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Agape Bible Study Revelation 1-3
Introduction to Revelation Chapter One
The chart below demonstrates the division of the Book of Revelation into the formal Covenant Treaty format. Covenant agreements between nations, treaties between a great king and a vassal people, or "lawsuits" against a rebellious people were written in a formal style in the ancient Middle East from approximately the fifteenth century BC.
THE COVENANT TREATY FORMAT IN REVELATION
| COVENANT TREATY FORMAT | REVELATION'S DIVISIONS in the Covenant Lawsuit |
| PREAMBLE: Identifies the lordship of the Great King stressing his greatness, power & his nearness and presence | VISION OF THE SON OF MAN Chapter 1: History of the Covenant |
| Four sets of seven judgments | |
| HISTORICAL PROLOGUE: Surveying the king's previous relationship of the vassal, especially emphasizing the blessings bestowed | THE SEVEN LETTERS Chapters 2 and 3: Specific stipulations dealing with false prophets, persecution, lawlessness, love for God grown cold, duty of perseverance |
| ETHICAL STIPULATIONS: Expounding the vassal's obligations, his "guide to citizenship" in the covenant | THE SEVEN SEALS Chapters 4-7: Concerned with wars, famine, and earthquakes |
| SANCTIONS: Outlining the blessings for obedience and judgments for disobedience | THE SEVEN TRUMPETS Chapters 8-14: The Church's witness to the world, her flight into the wilderness, the great tribulation and the False Prophet |
| SUCCESSION ARRANGEMENTS Dealing with the continuity of the covenant relationship over future generations | THE SEVEN CHALICES Chapters 15-22: The darkening of the Beast's kingdom, the destruction of the Harlot, the eagles/vultures over Jerusalem's corpse, and the gathering of the Church into the Kingdom |
| Michal E. Hunt Copyright © 2000 | |
In the book of Revelation, St. John, the servant of Jesus the Messiah, prophesies the covenant sanctions that will fall upon His generation for disobedience to the covenant Israel made with Yahweh.
CHAPTER 1
THE THINGS WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE SOON WHICH JOHN HAS SEEN
The Preamble (prologue greeting) establishing the Lordship of the Great King in John's Vision of the Son of Man
Revelation 1:1-3 ~
Biblical treaties acknowledge God's transcendence and omnipresence by referring to His actions in creation, redemption, and revelation. The opening verses stress God's divine revelation, and the declaration of the redemptive powers of Jesus the Messiah will close Revelation's preamble. As in the Old Testament tradition, it was a common practice to take the name of a book of Sacred Scripture from the first line; therefore, for centuries this book has been called "A Revelation of Jesus Christ." The word "revelation" in Greek is apokalypsis, which means "unveiling."
The work is the unveiling of the Kingdom Bride Jesus the Messiah in the context of future events which are only known to God the Father (Mt 24:36). Jesus the Son now shares in this knowledge which he will communicate to John. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ not only because it comes directly to John from Jesus but because Jesus is the subject, the beginning, and the end of this unveiling of future events.
The message is transmitted in five steps beginning with God the Father and ending with us, the readers: 1) from God the Father, 2) to Jesus Christ, 3) to an angel, 4) to the writer, John, 5) to the readers of this letter, the servants of God.
- what is now to take place very soon (Rev 1:1)
- the Time is near (Rev 1:3)
- Now write down all that you see of present happenings and what is still to come (Rev 1:19)
- The angel said to me, "All that you have written is sure and will come true: the Lord God who inspires the prophets has sent his angel to reveal to his servants what is soon to take place (Rev 22:6).
- I am coming soon! Blessed are those who keep the prophetic message of this book (Rev 22:7).
- I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay everyone as their deeds deserve (Rev 22:12).
- The one who attests these things says: I am indeed coming soon (Rev 22:20).
Jesus' "coming soon" answers the question the disciples asked Him just before the Ascension when they said, "Lord, has the time come for you to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
| The Seven Beatitudes of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to His Servant John | |
| #1. Revelation 1:3 | Blessed is anyone who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed those who hear them, if they treasure the content, because the Time is near. |
| #2. Revelation 14:13 | Blessed are those who die in the Lord! Blessed indeed, the Spirit says; now they can rest forever after their work, since their good deeds go with them. This is the doctrine of merit |
| #3. Revelation 16:15 | Blessed is anyone who has kept watch, and has kept his clothes on, so that he does not go out naked and expose his shame. |
| #4. Revelation 19:9 | Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. |
| #5. Revelation 20:6 | Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection; the second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and reign with Him for a thousand years. The first death is one's physical death; the second death is the failure to enter into eternal life |
| #6. Revelation 22:7 | I am coming soon! Blessed are those who keep the prophetic message of this book. |
| #7. Revelation 22:14 | Blessed are those who will have washed their robes clean, so that they will have the right to feed on the tree of life and can come through the gates into the city. The city is the new, heavenly Jerusalem of Rev 21:9. |
| Michal E. Hunt Copyright © 2000 | |
Question: What is the fifth historical kingdom?
Answer: The fifth kingdom is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the universal Church.
Revelation 1:4-8: John's Prologue Address and Greeting Continues
The seven Christian faith communities of Revelation, located in what is today the country of Turkey, no longer exist. They were swallowed up in the Muslim invasions of the seventh and eighth centuries AD. Notice on the map that the churches were all located in somewhat of a circle. Perhaps this was St. John's diocese when he was bishop of Ephesus. St. Irenaeus records that John wrote his Gospel when he was Bishop of Ephesus (Against Heresies, 3.1.1) and the location of the island of his imprisonment on Patmos was just off the coast near Ephesus.
Question: In Revelation 1:4-5 what mystery, previously revealed by Jesus Christ to the Church, is expressed and in what three titles and in what order (hint: see Mt 28:19)?
Answer:
- God the Father (He who is and who was and who is to come)
- God the Holy Spirit (from the seven spirits before His throne)
- God the Son (Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, the highest of earthly kings)
Notice that this is a liturgical order in naming the Most Holy Trinity as opposed to the order (in Matthew 28:19). This order is significant since the visions in Revelation are in a liturgical context.
Question: How is the liturgical order of the Trinity (Father, Holy Spirit, and Son) reflected in our prayers to the Most Holy Trinity the sacrifice of the Mass?
Answer:
- We begin our worship by addressing our prayers to God the Father and continue with prayers to the Father until the Eucharistic prayer.
- In the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest first calls upon God the Holy Spirit when he prays: Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
- It isn't until the rite of the "Sign of Peace" that the priest first addresses a pray to God the Son: Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: "I leave you peace, my peace I give you." Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live forever and ever. From the Sign of Peace onward, our prayers are continually directed to God the Son.
Revelation 1:9-16 ~ The Preamble Continued: The First Vision of the Glorified Christ
This verse gives the fourth mention of John's name in the first chapter. John's name will appear five times in the book (Rev 1:1, 2, 4, 9, and 22:8).
Question: Why does John call himself our "brother"?
Answer: We are brothers (and sisters), united in the blood of Christ in God's family of the New Covenant Kingdom.
