Sardis (The Dead Church)

Sardis (The Dead Church)

Today Sardis is a ruined city in western Turkey.  Formerly an ancient capital of the kingdom and empire of Lydia located about 50 miles east of Smyrna. It lies in the Gediz Valley (earlier known as Hermus Valley) on a spur at the foot of Boz Dog Mountain, formerly known as Mount Tmolus. Through the city runs the little river Pactolus.

Sardis’ growth to wealth and importance was due to its rich deposits of gold, but it also benefited from having an excellent connection between the Anatolian highlands and the Aegean Sea. The gold was washed down from the mountains and was deposited in the sands of the Pactolus river. In the 6th century BC, Sardis made coins from the gold deposited in the sands of the river, which would come to revolutionize commerce.  Sardis was one of the first places on earth to use coins for a medium of exchange for trade.  This was the dawn of the age of currency. 

The wealth of gold near Sardis was explained through this well known myth: According to legend king Midas came upon a drunken satyr named Silenus who was passed out in his garden. Silenus was believed to be the foster father of the pagan god Dionysus.  According to legend, king Midas was kind to him and returned him safely to Dionysus in Lydia.  Dionysus then offered Midas his choice of rewards.  King Midas then requested that everything he touched would turn to gold.  According to myth, this ability was granted and king Midas soon realized that it was hard to eat food that had been transformed into gold.  Some accounts of this story record that Midas also embraced his daughter and transformed her into gold as well.  Realizing the reward he asked for was really a curse, he prayed to Dionysus, begging to be released from his wish.  Dionysus instructed him to bathe in the Pactolus River.  He did so, and when he touched the waters, his power passed into the river, and the river sands changed into gold.  This supposedly explained why the river Pactolus was so rich in gold.   Now of course we know this is only a myth and cannot possibly be true but it is interesting to know where these well known stories we grew up with came from. 

Sardis was likely started as an urban settlement as early as 1200 B.C.   During the time of Daniel, Artaphernes, the brother of king Darius of Persia lived in Sardis.  The Persian empire conquered Lydia about  547 to 546 B.C. under the rule of Cyrus.  Sardis then became the administrative capitol of the newly acquired Persian province of Lydia.  In 539 B.C. Persia then conquered Babylonia and absorbed the Babylonian empire into its own.  It was from Sardis that Xerxes, the son of Darius invaded Greece.  It was from Sardis that Cyrus the younger, son of the Achaemenian king Darius II and his wife, Parysatis, revolted and marched against his brother Artaxerxes and was killed in about 401 B.C.  In 334 B.C. Sardis was then conquered by Alexander the Great.  In 133 B.C. Sardis then passed to the Roman empire.  In 17 A.D. it was destroyed by an earthquake and the ruling Roman emperor, Tiberius, gave back the taxes the city had paid to Rome for the previous 5 years and the city was rebuilt, however it never regained its former stature.  In New Testament times Sardis was a city of no real importance. All that Sardis had was an ancient name and a reputation. In actual fact, it was almost a dead town. At the time the Revelation was written all of Sardis’ glory, wealth, and power lay in the past.  In 1402 A.D. Sardis was utterly destroyed and was never rebuilt.  Today, the original Sardis is not much more than an archaeological dig site.

Sardis was built on the edge of a mountain with three sides guarded by near vertical walls that dropped 1500 feet into the valley below with the Pactolus river running along its one open access in the front. With all this natural protection, Sardis was over-confident and none too vigilant a city. Guards and watchmen were rarely posted on the three sides where the mountain’s slope dropped 1500 feet into the valley below and because of this failure to watch, they were conquered twice. When King Cyrus of Persia first tried to conquer Sardis he failed in a frontal attack, but that same night, after watching a soldier of Sardis climb down a particular crevice to retrieve a lost helmet, a large number of Persian soldiers worked their way up that same crevice and thus entered and conquered the city from its unguarded rear.  Then in about 218 B.C. by Antiochus the Great the city was again captured in a similar way. Sardis fell because of their failure to watch.

Pagan worship in Sardis
Sardis was a wealthy city with a tendency to become soft and complacent.  They lived in luxury and splendor, and were a proud, arrogant, and overconfident people.  The pagan goddess Artemis, also known as Cybele, was the principal deity worshiped at Sardis, as well as at Ephesus and other cities. Artemis and her brother Apollo were said to be the children of Zeus and Leto.  In legends, Artemis is often pictured as a virgin huntress, fearless in opposing her adversaries. As the goddess of the city, she may have been perceived more in her role as a mother goddess, a provider of fertility and overseer of childbirth.  The worship of this pagan goddess included sexual orgies during festivals held in her honour.  It is interesting to note that the temple dedicated to the worship of Artemis was never completed.   Sardis was a city of uncompleted works.

Sardis had a priesthood dedicated to the goddess Roma by about 100 B.C.  Roma was principally used to instill loyalty among the provinces in the Roman empire, although, later on, she did have a temple in Rome itself. Temples to Roma were erected in Smyrna in 195 B.C. and a cult of Roma was reported in Ephesus and Delos. Her worship was made official by Augustus Caesar as part of a propaganda campaign.  In this way he deified the concept of Rome, building many temples to her (often as a ‘Temple of Rome and Augustus’ to make the imperial cult of Roma and emperor worship more acceptable to the people), with a copy of his Res Gestae, (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus), alongside inscriptions that popularized the new pagan goddess.  The Roman emperors manufactured gods to help control the populace and with them, they appointed groups of officials responsible for establishing these manmade gods throughout the empire and enforcing their worship. 

In about 27 B.C. Sardis tried to establish Asia’s first temple to Caesar Augustus. Although their initial attempt was not successful, the city had a local temple to Augustus by 5 B.C. To show their devotion to the imperial family, the city also consecrated a cult statue to Augustus’ son Gaius.  Sardis competed for the honor of building a temple to the emperor Tiberius in A.D. 26, although it was built in Smyrna.

Revelation 3:1
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.“

He that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars is an image of Jesus Christ.  Seven is the symbol for perfect completeness.  God has only one Spirit, not seven and the seven stars here is an image of the messengers to the churches as pictured in Revelation 1:20.  As discussed earlier these seven messengers could either be the eldership of each congregation or they could represent the one perfect complete messenger which was responsible for getting the message to man by inspiration. 

“I know thy works”
Jesus wastes no time informing the Christians he is aware of their works.  The application for us today is that irregardless of who we are or where we live and worship, God is aware of our works.  The denominational world will often say that our salvation is not by any works at all on our part, being saved by God’s grace alone.  Yet it is the works of Sardis that Jesus first comments on.  

“that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.”
The city of Sardis had a reputation of wealth and splendor.  They were alive but they were not flourishing, not growing, setting back on their reputation of past glory and not looking ahead.  The city of Sardis thought it was alive, but in reality it was dead.  Jesus draws a parallel here between the overall state of Sardis and of the church.  It appears the church in Sardis was a reflection of the city it congregated in.  The church is Sardis had a name, but it was not growing.  Jesus told them “thou art dead”  I cannot think of anything worse than having Jesus Christ, the Son of God tell me that I am alive, but in reality I’m really dead.  A church that is dead does not give off light, it does not bear fruit, it does not grow.  They were once alive, they had a reputation, but now they are riding on their name, earned in the past, but not sustained in the present. 

Revelation 3:2
“Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God.”
Jesus says to be watchful.  What a thing to say to a church in a city that had been twice conquered because of their failure to be vigilant.  Jesus not only knew their present works, but He knew all about the city and all about their history and He made sure they knew He was addressing them personally when He emphasized something they could all relate to. 

