Revelation Letters
Revelation 1:1-3 (ESV) The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
1. Blessed is the one who reads these Words aloud.
3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy
1.1. Things to come.
1.2. Lots of talk about the end coming or at the least beginning of the end. 1.3. All our decisions are suppose to be filtered through our *things to come* filter.
2. Blessed is the one who hears and keeps and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it,
2.1. Forgetful hearers.
James 1:22-27 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
2.2. We are blessed in the doing.
2.3. I forgot is never an adequate excuse.
2.4. Do what it takes to remember.
3. A time of persecution.
Revelation 1:9-11 (ESV) 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book 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.”
3.1. Self description.
3.1.1. A partner in tribulation.
3.1.2. Partner in the kingdom.
3.1.3. Partner in patient endurance.
3.2. Jesus walking in the middle of His Church.
Revelation 1:12-17 (ESV) 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
3.2.1. Jesus is to be the center of the focus of the Church.
3.2.2. This is His House – His domain – we should be able to come and meet with God in His House.
3.2.3. Hearing His voice.
3.2.4. Seeing His radiance.
3.2.5. Allowing His double edge sword cut and divide
3.2.6. His right hand raising us up from our death.
3.3. The Church understanding we are the lamp-stand, the light in darkness.
Revelation 1:20 (ESV) As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
3.3.1. Shining in dark places.
3.3.2. Hearts filled with light.
3.3.3. Words filled with hope.
3.3.4. Actions filled with faith.
4. The letters to the Churches of things being done right and others that needed to be fixed:
Revelation 2:2-3 (ESV) “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
Revelation 2:9-11 (ESV) “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.
Revelation 2:13 (ESV) “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
Revelation 2:19 (ESV) “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.
Revelation 2:24-27 (ESV) 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,
Revelation 3:8-13 (ESV) 8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie— behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.
Revelation 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
4.1. To summarize the things down well:
4.1.1. Toil
4.1.2. Patient endurance
4.1.3. Cannot bear evil
4.1.4. Tested those who claim to be Apostles and Prophets
4.1.5. Have Not grown weary.
4.1.6.Hated works of Nicolaitans. (False teaching and immorality) 4.1.7. Endure tribulation, poverty, slander, and prison
4.1.8. Hold fast to Jesus’ name
4.1.9. Did not deny the faith.
4.1.10. love and faith and service
4.1.11. your latter works exceed the first
4.1.12. Only hold fast what you have until I come.
4.1.13. one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations
4.1.14. you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
4.1.15. you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.
4.2. The things not done well.
Revelation 2:4-5 (ESV) 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
Revelation 2:14-16 (ESV) 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 2:20-22 (ESV) 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,
Revelation 3:1-3 (ESV) 1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
Revelation 3:15-20 (ESV) 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
4.2.1. Abandoned first love
4.2.2. Remember, repent, return, or get removed.
4.2.3. Hold to Balaam’s teaching – (Hired to minister against, corruption, idols, and immorality.)
4.2.4. Hold to the teachings of Nicolaitans. (False teaching and immorality)
4.2.5. Tolerate Jezebel
4.2.6. Tolerate false Prophets – seducing believers.
4.2.7. Reputation of being alive but actually dead.
4.2.8. Working works that are incomplete.
4.2.9.Wake up or miss the hour.
4.2.10. Neither cold or hot.
4.2.11. Rich and prosperous in need of nothing.
4.2.12. Not realizing how wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
4.2.13. Counseled to buy refined gold.
4.3.. The state of the Church.
4.3.1. 2 of the seven Churches roughly 30% did not need any correction only encouragement and 30% received only correction.
Leaving about 40% somewhere in the middle of good and bad.
4.3.2. The goal is to be glorious Church.
Ephesians 5:27 (NKJV) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Revelation 3:20-22 (NKJV) 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 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. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”