The Letters to the Seven Churches

During the era of the New Testament around 95 AD, the text records a series of communications directed to seven specific churches in Asia. Jesus, described as holding seven stars in his right hand and walking among seven golden lampstands, commands John to write what he sees in a book and send it to these locations (Revelation 2:1). The messages are addressed to the angels of the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Each message follows a specific pattern of address, self-description by Jesus, an assessment of the church’s works, and a promise to those who overcome.

In the message to Pergamum, Jesus mentions Antipas, whom he calls his faithful martyr, who was killed among them where Satan dwells (Revelation 2:13). The text does not say the specific method of his death. Within the same congregation, Jesus rebukes those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality (Revelation 2:14). The church at Thyatira is rebuked for tolerating a woman named Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. The text states she teaches and seduces the servants of Jesus to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols (Revelation 2:20). Jesus declares he gave her time to repent, but she did not.

John records that Jesus evaluates the spiritual state of each church, praising the patience of Ephesus and the endurance of Philadelphia while warning Sardis that they have a name that they are alive but are actually dead (Revelation 3:1). The Laodiceans are described as neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, leading to a declaration that they will be vomited out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16). Throughout the dictates, John serves as the scribe for the words of him who is the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life (Revelation 2:8).