Parents do this all the time with their children.  When a parent is confronting a child with an issue, it is common for them to bring something to the forefront that assures the child of the fact that He is indeed the one in the spotlight and that he is guilty before the conversation gets past the first sentence.  The child knows upfront what he is up against.  Jesus was two sentences into the letter and the Christians in Sardis already knew they were the ones being specifically addressed and they were the ones standing in condemnation.  There could be no argument, there could  be no denial, and there should not be any mistaking the message, especially when Jesus said “thou art dead“.  It was time for the Christians at Sardis to give pause, shut up and heed His words.  This is serious business and Jesus hit them over the head with a figurative hammer to get their undivided attention. 

Watchfulness should be the constant attitude of the faithful Christian.  This commandment appears in the New Testament more frequently than any other.  As vigilance was the price of liberty for the city of Sardis, so also is watchfulness a part of salvation.  There are many things we are to watch for:

  1. We are to watch against Satan, “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
  2. We are to be on the watch against temptation.  Jesus said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Matthew 26:41).  The faithful Christian must be ever on guard against temptation.  “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”  Temptation is all around us every day.  The resistance against sin begins with watching, recognizing and avoiding situations we know will cause temptation.  “but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.  Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14-15).  In the Christian life there must be unceasing watchfulness against temptation.
  3. We are to watch against false teaching.  When speaking to the church in Ephesus, Paul had this to say:  “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.  Wherefore watch ye” (Acts 20:28-31).  Jesus said “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15).
  4. We are to watch for coming of Jesus Christ.  He taught, “Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh” (Matthew 24:42).  “And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:37).  We do not know when Jesus is going to return, so if we are to be assured of being found faithful when He does, we must be watchful and keep ourselves in a suitable position to greet Him when He does.  How ashamed the Christian would be to find himself in a state of sin when our Lord returns “as a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:10), at a time when they do not expect it.  “Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Luke 12:40).

“establish the things that remain, which were ready to die”
Even though they were dead, there were a few things going on that showed a little life, but even these were in danger of dieing.  Those things which were being done that was the last spark of life in this church needed to be fanned to flames quickly.  Jesus is telling them to get lively, get out of their figurative pews and into the harvest.  Do something.  Show a little life, shine a little light, get something done before its too late. 

“for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God”
The word “for” introduces an explanation of what Jesus said earlier.  Why are the Christians at Sardis dead?  Because Jesus did not find their works perfect before God.  What does this say for the doctrine of Salvation by faith only?  Proponents of salvation by faith only claim that since the works of man contribute nothing towards one’s salvation that this somehow excludes man from the necessity of obedience to the will of God.  They teach that salvation is by the grace of God and that our works, including obedience to God, do not earn our salvation.  And they are partly right.   The punishment for sin is death.  The only person who ever lived who could offer a life in place of ours did just that and He saved us from an eternity of separation from God.  God gave up His life for us so that we could live.  We can’t repay that debt, so those who teach salvation by faith or grace only are correct when they say our works won’t save us.  But where they err is when they extend this to obedience of God’s will.  The best definition for God’s grace I have ever seen is the “undeserved favor of God.”  We do not deserve the chance we got for redemption.  We can’t earn it, we can’t buy it, but it is given freely to all who obey Jesus Christ, (Hebrews 5:9).  By grace we are saved through faith.  What kind of faith?  An obedient, penitent, submissive, active, grateful, loving, faithful to the end, faith. 

The Greek word for “perfected” means “finished” or “completed”.  The Church at Sardis had started things they had never finished and were condemned for it.  The application for us today is that works are indeed necessary.  And half planned, unfinished, unperfected works are not acceptable before God.  We can’t play Christianity and please God.  We have to live Christianity.  The works of our congregations are expected to be organized, implemented and carried out to completion. 

Revelation 3:3
“Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep (it), and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.“

Jesus is telling them to remember what they received and what they heard.  This would be the gospel in view here.  The tense of the Greek word for “remember” is in the present imperative which means to keep on remembering.  Do it every day and never allow yourself to forget what you received and what you heard and what you obeyed.

“and keep (it),”
Here is another present tense imperative which means continuous action.  Never stop keeping the commandments of the gospel.  Keep them, obey them, every day, never stop walking in the way of righteousness.  John wrote in an earlier letter about “walking in the light“.  He says that “IF” we do this, the blood of Jesus cleanses us continually (1 John 1:7).  Jesus is telling the Christians in Sardis to “walk in the light” daily, for life. 

“and repent”
Repentance is not a one time act on the part of the Christian.  This is without question the most difficult command to follow.  It requires a decisive action, a commitment on the part of an individual to change one’s life.  A one time repentance for the moment is no repentance at all.  True repentance is something that is maintained for life.   Anybody can repent and walk the straight and narrow path for a day, or for a week, or for a month.  But how about for a lifetime?  It’s not possible to live a sinless life.  So when we stumble, we need to repent anew and refocus our priorities and get back on track.  The Christians at Sardis were guilty of sin.  They were told to repent.  Even though Jesus said they were dead, there was yet hope and the road back to life begins with repentance all over again. 

“If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee”
Earlier Jesus instructed the Church at Sardis to watch.  Now He gives the consequences if they do not.  He will come suddenly upon them in the night, just like Cyrus and Antiochus came upon the city and conquered them.  He did not have to tell them specifically what would happen if and when He came upon them sleeping.  They already knew those consequences from their own history. 

Revelation 3:4
“But thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.”
Even though the church at Sardis was dead in her works, there were some Christians there in the church who were still living faithfully.  They had not defiled their garments.  They were walking pure and righteous in their faith.  Those of the church who were not, needed to evaluate their position and use those who were righteous as examples to live by.  The church at Sardis had some among them that the others could observe and emulate.  They had a pattern of righteousness before them. 

The application for us today is that even though a church is dead in her works, there can be within them a faithful remnant who are spiritually alive and who can be found faithful before God in the end.  The exhortation here is for both parties, the unrighteous and the righteous.  Those who are unrighteous need to identify those among themselves who are and emulate their pattern of faithfulness.  And those who are righteous should recognize the importance of their example and keep on keeping on.  It is possible to be righteous when the majority is not.  Faithful unto death means faithful unto death. 

Revelation 3:5
“He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”

To the faithful few who overcome Satan and to those who will repent and return to righteousness we have three promises.

“arrayed in white garments”  White is the symbol for purity in the minds of the first century Christians.  Being clothed in white garments is representative of being presented “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27).

“and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life”
The Christians at Sardis are told that those who overcome and remain faithful will not have their names erased from the book of life.  There is a warning in this promise.  The church that Jesus said is dead in her works is in danger of falling short of these three promises if they do not repent.  Having one’s name written in the book of life is a blessing of incalculable value and to have that erased is the equivalent of losing one’s salvation. 

The book of life is mentioned 7 times in the new testament.  Once in Philippians 4:3 and 6 times in Revelation.  The Jews kept a register of their citizens which was called the book of the living (Isaiah 4:3; Ezekiel 13:9; Nehemiah 12:22).  Jews who were alive had their names registered in this book while they were alive.  Upon their death, their names were removed.  The Psalmist David drew a comparison between the literal “book of the living” and God’s book of life when he wrote, “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous” (Psalms 69:28).  Malachi wrote in 3:16, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”  God’s spiritual “book of life” is filled with the names of those who are spiritually alive, in Christ and living faithfully.  Those who have their names erased from this book were alive once, but have spiritually died. 

“and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels”
This is a direct reference back to what Jesus taught as recorded in Matthew 10:32 and Luke 12:8-9, “And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: but he that denieth me in the presence of men shall be denied in the presence of the angels of God.”  Some will be denied by Jesus before God the Father, (Matthew 7:23; Luke. 13:27). It is significant to note that this blessing is given to Christians as a contrast to what will happen if they do not repent.  It is possible for the Christian to have their name erased from the book of life and find themselves denied by Jesus Christ before God.  Faithful unto death means just what it says. 

