David Skein
The Letter to Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6)
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead’ ” (Revelation 3:1, NASB). SARDIS AND EPHESUS The messages to the seven churches in the book of Revelation have a fourfold reference. First, [...]
The Great River and the Waters of Life
SHILOAH'S SOFT WATERS Deep beneath Jerusalem there is a stratum of hard, impervious rock sloping gradually towards the southeast. All the rain that falls upon the city and filters into the ground finally gathers upon that unyielding shelf only to reemerge as springs upon the hillsides outside the city. The most famous of these springs is the "Virgin's Fountain" located halfway down the steep [...]
The Miracle at Shiloh
CASTING LOTS AT SHILOH "And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, 'How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you?' And Joshua said, 'Give out from among you three men for each tribe, and [...]
I Will Be What I Will Be (Etymology of the words “Yahweh” and “Ehyeh”)
While the word "Jehovah" is used in some versions of the Bible, the general practice of replacing it with "LORD" in most Bibles has concealed some of the most profound and beautiful thoughts in the word of God. The disciple who correctly understands and appreciates the deep significance and beauties of this sacred name will never desire to bury these beauties under other names, [...]
The Letter to Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-10)
THE TITLES OF CHRIST IN REVELATION In the book of the Revelation, Christ reveals himself to the Church according to their moral condition, and the title which Christ assumes in addressing each church anticipates what is vital and with moral significance to them. For example, in the writing to Pergamos we read, "By the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith [...]
Earnest Admonitions
"Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession" (Hebrews 3:1, NASE). The letter to the Hebrews contains the longest sustained argument of any book in the Bible. Employing a careful and closely-knit discussion, the author moves with confidence step by step through an elaborate proof of Christianity's preeminence over Judaism. The recipients of the letter were wavering in their Christian faith and [...]
Laodicea, The Indifferent Church
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:19‑20). There is no city whose spirit and nature are more difficult to describe than Laodicea. [...]
A Friend Loveth Like a Brother
''A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17). A different and more correct rendering would give the verse thus: "The true friend loveth at all times, and loveth like a brother born for adversity." We are to be on our guard against merely whimsical friend ship, a friendship that is governed by moods and incidental and ever-changing [...]
Forsaken Love, The Letter to Ephesus
“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” (Revelation 2:2). Christianity probably came first to Ephesus with Aquila and Priscilla when Paul made a brief stop there on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:18,19). On his third journey he stayed in the city for about three [...]
Keener Vigilance
"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip" (Hebrews 2:1). The letter to the Hebrews contains the longest sustained argument of any book in the Bible. With a careful and closely knit discussion, the author moves with confidence step by step through an elaborate proof of Christianity's [...]
The Letter to Pergamum
Revelation 2:12-17. Truth or Compromise? Pergamum is the third church of Revelation. It was located about 55 miles from Smyrna, the second church of Revelation. Pergamum was some 15 miles from the Aegean coast, and a mile or two from the Caicus River. Beyond all other cities in Asia Minor, Pergamum was fitted by nature to be a royal city. It was planted at [...]
The Letter to the Church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13)
Philadelphia stood about 28 miles southeast from Sardis in the plains of Hermus, and about midway between the river of that name and the termination of Mount Smolus. It was a city of commercial importance conveniently located as the gateway to the high central plateau of Asia in Asia Minor. The name means “brotherly love” and commemorated the loyalty and devotion of Attalus II [...]
Scape Goat and Lord’s Goat
When we consider Leviticus 16:8, ''And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scape-goat," we ask, "How was this done?" Jewish tradition states that there were two lots made either of wood, stone, or any kind of metal. On one was written Lassem, for the sacred name (Jehovah), and on the other [...]
The Wedding
"She is all glorious within" (Psalms 45:13). For upward of twenty centuries the door has stood open for the completion of the Church; but the time must come when she will stand before the Son of God, adorned as a bride for her husband (Revelation 21:2, R6024). All eyes in the celestial realm are on the bridal pair. The bride's beauty of form, her [...]