GRACE ANSWERS 15

• QUESTION: Could you please direct me to teachings on the first three chapters of Revelation? Most are taught from the view point that these messages are for present day (dispensation of Grace) churches. The language used in these messages is clearly 'not' grace language. I have heard only one teaching many years ago that made this distinction. How are these messages viewed in your ministry? Thank you for any help you can give me.

• ANSWER: Revelation is a very special Book of the Bible. It's been special to Christians for centuries. It will someday be special to Israel.

  Jesus Christ gave a man named John (most likely the Apostle John) a special revelation of future events. Why?

  "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ."

  Revelation 1:1-3

  God gave Jesus this revelation to show His servants what soon must take place. Jesus sent His angel to His servant John who testified to everything he saw.

  Scholars believe John wrote the Book of Revelation about A.D. 90. That was decades after Jesus gave the Apostle Paul His revelation about what would happen to Christians at the end of the Church Age (1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4, 2 Thessalonians 2). Why did Jesus give John another revelation? Was it in more detail than He had given to Paul? Did Jesus leave out something important of the revelation He gave to Paul?

  The Apostle John is a fascinating person. He knew Jesus Christ personally and may have been Jesus' cousin (John's mother, Salome, was Mary's sister). Jesus committed his mother to John's care during His crucifixion. That may have been because John was Mary's nephew. John was the brother of James, another Apostle. John was one of the leaders of the Apostolic group, along with Peter and James. John was the youngest Apostle and most likely outlived all the Apostles, including Paul. John is mentioned in all of the Gospels and through the middle of Acts. Paul mentions John once, in Galatians, when he refers to Peter, James and John as apostles to the Jews. John refers to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" in his Gospel account. John does not mention his name in 1 John. He begins with the salutation of "The elder" in 2 and 3 John. John mentions his name four times in Revelation.

  Scholars believe John wrote all his letters after the destruction of Jerusalem; probably after AD 90. John's Gospel was different than the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) in many significant ways. John's letters carry similar themes of being faithful, knowing the truth, not loving the world, stopping sinful ways, walking in love and dealing with heresy. 1 John seems to be an open letter addressed to "My dear children" and "Dear friends." 2 John is addressed to "the chosen lady and her children." 3 John is addressed to "my dear friend Gaius." This may or may not be the same Gaius Paul wrote about in his letters to the Romans and Corinthians.

  John wrote Revelation to "the seven churches in the province of Asia." He wrote the letter after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temporary end of God's offer of the Messianic Kingdom to Israel. John wrote from the island of Patmos "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." John apparently continued to preach Christ and was a prisoner because of it. The persecution of Christians was intense in the Roman Empire of that time.

  Jesus appeared to John in His Heavenly Glory.

  "...someone 'like a son of man,' dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance."

  Revelation 1:13-16

  John fell at Christ's feet "as though dead." Jesus placed his right hand on John and said:

  "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 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.'"

  Revelation 1:17-20

  Christ then proceeds to tell John what He wants the Apostle to write to the seven churches. Each of the seven church locations was an actual city in Asia:

  1. Ephesus
  2. Smyrna
  3. Pergamum
  4. Thyatira
  5. Sardis
  6. Philadelphia
  7. Laodicea

  It's interesting that the first church Jesus spoke to was Ephesus. Paul founded the Ephesian Church (Acts 19) many years earlier. He spent more than two years preaching and teaching in Ephesus. Paul wrote one his most brilliant letters to the Ephesians. He cared deeply for the Christians there. Many historians believe the Apostle John spent his latter years in Ephesus, writing and teaching about Jesus. Papias wrote in the 2nd century about "Presbyter John," a disciple of the Lord, who was one of his living authorities. If this is true, Jesus asked John to write to members of his same church in Ephesus. Please note that the Bible does not confirm to whom John ministered after the destruction of Jerusalem. We know that John, Peter and James agreed they would minister to the Jews while Paul would minister to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:9) However, John's message to the Jews lost its power after the leaders of Israel rejected Christ and Rome destroyed Jerusalem. Peter, James and Paul were most likely killed in the AD 60s. John lived another 25+ years to be the last remaining Apostle. He may have become an Apostle of Grace, but the Bible doesn't state that specifically. If John wrote his letters after the destruction of Jerusalem (which scholars seem to agree is the case), then it would appear John was ministering to Gentiles and Jews alike. He speaks of writing and ministering to churches. The only Church that existed after the destruction of Jerusalem was the Body of Christ. The Kingdom Church ceased to exist. If scholars are correct and John wrote his letters after the destruction of Jerusalem, he would have written to members of the Body of Christ. Some of John's words in his first letter sound more like the Kingdom Gospel than the Grace Gospel, so that issue is still up for discussion. We are depending on the word of scholars since the Word of God does not state the specific date of the writing of John's Gospel and Letters. John called believers in his first letter, "dear children." That does not give us any particular clue. However, the names of individuals John mentioned in his third letter were Gentile names (Gaius, Diotrephes and Demetrius). That may be a clearer clue as to the audience. John wrote the seven churches in Revelation that he was "your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus." Whatever the date of the writing, John has held a very special place in the hearts of Gentile and Jewish believers through the centuries.

