The Sword Room

The opening of the seventh seal (8:1) introduces the seven trumpet judgments. The half hour of silence in heaven is a time of suspense and anticipation. The calm before the storm.

In vv. 3-5 we see  once again the prayers of the saints typified by the fragrant smoke of incense. Only this time fire is taken from the heavenly altar of incense and hurled to the earth by an angel, resulting in loud noise, thunder, lightning, and an earthquake. Again we see that God’s response to the prayers of the saints is to send judgment against the earth dwellers. These trumpet judgments are more severe than the seal judgments.

The first four trumpet judgments are directed against the earth (vv. 6-12). The first trumpet is reminiscent of the plagues brought against Egypt in the days of Moses. The bloody flaming hailstones damage a third of the land, trees, and plants (grass). The second trumpet looks to John like a huge flaming mountain thrown into the sea. The key word here is like. John is not sure what he is seeing, and he describes it as best he can using human language. A third of the salt water is turned to blood and a third of the ships in the ocean are destroyed. A third of all sea life likewise perishes. The third trumpet targets the fresh water rivers and springs, polluting them and turning them bitter. The fourth trumpet somehow causes a darkening of the heavenly bodies. This and the other three trumpet judgments at least vaguely resemble the judgments against Pharaoh in the book of Exodus.

There is significance in the fact that God is destroying the environment here. The earth dwellers are involved in pagan religions which have a common denominator: worship of the creature/creation rather than the Creator. These religions were fertility cults that really denied the transcendent God of the Bible. God stretches out His hand in judgment and wreaks havoc against that which they cherish most. They are earth dwellers–they are tied to this earth. God attacks the object of their devotion and security–the earth itself.

There is an application here for us. This is God’s universe. Of course we ought to respect it and take care of it as good stewards. But if we hold the environment to be sacred in lieu of God, and we strive to take care of it because it’s all there is and it belongs to us, then we are guilty of idolatry. All our environmental consciousness is a foul stench in the nostrils of God. This fallen earth will not last forever–it is in a continual state of entropy right now. One day God will destroy it by fire, and in the meantime He can do what He wants with it. He will not compete with the false god called Mother Nature.

Chapter Eight is short and so will tonight’s entry be; so let me say a few words about the symbolic language used in the Apocalypse using an illustration from modern life. There are different genres of movies. When you see a film that tries to more or less present an historical narrative, such as Saving Private Ryan, you expect a pretty straight forward literal and linear presentation where the meaning is right on the surface. On the other hand, movies like Avatar or any of the Harry Potter, Narnia, or Lord of the Rings films are filled with symbolism and mythical creatures. You know going in that what you are going to see is not intended to approximate real life. Even so, movies with lots of fantasy can communicate deep messages.

People back in New Testament times had imaginations as vivid as ours, and perhaps more so. They did not have the technology available to express their creativity in a virtual fashion on a screen, but they did have genres of literature that served a similar purpose. Narrative literature, like the four gospels and Acts, are straightforward literal accounts. The epistles are mostly literal, and when figures of speech are used they are obvious, much like in modern letters. The poetic material like the Psalms contains a wealth of figures and symbols. And the apocalyptic genre is represented by the book of Revelation and chunks of Daniel and the prophets. Apocalyptic literature was never designed to be understood in a wooden literal way.

Why do I labor this point? Because we are going to get into some really fantastic images as we work our way through the Apocalypse; and if we attempt to find a real-world counterpart for every item portrayed using symbolism, we will miss the forest for the trees. Again, do not get caught up in every detail but instead look for the broad brush strokes. Try to determine the principle, the timeless truth behind the symbols and figures.

I know there are those who will say you must always interpret the Bible literally, and people like me are distorting scripture by using what they call a spiritualizing hermeneutic. But there is a biblically-based precedent for this–and remember, scripture interprets scripture.

Here is a true story taken from my experience just this morning that demonstrates the point I am getting at. My day starts very early with an hour of reading and meditating on the Greek text of Revelation. Then I get into prayer; but because I am a slow starter when it comes to praying I have made it my habit to begin by reading a psalm aloud as a prayer. That usually primes the pump. So anyway, today I opened my Bible to the Psalms and selected one totally at random–I kid you not. The first words my eyes saw were these:

Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundation of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down with darkness under His feet. And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire. The Lord thundered from heaven, after the most high uttered His voice, hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, the foundations of the world were uncovered at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

What you have just read is Psalm 18:7-15. This is a psalm written by David on the day the Lord had delivered him from the hand of Saul, as recorded in 2 Samuel 22. God intervened in a mighty way on David’s behalf, but none of what David describes in the text quoted above happened literally. And no Jew in his right mind who read this psalm would have ever thought otherwise. I encourage you to read this psalm in its entirety, and also to peruse the psalms because when you do you will see that this kind of language is used often.

The eighth chapter of Revelation closes with the announcement of the three remaining woes (trumpet judgments). Whereas the first four were directed against the environment, these will be aimed directly at the earth dwellers.

There were two distinct Christian populations living within the borders of the Roman Empire in the First Century. First there was a remnant of Jewish believers who were in the minority compared to the large and diverse gentile body. Jesus came to His own people, and but for a few they rejected Him (John 1:12-13). Paul describes their rejection and the salvation of the Gentiles as the breaking off of a domesticated olive branch and grafting in of a wild branch (Romans 11:17). To this day the body of Christ is predominately gentile.

When the Jews rejected Jesus He told them their house was left to them desolate and that all the blood of all the prophets would be required of them in that generation (Matthew 23:36). The disciples, troubled by the Lord’s prediction, pointed out to Him the beautiful buildings of Herod’s Temple (24:1). Jesus replied: Do you see these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down (v.2). Jesus was not referring to some future temple but to the same temple the disciples were pointing out to Him. In fact He said all these things would happen before their generation had passed away (23:36; 24:34). It would make no sense for Him to say what He was predicting would come to pass over two-thousand-plus years in the future and that the generation living at that time would live to see it. As a matter of historical fact, as recorded in The Jewish War by the eyewitness/historian Flavius Josephus, Jesus prediction came to pass in 70 AD when the Roman armies under a general named Titus utterly destroyed the city and slaughtered every inhabitant after a campaign which not coincidentally lasted three and a half years (or 42 months, 1,260 days).

But here is an interesting fact. The believing Jews of Jerusalem remembered the warning of Jesus in Luke 21:20-21:

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.

After the Roman armies had surrounded Jerusalem Titus inexplicably withdrew his forces temporarily, and it was at this time that the Christians heeded Jesus’ warning to not come down from the rooftops to recover belongings but to run across the flat roofed interconnected homes and get out of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15-20). Jesus predicted in Luke 21:18 that not a hair of your head shall persish, and Josephus tells us all the Jewish Christians evacuated the city before it was destroyed and in precise fulfillment of Christ’s words, the temple was dismantled stone-by-stone.

