Drew Boswell

a place for us to share ideas, talk about life, and learn together.

“Faithful Unto Death” Revelation 2:8-11

VII – Book of Revelation

A Sermon Series

“Faithful Unto Death”

Revelation 2:8-11

Introduction

In the book of Job we find a man who endures great suffering. He loses his children, his house, and his health. He finds himself sitting on an ash heap covered in boils and is absolutely miserable. He is left with a wife that tells him, “Why don’t you curse God and die?” and he has friends who ask him foolish questions and give him bad advice. We are told that in all that he went through he was faithful and loved the Lord – but he was never given an answer for why he had gone through all that he had gone through.

What Job cannot know and cannot see is a reality beyond what he can see and experience. Satan goes to God and they talk about Job – of which Job never knows about. Jesus wants the church to know that there is a reality beyond what can be seen and experienced here, that if we remain faithful, we will receive eternal life. But why things happen here the way they do, we may never know, yet Jesus expects us to remain faithful, even unto death.”

Prayer

Jesus is Bigger Than Death (v. 8)

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

This is the second letter that is written to the churches in John’s Revelation, and is specifically written to the church in Smyrna. It is the next stop on the route of the seven churches that are mentioned. “If one traveled from Ephesus to Smyrna, he would cover a distance of about thirty-five miles to the north.”[1]

Smyrna was a wealthy seaport city, and is the seat of Roman emperor worship. “Under Emperor Domitian, it became a capital offense to refuse to offer the yearly sacrifice to the emperor.”[2] Every Roman citizen on threat of death, once a year had to burn incense on the alter of the godhead of Caesar, after which he was issued a certificate. You burn a pinch of incense and say, “Caesar is Lord (kyrios).”

Remember, that Jesus is described in the opening verse in such a way that helps us apply the message that is given to the specific church. In v. 8 Jesus is described as “the first and the last,” and the one “who died and came to life.” As the first that ever was and the one who will outlast all that will ever be, Jesus is eternal. “The first and the last” is an OT title for God (Isa. 44:6; 48:12; 41:2). Yet, the eternal one died and came back to life. He has never ceased to be and will never cease to be, yet for a moment He died.We who have not always existed, have been born, and in a moment (like steam) will pass from this earth, and yet remain eternal (either with Christ in eternal life, or in eternal separation from Him, that John will later call “the second death”).

Jesus is Eternal (over time and circumstances)

and the God Who Died and Rose Again (over life and death).

Nothing that is happening is outside of His Plan.

 Jesus Knows His People in Their Suffering (v. 9)

9 “‘I know your tribulation (pressure) and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 

For the church at Ephesus, Jesus says that He knows how they have faithfully served, but He told them that they needed to repent of the sin of an unloving heart. Their love for the God and other Christians had grown cold. But there is no reprimand for the church in Smyrna.

Jesus says to the church in Smyrna, “I know . . . ,” This church is facing tribulation, poverty, and slander. When the church faces persecution and tribulation, or when you as a Christian have to endure hardship (specifically because you are a Christian), Jesus is telling you, “I know.”

He doesn’t tell them, that “it’s really not that hard, or that bad,” He doesn’t tell them that “if they had more faith then the situation would be better,” He reminds them that He is God “the first and the last, who died and came to life.,” He has the power over all life and death, and He fully understands their suffering.

The word used for poverty here is the word for abject poverty, “denying even the basics of life.”[3] They were not just poor, they were extremely poor. Probably robbed of their possessions or businesses because of their faith in Christ.

2 Corinthians 6:8b-10 “. . . We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” We may not have what the world counts wealth, we have what is in reality wealth.

(v. 9) Is God being cruel by saying that He knows the hardships they are enduring, “your poverty (but you are rich).” No, He is pointing them to a true reality, an eternal perspective, beyond what is happening to them in the moment. These believers are rich, but not in the way the world views riches.

“Unlike the Nicolaitans (with the church at Ephesus), who endanger Christian faith from within, religious Jews, especially strong in Smyrna, were members of a distinct religious community which persecuted Christians as outsiders.”[4] Also, in the church at Ephesus, they were commended for faithfully withstanding the teachings of so-called/false apostles, the church at Smyrna have so-called/false Jewish followers.

