From Now to the End of Time

An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on the Book of Revelation

www.easyenglish.info

Ian Mackervoy

This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

Words in boxes are from the Bible.

A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.

About the Book of Revelation

1 The writer

The writer of this book simply calls himself John. He wrote to the *churches in Asia. He describes himself as their brother in the family of God. The Christians in Asia probably knew him well. Asia in this book is part of the country that we now call Turkey.

From early times, Christians have believed that the writer was the *apostle John. We know that the *apostle John lived in the city called Ephesus. But he was on the island called Patmos when he wrote this book. The rulers had sent him there as a punishment. He was there because he taught the word of God.

2 Date

The most likely date for this book was during the rule of Domitian. He was the king of Rome during the years AD 81 to 96. (AD means years after Jesus’ birth.)

3 Purpose

The main purpose of the book is to show how Jesus will come again. He will win the fight against the devil. Jesus will save his people. He is with them now. And he will be with them beyond the end of time.

John writes to teach and correct Christians. He tells them to change where they are doing wrong things. He encourages them to continue to do the right things. John speaks about the troubles that the *churches had. He tells them about the troubles that they will suffer. He shows them how in the end Jesus will rule over all. And those who trust in Jesus will be with him.

4 Style

John calls this book a *prophecy. The *Lord told him to write it. ‘Write what you have seen. Write what is happening now. And write what is going to happen after these things’ (1:19). The *Lord told John to write about the present and the future. The book shows the events that will lead to the end of history.

The book warns those who do not obey it. It comforts those who do obey. It shows the fate of God’s enemies. And it shows how God will provide for his people.

People have tried to explain this book in many ways. There are good reasons for each of these methods.

I explain the book in this way.

·     Chapters 2 and 3 were for the 7 *churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. But they contain lessons for the *church in all ages.

·     From chapter 4 the book describes events that are still in the future. But in it there are lessons for us today as well.

·     The general plan of the book is in date order. But there are parts that are not in this order.

·     Some *prophecies are in plain language. We should believe what they say. But many *prophecies are complex descriptions. We need to understand what they mean.

5 Structure

The *Lord meets with John	Revelation 1:1-20
John tells us about his book	Revelation 1:1-3
John greets the *churches	Revelation 1:4-8
Jesus Christ speaks to John	Revelation 1:9-16
Jesus tells John to write	Revelation 1:17-20
Letters to the 7 *churches	Revelation 2:1-3:22
To the *church in Ephesus	Revelation 2:1-7
To the *church in Smyrna	Revelation 2:8-11
To the *church in Pergamum	Revelation 2:12-17
To the *church in Thyatira	Revelation 2:18-29
To the *church in Sardis	Revelation 3:1-6
To the *church in Philadelphia	Revelation 3:7-13
To the *church in Laodicea	Revelation 3:14-22
*Worship in heaven	Revelation 4:1-5:14
*Worship of God who created all things	Revelation 4:1-11
*Worship of the *Lamb	Revelation 5:1-14
The 7 *seals	Revelation 6:1-8:1
The first 6 *seals	Revelation 6:1-17
Security and *salvation	Revelation 7:1-17
The seventh (7th) *seal	Revelation 8:1
The 7 *trumpets	Revelation 8:2-11:19
Preparation for the *trumpets	Revelation 8:2-5
The first four *trumpets	Revelation 8:6-12
The cry of the *eagle	Revelation 8:13
The fifth (5th) *trumpet	Revelation 9:1-12
The sixth (6th) *trumpet	Revelation 9:13-21
The strong *angel and the little book	Revelation 10:1-11
John measures the *temple	Revelation 11:1-2
The two witnesses	Revelation 11:3-14
The seventh (7th) *trumpet	Revelation 11:15-19
War in heaven and on the earth	Revelation 12:1-14:20
The woman and the *dragon	Revelation 12:1-6
War in heaven	Revelation 12:7-12
War on the earth	Revelation 12:13-17
The *beast from the sea	Revelation 13:1-10
The *beast from the earth	Revelation 13:11-18
The *Lamb on the hill called Zion	Revelation 14:1-5
Messages from three *angels	Revelation 14:6-13
Harvest of the earth	Revelation 14:14-20
The 7 last troubles	Revelation 15:1-16:21
Preparation for the troubles	Revelation 15:1-8
The 7 bowls of God’s anger	Revelation 16:1-21
God destroys Babylon	Revelation 17:1-19:5
The *beast and the evil woman	Revelation 17:1-18
The funeral of Babylon	Revelation 18:1-24
The crowd praises God in heaven	Revelation 19:1-5
The return of Christ	Revelation 19:6-21
The marriage of the *Lamb	Revelation 19:6-10
Christ the king appears	Revelation 19:11-16
The defeat of the enemies	Revelation 19:17-21
The rule of Christ	Revelation 20:1-15
The *angel binds *Satan	Revelation 20:1-3
Jesus Christ rules on earth	Revelation 20:4-6
The end of *Satan	Revelation 20:7-10
God the judge of everybody	Revelation 20:11-15
The new heaven and the new earth	Revelation 21:1-22:5
The new *creation	Revelation 21:1-8
The new Jerusalem city	Revelation 21:9-27
The river of life	Revelation 22:1-5
Final words	Revelation 22:6-21
The promise that Christ will come soon	Revelation 22:6-13
An invitation but …	Revelation 22:14-19
Promise and reply	Revelation 22:20-21

 

The *Lord meets with John - Revelation 1:1-20

John tells us about his book - Revelation 1:1-3

Verse 1 This verse shows the purpose of the book. In it, God will tell about the things that must happen soon. God gave the message to Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke to John by means of an *angel.

The word ‘revelation’ means that which God now shows. No person could know these things unless God showed them. God gave this *revelation to Jesus Christ.

Only God knows the future and he gave this knowledge to Jesus. This is the message that Jesus gives to John. That message shows us many things about Jesus. We see more of his *glory. We read how he will defeat *Satan and his evil plans. John tells us about the time when Jesus will come. We see Jesus as the king of kings. He will rule on earth and in heaven. But the main purpose is to show us the things that must happen soon.

Many of the things that must happen soon are still in the future. The word ‘soon’ can mean quickly or without delay. When the time comes, these things will happen. Some things in the book have already happened. Other things in the book have not yet started to happen.

*Prophecy tends to speak as if the end is ready to happen. It seems to forget the time between now and then. People should be aware that these things could happen at any time. So, they need always to be ready.

The *angel did not show these things to John in plain speech. John saw and heard strange things as in dreams. But he was not asleep. He writes about these for us as descriptions. We need to understand these descriptions in order to understand the book.

Verse 2 What John writes in this book has no human origin. It comes from God alone. What John writes is the word of God. John is certain of this. And Jesus Christ is a witness that this message is the word of God.

In chapter 21:5 God said, ‘I am making all things new.’ Then he said, ‘Write this. What I am saying is true. You can believe it.’ In chapter 22:6 the *angel said, ‘You can trust these words. They are true. The *Lord God, who gives his Spirit to the *prophets, sent his *angel to you. God sent his *angel to show his (God’s) servants what must happen quickly.’

John actually saw all that he has written here. The *angel of the *Lord showed all these things to John. Jesus himself tells John to write them to the *churches (1:19).

