Message to the Seven Churches (12/05/1999)

Opening Remarks and Introduction to the Message

And now for our morning message Pastor Mitchell. Brother Steve you have a flair. You have a flair. I Thank God for your Willingness to serve you're doing a wonderful job with our music. Don't you agree?

We appreciate that very much turn with me to book of the Revelation this morning chapter 1 and Verse 4 verses 4 through 6. I want to speak to you this morning about the message to the seven churches. Some of you were here one time a while back I Believe it was shortly after we got in this building brother Sam Shamoon came in from McAllen, he's One of our missionaries.

It's actually a member of our church a missionary to Mexico and to Central America and now Also to the Middle East as well, in fact, he's gonna be spending the next few months in Lebanon. I couldn't I couldn't bring it up Lebanon in fact, he is Lebanese but Some of you were here for that that night when he talked he came and he was gonna be with us.

He's not with us very often, but he opened the Bible to the book of Revelation began to teach. How many of you remember that? Okay. Well You'll share this moment with me but he taught and he got. I believe he started with chapter 1 verse 1 if I remember and then we went right on in.

And got into the seven churches and all this was a Wednesday night. So by that time it had been about 30 minutes or so and Some of us were starting to squirm already in our pews back there and all of a sudden he says now we've discussed the seven Churches, let's get into the seven seals and when we settled back in Opened up we talked about the white horse and the famine in the in the martyred remnant in the anarchy and then there was silence.

And we said, okay, he's gonna pray and he said now we're gonna discuss the seven trumpets. And we settled back in and he starts in chapter 8 by now where it started in chapter 1 not now. We're in the chapter 8.

It's been an hour and he talks about hail and fire and a third of the sea is turned to blood and the great star Falls, you know and and a third of the Sun is smitten and we're just at the edge of our seats and wondering where we're Headed for here and he says and now the fifth trumpet says we're gonna discuss the three woes.

So we sat down, you know and talked about the three woes the star falls from bottomless pit is opened up and third of all the men are slain by 200 million Chinese soldiers and All of this the great earthquake and and and all of this is going on and and we're about ready to be dismissed and he says and now we're gonna discuss the seven vials and I still don't remember what happened with the seven vials because I got up and left and went to supper at that point.

But it was amazing. And finally he closed and I think by then we had had a complete study of the book of Revelation. Is that how you remember it Brenda? I was wondering if I was the only one that viewed it that way, but but We have not had brother Sam back to preach since that night.

But anyway this morning I'd like to talk to you about the seven churches the seven seals the seven trumpets. No, I'm kidding. We're gonna talk about the seven churches. Let's look at start with verse 4 and go through verse 6.

The Greeting to the Seven Churches in Revelation 1

Together John to the seven churches, which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from him. Which is which was and which is to come and from the seven spirits, which are before his throne. And that's the Holy Spirit.

Of course the number seven God's perfect number simply speaks of his omnipresence. And it goes on and it says and from Jesus Christ. So here we have a greeting from him that is which was and which is to come and from the Holy Spirit and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth and to him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and Hath made us kings and priests unto God and his father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen, I want to talk about that little passage. Excuse me. Just a moment. I'll be right back about the trip over those wires. Okay, I want to talk about this pack passage for just a few moments. This message was to the seven churches.

The Seven Churches as Literal Churches and Church-Age Pictures

Which many believe and and myself included that these churches not only were true Local churches, so there was a message to these literal local churches. But also that they represented different types of churches throughout the church age some even believe that they represent specific times and Seasons in the church age and that may very well be true.

Although I have a hard time making that fit perfectly but Obviously, it is a prophetic passage as well. It's not just speaking to those local churches of that day. It's looking out at the church and how the church will be and this message Therefore is written to the seven churches which represent all of the churches of history Which make up the true church?

I don't have time this morning get into some of the heresies that we find in Baptist circles who believe in the what they call the Baptist bride and different strange heresies such as that. In fact this passage will totally do away with that thought.

I may point out some of that as we go the Baptist writers believe the only people that will be the bride of Christ are the Baptists and so. Then also there are people Who believe that each and most of these are Baptists by the way?

They believe that each local church is the church and so therefore there are thousands of Churches and they don't understand the concept of the true church. Which is every born-again believer throughout church history from the beginning of the church until the rapture.

