The Vision of the Throne of God and the worship of God

Vs 1:  John's invitation to come and see what must take place,  the sole worship of God

Vs 2:  John sees God's throne with Him sitting in it.

                    Vs 3:  God's majesty, glory and mercy 

                    Vs 4:  The 24 thones with 24 Elders sitting in them 

                    Vs 5:  The seven Spirits of God

                    Vs 6:  The beauty and trancendence of God's throne room.

                    Vs 7:  The four creatures described - all of creation

                    Vs 8:  The four creatures worship of God

                    Vs 9-11:  The 24 Elders worship God

Instruction to the churches (cont)

Vs 1-6: Don’t fall asleep on the job.

And write to the angel of the Sardis church: The One who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, says this:

1. I know your works, that you have a reputation (name) that you are alive, but really you are dead.
2. Wake up, and strengthen the things which were about to die for I judge that your deeds are not complete in the sight of My God.
3. Remember therefore what you have embraced in the past, and keep it, and repent.
4. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief; at a time that you do not know.
5. But there are a few people in Sardis who have not dirtied their garments and they will walk with Me in holiness (white), for they are worthy.
6. He who overcomes I will bless. 

Listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Vs 7-13: Hold fast to His Word.

And write to the angel of the Philadelphia church:  The One who is holy,  true, has the key of David, opens and no one will shut, and shuts and no one opens, says this:

1. I know your works
2. I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because
   • you have a little strength
   • you have remained faithful to My word
   • you have not rejected My name.
3. I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan to bow down at your feet and to know that I have loved you.
4. Because you have kept the word of My Perseverance, I will keep you from the time of testing that is coming upon the whole world.
5. I am coming quickly
6. hold fast what you have in order that no one takes your crown.
7. He who overcomes I will strengthen him and bless him.

Listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Vs 14-22:  Focus on the spiritual and not the material.

And write to the angel of the Laodicea church:  The One Who declares what is true, (Amen), the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the God's creation, says this:

1. I know from your works that you are lukewarm and thus I will spit you out of my mouth.
2. I want you either hot or cold.
3. But you say: I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing but in reality you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
4. I advise you to buy from Me pure Gold that is refined by fire so you will be rich.  (good works that will last to eternity: 1 Cor. 3:12)
5. And put on white garments (holiness) to hide your nakedness and use eye medicine to anoint your eyes (wisdom) so you can see
6. Those whom I love, I correct and discipline
7. Behold I am calling you to repent.  If you do, I will fellowship with you.
8. He who overcomes I will bless.

Listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Instruction to the churches

1.       Return to your first Love:  To the Angel of the church in Ephesus write:

a.       The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands says this:

1.       I know of your good deeds

2.       But I have this against you that you have left your first love

3.       Remember back to where you have fallen and turn back and do the things you did at first or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand unless you turn back.

4.       You hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

b.      Listen to what the Spirit says to the churches: To the one who prevails for Christ, God will remember and God will bless. 

2.       Persevere Through the Trials:  To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

a.       The One who is the first and the last, was dead and has come to life says this:

1.       I know your suffering at the hands of others, but do not fear about what is to come.

2.       You are going to be tested when the devil is going to throw some of you into prison; You will have tribulation for a period, but remain faithful unto death and I will give you the grown of life.

b.      Listen to what the Spirit says to the churches:  The one who prevails for Christ, God will remember and God will bless.

3.       Don’t Hold False Doctrine: To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

a.       The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:

1.       I know that you live where Satan’s throne is and yet you hold fast My name.

2.       But I have a few things against you that you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam and who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

3.       Repent or else I am coning quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth

b.      Listen to what the Spirit says to the churches:  To the one who prevails for Christ, God will remember and God will bless.

4.       Don’t Tolerate False Teachers:  And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

a.       The Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and has feet are like burnished bronze says this:

1.       I know of your good deeds and that they are growing.

2.       But I have this against you and this is that you tolerate the woman Jezebel.  She, along with others, will suffer greatly if she does not repent so that they will know it is God Who knows what is in the heart and will judge accordingly.

3.       To those who do not tolerate Jezebel, there is nothing else but to remain faithful. 

4.       And the one who prevails for Christ and keeps My deeds until the end God will remember and God will bless

b.      Listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Chapter 1 Outline:

Vs. 1-3 Introduction to the book.

• The book is a revelation of Jesus Christ.
• God the Father gave the revelation to Jesus to show Jesus’ bond servants the things that must shortly take place.
• This revelation was sent and communicated by His angel to His bondservant, John.
• John bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus.
• Blessed is he who
  • Reads
  • Hears
  • Heeds the things that are written
• The time is near.

Vs. 4-7 Greeting to the seven churches from the exalted Trinity.

• John extends the greeting from God the Father, the HS and Jesus Christ to the seven churches.
• God the Father – Who is, Who was, Who is to come
• Holy Spirit – seven Spirits
• Jesus Christ
  • The faithful witness
  • The first-born of the dead
  • The ruler of the kings of the earth.
  • To Jesus be
    • The glory forever and ever
    • Dominion forever and ever
  • Jesus
    • loves us and released us from our sins by His blood
    • made us to be a kingdom
      • priests to His God and Father.
  • Jesus is coming in the clouds
    • Every eye will see Him
      • Even those who pierced Him
    • All the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.

Vs. 8 The Almighty, Eternal God.

• He is the Alpha and Omega
• Who is and who was and who is to come
• The Almighty

Vs. 9-20  John's Vision of Christ

• John
  • Brother
  •  Fellow partaker in the
    • Tribulation in Jesus
    • Kingdom in Jesus
    • Perseverance in Jesus
  • Was on the island called Patmos
    •  Because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (John was sent there because He proclaimed God’s Word and testified of Christ.)
  • John was in the Spirit
    • On the Lord’s day
    • Heard behind him a loud voice
      • Like a trumpet
      • Saying write in a book
        • What you see
        •  Send it to the seven churches
          • Ephesus
          • Smyrna
          • Pergamum
          • Thyatira
          • Sardis
          • Philedelphia
          • Laodicea
    • Turned and saw the voice that was speaking to him.
    • Saw seven golden lampstands
      • In the middle of the lampstands was one like a son of man
        • Clothed in a robe reaching to the feet.
        • Girded across His breast with a golden girdle
        • His head and hair were white like white wool, like snow
        • His eyes were like a flame of fire
        • His feet were like burnished bronze,
          •  When it has been caused to glow in a furnace
        • His voice was like the sound of many waters.
        • In His right hand he held seven stars
        • Out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword
        • His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
      • When John saw Him
        •  He fell at His feet as a dead man.
        • Jesus laid His right hand upon John saying,
          • Do not be afraid
          • I am the first and the last
          • The living One
            • I was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore
          • I have the keys of death and of hades
          • Write therefore the things which you
            • Have seen
            • Are
            • Which shall take place after these things.
          • As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand
            • Angels of the seven churches
          • and the seven golden lampstands
            • seven churches.