The Consequences

REVELATION Number 53
The Consequences

The first thing we must be sure to notice about consequential actions the Lord tells the Church He will take is that some are directed toward people in the fellowships who are false, and others are directed at the sources of trouble in the churches.

Revelation 2:5 contains this consequential warning. “I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” (NASB 2020) As we know from the beginning of our study, the lampstands are the individual churches. Here the Lord is warning that the individual fellowship will cease to exist.

This is not an uncommon occurrence. When churches divide over doctrine or false teaching causes a rift, it is not uncommon for the fellowship to split or even disband completely. This is one way the Spirit can use to protect and nurture those who are His own.

Sometimes the consequences of the actions of a church do not come from the Lord. Revelation 2:10 gives one such example. Here the Lord says, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days.” (NASB 2020)

Many of us are fortunate to live in countries where being thrown into prison for our beliefs is not a concern. Many others live in places where imprisonment is a constant risk. If you are interested in gaining perspective on this point, I recommend that you visit The Voice of the Martyrs at https://www.persecution.com. Jesus said “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” Matthew 24:9 (NASB 2020)

Still other times, the consequences the Lord warns of are directed at those who cause others to fall away from the good news they’ve heard before their faith comes to be established in God. To churches where these exist, the Lord Jesus says, “Therefore repent; or I am coming to you quickly, and I will wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.” Revelation 2:16 (NASB 2020)

In Revelation 2:21–24 He gets more graphic, saying, “‘I gave her [the one teaching idolatry] time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts.” (NASB 2020)

Another example is the Lord’s comment, “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.” Revelation 3:9 (NASB 2020)

The Lord also speaks directly to those who play at religion without placing their faith in Him. Revelation 3:3 gives one such account. It reads, “So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Then if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.” (NASB 2020)

Likewise in Revelation 3:16–17 He points out that some think they have it all figured out and are spiritually rich. Perhaps this is because they know the scripture well, or perform acts of social service, or give lots of money. Whatever it is, they are puffed up in themselves and the Lord admonishes them with this, “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (NASB 2020)

Each of these consequential warnings is apropos for the Church today. We are called to the purity of the Gospel in our teaching. We are called to single-minded faith in the Lord Jesus and not allowing errant teaching that mixes the law with God’s grace or insinuates idolatrous religious practices as a way to garner greater acceptance or blessing. In extreme cases this may mean separating from individual fellowships (we cannot be separated from the Church, for that is the body of Christ) or expelling from our assembly those who would cause destruction by promoting perversions of the truth.

The Revelation is designed for this purpose. It is the revelation of the Lord Jesus, and it is the message of God to His Church, the body of Christ now and in the future just as surely as to those who lived in the first century.