In Revelation 1, John tells us that while he was in prison on the island of Patmos for preaching the Word of God, the Lord paid him a visit. Then he passes on a greeting from God, from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Christ Jesus. Following that, John tells us about Christ Jesus standing among the seven lamp stands and the seven stars that he saw in the Lord’s right hand. The Lord tells John that the lamp stands represent the seven churches and the stars signify the angels of the churches. The fact that Jesus was standing amid the lamp stands tells us that He is amongst all of the churches.
In the beginning of Revelation, Jesus gives specific messages to several churches in Asia. Are the messages really directed at the churches? Or could the messages really be directed to His followers?
Some theorize that the churches in Revelation chapters 1-3 are periods of time while others speculate that the churches are actual churches that will be present during time just before the end. I believe that the churches represent the people who will be attending church just before the tribulation begins. Either way, below is a quick summary of each church that Jesus addresses:
• The church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7:Jesus mentions the good characteristics by saying that though they will suffer hardships, they will never grow weary. Additionally, because they test the spirits, they cast out false teachers. Nevertheless, they will desert their first love: Jesus. Malachi 2:15 warns us not to break up with the wife of our youth. In other words, we should never lose the zeal that we had when we first became a Christian…we need to keep the fire kindled.
• The church of Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11:Jesus encourages them to be faithful and to patiently endure the hardships that are to come. When we’re being persecuted, we need to remember that the world hated Jesus long before they hated us.
• The church of Pergamum in Revelation 2:12-17:Though they won’t renounce their faith in the Lord, they allow false teachings to infiltrate the church. Since a little yeast goes a long way, it can cause an entire batch of dough to rise. By the way, the yeast that I’m talking about are false beliefs that can corrupt an entire congregation.
• The church of Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29:Though the church members will mature and became more active than they were at first, the Lord admonishes them for allowing poison to leak into their church by way of a prophetess who will lead members astray. If they continue to follow her teachings, their souls will be in peril. However, to those who refuse to be swayed by her false teachings, the Lord encourages them to hold on until He returns.
• The church of Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6:Few things are worse than a dead church. Evidently, this church will pretend to be a Christ-led church where the members are filled with the Holy Spirit, but it will only be an act. For the few who will follow Christ wholeheartedly, He promises that they will be dressed in white and will be with Him in heaven after they die.
• The church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13:Though they are weak, they will never turn away from the Lord. They will have such strong faith that hell won’t stand a chance against them. While Jesus promises to keep these people from the hour of trial, He promises to write the name of God and the name of the new Jerusalem on them.
• Finally, we read about the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22: Because they’re lukewarm, or riding the fence, the Lord promises to spit them out. Because they think more of the things of this world than their spiritual wellbeing, He urges them to purchase gold from Him, which is pure, so they can become rich spiritually.