Revelation Chapter Three, Corporate Death

Revelation 3:1b “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

Five times now the Lord has told the church that He knows their works. Scripture states, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account,” Hebrews 4:13. David writes in the Psalms, “You know my sitting down and rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether,” Psalm 139:2-4.

Revelation Chapter Three, Sardis

Revelation 3:1a “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars:

The Lord turns His attention to Sardis and reveals Himself thusly: as He who has the seven Spirits and the seven stars. We know that the seven stars represent the seven angels Jesus is currently addressing, Revelation 1:20. He also refers to the seven Spirits, seen later before God’s throne, Revelation 4:5.

Prayer Request For Kim

I write today, asking my fellow believers in Christ to lift up an acquaintance of mine in prayer. Her name is Kim, and she is having a number of issues right now in her life, which is causing all manner of havoc for her. She is having trouble focusing on work because of personal and family issues, and it is causing her thoughts to spiral into a bad place.

Revelation Chapter Two, Are We Listening?

Revelation 2:29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

The Lord Jesus Christ instructs believers to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches. Not just these seven Asiatic churches, but every church of every age from the onset of Pentecost to the last day when the Rapture occurs and the church ceases.

Revelation Chapter Two, The True Morning Star

Revelation 2:28 “and I will give him the morning star.

This is an interesting verse because of the language Jesus uses to describe Himself. He told overcomers that they will sit on His throne reigning over the nations with Him, and then they will likewise receive the morning star. So, what is the morning star?

Revelation Chapter Two, Keeping His Works

Revelation 2:26 “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations–[27] ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like a potter’s vessels’--

The overcoming promise does appear to have a secondary requirement attached apart from merely being an overcomer. The Lord wanted to stress that keeping His works until the end was vital to achieve this particular blessing.

Revelation Chapter Two, Holding Fast

Revelation 2:25 “But hold fast what you have till I come.

To properly exegete this verse, we must move a little further ahead, quoting Revelation 3:11. “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” Further context helps us understand what is being said by our Lord when He warns the church of Thyatira to hold fast.

Revelation Chapter Two, The Depths Of Satan

Revelation 2:24 “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not hold this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.

The doctrine in question that our Lord refers to is Jezebel’s doctrine. Whether she was a disciple of Balaam, or a follower of the Nicolaitans, she successfully seduced believers and cultivated a sect of adherents to her perverted doctrine of idolatry and sexual deviance as a form of worship.

Revelation Chapter Two, What Is Rendered

Revelation 2:23 “I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

The ESV renders this verse’s beginning as, “and I will strike her children dead.” The RSV translates the verse identically to the ESV. The NIV, with the exception of the article, “and,” renders it likewise.

Revelation Chapter Two, Cast Into A Sickbed

Revelation 2:21 “And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. [22] Indeed I will cast her into a sick-bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.

Three times we encounter the term, “repent,” in this passage. Twice Jesus uses it toward Jezebel. He first gave her time to repent of her sins, but she refused. Peter wrote, “and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation,” 2 Peter 3:15.

Revelation Chapter Two, Jezebel

Revelation 2:20 “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

There is a distinct similarity here in what Thyatira is experiencing and what Pergamos likewise experienced, Revelation 2:14. In Pergamos this was referred to as the doctrine of Balaam. Balaam, a false prophet (perhaps formerly a true prophet?) taught Balak and Moab to seduce Israel by sexual immorality and idolatry.

Revelation Chapter Two, Being Commended

Revelation 2:19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.

As always, our Lord begins by commending Thyatira for the things they are doing correctly. We are also developing a pattern. Jesus our Lord begins with each church–for good or for bead–by telling them that He knows their works.

Revelation Chapter Two, The Son Of God

Revelation 2:18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:

Our Lord moves on to the fourth of the seven churches: Thyatira. There was Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and now Thyatira. To keep something of a tally, Ephesus was addressed in 11 verses, Smyrna in a fleet 4, Pergamos in 6, and Thyatira–who is discussed for the remainder of the chapter–will occupy 12 verses.

Revelation Chapter Two, A White Stone

Revelation 2:17 “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 mana 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.”’

We come now to the third time our Lord says that he who has an ear (whoever is actually listening) let him hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to His churches. Yes, Christ is speaking, but as we read in chapter one, John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. The Holy Spirit provides the inspiration for men to pen Scripture, 2 Peter 1:21.