This historical context provides us with the identity of the 144,000 of the Apocalypse (7:1-8). God commissions four angels to hold back the winds of more severe judgments to come (trumpets), in order to seal the Jewish remnant for protection. The seal on the forehead denotes ownership as well as authority. No one can touch them–not Satan, not the Romans, not the apostate Jews. 144,000 is an obviously symbolic number, the number 12 squared. When you stop to think that Jesus was a Jew and that He lived and ministered among the Jews, the number of Jewish converts to the faith was relatively small.

And even more so when compared to the innumerable multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue (vv. 9ff.). This great company of believers, clothed in the robes of Christ’s righteousness, sings praises to the Father on the throne in heaven and to the lamb; and the elders, four living creatures, and the remaining host of heaven shout amen and ascribe blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, power, and honor to God.

In v.14 this great multitude is identified as those coming out of the great tribulation. I happen to believe this expression, along with the similar wording found in Matthew 24:21, refers not to some imaginary future 70th Week of Daniel, but to a period of intense persecution just prior to 70 AD. Jerusalem was under siege, and Nero had made the Christians the scapegoats for everything wrong in the Empire. Many believers lost their lives during this period, and the Apocalypse was given to comfort and encourage them to persevere in their faith to the end.

This understanding of the text is natural and would afford comfort to the saints in the seven churches. What good would it do to tell them about events thousands of years in the future from their perspective that would take place after the church had been raptured from the earth. And where is there any evidence in the text that the 144,000 are a bunch of Jewish Billy Grahams who will accomplish in seven years without the Holy Spirit (Remember, He will supposedly be removed during the tribulation?) what the church could not accomplish in over two-thousand years with the Holy Spirit?! Enough of such speculative nonsense.

This text ought to encourage us in at least two ways. For one thing we can see that God protects His people in the most important area of life–salvation. Jesus exhorts us not to fear those who can kill our bodies but have no power over our souls (Matthew 10:28). Listen to Paul, a man who was beaten, stoned, imprisoned, and shipwrecked for the cause of Christ:

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

We might not be in danger of imminent torture and martyrdom, but let’s face it, something is eventually going to take you out of this fallen world. Could be cancer, a heart attack, a car wreck, or a natural disaster. In the meantime you will have to put up with difficult people and trying circumstances. But none of these things can break in and steal or otherwise corrupt the treasure which awaits you beyond the sea of glass. Paul had it right when he asked if God be for us, who can be against us.

Then too, we can rest assured that our loved ones who have passed on are in the best possible place. The last two verses of today’s chapter tell us that they neither hunger nor thirst; and the hot sun does not scorch them. The Good Shepherd leads them to the springs of living water. Every tear has been wiped away from their eyes. Some of you have lost moms and dads, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and good friends. If their faith was in Jesus Christ you need not give a second thought to the question of where they are at this moment.

Today I am thinking of a man who passed away several years ago after a terrible fight against bone cancer. Alvin Blankenship was my father in-law. He raised three wonderful daughters on a cattle ranch in Idaho. His youngest married me in 1976. When he first saw me he was against the idea of his baby girl marrying a long-haired city boy who had never chopped wood, bucked hay, shot a gun, or gutted out a deer. As a matter fact the hundred dollars he slipped her on our wedding night was not the kind gesture I mistook it for: it was cash for her to get home on.

As time wore on and I had daughters of my own I grew to respect Alvin. He taught me many practical lessons, and while he was as pig-headed as any mule on the face of the earth, he definitely knew the Lord. In fact he, his wife, and three daughters were all saved in the little church there in Clearwater, Idaho during an evangelistic meeting, and they were soon baptized together in the Clearwater River.

When he was dying he grew in his faith tremendously. We had several really good talks about the Lord and the word of God during that time. I think about those talks now that he is gone, and I know his pain is forgotten. And when I sit in the mornings and have coffee with the wonderful wife he produced for me, I anticipate the day we will see him again. We will look back over this journey on earth, and while Connie and I will no longer be husband and wife, we will marvel at how God faithfully directed and protected us each step of the way, from the time He saved us until the moment He called us home.

We have much to be hopeful about as God’s children. He holds us securely in His hand, even as He did the Jewish remnant and the gentile church in the days of the Apocalypse. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Today as we get into Chapter Six there are several directions we might go, but the theme of prayer is jumping out at me. I will start with a familiar text on this subject:

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).

The problem I have with prayer, other than too little of it, is that I am either too concerned with praying according to my own will, or I have no clue what God’s will is in a given situation. I am talking about His sovereign will–what He has actually ordained. But here is a passage that gives me some consolation:

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, for He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27).

In other words, as we try to pray intelligently the Holy Spirit assists us, so that by the time our prayers make it to heaven they are according to God’s will. We have both the Spirit assisting us and Christ as our High Priest advocating for us.

Now in Revelation 5:8 we see the prayers of the saints depicted as burning incense. Not only do our prayers penetrate the barrier of the crystal sea of glass, but they fill God’s throne room with a sweet aroma pleasing to Him. God hears our prayers; and He answers them too, only not as we might always wish or even recognize. That is what Chapter six is about.

The seven seal judgments are God’s answer to the prayers of the saints. Let’s quickly look at the first four seals, better known as the Four Horsemen. The first horse is white, and the rider with bow in hand goes out to conquer. This cannot be Christ because it is the Lord who opens the seal and sends him forth. Some see this first horse as the progress of the gospel, but since the other three horsemen depict various forms of judgment, most scholars see here a reference to false Christs and false prophets conquering through deception. This is no stretch, seeing how heretics were creeping into the churches from the start.

The second horseman needs no explanation–he represents war, which always involves weapons and killing. We have always had wars aplenty, and Jesus predicted that there would be wars and rumors of wars in Matthew 24:6. You hear people saying whenever there is a new outbreak of conflict somewhere in the world that it is a sign we are near the end. But in the same verse where Jesus predicts wars He says just the opposite: all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. The popular end-time prophecy buffs have it backwards. Wars have been used by God as an instrument throughout history.

The third horse is black and represents economic upheaval. A denarius was a day’s wage for a working man, and a quart of wheat would feed him for a day. Barley was cheaper because once it is threshed it has a higher chaff content and produces less kernel. So three quarts of barley for a denarius, or enough to feed a couple or small family for a day. Wine and oil are luxury items that are out of reach of the working man under such runaway inflation, and so these are left untouched.

The fourth horse is a pale sickly green and represents death by various forms, including fighting, famine and wild beasts. I do not believe these are literal horses going out into the earth. Remember, this is a vision, and it speaks about God’s judgments in history of a world in rebellion to Him. I believe what is described here is not limited to any specific era, such as the final seven years before Christ’s return. In varying degrees God has sent out deception and death as judgment all through history, and He is in fact doing this very thing as I write.

