“Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Rev. 1:17b-18 As we have observed previously, these letters are written to the Church at all times and in all places, and we must therefore ask what we at…
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know…
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9 “‘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.…
2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “‘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…
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 Before we begin our survey of the letters to the churches in Rev. 2-3 we want to consider the general structure of the…
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…
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To…
1 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.…
“Revelation and the Biblical Storyline” Last week we took time to consider how the book of Revelation is to affect us as Christians, purging our imaginations through the use of symbolic imagery. This week we want to consider the place of the book of Revelation in the unfolding of the biblical storyline. There are numerous…
“Revelation & the Purging of the Christian Imagination” This Sunday we will begin our series entitled “Letters to the Seven Churches.” The primary focus of this study will be a verse by verse study of Revelation 1-3 however we will also consider some of the wider themes of Revelation which are intended to encourage and…