DIMINISHING SPIRITUALITY IN LOCAL CHURCHES
Studies
In
Revelation 2 And 3
by
W. E.
Best
Copyright © 1986
W. E. Best
Scripture quotations in this book designated “NASB” are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1977 by the Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission. Those designated “translation” are by the author and taken from the Greek Text. All others are from the King James Bible.
This book is
distributed by the
W. E. Best Book Missionary Trust
P. O. Box 34904
Houston, Texas 77234-4904 USA
2 Prophetic Announcement To The Churches Of Christ’s Coming
3 God’s Message Should Be Sent To The Churches
5 Commendations Of The Churches
6 Condemnations Of The Churches
7 Promises To Overcomers In The Churches
8 Exhortation To The Churches To Hear
After further study, the author has come to the conclusion that the preferred translation of the Greek word ekklesia is “assembly” rather than “church”. We recommend the pamphlet NO PROPER NAME GIVEN TO CHRIST’S ASSEMBLY and the book CHRIST’S KINGDOM IS FUTURE—VOL. III (FORMATION OF THE KING’S BRIDE). These two publications will reflect the later studies of the author on the subject of Christ’s assembly.
1
The salutation of Revelation 1:4-6 was to the churches in Asia. The seven churches represent local churches of every age. The disclosure of Christ was given to the churches. Overcomers in each of the churches were comforted by the triune God. They were comforted because of their position in Christ. Churches other than the seven named were in Asia, but these were chosen as representative of all. Seven, a number denoting completion, were chosen because the number is in keeping with the disclosure of Christ given in the book of Revelation: There are seven spirits (1:4), seven golden candlesticks—interpreted as seven churches (1:12, 13, 20), the Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes (5:6), seven angels to whom were given seven trumpets (8:2), seven thunders (10:3, 4), the beast with seven heads (13:1), seven last plagues (15:1), seven golden vials or bowls (15:7), and seven kings (17:10). Since the number seven expresses completion, it signifies dispensational fullness. Seven is divided into three and four. Three represents the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Four represents the material world—east, west, north, and south. There are four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The age of man has four stages—infancy, youth, manhood, and old age. In the addition of three and four, the Divine and human are brought into contact with each other. Thus, the creature by grace is brought into intimate connection with the Divine Creator and Redeemer.
Seven personages are referred to in Revelation 1:1-3—(1) God gave the Revelation of Jesus Christ unto Him. (2) Jesus Christ, the second Person in the Godhead, is the One to whom God gave the Revelation. As God absolutely considered, He can receive nothing because everything is His. He received as the God-Man. (3) The Revelation was signified by a special angel. (4) Things which must shortly come to pass are shown to Christ’s servants—the elect. (5) The message was given to John, a servant in a particular sense. John was a chosen apostle. (6) The reader, the lector, who was the public reader, was called blessed. The context going from the singular pronoun “he” to the plural “they” of verse 3 signifies a public reader. The masculine pronoun excludes women from publicly reading the word of God. (7) “They” are a plurality who are blessed for hearing the word read.
God is the Author, Jesus Christ is the medium, and messengers are the communicating agencies of the Revelation. This Revelation is embodied in signs and symbols, forming one compact whole. It is “the” book of Revelation.
There are seven beatitudes in Revelation: (1) Blessed is the person who reads (1:3). (2) Blessed are those who die in the Lord (14:13). (3) Blessed is he that watcheth (16:15). (4) Blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb (19:9). (5) Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection (20:6). (6) Blessed is he who keeps the saying of the prophecy of this book (22:7). (7) Blessed are they who do His commandments (22:14).
Revelation is interpreted in a variety of ways: (1) The preterist view sees the book as arising out of the situation of first century Christians. Those who hold this view believe the Roman empire dominates the scene. Hence, they say the seer was wholly preoccupied with the church of his day. Therefore, it is meaningless for subsequent readers. (2) The historicist view claims that it is an inspired forecast of the whole of human history. This view does not make the Revelation meaningful for this generation. (3) The idealist view states that the book is concerned with ideas and principles. It is not concerned with the latter days or the end time. (4) The realized view states that we are in the kingdom and do not realize it. (5) Another view is that all of Revelation relates to and was fulfilled in the fall of the Jewish commonwealth in 70 A.D. (6) The futurist view sees the book as prophecy. It is called that. It prefigures those events which usher in the second coming of our blessed Lord and the establishment of His kingdom.
Many say the book of Revelation is vague, complex, and obscure. But this cannot be true for God’s elect. It is an unveiling message concerning Jesus Christ. The very first word, “Revelation,” means it has been unveiled for our benefit. It is called the word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ, and this prophecy. The events of Revelation will come to pass with great swiftness once the things contained therein begin. God is longsuffering and not willing that any for whom Christ died should perish. But the curtain is ready to be drawn for the last act of human history.
The Revelation can be understood and consistently interpreted only through the doctrine of the kingdom. The apocalypse is the revelation of Christ to the churches pertaining to His resurrected, translated, and glorified saints. This is not the apocalypse of the apocalypse. It is the apocalypse of Jesus Christ. Christ’s judgments, triumph, kingdom, reign, power, glory, and His bestowal of a perfected redemption are contained in the book of Revelation.
The Greek for “Revelation” (apokalupsis) means a disclosure or revelation (Rev. 1:1), a manifestation or appearance (Rom. 8:19; I Cor 1:7; II Thess. 1:7; I Pet. 1:7, 13; 4:13). It is used metaphorically of spiritual enlightenment (Luke 2:32). The verb form means to reveal. Used passively it signifies to be disclosed (Eph. 3:4; Rom. 1:17, 18). It means to be manifested or to appear (Rom. 8:18; II Thess. 2:3, 6, 8). The context proves that the word is subjective. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ “which God gave unto him.”
The Revelation is not merely messages and information concerning Jesus Christ. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto “Him” (Rev. 1:1). That makes it subjective. It is a revelation concerning Christ that God gave to Christ. One might ask, Since Jesus Christ is God, is not He the revealer? How can God give God a message? God the Father gave the message to the God-Man, not to God absolutely considered. The strange statement of Mark 13:32, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father,” answers the question. The human nature of Jesus Christ was not the residential subject of omniscience. God gave to His Son Jesus Christ a message, a prophecy, concerning Himself of events related to Him when He comes again the second time in triumph to judge the world and establish His kingdom.
God giving something to His Son is illustrated in Psalm 2:7-8—"I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." In Revelation 1:1, Jesus Christ was viewed as the God-Man and not as God absolutely considered. Therefore, the gift does not mean to make known, but it has the meaning of Psalm 2:7. This is what God gave Jesus Christ in promise. The Psalm reference is a great prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ reigning as King. The substance of both promise and earnest constitute the book of Revelation. Conclusively, this Revelation was given to the God-Man.
The design of the disclosure is the unveiling. The Revelation that God gave to Christ of Himself and events related to His second advent was to be shown to His servants. It was to be declared to us. The things given to Christ to show to His servants “must shortly come to pass.” The Greek word for “shortly” (tachei) means with speed, soon, or shortly. Some say this proves that Revelation is the history of the church and has nothing for the future. But this word is also used to speak of something that has not yet been fulfilled (Luke 18:8; Acts 12:7; 22:18; 25:4; Rom. 16:20; Rev. 1:1; 22:6). Romans 16:20 states, “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” This will not take place until Jesus Christ comes as King of kings and Lord of lords. Paul wrote this in the first century after Christ’s death, and now for more than nineteen hundred years that prophecy has not been fulfilled. Nevertheless, Satan shall be bruised under His feet shortly.
The Revelation God gave to Jesus Christ was given Him to show things which must shortly come to pass. The Greek verb for “shew” (deiknumi) means to show, to point out, to make known, to teach, to declare, to announce, or to make manifest what was before concealed. Some say it does not mean to lift the veil that hides the future from our view, but it means we see Jesus Christ in the events of the present world and the church in that world. The following are some ways devised by men to meet and interpret the expectations of a near advent: (1) Review them as truth. (2) Designate them as Jewish fables. (3) Pronounce them as merely human utterances. (4) Define them as an accommodation to a transition period. (5) Hold them as longings inspired by enthusiasms and love for Christ. (6) Explain them as a spiritual rather than a personal coming. (7) Say they refer to an anticipated providential coming in judgment. These expectations are to be received as truth because they portray the personal, visible coming of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.
There are those who say the “things which must shortly come to pass” does not mean the events follow each other in rapid succession. They believe it is to be viewed historically, not futuristically. It must be understood that God’s word is not man’s. Therefore, God and not man informs us of His own view of the word “shortly.” A Biblical example is the Babylonian captivity of the children of Israel. That period of time is called “a small moment” (Is. 54:7). However, the seventy years did not seem like a small moment to the Israelites (Lam. 5:20). God does not reckon time as man does. Prophetic time, either as to its beginning or ending, is reserved by God as pertaining to Himself. God used the terminology of one day being with Himself as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day to explain to us how He reckons time in contrast to the way man reckons it (II Pet. 3:8). A predetermined number must be saved before the second advent (II Pet. 3:9). This expectation is expressed by all the apostles in terms which admit no other interpretation.
The estimate of nearness given by God Himself in measuring prophetic periods envelops the second advent of Jesus Christ with a purposed indefiniteness, a sufficiency of uncertainty as to time, and an impression that it may be near and is conducive to watchfulness and piety. It also surrounds the second advent of Jesus Christ with an excitement of vigilance, energy, and labor to impart wisdom, prudence, and character, to incite patience, diligence, and faithfulness in the study of all of Holy Scripture, including the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Reading and keeping the truths recorded in Revelation are necessary to watchfulness by the churches. Christians are not confined to this world in their enjoyment of life because they have not only the things of time but the things of eternity. There are exhortations to watchfulness from the time of Christ to His second coming. After Christ’s ascension, the statement “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” is not found. The epistles state that the Lord is at hand and the coming of Christ draweth nigh (II Thess. 2:2; James 5:8). He is the One who will establish the kingdom. Hence, you will notice how closely the Holy Spirit guarded the words used to portray this truth: “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep” (I Thess. 4:15). The apostle was speaking to fellow believers. In his second epistle to the Thessalonians, he spoke of the coming of Jesus Christ and our being gathered together unto Him (II Thess. 2:1).
The churches are the recipients of the disclosure or the unveiling of Jesus Christ. The churches, if faithful, will be like John the writer of the Revelation. Instead of expanding by worldly methods, they will become more and more circumscribed. That does not mean we can take consolation in passivity. The churches have responsibilities. If the churches of Jesus Christ are faithful to God, they will become more and more isolated. The apostle John was banished to the isle of Patmos for the testimony of God. He was confined because of his faithfulness to God. Spiritual progress will never make true churches of Jesus Christ popular with the world.
