Revelation 2-3 - Love Letters from Jesus

Imagine that you discover an epic love poem written with archaic language, difficult metaphors, and historically specific references.  You are able to decipher much of the poem, as love is a universal concept and you connect with the images on a gut-level basis, but some of the more specific details are more difficult to decipher due to your distance from the original author and recipient.  But then imagine that you also discover an accompanying love letter written to the recipient.  Within the letter you are made aware of the time, place, and situational specifics of the original context of both writings.  Now, you can not only use the letter to aid in interpretation of the poem, but the poem also helps you decipher much of the letter as well.  

Though an imperfect metaphor, something like this is going on with the book of Revelation.  There is poetry and song within this literary masterpiece, but there is also another genre of literature - apocalyptic - that can be even more challenging to decipher than standard poetry and can easily be misunderstood if read "too literally".  However, the work also contains within its bounds a more straightforward genre of writing - letters.  After the introduction of chapter 1, Jesus through John delivers a letter to each of the seven churches of Asia.  The scholarly consensus is that Revelation was produced in the early to mid 90s of the 1st Century, and so coupled with the messages of the letters, and then the later apocalyptic visions, we can get a pretty good handle on what the message of the book is all about. 

The seven churches that these letters are directed to are in the beginning stages of a crisis that will become far worse before it gets better.  Though there are many side issues that accompany this crisis, the main issue at hand is the tension and struggle that these small Christian communities face as they seek to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus, while making their way in a Roman Empire which demands absolute loyalty and even worship of Caesar, who at this point in history is Domitian (reigned from 81-96 AD).  And, just as in our world, the gods of money and sex are also on offer through the smorgasbord of 1st Century idolatry.

It is also important to be aware that within the Roman Empire, Jews were allowed to continue to remain monotheistic and were given the option to pray for the emperor, rather than to him.  Christianity had initially been considered a sect of Judaism, and so by extension was initially exempt from emperor worship, but by the late first century there had been a clear rupture between the church and the synagogue.  Therefore, Christians were no longer "grandfathered" in under Judaism's terms.  One sees this tension played out in some of the opposition that Christians receive, not only from the Romans, but also from some, but not all Jews.  

Jesus speaks through the Spirit to the churches and John writes the message in a standard epistolary form of the day.  Jesus has both words of condemnation and words of encouragement for these communities.  These letters are not simply addressed to each church, but also to the angel of these particular churches.  It may be that God had assigned a "guardian angel" to watch over these congregations, or it may simply be a literary flourish.  Either way, the messages to the churches are what's really important.  Each letter to the churches uses the same template.  So rather than writing paragraph after paragraph detailing Christ's word to these congregations, I will use an outline form to briefly highlight the message to each church.  Where necessary I will give a brief explanation of my interpretation of the meaning behind some of the references that may seem a bit foreign without greater historical context.  I would encourage you to read through chapters 2-3 in conjunction with the outlines below.  

To the Church in Ephesus

Description of Jesus - Holds the 7 stars in his right hand and walks among the 7 golden lampstands (the lampstands symbolize the church)

Commendation - Hard work, patient endurance, doctrinal orthodoxy

Rebuke - They have lost their first love (either their love of Jesus or others or most likely both)

Judgment/Possible Consequences - Removal of lampstand (might cease to be a church community)

Promise - Permission to eat from the tree of life in God's paradise 

To the Church in Smyrna 

Description of Jesus - The first and the last, who was dead and came to life

Commendation - They have remained faithful through poverty, affliction, and in the face of slander from some Jews in Smyrna 

Rebuke - None

Judgment/Possible Consequences - No judgment from Jesus, but they will continue to be persecuted and tested

Promise - Reception of the crown of (eternal) life and will not be harmed by the second death 

To the Church in Pergamum

Description of Jesus - He who has the sharp two-edged sword

Commendation - Have not denied the name of Jesus in the face of extreme persecution and even martyrdom

Rebuke - Some in the church are compromising with the local culture through idolatry and sexual immorality 

Judgment/Possible Consequences - Jesus will bring swift judgment (not specified, but imminent) on the unrepentant

