Notes on Messages to the Seven Churches in Asia |
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Revelation Chapters 1-3 Sermons delivered at: During 1996-1997 Almost everyone has some interest in prophecy. Millions read the daily horoscope in the newspaper. Astrology and fortune telling are big business today. The unstable political climate worldwide also generates an interest in prophecy. Government leaders said that they do not have answers. Many today seem to realize more than ever that the Bible has something reliable to say about tomorrow's headlines. In fact, it is the only accurate source of information about the future. John was commanded not to seal the book (Revelation 22:10), and those who read it are promised a special blessing (1:3). Apparently, therefore, the book was expected to be intelligible and helpful to those who read it. It is an apocalypse, designed not to mystify, but to clarify. Daniel wrote in the 12th chapter of his book that he was very disturbed about some visions he had seen because he could not understand them. Daniel was told that his visions were prophetic in nature, and that he or anyone else would not understand their fulfillment until the end of the age. The angel also informed him that as the end of this era approached, knowledge about prophecy would become widespread. (Read Daniel 12:8-10.) Daniel observed that at the end of time, the "wise" would understand. In Biblical terminology, the wise are the people who study what God has to say, and become enlightened to its meaning by the Holy Spirit. Interpretation Preterist is from the Latin wording which means "past". Thus the preterits interpreters are those who see Revelation as having already been fulfilled in the early history of the church. Chapters 5-11 are said to record the church's victory over Judaism, Chapters 12-19, her victory over pagan Rome, and 20-22, her glory because of these victories. The persecutions described are those of Nero and Domitian, and the entire book was fulfilled by the time of Constantine in 312 A. D. Futurist or Plain Interpretation The concept of a literal interpretation always raises questions,
since it seems to preclude anything symbolic, and the book obviously contains symbols.
Perhaps saying normal or plain interpretation would be better than literal since futurists
do recognize the presence of symbols in the book. The difference between the literalist
and the spiritualizer is simply that the former sees the symbols as conveying a plain
meaning. All recognize the presence of symbols in the Bible. For instance, Psalm 22 verse
18 prophesied the casting of lots for Christ's garments. This was a literal statement.
Verses 12 and 13 depict the fierce enemies of the Lord as strong bulls and ravening lions.
These are symbols with a very plain meaning. Apparently, the stars are literally the
astronomical bodies in the heavens. In Revelation 9:1,2, John records seeing a star fall
from heaven. This is a plain symbol and one that is interpreted in the text itself as
indicating a created being (probably an angel). The English word "star" is used
today in both a literal and symbolic manner, just as it is in Revelation 8 and 9. We speak
literally of the stars in the heavens. We also refer to stars on the athletic field and in
so doing, we are using a symbol with a very plain meaning. Indeed, symbols often make the
meaning more plain. The futurist does not deny the presence of symbols in the book, nor
does he claim to be able to explain every detail with certainty. But he does insist that
the principle of plain interpretation be followed consistently throughout the book. There are three main divisions, which mark Revelation. Most
commentators see in 1:19 a divinely given outline. In this verse, the book is divided into
three parts. (1) The things which John had seen, chapter 1 through verse 19. (2) The
present state of the church, chapters 2 and 3. (3) The things which shall be after the
church is completed, chapters 4 through 22. The words translated "hereafter"
(meta tauta) mean literally "after these things." The same words are found in
4:1, indicating that chapter 4 begins this last section of the book. However, it is
possible to combine the first two sections because verse 19 may well be translated,
"Write the things which thou hast seen, both the things which are and which are to
come." In other words, John saw two things: present things and future things. The
present things include the vision of Christ in 1:9-20 and the letters to the churches in
chapters 2 and 3. It does make sense to see 1:9-3:22 as one unified section, simply
because in the vision in 1:9-20 as that which John had seen, and thus as a separate
division of the book. The important thing is to notice that according to 1:19, the book
has to divide at 4:1 regardless of whether one combines the vision of 1:9-20 with chapters
2 and 3 or divides it into a separate section. Section 1 - The things which thou hast seen (1:9-20),
circumstances of the vision (1:9-11), and physical circumstances (1:9). John does not
exalt himself above his fellow believers, but calls himself a brother. Patmos is an island
about 15 miles in circumference in the Aegean Sea, southwest of Ephesus. The reason for
his banishment was literally because of the Word of God (God's claim on men) and the
testimony of Jesus (the gospel message). Spiritual Circumstances Position of the Lord - (Revelation 1:12,13) The Lord is described as "like unto the Son of man." This means that His form was humanlike. He was in the midst of seven lamp stands. These are explained in verse 20 as the seven churches of verse 11. The Lord has a direct relationship to each church. His clothing in verse thirteen is that of a priest and judge, which are the relationships of authority which He sustains to the local churches. Picture of the Lord - (Revelation 1:14-16) This is a picture of the risen, glorified Lord, depicted under a number of similes - the only way He could be described to finite creatures (note the occurrences of "like" and "as"). There are seven features to this picture, and the meaning of these similes may have been unexplained deliberately in order to convey more than one thing to our minds. His head, 1:14, was as white as wool or snow. This may represent the wisdom of age and the purity of holiness. His eyes, 1:14, were piercing in their fiery holiness. The true character of each church is transparent to His eyes. There may also be a connection between this verse and I Corinthians 3:13; that is, the fire, which shall try men's works at the judgment seat of Christ. It will be the gaze of Christ who will itself consume the works of wood, hay and stubble. His feet, 1:15, were like burnished bronze. This may indicate the trials He experienced in His earthly life which make Him a sympathetic high priest (Hebrews 4:15) and an experienced judge. His voice, 1:15, was to John as the sound of many waters, like the noise of a mighty waterfall. His voice of authority stands out above all the rest. His right hand, 1:16, which is the place of honor, held the seven stars, which are explained in verse 20 as the messengers of the churches of chapters 2 and 3. In each letter, the Lord addresses "the angel." Who and what was he? The regular charges of elders and deacons are passed over in silence; nor are the gifts of the ascended Christ in evidence. But a new title at issue, with the sanctioned order hitherto, would be a strange thing on our Lord's part, when one man's decline had set in. We never hear of "angel" as an official title in the ordinary arrangements of the New Testament. "The angel" is a term for the leader that suits chapters 2 and 3 in such a prophetic book as the Revelation, just as literal angels are in keeping with the book of Daniel. Does it mean what we commonly call an angelic being? Not here surely where "angels of the churches" are spoken of. If we hear of the angel of fire and even of the angel of Jesus Christ, as of Jehovah elsewhere, there is no difficulty, though all these are outside the thoughts and language of the epistles. But it is very new to hear of the angel of this or that assembly. Again, we can understand an angel employed