Why is our economy in chaos? Is it the fault of the corporations, corrupt politicians, or greedy bankers? They are players for sure, but ultimately our runaway inflation is from God. The wars we see in the world could not happen as they do, nor could the natural disasters we see, like tsunamis, hurricanes, and tornadoes, if not for God removing His sovereign hand of restraint. We see economic and moral decline in the Middle East and Europe–the very cradle of the infant church two-thousand years ago. Muslim hordes like rats are swarming into France, England, and the Netherlands. The atheistic Chinese are gaining superiority on the world scene. Christians across this nation are praying daily that God would change the declining moral and economic condition of our nation; and yet it is God Himself who has created these conditions. More shocking is the fact that these conditions represent judgment sent out by God in answer to our prayers!

It will come as a shock to many believers that God’s response to the fragrant aroma of their prayers is to wreak havoc in His creation. Nor am I recommending that you make outlandish personal applications of these general principles, as when the popular televangelist stated that the attacks of 9-11-2001 were God’s judgment against this nation for legalizing abortion. I would not rule this out as a possibility, but since I am not God, I do not know His specific reason for allowing the attacks to happen. What I do know is that these kinds of things are ultimately from God, as are the many natural disasters we have seen in recent years. They should produce repentance; but as we shall see as we proceed through the Apocalypse, they do not.

You would think that the judgments carried out by the four horsemen would be enough in themselves, but when we get to the opening of the fifth seal (v. 9), we hear a rather surprising prayer coming from the souls of the martyrs in heaven–those who had been killed for the word of God and their testimony to it: How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? (v. 10)

What? You would think that the first four seal judgments would be sufficient, but the martyrs do not think the earth dwellers have had enough. They want more! What do they expect God to do? When will enough be enough? If we heard this kind of thing from a fellow believer here on earth we might think his attitude to be selfish or sinful, or at least a bit over the top. But remember, these martyrs are in heaven as disembodied spirits. They no longer are trapped inside sinful bodies. They are in a place where no form of sinful defilement can penetrate. Their prayer is totally righteous! And God does not rebuke them, but rather comforts them and gives them assurance that He will answer their request for retribution in His own time (v. 11).

The opening of the sixth seal (vv. 12-17) unleashes cosmic cataclysm so severe that the most powerful men on earth are left trembling and cowering in terror. Again, I do not take these depictions to be 100% literal, as we are dealing here with apocalyptic imagery. Nor can I pigeonhole them into any specific historic era or events. To me such an exercise is beside the point of the general truth communicated in the passage. What I do notice is that the powerful men of the world–like Pharaoh in the days of Moses–refused to wake up and smell the coffee. Here we see them doing their best to hide from the Lamb, rather than acknowledge their sin and plead for forgiveness. They would rather be crushed by the rocks and killed–as if that would provide a lasting remedy–than face the only one who can in fact save them. Such is the deceitfulness of sin, and we will see it again as the judgments of the apocalypse continue.

All this puts a different spin on what we believe about what God is like and how He works, specifically in response to our prayers. We pray for God to meet our immediate physical needs or those of our close friends and family. We are more concerned about our own comforts than the glory of God. Somehow the Holy Spirit takes the ignorant groanings of our hearts and makes them acceptable by the time they reach God. God is answering our prayers in ways many of us might be uncomfortable with. We are not accustomed to thinking of judgment as answered prayer. Accepting this truth requires nothing less than a full-blown attitude adjustment.

If you read the Psalms you will see that the believers of the Old Testament had no problem with this. (For example see Psalm 109.) Paul exhorts us not to take vengeance but to make room for the wrath of God (Romans 12:19). Many of the recipients of the Apocalypse had been slandered and persecuted. Christians in this era were torn apart by wild animals in the Roman Coloseum. Some were covered with pitch, crucified, and lit on fire while still alive to serve as human torches to light Nero’s palace courtyard. They had seen their friends and family members fall at the hands of the Jews and Romans, while the earth dwellers enjoyed peace and prosperity. These saints had no problem praying imprecatory prayers, and the news of the seal judgments would not rub them wrong as they do some of us.

Let us not make the Jesus of the gospels the complete measure of our Christology. Remember that He was the Jehovah of the Old Testament before He was a carpenter from Nazareth. And here in Revelation He is depicted as the Son of Man, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David. He is also depicted as the slain Lamb who lives to take vengeance against the earth dwellers.

Finally, and I say this in dead earnest. Listen to what God is saying to you here in the Apocalypse. Let your world view and your sense of reality be shaped, not by your own feelings and preferences or the winds of thought floating about in this depraved world system. Orient your mind to the things of God’s word. That is what I believe Paul was referring to in Romans 12:1-2 when he spoke of not being conformed to this world, but rather transformed by the renewing of our minds.

There are no chapter and verse divisions in the original biblical writings. Chapter Five is but a continuation of John’s experience in the previous chapter of being caught up to heaven and viewing the scene around the throne of God. I hope you are reading the chapters yourself, as my intention here is to make Revelation a practical book you will enjoy reading over and over.

In v. 1 John sees a book in the right hand of Him who is seated on the throne. This book consisted of sheets of papyrus sewn together and then rolled up on wooden sticks at each end. It was called a biblion. Books bound as we know them today were called codices, and were not around until about a hundred years after the writing of revelation. The book in God’s right hand is full, with writing on both sides of the papyrus sheets and sealed shut with seven wax seals. I will let the cat out of the bag now and explain later that this book is the Apocalypse itself.

The strong angel inquires in v.2 as to who is able to open the book and loosen the seals, and then John learns that no one was found worthy in heaven, on earth, or under the earth. In v. 4 he responds with bitter weeping. He knows that the book is the Apocalypse or unveiling of things which must shortly take place. He and his brethren have seen and lived through the blasphemy of the Jews and persecution of the Romans, and he was hoping to see just what God was planning to do about it. Think about it: if the contents of the book had to do with events over two-thousand years in the future from his perspective, why would he be disappointed? In that case he could wait until he passed on and entered heaven, where at some point he would learn about how God planned to wrap up human history. His reaction shows he anticipated some immediate news about the current situation.

At this point one of the elders comforts John (v. 5) with the news that there is but one person and only one who is worthy to break the seals and reveal the contents of the book. Up to this point in the vision John has seen God the Father seated on the throne and the Holy Spirit in His seven-fold perfection. But Jesus Christ is now introduced as the one worthy to open the book. Remember that in 1:1 we were told that the Apocalypse is the revelation of Jesus Christ (Christ is the revealer) which God gave Him to show His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place. Now John is about to see that very unveiling take place, as Jesus takes the book out of His Father’s right hand and opens it.

This is really the beginning of the Apocalypse proper, and everything to this point is a preface to it. Once the Lord starts breaking the seals a series of judgments is unleashed in groups of seven–seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. The seventh in each series introduces the first in the next series, and there is an intensification of severity as you move through one series into the next.

