 |
| Map created in Accordance Bible Atlas |
Why does God give us a terrifying glimpse into the future in
the book of Revelation? Because “He is coming with the clouds, and every eye
will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will
mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen” (Rev 1:7).
Who is coming with the clouds? Revelation 1 introduces Jesus
Christ as:
- “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. . . Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood” (1:5).
- “the Alpha and the Omega . . . who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (1:8).
- “one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength” (1:13-16).
- Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades” (1:17-18).
In power and glory, Jesus Christ is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of
the earth will mourn over Him. In preparation for His return, God gave Jesus
“the Revelation” to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take
place.
Jesus sent and communicated the Revelation by His angel to
His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of
Jesus Christ, to all that he was shown during his exile on the island of Patmos
at the end of the first century. Blessed are all who read, hear, and heed the
things written in the book of prophecy.
Chapter 1 introduces the book of Revelation with a glimpse
into the past when the Revelation was given to John while he was exiled on the
island of Patmos towards the end of the first century. John was in the Spirit
on the Lord’s day when he heard a voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying,
“Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus
and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia
and to Laodicea” (1:11).
In Revelation 2-3, Jesus addresses each of these seven
historical churches, the initial recipients of the book of Revelation. The
churches were located in the western part of the first-century Roman province
of Asia Minor. The messages are recorded in the order that they would be
received, reflecting the geographical circuit that the messenger would travel as
he delivered the book to its initial recipients.
The seven churches receive unique messages with similar
structure. Each “angel of the church” is
addressed, followed by a distinct description of Jesus, the One Who holds each
church and its messenger in His right hand. The letters contain words of
acknowledgement, rebuke, commendation, exhortation, instruction, warning, and
promises to the overcomers. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches” (Rev 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:29; 3:6; 3:13; 3:22).
Church in Ephesus
(2:1-7):
Rev. 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the
seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among
the seven golden lampstands, says this:
Rev. 2:2 ‘ I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate
evil men, and you put to the test
those who call themselves apostles,
and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown
weary. 4 ‘But
I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 ‘Therefore remember from
where you have fallen, and repent
and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming
to you and will remove your lampstand
out of its place — unless you repent. 6 ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds
of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. To
him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
The first message is addressed “to the angel of the church
in Ephesus” (2:1). The Greek word translated “angel” is ἄγγελος, which can refer to “a
human messenger serving as an envoy” or “one who is sent” (BDAG, 8). The same
word is used to refer to “a transcendent power who carries out various missions
or tasks, messenger, angel” (BDAG, 8). Therefore, the “angel of the church in
Ephesus” could be a reference to the presiding pastor, or to an angel, a
heavenly messenger to the church in Ephesus.
Ephesus was a port city on the western coast of Asia
Minor (modern Turkey), an affluent province of the Roman Empire in the first
century. Ephesus hosted the temple of Artemis (Diana), whose pagan influence
was challenged by the ministry of Paul. Paul ministered to Jews and Greeks in
Asia while residing in Ephesus for three years (Acts 19).
In His message to the church in Ephesus, Jesus identifies
Himself as “the One who
holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven
golden lampstands” (2:1). Jesus indicated that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the
seven lampstands are the seven churches. Jesus is Lord over all.
Following the
introduction, Jesus acknowledges, “I know your deeds and your toil and
perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test
those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be
false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have
not grown weary” (2:2-3).
The Greek word for apostle is ἀπόστολος, a New Testament term for “a group of
highly honored believers with a special function as God’s envoys” (BDAG,
122). The original apostles include
those whom Christ called to follow and to whom He appears after His
resurrection. The apostles and prophets form a foundation for the Church, with
Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone (Eph 2:20). The Ephesians diligently identified false
apostles and faithfully persevered for Jesus’ name’s sake.
Jesus does not commend Ephesus without
exemption. Although their works are exemplary, their motives are fallen. Jesus
charges, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην) (2:4). The charge is
a reference to the love of God and Christ. Although the Ephesians had
not grown weary in work, their hearts had grown weary and cold of the love of
God and Christ.
Jesus warns them to “remember” and to “repent.” They were to remember from where they had
fallen. Their hearts had once been joined to the Lord in intimate fellowship.
Now, the Lord was calling them to repent and do the deeds they did at
first. Cold, weary hearts must be
rekindled through renewed fellowship.
