Chapter Two - The Risen Lord (1:1-20)

The writer of this book identified himself by the name of "John" (1:1, 4, 9). Traditionally, he has been regarded as John the Apostle, son of Zebedee and brother of James (Matthew 4:21). One will notice that the three major works ascribed to John (the Gospel, the First Epistle, and the Revelation) all contain an introductory section called the "Prologue." These introductions contain basic teaching concerning the contents of the books themselves, particularly with reference to the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14, 18; 1 John 1:1-3).

The book is described as a "revelation" (Greek: Ἀποκάλυψις, transliteration: apocalypsis) meaning a disclosure or an unveiling. The book of Revelation is primarily an unfolding of the future. This revelation of future events was given by God to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus, in turn, committed it to an angel, and the angel made it known to John. John's purpose in writing the book was to share the information with the Lord's servants, that is, with all true believers.

The expression "bore witness" (Greek: ἐμαρτύρησεν, transliteration: emartyrēsen) occurring three times in this chapter, means to bear witness or to testify. The book of Revelation is not only "the Word of God," that is, originating in God, but John bears witness of his reception of it. It has the added weight of being "the testimony of Jesus Christ", and the record of John is a complete recital "as many things as he saw." John is an eyewitness.

An unusual feature of the opening verses is the special threefold blessing which is involved in verse 3:

As all would not have a copy of the book at that time, a special blessing attends the one who reads. Those who hear, however, are also blessed, but for both reader and hearer it is most important that they "keep what is written." The book of Revelation is the only book of Scripture containing such a direct promise of blessing. The blessing here pronounced is the first of seven beatitudes in the book (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). It seems to anticipate that many would neglect this book or ignore its prophetic revelation.

The book of Revelation is described by the phrase "the words of this prophecy," implying that the book as a whole is prophetic. The importance of the prophecy is emphasized by the phrase "for the time is near," "the time" referring to a period of time. Daniel mentions the "time of the end" five times (Daniel 8:17; 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9). The expression "is near" indicates nearness from the standpoint of prophetic revelation, not necessarily that the event will immediately occur. From God's point-of-view, the time of "the day of the Lord" seemed near at hand, for with Him "one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8).

John addressed himself to "the seven churches that are in Asia," the churches named in verse 11. Asia was the Roman province occupying most of the western sector of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). It had been under Roman rule since 133 BC.

These "seven churches" stood as representative of all churches in Asia at that time. Their geographical pattern itself lends credence to their collection. A messenger could easily reach them all by following the main road. Please see below map showing the approximate distances between the seven churches, beginning at Ephesus and moving in a somewhat circular manner corresponding to their order in Revelation:

The number "seven" occupies a prominent place in Revelation. To the Jewish people, "seven" suggested the idea of completeness, and this is true in the book concerning good as well as evil.

John desires for these churches "grace and peace." The customary invocation of grace and peace common to Paul's letters is used by John here and in his second epistle. Grace means the undeserved favor and strength that are needed in the Christian life day by day. Peace is the resulting calmness which enables the believer readily to face persecution, sorrow, and even death itself.

It comes from "him who is and who was and who is coming." This refers to God the Father and gives the true meaning of the name of God (Hebrew: יהוה, English transliteration: Yahweh). He is the ever existing One and the One is always the same.

It comes from "the seven spirits who are before his throne." The Bible, and especially the book of Revelation, uses the number "seven" to refer to perfection and completion. The expression "seven spirits" is a reference to God the Holy Spirit in His sevenfold characteristics (Isaiah 11:2-3):

Here, John’s vision includes a picture of the perfect and complete Holy Spirit. The message originates in God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and including the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore "grace and peace" come from the Trinity.

The Lord Jesus is described as the "faithful witness", "the firstborn (or first begotten) from the dead", and "the ruler of kings." The Lord Jesus always told the truth, even when it meant that He would be put to death (John 18:37). As the faithful witness He fulfilled the role of a prophet (Isaiah 55:4; John 8:14).

Christ is the "firstborn", the first to receive a resurrection body (Acts 26:23), which is immortal (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). As Christ is "the firstborn of every creature" (Colossians 1:15), indicating that He was before all creation in time, so Christ was first also in resurrection. As Christ is first (1 Corinthians 15:20) so others are to follow Christ in His resurrection.