The call to each of the seven churches is to hear. The call to hear in relation to the promise to the overcomer differs between the first three and the last four church epistles. In the first three, the call to hear follows the promise to the overcomer; and in the last four, it precedes the promise. The call is not to hear the “church.” The call here is for persons who have hearing ears to hear the Lord Jesus Christ. How can the institution that is on trial and threatened with judgment be the source of authority? Christians are under no obligation to hear any denomination or any local church. They are to hear the testimony of Holy Scripture. Every institutional church is on trial, and Jesus Christ is its Judge.
Notice the plural word “churches.” It is unscriptural to speak of the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Church of Rome, etc. Each individual church is responsible to God, but all churches are dependent on God. The church in Smyrna was not responsible for the sins of the church in Ephesus. The church in Ephesus was not responsible for the sins of the church in Thyatira. The church in Thyatira was not responsible for the sins of the church in Laodicea. This can be said of each of the churches named.
There are three basic views of the letters to the seven churches in Asia. One is that these seven letters give the history of the church. A view that is popular among premillennialists is that in these seven churches are seven different ages through which the local churches go. The Scriptural view is that the seven churches represent seven conditions of the local aspect of the church. John was writing about things already existing (Rev. 1:19, 20). The seven epistles describe the conditions that existed at the time John wrote. These seven conditions will continue in every age during the dispensation of grace but spiritual declension in them will intensify until the second advent of Jesus Christ. Hence, Ephesus leaving her first love will become more aggravated. Thyatira harboring false doctrine will intensify. The suffering of Smyrna will become more acute. The love exemplified by Philadelphia will grow. Laodicea’s boasting of being increased with goods and having need of nothing will intensify.
As the nation of Israel failed God as a true witness, the local churches will diminish in their testimony until the time of the coming of the Lord. These seven churches were not seven successive stages of the church, but they were simply specimens of things that are. That is the testimony of the first chapter of Revelation. Grace continues to spare the churches of Jesus Christ, but they have not continued in God’s goodness. Hence, the churches, like Israel, will be cut off from the standpoint of testimony. God’s people in all ages have felt the possibility—on their part—of losing ground in the Christian life. Christians today do not differ from the Israelites who were bent on backsliding (Hos. 11:7).
God commanded, condemned, warned, rebuked, and gave promises to the seven churches. The universality of appeal in reference to condemning, commanding, rebuking, threatening, and promising are for all who have ears to hear. Seven lessons should be learned from the seven churches. (1) Intense love to Jesus Christ may be left for the love of other things. (2) Zeal may become apathetic because of discouragement. (3) Faith may loosen its grip by self-occupation. (4) The testimony of the church may become tarnished by compromise. (5) Progress in sanctification may become hindered by inconsistency. (6) Prayer may be obstructed by disobedience. (7) Unity may become disrupted by disunity.
The candlesticks represent the churches in their relation to Jesus Christ. The candlesticks were not the light itself but bearers of the light. The light from the candlestick in the tabernacle must never go out. The priesthood was responsible to keep the light burning (Num. 18). Likewise, believers are responsible to keep the light of their testimony shining. Jesus Christ’s absence from the world necessitates the lampstands.
Jesus Christ is Priest, but He is not represented as such in Revelation 1-3. He is represented as the Judge, and that judgment is now in progress. It has been for nearly 2,000 years because judgment begins at the house of God (I Pet. 4:17). God does not begin His judgment with the ungodly world but with His own people. He judges us now so we will not be judged with the world (I Cor. 11:32). Christ is walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands judging the churches for failure to exhibit the glory of His grace.
The Godhead unites in a message of grace and peace to the seven churches. Not a seal can be broken and not a bowl of wrath can be poured out in the judgments to come upon the world until the Godhead has given comfort and consolation to His people. Grace is the source of spiritual blessings, and the peace we have is our state before the righteous and holy God.
The order of the Godhead is presented differently in Revelation 1:4-5—The Father is first named, then the Holy Spirit, and lastly the Son. The three clauses which make up the Father’s title here, besides indicating His self-existence as we are told in Exodus 3:14, refer to the dispensation of the law, the dispensation of grace, and the dispensation that is yet to come—the kingdom. Why does “Him who is” precede “who was”? The salutation is to the churches existing as “ things that are”, so “who is” implies independent, unchangeable existence. “Who was” intimates His relation to the past. “Who is to come” shows His relation to the future. The Greek text omits the title “who is to come” from Revelation 11:17 and Revelation 16:5. The reason is that in the first chapter, John was writing concerning things in existence now, during this church age. However, in Revelation 11:17 and Revelation 16:5, this age will have passed.
The governmental character of the Holy Spirit places Him before Jesus Christ in the salutation. The seven Spirits are before the throne, not in the character of the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven as He is to be with us now. The Holy Spirit is named, but not in the unity of His being—one Spirit (Eph. 4:5). The “seven Spirits” refer to the fullness of the spiritual activity of the work of the Holy Spirit (Is. 11:2). He is sevenfold in His operations. The manifold gifts, operations, and energies of the Holy Spirit are here represented under the number seven. Here, that activity is in relation to the seven churches in Asia. As the seven churches express the condition of the one church age from its local aspect, the seven Spirits express the complete characteristics of the Holy Spirit of God.
John represented Jesus Christ to the churches as the faithful Witness (Rev. 1:5). He was the faithful Witness while here on earth. This is in contrast to the path of human testimony which is strewn with error and ruin. We are unfaithful in our faithfulness, but Jesus Christ is perfectly faithful. He never erred. His being the firstborn of the dead represents Him as the Priest before God. His being Ruler of the kings of the earth refers to His coming again. He was the faithful Witness. He is our high Priest. He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords. Hence, He is represented to the churches as Prophet, Priest, and King. He was Prophet as He walked among the sons of men. He is now our Priest. He will be King when He comes again. Christ is never called the King of the church. He will be King of the kingdom.
The churches are reminded of what Jesus Christ has done and continues to do for the elect (Rev. 1:5, 6). The Greek word for “loved” of verse 5 is the present participle of agapao. He loves the elect. He continues to love them. There has never been a time when He did not love them. The word for “washing” in the Greek is an aorist participle of luo, which means having loosed or released. His making us a kingdom is also past tense in the sense of Romans 8:29-30 (aorist indicative of poieo, to make). Predestination, calling, justification, and glorification are all in the past tense. As Jesus Christ is represented as Prophet, Priest, and King, saints are represented in their corporeal capacity. Each will rise from the dead, and as Jesus Christ was the faithful Witness, we are to be faithful witnesses. The lampstand must reflect the light of Jesus Christ. As He rose out from among the dead, we too shall rise out from among the dead. As He is the Ruler, we are constituted a kingdom. We are heirs of the kingdom.
2
PROPHETIC
ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE
CHURCHES OF CHRIST’S COMING
The churches must be told that Christ is coming: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:7, 8). There are those who believe Revelation is strictly historical. Some believe we can get many lessons from it that are applicable for us today. Others believe it is prophetical. Although historical things are within the context of the book and we can get many lessons applicable for us today, the primary purpose of Revelation is prophetical.
The second coming of Jesus Christ was prophetically announced (Rev. 1:7). His coming is future. The second coming of Jesus Christ is the supreme hope of the church. His first advent was slow and progressive. He was conceived in the womb of Mary and spent nine months there. He was born like any other baby. He grew up, and some time elapsed before He declared Himself as the Messiah. On the other hand, the second coming will be instantaneous—"Behold, he cometh." He will come as a thief in the night. He will come eminently and instantly. Hence, there is a vast difference between the two advents. He who has come will come. Few believe in the Biblical view of the second advent, and still fewer live as though they believe it.
There is a difference between the invisible presence of Jesus Christ in this age and His visible presence at His second advent. His invisible presence makes unseen things seen by faith: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Pet. 1:8). “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). When He comes the second time, unseen things will be seen by sight. There will be no place for faith when we see Jesus Christ as He is. In human experience, presence and absence are mutually exclusive. Let us analyze this. The Lord Jesus Christ is absent from the earth, yet He is present. Some think this is a riddle. Jesus Christ appeared on earth after His resurrection, communed with His disciples, and ate with them. Forty days after His resurrection He ascended back to heaven. He is now absent from the earth. He had told His disciples He would go away and send the Comforter to abide with them forever. Many references in the gospel of John speak of His leaving the disciples after a little time. Nevertheless, the same Lord Jesus said that where two or three are gathered in His name agreeing, He is in the midst of them (Matt. 18:19, 20). He also promised to never leave nor forsake His own. These statements are not controversial. What is the mode of His presence during the time of His absence from the earth? He is with us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. The presence of Christ now by His Spirit is confessed by faith. His presence at the second coming of Jesus Christ will be confessed by sight and not by faith. His presence now is not an “as if”; it is a reality. This reality cannot be grasped unless it is also kept in mind that the nearness involved is that of Christ who is not here, although He is coming. He who shall come has already come.
Christ’s second coming is a fact. This coming is not historical but prophetical. The Spirit of God led John to write of this blessed event to comfort the saints. John had written of many mansions in the Father’s house and of Jesus Christ saying, “...I will come again...” (John 14:2, 3). He was inspired to give the prophecies concerning the second advent that the children of God might follow the Lord Jesus in consecration. When Peter asked what John should do, the Lord replied, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me” (John 21:22). John was inspired to give these prophetical statements concerning the Lord Jesus for personal cleansing. The hope of Christ’s return is purifying: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (I John 3:2, 3). Christians desire orderly lives that they might not be ashamed before the Lord at His coming (I John 2:28).
The fact of Christ’s coming is expressed in the words, “Behold, he cometh” (Rev. 1:7). He closed it with “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20). The fact of the coming of Jesus Christ is essential for doctrine, building Christian character, and Christian duty. The Biblical fact of the second coming of Jesus Christ encourages faithfulness, avoids deception, urges watchfulness, encites expectation, imparts comfort, inspires hope, stimulates patience under trials and suffering, encourages obedience, and is connected with prayer. Therefore, it is an eschatological event of the future, not a historical event of the past.
The fact of the second coming of Christ issues from the character, faithfulness, and glory of God. There has never been an event outside the incarnation that could compare with the second advent of Jesus Christ. The demonstrative particle “behold” (idou) is used to call attention. It is used 26 times in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. This should be vividly realized by the churches. It is worthy of our admiration and should be zealously proclaimed by us.
