John testifies that everything in this book is "the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ."  It is not a book written by a flawed and fallible man attempting to talk about God; it is "the Word of God."  Some would say that the Bible is a good book, but it is not God's book.  It cannot be a good book it if contains lies.  This book that continually claims to be written by God is either full of lies or it is as it claims to be, God's book which is written by Him!

e. The special promise of the book of Revelation (1:3)

"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."  This is the only book in the Bible with this promise.  Why does it contain this promise, and what does this promise mean?  Let us attempt to answer these questions.

Let's look at some of the key words in this promise.  First of all, "reads."  Why will we be blessed if we read this book?  It is possible that some might try to read "Revelation" and feel that because they do not understand it very well that reading it is of no value to them.  No one can honestly say that they fully understand this book, yet in this verse we are told that we will be blessed if we read it.

"hear it and take to heart what is written in it,"  Many are fascinated with the book of Revelation.  But, its purpose was not to fascinate us, but to change us.  And we are not changed until God's truth gets from our heads to our hearts.  Also, we will not be blessed by this book until its truths get into our hearts and affect the way that we live. 

Why then will we be blessed if we read, hear, and take to heart what is written in the book of Revelation?  First of all, it helps us deal with our greatest problem: self-centeredness.  Can we take to heart the message of the Revelation and remained self-centered?  Most of us spend most of our lives thinking about me or mine - my house, my family, my church and other "my's".  There are obvious problems that come from our focus on ourselves:  "I want what I want when I want it."  "What do you think of me?"  "I will do it my way."  "Poor me."  "Will my plans work out?"  We become fearful because "I can't handle it."  When we read the book of "Revelation" we go from me, mine, our city, our country, and our country, to way beyond.  We begin to see the big, big picture!  We are blessed as we go from self-centeredness to see the big picture and more clearly see what is really important in life.

Secondly, the book of Revelation, also gives us hope.  As we look at our world, the enemies of God seem to be winning.  But, when we look at the book of Revelation, we see clearly that God is going to win, and win big!  What would it be like if we had no prophetic books or no book of Revelation?  It would be very hard for us to keep on going and to keep on trusting and keep on seeking to do what is right.  But, we have that hope.  We are all blessed by the book of Revelation and do not know it.

Thirdly, this book helps us see the glory of Jesus Christ more clearly.  Jesus is the Light of the World.  He alone shows us the meaning of life.  He reveals to us what each of us is meant to be like.  God's ultimate purpose for our lives is that we are to be like Jesus Christ, the ultimate man.  The book of Revelation blesses us because it enables us to see Jesus Christ more clearly.

Fourthly, this book helps us to understand the Bible and life better.  We cannot understand a book without its final chapter.  The book of Revelation is a very dramatic last chapter of God's book, the Bible!  We are blessed as we read it, for as we read it and take it to heart the Bible and life begin to make more sense!

2. Human Greetings (1:4a)

a. "John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia"

Thought Question:  Why do you think John wrote this book to only seven churches?

 

 

There were more than seven churches in Asia (the area that is now Turkey).  For example, the book of Colossians was written to the church at Colossae.  Why, then, did John only write to seven churches in Asia?  There are many sevens in the Bible.  For example, God created the world in seven days, and Jericho was conquered in seven days.  There are also many sevens in the book of Revelation: seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls and other sevens.  Seven symbolizes that which is full or complete.  Seven days is a full and complete week.  The seven churches in Revelation are not just any churches picked at random; the seven churches represent the full and complete church.  The book of Revelation is written to the whole church throughout time.

b. "Grace and peace to you"

The book of Revelation is a revelation of God's judgment on evil.  But, right at the very beginning of the book, John's readers (which include us) are assured that we who have believed in Jesus Christ will not be part of that judgment.  We will not receive God's judgment, but God's grace.  We will not get what we deserve, but instead will receive what we do not deserve-God's grace.  We are now at peace with God and not at war with Him.  Without these words of assurance, the book of Revelation would be a very fearsome book for us. These few short words are of inestimable significance to each of us who has believed in Jesus Christ.

3. Divine greetings from God the Father, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ

(1:4b-5a)
"Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth."

Thought Question #1:  What can we learn about God from His names, as they are given in these verses?

 

 

Thought Question #2:  What is the meaning of the "sevens" in these verses?

 

 

a. "from him who is, who was, and who is to come"

The God Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob gave Moses His name.  He said, "I AM WHO I AM."  Here, we have the true author of the book of Revelation revealing His name.  He is the past, present, and future of "I AM."  He is the One who WAS, who IS, and who IS TO COME.  A child may ask, who created God?  Here is the answer.  God always WAS, He IS here today, and He will always be there in the future.  The true author of the book of Revelation signs His NAME.

b. "and from the seven spirits before his throne"

It is not just the Father who is the author of the book of Revelation, which is a revelation of the glorious Son of God, but the author is also the Spirit of God.  Again, seven is symbolic of the full and complete Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity.  (See Isaiah 11:2 for a seven-fold description of the Holy Spirit: (1) Spirit of the Lord, (2) Spirit of Wisdom (3) understanding, (4) Counsel, (5) power, (6) knowledge, and (7) fear of the Lord.)

c. "and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the

dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth."
John immediately begins to unveil Jesus Christ.

(1) "the faithful witness"

Who is a faithful witness?  It is someone who has seen something first-hand and tells us about it.  Who is a better witness about God than Jesus Christ?  For He is the only truly faithful witness about God to us; for He is not only one who has seen God, for He is God.  He is also the only One who is both God and man.

(2) "the first-born from the dead"

Jesus Christ is the first to totally conquer death.  There were others who rose from the dead only to die again. He is the first of those who rose from the dead to never die again.  He is also the first-born in that He is like the first-born in a family of that time who had first place in that family.  He is the first-born of all those who will rise from the dead.  He will have first place in the resurrection family!

(3) "and the ruler of the kings of the earth."

There is only one who is King of Kings.  There is only One before Whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He alone is Lord and Ruler of all!

4. An expression of appropriate praise (1:5b-8)

"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father–to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.  Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.  'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.' "

Thought Question #1:  What does John mean when he says that we who are Christians are priests?

 

 

Thought Question #2:  What can we learn from these verses about what it will be like when Jesus returns?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  In what ways did what God say about Himself in these verses probably encourage John? (Remember, he was a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos.)  In what ways does what God say about Himself in these verses encourage you?

 

 

a. Because of what this One who is "the faithful witness, the first-born from

the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth" has done for us!

(1) "To him who loves us, and has freed us from our sins by his blood"

"Freed us from our sins" is in the aorist tense signifying to us that he has freed us from sins, once and for all.  We have already been freed from the penalty of sin.  When we are taken to be with Jesus, we will be freed completely from the power and the presence of sin.  All of this came at a great cost to our loving Savior Jesus Christ.  As Peter says, we were not set free from our sins by some sort of monetary payment such as Jesus paying someone with gold or silver, but we were set free from our sin when He paid for us with His own blood.  See I Peter 1:1:18.19

(2) "and has made us a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father"

Have you ever felt like a priest?  John says very clearly here that Jesus made each of us who are Christians to be priestsIn the Old Testament the priests offered sacrifices to remove the sin barrier that separated Israel from a holy God.  How can you and I help those who are sinful and separated from a holy God?  The Bible is clear; we have been enabled by God to help those who are now separated from God so that they can be reconciled to God.  What can we do?  We can boldly approach God's throne of grace on their behalf: We can pray for those who are separated from God; we can lead people into a relationship with God by sharing the Gospel message; and we can explain the Bible to people. We can think of ourselves as priests who can approach God on behalf of people and who can lead people into a relationship with God.  We can call ourselves priests, because that is exactly who we are!

(3) "to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen."

What is the appropriate response as we meditate on who Jesus Christ is and on what He has done for us?  Words cannot really express our praise and appreciation for the love and glory of the One who has rescued us from sin.  As we begin to see Him more clearly as we go through the book of Revelation, we will be filled with praise.  John also was filled with praise as he was greatly privileged to author the unveiling of the glorious Jesus Christ.

b. Because He is coming again! (1:7)

"Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.  So shall it be! Amen."  In Daniel 7, the great empires of the world are symbolized by beasts-a lion with wings, a bear, a leopard, and a horrible beast.  After the last beast is conquered, we find these words in Daniel 7:13,14:  "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.  He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples and nations and men of every language worshiped him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."  Then, in Revelation 19:11-14 we read these words:  "I saw heaven standing open and there was before me a white horse whose rider is Faithful and True....The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean."  Some believe that the clouds of heaven will be the clouds of armies of believers and angels that will be following Jesus Christ in this day of completely inexpressible glory.

How many will see the coming of the glorified Jesus Christ?  The answer is right in this verse, "every eye will see him."  In Matthew 24:27, Jesus Himself says that His coming will be as visible as lightning in the sky.  Then, listen to His words in this same chapter, verses 30 and 31:  "At that time the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.  They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.  And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  When Jesus comes there will be absolutely no doubt over this whole earth about what is happening!

"Those who pierced him" (probably referring to the Jewish people) will mourn when they see the One they crucified coming as the glorified Son of God.  They were blinded by sin when they were crucifying their Creator-the God of Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Moses, and David.  When He comes back, they will finally clearly see what they did, and the whole world will mourn.  "And I will pour out on the whole house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication.  They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child."  Zechariah 12:10

c. Because He is the all-glorious One (1:8)

" 'I am the Alpha and Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.' "  These are the final words of introduction to this wonderful and powerful book.  They are God's own words identifying Himself.  He has always existed and will always exist; and He is all-powerful!  John was in the hand of the powerful Romans when he wrote this book.  Future readers of this book will be in the hands of the Antichrist.  John did not need to fear; they who will live in the last days will not need to fear; and we do not need to fear.  For, as Jesus said to Pilate, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above."  (John 19:11)  Read the words in this verse in Revelation, meditate on their meaning, take them to heart, and be blessed!

WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN - THE GLORIFIED CHRIST (1:9-20)

1. Reception of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (1:9-11)

"I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.  On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: 'Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.'"

Thought Question #1:  What does this verse tell us about what it was like to be a Christian in John's time?

 

 

Thought Question #2:  What do you believe is meant by John being "in the Spirit" on "the Lord's Day"?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  Why do you believe Jesus spoke to John "with a voice like a trumpet" rather than with a gentle whisper like God spoke to Elijah (I Kings 19:11-13)?

 

 

When most of us think of Jesus Christ, we think of a familiar painting of Him that may have hung on the wall of our church building when we were children or that we saw somewhere else.  Most of us know that He undoubtedly looked very different from the way He looks in those paintings.  But, today, He even looks much different than the way He looked when He was with His disciples.  John was soon to find this out as Jesus Christ in His glorified state is unveiled before the astonished Apostle John.  What would it be like if we saw Him today?  John did see Him!  He wrote what He saw in the verses that we now come to in this book that is called the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

John saw the glorified Jesus at a time when it was tough to be a Christian.  The Roman emperors of this time saw the Christians' belief that there is only one God, as a threat to the worship of the Roman gods and a threat to the world worshiping them (each of the emperors) as a god.  The solution was to kill and imprison Christians who refused to bow their knees to the Roman emperor and his Roman gods.  John, himself, was a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos when he received this vision.  God's solution for tough times is that He helps us to look beyond the pain and trouble in our lives and He reveals to us the big picture.

Listen to these words of encouragement from the Apostle Paul:  "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)  "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (II Corinthians 4:17)  When we look at the Bible, we see God's B I G plan.  It does include tough times, but on the other side is God's victory!  (For we have already read the last chapter and we know how the book ends.)  We know that it helped for John to see Jesus as He is today.  It will also help us!

a. John's sufferings (1:9)

Notice that John does not give himself a title.  He was the oldest living Apostle of Jesus Christ.  He was revered by Christians in his time.  But, John sees himself as one of them.  John does not express here a split between the clergy and the laity.  He was a "brother and companion."  He was going through the same rough times that they were going through.  He understood, because he was right next to them in what they were suffering.  Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved." (Matthew 24:13)  John was one of those who stood firm to the end.

John, like all who genuinely follow Jesus Christ, knew what it was like to be hated because he was a Christian.  But, in his time the persecution of Christians had become particularly severe.  Domitian, the emperor of Rome at that time, demanded that he be worshiped as "Lord and God."  It is believed that he was the first to set up images of himself to be worshiped.  John was banished to the island of Patmos as punishment for his continued stand that Jesus Christ is the one and only Lord and the only way to God. 

Because we immediately think of the island of Patmos as the place where John received the vision that led to the writing of the book of Revelation, many of us think of Patmos in glowing terms.  But, it was far from being a glorious place.  Listen to what Barclay has to say about this desolate island:  "Patmos, a barren rocky little island belonging to a group of islands called the Sporades, is ten miles long by five miles wide.  It is crescent shaped, with the horns of the crescent pointing to the east......It lies forty miles off the coast of Asia Minor.......Banishment to a remote island was a common form of Roman punishment.  It was usually meted out to political prisoners and, as far as they were concerned, there were worse punishments.  Such banishment involved the loss of civil rights and all property except enough for a bare existence.  People so banished were not personally ill-treated and were not confined in prison on their island but free to move within its narrow limits.  Such would be banishment for a political prisoner; but it would be very different for John.  He was a leader of the Christians and Christians were criminals.  The wonder is that he was not executed straight away.  Banishment for him would involve hard labour in the quarries.  Sir William Ramsay says his banishment would be 'proceeded by scourging, marked by perpetual fetters, scanty clothing, insufficient food, sleep on the bare ground, a dark prison, work under the lash of the military overseer.'"  "Revelation of John Volume I by William Barclay.  Copyright 1976 by Westminster Press."

b. John's Vision (1:10)

Next, we learn what happened to John while he was imprisoned on this barren island.  "On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,"   This is not what you would expect to hear on a deserted island!  It reminds us of Moses in the desert hearing the voice of God coming from a burning bush.  Does not God often speak to us during dry and empty times?  There are questions about the meaning of these words, so let us look at some of the questions that are raised by John's words in this verse.

(1) "On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit,"

There are at least two ways these words can be interpreted:  (1) The Spirit took him to the very end of time and to the "Day of the Lord" at the end of time.  (2) It was on the Lord's day (or Sunday the day Jesus rose from dead) and on this day John was filled with the Spirit.  The first interpretation is more exciting; Jesus took John in something like a time machine to the very end times, and there he was shown what it will be like on the "Day of the Lord."  The simpler interpretation, however, seems to be the best interpretation.  John was focusing in on Jesus Christ and walking in the Spirit on Sunday, much like we hopefully do in our services on Sundays.  John could have been feeling sorry for himself as he was exiled on this bleak island, but instead he was filled with God's Spirit. 

(2) "like a trumpet"

If we were on a deserted island and we heard a voice that was as loud as a trumpet, would it get our attention?  So did the voice that John heard that day get his immediate attention!  This may be why Jesus spoke to him like a trumpet rather than with a gentle voice like God spoke to Elijah at Mt. Sinai (I Kings 19:11-13)

c. The words to John (1:11)

John is told that he is to write what he sees and send it to seven churches.  This could be a symbolic way of saying that what he would be writing to these seven churches---seven is the number of completeness---is a message for the complete church.

2. What he saw (1:12-16)

"I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me.  And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone 'like a son of man,' dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.  His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.  In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance."

Thought Question #1:  From John's description of the glorified Jesus Christ, what do you believe is literal and what do you believe issymbolic? (notice the "like's")

 

 

Thought Question #2:  What is important to us about the glorified Jesus Christ standing in the midst of the lampstands?

