"But I (Paul) would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (Christians who have died), that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."

Paul taught about the Rapture, the Second Coming and about the up-and-coming Antichrist when he was with the Thessalonian Christians.

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot.

The Church at Philadelphia was true to the Word of God. It is representative of all the churches (regardless of denominational label) world wide that still remain true to the Word of God...

▪︎ Sardis represents the Protestant church during the period between A.D. 1517 and approximately A.D. 1800.

▪︎ This era started with the Reformation. Martin Luther?

I know your works, and charity, and service, and faith, and your patience, and your works; and the last to be more than the first.

However I have a few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Pergamon's sin was false religion... compromised religion... manmade religion. Some say there was a marrying between church and state. The only way it could be reached, taught and changed... is by the Word of God... "the sharp sword of My Mouth..."

To the church in Smyrna, the Lord describes Himself as "the First and the Last, which was dead, and is alive,"

which means that there was nothing before Him and there will be nothing to follow Him. He has the final control of all things.

And have borne, and have patience, and for My name's sake have laboured, and have not fainted.

Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love.

A panoramic history of the church is given in these seven letters... from Pentecost to the Rapture.

[Not all scholars however agree on this.]

The amazing thing is this... the order of the churches in chapters 2 and 3 is very specific... and gives a prophetic timeline of church history from Pentecost to the Rapture.

Had they been in any other order, this would not have been the case.

Jesus is interested in intimacy, communion, fellowship and relationship with His people... not religion.

He is vitally interested in what happens in His church that He gave His life for... and that He is coming for.

We the believers are His body... we are members of one another.

And Jesus is the Head of this body.

Jesus loves His church.

He guides, directs and nourishes His church through the power of the Holy Spirit.

"His eyes were as a flame of fire"...

Nothing escapes His gaze.

Jesus sees all and knows all.

This speaks of His omniscience. His eyes are very intense, searching and penetrating, and discovers and brings to light things most dark and obscure.

We are very special to God... and that through Christ's finished work on the Cross and His resurrection, we have a new station, new purpose, new direction in life and a new destiny... bringing all glory and honour to our God.

John finishes this verse with...

"... to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

The focus of Revelation is Jesus Christ.

☆ Revelation 19:10..."the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Jesus is always the focal point.

He must always increase.

Revelation unveils Christ in all His deity, splendour, majesty and power.

But remember the main thrust of Revelation is to unveil, disclose, reveal, to make clear... it is a book about hope... where good ultimately triumphs over evil.

It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ...

Revelation is the only book of prophecy in the New Testament...

This prophetic book will make you sit up and take notice about what will happen in the future on our planet Earth.

It deals with the end times...

It speaks about the end of the world as we know it...

Satan will use [INTIMIDATION] tactics... stir up fear... trick us into sin... to destroy our testimony... to condemn and discredit us.

He belittles us, he bullies us, he threatens us, he menaces us...

Satan is [INSISTENT and PERSISTENT] in his efforts to cause us harm.

He is relentless and merciless in his attacks upon us... to wear us down.

Our adversary does not back down... not one minute.

■ Satan will use [INFILTRATION] ("we come in the midst of them") to cause all sorts of problems.

This is an extremely insidious tactic. It is subversion... causing the rot from within.

Nehemiah, whilst rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, faced tremendous opposition from the enemy.

For us... when we work in partnership with the Lord to seeing lives saved, delivered and restored, great opposition will be generated against us from the enemy.

Our enemy, the Devil will give us a hard time... guaranteed!

The Parable of the Trees

So, What is the moral of the story? What is the religious lesson?

That we should know who we are, wo Good designed us to be, what He has called us to do and to be faithful to that calling. To be content with who we are and what our function is. to not want to be something else or to have a different position because it looks better, than what I have. To not desire the top job to fulfil my agenda and make me feel important. or if it has not been appointed by God.