Chapter 1

First of all, we shall consider the five words, which begin this prophecy. They are, "The apocalypse of Jesus Christ." The word, "apocalypse," is at this point translated, "revelation." In Romans 8:19 "the apocalypse of the sons of GOD," the word is translated, "manifestation." In I Cor. 1:7, for "the apocalypse of our Lord Jesus Christ," we have the rendering, "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." In II Thessalonians 1:7, "in the apocalypse of the Lord Jesus," is translated, "When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed." I Peter 1:7, "in the apocalypse of Jesus Christ," is rendered, "at the appearing of Jesus Christ," while the identical Greek wording in I peter 1:13 is translated, 'AT THE REVELATION OF Jesus Christ." Let us look at one more example: I Peter 4:13, "and in the apocalypse of His glory," translated, "and when His glory shall be revealed." In all the foregoing examples, the first rendering is the literal translation of the phrase, with the word, "apocalypse," retained instead of the more commonly used word, "revelation." The next translation, in each case, is from our King James Version of the Holy Bible. This seems sufficient to establish the fact, that the "apocalypse," or, "revelation," of Jesus the Christ is principally "His manifestation," "His appearing," "His coming," or, as in II Thess. 1:7-8, "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from haven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not GOD, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This revelation, or appearing, "which GOD gave unto Him," is that, which was "given," or "appointed," unto Him of the Father. As our Lord was talking to His disciples, He told them a few things about His return. But, He explicitly told them, (Matt. 24:36) 'but of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.’" Again (Mark 13:32 ) "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." Certainly, no one, who believes in the Divinity of the Christ and the Trinity of the Godhead, would doubt that, as GOD, He knew all things. Nevertheless, in His office as the Son of man, and in His role as the sacrificial Lamb of GOD, Who was to "become sin for us," He laid no claim to such knowledge. Because His work was not completed, and therefore He could not yet reclaim His royal robe and crown. Although from eternity He is "Saviour," "King," "Judge," "Counselor," "Christ," and "Lord," as well as having many other titles; yet in Acts 2:36, the Apostle Peter says, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that GOD HATH MADE this same Jesus Whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ." That is, although He is this, and more, from the foundation of the world, He having finished the great work of salvation, is now by the Father MADE, or officially established, as both Lord and Christ. He is now given, or appointed, of GOD this revelation, or appearing, in a profile, if we may use such a word, which has never before been seen on earth.

Having, then, this appearing officially assigned to Him, He, in order to show His servants things that "must shortly come to pass," sent His angel, and signified, or showed, them to His servant John. The things thus shown, for the greater part, reveal Him in His new profile, or office. Thus, they must "shortly" come to pass--not shortly, or immediately, after they were shown to John, but immediately after His appearing--for these are the things that show Him in His office as the great Judge. (Rev. 11:18) "And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward to Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth."

John declares that, as Jesus sent and signified these things to him, he has borne record of the word of GOD, the testimony of Christ Jesus, and of all things that he saw. That is, everything that he saw, and heard, in all visions that followed, with, of course, the exception of those things, which, at the time of their being presented to him, he was commanded not to write. Then he assures us that there is a blessing to those who read, and hear, the words of this prophecy, and hold on to those things which are written therein. "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the book of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand." The word here translated, "readeth," often carries the meaning of reading aloud. This, certainly seems appropriate in this instance. For only by one's reading aloud would others be able to hear the reading. Then it also follows that both the reader and the hearers must keep, or retain those things written therein, if they are to receive the blessing. The last statement of this verse, "for the time is at hand," signifies, not that they must begin to come to pass immediately after John was given this vision, but that this is the next great prophesied event to come. Christ has completed His great work of salvation. He has ascended to the Father, has been officially "made both Lord and Christ," and has of the Father been appointed this appearing. So His return in glory is the next event of importance. Keep in mind that, with GOD, "one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day." Therefore, except when GOD tells us that a time Is of a specific duration, we need not try to limit His timetable to fit our ideas.

(Verses 4 through 7) "John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace from Him Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful Witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him That loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto GOD and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen. Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him."

Here we have John's salutation to "the seven churches which are in Asia ," the same churches to which the second and third chapters of this book are specifically addressed. "Asia," in this sentence, does not refer to what we now call "the continent of Asia," but to a comparatively very small area of what we sometimes call, " Asia Minor ." Although John mentions only seven churches; inasmuch as the number seven is usually found to refer to the whole of anything rather than to the exact number stated, this might be the manner of its usage here. We then would be led to believe that this message of grace and peace is to all the church of GOD . John desires this grace and peace to be from Him, Who was, is, and is to come, the Eternal GOD; and the seven Spirits which are before His throne. From the repeated usage of the phrase, "seven Spirits," in later passages, it seems obvious that it indicates the fullness of GOD. In addition thereunto, he desires this grace and peace to come from Christ Jesus, Who is not only the faithful Witness; that is, the One Who faithfully declared, or witnessed, the Father to the world: (John 1:18) "No man hath seen GOD at any time; the only begotten Son, Which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." But He is also the first begotten of the dead. He is the first to arise from the dead to immortality. Certainly, the Bible gives instances, even in the Old Testament, of persons who died, and were brought back to life; also Jesus raised some from the dead while He was here on earth. Yet all of these were only brought back to the same mortal life they had before. When Jesus arose from the dead, He arose to His full power and immortality, thus attaining to the title, "firstborn of the dead," or "firstfruits of them that slept." In addition to this, He is the "Prince of the kings of the earth." In this phrase, "Prince," means "First," or "Greatest." Even the great King Nebuchadnezzar found to his dismay that this is true. After his amazing experience of GOD'S power, he declared, (Dan. 4:34-35) "And mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him That liveth for ever, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?"

