Letters to the Seven Churches – Introduction
Synopsis: The visitation of Jesus to each of the
Seven Churches prepares the reader to understand the visions that follow the
letters to the churches of Asia
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The book
of Revelation is addressed to first-century churches in seven cities in the
province of Asia
in western Asia Minor.
John was commanded to send each congregation a copy of the entire book, not
just each one’s respective letter. The visitation of Jesus to each group
prepares the reader to understand the visions that follow in the remainder of
the book.
Whether the seven churches shared one copy among themselves, or each received a separate copy, is not relevant. Someone was designated to read the book in its entirety to each assembly (“blessed be he who reads and they who hear”).
The seven
“letters” of chapters 2-3 are not separate documents but integral parts of the
whole book, which cannot be understood apart from them. There are verbal,
visual and conceptual links between the “letters” and the later visions of
Revelation. Note the following example from the letter to Thyatira:
(Revelation
2:20) – “I have a few things against thee, because you tolerate that
woman Jezebel, who calls herself prophetess, to teach and to
seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things
sacrificed unto idols…I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery
with her into great tribulation.”
(Revelation
17:1-2) – “The great harlot that sits upon many
waters…with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication,
and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her
fornication.”
(Revelation
18:3) – “And the kings of the earth committed fornication with her.”
Only seven
churches are named, yet there were more than seven in Asia by the end of the
first century A.D., for example, in the cities of Colossae,
Troas
and Miletus
(2 Corinthians 2:12, 2 Timothy 4:13-20).
The number
seven predominates in Revelation and is used to symbolize completion or
perfection. Though real, the seven churches are also a representative group that
portrays a larger reality, perhaps all churches or, at least, all the
congregations in the province of Asia.
Each
letter is addressed to the angel or “messenger” of its respective
church. However, each also concludes with an exhortation, “Hear what the
Spirit is saying to the churches.” The plural noun also points to a broader
audience and the present tense verb (“saying”) signifies ongoing action.
Each letter is something the Spirit is saying to the churches. They point to a
larger reality but remain a part of it. Any interpretation that makes the book
irrelevant to these seven churches misses the mark.
Commentators
struggle with whether the “messenger” of each church is an angelic being
or the human leader of each congregation. The text does not address this,
though it assumes each messenger is responsible for the delivery of the letter
to his church. This points to a solution from the book’s prologue: “He who
reads and they who hear.” Possibly, the seven messengers are the men
assigned to present and read the book before each congregation.
The book
begins in a localized setting at the end of the first century. Almost
immediately, it begins to deal with the struggles and successes of the seven
churches. No doubt, many of the problems experienced by them were also common
to other congregations in the province, and in the rest of the Empire.
The book
of Revelation was composed around A.D. 95 when Rome was ruled by Emperor Domitian. The
province of Asia was one of the richest and, therefore, one of the most
important provinces of the Roman Empire. Its cities were largely Hellenized
with Greek being the common language, especially in commerce. By this time,
Christians in Asia were experiencing pressure to conform to pagan society. This
would have included societal if not governmental pressure to participate in the
imperial cult, the veneration of the emperor.
To engage
fully in the economic life of a city, it was often necessary to join one of the
local trade guilds, each with its own patron deities and rituals. To join
required joining in their idolatrous rituals. This situation, possibly, is
behind the several warnings against “fornication.” The concern is not
with sexual sin but idolatry, which is often compared to fornication in
scripture. To refuse to participate meant economic deprivation (see Revelation 2:21,
17:2-4).
Pressure
from local Jewish synagogues was another problem. The “synagogue of Satan”
is condemned for “slander” against the churches. This most likely refers
to the submission of charges against Christians before local magistrates for
refusing to offer incense to an image of the emperor and, also, to other
activities disruptive to the political order (Revelation 2:9, 3:9, 13:6-7).
By the
late first century, the imperial cult was prevalent in Asia. Participation was expected of all citizens.
Temples dedicated to the Emperor and to the patron deity of the city of
Rome (Roma) existed in three of the seven named cities. The provincial
center of the Roman government and the imperial cult was in Pergamos.
To refuse to honor the emperor was tantamount to treason (Revelation 2:13,
“I know where you dwell, even where Satan’s seat is”).
The seven
letters are integral to the literary section that begins with John’s opening vision on the isle of Patmos,
which continues until the end of the letter to Laodicea.
The opening vision pictures the churches as seven golden lampstands among whom the
glorified “son of man” walks. He is arrayed in priestly garments, trims the
wicks and adds oil to the lampstands. He holds seven “stars” that
represent the seven “messengers” of the churches. The image portrays the
Risen Christ reigning over his churches.