If the Ephesians failed to turn back to the Lord, He
warned, “I will remove your lampstand out of its place — unless you repent”
(2:6). Believers would not lose their salvation, but they would lose the
authority and power to minister in the Lord’s name. The light of Christ would
no longer shine through the lampstand in Ephesus.
Before closing, Jesus also commends the Ephesians, “Yet
this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also
hate” (2:6). The only other mention of
the Nicolaitans is in the letter to Pergamum. Whereas the Ephesians are
commended for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans, the church in Pergamum is
charged, “So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the
Nicolaitans” (2:15).
Jesus concludes with a promise, “. . . To him who
overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of
God” (2:7b). The tree of life in the Paradise of God brings the reader back to
the original paradise in the garden of Eden, prior to the fall of humanity into
sin and death. Paradise will be restored to the overcomers.
“He who has an ear; let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches” (2:7a).
- Christians must love upwardly before love can
abound outwardly.
What is your motivation for ministry? Love of God? Love of
Jesus? Love of church? How much time do you spend in the Presence of God before
you spend time performing for the Lord? How much time do you spend talking to
God rather than passively listening to others singing about Jesus? What
adjustments will you make today to rekindle devotion to God and to Christ? How
might the love of God and of Christ flow through your life into the lives of
others? Simply abide. A.B.I.D.E.
Church in Smyrna (2:8-11):
Rev. 2:8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
The first and the last, who was dead, and has come
to life, says this:
Rev. 2:9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say
they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer.
Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be
tested, and you will have
tribulation for ten days. Be faithful
until death, and I will give you the
crown of life. 11 ‘He
who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’
The second of seven letters was sent to the
church in Smyrna, a prosperous port city 35 miles north of Ephesus on the west
coast of the Roman province of Asia Minor. Jesus introduces Himself as “the
first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life” (2:8). The name refers
to the eternal Lord of all ages, who died and has come to life. The suffering
of Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of sins and His resurrection from the
dead are an appropriate introduction to the suffering church in Smyrna.
Jesus, Who is fully God, was made for a little
while lower than the angels As a result of His submission to the will of God on
the cross and resurrection from the dead, He is crowned with eternal glory.
“But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely,
Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that
by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for
Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many
sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings”
(Heb 2:9-10).
Jesus acknowledges the tribulation and poverty
of the church in Smyrna. He calls out the “blasphemy by those who say they are
Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (2:10). The reference to “those
who say they are Jews and are not” may indicate tension between non-Christian
Jews and Christian Jews. Christian Jews would have become ostracized from the
local Jewish community, resulting in loss of income and homes.
Along with the church in Philadelphia, Jesus does
not bring charges against the church in Smyrna. The Jewish Christians were
experiencing inordinate persecution, and Jesus could empathize with their pain
and suffering. In light of their difficulties, Jesus exhorts, “Do not fear what
you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into
prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days.
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (2:10-11).
The devil is behind the persecution. Jesus allows them to
be tested. However, the extent of the tribulation is limited to ten days. Jesus exhorts them to be
faithful until death, and He would give them the crown of life, also promised
to the Jewish readers of the book of James, “the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad”
(James 1:1).
Jesus promises overcomers that they “will not be hurt by
the second death” (2:11). John will later define the “second death” in
Revelation 21:8, “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and
murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their
part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the
second death.” The church in Smyrna
would have to overcome ten days in the devil’s prison, but the test would reap
eternal glory.
- Suffering should inspire intentional faithfulness.
Is your faith shackled by fear, or is your faith overcoming
all fear and doubt? How does the promise of limited suffering and eternal glory
breathe courage into your present
circumstances? How can faith in Jesus overcome your greatest fear today?
Church in Pergamum (2:12-17):
Rev.
2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:
Rev.
2:13 ‘I know where you dwell, where
Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in
the days of Antipas, My witness,
My faithful one, who was killed
among you, where Satan dwells. 14 ‘But I have a few things against you, because
you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching
Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to
commit acts of immorality. 15 ‘So you also have some who in the same way
hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
16 ‘Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will
make war against them with the
sword of My mouth. 17 ‘ He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches. To
him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone,
and a new name written on the
stone which no one knows but he
who receives it.’
The third,
northernmost stop in the seven-city book tour of Revelation is the church in
Pergamum, a city located 16 miles from the Aegean Sea and 70 miles north of
Smyrna. Perched on an acropolis, the city overlooked the Caicus River in the
western part of Asia.