 “and the slander[5] of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” – These are Jews in name only, “after the flesh and not after the spirit. Rom. 2:28,”[6] but they use that religion to attack and hurt other people, becoming, “a synagogue of Satan.”

“Regardless of their national descent, they had become by their bitter opposition to the church and its message, a synagogue carrying out the activities of God’s supreme adversary, Satan.”[7] The Roman authorities might be the ones carrying out the persecution, but it was in reality Satan, behind the scenes, testing them through imprisonment and tribulation.

“Unbelieving Jews commonly accused Christians of cannibalism (based on a misunderstanding of the Lord’s Supper), immorality (based on a perversion of the holy kiss with which believers greeted each other,[8] breaking up homes (when one spouse became a Christian and the other did not, it often caused conflict cf. Lk 12L51-53), atheism (because Christians rejected the pagan pantheon of deities), and political disloyalty and rebellion (because Christians refused to offer the required sacrifices to the emperor and talked about “fire from heaven” they were accused of being arsonists (Patterson, 96). Hoping to destroy the Christian faith some of Smyrna’s influential wealthy Jews reported these slanderous allegations to the Romans.”[9] What others are saying has cost them greatly.

 “Those Jews who had been guilty of the slanderous accusations against the Christians had not only reject the Jewish Messiah but had also indulged in behavior clearly forbidden by Jewish law in order to guarantee their own physical and financial well-being.”[10]

Jesus Calls His People to Be Faithful unto Death (v. 10)

10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days[11] you will have tribulation. Be faithful 

unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Jesus tells them that as they are going about being a Christian, doing what Christians do, worshipping how Christians worship, they will be arrested and tested for ten days. “Worse things than poverty and slander are about to come.”[12] Some of them, will die because of the persecution. But, Jesus doesn’t tell them to dial it back a little bit, don’t be quite so dogmatic. Jesus doesn’t tell them to not share their faith, or in any way change what they were doing. Keep being faithful (all the way to the end).

“that you may be tested,” – the suffering they were about to endure (being thrown in prison for 10 days) was being allowed by God so that they would be tested. Jesus’ command was for them “to be faithful.”

Jesus has nothing against this church, “The purifying fires of affliction caused the lamp of testimony to burn all the more brilliantly.”[13] “Hypocrites do not stay to face persecution, because false believers do not want to endure the pain. Trails and persecution strengthen and refine genuine saving faith, but uncover and destroy false faith.”[14]

By this time in church history, “John himself is in exile. Peter and John had often been in prison together. James the brother of John, Paul, and Peter had all suffered martyrdom.”[15]

In this life what are you willing to die for? What we are willing to die for, ultimately shows what is most important to us. We may not live under tyranny but every day you get up and give your life to/toward something.

Jesus Promises His People Life (v. 11)

11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

“The one who conquers,” points back to the one who remains faithful even unto death. “We need this. Not just because some of us might die as martyrs, but because all of us live.” But which reality do we dedicate our lives to? Jesus says that if we choose to remain faithful – He does not promise a reprieve from the suffering but instead Jesus will be with them during the trial, and will be with them for eternity afterwards.

The promise to the believer is two-fold, “I will give you the crown of life (the victor’s crown),” and “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Revelation 21:8 explains what the “second death” is, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Those who persevere to the end, will have no part with this lake of fire.

The reward for the faithful believer is eternal life.

“. . .the first death is defined as the separation of the soul from the body, whereas the second death is the separation of the soul from God and its confinement in the place the Bible denominates as hell.”[16]

2 Timothy 4:6-8 are the apostle Paul’s words as he faces the end of his days, and he knows that his end is coming soon, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” The church is not promised ease, fortune, or popularity – It is however, promised the presence of God for those who remain faithful all the way to the end.

