The pride of Edom is emphasised in this prophecy. We read phrases like “the pride of thine heart” (v3), “that saith in his heart, who shall bring me down” (v3), “though thou exalt thyself” (v4), “spoken proudly” (v12).
Obadiah (4) – Themes in Obadiah Read More »
When Esau is used to describe the people of Edom it is specifically describing the fleshly thinking and immorality of the people, people with a mindset adverse to God. Obadiah directly shows the fight between the serpent (the Esau mindset), and the woman (a godly mindset), through the conflict of the two seeds.
Obadiah (2): Background – Edom Read More »
The origins of the enmity
The book of Obadiah highlights the relationship between Edom and Israel, and the animosity of Edom towards their “brother” (1:10). However, this is not the first time we read of such a strained relationship between these brotherly nations. In fact, the enmity of Edom towards Israel starts much further back,.
Obadiah (1) – Background – Edom Read More »
Background
Laodicea was situated in the Lycos Valley in the province of Phrygia and was founded by Antiochus II (261–246BC) of Syria, who named it for his wife Laodike, and who populated it with Syrians and Jews who were transplanted from Babylonia.
The ruins of the city show it to have be…
Revelation 3:14-21 – Laodicea Read More »
Background
Name of city = “brotherly love”. In 189BC the city came into the possession of the king of Pergamon, Eumenes, and was named after his brother, Attalus II (159-138BC), whose truth and loyalty won him the title, Philadelphus.
Though military fortifications were not neglect…
Revelation 3:7-13 – Philadelphia Read More »
Background
The city of Sardis was a principal city in western Asia Minor, located in the Hermus Valley, 80km east of the port city of Smyrna. Until it was captured in 546BC by the Persians under Cyrus II, it had been the capital of the Kingdom of Lydia, but it remained an impor- tan…
Revelation 3:1-6 – Sardis (1) Read More »
2:21 – And I gave her space
– Gk chronos – time; season
to repent of her fornication;
– the Lord continually seeks repentance (v5, 16, 22; 3:3, 19) – he used the work of the Apostle John in his letters to warn these false teachers
and she repented not.
– Jezebel k…
Revelation 2:18-29 – Thyatira (2) Read More »
Background
Thyatira was founded as a garrison city in the time of Seleucus I, mainly because it stood in the important Lycus valley and was designed to impede the flow of enemy forces up and down the valley.
When the Roman Empire took over, it ceased to be merely a military city, thoug…
Revelation 2:18-20 – Thyatira (1) Read More »
Background
The KJV has Pergamos (feminine form of the name). Many other translations have the neuter form, Pergamum.
In 282BC it was made the capital of the Seleucid kingdom. In 232BC the Attalid kingdom was established and under the reign of Eumenes II (197–159BC) the city was tra…
Revelation 2:12-17 – Pergamos Read More »
Background
Smyrna is known today as modern Izmir; located at the south east edge of the gulf of Smyrna and situated on a long peninsula that thrusts out to the beautiful Aegean Sea. In spite of the earthquakes and other events that Smyrna suffered through the centuries, the city had pro…
Revelation 2:8-11 – Smyrna Read More »