Verse 3 Seven times in this book, the *Lord promises to *bless people.

·     God will *bless those who read this book aloud. And those who hear and obey it. 1:3

·     The *Lord will *bless everyone who dies for him. 14:13

·     The *Lord says, ‘Listen. I will come as a thief comes. Happy is the person who stays awake with his clothes ready.’ 16:15

·     Happy are the people whom God has called to the wedding meal of the *Lamb. 19:9

·     Happy and holy are those whom God raises from death at this time. 20:6

·     Happy are all those who obey the words of *prophecy in this book. 22:7

·     Happy are those who wash their clothes clean. 22:14

Those who are happy are those whom God *blesses.

John calls this book a *prophecy. But it is not only about what will happen in the future. The book gives to us moral instruction as well. The purpose of the *prophecy is to help God’s people to live now. It aims to warn and to encourage them.

In the days of John, many Christians in the *churches could not read. When they met together, a reader would read aloud from the word of God. God will *bless the person who reads this *prophecy aloud to the *church. He will *bless those who listen to this *prophecy. God will *bless all who obey it.

We do not know when the end will be. We do not know when Jesus will come. These things could happen soon. Because the time is near, we must be ready for the *Lord to come.

John greets the *churches - Revelation 1:4-8

Verse 4 The author is John. He does not need to introduce himself. The *churches in Asia knew him well. He writes with great authority. So he was probably a leader in the *churches in Asia.

He writes to 7 actual *churches. They were in Asia. This was part of the country that we now call Turkey. At that time, the *Romans ruled over Asia.

These 7 were not the only *churches in Asia. In the Bible, the number 7 sometimes means the complete or perfect number. The *Lord chose these as typical of the whole *church. The problems that these *churches had are like the problems of the *church in all ages. The messages were to those actual *churches and to the whole *church.

The order of the *churches is the same as the main routes through the area. If someone starts a journey in Ephesus, the road north goes through Smyrna to Pergamum. Then the road to the south and east goes through Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and it ends in Laodicea.

John starts with the usual form of greeting. He prays that God would be kind to them. He asks God to give them calm hearts. He prays to God in three persons. In this verse, there is God the Father and the Spirit. In the next verse, he includes Jesus Christ.

God met with Moses in the desert. Moses asked God for his name. God said, ‘I am who I am’ (Exodus 3:14). God always is. He was there before he made time. He will be there after time has finished. God did not have a start. And he will not have an end. This is God the Father.

The 7 spirits that are in front of the *throne are the Holy Spirit. The 7 spirits show the work of Christ by the Holy Spirit in the 7 *churches.

Verse 5 In his prayer, John joins Jesus with God and the Holy Spirit. He then describes Jesus in three phrases.

·     Jesus is the true witness.

·     He is the first person to be born again from death.

·     He is the ruler of the kings of the earth.

‘Jesus is the true witness.’ So, Jesus says that the message of this book is true. He received it from God. Then, Jesus showed it to John. And Jesus told John to write it to the *churches. But the phrase means much more than this. Jesus was the true witness to God when he lived on earth. He showed us what God is like. He taught what God has said. He did all that God asked him to do. We can know God only because of Jesus.

Jesus was the true witness even through death. He is the model for the *churches. They have troubles because they belong to Jesus. Many Christians will have to die because they speak for Jesus.

Jesus was born again from death. God the Father raised him from death to life again. He is the first to be born from death. This does not just mean that he was the first in time. He is the first in importance. He now has power over death and the place of dead people (1:18).

That Jesus is the first to be born from death should encourage us. He has the power to raise people to life after death. He has promised to do this for all who believe in him.

He is the first person and the leader of a great crowd of people. These will follow him through death. He will lead his people into new life. He will bring them out of the place of dead people.

Strong nations rule on the earth. Rome was then the strongest nation. They ruled all the nations round about them. But Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth. They can only rule if Jesus allows them.

We may not see it now but Jesus is in control. He has all power in heaven and on earth. He is the king of kings. He is the *Lord of all.

One day Jesus will return to the earth. Then he will defeat all his enemies. And he will rule all the nations.

Although he is so great, Christ loves us. His love for us is a continuous fact. He has always loved us. And he will always love us. Because of his love, he died for us. By that death, he made us free from our *sins.

Through all their troubles, Christ cares for his people. They can depend on his love. He will be with them whatever happens.

Verse 6 God’s people are a *kingdom. They are the people over whom God is the king. But more than this, they will share with Christ as he rules. They will rule on earth as kings together with Christ the king (Revelation 5:10; 20:6).

This *kingdom is not like the *kingdoms of the world. It has no boundaries that one can show on a map. But this *kingdom consists of those who believe in Christ. It is all those whom Christ has made free from their *sins.

The *Lord has made each Christian a priest to serve God the Father. Because of Christ, Christians can now approach God the Father. They do not need priests to act on their behalf. They are the priests. The first task of the priest is to praise and to thank God.

The priest is the agent of the people. He comes to God on their behalf. He is also the agent of God to the people. As priests, Christians should pray for the people that the *Lord will be kind to them. As priests, Christians are witnesses to the world about what God has done. They have the message of hope in the *gospel.

All honour is due to the *Lord Jesus Christ. We should always praise him. His power and his *kingdom will never end.

Verse 7 The subject changes to that day when the *Lord Jesus will come. Life was hard for the Christians and they had many enemies. But their future is sure. Jesus is coming. Daniel the *prophet saw this day. He saw someone like a son of man coming. He will come with the clouds of the sky (Daniel 7:13). And every person on earth will see him come.

All who see him will weep. Jesus died outside the city called Jerusalem. The people from Jerusalem will weep and be sad. They killed Jesus and they will be sorry about it (Zechariah 12:10). But Jesus died because of the *sin of all people. Therefore, we all are responsible for his death.

All people will weep because of him. The people from Jerusalem will weep because they *repent. But many will weep with shame. They know that Jesus will be their judge. He will punish them with a terrible fate.

Verse 8 God himself now speaks. He declares that he is the A and the Z. A and Z are, of course, the first and last letters of our alphabet. In *Greek, these letters are alpha and the omega. So, alpha is the first letter of the *Greek alphabet and omega is the last one. These letters represent the whole alphabet. So, this phrase does not just mean the first and the last. It includes all that is between the first and the last. God is *Lord of all from the start to the finish. He made all things. He controls all things. The end of all things is in his hands.

God is alive now. God was there before time began. God will be there beyond the end of time.

God has all power and he rules over all. There is nothing outside the control of God. Nobody can escape from the power of God.

Jesus Christ speaks to John - Revelation 1:9-16

Verse 9 The writer again tells the readers that he is John. He describes himself as their brother in the family of God. He did not think that he was better than them. He was just one of them. He suffered with them the same troubles that they were suffering. Jesus said, ‘In the world, you will have troubles’ (John 16:33). This is what Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:12). ‘All who want to live good lives in Christ Jesus will have troubles.’

The *kingdom refers to the time when Jesus will come to rule. That will be a time of joy for Christians. John expects to share that joy with them. This kingdom has partly come. But when Jesus comes, it will be completely here.

