The third letter is written
The third letter is written
The third letter is written to the church in the town of Pergamum, or Pergamos. And this is in chapter 2 verse 12 through 17 and this is the church married to the world. This is the worldly church. And he describes their worldliness down through verse 15 and then in verse 16 he says, "Repent, or else I'll come unto thee quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth." This is the church Christ fights against, the church that is married to the world. And in all periods of the church's history there are worldly churches where the people don't come out from the world, where they cater to the world, where they accommodate the world, where they go along with everything that's happening in society.
Then the Lord has a message to a fourth kind of church represented by the Thyatira assembly in chapter 2 verse 18 to 29. Thyatira is the church that tolerates sin. In this particular church they tolerated a Jezebel-like woman who was seducing servants to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols. And so they're warned because they're a church that tolerates sin, a church that wouldn't discipline sin, a church that wouldn't purify its ranks. And there are always churches like that.
And then in chapter 3 we're introduced to the fifth church, Sardis. Easy to see what was wrong in this church. Verse 1 says, "Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead." This is the dead church...just dead. And it had a few things that were living, verse 2 says, but they were also ready to die...a dead church. You've seen such, maybe you came from one. Nothing happening, no life, no growth, no productivity, no fruit, no joy.
And then number 6, chapter 3:7 to 13, the church at Philadelphia. This is the faithful church. It says in verse 8 at the end, "You have kept My Word, have not denied My name." This is a church that had an open door and went through it. You might even see it as a missionary church. And so it is a faithful church and there are always those kind.
And then the final of the seven comes in chapter 3 verse 14 to the end of the chapter. That whole section deals with Laodicea, the apostate church, the unsaved church, the church of liberalism today.
So, you see, each of these has a message. By the way, that church is characterized in verse 15, "I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot, I would thou weren't cold or hot, I wish you either against Me or for Me, He says, but because you're neutral in the middle I'll spew you out of My mouth. A rejected false church.
Now let me summarize. First of all, in chapter 2 we have the cold orthodox church. Then we have the church suffering persecution, then the church married to the world, the church tolerating sin, the dead church, the faithful church and the apostate church. Now each of these, as I said, was a real church and each represents churches in all the periods of history. And so the message to these churches is to all churches throughout all of this period of time in which the church exists on the earth and in which Christ moves among the seven lampstands ministering to His church. And listen, beloved, I believe these seven letters are to be applied to the church today. Whatever kind of church, there is a message for that church, isn't there?
You say, "Well how do we know what kind of church a church is?" I'll tell you how. A church will fall into these particular kinds of churches, or these categories, when the dominant influence in the church is in regard to one of these areas. Like if the dominant influence in the church is cold though orthodox, the church will reflect a cold orthodox viewpoint even though there might be some on-fire members.
If the dominant influence in the church is indifference totally to God, no production, no life, it's a dead church though there may be a few people who haven't quite died. Whatever the dominant influence, it gives character to the church. If the church is marked by a dominant number of faithful people going through the open door and taking the Word of God, it will be marked as a faithful Philadelphia-type church.
And so at the end of chapter 3 you have the end of the message to the churches. It began in chapter 1 as Christ was moving among the churches, articulated in 2 and 3. And we come to the end of chapter 3 and we do not hear the word "church" again in the book of Revelation until the very end of chapter 22 when the writer simply says, "Go back and remember what I said to the church." The church does not appear again until the end of chapter 22. The church is not particularly in view from here on until the church, of course, is called by another name in the millennial Kingdom, and that is the bride. But the church ceases to be the issue at the end of chapter 3. And the last word in chapter 3 is "churches." And that is the message. And every one of the messages ended the same way..."He that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." What does that mean? That means that the message to those churches goes beyond them to everybody who has got spiritual ears, right? So they're for all time.
Now we come to chapter 4 and we leave the church age. People always say, "Well where does the Rapture come in?" It's in the white spaces between chapter 3 and 4. You have the church on earth in chapter 2 and 3. And all of a sudden we appear in heaven. And I want you to see what happens. The theme of heaven is worship. We go from earth to heaven. "And after this I looked and behold was opened in heaven and the first voice I heard...as it were...a trumpet talking with me which said, Come up here and I will show thee the things which must be hereafter." Now we move in to phase 3. We've seen the things which thou hast seen. We've seen the things which are, chapters 2 and 3. Now the things which shall be hereafter. You see, the flow and the chronology and the outline is very very carefully laid out.
And so immediately again he was in the Spirit, which means that he was led by the Spirit to this vision. And as he was led to this vision he saw thrones set. And the word "set" has the idea of permanence, it is not a passing throne, it is a forever throne. It is a permanent throne. It is the throne of God. We know that because the one who sat on the throne had a look like jasper, that's another word for diamond, sardius, that's another word for ruby, and there was a rainbow around the throne in sight like an emerald, an emerald rainbow probably reflecting his faithfulness. And so there is God on His throne in heaven. John's up there and now he's going to find out what's going to happen. Now we're in heaven and heaven is going to begin to act on the earth. What's going to happen?