His witness and His resurrection are now past. His fulfillment of the role of "the ruler of kings" (Psalms 72:11; Isaiah 9:6-7; Zechariah 14:9) is in the future, to be achieved after his victory over the beast and the false prophet (Revelation 19:11-21).

Christ "loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood." The verb "loves" (Greek: ἀγαπῶντι, transliteration: agapōnti) is participle tense, it ascribes Christ keeps on loving us. The verb "freed" (Greek: λύσαντι, transliteration: lysanti) is aorist tense, it refers to Christ loosed us from sins once for all. His sacrificial work for us is a finished work, never to be repeated. His love goes on forever.

Christ has "made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father." Believers form both a priesthood and a kingdom (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:10). A priest in the Old Testament offered sacrifices and worshipped God. But today all Christians should worship God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5, 9). The full exercise of prerogatives of this priesthood are subject to future manifestations.

To such a Saviour and Lord the right to "glory and power forever and ever" is attributed (Daniel 7:14) in the apostle John's benediction of worship and praise.

To this John adds, "Amen" (Greek: ἀμήν, transliteration: amēn) is a translation of a Hebrew word אָמֵן of similar sound (transliteration: ’āmēn) meaning truth or faithfulness, hence the meaning be it true.

The Lord Jesus "comes with the clouds" even as was predicted in the Lord's own teaching (Matthew 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27) and also in Daniel's prophecy (Daniel 7:13).

He went up to heaven first when only His disciples saw Him (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51; Acts 1:1-11), but when He returns "every eye will see Him."

Those who hate Him, those who "pierced Him," will suddenly see the Son of God coming back.

All men "will mourn" at that time, as Zechariah had prophesied (Zechariah 12:10). No wonder they are afraid! (compare Revelation 6:15-17) Where the sight of Him will bring about repentance among those of the house of David (Jews) and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus, He will be vindicated in the same place where He was once rejected.

This verse is a good example of how John used words from Old and New Testament prophecy, and added more details as given to him by the Spirit of God. It also shows a strong relationship between the book of Revelation and the Old and New Testament prophecies.

Now the Lord Jesus declares that He is the "Alpha and Omega." "Alpha" is the first letter (Greek: capital letter A，letter α, name: Alpha) and "Omega" is the last letter (Greek: capital letter Ω，letter ω, name: Omega) of the Greek alphabet. Please see below table:

Capital	Letter	Name	Transliteration		Pronunciation
Α	α	Alpha	a		as in father
Β	β	Beta	b		as in ball
Γ	γ	Gamma	g		as in gift
Δ	δ	Delta	d		as in den
Ε	ε	Epsilon	e		as in met
Ζ	ζ	Zeta	z		as in zoo
Η	η	Eta	e		as in they
Θ	θ	Theta	th		as in thing
I	ι	Iota	i		as in kit
Κ	κ	Kappa	k		as in kitchen
Λ	λ	Lambda	l		as in lamb
Μ	μ	Mu	m		as in mother
Ν	ν	Nu	n		as in nice
Ξ	ξ	Xi	x		as in taxi
Ο	ο	Omicron	o		as in pot
Π	π	Pi	p		as in peanut
Ρ	ρ	Rho	r		as in rock
Σ	σ, ς	Sigma	s		as in send
Τ	τ	Tau	t		as in tennis
Υ	υ	Upsilon	u, y		as in put
Φ	φ	Phi		ph	as in phone
Χ	χ	Chi		ch	as in christ
Ψ	ψ	Psi		ps	as in lips
Ω	ω	Omega		o	as in vote

The words of the Bible are made up of the different letters of the alphabet, so the title "Alpha and Omega" means that Christ is the complete revelation of God's inner nature (Hebrews 1:3). He is the One who created all things at the beginning, and the One who will bring to a close the divine redemption plan for the human race on earth. He is the beginning and ending, that is, He is the eternal One.

He is the Lord, "who is, and who was, and who is coming." This title is the meaning of the name Yahweh. Here, it is applied to the Lord Jesus Christ (compare 22:12-13). The only possible conclusion is that the Lord Jesus of the New Testament is the Lord (Hebrew: יהוה, transliteration: Yahweh) of the Old Testament.

The Lord Jesus also said He is the "Almighty." The "Almighty" is the God of all power without any limit. Such power was needed to create the world, to redeem sinners, and to overcome God's enemies as in the book of Revelation. God is called the "Almighty" nine times in Revelation (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22).