Until that future comes, Christians have to be patient. They must live through all the troubles. They need to look beyond the present and to live for the future. They must put their confidence in Jesus. And they must trust God. John also trusts God with patience.

John was on the island called Patmos. This was a small island of rocks. It was about 10 miles long and 6 miles wide. He did not choose to go there. The rulers sent him there. It was like a prison. His crime was that he taught the word of God. He *preached the *gospel of the *Lord Jesus.

Verse 10 The *church called the first day of the week, ‘the *Lord’s Day’. It was the first day because on that day Jesus rose from death. Christians chose the first day of the week in order to respect Christ. They met on that day to praise God together. John was in the Spirit. This means that the Holy Spirit came on him. The Spirit spoke to him and showed him many things.

John heard a voice behind him. The *trumpet makes a loud and clear sound. So, this voice was loud and clear.

Verse 11 The voice told John to write what he saw. When he had done this, he had to send it to the 7 *churches. These 7 *churches were in Asia Minor. Asia Minor was an area that is now a part of modern Turkey. The *churches were in 7 cities. There was about 30 to 50 miles between them. The list starts at Ephesus. It follows the road north to Pergamum. Then it goes to the south and east to Laodicea.

John had to send the whole book to each of these *churches. In the book, there was a letter to each of the *churches. John wrote the letters to real *churches. They spoke about the problems in each *church. They gave promises for those in each *church who obeyed.

In *prophecy, the number 7 means complete or the whole number. Here there are 7 *churches. So, the *Lord speaks to the whole *church. What John wrote is for the *church as a whole. It is as true for the *church of today as it was then.

Verses 12-13 John heard the loud voice. He turned to see who was speaking. The gold lamp holders mean the 7 *churches (1:20). People use lamp holders so that the light will shine into dark places. That is the purpose of the *church. It is to show the light of God to the people. That light means the *gospel of Christ.

A man was moving among the lamp holders. He was like the Son of Man. This person was a man but not just a man. He is more than a man. He is the Son of God. The Son of Man was a name for the *Lord Jesus. He was the Son of Man. The *Lord Jesus was and is moving in his *church.

The clothes that the man wore were those of a high priest. The *Lord Jesus is our high priest. He has paid for all our *sins. By his death, he has united us with God. And he is always with us to help us.

Verse 14 John then describes the Son of Man. This is not so much a picture as an impression. White hair, to the *Jews, shows age and wisdom. They respected old age and gave honour to the wise person. The Son of Man deserves all honour.

We can hide nothing from the eyes of the Son of Man. So, John describes his eyes in a special way. It is as if the flame of fire sees all things. The Son of Man sees all that happens in the *churches. He knows all of history from the start to the end. He knows the thoughts and actions of each person.

Verse 15 *Bronze is a metal that glows in the fire. People polish *bronze so that it shines in the light. It is a very strong metal. The feet of *bronze show that the Son of Man is powerful.

The sound of the waters reminds us of their immense power. Such is the effect of the voice of Christ.

Verse 16 The stars mean the *angels of the *churches (1:20). Christ holds all of them in his right hand. So, he has total control over all the *churches. He looks after them. And he protects them, because nobody can take them out of his hand.

He has the sharp sword with two edges. This means that nobody can defeat him. The sword comes out of his mouth. So, the sword means his word. In the end, the word of Christ will defeat all his enemies. He will speak. What he says will happen. The word of God is sharper than any sword with two edges (Hebrews 4:12).

The face of the Son of Man shone with a bright light. The strength of that light was like the sun. There is no greater power than the *Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus tells John to write - Revelation 1:17-20

Verse 17 John saw Jesus among the lamp holders. The sight was so powerful that it made John afraid. The effect of what he saw caused him to fall down at the feet of Jesus. John was on the ground as if he were a dead man.

Jesus put his right hand on John. This seems to have put new life into John. Then Jesus said, ‘Do not be afraid.’ For those who belong to Jesus, there is nothing to make them afraid.

Jesus tells John that he is the first and the last. This has the same meaning as in verse 8 above. Jesus is one with God. He is God.

Verse 18 Jesus adds to the meaning of the first and the last. ‘I am living.’ God is the God who lives. Jesus shows that he is the same as God. He is God. The false gods of the world are not alive. There is only the one real God who lives.

Jesus has always been alive but he died. But death could not hold him. He defeated death and he rose from death to live again. He is now alive and he can never die again.

Jesus has the keys of the place of dead people. This means that he has power over that place. Life and death are both under the control of Jesus. He is able to take his people through death to new life. This again shows that Jesus is God.

Verse 19 Jesus then repeats the command to write. John must write all that he has already seen. That is, what is in chapter 1. Then he must write about what is now. That is, to write about the state of the seven *churches. And then he must write about those things that are still in the future. The *revelation that the *Lord gave to John was for those *churches. It is also for the *church during all ages. And it is for the end period of history, which is yet to begin.

Verse 20 The seven stars mean the *angels of the seven *churches. There was an *angel at each *church. This may be a real *angel. Or, the word may mean the person who carried the letters to the *churches. But it is more likely that the ‘*angel’ was not an actual person. Probably the word ‘*angel’ meant the character of each *church. So, the *Lord sent the letters to the *churches by their *angels.

Letters to the 7 *churches - Revelation 2:1-3:22

To the *church in Ephesus - Revelation 2:1-7

Verse 1 The *Lord told John to write the first letter to the *church in Ephesus. Ephesus was the chief city in the region called Asia Minor. It was a major city for commerce and trade. Three great trade routes came through Ephesus. In it, there were *temples to the Roman kings. But the great *temple was to the female god called Diana or Artemis. It was one of the greatest buildings in the ancient world.

Each letter starts with parts of the description of the *Lord from chapter 1. Here, it is from verses 13 and 16. The letter comes from Jesus, who holds the seven stars. (The word ‘holds’ here is stronger than in chapter 1. The *Lord grasps the stars and he holds them firmly. They are safe in his hand. Nobody can take them from Jesus.) He walks in the middle of the gold lamp holders. Jesus is present with them. He knows their situation. He knows all about his *church, then and now. This should both encourage and warn us.

Verse 2 The *church at Ephesus was active and its members worked hard. They had almost worked too hard. The situation that they were in was not easy. There were many people in that city who hated the *church. However, the *church members did not stop when troubles came. The *Lord approves of what they had done.

Much of the trouble came from people who tried to join the *church. Some of these people were false teachers. They said that they were *apostles. They tried to persuade the *church to believe them. But the *church tested what they said. If anything did not agree with the word of God, the *church refused it. The *church at Ephesus believed that the word of God is the truth. The *church at Ephesus refused those who proved to be false.

Verse 3 This verse repeats that the *church at Ephesus had been patient. They had suffered much trouble. They were patient as they suffered for Jesus. They had troubles because they lived for Jesus. Through all the problems, they remained true to Jesus. They did not turn away from him.

Verse 4 This *church did what was right. They were careful to teach the truth. They would not believe what was wrong or false. All this was good but it was not enough. They had lost the most important thing.

These Christians did not love as they used to. They did not love God as much as when they first became Christians. Their love for each other was not as strong as it had been. But a hot object becomes cool. And their love for God and for other people had become less.

