Rev 2:12 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15 Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
This capital city is where Satan has his throne, the serpent, the symbol of healing of the pagan god Asclepius was everywhere in the city. It was also a centre of Caesar worship, it had a temple dedicated to Rome and it also had many heathen temples.
v12 - "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. - The double-edged sword is a reference to the Word of God, Heb 4:16 see also Rev 1:16, 19:15. He will use this sword to fight against the Balaamites and Nicolaitans in v16.
v13 - I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives. - In the case of the other church (except Smyrna) Jesus says 'I know your deed' here he says 'I know where you live--where Satan has his throne', he knows that they are living where Satan seemingly reigns, this must bring comfort to the church. Pergamum was a centre of both pagan religion and Caesar worship, Asclepius the serpent God of healing was worshipped there and so the city can truly be described as one where Satan reigns, i.e. has his throne. However this is precisely the place where Christians are to witness, c.f. 'Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified' (11:8). The Greek word used here for witness is martys, thus by the witness of his life and death Antipas bore witness to Jesus, becoming an example for much of the book later. Jesus knows our circumstances, he knows that the church at Pergamum is where Satan has his throne, he knows about the martyrdom of Antipas this should bring comfort to the saints. Jesus is the faithful witness (1:5), Antipas is one who followed the example of Jesus and remained faithful unto death (2:10, 14:12), just as Christ remained faithful until death, and is called here my faithful witness; being faithful under persecution is one of the key messages of revelation. But after death Christ rose again, just as the two witnesses came to life again (11:11). In Revelation we find those who died for the sake of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus, but they are alive in heaven and will live for eternity as they drink from the waters of life. Just as Christ's death brings many sons to glory so the death of the martyrs is a necessary part of God's plan for the world. The martyrs are the seed bed of the church and the death of the martyrs acts as a testimony to men and will result in some people coming to repentance. The testimony of God's people through their life and death is a part of God's plan, just as the life and death of Jesus was.
v14 - Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. - While the church coped with the external threat of persecution it did not deal with the threat from within the church. They had been infiltrated by Satan's servants who introduce destructive heresies. The book of Revelation is largely about the external enemies of the church yet we must not forget the false prophets within the church. The word of God warns us about false prophets, Mat 7:15, 24:24, 2 Pet 2:1, 1 John 4:1. In the letters to the seven churches Jesus is purifying his church so that it will cope with the coming persecution. For Balaam the false prophet see Numbers 22-25:3, 31:16, 2 Pet 2:15. He enticed God's people to commit sexual immorality and bow down and eat food offered to idols, Num 31:16. These sins all involve spiritual and physical compromise with the world, the church of God is to be blameless and holy (11:2, 14:4-5, 20:6, 21:2). Idols are mentioned because God wants to purify his church of anything that resembles idolatry (2 Cor 6:12-7:1 cf. Rev 18:4) which is the fundamental sin of those who worship the beast and his image (cf. 13:14-15, 14:7, 9-12).
v14 - eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality - These are the same things mentioned in the letter to Thyatira, there they tolerated the woman Jezebel, who called herself a prophetess, but who by her teaching misleads God's servants into sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols, Rev 2:20. Paul covers these topics in 1 Cor they are also mentioned in Acts 15:28, these are clearly matters that troubled the Christians of the time, see Acts 15:28-29, 1 Cor 6:18, 8:1. They involve compromise with the world; the church is to be holy and separate from the world, in the world but not of it. John was clearly concerned by idolatry (1 John 5:21).
v15 - Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. - For the relationship between the Nicolations and Balaam see Rev 2:6 in the letter to the Ephesians. They permitted compromise with the world. This heresy is one that all God's people are tempted with throughout church history, it is nothing new. Another OT figure, Jezebel, is used while describing the same sins in Rev 2:20 again she compromises with the world. The saints are to be pure for they are the bride of Christ, Rev 14:4. False teaching is one of Satan's main weapons against the church, see his river of lies (12:15). If he cannot destroy the church from without he will try to destroy it from within, in 2 Cor 11:13-15 Paul talks about Satan's servants masquerading as apostles of Christ.
v16 - Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. - Christ first commands them to repent, that is the whole church for allowing this sin within and in particular those actually committing the sin, but if they do not then He will fight against them, that is those who hold to the teachings of the Nicolations, not against the church as a whole. He will fight against them with the word of God, compare with the description of Christ at his second coming in Rev 19:15 in which he will strike down the nations with the sword that comes out of his mouth. This could therefore be a reference to the second coming which is also mentioned in the letter to the church in Sardis (3:3), or it could refer to some other judgment.
