Seven Letters to Seven Churches - Pt 7

 

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3:1–6 ESV).

 

Today we come to one of the most shocking declarations from Jesus to the Churches of Asia. He says this church is “dead” (v. 2). Sardis, the city where the church addressed in today’s passage was located, had a reputation as a center of glory and wealth and was associated with several famous Greek kings. By the first century, however, Sardis was a shadow of its former self. Though the city had wealth, it was no longer as important in geopolitics as it once was. Its legendary reputation no longer matched its reality.

 

Residents of Sardis, including the Christians, knew this well. So, unsurprisingly, Jesus uses a metaphor based on this when He addresses the church in Sardis. We read in these verses that the church’s reputation of being alive did not match its true condition. To put it another way, the church in Sardis possessed only a nominal faith at the time Revelation was written. Its works were incomplete (v. 2)—the church as a whole failed to live up to its Christian profession.

 

Consequently, Jesus warns them to “wake up,” to repent and possess the faith they professed, for He would come at an unexpected moment to hold them to account (v. 3). This refers not to our Lord’s second coming at the end of history but to a coming in judgment on that specific congregation. Furthermore, the warning is especially pertinent in light of the city’s history. In centuries past, the Persians captured Sardis unexpectedly when they breached defenses thought to be impregnable. Jesus warns the church that it will be caught in judgment unaware if it does not repent.

 

Yet, not every professing believer in Sardis failed to live up to his profession. Some had unstained garments and would be clothed in white garments if they were to persevere in true faith (v. 4). White garments are associated with purity, the condition of those who enjoy eternal life and its glory (cf. Daniel 12:10; Mark 9:2–3; Revelation 19:14). Those whose Christianity is not merely nominal, whose possession of faith and practice match their profession, will live forever. Moreover, Christ will never blot the name of such people out of the Book of Life but will confess them before the Father (vv. 5–6). We should not read this as a statement that Jesus blots out names, as an affirmation that someone who has been united to Christ can fall away from salvation finally. Our Lord is simply borrowing the common idea that God has a Book of Life that lists His saints in order to emphasize the surety of salvation. Those who persevere never need to fear that they will fall away in the future. All those whom Christ brings to glory will be kept in glory forever.

 

Nominal faith is a threat that is ever present in the church. Many people talk about faith in Christ, but their lives reveal that they likely do not possess faith. True faith evidences itself as we continually repent of our sins, seek to follow Christ, and love God and our fellow Christians. Doing such things is the necessary and inevitable fruit of saving faith. This fruit is not perfection, but it is evidenced in the journey of the true believer.

 

Seven Letters to Seven Churches - Pt 6

 

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 2:18–29 ESV)

 

The letter we see today is addressed to the Church in Thyatira. Some background is important for our understanding. Cyprian of Carthage, who was one of the most important leaders in the third-century church, gives us a clue into the judgment of this church. He was well known for his stress on the importance of the Church and his refusal to give any one bishop in the early church higher authority than others. In commenting on the letters to the seven churches of Revelation, Cyprian wrote: “The Lord certainly would not exhort to repentance if it were not because he promises to pardon the penitent.” This is an important principle to remember whenever we see a church or individual caught in sin. No matter how heinous the transgression is, there is always hope for the repentant. Jesus will by no means refuse to forgive and restore anyone who comes to Him in faith, turning away from sin (cf. John 6:37).

 

God never promises that any one congregation or denomination is guaranteed to persevere in faith and orthodoxy unto the end. His promise that the church will prevail over the gates of hell is a promise that the church universal, consisting of all those with true faith, will never pass away and not a pledge that any single visible expression of the true church will persevere. Thus, any call to repent must be taken seriously. If we as individuals or any of our churches are guilty of the same sins identified in the seven churches of Revelation, we must repent or meet the same end that Jesus warns about.

 

In our reading today, Jesus speaks to the church at Thyatira, although it could be applicable to many churches throughout the ages. Thyatira was a center of commerce in the first century, Thyatira had many trade guilds for textiles and other industries. Thus, most commentators believe that Jesus’ warning about sexual immorality and food sacrificed to idols is related to Christian participation in these guilds (v. 20). One had to be a member of one of these guilds to participate in commerce, and these guilds often held pagan sacrificial meals at their meetings. To not participate in these meals was to endanger one’s membership in the guild and thus one’s ability to make a living. In the church at Thyatira, a false prophetess was apparently encouraging such participation. Jesus calls her “Jezebel”—this was not her real name but a comparison with the famously wicked queen of ancient Israel (v. 20). The designation is apt given Jezebel’s well-known support of idolatry (cf. 1 Kings 18:19).

