prophecyandnews@biblestudyspace.com
Bible Prophecy : Laodecianism, The 7 CHURCHES
http://prophecylibrary.ning.com/This is the prophesied role of the church, to be persecuted from the outside and contaminated from within. The Seven Churches clarify and detail the nature of this phenomenon. A quick review of church history reveals the close connection between the Revelation prophecy and the
great difficulty faced by the historic church. Each of the Seven Churches reveals that it faced some task of extreme challenge. A brief retrospective shows this to be the case.
Ephesus
The zeal and purity of Apostolic teaching characterized the church from the resurrection of Christ in A.D. 30 until the end of the century, A.D. 100. As we would expect, it is commended for standing against false teachers, the onerous task that greeted virtually every representative of Christ in the first century. Sadly, its first love is beginning to cool.
The first church: Ephesus
The port city of Ephesus was a short voyage from Patmos. Therefore one could logically send a letter there and then on to the remaining six cities Christ mentioned.
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the Roman roads that stretched from Ephesus to Laodicea. "It is no accident," notes John McRay, "that the letters in Revelation 1-3 are arranged in this same sequence. Beginning with Ephesus, the roads follow a geographic semicircle, extending northward, turning to the east, and continuing southward to Laodicea—thus connecting the cities on what must have functioned as an ancient postal route" (Archaeology and the New Testament, 1997, p. 242).
The apostle Paul had founded a large church in Ephesus, and now Jesus addressed the members there with a prophetic message that applied to them and was predictive of the Church's future. Jesus had told John: "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are [at the present time], and the things which will take place after this [in the future]" (verse 19, emphasis added throughout). Hence part of the message of Revelation would apply to John's time, and part would be for future generations.
Christ recognizes the effort of the Ephesian brethren, in spite of many obstacles, to keep the faith and carry out the commission He had given them. "I know your works, your labor, your patience," He told them, "and that you cannot bear those who are evil" (Revelation 2:2).
In Ephesus was much evil to avoid— within and without the congregation. It was there that Paul had warned the "elders of the church" (Acts 20:17): "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves" (verses 29-30).
Moreover, the Ephesian brethren had to resist the many temptations the immensely popular pagan temple worship offered them. Archaeologists have found at Ephesus the ruins of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Diana, or Artemis, also mentioned in the Bible (Acts 19:27). Thousands of priests and priestesses served the temple; many of the priestesses were dedicated to cultic prostitution.
Centuries earlier Heracleitus, an Ephesian philosopher, described the inhabitants there as "fit only to be drowned[,] and the reason why [they] could never laugh or smile was because [they] lived amidst such terrible uncleanness." Such was the reputation of ancient Ephesus. It would have been difficult to live as a Christian in the midst of such an immoral city.
Knowing this, Christ gives the brethren the hope that if they persevere in the faith they will receive something that all the temple worship of Diana could never give them—the gift of eternal life. "To him who overcomes," He promised, "I will give to eat from the tree of life [symbolizing eternal life], which is in the midst of the Paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).
Smyrna
This church is generally held to represent the church period of A.D. 100 to A.D. 312, a time of several severe Roman persecutions. It faced "tribulation, and poverty," as it fought against a group described as, "… them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan" (Rev. 2:9).
These are probably the Gentile adherents to the various forms of Judeo-gnosticism, which held to legalistic Judaism and the belief that Christ came in a spirit body, not a fleshly one.
Smyrna: Center of emperor worship
The next city on the ancient postal circuit was Smyrna, about 40 miles north of Ephesus. It was a flourishing city and the main center of emperor worship.
Jesus tells the church in Smyrna: "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days" (verse 10).
These words had not only a prophetic sense but a literal fulfillment in John's day as well. The brethren in Smyrna knew they were special targets of the persecution under Domitian, for the city's history had shown an unwavering loyalty to Rome. It was proud that it had been declared a "free city," which meant its residents had the right to govern their own affairs.
"Long before Rome was undisputed mistress of the world," comments William Barclay, "Smyrna had cast in its lot with her, never to waver in its fidelity. Cicero [the Roman orator] called Smyrna 'one of our most faithful and most ancient allies' . . . Such was the reverence of Smyrna for Rome that as far back as 195 B.C. it was the first city in the world to erect a temple to the goddess Roma" (Letters to the Seven Churches, 1957, p. 29).
The only way Church members could go about peacefully in this place was to carry a certificate showing they had offered incense to the emperor and proclaimed him lord. Among the ancient papyri letters that archaeologists have found is one with such a request and another with an accompanying certificate declaring: "We, the representatives of the Emperor, Serenos and Hermas, have seen you sacrificing."
Many of the Christians in Smyrna would die because of fierce persecutions. So Christ encourages and reminds them that He is offering them something Caesar worship could never provide—the chance to live forever. He exhorts them: "He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (verse 11).
Pergamos
The emperor Constantine's Edict of Toleration in A.D. 312, commanded the Roman government to cease its persecution of Christianity, and to make the church part of the state. Before that, the fathers of the early church struggled to maintain Apostolic purity, against the growing realization that Christ's return for the church might be a good while in coming.
The Roman church took the view that its acceptance would bring great political and financial power, which of course, it did. For over a thousand years, it grew in power, prestige and growing corruption. Some Greek scholars have pointed out that "Pergamos" means "definitely married." Some even translate it "bigamy." Whatever the case, the period represented by this church witnessed the tragic spectacle of the church being married to the world system.
By about A.D. 500, this state church had thoroughly established itself, and the doctrine of the "Nicolaitanes" was imbedded in a priesthood that had been neither described nor approved by the Apostles.
"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (verse 11).
Pergamos: "Where Satan's throne is"
Next on the Roman mail route was Pergamos, the Roman capital of Asia Minor. This city would never reach the commercial greatness of Ephesus or Smyrna, but it was the indisputable center of religious, medical and artistic culture of the region. The city's famous library, with 200,000 parchment rolls, was rivaled only by the library in Alexandria, Egypt.
Christ tells the church at Pergamos: "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is" (verse 13). Again, this prophecy had a literal fulfillment as well as serving as a description of a future time for the Church.
The mention of Satan's throne in Pergamos likely refers to the famous worship of its most popular deity, the serpent god Asklepios Soter, whose Latin equivalent means "the man-instructing serpent and savior." The serpent god was none other than Satan, whom Revelation describes as "that serpent of old, called the Devil" (Revelation 12:9).
Pergamos was so renowned for the worship of this god, who supposedly healed the sick, that this deity was called "the Pergamene god." Many of the coins discovered in Pergamos have the serpent as part of their design.
