John's Story (19 page)

“‘“But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

“‘“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’”

“Beloved,” John said, “as was made clear in the introduction, the seven stars are the angels—or leaders—of the seven churches in Asia, and the seven lampstands are the churches themselves. The Lord gave me similar exhortations to the six other churches that have been under my care. I have debated with my colleague whether to share those with you, and we have concluded that it would be instructive. But let us examine first what God is saying to us here. When He tells me to write to the angel of the church of Ephesus, you may wonder who that is, with Timothy now departed and my having been away from you so long. I believe He is referring to Polycarp. And though he is young and must follow in the footsteps of beloved predecessors like Paul, Timothy, and Tychicus—”

“Not to mention you!” Polycarp called out, and the people laughed.

“And while he is neither yet your pastor nor your bishop, we have conferred upon him the role of an elder. Regardless, the message to the angel of each church is in reality a message to the people as well. It is to be conferred upon the leaders so they can reveal it to those under their charge.

“Now, when the Lord refers to this body’s ability to discern between the real and the deceitful, I believe He is recognizing your fearlessness in testing those who have falsely claimed authority they did not have. And in the four decades since the founding of this church, you have endured and been found faithful to your original purpose, to lift up the name of Christ and His reputation.

“But the Lord says He has
this
against us, and so it behooves us to know what
this
is. He is referring to the dimming of our first love of Christ. Our zeal and our service cannot cover that our passion for the risen Christ has grown stale.

“He does give us this, however, for which we must be grateful: that we resisted the Nicolaitans. Only those new to us would be unaware of the apostasy that invaded when we once made a deacon of a false believer. Nicolas led us into sin, immorality, and sensual temptation. As believers and saints, we enjoy grace and liberty from the law, but Nicolas would have had us pervert this as license to act as we pleased. Praise God He recognizes that we hated such heresy as He does.

“And when the Lord promises, ‘To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God,’ I trust you see this immediately as His promise that believers will one day join him in heaven.

“And now let me read to you what He revealed to me for the six other churches:

“‘And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, “These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life…”’”

Suddenly it seemed as if the years had melted away from the beloved disciple. He was doing what he had been born to do—preach and teach and exhort. He grew animated, began to move about, looking this and that one in the eye, asking that his listeners interact with him aloud. “The ‘angel’ at the church in Smyrna is?” he said.

“The pastor or the bishop,” someone called out.

“Excellent, yes. And that is who currently?”

The people laughed, for everyone was aware that the position was vacant and that John had long sought someone to fill it. He could not tell them whom he had in mind for the role, for it would have vexed them and drawn their attention from the important matter at hand.

“All right, who is the ‘first and last’? Come, come, you know this. We have studied the ancient texts.”

“God,” a man called out.

“Yes, of course. The Holy Scriptures refer to Him in just that way. And so who is He ‘who was dead, and came to life’?”

A long pause.

“Jesus?” one suggested timidly.

“Why did you not all cry out His name in unison? For years I have taught you that Jesus, the One who died for our sins and arose on the third day
is
the Son of God and is God Himself! Listen now to what He says to the church at Smyrna:

“‘I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.’”

“What is Jesus saying here, people? The believers in the beautiful port city of Smyrna work tirelessly for the kingdom of God despite tribulation from Rome. The rest of the city worships the emperor and even offers annual sacrifices, which believers in the Lord Christ must not and cannot do. For this reason they are labeled blasphemers and rebels. They are in poverty materially—indeed, many are slaves—but Jesus reminds them they are rich in the spiritual realm.

“Now, who are these who say they are Jews really of Satan? Those who inform Rome of the disobedience of the church of Christ. A true Jew would recognize his Messiah, but these rather attempt to destroy His followers.

“Jesus goes on to say:

“‘Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.’

“Oh, beloved!” John said, his mind fixed on Polycarp. “Martyrdom will surely come for some in Smyrna. Now you know why my heart is so heavy and I am troubled about whom I dare send to lead that flock. And yet our Lord tells us not to fear, for even such victims will one day receive the crown of life from the Master Himself.”

John continued, reading the letter to the church in Pergamos, whom He told to repent of their acceptance of false teaching “or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”

John looked up from his writings. “When God refers to the ‘sword of My mouth,’ He is speaking of judgment and the words Jesus will use to pronounce it. The hidden manna is Jesus, who called Himself the Bread of Life. And as we award victors in athletic contests a white stone, so the Lord will reward us, also giving us a new name.”

After reading the letters of warning to the church at Thyatira, which tolerated sin, and to Sardis (the dead church), John came to the church at Philadelphia. To this faithful church Jesus promised, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.”

John asked for a chair and a cup of water. Polycarp approached, concern on his face, but John waved him off. “I can continue a few more minutes,” he said. “Thank you.” After a sip, he stood again. “Finally we come to the sad letter from the living Christ to the church at wealthy Laodicea.

“And to 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 could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

“‘“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

“‘“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

“‘“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”

John carefully handed the manuscript to Polycarp. “I shall sit now, if you will indulge me,” the old man said to the assembled. “But I know that some of the language the Lord gave me needs clarification. Allow me to explain some of it as my colleague reads the revelation.

“As you can see, dear children, there is much here that is rich and deep and worthy of intense study over several months. You will find this even more so with what Elder Polycarp reads, and I dare say the scope and supernaturalness of it will astound you.”

J
ohn sat directly behind Polycarp, where he could judge the response of the Ephesian church while the young man read from the revelation God gave John in the cave of marble on the Isle of Patmos. He knew that for the rest of the evening he would relive the most profound experience of his life, since seeing for himself the resurrected Christ on that Lord’s Day so long before and living through his own intended execution so recently.

