~ A.D. 95 – from Patmos:
John, Pastor and Elder of the Church at Ephesus
As we observed in our chronology of ACTS of the Apostles, the Disciple John was a young man when he followed Jesus.
Now, the Apostle has outlived the other Eleven, Paul, beloved family and many other first generation Christians.
The Elder John wrote the three short Epistles we are studying about ten years ago, but today we are looking ahead at John’s brief revelation to seven churches.
I suppose you may not have thought of the introduction to 'The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John' as — SEVEN pointed epistles to 7 different churches.
~ A.D. 80’s – 90’s – a Cultural context for JOHN’s 10 Epistles
The Greco-Roman world at the close of the first century A.D. was in a state of cultural, philosophical, and religious ferment. Religious syncretism and inclusivism.. ‘the combination of various ideas and beliefs from different sources to form new or aberrant religions. This was the age of developing mystery religions, the age of the occult, the age of the proliferation of Gnostic sects.’
The MacArthur New Testament Commentary 1-3 John
Throughout Italy and the broader empire, new challenges arose: major earthquakes in Campania, famine and pestilence in Rome, and volcanic eruptions ranging from Mount Etna to the cataclysmic destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum by Vesuvius in AD 79.
The Julio-Claudian dynasty—embodied by Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero—witnessed both grand construction projects (like the amphitheater at Alba Fucens) and notorious episodes of tyranny and scandal. .. After Nero’s fall in AD 68, civil war engulfed the empire until Vespasian founded the Flavian line, ushering in reconstruction efforts (such as the Colosseum) and culminating in the more stable governance of Nerva and Trajan by century’s end.
source: RomanHistory.net
an A.D. First Century culture of 7 Asian churches
Do you remember from back in Acts of the Apostles how the Spirit, at first, had instructed Paul NOT to preach in Asia?
And do you recall that Ephesus (in Asia) became a major city for Christian worship where later Paul had appointed Timothy as Pastor of the Ephesian Church?
PLACE AND TIME OF WRITING.
–The best authorities among the Fathers state that John was exiled under Domitian (IRENAEUS [Against Heresies, 5; 30]; CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA; EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 3.20]). VICTORINUS says that he had to labor in the mines of Patmos. At Domitian’s death, A.D. 95, he returned to Ephesus under the Emperor Nerva. Probably it was immediately after his return that he wrote, under divine inspiration, the account of the visions vouchsafed to him in Patmos ( Rev 1:2, 9 ). However, Rev 10:4 seems to imply that he wrote the visions immediately after seeing them.
Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἣν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεός δεῖξαι τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐν τάχει καὶ ἐσήμανεν ἀποστείλας διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου αὐτοῦ τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννῃ
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
which God gave Him
The Disciple who knew the Lord best refers to GOD THE FATHER simply, as God.
to show His servants
that is, the saints or followers of JESUS, bond-servants redeemed by His blood on the Cross
—things which must shortly take place.
The Elder writes this same introduction to ALL seven churches who John has shepherded in the Way of Christ Jesus.
What he means by ‘shortly‘ is much debated in the immediacy of what these beloved saints have endured through the end of this A.D. first century. — Or perhaps God intends this epistle of revelation more millennially for all saints of every age.
Christ makes certain that Christians know the cost of faith until the unknown Day of His return.
He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:1b-2 NIV
The risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ sends an apokalypsis via and angelic messenger to John on Patmos — and the Elder to these seven churches consequently, by his apostolic duty, sends out this same ‘disclosure of divine things formerly unknown’ and testifies to the truthfulness of what is to follow.
It makes little difference if John had opportunity to send it from Patmos with a human messenger much in the way the Apostle Paul sent epistles to his churches OR if the Elder would have written it later upon John's return to Ephesus.
“Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” – Question of the angel messenger in Revelation 5:2
a Book Sealed within: Addressed to 7 mortal Elders
What does John’s epistle enjoin each Elder to do?
Set aside for a moment the imagery of the apocalypse with its angels, seven stars and seven candlesticks — the Elder John is FIRST to address issues of his own current church.
Most Christians know both exhortation and encouragement offered to the seven churches.
Which ones speak to YOU with some urgency (and hopefully, perhaps, to any Elder of your local church? (So which church looks like yours?)
Ἐφεσῖνος – Ephesus
- “I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,
- and that you cannot tolerate evil people.
Of course, John knows all this personally.
And does the Elder imply that the Ephesians will not be inclusive of those who insist on evil works opposed to Christ’s love?
You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars.
Revelation 2:2 CSB
And do your Elders test the theology and witness of your church leaders and members?
And the pattern of this pointed epistle for each church now turns to exhortation and rebuke demanding repentance.
“But I have this against you:
You have abandoned the love [agapē] you had at first.
Look it up.. IF you don't quite remember what agape love is.
“Remember then how far you have fallen;
repent, and do the works you did at first.
Do YOU? Do christians ever repent more than once (that time we claim to have come to Christ)?
OR will He return to say, “I never knew you…?’
“Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the *Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 2:7 CSB
To the one who conquers,
I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Σμύρνῃ – Smyrna
- “I know your affliction and poverty,
- but you are rich.
