Participants: Ranko Stefanovic
Series Code: RCK
Program Code: RCK000005
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00:19 Welcome again to our program,
00:22 "Revelation of The Coming King." 00:26 Let me introduce myself once again. 00:28 I'm Ranko Stefanovic, professor 00:31 in Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, 00:35 Andrews University. 00:37 And I'm so excited to be here and share with you 00:41 my insights from this book that is titled 00:45 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." 00:48 This book has a special meaning to me. 00:52 And the vision, the first vision of Jesus Christ 00:57 that we tried to understand the last time, 01:02 actually, it's really something that made impact on me 01:05 and changed my Christian life 01:07 and put it into completely different direction. Last time-- 01:11 Let me remind you that last time 01:16 we saw how John met Jesus Christ there in Patmos. 01:21 John was in his own suffering, 01:24 but addition to this physical suffering 01:27 there was a mental anguish because of the churches 01:30 that he was in charge and those churches 01:32 they came into serious trouble. 01:35 But about those churches more now at this moment 01:38 and we saw how Jesus actually 01:41 came to introduce Himself to John, 01:45 but what He did for John, 01:47 He did also for the churches. 01:49 He came to John as that glorified Christ 01:53 and then taking a part of Himself, 01:56 some of His characteristics, 01:58 He introduces Himself to those seven churches 02:01 one by one in a unique way. 02:04 But then, after giving them the rebuke 02:10 and giving them a counsel 02:12 what to do in order to get out of the situation, 02:17 Jesus gives them a call, 02:18 carefully listen to the Spirit that speaks to them 02:22 and then points to those promises 02:24 that he wants to give to those churches. 02:26 And we noticed last time-- we noticed last time 02:30 that as the situation of those churches 02:32 was going down and down, down, 02:35 the sin was increasing. 02:36 What happened with the grace? 02:38 Actually, we have the increase of those promises 02:41 that Jesus was giving to those churches. 02:45 Friends, this is the kind of God that I believe in. 02:49 Unfortunately, there are many Christians in this world, 02:53 the first thing that something happens to them, 02:55 something bad, "What did I sin to God?" 02:58 God is just waiting for us to punish us. 03:01 The Book of Revelation is telling us 03:02 that we have a God. 03:04 When you have two kids, one kid has a problem 03:06 and the other one is good, 03:08 you make smuch more effort 03:09 toward that erring children--child. 03:11 You want to help him. 03:13 And that's why with increase of problems in those churches, 03:16 we have increase of Jesus' promises 03:19 and His effort to save those people. 03:21 So when sin increases, grace increases even more. 03:28 That's the kind of Savior that we have. 03:31 Now we would like to go and to see 03:34 about how Jesus spoke and addressed 03:37 the situations in those churches. 03:40 I just want to tell you something. 03:42 We need much more time for that. 03:45 We tried to squeeze it in 1 hour segment, 03:49 but I'd like to invite all of you 03:51 who are in my audience and also our viewers, 03:55 praise God that once this program is over, 04:00 you can take this tool-- 04:02 please, I just want to remind you. 04:04 This is the tool. This is what we study. 04:08 This is just a tool. 04:10 It's a product of carefully research of myself 04:13 and number of other people and also tell us 04:16 what we as the church today believe 04:20 with regard to the Book of Revelation. 04:21 I would really like to encourage you 04:23 to provide a copy for yourself. 04:25 So once this program is over, 04:28 you can turn out to the pages, actually the same pages 04:32 that we referred to last time, page 79. 04:37 It's just introduction 04:39 and then we will go to page 113 and so on, 04:43 because next two presentations 04:45 will be based on this part of these commentary 04:52 which is titled "Revelation of Jesus Christ." 04:56 Okay. 04:58 So I hope that you're ready. 05:02 I'd like now to invite you 05:04 to turn to Revelation Chapter 2. 05:08 Finally we are coming out of chapter 1. 05:16 But let us go back to chapter 1, just quickly. 05:19 You remember in verse 19, Jesus said to John, 05:25 "Therefore write the things which you have seen 05:28 and the things which are and the things 05:31 which will take place after these things." 05:33 Now John was commanded something to write. 05:36 The first thing he was commanded 05:38 to write is about the messages 05:41 that Jesus wanted to send to those churches. 05:45 So now before we are going to listen to these messages, 05:48 I'd like to invite you to bow your heads down 05:52 so that we can ask God for His guidance 05:56 and the presence of the Holy Spirit 05:57 as we are going to understand these messages. 06:00 Our Heavenly Father, please be with us and give us 06:04 Your Holy Spirit so these messages 06:08 that were sent to those churches at that time 06:10 we understand that those messages also concerns us today 06:14 because you sent them 06:16 and you wrote them also for us today. 06:18 Please give us Your Holy Spirit and speak to us. 06:21 We would like to understand Your will for us 06:23 and we pray all of this 06:25 in the precious name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. 06:30 Okay. 06:32 We have those messages that Jesus sent to the churches. 06:37 They are found in chapters 2 and 3. 06:40 We're focusing on chapter 2 in the first three messages. 06:43 But before we go to that, 06:45 we have to ask ourselves a question. 06:48 By the way more than one question. 06:51 Yes, Jesus came there to Patmos, okay, to help John, 06:56 to encourage him in his situation, 06:59 but also to provide John with those messages 07:02 to send to those churches. 07:04 So then what's the big deal? 07:07 If those messages were written just to those Christians, 07:11 why should we read them? Did they concern us? 07:16 And please, help me to explain few things 07:22 what comes clearly out of the Book of Revelation. 