Well first of all, let's find out who is up there. "And round about the throne were 24 thrones and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns of gold." Now who is this? Very important. Let me just tell you that I believe this is the church. I believe it represents the church of Jesus Christ. I'll tell you why. The scene here is rewards. It is a time of rewards. They bear crowns, crowns of gold. And I see this is as the raptured church now complete, reigning with God around His throne in glory having been rewarded. And I believe that when Jesus comes to take the church in the Rapture, He says, "Behold, I come and My reward is with Me," and I think the first thing that happens when we're raptured is we go up there and we receive our rewards and I believe there they are with their crowns. It says they're on thrones. They have white robes and crowns and all three of those are promised to the church. And I don't believe it can be Israel based on chapter 5 verse 9, "They sang a new song, said Thou art worthy to take the scroll and open its seals for Thou wast slain and hast redeemed to God by Thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and has made unto us unto our God a kingdom of priests and we shall reign on the earth." And I think that's the redeemed people singing that song. And so I think it refers to redeemed people, those who are saved, redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, people and nation. Like...cannot refer to angels as I see it, cannot refer to saints of Israel, must refer to the church.
And then I think...I mean, I think that's the safest place to land on that matter. Out of the throne, verse 5, the throne proceeds lightnings, thunderings, voices, so forth. And then the vision of God and there's the seven-fold Spirit again and this is the divine throne.
Now before the throne, verse 6 says, a sea of glass, like crystal. And this is somewhat like Ezekiel chapter 1, the imagery there. The four living creatures, I believe those are angels. It describes them in some detail. And then it says they all worship, verse 9, 10 and 11, all of heaven is worshiping. You've got the angels worshiping, you've got the saints worshiping, the church worshiping, all giving praise and glory to God. And as I've said to you before, that's the theme of heaven. Heaven is a place where everybody worships God. And so when John sees heaven, he sees all these people worshiping God.
And then all of a sudden something interesting happens in chapter 5, the worship is broken. "And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a scroll." You know what it is? It's a title deed to the earth. It's the title deed to the earth. How do you know that? "It was sealed with seven seals." Roman law required that a will be sealed seven times so that it couldn't be broken open. It had to be sealed...in other words, they would roll it so far, seal it, roll it a little further, seal it. Roll it further, seal it...roll it further, seal it, and finally they would roll it to the tightest part, seal it the seventh time and you couldn't break through seven seals without being discovered. So a will was sealed seven times. I believe this is God's will and testament and God's will and testament was to give the earth to Jesus Christ. Wasn't that His promise in Psalm 2? I'll give you the nations for an inheritance, you'll rule with a rod of iron. This is My Son, He'll break the power of all the nations, He'll rule in the world. That was the promise to the Son and here's the title deed the Father holds in His hand.
"And a strong angels proclaims, who is worthy to open the scroll and loose its seals? Who can claim to have the will of God, who can unroll the seven-sealed scroll? No man in heaven nor on earth, neither under the earth, no one was able to open the scroll or even look in it. And John wept because nobody was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or even look on it. And then one of the elders...and who would know better than one of the elders, one of the 24 elders, who would know better what it meant to be redeemed? And said, Weep not, behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David hath prevailed to open the scroll and loose its seven seals." And so one of those, I believe, who is representative of the redeemed knows that Jesus Christ is the One who is worthy to open that scroll. And He is in verse 6 described as the One who steps forward in the midst of the living creatures, the angels and the elders, those representing the church, stood a Lamb as thou it had been slain, having seven horns...that's full power, seven being fullness, horn in an animal referring to power...having seven eyes which is perfect wisdom, referred and reflected from the Holy Spirit, the seven-fold Spirit of God. So here is Jesus Christ, full of the wisdom of the Spirit of God, full of power, He came, verse 7, here's a monumental moment. He takes the scroll out of the hand of Him that sat on the throne.
Now keep that in mind. Draw some lines around that verse. That marks the unfolding of all that's going to happen. Jesus takes the scroll and He says I'm going to take back the earth, paradise will be regained. Well what do you think this causes in heaven? Well it causes more worship. And so verse 8, verse 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, everybody worshiping...worshiping...worshiping.
Why do you think heaven is so excited? I'll tell you why, they're tired of the rebellion on earth, right? And when they begin to see that Christ has taken the scroll, He's going to unroll it, take the title deed, take back the earth, they get excited about that. And there's glory and praise and worship, culminating in that marvelous statement in verse 12, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." And you can hardly read it without hearing the Messiah.
And so, you see then that the beginning of this age starts in heaven, or this phase rather, starts in heaven, God on the throne holds the title deed to the earth. All heaven is worshiping and they say, "Well who is worthy to take the earth back and give it to God and restore it to its paradise and intention? Who is worthy?" And no one is found. And all of a sudden John sees himself weeping and then comes the Lamb and the Lamb takes the title deed to the earth as if to say, "I'll unroll that scroll, I'll take back the earth." And when that is established in verse 7 then all heaven begins the halleluiahs again.
So you begin in chapter 6 with the Lord beginning to unroll the seals. And you have seven seals. And each one that breaks open reveals another thing that's going to happen on the earth.
The first seal is peace. "I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, I heard a noise of thunder, one of the four living creatures said, Come, or proceed, and I saw and behold a white horse and he that sat on him had a bow." Notice, he had no arrows, just a bow. "And he had a crown and he went forth conquering and to conquer." Now who is this on a white horse? That's a conqueror. With a bow and no arrow? That means he didn't have to have a war, he carried his bow, didn't have to use it. It's a peaceful conquering. He wore a crown, he went out conquering and to conquer. Now very clearly this is the Antichrist. And the crown he wears is a victor's crown, stephanos, not diadema, the crown of a true king. This is a false king.