Bramhall, John W: Outline Of The Revelation 02 ~ The Things Which Are

Beloved radio friends, we greet you in the precious name of our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who's coming again, and we would emphasize coming soon. We continued the study that we have just commenced in the preceding message of this week, an outline study of the book of the Revelation. We have noted the divisions of this book in chapter one and verse nineteen. And in our first message we considered the first division, the vision of the Son of Man, as it is given to John in chapter one. We continue now to consider chapters two and three, the second division covering the things which are. They are letters to the seven churches of Asia. Now these seven churches are named, and in the midst of them we find the Son of Man pronouncing his judgment. These special seven churches were selected because of their varied conditions and their failures,symbolical of all that Christ would find and does find in any church and in the whole body of professing Christianity, even down to the end of the age. But we would like to present from these seven letters, seven particular characteristics of Christ. For at the commencement of every church which is addressed, there is found a special characteristic of the Lord in corresponding relation to the condition of that church. First to Ephesus, he appears as the one that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. Chapter two and verse one. The representative testimony of Christ upon the earth... can only be maintained by him whose presence is in the churches. And though Ephesus possessed a very great outward spiritual activity, yet his eyes of fire perceived the waning of affection to Christ. And this is a description of the primitive state of the church in the first century of Christianity. Then to the letter of Smyrna, as you read in chapter two and verse eight, He presents himself as the first and the last, which was dead and is alive. He's never absent from his suffering people, for Smyrna was the suffering church, and in full sympathy and understanding, he felt their persecutions and he feels ours. Smyrna typifies that period of church history when the saints of God suffered death and martyrdom following the first century of Christianity. Yet for their comfort, their encouragement, he presents himself as one who also had tasted death but now lived. When you look at the letter to Pergamus, chapter two and verse twelve, he hath the sharp sword with two edges. By his word which is sharper than a two-edged sword, he searches his people according to Hebrews four and verse twelve. And the third experience of church history in its record brought with it that unequal yoke of the world and the church during the third and the fourth century, particularly commencing in the days of Constantine the Great. When you look at the letter to Thyatira, he presents himself as the Son of God, who at his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. Chapter two and verse eighteen. For in the dark Middle Ages we find Jezebel's history being spiritually enacted in the church age and with great power. And just as Jezebel in the days of Israel, usurp the power of the kingdom and establish false worship among God's earthly people. Likewise during the dark Middle Ages of church history, a spiritual Jezebel usurp the authority. over the profession of Christianity upon the earth, and that exists even to the present day. This the Lord Jesus has seen and does see, and he will judge. Fifth, you find in the message this psalmist, chapter three in verse one, he presents himself as the one who is the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. This is the expression concerning the times when the kings of the earth thought to be nursing fathers to the church. Though they had a name to live but were dead spiritually according to what he wrote to Sardis. Yes, there were state endowed churches of that day or even of any day that must be considered political in practice. But against all such false authority, Christ claims that he possesses supreme spiritual authority himself which is indicated by the plenitude of the Holy Spirit, and the seven spirits of God so-called, and the seven stars. To Philadelphia, Christ presents himself as the one that is holy, and he that is true. He that hath the key of David. He that openeth, and no man shoddeth, and shoddeth, and no man openeth. Revelation three, verse seven. And may we rejoice that during the last century, the preceding century to this, The evangelical movements revolted against the empty, Orthodox piety and the unreality and the falseness of the great ecclesiastical systems, discovering for themselves the blessed truth and the reality concerning the person and the work of Christ. The Church of Philadelphia represents a true-hearted company of believers who were characterized by love and one that is not narrower, than the divine circle, embracing the whole household of God. And to such a company Christ is the Holy One, who administers power and strength on their behalf. Though numerically they may have but little strength. Last of all, to layer the fear, the seventh church, chapter three and verse fourteen, he presents himself as the Amen. the faithful and the true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. This church letter represents the last phase of the professing church on the earth, a condition that is alarmingly present today, which is to be spewed out of the mouth of Christ in judgment. And though all humanity in Adam has failed, yet Christ will be the final head of a new creation. He is the last Adam. He is the faithful and true witness. He is the one who has never failed. He will build his church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against them. But in our seven letters there are seven promises to the overcomer. We find the overcomer is the one who overcomes, who does overcome, has overcome, and will overcome. And all the way through these seven letters you will find that true believers are encouraged to overcome the conditions that exist in the body of Christendom on the earth. And to swim against the tide will require the energy of faith to surmount those special difficulties which are found prevailing on the earth during the church age. But to such overcomers the Lord richly promises great rewards. No, first of all, To him that overcometh, will I give to Eda the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Chapter two and verse seven. This is the promise to the Ephesian overcomer. My beloved Christian, are you and I in the energy of faith overcoming that condition found in Ephesus? The waning of heart devotion to Christ? Eternal life? becomes the everlasting feast of the conqueror in the paradise of God as the reward. In chapter two and verse eleven to the church of Smyrna, he that overcomes shall not be heard of the second death is the reward. And to be an overcomer in the Smyrna conditions requires endurance that is suited to the death struggle to be faithful unto death. But how blessed it is to know that the overcomer will never have a part. in the second death, which is the lake of fire, the everlasting abode, and the place of punishment for the devil and his wicked followers. And then in chapter two and verse seventeen, to the church of Pergamos, to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. This is the Lord's promise. and those who are faithful to him will find all their desires satisfied in him and by him. And every sacrifice they make for him will bring full and rich compensation in the knowledge of himself, both now and eternally. For what we have in chapter two, verse twenty-six through twenty-eight, to the church of Thyatira, he that overcomes and keepeth my works unto the end. To him will I give power or authority over the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron. As the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of my father, and I will give him the morning star. Yes, the promises of the Lord to the overcomer in Thyatira, that in the day of Christ's coming glory, when the nations shall be humbled, when their glory shall be laid in the dust, The overcomer of such conditions typified by Thyatira will reign with Christ in that glorious manifestation of his kingdom. And then fifth we find to the letter of Sardis, he that overcomers, the same shall be clothed in white raiment. I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but will confess his name before my father and before his angels. Chapter three and verse five. Three promises. First, to be glorified in a scene that is outside of this world. Second, to have his or her name registered forever in the Book of Life. Third, to be singled out in the presence of the Father and his angels and be confessed before that grand assembly abound. Oh, beloved, what a reward. May you and I cover it. Six. To him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon him my new name. Chapter three and verse twelve. An overcomer in Philadelphia is one, a Christian who, even in weakness, yet will hold on His way. The progress may not be marked by distinguished achievements, but he or she struggles on. He or she has a tight grip upon Christ, his precious name, his precious word, his patience, and the truth, and the longing for his blessed coming again. And someday, such and one will exchange the weakness of the earth for the stability of heaven, and what a privilege to be a Philadelphia overcomer. Last of all, is to overcome Laodicea by thus being associated with our Lord in his coming glory when he generously offers the eternal rewards to those who will overcome. We challenge our Christian friends, beloved, are you and I overcomers? God grant we are. Father, bless and sanctify the truth of thy word, for we ask thee to help save To overcome the difficulties we face in the church today and in the world. And sin is to be saved in Jesus' name. Amen.