They don't understand that they think that this local church is the church and then that one over there is the church and when you if You went from this Baptist Church to another one You'd actually have to be baptized into that other church.

Believe it or not There are Baptist groups that believe that and large groups that believe that this passage of Scripture does away with all that nonsense. Among a lot of other things, but the point is that this is a message to his church.

To every believer that has been born into this world and been born into God's family. Since the time the church began and until the point that this age is over. First of all, let's look at some of the specific messages that he gave.

Ephesus: Losing First Love and Rejecting the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans

Let's you can turn over to chapter 2 verse 1 now I know you're afraid I'm gonna get into all the seven seals and all that. We're really not but I I just want to give you a short synopsis of each of the seven churches.

First is the church at Ephesus. Which I think pictures the early church and just note this Jesus Christ Commends them for several things number one for their works. Number two for their labor and then for their patience and then he specifically mentioned that they would not bear evil nor false prophets and He said specifically in verse 6 that he that they hated the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.

Which if you study that that is very clear what doctrine that is the word itself comes from two Greek words in a ko which means to conquer and Leos which means laity. So the Nicolaitans were people who believed that you should conquer the laity and that's exactly what the Roman Catholic System does but they're not the only ones who do it.

The Baptists do it as well and we Sort of well, I grew up Southern Baptist and was Southern Baptist until 1980 and then this church started and we became independent Baptist and we thought we'd found the promised land didn't we?

We thought we had found the group that was right and now as we look back Some 19 years later. We see that the independent Baptists have some strange peculiarities. As well and one of the things that they like to do is that many of the pastors like to conquer the laity.

Some of you may remember back at the early years of our church I don't think it started out that way maybe but about a year or two into the first portion of the life of this church our founding pastor became very dictatorial wouldn't you say that at least and Really?

We thought he was God's man and we were doing what we did unto the Lord Jesus. I believe that with all my heart many of us who were here all the way back to that point remember those days. But the outstanding thing we remember and many of the people left this church over this issue was that he lorded it over the people.

He wanted to conquer the people and cause them to do exactly what he wanted to do and his wife was in on it as well. Now that doesn't work does it? You cannot make rules and cause people to follow them and have that last.

It just doesn't work that way. We have to understand the ministry the Holy Spirit is to work in our lives and make us be who God wants us to be and we're all at a different growth level all at a different time and it's all in God's time and Pastors and then the reason I mentioned this a lot of people think that only Catholics do this.

But the Baptist pastors have to be very careful. Especially and I speak of them because I understand them a little more than some others. But they have to be careful not to want to just make people be who they want them to be.

Doesn't work that way and this particular church hated that doctrine and the Lord Jesus Commended them for that. He said you hate the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I hate also. God said so God hates that spirit a spirit of Pharisee is a spirit of legalism.

God hates that in churches now. Then He comes and he exhorts them. He says there is one problem that I see in this early church. This may have been the most pure of the churches, although We will talk about the next one Smyrna and it was a wonderful church, but this church He said there's one thing I have a problem with you with you have left your first love.

Could it be that they got so involved with their works and the labor and the patience and the the Not the rooting out of evil and the rooting out of the false prophets and they got so involved with the church activities.

All of a sudden they forgot why they were there they forgot it was all about Jesus Christ and They left their first love and they got involved in these other things and I know that you know. As pastor, I'm not comfortable with having a church that has a lot of programs going on.

I think well just teach the word come together in fellowship break bread teach the word pray together and go home. And go out into the world and be the light that Jesus has called us to be that I mean that's maybe too simple.

But that's what I think the early church did and I think the Lord rebuked them when they got away from that. Now he exhorted them to do this because the situation they were in he said one what you need to do since you have left.

Your first love is you need to remember. That was the first thing he told remember. It's amazing how many times the Lord tells us in the Bible to remember. Because when we started out we started out on the right course.

When we first got saved we had a hunger and a thirst for the Word of God that maybe we lose a little of it from time to time he says remember it and Then he said to repent which means to think again and go back to it and do the first works.

Smyrna: Faithful Under Persecution and Rich in God’s Sight

Now we look at the second church now remember. I believe these seven churches may represent time periods in the church age. But I think more than that we can look at little bits and pieces of all these churches and apply them to our own church.