Hereupon John is so lifted up by the Spirit that he breaks forth in praise to this wonderful Jesus, saying, "Unto Him That LOVED US, AND WASHED US FROM OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BLOOD, and HATH MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS UNTO GOD and HIS FATHER; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." Then he makes a glorious announcement; "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen." This announcement sets the stage for the whole book. "Behold, He cometh with clouds," indicates that His coming is, indeed, the "center stage" idea of the whole message. It is worthy of the greatest interest. His coming is far more important than anything else, even His going away. On the day of His ascension, two white-clad men stood by, and said to His disciples, "Ye men of Galilee , why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11 ) In Acts 1:9, we find, "---- and a cloud received Him out of their sight." So, as He left with clouds, He shall also return with clouds. Elsewhere the clouds are mentioned as "clouds of heaven," "clouds and great glory," etc. Then comes the part of the announcement that differs so much from that of His first advent, (Luke 2:14, "Glory to GOD in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men"); but, very definitely, sets the tone of His second coming: "And every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen." His coming as here declared is one of judgment. His enemies will indeed see Him and, because of the judgments He will declare, and cause to be executed, all kindreds of the earth shall wail. Notice also the order of events: first, "He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him." That is, instantaneously His coming shall be visible to all the world, a truly great miracle, totally impossible according to nature, but not impossible with GOD. (Matt.24:27) "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall the coming of the Son of man be." Next, "And they also which pierced Him;" not necessarily at the same time as His arrival, but when He shall raise the wicked dead, those who pierced Him shall actually be among them; and shall stand before Him to be judged. Finally all the "kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him." No nation, no tribe, and no family on earth is without sin. Just as He has declared that He has a people in every nation, kindred, family, and tongue, so there are also wicked in all, and on that day of final judgment there will be wailing, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. "Even so, Amen." John declares that this is exactly the way it will be, and adds his "So be it."

In verse 8 John gives us a message from Him, Whose coming he has just announced. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, the Almighty." Alpha is the first character of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last, and their use here, as elsewhere when the same expression is used, signifies that He is first, since there was no GOD before Him; and that He is last, inasmuch as there will be no God after Him; and since He is eternal, He is not only the First and the Last, but also all that intervenes. And thus the expression answers to one in common use today, "From A to Z." Also, since He is the "Lord Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, the Almighty,” not only is He the One, Who sits upon the throne with the seven Spirits before it, and, in CHAPTER V, holds the book in His right hand, but is also Jesus the Christ, the faithful Witness, the One Who is coming in the clouds, and Who, in CHAPTER V, takes the book to loose the seals and to look thereon. He bore witness to this while here on earth. (John 11:30) "I and My Father are One." And (John 14:9) "he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." Since He is Almighty, we can rest in the assurance that there is no power, and no combination of powers that can thwart His purposes or disrupt His schedule. HE WILL COME AT THE APPOINTED TIME.

In verse 9 John gives us a little introduction to himself, identifies his location, and gives the reason for his being where he is. "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos , for the word of GOD and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."

In this modern age we have many men who profess to be, and perhaps are, ministers of the gospel, who, seemingly, delight in introducing themselves as "Reverend ______," "Elder _______," "Doctor _____," "Father ______," or some other elevated title, while John, who, we must all agree, must have been eminently greater than any of us, inasmuch as he was an Apostle of our Lord, and one to whom was given the vision of this great revelation, as well as many other blessings that were not given to any of us, simply says, "I - - - am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ." How wonderful it would be if we could all learn that if we are brothers to the children of GOD, no greater honor is needed, nor, indeed, can be found. Then we could witness with the Apostle Paul, (Rom. 5:3) "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience." Thus would we be companions with the Lord's people in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. Now because of John's witness of the word of GOD and his continuous testimony that Jesus is the Christ, he was banished by the political authorities, and sent in exile, to the island that is called, " Patmos ." According to the "UNIVERSAL WORLD REFERENCE ENCYCLOPEDIA," Patmos is "a rocky barren island, of most irregular outline, in the Agean Sea , one of the Sporades , lying Southwest of Ephesus; area, 16 square miles." This, then, is John's location; and these are the circumstances of his being here. Even in this dismal place, though forsaken of men, he is still in close communion with GOD, as is soon evident from what he next says.

(Verses 10 and 11) "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; and what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea."

We have fallen into the habit of thinking that "the Lord's day" and Sunday are one and the same. There is, however, no indication that such is the meaning in this case. The time of the week is totally immaterial and irrelevant. The important point is that it is a day of the Lord's choosing-- not John's. Thus, at this time John was in the Spirit, that is, the Spirit came upon him with such force that he was in an ecstasy, or trance, and being thus, he heard One behind him speak. The Speaker's voice was so loud that it was comparable to the blast of a trumpet. What is first spoken identifies the speaker as the same One Who has already been identified in verse 8; and John is instructed to write the things he will see, and send this writing, or book, to the seven churches which are in Asia . We have previously noted that, since only seven of the churches are mentioned, and certainly there must have been more than seven at this time, they must be used representatively of all the churches. Possibly, these seven were chosen because of the condition of each, about which, more later. As will be noticed in Chapters II and III, a special message is sent to each church, but here he is instructed to send the book to all the churches, each of which is here named.