Revelation 3:6
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.”
Those who are willing to listen need to heed what the Spirit of God is saying to the churches through the inspired written words of John.  Notice that the churches are mentioned in the plural form.  The things being said to each one, in favor or in condemnation, are applicable to each and every one of them.  The application for us today is that we can take these blessings and warnings and apply them to ourselves today in our local congregations.  By emulating all the good things said to all the churches mentioned in Revelation and rejecting all the bad things which were condemned, we can be assured our local congregations are living and serving acceptably before God.

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Pergamum, the city in Hell’s Headquarters

Pergamum, the city in Hell’s Headquarters

Pergamum, also called Pergamos from the KJV translation is another city of the Roman province of Asia Minor that still exists today.  It is known as “Bergama”, and is located in modern day Turkey.  It is primarily a Muslim city now and as of 1996 had 15 Islamic mosques.  One of its mosques is a church building from ancient times.  Bergama (Pergamum), is built among the ruins of the ancient city, but is not nearly as large as it was in the first century.  Among the ruins today can be seen the base of the altar of Zeus, the theater, the agora, the gymnasium and several pagan temples.  Today, the chief export of Bergama is cotton, wool, leather and opium. 

Ancient Pergamos was located 3 miles from the Caicus river, and about 15 miles from the sea.  The Caicus river was navigable for small vessels.  Two of the tributaries of the Caicus were the Selinus and the Kteios. The Selinus river flowed through the city; the Kteios ran along its walls on the outside. On the hill between these two streams the first city stood, and there also stood the acropolis, the chief temples, and theaters of the later city. The early inhabitants of the town were descendants of Greek colonists from before 420 BC. 

From 283 to 263 BC Philetaerus founded the independent Greek dynasty of the Attalid kings. The first of this dynasty to bear the title of king was Attalus I (241 BC – 197 BC), a nephew of Philetaerus, and not only did he adorn the city with beautiful buildings until it became the most wonderful city of the East, but he added to his kingdom the countries of Mysia, Lydia, Caria, Pamphylia and Phrygia. Eumenes II was the richest king of the dynasty, and during his reign from 197 BC – 159 BC, the city reached its greatest height.

Art and literature were encouraged, and in the city was a library of 200,000 volumes  The books were of parchment which was developed here. The word “parchment,” is derived from the name “Pergamos.” Of the structures which adorned the city, the most renowned was the altar of Zeus, which was 40 ft. in height, and also one of the wonders of the ancient world. In 133 BC Attalus III, the last king of the dynasty, died and bequeathed his kingdom to the Roman government. The original Roman province of Asia was formed, and Pergamos was made its capital.  Upon the establishment of the province of Asia there began a new series of coins made at Pergamos, which continued into the 3rd century A.D.

Pagan Religions:
There were temples to the four pagan gods Zeus, Dionysus, Athena and Asklepios.  Asklepios was the pagan Greek God of medicine and healing.  The sick and crippled from all parts of Asia flocked to his temple. They would sleep in the court of the temple where they believed Asklepios would reveal to the priests and physicians the remedies which were necessary to heal their maladies. There was a school of medicine in connection with the temple.

Pergamos was also a chief religious center in the province for Roman emperor worship. In Pergamos, three temples had been built to the Roman emperors where they were worshipped as gods on earth.  Being the capitol city of the province and having three temples dedicated to emperor worship, Pergamos was also the headquarters of the Imperial Cult known as the “Concilia”.  This cult was responsible for the enforcement of state religion. This city was loyal to Rome and with 3 temples dedicated to Emperor worship, it was only natural that it would become a center for this imperial cult.  In 29 BC the Concilia built a temple for the purpose of worshipping Augustus Caesar.  They were unrelenting when it came to the enforcement of emperor worship, especially under Domitian who insisted upon it.  It was possibly this group that banished John to the isle of Patmos, most probably during the reign of either Vespasian or Titus. It was certainly the Concilia who saw to it that the material possessions were taken from the Christians when they refused to serve in the Roman army or refused to bow down to the “gods” of the Romans including the emperors.  It was the Concilia who issued certificates to those who they witnessed burning incense and offering worship to the Roman Emperors without which no one could buy or sell food, participate in land transactions or benefit from any government programs.  It is no wonder that the Christians located in Pergamum were suffering, as they were first in line for the dispensing of the persecution of this imperial cult empowered with the authority of the Emperors and supported by the full strength of the Roman army. 

Smyrna was a rival city and was a commercial center as well.  As it increased in wealth, it gradually became the political center. Later, when Smyrna became the capital, Pergamos remained the religious center.

Christianity was in Pergamos in the first century and it was to the congregation of Christ’s church located therein that this part of the Revelation was addressed. 

Revelation 2:12-17
“and to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword:”

Jesus is depicted again as having the two edged sword.  As mentioned previously this is a reference back to Hebrews 4:12-13 and from our study of Revelation 1:16 and 2:16 we know this sword comes from the mouth of Jesus which means that the sword represents the words of Jesus.  In Ephesians 6:17, Paul calls the word of God the “sword of the Spirit”.

“I know where thou dwellest,”
Jesus is aware of where these Christians are.  He is telling them He knows they are suffering, He knows of their persecution and their tribulations.  The application for us is that we serve a God who knows us personally.  He is aware of our goings on and our surroundings.  He knows of our triumphs and of our failures.  “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).

“(even) where Satan’s throne is”
Pergamum was the capitol of Asia before Smyrna, home to three temples dedicated to the worship of Roman emperors and headquarters of the imperial cult called the Concelia. It was the chief religious center for the entire province and retained that status even when Smyrna became the capitol. 

The worship of Aesculapius or Asklepios who was the pagan Greek God of medicine and healing was characterized by the use of snakes in the healing rituals.   Non-venomous snakes were left to crawl on the floor in temple where the sick and injured slept. Asklepios had his own constellation called Serpentarius in Latin and Ophiuchus in Greek which means “serpent bearer” The name, “serpent-bearer,” refers to the Rod of Asclepius, which was entwined with a single serpent. This symbol has now become a symbol for physicians across the globe today. The “star of life” is the modern international symbol for the Emergency Medical Services which features the Rod of Asclepius as the centerpiece. 

Satan is often depicted as a serpent in scripture.  All Christians of all ages are well acquainted with the imagery of the serpent associated with Satan.  It is almost certain that when the Christians read of Satan’s throne, they instantly associated it with the worship of Asklepios. And if not, there was plenty of other activities going on around them that would identify Satan as having a seat of power and authority from this city.  

“and thou holdest fast my name”
The Christians in Pergamum were commended for holding fast to the name of Christ. In the Greek, this word (onoma), means a name in authority and character.  It is important as we work through these letters to the individual churches that we take note of the positive things Jesus says as well as the negative.  We know from scripture that Jesus is God (John 1:1), and that Jesus never changes (Hebrews 13:8), so we can be assured that if we take all the good things Jesus said to the churches and make sure we emulate these things in our lives, that it will be commendable for us as well.  It is as important to us that we assemble all the positive things Jesus says to all the churches and strive to add those things to our lives as it is for us to assemble all the negative things He said and eliminate them. 

We hold fast, cling, hang on to Jesus name, character and authority when we seek His will, obey His will and glorify His name.  We hold fast to His name when we insist on being identified as Christians only instead of manmade names which glorify someone other than Jesus.  We hold fast to His name today when we call the body of Christ by what it is; the church of Christ.  1 Corinthians 1:11-13.

