Revelation (Written)

Wednesday, 30 September 2020

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:29

The thought is the same as that of verses 2:7, 2:11, and 2:17. However, there is now a difference, not in substance, but in location within the letter. In the first three letters, Jesus makes this statement, and then He speaks out the words concerning those who overcome. Here, and through the next three letters, the statement follows the words concerning those who overcome, closing out each letter.

As in all the letters, it is a call out to pay heed to what has been stated, and what will be stated to each and every church.

Life application: It seems all too fast that we have already come to the end of chapter 2 of Revelation, concluding with the completion of the fourth letter to the seven churches. Each letter has received the same warning and admonition as we have in this verse. Jesus says, “He who has an ear…” Let us open our ears and listen to what is being read, let us open our hearts and take heed to the message we have been given. Let us open our eyes that they may be fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. The Lord said this to Isaiah concerning the people of Israel –

“Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’”
¹⁰ “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9, 10

Isaiah, not understanding, then responded –

“Lord, how long?” (Isaiah 6:11)

And the response from the Lord was –

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant,
The houses are without a man,
The land is utterly desolate,
¹² The Lord has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.” Isaiah 6:11, 12

We need to be attentive lest we drive ourselves out of our own favorable situation. Failure to respond to the Spirit’s words can only result in sadness in an ineffective relationship with God.

Again, as before, this verse says “…what the Spirit says to the churches.” Each letter is an individual one for a particular congregation, but it is directed to all churches at all times. The warnings, the promises, and the doctrine are meant for all. Take heed and be blessed!

Lord, You have given us a true and faithful record of Your love for us, Your expectations of us, and how we can share in Your divine blessings. Thank You, O God, for all You have done, are doing, and will do for Your redeemed people. May we return our praises to You. Amen.

Tuesday, 29 September 2020

and I will give him the morning star.” Revelation 2:28

This verse ends the list of honors mentioned in the letter to Thyatira that will be granted to the one who overcomes. As clear as the words are, they are debated as to the actual meaning of what the Lord is saying. At the close of the Bible, we read these words in Revelation 22:16 –

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

Further, in 2 Peter, this is stated –

“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;” 2 Peter 1:19

Peter’s words are certainly speaking of Christ. Just three verses earlier, he said, “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” The prophetic word, then, speaks of and anticipates the glories of Christ. It is what we now have to illuminate to us His majesty. Peter also refers to the dawning of the day. That is probably a reference to the words of Malachi –

“But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.” Malachi 4:2

Jesus is both the Sun of Righteousness and the Bright and Morning Star. The major debate is whether Jesus is saying, “I will give of myself,” because He is the “Morning Star,” or is it saying something like, “I will make the dawn of salvation or of life eternal shine on him after his dark afflictions” (Expositors Greek Testament).

The main consideration is that of the idea of the dawning of the day. Malachi says, “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise.” Peter says, “until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Jesus says, “the morning star.” All three speak of the time of transition from darkness to light. As the term in Revelation 22:16 is more exacting, a conclusion can be made based on that difference –

ton astera ton prōinon – the star the morning (2:28)
ho aster ho lampros ho prōinos – the star the bright the morning (22:16)

What then may be conveyed here is that any star (or planet) that remains in the sky as the sun rises would be like jewel in a crown. Albert Barnes agrees with this saying –

“The idea seems to be, that the Saviour would give him something that would resemble that morning planet in beauty and splendor – perhaps meaning that it would be placed as a gem in his diadem, and would sparkle on his brow – bearing some such relation to him who is called ‘the Sun of Righteousness,’ as the morning star does to the glorious sun on his rising. If so, the meaning would be that he would receive a beautiful ornament, bearing a near relation to the Redeemer himself as a bright sun – a pledge that the darkness was past – but one whose beams would melt away into the superior light of the Redeemer himself, as the beams of the morning star are lost in the superior glory of the sun.”

Life application: Whether Christ is saying He will give of Himself (which is already a true statement), or whether we will be together with Him as stars in glory (see Daniel 12:3), we will share in His goodness for all eternity. He will lead us to the still waters and the soft grass of the Garden lost so long ago. Although the Bible in general and Revelation in particular are full of judgment and woe, this judgment is on sin and those who act contrary to God’s will. God gives us the choice and when we exercise it contrary to His ordinances, it is always at our own loss.

God is gracious and abundant in mercy, and He wants to lavish His goodness upon each of us. Because He created us, He knows what is best and what we should avoid. The prospect of sharing in/with the Person of Jesus for all eternity is the most wonderful prospect of all. He is the Bright Morning Star and the One who illuminates the splendor of God to us.

