Smyrna
8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These
things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Jesus is also El Shaddai, the many breasted one; the one who
is all sufficient. He is able to succor
all who come to Him. To Ephesus Jesus
was the one who holds the world (or the church in this case) in His hand. In Smyrna He is the first and the last who
died and rose again. In Pergamos He is
the Two Edged Sword of the Word of God.
These are all attributes of our Lord and Savior and He is all sufficient
to meet our every need. Here is a list
of the names and attributes of Jesus in Revelation alone.
·
First-born from the Dead
·
Highest of Earthly Kings
·
Alpha and Omega
·
Lord God
·
Almighty
·
Son of Man
·
First and the Last
·
Living One
·
Son of God
·
aithful Witness
·
Creator
·
Lion of the Tribe of Judah
·
Root of David
·
Lamb
·
Shepherd
·
Christ (Anointed)
·
Faithful and True
·
Word of God
·
King of Kings
·
Lord of Lords
It is important to note which attribute of the King of Kings
is speaking to each church. In this letter
to Smyrna, the church of Myrrh, the spice that denotes death, dying and
tribulation, He is the First and the Last who was dead and NOW LIVES! Smyrna would not know anything about being
one of the wealthy churches, those churches who have Mercedes and Rolls Royce’s
in the parking lot. Her members walked
or took the bus. They were the
persecuted. They might have been those
in Pakistan or the Middle East who struggled to maintain their faith in their
great trials. They identified with the
suffering savior more than the triumphing king.
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but
thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and
are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
The truth is that while God yet punishes all those who curse
His chosen Jewish people, it was the Jews that first made Christians outcasts
and brought them before the courts, costing many their lives. Paul went to the Jews alone until they
accused him of preaching and praying by the power of the devil. That is when He ceased preaching to the Jews
and went to the Gentiles (Acts 18:4-6).
You may not blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
It’s true that Israel as a whole did not blaspheme the Holy Spirit, but
their leadership cost Israel almost two thousand years of suffering and
grief.
There was a recent story about an ultra orthodox Jew who
stabbed several homosexuals in Jerusalem during a rally. One of them, a young woman of 16 died. The man feels perfectly justified in his actions
because scripture says their lifestyle is an abomination to God. While his statement of their lifestyle is
actually correct, his actions precluded God ever reaching that young woman
again with His grace and love. We are
living in a season of grace and while a Jew may not acknowledge that fact, we
in Christ ought to. We are here to
spread the love, grace and mercy of God to the lost and dying world. Violently
defending a God who does not need our defense is foolish. His Word is the truth. Only someone with an open mind can perceive
and accept the truth. That person can
tap into the grace of God and have his entire world changed.
As for national politics or religious politics, to develop
political power to accomplish your Savior’s will merely requires you to love
with the love of God and allow Him to change hearts around you. The Holy Spirit is much more powerful and
capable than you will ever be at changing hearts. In Jesus’ statement above he said, “It would
appear that you are poor, beaten and abused…but…YOU ARE RICH!” Looking at your bills and income and family
needs, is it possible that you are actually wealthy and prosperous in the only
way that matters?
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:
behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and
ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will
give thee a crown of life.
Beloved, have you considered verse 10 above? Are you yet prepared to suffer? Are you willing to suffer persecution and
abuse for the sake of the gospel? What
are you willing to endure? I have lived
with fear for many years. It has been in
the past ten or so years that I truly have understood that not only is
persecution possible in this country, but that it is the norm for Christians in
most countries. I speak with people
every day who are angry with God for not giving them the job or the home or the
promotion. Very few of them acknowledge
that they might one day have to endure persecution; that God may be trying to
strengthen them to endure. Could you
keep your faith in that persecution or rather believe that God has failed. I know Christians who hold this belief
because they have neglected their study of God’s Word.
In many countries Christians are thrown in prison simply for
being Christian. The verse goes on to
say that they will be tried and may have tribulation for 10 days. Ten is the number of completion. The ten days does not necessarily mean on day
eleven you will be released but that you may die in prison and so complete your
course of work for Christ. Your end may
not be the end that you choose but perhaps God has. Are you ready to honor Him in whatever way He
chooses? There is a crown of life
waiting if you do.
It is important to remember that the Lord created the Earth
in six days, not ten. Six is the number
of man and man is NOT YET complete. Had
man been complete they would not have fallen or truly discovered their need for
God. Our Father in Heaven is proud of we
who endure to the end and obtain the crown He awards to those who make it. He not only allows trials but in many cases
arranges them to help make us strong (James 1:2-4, Romans 8:17).
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second
death.
Hopefully this portion speaks to your heart. Jesus is saying, “I died for you and if you
are willing to die for the kingdom of God you are an overcomer and will not be
hurt by the second death, the horror of hell and the lake of fire. You might not have to give your life for the
Gospel of Christ, but you should be prepared if He considers it important. There are several scriptures that say we may
be offered up for this honor (Psalm 44:22, Acts 8:32, Romans 8:36). Luke 12:31-34 shows one key to this
honor. Are you ready to use it?
Pergamos
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write;
These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
A few verses speak of the two edged sword. In Judges 3:14 God raised up Ehud to kill the
king of the Moabites, an evil bloated man who made their life miserable. Ehud, who had a crippled hand, stuck the
sword into the king’s belly and scripture says, “The dirt came out.” The Moabites were family to the children of
Israel but had chosen to serve the devil rather than God. Ultimately they were destroyed but in this
case God used a two edged sword to cleanse the immediate future of Israel.
