Revelation 7

Revelation 7 message

Today we are looking at two of the churches –

Father, thank You for bringing everyone here safely. We ask You to prepare our hearts to hear from You. Touch us with Your grace – that we might have a sense of what You want to do in our lives. I think of Holy Holy Holy – casting our crowns before Your throne. We give you our lives and any praise and honor – we are but servants, nothing more. We accept that position with joy – in Your Name we pray.

Pergamum and Thyatira.

They are very similar – almost identical in what Jesus says.

Pergamum was the spiritual or religious center of Asia Minor.

Here are some ruins of the temples here. It seems like every god that could be worshipped was worshipped in Pergamum. It was also a capital of the worship of the emperor – The Imperial Cult.

Thyatira, on the other hand, was probably the least of these cities.

It was a merchant city – known for its craftsmen and guilds – sort of like unions – but with more influence and power – they controlled the economy.

They had all these different guilds – today we would have the carpenters and autoworkers and teachers and electrical workers…but then, you HAD to be part of the guild. What is wrong with that for a Christian? Each guild would operate out of the temples and have festivals where they would sacrifice to these idols – and you would have to partake if you wanted to be employed. You would have to be involved in the worship and sacrifice to these idols. Those in this city couldn’t do that. Therefore, they were without employment and having a difficult time making a decision.

Remember when this first started, I talked about the standard transmission - and swinging too far one way or another – being in the culture or not – and for these – to not be part of the culture, they could not provide for their family. If they did not worship the emperor, it was a criminal offense. There was a decision to make.

Rev. 2: 12 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: from The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: 13 'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

I KNOW – I KNOW where you dwell. Where Satan’s throne is. Where Satan dwells. As you read this, you should know that this is the capital city of emperor worship – the hardest city of all to live in. Some are being killed because they are remaining faithful to Christ even to the point of death. They are not compromising. He starts off with a positive. We think about The Beast – and 666 – not be able to buy and sell unless you have the mark of the beast. There is a time coming when a world empire will rise and Christians will be attacked. Revelation not only speaks to that future time – but to the time they were living in. That was their circumstances – they had a choice to make – Christ or conform. For us, that is hard to identify with. We are not under that – to follow Christ in America is relatively easy. I know whenever Matt shares, he shares about someone martyred – and I thought - I can do that too!

I have a story to read to you – the point is to appreciate what those before us have gone through in following Christ, so that when we face issues that seem large to us, we can put them in perspective.

For us, we are not going to…unless things change in the future – face gunpoint asking us to deny Christ. I am taking a class on the Reformation. I did not realize – during the Reformation – percentage-wise we probably had the most martyrs in Christian history. Especially amongst the Anabaptists. They believed in re-baptizing – AHA – a person is supposed to get baptized after coming to Christ. The Church began killing them for doing that. The Church determined that they should be killed by drowning.

Menno – Menno Simon – founder of the Mennonites. The Anabaptists had some weird parts – but this is one thing that was true. The Martyrs Mirror – 1200 pages – first 600 were those who were martyred up to that time.

A mother writing to her baby

Her husband and she were thrown in jail – found out she was pregnant.

*****I’ve included the entire letter – skip down for the rest of Mike’s message *******

“[TESTAMENT] WRITTEN TO JANNEKEN MY OWN DEAREST DAUGHTER, WHILE I WAS (UNWOR THILY) CONFINED FOR THE LORD'S SAKE, IN PRISON, AT ANTWERP, A. D. 1573

The true love of God and wisdom of the Father strengthen you in virtue, my dearest child.; the Lord of heaven and earth, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the Lord in Israel, keep you in His virtue, and strengthen and confirm your understanding in His truth. My dear little child, I commend you to the Almighty, great and terrible God, who only is wise, that He will keep you, and let you grow up in His fear, or that He will take you home in your youth, this is my heart's request of the Lord: you who are yet so young, and whom I must leave here in this wicked, evil, perverse world.

Since, then, the Lord has so ordered and foreordained it, that I must leave you here, and you are here deprived of father and mother, I will commend you to the Lord; let Him do with you according to His holy will. He will govern you. and be a Father to you, so that you shall have no lack here, if you only fear God; for He will be the Father of the orphans and the Protector of the widows.

