THE FOUR HORSEMAN OF THE APOCALYPSE-PART IV

Revelation 6:7-8"When He opened the fourth seal,I heard the fourth living creature saying."Come and see"So I looked,and behold,a pale horse.And the name of him who sat on it was Death and Hades followed with him.And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth,to kill with sword,with hunger,with death and by the beast of the earth."

The pale horse is simply a corpse-like,signifying death.During the first twenty-one month of the Tribulation period,the death rate toll is so high as a result of war,famine,inflation,pestilence and even killed by wild animal.The rider of this pale horse was named "Death" and he was followed by "Hades"/Hell(Both are the realm of death-a place reserved for unbelievers as they wait for the great White Throne Judgment.Hades/Hell follows the pale horse of death indicates that these are the spirits of unsaved dead being lead by the angel of Death.Thus its a reminiscent of the ten plague upon Egypt where the angel of death is visiting the unbelievers during the Tribulation period.Death and Hades was also mentioned in Revelation 20:13-15 as the realm of death.

"The sea gave up the dead who were in it,and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.And they were judged,each one according to his works.Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.This is the second death."(Rev 20:13-15)

The death toll mentioned here is one fourth of the total population of the earth.In this current present world census,such death total will be almost two billion people.

REVELATION-THE SEVEN CHURCHES-III

(I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF READING ARTICLES BY JACK KELLY'S ON APOSTLE JOHN'S LETTER TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA AND WAS BLESS.HOPE THIS WILL ALSO BLESS YOU.DR.J.LOUDIN)

The letters to the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea will bring our study on the Seven Letters to the Seven Churches of Revelation 2 and 3 to a conclusion.

To the Church in Philadelphia
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: Philadelphia means brotherly love.
In the chronicle of church history, Philadelphia represents the evangelical church born in the 1800’s during the 2nd Great Awakening. (The first took place about 100 years earlier primarily in the Northern colonies.)
For centuries scholars had taught an allegorical interpretation of scripture, especially prophecy, but in the mid 1800’s the rank and file was energized by a return to the literal interpretation. The pre-tribulation rapture and 1000 year reign of the Lord on Earth, views that were prevalent during the 1st century but abandoned with the allegorical interpretation were once again popular. The church was born again.
(Title) These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. Jesus is the Messiah who holds the keys to the Davidic Kingdom. He alone has the authority to grant and refuse entry.
(Commendation) I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. The open door is the one through which John will enter heaven in chapter 4 to stand before the Throne of God, a type of the Rapture. The Church in Philadelphia, receiving no criticism, is also granted admission. This is symbolic of the fact that for those saved by grace through faith, it’s as if no sin was ever committed.

In the 1st Century Philadelphia, like other gentile churches of the day, was beset by “Judiazers.” They insisted that before a Gentile could become a Christian, he had to become a Jew and keep the law. They’ll be forced to admit that the path to Christianity did not lie through Judaism, but went straight to the foot of the cross.
In the latter days, the advocates of Replacement Theology (those believing the church has replaced Israel) and other groups claiming Israel’s inheritance as the favored of God, will also be required to bow down before the true church and admit the error of their ways.
(Admonition) Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. The promise of a pre-trib rapture. The Greek word translated “from” in this passage literally means “out of altogether” and excludes us from the time, place, and cause of the end times judgments. Only one “hour of trial” is prophesied to be world-wide, and only one is designed for the Earth dwellers. It’s the Great Tribulation. Throughout the balance of Revelation the church is referred to as those who dwell in Heaven.

(Call) I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Here’s one of those places that distinguishes the free gift of salvation from the crowns we’ll earn as prizes for things we do in the Lord’s name out of gratitude for His gift. One of those crowns is reserved for those who long for His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8) and that describes the attitude of the Church in Philadelphia perfectly.
The Greek word translated soon in the NIV actually means speedily. When He comes, He’ll come suddenly, without warning. Don’t let anyone talk you out of the promise of His coming. Don’t lose hope!

