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An
Examination of Christ’s Messages to the Seven Churches….
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These
letters are the only time Christ spoke DIRECTLY to the Church after the resurrection...
The
Seven Churches to whom these letters were sent were not the largest or
most famous of their time.
Rome
and Antioch both had much larger congregations with many famous people
among them.
A
Special Outline of the Topics covered in the various chapters of
Revelation:
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The
letters to the seven churches found in chapters two and three
are dictated to John by Jesus himself.
These letters represent
the
last
recorded quotations of Jesus and are the only
words he ever spoke directly to the church on Earth that are in the
Bible...
We
see in verse nineteen of chapter one that Jesus breaks the
book
into three distinct sections:
A.
“The
things you have seen”
Chapter
1
The
introduction, (a cover letter to all the churches) and the vision.
B.
“The
things which are”
Chapter
2 & 3
The
message to the seven churches (The Church Age)
C.
“
The things that will happen after these things”
Chapters:
4 - 22
(The
Prophecy)
The
story that takes place in Heaven…..4, 5, 19 & 20
The
Earthly story…………………6, 8, 9, 16, 19 & 20
The
Informational chapters………..7, 10-15, 17 & 18
The
Description of the New Heaven………….21 & 22
Why
were these specific churches chosen?
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This question has
intrigued Biblical scholars for centuries and has led to a variety of
explanations. Personal messages
from God himself to these specific, local churches commended their good
deeds and corrected or rebuked sin and worldly tendencies.
The Lord obviously
chose these particular churches because they had the combinations of
strengths and weaknesses, and differing characteristics that would convey
many lessons to all his churches, throughout its history!
The third
application of the letters is to the individual church members of those
churches, the letters are full of tremendous comfort and challenge, even
rebuke and correction for all of us in every age, on many occasions these
letters have borne deep personal meaning to me, in my everyday life.
A fourth message from these divinely
dictated letters is a prophetic one. Revelation
is presented from an Eternal vantage-point, in a book that’s overwhelmingly prophetic in content,
it’s only reasonable to think these messages would also have prophetic
application. It is also
reasonable to assume this is the main reason choosing these seven
particular churches and placing them in this specific order pleased our
Lord.
Looking at them in
this light it is remarkable to note that they break up and describe
perfectly the Seven
Periods of Church History.
So, we see, the letters counseled
specific churches of that day, that they were a type of the different
kinds of churches, that they have deep, personal messages to each of us,
and they have a prophetic application.
Prophetic
Application of the Letters:
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Ephesus
~ A.D. 33-100 (Duty
without Love)
The Ephesian church is the
prophetic image of the Apostolic Church.
Like the Church of Ephesus, the dominant historical characteristics
of this era were correct doctrine, circumspect conduct, and zealous labor
for the Lord, but waywardness in heart attitudes.
As their love fore
Christ began to wane, they more and more served out of a sense of duty.
In their own estimation, their acceptance by the Lord depended on
their performance for him.
This attitude
opened the door to legalism.
One of the crucial
issues for a vital faith is correct motives.
As we remember how Christ has loved us, our natural response is to
love him in return. (See I John 4:9 & 10)
Smyrna~
A.D. 100-312 (Poor but
rich)
The
suffering church at Smyrna was prophetic of the great era of persecution
under ten diabolical Caesars. The
motives of the church were purified during this long and difficult period.
Millions of Christians met cruel martyr’s deaths rather than
renounce Christ or swear allegiance to Caesar as Lord.
The ruins of the great coliseum in Rome’s foundations are still
stained with the blood of the martyrs.
This was a period
of tremendous witness and heroic faith.
Even the wicked Roman Empire was shaken by the testimony of these
Christians.
Pergamos~
A.D. 312 – 590
During
the era that the church at Pergamos symbolized, the church merged with the
state. Emperor Constantine
made Christianity the official religion of the empire and massive and
systematic persecution of Christians stopped.
But this apparent blessing to the church became a curse.
Within a few short years Emperor Theodosios (A.D. 378-398) made
church membership compulsory, and all who resisted were put to the sword!
This is the worst calamity to ever befall the church, completely
changing its nature. It
entered into its Great Apostasy, taking on the spirit and pattern of
Imperial Rome.