a spiritual messenger from on high as the means of communication between the Lord and His servant John; but how harsh to suppose that His servant John writes a letter from Christ to a literal angel! This is one of the clear difficulties in which those are involved who suppose angelic beings to be here mean. The nature of the case precludes it. "As "angel" is used in the sense of a representative, so in reference to the assemblies the Lord here avails Himself of this general idea. A messenger or moral representative of each assembly is implied. "Angel" was used of a human representative. For instance, when John the Baptist sent two of his disciples, there was a representation of his mind by these men when they gave the message of him who sent them (Luke 7:24). The representative force appears also in Acts 12:15 (only here it was of a spiritual character), and so in Matthew 18:10. But it assumes a different shape when it was a question of assemblies. They were His chief lights representing each of the assemblies and so became His medium in judging its state according to the divine standard. If, therefore, we look at the abstract nature of the angel of the church, what is taught by the term? Presumably this, that the Lord had in view not necessarily an elder, nor a teacher, but one who might be either or both; but before His mind He truly represented, and was in a special way bound up with the responsibility of the state of the assembly, whoever that might be, was meant by the angel of the church." -William Kelly The Importance of Prophecy The entire Bible is profitable and practical (II Timothy 3:16,17), but some Scriptures are more significant and precious. Thus it is with Revelation (verse 3). This is the same commitment that confronted Mary, the maiden mother of our Lord. She did not understand the things that were spoken by the angel nor the things that were coming to pass, but the Scriptures say, "She treasured them and kept them and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). And as the days passed, the meaning of those words were fulfilled and became understandable. When Simeon, in the temple, said, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:34,35), she had no idea what that meant until the day when she stood by the cross and looked upon the Son of God, her child of promise, nailed and lifted up between the earth and the sky. But, she, though not understanding the words at the time, treasured them and kept them in her heart. II Peter chapter 1:19-21 speaks about the importance of prophecy. In the history of the church, the eschatological or prophetic
portions of Scripture have suffered more from inadequate interpretation than any other
subjects. The reason for this is that the church turned aside from a normal and
grammatical literal interpretation of prophecy to one that is non-literal and subject to
the caprice of the interpreter. In the first two centuries of the Christian era, the church was predominantly pre-millennial, interpreting Scripture to teach that Christ would fulfill the prophecy of His Second Coming and bring a thousand-year reign on earth before the eternal state would begin. Although not always cogent, prophecy was treated in the same way as other Scripture. In the last ten years of the second century and in the third century, the heretical school of theology at Alexandria, Egypt, advanced the erroneous principle that the Bible should be interpreted in a non-literal or allegorical sense. In applying this to the Scripture, they subverted all the major doctrines of the faith, including prophecy. The result was that there was little progress in theology, especially in the prophetic area, until this problem of interpretation was solved. Augustine (354-430) tried to change this erroneous teaching, except the prophetic Scriptures. Reformation did not change much. For example, even Martin Luther, at one time, refused to include the Revelation in his canon of Scripture because he said no man could understand it. But with the establishment of the Plymouth Brethren movement in the nineteenth century, literal truth of prophecy was restored. The importance of prophecy should be evident, even superficially, in examining the faith, for about one fourth of the Bible was prophecy when it was written. Today, we live in a culture in which the Bible has been available
for centuries. It is impossible for us to imagine the effect of a passage like I
Thessalonians 4:13-18 as it was first read by early Christians. What did it mean to them
that the dead in Christ will be raised with new bodies when the Lord comes? Think of the
excitement of knowing that living believers may never see death, but could be changed
instantly at the return of Christ. Up until that time, all that the Greek and Roman civilizations
told men about death was contained in such descriptive terms as bitter, ruinous,
relentless, the eternal chamber of those who have withered. Among the living, hope
endures, but hopeless are the dead. But Paul states in II Corinthians 5:8, "I prefer
to be away from body and at home with the Lord." The revelation of prophecy in Scripture serves as important
evidence that the Scriptures are accurate in their interpretation of the future, because
half of the prophecies of the Bible have already been fulfilled in a literal way. God has done two things here. First, He gave this great revelation to Christ. Secondly, He has given us an unsealed book. John bore record of what God said and what God did, of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw. Revelation 22:10 says, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand." Some of the great prophetic revelations that were given to Daniel were closed up. They were sealed. They were veiled (Daniel 12:4). But, Daniel shut up the words, and sealed the book, even to the time of the end. What was sealed in Daniel is unsealed in the apocalypse; what was not made known in Daniel is made known in the Revelation. There is another word sounding like apocalypse, apocrypha. Apocrypha means "hidden, covered over." It ultimately bears the meaning "not authentic, not true." Apocalypse is the Greek word that means exactly the opposite of the Greek word apocrypha. Revelation is not an apocrypha, a covering up, but an uncovering. Prophetic Application - 33-100 A.D. The Ephesian church was a prophetic picture of the apostolic church. Eventually they opened the door for legalism. Here in seven typical churches we see the predominant
characteristics of seven successive eras of church history. The seven churches represent
historical periods in the history of Christ. The prophetic aspects were never understood
clearly until much of the church history had unfolded, but now as we look back, we can see
striking similarities between the characteristics of each church in Revelation and the
various periods of church history up until today. Seven Churches in Every Age Those periods also co-exist throughout all the ages. In every year, age, country, and denomination, there are Ephesian churches who cool off, who once had a fire and a flame and an evangelistic zeal, but have become apathetic in their drive for the souls of men. There are Ephesian churches in this age and Ephesian members in every church. All seven churches co-exist in almost every church today. Smyrna - (Revelation 2:8-11) This is one of the ancient cities of the world. Today, it is a large metropolis in Asia Minor. It has at present, a population of 400,000 people. The name of it is Izmir, the Turkish corruption of Smyrna. Ephesus, Miletus and other cities ceased to exist, but Smyrna has lived through the centuries. In Roman time, it was a great city. The harbor is one of the finest in the world. The gulf of Smyrna reaches back into the inland of Asia Minor about thirty-five miles. It is beautiful and spacious. Lord's Words of Encouragement Faithful unto Death James was beheaded by the sword of Herod Agrippa, John was exiled, and Peter was crucified. When the Lord called Paul, He said, "I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake." What an amazing thing (Acts 9:16). The Lord never said we would have the abundance of all the things