The remains of the shrine to Asklepios have been uncovered by archaeologists. "A 450-foot segment of the widest section was excavated and reconstructed so visitors to the site can experience a beautiful approach to the Asklepieion," notes John McRay. "Dedicated to Asklepios Soter, the god of healing, the Asklepieion was a kind of Mayo Clinic of the ancient world . . . Numerous treatment rooms, sleeping rooms (for incubation and autosuggestion in psychiatric treatment), meeting rooms, and temples were located here . . . Patients coming to the shrine believed that Asklepios would heal them. There was no perceived dissonance between science and religion in the ancient world" (McRay, pp. 271-272).
"From all over the world," adds William Barclay, "people flocked to Pergamos for relief of their sicknesses. R.H. Charles has called Pergamos 'the Lourdes of the ancient world' . . . Thus, pagan religion had its center in Pergamos. There was the worship of Athene and Zeus, with its magnificent altar dominating the city [now partially reconstructed in the Pergamum Museum in Berlin]. There was the worship of Asklepios, bringing sick people from far and near, and above all there were the demands of Caesar worship, hanging forever like a poised sword above the heads of the Christians" (The Daily Study Bible, notes on Revelation 2:12-17, Bible Explorer Software).
Origin of serpent worship in Pergamos
How did serpent worship begin in Pergamos? Some historians trace it to the collapse of the Babylonian Empire, when some Chaldean priests established their religious center in Pergamos. "The defeated Chaldeans fled to Asia Minor, and fixed their central college at Pergamos," notes historian William Barker in his book Lares and Penates of Cilicia (1853, p. 232).
Certainly the Old Testament identifies Satan's chief seat of activity as being in ancient Babylon, where the doctrines of its mystery religion "made all the earth drunk" (Jeremiah 51:7). This would make its religious successor, Pergamos, the temporary new "Satan's seat" of the Babylonian mystery religion.
"That seat," comments Alexander Hislop, "after the death of Belshazzar [the last Babylonian king], and the expulsion of the Chaldean priesthood from Babylon by the Medo-Persian kings, was at Pergamos, where afterwards was one of the seven churches of Asia. There, in consequence, for many centuries was 'Satan's seat.'
"There, under favor of the deified kings of Pergamos, was his favorite abode and was the worship of Asklepios, under the form of the serpent . . . Pergamos itself became part and parcel of the Roman Empire, when Attalus III, the last of its kings, at his death, left by will all his dominions to the Roman people in 133 BC" (The Two Babylons, 1959, p. 240).
In this way, the Roman emperors had become the heirs of "Satan's seat" during John's day. Later, when the Roman Empire collapsed, its successor, the Holy Roman Empire, would inherit the role. It is noteworthy that Revelation 17:4-5, 18 reveals that in the end time a powerful religious system from the ancient past will again reign over the nations and be identified as "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth."
http://www.crossroadschurch.com/media/video.asp?file=http%3A%2F%2Fm...
Thyatira
This, the church of the Dark Ages, lasted a thousand years, from A.D. 500 to A.D. 1500 – a millennium of darkness! This was a period that witnessed the birth of many pervasive false doctrines, including salvation through water baptism, transubstantiation (the observance of Christ's continual sacrifice), purgatory and indulgences, and the general belief in salvation through works, rather than simply by faith.
In Rev. 2:20, Thyatira is called "Jezebel," the evil woman who first appeared as the priestess of Baal who married King Ahab, but in the end will appear as "Mystery Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth: (Rev. 17:5). It is plain to see that the church that dominated this period had internalized what was formerly referred to as the "Babylonian Mystery Religion."
Pressure to compromise in Thyatira
Some 40 miles east of Pergamos lay Thyatira, a city important for its commerce in wool and textiles.
When the city was excavated from 1968 to 1971, its architectural remains showed it had the typical Roman style of colonnades and public buildings and a temple to the goddess Artemis. The city was especially famous for its fine woolen cloth, usually dyed in a shade that came to be called Thyatiran purple. It was from Thyatira that Lydia, a seller of purple and convert to Christianity, had come (Acts 16:14). Inscriptions at the site reveal the existence of trade guilds, many of them associated with the powerful textile industry.
Christ says about this congregation: "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols" (Revelation 2:19-20).
Since Thyatira was a religious center, and the home of powerful guilds demanding religious participation of their workers in their banquets, it was difficult for Christians to resist falling into idolatry.
"The strong trade guilds in this city," says Leon Morris, "would have made it very difficult for any Christian to earn his living without belonging to a guild. But membership involved attendance at guild banquets, and this in turn meant eating meat which had first been sacrificed to an idol. What was a Christian to do? If he did not conform he was out of a job . . .
"The teaching of Jezebel [probably a symbolic name] apparently reasoned that an idol is of no consequence, and advised Christians to eat such meals. That these meals all too readily degenerated into sexual looseness made matters worse. But we can understand that some Christians would welcome a heresy of this type. It enabled them to maintain a Christian profession while countenancing and even engaging in immoral heathen revels" (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, 1975, p. 71).
Christ reminds the Thyatiran brethren they must come out of that worldly society, no matter how enticing it appeared, and not compromise with the truth. He promises to those of Thyatira who remain faithful that they will be arrayed, not in Thyatiran purple, a cloth used mainly by Roman royalty, but at His coming with the spiritual mantle of rulership over the nations.
He tells them that "he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'—as I also have received from My Father" (Revelation 2:26-27).
http://www.crossroadschurch.com/media/video.asp?file=http%3A%2F%2Fm...
Sardis
Around A.D. 1500, tiny beams of light began to appear through the thousand-year pall that had hung over the religious monarchies of Europe who had built their power structures in conjunction with Papal authority. Around this time, William Tyndale translated the Latin Bible into English. Sentenced to death for this act, he had nevertheless, launched a movement toward individual Bible study that would not be stopped.
The year 1517 provided the most obvious time marker for this period, when Martin Luther posted his 95 theological declarations on the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg.
His central motive was to reestablish the doctrine of justification by faith, rather than church-approved works. Though this period witnessed an awakening, it failed to free Christianity from the oppression of Europe's Holy Roman Emperors and their attendant state churches, such as the Lutheran, Anglican and similar state churches. Therefore, it largely remained a dead church.
This began to change after 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War in Germany. By around 1700, a new atmosphere began to prevail, in which Christian dialogue and missionary activity quickened.