“and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth.”
Jesus refers to the faith as being His faith.  Jesus is the one who suffered, bled and died for us.  He is the one that paid the purchase price for the faith, it is His faith.  We today need to be very aware of the fact that it is to His faith we are to be faithful to and not some manmade faith with man’s ideas of righteousness.  We are to seek only God’s righteousness (Romans 10:3-4).

Antipas was described as Jesus’ faithful witness.  He had been slain among them.  The Christian persecution was already well underway.  Secular writings place Antipas as an elder of the church in Pergamum, appointed by none other than John during the reign of Domitian.  History portrays the death of Antipas as having been publicly burned alive in the brazen statue of a Bull by the priests of Asklepios.  In Pergamum, the Christians had already been given an example of what was to come and Jesus held the death of Antipas up as a shining example for the rest to follow if need be. 

As a side note, the fact that Jesus here speaks of the martyrdom of Antipas in the past tense is strong internal evidence of the late dating of the writing of the Revelation.  According to history, Antipas was martyred in 92 AD.   

Revelation 2:14-15
“But I have a few things against thee, ”
Once again, as in previous messages, Jesus points out that the good they are doing does not outweigh the bad.  The application today is that we cannot do enough good in hope of offsetting the bad.  Those in the body of Christ who are guilty of sin cannot stand on judgment day before God and point to their good works as justification for any sin they may be guilty of.   

“because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.”
There were some members in the church at Pergamum who were going along with the teachings of the Nicolaitans.  We see here exactly what this teaching was, eating meat sacrificed to idols and committing fornication which could mean either physical or spiritual fornication, both of which the Nicolaitans were guilty of. 

In old testament times, Balaam was guilty of instructing Balak, a Moabite king, of how to defeat the Israelites.  Balaam knew that God would forsake the Israelites in battle if they were guilty of sin so he told Balak that if he would send women out to seduce and participate in fornication with the Israelites, that God would forsake them in battle and hand them over as punishment.  The women that were sent to seduce the Israelite men were successful and they were caused to stumble.  As a result of this stumbling block, twenty four thousand Israelites lost their lives. 

Corresponding to this, eating things sacrificed to idols was also a stumbling block to the Christians.  Under the Roman persecution, Christians were denied the right to buy food in the empire unless they offered worship to the emperors.  Food was hard to come by for the faithful yet there was plenty to be had if they wanted to participate in the great public feasts where the meat of the animals who had been sacrificed to pagan gods was being served to the public.  Hunger is a powerful incentive and many Christians gave in and participated in these public feasts which were often times accompanied with wild drunken, riotous and often times unrestrained sexual behavior which caused many of them to stumble.  Benjamin Franklin once quoted: “He that lieth down with Dogs, shall rise up with Fleas.”  In scripture were are commanded to “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22) and “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever?  And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you,” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).

The Nicolaitans started out as Christians who participated in the public feasts and eventually stumbled and became just as bad as the pagans they associated with.  The application for us today is the same.  Stay away from evil influences.  Avoid situations that can cause one to stumble.  Shun activities that are not wholesome and righteous.  Do not join in with sinful worldly activities, lest we too become tempted and stumble.  It is a foolish individual who would dance with the devil and participate in activities where sinful behavior prevails.  Satan makes sin attractive but those who company with Satan flirt with death. 

Revelation 2:16
“Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.”

Jesus warns the church to repent.  Repentance is a sorrow of heart that leads to a change of behavior.  The church at Pergamum had to change their behavior.  They were accused of tolerating something Jesus hated.  This is a “repent or else” warning where Jesus said he would wage war with those who held to this doctrine.  Being in a position where Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would wage war against someone who was a Christian is a serious thing.  This is not a war that any Christian could hope to win.  In short, Jesus told these Christians to repent or die.  These were the options available to the Christians at Pergamum.  These same options are the only ones available to Christians in similar sinful situations today. 

Revelation 2:17
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.”
Notice what Jesus says here.  He knows this is being written down in words that Christians will read.  he knows this message is going to be delivered in written form.  The Christians who read this letter were going to hear what the Spirit was saying through the words written by John.  Today, we hear what the Spirit says in the same way they did in Pergamum.  Through the written word.  When we hear the Word of God, then we are listening to the Spirit.

“To him that overcometh”
To those who overcome.  To those who resist temptation, to those who prevail no matter what, to those who do not give in to Satan and worship idols and eat meat sacrificed to them, who remain faithful against all odds will receive the following rewards.

“to him will I give of the hidden manna”
Manna is what God sustained the children of Israel with during their time in the wilderness after they left the Egyptian bondage and before they were allowed to enter the promised land.  To the first readers of the Revelation, manna would represent that which sustains one’s soul.  Hidden from those who refuse to see it, but available to all who would accept it freely.  “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).

“and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.“

The Greek word for Stone in this instance means a pebble, so there is some disagreement among scholars as to what is meant here.  Following is my best guess as to it’s meaning.  Those who overcome become “fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” which is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:19-20).  White is a symbol for purity and truth and the chief cornerstone all faithful Christians receive is Jesus Christ.  The name written on the stone most likely represents either “Jesus Christ” or “Christian”.  Scripture teaches that the faithful “shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” (Isaiah 62:2).  “The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).  Peter referred to followers of Christ as “Christians” in 1 Peter 4:16 and Agrippa told Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28). Secular writings about followers of Jesus Christ contain numerous instances of the name “Christians”.  This name was a well established designation both historically and scripturally.  Since all scripture is given by inspiration we  know that the term Christian, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, is from the mouth of God. 

And the only people who know this name are the ones who receive the name of Christ.  Our lives are “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).  Jesus prayed: “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). There are things hidden from man which only be fully known when Jesus returns and we see Him as He really is. (1 John 3:2).  Those who never receive the figurative white stone with the new name on it will never get to fully know Jesus Christ in all His glory. 

In Summary:

The Christians at Pergamos were living in a tremendous center for oppression and persecution.  They were for the most part faithful except for their leniency towards the Nicolaitans.  They were warned to modify this behavior or suffer the consequences of a war with Jesus Christ.

In applying this to our Christian life today, we need to take heed to the words of Jesus.  The circumstances under which the Christians in Pergamum were living did not have any effect on whether or not they were expected to be faithful to God.  Likewise today, we must be aware that we too are required to be just as faithful as they were then.   We must be intolerant of doctrinal error, ever vigilant and willing to persevere and overcome against all odds, even to the point of death if need be. 

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Smyrna, the Suffering Church

Smyrna, the Suffering Church

Smyrna is an ancient city (today İzmir in Turkey) that was founded by the ancient Greeks at a central and strategic point on what is today known as the western coast of the Aegean Sea.  Founded at the head of the gulf of Smyrna (today the gulf of Izmir) that reaches about 40 miles inland it was ideally located as a distribution point for a large portion of the region. 

The city originally founded by a people known as the Lelages was conquered and taken by the ancient Greeks about 1100 BC and became a prominent city of the region for hundreds of years.  around 627 BC the region was conquered and became the Lydian Empire.  Smyrna was conquered and sacked by a king named Alyattas III between 609 and 560 BC.  Smyrna was not utterly destroyed and continued to exist for many years but not as the grand city it formerly was. 

When Alexander the Great, a Greek, swept through with his conquests, Smyrna was included and became part of the consortium of nations united under him.  This became what is known as the Hellenistic age.  Alexander recognized Smyrna’s potential for trade and strategic advantage and ordered the city rebuilt.  During the years 301 to 281 B.C., Lysimachus entirely rebuilt it on a new site to the Southwest of the earlier cities, and surrounded it by a wall. Standing, as it did, upon a good harbor, at the head of one of the chief highways to the interior, it quickly became a great trading-center and the chief port for the export trade. In Roman times, Smyrna was considered one of the most prominent cities of Asia Minor, alongside Pergamos and Ephesus.