07:27 Please, we have to keep in mind. 07:30 Yes, those messages were written 07:33 originally to those Christians. 07:38 So when we try to understand and to deal with those messages, 07:41 there are three levels of applications. 07:45 How many? Three. 07:47 So which is the first level? We already said it. 07:52 We call it the historical application. 07:55 What do you mean that? 07:57 We have to understand and keep in mind 08:00 to whom those messages where originally written. 08:05 Are you with me? 08:07 So it's of primary importance to keep in mind 08:12 that those seven letters were originally 08:16 sent to those respective churches in Asia Minor. 08:20 Those churches were real churches, 08:25 okay, in the real places and they change-- 08:31 they faces--faced the real challenges. 08:36 The cities in which those churches were located, 08:40 they were usually prosperous cities. 08:43 The Christians in those cities they lived in pagan environment. 08:50 And they faced their serious challenges. 08:52 You see, under the Roman government, 08:56 there was peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire, 09:00 at least for Roman citizens. 09:03 You know, and people are very grateful for that. 09:06 You know, when the kingdom, 09:08 when the empire flourishes, 09:10 when people have something to eat, 09:14 when people can enjoy life, have plenty of entertainment 09:18 then people are grateful to the government. 09:21 And we have many cities in the Roman Empire. 09:24 Actually they competed among themselves. 09:27 Who would build a better monument to the empire? 09:31 But who was in the charge of the empire? The Emperor. 09:35 Actually we have-- at that time the emperor 09:37 somehow became defied. 09:39 He started much, much, much earlier. 09:43 So the cities would always 09:44 request the Roman government to build the temple 09:50 and put the statue there of the emperor 09:53 and in the Jew time during the year 09:56 they would come there to somehow offer their worship 10:00 which was an expression of their loyalty to the government. 10:04 They would worship there, offered an incense there 10:07 before the statue of the emperor. 10:10 Actually, later times already 10:12 by the time of the Book of Revelation, 10:14 the emperor worship was compulsory 10:17 as the civic duty of all the citizens. 10:21 When you go there, a certificate was issued to you 10:27 and you can be a free citizen, 10:29 have your business, develop your business. 10:32 Do the trade and live a normal life. 10:36 If you don't do it, it means you're not a loyal citizen. 10:42 Whatever you try to do, 10:44 you're the outcast of the society. 10:46 So can you imagine about the situation of the Christians 10:50 there in those churches? 10:52 What would you do? 10:53 Of course, when you do not have too much, 10:56 there's not too much problems for you. 10:58 But if you're a rich person and you have a business-- 11:01 we will talk about that. 11:02 You want your business to prosper 11:04 and it becomes a serious problem for you. 11:07 And debate was among those Christians 11:09 how to relate to that? 11:10 Actually it was a civic duty of every Roman citizen 11:15 to go also to pagan temples there 11:17 because every city had their God protector. 11:24 So if you want to keep good relationships with those Gods, 11:28 you have to go to offer sacrifices, 11:30 to participate in pagan ceremonies. 11:33 Usually there was eating the food sacrificed to idols, 11:37 drinking and sometimes sexual entertainment there. 11:43 Friends, we're not talking about faithfulness to God. 11:45 We're taking about your civic duty as a citizen. 11:49 So as Christians how would you relate to that? 11:55 We only see some Christians advocated compromise. 11:59 Okay. 12:00 So first we want to find out 12:02 how those messages spoke to the people 12:06 of that time addressing their own situations. 12:11 Let's go to the next level. 12:13 But keep in mind, even though 12:16 those messages were written to them, 12:21 they were not written just for them. 12:24 Keep in mind we already established 12:26 that at the beginning we saw in verse 3 12:29 that the Book of Revelation is a prophetic book. 12:34 You see, like every book of the Bible, 12:36 like for instance, Book of Isaiah, 12:38 originally was written to the people of Israel 12:41 of Isaiah's time or the Book of Ezekiel, 12:44 the Book of Jeremiah, etcetera. 12:47 When Paul wrote Romans 12:48 he wrote to the church in Rome of his own time. 12:51 But you see, the messages of the Bible 12:53 even though were written to certain people 12:55 in their own time at the time of the biblical writer, 13:00 the messages were not only for them, but also for us. 13:06 So the second level would be universal applications. 13:12 Let me mention few things about this. 13:21 Usually, I see when Christians 13:23 are talking about these messages, 13:24 they talk about seven letters. 13:28 Can we turn to the Bible? 13:30 I just want to show you how much it's important 13:32 to see what the Bible says because we usually 13:34 memorize what people say. 13:36 Can you go to Revelation 1:11? 13:41 Jesus said to John-- are you there? 13:46 "Write in the book," which is actually scroll. 13:50 There are no books. 13:51 "Write in the book what you see and send it," 13:55 singular, "to the seven churches, 13:58 to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, 14:00 Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea." 14:03 What do you see there? There was just one letter. 14:07 What does it mean? 14:09 That these seven messages were put in one scroll 14:14 together with the rest of the Book of Revelation 14:17 and were sent to the church in Ephesus. 14:20 And the church in Ephesus had to read all those messages. 14:26 Then we come to the church in Smyrna, 14:28 then to the church in Pergamum, then to the church in Sardis, 14:32 then to the church in Philadelphia, 14:34 then church of Laodicea. 