Revelation Chapter Two, Acknowledging Heresy

Revelation 2:16 “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

As we have addressed before, the term “repent,” does not mean to do penance; it means to change your mind. It is most famously found in Acts chapter 2, when Peter speaks to the Jewish audience about what they had done to Jesus. He addresses them several times, “Men of Judea,” Acts 2:14. “Men of Israel,” Acts 2:22. “Men and brethren (referring to his fellow Jews),” Acts 2:29. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know…” Acts 2:36.

Revelation Chapter Two, Deeds Become Doctrine

Revelation 2:15 “Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

The church of Pergamos errs twice; the first error was tolerating the doctrine of Balaam in their own church. Ephesus tested apostles and found them to be false, by implication rejecting them for their heretical teachings.

Revelation Chapter Two, Balaam

 Revelation 2:14 “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

In this verse we learn that Pergamos is not without its own faults. They have persevered and kept the name of Christ and His faith in the place where Satan’s throne resided; they even continued their works after the martyrdom of Antipas. But they had permitted other things to happen, as well.

Revelation Chapter Two, Satan's Throne

Revelation 2:13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

Pergamos appears to have been a residence for the throne of Satan. That is, his power base had been consolidated at Pergamos at the time. If this sounds strange, consider our Lord’s words to the seven Asiatic churches.

Revelation Chapter Two, Pergamos

Revelation 2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:

Pergamos, or Pergamum, had a very storied history. Resting sixteen miles from the Aegean Sea (the sea where Patmos could be located), it is now the site of Bergama, Turkey. Subject first to Sparta and then Persia, it was also conquered by Alexander the Great.

Revelation Chapter Two, Unhurt By The Second Death

Revelation 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’

This is the second overcomer passage in Revelation; the first being Revelation 2:7. First the overcomer was promised access to the tree of life, and now not being hurt by the second death. It would do well for us to remember what it means to be an overcomer.

Revelation Chapter Two, Ten Days

Revelation 2:10 “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.

Verse 10 follows the thought of the synagogue of Satan. There was a very real spiritual adversary in Smyrna, resisting the church and its gospel. This synagogue was Satanically energized.

Revelation Chapter Two, A Synagogue Of Satan

Revelation 2:9 “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.

The Lord addresses Smyrna, stating that He knows their works, tribulation, and poverty. Ephesus was acknowledged for their works, labor and patience. In this the two churches share works, but diverge as the Lord discusses different issues of importance between them.

Revelation Chapter Two, Smyrna

Revelation 2:8 “And to the angel of the church of Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:

Our Lord moves on to the second church, Smyrna. Smyrna has since become modern Izmir in Turkey, having been renamed in 1930. Smyrna is located thirty-five miles north of Ephesus. Apparently one of its claims to fame archaeologically speaking is the temple of Athena that was built in the late 7th century BC.

Revelation Chapter Two, Overcoming

Revelation 2:7 “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.”’

This is the first of the “He who has an ear,” promises the Lord makes to the churches. First we should note that the promises the Lord makes here are to the churches, plural. Not just Ephesus, but Smyrna, etc., all benefit from the hearing and fulfilment of this promise, just as Ephesus benefits from Smyrna’s, etc.

Revelation Chapter Two, The Nicolaitans

Revelation 2:6 “But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

This verse leads us to a point of both curiosity and controversy: the Nicolaitans. Almost no evidence exists about this sect or cult that Christ condemns in this passage in Revelation. Some link the sect to Nicolas, the Gentile convert from Antioch, Acts 6:5. But no such connection can honestly be made.

Revelation Chapter Two, Fallen From Grace

Revelation 2:5 “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come and remove your lampstand from its place–unless you repent.

Jesus is calling on the Ephesian church to recall its former position. We must recall that our Lord is now talking to a body of individuals, each member contributing to the whole of that particular church. He warns them to remember where they stood formerly, or what their previous position was.

Revelation Chapter Two, The Error Of Ephesus

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

The KJV translates the verse, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” The ESV renders the verse, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”

Prayer Request for A Mission Trip

Paul once wrote that, "you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us though many," 2 Corinthians 1:11. A part of our showing care for and love of the brethren is prayerfully joining them in their various ministries, lifting them up to the Lord, that He may hear and accept our requests on their behalf so that they may bear fruit. And we, through our prayers, may spiritually partake of their ministry.