(Challenge) Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. Who is it that overcomes the world, John asks? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5) The New Jerusalem is the home of the church. Nothing impure can ever enter it, only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Rev. 21:27) With all that identification, there’ll be no doubt as to who is authorized to live there.
(Promise) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Once again we’re admonished to stick to the basics of the Gospel. Keep to His Word. Don’t deny His name. Hold on to your convictions. Keep looking up.
It was a clear and beautiful day when we arrived in Philadelphia, modern Alashehir, just after lunch. Perfect timing, I thought, since historical sites in Turkey often close at 3:00 PM. We spotted the signs pointing the way to the church site and arrived without difficulty about 1:30. It was a quiet neighborhood and the site itself was like a park, green and clean.

The sign on the gate told us we were there during visiting hours and, like the other sites we had visited, there was a little office for collecting fees and distributing literature. But unlike every other place, though we stayed for almost an hour, we saw neither visitor nor employee. It was as if everyone had disappeared, just like the Lord promised.
The Kingdom Parable that describes the Church at Philadelphia is the Pearl of Great Price. Pearls are uniquely Gentile, since oysters are not kosher (Lev. 11:9-12). A pearl is the only gem that’s formed from a living organism. It grows in response to an irritant while hidden in the sea. At harvest time, it’s removed from its natural habitat to be set apart as an object of adornment. Sounds just like the church. And of course Paul’s Letters to the Thessalonians, that introduced the Rapture on Earth, match beautifully as well.

To the Church in Laodicea
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: Laodicea means “the people rule.” The Laodicean church represents the apostate church at the end of the age. Many in the New Age and Emergent Church movements are part of this church.
(Title)These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. He’s letting them know that they don’t rule the church, He does.
(Criticism) I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Laodicea receives no commendation, only this criticism, rich in symbolic sarcasm. Laodicea got its water from nearby Heiropolis, a hot spring resort that still flourishes today, now called Pamukkale. The water came across the valley in an open aqueduct. Having begun its journey fresh from the hot springs, it was luke warm by the time it arrived. Too cool to be used for cleaning or bathing, and too warm to be refreshing, it was unfit for use until it could be either heated up or cooled down.
The fire of the Spirit had gone from the Church in Laodicea leaving its members engaged in “form without substance” ritual. Not that they minded. They were happy as clams with their no commitment, no responsibility religion. So it is in much of the emergent church today. They look like a church and do some things that a church does, but you won’t detect the power of the Holy Spirit there and the gospel of our salvation is only obvious by its absence. Even though their congregations are often large and well financed, their spiritual condition is one of poverty.

(Admonition) I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Laodicea was a prosperous regional banking center, also famous for a rich black wool cloth its residents produced, and a soothing salve that helped reduce the painful effects of eye strain caused by astigmatism. They were rich in the worldly sense but poor in the things of the Spirit, thought themselves well dressed in their shiny black wool, but lacking the white robes of righteousness were actually naked, able to see all the opportunities for worldly gain, but in need of a healthy dose of the Lord’s eye salve to restore their eternal perspective. Sound like anyone you know? The Church of Laodicea is alive and prospering in the 21st Century.

(Call) Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Often called the great evangelistic call, this passage screams out one extraordinary fact. The Lord’s standing outside! He’s knocking on the door trying to get in, hoping (dare I say praying?) that someone, anyone, will hear His voice and invite Him in. If they do, He’ll say, “Better change your mind about your need for a savior. Time’s about up.”
(Challenge) To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. Right up until the time of the Rapture, anyone in the Church of Laodicea can recognize his or her need for a savior and look to the Lord for salvation. And even if it makes them the very last member of the Body of Christ they’ll receive full rights and privileges. The number’s almost complete. If you’re a Laodicean reading this, you just may be the one we’re all waiting for.

