Chicago: Moody Press, 1999. There are three elements of this vision. John hears a voice that is so clear, has such volume and tone, that it can only be compared to a trumpet. A call to repent with judgment warnings for failure to do so. Why I Am Not Reformed (2): Israel & The Church To join a guild required participation in its idolatrous rituals. John was commanded to send each one a copy of the entire book. The book is a manifestation of His coming glory. Reflecting on Church #27: Worshiping God Despite a Bad Attitude. Intro: The book of Revelation is one of only two books in the Word of God that has encoded within it a divine outline of its contents. Series Index But as we look at the details we’ll realize it is our Lord Jesus. 1 Peter 4:17 (NASB95), This is exactly what the seven churches is about: Jesus Christ judging His church looking for impurities. Each city was on the main Roman road and they were at intervals of approximately 50-60 kilometers. He was there from the beginning of the creation, and He was going to be there until the end of time of time, He's everlasting. Our approach in these brief studies will be to take heed to the conditions as described for each church and draw out practical lessons to help us personally as believers, and to strengthen us corporately in the local Christian assemblies of which we are part. Grace is unmerited favor, mercy and grace go hand in hand. The listing follows the postal route of ancient times. There are verbal, visual, and conceptual links between the “letters” and the later visions of Revelation. ©2020 Truth and Tidings Magazine | Questions or Comments? Grace is receiving what we do not deserve. John is regarded as being the last living apostle, and his final work written at the end of the first century completed the canon of Scripture. The same John who rested his head on the breast of Jesus now cowers in fear at the sight of Jesus. My weekly newsletter will keep you in the loop on my latest news and book releases. Rather than living in enforced leisure, it is more likely that he spent time in arduous labor in the marble quarries on the island, suffering tribulation for the sake of Christ. ( Log Out /  Mark 16:1-9, the day after the Sabbath, the day that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Discipleship, Spiritual Growth, and Christian Living. The provincial center of the Roman government and the imperial cult was in Pergamos. They are represented by seven golden lampstands, and the seven angels – or messengers – of the churches, represented by seven stars in the right hand of Jesus. The persecuted, beleaguered, discouraged believers in Asia Minor to whom John addressed the book of Revelation desperately needed encouragement. From John to the seven churches which are in Asia; Romans 1:7. That's the death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Likewise, the letter to Laodicea includes no praise for that congregation. The exiled apostle has a supernatural experience, a grand vision. Sharpe, John. Message to the “seven angels” of the churches The last verse of the first chapter provides an introduction to the messages of the seven churches, which were located in the Roman province of Asia (today, southwestern Turkey) (1:20). The second and sixth churches are in the best spiritual shape and receive no rebuke (Smyrna, Philadelphia). What is one thing you need to change? The church is made up of many members who are seeking to worship God through Jesus the Christ. The descriptive phrase chosen from the vision is appropriate to each specific church. Unless indicated otherwise, all scripture quotations on this website are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. A. Revelation 1:19 (NASB95). For each church God shares words of commendation and condemnation. His visitation prepares his people to engage in faithful witness in hostile environments. John heard a loud voice behind him, He said He was the "The First and the Last." He seeks a fresh approach to faith and following God through the lens of scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day… Revelation 1:9-10 (NASB95). There are variations in this outline. Sunday Evenings @ 5:00 PM, Summer Series: The Seven Churches of Asia. You don’t meet the risen and glorified Lord and call Him “Buddy,” you fall to the ground in fear! The summons to hear the Spirit is followed by promises to overcomers in the first three letters. Anyone who sins put Jesus on the Christ, and when we choose how we will respond to this. We might summarize it in a simple threefold way: Christ’s Authority – He presents Himself to each church in a unique way. He is keenly interested in the local churches. © Truth & Tidings - http://truthandtidings.com/2019/10/the-seven-churches-introduction/, Editorial: Virtue Signaling The seven “letters” of chapters 2-3 are not separate documents but integral parts of the whole book, which cannot be understood apart from them. Jesus is perfectly suited to be the judge of all the earth! When it took place… John was “in the Spirit” - which means he was in a state of fervent prayer and meditation – on the Lord’s Day. First John saw…, Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. In chapter 1 of Revelation we read the book’s introduction. Click here to Download PDF copy of this post, The Nicolaitans | Insights into Bible Prophecy, First Vision – Seven Lampstands | Insights into Bible Prophecy, Original Recipients of Revelation | Insights into Bible Prophecy, Unsealed Scroll of Daniel | Insights into Bible Prophecy, Stargazers, Monthly Prognosticators & the Great Apostasy, Follow Insights into Bible Prophecy on WordPress.com. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The things “which you have seen” are what John saw in chapter one (our text today). You’ll get the scoop on each one, good and bad. Is more in view? Petterson, David, Attributes that Anchor Us: God is Love This included societal if not governmental pressure to participate in the imperial cult, the veneration of the emperor. Yes, God is always at work, and Christ continues to build His Church, but there are no guarantees as to the permanence of any specific testimony in any given place. “You are the light of the world. Precious stones are not set in tin or steel, they are set in gold, a precious metal. The white head and hair symbolized His purity in judgment. Having made landfall at Ephesus, a letter-carrier would travel north to Smyrna, east to Pergamos, southeast to Thyatira, south to Sardis, east-southeast to Philadelphia and, finally, southeast to Laodicea. It only remains to explain that the geographical area referred to as “Asia” was part of the Roman province of that name, known in history as Asia Minor. Hebrews 4:12 (NASB95), And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. What can we learn from these churches to affirm and reform our local branch of Jesus’s church today? So you won’t find out who the anti-Christ is going to be, nor will you learn how Russia fits in to the end-times scenario, and you can forget about discovering just what is the mark of the beast? Why he was there… his faith: John most likely had been banished there by Emperor Domitian as a wave of persecution against Christians swept the Roman Empire. He is arrayed in priestly garments, trims the wicks and adds oil to the lampstands. The stars are the angels of the churches and…, B. It does me. ( Log Out /  We know that Jesus is the High Priest above all others…, Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; Hebrews 3:1 (NASB95), Thankfully, we don’t have to sneak into some little box with a priest to confess our sins. Commentators struggle with whether the “messenger” of each church is an angelic being or a human leader of each congregation. The opening vision pictures the churches as seven golden lampstands among whom the glorified “son of man” walks. John fell at His feet as if he were dead. Nothing can stand against the Word of God and Jesus is the Word of God! John knew Him as the gentle Savior, but here he sees Him as the terrible and mighty Priest-King. He is the center of the faith, the revelation of God’s “mysteries,” and the interpretive key to Scripture. Christ is introduced to us at the beginning of Revelation in all His royal majesty and judicial power. They fall into three groups based on their spiritual conditions. Black, Jonathan, Do the Work of an Evangelist: The Printed Page The attributes of Jesus given at the start of a letter are thematic for its contents. [1] All Scripture quotations in this article are from the KJV. The exiled apostle has a supernatural experience, a grand vision. Sunday is the Lord’s Day for the Christian. In the Revelation, he was divinely commissioned to “write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter” (Rev 1:19). There are many reasons why local testimonies cease to exist. He would then return to Ephesus from Laodicea, forming a roughly circular route. Where he was… the island of Patmos: a rocky and isolated island off the coast of modern day Turkey. Revelation 1:14-15 (NASB95). In remembrance of who He IS, and WAS, and who HE WILL BE. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. It was written during a specific time, a time of persecution, Revelation 2:10. What is the purpose of these messages in Revelation? In the Revelation, the seven churches were identifiable local companies of true believers, called out of the world and gathered to the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of your translations may have “candlesticks.” Even our graphic shows them as such. The letter was written as a sense of hope. John the Apostle, while on the Isle of Patmos most likely exiled there because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. The visitation of Jesus to each church prepares the reader to understand the visions that follow in the rest of the book. There are few physical remains and even less of a spiritual nature. Introduction: Part 1 of 8. He's describing those who are not following the will of God. He will be here at the end of the earth as well. One commentator noted: “This vision of Christ was totally different in appearance from the Saviour that John knew “in the flesh” when He was ministering on earth.