Pagan worship in Smyrna

Smyrna was loaded with Pagan worship to false gods in the first century. There were many temples dedicated to pagan worship built in the city.  Among them were the temples of:

Zeus, who in Greek mythology was the king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and the god of the sky and thunder.  This is where the Olympian games were celebrated.  The Romans worshipped Zeus as Jupiter. 

Athena who was believed to be the daughter of Zeus and was an armed warrior goddess, and appears in Greek mythology as a helper of many heroes.

In 23 AD a temple was built in honor of Tiberius and his mother Julia, on the Golden Street, connecting the temples of Zeus and Cybele.  Tiberius reigned as Roman emperor in imperial Rome after Augustus from 14 AD to 37 AD. 

Cybele or according to the Romans, Magna Mater, which means earth mother was a particular favorite of emperor Augustus. Cybele represented the fertile Earth, a goddess of nature and of wild animals.  This temple burned in 111 BC and was rebuilt during the reign of Augustus.

Recent archaeological discoveries in old Smyrna have revealed the figures of Hermes, Hestia, Dionysus, Eros and Hercules. 

While this is not an exhaustive study of pagan worship in Smyrna, it is sufficient to demonstrate the level of false worship the Christians of the time were up against.  They worshipped the one true and living God for which there were no statues or idols or alters.  The God of the Christians was and still is absolutely intolerant of the worship of other Gods. In addition to this, Christianity requires us to stand against such pagan worship and this caused great tension and strife between the Christians and those who worshipped pagan gods. 

Also worth mentioning along with the pagan worship is the false worship of the one true and living God.  Smyrna also had a large population of Jewish people who were rightly proclaiming the one true and living God, but had rejected Jesus Christ as the messiah.  In addition to the persecution of the Romans, the Christians also faced the Jewish persecutions which was considerable. 

Christian Persecution in Smyrna

During the Roman persecutions many Christians suffered the most dreadful torments here. They were put to death at the stake, or by wild beasts in the amphitheater; their properties confiscated by the empire, enslaved, abused and tortured; and the only test applied to them was whether they would throw a few grains of incense into the fire as a sacrifice to the Roman emperor, or whether they would refuse.

The Jewish population hated the Christians and frequently turned them in to the Roman authorities as conspirators against the emperor for refusing to bow down to worship him. 

John had a disciple named Polycarp who was a prominent Christian leader in Smyrna. Polycarp was probably 25-30 years old when John died. Polycarp himself lived until he was martyred around 156 A.D. in Smyrna.  According to history. he was tied to a stake in the amphitheatre, pierced through the heart by a Roman soldier and then burned in front of an audience of tens of thousands of Romans screaming for his death. 

Later on in the Revelation, John writes of the wrath of God being poured out on His enemies in the form of natural disasters which depleted the wealth of Rome and eroded her power.  Smyrna was destroyed by an earthquake in 178 AD and had to be rebuilt by the Roman Empire.  It was too important a city located strategically and geographically to leave in ruins. 

Revelation 2:8
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived (again):“

Angel means messenger. Some scholars believe this would be one of the men overseeing that particular congregation and some say it is the Holy Spirit symbolized in the perfect seven stars in Jesus’ right hand mentioned earlier.  Either way, the message delivered is the same. It is my opinion that the messenger is the one perfect complete divine Spirit of God. 

The first and the last, He was dead and lived again is obviously Jesus Christ.  No Christian would have any difficulty recognizing this symbolism, however someone unfamiliar with the resurrection of Christ would have no idea what this was referring to. 

It is significant to note here and in the individual messages addressed to the specific churches that Revelation is directed specifically toward them, not to people and circumstances 2000 years removed.  Whatever the Revelation meant to those to whom it was addressed is what it must mean today.  The principles taught within the Revelation are timeless, but the events depicted therein are of that time period. 

Revelation 2:9
“I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich),

Jesus told the church at Smyrna He was aware of the tribulation they were living through.  The church at Smyrna was also poverty stricken.  The reason for this was that during the time of the writing of Revelation, the imperial cult known as the “Concilia” was enforcing emperor worship.  People who refused to worship the emperor were forbidden to buy or sell anything, their properties were confiscated and they found themselves homeless.  They could not have good jobs, they were rejected by the population and consequently were poverty stricken as a result.  The poverty they were suffering in this rich society was part of their persecution. 

How ironic it is that the poorest, social rejects and outcasts of society were the real priests and kings of the times.  All of the majestic wealth and shining temples meant nothing in the end.  The poorest people of all were the real saints, living off the table scraps of the wealthy, being oppressed, hated and rejected.  This was nothing new. 

2 Corinthians 4:8-11
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

They were poor in material wealth, but in the wealth that mattered they were rich beyond description.  What a wonderful way for Jesus to comfort them and assure them of their final victory.  Our wealth today is by no means measured by our material possessions.  We could have nothing and still be rich in Christ. 

Matthew 16:26-27
“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world , and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

“and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they art not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”

The considerable Jewish population were said to be guilty of blasphemy.  Evidently they were participating in whatever they had to in order to avoid the persecution of the Romans.  They were most likely burning incense to the emperor which was all that was required to satisfy the requirements to worship him in most cases.  They claimed to be God’s children but they are not.  The synagogues they met in for prayer were not of God, but of Satan. 

“Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer:”
God is telling them it’s going to get worse, don’t fear. 

“behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried”
The devil is not literally going to throw them into prison.  This is going to be accomplished by his followers, those who are serving him, even out of ignorance.  Christianity, if not already, will soon be illegal in the Roman empire.  Christians are going to be thrown in prison and face death if they refused to renounce God and worship the emperor.  Some of the Christians in Smyrna, not all of them are going to face this imprisonment.

“and ye shall have tribulation ten days.”
Obviously this is not a literal period of time.  All of the Christians in Smyrna were not going to be rounded up at the same time and thrown in prison to be persecuted for 10 literal days.  The number 10 represents completeness so something is going to be brought to completion during this period of time.  

“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.”
Those who are going to be cast into prison are commanded to be faithful unto death in order to receive the crown of life.  Many of the Christians cast into prison by their enemies are going to die.  God would not tell them to remain faithful unto death unless this was going to be necessary. 

A Christian is to be faithful unto death. The thought is to be faithful even if the price you must pay is death. It is said that Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor, was once enraged at 40 Christian men because they would not bow down and worship his image. He commanded them to be stripped naked and to stand on a frozen lake until they were ready to renounce God. But when dawn broke the next morning, 40 nude men were found dead on the ice. They were “faithful unto death.”

In the letter to the church at Pergamos Antipas was specifically mentioned as one who was “faithful unto death.“

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.”
Those who can and will listen must heed what is being said.  Notice the message is said to be what the “Spirit saith”.  Let’s call our attention back to the seven stars in Jesus’ hand.  Seven being the number which represents the perfect divine.  The message to the church at Smyrna like all the others is coming through the Spirit.  The one perfect messenger to all the churches then and today through God’s written word. 

“He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
The second death will be the great day of the Lord as mentioned by Him in John 5:28-29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”  The second death is the resurrection of damnation where the unsaved will be cast into Hell. 

Let’s note that Jesus does not offer to take away the suffering of the faithful Christians of Smyrna.  In fact he acknowledges they are already being persecuted but informs them it is going to get much worse.  Nevertheless, He makes a promise to all who overcome that He will give them a crown of life. Christ tells them not to fear death for eternal life awaits them. This promise should be a comfort to us as well for it is made to all who would live faithfully and overcome the wiles of evil.  The Christians of the first century had to remain faithful unto death.  We can be assured we must be likewise faithful unto death today.  Those of all ages who overcome the persecutions, and tribulations to come and remain faithful unto death will not suffer the resurrection of damnation. 