Sardis: Warning to watch
Poised above the rich Hermus Valley, Sardis was 30 miles south of Thyatira. The city appeared as a gigantic watchtower and was considered impregnable. Five roads converged below it and contributed to Sardis's status as a great commercial center. The wealth of the city—which had been the capital of the Lydian Empire under the opulent King Croesus—was legendary.
Christ exhorts this church, "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God" (Revelation 3:2).
The Sardian brethren could readily identify with a warning to be watchful. The only two times Sardis had been conquered were when its citizens had become overconfident and failed to watch.
Once, when King Cyrus of Persia besieged the city, the Sardians, nestled in their fortress high above, paid little attention to the invader. Cyrus could not find a way to get up to the citadel and even offered a reward to the soldier who discovered a pathway. Sometime later a vigilant Persian soldier spied a defender who had accidentally dropped his helmet from above. The careless soldier climbed down a secret pathway to retrieve it, and that night the Persians led their troops up the same pathway and to the top. To their surprise, the site was completely unguarded. The watchmen had gone home to sleep, thinking there was no need to keep guard at night—and so Sardis fell.
Incredibly, several centuries later the same sequence of events occurred when a Greek general besieged the city. After a year's siege the Greeks appeared to lose all hope of conquering the city. Then one of the Sardian soldiers dropped a helmet and retrieved it. That night the Greeks led some men up the steep cliff. When they reached the top, the place was again unguarded. Sardis's inhabitants had forgotten their lesson, and their city fell again.
Christ uses this lesson to drive home a powerful spiritual point to His Church: "Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you" (verse 3).
http://www.crossroadschurch.com/media/video.asp?file=http%3A%2F%2Fm...
Philadelphia
The years following 1700 also witnessed the rapid rise of invention. James Watt invented the steam engine. Benjamin Franklin was born. Newtonian physics revolutionized science. The newspaper business exploded into an information revolution.
Still, the post-Reformation state churches of Europe all took the view that they would remain the holders of great political and financial power. They were aligned with kings whose monarchies were considered divinely ordained. And so, the divine right of kings characterized church power, which considered the ruling class to be naturally superior to the impoverished serfs.
But something had changed. Where once only the priests of state churches could read the Bible, the repressed masses of the world now eagerly began to learn Scripture. The pilgrims of the New World linked the words of the Bible and freedom in Christ with the ownership of private property and representative government.
With the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776, the power of the state was broken. Through the Industrial Revolution, global travel and the rise of modern economies, the light of the Gospel blazed forth. Halfway through the nineteenth century, an enormous change took place when, in England and America, independent Bible studies began to predict Israel's return to the Holy Land. At the same time, the great missionary movements began to span the globe with the message of the Gospel.
As the year 1900 approached, the great missionary movements came to their full potential. The modern church was born.
Faithfulness in Philadelphia
About 25 miles southeast of Sardis lay the city of Philadelphia, newest of the seven cities. An imperial road passed through it from Rome to the east, so it became known as "the gateway to the East."
Christ says to this church: "These things says He who is holy, He who is true . . . Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more" (Revelation 3:7, 11-12).
Christ emphasizes His loyalty to His true followers and reminds them to be equally faithful to Him. If they persevere in His Word, He will give them a crown that they may rule with Him in His Kingdom.
We find a definite theme of brotherly fidelity in this section. The Philadelphian brethren could well identify with this admonition.
Philadelphia means "brotherly love." The city was named after the love the king who founded the city held for his brother. The city was established by Attalus II (159138 B.C.), who was called Philadelphus ("brother lover") in honor of his loyal affection toward his brother, King Eumenes II of Pergamos. During his brother's lifetime Attalus II was his most loyal assistant. He successfully commanded his brother's forces in several wars and later became the trusted ambassador to their ally, Rome. There he won respect and admiration from the Romans for his brotherly fidelity.
The New Bible Dictionary comments: "As Philadelphus was renowned for his loyalty to his brother, so the church, the true Philadelphia, inherits and fulfills his character by its steadfast loyalty to Christ" (1982, "Philadelphia," p. 926).
http://www.crossroadschurch.com/media/video.asp?file=http%3A%2F%2Fm...
Laodicea
Sadly, the year 1900 also witnessed the rise of the institutional church. The key word of the twentieth century was "business, business, business!" Getting rich became the goal of every schoolboy. The 19th century model of Horatio Alger now permeated American and European society. His rags-to-riches stories had inspired what came to be called the "American Dream."
It also penetrated the church, which eagerly adopted the business model, principles of modern accounting and fund-raising. As the century progressed through two World Wars and the battle against Communism, a great portion of Christian activity increasingly focused upon financial growth. At the same time, the zeal for sound doctrine faded.
The great spiritual lesson of Paul was ignored. Remember, the Lord instructed Him, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Cor. 12:9).
From 1900 to the present, the Laodicean model has increasingly taken hold of church administration. Big business, communication and international impact have come to dominate the minds of church planners. And for the last three decades, the computer has tightly bound the secular business model into church structure.
Much of the church has indeed risen from rags to riches, but often, to the detriment of the church's true role, that of "perfecting the saints" through the teaching of sound doctrine.
A Historical Timeline
The preceding recap of church history is commonly accepted, and has been published many times. The clear documentation of what happens when the body of Christ interacts over a long period of time with the world system is now taken as the norm. It is a linear history, providing a splendid example – an exhibit that will forever stand as instruction to those who think about rebelling against the Lord God.
Its high point is found in Ephesus, the first church in the series, where Paul stayed for two years. It is also the name of Paul's epistle which introduces and details the church as the body of Christ. An important city, it was called "The Landing Place." Romans and Greeks had long regarded it as the Aegean Sea's gateway to Asia Minor. Long after Paul's execution, the Apostle John became the bishop (overseer) of this important place. He remained there until his death at the end of the first century. It boasted one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the great pagan temple of Diana of the Ephesians, mentioned in Acts 19.
Thus, the very headquarters of the church was established in the shadow of diabolical power. Should we think of this as strange? Not if we are really familiar with the ages-long redemptive history of the broken creation. God chose not to destroy Satan, called "the anointed cherub that covereth," in Ezekiel 28:14. Of course, his sin was a personal determination to exert his will over that of God … to be "like the most high" (Is. 14:14).
His was a rebellion of immense proportion. Perhaps millions or billions of the heavenly host joined him. Yet the Lord, who could have wiped out both he and his followers in an instant, allowed him to retain control over a designated territory. We are not entirely certain about its extent, but it does include planet earth. The dragon, or serpent, was even allowed to corrupt the first human couple.
