Revelations 2:12-17 - Sunday Service

Pick up today. We're going to talk about the Church of pergamum. We're probably not going to get through all of it. Cuz we got to do some other stuff this morning, but that's we're going to start is Revelation Chapter 2 starting in verse 12. Their inverse 12 it says and to the angel of the church in pergamum, right? The one who has the sharp two-edged sword says this. I know where you dwell, we're seeing the throne is and you hold fast, my name and you did not deny my faith. Even in the days, man to pass my witness, my faithful one who was killed among you were Satan, dwells, but I have a few things against you because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching, balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols and commit acts of immorality. So, you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent or else I'm coming to you quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear. Let him hear what the spirit says, to the churches to him, who overcomes to him. I will give some of the Hidden Manna, and I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone, which no one knows. But he who receives it only father. We thank you this morning for the fact that we can just come and worship you Lord openly and freely that we can open your word and studying, Lord. We don't take these freedoms for granted and Lord, we just passed this morning that you would help us to really just engage our minds as we look at this passage Lord, as we study this Revelation and it's a revelation of you to your church learning spray. They would help us to grasp, how just how high and how wide, and how deep your love is for us. And Lord. We just thank you. We give you this time in Jesus name. Amen. So, the Book of Revelation comes with its own outline, chapter 1, verse 19, and 20, therefore write the things which you seen and the things which are in the things, which will take place after these things. As for the mystery of the Seven Stars, what you saw. In my right hand in the seven golden lamp stand, the Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches and the Seven lampstands are. The seven churches that this has been called The Divine outline. Now the book breaks down into smaller sections. We put that on lined up a few times and we will continue to put it up as we go through this. But this is the basic outline of the book. Chapter 1, the things that John had seen that is the vision of Jesus. God during chapter one, where Jesus shows up and what a vision that was, right? He saw him in the midst of the lamp stands, the things which are the things that are now presently in the world and then the things that which will come after these things. What things? Well, this time that were in right now, When it comes to Bible prophecy. And remember the first words to John in this book, work for him to write down these things that were Prophecy in the Greek, the word, their use means the foretelling of things to come. So everything after that that will John was told the right is prophecy from John's perspective that is its things future to him that were to come. And we talked at length about what that means and and a kind of the wind when the book was written and all that, if you weren't here for that. I highly recommend you go back out and listen to the last 4 weeks of teaching on this to get caught up to her. We are now you can go to our YouTube channel, just go out and search for Calvary, Chapel of Montesano or go to our website and listen Thayer. All right. Where's you at the app? You can listen to the app. Also. So, when it comes to Bible prophecy though, you have to understand that God's prophecies concerning the the way things are going to be revealed to the world, always have to do with Israel, the nation, right? Because Israel is God's time piece. That's how he chose to reveal himself, to the world is in and through, and to the people of Israel. They were his chosen people, not because they were so special where they were better than everyone else or anything like that. Simply because he called out one family, one nation, who Messiah would come through so that he could reveal himself to Mankind and say that those people are the people of Israel and the Jewish people. And so when we were talking about Bible prophecy, we have to look at is really sort of the key to understanding. The larger Picture Bible prophecy and the in the Old Testament, there's one It's actually been called the mini revelation of the Old Testament. That's the Book of Daniel. And we'll go to the Book of Daniel quite a bit as we go through the Book of Revelation today. We're just going to go to one passage. Is there nothing chapter 9? If you have your Bibles and you want to turn over to chapter 9, you can I will put the scriptures on the screen so you can follow along if you don't have if you're not there, but the doctor Daniel chapter 9 starting in verse 24. Daniel is being given a prophecy much, like, John was about things that were future to him. He was praying and asking the Lord. When can we be done with this? They were the land of Judah had been overrun. By the Babylonians. The temple has been destroyed. The city has been destroyed and they were taken into captivity in the I need been there for 70 years. Now, Daniel have done the math and he realize, they hate our time of paying back. The Lord, for the, what we stole from him. They went into bed because they stoled 70 Sabbath years from the Lord for 490 years. They did not let the land Resto. God, put them in captivity and he got his 70 years, whether they liked it or not, but here at realize that their time was coming to an end. And when is it going to? Is it going to end you praying? The Lord sent the angel Gabriel to him, to give him this message? And this is what he told them. He said 70 weeks are determined for your people and for your Holy City, to finish the transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity to bring in an everlasting righteousness to fill up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy so because there's a determined amount of time. Once that time is done. Everything will be done. Right? It will bring an everlasting righteous. Will bring an end to send all that is done all vision and prophecy will be fulfilled. And the anointed one. That is Christ will be. He will the most. Holy will be anointed that is suitable. Actually become king over his kingdom. You will take his his place physically. As the king of his King. Did this idea of the most? Holy being anointed? That's anointed as king. So, He says there's a two-term determine amount of time. Or when is this time? What is this time here? He uses the term 70 weeks now, not the greatest translation because well when you think of weeks you think of seven days, but the word in the Hebrew, there is Hep cat. And we see this. The first place we see this word really used in the same kind of context is when Jacob was working to gain his wife from Laban. You remember the story back in Genesis. Jacob had to work for 7 years, right? And he wanted to marry Rachel and Laban said, sure you work for me for seven years. You can have her and then he tricked him and gave him lie in the bed, right? The ugly sister. And which by the way, Jacob ended up loving dearly, right? But he didn't at first, but then you had to work. Another seven years were there in the Hebrew pad 7 years, a set of seven years or Week of years. And so, here, this is 70 sets of 7 years or seventy weeks of years that are determined on the people and, and Jerusalem. So, what's the key to this? Well, he goes on there. He says and this is how you will know when this time comes right now. Therefore no understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah, the prince there should be seven weeks and 62 weeks. The streets will be built again and the wall even in trouble sometimes. So here's the key. This is how, you know, when the seventy weeks starts, there's going to be a decree that will go forth to go rebuilds Jerusalem, which at the time when Daniel, was receiving, the prophecy laid in Ruins, right? There's no Temple and because there's going to be a created for you to go back and do that, when that happens. There will be 69 weeks from the time that degree for Goes Forth until Messiah. The prince, right? And you will go back, you'll rebuild the wall and then he goes on and he says, and after the 62 weeks, Messiah will be cut off, but not for himself. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the Saints weary. And the end of it shall be with a flood until the end of the war of desolations are determined. So after this week. 7 weeks, and then 62 weeks, when that's done from the time 2-degree coats, 4th until Messiah, the Messiah will be cut off, but not for himself. He's not going to be cut off on his own behalf, but on behalf of somebody else. And then the city will be destroyed and the same shoe Airy. And then he shall confirm, who will look for a food package says, the and the prince of who is to come, that is to the people of the prince to come talking about a future future leader will destroy the temple and eluding to Rome. He shall confirm. This Prince. That is to come to confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week, it should bring an end to sacrifice and offering and on the wing of Abominations. She'll be one who makes desolate even until the consummation, which is determined in poured out on the desk with soap. If you understand this prophecy, you understand that? I decree went out, 4:45 BC by our deserts. He's longimanus and he decreed that Nehemiah should go back and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. You remember this, when you said he's looking at my end as rough, you see that this was a effort that was mounted by the people of Israel, but it was paid for by the king of Babylon or King of the mediapersons. This time to send them back and rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the temple from the time that decree went forth. You can actually count 69 weeks of years or 483 years by the Jewish calendar or 476.067 6 6 years by our calendar and it brings you to Nissan of 3280 the day. That the Messiah rode into Jerusalem on a donkey people saying, ho Santa Hosanna. Save us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord recognizing Jesus as Messiah. This prophecy was fulfilled to the day. Exactly, as it was prophesied to the, from the prophet Prophet Daniel, but that's only $69. And he said, there's seventy weeks. So, what the Messiah was cut off, but not for himself. In other words, the time clock stopped because Christ died and was raised to life. And here, we sit between the 69th and the beginning of the 70th week. How do we know the 70th week hasn't happened. Well, there