In summary, Jesus had nothing bad to say to the Christians at Smyrna.  They were faithful.  Their works were acceptable just like the works of the Ephesians but the Christians in Smyrna obviously had their hearts in the right place.  Their deep poverty was nothing to be ashamed of, in fact they were rich in what really mattered.  The church in Smyrna serves as a shining example for us today.  Let us likewise be rich in works no matter what oppression may arise, and let us all be comforted by the fact that we serve a God that finds our works and love and dedication acceptable and offers us mercy and eternal life in the end.

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The Church who Left Her First Love, Ephesus

The Church who Left Her First Love, Ephesus

(ef’-e-sus) (Ephesos, meaning “desirable”): A city of the Roman province of Asia, near the mouth of the Cayster river, 3 miles from the western coast of Asia Minor, and opposite the island of Samos. With a harbor accessible to the largest ships, standing at the entrance of the valley which reaches far into the interior of Asia Minor, and connected by highways with the chief cities of the province  Ephesus was the most easily accessible city in Asia, both by land and sea.  See map

Ephesus, at the time of the writing of the Revelation, was a city of great importance in Asia Minor. This city, with an approximate population of 225,000 was the gateway to and the capital of the Roman province of Asia and as such it was a city of great wealth, great culture, and great corruption both politically and socially. Of the seven churches of Asia Minor, Ephesus is the only one that we can trace to the beginning.

It is believed Paul established this congregation of God’s people on the heels of Apollos who came through before him.  On Paul’s third missionary journey he remained there two years preaching in the Jewish Synagogue (Acts 19:8,10).  As a result of this, “all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10).   Timothy was an evangelist in Ephesus when Paul wrote both letters to Him.  The church in Ephesus had elders, “And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church” (Acts 20:17).  Thus we learn that the church in Ephesus was a tremendous influence on the spreading of the gospel throughout the Roman province of Asia. 

This church was not a tiny little congregation of the Lord’s people nestled away in a remote community.  This congregation was the result of years of evangelism and instruction by Apostles and other great teachers.  This congregation was directly involved with the evangelism of the entire province of Asia.  This congregation was large and influential, located in one of the richest cities in all of the Roman Empire.  Thus the Christians in Ephesus developed a satisfied complacency in their service to God and allowed themselves to become a little too full of themselves.  As such they were not motivated by love and it appears that they desired the praises of men more than the praises of God. It is with this background that Christ addresses this Church.

The message to them was threefold.  Hard times are on the horizon, stop loving yourselves and return to your first love or suffer eternal consequences and he that overcomes will eat of the tree of life. 

Revelation 2:1
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:”

As discussed earlier this is Jesus Christ who walks among the congregations of His church which is His body over which He rules as the head.   

“I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.”

Jesus calls attention to the good qualities the church was exhibiting.  They were rich in works and labor, they were being patient and faithful, they had encountered people who were evil and they could not bear them.  They had confronted and exposed false prophets.  They had worked for the name of Christ and not given up in spite of some pretty severe persecution. 

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

Notwithstanding all the good works they had done, Jesus had something against them.  The importance of being a well rounded Christian complete and sound in the faith cannot be overstated.  We are commanded to Love Christ “out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned” (1 Timothy 1:5), and to “follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Going through the motions of Christianity is not enough.  Evangelizing, visiting the sick, helping the widows and afflicted is for nothing if it not done out of love for Christ and for each other.  We are His bride, a bride is expected to love her husband. 

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

These Christians had fallen away from their first love.  They were going through the motions of Christianity but they didn’t have their hearts in the right place.  They were told to repent.  Their departure from their first love was sin and Jesus said if they did not repent and return, He would remove their candlestick.  This can only mean one thing.  Christians of the first century were warned by Jesus Christ that they could lose their standing as a congregation of His church.  And they were doing everything right with only one exception and if they did not fix the problem, they were going to be rejected by Christ. 

The Church who would claim Jesus as her head cannot depart or deviate from the truth and trust in their righteous deeds to pull them through.  All of the good deeds and works we can do will not erase unrighteousness.  Jesus was unwilling to overlook this one thing in favor of all the rest of the good things they were accomplishing.  The importance of this cannot be overstated.  An entire congregation of the Lord’s church can lose their candlestick, their light, their standing, their fellowship with Christ over a single shortcoming, except they repent. 

“But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

How significant this is that Jesus would mention the Nicolaitans at this time.  The Nicolaitans started their apostasy with a single transgression.  They had been around for a while when Revelation was written, but in the beginning of their existence they started by eating meat sacrificed to idols.   There was a lot of pagan worship going on in the Roman Empire and many of them included animal sacrifices.  When these sacrifices were completed, the meat from the dead animals was used for huge public feasts.  The Nicolaitans wanted to participate in these feasts and they did so in transgression of God’s will (Acts 15:29).  This was the beginning of their apostasy.  As time went on, they assimilated many of the other idolatrous pagan practices into their worship until it resembled nothing of Christian worship.   How fitting for Jesus to correct a church who was guilty of only one transgression and then conclude with an example of one that likewise started with one transgression and ended up far worse.  When Jesus mentioned the Nicolaitans to the Ephesian church, He used them as an example of where they could end up starting with but a single transgression. 

The application for us today is the same.  We are to be diligent to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15), contending earnestly for the faith that was once delivered (Jude 3), realizing and accepting that the commandments of men constitute vain worship in the eyes of God (Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:7).  Apostasy no matter how far from righteousness it may be in then end, starts with a single departure from the truth.  Jesus’ warning to the church at Ephesus has just as much significance for the church today as it did for the church in Ephesus 2000 years ago.

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

Finally, Jesus makes a promise to the faithful of Ephesus.  He was saying to them and to us today that He will give eternal life to those who remain faithful and overcome all obstacles and remain faithful to the end.  The application for us today is no different.  Christians of the 21st century are not any different than those of the 1st.  God’s will has not changed in 2000 years.  Those of us today who hope to inherit eternal life must overcome and endure to the end. 

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John’s Introduction to Revelation

John’s Introduction to Revelation

Revelation is a letter of great importance to a readership of people John loved and was concerned for.  It was a period of great uncertainty for those in the church because of the severe persecution coming at them from all sides.  The Jews who rejected Jesus Christ and the Roman empire were violently opposed to Christianity.  They were facing the hatred of the unbelievers and faced physical persecution and death no matter where they turned.  To the Christians it must have seemed God had abandoned them to the evil forces and they were doomed to perish at the hands of their enemies because of their faith in one true and living God.

It was under these circumstances that John wrote the Revelation.  The first readers of John’s letter needed a divine message of hope and perseverance to encourage them to keep the faith and to let them know that God was still in charge of the affairs on earth and they needed to know that God was worth dieing for.

The first thing such a letter needed to say would be to identify who it was coming from, by what authority and to who it is addressed.  The first readers needed to know immediately that this letter, no matter who it was written by, is coming from God Himself.  The first sentence of the Revelation is loaded with information and worthy of a study all to itself.  When we break the first sentence down into its individual thoughts we learn that:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ“, The message John is writing is coming from Jesus Christ, the one who came down here and died for all.  The head of the church, the ruler of the kingdom of God.  This is further reinforced in verse 5.

“which God gave him” The message coming from Jesus was given to Him by God the Father.  This message originated and came from the highest authority. 

“to show unto his servants”  This letter is specifically for the servants of Jesus Christ.  In our previous study of the opposition forces, we identified the good side as the Christians.  God did that for the first readers of this letter in his first sentence.