Hence, my dear lamb, I who am imprisoned and bound here for the Lord's sake, can help you in no other way; I had to leave your father for the Lord's sake, and could keep him only a short time. We were permitted to live together only half a year, after which we were apprehended, because we sought the salvation of our souls. They took him from me, not knowing my condition, and I had to remain in imprisonment, and see him go before me; and it was a great grief to him, that I had to remain here in prison. And now that I have abided

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the time, and borne you under my heart with great sorrow for nine months, and given birth to you here in prison, in great pain, they have taken you from me. Here I lie, expecting death every morning, and shall now soon follow your dear father. And I, your dear mother, write you, my dearest child, something for a remembrance, that you will thereby remember your dear father and your dear mother.

Since I am now delivered up to death, and must leave you here alone, I must through these lines cause you to remember, that when you have attained your understanding, you endeavor to fear God, and see and examine why and for whose name we both died; and be not ashamed to confess us before the world, for you must know that it is not for the sake of any evil. Hence be not ashamed of us; it is the way which the prophets and the apostles went, and the narrow way which leads into eternal life, for there shall no other way be found by which to be saved.

Hence, my young lamb, for whose sake I still have, and have had, great sorrow, seek, when you have attained your understanding, this narrow way, though there is sometimes much danger in it according to the flesh, as we may see and read, if we diligently examine and read the Scriptures, that much is said concerning the cross of Christ. And there are many in this world who are enemies of the cross, who seek to be free from it among the world, and to escape it. But, my dear child, if we would with Christ seek and inherit salvation, we must also help bear His cross; and this is the cross which He would have us bear: to follow His footsteps, and to help bear His reproach; for Christ Himself says, "Ye shall be persecuted, killed, and dispersed for my name's sake." Yea, He Himself went before us in this way of reproach, and left us an example, that we should follow His steps; for, for His sake all must be forsaken, father, mother, sister, brother, husband, child, yea, one's own life.

I must now also forsake all this for the Lord's sake, which the world is not worthy to suffer; for if we had continued in the world, we would have had no trouble. For when we were one with the world and practiced idolatry, and loved all manner of unrighteousness, we could live at peace with the world; but when we desired to fear God, and to shun such improper ways, well knowing that this could not please God, wherefore we sought to shun all this, and turned from idolatry to the worship of the living God, and sought here in quietness and gentleness to practice our ~3ith, then they did not leave us in peace; then our blood was sought; then we had to be a prey to everyone, and become a spectacle to all the world. They seek here to murder and to burn us; we are placed at posts and stakes, and our flesh is given as food to the worms.

Thus, my dear child, it is now fulfilled in your dear father and mother. It was indeed prophesied to us beforehand, that this was awaiting us; but not everyone is chosen hereunto, nor expects it; the Lord has chosen us hereunto. Hence, when you have attained your understanding, follow this example of your father and mother. And, my dear child, this is my request of you, since you are still very little and young; I wrote this when you were but one month old. As I am soon now to offer up my sacrifice, by the help of the Lord, I leave you this, "That you fulfill my request, always uniting with them that fear God; and do not regard the pomp and boasting of the world, nor the great multitude, whose way leads to the abyss of hell, but look at the little flock of Israelites, who have no freedom anywhere, and must always flee from one land to the other, as Abraham did; that you may hereafter obtain your fatherland; for if you seek your salvation, it is easy to perceive which is the way that leads to life, or the way that leads into hell. Above all things, seek the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness; and whatever you need besides shall be added unto you. Matt. 6:33."

Further, my dear child, I pray you, that wherever you live when you are grown up, and begin to have understanding, you conduct yourself well and honestly, so that no one need have cause to complain of you. And always be faithful, taking good heed not to wrong any one. Learn to carry your hands always uprightly, and see that you like to work, for Paul says, "If any will not work, neither shall he eat." II Thess. 3:10. And Peter says, "He that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil." I Pet. 3:10.

Hence, my dear Janneken, do not accustom your mouth to filthy talk, nor to ugly words that are not proper, nor to lies; for a liar has no part in the kingdom of heaven; for it is written, "The mouth that lieth slayeth the soul." Hence beware of this, and run not in the street as other bad children do; rather take up a book, and learn to seek there that which concerns your salvation.

And where you have your home, obey those whose bread you eat. If they speak evil, do you speak well. And learn always to love to be doing something; and do not think yourself too good for any thing, nor exalt yourself, but condescend to the lowly, and always honor the aged wherever you are.