The
Church compromised its position more and more in order to gain power and
favor. A church hierarchy
began to develop, with the Bishop of Rome, (later referred to as the Pope)
claiming increasing prominence because of his proximity to the ruler of
the empire. He sought to
strengthen his claim with the Declaration of Apostolic Succession-
alleging his office in Rome was linked directly to Peter and that the big
fisherman (and not Jesus) was the foundation of the church.
As the church of Pergamos compromised with the world’s paganism
and immorality, its symbolic and prophetic counterpart in the fourth and
fifth centuries committed spiritual adultery in an impure alliance with
the Roman Empire.
Thyatira:
A.D. 590 – 1517 (the
Great Counterfeit)
The major characteristics of
this church paralleled the church era that spanned the Middle Ages.
During this time the dominant church fabricated a system that, like
Jezebel, bound the people to image worship, superstition and witchcraft; I
mean priestcraft (Freudian slip). These
scripture verses indicate this church will still have some adherents and
some power into
the “Great Tribulation” (v.22)
but the Believing
remnant from this prostituted form of Christianity will be delivered from the clutches of the “Mother
Church” by Christ’s return. (v. 25)
Sardis:
A.D. 1517-1750 (Dead Orthodoxy)
This church symbolized the
Reformation Era. During this
period of history the church was reformed but not revived!
Some essential doctrines were reclaimed, such as the truth that
people can be justified with God only by faith, but the changes did not
shake loose the elaborate rituals and Human traditions of the medieval
church. Complacency and a new
legalism set in, and only a few tasted the Power of the Holy Spirit for
Christian living.
Philadelphia:
A.D. 1750 – 1925 (Revival
& Evangelism)
This was the great missionary
era of the church. Believers
awakened to the millions who had never heard the name of Jesus, and many
missionary movements began during this period.
During this period the church sensed its need for revival and God
sent spiritual leaders like Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards, Finney, Spurgeon,
and Moody (to name a few) sparking revivals sweeping across England and
America and other English-speaking countries.
Out of this great spiritual awakening rose many universities and
churches dedicated to Christ. Unfortunately,
missionary zeal began to wane after World War I, and though some
evangelistic movements continued to flourish, many of the schools and
churches that arose during this period have long since abandoned their
Christian heritage.
The Philadelphian church is
still present in the world and it will be here until the Second
Coming,(1Thess
4:15-17; 1Cor.:15:51&52) but it is not the dominant force in the
professing Christian church today.
I wish to God with all my
heart that it were!
Laodicea:
A.D. 1900–Tribulation (compromise & Apostasy)
Near
the turn of 20th century the scholars at many theological seminaries, particularly in Europe, introduced what they called
“Higher Criticism” of the Bible. They
were eager to examine the historicity and accuracy of the scriptures by
using research methods used in secular education.
Many
of the leading critics professed, at best, a lukewarm relationship with
God, and this was reflected in their hazy views of scripture.
More and more often skeptics began to deny outright the faith –
all in the name of scholarship – and before long they had
“Demythologized” Jesus into a mere man.
This
satanic infection spread like wildfire through the seminaries in Europe
and the U.S. and by the 1920’s it was echoing in the pulpits of American
churches. The western world
was caught up in the scientific and philosophical rationalism and the
church got sucked into the vortex because so many of its leaders had never
experienced a deep faith in Jesus.
The
sad truth is that thousands of churches around the world today call
themselves Christians, but Christ is nowhere to be in them.
Tragically, most of the unbelieving world look at them and want no
part of their sham- and I don’t either!
Although
this Laodicean lukewarmness is the predominant characteristic of the
church age today, there are signs that the Philadelphian fervor is
reviving evangelistic efforts in these closing days of human history.
That’s consistent with God’s pattern of always showering down
Grace before hurling blasts of judgment.
The
unbelievers of this era will find themselves enmeshed with the Judgments
of God during the Great Tribulation which is soon coming upon this Earth,
but those who have been faithful to God will be taken out of this world
before the Judgment.
II.
“Meta
Tauna” ~Greek
for "After these
things"
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It
is important to note that the church has been the main theme of the
Revelation until chapter six, and in chapters five and four the church is
in Heaven and isn’t seen on the Earth again till Ch. 19.
The
Big Question is: if the church is on the Earth in Chapters one thru three
and is described as present in Heaven in chapters 4 and 5, “where is the
church during the earthly devastation described in chapters 6 through 19,
and how did it get wherever it is?