Covenants create families. In the Old and New Testaments, only one word appears for "brother" no matter what the degree of relationship. In the New Testament, it is the Greek word adelphos, meaning "from the womb," but it is the same word used for brothers in the same family (John and James Zebedee), for kinsmen (the relatives of Jesus), for the disciples and apostles (Acts 1:15-16), and for members of the nation of Judah and the Israelites of the Galilee (Acts 2:37). Therefore, when this word refers to Jesus' relatives (i.e., Mt 13:55-56; Mk 6:3), it is wrong to assume that Jesus had brothers and sisters from His mother, Mary. See the document "Did Jesus Have Brothers and Sisters."
For John and us, we unite our tribulations and sufferings with Jesus' Passion, just as St. Paul expressed in Col 1:24 ~ I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I fill up what is lacking of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh, on behalf of His Body, the Church. And where do we keep our eyes focused during trials and tribulations? Like St. John, we must remain focused on the eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
The Kingdom: Where the Kingdom is, there is also the King, Christ Jesus. And if we keep our hearts and lives centered on Him, even though we are in the midst of tribulation, we will perservere.
Perseverance: Perseverance amid adversity is an important theme in the Book of Revelation. John will use it the word "perseverance" seven times (Rev 1:9; 2:2, 3, 19; 3:10; 13:10; 14:12).
[John] was on Patmos on account of the Word of God and the witness to Jesus Christ.
The Romans condemned John to imprisonment on Patmos, a rocky, crescent-shaped, volcanic island ten miles long and six miles wide at its widest point off the coast of Turkey, thirty-five miles from the city of Miletus. It was because of his apostolic activity that John suffered exile on the island of Patmos. Christianity was not one of the "approved" religions of the Roman state. Christians refused to sacrifice to the Roman Emperor, and the Romans viewed such a refusal as an act of treason. But it is interesting how John phrases the reason for his imprisonment. He doesn't say it is because of his actions, but because God spoke, and Jesus testified to the words God spoke. The testimony/witness of Jesus Christ determines the march of history.
Question: What was the most important golden lampstand for the Jews?
Answer: There was a single golden lampstand with seven lamps in the Holy Place in the Jerusalem Temple.
We know what it looked like because precise instructions for its construction is in Exodus 25:31-40. And before the Romans destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70, General Titus took the Lampstand and carried it back to Rome where its image is on the Arch of Titus.
But in John's vision, why are there seven golden lampstands? Perhaps it is because John has entered the Heavenly Sanctuary, and he sees seven lampstands connected to each other in the Person who stands in their midst. We'll discuss the symbolism when we reach verse 20, but for now, in the vision John saw, Jesus Christ is the one Lampstand, uniting the seven lampstands; therefore, light surrounds Jesus!
IBut there is the question concerning the words "the End" spoken by the angel Gabriel; "the End" of what? Is it the End of Time and the Second Advent of Christ or the end of something else? According to the prophecy of the angel Gabriel in Daniel Chapter 9 and the vision of the "man" dressed in fine linen with a golden belt in Chapter 11, it is the end of both the liturgy of the Tamid twice-daily sacrifice in the Temple and the Old Covenant. The "man" dressed like Christ is John's vision tells Daniel: Armed forces shall move at his command and defile the sanctuary stronghold, abolishing the daily sacrifice [Tamid] and setting up the horrible abomination (Dan 11:31). In AD 70, the prophecy Daniel received was fulfilled. Roman General Titus defiled the Temple. Before fire engulfed the Temple, he entered the Temple's with his legions' standards bearing the images of pagan gods and, setting them up by the Temple's eastern gate, offered sacrifices to them. Then, he took the sacred furniture in the Holy Place (which he carried to Rome), and then entered the Holy of Holies, setting up the pagan standards within the Temple's holiest space; this was the "the horrible abomination" (Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, 6.4.7 [260]; 6.6.1 [316])
14 His head and His hair were white with the whiteness of wool, like snow, and His eyes like a burning flame, His feet like burnished bronze when it has been refined in a furnace, and His voice like the sound of the ocean [many waters].
Compare John’s vision to Ezekiel’s vision of God (Ez 1:27-28). "Many waters" or "abundant waters" is the literal translation rather than "ocean." "Many waters" is a key Biblical phrase symbolizing abundant grace and blessings; it is repeated four times in Revelation and once in the Old Testament (see Ez 43:2; Rev 1:15; 14:2; 17:1 and 19:6). This fiery passage of the glorified Christ not only recalls Dan. 7:13 but also Dan 7:9: While I was watching, thrones were set in place and the One most venerable (Ancient of Days) took His seat. His robe was white a snow, the hair of His head as pure as wool. His throne was a blaze of flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A stream of fire poured out issuing from His presence. A thousand thousand waited on Him, ten thousand times then thousand stood before Him. The court was in session, and the books lay open. "The books" record human deeds, good and bad: see Jer 17:1; Ps 40:8; 56:8; Dan 12:1; Mal 3:16; Lk 10:12; Rev 20:1). It is also interesting to compare these visions to Jesus Ben Sirach's description of the glory of the High Priest in Ecclesiasticus (Sirach). It starts: How splendid he was with the people thronging around him, when he emerged from the curtained shrine (Holy of Holies), like the morning star among the clouds, like the moon at the full, like the sun shining on the Temple of the Most High, like the rainbow gleaming against brilliant clouds (Sir 50:5-12).
| Revelation | Daniel |
| in the middle of them, one like a Son of man, dressed in a long robe tied at the waist with a belt of gold (Rev 1:13). | I was gazing into the visions of the night when I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, as it were a son of man (Dan 7:13a). A man dressed in linen, with a belt of pure gold round his waist (Dan 10:6a). |
| His head and his hair were white with the whiteness of wool, like snow, his eyes like a burning flame, 15 his feet like burnished bronze when it has been refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of the ocean [many waters] (Rev 1:14). | His robe was white as snow, the hair of his head was as white as pure as wool (Dan 7:9b). His body was like beryl, his face looked like lightning, his eyes were like fiery torches, his arms and his face had the gleam of burnished bronze; the sound of his voice was like the roar of a multitude (Dan 10:6bc). |
Let's look at the individual parts of Revelation 1:14-15 and compare them to the Old Testament passages linked to the images described in the verses:
- The pure whiteness of His hair = His eternity (Dan 7:9 ~ His head and His hair were white with the whiteness of wool, like snow)
- His eyes burning like a burning flame = His divine knowledge which will search the depths of hearts and minds. Compare this phrase to another vision Daniel received of the glorified Christ: I raised my eyes to look about me, and this is what I saw: A man dressed in linen, with a belt of pure gold round his waist, his body was like beryl, his face looked like lightning, his eyes were like fiery torches (Dan 10:5-6). Daniel's vision also points to the Revelation 1:13 passage and Revelation 2:23, where Jesus says, concerning judgment: it is I who test motives and thoughts and repay you as your deeds deserve.
- His feet like burnished bronze when it has been refined in a furnace, and His voice like the sound of many watersThe Greek word in the text refers to gold-covered bronze that is a symbol of His permanence, His purity, and His majesty. Compare this verse with Ezekiel 43:2 ~ He took me to the gate, the one facing east. I saw the glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east. A sound came with Him like the sound of many waters.