v17 - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. - Note the formula: 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches', we need to heed what is being said here. Manna was the daily food for the Israelites in the desert (Exo 16:31, Psa 78:24), it alludes to the proper heavenly food that is Christ (John 6:57-58) in contrast to the food offered to idols. There could also be a connection to the fruit of the tree of life, 'If anyone eats of this bread (i.e. Christ), he will live forever' (John 6:51). In the ancient law courts white and black stones were used for registering the verdicts of Juries, black for condemnation and white for acquittal. This would mean that the Christian is acquitted in God's sight because of the work of Jesus Christ. In the ancient world there was a common custom to carry a charm or amulet. It could be just a pebble on which there was a sacred name.
To know a God's name was to have a certain power over him and to summon him in times of difficulty. It was thought to be doubly effective if no one else knew the name inscribed on it. Lang remarks that Pergamum was tempted to eat defiled food, but he who defeated this temptation should eat of the sacred food of heaven, Christ, now hidden from men. Each who held fast the profession of His name, when it meant death to do this, shall receive His right to use His new name in the kingdom. Isaiah said that God would give his people a new name (Isa 62:2). As well as a new name in Revelation there are references to the New Jerusalem (3:12, 21:2), a new song (5:9, 14:3), a new heaven and new earth (21:1) and in 21:5 God says 'I am making everything new'. The new name would be appropriate to a new life and status in God's new creation and society. The old order of things has passed away, the saints will live in a new body and the new name signifies the demise of the old life lived in a decaying body amidst a corrupt world and the start of a new incorruptible life. The new song could only be learned by those redeemed from the earth and the new name is part of ones reward for remaining faithful to Jesus while on the old earth. It is interesting to note that Sarai, Abram and Israel all were given a new name by God to denote a change from their old life to a life after some new revelation of God (Gen 17:5, 15, 32:28).
Sandford says the following about the white stone; "Alchemists were fond of speaking of the 'lapis lazuli,' or white stone (actually a rich azure or sky-blue)... ...Alchemists sought by science and discipline to build themselves into perfected stones - actually to become the white stone by which they could possess total knowledge and wisdom... ... On the island of Patmos, whether or not John was aware of alchemy, the Holy Spirit certainly was, and the Lord promised, [quotes Rev. 2:17]. In Hebrew culture, a white stone was given to a man who had been forgiven great sins. Wearing the stone was a sign that he had been forgiven. But the Holy Spirit may also be saying something like this: 'To him who overcomes will I give a perfected soul; no one has to study alchemy to achieve it.' Every Christian is in the process of being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ, which will finally be accomplished in 'the twinkling of an eye' (1 Cor. 15:52) - as a gift and not by alchemic science or its modern counterpart, New Age humanism."
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Perseverance outlast Persecution; the letter to the church at Smyrna
Rev 2:8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Smyrna is today called the city of Izmir; it lies about 35 miles north of Ephesus on the Aegean coast of Turkey. It has an excellent harbor. It had a strong allegiance to Rome and in 195 BC it became the first city in the ancient world to build a temple in honor of Emperor worship. Later in 23 BC, Smyrna won permission to build a temple to the emperor Tiberius. The strong allegiance to Rome plus a large Jewish population which was actively hostile to the Christians made it exceptionally difficult to live as a Christian in Smyrna. The most famous martyrdom of the early church fathers was of the elderly Polycarp, the 'twelfth martyr in Smyrna', who, upon his refusal to acknowledge Caesar as Lord, was placed upon a pyre to be burned. Christians in those days were known as atheist because they refused to worship Caesar. Polycarp was given an opportunity to recant simply by pointing to the other Christians that were with him and saying the words, “away with the atheist.” Instead he pointed to the legions gathered to witness the executions in the coliseum and said “away with the atheist!” Polycarp knew who the true Lord of Glory was and refused to worship any other.
v8 - "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again - This a repetition of his self designation, see Rev 1:17-18. He is the first and the last word in human history and therefore is sovereign over what is in between. Through him the world was created and human history will end when he comes again. He died and came to life again and hence conquered death, he is the firstborn of many brothers, this should be of comfort to those in Smyrna who are about to be persecuted and some will die.