Revelation Chapter Two, His Name's Sake

Revelation 2:3 “and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.

The Lord continues to praise the Ephesian church for their fidelity. He says of them, that they persevere. Oxford defines persevere to, “continue in a course of action in spite of difficulty or lack of success.” Verse 2 fills in details as to what the Lord means by this.

Revelation Chapter Two, Rejecting Evil Doers

Revelation 2:2d and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;

The Greek term for bear is, “bastazo,” and it means, “to lift, endure, sustain, declare, receive. It signifies to support as a burden.” The Lord relates that the Ephesian church cannot lift up or support evil doing. They do not endure or receive evil.

Revelation Chapter Two, Being Patient

Revelation 2:2c I know…your patience,

Jesus our Lord informs and reminds us that works and labor require patience. Strong’s Concordance defines patience as cheerful or hopeful endurance or constancy. Jesus, when addressing the apostles about the Tribulation or the Day of the Lord, said, “By your patience possess your souls,” Luke 21:19. The generation that would endure the events Jesus was describing in Luke chapter 21 (which corresponds to our current study in Revelation) have to do with the final days prior to His millennial reign, see Luke 21:28.

Revelation Chapter Two, Laboring

Revelation 2:2b I know…your labor,

The Greek term for “labor,” is, “kopos.” It means, “toil (as reducing the strength), pains, or a striking beating, toil resulting in weariness.” Jesus knew the labor of the Ephesians. Paul knew a little something about labor, too.

Revelation Chapter Two, Christ Knows Our Works

Revelation 2:2a “I know your works,

Our Lord begins His dissection of the livelihood of the Ephesian church with a commendation. He says that He knows their works. This, of course, is a comment favoring Ephesus, not a dead work done in lieu of having salvation.

Revelation Chapter Two, The Letter To Ephesus

Revelation 2:1 To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, and who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:

The church of Ephesus is the only church that had an epistle written to them that was canonically accepted into the Bible. Though dates can be (and will be) speculative as to precisely when each epistle was written, it is generally believed that the letter to the Ephesians was written around 60 AD.

What Can I Make The Bible Say? "God's Truth"

I would like to address the concept of truth. There is a saying that has been bandied around for a long time and it goes like this: “All truth is God’s truth.” Perhaps upon first blush that saying sounds right, but is it? What is it actually implying? And how are some well-meaning Christians falling victim into thinking that there is any veracity behind it?

Revelation Chapter One, Seven Twice Over

Revelation 1:20 “The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

Our Lord gives John an explanation as to what the nature of the stars and lampstands are, so as not to leave the apostle (or us) in the dark. Christ is expositing His own word so that we may clearly understand the symbolism being invoked. And to be transparent, yes, symbolism is used in Revelation.

Revelation Chapter One, Present & Future Events

Revelation 1:19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

This verse requires a little consideration, since it is something of a lynch pin for chapter one. In verse 1 we are told that there are, “things which must shortly take place.” This is further stressed in verse 3, where we read that, “the time is near.”

Revelation Chapter One, Ownership

Revelation 1:18b Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and Death.

The Lord concludes verse 18 with the factual statement that he possesses the keys of Hades, or Hell, or Gehenna, and Death. The NKJV capitalizes the word Death, almost as if the idea of death was being personalized. We find Death and Hell together again in Revelation 20:13 and 14, where both are cast into the Lake of Fire.

Revelation Chapter One, Alive Forevermore

Revelation 1:18a I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. 

Christ our Lord goes on from telling John not to be afraid, to giving His divine credentials. There are many counterfeit Christs, both ancient and modern. Paul and John wrestled with such ideologies, stemming from Judaizers to Gnostics. Today we have Rome, the Watchtower, Mormonism, Islam’s Jesus, and so many more. They are legion, but they are false, united in their efforts to dethrone the true Christ and replace Him with a man-made counterfeit that will damn those who follow and materially enrich those who endorse the lie.

Prayer Request For My Wife

I come to you with another prayer request on behalf of my family. We are told to pray for one another that we may be healed, and I humbly ask that my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for my wife, Gillian.

Revelation Chapter One, Do Not Be Afraid

Revelation 1:17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.”

Verses 13 through 16 describe the glorified Christ using language taken straight from Old Testament Scripture. John finds himself standing before El Shaddai, or Yahweh, King of Israel. His reaction? He fell at Christ’s feet as though dead.