- I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Do YOU know any who avoid the Name of Christ? Do some swear to be Jew or Christian while afflicting others? Who then, do they truly worship?
“Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.
Does your prosperity preacher dare suggest suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ? OR REMIND of the Lord’s Judgment of all?
The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.
Πέργαμος – Pergamum
“I know where you live — where Satan’s throne is.
.. where Satan lives. [Another mention of the nearby Nicolaitans]
But I have a few things against you.
You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.
Again, the common issue *even of this era is worship of idols and fornication.
In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the *Nicolaitans. So repent!
Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 2:15-16
“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
Doesn't this even sound like the preaching of JESUS?
To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna…
Revelation 2:27b
Θυάτειρα – Thyatira
Just a REMINDER of Who Is speaking:
Thus says the Son of God,
the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze:
Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 2:18b CSB
- “I know your works —
- your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance.
- I know that your last works are greater than the first.
Quite an encouragement and blessing to believers.
“But I have this against you:
This one thing of importance to the Lord Jesus Christ
Jezebel
You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.
Revelation 2:20-21 CSB
WHY is this issue of idolatry so important (in addition to God’s prohibition in the Ten Commandments of worshiping other gods)?
Ἰεζάβελ – Jezebel – the symbolic name of a woman who pretended to be a prophetess, and who, addicted to antinomianism, claimed Christian liberty of eating things sacrificed to idols.
Of Hebrew origin אִיזֶבֶל (H348) (used as a synonym of a termagant or false teacher):—Jezabel.
Jezebel recalls the opposition to the LORD’s prophet Elijah.
Jezebel = “Baal exalts” or “Baal is husband to” or “unchaste”
queen of Israel, wife of Ahab, daughter of Ethbaal (King of Tyre)
It’s a contest of serious consequence between the LORD God and the false gods, false prophetesses, false priestesses — brash and shameless sinners claiming sin as worship of their gods.
This disaster happened because the people of Israel sinned against the LORD their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt and because they worshiped other gods.
They abandoned all the commands of the LORD their God. They made cast images for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed in worship to all the stars in the sky and served Baal.
2 Kings 17:7,16 CSB
And it all goes back to Ahab and Jezebel in 1 Kings.
Ahab also made an Asherah pole. Ahab did more to anger the LORD God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
Just one last application from Revelation, the mention of Jezebel, the Nicolaitans and (from a theological definition {above}) - antinomianism.
Antinomianism is the belief or teaching that since believers are saved by grace through faith, there is no further obligation to follow any moral law or command.
.. At its core, antinomianism proposes that under the New Covenant, Christians are completely exempt from all moral guidelines because divine grace supersedes any need for abiding by commandments.
source: Biblehub.com
Σάρδεις – Sardis
I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.
Revelation 3:1b CSB
- “Be alert
- and strengthen [guard] what remains, which is about to die,
- for I have not found your works complete before my God.
- “Remember, then, what you have received and heard;
- keep it, and repent.
- If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you.
“But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy. In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.
Revelation 3:4-5
And the Lord Jesus again seals His warning to the Sardinian church calling on the MANY to follow the example of the FEW.
“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 3:5 CSB
Φιλαδέλφεια – To the Church in Philadelphia
Permit me first to remind you that simply as the name, Christian, witnesses the Name of Christ; Philadelphia or Philedelphos φιλάδελφος witnesses [From φίλος (G5384) and ἀδελφός (G80)]as a FRIEND and BROTHER.
“I know your works.
Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close because you have but little power; yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
Quite a compliment of Christian LOVE of these saintly brothers and sisters in Christ.
“Note this: I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying — I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you.
A.D. first century followers of the Messiah Jesus considered themselves to be true Jews, who have now been redeemed. And the love they hold in Christ will include Romans (like much of the population of this city of Philadelphia) and Hellenists, Greeks or gentiles as they worship God in truth side by side.
“Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
Revelation 3:10 CSB
Λαοδίκεια – Laodicea
And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 3:14 NKJV
an urgent CAUTION, perhaps, for many a 21st century Common Era christian church claiming Jesus in some lesser way than in Truth.
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
Revelation 3:15 NKJV
“So then, because you are lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot,
I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Laodicea: Lukewarm Prosperity
- Banking hub, black-wool trade, renowned medical school with eye powder.
- Water arrived by aqueduct, lukewarm by the time it reached town.
- After the AD 60 quake, the city rebuilt itself without Rome’s help—boastful self-sufficiency reflected in the church.
Source: BibleHub.com commentary
Because you say…
“I am rich
and have acquired great wealth,
and need nothing,”
but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked,
take my advice
and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich!
Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed,
and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see!
Revelation 3:17-18 New English Translation
Do you know of a Common Era Church like this — so in need of taking this advice from the risen and returning Christ Jesus ?
LISTEN! Hear His Voice. Open the door of your lukewarm heart. Allow the Lord to give you manna and living water of eternal life.
Sit on His Throne with Him.. just as He too conquered and sat down with His Father on His throne.
“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 3:22 CSB