His temptation of Eve was exactly analogous to what has taken place in the history of the church. He and his representatives repeat his original role, as they tempt and corrupt its members. They accomplish much destruction, but the cause of the Lord goes on in spite of their disruption.
Rather than destroying Satan, the Lord allows him to act as tempter, in exactly the same manner as he did with Paul's thorn in the flesh. Just as his strength was made perfect in weakness, so the church is tempered through struggle.
Laodicea: Warning to repent
The last city on the route was Laodicea, 45 miles southeast of Philadelphia. With three main roads crossing it, the city was one of the richest commercial centers in the world. The Laodiceans were famous for producing shiny, black wool clothing and boasted of an outstanding medical center that specialized in eye ointments. With the wealth amassed, it had also become the banking center of the region.
Christ says to this church: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (verses 15-18).
Archaeologists have discovered the main aqueduct going to Laodicea, and several miles of it can still be traced. The water piped in from the south had so many minerals that the Roman engineers had covers installed so they could remove the mineral deposits before the pipes clogged.
"For all its wealth, the city had poor water," says The Expositor's Bible Commentary. "The water either came from the nearby hot springs and was cooled to lukewarm or came from a cooler source and warmed up in the aqueduct on the way" (notes on Revelation 3, Zondervan software).
Christ uses the Laodiceans'lukewarm and distasteful water to point out that their poor spiritual state is equally offensive to Him. He warns them that, if they do not rapidly improve their spiritual condition, He will reject them. He detests the Laodicean attitude of compromising with God's laws. By contrast, He later describes those who are faithful to Him as "those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12).
Further, even if their clothing were world renowned, Christ tells them their "spiritual garments" were in pitiful condition. He recommends they focus instead on buying from Him the spiritual clothing of true righteousness that He later describes as "fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" (Revelation 19:8).
Jesus next tells those brethren, who were blind to their true spiritual condition, that the "Phrygian powder" concocted in their medical center as an eye ointment was useless. Instead, He advised them to use His true spiritual eye salve so they can clearly see and repent of their compromising attitudes.
Lastly, Christ warns them not to put their trust in their physical wealth but in Him, who can develop the true gold that comes from overcoming trials and building righteous spiritual character. This solid advice is of lasting value to the entirety of the Church at any time in its history
Conclusion
This concludes our archaeological review of the last book of the Bible. We hope this series has been a satisfying journey through the Bible and that it has strengthened your faith.
Throughout this series we have confirmed what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
great difficulty faced by the historic church. Each of the Seven Churches reveals that it faced some task of extreme challenge. A brief retrospective shows this to be the case.
Ephesus
The zeal and purity of Apostolic teaching characterized the church from the resurrection of Christ in A.D. 30 until the end of the century, A.D. 100. As we would expect, it is commended for standing against false teachers, the onerous task that greeted virtually every representative of Christ in the first century. Sadly, its first love is beginning to cool.
The first church: Ephesus
The port city of Ephesus was a short voyage from Patmos. Therefore one could logically send a letter there and then on to the remaining six cities Christ mentioned.
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the Roman roads that stretched from Ephesus to Laodicea. "It is no accident," notes John McRay, "that the letters in Revelation 1-3 are arranged in this same sequence. Beginning with Ephesus, the roads follow a geographic semicircle, extending northward, turning to the east, and continuing southward to Laodicea—thus connecting the cities on what must have functioned as an ancient postal route" (Archaeology and the New Testament, 1997, p. 242).
The apostle Paul had founded a large church in Ephesus, and now Jesus addressed the members there with a prophetic message that applied to them and was predictive of the Church's future. Jesus had told John: "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are [at the present time], and the things which will take place after this [in the future]" (verse 19, emphasis added throughout). Hence part of the message of Revelation would apply to John's time, and part would be for future generations.
Christ recognizes the effort of the Ephesian brethren, in spite of many obstacles, to keep the faith and carry out the commission He had given them. "I know your works, your labor, your patience," He told them, "and that you cannot bear those who are evil" (Revelation 2:2).
In Ephesus was much evil to avoid— within and without the congregation. It was there that Paul had warned the "elders of the church" (Acts 20:17): "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves" (verses 29-30).
Moreover, the Ephesian brethren had to resist the many temptations the immensely popular pagan temple worship offered them. Archaeologists have found at Ephesus the ruins of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Diana, or Artemis, also mentioned in the Bible (Acts 19:27). Thousands of priests and priestesses served the temple; many of the priestesses were dedicated to cultic prostitution.
Centuries earlier Heracleitus, an Ephesian philosopher, described the inhabitants there as "fit only to be drowned[,] and the reason why [they] could never laugh or smile was because [they] lived amidst such terrible uncleanness." Such was the reputation of ancient Ephesus. It would have been difficult to live as a Christian in the midst of such an immoral city.
Knowing this, Christ gives the brethren the hope that if they persevere in the faith they will receive something that all the temple worship of Diana could never give them—the gift of eternal life. "To him who overcomes," He promised, "I will give to eat from the tree of life [symbolizing eternal life], which is in the midst of the Paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).
Smyrna
This church is generally held to represent the church period of A.D. 100 to A.D. 312, a time of several severe Roman persecutions. It faced "tribulation, and poverty," as it fought against a group described as, "… them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan" (Rev. 2:9).
These are probably the Gentile adherents to the various forms of Judeo-gnosticism, which held to legalistic Judaism and the belief that Christ came in a spirit body, not a fleshly one.
Smyrna: Center of emperor worship
The next city on the ancient postal circuit was Smyrna, about 40 miles north of Ephesus. It was a flourishing city and the main center of emperor worship.
Jesus tells the church in Smyrna: "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days" (verse 10).
These words had not only a prophetic sense but a literal fulfillment in John's day as well. The brethren in Smyrna knew they were special targets of the persecution under Domitian, for the city's history had shown an unwavering loyalty to Rome. It was proud that it had been declared a "free city," which meant its residents had the right to govern their own affairs.
"Long before Rome was undisputed mistress of the world," comments William Barclay, "Smyrna had cast in its lot with her, never to waver in its fidelity. Cicero [the Roman orator] called Smyrna 'one of our most faithful and most ancient allies' . . . Such was the reverence of Smyrna for Rome that as far back as 195 B.C. it was the first city in the world to erect a temple to the goddess Roma" (Letters to the Seven Churches, 1957, p. 29).
The only way Church members could go about peacefully in this place was to carry a certificate showing they had offered incense to the emperor and proclaimed him lord. Among the ancient papyri letters that archaeologists have found is one with such a request and another with an accompanying certificate declaring: "We, the representatives of the Emperor, Serenos and Hermas, have seen you sacrificing."
