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Revelation 2-3
The 7 Churches from Revelation
(Revelation Chapter 2-3)
The
living Temple
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Motto:
"For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared before that
we would walk in them."
Ephesians 2:10 |
In
the first chapter of Apocalypses, we have seen Lord Jesus’ description in the exiled
disciple’s revelation in verses
12-13, the Son of Man-Jesus is
seen in the middle of the seven lamp stands. In the same chapter, verse 20, we are told
the secret of the lamp stands and of the seven stars in the Lord’s
right hand. The seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches
and the seven lamp stands are seven churches.
The
7 churches in the Book of Revelation have two dimensions: a historical one and a spiritual
one. The historical one represents the evolution of the
Christian churches in the New Testament time, starting with
Ephesus
,the Apostolic
Church
and ending with
Laodicea
, the church of the last times. The spiritual dimension refers to
phases of the Christian way, from the moment of dedication to
God to the moment of fulfillment and appearance before the heavenly throne. It is similar in some way with the Christian travel to Heaven of the hero from “Pilgrim’s
Progress” by John Bunyan.
The last
interpretation represents the fore one, but, on the other hand, according to the
chronology we will study in the next chapter, the historical one
finds also its explanation in the prophetical periods of the New Testament Churches. The
way the 7 churches-lamp stands are described enables to find their (the
churches’) locations in the picture we know from the previous
chapter. The words: “Behold what says the one who…”give us information on the
church that is being described at a moment, and “To the one
who overcomes…” refers to the next church to be described. Let us proceed, then,
to the identification of each church’s location.
1. The
church
of
Ephesus-
is the first church lamp stand. It is to remember that there, in
Ephesus
, the apostle John was one of the elders of
the church and there he wrote his epistle and the Gospel that bears his name. Now, the old
John fall like dead at the Lord’s feet during the revelation.
(Rev 1:17) Hence,
here at the Lord’s feet is the place where we start from to
locate the churches lamp stands. This is the place where Christ and His Church begin their
mysterious relation beyond the time. (Ephesians 5:31-32)
“These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in
his right hand (the angels of the 7 churches- the lamp stands)
and a walk among the 7 golden lamps stands (the 7 churches)”. This is a general
presentation, an introduction and Ephesus
is the first church lamp stand to be presented. Then the message
itself follows. What’s the first love? It’s walking in the
Spirit in fellowship with the Lord, it’s what the churches have deserted and it’s the
place from the
Most Holly Place
, John fell off it.
“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from
the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God”. The tree of life is the next to reach on this ladder of redemption that leads the
overcome from the “spiritually dead” status to the throne of
God. The church has been built in this tree of life, a symbol of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:10; 5:29-30)
2. The church
of Smyrna
(gr. aromatic bitter resin) the church on the altar.
“These are the words of him
who is the First and the Last, who died (sacrificed as a lamb) and came to life again”.
Here is “the first death”, as a martyr, on the altar, is the devil’s
jail. (Rev. 2:11)
Underneath this altar, there is the fifth seal, the souls of the
heroes of faith. (See
Rev 6:9-11):“He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.” The
church in
Pergamum
is next; it is Satan’s dwelling and the second death.
3. The church
of Pergamum
(gr. fortress, acropolis) the church from the seas.
“These are the words of him who has the sharp,
double-edged sword…” This is with reference to the second prophetical two-hand clock. The first clock stays next to the Lord’s head. (See Rev. 1:16) We
will see later on what’s these clocks’ part in the
prophetical scenes scrolling. (See Hebrew 4:12; Ephesians 6:17) “I know where you live…” refers to Satan’s
throne that in the sea and in the water springs (the place
of the bronze basin). Here is where Satan is hiding himself (See Ezekiel 28:1-19),
and, also, where the fire lake will be set, the second death from the final chapters (See Rev. 20:14). We
can find here
“Jonah’s sign”, as well (See Mat. 12:38-40).
Jesus stayed there for 3 days and 3 nights, and by His resurrection, which was a perfect victory, He gained the “keys of death and Hades” which are
now in his left hand (See
Hebrew 2:14-15; Rev.1:18).
Jesus is the “keys keeper” in the Apocalypse drama!
“He who overcomes…”- the next church is
given “hidden manna” to eat. Where was a jar of manna hidden? It was in the ark of the Old Testament. (Exodus 16:33; Hebrews 9:4)
4. The Church
of Thyatira
- the church in the desert that was given food in a providential way (Rev. 12:6), just
like Elijah in the OT (See 1 Kings 17:16).
On our map, it is located between the bronze basin for the priests’ wash (the sea) and
the entrance of the
Holly Place. Here the priests
had to change their clothes before entering the
Temple
. Here is where the ark of the Old Testament
is on Earth, Lord Jesus’ heart with His law. (Deuteronomy 10:5; Psalms 40:4-6)
“These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like
blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze" (the bronze altar of burnt offerings). We can see again a general
presentation of the picture where Thyatira is located in the middle
of the other churches. There have been three churches so far and three more from now on.
The message is: Jezebel is Ahab’s wife, she introduced a pagan
cult in
Israel
, and she killed God’s prophets (1Kings 18:13). In
our prophetical map, she represents a worldwide decayed
religion that gave birth to other similar religions (Rev 2:23), the cult
being located on the map in the next picture.
“Then all the churches will know that I am the he who
searches hearts and minds”. This is the middle part of the Lord’s
body. This is the place where the faithful priest is given a new heart, the white clothes
of righteousness; by wearing these, he is allowed to go on in
the
Temple
(See Ezekiel 11:19-20). For the faithful one, this is the place where the
new covenant is being fulfilled (Jeremiah 31:31-34). This is
also the place where Satan thrust his arrow by a Roman soldier (See John
19:34); the arrow that caused the washing blood for our sins (Rev. 1:5-6) and the
baptismal water.
