April 14, 2024
Series Intro: It doesn’t take much to see that we are living in what the bible calls - The End Times. With every world news event or report, it’s like bible prophecy is being fulfilled in real time. But, what do we do with this information? How should we be responding to it all as believers? And where exactly are we in the timeline of the end of the world? This series will serve to take us on a biblical journey through the book of Revelation that greatly detail the events, timeline and purpose to the End of the World as we know it and help us understand it with great sobriety, faith and encouragement.
The Timeline of the Book of Revelation
- The Age of the Church (Chapters 1-5)
- The Tribulation Period (Chapters 6-16)
- The New Beginning (Chapters 17-22)
REVELATION 1:10-12 NIV
On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
REVELATION 1:12-20 NIV
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. …16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. … 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Jesus esteems the church (that’s you) in the last days with such value!
EPHESIANS 5:25 ESV
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…
1 PETER 1:16 NIV
You shall be holy, for I am holy.
MATTHEW 5:14,16 NIV
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 16 In the same way,let your light shine before others, so that they may see
your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
HEBREWS 4:14-16 NLT
We have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. …16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Ephesus: The church who lost their grip on God’s love.
Revelation 2:1-7 NIV
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! 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. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Summary: Ephesus was Asia’s prominent commercial and cultural center. Christ’s letter to the church of Ephesus praises the congregation for its “deeds…hard work…and perseverance,” and for rejecting false apostles.
But, despite its hard work and doctrinal integrity, Christ faults the community for having “forsaken the love [they] had at first” (Revelation 2:4). This “forsaken love” can mean that the Ephesians had become less devoted to Christ or that the work they did was no longer motivated by love for one another. The letter to the church of Ephesus does offer the community hope if they repent and rekindle their love for Christian living (Revelation 2:5-7).
How this applies to you and I today: Truth and love must go hand-in-hand. A church that upholds doctrinal purity at the expense of showing love is just as flawed as a church that upholds congregational harmony at the expense of truthful teachings. Don’t let anything get in the way of you loving Him, loving His Word and loving His world.
Smyrna: The faithful church, even in pain and persecution.
Revelation 2:8-11 NIV
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 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. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Summary: Smyrna was home to a large Jewish community hostile to Christians. The Bible notes that slanderous accusations by Jews against Christians had led to Christian persecution by Roman authorities (Acts 14:2, 19: Acts 17:13). Christ’s revelation to the church of Smyrna commends the community for its material poverty but its spiritual wealth, and acknowledges its wrongful persecution (Revelation 2:9). Christ does not really reprimand this church, but warns of impending imprisonment for some of its members, urging them to remain faithful “even to the point of death” and remember the promise of their “victor’s crown” (Revelation 2:10).
How this applies to you and I today: Like the church of Smyrna, Christians are being persecuted worldwide in obvious and insidious ways. Remember that 90,000-100,000 Christians have been killed each year for their faith in Jesus in the last decade alone. This letter warns all Christians that although we may suffer greatly, the length of tribulation will be short compared to the promise of eternal life. Jesus doesn’t promise a life without trouble, (John 16:33) but promises that nothing in this world can overcome the eternal promise we have in Him. Heaven!
Pergamum: The church who compromised their beliefs.
Revelation 2:12-17 NIV
To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 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, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
Summary: The city of Pergamum was renowned for its pagan practices. The letter to the church of Pergamum lauds the congregation for upholding its faith despite the city’s pervasive pagan influences (Revelation 2:13). The letter then addresses the church’s sin by denouncing some of its members for following false teachings that brought about religious and moral compromise (Revelation 2:14-15). The Lord calls on the community to repent or risk the judgment that will emanate from the “sword of [His] mouth” (Revelation 2:16). Those who repent will be given the “hidden manna” that is the grain of Heaven (Psalm 78:24), and a “white stone” or clean slate with a new identity in Christ (Revelation 2:17).
