180 Introducing Revelation and the Seven Churches

Revelation 1–3, TBC Book Two, Chapter 180
Throughout Scripture we see episodes play out on earth that reflect unseen battles in a spiritual realm, but no account is more dramatic and 
revealing than the one portrayed in the book of Revelation, by an author who identifies himself simply as “John.” Written during a time of great persecution, John’s goal is to encourage believers to hold firmly to their faith in Christ, to resist any ruler who would seek to supplant Jesus as Lord by exalting himself as deity.

Revelation is unique from all other books in the library of Scripture. The entire book is apocalyptic, revealing what happens when good and evil face off in their final showdown. The writing is highly symbolic, and the language used to convey images is couched in the cultural world of the Middle East some 2,000 years ago. But the point of the message is timeless—stand fast in the face of persecution: Christ will return, good will triumph over evil, our God will reign.

The book of Revelation demands to be read in its entirety, thoughtfully, carefully, and prayerfully. Knowing how to interpret its symbolic imagery is difficult, and readers throughout the ages have applied one or more of these four viewpoints: 1) Most of the events have happened already, during the early church period. 2) The events began with John’s exile and are continuing until Christ returns. 3) All the events relate to the end times immediately preceding Christ’s return. 4) These events portray a timeless message for every age—hold fast to Christ despite persecution, worshipping him only, and rest assured God is in control—Christ will prevail.

The final seven segments of The Bible Clicks, devoted to Revelation, are overviews, springboards to prompt the reader to examine the whole book of Revelation, using a modern translation (not a paraphrase) and consulting reliable footnotes from a reputable study Bible.

John wrote this book when Roman authorities exiled him to the island of Patmos because of his faith. His introduction begins with an encouraging promise: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, sent by his angel to his servant John. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who listen and take to heart its message.”

One Sabbath day, while John was worshipping the Lord, he heard a loud voice and saw a vision. He was commanded to write down what he saw and heard and to send that message to each of the seven major churches in the province of Asia, today referred to as “Asia Minor.

When he turned around to see who was speaking, John saw seven golden lampstands. Among those lampstands stood a radiant figure, the Son of man, dressed like a priest in a long robe with a golden sash, holding seven stars in his right hand. His face glowed and a double-edged sword (a sign of judgment) appeared to be coming from his mouth. He told John, “The seven golden lampstands symbolize the seven churches. The seven stars represent their angels.” (The Greek word angelos means “messenger” and is translated as either angel or messenger.)

A one-sentence summary of each of those churches might look like this. . . .

(See THE BIBLE CLICKS, Book Two, Chapter 180, for the rest of the story.)
​​Available in book, e-book, and audiobook formats, sold by Amazon and your favorite bookstores/vendors.

---

Today’s Takeaways
     A proverb to guide you: A promise from God: “Blessed are those who read this book of prophecy—and take to heart its message.”
     A promise to cling to: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Revelation 1:3 NIV
     A praise to fill you: First Love  Petra     [Can skip ad after first 5 seconds]

​