The book of Revelation has as it's supreme goal the drawing of our hearts to the person of Christ, to find our delight, our joy and satisfaction in Him. It was that moving away from Christ as our first love that caused the problems at Ephesus in Revelation chapter 2 and it is this void which the book of Revelation fills. In drawing me to Christ as living water and the tree of life, we gain a glimpse of the place where Christ is, that is heaven. Having concluded our studies in the book of Revelation perhaps we will be left with a flavour of Christ, a thirst for Him and a glimpse of heaven as home, as destiny and as eternal reward.
"and there shall be no night there and they need no candle, neither light of the sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever"
Dr J Stewart Gillespie, from a series of bible teaching ministry in the book of Revelation.
Revelation chp 22 vs 4 - And His Name shall be upon their Foreheads. A bible study of Revelation chapter 22 verse 4. God not only rewards the service of His people but by the experiences through which they are led God molds and shapes the character of His people. Men like Moses shaped for meekness, Daniel for righteousness, Job shaped by circumstances for patience and Jonah brought to an appreciation of Gods Grace and salvation! God prepares His servants to receive His name upon their forehead. Dr J Stewart Gillespie - 01082023
Revelation chapter 20 contains the concluding chapter to the story of the world. It is the Bible's 'restaurant at the end of the universe.' In Revelation 20 we have the victory which concludes the battle of the Christian life, a victory over the world, the flesh and the Devil. We have also the conclusion to Satan's defeat. His place is in the bottomless pit and subsequently the lake of fire forever. Satan's ambition is to take as many souls with him to hell as possible, to make as many as he can share in his destiny in eternal judgment. Dr J Stewart Gillespie graceinchrist.org
Revelation chapter 20 sets the preconditions for the New World order under Jesus Christ in the millenial reign of Jesus Christ on the earth. As a precondition for His reign there must be victory over the Dragon, the old serpent, the Devil, that is Satan, the world and the flesh of ourselves. We must be ready to reign with Him and this means to daily engage in the spiritual battle by His power.
Revelation chapter 20 describes the final Great White Throne judgment of all people by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is here that God draws a line between our world and His heaven. Nothing that defiles, decays nor dies will be permitted into His Glorious heaven. There are many ways to this judgment but only one way through this judgment! Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation chapter 20 contains the final secret of the Bible. It is not our works, nor our righteousness, nor or religious endeavours which open up heaven to us but a name known by a Saviour who died, our name written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Heaven belongs to those who belong to Jesus. Faith alone in teh Saviour who is alone the way and the truth and the life is the only way through judgment and into the presence of God forever. Dr J Stewart Gillespie
In Revelation chapter 19 we consider the black and white contrast and the stark choice facing us between heaven and earth, the Lamb and the Lord, salvation and judgement and the marriage supper of the lamb and the supper of the Great God that is Armageddon. Part of our series of studies in Revelation - Dr J Stewart Gillespie
The world looks on and wonders, surprised at the residence and presidence of the demonic beast's take over of Babylon. The most surprising aspect of Revelation 17 is that the world is surprised! Having fashioned a world system of atheism, humanism, hedonism and materialism nothing could be more predictable than that system would become a perfect habitation for the demonic. Anyone surely could predict this, except the world itself! Satan had mankind fashion his anti-church, his anti-kingdom on his behalf. Here was a place of safety, security, and salvation (17:4). Babylon offered everything a soul could wish for! Here was a false saviour and a false salvation! Here was Satan's master piece, the work of millenia! The angel (17:1) pauses from his busy schedule to emphasise to John that whilst the wheels of Divine justice may well turn slow, they turn certain and sure. There is nothing more certain than Divine justice played out in time and in eternity. Dr J Stewart Gillespie, www.graceinchrist.org.
The lion of the tribe of Judah reigns sovereign and supreme from the throne of the Universe in Revelation chapter 5. His sovereignty has suffered and sacrificed through time and humanity. To the throne of heaven He brings Divine right and appointment fused with moral right and authority. He is the King who wore the crown of thorns ever before He bore the royal diadem. His reign in Righteousness is above fault and criticism, He was both given this right to reign, and He died for this right to reign. As the Lamb He concludes His retribution with redemption, His purpose in time for the universe collectively and for us individually will not be revealed in the raw power of destruction but rather every pain, each sorrow, every disappointment, all trials and affliction ultimately work together for good and Glory.
The 3rd message given at Faskally House Family Week in 2022, by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on the theme of
"Tell me there's a Heaven" - studies in the book of Revelation.
From the lands of the Mediterranean Sea there will arise a Beast, the AntiChrist, the Man of Sin. Echoing features of empires past he will move quickly like the armies and empire of Alexander the Great, as pictured in the Leopard. His geographical domain is likely to be that of the Medo-Persian Empire of centuries ago, standing bear like, with his feet gripping the lands of Turkey, Iran and Iraq. This is Satan's one world dictator, a man with universal political (Revelation 13:2) and spiritual authority (Revelation 13:8) over the worlds. It is interesting to speculate how such a universal dictatorship could arise. The world of Revelation chapter 13, whilst echoed by events in the past century is very unlike the political landscape we see today. This is a world decimated by judgment, wars, disease and famine. between the judgments of the fourth scroll and 6th trumpet, one half of the world's population has been destroyed. Food production has been decimated by poisoned seas and rivers, nuclear explosions have polluted and destroyed productive agriculture and lands. This is a post-apocalyptic landscape, the leadership of which has been grasped, probably out of necessity to restore law and order and distribute evenly what resources there are. Here is Satan's finest hour, achieving his goal from the garden of Eden. This is his takeover of God's creation. Satan's Kingdom has come! Whilst this may be Satan's greatest moment, it is undoubtedly earth's most awful moment. A message preached as part of our series of systematic bible studies in the book of Revelation. Dr J Stewart Gillespie graceinchrist.org
It was no coincidence that as Moses descended Mount Sinai with the two tables of law written by the finger of God, that Satan had made a pre-emptive strike and that waiting there for Moses was a pre-constructed golden calf!
It was no coincidence that placed next to the throne of Egypt were two Satanically inspired magicians; Jannes and Jambres, ready to sway the mind of Pharaoh as the voice of God echoed throughout the land in plague and pestilence.
It was no coincidence that Tobiah and Sanballat were on hand to discourage and to attempt to destroy the walls of Jerusalem as Nehemiah fulfilled his commission to rebuild for God!
Here too in Revelation chapter 12 we perceive exactly the same process at work. As the time approaches for Israel to bring forth Messiah; "when the fullness of the time was come..." in Revelation 12:2; God was ready. At that moment so too was Satan ready; ready with an attempt at annihilation, with the slaughter of the innocents, ready with persecution, temptation in the wilderness, rejection from the synagogue, isolation from society, false accusations, and ultimate execution at Calvary!
If we share the life of that same Saviour we too can anticipate to share the unwanted attention of Satan! Be ready! Be prepared, but not only for attack, but ultimately for victory through Christ!
Part of a series of messages preached from the book of Revelation by Dr J Stewart Gillespie at the Bridgend Gospel Hall, New Cumnock .
(this recording was prematurely stopped due to a technical error)
Whilst undoubtedly one of the more complex chapters in Revelation, chapter 9 also contains some very practical lessons for the Christian by providing insight into the character and conduct of the enemy. The chapter begins with a Satanic smoke screen, emanating from the fumes billowing out their choking acrid debris into the air of earth. As always Satan obscures his purpose and as has been the case for generations his promises invariable conclude in the pit. This is the pit of broken promises, the pit into which the angels who followed him fell and an echo of the same trap set for Adam, David, Solomon, Ahithophel and Judas.
The second half of chapter 9 continues to provide forensic insight into the character of malevolence. The numbers perpetrating evil decrease from the swarms of locusts down to the 4 angels but their impact is amplified. These are the angels referenced in Daniel chapter 9, Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28; angels moving behind the scenes, motivating and manipulating the decisions and agenda of kings and politicians. These are the 4 angels of the Euphrates basin, hitherto placed on hold as the spiritual power house behind the dominance of Iraq, Turkey and Syria, once chained they now rise again, heralding the political ascendency of Turkey, Iraq and Syria. These lands become the setting for the fulfilment for some of the most unlikely of biblical prophecies. An army of 200 million are seen in this vision of John amassing for war with a third of the worlds population destroyed. At the time John wrote the world's population amounted to less than this total number observed as involved in the battle! Today however military, paramilitary and reserve forces already amount to 65 million (International Institute of Strategic Studies), with over 1 billion people potentially able to be called upon in the event of war. Today finally the numbers add up and the picture painted by John is no longer outlandish nor off the scale. Here is a battle and a slaughter ordered and ordained from the horns of the golden altar, all in God's plan and purpose, ultimately for His Glory.
A study in our series of expository messages on the book of Revelation.
Chimeric demons, poisoned locusts, tortured humanity and the living dead of earth lurk behind the malevolent purposes of the morning star; Lucifer (Isaiah 14) whose fall from the heavens is recorded in Revelation chapter 9. Satan, ever true to his purposes fails to declare his hand. Like his smoke screen, Satanic purpose lacks transparency. He has and ever will fail to declare his malevolent intent. The light, obscured, the breath of life sustaining air repressive and suffocating with the infernal fumes of hell as the diabolical locusts arise from the abyss, the bottomless depths of a hell of disembodied demons. Eden saw Satan act by deception. He failed to promise Adam death, disaster, destruction and murder at his own door, he offered promotion to the deity of the Creator for the creature. Judas' deal with the Devil, did not have as part of it's terms and conditions, death by hanging and eternal perdition. Satan had promised a tidy profit of treasure for just a little treachery.
From the abyss the locusts arise, demonic in origin and destructive in nature. These beings appear as the antithesis of the living creatures; the cherubim of Ezekiel chapter 1. These servants of Satan are but perverted and corrupted forms of the pure and holy, the cherubic servants of God. Portrayed is a scene terrifying and catastrophic, but the same Lord who had stood witness to the fall of Satan from heaven in Luke 10:18 is the same Lord who promises power over the scorpion and protection from that same fallen angel. In this chapter it is significant that it is only those with the seal of God who are preserved from judgment and loss. The protecting and preserving grace of Christ extends to and beyond the very gates of hell itself for His people. Greater indeed is He that is in you than is in the world, even in the world of Revelation chapter 9.
A message preached at the Bridgend Gospel Hall, New Cumnock by Dr J Stewart Gillespie as part of our systematic teaching series in the book of Revelation, audio and video recordings at graceinchrist.org.
Tears begin to flow in Revelation chapter 5 at the possibility that this book in the hand of God could remain unopened. It is the losing of the seals of this momentous book which determines all else that subsequently happens in the unfolding purposes of God in this final prophetic conclusion to the Bible: the book of Revelation. This book, in the hand of God, is destined to be opened and read at the great white throne judgment, determining the destiny of God's redeemed people. It is the eternal list of those, sealed, saved and secure. This is the Lamb's book of life! That such a book should remain unread would be unthinkable.
There is to be found only one who is worthy to break the seals and thus open the book. Redemptive character and power are needed for this task. This alone is can be undertaken by the Lamb.
Revelation chapter 5 concludes with a great, unified, although diverse chorus of praise to the worthiness of the lamb, affirming that indeed He is worthy to take the book and unloose the seals. Each individual in heaven, in turn affirms who the Lamb is, what the Lamb is and what He has done.
To the elder He is the only one fitted by might and by moral right to take the throne of the universe. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and has proven His worth and character as a man born into and through the line of Judah. The Lamb upon the throne is uniquely qualified for this role. Unlike mere human and mortal kings the Lamb does not reign purely by inherited right nor even by convincing others of His personal ability nor might. His path of ascendency came through humanity, through the tribe of Judah. His life is an open book in the Gospels and in the scriptures. We see His character, "He did sin... He knew no sin... in Him is no sin." In every way He was tested like we are yet found to be without sin. He is worthy of the throne. He is worthy to reign.
To John He is marked with the attributes of God; all powerful with His 7 horns, all knowing and seeing with His 7 eyes and omnipresent with the 7 Spirits of God sent forth upon all the earth.
To the living creatures and 24 elders His motives and character are above and beyond reproach for He not only has a people, not only has He redeemed a people but the Lamb has redeemed them with His one blood. His people are precious to Him, infinitely and personally precious.
Finally we ask the angels for their perspective on the Lamb? Is He worthy? Ask the angels! He above all inhabitors of a throne is able by the purity of His character to handle absolute power, riches, wisdom, honour and glory without pride and without tyranny.
The one who sits today on the throne of the universe is absolutely trustworthy and dependable.
Part of our series of systematic Bible Teaching in the book of Revelation, brought by Dr J Stewart Gillespie.
Graceinchrist.org where bible teaching never sleeps.
It is John who assures us in Revelation chapter 21 vs 4 that there will be no tears in heaven and yet it is his very description of heaven that opens with the intensity of his own tears (Revelation 4:4). This is indeed a strange and sorrowful introduction to the tearless place. We may be unsurprised that the description of disaster, famine, plaque and pestilence of the subsequent chapters are preceded by tears. What is about to unfold in the 7 seals, the 7 trumpets, and the 7 vials amounts to global catastrophe and world wide destruction. The 4 riders of the apocalypse are followed by the veiling of the sun and the blood moon. The 7 trumpets announce the destruction of 1/3 of the land, 1/3 of the sea. 1/3 of the rivers as well as the solar, lunar and stellar disasters. The bottomless pit is opened and the demonic plaque of locusts are released upon the earth followed by 200 million horseman reeking destruction on the earth. Boils and sores are followed by seas and rivers of blood as the satanically inspired Kingdom of the beast comes crashing down along with the global economic and religious systems. Yet it is not because of any of this John weeps! Even more astounding than the weeping of John in heaven is his reason for weeping. John weeps that these seal may not be loosed and the book may not be opened!
Whatever this book contains the glory of the book is infinitely greater than the grief which it causes! This is a book which demands the redemptive rights of the lamb to open. This is not title deeds of the universe which in reality do not exist. The earth is and always has been the Lord's and the fullness thereof. He did not purchase, neither did He lose the earth. The earth is His by rights. The Creator needs no work of redemption to judge a fallen world; that is His Divine prerogative! Neither does this book contain the story of future events, not the book of revelation in part nor in whole. The story of Revelation chapter 6 to 19 are the product of the seals and not the scroll.
The identity of this book, is perhaps heaven's best kept secret and can only be that of the Lamb's Book of Life of Revelation chapters 20 and 21. It is only this book which requires redemptive rights to handle. It is only the Book of Life who's eternal Glory eclipses the grief of the loosed seals. It would be an unopened book of life which truly would be worth the tears of John for if the Lamb's book were never to be opened the fate of all would be that of eternal loss and damnation. This is indeed why John wept, he wept for you! The opening of this book determines the eternal destiny of all those whose names are contained within it's pages. Once this book is opened John will in chapters 20 and 21 present to us the presence and reality of the opened book of life of the Lamb. Let us value greatly the cost and consequence of our salvation.
Listen below or watch online to the full bible teaching message preached on Revelation chapter 5.
Laodicea - the 7th and final of the 7 churches of Revelation:
Laodicea - popular? progressive? prosperous? or poor?
Described as divergently as those who assessed it.
Laodicea themselves assessed their own progress from a place of complacency and lukewarmness. That was a tragic mistake. They considered themselves rich and successful as judged by the criteria of what they had made out of life! The standard against which the Lord would measure them was altogether different. The question was not what had they managed to make out of their life but rather what had life made out of them? All of their life was significant, not just the bottom line on the spread sheet.; "rich increased with goods and need of nothing" meant nothing to their Lord and judge who found them lukewarm. The church of Laodicea reflected something of the character of the city of Laodicea. Like the water supply of Laodicea so too the spiritual temperature of the church; lukewarm. The neighbouring city of Colossae was known for its cold water supply and the adjacent city of Hierapolis for it's hot springs. By way of contrast the water supply at Laodicea was neither. A city high above the Lycus valley it lacked sufficient water for the expanding population of the city. Where did the water come from at Laodicea? The mystery was resolved by excavations in the area of Laodicea in 2006 by a Turkish archaeologist Celal Simsek; who published a paper entitled “water springs of Laodicea and its distribution systems.” Pipes were discovered at Laodicea running for many kilometres to the separate water source of the Baspinar Spring. These pipes had heavy calcium deposits, carried water from some distance and so provided a slow running and thus likely a lukewarm water supply to Laodicea.
Just like the lukewarm water supply of Laodicea the church likewise was lukewarm. What is somewhat surprising is the desire of the Lord Jesus; "I would that you were cold or hot." It is perhaps easy to understand that the Lord water desire an increase in their spiritual temperature from lukewarm to hot but why cold? A place of complacency and ambivalence is the most difficult place to bring about change, after all why do I need to change? I'm ok am I not? I mean I am better than the next person, I'm not so bad as ....
It is so often the case that in shaping His people God moves them from a place of lukewarmness, to first of all a cold place where their need is perceptible before moving them to a place of warmth. This was the pattern for Saul of Tarsus the self righteous Pharisee, he had to first be broken on the Damascus road before being brought to salvation on his knees. This was the case for Moses, brought from the palace to the pasture, in the back side of the desert for 40 years before then becoming the leader of the nation of Israel. This also was true of Samson, brought finally to a place of weakness, humiliated and mutilated, led by a young lad until finally and uniquely in his life he prayed, "strengthen me only this once." That final and painful prayer marked the closing transition of revival in a life of at best lukewarmness.
Christ looked for "gold tried in the fire." All of their life under the hand of God, God had moulded and shaped them, bringing out gold tried in the fire, Christ like character! That type of character forged in the furnace of adversity, to which Job refers in Job23:10 "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10.
Claiming the Divine title of the "Amen" of Isaiah 65:16 (Rev 3:14), the Lord reminds them that He has the final word after the end. The Amen speaks. After the conclusion of their lives and service, after the study days are past and after the exam has been sat, it is Christ, who as the Amen brings the final verdict. He is the conclusion after the end. His is the terminal assessment of all people. He is the end beyond the conclusion and His assessment proves a lot less flattering than their own!
Philadelphia the church that breaks the mould. Arising from the unpromising soils of corruption and compromise Philadelphia has found the secret of success. The character of Christ is seen in His church; holiness and truth. They value His presence and His Word. Prepared with such a grasp of Divine truth and character they are ready to enter through the open door of opportunity, a door leading to a far greater destiny than service itself. They are destined as pillars in the place of holiness!
From a series of Bible teaching messages on the seven churches of Revelation
The 7 churches of Revelation : Smyrna : Revelation chapter 2
Much could be said of Smyrna
Smyrna from the Greek word Myrrh from the Hebrew word ‘mor’ for bitterness.
What was a fragrant perfume:
Psalm 45:8 Prov 7:17 Song of Solomon 1:13; 5:5
was also a bitter resin.
Myrrh was a bitter tasting perfume, both bitter and fragrant, herein is the paradox of Smyrna!
A church that suffers!
Tribulation (v9)
Poverty (v9)
Suffer (v10)
Trial (v10)
Tribulation (v10)
Death (v10)
One aspect of Smyrna perhaps not so often considered is the importance or value of understanding, insight, ‘philosophy,’ the importance of a right outlook on life, the right perspective on life.
The power of the mind
‘Man’s search for meaning’ – Viktor Frankyl
Survival not only dependant on physical strength or endurance but also dependant on the mindset of the person; eg Christmas 1944 – many died.
“everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of the human freedoms – to choose ones attitude in any given set of circumstances, to chose one’s own way.”
“Ever more people today have the means to live but no meaning to live for”
“Those who have a why to live can bear with almost any how” (Nietzsche)
“But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer”
“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances but only by lack of meaning and purpose”
“If there is meaning in life at all then there must be meaning in suffering”
“we who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
The ministry to Smyrna, highlights the importance of ministry.
The importance of right thinking and of Bible teaching.
The importance of looking behind the immediate set of circumstances and experiences.
“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances but only by lack of meaning and purpose”
“If there is meaning in life at all then there must be meaning in suffering” (V Frankyl)
One of the great issues to which Smyrna introduces us is that subject of suffering; the problem of pain.
Herein lies one of the great arguments against God, a problem that discourages men from faith in God and discourages the faith of those who trust in God.
An argument formulated by Greek philosopher Epicurus:
“Is God willing to prevent evil but not able – He is not omnipotent.
If He is able but not willing then He is malevolent
If He is both able and willing then whence cometh evil?
If He is neither able nor willing then why call Him God?”
although perhaps most succinctly put by CS Lewis:
If God is good He ought to desire His people to be happy.
If God is all powerful He ought to be able to make His people happy
If His people are not happy then:
God is not good
God is not all powerful
God is not
On the surface a fairly straightforward and robust argument but one which suffers from at least 5 failings:
It is a moral argument – if there is no God as the argument suggests you are going to have a difficult time in shoring up your idea of morality! You are going to flounder to prove that unhappiness is bad, bad for you but maybe good for me. Cutting lives short for example may well reduce the sum total suffering of that life and the effect of that life on others.
It is a logical argument – what makes you think that a random universe can throw together a brain of atoms, undesigned and unchecked against any standard that results in being able to draw any reasonable conclusion about anything?
The solution lies in the argument that happiness is dependent on goodness – herein is the simplest point! The argument presumes that a good God desires happiness, ie happiness is dependant on goodness; thus absolute happiness is dependent on absolute goodness; a condition we do not have. We cannot have a square circle! A square circle remains absurd even if we prefix it with the term ‘God’ or not. A fallen world is the consequence of free choice, to have no fall is to have no choice, to have no choice is to have no humanity. You cannot have it both ways.
It limits the sovereignty of God restricting God to act in a way and using means which only ever act to result in happiness, immediate pleasure. What makes you assume that God is so small that He cannot work all things according to His own will, even the rebellion of men?
It assumes that no ultimate good can come from sorrow, sadness and suffering. Suffering and sacrifice can ultimately bring good.
It is these later 2 points that we see at Smyrna.
That God is able to use the trials and the tears, the suffering and pain, sorrow and the sadness for our good and His Glory and that from the deep and difficult experiences of life there does and can emerge meaning and purpose and Glory.
The view of God that others have of Him is at times way too small; your trials and afflictions are ordered, defined and determined cf Daniel 9:24-27
They are all bookended within the purposes and plans of He who is the first and the last.
The idea that suggests that if evil happens then God is not in control is wrong on so many levels; one of which is that God is so omnipotent, so in control that He is able to work the purposes of men into the fabric of sovereign purposes to bring about the fulfilment of His will!
They have the ministry of a Person
Their Suffering is Defined
‘first and last’ – setting the boundaries
There is nothing so difficult to cope with than a trial which seems to:
Have no real meaning / origin, no definite course / beginning, no purpose, pointless. No prospect of an end in view
Christ sets the limits
There is purpose
There is a prospect
Time and experience are defined by the boundary conditions I set for it!
A Person, pre-eminent and in control
Purpose and Presidency
A ministry of empathy
He understands
He ‘was dead and is alive’
He has been there!
Suffering destroyed by victory! Destiny - In this there is the promise of victory!
Death is not the end
Suffering is not final
“was dead and is alive”
Suffering Discerned : “I Know”
Define, redefine, reframe what you mean by ‘rich’ by success, don’t just judge your life by the material.
Discouragement – don’t get discouraged by the opinion of others, take a step back and consider God’s opinion of them; what does God think about those who think about you (v9)? This trial is defined and limited to 10 days – 10 years of intense persecution? 10 persecuting emperors? 10 specific days for Smyrna? Results – from affliction comes fruitfulness (v10); from faithfulness, a crown of life, Do not fear the suffering (v10) – the fear can be greater than the reality! The story is not over until it is over (v11); “should not be hurt of the 2nd death”
There is the prospect and promise of victory.
Here is the antedote to despair – a correct perspective
‘good things happen to good people’
What’s the point – I’ve done everything correct and now look at the mess that I’m in!
The perspective that difficult circumstances are evidence of Divine displeasure brings despair and defeat.
That perspective is of course not necessarily correct as is evidenced in the life of Christ.
Let’s look a little deeper, take a glimpse behind the veil, looking behind the appearance to reality.
This is the path the Saviour trod (v8) There is material poverty (v9) but spiritual wealth (v9). Behind the appearance of the material lies the eternal and the spiritual! It is a great error to conflate the two! Might is not right (v9) just because they are powerful does not mean that they are right. Satan is behind the attack (v10)
Purpose Perspective
From a bible teaching series on the book of Revelation presented at Faskally House Pitlochry, Families week.
Within this 1st of the letters to the 7 churches of Asia we have what is arguably the most significant statement made throughout the entire 7 letters.
‘In life the most important thing is that the most important thing remains the most important thing.’
At Ephesus it would appear that the most important thing, or better the most important person, becomes number 2, 3 or 4 in a list of revised priorities!
If I managed to convince you last week that these 7 churches could be viewed in 5 ways; 4 you will find elsewhere, and the 5th known only to you and me:
Historically
Practically – ‘what kind of church am I in?’
Personally – ‘what am I in this church?’ – in each there is the ‘overcomer’ and the exception (2:24; 3:4)
Prophetically:
The significance of ‘7’ These stars and lampstands are ‘mysteries’ (1:20) This whole book is a book of prophecy
Perfectly / Positionally / Eternally in Christ
What is a lampstand on earth is also a star in heaven. The temporal has a link with the eternal. The earthy is a reflection of the heavenly; as was the tabernacle and temple of old. What is done of Christ on earth, before men and in time has an abiding worth and dignity in heaven, before God and eternally. That reward never passes away! All of the ministry to these 7 churches has as its goal the conformity of each church to the eternal and heavenly standard for it – its star in heaven! Every step of obedience to this ministry and conformity to it brings us closer to God’s glorious vision of His church in Christ. The star is what the church is in Christ – its perfect heavenly representative and the lampstand what that church is on earth.
Cf Elizabeth Elliott who speaks of love as being God’s gift to allow us to see another person the way God originally intended them to be.
If we appreciate that prophetic aspect to the 7 churches then we will see that in Ephesus that we have the PRIMITIVE church – the very first of the 7 churches, the church of the apostolic era and first century church.