John believed the people would respond in much the way he had, as if they too were transported to heaven with an angel of God as their guide.

Polycarp began:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.’

“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

“Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”

The images cascaded over the Ephesians until they appeared overwhelmed.

“What does it mean?” a woman cried out, and several shushed her.

“No!” John said. “It is all right. I too was puzzled, and I was there. I should say, in the Spirit I was there. What troubles you most?”

“All of it!” she said. “Who are the twenty-four elders?”

“I believe they represent the church, and a little later you will see that they sing songs of worship to the Lamb, who is, of course, the risen Christ.”

“And the seven spirits?”

“The sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit,” John said.

Polycarp said, “Isaiah prophesied of this. He writes, ‘There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse’—that’s David’s father—‘and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.’ That’s Jesus. ‘The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,’—and here are the sevenfold manifestations of the Spirit—‘the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.’ So, wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, reverence, and deity.”

“Forgive me,” the woman whispered.

“Do not apologize, dear one,” John said. “If you have found this much curious, you can only imagine what is coming. It concerns a great evil one, an enemy of Christ. Polycarp and I will attempt to explain it all in time to come.”

Polycarp did wonders with the text, despite his lack of sleep, because, John decided, the young man had read and reread John’s scribbling and had himself begun to understand the import of the message.

As Polycarp continued, the church heard the majestic and terrifying language of God Himself, as He revealed to John what was to come. They sat rapt, gasping, moaning, weeping, sometimes sliding from their seats to kneel or even to lie prostrate as the spectacular, otherworldly words filled the room. At times John could not contain himself and rose to summarize. “Not long after the reappearance of Jesus in the clouds will come a seven-year period of tribulations so devastating that twenty-one curses and plagues will be hurled from heaven. Finally will come the glorious reappearing of Jesus on the earth to set up a millennial kingdom of peace.”

Polycarp continued:

“Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.

“The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.

“The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

‘Holy, holy, holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!’
”

A man stood, causing John to lay a hand on Polycarp’s shoulder. “Yes, sir,” John said. “A question?”

“This is all so thrilling,” the man said, near tears. “But I fear I am not understanding. Who are these creatures? What do they represent?”

“They are angels,” John said. “I know this not only because I saw them. The great prophet Ezekiel called them cherubim. Their many eyes allow them to miss nothing, and that they have faces like a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle makes me conclude that they represent wild beasts, passive beasts, human beings, and flying creatures.”

“And why six wings?” the man said.

“Isaiah,” John said, “writes that with two they covered their eyes, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. So four of their wings have to do with worship, covering their eyes from looking at Almighty God in His glory, and covering their feet because they, as Moses, stand on holy ground.”

The man nodded and sat, and Polycarp continued.

“Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

‘You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created.’

“And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?’

“And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.’

“And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying:

‘You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.’”

Here Polycarp paused and looked to John. “Master, may we assume the scroll is a contract of some sort, or a will?”

John stood. “No, though that is a logical conclusion. I believe God is giving Jesus here the title deed to the earth. Once the search was over for the worthy One to open the scroll, the heavens rejoiced. Please read on.”

Polycarp did.

“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!’

“And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

‘Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’

“Then the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.”

By now most in the house were on their faces on the floor, praising God and crying out in prayer. Polycarp paused and let this continue several minutes. When people began returning to their chairs and benches, he said, “Now hear me. I am reluctant to press on, given the myriad questions that can arise over every phrase. However, we must. Let us get the entire revelation read aloud so it is in your ears and in your hearts. I have told John that I will supervise the making of copies of this so that while we are working out all the richness of doctrine contained herein—probably over the next several months, if not years—your brothers and sisters everywhere will be able to do the same.”

“Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, ‘Come and see.’ And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

“When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come and see.’

“Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

“When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come and see.’ So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.

“And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.’

“When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come and see.’ So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.”

“Excuse me,” came the voice of a young man John knew was still in his teens. “I know you wish to press on, but plainly we must understand these four horsemen.”

Polycarp looked to John, who stood again.

“When I saw the rider of the white horse with a bow, there is a reason I did not add that he had arrows, for he did not. This is a proclaimer of peace, but it is a false peace. Someone has crowned him and he goes out to conquer, but his battles will be bloodless and true peace only artificial. He will be honored and given a place of high authority, but his peace and his reign shall not last.

“The second rider, on the red horse of war, is, you will notice, granted the ability to take peace from the earth. God remains in control. Nothing happens without His granting it. The false peace will end. War will ensue.

“The black horse represents the famine that results from war. The scales indicate the required rationing of food. And notice the exorbitant price of food. An entire day’s wage for barely enough wheat to feed one person. So do not let your oil and wine go bad. You will need them.

“War and famine lead to death, and God told me the fourth rider, mounted on the pale horse, was named Death.”

Polycarp asked the people whether they had absorbed enough for one night. As one they urged him to continue. He turned to John, who cocked his head and nodded.

“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’

“Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

“I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.

“Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave, and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”

Polycarp read passage after passage as the night skies grew black and breezes chilled the listeners. Many sat holding each other, comforting each other as the strange, terrifying images filled the air. The bulk of the passages covered along treatise on the three separate sets of seven curses from heaven—the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments, and the bowl judgments. John noticed many wide eyes and ashen faces as Polycarp read of hail and fire and blood from heaven, the sea turning to blood, a great star falling, the sun dimmed, the earth overrun by locusts, and a horde of two hundred million demonic horsemen that kill millions.