Blessed Is He That Watches: The Revelation Of Jesus Christ

By Robert Wittenberg

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that Watches, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

—Revelation 16:15

Jesus Christ warns us to watch, to be in readiness for his coming, whenever it occurs it would be at a time when people were not expecting Him. Only God knows the time, not even the saints or angels in heaven know the time, we must always be prepared. Christ used nakedness as a symbol of unrighteousness and not being prepared. He counseled the Church of Laodicea to buy from Him “white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness [unrighteous acts] may not be revealed” (Revelation 3:18). Jesus encourages us to watch world events and ourselves to make sure we are always ready.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638144120

Book preview

Overview

Our last book in the Bible is the book of Revelation, or as Saint John entitled the book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, and what a marvelous book it is. Jesus provides us with specific promises (Beatitudes) in Revelation, and it was these Beatitudes that inspired me into the deep study of Revelation. The Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–12) are well-known wherever the gospel story is read. The Beatitudes in the book of Revelation deserve equal respect and should be better known. They form a golden chain of glorious promises, which run through this wonderful book and should serve as a source of comfort and inspiration to all believers. See Appendix I at the back of this book listing all the beatitudes, covered in the book of Matthew and Revelation.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is easily the most fascinating book in the Bible, for it gives a detailed description of the future. Everyone is interested in what the future holds for us and what happens to our loved ones after they pass on. Revelation not only answers all these questions but provides it in great detail. It provides a very detailed blueprint of what is to come though the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Unlike other biblical epistles, the book of Revelation is a prophecy, as it repeatedly affirms itself to be (1:3, 22:7, 10, 18, 19). It came to John as a series of visions, not unlike the prophecies of Daniel or Zechariah. The book of Revelation is the only book of prophecy in the New Testament.

In the study of the book of Revelation as all books of the Bible, we must do so with prayer, asking God to open our eyes, ears, and mind to the wisdom of His Word. David wrote in the book of Psalm 119:18, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. And in Psalm 119:103, How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. The book of Revelation represents God word to us. We must not approach it with fear and anxiety, but with open eyes and an open mind. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is in Paul’s letter to Timothy: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:5 KJV).

The Book of Revelation is not limited to extremists or undereducated or those easily persuaded. Sir Isaac Newton, considered the father of science and considered by many the most brilliant man who ever lived, loved the study of the books of Daniel and Revelation. In 1733, he published his works on Daniel and the apocalypse.

In addition, the book of Revelation is the only book In the New Testament that presents Jesus Christ as He really is today. The gospels introduce Him as the man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering during his incarnation. Revelation presents Him in His true glory and majesty after His resurrection and ascension into heaven, never again to be reviled, rebuked, and spat upon. Very fitting, John entitled the book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Before we begin our study into the book of Revelation, it is important for us to have an understanding on how history, science, and archaeology support this marvelous book of the Bible. In this introduction to the book of Revelation, I will try to cover supporting data through science, history, and archaeology on the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the author, seven churches, prophecies yet to be fulfilled, along with an overview of what Jesus is telling John.

In this lesson, we’ve surveyed three important aspects of the background of Revelation. We’ve explored its historical setting focusing on its author, date of composition, and original audience. In this introduction to history and archaeology, on the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we will consider its theological context in terms of the eschatology of the New Testament, the concept of covenant, and the role of prophets. I will also cover the literary background of Revelation, particularly its relationship to the genres of prophecy and apocalyptic.

The Book of Revelation may seem strange to our ears today. But in its original setting, it would have been much easier to understand. The forms John used and the things he said would have been familiar to his first audience. And the better we understand their context and perspectives, the better we’ll be able to understand John’s message and to apply it to our own lives. Whether we’re suffering for the sake of Christ and the gospel or enjoying relative peace, the book of Revelation teaches us to remain faithful to Jesus and to hope in the wonderful future God planned for those who trust him.

Many times, we hear the comments concerning the book of Revelation: It is difficult, it is hidden, and it is seemingly unprofitable. But this attitude is tragic, for all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV). As well, the book of Revelation was intended by the apostle John to be read in public worship, which reading is one of the seven blesseds of the book of Revelation: Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand (Revelation 1:3 KJV). This is a very special blessing Jesus gives us, whoever reads this book. When John wrote down what he saw and what was told to him by Jesus Christ, John had a real audience in that time with the seven churches covered in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation. The same can hold true in the twenty-first century by looking at some of the major church bodies in the world today, and how they may compare to the seven churches discussed in the Book of Revelation.

The Book of Revelation, often called the Revelation to John, the Apocalypse of John, the Revelation, or simply Revelation or Apocalypse (and often misquoted as Revelations), is actually a revelation of Christ (Revelation 1:1). It is a book of the New Testament that occupies a central place in Christian eschatology. Its title is derived from the first word of the text, written in Koine Greek, apokalypsis, meaning unveiling or revelation. Before title pages and titles, books were commonly known by their first words, as is also the case of the Hebrew Five Books of Moses (Torah). The book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic document in the New Testament canon (although there are short apocalyptic passages in various places in the Gospels and the Epistles). The English title comes from the Latin revelatio, which in its verb form means to reveal or unveil that which has previously been hidden. This was the title given to the book in the Latin Vulgate.