In v. 5 the Lord is described to John by one of the elders as the conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David. Both of these Old Testament Messianic prophecies (Genesis 49:9-10; Isaiah 11:1, 10) depict Jesus as a powerful regal figure. But what John actually sees (v. 6) is something quite different–a sight that gives me goose bumps and has me fighting back tears every time I read about it and envision it in my mind:

And I saw in the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a lamb standing as having been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth.

Jesus Christ is depicted as a lamb, one of the most docile and defenseless animals in God’s creation. I am sure John remembers well the day the Baptist pointed Jesus out at the Jordan as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. John sees a lamb that bears the wounds of slaughter. Picture a snow-white lamb with its throat cut and blood streaming down its neck and chest and dripping onto the ground. A lamb in this condition would be either dead or dying. But this lamb is standing! He is alive! Not only that; He has seven horns. In apocalyptic literature horns symbolize strength, and seven it the number of divine perfection. Boldly he walks over and takes the rolled book out of the right hand of the Father. Here we need not press the symbolism too far with speculation about how a hand-less lamb could grasp the scroll. (Who knows maybe He took it in His mouth.)

The reaction of the creatures and elders in v. 8 is to fall on their faces in worship. Each one has a golden bowl full of incense, symbolizing the prayers of the saints. Ever feel like your prayers are hitting the glass ceiling? The only thing on this side of heaven that can penetrate to the other side of the crystal sea of glass is our prayer. Rest assured that your prayers ascend into the very presence of God as a sweet fragrance. Bear in mind also as we move through these chapters that the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments are God’s answer to the prayers of the saints. As we will see, one reason why we do not see always see our prayers answered is that we have wrong ideas about how God answers prayer.

The remainder of this chapter paints a picture of countless angels and saints singing praise to the lamb. Indeed everything in heaven and in earth shouts His praise; for He alone is worthy to break the seals and open the book. I will not elaborate on these final verses. I would encourage you to meditate on the various depictions of Christ here and join the heavenly multitude in praising Him for who He is and what He has done.

In 1971 I took my first stab at the book of Revelation. The popular teaching on “Bible prophecy” in those days was completely futuristic. The seven churches of Asia represented seven successive stages in church history, with Philadelphia depicting the faithful church of the end times and Laodicea  the apostate church of the great tribulation. According to this understanding only the first of the seven churches (Ephesus) stood for the New Testament church, and the remaining six portrayed historic eras outside the frame of reference of the original recipients of the Apocalypse. How they would have known this is beyond me.

Things took an even more decidedly futuristic bent once you got to 4:1, where John is told by the Lord to “Come up here” and is transported to heaven. I was told that John represented the whole church and thus his experience of being caught up speaks of the rapture of the church prior to the commencement of the Great Tribulation. The tribulation period, I was told, is the stuff of chs. 4-19, followed by the millennium (ch. 20), the final judgment and eternal state (chs. 21-22).

In practical terms what this meant was that aside from the first chapter and a few verses of the second, none of the book of Revelation had a direct application to the first recipients or relevance to their situation. And this despite the fact that Christ was given the Revelation to show His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place (1:1), and that John was told the time is near (1:1:3). Once I started on the lifelong journey of seriously studying and exegeting scripture, I jettisoned the exclusively futuristic approach because it was out of sync with the grammatical-historical and contextual (common sense) method we use to understand the other biblical writings. From this point on I made it my passion for several years to understand what the message of the Apocalypse meant to those first recipients in the seven churches two millennia ago; and only when I had done that could I attempt to relate that meaning to my life as a modern believer (interpretation before application). Once I did this the book of Revelation came alive for me, and I hope it will for you as well.

First of all let me say that John’s transport to heaven in the Spirit (4:1) is just that. There appears to be no symbolism or figure of speech used, nor is there any evidence in either the immediate or remote context to indicate he represents the entire church being raptured off the earth. This fanciful handling of plain language reminds me of some of the far-fetched typology I have seen in studies of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. One of my Bible college professors facetiously advised me to remember that the purpose of the tent pegs was to keep the tabernacle from collapsing! In other words, if the literal sense makes good sense, don’t look for any other sense. When the language is obviously figurative or symbolic seek to determine the concrete truth being taught. That is the method we employ here.

There is no need to explain the identity of the One seated on the throne (v. 2) or of the seven Spirits of God (v. 5). The sounds and sights revealed to John in this vision invoke awe at the majesty, power, and beauty of the scene in heaven. I said there is no need to elaborate on this scene; actually, there is no way to adequately explain it. In cases like this you would have to be there to fully appreciate it. Human language is a feeble paint brush when it comes to the glory of God.

The twenty-four elders are described with clues mentioned in the addresses to the seven churches which would identify them as believers. They are clothed in white robes, which would most naturally symbolize the imputed righteousness of Christ. They are wearing victors crowns indicating that they are overcomers. They are seated on thrones as partakers in the rule of Christ. That they are referred to as elders also denotes authority. The number twelve is symbolic of God’s chosen people in scripture, and in this case it is multiplied by two. My opinion on this is that the elect people of God in both the old and new testaments are viewed here as an organic whole, as represented by the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles. The rainbow around the throne tells them that just like Noah after the flood they are forever safe and secure from harm.

The crystal sea reminds me of the appearance of a lake that is totally calm and glass-like. I believe this speaks of God’s transcendence. God is present in His creation but at the same time distinct from it. All of the trials of this fallen world, the pains and temptations of the flesh, and the attacks of Satan cannot penetrate that crystal sea and gain entrance into His heavenly throne room. As mortal humans we too cannot enter that realm. We are like a fish in water which cannot see or live in the realm of the open air. Were it not for visions like this one recorded for us in God’s word we would have no clue what heaven is like. And if we ever had the chance to see heaven as John did, with Paul ( 2 Corinthians 12) we would not even want to speak about it–unlike the wing-nuts who hawk books about their so-called trips to heaven during near-death experiences.

The four living creatures are apparently angelic beings with features of animals depicting speed, strength, and keen eyesight. But they also share in quasi-human qualities. Their wings and affirmation of God’s holiness are reminiscent of the Seraphim which appeared to Isaiah nearly 800 years earlier (Isaiah 6:1-6). Like all angels these creatures exist to glorify the Lord and render assistance to His people.

Verses 9-11 tell us that the believers (elders) respond to the worship of the four living creatures by throwing their crowns at the feet of God seated on His throne. This clearly tells us that they are unwilling to take any credit for their victory over the world, flesh, and devil. Salvation–from election to regeneration to justification to sanctification to glorification–is of the Lord. He deserves all the glory, and the elders sing words that we sing to this day in the popular chorus, Thou Art Worthy.

