T#025 OVERVIEW TO REVELATION CHAPTERS 2 & 3

In

THE New COVENANT,

there are two sets of

7-epistles; the one

of Paul and

the other by John

in REVELATION.

      

• The first 7 written by Paul

• to THE Called-Out ONES

• residing and/or just meeting one another in Rome, Corinth, Galacia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, and Thessalonica

were written more
specifically

to correct the wrong
beliefs and behaviors then

of the called-out ones

gathering in those
places then

• --- as they were by-and-large influenced by unbelievers they were in contact with

• --- (while being taught by the apostles

• --- and their fellow believers)

• --- under the eldering of the apostles.

In Paul’s 7epistles

can be read in between

the lines:

THE SUM TOTAL OF
THE ACCUMULATED
CORRUPTIONS
THE CHURCH
SUCCUMBED TO ----

largely COMING  FROM some
only-part-BELIEVERS
as yet 

of THE TOTALITY of
THE LORDSHIP & THE
CHRISTHOOD of JESUS

even when the apostles
ALONE did the teaching role

to them then.

After John, (when all the
apostles have died already)

• there was no more apostle left to physically elder them.

• Then, CORRUPTIONS started to creep into THE CHURCH

• most tragically in the most subtle way

• because there were among them fellow-believers

• who started to behave as apostles

• capitalizing on the dead apostles’ permanent absences

• perhaps not knowing 

the physical >>> ELDERSHIP
by the apostles

• was meant precisely for .... as foundation (>>Ephesians 2:20) of THE CHURCH

---- and the task of ELDERING
ought to have continued with them

• ---- through them who have to behave, deal, and stick with and teach ----

• ONLY ---- what the apostles did and taught them (>>Acts 2:42) summing up to what has been written down

•  ---- and compiled already in our time.

>>The 2nd Epistle of
Peter which
was Peter’s last written effort
at eldering

THE CHURCH was
EMPHATIC

 at how the apostles taught
and
stuck to THE WORD only

(>>2nd  Peter 1:19 to 2:3,
from >>2:12 to 3:2)

• which by doing, if they and whosoever teaches after them

• (when ALL the apostles have died already)

• would only stick to THE (now already compiled) WORD only

• ---- ANG BAG-ONG TUGON

• then none of them including us now(!)

• would have been nor will be a party to

• the continuing apostasy that we are having now(!)

• but was still to come at that time Peter wrote it.

>>The 2nd Epistle of Paul
to Timothy which was the last

written eldering effort
 by Paul
in >>Chapter 2:1-2

says: “You therefore,
my son, be strong in
the grace that is in
THE CHRIST JESUS.
And the things which
you
have heard from me
in the presence of
many witnesses, these
entrust to faithful men,
who

will be able to teach
others also.”

• --- The apostles knew too well,

• --- under the guidance and inspiration of The Holy Spirit,

• --- that THE CHRIST’s disciples were to be corrupted both

• --- by unbelievers (>>Acts 20:29) outside their gatherings

• --- and inside their gatherings by some fellow-believers 

• (>>Acts 20:30 >< >>Revelation 2:2a, >>6, >>15)

--- who behave as their
leaders

• --- later --- well-positioned, titled, greeted,

• --- and getting increasing hold and influence

• --- in their assemblies which they organized

• --- because of their ignorance to

--- the PLANNED eldering and

UNIVERSAL PRIESTHOOD
>>>T#010

FOR ALL of us
most emphatically
including them

• --- as THE LORD JESUS expects

• --- & still wants of HIS CHURCH

nurtured to maturity
and purity for a gift

to HIMSELF
@ HIS second coming!

John wrote
THE REVELATION
in A.D. 96 yet

to THE CHRIST’s
bond-servants
[REVELATION 1:1]

(and not just to any
of HIS servants)

to show them what he saw:

• what was then happening and

• what still has to happen 

• to the world and

• to THE CHURCH,

• in heaven and on earth

• after all the apostles will have died already

• and beyond ----

• till THE CHRIST's return from the present heaven.

The knowledge of
the totality of

THE BOOK of REVELATION

was reserved for
the complete understanding
of HIS bond-servants only

• while the rest, including us

• have to be content with knowing and understanding

• only the pertinent portions we have to obey

• as THE ASCENDED LORD JESUS NOW(!) in heaven

wants us all called-out ones
TO OBEY
in this lifetime of ours!