 

 

What John saw when he turned around to look was not the Jesus Christ that he had been with for 3-4 years!  It was not the Jesus that had washed his feet!  It was not the Jesus Christ that had hung on the cross!  What did he see?

a. "Seven golden lampstands" (1:12)

When we take the veil away, what do we see?  John saw the glorified Jesus standing in the middle of seven golden lampstands.  As we will see in chapter two, the lampstands represent seven churches.  Where is Jesus and what is His concern right at this moment?  Jesus said, "for where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them."  (Matthew 18:20)  He also said, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  (Matthew 28:20)  When the veil is removed we see Jesus Christ among the churches.  When we hold our church services He is also standing with us.

 b. "someone 'like a son of man' " (1:13a)

When we remove the veil and see the Son of God, we see someone who is like us, who is with us!  Science fiction attempts to give us a look beyond this world.  What the writers of science fiction offer is that there are alien beings beyond this world.  The comforting thought that is given us in this verse, is that beyond the veil of mystery is One "like a son of man." 

c. "dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash

around his chest" (1:13b)
The Jesus that John saw was not the poor carpenter's son nor the humble servant who washed his feet, he saw Jesus in the exalted dress of a King and of the High Priest!  The robe and the golden sash were not worn by the ordinary person; they were worn by kings, priests, and people of authority.  In the armed services officers wear different clothing from the enlisted men.  The clothes that Jesus wore immediately told John that he was standing in the presence of Divine Royalty.  The golden sash is symbolic of the purity and glory of His Deity.

d. "His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes

were like blazing fire" (1:14)
John saw One who was like a son of man, but He was an absolutely pure and ancient son of man!  When John looked at Jesus Christ, he saw absolute and dazzling purity.  Jesus Christ was pure and sinless when He was on this earth, but now John could see His dazzling purity.  In Daniel 7:9, God, the Ancient of Days, is described in this way:  "His clothing was white as snow, the hair of his head was white like wool."  Both God the Father and God the Son are described with almost the same words.

What does "white like wool, as white as snow" symbolize?  It may speak of all those attributes of God that are absolutely pure: goodness, love, patience, long-suffering, and righteousness.  See Isaiah 1:18  John saw instantly Jesus' absolute purity and holiness.  The whiteness of His hair could also be symbolic of great age and the wisdom that comes from His great, great age.  See Leviticus 19:32 and Proverbs 16:31

What is meant by His eyes being "like blazing fire"?  All of us have had times when we have been doing something wrong and we have turned to find that someone who is in some type of authority over us was looking right at us.  At that time, the eyes of a teacher, a boss, or a policeman burned right through us!  When John turned, he saw the eyes of Jesus, and he saw eyes that were "like blazing fire."  The eyes of the glorified Jesus, do not just look at us, they burn right through to our hearts.  They see exactly and perfectly what is in our hearts.  Paul makes the following prediction about what will take place on the final Day of Judgment:  "This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ." (Romans 2:15)  His eyes are now and will be on that day "like blazing fire!"  See also Psalm 139;23,24 and Hebrews 4:13

e. "His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the

sound of rushing waters." (1:15)
Bronze burning in a fire would be so bright, that we could not look at it with the naked eye.  It would be like looking straight at the sun.  What does this description mean? It could show the judgmental and purifying effect that His feet have on what they walk on.  The altar and laver that stood before the Temple and the Tabernacle were of bronze.  They could be a picture of God's judgment on sin.  Jesus' feet, then, symbolize to us that wherever He goes, He goes with feet of awesome and irresistible judgment!  See also Daniel 10:6 and Ezekiel 1:7

What then is meant by His voice being like "rushing water"?  Patmos was only five miles wide.  John would never have been far from the roaring of the waves.  Jesus' voice was now much different to John than it had been before.  Once it was a voice like ours, but now John can only describe Jesus' voice as being like the roaring of the breakers of the sea or like the rushing of a mighty water fall.  When we hear the rushing of mighty water, it inspires awe in us.  When John heard Jesus speak, it inspired great awe and certainly fear in him.

f. "In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp

double-edged sword.  His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance."
What are the "seven stars" Jesus held in His right hand?  In verse twenty we have part of the answer:  "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches."  Some believe, because the Greek word for "angels" can also be translated "messengers," that the "stars" are the pastors of the seven churches.  But, there are a number of reasons why it is more likely that the "stars" actually refer to angels who are watching over the seven churches.  First of all, there are many uses of the word angel throughout the book of Revelation, and in each case it is referring to heavenly beings and not to pastors.  Secondly, there is no mention anywhere in the New Testament about a single pastor of a church.  The New Testament does not teach that a church is led by one human leader, but it teaches that a church is led by multiple elders or pastors.  The Bible teaches that God uses angels to watch over nations (see Daniel 12:1), children (see Matthew 18:10), and that they serve us (see Hebrews 1:14).  Here we are taught that there are angels that watch over churches.

The "sharp double-edged sword" that comes out of Jesus' mouth is certainly symbolic of the Word of God which is the "sword of the Spirit."  (Ephesians 6:17)  His words are not actually a sword, but His words are like a sword in that they pierce deeply and into the very heart of us.  "For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  (Hebrews 4:12)

John was one of the three disciples that saw Jesus' face shining with a brilliance like the brilliance of the sun.  We call it the "Transfiguration."  "There he was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became light as the light." (Matthew 17:2)  At the transfiguration, Jesus' disciples saw, for a short time, Jesus transfigured from His earthly to His heavenly glory.  On the Island of Patmos, John saw Jesus in His present glory.  His face was so bright with His Divine glory that just as John could not look directly at the sun for an extended period, so he could not look at the brightness of Jesus' face.

3. John's response to what He saw (1:17a)

Again, John's response to Jesus is much different than it was before.  "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead."  Daniel responded in much the same way as John responded when he saw an angel: "gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless."  (Daniel 10:8-9)  John was the disciple whom loved Jesus; He was the one who was closest to Jesus.  What happened when he saw Jesus in all of His glory?  He responded just as Daniel had responded when he saw the angel.  Before the glory of the glorified Jesus Christ, all strength left him.  He became all-weak before the all-powerful One.  What would we do if Jesus Christ in His present glory suddenly stood before us?  We would do the same as John did that day on the island of Patmos!

4. Jesus' response to John's fear (1:17b-18)

a. "Then he placed his right hand on me and said, 'Do not be afraid.'"

In II Timothy 1:7 Paul said, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity."  In I John 4:18, John says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."  Adam and Eve shrunk away from God after they had sinned.  We also are fearful of God because of all of our sin.  But, the good news is that God loves us and has provided a way back to Him through Jesus death for us and His resurrection from the dead.  It seems too good to be true that Jesus loves us.  A favorite children's song is "Jesus loves me."  John found out, as he stood in the fearsome presence of the Holy, ever-living Son of God, that Jesus did love him!  For Jesus not only comforted him with His words, but He reached out and gently touched him.  Can we believe that Jesus would do the same for us?  What would Jesus say to us if we just learned that we have cancer?  Certainly, He would say the same to us.  "Do not be afraid."  An understanding of His perfect love for us will drive away all fear.

b. "I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead and behold

I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
Then, Jesus tells John who He is.  The "First and the Last" is the name given to God in the book of Isaiah.  See Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12-13  In these verses the "First and the Last" says "apart from me there is no God" and "my own hand laid the foundations of the earth."  So Jesus was telling John that He is the God who spoke to Isaiah!  See also Revelation 2:8 and 22:13

He is also the "Living One."  This is the name of God found in Joshua 3:10, Psalm 42:2, and many other places in the Old Testament.  Peter's famous confession of Jesus was as follows: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."  (Matthew 16:16)  God is not the non-personal god of the Hindus, but standing before John was the Living God!

He holds the "keys of death and Hades."  We do not need to fear death because the One who loves us has died and is now alive, and He will be alive forever.  He has also opened up the gates of death and Hades for us so that they can no longer hold us.  How glorious and comforting these thoughts and words are to us.  What glorious thoughts and words they must have been to John.  This is the One who put His hand on John.  He was awed and frightened by His glory, but comforted by His love!

5. Jesus explains the outline of the book of Revelation (1:19)

"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later."

Thought Question:  Is verse 19 an outline of the book of Revelation?  Please explain your answer.  If your answer is yes, what is the outline?

 

 

Jesus divides the book of Revelation (what John was to write) into three parts: (1) "what you have seen"-what he had just seen when he heard the voice like a trumpet and turned around.  (2) "what is now"-what we will read about in chapters two and three about the seven churches of Asia.  (3) "what will take place later"-what is described about the very last days on this earth and beyond as described in chapters 4 through 22; an extended prophecy of the last days.

6. Jesus explains the mystery of the seven stars and the seven golden

lampstands (1:20)
"The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."

Thought Question:  Does this verse say that each church today has an angel watching over it?  Please explain your answer.

 

 

We have already discussed the meaning of the stars and the lampstands.  See 1:12 and 1:16  The lampstands appear to represent seven churches that through the indwelling Holy Spirit radiate the light and glory of Jesus Christ to the world.  He who is the Light of the World lights us.  But, as we will learn in the following chapters, we can, by our own attitudes and actions, choose not to benefit from His blessing and His light.  Next, Jesus gives His instructions to the churches.  He gives His instructions to us!

WHAT IS NOW-THE CHURCH AGE (2-3)

Introduction: When we think of the book of Revelation, we think about its
predictions about the future.  But, chapters two and three are about what is happening right now.  It is about the church.  The tendency is to skip over it quickly, so we can get to the good stuff.  That is wrong, for chapters two and three are a part of the good stuff.  In fact, it could also be about the future.  There are at least four ways to look at Jesus' words to these seven churches:

(1) He was just speaking to these 7 churches of John's time.  Even if Jesus was just speaking to these seven churches, there is still a practical application for us today.  We can see if we are in any way like any of these churches and then apply what Jesus says to our own church and to ourselves.

(2) The 7 churches are a summary of all churches of all time.  The number 7 is a number of completion, so these 7 churches could summarize all churches.  They may be a summary of the ways that the world can influence the church.  For example, some of the worldly influences that affected these seven churches such as persecution, affluence, false teaching and immorality also have affected all churches.  Jesus' words of correction, then, are directed to all churches who have been influenced by the world in these various ways.

(3) The 7 churches represent 7 periods in the history or the complete history of the church.  Then, the church at Ephesus would be the church just after the time of the Apostles, the church at Smyrna would be the persecuted church during the time when Emperors ordered the killing of Christians, and moving up to our time, the Laodician or lukewarm church would be the church of our time.

(4) Finally, the 7 churches could represent what all of the churches will be like in the end-times.  For example, some churches will be persecuted, but others will be lukewarm.

Actually, all could be true.  Jesus could have been actually speaking to 7 churches of John's time who represent all churches, 7 periods of church history, and what the church will be like in the end-times.  It is a clear pattern in the Bible to use something in one time to symbolize and to teach us about something that will happen in the future.  For example, David is a picture of the Future King, Jesus Christ.  Antiochus Epiphanes, a tyrant who persecuted the Jews during the period between the Old and New Testament, is a picture of the future Antichrist.  See Daniel 11:21-35 (which is about Antiochus Epiphanes) and 11:36-45 (which is about the Antichrist)

If chapters 2 and 3 are a symbolic description of the church in the last days, and if we are in the last days, these churches, then, are a picture of us.  Jesus is speaking to us in Revelation two and three!!  Did a cold chill go over you?  Should we listen to what He says to the 7 churches?

A Personal Note:  I have never been happy with the interpretations that I have read of these two chapters.  What Jesus said to these churches did not make sense to me until I considered the possibility that Jesus was speaking symbolically to the churches who would be present in the very last days.  Each church is told of the need to and the rewards of being an overcomer: "to him who overcomes."  What is the church to overcome?  The 7 churches of Jesus' time had much to overcome, we have much to overcome, but those who will have the very most to overcome will be believers in the very last days.  Believers in the last days will have the Antichrist and his followers to overcome:  "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."  (Revelation 12:11)  "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.  He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be His God and he will be my son." (Revelation 21:6,7)  I have come to believe that the Bible teaches that the church will be present during the Tribulation period and during the time of the Anti-Christ and will be rescued just before God pours out His judgment on the world.  This is not the viewpoint that is most popular in the church today.  So, to be fair, I will be presenting throughout this study of the book of Revelationboth the view that I have come to believe, called the Pre-wrath rapture position, and the more widely accepted viewpoint, the Pre-Tribulation rapture position

1. Ephesus (2:1-7) (The Mechanical Church)

"To the angel of the church of Ephesus write:  These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:  I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.  Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.  But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."

Thought Question #1:  Attempt to describe what an Ephesus-type church would be like in today's American society.

 

 

Thought Question #2:  How can we tell if someone has lost their first love in their marriage?  How can we tell if we have lost our first love in our relationship with God?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  What does Jesus mean when He says He will give them the right to eat of the tree of life?

 

 

The 7 churches and the church at Ephesus were doing well in some areas and were falling short in other areas.  What does Jesus see when He looks on each of us and the church we attend?  We can be certain that He also sees some areas where we are doing well and other areas where we are falling short.  As we read about where these churches were succeeding, it may also be where we are succeeding.  But, it may also be true that when Jesus reveals where these churches were failing, He may also be revealing where we are failing.  We need to hear what Jesus says to these churches and maybe to us, even if it hurts and is hard to hear.

Let us go back in time to the city of Ephesus.  Ephesus was one of the principle cities of its time; like Paris, London, and Tokyo in our time.  It was by far the largest city in the province of Asia (today's modern-day Turkey).  It also had the best harbor in that region.  Within this city was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Diana - the goddess of fertility.  It is reported that those who worshiped her practiced their worship with unrestrained sensuality and sexuality.  The temple "was four hundred and twenty-five feet long by two hundred and twenty feet wide; it had one hundred and twenty columns, each sixty feet high and the gift of a king, and thirty-six of them were richly gilded and inlaid."  "Taken from The Revelation of John Volume I by William Barclay.  Copyright 1976 by the Westminster Press."

It was almost one and one-half football fields long and almost a football field wide.  People came from miles around to see this temple and to buy silver souvenir shrines of Diana (or Artemis).  The silversmiths made a fortune from selling these statues.  Demetrius of Acts 19 was one of those silversmiths.

It was in this idolatrous city that Paul started the main church in Asia.  Though he was ministering in a city where everything revolved around the debased worship of a fertility goddess, he stayed there for over two years reaching people with the gospel message.  Much of his time was spent in a lecture hall, probably in the hottest part of the day, teaching and building up the Christians.  He was so successful in converting former idolaters to faith in Jesus Christ that Demetrius, the silversmith mentioned earlier, started a city-wide riot against Paul and the other Christians who had become a serious threat to his lucrative trade.

Paul started this church in Ephesus, and the ministry probably spread from Ephesus to the other churches who are mentioned in these two chapters in Revelation.

I Timothy was also written by Paul to the church at Ephesus and Timothy who was pastoring this church at the time.  John the Apostle also ministered to the church at Ephesus.  Certainly, no church, apart from the church in Jerusalem, has ever had a better church planter and better leadership than the church at Ephesus.

"These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands" (2:1) As Jesus begins addressing these churches He immediately informs them that He is present with them and that He alone is the source of their light and power.

a. Commendation (2:2-3)

He has much good to say about this church.  They were hard workers and they persevered in God's work.  The Greek word that Jesus uses that is translated "persevered" means that they worked to the point of weariness.  They worked to exhaustion in God's work.  Remember this church started in a lecture hall during the heat of the day.  Apparently, they had kept up this pattern.

