Revelation Part 07
Christ’s words to the seven Churches remain relevant today, not only as history but as ongoing spiritual instruction.
In Revelation 1:12–20, we see that Jesus Himself desired to address the churches directly, offering His personal perspective. These letters are not just historical notes; they reveal deep insights into the mind and heart of Jesus Christ. Through them, we come to understand His authority over the churches, His role as High Priest (as described in Hebrews), and His intimate relationship with His people. Jesus uses these messages to show how He views the Church. Not only what He appreciates and values, but also how He evaluates, corrects and guides His people.
These letters emphasize that Jesus is not distant or aloof when it comes to His Church; He walks among the lampstands (the churches) and continues to engage with them actively. As Hebrews 13:8 reminds us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” His words to the seven churches remain relevant today, not only as history but as ongoing spiritual instruction. Ephesians 1:22 declares that the Father “put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,” and Colossians 1:15–18 proclaims that Christ “is the image of the invisible God . . . the head of the body, the church . . .that in all things He may have the preeminence.” This testimony is evidence that He is worthy of our worship.
Revelation 1:3 offers a promise of blessing:
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy.”
And in verse 11, Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, commands John to write and send these messages to the seven churches. These were real congregations at the time, but they can also symbolize successive Church eras, and more broadly, every Church throughout time.
In Revelation 2:7, Jesus says,
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
This means every believer in every era should take each message personally. This calls us to ask: What kind of church are we? What is our spiritual personality? Are we strong and healthy—or weak, unhealthy, or even spiritually sick? Do we reflect Christ’s character, or fall short of His standard?
As we study each letter, we will examine the specific points Christ makes, including His encouragements, corrections, and calls to repent and overcome. We will discover what we can learn from them and apply in our lives today.
Listed below are several other church resources dedicated to studying the messages to the seven Churches that would pair well with our upcoming lessons as we dive into more detail on each Church:
Sermon series by Gary Petty on Revelation 2 and 3
Beyond Today Series by Darris McNeely on each of the Seven Churches:
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