“The ‘crown’ usually referred to a garland of flowers worn chiefly in the worship of the pagan gods such as Cybele or Bacchus, who was pictured on coins with a crown of battlements. Faithful servants of the city appeared on coins with laurel wreaths on their heads.”[17] The crown mentioned here is the stephanos, the victor’s crown. It was awarded to the athlete who had won an athletic event. You can be loyal to this world and have your face on coins, and be celebrated by those of this reality – or you await a day when Jesus will give you a crown of righteousness.

Of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation, which one would you predict to make it until today? Of the seven, only Smyrna remained. The incredibly poor, greatly persecuted, and slandered group of believers kept pushing on and the current city has about 2/3 population of professing Christians. Rome has long since fallen, but the church still stands strong despite Satan’s best efforts to crush it.

“Gen. William Nelson, a Union general in the Civil War, was consumed with the battles in Kentucky when a brawl ended up in his being shot, mortally, in the chest. He had faced many battles, but the fatal blow came while he was relaxing with his men. As such, he was caught fully unprepared. As men ran up the stairs to help him, the general had just one phrase, “Send for a clergyman; I wish to be baptized.” He never had time as an adolescent or young man. He never had time as a private or after he became a general. And his wound did not stop or slow down the war. Everything around him was left virtually unchanged–except for the general’s priorities. With only minutes left before he entered eternity, the one thing he cared about was preparing for eternity. He wanted to be baptized. Thirty minutes later he was dead.”[18]

Why would God want this church to be so close to death? Because it forces us to ask the questions, of what do we daily give our lives to, and what is truly important in this life.

_____________________

[1] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Press, 1966) 59.

[2] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Press, 1999) 69.

[3] Paige Patterson, The New American Commentary, Volume 39, Revelation (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman & Holman Publishing, 2012) 96.

[4] Robert W. Wall, New International Biblical Commentary, Revelation (Peabody, Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishing, 1991) 73.

[5] For example, see Acts 18:12-17

[6] R. H. Charles, The International Critical Commentary, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Revelation of St. John (Edinburgh, Scotland; T & T Clark Publishing, 1963) 57.

[7] Robert H. Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1977) 93.

[8] See Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26

[9] MacArthur, 72.

[10] Patterson, 97.

[11] Patterson also suggests that there is some evidence that the 10 days mentioned may be a reference to a 10-day process for gladiatorial games.

[12] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures In the New Testament, Volume VI, The General Epistles and The Revelation of John (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1933) 302.

[13] Walvoord, 65.

[14] MacArthur, 68.

[15] Robertson, 302.

[16] Patterson, 99.

[17] Alan F. Johnson, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 12 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House, 1981) 439.

[18] https://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/d/death.htm

“You Have Abandoned Your First Love” Revelation 2:1-7

VII – Book of Revelation

A Sermon Series

“You Have Abandoned Your First Love”

Revelation 2:1-7

Introduction

Prayer

Jesus Visits the Church at Ephesus (v.1)

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

The city of Ephesus was sixty miles from Patmos, and would have been the first city to receive the letter “the Revelation” from the apostle John. In the city was the temple of Artemis (Acts 19:35), the home of the magic arts (Ephesian letter, Acts 19:35), the home of mystery-cults , Paul stayed there for three years, (Acts 19:1-10; 20:17-38), where Aquila and Pricilla and Apollos labored (Acts 18:24-28), where Timothy wrote I and II Timothy, where the apostle John (the author of Revelation) and preached in his old age.[1] “The church at Ephesus was now in its’ second generation of Christians, those who had come into the church in the thirty years since Paul had ministered in their midst.”

Each church mentioned begins with, “I know (your works, where you live, etc.),” and ends with “He who has an ear, let him hear,” and each church has a description of Jesus but the description is different based on the issue that is being addressed. “to the church at Ephesus, he presents Himself as the One who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks up and down in the midst of the seven lampstands. The words “hold” and “walk” are given in such a way that they show continual action.”[2] So with that holding and walking – Jesus in His authority could release it, or no longer walk there. Jesus as God Almighty has this message for the church at Ephesus:

The Unforeseen Effects of Faithful Labor and Orthodoxy (vv. 2-3)

