God’s Message to Seven Churches
By: The Jesus People
Tags: Church, The Jesus People, Bible, Jesus, Christianity

Revelation Chapters 2 and 3

The Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation speaks about the spiritual conditions of God’s People throughout the Ages. They are literal local churches in different localities of Asia Minor (now Turkey), but their spiritual conditions served as God’s prophetic statements to all individual churches, especially in the last days.

1. Ephesus (Revelation 2:1–7)

Commendation: Their good works, labor, perseverance and patience in enduring hardships, did not faint in serving God, not allowing false teachers, and hating the practices of the Nicolaitans.

Rebuke: They left their first love.

Exhortation: Remember where they have fallen and repent, and do their first works.

Punishment if they will not repent: Their candlestick will be removed from them.

Promise: Will allow them to eat from the tree of life.

2. Smyrna (Revelation 2:8–11)

Commendation: Their sufferings from persecution and poverty. (They suffered persecutions from satan’s synagogues, or fake Jews)

No rebuke.

Exhortation: Be faithful unto death.

No punishment.

Promise: They will receive a crown of life and will not be hurt by second death.

3. Pergamos (Revelation 2:12–27)

Commendation: Holding fast to Jesus’ name, not denying the faith.

Rebuke: Allowing the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.

Exhortation: Repent.

Punishment if will not repent: Jesus will fight them with the sword of His mouth.

Promises: Opportunity to eat the hidden Manna, and will receive a white stone with new name that only them could know.

4. Thyatira (Revelation 2:18–23)

Commendation: Their good works, charity (love), service (servanthood), patience, faith (faithfulness).

Rebuke: Allowing the spirit of Jezebel.

Exhortation: Hold fast to what good qualities they have. To overcome and keep His word until the end.

No punishment.

Promises: They will have authority over nations and will receive the morning star.

5. Sardis (Revelation 3:1–6)

Commendation: Good works, and the reputation of living a good name. Few names that live holy and did not defile their garments.

Rebuke: Being now dead and their works incomplete before God.

Exhortation: Be watchful and strengthen the things that remains which are almost dying, remember what they have heard and received, to hold them fast, and repent.

Punishment if they will not repent: They will be left behind when Jesus came back like a thief in the night, because they are not ready.

Promises: Those who live worthily will walk with Christ in white raiment. Them that overcome will also be cloth in white raiment, and their names will not be remove from the book of life, and their name will be confess before God and His angels.

6. Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7–13)

Commendation: Good works. Little strength yet kept God’s Word, and did not deny the name of Jesus, patience.

No rebuke.

Exhortation: Will be kept from the hour of temptations (refers to the period of great tribulation). Hold fast which they have.

No punishment.

Promises: Will make the synagogue of satan to bow before them for them to know that the Lord loved them. No man will take their crown. God will make them a pillar in His temple, God’s name and the name of the heavenly city will be written in them.

7. Laodicea (Revelation 3:14–22)

No commendation.

Rebukes: Being Lukewarm, neither cold or hot, claims to be rich in material things and that they need nothing more. In the sight of God, they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

Exhortation: Buy from the Lord, or show to God that they are like gold tried by fire in order for them to be rich. Needs to be cloth with white raiment so that the shame of their nakedness will not be shown. Anoint their eyes with eyeshalve. Be zealous and repent. God rebukes and chasten those whom He love.

Punishments: If they will not repent of being lukewarm, Christ will spue them out of His mouth.

Promises: If they open up the door for Christ and listen to His voice, Jesus will join them in dinner, and have fellowship with them. Will be given a privilege to sit with the throne of God.

In this Laodicean church age, God has a people whom He preserved as His remnant believers, a people that is identified with His name alone. Become part of The Jesus People in the last days!