They were not only hard workers, but they were fighting for the truth.  "I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false."  When they heard someone teaching something different than what was in the Bible of their time, they hated it (the Bible as we know it today had not been competed in their time).  How about us?  Do we tolerate false teaching today?  Are there men today who claim to be apostles, but are not?  Today, there are those who have exposed the false teachings of many of our television preachers.  These teachers had become so cocky that they were saying whatever they wanted to say to their followers, and no one was correcting them.  Now we have those who are testing these teachers, and they have become more cautious in what they say.  Though, they continue to teach many of the same false teachings.  But, false teachers are not just on television, there can be wolves in our communities.  Listen to Paul's warning in Acts 20:29:  "I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock."  The church at Ephesus tested those who claimed to be Apostles; we also need to test those who claim they have new teachings from God.

One of the false teachings that the church at Ephesus was against was the teachings of the Nicolaitans.  "You hate the practice of the Nicolaitans."  It is believed that these Nicolaitans believed that there was no need to control their sexual desires (similar to what the idolaters were doing).  To this church's credit, they hated these teachings.  We might think that this teaching is so obviously contrary to what the Bible teaches that no one could teach this today or believe it.  But, the founder of the Children of God (now called The Family), encouraged his followers to pursue a similar belief.  Because "to the pure, all things are pure" (Titus 1:15), he taught that it was okay to reach out to people sexually.  It was called "flirty fishing."  My own brother is part of this movement and has justified this practice in my presence.

b. Correction (2:4-6)

So far, we must give the church at Ephesus an A+.  They were hardworking, orthodox in their teachings, fought against false teaching entering the church, and they persevered through tough times.  So what could Jesus have against them?  Listen to Jesus' strong words:  "You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen!  Repent and do the things you did at first.  If you do not repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place." 

What did Jesus mean by "first love"?  Does Jesus mean that they should return to the love for Him they had as new Christians, or that they should return to loving Him above all else?  What is the proper answer?  Both could answers could be true.  "First love" could mean that they needed to return to the time when they loved Jesus above everything else.  The early church was led by the Apostles.  Certainly, they loved Jesus above everything else.  But, then time passed and there came a second generation of Christians.  In   I John, John wrote to this second generation of Christians with the purpose of encouraging them to have the same type of vital first love of Jesus that the Apostles and the early church had experienced.

A new Christian often has this type of love for Jesus Christ.  They are often quick to tell their friends and family what God has done for them.  They are so excited about God's love that they want to tell others about it.

How can we test ourselves to see if we have lost our first love?  The following test will help us to evaluate ourselves.  #1 If Jesus came today, would we want to be with Him above all else, or would we have other loves that we would want to hang on to?  If He is our first love we will want to be with Him above all else.  Do we have anything in this world that we love more than Him?

#2 Are we full of gratitude for what Jesus did for us?  A new Christian is full of gratitude and joy about His relationship with Jesus Christ.  Jesus had first place in many of our hearts at that time because we had a clear picture of how undeserving we are for all that He has done for us.  Do we still see how much Jesus has done for us and how undeserving we are?

#3 Another evidence that He is our first love is that we will be lovingly involved in His work.  Jesus said to Peter, if you love me, 'feed my sheep.'" (John 21:17)  Peter did love Him and He did feed His sheep.  If Jesus has first place in our hearts, we will want more than anything else, to be part of His work.  It will not be a duty, but a joy!

The church at Ephesus was doing God's work to the point of exhaustion, but the joy and the love they had as early Christians was gone.  I have called this the "Mechanical Church."  They were like a husband who loved his wife at the beginning, but over the years that vibrant first love had gone and his relationship with his wife had deteriorated into a mere mechanical repetition of what he did in the past.  They were still doing what husbands and wives do-they kissed, celebrated Mother's Day, and said they loved each other; but the fire of the first love had gone.  Jesus felt just like the wife or husband would feel when acts are done out of duty, and not out of love.  The church at Ephesus started with love and fire through the ministries of Paul, Stephen, and John; but now they were just doing what they ought to do as good Christians.

Does this type of thing happen today?  Do we sit in a service out of duty, and can hardly wait for the service to get over, so we can get back to one of our first loves?  Then, we go back to what we really believe gives life to us.  It may be personal success, working on our house, working on our car, the Sunday football game, a hobby or a number of other things.  If this is true, we also may have lost our first love!

Our first love might have gone away so gradually that we did not even notice that it was slipping away.  Jesus calls them and possibly us also to repent.  This involves changing our mind.  First, we need to think back to when He was our first love.  If it is true that He is no longer our first love, we need to see that we have changed.  Second, we must humble ourselves before God and admit that we need to make a big change in our Christian lives.  Jesus says that if we do not do this, He will remove the lampstand from our church and from our lives.  The lampstand is the Holy Spirit empowering our lives and using our lives as a testimony to Jesus Christ. 

Have there been times in your life when you experienced the blessing and power of God as you reached out to the lost and encouraged the saints?  Did you drift away from that type of vital love relationship with Christ?  It is not too late, you can once again return to your first-love relationship with Jesus.  Many have called this a rededication of our lives to Jesus Christ.  If there is a need to return to your first love, find a Christian who has Jesus Christ as his or her first love, and tell that person about what you want to do.  Ask them to pray for you, and share with them how you are progressing in your new revitalized relationship with Jesus Christ.

c. Challenge (2:7)

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God."  Jesus is saying, if you are willing to hear what He has to say and follow His instructions, you will experience that same life that was made available to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  What does He mean by "overcome"?  He is simply saying if you overcome by repenting and going back to your first love, you will experience true life from God!  Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  (John 10:10b)

If Jesus is speaking also to the church in the last days that is like the church of Ephesus was then and we are in the last days; He is speaking to the Mechanical Church of our times that are going through the duties of church life and the Christian life without joy, fire, and love.  If this is true of us, do we have an ear to hear and a desire to repent?  May we be overcomers and eat of the tree of life!

2. Smyrna (2:8-11) (The Persecuted Church)

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:  These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.  I know your afflictions and your poverty---yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.  Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death."

Thought Question #1:  Attempt to describe what a Smyrna-type church would be like in our modern-day world?

 

 

Thought Question #2:  Why was this church rich?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  What do you believe is the crown of life?

 

 

What is the worst suffering and pain that you have endured?  Most of us in this country have suffered very little.  The next church we come to did know what real suffering and pain are like, for they suffered greatly.  We know little of suffering, but many Christians have suffered because they have chosen to follow Jesus Christ.  Some believe, in fact, that the greatest suffering the church has ever experienced has been during our own century.  Christians in Islamic and Communistic countries are right now being imprisoned, persecuted, tortured, and murdered because of their faith in Jesus Christ.  The church in Smyrna was like the church in China, Sudan, Iraq, Iran, and in other countries where Christians have been and are persecuted. 

Smyrna was about 30 miles north of Ephesus.  It was known as the most beautiful city of its time.  "Most famous of all the streets was the Street of Gold which began with the Temple of Zeus and ended with the Temple of Cybele.  It ran cross-wise across the foothills of the Pagos; and, if the buildings which encirled the Pagos were the crown of Smyrna, the Street of Gold was the necklace round the hill."  "Taken from The Revelation of John Volume I by William Barclay.  Copyright 1976 by Westminster Press." 

What was it like to be a Christian in Smyrna?  All we know about the church at Smyrna is found in these verses.  Let us see what we can learn about this church from Jesus' words.  "These are the words of him who is the First and Last, who died and came to life again."  Why does Jesus start by identifying Himself in this way?  We will learn that He is speaking to a church that was going through horrible suffering.  He immediately identifies Himself as Someone who understands suffering.  He conquered suffering and they can as well.  He is the "First and Last." He is greater than death and all they will ever experience.  He has always existed and He always will exist!  He is the One who offers them eternal life.  The following inscription was found on the wall of a German concentration camp:  "I believe in the sun even when I do not see it shine, I believe in love even when I do not see it, I believe in God even when I do not hear Him speak."  Christians through the years and all over the world have gone through horrible suffering.  For example, in Communist Russia they even were put in prison cells that were the size of coffins.  What can help in times like these?  There is Someone who understands, who also has suffered, who conquered death, and who is eternal!

a. Commendation (2:8-10)

"I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich!  Jesus knows our troubles.  Here, the Greek word for "afflictions" pictures someone being crushed beneath a great weight.  Jesus knew what it is like to have a great weight pressing down on Him: the whips crushed down on His back, the cross crushed down on His shoulders, and all of our sin crushed down on His shoulders.  Does He understand when things crush down on us?  The word for "poverty" is not the Greek word for not being wealthy or for having to work hard to make a living, but it is the Greek word that describes poverty-stricken, destitute, and being a beggar.  I once saw a movie of a mother that after going from flop-house to flop-house with her two children and daily fighting off rats, she finally gave her children up to the state.  The movie ended with her sitting childless in a slump under a tree with her face in her hands.  As we will see, the people of Smyrna knew this type of poverty and much worse.

Yet, Jesus says, they are rich!  Later, we will learn that the church at Laodicea was rich, yet they were poor.  The church at Smyrna was poor and suffering, yet they were rich.  What are the types of riches that will deeply satisfy us?  If we have all that there is in the world, will we be happy?  The rich are not those who have all this world has to offer, but those who know the One who is the "First and the Last."  Listen to James' words in James 2:5:  "Listen my dear brothers:  Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him."  Corrie Ten Boom, in her book The Hiding Place, tells us about the extreme suffering her sister and she faced in a Nazi concentration camp.  It was a time of extreme suffering, but it was also a time rich in love and faith-building as they drew close to God and to each other.

"I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan."  Most of us have been slandered.  We have had those who have taken what we have said and done, and twisted it and used it against us.  It was the large and influential Jewish population in Smyrna that hated the Christians most of all.  They called themselves Jews, but the ugly hatred that these who called themselves the synagogue of God had for Christians was not from God, it was from Satan.  Their God was actually the Devil!  We see here who is behind those who hate us and oppose us.  When we see the ugliness and the hatred we see in the face of men who hate God and us, whose face are we seeing?  We are seeing the face of Satan.  It was Satan that used the Jews to stone Stephen to death, and it was Satan who used the Jews to chase Paul out of the cities where he was sharing the Gospel.

"Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.  I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days."  Some believe that the ten days of persecution represent ten Caesars, starting with Nero and Domitian, who hated Christians and wanted to erase them from the face of the earth.  Others believe that Jesus is saying that their tribulation would only be for a limited time and then it would be over.  This is what Jesus predicted about the last days.  The great tribulation when the Antichrist will rule the world and will hate and murder Christians will be shortened because of the saints.  See Matthew 24:22

"Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."  The Christians in Smyrna faced persecution from the Jews and from those who worshiped the Roman and Greek pantheon of gods.  They were persecuted and even killed because they would not stop being followers of Jesus Christ.  During the persecutions of Christians by the Roman Caesar, many died.  The most famous martyr was a man who pastored this church at Smyrna.  "Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was martyred on Saturday, 23rd February, A.D. 155.  It was the time of the public games; the city was crowded; and the crowds were excited.  Suddenly the shout went up:  'Away with the atheists; let Polycarp be searched for.'  No doubt Polycarp could have escaped; but already he had a dream vision in which he saw the pillow under his head burning with fire and he had awakened to tell his disciples:  'I must be burnt alive.'  His whereabouts was betrayed by a slave who collapsed under torture......Not even the police captain wished to see Polycarp die.  On the brief journey to the city, he pled with the old man: 'What harm is it to say, 'Caesar is Lord . . . ?'"  Taken from The Revelation of John Volume I William Barkley.  Copyright 1976 by Westminster Press."  Polycarp was burned alive and as the flames took his life, he prayed out loud to God about his great privilege to be a martyr for the cause of Jesus Christ.

Why did Polycarp face death with such heroism and faith?  It was because he knew that the people who hated him and what he believed in could destroy his body, but they could not destroy his soul.  See Matthew 10:28  No one can separate us from the love that Jesus Christ has for us and no one can take away from us the eternal life that we have through faith in Jesus Christ.  See Roman 8:36-39 and Psalm 23:4

The "crown of life" is like the victory crown that was earned by winners in the Olympics of that time.  Those who die a martyr's death because of their faithfulness to Jesus Christ will immediately be rewarded by God with their reward for their faithfulness.  They will receive not death, but eternal life.  Polycarp died, but he immediately came alive in the presence of Jesus Christ!  See James 1:12

It is interesting that because of the circle of temples that went around the hill called Pagos next to Smyrna, that the city was called the "Crown of Asia."  Jesus had a much better crown for those in Smyrna who trusted Him!

b. Challenge (2:11)

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death."  All, except those who are taken up in the rapture, will experience the first death.  For we know that all of us will die.  We all have some fear of death, but the greatest fear that men should have is of the second death.  The second death is talked about in the 20th chapter of the book of Revelation.  It is eternal separation from God in a place of torment.  It is called the lake of fire.  Jesus tells us that if we are willing to listen to what He is saying, we need not have any fear of the second death.  So, whatever Satan throws at us, he can never take away our eternal relationship with God.  We are taken care of for eternity and Satan cannot do anything about it.

The name Smyrna comes from the word "myrrh" which was one of its main exports.  It is interesting that myrrh was produced when bark and fruit from a small tree were crushed.  The church at Smyrna was crushed by the persecution that they experienced, but from the crushing came life.  Christians have been severely persecuted through the centuries, but as it has been said, "the blood of the saints is the seed of the church."

3. Pergamum (2:12-17) (The Morally Polluted Church)

"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.  I know where you live----where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city----where Satan lives.  Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.  Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."

Thought Question #1:  Attempt to describe what a Pergamum-type church would be like in today's American society?

 

 

Thought Question #2:  In what ways is sexual immorality a threat to the church today?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  What do you believe is the "hidden manna" that Jesus promises to the overcomers?

 

 

Thought Question #4:  What do you believe is the "white stone" and the "new name" that Jesus promises to the overcomers?

 

 

What if 1 1/2 million more people suddenly moved into the area where you are now living?  This will give you some idea how the Moabite people felt when they had 1 1/2 million Israelites move from Egypt into their region.  "The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, 'This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.' "  They were a primitive people so they asked a man named Balaam to use magic against the people of Israel.  The magic did not work, for we see in Numbers 23 and 24, that God did not allow him to curse Israel.  But Balaam did find a way to bring Israel under God's curse:  He had the Moabite women seduce them away from their God.  See Numbers 25:1-3 and 31:15-18  What does all of this have to do with the church of Pergamum?  Satan used his people to persecute the church at Smyrna.  But persecution has not been successful against the church through the years, instead it tends to purify and strengthen the church.  Another of Satan's methods has been more effective.  It is the method that Balaam used.  It is to seduce the church away from God.  This is the method that Satan was effectively using in the church at Pergamum.

What would it be like to have lived in Pergamum?  It was 40 miles north of Smyrna.  It was built around a large cone-shaped hill.  From the top of this hill you could have seen the Mediterranean Sea 15 miles away.  If you had walked into this city, you would have seen many temples for the gods of that time.  There were temples for Bacchus the party god, Venus, Apollos and many more gods.  Particularly, they worshipped Aesculapius, the god of healing.  The symbol for Aesculapius was a serpent.  It is used today as a symbol for the medical profession.  They also believed that Jupiter, the ruler of the gods was born there.