Every one ought to know that

THE BOOK OF REVELATION
is of PROPHESIES

TEACHINGS of
ANTICIPATED REALIZATION
in the FUTURE

and their sequential
step by step completion.

The 7-candled golden
lampstand, 7-stars, 7-seals,
7-horns, 7-eyes, 7-trumpets,
7-thunders, 7-signs, 7-crowns,
7-plagues, 7-bowls,

7-hills, 7-epistles and 7-churches
therein
were futuristic

as at their writing then

and are to be taught
 discernibly

AS SUCH in that sense NOW!

• The NUMBER 7 is also the number to completion in GOD’s totality of operation.

• After each of HIS seventh move,

• GOD saw no need for any addition thereafter.

• HE starts with another; again, in 7-steps.

• Such was, of the 7-days of creation and all of the 7s above including the 7-blessed

• (>>Revelation 1:3, >>14:3, >>16:15, >>19:9, >>20:6, >>22:7, and >>22:14) and The 7-Spirits (>>Revelation 1:4).

The 7-churches,
actually as a teaching
of futuristic approach,
is

• meant for the efficacious understanding

to result to
THE consistent LIFE
of HIS REDEEMED

• from The Metamorphosis to learn

• >>>T#023

• of THE ONE CHURCH

• in ITS 7-stages of corruption to totality

• & how THE LORD JESUS reacts herein in

• >>>blogBOOK 5

for some none-as-yet-sold-to
particularly ELDERING
[>>>T#009]

TO ADOPT-OBEY

• --- as THE DESIGNED METHODOLOGY

• by JESUS THE CHRIST

• in building HIS CHURCH

• ---- by personalities who ORGANIZED for the furtherance

• ---- of their influence here and there

• ---- in their meetings for a start

• ---- and WRONGLY assume unto for themselves as

• a group

---- as THE local
CHURCH!

THE
UNCHANGEABLE
TRUTH

of THE ONENESS and
SINGULARITY of
THE CHURCH

however is fixed
in >>Matthew 16:18!!! 

THE -1- CHURCH

• was to be found in different places; as in, Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, etc… 

• particularly in all other locations including rooms in houses, public buildings, verandas & corridors in this world.

All the epistles were written
for THE ONE CHURCH
scattered and dispersed

in these various locations as
GOD purposed

in all the different places
on earth to be found.
including in the internet world!

Excepting that
of John’s set of

the 7 EPISTLES in
THE BOOK of REVELATION
as dictated by
THE LORD JESUS THE CHRIST HIMSELF

---- those written by Paul and Peter ---

• were all written for all time

• as these writers were commissioned by The Holy Spirit

• to gather us all

• HIS CALLED-OUT ONES

• to THE ONE CHURCH

• to be corrected of and

• saved from those particular corruptions

brought by them
to them then

and to us now(!)

• ---- to prepare us all

• ---- to becoming THE unblemished BRIDE

• >> Ephesians 5:27

• ---- THE CHRIST wants

• ---- for HIMSELF to gift with!

HOWEVER,

the 7-epistles in
REVELATION by John 

• were written under the guidance and inspiration of The 7-Spirits

• to “the 7-churches” taken collectively (>>Revelation 1:4),

• representing the whole span and extent of what was left of THE CHURCH AGE

• starting after the death of John

• (as the last of the apostles to die)

• until THE imminent RAPTURE!

This is why, though
as believers in

THE LORD JESUS
THE CHRIST we

• are not from and have in fact never been to those places,

• all the messages in JOHN’s epistles are

• FOR ALL of US, Jews & Gentiles, living in these last days

• to individually realize

• --- for us to know THE SEQUENCE AND GROWTH

• --- of THE SUM TOTAL of THE CORRUPTIONS

• --- THE CHURCH we are to be a part and not to be a member of

• --- SUCCUMBED TO ---- particularly

• --- COMING FROM our CLAIMANT

• --- and-then-we-accepted-as

• our-own LEADERS!

