The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.
While in exile on the Island of Patmos, the Apostle John received this instruction from Jesus: "Write what you see into a book. Send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea" (Revelation 1:11; The Message Bible). Jesus then proceeds to dictate to the apostle personal messages to each of the seven churches. The content of these messages does not contain the opinions, or instructions of a pastor, deacon, elder or governing church council. These messages were sent directly from Jesus and reveal his assessment of each church. This in itself should be sufficient reason for taking the time and exerting the energy to do an exhaustive study of the seven churches. But there are additional reasons as well which are dealt with extensively in this book. The messages reveal what is acceptable and unacceptable to Jesus in the life of a church. They also reflect seven periods of church history. In addition, the messages explain a Christian's relationship to the group of believers with which they are associated. Furthermore, they stress the responsibility of every Christian to protect the spiritual welfare of the local church. Finally, these messages provide the proper perspective of what Jesus values most in a church. At the end of each message Jesus makes this statement: "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches!" (Revelation 2:7; New Living Translation). The messages to the seven churches of the Apocalypse are as relevant today as they were when John received them. They are intended for anyone who has ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To properly interpret the Book of Revelation, we must have a thorough understanding of the New Covenant Spiritual Life. We must learn to emphasize the spiritual over the material. We must have a Heavenly orientation, as opposed to an Earthly orientation, to life, history, and our future.
With a new foreword by David E. Aune, this modern classic by Colin J. Hemer explores the seven letters in the book of Revelation against the historical background of the churches to which they were addressed. Based on literary, epigraphical, and archaeological sources and informed by Hemer's firsthand knowledge of the biblical sites, this superb study presents in the clearest way possible a picture of the New Testament world in the later part of the first century and its significance for broader questions of church history.
A top New Testament scholar, preacher, and tour guide to the lands of the New Testament offers an informed commentary on this challenging portion of Scripture with an eye toward preaching the text. Jeffrey Weima explains the meaning of the seven "sermons" of Revelation 2-3 and provides sample sermons that show how these ancient messages, despite their subtle Old Testament allusions and perplexing images, are relevant for the church today. The book includes photos, maps, and charts and is of interest to preachers, students, teachers, and Bible study groups.
If you have ever read about the seven churches of Asia Minor, or the seven churches in Revelation, and wondered what they are all about, this book will help you get a deeper insight into the character of these churches. You will get a look at their geographical locations, their historical backgrounds, and their experiences that shaped the way Christ addressed them. Christ introduced himself to these seven churches in seven different ways because their works were different, and he wrote them according to their works. The church of Ephesus--the first of the seven, left its first love, and the last of the seven, the church of Laodicea focused on material wealth without recognizing that Christ was on the outside knocking, seeking the opportunity to come in. The Seven Churches of Asia Minor, (The Churches in Revelation) will take you through each church one by one; it will help you to identify actions for which they were chastened or encouraged. Five out of these seven churches were admonished, warned, and given specific steps to take for their restoration. They could take these steps of face the consequences that were meted out by Christ himself. This book will certainly be an eye-opener for any church or individual who are curious to know more about the seven churches in the book of Revelation.
What if Jesus wrote a letter to your church? This eight-session LifeGuide® Bible Study helps us engage with the words of Jesus in the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation. Studying this Scripture with a group or individually allows us to ask some hard questions—of ourselves, of our leaders, and of the Lord.
Where are the Bible lands today? Where were Iraq and Iran in Bible times? The answers to these questions and countless others are found in the bestselling pamphlet Then & Now Bible Maps. This full-color, fold-out reference tool contains 17 Bible maps that show ancient cities and countries in black with modern-day boundaries marked in red. Fantastic for comparing places in the news with places in the Bible. Size: 8.5x 5.5 unfolds to 38 long. Fits inside most Bible covers. Teachers love the amazing Then & Now Bible Maps reference tool. Seventeen maps make the Bible more relevant and more meaningful by providing visual context. Show students where Persia is today and the places Paul's first missionary journey would take him if traveling the same route today. Help them understand the biblical geographic context of the places they hear in the news every day. Here are a few of the maps included in this incredible resource: The Middle East map during Bible Times and Today The Assyrian Empire, Babylonian Kingdoms and Persian Empire The Holy Land Map Then and Now Places of Jesus' Ministry Then and Now Then & Now Bible Maps pamphlet makes it easy to compare Bible times with modern times. On each of the 17 maps, modern-day cities and countries appear in red type or red underline if the name has remained the same. The maps provide helpful historic information. For example: The Holy Land: Then (1300 BC--Twelve Tribes) and Now (modern times) uses color coding to show Canaan divided by the Twelve Tribes, and also shows the historical and modern-day names of cities within the regions occupied by the Twelve Tribes Paul's Journeys: Then (AD 47-62) and Now (modern times) show one of the SevenChurches of Asia (Rev. 1-3), cities, towns, ancient ruins, mountains, modern capital cities and a key for measuring the distance traveled from city to city Empires & Kingdoms: Then and Now shows the changing boundaries of the Assyrian Empire, Babylonian Kingdom, and Persian Empire
Sometimes, churches need a little help. These days, some don't know who they are and don't know what they're supposed to be doing. Churches today are trying anything and everything to be effective, but are bewildered by worship styles, spectator syndrome, and consumerism. In the meantime, people are hungry for a relationship with a God who has substance--a God with character and integrity, and a God of grace. And they're having trouble finding such a God in churches today. Seven Letters to Seven Churches is written to challenge the church to be what God created us to be and then do what God created us to do: join Him in His mission to save the world.