The second coming of Revelation 1:7 will be in power to establish the kingdom. This harmonizes with the Olivet discourse of Matthew 24. This verse is the central theme of the entire book. Some say the kingdom is already established. They believe a fleshly concept of Christ’s second coming is contrary to the nature, need, and purpose of His coming which is to declare His eternal Lordship. Their theory is easily refuted. The kingdom will be established at Christ’s second advent: “I CHARGE thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom” (II Tim. 4:1). His second coming and kingdom must not be disconnected. Therefore, the kingdom was not established at the first coming of Jesus Christ. He did not come for that purpose the first time. He came to prepare His own for that future event. The kingdom is associated not with Christ’s coming in flesh and blood, but it is associated with His coming in flesh and bones—His glorified body. The second advent of Jesus Christ will be to complete His work. It is the hope of the church. Jesus Christ is the heir of all things (Heb. 1:2). Therefore, He is the heir of the kingdom. The fact that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom (I Cor. 15:50) also applies to Jesus Christ. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ could not come into His inheritance as long as He was in flesh and blood. He is as the nobleman who has gone into a far country to receive the kingdom from the Father and to return (Luke 19:12).
Revelation 1:6 portrays those whom the Lord has redeemed and cleansed by His own precious blood. He gives them comfort in verses 5 and 6. Following this, Christ is viewed coming in power and great glory to establish His kingdom, not His coming for the church (Rev. 1:7). Revelation 19:1-12 is a Biblical interpretation of verse 7. “Those who pierced the Lord Jesus Christ” refers to the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews condemned Him and turned Him over to the Gentiles, and the Romans nailed Him to the cross. “Every eye that shall see Him” does not apply to every individual without exception. It speaks of those who will be on the earth when Jesus Christ comes. Truly the church will see Him, but this is not what this verse is talking about. The “kindreds of the earth” (phulai tes ges) could be translated “tribes of the land” which speaks of the Jews who shall wail. (See Is. 65; 66; Rom. 11; etc., which teach the future of the nation of Israel.) The combination of the Greek “even so” and the Hebrew “Amen” is a certification to both Jews and Gentiles in their own native tongues or languages. All the perfections of God will be openly displayed when this takes place. God’s character will be glorified. God’s law will be honored. His government will be vindicated. His counsel will be unfolded, and His prophecies will all be verified.
The “manner” of Christ’s coming will be with clouds. His second coming will be personal, certain, and sudden. The Amillennialists object to the mingling of Christ and His glorified saints with people still in the flesh on the earth. This has been called a “mongrel mixture.” In answer to their objection, consider the post-resurrection ministry of Jesus Christ among His disciples for forty days. He was in a glorified body. Was that a mongrel mixture when Jesus Christ in His glorified body communed with His disciples while they were in flesh and blood? They say it is a come-down for Christ and the church to come back to the earth. There will be a come-down, but not in the sense of the objectors to the literal reign of Christ and the church on the earth. The new Jerusalem will come down from God out of heaven and will be here on earth. We shall reign with Jesus Christ on the earth (Rev. 5:10).
The manner of Christ’s coming with clouds proves His coming is for the purpose of establishing His kingdom. Clouds are mentioned in I Thessalonians 4 when Christ gathers His own unto Himself, but we are caught up to meet Him in the clouds. Clouds are a symbol of God’s presence. Various Greek prepositions are used in connection with Christ’s coming in clouds—"on" (epi, Matt. 24:30), “in” (en, Mark 13:26), and “with” (meta, Rev. 1:7). Clouds symbolize power and glory. They signify the presence of God Himself (Ex. 19:9). He came in the past to Israel on a thick cloud. He will come in the future in, on, and with clouds.
The twofold effect of Christ’s second coming will be wailing and assent. Every eye that shall see Him refers to those who do not want to see Him as well as those who do. The ungodly will see Him and flee to the mountains and beg the rocks and mountains to fall upon them. Others will desire to see Him. They will behold Him and accept Him. They will give assent. All the tribes of the land shall wail. This is future. The righteous will say, “Even so, Amen” (Rev. 1:7). This is the assent of the righteous. The Divine declaration is “I am Alpha and Omega” (Rev. 1:8). Jehovah and Elohim must both be used. Elohim alone is used in the first chapter of Genesis, but Jehovah Elohim is used in the second chapter. Elohim is used in connection with the Creator. Both words, Alpha and the Omega—the Lord God—were used because John was addressing the church. Jesus Christ is not only the self-existent One but He was connected with the past in a covenant relationship which reaches into the future—"which is to come." He was in the bosom of the Father before the foundation of the world. He was the Man of sorrows while walking among the sons of men. He was our sacrifice for sin. That is all past. He is glorified. He is no longer in a body of flesh and blood but a body of flesh and bones, a glorified body. He is the head and judge of the church. He will come for the final confirmation of all things to establish His kingdom.
3
GOD’S MESSAGE SHOULD
BE
SENT TO THE CHURCHES
The message God gave Jesus Christ to give to John was to be written and sent to the seven churches in Asia. The name Asia means “slime pit.” The names of the churches mentioned in Revelation 1:4 and named in verse 11 are significant. Ephesus means “desired.” There were desirable and undesirable things about the church in Ephesus. Smyrna means “myrrh” which is connected with suffering. This could be classified as the suffering church. Pergamum means “much marriage.” She was united with many things. Thyatira means “odor of affliction.” Sardis means “escaping ones.” Philadelphia means “brotherly love.” Laodicea means “people’s rights or the people’s judgment.” Here is democracy in a local church.
Many say the book of Revelation was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A. D., which was a time of great persecution upon the churches. The word “tribulation” (thlipsei) of verse 9 means affliction or sorrow. It does not in this instance refer to the great tribulation. Affliction is common to all saints. However, the extent of affliction can vary from person to person, from place to place, and from time to time. Much tribulation—affliction—precedes the kingdom (I Thess. 1:5, 6; Acts 14:22, 23).
The location of these seven churches in Asia is interesting. Only a few miles separated them. Ephesus was about sixty miles from Patmos where the apostle John had been banished for his allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ and the testimony of His word. Smyrna was about thirty-five miles from Ephesus. Pergamum was about fifty-four miles from Smyrna. Thyatira was about forty miles from Pergamum. Sardis was thirty miles from Thyatira. Philadelphia was about twenty-eight miles from Sardis. Laodicea was forty miles from Philadelphia. The Lord chose these seven to illustrate the conditions of the churches of Jesus Christ throughout this dispensation.
The Lord’s method of address to the churches in chapter 3 differs from chapter 2. Commendation preceded condemnation in the letters to the churches of chapter 2. A reversal occurs in chapter 3. Condemnation there precedes commendation. Evil had not been the habit but the exception in the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira. There had been such an erosion of evil in the churches of chapter 3, with the exception of Philadelphia, that evil was the habit rather than the exception.
All seven churches recorded in Revelation 2 and 3 existed at the time these letters were written. The seven were independent of each other. The only bond of union required among them was that they derive life from the same Spirit and be dependent on the same Head. These seven portray the whole period of Christendom. Churches possessing the characteristics of each exist somewhere in the world today. The same problems with them continue, and they will intensify as the coming of the Lord draws near.
Although John was confined to Patmos, his spirit was not confined. He was a companion in tribulation with the churches. Solitude for Christ is not the worst condition in the world. Visions came to Ezekiel when he was in affliction. The visions of Daniel’s prophecy came to him while he was in bondage. Isaiah was in affliction when he saw the Lord high and lifted up. John wrote to the churches as a co-partner. He suffered what the churches suffered. He approached them on the basis of brotherhood. Sympathy among Christians today is little known. Too many nonconducting materials are preventing communication between Christians. The fine nerves that carry spiritual feeling have become insensible. Worldliness, false church members, selfishness, the spirit of preeminence, noncooperation, and nonrecognition of the headship of Jesus Christ are hindering the flow of Christian sympathy. There is also nonsubmission to proper authority delegated by the Head of the churches. We may have to be content with a Patmos, but we shall be happy if, like John, we have a clear vision of all that is about to come to pass.
John was a co-partner with the churches and an heir of the kingdom. Future blessings are often presented as present (Rom. 8:30; Heb. 12:22, 23). The present tense is frequently put for the future to show that the things spoken of shall as certainly happen as if they were already present. To Christians the future has, by faith, already become the present, although the present has a necessary bearing on a perfect consummation of the future. We are heirs of the kingdom (James 2:5). That inheritance will be bestowed at the second advent of Jesus Christ. Local churches now live under various forms of government in different nations (Rom. 13:1-7). In the kingdom all the redeemed will live under one form of government. It will be a theocracy, that is, government under the rule and reign of Jesus Christ.
John addressed the churches in Asia. He was not talking about the perfected church but about imperfect churches. Every local church has a twofold responsibility—to God and to man. Where the law of man takes precedence over the law of God, the local church must be faithful to God and suffer the consequences that come from man (Acts 4:19, 20). The churches are not now in the kingdom. The knowledge of the Lord is not covering the earth as the waters cover the sea (Is. 11:9). Men are not beating their instruments of warfare into instruments of peace (Is. 2:4). Furthermore, the local church is sustained by the hope of the kingdom. There will be no place for hope or faith in the kingdom, but love will continue to exist. Jesus Christ presently reflects His light through the churches—lampstands. The fullness of His glory will be manifested in the kingdom. There will be no place for lampstands then. Suffering precedes the kingdom: “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him...” (II Tim. 2:12). Those who are ruled “by” Jesus Christ in this life in the local aspect of the church will rule “with” Christ in the kingdom.
John was co-partner with the churches in patience or endurance. Christians persevere because Jesus Christ preserves (I Pet. 1:3-7). The final test of Christianity is endurance. Human faith in a Divine Savior does not give one assurance. However, faith that God gives in regeneration both perseveres and assures. This truth guards against the idea of security irrespective of the extent of sin and the length of time that one might remain in sin.
John was “in the Spirit” (en pneumati) (Rev. 1:10). The correct translation is “I came to be in the Spirit.” He came into a particular state. This was not his normal spiritual condition. This condition was brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit. He was under the complete control of the Holy Spirit that he might receive the prophecy of the book of Revelation concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet Ezekiel had a similar experience (Ezek. 11:24). Paul also experienced the same thing (II Cor. 12:1-4). Paul was not allowed to record or tell what he saw while in his ecstatic state. On the other hand, John was commanded not only to record but to tell what he saw. The time John was in the Spirit was on the Lord’s day (Rev. 1:10). Although he was separated from the churches, he kept the day of Christ’s resurrection with them. The Lord’s day refers to the first day of the week. The word for “Lord” (kuriakos) is not the ordinary word used for Lord in the New Testament. It is used only twice in all the New Testament (Rev. 1:10; I Cor. 11:20). This was the day that belonged to the Lord.
