The Seven Churches / Revelation 2-3 & Daniel 9

The Inadequacy of Man and the Adequacy of Christ

Father, as we gather here to look at Your Word, to glean wisdom and insight from the pages of Scripture, we pray for Your blessing. It is like the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: we have such confidence through Christ in God. We are not adequate in and of ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. As we gather in this place, we pray that we would come in the inadequacies of all that we are, made adequate by Christ and Christ alone. As we look at Your Word, we pray that Your Spirit might enliven it to us, that we might be changed. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

Wow, we are going to have a space problem tonight. If we can get some of those wonderfully studly, hairy-back, knuckle-dragger college men to head up to the choir loft, I’d appreciate that. Thank you for taking one for the team. As these young studs slide into the loft, if those of you in the back could scoot to the center, that would be great. There is a whole row available right up front if you want to walk down the center aisle. Thank you, guys. I appreciate you very much.

A Moment of Discovery

Without any further delay, let’s dive into it. I had one of those moments this week that was a bit embarrassing, but I’ll share it because it’s timely for what we are looking at tonight. Now, I’m not the most spiritual guy on the block, nor do I claim to be the most educated. But sometimes when I dive into God’s Word, it absolutely blows my mind. I have moments where I am reading something and I am literally freaking out because I can’t believe how immense it is.

I had one of those moments this week, but I didn’t realize someone was watching. I was in my office studying, and from my desk, I can see Katie Dimambi at her workstation. She looks a bit like those gophers in the commercials that pop their heads up to see what’s going on. As I was studying Revelation, I kept cross-referencing Daniel 9. If you’ve never looked at Daniel 9, it is crazy. I was looking at this passage and I became so overwhelmed by its immensity that I pushed away from my desk, slammed my chair against the wall, stood up, and shouted, “Wow! Wow!”

At that point, a little gopher head popped up. Katie was looking at me like, “What are you doing?” I was so taken by this passage that I decided, instead of covering Revelation 2 like we planned, I want to spend some time in Daniel 9 tonight. We’ll catch back up next week. I figured you all aren’t in a hurry. My prayer is that I don’t mess this up, because this passage is unbelievable.

The Outline of Revelation

In Revelation 1:19, we find the outline verse for the entire book. John is told to write down the things he has seen—that was the vision of the glorified Lord in chapter one. He is told to write down “the things which are”—that refers to chapters two and three, the seven letters to the seven churches. Finally, he is told to write down the things that will take place “after these things.”

Revelation 1:19 (NASB)

’Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.

Chapters four through twenty-two lay out a period of time commonly called the Tribulation. This period is yet future. It is a time where God will focus once again on the nation of Israel. In the Gospels, the Jewish population largely rejected Jesus, even claiming His miracles were done by the power of Beelzebul. Jesus essentially said, “Fine, reject Me, and I am going to the Gentiles.” You see the Apostle Paul follow this pattern, going first to the house of Israel and then transitioning to the Gentiles.

Israel, the Church, and the Covenants

Paul called this rejection a “partial hardening.” It is important to note that God has not rejected His covenant people. We see Israel and the Church as two distinct entities. Paul explains this in Romans 11, saying he doesn’t want us to be uninformed about this mystery, so we won’t be wise in our own estimation.

Romans 11:25 (NASB)

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery– so that you will not be wise in your own estimation– that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

He says again that they did not stumble so as to fall forever. Rather, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

Romans 11:11 (NASB)

I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

We live in this “Church Age” where God is focusing on a Gentile population, but the time will come in the Tribulation where God focuses once again on His covenant people. In Genesis 12, God made a covenant with Abraham based not on the people’s performance, but on the veracity of God Himself. He promised land, seed, and blessing.

Genesis 12:1-4 (NASB)

Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

You can trace these three themes throughout the Old Testament: the land (the Palestinian Covenant in Deuteronomy 30), the seed (the Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7), and the blessing (the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31). Has Israel ever experienced these in their totality? No. These are yet to be fulfilled in the Millennial Kingdom, and they begin to be fulfilled in the Tribulation.

Scripture speaks of this time as “Jacob’s distress.” Jesus said in Matthew 24 that there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. He said that unless those days were cut short, no life would be saved.

Matthew 24:21-22 (NASB)

’For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. ’Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

The Precision of Daniel 9

Now, let’s look at Daniel 9. Daniel is in captivity in Babylon, spending time in prayer and confessing his sins and the sins of his people.

Daniel 9:20 (NASB)

Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God,

While he is praying, Gabriel appears to him to give him insight and understanding. Gabriel tells him that he is “highly esteemed” and to heed the message. What follows in verses 24 through 27 is perhaps the most profound passage in the Old Testament. It is a prophecy with incredible precision regarding dates. There are only two ways to view this: either it was faked after the fact, or it is divine in origin.

Even if you doubt the date of Daniel, history tells us the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek (the Septuagint) around 246 BC—at least three centuries before Christ. This means these prophecies were in writing long before the events took place.

Verse 24 gives the summary: seventy weeks (seventy “sevens” or 490 years) have been decreed for your people and your holy city.

Daniel 9:24 (NASB)

’Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy [place].