Here we'll see little truths about some of these. We'll see them some of the problems that they have we have here some of them. We don't have some we do some of the strengths we don't have some we do and God is calling us to take a look and examine and evaluate ourselves and To come into line and he also gives us the proper exhortation for the particular problem.

We may have so if the problem is that we have lost our first love. He says we need to remember repent and go back To that and let that be the main thing that this is all about now the second church Smyrna.

It's interesting. It is the modern city of Izmir in Turkey. It is the only one of these seven cities that still exists and when you read about this particular church It's interesting. All the other ones are gone.

But this this city is still here the Bible says this was the seat of Caesar worship and Polycarp was the pastor. He was the beloved pastor who I believe if I remember my history, right? He studied under John.

Is that right brother Otis? So polycarp goes back and knew the Apostle John and he was the pastor of this church. This church if it does represent church parts of the church age it would represent the part that had to do with the ten major Persecutions.

It's kind of interesting that Reason some people believe that this does represent this there's a verse here that talks about You'll have tribulation for ten days. Do you see that and they believe that those ten days represent the ten major? persecutions of the Roman Empire against Christians, you remember Nero would do things such as have garden parties in and place Christians impale them on stakes and set them on fire to light his party and all there were ten major persecutions against Christians during this time and this church was right in the middle of this time period and Live through this and that's why the Lord when he commends this church he says I commend you for your works and number two said for your tribulation and number three said for your poverty and Jesus made an interesting observation of this church.

He said you're poor but he said the fact is I see you as rich. I'm gonna be nice to be known that way. You are poor the world thinks you're worthless. I believe part of their problem was I think we had a little bit of a type or a forward view of the tribulation Period here.

I believe that this particular Part of time in history. They were so caught up in Caesar worship that if they found out you were a Christian and you worship the Lord Jesus Christ. You could have no part of the economy.

You couldn't buy or sell you couldn't own a little mom-or-pop store. You couldn't sell your your fruits and vegetables from your farm. You were not allowed to take part in the commerce. So these Christians were very poor.

They had no way to make a living because they worship someone other than the king of Rome they would not worship the Emperor. They would only worship the Lord Jesus Christ now Jesus said yes, you are poor, but he said I'll tell you the truth is you're wealthy.

Now there's another church. We're going to look at at the end of the line. It's the opposite. Well, what was his exhortation to this group these people who worked who suffered tribulation who were poor physically?

But rich spiritually the only exhortation he told them was this and this is the only one that doesn't have a negative. He says be faithful unto the death. And be an overcomer. This is a powerful church right here.

And there are some aspects of this church Still alive today. But let's look at the next one Pergamos Spoken of as Satan's seat in the world the Lord Jesus Commends them for their works but he comments that they dwell where Satan's throne is which I find is interesting because The scholars will cite this part in church history.

They believe that this church represents the time at the time of Constantine sometime shortly after ad 300 three six three somewhere 300 or so when Constantine made quote Christianity The national religion of Rome.

Now I find it interesting that a lot of if you read about Constantine a lot of them say he was saying he had this Vision. I remember reading about him a long time ago had a vision and He believed that God told him to get saved and to save everybody in Rome.

So they would have the soldiers come by the river and he would have his priests dip. Probably wasn't hyssop weed. Some kind of branches in the water and as the soldiers would come out They would fling that water on them and they proclaimed them saved.

Do you think that works? Do you know a lot of bad you talked about it Sunday school a lot of Baptists try to do that today? Bow your head and pray this little prayer dear Jesus. Shake my hand brother.

You're saying you're saying now fill the pew and bring your pocketbook with you. And so we are not that far removed from what the Catholics have done. But Constantine started he turned the wonderful Church of Rome that Paul wrote the book of Romans to into the apostate Roman Catholic Church that we know today.

Constantine was the start of it. I don't believe the man was saved. You may read and something else and think he was saved. I don't think Constantine was ever saved. I think in fact he was Satan and it was his throne that this is a reference to.

I don't mean he was really Satan but he belonged to Satan he was Satan seed and He says that this church dwells in Satan's throne or where Satan's throne is and this. He does say that they held his name fast and would not deny the faith.

