Bible study Daily, explanation and encouragement - Revelation
Someone said of the book of Revelation: "It is at once the most respected, the most misunderstood, and the most neglected book of the New Testament writings. Also: Revelation is notoriously the most difficult book in the New Testament".
The book recounts the revelation the apostle John had on the island of Patmos, but it may have been written by someone else because of the different language used in the Gospel of John and his epistles.
The date of its writing is also debated; one group of scholars believes it was in AD 65, when the church was being persecuted by Nero. Another group believes it was in AD 95, when the church was being persecuted by Domitian.
Addressee: The book was addressed to the seven churches in Asia.
Purpose: It was to comfort and encourage Christians in their present and future persecutions by assuring them of the ultimate triumph of Christ and his followers. And also to warn the church against flaws in Christian doctrine and practice.
The message John is trying to convey is that truth will triumph in the end, despite all the forces of evil.
The correct attitude for every reader of Revelation is well defined: We should approach the book with the humility of spirit that is willing to say at times, "I do not know". We should let these words spoken to first-century Christians become for us God's word for the twenty-first century.
In this atomic age, when events move rapidly across the stage of history, at an orbital speed in which one crisis follows another, the book of Revelation takes on new relevance. We are reminded of the words written many years ago about this book, further illuminated now by two world wars: "The book should be read by the dark glow of burning cities — Jerusalem and Rome — and, we might add, by the light of the martyrs' fires". Today, with religious intolerance on the rise, Christians face the threat of persecution more seriously than at any other time in history.
Apocalipse 1:3
Faith is established in the knowledge of God, trusting Him for understanding and wisdom in the face of persecution.
The faith commitment to be victorious, based on the shed blood of Christ, does not even fear death.
Trust in God!
Be faithful to Jesus when you face persecution.
NEVER WAIT FOR FAITH IN JESUS!
The Lord calls His people to faithfulness and tolerance. NEVER GIVE UP.
I know where you live, where Satan's throne is. However, you hold fast my name and have not renounced your faith in me ... Revelation 2:13
Blessed is he or she who makes known and explains the book of Revelation. The Rapture of the Church is near.
Revelation 1:4-5
The Greeting:
John was likely the son of Zebedee, the apostle who wrote the fourth Gospel and the three epistles that bear his name. As a respected patriarch of the church, he did not need to introduce himself in more detail.
The book is addressed to the seven churches of Asia. In the New Testament, the term Asia does not mean the continent, but the Roman province of Asia.
SEVEN CHURCHES. Why seven churches? There were other Christian churches in Asia. The best explanation is that seven was the number of perfection. The author uses this number as the basic structure for his book. Here, this number signifies holiness and perfection. The seven churches were, therefore, representative of the entire church throughout the world and in all ages. Thus, John is addressing the whole book to the universal church. He wrote to the seven churches, but he spoke to everyone.
GRACE AND PEACE FROM HIM WHO IS, WHO WAS, AND WHO IS TO COME - This refers primarily to the Father, as Eternal. HE WHO IS from everlasting to everlasting... HE WHO WAS, the one who was before time and the origin of the world... and HE WHO IS TO COME — the correct term would be "He who is coming" when time no longer exists, when He comes for the final judgment.
THE SEVEN SPIRITS - Some commentators say they are angelic beings. However, it seems more correct to adopt the more common view that this is a symbolic designation for the Holy Spirit. The seven spirits indicate the fullness and universality of the workings of God's Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, sevenfold in His operations, the number seven once again symbolizes universality, fullness, and perfection.
Jesus Christ: The Source of All:
Verse 5 describes Jesus with titles that exalt His authority and redemptive work.
"Faithful Witness": He who testified to divine truth and justice.
"Firstborn from the dead": Christ is the first in a new spiritual birth, the one who was resurrected and has power over death.
"Prince of the kings of the earth": His sovereignty extends to all creation, and He reigns over all nations.
- Revelation 1:5 affirms how much Jesus Christ loves us because He shed His own blood so that we could be free from sin. The passage conveys this strong message: You are worth a lot because Jesus loves you and shed His blood for you.
- Do not let your sense of worth be based on the opinions or attitudes of others. Do not try to find your value in how you look or what you do. Do not try to find your value in the way other people treat you. Instead, let your sense of worth come through a relationship with Jesus Christ. You are safe in Him. He loves you!
Revelation 1:5b-6
Revelation 1:5 affirms how much Jesus Christ loves us by shedding His own blood so that we could be free from sin.
The passage conveys this powerful message: YOU ARE WORTH MUCH BECAUSE JESUS LOVES YOU AND SHED HIS BLOOD FOR YOU.
Do not allow your sense of worth to be based on the opinions or attitudes of others.
Do not try to find your worth in your appearance or what you do.
Do not try to find your worth in how other people treat you. Instead, let your sense of worth come through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
YOU ARE SECURE IN HIM!
HE LOVES YOU!
DECLARE: Thank you, Jesus, for being faithful and sovereign. Because you love me and have freed me once and for all from my sins by your own blood.
- Revelation 1:5 affirms how much Jesus Christ loves us because He shed His own blood so that we could be free from sin. The passage conveys this strong message: You are worth a lot because Jesus loves you and shed His blood for you.
- Do not let your sense of worth be based on the opinions or attitudes of others. Do not try to find your value in how you look or what you do. Do not try to find your value in the way other people treat you. Instead, let your sense of worth come through a relationship with Jesus Christ. You are safe in Him. He loves you!
Revelation 1:7
This verse 7 is consistent with Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10.
This coming in the clouds is mentioned six more times in the New Testament (Matthew 24:30; 2:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; Rev. 14:14).
HOW IT BEGAN: At His Ascension, the angels told the disciples to expect the Lord to return in the same way He was taken up: "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven". How did they see Him taken up into heaven? "He was taken up while they were watching, and a cloud hid him from their sight".
Thus, with these clouds, Jesus will soon come (after the Great Tribulation). The clouds, the veil of God's heavenly glory, will lift and be tossed aside like a curtain, and every eye will see Him. He, who as Son of Man now sits on the throne next to the 'Ancient of Days,' the 'Eternal One,' and who has received His eternal reign, is coming again. Everyone will see Him, including those who pierced Him.
The Roman soldier's spear was held by all of us. We all crucified Jesus. It was as if we personally took the nails, the hammer, and the spear and crucified Jesus, for He died because of our sins.
Revelation 1:7B - ... "and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen".
Those who do not want to hear about Jesus will have to see Him, however. Every eye, every generation (tribe) of the earth will mourn and weep.
Behold, He is coming!
This is the theme of this last book of the Bible. Humanity will then say to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who can endure it?" All the peoples of the earth will mourn on that terrible day. Hebrews 10:31 warns that "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God"; Not just the tribes of Israel, but all the tribes of the earth.
People will faint with fear and terror of what will happen to the world.
Those (the Jew and Gentiles) who pierced Him are seen not as looking to Him in faith and mourning for Him in penitence, but as seeing Him as someone they have not believed in and, therefore, are mourning in despair.
Revelation 1:9
John describes himself as your companion in suffering. This book has great appreciation for the faithful in affliction. The book of Revelation was written during a time of great tribulation for Christians, and it becomes very significant in times like these.
John was on the island of Patmos. This was a small island southwest of Miletus (Greece). It is made up of rocky volcanic mountains.
The apostle was there BECAUSE OF THE WORD OF GOD AND THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST. This does not mean he went to the island to preach the Gospel. The small islands of the Aegean Sea were used by the Romans as places of seclusion, to which political prisoners were banished. Speaking of the oppression by Domitian (95 AD), Eusebius writes: "In this persecution, according to tradition, the apostle and evangelist John, who was still alive, as a result of his testimony to the Word of God, was condemned to live on the island of Patmos". He also says: "But after Domitian had reigned 15 years, and Nerva came to power, the Roman Senate decreed that (...) those who had been unjustly expelled should return to their homes and have their possessions returned (...). It was at this time that the apostle returned from exile and returned to live in Ephesus.
Times of tribulation often prepare the ground for God's revelation to humanity. It was in exile that Jacob saw God at Bethel; it was in exile that Moses saw God in the burning bush; it was in exile that Elijah heard a "still, small voice"; it was in exile that Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord by the River Chebar; it was in exile that Daniel saw the Ancient of Days.
John identified himself in three ways as a companion: 1. In suffering; 2. In the kingdom; 3. In perseverance. Suffering lies ahead. Jesus said, "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you", because a servant is not greater than his master. John experienced the truth of these words in his own body, just as many Christians throughout church history have experienced and continue to experience today. Some reports claim that over 245 million Christians today suffer some form of persecution because of their faith.
Revelation 1:11
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE SEVEN CHURCHES:
John was supposed to send everything he saw—the entire book—to the seven churches, to the church of God. That is, not just seven separate letters that each of the seven churches receives individually, as a special encouragement and admonition for them, but the entire book.
Many scholars find here seven successive periods of church history. A summary of this interpretation would be:
EPHESUS- portrays the early decline of vital Christianity at the end of the first century, the loss of its first love.
SMYRNA - describes the period of persecution in the second and third centuries.
PERGAMUM- represents the union of church and state under the empire of Constantine (fourth century) with its consequent ecclesiastical and moral corruption.
THYATIRA - describes the rule of the Roman hierarchy, from the fifth to the fifteenth centuries.
SARDIS - points to the days of the Reformation, when some people "did not defile their garments."
PHILADELPHIA - Describes a period of orthodoxy and evangelization by leaders such as Wesley and others, when the nations of the world were open to receive the Gospel.
LAODICEA - presents the apostasy of the end times in language very similar to that presented by Jesus and the apostles Paul, James, Peter, and Jude regarding the last days. This apostasy began with the Germanic higher criticism of the Bible in the nineteenth century and reached the alarming stage represented by the position of the "death of God" claimed by theologians in 1965.
The collected letters provide a general picture of conditions not only in the seven churches of Asia at the end of the first century, but also throughout the entire trajectory of Christianity throughout the church age.
Two of the churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia, receive not a word of disapproval. On the opposite side is Laodicea, with not a word of approval. Two churches, the first and the last, are threatened with complete extinction, since each lacks qualities essential to the confession of the Christian faith. Inadequate praise is given to the second and sixth churches. Thus, there seems to be a deliberate plan in place in presenting these seven churches as representing all.
Jesus is the LIVING ONE, Jesus DIED.
Jesus died for the sins of man on the Cross of Calvary. He has been DEAD. But on the third day God His Father raised Him from the dead and He ascended to Heaven. Where now He is seated at the right hand of His Father.
Jesus is alive for EVERMORE. His life will never end again. He will reign in His 1,000-year Kingdom after the 7 years of the Great Tribulation on earth. Then He will finally defeat satan and satan will forever to the lake of fire. But Jesus will reign evermore on the New Earth.
Jesus is the FIRST and LAST. Jesus was the Creator who restored the earth in Genesis 1. Man was created on the 6th day. The number of man is 6. Between creation and Jesus birth are approximately 4000 years. From Jesus' birth to today are approximately 2000 years, rest only the 7 years of Great Tribulation. Then the 4000 + 2000 = 6000 years are full, (1 day is for God as 1000 years, so 6 days). That is the end of the SINFUL man.
Then the last (day) begins the 7th year of 1000-year Kingdom of Jesus. Which LAST evermore:
the NEW EARTH and the NEW SKY.
Revelation 1:17-18
Who would not be shocked by such an appearance? Who would not fear realizing that eternal judgment was in His hands? We will all die and meet Him in the blinding light, brighter than the sun.
1. John was exiled to the island of Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. His life is entirely in service to Him, even to the point of personal suffering. He had seen Jesus on many occasions and in many ways. He saw Him as an ordinary man, walking among the people. He saw Him in His humble form. Jesus was despised and abandoned by men, a man of sorrows, from whom His face is hidden. "He had no beauty or majesty that would attract us, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him".
2. He was disfigured through torture, beatings, and piercings. John also saw Him on the Mount of Transfiguration, where His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light.
3. He saw Him rise from the dead, risen with His new and eternal body, with which He entered eternity. But like this, as now, John had never seen Him like this before. He who loved Jesus, who reclined at His bosom at the Last Supper, who cared for Mary, Jesus' mother, now fell at His feet as if dead. And then something wonderful happened. Jesus bent down and placed His right hand on His old friend John. Then He said very comfortingly: John, do not be afraid. It is I! Do not be afraid, even though I now appear in My divine glory. Yes, I am the First and the Last.
4. The Eternal One and I know that no one can see God and live, but I am the Living One and I give life to whom I will. John, I truly am. You saw Me die on the cross. I was dead, but I rose from the dead and I am alive from age to age, from time to eternity. And I hold the keys. Both of death and of Hades. Do not be afraid!
HADES - In Greek thought, Hades was primarily the god of the underworld. Later, it became synonymous with the underworld itself, as the place of the spirits of the dead. In the Septuagint, Hades is the translation of the Hebrew word Sheol, the realm of the dead.
THE KEYS - Means authority.
Revelation 2:2-3
I KNOW YOUR WORKS AND TOIL (Letter to Ephesus)
God is never inattentive to what we do for Him. It is always a comfort to remember that our Lord knows us correctly.
The church at Ephesus is first praised for its works.
I SAW THEIR WORK. Hard work, until they sweat; work until they are exhausted; the kind of toil that drains all their energy and mind.
AND YOUR PERSEVERANCE - the translation of the word here means "unshakeable persistence". Hupomone is the Greek word that expresses courageous bravery; it is not a passive patience that accepts things and bows its head, but a patience that accepts suffering, deprivation, and loss and transforms them into grace and glory.