Verse 5 The *Greek says, ‘You have fallen.’ The first love was like a high place. They had fallen from that high place. Their love was not now as strong as it was then. The *Lord says to them, ‘remember.’ At that time, their love for God was so strong. Also, they loved each other. And they worked for each other. Now it was not the same. They had lost something of that first love.

They must turn again. They must do as they used to. Love must again be very important in their lives. Love for God must be the reason for their actions. Their actions must show love for each other. Actions without love have no worth at all.

The *Lord warns them to *repent. If they do not *repent, that *church will end. Jesus will come and remove the lamp holder.

All the other things that the *church in Ephesus did were good. But the most important thing was their love. Love is more important than good actions. But love will always produce good actions.

Verse 6 There was a group of people called the Nicolaitans. We do not know much about this group. But they did things that were not right for the Christians. They ate the food that people gave to false gods. And their ideas about sex were not what Christians should believe.

The *Lord was pleased that the Christians at Ephesus hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. He also hated what they did. There are many such strange groups. Christians must be careful to obey what the Bible teaches. They must refuse the actions of those who teach against the truth. They should hate all that is false.

Verse 7 ‘If you have an ear, listen!’ Anyone who is able to hear should listen. The *Lord calls all of us to listen. We all need to hear what the Spirit says to the *churches. It was not just for the *church in Ephesus.

The Spirit of Christ gives a promise to those who overcome. They are those who obey God. They do what the *Lord has said to the *church in Ephesus.

Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. In that garden, there was the tree of life. When Adam and Eve *sinned, God stopped them from going to the tree of life. He put a guard there so that they could not eat the fruit of it (Genesis 3:24). If they ate of it, they would always be *sinners. Then they would not be able to live with God.

Those who overcome will be free from *sin. They can eat the fruit of the tree of life. And they will always be with the *Lord. They will have *eternal life with God.

To the *church in Smyrna - Revelation 2:8-11

Verse 8 On the route north from Ephesus, the next city was Smyrna. Its modern name is Izmir. It is about 35 miles from Ephesus. It is on the sea and it had a good, safe harbour. In trade, it was second only to Ephesus.

Jesus writes to Smyrna as the first and the last. He defeated death. He was now alive (1:17). He writes to a *church that suffered much from the local people. Jesus suffered much. He knows what it is to suffer.

Jesus died and came to life again. So, they too can be brave even to die. They can be sure of the life beyond death.

Verse 9 The *Lord knew all about the problems in Smyrna. He saw all the troubles that they had. They were very poor and they struggled to live. Life was very hard for these Christians.

They were poor. But Jesus said that they were rich. They did not have much of this world’s wealth. But they were rich toward God. They knew the *Lord and he appreciated them.

There was a large number of *Jews in Smyrna. These hated the *church. They caused a lot of trouble. They spoke lies and said evil things about the Christians. They turned the rulers of the city against the *church.

Jesus said that these *Jews were not real *Jews. A real *Jew is not just one who has *Jewish parents. A real *Jew is one who trusts God. A real *Jew would not be against Christ or his *church. These *Jews served *Satan and not God. Perhaps they thought that they were serving God. But by their actions, they were against God. They caused trouble for God’s people.

Verse 10 The *church in Smyrna would soon have a terrible time. They would suffer much. The *Lord says that these troubles would last for ten (10) days. Ten is a whole number. ‘Ten days’ probably means a period of years but with a definite end.

The *Roman rulers would put many of them in prison. Some would die because of their trust in Jesus. In all of this, they must remain strong. They must continue to trust in Jesus through it all. They must not deny Jesus. The *Lord allowed such troubles in order to test them, to prove their trust.

People will do these evil things but the real cause is the devil. He uses people to do his work. So, the devil will put them in prison.

However, the *Lord says, ‘Do not be afraid.’ Jesus told his friends not to be afraid of those who could kill the body. They cannot kill the person’s spirit, which lives in the body. Rather we should be afraid of God who can punish the whole person, both body and spirit (Matthew 10:28).

To those who overcome, Jesus will give life as a crown. The reward, like a crown, is life itself. This crown is the sort that the winner in a race receives. They had races in Smyrna. This life is like a race. Those who win the race will receive the prize. All who trust Jesus to the end will win the prize. The prize is *eternal life with the *Lord Jesus.

Verse 11 The *Lord calls all of us to listen. We all need to hear what the Spirit says to the *churches.

There is a second death. We all live and die. The *Lord will raise all people from that death (John 5:28-29). Then he will be the judge of all people. He will decide their fate by what they have done. The second death is the punishment for all who do not trust in the *Lord (20:13-15). But those who overcome will not die a second time.

To the *church in Pergamum - Revelation 2:12-17

Verse 12 The road north from Smyrna follows the coast for about 40 miles. Then it turns away from the sea up a river valley. Ten miles from the sea is the capital city, called Pergamum. Here they had a large and famous library.

The city was on a hill. At the top, there was a special place for the *worship of Zeus. Zeus was their chief god. The people in Pergamum had four main gods that they served. These were Zeus, Athene (a special female god), Dionysos and Asklepios. There was also a *temple in Pergamum for the *worship of the king of Rome.

The local rulers had the power of life and death. They could arrest and kill any person. But Jesus has the sharp sword. His sword cuts with both edges (1:16). The power of life and death belongs to Jesus and not to the rulers. They can only kill the body. But Jesus has the power of life and death of the whole person.

Verse 13 Jesus spoke to them. ‘I know where you live.’ He called Pergamum the place where *Satan rules. There were so many false gods. People did so many evil things in that town. It was very hard to be a Christian there. The Christians lived in constant danger. However, the *church there remained true to Jesus. They refused to *worship the king or the gods of the people.

Antipas had been loyal to the *Lord. He had refused to *worship the king or the false gods. But he had spoken to the people about the *Lord. They killed Antipas because he trusted in Jesus. Even then, the *church did not deny Jesus. They were brave. They were even willing to die for Jesus.

Verses 14-15 This was a very good *church. The *Lord was happy with them. But there was something wrong in the *church. Some members did not live as they should.

Some people there did what Balaam taught Balak. The story of Balaam and Balak is in Numbers chapters 22 to 24. To make the *Israelites weak, Balaam told Balak to tempt them with women (Numbers 31:16). The women would attract the men of *Israel to *worship their own false gods. This is how Balak tried to tempt the people of *Israel.

These members did not want to be different from the other people in Pergamum. They were happy to eat the food of false gods. Perhaps they went to the *temples of the false gods to eat. They did the same things as other people. They even had sex with those who did not trust in Jesus. They may have had sex with more than one partner. This is against what Jesus taught. It is *sin.

Some also followed what the Nicolaitans taught. Perhaps they belonged to the same group because they did the same things.

Christians ought to be different from those who do not trust in Jesus. They should live for the *Lord. They should do what he taught. They should not live to the standards of the world.

Verse 16 The whole *church should *repent. They ought not to have members like these. The *church should take action to change the situation. If they do not then Jesus will come. He will fight against those who do not *repent.

Verse 17 What other people do tempts us. We may want to live as they do. But God calls us to live for him. Jesus taught us how we should live. So, the *Lord tells us to listen to the Spirit. We all need to hear what he says to the *churches.

