In this segment I will be discussing Chapter 13, the Beast out of the Sea and the Beast out of the Earth. The beast out of the sea is the Antichrist. The sea is the Mediterranean Sea. When saying he will come out of the sea, it is telling us he will come from two sources: his spirit from the abyss and his body from one of the Gentile nations around the Mediterranean. The sea signifies Gentile nations (Revelation 17:15, Isaiah 57:20). The ten horns and seven heads are those of the dragon (Revelation 12:3); the beast is therefore one with the dragon. The ten horns are the ten coming kings (Daniel 7:24) and the seven heads are the seven Caesars (Revelation 17:10). The ten heads correspond to the ten toes in Daniel 2:42-4. The Roman Empire, Antichrist, and ten kings (represented by the ten crowns) are one with Satan. The seven Caesars, symbolized by the seven heads, claimed deity and ordered their people to worship them, which is a blasphemy against God.
A leopard, characterized by swift and crucial movements, was the symbol of Alexander the Great, king of Greece. The bear, characterized by its destroying feet, was the symbol of the monarchy of Medo-Persia. The lion, characterized by its devouring mouth, was a symbol of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The Antichrist will have their characteristics. He’s the totality of all evil powers in human history. Giving his power, throne, and authority to the beast, he makes the beast one with him so he can resist God and persecute God’s people on earth. Verse 3 refers to one of the Caesars who will be resuscitated, causing the earth to marvel. He is one of the Caesars who was assassinated or murdered because it says his face was slain. During the last three and a half years he will terminate all Jewish worship and service to God (Daniel 9:27), persecute the saints, and destroy Jerusalem. The saints that he will make war with are the believers that remain on earth.
The Beast Out of the Earth
13:11 brings our attention to the beast out of the earth. This other beast is the false prophet mentioned in Revelation 16:13, 19:20, and 20:10. Since the earth signifies Israel, the false prophet will most likely come from the Jews. By saying that he looks like a lamb but talks like a dragon this verse is indicating his falsity. He is the ultimate of all the false prophets that we were forewarned about. He helps persuade people to worship the beast from the sea. He will be able to do what Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:36-38 by bringing fire out of the sky. People won’t be able to distinguish the truth from the lies. In his being able to give breath to the statue of the beast of the sea he is doing something that has never been done before in human history. Psalm 115:5 tells us that no idol made by human hands has ever been able to speak.
Chapter 12 is about the woman and the dragon. It can be difficult to interpret what this chapter is talking about but with the right outlook on it, it becomes clear. In Genesis 37:9 Joseph saw in a dream the sun, moon, and eleven stars plus himself, signifying the totality of God’s people. Based on this principle, the sun, moon, and stars here must signify all of God’s people as well, which is represented by a woman. The sun signifies God’s people in the New Testament because the world is no longer dark after Christ entered the world; there is hope for mankind. The moon signifies God’s people in the Old Testament. The moon is the age of law, which is not to be exalted over the stars; all these people are light bearers. The child, being a man child, signifies God’s stronger people. The bible considers them a collective unit fighting the battle for God here on earth. The cry mentioned is actually a prayer. When it says “…and cried out in pain…” it signifies the suffering that God’s people face.
The Red Dragon
The red dragon in verse 3 is Satan. The redness of the dragon signifies the shedding of blood caused by Satan’s murders (John 8:44). The seven heads and ten horns are those of the Antichrist (13:1). This indicates that Satan and the Antichrist are one; the Antichrist is an embodiment of Satan. The seven diadem crowns that the dragon wears indicate the glory of the seven Ceasers’ extraordinary kingship. Since each of them were one with Satan, each assumed deity, claimed to be God, and forced people to worship himself as God. The third part of the stars that are cast to the earth are the saints that backslide because of Satan and are therefore cast down to earth and now they must partake in the Great Tribulation and rapture. That the dragon stood before the woman signifies that he is always against God’s people. Since Genesis 3:15 to this day he is always waiting to claim possession of God’s people and devour them. The man-child is the overcoming saints, the stronger followers. We know this because in Revelation 2:26-27 it says that the overcoming saints will help rule the nations during the millennial kingdom and here they are given an iron rod to rule the nations. God will protect the remaining believers during the last three and a half years before they are raptured on that last day.