Many of the Christians in Smyrna would die because of fierce persecutions. So Christ encourages and reminds them that He is offering them something Caesar worship could never provide—the chance to live forever. He exhorts them: "He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (verse 11).
Pergamos
The emperor Constantine's Edict of Toleration in A.D. 312, commanded the Roman government to cease its persecution of Christianity, and to make the church part of the state. Before that, the fathers of the early church struggled to maintain Apostolic purity, against the growing realization that Christ's return for the church might be a good while in coming.
The Roman church took the view that its acceptance would bring great political and financial power, which of course, it did. For over a thousand years, it grew in power, prestige and growing corruption. Some Greek scholars have pointed out that "Pergamos" means "definitely married." Some even translate it "bigamy." Whatever the case, the period represented by this church witnessed the tragic spectacle of the church being married to the world system.
By about A.D. 500, this state church had thoroughly established itself, and the doctrine of the "Nicolaitanes" was imbedded in a priesthood that had been neither described nor approved by the Apostles.
"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (verse 11).
Pergamos: "Where Satan's throne is"
Next on the Roman mail route was Pergamos, the Roman capital of Asia Minor. This city would never reach the commercial greatness of Ephesus or Smyrna, but it was the indisputable center of religious, medical and artistic culture of the region. The city's famous library, with 200,000 parchment rolls, was rivaled only by the library in Alexandria, Egypt.
Christ tells the church at Pergamos: "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is" (verse 13). Again, this prophecy had a literal fulfillment as well as serving as a description of a future time for the Church.
The mention of Satan's throne in Pergamos likely refers to the famous worship of its most popular deity, the serpent god Asklepios Soter, whose Latin equivalent means "the man-instructing serpent and savior." The serpent god was none other than Satan, whom Revelation describes as "that serpent of old, called the Devil" (Revelation 12:9).
Pergamos was so renowned for the worship of this god, who supposedly healed the sick, that this deity was called "the Pergamene god." Many of the coins discovered in Pergamos have the serpent as part of their design.
The remains of the shrine to Asklepios have been uncovered by archaeologists. "A 450-foot segment of the widest section was excavated and reconstructed so visitors to the site can experience a beautiful approach to the Asklepieion," notes John McRay. "Dedicated to Asklepios Soter, the god of healing, the Asklepieion was a kind of Mayo Clinic of the ancient world . . . Numerous treatment rooms, sleeping rooms (for incubation and autosuggestion in psychiatric treatment), meeting rooms, and temples were located here . . . Patients coming to the shrine believed that Asklepios would heal them. There was no perceived dissonance between science and religion in the ancient world" (McRay, pp. 271-272).
"From all over the world," adds William Barclay, "people flocked to Pergamos for relief of their sicknesses. R.H. Charles has called Pergamos 'the Lourdes of the ancient world' . . . Thus, pagan religion had its center in Pergamos. There was the worship of Athene and Zeus, with its magnificent altar dominating the city [now partially reconstructed in the Pergamum Museum in Berlin]. There was the worship of Asklepios, bringing sick people from far and near, and above all there were the demands of Caesar worship, hanging forever like a poised sword above the heads of the Christians" (The Daily Study Bible, notes on Revelation 2:12-17, Bible Explorer Software).
Origin of serpent worship in Pergamos
How did serpent worship begin in Pergamos? Some historians trace it to the collapse of the Babylonian Empire, when some Chaldean priests established their religious center in Pergamos. "The defeated Chaldeans fled to Asia Minor, and fixed their central college at Pergamos," notes historian William Barker in his book Lares and Penates of Cilicia (1853, p. 232).
Certainly the Old Testament identifies Satan's chief seat of activity as being in ancient Babylon, where the doctrines of its mystery religion "made all the earth drunk" (Jeremiah 51:7). This would make its religious successor, Pergamos, the temporary new "Satan's seat" of the Babylonian mystery religion.
"That seat," comments Alexander Hislop, "after the death of Belshazzar [the last Babylonian king], and the expulsion of the Chaldean priesthood from Babylon by the Medo-Persian kings, was at Pergamos, where afterwards was one of the seven churches of Asia. There, in consequence, for many centuries was 'Satan's seat.'
"There, under favor of the deified kings of Pergamos, was his favorite abode and was the worship of Asklepios, under the form of the serpent . . . Pergamos itself became part and parcel of the Roman Empire, when Attalus III, the last of its kings, at his death, left by will all his dominions to the Roman people in 133 BC" (The Two Babylons, 1959, p. 240).
In this way, the Roman emperors had become the heirs of "Satan's seat" during John's day. Later, when the Roman Empire collapsed, its successor, the Holy Roman Empire, would inherit the role. It is noteworthy that Revelation 17:4-5, 18 reveals that in the end time a powerful religious system from the ancient past will again reign over the nations and be identified as "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth."
http://www.crossroadschurch.com/media/video.asp?file=http%3A%2F%2Fm...
Thyatira
This, the church of the Dark Ages, lasted a thousand years, from A.D. 500 to A.D. 1500 – a millennium of darkness! This was a period that witnessed the birth of many pervasive false doctrines, including salvation through water baptism, transubstantiation (the observance of Christ's continual sacrifice), purgatory and indulgences, and the general belief in salvation through works, rather than simply by faith.
In Rev. 2:20, Thyatira is called "Jezebel," the evil woman who first appeared as the priestess of Baal who married King Ahab, but in the end will appear as "Mystery Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth: (Rev. 17:5). It is plain to see that the church that dominated this period had internalized what was formerly referred to as the "Babylonian Mystery Religion."
Pressure to compromise in Thyatira
Some 40 miles east of Pergamos lay Thyatira, a city important for its commerce in wool and textiles.
When the city was excavated from 1968 to 1971, its architectural remains showed it had the typical Roman style of colonnades and public buildings and a temple to the goddess Artemis. The city was especially famous for its fine woolen cloth, usually dyed in a shade that came to be called Thyatiran purple. It was from Thyatira that Lydia, a seller of purple and convert to Christianity, had come (Acts 16:14). Inscriptions at the site reveal the existence of trade guilds, many of them associated with the powerful textile industry.
Christ says about this congregation: "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols" (Revelation 2:19-20).
Since Thyatira was a religious center, and the home of powerful guilds demanding religious participation of their workers in their banquets, it was difficult for Christians to resist falling into idolatry.
"The strong trade guilds in this city," says Leon Morris, "would have made it very difficult for any Christian to earn his living without belonging to a guild. But membership involved attendance at guild banquets, and this in turn meant eating meat which had first been sacrificed to an idol. What was a Christian to do? If he did not conform he was out of a job . . .
