 Okay. Recording is on. Welcome back everyone. This is our second lecture for BC 308 Revelation and Daniel. We are working through Revelation chapter 2 and let's see how far we go. So we looked at the Lord's first, the message to the church in Ephesians. Any questions so far? Any thoughts on that? No, the church in Ephesians about the Lord spoke to them. Everyone's doing fine with that? Okay. Let's go forward now with the next church in Smyrna. So this is Revelation chapter 2 verses 8 through 11. Could somebody read that for us please? Revelation chapter 2 verses 8 through 11. I'll read first. Go ahead. Unto the angel of the church in Smyrna who write these things says the first and lost was dead and came to life. I know your works, tribulations and poverty but you are rich and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer indeed. The devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have tribulation 10 days. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. You who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be heard by the second death. Thank you. So the church in Smyrna, it's also very interesting as we look at these seven churches how the Lord introduces himself to each one of the seven churches. You know there's a very interesting way like in Ephesians to the church in Ephesians he says look I'm the one who holds the seven stars and I walk in the midst of the seven candlesticks depicting that you know he's watching over these churches. To the church in Smyrna he says I'm the first of the last, the dead, the one who was dead and I'm alive. He's talking about his eternal nature first and last beginning and the end always who was and always is and also in that he died but he's alive. He's a risen Lord. So he's introducing himself that way to the church in Smyrna. Now the church in Smyrna we see that this was a church that was going through a lot of hardship and the Lord is very mindful of that. They're going through a lot of tribulation, a lot of persecution, a lot of opposition and they seem to be facing a lot of opposition from people who try to identify who he says they are, they say they are Jews but they're really a synagogue of Satan. The word synagogue simply means an assembly, a group of, it's like the devil's group. Now this is Revelation 2 verse 9 and so it's very likely that these were people who were troubling, attacking, harassing, opposing the believers at Smyrna and they were blaspheming or speaking out against the believers. So the church in Smyrna was going through the tribulation but and it's possibly also as he mentions in verse 9 and poverty that means perhaps going through you know financially they may not have been very very well off but the Lord to see you and poverty but you're really rich, you are rich. I mean spiritually they were very well doing very well. So spiritually this church was doing very well but in the natural they were going through these challenges right that they were facing tribulation opposition from these people. They may not have had a lot of money so in that natural sense of poverty but spiritual sense they were very rich and the other good thing you see about the church of Smyrna is the Lord says I know your works that means they were diligent in serving the Lord. They continued doing what the Lord wanted them to do but the Lord warns these people. He says you know the devil is going to throw some of you into prison meaning you're going to face even more attacks to the point where some of you're going to be put into prison and you'll be tested or stand in relation to 10 but I want you to be faithful to death. I'll give you the crown of life. Who's speaking? The one who conquered death. He said I am dead. I came to life. You be faithful to death. I'll give you the crown of life meaning I'll give you this eternal life. Just be faithful and now I just want to want us to think about something. I don't actually have an answer for this. There is a church in Smyrna. There is a church in Philadelphia so out of the seven churches there are only two churches to whom the Lord does not say you have to repent of anything. So out of the seven churches only two churches for all the others the other five he tells them you have to repent. There are things that are wrong but only two. The church in Smyrna and the church in Philadelphia which we will see in chapter three. There is no call to repentance meaning the Lord is finding nothing there. In these two churches that he needs to tell them to repent of which is remarkable because all the other five churches he says repent. But what is interesting and I don't have an explanation. The church in Smyrna, church in Philadelphia if you compare them both are facing opposition by the same kind of people. In Smyrna he says there is the synagogue of Satan. People who are pretending to be Jews were troubling you. Same thing he says to the church in Philadelphia he says you know there's the synagogue of Satan. People are troubling you. But what we see is in Smyrna the devil is able to attack and put some of them in prison. In Philadelphia he says they will come and bow at your feet. Then this is in Revelation three verse nine he says I will make them come and worship at your feet. So imagine the enemies of the church are coming and bobbing down before the church and as in Smyrna the enemies are successful in putting some of them into prison. So the obvious question is you know why is there this difference? Why can't the enemies in Smyrna also come and bow before the church just like the church in Philadelphia because both these churches are doing well. There's nothing they have to repent of. I'm both are facing the synagogue of Satan. Some people who claim to be Jews but they're actually opposing the Christian faith. Why is there this difference? Honestly I don't know the answer but I just wanted to point out this difference. I mean we could think of a few things. Why? There is this