DOES NOT TOLERATE THE WICKED - Unlike the church at Corinth, it did not tolerate sin within the church. It had tested THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE APOSTLES BUT ARE NOT and had found them LIARS. False teachers claimed to be apostles in a broader sense, itinerant teachers with a mission that placed them on a higher level than local elders. These itinerant apostles became a real problem in the early church. The Didache, written in the mid-second century, relates how these itinerants were to be tested: "And every apostle who comes to you, let him be received as the Lord, but he must not stay longer than one day; but if necessary, let him stay another day; but if he stays three days, he is a false prophet".
The church at Ephesus has yet another positive point, found in verse 6: BUT THERE IS THIS IN YOUR FAVOR: YOU HATE THE DEEDS OF THE NICOLAITANS, AS I ALSO HATE THEM. It is not known for certain who these people were (they are mentioned again in verse 15). Irenaeus (circa 180 AD) says they were established by Nicholas of Antioch, mentioned in Acts 6:5. Another theory holds that there was a party bearing that name in Asia when Revelation was written, which owed its origin to Nicholas of Antioch.
We will continue our study of the church at Ephesus.
God demands total devotion and rejects indifferent and discouraged disciples.
Zeal for the Lord is not optional for his disciples. Devotion willingly submits to Jesus' discipline, for this recognizes His love for them.
- Give your love first to Jesus in your life.
- Commit both emotionally and intellectually to Christ.
- Avoid indifference; encourage your zeal for the Lord.
- Repent quickly whenever the Spirit convicts you of sin.
Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:19).
Revelation 2:4
It is often said that the church at Ephesus had "lost" its first love. But that is not what the text says. We read in this translation: YOU HAVE ABANDONED THE LOVE YOU HAD IN THE BEGINNING - The verb used in the original is aphiemi, which means "to let go, to send away, to give up, to abandon." All of this suggests willful neglect. That is why repentance was required. SINS OF OMISSION CAN BE AS FATAL IN THEIR CONSEQUENCES AS SINS OF COMMITMENT.
And what would this initial love be?
All commentators agree that the word BEGINNING (or in other translations, first) should be interpreted chronologically: This was the love of the early church in Ephesus, especially in Paul's day there (Acts 19:20; 20:37), so the idea here is a love of priority, not quality. This love was love for Christ and also for the Christian community, for the brothers and sisters of the community. The two aspects are inseparable.
Verses 2:2-3 say: "I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear evil men but have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and found them to be false; I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary".
As we read this passage, a question inevitably arises: Did the zeal of the church at Ephesus in defending orthodoxy contribute to the loss of love? This is quite likely. In defending the truth and disciplining unstable members, it is easy to develop a harsh and critical spirit that ultimately destroys love. And often, when the warmth of divine love fades, people become more zealous in fighting for orthodox doctrines and standards. And this is a danger against which all must be on guard.
In the battle for truth, love can easily fade. Fighting for truth deteriorates in fighting against people, and then love disappears. Love rejoices in the truth, and if that love When it is missing, the truth becomes cold and hard. So sometimes you tell the other person the truth. You then thunder that you are right. Your tongue then becomes razor sharp and hurts others. You think you know everything. However, the truth that does not shine brightly with love is not true.
Revelation 2:5
Some translations say, "REMEMBER from where you have fallen!" Remember the bygone days of spiritual blessings. This church had fallen, not merely stumbled. It was downcast. This was the case with the prodigal son in general. But he remembered and returned.
How could this church rise again? The answer is: REPENT. This means "change your mind". Then, PERFORM THE FIRST WORKS; that is, believe and obey.
REMEMBER, REPENT, PRACTICE. These three words follow the three steps of the conversion story.
If the church in Ephesus rejected or failed to repent and perform the first works, Jesus warned, "OTHERWISE, I WILL COME TO YOU AND REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE AMONG THE SEVEN CHURCHES". That is, the church in Ephesus would cease to exist as a Christian congregation. And this finally happened at a later time, but the warning was evidently announced at that time.
And we too, when we are warned by the Lord, should be quick to return to the good old practices of the Christian life. Sometimes the Christian life is like a marriage. In the beginning, there is so much love. Many people marry with an empty house, without many material possessions, but full of love for each other, and this love becomes the strength and stimulus to strive day by day to build a home. But, many years later, with the house built and enjoying a better condition, there is no more love, it has cooled, everything is done automatically. There is no longer any fire in the heart. This can happen to us: we receive gifts, learn so many things along the way, experience so many emotions, and in a moment we become arrogant. We know how to solve everything, we no longer need to kneel, seek God's guidance. It is as if we say: "I have done this a few times, I know how to do it, leave it to me".
Who does not remember the first time they fell in love? What incredible feelings you experienced. The other person was completely at the center of your thoughts. You barely thought about yourself. Your focus was entirely on the other person: "As long as he... as long as she... is happy. So we must always be with Jesus".
Revelation 2:7
The exhortation "HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES" occurs in each of the letters. In the first three, the exhortation precedes the promise to the overcomer. In the last four, the exhortation follows the promise.
This is an interpretation of Jesus' words in the Gospels, when He says, "HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR." Matthew 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8; 14:35.
In each letter, there is a promise to the one who overcomes. The verb occurs frequently in the book of Revelation, whose main theme is the church, through Christ, overcoming all evil. The overcomer, the victorious member of the Church, as such, apart from all circumstances. The promise here to the overcomer is that he or she will have the right to eat OF THE TREE OF LIFE. Adam failed when tested and lost this right. Now this right is promised to those who will be faithful in the face of temptation. "To eat of the tree of life is to enjoy all that future life has to offer for redeemed humanity".
PARADISE OF GOD - This word takes us back to Eden, where the tree of life is first mentioned as being "in the midst of the garden" (Gen. 2:9). Now we read that it is in THE MIDDLE OF THE PARADISE OF GOD. The paradise of the New Testament is either the state of the blessed dead (Luke 23:43) and a supramundane sphere identified with the third heaven to which people arrive in ecstasy (2 Cor. 12:2, 4); or, as here, the final joy of the saints in the presence of God and Christ.
Revelation 2:9
The letter to the church in Smyrna. Smyrna competed with Ephesus for the honor of being called "the chief city of Asia". Thus, it comes second on the list here. This city still exists today — the only one of the seven that currently thrives; modern Izmir has about 300,000 inhabitants.
Once again, Christ says: I KNOW. These words are both a comfort and a warning.
TRIBULATION AND POVERTY - Apparently, tribulation created poverty. Hebrews 10:34 says: "For you had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding in Heaven". In a similar situation, the brothers in Smyrna were experiencing a similar fate; their property was being taken. The plundering of property was part of the persecution of Christians.
This word "TRIBULATION" is strong, and means "pressed" or "squeezed." Tribulation comes from the Latin tribulum, which was a threshing machine for threshing grain.