• >>>(T#026)

THE EPISTLE

• for each of the churches in REVELATION though

• are under THE CARE / OF

• the messenger(s) for those specific situation & times

• to that particular church”

• of that particular state of corruption

(>>Revelation 2:1, >>2:8, >>2:12, >>2:18,
>>3:1, >>3:7, and >>3:14)

NOT TO
every believer
therein, BUT

• --- for these messengers

• --- to be guided to succeed in their role

• as GOD's DEPENDED UPON

• in this our time

• BEFORE THE imminent RAPTURE 

• >>>T#096

• --- to get those corruptions overcome individually

• --- by some of their fellow-believers therein;

• --- notwithstanding, and more so,

• --- because of the presence, ploys, positions, and powers of

• --- THE LEADERS leading

• --- instead of eldering them.

BECAUSE, lest this
escapes our consciousness,

OVERCOMING >>>T#027

is GOD’s WAY of
INTERVENTION

• ---- of making one a chosen

• ---- among the called many (>>Matthew 22:14)

---- because the saints being
purified as well as all of
them who continue to be
one with their leaders therein ---

and the leaders themselves
in those
organized churches

• --- will continue to co-exist as GOD-willed

• --- even unto the very day of THE LORD’s coming.

• --- See also >>>T#050.

Notice this, if you will.
The sequence of
the 7-churches
is unignorably in a series of
3 and 4. For
THE CHURCHes
described as in Ephesus,
Smyrna, and Pergamos, the
challenge for them who have
ears (for THE WORD)

is in the same verse as

THE CALL for overcomers

and their rewards

---- expressing extreme urgency to get simultaneously fulfilled!

In contrast, for THE CHURCHes
in Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia,
and Laodicea ----

The Call for OVERCOMERS
& THEIR rewards

---- are ahead and of
separate verse as

the challenge
for them who have ears
(for THE WORD)

• because the overcoming tasks need more time than just to respond to the challenge.

True enough, we find that
the behaviors of THOSE
NICOLAITANS then in the
initial stage of THE CHURCH

described as that obtaining
in Ephesus

eventually progressed into
the teachings of
THOSE NICOLAITANS
of the 3rd stage then of
The Metamorphosis

of THE CHURCH described
as that in Pergamos after
having been authoritatively
imposed with

their additions to
THE WORD

by them who say and behave
they are the authorities
in matters of religion such as

the Jews in the 2nd stage of

THE CHURCH CORRUPTIONS

after the physical eldering
by the apostles were missed

since their deaths even unto
the days of
THE CHURCH
described as that in Smyrna.

[>>>T#023]

• Also, the epistles for THE CHURCHes described as those in Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea

• all mention of HIS COMING without PRE-CONDITION

• (>>Revelation 2:25, >>3:3, >>3:11, and >>3:20-21).

• On the other hand, while to THE CHURCH described as in Ephesus THE LORD JESUS mentioned of HIS coming (>>Revelation 2:5) in the very words “or else I am coming to you”,

• --- this has been preceded with the word  “REPENT” as condition.

THIS establishes THE FACT

all the organized 3s' 

(Thyatira, Sardis & Laodicea)
CORRUPTIONS

and separately

THOSE from the 1st 3s'
un-organized existence
(Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamos)

ARE TO BE OVERCOME

in their respective LIFETIMES
as to-be-behaving as

THE CHURCH
described as
IN BROTHERLY LOVE
towards one another

--- THE metamorphosed CHURCH ---
(in Philadelphia then)

• --- bearing always the pressures

• --- to resist

• getting organized
• as their world of churches

• --- even unto THE LORD’s

• --- Second Coming from heaven.

       After our understanding this,
we must hereafter first,

try discover their
fulfillment this far

in the world
chronology of events we
call world history

and secondly

find out what we are told
to do:

• --- to find their fulfillment

• --- in our individual lives

• --- and individual geographic circumstances.

REMEMBER we
are told in >>Chapter 1:3

“Blessed is he/she who
reads and them who
hear THE WORDS of
THE PROPHESY,

and HEED the things
written in IT;

for the time is near."

This has been reiterated
in >>Chapter 22:7, “And
behold, I am coming quickly.
Blessed is he/she who HEEDS

THE WORDS of
THE PROPHECY
of THIS BOOK.”

• It is clear then that these prophecies

• are for us to keep

• constantly AWARE from beginning to end

• to find fulfillment in our obedience to the roles

• we are to play vis-à-vis these corruptions

• in the different churches

• >>> T#021

• we individually shall find

• ourselves among in our lifetimes.