difference. Do you want to discuss? Does anybody have any thoughts? I hope you understood what I said in this. Did everybody understand what it is? Anybody want to like this thing? Try to share your thoughts. Why would there be this difference? Two churches nothing to repent of and yet this difference. Any thoughts anybody? Just feel free to share your thoughts. I mean I even I don't know the exact answer. I have some ideas but anybody wants to share it. So one thought is and I'm not saying this is the right answer. I'm just saying one of my thoughts is that for the church in Smyrna he says they will attack you. This is verse 10, Revelation 2.10 that you may be tested. It seemed like the Lord was letting these people go through this testing for whatever reason and whatever good it was going to do amongst them. The church in Philadelphia which we will be reading when we get to Revelation 3.7.2.13 seemed to be a church that really kept to his word, kept to his word, which we don't find mentioned about the church in Smyrna. And this again just my guess. We don't know all the details but it seems to me that that's a big difference between the two churches. The church in Philadelphia he says he repeats it two times. You've kept my word. I'm going to make the synagogue of Satan. I'm going to make them come and worship at your feet. Smyrna, I know your works. I know you're staying through the tribulation, holding on in spite of your poverty but you're going to be still tested. There is no commendation of holding on to the word. I don't know. So maybe there's something that the Lord was trying to accomplish needed to be accomplished in their lives as they went through this testing. But as in Philadelphia they probably the word brought that cleansing or testing in their lives. This only my observation, I wouldn't put it out as this is the answer. But it is a very interesting difference. And the promise there in verse 11 of Revelation 2 to the church in Smyrna is to the overcome, you won't be affected by the second death. The second death is eternal death in hell. You know we see that in Revelation chapter 20 when we read about that. So he says you hold on to me no matter what your face be an overcomeer you will have eternal life. All right so let's go to the third church. Any questions here so far on this? Okay you all with me? Okay let's go now to Revelation 2. 12. Let's read the third church to chapter verse 12 that's Pergamot still verse 17. Okay so could somebody read Revelation 2 12 to 17 please? This is the church in Pergamot. Revelation 2 12 to 17. Chapter 20 is it or 17? Yes um oh sorry this is still 17 please. Okay. And to the angel of the church of Pergamot right this thing says he who has the sharp two edges sword I know your works and where you dwell where Satan's throne is you are hold fast to my name and did not deny my death even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr who was killed among you when Satan dwells but I have a few things against you if you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balak who thought Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrifice to idols and to commit sexual immorality thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the nickel lightens which thing I hate repent or else I will come to you quickly and we'll fight against them with the sword of my mouth be who has air letting fear what the spirit says to the churches to him who overcomes I will give some of some of the hidden manas to eat and I will give him a white stone and on the stone a new name written no one expects no one knows except him who receives it. Thank you. So Gertrude Smirna so see in verse 12 how the Lord introduces himself I am the one he says who has a sharp two edges sword meaning I am the one who will execute judgment on my enemies the sharp two edges sword going out of my mouth the word of word of the Lord which would destroy his enemies so that's the one who's speaking and then he says you know again this is very interesting in verse 13 he says you are in a place where Satan's throne is so the church in Smirna he says I know your works and where you dwell that means I know where this church is and the Lord says very interesting you are where Satan's throne is what does this tell us this tells us that you know there is the spiritual dimension over the city so this in this in this case of course is Pergamos sorry we are looking at Pergamos the third church so Pergamos was a place the Lord says Satan's throne is in what way was Satan's throne there that means it's it's it's the spiritual side over the city the city of Pergamos and even the Lord is recognizing that you are in a city where Satan is having so much of influence it's like he's got a throne there he's got a very strong presence a very established presence in that city it's interesting the Lord is saying this so you know we need to think okay you know in our cities in our areas of regions we're talking about geographical regions what is Satan's level of influence you know Satan's throne is there you know and I'm not saying we should go overboard on it and say oh the devil is through a ruling here and you know get distracted in that sense but we need to be aware we need to be conscious of the spiritual atmosphere and what the devil is doing in our region and the Lord says you know he recognizes that there's been a martyr there somebody who's been killed he mentions him by name Antipas a faithful martyr that's verse 13 so the Lord recognizes those who have given their lives for the sake of the gospel to the church in Pergamos verse 14 and 15 the Lord is saying there are two problems and both of these have to do with the doctrine the kind of teaching this church is entertaining they are entertaining verse 14 the teaching of Balaam the doctrine of Balaam verse 15 they're entertaining the doctrine of the Nicolatians so remember we read about the Nicolatians in the church in Ephesians this church has given room to that teaching so this tells us we have to be careful of what kind of teaching we entertain in the church or what we permit in the church so as leaders we have to be careful what kind of teaching are you permitting to go on in the church here in the church in Pergamos a lot is saying hey there are two things I mean there are a few things I have a few things against you and two things that he points out has to do with the doctrine the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolatians the teaching so the doctrine of Balaam obviously was a teaching that this church permitted that resulted in people engaging and sacrifice to idols and committing immorality and so on so whatever that teaching was this was the outcome verse 15 the teaching of the Nicolatians it doesn't tell us here but you know possibly it was like we said earlier something that suppressed the lady and so he tells them verse 16 repent otherwise notice what he says I will fight against them the people in the church are promoting these kinds of doctrines I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth meaning with my very word I'm going to deal with them the people are holding on and are promoting the doctrine of Balaam the teaching of Balaam and the teaching of the Nicolatians then he says verse 17 to him overcomes I'll give him a new name a white stone with a new name and so this you know I'm going to that's the Lord's very special expression of personal love to each overcomer giving you a new name but I think the key takeaway or two takeaways here from the Bhagavad Gita is we need to be aware of the special atmosphere over our city need to be careful of what doctrine we love going on inside the church you just can't let any doctrine come in and the test is what is the fruit of the doctrine that kind of teaching if it's leading people astray in their life or if it is suppressing them we shouldn't entertain it are you with me any questions okay let's look at the next church we're going to go into versus this is a little long passage versus 18 to 29 the church in Taira please could somebody read that passage for us I know it's a little lengthy passage but the church in Taira revelation to 18 to 29 please revelation to 18 to 29 and to the angels of the church in Taira right this thing says the Son of God who has eyes like a frame of fire and his feet like fine process I know your books love service faith and your patience and as for your books the last are more than the first nevertheless I have a few things against you because you allow the woman sensible who calls herself appropriate this to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrifice to idols and I gave her time to repent of our sexual immorality and she did not repent indeed I will cast her into a sick bed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds I will kill her children with did and all the churches sell know that I am he who searches the mind and the hearts and I will keep to each one of you according to your books now to you I say and to the rest in Taira as many as do not have this doctrine who have not known the dips of seven as they say I will put on you no other burden but hold fast what you have till I come and he who cover overcome overcomes and keeps my works until the end to him I will keep power over the nations he shall rule them with a road of iron they shall be taste two pieces like the potter's vessels as I also have received from my father and I will give him the morning stars he who has an ear let him hear who were the spirit says to the churches thank you thank you you so again verse 18 look at how the Lord introduces himself to the church in Taira says I'm the son of God I have eyes like a flame of fire and I have feet like brass remember what we said from chapter one when John saw the Lord eyes like fire feet like brass eyes like fire refines tests but fire also gives light elimination which means it's perversive it is omniscient or omnipresent and feet like brass brass symbolizes judgment or trying of crushing all the enemies since this is who I am the son of God who can see who can test everything and I also judge my enemies feet like brass now do the church in Taira something similar to the church in Bergamas you know so he says see I know your works verse 19 means you're a good church in the sense you've got works going on you have love your ministry your faith your endurance and your works are increasing your works are increasing he says your your last is more than the first so you know if you look at it in the natural it's a church in Taira verse 19 it's a growing church because your works are increasing but there is a problem what is the problem they are entertaining a false teacher and a false prophet in the church in Bergamas they were entertaining wrong doctrine two kinds of wrong doctrine the lord mentioned the doctrine of Balaam the doctrinalic legions church in Taira they're entertaining a woman her name is Jezebel she calls herself a prophetess that means you know she's going by that ministry or office of a prophet or a prophetess so they're entertaining her they're giving her space to minister and so on but he says you know what she's teaching or what was wrong with her what she's teaching is actually seducing the people it's drawing them away from God and they're ending up in what immorality and things sacrifice to idols and you can see here the lord is being patient he says in verse 21 i gave her time to repent in words like you know i gave her time to change the lord's being patient now but she didn't she didn't change she's continuing to teach something that is drawing people away from God and taking them into immorality and so on and so the lord says in verse 22 i'm going to come so he's the one who has eyes like fire and the sword in his mouth he says look those who commit adultery with her this is verse 22 so now keep keep in mind that adultery i'm trying to put this in so adultery in the bible of course there is the physical act of adultery but there is also adultery is also used in the bible to talk about a spiritual departure from God so verse 22 when he says those who commit adultery with her it could also represent it could also represent those who are spiritually departing from God because of her teaching because the adultery in the spiritual context is not just or in the biblical context is not just physical but also spiritual so keep that in mind verse 22 those who commit adultery with her they're going to go through integrate tribulation that means they're going to go in how and what my God is going to judge but he's they're going to go through a lot of suffering right now it's come to a place of judgment see when people say and it doesn't mean that God is going to immediately strike them he gives them time to repent and then comes if they don't repent still then comes judgment and verse 23 i will kill her children with death and all the churches will know that i'm he who searches the minds and hearts eyes like fire what do they do they search the minds and heart they refine the search verse 23 i will kill her children who are her children those who are following her doctrine so this is spiritual he's not talking about her physical children he's talking about those who are spiritually influenced by her by her teaching or going astray have been seduced by her so he says verse 23 i will kill her children with death i mean they they're gonna die and people will know all the churches will know that i'm he who searches the hearts and minds then he says verse 24 i'm gonna say to the rest in thaycera as many as do not have this doctrine that means the other people in the church who have not embraced the doctrine of this jesaba this woman and very strong words who have not known the depths of satan you know the teaching we hear can take us into the depths of god or they can take us into the depths of satan think about it and this woman's teaching was taking people into the depths of satan that means the teaching was actually actually taking them deeper into satan think about it so it says for the people who have not given into her teaching i'm not asking anything more stay stay like that don't get involved with that doctrine something you think about are there doctrines in the church today you know like we saw in bagamos and in thaycera are there doctrines that are floating around in the church today are there people who are promoting these doctrine such kinds of doctrine the real question is are these doctrines taking us away from the lord into things into practices that the lord said you shouldn't be doing okay that's what's happening in all of these cases the teaching is actually taking them away from god into doing wrong things worshiping other things giving importance to other things commenting immorality or doing things the lord doesn't approve of worshiping idols people who subscribe to that kind of teaching the lord says they are the children of that teacher of false prophet or prophetess and he's saying that this doctrine is actually taking people into the depths of satan are the questions are these are those kinds of things going around in the church and as lead us we have to guard our churches from these kinds of things the doctrine and the people to promote those doctrines so we have a responsibility as leaders because you can see clearly from these two churches the lord wasn't happy the wrong doctrine coming into the church or the people promoting this wrong doctrines being entertained okay finally he says verse 25 he says you know to those who have not subscribed to this doctrine i don't want you to do anything more just stay there hold on to what you've got just hold on to what you're whatever you're doing to stay with it till i come and to the one who overcomes he says you will have power over the nations and you will rule over the nations amen now maybe let's we have yeah we do have time so can we go through one more church which is sardis chapter three verses one to six it should be easy i think we have only six verses uh let's try to finish that so we can make some progress into chapter three as well could somebody read that for us please revelation three one to six please to the angel of the church inside is right these are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of god and the seven stars i know your deeds you have a reputation of being alive but you are dead wake up strengthen what remains and it's about to die why i found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my god you know therefore what you have received has heard hold it fast and repent but if you do not wake up i will come like a thief and you will not know at what time i will come here yet a few people in sardis who have not soiled they will walk with me dressed in white dressed in white but they are worthy the one who is victorious will like them be dressed in white i will never blot out the name of the person from the book of life but we'll acknowledge that name before my father and his angels whoever has ears let them hear what the spirit says to the churches thank you now the church okay i see kiran's note in the chat can you explain verse 25 okay so uh revelation 225 uh just going back so thank you thank you so much for reading chapter three verse one to six but i just saw a note in the chat from kiran uh asking for explanation verse 25 so the lord is telling the people in the church in thai terror see they were doing well right if you look at verse 19 they were they were serving god well they were working in love faith patience so they're doing good but there's one big problem which is they are entertaining this false prophet is joseph or this woman joseph who has a lot of people have kind of you know i'm not saying a lot but people have uh began to go with her doctrine and which is leading them into edam but then there are those people who have not subscribed to her doctrine to them he says i'm not asking you anything more just hold on to what you have that means that you're doing well just keep doing it and till i come that means just keep going the way i want till the lord comes okay all right i got your your response in the chat thank you so chapter three verse one to six is the other church the church in sardis it's a very interesting observation here again a very sobering observation the the lord again see who is how does how does he introduce himself in verse one he says the lord jesus he is the one who has a seven spirit of god and the seven stars seven spirits of god referring to the holy spirit he saw that in chapter one verse four that means he is the one who's anointed by the holy spirit and he has a seven stars that means he's holding every leader of the church in his hand in other words look this is somebody who's anointed and who's holding people in his hand he's protecting them but he's also holding them accountable so the anointed one is holding us accountable so he says that's how he introduces himself to the church in sardis and to this church he begins with a very solemn statement verse one i know your works you have a name that you're alive but you are dead that's very sobering says you know church i know i know what you and i know you're busy doing a lot of things i know your works and you have a reputation you have a name that means you have a reputation that you are alive you know you're a vibrant on fire dynamic church so you have a name that you're alive but really you are dead really you are dead you know that this always you know when i read this it always is very sobering because i should not think of our myself or our church based on the works we are doing i cannot think of ourselves based on what people think about us because you have a name you're alive but you are dead what does the lord say about the church people are saying you're alive they're seeing all the work you're doing but the lord is saying you're dead now why is that because he says in words to the next words he says your works are not perfect before god so they're doing a lot of things people are seeing what they're doing they think wow this is a great church is doing all these things but the lord is saying the works are your works are not perfect before god maybe they're not doing what god really wants them to do or maybe they're not doing it the way god wants them to do it so your works are not perfect and he says in words to there are a few things that seem to have some life but they're also ready to die meaning there may be a few things that are okay but even that's about to die it was very sobering the church and sardis now the church and sardis had a rich history it wasn't like this all the all the time he said in verse three you know you have received you have heard that means there was a time this church had received good things i mean they had received so whoever the appall whoever the person would come to plant and establish this church they had received and they had were heard i mean there was a great time in the past this was three but somehow it's all they've just gone away from it so he says you know you need to repent now verse four there are a few people who are maintaining the walk before god they've not defiled their garments and they will walk with me in white so when you put all this together it seems like i mean if you put all this together oh yeah and i'm just drawing an inference i'm not you know i i'm just basing it on these four verses it seems like here's a church that has a lot of work going on but majority of the people have to file their garments only a few have not to file their garments that means the others have that means these works are being done either the the works that that they have are either works that god doesn't want them to do or they're being done in a very defiled way because that's what he said in verse four he said there are a few who have not defiled that means the rest have defiled their garments with sin and things that god doesn't approve so the works are happening but the question is who is doing the works how are they being done and are the works the works god wants to be done if these three criteria are not checked upon then the works that are being done by the church are not perfect before god and i'm basing it on these four verses and even if the church has a name that you're alive the lord is saying you're dead very sobering so then he promises you know the old comma you'll walk with me in garments of white and have like knowledge before the father okay we will pause here we're gonna close uh you know each one of these churches are like when you read it it's very very sobering and i come back to this these two chapters read it all you know because it just keeps us accountable before god as leaders you know hey this is of the lord is thought jesus is evaluating the church these are the things he's looking for and and we need to be reminded over and over and over again you know stay the course be careful of these things and uh because the lord is watching okay so it is very sobering let's uh take a moment to pray and we will pick this up again next week and we will move forward could somebody lead us in prayer and close please thank you anyone Thomas father in jesus name we thank you for the wonderful day of lord as we studying about the churches father we thank you for your mercy the lord help us to do what you want us to do father our own things but connected with you love you and to know your heart and mind to do what pleases to your father we thank you for this wonderful time of lord let me pick more in your word please help us and thank you we praise your father thank you for the wonderful time in jesus name you pray amen amen amen thank you everybody we'll take a quick break i'll see you in the next class bye now thank you thanks