The book of Revelation is one of the most profound, prophetic, spiritual, along with being one of amazing biblical historic books in the Bible. Revelation encompasses all the Old and New Testament from the book of Genesis through Jude, tying in all prophesies made by God how they will now come to pass. It is a book of encouragement, hope, and beauty to all true believer. The book of Revelation takes us through the entire Bible and serves as a great biblical history lesson more so than any other book in the Bible. The book of Revelation is a book not to be feared or read with anxiety but a book illustrating God’s true love and patience to us.

Saint John the Apostle

Who Was John the Apostle?

John the Apostle was one of the twelve disciples of Christ. This disciple was one of the sons of Zebedee who followed our Lord. His story extends many years past the earthly ministry of Christ. John was known as an apostle, author, and the only apostle who was not killed by martyrdom, though not from lack of trying.

We get the vast majority of our information about John from the pages of the four gospels. We know that John was the younger brother of James and the son of Zebedee (Mark 10:35; Luke 5:10). Though not directly stated, we know that John was called the beloved disciple, or the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 21:20–24). His occupation, like many of the apostles, was that of a fisherman before he and his brother became disciples of Christ.

Apostle John and Jesus Christ, first cousins. This is a belief held by a number of scholars. John and James were cousins to Jesus as their mother Salome was the sister of Jesus’s mother Mary (Matthew 27:56, Mark 15:40). The two brothers were some of the first disciples of Jesus. These being two primary verses supporting the theory of Jesus Christ and the apostille John being first cousins is also provided as follows:

From Matthew’s account we know that James and John were the sons of Zebedee. By comparing Matthew and Mark, we discover that Salome was the name of the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John. From John, we see that Salome was Mary’s sister.

Most people are aware that Jesus Christ and John the Baptist were actual cousins through their mothers Mary and Elizabeth. Many people are surprised to discover that Jesus had another famous cousin, John the Apostle. Although the proof is not as obvious and direct as with John the Baptist, the Scriptures are just as plain, when you add up the pieces, that Jesus and the apostle John were also cousins. Jesus Christ and the apostle John as cousins is not as obvious (people who have studied the Bible their entire lives have overlooked it, which is understandable because of how the proof is in pieces), but the proof is there nevertheless, in two parts, each of which themselves are in two parts. Add them together and it becomes very clear.

First, standing among the women near the cross with Jesus’s mother Mary was Salome (as identified by Mark in his Gospel account), who was Mary’s sister (as the apostle John himself states in his Gospel account, as it turns out, about his own mother—Mark’s Gospel account refers to her by name, John’s Gospel account refers to her by her relationship to Mary), and therefore Salome was Jesus’s aunt:

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. (John 19:25 KJV)

There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome (Mark 15:40 KJV)

From the first part above, we know that Salome was Mary’s sister. Now, second, Salome is then also identified the wife of Zebedee, as John is identified as the son of Zebedee. The picture is then complete. Salome is identified as Mary’s sister and John’s mother. John was therefore Jesus’s cousin.

And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father. (Matthew 4:21 KJV)

Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children (i.e., Salome, as identified in the first part, above). (Matthew 27:56 KJV)

Based on the language in John chapter 1, it is believed that John was probably the unnamed disciple of John the Baptist. John never refers to himself directly in the book that bears his name. The two brothers, James and John, were called the sons of thunder by Christ. They seem to have been even tempered men, but there is one story at the end of Luke 9 where they asked Jesus if He wanted them to call down fire from heaven to consume the unbelieving Samaritans. They must not have been completely docile men for Christ to refer to them as the sons of thunder and to be willing to call down God’s wrath (Mark 3:17, Luke 9:51–56).

Peter, James, and John must have had a special relationship with the Lord because of the many times the Bible talks about those three to the exclusion of the other disciples. They were with Christ on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–13, Luke 9:27–36). They (along with Andrew) were with Him for the healing of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37). They were also the inner circle of prayer warriors in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37).

A previous relationship with Joseph Caiaphas allowed John to be present in the high priest’s house during Jesus’s trial. On the cross, Jesus entrusted the care of his mother, Mary, to an unnamed disciple, probably John, who took her into his home (John 19:27). John was responsible for writing five books in the New Testament. He wrote the Gospel according to John, First, Second and Third John, and he was the penman of the book, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

All his books were written later in life and after all the other books in the Bible were recorded. We don’t know the exact time or order of the books having been written, but here are some possible dates:

The Gospel according to John—AD 80 to 98

First, Second, and Third John—AD 90 to 95

The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ—AD 94 to 98

Of course, we know God inspired the Bible and that it was written with His leading, but this may explain why the book of John seems so applicable to the readers of today. John had more time to think about what questions were raised in the fifty or more years after the resurrection of Christ. He knew what doubts had been raised and how to answer the questions before they were asked.

The Gospel of John is very different than the other three gospels (Synoptic) in that John presents Jesus as Lord and God. Gospel of John is centered around Jesus himself while the Synoptic gospels is around the kingdom of God. Gospel of John is reported to be the simplest and yet most profound of the gospels. Its language is so pure and simple in the Greek that beginning students are pointed to John first. Yet John has a very deep and far-reaching message that many of the great Christian thinkers have not been able to uncover. In John, Jesus existed with the Father before the foundation of the world, and He was the agent of God in the creation of the world. God sacred name, I AM (YHVH) used a great deal by John, He that has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9), Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are (John 17:11). The divine purpose in the Gospel by John is to present Jesus Christ as God.

The Epistles of John were written to various audiences. They were all written after John was an old man living in Ephesus. The first epistle was not addressed to anyone in particular but was written more as a sermon. The second was written to an unnamed elect lady. The third to a man name Gaius. There are three men who bear that name to whom the letter could have been written. There was a Gaius in Macedonia (Acts 19:29), Corinth (Romans 16:23), and Derbe (Acts 20:4).

The book Revelation of Jesus Christ was written by John probably close to the same time he wrote the epistles which bear his name. The book of the Revelation was written about the vision that John saw while banished to the Greek island of Patmos on the Aegean Sea. Tradition says that this was after John had been sentenced to death by martyrdom. An unsubstantiated legend holds that John was taken to Rome during a persecution and thrown into boiling oil but emerged unhurt. The Bible tells us that John was later exiled to the island of Patmos. He supposedly outlived all the disciples, dying of old age at Ephesus, perhaps about 100 AD.

We know little about John’s later life and death from the Bible. The most insightful bit of information comes from John 21 when the risen Christ was talking to Peter about Peter’s death. After Jesus told Peter that he would not live long Peter asked about John’s death. Jesus replied that if John lived until Christ’s return, that was not Peter’s concern. This was not a promise that John would live until the Lord returned, but it does seem to indicate that the Lord knew John would live a long time (John 21:19–23). Tradition holds that John was sentenced to death in a boiling vat of oil. Yet he emerged unharmed from the experience. Again, tradition tells us that John lived into old age dying sometime after AD 98. He is thought to have died in Ephesus.

John’s strengths, he was especially loyal to Jesus. He was the only one of the twelve apostles present at the cross. After Pentecost, John teamed up with Peter to fearlessly preach the gospel in Jerusalem and suffered beatings and imprisonment for it. John underwent a remarkable transformation as a disciple, from the quick-tempered Son of Thunder to the compassionate apostle of love. Because John experienced the unconditional love of Jesus firsthand, he preached that love in his gospel and letters.

Support as Apostle John as Author

Most noted scholars from the first century agree that the author of the book of Revelation was the Apostle John, son of Zebedee, through the spirit of Jesus Christ. The Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation when he was about ninety-six years old, while a prisoner of Rome on the remote desert penal colony of Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea.

Patmos was a quarry mine for the Roman Empire and was home to many political and religious prisoners or slaves. John, the beloved apostle of Jesus, was being held as a prisoner of Rome on this island for his incessant preaching about Jesus. Rome believed that banishing the old man John to the remote and forsaken island of Patmos that his voice would be quieted. John was aged in years, close to the end of his life, and probably sent to Patmos in the year 95 by the Roman emperor Domitian, who was reportedly angry at the fact that John was not killed when he was dipped in boiling oil. Since John was a contemporary of Jesus, John would have been by that time, over ninety years old—making him very likely the only apostle to survive to such an old age. The rest of Jesus apostles and disciples were martyred decades earlier. It was as if God supernaturally preserved John to bare record of The Revelation!

Through the ages, some doubt has been cast upon the authenticity of this book. Therefore we should consider the facts testifying to the Apostle John as the writer. (1) Four times the author’s name is inserted (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8). (2) As early as the first half of the second century, it was the conviction of the church that John was the author, through the inspiration of Jesus Christ. (3) Whatever the peculiarities of this book, there are innumerable similarities between the vocabularies of John’s Gospel and the Apocalypse. One important link connecting these writings, Gloag points out, is the application of the term Logos to Jesus Christ. This term is undoubtedly Johnannne; it is no elsewhere employed in Scripture, and yet it occurs in the Apocalypse: So also the word ‘the Lamb,’ as denoting not merely the emblem or symbol of Christ, but Christ Himself, is peculiar to John; as when in the Gospel it is said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God,’ and in the Apocalypse, I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing as though it had been slain (5:6). Many other similarities exist in John’s Gospel and the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 1:1. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John (Revelation 1:4). From John to the seven churches in Asia Minor. Revelation 1:9 states, I, John, both your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 22:8 states, Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

Additionally, the fingerprints of John the apostle are all over the apocalypse. For example, Jesus Christ as the Lamb is referred in both these books. Also, John, and John alone, identifies Jesus as the Word or Logos (John 1:1, 14; Revelation 19:13). Likewise, John alone identifies Jesus as the true witness (John 5:31–47, 8:14–18; Revelation 2:13, 3:14), and it is John who most exploits the Messianic requirement of two witnesses (John 8:12–30, Revelation 11:1–12).

Revelation has long been attributed to the author of John’s Gospel, in spite of the differences in style of writing. The reason for this difference in style could possibly be that, the book of Revelation was revealed to John the apostle at his old age and was possibly penned with the help of someone who was not good in Greek language. Since Domitian died in AD 96, the date attributed to the book of Revelation coincides with this date by which time John would have been quite old. Date of death of John is taken as AD 100 at the age of ninety-four. The evidence against John the Apostle being the author is minimal and largely based on grammatical and writing style differences with John’s Gospel and epistles.

Although a few relatively early writers raised the question of authorship, the Apostle John’s composition of Revelation was never seriously questioned until modern nineteenth-century liberal criticism. Early church fathers were unanimous that it was John the apostle. As one examines this segment of history, one needs to be reminded that the further away from the first century one gets, the lesser reliable evidence to know about the correctness of any claim on this issue.

Justin Martyr (AD 100–165) in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew (LXXXI) says, There was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied by revelation, and then refers to the thousand years, the resurrection and the Judgment of Revelation 20. Again, Justin Martyr (100–165 AD) quotes John the Apostle that Jesus Christ would dwell in Jerusalem one thousand years.

Irenaeus (AD 120–200) quoted in every chapter of his writhing John’s writing of Revelation. Irenaeus who had heard Polycarp, a disciple of John the apostle, wrote in his Against Heresies (IV. xx. 11), John, also the Lord’s Disciple…says in the Apocalypse, and then quotes profusely from that Book. (11) Having thus identified him as the Lord’s Disciple. Irenaeus says later, In a still clearer light has John, in the Apocalypse, revealed certain things, which the writer proceeds to discuss (V. xxi 1). Tertullian (155–220 AD), sometimes called the Father of Latin Christianity, a voluminous writer, also quotes from almost every chapter of Revelation and attributes John the Apostle as author. He wrote five books Against Marcion Hippolytus (170–235 AD) also attributed Revelation to John, he quotes Revelation chapter 17 and 18 a great deal. In book III. xxv, Tertullian writes of the Jerusalem let down from heaven. He quotes Paul, who called it our mother (Galatians 4:26), and he says, the apostle John beheld it, referring to Revelation 21:2.

Clement of Alexandria (150–211 AD) and Origen (185–254 AD) also attribute John the Apostle as the author of Revelation. In his treatise, Who is the Rich man that Shall be Saved? (XLII), he writes of the apostle John who returned to Ephesus from the Isle of Patmos after the tyrant’s death. The tyrant is unnamed but is believed to be Domitian.

Origen (AD 185–254), in De Principiis says, According to John, God is Light (I. II. 7), unquestionably referring to the Apostle John. Then later he says, Listen to the manner in which John (the John whom he had quoted above) speaks in the apocalypse. (I. II. 10). Surely Origen knew only one John who wrote Scripture, and that was John the Apostle.

Hippolytus (AD 170–236), Victorinus (died in persecution AD 303) as well as the Muratorian Fragment, etc. all lend their support to the genuineness of Revelation and that of being from John the Apostle of Christ. It is with great surety that such an array of testimony can lead one to accept John the Apostle as the writer of Revelation.

Eusebius (AD 300–340), the father of church history, writes in his Ecclesiastical History about the connection between John the Apostle and Domitian. It is said that in this persecution the apostle and evangelist John, who was still alive, was condemned to dwell on the island of Patmos in consequence of his testimony to the divine word. Irenaeus, in the fifth book of his work Against Heresies, where he discusses the number of the name of Antichrist which is given in the so-called Apocalypse of John, speaks as follows concerning him: If it were necessary for his name to be proclaimed openly at the present time, it would have been declared by him who saw the revelation. For it was seen not long ago, but almost in our own generation, at the end of the reign of Domitian.

John, having visited and ministered to all seven of the churches named in the Book of Revelation, knew both their strengths and weakness. John, a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, had proved his reliability to truly deliver God’s Word making John the ideal servant for Jesus Christ to write down this important message contained in the Book of Revelation.

John Exiled to Patmos

We learn from John that he wrote Revelation from the island of Patmos (verse 9), in the Aegean Sea forty miles off the coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Patmos is a small island of only twenty-four square miles (sixty-two square kilometers), with a coastline in the shape of a horseshoe. It was customary during the first century AD in the Roman Empire for convicts to be exiled to an island. The Roman historian Tacitus (AD 56–120), in his book Annals, mentions the policy of banishing political prisoners to small islands (Sections 3:68; 4:30; 15:71).

Patmos, a rocky, volcanic and sparsely populated isle, was an appropriate place to send captives. Banishment was a terrible punishment that often-involved whippings and being bound in chains before the prisoner was sent off for years of hard labor in rock quarries. At John’s advanced age it would have been a harrowing ordeal. Yet he mentions it as an honor to participate in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ (verse 9).

During the time of John’s exile, traditionally 94–96, history records violent persecution against Christians under the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (81–96). This despot declared himself a god and demanded the worship of his subjects—with the exception of Jews. This meant that once a year each head of household had to appear before authorities, burn incense to the emperor and declare, Caesar is lord. Those who refused were branded as traitors and either sentenced to death or exiled. Since Christians confessed they had only one Lord, Jesus Christ, they were mercilessly hounded. John, the last living apostle of the original twelve, apparently was banished for this reason. The Jewish people were not bound to the worship of Caesar as a god due to their religious beliefs, but they did not want the Christians excluded from the Caesar worship.

The Seven Churches

Message to Seven Churches

Apostle John, who wrote the book of Revelation, under the inspiration of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1).

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John.

American King James Version mentions where it was written and that it was addressed to congregations in seven cities in Asia Minor. How do the descriptions of these places compare with discoveries about them from history and archaeology?

While on Patmos, John received a long and complicated vision from Jesus Christ (verses 1–2, 10–20) with the following instructions: What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea (verse 11).

How accurate are the descriptions of these seven cities mentioned in the Book of Revelation according to archaeology and history? Interestingly, Jesus used some of the characteristics of each city to spiritually evaluate its congregation and to prophesy the history of His Church up to His second coming when Jesus returns to take the Church (true believers) as His bride. The Bridegroom, Jesus Christ does not want to return and find the bride has been unfaithful or with child, woe unto them that are with child (Luke 21:23).

In looking at the strengths and weakness of these seven churches, only two, Smyrna and Philadelphia, Jesus found no fault with. We need to look around us and try to visualize where our church fits within these seven churches. Some believe Jesus instructions to John concerning these seven churches applied only to these seven churches at this time in history. Many others believe the meaning is much deeper, giving future generations to be ever watchful to make sure our church does not fall into the category of one or more of the churches Jesus found fault with. We can look at church environments around the world today seeing many of the same faults Jesus instructed John to write down and warn the churches to correct their ways, almost two thousand years ago.

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Ephesus: The Loveless Church

The port city of Ephesus was a short voyage from Patmos. Therefore, one could logically send a letter there and then on to the remaining six cities Christ mentioned.

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the Roman roads that stretched from Ephesus to Laodicea. It is no accident, notes John McRay, that the letters in Revelation 1–3 are arranged in this same sequence. Beginning with Ephesus, the roads follow a geographic semicircle, extending northward, turning to the east, and continuing southward to Laodicea—thus connecting the cities on what must have functioned as an ancient postal route (Archaeology and the New Testament, 1997, p. 242).

The apostle Paul had founded a large church in Ephesus, and now Jesus addressed the members there with a prophetic message that applied to them and was predictive of the Church’s future. Jesus had told John: Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are [at the present time], and the things which will take place after this [in the future] (verse 19, emphasis added throughout). Hence, part of the message of Revelation would apply to John’s time, and part would be for future generations.

Christ recognizes the effort of the Ephesian brethren, in spite of many obstacles, to keep the faith and carry out the commission He had given them. I know your works, your labor, your patience, He told them, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. Revelation 2:2 states I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars (KJV).

In Ephesus was much evil to avoid—within and without the congregation. It was there that Paul had warned the elders of the church. Acts 20:17, 29–30 say, And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church… For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them (KJV).

Moreover, the Ephesian brethren had to resist the many temptations the immensely popular pagan temple worship offered them. Archaeologists have found at Ephesus the ruins of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Diana, or Artemis, also mentioned in the Bible. Acts 19:27 states, So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth (KJV). Thousands of priests and priestesses served the temple; many of the priestesses were dedicated to cultic prostitution.

Centuries earlier Heracleitus, an Ephesian philosopher, described the inhabitants there as fit only to be drowned, and the reason why [they] could never laugh or smile was because [they] lived amidst such terrible uncleanness. Such was the reputation of ancient Ephesus. It would have been difficult to live as a Christian in the midst of such an immoral city.

Knowing this, Christ gives the brethren the hope that if they persevere in the faith they will receive something that all the temple worship of Diana could never give them—the gift of eternal life. To him who overcomes, He promised, I will give to eat from the tree of life (symbolizing eternal life), which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. Revelation 2:7 states, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (KJV). This being the same tree God spoke of in Genesis (Genesis 2:9, 3:22–24), which after Adam and Eve first sin were not permitted to eat from, the tree life will be given to the faithful to enjoy in the heavenly kingdom.

More specific details as to strengths and weakness of the church at Ephesus will be covered under the Bible Study section, Revelation 2:1–7.

Smyrna: Center of Emperor Worship

The next city on the ancient postal circuit was Smyrna, about forty miles north of Ephesus. It was a flourishing city and the main center of emperor worship.

Looking to the second advent, Smyrna means merr, it is a good fig. Jesus told us to learn the parable of the fig tree, (Matthew 24:32–34, Luke 21:29–38, Revelation 6:13). This is an example of a good church, Jesus found no fault with this church, Smyrna being a very faithful church.

Jesus tells the church in Smyrna: Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life (Revelation 2:10 KJV).

These words had not only a prophetic sense but a literal fulfillment in John’s day as well. The brethren in Smyrna knew they were special targets of the persecution under Domitian, for the city’s history had shown an unwavering loyalty to Rome. It was proud that it had been declared a free city, which meant its residents had the right to govern their own affairs.

Long before Rome was undisputed mistress of the world, comments William Barclay, Smyrna had cast in its lot with her, never to waver in its fidelity. Cicero [the Roman orator] called Smyrna ‘one of our most faithful and most ancient allies’… Such was the reverence of Smyrna for Rome that as far back as 195 BC it was the first city in the world to erect a temple to the goddess Roma (Letters to the Seven Churches, 1957, p. 29).

The only way church members could go about peacefully in this place was to carry a certificate showing they had offered incense to the emperor and proclaimed him lord. Among the ancient papyri letters that archaeologists have found is one with such a request and another with an accompanying certificate declaring: We, the representatives of the Emperor, Serenos and Hermas, have seen you sacrificing.

Many of the Christians in Smyrna would die because of fierce persecutions. So Christ encourages and reminds them that He is offering them something Caesar worship could never provide—the chance to live forever, ability to eat from the Tree of Life. He exhorts them, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death (Revelation 2:11 KJV).

More specific details as to strengths and weakness of the church at Smyrna will be covered under the Bible Study section, Revelation 2:8–11.

Pergamos: Where Satan’s Throne Is

Next on the Roman mail route was Pergamos, the Roman capital of Asia Minor. This city would never reach the commercial greatness of Ephesus or Smyrna, but it was the indisputable center of religious, medical and artistic culture of the region. The city’s famous library, with two hundred thousand parchment rolls, was rivaled only by the library in Alexandria, Egypt.

Christ tells the church at Pergamos: I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is (verse 13). Again, this prophecy had a literal fulfillment as well as serving as a description of a future time for the Church.

The mention of Satan’s throne in Pergamos likely refers to the famous worship of its most popular deity, the serpent god Asklepios Soter, whose Latin equivalent means the man-instructing serpent and savior. The serpent god was none other than Satan, whom Revelation describes as that serpent of old, called the Devil. Revelation 12:9 states, And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him (KJV).

Pergamos was so renowned for the worship of this god, who supposedly healed the sick, that this deity was called the Pergamene god. Many of the coins discovered in Pergamos have the serpent as part of their design.

The remains of the shrine to Asklepios have been uncovered by archaeologists. A 450-foot segment of the widest section was excavated and reconstructed so visitors to the site can experience a beautiful approach to the Asklepieion, notes John McRay. Dedicated to Asklepios Soter, the god of healing, the Asklepieion was a kind of Mayo Clinic of the ancient world… Numerous treatment rooms, sleeping rooms (for incubation and autosuggestion in psychiatric treatment), meeting rooms, and temples were located here… Patients coming to the shrine believed that Asklepios would heal them. There was no perceived dissonance between science and religion in the ancient world (McRay, pp. 271–272).

From all over the world, adds William Barclay, people flocked to Pergamos for relief of their sicknesses. RH Charles has called Pergamos ‘the Lourdes of the ancient world’… Thus, pagan religion had its center in Pergamos. There was the worship of Athene and Zeus, with its magnificent altar dominating the city [now partially reconstructed in the Pergamum Museum in Berlin]. There was the worship of Asklepios, bringing sick people from far and near, and above all there were the demands of Caesar worship, hanging forever like a poised sword above the heads of the Christians. The Daily Study Bible notes on Revelation 2:12–17 states, And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it (KJV).

We may ask how did serpent worship begin in Pergamos? Some historians trace it to the collapse of the Babylonian Empire, when some Chaldean priests established their religious center in Pergamos. The defeated Chaldeans fled to Asia Minor, and fixed their central college at Pergamos, notes historian William Barker in his book Lares and Penates of Cilicia (1853, p. 232).

Certainly the Old Testament identifies Satan’s chief seat of activity as being in ancient Babylon, where the doctrines of its mystery religion made all the earth drunk. Jeremiah 51:7 states, Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad (KJV). This would make its religious successor, Pergamos, the temporary new Satan’s seat of the Babylonian mystery religion.

That seat, comments Alexander Hislop, after the death of Belshazzar [the last Babylonian king], and the expulsion of the Chaldean priesthood from Babylon by the Medo-Persian kings, was at Pergamos, where afterward was one of the seven churches of Asia. There, in consequence, for many centuries was ‘Satan’s seat.’

There, under favor of the deified kings of Pergamos, was his favorite abode and was the worship of Asklepios, under the form of the serpent… Pergamos itself became part and parcel of the Roman Empire, when Attalus III, the last of its kings, at his death, left by will all his dominions to the Roman people in 133 BC (The Two Babylons, 1959, p. 240).

In this way, the Roman emperors had become the heirs of Satan’s seat during John’s day. Later, when the Roman Empire collapsed, its successor, the Holy Roman Empire, would inherit the role. It is noteworthy that Revelation 17:4–5 says, And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth (KJV).

As revealed in Revelation 17:18 that in the end-time a powerful religious system from the ancient past will again reign over the nations and be identified as the mystery Babylon And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth (KJV).

More specific details as to strengths and weakness on the church at Pergamos will be covered under the Bible Study section, Revelation 2:12–17.

Thyatira: The Corrupt Church, Pressure to Compromise

Some forty miles east of Pergamos lay Thyatira, a city important for its commerce in wool and textiles.

When the city was excavated from 1968 to 1971, its architectural remains showed it had the typical Roman style of colonnades and public buildings and a temple to the goddess Artemis. The city was especially famous for its fine woolen cloth, usually dyed in a shade that came to be called Thyatiran purple. It was from Thyatira that Lydia, a seller of purple and convert to Christianity, had come. Acts 16:14 states, And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul (KJV). Inscriptions at the site reveal the existence of trade guilds, many of them associated with the powerful textile industry.

Christ says about this congregation: I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols (Revelation 2:19–20 KJV)

Since Thyatira was a religious center, and the home of powerful guilds demanding religious participation of their workers in their banquets, it was difficult for Christians to resist falling into idolatry. The strong trade guilds in this city, says Leon Morris, "would have made it very difficult for any Christian to earn his living without belonging to a guild. But membership involved attendance at guild banquets, and this in turn meant eating meat which had first been sacrificed to an idol. What was a Christian to do? If he did not conform he was out of a job.

The teaching of Jezebel [probably a symbolic name] apparently reasoned that an idol is of no consequence, and advised Christians to eat such meals. That these meals all too readily degenerated into sexual looseness made matters worse. But we can understand that some Christians would welcome a heresy of this type. It enabled them to maintain a Christian profession while countenancing and even engaging in immoral heathen revels (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, 1975, p. 71).

Christ reminds the Thyatiran brethren they must come out of that worldly society, no matter how enticing it appeared, and not compromise with the truth. He promises to those of Thyatira who remain faithful that they will be arrayed, not in Thyatiran purple, a cloth used mainly by Roman royalty, but at His coming with the spiritual mantle of rulership over the nations. He tells them that he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My Father (Revelation 2:26–27).

More specific details as to strengths and weakness on the church at Thyatira will be covered under the Bible Study section, Revelation 2:18–29.

Sardis: Warning to Watch, the Dead Church

Poised above the rich Hermus Valley, Sardis was thirty miles south of Thyatira. The city appeared as a gigantic watchtower and was considered impregnable. Five roads converged below it and contributed to Sardis’s status as a great commercial center. The wealth of the city—which had been the capital of the Lydian Empire under the opulent King Croesus—was legendary. Christ exhorts this church, Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God (Revelation 3:2). The Sardian brethren could readily identify with a warning to be watchful. The only two times Sardis had been conquered were when its citizens had become overconfident and failed to watch.

Once, when King Cyrus of Persia besieged the city, the Sardians, nestled in their fortress high above, paid little attention to the invader. Cyrus could not find a way to get up to the citadel and even offered a reward to the soldier who discovered a pathway. Sometime later, a vigilant Persian soldier spied a defender who had accidentally dropped his helmet from above. The careless soldier climbed down a secret pathway to retrieve it, and that night, the Persians led their troops up the same pathway and to the top. To their surprise, the site was completely unguarded. The watchmen had gone home to sleep, thinking there was no need to keep guard at night—and so Sardis fell. Incredibly, several centuries later, the same sequence of events occurred when a Greek general besieged the city. After a year’s siege, the Greeks appeared to lose all hope of conquering the city. Then one of the Sardian soldiers dropped a helmet and retrieved it. That night, the Greeks led some men up the steep cliff. When they reached the top, the place was again unguarded. Sardis’s inhabitants had forgotten their lesson, and their city fell again.

Christ uses this lesson to drive home a powerful spiritual point to His Church: Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief in the night, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you (verse 3).

More specific details as to strengths and weakness on the church at Sardis will be covered under the Bible Study section, Revelation 3:1–6.

Philadelphia: The Faithful Church

About twenty-five miles southeast of Sardis lay the city of Philadelphia, newest of the seven cities. An imperial road passed through it from Rome to the east, so it became known as the gateway to the East.

Christ says to this church: And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;… Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name (Revelation 3:7, 11–12 KJV).

Christ emphasizes His loyalty to His true followers and reminds them to be equally faithful to Him. If they persevere in His Word, He will give them a crown that they may rule with Him in His Kingdom. We find a definite theme of brotherly fidelity in this section. The Philadelphian brethren could well identify with this admonition. Philadelphia means brotherly love. The city was named after the love the king who founded the city held for his brother. The city was established by Attalus II (159–138 BC), who was called Philadelphus (brother lover) in honor of his loyal affection toward his brother, King Eumenes II of Pergamos. During his brother’s lifetime, Attalus II was his most loyal assistant. He successfully commanded his brother’s forces in several wars and later became the trusted ambassador to their ally, Rome. There he won respect and admiration from the Romans for his brotherly fidelity.

The New Bible Dictionary comments: As Philadelphus was renowned for his loyalty to his brother, so the church, the true Philadelphia, inherits and fulfills his character by its steadfast loyalty to Christ (1982, Philadelphia, p. 926).

More specific details as to strength and weakness on the church at Philadelphia will be covered under the Bible Study section, Revelation 3:6–13.

Laodicea: Lukewarm Church, Warning to Repent

The last city on the route was Laodicea, forty-five miles southeast of Philadelphia. With three main roads crossing it, the city was one of the richest commercial centers in the world. The Laodiceans were famous for producing shiny, black wool clothing and boasted of an outstanding medical center that specialized in eye ointments. With the wealth amassed, it had also become the banking center of the region.

Christ says to this church: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see (verses 15–18).

Archaeologists have discovered the main aqueduct going to Laodicea, and several miles of it can still be traced. The water piped in from the south had so many minerals that the Roman engineers had covers installed so they could remove the mineral deposits before the pipes clogged. For all its wealth, the city had poor water, says The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. The water either came from the nearby hot springs and was cooled to lukewarm or came from a cooler source and warmed up in the aqueduct on the way (notes on Revelation 3, Zondervan commentary).

Christ uses the Laodiceans’ lukewarm and distasteful water to point out that their poor spiritual state is equally offensive to Him. He warns them that, if they do not rapidly improve their spiritual condition, He will reject them. He detests the Laodicean attitude of compromising with God’s laws. By contrast, He later describes those who are faithful to Him as those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12). Further, even if their clothing were world renowned, Christ tells them their spiritual garments were in pitiful condition. He recommends they focus instead on buying from Him the spiritual clothing of true righteousness that He later describes as fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (Revelation 19:8).

Jesus next tells those brethren, who were blind to their true spiritual condition, that the Phrygian powder concocted in their medical center as an eye ointment was useless. Instead, He advised them to use His true spiritual eye salve so they can clearly see and repent of their compromising attitudes. Lastly, Christ warns them not to put their trust in their physical wealth but in Him, who can develop the true gold that comes from overcoming trials and building righteous spiritual character. This solid advice is of lasting value to the entirety of the Church at any time in its history.

More specific details as to strengths and weakness on the church at Laodicea will be covered under the Bible Study section, Revelation 3:14–22.

John Visions

While John was enduring these harsh conditions, he received several visions from Christ. And the Book of Revelation is John’s record of and commentary on these visions. John’s account in Revelation 1:10–11: On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea (Revelation 1:10–11). Here, and in other passages like Revelation 21:5, John made it clear that he wrote in obedience to this command from God. God was going to show him a vision, and John was to record this vision and send it to these seven churches in Asia Minor. This direction from Jesus Christ to John to write what he had seen stress the importance of John was about to see and share this with all of us.

Knowing that the book of Revelation resulted from a vision given to John has led some interpreters to diminish the importance of John as the author of this book. After all, if it’s just a record of a vision, then what difference does its author make? What possible input could John have made? Jesus Christ using John to write what was presented to him was very important as Jesus believed in and/or gave John the ability to record what he saw and relay this to all of God’s people, John served in a very specific role selected by Jesus Christ.

When we think about how the Holy Spirit worked with people in the production of Scripture as God’s Word and as a human word, that we can say both, that these are human writers that are thinking things through, and they’re articulating what they understand and what they want to make known, and we can see that the Holy Spirit is shaping them and working with them and guiding them in the things that are written. There are some cases where the Holy Spirit is just directly telling people what to write, so we have some dictation, we have clear oracles. But in other cases, you’ve got the literary artistry of a human author, and he’s expressing things in cultural forms in the way that he wants them to be understood, and God is working with those free decisions to make them exactly what he wants. It is a compatibility of God’s sovereign direction and human responsibility to do things. It’s God’s Word, it’s a human word altogether (Dr. John E. McKinley).

The Spirit uses the different circumstances, the different personalities, the different vocabularies, the different historical chronology of each person and highlights that in such a way as to bring the optimum amount of clarity to the particular truth that is being demonstrated by the argument of the writer. And so throughout Scripture, what we have is this complete interaction of the gifts, and the historical background, and the knowledge, and the experiences of the writers, and at the same time, the particular activities of the Holy Spirit in guiding them to use all of these personal gifts which God in his providence has prepared them to have—using all these personal gifts in a way to create a book of divine revelation that is precisely as he would have it to be including all of the literature types, and all the historical narratives, and all of the angst of the writers. All of this is a matter of divine superintendence and divine revelation without, in any sense, destroying the genuine personality and history of the writers (Dr. Thomas J. Nettles).

With the possible exception of the letters in chapters 2 and 3, God revealed visions to John, not the actual words he was to write. Generally speaking, John wrote about his visions in his own words. So, in this regard, the book of Revelation is a lot like the Gospel of John.

First, John observed the events of Jesus’s life. Later, he reported those events in his gospel, in a way that was designed to meet the particular needs of his audience. In much the same way, John observed the visions he reported in the book of Revelation. Then he wrote his book as a true record of his experiences. And as we’ll see, John selected and arranged the material in the book of Revelation in ways that addressed the needs of his original audience.

Like the rest of the Bible, the book of Revelation was inspired by God. The Holy Spirit superintended John’s work so that everything he wrote was true and authoritative. But as we’ll see throughout this study, John was still an active, thinking author. With the possible exception of the letters in chapters 2 and 3, John didn’t receive dictation from Jesus. He was responsible for recalling his vision, for understanding it, and for presenting it in his own words.

Date of Writing

Date

Most scholars put the writing of