Lisin Long Wanem Spirit Talem!
“Eniwan wea garem ear shud herem samting wea spirit talem long olketa kongregeson.”—REVELATION 3:22.
1, 2. Wanem sem kaonsel nao stap long evri message for sevenfala kongregeson wea Revelation storyim?
OLKETA servant bilong God mas lisin gud long toktok bilong Jesus wea spirit directim long sevenfala kongregeson wea Revelation story abaotem. Tru nao, each wan long olketa message hia garem disfala kaonsel: “Man wea garem ear shud herem samting wea spirit talem long olketa kongregeson.”—Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22.
2 Iumi storyim finis olketa message bilong Jesus long olketa angel, wea minim overseer, bilong Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum. Wanem gud samting nao iumi savve kasem from toktok bilong hem thru long holy spirit long nara fofala kongregeson?
Long Angel Long Thyatira
3. Wea nao Thyatira, and wanem nao pipol bilong hem savve wakem tumas?
3 “Son bilong God” givim praise and repruv long kongregeson bilong Thyatira. (Readim Revelation 2:18-29.) Olketa buildim Thyatira (distaem hem Akhisar) saed long wanfala smol wata wea ran go long Gediz River (Hermus bifor) long western Asia Minor. Pipol savve gud long disfala taon from hem ples wea olketa savve wakem planti samting. Pipol from Thyatira wakem red or purple dye from rut bilong madder plant. Lydia, wea kamap wanfala Christian taem Paul visitim Philippi long Greece, hem woman for “sellim purple kaleko, from taon bilong Thyatira.”—Acts 16:12-15.
4. Why nao kongregeson long Thyatira kasem praise?
4 Jesus hem praisem kongregeson long Thyatira for gudfala waka, love, faith, fasin for go ahed strong, and waka long ministry. Tru nao, ‘olketa duim moa waka winim taem bifor.’ Nomata sapos iumi garem gud nem, iumi mas careful evritaem abaotem fasin bilong iumi.
5-7. (a) Hu nao “datfala woman Jezebel,” and wanem nao olketa mas duim abaotem wei wea hem trae pullim narawan? (b) Message bilong Christ for kongregeson long Thyatira hem helpem olketa woman wea followim God for duim wanem?
5 Kongregeson long Thyatira hem letem idol worship, false teaching, and dirty fasin for go ahed nomoa. “Datfala woman Jezebel” stap midolwan olketa—diswan minim wanfala grup bilong olketa woman wea garem fasin olsem wicked Queen Jezebel bilong ten-tribe Kingdom bilong Israel. Samfala savveman sei ‘olketa woman profet’ bilong Thyatira trae for switim olketa Christian for worshipim olketa god and woman god bilong bisnis and for join insaed olketa celebration wea olketa sakrifaesim kaikai long olketa idol. No woman shud mekem hemseleva olsem wanfala profet and bossim olketa narawan insaed Christian kongregeson distaem!
6 Christ hem bae ‘torowem datfala woman Jezebel long wanfala bed bilong sikman, and olketa wea duim adultery witim hem long bigfala trabol, sapos olketa no repent from evri waka bilong hem.’ Olketa overseer shud nating letem olketa wicked teaching and hevi olsem affectim olketa, and no eni Christian need for duim spiritual and physical fornication or for worshipim idol bifor hem luksavve hao “olketa deepfala samting bilong Satan” olketa barava wicked. Sapos iumi obeyim warning bilong Jesus, ‘iumi bae hol strong long truth iumi garem,’ and sin bae no bossim iumi. Bikos olketa rejectim olketa fasin, samting wea body laekem, and goal wea no followim God, olketa anointed wan wea resurrect bae kasem “paoa ovarem olketa nation” and bae join witim Christ for pisisim olketa nation. Distaem, olketa kongregeson garem olketa tokpiksa star, and olketa anointed wan bae kasem “datfala morning star wea shaen,” datfala Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, taem olketa resurrect go long heven.—Revelation 22:16.