But look look here. It talks about a doctrine of Balaam. Do you see that? Do you know what that represents? It represents the Unseparated church. We've been talking about the doctrine of separation the last couple of Sundays a little bit.

But this represents the Unseparated church the church that has formed a union with the world. The church that brings the world into the church the world's music the world's everything and bring it into the church.

So we can get more numbers. That's what this church represents the church. Filled with spiritual unchastity. This is the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church. It speaks in chapter 2 verse 15 at the Nicoletanes once again.

And once again, the Lord Jesus says which thing I hate and so now we're bringing Roman Catholicism. That type of doctrine into the church where we just bring the world in. We'll take every part of all the societies that the church goes into bring a little bit of that into the church so that those People will come and be comfortable and we'll bring them in.

We want to be comfortable. We want to be able to relate to them and listen. I am NOT picking on the Catholics because I have seen every bit of this in our circles. I Have seen times when they've said, okay, we're gonna go out, you know.

We're gonna go in Mardi Gras and pass out tracks and I've seen people there that would dress down and just dress like a hippie. Backpack on their back full of tracks and pass them out so they could relate to the drunk on the curb and in Jesus.

Never operated that way. But but these things have been brought into the church where we just bring the world in. There are an awful lot of Christian schools across this country that patterned themselves after the public schools the government schools.

Why why would you do that? Why use that as the pattern if we're gonna start over and try to have a Christian school. I don't understand it, but they'll always bring the world into the church. And so what was the Exhortation to this particular group.

Thyatira: Mixing Paganism with Christianity and the Rise of Jezebel

He simply said repent. That's all he said. He said you better repent. Now look at the next church Thyatira this church Was commended for their works for their love. For their service now. I want you to pay attention to these commendations works love service faith.

Patience and it says works again. Lots of works going on now. Wouldn't you think this was a pretty fine church? Isn't that what we look for in churches today and Yet look what happens. It speaks of this prophetess a female preacher named Jezebel.

That's what I call all female preachers brother. Oh, it's not a kid female preacher called Jezebel and Jezebel Convinced this church now. You can't tell me this is not a real church. There are Christians in this church.

The Lord is speaking to his church the church at Thyatira commends them for good works for love for service faith Patience and more good works and yet they allowed a female preacher to literally talk them into committing fornication as a as a religious thing to do and And Spiritual adultery and all other manner of things and this is the beginning of mixing paganism with Christianity and here the Roman Catholic era came into full bloom as You study Roman Catholic history.

You see where they would go into each new part of the world where they're trying to evangelize. Whatever pagan things they were doing they would bring that in and mix it with try to mix it with Christianity.

So they would feel comfortable many of our Things that we still have in the church today. You have to understand the Protestants came out from the Catholics. I don't believe true Baptist ought to even be in that line, but but Protestants came out of that.

And so we have things like Easter. We have things like Christmas on December 25th, which is the Sun God day. We have things like Halloween their churches that even have to do with that to put up haunted houses.

I can't even imagine it and they have their children dress up like that. Oh goodness. I don't believe it. But this church pictures the mixing of paganism with Christianity. Notice, he does not say they're not that they're not a church.

He just simply exhorts them and look what he exhorts them to do. He says hold fast to the truth that you do have until he comes. He did mention this though, he said I gave Jezebel a chance to repent and she would not do it and he said therefore I will take her and those who are with them and cast them into a bed of adultery and their children Will find death.

Isn't that awesome? You see churches go through these cycles. Many times they'll start out well with good works love and service and faith and patience and more good works and Then they will allow a little leaven to come in.

We have a female preacher comes in here and she really seems to have the spirit. Well, she does have a spirit. I Don't know which one it is but she has one and the Bible teaches there are many Gospels many spirits and many Jesus's and They allowed her to come in and she began to teach false doctrine.

What was the word you used in Sunday school the one you said you practiced on all week? Man I just I Not only can I not say it I can't even think it. You know what? I'm talking about if you were in Sunday school.

He mentioned a doctrine that believes that if you get saved you don't have to follow any law. You see if I remember that word it's a good word. Antinomianism. Okay this church had a problem in this area and a lot of circles do today, too.

It's like well, I'm born again. I'm not under any law. I can just do what I want to if I want to come to church. Well, I don't want to come to church. I won't if I want to do this on this day. I will that day if I want to keep this law.

