Revelation Lesson 2

8/3/2019 Revelation Lesson 2

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TheSevenChurchesofRevelationPart1

1) Introduction:a) Interpretiveviewsonthesevenchurches(notexclusiveorexhaustive):

i) SevenliteralchurchesinAsiaminorii) Churchestypify(illustrate)conditionsandissuescommonintheearlychurch

andthroughoutthechurchage(inadditiontoliteralchurches);Walvoord:

allchurchesatalltimesandinallplacesiii) ChurchesrepresentthechronologicaldevelopmentofChurchhistory(C.I.

Scofield,ClarenceLarkin)

b) Questions:

i) Whythesechurches?ii) Whynot:Rome?Antioch?Jerusalem?(post70ADperhapshadbeen

destroyed!)

c) Challenges:i) ChallengesthewaywemeasureChurchsuccessii) Ifweviewourselvesascomponentsofthelocalbody,challengeseachtobe

therightstuff

iii) Notethepersonal(singular)challenge:Hewhohasanear,lethimhearwhattheSpiritsaystothechurches(sevenfold)


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d) Formula(sevenlettersorroyaledicts,eachofwhichfollowsapattern):i) Theroyalauthordescribeshimselfintermsfromch.1.(ii) Iknowintroduceshisdiagnosisofthechurchscondition,bothpositive

(exceptforSardisandLaodicea)andnegative(exceptforSmyrnaand

Philadelphia)

iii) Comfortandcommandsflowfromthediagnosis.iv) Allofthechurchesarecommandedtohearandheedalloftheletters(what

theSpiritsaystothechurches,2:7,etc.).

v) Ablessingispromisedtotheonewhoconquers,(ESV)e) Walvoordsviewofthepattern:

i) TheCommissionii) TheCharacteriii) TheCommendation(noneforSardisandLaodicea)iv) TheCondemnation(noneforSmyrnaandPhiladelphia)v) TheCorrectionvi) TheCallvii)TheChallenge

f) Mychart(availableonline):i) Commission:Totheangelofthechurchof______writeii) Christology:Eg:HewhoholdsthesevenstarsinHisrighthand,whowalksin

themidstofthesevengoldenlampstands

iii) Commendation:Eg.Iknowyourworks,yourlabor,yourpatienceiv) Condemnation:Eg,youhaveleftyourfirstlovev) Exhortation:Eg.Rememberthereforefromwhereyouhavefallen;repent

anddothefirstworks

vi) Call:Eg.Hewhohasanear,lethimhearwhattheSpiritsaystothechurches.

vii)Challenge:eg.TohimwhoovercomesIwillgivetoeatfromthetreeoflifeg) FourChurchestoconsideredthismorning


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1) Ephesus:TheOrthodox,butlove-lostChurch(2:1-7)a) AboutEphesus:

i) PerhapsthelargestcityinAsiaminoratthetimeii) FeaturedprominentlyinActs(19)iii) Somewhatofamodelchurchdeducedfromtheepistle

EphesusCommission TotheangelofthechurchofEphesuswrite

Christological

ThesethingssaysHewhoholdsthesevenstarsinHisright

hand,whowalksinthemidstofthesevengolden

lampstands

Commendation

Iknowyourworks,yourlabor,yourpatience,andthatyou

cannotbearthosewhoareevil.Andyouhavetestedthose

whosaytheyareapostlesandarenot,andhavefoundthem

liars;andyouhaveperseveredandhavepatience,andhave

laboredforMynamessakeandhavenotbecomeweary....

Butthisyouhave,thatyouhatethedeedsoftheNicolaitans,whichIalsohate

CondemnationNeverthelessIhavethisagainstyou,thatyouhaveleftyour

firstlove

Exhortation

Rememberthereforefromwhereyouhavefallen;repent

anddothefirstworks,orelseIwillcometoyouquicklyand

removeyourlampstandfromitsplaceunlessyourepent.