The *Lord will give some secret *manna to those who overcome. *Manna was that bread which God gave to the *Israelites. They were in the desert and he gave them this for food (Exodus chapter 16). So, *manna is food from heaven. Those who overcome will have the food of heaven to eat. This may mean food for the spirit while on earth. It may be a promise of heaven. There they will dine with the *Lord in heaven.

The *Lord also promises them a white stone. On that stone, there is a name. It is a new name and nobody else knows it.

In the law courts, a white stone meant a ‘not guilty’ decision. Jesus died for all people. He *forgives all those who trust him. God is the judge and he will declare them ‘not guilty’.

In the races at Pergamum, those who win receive a white stone. Those who overcome have won the race of life. They have the white stone of success from the *Lord.

The new name on the stone may be the name of the person who overcomes. The *Lord gives that person a new name. That new name is a prize and an honour. This will be the name of that person in the new age.

It may be that the new name is a name of the *Lord Jesus. In chapter 19:12, Jesus has a name on him, but nobody except Jesus himself knows it. He gives his name to his own people. Those who know the name will be close friends of Jesus.

To the *church in Thyatira - Revelation 2:18-29

Verse 18 This is the longest letter and it is the most difficult. We know less about Thyatira than the other cities. It is south and east of Pergamum at a distance of 40 miles. It was famous for its trade. There were many trade unions in Thyatira. Each one of these was for a particular trade. These trade unions had a relationship with the *worship of the gods. This caused real problems for the Christians. They had to belong to the union in order to get work in their trade.

Jesus describes himself as the Son of God. This is very different from the local god. His name was Apollo Tyrimnos. He was both the *Roman king and the god of Thyatira. People thought that he was the son of a god called Zeus. But Jesus really is the Son of the real God.

The eyes of Jesus were like a flame of fire. He could see all the problems of the Christians. He could see through all that Jezebel taught. Nobody can hide from the eyes of the *Lord. He sees all things. So, he knows all that happens in the *church in Thyatira.

The feet of *bronze show that the *Lord is powerful. He is able to deal with all the problems. *Bronze seems to shine as it reflects the light. This shows that Jesus is more magnificent than any false gods, or even the king of Rome. So, the church in Thyatira should give honour to Jesus and not to these false gods.

Verse 19 The *Lord Jesus is aware of all that his people do. He knew all about the Christians in Thyatira. He liked so many of the things that he saw.

They had not lost their love. It had not grown weak as it had in Ephesus. Their love for the *Lord Jesus seems to have grown. They believed in him. They trusted him completely. They served God and not the local gods. There was progress in this *church. They were doing more now than they did before.

Life in Thyatira was difficult for them. But they accepted all the problems and they did not turn from the *Lord.

What we do for each other shows our love. When we love the *Lord, we work for him. As the love of the Christians in Thyatira increased, they did more.

Verse 20 In the *church, there was a woman who called herself a *prophet. The *Lord calls her Jezebel. And the *church allowed her to stay and teach.

There had been a queen, also called Jezebel. She was the wife of king Ahab. She was a wicked woman. Because of her, king Ahab of *Israel turned from God. He then *worshipped and served the false god called Baal (1 Kings 16:31). Jezebel encouraged Ahab to do all kinds of wicked deeds (1 Kings 21:25). She even tried to murder Elijah, who was the *prophet of God (1 Kings 19:2). She was responsible for the deaths of many people in *Israel (2 Kings 9:7).

The *Lord uses the name Jezebel for this wicked woman in Thyatira too. This woman was probably very clever. She was able to convince people that she was right. She said that she had special knowledge from God. She taught the Christians to live as the people in Thyatira did. She said that it was right to join the trade unions. This meant that Christians would join the *worship of the false gods. They would eat meals in the *temples. They would even think that it was not wrong to have sex with different partners.

This is an important question for Christians of all times. They have to decide how much they can join in with the local activities. They must not deny what the Bible teaches. But they are members of the society in which they live.

Verse 21 In some way, the *Lord had shown Jezebel that she was wrong. What she was doing was evil. She knew it. The *Lord had been kind to her. He had warned her and he had given her time to change. He desired her to *repent of all the wicked things that she had done. But she would not *repent.

Verse 22 The *Lord would soon punish her. The bed here is a place of illness and pain. She will suffer much for the evil things that she had done.

All those who have *sinned with her will suffer with her. They too will suffer illness and pain. But they still have the chance to avoid the punishment. If they *repent, the *Lord will *forgive them. They must not do those things that they knew to be wrong.

Verse 23 These are not her children by natural birth. These ‘children’ mean those who accepted Jezebel as their leader. She was like a mother to them. They did not just *sin as she *sinned. They believed all that she taught. The *Lord will cause these people to die.

The *Lord searches the hearts and minds of all people. He sees all that we do. He knows all about us. He will be the judge of every person. He will punish or reward them. They will get what they deserve. We know that none of us deserves a reward. We all deserve death. But those who trust in the *Lord will have life. However, he will be the judge of what Christians do. And he will give rewards to some Christians.

Verses 24-25 Jezebel argued that Christians should join in the things of the false gods. She probably said that the false gods were not really bad. Therefore, there would be no problem for the Christians. They would know the secret things of *Satan. What she taught was false.

Most Christians in Thyatira did not follow Jezebel. The *Lord adds no extra tasks on them. They must continue in love and service to God. They must trust the *Lord completely.

The *Lord will come. His people must continue to love him and to trust him. And they must continue until he comes.

Verses 26-27 The rewards of the *Lord are for those who overcome. They continue to the end. They serve the *Lord until death or until Jesus comes.

Jesus will give power to his people when he comes to rule on earth. They will share with Jesus as he rules. They will lead the nations as those who lead sheep. They will be able to encourage the people.

A man who makes pots uses an iron bar to break any bad pots. So, the *Lord’s people will destroy the bad nations.

Jesus has this power which God the Father gave to him. Jesus will share this power with his people.

Verse 28 We do not know what the morning star means. But this is a description of Jesus. He is like the bright morning star (22:16). The *Lord will be with those who overcome.

Verse 29 The *Lord tells us to listen to the Spirit. We need to hear what he says to the *churches. What he wrote to Thyatira is also for the whole *church, and for us now.

To the *church in Sardis - Revelation 3:1-6

Verse 1 Sardis was about 30 miles south of Thyatira and 50 miles east of Ephesus. It was on the side of a mountain. Below it there was a large plain. It was in a good position for an army to defend. It had been a powerful and rich city. But it was not still as strong as it had been. Today, we might say that such a city is ‘living in the past’. In other words, the city’s most successful phase had ended.

The letter comes from Jesus, who holds the 7 spirits of God and the 7 stars. The 7 spirits of God are the work of the Spirit in the *churches. Christ has the Spirit who alone can give life. Jesus holds the 7 stars in his right hand (1:16). These stars mean the *angels of the 7 *churches (1:20). In other words, Jesus holds (looks after) the seven *churches.

The *church in Sardis used to be a lively *church. In other words, the members used to have strong *faith. But by this time, it had lost its life. This means that their *faith had become weak. This process was slow. They did not see it happen. The *church still seemed to be full of life (*faith). But the *Lord saw what it was really like. He could see that the *church was dead. In other words, most of the Christians there had hardly any *faith. So, they did not live as they should.