that this life has to offer; about being rich, healthy, etc (Romans 8:38,39). Fortunately,
death or anything else cannot separate us from the love of God. Prophetic Application - (100-312 A.D.) The suffering of the church at Smyrna was prophetic of the great era of persecution under the ten Caesars. The motives of the church were purified during this long and difficult period. Millions of Christians met cruel martyrs' deaths rather than renounce Christ or swear allegiance to Caesar as Lord. This was a period of tremendous witness and heroic faith. Even the wicked Roman Empire was finally shaken by the testimony of these Christians. Pergamos - A Compromise with the World System - (Revelation 2:12-17) On the ancient site of Pergamos, there is today a village called
Bergama, which is a Turkish corruption of this Greek name, Pergamos. The original Pergamos
was a beautiful and illustrious city. It was the capital of Asia Minor. The Attalid kings
beautified the city. The library contained more than 200,000 books. The use of parchment,
of skins of animals, as writing materials was invented in Pergamos. The name
"parchment" comes from this town of Pergamos. The letter of our Lord begins with a grim tone. The word
"seat" in Greek is thronos. He is referring to the fact that these Christians
live where Satan has great authority and great power. What was Satan's throne? In this
capital city, there were temples to the four greatest Greek gods: Zeus (Latin - Jupiter),
Dionysius (Bacchus), Athena (Minerva), and Aesculapius. Zeus was the head of all the gods.
Dionysius was the god of wine and of drama. Athena was the god of wisdom. Aesculapius was
the god of healing. His emblem was a serpent. Snakes roamed around in the temple. Another
wonder of the ancient world was the magnificent altar to Zeus. Emperor worship (Caesar)
was also prevalent. There were another three temples dedicated to Roman emperors. Notice the words you have not denied my faith. It refers to a
thing in the past, a great persecution. In that angry day, Antipus was martyred. In his
faithfulness to Christ and in protest against Caesar worship, Antipas laid down his life.
The Lord says, "I know where you live. You cannot escape. You cannot run away."
It is a description of our state in this present wicked world. We cannot run away. We have
to stay like Antipas. The Doctrine of Balaam With verse fourteen, the tone of our Lord changes. The doctrine of
Balaam was the teaching and counsel of a shrewd sage. He was hired by Balak to curse
Israel. He could not curse Israel. God would not let Him. But he did something worse to
corrupt God's people. He introduced them to strange Moabite women. Those strange Moabite
women did the work. They corrupted Israel, a thing Balaam himself could not do. But they
did it. That is the method of Balaam One of the most astonishing things in the Greco-Roman world was
this: With all of their magnificent philosophy and ethics and their achievements in every
realm of art and science and literature, they looked upon prostitution as a needful and
acceptable way of life. But believers in the church did not go along with the crowd. The
doctrine of Balaam is the same today as it was then. What Christians faced concerned
things sacrificed to idols, like "Halaal" meat for Muslims. The social customs
of idolatry were a threat to the Christian faith on every side. So, a Christian was cut
off from social intercourse with the world and the pattern of life in which he
lived. When Lucifer fell, he kept his brilliance. When he came down to this earth, he set up his throne on this planet. In the previous letter, the Lord addressed Smyrna. There, the opposition to the church was in the synagogue. In the period of ecclesiastical history represented by Smyrna, the opposition to the church was veiled under the cloak of religion. But in Pergamos, the opposition to the church takes an altogether different turn. Satan invites the church and the people of God to share with him the glamour and the glitter of all things that mammon have to offer of worldly greatness and glory. There is evil in our country and all over the world. Satan's throne is in the city where mammon dwells. You cannot serve God and mammon. False doctrine is found in the city far more than in rural areas. What a trying, perilous, difficult place to locate God's house. But that is where it needs to be. How do we deny the faith in the city where Satan's throne is? We deny the faith by refusing to confess it. The Lord mentions His faithful martyr Antipas. Many Christians were persecuted in one part of India. A Christian could live in that place without any trouble if they remained a silent Christian, not disclosing their faith to others. We also deny the faith by preaching the wrong gospel. There is no different salvation for the first century and the 15th century Christians. Jesus Christ weeps over the great cities of the world. The population everyday presses more and more toward the cities. The Lord said, "I understand the trial of the church in the heart of the city and I know her peril and the difficulty." The Doctrines of Nicolaitane - Doctrine of Balaam The reference to Balaam is an allusion to the experience of Balaam recorded in Numbers 22-25 when he was hired by the kings of the Midianites and the Moabites to curse the children of Israel for not exterminating the women of the Midianites. Here we learn for the first time that the prophet Balaam had advised King Balak to corrupt Israel by tempting them to sin through intermarriage with their women and the resulting inducement to worship idols (Numbers 1:15-16). The doctrine of Balaam therefore was the teaching that the people of God should intermarry with the heathen and compromise in the matter of idolatrous worship. This is in contrast to "the way of Balaam." That is, selling his prophetic gift for money (II Peter 2:15) and the "error of Balaam," his assumption that God would curse Israel (Jude 11). The Doctrine of Nicolaitanes - (Revelation 2:14,15) What is the doctrine? There are even many strange explanations about them. One of them says that the Nicolaitane were the apostatizing followers of Nicholas of Antioch, who was one of the seven deacons in the assembly of Jerusalem. There is no basis, no substantiation for such a theory, either in profane or in sacred history. The doctrine of Nicolaitane was connected with the doctrine of Balaam, which included carnality, lust, fornication, and sensuality. However, the doctrine of Nicolaitane was different from the doctrine of Balaam. Twice in this chapter, the Lord speaks, concerning this doctrine. We can find the answer in two areas. The first area is in the name itself. Names have great significance in the Word of God. The second area is in the Pergamean period of church history. Consider the name itself. The word "Nicolaitane" is composed of two simple Greek words. The first is Nike, the Greek word for "victory." The other is Laos, the simple word of the Greeks for "people." The word "laity" is derived from the Greek word laos. When these words are put together, Nike and Laos, we have in English, "Nicolaos" or "Nicolaitane." The word refers to a group, or a class, that exalt themselves above the people. They subjugate the people. They are oppressors of and conquerors of the people, "Nicolaitanes." The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes began early (Revelations 2:6) with the deeds of Nicolaitanes. By the time of the Pergamean period of the church, however, those "deeds" had become a system and a theology. The law of degeneration works in all areas of life, apart from the
presence of power of God. Corruption, corrosion, rust, and disintegration are the common
lot of all created things. The Sun, the rain and even the air itself are arms of
destruction and disintegration. So it is with spiritual life. Spiritual life has a
tendency to degenerate, to go down, and to lose its fresh thrust and spiritual power. Look
at the life of Noah (Genesis 6:8). But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was
a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. He begot three sons. Then