Revelation Chapter One, The Son & Stars

Revelation 1:16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 

Verses 16 and 20 are closely related; verse 20 provides something of an exposition of itself for the nature of the seven stars, as well as the seven lampstands that surrounded the glorified Christ when John beheld Him. God willing, we will get to that in due time, so forgive me for skipping this expositional snippet for right now. When we reach verse 20, we will backtrack and incorporate this verse.

Revelation Chapter One, Christ In The Old Testament

Revelation 1:13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. [14] His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; [15] His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

Jesus once told Peter, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” John 21:22. And now, here He is. John receives his first glimpse of the glorified Christ, standing in the midst of the lampstands, which both represent the seven Asiatic churches, or the spiritual state of the church throughout this dispensation, as well as God the Holy Spirit dwelling amongst the saints in an indwelling unique to the church age.

Revelation Chapter One, The Message To The Churches

Revelation 1:11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

Verse 11 repeats what Christ spoke in verse 8, further confirming that it is the Lord Jesus Christ and not God the Father speaking with John. How do we know this? In verse 1 John records that this is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which the Father gave to Him to show John. In verse 12, John turns to see who spoke to him, and beholds the glorified Christ, fulfilling the Father’s will by revealing these things.

Revelation Chapter One, The Lord's Day

Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

Verse 10 opens with John worshipping or having fellowship with God on the Lord’s Day. He is, “in the Spirit.” Paul speaks about being in the Spirit in Galatians, contrasting our state of being with living carnally. He refers to this as walking in the Spirit, verses walking in the flesh.

Revelation Chapter One, Patmos

Revelation 1:9b I, John…was on the island of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Patmos is a small island in the Aegean Sea, located 37 miles southwest of Miletus. The island was a political prison, a place of exile that Roman emperors used to put away dissidents. John was apparently such a one for the testimony he preached regarding the unique and supreme nature of Jesus Christ.

Revelation Chapter One, Companionship

Revelation 1:9a I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,

Verse 8 appears to be the conclusion of John’s greeting, with verse 9 beginning the purpose of Christ’s revelation to him. Verse 4 solidified that this letter was (initially) to the seven churches of Asia. John states that he was both a brother and companion to these churches.

Revelation Chapter One, The Beginning & The End

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Verses 5 through 7 have John focusing his readership on Jesus Christ. From being the faithful witness, to the tribes of earth mourning because of Him at His triumphant return. Skipping ahead briefly to verse 9, we also find John speaking about the kingdom of Christ and his subsequent exile because of his witness regarding Jesus.

Revelation Chapter One, His Soon Return

Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

Scripture speaks of a bodily, glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ when the Second Coming occurs. Now the Second Coming should not be confused with the Rapture, which is an event that precedes it. The Rapture, which Paul refers to in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3, is the event in which the Lord summons the living saints and the bodies of the dead saints to Him in the air for a glorious meeting.

Revelation Chapter One, Glory & Dominion

Revelation 1:6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus said, when He had just been resurrected, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God,” John 20:17. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, writes that the Father is, “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,” Ephesians 1:17.

Revelation Chapter One, In His Blood

Revelation 1:5c To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,

The conclusion of verse 5 is an excellent swan song for the train of thought John had built in this passage alone. Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture. When He died, mankind died with Him. Man will not be judged as to whether or not we have sinned; all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23.

Revelation Chapter One, Firstborn

Revelation 1:5b the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. 

Christ was the first to be resurrected, to see death no more, Colossians 1:18, Romans 6:9. The firstborn, in Jewish tradition and Scripture, was the inheritor of the father’s estate. All that belonged to the father would be the son’s. Those who, through faith in the Lord, received the Second Birth belong to Christ as part of the Father’s estate, John 10:29.

Revelation Chapter One, Christ's Witness

Revelation 1:5a and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,

In verse 4 we have mention of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Now, in verse 5, we have mention of God the Son. Yes, the word Trinity does not directly appear in Scripture. But the concept and contextual argument for the Trinity abounds in Scripture. 

Revelation Chapter One, The Eternal God And His Spirit

Revelation 1:4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.

John employs the first use of the mention of 7 in Revelation. This number, which Biblically signifies completion, occurs 54 times in this book; twice in this verse alone. The choice of using the number seven for the churches John writes to may have particular significance.