I know the blasphemy of those who call themselves Jews but are not. The word "Jew" means "lover of God". It refers to people who claim to be lovers of God, but in fact are not. Paul says in Romans: "For he is not a real Jew who is one outwardly (...) He is a Jew who is one inwardly" (Romans 2:28-29). These persecutors in Smyrna were Jews by race and religion, but they were not true children of Abraham. The Jews persecuted Christians, as we see in Acts, as well as in the second-century writings of Justin Martyr and Tertullian. However, the Jews especially hated converts from Judaism to Christianity. The blasphemy presented here has the meaning of defamation.
The story of the martyrdom of Polycarp of Smyrna is especially relevant. The Jews surpassed the pagans in their hatred and zeal. They accused Polycarp of hostility to the state religion. Polycarp was burned alive. Because of this hostility, it is not surprising that they were called the Synagogue of Satan. And it is difficult to defend oneself against slander.
Revelation 2:10
DO NOT FEAR WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SUFFER - Worse things awaited this congregation: THE DEVIL IS ABOUT TO THROW SOME OF YOU INTO PRISON TO TEST YOU - False accusations and slander can land you in prison and even lead to death. When Polycarp refused to renounce his Christian faith and swear an oath to the divine emperor, a crowd of Jews and Gentiles from Smyrna shouted: "He is the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians!" He rejects our gods, he teaches the people not to sacrifice and to kneel. They wanted him thrown to the lions, but this proved impossible because the animal festivals had been extinguished. They then shouted that he should be burned at the stake.
It is the devil and the powers of darkness that throw people into prison. To this end, he uses people and beliefs, systems—Jews, non-Jews, Romans, the Roman Catholic Inquisition, Nazism, Communism, Fascism, radical forms of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam—and all kinds of people, both religious and non-religious. The power of darkness was behind the burning of Servetus at the stake by Protestants in Geneva; as well as the I.R.A. and Irish Protestants, and the bloodshed between Irish Republican Army members and Irish Protestants.
The Bible says, "Then the devil entered into Judas". Hatred can take on demonic characteristics. Anyone who looks at the concentration camps and reads about Auschwitz and many other extermination camps of mass destruction, where six million Jews — among them 1.5 million children — were murdered in a bestial manner, cannot help but recognize the existence of the devil and his demons. It was he (the devil) who ultimately threw Christians into prison. Going to prison and suffering is a test case for true faith and perseverance.
BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, I WILL GIVE YOU THE CROWN OF LIFE. The Greek word for crown here is not "diadem," meaning a royal crown, but STEPHANOS, the crown of the conqueror. The phrase "crown of life" might mean that the crown is eternal life.
Revelation 2:12
PERGAMON - a university center of antiquity with the largest library in the ancient world, except for that of Alexandria, with over 250,000 parchment scrolls (the word 'parchment' is derived from Pergamum).
There was a temple dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medical science (the Aesculapius, the entwined serpent symbol of the medical profession). This temple was known for the great medical knowledge possessed by the priests and derived from the serpent god.
There was a massive altar to the chief Greek god, Zeus, which is now displayed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. It was the first city in Asia to openly support emperor worship. A temple was dedicated to the 'divine Augustus and the goddess Roma' in 29 BC. Needless to say, living in this city with such a dark spiritual atmosphere posed challenges for the followers of the Lord Jesus. It was not so much a commercial center as a center of science, religion, and politics, of sophisticated Greek culture, and of noble humanists. Hellenism, as it was called, was outwardly very refined, but full of venom and hatred toward Christians.
THE WORDS OF HIM WHO HAS THE SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD - What does this mean? This same reference is found in chapter 1:16. The sword is an instrument of judgment against the heretics of the church of Pergamum.
There is also another reason for this symbol of the sword. In the Roman estimation, the sword was the symbol of the highest order of official authority with which the proconsul was invested. The "right to the sword" was equivalent to what we call today the power over life and death. It is sharp enough to cut deeply.
Revelation 2:13
Why is Pergamum called the place of Satan's throne? As we mentioned earlier, it was the center of worship for the emperor of Asia. There was a temple dedicated to the goddess Roma and the divine Augustus. A second temple was later built in honor of Trajan and a third in honor of Severus. It was the state religion established there. Thus, Satan here represents "the official power and authority that stands in opposition to the church". And there were many other pagan temples and altars in this city. It was a place of many idolatrous cults, but above all was the imperial cult, which threatened the annihilation of the church itself. Refusal to participate in this cult constituted a serious treason against the state.
YOU HOLD FAST MY NAME - A second point of approval for this church in Pergamum. When the Roman authorities demanded that Christians proclaim, "Caesar is Lord," they responded, "Jesus is Lord" (1 Corinthians 12:3). They remained steadfast. EVEN IN THE DAYS OF ANTIPAS, MY WITNESS, not much is known about Antipas beyond what is reported in this passage. It is possible that he was a member of the church in Pergamum.
WHO WAS KILLED AMONG YOU - Many martyrs were brought to trial and condemned there who were not from Pergamum. Prisoners were brought from all parts of the province of Pergamum for trial and condemnation before the authority who held the right to the sword (...) the power of life and death.
The world, though civilized, can be a throne of Satan. Indeed, the devil rules the kingdoms of this earth. He was able to offer "all the kingdoms of the earth" to Christ when he tempted Him in the wilderness. Demons, angelic authorities, powers of darkness, seem to be behind political authorities in several places in the Bible and also today.
Revelation 2:14
Balaam is described as the one who TAUGHT BALAK TO CAST A STUMBLING BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SO THAT THEY WOULD EAT THE SACRIFICES OF IDOLATRY AND COMMIT PROSTITUTION. This statement fills a small gap in the Old Testament account. In Numbers 22:1 through 24:25, we read this story. When God would not allow the prophet to curse the people of Israel, Balaam suggested an indirect way to bring the divine curse upon Israel. In Numbers 31:16, Moses said to the women of Moab: " Behold, these caused the people of Israel, by the counsel of Balaam, to act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord". The "matter of Peor" was a combination of idolatry and immorality, as we read in Revelation.
Apparently, there were some members of the church in Pergamum who sought to convince members to accept pagan customs to avoid persecution. They advocated eating in pagan temples and participating in idol worship, which included prostituting themselves with temple virgins.
This intermingling with the world can take many forms today, too. The current practice of playing with the world and enjoying and giving one's body and senses to its music, parties (including alcohol and drugs), free sex, occultism, and syncretism often occurs among church members. Dialogue is the magic word. Living like this and claiming to be a true Christian is impossible.
Revelation 2:17 - THE WISE BELIEVER TAKES TIME TO HEAR WITH HIS SPIRITUAL EAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING TO THE CHURCH.
This is as necessary today as it was in the early days of the church. Someone who hears and follows the voice of the Holy Spirit need not to fear the deception that leads to apostasy. On the contrary, a person will walk where JESUS REQUIRES and GROW INTO THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, which produces churches that are healthy, vibrant and filled with the presence of God.
- Develop your spiritual ear.
- Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church. When forced to choose, obey God, not man! (Rev. 2:7-11,17,29).