"The teaching of Jezebel [probably a symbolic name] apparently reasoned that an idol is of no consequence, and advised Christians to eat such meals. That these meals all too readily degenerated into sexual looseness made matters worse. But we can understand that some Christians would welcome a heresy of this type. It enabled them to maintain a Christian profession while countenancing and even engaging in immoral heathen revels" (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, 1975, p. 71).
Christ reminds the Thyatiran brethren they must come out of that worldly society, no matter how enticing it appeared, and not compromise with the truth. He promises to those of Thyatira who remain faithful that they will be arrayed, not in Thyatiran purple, a cloth used mainly by Roman royalty, but at His coming with the spiritual mantle of rulership over the nations.
He tells them that "he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'—as I also have received from My Father" (Revelation 2:26-27).
http://www.crossroadschurch.com/media/video.asp?file=http%3A%2F%2Fm...
Sardis
Around A.D. 1500, tiny beams of light began to appear through the thousand-year pall that had hung over the religious monarchies of Europe who had built their power structures in conjunction with Papal authority. Around this time, William Tyndale translated the Latin Bible into English. Sentenced to death for this act, he had nevertheless, launched a movement toward individual Bible study that would not be stopped.
The year 1517 provided the most obvious time marker for this period, when Martin Luther posted his 95 theological declarations on the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg.
His central motive was to reestablish the doctrine of justification by faith, rather than church-approved works. Though this period witnessed an awakening, it failed to free Christianity from the oppression of Europe's Holy Roman Emperors and their attendant state churches, such as the Lutheran, Anglican and similar state churches. Therefore, it largely remained a dead church.
This began to change after 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War in Germany. By around 1700, a new atmosphere began to prevail, in which Christian dialogue and missionary activity quickened.
Sardis: Warning to watch
Poised above the rich Hermus Valley, Sardis was 30 miles south of Thyatira. The city appeared as a gigantic watchtower and was considered impregnable. Five roads converged below it and contributed to Sardis's status as a great commercial center. The wealth of the city—which had been the capital of the Lydian Empire under the opulent King Croesus—was legendary.
Christ exhorts this church, "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God" (Revelation 3:2).
The Sardian brethren could readily identify with a warning to be watchful. The only two times Sardis had been conquered were when its citizens had become overconfident and failed to watch.
Once, when King Cyrus of Persia besieged the city, the Sardians, nestled in their fortress high above, paid little attention to the invader. Cyrus could not find a way to get up to the citadel and even offered a reward to the soldier who discovered a pathway. Sometime later a vigilant Persian soldier spied a defender who had accidentally dropped his helmet from above. The careless soldier climbed down a secret pathway to retrieve it, and that night the Persians led their troops up the same pathway and to the top. To their surprise, the site was completely unguarded. The watchmen had gone home to sleep, thinking there was no need to keep guard at night—and so Sardis fell.
Incredibly, several centuries later the same sequence of events occurred when a Greek general besieged the city. After a year's siege the Greeks appeared to lose all hope of conquering the city. Then one of the Sardian soldiers dropped a helmet and retrieved it. That night the Greeks led some men up the steep cliff. When they reached the top, the place was again unguarded. Sardis's inhabitants had forgotten their lesson, and their city fell again.
Christ uses this lesson to drive home a powerful spiritual point to His Church: "Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you" (verse 3).
http://www.crossroadschurch.com/media/video.asp?file=http%3A%2F%2Fm...
Philadelphia
The years following 1700 also witnessed the rapid rise of invention. James Watt invented the steam engine. Benjamin Franklin was born. Newtonian physics revolutionized science. The newspaper business exploded into an information revolution.
Still, the post-Reformation state churches of Europe all took the view that they would remain the holders of great political and financial power. They were aligned with kings whose monarchies were considered divinely ordained. And so, the divine right of kings characterized church power, which considered the ruling class to be naturally superior to the impoverished serfs.
But something had changed. Where once only the priests of state churches could read the Bible, the repressed masses of the world now eagerly began to learn Scripture. The pilgrims of the New World linked the words of the Bible and freedom in Christ with the ownership of private property and representative government.
With the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776, the power of the state was broken. Through the Industrial Revolution, global travel and the rise of modern economies, the light of the Gospel blazed forth. Halfway through the nineteenth century, an enormous change took place when, in England and America, independent Bible studies began to predict Israel's return to the Holy Land. At the same time, the great missionary movements began to span the globe with the message of the Gospel.
As the year 1900 approached, the great missionary movements came to their full potential. The modern church was born.
Faithfulness in Philadelphia
About 25 miles southeast of Sardis lay the city of Philadelphia, newest of the seven cities. An imperial road passed through it from Rome to the east, so it became known as "the gateway to the East."
Christ says to this church: "These things says He who is holy, He who is true . . . Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more" (Revelation 3:7, 11-12).
Christ emphasizes His loyalty to His true followers and reminds them to be equally faithful to Him. If they persevere in His Word, He will give them a crown that they may rule with Him in His Kingdom.
We find a definite theme of brotherly fidelity in this section. The Philadelphian brethren could well identify with this admonition.
Philadelphia means "brotherly love." The city was named after the love the king who founded the city held for his brother. The city was established by Attalus II (159138 B.C.), who was called Philadelphus ("brother lover") in honor of his loyal affection toward his brother, King Eumenes II of Pergamos. During his brother's lifetime Attalus II was his most loyal assistant. He successfully commanded his brother's forces in several wars and later became the trusted ambassador to their ally, Rome. There he won respect and admiration from the Romans for his brotherly fidelity.
The New Bible Dictionary comments: "As Philadelphus was renowned for his loyalty to his brother, so the church, the true Philadelphia, inherits and fulfills his character by its steadfast loyalty to Christ" (1982, "Philadelphia," p. 926).
http://www.crossroadschurch.com/media/video.asp?file=http%3A%2F%2Fm...
Laodicea
Sadly, the year 1900 also witnessed the rise of the institutional church. The key word of the twentieth century was "business, business, business!" Getting rich became the goal of every schoolboy. The 19th century model of Horatio Alger now permeated American and European society. His rags-to-riches stories had inspired what came to be called the "American Dream."
It also penetrated the church, which eagerly adopted the business model, principles of modern accounting and fund-raising. As the century progressed through two World Wars and the battle against Communism, a great portion of Christian activity increasingly focused upon financial growth. At the same time, the zeal for sound doctrine faded.
