Rev
1:10-11 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me
a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, ‘Write in a book what
you see, 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.’” (NAS)
1. These seven churches actually existed in John’s time and were just as John described them.
2. Throughout the Christian Era there have been churches spiritually like each of those
churches.
3. Those were not the only churches in Asia Minor, they were chosen by the Lord in a specific order
for a reason.
The
Post Road
Though
there were three other cities nearby to whom Paul had written
epistles (Thessalonica, Philippi and Colosse. They were not included
because they were not on a Post Road beginning in Ephesus.
As
a result, they could not give us a timed picture of conditions in the
Church during the Christian era.
The Post Road began in Ephesus and continued on
to the various cities in the order given in Revelation
2-3.
From
“Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira
and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” And that exactly matches the spiritual condition
of
Church during the Christian era.
32-95AD Ephesus..........“Lost your first
love...”
Rev 2:4, Heresy
enters church: Marcionites, Gnostics,
Nicolaitans,
Balaamites, etc.
95-321AD Smyrna...........“Persecuted 10 days...”
Rev 2:10
Ten major
persecutions under ten Roman Emperors: (1) Domitian (2)
Trajan (3) Hadrian (4) Antonius Pius (5) Marcus
Arelius (6) Septimus Severus (7) Maximin (8) Decius
(9) Valerian (10) Diocletian
321-450AD Pergamum......“Where Satan's throne
is...” Rev 2:13
Constantine makes
Christianity state religion. Church hierarchy begins.
450-950AD Thyatira.........“That Woman Jezebel...”
Rev 2:20
Beginning of Mary
worship. Idols brought into the churches. Bishops rise to
power.
950-1450AD Sardis............“But you are dead...” Rev 3:1
Dead Catholic
formalism. Bible taken from the people. Persecution of the
brethren intensifies.
1450-1948AD Philadelphia...“You have kept My
Word...” Rev 3:8
The Reformation,
Protestant churches rise, the Puritan movement, foreign missions
founded.
1948AD-???? Laodicea........ “You are neither hot
nor cold...” Rev 3:15
Lukewarm church of
today. Great “so-called works,” but spiritually cool.
Less than 3%
of Europeans still claim the faith. Their great cathedrals
have been turned into tourist attractions. 30,000
people a week are leaving mainline churches. (1995 statistic)
In Britain today, more people worship in mosques than in the Church of England.
In Scotland,
it’s difficult to finda church open.
The Church of Today
Revelation 3:14-22 “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans
write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and
true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know
thy works, that thou art neither (spiritually) cold
nor hot:
I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art (spiritually) lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee
out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am (spiritually) rich,
and increased with goods, and have need of nothing (huge organizations, popular pastors and
world-renowned TV evangelists);
and knowest not that thou art (spiritually) wretched,
and (spiritually) miserable, and poor, and blind, and
(spiritually) naked: I counsel thee to buy of me (spiritual) gold
tried in the fire (of My cross), that thou mayest
be (spiritually) rich; and white raiment (of My imputed righteousness), that thou mayest be clothed, and that
the shame of thy (spiritual) nakedness do not appear; and
anoint thine eyes with (spiritual)
eyesalve, that thou mayest
see (marvelous things out of
my law). As many as I love,
I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man (in the other six churches, the Lord was dealing with
the church in general, but in this Laodicean age, He is
addressing each of us as individuals) hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into
him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh
will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I
also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
Daniel & Revelation Teaching Outline
Daniel & Revelation Teaching Outline
The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11
ReplyDelete