Study in Revelation

Study in Revelation Presentation 03

Christ Among The Lamp Stands Part 2 Chap 2v12-3v22 Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Pergamum : 2v12-17 The Romans had made Pergamum the capital of this province and therefore the centre of emperor worship. There the god of healing was worshipped under the emblem of the serpent which, to believers, was the emblem of Satan. There was also a proliferation of pagan alters in the city. These facts may lie behind the description, ‘where Satan has his throne... lives’. The significance of the two edged sword may be to the double judgement of God, disciplining his people and punishing the wicked. A Church member called Antipas, a faithful witness, had already been put to death. The Greek word for ‘witness’ is ‘martyr’ and indicates the costliness of witnessing a good confession of faith. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Pergamum : 2v12-17 However, some in the church lived undisciplined lives. Possibly attending the heathen festivals and participating in immorality. Hence, again the reference to Balaam [cf. Num 22-25 Balaam having been frustrated in his attempts to earn a fat fee by cursing Israel, seduced her through immoral pagan orgies]. When Christians fail to maintain an attitude of war towards evil, then they must expect God to wage war against them cf. v16. Sobering! Those who do resist and conquer are promised ‘hidden manna’ a reference to Christ in all his fullness? [Jn. 6:33, 35]. The grace of Christ in all its glorious fruits will be the hidden, invisible, spiritual fruit they enjoy. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Pergamum : 2v12-17 A number of suggestions have been made for the background to the ‘new name’ written on the white stone, e.g. ancient jurors signified innocence by casting a white stone into an urn, they were also issued as admission tickets to feasts and banquets. The stone may symbolise the triumph of the faith of one who has kept himself pure from the pressures of paganism and authenticated his faith in a gospel that provides access into the marriage supper of the Lamb [cf. 21:7, 27]. The new name may be the name of ‘Christ the victor’ written on the believer’s forehead [cf. the High Priest’s mitre in the OT] or, a name given to the believer himself [Rev. 19:12 Isa. 62.2]. In scripture a person whose character has changed is given a new name to correspond with it cf. the new holiness of character given the believer in heaven and so too a new name. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Thyatira: 2v18-29 Thyatira was a garrison town; a trading city full of trade guilds, woolworkers, leather workers, dyers, tanners, potters etc. Each guild had a guardian god. If you wanted to succeed you had to belong to a guild. Membership of the guild implied worship of its god. The guild festivals were grossly immoral. To walk out meant becoming an object of ridicule and persecution. In this situation, a self-styled prophetess described here as ‘Jezebel’, a synonym for seduction to idolatry and immorality [1Kings 16:29 ff.], sought to persuade church members that in order to conquer sin, they must become thoroughly aquatinted with it, suggesting that, - ‘experiencing fornication will help you to become a better Christian’. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Thyatira: 2v18-29 What the prophetess claimed to be the ‘deep things of God’ is later sarcastically described as ‘the deep things of Satan’ [v24]. God gave this woman time to repent. What patience! Her refusal to do so invited his sore judgement. First through sickness/suffering [does this suggest that the door of repentance is even open at this late hour?] and then by the removal of her children - literal, or, spiritual? [cf. the fate of Jezebel’s prophets in 1Kings 18]. There is no blanket condemnation of the church cf. v21 ‘I will give to each of you as your works deserve’. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Thyatira: 2v18-29 Commendation had already been given v19 of their ‘love, faith, service and perseverance'. Indeed, there were noticeable improvements taking place in the church ‘your latter works exceed the first’. Now those, who had resisted both the pressures of the local community to conform and the ‘spiritual advice’ of the prophetess to adopt a sin binge mentality, are commended and encouraged to stand their ground. To ‘hold fast’ in the Christian life takes a great deal of moral fibre. The more we resist the more severe is the pressure. Endurance is encouraged by the assurance of Christ’s coming. While there is an immediate application, his coming in order to equip them to endure. It is the prospect of the new kingdom which his reign will establish that seems to be principally in view. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Thyatira: 2v18-29 Then for the believer there is rest from his labours! The reward of perseverance is to enter into Christ’s Messianic rule over the nations [Matt. 11:28, 1Cor. 6:3 Rev. 5:10]. A Messianic psalm is loosely quoted in v27. In Rev 12:5 and 19:15 the task of shepherding the nations is said to belong to the conquering Christ but here we have the promise that the overcomers will have a share in that rule. The shattering of the potter’s vessel depicts the absolute power of the victorious Christ and his followers over the rebel nations. The morning star in scripture is also associated with rule and royalty of Christ cf. 22:16. The meaning here may well be to reinforce what has just been said, that believers, the co-heirs with Christ, will rule with him. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Sardis: 3v1-6 The people of Sardis were known in the ancient world for their arrogance and overconfidence. They boasted that their city was impregnable situated as it was on the top of a near inaccessible hill. But on two occasions the city had been taken at night by skilful mountain climbers scaling one of the sheer faces thus putting the proud inhabitants of the city to shame. The arrogant self-confidence of the city was also found in the church. They considered themselves not only to be a premiere league church but top of the table. Their reputation was undeserved. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Sardis: 3v1-6 Despite a lot of outward activity, this church was in a spiritual stupor. Theirs was a nice ‘peaceful’ fellowship! They were unaware of the danger of their situation and are told to ‘wake up’- the enemy was scaling the walls while they slept! The lack of spiritual life, motivation, and vision would result in the disciplinary judgement of God unless they repented. Despite the fact that the church seems to have succumbed to secularisation there were a few people who had not ‘soiled their clothes’, i.e. contaminated their Christian witness and they are promised reward, namely to walk with Christ in white - a reference to ones justification or sanctification or both. The robe of Christ’s perfect righteousness is the gift given to the true believer as distinct from the religious activist, they are made white by washing in the blood of the lamb. [7:13]. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Philadelphia : 3v7-13 Philadelphia was situated at the intersection of three roads leading to the provinces of Mysia, Lydia and Phrygia. It was a gateway to the east and had become a centre for the expansion of Greek influence and culture. The city was situated near an area of hot springs and had been affected by earthquake in A.D. 70. The church is given an excellent report. Jesus describes himself as a key holder [cf. Isa. 22:22]. As a result of his death Jesus held the keys [Rev. 1:18, Matt .16:18-19; 28:18-20] to deliver men and women from the realm of death, the penalty of sin and the dominion of Satan. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Philadelphia : 3v7-13 The ‘open door’ that the risen Christ sets before them is understood to be a door of opportunity to preach the gospel where God has gone before to create an appetite to listen and hearts eager to receive [cf. Acts 16:14 ]. Despite the fact of their numerical minority and lack of influence and status in society, they had remained faithful to Christ, they had not denied his name. It is this faithfulness that gives them access to the spiritual power which will result in their evangelistic success via the ‘open door’. Faithfulness precedes fruitfulness! Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Philadelphia : 3v7-13 The risen Christ promises to ‘keep’ this church safe in the hour of trial and give them sweet victory over their Jewish accusers. And the form of that victory - the conversion of their persecutors! Thirdly, the conqueror is promised the place of ‘pillar’ in God’s temple- something that is permanent. In their recent past they had seen buildings collapse as a result of a great earthquake but no earthquake could fill their heart with fear in the heavenly kingdom for nothing can shake God’s kingdom. Future security is theirs. Finally, Christ promises that he will write upon the conqueror, God’s name and that of the city of God and His own new name. In other words, the conqueror will be given assurance that he belongs to God, to the kingdom of God and to Christ. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Philadelphia : 3v7-13 During the Reformation there was a certain man named Glover who had been miserable for years. He had no assurance of salvation. He found himself condemned to be burned at the stake for his faith and as he made his way towards it he suddenly shouted in ecstasy, “He is come, He is come”. At that point in time he experienced the sealing of God by his Spirit and to the amazement of his captors made his way to the stake with a triumphant and joyful spirit praising God. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Laodicea: 3v14-22 Laodicea was situated at the junction of the Lycus and Meander valleys, at the intersection of three roads commanding the approaches to Phrygia. This rich commercial city was the millionaire centre of the ancient world and famous for its wool, its medical school, its banking system and its seat of justice. There was a large colony of Jews in Laodicea who were allowed their own laws. [Paul wrote to the church here cf. Col. 4:14, 16 but the letter has either subsequently been lost, or it may be identical to the ‘circular’ letter to the Ephesians]. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Laodicea: 3v14-22 It would appear that many in the church interpreted their wealth as a sign of God’s blessing, a view that persists to the present day. The church had certainly been influenced by the spirit of the city, the Laodiceans were noted for their pride. They had a sort of ‘here’s tae us whose like us’ approach to life and were smugly self-satisfied with their spiritual state. Jesus’ reaction towards this church reveals an emotion that is not ascribed to him anywhere else in this book. He is disgusted/nauseated with them! Their religion was lukewarm, half-hearted. They were like the local springs that produced water not cool enough for drinking or warm enough for a hot bath. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Laodicea: 3v14-22 The words of Christ contain a provisional element and are still words of warning, ‘I am about to spew you out of my mouth’. Would they repent? Some striking contrasts are set up to expose their spiritual bankruptcy. In the wealthiest of commercial cities they were spiritually poor. In a city with a famous hospital stocking the celebrated Phrygian eye-salve they were spiritually blind. In a city that was a centre for wool and clothing manufacture they were spiritually naked. In their arrogance they had thought themselves without need. They had great need but it could only be satisfied by Christ [Isa. 55:1 ff. ]. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Laodicea: 3v14-22 The ‘gold’ of spiritual wealth begins by recognising our own poverty of spirit [Matt. 5:3]. Their nakedness could be covered by the ‘white garments’ of Christ’s righteousness [Isa. 61:10; Rom. 10:3; Phil. 3:9]. Their spiritual blindness required the ‘eye salve’ of Christ’s Word [Ps. 119:130]. Verse 20 reminds us of the amazing respect that Jesus has for the individual. He does not push open the door of the human heart and violate our wills. He awaits our invitation for him to become a permanent guest. And when he comes he brings real family life into our lives. His presence within our hearts is the only safe antidote to Satanic attempts to quench our love for him. Presentation 03

Letters To The Seven Churches Laodicea: 3v14-22 It is certainly true that these seven letters were addressed to seven historical churches in the opening centuries of the life of the church. Yet, at the same time, throughout the entire church age, congregations of God’s people have fitted into one of these seven categories. It is incumbent upon each congregation in every age to understand what the Spirit is saying to them. Presentation 03

Study in Revelation