- Understand that someone can be rich in the Spirit, but poor in the eyes of the world. BE FAITHFUL AND RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE! (Rev. 2:9,10)
Revelation 2:18
The author of this letter identifies himself as the SON OF GOD, a phrase found only here in the book of Revelation. Jesus claimed this title during his time here on earth (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22). It was for this claim that He was condemned by the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:63; John 19:7).
Christ is described as the One with eyes like a flame of fire and feet like burnished brass, meaning that He is able to penetrate the secrets of all hearts and has the power to punish and subdue. These flaming eyes penetrate and uncover every deceit of hypocrisy.
Thyatira was the least important of the seven cities. Not a religious or political center, but a place of commerce. It is evident from the inscriptions that guilds (unions of artisans and traders) flourished there. Guild members would have meals together, which they dedicated to one god or another. And this is what caused difficulties for Christians. It was virtually impossible to participate in commerce and industry without such membership. Some Christians said: "Oh, those pagan gods do not really exist; there's no harm in becoming a member and participating in these dinners". Others said: "No, that's out of the question". Especially since these dinners often ended in licentiousness! As we saw with the Gentiles in Ephesus and Pergamum.
Revelation 2:19
Other translations say: "I know your works, your love, your faith, your service, and your perseverance, and that your last works exceed the first".
The New English Bible reads: "YOU ARE NOW DOING EVEN BETTER THAN YOU WERE".
Christ had commended the church at Ephesus for their WORKS. But the church at Thyatira was a step ahead. In fact, in contrast to Ephesus, there is no rebuke for the loss of their first love, no exhortation to do their first works again, but Christ says that their perseverance in love shows that their last works are even greater than the first! Love grows; it does not remain sterile, focused on itself.
Now in this church, Christ makes honorable mention:
1. Of their love, whether the more general, in doing good to all men, or the more specific, in doing good to the household of faith; there is no religion without charity.
2. Their service, their ministry; this concerns mainly the church workers, who had labored in the word and doctrine.
3. Their faith which was the grace that spurred everything else, both their charity and their service.
4. Their perseverance — for those who are most charitable to others, the most diligent in their place, and the most faithful, must wait to encounter that which will exercise their patience.
5. Their increasing fruitfulness — their last works being better than their first. This is an excellent aspect; while others had left their first love, these were becoming wiser and better.
May this serve as an encouragement to us Christians today. Some brethren, as the years go by, become "tired of church" — being in church, in church services, in fellowship, together with all the brothers and sisters. They drift away, no longer wanting to participate in most activities and services, only going on Sundays and eventually growing cold in their faith. We need to be in constant growth, through the years and the experience acquired, our works need to be better than the first ones and unfinished, or paralyzed.
Revelation 2:20
Prophets were highly regarded in the early church. Sometimes they were mentioned in the same breath as the apostles. The gift of "prophecy" leads the list of the gifts of the Spirit. Prophecy was not only foretelling the future, but more specifically speaking to strengthen, encourage, and edify. The word of God was revealed through apostles and prophets. There were also prophetesses who worshiped God by fasting and praying day and night, such as Anna (Luke 2:36), and prophesied like the daughters of Philip (Acts 21:9).
The woman Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab (of Israel), daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon. From this pagan country, she brought her own gods, the Baals and Ashtaroth. Ahab, insensitive to religious matters as long as power and wealth were maintained, was uninterested and let her go her way. In Israel, among God's people, there were foreign altars and sacred poles. The practice of idolatry, fornication, and sexual immorality was prevalent.
But now it goes even further than with Balaam, who was mentioned in Pergamum. In Pergamum, they knew what was happening and turned a blind eye; in Thyatira, they simply allowed it to happen. They tolerated it.
In the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, Jezebel was clearly defeated and filled with hatred. However, God does not allow Himself to be ridiculed, and her end was terrible.
In the church of Thyatira, this person with the same spirit as Jezebel had freedom to operate. They tolerated her. She could do whatever she wanted. She was allowed to give immoral teachings in the church, using some 'prophets' and 'priests'; in fact, she was even predominant, while the true children of God turned away from her teachings and works of love. They preferred to personally follow Christ in acts of love and justice, fruits of their faith. In Ephesus, false teachers, apostles, and prophets were tested and rejected. Here, tolerance refused to despise them.
Jesus says in Matthew 7:17-20, "A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit".
Revelation 2:23
God is known by the judgment He executed, and by the vengeance He executed against seducers. He would make known:
1. His infallible knowledge of men's hearts, their principles, designs, dispositions, and temperaments, their formality, their indifference, and their secret inclinations to symbolize idolaters.
2. His impartial justice, by giving to each one according to their works, so that the name of Christian would not be a protection, and their churches would not be a sanctuary for sins and sinners.
I ALSO HAVE A MESSAGE FOR ALL OF YOU IN THYATIRA WHO HAVE NOT FOLLOWED THE FALSE TEACHING (THE DEEPER TRUTHS, AS THEY SAY, WHICH REALLY COME FROM SATAN), only hold fast what you have, until I come. Note: What these seducers called "depths," profound mysteries, entertained people, and endeavored to convince them that they had a deeper insight into religion than their own ministers had attained.
What Christ called the depths of Satan, are the delusions and satanic wiles, diabolical mysteries.
It is dangerous to despise the mysteries of God, and just as dangerous to receive the mysteries of Satan.
Because Christ is gracious to His faithful servants, He promises: I will not burden your faith with new mysteries, nor your conscience with new laws. I only call your attention to what you have already received. HOLD FAST WHAT YOU HAVE, UNTIL I COME, and I expect nothing more.
Christ is coming to put an end to all the temptations of His people, and if they hold fast to faith and a good conscience until He comes, all difficulties and danger will pass away.
Revelation 3:1
Sardis became famous for its woolen manufacture and claimed to be the first city to discover the art of dyeing wool.
Sardis reached its peak of prosperity under the wealthy king Croesus (560 BC).
The main cult in Sardis was the depraved worship of Cybele (or Artemis). Its inhabitants were noted for their luxury and debauchery. This made it difficult to maintain Christian standards of purity.
Here, Christ is identified as the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. By the seven spirits of God, is meant the Holy Spirit and his perfection and his work through the seven churches, which represent the universal church of Jesus Christ. The seven stars represent the seven churches.
He is reputed to be alive, but he is dead - It is difficult to imagine a more devastating rebuke. This devastated city was not only dead, but the church was also dead. The services in Sardis were probably well-attended and well-conducted. It may have been organized and bustling with activity, but it was dead.
There is no evidence of enmity by the Jews, nor of open persecution, nor of heretical doctrines. Only of spiritual death, a profound spiritual apathy. Spiritual life was perhaps stifled by prosperity. Do not the spiritual problems of Sardis draw our attention in the church of the wealthy Western world? Materialism and wealth often extinguish the fire of the Spirit.
Revelation 3:2
None of their works were found perfect. They were doing all kinds of things, but the Holy Spirit was absent, and so their works were empty and dead. They had excellent Christian creeds and declarations of faith. Yet it was all in their heads, in their minds, but not in their hearts.