Used incorrectly a two edged sword is said to be as bitter
as wormwood and will bring you down to the grave. This is the fate of one who follows after a
forbidden woman (Proverbs 5:4). The
allowed woman is wisdom, the forbidden one is folly. A two edged sword ALWAYS kills. It is ALWAYS violent. It will pierce you and rend you in pieces. In some ways this is beneficial as in the
death of the king of Moab which delivered the Jews, or as in Hebrews 4:12 where
it says the Word of God separates the very parts of our life, soul and spirit,
and forces us to discern and mature in our thoughts and intents. In that case the sword of God’s Word will
birth the true strength and holiness of God’s Word within us and destroy the
pettiness of the flesh.
Christ’s warning to Pergamos is that they must be willing to
allow His two edged sword to separate wheat from chaff and truth from the lies
of Satan. Are you ready to be so
searched by Jesus that you will embrace the truth of the Word and walk in
it? Paul did. He forsook all and endured the hardships of
the true path and loss of acclaim he had worked so hard to develop with the
Jews. Peter declared to Jesus that they
had left all to follow Him (Mark 10:28).
It took a two edged sword to prepare these men to endure the death and
rebirth required to obey God faithfully.
Scripture says the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than
any two edged sword and that it pierces to the dividing in two of soul and
spirit. God needs us to know where flesh
ends and spirit begins so we will know how to follow faithfully.
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where
Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith,
even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among
you, where Satan dwelleth.
The Greek word Pergamos means a citadel, a fortress. Pergamum (the feminine form) means city of
the serpent. The church in Pergamum is a
Citadel, a fortress where the Christians stood strong against the onslaught of
the devil. It also means the city of
serpents and this reflects that there are those around the church who desire to
see the church fall just like there are in many areas of the world today. One man, Antipas, allowed the sword of the
Spirit to build his strength until he was able to stand for Christ and it cost
him his life. The church stood following
his death and God declared them both to be faithful. Wherever Satan dwells there will be
persecutions and trials in abundance for the faithful of God.
Notice it says that Jesus knew their works. A well known evangelist from long ago, Smith
Wigglesworth, used to say, “Faith is an act.”
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things
not seen. When God told the children of
Israel to cross the Jordan, the priests foot had to step into the swirling water
before it began to pile up in heaps on the uphill side and run dry on the
downhill. Perhaps your act will be to
preach or teach or profess your love for Jesus while being threatened. Has the sword of God cut you free from your
doubts and fears? Are you pruned and
ready to take that mortal stand if required?
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou
hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling
block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and
to commit fornication.
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
says, “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts
to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people,
which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my
face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will
forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Balac or Balak, another Moabite king, sought Balaam a
prophet to curse the children of Israel.
He refused to speak any word that God had not given him but wanted the
wealth and honor that was offered. He
realized that as long as Israel obeyed God they were safe and secure so he
devised a plan to cause them to stumble before God until they were no longer
protected (Numbers 31:16). Have you ever
met those who would cause you to stumble just to make you like them or so they
could look down upon you? Drug dealers
offer free drugs to retake men and women who have kicked the habit. Society makes it so hard for released
convicts to get a job that they often return to crime. These are just a few of Satan’s devices,
tricks of Balaam, to make men and women fall.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
which thing I hate.
Hand in hand with the spirit of Balaam was the doctrine of
the Nicolaitans. These polluted
followers of the idea that sin wasn’t sin if Christians did it. They traded wives and ate food offered to
idols in direct contradiction of the counsels of the church leaders. What they wanted was fire insurance to keep
them out of hell without a responsibility to obey God in all His holiness. Consider that this doctrine of “it doesn’t
take all that” is one that pervades the body of Christ today. Some believe that the gift of grace is so
great that we no longer need worry about what God wants at all, that we can do
as we desire and ask God for His love by grace.
This is a terrible sin and Jesus response to it is quite clear. He says, “I hate it.”
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and
will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
His final answer to it all is verse 16. Repent or I will come QUICKLY and fight
against those Nicolaitans with the sword of my mouth, the double edged
sword. I will cut the dirt out of them
if they refuse to acknowledge the holiness of my Word and obey it. He doesn’t say He will cleanse them or repair
them. He says he will FIGHT AGAINST THEM. One does not fight a child. You chasten a child. You fight an enemy. Do not choose to be an enemy of God. You can not stand against Him.
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the
hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name
written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
The truly terrible thing about sin is that it causes you to
be forever hungry. It never says enough
or that it has had its fill (Proverbs 30:15-16). The hidden manna of God is such that you can
be at peace and content where you are (Philippians 4:11, 1 Timothy 6:8). John mentioned in 3 John that Diotrephes was
never satisfied or content. He would
even kick those out of the church who would help John. I have seen pastors who enjoyed the ministry
of a particular teacher lose their churches because their bishop did not like
them finding strength or encouragement from another. It is pride and sin to believe that you alone
hold the truth of God and that He does not reveal it to anyone else as powerfully
as to you.
This hidden manna might cost you everything. It might cause you to be churchless,
homeless and even lifeless. It will
make you content and joyful. In this
place of Satan’s seat it is important to know who you are and to be known for
whose you are. In Roman times men were
given a white stone to gain admission to important events. Jesus said the white stone would be engraved
with your new name, a name that even you will only know by receiving it,
reading it, accepting it and believing it.
Have you ever wondered what your new name might be? My last name means shepherd’s staff in
German. That means something to me. Your name will be important to you because it
is unique and has been awarded you by Christ.
There is only one other place in scripture where a white stone is
mentioned. In Revelation it speaks of
the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem.
The first is Jasper (Redish), the second Sapphire (Blue) and the third is
Chalcedony (White). Jasper is the red of
the blood. Sapphire is the blue of the spirit
and Chalcedony is the white of the purified children of blood and spirit. He has cleansed them by His blood and the two
edged Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.
Then we have a name and then we may be part of His foundation.
No comments:
Post a Comment