"For this we say unto you by the word of the

Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto

the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them

which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven

with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,

and with the trump of God: and the dead in

Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be

caught up together with them in the clouds, to

meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever

be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

This is considered the rapture 'catching away' of
of the Church 'saints'. Before the tribulation is to
begin. Some get confused or mixed up with the
second coming of Jesus.

Rapture the saints meet Jesus in the air and are
there during the tribulation.

Second coming the saints return with Jesus to
to establish His 1000 year reign on the earth.

" And round about the throne were four and
twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four
and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white
raiment; and they had on their heads crowns
of gold.
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings
and thunderings and voices: and there were
seven lamps of fire burning before the throne,
which are the seven Spirits of God.
And before the throne there was a sea of glass
like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne,
and round about the throne, were four beasts
full of eyes before and behind." Revelation 4:4-6














Lion - king of the beasts - power
Calf - king of the cattle - service
Man - head of all created - intelligence
Eagle - wings of swiftness - wisdom

These creatures praise God always

Jesus was

seated

upon the

throne.

John said, "And immediately I was in the

spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in

heaven, and one sat on the throne. And

he that sat was to look upon like a jasper

and a sardine stone: and there was a rain-

bow round about the throne, in sight like

onto and an emerald."

His radiance was like precious stones

Around His throne was a rainbow

Glorious was the sight of it

Beginning with chapter 4, Jesus is dealing
wth the nations and the Jews during the
time of the great tribulation and afterward.

The church is not mentioned as being on
earth.

"After this I looked, and, behold a door was
opened in heaven: and the first voice which
I heard was as it were a trumpet talking with
me; which said, Come up hither, and I will
shew thee things which must be hereafter."
Revelation 4:1

Chapter 3 closed with Jesus outside a closed
door.

Chapter 4 opens with a new
door opened into heaven.

Place

cursor

on

chart

then

click

for

enlarged

view

LAODICEA

Revelation 3:15-16
"I know thy works, that

thou art
neither cold nor hot:

I would that
thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot, I will spew
thee out of my mouth."

They only gave mental assent to the
gospel and were not true Christians.
They were neither believers nor un-
believers.

They were half in the world and half
in the church.

The would not live in the things of
spirit.

Revelation 3:17
"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with good, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou
art wretched, and miserable, and poor,
and blind, and naked."

They were in a bad condition and not
aware of it.

PHILADELPHIA

Philadelphia means "brotherly love."

God didn't have any complaints
against this church. The only one.

SARDIS

Revelation 3:1
"And unto the angel of

the church

in Sardis
write; These things saith he that hath the
seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I
know thy works, that thou hast a name that
thou livest, and art dead."

God says,
Look for something more than a name
Look for something good
Look for godliness
Look for holiness
Look for purity
Look for where God is worshipped
Look for those cut off from sin

THYATIRA

Revelation 2:18-20
"And unto the angel of

the church
in Thyatira write;

These things
saith the Son of God, who hath his
eyes like unto a flame of fire, and
his feet are like fine brass;I know
thy works, and charity, and service,
and faith, and thy patience, and thy
works; and the last to be more than
the first. Notwithstanding I have a
few things against thee, because
thou sufferest that woman Jezebel,
which calleth herself a prophetess,
to teach and to seduce my servants
to commit fornication, and to eat
things sacrificed unto idols."

A woman, Jezebel, was living at
that time. She was full of the devil,
yet the church tolerated her.
[She is not the one of the Old
Testament in I Kings 19.]

PERGAMOS

Revelation 2:14-16
"But I have a few things

against
thee, because thou hast

there them that hold the doctrine of

Balaam,
who taught Balac to cast a stumbl-
ing block before the children of
Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto
idols, and to commit fornication.
So hast thou also them that hold
the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
which thing I hate.
Repent; or else I will come unto
thee quickly, and will fight against
them with the sword of my mouth."

The Nicolaitans had set up the
priesthood, placing some above
others. God did not like it.

SMYRNA

Revelation 2:9
"I know thy works, and

tribulation,
and poverty,

(but thou art rich) and
I know the blasphemy of them which
say they are Jews, and are not, but
are the synague of Satan."

God knows:
when we are having trouble.
when we are prospering spiritually
and when we are not.
who the hypocrites are in the church.

EPHESUS

Revelation 1:20
"The mystery of the seven

stars
which thou sawest in my right
hand, and the seven golden
candlesticks. The seven stars
are the angels of the seven
churches: and the seven candle-
sticks which thou sawest are the
seven churches."

In the modern city of Ephesus
(Selchuck), there's no Christian
church now, only Moslem mosques.

Jesus not only found overcomers in
the churches, He also found those
who were overcomed by sin and
failure. He had a judgment for them
not a promise.

Revelation 2:5
Remember therefore from whence
thou art fallen, and repent, and do
the first works; or else I will come
unto thee quickly, and will remove
thy candlestick out of his place,
except thou repent."

TO THE OVERCOMERS OF LAODICEA

Revelation 3:21-22
"To him that overcometh will I grant to
sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my
Father in his throne.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Here is the total and complete victory
of overcoming.

TO THE OVERCOMERS OF PHILADELPHIA

Revelation 3:12-13 "Him that over-
cometh will I make a pillar in the
temple of my God, and he shall go
no more out: and I will write upon
him the name of my God, and the
name of the city of my God, which
is new Jerusalem, which cometh
down out of heaven from my God:
and I will write him my new name."