There are two views of the Lord’s day. Does it refer to that judicial period that will come upon the whole world, or to the first day of the week observed by Christians during this dispensation of grace? Those who hold the view that it refers to the judicial period say there is no difference between the Lord’s day and the day of the Lord. Those who teach this regard the Lord’s day and the day of the Lord as two forms for signifying the same relations to the same things. They connect the “house of God” of Genesis 28:17 with “God’s house” of Genesis 28:22 to prove their view. Other proof texts are used: (1) God’s law and the law of the Lord (Ex. 13:9; II Chron. 12:1), (2) The Lord’s people and the people of the Lord (I Sam. 2:24; Judg. 5:11), (3) Christ’s gospel and the gospel of Christ (II Cor. 2:12; 10:14), and (4) Christ’s sufferings and the sufferings of Christ (I Pet. 4:13; 5:1). Their conclusion is that John was transported by means of the Holy Spirit of God in his vision into the day of the Lord, which is the prophetic day.
The true meaning of “the Lord’s day” is that it refers to the first day of the week. The Greek word kuriakos means something belonging to the Lord. It is used with reference to the Lord’s supper (I Cor. 11:20) and to the first day of the week (Rev. 1:10). As the supper is no ordinary supper, the Lord’s day is no ordinary day. The first day of the week should be honored by honoring the Lord Jesus Christ, spending that time worshipping Him, studying the Scriptures, and meditating on those things that the Lord has committed to His people.
John heard behind him a great voice as of a trumpet. The trumpet was used to call the Israelites together when God had something to impart to them (Num. 10:2; Joel 2:1, 15). This voice like a trumpet did not give an uncertain sound (I Cor. 14:8). The voice told John to write and send what he saw to the seven churches. “Write” and “send” are both in the same aorist tense. The time element is absent since the imperative mode is used. The aorist tense renders the commands more authoritative. Christ sustains a common relationship to all the churches by authority, oversight, and discipline. John was commanded to write and send instantaneously. There is no trace of indifference here. He must record what he saw, not merely those things that were most interesting. Heavenly visions are not the fancies of fiction or the vagaries of human philosophies. John turned to see the voice that spoke. His back was toward the churches, and his face was toward the King. This illustrates that ecclesiastical ruin had already begun. It had already begun during Paul’s ministry. The apostle Paul spoke of grievous wolves entering the churches not sparing the flock (Acts 20:29, 30). John was cognizant of the same fact and wrote about the antichrist and antichrists (I John 2:18).
The things John was to write included more than he had then seen. He had not yet seen anything. He had only heard, until verse 10. According to verse 19, he should write the things he had seen, the things which are, and the things that shall be hereafter. The past, present, and future are mentioned: “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter” (Rev. 1:19). The things John saw are past. “The things which are” has reference to church things. “The things which shall be hereafter” refers to the things after church things. John saw the seven golden candlesticks (churches) on the first day of the week, not at the time of Christ’s judicial judgment. The apostle was in the Spirit on the first day of the week. He had been brought to this place as one who was already saved. He was controlled by the Spirit during the time God revealed to him past things (Rev. 1), present things (Rev. 2; 3), and future things (Rev. 4-22).
The book of Revelation is not a description of God’s government in the churches of Jesus Christ, as Amillennialists teach. The kingdom is not the church. Kingdom and church are not synonymous terms. The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which refers to the elect having been effectually called out by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. This work of Jesus Christ is done by the agency of the Holy Spirit. The word used for “kingdom” is basileia. It refers to what Jesus Christ Himself will do. Therefore, the two cannot be equated. The church is the fruit of Christ’s first advent, and the kingdom will be the result of His second advent. The church, as the body of Christ, is the heir of the kingdom. Heirship does not indicate that the inheritance has already been given. If church and kingdom refer to the same thing, Is the church the heir of the church, or is the church the heir of the kingdom? Since Jesus Christ gave Himself for the church (Eph. 5:25) that He might reign with her in the kingdom, how can the church and the kingdom be one and the same?
The local aspect of the church is weak and imperfect. The weakness of the local aspect of the church is seen in the seven letters to the seven churches in Asia. The church at her inception lacked one of the essentials of a kingdom—a constituted form of government (Acts 6:1-6; 14:23; Eph. 4:11-16). Elders are needed in the church, but there will be no need for elders in the kingdom. We will all reign together with Jesus Christ in the kingdom. The church is called “unto” the kingdom (I Thess. 2:12). Through much tribulation the saints shall enter the kingdom (Acts 14:22). Would it be the same to say the church enters the church or the kingdom enters the kingdom?
Confusion would abound if the church and the kingdom were synonymous. Various views are taught: (1) The church/kingdom is ruled by the Pope. (2) It is ruled by the State. (3) Local churches are ruled by the conference. Others oppose all these forms of government. Few believe that Jesus Christ alone should rule. There is a variety to suit all inclinations. The kingdom is not a preparatory stage for the church or the kingdom, but the church is a preparatory stage for the kingdom.
Amillennialists claim the kingdom of God is the spiritual reign of God in the heart. If the kingdom is the spiritual reign of God in the heart, the correct interpretation of Matthew 3:2 would have to be “Repent ye (plural): for the creation of spiritual reigns (plural) of the heavens in the hearts of all who believe are at hand.” How could these spiritual reigns be merely at hand since repentance is the fruit of regeneration? John the Baptist went out into the wilderness of Judea preaching, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” If the kingdom and the church are the same, how could he say the kingdom, the church, or the spiritual reign of God in the heart is at hand when the persons to whom he spoke had not even manifested repentance—the fruit of regeneration? John required that his hearers show fruits meet for repentance before he would baptize them (Matt. 3:8). If the kingdom is symbolical, repentance must also be symbolical.
The word “church” could be substituted for the word “kingdom” and the word “kingdom” could be substituted for the word “church” in all of Scripture if they are the same. Matthew 3:2 would have to read, “Repent ye: for the church is at hand.” Matthew 6:10 would read, “Thy church come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” How can we pray for the church to come today when all believers are her subjects? Matthew 8:12 would read, “But the children of the church shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Out of which aspect of the church are they cast? Are they cast out of the local or the universal aspect of the church? Matthew 16:18-19 would read, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my kingdom...and I will give unto thee the keys of the church of heaven.” Matthew 25:34 would read, “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the church prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Luke 17:20-21 would read, “The church of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! for, behold, the church of God is within you.” To whom was our Lord speaking? He was speaking to the religious Jews. Was the kingdom or the church in them? No! It was among them in the Person of Jesus Christ the King. Who would be so foolish as to say that the kingdom was in the hearts of those religious Pharisees? This would have to be the invisible aspect of the church if it comes not with observation. Evidently many religionists believe the church is only within. The church is neither here nor there to them. I Corinthians 15:50 would read, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the church of God.”
There are twelve references to the kingdom in the church epistles. Substitute the word “kingdom” for the word “church”or vice versa in a few verses: “all the kingdoms of the Gentiles” (Rom. 16:4); “so ordain I in all the kingdoms” (I Cor. 7:17); “he that prophesieth edifieth the kingdom” (I Cor. 14:4); “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 15:9); “unto the kingdom of the Thessalonians” (I Thess. 1:1); “ God, who hath called you unto his church and glory” (I Thess. 2:12). These should suffice to prove that the kingdom and the church are not synonymous. They do not mean the same, and they are not used in the same sense. There will be no need for edification in the kingdom because the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Paul did not persecute the kingdom because it was not in existence. He persecuted the church.
John saw the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of the churches (Rev. 1:13). He saw Him now in His glorified condition, walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. In John’s vision, Jesus Christ was “girt about the paps with a golden girdle” (Rev. 1:13). Gold signifies Divine righteousness. The preciousness of all that belongs to the church is indicated by the predominant employment of this metal in the Revelation: (1) golden girdle, (2) golden crowns (4:4), (3) golden vials (5:8), (4) golden censer (8:3), (5) golden altar (8:3), (6) golden reed (21:15), (7) city of pure gold (21:18), and (8) street of the city is pure gold (21:21). Unlike the lampstand in the holy place in the tabernacle, each of these seven lampstands stood on its own base. The lampstand (singular) in the holy place in the tabernacle had seven parts, but there was only one stand upon which all seven lights were connected. Therefore, these seven are not like that one. Since each lampstand stood on its own base, each was responsible to God and not to one another. When the church in Ephesus faltered, it could not blame the church in Smyrna, the church in Laodicea, or some other church. She could blame only herself because of her own personal failure. The number seven signifies completion; hence, the seven independent assemblies represent all the assemblies of Jesus Christ during the church age.
The lampstand in Israel was a symbol of the light of God shining through Israel in a dark world. It represented the one nation. The lampstand in the tabernacle contained seven branches on one stem, but each of the lampstands in Revelation 2 and 3 was independent of the others. The difference is between the light of God which shone through one nation in the Old Testament and His light shining through the Jews and the Gentiles in the churches in the New Testament.
The lampstand in the tabernacle has been removed. This occurred before God completely turned His back on the nation of Israel. There is no need for a lampstand today because Israel in her condition before God cannot reflect light. God turned from the nation of Israel. He is now visiting the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. When the fullness of the Gentiles has come, He will turn once again and deal with the nation of Israel. As the lampstand has been removed from Israel, the lampstands have been removed from the seven churches in Asia. None of these churches are in existence today. As Israel as a nation failed, the institutional churches of Jesus Christ will fail. The time will come when God will no longer deal with the Gentiles. He will turn from them back to Israel (Rom. 11). Man contaminates everything with which he comes in contact. This does not mean the purpose of God will fail. We are not referring to the body of Christ but to the institutional churches. The local aspect of the church will fail because its people are imperfect.
Lampstands without the light of Jesus Christ are like the tabernacle without the presence of God’s glory. Many religious institutions today should have “Ichabod” written over their doors (I Sam. 4:21, 22). The glory was a symbol of God’s presence. History is repeating itself. Israel’s sins are being repeated inside the churches of Jesus Christ. Israel acted on human impulse instead of on Divine command. God’s command was that the ark remain in His appointed place, but Israel disobeyed God’s command. The ark must not be brought to the people, but the people were to come to the ark. The so-called institutional churches today are not keeping God’s glory where it should be. They are taking His glory into forbidden places. Israel wanted to have something at which to look, like the surrounding nations with their idols. She substituted the symbol for the spiritual. The ark was simply a symbol of God’s presence. Many today have a form of godliness, but they know nothing of the power of Christianity. Christians are warned against this sin (II Tim. 3:5). Christians today are failing to perceive personal sin in their lives. The principle of Christianity is being substituted for a religion swayed by emotional impulses.
John saw not only the lampstands but one like the Son of Man. The apostle saw Jesus Christ in a different character than he had known Him as He walked among the sons of men. He did not now see Him as the Lamb of God, the One from whom blessings flowed profusely and who was full of grace and truth. John did not see Him stooping to wash the feet of the disciples. He now saw Him walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks in the character of Judge.