2 “‘I know[3] your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

With Jesus’ presence with the church, is also His knowledge of their works. “He mentions their labor or toil, their patience or steadfastness, their abhorrence of those who were evil, and their ready detection of false teachers who claimed to be apostles but who were not.”[4]

The word for toil is to work to the point of sweating and exhaustion, “it describes an all-out effort, demanding all that a person has to give – physically, mentally, and emotionally. . . In the midst of the pagan darkness that surrounded them, they were aggressively evangelizing the lost, edifying the saints, and caring for those in need.”[5]

They were persevering, meaning they were patient in trying circumstances. There was an acceptance of hardship, suffering, and loss – despite their difficult circumstances, the church at Ephesus had remained faithful to the Lord.

The church at Ephesus are commended for abhorring that which is morally bad as well as that which is theologically in error. Similarly, Paul commends the church at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 where he says, “remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Whereas they could not stand under evil or false teachings, they have continually stood up under the labor of the church, and it was done in the namesake of Jesus. “The Ephesian church can bear anything except the presence of imposters in her membership (Moffatt).”[6] They keep on keeping on laboring for Jesus. They have served the Lord well.

What we see in these verses is the fall out of a church split and battle. At some point there was one group (associated with the Nicolaitans, see v. 6), who were claiming apostolic authority, tried to lead the church toward idolatry (something to do with food offered to idols) and sexual immorality. But, “in rooting out error and expelling false teachers, they had grown suspicious of one another.”[7] Their theology was clear as ice, and just as cold.

The church at Ephesus is commended for hating this evil teaching, “hatred was an appropriate attitude toward the false teaching” – Jesus even later says He hates the teaching too.[8] But this is not a hating of people, but their practices. Jesus says in in referring to the end times, Matthew 24:12 “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”

A battle was fought, and the heart of the church at Ephesus was changed. Jesus with His omniscient gaze as He walked among the lampstands spotted this fatal flaw.

The church has grown unloving as a result of their controversies.

The Prescription for Those Who Mechanically Maintain (vv. 4-5a)

4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.

Jesus was once asked, “what is the greatest commandment of the Bible?” He replied by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment” (Matthew 22:37). But our love for God, will fluctuate in intensity.

Christians (individually or as churches) will not always love God with all their hearts, all their souls, and all their minds. But to stay in a place where your heart is cold toward the things of God too long is very dangerous. We must constantly strive to love God with all that are.

From the outside this church was active, it was robust, it seemed healthy – but there was a cancer growing within. Jesus now turns his attention to where the Ephesian church have failed, “you have abandoned the love you had at first,” “This is an early love, proof of the new life in Christ. (1 John 3:13f), had cooled off in spite of their doctrinal purity.”[9] The word for love is agapên, and is the deepest and most meaningful word for love in the Greek language.

You can have the correct doctrine, and faithfully serve the Lord,

but still be in a very dangerous place.

1 John 3:11-15 “For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

To abandon something is to intentionally leave it behind. Something has happened and the love you had for God (and other people) has been left behind. Jesus gives them three things they can do to fix this abandonment of love (v. 5) 1) “Remember therefore from where you have fallen,” – It’s like they have fallen into a pit.

John reminds them to look up out of the pit and to remember that they had not always been there; look up to where they were. To remain in the pit of hatred toward the brethren is to “abide in death.” In order to find something that has been left behind, you have to retrace your steps and return to where you last had it. Remember they are faithfully serving, so it is not a call to return to doing something – but instead it is a call to return to the spirit and love behind why you were doing it in the first place. They were serving out of duty and obligation, not love for the Lord and other people.

One the best ways to remember the joy of your salvation

is to tell someone how you came to know the Lord.

When was the last time you told someone what Jesus means to you?

2) “repent, and do (do at once) the works you did at first,” – the command to repent, “is an urgent appeal for instant change of attitude and conduct before it is too late.”[10] But don’t miss that you repent from sin – what the Ephesian church did, by abandoning their love for God and other people, needed to be repented of.

So what were they doing (their works) that now have stopped? How have they walked away from their love (as it once was)? For Example, Acts 19:18 is talking about the Ephesian church, “Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”

Confess your sin and take actions to root sin out of your life.

