2/04/07 – 5LAW “Revelation’s Seven Churches – Part 3”
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Hello!  This is Richard Vaughn

Today’s subject – “Revelation’s Seven Churches – Part 3”

Before we begin today’s program, shall we reverently seek God’s presence. Heavenly Father we ask for divine guidance through the agency of the Holy Spirit, as we open the word and continue our study of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.  In Jesus name Amen.

I continue to keep my pledge to cry aloud and spare not, lift up my voice like a trumpet and to show God’s people where they are transgressing God’s Law.

In our study of the seven churches of Revelation last week, we discovered that there was a dual application, as the description, warnings rebukes and promises applied to the seven churches of that first century, but also describes the Christian church in seven periods of its history to our present day. In verses 1 through 7 we looked at the church of Ephesus and how it applied to the first century church.

Today we will continue with verse 8. Verse 8 reads, “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;” 

The period of history covered by this church was from 100 AD to 323 AD and was know as the church of persecution. Smyrna can also be called the age of martyrdom, as many experienced a period of tribulation and died for their faith.
These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive adequately describes Jesus who is speaking, verse 9, “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” Jesus says Smyrna experienced poverty, and it was a poor church as far as wealth was concerned, but Jesus says it is rich and it was indeed rich spiritually.
The blasphemy spoken here is better interpreted evil speak as in slander. After Christ rose from the dead, the only recognized children of Israel are those in Christ, and that of course would be spiritual Jews. Galatians 3:29 says, “And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
So the literal Jews who were slandering the Christians, thought they were serving God, but instead served the cause of Satan.

Christ speaks of the church over which Satan presides as the synagogue of Satan. Its members are the children of disobedience. They are those who choose to sin, who labor to make void the holy law of God. It is Satan's work to mingle evil with good, and to remove the distinction between good and evil. Christ would have a church that labors to separate the evil from the good, whose members will not willingly tolerate wrong-doing, but will expel it from the heart and life.

Verse 10 “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” The warning from Jesus is that the church would suffer severe persecution and especially tribulation for 10 days. Now we know in prophecy a day equals a year, Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6. This persecution did occur and reached a bloody climax under Emperor Diocletian and his immediate successors during the ten year period of AD 303 to 313. It was in 303 AD that Diocletian issued a decree banning Christianity altogether. Historians writing about the horrors of torture in the persecution, said that the clergy were the first to be martyred. Many were seen with no eyes, or with no arms or legs as they were pulled from their sockets. However in 313 AD the Emperor Constantine issued an edict of toleration, allowing Christians freedom of worship. Note that Jesus promises a crown of life to the faithful martyrs of the Smyrna church period.

In that day of final punishment and reward, both saints and sinners will recognize in Him who was crucified the Judge of all living. Every crown that is given to the saints of the Most High will be bestowed by the hands of Christ--those hands that cruel priests and rulers condemned to be nailed to the cross. He alone can give to men the consolation of eternal life.

Verse 11 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” This is a call to all who read and understand, that overcomers will not have a part in the second death, rather their reward is eternal life.

We now move on to the third church found in Revelation chapter 2, and verse 12, the church in Pergamos. “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;  
Pergamos or Pergamum was the period in church history from AD 323 to 538. AD 323 was when the Emperor Constantine was supposedly converted. It is called the church of compromise during an age of popularity. Pagans began flooding into the church as the church fathers made many concessions to attract the first day idol worshippers. Paganism and Christianity became interwoven.
The two-edged sharp sword is the Word of the glorified Christ.

Verse 13 “I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.” 
It was Pagan Rome that got its seat and authority from Satan and under Herod, tried to have Jesus killed as a child. (Revelation 12:1-4). When Pagan Rome became Papal Rome, it was still the place where Satan’s seat was. “…and thou holdest fast my name” This is of course Jesus speaking and His followers were called Christians. Antipas is two Greek words meaning (Anti) in place of (pas) pater or father. It is believed to mean a representative of the untold thousands who were martyred for their faith.

Verse 14 “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.”  
The analogy with Balaam suggests that there were some at Pergumum whose purpose was to divide and ruin the church by encouraging the church to practice things forbidden to Christians. A stumblingblock is something that trips up another person unaware. Balaam influenced Israel to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab, and to eat meat sacrificed to the Moabite gods. Numbers 25:1, 2 and 31:16. 

The blending of Paganism with Christianity produced a church that rapidly became a political-ecclesiastical institution and lost much of its spirituality.

 Verse 15 “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.” We mentioned this last week, the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes is even today, rampant in Christianity, teaching that the gospel of Christ has made the law of God of no effect; that by "believing" we are released from the necessity of being doers of the Word. But this is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which Christ so hated. Nicholas was one of the seven deacons who defected and taught the specious error, embraced by the church today. Some say that God’s Ten Commandment law was nailed to the cross, when it was the law of Moses that pertained to religious ceremony and animal sacrifice that was the law nailed to the cross.

Verse 16 & 17 “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”  

Repent is the sharp warning reflecting the grave spiritual condition of the church in that period the sword of my mouth Jesus typifies the type of punishment that will come if they do not repent.
He that hath an ear let him hear; is the call once again to heed the counsel given. Hearing the counsel is useless unless it brings about a change in the life according to the counsel given.

“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, …” In view of John 6:31-34, it seems that John here intends manna to be symbolic of the victorious spiritual life one can live now in Christ who is the Bread of Life.
 “…and will give him a white stone…” One of the more common ancient customs was for a white stone or a black stone to be used by jurors to determine acquittal or conviction.
“… and in the stone a new name written…” In the Bible, a person’s name often stands for his character, and a new name would indicate a new character.
“… which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” The experience of spiritual rebirth, of the transformation of the character, can only be understood by personal experience and can not be understood by the unconverted.

Time is up for this week, so be tuned in next week as we continue our study with the fourth church Thyatira and “Revelation’s Seven Churches – Part 4”.	

	If you want some more information or even Bible studies, contact me by writing to: Pastor Vaughn that’s V-A-U-G-H-N, at PO Box 727, South Hill, VA 23970. Once again that’s Pastor Vaughn that’s V-A-U-G-H-N, at PO Box 727, South Hill, VA 23970. 
 
	And remember, you are always welcome to worship with us each seventh day Lord’s Day (that’s Saturday mornings) at the Victory Seventh Day Adventist Church located at 117 W. Danville Street in the center of South Hill, VA. 

	Until next week, Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”. Even so, Come Lord Jesus.