7 Thyatira kongregeson kasem warning for no acceptim wicked wei bilong olketa apostate woman. Disfala message bilong Christ wea spirit muvim hem for talem for olketa kongregeson helpem olketa woman wea followim God distaem for luksavve long waka wea God markem for olketa. Olketa no trae for hae winim olketa man and no switim eni brata for duim spiritual or physical fornication. (1 Timothy 2:12) Bat, olketa woman olsem showimaot gud example long fasin and service wea praisem God. (Psalm 68:11; 1 Peter 3:1-6) Sapos kongregeson gardim samting hem garem—klinfala teaching and fasin and Kingdom service wea iumi barava tinghae long hem—Christ bae kam witim olketa nambawan reward, no judgment for dae.
Long Angel Long Sardis
8. (a) Sardis hem stap long wea, and wanem nao samfala samting iumi savve abaotem hem? (b) Why nao kongregeson bilong Sardis needim help?
8 Kongregeson long Sardis needim help kwiktaem bikos hem dae long spiritual wei. (Readim Revelation 3:1-6.) Sardis hem richfala taon wea stap samting olsem 50 kilometer south long Thyatira. Bisnis, gudfala graon, kaleko and mat olketa wakem from wool help for mekem datfala taon rich, wea samting olsem 50,000 pipol stap long hem. Man for raetem history, Josephus, sei staka Jew nao stap long Sardis long first century B.C.E. Olketa oldfala samting bilong datfala taon showimaot hao olketa garem wanfala synagogue and wanfala temple bilong Artemis, woman god bilong Ephesus.
9. Wanem nao iumi shud duim sapos iumi servem God witim no eni feeling?
9 Christ talem angel bilong kongregeson long Sardis: “Mi savve long evri samting wea iu duim, hao pipol tingse iu laef, bat iu dae nao.” Waswe sapos pipol lukim iumi olsem spiritual man bat iumi ting smol long olketa Christian privilege and serve witim no eni feeling and long spiritual wei iumi “klosap dae”? Sapos olsem iumi need for ‘go ahed for tingim hao nao iumi kasem and herem’ Kingdom message, and iumi shud strongim bak waka bilong iumi insaed long holy service. Iumi barava need for start for tekpart long olketa Christian meeting witim full heart. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) Christ warnim kongregeson long Sardis: “Sapos iu no wekap, bae mi kam olsem man for steal, and bae iu no savve long wanem hour nao bae mi kam long iu.” Waswe iumi distaem? Klosap nao iumi mas givim ansa long God.
10. Nomata long ples olsem Sardis, wanem nao maet samfala Christian duim?
10 Nomata long ples olsem Sardis, maet samfala insaed kongregeson ‘no spoelem kaleko bilong olketa and savve garem white kaleko and wakabaot witim Christ from olketa fit for duim.’ Olketa evritaem showimaot wei wea olketa wanfala Christian, olketa stap klin, and no kamap dirty from fasin and religion bilong world. (James 1:27) So, Jesus ‘bae nating tek aotem nem bilong olketa from buk bilong laef, bat hem bae luksavve nem bilong olketa front long Father bilong hem and front long olketa angel bilong hem.’ From olketa kamap fit for wakabaot witim Christ, bride class bilong olketa anointed wan bilong hem bae werem braet, klin, naes kaleko wea piksarem olketa raeteous waka wea olketa holy wan duim. (Revelation 19:8) Olketa nambawan privilege saed long service wea olketa bae kasem long heven strongim olketa for winim world. Olketa wea hope for laef long earth tu garem olketa blessing front long olketa. Nem bilong olketa stap tu insaed buk bilong laef.