By way of application let’s do a little brainstorming. Imagine you are a believer in one of the seven churches. The last living apostle of Christ has disappeared from the scene abruptly, and all you have to go on are rumors that he was exiled to a rocky island called Patmos. If you have ever been in a church that suddenly lost their beloved pastor and spiritual mentor you have an idea of how much these believers missed John. On top of that there was the slander leveled by the Jews, accusing you of treason against the Roman state. Daily you fear that you will be faced with the choice to burn incense to Caesar or suffer the consequences. It would be bad enough to suffer ridicule, confiscation of property, beatings, imprisonment, and even death, like the many overcomers who have preceded you. But you have a wife and children who will be impacted by your decision. How easy, it would seem, to just go through the motions of saying “Caesar is Lord” and burning the incense before his image. Or to slip quietly back into one of the pagan religions of your life before you knew Jesus.

Imagine the kinds of questions going through your mind at a time like this. Where is God?  What is He doing? Why does it appear He is doing nothing for His people? Why are the wicked prospering while the saints are suffering? How can Christ really be ruling under these conditions? How will it end? How will I make it through all this? The list could go on and on. What possible benefit would the vision of Revelation Chapter Four be to these believers?

Throughout Revelation the scene shifts back and forth between heaven and earth. The purpose is to show that:

1. God is sovereign and in control. Christ is King, and He is ruling from heaven now. He holy and transcendent, enthroned in heaven beyond the crystal sea of glass. Satan is not in control, nor are the Jews and Romans.

2. God ministers to His people by means of His Spirit and the angels. His assistance is not always as tangible and visible as we might wish, but He is nontheless faithful. His grace is sufficient. Where God guides God provides what we need to remain faithful to Him.

3. There is an eternal reward awaiting the overcomers. Loved ones in the faith who have preceded them in death are in a better place awaiting their guaranteed arrival:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptable and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God by faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials (1 Peter 1:3-6).

Let’s face it, none of us has faced trials like those experienced by the recipients of the Apocalypse. But still, God knows what you and I face, and His provision is just as much ours. We struggle financially and worry ourselves to tears about the future of the economy. We have problems in relationships, and we wrestle with anger, resentment, sinful grudges, and bitterness. We contend with the lusts of the eyes and flesh and the boastful pride of life. Our bodies wear out and we feel aches and pains that remind us that our lives on this earth are but vapors. We see friends and loved ones dying, some in the Lord and some not. Evil abounds on every side. There are natural disasters that seem to be beyond the control or concern of God.

We live in a different time, but God has not changed. If you could be transported to heaven now you would see precisely the same things as what John saw two thousand years ago. God’s word has not changed. People have not changed as to their basic nature or what they are most in need of spiritually. The gospel has not changed, nor has the end game God has purposed from all eternity. That being the case, I think we all ask pretty much the same questions today as believers pondered in John’s day.

And the answers are the same for us as well. For this reason the message of Revelation is just as pertinent today as it was then. Therefore, let us press on, brothers, and overcome in the name of Jesus.

Now that we have discussed the messages to the seven churches we will move a chapter a day through the rest of the book of Revelation. My plan is to hit the high points and not get bogged down in fruitless speculation about every detail. You will hopefully find that the Apocalypse contains some really practical material.

A few words about the structure of the book. This is stated in 1:19: Write therefore the things you have seen,  and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things. When John was given the commission to write, all he had seen was the vision of 1:9-16, so that vision would constitute the things he had seen. The things that are would be the messages to the churches, and 4:1 uses the same wording as the last part of 1:19 to introduce the things which were to happen after these things.

1. The things you have seen (Ch. 1).

2. The things which are (Chs. 2-3).

3.  The things which shall take place after these things (Chs. 4-22).

The apocalypse also falls into two divisions around the theme of God’s  judgment against the two First Century enemies of Jesus and His people:

1. Apostate Judaism (Chs. 4-11).

2. Imperial Rome (Chs. 12-20).

According to this outline the opening vision and messages to the churches (Chs. 1-3) are a preface to the Revelation, and the broad sweep into eternity (Chs. 21-22) is the postscript or wrap-up.

The main characters are:

1. In Heaven: The Triune God, the angelic beings, and the departed saints described with various figures and symbols.

2. On Earth: The devil and the demons working through apostate Judaism and Imperial Rome under various figures and symbols. The believers are described as the saints and as the bond-servants of Jesus. The expression those who dwell on the earth (“earth dwellers”) used throughout the Apocalypse does not denote the entire population of earth. The saints refuse to worship the beast, but the “earth dwellers” willingly bow before him (13:7-8). The population of world is thus split into two parts–the saints and the  unregenerate earth dwellers. This is an important distinction to bear in mind.

The scene shifts back and forth between heaven and earth often to show a stark contrast between what the beleaguered First Century Christians experienced on earth and the the deeper unseen spiritual reality. Undoubtedly they were wondering: Where is God? Why doesn’t He answer our prayers and do something? I believe the Apocalypse was given precisely to answer these kinds of questions, and for this reason it has a direct relevance to all generations, including ours. Stop trying to figure out if Ahmadinejad is the Antichrist and instead dig deep to see what the Lord was saying to the original recipients. Therein lies the key to understanding the book of Revelation.

With these introductory considerations in mind I encourage you to read ahead into Chapter Four, and we will pick it up there next time.

Laodicea was a wealthy town in the Roman province of Asia situated on the Lycus River. There are two notable facts about this city relative to our study. First, one of the industries in the region was the production of an ingredient used in various topical eye salves and solutions. Second, the water supply to the city came via aqueduct from nearby hot springs in Hierapolis, and the water was tepid and not easily drinkable by the time it reached Laodicea. The church in this town apparently had a close relationship with the Colossian congregation some ten miles away: Paul mentions the Laodicean believers several times in his epistle to the Colossians (2:1; 4:13,15,16). There is reference to a Laodicean epistle which no longer exists, and Paul asks that the Colossian letter be passed on and read in the Laodicean church. What this shows is that at one time there was a thriving Christian witness in Laodicea before their decline into the pitiful state depicted in the Apocalypse.

Christ is depicted in v. 14 as the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. The latter expression in effect identifies Him as the Creator, and the former emphasizes the trustworthiness of His person and message. There is no specific reference to heretical religions infiltrating this church, but some of the early gnostic groups did deny that Jesus as a man could have been directly involved in creation. Other religions, specifically apostate Judaism, attempted to discredit Jesus as a charlatan, the bastard son of a Galilean carpenter. Jesus’ titles used here may have been designed to address such concerns, but of this we cannot be sure.

Verses 15-16 have been worn thin from the Christian pulpit in bygone eras and would be appropriate sermon material in today’s evangelical churches. Jesus is saying He would rather have the Laodiceans hot or cold, but not nauseatingly tepid. He literally says he will expel them from His mouth, which could be a reference to either spitting, vomiting, or both.