(Verses 12 through 16) "And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Since the voice came from behind John, he turned to see who was speaking to him. He then describes what he saw. The first thing to catch his sight was seven golden candlesticks. And in the midst of those candlesticks he saw One, Whom he recognized as being like unto the Son of man, that is Jesus with Whom he had traveled about three and one-half years, yet as he never saw Him on earth. For the greater part of their association together on earth they had been "on the move;" therefore, He was usually dressed in clothing suitable for walking and, primarily, that of a peasant. Here He is dressed in what is, indeed, a royal robe reaching down to the foot. In addition He is wearing a golden girdle around His breasts--not just a gold-colored girdle, but one of pure gold, signifying a Personage of great wealth as well as royalty. What a contrast to His statement (Matt. 8:20; Luke 9:58), "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head"! Then "His head and His hairs (or beard) were white like wool, as white as snow." Compare Dan. 7:9, "_ _ _and the Ancient of days did sit, Whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool_ _ _" Undoubtedly this is the royal Person Whom Daniel saw, the Ancient of days, the One Who is older than time. The white hair signifies age and wisdom while the robe and girdle declare royalty, wealth, and righteousness. Now, "His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace." Rom. 10:15 , "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" This being true, how much more beautiful must be the feet of Him Who IS the gospel of peace! Also, these feet are likened to fine brass. Looking back into the law for the things of the Lord's service under the law, we find that brass always denotes judgment; and these are the feet that have been prophesied to tread the winepress of the wrath of God. Looking forward to Rev. 14:20, we find, "and the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." More about this at the appropriate time. "And His voice as the sound of many waters." This was not a meek nor even necessarily a gentle voice, and certainly not one of weakness. It was a voice of power and authority, and strong or loud enough to be clearly heard, described earlier as being "as of a trumpet," and here "as the sound of many waters," that is, as the roar of the sea or a mighty river. Also this August Person held "in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." Remember that Benjamin was so named by his father Jacob because "Benjamin" means "son of the right hand". The right hand has always been considered as the symbol of power. Thus the seven stars being held in the right hand of Him Whom John saw signifies that they are under both His protecting power and His control. The sharp two-edged sword that went out of His mouth is no other than the "word of God." (Heb.4:12) "For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Here we want to pick up a clause passed over earlier, "and His eyes were like a flame of fire." As the word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, so also these eyes that are like a flame of fire are able to penetrate the darkest night and even the blackest recesses of the depraved heart and soul. So when He sits on His throne of judgment, no witnesses will have to be questioned, or even summoned to appear in court, for He will be able to see for Himself all details of the case. (John 2:24-25) "But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in man." (Heb.4:13) "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do." Now this wonderful Being Who is of such royal lineage, Who has such wealth, such wisdom, such an authoritative voice, such power of perception, and such a powerful and discerning word cannot possibly be without glory. Look upon His countenance, or face! It is so glorious that it shines as the sun in its strength, that is, at that time of day when it is at its brightest. It is no wonder that Moses had to wear a veil over his face after spending forty days and nights in the presence of God on Mount Sinai . However his face was only reflecting the glory of God, and was, nevertheless, so bright that the Israelites could not bear to look upon it. How much more glorious must be the face of Him, Who is the source of this glory! He Whose face "was as the sun shineth in his strength."

At this point John was so overcome by this wonderful sight, and, no doubt, with fear also, that he tells us, "And when I saw Him I fell at His feet as dead." Even though John had been with Jesus all during His earthly ministry, and had enjoyed an extremely close companionship with Him, upon seeing this vision of His great power and glory he was so affected thereby that he completely fainted away and was as one dead. With John in this condition, Jesus (for, indeed, it is He Whom John has here seen) lays His right hand upon him, gives him a message of comfort, and explains to him some things contained in this vision.

Evidently, John (although he was in an ecstasy of the Spirit, and had previously, as before mentioned, enjoyed a very close companionship with Jesus) was as much affected by fear as by awe as he beheld the power, majesty, and glory of the once meek and lowly Jesus. Accordingly, Jesus' first statement to him is one of comfort: "Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He That liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Thus He reminded John that the same love that was shown to him and others while Jesus walked on earth remains constant even when our Lord has taken unto Himself His full glory, power, and majesty. He declares that He, not someone else, is "the first and the last." Not only so, but this same One, Whom John saw crucified and dead, is not only living now, but is alive forevermore and has full possession of, and power over hell and death as signified by His holding the keys thereof. The word here translated "hell" is "Hades" which was not commonly understood to be the place of punishment (although He certainly has power over that also), but the place of departed souls of both wicked and righteous. So, He has the authority and power to keep, protect, and, at the appointed time, bring forth the souls of the righteous to the "manifestation of the sons of God," and the same power and authority to "reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." Not only does He have power over the souls of both righteous and wicked, but over their bodies as well, since He has the keys of death. He, therefore, can and will bring forth at the appointed times the resurrected bodies of both righteous and wicked to be reunited each to its proper soul for the final and full glorification of the saints, and the judgment and punishment of the wicked.

Having thus comforted this "disciple whom Jesus loved," Jesus instructed John to "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." That which we have already discussed constitutes "the things which thou hast seen." Not only were these things to be recorded in the book which John had already been instructed to send to the churches; but also "the things which are," including, but not necessarily limited to, the explanation of the candlesticks and the stars, and the messages to the churches, as set forth in Chapters II and III. The messages in Chapters II and III all start with "I know thy works," the present tense, and should, very likely, be considered the historical present. For the moment let us consider the explanation of the two things in the present vision that are designated as "mysteries," or "secrets." "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." No further explanation is needed of what the stars and the candlesticks are. Notice should be taken of two very important things in connection with them, however. First consider that Jesus is in the midst of His churches, having such penetrating vision that nothing is or can be hidden from His sight, and power and authority to bless those therein who render faithful service to Him and to chastise those who are not faithful. Then we see the stars in His right hand signifying that they, "the angels of the churches," (and since the word "angel" literally means "messenger," we feel that, undoubtedly, they are the ministers of the churches) are also under His protection, power, and authority. In short, He can and does protect, lead, and reward His faithful ministers, while, at the same time, He rebukes and chastens those who do not serve acceptably. So, both the ministry and the laity are in the same hands, under the same rule and authority-- kept, led, and rewarded or chastised by none other than the Alpha and Omega, Jesus Christ Himself.

Chapters II and III set forth the messages to the seven churches, to each church a message fitting the conditions existing in and around that church. It has long been held by most Bible scholars that the messages, though they do describe the situations of the individual churches, also, taken together, give a foreview of the whole church as it moves through the successive ages until the time of the end, and, in light of that, we often hear the expressions, "The Ephesian Dispensation," "The Smyrna Dispensation," etc., on through the "Laodicean Dispensation." While I am of the opinion that this, in a great measure, is the proper view of this, there is another point that we should consider. That point is that there can, and likely will, be, in all ages or dispensations of the church, more than one of these conditions existing, sometimes one or more in one church, while other churches are found to have different situations, just as, obviously, these seven churches were in different conditions. Through the whole scene the important thing to keep in mind is that Jesus, He Whose "eyes were as a flame of fire," is constantly in the midst of these "candlesticks," or churches. Therefore nothing either good or bad can escape His sight. The good will be commended and rewarded while the evil will be judged and punished. The fact that each message is addressed not directly to the church but to the angel of the church further evidences the fact that the angel of the church is the pastor or minister of the church, the word "angel," as earlier stated, meaning "messenger." Another fact that immediately stands out is this: the angel of the church is simply entrusted with the message--not with authority to reward or chastise. In each case Jesus identifies Himself by one or more of the items of description of Him that have already been set forth in Chapter I. Then He begins the message with these words, "I know thy works." Then, when the message reaches the point of reward or judgment the expression is, "I will_ _ _," signifying that He reserves to Himself the right and authority of judging and rewarding or chastising.