11. Wanem nao iumi shud duim sapos iumi gogo for sleep long spiritual wei?
11 No eniwan long iumi laek for kamap nogud long spiritual wei olsem kongregeson long Sardis. Bat hao sapos iumi luksavve iumi gogo for sleep long spiritual wei? For iumi kasem gud samting, iumi shud duim samting kwiktaem. Maet olketa wei wea no followim God pullim iumi or iumi kamap slak for attendim meeting or duim ministry. Iumi shud prea strong for help bilong God. (Philippians 4:6, 7, 13) Bible reading evriday and for studyim Bible and pablikeson bilong datfala “faithful wakman” bae helpem iumi for wekap long spiritual wei. (Luke 12:42-44) Then iumi bae olsem olketa long Sardis wea Christ appruvim, and iumi bae wanfala blessing long olketa brata bilong iumi.
Long Angel Long Philadelphia
12. Hao nao bae iu storyim samting wea go ahed long Philadelphia saed long religion?
12 Jesus hem praisem kongregeson long Philadelphia. (Readim Revelation 3:7-13.) Philadelphia (distaem Alasehir) hem main taon long area for wakem wine long western Asia Minor and pipol garem gudfala living. Tru nao, main god olketa worshipim long there hem Dionysus, god bilong wine. Luk olsem olketa Jew long Philadelphia nating win for mekem olketa Jew Christian for keepim samfala part long Law bilong Moses or followim bak moa.
13. Hao nao Christ iusim “key bilong David”?
13 Christ “garem key bilong David,” and so hem nao lukaftarem evriting saed long Kingdom and wei for organizem famili bilong faith. (Isaiah 22:22; Luke 1:32) Jesus iusim datfala key for provaedem olketa chance and privilege for olketa Christian long Philadelphia and narafala ples. Start kam long 1919 hem putim front long datfala “faithful wakman” “wanfala bigfala door” wea lead go long Kingdom preaching waka wea no eni enemy fit for satem. (1 Corinthians 16:9; Colossians 4:2-4) Hem tru, datfala door bilong olketa Kingdom privilege hem sat for pipol bilong “synagogue bilong Satan,” bikos olketa no spiritual Israelite.
14. (a) Wanem promis nao Jesus givim long kongregeson long Philadelphia? (b) Hao nao iumi savve stap klia from wei for foldaon long “hour bilong test”?
14 Jesus talem disfala promis long olketa Christian long Philadelphia: “From iu keepim toktok abaotem wei wea mi go ahed strong, bae mi tu keepim iu from hour bilong test, wea bae kam long full earth.” For duim preaching man mas garem semkaen fasin for go ahed strong olsem Jesus hem garem. Hem nating letem enemy winim hem bat go ahed for duim will bilong Dadi bilong hem. Dastawe, Christ hem resurrect for laef wea kanduit dae long heven. Sapos iumi hol strong long disison bilong iumi for worshipim Jehovah and saportim Kingdom thru long wei for preachim gud nius, diswan bae keepim iumi from wei for foldaon insaed disfala taem bilong test, datfala “hour bilong test.” Iumi bae ‘go ahed for hol strong long wanem iumi garem’ from Christ taem iumi mekem big moa olketa samting bilong Kingdom hia. Diswan bae lead go long wei for olketa anointed wan rul long heven and olketa loyal fren bilong olketa kasem laef olowe long earth.
15. Wanem nao olketa mark bilong olketa wea olsem “post long temple bilong God”?
15 Christ sei moa: “Datfala man wea hem win—mi bae mekem hem wanfala post long temple bilong God bilong mi, . . . and mi bae raetem nem bilong God bilong mi long hem and nem bilong taon bilong God bilong mi, datfala niu Jerusalem wea hem kam daon from heven from God bilong mi, and datfala niufala nem bilong mi.” Olketa anointed overseer mas saportim tru worship. Olketa mas keepim mark for kamap member bilong “niu Jerusalem” thru long wei for preach abaotem Kingdom bilong God and for stap klin long spiritual wei. Diswan hem important sapos olketa laek for olsem wanfala post long temple long heven wea kasem glory and sapos olketa laek garem nem bilong taon bilong God olsem olketa citizen bilong hem long heven and sharem nem bilong Christ olsem bride bilong hem. And, tru nao, olketa mas garem ear for “herem samting wea spirit talem long olketa kongregeson.”