God remembered Noah (8:1). After the Flood Noah built an altar to the Lord (Genesis 8:20) and God blessed Noah (Genesis 9:1). "Noah began to be a farmer and he planted a vineyard. Then he drank of the wine and was drunk and became uncovered in his tent." (Genesis 9:20,21) The Curse on Canaan This was so in the churches of our Lord. They began in a miraculous and heavenly way, but fell into the hands of Satan. Priestly Class - (III John verse 9) Diotrophes lifts himself above his brethren and will not receive the messengers. Such, even in the apostolic days, were the deeds of the Nicolaitanes. In the Pergamean period, those deeds had become a great system, a great teaching, held by churches themselves. Priest-craft was supplanting the preacher of the word of God; ceremony was taking the place of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit; and the church had opened its heart to the love and the power and the emolument of the world. This was the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. The State Church The establishment of the church, not upon the Rock of Christ, but upon governmental power and worldly favor under the oppressive hand of the ruling hierarchy was an amazing thing. It happened suddenly when Emperor Constantine became an unconverted and unbaptized Christian. Immediately, like a clap of thunder, like a meteor, like the snap of your finger, the Christians were no longer persecuted. They became popular. The pagans turned their idol-temples into churches and they said, "These are no longer images of Jupiter or Juno or the Saints." The same rituals by which they had worshiped Astarte, Aphrodite or Venus were now employed to worship the true Queen of heaven. They bowed down in the same way, in the same ceremony, in the same temples, before the same idols; only now, the idols were named after so called Christian saints. Even the days by which the priests honored their gods were made days on the calendar to honor these saints, like Easter and Christmas. The astonishing thing took place overnight. The persecution was a thing of the past. The rags of persecution were changed for the plush silk of the imperial palace. The Pergamean period of the church had begun. Constantine was a shrewd politician. He saw an opportunity to be Caesar of the Roman Empire by employing the great might of those who were Christians, who by that time had pervaded the whole-civilized world. Was he really saved, born again? Consider this - he kept all of his heathen and pagan superstitions. Second, he planned to combine the worship of Christ with the worship of Apollo. For example, on his coins, he would put the picture of Apollo and then the name of Christ. He became prince of the church. This isn't an ancient story, but a monstrous system of error that girdles the globe to this day and to this hour. The Lord hates this doctrine of sacramental salvation. As you are born a citizen of the state, you are christened a member of the church. The world and the church become one and the same. Some Important Parables The parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31, 32) - This gives
us the outward as well as the inward spiritual reality of the present Christian world.
Daniel 4:10-12 can explain this parable. It indicates worldly power and greatness. But the
strange thing in Matthew thirteen is that "the least of all seeds" should grow
into such a tree (verse 19). For the seed, here as elsewhere is the word of the kingdom.
Today, professing Christianity has become a power in the world. Yes, the little seed has
become indeed a tree, but the "birds of the air" are in its branches. Satan
himself has got lodgment and shelter in the very midst of the tree of Christendom!
"The Christina world is the world still; and the whole world lies in the wicked one.
(I John 5:19). The opposition to Christ and His truth is from within now instead of from
outside. Successor to the tree like power is the power of old Babel. She is called
"Babylon the Great" (Revelation 17:6). This is the full ripe result. The
beginning of it is already seen in Corinth even in the apostle's day. Thus early was the
little seed developing. Even in Paul's day, divergence started. Paul says, "All that
are in Asia have departed me." Thyatira: The Great Counterfeit - (Revelation 2:18-29) This city was about thirty miles away from Pergamos. It is amazing that the longest letter of the seven was written to the church in the least important of the cities. Pliny dismisses Thyatira with these contemptuous words: "Thyatira and other unimportant communities." In ancient days, it was the center of a dying wool industry. It is remarkable that Christ should single out a very small church in a relatively obscure city for such an important letter. However, the message reaches far beyond the immediate circumstances in the church at Thyatira. One other mention is found in Acts 16:14,15 where we read of the conversion of Lydia, a seller of purple, in the city of Thyatira. Lydia must have been a wealthy merchant princess indeed, dealing in one of the most costly substances in the Roman Empire. Today, Thyatira is a little city of about forty five thousand people, their means of substance found in the weaving of oriental rugs. There was also a temple for fortune-tellers in Thyatira, with a powerful female oracle who presided over it at that time. Introduction of the Lord As the Lord introduces Himself to these churches, the description of Him is always pertinent. He introduces Himself to the church at Ephesus as the one who is walking among the seven lampstands. Then he says to Ephesus, "Except thou repent, I will remove thy lampstand." He introduces Himself to Smyrna as the One who is the First and the Last, who was dead and is alive again. He speaks this to comfort those Smyrnian Christians in their great trial and agony of persecution. He had been through it Himself. He had been slain. He had been raised victorious. Then, in His address to the church at Pergamos, He introduces Himself as the One Who has a sharp two-edged sword. To the church of Thyatira, He introduces Himself in verse eighteen as "the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass." This letter is going to be a letter of wrath because brass is a symbol of the wrath of the judgment of God. He is named the Son of God in contrast to the designation in chapter one where He is called the Son of Man. His title here is in keeping with the character of the judgment pronounced upon the church. Their diversion from the true worship of Jesus Christ the Son of God was so serious that it called for a reiteration of His deity. The description of His eyes as a flame of fire speaks of burning indignation and purifying judgment. In a similar way, His feet are declared to be like fine brass. Who is Jezebel? Her name immediately takes us back to Israel. Ahab, the king,
married a daughter of the king of Sidon, whose name was Jezebel. When she came to live in
the capital city of Samaria, she brought her heathen gods with her, and she introduced
into Israel its worst days of apostasy. She was a brilliant woman, an able woman, and a
zealous woman. She slew the prophets of Jehovah, swept Israel off its religious feet, and
subverted the doctrine of God. Jezebel even brought the mighty prophet, Elijah, down to
his knees as he fled before her face for his life and prayed that he might die. But who is
this Jezebel of Thyatira who claims to be an oracle of God, a prophetess, and to deliver
the infallible words of heaven and who teaches and seduces God's servants? There are those
who say that since this commercial city of Thyatira was organized similar to (AFLCIO,
American Trade Union) guilds, and since all of the commercial people belonged to a patron
god or goddess, there was opportunity for an influential woman, an able woman in that
assembly, to teach the people that for them to belong to the guilds and to enter into the
sacrifices and orgies that went along with oriental pagan, idolatrous worship, was
altogether acceptable. A Christian could compromise and do both. Here God is speaking
of a development in the church, in the age of the Thyatiran history of His people
(590-1517 A.D.). The Ephesian period was the day of the apostles, the apostolic church.