 

Jesus warns that if this false teacher does not repent, He will strike her with illness and kill her children—her disciples (vv. 21–23). Idolatry has deadly consequences. Of course God does not strike every false teacher with illness or strike dead his or her disciples. Yet, the warning in today’s passage gives us reason not to deal lightly with error and false teachers in the church. There may be grave consequences if we do not put away false teaching. We should be vigilant not to tolerate false teaching in the church.

 

Seven Letters to Seven Churches - Pt 5

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’” (Revelation 2:12–17 ESV)

 

Pergamum is the next city Jesus addresses in our study of the Seven Letter to Seven Churches. This city served as a center for the worship of Asclepius, the god of healing whose symbol was a serpent. A large altar to Zeus that included images of serpents also stood there. Pergamum was one of the first cities to side with Rome against other eastern powers, and it became a key site of emperor worship once the Romans took over. Other forms of paganism were very common in Pergamum as well. For these reasons, Jesus locates “Satan’s throne” in Pergamum (v. 13).

 

In this city where false worship was prevalent, the Christians in Pergamum were tempted to compromise the faith. Yet, Jesus commends the church there for standing fast against external pressure, with one Antipas even dying for Christ (vv. 12–13). However, as Revelation 2:14–15 reveals, at least some in the church at Pergamum were succumbing to the temptations of subtler forms of idolatry. They followed the “teaching of Balaam,” eating food offered to idols and engaging in sexual immorality. Here we have a reference to Numbers 25 and 31:16, where Balaam enticed the ancient Israelites to commit idolatry and sexual sin with the Midianites. Something similar was going on in the first-century church of Pergamum. Perhaps many believers were bowing to the pressure of the trade guilds and participating in the sacrificial meals offered to the gods in order to keep their jobs (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:1–21). It could also be that some Christians in Pergamum were visiting prostitutes. Or sexual immorality in Revelation 2:14–15 could refer to idolatry, as it does in many Old Testament texts, including the book of Hosea. Whatever the problem, at least some of the Pergamian Christians were not entirely faithful to Christ.

 

Jesus warns the Pergamian Christians that He will judge them unless they repent (v. 16). However, those who conquer by exercising repentant faith will receive “hidden manna” (v. 17). Christ promises to sustain His people just as He sustained Israel with manna in the wilderness (Ex. 16). The Pergamian Christians are also promised a “white stone with a name engraved on it” (v. 17). White stones were highly valued for many reasons in the ancient world, so Jesus is promising something of great value to faithful Christians. On this stone is a “new name,” perhaps a reference to a new status conferred by Jesus just as a new status went with a new name for people such as Abraham (cf. Genesis 17:1–8). Those who persevere are forever acknowledged as children of God.

 

There is an important warning found in this passage. We can be vocal in our defense of the Christian faith and yet find ourselves conforming to the idols of this world. Often, the greatest dangers to the Christian are the most subtle, so we must be on guard lest we begin to prize the things of this world more than Christ Jesus. Take great care to examine what your greatest treasure in life is since those things become our idols.

  

Seven Letter to Seven Churches - Pt 4

 

[Jesus said] “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’” (Revelation 2:8–11 ESV).

 

After Ephesus, Smyrna would be the next destination that the courier delivering the message of Revelation to the seven churches in Asia Minor would visit in his travels. So, Jesus addresses the church at Smyrna immediately after speaking to the church at Ephesus (cf. Revelation 2:8–11). We should note that during the first century, Smyrna was an important locale for worship of the Roman emperor, which helps explain what Jesus says to the church at Smyrna, “… the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (v. 9). Most people in the Roman Empire were compelled to worship the emperor at various points in the history of Caesar worship, but Jews were granted an exception.

 

Initially, the early Christians benefited from this exception, for the Romans saw Christianity as a sect of Judaism. In time, however, especially after the Christians did not join the Jews in rebelling against Rome in AD 70, Jews and Christians became strongly differentiated. In some places, the Jews informed Roman authorities on Christians who did not worship the emperor. This seems to be what happened to Polycarp, the second-century bishop of Smyrna, who went to his death for worshiping only Christ. The Jews in Smyrna slandered the original audience of Revelation by exposing the refusal of Christians in that city to worship the Caesar.