Well, if I choose not to I won't nobody can tell me what to do because I'm under grace. Man, that's prevalent today, isn't it? I mean if you listen to radio preachers, that's about all you'll hear is grace teaching and grace.

Teaching is powerful but it's not the only thing in the Bible and. So this church was exhorted to hold fast to the truth that they did have now notice that a church like this if it goes On into that and follows the Jezebel.

Follows the false teaching of mixing the world into the church bringing paganism in which is spiritual adultery. By the way, we call it idolatry. That is nothing more than spiritual adultery when that church goes full-blown into that.

It says their children die. Why is that the next generation will not see the truth? All they sees the worldly aspect of it. They see no separation between God's things in the world. They see no difference.

They see no difference between the youth group in that church and in the kids school. Just they don't even claim to be saved. There's no difference. There's no separation. There's no come out from among them and be separate say at the Lord.

There's no stay away from the unclean thing. There's none of that. It's all just merged together for the sake of popularity and all that stuff. And all of a sudden the next generation dies because they they they don't know the Lord.

Sardis: The Institutionalized Church with a Name but Dead

And they do not have life and then we go into the church at Sardis. This is a very frightening and sad situation. I call this the institutionalized church. I Grew up in one First Baptist Church, Mahia.

It started out. I'm sure is a wonderful church. I can remember stories my dad tells me about wonderful pastors that he had growing up as a little boy in First Baptist Church, Mahia and May Gordon Bays or something like that was one of them and I remembered brother Lester Roloff came through and Preached in that church and different wonderful preachers.

It was a wonderful church, but by the time that Charlotte and myself Sensed that the Lord was taking us away out of that church back in 1980. That church was nothing more than an institution. It was still there.

It still was a building had a steeple on top had people sitting in there every Sunday had A so-called preaching going on. But you know what Jesus says he says you have a name that thou livest, but you are dead.

You got a name that you're a church, but you're not one. The candlestick has been removed. This I believe pictures mainline Protestant denominations and what happens in so many churches. It also happens to local churches.

They get into three generations into that church. I mean you look at First Baptist Church at Dallas is a wonderful example. You've had the marvelous and powerful Truett who was their first pastor who accidentally killed his best friend in a hunting accident and Tried to quit the ministry his wife and the church would not allow it and he went on to obey the Lord and preach.

Till the end of his life. They said he never smiled again from the pulpit fact in public. Nobody ever saw him smile anymore. He was a very grave and serious man. Powerful preacher and then as he passed off the scene the Lord brings the wonderful dr. Criswell To take over and the church was just wonderful through the 60s in the 70s.

And now we go and he's off the scene. We don't know where that church is going to go now. But eventually that church will become an institution if the Lord tarries eventually this one will become an institution.

Now what does Jesus say to the institutionalized Church? He says be watchful and strengthen the things that do remain. I mean, there's truth at First Baptist, Mahalia in there. There's there's still truth our good friends.

The riddles still go there and every once while she'll tell me oh, he preached a marvelous Bible sermon and it's there. But Jesus says hold on to that which remained because they're ready to die. You're not amazing.

You're dying. Hang on to the truth that you have he said I have not found your works perfect. There's too much modernism. There's too much worldliness brought in. There's too much emphasis on programs and things and in activities and you've lost your first love.

You've had many of the problems of these other churches but the main thing is you're just an institution and it's just business as usual and Then we come to the church at Philadelphia. He says I give you a key that no man.

That opens and no man can shut and it shut it that no man can open. Many believe this picture is the marvelous missionary movement in the late 1800s early 1900s when China India Burma were reached with the gospel through powerful Missionaries such as Adoniram Judson and Taylor and some of those Marvelous people who went into these parts of the world and took the power of God in there and people were saved.

And he says to this church, I know your works. He says there's an open door for you. And I believe that means to get the gospel into all the corners of the of the world. It's interesting as you look at this time in church history.

We today would look at that and say that was when the church was powerful, wouldn't we? We would we would look at these people like Livingston who gave his life and went across the continent of Africa he was like a renaissance man.

He could play the pipe organ. He could write music. He was a doctor. He was a preacher. He was a philosopher. He was an evangelist. He was a missionary when he gave his life in the darkest parts of Africa when he could have been over in England.