An altar to Zeus, the Greek ruler of the gods, was 800 feet up the cone-shaped hill on a projected rock.  It was 40 feet high.  It looked like some great throne.  All day it smoked with sacrifices that were offered to Zeus.  It was moved to Germany during Hitler's reign and is now located in a museum in East Berlin.
There also was a temple to the Roman Caesar in Pergamum where Caesar was worshiped as a god.  Finally, Pergamum was a place of great scholarship.  There was a library there of 200,000 books.  In fact, according to Barclay, the name parchment came from the name Pergamum.

a. Commendation (2:12-13)

"These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.  I know where you live--where Satan has his throne.  Yet you remain true to my name."  Was it easy to be a Christian in Pergamum, where all day long you could look up above you and see smoke continually coming from the altar of Zeus 800 feet up the hill above you?  Was it easy to be a Christian in a city where their main god was symbolized by a serpent; where there were temples to the gods everywhere; and where they worshipped Caesar as god?  Was it easy to become a Christian there?  No, Satan was much more at home there than was the church!  It was very hard for them to be a Christian in this pagan city, and Jesus tells them He knew and understood all about what they were up against each day. (Satan having his throne there may have referred to the very obvious temple of Zeus and the smoke from the sacrifices that were continually visible to the people in the city.)

He commends them for staying true to His name and not renouncing their faith in Him even against all the pressures to compromise that they were experiencing.  Could we continue to believe in Jesus Christ if we were living in this pagan and fearful city?

"You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faitful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives."  We are not certain who Antipas was or about what happened to him.  Tertullian, an early Christian church father, said that he was put into a brass bull and roasted to death.  The Christians in Pergamum did not back down from their Christian stand, even when one of their own was murdered for his faith.  How would we do if one of us was killed for his faith?   Would we also continue to proclaim that Jesus is Lord under these types of circumstances?

b. Correction (2:14-15)

Satan was not able to frighten them, so he goes about his task to move them away from their faith in God in another way!  A church that was so strong in facing death was being defeated in yet another way.  "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:  You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality."  Balaam was not able to use sorcery to conquer Israel, so he had the women of Moab attempt to seduce the men of Israel away from God.  The church at Pergamum was not being frightened away from God, but they were being seduced away from God.  They were in the middle of a city where there were temples everywhere; there were priestesses that were prostitutes at these temples; and the religious rites at these temples were sexual orgies.  It appears that Satan had been effective in tempting some in the church at Pergamum to become involved in the loose sexual practices that were all around them.

There is an obvious relevance for us today, for we also see sexual immorality all around us. We can also be like the Christians at Pergamum, and allow the "X-rated" and "R-rated" world around us to invade the church.

"Likewise you also have those who hold to the teachings of the Nicolaitans"  As was mentioned earlier, the Nicolaitans taught that it was okay to be involved in sexuality and sensuality.  So, the Christians who were involved in sexual immorality could use the teachings of the Nicolaitans to justify their immorality.

The name Pergamum means marriage.  For example, monogamy and bigamy come from this Greek word for marriage.  The church at Pergamum was a marriage between paganism and the church.  There is much in our world that is a marriage between paganism and Christianity.  For example, Easter and Christmas are a mix of Christianity and paganism.  Also, we worship God on Sunday.  Paganism still has a subtle effect on our world and on the church today (though sometimes it is not so subtle).

"Repent, therefore!  Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."  According to Barclay, the Roman governors were divided into two classes, those who had the right of the sword and those who did not have the right of the sword.  Those who had the right of the sword had the power of life and death over their subjects.  Jesus has the right of God's sword, the Word of God.  His truth alone judges whether something is right or wrong.  The most common human pattern is for us first to do what we want to do even when we know that God says it is wrong for us to do it; then we come up with some way to justify that it is okay for us to be doing what we really know is wrong.  But, we are not judged by our truth, but by His truth!  What can we do when we know that what we are doing will not stand before the Word of God?  We have only one choice, we must repent.  We must admit the truth and judge ourselves.  We must turn from our twisted ways and choose instead to live by His truth.  We must turn from our darkness and walk in His light! 

c. Challenge (2:17)

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.  I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."  His message, again, is only for him who is willing to hear it.  If we overcome the world's temptations and stay true and pure in our relationship with God, He will give us "some of the hidden manna."  Manna was the food from heaven that the Israelites ate while they were in the wilderness.  Part of the manna was put in the Ark which was located in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle and the Temple.  Barclay tells about a legend that says that when the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, Jeremiah hid the jar of manna from the Holy of Holies in the cleft of Mount Sinai; and that when the Messiah comes He will find the hidden manna.

The "hidden manna," though, undoubtedly refers to Jesus Christ who, at a time when the Jews were talking about Moses' manna, described Himself as the true Bread that comes from heaven.  See John 6:32-35  If we overcome the temptations of the world, we will experience the true manna or true life that comes through Jesus Christ.

What is the "white stone"?  In their courts, jurists voted with a white ball if they believed someone was innocent and with a black ball if they believed someone was guilty.  This is where we get our term, "blackballing" someone.  The "white stone" probably refers to Jesus declaring someone innocent in His sight.  A typical plot in a television movie is for someone who has been falsely accused, to struggle for years for a new trial.  Some evidence often comes out at the last minute, and the climax of the movie is when the judge declares that he or she is innocent and is free to go!  If we will overcome the temptations of the world, we will receive the white stone of innocence and not the black stone of guilt.

What, then, is the "new name" that will be written on the "white stone"
Today, each quarter or semester, many sign up for college classes.  If they get the classes they want, their names are written on the roll for those classes.  It appears that this is what the "new name" means.  If our name is written on the stone, it means that we have been enrolled in heaven and we are part of the new creation.  We have a new name so we can live on the new earth and in the New Jerusalem!  We have a saying, "What's new?"  One day the answer will be, "Everything!"  Those who overcome will be there.

We need to be a church who overcomes in spite of all that Satan throws against us.  We need to have Jesus Christ as our first love.  We need to be faithful even to death; we need to be determined not to be frightened away from declaring Jesus as Lord.  Finally, we need to not let the world's pleasures draw us away from God.

4. Thyatira (2:18-29) (The Invaded Church)

"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:  These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.  I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.  Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.  I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.  So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.  I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.  Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's socalled deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come.  To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations– ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’– just as I have received authority from my Father.  I will also give him the morning star.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Thought Question #1:  Attempt to describe what a Thyatira-type church would be like in today's American society.

 

 

Thought Question #2:  Can you give any examples of Jezebel-type teachers who (or Jezebel-type teachings that) have invaded the church in modern times?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  What is the "morning star" Jesus talks about?

 

 

From the church at Pergamum we learned about Balaam, from the church at Thyatira we will be introduced to another infamous person from Old Testament times.  Her name was Jezebel.  She was the Phoenician wife of Ahab a king in the northern kingdom of Israel during the time of the prophet Elijah.  She brought with her into Israel the worship of the gods of her Phoenician home (particularly the worship of Baal).  See I Kings 16:29-32, 19:1-3, 21:1-29; II Kings 9:30-37 

What does Jezebel have to do with this next city?  There was someone like Jezebel who had invaded the church at Thyatira; someone who also brought with her a false type of worship into the church.  She brought it right into the middle of the life of this church!

What would it have been like to have lived in Thyatira during John's time?  It was 35 miles southeast of Pergamum.  Lydia, the first Christian in Philippi, was a seller of a purple dye that came from Thyatira.  See Acts 16:14  At this time, one pound of this dye cost 1000 days' wages.  There was a fortune-telling shrine in Thyatira for the female oracle Sambathe.  There were many trade guilds in this city, comparable to our unions, except that workers ate meals together with those in their guild.  These meals were often held in temples, and at the end of the meals, sacrifices were offered to the god of that temple.  These guilds controlled life in Thyatira and to refuse to be a member of one of them could have resulted in someone being ostracized from their society. 

What would it have been like to have been a Christian there?  There would have been a strong temptation to compromise and to join one of the unions.  Being part of a guild would have helped them to get a job, but it would also have led to them becoming a part of the pagan system in their city.

Let us see what Jesus said to this church.  We immediately sense a stern tone in Jesus' words that was not present in His words to the previous churches:  "These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze."  His blazing eyes look straight into our hearts and in them we see His hatred toward sin!  When He looks at us, those blazing eyes see both the good and the bad in our lives.

a. Commendation (2:19)

"I know your deeds, your love and your faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first."  The church at Ephesus had fallen from their first love; this was not true of the church at Thyatira:  Their love, faith, service, and perseverance were increasing!  Ray Stedman observed that love leads to service, and faith leads to perseverance.  But Jesus' eyes of fire saw what they were doing well and where they were failing.

b. Correction (2:20-25)

"Nevertheless, I have this against you:  You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess.  By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols."  Notice that in both the churches at Pergumum and at Thyatira, there is a link between sexual immorality and idolatry.  Sexual immorality was a part of pagan idolatry at that time and was one of the main reasons people were drawn into idolatry.  They were seduced and drawn into idolatry because it offered to them a life of promiscuous sex.

We can tell from this verse that this Jezebel-like woman was not the fortune teller called the Sambathe who was mentioned earlier.  This fortune teller was a pagan and operated totally outside of the church at Thyatira, but this Jezebel was an accepted part of the church.  She, like the actual Jezebel of the Old Testament, was leading the church away from God and toward immorality.  She was saying that she was a prophetess of God, while she was teaching the very opposite from what the Bible teaches.  What is worse is that no one in the church was taking decisive action against her.  (About foods sacrificed to idols see Acts 15:20,29 and I Corinthians 8)

Is there any type of false teaching entering the church today?  There are always those with false teaching who are seeking to invade the church.  Communists invaded the church during the late sixties to use church buildings to spread their doctrines and to rally people against the war in Viet Nam.  New Agers invade the church today with their subtle Hindu and shaman-type  heresies.  Word of faith teachers have invaded the church and present themselves on television as Christian preachers.  They have brought the greedy pursuit of the world's riches into the church.  We can be sure that false teachers will continue to invade the church just as this Jezebel invaded the church at Thyatira.  Many of the books by these false teachers are in Bible book stores, and many are even found on the top sellers' lists.  There are magic, sorcery, occultism, and other types of false teachings being taught right now in our churches.  Jezebel is still in the church today!

"I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.  So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.  I will strike her children dead.  Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds."  She had been given time to repent, but she would not repent.  Notice, Jesus does not say she could not, but she would not repent.  So, she will suffer and those who commit adultery by going along with her ways will also suffer.  We read in II Kings 9:30-37 what happened to Jezebel.  She was trampled to death by horses, and dogs devoured her flesh.  False teachers need to remember what happened to Jezebel when they think that they are getting by with invading God's church and teaching their twisted lies. 

But, even this Jezebel of the church in Sardis could have been forgiven if she had repented.  Many are those who have lived sexually immoral lives; and have later repented, have been forgiven, and in the end lived as fruitful Christians.  One of the most famous Christians in the church, Augustine, lived a sexually immoral life before he became a Christian. 

It is interesting that Jesus says he will cast her on a "bed of suffering".  Sexual immorality usually takes place on a bed.  But, instead of it being a bed of pleasure, Jesus says it will be a bed of pain.  Sexual immorality often does result in pain, as sexual promiscuity leads to one or more of the many sexually transmitted diseases.

Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you).  Only hold to what you have until I come."  What Jezebel undoubtedly offered were the same type of deeper truths that false teachers offer today: more power, faith that will accomplish more, and deeper secrets about life.  Satan professes to offer those who follow him deeper secrets than what God has to offer them.  There have always been cults who offer deeper truths than are found in the clear teachings of the Bible. Many of these cults have begun in the church and then have migrated away from the church and its teachings.

But, there were those in the church at Thyatira who were not buying into her seductive teachings.  Jesus encourages these faithful Christians to hold on to the simple truths of the Gospel message: truths about what is righteous and what is sin, truths about God's love for them, truths about Jesus' death and resurrection, and similar basic truths.  We need to find our satisfaction in the basic truths of the Bible, and we should not go looking for the so-called deeper truths that we are told will give us some type of superiority over other Christians. 

c. Challenge (2:26-29)

"To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations.  He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery---just as I have received authority from my Father.  I will also give him the morning star.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  If we stand strong and do not give in to false teaching, one day we will be with Him when He rules on this earth.  We will be there and will see Him as He conquers the kings of the earth as easily as someone smashes a piece of pottery with an iron rod.  He will rule over an earth that is restored from it cursed state, and He will rule for a one thousand year period that we have come to call the "millennium."  This millennial rule will be much different than when He will rule in heaven, for when He rules in heaven He will rule without any opposition at all.  See Psalm 2 and Revelation 20:1-6 

What is the "morning star" that Jesus talks about?  Anyone who has been awake before the sun rises has seen the morning star (though you may not have recognized it).  The morning star or the planet Venus shines in the eastern sky just before the sun comes up.  In Revelation 22:16, Jesus describes Himself as the "bright Morning Star."  Jesus is the "Morning Star" who will come for the church during the time when the whole world is in total darkness.  Then, the night will come to an end and the day will come when He will rule for 1000 years as it says in Revelation 20.  If you and I are willing to hear what Jesus says and hold on to what we have until He comes, we will see the Morning Star!

We need to overcome all Satan throws at us.  We need to love Jesus above all else (not falling into a mechanical type of Christianity); we need to be willing to be faithful even to the point of death; we need to be willing to not allow Satan to seduce us away from God with the world's pleasures; and we need to separate ourselves from any type of occultic teaching or practice! 

5. Sardis (3:1-6) (The Dead Church)

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:  These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.  Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.  Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.  He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Thought Question #1:  Attempt to describe what a Sardis-type church would be like in today's American society?

 

 

Thought Question #2:  What are some signs that indicate a church is dead?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  How can a church have a reputation for being, yet be dead?

 

 

Thought Question #4:  Why does Jesus say to this dead church, "wake up"? (compare to I Thessalonians 5:1-4)

 

 

Thought Question #5:  When Jesus says to them, "I will never blot your name from the book of life," does He mean that they can lose their salvation?  Can we lose our salvation?  Please explain your answers.

 

 

Sardis is the church that had a reputation of being alive, but the church was really dead.  Would we like Jesus to say this to us?  "You have convinced people that you are alive, but actually you are dead."

What would it have been like to have lived in Sardis?  It was 50 miles east of Smyrna and 30 miles southeast of Thyatira.  "Sardis stood in the midst of the plain of the valley of the River Hermus.  To the north of that plain rose the Oong ridge of Mount Tmolus; from that ridge a series of hills went out like spurs, each forming a narrow plateau.  On one of these spurs, fifteen hundred feet up, stood the original Sardis.  Clearly such a position made it almost impregnable....It has been said that Sardis stood like some gigantic watch-tower guarding the Hermus valley."  "Taken from The Revelation of John Volume I by William Barclay.  Copyright 1976 by Westminster Press."

Besides it being a well-fortified city, it was also a wealthy city.  The city of Sardis could have been complacent because of its wealth and because it felt that it could not be defeated.  (Something that we take for granted started at Sardis.  When we wear colored wool shirts we can be thankful to Sardis, for that is where wool was first dyed.)

What was it like to be a Christian in Sardis?  Jesus says nothing about false teaching, attacks on the church, and persecution as he did to the other churches.  Satan may not have been attacking this church because it was already dead. What does Jesus say to this dead church?

a. Correction (3:1-3)

"These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.  I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead."
God's seven spirits---or in other words the completeness of the Holy Spirit of God---was with Jesus; but there is no evidence that God's spirit was with this church.  Jesus knows this church and He knows there is very little good to say about it.  They apparently had liveliness about them, but it was not God's life.  We learn from the church at Sardis, that we can have a lively church service and we can even have a lively church social life, but still be very dead in God's eyes.