Verse 2 The *Lord tells them to be awake and to watch. In the past, armies had twice defeated Sardis. They were able to do this because nobody watched. So, the *Lord warns the *church that, like the city guards, the *church must keep awake. In other words, the Christians need to be aware of what is happening. And they need to be ready for Jesus’ return.

It was as if the *church in Sardis was dead. But some things there did not seem to be dead. A sleeper may seem dead until he wakes. But, unlike a dead body, a sleeper is not hopeless. He is still alive. The *church seemed dead. But perhaps it was more like a sleeper. Perhaps it could recover, like a man who wakes. The *church must start to do the work of the *Lord again. It must turn from its wrong actions. The *Lord was not happy with it in its present state.

The Christians in Sardis were doing a lot. Much of the activity seemed to be for God. But God saw the reality. Their actions did not satisfy what God wanted.

Verse 3 Christ tells the Christians to remember what they had received. They had heard the *gospel and they believed it. They received new life from God. They served the *Lord and they did his work. But now they did not still serve the *Lord as they used to do.

Jesus tells them to *repent. They must come back again to the *Lord. They must obey his word and live for him. It is as if they must wake out of their present sleep. Or, as if they must come alive again.

If they do not obey this message, the *Lord will come like a thief. He will come when they do not expect it. He will not announce when he is coming. He will deal with them and he will be their judge.

Verse 4 Most members of that *church did not live as Christians should. They did the same things as other people. Their belief made no difference to their lives. They were behaving like people who make their own clothes dirty.

In Sardis, the people coloured wool and they made clothes. If the wool was dirty, it was not useful. So, the *Lord said that these Christians were not useful to him.

A few people in the *church did live clean (holy) lives. This means that they did not live by the standards of the local people. Instead, they lived by what they had learned from the word of God.

The *Lord will give white clothes to these people. This means that they will be holy. God will free them from *sin. They will walk with him. This means that their lives will please him. The ‘white clothes’ are the result of the good things that Jesus did. He gives to them the reward that he earned. They do not deserve it because of anything that they have done. They obtain it because they believe in Christ. What they believed changed their lives.

Verse 5 There are three parts to the promise for those who overcome. They will wear white clothes. Their names will be in the book of life. Jesus will tell the Father and the *angels that they are his.

Many people died because they were Christians. In heaven, they have white clothes (6:11). The 24 *elders have white clothes. All the people in heaven have white clothes (7:9). The clothes are white to show that they are not dirty. ‘Dirt’ means *sin. There is no *sin in heaven. So, the clothes of Christians in heaven are white because Jesus made them clean. He took away *sin when he died. He gives the white clothes to those who believe. This means that he gives his own goodness to them. He makes them perfect.

Moses first spoke of God’s book in heaven (Exodus 32:32-33). The idea is that God has a book. In it, he wrote the names of all those who would be his people. Those whose names are in the book would go to heaven. Those whose names are not in the book cannot go to heaven. The book records the names of those who have *eternal life. Those who overcome will enjoy life with the *Lord. They will have *eternal life.

Jesus will take those who overcome to be at home with him. He will introduce them to God the Father. He will tell the Father and all the *angels that these are his people. They will be at home in heaven, in the Father’s house (John 14:2).

Verse 6 We all need to hear what the Spirit said to the *church in Sardis. What he said to them, he says to Christians in every age.

To the *church in Philadelphia - Revelation 3:7-13

Verse 7 Philadelphia was at the east end of a broad valley. The soil in the valley was good for agriculture. Philadelphia was on the main road from Sardis to the port near Smyrna. So, there was much trade in the city. Philadelphia was also famous for its many *temples. The inhabitants of Philadelphia had many parties for their gods.

The name Philadelphia means ‘love of a brother’. There were two brothers, Eumenes II and Attalus II. One of them first built this city. Attalus so loved his brother that they called him Philadelphus (lover of his brother). The name of the city came from this name for Attalus.

Jesus says that he is holy and true. The *Jews knew that only God is really holy. And they would understand that this phrase described the Christ. They expected that Christ would come. But they did not recognise Jesus as that Christ. Jesus writes as God and as the true Christ.

The person who holds the key has the power. David was a great king. He ruled the nation called *Israel. God chose David to be king over his people. One of the names for the Christ was the son of David. The Christ will be king in heaven and on the earth. He will rule over all people and things. Jesus is that king and he has that power.

A person with a key has the power to open or to close a door. So, the key means Jesus’ power. And the door means the events that Jesus controls. So, with that key, Jesus can open or shut any door. No person can open a door that Jesus has shut. No person can shut a door that Jesus has opened. Jesus is in control of all that happens.

Verse 8 Jesus has opened a door for the Christians in Philadelphia. This door means the right to enter into the *kingdom of God. Nobody can shut this door on them. Those who belong to Christ can go in there. And the *Lord was also giving them the opportunity to tell other people about Christ. All who believe the *gospel belong to Christ. It is as if they go through the door to *eternal life.

This *church was small and weak. It did not have a major effect on the city. However, the members of this *church pleased the *Lord. They believed the word of God and they obeyed it. People tried to force them to deny the name of Christ. But they would not. They were loyal to Jesus at all times.

Verse 9 There were many *Jews in Philadelphia. The building where they came together was a *synagogue. They thought that they were God’s people. They said that they were *Jews. They were born *Jews. But a real *Jew is one who believes in Jesus as the Christ.

The *Jews in Philadelphia caused much trouble for the *church. They were fierce enemies of the *church. They denied the *Lord Jesus and they spoke against him. The enemy of Jesus is *Satan. So, Jesus called these Jews the *synagogue of *Satan. They said that they were real *Jews. That was not true. They were lying. If they were real Jews, they would not oppose God’s work.

Jesus will show to these *Jews that he loves the *church. Then they will come. They will fall down at the feet of the Christians. They will know that they were wrong. They will *repent of the trouble that they caused. They will believe that Jesus is the Christ of the *Jews.

Verse 10 The Christians in Philadelphia had obeyed what Jesus taught. They had been loyal to him. They suffered because they belonged to the *Lord Jesus. But they did not disappoint the *Lord. They were strong in their belief.

The *Lord will come to be the king of the whole earth. He will set up his *kingdom here. But immediately before that, there will be a terrible time. It will last for three and a half years. There will be a strong and evil king. His name is *Antichrist. He will rule for this period. Then Jesus will come and punish him. This period is the time of trouble.

Starting in chapter 6, we read about the things that will happen in those three and a half years.

The *Lord promised to protect his *church from the time of trouble. This may mean that the *Lord will take them out of the time of trouble. Jesus may remove the *church from the earth before this time starts. But it might mean that he will protect them from damage during the time of trouble. Christ will come for his *church but we do not know when.

Verse 11 The *Lord said that he was coming soon. This did not mean ‘quickly’. Instead, it means ‘with no delay’. Many people expected the *Lord to come soon in time. That is not what the *Lord meant. God the Father has fixed the date. Nobody knows that date except the Father. When that day comes, Jesus will come.

Until Jesus comes, the Christians must continue to believe in him. And when Jesus comes, he will come with great power. He will take his people from the earth. They will then always be with the *Lord.