Ten things concerning Jesus Christ in the character of Judge were seen by John: (1) He saw Him as one like unto a Son of Man. The Greek word for “like” (homoios) indicates one resembling a Son of Man. This is different from John’s description of Him in his gospel. John described Him there as “the Son of God.” The prophecy is based on the prophecy of Daniel 7:13. As the Son of God, Jesus Christ quickens the dead (John 5:25). As the Son of Man, He judges and executes judgment (John 5:22, 27). Here, John saw Him not as the quickener but as the Judge. All judgment has been committed to Jesus Christ as the Son of Man (John 5:22, 27). (2) John saw Jesus Christ clothed with a garment reaching to His feet. The garment seen is an allusion to the ephod of the high priest (Ex. 28:31). The garment was neither girded about the loins as in Luke 12:35 nor laid aside as in John 13:4-5. Therefore, it expresses dignified priestly judgment. (3) John saw Jesus Christ girt about the paps with a golden girdle. Unlike the girdle of the high priest of Israel, it was one wholly of gold. This signifies Divine righteousness. The angels of judgment were girded the same way (Rev. 15:6). Gold symbolizes righteousness, and He is righteous in all of His judgments. (4) John saw Christ’s head and hair white like wool, as white as snow. Jesus Christ is the Ancient of days (Dan. 7:9). This refers to the glorified person of the Redeemer. His transfiguration is so great that it reaches the extremities. The Person before John at this time is identified as the Son of Man and the Son of God. He was after John the Baptist, yet was before John the Baptist. He was also the offspring of David and David’s root. (5) John saw that Christ’s eyes were as a flame of fire. This speaks of penetrating judgment. His eyes penetrate our every thought and deed. Nothing escapes His discernment (Heb. 4:13). (6) John saw that Christ’s feet were as fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace. This speaks of judgment. Everything is tested as He walks among the lampstands. (7) John said Christ’s voice was as the sound of many waters (Ps. 93:4; Ezek. 43:2). His voice is supreme over all waves of human passion, circumstances, and failing churches. (8) The One John saw had seven stars in His right hand. The stars are the seven angels of the seven churches. These are the messengers of the churches. The letters were addressed to them. They were not addressed to the church. These angels represent the responsible element of each local church. (9) John saw a sharp two-edged sword proceeding out of Christ’s mouth. This represents the execution of Divine judgment by the force of Christ’s word. He speaks and it is done. He speaks through His word. What He said is a matter of record. (10) John saw that Christ’s countenance was as the sun shining in its strength. This is a great contrast from Isaiah’s description of Jesus Christ as the suffering Savior. John had a glorious vision of Jesus Christ. His vision was unlike the one of Christ in the gospels. Humiliation and suffering were seen in the gospels, but He is clothed with majesty and power in Revelation.
There is nothing but failure for the churches in the future. As the lampstands have been removed from the seven churches in Asia, they will be removed from institutional churches before the Lord Jesus Christ comes to receive His own unto Himself. John’s vision of Jesus Christ sustained him. Christians today must be weaned away from decaying institutionalism and see only Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
John fell as dead at the feet of the Lord Jesus in His character as Judge (v. 17). John who had laid His head upon the breast of the Son of God, had outrun Peter to the sepulchre, had worshipped the risen Christ, and had witnessed the ascension now fell at His feet as dead. Some say this was the effect of a physical prostration resulting from his vision of Christ. Others say it was the manifestation of reverence which is the sincere recognition of greatness. The highest greatness, the greatness from which all other greatness proceeds, is entitled to the deepest reverence. The person without reverence is the person who can see in God’s universe no greatness transcending. The vision of Christ which John saw will be the vision by the church when she stands before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. There will be a sense of reverence we have never experienced when we behold Him as the One who will judge our works (II Cor. 5:9-11). Christians are already accepted “in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6). Paul was not talking about our acceptance “in” Christ in the Corinthian reference but our acceptance “of” (by) Christ. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. There is nothing wrong with warning sinners, but this verse was written to the church at Corinth. It applies to Christians. It has no application whatsoever to unsaved people. The terror of the Lord of II Corinthians 5:11 is what the apostle John felt when he saw the Lord Jesus Christ in the character of Judge and fell at His feet as dead.
John’s reaction to the vision he saw was partly voluntary and partly involuntary. It was voluntary because of reverence. Reverence is a test which is the manifestation of one’s faith. We must be careful how we address the Lord Jesus Christ, lest we address Him in an irreverent manner. Reverence begins within. It is not learned by a code of morals presented to us objectively. It is compatible with love. One can continue to love only the person for whom he has the greatest respect. The passion lavished for a short time on an object that does not deserve respect is unworthy of the name of love. John’s reaction was also involuntary. The glory of the ascended Lord is more than mortal man can endure because Christ is viewed in His majestic character as Judge in the midst of the churches. John’s physical strength actually fled when he saw the Lord Jesus Christ in His priestly character, including His character as Judge.
The Lord comforted John by telling him to “fear not.” The Greek word phobos, used for fear, is one of the several words for fear in the New Testament. It means astonishment, amazement, reverential fear, awe, respect, or terror. John was stricken with terror, but at the same time he had deep reverence. He was amazed at what he saw. His imperfection caused his fear. The thing that is unknown experientially by us, but known to be, will always cause consternation. We do not know death experientially. Therefore, there is a certain fear in all of us in the face of death. Our imperfection is the cause of that fear. Had John been as close to the Lord Jesus in spirit as he had been in the flesh, he would have fallen at Christ’s feet, but not as dead. The Christian in his imperfect state has to learn death to all that is of ourselves that Christ may be all in all. Nothing humbles the Christian more than standing in the presence of infinite purity, infinite greatness, and infinite majesty. John was standing in the presence of such infiniteness when he fell as dead. John’s prostration before the vision of Jesus Christ was one of finiteness and unworthiness. He recognized that he stood before the greatest of all greatness.
Understanding of Divine revelation comes by degrees. If we could see the last from the first, we would become impatient with all that lies between. Life is a continual revelation but not in the sense of revelation that God has given to man. God reveals the new birth to the heart of the recipient of grace. It cannot be communicated from one individual to another. It is a revelation to each individual who experiences the grace of God. We learn about ourselves and prophecy little by little through studying the completed revelation of God.
The occasion of John’s prostration was the vision of Christ. The reason for his prostration was his known imperfection. The extent of his prostration was that he fell before the Lord “as dead.” One is blessed to be emptied and slain before the Lord. That blessing is in proportion as Christ perceives that our weakness and imperfection are manifest to us. In that degree, He will display His tenderness. The reason He is not displaying His tenderness toward us as we would like is because of the degree of our prostration and recognition of Him as our Judge. When our strength departs, Christ’s power fills the vacuum. The Lord reminded Paul, when the apostle prayed for the removal of his thorn in the flesh, that when he was weak he was strong (II Cor. 12:6-10).
John was comforted by Jesus Christ. The Lord laid His right hand upon John. This is symbolical language. It signifies that Jesus Christ has His messengers under His authority. The Lord told John to “Fear not.” An example of this is our Lord exhorting the disciples not to fear when fear came upon them at the sight of the Lord Jesus Christ on the mount of transfiguration.
“First and last” were titles used by the Lord to affirm His Deity and humanity. Isaiah used the same expression with reference to Jehovah God (Is. 44:6). Being the first means He is before anything. Everything is the result of Him, and He is the last. The “I am” of “I am he that liveth” is omitted from the Greek text. In the Greek, only three words (kai ho dzon) are used to mean “and living one.” “Was dead” (egenomen nekros) should be translated “I became dead.” This speaks of Christ’s humanity. God absolutely considered cannot die. Hence, the titles “first,” “last,” and “the living one” speak of Christ’s Deity.
Revelation carries us forward from the past and the present into the future. The Lord has the keys of death and hell. The Greek word for keys kleis used here is found only six times in the New Testament (Matt. 16:19; Luke 11:52; Rev. 1:18; 3:7; 9:1; 20:1). Keys denote power and authority to open and close. Christ having the keys of death (thanatos) means He presides over death. Therefore, death never comes at random. It comes at God’s appointed time. There is a time to be born, and there is a time to die (Eccl. 3:2). The sovereign Lord uses these keys with determination and judgment. He employs various means and instruments of death, but they are all under His control and work out His perfect will. No one dies an untimely death. None can die until God’s appointed time.
Jesus Christ also has the keys of hell. The Greek word for “hell” is hades which means the invisible abode of the dead. Jesus Christ, the living One, was subject to death because He came into this world as the God-Man. As the living One, He passed through death and obtained eternal redemption for the elect. Jesus Christ went through death and entered hades. Death and hell, or hades, could not hold Jesus Christ (Ps. 16:10). The living One in His human nature passed through death, the death we deserved to die, that He might be the sacrifice for our sins. As death could not hold the body of Jesus Christ, hades could not keep His soul from being reunited to His body (Acts 2:27). The Lord Jesus has complete mastery over bodies and souls of all mankind because He has the keys, undisputed authority, of death and hades. Hence, the right to open and close is exercised by the pleasure of Jesus Christ.
After comforting and consoling John, the Lord commissioned him to write the things he had seen, the things present, and the things to come. Revelation carries us forward from the past and the present into the future. Based upon the authority of Revelation 1:19, there is a threefold division to the Revelation of Jesus Christ—past, present, and future. The three divisions furnish the key for its proper interpretation. Any person who changes the relative position of the events misinterprets the Scriptures. Present things, things pertaining to the church age, are recorded in chapters two and three. Anyone who takes the events of the church age and tries to put them in the future misapplies the Scriptures. There is no reference to the church after chapter three, except in the concluding statement of Revelation 22, which speaks of the churches. Conclusively, each vision has its own events. Future things are recorded in Revelation 4-22. To change the events of the future and place them in the church age is to misconstrue the Scriptures. Prophecy is the distinguishing feature of the third division of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Hence, prophecy is the key word of the book as a whole. The person who reads and the one who hears the words of this “prophecy” is blessed.
4
The Lord Jesus Christ presented Himself differently in the salutations to the churches. The description is always significant in view of the condition of each of the seven churches. (1) To the church in Ephesus, Christ was the one “that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks” (Rev. 2:1). The chief characteristic of this church was she had left her first love. (2) Christ presented Himself to the church in Smyrna as “the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive” (Rev. 2:8). Her chief characteristic was suffering. (3) To the church in Pergamum, He was the one “which hath the sharp sword with two edges” (Rev. 2:12). This was a lax church, the seat of Satan’s authority. (4) Christ made Himself known to the church in Thyatira as “the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass” (Rev. 2:18). Thyatira’s chief characteristic was tolerating Jezebel, a false teacher. (5) He revealed Himself to the church in Sardis as “he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars” (Rev. 3:1). Her chief characteristic was a reputation that she was alive, but she was in a dead state. (6) The Lord Jesus spoke to the church in Philadelphia as “he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth” (Rev. 3:7). She was loyal to Christ’s word and refused to deny His name. (7) Christ revealed Himself to the church in Laodicea as “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God” (Rev. 3:14). This church had the characteristics of lukewarmness and self-complacency.
