“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1: 17-18

Overview

Encouragement of the Resurrection

The first main section of the book begins with the seven churches.  It has two distinguishing imageries:  1.) Christ glorified and 2.) the seven messages to the seven churches.  But before it embarks us on the journey, it starts with these encouraging words:

 “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1: 17-18

Here is a clear reference from Jesus to His resurrection and the fact that He has keys to death and the grave points us to this comforting conclusion.  Even though we die and are buried in a grave, Jesus is able to raise us up from the dust of the earth and give us eternal life. 

When Jesus was talking with Martha about the death of Lazarus, she understood that Lazarus would be resurrected on the last day.  This was her hope and is the same for all who have a relationship with Jesus.

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” John 11:24

Jesus then reminded her that he had the keys of death and Hades.  He described Himself as the Resurrection:

 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11: 25-26

At first brush, Jesus seems to be contradicting Himself.  Lazarus obviously died, but as a believer in Christ, He would never die…but he was dead.  How is this justified?  As our study continues in Revelation, we will discover there is the death all men must experience, but there is another death, avoided by the believers, the word used is called, in many places, “perish.”  This is an eternal death with no hope of ever living again. In these opening verses of Revelation, we are to find comfort that Jesus can unlock the place of death and raise us up to immortal life (See 1 Corinthians 15: 51-55, 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18).

Seven Churches Geographical Order

The road connecting these seven churches was a Roman road that connected each church beginning at the writer’s location, i.e., Patmos.  From John’s island prison, the nearest church was Ephesus.  Some 30 miles away to the north, the next church was Smyrna and then Pergamum.  The circuit ran in a clockwise semi-circle with 30 to 40-mile intervals.  John’s seven messages came in this exact order.

If a mailman were delivering to these locations, he would have taken this route.  There is order and relevance to this circuit and the seven messages.  It reflects the church in its journey through history.  Further, the messages are in a chiastic order similar to the position of lamps of the seven-branched lampstand located in the old sanctuary ministry.

Chiastic Messages

At the start of our journey in revelation, we identified an ancient way of writing.  Most movies and books have a beginning, a middle, and an end in the modern world.  It can be expressed this way:  A, B, C order.  But in many places in the Bible, The order is A, B, C, B, A.  The climax or ending is in the middle.  This will become more apparent as we move through Revelation.

The Messages to the Seven churches have this exact order.  The middle church is Thyatira. God says good things about Thyatira.

“I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.” Revelation 2:19

The commendable traits of this church are love, faith, service, perseverance, and progression (Doing more than they did at first.).  I am sure God would have all the churches like this one.  But, there appear to be two groups within this praiseworthy church. One group tolerates a false prophet.

 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching, she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. Revelation 2:20

But God takes on the responsibility of taking care of the problem.  He ends with the message to the ones who tolerate this false prophet:

I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Revelation 2:23

To the second group who rejects the teaching of the false prophet, His message is less ominous: He promises to not impose any burdens on them except that they should “hold on” until Jesus comes.

Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ Revelation 2 24: 25

This message is God’s desire for His people.  We are to “hold on” until He comes and reject teachings that lead to sin and discouragement.