The Ephesian church was faithful to do the work of the church and its appointed tasks, but these actions did not reflect a true love for God. The church that no longer confesses their sin, takes actions to root out sin in their lives (to be unloving is a sin), and whose heart is cold toward the things of God, should not be surprised when Jesus says, “you can no longer represent Me.”

The Warning to an Unrepentant Church (v. 5b.)

If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

In Rev. 1:20 the church is described as being “the seven lampstands are the seven churches” The church is to be the light of Christ into the world – they are to faithfully give a testimony of who Jesus is. To remove the lampstand from its place, is for the church to not be in position to proclaim Jesus or be His ambassadors any longer.

Originally, I thought this meant the doors close, and the church ceases to exist (and that does happen). “In the United States, between 3,850 and 7,700 churches close each year, which is about 1% to 2% of all churches. This is equivalent to 75 to 150 congregations per week.” But there are also groups that gather and teach all kinds of false doctrine, claiming to be Christian that seem to be doing fine, even expanding.

So when Jesus says, “I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” – I think it is more in line with the Spirit of God being (or not being) among a group of believers, 1 Samuel 4:21-22 a women is dying in childbirth and they want her to name the child before she passes, “And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” It’s the presence of the Lord among His churches that departs.

In the OT the ark of the covenant was the physical reminder of God presence, among His people. But when it is stolen, it means His presence is not among the people any longer. So with the church of today, there is no power of the Holy Spirit, no changed lives, no truly meaningful heart moving worship – just heartless repetitions of activity. Jesus isn’t there. The presence of God is gone.

The word repent is given two times in this passage. In the first occurrence, the person is to change and do something they were not already doing (to love), and the second time repent is used it there is an undetermined future attached to it – repent and as a result something different will happen rather than the current course.

The answer to better worship is not more musicians, but repentant and loving worshippers.

The Promise to Those Found Faithful (vv. 6-7)

6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans[11], which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

The letter to the Ephesians closes with an invitation, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” and a promise, “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” In 1 John 5:5 John asks the question, “Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

It is not a special select group of Christians that overcome sin in their lives, John clearly says all genuine Christians have overcome unbelief and sin of the world, and all believers are promised the right to the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

3) This is the third thing that John gives the church as a means to return to our love as it was at first; we have the promise of heaven. We need to remember what Christ has done in our lives, we repent and get sin out of our lives now, and we look forward to spending eternity in heaven with Jesus.

Outward cold mechanical service to God cannot make up for a heart that has grown cold toward the Lord and other people. Remember, Repent, and Await the promise of Heaven. Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

_______________________

[1] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume VI, The General Epistles and The Revelation of John (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1933) 297.

[2] Paige Patterson, New International Version, The New American Commentary, An Evangelical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, Revelation (Nashville, Tennessee; B&H Publishing Group, 2012) 83.

[3] “Know” (oida), rather than ginosko and so emphatically emphasizes better the absolute clearness of mental vision which photographs all the facts of life as they pass” (Sweet”). Robertson, 297.

[4] Walvoord, 55.

[5] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Press, 1999) 59.

[6] Robertson, 299.

[7] Kendell H. Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation (Nashville, Tennessee; B&H Publishing, 1998) 35.

[8] See also Isa. 61:8; Jer. 44:4; Amos 5:21; Zech. 8:17.

[9] Robertson, 299.

[10] Robertson, 299.

[11] See Nicolaitans article, George Arthur Buttrick, Dictionary Editor, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, an Illustrated Encyclopedia (Nashville, Tennessee; Abingdon Press, 1962) 547.

“An Introduction to The Revelation” Revelation 1

 

VII – Book of Revelation

A Sermon Series

“An Introduction to The Revelation”

Revelation 1

Introduction (vv. 1-20)

During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.

One day in 1789, the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.”

Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we’re to be lights as we watch and wait.

Prologue (vv. 1-8)

Introduction (vv. 1-3)

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

 (v. 1) “The revelation” means an uncovering of something that was hidden, and it is prophecy but specifically apocalyptic. And it is revealed to Jesus Christ, who then sends an angel with the uncovering, who then shares it with John. John then bore witness of what he saw in the revelation. This book is the last chapter in God’s story of redemption. It tells us how it is all going to end.

