The Seven Churches: Part I

Intro

“Every age has had it’s darkness and dangers, the task of the Christian is not to whine about the moment in which he or she lives, but to understand it’s problems and respond appropriately to them.”

Carl Trueman, In ‘The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self’ Trueman’s book surveys history, seeking to bring clarity to our present day as Christians navigate the modern culture in humanity’s ever-changing quest for identity, and more specifically, helping us think rightly about the sexual revolution which is a symptom—and not the cause—of our human search for identity.

In J. Greshem Machens day it was liberal Christianity. When I was in college, the issue of the day was the challenge of post-modernity. By the time we understood how to engage and the church shifted, we had moved way past that and the issues of millennials was upon us. That quickly past and it was/is the breakneck speed with which the transgender sexual revolution came.

The overarching question John is answering, in the book and int his next section is,

Q: How is God going to establish his rule and reign on earth? (especially when it looks like the enemy is winning)

A: By the divine Spirit

There are things common and uncommon to every age, and for every church. Problems and solutions, cultural issues and historical challenges.

If we are going to make it to the end of the age, we need a new vision of the end. A vision that carries us through everything the world and satan can throw at us. These prophetic words, prophecy with in the church, equips the church to fulfill her prophetic ministry to the world. We are spoken to, we speak to the world.

Faithfulness to Christ through the ages is the goal. Faithfulness, which means engaging and understanding, as best as we can, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, our hearts soft, our head sharp, our hands busy, our ears attentive.

I don’t want to blow through this section. I also do’t want to spend forever here. I want to take a few off ramps, explore a town or two, then get back onto the highway. There is so much in this book and not all the imagery can fully explain the truths held in them, but it is a heart compass for us, pointing us true north.

The broad strokes of the Seven Letters Section:

Faithfulness to ChristThe Struggle/Problems with CompromiseComplacency Sexual Immorality in relationship to False Worship

You need to know Chapter 1 to understand Chapters 2 and 3, then 2 and 3 set you up for the rest of the 4-11, and the rest of the book. Divide this book in your head ch. 1-11, 12-22. The Church in the World around Us, then The Church in Battle with the One Behind the World: Satan

Recap

9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

Family Language, Participation in the work of the church, being a light in the world

Exiled during the reign of Domitian

The christian life is a supernatural life, it is a pursuit of God, the spirit accomplishes the work. From early on, there was and is a designated day for gathering to worship. A break from the normal routine. John was in pursuit of God, and God was in pursuit of John.

The Transcendence and Nearness of God. Moving toward the New Jerusalem which is the dwelling place of God among men, how can this be? It is accomplished by Christ. See v. 17, this is how he accomplished the victory, it is all through the book.

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the (seven golden) lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

What are churches?

The starting point of establishing the kingdom of God is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and the end point is judgement and the Parousia. This is the continuum.

Salvation + Judgement

Themes: messianic war, the exodus to the new creation, witness to the world. This is the work of the church. John, our partner. Seven = Completeness, 4 = the earth

Three Songs: With Jesus in the Boat and Be Careful Little Eyes and This Little Light of Mine

The description of the risen Lord…he is

‘the Ancient of Days’ in Dn. 7:9

and of the powerful angel in Dn. 10:5–6.

“one like a son of man” goes directly back to Dn. 7:13

the robe, maybe that of the high priest Ex 28:4); or the robe of a man of high rank,

his head and hair were white like wool, reminiscence of Dn. 7:9,

Eyes like blazing fire (cf. Dn. 10:6)

The voice like the sound of rushing waters in Ezk. 43:2

That a sharp double-edged sword

The Lampstands = imagery recalling the seven-branched lampstand in the Jerusalem temple

(Ex 25:31) 31 “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33 three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand.

IN 516 BC Zechariah was a prophet encouraging the israelites to repent and renew their covenant with God, the temple was being and needs to be rebuilt, but there needed to be spiritual renewal. There was opposition, but they should keep at it! God would care for and comfort them.

