Summary of the Seven
Letters
Screen 1
Welcome to the conclusion of this section! Let's pray together:
Father,
The study of the letters to the seven churches reveals the wonderful riches of the
prophetic book of Revelation.
Please grant us Your Holy Spirit, so that the global picture may help us to fully
understand the seven letters.
We ask You, above all, to help us to put into practice the invaluable counsels Jesus gives
us in these letters. In His name we pray.
Amen.
Screen 2
Revelation 1:11
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.
----------------------------------------------------
In this lesson, we will draw the main parallels between the letters to the
seven churches.
These parallels will help us to discover some important messages which can go unnoticed
when each letter is studied separately.
Though the letters present a local application, we will linger over their prophetic
application.
Screen 3
Revelation 1:19
Write the things which you have seen, and the things
which are, and the things which will take place after this.
---------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------
Following the pattern of Daniel's prophecies describing the succession of
earthly kingdoms, the letters describe the succession of the seven stages of Church
history, between the first and the second coming of Jesus.
Screen 4
The seven churches symbolize the seven stages of Church history:
Church
| Meaning of its name | Symbolized period
| Dates
=============|=======================|======================|============
Ephesus |
Desirable | Apostolic
Church | 33 - 100
Smyrna | Fragrant when crushed
| Persecuted Church | 100 - 313
Pergamos | Raised
up city | Compromising Church | 313 - 538
Thyatira | Savor
of labor | Corrupt Church |
538 - 1517
Sardis | That
which remains | Reformation Church | 1517 - 1755
Philadelphia | Brotherly love
| Awakening Church | 1755 - 1844
Laodicea | Judging the
people | Church of Today | 1844 - End
Screen 5
Revelation 1:1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to
show His servants - things which must shortly take place.
----------------------------------------------------
Keeping in mind each one of the stages of Church history, let's start by
quickly reviewing the content of each section of the seven letters.
Screen 6
The portrait of Jesus reflects the need of each one of the 7 churches:
Ephesus
| Jesus walks among the se- | The church must come back to
| ven
golden lampstands. | Jesus, who won't abandon it.
Smyrna | He was dead, but came back | It must confront
trials, even
| to life.
| facing death.
Pergamos | He has the two-edged sword.| It must return to the Bible.
Thyatira | He has eyes like fire, and | It must come out of darkness
| His feet
like fine brass. | and come back to the Light.
Sardis | He holds the seven stars. | Jesus can give
it life again.
Philadelphia | He has the key of David | It must take advantage of the
| which
opens the door. | door Jesus opened for it.
Laodicea | He is the Amen, the Begin- | It must acknowledge that a
| ning of
God's creation. | new world will soon begin.
Screen 7
What Jesus knows about each one of the seven churches:
Ephesus
| «I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that
| you cannot bear those who are evil.» (Revelation 2:2)
Smyrna | «I know your works,
tribulation, and poverty.» (Rev. 2:9)
Pergamos | «I know your works, and where you
dwell, where Satan's
| throne is.» (Revelation 2:13)
Thyatira | «I know your works, love, service,
faith, and your pa-
| tience.» (Revelation 2:19)
Sardis | «I know your works.»
(Revelation 3:1)
Philadelphia | «I know your works.» (Revelation 3:8)
Laodicea | «I know your works, that you are
neither cold nor hot.»
| (Revelation 3:15)
Screen 8
The positive points Jesus finds in each one of the seven churches:
Ephesus
| «You have tested those who say they are apostles
and are
| not (...); you have persevered and have patience, and
| have labored for My name's sake.» (Revelation 2:2,3)
Smyrna | «You are rich.»
(Revelation 2:9)
Pergamos | «You hold fast to My name, and did
not deny My faith.»
| (Revelation 2:13)
Thyatira | «As for your works, the last are more
than the first.»
| (Revelation 2:19)
Sardis | Jesus doesn't identify any positive point for this
church.
Philadelphia | «You have a little strength, have kept My
word, and have
| not denied My name.» (Revelation 3:8)
Laodicea | Jesus doesn't identify any positive point for this church.
Screen 9
The negative points Jesus finds in each one of the seven churches:
Ephesus
| «You have left your first love.» (Revelation 2:4)
Smyrna | Jesus doesn't identify any negative point for this
church.
Pergamos | «You have there those who
hold the doctrine of Balaam.
| (...) You also have those who hold the doctrine of the
| Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.» (Revelation 2:14,15)
Thyatira | «You allow that woman
Jezebel, who calls herself a pro-
| phetess, to teach and beguile My servants.» (Revelation
| 2:20)
Sardis | «You have a name that you
are alive, but you are dead.»
| (Revelation 3:1)
Philadelphia | Jesus doesn't identify any negative point for this church.