Jesus’
promise to deliver the faithful church is given to us in Rev. 3:10,
but critics may say this is vague. Paul,
given a large part of the responsibility of outlining the destiny of the
church describes it more clearly in First Thessalonians 4:15-17 and First
Corinthians 15:51; 52.
It
is obvious from these verses and others that Paul predicts a time when
Jesus will raise the bodies of dead believers and simultaneously change
living saints to immortals.
Why
then, would Jesus promise that a special group of saints would go to
Heaven without experiencing death?
The
answer is, that they will be the generation of Christians that happens to
be on the Earth at the time when God’s striving with rebellious men
turns into an avalanche of judgment on the Christ rejecting world and
Satan also – a judgment so terrible that God will not allow his people
to suffer thru it. This
tribulation is for those who have rejected God’s salvation – not his
children!
Will
the Church go through the Tribulation?
Will
the Church go through part of it?
Will
the Church be spared it altogether?
These
questions have caused a great deal of controversy among true believers. Many
Bible students who believe that a time of great testing and judgment will
culminate in the return of Jesus as King of Kings are disagreed on whether
the church will have to endure this suffering along with the unbelieving
world.
f
Scripture teaches clearly
that believers will be kept from the “Time of Trial”
which God is sending upon the world to try the unbelievers. (Rev. 3:10)
Now,
the Church is mentioned Nineteen Times in the first three chapters of
Revelation and isn’t mentioned Once
as being on Earth from Chapters 4 through 19!
And it’s in these chapters that the great outpouring of God’s
wrath is described in detail.
In Rev. 3:10 Jesus promises only to take the Christians who have
“kept the Word of his Perseverance”, or lived the Gospel!
Chapter
5
Basically I perceive Chapters
4 and 5 of Revelation to be John’s literal description of the vision of
saints and angels worshiping God in Heaven culminating with “The Lamb
(Jesus) which was slain” stepping forward to collect the seven sealed
scroll or as many Biblical scholars put it: “The Title Deed of the
planet Earth”, bought back from the Devil by God Himself with His shed
blood.
The Jews have a law
concerning forfeiture which says after six years and all through the
seventh year the original owner or kinsman may purchase back said
property if they could pay the price written on the outside of the
seven-sealed scroll.
Man couldn’t pay the price
to Satan to get the world back Adam forfeited to him in the Garden, but
Jesus (our kinsman) was worthy and did it for us!
The
Tribulation Chronicle
Between
Revelation Chapters 6 thru 19 we find the horror story of the Bible.
For
those of us who understand what the prophets have taught, picking up the
morning newspaper can be a traumatic experience.
Headline after headline screams out a confirmation of these
terrible predictions.
The
Great Sign - The Woman and the
Dragon
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Revelation, Chapter 12:
1
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with
the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
2 She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
This
Great Sign in the Heavens occurred on September 23, 2017 When Venus Mars
and Mercury aligned with Leo and Jupiter ended its 9 month stay in Virgo's
womb...
The
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
"...
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it
were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see."
1st
White horse rider 2 Thess. 2:3, 7-8
2nd
horse/ War (more
destructive power than ever before)
3rd
horse/ famine (black)
this famine follows in the wake of war – should we have an atomic war
right now, the whole balance of the world’s food supply would be in a
most precarious position. 2/3
of the world is starving right now and there are very few nations which
have a surplus of food. Imagine
what would happen if a full scale atomic war was fought and all the food
supplies became contaminated and inedible.
We can easily see the possibility of a terrible famine coming over
the entire Earth.
4th
horse/ Death –
25 % of the Earth's population will die, with our population approaching 8
billion, it is difficult to imagine such carnage.
The Mystical Saint John's Vision of the Harlot Church
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The Mark of the BEAST
= 666
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" And
the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man
worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or
in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which
is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he
shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy
angels, and in the presence of the lamb ; and the smoke of their torment
ascendeth up for ever and ever; "... and
they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and
whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."
"De esse et
chimere: So if this isn't the Catholic Church this prophecy is talking
about here, I ask you, What other city in history besides Rome has ever
sat on seven hills and ruled over the kings of the Earth? Now, if this is
so, it also stands to reason that the harlot's daughters would be the
Protestant Churches...who came back to mother after a 500 year
misunderstanding." From the book of Revelation, 14 : 9
The Second Coming of
Jesus Christ
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