CallHewhohasanear,lethimhearwhattheSpiritsaystothe

churches.

b) Theproblem:alackofdevotiontoChristc) DangersoffadingpassionforChrist:

i) 1Timothy6:10,Fortheloveofmoneyisarootofallkindsofevil,forwhichsomehavestrayedfromthefaithintheirgreediness,andpiercedthemselves

throughwithmanysorrows

ii) 1John2:15,Donotlovetheworldorthethingsintheworld.Ifanyonelovestheworld,theloveoftheFatherisnotinhim

iii) 1John5:21,Littlechildren,keepyourselvesfromidols.Amen.d) Nicolaitans:Unknownsect

i) ContrastPergamos:Revelation2:14-16ii) RelatedtoNicolas(oneofthefirstdeacons)?iii) Isthenameitselfmeaningful?toconquertopeople?(Riseofclergyclass)

e) Calledupontorememberrepent.dof) Overcome:Compareusagein1John.Example5:5,Whoishewhoovercomes

(,WeseethisGreekwordinthenameofshoecompanyNike)theworld,

buthewhobelievesthatJesusistheSonofGod?


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2) Smyrna:TheSufferingChurch(2:8-11)a) Thegrid:

Smyrna

Commission

AndtotheangelofthechurchinSmyrnawrite

ChristologicalThesethingssaystheFirstandtheLast,whowas

dead,andcametolife

Commendation

Iknowyourworks,tribulation,andpoverty(butyou

arerich);andIknowtheblasphemyofthosewho

saytheyareJewsandarenot,butareasynagogue

ofSatan

Condemnation None

Exhortation

Donotfearanyofthosethingswhichyouareabout

tosuffer.Indeed,thedevilisabouttothrowsomeofyouintoprison,thatyoumaybetested,andyouwill

havetribulationtendays.Befaithfuluntildeath,and

Iwillgiveyouthecrownoflife.

Call

Hewhohasanear,lethimhearwhattheSpiritsays

tothechurches.

Challenge

Hewhoovercomesshallnotbehurtbythesecond

death

b) Comments:i) PopularchurchnameintheSouth(Googleit)ii) ModerndaycityofIzmir(3rdlargestinTurkey)iii) SynagogueofSatan:

(1)Polycarpmartyredthere(166or167)(2) IntheMartyrdom,Polycarpisrecordedassayingonthedayofhisdeath,

"EightyandsixyearsIhaveservedhim,"whichcouldindicatethathewas

theneighty-sixyearsoldorthathemayhavelivedeighty-sixyearsafter

hisconversion.Polycarpgoesontosay,"HowthencanIblasphememyKingandSaviour?Bringforthwhatthouwilt."Polycarpwasburnedatthe

stakeforrefusingtoburnincensetotheRomanEmperor

iv) Nocondemnationv) Whowouldwanttobeapartofachurchcalledtosuffer?vi) Tendays?Periodsoftime?Or10literaldays?


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3) Pergamos:TheCompromisingChurch(2:12-17)a) Thegrid:

Pergamos

Commission AndtotheangelofthechurchinPergamoswrite

Christological ThesethingssaysHewhohasthesharptwo-edgedsword

Commendation

Iknowyourworks,andwhereyoudwell,whereSatansthroneis.AndyouholdfasttoMyname,anddidnot

denyMyfaitheveninthedaysinwhichAntipaswasMy

faithfulmartyr,whowaskilledamongyou,whereSatan

dwells

Condemnation

ButIhaveafewthingsagainstyou,becauseyouhave

therethosewhoholdthedoctrineofBalaam,whotaught

Balaktoputastumblingblockbeforethechildrenof

Israel,toeatthingssacrificedtoidols,andtocommit

sexualimmorality.Thusyoualsohavethosewhoholdthe

doctrineoftheNicolaitans,whichthingIhate.

ExhortationRepent,orelseIwillcometoyouquicklyandwillfight

againstthemwiththeswordofMymouth

CallHewhohasanear,lethimhearwhattheSpiritsaysto

thechurches.