The War in Heaven
The war in Heaven mentioned in verse 7 begins immediately after the strongest believers are raptured. They are always in a state of fighting for the Lord. With this war Satan and his angels are cast out of Heaven. Satan accused Job and Joshua and now he accuses the believers of God day and night. But, through fighting him, the kingdom of God can now come in full. Verse 11 refers to the overcoming believers who constitute the man-child in verse 5. They overcame the slander of Satan. The blood of the Lamb answers before God all the accusations of the devil against us and gives us victory over him. We need to verbally testify against the devil when we feel him against us. Unto death indicates martyrdom. They were martyred in Christ’s name. The devil is angry because he has been cast out of Heaven losing all of his territory. He will concentrate his hatred against God’s people during the last three and a half years with great strength, trying to turn them away from Him.
The Woman in the Wilderness
Because of this wrath of Satan, God will be the great eagle that protects her. The wings signify his strength to rescue (Exodus 19:4, Deuteronomy 32:11-12). He will protect His people from Satan just like He brought the people of Israel out from the Pharaoh’s persecution. A time and times and a half denotes three and a half years. The water that Satan will cast out in verse 15 signifies the armies that will be sent by Satan to try and destroy the children of God. God said that He would not use water again to punish His people; therefore, this refers to Satan’s attempt to destroy God’s people. The earth will open and swallow Satan (the depths of the earth often signify hell). The rest of her seed signifies the rest of God’s people who do not make up the man-child. Among them are the Jews that we saw in Chapter 7 and the believers who hold Jesus’ testimony. The sea in verse 18 is the same that we will see in 13:1- the Mediterranean Sea. The sand here represents the shore of the Holy Land, where Israel is. Satan’s persecution will be focused mainly on the land of Israel during the Great Tribulation.
Chapter 11 reveals the two witnesses to us and the seventh trumpet, which produces the seven bowls that we will see further in chapter 16. In verse 1 John is given a reed like a rod to measure the temple. This is most likely meant to preserve the temple during the time of supernatural calamities and physical danger or for the reformation of the temple, while in Ezekiel the measuring of the temple was for the rebuilding of it. The altar mentioned here is the incense altar because the altar of sacrifice is in the court outside of the temple. The court is on earth. The holy city is the earthly Jerusalem. At the end of this age the Antichrist will make a covenant with the Jews for one week (7 years) during the last week of the 70 weeks (490 years) God appointed the Jews in Daniel 9:24-27 to end sin. During the last three and a half years, or forty two months, he will break the covenant and end the worship of God (Daniel 9:27). He will blaspheme God and persecute His people. He’ll destroy Jerusalem. This will be the Great Tribulation.
The Two Witnesses
1,260 days is three and a half years. The two witnesses here are Moses and Elijah. The reason they wear sackcloth is because it’s funeral clothes. It’s a warning to mankind not to worship the Antichrist so they can escape eternal damnation. In verses 5-6, the actions are the same as what Moses and Elijah did. Moses had turned water to blood and brought plagues among men. Elijah caused the rain to stop due to his great faith. By saying they have the power to do these things again tells us they won’t do it but it lets us know their identity. Malachi 4:5 predicted Elijah’s mission.
“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and
dreadful day of the Lord comes.”
The prophet Zechariah, in Zechariah 4, received a vision of two olive trees at either side of a golden light stand. 4:13 says they are the two anointed to serve the Lord. In Matthew 17:1-3 both Moses and Elijah appeared before the Lord on the mount of transfiguration. Moses represents the law and Elijah represents the prophets (Luke 16:16). Olive trees produce oil for the lamps (like mentioned in Matthew 25:1-13). Oil signifies the Holy Spirit. Lampstands produce light through use of the oil. During the church age the churches are the lampstands for God’s testimony. During the 42 months the witnesses are the source of the Holy Spirit and the testimony. The Antichrist will kill these two witnesses and their bodies lie in the city of Jerusalem. It’s spiritually called Sodom and Egypt because even after the 1948 restoration they’re as sinful as Sodom and as wordly as Egypt. The torment that they brought upon the earth was the testimony that they spoke because mankind didn’t want to accept it. The three and a half days is included in the 1,260 or else it would extend past the Great Tribulation. In standing back on their feet they have been resurrected. Jerusalem then suffers an earthquake.
The earth is no longer ruled by Satan and God’s judgment will now occur on the dead. The Ark of the Covenant is the center of all God’s accomplishments. The earthquake that then occurs is the fourth quake predicted in Revelation. The first occurred at the sixth seal, the second was before the seven trumpets, the next was at the rapture of the two witnesses, and now there is one during the seventh bowl which is the most sever calamity of the seventh trumpet.
Moving further into the book of Revelation, we’ll be reviewing chapters 10, 11, and 12 today.
“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from Heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with
a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.”
-Revelation 10:1
This mighty angel is Christ. Being clothed with a cloud is different than being on a cloud. He is not yet in the open; He’s in secret descending from Heaven from Heaven. Revelation 1:7 and Matthew 24:30 let us know that He’ll come out of secret when all tribes see Him. The rainbow around His head signifies that He will keep the covenant God made with mankind after the Great Flood. It also shows that He will execute judgment according to God’s judgment. Legs like fiery pillars indicate He will be steadfast and in God’s glory. The little scroll in His hand is the scroll in 5:1. In 5:1 it was still sealed but here the seven seals have been completely removed. It is only part of the scroll and we know this because here it is referred to as a little scroll. The main part of the scroll has been revealed.
In saying that “He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land…” it indicates that He is taking possession of the earth back from Satan. When verse 3 says He roared like a lion, it is letting us know that Christ wrath. A roar of a lion is likened to a king’s wrath in Proverbs 19:12 and 20:2. The seven thunders show the full and powerful wrath of God. In verses 6-7 Christ is saying that with the seventh trumpet comes the most serious of His wrath, the final answer to the martyred saints’ prayer we sawing in Revelation 6:10. There will be no more mystery in God. In Isaiah 2:2-4, 11:1-10, 65:17-20, and 66:22 God made promises of the kingdom in its manifestation coming, and the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem. They will be revealed to all.
Chapter 8 introduces the Seven Trumpets. Christ is the angel that stands at the altar of prayers of the saints. He is the incense added so that their prayers may be found acceptable to God. The smoke rising in verse 4 signifies that the prayers of the saints become effective. Their prayers are answered for judgment on the earth which is signified by the fire, thunder, voices, lightening, and earthquake. The fire is not literal fire; God, throughout Revelation, lets us know that his judgment is represented by fire. It is fire because eternal punishment is being cast into the Lake of Fire. The first four trumpets are not judgment directly on man yet but rather a warning to repent through destruction of things vital to man’s survival.
The First Four Trumpets
During the first trumpet, the third part of the earth probably refers to the most evil and sinful regions. Fire and hail falling upon these regions is a supernatural calamity. It’s an unusual combination but God, in his power, will allow for it to happen. 1/3 of the earth will be destroyed by fire. During the second trumpet another third of a creation of God is destroyed. This time it is the sea, and 1/3 of the creatures and ships of the sea. Some people speculate that the “huge mountain, all ablaze” is a meteorite or asteroid. The third trumpet destroys another 1/3 of something created by God. This time it’s the springs and rivers. Jeremiah 9:15 tells us that men will drink poisoned water, provided by God. Right now, even those who don’t abide in God enjoy his Creation. But, during the third trumpet, they will no longer be able to enjoy it. It’s His vengeance against man, destroying something that is so crucial to human life. The fourth trumpet will cause darkness to overwhelm most of the day and a 1/3 of the earth.
The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets
The last three trumpets, the three woes, will occur during the last half of the Tribulation which is 3 ½ years, 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5), or twelve hundred and sixty days (Revelation 11:3, 12:6).
Chapter 9 is the fifth and sixth trumpets. The star in verse 1 that fell to the earth is Satan. The angels are likened to stars and Satan was the Daystar (Isaiah 14:12). He is given authority over the dwelling place of demons. The locusts in verse 3 are not like those in Exodus but rather these have tails like scorpions and bring harm to men (9:10) and they are demon-possessed. Only the Israelites who have the seal of God will not be harmed by these locusts. Mankind will be made to suffer, not die for verse 6 says:
“And in those days men will seek death and shall by no means find it;
and they will long to die, and death flees from them.”
