Revelation 2: Letters to the 7 churches introduced

Read Revelation 2 here.

It is quite obvious that the visions in the book of Revelation is arranged mostly in 7’s. 7 has been recognized as the number of completeness. We may be quite aware of the following 7’s in the book:

But what may not be quite obvious is what I will refer to as the seven 7’s in this powerful letter to the 7 churches. What is even more interesting is that these seven 7’s are designed to completely reveal every aspect of Jesus Christ in the church that the saints ought to know in other to have a complete relationship with him. They are:

The seven 7s

1. The 7 churches Introduced
2. The 7 Revelations (Titles) of who Jesus and symbols of his appearance explained
3. The 7 commendations to the churches
4. The 7 Complaints to the churches
5. The 7 advice to the churches
6. The 7 Rewards for the saints
7. The 7 judgements on the wicked

The 7 Letters to the churches introduced (Revelation 2 &3)

The letters to the 7 churches are a real letter written to real churches or ecclesias. The number 7 is symbolic and I believe that these 7 letters is meant for all churches and all Christians to read and not just the 7. The number 7 represents what is complete. Jesus Christ is fully revealed only when the 7 letters are read together and fixed into a whole like a puzzle. We will look at this letter under the heading ‘The 7 Revelations of Jesus and symbols explained.”

If you noticed, as I have listed out, the contents of the letter are grouped into 7 sevens. This I believe show that this letter, though a real one written for specific churches, reveals that these letters and its contents is a symbolic letter written for the global churches of Christ to read as a whole in other to get a whole revelation of Christ and his kingdom, that is the gospel, Acts 8:12.

Therefore, each church is expected to read not just the letter addressed to him, but the rest of the letters in other to have a full manifestation of Christ, a full understanding of the reward of the saints and a full insight into the condemnation that awaits the wicked. It is only when these 7 letters are put together that the 7 becomes one because the body of Christ, though with many parts is indeed ONE. Romans 12:4,5. So, I believe that these letters were not written for churches today to scan through and hold onto the one that appears to speak more about them. I also do not think that these letters are in any way a prophecy of the states of the churches over the centuries but I consider it a timeless Revelation of the real Jesus to his one body represented as the 7 churches.

Having said this, I have evidence that makes me believe that these letters were actually in themselves, like the rest of the book, a prophecy or a vision of the latter day state of the church shown to John and may not have literally applied to the churches in John’s day. There seems to be a pointer in the 7 stars and 7 angels depiction to that period of time, from 3^rd century onwards, when the structure of the churches would change to a single bishopric, a time of great corruption of the truth unlike the holy state of the churches in the first century.

The 7 Letters was written to the 7 churches below:

1. Ephesus
2. Smyrna
3. Pergamos
4. Thyatira
5. Sardis
6. Philadelphia
7. Laodicea

All of these churches are located in Asia Minor or in modern Turkey today. I do not think I have enough information to conclude that these 7 particular churches were more special than the rest of the churches in the world at that time. But I understand they form a circular trade route in Asia Minor and were privileged to be used by Christ as representatives of the rest of the churches and as part of the churches Christ would use to reveal himself to us.

The 7 (Revelations) Titles of Jesus Christ

1. Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2. The first and the last, who died and came to life.
3. Him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 
4. The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 
5. Him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars
6. The Holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
7. The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.