I leave you here; Oh, that it had pleased the Lord, that I might have brought you up; I should so gladly have done my best with respect to it; but it seems that it is not the Lord's will. And though it had not come thus, and I had remained with you for a time, the Lord could still take me from you, and then, too, you should have to be without me, even as it has now gone with your father and myself, that we could live together but so short a time, when we were so well joined since the Lord had so well mated us, that we would not have forsaken each other for the whole world, and yet we had to leave each other for the Lord's sake. So I must also leave you here, my dearest lamb; the Lord that created and made you now takes me from you, it is His holy will. I must now pass through this narrow way which the prophets and martyrs of

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Christ passed through, and many thousands who put off the mortal clothing; who died here ,.for Christ, and now they wait under, the altar till their number shall be fulfilled, of which number your dear father is one. And I am now on the point of following him, .for I am delivered up to death, as,. it appears in .the eyes of- man; but if it were not the will of the Lord (though it seems that I am delivered up to death), He could yet easily; deliver me out of their hands and give me back to, you, my child. Even as the Lord returned to -Abraham his son Isaac, so He could still easily do it; He is still the same God that delivered Daniel out of the lion's, den, and the three young men out of the fiery furnace; He could still easily deliver me out of the hands of man.

Now, my child, if this be not. so, I know, that He is faithful and faithfully:keeps His promise. Thus, my poor orphan child, always be resigned; though I and your father are now taken from you; know that you have a Father in heaven, who will doubtless well provide for you: And when you are old enough, give diligence to learn to read and write, since it is very convenient, and most profitable in this distress, for him that;fears God, that you may sometimes read this letter; a~s also the other letters, which your father left you;, do: read them, and remember us both thereby. Dear Janneken, we have not left you much of this world's goods, and I have now not much to give you, but what I have I give you. However, we. leave you a good example to fear God, which is better than much of the temporal, goods of this world. ,Only: follow us, and you shall have wealth enough; true, you are poor here, but you shall possess much wealth, if you only fear God and shun sin. As the apostle says to the Hebrews, "My son despise. not thou the chastening of the Lord;for they that would be without chastisement are bastards, and not sons or heirs." Heb. 12:5. Hence, my dear lamb, cease not, because of the cross, to fear God, for a Christian is not made meet except by much tribulation and persecution upon this world, and we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God; for Paul says, "All that will live godly.in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." II Tim. 3:12. And Christ says, "He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me; As not worthy of me; for the servant is not better than his lord, nor the disciple above his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household." Matt. 10:38, 24, 25: If they have persecuted' the Lord, they will also persecute us; if they have, hated Him, they will also hate us; and this they do ,because they have not known my Father, nor me, says the Almighty Lord. For His kingdom:was not of this world; had His kingdom been of this, world, the world would have loved Him; but because His .kingdom was not. of this, world; therefore the world hated Him.' So it also is now,: since our, kingdom is not of this world, the world will hate,us; but it is better for us to be despised here by the world, than that we should hereafter have to mourn forever. But they that will not taste the bitter here; can hereafter not expect eternal life; for we know that Paul says, .that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall be persecuted and be a prey to everyone. .

Thus, my dear child, this way the prophets and apostles and many thousands of other God-fearing persons went before us, for an example unto us; and Christ Himself did not spare Himself for us, but delivered up Himself unto death for our sakes -how then .should He not give us all things? Hence, my dearest lamb, seek to follow this way, this I pray you, as much as you value your salvation; for this is the only way which leads to eternal life, yea, there is no other way by which we can be saved than only through Jesus Christ, as Paul says, "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 3:11); by whose, stripes we are healed, and through whose blood we have been dearly purchased; for we have not been bought with gold or silver, but through His bitter death, and His precious blood which He shed for us. And we were as erring sheep in this world, but now ate we redeemed through His precious and dear blood, and He has now: called us to be heirs and first-fruits of Christ. All those that have died unto sin, and amended their lives, and are thus risen with Christ into newness.of life, these no- longer desire to live to themselves, but their life belongs to the Lord; if they live, they live to the Lord; if they die, they, die unto the Lord; they are so resigned that whether they live or die, they belong to the Lord. For, my dear lamb, what shall it avail them that Christ died, who still continue in their sins, and do not turn from this improper life in which they are still sunk, .as, drunkards, murderers, adulterers, idolaters, liars, backbiters, or railers, who cannot please God, whose works proceed only from the devil, all of which the Lord prohibits and says that except they amend their lives, they shall not inherit the kingdom of God? and it shall avail them nothing that He died, if they will not repent. They would sin upon the grace of God, but they say not that He is just; He is indeed merciful, .but He is also just; we may, not sin upon His grace. Though we do our best to fear the Lord, and to renounce ourselves according to our ability, yea, though we did all that He commands us, which we are far from doing, we should only do that which is commanded us; we must yet confess that we are,unprofitable servants and have not merited anything,.but are guilty of eternal death. If He were -not merciful, we could not be saved; hence we may not sin upon His grace, but always strive according to our ability to follow that which he commands us.