v9 - I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! - For the other churches (except Pergamum) Christ says 'I know your deeds' but here he says 'I know your affliction and your poverty - yet you are rich'. They were physically poor but spiritually rich contrast this with the Laodiceans who thought that they were rich but were poor, 3:17 (Jam 2:5). Physically the church in Smyrna suffered from persecution from the Jews and they were poor, they had few luxuries and possessions, yet spiritually they were rich in the sight of Christ. Jesus sees their affliction; he knows about it, this must be of comfort to this persecuted church.
v9 - I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. - Again he says 'I know the slander...' he sees their situation, he is aware of it and its injustice, once again this must bring comfort to this church. These Jews follow Satan in slandering God's people, the word Satan means accuser (12:10), but the Devil means slanderer. Behind these Jews stands Satan; it is he, not Abraham, who is their spiritual father, John 8:44. Slander, that is telling lies to blacken the character of people, is one of Satan's weapons against the church; see the river of lies, Rev 12:15. Again in the letter to Philadelphia there is a reference to those who claim but to be Jews but are liars; they are actually a synagogue of Satan (3:9). See also other examples of Jewish antagonism in Acts 13:45, 14:2, 17:5, 18:6, and 25:7. Paul defines a real Jew not as one physically circumcised but as one circumcised in the heart by the Spirit (Rom 2:29) and who believes God just as Abraham believed God (Gal 3:6-7).
v10 - Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. - Here we find John's first warning concerning the persecution of the Church, the second occurs in the letter to the church in Pergamum. First Christ counsels them not to be afraid of what they are about to suffer. Christ by telling them beforehand is indicating that, as the all knowing God, it is part of his plan and under his control. In John 16:33 Jesus tells his disciples that in world they will have tribulation, but to take courage; he has overcome the world, cf. 3:21, 5:5. In Luke 12:4 Jesus warns us not to fear man who can kill the body but do no more, we should fear God who, when the body is dead, can cast us into hell. 1 Pet 3:13-18 tells us not to be afraid if we suffer for doing right, we have the example of Jesus who died for doing right but he was raised again (cf. 1 Pet 2:19-25, Isa 51:7-8). Ten days is a limited, but complete, period of time known by God, note that Daniel asked to be tested for ten days to see whether he would still look well on a diet of vegetables (Dan 1:12). The devil will put some of them in prison to test them, not the devil himself but using his human subjects just as he uses the beast to wage war against God's servants later, 11:7, 13:7. The Lord encourages them to be faithful by stressing the reward that this will bring them just as he did in Mat 5:10-12 in which those who are persecuted because of Him will have a great reward in heaven. There were in fact ten periods of persecution during the time of the Roman Empire until the 'conversion' of Constantine in 316 AD. Christ is aware of what is about to happen to them, but he does not intervene because it is for their ultimate good that they be tested even unto death so that they will receive the great reward of the crown of life spoken of by James. Just as Jesus overcame by dying, so the saints overcome by being faithful even to the point of death. The church of Pergamum did not renounce their faith in the face of martyrdom, 2:13. The fact that Christ died and came to life again (v8) also ensures that even though they die they will live again.
v10 - Be faithful, even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life. - By dying they will gain their (eternal) life (John 12:25). He who stands firm to the end will be saved. Martyrdom is a common theme in the book, but there is also a promise that he will receive the crown of (eternal) life. Jesus had already conquered death, he came to life again, verse 8. They will be tested; this is in harmony with the rest of scripture, after which they will receive the crown of life, Jam 1:12. They must be faithful unto death to receive the crown of life, a wonderful Christian paradox, John 12:25. The word for crown used here is the victors’ crown, rather than the royal crown, which is appropriate for those who have overcome i.e. won the victory. The crown of life is eternal life, which is signified by the water of life and the tree of life later in Rev 22:1. Here in one line is the message of the book of Revelation: Be faithful, even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life. This message is further expanded in the death of the two witnesses (11:7) and later when the beast wages war on the saints and overcomes them (13:7), but in both cases God vindicates his servants because the two witnesses are raised to life again (11:11) and we find those who are victorious over the beast praising God in heaven (15:2).
v11 - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. - Note the formula: 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches', we need to heed what is being said here. This verse again emphasizes the reward for being faithful, even to the point of death; the far worse second death will not hurt them (21:7-8). The second death is contrasted with the crown of life of v10; the second death is lake of fire, Rev 20:14. It takes only a short while to endure the pain of the first death even as a martyr, the pain of the second death lasts for eternity. Those who endure to the end (Mat 10:22, 2 Tim 2:12) and are faithful to the death will be saved from the lake of fire. Note how the saints in 12:11 overcome Satan, who is mentioned here as the devil v10, 'by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death'.
