To: The Churches

From: Jesus Christ

John was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard a VOICE like the sound of a trumpet. The individual speaking with this commanding voice told John to write in a book what he is shown and send the book to the seven churches in Asia Minor:

Laodicea

John turned around to see who was speaking and the sight so overwhelmed him that he fell down as a dead man. The following is his attempt to use human expressions to describe things beyond humanity:

One like a son of man
Clothed in a robe reaching to the feet and girded across His chest with a golden sash
His hair was white like white wool, like snow
His eyes were like a flame of fire
His feet were like polished brass that had been heated in a furnace
His voice like the sound of many waters (i.e. like Niagara Falls)
He walked among the seven golden lampstands and held the seven stars in his right hand (he had authority over them).
Out of His mouth came a sharp, two edged sword
His face shone like the sun.

In other words John saw someone who looked like a human, but who was really much more. He was dressed like a King. He is compared to the vision of God that Daniel described in his prophesy (Daniel 7:9). Those eyes pierced through all facades. All hypocrisy was exposed in the sight of this One. His feet were pure (free of all the alloys that weaken the bronze). These feet can be contrasted with Daniel's vision of the statue with the feet of iron which was mingled with clay (Daniel 2:33). His holiness radiated from His face and the radiance was so bright it was like looking into the sun. The discerning, two-edged sword (Word of the Lord - Hebrews 4:12) cut away all attempts to oppose or argue. He is walking among the churches and holds ultimate authority over the messengers of each church. It would be an understatement to say that John saw someone of power, authority, wisdom and majesty. Who else could it be but:

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

John responded to this sight by passing out! Jesus reached down and touched him and said "Do not be afraid". That must have brought back a flood of memories for the old apostle. Jesus had said those very words to the disciples in the upper room after the resurrection. John had seen this before on the Mountain where Jesus was transfigured. He had seen how the One possessing all of this Power and Glory could show compassion, tenderness, and love. When Jesus reached down and touched him, the tenderness of the touch drove away the fear and made John's heart leap for joy!

Jesus told John to write:

What he had seen (past)
Things which are (present)
the things which shall take place after the things that are (future).

The following discussion over chapters two and three are predominantly the part of Revelation covering "the things which are" (i.e. the present situation in John's day). However, a little closer look at these two chapters from our vantage point, nearly 2000 years later, will reveal:

The conditions existing in these real churches in 95 AD.
The current state of churches today as you find the problems identified in these Asian congregations existing in present day Christians.
A summarization of the Church Age from its inception at Pentecost to the apostasy of the church in the last days before Christ's Return.

The following pages will focus on the application of these letters for today's Christian community. I believe that Christians today manifest characteristics found in each of the Seven Churches.

There are believers who have lost their first love and have become so wrapped up in the Program they have lost sight of the Ministry and for Whom it is carried out.
There are Christians who are under persecution.
Still other Christians are joining Churches because it benefits them socially and economically.
Some Church members have given way to a dominant leader who does things out of "selfish ambition". Christians who fail to search the Scriptures for themselves, and who rely on "spoon feeding" from a pastor or teacher are especially susceptible to this condition.
There are people in churches today who appear to be alive (i.e. born again), but they are still dead in their sins for they are still relying on works or ritual to eradicate their sin rather than trusting in Christ alone for their salvation.
Like the Philadelphian Christians, there are believers today who recognize their strength is insufficient so they rely upon the Lord to both protect them and to enable them to reach out and touch lives.
Finally there are those who think they are able to meet their own needs and no longer look to the Lord to provide them with "gold refined by fire" to enrich their lives, "white garments" to cover the nakedness and shame of their sin, and "eye salve" to give them spiritual insight.

Where are you?
Read the letters.
Do you have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to you?