has never been a time of seven years that brought to the end of all things. Remember, that's what it says will happen. That last seven years. It says, even until the consummation, which is determined, in other words, that will be the last 7 years before the consummation, determine what the Holy One being annoying to be for Christ begins to rule and Reign physically in his kingdom that last seven years before he begins to rule and reign in all things. Prophecy is over. It's sealed up. It's done. Sin has been done away. With righteousness, has been ushered in anybody? Feel like we're there yet. No, so there's a seven-year. Coming. When I don't know, but it's yet to happen. It's in the future. And what we're going to study in the Book of Revelations, chapter 4 through 19, describe what happens in that seven-year. In detail. Until we have to understand that. We're in this time, between we're in the pause between Messiah, being cut off and the, the beginning of that last seven years. And this is the time of the things that are that is the church age. That's what we're in right now. And the church from Israel's perspective from Daniels perspective. He didn't know anything about the church. When I say the church on talking about this entity. We're Jewish people and gentile, people become one, right? They ate. They somehow become one entity where they all worship God. In Flash, Jesus Christ, the Jewish people knew nothing about the church. They couldn't even imagine Jews and Gentiles together. With following Messiah that did not compute in their brain. I mean, you can tell just by the discussions that the that the apostles and the disciples had with Jesus. The idea. How could that even be sure. It's alluded to in a few kind of different allegorical ways, but it's not something that they understood that the Apostle Paul tells us that the church was a mystery. The church and Christ dealings with the church at his taking up of his church. That's all just with mysterious. Nobody understood it. Still don't have to look but that stars are the Angels or the messenger to seven churches and the lamp stands are the seven churches. And he says, let me tell you about the mystery of the church. And then he immediately goes into chapters 2 and chapter 3. What are these about? They're all about the church. Seven churches. Now there were hundreds of churches by this time maybe more. But Jesus speaks to seven churches. Why seven will seven in the Bible. Go back to the Old Testament. You can find hundreds of instances where God uses 7. The number seven is the number of completion by the number of perfection in the Bible, seven days of creation, the seven Blessings of Abraham seven.

There were many churches, but he picks the seven and he lists them in a particular order. Why this order why? These church is why their names will, we're going to be that each of their names has a very specific meaning. The order there in makes a huge, why? Because this is a book of Prophecy and everything in it, including the letters to the churches are probably our prophecy. Now. They contain prophecy within them to the church is about what Christ will do conditionally. They can paint contain prophecy also about people in general who behave, a certain way of what Christ will do conditionally if they don't repent. Where does he do? Repent but he will give them but they are prophecy in and of themselves pointing to a greater picture of the time. That were in which the church age, right. These are representative of the entire church. And I want to see the entire church. I mean, all of it. All of the church protestant-catholic non-denominational early church all the way through to the church. That will be on the earth. When Christ returns all of his representative here in this in. So as Brian and Travis both pointed out, there's a four-fold message in these passages chapter 2, and I just wanted to take some time this morning to let you see how we got here, right? When we start talking and teaching about these churches in the historical context of what was happening in that church at that time, you know, certain things about these church and certain characteristics. They had about the cities, they lived in about the idolatry that took place in them. You can see how specific Jesus was when speaking to these churches do their historical context is very important. But all of them. Apply to the church corporately. In other words, at any given time, you can find. Many of the same characteristics in the church as a whole at Large. And then, of course, personally as individuals, this these letters call us to obedience to Christ as as people at part of the church. And then finally prophetically. And I think this is the thing that people often missed when reading these, is that again, this is a book of Prophecy. The order that they're given the names of these churches and what is, what Jesus has dressing in them. Speaks to a greater picture of the church age, which they represent and put up a slide. I don't want you to spend a busy slide. So we'll break it down piece by piece, but I'm going to put this up so that you understand kind of what I'm talking about. And that is that you can see the church the things which are in the end of Darker yellow there. The seven churches, Ephesus all the way through to Leo to see if each of these correspond to a church. That is a time. Now, I would