The Smyrnian period represented the church of persecution and tribulation, the church of
catacombs, when the heavy iron hand of the Roman Empire was upon it. The Pergamean church
was the church of the establishment, when the church was married to the Roman government,
no longer persecuted and no longer hated and despised, but now exalted and lifted up. Then
follows the age of the church of Thyatira. She is dressed in purple and silk, with golden
chains around her neck, and she speaks as the infallible prophetess of God, subverting the
Word of the Lord Himself. Thyatira is the apostate church, who looks upon herself as the
infallible oracle of the Almighty. Prophetically, the major characteristics of Thyatira
fit the church era (590-1517) that spanned the Middle Ages. During this time, the dominant
church fabricated a system that, like Jezebel, bound the people to image worship,
superstition and priest-craft. These Scripture verses indicate this church still has some
adherents and some power into the great tribulation (Revelation 2:22). There are many reasons for identification with Jezebel. The church
is always represented by a woman. The church is always referred to as a "she" or
as a "her," never as a "he" or a "him." The Him in
Christianity is the great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The church is always described as
the Bride of Christ, espoused to Christ, and subject to Christ. When we see a woman here,
we see a figure of the church, and when that woman is called Jezebel, we immediately know
that the Lord is speaking of an apostate church. The third parable in Matthew thirteen is identical in meaning to
Christ's letter to the fourth church. They are one and the same. Here, the meal offering
represents our Lord. He is the bread of life. He is the food from heaven, the meal
offering, the fine flour, which represents the Word of God, the bread of life, the true
manna from heaven. Leaven corrupted the great truths of the doctrine of the Son of God.
The leaven represents evil doctrine and teaching. This prophetess delivers not the true
message of God, but her own evil, corrupt doctrine. All Christendom became corrupt,
outside of the few who remained true to the faith. The Corruption of the Woman The dream that the gospel of the Son of God will ever convert the world is a fantastic thing out of man's imagination. It is not revealed in the Bible. In the thirteenth chapter of the gospel of Matthew, there were four kinds of soil, and it was only one of them that produced for God. There we see the tares grow with the wheat, and the leaven grows in the lump until the time of the end. There is never a time without tares. It is only in the days of the end, when God's judgment comes, that God separates the tares from the wheat and burns up the tares with unquenchable fire. They are both together until the end. There is never a time when the gospel converts the world. This, the parable of the leaven teaches. Corruption and men's false doctrine enter into the truth of God and pervade it. The kingdom of Heaven, in the thirteenth chapter, refers to the kingdom here in this world as it is administered by men. It is what we call "Christendom," the great nations of the world who are called Christian nations. This corruption works and it is furthered by this woman Jezebel. God refers to what she teaches as "the depths of Satan." She, of course, would call what she teaches "the depths of God." "You cannot learn this book by yourself," she says, "You must come to me and let me teach you the deep things of God." Man cannot read the simple gospel for himself. He cannot listen to the Word of God and repent of his sins and trust Jesus and be saved. He must come and be instructed by lectures and classes in the deep things of God. One stands in awe before the unfolding of prophecy as it has been
written by the finger of God in this amazing book. This woman subverts almost all
Christendom. But there are a few, there is a minority, there are some who are faithful to
the Lord and He says, " And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of
a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father"
(Revelation 2:27). This is a quotation from the second Psalm: "Ask of me, and I shall
give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy
possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like
a potter's vessel" (Psalm 2:8,9). There is a limit beyond which false doctrine and false teaching
cannot go. Some day, God Himself shall destroy that system (Revelation 171-6,16). God will
not put up forever with Jezebel and the seduction of His people. God will judge her. God
will give His people a great victory, a victory that is minutely delineated in the book of
Revelation. But God has a second reward to the faithful. "And I will give him the morning star" (Revelation 22:16). The Lord describes Himself: "I am the bright and morning star." When Christ gives us the morning star, we have Him. The morning star is also the announcement of the dawn. If we have Christ and are with Him, then we have been caught away unto Him and shall appear when He appears in glory. Caught away with our Lord, the morning star! There, when the day dawns, with our Savior, announcing the glorious consummation of the age. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Sardis - (Revelation 3:1-6) Sardis is the fifth church of the seven. In the great circle of the seven churches in Asia, the messenger carried the letter to Ephesus, then north to Smyrna, then further north to Pergamos; there, he turned south and somewhat east to Thyatira and so down to Sardis. Sardis is about 30 miles from Thyatira, about 60 miles from Pergamos and east of Smyrna about 50 miles. It was an important and wealthy city located on the commercial trade route running east and west through Lydia. An ancient city with a long history, Sardis has come beck into prominence under Roman rule. One time it was the capital of the kingdom of Lydia. Much of its wealth came from its textile manufacturing and dye industry and its jewelry trade. Most of the city practiced pagan worship, and there were many mystery cults or secret religious societies. The magnificent temple of Artemis, dating from the fourth century BC, was one of its points of interest and still exists as an important ruin. The church to which the letter was addressed continued its existence until the fourteenth century, but it never was prominent. Today, only a small village is known as Sart exists amid the ancient ruins. In relation to Sardis, Christ is introduced in verse one as the
one that has the seven spirits of God, and is similar to the description given in
Revelation 1:4. In both verses, however, the Holy Spirit is in view. Here there is an
apparent allusion to the sevenfold character of the Holy Spirit as resting upon Christ
according to the prophecy of Isaiah 11:2-5. There the Holy Spirit is described thus,
"the Spirit of the Lord." "The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the
spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."
