The apostle John, now in his nineties and imprisoned for his faith on the island of Patmos (off present day Turkey), was unexpectedly visited one day by Someone he had not seen in over six decades – the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus had a task for John to perform – record the things that Jesus was about to reveal to him, then distribute that record as an epistle to seven churches in the Roman Province of Asia, now western Turkey.
John begins his account:
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
Seven churches. This raises some questions. Firstly, why seven?
The number seven is very important and symbolic to the Lord. It is used repeatedly throughout His word, the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. Considered by most scholars to be the number of completeness, “seven” is also referred to as the number of God.
Chuck Missler has noted several seven-fold structures found throughout the book of Revelation, with many more to be identified there if one looks for them:
7 seals on the scroll, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls, 7 lamp stands, 7 spirits, 7 stars, 7 promises to overcomers, 7 horns, 7 eyes, 7 angels, 7 thunders, 7 heads, 7 crowns, 7 mountains, 7 plagues, 7 kings, and 7 years of judgment in the Great Tribulation. This is clearly the fingerprint of God upon the content of this book.
Second, why these seven churches? Do they deserve such important attention to be singled out by Christ for universal scrutiny? Certainly, there were larger and more impactful assemblies among the hundred or so that had formed throughout the Roman empire since the birth of the Christian church, some 60 years earlier, at Pentecost.
We do not know for sure why Jesus chose these seven, but there are some notable possibilities. First, Christ’s address to each church highlights different strengths and weaknesses which are very important to Him. These assets and liabilities are not unlike those found in many current churches, as adapted for the times. We can learn much today from studying His letter to each church, then applying His words to our own. Every church likely has some measure of each one’s attributes or deficits, be it small or great.
Secondly, some, but not all, scholars believe that the order of the list of the seven churches in Christ’s letter broadly corresponds to seven periods of church history that have unfolded over the past 1,900 years. If the churches were listed in any other order than that given by Jesus, this secondary application would not apply.
There is so much more to look at and learn from in the days ahead as we, quoting J. Vernon McGee, “Revel through Revelation’.
Reflection
Are you actively attending and participating in a church today?
Though only faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is required for salvation, we see from Revelation 1 that churches are very, very important to Christ. They are a major focus of His attention, and He is both standing amongst them and supporting them.
Let us pray:
Lord, bless the global Christian church. Bless and protect them. Thank You for the local one You have placed me in, draw us closer to You, purify us, strengthen us in love, fortify our divine assets, and remove our unholy failings and liabilities. Lead those of us who are not currently participating in church into a divine assembly of worship, encouragement, and spiritual growth and service as we seek to follow You. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have a blessed and beautiful day in the Lord today!
Times and Seasons - The Book of Revelation FOR TODAY 