also recommend that you go out and read Matthew Chapter 13. Matthew Chapter 13 is Jesus's commentary on the church age while he was here on the earth. Remember the parable of Matthew Chapter 13, the disciples didn't get them at? All. Right. He had to explain them to him and you can see the Jesus explains the first one and then he sort of just goes. Yeah, they're not going to get in. So he doesn't really explain much of the rest because he was talking about the church. And he each of these like, this is what the kingdom of God is like to see. They had in their mind, a completely different picture of the kingdom of God. They thought Jesus was coming to raise up, an army to go. Kill the Romans and drive them out of their country and established a physical Kingdom on the Earth, right? Then. And Jesus had a completely different mission in his first Advent and that was to establish the kingdom in people's hearts and redeem this world. And so he then give them this teaching Matthew Chapter 13. We will look at these more in-depth as we go. I'm not going to go into it today, but understand each of these churches represent the church age, the church in Ephesus Branson 3233 right in there after the the death of Christ, the resurrection and then his Ascension they are at they were the upper room waiting. Jesus said, go there and wait, and the Holy Spirit will come and holy spirit fell at Pentecost on the church was established. 3000 came to know the Lord that from that Moment On Through To about a hundred, a d, the apostles and their disciples went and traveled around the known world and spread the gospel. Even to the ends of the Earth, is what Jesus told them to do, what they didn't quite make it there while they were alive, but the gospel went forth. They, they went and they share the gospel, Nick spread the news, and they stablished churches everywhere. They went and these churches War, the apostolic churches. In other words. They had, Apostles who'd been called by Christ himself over, seeing them or people that they put in place to oversee them. A one of them that we are going to, we did read about today was a cheap ass. He was put in place by the Apostle, John over the church at pergamus. And Joe and John was sort of the bishop, over those churches, over these pastors that he put in place. Polycarp was another one that you put in place of the Ephesus as Brian talked about last week. So during that time, the gospel was spreading very rapidly. It was somewhat free, there was some persecution, but for the most part people are free to go out and share the gospel and preach the gospel and people came to the Lord. When they heard the good news that Jesus had died for them. This was the beginning and Jesus loved this church. It's Jackie said, I'm in the midst of the lampstand. That's how we identified himself to. I'm right there with you, and then

Because I know how good you been. I know your works. I know how hard you've worked. I know your patience, but I have this against you. You you left your first love Travis Todd about this couple weeks ago how they had started off really strong. But slowly it was a slow drift and they eventually found themselves. Still working hard, Still Loving the Lord, still working and patience, but they didn't have the Zeal and the love for Christ. And Jesus called them to remember where they came from, repent. That is turn around and return to that first love. And this was their promise. If they will do that. They will need of the tree of life and be with God in Paradise. So that was Ephesus Church age. That was the beginning of the church. That's when things were fresh and new and they had that that first love for Christ. The last week. Brian talked about Smyrna. This church went from about a hundred eighty when things started to go really South, right. Who's when persecution, we really began to ramp up? It actually started even before this is started, and it started in late 60s, early 70s, or I started to be more more persecution is fully started the ramp-up ramp up, but by 180 Christians, it was not a good thing to be a Christian and throughout from about a hundred, a d23 1280. There were these ten waves of of great persecution that came under these 10, different Caesars, starting with Nero going. All the way through Diocletian and the church was Just crushed under this persecution and because of that they spread the word of God, spread like it had never spread before. That's the thing about persecution. It doesn't do what the persecutors expected to do. And that's their name. Smyrna is actually synonymous with murder. It was a place where they were known for their armor and the mer comes from a Mercury. They actually have to take, they take the lead in the berries and they crushed them, and when they crushed them this, Edible fragrant comes out of them. This sweet smelling fragrance. And that's what they were known for, right? And that's what the church was over. When you crush the church and it doesn't put the church down. It actually makes the church's read. It causes the fragrance of the church and the refining of the church. It causes us to, to be a sweet savour to God and he uses that and we spread and more and more people smell the sweet fragrance of. In fact, Jesus would say that the knowledge is there poor. But he says, you are rich, you're rich. And yes, you're going to be tested, but he says, I know you're suffering. Listen. He identifies himself to them. As a Son of God is the only sure she does this with these as I'm. I'm gone and I have risen. Don't fear. Don't fear death. and this truth age as well as the Church of Smyrna that Richard Smyrna, underwent great persecution, but throughout that beginning age of the church, the best thing, and I see this sort of tongue-in-cheek, but absolutely the best thing that ever happened to the Christian church was the persecution that took place between 100 and 312 ad because the church spread Incredibly fast under this persecution. When people saw Christians going to their death, praising God, and giving him glory that it was powerful and it caused people to come to Christ. But what happened to 31280. Well, what happened was Diocletian died and there was a power vacuum. And so there became a struggle for power. One of the guys was trying to take over with a guy by the name of Constantine emperor, Constantine. You may have heard of him. He was an emperor of Rome and how he got power. Is according to him, and The Story Goes that he was, he was just fraught with the fact that you didn't have the strength to take over the, the kingdom. And so one night. He had a dream there at the mall, the Umbridge where we get them Aldean cross and he in his sleep or in a vision of some kind, he saw a banner with a cross on it and It is a voice inside conquer in under this Banner right across. So, he publicize that and What began to happen is Christian's, hundreds of thousands of Christians in Rome who had not taken any side and not been in politics involved in politics. At any point. They begin to throw their weight behind Constantine. They begin to join his cause in drove because they thought this guy is on our side, you know, he's got the V emblem of the Cross. He's one of us and so they begin to now whether or not Constantine with a Christian or not. I'm not here to judge of that. I don't know. He did a lot of things after that didn't seem very Christian to me. But you know, I don't know. I don't know. What's heart Eastern, Orthodox Church venerate, same as Saint Constantine. So I guess God will be the judge when everything is said and done about that. But what this did is it caused a overnight. Really as soon as he took power, the persecution cuz he was now the emperor, the persecution of Christians stopped. and, And we'll talk more about that as we go, but that brings us to this church pergamus. And the witless read. This passage again in the angel with the church and put them into the angel, the church and put them in, right? The one who has the sharp two-edged. Sword says this. I know where you dwell where Satan's Throne is and you hold fast my name and did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one who killed them on you where Satan dwells but I have a few things against you because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching, balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols and commit acts of immorality. So, you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent or else. I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them and the sore with the sword of my mouth. He was near, let him hear what the spirit says, to the churches to him, who overcomes to him. I will give some of the Hidden Manna, and I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone, which no one knows, but he who receives it. So this church in pergamus or pergamum depending on the translation, but the name is pergamus.

The meaning of the church's name is through marriage. Now, there's some controversy about this because that weird / can be translated kind of different ways depending on the contact. It could mean like other than good. Right? So it's like the word pervert, like something is perverted, right? It's not good, but couldn't something other than good. But basically what the saying is this church, it's what is going to happen with his ass. To a union that word Gamo sore before we get the word like monogamy or polygamy, right? It's the union. It's a marriage. And so through marriage, or some sort of not right Union. Jesus, identifies himself, as he who has the sharp two-edged sword. In other words. He has the word of God, right? That is sharper than any two-edged sword. When you think of the two edged sword. You should think of, right. The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

And he does come in them. He knows their Works, where they dwell, where Satan's Throne, is the hold fast to his name and did not deny his face. But there are those there who hold to the doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitans that he has a problem with them in that in his exhortation, to them, as repent, or I'm going to come and fight against them know who not every person in the church, but those who hold these doctrines, if they don't, repent of them and will get into them. Or I'm not going to get him today cuz we are already way past the time that we should be here. So we're not going to dive deep. There. But I just want you to see that his promise to them is that he will correct them with his word. His word will do the correcting. Right? When he speaks, he will will correct this problem and the promises to those who do keep his word, those who do repent of this, he will, they will receive Hitman of those who haven't kept the doctrine of Balaam or the Nicolaitans. And