(Promise) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” There’s a bit of the Laodicean in all of us. Some part of the Word we’re lukewarm about, some area of our life where we think we’re self-sufficient, some sin we’ve blinded ourselves to. Let’s get right about it while there’s time.
As we stood beside the Greek amphitheater that morning (Laodicea has both Greek and Roman amphitheaters) it was clear that the Laodiceans did not hear the Lord knocking at their door. What remained of the church was but an empty shell.
The Parable of the Net describes how things will turn out for those who ignore His call. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 13:49-50) Paul’s Letter to the Colossians is the appropriate match here. Colosse was just a few miles down the highway from Laodicea.

Let’s Get Personal
As you sit in your seat each Sunday, regardless of the sign on the church door, you’re joined by folks from Thyatira. They’re the ones who add to the Gospel: Jesus plus someone or something else, grace plus works, scripture plus tradition. There are also some from Sardis. They subtract from the Gospel. “You don’t need to be born again, just join the church, give some time and money, you’ll be fine.” And then there’s the group from Laodicea. “Jesus was a great man and teacher, and lived a life of such gentleness and grace that it’s ALMOST as if he was God. Just love everybody like he did. The good life you live is an obvious sign of your favor with God, and everyone knows there’s no real heaven, I mean come on.”

But if you know you’re a sinner and have given your heart to Jesus because He gave His life for you, then you’re from Philadelphia. There may be some others there with you, but you’ll never really know for sure how many till you all vanish together some day soon. And don’t be surprised when you’re joined by some who’re Catholic, some who’re Protestant, some conservatives, some liberals, and even some who didn’t appear to attend any church at all. After all it’s not what you say you are, but what you believe in your heart that matters.
Next time we’ll begin part three of the Revelation, “the things that will be after this.” See you then.

REVELATION-THE SEVEN CHURCHES-II

(I HAVE BEEN BLESS READING JACK KELLEY'S ARTICLE ON THE SEVEN LETTERS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION.I WISH TO SHARE WITH YOU HIS WRITING.BE BLESS-DR.J.LOUDIN)
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
As the Roman Empire grew in prominence, Rome soon became the world’s center for the practices and traditions of the Babylonian pagan religion. Pergamum slowly faded from the scene, but the mixed marriage of Christianity and Paganism begun there has produced four offspring, Roman Catholics (Thyatira), Main Line Protestants (Sardis), Evangelicals including Pentecostals and Charismatics (Philadelphia) and the Apostate Church (Laodicea). All are alive on Earth today.

To the Church in Thyatira
“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: Thyatira means continual sacrifice. (In the Catholic Church, the Lord is still on the cross, and they believe that the communion wafer becomes His actual body and blood as it’s consumed.) It’s the first letter with a future in view, which led me to the conclusion that the earlier three churches are gone. It’s also the first whose members are divided into two categories, the saved and the unsaved.
(Title) These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. It couldn’t be clearer. While born of the Virgin, the One speaking to them with fire in His eyes is to be addressed as the Son of God, not the son of Mary.

(Commendation) I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. The Catholic Church is known for its efforts in bringing mercy and compassion, as well as the Gospel, to God’s children.

(Criticism) Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. The title “Queen of Heaven” by which many Catholics refer to Mary, was first used of Semeramis, wife of Nimrod the founder of Babylon, and mother of Tammuz. Semeramis declared herself a goddess, claimed that Tammuz was born of a supernatural conception involving the Sun god, and began the first counterfeit religion, a mother-child cult.

According to legend, while out hunting one day Tammuz was killed by a wild animal. Semeramis mourned for 40 days at the end of which Tammuz was raised from the dead. A celibate priesthood was formed and the chief priest was declared infallible. The 40 day mourning (now called Lent), the Yule log, evergreen tree, mistletoe and hot cross buns were all used in rituals commemorating the event, and the mother-child cult was begun.
Later the Romans adapted these to the death and re-birth of the Sun at the winter solstice, but in the 4th century the traditions surrounding Semeramis and Tammuz were attributed to Mary and Jesus and came almost unchanged into Catholicism, where they remain to this day.
Semeramis is symbolically called Jezebel in the letter, leading people away from the truth into idolatry. But the real Jezebel is also in view here. She was a daughter of the King of Phonecia, a pagan princess best known for her advice to her Israelite husband King Ahab on how to obtain a vineyard he wanted. She brought trumped up charges against the vineyard’s owner, hired witnesses to bear false testimony, and had him convicted and executed. Then she confiscated the vineyard in the name of the King. Centuries later the Catholic Church would obtain much of its wealth in the same way. Fortunes beyond measure were gained during these inquisitions.