“(even) the things which must shortly come to pass” The events described in this letter are going to take place in a relatively short time frame.  Certainly not over a period of thousands of years.  This letter is in reference to immediate concerns, not the concerns of future generations of people living millennia later.  Notice this reinforced in verse three with the words “for the time is at hand“.  Christians of the day were being oppressed and killed for being Christians.  People tend to associate messages addressed to them as being applicable to their immediate conditions.  People 2000 years removed from the Revelation read it and try to associate it with current conditions.  They see an earthquake or the heinous actions of an evil leader and they instantly try and draw a connection between it and the Revelation.  We see this all the time.  In this respect, people today are no different than they were in first century.  The first century Christians would read the Revelation and draw comparisons between it and the conditions surrounding them at that particular time.  And for good reason because the letter is addressed directly to them, not to Christians living today.  And this is how we must look at this letter if we are to ever understand it. 

“and he sent and signified (it)”  And Jesus sent and “signified” it. This word in the Greek is semaino (say-mah’-ee-no), which means to express one’s thoughts by signs.  The Revelation is not the only place in scripture where this word is used. 

John 12:32-33 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.”

Jesus expressed his thoughts to his disciples on how he would die by using the words “lifted up“.  He never used the word “crucified”. Jesus “signified” what death he would die without ever revealing literally how it would be done.  We see this again in almost the exact form in John 18:32 when Jesus was standing before Pilate and again in John 21:19.  So we see from the first sentence of the Revelation, by divine inspiration from God, that the message being given was done so in signs and figurative language.  This message was “signified” or “symbolized”.  Therefore the rules of Biblical interpretation which say that the Bible must be generally interpreted in the simplest literal terms unless cause can be shown otherwise, are reversed for the Revelation.  The visions, creatures, time periods and scenes of Revelation must be understood to be figurative unless cause can be shown otherwise.  As discussed in previous studies, the reasoning behind this is so that people ignorant of the scriptures would be incapable of understanding the real message and not perceive it to be any threat to them.  And of course what better key to unraveling the mysteries could there be than with knowledge only a Christian familiar with the word of God would possess.  What genius we see at work here in the plans of God.  Only those who are familiar with the word of God can understand a message from God.  God was communicating to His people in forms of speech, signs and symbols only they would be able to comprehend, thus concealing it from outsiders. 

“who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, (even) of all things that he saw.”  John himself wrote in the first chapter of his Gospel account that Jesus Christ was the word of God.  He identified himself here as the apostle who was there to witness the life of Jesus and his testimony, and in the last part declared that he had seen these things with his own eyes.  There were many people named John in the first century.  But this John was special and the Christians knew it.  These people knew John was an apostle and that when he said he had a message from God, it was genuine and God made sure the first readers knew it was being delivered through a reliable and trustworthy source.

Revelation 1:3
“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.“

Now that God has established who is the authority behind the letter, He then goes on to say that those who read and keep the the things written therein would be blessed.  Much could be written about this statement but the key thing to bear in mind here is that for the most part religious groups today teach a salvation by faith only and some teach that once one enters into a saved state, they can do nothing to lose their salvation.  The recipients of this letter were told they would be blessed if they did the things written in the letter.  The letter tells them that those who persevere and keep the commandments of God will inherit life (Revelation 22:14), and those who worship false Gods will suffer eternal damnation (Revelation 14:11). 

This declaration of a blessing on those who keep the things in this prophecy is not only stated at the beginning of the Revelation but also at the end.  This book from God is opened and closed with the same exhortation:

Revelation 22:6-7
“And he said unto me, These words are faithful and true: and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angels to show unto his servants the things which must shortly come to pass.  And behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book.”

The Revelation is written to Christians.  Many in the religious world today disagree about which Christians in what age it is referring to, but everyone agrees that they are Christians.  Taking into consideration that the Revelation was specifically written to the Christians in the latter half of the first century and bearing in mind that they are going to make the immediate application of it to their circumstances, they were being told they had to do something which is contained in the book.  They are being told they have to persevere and resist worshipping a false God or suffer eternal consequences.  If these Christians were told they had to do something and had to persevere in order to inherit eternal life, what makes any Christian living at any other time in history think they don’t have to as well?  Does this sound like salvation by faith only?  Can the Christian today never lose their salvation but the Christians in the first century could?  Is God then a respecter of persons after having said he wasn’t (Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 3:25, 1 Peter 1:17)? 

The Christians of all ages need to take a long and thoughtful look at the situation the first readers of the Revelation were living under.  Christianity was illegal, the Jews were reporting Christians to the authorities, Christians were being slaughtered for being Christians by the thousands.  History is full of the records of the faithful who died for Christ.  But the worst organized persecution of all time happened in the first century.  The core message of the Revelation, written for “His servants“, from “God“, through “Jesus Christ” and to “John” (Revelation 1:1), is to keep on being faithful unto death no matter what (Revelation 2:7; 10-11; 17; 26; 3:5; 12; 21; 12:11; 21:7).  The Christians of the first century were required to keep the commandments of God, keep living faithfully and resist bowing down to the forces of evil, unto death if need be.  What makes anyone think Christians of today are any less obligated than they were? 

If faith alone was sufficient for the first century Christians there would have been no need for them to die for their faith.  There would have been no need for the Revelation to be revealed in the first place.  Revelation teaches us today, just like it taught Christians 2000 years ago how to die faithfully in Christ if necessary, to receive eternal life.  The Revelation was written to first century Christians with an application for Christians of all ages. 

The Salutation

Revelation 1:4
“John to the seven churches which are in Asia:”  Here is the first usage of the number 7 in a figurative way.  The Revelation was addressed to 7 churches, but the message was for all the servants of God as we saw in verse 1.  There were more than 7 congregations worshipping in this area two of them being the Colossian and the Laodicean congregations.

“Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come;”  This is a reference to the eternal God who exists now, always has existed and is going to come again. 

“and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne”  There were seven spirits mentioned one for each congregation. When Jesus addresses each individual congregation directly he used the words “unto the angel of the church”  The word angel in the Greek means “a messenger”  This is the second use of the number 7 in a symbolic way. It balanced out the churches and the spirits in the text, but there is only one spirit, (Eph 4:4).  The number 7 here is denoting the sevenfold perfection and completeness of the Holy Spirit’s working. 

Revelation 1:5
“and from Jesus Christ, (who is) the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;“

Several key characteristics of Jesus Christ are illustrated here.  He is described as a prophet, priest and king.  Jesus as the faithful witness, “…Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth…” (John 18:37).  “…I bear witness of myself, my witness is true…” (John 8:14).  Jesus who was “the firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:18), and was the “firstfruits of them that are asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20), thereby qualifying Himself to be our “merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17).  Is now our “King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). 

What comfort this must have been to the oppressed saints to be assured that Jesus Christ was the ruler of those who crucified Him, having triumphed over death and risen to reign in heaven beside God the Father thereby guaranteeing victory to the faithful in Him.

Revelation 1:6
“and he made us (to be) a kingdom, (to be) priests unto his God and Father; to him (be) the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

“and he made us (to be) a kingdom,”
This is a statement here that the religious world advocating millennialism would do well to consider.  Millennialists teach that Jesus is going to return to earth and literally reign an earthly kingdom from Jerusalem for a thousand years.  They fail to realize that the Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom made up of God’s children.  Jesus told Pilate at his trial that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36).  When answering the Pharisees who asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus answered: “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, there! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21).  So we learn from Jesus own words that the Kingdom of God is an intangible spiritual thing that is located within each Christian.  It is the spiritual kingdom of God’s children which is also known as the “Ekklesia” or the “called out” which is translated “church” in the Bible. 