With these things in mind we shall proceed to look at the messages themselves. Many writers have set forth in their commentaries to give us geographic, political, cultural, and social background of the various cities in which these churches were located. We will not attempt to go into these things, even though they might be of interest to some, but will confine our remarks to the substance of these messages because our Lord gave His judgment of these conditions, not of the backgrounds of the cities. Verses 1 through 7 give the message to the angel of the church of Ephesus , which message, of course, he was to deliver to the church. Having already stated that these messages were given to the "angel of the church" for delivery to the church itself, we will pass over the angel of the church and speak of these messages as being to the churches, which, in the final analysis, they are.

In His message to the church of Ephesus , Jesus identifies Himself by two things that we have already noted: He holds the seven stars in His hand and walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. He first declares to them that He is fully aware of their works, labor (or burden), and patience. Further, He recognizes that they have such a vehement hatred of evil that they cannot "bear them that are evil." In addition to this, some have evidently come unto them claiming to be apostles, and instead of being carried away with their doctrines, the church has tried them and found them to be liars. He knows also what afflictions they have borne, what patience they have shown in these afflictions, and what great burdens they have endured for His name's sake.

No doubt, we would think ourselves to be very acceptable to our Lord if we could sincerely feel that we fit this description. Yet, He says, "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." How sad it is when we as a church or even as an individual Christian "leave our first love"! Some may wonder just what is meant by this expression. I believe that just a little jogging of the memory might help us here. Can you remember when you were under conviction by the Spirit of the Lord? How wretched, how miserable, yes, how despairing you were as you felt to be justly condemned of God to spend eternity in hell! To quote the words of one of our wonderful old hymns:

                        To Sinai's fiery mount I flew;

                        But Justice cried with frowning face,

                        This mountain is no hiding place."

Then, when it seemed all hope was gone and nothing but condemnation remaining for you:

                       "Ere long a heavenly voice I heard,

                        And Mercy's angel form appeared;

                        She led me on with gentle pace,

                        To Jesus as my hiding place."

Sweet deliverance came by the mercy of God through Christ Jesus, the loving and only Saviour of poor, wretched sinners. What a fervent and glorious love of and for this wonderful Saviour sprang up in your heart! Nothing else mattered at all. This is "first love" or, as the Apostle Paul calls it in I Cor. 13, "charity," without which all faith, all gifts of the Spirit, and all sacrifices that we might make count for nothing at all. Then, as did the Ephesians, we may become somewhat complacent, sometimes even to the point of boasting, as many have for years, saying, "We've got the true doctrine," "We are the true church," etc. The saddest thing of all about this condition is that instead of our repenting of our fall, we become, for lack of a better word, somewhat callous, and thinking ourselves to stand so firmly, we fall, even failing to do the things of which Jesus spoke approvingly among the Ephesians. We do not maintain good works, we do not exercise patience, and (seeing that the apostles are the only ones commissioned by our Lord to establish doctrine and practice) we evidently sometimes even follow liars who say they are apostles instead of trying them and finding or proving them liars. For we pick up points, of both doctrine and practice, that cannot be justified by scripture. History of the church is full of notations of such errors. Jesus declares that unless the church repents and returns to its "first works" or its "first love", (for love without works is like faith without works--DEAD), He will remove the candlestick out of its place. Where is its place? (Matt. 5:15) "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." Without question the candlestick's place is one from which it will give "light unto all that are in the house." If, then, the candlestick be removed out of its place, no doubt light will NOT be given to all who are in the house. Some areas will have little light and, perhaps, even total darkness. Could this in some part be the condition of the church today? Our Lord's instructions to His disciples (Matt. 5:16) "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven," ought to be our constant watchword. We are to glorify our Heavenly Father by letting our light shine forth before men. This can only be done through our works. When so done, they will see the light. Some will be drawn to it and some will not. This is not the place for a lengthy discussion of why they will or will not. The simple statement is sufficient for the moment. There is today such a cry, among those who are concerned, that the church is (in many places) losing its appeal to people--that is, attendance is rapidly dropping, people are more and more turning not only to worldly pursuits and pleasures, but even to demonic cults and satanic worship. Could it be that by not repenting of our fall from our first love we have brought on the removal of the candlestick from its place to one that gives so little light "in the house" that it is no wonder those on the outside see no light at all?

In spite of this fault the Ephesian Church had one more "asset," if we might use such a word. "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." Much has been written by learned men concerning the Nicolaitans. They are mentioned only once more in Holy Writ. There has been disagreement among writers as to the exact origin of these people. However a few points seem to come fairly clear. One is that the combination of the two Greek words "Niko" and " Laos ," which together form the root of this word "Nicolaitans," gives some insight into its meaning. "Niko," meaning "to have the victory over," or "to destroy," and "Laos," meaning "the people" or, as some say, "the laity," when joined together give us the thought of someone's having a victory over, or being set above, the people, from which comes the practice and doctrine of the clergy's being separate from and above the laity, or people; or the thought of destruction of the people as Balaam taught Balak to cast a stumbling stone before Israel in enticing them to eat things offered to idols and to commit fornication and other sins. These practices all seem to apply to the Nicolaitans, and the Ephesians hated these deeds, as does also our Lord.