After your reading and
contemplation
of these matters

• we are to thank GOD

• that some of the prophesies therein

• have already been fulfilled

• and some still continuing to be fulfilled

on an individual-
personal basis

• and so it is then easier for us to read these 7-epistles

• again and again, for the purpose of making easy and effective

the vigilance we
have to maintain
in our overcoming role

• as THE CHRIST's co-builder {>>1st Cor. 3:9-10} of HIS CHURCH.

• https://umpg.blogspot.com/2012/10/t036-build-assembly-and-fitting.html

Remember, we are not
to expect to be told
the 8th time

as we have been 7times
asked earlier to do.

• First, there are the 7-different verbal pictures [SELFIES]

• of THE LORD HIMSELF --- by JESUS HIMSELF.

• Second, the different conditions of THE CHURCH with those particular corruptions they have succumbed to.

• Then follows the reward to THE OVERCOMERS of those corruptions in that particular church

• and the challenge to them who have ears (for THE WORD)

• that the totality of the corruptions might be fully exposed

by The 7-Spirits through
THE DEPENDED-UPON
7-MESSENGERS
for all these corruptions
TO-BE UNDERSTOOD 

• and consequently KNOWN

• to all the chosen to overcome them

• then duly acted upon

• and consequently .... glorify GOD!

Here as presented,
THE LORD HIMSELF

• pictures HIMSELF

• how specifically we are to behold HIM.

• That before HIM

• as HE wants us precisely to behold HIM

we may with appropriateness
have THIS ATTITUDE:

• FIRST, to fear GOD.... being the beginning of WISDOM,

• SECOND, to being faithful to HIM

as a result of that WISDOM

• reckoning particularly with HIS moods/countenances - WORDS and ACTIONS

• and thereafter know

• what it is that HE is dismayed with

• as HE selfied HIMSELF

• which can get us to overcome

• those particular corruptions which

• HE precisely want corrected

by our personal-individual
overcoming

• and not through the normal intellectual group discussions

• the world knows, recommends, and adopts

for collective solution.

• No matter in which epistle

• no matter what the circumstances are

• and of the corruptions are

• of THE CHURCH we are with,

• THE LORD is showing us ---

• THE ONLY WAY to RIGHTLY

• deal with all the churches' problems:

BEHOLDING HIM AND
RECKONING WITH

THE JUDGE

THAT HE IS
NOW(!) BEFORE US

AS HE WANTS US
TO BEHOLD
HIM NOW!!!

FOR TRULY

THE SOLUTION TO

ALL OUR LIVING’s
PROBLEMS ALWAYS
RESTS ON --- 

our knowledge
as to who can bring the
contrary to what bothers us --- 

THE ONE WHO HAS

THE ANTIDOTE !!!!

The same thing is true

for THE CHURCH

and HER problems!

• This is why THE LORD verbally pictures HIMSELF

• specifically AS SUCH in every case

• appropriately in accordance with

the state or condition of
THE CHURCH

• which HE seeks to get corrected

• and corruption-solved via OVERCOMING

• without even disturbing more so without destroying

THEIR organizational
structures,
 behavioral & doctrinal
supports

• which THESE  NICOLAITANS brought

• to corrupt THE CHURCH with

• which by the way has been confirmed by GOD

• to continue to exist even unto THE LORD’s coming! 

For truly, HE is

THE METHODOLOGY,
THE TRUTH
and THE LIFE

(>>John 14:6)

• --- not just for the unbelievers and the world in general;

• --- but more so and even emphatically so,

• for all the churches

• --- where we find among;

• --- because we at times are their corruptors(!!!)

• --- but more of the time, the being-corrupted!

JESUS
FOREWARNING:

>>Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who addresses and greets ME, ‘LORD, LORD,’ will enter THE KINGDOM of HEAVEN; but he/she who does the will of The Father Who is in heaven.

Many will greet ME and on that day tell ME, ‘LORD, LORD,’ did we not prophesy in YOUR name, and in YOUR name cast out demons, and in YOUR name perform many miracles?

And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from ME, you who contradict
ME on these matters.”

  

                                            ~~~#~~~

NEXT>: T#026

NICOLAITANS

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REVELATION Chapter 1