Jezebel was also the patron of the 400 priests of Baal who Elijah slew on Mt. Carmel. The Lord views idolatry as infidelity and Jezebel had encouraged the worship of Baal, leading the people into spiritual adultery. The many saints to whom some Catholics pray, and the sacramental works they must perform to attain and keep their salvation are not scriptural and deny the sufficiency of the cross. For these reasons the Catholic Church is often called the “plus religion.” Jesus plus Mary. Grace plus works. The Scripture plus tradition. Giving glory for the works of God to anyone else is spiritual adultery, and subjects the giver to severe punishment.
(Admonition) So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Those who insist upon being judged by their works will be granted their wish.

Sadly the emphasis on these religious works has clouded the true message of the gospel to the extent that some life-long Catholics never come to know the Lord on a personal basis. The Lord will judge them according to the motives of their hearts. Are their good works performed out of gratitude for the free gift of salvation He offers, or they done in a futile effort to earn it on their own?
(Call) Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come. Others will have seen through the layers of traditions and works and saints and rituals and found the face of the Lord looking back at them. Those who do and cling tenaciously to Him will have their reward.

(Promise) To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—’He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery— just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. They’ll join Him on His throne as co-regent of the universe, the Bride of Christ, His beloved church.
We’re not in the church because of the pew we occupy, or the name over the door, or the good works we do. We’re in the church because we’ve believed by faith that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Cor 15:3-4)
(Challenge) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Even after we’re saved by Grace, we all have our lists of do’s and don’ts.

We derive our self- image as a believer from our adherence to this list, often judging others by how well they keep our commandments. When we fail, we fall back on God’s grace, but we don’t really feel good about ourselves until we’re obeying our list again and we always insist upon justice for everyone else who fails. We forget that grace plus works equals works. The two are like oil and water, they don’t mix. To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:5)
The only negative experience we had in our entire visit to the sites of the seven churches in Turkey took place in Thyatira, called Akhisar today. After a friendly and helpful guard opened the site where the church once stood for us and gave us material that explained what we were looking at, we left to find some lunch thinking how pleasant our time there had been. Down the street, we spotted an open-air shop where a vendor was selling the barbecued chicken sandwiches that are so popular in Turkey, and that we had come to enjoy as well.

Waiting for our sandwiches, we were approached by a man who appeared to hold some position of authority. His manner was most unfriendly, and his questions conveyed an air of suspicion. We left there quickly wondering if he was a policeman, a government agent, or an official from a religion unfriendly to Christians. Driving away we also discovered our food was not edible. The chicken was bad, as if the innards hadn’t been removed before cooking. Re-reading the letter to Thyatira we were struck by the contrasts between good and evil, in the letter and in our visit.
The Kingdom Parable that resembles the Letter to Thyatira is the Parable of the Leaven where a woman wrongly mixed leaven into three measures of meal. Leaven, or yeast, always symbolizes sin and traditionally three measures of meal is the fellowship offering. (Sin in the fellowship. Get it?) Paul’s letter to the Galatians fits too and can be summed up in the first three verses of chapter 3. You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

To the Church in Sardis
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: Sardis means remnant. As He did in the Letter to Thyatira, the Lord will distinguish between the lost and the saved (the remnant) in Sardis. The church in Sardis represents the Protestant Reformation. When Luther and others led the way out of Catholicism, it was in search of truth. The Catholics had distorted God’s word into something it was never intended to be, adding to the Scriptures and imposing heavy spiritual burdens on their followers.
The call of the reformation was “Sola fides (only through faith), sola gratia (Only by grace), solus Christus (only with Christ), and sola Scriptura (Only His Word).”
(Title) These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

The Lord reminds the Church in Sardis just Who is writing to them. He is the Giver of the Holy Spirit, and the Guardian of the angel who shepherds them.
(Criticism) I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Jesus told the woman at the well, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) In their quest for the truth, the Protestants neglected the things of the Spirit and for several hundred years almost never heard the rustlings of the Ruach Elohim (Spirit of God) in their midst. When the Great Awakening of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s brought the Gifts of the Spirit into the open again main line protestantism denied their use. This caused many to leave their number, giving birth first to the Pentecostal and then the Charismatic movements.

