Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Revelation 2:8-10 – “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich) and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Smyrna: Conflicted Church-Faithful in Trials Remember therefore from where you have fallen repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent. Revelation 2:4-5 – Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Let’s quickly look at The Lessons of the 7 ChurchesĮphesus: Casual/Complacent Church-“Left its First Love” All of the rewards are pulled from the vision of the New Heavens and New Earth in Revelation 21 and 22. Reward – And finally, there is a reward mentioned for those who overcome.YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO LOOK AT THESE SEVEN CHURCHES AND SEE YOUR OWN WALK WITH JESUS THROUGH THIS LENS. Each letter ends with “To the one who overcomes…” So even though the letter is addressed to the church as a whole, the message requires a response from individuals in the church. Invitation – At the end of each letter, the message is individualized.Rebuke – Next, for 5 out of the 7 churches, there is rebuke.Encouragement – Then, there is encouragement – what is the church doing well? What is Christ pleased with in that church?.Revelation of Christ – At the beginning, there is a description of Christ that is specifically selected for each church from the vision in chapter one.It is good to note that every letter follows the same basic structure and form: So perhaps, these letters were written to these cities because they were meant to be attacks on the front lines of the enemy.
All of these cities had temples, priests, or altars dedicated to emperor worship.
So he sent them to the cities that could most easily make copies and get them out.īut there’s another possibility that is even more likely.
Maybe John (and ultimately Jesus) wanted these letters to get to as many churches and believers as possible. So it might just be a strategic decision. We know these cities served as the headquarters for the postal districts in these areas. So why did God choose these cities and these churches? Now, it’s interesting that there were actually other churches in this area, some of them more prominent. If you were dropping off these letters, you would reach these cities in this order. This explains the order the churches are listed.
#7 spirits of god full#
These seven cities were located roughly thirty to fifty miles apart along a circular road that went north to Pergamum, turned southeast to Laodicea, and returned full circle to Ephesus. We need to understand what these letters reveal about the eras of the Church-especially our modern era-and how their lessons apply to us today.
John addressed the book of Revelation “To the seven churches” (Revelation1:4), indicating the letters to each church were to be read in all the churches. The church conditions described in the letters prophetically describe the conditions that would prevail in each successive era. Jesus Christ’s words in these key chapters-chapter 2 & 3 of Revelation-explain the 7 eras, or the 7 periods of the church, and reveal the spiritual condition of God’s Church throughout history -where it has gone astray, and what you and I need to do about it! However, the letters are also prophecy of the future. The letters to the seven churches describe actual conditions in each church at the end of the first century AD. The link between John’s day and the time of Christ’s return is the prophetic time period pictured by seven Church eras outlined in Revelation 2–3. In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John wrote about events that would lead to the end of this age. The purpose of the book-especially the 7 letters for the 7 churches-was To strengthen the faith of the members of the present-day churches by giving them the assurance deliverance from the evil powers arrayed against them was close at hand. Far many people who do not clearly see why John wrote down what he saw view it through lens of fear. The prophetic imagery given to John throughout the 22 chapters is almost unbelievable to comprehend. The book of Revelation is one of the most unique books contained in the 66 books of the Bible. Pastor Jerry Sellers, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, TXĪs we continue this morning on our series, 7 I would like to start by giving you a little back drop info so we can get a clear and practical understanding why Jesus sent 7 letters to the 7 churches in Revelation.
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