John tells us why Jesus uncovered these things to him, “to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.” The word for servant used here is doulois (bond-servant). Its origin is Exodus 21:5-6 “But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ 6 then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.” It is when a person voluntarily places themselves in the position of slave because they love their master. This revelation is given to those who voluntarily place themselves as slaves of Christ – those who willingly serve Him.

(v. 1) “to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.” – The focus will be on Christ’s return and how soon it will take place. And the church over the centuries have heeded Matthew’s warning Matthew 24:42, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

(v. 3) “Christians in their public worship followed the Jewish custom of public reading of the Scriptures. The church reader gradually acquired an official position. John expects this book to be read in each of the seven churches mentioned (1:4) and elsewhere.”[1] When it is read aloud, there is an expectation of being blessed by hearing it, and an expectation for those who have heard it to keep it, “for the time is near.” For the persecuted church to gather and then for someone to read from a forbidden book (letter) was dangerous. But when the church gathers – there is something there that is no where else.

James 1:25 “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” We typically think of the book of Revelation as something that will happen in the future, so there is nothing to do now – but in the opening verses we see that, we will be blessed if we do what is being read aloud. The book calls upon its readers and hearers to act.

“for the time is near.” – “time does not translate chronos, which refers to time on a clock or calendar, but kairos, which refers to seasons, epochs, or eras. The next great era of God’s redemptive history is near.”[2]

What are we (the church) to do as a result of hearing the revelation from Jesus?

Greetings From A Triune God (vv. 4-5a)

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

John is writing to the seven churches “that are in Asia,” this is a Roman province in the western part of what is today Turkey. It is God who gives grace and peace to His servants. And while John is the writer of the letter, he sends greetings from God the Father (who is described as being eternal), and the Holy Spirit (represented here as “the seven spirits”), and Jesus.

Jesus is described as the “faithful witness,” He declared what God is like, He always spoke and presented the truth, and showed the will of God. Jesus is “the firstborn of the dead,” “prototokos does not means firstborn in time sequence (Jesus Himself raised people from the dead), but rather first in preeminence.”[3] Jesus is described as “the ruler of kings on earth,” – He is the Lord having a name above all names.

For the church, the seven churches may be asked to give their lives for what they believe. So, the eternal Jesus wants to confirm with them that what He has said is the truth, that He was raised from the dead, and that Jesus does have authority over all (even when it doesn’t feel like it now).

 Earlier, we asked the questions, What are we (the church) to do as a result of hearing the revelation from Jesus?1) Stand firm with what you know about Jesus. He is a faithful witness.

Doxology (vv. 5b-6)

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

John then praises Jesus for his love for believers, because the expression of that love is how He freed us from our sins by shedding His blood on the cross. “Here is the heart of the gospel. Sinners are forgiven by God, set free from death, and hell by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. God made Him our substitute, killing Him for our sins, so that the penalty was fully paid for us. God’s justice was satisfied and God was able then to grant righteousness to repentant sinners for whom Christ died.”[4]

God then makes those who receive this free gift from Jesus, a kingdom and priests. Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,” We are moved from a kingdom of darkness and death, to Jesus’ kingdom where He rules as king, a kingdom of light and forgiveness. And as a priest we have full access to God – we enter into the most holy place and talk with God and He hears our prayers.

Declaration (vv. 7-8)

7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

(v. 7) “Behold, he is coming,” – the word behold is used 25 times in the book of Revelation. They point to something that needs our attention. This is the first of the behold declarations, is “he is coming.” When John the Baptist was arrested, he sent word to Jesus asking a question, Luke 7:19-20 “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” This was a title for the Messiah, “The expected One.” Jesus arrives into the world as a newborn, and then he will arrive “for the time is near”

Yes, there will be people who will say, “It has been a long time since Jesus said He was coming back.” 2 Peter 3:3-4 says “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” Jesus’ return appears in the Bible in more than 500 verses. It has been estimated that one out of every twenty-five verses in the NT refers to the Second Coming of Christ. Jesus’ return to this earth is a central theme in the Bible.