Sardis was an impregnable fortress. The Acropolis, the castle, was impregnable. It was conquered twice, however, by subterfuge, because the guards were not alert. They were indeed asleep. Forthrightly impregnable, but asleep, they were easy prey.
When the Lord Jesus says, "I have not found your works perfect [not complete, ESV] in the sight of My God", I, Jesus. It doesn't matter what others say about you. What Jesus says, that is important. What the Lord says about you and your actions. For He is the One who says: I judge you — you and your work as individuals and as a church. And when He begins to reveal the true state of affairs, things become very different from what they appear on the outside!
Here are five clear commands:
1. Wake up! 2. Strengthen! 3. Remember! 4. Hold fast! 5. Repent!
Are you sure you are truly spiritually alive? Have you truly been born again with the Holy Spirit living within you? Do you truly belong to Jesus? Have you changed from your old life to a new life in Jesus? Being born again and converted means being renewed every day. God does not want you to die (eternally); He wants you to live.
Revelation 3:3
There is nothing more frightening than being confronted by a thief. While you are sleeping, suddenly someone is standing beside your bed. You wake up, but it is too late. An attack! This is what happened to the foolish virgins. The Lord Jesus warned about this time and time again in His discourse on the last things. He said it will be like the days of Noah, like the days of Lot, when people were eating, drinking, marrying, buying and selling, planting and building. There is nothing inherently wrong with all of this. However, they were not paying attention to the signs of the times, and they were not taking into account what might happen. For the unprepared, His appearance will be like a thief in the night. A coming that brings fear and sudden destruction. The elements will be destroyed by fire on that day, says Peter. Christ will be seen by everyone on earth at the Second Coming (Matt. 24:30). But it will be like a robbery, like the coming of a thief.
Christ reinforces His counsel with a dire threat if He is despised: "...I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you". NOTE: When a person abandons Christ, despising His gracious presence, he comes to that person in judgment; and His judicial presence will be terrible for those who have sinned and thus wasted His benevolent presence.
The judicial treatment he will mete out to his fallen people will be surprising; their numbness will keep them safe, and the prospect of an angry visit from Christ upon them will prevent them from recognizing that visit and preparing for it.
Such a visit will be to their detriment; he will come like a thief, to deprive them of what remains of their joys and mercies, not by deception, but with justice and equity, taking for himself what they have despised.
Revelation 3:4
Our blessed Lord does not fail to give these people some comfort and encouragement: IN THE MIDST OF JUDGMENT HE REMEMBERES MERCY", and here He makes honorable mention of the rem, even the faithful remnant in Sardis: " YET YOU HAVE STILL A FEW NAMES IN SARDIS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT SOILED THEIR GARMENTS"; they had not compromised with the corruption and debauchery prevalent in the day and place where they lived. God notices, even if it is a small number, those who belong to Him, and the smaller their number, the more precious they are in His eyes.
He makes a very generous promise: "...THEY WILL WALK WITH ME IN WHITE, FOR THEY ARE WORTHY" — in robes, the white garments of justification, adoption, and comfort, or the white garments of honor and glory in the next world. They will walk with Christ in the pleasant paths of the heavenly paradise, and what pleasant conversation there will be between Christ and them when they are thus walking together. Those who walk with Christ here in the pure robes of true and practical holiness and remain spotless in the world, will in the next world walk with Christ in the white robes of honor and glory.
"... I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels" (verse 5b).
Note:
1. Christ has his book of life, a record of all who will inherit eternal life.
2. The book of remembrance of all who have lived in God, and He will not erase the names of the faithful from that book.
3. He will confess the names of the faithful who stand here before God and all the angels; what glory, what a moving moment.
Is your name written in the book of life? Will you participate in this call? If not, receive Christ into your heart today, say a prayer inviting him to enter your life and walk with you. Invite the Holy Spirit to dwell within you. Jesus loves you and wants to reveal himself to you today; all you need to do is open your heart.
Revelation 3:7
Philadelphia is a small city in an area where earthquakes occur regularly. Therefore, it has been rebuilt many times. Known for its winemaking, the Greek god Bacchus (Dionysus) was worshipped there. Frequent earthquakes are the reason it has remained a small city. This dangerous place has not become a ruin. However, unlike most of the other cities in Asia mentioned, it is still inhabited today. And there is still a small Christian church in this Islamic city, called Allasehir, which means "The City of God."
This is the second church to which Christ does not address a single word of criticism. The first was the suffering church of Smyrna; the second is this church. Its most important characteristic is that this Church continued to wait.
Christ has the power: the key to open or close. He opens and no one closes, and He closes and no one opens. This power also applies to death and the kingdom of death and deals with the key of David. He is the Son of David: Mary, his mother, and Joseph, his adoptive father, are from the lineage of King David. And one day, He will be the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is, therefore, the Son of Man, but also the Son of God, who conceived Him in the womb of His mother, Mary.
Christ opens access to all of God's treasures. He is the true treasure of God, the Holy One, the True One, the Truly Holy One. He is referred to as such more than sixty times in the book of Isaiah. The Holy One is holy, and He makes us holy. Holy means separated from the world, separated for God and His service. And this applies to us as well. To be a separate instrument in His hands.
Separated and called to bless the nations and the world. Called to be holy is how Paul refers to Christians. And certainly not those called 'saints' by the Roman Catholic Church. As people who apparently did nothing wrong and could perform miracles. But in Christ, separated and perfect. He is the Holy One of God, and we are in Him.
Revelation 3:8
Christ brings to mind what He did for them: "... BEHOLD, I HAVE SET BEFORE YOU AN OPEN DOOR, WHICH NO ONE IS ABLE TO SHUT". I opened it, and I kept it open, even though there were many adversaries.
Learn here:
1. Christ must be recognized as the author of all the freedom and opportunities His churches enjoy.
2. He takes note and keeps track of how long He has preserved their freedom and spiritual privileges for them.
3. Wicked men are envious of the doors of freedom enjoyed by God's people and would gladly close them.
4. If we do not provoke Christ to close this door against us, men cannot do so.
This church is commended: "you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name". LITTLE POWER, a small grace, which, although not commensurate with the wide door of opportunity I opened for you, is nevertheless true grace, which kept you faithful. True grace, even weak, will accomplish more than the greatest gifts or the highest degree of common grace, for it will enable the Christian to keep Christ's word and not deny His name.
Obedience, faithfulness, and the open confession of Christ's name are the fruits of true grace, and as such, they are pleasing to Christ.
Regarding this open door, Jesus said: NO ONE CAN SHUT IT. The "key of David" had unlocked the door, and no human or demonic force could close it. This church became a symbol of the great global missions initiative that was the next step after the Protestant Reformation.
And in our everyday lives, we should also pray that God will open doors for us, or close doors as the case may be. Let us pray that God will only open doors through which we must pass. In the case of this text, let us pray that God will open doors for us to preach His Word, that the Lord will give us opportunities to preach in our families, on our streets, at school, and at universities, at work wherever the Lord wishes to use us.