Prayer Request For My Father-In-Law

I come to you today with a prayer request for my family; more specifically for my father-in-law, who has been contending with prostate cancer for a count of years, and it has finally progressed to needing treatment.

Revelation Chapter One, God's Blessing

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

The book of Revelation comes with a special blessing for those who first read, and then hear the words of this prophecy. There are two camps identified here: those who read Revelation, and those who listen. First there is a blessing to the reader of this prophecy. Bible teachers are flatly told that there is a blessing in reading this prophecy to others. Readers are informed that hearing these words–hearing and genuinely listening–is also a blessing.

Revelation Chapter One, Witnessing

Revelation 1:2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

I first want to direct our mutual attention to the beginning and end of this verse, “who bore witness…to all things that he saw.” The who of course is the Apostle John. The idea of witnessing is of utmost importance both here and in all of Scripture. Why?

Revelation Chapter One, Authorship

 Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

I have in my possession a copy of the original AV, or King James Version of the Bible. Its title for this book is as such: “The Revelation of St. John the Divine.” The title carries with it a fundamental error in understanding. It is not a revelation of John; it was a revelation TO John, vouchsafed by Jesus Christ.

A (Premature) Year in Review

My blog began back on June 26th, 2009. Now, seventeen years later, I am happy to be posting my 1000th article. The last year has been, from a work perspective, quite rough. Managing my store has been a difficult affair since hiring and training competent employees is growing ever harder as the work force changes. I had changed to a larger store two years prior as well, which brings with it its own challenges.

Two Brothers

Cain and Abel. The first two sons of Adam and Eve, in order of their birth after they were expelled from the garden. Cain’s name means “acquire,” while Abel’s had the less affectionate meaning of “breath or nothing.” It would seem that Eve believed Cain was the promised deliverer that God spoke of in the garden directly after their sinful fall. To that end, she named him in a manner that meant she acquired the man God would send–the Seed of the woman–to overthrow the serpent.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Bringing Israel Home Again

Zephaniah 3:20 At that time I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you; for I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes,” says the Lord.

The final verse of Zephaniah still focuses God’s word upon the Day of the Lord, and what it means for Israel. In the time of the prophet, under the godly rule of Josiah, the kingdom seemed stable on the surface. But Yahweh revealed to Ezekiel–a Jewish captive in the time of Zedekiah’s reign–images of Judah’s grotesque infidelity, Ezekiel 8:9-11.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Praise & Fame

Zephaniah 3:18 I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. [19] Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame.

Though I have pressed this point fervently already, I will continue to do so for the sake of Scriptural clarity. Many sects, cults, and genuine Christians believe that Israel as a nation and the Jews as a people are no more and the promises do not apply to them, or were translated to the church.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Comforting Zion

Zephaniah 3:16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. [17] The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

The celebratory lauding reaches crescendo at this point. We are still speaking of the Day of the Lord in this passage, clearly illuminated by the prophet, when he says, “In that day.” Moses reminds us that a thousand years to God is not unlike the passing of a single day from human perspective, Psalm 90:4.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, The King Of Israel

Zephaniah 3:14 Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! [15] The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more.

The chapter has shifted to an entirely celebratory scene. Zephaniah makes things abundantly clear. This forthcoming prophecy regards Zion, Israel, or Jerusalem: all synonymous with the Jews. We are referring to Jewry in this passage. It is not metaphor. The entire book of Zephaniah fixates on the prophet bemoaning their infidelity, impending judgment, and eventual reconciliation to the Lord.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Israel's Restoration & Peace

Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.”

Following on the heels of verse twelve, Zephaniah informs his readership that the result of God leaving a humbled people in the midst of Israel was a righteous nation. Before delving further into this idea, however, we should skip ahead to the latter portion of this verse.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Trusting In The Lord

Zephaniah 3:12 I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.

Verse twelve continues to explain the future fortunes of Israel and the Jewish people. God the Holy Spirit wants to make it abundantly clear with the careful use of language here that these are not possibilities or mathematical potentials; no, this is a verified certainty. God is going to do for Israel all that He stated He would. 

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Give & Take

Zephaniah 3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, the daughters of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering. [11] In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against Me; for then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain.

God’s dispersed ones would be Israel, who, according to Joel have been, “scattered among the nations,” Joel 3:2. But also on this day it will be more than just Israel that seeks the Lord. Zechariah wrote, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you,” Zechariah 8:23.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, One Language

Zephaniah 3:9 “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.

