THE STUDY BEGINS

 THE CHURCHES OF REVELATION 

Bible Study

 

To set the stage for this study let’s begin with Revelation 1:1. “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” 

Some Bibles say the Revelation of John, in the heading. But, verse 1 begins with - “The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him (John) to show things to His servants which must shortly come to pass, and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant, John.” Verse 2 “Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.” Verse 3 “Blessed is he that readeath, and he that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”

 

We are blessed to be able to read the word of God for ourselves. We are blessed if we listen with our hearts and keep those things which are written to the churches. Don’t dawdle or put off what Jesus is trying to tell us – the time is at hand! 

 

Verses 4-6 Jesus identifies Himself and greets the seven churches “grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come… from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever! Amen.”

 

Verse 7 Jesus says, “behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.” Jesus promises to come back, and how sad for those that did not read, hear, and keep his sayings.

 

Verse 8 Jesus explains He is but one God. “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and was and is to come, the Almighty.” 

 

Verses 9-10 “I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ”. John was on the isle of Patmos, a Greek island where, by most biblical historians, he is considered to be in exile as a result of anti-Christian persecution under the Roman emperor Domitian. “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” When he says he was in the Spirit he means that he was receiving a vision, something supernatural. And when he says he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day he is not talking about a day of the week or Sunday. He is talking about the Day of the Lord, an end time event. So, in vision he was taken to the end of time in many respects. 

 

Verse 11 “Saying, I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia;” So, this whole book of Revelation was sent to the seven churches in Asia, not just the first three chapters. “unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.” The whole book of Revelation’s message was sent to the churches, the present and future church.

 

Verses 12-16 “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me and being turned I saw seven golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man,” Notice the capital “s” there. It is like Jesus Christ the resurrected Son of God. “clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps (chest) with a golden girdle(band). His head and hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.” So, this is a supernatural representation of Almighty God, the Son of man with a capital “s”.  “And he had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword; and his countenance was as the sun shining in its strength.”  Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Word of God is a two edged sword, it cuts both ways, it’s for the Christian and the sinner.

 

Verse 17 “and when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.” The vision was so powerful and so strong that the apostle John basically fainted. “And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, fear not; I am the first and the last:” In other words, the Alpha and Omega, this is God speaking. It is the resurrected Jesus Christ. 

Verse 18 “I am he that liveth, and was dead;” He was crucified “and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen: and have the keys of hell and of death.” This is the resurrected Jesus Christ. He said I have the keys to the grave and death. 

Verse 19 he says “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.” So, we have got the present and the future mentioned. “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks”. And, he reveals the mystery. “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks which thou saw are the seven churches.”

 

In this vision, Christ gave John seven messages for seven first-century churches in Asia Minor. Read on to discover why Christ wanted to speak to these seven churches and what the messages mean for us today. 

 

Jesus is still building His church, and I want him to find me -- find us -- faithful in the end!