Thyatira, A Totally Corrupt Church
Rev 2:18-29
Pergamos had major problems, but Thyatira had taken it all to a new level
1. The City and The Lord—“…And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, 'These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass…”
a. The City: Thyatira was: (From AT Robertson) “… forty miles south-east of Pergamum, a Lydian city on the edge of Mysia, under Rome since B.C. 190, a centre of trade, especially for the royal purple, home of Lydia of Philippi (Acts 16:14f.), shown by inscriptions to be full of trade guilds, Apollo the chief deity with no emperor-worship…”
b. The Son of God—
(1) Christ identifies Himself to them by His title of Deity
(2) As God, He has all authority, He is the ultimate judge of what is right and what is wrong.
c. Authority is going to be an issue here, because the sins of this church and the corruption of this church contradict the Biblical standards for behavior .
(1) And what is more, they thought they were right—even though they were very wrong.
(2) Pergamos was being corrupted, and where they were going was toward the corruption of Thyatira that we see here.
(a) Church Corruption always begins with human sin, then it progresses to a claim for Christian liberty or tolerance
(b) Those with standards, who hold for the Truth are misrepresented as being unloving and/or judgmental
(c) The next step is to solidify the corruption by teaching a corrupt theology.
(d) Then one morning the orthodox believers awake to find themselves outnumbered and the heretics in charge.
d. His eyes like a flame of fire
(1) The “X-ray” vision of God—nothing can be hid from Him—(Prov 5:21) "For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths."
(2) (Heb 4:12-13) "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."
(3) Christ Jesus sees what is going on, and He is angry about it—there will be no compromise with HIM!
e. His feet like burnished brass—He has His HEAVY boots on—pure brass, ready to take a stand and stamp out the heresy
2. The Commendations—19 "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first…”
a. First note: The commendations are minimal
(1) Works—and the latter are more than the first!
(a) A corrupted church can still produce works of charity; indeed that is often how corrupted churches assuage their feelings of guilt!
(b) Working “for the Lord” is no evidence of legitimacy, nor is it an evidence of individual salvation—(Mat 7:21-23) ""Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"
(2) Love—there was some degree of agape there—from the true believers
(3) Service—there was genuine serving going on, again, most likely from the remnant of true believers
(4) Faith
(5) Patience
b. But one thing that is most definitely not mentioned is Truth
3. The Condemnations: a corrupted church—(Rev 2:20) ""Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols."
a. I have this against YOU
(1) Both pronouns are in the singular
(2) Jesus is talking to the Pastor!
(3) Again, the eldership of a church is charged by God with guarding the church and with dealing with false teachers or others who disturb the holiness of the church—(Acts 20:28-31) ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."
(4) Remember these warnings to preachers and teachers—
(a) (2 Tim 4:1-2) "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."
(b) (James 3:1) "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment."
b. This was a church where the majority was corrupt and the true believers were relegated to being a remnant—no doubt they had gone through the process that Pergamos was currently in the middle of, but they had seen the tragic results of “tolerance” of evil allowed to the point where it was the dominant factor and faction in the church
c. First—what was the substance of the false doctrine taught here?
(1) Early Gnosticism? “… doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say…”
(2) Gnosticism
(a) Special knowledge
(b) Libertarian lifestyle
(c) Usually syncretic
(3) (From AT Robinson)—“…The deep things of Satan (ta bathea tou Satanā). The Ophites (worshippers of the serpent) and other later Gnostics (Cainites, Carpocratians, Naassenes) boasted of their knowledge of “the deep things,” some claiming this very language about Satan (the serpent) as Paul did of God (1 Cor 2:10). It is not clear whether the words here quoted are a boast of the Nicolaitans or a reproach on the other Christians for not knowing the depths of sin. Some even claimed that they could indulge in immorality without sinning (1 John 1:10; 3:10). Perhaps both ideas are involved. As they say (hōs legousin). Probably referring to the heretics who ridicule the piety of the other Christians…”
d. Why is this woman called “Jezebel?”
(1) It could be that her name was Jezebel, but that is unlikely, given the negative history of that name
(2) It is most likely the case that she is “cut from the same cloth” as Jezebel, and perhaps she had a “familiar spirit” (a personal demon) which influenced the behavior.
(3) The Original Jezebel
(a) She was the true leader of Israel, since King Ahab, her husband, was totally under her thumb, a figurehead at best
(b) She was a Baal worshiper
(c) The came from a pagan nation
(d) She married in to Israel, but sought from the beginning to undermine and destroy Israel morally, and to transplant her pagan worldview and religion into Israel
(e) She was a practitioner of syncretism, combining Baalism with Judaism
(f) She was a lost tool of Satan, of the kind that Paul had warned against—(Acts 20:28-31) ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."
(4) The modern Jezebel: Her characteristics and sins
(a) She was the true leader of the church; the pastor was a figurehead at best, or maybe he had been corrupted as well.
(b) She was an adulteress, and rather than being ashamed and repentant, she gloried in her sin
(c) She was teaching God’s people that what we call syncretism is the true faith
(d) She also was teaching an early form of Gnosticism, since she was teaching the people that sinful behavior was OK with God.
e. She was, first of all a violation of Biblical leadership standards—“…20 "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach…”
(a) She was a woman teaching men—(1 Tim 2:12) "And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence."
(b) She was a false prophetess teaching in the church
f. She was unrepentant, a sure sign of lostness—“…21 "And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent….”
4. The Judgment—“…22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 "I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works…”
a. God’s judgment is going to fall on her and on the others who had followed her.
b. The Judgment against the woman
(1) There are a lot of speculations about exactly who was what
(2) There is some difficulty with the text here, but the best indications are that this “sickbed” is either place to die or is Hell itself.
(3) The punishment against her and anyone else who leads God’s children to sin—(Mat 18:6) ""But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
c. The judgment against her followers, many of whom were apparently saved people
(1) “…those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds….”
(a) There is no definite article here, so this is not talking about THE great tribulation, but it is talking about tribulation in general
(b) And this kind of behavior does lead to great tribulation in your life—as with David
(c) Some notable passages about the dangers here.
(Prov 5:3-5, 8-14) "For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; 4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell….) "Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house, 9 Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one; 10 Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner; 11 And you mourn at last, When your flesh and your body are consumed, 12 And say: "How I have hated instruction, And my heart despised correction! 13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me! 14 I was on the verge of total ruin, In the midst of the assembly and congregation.""
(Prov 5:20-23) "For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths. 22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin. 23 He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray."
(Prov 6:24-29) "To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress. 25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. 27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent."
d. The Sin unto Death—23 "I will kill her children with death…”
e. The reason for the public nature of the chastisement—“… and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works…”
5. The Faithful Remnant—
a. A description of the Remnant
(1) They had not given in to this teaching“…24 "Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine…”
(2) They had not participated in the lifestyle and its hidden codes—“…who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say…”
b. Comforting words for the faithful remnant—their church is too late to save as an institution, but they are to continue to worship and serve God in spite of it all…“… I will put on you no other burden…”
c. Which Coming is this:? 25 "But hold fast what you have till I come…”
(1) Is He coming to remove the candlestick (take away the church’s charter)?
(2) Is He talking about the rapture?
d. Words of comfort for all the saved—
(1) We will reign with Christ—. 26 "And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations…”
(2) We will rule with Christ— 27 'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'; as I also have received from My Father;
(3) We will Shine with Christ—28 "and I will give him the morning star.
e. 29 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'"
Saturday, March 20, 2010
pergamus
Pergamos, A Church In the Process of Being Corrupted
Rev 2:12-17
Now we begin to come to really troubled churches.
Ephesus had a serious problem, but there was no corruption of either Truth or Practice
Smyrna was a persecuted church and pure because of that.
Pergamos had major problems—which is sad, because they were a church that had gone through persecution and held up well—but they had allowed corruption to seep in.
1. The City Pergamum was: (From AT Robertson)
a. A Great City “…on a lofty hill…”
b. An intensely pagan city
(1) “…a great political and religious centre. Ramsay (Op. cit., p. 281) calls it “the royal city, the city of authority.”
(2) It Had “…many great buildings, including a library with 200,000 volumes, second only to Alexandria. …”
(3) The Kingdom of Pergamum became a Roman province B.C. 130. Pliny termed it the most illustrious city of Asia.
(4) As a center of learning—“…Parchment (charta Pergamena) derived its name from Pergamum.
(5) As a center of Pagan worship
(a) “…It was a rival of Ephesus in the temples to Zeus, Athena, Dionysos, in the great grove Nicephorium (the glory of the city).
(b) Next to this was the grove and temple of Asklepios, the god of healing, called the god of Pergamum, with a university for medical study.
(c) Pergamum was the first city in Asia (A.D. 29) with a temple for the worship of Augustus (Octavius Caesar).
(d) Hence … Pergamum is a very centre of emperor-worship “where Satan dwells” (2:13). ….). Like Ephesus this city is called temple-sweeper (neōkoros) for the gods.
2. Who Jesus Is To Them ""And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, 'These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword…”
a. He comes to them as Judge!
b. Imagine that you are the pastor (angel) of this church, and you get this kind of communication directly from Jesus!
c. Why should a pastor, elder, or deacon be particularly chagrined and embarrassed by this communication from God? Because, the eldership (pastors) are the junkyard dogs of the church—If some strays have wormed their way in—it is the fault of the man of God.
(1) First, one of the qualifications (largely neglected in considerations for ministerial qualifications) is that a elder-pastor-bishop be trained, taught, and able to defend the Faith and the congregation from false teachers.
(Titus 1:9-11) "holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain."
(Acts 20:28-31) ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."
(2) Peter set the example with Simon—(Acts 8:18-23) "And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 20 But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 "For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.""
(3) Paul set the example several times,
(a) Including once when he publicly rebuked Peter—(Gal 2:11-14) "Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?"
(b) Paul named names of false teachers (sometimes—other times he mentioned them but not by name
(i) (2 Tim 2:16-18) "But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some."
(ii) (1 Tim 1:18-20) "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme."
d. The corruption had risen to the point where Jesus had His weapon drawn—and the weapon of our warfare is the weapon of the Word, of Truth—
(1) (2 Cor 10:4-6) "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."
(2) (Eph 6:17) "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;"
3. Commendations—“…13 "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells….”
a. They were a working church—"I know your works
b. They had a particularly rough assignment, because they were in an area of intense demonic activity “…and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is…”
c. They had remained faithful and orthodox in doctrine—“… And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith…”
d. They had persevered in spite of a local persecution which had resulted in the death of a faithful believer—“…even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells…”
4. Condemnations—“…14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality…”
a. First—the extent of either heresy—“…you have some…”
(1) The two corrupt groups in the church were in the minority
(2) The problem was not that the church was overthrown—they were not—yet.
(3) The problem with most of the people (and apparently the leadership) was that they were practicing unbiblical toleration of these sins
(a) Like in 1 Cor 5—they had an attitude of overlooking sin, (and perhaps were puffed up like the Corinthians, proud of their “tolerance”)
(b) Like in 1 Cor 5, they had not exercised church discipline
b. Heresy #1—Balaam’s doctrine—The Error of Balaam—The History of Balaam
(1) There were two parts to his heresy—
(a) He was a prophet for hire—2 Pet 2:15 "… the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness…"
(b) And he encouraged people to follow a lifestyle of sexual immorality and syncretism—mixing of religions.
(c) And these ideas are popular today!
(2) Balaam is a curiously prominent man in the Bible—he is referred to by name 60 times in the OT and NT.
(3) Balaam truly had a prophetic gift, though he himself was not a redeemed man.
(4) The Story of Balaam is found in Numbers 22-24: nearly three chapters are devoted to discussing this man and his “ministry” of sorts.
(5) To get the full background story on what was going on with Balaam, you have to look at other passages.
(6) The overview of the full story is this:
(a) Balak, the king of Moab, hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam was a hireling prophet—since he was from Mesopotamia, he may have been part of the hereditary priest class that stayed in power no matter who the rulers were.
Deu 23:4-5 "Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. 5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee."
(b) Balaam would not curse Israel, because God told Balaam that He intended to bless Israel.
(c) During one instance, when it seemed as if Balaam was wavering in his conviction not to curse Israel, God spoke to Balaam through Balaam’s donkey. 2 Pet 2:15-16 "Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet."
(d) Though he could not or would not curse Israel, Balaam did advise the king of Moab to seduce Israel through sexual temptation, which resulted in a plague and many deaths in Israel, and he counseled the Israelites to engage in this mixing of religions—Num 31:16 "Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD."
(e) Balaam was later killed in battle by the Israelites— Josh 13:22 "Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword…”
c. The Character of Balaam
(1) Balaam was a prophet for hire—
(2) Even though he is a symbol of evil religion, Balaam talked to God, and God to him!
(3) Balaam had loose views about sexual purity and morality. Objective righteousness and holy living were not factors of any importance to Balaam.
d. The error of Balaam
(1) “Error is plane, ‘a wandering, a straying about, whereby one, led astray from the right way, roams hither and thither,’ metaphorically, ‘error, a wrong opinion,’ relative to morals or religion…”
(2) Balaam had strayed from truth, he had strayed away, like the false teachers will in the last days.
g. Summary note—
“…Balaam went wrong because he allowed himself to hanker after gain…He not only went wrong himself, but he abused his great influence and his reputation as a prophet, to lead astray the Israelistes by drawing them away from the holy worship of Jehovah to the impure worship of Baal Peor. So these false teachers use their prophetical gifts for purposes of self-aggrandisement, and endeavor to make their services attractive by excluding…all that is strenuous and difficult, and opening the door to every kind of indeugence…”
e. Heresy # 2, the Nicolaitans—15 "Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate…”
(1) There is some degree of disagreement among scholars as to who the Nicolaitans were
(2) Drawing on various sources, they were a group who:
(a) Practiced the same kind of wickedness as the Balaamists did
(b) Were descended theologically from Nicholas, one of the “seven”
(c) Believed in establishing a hierarchy above the people. (Walvoord, Scofield, et. al.)
(d) We have warnings from the New Testament about leaders that “lord” it over the believers
(1 Pet 5:1-3) The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: {2} Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; {3} nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock…”
(3) Note what Jesus says about them—He hates their doctrine! This hatred of their teachings has to do with their corruption of God’s church and their oppression and temptation of God’s people.
5. Commands—“…16 'Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth…”
a. Repent—
(1) A constant call in the Bible which shows to always begin a fix to our sins by first turning toward God, whether initially when we are first saved, or repetitively, when we repent over our sins as believers
(2) What would their repentance involve? (Note, he is addressing the orthodox, not the heretics!)
b. First, the orthodox believers needed to:
(1) Acknowledge their sin
(2) Confess that their tolerance of sin being openly practiced in the church was itself a sin.
(3) Then the orthodox believers had to take action to cleanse their church
c. Or…Jesus was going to come and take care of the problem Himself… “…or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth…”
6. Promises—“…17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
a. “…To him who overcomes…” The promises are for believers only
b. “… I will give some of the hidden manna to eat…” In the New Testament, the Bread of Life is Christ Jesus
c. “…. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."'" God knows the secret things, and He gives us a mystery here—a mysterious “stone” with our “new name” on it. This can be compared to casting lots or declaring guild or innocence in a court of Law (Walvoord)
(1) A black stone indicates guilt, or lostness
(2) A white stone indicates innocence
Rev 2:12-17
Now we begin to come to really troubled churches.
Ephesus had a serious problem, but there was no corruption of either Truth or Practice
Smyrna was a persecuted church and pure because of that.
Pergamos had major problems—which is sad, because they were a church that had gone through persecution and held up well—but they had allowed corruption to seep in.
1. The City Pergamum was: (From AT Robertson)
a. A Great City “…on a lofty hill…”
b. An intensely pagan city
(1) “…a great political and religious centre. Ramsay (Op. cit., p. 281) calls it “the royal city, the city of authority.”
(2) It Had “…many great buildings, including a library with 200,000 volumes, second only to Alexandria. …”
(3) The Kingdom of Pergamum became a Roman province B.C. 130. Pliny termed it the most illustrious city of Asia.
(4) As a center of learning—“…Parchment (charta Pergamena) derived its name from Pergamum.
(5) As a center of Pagan worship
(a) “…It was a rival of Ephesus in the temples to Zeus, Athena, Dionysos, in the great grove Nicephorium (the glory of the city).
(b) Next to this was the grove and temple of Asklepios, the god of healing, called the god of Pergamum, with a university for medical study.
(c) Pergamum was the first city in Asia (A.D. 29) with a temple for the worship of Augustus (Octavius Caesar).
(d) Hence … Pergamum is a very centre of emperor-worship “where Satan dwells” (2:13). ….). Like Ephesus this city is called temple-sweeper (neōkoros) for the gods.
2. Who Jesus Is To Them ""And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, 'These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword…”
a. He comes to them as Judge!
b. Imagine that you are the pastor (angel) of this church, and you get this kind of communication directly from Jesus!
c. Why should a pastor, elder, or deacon be particularly chagrined and embarrassed by this communication from God? Because, the eldership (pastors) are the junkyard dogs of the church—If some strays have wormed their way in—it is the fault of the man of God.
(1) First, one of the qualifications (largely neglected in considerations for ministerial qualifications) is that a elder-pastor-bishop be trained, taught, and able to defend the Faith and the congregation from false teachers.
(Titus 1:9-11) "holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain."
(Acts 20:28-31) ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."
(2) Peter set the example with Simon—(Acts 8:18-23) "And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 20 But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 "For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.""
(3) Paul set the example several times,
(a) Including once when he publicly rebuked Peter—(Gal 2:11-14) "Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?"
(b) Paul named names of false teachers (sometimes—other times he mentioned them but not by name
(i) (2 Tim 2:16-18) "But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some."
(ii) (1 Tim 1:18-20) "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme."
d. The corruption had risen to the point where Jesus had His weapon drawn—and the weapon of our warfare is the weapon of the Word, of Truth—
(1) (2 Cor 10:4-6) "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."
(2) (Eph 6:17) "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;"
3. Commendations—“…13 "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells….”
a. They were a working church—"I know your works
b. They had a particularly rough assignment, because they were in an area of intense demonic activity “…and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is…”
c. They had remained faithful and orthodox in doctrine—“… And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith…”
d. They had persevered in spite of a local persecution which had resulted in the death of a faithful believer—“…even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells…”
4. Condemnations—“…14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality…”
a. First—the extent of either heresy—“…you have some…”
(1) The two corrupt groups in the church were in the minority
(2) The problem was not that the church was overthrown—they were not—yet.
(3) The problem with most of the people (and apparently the leadership) was that they were practicing unbiblical toleration of these sins
(a) Like in 1 Cor 5—they had an attitude of overlooking sin, (and perhaps were puffed up like the Corinthians, proud of their “tolerance”)
(b) Like in 1 Cor 5, they had not exercised church discipline
b. Heresy #1—Balaam’s doctrine—The Error of Balaam—The History of Balaam
(1) There were two parts to his heresy—
(a) He was a prophet for hire—2 Pet 2:15 "… the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness…"
(b) And he encouraged people to follow a lifestyle of sexual immorality and syncretism—mixing of religions.
(c) And these ideas are popular today!
(2) Balaam is a curiously prominent man in the Bible—he is referred to by name 60 times in the OT and NT.
(3) Balaam truly had a prophetic gift, though he himself was not a redeemed man.
(4) The Story of Balaam is found in Numbers 22-24: nearly three chapters are devoted to discussing this man and his “ministry” of sorts.
(5) To get the full background story on what was going on with Balaam, you have to look at other passages.
(6) The overview of the full story is this:
(a) Balak, the king of Moab, hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam was a hireling prophet—since he was from Mesopotamia, he may have been part of the hereditary priest class that stayed in power no matter who the rulers were.
Deu 23:4-5 "Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. 5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee."
(b) Balaam would not curse Israel, because God told Balaam that He intended to bless Israel.
(c) During one instance, when it seemed as if Balaam was wavering in his conviction not to curse Israel, God spoke to Balaam through Balaam’s donkey. 2 Pet 2:15-16 "Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet."
(d) Though he could not or would not curse Israel, Balaam did advise the king of Moab to seduce Israel through sexual temptation, which resulted in a plague and many deaths in Israel, and he counseled the Israelites to engage in this mixing of religions—Num 31:16 "Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD."
(e) Balaam was later killed in battle by the Israelites— Josh 13:22 "Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword…”
c. The Character of Balaam
(1) Balaam was a prophet for hire—
(2) Even though he is a symbol of evil religion, Balaam talked to God, and God to him!
(3) Balaam had loose views about sexual purity and morality. Objective righteousness and holy living were not factors of any importance to Balaam.
d. The error of Balaam
(1) “Error is plane, ‘a wandering, a straying about, whereby one, led astray from the right way, roams hither and thither,’ metaphorically, ‘error, a wrong opinion,’ relative to morals or religion…”
(2) Balaam had strayed from truth, he had strayed away, like the false teachers will in the last days.
g. Summary note—
“…Balaam went wrong because he allowed himself to hanker after gain…He not only went wrong himself, but he abused his great influence and his reputation as a prophet, to lead astray the Israelistes by drawing them away from the holy worship of Jehovah to the impure worship of Baal Peor. So these false teachers use their prophetical gifts for purposes of self-aggrandisement, and endeavor to make their services attractive by excluding…all that is strenuous and difficult, and opening the door to every kind of indeugence…”
e. Heresy # 2, the Nicolaitans—15 "Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate…”
(1) There is some degree of disagreement among scholars as to who the Nicolaitans were
(2) Drawing on various sources, they were a group who:
(a) Practiced the same kind of wickedness as the Balaamists did
(b) Were descended theologically from Nicholas, one of the “seven”
(c) Believed in establishing a hierarchy above the people. (Walvoord, Scofield, et. al.)
(d) We have warnings from the New Testament about leaders that “lord” it over the believers
(1 Pet 5:1-3) The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: {2} Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; {3} nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock…”
(3) Note what Jesus says about them—He hates their doctrine! This hatred of their teachings has to do with their corruption of God’s church and their oppression and temptation of God’s people.
5. Commands—“…16 'Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth…”
a. Repent—
(1) A constant call in the Bible which shows to always begin a fix to our sins by first turning toward God, whether initially when we are first saved, or repetitively, when we repent over our sins as believers
(2) What would their repentance involve? (Note, he is addressing the orthodox, not the heretics!)
b. First, the orthodox believers needed to:
(1) Acknowledge their sin
(2) Confess that their tolerance of sin being openly practiced in the church was itself a sin.
(3) Then the orthodox believers had to take action to cleanse their church
c. Or…Jesus was going to come and take care of the problem Himself… “…or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth…”
6. Promises—“…17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
a. “…To him who overcomes…” The promises are for believers only
b. “… I will give some of the hidden manna to eat…” In the New Testament, the Bread of Life is Christ Jesus
c. “…. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."'" God knows the secret things, and He gives us a mystery here—a mysterious “stone” with our “new name” on it. This can be compared to casting lots or declaring guild or innocence in a court of Law (Walvoord)
(1) A black stone indicates guilt, or lostness
(2) A white stone indicates innocence
seven churches
Smyrna—The Persecuted Church
Rev 2:8-11
Persecution—the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church
Great Martyr books
o Foxes Book of Martyrs
o The Martyr’s mirror.
The ten major persecutions in the early church, parallel to the ten plagues of Egypt. These ten persecutions are:
Persecution under Nero (c. 64-68). Traditional martyrdoms of Peter and Paul.
Persecution under Domitian (r. 81-96).
Persecution under Trajan (112-117). Christianity is outlawed but Christians are not sought out.
Persecution under Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180). Martyrdom of Polycarp.
Persecution under Septimus Severus (202-210). Martyrdom of Perpetua.
Persecution under Decius (250-251). Christians are actively sought out by requiring public sacrifice. Could buy certificates (libelli) instead of sacrificing. Martyrdoms of bishops of Rome, Jerusalem and Antioch.
Persecution under Valerian (257-59). Martyrdoms of Cyprian of Carthage and Sixtus II of Rome.
Persecution under Maximinus the Thracian (235-38).
Persecution under Aurelian (r. 270–275).
Severe persecution under Diocletian and Galerius (303-324).
*More recent instances (this year!)
Belarus: Church Evicted
Forum 18 News reports that on Aug. 20, New Life Full Gospel Church in Minsk, Moscow, was issued an eviction notice by government officials, forcing them to abandon their church building purchased in...
Nigeria: Pastors Beheaded
On July 26, 12 Christians were killed, including three pastors, in northern Nigeria after members of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram launched attacks on police and government bases, according...
Bangladesh: Pastor Tortured by Police
On June 7, police raided an evangelism meeting, arrested and tortured a pastor and two others in Boalia, Bangladesh, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. Pastor Habibur Rahman, of...
Pakistan: Eight Believers Killed
On Aug. 1, a mob of angry Muslim extremists attacked Christians in Gojra district, Punjab province, killing at least eight believers, including a seven-year-old child, according to The Voice of the...
Iran: Women: We Love Christ!
UPDATE: On Aug. 8, Marzieh and Maryam were summoned to an Iranian court and ordered to deny their faith verbally and in a written statement, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. Marzieh...
VOM: 1 Million NT's Mailed
On Aug. 5, 2009, The Voice of the Martyrs’ Bibles Unbound (BU) ministry reached an exciting milestone with its shipment of the 1 millionth New Testament. VOM is grateful to believers all across...
VOM: 140,000 Bibles for China
On June 10, 2009 Shi Weihan was sentanced to three years in prison in China. His crime? He "violated the regulations of the state in printing illegal publications," according to Shi's official...
China: Youth Camp Raided
On July 23, a Christian youth camp was raided by Public Security Bureau (PSB) and Religious Affairs Bureau (RAF) officials in Nanyang city, Henan province. PSB and RAF officers took away more...
Pakistan: Muslims Attack Christians
On July 30, Muslim extremists attacked Christians, burning more than 50 homes and animals in Faisalabad, Pakistan, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. Muslims falsely accused...
Eritrea: Christian Dies in Prison On July 23, Yemane Kahasay Andom, a Christian imprisoned for his faith in Eritrea died after authorities denied him medical treatment, according to Compass Direct News. Yemane is the third Christian...
China: Pastor Sent to Labor Camp—On June 29, Pastor Dou Shaowen who is currently serving a one-year sentence for “engaging in illegal activities” was secretly transferred to Shifo Re-education Through Labor Center in...
Pakistan: Day of Prayer—Christians in Pakistan are inviting believers around the world to join them in prayer for their nation and for the blasphemy laws to be repealed, according to The Voice of the Martyrs...
China: Persecution Increases—In recent weeks, Chinese officials have raided house church meetings and arrested believers throughout the country, according to reports from China Aid Association. On July 3, a house church was...
Iraq: Seven churches bombed—On July 11 two bombs targeted churches in the cities of Baghdad and Mosul and killed at least four people and injured 30 others, according to VOM contacts. Two bombs ripped through the St. Joseph...
Pakistan: Christian Homes Burned—On June 26, more than 150 Muslim extremists launched a devastating attack on more than 150 Christian families
Somalia: Christian's Sons Beheaded—16 –Islamic extremists have beheaded two boys in Somalia because their Christian father, 55 year-old Musa Mohammed Yusuf, refused to give them information about an underground church leader, according to...
Yemen: Christians killed—On June 12, nine Christian relief workers were abducted and three killed, reportedly because they were suspected of being involved in evangelistic work, according to The Voice of the Martyrs...
India: Pastor & Family Attacked—On June 14, a pastor and his family were brutally attacked when Hindu extremists barged into their church during a prayer meeting, accusing them of forcible conversions, according to The Voice of the...
Laos: Christians Released—UPDATE: Praise God! On June 13, Christians arrested by plain clothes police, after visiting Christian villages in Laos, were released without incident, according to The Voice of the Martyrs...
(James 1:2-4) "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
(1 Pet 5:10) "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."
(Acts 14:22) "strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.""
(2 Tim 3:12) "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
1. How Jesus Presented Himself to The Church at Smyrna—(Rev 2:8) "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, 'These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life…”
a. Christ presented Himself to them as Eternal God, and as crucified, buried, and resurrected Man.
b. First, He presents Himself as Eternal God—“…the First and the Last…”
(1) This is the essential starting point for all Christology—the Deity and manhood of Jesus
(2) The key formulation in the Deity of Christ is that He is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, and is of the same essence.
(a) The Arians, the most dangerous and successful of the Anti-Trinitarian cults of the early church, gave (they thought) a high position to Jesus—
(b) He was, they said, the highest of created beings, and that He had created everything else, but that He was of a different essence than the Father.
(3) But of course, that is both a heresy and faint praise, because Christ and His Father are One.
(4) So when the crucified, risen, and glorified Lord says, “I am the first and the last…” He is expressing the same Truth wrote by John in (John 1:1-3) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. {2} He was in the beginning with God. {3} All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
(a) In this passage, the “was” verbs are all in the imperfect tense—continuous activity in times past. Since the “time” is eternity, then these verbs carry the meaning of “in the beginning, the Word already was,” which is how it is said in the NLT for this verse. John 1-1-3 “… In the beginning the Word already existed….The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him,and nothing was created except through him.
(b) The Father, Son, and Spirit are co-existent, because the Spirit is of the same essence as the Son, who is the same essence as the Father—John 10:30, 14:15-17,
(c) The Father, Son, and Spirit Son are co-eternal—Jn 1:1-3 and Heb 9:14
(John 6:63) ""It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."
(John 7:39) "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
(John 14:17) ""the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."
(John 14:26) ""But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."
(John 15:26) ""But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."
(John 16:13) ""However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
c. He is God, but He is also Man—the Eternal and Immense came as an embryo. “…who was dead, and came to life…” Why is this part of His humanity of particular usefulness here?
(1) They were under persecution, some of them had died, and it is likely that many more would die—no matter how strong a believer one is, when we are facing old, cold, river Jordan, we need a reminder and encouragement.
(2) He was dead—“…Which was dead (hos egeneto nekros). Rather, “who became dead” (second aorist middle indicative of ginomai) as in 1:18….” (ATR)
(3) But He Was Not Dead For Long—“…And lived again (kai ezēsen). First aorist (ingressive, came to life) active of zaō (ho zōn in 1:18). Emphasis on the resurrection of Christ. …” (ATR)
(4) The Impact—
(a) In His Life, Christ Died. He died a painful, humiliating, gruesome death. He passed through Old Jordan on the stormy side. He walked the path that many of these persecuted believers will have to walk. He has had to go through assigning his mother to a close friend for care. He publicly was shamed and cursed, and made a public spectacle. And, not just these persecuted Christians or only the persecuted face this. Unless Jesus returns first, we will all have to cross Old Jordan.
(b) He Came back to life—not a passive verb, mind you, but an active verb—He got up, and He stayed up! (John 10:17-18) ""Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.""
(c) Again, a central doctrine that is of great practical use—the persecuted church of Smyrna needed to hear about eternal life!
2. The Providential Position Of The Church at Smyrna—(Rev 2:9) "I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich)…”
a. To be known is more vital than to know…(Phil 3:8-10) "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…"
b. He Knows their works
(1) We are not saved by works, but if we are saved, there will be works—Eph 2:8-10
(2) But look at the grace in this statement—as God counts things—our works? Without Him, there would be no works, but in His mercy, He graciously gifts this suffering church, crediting them with what they had done aright, and passing over anything negative that might be there.
(3) And, we often, because we believe in Grace, ignore the importance of works
(4) But evangelical works, those done as a result of salvation, those for which no merit is claimed, these works of the Spirit in our lives, God honors—but we must always let Him do the honoring, and we should not be much in love with our own works.
(1 Tim 2:10) "but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works."
(1 Tim 5:10) "well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work."
(1 Tim 5:25) "Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden."
(Titus 2:7) "in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,"
(Titus 2:14) "who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."
(Titus 3:8) "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men."
(Titus 3:14) "And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful."
(1 Pet 2:12) "having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."
c. He knows their tribulation—thilipsis, pressure, like that of an olive press.
(Mat 24:21) ""For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."
(John 16:33) ""These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.""
(1 Th 3:4) "For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know."
(2 Th 1:4) "so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,"
(2 Tim 3:12) "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
(1 Pet 5:8-10) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."
d. He knows their poverty as this worlds goods go—kai ptōcheian—MacArthur says that this word indicates not “the working poor,” not someone who struggles to survive, but it indicates those who have nothing at all
(Acts 3:6) "Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.""
(Acts 8:2) "And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him."
(Mat 8:20) "And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.""
(2 Cor 6:10) "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
(2 Cor 8:9) "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."
e. He knows how rich they are
(1) They have the riches of eternal life
(2) They are joint heirs with Christ
(3) They have the wealth of the universe
(4) They are rich in the things of the Spirit
f. The Persecutions Against Smyrna, Past, Present, and Future—(Rev 2:9-10) " … I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. {10}… Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. …”
(1) There was a synagogue of lost Jewish people there in Smyrna.
(2) They, however, were more than that—they were called by John a “synagogue of Satan.” Their unbelief was particularly powerful and their actions more evil because they were supernaturally influenced and empowered by the Enemy
(3) Note, it isn’t the Roman authorities nor the false Jews who were going to put the church in Smyrna to the test, but Satan, the Accuser of the Brethren
(Zec 3:1-2) "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?""
(Rev 12:10) "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down."
3. Christ and the Persecuted Church
a. Christ’s Exhortation to Smyrna—(Rev 2:9-10) "…(but you are rich)… … that you may be tested……Be faithful until death…”
(1) They are going to be tested
(2) Some are obviously going to die, and they will have to take the ultimate stand.
(3) But many of the rest will be under this attack, and Jesus exhorts them.
b. Christ’s Promises to Smyrna— (Rev 2:9-10) "… Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life….(Rev 2:11) "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."'
(1) For those who will die—the crown of life— The crown of life (ton stephanon tēs zōēs). See this very image in James 1:12, a familiar metaphor in the games at Smyrna and elsewhere in which the prize was a garland. See also 3:11. The crown consists in life (2:7). See Paul’s use of stephanos in 1 Cor 9:25; 2 Tim 4:8. (ATR)
(2) What about the other crowns?
(1 Cor 9:25) "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown."
(Phil 4:1) "Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved."
(1 Th 2:19) "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?"
(2 Tim 4:8) "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."
(James 1:12) "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
(1 Pet 5:4) "and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."
(Rev 2:10) ""Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."
(Rev 3:11) ""Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown."
(Rev 4:4) "Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads."
(Rev 4:10) "the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:"
(3) For those who overcome—the saved, we shall be saved from the second death.
Rev 2:8-11
Persecution—the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church
Great Martyr books
o Foxes Book of Martyrs
o The Martyr’s mirror.
The ten major persecutions in the early church, parallel to the ten plagues of Egypt. These ten persecutions are:
Persecution under Nero (c. 64-68). Traditional martyrdoms of Peter and Paul.
Persecution under Domitian (r. 81-96).
Persecution under Trajan (112-117). Christianity is outlawed but Christians are not sought out.
Persecution under Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180). Martyrdom of Polycarp.
Persecution under Septimus Severus (202-210). Martyrdom of Perpetua.
Persecution under Decius (250-251). Christians are actively sought out by requiring public sacrifice. Could buy certificates (libelli) instead of sacrificing. Martyrdoms of bishops of Rome, Jerusalem and Antioch.
Persecution under Valerian (257-59). Martyrdoms of Cyprian of Carthage and Sixtus II of Rome.
Persecution under Maximinus the Thracian (235-38).
Persecution under Aurelian (r. 270–275).
Severe persecution under Diocletian and Galerius (303-324).
*More recent instances (this year!)
Belarus: Church Evicted
Forum 18 News reports that on Aug. 20, New Life Full Gospel Church in Minsk, Moscow, was issued an eviction notice by government officials, forcing them to abandon their church building purchased in...
Nigeria: Pastors Beheaded
On July 26, 12 Christians were killed, including three pastors, in northern Nigeria after members of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram launched attacks on police and government bases, according...
Bangladesh: Pastor Tortured by Police
On June 7, police raided an evangelism meeting, arrested and tortured a pastor and two others in Boalia, Bangladesh, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. Pastor Habibur Rahman, of...
Pakistan: Eight Believers Killed
On Aug. 1, a mob of angry Muslim extremists attacked Christians in Gojra district, Punjab province, killing at least eight believers, including a seven-year-old child, according to The Voice of the...
Iran: Women: We Love Christ!
UPDATE: On Aug. 8, Marzieh and Maryam were summoned to an Iranian court and ordered to deny their faith verbally and in a written statement, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. Marzieh...
VOM: 1 Million NT's Mailed
On Aug. 5, 2009, The Voice of the Martyrs’ Bibles Unbound (BU) ministry reached an exciting milestone with its shipment of the 1 millionth New Testament. VOM is grateful to believers all across...
VOM: 140,000 Bibles for China
On June 10, 2009 Shi Weihan was sentanced to three years in prison in China. His crime? He "violated the regulations of the state in printing illegal publications," according to Shi's official...
China: Youth Camp Raided
On July 23, a Christian youth camp was raided by Public Security Bureau (PSB) and Religious Affairs Bureau (RAF) officials in Nanyang city, Henan province. PSB and RAF officers took away more...
Pakistan: Muslims Attack Christians
On July 30, Muslim extremists attacked Christians, burning more than 50 homes and animals in Faisalabad, Pakistan, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. Muslims falsely accused...
Eritrea: Christian Dies in Prison On July 23, Yemane Kahasay Andom, a Christian imprisoned for his faith in Eritrea died after authorities denied him medical treatment, according to Compass Direct News. Yemane is the third Christian...
China: Pastor Sent to Labor Camp—On June 29, Pastor Dou Shaowen who is currently serving a one-year sentence for “engaging in illegal activities” was secretly transferred to Shifo Re-education Through Labor Center in...
Pakistan: Day of Prayer—Christians in Pakistan are inviting believers around the world to join them in prayer for their nation and for the blasphemy laws to be repealed, according to The Voice of the Martyrs...
China: Persecution Increases—In recent weeks, Chinese officials have raided house church meetings and arrested believers throughout the country, according to reports from China Aid Association. On July 3, a house church was...
Iraq: Seven churches bombed—On July 11 two bombs targeted churches in the cities of Baghdad and Mosul and killed at least four people and injured 30 others, according to VOM contacts. Two bombs ripped through the St. Joseph...
Pakistan: Christian Homes Burned—On June 26, more than 150 Muslim extremists launched a devastating attack on more than 150 Christian families
Somalia: Christian's Sons Beheaded—16 –Islamic extremists have beheaded two boys in Somalia because their Christian father, 55 year-old Musa Mohammed Yusuf, refused to give them information about an underground church leader, according to...
Yemen: Christians killed—On June 12, nine Christian relief workers were abducted and three killed, reportedly because they were suspected of being involved in evangelistic work, according to The Voice of the Martyrs...
India: Pastor & Family Attacked—On June 14, a pastor and his family were brutally attacked when Hindu extremists barged into their church during a prayer meeting, accusing them of forcible conversions, according to The Voice of the...
Laos: Christians Released—UPDATE: Praise God! On June 13, Christians arrested by plain clothes police, after visiting Christian villages in Laos, were released without incident, according to The Voice of the Martyrs...
(James 1:2-4) "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
(1 Pet 5:10) "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."
(Acts 14:22) "strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.""
(2 Tim 3:12) "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
1. How Jesus Presented Himself to The Church at Smyrna—(Rev 2:8) "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, 'These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life…”
a. Christ presented Himself to them as Eternal God, and as crucified, buried, and resurrected Man.
b. First, He presents Himself as Eternal God—“…the First and the Last…”
(1) This is the essential starting point for all Christology—the Deity and manhood of Jesus
(2) The key formulation in the Deity of Christ is that He is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father, and is of the same essence.
(a) The Arians, the most dangerous and successful of the Anti-Trinitarian cults of the early church, gave (they thought) a high position to Jesus—
(b) He was, they said, the highest of created beings, and that He had created everything else, but that He was of a different essence than the Father.
(3) But of course, that is both a heresy and faint praise, because Christ and His Father are One.
(4) So when the crucified, risen, and glorified Lord says, “I am the first and the last…” He is expressing the same Truth wrote by John in (John 1:1-3) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. {2} He was in the beginning with God. {3} All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
(a) In this passage, the “was” verbs are all in the imperfect tense—continuous activity in times past. Since the “time” is eternity, then these verbs carry the meaning of “in the beginning, the Word already was,” which is how it is said in the NLT for this verse. John 1-1-3 “… In the beginning the Word already existed….The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him,and nothing was created except through him.
(b) The Father, Son, and Spirit are co-existent, because the Spirit is of the same essence as the Son, who is the same essence as the Father—John 10:30, 14:15-17,
(c) The Father, Son, and Spirit Son are co-eternal—Jn 1:1-3 and Heb 9:14
(John 6:63) ""It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."
(John 7:39) "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
(John 14:17) ""the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."
(John 14:26) ""But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."
(John 15:26) ""But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."
(John 16:13) ""However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
c. He is God, but He is also Man—the Eternal and Immense came as an embryo. “…who was dead, and came to life…” Why is this part of His humanity of particular usefulness here?
(1) They were under persecution, some of them had died, and it is likely that many more would die—no matter how strong a believer one is, when we are facing old, cold, river Jordan, we need a reminder and encouragement.
(2) He was dead—“…Which was dead (hos egeneto nekros). Rather, “who became dead” (second aorist middle indicative of ginomai) as in 1:18….” (ATR)
(3) But He Was Not Dead For Long—“…And lived again (kai ezēsen). First aorist (ingressive, came to life) active of zaō (ho zōn in 1:18). Emphasis on the resurrection of Christ. …” (ATR)
(4) The Impact—
(a) In His Life, Christ Died. He died a painful, humiliating, gruesome death. He passed through Old Jordan on the stormy side. He walked the path that many of these persecuted believers will have to walk. He has had to go through assigning his mother to a close friend for care. He publicly was shamed and cursed, and made a public spectacle. And, not just these persecuted Christians or only the persecuted face this. Unless Jesus returns first, we will all have to cross Old Jordan.
(b) He Came back to life—not a passive verb, mind you, but an active verb—He got up, and He stayed up! (John 10:17-18) ""Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.""
(c) Again, a central doctrine that is of great practical use—the persecuted church of Smyrna needed to hear about eternal life!
2. The Providential Position Of The Church at Smyrna—(Rev 2:9) "I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich)…”
a. To be known is more vital than to know…(Phil 3:8-10) "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…"
b. He Knows their works
(1) We are not saved by works, but if we are saved, there will be works—Eph 2:8-10
(2) But look at the grace in this statement—as God counts things—our works? Without Him, there would be no works, but in His mercy, He graciously gifts this suffering church, crediting them with what they had done aright, and passing over anything negative that might be there.
(3) And, we often, because we believe in Grace, ignore the importance of works
(4) But evangelical works, those done as a result of salvation, those for which no merit is claimed, these works of the Spirit in our lives, God honors—but we must always let Him do the honoring, and we should not be much in love with our own works.
(1 Tim 2:10) "but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works."
(1 Tim 5:10) "well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work."
(1 Tim 5:25) "Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden."
(Titus 2:7) "in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,"
(Titus 2:14) "who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."
(Titus 3:8) "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men."
(Titus 3:14) "And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful."
(1 Pet 2:12) "having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."
c. He knows their tribulation—thilipsis, pressure, like that of an olive press.
(Mat 24:21) ""For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."
(John 16:33) ""These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.""
(1 Th 3:4) "For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know."
(2 Th 1:4) "so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,"
(2 Tim 3:12) "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
(1 Pet 5:8-10) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."
d. He knows their poverty as this worlds goods go—kai ptōcheian—MacArthur says that this word indicates not “the working poor,” not someone who struggles to survive, but it indicates those who have nothing at all
(Acts 3:6) "Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.""
(Acts 8:2) "And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him."
(Mat 8:20) "And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.""
(2 Cor 6:10) "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
(2 Cor 8:9) "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."
e. He knows how rich they are
(1) They have the riches of eternal life
(2) They are joint heirs with Christ
(3) They have the wealth of the universe
(4) They are rich in the things of the Spirit
f. The Persecutions Against Smyrna, Past, Present, and Future—(Rev 2:9-10) " … I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. {10}… Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. …”
(1) There was a synagogue of lost Jewish people there in Smyrna.
(2) They, however, were more than that—they were called by John a “synagogue of Satan.” Their unbelief was particularly powerful and their actions more evil because they were supernaturally influenced and empowered by the Enemy
(3) Note, it isn’t the Roman authorities nor the false Jews who were going to put the church in Smyrna to the test, but Satan, the Accuser of the Brethren
(Zec 3:1-2) "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?""
(Rev 12:10) "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down."
3. Christ and the Persecuted Church
a. Christ’s Exhortation to Smyrna—(Rev 2:9-10) "…(but you are rich)… … that you may be tested……Be faithful until death…”
(1) They are going to be tested
(2) Some are obviously going to die, and they will have to take the ultimate stand.
(3) But many of the rest will be under this attack, and Jesus exhorts them.
b. Christ’s Promises to Smyrna— (Rev 2:9-10) "… Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life….(Rev 2:11) "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."'
(1) For those who will die—the crown of life— The crown of life (ton stephanon tēs zōēs). See this very image in James 1:12, a familiar metaphor in the games at Smyrna and elsewhere in which the prize was a garland. See also 3:11. The crown consists in life (2:7). See Paul’s use of stephanos in 1 Cor 9:25; 2 Tim 4:8. (ATR)
(2) What about the other crowns?
(1 Cor 9:25) "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown."
(Phil 4:1) "Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved."
(1 Th 2:19) "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?"
(2 Tim 4:8) "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."
(James 1:12) "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
(1 Pet 5:4) "and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."
(Rev 2:10) ""Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."
(Rev 3:11) ""Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown."
(Rev 4:4) "Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads."
(Rev 4:10) "the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:"
(3) For those who overcome—the saved, we shall be saved from the second death.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The Letters To The Churches: Ephesus
Rev 2:1-7
Observations about the seven churches
• Seven actual churches
• Not periods of church history—
o There is no Biblical evidence for that viewpoint
o And the historical national and international “catholic” churches are not true churches in any sense of the word, they are, and have been for 1700 years or more, apostate political-religious entities.
o Some Protestant and formerly evangelical churches are just as dead
o And many Baptist and other “free churches” are dead.
o When God removes the candlestick, that which is left is NOT a true church in any sense of the word
o Some former churches die out numerically, but others may continue for generations, dead shells ruining lives and sending multitudes to Hell
o The churches in Asia here addressed through John must be churches of true form and doctrine who are in various stages of health
• In an application, they could be seen as somewhat typical of different types of congregations throughout history, and even now
• The seven churches are tied together by the Roman postal system.
• They are
Ephesus the orthodox, hard working loveless church
Smyrna, the persecuted church
Pergamus, the church in early stages of corruption
Thyatira, the corrupted church
Sardis, the dead church,
Philadelphia, the good church
Laodicea, the sickening church
1. The city and church of Ephesus
a. The city
(1) A free city, no Roman troops
(2) Locally governed
(3) 250,000-500,000 population
(4) Large stadium for games
(5) Very prosperous
(6) Extremely devoted to the Goddess of the Ephesians, Artemis
(a) See Acts 19:23-31
(b) Very sensual, immoral worship—thousands of temple prostitutes and slaves
(c) The worship was loud, boisterous, and wild. This was popular worship because is was sensual, because is was done with total abandon.
(d) There were large civic events in the Spring—for a month!
b. The church
(1) The Lord has the messengers of the churches (pastors) in His hands
(2) We know some of the pastors, elders, and teachers who have been to Ephesus and ministered
(a) Paul stopped there briefly—Acts 18:18-21
(b) He came there to definitively plant the church, Acts 19:1-20:1
(c) Apollos—Acts
(d) Timothy—1 Tim 1:3
(e) Onesiphorus—2 Tim 1:18
(f) Acts 18:24-28—Pricilla and Aquila
(g) The trusted solid elders that Paul had trained—Acts 20:17-34
(h) (probably) John the Apostle
2. Analysis
a. Incidentals
(1) The messenger being written to—2:1 "To the angel of the church of Ephesus…”
(2) The authority of the author of the message— “…These things says…”
(3) How Christ represents Himself to them—Rev 2:1 "… He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands…”
b. Commendations—(Rev 2:2-3)
(1) Jesus first notes their industriousness
(a) "I know your works…”
(b) “… your labor…”, Hard labor, toil (ATR)
(c) “… your patience…”
(2) Then He notes that they have taken the difficult step of dealing with and expelling false teachers and false believers—“…and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars…”
(a) Note the instructions given to the leaders of the Ephesian church in Acts 20—(Acts 20:26-31) ""Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."
(b) Note Paul’s warning to Timothy in 1 Tim 4:1-6 and 2 Tim 3:1-12
(i) How they reacted when tested in this way—
(ii) “…and that you cannot bear those who are evil…” These false teachers and false believers were a great burden to the church (ATR), and they Ephesians could not put up with them, would not put up with them, and they did deal with them.
(iii) “… And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars…” As taught (probably) by John as well as Paul, they applied the tests given in 1 and 2 John
(1 John 2:18-23) "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also."
(1 John 4:1-3) "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."
(iv) {3} "and you have persevered and have patience,..” This was a long battle, not one easily fought, requiring great efforts on their part.
(v) “…and have labored for My name's sake…” Their Motives were RIGHT! They did this difficult thing, not for the benefit of themselves, but for the Glory of God, as they had been instructed (along with other places) in:
(Eph 3:21) "to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
(vi) Their steadfastness and strength were worthy, they did not flag out at the beginning. “…and have not become weary…”
(3) Their overall foe—probably the Nicolaitans.
(a) (Rev 2:6) "… you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate…”
(b) ATR— Of the Nicolaitans (tōn Nikolaitōn). Mentioned again in verse 15 and really meant in verse 2. Irenaeus and Hippolytus take this sect to be followers of Nicolaus of Antioch, one of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5), a Jewish proselyte, who is said to have apostatized. There was such a sect in the second century (Tertullian), but whether descended from Nicolaus of Antioch is not certain, though possible (Lightfoot). It is even possible that the Balaamites of verse 14 were a variety of this same sect (verse 15).
(c) What were the Nicolaitan beliefs?
(i) Hierarchy of leadership
(ii) Tolerance of sexual immorality, including by church leaders.
c. Condemnations—
(1) They quit loving their first love—(Rev 2:4) "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love…”
(2) Who or what did they cease to love?
(a) Jesus
(b) The Lost
(c) The poor
(d) Each other
(e) Holiness
(f) Their own salvation?
(3) What is going on here?
(a) They were second generation believers, trained in the great school of the Ephesian church, but they did not have the fervency and love that the originals had
(b) As a church, they were so concerned with being right that they neglected to love the people they had to deal with.
(1 Cor 8:1) "…We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies."
d. Correction Required—(Rev 2:5) "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works,.
(1) Remember
(a) First, remember where you are, who you are, and what you are—and what you were
(b) From where you have fallen—they had, at some time been doing the right thing
(2) Repent—turn from the path they were on—as a church!
(3) Retrench—Do the First Works—rediscover the first love!
e. Consequence—“…or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place; unless you repent…”
(1) Again, what does this mean?
(2) The Bible Tells us exactly what this means—(Rev 1:20) ""… the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches."
(3) If they do not repent (quickly) the Lord will “pull their franchise license!” They will cease to be a true church—and the scary possibility is that they might not even notice it.
(4) And, it happened!
(a) The church at Ephesus sold out!
(b) We don’t know exactly when, but the church of Ephesus, along with all of the ancient mainline congregations, joined the imperial church and taught the false doctrines of all brands of Catholicism.
(i) salvation by works
(ii) baptismal regeneration
(iii) a hierarchical form of church government
(iv) monasticism
(v) worship of the “saints,”
(vi) worship of Mary the Mother of Jesus
(vii) Persecution of the true churches by the Imperial churches
3. Challenge and Charge—(Rev 2:7) ""He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches…”
a. Regardless of the church, the true believers in it will survive and thrive.
b. First, let’s unpack this repeated phrase
(1) He—anyone
(2) Who has an ear—this is not physical hearing—this speaks of one who hears and understands and agrees with Biblical Truth—
(a) Not everyone listens to the Truth!
(i) (John 8:47) ""He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.""
(ii) (1 John 4:5-6) "They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."
(b) (Rev 2:7) ""He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev 2:11)… (Rev 2:17), (Rev 2:29), (Rev 3:6) (Rev 3:13), (Rev 3:22)
(3) “…Let him hear What the Spirit says to the churches…”
(a) Even though it is the Son of God we see and hear in His glorified visage, He still respects the ministry of the Spirit to the churches, which He Himself gave in John chapters 14-16
(b) “…to the churches…” Not to the Church, for that body has never met and will not meet in one Body until after the Rapture, but to the churches, each individual congregation, so long as they are true and have their “candlestick.”
4. Promise—“…To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."'"
a. “…Him who overcomes…” One of the great concepts in this book is that of the Overcomer—the meaning is plain in this and other Scriptures
b. What is an Overcomer?
c.
(1) You are an overcomer if you are saved—(1 John 5:4-5) "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
(2) You are an Overcomer if you are promised a meal from the Tree of Life—(Rev 2:7) ""… To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."'"
(3) You are an overcomer if you won’t be hurt by the second death—(Rev 2:11) "" He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."'"
(4) (Rev 2:17) ""…I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."'"
(5) If we overcome, and our fruit will confirm that, we will reign with Jesus—(Rev 2:26) ""And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations;"
(a) (Rev 3:21) ""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."
(b) (Rev 21:7) ""He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son."
(6) We who are overcomers will receive many signs of that, including being vouched for by our Savior Himself—(Rev 3:5) ""He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."
(7) If we are overcomers, we will be established permanently—(Rev 3:12) ""He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name."
5. The Scary Thing For Us—This had been a great church, and it still looked like one!
a. They opposed false doctrine
b. They resisted the Nicolaitans
c. They stood for orthodoxy
d. They had been founded, discipled, led, and nurtured by a “who’s who” of the apostolic church
e. They were the recipients of one of the great theological masterpieces, the Epistle to the Ephesians.
f. But when their love waned, then they were open to and subject to all manner of false teachings, because if your doctrine does not include love for the Lord, Love for the brethren, and love for the lost, then the sooner or later, love for the Truth will also fly out the window.
Observations about the seven churches
• Seven actual churches
• Not periods of church history—
o There is no Biblical evidence for that viewpoint
o And the historical national and international “catholic” churches are not true churches in any sense of the word, they are, and have been for 1700 years or more, apostate political-religious entities.
o Some Protestant and formerly evangelical churches are just as dead
o And many Baptist and other “free churches” are dead.
o When God removes the candlestick, that which is left is NOT a true church in any sense of the word
o Some former churches die out numerically, but others may continue for generations, dead shells ruining lives and sending multitudes to Hell
o The churches in Asia here addressed through John must be churches of true form and doctrine who are in various stages of health
• In an application, they could be seen as somewhat typical of different types of congregations throughout history, and even now
• The seven churches are tied together by the Roman postal system.
• They are
Ephesus the orthodox, hard working loveless church
Smyrna, the persecuted church
Pergamus, the church in early stages of corruption
Thyatira, the corrupted church
Sardis, the dead church,
Philadelphia, the good church
Laodicea, the sickening church
1. The city and church of Ephesus
a. The city
(1) A free city, no Roman troops
(2) Locally governed
(3) 250,000-500,000 population
(4) Large stadium for games
(5) Very prosperous
(6) Extremely devoted to the Goddess of the Ephesians, Artemis
(a) See Acts 19:23-31
(b) Very sensual, immoral worship—thousands of temple prostitutes and slaves
(c) The worship was loud, boisterous, and wild. This was popular worship because is was sensual, because is was done with total abandon.
(d) There were large civic events in the Spring—for a month!
b. The church
(1) The Lord has the messengers of the churches (pastors) in His hands
(2) We know some of the pastors, elders, and teachers who have been to Ephesus and ministered
(a) Paul stopped there briefly—Acts 18:18-21
(b) He came there to definitively plant the church, Acts 19:1-20:1
(c) Apollos—Acts
(d) Timothy—1 Tim 1:3
(e) Onesiphorus—2 Tim 1:18
(f) Acts 18:24-28—Pricilla and Aquila
(g) The trusted solid elders that Paul had trained—Acts 20:17-34
(h) (probably) John the Apostle
2. Analysis
a. Incidentals
(1) The messenger being written to—2:1 "To the angel of the church of Ephesus…”
(2) The authority of the author of the message— “…These things says…”
(3) How Christ represents Himself to them—Rev 2:1 "… He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands…”
b. Commendations—(Rev 2:2-3)
(1) Jesus first notes their industriousness
(a) "I know your works…”
(b) “… your labor…”, Hard labor, toil (ATR)
(c) “… your patience…”
(2) Then He notes that they have taken the difficult step of dealing with and expelling false teachers and false believers—“…and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars…”
(a) Note the instructions given to the leaders of the Ephesian church in Acts 20—(Acts 20:26-31) ""Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."
(b) Note Paul’s warning to Timothy in 1 Tim 4:1-6 and 2 Tim 3:1-12
(i) How they reacted when tested in this way—
(ii) “…and that you cannot bear those who are evil…” These false teachers and false believers were a great burden to the church (ATR), and they Ephesians could not put up with them, would not put up with them, and they did deal with them.
(iii) “… And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars…” As taught (probably) by John as well as Paul, they applied the tests given in 1 and 2 John
(1 John 2:18-23) "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also."
(1 John 4:1-3) "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."
(iv) {3} "and you have persevered and have patience,..” This was a long battle, not one easily fought, requiring great efforts on their part.
(v) “…and have labored for My name's sake…” Their Motives were RIGHT! They did this difficult thing, not for the benefit of themselves, but for the Glory of God, as they had been instructed (along with other places) in:
(Eph 3:21) "to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
(vi) Their steadfastness and strength were worthy, they did not flag out at the beginning. “…and have not become weary…”
(3) Their overall foe—probably the Nicolaitans.
(a) (Rev 2:6) "… you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate…”
(b) ATR— Of the Nicolaitans (tōn Nikolaitōn). Mentioned again in verse 15 and really meant in verse 2. Irenaeus and Hippolytus take this sect to be followers of Nicolaus of Antioch, one of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5), a Jewish proselyte, who is said to have apostatized. There was such a sect in the second century (Tertullian), but whether descended from Nicolaus of Antioch is not certain, though possible (Lightfoot). It is even possible that the Balaamites of verse 14 were a variety of this same sect (verse 15).
(c) What were the Nicolaitan beliefs?
(i) Hierarchy of leadership
(ii) Tolerance of sexual immorality, including by church leaders.
c. Condemnations—
(1) They quit loving their first love—(Rev 2:4) "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love…”
(2) Who or what did they cease to love?
(a) Jesus
(b) The Lost
(c) The poor
(d) Each other
(e) Holiness
(f) Their own salvation?
(3) What is going on here?
(a) They were second generation believers, trained in the great school of the Ephesian church, but they did not have the fervency and love that the originals had
(b) As a church, they were so concerned with being right that they neglected to love the people they had to deal with.
(1 Cor 8:1) "…We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies."
d. Correction Required—(Rev 2:5) "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works,.
(1) Remember
(a) First, remember where you are, who you are, and what you are—and what you were
(b) From where you have fallen—they had, at some time been doing the right thing
(2) Repent—turn from the path they were on—as a church!
(3) Retrench—Do the First Works—rediscover the first love!
e. Consequence—“…or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place; unless you repent…”
(1) Again, what does this mean?
(2) The Bible Tells us exactly what this means—(Rev 1:20) ""… the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches."
(3) If they do not repent (quickly) the Lord will “pull their franchise license!” They will cease to be a true church—and the scary possibility is that they might not even notice it.
(4) And, it happened!
(a) The church at Ephesus sold out!
(b) We don’t know exactly when, but the church of Ephesus, along with all of the ancient mainline congregations, joined the imperial church and taught the false doctrines of all brands of Catholicism.
(i) salvation by works
(ii) baptismal regeneration
(iii) a hierarchical form of church government
(iv) monasticism
(v) worship of the “saints,”
(vi) worship of Mary the Mother of Jesus
(vii) Persecution of the true churches by the Imperial churches
3. Challenge and Charge—(Rev 2:7) ""He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches…”
a. Regardless of the church, the true believers in it will survive and thrive.
b. First, let’s unpack this repeated phrase
(1) He—anyone
(2) Who has an ear—this is not physical hearing—this speaks of one who hears and understands and agrees with Biblical Truth—
(a) Not everyone listens to the Truth!
(i) (John 8:47) ""He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.""
(ii) (1 John 4:5-6) "They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."
(b) (Rev 2:7) ""He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev 2:11)… (Rev 2:17), (Rev 2:29), (Rev 3:6) (Rev 3:13), (Rev 3:22)
(3) “…Let him hear What the Spirit says to the churches…”
(a) Even though it is the Son of God we see and hear in His glorified visage, He still respects the ministry of the Spirit to the churches, which He Himself gave in John chapters 14-16
(b) “…to the churches…” Not to the Church, for that body has never met and will not meet in one Body until after the Rapture, but to the churches, each individual congregation, so long as they are true and have their “candlestick.”
4. Promise—“…To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."'"
a. “…Him who overcomes…” One of the great concepts in this book is that of the Overcomer—the meaning is plain in this and other Scriptures
b. What is an Overcomer?
c.
(1) You are an overcomer if you are saved—(1 John 5:4-5) "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
(2) You are an Overcomer if you are promised a meal from the Tree of Life—(Rev 2:7) ""… To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."'"
(3) You are an overcomer if you won’t be hurt by the second death—(Rev 2:11) "" He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."'"
(4) (Rev 2:17) ""…I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."'"
(5) If we overcome, and our fruit will confirm that, we will reign with Jesus—(Rev 2:26) ""And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations;"
(a) (Rev 3:21) ""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."
(b) (Rev 21:7) ""He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son."
(6) We who are overcomers will receive many signs of that, including being vouched for by our Savior Himself—(Rev 3:5) ""He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."
(7) If we are overcomers, we will be established permanently—(Rev 3:12) ""He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name."
5. The Scary Thing For Us—This had been a great church, and it still looked like one!
a. They opposed false doctrine
b. They resisted the Nicolaitans
c. They stood for orthodoxy
d. They had been founded, discipled, led, and nurtured by a “who’s who” of the apostolic church
e. They were the recipients of one of the great theological masterpieces, the Epistle to the Ephesians.
f. But when their love waned, then they were open to and subject to all manner of false teachings, because if your doctrine does not include love for the Lord, Love for the brethren, and love for the lost, then the sooner or later, love for the Truth will also fly out the window.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Jesus’ Address to the Churches
(Rev 1:17-20)
1. Who is He? "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.”
a. Falling Down—
(1) Real worship is to fall at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to do something or relieve some fear that humanly impossible.
(2) Real worship is to fall on our faces before God, to fall at His feet!
(3) A Word About the Current Commotion--"being slain in the Spirit..."
(a) First, it isn't mentioned in the Bible – not even one time.
(b) Second, it is doctrinally out of whack- Falling Backward in the Bible is NEVER positive.
(i) Eli fell backward when the Glory departed from Israel—“…1 Sam 4:18 Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years…”
(ii) Falling backward was part of the judgment of God against the children of Israel who would not listen to God's prophets—Isa 28:13 “ But the word of the LORD was to them, "Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little," That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught.”
(iii) Jer 7:24 "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.
(iv) Jer 15:6 You have forsaken Me," says the LORD, "You have gone backward. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting!
(v) The soldiers who came to arrest Jesus fell backward—John 18:6 Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.”
(vi) A meeting with God causes people to hide their face, to fall FORWARD!! Gen 17:1 -3 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram ...Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
(vii) When God appeared to Abraham at Mamre—Gen 18:2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,
(viii) When God appeared to Moses at the Burning Bush—Exo 3:6 ... And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
(ix) Even Balaam, the false prophet, had sense enough to know what to do when he met God....Num 22:31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.
(x) When God appeared to Joshua at Jericho...Josh 5:14 .....Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped,
(xi) When God appeared to the parents of Samson...Judg 13:20 ...they fell on their faces to the ground.
(Mark 5:22) "And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet"
(Mark 7:25) "For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet."
(Mark 3:11) "And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God.""
(Mark 5:33) "But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth."
(Luke 8:28) "When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!""
(Lev 9:24) "and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces."(
(Num 20:6) "So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them."
(Judg 13:20) "it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar; the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground."
(1 Ki 18:39) "Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!""
(1 Chr 21:16) "Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces."
(Mat 17:6) "And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid."
(Rev 7:11) "All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,"
(Rev 11:16) "And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,"
b. Do Not Be Afraid “…But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last…”
(1) A common thing said to many of God’s people in great times of need.
(a) Sometimes we fear the situation
(b) Sometimes we fear our enemies
(c) Sometimes we fear what man can do to us
(d) Sometimes we fear our own weaknesses
(e) Sometimes God puts us out of our comfort zone
(f) Sometimes God gives us challenges that seem impossible
(g) But He always says—do not be afraid
(2) Some of God’s choicest servants needed these words…
(a) Moses—(Gen 15:1) "After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.""
(b) The People of Israel—(Exo 14:13) "And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever."
(c) Joshua—(Josh 1:9) ""Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.""
(d) Elijah—(2 Ki 1:15) "And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with him to the king."
(e) Any believer seeking wisdom—(Prov 3:25) "Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes…"
(f) Joseph—(Mat 1:20) "But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."
(g) The Disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration— (Mat 17:7) "But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid.""
(h) The Women At the Tomb—(Mat 28:5) "But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified."
(i) The Virgin Mary— (Luke 1:30) "Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."
(j) Paul the Apostle—
(i) (Acts 18:9) "Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent;"
(ii) (Acts 27:24) ""saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.'"
c. Why “do not be afraid? Three Consecutive “I AM” statements
(1) “… I am the First and the Last…”
(a) He Is Eternal God—Rom 9:5, 1 Tim 6:15-16
(b) was there before we were, He will be here when we are dust
(2) When we fear death, he is the Victor over it—18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.”
(3) We will be with Him eternally as well
(4) Why should we fear when we have such wonderful Savior?
(5) But He tells us not to fear, knowing that we will
2. The Keys—“…And I have the keys of Hades and of Death…”
a. What about keys? What are they? How many of them are there? What is the literal meaning of these keys?
(1) Outside Revelation, “keys” are mentioned only a few times
(a) Mat 16:19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
(b) Isa 22:22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.
(2) What are the “keys?” They indicate authority—the key holder rules!— (Luke 11:52) ""Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.""
(a) The Keys to The Kingdom—committed to Peter, but not to him alone
(b) The key to the house of David—most likely synonymous to the Kingdom
(c) The keys to death and Hell— Luke 12:5) ""But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"
(d) The Key of David—(Rev 3:7) ""And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":"
(e) The key to the bottomless pit—
(i) (Rev 9:1) "Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit."
(ii) (Rev 20:1) "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand."
b. The “Weekend in Hell” theory is a favorite of many, but it is not solidly established in the Bible, and it actually comes from medieval Roman Catholic teachings
c. The second part of the “Weekend in Hell” doctrine is that Satan owned "the keys" to death, hell, and the grave, and that Jesus had to go win them from him.
(1) There are ABSOLUTELY NO scriptures which even remotely suggest that Satan ever had any keys to anything.
(2) Furthermore, God opens and shuts, and no one stops Him in going either direction—
(3) Isa 45:1 "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held; To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
(4) Rev 3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
(a) Now think, did the Devil EVER have the power of life and death? Did Satan EVER have authority to sentence anyone to Hell? Was Satan ever in charge of God’s salvation plan?
(b) The answer is no! God alone has, and has always had, that power and authority.
(Rev 3:7) ""And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":"
3. The Outline of Revelation—“…19 "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this…”
a. To remind us again, this book is outlined simply and directly
(1) Write—again, John writes what he is commanded, not anything of his own.
(2) What has been seen
(3) The Things that exist
(4) The Things which WILL take place after this.
b. Again, Revelation Reveals Itself! “…20 "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches."
(1) The Angel, or messenger, of each church, perhaps the pastor.
(2) The Lampstands—the churches, the lights that should shine, the city on the hill that should shine—(Mat 5:14) ""You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
1. Who is He? "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.”
a. Falling Down—
(1) Real worship is to fall at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to do something or relieve some fear that humanly impossible.
(2) Real worship is to fall on our faces before God, to fall at His feet!
(3) A Word About the Current Commotion--"being slain in the Spirit..."
(a) First, it isn't mentioned in the Bible – not even one time.
(b) Second, it is doctrinally out of whack- Falling Backward in the Bible is NEVER positive.
(i) Eli fell backward when the Glory departed from Israel—“…1 Sam 4:18 Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years…”
(ii) Falling backward was part of the judgment of God against the children of Israel who would not listen to God's prophets—Isa 28:13 “ But the word of the LORD was to them, "Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little," That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught.”
(iii) Jer 7:24 "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.
(iv) Jer 15:6 You have forsaken Me," says the LORD, "You have gone backward. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting!
(v) The soldiers who came to arrest Jesus fell backward—John 18:6 Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.”
(vi) A meeting with God causes people to hide their face, to fall FORWARD!! Gen 17:1 -3 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram ...Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
(vii) When God appeared to Abraham at Mamre—Gen 18:2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,
(viii) When God appeared to Moses at the Burning Bush—Exo 3:6 ... And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
(ix) Even Balaam, the false prophet, had sense enough to know what to do when he met God....Num 22:31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.
(x) When God appeared to Joshua at Jericho...Josh 5:14 .....Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped,
(xi) When God appeared to the parents of Samson...Judg 13:20 ...they fell on their faces to the ground.
(Mark 5:22) "And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet"
(Mark 7:25) "For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet."
(Mark 3:11) "And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God.""
(Mark 5:33) "But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth."
(Luke 8:28) "When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!""
(Lev 9:24) "and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces."(
(Num 20:6) "So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them."
(Judg 13:20) "it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar; the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground."
(1 Ki 18:39) "Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!""
(1 Chr 21:16) "Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces."
(Mat 17:6) "And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid."
(Rev 7:11) "All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,"
(Rev 11:16) "And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,"
b. Do Not Be Afraid “…But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last…”
(1) A common thing said to many of God’s people in great times of need.
(a) Sometimes we fear the situation
(b) Sometimes we fear our enemies
(c) Sometimes we fear what man can do to us
(d) Sometimes we fear our own weaknesses
(e) Sometimes God puts us out of our comfort zone
(f) Sometimes God gives us challenges that seem impossible
(g) But He always says—do not be afraid
(2) Some of God’s choicest servants needed these words…
(a) Moses—(Gen 15:1) "After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.""
(b) The People of Israel—(Exo 14:13) "And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever."
(c) Joshua—(Josh 1:9) ""Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.""
(d) Elijah—(2 Ki 1:15) "And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with him to the king."
(e) Any believer seeking wisdom—(Prov 3:25) "Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes…"
(f) Joseph—(Mat 1:20) "But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."
(g) The Disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration— (Mat 17:7) "But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid.""
(h) The Women At the Tomb—(Mat 28:5) "But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified."
(i) The Virgin Mary— (Luke 1:30) "Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."
(j) Paul the Apostle—
(i) (Acts 18:9) "Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent;"
(ii) (Acts 27:24) ""saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.'"
c. Why “do not be afraid? Three Consecutive “I AM” statements
(1) “… I am the First and the Last…”
(a) He Is Eternal God—Rom 9:5, 1 Tim 6:15-16
(b) was there before we were, He will be here when we are dust
(2) When we fear death, he is the Victor over it—18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.”
(3) We will be with Him eternally as well
(4) Why should we fear when we have such wonderful Savior?
(5) But He tells us not to fear, knowing that we will
2. The Keys—“…And I have the keys of Hades and of Death…”
a. What about keys? What are they? How many of them are there? What is the literal meaning of these keys?
(1) Outside Revelation, “keys” are mentioned only a few times
(a) Mat 16:19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
(b) Isa 22:22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.
(2) What are the “keys?” They indicate authority—the key holder rules!— (Luke 11:52) ""Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.""
(a) The Keys to The Kingdom—committed to Peter, but not to him alone
(b) The key to the house of David—most likely synonymous to the Kingdom
(c) The keys to death and Hell— Luke 12:5) ""But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"
(d) The Key of David—(Rev 3:7) ""And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":"
(e) The key to the bottomless pit—
(i) (Rev 9:1) "Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit."
(ii) (Rev 20:1) "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand."
b. The “Weekend in Hell” theory is a favorite of many, but it is not solidly established in the Bible, and it actually comes from medieval Roman Catholic teachings
c. The second part of the “Weekend in Hell” doctrine is that Satan owned "the keys" to death, hell, and the grave, and that Jesus had to go win them from him.
(1) There are ABSOLUTELY NO scriptures which even remotely suggest that Satan ever had any keys to anything.
(2) Furthermore, God opens and shuts, and no one stops Him in going either direction—
(3) Isa 45:1 "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held; To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
(4) Rev 3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
(a) Now think, did the Devil EVER have the power of life and death? Did Satan EVER have authority to sentence anyone to Hell? Was Satan ever in charge of God’s salvation plan?
(b) The answer is no! God alone has, and has always had, that power and authority.
(Rev 3:7) ""And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":"
3. The Outline of Revelation—“…19 "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this…”
a. To remind us again, this book is outlined simply and directly
(1) Write—again, John writes what he is commanded, not anything of his own.
(2) What has been seen
(3) The Things that exist
(4) The Things which WILL take place after this.
b. Again, Revelation Reveals Itself! “…20 "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches."
(1) The Angel, or messenger, of each church, perhaps the pastor.
(2) The Lampstands—the churches, the lights that should shine, the city on the hill that should shine—(Mat 5:14) ""You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
The Vision of the Resurrected Christ—Rev 1:8-20
Brother Charley Buntin, Trace Creek Baptist Church, Mayfield, KY
1. The Person of Christ Re-Stated Again—(Rev 1:8) "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
a. The I AMs of the Gospel of John
(1) (John 6:35) "And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life…”
(2) (John 7:28-29) "… I am from Him, and He sent Me.""
(3) (John 8:12) "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world…”
(4) (John 8:23) "… I am from above.
(5) John 8:24 “…if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.""
(6) (John 8:58) "… before Abraham was, I AM.""
(7) (John 10:7) "… I am the door of the sheep."
(8) (John 10:9) ""I am the door. …."
(9) (John 10:11) ""I am the good shepherd…”
(10) (John 11:25) "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life…”
(11) (John 14:6) "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
(12) (John 15:1) ""I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser."
(13) (John 15:5) ""I am the vine, you are the branches…."
(14) (John 18:5-6) "They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground."
b. The titles of Christ in just the first 7 verses:
(1) The first four titles refer to Who He Is—
(a) “…Jesus Christ…” As the Angel told Joseph in Matthew—I (Mat 1:20-21) "”…you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.""
(b) “…the faithful witness…”
(c) “…the firstborn from the dead…”
(d) “…the ruler over the kings of the earth…”.
(2) What He Has Done for us
(a) “…Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood…”
(b) “…[Who]{6} has made us kings and priests to His God and Father…”
(3) The Worship to which He is entitled
(a) “…Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. …” (Psa 96:8) "Give to the LORD the glory due His name…”
c. The other “I Am” verses of Revelation
(1) (Rev 1:11) "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,"
(2) (Rev 1:17-18) I am the First and the Last.
(3) {18} "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.
(4) (Rev 21:6) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
(5) (Rev 22:7) "Behold, I am coming quickly!
(6) (Rev 22:12-13) "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me
(7) {13} "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."
(8) (Rev 22:16) "I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."
d. More titles …” come in this passage:
(1) He is the first “Word” and the last “Word”—“…Alpha and the Omega…”
(a) He was the first word—“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was With God, and the Word Was God…”
(b) He will be the last Word—(Rev 22:20-21) "He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
(2) He is Eternal God—“…the Beginning and the End…” — (Rom 9:5) "of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen."
(3) (1 Tim 6:15-16) "… He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. …”
(4) He Has the Dominion, He is the King— “…the Lord…”
(5) “…who is and who was and who is to come…”
(a) He Came as the Suffering Servant
(b) He is now the Exalted Intercessor
(c) He is returning as reigning King
(6) “… the Almighty." This is a title addressed to God several times in Revelation, as His might is stressed as the power behind this great unveiling.
(Rev 4:8) "The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!""
(Rev 11:17) "saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned."
(Rev 15:3) "They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!"
(Rev 16:7) "And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.""
(Rev 16:14) "For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
(Rev 19:15) "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
(Rev 21:22) "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."
2. The Setting of the Vision—(Rev 1:9) "I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."
a. John, the last apostle, a witness to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, addresses the churches as brother and companion—he is saying, “we are all in this together—“… John, both your brother and companion…”
(1) He was their companion in Tribulation
(2) He was their companion in the Kingdom—All saved people are in the Kingdom of God—Col 1:13
(3) He was their companion in “the patience of Jesus Christ…” This speaks of the perseverance of those who are truly born again.
b. A time of Tribulation—a time of persecution—“…John was…on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."
(1) Before we even look at the persecutions, note this—the base cause of persecution is the reaction of the lost when the truth is preached, proclaimed, and lived.
(2) The Enemy has no particular drive to persecute silent Christians, nor to disturb those who compromise with the world—John was under persecution because he would not shut up!
(3) This was the Persecution of Domitian, the first empire-wide persecution
(4) Early on, the Romans saw the Christians as a subset of the Jews, who were a religio licta (legal religion—and only the Jews were exempt from the requirement to worship Caesar—though they did pray and sacrifice FOR the emperor.)
(5) During reign of Nero, Christianity was declared a religio illicta (an illegal religion), but the Neronian persecution was limited to Rome.
(6) The heart and soul of John’s “offense” was his obedience to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ—another name for the Bible
(7) How to deal with the Christians is the subject of a famous exchange of letters between the Emperor Trajan and the Governor of Bythinia, Pliny
Pliny's written With Trajan (reigned 98-117) About The Christians
How the Romans viewed the Christians:
This correspondence between the Emperor Trajan and Pliny, governor of Bithynia shows how Christianity had spread, and how it was treated. in the second century AD.
PLINY'S LETTER TO TRAJAN: "It is my custom, lord emperor, to refer to you all questions whereof I am in doubt. Who can better guide me when I am at a stand, or enlighten me if I am in ignorance? In investigations of Christians I have never taken part, hence I do not know what is the crime usually punished or investigated, or what allowances are made. So I have had no little uncertainty whether there is any distinction of age, or whether the very weakest offenders are treated exactly like the stronger, whether pardon is given to those who repent, or whether a man who has once been a Christian gains nothing by having ceased to be such; whether punishment attaches to the mere name apart from secret crimes, or to the secret crimes connected with the name. Meantime this is the course I have taken with those who were accused before me as Christians. I asked them whether they were Christians, and if they confessed, I asked them a second and third time with threats of punishment. If they kept to it, I ordered them for execution; for I held no question that whatever It was that they admitted, in any case obstinacy and unbending Perversity deserve to be punished. There were others of the like insanity; but as these were Roman citizens, I noted them down to be sent to Rome. Before long, as is often the case, the mere fact that the charge was taken notice of made it commoner and several distinct cases arose. An unsigned paper was presented, which gave the names of many. As for those who said that they neither were nor ever had been Christians, I thought it right to let them go, since they recited a prayer to the gods at my dictation, made supplication with incense and wine to your statue, which I had ordered to be brought into court for the purpose together with images of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ- things which (so it is said) those who are really Christians cannot be made to do. Others who were named by the informer said that they were Christians and then denied it, explaining that they had been, but had ceased to be such, some three years ago, some a good many years, and a few even twenty. All these too worshipped your statue and the images of the gods, and cursed Christ. They maintained, however that the amount of their fault or error had been this, that it was their habit on a fixed day to assemble before daylight and recite by turns a form of words to Christ as a god; and that they bound themselves with an oath, not for any crime, but not to commit theft or robbery or adultery, not to break their word, and not to deny a deposit when demanded."