Revelation 3:10
THE HOUR OF TRIAL WHICH IS COMING ON THE WHOLE WORLD - The Greek word for trial is peirasmos, which is also used in the "Lord's Prayer": "Deliver us from temptation".
The same word is used when the Lord Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. In the Lord's Prayer, it is immediately followed by "but deliver us from evil", for we cannot resist such temptations.
In his discourse on the end times, Jesus also speaks of great tribulations, such as have not happened since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be. There, he uses the Greek word thlipsis, which we also find in the letters to Smyrna and Thyatira, of which John speaks about in Patmos. It will be used again soon in connection with the multitude that no one can number. The multitude withstood the tribulation because they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb in the Great Tribulation. Tribulation and testing are two different things, though there is certainly an element of tribulation in testing! If we assume, for now, that the Lord Jesus is talking about the same thing in this verse as in His discourse on the end times, even though two different Greek words are used, a severe period of testing and tribulation is coming for the whole world (Great Tribulation). But He promises to prevent us from this!
How will He do this? Some are of the opinion that He will rapture us before things get that bad. This is called the Rapture of the Church for the wise virgins, though this expression is not found in Scripture. One thing is certain: when He returns in glory with His beautiful resurrected body, He will take us to Himself, and we will reign with Him.
Will we go through that final period of testing and tribulation? Some say yes, while others say no. Those who say "no" believe that what will happen will be the same as the experience of the people of Israel in the Land of Goshen, in Egypt, when the plagues occurred. There were no plagues in the land of Goshen. Exodus 7:14–12:42 states: "We don't know for sure, but it's best to always be vigilant and prepared".
Revelation 3:11
I AM COMING SOON! The meaning of "COMING SOON" is that the Lord will not delay His coming beyond the appointed time. But since we do not know when this will happen, we must be constantly prepared. Furthermore, with the Lord, a thousand years are as one day (2 Peter 3:8). Thus, two thousand years would still be "NO DELAY."
The close connection between this verse and the previous one suggests that Christ's Coming will deliver His people from the hour of tribulation. Some have suggested that, just as the Israelites had to share in the first three plagues (blood, frogs, and lice) with the Egyptians (Exodus 8:22), so the church may go through the first part of the Great Tribulation (the foolish virgins) before being taken (Revelation 6:9).
The church in Philadelphia is admonished: HOLD FAST WHAT YOU HAVE. The promise of protection carries with it the responsibility of continuous effort.
The CROWN. It means the crown of victory. As we mentioned in another study, the Greek word for CROWN is not diadem, which is a royal crown, but STEPHANOS, the crown of the victor. The CROWN OF LIFE spoken of in Revelation 2:10 likely means that the crown is eternal life!
The warning is against failing in the race of life and, consequently, losing the right to the crown of life. In other words, "Take heed that no one takes your crown." This goal is achieved by running successfully to the end.
AND MORE! To the victorious will be erected a PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE OF MY GOD (v. 12). A pillar gives stability to the building that rests upon it; it itself is firmly and permanently established. Once established, it (the temple) will NEVER LEAVE. When the period of probation comes to an end and the victor has become a pillar in the eternal temple of God, there will be no more possibility of falling. The character of the glorified saints will be established forever.
Regarding the victor, Christ said he would write three names: THE NAME OF MY GOD, signifying his possession.THE NAME OF THE CITY OF MY GOD, the new Jerusalem. MY NEW NAME, for the present time incommunicable, still mysterious, will be given to the saints of the new Jerusalem.
Revelation 3:14
Just as Philadelphia should reflect the period of powerful missionaries and evangelical church movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, according to the Church's historical vision. Beginning with the revivals in America and England, with men like George Whitefield, John Wesley, Charles G. Finney, and Dwight L. Moody, and continuing today with revival movements and the emergence of missionary organizations and Bible Societies, the Laodicean period is considered the end-time Church. This church is lukewarm and conformed to the world.
The word Laodicea means the same as democracy: power to the people, the people decide what is right or wrong. Laos dikè and dèmos kratein, in Greek. The people decide, the people govern. The voice of the people is the voice of God, so the Romans said.
In this political system, it is no longer what God and His Word say that counts, but human opinions. Laws in our countries should be made democratically, they say. The law becomes what the majority of men think. Guidelines for Christian faith and statements of faith in the church should be decided democratically, they say. It should happen by majority vote in the Church, they say. "There must be sufficient support at the grassroots level", explain the advocates of such democratic developments. "We should be and function just like the world around us", they say. "The world's agenda should be our agenda too", they say.
Proponents of the new sexual morality defend the freedom to do as one pleases. Life itself is no longer sacred. There is no longer concern about protecting life at all costs. Man now believes that life and death are his prerogative to decide, to abort, and to legalize euthanasia. He believes it is his right to choose the type of marriage arrangement he likes—heterosexual, same-sex, or other variants. The prevailing preference is for the separation of church and state so that religious convictions do not interfere with government. The Ten Commandments are no longer taught in schools. Current customs are exactly like what Jesus warned about in Matthew 24:12, "And because wickedness is multiplied, most men's love will grow cold".
Revelation 3:15-16
The situation in the church of Laodicea was complicated. From the outside, everything seemed fine, there was a church, but from the perspective of Christ, who knows the inside, everything was very different.
They became wealthy because they learned to walk the "golden mean" in the world around them. They remained "neutral" or made what they considered acceptable compromises.
And they, like Samson, had no idea that Christ had long since left them and was standing outside the door. Delilah — a worldly woman, a Philistine woman — was to blame for Samson's downfall. But you cannot eat both sides and make a deal with the world. So you finally fall between the two. Samson had fallen in love with her and apparently loved her more than he loved God, but this led to his downfall. MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY WANT TO LIVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. And it will end badly.
Friendship with the world is enmity against God. Laodicea is apparently unaware of this truth. They are not cold! But neither are they hot. Everything is good, yet, they think. "If you were cold, you could still be radically converted", says Christ. "I would have nothing to complain about", He says. "But lukewarm? … You are tasteless! I spit you out! Indifference reigns where you are concerned". And if salt has lost its flavor, it loses its ability to protect against decay and becomes worthless, so it would be better to throw it away.
This word is for Christians, not for the people of the world out there. In the name of Jesus, if you find yourself cold, lukewarm, weak in faith, in the middle ground, take charge of your life, change! In this case, the only one who can do something for you is YOU. How? By repenting of this lifestyle and seeking God in prayer, in reading the Word, seeking reinforcement from your true brothers and sisters in the church. The signs are stronger and more visible every day that JESUS IS COMING BACK, things are going to get very, very bad for those who remain here on this earth, if today you are between the two worlds, in the church and with the pleasures of the world, in the Great Tribulation it will not be like that, you will have to take a side, and will you have the strength to choose to die for Christ?