Like Peter’s words (above), all of the prophetic word is meant to direct us and guide us to Jesus. It is a light shining in the dark world in which we live, and it is there to tell us of God’s great love for us and His great Gift to us – Jesus. Don’t miss the bigger picture of what God is doing by getting bogged down in judgment and destruction. These things are necessary in order for us to finally be at peace with our Creator.

O Lord God! Thank You so much for the promise that we have of forever dwelling in Your marvelous light. Thank You for Jesus our Lord who is the Bright and Morning Star. May we walk by His light and stay on the proper path until that great day when we are called to our true home. Thank You for your grace, your love, and your mercy! Amen.

Monday, 28 September 2020

‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—
as I also have received from My Father; Revelation 2:27

The words of this verse are in the middle of the honors bestowed upon those who “overcome” in Christ. Here, He will now note that they will share in His triumph and will – together with Him – rule the nations. It is based on a promise made to Christ from Psalm 2:7-9 –

“I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”

Understanding the context, Jesus begins the words of this verse with, “He shall rule them with a rod of iron.” The word translated as “rule” actually means “to shepherd.” It is used, for example, of the coming Christ in Matthew 2:6 –

“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.”

The word translated as “rod” carries with it the sense of authority, and thus it is a scepter. That is the intent of the word here. It is found in that same manner in Hebrews 1:8 –

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.”

This rod, or scepter, being iron has its own meaning. In the Bible, iron represents strength, be it in binding together, in government, in hard service, in bondage, etc. For this reason, Albert Barnes rightly notes –

“To rule with a scepter of iron, is not to rule with a harsh and tyrannical sway, but with power that is firm and invincible. It denotes a government of strength, or one that cannot be successfully opposed; one in which the subjects are effectually subdued.”

Understanding this, Jesus next says, “They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels.” The verb in the Greek is present tense, and thus it should read “as the vessels of the potter are broken.” It gives the vivid sense of watching the nations collapse from their previous states of exaltation, and being reduced to a homogenous blend of nations, subjugated before the rule of Christ. This will begin with the judgment of the nations, as spoken of by the Lord in Matthew 25:31-46. Of that, here are verses 32 & 33 –

“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.”

The sheep are the nations who will support and protect Israel during the Tribulation period. The goats are those who will be belligerent to her. How do we know this? It is because Jesus was speaking under the Old Covenant and about the Kingdom Age, not the Church Age (which was still a mystery according to Paul’s later writings).

In His discourse in Matthew 25, Jesus refers to those needing help and comfort as “my brethren.” Therefore, He is speaking of the Jews and is referring to the Tribulation as described in the book of Revelation. Jesus was, is, and always will be, a Jew. His brethren are the Jewish people. Those who are on Christ’s side during the Tribulation will likewise support the nation of Israel. Take this note for understanding from Ezekiel 36:22 –

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.”’”

A new order lies ahead during the millennial reign of Christ, to which these words are referring. This then is a temporal grant to those who not only overcome, but who keep Christ’s work until the end (2:26). During the millennium, the anticipation of the prophets for a world ruled by Messiah from Jerusalem will come about. This is foretold many times in the prophets, but one example is –

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the Lord’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And all nations shall flow to it.
³ Many people shall come and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
⁴ He shall judge between the nations,
And rebuke many people;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into pruninghooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isaiah 2:2-4

This right to rule is then acknowledged by Jesus as the way it was intended. As He says, “as I also have received from My Father.” This is what was promised to the coming Christ in Psalm 2. Jesus here acknowledges that it will be so, and He offers that right to rule to those who both overcome and who are faithful to keep His works now.

Life application: Despite their unfaithfulness, God’s name is upon the Jewish people and He still has a plan and purpose for them. The Kingdom Age is coming, and Christ will rule from Jerusalem in the midst of His people Israel.

Lord God, help us to be faithful through the times of trouble. But also, Lord, help us to be faithful through the times of blessing. In either time, we can lose sight of what is most important, getting misdirected from our walk with You. Be with us, guide us, and keep us on the right path at all times. To Your glory alone. Amen.

Sunday, 27 September 2020

And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— Revelation 2:26

This verse is the beginning verse of the fourth set of honors (this time to those in Thyatira) promised to the one who “overcomes.” Such a person, as previously noted, is the one who believes in Jesus Christ – the God/Man, calling on His name and being cleansed by the power of His shed blood. That was summed up 1 John 5:4, 5 –

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. ⁵ Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Jesus next adds on a note of perseverance, “and keeps My works until the end.” It is a phrase found only here in the New Testament. It implies that not everyone who is saved (which is eternal) will be given this power. This is obvious, because of how the term “overcome” is defined elsewhere (including the quote from 1 John 5). There is eternal salvation, but there are also promised blessings for those who persevere in their salvation.

This then is a special blessing to those who not only call on Jesus Christ for salvation, but those who also keep His works. The promised blessing then falls under the category of “rewards” as outlined by Paul –

“If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:14, 15

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

It is with this thought, that Jesus’ words are speaking of rewards for perseverance, that He next says, “to him I will give power over the nations.” The word “power” speaks of control or authority. It is an authority given by God to His saints. In its reception, they have authority and ability to act according to His will.

That this is speaking of a granted authority based on perseverance, and not an authority given to all who are saved, is seen in Jesus’ parable concerning the minas, found in Luke 19:11-27. There, Jesus shows that the greater the faithfulness, the greater the responsibility that will be granted to those over the cities. That parable is referring to the kingdom age.

The same idea is conveyed here. The change from “cities” to “nations” is noteworthy. The Greek word is ethnōn. It speaks of the heathen world in contrast to the nation of Israel. Those faithful in Israel during the kingdom age are given rule over cities. Those faithful in the church will be given rule over nations. Jesus will continue to explain this in the next verses.

Life application: There will actually be some who are taken up at the rapture who will be completely surprised by the event. We read this in 2 Peter 1:9 –

“For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”

Peter is speaking about a person who “was cleansed from his old sins” and yet had forgotten about it. This person won’t be the ruler of the nations, but will spend his time watching others, who were faithful in their walk, exercising authority that they will be denied. Obviously, there will be many gradations between the two as well.

The Lord will be perfectly just in His judgments, and also in the doling out of rewards to His faithful. What will be the anticipated rewards for you? Only you can set the course for them now. Make sure that you don’t fall away from the sure rewards that await those who remain steadfast in Christ!

Lord, we are all so very prone to falling away from the full attention we should give to our Christian responsibilities. Therefore, we ask that You guide us, carry us, and strengthen us as we go forth. Keep us from falling away, or even being faithful but unproductive followers of You. Help ensure our lives are properly directed to the things that You deem proper and appropriate in our Christian walk. Amen.

Saturday, 26 September 2020

But hold fast what you have till I come.  Revelation 2:25

Jesus just noted that He would place no other burden on the faithful of Thyatira other than no longer tolerating the horrific woman Jezebel. They needed to clean that up in their church and continue on in their works, love, service, faith, and patience mentioned in verse 2:19. With that understood, He now next states, “But.”

The Greek word is an adverb, plen, that is less commonly used than other conjunctions. It gives the sense of “except,” or “nevertheless.” This is its only use in Revelation. With this fixed in the reader’s mind, He says, “hold fast what you have.”

Those would be the positive qualities mentioned above. They have those favorable traits. The Lord is pleased with them. And, if they will simply cut out the tolerance for Jezebel and those who would participate with her, the Lord will add no other burden on them. The church will continue on, standing approved in His presence. And that will be, as He says, “till I come.”

The Greek reads, “until which (time) I might come.” The words are accentuated by an untranslated particle, an. The inclusion of this particle stamps the time of His coming as indefinite. His return will be whenrever it will be, and the church is not privy to when it will be. But the fact is that the promise of His coming remains. As He said in John 14 –

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2, 3

Life application: Short and to the point… to the faithful in Thyatira, Jesus – who has already acknowledged their good points – asks them to “hold fast.” When an individual or a group is doing what is right, it is often difficult to continue on as things deteriorate around them or attacks come against them. But Jesus is aware of our weaknesses and limitations, and His words here show that He isn’t there to place additional burdens on those who are doing the right thing. Instead, He asks them to simply “hold fast,” even if the time is indefinite – He will come.

In this, there is a time for the works to end and the relief to come. The beauty of what Jesus did was to leave that moment unknown to His children. By promising to return, but by not giving us the date, it could be at any moment. The anticipation of His return, therefore, should be on the minds of all who have called on Him in two ways:

1) They should be of the mind that what they are doing is of eternal effect in the lives of others. This is because if they don’t go about their business and the Lord comes, then those they neglected will never have the knowledge which leads them to salvation.

2) They should be aware that if what they are doing is inappropriate or disobedient, then their last deeds before the judgment will be open and exposed as insufficient for commendation.

Jesus is coming and, though we are hindered by the knowledge of when that that will be, we are also bolstered by that same fact. The masterful plan of Jesus is that He is coming, and therefore we should all be about His business every moment of our lives. Should He tarry, all we can do is praise Him for His patience in dealing with the wayward sons of Adam. Let us remember the words of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10 –

“For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

How good it is to know that we could be in the generation that experiences Your return for the church. May this be a motivating factor in our wanting to continue on despite trials, setbacks, and frustrations! O Lord, may You be pleased with the conduct of our lives as we hold fast to doing the good works which are pleasing to You. Amen.