The angel of the abyss mentioned in verse 11 is the Antichrist. The Hebrew word Abaddon means destruction and the Greek work Apollyon means destroy. In verse 13, during the sixth trumpet, the golden altar is the incense altar that the blood of redemption was put on (Exodus 30:10). This verse indicates that God’s judgment is based on the redemption of Christ because men do not believe in His redemption. The four angels that are released will kill men first for one hour then one day, then one month, and then finally one year. The two hundred million horsemen in verse 16 will join the battle at Armageddon. The horses and their riders in verse 17 bear fire and hyacinth and brimstone to kill people and cast them into the lake of fire. These horsemen are more powerful than the locusts with the tails of scorpions. These horsemen kill men, not just torment them. These woes upon men were meant to bring them to repentance, but there are still men who refuse to repent even after these traumatic events.
Today we will be looking at chapters 6-9 in the book of Revelation- the Seven Seals, the 144,000, and the Seven Trumpets.
The Four Horsemen
The opening of the seven seals occurs immediately after Christ ascends into Heaven and they concern all living creatures. The white horse mentioned in verse 2 symbolizes the preaching of the gospel, which is clean, pure, just, and approvable in the eyes of God. The first four seals consist of four horses with the four riders who are not actual people but rather personified things. Some people interpret this verse as the rider being Jesus but it is the gospel. Immediately after Christ’s ascension, the four things began to run rampant in the Earth and they will continue until Christ’s Second Coming. The gospel started spreading in the first century and simultaneously war has continued among mankind. War causes famine and famine causes death. The reason why the first rider has a bow is to fight the enemy and the crown is because the gospel has been crowned with the glory of Christ.
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the
light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
-2 Corinthians 4:4
The second horse is the rider of war. The red color of the horse represents bloodshed which is prominent in war. When this verse says “…to take peace from the earth…” it clearly indicates war. The third horse is that of famine. The blackness of the horse symbolizes a deficiency (Jeremiah 14:1-4) and represents famished people (Lamentations 4:8-9). Here, the balance is to weigh food. Verse 6 says, “…; and do not harm the oil and wine.” because oil and wine are for man’s pleasure and tend to be in short supply. They become precious and valuable in a time of famine. The fourth and final horse is that of death. It is a pale horse because when one dies they become pale in the face. Hades is the place where the unsaved dead are kept before judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Hades follows this horse to obtain those that Death kills. The reason why beasts are mentioned here to kill man is because one of the punishments by God upon man is death by animals, such as in 2 Kings 2:24 and 2 Kings 17:25.
The Fifth and Sixth Seals
The fifth seal discusses Christian martyrs. They are given white robes because their martyrdom was approved by God. Verse 11, when saying that the number of their fellow slaves and brothers were about to be killed, is talking about the martyrdom of the great tribulation (Revelation 20:4). The sixth seal marks the beginning of the supernatural calamities and marks the beginning of the changing into the new heaven and the new earth.
The 144,000
Chapter 7 shows how God will still care for His people during the time of judgment. The winds mentioned in the first verse are the winds of His judgment (Jeremiah 22:22, 51:1). The angel in verse 2 is Jesus. He is a special messenger, granted power by God. Verse 3 lets us know that the Israelites whom He has chosen will be protected during the seventh seal and the seven trumpets. These are the Israelites who keep the commandments of God during the tribulation.There are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
Verse 9-17 is about the redeemed ones from all nations and all generations. They are raptured to the presence of God right before the sixth seal is opened. They’re conduct has been approved by God so they’ve been washed by the blood of the lamb, hence the white robes. The palm branches in their hands signify the victory of the saints over suffering they went through in Christ’s name and the satisfaction of being watered. The great tribulation mentioned is not the one that occurs in Revelation but rather the suffering of God’s people throughout all generations. They will have no dissatisfaction once they are living in the kingdom of God.
Chapter 5 is the same scene as Chapter 4 except now Jesus has ascended here. In Revelation 5:1, the scroll mentioned is the new covenant and the seven seals are the contents of Revelation. The seven seals are what allow the new covenant to form. Here, Christ is referred to as a lion and “The Root of David”. As a lion, Christ is a strong fighter against the enemy, as prophesied in Genesis 49:8-9. as the Root of David he is the source of David. David, although a forefather of Christ, still called him “Lord” (Matthew 22:42-45). No one in the heavens or earth is capable of opening the seals except for Jesus. As the Redeeming Lamb he took away the sin of fallen man, allowing the fulfillment of God’s will; therefore, he’s able to open the seals.