Long Angel Long Laodicea
16. Wanem nao samfala samting abaotem Laodicea?
16 Christ hem repruvim kongregeson long Laodicea bikos long wei bilong olketa for no ting strong long samting. (Readim Revelation 3:14-22.) Laodicea stap samting olsem 150 kilometer east long Ephesus long ples wea tufala main bisnis road meet long valley bilong Lycus River wea barava gud for growim kaikai. Laodicea hem richfala taon wea duim bank bisnis and wakem staka samting. Pipol evriwea savve long kaleko wea olketa wakem from blak wool. Olsem ples wea wanfala medical skul stap, luk olsem Laodicea nao wakem datfala eye medicine wea olketa kolem Phrygian powder. Asclepius, wanfala god bilong medicine, hem wanfala long olketa main god bilong datfala taon. Luk olsem Laodicea garem staka Jew, wea samfala long olketa barava rich.
17. Why nao olketa long Laodicea kasem repruv?
17 Thru long “angel” bilong kongregeson long Laodicea, Jesus tok witim paoa olsem datfala “faithful and tru witness, start bilong creation bilong God.” (Colossians 1:13-16) Pipol long Laodicea kasem repruv from olketa “no cold or no hot” long spiritual wei. From olketa no cold or no hot, Christ bae toroaotem olketa from mouth bilong hem. Hem shud isi for olketa minim disfala tokpiksa. Hierapolis wea stap klosap garem olketa hot spring, and Colossae garem cold wata. Bat, from wata mas kasem Laodicea from farawe ples, luk olsem hem no cold taem hem kasem disfala taon. Long samfala ples, gogo bilong wata hem akrosim olketa open bridge wea olketa wakem. Taem hem klosap long Laodicea, hem kam thru long hol insaed olketa ston blok wea olketa cementim tugeta.
18, 19. Hao nao olketa Christian distaem wea olsem olketa long Laodicea savve kasem help?
18 Distaem, pipol wea olsem olketa long Laodicea olketa olsem wata wea no cold or no hot. Jesus bae spitim aot! Jesus no wantem olketa for tok for hem, olsem olketa anointed “ambassador wea stand for Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:20) Sapos olketa no repent, olketa bae lusim privilege bilong olketa olsem pipol for talemaot Kingdom. Olketa long Laodicea aftarem riches bilong world and ‘barava no savve hao olketa no fit, no stap gud, poor, blind, and naked.’ For aotem wei for poor, blind, and naked long spiritual wei, eniwan wea olsem olketa distaem need for baem from Christ datfala ‘gold wea olketa klinim long fire’ bilong faith wea kasem test, “whitefala kaleko” bilong raeteous fasin, and “medicine for rabem long eye” for healim spiritual eye. Olketa Christian overseer hapi for helpem olketa for luksavve long spiritual need bilong olketa mekem olketa kamap “rich long faith.” (James 2:5; Matthew 5:3) And tu, olketa overseer need for helpem olketa for iusim “medicine for rabem long eye”—for acceptim and change followim teaching, kaonsel, example, and tingting bilong Jesus. Diswan hem medicine for “samting wea body wantem and samting wea eye wantem and wei for show-off witim samting wea man garem.”—1 John 2:15-17.
19 Jesus hem repruvim and disciplinem evriwan wea hem lovem. Olketa overseer wea stap anda long hem mas duim sem samting. (Acts 20:28, 29) Olketa long Laodicea need for “strong for duim waka and repent,” for mekem olketa change long tingting and wei bilong living bilong olketa. Waswe, samfala long iumi getius long kaen living wea holy service long God hem smol part nomoa bilong hem? Sapos olsem, iumi mas ‘baem medicine for rabem long eye from Jesus’ mekem iumi savve lukim wei wea hem important for strong for luk aotem Kingdom firstaem witim strong.—Matthew 6:33.
