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Worthy is the Lamb

In Chapter 5, John saw the “ Sealed Scroll ” held tightly in the right hand of the “ One Who Sits on the Throne .” A search was made of the entire creation for someone who was “ worthy ” to open the scroll. Alas, no one was found, and this caused John to begin to weep profusely. If the scroll remained sealed, its contents could not be implemented. However, one of the twenty-four “ elders ” tells John to cease weeping, for the “ lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David overcame .”

The Sealed Scroll

In Chapter 5 of  Revelation , John saw the Scroll that was sealed shut with Seven Seals and tightly held in the “ right hand ” of the “ One Who was sitting on the Throne .” He dispatched a “ mighty angel ” to discover whether anyone in the created order was “ worthy ” to take and open the “ Sealed Scroll .” Despite an exhaustive search, at least momentarily, no one “ worthy ” could be found.

The Throne

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The vision of the “ Throne ” is the theological center of the  Book of Revelation  and sets the stage for the visions that follow it. In Chapter 4, John sees the Divine “ Throne ” and the “ One Who Sits on it ” reigning from the center of the Cosmos. In Chapter 5, he sees the “ slain Lamb ” take the scroll “ Sealed with Seven Seals ” from the “ Throne ,” an act followed by all creation declaring the Lamb “ worthy ” to break its seals and open the “ Sealed Scroll .”

Kings of the East

The “ sixth bowl of wrath ” presents an army led by the “ kings from the east ” from beyond the Euphrates River, a picture derived from prophecies of Babylon's overthrow by the “ Medes and Persians .” At the end of the age, God will use a “pagan” force once again to destroy “ Babylon ,” only this time, “ Mystery Babylon ” of the last days.

Gog and Magog

Revelation identifies Gog and Magog as the nations from the four corners of the Earth that attack the saints .  The prophet Ezekiel received a vision of an invading army composed of regional nations that attacked Israel from the north. The force was led by “ Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal ” - ( KJV ). But before it succeeded, this army was destroyed by Yahweh “ on the mountains of Israel .”

Laodicea

The church and its “ messenger ” in Laodicea received no words of praise from the Risen “ Son of Man .” Apparently, this congregation was in poor spiritual condition, and the letter indicates apathy had replaced its original zeal for the Lord. The best if not only hope for this church was to become purified like gold is refined in fire, presumably, by undergoing trials, impoverishment, and persecution.

Faithful Philadelphia

Philadelphia was located fifty kilometers southeast of Sardis and straddled a major road into the interior, making commerce and trade with the other cities of the province vital to its economy. It was established in 189 B.C. by the king of  Pergamos  and came under Roman rule when the last Pergamene king bequeathed the kingdom to Rome in 133 B.C.

Sardis

The city of Sardis was situated approximately sixty kilometers south of Thyatira, near the crossroads between Smyrna and Pergamos, and commerce was vital to its economic and cultural life. Sardis is mentioned in Obadiah, with the name “ Sepharad ” being its Hebrew form (“ They of the captivity of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the South ”).

Thyatira

In the letter to the “ messenger ” in Thyatira, a structural change occurs. In the first three letters, the call to heed the Spirit’s voice preceded the promises to overcomers. From this point forward, it follows the promises and concludes each letter. This serves to emphasize the need to “ hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches ” through the seven letters sent by the risen Son of Man.

Hold Fast My Name - Pergamos

Pergamos receives praise for remaining faithful to his name, but correction for tolerating the teachings of Balaam  – Revelation 2:12-17.  P ergamos  is some sixty kilometers to the north of Smyrna and twenty kilometers from the sea. Though not a major commercial center, on occasion, it serves as the seat of the Roman provincial government and the center for the imperial cult. The first temple dedicated to Augustus Caesar in Asia was built at Pergamos, making it “ground zero” for the veneration of the emperor.

Faithful Until Death

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The church of Smyrna is only one of two of the seven Asian churches that received no correction, the other being Philadelphia. What set this congregation apart was the level of persecution that it endured because of its “ testimony ,” and its steadfast refusal to “ eat meat offered to idols ” and otherwise compromise with the Greco-Roman culture. Its members stood firm in their refusal to participate in the imperial idolatry of Rome, and consequently, they suffered “ tribulation ” and persecution due to false accusations against them made by Satan’s agents.

Tree of Life - Ephesus

The messenger at Ephesus is commended for rejecting false apostles, chastised for leaving his first love, and summoned to return to his first works .  In his exhortation to the “ messenger ” at Ephesus, Jesus begins by stressing his intimate knowledge of all the churches. He is “ grasping ” the seven messengers tightly in his right hand, and “ walking ” continuously among the seven assemblies. Therefore, he knows their “ works and labor and endurance ” – (Revelation 2:1-7).

Missing Seventy Weeks

The book of  Revelation  never refers to the “ seventy weeks ” prophecy in  Daniel , directly or indirectly, a passage in the Hebrew Bible that is foundational to the chronologies and expectations of many interpretations of  Revelation , a rather striking omission.

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