Verse nine’s context is predicated upon the prior verse. Verse eight has God telling Israel to wait for Him. He will come bodily, He will judge the nations for their cruel treatment of Israel, and He will pour out His wrath upon them.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Indignation Against Kingdoms

Zephaniah 3:8 “Therefore wait for Me,” says the Lord, “Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.

“Therefore,” in this verse, may be rendered “because of these things,” as is the case in so much of Scripture. Because of what things? Because of God’s faithful witness concerning His unfailing justice, and the peoples’ apathy toward spiritual truth. 

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Zeal For Corruption

Zephaniah 3:6 “I have cut off nations, their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, with none passing by, their cities are destroyed; there is no one, no inhabitant. [7] I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me, you will receive instruction’–so that her dwelling would not be cut off, despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds.

God reminds Israel of the former nations (including Samaria) that had fallen in times past. Even Israel’s introduction as an established nation began with the displacement of seven kingdoms that comprised Canaan after they were led out of Egypt.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Righteous God

Zephaniah 3:5 The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails. But the unjust knows no shame.

Zephaniah reveals some prevalent truths about the nature and person of Yahweh to Israel. The first is a compounded reality: that God is righteous; in fact the prophet states unequivocally that He cannot do unrighteousness.

Following The Lord

This Easter Sunday I was leading my youngest daughter by the hand while she had her eyes closed. Why? The gym we were walking through was filled with eggs for an Easter egg hunt, and she wasn’t supposed to see them yet. But as we walked, and she faithfully followed my lead, it occurred to me what a remarkable simile it would make for our own walk with the Lord.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Corrupt Leadership

Zephaniah 3:3 Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave not a bone till morning. [4] Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

Zephaniah looks to the leadership in Jerusalem, both secular and religious. His indictment begins with the princes of Judah, born from the lineage of David. Though Josiah was a godly king, his successors would not be. There were four kings that reigned after Josiah’s demise, beginning with Jehoahaz.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, Absence Of Trust

Zephaniah 3:2 She has not obeyed His voice, she has not received correction; she has not trusted in the Lord, she has not drawn near to her God.

In order to obey a command, one must first hear what that command is. The apostle Paul used this argument when he wrote, “On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet,” Romans 7:7. Jesus, in like manner, when He was confronted by the Pharisees about spiritual blindness and sight, said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains,” John 9:41.

Zephaniah Chapter Three, The Polluted City

Zephaniah 3:1 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city! [2] She has not obeyed His voice, she has not received correction; she has not trusted in the Lord, she has not drawn near to her God.

From Nineveh to Jerusalem, God refers to the people of His name as the oppressing city. The people within are given two descriptors: rebellious and polluted. The spectacle of the city was a whitewash: a shining, glimmering shell of nobility that included the king’s palace and the temple of Solomon. But within its shining exterior and luster lay wickedness.

Molehills: The Tradition Of Lent

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. Romans 14:5

With this simple verse we contemplate the reality and necessity of the tradition that is Lent. Following is a truncated history of Lent. Sparse historical context places early preparations to celebrate what would become Easter as far back as the second or third century, but not for forty days. In fact it was believed to be drastically shorter; merely a handful of days

Zephaniah Chapter Two, Desolation At The Door

Zephaniah 2:14 The herds shall lie down in her midst, every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be at the threshold; for He will lay bare the cedar work. [15] This is the rejoicing city that dwelt securely, that said in her heart, “I am it, and there is none besides me.” How has she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and shake the fist.

The description of Nineveh continues in this passage. Nineveh was a great city in Assyria, and a city that no less than two Biblical writers focused upon in the OT: Jonah and Nahum. Jonah was sent to Nineveh to preach repentance in the face of impending destruction. Nahum, however, preached against the city as a cesspool of corruption that valued trade more than human life; in fact it bartered human life for material gain.

Zephaniah Chapter Two, Nineveh

Zephaniah 2:12 “You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by My sword. [13] And He will stretch out His hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.

In the Old Testament the reference to Ethiopia is not what we modernly refer to in regards to geography. The OT Hebrew and contemporaneous Egyptian referred to this land as Cush, but the Septuagint–a Greek translation of the Old Testament–rendered the term “Aithiopia.” Modern English translations tend to follow the Septuagint, hence the term Ethiopia.

Zephaniah Chapter Two, Restoring The Nations

Zephaniah 2:11 The Lord will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; people shall worship Him, each from his place, indeed all the shores of the nations.

Following the verses contextually, “them,” would refer to Ammon and Moab, who we have been learning about since verse 8. God will be awesome to them, in the sense that He will render all opposing deific contenders moot. Molech, Chemosh, et al., will be revealed as imposters and demonic fronts to mislead the nations.

Zephaniah Chapter Two, Pride & Consequence

Zephaniah 2:10 This they shall have for their pride, because they have reproached and made arrogant threats against the people of the Lord of hosts.

Pride is perhaps the most fundamental sin in Scripture. It was the sin that caused Lucifer, the Light Bringer, to err in regard to his position of importance as a created being, Isaiah 14:12-14. Being the greatest of the angelic hosts God created in the beginning, his wisdom was marred when he considered his position as the covering cherub, Ezekiel 28:14.

Zephaniah Chapter Two, Moab & Ammon

Zephaniah 2:8 “I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the people of Ammon, with which they have reproached My people, and made arrogant threats against their borders. [9] Therefore, as I live,” says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the people of Ammon like Gomorrah–overrun with weeds and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, and the remnant of My people shall possess them.”

Moab is one of the incestual sons of Lot after he and his daughters fled Sodom, Genesis 19:37. Lot, being the son of Haran, was Abraham’s nephew, Genesis 11:31. Moab became father to the Moabites, cousins as it were to Israel. Yes there was no love between these peoples. Moab, in the book of Jeremiah, is called, “the people of Chemosh,” Jeremiah 48:46.

Zephaniah Chapter Two, Intervention

Zephaniah 2:6 The seacoast shall be pastures, with shelters for shepherds and folds for flocks. [7] The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; They shall feed their flocks there; In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the Lord their God will intervene for them, and return their captives.

In this passage we get a glimpse of what is theologically referred to as the Millennium, or the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on earth from the throne of David, in the city of Jerusalem after the conclusion of the seven year Tribulation period.

Zephaniah Chapter Two, The Fate of Philistia

Zephaniah 2:4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be uprooted. [5] Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you; so there shall be no inhabitant.”

The resultant Day of the Lord’s lens turns to the coastland and the inveterate enemies of Israel, the Philistines. The Philistines are said to have hailed originally from the land of Caphtor, and were previously referred to as Caphtorim, see Genesis 10:14, Deuteronomy 2:23. Caphtor is most commonly believed to have been the island of Crete. This I find to be an interesting revelation, and does something to reveal to the reader a little about the Philistines’ culture from an outside perspective.

Zephaniah Chapter Two, Hidden By God

Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Our Lord once said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” Matthew 5:5. In this same utterance, Jesus added, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled,” Matthew 5:6. Our Lord attests that the meek will be the inheritors of the earth, and that those whose desire is for righteousness (as God defines the term), it shall be sated.

Zephaniah Chapter Two, Commanded To Seek

 Zephaniah 2:3a Seek the Lord,

In verse 1 Yahweh instructed His people to gather before the day of the Lord arrived. Now gathered, He tells them to seek Him. This seeking is more than just an intellectual ponderance of the reality of God. It begins here, as it must. But the realization of God’s existence heightens a growing and condensing search that craves defined (and definable) answers as to the nature and person of the being we attribute the title of God to.

Zephaniah Chapter Two, Undesirable Nation

Zephaniah 2:1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, [2] before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!

God issues a command for Israel to gather together; they are the undesirable nation, the nation “not reckoning itself among the nations,” Numbers 23:9. The prophet Joel proclaimed a similar command, writing, “Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord,” Joel 1:14.

For Shame!

The Biblical concept of shame is, in my own opinion, one that is sorely needed for today’s cultural milieu. In the Pilgrim’s Progress the character Faithful encounters a peculiar man wrongly named Shame. In the discourse they share after Faithful’s conversion, Shame says this to him:

Zephaniah Chapter One, Sinning Against God

Zephaniah 1:17 “I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse.” [18] Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to save them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.

The Day of the Lord is about the end of God’s patience with rebellious mankind. For thousands of years God has generously and copiously warned about the impending wrath to come; but He is not a puppet master. God will not decide for each of us if we will accept or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we accept and believe our destiny is Heaven and reconciliation. If we reject our destiny is the Lake of Fire and eternal torment.