The crown is the prize for the winner in a race. All who remain firm to the end are winners. Christians must be careful so that nobody will cause them to fail.

Verse 12 In Philadelphia there were *earthquakes. Sometimes it was dangerous to remain in Philadelphia. The people had to leave the city and live in temporary homes.

Those who overcome will be like columns in the *temple of God. *Earthquakes will have no effect on them. They will be safe from all dangers. They will live with the *Lord and they will never have to leave.

The *Lord Jesus will write three names on them. These are the name of God, the name of the city of God and his own new name. They will belong to God. They will be citizens of the New Jerusalem (chapter 21). And they will always be with Christ himself.

Verse 13 The *church in Philadelphia was a good *church. The Spirit’s message was to them, and to all who are like them.

To the *church in Laodicea - Revelation 3:14-22

Verse 14 Laodicea was about 40 miles south and east of Philadelphia. It was the richest city in the region. The people there had sheep with soft black wool. The city was famous for this wool. With it, the people made clothes, which they sold. With so much wealth from farms and commerce, they had successful banks. The banks had large stocks of gold.

The people in Laodicea were proud of their medical school. The school produced a wide range of medicines. The two most famous medicines were *ointments for the ears and the eyes.

There was no supply of water in the city. So, they had to bring water from about six miles away. The water came through a system of pipes. But the supply could dry up when the weather was hot.

*Amen may seem a strange word to use as a description of Jesus. But the word means, ‘It is true.’ And like Jesus (Hebrews 13:8), the truth never changes. It is that which is. It is what will be. It is that which is real and permanent. The *Lord Jesus calls himself the loyal and true witness. What he says is always true. He speaks what he knows. He talks about what he sees. We can believe all that he says. We can trust him.

Jesus is the ruler of all that God has made. He was there at the start when God created all things. God made all things by Jesus. He made all things for Jesus.

Verses 15-16 The *Lord Jesus sees all things. He knows all that there is to know. He knew the Christians in Laodicea. He saw what they had done. He knew their thoughts. He knew what they did. He knew why they did these things.

The hot weather warmed the pipes. The water was warm, not cold or hot. It was not nice to drink. Such water made one feel sick.

The *Lord said that these Christians were like the water. They were not like cold water. Cold water is good to drink. They were not like hot water. Hot water has many good uses. But they were like water that is neither cold nor hot. They were of no use to the *Lord. It was as if they made him sick. He would throw them away as one does with bad water.

Verse 17 Jesus explains why he was not happy with them. They thought that they were doing well. They had all that they wanted. The *church was wealthy and it seemed to be lively. They were rich and they had achieved it themselves. They were proud of what they had achieved. They were so pleased because of their wealth. They did not think that they needed anything.

But their opinions about themselves were not correct. It was true that they had plenty of money. But in their spirits, they were in a bad state. In reality, they were poor. They had nothing of which to be proud. They could not see the true state of their lives with God. So, to God, they seemed as if they were blind. They had expensive clothes. But to God they seemed as if they were naked. Their expensive clothes could not hide their *sins.

The people in Laodicea were proud of their wealth. They were proud of their eye *ointment. They were proud of their wool and the clothes that they made. It was as if the inner life of the Christians lacked all three of these. So, Jesus told them that they were poor, blind and naked. But they did not understand it.

Verse 18 They had plenty of gold but they were poor. The gold from the banks was no use to God. Everything that has real value comes from God. What he gives is better than the purest gold. God told them to buy from him. We buy without price (Isaiah 55:1). We receive from God, as we believe in him.

They could buy clothes of black wool in the market. The *Lord told them to buy white clothes from him. To wear white clothes means to be clean and innocent. These wonderful things can only come from the *Lord. Jesus took all our *sins and blame. He suffered and he died because of them. When we trust in him, he can declare us innocent. He alone can make us clean.

The cause of their problems was that they were blind to their real state. In other words, they could not see that they needed help. With their wealth and easy life, they thought that they needed nothing.

The people in Laodicea sold their famous eye *ointment. People used it to cure diseases of the eye. It helped people to see more clearly. The *Lord told the Christians to put *ointment in their own eyes. It was as if they were blind. But they did not know it. In other words, they could not see (know) the reality about their situation. Until they knew it, God could not cure them. It was as if they needed to open their eyes in order to see (know) the truth.

Verse 19 The *Lord has been severe in what he said to these Christians. The reason for this is that he loves them. God hates all kinds of evil things, wrong actions and bad attitudes. He wants those whom he loves to be free from these. So, God corrects all whom he loves. He trains his children as a good father does.

Discipline is always hard at the time. But it benefits the person. The Christians in Laodicea should be eager to improve. They should want to please God their father. They must *repent and change their way of life.

The word ‘eager’ in this verse also means ‘hot’. See my notes on verses 15-16.

Verse 20 It was as if, by their wrong attitudes, the Christians in Laodicea had pushed Christ out of their lives. The *Lord stood outside of their lives. He demanded that they let him in again. He is like someone who is knocking at a door. A person has to open the door from the inside. That person has to choose whether to open the door or not.

Jesus will come in if they invite him. The *Lord will not come in unless they ask him. When he comes in, they will eat together. They will have a close friendship with Jesus.

Jesus tells his friends about the future. Then they will eat and drink with him in his *kingdom.

Verse 21 Those who live for Jesus now, will live with him beyond death. They are the people who overcome. Jesus will invite them to sit with him on his *throne. They will share with Jesus the king. They will rule with him.

Jesus as a man won the right to the *throne. He overcame, so he sat down with the Father on his *throne. And Jesus has power over all people and things. He is the king of kings and *Lord of *lords.

Verse 22 The Spirit warns the *churches about their failures. He shows them where they are wrong. He tells them to *repent and to change. He gives great promises of reward to those who do. What the Spirit says to these 7 *churches, he says to all of us.

*Worship in heaven - Revelation 4:1-5:14

*Worship of God who created all things - Revelation 4:1-11

Verse 1 Before he saw those future events, John saw the *throne of God. He tried to describe this in these two chapters. And from chapter 6, he writes about future events.

John saw a door that was open. It was the way into heaven. The voice that John heard before spoke to him again. It called him to come up through that door.

The *Lord told John about the events on earth. But before that, the *Lord showed John something of heaven. There, God is on the *throne. The control of all history is in heaven and not on earth. God has the end of history in his plans. His plans cannot fail. What the *Lord showed to John will happen.

Verse 2 The first thing that John sees in heaven is a *throne. The person on the *throne is the king of all. He is the *Lord God who has all power. This *throne is above all other *thrones. God is king above all other kings.

The *throne of God is the centre of heaven. All in heaven look to the *throne. God sits there on the *throne. All of them *worship and serve him.

Verse 3 John did not write about God as having a physical body. Rather, John gives an impression of God as bright light. This bright light shone as the light shines from precious stones.

The jasper was probably a clear stone like a diamond. The carnelian was red. The *throne was like emerald, which reflects green light. There was a rainbow, which glows with all colours. The effect of all these colours is to show the *glory of God.

John could not describe all that he had seen. He could only give us an impression of these things. The languages of earth are not able to describe what is in heaven. There are similar descriptions in Ezekiel chapter 1 and Isaiah chapter 6.

