REVISITING THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.” (Ps 63:1–3)

Not All Is Well

We are living in dry and thirsty surroundings. Such spiritual dryness is found not just in the world but also in the Church. We are True Life BPC, and indeed many of us have found true life in Christ by the grace of God through faith in His perfect Word. But there are pockets of dryness here and there. Not all is well.

In the camp, one question popped up frequently: Among the Seven Churches, which Church is True Life? If the Lord were to address His Church in True Life, just like the Seven Churches of Revelation, I believe He will have positive things to say. However, I am quite sure we have negative points just like the Church in Ephesus (some have left their first love), in Pergamos (not all are doctrinally sound), in Thyatira (some have fallen into sexual sins), in Sardis (some are spiritually dying and even dead—they just cannot respond to the Word of God when read or preached), in Laodicea (there are those who are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold—neither here nor there— living a humdrum Christian life). By the grace of God, there are evidences of the Church in Smyrna (those ready to suffer for Christ) and Philadelphia (those committed to missions and evangelism) in True Life. We need to strive towards perfection, to do away with the negative and pursue after the positive—all that the Lord wants us to be when He returns.

Consider carefully these two key words in our Lord’s messages to the Seven Churches: (1) “Repent” and (2) “Overcometh”.

Repent

Ephesus: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” (Rev 2:5).

Pergamos: “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” (Rev 2:16).

Thyatira: “And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.” (Rev 2:21–22).

Sardis: “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (Rev 3:3).

Laodicea: “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Rev 3:18–19).

(Only Smyrna and Philadelphia are “repentance free” because they were living rightly before the Lord).

Overcometh

Ephesus: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” (Rev 2:7).

Smyrna: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” (Rev 2:11).

Pergamos: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” (Rev 2:17).

Thyatira: “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Rev 2:26–29).

Sardis: “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Rev 3:5–6).

 

Philadelphia: Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Rev 3:12–13).

Laodicea: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Rev 3:21–22).

 

Note that there is a call to “hear”—“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith…”. Those who have “ears” are those who hear, understand and obey what the Spirit has said, for spiritual things are spiritually discerned.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Cor 2:9–12).

Summary of the Camp Messages by a Young True Lifer

To the Church of

1. Ephesus: Love your God with everything you possess! (even your heart, body, etc).
2. Smyrna: Be faithful to God till and even unto death.
3. Pergamos: Be pure in doctrine; reject false doctrines and accept those of the LORD.
4. Thyatira: Only one worship way to God; no “rojak” worship allowed.
5. Sardis: Be alive in your belief and faith! (and be watchful of it).
6. Philadelphia: The small and weak can be empowered to witness by the Spirit. Be faithful to the Gospel.
7. Laodicea: Full-hearted worship (be hotter than hot in that).

Many fail to do that, churches included. They fall away rejecting Truth. Music is also not spared. But come Lord Jesus (and quickly).

1. Watch and pray in the meantime (Sardis)
2. Hasten missions till He comes (Philadelphia)
3. Stay true to the faith “that was once delivered unto the saints” (Thyatira, Laodicea, Ephesus, Pergamos).
4. Endure to the end—God rewards those who have overcoming faith (Smyrna).

So how to do the above? “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Rev 1:3).

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