Ancient Words — Revelation: testament to churches
Jesus speaks to John in the cave on Patmos in Rev. 1:1920, “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
We know the “seven lampstands” are the seven churches and yet after John enters heaven we see from Rev. 4:5, the seven lamps are the seven Spirits of God. Again, in Rev. 5:6, John describes the Lamb before the throne as one having “seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out unto all the earth.” There is only one Holy Spirit, yet Revelation reveals that God’s one, true Spirit is manifested through seven Spirits all of the same Holy Spirit and each one speaks to one church through and by Jesus as his last testament, condensed and summarized in plain spoken words.
In chapters two and three, Jesus speaks plainly to each of the seven churches through the seven Spirits and the seven angels. A pattern of symmetry expressed in four parts is easily seen while Jesus’ dialogue is specific for each church location. Attributes of Christ, Acknowledgement of Strength, Admonition of Weakness and Announcement of Blessing are each described below:
Attributes of Christ: “These are the words of him who —— holds the seven stars and walks among the seven golden lampstands —— is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again —— has the sharp double-edged sword; his eyes are like blazing fire, feet like burnished bronze —— holds the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars —— is holy and true and holds the key of David —— is the amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.”
Acknowledgement of Strength: “I know” —— your deeds, hard work and perseverance, Ephesus —— your afflictions and poverty, Smyrna —— you remain true to my name, Pergamum —— your deeds, love, faith, service and perseverance, Thyatira —— your deeds and reputation for being alive, Sardis —— your deeds, your little strength yet have kept my word and not defiled my name, Philadelphia —— your deeds and that you are neither cold nor hot, Laodicea.
Admonition of Weakness: Don’t forsake your first love, Ephesus. Be faithful in suffering, Smyrna. Don’t follow Balaam, Pergamum. Don’t tolerate Jezebel, Thyatira. Wake up, remember, obey, Sardis. Endure patiently, Philadelphia. Be earnest and repent, Laodicea.
Announcement of Blessing: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God”—Ephesus. “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life … He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death” — Smyrna. “To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it” — Pergamum. “To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations — (He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery) — just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star” — Thyatira. “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge my Father and his angels” — Sardis. “Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from God and I will write on him my new name” — Laodicea.
Common to each of the seven churches, Jesus implores in the Ancient Words, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Amen!
(Scott Johnson is pastor at East Faulkner Church of Christ and author of the BRG Bible).
Sparks From The Gospel Anvil
Numbers 23:18-24
Do you believe in miracles? The poet states, “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants
His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm.”
God does mysterious and miraculous things each and everyday if we would open our eyes to it.
One would say that how the earth was created is a great miracle. Isn’t the raindrop amazing, can you explain how the thunder and lightning slumber in it, can you tell me how God kisses the earth and the roses bloom? Can you tell me how He took the songs of the angels and robed them in feathers and sends it into the world as a sparrow?
Tell me how He took the rainbow and wove it into a scarf and draped it around the shivering shoulders of a dying storm. Tell me how He did it? Job 26:14 tells us that, “Lo, these are parts of His ways: but how little a portion is heard of Him? But the thunder of His power who can understand?”
But the greatest of all miracles is what the Evangelist Leonard Ravenhill said, “The greatest miracle that God can do today is to take an unholy man out of an unholy world and make him holy, then put him back into that unholy world and keep him holy in it.” Yet God still isn’t allowed to have the right of way in people’s lives today. This passage speaks of King Balak trying to curse Israel and bring their downfall and destruction, yet God reveals through the false prophet Balaam that He is still in the miracle business.
It was from May 21-26, 1924, that the Scottish spiritual special evangelist, Lt. Colonel J. C. Addie, came to The Salvation Army in El Dorado. In his 42 years as a Salvation Army officer that he began the work in Canada, he was in charge of the entire men’s social and prison work of The Salvation Army west of the Mississippi river and he also organized the anti-suicidal bureau of The Salvation Army.
One of the most interesting lectures he would give was titled, “Modern Miracles,” and would speak of his conversion under the preaching of the British evangelist, Gipsy Smith, and the work that God can do to and through people to bring others to Him. Christ is all conquering! He is still in the miracle business.
He is the All-Conquering Christ, no situations that He has ever come across have surprised Him. He can bring hope and healing into each and every person’s life. I don’t care what your case is, He can diagnose it. If I was to have an audience with the president of the United States, I could read him the story of King David. If it were the Queen of England, I could read her the story of Queen Esther. If I had an audience of lawyers I would tell them of the Apostle Paul, who spoke with eloquence and never lost a case. If I had the military I could tell them the story of Cornelius, the first soldier to be converted.
I could tell members of the Navy the story of Christ calming the storm at sea. I would tell the business woman the story of Lydia, the seller of purple. I could call the professor of geology or astronomy, but what does it profit to know the nature of every star and not the Star of Bethlehem, to know all the rocks and be ignorant of the Rock of Ages;?
To the boy gone astray, I would read to them about the Prodigal Son and to the girl gone wrong, I would tell the story of Mary Magdalene. To the biggest sinner on earth I would point to the three crosses on the hill and tell the story of the thief on the cross.
So, here it is in a nutshell. Jesus can do something for you that you can’t do for yourself. He can make you whole and transformed.
(Lieutenant Charles Smith is commanding officer of the Salvation Army of El Dorado).