(Admonition) Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. When the German School of Higher Criticism invaded their seminaries with its godless theories about the “real” authorship of the Bible and the Modern Rationalists they spawned explained away its miracles, there was no Spiritual discernment to resist them. And so, having earlier rejected the Spirit, they now lost the Truth as well.
(Call) 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. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. As is the case in Thyatira, there remains but a remnant who are saved. The rest, having worked so hard to make God small enough to fit in their minds, now find Him too small to meet their needs. They will be among the most surprised to find themselves left behind as End Times events unfold. (Notice, the Lord doesn’t promise to come for them, but to them.)

(Promise) He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. But to the believing remnant He will bring the white robes of the righteousness that comes by faith, and will be pleased to introduce them to His Father as members of God’s Forever Family.
(Challenge) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. There are two extremes in Christianity today. The dead orthodoxy of main line Protestantism, who can’t hear the Spirit and whose watered down gospel is powerless to save, is on one end of the spectrum. The “zeal without knowledge” of Charismania that all too often ignores the admonitions of His word and permits the most outrageous excesses of spiritualism, is on the other. We’re told to worship God in spirit and in truth, but too great a focus on either can cause the loss of both.
The most significant site in Sardis today is the huge abandoned synagogue and gymnasium (school). As I stood there I was reminded how the protestant church has abandoned its Jewish roots and ignores the Old Testament, even doubting its veracity. Having learned what the Lord did from their New Testament but not understanding why He did it because they’ve never read the Old, they’ve lost the last of the meaning that once validated their theology. It’s become form without substance.

The Parable of the Treasure in the Field describes the Church in Sardis. Upon discovering buried treasure in a vacant field, the Lord bought the whole field just to get the treasure. For God so loved the (whole) world that He gave His only son, that who so ever believed … The pardon purchased with His blood is available to everyone in Sardis, but only a remnant will accept it. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, the “Gospel according to Paul” is his contribution to our understanding.
These two children defined Christianity until the 1800’s when the Lord again did a remarkable thing and the Church was born again in the 3rd child of Pergamus. More next time

REVELATION-THE SEVEN CHURCHES-I

I had the privilege of reading an article written by Jack Kelly on his understanding about the Apostle John's letter to the seven churches in Asia.I was bless to read such and would want to share with you .Be bless while reading it.(Dr.J.Loudin)



A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
According to Revelation 1:11, the book was written to seven congregations in Asia, modern Turkey. For 2,000 years scholars have wondered why such an important message would be sent to these churches since they weren’t even the most important of their day,let alone now.
True,Ephesus was a leading city of the time, but the church there was small and so were the others.Why wasn’t the book written to the Church in Rome, for example? Surely the Lord knew that Rome would be the capital of Christianity for much of church history, the perfect addressee for such a timeless message. Or how about Jerusalem, where the Church was born?