The great spiritual lesson of Paul was ignored. Remember, the Lord instructed Him, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Cor. 12:9).
From 1900 to the present, the Laodicean model has increasingly taken hold of church administration. Big business, communication and international impact have come to dominate the minds of church planners. And for the last three decades, the computer has tightly bound the secular business model into church structure.
Much of the church has indeed risen from rags to riches, but often, to the detriment of the church's true role, that of "perfecting the saints" through the teaching of sound doctrine.
A Historical Timeline
The preceding recap of church history is commonly accepted, and has been published many times. The clear documentation of what happens when the body of Christ interacts over a long period of time with the world system is now taken as the norm. It is a linear history, providing a splendid example – an exhibit that will forever stand as instruction to those who think about rebelling against the Lord God.
Its high point is found in Ephesus, the first church in the series, where Paul stayed for two years. It is also the name of Paul's epistle which introduces and details the church as the body of Christ. An important city, it was called "The Landing Place." Romans and Greeks had long regarded it as the Aegean Sea's gateway to Asia Minor. Long after Paul's execution, the Apostle John became the bishop (overseer) of this important place. He remained there until his death at the end of the first century. It boasted one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the great pagan temple of Diana of the Ephesians, mentioned in Acts 19.
Thus, the very headquarters of the church was established in the shadow of diabolical power. Should we think of this as strange? Not if we are really familiar with the ages-long redemptive history of the broken creation. God chose not to destroy Satan, called "the anointed cherub that covereth," in Ezekiel 28:14. Of course, his sin was a personal determination to exert his will over that of God … to be "like the most high" (Is. 14:14).
His was a rebellion of immense proportion. Perhaps millions or billions of the heavenly host joined him. Yet the Lord, who could have wiped out both he and his followers in an instant, allowed him to retain control over a designated territory. We are not entirely certain about its extent, but it does include planet earth. The dragon, or serpent, was even allowed to corrupt the first human couple.
His temptation of Eve was exactly analogous to what has taken place in the history of the church. He and his representatives repeat his original role, as they tempt and corrupt its members. They accomplish much destruction, but the cause of the Lord goes on in spite of their disruption.
Rather than destroying Satan, the Lord allows him to act as tempter, in exactly the same manner as he did with Paul's thorn in the flesh. Just as his strength was made perfect in weakness, so the church is tempered through struggle.
Laodicea: Warning to repent
The last city on the route was Laodicea, 45 miles southeast of Philadelphia. With three main roads crossing it, the city was one of the richest commercial centers in the world. The Laodiceans were famous for producing shiny, black wool clothing and boasted of an outstanding medical center that specialized in eye ointments. With the wealth amassed, it had also become the banking center of the region.
Christ says to this church: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (verses 15-18).
Archaeologists have discovered the main aqueduct going to Laodicea, and several miles of it can still be traced. The water piped in from the south had so many minerals that the Roman engineers had covers installed so they could remove the mineral deposits before the pipes clogged.
"For all its wealth, the city had poor water," says The Expositor's Bible Commentary. "The water either came from the nearby hot springs and was cooled to lukewarm or came from a cooler source and warmed up in the aqueduct on the way" (notes on Revelation 3, Zondervan software).
Christ uses the Laodiceans'lukewarm and distasteful water to point out that their poor spiritual state is equally offensive to Him. He warns them that, if they do not rapidly improve their spiritual condition, He will reject them. He detests the Laodicean attitude of compromising with God's laws. By contrast, He later describes those who are faithful to Him as "those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12).
Further, even if their clothing were world renowned, Christ tells them their "spiritual garments" were in pitiful condition. He recommends they focus instead on buying from Him the spiritual clothing of true righteousness that He later describes as "fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" (Revelation 19:8).
Jesus next tells those brethren, who were blind to their true spiritual condition, that the "Phrygian powder" concocted in their medical center as an eye ointment was useless. Instead, He advised them to use His true spiritual eye salve so they can clearly see and repent of their compromising attitudes.
Lastly, Christ warns them not to put their trust in their physical wealth but in Him, who can develop the true gold that comes from overcoming trials and building righteous spiritual character. This solid advice is of lasting value to the entirety of the Church at any time in its history
Conclusion
This concludes our archaeological review of the last book of the Bible. We hope this series has been a satisfying journey through the Bible and that it has strengthened your faith.
Throughout this series we have confirmed what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Add a Comment
-
Comment by Stephen R. Rizzo on December 30, 2008 at 10:00pm
-
A DEAD CHURCH!”
Revelation 3:1-3
"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."
In this passage God is speaking. He is speaking not merely to a first-century church, but also to the churches of our day. Keep in mind that the “church” is not the structure made with wood, brick, stone, or other building materials. A church is composed of the people of God who come together as a body, for worship, fellowship, service and edification.
I want to walk very carefully here, as I express the words that God is laying on my heart at this very moment. We often think of a dead church as being stuffy, stilted, formal, and boring. That is all too often the case, but it goes much deeper than that. A dead church may also be filled with noise, activity, and even spiritual sounding terminology. It is even possible for people to seek emotional feelings in place of tenderly seeking God and God alone.
So what determines if a church is alive or dead? Let's focus in a little closer. What determines if “you” are spiritually alive or dead? One of our typical responses is to focus on, "them." “They are dead! He or she is dead!” I, on the other hand, am practically perfect in every way!" Such an idea, filled with self-sufficient pride, should be a dead giveaway of our spiritual morbidity (death).
We are spiritually dead, or near death, when we no longer have a spiritual appetite. If there is not a hunger in our hearts for God's pure Word—we must check our pulse immediately! Unfortunately there are church members, or should I say, church attendees, who are more interested in the hymn selections, how long the service lasts, color of the carpet, etc., than they are about meeting with God. They fail to cherish a time to shut out the world and listen to His Word read and proclaimed, lift their hearts in prayer, and join with others of His family weekly, for a spiritual family reunion.
We individually are in need of spiritual “911” care if we do not have it daily—YES! I SAID DAILY—times of intimate prayer with God. Not just praying a shopping list of our requests, but sharing our deep feelings of praise and petition. A sign of spiritual life is being silent before Him in order to hear His soft, still voice speaking words of comfort and purpose to us. We need to take the time to lovingly read His Word and then spend time meditating about the words and visualizing what is being said. It is life giving to use scripture as a part of our prayer.