EPHESUS
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. (Rev. 2:1)
The church in Ephesus had a great beginning. Her history is recorded in Acts 19. The epistle written by Paul to the Ephesians is a great doctrinal treatise. It records doctrine, practice, and warfare. Paul unfolded the deeper things of God to them. He warned the elders in Ephesus that after he was gone wolves would come in not sparing the flock (Acts 20). Trouble was anticipated not only without but within. This was the church to which John wrote the letter of Revelation 2:1-7. Although some of the greatest recorded doctrinal truths given to any local congregation were given by our Lord to the church in Ephesus, this was not a perfect church. As there are no perfect Christians, there are no perfect churches. The closer a church gets to the Lord the more she sees herself in the light of the revelation of God’s mind.
The letter to the Ephesian church, like the letter to each of the other churches, was addressed to the messenger of the church. Whereas, the epistle was written to the saints in Ephesus. The church’s spirituality had declined so that the Lord addressed their presiding elder who in turn should deliver His message to the church. Although the Bible teaches a plurality of elders, they are not mentioned here because one among them must be the presiding officer of the church. The messenger, who is called the angel of the church, stands between the Lord and the church.
The Greek word for “angel” is aggelos, which means one sent, messenger, or angel. The verb form would be aggello, which means to tell or to announce. This word is used in the Old Testament to denote a prophet (Hag. 1:13). It is also used to speak of the priest (Mal. 2:7). The same word is used as a name of office and is given to the ministering servants of God. The angel of the church was not a literal angel, a heavenly creature. A letter would not be written to such a creature. It was not addressed to a bishop, in the sense of a bishop in the Methodist, Catholic, or Episcopalian churches. The Bible does not endorse bishops in that sense. It was not by but to the minister or presiding elder of the local congregation.
In the introduction to each of these seven letters, the Lord presented Himself in a different manner, a manner that will supply the need lacking in each particular church. All the different statements made about Jesus Christ are found in the first chapter. He presented Himself to Ephesus as the one who holds the messengers in His right hand, and He is walking in the midst of the golden lampstands.
Jesus Christ is holding the stars—angels or messengers—in His right hand. These messengers are called stars (Rev. 1:16, 20; 2:1). The light reflected from the messenger does not originate with the messenger. The stars, or the messengers, are in the protecting and controlling hand of Him who calls and ordains. The right hand denotes one who is on the offense. Christ is on the offense (Matt. 26:64; Acts 2:25, 33, 34; 5:31; Eph. 1:20; Heb. 1:3; etc.). The left hand in the Scriptures denotes defense (II Cor. 6:7). God is not on the defense.
The two words “holdeth” (holding), kraton, and “walketh” (walking), peripaton, are present active participles. The Lord is presently calling, ordaining, and holding the true messenger of each particular church in His hand. No weapon that is formed against God’s true servant will ever prosper (Is. 54:17).
Christ is walking in the midst of the lampstands. Walking must be distinguished from sitting. After finishing the work the Father sent Him to perform, Jesus Christ sat down at the Father’s right hand. Sitting denotes intercession on behalf of His people. Walking denotes judgment.
The coming kingdom is in full view with Christ’s present judgment of the churches. Believers must be judged to qualify for judgment in the kingdom. There is a twofold judgment of Christians. The first is presently in progress in the church age. The second will take place before the judgment seat of Christ (II Cor. 5:10). Christ’s coming to remove the lampstand from Ephesus for their failure to repent was a “providential” coming. Jesus Christ is presently providentially judging His people. There is order in the twofold judgment of the righteous. Christ’s present judgment is described in Revelation two and three. This judgment is related to the removal of the lampstand or candlestick. The future judgment determines the position of rulership in the kingdom. There will be a graduation of rank among the saints of God in the kingdom (Luke 19:12-19; I Cor. 15:41). Every Christian must give an account of himself to God when he stands before the judgment seat of Christ. Some Christians will be rewarded, and others will suffer loss (I Cor. 3:10-15).
Many Bible students fail to make the proper distinction between the judgment of the wicked and the judgment of the righteous. These judgments will not be simultaneous as far as time is concerned. The judgment of the righteous will precede the judgment of the wicked. The righteous will participate in the judgment of the wicked: “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” (I Cor. 6:2). The righteous and the wicked will both be judged but at different times and for different purposes.
SMYRNA
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive. (Rev. 2:8)
Jesus Christ was presented to the church in Smyrna as the One who is the first and the last, who was dead and is alive forevermore (Rev. 2:8). His suffering comforted the suffering saints in Smyrna. Christ’s assertion that He is the first and the last taught His eternal existence to those saints.
Smyrna is the Greek form of the Hebrew word myrrh, that sweet fragrant spice so largely used in connection with burials. The sweet fragrance of these saints was pressed out by their affliction. Myrrh was one of the spices brought by the wise men to the baby Jesus Christ. They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gold spoke of His deity, frankincense of His impeccable humanity, and myrrh of His death. Thus, the hypostatic union of the Person who came for the purpose of dying was symbolized. Myrrh was also used to prepare the body of our Lord for burial. This pertains to the Lord’s first advent. Isaiah spoke of gold and sweet spices in connection with Christ’s second advent, but he made no reference to myrrh (Is. 60:6). Jesus Christ came the first time to die for the elect. He will come the second time to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The salutation disarmed the fears of the suffering saints in Smyrna. Reference is made to Christ’s death and resurrection. Jesus Christ assured them that He is the first and the last, the one who became dead and lives. As suffering and death could not annihilate the Captain of the saints in Smyrna, it could not annihilate other members of the body of Christ. The salutation takes us back to Revelation 1:11-18. Christ is the first and the last. He is the first and last of creation, history, Scripture, and the church. The Lord Jesus Christ meets the strongest aspirations of Christians. On the last page of life’s book, we do not write finis. There is more to come. The Lord Jesus told the disciples, “LET not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).
Christ’s declaration that He is the first is a most direct assertion of deity. This was comforting to these suffering saints. The self-existent and independent Christ must necessarily be the Author and Upholder of all created existence. Thus, He assured the suffering saints in Smyrna that they were in His hands and the Devil could not try them any more than their blessed Captain allowed. Every circumstance to which Christians are subjected is in the will of Jesus Christ, the Captain of their salvation. The suffering saints did not know what the future held for them, but they knew who held the future. Jesus Christ’s assertion that He is last assured the suffering saints that as no one preceded Him, no one can outlive Him who is the eternal Son of God. There is nothing too minute for Christ’s care, and there is nothing too great for His power.
“The first” (protos) in this text goes beyond “first” in the letter to the church in Ephesus. In the Ephesian letter, it refers to quality love. Whereas, it refers to first in existence in the letter to Smyrna. The letter is not discussing the believer turning back to his first love and affection.
“The last” (eschatos) is not last in a term of temporal succession, as the last trumpet (I Cor. 15:52), the last one who came to work in the vineyard (Matt. 20:8, 12), or the last in this world which shall be first in the kingdom (Matt. 20:16). It is the last in the sense of being the eternal One.
“Which was dead” uses the aorist middle (deponent) indicative of “become” (ginomai), which means “who became dead.” This speaks of Jesus Christ’s humanity. The eternal Son took upon Himself the form of a Servant that He might suffer and die for the elect. How could He who said of Himself that He is “the first and the last” (Rev. 1:11) die? He died in the flesh, but He was quickened by the Spirit: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (I Pet. 3:18).
“Is alive” is an aorist active indicative of dzao. It is used ingressively—came to life. Since death could not hold Jesus Christ, it cannot hold the children of God. This was comforting to the suffering saints in Smyrna.
PERGAMUM
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges. (Rev. 2:12)
The Lord Jesus is described as the One who has the sharp two-edged sword in the salutation to the church in Pergamum. This description has already been mentioned in Revelation 1:16. The One who has the sharp two-edged sword was an appropriate description in view of Christ’s complaint against the church in Pergamum. Christ is described as the Word of God: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). This refers to the Person of Jesus Christ Himself and not the word He spoke. The written or spoken word is called the sword of the Spirit: “...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). The sword of the Lord cuts two ways. It is capable of both direct and back strokes. The former is for conviction, and the latter is for punishment. The sword of the Spirit of Revelation 1:16 is described as being in Christ’s mouth. This is the first mention of the sword in Revelation. Whereas, the sword of Revelation 2:12 is drawn and ready for use. Jesus Christ is walking in the midst of the churches judging them during this dispensation of grace when Satan’s throne is on the earth.
THYATIRA
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. (Rev. 2:18)
Thyatira was situated between Sardis and Pergamum on the Lycus River. Its inhabitants gained their living by marketing and the art of dyeing in purple. Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened that she might give attention to the things Paul preached, was a seller of purple from Thyatira.
Certain attributes of the Savior were appropriate to the message needed by this church. Her need was different from that of Ephesus and Smyrna. The Lord presented Himself in the salutation to the church in Thyatira in a threefold way (Rev. 2:18).
1. The Lord Jesus first presented Himself as the Son of God. Something had intruded in this church that called for this emphasis. The Lord had represented Himself as one like unto the Son of Man (Rev. 1:12-20). His claims had evidently been forgotten because the church tolerated Jezebel with her false doctrine. The false prophetess was usurping the place of Jesus Christ. This is the only instance where the name of the speaker was used in the seven letters. Attributes are used in the others, but Christ’s name is used here. Christ identified Himself as “Son of Man” in Revelation 1:13. He is the God-Man, Son to both God and man. The title “Son of Man” does not mean that Jesus Christ was born of man. The title “Son” often carries the thought of being identified with. “Sons of the kingdom” of Matthew 13:38 does not mean they were born of the kingdom, but they were identified with the kingdom. “Sons of the bridechamber” of Mark 2:19 does not mean they were born of the bridechamber, but they were identified with the bridechamber. “Sons of thunder” of Mark 3:17 does not mean they were born of thunder, but they were identified with thunder. Therefore, the title “Son of Man” does not mean that Jesus Christ was born of Joseph, but the eternal Son of God was identified with man. Jesus Christ said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). As the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ had no day, but as the Son of Man He would be revealed at God’s appointed day. He came into the world at God’s appointed time.