My dear lamb; we can merit nothing, but must through grace inherit salvation; hence always endeayor to fear God, for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and he that fears the Lord

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will do good, and it will be well with him in this world and in that which is to come. And always join those that seek to fear the Lord from the heart, and be not conformed to the world, to do as she does, nor walk in any improper course of life; for the world shall pass away, and all the nations that serve her shall perish with her. Nor have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them; and be transformed by the renewing of your life, that you may show forth the virtues in which God has called you.

O my dearest lamb, that you might know the truth when you have attained your understanding, and that you might follow your dear father and mother, who went before you; for your dear father demonstrated with his blood that it is the genuine truth, and I also hope to attest the same with my blood, though flesh and blood must remain on the posts and on the stake, well knowing that we shall meet hereafter. Do you also follow us my dear lamb, that you too may come where we shall be, and that we may find one another there, where the Lord shall say, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning."

Then our joy shall not be taken from us. Though they have separated us here, so that we are taken from you, and must go before you, know that it was the Lord's will; if it had been His pleasure, He could easily have ordered it otherwise.

Hence, my dear child, be content; He knows what He has determined concerning you, that I must leave you here. Always be honorable and courteous toward all men, and let your modesty be manifest to all men when you have attained to your understanding.

I leave you here among my friends; I hope that my father, and my step-mother, and my brothers, and my sisters will do the best with you as long as they live. Be subject and obedient to them in every thing, so far as it is not contrary to God. I leave you what comes from my mother's death, namely, thirty guilders and over; I do not know how much it is, since I have been long imprisoned here, and do not know what it has all cost. But I hope that Grietge, my dear sister, who has shown me so much friendship, will do her best to give you what belongs to you. And as to what may come to you from your father, I do not know, since I can learn nothing about his parents, because it is so far from here; if they should inquire after you, my friends may do the best in the matter.

And now, Janneken, my dear lamb, who are yet very little and young, I leave you this letter, together with a gold real, which I had with me in prison, and this I leave you for a perpetual adieu, and for a testament; that you may remember me by it, as also by this letter. Read it, when you have understanding, and keep it as long as you live in remembrance of me and of your father, if peradventure you might be edified by it. And I herewith bid you adieu, my dear Janneken Munstdorp,and kiss you heartily, my dear lamb, with a perpetual kiss of peace. Follow me and your father, and be not ashamed to confess us before the world, for we were not ashamed to confess our faith before the world, and this adulterous generation; hence I pray you, that you be not ashamed to confess our faith, since it is the true evangelical faith, an other than which shall never be found.

Let it be your glory, that we did not die for any evil doing, and strive to do likewise, though they should also seek to kill you. And on no account cease to love God above all, for no one can prevent you from fearing God. If you follow that which is good, and seek peace, and ensue it, you shall receive the crown of eternal life; this crown I wish you and the crucified, bleeding, naked, despised, rejected and slain Jesus Christ for your bridegroom.

This I wish you for a perpetual testament, and for a perpetual adieu and farewell my dearest lamb.

Remember thereby your dear father, and me, your dear mother, who have written this with my own hand, for your edification; and always keep this gold real with you, with this letter, for a perpetual testament: I herewith bid you adieu and farewell; I hope to seal this letter with my blood at the stake.

I herewith commend you to the Lord, and to the comforting Word of His grace, and bid you adieu once more. I hope to wait for you; follow me, my dearest child.

Once more, adieu, my dearest upon earth; adieu, and nothing more; adieu, follow me; adieu and farewell.