TRAJAN'S REPLY TO PLINY: "You have adopted the proper course, my dear Secundus, in your examination of the cases of those who were accused to you as Christians, for indeed nothing can be laid down as a general ruling involving something like a set form of procedure. They are not to be sought out; but if they are accused and convicted, they must be punished - yet on this condition, that whose denies himself to be a Christian, and makes the fact plain by his action, that is, by worshipping our gods, shall obtain pardon on his repentance, however suspicious his past conduct may be. Papers, however, which are presented unsigned ought not to be admitted in any charge, for they are a very Bad example and unworthy of our time."
c. Why did the Romans hate the Christians?
(1) They were different—most pagans, no matter what their religious beliefs, had essentially the same pagan worldview and sinful lifestyle.
(a) Drunkenness
(b) Sexual immorality
(c) Pedophilia
(d) Homosexuality
(e) Violence of a cruelty
Augustine’s comment on the gladiatorial contests—
When they had got in and taken their places in such seats as were available, the whole place was boiling with the most savage passions. With his eyelids tightly closed, he forbade his [eyes] to [look at] such wicked things. Would that he had been able to stop his ears, too! For, when one man fell in the fight and an immense roar from the whole audience struck his ears with a violent shock, he was overcome by curiosity. Convinced that, whatever it was like, he could defy and overcome it, he opened his eyes and was wounded more seriously in his soul than the gladiator, whom he lusted to observe, had been wounded in his body. Thus he fell more wretchedly than that man whose fall had caused the uproar which had entered through his ears and laid bare his eyes so that the means was provided by which his daring mind could be wounded and knocked down . . . As he looked upon the blood, he drank in the savagery at the same time.
(ConfessionsVI.8)
(2) The Romans did not trust the Christians politically—the Empire was always worried about attacks from invaders, and they saw Christians as potential turncoats, sort of like the attitude Pharaoh had in Exodus
(3) The Romans did not trust the Christians economically
(a) Acts 19 and the idol business
(Acts 19:24-27) “…For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. {25} He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. {26} "Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. {27} "So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship."
(b) Also, many slaves were Christians, and there was always a fear that they would help slaves escape
(4) The Romans did not trust the Christians socially, because believers of all classes honored and associated with each other
(5) The Romans feared Christians in the Army, that they might be disloyal, since they would not worship the emperor, and since their moral habits were different from the other soldiers.
(6) If there was a natural disaster, superstitious pagans would often blame the Christians, because the Christians did not worship the pagan gods.
3. The Voice of the Vision—(Rev 1:10-11) "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.""
a. John was worshiping on the Lord’s Day—Heb 10:25—in spite of the fact that he was exiled to this barren rock to die (hopefully, as the Romans thought)
(1) The Loud voice—When Jesus speaks, all must listen
(2) The titles are repeated
(3) A very important phrase: “…"What you see, write in a book and send it…” John’s assignment was not interpretation, nor editing, he was to write ALL that he saw. He received the instructions to write 12 times in this letter.
b. The Address to the seven churches
(1) These were city churches
(2) They were on the same postal route
(3) They were the first ones to hear what the Spirit said to the churches.
4. The Appearance of the Lord Jesus—(Rev 1:12-16)
a. The Voice: "Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me…”
b. The Vision
(1) The Lampstands“…. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands…”
(a) What did the lampstands represent? (Rev 1:20) ""The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches."
(b) And the stars? “…He had in His right hand seven stars…” The “angels” of the churches…
(2) The One in the midst—obviously Jesus— 13… “ …and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man…”
(3) Dressed in an outfit that resembled the Old Testament high priest’s garb—“…clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band….”
(4) Not a normal mere man, and not in appearance like the Christ Who ascended I Acts 1:9-11 “… 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; …”
(5) Everything about Him speaks of power and glory
(a) He stands where He wants, and his footstep is heavy! “ … 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace…”
(b) When He Speaks, all must listen—“… and His voice as the sound of many waters…”
(c) His Word Rules, and His Word can destroy—“…out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword…”—(Psa 138:2) "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: “…Ps 138:2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name…”
(d) His brilliance, now manifested, is too bright to view—“… and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength."
(i) (Mat 17:1-2) "Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light."
(ii) But even then, His Glory cannot be fully contained nor shown—(Hab 3:2-4) "O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. 3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power."
1. The Person of Christ Re-Stated Again—(Rev 1:8) "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
a. The I AMs of the Gospel of John
(1) (John 6:35) "And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life…”
(2) (John 7:28-29) "… I am from Him, and He sent Me.""
(3) (John 8:12) "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world…”
(4) (John 8:23) "… I am from above.
(5) John 8:24 “…if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.""
(6) (John 8:58) "… before Abraham was, I AM.""
(7) (John 10:7) "… I am the door of the sheep."
(8) (John 10:9) ""I am the door. …."
(9) (John 10:11) ""I am the good shepherd…”
(10) (John 11:25) "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life…”
(11) (John 14:6) "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
(12) (John 15:1) ""I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser."
(13) (John 15:5) ""I am the vine, you are the branches…."
(14) (John 18:5-6) "They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground."
b. The titles of Christ in just the first 7 verses:
(1) The first four titles refer to Who He Is—
(a) “…Jesus Christ…” As the Angel told Joseph in Matthew—I (Mat 1:20-21) "”…you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.""
(b) “…the faithful witness…”
(c) “…the firstborn from the dead…”
(d) “…the ruler over the kings of the earth…”.
(2) What He Has Done for us
(a) “…Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood…”
(b) “…[Who]{6} has made us kings and priests to His God and Father…”
(3) The Worship to which He is entitled
(a) “…Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. …” (Psa 96:8) "Give to the LORD the glory due His name…”
c. The other “I Am” verses of Revelation
(1) (Rev 1:11) "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,"
(2) (Rev 1:17-18) I am the First and the Last.
(3) {18} "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.
(4) (Rev 21:6) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
(5) (Rev 22:7) "Behold, I am coming quickly!
(6) (Rev 22:12-13) "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me
(7) {13} "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."
(8) (Rev 22:16) "I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."
d. More titles …” come in this passage:
(1) He is the first “Word” and the last “Word”—“…Alpha and the Omega…”
(a) He was the first word—“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was With God, and the Word Was God…”
(b) He will be the last Word—(Rev 22:20-21) "He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
(2) He is Eternal God—“…the Beginning and the End…” — (Rom 9:5) "of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen."
(3) (1 Tim 6:15-16) "… He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. …”
(4) He Has the Dominion, He is the King— “…the Lord…”
(5) “…who is and who was and who is to come…”
(a) He Came as the Suffering Servant
(b) He is now the Exalted Intercessor
(c) He is returning as reigning King
(6) “… the Almighty." This is a title addressed to God several times in Revelation, as His might is stressed as the power behind this great unveiling.
(Rev 4:8) "The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!""
(Rev 11:17) "saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned."
(Rev 15:3) "They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!"
(Rev 16:7) "And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.""
(Rev 16:14) "For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
(Rev 19:15) "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
(Rev 21:22) "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."
2. The Setting of the Vision—(Rev 1:9) "I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."
a. John, the last apostle, a witness to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, addresses the churches as brother and companion—he is saying, “we are all in this together—“… John, both your brother and companion…”
(1) He was their companion in Tribulation
(2) He was their companion in the Kingdom—All saved people are in the Kingdom of God—Col 1:13
(3) He was their companion in “the patience of Jesus Christ…” This speaks of the perseverance of those who are truly born again.
b. A time of Tribulation—a time of persecution—“…John was…on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."
(1) Before we even look at the persecutions, note this—the base cause of persecution is the reaction of the lost when the truth is preached, proclaimed, and lived.
(2) The Enemy has no particular drive to persecute silent Christians, nor to disturb those who compromise with the world—John was under persecution because he would not shut up!
(3) This was the Persecution of Domitian, the first empire-wide persecution
(4) Early on, the Romans saw the Christians as a subset of the Jews, who were a religio licta (legal religion—and only the Jews were exempt from the requirement to worship Caesar—though they did pray and sacrifice FOR the emperor.)
(5) During reign of Nero, Christianity was declared a religio illicta (an illegal religion), but the Neronian persecution was limited to Rome.
(6) The heart and soul of John’s “offense” was his obedience to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ—another name for the Bible
(7) How to deal with the Christians is the subject of a famous exchange of letters between the Emperor Trajan and the Governor of Bythinia, Pliny
Pliny's written With Trajan (reigned 98-117) About The Christians
How the Romans viewed the Christians:
This correspondence between the Emperor Trajan and Pliny, governor of Bithynia shows how Christianity had spread, and how it was treated. in the second century AD.
PLINY'S LETTER TO TRAJAN: "It is my custom, lord emperor, to refer to you all questions whereof I am in doubt. Who can better guide me when I am at a stand, or enlighten me if I am in ignorance? In investigations of Christians I have never taken part, hence I do not know what is the crime usually punished or investigated, or what allowances are made. So I have had no little uncertainty whether there is any distinction of age, or whether the very weakest offenders are treated exactly like the stronger, whether pardon is given to those who repent, or whether a man who has once been a Christian gains nothing by having ceased to be such; whether punishment attaches to the mere name apart from secret crimes, or to the secret crimes connected with the name. Meantime this is the course I have taken with those who were accused before me as Christians. I asked them whether they were Christians, and if they confessed, I asked them a second and third time with threats of punishment. If they kept to it, I ordered them for execution; for I held no question that whatever It was that they admitted, in any case obstinacy and unbending Perversity deserve to be punished. There were others of the like insanity; but as these were Roman citizens, I noted them down to be sent to Rome. Before long, as is often the case, the mere fact that the charge was taken notice of made it commoner and several distinct cases arose. An unsigned paper was presented, which gave the names of many. As for those who said that they neither were nor ever had been Christians, I thought it right to let them go, since they recited a prayer to the gods at my dictation, made supplication with incense and wine to your statue, which I had ordered to be brought into court for the purpose together with images of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ- things which (so it is said) those who are really Christians cannot be made to do. Others who were named by the informer said that they were Christians and then denied it, explaining that they had been, but had ceased to be such, some three years ago, some a good many years, and a few even twenty. All these too worshipped your statue and the images of the gods, and cursed Christ. They maintained, however that the amount of their fault or error had been this, that it was their habit on a fixed day to assemble before daylight and recite by turns a form of words to Christ as a god; and that they bound themselves with an oath, not for any crime, but not to commit theft or robbery or adultery, not to break their word, and not to deny a deposit when demanded."
TRAJAN'S REPLY TO PLINY: "You have adopted the proper course, my dear Secundus, in your examination of the cases of those who were accused to you as Christians, for indeed nothing can be laid down as a general ruling involving something like a set form of procedure. They are not to be sought out; but if they are accused and convicted, they must be punished - yet on this condition, that whose denies himself to be a Christian, and makes the fact plain by his action, that is, by worshipping our gods, shall obtain pardon on his repentance, however suspicious his past conduct may be. Papers, however, which are presented unsigned ought not to be admitted in any charge, for they are a very Bad example and unworthy of our time."
c. Why did the Romans hate the Christians?
(1) They were different—most pagans, no matter what their religious beliefs, had essentially the same pagan worldview and sinful lifestyle.
(a) Drunkenness
(b) Sexual immorality
(c) Pedophilia
(d) Homosexuality
(e) Violence of a cruelty
Augustine’s comment on the gladiatorial contests—
When they had got in and taken their places in such seats as were available, the whole place was boiling with the most savage passions. With his eyelids tightly closed, he forbade his [eyes] to [look at] such wicked things. Would that he had been able to stop his ears, too! For, when one man fell in the fight and an immense roar from the whole audience struck his ears with a violent shock, he was overcome by curiosity. Convinced that, whatever it was like, he could defy and overcome it, he opened his eyes and was wounded more seriously in his soul than the gladiator, whom he lusted to observe, had been wounded in his body. Thus he fell more wretchedly than that man whose fall had caused the uproar which had entered through his ears and laid bare his eyes so that the means was provided by which his daring mind could be wounded and knocked down . . . As he looked upon the blood, he drank in the savagery at the same time.
(ConfessionsVI.8)
(2) The Romans did not trust the Christians politically—the Empire was always worried about attacks from invaders, and they saw Christians as potential turncoats, sort of like the attitude Pharaoh had in Exodus
(3) The Romans did not trust the Christians economically
(a) Acts 19 and the idol business
(Acts 19:24-27) “…For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. {25} He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. {26} "Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. {27} "So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship."
(b) Also, many slaves were Christians, and there was always a fear that they would help slaves escape
(4) The Romans did not trust the Christians socially, because believers of all classes honored and associated with each other
(5) The Romans feared Christians in the Army, that they might be disloyal, since they would not worship the emperor, and since their moral habits were different from the other soldiers.