In the Gospel of John, he refers to himself as the "disciple" (John 21:24). In his epistles, John describes himself as an "elder" (2 John 1; 3 John 1). Here John describes himself only as "brother" of the seven churches in their trouble. Like his readers, he was suffering "tribulation" (i.e., persecution from the government); yet he shared with them the patient endurance which Jesus gives and the promise of reigning with Him in His kingdom. The noun "patience" connotes the hope of faith which issues in endurance.

John himself is in trial, being in exile on the Island of Patmos because of his active preaching of the Word of God and his testimony concerning the Lord Jesus (read 1 Peter 4:12-19). This small island, rocky, crescent-shaped and forbidding in its terrain, about ten miles along and six miles wide, is located in the Aegean Sea southwest of Ephesus. It is located forty miles southwest of Miletus (read Acts 20:15, 17; 2 Timothy 4:20). It was one of a number of such small islands used by the Romans for the exile of political prisoners. Early church fathers such as Irenaeus (AD 170) and Clement of Alexandria (AD 200) stated that John had been sent to this island as an exile under the Romans Emperor Domitian. According to Victorinus, John, though aged, was forced to labor in the mines located at Patmos. Early sources also indicated that about AD 96, at Domitian's death, John was allowed to return to Ephesus.

Though men could circumscribe John's human activities, they could not bind the Spirit of God nor the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. John's experiences paralleled those of the Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles. Daniel was a slave when he was used to explain the king's dream (Daniel 2:1-45). Ezekiel wrote in exile (Ezekiel 1:1-4) and Paul wrote in prison (Philemon 1:1). Here John was given this great revelation while suffering for "the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." God has His own purposes in everything.

The "Spirit" of God took possession of John in an unusual way on "the Lord's Day" so that the God could reveal supernaturally the contents of this book. John was controlled by an absolute subservience to the Spirit. Such was the experience of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2:2; 3:12, 14), Peter (Acts 10:10-11; 11:5) and Paul (Acts 22:17-18).

It is possible that John was received such vision on Sunday and he was also projected forward to the future "the day of the Lord" under the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God.

Immediately, John heard "a loud voice" from someone behind him. It was as loud as a "trumpet."

It was the voice of the Lord Jesus (1:13) and He commanded John to "write in a book" everything what he was about to "see."

He was to "send" this book to the seven churches of Asia Minor. The seven churches are mentioned in the order of the letters of chapters 2 and 3, based on their location geographically. Christ deals directly with the local churches.

John turned to see the one who spoke. Having turned, he sees "seven golden lampstands." It would seem from the description here that instead of one lampstand with seven lamps there are seven separate lampstands each made of gold and arranged in a circle.

The "seven golden lampstands" represent the seven churches and are symbols of the churches in their principal function of giving forth light to the world. The "golden" metal, as in the Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple (Exodus 37:17, 23; 1 Kings 7:49; Jeremiah 52:19; Zechariah 4:2), represents the deity and glory of Christ, and the implied olive oil is symbolic of the power of the Holy Spirit issuing in witness. The symbolism of the lampstands will be further explained in verse 20.

Christ is portrayed "in the midst of the lampstands," that is, in the midst of the seven churches. Daniel called the Messiah the "Son of Man" (Daniel 7:13). The Lord Jesus often called Himself "Son of Man" in the Gospels (Matthew 24:27, 30), but infrequent in Revelation, being found only once more (14:14). The title emphasizes His humanity and Messianic character.

Christ wore "a long robe" down to His feet like what a priest or a king would wear (Exodus 28:4; 1 Kings 22:10). The Lord Jesus is both our High Priest and the King of kings.

The "sash around his chest" was made of gold, which speaks of His deity. The "golden sash" corresponds to that used by the high priest to bind his garments higher on the body than at the loins. This as being in keeping with the dignity and majesty of the high priest and as being designed to allow greater freedom in movement. Christ's golden sash around his chest speak of His tender care for all God's children.

"His head and his hair were white, like white wool, like snow" means complete purity rather than age, it also implies the eternity of the Son of Man in His divine nature. Here, John used the same words that Daniel used to describe the Eternal God (Daniel 7:9). The Ancient of Days in Daniel's vision is represented to be the Holy Father of the Trinity to whom the Son of Man (i.e., Christ) comes to receive power and authority over the entire world (Daniel 7:13-14). The attributes of the Father are also attributes of the Son, therefore Christ is equally God.