The seven
letters reflect the assessment of Jesus on the Asian congregations. Each is
structured according to a sevenfold outline.
- A command for John to write to an assembly.
- Opening words from Jesus that cite attributes ascribed to him in chapter 1.
- Praise for a congregation’s achievements based on Christ’s all-seeing knowledge (“I know”).
- Rebuke for its shortcomings, also based on Christ’s all-seeing knowledge.
- A call to repent with judgment warnings for failure to do so.
- An exhortation to hear what the Spirit is saying to ALL the churches.
- Promises to individual believers who overcome.
There are
variations in this outline. Neither the letter to Smyrna
nor Philadelphia
includes a rebuke. Likewise, the letter Laodicea includes no praise for that
congregation. The summons to hear the Spirit is followed by promises to
overcomers in the first three letters. This order is reversed in the last four
letters.
Each
letter begins with the clause, “These things declares…” This parallels a
formula typical of Old Testament prophets, that is, “Thus says the Lord.”
The seven letters are, effectively, the oracles of a prophet. The attributes of
Jesus given at the start of a letter are thematic for what follows in it. For
example, Jesus is the one who “became dead and lived.” He, therefore, is
well able to encourage persecuted saints to remain faithful until death (“because
I will give you the crown of life”). Jesus has the “key of David”
and, therefore, places an “open door that no man can shut” before the
congregants at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:8).
In each
letter, Jesus cites his relevant attributes, reviews each congregation’s
status, encourages each church to persevere, calls for repentance where needed,
summons each body to heed the Spirit, and promises everlasting rewards to
believers who persevere to the bitter end.
There are
literary connections between the promises to “overcomers” and the vision
of New Jerusalem inhabited by the people of the Lamb:
- (2:7, 22:2) – The “tree of life.”
- (2:11, 20:6, 21:8) – Escape from the “second death.”
- (2:26, 20:4, 22:5) – Authority to reign over the nations.
- (3:5, 21:27) – The overcomer’s name written in the “book of life.”
- (3:12, 22:4) – God’s name written on the forehead of the overcomer.
- (2:2, 21:14) – False apostles vs. twelve true Apostles.
- (2:9, 21:12) – False Jews vs. True Israel.
- (2:13, 22:1) – Satan’s throne vs. God’s throne.
- (3:2, 21:27 – Dead believers vs. All believers in the “book of life.”
- (2:14-20, 21:8, 27) – Idolatry and liars vs. purity and truth in the new creation.
Conceptual
and verbal links between the seven letters and the later visions of the book shed
light on the real causes behind the struggles of the churches, for example:
- (2:2, 2:15, 13:11, 16:13) – “False apostles,” “Nicolaitans” correspond to the “False Prophet.”
- (2:16, 19:15) - Jesus executes judgment with the sword of his mouth.
- (2:20, 17:1-7) – “Jezebel” corresponds to the “Harlot, Babylon.”
- (2:22, 7:14) – The “Great Tribulation” is also referenced in the vision of the “innumerable multitude.”
- (3:12, 7:1, 14:1) - God’s name inscribed on overcomer corresponds to the sealing of saints.
These
structural features constitute evidence, not only of the book’s unity but, furthermore,
that the knowledge
of the situations described in each letter is necessary to understand the book.
William
Ramsay postulated that the sequencing in the list of the seven letters is
determined by the route a courier would follow to deliver them to each
congregation. Having made landfall at Ephesus, a letter-carrier would travel
north to Smyrna, east to Pergamos, southeast to Thyatira, south to Sardis,
east-southeast to Philadelphia and, finally, southeast to Laodicea. He would
then return to Ephesus directly from Laodicea, a roughly circular route. Each
city was on the main Roman road and they were at intervals of approximately 50-60
kilometers.
The geographical explanation makes good sense; however, another interpretation is
offered by the literary arrangement of the letters. They fall into three groups
based on their spiritual conditions. The first and last congregations are in
the poorest condition (Ephesus, Laodicea). The central three are in better
condition but with deception and compromise making inroads (Pergamos, Thyatira,
Sardis). The second and sixth churches are in the best spiritual shape and receive
no rebuke (Smyrna, Philadelphia).
In the
middle letter to Thyatira
is heard the only declaration addressed expressly to all seven churches: “All
the churches shall get to know that I am he that searches reins and hearts, and
I will give to each one according to your works.”
Jesus is
the all-seeing Protector, Judge, and Ruler of his churches. His visitation
prepares his people to engage in faithful witness in hostile environments. Through
faithful perseverance, they will inherit God’s promises in the New Jerusalem.
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