(6) If there was a natural disaster, superstitious pagans would often blame the Christians, because the Christians did not worship the pagan gods.
3. The Voice of the Vision—(Rev 1:10-11) "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.""
a. John was worshiping on the Lord’s Day—Heb 10:25—in spite of the fact that he was exiled to this barren rock to die (hopefully, as the Romans thought)
(1) The Loud voice—When Jesus speaks, all must listen
(2) The titles are repeated
(3) A very important phrase: “…"What you see, write in a book and send it…” John’s assignment was not interpretation, nor editing, he was to write ALL that he saw. He received the instructions to write 12 times in this letter.
b. The Address to the seven churches
(1) These were city churches
(2) They were on the same postal route
(3) They were the first ones to hear what the Spirit said to the churches.
4. The Appearance of the Lord Jesus—(Rev 1:12-16)
a. The Voice: "Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me…”
b. The Vision
(1) The Lampstands“…. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands…”
(a) What did the lampstands represent? (Rev 1:20) ""The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches."
(b) And the stars? “…He had in His right hand seven stars…” The “angels” of the churches…
(2) The One in the midst—obviously Jesus— 13… “ …and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man…”
(3) Dressed in an outfit that resembled the Old Testament high priest’s garb—“…clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band….”
(4) Not a normal mere man, and not in appearance like the Christ Who ascended I Acts 1:9-11 “… 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; …”
(5) Everything about Him speaks of power and glory
(a) He stands where He wants, and his footstep is heavy! “ … 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace…”
(b) When He Speaks, all must listen—“… and His voice as the sound of many waters…”
(c) His Word Rules, and His Word can destroy—“…out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword…”—(Psa 138:2) "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: “…Ps 138:2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name…”
(d) His brilliance, now manifested, is too bright to view—“… and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength."
(i) (Mat 17:1-2) "Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light."
(ii) But even then, His Glory cannot be fully contained nor shown—(Hab 3:2-4) "O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. 3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power."
A Preview of the Glorious Appearing
(Rev 1:7) "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen”
Israel Text of the Week—Dt 30:1-10
1. Preliminary Question: What is Glory? Or, “Glorify,” “Glorified,” etc
a. When the words are talking about the Triune God, Glory is something majestic in God’s eyes, something personal that He holds in great esteem!
(1) (Isa 42:8) "I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images."
(2) (Psa 96:8) "Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts."
b. It is something that is revealed, sometimes visually—
(1) (Mat 4:8) "Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory."
(2) (Mat 6:29) ""and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
(3) (Mat 19:28) "So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
(4) (Mat 24:30) ""Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
(5) (Mat 25:31) ""When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory."
(6) (Luke 2:9) "And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid."
c. Glory also contains Moral Light
(1) (Luke 2:32) "A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.""
(2) (John 1:14) "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
(3) (John 2:11) "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."
d. Glory can be works of power that reveal God as He is—(John 11:4) "When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.""
e. Glory is the eternal possession of God—
(1) (John 17:5) ""And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
(2) (John 17:22) ""And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:"
(3) (John 17:24) ""Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."
f. We cannot self-generate this glory—(Rom 3:23) "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
g. When we witness of Who He Is, we glorify Him—(Rom 4:20) "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,"
h. Glory is something we look forward to as a result of our salvation—(Rom 5:2-3) "through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;"
i. Glory comes to God because of the greatness of His person—(Rom 11:36) "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."
j. Glory is the righteous possession of the Father—
(1) (Rom 16:27) "to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen."
(2) (1 Cor 1:29) "that no flesh should glory in His presence."
(3) (1 Cor 1:31) "that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.""
k. And He Is King Eternal— (Rev 1:5-6) "… To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. …”
l. But Always, He Is Worthy of All Glory—(Rev 1:5-6) "… To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. …”
2. The Glorious Appearing—He is Coming Again—(Rev 1:7-8) "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen…”
a. Why must Jesus Come Again? (MacArthur)
(1) The Promises made to Israel by the Father—(Psa 2:6-9) ""Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." 7 "I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'""
(2) The Promises made to Israel by the Son—(John 14:2-3) ""In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
(3) The Holy Spirit inspired all of the Bible, so His reputation is on the line if Jesus does not return.
(4) God’s Program for the church requires the first sequence of the second coming—(1 Th 1:10) "… wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."
(5) God’s program for the lost nations requires the second coming
(6) God’s program for Israel requires Christ’s Return—Jer 33:25-26
(7) Christ’s humiliation requires that He return—Ph 2:5-11
(8) The judgment against Satan requires Christ’s return—
(9) The Expectation of believers requires His Return—Titus 2:13
b. John’s Overview of the Glorious Appearing
(1) "…Behold…”
(2) “… He is coming…”
(3) “… with clouds…”
(4) “… and every eye will see Him…”
(5) “… even they who pierced Him...”.
(6) “…And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him…”
(7) “… Even so, Amen…”
c. Basic Facts
(1) Christ Will Have a Glorious Appearing
(2) The Rapture is not the glorious appearing
(3) The Glorious Appearing of Christ is a cornerstone of Biblical doctrine.
(4) Our Lord promised it—Mat 24:30 "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man Glorious Appearing in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
(5) The entire book of Revelation celebrates it.
(6) It is not possible to be considered orthodox and evangelical unless you believe Jesus is returning—Christ’s Glorious Appearing will be visible, personal and bodily, and in power.
3. The Overview of the Glorious Appearing
a. "…Behold…” The Holy Spirit, through John, wants us to take great notice!
(1) (Dan 7:13) ""I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him."
(2) Those who witness the Glorious Appearing will find it as a wonder or a horror, depending entirely on their personal circumstance.
b. “… He is coming…” Christ is returning, period. In the New Testament, the Glorious Appearing of Christ is just practically taken for granted—below are just a few examples of the verses that establish this fact.
1 Cor 11:26 "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come."
1 Tim 6:14-15 "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15 Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;"
Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
2 Th 2:1-3 "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"
c. “… with clouds…”
(1) Clouds are often a part of the revelation of God’s Glory—
(a) Clouds shrouded Mt. Sinai in Exodus
(b) A Cloud led them by day through the wilderness
(c) A cloud filled the Tabernacle so that they could not even enter.
(d) God descended in a cloud to witness about His Son on the Mount of Transfiguration.
(Mat 17:5) "While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!""
(2) In the Ascension, a cloud received Him out of their sight—Acts 1:9-11
(3) In the Rapture, we meet Him in the clouds—(1 Th 4:17) "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."
(4) In the Glorious Appearing, He appears “with clouds,” almost certainly referring to the supernatural clouds that accompany great manifestations of God’s Glory, such as the clouds filling the temple or the tabernacle at their dedications
(Mat 24:30) ""Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
(Mat 26:64) "Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.""
(Mark 13:26) ""Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."
(Mark 14:62) "Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.""
(1 Th 4:17) "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."
(Exo 13:22) "He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people."
d. “… and every eye will see Him…”—again, this is not the Rapture—see comparison list
(1) As Christ slowly and majestically descends to Earth, every living eye will see him
(2) That is why the tribes are afraid of His wrath.
e. “… even they who pierced Him...”.
(1) Israel pierced Him…(Zec 12:10) "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
(2) The Romans Pierced Him—
(a) (John 19:34) But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
(b) (John 19:37) And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."
(3) Roman and Jew alike cooperated in opposing Christ—(Acts 4:27) ""For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together"
(4) The Wicked pierced Him—(that’s US, all of US) Psa 22:16) For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;
f. The Horror of the unbeliever— “…And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him…”
(Mat 24:30) "… all the tribes of the earth will mourn…”
(Rev 6:15-17) And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, {16} and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! {17} "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
g. “… Even so, Amen…” The voice of surrender and the affirmation of Truth. Christ IS returning again.
Israel Text of the Week—Dt 30:1-10
1. Preliminary Question: What is Glory? Or, “Glorify,” “Glorified,” etc
a. When the words are talking about the Triune God, Glory is something majestic in God’s eyes, something personal that He holds in great esteem!
(1) (Isa 42:8) "I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images."
(2) (Psa 96:8) "Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts."
b. It is something that is revealed, sometimes visually—
(1) (Mat 4:8) "Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory."
(2) (Mat 6:29) ""and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
(3) (Mat 19:28) "So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
(4) (Mat 24:30) ""Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
(5) (Mat 25:31) ""When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory."
(6) (Luke 2:9) "And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid."
c. Glory also contains Moral Light
(1) (Luke 2:32) "A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.""
(2) (John 1:14) "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
(3) (John 2:11) "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."
d. Glory can be works of power that reveal God as He is—(John 11:4) "When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.""
e. Glory is the eternal possession of God—
(1) (John 17:5) ""And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
(2) (John 17:22) ""And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:"
(3) (John 17:24) ""Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."
f. We cannot self-generate this glory—(Rom 3:23) "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
g. When we witness of Who He Is, we glorify Him—(Rom 4:20) "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,"
h. Glory is something we look forward to as a result of our salvation—(Rom 5:2-3) "through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;"
i. Glory comes to God because of the greatness of His person—(Rom 11:36) "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."
j. Glory is the righteous possession of the Father—
(1) (Rom 16:27) "to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen."
(2) (1 Cor 1:29) "that no flesh should glory in His presence."
(3) (1 Cor 1:31) "that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.""
k. And He Is King Eternal— (Rev 1:5-6) "… To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. …”
l. But Always, He Is Worthy of All Glory—(Rev 1:5-6) "… To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. …”
2. The Glorious Appearing—He is Coming Again—(Rev 1:7-8) "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen…”
a. Why must Jesus Come Again? (MacArthur)
(1) The Promises made to Israel by the Father—(Psa 2:6-9) ""Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." 7 "I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'""
(2) The Promises made to Israel by the Son—(John 14:2-3) ""In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
(3) The Holy Spirit inspired all of the Bible, so His reputation is on the line if Jesus does not return.
(4) God’s Program for the church requires the first sequence of the second coming—(1 Th 1:10) "… wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."
(5) God’s program for the lost nations requires the second coming
(6) God’s program for Israel requires Christ’s Return—Jer 33:25-26
(7) Christ’s humiliation requires that He return—Ph 2:5-11
(8) The judgment against Satan requires Christ’s return—
(9) The Expectation of believers requires His Return—Titus 2:13
b. John’s Overview of the Glorious Appearing
(1) "…Behold…”
(2) “… He is coming…”
(3) “… with clouds…”
(4) “… and every eye will see Him…”
(5) “… even they who pierced Him...”.
(6) “…And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him…”
(7) “… Even so, Amen…”
c. Basic Facts
(1) Christ Will Have a Glorious Appearing
(2) The Rapture is not the glorious appearing
(3) The Glorious Appearing of Christ is a cornerstone of Biblical doctrine.
(4) Our Lord promised it—Mat 24:30 "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man Glorious Appearing in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
(5) The entire book of Revelation celebrates it.
(6) It is not possible to be considered orthodox and evangelical unless you believe Jesus is returning—Christ’s Glorious Appearing will be visible, personal and bodily, and in power.
3. The Overview of the Glorious Appearing
a. "…Behold…” The Holy Spirit, through John, wants us to take great notice!
(1) (Dan 7:13) ""I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him."
(2) Those who witness the Glorious Appearing will find it as a wonder or a horror, depending entirely on their personal circumstance.
b. “… He is coming…” Christ is returning, period. In the New Testament, the Glorious Appearing of Christ is just practically taken for granted—below are just a few examples of the verses that establish this fact.
1 Cor 11:26 "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come."
1 Tim 6:14-15 "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15 Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;"
Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
2 Th 2:1-3 "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"
c. “… with clouds…”
(1) Clouds are often a part of the revelation of God’s Glory—
(a) Clouds shrouded Mt. Sinai in Exodus
(b) A Cloud led them by day through the wilderness
(c) A cloud filled the Tabernacle so that they could not even enter.
(d) God descended in a cloud to witness about His Son on the Mount of Transfiguration.
(Mat 17:5) "While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!""
(2) In the Ascension, a cloud received Him out of their sight—Acts 1:9-11
(3) In the Rapture, we meet Him in the clouds—(1 Th 4:17) "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."
(4) In the Glorious Appearing, He appears “with clouds,” almost certainly referring to the supernatural clouds that accompany great manifestations of God’s Glory, such as the clouds filling the temple or the tabernacle at their dedications
(Mat 24:30) ""Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
(Mat 26:64) "Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.""
(Mark 13:26) ""Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."
(Mark 14:62) "Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.""
(1 Th 4:17) "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."
(Exo 13:22) "He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people."
d. “… and every eye will see Him…”—again, this is not the Rapture—see comparison list
(1) As Christ slowly and majestically descends to Earth, every living eye will see him
(2) That is why the tribes are afraid of His wrath.
e. “… even they who pierced Him...”.
(1) Israel pierced Him…(Zec 12:10) "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
(2) The Romans Pierced Him—
(a) (John 19:34) But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
(b) (John 19:37) And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."
(3) Roman and Jew alike cooperated in opposing Christ—(Acts 4:27) ""For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together"
(4) The Wicked pierced Him—(that’s US, all of US) Psa 22:16) For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;
f. The Horror of the unbeliever— “…And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him…”
(Mat 24:30) "… all the tribes of the earth will mourn…”
(Rev 6:15-17) And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, {16} and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! {17} "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
g. “… Even so, Amen…” The voice of surrender and the affirmation of Truth. Christ IS returning again.
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