His eyes were like "a flame of fire." He can see everything and know everything. In the letters to seven churches, He says seven times, "I know your works." The noun "fire" is used 25 times in Revelation, mostly for God's judgment. With the fire He will judge whatever is not according to His holy will.

His feet were like "burnished bronze" (a copper alloy) in a "hot furnace." The metal described as "bronze" symbolizes divine judgment as embodied in the Old Testament types of the brazen altar and other items of bronze used in connection with sacrifice for sin (Exodus 38:30). The "burnished bronze" represents Christ standing in the midst of the churches on the basis of divine and righteous judgment.

"His voice" was loud enough to swallow up all other voices and sounds, like the sea roaring (Ezekiel 1:24; 43:2). It was very frightening. The thundering voice of the Lord Jesus revealing the majesty and power before which human authority must bow.

John records that in the right hand of the Lord Jesus were "seven stars." The "seven stars" symbolizing a rule over the whole world from Him. Christ upholds all things (Hebrews 1:3). The mystery of the "seven stars" is defined in verse 20: "the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches."

The "sharp two-edged sword" is a picture of the Word of God as quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edges sword uncovering unbelief (Hebrews 4:12). Other Bible scholars think that the sword mentioned here representing the divine judgment corresponding to that given in Revelation 19:15 where it is recorded, "from his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations."

His face was like "the sun shining in full strength." John had seen this before (Matthew 17:2). Also see Ezekiel 8:1-2. The bright light which seems to be the brilliant glory of God was that which blinded Saul (i.e., Paul) on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-8) and that which is the terror of the sinner as well as the assurance of the saint.

The Lord Jesus loved both Daniel and John because He gave them these visions of Himself (compare Daniel 10:5, 6, 11, 19 with Revelation 19:11-15). They described Him in the same way, they were both impressed with the brilliant light shining from His eyes and face, and with the thundering sound of His voice.

In this revelation, the Son of Man are seen the attributes of omnipotence, righteousness, sovereignty, majesty, truth, and love.

John fell at the Lord's feet as if he "dead." The revelation of God and His glory on other occasions in the Bible had a similar stunning effect, as illustrated in the case of:

The Lord Jesus laid His right hand on John and spoke to him words of comfort. Now the Lord told John not to be "afraid" even though the Eternal God was speaking to him. The very sovereignty of God revealed in the earlier verses, though the terror of the wicked, is the comfort of the saint. The Lord Jesus often comforted people by touching them with His hands (Matthew 8:3, 15; 9:25, 29; 17:17; 19:15; 20:34; Mark 1:31; 6:5; 7:33; 8:22; 9:27; 10:13; Luke 4:40; 13:13; 22:51).

Isaiah revealed God as "the first and the last" (Isaiah 44:6; 48:12) from eternity to eternity He is God (Psalms 90:2). This means He existed before anyone else, there is no other God, and no one will exist longer than He.

As the eternal One, He is the One who lives, who in time died, and in resurrection is "living for ever and ever."

"Hades" refer to the intermediate state (Psalms 9:18; Luke 16:23; Acts2:27; Revelation 6:8) before the final judgment and is to be distinguished from the lake of fire, which refers to the eternal punishment state (Revelation 20:10-14). As the One who conquered death, He has "the keys of Death and Hades" implies that He is sovereign over physical death which terminates life in this world as well as over "Hades," the life after death.

In His death and resurrection, Christ wrested from Satan any authority the devil may have had over death (Hebrews 2:14-15). As Christ possesses the authority over death, no man can die apart from divine permission even though afflicted by Satan and in trial and trouble.

Then, He commanded John to "write" down the vision, "that you have seen", "those that are" and "those that are to take place after this." This verse gives us an outline of the book of Revelation:

This vision introduces the main subject of the entire book: the Lord Jesus Christ the glorious coming King. The second division naturally includes chapters 2 and 3 with the seven messages Christ delivered to the churches. This contemporary situation gives the historical context for the revelation which follows. The third division would naturally include the bulk of the book which was to be prophetic.

"Stars" stand for angels in Job 38:7 and Isaiah 14:13. The "lampstand" gives light in a dark place and so the church gives light in the world of darkness (Matthew 5:14-16; Acts 13:47).