The Lamb
The Lamb who looks as though He was slain is Jesus. As the Lamb He is our redeemer, not a fighter. That is why He appears as the Lamb. For He did not fight us, He fought FOR us. In saying that He had just been slain indicates that this scene is right after Christ’s accession. He has not yet taken His seat at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:3, 10:12). He has seven horns because horns signify strength in fighting (Deuteronomy 33:17) and He was the fighting Redeemer; He has completed His fighting so that is why there is seven horns; God move is complete. We are also told that He has seven eyes. Eyes are for searching and observing. Christ has these eyes to execute God’s judgment upon the universe to fulfill God’s eternal purpose.
The angelic elders are ministering to God by bringing forth the saint’s prayers and the incense Christ being added to these prayers. He was the only one who could pay for the sins of mankind. His bloodshed is what allows Him to be the only one to open the seals. The angels and the creatures will forever sing praises to Lord.
Today, as we move further into the book of Revelation, we will be looking at chapters 4 and 5: The Throne in Heaven and The Scroll and the Lamb.
The Throne in Heaven
Chapter 4 is the scene in Heaven when God is ready to execute His universal administration. In the first verse the Lord says, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Jacob, Ezekiel, Jesus, Stephen, Peter, and now John, have seen Heaven. Soon it will be opened to all believers. God sits on a large throne in Heaven. Verse 3 refers to him being like jasper and carnelian (or sardius). Jasper is dark green and signifies life in richness. It also signifies God’s communicable glory. Carnelian represents redemption; therefore, we know God is a god of redemption. In the Old Testament High Priests wore breastplates with gems starting with carnelian and having jasper at the end. This showed that the redeemed have a beginning in redemption and an end in God’s glory. The rainbow around His throne signifies that during His judgment He will stay true to the covenant He made with mankind and won’t destroy them flooding nor destroy ALL mankind.
The 24 Elders
Next, in verse 4, the elders are introduced to us. Who are they? There is much speculation as to whom they may be. Some think they are the 12 apostles and the leaders of each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Others say they are the church saints or 24 men from the bible. However, we know that they are not the 12 apostles and the leaders from the tribes of Israel because Matthew 19:28 says this:
“Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man
sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
The men and women of Israel are not raptured. The twelve apostles will serve as judges during the millennial kingdom. Also, John was an apostle; did he see himself around the throne or fail to recognize the other apostles? You may believe something different then me but I believe that these elders are angelic angels, celestial beings that help carry out God’s administration. Firstly, from the times of Solomon when the first temple was built to 70 AD, Levitical priests were rotated in groups of 24 elders and leaders. Where did they get this pattern from? From the angelic administration. In 5:10, they refer to the redeemed people as THEY which implies that they are not part of the redeemed people but of angelic descent. White garments do not just signify salvation. Angels also wear white.
“…and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.”
-John 20:12
Also, crowns represent authority; they are not just given to overcomers and followers of Christ. Not only are they the elders of the thousands of angels but they are the elders of all creation. The seven lampstands that are mentioned next are based upon the lampstands in Exodus 25:37 and Zechariah 4:2. They represent the enlightening and searching of the Spirit of God and His judgment. The sea of glass is not water but fire (15:2). All negatives will be seen and judged.
The Four Creatures
Verse 6 tells us that there are also four living creatures around the throne. What are they and what do they represent? They represent all living creatures that God created. The beasts of the earth, cattle, man, and fowl are all represented. You may be wondering right now why there is nothing that represents the things that crawl the earth or swim the oceans. The serpent, which represents crawling things, also represents Satan. Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, therefore he has no place in Heaven. Revelation 21:1 tells us that the creatures of the water won’t exist in the new heaven and the new earth. The lion and the eagle are unclean but become clean after redemption (Acts 10:11-16). Also, the lion and eagle are fierce and the cattle and man are meek but they can live together now through redemption as well (Isaiah 11:6-9). Christ’s redemption is for all things that God created (Colossians 1:20). Since the creatures are covered with eyes all around and within we can tell that they are crystal clear in every aspect. With 6 wings, they resemble the cherubim in Ezekiel 1:5-10 and seraphim in Isaiah 6:2. The cherubim represent God’s glory and expression (Hebrews 9:5) and the seraphim represent God’s holiness (Isaiah 6:3). When the creatures say “holy, holy, holy” they are implying the triune of God.