Jesus reveals
Himself to the angel of the church in Pergamum as “the One who has the sharp
two-edged sword” (2:12). The “two-edged sword” occurs in two other biblical
references, accentuating Jesus’ power to pierce, discern, and judge hearts and
minds.
- Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- Rev 1:16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
To Pergamum, Jesus acknowledges, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you
hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My
witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells” (Rev
2:13).
The reference to “Satan’s throne” and to the
death of Antipas, who was killed among them, “where Satan dwells,” likely
refers to the practice of Roman emperor worship during the reign of Domitian. Monotheistic
Jews and Christians, who refused to pay homage to the emperors of Rome, were
brutally persecuted during Domitian’s reign.
Jesus brings a
charge against the Pergamum church for tolerating some who held the teaching of
Balaam. Balaam was a Mesopotamian prophet (14 c. BC), hired by Balak, the king
of Moab, to place a curse on the divinely blessed children of Israel as they
camped in the plains of Moab after forty years of wilderness wandering (Num 22–25).
Balaam did not
have the capacity to curse the children of Israel, but inadvertently spoke
blessing over them. Afterwards, Israel was enticed to commit sexual immorality
with the Moabite women and to eat the sacrifices of their pagan gods (Num
25:1). The church in Pergamum also “had some who in the same way hold the
teaching of the Nicolaitans” (2:15). Nothing is known about the heretical sect.
However, since
the reference to the Nicolaitans follows the example of those who hold to the
teaching of Balaam, the sect may have included anti-Semitic attitudes and agendas,
indulged in sexual immorality, and/or eaten meat sacrificed to idols. Unless
the church in Pergamum repented, Jesus warned, “I am coming to you quickly, and
I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth” (2:16).
To the one who
overcomes, Jesus promises, “I will give of the hidden manna and I will give him
a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he
who receives it” (2:17). God provided manna from heaven to feed the Israelites
while wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Some of the manna was
preserved in a golden jar and placed in the ark of the covenant. Overcomers
receive hidden manna.
Jesus had
previously told the Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you,
he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the
manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out
of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that
came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;
and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh”
(John 6:47-51).
The overcomers in Pergamum would receive the
hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one
knows but he who receives it. Jesus sustains those whom He saves. He gives a new
name, a new identity, new birth into His kingdom.
- Commitment to Christ is expressed through refusal to commit or condone heresy and sin.
What are you tolerating
that compromises your commitment to Christ?
Church in Thyatira (2:18-29):
Rev. 2:18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
The Son of God, who
has eyes like a flame of fire, and His
feet are like burnished bronze, says this:
Rev. 2:19 ‘ I know your deeds, and your love and faith
and service and perseverance, and that
your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20 ‘But I have this against you, that you
tolerate the woman Jezebel, who
calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray
so that they commit acts of
immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 ‘ I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.
22 ‘Behold, I will throw
her on a bed of sickness, and
those who commit adultery with
her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 ‘And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know
that I am He who searches
the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according
to your deeds. 24 ‘But
I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira,
who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them —
I place no other burden on you. 25 ‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. 26 ‘ He who overcomes, and he who keeps My
deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; 27 AND HE SHALL
RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF
IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE
POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My
Father; 28 and
I will give him the morning star.
29 ‘ He who has an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
In His address to the church in Thyatira,
Jesus reveals Himself as “the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire,
and His feet are like burnished bronze” (2:18). The deity of Jesus is
accentuated with His piercing gaze that perfectly discerns the inward thoughts
and heart. Nothing escapes His penetrating scrutiny. And His feet are like
burnished bronze, immovable and immutable in truth, righteousness, and justice.
Jesus knows the deeds, love, faith,
service, and perseverance of the church in Thyatira. Their recent deeds are even
greater than at the first. However, He charges, “But I have this against you,
that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she
teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit immorality and
eat things sacrificed to idols” (20). Who or what was the Jezebel of Thyatira?
Jezebel may have been a literal woman in
Thyatira, but her heretical influence had a dark heritage of corrupting influences
in Israel. Ahab, king of Israel (ca. 874–853 BC), earned the epithet, “Ahab the
son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all who were before
him” (1 Kings 16:30) and “Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to
do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him” (1
Kings 21:25). The self-acclaimed prophetess of Thyatira may have acted in the
spirit of ancient Jezebel, whose harlotries and witchcrafts were many (2 Kings
9:22).