Four Levels of Application
The answer lies in the realization that the letters of chapters 2 and 3 have a representative as well as a specific purpose. They can actually be read with four levels of application. The first level is historical. These seven churches really existed and each was experiencing the particular problem to which the Lord referred as He dictated the letters to John. Second, since all the churches were to read all the letters, they were also admonitory to all. Third, since both the challenge and promise with which each letter ends are personal rather than corporate, the letters were for individuals as well as congregations. And fourth, read in the order in which they appear they outline church history and so are prophetic. They chronicle the gap between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy. (Daniel 9:24-27)
The Lord begins each letter with a different one of the 24 titles that are used to describe Him in the book, and the title He selects gives a clue to the letter’s theme. The name of each Church also contains a clue. Each letter can be divided into seven parts, the Lord’s title being the first one. Then come a commendation, a criticism, an admonition, a call, a challenge, and a promise. Two of the seven letters, Sardis and Laodicea, contain no commendation, and in two, Smyrna and Philadelphia, no criticism is given. Pergamum has no admonition, but has two criticisms. In the last 4 letters the challenge and the promise are reversed.
I’ll dissect each letter into its component parts as we go. And since I visited the sites of each of the seven churches a few years ago, I’ll include a personal note or two as well. By the way, each letter also bears an interesting resemblance to one of the 7 Kingdom Parables in Matthew 13, and to one of the 7 letters Paul wrote to churches. (Paul actually wrote 13 letters, not counting Hebrews, but four were to individuals and two were second letters to churches he had written previously.) With that, let’s get started.

To the Church in Ephesus (Rev 2:1-7)
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: Ephesus means darling, or beloved, maiden of choice. Ephesus represents the 1st century church.
(Title)These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lamp stands. In using this title the Lord identifies Himself as the One who came to visit John, the One with authority over the Church, and the One to whom the Church owes affection as well as allegiance.
(Commendation) I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. The Church in Ephesus had worked tirelessly to remain true to His Gospel.

(Criticism) Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Already the church had become so busy in its service to the King that it had forgotten about the King! The relationship He sought was turning into another religion.
(Admonition) Remember the height from which you have fallen! How many times have we heard friends comment about the “good old days” when they were new believers?
(Call) Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Here’s the remedy. Go back to doing what you did at first. Remember when you couldn’t get enough of the Bible? When you showed up at church half an hour early, just because you loved being there, and didn’t want to leave when the service was over? How you kept up a running conversation with the Lord that began when you woke up in the morning and didn’t end till you fell asleep at night?
The Nicolaitans were a heretical sect that advocated a blending of pagan customs, like eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality, into Christian worship. There’s only One worthy to receive our worship, and worshiping Him is the Church’s primary purpose.

The lamp stand is identified in Rev 1:20 as the church, so removing it means removing the church of Ephesus. Though the ruins of Ephesus are extensive and impressive, requiring most of a day to see, when we were there a few years ago we found only the faintest traces of a 1st century church in Ephesus.
(Challenge) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Reach up along each side of your head. Do you have ears there? Then this letter was written to you. Though the letter to Ephesus describes the Apostolic era, the church struggles with the same problems today. The church as a whole is too distracted with programs and plans, your congregation is too busy implementing them, and you’re too busy helping. We’re human beings, not human doings, and once we’re saved being with the Lord in fellowship is our life’s purpose.

(Promise)To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Because of the emphasis on good works and programs in the church today, many who call themselves Christians, and rightly consider themselves to be hard working members of their congregations, have never taken the time to meet the King they claim to serve and receive the pardon He purchased for them with His life. How shocked they’ll be to hear Him say, “I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers.” (Matt. 7:23)
The first of the Kingdom Parables, the Sower and the Seed, applies here. It teaches that while the seed was sown in all the world, it only found fertile ground in a small part. And of course Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is the clearest description of how we are already perceived by God, having been saved by grace, not by works lest anyone boast.