We have a name that describes the Christians at Sardis.  We call them nominal Christians.  They are Christians in name only.  A church can look in every way like a church-it can meet in a church building, meet on Sunday mornings, have a pastor, sing Christian hymns and choruses, and outwardly look and act like Christians-but be a church that is actually dead with little in it that is actually from the heart or from God!  A church like this is just going through the motions.  Many churches have been and are now Sardis-type churches.

Some churches in our own day are merely leftovers from alive churches of the past.  For example, there are many Methodist churches that are not at all like what Methodist churches were like when John Wesley, their founder, was alive.  Many churches began as exciting movements of God through fully committed and sacrificial Christians, but have degenerated to become merely dead monuments to the past. 

How can we know if we are alive or dead?  Death is something that does not need to be defined for us.  We all know about death.  When there is death, there is no growth.  When you go away from a dead church, and come back five years later, you will see exactly the same type of things you saw five years before.  People will still be using the same examples, saying the very same things, and doing the same things.  Where there is no growth or healthy change, there is death. 

Jesus' pattern when He addressed the four previous churches in Revelation was for Him to begin with a commendation of these churches' good deeds.  But, with the church of Sardis, He starts out with a correction.He corrects them for their deadness.  If the people in a church only think and talk about Jesus Christ on Sunday mornings, are they alive?  If there is only minimal personal interaction about the Christian life outside of Sunday school classes, are they an alive church?  Having a lively time on Sunday mornings does not necessarily mean that a church is really alive with God's life.  Certainly, there are churches and Christians in our country who give the appearance of being alive, but who, like this church at Sardis, are dead.

Let us consider some other ways that a church can be dead, even though it believes that it is alive.  We can have a list of very orthodox doctrines.  But, if those beliefs are not real to us and have very little effect on the way we live, then we are dead.  For example, we may have on our list of beliefs a statement that Satan is real; but if we have little or no concern about what he is doing in our world, in our church, and in our own lives, then we are dead to this reality.  If we say that we believe that God's Holy Spirit is in every Christian, yet we have little or no dependence on Him for our minute by minute lives, then we are dead.  We are dead if what we say we believe in the Bible is not alive and real in our lives every day.

Church services are dead when they have become routine to those who participate in them.  We are dead when we can sing our choruses and hymns without thinking much about them.  We are dead when we cannot wait for the service to get over.  "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men."  (Matthew 15:7-8) 

We are dead when year after year there is little or no outreach to our Christian brothers and sisters.  If we leave a church and come back five years later and the relationships between the people in that church are no closer than they were five years before, that church is dead.  We are dead when there is little or no outreach to those outside the church.  When we can have little or no concern for those who are Christless and heading towards hell, we are dead.  "We four and no more" Christianity is dead.

There does appear to have been some life in the church at Sardis, for Jesus says, "Wake up!  Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God."  Their deeds were not acceptable before God, but they did have some deeds.  A church becoming dead is very much like someone slowly falling into a half sleep.  We do not realize that we are nodding off to sleep.  We need to be woken up.  "Wake up!"  You are about to die!  Jesus was saying that they were just like a campfire that is about to die.  They needed to wake up before the last slightly glowing embers went dead.

Their works were not complete in that they were "not perfect, literally, 'not fulfilled,' that is not achieving the full extent of the will of God.  Their works were short either in motive or in execution."  "Taken from The Revelation of Jesus Christ by John F. Walvoord.  Copyright 1966 by Moody Press."  They may have thought that they were doing pretty well, but in God's eyes they were falling short of what was necessary to be acceptable in their Christian walk and testimony.

They not only needed to wake up to be alive, they also need to "Strengthen what remains" to come alive.  They needed to fan into flames that flicker of life that was in them.   Again, it is very much like trying to fan into flame a dying campfire.  Bringing their Christian lives back to life was very much like bringing a campfire back to life.

"Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent."  First of all they are to "remember."  He urges them to think back to what they had first been taught when they first became Christians.  From the form of the Greek verb, we can tell that they needed to do more than just remember one time what they were taught as new Christians, but they needed to keep on remembering what they had first been taught (it is the Greek verb that commands them to continuously remember).  We are never to allow ourselves to forget how Jesus and the Gospel dynamited us into a new life with God.  The church is to regularly practice the Lord's Supper, so that we will remember what Jesus did for us.  The book of I John is a reminder to second generation Christians about what a relationship with God through Jesus Christ was like for the first generation Christians.  Seeing new Christians get baptized, and having them around us with their contagious enthusiasm helps us all to remember what it was like when we first became Christians.  The first step that moves the dead Christian from death to life is to "remember."

Then, we are to "obey."  We turn from deadness when we follow this "remembering" with the second step of "obedience to God."  We become Christians when we turn from purposely ignoring God and doing things our own way and choose instead to live our lives His way.  In Romans 1:5, it is called the "obedience that comes from faith."  There will be no life breathed back into dead Christians until there is a desire and a willingness to obey the God who sent His Son to die for us.  ("Obey" is also the Greek verb form which commands a continuous action.)

Finally, they needed to "repent."  Repent means a change of thinking.  Many of us have gone to a retreat and have come back with a whole new way of looking at Jesus Christ and the Christian life.  Our Christian lives had become humdrum.  We needed to have new life breathed into our thinking.  These Christians also needed to change their thinking.  They needed to see and understand that they were dead, and then they needed to go back to looking at life the way they did when they were alive as Christians.  ("Repent" is the form of the Greek verb which commands someone to make one decisive action.)

We may not feel that we are dead like the church at Sardis.  But, we all have had more deadness seep into our lives than we realize.  So, we also need to be continually following these commands that Jesus gave to the church at Sardis.  We need to "remember" what it was like when we first turned to Jesus Christ.  We also need to keep on "obey"ing Jesus Christ as an essential way of life.  And, we need to "repent" when we begin to lose a clear picture of who Jesus Christ is and what His plan for us is. 

"But, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."  But, if they did not wake up, He says He will come to them when they are not ready for Him.  He will come like a thief who comes during the night at a time when those in the house are asleep and are least expecting him to come.  Listen to Paul's words inI Thessalonians 5:1-4:  "Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.  But, you brothers are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief."  If these Christians in Sardis would not wake up, they would be just like the world, and would be spiritually asleep when Jesus returns to the earth.

Since the members of the church at Sardis that John was writing to are no longer alive, these words support the view that John is speaking to the church that is Sardis-like in the end-times.  This verse, then, supports the belief that these letters to these churches were ultimately written to churches in the last days who will be like these seven churches. In the last days, just before Jesus returns to earth, there will be a part of the church that will be dead just like the church at Sardis was dead.  These instructions are to that dead church (as well as to every dead church).  If this dead church does not follow Jesus' instructions given in these verses, they will be asleep, be totally surprised, and be completely unprepared for Jesus' return.  He will come to them like a thief in the night.

b. Commendation (3:4)

"Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.  They will walk with me dressed in white, for they are worthy."  Not all in the church at Sardis were dead.  This is what is also true of most other dead churches.  It is usually true that not everyone in a dead church is dead.  There are almost always a few faithful Christians who can be found in a dead church.  Sometimes, they are faithfully praying that their church will resurrect from its spiritual deadness.  Jesus promises that these few faithful and alive Christians will walk with Him "dressed in white."  What a wonderful promise to those in churches who have remained alive and faithful while their church was dying off.  Jesus is promising them what was considered to be a very great privilege at that time-walking with the king in his garden.  It would be like one of us in the United States receiving the privilege of being able to walk around Camp David and talk with the President of the United States.  Here, these faithful Christians are told that they will be dressed in absolute purity and walk with the King of Kings!

Listen to what it will be like for all of us who are Christians:  "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes."  We are not totally pure now, but when God has finished His work in our lives, and we are standing before Him in heaven, we will be absolutely pure, dressed in the whiteness given to us by Jesus Christ.  Right now it is hard to see how we can be totally acceptable before an absolutely holy God.  Jesus promised, though, to those in the church at Sardis who had not soiled their clothes, but had been faithful to Him, that they would walk with Him in absolute purity!

c. Challenge (3:5-6)

"He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.  I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.  He who has an ear let him what the Spirit says to the churches."  It is clear who the overcomers at Sardis would be.  It is those who remember, obey, and repent.  All those at Sardis, as well as all those throughout the ages who do what Jesus instructs in these verses, will overcome and be those who will be dressed in white before Him.  And our names will never be blotted out of God's "book of life."  He will acknowledge our names before His Father.  It would be like the President's son or daughter taking us in to be with their parent the President, and saying this is a good friend of mine.  Then, because of our friendship with the President's child, we would from that time on be an accepted and honored part of the gatherings at the White House.  All who are faithful Christians are going to spend the rest of eternity as honored and accepted members of God's family.  See Matthew 10:32,33; Luke 12:8,9

Some are concerned that verse five teaches that we can be Christians, but if we do not overcome, we will be blotted out of the book of life.  Or, in other words, they are concerned that a Christian can lose his or her salvation.  But, the simple answer to this concern is that true Christian are faithful overcomers.  The author of the book of Hebrews makes it clear that a characteristic of a Christian who has genuine faith is that they will continue to trust God, even when the trials come.  Saving faith is persevering faith.  See Hebrews 3:6,14   Christians who demonstrate that they are genuine Christians will be overcomers and will not be blotted out of the book of life.  If our Christianity is dead, we need to be concerned about whether or not we really are Christians.  If we overcome by following Jesus' instructions, we will be those whose names will not be blotted out of God's book of life.  (For additional verses that speak about the book of life, see Exodus 32:32,33; Psalm 69:28; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 20:15, 21:27)

6. Philadelphia (3:7-13) (The Open-door Church)

"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.  I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars–I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.  Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.  I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.  Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Thought Question #1:  Attempt to describe what a Philadelphia-type church would be like in today's society.

 

 

Thought Question #2:  Why do you think Jesus gave this church an open door?  What is an open door?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  What is meant by "I will keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth"?  Did this time of trial come shortly after John's time?  Is it still in our future?  Is it the rapture?

 

 

Thought Question #4:  What is meant by Jesus writing various names on those who overcome?

 

 

Many of us as children have heard the children's story, "The Little Engine Who Could."  The next church we come to was very much like that little engine.  It was a church that was weak and in the middle of a very pagan city, but it nevertheless persevered like that little engine.  The last church, which had the reputation of being alive but was dead, is the very opposite of what we want to model our church after.  We will find, though, that we will desire to have Jesus say to our church what He said to this church in Philadelphia.  As we consider Jesus' description and His words to this sixth church, we can ask the following questions:  "Does this church describe my relationship to God?"  "Does this church describe the church that I attend?"

Again, what would it have been like to have lived in Philadelphia?  First of all, it would have been like living in a volcanic zone; like, for example, living on the volcanic island of Hawaii.  In Philadelphia, as in Hawaii, lava fields were a common sight (it was on the edge of a plain that was called the burned land).

Also, it was a wine producing area, similar to, for example, living in the great vineyards of Napa and Sonoma counties in northern California.  Bacchus, the wine god, was on the coins of Philadelphia.

It was about 30 miles southeast of Sardis and 15 miles from Smyrna.  The city was named after a king that so loved his brother that it was called the city of brotherly love.  Ray Stedman points out that our American city Philadelphia was named after this city by the Quaker William Penn.

"These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David.  What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open."  We will learn that the church at Philadelphia was weak.  Those who are weak need someone who is strong and dependable.  When we look for a mechanic we look for someone who has at least two characteristics.  First of all we hope we can find one who is honest, and secondly we hope to find a mechanic that knows what he is doing.  If we find that type of mechanic, we who are weak when it comes to fixing cars, will become confident that our car will get fixed for an honest price.  A church that acknowledges that it is weak needs to know that Jesus Christ is totally dependable for our needs as Christians.  Jesus begins by saying that He is "holy."  We who are weak can put our trust in a God who is holy and pure in all of His motives.  There are many in our world who are unholy in their motives and are untrustworthy, but our God is holy and totally trustworthy.

Next, He is "true."  It is the Greek word for real and genuine.  Jesus is the "True Vine" and the "True Bread."  There is much that passes itself off as a Christian teaching that is really phony and not real.  There is much in our world that is phony.  But, Jesus is authentic.  We can put our trust in the One who is "true."

Finally, He "holds the key of David".  In Isaiah 22:15-24 we learn that there was a man named Shebna who was in charge of the palace of King Hezekiah, but his heart was not with God or with Hezekiah.  Instead, he was scheming for himself.  God says He would roll him up like a discus and throw him into another land.  Then, he would be replaced by the godly Eliakim.  To Eliakim, and not to Shebna, God would give the key of the house of David.  Eliakim would then be given the authority to open and close the palace and treasures of king David.  Jesus has the symbolic "key of David" in that He alone is able to open God's palace and treasure.  For He is able to open the way into the presence of God, and open to us the treasury there of truth, life, hope, love, and much more. 

Jesus is the One whom the church at Philadelphia could put their total trust in, and He is the One we can put our total trust in.  When Jesus opens a door for us no one can close it!

The church at Philadelphia knew about open doors for they were called the open door to the eastern and non-Greek world.  They were the farthest east of the seven churches in Asia.  Jesus uses the open door symbolism to communicate to them in terms that were familiar to them. 

a. Commendation and promises (3:8-10)

"I know your deeds.  See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.  I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."  This may have been a small church in a large pagan city.  They were probably unimportant in the world's eyes, possibly financially poor with little social power.  In many parts of the world the church has been weak compared to the society around it.  There was a time when the church, the Roman Catholic Church in particular, was the most powerful organization in the world.  Kings bowed down to the church of that time.  But, over the years the church has most often been weak in the eyes of the world.  We can think of many examples of times when the church has been weak-the church in communist, Hindu, and Islamic countries.  In our country, the church has become less influential as Christian beliefs have been replaced by humanistic and eastern thought.  But, it is when we are weak that we become strong.  When Paul was going through a number of difficult trials, including a physical testing, Jesus said these words to him:  "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  It is only when we are weak that we see our need to turn to and to receive God's strength."   (Another way that "little strength" is interpreted is that it refers to them who have only a little strength from God's Spirit.)

Jesus says that He sees their "deeds."  What He saw is that they "kept" His word.  It is no small task to keep God's word.  For through the ages the church has often not kept His word.  There are many times when the church has fallen away from what the Bible teaches.  We add our traditions and we follow some leader who gives us his own version of truth.  One book on the cults says that many use the "knight-jump" method of interpreting the Bible.  This is where a Bible teacher jumps all over the Bible until he gets the Bible to say what he wants it to say.  But, the church at Philadelphia was different in that they did not add to or subtract from the Bible, nor did they twist the Bible until it said what they wanted it to say.  They kept the word.

Another example of their "deeds," is that they did not deny His name.  A way to keep the heat off us is to not tell everyone that we are a Christian.  The word deny is in the Greek verb tense that indicates that at some time in the past when it was hard to take a stand and say that they believed that Jesus Christ as the Son of God, they took that stand and did not deny His name.  They had taken this stand, and they were still standing and not denying Jesus' name.