Now we will be looking at the next two chapters. Chapters 2 and 3 are the epistles to the seven churches. Both the Lord and the Spirit talk to the churches and all churches must heed the warnings to the others. The seven churches are separated into two groups. The first group is a group of 3 and the second group is a group of 4. Three represents the trinity of God and four represents the creatures of the earth. Separating the churches like this lets us know that God’s will is being completed and He is being added to the created man.
Church of Ephesus
The first church mentioned is the church of Ephesus. This church did good works and labored for the Lord. They persevered for His name. They even hated the work of the Nicolaitans like Jesus did. However, they fell away from Christ, their first love. I know this might seem like a side track but it’s important to know who the Nicolaitans are. Firstly, the Greek word is 2 words combined: conquer and common/secular people or laity. Therefore, it means conquer the common people. Nicolaitans are people who feel they are better than other believers. Roman Catholics and Protestants use this system. Love helps keep us in a proper relationship with the Lord. Repentance is needed for the church of Ephesus. We ALL need to turn back to Jesus and repent! Ephesus failed to heed Jesus, who made good on His words. The weed-covered desolation of Odeum, the smaller theater in Ephesus, symbolizes the state of Christianity today in Turkey, where Ephesus is located. Turkey, once the heart of Paul's ministry to Asia Minor, is 99% Muslim and devoid of Bible-based Christianity today.
Church of Smyrna
The next church is the one in Smyrna. The Greek word for Smyrna is myrrh. Myrrh signifies suffering; therefore Smyrna was a suffering church. It was under persecution of the Roman Empire from the first to fourth centuries. This church was poor in material but rich in the Lord. Those who claim to be Jews but are false slander against the church, just as those who say they are Christian but are not really. When he says they claim they are Jews means that they just label themselves as that but don’t live their life like a Jew. The church suffered persecution for 10 days. The number 10 signifies fullness and ten days signifies a full, yet brief period of time. It indicates the ten periods of persecution suffered under the Roman Empire from Nero to Constantine. The second death is that of the spirit when we are judged by God. This is one of only two churches to not be rebuked by Jesus in his letters to them.
Church of Pergamum
The third church is Pergamum. The Greek word means marriage and forfeited tower. This prefigures the church that entered a marriage with the world. Multitudes of unbelievers were baptized into the church which was considered a spiritual fornication to the Lord. Satan’s throne is the world. Although the church is on earth, where Satan rules, they remain loyal to Christ. Antipas means against all. Antipas is the Lord’s witness that stood against all that the worldly church practiced and helped Pergamum hold fast to the Lord’s name and true Christian faith. The word Greek word for martyr also means witness. Not only was Antipas a strong witness but he was also a martyr. Although the worldly church held fast to Christ's name, they distracted believers from enjoying everything Christ had to offer. Balaam was a Gentile prophet who, for money, enticed God’s people to sin. At this church, some people followed his teachings. There are also Nicolaitans at Pergamum. If the church doesn’t repent, they will be judged and condemned. The hidden manna is for those who overcome the worldly church. Pergamum was issued by the Roman Catholics, signified by Thyatira. In our human nature we are clay. But once we receive divine life, we are stones to help God’s building. The new name signifies a new life and a white stone signifies one who is pure and sinless, washed from sin.
Church of Thyatira
The fourth church is the church of Thyatira, the compromising church. Thyatira, in Greek, means sacrifice of perfume or unceasing sacrifice. Thyatira prefigures the Roman Catholic Church, formed as the apostate church (full of sacrifices) by establishing the universal papal system in the late sixth century. The church has love and faith in Christ but they don't stand firm. Jezebel, the woman mentioned here, was the pagan wife of Ahab. She is the same woman prophesied about in Matthew 13:33. She added leaven, signifying evil, into the flour, which represents the purity of Christ. She claims to be a prophetess just like the Roman Catholic Church appointed themselves as prophets. The Roman Catholic Church leads believers to fornication. Thyatira is incurably sick, hence the bed of suffering. This bed is meant for those who do not repent. In verse 23, when He says He will strike her children dead may refer to the destruction of the Church through the Antichrist and his followers (Revelation 17:16-17). Those who overcome this church will reign with God in the millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:4,6).