In closing this message Jesus says, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Whoever has his ears opened to the message of God, let him hear. That is, not just receive the sound, but pay attention to and follow the instructions that the Spirit gives unto the churches, not just to the church of Ephesus , but to the others also, clearly showing that all these messages, though individually addressed to each church, equally apply to all. "To him that overcometh," that is, does those things here commanded, "will I give to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God." (Rev. 22:2) "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." So to those who repent and return to their "first love" He gives the right and access to the tree of life. There is a sufficient variety of fruits, twelve, that one would never tire of this wonderful food, and there is a constant supply every month. There is no dormant or barren season for this wonderful tree. Certainly this is to be understood as the constant supply of spiritual food that He supplies to all who serve Him. Let us then, indeed, take heed to what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the church at Smyrna He introduces Himself as, "the First and the Last, Which was dead and is alive." (See Chapter I, verses 8, 11, and 17-18). His message to this church is one of love, comfort, and encouragement. "I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)." Not only does our Lord have knowledge of these things, but these words carry also the thought that He takes notice of, and gives recognition to, the works, which are, evidently, good works, the tribulation, and the poverty of this church. At the same time He assures them that, in spite of their poverty, which is only a lack of the luxuries of this world, they are rich in the true riches which are the wonderful spiritual blessings of communion with Him and assurance that He will both keep them in this life and receive them into His kingdom in its glory. He reminds them that the blasphemy of those "which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan" has not gone unnoticed. Certainly, since He has noticed it, it will at the proper time receive appropriate punishment also. This same "synagogue of Satan" is brought to our attention in the message to the church at Philadelphia , at which point He says, "I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee." Apparently these may have been some who continued to teach that no one could be saved without being circumcised and keeping the whole law, claiming by flesh and blood lineage a right to the things of God--which is everywhere in the New Testament denied. These continued their teachings in spite of the message from the apostles in Jerusalem to the "brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia" (Acts 15:23) by the hands of Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas, to wit: "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." (Acts 15:28-29). Thus they are called not Jews (which Paul explains as, "but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." Rom. 2:29 ) but "the synagogue of Satan" and blasphemers.

Jesus continues His comfort to this church thus: "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful and I will give thee a crown of life."

Yes, they were going to have tribulation: some would be cast into prison, some (possibly) killed, although this is not here so stated. Some commentators have described certain extremely severe times of persecution as being the "ten days" of tribulation here noted. They may or may not be correct in their selection of the historical "moments" of time, but this is immaterial to the case. What is germane is that He set a limit upon this tribulation and promised to everyone who bears it faithfully, even if it should issue in death, "a crown of life." This promise of our Lord should be sufficient to encourage and comfort any Christian even in the midst of the most severe times. As noticed in the Ephesian message, He says, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." Then, in the present address He adds, "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." The only other places where the "second death" is mentioned are in Rev.20, verses 6 and 14. (Rev,20:14-15) "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." The Lord promises that those who are faithful will not be so treated.

In His letter to Pergamos our Lord describes Himself by only one of the things previously shown, "He that hath the sharp sword with two edges." This sword, the word of God, is for the protection of the faithful, and the destruction of the enemies of our Lord. Then He says, "I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is." The Greek word "thronos" is here used and should have been translated "throne" instead of "seat," making the phrase be "Satan's throne." Not only does the Lord know their works; He also knows where and under what conditions they live and labor. Pergamos was such a wicked place and so noted for its persecution of Christians that the Lord calls it "Satan's throne," and says that, in spite of their living in such a place of wickedness and persecution, He takes notice of their works and "that thou holdest fast My name, and hast not denied My faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth." They had been faithful to the point of enduring such persecution that it cost the life of at least one of their own brethren, our Lord's faithful martyr, Antipas, and still they did not recant, nor deny the faith. Nevertheless, these brethren are judged to come short.

(Verses 14 and 15) "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac (or Balak) to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel , to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."

The story of Balaam is given in Chapters 22, 23, 24 and 25 of Numbers; at which point nothing is said directly concerning Balaam's teaching. However, in Numbers 31:15-16 we find the following, "And Moses said unto them, "Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel THROUGH THE COUNSEL OF BALAAM, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord_ _ _." Connecting this with the incidents described in the afore mentioned Chapters we find ample proof that Balaam's doctrine is very much the same as some we hear today, "Since God's people are saved not by their works but by the grace and power of God, they can take part in idol worship, live immorally, and do anything else they please without in any way affecting their salvation." As with all evil doctrines, a little truth has to be mixed in or it will not meet with much acceptance. The truth that is embodied in this doctrine is, "We are saved by the grace of God and not by our works." But as to the conclusion Balaamites draw from it, let us not give an answer but ask, as it were, the Apostle Paul. His answer, ( Rom. 6:1-2), "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? GOD FORBID. HOW SHALL WE THAT ARE DEAD TO SIN, LIVE ANY LONGER THEREIN?" "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." The Greek word "outos," here rendered "so," signifies that "in this manner," or since you have them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, you have those that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes--these doctrines being one and the same. Notice that, what in the Ephesian church was only a matter of deeds or practice of some, has now become a doctrine, or teaching. How quickly we develop a doctrine to try to justify our actions! Nevertheless, God is neither mocked nor deceived. When He says, "Which thing I hate," it signifies that God hates the effort to justify wickedness fully as much as the original deed itself, and it will bring on, just as quickly, a suitable response and recompense. "Repent: or else I will come unto THEE quickly, and will fight against THEM with the sword of My mouth." He knows who in the church are the guilty parties, and it is against them that He will fight. This is the same Lord, Who, in Rev. 19:21, sits upon the white horse and Whose sword proceeds out of His mouth.

Again He calls upon "him that hath an ear" to "hear what the Spirit saith to the churches," and a promise is made: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." As in all other places, the promises of our Lord are to those who are faithful, those who endure to the end, those who overcome, etc. The promise here is of two things. First there is the hidden manna, a food that cannot be seen by others but will feed and strengthen the recipient. (John 4:32-34) "But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought Him aught to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work." That is, the recipient of this manna is brought into such close communion with his Lord that his hunger is no longer for natural things, but simply to do the will of God, being fully assured that He will provide for all other needs. Then there is a WHITE stone. The word here rendered "white" literally means "brilliant or dazzling white." Thus it will shine forth to him in such brilliance that it will give him full assurance of his relationship to his Lord. Add to this that the stone is inscribed with a new name for the recipient, and no one else, since no man knows it "saving he that receiveth it". Since no one but the recipient knows that name, it would be foolish for anyone to try to tell us what that name is; but we can rest assured that it is of great comfort, consolation, strength, and assurance to him to whom it is given.