The lesson we can take away from this church, is that we too will face persecution and adversity but God is faithful.
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Smyrna is today called the city of Izmir; it lies about 35 miles north of Ephesus on the Aegean coast of Turkey. It has an excellent harbor. It had a strong allegiance to Rome and in 195 BC it became the first city in the ancient world to build a temple in honor of Emperor worship. Later in 23 BC, Smyrna won permission to build a temple to the emperor Tiberius. The strong allegiance to Rome plus a large Jewish population which was actively hostile to the Christians made it exceptionally difficult to live as a Christian in Smyrna. The most famous martyrdom of the early church fathers was of the elderly Polycarp, the 'twelfth martyr in Smyrna', who, upon his refusal to acknowledge Caesar as Lord, was placed upon a pyre to be burned. Christians in those days were known as atheist because they refused to worship Caesar. Polycarp was given an opportunity to recant simply by pointing to the other Christians that were with him and saying the words, “away with the atheist.” Instead he pointed to the legions gathered to witness the executions in the coliseum and said “away with the atheist!” Polycarp knew who the true Lord of Glory was and refused to worship any other.
v8 - "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again - This a repetition of his self designation, see Rev 1:17-18. He is the first and the last word in human history and therefore is sovereign over what is in between. Through him the world was created and human history will end when he comes again. He died and came to life again and hence conquered death, he is the firstborn of many brothers, this should be of comfort to those in Smyrna who are about to be persecuted and some will die.
v9 - I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! - For the other churches (except Pergamum) Christ says 'I know your deeds' but here he says 'I know your affliction and your poverty - yet you are rich'. They were physically poor but spiritually rich contrast this with the Laodiceans who thought that they were rich but were poor, 3:17 (Jam 2:5). Physically the church in Smyrna suffered from persecution from the Jews and they were poor, they had few luxuries and possessions, yet spiritually they were rich in the sight of Christ. Jesus sees their affliction; he knows about it, this must be of comfort to this persecuted church.
v9 - I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. - Again he says 'I know the slander...' he sees their situation, he is aware of it and its injustice, once again this must bring comfort to this church. These Jews follow Satan in slandering God's people, the word Satan means accuser (12:10), but the Devil means slanderer. Behind these Jews stands Satan; it is he, not Abraham, who is their spiritual father, John 8:44. Slander, that is telling lies to blacken the character of people, is one of Satan's weapons against the church; see the river of lies, Rev 12:15. Again in the letter to Philadelphia there is a reference to those who claim but to be Jews but are liars; they are actually a synagogue of Satan (3:9). See also other examples of Jewish antagonism in Acts 13:45, 14:2, 17:5, 18:6, and 25:7. Paul defines a real Jew not as one physically circumcised but as one circumcised in the heart by the Spirit (Rom 2:29) and who believes God just as Abraham believed God (Gal 3:6-7).
v10 - Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. - Here we find John's first warning concerning the persecution of the Church, the second occurs in the letter to the church in Pergamum. First Christ counsels them not to be afraid of what they are about to suffer. Christ by telling them beforehand is indicating that, as the all knowing God, it is part of his plan and under his control. In John 16:33 Jesus tells his disciples that in world they will have tribulation, but to take courage; he has overcome the world, cf. 3:21, 5:5. In Luke 12:4 Jesus warns us not to fear man who can kill the body but do no more, we should fear God who, when the body is dead, can cast us into hell. 1 Pet 3:13-18 tells us not to be afraid if we suffer for doing right, we have the example of Jesus who died for doing right but he was raised again (cf. 1 Pet 2:19-25, Isa 51:7-8). Ten days is a limited, but complete, period of time known by God, note that Daniel asked to be tested for ten days to see whether he would still look well on a diet of vegetables (Dan 1:12). The devil will put some of them in prison to test them, not the devil himself but using his human subjects just as he uses the beast to wage war against God's servants later, 11:7, 13:7. The Lord encourages them to be faithful by stressing the reward that this will bring them just as he did in Mat 5:10-12 in which those who are persecuted because of Him will have a great reward in heaven. There were in fact ten periods of persecution during the time of the Roman Empire until the 'conversion' of Constantine in 316 AD. Christ is aware of what is about to happen to them, but he does not intervene because it is for their ultimate good that they be tested even unto death so that they will receive the great reward of the crown of life spoken of by James. Just as Jesus overcame by dying, so the saints overcome by being faithful even to the point of death. The church of Pergamum did not renounce their faith in the face of martyrdom, 2:13. The fact that Christ died and came to life again (v8) also ensures that even though they die they will live again.