To the Church in Smyrna (Rev 2:8-11)
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: Smyrna means crushed. It comes from the same root as Myrrh, an embalming spice that releases its aroma when crushed. Smyrna represents the 2nd and 3rd Century church that suffered intense persecution.
(Title) These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. The emphasis in the title is obvious, overcoming death.
(Commendation) I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. The first to persecute the church were Jews. Polycarp, the most famous of the early martyrs was the Bishop of Smyrna and was burned at the stake there at age 86.
(Admonition) Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. The ten days refers to the reigns of 10 Roman Caesars, covering a period of 250 years.
(Call) Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. There’s no promise of deliverance, only of reward in Heaven. The stories of believers’ grace in the face of death while ingenious and diabolical methods were employed to exterminate them as a form of public entertainment have achieved legendary status.
(Challenge) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Many of us in the west have never faced serious threats on account of our faith, but world wide the number of Christian martyrs has averaged over 1 million per year for the last 10 years. Their number will only grow as the End draws nearer.
(Promise) He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.” The old adage goes: Born once, die twice. Born twice die once. It’s the second death that you have to watch out for. It’s the permanent one.
Today a prosperous city called Izmir, third largest in Turkey, stands where ancient Smyrna once was. An incident that clearly displayed the Lord’s sense of humor, while emphasizing the point of the letter, happened as we drove through the city. We saw prominent signs on a freeway exit just outside Izmir pointing to Smyrna and thinking we had found the ancient site, I quickly pulled off. But at the bottom of the short exit ramp was a T intersection with no indication as to which way we should turn. And there were no more signs pointing the way to Smyrna. After an hour of driving back and forth searching in both directions, I gave up and drove on. I didn’t get the point till later after describing the event to our Turkish travel agent. He told me the sign points to where Symrna was. There’s no trace of Smyrna today. The church of Smyrna is in heaven.
The parable of the Tares and the Wheat carries similar insights to this letter, as does Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the theme of which is joy through suffering.

To the Church in Pergamum (Rev. 2:12-17)
“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: Pergamum means mixed marriage and represents the merger of pagan and Christian practices in the 4th century when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
(Title) These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. In Hebrews 4:12 the double-edged sword is used to describe God’s Word, the source of Truth.
(Commendation) I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. With the establishment of Baghdad as the major distribution center between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea following Alexander’s death, Babylon had gone into decline so the original mother/child cult religion moved its headquarters from there to Pergamum. (It eventually settled in Rome.) The reference to Satan’s home there shows the true source of this false religion.
(Criticism 1) Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.
(Criticism 2) Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. These pagan practices crept into the church at Pergamum, just as they had in Ephesus.
(Call) Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. The truth of the Gospel has always been the best defense against the cults.

(Challenge) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.There are still plenty of idols in the church. Maybe you parked yours in the parking lot, or shaved its face this morning, or keep it in a bank downtown.
(Promise) To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. Just as the black ball was a vote against someone, a white stone was a sign of trust. When an important businessman had to complete a transaction in a distant city, he didn’t travel there. It was too dangerous. Instead he sent a trusted servant empowered to act on his behalf. The servant carried a coin like form of identification made of baked white clay. The seal of the businessman being represented was pressed into the clay as was a secret name, known only to the other party in the transaction. By the presentation of the white stone, the servant authenticated himself as being entitled to all the rights and privileges of his master. In this way, our Lord Jesus will identify us as being entitled to all the rights and privileges due Him, when we enter into the Presence of our Father in Heaven.
Our Lord instructed the Disciples to go into all the world (Matt 28:19-20), but in Pergamus the world came into the church. In the 4th century the Edict of Milan made Christianity legal and ultimately the official religion of the Empire. When that happened, pagan festivals became Christian holidays. The Feasts of Saturnalia and Ishtar became Christmas and Easter. This explains why such pagan symbols as the Yule log and evergreen tree, which symbolized the sun dying and being born again at the winter solstice, are associated with Christmas, while fertility symbols like rabbits and eggs are connected with Easter. Ishtar was the Babylonian goddess of fertility.
The impressive ruins on a hill 1000 feet above the surrounding valleys near modern Bergama are markedly pagan with remains of great temples to Roman gods and emperors but only faint traces of the church that was there.

The parable of the Mustard Seed tells of a small seed that grows into something it was never intended to be and is a prophecy of what can happen when the world and the church are mingled. And Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, the worldly church, is an obvious parallel.
Children Of A Mixed Marriage
It’s my belief that the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamus have all disappeared, symbolically and in reality. But the marriage of pagan and Christian beliefs in Pergamus produced 4 offspring that all survive to this day and are represented by the four remaining letters. We’ll cover them next time.