Revelation 3:17
This church reflected the behavior of the community. RICH AND PROSPEROUS literally means the person who has accumulated wealth. In other words: "I have obtained my wealth by my own labor". The first phrase expresses self-satisfaction; the second, pride.
There is no sadder example of callous pride than that displayed in the statement: I NEED NOTHING.
This imagery must certainly have had an impact on Laodicea. The city was famous for producing splendid black wool and linen fabrics for clothing and carpets. There was also a thriving medical school and a medical industry, especially renowned for its eye salve and "Phrygian powder," which was used to make eye salve. Add to this the thriving banking system, with gold playing a central role. And of course, the Christian congregation (which apparently was as economically involved as the other inhabitants of Laodicea) knew exactly why Christ said this.
Perhaps they considered their external riches to be the fruit and evidence of spiritual riches. You did not know or perceive what your true state really was, says Christ. With all your wealth and learning, you have become a self-service religious store, a theological supermarket. Lukewarm Christianity is open to anything. Open like other "ideas about God" and prone to syncretism with other religions. It is tolerant and easygoing.
Do not lose your heart to the world. For the world and its desires will pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. Christ has not yet spit them out, but He will if they do not repent. He offers them the possibility of buying refined gold (vs 18) = valuable faith, for nothing, free, without money, and without cost. He offers them white robes (instead of black cloth), as the priests used eye salve to cure their spiritual blindness.
How dangerous riches can be. The Lord Jesus warned against them time after time. This prevented the rich young manr from following Him. The love of money is the root of all evil.
Jesus calls his people to be completely separate from the world's value system and to be fully committed to Him. When Christians understand God's view of what is eternal, the present falls into proper perspective.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked Revelation 3:17
- Do not value worldly success.
- Do not trust in worldly wealth.
- Repent whenever you have done these things.
- li>Recognise that worldly possessions have no spiritual or heavenly value.
- Return to the spiritual evaluation system whenever you stray from it.
- Do not worship the world's way of thinking or their behavior patterns.
Laodicea was known as a banking center, for the production of a shiny black wool used in clothing and carpets, and for producing an ointment that cured eye trouble.
The church desperately needed regenerating grace, Christ's robe of righteousness, and the eyes of an enlightened heart.
Revelation 3:18
Our blessed Lord, the counselor, always gives the best advice, and that which is most appropriate to the sinner's situation, as here:
1. He advises them to buy gold tried in His own fire, so that they may be truly rich. And where they can obtain this wealth, with Jesus Himself, He does not send them to mine somewhere, but invites them to come to Himself, the pearl of great price.
2. How should they obtain this true gold from Him? By separating themselves from sin and self-sufficiency and coming to Christ with the awareness of their poverty and emptiness, so that they may be filled with His hidden treasures.
3. They were naked; Christ tells them where they can obtain clothing, and clothing such as can cover their shame and nakedness. This they need to receive from Christ; They need only remove their filthy rags to receive and put on the white garments He purchased and provided for them—His own imputed righteousness as justification and the garments of holiness and sanctification.
4. They were blind, and He counsels them to buy from Him eye salve so they may see, to give up their own wisdom and reason, which are nothing more than blindness in the things of God, and to surrender themselves to His word and Spirit. Their eyes will be opened to see their path and their end, their task and their true interests; a new and glorious landscape will then unfold before their souls. This is the wise counsel Christ gives to indifferent souls; and if they follow it, He will commit Himself to honoring their fulfillment. The truth is that only from our Lord can come true wealth, things that money cannot buy, the joy and life of the Holy Spirit, the salvation of our souls, the love of God poured into our hearts that makes us have mercy on our neighbor, extend our hands and fight for those who suffer so that God can make them rich too.
Revelation 3:19
Chastisement is a sign of God's loving care as our Heavenly Father (Heb 12:5-11).
REBUKE is the same as "declaring guilty".
CHASTISEMENT is literally "training a child." All of this shows Christ's compassion in dealing with this church as a wayward child in need of the Father's love and discipline. Perhaps the deplorable condition of Laodicea was due to a lack of correction; there is no mention of any trials suffered thus far by this church.
There was no enmity toward the Gospel, no rejection of the faith, no false doctrine or immorality — at least none of these are mentioned. There was only a lukewarm attitude that would lead to the church being spit out, literally: vomited out.
REPENT requires immediate action on a crucial decision. BE ZEAL comes before REPENT: "The root of the wickedness of the church of Laodicea and its representatives was their indifference and lukewarmness, the absence of any zeal, any seriousness.
Things can sometimes be very disorganized in your life. You live your religious life in a cold and automatic way. The word ZEAL means: great care and concern that is dedicated to someone or something.
Strong disposition, diligence, commitment applied to accomplishing something (tasks, duties, religious obligations, etc.).
You do it, but you do not do it well. You do not pay attention to details. You "copy and paste," as we often say of someone who does not want to work. You do not dedicate yourself to God, you do not fast even once a year, you do not spend time with God every day, not closing your bedroom door and being alone with Him. You pray when you can, when you have time. You read the Bible when you go to church, this and many other things. that become like debris in a river, blocking the flow of the waters of the Spirit in your life. And many times you say: Oh! God does not speak to me. And why? Because you have not been zealous in your search for Him.
Psalm 51:17 says: "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise".
ORIENTATION TO GET VICTORY!
SPIRITUAL VICTORY IS SOMETHING WE MUST ENTER!
Jesus Christ has already won the victory through His death and resurrection.
The reasons for the triumph of the saints of God.
- The blood of the lamb - the saints won the battle through the victory of Christ, and not on their own merits.
- Their Testimony - The fact that they have always testified of Christ and the Word gave them the strength to face the challenge of evil day in and day out.
- They did not care about their own lives - SPIRITUAL OVERCOMES ARE THEM IS WHO DEVOTE TO GOD.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God: this is your reasonable worship (Rom 12:1).
Every faith has its practical side.
BELIEVE, SPEAK THE WORD AND LOVE THE LORD MUCH! Be obedient to God's commandments, live to His glory. Other faiths aim to obtain salvation through their own works. The Christian knows that he or she CANNOT redeem himself and Jesus Christ accomplished EVERYTHING on the Cross.
The relationship with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
- With the corana virus, we see an example of the 7 plagues in Revelation 16. The wrath of God is pouring out on the people who have accepted the mark 666.
- Our relationship with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is important. If one does not speak to each other, such as a man and a woman in a marriage, then the relationship does not work and people are alienated from each other.
- God clearly shows in the Bible what relationship He wants with man. In the Old Testament, we see how the Jewish people chose to adore cast and wooden statues that they had made themselves. They rejected their living God. Statues (Roman Church) made themselves, are dead and have no power. It is a worship of dark forces. The result was the wrath of God and their wage banishment from the Promised Land. Similarly for the believer who does not want a relationship with God, wants to live his or her own life, for them there is no access to the marriage feast, Heaven.
- As in a good marriage, the relationship consists of knowing each other's will, taking care of each other and pleasing the other.