Elisha prophesied the fate of wicked Jezebel,
“The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury
her” (2 Kings 9:10). The zeal of Jehu administered her judgment. Jehu went to
Jezreel and demanded that her officials throw her down from her window perch while
she peered down with painted eyes. He trampled her underfoot. When they went to
bury her, they found nothing more than the skull, feet, and palms of her hands,
for the dogs of Jezreel had eaten her flesh, just as Elisha had foretold.
The Jezebel of Thyatira in the book of
Revelation is linked to her biblical namesake in word and deed. Jesus charged,
“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls
herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that
they commit immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols” (2:20).
In response to
inquiries regarding whether it was necessary to direct Gentile converts to
observe the Law of Moses, the apostles in Jerusalem had written and sent a
letter to the churches, “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit
and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that
you abstain from things
sacrificed to idols and from blood
and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep
yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell” (Acts 15:28-29).
Jezebel
in Thyatira was a self-proclaimed prophetess who was teaching and leading the
bond-servants of Jesus to rebel against the teaching of the apostles, leading
believers astray to commit immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
Jesus gave her time to repent, but she
did not desire repentance. And so Jesus condemns her and her children, “Behold,
I will throw her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great
tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with
pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds
and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds” (2:22-23).
No other burden was placed on the rest
who were in Thyatira, who did not follow the teachings of Jezebel, who did not
known “the deep things of Satan, as they call them” (2:24). Jesus exhorted them
to hold fast to what they have until He comes.
Jesus promised the overcomers in Thyatira
that “he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will
give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as
the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received from My
Father, and I will give him the morning star” (2:26-28). The promise draws from
Psalm 2:9, “You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them
like earthenware.” The authority given to Jesus would be shared with His
bond-servants.
- Toil does not excuse tolerance.
How have you
observed the spirit of Jezebel in the church today? What are you tolerating
that the Lord has forbidden? Witchcraft? Horoscopes? False religion? Sexual
immorality? How are your good deeds muting the voice of conviction for the sin
of tolerating Jezebel?
Church in Sardis (3:1-6):
Rev.
3:1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘ I
know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that
remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in
the sight of My God. 3 ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep
it, and repent. Therefore if
you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at
what hour I will come to you. 4 ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments;
and they will walk with Me in
white, for they are worthy. 5 ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his
name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and
before His angels. 6 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches.’
The fifth
church in the seven-city book tour of Revelation is Sardis, an affluent city in
the Roman province of Asia Minor (modern Turkey), located 50 miles east of
Smyrna.
To this
church, Jesus introduces Himself as “He who has the seven Spirits of God and
the seven stars” (3:1). The seven Spirits of God may reference seven distinct
spirits before the throne of God, or the seven attributes of the Spirit listed
in Isaiah 11:2: (1) Spirit of the LORD; (2) spirit of wisdom; (3)
understanding; (4) spirit of counsel; (5) strength; (6) spirit of knowledge;
(7) fear of the LORD. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.
Jesus is the embodiment of the Spirit of the LORD and holds the messengers of
the churches in His right hand, indicating His absolute, divine authority.
Jesus
acknowledges the deeds of the church in Sardis, followed by a sharp rebuke,
“that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (3:1). Jesus
admonishes them to “wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were
about to die, for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God”
(3:2). Jesus warns them to remember, keep, and repent. “So remember what
you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you” (3:3).
Remember. Keep. Repent.
For the few in Sardis who have not soiled their
garments, Jesus promises that “they will walk with Me in white, for they
are worthy. He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his
name from the book of life, and I
will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (3:4b-5).
There are those in Sardis whose names were
recorded and would not be erased from the book of life. What is the book of
life?
- Other biblical occurrences of the phrase “book of life” (bold printed added):
o Psa. 69:28 May they be blotted out of the book of
life
And
may they not be recorded with the righteous.
o Phil. 4:3 Indeed,
true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle
in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of
my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
o Rev. 13:8 All who
dwell on the earth will worship him [the
beast], everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation
of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
o Rev. 17:8
“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up
out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose
name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the
world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will
come.
o Rev. 20:12 And I
saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books
were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of
life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the
books, according to their deeds.
o Rev. 20:15 And if
anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown
into the lake of fire.
o Rev. 21:27 and
nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever
come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of
life.
The Lamb’s book of life records the names of the
righteous who will inherit eternal life, those who will not be thrown into the
lake of fire with the devil and his angels. How can a person have assurance
that their name is recorded in the Lamb’s book of life? “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but
he who does not obey the Son will
not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). Overcome through
faith in Jesus.