“Son of God” is the title chosen for the salutation of this letter. Jesus Christ had revealed Himself as the Son of Man (Rev. 1:13), but that was not a part of the letter to the church in Thyatira. The church was to know the rank and authority of Him who spoke. She was tolerating Jezebel who said she was a prophetess and was teaching damnable doctrine. She was usurping the place of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus Christ reminded the church of the rank and authority of Him who spoke, commanded, judged, and promised.
2. The second of the threefold ways the Lord presented Himself to the church in Thyatira was that His eyes were like a flame of fire. This speaks of judgment. All things are open to Christ’s eyes: “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” (Heb. 4:13). This truth is further emphasized in verse 23. Jesus Christ searches the depths of the heart and gives to each Christian according to his works because He knows him. His eyes are as a flame of fire as He presently judges His own, knowing our innermost being (Jer. 17:9, 10).
3. The third of the threefold ways the Lord presented Himself to the church in Thyatira was with feet like brass. Brass is associated with judgment. This denotes judgment as Christ walks among the churches. The judgment is seen to be a reality (vv. 22, 23). This is not the judicial judgment of the future, but it is providential judgment in the great tribulation period. Our Lord was speaking of judgment upon those who were tolerating Jezebel in Thyatira.
SARDIS
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars. (Rev. 3:la)
The church in Sardis was luxurious. The city of Sardis was the capital of Lydia, one of the provinces of Asia Minor. It is now an obscure village with extensive ruins. Sardis was near Thyatira. The state of the church is represented by her messenger. The letter was addressed to the messenger, and the messenger was to give it to the church. Therefore, the messenger was responsible for the state of the church.
Jesus Christ was presented to the church in Sardis as the One with the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars because the church had a name that she lived but was dead (Rev. 3:1). The number seven does not indicate seven different spirits or persons. The Holy Spirit is the third Person in the Godhead. He is one, not seven. The Spirit is one thought efficaciously various. Isaiah names a variety of the Spirit’s characteristics (Is. 11:2-5). As the seven churches expressed the condition of the one church age in which we live, the seven spirits are the complete characteristics of the one Holy Spirit of God. The seven Spirits are described as being before the throne of God (Rev. 1:4) and held by Jesus Christ (Rev. 3:1). The seven Spirits are represented as seven lamps of fire burning before the throne (Rev. 4:5). The Lamb stood as it had been slain having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth (Rev. 5:6). The perfection of administration in government is taught in the number seven used in conjunction with the Spirit. The Son of Man, who possessed the Spirit without measure is capable of executing holy judgment on either the church or the world. Hence, perfect discernment with a view to holy judgment is suggested by the seven Spirits. The seven horns demonstrate perfect power. The seven eyes represent perfect discernment. Power in judgment by the Son of Man will be exercised universally and publicly in the future. However, the judgment exercised on the church is secret. The world neither knows nor understands Christ’s secret judgment on the churches. Light is both single and sevenfold. But let that ray be broken by the prism of a raindrop and there are seven beauties and perfections seen, and each is a light. The seven lights are one light. Exactly so here. The seven Spirits are the seven perfections or prophets of the Holy Spirit of God. As the Lord Jesus Christ took a subordinate position to the Father, the Holy Spirit takes a subordinate position to the Son.
The seven stars represent the messengers to the seven churches in Asia. This is a reminder that Jesus Christ not only orders but controls His messengers. God gives and removes His messengers. God gave Moses, and God removed him. The condition in Sardis was due to her messenger. He was in a dead state. A living minister is zealous in his work. He devotes himself wholeheartedly to the study and ministry of the word of God. He is doubly careful to be an example to the flock. A dead minister and a dead church go hand in hand. The antidote for a dead preacher and a dead church is the living Spirit in the sevenfold perfection of His operations.
PHILADELPHIA
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth. (Rev. 3:7)
The letter to the Philadelphian church is located between the letters to the churches in Sardis and Laodicea. The city of Philadelphia was called the gateway of the east because it was located at the junction of the approaches to Mysia, Lydia, and Phrygia, not far from Sardis. The church was small but not because she did not think big. She had thoughts of God. Similarities between the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia are evident. Both suffered from those who said they were Jews and were not. The difference between the opposition to them was that it came from without in Philadelphia and from within in Smyrna. Both were assured that the opposition was Satanic. Both were promised a crown.
The meaning of Philadelphia is “let brotherly love continue.” Christ commanded the disciples to love one another (John 13:34). At first thought, one would think Christians automatically love one another, and there is no need for a command to do so. Selfish love is manifested by those who love those who love them. The grace of God enables one to love fellow Christians. He may not love the actions of some, but there is love of one Christian for the other. Brotherly love has God’s approval.
Three attributes of God are emphasized in the salutation—holy, true, and having the keys. Holiness is God’s chief attribute. The Greek renders it ho hagios—the holy. God is called “the Holy One”—"To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One" (Is. 40:25). The holiness of God is Himself. It is the beauty of all of God’s other attributes. He is holy in His omnipotence, omniscience, power, love, grace, and justice. One simple definition of holiness is self-affirming purity. It is the peculiar glory of God’s nature. As there is none absolutely good but God (Mark 10:18), there is none absolutely holy but God. A Christian’s holiness is not holiness of equality but of similitude. Holiness has more than a negative quality. It is positive virtue. Holiness of equality and holiness of similitude is a twofold holiness.
Jesus Christ is “true.” Again, a definite article appears before the Greek word, ho alethinos—"the truth." It means that which has not only the name and semblance but the real nature corresponding with the name—real, true, or genuine. One Greek scholar said the word alethinos is seldom applied to people. There are only two references where this adjective is used in connection with man, one referring to worship and the other to drawing near to God (John 4:23; Heb. 10:22). The noun form aletheia is used in John 14:6—"...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus Christ is the truth as a personal excellence free from pretense, simulation, falsehood, and deceit. Hence, the adjective is seldom used in connection with man.
Jesus Christ has the key of David. The Lord Jesus is the keeper of the key. This is clearly an allusion to Isaiah 22:22, where under the figures of Shebnah, whose name means “who built,” and Eliakim, whose name means “God will establish,” is set forth God’s utter rejection of man after the flesh and His causing all that is glorious to be found in connection with Jesus Christ Himself. The key of David has a wider application than simply the coming kingdom. The Lord Jesus is now using the key on behalf of His people. No man or group of men hold the key of Christian service. Since God is absolutely sovereign and holds the key in His hand, He opens and closes doors. When He opens a door, no man can close it. Those who have the Philadelphian characteristics will not be stopped in their service or testimony for Christ, although they have no human influence or support and no human organization to promote success. God’s man is not dependent on any religious talent scouts. A man’s ministry cannot be evaluated by materialistic standards. The Lord opens doors that none can close to those who spend their time showing themselves approved unto God. (See Acts 16:6-10; 18:9, 10; 19:18-20; I Cor. 16:8, 9; II Cor. 2:12.) The faithful have the prospect of being used of the Lord.
The prospect of the open door was the result of the Philadelphian saints’ little strength, keeping Christ’s word, and refusing to deny His name. The salutation does not identify what Christ opens and closes, but whatever it is, it is opposite to caprice. Some think it is salvation, and others think it is service. The context bears out the latter. However, the Lord is also the opener and closer of the door to salvation. God opened the door to Noah’s ark, which is a type of salvation. He closed the door when Noah and his family entered the ark. It seems feasible that the opener and closer of verse 7 refers to salvation, and the addition of the word “door” in verse 8 harmonizes with all the list of verses given from Acts and Corinthians. God opens and closes the door for service as he opened the Red Sea for the Israelites and closed it behind them. God’s man does not have to worry about an open door. Beware of the individual who tries to make a place for himself.
LAODICEA
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. (Rev. 3:14)
The last view of the churches on earth is not the most glorious (Rev. 3:14-22). The church in Laodicea was worse than the church in Corinth. There were divisions among the Corinthians, for which they were rebuked (I Cor. 1). They were preferring one apostle above another (I Cor. 3). Each thought he was an instructor (I Cor. 4). Gross immorality was tolerated by the Corinthian church, and they were puffed up about it (I Cor. 5). Some of the Corinthians were going to law against their brothers, and Paul rebuked them for letting heathen people judge a matter that should be judged by Christians (I Cor. 6). The problem of marriage, divorce, and remarriage existed among them (I Cor. 7). The strong were not properly recognizing the weak (I Cor. 8). They failed to show proper respect for Paul and his leadership; therefore, the apostle refused financial remuneration from them (I Cor. 9). They were on the verge of falling, like the Israelites, because of unbelief (I Cor. 10). Through failure to properly discern the Lord’s body, some of them had died (I Cor. 11). They misunderstood spiritual gifts and their manifestation (I Cor. 12). They were lacking in love (I Cor. 13). There were those who were emphasizing what is known today as speaking in tongues, and their women were out of their places (I Cor. 14). Instruction in the resurrection was necessary (I Cor. 15). A number of exhortations were given them (I Cor. 16). Conclusively, the Corinthian church failed in many areas, but the Laodicean church was far worse.
The apostle Paul had great concern for the Laodicean church twenty-five years before the letter of Revelation 3 was written to them: “FOR I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh” (Col. 2:1). Therefore, corruption had already set in years before the letter of Revelation 3. Paul spoke of Epaphras’ zeal for the Colossians and the Laodiceans (Col. 4:12, 13). He requested that the Colossian letter be read to the Laodiceans (Col. 4:16). The church epistles are to be read by God’s people of all ages. The Thessalonian letter is to be read by all the holy brethren (I Thess. 5:27). Therefore, the letter to the Laodiceans was not only for them but for us. There is similarity between the last words of Moses, the leader of Israel to the nation of Israel, and what our Lord said to the church in Laodicea: “Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them. For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands. And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended” (Deut. 31:28-30).
Laodicea means the rights or the judgments of the people. If one’s rights do not harmonize with God’s, he has none. Speaking of one’s own opinion, rights, and feelings is a manifestation of the Laodicean spirit. Retrogression from Nicolaitanism to Laodiceanism is seen in the letters to the seven churches. The spirit of Laodicea is prevalent in governments and institutional churches. Personal and collective judgments or opinions are valueless when they contradict the truth of God’s word. Politicians are crying that we are fighting for democracy around the world. Individuals in institutional churches are claiming their rights. Governments and institutional churches are being influenced by “the will of the people.” Preachers are afraid to contradict the will of the people. The opinions of men take precedence over the will of God. Most churches are no longer directed by Jesus Christ their Head but from the will of the people on earth.
The church in Laodicea needed the lessons taught in the three characteristics in which the Lord presented Himself to her in the salutation: (1) As to the eternal, He is the Amen. He is the One in whom the purpose of God is fulfilled. (2) As to the external, He is the faithful and true witness. This has to do with the objective revelation of the mind of God given to His people. Jesus Christ is not only the Son of the eternal Father but He is the revealer of the Father to the elect (John 1:18). He is the witness of the Father. (3) As to the internal, He is the source of the very creation of God (II Cor. 5:17). He is the source of our creation—the new birth. These three fundamental truths were lacking among the Laodiceans. They did not take Jesus Christ as the last Word. They were not believing He was the faithful and true witness.
