SEVEN IGNORED MESSAGES

1. This passage indicates that everything in Revelation is important and absolutely nothing can be left out. Nor can anything added improve it. It was given by God and is perfect as is.
   
2. Though these seven letters were originally sent to seven churches in Asia, the messages apply to Christians today, as do alle the other letters, or books of the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 makes this very clear. Further, these seven letters have additional application to God’s church in seven eras, beginning with apostolic days and ending with the coming of Jesus.
   
3. a. – Jesus sees our works or conduct good or bad, and properly evaluates everything at all times. Keeping this in mind has a dramatic effect upon one’s life-style. A good motto is “Thou, God, seest me”, Genesis 16:13.

   b. – Some teach that we do not have to do anything at all to enter the Kingdom but Jesus did not teach that. Repeatedly, He clearly states that “overcoming” is essential. However, overcoming is possible only through the blood of the Lamb, Revelation 12:11.c. – God’s Holy Spirit convicts people of sin and leads them to repentance. John 16:8,13. Without the Holy Spirit, no one ever feels sorrow for sin or finds new truth. No wonder Jesus stressed so forcefully the importance of listening to His Spirit.

4. A zealous, on-fire, new Christian, who joyously shared his faith everywhere, was mentioned on a church board. An old-time member commented. “He will get over that”. Yes, unfortunately, all to often, we do “get over that”. We lose our first glowing love of Jesus and settle down to formalism. Jesus says that when this happens we have “fallen” and must “repent”. Revelation 2:5. Loss of love is a fatal disease of the heart which destroys. If we lose love, we lose all.
5. They withstood them openly. Jesus commended them for this. The Nicolaitans, of verse 6, were false teachers who advocated compromise. They felt their spiritual liberty gave them freedom to practice idolatry and immorality. Jesus made it clear that He holds the church responsible to keep wolves out of the flock.
6. The ”ten days” of verse 10 (using the prophetic principle of a prophetic day for a literal year. Ezekiel 4:6), were probably the ten years of unparalleled bloody persecution under the Roman ruler Diocletian from 302 A.D. to 312 A.D.
7. All, except those translated, must die the first death, Hebrews 9:27, but there is a resurrection from the first death, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54. The second death is the one the lost die in the fire, Revelation 21:8. From this death there is no resurrection.
8. Balaam, according to the book of Numbers, chapter 22-24, was a prophet of God who turned traitor to secure worldly gain and kingly favors. He symbolizes the spirit of the Pergamos period when believers compromised true Christianity to gain the favor of Roman officials. For “Nicolaitans” see NOTE under question 5.
9. Jezebel was the heathen wife of Ahab, one of the Old Testament kings of Israel. She was very wicked and very powerful, 1 Kings 16-20, 2 Kings 9. She hated and persecuted God’s church and its prophets and endeavored to wipe them out. She imported 850 heathen priests or prophets and instituted an apostate system of religion. She then enforced it by state decree. In Revelation, Jezebel symbolizes the apostasy that began in the latter days of the apostles, 2 Thessalonians 2:3,7, and which grew to such proportions that under the Thyatira era the church and the world were led into the Dark Ages.
10. In Scripture the relationship between Jesus and His church is represented by marriage. Jesus is the groom, His church, the bride. Any unfaithfulness to Jesus or His pure teachings is thus called adultery or fornication. The punishments threatened of sickness, tribulation and death are indeed real. Neither the church, the state, nor false teachers will escape God’s punishment for spiritual unfaithfulness or adultery.
11. The last part of verse 19 indicates things would finally begin to change for the better. This, doubtless, refers to the powerful ministry of many great spiritual leaders whom God raised up to expose error and apostasy and lead His church back to Jesus and Bible truth. Their names are well known; Wycliff, Huss, Jerome, Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Knox, etc. Though many of these men served the Sardis era of the church, some had already begun work in the last part of this time period.
12. This solemn lesson is for us today. Keep pursuing truth and follow it as you find it and blessings will come. Refuse to do so and calamity comes. Jesus reveals light to me gradually as I can handle it, John 16:12. If I accept light as He gives it, I receive more till I have full light, Proverbs 4:18-19. If I refuse light, it goes out and I stumble in darkness, John 12:35.
13. Jesus here points out that formal religion is worthless. Paul describes such religion as “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”, 2 Timothy 3:5.