When Jesus was among the disciples, and before the resurrection, only three people saw Jesus at the Transfiguration.[5] At the Second Coming of Jesus “every eye shall see him.”

“even those who pierced him,” – is not a reference to the Roman soldiers who crucified Christ, but to His own people that rejected Him as Messiah, Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” John describes this time (epoch) as a time when the Jewish people will turn to Christ in great numbers. Their hearts will be broken over what they did to Jesus, and will place their faith in Him.

(v. 8) “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God,” – Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. All knowledge is given with words. So God (having all power, Almighty) having all knowledge knows this will certainly happen.

  “What are we (the church) to do as a result of hearing the revelation from Jesus?”

  1. Stand firm with what you know about Jesus.
  2. We anticipate Jesus’ Arrival – Be ready, remain faithful!

 Vision of the Son of Man (vv. 9-18)

John Explains Why He Wrote the Letter (vv. 9-11)

9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

John (for the third times) identifies himself as the author, is writing the church who were experiencing persecution by the Romans. He identifies himself as their brother in the faith, and shares with them in the tribulation. He is a member of the kingdom of light (having been moved from darkness to Jesus’ kingdom) and he also carries the weight of what it means to be “in Jesus.”

When John receives the revelation he is on the island of Patmos, and he is there for punishment because of his preaching the Word of God and testifying about Jesus. He was living on a very bleak volcanic island with limited food and resources, forced to do hard labor, and he would have been around 90 years old. So, on a Sunday John heard a loud voice told him to write down what he was about to see in a book, and then send it out to seven churches.[6]

As a church experiencing persecution, Jesus (through and angel and then to John) sends them a message. We have a promise of His return, and then a description of what Jesus does in the local church.

The Son of Man Amongst the Seven Lampstands (vv. 12-18)

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and this face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

We are told what the seven lampstands are in v. 20 “the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” – the church gives light into the world. Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,” So the churches are to shine the light of truth.

Amongst the churches was “one like a son of man.” Jesus promised his continued presence with His church. Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Hebrews 13:5 “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”

He is, “clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.” – The robe and sash are representative of Jesus serving as our High Priest. He goes before and performs the sacrifice on our behalf. Hebrews 2:17 “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Jesus is with the church, and serves before God the Father as our high priest.

(vv. 14-15) “The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace” – In multiple places we see that the church is called to be holy and blameless before God. We are to present ourselves before the Lord in such a way that is holy. White translates “bright, blazing, brilliant” Jesus’ hair, his eyes, and His feet are all pointing to how Jesus looks into the church and purifies it. God loves the church and therefore purifies it and demands holiness.

God loves you enough to not leave you where you are.

(v. 16) “In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and this face was like the sun shining in full strength.” – v. 20 says, “the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.” Jesus is with the church and uses the Word of God to defend it.

John has seen this vision of Jesus and is terrified – his response is to collapse. Jesus reaches out and comforts Him – (v. 4 & 8) repeat the same verse, “from him who is and who was and who is to come,” and then (v. 17), “I am the first and the last,” – the church needs to be reminded that Jesus is eternal and He alone is in control of time.

To add emphasis to this truth, Jesus says, “I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Those that follow Jesus do not need to fear his blazing presence, we come to God as His children. Those that follow Christ do not need to be terrified (in this life) He has all things under control (even death).

 “What are we (the church) to do as a result of hearing the revelation from Jesus?”

  1. Stand firm with what you know about Jesus.
  2. We anticipate Jesus’ Arrival – Be ready, remain faithful!
  3. Seek to be the Church Found Faithful – strive for holiness.

Conclusion (vv. 19-20)

19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

_____________________  

[1] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume VI, The General Epistles and The Revelation of John (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1933) 284.

[2] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Press, 1999) 23.

[3] MacArthur, 25.

[4] MacArthur, 26.

[5] Matthew 17:1–13; Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36

[6] The order of the churches are given in the order a postman or messenger would travel in a route to deliver the letter.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

Contact Drew