Laodicea | «You are lukewarm, and neither cold
nor hot (...). You do
| not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind,
| and naked.» (Revelation 3:16,17)
Screen 10
The counsel Jesus gives to each one of the seven churches:
Ephesus
| «Repent and do the first works.» (Revelation 2:5)
Smyrna | «Be faithful until death.»
(Revelation 2:10)
Pergamos | «Repent.» (Revelation 2:16)
Thyatira | «I gave her time to repent
(...). Hold fast what you have
| till I come.» (Revelation 2:21,25)
Sardis | «Remember therefore how you
have received and heard; hold
| fast and repent.» (Revelation 3:3)
Philadelphia | «Hold fast what you have,
that no one may take your
| crown.» (Revelation 3:11)
Laodicea | «I counsel you to buy
from Me gold refined in the fire,
| (...) white garments, (...) and anoint your eyes with
| eye salve (...). Be zealous and repent.» (Rev. 3:18,19)
Screen 11
The warning Jesus gives to each one of the seven churches:
Ephesus
| «I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from
| its place - unless you repent.» (Revelation 2:5)
Smyrna | No warning is given to this church.
Pergamos | «Repent, or else I will come to you
quickly and will fight
| against them with the sword of My mouth.» (Rev. 2:16)
Thyatira | «Indeed I will cast
(...) [them] into great tribulation,
| unless they repent of their deeds.» (Revelation 2:22)
Sardis | «If you will not
watch, I will come upon you as a thief,
| and you will not know what hour I will come.» (Rev. 3:3)
Philadelphia | No warning is given to this church.
Laodicea | «So then, because you are
lukewarm, and neither cold nor
| hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.» (Revelation 3:16)
Screen 12
What Jesus promises to him who overcomes in each of the seven churches:
Ephesus
| «I will give to eat from the tree of life.» (Rev. 2:7)
Smyrna | «He (...) shall not be hurt
by the second death.»
| (Revelation 2:11)
Pergamos | «I will give some of the hidden
manna. And I will give him
| a white stone, and on the stone a new name.» (Rev. 2:17)
Thyatira | «To him I will give power over
the nations (...). And I
| will give him the morning star.» (Revelation 2:26,28)
Sardis | «He who overcomes shall be
clothed in white garments, and
| I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but
| I will confess his name before My Father.» (Rev. 3:5)
Philadelphia | «I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God,
(...) I
| will write on him the name of My God.» (Revelation 3:12)
Laodicea | «I will grant to sit with Me on My
throne.» (Rev. 3:21)
Screen 13
The letters to the seven churches present an interesting correlation:
1. EPHESUS Common theme: Ardor gives way to
lukewarmness 7. LAODICEA
Abandonment of first love (Rev.2:4) | Neither cold nor
hot (Rev. 3:15)
====================================|====================================
2. SMYRNA Common theme: Faithfulness
through trials 6. PHILADELPHIA
Problems with false Jews (Rev. 2:9) | Victory over false Jews
(Rev. 3:9)
Crown of life promised (Rev. 2:10) | Crown of life
promised (Rev. 3:11)
====================================|====================================
3. PERGAMOS Common theme:
Living faith threatened 5. SARDIS
Threatened by apostasy (Rev. 2:14) | Threatened by
formalism (Rev. 3:2)
====================================|====================================
4. THYATIRA The Church is plunged into the
greatest spiritual darkness
of its entire history,
into «the depths of Satan» (Rev. 2:24)
Screen 14
Revelation 22:10
And [the angel] said to me,
«Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.»
----------------------------------------------------
In our lesson «The Book of Revelation»,
we have seen that this book presents a mirrorlike organization, in which its historical
part (first part of the book) correlates with the eschatological part (second part of the
book).
In this mirrorlike organization, the letters to the seven churches (chapters 1 to 3)
perfectly correlate to the section describing the reward granted to the churches (chapters
21 and 22).
Let's look at this together.
Screen 15
First, a short reminder of the mirrorlike organization of Revelation:
Historical
part:Conflict in progress| Eschatological part: Conflict ended
==+=======+=======+=======+=======+=+=+=======+=======+=======+=======+==
P | 1-3 | 4-7 | 8-11 | 12-14 | | 15-16 | 17-18 |
19-20 | 21-22 | E
R |Counsel| Jesus |Severe |Trials | M | Severe| Down- | Jesus
|Reward | P
O |to the | com- | judg- |of the | I | judg- |fall
of| en- |to the | I
L |church,| forts | ments | pure | R | ments |impure
|thrones|church,| L
O | scat- |His af-| warn | woman | R | punish| woman
| His |gather-| O
G | tered |flicted| the |and her| O |
the |and her|resur- |ed and | G
U | and |people | world | chil- | R | world
|daugh- |rected | at | U
E |at war | | |
dren | | | ters |people |
peace | E
==+=======+=======+=======+=======+===+=======+=======+=======+=======+==
A B C
D E
D'
E' C'
B' A'
Screen 16
The letters (chapters 1 to 3) correlate to
the reward (chapters 21 and 22) !