How extraordinary it is that St. John completes the description of Christ with the statement that His voice was like the sound of many waters, perhaps resembling the earthly sounds like, wind, thunder, trumpets, armies, waterfalls, or maybe these earthly sounds were the most familiar ones to John in attempting to describe various facets of the Voice of God. However, in any case, the significance of St. John's vision is apparent: he has seen the resurrected, transfigured, glorified Jesus Christ who is the Incarnate Glory of God.
But why does John bring us back to all these Old Testament references? Why all these patterns of repetition? These patterns will be presented again and again in Revelation. We have also seen the first reference to the title "Alpha and the Omega," which is repeated four times (see Rev 1:8, 11; 21:6; 2:13) . Saying a thing twice intensifies it; repeitition is like underlining to add emphasis. But repetition is more that in Holy Scripture. Repetition between the Old and New Testament is continuity.
It is what God reveals continuously in Scripture. He has just one fundamental message for humanity: the good news of salvation.
16 In His right hand He held seven stars
Jesus will interpret this for John in Revelation 1:20. There are two aspects of the seven stars that are worth noting. First, in the first century AD, seven stars appeared on the Roman Emperor's coins as a symbol of his political sovereignty. By putting seven stars in Jesus' hand instead, the message may be that power and dominion over the earth belong to Christ the King of kings alone and not the human Roman Emperor. There may also be a connection to the seven stars that make up the cluster of stars known as the Pleiades that makes a chain that forms part of the constellation Taurus, the Bull. They are mentioned by name in Job 9:5-9; 38:31-33; and Amos 5:8. The sun is with the constellation Taurus in the spring (Easter time), and so the Pleiades are a fitting symbol in connection with the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ.
out of His mouth came a sharp sword, double-edged and His face was shining like the sun in full force.
This is a vision of the Word that works to "save" as well as to bring "divine judgment." The image is from the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah: He will strike the Land with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked (Is 11:4). A passage from the Letter to the Hebrews also has this same imagery: The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts more incisively than any two-edged sword: it can seek out the place where soul is divided from spirit, or joints from marrow; it can pass judgment on secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing is hidden from Him; everything is uncovered and stretched fully open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves (Heb 4:12-13).
Revelation 1:17-20 ~ Prologue/Preamble Conclusion
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead, but he laid His right hand on me and said, "Do not be afraid;"
What would your reaction be to such a vision of the glorified Christ? The prophet Daniel had a similar experience, and his response was: I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.... And when He had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling (Dan 10:9-11). Then came Jesus' words of love and encouragement to John: "Do Not Be Afraid!"
Question: How many titles does Jesus use to identify Himself to John in Revelation 1:5-17?
Answer: Jesus identifies Himself by seven titles:
- faithful witness (1:5)
- firstborn from the dead (1:5)
- highest of earthly kings (1:5)
- Alpha and Omega (1:8)
- Son of man (1:13)
- First and the Last (1:17)
- Living one (1:17)
As mentioned in Lesson 1, "faithful witness" refers to Messianic Psalm 89:37 and the Davidic Covenant. Jesus fulfills the promises God made to David in 1 Samuel 7:12-29 (repeated in 2 Sam 23:5; 2 Chr 13:5; Sir 45:25; 47:11/13 and by the angel Gabriel to Mary in Lk 1:32-33) in His person and His mission.
Jesus is the "Alpha and Omega" (first and last letters in the Greek alphabet), meaning the beginning and end of all things in Creation (see Col 1:15-20; Is 41:41 44:6; Rev 2:8; 21:6 and 22:13).
He is the "Son of man" of Daniel’s vision of the Divine Judge (Dan 7:13 and 10:6), the "First and the Last," the same meaning as Alpha and Omega; and He is the "Living one," the One who has life in Himself with the power to transmit that life to others (Jn 1:4; 3:15; 5:21 and 26). Using this title, Jesus is telling John that in real-time, He is alive and present before His servant, John.
Jesus reveals the "secret" of the seven stars He carries and the seven golden lampstands.
Question: What are the seven stars?
Answer: They are the guardian angels of the seven churches.
Question: What are the seven lampstands?
Answer: They are the seven churches who are responsible for illuminating through word and deed Christ in the life of the community and to the world.
The Seven Churches of The Book of Revelation
Let anyone who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches ... (Rev 2:7)
(repeated seven times in Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, and 22)
| Churches | Strengths | Failures | Instruction | Promises to the Faithful |
| Ephesus Loveless (Rev 2:1-7) | You work hard, have patient endurance, reject evil, and persevere. | You have forsaken your first love. | Repent and do the good deeds as you did at first. | You will eat from the tree of life. |
| Smyrna Suffering (Rev 2:8-11) | You endure your suffering and poverty, yet you are rich. | None. | You remained faithful, even when facing prison, persecution, or death. | I will give you the crown of life you will not be hurt by the second death. |
| Pergamum (Pergamos) Worldly (Rev 2:12-17) | You show loyalty to Christ and refuse to deny Him. | You tolerate pagan cults, heresies, idolatry, and immorality. | Repent! | I will give some hidden manna and a white stone with a new name on it. |
| Thyatira Wrong Doctrine (Rev 2:18-29) | You demonstrate love, faith, good works, patient endurance, and show constant improvement. | You tolerate pagan cults, idolatry, and immorality. | Judgment is coming; repent and faithfully hold fast until I come. | I will give you authority over the nations and the gift of the morning star. |
| Sardis Spiritually Dead (Rev 3:1-6) | Only a faithful remnant of your people kept the faith. | Your communityis spiritually dead. | Repent and turn back to Christ; strengthen what little faith remains. | Your faithful will walk with me wearing white and will not be blotted out of the book of life |
| Philadelphia Spiritually Alive (Rev 3:7-13) | You kept my word and have not denied my name | None. | I have placed before you an open door, and I will keep you from the hour of trial. | I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God. |
| Laodicea Complacent (Rev 3:14-22) | None. | You are neither hot nor cold and rely on riches; you don't realize your spiritually improverished condition. | Turn away from indifference and repent! | I will invite those who overcome to sit with me on my throne. |
| Michal E. Hunt Copyright © 2000 www.agapebiblestudy.com | ||||
Within each letter, there is also a "covenant grant" for each faith community. It is a commission to conquer, to overcome, and to exercise dominion under Christ's lordship (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26-29; 3:5, 12, 21). But beyond the relationship to the Covenant Lawsuit format of the entire book of Revelation, each of the letters themselves divides into the covenant treaty format. The letters are the New Covenant Treaty with the New Israel, the Universal Church (see CCC 877).
- Ephesus: Judgment on the False Apostles (Rev 2:1-7). The conflicts of all seven churches are evident in the struggles of this church against the heresy of the Nicolaitans: those who were self-styled apostles and found them to be false (Rev 2:2b).
- Smyrna: Judgment on False Israel (Rev 2:8-11). The Smyrnaeans are suffering from the opposition of the slander of the people who falsely claim to be Jews but are really members of the synagogue of Satan (Rev 2:9b).
- Pergamum: Judgment on the Evil King and False Prophet (Rev 2:12-17). Pergamum was experiencing persecution and temptation from the first-century counterparts of the Old Testament King Balak of Moab and his false prophet Balaam, who threatened the newly created nation of Israel just before they took possession of the Promised Land. But filled with the Holy Spirit, God's true prophet, Phinehas, prevailed and saved Israel (Num chapters 22-25). The newly created Kingdom of Jesus Christ that is the New Covenant Church of the new Israel faced the same threats as the Christians at Pergamum.
- Thyatira: Judgment on the Royal Harlot (Rev 2:18-29). At Thyatira, the leader of the heretics, who entices God's servants into idolatry and fornication, is called "Jezebel." It is the same name as the idolatrous and immoral queen of ancient Israel in the books of 1st and 2nd Kings.
When St. Paul first arrived in Ephesus on his second missionary journey (c. 54 AD), he found several followers of Jesus living there (Acts 19:1-7). He soon discovered that they had only received the baptism of St. John the Baptist, a baptism of repentance. St. Paul baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the moment Paul had laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy (Acts 19:6-7). On his third missionary journey, Paul stayed in Ephesus for two years (c. 56-58) and developed a deep affection for the community. Paul remained in Ephesus two and a half years and ordained St. Timothy as the leader of the faith community with the mission to confront false teachers (1 Tim 1:3). St. John probably arrived in Ephesus to lead the thriving Christian community during a period of persecution sometime after Timothy's martyrdom.
In AD 107, the church at Ephesus was still significant. On his way to martyrdom in Rome, Bishop Ignatius of Antioch wrote to the Christians at Ephesus who had given him their support. He began his letter with, Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church which is at Ephesus, in Asia, deservedly most happy, being blessed in the greatness and fullness of God the Father, and predestinated before the beginning of time, that it should be always for an enduring and unchangeable glory (Ignatius, Letter to the Ephesians). Muslims destroyed the Church of Saint John in Ephesus and massacred the Christians in 1304 during their invasion of the region.
The Virgin Mary may have traveled to Ephesus and lived there under the protection of St. John. The oldest testimony that Mary lived in Ephesus is from an account by Epiphanius of Salamis in the 4th century AD. Based on the visions of Blessed Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich, a German Roman Catholic Augustinian Canoness, mystic, Marian visionary, ecstatic, and stigmatist (1774-1824), a 1st-century AD house discovered in the ruins of Ephesus is believed by many to be Mary's house. The Church of Mary near the harbor of Ephesus was the location of the Third Ecumenical Council in AD 431, which condemned the Nestorius Heresy and proclaimed the Virgin Mary not only the mother of Jesus but the Mother of God.
The house of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus:
Revelation 2:1-7 ~ The Letter to the Ephesians: Those who Suffer Yet Persever
The Preamble: 1 "Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus and say, Here is the message of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who lives among the seven golden lamp-stands (Rev 2:1).
Question: How many times are the words "Here is the message" repeated in Chapters 1 and 2 in the letters to the seven churches?
Answer: Seven times.
Question: Who is the messenger who sent the letters? Which verses in Chapter 1 identifies the One who conveys His message to John and is the sender of the letters?
Answer: The message is from the "one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who lives among the seven golden lamp-stands," identified by name as Jesus five times in 1:1, 2, 5, 9 (twice).
1b Here is the message of the one who holds the seven stars in His right hand
Question: Who is "the one"?
Answer: Jesus Christ.
Notice where the Lord of heaven and earth is holding the seven stars, and what it signifies (see Ps 110:1; Mt 20:23; 22:44; 26:64; Lk 22:69). He holds the seven stars in His right hand that is the hand of power and indicates Jesus' authority over the churches and their leaders.
As we continue with the letters, you will notice that some of the messages to the churches contain rebukes to the "angels" of churches. It is doubtful that heavenly messengers would fall into error and need reprimanding (after the rebellion of the angels, God's heavenly host are in the Divine Presence and preserved from sin), but earthly leaders or messengers can and do fail in their missions, and they are accountable to God for the churches they represent.
Question: Do faith communities today face these same problems? Do they have these same strengths and weaknesses and face the same struggles as the seven churches in first century AD Asia Minor?
Answer: Keep in mind that the seven churches to whom John sent the letters were actually, historical faith communities. In Acts of Apostles, St. Paul warned the Ephesians that false teachers would come and try to draw them away from the faith (Acts 20:29-32). False teachers caused problems in the Ephesian church soon after Paul founded the community, but the church resisted them as we learn from St. Paul's very positive letter to the Ephesians. In Paul's day, it was a church that did not know the meaning of compromise and was willing to take a strong stand for orthodoxy regardless of the cost. It is noteworthy that of the seven letters St. Paul wrote to the churches he founded, his letter to the Ephesians alone does not mention a single doctrinal issue that needed apostolic correction. However, in John's day and apparently in his absence, the same problems returned.
Just as the seven-branched lampstand (Menorah) gave light for the priests so they could minister in the Temple's Holy Place, the churches, as Christ's lampstands, were to give the "light" of Christ to their surrounding communities with whom they shared the Gospel message of salvation. But Jesus warned them that their "lights" could go out. He says, "I shall come," meaning that Jesus will come Himself in judgment and extinguish any "light"/faith community that does not fulfill its purpose.
| Revelation 2:8-11 ~ The Letter to the Church at Smyrna: A faith community rich in the Spirit Once again, there is an allusion to the three Isaiah passages referenced in Revelation 1:17-18 from the first vision (Is 41:4; 44:6; 48:2) as well as a link back to Revelation 1:8 and 1:17. As in those passages, the opening line in the letter highlights the theme of resurrection, a very appropriate reference for a city that had died for several centuries and now lived once more. In verses 1:17b-18a: Do not be afraid; it is I, the first and the Last; I am the Living One, I was dead and look, I am alive forever and ever, scholars tell us that the tense denotes continuity, whereas in 2:8 the aorist tenses put the stress on the actual happenings: He became dead, and sprang to life again (Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. II: Revelation, pages 433, 443). Ethical Stipulations: 10a Do not be afraid of the sufferings that are coming to you. Sanctions:10b Look, the devil will send some of you to prison to put you to the test, and you must face hardship for ten days. Even if you have to die, keep faithful But have courage, because God promises that although the Church may suffer, including the suffering of bodily death, she will not suffer the death of the soul! Jesus promised His Apostles that even the gates of death could not prevail against His Church (Mt 16:18-19), and Jesus always keeps His promises. Question: What is the significance of the reference to ten days? See Daniel 1:12, 14, 15, 20, and Exodus Chapters 7-12. For ten days, sufferings tested the young Jews taken captive by the Babylonians (see Dan 3:11-21). It was an intense ten days, but it only lasted a relatively short time before their restoration. The reference to ten days in Revelation 2:10 could be referring similarly to a short time living in intense tribulation in exchange for a thousand years of victory (Rev 20:4-6). Succession Arrangements: 10c and I will give you the crown of life for your prize. 11 Let anyone who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: for those who prove victorious will come to no harm from the second death.'" Question: What is the "crown of life" promised to the faithful of Smyrna in verse 10? See the quote from James 1:12 above. Answer: The crown of life is eternal salvation. Revelation 1:10 provides us with an entire plan for our path to salvation through this earthly exile: faithfulness, endurance, and loyalty to the love of Christ. St. Teresa of Avila expressed her determination to achieve the promise of eternal life. In Way of Perfection, she wrote: by making an earnest and most determined resolve not to halt until the goal is reached, whatever may come, whatever may happen, however, much effort one needs to make, whoever may complain about one, whether one dies on the road or has no heart to face their trials one meets, even if the ground gives away under one's feet. The goal she refers to is eternal life. 11 Let anyone who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: for those who prove victorious will come to no harm from the second death. Question: What is the "first death" and what is the "second death"? What is meant by the "first resurrection" and what is the "second resurrection? See Rev 20:6, 14-15; Rev 21:8; Eph 2:1, 4-6; Col 2:12-13; 3:1, 3; CCC 1038. Do you recall the blessing St John already affirmed to be a present reality for Christians in Revelation 1:6? The First Resurrection cannot refer to the physical resurrection at the end of the world (1 Cor 15:22-28). But instead, it must refer to what St. Paul taught in his epistle to the Ephesians: And you were dead in your trespasses and sins ... but God, being rich in mercy ... even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up with Him (Eph 2:1, 4-6, emphasis in bold added). Christians in every age are partakers in the First Resurrection to a new life in Christ in the Sacrament of Christian Baptism, having been cleansed from our first death in Adam = original sin (CCC 405). In the Gospel of John, Jesus says: "In all truth I tell you, whoever listens to my words and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life; without being brought to judgment such a person has passed from death to life" (Jn 5:24).
There will also be a Second Resurrection (a physical one) at the end of history not mentioned in Revelation 20:6. In John 5:24-29, Jesus discusses both resurrections (see Jn 5:24 quoted above). We will be discussing the first resurrection and the second death at length in Chapter 20. Question: Did the Church at Smyrna receive any criticisms? Only the church at Philadelphia will match them in their fidelity to the Lord. THE LETTER TO THE CHURCH AT PERGAMUM: A Church with False Prophets The New Covenant Treaty Format in the Letter to Pergamum:
Pergamum was about 60 miles to the north of Smyrna and 15 miles inland from the coast. Pergamum [also spelled Pergamon] was located on the Caicus River in western Asia Minor in a region known in ancient times as Mysia, a part of the Roman province of Asia. The city was built on a hill 1,000 feet above the surrounding countryside, creating a natural fortress. The earliest mention of a settlement appears in the writings of Xenophon, a Greek who lived in the fourth century BC. In the third century BC, Pergamum was the center of the Hellenistic kingdom of the Attalids. When the last Attalid king died in 133 BC, he willed his kingdom to Rome. The city's location did not occupy an advantageous position for trade like the city of Ephesus that was the largest and most important trading center in the Roman province of Asia. However, Pergamum dominated the other cities because of its position as the administrative capital. The Roman governor resided at Pergamum and ruled the entire Asian province, making Pergamum one of the three most prominent cities along with Ephesus and Smyrna. Pergamum continued to be a leading cultural and political center of the Roman Empire until the fourth century AD. It was a sophisticated city, a center of Greek culture and education, with a 200,000-volume library which was known and admired throughout the ancient world. As an acknowledged center of learning, Pergamum would even develop a new kind of writing material from lambskin called "parchment." It was also the center of four pagan cults and rivaled Ephesus in its worship of idols. The city's chief god was Asklepios, the serpent-god of healing. People came to Pergamum from all over the world seeking relief from various afflictions. Another significant temple honored Zeus, the chief deity in the Greek pantheon, whose great throne-like altar overlooked the city on its highest point. Dionysius, the Greek god of harvest, fertility, and every kind of sexual excess, and the goddess Athena also had significant temples. But what elevated Pergamum above her sister cities was her importance as a center for worship of the Roman emperor as a god. There was a temple dedicated to Rome and the deified Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus as early as 29 BC. By the 1st century AD, there were three temples devoted to emperor worship and the most magnificent temples dedicated to the Roman Caesars of all the seven cities. Because it was a center of emperor worship, it was the city in which Christians were most likely to clash with the Roman imperial cult. Today Pergamum is modern Bergama, in Turkey. Revelation 2:12-17 ~ The Letter to the Church at Pergamum: A faith community mostly loyal to Christ but with some who are influenced by false prophets: Preamble: 12 Write to the angel of the church at Pergamum and say: "Here is the message of the One who has the sharp sword, double-edged Rome claimed the position of worldwide creator and defender of all its people under the protection of the double-edged Roman gladius (the Roman short sword about 22 inches long and weighing 3 pounds). The Empire's control over life and death was supreme and unchallenged, and this power originated with Rome herself. Christianity, on the other hand, challenged this assertion. Christianity maintained that all power and authority come from the triune God and the various rulers of the earth who are created by God receive their dominion from Him (Romans 13:1-4). It is Jesus the Messiah for whom all power and authority flow "in heaven and on earth (Mat 28:18). He has laid down the law to the nations (Rev. 1:5). Christ is "the One who has the sharp two-edged sword," and if the rulers do not yield to Him, He will bring His sword down in judgment! Christ's ultimate authority applies to all nations; even today. See Psalms Chapter 2 and Daniel Chapter 4. Historical Prologue: 13 I know where you live, in the place where Satan is enthroned.
and that you still hold firmly to My Name, and did not disown your faith in Me even when My faithful witness, Antipas, was killed among you, where Satan lives. where Satan lives The Christians at Pergamum were being "seduced" by a 1st century AD Balaam to compromise their Christian doctrine to fit within secular Roman culture. When we accommodate our Christian faith to worldly standards, we abuse the principle of liberty enunciated by St. Paul in 1 Cor 8:11-13. Also read St. Peter's teaching on false teachers and religious compromisers in 2 Peter Chapter 2, where he writes: They are under a curse. They have left the right path and wandered off the follow the path of Balaam son of Bosor (2 Pt 2:15). The situation at Pergamum, like the "seduction" of the children of Israel on the plains of Peor in the Book of Numbers, can be compared to the serpent's "seduction" of Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis Chapter 3). Sanctions: 16 So repent, or I shall soon come to you and attack these people with the sword out of my mouth. "Repent" is a keyword in five of the letters, and Jesus repeats it seven times: 2:5 twice = Ephesus; 2:16 = Pergamum); 2:21 and 22 = Thyatira; 3:3 = Sardis; and 3:19 = Laodicea. Notice that justice will be swift: "I shall soon come!" Failure to repent will bring judgment. Once again, there is the repeated pattern of Chapter one with the reference "the sword out of my mouth" from 1:16. It is also significant that in the story of Balaam in the Book of Numbers that the Angel of the Lord met Balaam with a drawn sword (Numbers 22:31) and a sword killed Balaam (Numbers 31:8). As already commented (see 1:7 and 2:5), the warning of the imminent coming of Christ in judgment in verse 16 "I shall soon come" is not a statement about the Second Coming at the end of history, but rather the "I shall soon come" refers to a judgment within history. It is a judgment that was imminent to the church at Pergamum. This same principle repeats throughout the history of the Church. Wherever heretics are indulged by the community or by the leadership, that particular community is on the verge of being destroyed by the wrath of God. Succession Arrangements "17 Let anyone hear who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: to those who prove victorious I will give some hidden manna and a white stone, with a new name written on it, known only to the person who receives it." Gift #1 ~ Jesus promises: I will give some hidden manna. Read Exodus Chapter 16, especially verses 32-36; Hebrews 9:4; and Psalms 78:23-25. The "hidden manna" reminds the Christian reader of the Exodus passage recounting God's gift of nourishment to the children of Israel on their journey, and Book of Hebrews records that there was manna hidden in the Ark of the Covenant.
Gift #2 ~ Jesus promises the faithful Christians a white stone. This reference has puzzled Biblical scholars and commentators for centuries. There are seven different suggested interpretations:
Interpretations #1 and #2 have merit: Interpretation #1 is a reasonable suggestion since there is a link between the symbolism of an invitation to a feast and Christ's personal invitation to each baptized believer to the Eucharistic banquet here on earth which is, in fact, Himself, and the promise of the heavenly banquet promised at the end of our "exodus" from this earthly life. We might also see the victorious eating of the true manna of the Eucharistic banquet as a counter to the sin of eating the food of idols. Paul makes this comparison in 1 Corinthians 10:21-22 when he tells the Corinthians: "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons as well; you cannot have a share at the Lord's table and the demon's table as well. Do we really want to arouse the Lord's jealousy; are we stronger than He is?" The second interpretation can symbolize our acquittal from the sentence of death for our sins because Christ paid our price for sin by His death. But there is also an Old Testament connection to the white stone and manna, which is perhaps closer to John's reference. Read Exodus 16:31 with Numbers 11:7. Exodus 16:31 ~ The House of Israel named it "manna." It was like coriander seed; it was white, and its taste was like that of wafers made with honey. Compared to Numbers 11:7 ~ The manna was like coriander seed and had the appearance of bdellium. Bdellium (in Hebrew Bedolah, in Greek bdellion) was an aromatic and transparent whitish gum obtained from a tree native to Southern Arabia, Babylonia, India, and Persia. Manna has the appearance of white blobs (stone shaped) from the resinous material of a tree. There is another reference to bdellium in Genesis 2:10-12 ~ A river flowed from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided to make four streams. The first is named the Pishon, and this winds all through the land of Havilah where there is gold. The gold of this country is pure; bdellium and cornelian stone are found there. Therefore, the "white stone" is connected with both the manna and Eden. Perhaps the reference is to remind us that eternal salvation is a New Creation and restores God's people to Paradise. Another Old Testament passage to consult is Exodus 28:9-12 since our verse refers to a name written on the white stone. In the Exodus passage, an onyx stone carried the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; however, there were two black onyx stones placed on the shoulders of the High Priest and engraved with the names of the twelve tribes. Perhaps the symbolism is in the imperfection of the Old Covenant (black stone) followed by those names made perfect, engraved on a white stone, in the New Covenant in Christ and carried by the New Covenant High Priest, Christ Jesus. Gift #3: The third promise from Revelation 2:17 is that the Christian receives a new name. In the Sacrament of Baptism, at least two changes that take place in our lives and also in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Christians are 1) forgiven original sin and 2) become a new creation, reborn into the family of God (also called the first resurrection). How do we know to what earthly family we belong? We carry the "name" of that family. When we are born again or born from above (Jn 3:3-5), by supernatural rebirth into God's Holy Covenant Family, we also receive a new name; we are named through the Father, "In the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit!" We are granted a new name and a new character/identity because we belong to Christ. As always, God is the Definer who has called us into being and wholly interpreted us in terms of His predetermined plan. It is an event that recalls the prophecy of Isaiah 62:2 ~ The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of Yahweh will bestow. Then, in the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Bishop asks what "name" we have chosen. That name of a saint is a sign of our new role as adult members of the community and the acceptance of our mantle as Apostles for Christ. In religious orders, those committing to consecrated lives take a new name that, by tradition, Jesus has whispered to them. Then there is the closing phrase, which says the name is known only to the person who receives it. Biblical scholars point out that the meaning of this expression, rooted in a Hebrew idiom, is that the name is "known" by the receiver in the sense of owning it; "to know" in Hebrew means intimate knowledge. Compare this passage with Revelation 19:12-13, 15, and 16. In other words, the point is not that the new name is secret, but that the new name is exclusive. Only the one who overcomes possesses the "new name," the divinely ordained definition of him or herself as belonging to the Covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ. No one else has the right of possession except those who are faithful to Jesus and His New Covenant. This exclusiveness points to the personal, intimate relationship between God (who issues the invitation) and the invited guest. See Isaiah 43:1 where Yahweh says: "I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name, you are mine." In the Pergamum church, the Nicolaitan heretic does not truly own the name "Christian." That name only belongs to true doctrine Christians who are granted admittance to Paradise, because they gain entrance through the sacrifice of Christ who redefines and renames them The Preamble to the church at Thyatira begins with the identification of the sender of the letter as the Son of God, described like the mysterious figure from the prophet Daniel's vision (Dan 10:6) and John's vision in Chapter 1: and in the middle of them, one like a Son of Man ... his eyes like a burning flame, his feet like burnished bronze (Rev 1:13-15). 19 I know your activities, your love, your faith, your service, and your perseverance, and I know how you are still making progress. Ethical Stipulations: 20 Nevertheless, I have a complaint to make: you tolerate the woman Jezebel who claims to be a prophetess, and by her teaching, she is luring my servants away to commit the adultery of eating food which has been sacrificed to idols. Question: In spite of all the good works of the church at Thyatira, this community suffers from what disturbing defect? The bishop and elders were allowing false doctrine to have a place in the teaching of the church. Jesus again calls this heresy by a symbolic name as He did in the letter to Pergamum, where He used the examples of Moabite King Balak and Balaam, the prophet who opposed the will of God (Rev 2:14). Jezebel was a powerful, strong-willed woman (married to a weak man) who was guilty of heresy and murder (1 Kng 21:5-15), and because of her sins, she came to a bad end (2 Kng 9:29-37). Scripture identifies the actions of the Old Testament Jezebel as "harlotries" and "witchcrafts." The Jezebel of the church at Thyatira also advocated compromise with paganism. She may have been the wife of the pastor since some ancient manuscripts read your wife Jezebel. She was a woman of influence in the community, either the wife of the pastor, an elder, or she was a deaconess. The Succession Arrangements ~ 25 I am not laying any other burden; but hold firmly to what you already have until I come. 26 To anyone who proves victorious and keeps working for me until the end, I will give the authority over the nations, 27 which I myself have been given by my Father, to rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like so many pots. 28 And I will give such a person the Morning Star. 29 Let anyone who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.'" 25 I am not laying any other burden; but hold on firmly to what you already have until I come. Question: Does Jesus place any other requirements on the faithful members? Revelation Chapter 3: The Letter to the Church at Sardis The New Covenant Treaty Format for the Church at Sardis
The city of Sardis was founded circa 1200 BC and became the capital of the Lydian kingdom. Situated at the junction of five roads, and commanding the Hermus valley, Sardis was a wealthy commercial city. Built on the top of an extremely steep hill, the city's defenses seemed impregnable, and yet in the past, their sense of false security had led to the conquest and destruction of the city by both the Persian king Cyrus (549 BC) and by the Seleucid king Antiochus III (218 BC). On both occasions, enemy troops scaled the hill at night and found that the over-confident citizens had not even bothered to set a guard. In AD 17, an earthquake severely damaged the city; however, it was soon rebuilt through the generous aid of the Roman Emperor Tiberius to whom the people of Sardis were immensely grateful. The citizens reflected their gratitude through their loyalty to the Roman Empire. The main religion at Sardis was the worship of the goddess Cybele, but there was also a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. The people of Sardis commemorated both goddesses with their images on the city's coins. By the second century AD, Sardis began to decline as a trading center. Today Sardis is a small village called Sart. Thyatiran coin showing a goddess on one side and the Roman eagle on the reverse: The Letter to the Church at Sardis: A Once Faithful Community in Crisis The Preamble: 3:1a "Write to the angel of the church in Sardis and say, Here is the message of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars
The first and third refer to God the Father and God the Son, and therefore, the most likely interpretation is that John's greeting is from the Triune God with the seven Spirits symbolize God the Holy Spirit in all His spiritual perfection (see Chapter 1 notes for more information on this passage). Then, in revelation 1:16, John records that he sees Jesus "holding seven stars," which is how Jesus identifies Himself to the church at Sardis in 3:1. The seven stars, Christ tells John in 1:16 and 20, are the angelos = messengers who are the pastors of the seven churches to whom he must send the letters. Jesus holds the stars/churches in His right hand; under His power and authority, the letters will speak to the churches on His behalf. The messengers of the churches belong to Him, and they are accountable to Him for their actions as well as their inaction. The pastor and the elders of the church in Sardis desperately need to be reminded of this because they had allowed the church to fall into spiritual decay. Historical Prologue: 1b I know about your behavior: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead. This Christian community was probably well-known in the Roman province of Asia, living in such a prosperous and famous city. At one time, they were spiritually alive for Christ, but now they had only their past reputation. They were no longer yielding "fruit" for Christ's Kingdom. Their "tree of faith" was weakened to the point of death. However, this church was not suffering under any external persecution like the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum. It is interesting that of these churches, the Christians at Smyrna were suffering the most on account of their Christian faith, yet they were yielding the "sweetest fruit" in works for Christ. What accounts for the differences between Smyrna and Sardis? There seems to be no evidence, in an era of growing Roman persecution, that the church at Sardis experienced either theological controversy or abuse. The body of the letter to Sardis seems to indicate that the church had almost completely compromised with the pagan culture of the city. The result of this "ecumenical" approach of the community to the pagan religions of their neighbors was that the once busy, fruitful church was compromising itself almost to death. The walking almost dead at Sardis did not necessarily result from a lack of youth activities, or meaningless inward-looking "spiritual awakening" programs, which is the reason why most churches today tend to be called "dead." Instead, it appears the church at Sardis lacked the depth of conviction necessary to even begin a fight against heresy. Sardis was drowning in mediocrity while she pursued non-controversial "works." The church at Sardis had become "secularized." Its fundamental worldview was the same as that of the surrounding pagan culture. It had become what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-2, "And you were dead, through the crimes and the sins which used to make up your way of life when you were living by the principles of this world, obeying the ruler who dominates the air, and the spirit who is at work in those who rebel. We too were all among them once, living only by our natural inclinations, obeying the demands of human self-indulgence and our own whim; our nature made us no less liable to God's retribution than the rest of the world." Satan must have been satisfied with Sardis' not to bother to add persecution and suffering. It is a condition that reminds us of a saying of the Church Fathers: "The blood of the martyrs produces the seeds of faith that grow the Church." Question: Are there those in the Catholic Church today who urge a more secularized world view? What is the agenda they propose to bring the Catholic Church into the 21st century? What do the Old and New Testaments condemn as mortal sins that the secular world tells us is acceptable behavior in our times? What is the risk they are taking? 2 "Wake up; put some resolve into what little vigor you have left: it is dying fast. So far, I have failed to notice anything in your behavior that my God could possibly call perfect [complete/fulfilled]; remember how you first heard the message. Hold on to that. Repent!" Question: Christ gives Sardis two admonitions. What are they?
They have also received, in the case of the pastor/messenger, to whom Jesus addresses letter, both the privileges and responsibilities of the ministerial priesthood. Under the Covenantal Oath, they were to keep watch over and to guard the Bride of Christ, the same admonition given to Adam in the Garden of Eden. And the enemy was the same for both! Question: Who is the enemy? Question: At the end of Revelation 3:2, Christ gives a command. What is it that the Lord requires? 3 "If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, and you will have no idea at what hour I shall come upon you." 4 "There are a few in Sardis, it is true, who have kept their robes unstained, and they are fit to come with me, dressed in white. 5 "Anyone who proves victorious will be dressed, like these, in white robes; I shall not blot that name out of the book of life, but acknowledge it in the presence of my Father and His angels." The Book of Revelation refers to the saints being "clothed in white garments" seven times (Rev 3:4, 18; 4:4; 6:11; 7:9, 13; 19:14), and the Bride of Christ dressed in dazzling white linen (Rev 19:8). In Scripture, white robes symbolize righteousness and purity with origins in the sun-white brilliance of the Glory-cloud of God. In their resurrection in Christ, the saints are re-created in the image of God and clothed with the grace of Christ. This verse is a description of an aspect of salvation in which all who "persevere to the end" have an eternal inheritance. The Bible is full of examples of those who profess Christ and by all accounts appear to be "saved" but finally apostatize from the faith and inherit damnation rather than salvation. The warning Jesus gives is not to be taken lightly. Those whose names appear in the Book of Life, the baptized who profess Christ, are counted and treated as true believers, but they must persevere in their faith throughout their lives. If they apostatize and fall into the sins of immorality, heresy, and secularization that characterized the church at Sardis, God will erase their names from the Book of Life. However, the promise remains for the Christian who is an "overcomer," and by faithfulness demonstrates that he or she belongs to Christ. He/she is in no danger, and God will never erase his or her name from the Book of Life. Question: Is this message as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago? Do we "listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches" (Rev 3:6)? Question: What are the Old Testament references in the letter, and from what period in Salvation History? The Old Testament imagery is from the prophetic period when God's prophets called the covenant people to repent and return to their relationship with the One, True God and to the period of the Divided Monarchy:
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Agape Bible Study 2 Timothy 3 - 4
2 Timothy 3:1-9 ~ The Last Days
Paul turns to the subject of the conditions of the "last days" before the return of Christ and the Final Judgment (CCC 1038-41).
Question: How does Paul describe the behavior of most people in the "last days"? What is his advice concerning them?
Answer: He lists nineteen negative dispositions:
- Self-centered
- Lovers of money
- Proud
- Haughty
- Abusive
- Disobedient to their parents
- Ungrateful
- Irreligious
- Callous
- Implacable
- Slanderous
- Licentious
- Brutal
- Hating what is good
- Traitors
- Reckless
- Conceited
- Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
- They make a pretense of religion but deny its power
2 Timothy 3:10-17 ~ Living by Paul's Example and Teaching
In contrast to the negative traits listed in verses 2-5, Paul lists the positive qualities of Timothy who follows Paul's teachings that are visible in his same qualities:
- way of life
- purpose
- faith
- patience
- love
- and even in his
- endurance
- persecutions
- sufferings
In verses 12-17, Paul tells Timothy that he too must expect persecution like everyone who lives religiously in Christ Jesus. To live "religiously" refers to the moral virtue by which a person is disposed lead a life of piety and to render to God the worship and service He deserves.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 ~ Paul's Solemn Charge to Timothy
Paul issues a final and solemn appeal to Timothy, as though they are in a courtroom where God the Father is present and God the Son is the presiding judge, asking Timothy to fulfill his mission to proclaim the Word. By the "word" Paul can be referring to the testimony of the Christ, the Living Word of God, or the "word" of Jesus' Gospel message of salvation which is, in essence, the same testimony. Timothy is to make a pledge to do this under all circumstances by convincing his audience, reprimanding the sinners, and encouraging with patience and teaching everyone.
3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers 4 and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. 5 But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.
The conditions Paul lists in verses 3-4 sadly have happened in every age of the Church; at sometimes more devastating to the faithful and the security of the Church than at other times. The situation Paul outlines has already happened at Ephesus where false teachers are enamored with their own speculations, refuse to accept correction, and take here and there from Scripture only what suits them (1 Tim 1:4; 4:7).
Question: What does Paul tell Timothy should be his response to these unpleasant and theological dangerous conditions?
Answer: He should remain composed and accept the resulting hardships while he continues to fulfill his mission as an evangelist, preaching the "good news" of Christ.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 ~ The End of Paul's Race and His Victor's Crown
Paul uses liturgical language to express his life lived in dedication to the Lord that is at the point of being sacrificed. In the Old Covenant liturgy of worship, the blood of certain sacrificial victims was collected in a chalice and sprinkled or poured out at at the base of the altar (Lev 1:5; 3:1-2; 4:7, 30; etc.), and a libation of wine was poured out against the holy altar of sacrifice at the end of the worship service (Ex 29:38-40; Num 28:7). Paul compares these liturgical practices to the offering up of his life as a sacrifice in his death which he calls his "departure" from this temporal existence.
Paul likes to use soldiering or sporting imagery like boxing and foot races in his letters. He refers to his life as a Christian missionary as a race in which he has "competed well," and has "finished," having "kept the faith" and for which he will be awarded the victor's crown like a Greek or Roman athlete (i.e., 1 Cor 9:24; 1 Tim 1:18).
Question: What is the "crown of righteousness" that awaits Paul in verse 8 and who is the judge who will award it? See Gal 5:5; Jam 1:12; 1 Pt 5:4 and Rev 2:10-11.
Answer: It is what Christ will give him and all the faithful on Judgment Day as an eternal reward for a life of faith and righteousness.
Paul trusts in Christ' promise of a reward after his thirty years of ministry, suffering, and success in completing his mission to take the Gospel of salvation to the Gentiles as Jesus commissioned him without straying from the course Christ set for him (Acts 20:24). "That day" refers to the Day of Divine Judgment and his appearing refers either to the future return of Christ in glory (4:1) or possibly His first coming in the flesh (1:10).
Chapter 4:9-22 ~ Paul's Personal Requests, Final Greetings, and Farewell
2 Timothy 4:9-18 ~ Paul's Requests
Paul senses the nearness of death, and so there is a sense of urgency in his request for Timothy to join him in verse 9.
Paul is still naming the defectors, partly because of his deeply wounded feelings of betrayal and partly to warn Timothy not to count on them for support (4:15), but he also names friends:
- Demas was at one time a loyal companion (Col 4:14; Philem 24) who deserted him because worldly comforts and perhaps fear of imprisonment torn him away from the apostle.
- Crescens left Paul to go to Galatia. Nothing more is known about him.
- Titus is a common Roman name. It is unlikely that the Titus named in 4:10 is the Titus to whom Paul wrote his Letter to Titus who was a trusted associate Paul sent as the bishop in charge of developing the Church on the island of Crete.2
- Luke is Paul's companion, physician, and evangelist who wrote the Gospel of Luke and Acts. Luke traveled with Paul on parts of his second and third missionary journeys and was with him at his first Roman imprisonment (Col 4:10-14; Philem 24).
- Mark, also known as John-Mark, is the inspired writer of the Gospel of Mark. He was the son of the Jewish-Christian Mary of Jerusalem in whose home the Apostles regularly met (Acts 12:12) and a cousin of the apostle Barnabas (Col 4:100. He was with Peter in Rome and visited with Paul during his first imprisonment (Col 4:10; Philem 24; 1 Pt 3:13). After the martyrdom of both Paul and Peter, Mark went to Alexandria, Egypt where he preached and served the Christians of Alexandria as their first Bishop (Eusebius, Church History, II.16.24) before, according to tradition, he suffered martyrdom.
- Tychicus was one of Paul's trusted couriers who probably carried his letter to Timothy in Ephesus (Eph 6:21; Col 4:7-9; Tit 3:12).
- Carpus is a man from Troas with whom Paul left a cloak he wants to be returned.
- Alexander the coppersmith is possibly a heretic Paul excommunicated for blasphemy along with Hymenaeus. Paul mentioned him in the first letter to Timothy (1 Tim 1:20). He is not to be confused with Alexander who was one of the Christian sons (Rufus and Alexander) of Simon of Cyrene (Mk 15:21; Rom 16:13).
13 When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus I Troas, the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.
Paul expects Timothy to fulfill his request to visit him in prison and asks him to bring not only his cloak but papyrus rolls and parchments, two forms of writing material. Papyrus pages were made from papyrus reeds that were soaked in water and then pounded together and dried to form sheets. Parchment was of higher quality and came from animal skins. If these are blank sheets, Paul intends to do more letter writing while he still had time. However, they could be Paul's copies of Old Testament Scripture.
2 Timothy 4:19-22 ~ Paul's Final Greetings and Farewell
Pricilla and Aquila are a married couple and dear friends of Paul. They were living in Rome (Rom 16:3-5) but have returned to Ephesus. Notice he gives her the affectionate nickname of Prisca and names her before her husband. They assisted Paul in his ministry in Corinth (Acts 18:2-3) and Ephesus (Acts 18:19-26; 1 Cor 16:19). In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote that they risked death to save his life, and all the Gentile communities are indebted to them, but he does not give the details of their courageous acts (Rom 16:3-5).
21 Try to get here before winter.
The coming of winter will make travel by sea, the faster way to make the journey, very hazardous if not impossible, and Paul needs his cloak to stay warm in prison (4:13).
Erastus was the treasurer of the city of Corinth (Acts 19:22; Rom 16:24). Trophimus was from the province of Asia and accompanied Paul from Greece to Troas (Acts 20:4-5). Eubulus, a disciple of Paul's and a member of the community at Corinth in Greece, is only named here.
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