14:36 I skipped the church of Thyatira, okay. 14:39 Each of those seven churches 14:42 they had to read to read all the seven messages. 14:45 Why? 14:47 Because not everybody in Ephesus was losing the first love. 14:54 Some of those Christians were like Smyrnaeans, persecuted. 15:00 Some were like Laodiceans, very proud. 15:02 They had everything. 15:04 That's why each message concludes how? 15:06 With a call, "Whoever has ear, 15:09 let him hear what the Spirit says 15:12 to the churches," not to the church. 15:17 You see, friends, today we believe 15:19 that we are at the time of Laodicea 15:21 and you come to one church. 15:23 Not everybody in the church is Laodicean. 15:26 I know when I was a pastor. 15:28 I know most of us were Laodicean, 15:30 but there is that lady beaten by her husband. 15:33 I'm talking about particular part of the world 15:35 where I worked there-- beaten by her husband, 15:38 sacrificing, taking out of her meal 15:41 to bring just few penny there to the church. 15:45 I never saw that person as Laodiceans. 15:48 She was a Smyrnaean. 15:49 We have Christians in different parts of the world. 15:51 Just in the recent history persecuted, 15:54 secretly copied the Bible, secretly worshipping 15:57 and spending actually several years in the prison. 16:00 Are you still with me? 16:01 That's why we need those messages 16:03 because all those messages 16:05 they appeal different needs of Christians. 16:07 Yes, one particular time characterizes 16:12 the faith of the most of the believers, 16:15 but not everybody shares with that experience. 16:18 That's why we need the general application. 16:21 By the way, Ellen White, this was her favorite method 16:26 then she interpreted the messages for seven churches. 16:29 And then there is the third level of application. 16:33 As we mentioned, let me remind you one more time. 16:35 The Book of Revelation is a prophesy 16:38 telling us what will happen also in the future. 16:42 Yeah, it address the present situation, 16:45 but talking about what will happen in the future. 16:48 And by the way the Christians, during last, 16:53 I don't know how many, 200 years, 16:56 they noticed something very significant. 16:59 How the situations in those seven churches 17:05 actually amazingly correspond to the situation 17:10 of the Christian church throughout the history. 17:17 They noticed as we mentioned 17:19 how the church in Ephesus for instance, 17:21 patulous the situation of the Christian church 17:24 in general in the 1st century 17:27 or the Church of Smyrna that was persecuted. 17:30 Amazingly, amazingly that message corresponds 17:35 to the experience of the Christian church 17:37 during the 2nd and the 3rd centuries 17:39 or persecution of the Christians under Rome, etcetera. 17:42 We will talk about that when we address a particular church. 17:46 By the way, I'd like to remind you about something. 17:50 If you go to the "Signs of the Times," 17:52 January 28th, the year 1903, 17:56 Ellen White writes in following way. 17:59 "The revelation was written to the seven churches in Asia." 18:03 Can I stop here for a while? What does she say? 18:05 To whom was Revelation originally written? 18:09 It was written to the seven churches in Asia. 18:12 Are you still with me? 18:14 "Which represented the people of God throughout the world." 18:17 Do you see that? 18:19 "John to the seven churches which are in Asia, 18:23 Grace be unto you and peace from Him which is, which was 18:29 and which is to come, and from the seven spirits 18:32 which are before His throne and from Jesus Christ, 18:36 who is faithful witness 18:38 and the first begotten of the dead, 18:40 and the prince of the kings of the earth." 18:45 She also wrote in the same journal 18:48 in the year 1888 on page 779. 18:53 She said, "The words uttered." 18:56 The messages of the seven churches. 18:58 "Were not alone for John on the Isle of Patmos. 19:02 They were not for the churches alone." 19:05 You see, she recognized that originally 19:07 it was written to the churches, 19:09 but not only for them. 19:11 "But through these churches 19:13 was to come the inspired message for the people, 19:17 to have its powerful impression in every age 19:21 to the close of this earth's history." 19:26 So in order to get 19:29 the full significance of the seven messages, 19:33 first we have to start with John's own time 19:37 in order to understand what the problems were, 19:40 what the situation was there, okay, in Asia Minor. 19:45 What were the challenges that the churches were facing? 19:49 And then try to understand, what is the significance 19:53 of those messages for my personal life? 19:57 Maybe I'm not Laodicean, 19:59 but maybe I have my Laodicean pride, okay. 20:04 Or maybe I'm losing my first love like Ephesians. 20:10 But in the same time it will help us to see 20:12 how God cared for His people 20:15 from the 1st century until the time of the end. 20:18 By the way, the historians 20:20 who even made the entire church history 20:25 like, German historian Schaef. 20:28 Actually the way how he described 20:30 entire Christian history from the 1st century 20:32 until the 19th century is really shows clearly 20:36 how the history Christian church reflected those seven messages. 20:41 So we have to take into consideration 20:43 all these three levels of interpretation, 20:45 but now I'd like to invite you 20:48 that we go and just briefly 20:52 to have a look into those messages. 20:55 And there is something that it'll appeal to us 20:59 and show how God actually cares for my personal life 21:02 and how Jesus speaks to me today 21:04 within my own, own situation, okay. 21:08 So what is-- you remember 21:10 what is the first church that Jesus addresses? 21:13 It's the church in Ephesus. 21:16 Actually, the church in Ephesus 21:20 was the first city close to Patmos, okay. 21:27 It was nearest of the seven cities to Patmos 21:30 about 50 to 60 miles from the island. 21:35 We'll not read those messages. 21:37 I'd like to invite the viewers and all of you, 21:40 if you can open your Bible 21:42 in front of you just to save the time. 21:44 We would like to see about the situation, 21:48 okay, in those cities. 21:49 We would like to see the situation in the church 21:52 and what were the problems and issues 21:55 that Jesus addressed in those messages. 21:57 You have to understand that Ephesus 22:00 was the capital city of the province of Asia. 22:04 It was the fourth, 22:06 the largest city in the Roman Empire 22:09 with a population of about 250,000 people. 22:14 I just want to mention to the viewers, 22:16 I visited all those cities, 22:18 the ruins of those cities several times there in Turkey. 22:23 It was located on the Aegean Sea 22:26 at the mouth of the river 22:28 and on the crossroads of their major straight roads 22:32 which made the city very prosperous. 22:36 The city was a famous political, 22:40 commercial, and religious center. 22:45 It was filled with commercial buildings 22:48 including temples, theaters, 22:52 gymnasium, bathhouses, and brothels. 22:56 By the way, it was just-- 22:57 I don't know how many months ago, 6, 7 months ago, 23:01 I had such great privilege to go and to visit 23:04 one of the houses in Ephesus that are discovered there. 23:10 They're still working on that. 23:11 Just to tell you, those people had air condition there. 23:15 They had the heating-- central heating system 23:17 that we have to-- you cannot imagine. 23:19 It was a very wealthy city. 23:25 The philosophical schools there. 23:27 The city of Ephesus had very good library there. 23:32 But there's something very opposite, 23:33 that actually superstition and magic flooded Ephesus. 23:38 Just such a great, great contrast. 23:42 But above all, the city of Ephesus was known as 23:47 the headquarter of the goddess of Artemis or Diana. 23:53 The temple built in honor of the goddess of Artemis 23:57 was several times destroyed and rebuilt. 24:00 But today it's considered 24:02 as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 24:06 It was a huge and magnificent temple. 24:12 I'd like you to understand something about Christians 24:14 who were there in Ephesus. 24:17 You know, it's very easy to preach the gospel 24:19 when the situation in the society is very bad. 24:23 But then you think about the court of Artemis, 24:27 it's something amazing is. 24:29 Number one, the very temple 24:33 was the bank of the ancient world. 24:38 If you had some wealth 24:41 and money and some precious things 24:43 you wanted to put in a safe place, 24:45 people would bring to the temple of Artemis. 24:47 You know, it's safe there. 24:49 Are you still with me? 24:52 The wealthiest people would bring 24:53 the precious things there to the temple. 24:55 But there's something else. 24:57 The temple had a right of protection 25:02 providing an asylum to criminals. 25:05 Anybody who committed any crime, 25:08 if that person was able to reach 25:10 the building of the goddess of Artemis, 25:14 even the emperor himself could not come 25:17 and to take that person out and to sentence that person. 25:23 Actually the protection was around 25:25 50 yards around the temple. 25:27 So can you imagine? We read additional sources. 25:30 What was in the temple 25:33 and who was around the temple? 25:35 You had the choicest number of criminals around the temple 25:40 while in that temple such precious material there. 25:43 But you see, at the same time 25:46 the temple was the place where people would like to come. 25:51 If you had wedding, you did not find a place 25:54 where to have wedding, 25:57 you could find a room there in the temple of Artemis. 26:01 You're an artist. You would like to display your art. 26:05 They will find a room for you. 26:08 You're a traveler going through Ephesus 26:11 and suddenly you are robbed 26:13 and you are without any money. 26:15 You go there to the temple. 26:16 You prove to them that you are really in need. 26:19 They will help you financially. 26:21 They will even provide for you the food and the place where 26:24 you can stay for few days before you leave. 26:29 If you're there in Ephesus 26:31 and suddenly a calamity strikes you, 26:33 you go there to temple. 26:35 Believe me they have a Dorcas Society there to help you. 26:39 So keep in mind I'm talking about the temple 26:42 that was the center of life there. 26:44 Why do you need Christianity 26:47 when people had everything, everything there? 26:49 But that was a huge business 26:52 associated with the temple of Artemis. 26:54 Such a business that many people come there to Ephesus 26:57 and they became rich because people are making 27:00 the statue of goddess of Artemis. 27:02 She was actually considered 27:04 to be the goddess of many breasts. 27:06 She was the goddess of fertility there. 27:11 But let me tell you something. 27:14 When sometimes we are Christians, 27:16 we live in certain city 27:18 and we say it's impossible to serve God 27:20 in the place where I live. 27:21 Keep in mind that God even in Ephesus had His church. 27:26 Amen. 27:28 When we read the Book of Acts Chapter 19, 27:30 when Paul came there to Ephesus. 27:32 He started the preaching gospel 27:34 and very soon the Holy Spirit worked so powerfully 27:38 that even those who became rich 27:40 because of the business related to the temple of Artemis 27:43 were afraid for their business. 27:46 Actually Book of Acts is telling us 27:48 that people brought all those magic books 27:51 which are known as Ephesian spells. 27:54 They distributed widely. 27:55 People became rich by copying those little scrolls 28:00 to help them against demons. 28:02 They said 300,000 denarius 28:06 which is 300,000 daily wages the value of those books, 28:10 just who became Christians. 28:12 So can you imagine when the Holy Spirit 28:14 started working in Ephesus what happened there? 28:17 So at the time of John, 28:23 the church in Ephesus was still strong in faith. 28:31 When you read the message Jesus said to the church. 28:35 "I know your deeds, I know your toil, 28:40 I know your perseverance, 28:42 I know that you cannot tolerate evil men." Chapter 2:2. 28:46 "And you put to test those who call themselves apostles." 28:50 I know," verse 3, "I know you have perseverance. 28:53 You have endured for My name's sake. 28:55 You have not grown weary." 28:57 This is a fantastic church, faithful to God, 29:00 but then when you go to the verse 4, 29:02 what is the problem with this church? 29:05 "I have this against you that you." Actually in Greek. 29:10 "You're leaving, abandoning your first love." 29:16 Scholars are so much intrigued with this. 29:18 What does it mean that the church was leaving, 29:21 abandoning or losing its first love? 29:24 And there's only one conclusion is. 29:26 You know, when you have a church 29:29 that is so faithful to God. 29:34 And the church that try to censor 29:37 who is faithful to God, 29:39 who is not, what usually happens? 29:41 People become very rigid. 29:45 By checking people, they start losing the love for people. 29:53 By trying to be so faithful to God 29:58 they start losing their love for God. 30:00 Amen. 30:04 And then, friends, 30:05 we're not talking about the negative way 30:08 because the Christians in history have always struggled 30:15 how to be faithful to God, 30:18 to have that correct and right doctrine, 30:22 to believe right things about God 30:25 and how at the same time to be loving Christians. 30:30 Evidently the church in Ephesus was one sided 30:36 while trying to be faithful to God. 30:39 That love that they have for God 30:42 somehow was disappearing from their midst. 30:47 So Jesus is coming to the church and telling in verse 5, 30:51 "Remember from where you have fallen 30:55 and repent and do the deeds you did at first." 31:02 Actually I had a number of times 31:04 as a pastor to go and try to help certain families. 31:10 They start complaining that that zeal and love 31:13 that they had toward each other started disappearing. 31:16 So they ask, "What shall we do?" 31:18 I try always to remind them about the time 31:23 when they met each other. 31:26 Asking them what's that that attracted you to each other. 31:31 Oh, I like him, I like him. 31:33 Suddenly you don't see anything good in that person. 31:36 You see this is what Jesus is trying to tell the church. 31:41 Go back to your first love. 31:45 Try to think how much you love God. 31:48 And when you loved God, 31:49 how much you loved each other there in the church. 31:52 Try to think about that and to repent. 31:54 What is repentance according to the Bible? 31:57 You know, Christians are making different repentance, 32:00 but in the Bible it was in this way. 32:02 Actually the Greek word-- the Hebrew word "shuv," 32:06 it means turn around. 32:08 The Greek word "metanoia," it means change mind. 32:12 You know, the prodigal son? 32:14 He was walking away from God. 32:16 He said, "Boy, even my servants in my father's house, 32:21 they live much better than I do." 32:22 He changed his mind. 32:24 So he said, "I'm going back to my father." 32:25 This is actually what repentance is. 32:27 You turn your back to God. 32:29 You are walking and suddenly turn around. 32:33 This is what repentance is about. 32:35 You're going back to God. 32:36 This is actually what Jesus is calling the church. 32:40 "Remember where you came from, 32:42 where you have fallen from and do your first work. 32:48 Remember our love for God." 32:49 By the way, this counsel of Jesus to the church in Ephesus 32:54 reflects the number of passages in the Old Testament. 32:58 In Jeremiah 2:2, Jeremiah calls 33:03 the people of Israel to remember 33:07 about their loving relationship with God, 33:09 at the beginning when God took them out of Egypt 33:12 and telling them, "Go back to that love. 33:14 Remember the love of your youth." 33:19 The church was in danger of losing its lampstand. 33:24 You know, the church 33:27 is supposed to be a light to the world. 33:30 But if the church is not in love-- 33:35 so you remember what Jesus said? 33:38 "By this all people will know that you are my disciples 33:42 if you have love among you." 33:44 If the church in Ephesus does not have that love 33:48 the church loses its reason for existence. 33:53 So Jesus calls the church to go back 33:57 to its first experience with Jesus Christ, 33:59 to remember how they loved God so much, 34:01 how they loved the fellow believers so much. 34:06 And Jesus said, "Go and do the first work." 34:10 You see the first love always results in the first works. 34:15 Amen. Okay. 34:18 Friends, I'd like to stimulate your desire 34:23 to study the message of this church in much deeper way. 34:26 We're just speaking up here and there a few points, 34:29 but there is something very interesting is. 34:32 When we study the message to the church in Ephesus, 34:35 we can see strong parallels between the situation 34:38 in this local church which in Asia Minor 34:42 and the Christian church in general in the 1st century. 34:46 You know, how the Christian church started 34:48 when Jesus ascended there to heaven, 34:49 we read in the Book of Acts. 34:51 The Christians were filled with love toward Jesus Christ 34:54 and toward each other. 34:56 We have such fervent desire to go and to preach the gospel. 35:02 The gospel was spreading 35:03 throughout the civilized world of that time, 35:08 but with the death of the apostles, 35:12 they started disappear over the scene. 35:13 We have the second generation of Christians came. 35:17 That first love that characterized 35:19 the Christian church at the very beginning 35:22 started disappearing from the Christian church. 35:26 So you see why the message to the church 35:29 in Ephesus originally spoke 35:31 to the Christians of the time of John? 35:34 It also represents the situation 35:35 of the Christian church in the 1st century. 35:38 But this is also an appeal to all of us. 35:41 We as Christians, we're always struggling 35:46 between our faithfulness to God, 35:49 how not to tolerate false teaching, 35:51 how to have a sound of doctrine, 35:55 how to remain faithful to God, but at the same time, 35:58 how to be a loving Christians to manifest that love of Christ 36:05 that was manifested in my personal life toward me, 36:09 but also how that love could be manifested 36:12 toward my fellow believers. 36:14 You know, church in Ephesus. 36:17 The next church that actually Jesus addressed 36:22 was the church that was about, 36:23 you see, you're dealing with Ephesus 36:26 and about 35 miles north 36:31 there was a church in Smyrna, okay. 36:36 About 35 miles north of Ephesus. 36:39 By the way, Smyrna was another 36:41 important city next to Ephesus. 36:46 Its geographical location earned 36:48 the reputation of having the most convenient 36:51 and safest harbor in the entire province of Asia. 36:56 The city also stood on the crossroads 37:00 of the major roads between Phrygia and Lydia 37:04 making the city a very important commercial center. 37:09 Actually the city at the time of the Book of Revelation 37:13 had about 200,000 residents. 37:16 We're talking about major cities in the province. 37:20 Like Ephesus, also Smyrna was a very important 37:24 political, religious, and cultural center 37:28 and famous stadium, library, 37:31 and the largest public theater. 37:33 By the way, it was known as the glory of the entire Asia. 37:37 You see, Ephesus was number one as a center, 37:41 but Smyrna as number one in beauty. 37:44 It was glory of Asia. 37:47 By the way, the city became so significant 37:52 that Roman Senate granted city to build a temple 37:59 in honor of the emperor. 38:02 Please, please, you need to understand what it means. 38:06 There are number of cities in Asia Minor competing, 38:09 bribing the Roman government, 38:14 doing everything to get the permission 38:17 to build a temple in honor of the emperor. 38:20 Only Smyrna was granted. 38:23 So it tells us something about the city. 38:25 And in that city, can you imagine 38:27 when you have such magnificent temple 38:29 known throughout the entire province. 38:32 The Christians came into trouble 38:35 because it was a civic duty 38:37 you as a citizen of Smyrna to go there 38:42 before the statue of the emperor and offer that incense. 38:45 When you put the incense there 38:47 before the emperor to burn it 38:49 you have to make the statement, 38:50 "Caesar is the Lord." 38:54 It meant you are a faithful citizen. 38:57 When you do it, you get certificate. 39:00 Now you can conduct your business. 39:02 Do whatever you want because you are an exemplary citizen. 39:08 This may explain the problem in the church in Smyrna. 39:13 By the way, when you read the message to this church, 39:17 it's not a long letter, please. 39:18 Let's see how the letter begins. 39:20 Remember, other letters they begin, 39:22 "I know your works. I know where you dwell." 39:26 But let's read here, verse 9. 39:28 How does message begin? 39:30 "I know your tribulation and your poverty." 39:33 Do you see that? 39:36 "And the blasphemy of those who say 39:38 the Jews they are not but the synagogue of Satan. 39:42 Do not fear what you are about to suffer." 39:45 By the way in Greek it says, stop being afraid 39:50 because they were already in terrible fear. 39:52 "Behold, the devil is about to cast 39:55 some of you into the prison so that you will be tested, 39:59 and you will have tribulation for 10 days. 40:02 Be faithful until the point of death. 40:06 And I will give you the crown, "the stefanos "of life." 40:09 You remember this text. 40:11 We were talking-- we're talking about that. 40:13 So what was the major problem with this church? 40:18 Actually already the very introduction of Jesus 40:21 to the church is telling us something about the church. 40:23 How does Jesus introduces Himself to the church? 40:25 We talk already about that last time. 40:29 "Thus says the one who is the first and the last 40:34 who was dead and has come to life." 40:38 This church lives in terrible persecution, 40:42 not only that they are in the midst of the persecution, 40:45 but evidently more severe persecution is in view to come. 40:50 So how does Jesus come to the church? 40:53 Telling them, you are going through that persecution, 40:56 through all the trouble. 40:58 But don't worry. 41:00 You're simply following into the footsteps of the Master 41:04 because I went through the persecution and I was dead, 41:08 but now I'm alive. 41:10 Now let's skip and go to verse 10. 41:13 Jesus says, "Therefore be faithful to me 41:18 until the point of death 41:20 and I will give you the crown of life." 41:26 Actually what is the meaning of the crown of life? 41:29 Commentators are struggling with that. 41:31 It really means the crown which means life. 41:36 This is probably the best understanding that we have. 41:38 So the church was persecuted 41:41 because they did not participate in those "civic duties" 41:48 that was associated with idolatry, 41:51 with the drinking, 41:53 eating the food to sacrifice idols, 41:55 but there is also an another danger 41:59 that the church faced. 42:00 You will notice here it talks in verse 9 42:05 about those who say that they are Jews and they are not, 42:11 but are a synagogue of Satan. 42:15 When we read the historical sources 42:17 then we learn that the Jewish people in the Roman Empire 42:22 usually were exempted from worshipping the emperor. 42:27 Because Romans, they knew 42:30 that the Jews by refusing to worship the emperor 42:34 did not cease to be the obedient citizens. 42:39 They knew that their religion, the Torah did not allow them. 42:43 So somehow the Romans, they tolerated it. 42:47 But after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 42:52 and even later after the Book of Revelation, 42:54 the Jews rebelled against under Bar Kokhba. 42:57 I don't know if you heard about that. 42:59 The Jews came into a very problematic situation 43:02 in the Roman Empire. 43:04 So the Romans did not want to tolerate them any longer, 43:09 okay, but the problem was, 43:11 what was the Bible that the Christians read? 43:16 The Old Testament, the Jewish Bible. 43:18 What was the day that the Christians were worshipping on? 43:22 The same--and somehow the Jews did not like it. 43:27 They wanted distance themselves from Christians. 43:29 So according to this text and we will see also 43:31 in other message to the church of the seven messages is. 43:37 That somehow the Jews they would go 43:39 to Roman authorities in order to appease them, 43:43 to protect themselves, to get some privileges. 43:46 They will go and slander Christians. 43:49 Friends, not all Jews were doing that. 43:51 We are not talking about the nation or certain people. 43:53 We are talking about some of those Jewish nationalities 43:57 who try somehow to secure for themselves 44:00 some privileges in order to develop business. 44:03 They were doing that in order to slander Christians. 44:06 And all of this contributed to the bad situation 44:09 of the Christians there-- there in city. 44:11 It was not easy to be a faithful Christian 44:14 in such metropolitan city. 44:16 When you live in metropolitan city, 44:18 it means that you are also 44:20 a prominent citizen there in the city. 44:23 But the situation 44:25 in which the Christians found themselves 44:27 put them into very bad situation. 44:30 But Jesus encourages them and telling them 44:33 "Don't be discouraged. 44:37 Yeah, I know what you are going through. 44:39 Very soon you will go even through more 44:41 severe persecution, but I am with you. 44:45 I'll protect you. 44:46 Be faithful until the point of death. 44:49 And I will give you the crown of life." Amen. 44:53 Amazingly, that the message the church in Smyrna 44:59 corresponds significantly to the situation 45:03 of the Christian church during 2nd and 3rd centuries 45:07 in the Roman Empire. 45:09 It was the time when Christians 45:12 were going through serious persecution in the Roman Empire. 45:17 Finally, that persecution 45:19 concluded with Constantine in 313, 45:23 but prior to that from the year 303 to 313-- 45:27 how many years, 303 to 313? 45:31 We're talking about very severely persecution 45:34 under the Emperor of Diocletian. 45:37 And many commentators of the Bible 45:40 cannot skip to notice here that talks here about 45:43 the persecution that the Christians 45:44 would have for 10 days, 45:47 so they apply the Biblical principal therefore here 45:50 and they see the fulfillment of this prophecy, 45:54 okay, in the persecution of the Christians during 3rd century 45:59 under the Emperor of Diocletian which actually ended 46:03 with the conversion of Constantine in 314, etcetera. 46:07 So you see, we are dealing here with two messages, 46:10 but I would like us to take the next 10 minutes. 46:12 Go to the third message. 46:15 Because the third letter-- okay, one more time, 46:18 we are dealing with Ephesus. 46:20 You go 35 miles north--north, you're in Smyrna 46:24 and then you go about 40 miles even more north there, 46:28 you're coming to the church in Pergamum. 46:32 I was in that-- in that city there. 46:35 It's on a hill. 46:37 When you go to Ephesus you can see so much there. 46:40 The same can be said about Pergamum. 46:44 There's not too much today to be seen in Smyrna. 46:48 Just a little bit. It's usually underground. 46:50 There's not too much to be seen. 46:52 But Pergamum served as the capital of the province of Asia 46:56 even though sometimes Pergamum 46:58 had to share those privileges with Ephesus, okay. 47:04 For two centuries Pergamum was the capital, 47:08 okay, of the entire province. 47:11 So the city was of a great political importance. 47:15 It was reputed center of intellectual life 47:18 in the Hellenistic world, okay. 47:21 Let me explain how-- how important Pergamum was. 47:25 Actually it had the second greatest library 47:30 in the entire world of that time. 47:34 The largest library was in Alexandria in Egypt 47:38 and Pergamum was the next-- the next library. 47:42 Actually it was the city of the famous doctor 47:47 and physician Galen who served there 47:51 in that healing court of Asclepius. 47:53 You know, that Asclepius, the sign is the serpent. 47:56 Today that is found in modern pharmacy, that sign. 48:01 Actually it was taken from there. 48:02 Asclepius, in Pergamum was one of the largest temple 48:06 where people would come to find healing for different 48:10 sickness and illness that they had. 48:13 Actually the city had a very large temple 48:20 dedicated to the Emperor Augustus. 48:23 As in Smyrna, the emperor worship 48:26 was compulsory there in Pergamum. 48:30 What happened in Smyrna the same was in Pergamum there. 48:33 If you wanted to develop business 48:35 and to live safely and securely as a citizen there, 48:39 you had to go there and to fulfill your civic duty. 48:45 But you'll notice here when you read the message 48:47 to the church in Pergamum from verse 12-17 48:51 that Jesus said in verse 13, 48:54 "I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is." 48:59 Actually today the commentators unanimously agree 49:03 that this Satan's throne was actually a part of the temple 49:11 dedicated to the god Zeus. 49:16 But I know, it doesn't tell us too much 49:18 unless you go to the museum in Berlin. 49:22 Because apart--okay, of the center portion 49:27 of that temple and that altar is found in the museum in Berlin. 49:31 When you go there, the first thing is 49:33 you're amazed to see the beauty of that--of that building. 49:36 And commentators, they usually agree 49:39 that actually death altar was-- how does it call here? 49:44 The Satan's throne. 49:46 It was the center with Satan's rule there in Pergamum 49:50 that made the lives of Christians 49:52 in that city very, very miserable. 49:55 In addition to that, can you imagine there are many pilgrims 50:00 and people coming there to find the healing in that city. 50:03 They will come to Asclepius who was called the Savior. 50:07 Can you imagine, savior with the sign of a serpent? 50:12 If you are a Christian who's the Savior? 50:14 Jesus. And what is the serpent? 50:17 So you have to understand how the Christians were arguing 50:21 with the people in Pergamum. 50:22 Who was actually the serpent and who was the real Savior? 50:27 As they were doing their missionary activities 50:29 actually it came to serious problems. 50:30 Keep in mind that Pergamum at that time was considered 50:34 to be the Lord of the entire province--province of Asia. 50:40 So the Christians were very much challenged there. 50:43 And Jesus comes to the church and talking to them 50:47 and you will notice something. 50:49 Verse 13, let's read it. 50:51 "I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is, 50:55 and you hold fast my name, and did not deny my faith 50:58 even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one, 51:03 who was killed among you, where Satan dwells." 51:05 That's the martyrs in Pergamum. 51:07 People who were killed 51:08 because they wanted to be faithful to God, 51:11 By name of Antipas, but Jesus said. 51:14 "But I have a few things against you 51:16 because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, 51:21 who kept the teaching of Balak, 51:23 to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel. 51:26 To eat things sacrificed to idols 51:29 and to commit acts of immorality. 51:31 So you also have some who in the same way 51:35 hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans." 51:38 You will notice that in the message 51:41 to the church in Ephesus, Nicolaitans are mentioned. 51:45 But Ephesians did not tolerate them. 51:48 What about Pergamum? They were very successful. 51:52 But two groups are mentioned. 51:54 Nicolaitans and Balaamites. 51:59 Actually these two expressions, 52:01 the Balaamites and the Nicolaitans 52:06 are referred evidently 52:08 to two different groups of false teachers. 52:11 Who was Balaam? 52:13 Do you remember that he represented himself 52:17 as the prophet of God, 52:21 but actually he was the one 52:24 who put the stumbling block before the people of Israel. 52:30 So the great judgment came on the people and they suffered. 52:35 Many actually Israelites were killed 52:38 by the wrath of God at that moment because of Balaam. 52:41 He was the one who advised the Moabites and the Ammonites 52:46 to bring those beautiful women and the beautiful music. 52:50 And he said, use the people--start telling them, 52:52 "There's nothing wrong to go 52:54 and to make those people your friends." 52:57 And the consequences were enormous. 53:01 Actually, Balaam is very interesting. 53:07 The expression and corresponds also to the word Nikolaos, 53:13 Nicolaitans that we have. 53:17 Balaam, it's Hebrew, and Nikolaos is Greek. 53:23 But basically the meaning of the two names is the same. 53:26 It means the one who concurs nations. 53:30 So commentators usually mean that we have here 53:32 the Hebrew and Greek expression taking from Israeli story. 53:37 Nikolaos, according to early Christian writers 53:40 was actually one of the seven deacons 53:43 who later went to apostasy 53:45 and he tried to teach the Christians 53:48 there was nothing wrong to simply accept 53:50 some pagan practices in order to do 53:52 missionary works among them. 53:54 If this is really true, we see what is--what is here. 53:58 What was that that these two groups advocated? 54:01 Okay, what is that in verse 19? 54:03 "But I have a few things against you 54:05 because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, 54:08 who kept the teaching of Balak to put a stumbling block 54:11 before the sons of Israel, 54:13 to eat things sacrificed to idols 54:15 and to commit acts of immorality." 54:17 What was that that these false teachers were teaching there? 54:20 Hey, if you go there to those temples 54:26 and you eat the food sacrificed to idols, 54:29 you're not going there to worship those idols. 54:33 You're simply doing your civic duty. 54:38 God will understand you, okay. 54:42 But, you know, it was also civic duty 54:45 to go those--to those pagan temples 54:48 and have sexual intercourse with those sacred prostitutes. 54:54 And those teachers said, "Hey, I'm a moral person. 54:59 I don't want to do sex for my pleasure. 55:02 If I go there to the temple, I'm simply doing my civic duty. 55:07 If I don't do it, I'll lose my prestige in society, 55:11 I'll lose my business. 55:13 I'm not be a recognized citizens here. 55:16 So what to do? The Christians were divided. 55:19 And what was the idea 55:22 that these teachers were advocating? 55:24 Very similarly to Balaam, 55:26 what he did in the Old Testament times. 55:30 Probably another variant group of that moment, 55:33 Nicolaitans, they were doing the same, telling them. 55:36 "Hey, just go and do it. God will understand you. 55:39 God does not want you to suffer. 55:42 You're not doing that because of your pleasure. 55:44 You're not doing that because you want to do it. 55:46 You simply want to be obedient citizen in your state. 55:50 Go and do it." 55:51 What is the message that Jesus sends to these Christians? 55:54 No compromise. 55:57 You have to be faithful until the point of death. 56:01 You have to give your public witness and testimony 56:04 to the people that are-- that are around you. 56:07 Of course, that's what the situation in those churches 56:11 and the church in Pergamum. 56:13 But there is something very interestingly 56:15 when we see period in the Christian church 56:18 of 4th and 5th century after Constantine 56:21 gave the freedom to Christians, 56:22 recognized Christianity as the recognize religion, 56:25 what happens? 56:27 Suddenly Christians, they started 56:29 making a compromise with paganism. 56:32 Many false teachings crept into Christian church, 56:35 including observance of worship on Sunday. 56:42 We have Greek philosophy moved into the Christian faith. 56:46 More and more the church turned toward tradition, 56:49 Greek philosophy and pagan customs 56:52 and the faithful witness of the Bible 56:54 and the teachings of the Bible. 56:56 So yes, the period of the 5th, 4th and 5th century, 57:00 maybe even the 6th century 57:02 really can be looked through this letter 57:06 written to the church in Pergamum. 57:09 So just wanted to challenge you. 57:11 You can see how these messages to these churches 57:15 they speak to us very powerfully today 57:20 whether you have the experience of the church in Ephesus 57:23 or that in Smyrna or in Pergamum, 57:26 Jesus Christ ask for faithfulness 57:28 and He wants to have you for Himself. |
Revised 2014-12-17