Written on the 10th of August, A. D. 1573, at Antwerp.

This is the testament which I wrote in prison for my daughter Janneken, whom I bore and gave birth to here in my bonds.

By me your dearest mother, imprisoned for the Lord's sake.

JANNEKEN MUNSTDORP.”

Do you conform to this world, or remain steadfast, not denying His name. We have in this city, those who remained faithful in the face of death.

Rev. 2: 18 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: from The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: 19 'I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.

He starts off with something positive – love, faith, service, perseverance. They are making progress – moving forward, doing better than they were. In the midst of wondering where their next meal might come from due to their refusal to take part in the worship of idols – BUT – we have to move on to the next verse – each of these churches has issues except for two – and this should encourage us – because every church has issues – but Jesus confronted their issues. He never would have been elected – He was way too honest – He speaks to them about what they needed to hear – they needed to hear where they were off. He praised and honored them – but also confronted their need.

20 'But I have [this] against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they commit [acts of] immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 'And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22 'Behold, I will cast her upon a bed [of sickness], and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 'And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24 'But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them-- I place no other burden on you. 25 'Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. 26 'And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received [authority] from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

14 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit [acts of] immorality. 15 'Thus you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 'Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. 17 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give [some] of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'

Both churches had the same issue – eating things sacrificed to idols and committing acts of immorality. Their worship services were nothing like ours. The feast – they would take the sheep or cow and sacrifice it and eat and drink and get drunk – and then, there would be these temple prostitutes who would come in – and it was all part of the worship experience. The issue – in order to have a job or to live – it was required that you participate in this. This was the choice they faced. Some in the church had compromised, partaking in these festivals. Don’t judge them too harshly until you don’t have a job and are being forced to do these things. Hopefully, we would all do what is right.

Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship.

This is in contrast to this pagan worship. It is not offering an animal up to an idol – but offering our lives up to Christ. Just as Janneken offered this child up to God – so Christ is telling us – we need in our worship experience – offering up our lives that He might use us as He chooses - that we might serve Him in accordance with His will. Sometimes that entails things that we are excited to do – but other times, it will be things that we fear.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

In these churches, you had people who were conforming to the culture and others who were being transformed – willing to stand. For us – it might mean not getting a promotion or one of our neighbors not liking us because of our faith. Either way, we should stand in offering ourselves to Christ.

As we did communion today – we proclaim His death. This is something we do publicly. We need to proclaim Him to those He brings into our live.s Peter said we should be ready to give a defense to anyone who questions – anyone who needs it. So often, we are not aware – God brings people into our lives to bring His love to. As we remain faithful to our conviction – our honor and devotion to Christ – to not give in – to not conform – but to be transformed – to be like Him.

I am going to jump to the next slide – we have these promises.

What is the stone all about? Most likely, in a trial, the judges would give the jurors two stones – black and white – that they would toss into a bowl – Black stone = guilty, White Stone = innocent. This could be like a trial – us being cleansed of all guilt. They are moving from guilt to forgiveness. As a church, that should be our focus – the gospel message is one of forgiveness and grace. As people come in- out of this corrupt society – people find a place where they are not condemned, but forgiven. Then they can be transformed. Transformation only comes through forgiveness.

White stone – could also mean – you are a citizen who belongs. Christ could be saying that in remaining faithful, you get to experience this sense of forgiveness and belonging. In being faithful to Christ we are given this stone that guarantees us of our place.

For Thyatira:

26 'And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received [authority] from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

We are a part of his family – we will be with Him – and we will reign with Him. These churches are under this oppressive authority, losing their jobs and their lives. Be faithful – the time is coming when it will be reversed. Those who persecute you – the time will come when He gives you authority over the nations. When you see evil and injustice – that those who stand will come riding in with Christ – and will judge those who took their families – and they will reign with Him. We will reign with Christ. Over the world. Over this vast universe. The tables will be flipped – but it will be done, not with a sense of vengeance, but an understanding of God’s justice. Justice will prevail and reign.

Lord, help us to understand that a day is coming when we will reign with You. Maybe our following of You will keep us from certain pleasures and influence today – but our faithfulness today will give us pleasure and influence that does not compare. Help us to be faithful when we come into conflict in this world. When we are tempted to conform, help us to remain faithful. Amen.