Just last week I went into a local coffee shop around 2 pm for a latte’ to get me through the afternoon. It was one of those days when it seems like the weather can’t make up its mind. The morning started out cold but by early afternoon the sun had broken through the clouds. It was not really warm and not really cold–kind of in between. I went into the coffee shop and noticed it was nearly empty. Bellingham Washington is a university town, and this close to the college you almost never see a vacant coffee shop, especially one that encourages the kids to stop in for coffee with their homework. The barista told me coffee shops thrive the most when the weather is either hot or cold. The same latte’ that is so good hot in the winter is also delicious over ice in the summer.

When we look at Jesus words we should not assume He is saying He wishes they would either repent or throw in the towel. It is a figure of speech and the meaning is that hot and cold water are palatable, but tepid water is not. In other words, the attitude and behavior of the Laodiceans make Jesus sick. That’s pretty much as far as we can go with this metaphor. Certainly these recipients of the Lord’s words knew exactly what Jesus meant, given the nature of that city’s water supply. 

The Laodiceans were financially wealthy: I am rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing (v. 17). There is a redundancy in the Greek here–literally “I am rich ahnd have become rich.” The perfect tense is used here denoting something that happened in the past with an abiding state of completion. A similar example is seen in John 19:30 where Jesus said It is finished the meaning is that it has been completed and stands completed. When Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8 For you have been saved by grace through faith the perfect tense carries the idea that we have been saved and stand saved. Thus in the case of the Laodiceans it is as if they had said, “We have become rich and we will always be rich.” Such is the deceitfulness of riches.

Jesus tells them they do not know how bad off they really are, for spiritually they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. They were like the man in this parable of Jesus:

Then He spoke a parable to them. “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said to himself, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build greater, and there I will store my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease: eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you. Then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21).

Jesus then uses a very unusual expression when He tells them to buy refined gold and white garments from Him. He advises them to do so. Normally we would expect the Lord to command them, but instead He uses an expression that would be more familiar to them. The word advise speaks of taking counsel together with someone, and this is the word that was used of consulting with a financial advisor. The wealthy Laodiceans were into investments no doubt, and now it is as if Jesus is going to let them in on some insider information. I don’t think we can take the suggestion to buy the gold and white garments to be a statement of salvation by works. He is really telling them they need to acquire these things, or trade their perishable riches for the heavenly variety that moth and rust cannot corrupt and which thieves cannot break in and steal.

In an earlier post we saw that 3:20 is addressed to believers. While this verse is most commonly used in evangelism, in context it speaks of renewed fellowship. I would encourage you to go back and read my entry Knock, Knock, Who’s There?–Jesus! to see what I have already said. The only thing I will add here is the question: How did the door get shut on Jesus? Did He shut it? The answer is that the Laodiceans became rich, self-absorbed, and self-sufficient. I have noticed that when people become affluent and independent in this way they are accustomed to having the balance of power on their side. In relationships you suffer if you act this way–you sacrifice closeness. The metaphor of Jesus standing at the door looking for just one believer in the church to open the door speaks of perhaps years without genuine fellowship with Jesus. And yet all it takes is a little movement toward the Lord and opening that door of communion with Him. It is a beautiful promise and a fitting word for us today.

The overcomer is promised a place with the Lord at His throne. In other words, he will share in the Lord’s reign with Him. This is an important theme to keep in mind as we move through the remainder of the Apocalypse.

Now we come to the Lord’s address to the church at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13). The name Philadelphia means brotherly love in Greek. Again, this church does not represent the faithful church of the last days, inasmuch as there is no internal evidence in the Apocalypse that would even suggest that the seven churches represent successive stages of church history.

In this address, unlike the previous ones, Jesus is not described using imagery from His appearance to John in ch. 1. He is called the faithful, the true, the one having the key of David, who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. This description clearly speaks of the Lord’s right to rule and to delegate his power to whom He wills. The expression Key of David comes from Isaiah 22:22: And the key of the house of David I will lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open and no one shall shut; and he shall shut and no one shall open.

After the conquest of Canaan the Israelites were ruled by a series of Judges, the last of which being the prophet Samuel. When Samuel was old and ready to pass on, the Jews did not want his two godless sons to rule them, so they asked for a king. The first king of Israel was Saul, but he was replaced by David of Bethlehem, the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah. From that point on until Zedekiah, the last of the Old Testament kings, was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar about 600 BC, all the kings of Israel (Judah after Solomon=divided kingdom) were direct descendants of David. After Zedekiah the next and final Davidic king would be the Messiah, as predicted in the Isaiah passage. Jesus’ description in Revelation 3:7 speaks of His right to rule over Israel as the predicted Messiah.

Don’t you wonder why the Lord would use this Old Testament designation to describe Himself to an audience that is primarily gentile? Isaiah 22:22 speaks of Christ as the king of Israel. But in 3:9 Jesus refers to the Jews in Philadelphia as the synagogue of Satan. In fact He says their claim to be Jews is in name only, and that they are not really Jews but liars. Then He predicts that they will one day come and bow before the gentile believers. We might be able to dismiss these words, except that the Lord uses nearly identical language in 2:9 to describe the Jews in Smyrna. Add to that the fact that John had referred to the gentile recipients of the Apocalypse as kings and priests (1:6). What are we to make of this?

If you have been raised in a typical evangelical church in America you have likely been taught that God has two peoples: a heavenly people (the church) and an earthly people (Israel). God’s plans for these two peoples is distinct–they do not overlap. According to this view Jesus came to earth and offered Israel an earthly kingdom, which they rejected. When they did this the prophetic time clock for Israel stopped at the end of the 69th week of Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks (Daniel 9:24-27). The present church age is a parenthesis in God’s program for Israel. God is presently saving people and bringing them into the body of Christ, but eventually the the present church age will conclude with the secret pretribulational rapture of the church, and then the suspended program for Israel will resume during the 70th week, the great tribulation. The prophetic time clock which stopped over 2,000 years ago, will start ticking again and God will be dealing with the Jews as a nation. They will rebuild their temple and the sacrificial system will resume straight through into the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth (millennium).

But the New Testament does not teach that God has two separate peoples. First, Paul tells us that they are not all Israel who are of Israel (Romans 9:6). In other words, physical birth into a nation does not make a person one of God’s people, but rather spiritual birth, or regeneration. Within the nation was a remnant of saved sinners, and these were the true Israel. They were saved by their trust in the anticipated Messiah and His mediatorial work. They were looking forward to the cross through the sacrifices of the Levitical system. When the nation rejected Christ God continued to save a people for His name, only now they were looking back at the completed work of Christ. When His own kinsmen rejected Him He saved as many as received Him by believing in His name (John 1:12-13). Right after Pentecost mostly Jews were saved, but eventually the gentile believers were grafted in–not to a separate tree, but to the same one as the Jewish believers of the Old Testament!