To the minister (angel) of the church in Thyatira the Lord identifies Himself as "the Son of God, Who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass." As the Son of God: all divine authority and wisdom is His; as One Whose eyes are like a flame of fire: nothing can escape His sight; and having His feet as fine brass: He is shown as coming to bring judgment. Then the message: "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first." In this, works are mentioned twice and the last mention of them declares "the last to be more than the first." These Christians then could not be charged with lazy or neglectful performance of their duties. Furthermore, they had charity, or love, which the Apostle Paul says gives value to all other gifts, and without which, all are in vain. Also their service, faith, and patience are duly noted; but with all this there is still something that is not as it should be.

(Verse 19) "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."

Here let us take notice of something that, perhaps, some may think should have been set forth concerning Chapter I, verse 16. However, here is the strongest statement given concerning it in all these letters, "Thou hast suffered_ _ _." Not only is the minister protected and led by the right hand of the Lord, but he is directly responsible to Him for his care of the church. Here the minister is called to account for the fact that he has suffered this woman, Jezebel, who claims to be a prophetess, to teach, and by her teaching, to seduce the servants of God to do the same ungodly things that have already been covered in previous letters. Some may consider "fornication" in this passage to mean what is known as "spiritual fornication," and certainly when one is led into worshipping and sacrificing to idols he is committing "spiritual fornication" or "spiritual adultery." However, considering the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans and the fact that both fornication and eating of sacrifices to idols are mentioned, it seems far more likely that this immoral act itself is under consideration. The name "Jezebel," although it may, indeed, have been the actual name of a woman in Thyatira, still leads our minds to perhaps the most wicked woman described in scripture, Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab. (For her story see Chapter 16 of I Kings through Chapter 9 of II Kings.) The message continues: "And I gave her space (or time) to repent of her fornication; and she repented not." As we look back through the record of God's dealing with men and women, we see a pattern that is here pointed out. Compare I Peter 3:20:   "_ _ _when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing." Consider also our Lord's address to Jerusalem shortly before His crucifixion (which was the final signal to usher in the destruction of Jerusalem though it was nearly forty years before the consummation thereof). "Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Many other passages could be cited to the same result. These prove two things: first, God gives time for repentance, and second, the wicked will not, indeed, are so filled with and enwrapped in their wickedness that they cannot, repent unless God directly intervenes and gives them the grace of repentance. Without this gift, any call upon them to repent or, for that matter, even to control temporarily their sinfulness, will only excite their anger and hatred toward the one, who tries to admonish them. (Gen. 19:9) "And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot , and came near to break the door." Now, as we consider the punishment to be given this woman and those who join with her in immorality, some may wonder why the Lord does not say that He will destroy her from among His people. Certainly, He could do so, and why He did not is not for us to inquire. Nevertheless He does pronounce sentence upon both her and her companions.

(Verses 22 and 23) "Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He That searcheth the reins and the hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."

First, Jezebel's punishment consists of two parts. Although separated in the address, they may come consecutively or simultaneously. The first part of this punishment is that she will be cast into a bed. She will not be killed. If she were killed, the second part of her punishment would have little effect upon her. She is to be given some affliction that is so severe that it completely disables her and causes her to be bedridden. She will no longer be able to prepare or offer sacrifices unto idols, or take part in the orgies to which she is accustomed. All she can do is lie there and compare her present wretched and miserable condition to what she had considered her great glory in her wanton pleasures. In addition to this she can only watch, helplessly, while her children are taken by death. What a wretched condition! The outcome of this terrible judgment will be, "And all the churches shall know that I am He that searcheth the reins and the hearts." Nothing is said about any lesson in this for Jezebel. It is only, so far as she is concerned, a judgment for her wickedness, but for the churches it is a most vital lesson--not only does the Lord see the outward manifestation of things that are done; He also sees the secret thoughts and intents of the heart.

Those who have been deceived and enticed into evil by Jezebel are judged thus: "I will cast_ _ _them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds." Even God's servants, when they are led astray, whether it be by their own lusts or by false teachers and such wicked ones as this Jezebel, are subject to chastisement. In this case He says that if they do not repent He will cast them into great tribulation. Tribulation is often used of God to bring us to repentance, and that is the purpose of it in this case. "And I will give unto every one of you according to your works." (Matt. 12:33) "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit." The tree (good or evil) governs the fruit; but the fruit identifies the tree. So each will receive according to his works.

(Verses 24 and 25) "But unto you (the angel of the church) I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."

Although the angel of this church had suffered Jezebel to carry on these ungodly acts and doctrines, he must have had no involvement in them himself and no doubt had remonstrated against them since he is to receive no greater burden than the reprimand for having failed to stop it. Also there are others in the church who have not embraced these doctrines and practices and have not learned the "depths of Satan, as they speak," (or rather "the mysteries of Satan, as they say"). No doubt these Satanic rites had for initiation certain secrets, or "mysteries," as they were called, together with certain acts of wickedness which the novitiate had to perform to be accepted into the society. Some of the Christians at Thyatira, evidently would have none of this, so to them, "I will put upon you none other burden." Now to all (both those who have had nothing to do with these evil things and those who have but have now repented of them) the commandment is given to hold fast that which you have, that is, good works, charity, service, faith, and patience, as mentioned in verse 19. These are to be maintained until the coming of the Lord.

(Verses 26 through 28) "To him that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father. And I will give him the Morning Star."

In Psalms 2:7-9 we find the promise of the Father to our Lord Jesus, "I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." This also is the promise Jesus passes on to "him that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end," just as He received it of the Father. This is in perfect accord with what the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, (I Cor. 6:2-3) "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" Not only will He give this power to judge and rule over the nations, but also, "I will give him the Morning Star." In Rev. 22:16 we are given the explanation of the Morning Star: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and off-spring of David, the bright and Morning Star." So then, assuredly, if one is given "the Morning Star," he is given the wonderful privilege of the glorious presence of and constant communion with Jesus our Lord Himself. Now He reminds us, as He does in all these letters, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches," reinforcing the fact that what is said to one church is to be considered by all churches, showing that what is pleasing to Him in one church is also pleasing in all; and what is displeasing in one is displeasing in all, as He deals equally with all.

Chapter III is, in reality, a continuation of Chapter II, and together they contain the letters to the angels of the seven churches, which, as we have previously noted makes them actually for the churches. Our Lord addresses matters pertaining to the church in Sardis thus: "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; these things saith He That hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead."