Promise #1:  Jesus promises to them that He has opened a door for them "that no one can shut.'  What is meant by an open door?  Paul used this term a number of times.  See Acts 14:27; I Corinthians 16:8,9; II Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:13  An open door is when there are those who open the door and gladly welcome you when you share the Gospel message with them.  The wonderful promise that Jesus makes to this weak Philadelphian church is that He had opened up the hearts of men and women, so that when they share the Gospel message, there will always be those who will be open and receptive to their words.  Any true church of God would rather hear these words than any other words from Jesus.  It is Jesus saying to us, "Your ministry is going to be fruitful; many will be open and eager to hear the Gospel message through you and your ministry."  Philadelphian-type Christians are those whom God is continually giving open doors of effective evangelism and ministry.  Do we want to be like them?

Promise #2:  Jesus makes still another promise to the church at Philadelphia:  "I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan,  who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars---I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you."  As was mentioned regarding the church at Smyrna, there were also Jews in Philadelphia who called themselves the synagogue of God, but who were actually doing Satan's work instead.  They hated Christians more than anyone.  Jesus promises that He would "make them come and fall down" at their feet and admit that Jesus their Messiah loved these Christians.  Some of these Jews would later become Christians, and then, of course, they did admit that the Christians that they had once hated were loved by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  But, many will not admit that Christians are loved by God until they stand at the judgment seat.  See Isaiah 45:14, 49:23 60:14

Promise #3:  "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."  Because they have done something, He is going to do something.  What did they do?  They had done what God's word requires; they had patiently endured through tough times.  Now, what was Jesus going to do?  He is going to "keep" them through a very tough time that is coming on the whole world.  There are many in the church who believe that what Jesus is talking about here is the rapture that is described in I Thessalonians 4:13-17:  "for the Lord will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."  "Rapture" comes from a Latin word that means "caught up."  So, those who hold this Pre-tribulation rapture position believe that Jesus is promising to this church that they would be raptured before the period when the Antichrist takes over the world. 

There is, however, another place where Jesus speaks about someone being kept from something.  "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." (John 17:15)  The word "protect" in John 17:15 and "keep" in Revelation 3:10 are translations of the same Greek word.  It is the word that is usually translated "keep".  In John 17:15, Jesus was clearly and unmistakably not saying He would take them out of the world.  The note in the NIV Study Bible on Revelation 3:10 says the following:  "The Greek for this phrase can mean either 'keep from undergoing' or 'keep you through.'"  "The NIV Study Bible notes.  Copyright 1985 by Zondervan Bible Publishers."  So, there is at least a legitimate possibility that Jesus is saying in Revelation 3:10 that He would keep them and watch over them through the hour of trial which is the great time of tribulation when the Antichrist will rule the world.  If the first interpretation is correct, Jesus will rapture the Philadelphian-type church before the time that the Antichrist begins his significant role in world affairs.  (The name "tribulation" has been used to describe the seven year period in Daniel 9:27 that starts with the Antichrist making a peace treaty with the "many."  Those who hold this position call this the "pre-tribulation rapture" because the rapture occurs before this seven year tribulation period.)  If the last interpretation is correct, Jesus will not rapture the church before the seven year tribulation period, but He will keep them from falling under Satan's delusion when he fools the whole world into following the Antichrist.  He will also keep them from being among those who will be eternally condemned because they followed the Antichrist. 

We know that this church at Philadelphia that Jesus was speaking to here, no longer exists.  Yet, He talks about this church related to the trial that will come on the earth that is still in our future.  This verse gives us another basis for believing that Jesus' words to these ancient churches were meant to be a symbolic message to the church in the last days.

b. Challenge (3:11-13)

In these verses we find His final words to this church.  "I am coming soon.  Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown."  Jesus encourages them to hold on, for He is "coming soon."  II Corinthians 4 is Paul's words of encouragement to the Christians at Corinth.  The mission of the whole chapter is directed toward encouraging the Corinthian Christians and us not to lose heart.  Many have given up.  Esau gave up his inheritance for a bowl of soup.  Saul lost his kingdom.  Judas gave up Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.  What is the message to us?  We should also hold on so that we will not lose our reward. 

Is Jesus saying that if they do not hold on, they will lose their salvation, go to hell, and not be with Him in heaven?  In I Corinthians 3, Paul warns the Corinthian Christians that it is possible for Christians to suffer loss.  See I Corinthians 3:10-15  Jesus is saying here that if we who are Christians do not hold on and continue to serve Him even when it is tough, we will lose our reward.

"Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God."  Pillars were the strongest parts of buildings at that time.  Today, it might be the metal girders in a building.  There are ruins from the buildings of that time that we can walk through today.  In these ruins, it is usually the pillars that are still standing.  In this volcanic land, they needed pillars to keep their buildings from crumbling down when the earth shook beneath them.  Jesus promises them that if they stand firm and overcome, He will make them a pillar in His temple.  Though the whole world shakes, they will be those who will continue to stand.  And they will be standing still when the world is gone; standing as a part of God's building, the New Jerusalem.

"Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven, from my God; and I will also write on him my new name."  A name on a car says a lot about a car.  Chrysler says something different than Plymouth.  Rolls Royce on a car says something much different than Toyota.  The church at Philadelphia probably felt a lot more like a Toyota than like a Rolls Royce.  But, Jesus tells them He will write God's name on them.  What does it mean to have God's name written on us?  For a car to have Rolls Royce on it, it means that it is a car with the quality of a Rolls Royce.  For us, it means that we will have been created by God and redeemed by God, and are now worthy to be a part of God's world and live in His city. 

What is the "new name" that will be written on us?  The answer is that we do not know.  What does this mean to us, then?  It means that there is going to be a surprise when we get to heaven!  So, do we have any reasons why we should persevere in the Christian life?  To be like God in His New Jerusalem, and to receive something that is beyond our ability to understand right now, gives us every motive to persevere in our small trials in this part of our lives.  Paul understood what was ahead for him:  "I consider that our present sufferings are not worthy comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."  (Romans 8:18)

7. Laodicea (3:14-22)  (The Luke-warm Church)

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:  These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.  I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.  Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.  To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Thought Question #1:  Attempt to describe what a Laodicean-type church would be like in today's society.

 

 

Thought Question #2:  Why do you believe this church is lukewarm?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  Why would Jesus prefer that this church be cold rather than to have it be lukewarm?

 

 

Thought Question #4:  What is Jesus' solution to lukewarmness?

 

 

Thought Question #5:  Is Revelation 3:20 addressed to Christians or to non-Christians?  Why?

 

 

Have you ever poured out a cool glass of milk for yourself, and then gotten busy with other things and forgot about that milk?  Later, you remember about your milk.  You put the glass to your lips, take a big, deep drink, but quickly you find out that it is no longer the cool milk that you poured out, for when the milk reaches your tongue it is warm and stale.  Or, possibly instead of the cool glass of milk you poured out, you have grabbed a glass of milk that belonged to someone else that has been sitting out for a long time.  You almost spit out the warm, distasteful milk.  This is what the next church was like to Jesus; it was disgusting and nauseating to Him, and He was about to spit them out of His mouth.

What would it have been like to have lived in Laodicea?  It was named after the wife of its founder-Laodice.  It was one of the wealthiest cities in the world of its time.  It was similar to our modern-day wealthy Californian cities like Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, and San Mateo (north of San Francisco).  Laodicea was the Beverly Hills of Asia.  There were many expensive homes in this opulent city.  The ruins of some of these homes can still be seen.  Also, according to Jack MacArthur, there were three theaters and a circus arena there that held about 30,000 people.  In about 60 BC this city was destroyed by an earthquake.  Rome offered to rebuild it, but the affluent people of Laodicea chose to rebuild it themselves with their own money.

The primary bank for all of Asia was in Laodicea.  It was also the center for clothes making in this region.  The sheep there were famous for their soft, black, glossy wool.  Cheap outer clothes were produced on a large scale in this prosperous city.  It was also famous for a great school of medicine.  Finally, it was particularly known for an eye salve that was produced there. 

It was a rich city!  How did this wealth affect the church at Laodicea?  It was made up of people who saw themselves as being rich and not really needing very much from God.  Many believe that the church in the wealthy United States is very much like that church in wealthy Laodicea.  We can also see ourselves as needing very little.

a. His Correction (3:14-20)

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are luke-warm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."  They were wishy-washy, neither hot nor cold.  Jesus describes Himself as the very opposite of lukewarm:  "These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation."  He is the "Amen,"  In the Gospels when Jesus says "Verily verily" or "I tell you the truth," what Jesus was saying in the Greek language was "amen amen."  Jesus is the "Amen" in that He is totally truthful and trustworthy.  See also II Corinthians 1:20 

He is the "faithful and true witness."  What if the police asked a store owner if the person they had picked up was the man who had robbed him.  But, the store owner said, "I think he could be the man."  Would he be a trustworthy witness?  Jesus is not like this lukewarm witness.  The policeman could say, "I wish you would either say he is the man or not the man, rather than giving me such a non-committal answer." 

He is also the "ruler" (or some would argue that a better translation of the Greek word used here is that He is the "beginning") "of God's creation".  The Greek word is "arche" from which we get our word archaic.  His ways are not wishy-washy for He has been the same since the beginning!  But, they were lukewarm.

Bill Gothard, who began a ministry named Basic Youth Conflicts which presented seminars to thousands in large auditoriums across our nation, shared the way he taught the meaning of lukewarmness to teenagers.  He would put a long piece of paper (probably butcher paper) up on a wall.  On one side of the paper he would write HOT and on the other side he would put COLD.  He would then ask the young people to write their names where they believed they fit with regard to how hot or cold they were in their Christian lives.  Most would write their names somewhere in the middle of the paper.  Then, he would read to them these verses about the church at Laodicea and about Jesus' attitude toward lukewarmness.

What caused this church to be lukewarm and what can lead to us being lukewarm?  Jesus answers this question in the next verses.  "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'  But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."  They were lukewarm because they thought that they could meet their needs with the world's riches.  We also live in a rich country.  We also can be obsessed with the pursuit of pleasure and property.  If we do this, our relationship with God gets put way down on our priority list, after money, property, and pleasures.  We partially pursue riches and partially pursue God.  We also, then, become lukewarm in our pursuit of God.  We can come to church on Sunday mornings, but our hearts can be somewhere else.  Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and riches at the same time.  See Matthew 6:24 

It is interesting that the water that came to Laodicea from miles away was often lukewarm.  Jesus again uses a common experience of theirs to describe their spiritual state.  They certainly were able to understand that just as they detested their lukewarm water, so He detested their lukewarm Christian lives. 

They were "wretched, pitiful, poor" in a city that was wealthy.  They were "blind" in a city famous for its eye salve.  They were "naked" in a city famous for its clothing.  They thought they were rich, healthy, and well clothed, but they were spiritually poor, spiritually blind, and spiritually naked!

It is clear that half-hearted Christianity is totally unacceptable to God.  It is similar to our words apathetic and indifferent.  It is apathetic and indifferent Christianity.  It is what we call churchianity.  There is no zeal, no passion.  For example, there is nothing in this type of church like Patrick Henry's type of stand when he said, "Give me liberty or give me death!"  In this type of church there are no George Whitefields, John Wesleys, Martin Luthers or D. L. Moodys.  The fire in a church that is like the Laodicean church is about to go out.

What does Jesus say to this church?  What is the remedy for lukewarmness?  "I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you can become rich, and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."  Jesus says that there is a gold that satisfies.  But, they cannot get this gold in the world.  They must buy it from Him.  How do they get this gold?  It is a gold that is refined in the fires of tribulation.  They get this gold which is God's character by continuing to follow and obey Him even in tough times.  Following Christ is not an easy, downhill road; but it is a hard and an uphill road.  But, if we follow Him, we will begin to experience the true gold.  His life will begin to take shape in us.  Then we will experience the riches that really satisfy.

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith---of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire---may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  (I Peter 1:6-7)  They lived in the banking center of their world, but they would not be rich until they got their riches from Him!

Jesus also says that they are naked, until they put on the white clothes that He provides for them.  Adam and Eve, after they sinned, were naked and ashamed until they put on fig leaves and animal skins to cover their nakedness and shame.  How can we cover our shame?  He alone is the answer to our shame.  Jesus died to legally pay the penalty for our sin and shame.  Now, to each Christian He gives us His pure and white clothes.  He gives us His righteousness to put on so that we will be clothed and unashamed before Him.  The Laodiceans were in the clothing center of the world, but they were naked until they clothed themselves with Jesus' clothing.  See Isaiah 64:6 and Revelation 7:6-14

Finally, Jesus tells them to put salve on their eyes so that they can see.  Remember, Laodicea was famous for its eye salve, but Jesus says that they are blind until He opens their eyes.  When Jesus healed the blind, it was a picture of how He opens eyes that have been blind to the things of God's Spirit.  It is only God who can open our spiritual eyes.  Until He opens our eyes, we have eyes but we cannot see.  The church at Laodicea needed Him to open their eyes so that they could see how lukewarm they were in their Christian lives, and so that they could see clearly that He alone could meet their greatest needs.

Jesus continues His correction of the Christians in Laodicea with His words in verse 19:  "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.  So be earnest, and repent."  What can we do about the lukewarmness in us?  First of all, we can be sure that God is already doing something about our lukewarmness.  If we love our children, will we allow them to do what is wrong and do nothing?  God loves us and He will not allow us to do what is bad for us without disciplining us.  If we get off His good path, He will spank us; sometimes He spanks us hard.  He spanks those who love Him the most.  In fact, He spanks them the hardest.  He allowed David to be chased by King Saul; He allowed Joseph to be put in prison; He allowed Daniel to be put in a den full of lions; and He allowed Paul to be beaten, stoned, and imprisoned.  Did God love them?

God disciplines and rebukes us until we choose to go from being lukewarm to being zealous for Him.  The Greek words for "rebuke" and "discipline" mean to do whatever type of corrective action is necessary until the person who is being disciplined sees his sin and is willing to turn from it.  God disciplines everyone He loves.  See also I Corinthians 11:32; Hebrews 12:5-11; and Proverbs 13:24

Next, we come to one of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible.  "Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."  Jesus says, "Here I am!"  The problem is not on His side.  He is there for us, but we need to open the door and let Him into our lives.  He is at the door of our lives and He is knocking, but each of us must open the door and invite Him to come in?

How does Jesus knock on the door of our lives?  He knocks in very many ways.  He speaks to the non-Christian through the testimony of their Christian friends and acquaintances.  He speaks to people even through the Christians who hold up John 3:16 signs at sporting events.  He speaks to Christians in many ways: through the Bible, Sunday messages, Christian friends, Bible studies, and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

He's always there knocking on doors of the hearts of those who have excluded Him from their lives.  When we hear Him knocking, there is an obvious next step.  We need to open up our hearts to Him and invite Him in.  There is a famous painting by Holman Hunt of Jesus with a lantern in His hand knocking at a door.  There is something missing in the picture, though, there is no handle on the outside of the door.  The door is a picture of each of our hearts.  Jesus does not force His way into our lives.  He will not enter into our hearts until we invite Him to come in.

This is a beautiful picture of what our God is like.  He is not an offended God who must be coaxed and sacrificed to until He is finally willing to take us back.  No, He seeks us!  He knocks on the doors of our lives until we are willing to let Him in.  Consider some of the ways He reaches out to us.  He speaks to us through the order and beauty in His creation.  He is the author of the Bible which is called His Word.  He has raised up Prophets, Apostles, missionaries, evangelists, and Christians in general to preach and teach His Word and to proclaim the Gospel.  He cries out to us through the emptiness that is present in our lives when we are without Him.  He reaches out to us through our pains and troubles.  He speaks to us through the testimonies of Christians.  He speaks to us through the life of His Son.  He is knocking right now.  All that is left is for us to open the door.

