Revelation: Coming SoonSample

We saw yesterday that this book of the Bible is a revelation, a testimony, and a prophecy. That’s not all, though; it’s also a letter. It’s a letter written from John to “the seven churches of Asia.” The number seven is the biblical number of fulfillment, perfection, or completeness, so we can assume that the seven churches represent the whole church.

Usually, in New Testament letters, the application comes after a section on doctrine. In Revelation, things are the other way around. Chapters two and three jump straight into the application of the book. In other words, what the seven churches should do comes first.

Each of the seven churches gets its own individual letter. Today, we’re reading them through as a single section. In doing so, two things stand out. First is the structure of the letters, as each letter follows the same pattern. Each begins with the same introduction: “To the angel of the church in...” This signifies that each church is being given the word of God. What comes next is a statement about the One who is writing to these churches, usually, “These are the words of him who…” Each church is told a statement about Jesus that comes in chapter one. It is a shorthand way of saying that the letter comes from the person described in the introduction to the book. This would be like receiving a letter with the royal crest at the top of the page.

Having declared who is writing the letter, Jesus then says to each church, "I know…” Jesus knows each church intimately. For some, that means He knows the wrong things they do. For others, He knows the struggles they face. This means that Jesus also knows me and my local church. What a challenge when I think no one knows the sinful things I do. What a comfort that Jesus knows the troubles that I face.

The seven letters come in a particular order. They begin and end with churches whose struggle concerns their lack of love or passion for Jesus. The second and sixth churches face external opposition, with both their letters mentioning the synagogue of Satan. The middle three face internal pressures of false teaching alongside immorality. All these letters combine to address the pressures the whole church faces throughout history.

Each letter then concludes with a challenge and a promise. The challenge is to hear what Jesus says through the Spirit: “Whoever has ears, let them hear...” We are to listen when Jesus speaks through His word by His Spirit. We ignore Him at our peril. Then comes the promise: to “the one who is victorious.” The call to be victorious is an urge to keep going despite their difficulties. Whatever pressure the church or a Christian comes under, the constant call is to keep going.

Reflect: If Jesus was writing to your church, what would He say that “He knows”? If He was writing to you personally, what might He say?