It will be appreciated that problems and errors affecting the foundation of a structure could potentially have lasting and catastrophic effects on the whole of the structure subsequently; like a bad foundation to a house or like the sin sown into humanity in Eden! So it is here. The fundamental problem identified in Ephesus resonates through the subsequent churches; an empty hunger seeking fulfilment throughout the 7 in different avenues.
The church at Ephesus is unique in this list of 7 – it is the only one that we have any other NT letter addressed to: Ephesians, 1 & 2 Timothy. It is only Laodicea out of the others which is mentioned elsewhere in Colossians 4:16.
That turns out to be particularly helpful in our understanding of what is actually going on here at Ephesus!
Verse 2 – the deficit at Ephesus has often been noticed:
“I know thy works, and thy labour and thy patience…”
Cf
“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;” (1 Thessalonians 1:3)
What has happened to:
Faith Love Hope
That is of course a very pertinent observation, however for me the more pressing question for me is not only:
What happened to … How could anything happen without…
It is absolutely astounding, that you could remove:
Faith Love Hope
Strip away the essence of Christian experience and yet everything seems to run on regardless!!
That is a phenomenal observation!
This is a church in a coma!
Why? How?
Habit Ritual Routine Sense of duty / expectation
Many people find great reassurance in going through the same rituals and routines week after week month after month, never really critically examining what and why they are doing what they are doing, if anything is coming out of it.
This church seems to have become focused upon / satisfied with:
principles, precepts, dogma and teaching; “and hast found them liars” (v2) practices patterns of behaviour
But not the PERSON of Christ!
What would such a church look like?
Boring Orthodoxy? – routine and ritual with no reality of the presence of Christ and the power of the Word of God?? Respectably backslidden?
As opposed perhaps to Pergamos and Thyatira:
Exciting Heresy
Or Laodiceas
Entertaining Vacuum
Ephesus seems to be dogged with the problem of:
‘Fatal Distraction’
Ephesus has become focused on:
Activity for Christ (v2) – Toil Standards of Christ (v2) – Testing Truth about Christ (v3) – Truth Persevering because of Christ (v3) – Testimony
Ephesus strikes me as being like a bad marriage; in which one or both partners are so busy doing and working and earning that they are never present for one another!
Ephesus is the NT church so dogged by distraction:
Lack of fervour in prayer – 2:1ff and evangelism 2:1ff; 2:8
It is Ephesus which ultimately becomes canvas upon which is painted the fatal distraction and false desires of the other loves of the last days:
Lovers of Self (2 Tim 3:2)
Lovers of Money (2 Tim 3:2)
Lovers of Pleasure (2 Tim 3:4)
Intriguingly the Ephesians appear to have tackled many of these problems highlighted by Paul to Timothy:
Deficit in activity – Rev 2:2
False Teachers – Rev 2:2
False Teaching and the Truth – Rev 2:2
Immorality and evil – Rev 2:2
They appear to have addressed:
Moral Problems Doctrinal Problems False Teachers Inactivity
But they haven’t really managed to tackle the underlying problem!
“thou hast left thy first love” (v4)
In many ways our understanding of this statement is critical not only for our understanding of Ephesus but also for our understanding of the other 6 churches, since this error lies at the foundation of all subsequent churches and their problems!
So what was this problem?
It is a problem which reflects the central concern of Paul for the Ephesians in 1 Timothy 3:16:
1 Timothy chp 1 – Law and Sin
1 Timothy chp 2 – Sacrifice and Saviour
1 Timothy 3:16 – The Sanctuary ark and the mercy seat
1 Timothy chp 4 – The lamp, the loaf and the altar of incense
1 Timothy chp 5 – The sacred
1 Timothy chp 6 – The secular
The deficit lies in what ought to be at the centre of our Christian life – Christ!
What does it mean to have ‘left your first love’?
Often times this is interpreted to mean that the church at Ephesus has left the ‘intensity of the love it had at first’.
That this was a problem of INTENSITY of PASSION
The problem with that is that if it primarily means the INTENSITY of PASSION it really has little meaning at all.
The problem with setting a fail or a standard based on ‘not enough’ you need a ‘bit more’ is that this will always be true! There is always more that we could love.
How much is enough?
How can I have enough?
How can I know I have enough?
An unrealistic expectation founded on an unjustified assumption leading to an unachievable standard!
I would suggest that the primary issue here is more concrete, down to earth and practical.
This is not so much leaving the intensity of love but rather leaving the object of love.
Not primarily a matter of PASSION but rather a matter of the PERSON.
Not WHAT but WHO
That seems hinted at by the use of the word “left” : ἀφίημι - used approximately 167 times in NT and almost always used of leaving a person or of leaving an object eg nets, a cloak, debts.
The solution to the problem then is not:
How do I work up a greater passion – which will never succeed – there will always be a greater passion
But rather
How do I get closer to the person?
In 1 & 2 Timothy they had got caught up with all of the distractions, here in Revelation they had got caught up with dealing with the distractions and all the activity of being a Christian!
What now seems to hinder is not the problem but rather the solution to the problem!
Starting with the problems won’t necessarily bring you into communion with Christ.
Starting with communion with Christ will tackle the problems however.
Ephesus is unique amongst the 7 churches of Asia in that we have other NT letters written to this church: Ephesians, 1 + 2 Timothy
We know relatively so much about it
Only Laodicea is mentioned in Colossians 4:16
That is useful for there are some fundamental issues here:
Ephesus is the first of 7 churches Error at the foundation may well make its way through the whole of subsequent church history, if you do as I do take a church perspective on the pattern of the 7 churches.
As you travel through Europe and see the impact of Christianity on city skyline can’t help but be impressed by the impact that Christianity has had. Yet as you take a closer look you are equally struck by the amount of other things and the tangents that people have gone off on.
Probably out of the 7 churches of Revelation I have heard more ministry from Ephesus than any of the others, with Laodicea a close 2nd. It would be and has been very easy to take this verse and to do violence to the verse and use it to berate the believer.
That is not only an unproductive approach but is also an erroneous one.
Over the years I have heard this text used to chasten the Christian that they have left their original intensity of affection to Christ, that their current levels of devotion and love for Christ are insufficient and that that intensity, devotion and passion must be augmented to previous levels.
This is very misleading.
This is almost a salvation by works.
This is not the quantity nor even the quality of a believers devotion to Christ this is the presence or absence of it as a fact!
Its not the kind of love but the reality of that relationship that is absent!
Instead of a relationship with Christ being number 1, that relationship became number 2.
Like Adam in the garden (2:7) the tree of knowledge of good and evil, deceived by Satan, crept in and became the priority; displacing the tree of life (2:9) from it’s Divinely appointed centre place.
The beginning of the Church seems to re-echoe the fundamental problem at the beginning of creation!
History may not repeat itself but it certainly rhymes!
1 + 2 Timothy are so important; these letters give us the background as to what had been making inroads at Ephesus:
Hedonism (1:19ff; 3:1ff; 4:12)
Antinominism (1:19ff)
Jewish mysticism and the mystery religions (1:4ff; 4:7)
Legalism (1:7ff) and asceticism (4:3ff)
Materialism (6:10)
Demonic deception (4:1ff)
This is why at the centre of 1 Timothy in 3:16 we have THE GREAT MYSTERY, far surpassing anything you could be offered in any of the mystery religions!
They have let their first love (2:4).
How did that happen?
Failed to grasp the obvious
The all sufficiency of Christ
As the foundation and cornerstone of the building, the head of the body and the bridegroom of the church.
Christianity is all about Christ
Neglected the essentials
The centrality of Christ
Distracted by their own attainments and spirituality
False teachers
False teaching
The world
Distracted by the utterly irrelevant
and then inevitably:
'thou hast left thy first love' (2:4)
What is the content to this our first love?
His Person His Presence His Peace His Personal ministry His Prayerful communion
This is a relationship with a person
First the person, not the religion, not the activity but the person
That relationship with Christ is pre-eminent
His Person
in the scriptures in prophecy in picture in patterns in the gospel
His Presence
'Jesus Himself drew near' 'Lo I am with you' 'There am I in the midst of them' 'I shall not leave you comfortless, I will come to you' 'The joy of the Lord is thy strength'
His Peace
That surpasses understanding The peace of the upper room 'my peace give I unto you'
Prayer
Communion with Him is two way
Personal Communion
'God is in you of a truth' 'let him speak as the oracles of God'
'Thou hast left thy first love'
Here is the first church
Here is the first condemnation
The first condemnation of the first church
This becomes the primary, the root condemnation for each of the failing churches, leading to all of the condemnations thereafter.
Leaving our first love is a prelude to disaster
It is easy to see how that could happen when the heart of Christian experience has been removed.
It is like the distinction between Mary and Martha:
Luke 10:40-43 “But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
From an expository series of bible teaching messages preached at Faskally House, Pitlochry as part of the Families Week 2021.
