What Is the Church? (Ch.2 Introduction)
Bible Study Guide
Before we can delve into the second chapter of Revelation, there are some very important housekeeping items that must be addressed. First and foremost, what is the church that Christ is referring to in His seven letters of encouragement and warning.
Was Jesus addressing the Catholic church, Methodist church, Lutheran church, or the Baptist church? The answers would be no, no, no, and no. These answers apply to any and all religious denominations. It’s not because these denominations didn’t exist at the time John wrote these letters. There’s a different reason.
The “church” Christ was referring to was not a part of any denomination or any religion for that matter. He wasn’t even referring to a religious building or place deemed sacred by the hands of mankind.
The church Jesus was addressing is the body of believers who have established a personal relationship with Christ and Christ alone. Those who have confessed their sins to Christ and accepted Him as the Son of God and put their faith and trust in Him alone belong to the church of Christ. Please do not confuse this with the actual religion that call themselves the Church of Christ. This is a different religious church of spiritual deception.
What Is the Scriptural Meaning of the Church?
The word “church” in scripture comes from the Hebrew word ekklesia. This is where we get our English word ecclesiastical. It points to a body of people who’ve been separated from the world and brought into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
So if your beliefs primarily focus on being a part of the right religion, or denomination or even in the most inspiring and uplifting church building in the world, your beliefs are flawed.
These letters from Christ to the churches (bodies of believers) are meant as encouragement pointing out the things believers are doing correctly but also warning where they’ve strayed and what they must do to return to Christ wholeheartedly.
What Isn’t the Church?
The church is not a reference to Jews or to Christians. Both of these groups have a very distinct role in Bible and World history. They also play a very unique role in the world today as well as the days to come as we wind down this current age.
As Amir Tsarfati often points out, Jesus was not a Christian and God is not a Jew. As the world likes to focus on outward appearances, God looks at the heart. No one can examine the heart of mankind like God.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
When we accept Jesus and put our full faith and trust in Him as our Lord and Savior, we all become one in Christ. Our outward identities don’t define us as part of the Church of Christ but it’s our heart that is justified by God which defines us. This is what gives us inclusion to be the children of God and the church of Christ.
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
Where Is the Church During the Tribulation?
As we begin this journey exploring the book of Revelation, take notice of something interesting that relates to the church. The next several chapters will be aimed directly at the church. After the last letter is written to the church of Laodicea, the church disappears. Well, actually it doesn’t really disappear, but it’s no longer mentioned.
We will not see the church reappear (mentioned) again until we get toward the end of the book. This will align with the end of the tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ. You see, the book of Revelation is about the events of the wrath of God upon those who chose to reject God and His Son. The church is not a part of that story except in the end.
Christ will explain why this is so in Ch. 3 in His letter to the faultless church of Philadelphia. No, not the one in Pennsylvania.
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.” (Revelation 3:10)
This quote by Jesus will confirm the teachings on the rapture that we read in John 14, 1 Thessalonians 4, and 1 Corinthians 15. They teach that the church, the church of Christ, the children of God will be removed (raptured) from the world prior to the beginning of the tribulation. We’ll get into this a bit more later.
In summary, the church will have a completely different view of the happenings on earth as compared to those under the wrath of God.
Watch Not To Be Deceived by the Church
The week leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, He gave His Olivet Discourse from the Mount of Olives. It was to be His last publicly recorded teaching before His arrest. It was a lesson given about the last days and the events of the tribulation.
His message was addressed to the Jews of that day. He could’ve begun this message with almost any important topic. But instead He focused on the most serious subject to impact the Jews. He began simply with these words.
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
Matthew 24:4
While Jesus knew that the world would be filled with deception. He also knew that this deception would grow quickly as the last days approach, just as we see today. But this is not the deception that He was trying to bring their attention to.
The deception that Jesus wanted them to be strongly cognizant of was spiritual deception. This is the most dangerous deception that existed in the world then and is quite prevalent and growing rapidly in our world today.
While a person may face some loss if someone cheats them out money or personal property, or even lies to them. But if someone or some church takes your focus away from Christ and points it somewhere else, this threatens your relationship with Christ and your eternal future. This can lead to deadly spiritual consequences.
This is what Jesus meant as recorded in Ch. 10 of Matthews gospel.
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
Warnings To the Church’s in Revelation
Now that we’ve explored the answer to, “What is the church?” Let’s take a look at the the warnings that Jesus makes very clear to each church in Minor Asia. Just as He did at the beginning of His Olivet in which was most extensively written about in Matthew’s gospel, we see Jesus begin to reveal Revelation to mankind starting with a warning.
It’s the same warning of spiritual deception but with a new audience. This time, it’s being addressed not to the Jews but to the church’s. As we explore, pay close attention to the words of encouragement and the warnings against spiritual degradation and deception. I ask that you look closely at each because your current church fits into one of these seven. Are you able to discern which one?
<< Rev. 1:17-20 “Glorified Body of Jesus” | “Letter to the Church in Ephesus” Rev. 2:1-7 >>