Who are the "angels" (Greek: ἄγγελος, transliteration: angeloi, meaning: angel or messenger) of the seven churches? Three major approaches to the issue of their identity have been delineated:

Some Bible scholars teach that ἄγγελος are angels because every church has a guardian angel who looks after it. It is true that angels have been sent to take care of us (Hebrews 1:14; Acts 5:19; 8:26; 10:22; 12:7). Again, angels watch the churches to see if people obey God's Word (1 Corinthians 11:10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12; 1 Timothy 5:21). However, this view encounters serious difficulties. The complexity of the communication process is one thing that raises problems with it. It presumes that Christ is sending a message to heavenly angels through John, an earthly agent, so that it may reach earthly churches through the guardian angels. An even more decisive consideration against the view of guardian angels lies in the sinful conduct of which these angels are accused. Most of the rebukes of chapters 2 and 3 are second person singular, messages that look first at the individual messengers and through them to the churches they represent. Holy angels do not sin, neither are they in need of repentance as these messengers along with their churches were (2:4-5, 14, 20; 3:1, 2, 3, 15, 17, 19).

Another approach is to take ἄγγελος as referring to bishops who represent the seven churches. This is in accord with the scriptural practice of having a star to represent highest dominion (Numbers 24:17; Matthew 2:2) and a faithful or a false teacher (Daniel 12:3; Jude 1:13). The drawbacks in identifying these as bishops is that the office of bishop had not yet been instituted in the church. The plurality of leadership in local churches of the New Testament era militates against singling out a single leader who could have borne the sole responsibility for the behavior of the whole church.

The third possibility is that ἄγγελος refers to human messengers who are representative of the churches, but who possess no unique leadership functions. The noun ἄγγελος also means human messengers and is used that way seven times in the New Testament (Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:24, 27; 9:52; 2 Corinthians 12:7; James 2:25). Two men named Epaphroditus and Epaphras, representing churches in Philippi and Colosse, went to Rome to offer help to the prisoner Paul while he was under house arrest in Rome (Philippians 2:25; 4:18; Colossians 4:12). It is probable that churches from seven cities in Asia, where John had served for about thirty years prior to the writing of Revelation, sent representatives to offer assistance to him in his exile. Many people could not read in those early days and the apostle Paul wanted his letters to be read and understood (Colossians 4:16). We may think of the messenger of the church as one who read letters to the church and wrote letters for the church, perhaps also taking them himself as there was no postal service. Today he would be called the secretary of the church. The objection is that these responsible for moral conditions in the churches and must have had authority as leaders. It would not take full responsibility for the church's behavior for each to be viewed as an embodiment of the church he represented. The human messenger could have been a moral representative without being the role leader. The third view is the most reasonable interpretation.

There has been some debate concerning the theological significance of these seven churches. It is obvious, as there were many churches located in the area where these churches were found, that God divinely selected these seven churches only.

Each message addressed to these seven churches has its own distinctive characteristics, but there are also many similarities. Each message begins with a salutation to an individual church. Each presents the Lord Jesus in a role that is peculiarly fitting for that particular church; each describes His knowledge of the church, introduced by the words "I know your works." Words of commendation are addressed to all churches except Sardis and Laodicea. Reproof is addressed to all except Smyrna and Philadelphia; to each a special exhortation is given to hear what the Spirit is saying and in each a special promise is included for everyone who "conquers."

Most of the letters to the churches contain words of warning as well as promise to those who hear and respond. In general, these messages are letters of reproof and reassurance.

Before turning to the individual letters, we should point out that these churches obviously included genuine believers and false professors. In the first letter, the majority were doubtless genuine believers. In the last letter, it appears that most of the people were only professing Christians.

As explained in the above mentioned Section 3.1, these seven letters may be applied in the following three possible ways:

In my opinions, all the above applications are correct as they are not mutually exclusive and they do not contradict each others. Each application has its own theological significance and therefore should not be ignored. The Bible is inexhaustible, and no commentator could ever give the full meaning of even a single verse. It is common for the God to use the existing simple examples (e.g., the seven parables of Matthew 13:3-52) to illustrate the great spiritual truth which will be ultimately fulfilled in the distant future.

These are letters dictated by the risen Lord to seven literal churches in western Asia Minor toward the end of the first century. The seven churches were real churches. They existed as actual historical entities, therefore they must be studied in this light. Some of the churches needed rebuking, some a word of encouragement, some a terse warning from the Lord. In each there is a promise to the one who conquers.

When the book of Revelation was written, Ephesus was the most prominent city in the Roman province of Asia. It was located in a city which was once the chief port of Asia Minor. It had the dual advantage of being located on the seacoast and along the great Roman road which stretched from the Euphrates to Rome. There was to be found the famed Temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Paul had earlier encountered the devotees of this goddess (Acts 19:21-41).

Ephesus declined as a city, however, after the fifth century. The city, is now uninhabited, due to the accumulation of silt which has stopped up the harbor of this once important seaport.

Paul commended them for their love for all saints (Ephesians 1:15-16). The church was now in its second generation of Christians. Though they continued to labor, the love of God which characterized the first generation was missing. The Ephesian Christians were warned by the Lord Jesus that if they did not heed the exhortation, they could expect the removal of the lampstand (2:5). It means the removal of the church as a testimony for Christ. This assembly, once so strong in its love for Him, is seen by Him as shifting away.

It was the fearful church. It was a wealthy commercial city renowned for its faithfulness to Rome. The name of the city reflects the word myrrh, an aromatic spice which gives forth its fragrance when crushed, hence the reference by the Lord Jesus to suffering. In 600 BC, the city was destroyed by the Lyddians, and for four centuries its name was lost to history. Ultimately it was restored and became again an autonomous Greek city. It "became dead and lived again." The Lord Jesus refers to Himself in this letter as the One "who became dead and lived again." (2:8)

It was the faltering church. It was the first city to build a temple to the divinity of Julius Caesar on 29 BC. It was famous for its medical centre and for its magnificent pagan temples. The temple was dedicated to Asklepios, the god of medicine. The most conspicuous object in this temple was a wreathed serpent, the symbol of medicine. Asklepios was often referred to as "savior." It might be this fact that caused the Lord Jesus to refer to Pergamum as the place of Satan's throne (2:13).

The Lord Jesus refers to Himself in this letter as "who has the sharp two-edged sword" (2:12). In Roman thinking, the sword was the symbol of the highest order of official authority invested in the proconsul of Asia. The Lord wears this symbol of supreme authority.

Reference is also made to a white stone (2:17). This may refer to the custom in a court of law of marking the guilt of a person with a black stone and the acquittal of the accused with a white stone. Or it may refer to the custom of admission to entertainments was in the form of white stone with the invited person's name written on it. Some see it was a custom to reward victors at games with such a token enabling them to gain admission to a special feast.

It was the false church. It was once a great military city. It was built by Seleucus I to guard the mouth of a long pass between the Hermus and Caicus valleys. Its tutelary god was Tyrimnas, depicted as a warrior armed for battle with a great two-edged axe. To the church in this city, the Lord Jesus depicts Himself as the One with flaming eyes and feet of military bronze (2:18). At this period in history, Rome ruled the nations with a rod of iron, smashing to pieces any kingdom which dared oppose her might. The Lord Jesus promises the overcomer authority to rule the nations (2:26) with power greater far than that of either Rome or Tyrimnas.

It was the fruitless church. Sardis had a haughty, unconquerable aspect, dominating the majestic, broad valley of the Hermus from its stronghold on a steep spur that stood out in bold relief from the great mountains on the south. But close at hand, the hill was obviously nothing but mud, crumbling under the influences of the weather, ready to tumble from the slightest disturbance. It was an appearance without reality, and its false appearance of strength makes people overconfident.

The past history of Sardis had been one of glory, yet it was a glory tarnished by unreliability and failure. Twice during its history, it had fallen to plundering enemies because of its lack of watchfulness. Likewise, the church at Sardis is characterized by the Lord as having a great name for being alive, whereas actually it was dead (3:1).

In Roman times it was common for the cities to keep a roll of its citizens. Unworthy citizens had their names erased from the register; those who performed some exploit had their names written in gold. A hint of this is seen in the Lord Jesus' promise to the overcomer not to erase his name from the book of life (3:5).

It commanded a key situation on the main line of communication between Rome and the central plateau of Asia Minor. Its strategic location made it possible for it to open or to close these lines of communication. The Lord Jesus reveals Himself in the letter to Philadelphia as "who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens" (3:7).