We are told what Jesus desires to do when He comes into our lives.  Listen to what Barclay says about the meaning of "eat with him":  "The word translated sup is deiphein and its corresponding noun is deiphon.  The Greeks had three meals in the day.  There was akratisma,breakfast, which was no more than a piece of dried bread dipped in wine.  There was ariston, the midday meal.  A man did not go home for it; it was simply a picnic snack eaten by the side of the pavement, or in some colonade, or in the city square.  There was deipnon; this was the evening meal; the main meal of the day; people lingered over it for the day's work was done.  It was deipnon that Christ would share with the man who answered his knock, no hurried meal, but that meal where people lingered in fellowship.  If a man will open the door, Jesus Christ will come in and linger long with him."  "Taken from The Revelation of John Volume I by William Barclay.  Copyright 1976 by Westminster Press."

What happens when we open the door and Jesus fulfills His promise to us and comes in?  The Bible does not promise that there will be bells ringing or that we will have some exhilarating feeling.  But, the Bible does promise that we will be born-again, or if we are already born-again, we will be revived in our walk with God.  As new creatures in Christ, we will begin to recognize His life within us, changing us and redirecting us toward His goals. 

b. The challenge (3:21-22)

"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my father on his throne."  If they overcome, and are no longer lukewarm, He will give them the right to sit with Him on His throne.  They would go from Him wanting to spit them out of His mouth to sitting on His throne with Him.  How could they all be able to physically sit on His throne with Him?  When we think of a throne, we think of a chair where there is only room for one person, but Barclay points out that the throne of Jesus' time was more like a couch than a chair.  Thus, there was room for more than one person.  Since Jesus offers this promise to each member of the church at Laodicea, and actually to every Christian who is faithful, it must be a symbolic and figurative way of saying that Christians who are faithful to the end will be rulers with Him in His coming kingdom.

8. Conclusion:

It will be profitable for us to reflect on the meaning of Jesus' messages to the seven churches.  Let us consider some of the possible applications of His messages to these churches.  There are at least four possible applications.

a. He was speaking only to these seven churches.

Certainly there is no question that Jesus was speaking to these seven churches; commending and correcting them.

b. These seven churches may also represent the major ways that the world

affects the church.
Again, it seems very likely that Jesus was pointing out six types of threats to His church:  We can lose our first love, be overcome by persecution, be seduced by immorality, be invaded by false teachers, become dead, and become self-satisfied and lukewarm.  The church at Philadelphia, of course, represents a church that overcomes these threats and is alive and fruitful.

c.  These seven churches could also represent seven periods of church history.

Here is a possible comparison of these seven churches with the church throughout her history.

(1) The early church (60-160) (Ephesus - the church that lost its first love)

The second generation church after the Apostles did lose the vibrant, first-love type of Christianity that was started by the Apostles.  I John was written by John to restore the church to having that type of relationship with God that the early church had experienced.

(2) The suffering church (160-324) (Smyrna - the persecuted church)

There was a period in church history when the Roman emperors attempted to exterminate Christianity from the Roman Empire by seeking to force them to recant, or be mutilated or killed if they refused to recant.  This was the time when Christians were killed in the Roman Coliseum.  (Some of this persecution did take place earlier under emperors such as Nero and Domitian.)

(3) The adulterous church (324-606) (Pergamum - the immoral church)

Spiritual adultery did take place during this period in church history.  When Constantine declared that the Roman Empire was Christian, he also tried at the same time to placate the pagan world by bringing their pagan practices into the church.  He Christianized paganism.  Those who had been totally pagan in their lifestyles and practices continued for the most part to be pagan, but they were integrated into the Christian church.  The church became a marriage between Christianity and paganism.  This marriage between Christianity and paganism continues in a number of ways in the church today.

(4) The Dark Ages' church (606-1500) (Thyatira - the church that was

invaded by false teaching)
Many false teachings did invade the church during this period in church history:  For example, the bishop of Rome was first called the pope in A.D. 604.  Then, in A.D. 610, Pope Boniface IV dedicated a former pagan temple in Rome to be used to extol Mary and the saints.  This began a practice of worshiping Mary and the saints in a way that was similar to the way pagan gods and goddesses were worshiped at that time.  This practice of worshiping Mary and the saints grew during the Dark Ages.  There were a number of other false teachings that had their origin during this period in church history.  But, like what was true of the church at Thyatira, there was also much that took place during this period that was noble and selfless (for example, the ministry of  people like Francis of Assisi).

(5) The dead church (1500-1650) (Sardis - the dead church)

It is suggested that the church at the time of the Reformation was dead for the following reasons:  They formed state churches where everybody in the country was in the church.  They did not revive the church, but only reformed it.  Much of their teachings and practices came from church traditions rather than coming directly from the Bible.  We know that the church in England just prior to the revivals of George Whitefield and John Wesley was very dead.

(6) The revived church (1650-1789) (Philadelphia - the alive church)

This was a period of great revival in England and the United States under such men as George Whitefield, John Wesley, John Bunyan, John Newton, and Jonathan Edwards.  God did open many doors as England and the United States were transformed by the many who become new converts or through the many whom were revived in their relationship with God.

(7) The lukewarm church (1789-present) (Laodicea - the lukewarm church)

We are living in a time when there is more wealth than at any other time in the past.  The churches in our country certainly have a tendency towards the same type of lukewarmness that was present in wealthy Laodicea.  It is also in this period that liberalism has had such success in taking over churches and even complete denominations.

d. These seven churches could represent different segments of the church in

the last days.
This would mean that in the last days there will be some parts of the church that will be mechanical, having lost their first love.  Certainly, there are many churches like this today, who have lost their early Christian zeal and are now just going through the motions.  There will be other parts of the church that will be persecuted like the church at Smyrna was persecuted.  Again, it is obvious that some parts of the church are being persecuted today.  There will be other parts of the church that will compromise with worldly immorality, other parts of the church that will be invaded by false teaching, parts of the church that will be dead (the liberal churches for example), and still other parts of the church that will be wealthy and lukewarm.  If we are indeed part of the church of the very last days, we can hope that we will be like the church in Philadelphia and be an alive church where God is opening doors for fruitful ministry.

e. The final possibility is that all four are true.

Then, Jesus was speaking to the actual churches, He was speaking to all churches of all time, He was describing what would take place during the history of the church, and He was speaking particularly to the church at the end of time.  My conclusion is that this final possibility is the true application of Jesus' words to these seven churches.

Thought Question:  Which of these five possibilities have you concluded is true:  (  ) Jesus was speaking to the actual churches of that time.  (  ) He was speaking to all churches of all time.  (  )  He was describing what would take place during the history of the church.  (  ) He was speaking to the church in the end-times.  (  ) All four are true.  Please explain your answer.

 

WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE LATER (4-22)

1. A look into heaven (4)

As has already been explained, the word "Revelation" means unveiling or removing a veil.  In this chapter, we will see what John saw as the veil was removed and John was taken into the very presence of God.  We will see through His eyes what he saw on that extraordinary day.  What will it be like when we who have believed in Jesus Christ get to heaven?  What John saw will help us to get some idea of what is in store for us.  However, just like it would be hard to have described our world today with its jet planes, televisions, and computers to someone of John's time, so it will be hard for us to understand what John saw on that day.  Let us go into the presence of God with John and see what is comprehensible to us.

a. "Come up here" (4:1-2)

"After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.'  At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it."
Thought Question #1:  What is the Rapture? (See I Thessalonians 4:13-17)  What is the Pre-tribulation position?

Thought Question #2:  Do you believe that John's experience in these two verses was meant to symbolize the rapture?

 

 

John looked and he saw an open door into heaven.  Jesus invited him to "come up" into heaven.  Immediately He is in the Spirit and he is in heaven.  He sees a throne and someone sitting on it.  Others in the Bible had similar experiences.  Jacob had "a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching into heaven and the angels of God were descending on it.  There above it stood the Lord." (Genesis 20:12,13)  Micaiah the prophet had the following look into heaven:  "I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him."  (I Kings 22:9)  See also Isaiah 6; Ezekiel 1; Daniel 7:9,10; II Corinthians 12:1-4

Many believe that John's entrance into heaven is a picture of the church being raptured.  The word "Rapture" comes from a Latin word which means to be "caught up."  A description of the church being caught up to heaven is found in I Thessalonians 4:13-17.  The Pre-tribulation position is that the church will be raptured before the terrible times described in the book of Revelation.  If John going up to heaven is a picture of the Rapture, then the church will be absent from the rest of the book of Revelation.  The church is mentioned 19 times in Revelation one through three, but it is not mentioned again until chapter twenty-two.  But, there is also no mention of the church in these two verses either.  Jesus tells John to "come up" and see "what takes place after this."

Even John Walvoord, one of the foremost proponents of the Pre-tribulation Rapture position acknowledges that there is no mention of the rapture in these two verses:  "It is clear from the context that this is not an explicit reference to the rapture of the church, as John was not actually translated; in fact he was still in his natural body on the island of Patmos.  He was translated into scenes of heaven only temporarily.  Though there is no authority for connecting the rapture with this expression, there does seem to be a typical representation of the order of events, namely, the church age first, then the rapture, then the church in heaven.  Though the church is mentioned in letters to two of the churches (cf. 2:25; 3:11), the rapture as a doctrine is not part of the foreview of the book of Revelation.  This is in keeping with the fact that the book as a whole is not occupied primarily with God's program for the church.  Instead the primary objective is to portray the events leading up to and climaxing in the second coming of Christ and the prophetic kingdom and the eternal state which ultimately will follow."  "Taken from The Revelation of Jesus Christ by John F. Walvoord.  Copyright 1966 by Moody Press."

The primary ways those who hold the Pre-tribulation Rapture position find support for their viewpoint in the book of Revelation is as follows:  (1) The promise to the church at Philadelphia that if they "endure patiently," they will be kept "from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."  (2) There is no mention of the church from chapters four through twenty-one of Revelation.  (3) It is believed that here is a symbolic picture of the Rapture and the order of last days events in the book of Revelation:  The church is present and addressed by Jesus in chapters two and three, John's heavenly experience in chapter four is believed to be a symbolic representation of the Rapture of the church, and the church being absent in the rest of the book of  Revelation is thought to be due to the church having been raptured and translated to heaven.

b. The One on the throne (4:3)

"And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne."

Thought Question:  When John looked at God on His throne, He says that He looked like dazzling gemstones.  What does this tell us about God?

 

 

Suddenly, as Ray Stedman eloquently states, John is at "the supreme headquarters of the universe".  Some of us have visited Washington, DC. and have been in awe as we have realized that we are at the very place where the decisions are made that govern our great nation.  How infinitely more in awe was John as he stood in the presence of God.

God's throne is an important subject in the book of Revelation.  There are over thirty references to God's throne in the book of Revelation.  One of the clear messages of the book of Revelation is that God is on the throne and not anyone else.  We sing a chorus titled: "Our God Reigns."  That song could be the theme for the book of Revelation.  The main theme in our society is "It's my life and I'll do what I want."  But, even if the whole human race decided that we were in charge, it does not change the fact that there is a throne in heaven and there is One who is ruling from that throne.  In the end, what He decides will be done, and not what we decide. 

Next, John seeks to express the inexpressible.  He attempts to describe the One who is on the throne.  He says that the One on the throne was like or had "the appearance of Jasper and Carnelian."  Looking at God was like looking into dazzling light.  The One he sees is first of all like "jasper."  Jasper is similar to a diamond and carnelian is similar to a ruby.  So, John saw a dazzling white light and dazzling red light.  Light increases in beauty and sparkles when it passes through a diamond or another type of precious stone.  John saw light at its most magnificent intensity.  In I Timothy 6:15-16, Paul tells us that God is "the King of kings and Lord of lords who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see."  God is so glorious that because of His dazzling glory, we are incapable of seeing Him.  It is a little like us trying to look at the sun and trying to see what it looks like.  All we can say is that it is very bright.  All John could say is that the One on the throne was intensely bright like dazzling gem stones.  (The red stone may be an expression of His love and mercy and an expression of His lovingly giving the blood of His Son for our sins.)

The third stone that John saw was "a rainbow resembling and emerald."  When we see a rainbow, we see only part of the rainbow, for a rainbow actually forms a circle.  John saw a rainbow of green emerald encircling the throne.  See also Ezekiel 1:26-28

c. The 24 elders (4:4)

"Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads."

Thought Question:  Who are the 24 elders?  (The 12 Apostles plus 12 leaders from Israel, 24 leaders from Israel, or someone else?)

 

 

What else did John see?  "Surrounding the throne were twenty-four elders.  They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads."  See also 4:10-11  Who were these 24 elders?  There are many different answers that are given to this question:  (1) Some say that they are representatives from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, plus the 12 Apostles.  For example, the 12 gates of the New Jerusalem will have the names of the 12 tribes of Israel on them and the foundations of the New Jerusalem will have the names of the 12 Apostles on them.  See Revelation 21:13-14  Together, the 12 representatives from the nation of Israel, plus the 12 Apostles would number 24, and they could be the 24 elders that John saw.  The problem is that John who was one of the Apostles would then be one of the 24 elders he was looking at.  (2) They also could be 24 leaders of the Old Testament saints.  The priests of Israel were divided into 24 orders.  So, the 24 elders could be 24 leaders from a believing remnant of Israel.  See I Chronicles 24:1-19 and Luke 1:5  (3) They could be 24 head angels.  In Daniel 7:26, an angel speaks of an angelic court.  In Revelation 5:8-10, the 24 elders sing that Jesus purchased men for God and that He made "them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God."  They sing of man's salvation, not their salvation and they say that God made "them" and not us to be a kingdom.

Who are the 24 elders?  The evidence supports the final possibility.  John was looking at the angelic elders who praise God that He has redeemed the church through the blood of Jesus Christ.  They are dressed in white because they are righteous angels who did not fall with Satan.  They wear crowns because they are a ruling class of angels.  See also Daniel 4:17 and Psalm 89:6,7

   d. Around the throne (4:5,6a)

"From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.  Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing.  These are the seven spirits of God.  Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

Thought Question:   What do these verses tell us symbolically about what it is like in heaven?

 

 

What else did John see?  "From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder."  The Gospels reveal Jesus coming as a Lamb; Revelation reveals Jesus coming as a Lion!  The book of Revelation is an unveiling of the Day of the Lord, the time of God's wrath.  The throne of God that John sees is a throne of judgment.  When the peoples of Israel and Moses stood before God at Mt. Sinai, they also faced a God of judgment:  "On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, a very loud trumpet blast.  Everyone in the camp trembled. . . . Mt. Sinai was covered with smoke. . . . The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder."  (Exodus 19:16-19).  This was a message to the people of Israel about Whom they would face if they broke God's Ten Commandments (which they did just a short time after this day they stood in the frightening presence of God).  When the Day of the Lord comes, those who have rejected Jesus Christ will face not a throne of grace, but a throne of judgment.  See also 8:5, 11:19, 16:19

Right now is a time of patience and there is an opportunity to receive mercy and grace through Jesus Christ.  But, this time of patience will come to an end, and God's time of grace will also come to an end.  Then God's judgment will come.  John saw the fury of a righteous God when he looked at God's throne.

"Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing.  They were the seven spirits of God."  The church began with tongues of fire coming down on the Apostles and some other close followers of Jesus.  The church began with the fire of God's Holy Spirit.  God's Spirit from before God's throne came down upon men and women on earth and the God-indwelt church began.  The church is unique, for it is heaven and earth once more united.  Men and women on earth have become united with God's Spirit from heaven.

"Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal."  Many of us have stood before the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and gazed at the horizon and at what appears to be a limitless sea.  But the ocean we have looked at was not glass-like, instead it was probably very choppy.  But, the sea that John saw was smooth like glass.  What he saw must have brought total calm and peace to him.

What John saw was judgment ready to burst forth from the throne of God, God's Spirit alive for His people, and the total peace of heaven.

e. The Living Beings in heaven (4:6b-8)

"In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.  The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.  Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.'"

Thought Question:  Why do you believe the living creatures in Ezekiel 1:5-13; Isaiah 6:1-6; and these verses in Revelation are different from each other? (A difficult question, but please make an attempt to answer it.)

 

 

What else did John see as he looked at the throne of God?  "In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.  The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.  Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings."  Isaiah and Ezekiel saw similar creatures in heaven.  See Isaiah 6:1-6 and Ezekiel 1 

From John's description of the "four living creatures," what can we learn about them?  Each creature appears to represent qualities of God's rule over His creation.  The lion we call the king of the beasts.  The ox can be seen as the most powerful of the domestic animals.  The eagle is the ruler of the sky.  Finally, man is the ruler over all of God's creation.  These angels may represent qualities of God's rule.  The power and ferocity of the lion may represent God's righteous rule and His ferocity against sin.  The ox may represent His loving and enduring service.  The eagle may represent His all-reaching sovereign rule over the universe.  The man could represent His intelligence.  These angels, then, may be expressions of God's rule, and they could be those God has delegated to carry out His rule over creation. 

Next, the eyes could mean that they are able to see all that is going on down here on earth.  Today, using satellites we are able to see what is going on all over the earth.  Certainly, angels have at least this same ability.  The wings could mean that they are able to move about quickly.  Finally, they are in a constant state of worship before God.  For they never stop saying:  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

Now, let us consider the different angelic beings described in Isaiah six, in Ezekiel one, and in this chapter.  In Isaiah six they are called "Seraphs," which means "burning."  It could speak of a burning devotion to God or a burning purity.  Isaiah has this to say about them: "with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying."

Next, let us look at Ezekiel's description of the angelic beings that he saw:  "In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings.  Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.  Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man.  All four of them had faces and wings, and their wings touched one another.  Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.  Their faces looked like this:  Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.  Such were their faces.  Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wings of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.  Each one went straight ahead.  Wherever the Spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.  The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches.  Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright and lightning flashed out of it."  (Ezekiel 1:5-13)  Ezekiel calls these angels "cherubim."  See Ezekiel 10  They are the angels who guarded the Garden of Eden and the tree of Life (Genesis 3:24), and there were golden cherubim on the mercy seat in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:17-22). 

There are some differences between Isaiah's, Ezekiel's and John's descriptions, but there are some similarities as well.  It would appear that we can safely conclude that the angels that each of these three men saw, are similar types of angels who are close to the throne of God.

f. Worship in heaven (4:9-11)

"Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:  'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.' "

Thought Question:  Why do you believe that the 24 elders lay their crowns before God?  Will we also lay our crowns before God?  If your answer is yes, why will we do it?

 

 

In these verses, we find the place in the Bible where the twenty-four elders remove their crowns and lay them before God.  Some of us have seen and heard Handel's "Messiah" performed.  Handel was once asked what inspired him to write the "Messiah."  Barclay gives us his answer:  "I saw the heavens opened and God upon his great white throne."  "Taken from the The Revelation of John Volume I by William Barclay.  Copyright 1976 by Westminster Press."  The question is often asked by children, "Who created God?"  The answer is, "no one!"  He is the only One who has always existed!  When the One who has always existed is seen by us whom He created, what do we do?  Verses eight through eleven describe what His created angels do before His throne.  They worship Him!

Why do the 24 elders lay their crowns before Him?  "In the ancient world that was a sign of complete submission.  When one king surrendered to another, he cast his crown at the victor's feet.  Sometimes the Romans carried with them an image of their emperor and, when they had reduced a monarch to submission, there was a ceremony in which the vanquished one had to cast his crown before the emperor's image."  "Taken from The Revelation of John Volume I by William Barclay.  Copyright 1976 by Westminster Press."  Certainly, when Christians receive the crowns that the Bible describes will be given to those who are victorious in the good fight, they (we?), also will lay our crowns before God's throne and worship Him who has made our very existence possible.  See II Timothy 4:6-8; James 1:12; I Corinthians 9:25; I Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10, 3:11

2. The Lamb who is worthy (5)

The central figure in earth's final chapter is a lamb, a tiny lamb (the Greek word that is used by John is the word for a tiny lamb).  We will see in Revelation chapter five that this tiny lamb is the center of God's plan to restore fallen earth and fallen mankind.  The Lamb is the reason God's plan will succeed and Satan's plans will fail.  In the book of Revelation we see the final stages of God's plan and Satan's plan.  In the end, Satan's beast is conquered by God's tiny Lamb! 

a. Who is worthy?  The scroll, the Lion, and the Lamb (5:1-7)

(1) The scroll (5:1-2)

"Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll?'" 

Thought Question:  What is the "scroll" in these verses?  Why is there writing on both sides of it?

 

 

What is the significance of this scroll?  Why is it so important that this angel cries out about the need to find someone who is worthy to open the scroll?  In John's part of the world and in his time, a scroll was used as a deed to property.  For example, just before Babylon conquered Israel, Jeremiah, the prophet of God who predicted Babylon's total victory over Israel, purchased a field.  See Jeremiah 32:6-44  The deed to that field was a sealed scroll.  Some time later, one of Jeremiah's heirs would need to meet the conditions of that deed; thereby gaining the right to open the scroll and to receive ownership of the land that Jeremiah had purchased.

Adam and Eve had been given dominion over the earth by God; but because of their sin, all men have lost the rule over the earth that God had given to us.  Also, because of Adam and Eve's sin, Satan stepped in and took over the rule of this world.  Jesus called him the "ruler of the kingdom of the air." (Ephesians 2:2) and the "god of this age" (II Corinthians 4:4).  John says that the "whole world is under the control of the evil one." (I John 5:19) He is actually a squatter; he is living and ruling on Someone else's property.

There was a practice among the Jews of Bible times that will help us to understand the meaning of the scroll.  If a Jewish man became poor and was forced to sell his property, he could buy it back again when he acquired enough money to buy it back.  But, if he was unable to buy it back, a kinsman called a "kinsman redeemer" could buy it back.  Adam and Eve lost possession of the world and we, their heirs, are unable to buy it back.  We need a "kinsman redeemer" to buy it back for us.  We need someone who can open the deed to the earth-to open the scroll! 

The scroll, which is the deed to the earth, had writing on both sides.  Normally the writing on a scroll was only on the inside, for the outside of the scroll was rough.  It was only when there was a great deal to write about that there was writing on both sides of the scroll.

There are a number of different versions of what a scroll with seven seals on it looked like.  Barclay gives this description of the seven seals:  "When a roll was finished, it was fastened with threads and the threads were sealed at the knots.  The one ordinary document sealed with seven seals was a will.  Under Roman law the seven witnesses to a will sealed it with their seals, and it could be opened when all seven or their legal representatives were present.  The roll may be what we might describe as God's will.  His final settlement of the affairs of the universe."  "Taken from The Revelation of John Volume I by William Barclay.  Copyright 1976 by Westminster Press."

Others believe that the seals were put on one at a time as the scroll was rolled up (a seal was put on, the scroll was rolled up a little more and another seal was put on, and so forth).  Still others believe that the seven seals were all on the outside of the scroll; lined up on the outside and overlapping end of the scroll.  However the scroll was sealed; the seals represent what is required before the scroll can be fully opened and the deed to the earth can be returned to man---so that God's plan for man can be fully realized.  The seals of the scroll in Revelation five represent what must occur before the deed of the earth is returned to man.

The mighty angel cries out, "Who is worthy to open the scroll?"  The remaining verses in Revelation five give us the answer!  We will now see what must take place before the earth is returned to man.  The problem that needs to be solved before the earth can be restored to us is our sin, our disobedience of God.  Our sin caused us to forfeit God's gift to us.  Also, the earth needs to be taken away from Satan the usurper.

(2) The Lion (5:3-5)

"But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.  I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.  Then one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.' "

Thought Question #1:  Why is there no one worthy to open the scroll?

 

 

Thought Question #2:   Why does John weep?  Didn't he know that Jesus would open the scroll?

 

 

"But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.  I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.  Then, one of the elders said to me.  "Do not weep!  See the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has triumphed.  He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."  John wept for he knew that if no one opened the scroll, the world would remain in Satan's hands.  The "Lion" is the king from the tribe of Judah who God promised would come and sit on the throne of David.  See Genesis 49:8-10; Isaiah 11,10; and Romans 15:12

When a U.S. President's term is about two years from being completed, we begin to consider who is worthy to be the next President.  But, there is really no one on earth that is truly worthy to solve the problems in this country or on this earth.  For, we have one primary problem, and that is our sin.  The only One who is worthy is the One that God has promised to us:  the "Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David."  He is able to open the scroll!

 

(3) The Lamb (5:6-7)

"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.  He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne."

Thought Question #1:  Why does the Lamb look "as if it had been slain"?

 

 

Thought Question #2:  Why does He have "seven horns and seven eyes"?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  Why is the Lion of Judah and the Lamb worthy to take the scroll?

 

 

The One John sees, who is able to open the scroll, is both a Lion and a Lamb.  The "seven horns" picture His future coming as a King who will sit on the throne of David and rule as the future King of the world (a horn symbolizes power and authority).  The "seven" symbolizes His coming perfect rule.  The "Lamb" pictures His first coming as a sacrifice for our sins.  The Almighty Son of God became a helpless lamb for us.  As a lamb He conquered Satan!

The description of the "Lamb" reveal Jesus' present state in heaven: "looking as if it had been slain."  He is still a "Lamb" and still our Savior.  The nail prints are still in His hands.  He offered His nail-scarred hands and spear-pierced side to Thomas as evidence that He was the resurrected Jesus Christ.

Here, we see that He has "seven horns and seven eyes."  These are a picture of His Divinity (Here, seven symbolizes His Divine perfection).  There is a man in heaven who sees all through the "seven spirits of God," (the Holy Spirit) who are "sent out into all the earth."  See Zechariah 4:10  Jesus is a man and He is God.

"He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne."  In Revelation six, the Lamb opens the seven seals.  He is able to take the scroll because He, the last Adam, took the punishment for each of us and for all of mankind's punishment on Himself.  We needed a man to make right what was done by the first Adam.  Now, God can righteously and legally give the deed to the earth back to our representative, the man Jesus Christ.  See Daniel 7:13,14

In Revelation six we will see that the Lamb will open the seven seals.  We will discover that we will not become rulers over the earth until sin has run its full course.  We will not receive God's paradise until after man has had his full opportunity to try to build his own paradise.  666 must come before 777!

b. The worship of He who is worthy (5:8-14)

"And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.  And they sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.'  Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.  In a loud voice they sang: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!'  Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'  The four living creatures said, 'Amen,' and the elders fell down and worshiped."

Thought Question #1:  Do you believe Christians will be playing harps in heaven?

 

 

Thought Question #2:  Why do you believe a harp is used in heavenly worship?  What does that tell us about our worship of God today?

 

 

Thought Question #3:  What will heavenly worship be like?  Will it be boring?

 

 

Thought Question #4:  Why are the elders holding the bowls full of incense?

 

 

Thought Question #5:  What does it mean to us that we are "a kingdom of priests"?

 

 

We will see in these verses that the angels realize who Jesus is and what He has done for us.  If we understand what the angels understand, we will join with them as they worship the Lamb who is worthy of our praise.

(1) The worship of the four living creatures and the 24 elders (5:8-10)

When the Lamb takes the scroll, immediately the four living creatures and the 24 elders "fall down before the Lamb."  All of us have seen pictures of angels holding harps.  Here we see that the 24 elders each have a harp.  The trumpets and the harps are the only instruments mentioned as being used in heavenly worship.  The harp was an instrument that was used in worship in the Old Testament, particularly around the time of David.  "Praise the Lord with the harp."  (Psalm 33:2)  "Praise him with the harp and lyre."  (Psalm 150:3)  There is something about the harp that makes it an appropriate way to worship God.

Here, the 24 elders fall down before the Lamb, and they each have a harp with them to express their worship in music!  The picture that is some time given of angels and of Christians in heaven is that they (and we) will sit around on clouds playing harps.  In these verses we see a much different picture.  Angels in the presence of Jesus in His glorified state are overwhelmed with who Jesus is and with what He has done for those He has redeemed.  In their awe and adoration, they fall down before Him and worship Him.  No higher or deeper thought or feeling can be expressed than what is expressed by these angels!

When we see Him and His beauty and glory, we also will need to express our adoration and wonder.  God has given us music as a way of wholeheartedly telling Him what is overflowing in our hearts.  When we are there, the music of the harp will enable us to express our worship to Him!

The 24 elders also were "holding golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints."  It could be that these 24 elders will have collected all of the prayers of the saints that are now about to be answered as Jesus is about to open the scroll and start the process of returning the deed to the earth back to man.  (An example of a prayer of the saints that will be fulfilled at this time is the prayer found in the Lord's prayer:  "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.")

Why will these angels be worshiping the Lamb?  The answer to this question is found in verses 9 and 10:  "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."  Today, missionaries are reaching out to "every tribe and language and people and nation."  Mission agencies like Wycliff Bible translators are seeking to translate the Bible into every language in the world.  Mission agencies like New Tribes Missions are seeking to reach even the most remote peoples on our planet.  The words of these angels are being fulfilled in our world right now.  These angels have been observing God's plan of the ages.  As they see God's plan coming together, they realize that it has all been made possible because of the blood of a Lamb that was slain.  His blood purchased us from our sinful and hopelessly condemned state and brought us into an eternal relationship with God. As they consider this marvelous and wonderful truth, they can do nothing else but fall down and worship the Lamb!

"You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on earth."  We have been purchased by the Lamb to be a "kingdom."  His death has transformed us into royalty.  We are part of the King's family and will also reign with Him.  He also purchased us to be "priests."  We, like the priests in the Old Testament, are able to approach and enter the presence of God.  We are to be kings and priests "to serve our God."  Our primary heart's desire both now and forever is and will be to serve God.  Finally, we "will reign on earth."  We will return to Adam's role on earth.  We will once again rule over God's creation on earth.

(2) The worship of the Lamb by all living creatures (5:11-14)

"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.  They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the 24 elders." The first circle of worshipers is the 4 living creature and the 24 elders.  The second circle of worshipers is thousands and thousands of angels.  With one voice they sing out:  "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise."  Jesus humbled Himself and became a Lamb who was slain.  Now, He deserves to be exalted to the very highest place of honor in the universe.

Then comes the next circle of worshippers:  "Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, all that is in them singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever"!  The greatest choir of all is going to honor the greatest One of all!  Once more, no deeper or higher thoughts or feelings can be expressed than what is expressed by this great choir.  No one who has been redeemed will be left out of this great time of worship (those "under the earth" may refer to those who are not redeemed).  I will be there, and so will you.  Every knee will bow and ever tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!!  See Philippians 2:6-11

 

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. ®   NIV ®   Copyright ©  1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission.  All Rights reserved.

Studies in Revelation