Jesus prophesied the coming of the kingdom of God within the lifetimes of some of His disciples:  “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There are some here of them that stand (by), who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1).  Paul wrote that they had been translated “into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13) and we should walk worthy of God, who hath called us into “his kingdom” (1 Thessalonians 2:12).  Peter wrote that those who added to their faith the things necessary would have an entrance ministered to them into the “everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-11 ).   God referred to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in Hebrews 1:8 and called Him God.  Later in the Revelation John wrote that he was their “brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom” (Revelation 1:9). One cannot be added to, enter into, be called into, or be in a kingdom that does not presently exist. 

When Jesus came, lived, died, was resurrected and ascended, he established something that was not here previously.  He told Peter he was going to build something and he called it a church in Matthew 16:18.  The church is made up of the children of God.  It is the universal collection of Christians across the earth living faithfully in a spiritual kingdom that belongs to Christ, built, paid for and ruled by Him today.  The church of the first century all the way up until today is the spiritual kingdom of God’s children. 

It is noteworthy to consider the KJV translates this verse as “kings” instead of “kingdom“.  The Greek word used here is “basileia” which literally means “kingdom” or “realm“.  Nevertheless, one cannot have kings without a kingdom.   Those who believe and teach millennialism need to realize God presently has a spiritual kingdom He is reigning over from Heaven.

“(to be) priests unto his God and Father”
John later wrote in Jesus made the saints to be “a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon earth” (Revelation 5:10).  Peter wrote, “But ye are a elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for (God’s) own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:” (1 Peter 2:9).  Under Jewish law, only the Levites could be priests.  Under the “law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2), all Christians are priests with Jesus as our true king. 

“to him (be) the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
This identifies God’s eternal nature to the readers.  All Glory goes to God (Isaiah 48:11).  This is in stark contrast to the emperors of Rome who’s reign ended with their mortal death.  The King of the Christians rules forever and the oppressed Christians were reminded of this.

Revelation 1:7-20 “Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.”

Jesus ascended in a “cloud” (Acts 1:9), His return was said to be in “like manner” (Acts 1:11).  Every Christian on earth had to know He had been pierced.  The Jews and Gentiles both were equally responsible for this.  The Jews requested it of the Roman authority because under law they could not put Jesus to death by crucifixion.  They were so adamant about it that they declared to accept the responsibility of the blood of Jesus to be on them and their their children (Matthew 27:25).  The Romans were the actual agents involved in the driving of the spikes through Jesus’ hands and feet, and it was a Roman soldier that “pierced His side” with a spear to determine if He was dead (John 19:34).

Paul wrote that Jesus’ return would be “from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:” This is not going to be a quiet peaceful event in any way shape or form.  All the nations on earth are going to mourn His return,  They are going to know what is happening and for the vast majority of the people on earth it is going to be a great day of sorrow.  “Sudden destruction” will come upon them and “they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3)  This is in contrast to millennial teachings that say the unfaithful will remain behind on earth.

Verse 8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek Alphabet.  They symbolize the beginning and the end.  Jesus was the active agent in the creation of the universe, (Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:2).  Jesus literally was the beginning of what we on earth can perceive as the creation.

It is significant that Jesus here referred to Himself as the “Lord God” and the “Almighty.”  The words “Lord God” are translated from the words “kurios” which means supreme authority and is used like a title such as “Lord” or “Sir”, and “theos” which is the word for God.  Jesus is therefore one of the distinct personages of the Godhead, thereby sharing the attributes of God the Father.  God, the Father, referred to “the Son” Jesus as “God” in Hebrews 1:8.  When Moses asked God what he should be called, God answered: “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14).  In John 8:58 Jesus said to the Jews “Before Abraham was born, I am.”  In verse 8 Jesus referred to Himself as the one “who is” meaning in existence now, “who was” meaning in existence prior and “who is to come” meaning He plans to return which implies He will continue to exist into the future.  Jesus shares the nature of Godhood thereby making Him Deity.  He has always existed and in John 1:1 is described as being the word of God, existing before the beginning as God.  Those in the religious world today who believe and teach that Jesus is a created being need to re-evaluate that belief and bring it into harmony with what the word of God teaches. 


Verse 9:
I John, your brother and partaker with you in tribulation and kingdom and patience (which are) in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

John identifies himself again and this time he gives his readership some things they can relate to on a personal level.  He is being persecuted, himself being banished to the island of Patmos.  Patmos is a rugged barren rocky island about 24 miles west of the coast of Asia Minor.  In John’s day it was used as forced labor prison island by the Roman Empire where the prisoners worked in the mines.  History records that John was sent to Patmos by Domitian.  However the internal evidence within the Revelation places the writing during the reign of Vespasian.  If this is accurate, John found himself on Patmos twice in his life.  Much disagreement among scholars has arisen over this and prevents the absolute dating of the writing of the book of Revelation.  John, by inspiration, placed himself on the Island of Patmos and that much is certain. 

It has been speculated that John was sent to Patmos prior to Domitian’s reign as a result of his battling the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.  This sect was especially prevalent in Asia Minor and caused a lot of trouble to the faithful Christians.  Briefly the Nicolaitans disobeyed the command issued to the gentile churches, by the apostles to  refrain from the eating of “things sacrificed to idols” (Acts 15:29). Such a restriction prevented the Christian communities from joining in public festivals where meat that had been sacrificed in idolatrous practices was eaten.  This brought upon them suspicion and dislike, but was necessary to prevent a return to pagan worship which was prevalent all around them at the time.  Eventually the Nicolaitans did return to the more base practices of pagan worship and they incorporated all kinds of adulterous and idolatrous actions into their worship. 

As mentioned earlier, John also referred to himself as being in the Kingdom with his readership.  Jesus Christ is the king of this kingdom and ruling it from heaven.  If the first century Christians were in the Kingdom of God, then Christians today are no less in the same kingdom. 

In summary

John’s introduction of the Revelation is marked with some very significant characteristics all of which one would find in any letter of this degree of importance written out of concern to loved ones.  First, it came at a time of intense persecution of which John was a fellow sufferer (V9).  It was addressed specifically to a particular group of Christians at a particular time in history (V4), which means the message must be understood as being to them specifically with an application for all Christians.  This fact is brought out in great detail in later writings on the vision of Jesus Christ and the individual messages to the separate congregations.  

The message originated at the highest source, given to Jesus by God the Father, to relay on to John (V1).  The first readers would recognize that, coming from the beloved apostle John, who said it came from God, meant that this message was of great importance and from a trustworthy source. 

The timeframe of the events in Revelation was said to be “at hand” (V3) and were going to “shortly come to pass” (V1).  The events depicted within were claimed by the writer to be imminent, not projected 2000 years or more into the future. 

The message was symbolized so that it is communicated in signs and visions (V1).  Such a message would look like nonsense to anybody unfamiliar with Christianity and the way God communicated with His people in previous writings.  The enemies of the Christians under their present tribulation would look at the Revelation and be utterly confused as it its content.  This is vital in that the message had to be circulated among the known world in the Roman Empire and if the authorities knew and realized the revelation was a message of perseverance and ultimate triumph over them, it would have been collected and denied to the Christians.  What better way to encode a message than to do so with language only a Christian well versed in scripture would be able to understand?  To those outside Christianity, it was nothing more than a superstition of which they knew almost nothing. 

Being addressed specifically to the Christians in the first century, we today must recognize that the first readers will see to whom the letter is directed, see that it says the timeframe for the prophecy is at hand, and make immediate associations to the things written in the Revelation to their current circumstances.  The entire template for understanding this letter is to do so through the eyes of those to whom it was addressed.  What it meant to them then is what it must mean to us today.  The precepts and conditions that the first readers were obligated to adhere to apply to all Christians for all time.  The Revelation, from God, to Jesus, through the hand of the apostle John was written to them with an application for all.

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