Jesus promises the one who overcomes in Sardis
that He “will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (3:5).
Those who awake to remember Jesus, keeping themselves in His grace, love, and
truth, repenting from dead faith and deeds of the flesh will overcome and be
remembered by Jesus before His father and before His angels.
- Sleeping saints with soiled garments need to wake up, overcome, and finish strong.
Are you sleepy? Are you sleeping? Are you dead?
Will you wake up and finish strong? How much Scripture have you committed to
memory? What Scripture could you recall to help you in your time of need today?
How can you strengthen those around you? Could you share your favorite promise
of God with someone who is in need of assurance? Are your garments soiled or
will you walk with the Lord in white with those who are worthy?
What do you need to remember?
What will you hold fast and keep?
From what do you need to repent?
Remember. Keep. Repent.
Church in Philadelphia (3:7-13):
Rev. 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia
write:
He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who
opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
Rev. 3:8 ‘ I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before
you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power,
and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 ‘Behold, I will cause
those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are
not, but lie — I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make
them know that I have loved
you. 10 ‘Because you have kept
the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of
testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 ‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one
will take your crown. 12 ‘He who overcomes, I will
make him a pillar in the temple
of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the
name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of
heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches.’
The book of Revelation was read to the church in
Philadelphia, 28 miles southeast of Sardis. The Greek word Philadelphia (φιλαδελφία), meaning “brotherly
love,” occurs seven times in the Bible (bold print added):
- Rom. 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
- 1Th. 4:9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
- Heb. 13:1 Let love of the brethren continue.
- 1Pet. 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
- 2Pet. 1:7 (2x) and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
- Rev. 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
To this church of brotherly love, Jesus introduces Himself as “He
who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will
shut, and who shuts and no one opens” (3:7). The introduction draws from Isaiah
22:22, “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, when he
opens no one will shut, when he shuts no one will open” (Is 22:22). Both passages
recall the covenant of Yahweh with David, “Your house and your kingdom shall
endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam
7:16). Jesus is the root and descendant of David (Rev 22:14). God had promised
to give a lamp to David and his sons forever (2 Chr 13:5). In Christ, the
Davidic covenant is realized. The door that Jesus has opened cannot be closed.
Jesus also acknowledges the deeds of the Philadelphians. But
unlike the other churches, with the exception of Smyrna, Jesus brings no
charges against the church in Philadelphia. Jesus does not give them
instructions. Instead, He gives rich assurances and promises:
- “. . . Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name (3:8).
- “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you” (3:9).
- “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (3:10).
- “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name” (3:12).
Jesus takes up the cause of the Philadelphians, “. . . Behold, I
will cause those of the synagogue of
Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — I will make them come
and bow down at your feet, and make them know
that I have loved you” (3:9). As with the church in Smyrna, it is inferred that
Jewish Christians were experiencing inordinate persecution, resulting in
poverty and humiliation. Jesus gives full assurance of His love and
steadfast zeal for the apple of God’s eye.
The church in Philadelphia is the only group that is given the
promise of exemption from the imminent period of tribulation. Jesus assures the
Philadelphians, “I also will keep you from the hour of testing,
that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (3:10). A
pre-tribulation rapture of the Philadelphians is implied. This church would not
experience the Great Tribulation revealed in Revelation.
The Philadelphians are also
linked to the New Jerusalem. They will bear the name of Jesus’ God, the name of
the city of His God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven from God,
and Jesus’ own new name.
The new Jerusalem is referenced
in Revelation 21:1-4: “Then I saw a
new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth
passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy
city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her
husband. And I heard a loud voice from
the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will
dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among
them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and
there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any
mourning, or crying, or pain; the
first things have passed away.’”
Jesus assures the church in
Philadelphia that He is coming quickly. They are to hold fast what they have
“so that no one will take your crown” (3:11).
Jesus promises, “He who
overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go
out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name
of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from
My God, and My new name” (3:12). God will dwell in their midst. He will wipe
away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there
will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. Blessed to bear the name of
God and Christ.
- The remnant may rest in God’s promises and rejoice in assurance of Jesus’ love.
What promise of God sustains you during times of persecution
and suffering?
Church in Laodicea
(3:14-22)
Rev. 3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the
Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
Rev. 3:15 ‘ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold
nor hot; I wish that you were
cold or hot. 16 ‘So
because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 ‘Because you say, “ I
am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not
know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from
Me gold refined by fire so that
you may become rich, and white
garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be
revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 ‘ Those whom I love,
I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens
the door, I will come in to him
and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 ‘ He who overcomes, I will grant to him
to sit down with Me on My throne,
as I also overcame and sat down
with My Father on His throne. 22 ‘ He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches.’”
The final stop in the seven-city book tour of Revelation is
Laodicea, an affluent city in the western part of the Roman province of Asia
(modern Turkey), located 11 miles west of Colossae and 100 miles east of
Ephesus. Mystery religions, such as the cult of Isis, thrived in the decadent
city. To this city, Jesus is introduced as “the Amen, the faithful and true
Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God” (3:14).
Jesus acknowledges their deeds. However, Jesus is not impressed
with their works because they are neither cold nor hot (3:15) Because they are
lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, Jesus says, “I will spit you out of My
mouth” (16).
The Greek word translated “spit” is the aorist active infinitive
of ἐμέσαι, meaning
“to vomit, throw up” or “to spew someone from one’s mouth like undrinkable
water” (BDAG, 322). “In any thermal area waters of cold streams
mingle with the hot chemical-impregnated effluents of thermal springs. The
result is a lukewarm mixture, nauseating in the extreme” (Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1309). The lukewarm Laodiceans
cause Jesus to become nauseous. He will spew them out of His mouth.
“. . . I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and
neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am
rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know
that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (3:15-17). Material wealth blinded them
from spiritual bankruptcy. They were anesthetized by materialism and did not
know that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked. They were numb to
the need of salvation.
Jesus
advised them “to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you
may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that
the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint
your eyes so that you may see” (3:18). Their material wealth could not buy what
Jesus freely offers to those who seek Him, repent and believe: gold refined by
fire, white garments, and sight-giving eye salve.
Jesus softened the harsh
rebuke by reminding them that He reproved and disciplined those whom He loved.
But they must be zealous and repent. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens
the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me”
(3:20). Renewed fellowship with Jesus would require His knock, their hearing of
His voice, and their opening of the door. To those who respond, Jesus assures,
“. . . I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me” (3:20).
It was not too late for the
Laodiceans to overcome. Jesus promised, “He who overcomes, I will grant to him
to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My
Father on His throne” (3:21). The abounding grace of Jesus is manifested in His
willingness to share His throne with those who previously caused him to spew.
As he closes each message, Jesus concludes, “He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches” (3:22).
- Lukewarm Christians must become zealous and repent.
What is the temperature of
your faith today? Cold? Hot? If lukewarm, what is diluting your devotion to God
and to Jesus? Why has your worship become stagnate? Desensitization to sin?
Demoralization into spiritual apathy? Homogenization with the secular world? Materialism?
From what is Jesus challenging you to repent, to overcome?
Review:
Revelation 1 provides an
introduction to the book of Revelation, including its purpose and transmission
to John while exiled on the island of Patmos. Revelation 2–3 addresses the
book’s contemporary audience, the seven churches in Asia Minor. Revelation 4
transports John and his readers into the throne room of the LORD God, the
Almighty.
Father,
Glory and thanks to You for
wisdom and understanding that come from above. Thank You for preserving Your
Word through the ages and for the Spirit’s ministry of illuminating the text
and transforming lives in response to Who You are, to the grace, love, and
truth of Jesus, and to what You have revealed in Your Word. Jesus’
first-century messages to the angels of the seven churches in the book of
Revelation continue to penetrate hearts and minds with truth, conviction, and
hope today. May You grant ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
May You open many eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from
the dominion of Satan to You, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an
inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Jesus. May Your
Spirit minister gloriously in our midst. May hearts be made eager to study Your
Word and to fully surrender to the Spirit’s conviction and leading. Jesus is
coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him;
and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. May You cause us to stand
firm in the grace, love and truth of Jesus, that we may rejoice at His
appearing.
- May we love upwardly so that our love may abound outwardly.
- May our suffering inspire intentional faithfulness.
- May our commitment to Christ be expressed through refusal to commit or condone heresy and sin.
- May our good works not excuse tolerance.
- May sleeping saints with soiled garments wake up, overcome, and finish strong.
- May the remnant rest in Your promises and rejoice in assurance of Jesus’ love.
- May lukewarm Christians become zealous and repent.
All to Your glory, the glory of Christ, and in
demonstration of the Spirit’s power.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment