Tag Archives: Revelation 1-3

Daily Bible Study

December 26, 2024 Bible Study — God Is, and Was, and Is to Come

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Revelation 1-3.

Usually when I read this passage I write something about what John writes to each of the seven Churches to which this letter is addressed.  Today I was struck by what John writes about God, and about Jesus.  John refers to God the Father as “Him who is, and who was , and who is to come.”  A few verses later he quotes God as saying that He is “the Alpha and the Omega who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Then when Jesus speaks to John in his vision, He says, “I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!”  The phrase, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,” strikes me so powerfully.

  • God is!  There may be those who say that God is dead, that He does not matter, that mankind no longer needs God, but they are mistaken.  God is, and mankind desperately needs Him now.
  • God was!  There are those who say that  we cannot trust what the Bible says because it happened so long ago, but God was there.
  • God is to come!  There are those who say that we do not know what the future holds, and they are correct.  But we know that God is already there waiting for us.

God was there at the beginning and He is there at the end.  Jesus was dead and now He is alive because death could not hold Him.  And that means that death will be unable to hold those who put their faith in Him.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

December 26, 2022 Bible Study — It Is Better To Be Enthusiastically Flawed, Than Lackadaisical

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Revelation 1-3.

It is important when we read the Book of Revelation to pay attention to the symbolism.  So, I want to note that seven churches in Asia Minor were chosen as the recipients for this letter because seven is the number of divine perfection.  Yet, these churches were not perfect.  I want to spend a little time looking at what was written to these seven churches.  John was given nothing negative to write about two of them, and nothing positive to say about two more.  Let’s look at what he wrote about the two churches about which John wrote only good things.  About one of those churches, the church in Smyrna, he writes that they are poor, but rich.  About the other, the church in Philadelphia, he writes that they are weak, but that God has opened a door for them that no one will be able to close.  In both cases, the message is that if we dedicate ourselves to serving God, we will succeed even though by the standards of this world we do not have the strength or resources to accomplish that for which we strive.  Now, let us look at the two churches about which he has nothing positive to write.  At the first of those, the church in Sardis, he writes that they have a reputation for being alive, but aren’t.  And about the church in Laodicea, he writes that they are neither hot nor cold, they are just indifferent.  Further, he says they are the opposite of the church in Smyrna…they think they are rich, when in fact they are poor.  In both cases the church had lost its first love for God and they were merely going through the motions.  John writes that it would be better to make no profession of faith than the half-hearted one they currently had, it would be better to be one of the three churches about which John writes both good and bad.  The churches about which John had nothing good to write had avoided the failings of the three churches about whom John gave mixed reviews. but they also failed to do any of those things for which he praised those churches.  We will be better off being enthusiastic disciples of Christ who fail in some areas, than lackadaisical ones who do nothing particularly wrong, but also nothing particularly right.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Daily Bible Study

December 26, 2021 Bible Study — The First And The Last

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Revelation 1-3.

I am not sure where I am going with my blog today.  I have some not really connected thoughts.  First I want to point out how John connects Jesus as God.  John writes that God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Then a few verses later he writes that he saw someone “like a son of man” who said to him, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”  Now from the statement, “I was dead,…I am alive for ever and ever” we can only conclude that this is Jesus, because no other being fits that description.  Further, when John writes that God says, “I am the Alpha and Omega,” that is another way of saying, “I am the First and the Last.”  So, in the vision, Jesus told John that He and the Father were one being.  I want to go on to look at the power of God’s statement that He is the One “who is, who was, and who is to come.”  That means that every place and time, God is present.  When good things happen, God is there.  When bad things happen, God is there.  God knows the joys you experience, and the suffering which you experience.  He knows when you bring joy to others, and will reward you.  He knows when you bring pain to others, and will hold you accountable.  Think of the most horrible event you know happened, God was there, offering comfort to those who suffered, and preparing the fate for those responsible for that suffering.

When I started this I intended to write on the messages to the specific churches, But I think  I will stop here.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Bible Study

December 26, 2020 Bible Study The One Who Is, And Was, And Is To Come

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 1-3.

I want to comment on what Jesus said to John at the beginning of John’s vision.  Actually, I want to go back to what John wrote in his introduction, and forward into the intro portion of the message to each of the seven Churches.  In his introduction, John writes that God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,  I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”  Then when Jesus first speaks to John in John’s vision He says, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.”  So, we see Jesus telling John that He is God, that He was with God in the beginning and will be with Him at the end.  For me, this passage represents the starting point for understanding the idea of the Trinity.  Yet, there is much more to it than that.  It is a message of hope.

If we go on and look at the introductions to the message to each of the seven Churches, we see the theme continued.  In the message to the Church of Ephesus, Jesus describes Himself as the “one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands.”  The “seven stars” are the angels of the seven Churches…their spirits, or their essence.  So, Jesus is telling John that He holds our essence, our spirit, in His hand.  In the message to Smyrna, He says He is the One who was dead, but is now alive.  Death has no power of Him, and since He holds us in His hand, death has no power over us.  To the Church in Pergamum, He describes Himself as the one who wields the sharp two-edged sword.  This is both a promise and a warning.  Because He holds the sharp sword, He can, and will, strike down our enemies.  Because that sword is two-edged, He can strike us down if we turn against Him.  To Thyatira, He describes Himself as having eyes of flame.  Nothing can be hidden from Him, and His gaze can strike down those who think their evil is hidden.  To Sardis, He says that He has the sevenfold Spirit of God.  Being sevenfold indicates that God’s Spirit is complete.  We too must seek completeness.  We cannot be satisfied with just a portion of righteousness, but must seek all aspects of it.  To the Church of Philadelphia, Jesus reminds them that what He opens cannot be closed, and what He closes cannot be opened.  When God gives us an opportunity, nothing can prevent us from taking advantage of it.  And when God closes a door nothing can come through it to harm us.  Finally, to the Church of Laodiciea He informs us that He is a faithful and true witness.  What Jesus has said is true and He will not change His testimony.

I hope the words I have written above convey the message of hope which reading this passage inspired in me.

Daily Bible Study

December 26, 2019 Bible Study — Jesus Is the First and the Last, and What That Means For Us

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 1-3.

I think we should spend more time thinking about the end days, but I struggle deciphering God’s message for us in the apocalyptic writings of the Bible.  However, I really like the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation.  John uses some phrases which convey some basic truths in a way which conveys the mysticism which they truly contain.  The first of these (taken from the NIV) is

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

He could have written something like, “God is eternal”.  That would have said the same thing, but does not convey the same sense of immediacy that God is present at every moment in history, even those which have yet to happen.  All of time is laid bare to God.  When He acts today it is with full knowledge of what will happen tomorrow, just as His actions yesterday were based in part on what He knew would happen today.

The other phrase (also taken from the NIV):

I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Another example where the idea could have been conveyed with more pedestrian phrasing.  John begins by connecting the being he saw in his vision to God, the Creator.  The phrase used here, “the First and the Last,” also makes sure that we understand what is meant by the phrase, “the Alpha and the Omega.”  The rest of the phrase communicates both the basic, essential Christian dogma that Christ lived, died, and rose from the dead and shows us what that means for us.  Because of Christ, those who put their faith in Him need not, should not, fear death.  He holds the keys both to death and to the place of the dead.  He can, and will, free us from death.  Even if we die, He holds the ability and willingness to raise us once more to life.  Death holds no power over Jesus, therefore we do not need to, and should not, allow it to hold any power over us.

Daily Bible Study

December 26, 2018 Bible Study — Have we lost our enthusiasm for the Lord?

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 1-3.

In the introduction to his letter to the seven Churches of Asia (Asia Minor), John gives us a description of God and Jesus which shows us that they are One.  Yet, despite being One, they are different.  God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  Jesus is the First and the Last, the Living One who died but is alive for eternity.  Both of them are the One who <strong>IS</strong>, who <strong>ALWAYS WAS</strong>, and who <strong>IS STILL TO COME</strong>.  I can think of no way to easily express better that for God time is no constraint.  He is present both at the beginning and at the end (not “was present” and “will be present”), and at every point in between.  Yet, He understands the passage of time.

Often times I have seen people talk or write that each of the seven Churches represent archetypes of Church, “which one is YOUR congregation?”  However, I realized today that there is only three types listed here.  There are variations between those that fall into each of these categories, but only three categories.  There are three Churches which have lost their enthusiasm: Ephesus, Sardis, and Laodicea.  There are two Churches which tolerate false teachers: Pergamum and Thyatira.  And there are two Churches which are faithful in the face of opposition:  Smyrna and Philadelphia.

I think it is worth looking at the Churches which have lost their enthusiasm in more detail.  Laodicea is neither an enthusiastic, energetic group who strive to get everyone excited, nor a solid, pragmatic group which sees it through to the end.  Sardis is living in the past.  They have a reputation for doing good things, but they are not doing them anymore.  They are just going through the motions.  Finally, Ephesus is still doing good things, but has lost the love which motivated them in the first place.  They no longer act out of love, just routine. 

Daily Bible Study

December 26, 2017 Bible Study — The Alpha and The Omega, The First and The Last

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 1-3.

    The introduction the Book of Revelation contains some things which help us understand God. John writes that God is the beginning and the end of all things, the Alpha and the Omega. If we were writing that for the first time today we would write the A and the Z, but really that does not carry the same weight that Alpha and Omega had for John’s readers. Words, especially written words, had much more meaning for the people to whom John wrote. When John wrote that God was the Alpha and Omega his readers would have understood this to mean that He encompassed all knowledge and all wisdom. They would have been familiar with Plato’s Cave and so that phrase would have implied that God encompassed all that was real, of which the world we experience is but a shadow. To John’s readers, words contained a truth which stood above that which could be experienced, by writing what he did John was saying that that truth was contained within God. There is a lot more to this than I have time to write today. When I started writing that I intended to give just a bit of context to the what it meant that John wrote that God was the beginning and the end and that Jesus was the First and the Last. When John wrote that Jesus was the First and the Last he was writing that Jesus was God, but still somehow different from God the Father. The Alpha and Omega conjures the image of something too vast for us to understand. The First and the Last is the same thing, yet in terms we humans can comprehend. Those two phrases represent how God the Father and Jesus the Son relate to each other and to us. God the Father is that aspect of God which is beyond our ability to comprehend. Jesus is that aspect which exists to allow us to comprehend God.

    John’s messages to each of the seven Churches contains all of the struggles which a group of believers can face.

  • Ephesus, there the Church would not tolerate evil people, those who taught doctrine contrary to the Gospel. They were praised for their knowledge of good doctrine and theology, for being able to suss out those teaching lies. But they had lost their love for God and each other. Knowing the truth is not enough, we must also act with the love which that truth proclaims.
  • Smyrna, there the Church suffered persecution and poverty. Yet, despite all of their troubles they remained faithful so God declared them rich. Let us pray to for the riches which they possessed.
  • Pergamum, they refused to deny their faith in the face of the threat of death. Yet, Jesus finds fault with them for tolerating those who taught that grace meant that it was OK to be immoral and take part in the worship of other gods. When directly challenged on their faith they stood strong, but when more subtle assaults against the faith presented themselves they fell prey.
  • Thyatira, they were praised for their deeds showing their love for God and man. They worked to make the world a better place. Yet, they permitted a woman who taught and practiced sexual licentiousness a place in their community. And by community I do not mean living in their neighborhood. John meant that they allowed this woman to be a part of their meetings and to use her association with them to recruit disciples.
  • Sardis, they had a reputation for being strong believers, but the reality was that it was all a front. They were just going through the motions. There were still a few faithful there, but most of the congregation no longer truly believed.
  • Philadelphia, they were weak and struggled to remain faithful. Nevertheless, God had provided them an opportunity and the strength with which to take advantage of it. The Church in Philadelphia knew they did not have the strength to accomplish God’s purpose, but they did His work anyway. John’s message to them was that that was enough. Our weakness is God’s strength.
  • Laodicea, they were neither enthusiastic and charismatic, nor deep students of God’s word. There are those who are enthusiastic and excited about the Gospel. Their understanding of the intricacies of doctrine and meanings of faith are often limited, but they get people excited to learn more. Then there are those who study the Word in depth. They are not exciting, sometimes they are even boring, but they stand ready to help their brothers and sisters understand and see God’s Spirit when Satan strikes through depression or other suffering. The Church in Laodicea was neither. They were neither excited by the Gospel, nor willing to study it in depth. God wants our deep enthusiasm.

Let us examine ourselves and the Body of believers with which we fellowship to address where we fall on this list.

Daily Bible Study

December 26, 2016 Bible Study

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 1-3.

    John begins this letter to the seven Churches with a description of God’s eternal existence which communicates more than just saying that God is eternal does. He writes that God is, always was, and is to come. God has always been, He is now, and He will always be. As part of his description of God, John writes that God is the beginning and the end. Then he goes on to connect Jesus to this description of God as eternal by writing that Jesus is the first and the last. Jesus died and yet He now lives for all eternity. Because of His death, He now holds the key to death and the grave. Through Him we too may have life eternal.

    In John’s message to the seven Churches he has one of two complaints with the various Churches. It is interesting that to this day these two complaints represent the primary failings which Churches fall into. One is a loss of enthusiasm for spreading the Gospel and doing God’s work. The other is a tolerance for teaching that sexual immorality is not a bad thing, perhaps even a good thing, and the idolatry of trying to fit in with the culture around us. Both are equally bad. There is nothing to be gained by holding fast to God’s commands to be sexually upright and separated from the evils of society if you do not love others enough to tell them about why they should change by accepting the Gospel. On the other hand, being enthusiastic about preaching God’s word to people has no value if you do not teach its transformative power.