v10 - Be faithful, even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life. - By dying they will gain their (eternal) life (John 12:25). He who stands firm to the end will be saved. Martyrdom is a common theme in the book, but there is also a promise that he will receive the crown of (eternal) life. Jesus had already conquered death, he came to life again, verse 8. They will be tested; this is in harmony with the rest of scripture, after which they will receive the crown of life, Jam 1:12. They must be faithful unto death to receive the crown of life, a wonderful Christian paradox, John 12:25. The word for crown used here is the victors’ crown, rather than the royal crown, which is appropriate for those who have overcome i.e. won the victory. The crown of life is eternal life, which is signified by the water of life and the tree of life later in Rev 22:1. Here in one line is the message of the book of Revelation: Be faithful, even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life. This message is further expanded in the death of the two witnesses (11:7) and later when the beast wages war on the saints and overcomes them (13:7), but in both cases God vindicates his servants because the two witnesses are raised to life again (11:11) and we find those who are victorious over the beast praising God in heaven (15:2).
v11 - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. - Note the formula: 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches', we need to heed what is being said here. This verse again emphasizes the reward for being faithful, even to the point of death; the far worse second death will not hurt them (21:7-8). The second death is contrasted with the crown of life of v10; the second death is lake of fire, Rev 20:14. It takes only a short while to endure the pain of the first death even as a martyr, the pain of the second death lasts for eternity. Those who endure to the end (Mat 10:22, 2 Tim 2:12) and are faithful to the death will be saved from the lake of fire. Note how the saints in 12:11 overcome Satan, who is mentioned here as the devil v10, 'by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death'.
The lesson we can take away from this church, is that we too will face persecution and adversity but God is faithful.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Losing our first love; the message to the church in Ephesus
"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first."-Revelation 2:4 ESV
This letter is addressed to the angel, or messenger, or the church at Ephesus, which is probably a reference to the pastor or elders of the church. Unlike today, in the first century church the Bible was read in community, so it could be discussed and properly understood. I believe the church of today would do well to return to this practice. We do glean from God's word any time it is opened and read, but together we can answer questions and learn together which is often much more effective than going it alone.
Ephesus was the most prominent city in Roman Asia Minor, serving as a religious and commercial center for that part of the world. It was home to one of the seven wonders of the world, the temple of Diana, a Greek/Roman goddess. The temple was able to seat 24, 000 people and was a center of immorality which included a bank and an art gallery. Great revenue was derived from the sale of statues of Diana.
The Church in Ephesus was established by the Apostle Paul on his second missionary journey, and he would later spend three years there. The letter which we know as Ephesians was written by Paul to Christians in the city. Later Paul established Timothy as the pastor of the church, and the two letters written to Timothy from Paul were received by him while he was there. It is also likely, that John the Apostle became leader of the church following Timothy's ministry. The point is that the church at Ephesus was not lacking in quality leadership.
The message to the church begins in Revelation 2:1 and concludes in verse seven. The challenge to the church is a challenge to us as well. "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left your first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."(Revelation 2:4-5 KJV) This church in spite of the good qualities and leadership it possessed was in danger of losing their place of influence because they had abandoned their first love. They were commanded to remember their former place of dedication, repent of their present place of apathy, and repeat the works they did in the beginning when their love for God was em passioned.
We would all do well to take a lesson from the Ephesians and ignite the passion for Christ in are lives afresh and anew.
This letter is addressed to the angel, or messenger, or the church at Ephesus, which is probably a reference to the pastor or elders of the church. Unlike today, in the first century church the Bible was read in community, so it could be discussed and properly understood. I believe the church of today would do well to return to this practice. We do glean from God's word any time it is opened and read, but together we can answer questions and learn together which is often much more effective than going it alone.