To the corrupt Laodicean church, Christ first established the truth that He is the Amen. The word “Amen” speaks of assent. It is the confirmation of something. An “affirmative” amen is illustrated by Israel’s response to Ezra’s reading from the word of God (Neh. 8:6). Another illustration of the affirmative amen is the Israelites’ response to each of the curses pronounced upon them for various sins (Deut. 27:14-26). An “optative” amen is illustrated by the response of the wife guilty of adultery to the priest’s charge against her (Num. 5:21, 22). Although the word “amen” does not occur in Matthew 16:28, it is translated “verily” in this verse. It is used here at the beginning of a momentous statement. The “substantive” amen is illustrated by Jesus Christ being the Amen. It is used in the place of a noun in Revelation 3:14.
(1) As to the eternal, Jesus Christ is superlatively God’s Amen for and in the elect. He is the elect’s Amen in Himself. As the Amen, He is the Redeemer of the elect. He is the last Word. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him...” (Col. 2:9, 10).
(2) As to the external, Jesus Christ is the faithful and true witness. The word “external” is appropriate to cause one to think about the objective revelation that the Lord Jesus has given to us. Christ is the messenger, and He is the revealer of the Father. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus Christ would be given for a witness to the people: “Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people” (Is. 55:4). Christ emphasized this characteristic to the Laodicean church because He was what they were not. Jesus Christ the faithful witness manifested the Father’s name to those the Father gave Him (John 17:6). He will fulfill the eternal covenant.
God’s witness must have personal knowledge of that which he reports. Jesus Christ qualified because He was in the bosom of the Father before the foundation of the world (John 1:18). Since He had personal knowledge of the Father, He revealed the very character of the holy Father unto all the Father had given Him—the anointed One, the Son of the living God. Christians are responsible to witness for Christ, but none can be a witness of Jesus Christ without a personal knowledge of Him. Furthermore, God’s witnesses must have personal knowledge of every doctrine they teach and preach in order to be effective.
As the Creator of all things, Jesus Christ is the Author of general revelation: “THE heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Ps. 19:1). “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Jesus Christ is the Object of special revelation, but He is not the object of general revelation. General revelation renders every person under the sun inexcusable before God because it bears witness to the power of God and to the Godhead. Special revelation of which Jesus Christ is the Author is necessary to portray to us mercy and grace. Special, not general, revelation was revealed to the two men on the road to Emmaus: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). General revelation, the witness of God in nature, does not tell God’s purpose. It explains nothing about His mercy. There is no reference to grace in general revelation. It does tell of God’s wisdom, power, and Godhead. Therefore, all men are inexcusable in the presence of general revelation. The witness of God in Scripture tells us about His grace, mercy, and salvation. Both revelations are objective.
(3) As to the internal, the Lord Jesus is the source of the creation of God. Russellites and Unitarians are heretical in saying this proves that Jesus Christ was the first creature God created. He is not the first creature God created. Jesus Christ is the originating source of all creation: “IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1-3). “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1:15-17). Jesus Christ is the uncaused cause of all things. The statement “the beginning of the creation of God” does not mean that Jesus Christ is the first of all created beings. If He were the first of God’s creation, it would have to be understood in a passive sense. But this statement is to be understood in the active sense. He is the originating cause of all things. Christ is not only the efficient cause of natural creation but He is the efficient cause of the new creation. He is the originating cause of the elect’s relationship with God.
The Laodicean church needed to understand that Jesus Christ is the Amen of God’s eternal purpose, that Jesus Christ is the faithful Witness, and that Jesus Christ is the originating cause of every new birth.
This letter to the Laodicean church, like the letters to each of the other churches, was addressed to the messenger of the church. It was not addressed to a plurality of elders. The word aggelia refers to a message, a doctrine, or a precept delivered in the name, and in this case, it would be in the name of Jesus Christ. Christ was speaking. He had a message for Laodicea. The use of singular pronouns prove this letter was addressed to one messenger (vv. 15-18). Our Lord was addressing these words primarily to the teacher/preacher, the one who was in charge and not to a plurality of elders. The pastor was responsible for Laodicea’s condition before God. Although Moses and Aaron worked together to lead the Israelites, Moses, not Aaron, was responsible. The governing elder must not be influenced by the rights and judgments of the people to whom he ministers. Democracy must never rule in a local church. A democratic rule would indicate that church members living in sin could participate in governing the church.
There is no doubt the members of the church in Laodicea influenced their pastor with demands for their rights and judgments. However, he should have refused to listen to them because he had God’s word committed to his trust. The minister is responsible to receive his decisions from the word of God, not from the opinions of church members. He must not fail to exercise proper authority. His authority is comprised of the principles of Jesus Christ and must be exerted only ministerially. Church members following an unauthorized authority sin against the proper authority of the New Testament church. Authority must be recognized. Divisions caused in a local church are actually the result of the Laodicean spirit.
The person in the place of proper authority is responsible for those who follow him. Paul exhorted Timothy to commit the word to faithful men who would be able to teach others also (II Tim. 2:2). There is no place for sentimentality or feelings when it comes to the Lord, His truth, and the ministry. Paul regarded Timothy as being at a crisis in which he must make definite resolves concerning positive actions pertaining to the commitment of truth to faithful and qualified men and to the preaching of the word of God, although men might not listen.
The message which the messenger and the church in Laodicea needed consisted of three characteristic features of the Lord Jesus Christ—eternal, external, and internal. The characteristics of Jesus Christ mentioned here were greatly needed by Laodicea because she was an apostate church. The Lord had been driven outside by the spirit of the Laodiceans. The city of Laodicea was the wealthiest in the world at that time, and some of those distinctives were carried into the church herself. Nevertheless, our Lord called some from Laodicea. Leaving of the first love in Ephesus diminished to leaving the Lord of love for self-love. The Laodiceans were absorbed in themselves. Self-love is one of the signs of the perilous times in which we live (II Tim 3:1). The word for “perilous” comes from the Greek chalepos which means hard, rugged, furious, or ferocious. There is progress in evil. This does not mean that the signs of II Timothy 3 are restricted to the last days. Perilous times are intentional, to provide watchfulness by the saints of God in every age. Although the times of the Gentiles—the people’s power—is seen growing, it has not yet come to its final conclusion in fulfillment. Every man doing that which is right in his own eyes was true of Laodicea. It is also true in the average church today. Every man doing that which is right in his own eyes soon becomes equivalent with doing wrong in the eyes of others. The most dominant has his way, and what he does is disapproved by the others. When there was no king in Israel, every man did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25).
5
Six of the seven churches were commended by the Lord. (1) The church in Ephesus was commended for refusing to endure evil men and for testing false apostles and finding them to be false. They had endured for Christ’s sake and had grown weary. These saints hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans which the Lord also hates (Rev. 2:2, 3, 6). (2) The Lord commended the church in Smyrna for enduring tribulation, poverty, and blasphemy by those who said they were Jews but were a synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9). (3) Although the church in Pergamum was situated near the center of pagan abominations, it was commended for holding fast Christ’s name and refusing to deny the faith of Christ even though their messenger—Antipas—was killed (Rev. 2:13). (4) The church in Thyatira was commended for its works, charity, service, faith, patience, and progressive works (Rev. 2:19). (5) Although rebuke preceded commendation for the church in Sardis, a few among them were commended for not defiling their garments (Rev. 3:4). (6) The Philadelphian church was commended for her little strength, keeping Christ’s word, refusing to deny Christ’s name, and keeping the word of Christ’s patience (Rev. 3:8, 10). (7) The Lord had no commendation for the Laodicean church.
EPHESUS
I know thy works, and thy labor, 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....But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (Rev. 2:2, 3, 6)
The Ephesians’ works, labor, perseverance, nontoleration of evil ones, trying of so-called apostles, endurance, laboring without fainting, etc., were known by the Lord. The messenger of the church has minute knowledge of the services of his people. But the Lord has complete knowledge. The Greek word for “know” of verse 2 is oida. It is a stronger word than that which is ordinarily used. It means to perceive, to discern, to pay attention to, to observe, or to notice. This is what our Lord is doing as He walks among the lampstands. This word better emphasizes the absolute clearness of mental vision which photographs all the facts of life as life passes. Everything is open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Heb. 4:13). The things discerned by Jesus Christ were the works of the Ephesian saints. They were commended for their doctrinal soundness and stability. They did not take the line of least resistance. These Christians contended for the faith once delivered to the saints. Trouble and toil were united with their labor.
The Ephesians were intolerant with evil men. They disciplined the morally and mentally corrupt. Ministerial courtesy had no place in Ephesus. They tested people, because they were doctrinally strong. The Ephesian saints hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6). Many pious church members say you should hate no one. However, the Psalmist said he hated with perfect hatred those who hate the Lord (Ps. 139:19-24). The Lord commended the Ephesians for hating evil and the deeds of the Nicolaitans. The word “Nicolaitans” is made up of two Greek words, nikao and laos. The former means to conquer, overcome, to come off superior, or to get the upper hand of. The latter means a body of people. There is no contradiction between David’s hatred for the enemies of the Lord of Psalm 139:19-24 and the Lord’s exhortation to love our enemies of Matthew 5:43-48. David spoke of those who hated the Lord; whereas, Jesus Christ spoke of response to personal injury. Christians should hate false teachers who hate the things of God. Perfect love and perfect hatred are two sides of the same coin.
SMYRNA
I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. (Rev. 2:9, 10)
The church in Smyrna differed from the church in Ephesus in respect to suffering. The outward condition seemed to be more hostile than in Ephesus. This proves that outward as well as inward conditions vary from place to place, time to time, and church to church. One church may suffer more than another. One Christian may suffer more than another. The suffering of one Christian at one time does not mean that he may not suffer to a greater degree at another time.
The church in Smyrna had social difficulty. This same adversity is characteristic of any true church in any time in history. What does this say for churches that have social standing in the community or in the world? Any church that has social standing in the world is not a true church of Jesus Christ in practice. Great numbers assemble in so-called churches for the advantages of family centers, gymnasiums, sports programs, counseling centers, etc. However, churches that really stand for the truth are not socially acceptable. Truths revealed in the letter to the church in Smyrna are not readily acceptable in this day of quick prosperity and give-away shows.
Tribulation is the outstanding characteristic feature of the church in Smyrna. The word thlipsis is the word for suffering or persecution. The Lord Jesus knew the tribulation and poverty of the saints in Smyrna. Thes