Sabbath: Jesus’ Message to the Seven Churches
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 2:8-11, Rev. 2:12-17, Rev. 2:18-29, Rev. 3:1-6, Rev. 3:7-13, Rev. 3:14-22, Isa. 61:10.
Memory Text: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21, NKJV).
From Patmos, Jesus sent a letter via John with seven messages to His people. While those messages concern the churches in Asia of John’s day, they also prophetically portray in symbols the condition of the cahurch throughout history.
A side-by-side comparison of these messages shows that they follow the same sixfold structure. Each opens with Jesus addressing the specific church by name. The second part begins with the phrase: “These things says … ” (NKJV), in which Jesus introduces Himself to each church using descriptions and symbols found in chapter 1. Those descriptions of Jesus were suited to the specific needs of each church. Thus, Jesus pointed to His ability to meet their different struggles and situations. Next, Jesus gives an appraisal of the church, and then He counsels the church how to get out of its predicaments. Finally, each message concludes with an appeal to hear the Spirit’s message and with promises to the overcomers.
As we saw in last week’s lesson in our analysis of the message to the first church in Ephesus, and as we will see this week in our study of the remaining six messages, Jesus offers hope and answers the needs of each church in each situation. Hence, surely He can meet our needs today, as well.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 19.
(36)
I spent some time weeding the garden yesterday. There are two tools that I could have used, a fork and a mattock. I had to use the mattock. For those whose education does not include garden tools, a mattock is a heavy hoe-like tool. It is the tool of choice when the garden is full of overgrown Kikuyu grass. You use it by chopping down hard like an axe, and drawing it towards you. The fork would have been completely useless as you have to push it away from you.
Sometimes when we get spiritual messages we tend to push them away from ourselves to others. We use the fork approach. We think that the message is good for some time or place in history, or even good for the church. We especially love to think that messages are good for the church. But perhaps we need to use the mattock approach for these messages to the seven churches. I should pull the messages toward me and apply them to my own spiritual journey.
I completely agree with you. As of recent whenever I receive a revelation, I first examine myself or even if I find myself using the fork method ; I do a double take. I am a model to my children and those around me.
The beautiful thing is, that Jesus can reach anybody,anywhere, any time. The Lord is not hindered by time and space. He created time, and works and draws his people from any time era.
“To him that overcometh”; this supposes a conflict.
The main battle is fought within our own heart.
will I grant to sit with me in my throne
John 5:26&27 26For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. 27AndHe has given Him authority to execute judgment,because He is the Son of Man.
Son of God have been given authority to judge.
Son of God gives the authority to judge to those who have overcome the world
Revelation 21:4 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.
How just God is in giving humanity who have overcome the world to judge.
The first 8 verses of Rev give the gospel in a nutshell 3 points at a time, easy to memorize and then be able to share any where any time. John identifies with those hearing the message and then introduces them to the amazing, wonderful, caring, powerful, divine Jesus Christ. What a lesson in witnessing, simple enough for all to do. The next step is to understand how people react to this good news - the positives and negatives and the solutions - guidance for individuals in their walk with the LORD. This what the Everlasting Covenant is describing - Jesus says I will be your God (guide, provide, protect), you will be My people (be like Me), I will dwell with you (we will have a close relationship day by day) now and forever and ever. Praise the LORD! Amen.
We have a nice blanket of snow this am, 3 inches or so. Everything is so white and perfect. Reminds me of: Isaiah 1:18. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD. “ Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool.” We will be spending time reasoning together this week of the things He desires of us, and the things he wants us to stay away from. What ever ‘church’ we are in we can heed the invitation, take the free gift of salvation, and then out of love for our Master we are overcomers, by letting Him dwell in our heart, we then cling to Him. Deuteronomy 30:20. Revelation 2:25.
Happy Sabbath.
The seven churches represent seven ages of the church only in the minds of a few Protestant commentators. No two agree on the periods involved, and a review of the theory shows it is lacking in literary or historical evidence. It is excessively Euro-centric, ignoring whole sections of the church such as the Eastern Orthodox branch.
Instead, we should 1) study the original situation and cultural values of each local church, and discover what the Spirit said to that church in Asia Minor. 2) Make an application for the church today, as many or lessons are transferable. 3) Forget the so-called application to seven periods of the church as is at best doubtful, and at worst a distortion of real church history.
Hi Jordan.
You can readily see this is a prophetic not a literal message when you read the letter to Smyrna. 10 days of persecution (Rev 2:10).
This, from an historicist interpretation and using the biblical day for a year symbology, is the Diocletian persecution from A.D. 303 to A.D. 313.
Naturally this persecution occurred in all the churches, not only Smyrna. A quick read of the text and a little thought makes it pretty clear.
Add to that you are reading the book of Revelation, which opens with the words (Rev 1:3) "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy"
Right off the bat you know it's a prophetic book, you are told this so that you *know* to expect symbols.
It was most emphatically and definitely not written to the literal churches.
It is worth reading Dr Norman Young's article on the first hearers:
https://spectrummagazine.org/sabbath-school/2019/first-hearers-apocalypse
Dr Young is a Biblical scholar, a colleague, and a great personal friend. His article provides a context for this chapter on the messages as they would have been perceived in John's time