There also He is described as coming from God and resting upon Christ. A similar
description is found later in Revelation 5:6. In addition to having the sevenfold spirit
of God, Christ is revealed as the One who has the seven stars, interpreted in 1:20 as the
angels or messengers of the seven churches. The fact that the leaders of the church
represented by these messengers belong to Christ makes their leadership and transmission
of the message all the more authoritative and responsible. The same description of Christ
as holding the seven stars in His right hand was given in relation to the letter to the
church at Ephesus in 2:1 to make clear that the leaders of the church are responsible to
no human representative of Christ and must give account directly to the Lord
Himself. The church at Sardis evidently had a reputation among the churches
in that area, and was considered a spiritual church and one that had an effective ministry
and testimony for God. From the divine standpoint, however, it is considered, as a church
that had only a name of being alive, yet actually was dead as far as spiritual life and
power were concerned. The searching judgment of Christ as it relates to the church of
Sardis is one to be pondered by the modern church, which often is full of activity, even
though there is little that speaks of Christ, spiritual life, and power. Warning Though the church at Sardis was classified as being dead in the
sight of God, it is obvious from verse two that there were some in the church who still
had true life and spirituality. The previous history of Sardis should have warned them concerning the possibility of sudden and unexpected judgment. Although the situation of the city was ideal for defense, as it stood high above the valley of Hermus, and was surrounded by deep cliffs almost impossible to scale, Sardis had twice before fallen because of overconfidence and failure to watch. In 549 B.C., Persian king Cyrus had ended the rule of Croesus by scaling the cliffs under the cover of darkness. In 214 B.C., the armies of Antiochus the Great (III) captured the city by the same method. The city of Sardis, at the time it received this letter, was in fact, in a period of decline as compared to its former glory. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his "Ninety-Five Theses" on the church door at Wittenburg, Germany. The spiritual history of the church was to correspond to the political history of the city. Their works are also declared to be not perfect, literally not fulfilled, that is, not achieving the full extent of the will of God. Their works were short, either in motive or in execution, and they are exhorted to fill to the full the opportunity of service and testimony. Prophetic Application - (1517-1750) The church of Sardis symbolized the Reformation Era. During this period of history, the church was reformed, but not revived. Some essential doctrines were reclaimed, such as the truth that people can be justified by faith, but the changes did not shake loose the elaborate rituals and human traditions of the medieval church. Complacency and new legislation set in, and only a few tasted the power of the Holy Spirit for Christian living. Not only are they exhorted to be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, but they are also warned to remember the truth that they have received, heard, and held fast to, and to turn away from any defection from it. If they refuse to heed the exhortation, Christ promises that He will come upon them unexpectedly with devastating suddenness and living judgment upon the church at Sardis. However, it is going to be just as unexpected, sudden, and irrevocable as that which is related to the Second Coming. Promise to Godly Remnant To those individuals in the Sardis church who overcame, the promise is given that they shall be clothed in white raiment. This means that the fidelity of character and service shall presently have its outward manifestation. Further, it is promised, "I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life." This book contains the names of all the individuals ever born. If a person does not receive Jesus Christ as Savior by the time he dies, his name is blotted out of the Book of Life. Philadelphia - (Revelation 3:7-13) Philadelphia was about thirty miles southeast of Sardis. It was destroyed in 17 A.D. by the same earthquake that toppled Sardis. Tiberius Caesar, the great builder of cities, reestablished it. This city was founded in 140 B.C. by the king of Pergamos, Attalus II, whose other name was Philadelphus. The city was named Philadelphia after him. It is interesting how much the letter of our Lord to this sixth Asian church reflects the topography, the history, and the situation of the city. Philadelphia means brotherly love. It is to this day largely a Christian town. Our Lord had nothing
but words of commendation for Smyrna and for this missionary church of Philadelphia.The
Philadelphian church is: the church of the missionaries, the church of the evangelists,
the church of the Bible societies, the church of the soul winners, and the church of
world-wide preaching of the gospel of the Son of God. Open Door "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the 'key of David,' He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth" (Revelation 3:7). "And the 'key of the house of David' will I lay upon His shoulder; so He shall open, and none shall shut; and He shall shut, and none shall open." This quotation is from Isaiah 22:20-22, which itself is a characterization of Eliakim, the steward of King Hezekiah. The noble, trusted man was given the key to the palace. No one came to approach the king except through Eliakim. So it is with us in Christ. There is an open door to God in our Savior and no man can shut it. In the time of Philadelphia, many famous preachers were raised. In 1792, William Cary went to India. Out of the deadness of the state churches, over and over again
came forth companies of believers energized by the Holy Spirit (The Brethren Movement). It
is a complete return to the first principles. The message makes this clear. They receive
only praise, for they pleased the Lord. It is a revival and turning back to the first
love. The Lord Jesus Christ is once more as the all-absorbing object before the heart.
