Seven Letters to the Churches

It is clear that the events that are happening globally are a call from God to repentance. But when there is turmoil on the earth, the first ones to be called to be accountable are always God’s people.

1 Peter 4:17 “For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?”

God always calls his priests and those who know his ways to get right with him first. Therefore, we need to understand that If we want our nation to be healed, we need to turn back to God wholeheartedly. We need to change our ways of thinking that are contrary to God’s ways, and we need to start walking the way God is asking us to walk.

2 Chronicles 7:14 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.)

Because God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”(Psalm 103:8), he always gives people the opportunity to repent before he disciplines them. Usually, before he sends judgment, he sends prophets to call his people to repentance and to remind them of what has been written in his word so people can obey it.

When God looks at the church, he doesn’t see single and separate members of a body. When he sees the church, he sees the body of Christ as a whole. Therefore when he addresses the church, he speaks to the local church of a city or nation and calls that entire body into alignment. And that is what we see in the book of Revelation.

The seven letters to the churches are the most important prophetic words for the entirety of the church. Those are Jesus’ words for the edification, exhortation, and comfort of the church. And according to Revelation 1:3, if we read those words and keep them we shall be blessed. Therefore let’s do it!

Rev 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

l. WHAT IS REPENTANCE?

Teshuvah is translated from the Hebrew as repentance, but it literally means return, as if turning back to something you've strayed or looked away from. If we repent and turn back to God, he promises to forgive, restore, heal, revive and make his presence manifest.

Hoseah 6:1-3 “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; On the third day, he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence.3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Joel 2:12-13 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”

II.WHAT IS THE LORD ASKING THE CHURCH TO REPENT FROM?

The book of Revelation opens with 7 letters addressing the church. The number seven in the bible communicates a sense of “fullness” or “completeness”. In the book of Revelation, there are seven churches, seven angels to the seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpet plagues, seven thunders, and seven final plagues. The first resurrection of the dead takes place at the seventh trumpet, completing salvation for the Church.

The message of Jesus to the 7 churches is his complete message to the global church.

1. CHURCH OF EPHESUS

If the church wants to experience restoration and revival it needs to go find the root of the problem that opened the door to her falling away. And that problem is that she lost her first love. When the church forsakes her first love, she is no longer keeping the first commandment. She is no longer loving the Lord her God with all her heart, mind, and soul. As a result, her light starts deeming out, to the point of experiencing Ichabod (a loss of the glory). The ark, which is Christ, is removed from her midst and the very presence of God is no longer with her.

But when the church repents and her first love is restored, love for God is vibrant and love for one another begins to flow naturally. The ark, which is Christ, is no longer found outside the door (as see Jesus outside the door in the church of Laodicea) but the ark returns to the Holy of Holies to bring the glory of the Lord Almighty. That is what brings revival.

Revelation 2:4 “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

Losing our first love and forsaking the things we did at first

Our first love refers to the first commandment: Matthew 22:36-38 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

A church that has lost her first love is a church that is not loving God with all her heart, soul, and mind. God is no longer in the first place, and she is no longer faithful to him as a bride is faithful to her bridegroom.

The command to “go back and do the things the church used to do at first” refers to the things the early church used to do. We can clearly see that today's church looks nothing like the early church. We don't love each other as much as they did. We don't share everything as they did. We don't sell our belongings to help others as they did. And we don't experience the power and miracles that they did. Clearly, something has changed in the way we used to do things and that is why it is important to “Stand by the roads and look; ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is; then walk in it, So we can find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16

(As we see this church began to experience a form of apostasy. What?) The term apostasy comes from the Greek word apostasia ("ἀποστασία") meaning "defection", "departure", "revolt", or "rebellion". It has been described as "a willful falling away”. That is why the Lord tells her to Consider how far she has fallen.”)

THE REWARD TO THE OVERCOMER

The reward is eating from the tree of life: Rev:2: 7 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

2. THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA

No Rebukes. Only encouragement. This church is already under tremendous fire and persecution.

Revelation 2:10-11 “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

REWARD TO THE OVERCOMER

Her reward is life as her victor’s crown. She will not experience the second death. She is guaranteed a glorious body that will never decay.

3. THE CHURCH OF PERGAMUM

Revelation 2:4-16 4 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent, therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Holding to the teachings of Balaam

Pergamum means married or united. This is a church married to the world.

Balaam, a prophet from Mesopotamia, was willing to use his God-given talents for illicit purposes. Even though he knew Balak was God’s enemy, he tried to sell his prophetic gifts to help him. When that didn’t work, Balaam counseled Balak on the most effective way to weaken Israel. This was through seduction, using Moabite and Midianite women to tempt the Israelites into sexual relationships and into pagan rituals. The Israelites who participated brought God’s judgment upon themselves (Numbers 25:1–9).

Perhaps teachers in this church were compromising on teaching the pure gospel. Instead of teaching a gospel that confronts sin, they were teaching a watered-down gospel. They were tickling people's ears telling them what they wanted to hear instead of telling them what they needed to hear. They also used their God-given gifts for personal gain and for the love of money. Such water-downed teachings brought the influence of spiritual and sexual impurity.

Holding to the teaching of the Nicolaitans

The Nicolaitans are those who used to follow Nicolas. According to the writings of the Early Church leaders, Nicolas taught a doctrine of compromise, implying that total separation between Christianity and the practice of occult paganism was not essential. Also the word Nicolas comes from the word Nico-Victory Laos-people ( victory over the people). This meaning refers to the Lordship of men over the people of God. Having the Lordship of men in the church is dangerous because when men are lords of the church, Christ is no longer the Lord.

In addition, this church honors the laws of the Ceasar more than the laws of God.

THE REWARD TO THE OVERCOMER

Her reward is to eat from the hidden manna. A new name that only she knows.

Revelation 2:17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

4. THE CHURCH OF THYATIRA

Revelation 2:20-23 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching, she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

Tolerating the Spirit of Jezebel

The spirit of Jezebel misleads the people of God to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Perhaps this church has a strong worldly influence. It follows the false prophetic voice of the media and Hollywood. Perhaps in this church the woke spirit of feminism rules. Perhaps they embrace abortion, they embrace gay marriage and sexual perversion. This church imitates and defends the woke worldly culture instead of imitating Christ and his principles of purity and holiness.

THE REWARD TO THE ONE WHO IS VICTORIOUS

Those who are victorious will have authority over nations. They will be given authority from the Father. They will receive the morning start.

26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

5. THE CHURCH OF SARDIS

Revelation 3:1-3 “ I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

This church thinks she is alive but she is dead. She is spiritually asleep and has no idea of the hour she is living in.

REWARD TO THE OVERCOMER

The victorious one will receive white garments. Their names will be acknowledged before the Father and his angels.

Revelation 3:5 -6The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

6. THE CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA

This church is an exemplary church. There are no rebukes to this church. Only praise and encouragement. This church is characterized by its brotherly love (Philadelphia means love of brothers). Philadelphia has an open door that none can shoot. She has little strength, but keeps God’s word and does not deny his name. Since she has kept God’s command to endure patiently, God will also keep her from the hour of trial. The key to spiritual success is love for God, love for others, keeping God’s word, and having spiritual perseverance to hold fast to the teachings of Jesus.

REWARD TO THE OVERCOMER

This church has a place of honor in the age to come. The one who is victorious will become a pillar in the temple of God and will never leave his temple. The Lord will write on him the name of God and the name of the city of God, the new Jerusalem; and he will also write on him His new name.

Revelation 3:12 To the one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.

7. THE CHURCH OF LAODICEA

Revelation 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich, and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

This church is lukewarm. She is also unaware of her spiritual condition. She is very poor spiritually and her nakedness is shameful. She is also blind and has no discernment. Therefore, she needs to go through a process of refinement and purification in order to become clean. Furthermore, this is a church where God’s presence is absent. Christ is found outside the church. This is a church without the Ark, a church without the glory. A church without the true presence of God. This church has experienced Ichabod! The glory has departed from her, because the ark, that is Christ is no longer in her midst. That is why we see Christ outside the church, knocking at the door trying to get back in.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

THE REWARD TO THE OVERCOMER

The reward to the victorious one will be to sit with Christ on his throne.

Revelation 3:21-22 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.``