20, 21. Hu nao olketa wea ansarem “noknok” bilong Jesus long stretfala wei distaem, and wanem nao stap long future for olketa?
20 Christ hem sei: “Lukim! Mi standap front long door and noknok long hem. Sapos eniwan herem voice bilong mi and openem door, mi bae kam insaed long [haos] bilong hem and kaikaim evening kaikai witim hem and hem witim mi.” Jesus planti taem savve talem spiritual instruction long taem for kaikai. (Luke 5:29-39; 7:36-50; 14:1-24) Distaem, hem noknok long door bilong kongregeson wea olsem Laodicea. Waswe, olketa member bilong kongregeson bae ansarem disfala noknok, strongim bak love bilong olketa for hem, welkamim hem midolwan olketa, and letem hem teachim olketa? Sapos olsem, Christ bae kaikai witim olketa, wea bae barava helpem olketa long spiritual wei.
21 Long tokpiksa wei, olketa “nara sheep” distaem letem Jesus for kam insaed, diswan bae lead go long laef olowe. (John 10:16; Matthew 25:34-40, 46) Long each anointed wan wea win, Christ bae givim hem privilege for ‘sidaon witim hem long throne bilong hem, olsem wei wea hem win and sidaon witim Dadi bilong hem long throne bilong Hem.’ Tru nao, Jesus promisim nambawan reward for olketa anointed wan wea win for sidaon long throne witim hem long raet saed bilong Dadi bilong hem long heven. And olketa nara sheep wea win savve luk forward long naesfala ples long earth anda long Kingdom rul.
Olketa Leson for Iumi
22, 23. (a) Hao nao evri Christian savve kasem gud samting from toktok bilong Jesus long sevenfala kongregeson? (b) Wanem nao iumi shud disaed strong for duim?
22 No eni daot stap hao evri Christian savve barava kasem gud samting from toktok bilong Jesus for sevenfala kongregeson long Asia Minor. Olsem example, from olketa lukim praise wea Christ givim, diswan muvim olketa elder for givim praise long man wanwan and olketa kongregeson wea go ahed gud long spiritual wei. Taem wik point stap, olketa elder helpem olketa brata and sista for followim olketa Scripture for stretem datwan. Sapos iumi kwiktaem for followim witim prea olketa difren kaonsel wea Christ talem for sevenfala kongregeson hia bae iumi savve kasem gud samting.a
23 Olketa last day distaem hem no taem for isisi, lovem material samting, or eni difren samting wea maet kosim iumi for givim hafhaf service long God. So letem evri kongregeson go ahed for shaen braet olsem olketa lampstand wea Jesus keepim long ples bilong olketa. Olsem olketa faithful Christian, iumi mas evritaem disaed strong for lisin gud taem Christ hem toktok and for lisin long wanem spirit talem. Then iumi bae garem hapi olowe olsem pipol wea tekem go laet for givim Jehovah glory.
[Footnote]
a Chapter 7 go kasem13 bilong buk Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand! hem explainim Revelation 2:1–3:22. Olketa Jehovah’s Witness nao pablisim.
Hao Nao Bae Iu Ansa?
• Hu nao “datfala woman Jezebel,” and why nao olketa woman wea followim God no olsem hem?
• Wanem samting nao go ahed long Sardis kongregeson, and wanem nao iumi savve duim for stap klia long wei for kamap olsem olketa Christian wea stap long there?
• Olketa wanem promis nao Jesus givim long kongregeson long Philadelphia, and hao nao hem fitim distaem?
• Why nao olketa long Laodicea kasem repruv, bat wanem future stap front long olketa strongfala Christian?
[Piksa long page 16]
Mas stap klia from olketa wicked wei bilong “datfala woman Jezebel”
[Olketa Piksa long page 18]
Jesus putim front long olketa follower bilong hem “wanfala bigfala door” wea go for olketa Kingdom privilege
[Piksa long page 20]
Waswe, iu welkamim Jesus and lisin long hem?