Philadelphia repudiates all that dishonors Him. It is a faithful remnant gathering in His
name, around the table. The unity of believers and brotherly love was established. They
walk in the path of separation in self-judgment and in lowliness of mind. They have a
little strength, which means weakness; they are a feeble few. Twice, the Lord speaks of
obedience to His word. Thou hast kept My word. Thou hast kept the word of my patience, and
the Philadelphian does not deny His name. These are the two characteristics of this phase
of Christianity during the closing days of Christianity. The Word and the name are denied in the last days. The apostasy of Christendom exists in the rejection of the written Word and the living Word. Christ's Word and His Name The Lord speaks of Himself in a distinct way from that in which He spoke of Himself before. The way the Lord presents Himself in these epistles is always in accordance with the state of those to whom He speaks. It is for warning or encouragement, or perhaps both, as in the address to Smyrna. He that lives and was dead, enforced by the words, be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. Here, He that is holy and He that is true is a solemn admonition, and yet it surely has its blessed comfort too. This personal title in conjunction with the whole epistle seems to show the final breakup of ecclesiastical system and an individual walk becoming the whole matter. Holiness and truth have seldom been the attributes of bodies of men. Features of Philadelphia (1) Thou hast kept My word (2) and hast not denied My name. (3) Thou hast kept the word of My patience. (2) Thou hast not denied My name. Names in Scripture are
significant things. They are not there, as in the present day, put upon people for their
prettiness, or because they run in the family. God did not think it an unworthy thing
often Himself to interfere and change or give a name, and so the Lord did with His
disciples. There was a reason for the name. It was the expression of what the person was,
most generally, or would be, as in Abraham, Israel, Peter, and such the like, especially
with the names of God or of Christ. When God took the special name of Jehovah with Israel, it meant that He was going to approve Himself to them in that character, as the immutable God, the "I AM" upon whom they could rely upon to keep the covenant. So Christ is Immanuel, "God is with us" and in order that that prophecy may be or shown to be fulfilled, He is called 'Jesus,' His people's Savior from their sins. God could not be with us except our sins were met and none but a divine person could meet them - salvation must be of God, and this is all expressed in that name "Jesus." Christ is the Greek form of the Hebrew "Messiah" which speaks of Him as the one anointed of God to be the deliverer in three necessary ways: a prophet to bring out of error, a priest to open the way to God, and a king to govern for God. Thus, Christ's name is a remarkably explicit declaration of Himself. And this name of His, with the facts which it implies, is what is committed to His people to hold fast and maintain as His, in the midst of a world which has rejected Him. To confess His name involves thus the confession: of His absolute deity, His true humanity, His salvation of His people, and His being their only and sufficient Teacher, Intercessor and Lord. The name of Christ expresses what He is. The truth of what He is, is what is committed to us, what we have to confess in the face of the world. Christ is the truth; Satan is the liar from the beginning. By a lie of his, man was first seduced and fell. By the truth, he is brought back to God and sanctified. Satan's effort is therefore by counteracting lies to destroy the power of the truth. And his most successful method is not so much direct denial as perversion of the truth, knowing man's heart but too well by long experience. He knows how to combine truth and error so skillfully, that the truth shall give only the mere speciousness to the error, while the error in the guise of truth shall appeal to the lusts and passion and enlist them upon its side. (For example, a mere 10% of cyanide in a glass of milk can kill you.) If we look further into Scripture for the association in which we find the name of Christ, we shall soon see that it is connected with the whole standing and walk of the individual believer, as well as with the practical gathering together of His people. We are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. Our prayers are to be presented in His name, our every word and work is to be done in His name. Our gathering as Christians is to be "to His name." Jesus represents us in heaven; we represent Him on earth. We represent Him before the world. Whatever we do in word or deed, we are to "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17). Are not these truths which God has been graciously restoring to us in those days (Brethren Movement) afresh? No doubt the revival of justification by faith is as old as the Reformation, and was then brought out with simplicity and power. There was one thing to which the Reformation did not attain, and of which the common evangelical doctrine, so called, has fallen entirely short. The word Philadelphia means "brotherly love." Not association merely, even of brothers, but of brotherly love. So it is to be with us: love, wherever there are "brothers," love to all children of the Father as His children, but a love which consists, with deedful maintenance, of what is due to the Father. "This commandment have we from Him that he who loveth God love his brother also." In II Peter chapters 1-5, we will find the order of divine growth. "Brotherly love" comes in a very different place from what we should naturally imagine. From "faith," the beginning of everything is in us. Brotherly love is the sixth stage on towards perfection, and only short of the full maturity of "love" itself. We are first of all to add to our faith "virtue." For as faith's walk is against nature and through a hostile world, the very first requisite for it, next to faith itself, is courage. "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). What is His name? His name is above all names; Wonderful." The main test for a Philadelphian movement would be the confession or denial of the name of Christ as the center of gathering. Philadelphia is mentioned seven times in the Bible, but only as a city: Romans 12:10, I Thessalonians 4:9, Hebrews 13:1,I Peter 1:22,I Peter 1:7(twice), and Revelation 3:7. The Lord's Promises to Overcome Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep
thee from the hour of trial (temptation) that is coming upon all the world. "I will
make him a pillar in the temple of God." This of course is a figure of speech. The
entire heavenly city is considered a temple. In keeping with the symbolism, the
Philadelphian Christians will be permanent like a pillar in the temple and, speaking
figuratively, they will stand when all else has fallen. This perhaps had peculiar
significance to these who were in Philadelphia because of their historic experiences with
earthquakes, which frequently had ruined their buildings and left only the pillars
standing. The church is called the pillar and ground of the truth. Peter, John, and James (the Lord's brother) in Galatians two were called "pillars of the church." So, in the New Jerusalem, we are the adornment of God forever. "We are to be pillars and we shall go no more out." In the courses of the Old Testament priests, death took them out of their ministries. Even our first "parents" were driven out, beyond Eden to water the ground with their tears and their sweat and to be buried beneath its sod. But in the New Jerusalem, we shall "go no more out." "And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem." In the Revelation, as he looked on the saints in glory, John said, "And His name was written in their foreheads." Like the high priest of old, we also shall have the dignity of His high office, carrying with it the right of access to God forever. We shall see His face and live. And we shall be citizens of the New Jerusalem. In the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews, Abraham saw the city, which has foundations whose builder and maker is God. And in the same chapter we are told, "Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:16). "And I will write upon him My new name." He has many