(Zec 4:1–7) 4 And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’ ”

The Seven Stars and Angels. Angels or Men? It’s a difficult thing to interpret but…the most plausible view (and one I think is most helpful) is to understand the angels of the churches as the churches in relation to their exalted Lord. Although they live on earth, their existence is determined by the fact that they are in Jesus (9), and so priests and kings with Christ. The angelic nature of the church recalls Christians to realize on earth their heavenly calling. To help them to do that is the purpose of the seven letters.

The Seven Letters have a common structure…In each one Christ declared that He knows their works; each one includes a promise to those who overcome; each one gives an exhortation to those hearing; and each letter has a particular description of Christ that related to the message which follows. Each letter includes a commendation (except the letter to Laodicea), a rebuke (except the letters to Smyrna and Philadelphia), an exhortation, and an encouraging promise to those heeding its message. In general these letters to the seven churches address the problems inherent in churches throughout church history and are an incisive and comprehensive revelation of how Christ evaluates local churches.

The list of the seven churches are in the order of their occurrence on the road which led from Ephesus northwards through Smyrna to Pergamum and then southwards through Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. These cities were both postal and administrative centres, centers of Roman Emperor worship, greek and roman god and goddess worship, financial trade. Some historians believe that at the time of John’s writing Asia Minor had the greatest concentration of Christians in the world. In addressing these churches John is reaching not only those in Asia Minor, but those scattered through the world.

Theere is a global and local work going on through the church of God. There are always going to be issues, and different contexts are going to drive those issues. Dangers, toils, and snares will come. The patient endurance of God, he waits, and waits, and waits, and calls, and nudges, and disciplines because he loves us. He paid for us! We’re a lemon car for certain but still, we are his, and he wants us. We are a work in progress.

The Command to Conquer. The Call to Victory. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God…they will not be hurt by the second death…I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it….I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star.

The Spoils of Victory, the reward for winning the battles/battle of (Spiritual) Warfare

The Holy Spirit is Speaking.

We Have Ears that Can Hear.

Israel (cf. Zech. 4:6–9), was required to live “ ‘not by [earthly] might nor by power, but by my Spirit’ says the Lord” (Zech. 4:6).

When we were playing in the worship band for Cru, we used to repeat this before we played, reminding ourselves that it wasn’t our musical ability or giftedness that produced results, it was but he spirit. the same is true today, for all of us.

The (Authoritative) Words of him (Jesus)…who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. (Re 2:1)…the first and the last, who died and came to life. (Re 2:8)….who has the sharp two-edged sword. (Re 2:12).…the Son of God…who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. (Re 2:18)…who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. (Re 3:1)…the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. (Re 3:7)…the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. (Re 3:14)

Revelation 3:22, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (plural).”

Exposing what is true about us.

Calling us to repentance

Warning us about Judgement

Divine Truthfulness: reliable, consistent, penetrating

The aim of this book is to expose the truth, in the world and in the church, the book and the church are to be witnesses to the world’s

If we are to be a light/lampstand in this world, we must remain faithful to Christ, resisting compromise, resisting complacency, resisting the pull towards our flesh, and false worship.

Ephesus, I know “your toil and patient endurance”; “you cannot bear with those who are evil”; “you have attested those who have called themselves apostles”

BUT…“You have abandoned your first love.”

This church lives in a wealthy sea coast city, easily accessible by land, the shrine of Diana. Metal workers made money there making miniatures and idols there. Paul visits there, Acts 19:19-21, Prisca and Aquila remained, Apollos taught there, strong in spirit and in his doctrine, but didn’t know the “way” and after he leaves Paul returns, spending three years there, instructed the elders when he left in Acts 20 about AD 57, Timothy was a pastor there, 1 Tim 1:3, in AD 66 John was there himself. A new generation needed to learn how to Love one another”, it takes time, they were loyal to doctrine, but fell short in love, they could sniff out a doctrinal rat, but couldn’t express their love toward one another. They attended church week in and week out, but their devotion and love for Jesus wasn’t what it used to be. There can be no compromise with the world.