 

Naturally, this would have inspired the Christians in Smyrna to fear for their lives. Recognizing this, Jesus tells this church not to fear the ten-day imprisonment and martyrdom that some of them were about to face. Notably, Smyrna and Philadelphia are the only churches of the seven that are not issued a call to repent. Jesus gives only an encouragement to persevere, promising the crown of life and freedom from the second death to those who refuse to deny Him even when it means their deaths (vv. 10–11). Later in the book of Revelation, we learn that the second death is the eternal judgment that awaits all whose names are not written in the Book of Life (cf. Revelation 20:14–15). The promise to those who conquer—to those who have true, persevering faith in Jesus—is eternal life (v. 11).

 

Today, we are called to the same persevering faith. Even if we never face martyrdom, we may be slandered for our witness to Christ. We might lose our jobs, be called names, or be disrespected by our families. Regardless, we will reign with Christ (cf. 2 Tim. 2:12). In fact, in our Western culture we are currently far more likely to be called bigots than to be killed by the authorities. Nevertheless, that is a form of persecution, and we will be tempted to capitulate to the common wisdom of the culture. But as we persevere in faith, we conquer the enemies of the gospel, and some may even come to trust Christ through our witness. Stand firm. Be graceful. Reflect the character and spirit of Christ toward all!

 

Seven Letter to Seven Churches - Pt 3

[Jesus said] “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’” (Revelation 2:1–7 ESV).

 

Earlier we saw that Jesus appeared to John on the isle of Patmos in order to reveal to the seven churches in Asia Minor things that were soon to take place (cf. Revelation 1). Before describing the vision, however, Jesus sends specific warnings and commendations to each of the seven churches (cf. Revelation 2–3). We cannot ignore the truth that these church-specific messages address issues of particular relevance to each individual church. Yet, we dare not think that each message is for only the congregation identified. Each message exhorts the reader to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (cf. Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22).

 

Remember these letters were to be circulated among all the churches. As many commentators have noted, each church is invited to read the other churches’ mail, as it were. What Jesus says to one church He is saying to all the churches, and not only to the seven churches in Asia Minor but to all churches throughout history. Any individual congregation that is part of the Church universal can find itself guilty of the sins mentioned in these verses or worthy of the praise given in those chapters.

 

Jesus addresses the church in Ephesus first among the seven churches in Revelation (vv. 1–7). Ephesus was the closest city to Patmos, so it would have been the first destination to which a messenger would carry the message of Revelation. It was also the largest and most important city in Asia Minor at the time, a commercial and religious hub because it was the location of the great Temple of Artemis or Diana, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This city was rife with false religious teaching, so the church there would have to have been discerning in order not to be led astray. The first few verses indicate that the church in Ephesus enjoyed such discernment, weighing and rejecting much error. For this Jesus praises the church.

 

Still, not all was well with the church in Ephesus. That church had “abandoned the love” it had at first, and it needed to repent or Jesus would remove its lampstand—take away its status as a true church (vv. 4–5). Many commentators argue convincingly that this love Jesus is talking about is love for people. However, we cannot separate love for people absolutely from love for Jesus. True love for one must include true love for the other (cf. 1 John 4:20–21). Apparently, the church of Ephesus had let a noble concern for true doctrine make it overly critical and unloving, unwilling to minister to people the love of Christ. The same can happen to us if we are not careful. We must pursue both truth and love.

 

Scripture commends us to look out for false teaching, so we must be ever vigilant. Yet, it is easy to let doctrinal concern devolve into a critical spirit that thinks it has found falsehood everywhere and is unconcerned with the relational needs of the people around us. We must guard the truth while continuing to love others and help meet all their needs, not just their need for biblically faithful instruction.

  

Seven Letter to Seven Churches - Pt 2

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. (Revelation 1:12–16 ESV).

 

Once John heard the voice calling him to write what he would see to the seven churches in Asia Minor (cf. Revelation 1:9–11), he turned to identify who was speaking to him. Today’s reading (vv. 12–16) tells us as much, but of course we already know that it is Jesus speaking (v. 1). However, when he received the vision, John did not know this until he looked for the One who had summoned him.

