Revelation: more than just end time prophecy

The final book of the Bible is the book of Revelation. A book which has many interpretations through the centuries. Its purpose is to reveal the full identity of Christ and give warning to nonbelievers and hope to believers. It was written by the apostle John. According to tradition, he wrote it while in exile on the island of Patmos. While the book is filled with imagery and prophecy, I do not intend to discuss the possible meanings as it would take far too long. And there are countless books on the market if anyone is interested. I will discuss the messages and lessons we can take from the seven churches. Each church either has a praise and/or reprimand which are qualities we need to seek and those we need to avoid as a church and as a believer.

First, the church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) is praised for its hard work and perseverance. The ancient city of Ephesus was located in present day Izmir Province, Turkey. It was a very important port of trade and a center of early Christianity. Paul wrote the letter of Ephesians to the church and church tradition claims the Gospel of John was written there. The church did not tolerate wickedness and tested those who claimed to be apostles and found those who proved false (verse 2). They endured hardships and did not grow weary (verse 3). However, they have forsaken their first love (verse 4). They had lost their enthusiasm and zeal for Christ which is common for many believers as years past from the moment they first believed. Christ calls them to remember and repent (verse 5). Many new believers have love for God without knowledge but with time, many have knowledge of Him without the same love. To be effective for God, we must have both. Unfortunately, for many Christians as they study God’s word, they tend to focus on pointing out the sins of others rather on their own. We must remember the joy of forgiveness as we gain knowledge of God through studying of his word. It is when we have both that we can teach others about the love of God and the joy we can have in Him.

Second, the church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) is praised for suffering persecution and poverty (verse 9) and there is no reprimand. The city of Smyrna was located on the western coast of Asia Minor at the head of the gulf which the Hermus River (today is known as the Gediz River) flows. The church is told to be faithful and do not fear coming trials (verse 10). To remain faithful in difficult times is, well, difficult. It is easy to turn away from God when all you see is pain and suffering. But when you turn to God and focus on His promise of hope and joy, the difficult times will not last. As tests to our faith develops perseverance for future trials (James 1:2). The lesson we can take from the church of Smyrna is to remain faithful, trust God and seek Him as we face difficult times. I understand that when amid turmoil, it can be easier said than done. When faced with extreme difficulties, we often forget to turn God. I know I have. I have learned in recent years to pray first. A quick prayer of “Lord, help me” is sometimes all the words that are needed. The Lord knows what is going on and He knows what needs to be done and what He wants to us to turn to Him. The church of Smyrna is a great example of this reliance on God.

Third, the church in Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) is praised for their faith. They remained true to his name; however, they compromised in other areas. Pergamum was the capital city of the Pergamenian kinds until Rome took over in approximately 133 B.C.E. The city was a sophisticated city, a center of Greek culture and education with a library of over 200,000. However, it was also home of four cults centered around Zeus, Dionysius, Asclepius, and Athene. The politics of the city was deeply entwined with the religious practices and the Christians there would have been heavily pressured to compromise which according to Revelation they did. One man, named Antipas, is mentioned as a faithful witness who was “put to death” in the city (verse 13). There is little information known about Antipas except that he refused to compromise. The specific sins listed were eating foods which were sacrificed to idols and sexual immortality (verse 13). The lesson for us here is not to tolerate sin by bowing to the pressure to be considered open-minded. Sin is still sin regardless if it is accepted by society. Pressure to compromise will be fierce; however, we need to stand firm and avoid practices which Christ opposes. We don’t have to avoid association with non-believers; however, we need to be careful to avoid any type of alliance, partnership or participation can lead to immoral practices.

Fourth, the church in Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) is praised for their deeds, love, faith and service. Thyatira was a working man’s city with many trade guilds in pottery, cloth making, and dyes. The They continued to do more than they did when they first began (verse 19). However, they were reprimanded for their immorality. They tolerated Jezebel who called herself a prophetess and were misleading the church members to eat foods sacrificed to idols and sexual immortality (verse 20). The woman’s name may not have been really Jezebel. John may have used this name to invoke the story of Jezebel the pagan queen who was considered the most evil woman in history (her story can be found in 1 & 2 Kings). Whoever this woman was, she refused to repent (verse 21). Christ says that she will be casted on a bed of suffering along with her followers who refused to repent (verse 22-23). Christ says that he will search “hearts and minds” and will repay according to our deeds (verse 23). We cannot keep secrets from God. He knows our thoughts and hearts. He loves us and all we need to do is repent from all sins and we will forgive us.

Fifth, the church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) is praised for being effective and reprimanded for being superficial. Sardis was the capital of the Lydian empire and one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. This church had the reputation for being alive, but they were dead (verse 1). They are told to wake up and strengthen what is left before it dies (verse 3). Despite being so good on the outside, they were spiritually dead on the inside. They were urged to get back to the basics of Christian faith. We need to grow in our knowledge of God, to deepen our understanding through study; however, we are urged not to abandon the basic truths about Jesus. Not everyone in Sardis were spiritually dead, Jesus says that few are worthy, dressed in white and their names are written in the book of life (verse 4-5). To be dressed in white means to be set apart for God and made pure. The book of life records the names of all believers and symbolizes God’s knowledge of all who belong to him. The lesson from the church of Sardis is we must be spiritually alive inside as well as physical active in our faith.

Sixth, the church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) is praised for being faithful and had no reprimands. The city of Philadelphia sat on the Cogamus River and was named in honor of the brother of the Pergamon king, Eumenes. The church is praised for having little strength and yet kept His word and had not denied His name (verse 8). They endured his command patiently (verse 10) and are told to hold on to what they have so that no one can take their crown from them (verse 11). Each Christian has different gifts, abilities, experience and maturity; however, despite these differences, we are each told to hold on to what we have and persevere and use our resources for him. The Philadelphian church was commended for doing just that and was encouraged to continue to hold on. We can remember their example and hold on to His word, to His promise and to our gifts in Him as we persevere through our trials especially when we feel physically, mentally and spiritually weak. When we feel as if we cannot go on, we can remember the faithfulness of the Philadelphian church who had little strength and yet persevered.

Lastly, the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) had no words of praise and only reprimands for being lukewarm. Being lukewarm is worse than being hot or cold. Jesus says he will spit them from his mouth (verse 16). In verse 17, Jesus describes them as claiming to be rich, acquired wealth and in need of nothing; however, they are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” The city of Laodicea was the wealthiest of the seven cities known for its banking industry, wool manufacturing and a medical school. They also had a problem with water and by the time water came to the city from the aqueducts, it was distastefully lukewarm. Jesus is using this imagery to describe the church. The members wouldn’t stand up for anything and their indifference had led to idleness. Jesus is saying that there is no middle ground when it comes to faith and belief in him. You either do or you don’t. You are either fully devout Christian or a non-believer. There is no middle. Being lukewarm is the same as being a non-believer in Jesus’ eyes. He’s about to spit them out unless they repent and be the church for the community that they needed to be.

In conclusion, each church is an example of what do to right and what not to do as believers in Jesus. The church of Ephesus had forgotten their first love in Christ. The church of Pergamum had compromised their convictions. The church pf Thyatira were participating in immoral acts. The church of Sardis had become superficial Christians. The church of Laodicea were lukewarm Christians. For these churches, the course of action was to repent. For the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia, they were praised for their faithfulness despite their suffering and were told to: do not fear, be faithful and hold on. We can read about these churches and learn from their examples. Remain faithful despite our sufferings, remember our first love in Jesus Christ and keep our zeal for Him and follow his commands. If we do these things, we can avoid the sins of the five churches and follow the example of the two churches.