Now you can see why Jesus told the Jews of Smyrna and Philadelphia that they were not really Jews. They are the synagogue of Satan because they have rejected Christ. The church is the true circumcision (Philippians 3:3), the true Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). Jesus now rules through His church. The church is now God’s holy nation, royal priesthood, and special people (1 Peter 2:9-10). This was the view of the post-apostolic and Reformation churches. The Jews rejected Christ and their house was left to them desolate with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Has anything changed since then with respect to Israel’s acceptance of Christ? What has changed is that in 1830 the two-people-of God system known as dispensationalism came into being. But as you can see, Jesus is not a dispy.

Does this mean there is no future for the nation Israel? The New Testament does predict that one day all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26). But when this happens it will happen just like it does for the elect of any other ethnicity–they will trust Jesus and become members of the body of Christ or be lost! They will be grafted into the same tree spiritually as you and me. They will not be saved in some different way or be Old Testament saints (whatever that means). They might build a new temple in Jerusalem, but if they do it will not be because God has commanded them to do so or because scripture predicts it. Nor will God instruct them to re-institute the Levitical sacrifices when the book of Hebrews tells us they have been forever abolished by Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 10:10-14).

What then should our attitude be as believers toward Israel? We need to respect Israel for the noble role she has played in redemption history. Personally I would like to see our government protect them from the persecution they suffer from the Arab nations. But we must bear in mind that even when God was working through them exclusively (which He is not now) and the Mosaic Covenant was in effect (which it is not now), Israel was not entitled to possession of the Land when they were disobedient to the Lord. This means that since they are in rebellion against Christ they have no more claim to the borders of Israel than the Palestinians. Personally I hope they can gain possession of it, but not if it causes them to continue in their stiff-necked rejection of the Lord.

We as members of Christ’s body can take encouragement in the fact that He is King of Kings now. He need not wait until some mythological future Jewish millennium. He reigns through His chosen people the church. He tells the believers at Philadelphia that He has placed before them an open door that no one can close (v. 8). This is the door of opportunity to submit to Christ’s rule through us in this world. No human form of rule or authority, not even the emperor of Rome or the persecuting Jews, could thwart the rule of Christ through His people. Ours is the privilege of serving as His ambassadors in this world. I am sad to say that I have not availed myself of this great opportunity as I could or should.

These promises are given to the Philadelphian believers with the assurance that Christ will protect them in the midst of trial and persecution: Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is about to come upon the inhabited world, to test those who dwell upon the earth (3:10). I have heard many say that this verse is the clearest evidence of a pretribulational rapture to be found in scripture. All I can say is that if this is the best you’ve got you are on thin ice.

The argument goes like this. The church at Philadelphia represents the faithful church of the last days. The hour of trial mentioned is the Great Tribulation, or the 70th week of Daniel yet future. Jesus promises the church at Philadelphia that He will keep them from this hour of trial. What clearer evidence for a pre-trib rapture could there be?

First, the concept of Philadelphia as the faithful church of the last days is without support. Second, there is no mention of Daniel’s 70th week or reference to the so-called Great Tribulation. Third, there is no reference whatever to a resurrection or rapture in the text. When Jesus promises to keep them from the hour of trial he uses the same Greek words (tereo ek) as in His prayer in John 17:15: I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from (tereo ek) the evil one.So the idea in both places is not of spatial removal from the world but protection in the midst of trial. Jesus said that in the world we will have tribulation. Paul said that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

I find this to be very encouraging. God promised the believers in Philadelphia that His reign in and through them was like an open door that no amount of affliction or persecution could close. They might suffer physical harm but through it all He would keep them in His hand. On the other hand I truly fear for those believers who have become comfortable in the pew and are banking on Jesus to rapture them out before they suffer the smallest scratch. A time of genuine persecution and affliction may well leave many believers disillusioned, and some might apostatize from the faith under the pressure, having been spoon-fed the pabulum of Tim LaHaye and Hal Lindsey.

Notice in v. 11 Jesus says He is coming quickly. This is the same word John used in 1:1 to describe things that would shortly take place. Whatever the meaning here it cannot refer to something two thousand years in the future from the perspective of the first recipients. As I said in an earlier entry, not every coming of Jesus mentioned in the word of God is a reference to his bodily second coming. Here it could mean a visitation of judgment of some kind. In any event the Lord encourages them to stand fast and make sure no one robs them of their crown. Here as before the reference is to the victor’s garland given to those who faithfully persevere in time of trial.

Being made a pillar in the temple of God and having the name of the New Jerusalem engraved on one’s person (v. 12) speaks of permanency. He shall not go out again. In case you hadn’t noticed, very little in this world is certain or lasting. The grass withers and the flower fades, but He who does the will of God abides forever. I hope you are encouraged and motivated by these truths. We are God’s chosen people. We are His holy nation, His royal priesthood. We share in His reign now. Tribulation will come, but the forces of hell cannot shut what He opens. What a great blessing to be a part of His sovereign plan through our union with Christ.

In the message to the church at Sardis Jesus is described as having the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. He is ever-present and all-powerful. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to reveal and glorify Him, and the angels assist the churches at His direction.

Jesus starts off with an indictment reminiscent of His rebuke of the Pharisees decades earlier: You have a name that you are alive, and you are dead. Sardis was known as a peaceful friendly town that prided itself in having a clean appearance. It was also a center of a host of the mystery religions. These religions were similar to Mormonism and Freemasonry in that only initiates were privy to their secret truths and rituals. Members were not allowed to divulge insider information to those on the outside. These religions had a gnostic flavor in that they boasted of an esoteric elitist level of knowledge, and they involved the worship of false deities. The patron goddess of Sardiswas Cybele, who was similar to the mother goddess, Diana of the Ephesians. History tells us that within a few decades of the warnings of Christ in the Apocalypse, many of the professing believers of Sardis had gone back to the mystery religions they had grown up in.

They are described as dead, but what does this mean? In our entertainment-driven view of worship we think of a church as alive where the singing is lively and the preaching enthusiastic; and we commonly say a church is dead if the tone is more subdued. Many times I have heard Pentecostals say that the Baptists are dead because they do not possess the fullness of the Spirit–i.e., they do not shout, moan, weep, and speak in tongues. But I am inclined to think what Jesus means is that most of the members of the church in Sardis are spiritually dead, that is, unregenerate.

When he tells them to wake up and strengthen what is left and about to die, He is addressing the remnant of truly born again members who had become nominal through the toxic effect of the unsaved majority who have brought in their spiritual baggage. Here is an interesting paradox. Apparently the entrance requirements to the mystery religions were more stringent that those of the local church! Is this not so in our own day? One cannot be a Mormon, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or Jehovah’s witness unless they ascribe to the doctrine and conduct requirements of those religions. Many so-called Christian churches, on the other hand, open the fellowship to anyone who in some vague way has gushy feelings about Jesus or has made some kind of “decision for Christ.”