How this applies to you and I today: It’s easy to normalize and embrace the unbiblical and non-Christian behaviors of those around us and allow those behaviors to poison the well of our values (1 Corinthians 15:33). The Bible urges you to “not conform to the pattern of this world” but be ever and always transformed by the renewal of our mind in accordance with God’s Word (Romans 12:2).
Thyatria: The church following the wrong people.
Revelation 2:18-29 NIV
To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 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. 23 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.
24 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, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[b]—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Summary: Thyatira was a wealthy commercial city. Jesus’ letter to the church of Thyatira praises it for growing in faith and service (Revelation 2:19). The church’s downfall was its devotion to a false prophet that led some members to commit idolatry and immorality (Revelation 2:20). Although the false prophet remained unrepentant, Jesus affirms that the congregation can still repent by turning away from the prophet’s ways (Revelation 2:21-22). The Lord reminds us in this revelation that He will repay each of us according to our deeds (Revelation 2:23). The payment for sin is death. However, those who persevere in faith will receive a share of Christ’s messianic authority over all nations and triumph over death (Revelation 2:26-28).
How this applies to you and I today: Just as some in the church of Thyatira were led astray by a false prophet, Christians today can fall prey to cult leaders, occult practices (such as horoscopes and astrology), and other false teachings. To share in Christ’s victory, we must avoid these “so-called deep secrets” of Satan (Revelation 2:24) and hold firm to Christ’s teachings.
Sardis: The spiritually dead church.
Revelation 3:1-6 NIV
To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[b] of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, 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.
4 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. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Summary: Sardis was a city that had endured two surprise attacks despite its walls and abilities to defend itself. Our Lord faults the church of Sardis for maintaining an outward appearance of being “alive,” while actually being spiritually dead (Revelation 3:1). Alluding to the city’s history of prior surprise attacks, Jesus warns the congregation to “wake up,” and repent, lest he “come like a thief” to bestow His judgment (Revelation 3:2-3). Those in the church of Sardis who heed Christ’s warning will be “dressed in white,” a symbol of purity and victory, and will be acknowledged in Heaven’s Book of Life (Revelation 3:5).
How this applies to you and I today: Christians can fall into the trap that ensnared the church in Sardis if we merely go through the motions of practicing our faith without personally feeding our spirit and taking ownership of the personal relationship we have with Him. We can avoid becoming “the living dead” by engaging in our faith through Bible study, prayer, and staying in fellowship with other believers.
Philadelphia: The enduring church.
Revelation 3:7-13 NIV
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
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. 8 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. 9 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. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them 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 them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Summary: Philadelphia was home to a community hostile to Christians. Christ praises them for remaining faithful in the face of trials despite their limited strength (Rev. 3:8). Jesus does not so much rebuke the church of Philadelphia, but he rather condemns its persecutors. (Revelation 3:9). Christ promises that if Philadelphia’s congregants remain faithful to Him, He will protect them from the “hour of trial” and make them pillars in God’s heavenly temple (Revelation 3:10-12).
How this applies to you and I today: The message to Philadelphia shows us the blessings that come when we maintain our faith despite life’s tribulations. In fact, those who persevere despite weaknesses will stand strong as pillars in Heaven.
Laodicea: The lukewarm church
Revelation 3:14-22 NIV
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 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. 18 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.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 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 that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Summary: Laodicea was a prosperous industrial and commercial center. Jesus’ letter to the church of Laodicea wastes no time denouncing the congregation for its lukewarm faith, threatening to “spit” the congregation out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). Christ scolds this church for allowing its economic prosperity to cause it spiritual bankruptcy and reveals that, despite its economic wealth, only He can provide spiritual wealth (Revelation 3:17-18). Those in Laodicea’s church who open the door to Christ will share in His Heavenly banquet and have the right to sit with Him on His throne (Revelation 3:20-21).
How this applies to you and I today: Like the church of Laodicea, it’s easy to become complacent in our faith during times of abundance. Christ warns us in this revelation that he will “spit out” lukewarm disciples. Instead, Jesus urges us to keep seeking the Lord’s face even after His hand has bestowed riches in our lives.
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