Church of Sardis
Now we move onto Chapter 3, the final three churches. The fifth church is the church of Sardis, which in Greek means the remainder or the restoration. This is the dying church. It prefigures the Protestant Church after the Reformation. This church hasn’t completed the works that they began for God. Everyone believes it is a strong church but in reality they are still spiritually dead. They had restored things during the Reformation like an open bible and justification by faith. The Protestant Church will be unaware of Christ’s coming because they have fallen. There are some left in this church who live accordingly and are pure so they will wear white, the color of purity and they will not be removed from the book of life so they will spend eternity in Heaven. He will defend them during judgment.
Church of Philadelphia
The next church is the church of Philadelphia. This is the church of brotherly love. Only through the Lord can the recovered church be separated from the world. This is the second church that God has not rebuked. He is pleased by them doing their best and staying true to the Lord. They don’t denominate themselves, therefore keeping Christ’s name. In 2 Corinthians 2:11 it says that the espoused church should have no other name besides her husband’s, which is Christ. They will be raptured before the Great Tribulation, which is signified by the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets, which include supernatural calamities of the sixth seal and the first four trumpets. They will be one with God. They need to stay firm in their faith so that their everlasting life in Heaven will not be taken from them.
Church of Laodicea
The final church is the church of Laodicea. Laodicea, in Greek, means judgment, of the people or of the laymen. It signifies the degraded recovered church. When 3:14 refers the Christ as the Amen, it is implying that Laodicea is not a firm witness of God. The degraded recovered church is boastful and spiritually blind. It needs to buy gold and jewels to be rich. He still loves them, that is why he is disciplining them.
We must take these warnings to the churches of Asia Minor and apply them to our own lives. We should be like the church of Smyrna and of Philadelphia. We should strive to be better. Many people have told me they don't read Revelation because it's scary but we can't look at it that way. We should be glad that John was given a vision while in captivity on the island of Patmos so that we may know the signs of the end and help prepare us for the Rapture. I hope you have learned something from this discussion and that you return in the future to understand the rest of Revelation.
“Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it
and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”
-Revelation 1:3
Many Christians have never read the book of Revelation or they’ve read it and don’t understand what it means.But we need to heed the warnings in Revelation. For the next week I will be breaking Revelation down into sections, explaining what is being told. Each day I will be doing multiple posts, each of just one or two chapters, so that you won't get overwhelmed by the amount of text in one post. Today, I’m going to start with the first 3 chapters: The Son of Man and Epistles to the 7 churches. I encourage you to open your bible to Revelation as you read this so you can read along and understand what I am talking about.
I’ll be starting with Revelation 1:11. The seven churches that are mentioned are the local churches in the Province of Asia, which used to be under the control of Asia. They represent four different churches. Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum, and Thyatira all represent the Roman Catholic Church. Now, let’s look at 1:12-16. These verses describe Jesus. First we see that seven golden lampstands are mentioned (v. 12). Gold represents divine nature and seven is God’s number of completion. Lampstands always relate to God’s building. The first time lampstands were mentioned was Exodus 25:31-40 when the tabernacle was built. Here it shows that the seven churches are constituted with divine power.
In verse 13 is where the description of Christ starts. Saying someone “like a son of man” was amongst the lampstands lets us know that today Christ is in the midst of our churches as the High Priest to intercede and to care for them. The robe reaching down to his feet represents His status as High Priest. Priests in the Old Testament were girded at the loins with gold for work and ministry. In Daniel 10:5 Christ was also girded at the loins to show that He had to complete His ministry amongst men but now He’s completed His work so He’s girded at the chest, representing love and divine strength. His hair was white like wool and as white as snow. White hair represents His ancientness, as described in Daniel. Saying it’s white as snow means His divine nature is heavenly. In 2 Samuel however, his hair was black which represented his unending love. His eyes are like fire so he may search, observe, and judge by enlightening. We know this because fire is for divine judgment (1 Corinthians 3:13, Hebrews 6:8, Hebrews 12:29). Feet glowing like bronze in a furnace signify his walk is perfect and bright, allowing Him to judge (Exodus 27:1-6 shows bronze represents divine judgment). His feet will be pillars of fire, also for judgment. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” However, now we can see that his purpose has changed and he now helps judge the world. Also, to be fired in a furnace is to be tried. Christ was tried by suffering. His voice is described as being like the sound of rushing waters to signify the seriousness and solemnness of His speaking. The seven stars in his right hand represent the angels (messengers) of the churches and the double-edges sword is his words for judging. His shining face is for judgment. In Matthew 16:28-17:2 his face also shone when he entered the kingdom.
