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Our Mission: Revelation 14:6-12
If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 21
Introduction
to the Seven Letters
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Welcome to this new chapter of Bible prophecy! Let's pray together:
Father,
We heartily thank You for allowing us to study more deeply the prophetic book of
Revelation.
May Your Spirit guide us, He who inspired the content of this book to Your servant John.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Revelation 1:1,3
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His
servants - things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel
to His servant John (...).
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those
things which are written in it; for the time is near.
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Right from the first verse of Revelation, we discover the purpose
of this prophetic work: to reveal to us the «things which must shortly take place».
Moreover, a special blessing is granted to those who study this book.
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Revelation 1:4,5
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
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From the island of Patmos (near the coast of Turkey) where he was exiled, the apostle John entrusted the revelation he received to the seven major churches of Asia, where he had previously worked as a pastor.
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Revelation 1:9-11
I, John, both your brother and companion in tribulation, and in
the 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.
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a
trumpet, saying, (...)
«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.»
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On the orders of a powerful-voiced being, John sent a letter to
each one of the seven churches of Asia.
Let's take a moment to locate those seven churches on the map.
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Geographical situation of the seven churches of Asia:
These churches were situated
|~~~~######################## 1=Ephesus ####
in Lydia, an ancient region |~~~~~~# 3 ##### 4 ########## 2=Smyrna #####
corresponding to modern Tur- |~~~~~# 2 ######### 5 ####### 3=Pergamos ###
key. The sequence of the |~~~~~~############## 6 ##### 4=Thyatira
###
seven churches is horseshoe- |~Aegean# 1 ## LYDIA ######## 5=Sardis #####
shaped, and represents the |~~Sea~~~############### 7 ## 6=Philadelphia
order in which John would |~~~~~~~~~~~~################ 7=Laodicea ###
have visited them from Pat- |~~~##~~~~~~~~~~~~~######################~~#
mos, if he finally gained |~Patmos~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##
freedom. (In fact, John ma- |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Damas#°###
naged to return to Ephesus, |~~~Mediterranean~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#######
shortly before his death.) |~~~~~~~~Sea~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jerusalem#°#######
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Revelation 1:12,13
Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.
And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands
One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the
chest with a golden band.
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Then, John saw the One who instructed him to send the letters to
the seven churches.
Walking in the midst of the lampstands, this being is described in a gripping way.
We can already guess who He is; indeed, His identity will soon be confirmed by His
words...
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Revelation 1:17,18
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right
hand on me, saying to me,
«Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and
behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.»
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Romans 6:9
Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
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So, the powerful being is Jesus Christ Himself.
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Revelation 1:12,13,20
I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven
lampstands One like the Son of Man (...).
The seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
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Matthew 28:20
[Jesus said]: «And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.»
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By letting the prophecy interpret itself, we learn that the
lampstands symbolize the churches.
Standing in the midst of these lampstands, Jesus gives us the message that He will always
be with us, until the end of the world, faithful to the promise He has made.
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Revelation 1:12,13
I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man.
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Matthew 24:30
All the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.
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Daniel 7:13
Behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.
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By using the expression «Son of Man», John brings out the human nature of Jesus Christ, just as Daniel and Matthew did before.
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Revelation 1:14
His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire.
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Daniel 7:9
The Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame.
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But, by using the description of the Ancient of Days, who is God the Father, John also brings out the divine nature of Jesus Christ.
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Revelation 1:17,18
He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,
«Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and
behold, I am alive forevermore.»
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Isaiah 44:6
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the
Lord of hosts:
«I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.»
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A little farther on, John affirms once again the divinity of Jesus, quoting His expression «the First and the Last», attributed to God only.
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Revelation 1:16
Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.
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Ephesians 6:17
And take (...) the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
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Hebrews 4:12
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.
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Jesus, who is called «the Word» (John 1:1,14), appears with the Word of God in His mouth, ready to test our thoughts, words, and deeds.
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«What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches.» (Revelation 1:11)
Now, let's look at the seven letters.
Each one follows an almost identical pattern. Here is their general outline, in five
points:
1. Portrait of Jesus, according to the spiritual state of the
church.
2. Praise, acknowledgement of the positive points.
3. Condemnation, identification of the negative points.
4. Correction, counsels to restore the situation.
5. Promise, encouragement to persevere.
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A short look at the first letter shows the five points of the pattern:
1. Portrait of Jesus, according to the spiritual state of
the church.
«These things says He who holds the seven stars in His hand.»
(REVELATION 2:1)
2. Praise, acknowledgement of the positive points.
«I know your works, your labor, your patience.» (REVELATION
2:2)
3. Condemnation, identification of the negative points.
«You have left your first love.» (REVELATION 2:4)
4. Correction, counsels to restore the situation.
«Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do
the first
works.» (REVELATION 2:5)
5. Promise, encouragement to persevere.
«To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life,
which is
in the midst of the Paradise of God.» (REVELATION 2:7)
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Revelation 1:10,11
I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying,
«(...) 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.»
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We have just seen that the message of Jesus was addressed to the
seven churches of Asia listed in these verses.
However, Jesus' message is not only intended for those specific churches: its range is
much more extended, not only in space, but also in time.
Let's read the following verses.
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Revelation 1:19
Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
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Daniel 2:39,40
After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron.
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Jesus shows that the letters to the churches also have a
prophetic value.
Following the pattern of Daniel's prophecies, they will describe the seven stages of
Church history, from the days of John until the end of the world.
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Revelation 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.
«To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life.»
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Besides describing the situation of the seven local churches, as
well as the seven stages of Christian Church history between the first and the second
coming of Jesus, these seven letters are personally addressed to each one of us: «He who
has an ear, let him hear.»
They picture seven spiritual states that each Christian can experience throughout his
life, and then they give us the appropriate advice and encouragements.
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Revelation 1:1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants - things which must shortly take place.
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In fact, the very first verse of Revelation clearly shows that
this book is addressed to each one of us («to show His servants»), and that it also has
a prophetic range («things which must shortly take place»).
So we shouldn't be surprised that the seven letters also show this double application,
both personal and prophetic.
May the study of these letters help us to grow in our Christian life.
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Let's pray:
Lord,
We thank you for having given us the book of Revelation, especially the seven letters that
You addressed to Your church.
Through their prophetic value, they will strengthen our confidence in Your inspired Word.
Also, through their personal application, they will be a source of advice and
encouragement for us, whatever our spiritual state may be.
May Your Holy Spirit guide us, as we study each one of these seven letters. In Jesus
Christ we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 21 is waiting for you!