“He who
overcomes…”-the next church lamp stand- “I will give authority over the
nations.” This is the left side of the map, the Lord’s
right hand. The bright Morning Star is Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 22:16). A
significant prophecy about Lord Jesus will be established in
this place.
5. The church in Sardis
- “These are the words of him who holds the 7 spirits of God and
the 7 stars” (the lamp stands). This church lamp stand
stays on the Lord’s right-hand side; it’s the side of the Menorah and of the nations,
too.
The message
is: “If therefore you won't watch, I will come as a thief, and you won't know what
hour I will come upon you.” Many Christians who
refuse to know about Lord’s coming, use this reason that Jesus will come like a thief
and they can’t know when that moment will be, and they misuse
Jesus’ words (Mat.
24:36).This verse says that “If therefore you won't watch, I will come as a thief”, and apostle Paul says in 1 Thessalonians
5:4-6 that we don’t live in darkness so that day won’t come
like a thief on us.
There is a time
when Lord Jesus will come, a time of judgment that we will go through. God doesn’t use
to treat His children like this, to hide important events for
their salvation. Looking back to the 6000 years old biblical history, the important events have bee predicted by the prophets.
“He who overcomes will
be arrayed in white garments”. Not the Philadelphia
Church, but the Laodicea
it is in a superior position to
the church
of
Sardis. Laodicea
is written in the Book of Life, above the Altar of Incense. You can
get there through the “incense” of prayer and wearing “white
clothes” only, and Jesus -“the Faithful Witness” can confess your name before God and His angels.
6.
The Church in Philadelphia
– is the next church on the right side of the map, so Lord’s left
hand. “These are the words of him who is holy and
true, who holds the keys of David” (the keys of
death and Hades in Rev
1:18). On the right side of the map, there will be the
prophecies about Messiah, the ones that will speak now to the Jewish people in a special
way. By Lord’s grace, a door “David’s house” will be opened and
no one will be able to shut it. (See Zechariah 12:10-14)
The apostle Paul wrote about these times (Romans 11:25-36),
Jesus also spoke about the moment when the Gentiles’ time will
end (Luke 21:24).
Further, we will see that this time has arrived.
Rev. 3:10 warns
us that there will be a time of trial for everybody. “Him who overcomes I will make a
pillar in the Temple
of my God…”-
Laodicea
is next; it is an important entrance to the heavenly Temple. In the following chapters, the name of Jesus and
of the New Jerusalem will be written there. In the moment of the judgment, [that is the
double - edged sword that comes out of the Lord’s mouth, (Rev. 1:16)], you
have the option of wearing the white clothes of Lord’s righteousness,
or of being thrown out where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Here the King
comes to see the guests of His Son’s wedding. (Mat. 22:11-14)
7. The Church in Laodicea
–“My friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?”
We are now just beside Lord Jesus’ head, or at the time of
judgment, or region of the first day of creation-the Light. From here, the spiritual light
proceeds to the all people (John 1:9). Here is
the spiritual ideal, to get to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, for
those who started on the narrow way that goes to the
Kingdom
of
God
. (Ephesians 4:13-15)
“These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness…” Jesus is the
faithful witness, our Mediator, our solicitor who pleads from
here for us by means of His sacrifice. There are 2 more witnesses in Rev. 11 that we have
identified as being the New Testament and the Old Testament, two
biblical characters that we will identify at their time represent them.
“The beginning of God’s
creation“ (KJV) refers to the first day of creation that is located in this region or
"the Head of God's creation" (WEB). The following
verses confirm the position of
Laodicea
: ”…I will spit you out of my mouth” if you do not
recognize your condition. The “gold refined by fire” is the
faith proof in all kinds of hardships (1Peter 1:7). The “white clothes” are Jesus’
character shown in the 10 commandments. The treatment for eyes is the Holly Spirit
who opens your spiritual eyes. Anybody which is not born again
cannot see the
Kingdom
of
Heaven
among us because he/she is blind (Luke 17:20-21;
John
3:3). The born again Christians are endowed with a sixth sense: seeing and hearing
through faith.
Laodicea
represent the people in trial before the heavenly court. Jesus is waiting
here for us to dine with us. Here is the upper room for supper,
betrayal and crucifixion” (Luke 22:7-23). The virgins came in this room (Mat. 25:10). Make
sure you are not too late here. ”I counsel you to buy from
me…”-says Jesus to this Church.
“To
him who overcomes, I will give to sit with me on my throne …” By faith, together
with John and Paul, we are going on our way to the throne of
God, in The Most Holly Place. Here, in the third Heaven, the angels sing praises to the
Highest One. This is the moment for us to join them, to bring our
thanks for the grace to see the wonderful plan of salvation. All
the prophets tried to understand this plan, but they were told that these things were not
written for them, but for us who are to see the end of time.
(1Peter
1:10
-12)
This Cross is for those
who has taken off to exodus to the “heavenly Canaan”, that pillar of fire by night and
a pillar of cloud by day that was guiding the Jewish released
from Egypt. (See Exodus
13:21-22) The pillar of cloud is meant to protect you
from the heat of sin during the day, and during the night, the pillar of fire it’s show
you the way home, to your Father who is waiting for you, thus
you are able to walk day and night. (See Luke 15: 11-32)
I hope
that with God’s help, this spiritual building will find again its material fulfillment
in the new Temple that is supposed to be built soon in
Jerusalem. In the fourth chapter of his book, the prophet Isaiah speaks about this
grandiose time so much expected.
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