How did most of the church fall into such depravity that it would be called “the Great Harlot” and “Mystery Babylon” in the Revelation given to John? The institutional church through the Middle Ages descended into a deep darkness that is incomprehensible today. Its nature and practices could hardly...

We are preparing to examine some very challenging facts about church history. If we do not see them through the Lord’s eyes, they can lead to cynicism and critical judgments of the church—and of people—which can darken our hearts. Let us keep in mind that not every church that has claimed to be the...

The seven churches addressed in Revelation are named in the sequence of the ages, or time periods, they represent. These periods can vary in length a great deal, from a couple of centuries to over a thousand years, so they are not defined by the amount of time but by the main spiritual conditions...

“What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea" (see Revelation 1:11). Not long after John was given this revelation, these churches began to fade out of existence. So,...

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day” (see Revelation 1:10). Last week, we covered a little about what it meant for John to be “in the Spirit.” This week, we will seek to understand what it meant that he did this on “the Lord’s day.” Because Sunday is now often referred to as “the Lord’s day” as...

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to...

“I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9). John adds his perspective to this narrative by saying he was our brother and...

In a world that is falling into increasing deception, we must be resolved to love the truth and to tell the truth without compromise. What makes something a treasure is that it is rare or hard to get. As integrity becomes increasingly rare, we must resolve that it is a treasure we will protect with...

"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" (Revelation 1:8 NKJV). As the book of Revelation is of Jesus Christ, we should especially try to absorb everything about Him in it. Here He is called the Alpha and the...

We ended last week’s Word for the Week with a brief on the distinction between the church man has built and the one God is building. There is a continuously unfolding message in Revelation about both of these, what they will each become, and how we can recognize them. Since much of the book of...