  It's interesting to note that John does not address each of the Seven Churches directly. Jesus told John what to write to the churches and John wrote. John did not add anything to Christ's message to each church. John was the messenger through whom Jesus worked.

  I think that's significant. John wrote boldly and powerfully in his letters to Jews. Paul wrote boldly and powerfully in his letters to Gentiles. Jesus had spoken to both men through years of ministry in guiding them what to teach and write about the Kingdom and Grace Messages. Why didn't Jesus guide John in what to write and then let John write in his own words? Why did Jesus tell John what to write, word-for-word, to the churches? It "may" have been because Jesus was speaking to Gentile churches and wanted to emphasize the authority that came from Him. Paul had the "authority" to speak to the Gentile churches while he was alive. What happened to that authority after he died is not clear. Did John pick up where Paul left off with the Gentiles? Or did Jesus speak directly to the Gentile churches using the only Apostle alive?

  Were the seven churches the real churches of that time? Jesus told John to "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea" and "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later." He told John that "the seven lampstands are the seven churches." John began his letter to the churches with "John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia."

  I have heard and read the theory that the "seven churches" were really seven "church ages." The theorists do a lot of stretching to sell that idea. They take the words "what will take place later" and present an argument that each of the seven churches stood for a church age that would go from the "Ephesian" church age of John's day to the "Laodicean" church age of our present day. Another theory is that Jesus was addressing seven churches that would exist at the time of the beginning of Israel's Tribulation (Daniel's 70th week). Those are interesting theories, but inductive and methodical study have led me to believe that Jesus was communicating directly to seven churches that existed at the time John wrote Revelation, the end of the 1st century.

  Christian churches existed in the towns of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Churches also existed in many other towns. Why didn't Jesus mention the churches of Galatia, Rome, Colosse, Thessalonica, Philippi and Corinth? Jesus may have chosen the seven churches of Revelation because each needed to hear from Christ at that time and each was an example for Christians for the rest of time. Each has a different characteristic that is representative of Christian churches through all ages. We can find churches today somewhere in the world that are "like" one or more of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Jesus may have written those seven churches because they were the leading churches of that time and would have been representative of all the churches in existence. What is important is to notice the attributes of each local church and what we can learn from Christ's words to them.

  John does not add a personal word after he fell at Jesus feet until after Christ is finished with the churches. What he wrote was, "After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.'" What follows is a description of Christ on His Throne and what's going to happen to Israel and the world during the Tribulation, the Millenium and the Judgment. The churches are not mentioned again in Revelation until the very end (chapter 22) when Jesus said, "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches." Christ gave His Revelation of what is to come in the future so the churches would know and understand. The Christian Church made sure Revelation was part of the Holy Scriptures through publication.

  You mentioned in your question that "The language used in these messages is clearly 'not' grace language." I think this is "Grace" language. It's just not the kind of "grace" we're used to hearing. These are Christ's last Words to His Body prior to rapturing them centuries later. He left the Church some strong Words to help it through tough times to come: Words like, "Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first" ... "Be faithful even to the point of death" ... "you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore!" ... "Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds." ... "Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent." ... "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth" ... "So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth ... Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." God's Grace is a "complete" Grace. It is not partial. It does not just do or say what is nice or convenient or easy to hear. God's Grace is the "Truth." His Grace is about Love and Justice, Mercy and Righteousness. God's Grace is not the "good things" without the "consequences" of disobedience. We can learn much from Christ's short and specific Words to each of the Seven Churches.

  We also learn something important about Jesus in each one of His introductions to the churches.

  1. "These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands."
  2. "These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again."
  3. "These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword."
  4. "These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze."
  5. "These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars."
  6. "These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David."
  7. "These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation."

  Revelation is about the end of the world as we know it. It becomes strongly Jewish in nature because Israel's glory is the future of earth. I think that is a main reason Jesus waited until after the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of John's life to "Reveal" information about the conclusion of Old Testament prophecy concerning Israel and the world. Jesus "Revealed" the Mystery of the Body of Christ to Paul since he was the Apostle to the Gentiles. Jesus "Revealed" the fulfillment of Prophecy concerning Israel to John since he was the last remaining Apostle to the Jews.

  I read Christ's words to the Seven Churches and I take each one very seriously. Notice how Jesus ended each message to the churches: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." The Spirit of God Who Loves us and Lives within us speaks to us clearly through Christ's Messages to the Seven Churches. We have ears and we're listening!

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"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."

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