I hope you are beginning to see that death in our midst is not easily covered up with the stench of human programs, practice or pretense. God sees the real us and desires more than "Let's pretend." It is time for a complete spiritual examination. As the Lord dictated this letter to the church in Sardis, and said they were dead, what would He say about us? Do we need to be resuscitated? If so, He stands ready to raise us from our dead condition, and breathe His new life into us.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
-
-
SEVEN MYSTERIOUS LETTERS - (Print)
Ask any Bible student how many epistles (letters) are in the New Testament. They will probably answer 21: there are 13 authored by Paul, plus Hebrews (which appears anonymous), and the seven "general epistles" by Peter, James, John, and Jude.
We usually overlook the seven most important letters: the seven authored by Jesus personally. For many reasons, these seven letters, comprising Chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation, are very important part for you and me.
Why These Seven?
There were many other churches at that time that would seem to be more historically significant than the seven that Jesus addressed: the churches at Jerusalem, Rome, Galatia, Corinth, Antioch, Colossae, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Miletus, to name a few. Why did Jesus select just these seven: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea?
Four Levels of Meaning
There appear to be at least four levels of application to these letters:
1. Local: These were actual, historic churches, with valid needs. Archaeological discoveries have confirmed this.
2. Admonitory: In each of the letters there appears the key phrase, "Hear what the Spirit says to the churches". Note the plural, churches. It turns out that each of the letters applies to all churches throughout history. As we understand the sevenfold internal structure, the uniquely tailored messages, and the specific admonitions in each of the letters, we discover that any church can be "mapped" in terms of these seven composite profiles.
3. Homiletic: Each of the letters also contains the phrase, "He that hath an ear let him hear..." Doesn't each of us "have an ear"? Each letter applies to each of us. There are some elements of each of these seven "churches" in each of us. Thus, this may be the most practical application of the entire Book of Revelation.
4. Prophetic: The most amazing discovery, however, of these seven letters is their apparent prophetic application. These letters describe, with remarkable precision, the unfolding of all subsequent church history.
These letters describe, with remarkable precision, the unfolding of all subsequent church history. If these letters were in any other order, this would not be true! These letters appear to fill the interval between the 69th and 70th "weeks" of Daniel 9. The Book of Acts covers about 30 years; these two chapters of the Book of Revelation cover the next 1,900 years.
Seven Key Elements
A key aspect to understanding the letters is to grasp the structure of their design. A careful examination of the letters reveals seven key elements in their design:
1. The meaning of the name of the church being addressed (see below);
2. The title of Jesus, each chosen relevant to the message to that particular church;
3. The commendation of things that have been done well;
4. The "criticism" of things that need attention;
5. The exhortation, specific to the condition of the particular church;
6. The promise to the "overcomer" included with each letter;
7. The key phrase, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches."
The Meaning of Names
Epheses: The Desired One
Smyrna: Myrrh; Death
Pergamos: Mixed Marriage
Thyatira: Semiramis
Sardis: Remnant
Philadelphia: Brotherly Love
Laodicea: People Rule
It is also interesting that this key phrase in element 7 is the final element in the last four letters, but appears before the "Promise to the Overcomer" (element 6) in the first three, leaving the promises as a kind of post script after the body of the letters themselves. This design suggests that the first three letters and the last four may share some particular characteristic. [It is also interesting that only the last four letters include explicit references to our Lord's Second Coming.]
Once the basic structure is evident, one also notices that two of the letters, Smyrna and Philadelphia, have no Criticism, Element 4. That's encouraging for them. Also, two of the letter, Sardis and Laodicea, have no Commendation, Element 5. That's rather grim.
A Timely Challenge
If these seven letters really do include a preview of all church history, then where are we now? Are we, indeed, in the period suggested by the letter to Laodicea? Judge for yourself. Also, is there an intended parallel between these seven letters of Jesus Christ and His seven "Kingdom Parables" of Matthew 13?
A detailed study of these seven letters exceeds the scope of this brief glimpse. These remarks have been included to stimulate you to take a closer look at these two chapters and conduct your own careful analysis.
In addition to the practical insights from the letters, you will also see another of the many examples demonstrating the evidence of careful design: the Bible consists of 66 books, written by 40 authors over thousands of years - and yet bears the clear evidence of supernatural engineering.
-
-
Hey Sis check this out;
http://rapturewatch.2truth.com/
7 churches chart
-
Comment by patricia on October 27, 2008 at 11:20pm - ahhh..I can add a comment...the number of completeness, of wholeness, Spiritual perfection...They have all been put there for a specific time and a specific duty and yet it could have meaning in any generation for the things God is saying which needs to change has not changed but in the individual or group... It does not tell us if it was adhered to...hmmmm
-
-
Rev 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.
There are:
1. Seven Stars/Angels of the Church
2. Seven Golden Candlesticks/Church
3. Seven Lamps/Horns/Eyes which are the Seven Spirits of God
4. Seven Thunders
5. Seven Angels/Trumpets
6. Seven Golden Vials/Seven Angels/Seven last Plagues
7. Seven Golden Vials/Seven Wrath of God
-
- If the seven churches represented the history of the church from the day Christ founded it ("It" because there is really only one church,) then Laodicea represents the corrupted church of the last days, just prior to the rapture. Also notice that in Revelation 4:1, John being caught up to heaven is representative of the rapture of the church, which, by the way, follows the corrupted church of the Laodiceans. So the rapture occurs at the end of the church age, just prior to the beginning of the tribulation.
About
Badge
Groups
-
Israel
5 members
-
Watchman On The Wall
10 members
-
Praise and Worship the...
10 members
-
Spiritual Warfare
7 members
Forum
Hebrews 8 3 Replies
Started by Dawn Gordon. Last reply by Dawn Gordon Aug 18.
only One....
Started by Mara Jul 20.
Invitation to my page
Started by Dawn Gordon May 29.
BELIEVE THE SIGN! 2 Replies
Started by LIsa Alford. Last reply by Dawn Gordon Mar 1.
Latest Activity
Early in American history, one was pretty much free to do as one saw fit on one's property so long as it was moral especially if one lived in a rural area where one's actions were not likely to encroach upon the sensibilities of one's neighbors. H...
Prolegomena Of The Unexplained
The process of detachment evolves from a subdued stance into a more daunting and prevalent stand. Years of hushed infiltration now flourishes into a plague of raucousness waged by the agnostics. Distant no more are the voices of dominion as they s...
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves and tsunamis, more government intervention in our personal lives such as government controlled health care, seizing of business assets and controlling pay, one world religion and one world order. All si...
play At least - Unistyle lyrics by Deborah Simpson
04:15
© 2009 Created by Stephen R. Rizzo on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
You need to be a member of ProphecyandNews to add comments!
Join this Ning Network