Not only does Jesus hold the seven stars, already identified in Chapter I, but He also holds the seven Spirits of God, mentioned in Chapter I, verse 4, and again in Chapter IV, verse 5. That is, He is in possession of the "entire" Spirit of God. (John 3:34) "For He Whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him," and (Col. 2:9) "For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." So, although the seven Spirits of God stand before the throne of the Father, the Son holds them also and they identify Him as the Son of God. Therefore, having the "seven Spirits," it logically follows that He is cognizant of the works of this church. And what a deplorable condition these works declare it to be in! "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." Paul's statement to Timothy (I Tim. 5:6) "But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth" seems to describe this church as well as the widow of whom he spoke directly. Just as the widow who gives herself over to sinful pleasures instead of serving the Lord "is dead while she liveth," so the church that turns away from God and embraces world-pleasing doctrines and/or practices is judged in the same condition. Even in the most corrupt church there may be a few "things which remain," that is, the church probably retains a few items of truth in its doctrines and practices. This church is warned to "be watchful and strengthen" these things. The best way to strengthen the good things is to put away the evil ones lest they further corrupt the situation even to the point of causing the good that remains to die also. In the present case the Lord says, "I have not found thy works perfect before God." He therefore admonishes them, "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent" --not hold fast to the evil doctrines and practices into which they had fallen, but to the good things they had originally been taught, and repent of the evil ones. "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Compare this to Matt, 24:42-44, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh," and (Matt. 24:48-51) "But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth His coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth". In spite of all the evil in this church the Lord says, "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy." Those who have been faithful to the Lord among all the evils of this church are pronounced worthy to walk with the Lord in white, that is, to partake of His righteousness and share His fellowship.  This is a high honor indeed.

(Verses 5 and 6) "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Not only are those who have not defiled their garments accounted worthy to walk with the Lord in white; but those also who, though they have erred and strayed from the truth, repent and overcome the evils into which they have fallen shall be clothed with the same garments of righteousness. And, though men might have looked upon them while in error and concluded that they had no part in the book of life and were unworthy of recognition before God, Jesus says that these (the ones who overcome, or repent) are assured that their names are in, and will not be taken out of, the book of life. They will be clothed with His righteousness and He will confess, or recognize, them in the presence of His Father and His Father's angels. Compare (Matt. 10:32 ) "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess before My Father Which is in heaven" and (Luke 12:8) "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God." So, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

(Verse 7) "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He That is holy, He That is true, He That hath the key of David, He That openeth and no man shutteth; and shutteth and no man openeth."

Thus our Lord introduces Himself to the Philadelphians. He is the Holy One and the True One. Since these attributes can, in full, apply only to God, this declaration bears witness to John's statement (John 1:1) "_ _ _and the Word was God." The Son of God is, in all essentials, God; as John says, (I John 5:7) "_ _ _and these three are One." Further, He has the "key of David."

In spite of the fact that God gave to Solomon greater wisdom, wealth, and glory in the kingdom of Israel than to any other man, including David, David is still always "the great king of Israel ." For no other man ever received this testimony of God: "’I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfill all My will.’ Of this man's seed hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus." (Acts 13:22-23). Therefore, not only is Jesus, as the Son of God, holy and true, but as the Son of David He holds the key (or authority) of David. To Him must answer all things and all people, whether Jews or Gentiles. Any door that He opens must remain open until He closes it: likewise any door He sees fit to close can be opened by no one except Him. To Him belongs all power. With this introduction He proceeds with His message.

(Verses 8 through 10) "I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."

As in all these letters the church is assured that the Lord is well acquainted with its works. In this case He finds nothing for which it needs any chastisement but, on the contrary, He commends this church for having "a little strength," keeping His word, and refusing to deny His name, even in the face of all the afflictions and persecutions evidently heaped upon them by this "synagogue of Satan." No doubt these were "Jews according to the flesh," but not "Jews inwardly." Most probably, they were constantly trying to force the Philadelphians to recant their faith in the Lord Christ Jesus, be circumcised, and keep the law of Moses as they claimed to do. (They said they were Jews.) However, the Lord says that they are not Jews and are only lying about it. Instead, they are the synagogue of Satan. Not only does He set before this church an open door which no man, not even this synagogue of Satan, can shut, He also declares that He will make these enemies come and "worship before thy feet." Certainly He does not mean that He will make them worship this church in the sense that we use the word "worship" concerning our adoration of God. But in the sense of begging for mercy, as (Matt. 18:26 ) "The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all." We might also consider what God said to Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 42:7-8) "My wrath is kindled against thee, and thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to My servant Job and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept." This seems the more fitting as the Lord says, "I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, AND TO KNOW THAT I HAVE LOVED THEE." In addition to this He promises, "Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, (or tribulation) which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Many times in the scriptures we find references to the hour of tribulation or the time of tribulation. The book of Revelation itself is filled with prophecies of tribulations. Also our Lord foretells many such things in Matt. 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. In Luke 21 He finishes this prophecy thus: "For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." This is "the hour of temptation" from which our Lord promises to keep the church in Philadelphia . What a blessed comfort! "Behold I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." No matter how obedient God's servants have been, there is no place nor time to let up in the fight. Rather, He constantly encourages us to hold fast to what we have, and to fight on with renewed vigor.

(Verse 12) "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name."

Again those who overcome are given wonderful promises. They are to be given permanent status as pillars in the temple of God , never to be removed therefrom. Upon them is to be written the name of God and the name of His holy city, the New Jerusalem, (see Rev. Chapters 21 and 22) signifying that forever they belong to God and have a place in His holy city. Then our Lord says, "I will write upon him My new name." While here, our Lord was the humble, suffering sacrificial Lamb of God. (Is. 53:2-5) "For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him: He was despised and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." This is His "old name," and is the same name that is upon His servants as they travel here. (II Tim. 3:12) "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (Phil. 1:29) "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." For Him no longer will this name suffice. He has overcome! He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah ! As Isaiah said (Is. 9:6), "_ _ _and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." His "new name" is one of the highest glory; it is "above every name"; and this new name He will write upon him that overcometh. Again He repeats His admonition to "him that hath an ear." As always, "Let him hear (give heed to) what the Spirit saith to the churches."

In verses 14 through 18 we have a description of, perhaps, the most wretched condition that can exist in a church. First our Lord identifies Himself as "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God." The expression, "the beginning of the creation of God" by no means signifies that He is a "creature" or "created being or thing", either first or last, but that "He is the One Who began the work of creation." (Col. 1:15-17): "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for BY HIM were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created BY HIM, and FOR HIM: and HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS, and BY HIM ALL THINGS CONSIST." It is not even to be imagined that One such as He would, even in the smallest degree, deviate from declaring the truth in this situation. So, the first statement concerning the Laodicean church is, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot." When one is, physically, neither cold nor hot he feels no need of a change of condition. There is satisfaction with the status quo. So it is spiritually. If one has neither the feeling of a need to be warmed by a more fervent love of Christ, nor of a need to be strengthened by His power against the heat of tribulation or temptation, he is indeed "lukewarm." That is, he is satisfied with things as they are, steeped in the pleasures of the present life, which are none other than the pleasures of sin. He has, whether temporarily or permanently, completely abandoned the apostle's admonition, (Col. 3:1), "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above;" and he is indulging in the lusts of the flesh, no matter how much he may proclaim, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." This is, indeed, a miserable condition for an individual--how much more so for a church! The Lord judges it to be severe enough to merit this penalty: "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth." Obviously, the picture is that of one who has become so sick of something that he vomits it up. What possible further use could He have for a church in such a condition that He is so sick of it that He will vomit it up? Yet He gives this admonition, "thou_ _ _knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent." They think themselves to be rich while they are, indeed, so poor as to be destitute of all things, and blind withal. Our Lord counsels them to "buy of Me gold tried in the fire." In I Peter 1:7 the apostle says, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." So it would seem that this admonition is that this church should cease from trying to maintain its "status quo" in the world, take up its "shield of faith," and endure whatever persecutions such a stand may bring forth. Further, He says, "buy_ _ _of Me white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." Rev. 19:8, "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for fine linen is the righteousness of saints." This white raiment is, therefore, no other than the righteousness of our Lord. They are, then. commanded to cease from trusting in their own righteousness, which Isaiah describes thus, (Is. 64:6) "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags," and trust in His righteousness which, according to Psalms 111:3, 112:3, and 112:9, "endureth for ever." Undoubtedly, those who follow this counsel will by this action "anoint their eyes with eye-salve" that will enable them to see, and, especially, to see themselves in a proper perspective in relation to their Lord. No longer will they feel to be self-sufficient, but they will be brought to a true acknowledgment of their complete and utter dependence upon the merit of their Saviour. Because the Lord is faithful He does not abandon any that He loves, but regardless of any sin they may commit, He overshadows them with His mercy. However, that very mercy is manifested not in petting and pampering them, but in rebuking and chastening them, and that sometimes severely. He therefore commands them thus, "Be zealous therefore, and repent." It would seem from the language of the next verse that this church has reached such a low ebb that it contains only a very few real Christians, for the address is no longer directed to the church but to the individual. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." This is not, as the world so fondly pictures it, a powerless, would-be saviour standing at the door of the heart of one who is dead in sin, trying to save him. On the contrary, It is the Omnipotent Son of God, standing at the door of an apostate church, upon which He has already declared the sentence, "I will spue thee out of My mouth," assuring any one who hears His voice that even though He has declared judgment upon the church, He will still keep His sheep. (John 10:26-28), "But ye believe not because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish_ _ _." No matter how hopeless a situation may appear, His message to His children is always the same. Matt. 11:28 , "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." To those who overcome is given a promise of great honor, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne." The writer in Hebrews 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." What a wonderful joy! Then there is the repetition of the admonition that ends each letter, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." It may be well to note that this is the last reference to the "church" or "churches" until we come to Rev. 22:16, where He says, "I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches:" and even this reference has no regard to a continuation of the church through the times of tribulation and judgment as set forth in the remainder of this book, but rather to the churches in existence in John's day and those that continue down to the end of the Laodicean era.

(Verse 1) "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter."

All the messages to the seven churches having been completed, we are brought to a different scene. First, as John looked, "behold, a door was opened in heaven." Many, either because they do not believe that God knows how to express His thoughts to man, or for some other equally invalid reason, have developed a system of heraldry for explaining this entire book, which renders "heaven" as "the church." This certainly is not the meaning of the language. Furthermore the circumstances do not fit such an interpretation. John, being an apostle of our Lord, was, most assuredly already in the church although temporarily separated physically from other members thereof. In addition to this, the opening of a door in the church would not have been of great enough significance to bring forth the note of wonder expressed by the word "behold." Also in this place John is about to receive revelations of things hidden not in the church, but in the secret counsels of God. However, the greatest reason of all to contend that "heaven" means "heaven" is that GOD IS THE MASTER OF ALL LANGUAGE, and unbelief is man's only reason for attempting to change what God has said. Not only so, but He does not have to hide His meaning from His enemies by using some secret code or word substitution, as some have claimed. Various times when Jesus would set forth parables that condemned the Pharisees, they understood them, and the scriptures say, "they perceived that He had spoken this parable against them." Their problem was not one of not being able to understand; it was unbelief. Unless God gives faith, no man believes, no matter how plainly the message is set forth. The door having been opened, a voice spoke.  This is the same voice John had heard at first. (Literal translation: "The voice the first"). It is speaking in the same strong authoritative tones as in Chapter I, verse 10, "as of a trumpet." The invitation, or as it should properly be called, the command, that this voice gives to John is, "Come up hither and I will show thee things which must be hereafter." Some very learned men have contended that, in view of many scriptures (among which are Matt. 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21), this call coincides significantly with I Thess. 4:14-17. That is, since the church is no more mentioned in "The Revelation," John's being "called up" into heaven corresponds to the calling up, or as some state it, "the rapture" of the church. I see no reason to quarrel with their arguments. Some might object on the ground that, although the church is no more mentioned, there is notation of others who are saved during the times of tribulation and judgment, I see no difficulty in this since after the harvest there is always the gleaning. (Lev. 19:9-10), "And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God," and (Lev.23:22), "And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not