Twice during the first century the city was renamed, once in honor of Tiberius and once in honor of Vespasian. The Lord Jesus said of the church at Philadelphia that it had not denied His name (3:8).

It was the fashionable church. The city was renowned for its prosperity. More than once, the city recovered itself from disaster without seeking Roman imperial aid. When destroyed by an earthquake in AD 62 in the days of Nero, it declined the offer of help from the imperial government, boasting that it had need of nothing. Laodicean bankers were famous, they had the reputation of never adulterating the gold they issued to their clients. Laodicea was noted, too, for its raven-colored wool. It boasted a medical school and was renowned for the manufacture of a special eye ointment. All these things are reflected in the Lord Jesus' words to the church at Laodicea. The wealthy, boastful believers were instructed to buy from the Lord Jesus gold, tried in the fire, to anoint their eyes with eyesalve, and to acquire from Him raiment of purest white (3:18).

The conditions existing in the seven churches of Asia Minor which were selected by the Lord Jesus to receive these letters are conditions which have always existed in local churches. The letters are relevant in all ages of the church's sojourn on earth.

Ephesus is the loveless church. The perennial problem to be faced is the issue of "fundamentalism." The picture is that of a church busy and outwardly sound but notably lacking in love, especially in love for Christ (2:4).

Smyrna is the persecuted church. The perennial problem to be faced is both persecution and also "ritualism." Mention is made of "the synagogue of Satan" and of a deliberate Judaizing of Christianity (2:9). Judaism ended at Calvary when God rent the temple veil. To attempt to clothe the church in the tattered remnants of a dead religion is roundly condemned throughout the entire New Testament. The tendency is bluntly called satanic.

Pergamum is the over-tolerant church. The perennial problem is "clericalism," setting up a separate caste in the church to officiate in matters religious. This seems to have been at the root of Nicolaitanism (2:15). That which was called a deed in the letter to Ephesus (i.e., hate the works of the Nicolaitans) is accepted as a doctrine at Pergamum (2:6).

Thyatira is the compromising church. It confronts the issue of "sacerdotalism." The reference to Jezebel (2:20) points us back to the Old Testament tyrant who officially introduced the abominations of Baal-worship, together with its adulteries, cruelties, and priestcraft, into Ahab's kingdom (1 Kings 18:19; 19:2; 21:10; 21:25; 2 Kings 9:22; 9:36).

Sardis is the sleeping church. The perennial problem is "liberalism." Sardis had a great reputation as a live, dynamic, successful church, but it was actually dead (3:1). Great truths entrusted to the church had been forsaken and forgotten. Works are emphasized, but divorced from the truth, are unsatisfactory to God.

Philadelphia is the church with opportunity. We see the existence of "revivalism" in the church. Philadelphia represents the greatest recovery in the church since apostolic times. For this church the Lord Jesus has nothing to criticize but praise. Throughout history, the church has waxed and wanted just as the moon does. It has known times of gradual decline even to the point where nothing but a remnant has remained. Then, at times, the Spirit of God has re-visited the church to bring revival, and its true light has waxed until the earth has been flooded with its rays and darkness and superstition have fled.

Laodicea is the complacent church. We see "materialism," another of the church's perennial problems. It has ever been the enemy's tactic to seduce the church when he could not subdue her. Whenever the church has ridden the crest of material affluence, its spiritual influence has been drowned.

Many have seen in the letters to the seven churches a prophetic anticipation of the church's history from the close of the apostolic age to the end of the dispensation of grace. Each of the seven letters is seen as representing a different phase of that history. The general trend of conditions is downward. Many believe that the first three letters are consecutive and that the last four are concurrent, each reaching to the time of the Rapture.

Church	Period
Ephesus	The church of the 1st century was generally praise-worthy but it had already left its first love.
Smyrna	From the 1st to the 4th century, the church suffered persecution under the Roman Emperors.
Pergamum	During the 4th and 5th centuries, Christianity was recognized as an official religion (i.e., the State Church) through Constantine's patronage.
Thyatira	From the 6th to the 15th century, also known as the Dark Age, the State Church largely held sway in Christendom.
Sardis	The 16th and 17^th centuries were the post-Reformation period. The light of the Reformation soon became dim.
Philadelphia	During the 18th and 19th centuries, there were mighty revivals and great missionary movements.
Laodicea	The church of the last days is pictured as lukewarm and apostate. It is the church of ecumenism, modernism and liberalism.