names: "And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the
Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). In the glory that is to come,
the Lord does not lay these names aside. He will continue to be known by His old names
(Philippians 2:9). We see "therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him
the name which is above every name." John sees the Christ as conqueror and calls Him
"the True and Faithful" (Revelation 19:11). Verse 12: He had a new name written
that no one knew except Himself. Verse 13: And His name is called "the Word of
God." Verse 16: And His name is written KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. "And
he will be given each a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man
knoweth except he himself" (Revelation 2:17). There are worlds and universes and infinite areas in which our Lord Jesus Christ shall live and reign triumphantly beyond anything that man can imagine. These conquests are also ours. We are hid with Christ in God, from grace to grace and from glory to glory, until the fullness of our Lord is the fullness of His people and He and we are one, a world without end. Oh the blessedness of it all. Amen. The Laodicean Church - (Revelation 3:14-22) Our Lord draws from the topography of the country when He says, "You are neither cold not hot because you are tepid (lukewarm). I will spew you out of my mouth." In the district around Laodicea and Hierapolis were hot mineral springs. Lukewarm mineral water is most nauseating and ill tasting. So our Lord uses the background of those hot mineral springs, cooled off and making the drinker sick. Then He says, "You say I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked." From the beginning, Laodicea was a success story. Jewish merchants made this province very rich. Laodiceans had a breed of sheep raised in that district that was different from any other in the world. The wool of the sheep was black and its glossy, raven-colored beauty was superior to any other to be found in the world. Laodicea manufactured four different kinds of garments, one being an outer garment. One other thing our Lord refers to in the background of the city. "Anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see." There was a medical center in Laodicea, and one of the things manufactured and exported among other medicinal products was a "tephra phrygia," which was a tablet bought all over the Roman Empire. The users crushed it and put it on their eyes in order to heal any eye ailment. Christ the Eternal and Faithful Witness "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God" (Revelation 3:14). As in His introduction to other churches of Asia, Christ describes Himself in an unusual way as the "Amen" in addressing the angel of the church in Laodicea. The frequent use of Amen, meaning, "so be it," is a feature of the declarations of Christ and is usually translated "verily," or used as an ending to a prayer. As a title of Christ, it indicates His sovereignty and the certainty of the fulfillment of His promises. As Paul wrote the Corinthians, "For all the promises of God are in Him, yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us" (II Corinthians 1:20). When Christ speaks, it is the final word, and His will is always effected. Christ is called the faithful and true witness in contrast to the church in Laodicea which was neither faithful nor true. Christ had been earlier introduced as the faithful witness in 1:5 and as He that is true in 3:7. Laodicea means the "judging or rights of people." It is opposite of Nicolaitanism. In Protestantism, the people (the laity) arise and claim their rights and do the judging. This condition was also foreseen by Paul in II Timothy 4:3. We see in Laodicea the final religious and apostate conditions of Protestant Christendom and the complete rejection of the professing body. Not Cold, not Hot, but Lukewarm The Laodicean church is a lukewarm church, not cold, not hot, but
lukewarm. It is vastly indifferent. It is indifferent to doctrine, to truth, and to the
teaching of God. To the Laodiceans, one church was about as good as another. For them,
Christianity was a sort of civic betterment program, a sort of "pay your debt and
don't kill anyone," etc. Such Christians are lukewarm and indifferent to the great
fundamental truths that God reveals in His Book. The Laodicean Church was not only lukewarm and indifferent about the great truth and doctrine of God, but its members did not even know the truth and the doctrine of God. So today, ask any so-called Christians some simple questions about God, about the Bible and about the revelation of Christ, and he has no idea what to answer. The Laodiceans were untaught and mostly did not care. What does the church believe? What does it stand for? What is its teaching? What is its goal? They worshiped Baal and Jehovah at the same time. It worshiped God and mammon at the same time. Today, men try to worship Christ and the world at the same time. The lukewarm church lives in the world, is a part of the world, worships and loves the same things that the world does. One cannot tell the difference between such a church and the world. Another characteristic of the Laodicean Church is that it was self-deceived. They said, "We are rich." Christ said, "You are poor." They said, "We don't need anything." Christ said, "You are wretched." They were filled with self-content and self-satisfaction. Today's Humanism and the New Age teach these philosophies, that we can do without God. Christ Outside The Philadelphian Christian, who is separated from the Laodicean state, whose heart is filled with the love of Christ, can learn a lesson here. If our Lord stands outside and yet knocks and waits in patience, we too with Him outside of the camp, where He is disowned, can try to gain admittance into the Laodicean hearts. Epaphras did this (Colossians 4:12-13). Laodicea consists in a proudly boasting spirit with total indifference to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His name. It is a religiousness without any truth, nor the power of the Holy Spirit. He is on the outside, what a tragedy and sadness. Promise To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as
I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. There are two thrones. First,
there is the Father's throne, the throne of the invisible. Christ as God and co-regent
with the Father is sat down in the Father's throne, unapproachable, awesome and removed.
But there is another throne. There is Christ's throne, the throne of our Lord. He shall be
our visible King, our reigning Lord, and all of the power of kingdom and empire will be in
His hands. And in that day, we shall reign with Him, according to the Word of God
(Revelation 22:3). Taken as a whole, the messages to the seven churches of Asia constitute a comprehensive warning from Christ Himself as embodied in the exhortations to each of the churches. In summary, there is a warning for the churches of today to "hear what the Spirit says unto the churches." The church at Ephesus represents the danger of losing our first love (2:4). The church at Smyrna representing the danger of the fear of suffering, was exhorted (2:10). "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer." The church at Pergamos illustrates the constant danger of doctrinal compromise (2:14,15). The church at Thyatira is a monument to the danger of moral compromise (2:20). The church today may well take heed to the departure from moral standards, which has invaded the church itself. The church at Sardis is a warning against the danger of spiritual deadness (3:1,2), of orthodoxy without life, a mere outward appearance of being like the Pharisees, white sepulchers. The final message to the church at Laodicea is the crowning indictment, a warning against the danger of lukewarmness (3:15,16), of self-sufficiency, of being unconscious of desperate spiritual need.
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