 

We should note that when John describes this regal person who spoke to him, he notes that this individual was standing in the midst of seven golden lampstands (vv. 12–13). The Scripture identifies the seven golden lampstands as the seven churches addressed in this book (v. 20). So, as many commentators note, we have an image of great comfort for the first readers of Revelation, many of whom were experiencing persecution. Jesus is not apart from His church, but He stands in its midst. He does not leave His people alone to make it on their own in this world, but He is with us. This is true even when He must speak hard words to us, even as He will speak such words to several of the seven churches (cf. Revelation 2–3). Note also that the lampstand was a common symbol of Judaism in Asia Minor at the time. In having lampstands represent the churches, Jesus is probably showing that the Church is the true people of God, made up of true “Jews” — those who trust in Christ alone no matter their ethnic origin (cf. Romans 2:12–29).

 

John describes Jesus, whom he sees, as the “Son of Man,” who comes with the clouds in Daniel 7:13–14 and receives an eternal kingdom from the Ancient of Days—God Himself. But Jesus, the Son of Man whom John sees, looks just like the Ancient of Days in Daniel with His hair as white as wool (v. 14; also see Daniel 7:9–12). John is showing us that the Son of Man, who is distinguished from the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7, is also the Ancient of Days. Jesus the Son of God is fully God and yet is distinct from His Father.

 

The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, in John’s vision wears a long robe and a sash (v. 13). This is the typical clothing of the old covenant priests (cf. Exodus 28:4), so Jesus reveals Himself to John as our High Priest. Jesus also reveals Himself in ways that recall the man or angel sent to bring messages to Daniel (vv. 14–15; also cf. Daniel 10). This highlights Jesus’ role as the final Prophet who brings to His people a message from God Most High.

 

There is a wonderful application here. When we are troubled, remembering that Jesus is our Prophet, Priest, and King is of great benefit to us. As Prophet, Jesus tells us only the truth. As Priest, Jesus intercedes for us before God, guaranteeing our redemption. As King, Jesus defeats all His and our enemies. What a great God we have!

  

Seven Letters to Seven Churches - Pt 1

 

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” (Revelation 1:4–11 ESV).

 

I’m always a bit unsure of the “next” in the Morning Devotionals. My hope is that I will choose passages that will bring all my readers encouragement and hope in their individual journey. So, with that in mind, I have decided to look at each of the seven churches of Asia that John delivers “letters” to in His “Revelation of Jesus Christ.” He opens the book with a prologue, a letter-style greeting, and John's vision of Jesus among the seven churches. John writes from exile on Patmos, likely a Roman penal colony, for his work as a Christian missionary. This opening vision of Christ lays the groundwork for the messages to the churches in the next parts of the book (cf. Revelation 1-3).

 

Theologically, the first chapter and our reading today presents Jesus with titles that belong to God. When Jesus calls himself "the First and the Last," he uses the title that identifies deity, affirming his own divine nature. He is also the "firstborn from the dead," a comfort for Christians who might soon face death for his name. For application, Jesus appears among the lampstands, which represent the seven churches, suggesting his presence with his people. Above all, God is still in control and will conclude history the way he promised. Because all history is in God's hands, his people need not fear.

 

We should also remember that “seven” is often symbolic. However, in this case, it appears that the letter is literally sent to seven churches but also that it is symbolic of the letter being sent to the whole world. John would have understood the scope of his reach with the letter and uses seven to mean whole or complete also. These seven churches are mentioned in the order in which they occur along the road. Presumably, given the cost of creating texts (the best estimates are that a gospel would cost something like $600 in today’s money to reproduce) and the poverty of most of the congregations would necessitate that one copy of the letter would make the rounds from city to city. Accessibility to Scripture was nothing like our experience today. Think about this from the perspective of an individual member of the Christian congregation in one of these cities: you would probably hear the letter read a few times (in its entirety) and then the letter would be on its way and you would never have any contact with the text again. This may be one of the reasons for the vivid visual images in the letter. It is an understatement to say that they stick in the mind, and you would presumably be able to visualize and ponder them over the months ahead.

 

That brings me to a request as we go forward over the next few days. Please read the first three chapters of Revelation as often as you can. Make some notes with questions or comments that need clarification. Send those to me in comments or messages and I will do my best to answer them also.

 

Remember most of all, while there is a sense of judgment and peril attached to these images, believers have already overcome every experience that we might face, including death itself because of the work of Christ on our behalf!