Promise - Reception of hidden manna (spiritual and physical sustenance, like God's provision for Israel in the wilderness) and a white stone with a new name (large white stones were used for engravings in the area and sometimes small white stones were used for invitations to important local functions)

To the Church in Thyatira 

Description of Jesus - Eyes like a flame of fire and feet like polished bronze 

Commendation - Love, faith, service, patient endurance, and growing effectiveness 

Rebuke - Toleration of a false prophetess who has convinced some in the community to engage in idolatry and sexual immorality 

Judgement/Possible Consequences - Death (spiritual and physical)

Promise - Authority over the nations and the morning star (symbol of victory and sovereignty)

To the Church in Sardis 

Description of Jesus - He who has the 7 spirits and 7 stars 

Commendation - None (though a few have not "soiled" their garments)

Rebuke - Their reputation outranks their faithfulness; they are asleep and need to wake up 

Judgment/Possible Consequences - Jesus will come like a thief to judge them

Promise - Clothed in white robes (symbol of purity and new life), they will not be blotted out of the book of life, Jesus will confess their names before his Father 

To the Church in Philadelphia 

Description of Jesus - The holy and true one who has the key of David - what he opens, no one shuts, what he shuts, no one opens 

Commendation - Though lacking power, they have remained faithful to the name and words of Jesus 

Rebuke - None (though, like those in Smyrna, they too are facing persecution from some Jews)

Judgment/Possible Consequences - None, but Jesus will convince those persecuting the Christians in Philadelphia that these believers are truly his people, and they will be spared some of the impending trials

Promise - To be made pillars in the temple of God, to be named with God's own name, Jesus' own new name, and the name of the New Jerusalem (in other words, the Philadelphian church will be full recipients of eternal life in the age to come in God's renewed world)

To the Church in Laodicea 

Description of Jesus - The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God's creation

Commendation - None

Rebuke - They are lukewarm (in this context, hot water would have been used for medicinal purposes and cold water would have been refreshing and drinkable, but to be lukewarm is to be useless and disgusting) and though financially secure, they are spiritually bankrupt

Judgment/Possible Consequences - Jesus will spew them from his mouth, like someone would spew lukewarm, overly calcified and mineralized water from their mouth 

Promise - To be given a place on Christ's throne to share in the rule of the Father and the Son over the renewed creation in the age to come

Though certainly containing moments of rebuke and warning, all seven letters to the seven churches of Asia are love letters from Jesus.  Even in the warnings of possible judgment and in the condemnation of present behaviors, Jesus is urging his beloved followers to remain faithful to him despite the challenges of living in a hostile, pagan environment.  He promises them that if they repent and remain true to the end, they will inherit eternal life in God's renewed world.  Chapters 2-3 of Revelation give us insight into the situation John's audience is facing in the late the 1st Century.  But while all of this is taking place on earth, what's going on in heaven?  Revelation 4-5 will give us insight into that.  Read on. - Shay     

Revelation Unveiled - Chapter One

The book of Revelation begins by declaring its genre from the get-go - it is an "apocalypse".  In our modern world, apocalyptic normally is associated with chaos, catastrophe, and dramatic end of the world scenarios, of the Hollywood variety.  But the Greek word apokalupsis, from where we get the word Revelation simply means to unveil or reveal.  Much like pulling back the curtain on a game show prize, what John's writing seeks to do is to reveal true reality - to give a perspective on the world and God's ultimate purposes that would otherwise remain hidden.

In verse one of the book, we are told that this is the revelation of Jesus Christ - either from Jesus, or about Jesus, or probably both.  It is a message given from God the Father to Jesus the Son, who then dispatched it to an angel who delivered it to John.  John then passes the revelation onto the seven churches of Asia - Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.  These churches are located in what is today Western Turkey.  John, exiled for his faith in Jesus to the isle of Patmos, received the revelation from the angel in a series of visions which he later wrote down and edited and then sent to these seven churches.  This is crucial for our understanding of Revelation.  The message of Revelation had to make sense for these seven churches.  It was first and primarily written for them.  It only became a part of our Christian scripture at a much later date.  This literary masterpiece still has the power to speak to us 2,000 years later, but we must first understand it in its original context if we wish it to make sense today.  

As we will soon discover, the seven churches of Asia are already experiencing challenging times and will soon be face to face with even greater difficulties.  Revelation is written in the early to mid 90s of the first century.  Domitian sits on the Roman throne, and he demands not only loyalty and homage, but even worship. 

For many decades the emperors had begun to promote the worship of themselves and though many in and around Rome itself paid this megalomania little heed, out in the further reaches of the empire, emperor worship was far more common.  In fact, in Asia Minor, where John's seven churches were located, several shrines, statues, and altars had been erected for the Roman Caesars and there was quite a lot of pressure placed on the residents of those regions to offer incense and other forms of worship to the head of the Roman Empire.  How might disciples of Jesus who had confessed that he and no other is Lord navigate this tricky social and political situation?

As John put his visions into writing, it appears that Caesar is in fact Lord of the Roman world, if not the larger sphere.  But Jesus Christ has a different perspective on things, and what Caesar represents is nothing more than a house of cards on shifting sand.  In the not-too-distant future, a mighty wind will blow this house of cards down and the loose sand beneath it will be blown to smithereens too.  The churches of that time will suffer, that is to be sure, but if they remain faithful through the time of trial, they will receive the crown of life in God's renewed creation in the end.  

This is essentially the message of Revelation.  And chapter one serves to introduce these themes to the careful reader.  We will begin to see things even clearer as we progress, so stay tuned.  There's far more to come! - Shay 

Unlocking Revelation

In the late 1980s, REM released their hit song, "It's The End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)."  The song really has nothing to do with the end of the world but is simply a revved-up rock 'n roll tune with catchy melodies and clever lyrics.  But the idea that our generation may be the last generation - that we may be witnesses or even participants in the climax of history, is a seductive thought for many and has had a long history going back at least a thousand years, if not longer.  Many who hold such a view do so based on their interpretation of the Bible, especially the final book, Revelation.  But is Revelation really a roadmap to the end of days?  Is it some kind of code that will unlock the secrets of the future?  By studying this book of apocalyptic prophesy, can we really determine how God will bring to fruition the final restoration of all things?  

Over the next several weeks this blog will dive into the book of Revelation.  We will seek to understand this amazing literary masterpiece in its original late 1st century context, and we will try to discover what this 2,000-year-old message might still have to say to us today.  I think this will be a fun ride and I hope you'll join us for it.

But before we go further, let's lay out a few suggestions that might help keep us from straying too far from the central message of the book.  First of all, let's consider what Revelation is not.

What Revelation is Not

The book of Revelation was not written to give its readers a detailed roadmap of the end times.  It is not history being written before it occurs.  It does explore God's ultimate purposes for creation and his people, but it does not do so in any kind of predictive "Nostradamus-esque" manner.  So then, what is this apocalyptic prophesy all about?

What Revelation Is

Revelation is a complex, but understandable late first century document written to a specific audience of believers who made up churches in the Eastern Roman Empire in what is today Western Turkey.  These believers were soon to undergo intense persecution for their faith and many of these Christians were wrestling with how far they might go to accommodate the wider culture around them, while still maintaining their allegiance to Jesus Christ.  The prophet John writes these believers to exhort them to remain faithful to Jesus and to avoid the idolatry that was so common around them.  John does reveal God's ultimate future for the world in this writing, but he does so in ways that are firmly rooted in the book's original ancient context.  For this writing to make a difference for John's first readers, it had to make sense to them.  Throughout this blog series, we will seek to understand how they would have heard these words and then hopefully, it will make sense for us as well.

Revelation is one of the most stunning and exciting works in all of Christian scripture.  It captivates the reader with its images, and it evokes a sense of awe and wonder with the scope and scale of its themes.  It is at once intriguing and at times, even a little scary.  But at its heart it is a message that should motivate and encourage followers of the Lamb.  There will be some ups and downs for sure, but I hope you'll come along for the ride! - Shay