Verse 4 John does not tell us who the 24 *elders are. But they each sat on a *throne. Each time they appear in this book, they are praising God. They bring to God the prayers of his people (Revelation 5:8). In this, they serve the *church but they are not the *church. We think that they are special *angels. Their job is to serve and to praise God.

The white clothes show that the *elders are clean from *sin. Their crowns show that they are royal people.

Verse 5 The lightning and *thunder give an impression of the power of God. John hears these sounds as the voice of God. God speaks from his *throne.

We cannot see the Holy Spirit. He appeared as flames of fire on the day of *Pentecost (Acts 2:3). So here, the 7 lamps show that the Holy Spirit is there.

He is also the 7 Spirits of God. We should not understand this as 7 Spirits. These show seven views of the same Spirit. The number 7 in *scripture is the perfect or complete number. Here it shows that the person and work of the Spirit is perfect.

Verse 6 The sea of glass adds to the effect of what John saw in heaven. Its clear surface is spread out in front of the *throne. Like a mirror it reflected all the lights that flashed about the *throne.

The four *creatures were by the *throne. They were like an inner circle round about the *throne. They had eyes in front and behind. They saw all that happened. Nothing could hide from them.

Verse 7 John tries to describe the *creatures. They are special *angels. John says that their faces were like those of a lion, an *ox, a human person and an *eagle. They were strong like the lion. They were full of power as the *ox. They were wise as a wise man. They were as fast as the *eagle when it flies.

Verse 8 Each *creature had six wings. The wings show the speed with which they obeyed God. The eyes made them aware of all that was round about them.

Day and night the four *creatures praise God. They cry aloud that God is holy. They praise him for his power. Nobody else has power as strong as his. He is the God of all power. They praise him because he is God. He is the only God. There is no other real god. He has no beginning of life or end of life.

Verses 9-10 The four *creatures praise God because he is always the same. God was there at the start of time. He will be there after time has ended.

As the *creatures praise so the *elders fall down in front of God. They throw down their crowns as an act of *worship. They give all honour to God.

Verse 11 The *elders speak to God. They praise him for all that he has made. God made all things that exist. Because of this, God deserves to have all *glory, honour and power.

*Worship of the *Lamb - Revelation 5:1-14

Verse 1 On the right hand of God was a *scroll. The *Lord had written on both sides of the *scroll. On it, there were 7 *seals. Each of these *seals locked a part of the *scroll. To read the *scroll someone had to break all 7 *seals in order.

The contents of the *scroll were secret. God’s plans for the end of the world were in it. After each *seal, the *scroll showed the events that would happen.

History and the end of the world are in God’s plan. All will happen as he has decided. Nobody can know what is in God’s plan. When someone opens the *scroll God will show us the future.

Verses 2-3 John saw a strong *angel. This *angel called out in a loud voice. He asked, ‘Who can open the *scroll? Who can break the *seals?’

The sound of his voice went to the ends of space, heaven and the earth.

In all that God had created, nobody could open the *scroll. There was no *angel who was good enough. No man or woman had earned the right to open it. So, nobody could read what was in the *scroll.

Verse 4 It was very important to know what was in the *scroll. A person had to be perfect in order to open the *scroll. There was nobody good enough. This made John so sad that he wept.

Verse 5 One of the *elders spoke to John. He told John not to weep. There is someone who can open the *scroll. He will break the 7 *seals. He has won the right to do it. He has overcome *sin and death. He is perfect and he is able to break those *seals.

This person is Jesus Christ. The *elder used two special names to describe Jesus. Jesus is the Lion of the *tribe of Judah. And Jesus is the Root of David.

Judah was called a young lion (Genesis 49:9-10). The great king would come from the *tribe of Judah. The *Jews understood this king to be their *Messiah. So, the *Messiah is the same person as the Lion who will rule the earth. He is the Christ. He came from the *tribe of Judah.

The Root of David shows that Jesus belonged to the family of David. The *Old Testament speaks about the king who would come. That king would be from the family of King David. That king would be even greater than David was. The *Lord Jesus is that king.

Verse 6 Then John saw the *Lord Jesus. He did not see Jesus as the king. He was not like a lion but like a *lamb. He stood in the centre of the *throne. He was with God. Round him were the *creatures and the *elders.

The *Lamb (in other words, Jesus) had been dead but was now alive. The marks of that death were still there. He had given his life for us and died. But death could not keep him. He had risen from the grave. We call Jesus, ‘the *Lamb of God’, because he died as a *sacrifice for us. He takes away the *sin of the world (John 1:29).

Normal *lambs have two *horns but this one had 7. He also had 7 eyes. The number 7 in the Bible often means that something is perfect or complete. So, this description shows that Jesus has perfect power and wisdom. Nobody can overcome the power of the *Lamb. Nobody can hide anything from the *Lamb. He knows all things.

The eyes are the 7 spirits of God (see 4:5). These 7 are the Holy Spirit. Jesus has sent him into all the earth. He is the agent of Jesus to bring people to God.

Verse 7 The *Lamb stepped forward. He had taken the *scroll from the right hand of God.

Verse 8 Then John saw the four *creatures and the 24 *elders fall down. They praised the *Lamb. They made music to the *Lamb on their *harps.

They gave to the *Lamb what was in the gold bowls. *Incense has a sweet smell. It gives pleasure to those who smell it. This *incense meant the prayers of God’s people. Their prayers pleased God.

The *worship of the *angels is for God alone. Here they *worship the *Lamb. Christ the *Lamb is one with the Father. Christ is God.

Verses 9-10 The four *creatures and the 24 *elders sang a new song. They sang this song to the *Lamb. The song was new not only in time. It was new in quality. It spoke about what the *Lamb had done. He had made a new contract between God and his people.

The *Lamb had earned the right to take the *scroll. He had done what nobody else could do. He alone was able to break the *seals.

They gave three reasons why the *Lamb could take the *scroll.

1. He died and he overcame death. Now, he is alive and he will always live.

2. When he died, he took away the *sins of the people. By his death, he purchased people for God.

3. He made God’s people a *kingdom. He made them priests to God.

Jesus has bought many people by his blood. They come from all the countries of the world. They are from all the nations. There will be in heaven those who speak every language.

All who believe in Christ are part of his *kingdom. Each one of them is a priest to God. As a *kingdom, they will rule with Christ. As priests, they serve the *Lord God. Because of Christ, they can come to God.

Verses 11-12 Then all the *angels joined in with those who were praising the *Lamb. There were millions of *angels. There were so many that nobody could count them.

This vast crowd of *angels live to serve God. They surrounded the *throne of God. And with loud voices, they sang to praise Jesus the *Lamb.

They sang that the *Lamb deserves to have seven qualities. These are power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honour, *glory and *praise. The *angels praise him because he has all these qualities. He always had them as the Son of God. But then he earned them. He died and he rose again from death. He now deserves that all people and *angels should praise him.

Verse 13 Then every *creature joined in the song of *praise. All that God had created sang. They sang to praise God and the *Lamb.

Verse 14 At the end of the song, the four *creatures said ‘*Amen’. The 24 *elders fell down and they praised God.

The 7 *seals - Revelation 6:1-8:1

The first 6 *seals - Revelation 6:1-17