then, there's this key phrase, we see this over and over again, when he's talking to the churches. He says, he who has ear, let him hear. Now noticed he goes on to it, to Hear What I Hear, What the spirit says to the churches. This isn't talking about a physical layer, although most of us have at least one. But he's talking about those who have an ear who are tuned in to what the spirit is saying. When we read God's word, when we are hearing his word. Are we turning our heart into here? Are we just hearing what we're saying? Are we just, you know, seeing the words on the page or just hearing it read from the pulpit or do we come? Sing Lord? I expect you to speak to me. I want to hear what the spirit is saying to me today. Right now. I need to hear what you were saying. That's what Jesus is saying. Those two are to have a spiritual ear to hear this tune in to what the spirit is saying. To the church is what he saying is, listen, I know. Where you dwell? I know where you live and I know it's not great. Now. I know some of us have said I, you know, I really want to get out of Grays Harbor. I've said that before, I loved Grace Harper, but, you know, sometimes the rain gets to me and I have to say, I was more than willing to go to Maui for 2 weeks and now I'm not going to lie. As bad as Grays Harbor might be. Sometimes, I mean, they were living where State and wealth. Where is thrown was? I don't know what that means. But that sounds really bad sometimes, but I don't think Satan's Throne is here, right? So, they lived in a place that was tough to live obviously State and have some sort of stronghold there and use the same. Look I know where you live. I know the kind of things that are going on there. I understand the struggle that you're facing every day to live where you live. He knows what's going on in our world folk. He knows he understands the kind of crazy stuff that's happening in our government. He knows the the kind of Tacony and things that are taking place in the governments around the world. He knows that the kinds of shifts of power that are taking place. He knows what's happening in Israel. I don't know if you've been paying attention, but there's crazy stuff going on right now. Things that are saying it were coming into the time that they were talking about right now. I'm telling you it Jesus's. Listen, it seems bad. And it is, he's the prince of the power of this world, right? This is where he has his throne currently uses. I know that But you also hold fast my name. You don't deny my faith even in their case when their Pastor is killed. Right in front of them and we'll go into that story later on when I have a little more time. Because I know this about you, Jesus knows where they dwell and he knows that they hold fast to his name and that they did not deny his faith. And really that's all we got, you know, you might think you have other things to put your faith and trust in the Bible is clear. There's only one thing told fast to. There's no other name that there's nothing else. And it's enough. It is enough to hold fast, and it's going to get increasingly difficult to say. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. You think it's been tough up till now, to make that claim publicly. I'm a follower of Jesus. It's going to get tougher. I truly believe that I'm not here to be an AC, or you'll speak to him. It just simply is less Christ. Returns is going to increasingly get more difficult to safely and comfortably say I'm a follower of Jesus, but will we Holdfast his name, will we be faithful and not deny the faith. I believe we will because he goes on to say that he who has ear. Let him hear what the spirit says that the church's you're here today because you want to hear what the spirit is saying to the church. He says, to those who overcomes will give some of the Hidden manna, Receiving hidden Manna Tina when the children of Israel going to the desert. And people, you only sucked them since they had was the man that fell every morning that appeared on the ground. And the thing was, they couldn't store up. They couldn't do enough for two.

There was no way to store it up for the future. They had to go every day, every day and they couldn't get some in advance. They had to go every day and they had to depend on the Lord to feed them daily. This is what Jesus is saying to the church. Us hear, Let Him hear what Jesus saying to the church. If you want to overcome, be one who goes to Jesus everyday? You know, you can't pray for four hours today and say I'm good for the week. It doesn't work. That way. Jesus said, pray like this. Give us this day. Our daily bread. You just would tell them. I am the bread of Heaven. I am that which sustained you in the desert. A Jesus wants us to live in that immediate expectation of his Providence and provision for us. He wants us to understand that we don't we're not promised tomorrow. What we got yesterday is old and stale and today we have an opportunity to come to him and say, Lord. What do you have for me today? And I'm here to hear what you have for me and to receive a few and I'll tell you what that does, is it keeps you completely dependent on him. So you it's not that you won't deny his name. It's that you can't deny his name cuz you know where your Source of Life comes from a men going to have the ushers come, we're going to take communion together. And as we do, I want YouTube.