A Revelation on the Revelations of the Book of Revelation

In studying the book of Revelation, I have found that it is just as much a book of instruction as many others in the Bible. We have often viewed it as a book that discloses the events of end times, tribulation, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and God’s ultimate plan for the eternal reign of His Son. However, the intent and purposes of the Revelation is multi-faceted. The first chapters are usually “skimmed over”, because people want to get to the “action” of the book, and they fail to recognize the importance of the letters that address the churches.

Many scholars have divided the letters to the churches into the different church “ages”, seeking to identify the time and times. There is substantial basis for this interpretation. However, I submit that within each letter are also descriptions and characteristics that are also identifiable in many different churches today. The whole of these letters actually contain a list of things that please God, things that displease Him, as well as rewards and consequences for the actions of each church. In other words, solutions for a victorious and prosperous church are clearly outlined in the first three chapters of Revelation. It is a “personal” revelation to the churches, and a call to self-examination or introspection into the individual works of each body.

In our culture, society has placed great value on the outward appearance and “self”. And so goes the trend in the church. Reality television shows showcase “make-overs”, and what to wear and what not to wear. Similarly, the letters to the churches in the first chapters are a revelation of the pleasing attributes and works of the churches, as well as a call to the realization of compromise and negative issues that churches possess and will continue to face. They can be viewed as an instructional aid in directing the church into God’s will, receiving strength, encouragement, and surviving through struggles and trials, achieving the blessings of God, and receiving just reward.

Examination of the description of each of churches in Revelation can be beneficial in helping a church to unveil its problems and become healthy. A healthy church is capable of growth and activity that not only promotes kingdom agenda, but pleases God. The health of a church is not dependent solely on what it is able to accomplish, but the overall spirit in which it operates. Even the individual components or “parts of the body” play vital roles in the successes, failures, achievements or losses in the overall function of the church.

Addresses to the Revelation churches reveal God’s Omniscience and Omnipresence. They relate His heart of compassion, and offer encouragement and the power of His might. Ultimately, there is judgment and consequences for failure to heed God’s warnings, while the “overcoming” churches are promised reward.

The key to “overcoming” is given in Revelation 12:11, which states, “And they overcame him (Satan and his wiles) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” The most amazing concept of “overcoming” is that it has already been accomplished through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. All we have to do is trust and submit to Him, allow Him to operate in our lives, and verbally share in the testimonies of our faith and salvation in Jesus Christ. Basically, we do not have to work and to strive for victory, but to claim the victory of Jesus Christ and acknowledge what He has already done for us! It is not about “self” and what we can do within our “selves”. To be able to overcome Satan and his works of evil, we have to be willing to sacrifice our own agenda, even our lives. Trading our own efforts and lives for His makes it simple to be an “overcomer”!

I challenge you to examine your life and the life of your church. A personal comparison to each of the churches, their strengths, weaknesses, and problems would be a beneficial exercise for each of us. A spiritual assessment of your own condition will help determine needs in areas of your life and the life of your church. Identification of the need or problem is the first step in the right direction… to receive the victory that is already ours in Jesus Christ.

Prepare for His return!

Be Blessed, In Jesus' Name,
Angie