The Lord told Abraham He would spare Sodom if He found just ten true believers there. Of course deductive logic demands the conclusion that there were less than ten righteous in Sodom, since the Lord destroyed it. In the church at Sardis the few believers left are commanded to remember what they have heard and keep it and repent. Such a wake up call is really a blessing, for the Lord is giving them a chance at revival.

Jesus warns them that if they do not repent He will come to them as a thief at a time they do not expect. Most believers assume this is a reference to the second coming, but there is no good reason for this conclusion. This is a warning directed specifically to the remnant of true believers in the church at Sardis. What is being described here, in my view, is a judgment coming of Christ in which some form of discipline will be administered. Could be persecution or some kind of pestilence.

We should take notice of these warnings. We cannot simply skate by in the Christian life and think there will be no consequences. It sometimes seems like God lets us get away with our folly for years. But whom the Lord loves he chastens and disciplines every son whom He receives. I know professing believers who have gone years without praying, cracking a Bible, or fellowshipping with other Christians. They claim to be saved–and maybe they are–but they must not be deceived (nor should we) into thinking we will not reap what we sow in terms of natural consequences for indulging our flesh. God is not an enabler, and living in denial will not work forever. Jesus is telling you and me to wake up, remember, repent, and keep His word. If not you may find yourself like Esau seeking repentance when it is too late to undue the damage wrought by your folly.

Christ promises those who do not soil their garments that they will walk with Him in white, for they are worthy (v. 4). Worthy? I thought we were clothed in the righteousness of Christ despite the fact that we are completely unworthy. How can it be said of the remnant of faithful saints in Sardis that they are worthy? My only theory here is that the metaphor of white robes is used in Scripture both of justification and sanctification. Of course we are not worthy to be pronounced righteous, so that Jesus must here be referring to some kind of reward for faithful service–namely keeping oneself unstained by participation in the mystery religions. It is a strong word from the Lord here that tells us that personal holiness is very important, both doctrinally and morally.

Lastly, the overcomers are promised that their names will not be erased from the book of life (v. 5). When I was a very young Christian I went to a Charismatic Renewal meeting where the speaker used this verse to prove that it is possible for a true child of God to lose his salvation. I was pretty shaken up by that, and I am grateful to Pastor George Gulian of Seattle, Washington, for setting me straight. The text nowhere says any one’s name can or will be erased from the book of life. In fact the text says just the opposite. The overcomer will not have his name erased. Every true believer is an overcomer ultimately, so that there is no possibility of a loss of salvation taught in this verse.

What this passage does teach is that even though you might not lose your salvation, if you continually compromise Jesus sees beneath the squeaky clean exterior to your heart. I know from experience that He will lovingly pursue His wayward child and inflict him with stripes to bring him back onto the path of godliness. If you are reading this today and God’s Spirit is convicting you of sin, why don’t you repent of it right now and ask Him to restore you? Do not harden your heart because it will only make things more painful for you. If you are really born again Jesus will not stop pursuing you and your sin will find you out.

Write to me using the contact link if you would like prayer or to discuss things. May God bless you.

Christ’s address to the church of Thyatira is the longest and Jesus commends them for more things (five–their works, love, faith, service, and patience).  than any of the other seven churches.

The Lord is described as the Son of God, with flaming eyes and shining brazen feet. Son of God denotes His deity. Of course Jesus was described earlier as the Son of Man, and I will not repeat the explanation of that title given in an earlier entry.

I am encouraged that in verse 19 Jesus tells them that their last works are greater than the first. In other words there is progress, improvement. As I get older it becomes more important to me to finish strong, and such a word from Jesus would be a real encouragement to me. Many have made a good start of the Christian life, but sadly it has happened to them according to the true proverb. The true child of God perseveres in the faith to the end, and it is my desire for you, my brothers, that you make it your ambition to put off the sin which so easily entangles you, and run with endurance the race that is before you, looking to Jesus standing at the finish line (Hebrews 12:1-2). I pray the meager offerings presented here will pique your appetite for Jesus and His Word.

In verse 20 Jesus mentions a false prophetess named Jezebel. She is called that because she was like Jezebel, the daughter of a Sidonian king and wife of wicked King Ahab mentioned in 1 Kings 16. She vigorously promoted Baal worship in Israel. This ancient false religion celebrated fertility and erected phallic images for worship. Baal worship involved temple prostitution–male and female prostitutes engaging in hetero and homo sex. Apparently there was a woman who had infiltrated the church at Thyatira and taught and deceived Christ’s bond-servants to engage in pagan worship similar to Baal-ism, including the eating of idol food and engaging in illicit sex. Jezebel’s first sin was assuming an authoritative teaching position in the church, a practice strictly forbidden in 1 Timothy 2:11-13. Worse yet the was teaching error of the most flagrant kind. Spiritually, if not physically, she was a whore.

Jesus has given her ample opportunity to repent, but she does not want to repent of her fornication. She is addicted to it and the power she gets from it. So Jesus threatens to throw her and her fellow adulterers onto a bed of great affliction and even death. In verse 20 Jesus had rebuked the church at Thyatira for tolerating her presence in the church, and now it is as if He is saying that if they will not confront her He will. As a result of His judgment on Jezebel, all the churches will know that it is Jesus who searches the hearts and minds (literally hearts and kidneys) and renders to each according to their deeds. To those who have not been drawn into the so-called deep things of Satan Jesus encourages them to continue steadfast in the faith.

I can’t think of anything so obviously idolatrous and perverted in the churches today. But pagan religion is tolerated in other forms. For example the big rave in mental health is the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness technique is presented in a way that makes the unsuspecting sap think it is a simple form of clearing the mind of distraction and learning to focus. Now we are starting to see Christian mindfulness instruction offered in the churches. However mindfulness theory is really a Buddhist philosophy that denies a transcendent creator and teaches you to focus on yourself. It involves the use of visualization and guided imagery in meditation, and often the chanting of a mantra. The idea is to get in touch with yourself instead of God, and to rid yourself of all desire and free yourself from this world of Maya (illusion) and attain to the state of Nirvana, or nothingness. Strip the sugar coating away and you will see mindfulness for the occultic mysticism it is.

I might also mention the blasphemous caricature of the triune God presented in books like The Shack or the universalist idiocy of Rob Bell’s recent piece of crap titled Love Wins. The point is that Jesus hates this stuff and wants His people to stop abiding it and instead grow gonads and throw the heretics out on their ear.

Jesus promises the overcomers that they will share in His rule. He also promises them the bright morning star. This name is ascribed to Christ in 2 Peter 1:19 and Revelation 22:16. Most scholars of the Apocalypse conclude that this is a promise that the overcomers will gain Christ Himself. This is not hard to grasp given the fact that in Philippians 3:8 Paul tells us it is his utmost desire to gain Christ. When one gains Christ He gains all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm. And in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I’d rather have Jesus…………………..