Challenge

TohimwhoovercomesIwillgivesomeofthehidden

mannatoeat.AndIwillgivehimawhitestone,andon

thestoneanewnamewrittenwhichnooneknows

excepthimwhoreceivesit.

b) Comments(orPergamum/Pergamon):i) Cityknownforpergaminusorpergamena(parchment)afterthecity.Thiswasmadeoffinecalfskin,apredecessorofvellum.

ii) DoctrineofBalaam:(1)Numbers22-25;31plusotherOTreferences(2)2Peter2:15,Theyhaveforsakentherightwayandgoneastray,

followingthewayofBalaamthesonofBeor,wholovedthewagesof

unrighteousness

(3) Jude11,Woetothem!FortheyhavegoneinthewayofCain,haverungreedilyintheerrorofBalaamforprofit,andperishedintherebellionof

Korah.

iii) Satansthrone:(1)TheGreatAltarofPergamonisinthePergamonMuseum,Berlin.The

baseofthisaltarremainsontheupperpartoftheAcropolis.Itwas

perhapsthisaltar,believedtobededicatedtoZeus

(2)ThefirstbishopofPergamon,Antipas,wasmartyredthereinca.92AD


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4) Thyatira:TheTolerant,PermissiveChurch(2:18-29)a) Thegrid:

Thyatira

Commission AndtotheangelofthechurchinThyatirawrite

Christological

ThesethingssaystheSonofGod,whohaseyes

likeaflameoffire,andHisfeetlikefinebrass

Commendation

Iknowyourworks,love,service,faith,andyour

patience;andasforyourworks,thelastare

morethanthefirst

Condemnation

NeverthelessIhaveafewthingsagainstyou,

becauseyouallowthatwomanJezebel,who

callsherselfaprophetess,toteachandseduce

Myservantstocommitsexualimmoralityandeatthingssacrificedtoidols.AndIgaveher

timetorepentofhersexualimmorality,and

shedidnotrepent.IndeedIwillcastherintoa

sickbed,andthosewhocommitadulterywith

herintogreattribulation,unlesstheyrepentof

theirdeeds.Iwillkillherchildrenwithdeath,

andallthechurchesshallknowthatIamHe

whosearchesthemindsandhearts.AndIwill

givetoeachoneofyouaccordingtoyour

works.NowtoyouIsay,andtotherestinThyatira,asmanyasdonothavethisdoctrine,

whohavenotknownthedepthsofSatan,as

theysay,Iwillputonyounootherburden.

ExhortationButholdfastwhatyouhavetillIcome

Call Hewhohasanear,lethimhearwhattheSpirit

saystothechurches

Challenge

Andhewhoovercomes,andkeepsMyworksuntiltheend,tohimIwillgivepoweroverthe

nationsHeshallrulethemwitharodof

iron;Theyshallbedashedtopieceslikethe

pottersvesselsasIalsohavereceivedfrom

MyFather;andIwillgivehimthemorningstar

Comment Callislast;citesPsalm2:9


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b) Comments:i) ThemodernTurkishcityofAkhisar("whitecastle")ii) Lydia:Acts16:14-15,NowacertainwomannamedLydiaheardus.Shewas

asellerofpurplefromthecityofThyatira,whoworshipedGod.TheLord

openedherhearttoheedthethingsspokenbyPaul.Andwhensheandherhouseholdwerebaptized,shebeggedus,saying,Ifyouhavejudgedmeto

befaithfultotheLord,cometomyhouseandstay.Soshepersuadedus.

iii) Jezebel?(1)OTJezebel(1stand2ndKings)(2)Hernamesynonymouswithsubtlecorruption,immorality,andidolatry

(Walvoordp71)

(3)WhoevertheprophetesswasatThyatira(probablynotactuallynamedJezebel),shepromotedthebreakdownofthemoralseparationbetween

Godschurchandthemoralcesspooloftheworldinwhichitministered

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Revelation Lesson 2