The overcomer will have a permanent
home with God. The will be sealed:

With God's name
With the name of Jerusalem
With Jesus' new name

Those who do not overcome will be
sealed with the mark of the Anichrist
and a home in hell. Read Revelation
13:16

Don't go there!!!!

TO THE OVERCOMERS OF SARDIS

Revelation 3:5-6 "He that overcometh, the
same shall be clothed in white raiment; and
will not blot out his name out of the book
of life, but I will confess his name before my
Father, and before his angels.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches."

The white raiment of the overcomer may
glisten like Jesus' did at His transformation.
Matthew 17:2
"His raiment was white as the light."

And their names will not be blotted out of
the book of life. But those who do not
overcome theirs will be blotted out.

Hear what God is saying and become an
overcomer today!

TO THE OVERCOMERS OF THYATIRA

Revelation 2:26-29 " And he that overcometh,
and keepeth my works unto the end, to him
will I give power over the nations:
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as
the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to
shivers: even as I received of my Father.
And I will give him the morning star.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches."

The overcomer with reign gloriously not only
by authority but also by a star.

TO THE OVERCOMERS OF PERGAMOS

Revelation 2:17 "He that hath an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches; To him that overcometh will I
give to eat of the hidden manna, and will
give a white stone, and in the stone a new
name written, which no man knoweth
saving he that receiveth it."

The overcomer will eat the true manna of
God.
The overcomer will receive a stone that
will be more beautiful than any diamond.
and they will receive a new name.
No marriage will be able to compare to it.

It is not impossible to be an overcomer.
God wouldn't require something that
His creation could not do.

Satan wants us to believe (which is a
lie) that it is impossible to live for God
and to keep His commandments

The overcomer simply needs to resist
the world, the flesh and the devil.

HOW? By one commandment. . . . .
To love one another as Christ has loved
us!

TO THE OVERCOMERS OF SMYRNA

Revelation 2:11 "He that hath an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches; He that overcometh shall not be
hurt of the second death."

The first death is being separated from our
lives here on earth.
The second death is being separated from
going to heaven with God.

Revelation 2:7 ". . To him that overcometh
will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is
in the midst of the paradise of God."

This tree was first in the Garden of Eden.

Man was separated from that tree by sin.

Now God is allowing man to come to the
tree of life again.

But to do so he is to be an overcomer, one
who says "no" to sin and "yes" to God.

Revelation 2:5 "Remember therefor from
whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do
the first works; or else I will come unto
thee quickly, and will remove thy candle-
stick out of his place, except thou repent."

He didn't say He would remove the angel
(the pastor). He said He would remove the
candlestick (the church) itself.

Today there is not a Christian church in any
of these seven cities; there are only Muslim
mosques, but no churches.

To the overcomers of Ephesus

Revelation 2:2
"I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy
patience, and how thou canst not bear them
which are evil: and thou hast tried them
which say they are apostles, and are not, and
hast found them liars"

God knows our works. We do not need
remind Him.

In our lives there are times when we feel evil
is so bad that we cannot stand it any longer.

We must know that not everyone is who
they claim to be.

Jesus found victorious believers in each
church and called them "overcomers".
God gave them great promises.

Revelation 2:7
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches; To
him that overcometh will I give to eat
of the tree of life, which is in the midst
of the paradise of God."

Become an overcomer and be a
victorious believer today.

Laodicea is the church beginning in the
Philadelphia church age around 1900
or the beginning of the 20th century.
and continues to the end of the church
age, including today.

It is neither hot or cold, but lukewarm.

The Bible says Jesus was on the out
side of the church knocking. It was so
worldly that He wasn't included. He
said He was going to spit them out of
His mouth. . . . He rather they be hot
or cold.








Read Revelation 3:14-17 regarding
this church.

These three things God said about
Philadelphia. . . . .

Revelation 3:8

He had set before them an open
door that no man could shut.
worldwide missions
to India, China, Japan, and Africa.

They had little strength; they were
weak but becoming alive. Revivals
were giving them strength.

They had kept His Word and had
not denied His Name.

Philadelphia covers the church age from
about 1750 A.D. until the 1900's A.D.

During this time was when the great
evangelistic ministries was taking place
all over the world.

It was against the lifeless and spiritless
religion at that time.

Sardis is the church age from the
Reformation around 1500 A.D. to
roughly 1750.

This was a time when spiritual leaders
left a badly declining church to bring
changes in the religious world.

Sardis means 'escaping or running'.

Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five
theses on the door of the church
at Wittenburg on October 31, 1517.

Thyatira is during 450 A.D. to the
Reformation around 1500 A.D.
These were called the 'Dark Ages'.

For a thousand years, civilization
went backwards in christianity and
Mohammedism and Buddism were
growing stronger then.

In Rome the Papacy became corrupt.

Revelation 2:18-19 "And unto the angel
of the church in Thyatira write; . . . I
know thy works, and charity, and
service, and faith, and thy patience,
and thy works; and the last to be
more than the first."

Pergamos signifies the church age from
Constantine to the beginning of the
Popes, from 312 to 450 A.D.

It means 'citadel' or fortress.

"I know thy works, and where thou
dwellest, even where Satan's seat is:
and thou holdest fast my name, and
hast not denied my faith,. . ."
Revelation 2:13