Living it up. And he went across that country and those people many of them got saved and when that man died and they took him back to England some of those black converts got on a boat and came to England and Took his heart and took it back to Africa and buried his heart in Africa because they said that's where his heart was.

He says his heart belongs to us. Now you would say that was a mighty powerful and strong Part of the church wouldn't you and yet look what Jesus says? He says you have a little strength. Oh You you have a little strength where does that put us today?

See, he's comparing Jesus does not compare things to what we do. Jesus is looking at them and saying, you know, you're doing some marvelous thing and you've got a little strength and that's wonderful.

Oh, man, I looked at that and the Lord just opened my eyes that said where do we stand today? If we are in the Laodicean Church age and they had a little strength back in the late 1800s when they were sending missionaries powerful mission works all over the world.

He said well, but you do keep my word and you have not denied my name that's not a real higher accommodation, is it? And that was a mighty strong church compared to what we see in America today. But you know what?

He told him he said hold fast that no man take thy crown. Continue to hold fast what you have and that brings us to the seventh church the Laodicean Church. You know what Laodicea stands for what it literally means.

The word means the rights of the people. The rights of the people that's where we are in the church today. Everybody does that which is right in his own eyes. Everybody demands what we live in democracy.

So we'll have democracy in the church we're gonna vote make sure that the that the the Majority rules in the church. Well, what if the majority of people happen to be carnal? Where did where are you then?

There are some major problems with the rights of the people. But this is the church that Jesus made famous when he called it the lukewarm church. You hear that all the time the lukewarm church. He said, you know, he said I've noticed your works.

He said you have some works, but they're lukewarm. You're doing some works, but your heart's not in it. You're doing some works and really you could care less whether it happened or didn't happen and that's where you are.

And he said, you know what you think about yourself. He says you think you are rich and Increased in goods and he thinks you hadn't have you think you have no need of anything. And Jesus says but let me give you my viewpoint.

Let me give you the divine viewpoint of your church. Thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind. And naked and all those things have symbolism behind them. Naked simply means that they're not clothed with the proper clothing and their sin is showing.

Blind means they're not even seeing God's Moving in the world and they're missing what they're supposed to be doing. They've lost their first love as well. Poor I believe means they're not in the word.

They they they are so weak and feeble. Spiritually because they're not feasting on the Word of God daily as they ought to says they're miserable. Well that does create a miserable state. They're wretched.

They think everything's fine. And yet there's no joy. There's no deep abiding joy and power in their hearts in this church. This church can be an institutional church. It can be any of the problems we've seen but the problem is above it all.

It's just lukewarm. What did he exhort them to do said buy some gold and white raiment? The white raiment is the righteousness of Christ. He told some of them you need to get saved. He says you don't have any righteousness.

You're trying to cover it up with good works and religious acts and so forth. He says you also need some eyes have because you're blind and you can't see spiritual things. He says be zealous therefore and repent and you know the famous verse that so many people use when they go witnessing Revelation 3 20 behold, I stand at the door and knock if any man here my boys and open the door I'll come into him.

That's not a soul winning verse that's not a verse for a lost person. A Lost person can't do that. That's a verse for this church, that's a verse for the lukewarm Church. Jesus said look if you find yourselves lukewarm.

Realize I'm knocking at the door of your heart and what I want to do is sup with you. I want to have fellowship with you. I want to have dinner with you and talk. I Want to have a relationship with you and you need that relationship with me.

Are you're gonna be lukewarm the rest of your days on this earth? So realize that I'm knocking and open the door if any man open the door hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me and that is his exhortation to this church.

Christ’s Identity in Revelation 1 and the Call to Give Him Glory and Dominion

Well, I believe these represent everything you can find in the church. If you go back into this passage here in Revelation 1 Who is it that's giving this message? First of all in verse 4, he says John to the seven churches.

John is giving the message, but who else is he says well He that is he that was and he that is to come is giving this message. That's the father the seven spirits before his throne represent the Holy Spirit of God and Then the Lord Jesus Christ who the Bible says is the faithful witness the one who Reveals the father to us.

He is speaking to us as well. He's called the first begotten of the dead. He is the leader of the church. He is the firstborn from among the church pictures the resurrection. He is the prince of the kings of the earth.