Historical
part:Conflict in progress| Eschatological part: Conflict ended
====+=============================+=+=+=============================+====
R | Jesus counsels His church, | | Jesus rewards His
church, | R 2
E | scattered and at war |
| gathered and at peace | E 1
V 1 |-----------------------------| M
|-----------------------------| V
E | Lampstands (2:1)
| I |The Lamb is the light (21:23)| E a
L t | Tree of life (2:7)
| R | Tree of life (22:2) | L n
A o | Open door (3:8)
| R | Gates never closed
(21:25) | A d
T |Jesus on God's throne (3:21) | O |Throne of God and Lamb (22:1)| T
I 3 | The New Jerusalem comes | R
| The New Jerusalem comes | I 2
O | down out of heaven (3:12)
| | down out of heaven (21:10) | O 2
N | «I come quickly!» (3:11)
| |«I am coming quickly!» (22:7)| N
Screen 17
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.
----------------------------------------------------
By looking more closely at the seven letters, we continue to find many more
amazing messages about the «things which must shortly take place»,
thus filling with zeal and hope the hearts of those who study Revelation.
Screen 18
From one letter to another, Jesus' return is announced progressively!
Ephesus | «These things says He who (...) walks
in the midst of the
|
seven golden lampstands.» (Revelation 2:1)
Smyrna | «These things says
the First and the Last, who was dead,
|
and came to life.» (Revelation 2:8)
Pergamos | «Repent, or else I will come to
you quickly.» (Revelation
|
2:16)
Thyatira | «But hold fast what you have
till I come.»
|
(Revelation 2:25)
Sardis | «Therefore if you
will not watch, I will come upon you as
|
a thief.» (Revelation 3:3)
Philadelphia | «Behold, I come quickly!» (Revelation
3:11)
Laodicea | «Behold, I stand at the door.»
(Revelation 3:20)
Screen 19
Jesus' promises to him who overcomes restore what had been lost in Eden!
Church
| What Jesus promises | The
promise puts an end to
-------------|-------------------------------|---------------------------
Ephesus | Access to the
tree of life | Supreme effect of sin
Smyrna | Won't be hurt by
second death | Definitive effect of sin
Pergamos | Food without severe
labor | Immediate effect of sin
Thyatira | Domination over the
earth | Continuous effect of sin
=========================================================================
Church | What Jesus promises
| The promise restores
-------------|-------------------------------|---------------------------
Sardis | Justice
giving forgiveness | The way to eternity
Philadelphia | A place where one meets God |
The place of eternity
Laodicea | To share His throne with
him |The inheritance of eternity
Screen 20
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.»
----------------------------------------------------
In addition to describing the condition of the seven local churches and the
seven stages of Church history between the first and second coming of Jesus, the seven
letters are also addressed to each one of us: «He who has an ear,
let him hear.»
They reveal seven spiritual states a Christian can experience during his life.
Then, they give the best advice and encouragements for each one of those spiritual states.
Screen 21
The letters to the seven churches have a message for each one of us:
Ephesus | Let's keep the fire alive by prayer,
study of the Word of
|
God, and persevering work in God's harvest.
Smyrna | Let's be courageous
in spite of difficult times coming.
Pergamos | Let's resist the ease of
yielding to compromise.
Thyatira | When we mix with the people to
whom we present the gospel,
|
let's keep our faith and our commitment toward God pure.
Sardis | Let's make sure that
our faith, so ardent at the time of
| our
conversion, does not become a dead formalism.
Philadelphia | Let's take advantage of the door Jesus opens,
and proclaim
| the
gospel with perseverance according to our abilities.
Laodicea | Let's not be satisfied
with our spiritual state; we must
|
always better prepare ourselves for the return of Jesus.
Screen 22
Revelation 1:1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to
show His servants - things which must shortly take place.
----------------------------------------------------
Each one of the letters to the seven churches gives us a valuable message which
strengthens our confidence by its prophetic application, but also guides us in our
Christian progress by its personal application.
But the book of Revelation still holds in store a lot of surprises for us, as we will see
in the next section about the seven seals.
Don't miss it!
Screen 23
Let's pray:
Lord,
We sincerely thank You for giving us the book of Revelation, and for these seven letters
You sent to Your Church.
By their prophetic application, they strengthen our confidence in Your inspired Word.
By their personal application, they are a source of vital counsels and encouragement,
whatever our present spiritual condition may be.
May Your Holy Spirit continue to guide us, as we now tackle the study of the seven seals
of Revelation. In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 29 is waiting for you!