MEANING OF THE LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN REVELATION PART 2

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I hope you had a chance to view Nelson Walters’s video on the seven churches of Revelation. You will not only understand the purpose and meaning of the letters to the seven churches but you will understand how they complete the story revealed with the opening of the seven seals.

In the first post, I covered the first church Ephesus which faced deception with false prophets and Messiahs. After the deception of the First Year, the world is about to enter a most difficult time.

The Letter to Church at Smyrna, Smyrna means “myrrh or death.” The spice myrrh, which was primarily used for embalming, was the city’s main export. We know from the model we have been constructing for the 70th Week that the Second Year is a year of bloodshed, war, and chaos. Death is the main export of the Second Year.

THE ATTRIBUTES OF JESUS IN THE LETTER TO SMYRNA

Revelation has this to say about Jesus in the Letter to Smyrna: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this (Rev. 2:8) The statement “first and the last” is a paraphrase of Rev. 1:8 where Jesus claims to be the “alpha and the omega” (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet). This phrase is highly encouraging to those about to suffer. Jesus created all things and will judge all things in the end; between the two events, he is in control of all things. Nothing will happen to Christians that he does not work for their ultimate good.

The second phrase (“has come to life”) is also encouraging. Jesus has conquered death. It is not what we should fear. Jesus said, “I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him” Luke 12:4-5. Those who have died to Jesus and live in Him have nothing to lose or to fear. We are already “dead” to the old self and to this world and its evil system. We are alive in Him. This should be the attitude of the saints facing the Second Year of the 70th Week as reflected in the attributes of Jesus in the letter to Smyrna.

CONDITION OF THE CHURCH IN THE SECOND YEAR

The condition of the Church in the Second Year is difficult, per the Letter to Smyrna: I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. (Rev. 2:9)

We observed in the section about Ephesus that worship of the Antichrist’s god may be tied to economic prosperity. In this section, we notice that the Christians are economically poor. Unwillingness to compromise may have led to their poverty. We know from the model we are constructing of the 70th Week of Daniel, that there will be worldwide economic problems in year three.

In the previous section on Ephesus, we also saw a focus on Islam as the spiritual challenge for the Church. In Year Two, from Rev. 2:9 we see that apostate Judaism is added. We know from Daniel 9:27 that the Antichrist eliminates sacrifices and offerings at the midpoint of the 70th week. This obviously indicates that prior to that time, sacrifices and offerings were occurring. We know that “ it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). Only Jesus’s eternal blood sacrifice will take away sin. So when the Jews begin the practice of temple sacrifices again, it certainly is at the prompting of Satan to take their eyes off their Messiah.

God wants his Church to know these sacrifices are blasphemy. Jesus then gives the Church an encouragement: Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Although the Great Tribulation does not begin until the Fourth Year, the Church experiences tribulation from the Second Year on. In this passage, we are told that many of the faithful will be placed in prison or prison camps. The length of time the Church will have tribulation is curious: ten days. The Days of Awe are ten days from Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). These are days of repentance. Jewish tradition teaches that those who repent during the Days of Awe will be written into the Book of Life. The meaning of this time seems such a perfect match with the purpose of the imprisonment (“to be tested”). We have also seen a ten-day period in Daniel 1:12. It is the period of testing (note the similarities) when Daniel and his friends refused the Royal food and trusted God.

A major facet of the Second Year of the 70th Week that is not mentioned in the Letter to Smyrna is warfare. Why is that? The Letter to Smyrna is specifically for the Church, so it may be because Jesus has already instructed the Church in his Olivet Discourse to not be scared when the warfare begins: “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened” (Matt. 24:6). Jesus wants us to know that the wars of the Second Year are not wars that lead to the invasion of Israel and the eventual Abomination of Desolation.

Next post: The Church of Pergamum

APOSTATE AMERICAN CHURCH

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Seth Gruber interviews Steve Dease about the current state of the church in the USA and what prompted him to produce his fictional film Nefarious, which is about the reality of demonic possession. Steve is committed to doing his utmost to get Christians to live out their Christian worldview totally trusting Jesus for the outcome.

Where was the American Church when America was descending into the progressive agenda? Steve Deace caught the cultural decline before most pastors did and stepped into the gap to educate Christians on how to stand in a culture of death. Deace and Gruber discuss the crumble of the Church and how Christians should respond to the modern Trump era.

MINOR PROPHETS ON THE END TIMES

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Prophecy Roundtable with Doug Hamp and special guest Shelley Neese. I did not consider the minor prophets relevant apart from Joel and perhaps Micah, to end-times prophecies but that is not the case as you will see from this video. I often watch Doug Hamp, particularly for his insight into the Nephilim, and can recommend his series of books on Corrupting the Image: 1. Angels, Aliens and the Antichrist Revealed, 2. Hybrids, Hade and the Mt Hermon Connection, 3. Singularity, Superhumans, and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

END TIMES BIBLE PROPHECIES PLAYING OUT IN OUR DAY

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Jonathan Cahn shows us that everything is moving towards the Biblical end times prophecies playing out in our day. It is happening at an escalating rate. We are living in the prophesied time just before Jesus returns to Earth.

Generations of believers have wondered about the Book of Revelation, but are we in our generation actually seeing the signs of the approaching Apocalypse even now? Don’t miss as Jonathan Cahn continues to open up the Book of Revelation.

JONATHAN CAHN SHOWS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BIBLICAL PROPHECIES AND MODERN DAY EVENTS

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Another relevant sermon from Jonathan Cahn. God has uniquely graced Jonathan to draw connections between ancient Biblical prophecies and modern-day occurrences, particularly in global political shifts, religious movements, and the rise of anti-Judeo-Christian sentiment. Through a blend of biblical insights, historical references, and personal stories, he urges us to remain vigilant in our faith as end-time events unfold.

A GOOD NEWS STORY FROM COMMUNIST VIETNAM

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More than 24,000 people filled the Cần Thơ Stadium in Vietnam last month to seek Jesus during the Season of Love Festival with Evangelist Franklin Graham. It was a major turnout of people hungry to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. “The Gospel transcends all languages and cultures,” Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), said. “We praise God for the hundreds of people whose hearts were moved, and they responded to the invitation to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior and follow Him as Lord of their lives!” Over 315 churches and pastors came together to plan and pray for the two-day outreach. As a result, 14,000 people participated on the first night and 10,000 stood in the pouring rain on the second night to hear powerful messages on salvation. Altogether, more than 1,200 made decisions for Christ. “Rain is a sign of God’s blessing in the Bible, and today we saw God pour out His blessings on Vietnam,” Graham shared on Facebook. “It was a privilege to see so many people respond to God’s invitation to receive Jesus Christ by faith tonight.”

According to the BGEA, opportunities to share the gospel in the communist nation are increasing. “We’re there to share the love of Christ,” said Festival Director Derek Forbes, adding that the government keeps giving them opportunities to host outreaches. “We really have been given a lot of freedom,” he said. The ministry held its first evangelistic outreach in the nation in 2017 for its Love Hanoi Festival and then completed the Spring Love Festival in Ho Chi Minh City last year.  They set up the outreach in the Mekong River Delta, Cần Thơ, due to its 13 sprawling provinces full of rice fields and rural farmland. “It makes it a bit different environment than last year in Ho Chi Minh,” Forbes continued. “There are churches, but they are smaller and fewer in number.” BGEA explains that despite the difficulties, residents of mainly Buddhist or atheist background joined in to hear worship led by Charity Gayle, The Afters, and Vietnamese artists, and listened to a Gospel message from Graham.

“I asked them if their souls were safe and secure in the hands of Almighty God. There are not many roads to God. There is only one road—and that’s through the cross of Jesus Christ,” Graham recalled telling the crowd. One 60-year-old named Nguyen told the ministry that although she had heard of Jesus, she avoided Him. “Ever since I was a teenager, I avoided making a decision to follow Jesus because Buddhism was familiar,” she said. But she said Graham’s message during the outreach gave her a “newfound hope.” “I heard every word Franklin Graham said. I listened very carefully when he said if I seek God, I will find Him,” she told BGEA. “I want to trust Jesus as my Savior, and I want to follow Jesus as my Lord.” Nguyen is like thousands of others who put their faith in Christ. “We praise God for the way He moved and the lives that have been changed for eternity,” BGEA shared on X. Meanwhile, Graham is asking Christians around the world to pray for the new believers in Vietnam and for all of the churches here that are now coming alongside them in their walk with Christ?”

MEANING OF THE LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN REVELATION

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This post follows my previous post: Purpose of the seven letters to the Churches in Revelation. It proposes that each of the Seven Churches represents the Church in one of the seven years of the 70th week of Daniel. The first letter is to the Church during the First Year of the 70th Week of Daniel, the second letter is to the Church during the Second Year, etc. Scripture provides multiple other “pictures” of these seven years, particularly the seven seals and Jesus Olivet Discourse. Studying these other scriptures provides a stunningly consistent Pattern of Seven Events: 1) Deception by False Messiahs, 2) War and Bloodshed, 3) Famine, 4) Abomination of Desolation, 5) Martyrdom and Apostasy, 6) Celestial/Earthly Disturbance and Rapture, and then the 7) Wrath of God/Day of the Lord.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE LETTERS

Not only do the letters match the seven-year pattern. they also all have a somewhat complex internal structure consistent among each of the seven letters. This internal structure shared by all the letters helps the reader to compare and contrast how the environment surrounding the Church is changing during each year and how the Church reacts to this changing environment. Let’s look at the basic elements of these seven letters. Each of the church names has a symbolic meaning. Each letter is addressed to an angel in the church. John is commanded to write to the angels. Angels who stand before God himself have no need to have a human write to them. Human messengers need divine revelation, so this highly favors an interpretation that the “angels” are human messengers that relay God’s instructions to his churches. According to Nelson Walters the “angels” of each church are those that bring the message of “overcoming” to the Christians during each year of the 70th Week of Daniel. Many will die and be martyred, so the “angels” may differ from year to year in each of the churches. Each of the letters includes a call to listen, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” This call to listen is a favourite phrase of Jesus that he included at the end of many of his parables (Matt. 11:15, 13:9, 13:43; Mark 4:9, 4:23; Luke 8:8, 14:35). The extended Parable of the Sower in Luke 8 seems to give the best understanding of this phrase. I believe this is the primary reference Jesus was giving us when he used this phrase in each of the seven letters. By quoting the reference to this parable in each of the letters, Jesus is telling us that only a portion of the Christians will have a receptive heart (good soil) for his message. Notice those with good soil will hear, retain, and persevere. By quoting from this parable (Luke 8:5-8) in each of the seven letters, Jesus is warning us there will be those in each year of the 70th Week that “fall away,” and for Christians to be mindful of the snares the devil will set. Now that we have examined the two common elements—-they are all addressed to an “angel” and they all have the same “call to hear”—-let’s investigate each of the individual seven letters.

If the letters are prophecy, then the name given to each church may be symbolic of the general condition facing believers during that respective year of the 70th Week of Daniel, and the purpose of all of Revelation is to prepare and equip believers to overcome this time of trial.

Concerning the first letter, Ephesus means “the desired one.” This name is highly reflective of the immense spiritual battle about to take place. God and Satan both desire the souls of believers. All of the 70th Week of Daniel will revolve around this battle. In year one Satan’s counterfeit messiah and False Prophet will burst upon the world scene. The conflict for the souls of believers will be between the false messiahs and the true Messiah, Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. The battle lines are drawn for the “desired one.”

The attributes of Jesus’s appearance mentioned in the letter to each church is symbolic. The description of Jesus to the church in Ephesus is: “The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:” (Rev. 2:1) Jesus himself has defined both of these aspects of his appearance for us. The seven stars are the angels of each church. Human messengers delivering Jesus’s instructions on how to overcome the 70th Week of Daniel. Jesus holds these angels in his right hand. The right hand is the hand of blessing. God’s right hand is also a place of power, “Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy” (Exodus 15:6). Jesus will use these angels to help shatter his enemies by the revelation of His Word, and he will bless these human messengers. The seven lampstands are the seven churches. The Seven Churches are all pictures of the one true Church (as there was only one lampstand in the Tabernacle). Also, it says that Jesus walks among the lampstands. Jesus will be right there with us as we endure and overcome.

In all Seven Letters after the address and the description of Jesus’s symbolic appearance, he briefly describes the Church. For most of the seven years, Jesus provides both positive and negative feedback. This is what our Lord says will be the positive aspects of the church in the First Year of the 70th Week of Daniel: “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary.” Revelation 2:2-3

The primary condition of the world during this First Year will be deception by false messiahs. It appears from this passage that the Church is initially able to test and then recognize the false messiahs and false prophets as liars. Jesus also commends the Church for hating the works of the Nicolaitans: the word “Nicolaitans” means “overcoming the people of God” and it is tied to the actions of the rider of the white horse whose “conquering” in Rev. 6:2 is a spiritual overcoming. By this, we determined the Nicolaitans here are the followers of the Antichrist, most likely Muslims. Jesus also commends the Church for their perseverance. The Greek word for perseverance is HUPOMONE which is also sometimes translated endurance. This is the identical Greek word we just saw in Jesus’s explanation of the Parable of the Sower which is critical to understanding Jesus’s call to hear: But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance (HUPMONE). (Luke 8: 15. Bearing fruit in the coming trial will require endurance. Additionally, the trial will help produce this endurance, “We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance (HUPOMNE)” (Romans 5:3, emphasis mine). This is one purpose of Daniel’s 70th Week—refining the Bride of Christ.

Jesus has one rebuke for the Church, and it’s a big one: But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent” (Rev. 2:4-5). Bringing the Bride of Christ back into a love relationship is the main purpose of the 70th Week of Daniel. Jesus is clear that the Church will cease to be the Church if they don’t repent and act accordingly. They will fall away and apostatize.

Entering the trial, the Church will do “works” and will “toil,” for the Lord says, “I know your deeds and your toil” (Rev. 2:2). The Church will be expending effort, but it will not be done through the love of Jesus. Just a few verses later, we learn the Church’s works are not adequate. Jesus wants the Church to “do the deeds you did at first” (Rev. 2:5). Even though Jesus is aware of the effort the Church is expending in “good deeds,” these deeds are not done in the right spirit.

Next post we will look at the church in the second year of tribulation, the church at Smyrna. Nelson Walters’s video is excellent but you will need 2 hours and 51 minutes to watch it.

YFC ACTIVE AT SCHOOLIES ON THE GOLD COAST

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Mark Powell is the pastor at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, Hobart, and a writer and commentator on Christian issues. Pastor Powell was especially impressed to learn what happened at Schoolies on the Gold Coast last month.

He was pleasantly surprised to see a story about “queues of teens” lining up to be baptised in a mainstream media report written by Eleanor Katelaris on news.com.au, one of Australia’s two dominant news sites according to Ipsos rankings. She wrote in part: “An organisation called Youth for Christ (YFC) is hosting public baptisms, inviting teenagers to embrace a more spiritual path amid the usual Schoolies chaos.” “It is a public declaration of faith signifying the symbolic death of a believer’s old life and the beginning of a brand new life following Jesus.”

“This wholesome side of Schoolies has caught the attention of many on TikTok, where one YFC missionary is sharing videos of their initiative.” “It’s certainly an unusual sight – in one clip, a sea of young people walk through the main strip of Surfers Paradise holding Jesus Loves You and Get Baptised signs.” “In another, teens are seen lining up on the street to visit the YFC stall on the main strip.” Cindy McGarvie, National Director of Youth for Christ Australia, said its mission teams have been offering baptisms at Schoolies since 2016. “We’re at Schoolies to share the hope of Jesus. It’s the message we want to be sharing wherever we go. The baptisms are a small, but significant outworking of this simple focus,” she told the reporter. Ms. McGarvie said the feedback this year was “overwhelmingly positive” — noting that most nights there was a constant flow of schoolies coming up to them, asking genuine questions about God. She conceded there can be a lot of “negative influences” on young people at Schoolies, so she is “thrilled” to see so many keen to learn about Christianity.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/teens-are-getting-baptised-at-schoolies/video/b00e14b04343b15ddc0754fd68dd2122

PURPOSE OF THE SEVEN LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES IN REVELATION

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The Seven Letters are addressed to the seven churches of Revelation, and in fact, all of the Book of Revelation is addressed to them as well: “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.

Jesus’s Letters to the Seven Churches in Revelation are his love letters to us, his bride. These letters are the only prophecies written specifically for the Church that will endure the 70th Week of Daniel; hence, they are key to our understanding of how the Church should prepare for events in the 70th Week. As such, they are of great value because they instruct us on overcoming during this period.

It is our thesis that each of the Seven Churches represents the Church in one of the seven years of that period. The first letter is to the Church during the First Year of the 70th Week of Daniel, the second letter is to the Church during the Second Year, etc. Scripture provides multiple other “pictures” of these seven years, particularly the seven seals and Jesus Olivet Discourse. Studying these other scriptures provides a stunningly consistent Pattern of Seven Events:

[ 1) Deception by False Messiahs,

2) War and Bloodshed,

3) Famine,

4) Abomination of Desolation,

5) Martyrdom and Apostasy,

6) Celestial/Earthly Disturbance and Rapture,

7) Wrath of God/Day of the Lord.

In the next post, we will look at the detail in each of the seven letters to the churches. Much of the information in this post is taken from Nelson Walters book Revelation Deciphered.

END TIMES BIBLICAL PROPHESIED WAR IN DANIEL 8 IS IMMINENT

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The stage is being set for the prophesied end-times war in Daniel 8 when the Goat (Sunni Turkey) overcomes the Ram (Shia Iran). What we see unfolding fits with end-times Biblical prophecy that prophecies a major battle between Sunni Turkey and Shia Iran with Turkey winning a decisive battle and re-establishing its dominance in the Muslim world.

Assad’s downfall marks a new realignment in the Middle East. The outcome of this tectonic shift is bound to have a profound impact on the Middle East and the global balance of power.

“We see a huge change in the region. Turkey has become stronger, Russia has become weaker, Iran has become weak,” said Badr Jamous, a leading anti-Assad opposition politician. “But it is the Syrians that will play a big role now, not like before. All will have to listen to our voice and to our decisions.”

Iran, whose embassy in Damascus was looted immediately after the rebel takeover, has lost its major ally in the “axis of resistance” and the vital land connection to its Hezbollah proxy militia in Lebanon.

Turkey is on the ascendant. With Assad gone, Ankara will clearly exert much greater authority over its southern neighbor, and the entire Levant, a boost to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman aspirations.

Turkey openly supports the Syrian National Army militia, which has focused its energy mostly on battles with Syrian Kurds in recent weeks, with clashes continuing Sunday. Turkey has also provided tacit backing to the most formidable Syrian rebel force, Sunni Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS.

Shia Iran (Ram) through its proxies has tried to be the dominant Muslim force in the Middle East “charging westward and northward, and southward” but the much stronger Sunni Turkey (Goat) will not allow that to happen.

“I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam (in Iran) And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram (Iran) standing on the bank of the canal… I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.” Daniel 8:2-3, 4

“As I was considering, behold, a male goat (Turkey) came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground… He came to the ram (Iran) with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath… And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him.” Daniel 8:5-7

Turkey seeks to re-establish its Ottoman Empire and for a short time it will be successful but then the prophecy reveals it will be broken up into four probably by the United Nations. They will not countenance another Ottoman Empire attempting to dominate the world.

“Then the goat (Turkey) became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
Out of one of them came a little horn (Antichrist), which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the host of heaven.” Daniel 8:8-9

It is out of one of these four Muslim nations that the Antichrist arises.