Ephesus was the most prominent city in Roman Asia Minor, serving as a religious and commercial center for that part of the world. It was home to one of the seven wonders of the world, the temple of Diana, a Greek/Roman goddess. The temple was able to seat 24, 000 people and was a center of immorality which included a bank and an art gallery. Great revenue was derived from the sale of statues of Diana.
The Church in Ephesus was established by the Apostle Paul on his second missionary journey, and he would later spend three years there. The letter which we know as Ephesians was written by Paul to Christians in the city. Later Paul established Timothy as the pastor of the church, and the two letters written to Timothy from Paul were received by him while he was there. It is also likely, that John the Apostle became leader of the church following Timothy's ministry. The point is that the church at Ephesus was not lacking in quality leadership.
The message to the church begins in Revelation 2:1 and concludes in verse seven. The challenge to the church is a challenge to us as well. "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left your first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."(Revelation 2:4-5 KJV) This church in spite of the good qualities and leadership it possessed was in danger of losing their place of influence because they had abandoned their first love. They were commanded to remember their former place of dedication, repent of their present place of apathy, and repeat the works they did in the beginning when their love for God was em passioned.
We would all do well to take a lesson from the Ephesians and ignite the passion for Christ in are lives afresh and anew.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.”-Revelation 1:1(ESV)
It is with these words that perhaps the most least understood book of the Bible begins. But like all of scripture it is divinely inspired and ordered by the Holy Spirit for our instruction. As Paul points out in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”, and this would certainly apply to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, just as it does to the entirety of the cannon. When reading the book of Revelation, we must as with all of scripture, “rightly divide the word of truth.” We do this by first understanding the context of the passages involved; remember that although all of scripture is for us, it was not written to us. All of scripture, including the book of Revelation was written to specific groups of people living in a real historical context and culture. So in order to better understand the message that the Word of God has for us, it is helpful to understand to whom that Word was originally addressed. In the case of the book of Revelation, this letter was addressed by the Apostle John to “…the seven churches that are in Asia.” These churches are listed for us in Revelation 1:11 as Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Again these were real cities with real Churches facing a very difficult time in history and the more we understand about what was addressed to them, the better we can understand what the Holy Spirit has for us.
First we must understand this is a book about Jesus Christ, and the unveiling of things to come and the revealing of the Lord of Glory. This book is not about the anti-christ, it is not about a tribulation, the book is about what every book of the Bible is about, Jesus Christ. Every book in the Bible, regardless of its genre or story is ultimately about Jesus Christ. As Christ told the Pharisees in John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness of me”, so the book of Revelation with all of its seemingly mysterious text is about Jesus Christ.
Next, the book was written by John as instructed by Lord who came to him in a vision while exiled on the isle of Patmos.
– “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Sprit on the Lord’s Day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet…”-Rev.1:9-10.
John refers to the Lord’s Day, but this is not a reference to the day of the week but rather it is an Old Testament reference to “the day of the Lord” which speaks of the judgment of God on disobedient Israel. In fact, as pointed out by the Christian Research Institute the book of Revelation contains 404 verses, of these, 278 allude to Old Testament prophetic passages.
Patmos, the place of John’s exile was no Bahamian vacation in fact; the isle of Patmos is only ten miles long and six miles wide. Patmos is located in the Aegean Sea ten miles southeast of Ephesus (modern day Turkey). According to the New Testament scholar Sir William Ramsey, exile was “preceded by scourging, marked by perpetual fetters, scanty clothing, insufficient food, and sleep on the bare ground in a dark prison, and work under the lash of military overseers.” It was in this harsh and cruel environment that John saw the Lord.
Finally as Bible teacher David Jeremiah points out, John received this vision while in the Spirit which is referenced in Revelation 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10. In this glorious vision John sees the Lord in a magnificent manner which syncs with the entirety of scripture when describing the greatness of our God.
• His clothing: Rev.1:13; Isaiah 6:1; Isaiah 11:5; John 13:4-5
• His head and hair: Rev.1:14; Daniel 7:9-13
• His eyes: Rev.1:14b; Psalm 11:4; Heb.4:13
• His feet: Rev.1:15; Isaiah 52:7; Rom.10:15
• His mouth: Rev.1:15b-16; Psalm 29:4; Ezekiel 43:2; Eph.6:17; Heb.4:12; Rev.19
• His hands: Rev.1:16; Daniel 12:3
• His face: Rev.1:17; Matt.17:2; Acts 26:13
This vision has a very profound impact on John. This picture of Jesus paralyzed John until touched by the Lord and then Jesus tells John not to fear for three reasons
“Fear not, for I am the Eternal God”
“Fear not, for I am the Resurrected Christ”
“Fear not, for I have the keys of death and hell.”
As we move forward in coming weeks and discover together what these seven churches were facing, it should become clear to us that the same Christ which spoke to them and called them by name continues to guide us by his Word. So that we, as did the seven churches in Asia, can be confident in the fact that Christ knows where we are at and what we are facing and has not, nor will not forsake us.
It is with these words that perhaps the most least understood book of the Bible begins. But like all of scripture it is divinely inspired and ordered by the Holy Spirit for our instruction. As Paul points out in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”, and this would certainly apply to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, just as it does to the entirety of the cannon. When reading the book of Revelation, we must as with all of scripture, “rightly divide the word of truth.” We do this by first understanding the context of the passages involved; remember that although all of scripture is for us, it was not written to us. All of scripture, including the book of Revelation was written to specific groups of people living in a real historical context and culture. So in order to better understand the message that the Word of God has for us, it is helpful to understand to whom that Word was originally addressed. In the case of the book of Revelation, this letter was addressed by the Apostle John to “…the seven churches that are in Asia.” These churches are listed for us in Revelation 1:11 as Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Again these were real cities with real Churches facing a very difficult time in history and the more we understand about what was addressed to them, the better we can understand what the Holy Spirit has for us.
First we must understand this is a book about Jesus Christ, and the unveiling of things to come and the revealing of the Lord of Glory. This book is not about the anti-christ, it is not about a tribulation, the book is about what every book of the Bible is about, Jesus Christ. Every book in the Bible, regardless of its genre or story is ultimately about Jesus Christ. As Christ told the Pharisees in John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness of me”, so the book of Revelation with all of its seemingly mysterious text is about Jesus Christ.
Next, the book was written by John as instructed by Lord who came to him in a vision while exiled on the isle of Patmos.
– “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Sprit on the Lord’s Day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet…”-Rev.1:9-10.
John refers to the Lord’s Day, but this is not a reference to the day of the week but rather it is an Old Testament reference to “the day of the Lord” which speaks of the judgment of God on disobedient Israel. In fact, as pointed out by the Christian Research Institute the book of Revelation contains 404 verses, of these, 278 allude to Old Testament prophetic passages.
Patmos, the place of John’s exile was no Bahamian vacation in fact; the isle of Patmos is only ten miles long and six miles wide. Patmos is located in the Aegean Sea ten miles southeast of Ephesus (modern day Turkey). According to the New Testament scholar Sir William Ramsey, exile was “preceded by scourging, marked by perpetual fetters, scanty clothing, insufficient food, and sleep on the bare ground in a dark prison, and work under the lash of military overseers.” It was in this harsh and cruel environment that John saw the Lord.
Finally as Bible teacher David Jeremiah points out, John received this vision while in the Spirit which is referenced in Revelation 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10. In this glorious vision John sees the Lord in a magnificent manner which syncs with the entirety of scripture when describing the greatness of our God.
• His clothing: Rev.1:13; Isaiah 6:1; Isaiah 11:5; John 13:4-5
• His head and hair: Rev.1:14; Daniel 7:9-13
• His eyes: Rev.1:14b; Psalm 11:4; Heb.4:13
• His feet: Rev.1:15; Isaiah 52:7; Rom.10:15
• His mouth: Rev.1:15b-16; Psalm 29:4; Ezekiel 43:2; Eph.6:17; Heb.4:12; Rev.19
• His hands: Rev.1:16; Daniel 12:3
• His face: Rev.1:17; Matt.17:2; Acts 26:13
This vision has a very profound impact on John. This picture of Jesus paralyzed John until touched by the Lord and then Jesus tells John not to fear for three reasons
“Fear not, for I am the Eternal God”
“Fear not, for I am the Resurrected Christ”
“Fear not, for I have the keys of death and hell.”
As we move forward in coming weeks and discover together what these seven churches were facing, it should become clear to us that the same Christ which spoke to them and called them by name continues to guide us by his Word. So that we, as did the seven churches in Asia, can be confident in the fact that Christ knows where we are at and what we are facing and has not, nor will not forsake us.
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