It represents the church of the 1st century which was generally praise-worthy but it had already left its first live. The post-apostolic age is reflected in the letter to Ephesus, particularly in the phrase "you have fallen" (2:5). Even in apostolic times, a gradual cooling toward the Lord Jesus was evident. The dynamic drive which characterized the early years was replaced by a more staid and settled form of Christianity. It tolerated trends and teachings which called forth urgent letters from Paul, Peter, John and Jude, demanding a restoration of the gold standard in matters of belief and behavior.

From the 1st to the 3rd century, the church suffered persecution under the Roman Emperors. The letter to Smyrna brings into focus the persecuted church. Its suffering is crystallized in the statement "tribulation ten days" (2:10). There were ten distinct outbursts of persecution under the pagan Caesars, they are:

The final outbreak lasted ten years. Eusebius was a witness of this persecution. According to him, even the wild beasts refused at last to attack the Christians, the bloody swords became dull and shattered, the executioners grew weary; but the Christians went singing to their deaths with hymns of praise, thanksgiving, and worship on their lips.

During the 4th and 5th centuries Christianity was recognized as an official religion through Constantine's patronage. The patronized church (i.e., the State Church) is brought into focus in the letter to Pergamum. The phrase, "the doctrine of Balaam," sums up what happened (2:14). Balaam was an Old Testament prophet who taught Balak to unite the men of Israel with the women of Moab. "If you cannot curse them, then corrupt them" was the essence of his doctrine (Numbers 25:1, 2; 31:14-16).

In the history of the church, this had its counterpart. The young Constantine, a fugitive from the Roman court, was hailed by the army as emperor. He sailed from Britain, marched over the Alps, and under the banner of the cross, conquered Maxentius at Milvan Bridge near Rome. Constantine repealed the persecution edicts of the former emperors and placed Christians in high positions in the empire. He corrupted Christianity with his patronage and began that unholy marriage between church and state which effectively destroyed the church's proper character and wrecked its testimony.

From the 6th to the 15th century, the "State Church" largely held sway in Christendom. In the letter to Thyatira, the phrase "that woman Jezebel" (2:20) gives the clue to this. Jezebel was a pagan woman married to one of Israel's worst and weakest kings. She became the secret power behind the throne. In fact, the first instance in Scripture of the secular arm being used to persecute the people of God is in connection with Jezebel. She made a paganism the national religion and filled Israel with her idolatries and immoralities (1 Kings 18:19; 19:2; 21:10; 21:25; 2 Kings 9:22; 9:36).

Not long after the reign of Constantine, Rome became the effective centre of church affairs, and the "Dark Ages" of church history began. Corruption and wickedness in the professing church rose to such height that the historian Gibbon could write, "the history of the church is the annuals of hell." The church became the home of heathendom. Pagan feast days became Christian festivals; pagan gods became Christian saints; pagan rituals received new life as Christian rites; and pagan priests, and nuns became the ordained servants of the church. In short, paganism was incorporated into Christianity.

The 16th and 17th centuries were the "post-Reformation period." The light of the Reformation soon became dim. In Sardis we have a prophetic glimpse of the "Protestant" church. The very essence of "Protestantism" is summed up in the words "you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead" (3:1). The Reformation was brought in by godly and gifted men. The new movement, however, was scarcely under way before it began to lean on the arm of princes and therefore its impetus died out. Although some of the results are still preserved, the present state of "Protestantism" is largely one of utter deadness.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, there were mighty revivals and great missionary movements. The practical church is seen in the letter to Philadelphia. The phrase, "an open door" (3:8), epitomizes the period. It suggests the era of revivals and missions. God brought the church back to Himself and then thrust it forth to reach a lost world.

The church of the last days is pictured as lukewarm and apostate. It is the church of ecumenism, modernism and liberalism. The present-day church is seen in Laodicea. Its character is summed up in the word "lukewarm" (3:16). Neither cold or hot, it is a nauseating mixture of things. The present-day church is wealthy, worldly, and riddled with compromise, cults, and carnality. The Lord Jesus is outside the door, calling to individuals to respond, to separate themselves from the apostate church, and to return unto Him (3:20). This church is to be spited out of the Lord Jesus' mouth (3:16). This is exactly what will happen when, at His second coming, the true church is caught up to be with Him and the apostate church is left behind.