The purpose was to finish transgression, end sin, make atonement for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up vision, and anoint the most holy place. Only one of those—atonement for iniquity—has been fulfilled, which happened at the cross. The rest are still on the horizon.

The Math of the Messiah

Verse 25 says to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks (69 weeks total).

Daniel 9:25 (NASB)

’So you are to know and discern [that] from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince [there will be] seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.

That is 483 years. There were four decrees in history, but only one fits the description of rebuilding the city and its walls: the decree given by Artaxerxes to Nehemiah on March 14, 445 BC.

Sir Robert Anderson did the math on this, and it is phenomenal. Using the Babylonian 360-day calendar, 483 years equals 173,880 days. Throughout the Gospels, people tried to make Jesus king, but He always said, “My hour has not yet come.” But on one specific day, He told His disciples to get a donkey. He rode into Jerusalem while the people shouted “Hosanna!” This was the Triumphal Entry on April 6, 32 AD.

If you count exactly 173,880 days from March 14, 445 BC, taking leap years into account, you land exactly on the day Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem as Messiah the King. That was the moment I threw myself back from my desk and shouted. If that is true, this book is from God.

The Gap and the Seventieth Week

Verse 26 says that after the 62 weeks (following the first 7), the Messiah will be “cut off”—killed or annihilated—and have nothing. It also says the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.

Daniel 9:26 (NASB)

’Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end [will come] with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.

We know this happened in 70 AD when the Roman legions under Titus destroyed Jerusalem. Not one stone was left on another. But then verse 27 speaks of a future prince who will make a firm covenant with “the many” for one week (seven years). This is the Antichrist.

Daniel 9:27 (NASB)

‘And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations [will come] one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.’

In the middle of that week, he will stop the sacrifices and desecrate the temple. Jesus referred to this as the “abomination of desolation.” He warned that when you see this happen, you need to run. If you’re on the roof, don’t go back for your things. If you’re in the field, don’t get your coat. Pray you aren’t pregnant or nursing, because you won’t be setting any land speed records.

Matthew 24:15-21 (NASB)

’Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. ’Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. ’Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. ’But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ’But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. ’For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

This marks the start of the Great Tribulation, the final three and a half years. Currently, we are living in the “gap” between the 69th and 70th week. The Messiah has been cut off, Jerusalem has been destroyed, and we are waiting for that final covenant to be made. This gap is the Church Age.

The Seven Churches: A History of the Future

In Revelation 2 and 3, we see seven letters to seven churches. These were actual local churches in Asia Minor, but they also provide a corporate admonition and an individual application. Many scholars believe these seven churches also represent an overview of the flow of church history. We’ve put a chart on our website that lays this out.

1. Ephesus: The apostolic church. They had sound doctrine but lost their first love.
2. Smyrna: The persecuted church under Rome. They endured incredible suffering but received no rebuke.
3. Pergamum: The “mixed marriage” church. This reflects the age of Constantine, where the church and state were married, leading to compromise and heresy.
4. Thyatira: The corrupt church. They punted Scripture and embraced the spirit of Jezebel. This aligns with the medieval papacy where bureaucracy replaced a heart for God.
5. Sardis: The “remnant” church. This is the Reformation age. They had a name for being alive but were dead; they started well but didn’t finish the work.
6. Philadelphia: The church of brotherly love. This was the great missionary age of the 1700s and 1800s, characterized by an “open door” for the Gospel.
7. Laodicea: The lukewarm church. This is the final church, and it is the most disturbing because it is the most familiar.

The Final Church and the Downward Spiral

Jesus has nothing good to say to Laodicea. He says they are neither hot nor cold, and because they are lukewarm, He wants to vomit. They think they are prosperous and in need of nothing, but Jesus is actually on the outside knocking to get in.

Revelation 3:20 (NASB)

’Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

This is a picture of a church with great programs and buildings, but Christ is on the outside looking in. There isn’t an eighth church. We are on the anchor leg of history.

Some people think we can usher in the kingdom by making the world better and better. But friends, I’m terrified to read the paper. Morality is in a downward spiral. We are like the frog in the kettle being boiled to death, and we don’t even see it. The only place to find hope and sanity is in the Messiah, the King, who will one day come and put an end to the madness.

Coming Home to Christ

There are people in here tonight who don’t know Christ. You are trying to do life in the dark, figuring out what it’s all about. I did that for twenty-one years. It’s a lonely place to be—trying to find satisfaction at the bottom of a bottle, in a relationship, or by medicating your life with distractions. None of that will ever satisfy like Christ will.

I know that might freak some of you out. I’ve been there. It is uncomfortable to realize you don’t have what it takes and that you can’t please God on your own. But you are in the right place. Look around you. You see broken people whose lives have been made whole in Christ. If we opened the floor for testimonies, we’d be here until Jesus comes hearing about what God does to change a life. We aren’t selling you a lemon; we’ve lived it.

Father, as we continue through this book, bring us back to the reality of Your truth. For those of us who have walked with You, don’t let our hearts grow cold. For those who don’t know You yet, I pray they would see Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. As we see the prophetic picture unfold with such precision—to the very day—may we worship the One who is worthy. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen.