I’m really excited to kick off a brand-new message series with you today. We’re diving into the Seven Churches of Revelation. These 7 churches were real communities of believers. Jesus had specific words for each of them. And here’s the powerful part:
He’s still walking among His churches today, just like He was back then.
He holds us in His hand. He sees everything.
And He still speaks with wisdom we need for our lives today.
In this
series, we’ll read the seven letters Jesus sent to His people nearly 2,000
years ago. We’ll listen closely to what those letters say to us as a church called to
shine in the 21st century. Before
we dive in, let me clear up a few things that will help us read Revelation the
way it was meant to be read:
Second, this book wasn’t written as some
distant, cryptic code about the end times. It was written to encourage real Christians in the first century who were
facing real persecution. Yes, it has layers of meaning that stretch across
time and eternity, but it was first and foremost to help first century persecuted Christians. And they needed real, immediate help—not a
book focused on things that would happen thousands of years in the
future. That being said, Revelation can
speak to us too, but only if we understand how it spoke to Christians in
the first century.
Third, Revelation is full of vivid,
powerful symbols. So don’t get stuck trying to picture dragons, beasts, and
lampstands as literal things. Instead, look for what they represent. The
meaning behind the image is where the real power lies. OK, let’s dive right in.
Revelation 1:9-20
9 I,
John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in
the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of
Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. 10 It
was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.[a] Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud
voice like a trumpet blast. 11 It said, “Write
in a book[b] everything you see, and send it to the
seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis,
Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 When I turned to see who was
speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And
standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man.[c] He was wearing a long robe with a gold
sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair
were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His
feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered
like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in
his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face
was like the sun in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet
as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be
afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the
living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys
of death and the grave.[d]
19 “Write down what you have seen—both
the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.[e] 20 This is the
meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the
seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels[f] of the seven churches, and the seven
lampstands are the seven churches.
First of all, who wrote the book? Who received the revelation? It was John. This is a specific John—he is one of the twelve disciples. He is the one who wrote the Gospel of John, the letters of John, and here he is receiving the Revelation of Jesus Christ. John is known as the beloved disciple. He was very close to Jesus while Jesus walked upon the earth. He was in the inner circle along with his brother James and Peter, the leader of the disciples. He was there and saw Jesus being transfigured, with Moses and Elijah appearing beside Him. He was there when Jesus was crucified on the cross. Jesus said, 'This is my mother,' and in a cryptic way, He entrusted the care of His mother to John.
John is also a brother to those to whom he is writing. He’s a brother because
he’s a Christian, but also because he has shared in their suffering. He is
giving them a word from the Lord to help them through their persecution, but
he’s not doing it as someone who has lived a comfortable, cozy life. John has
faced troubles and tribulations. He has seen people he loved tortured and
killed. He himself is currently in exile on the prison island of Patmos simply
because he has testified that Jesus Christ is alive and that He is the Messiah
and the Son of God.
As John shares this revelation with the seven churches, he is able to say, 'I
know what you're going through—I'm going through it too. I'm a brother.' He
received this revelation on the Lord’s Day, which is significant. It shows that
Christians in New Testament times were worshiping on Sunday, the Lord’s Day.
Most early Christians were Jewish and traditionally worshiped on the Sabbath
(Saturday), but they began to worship on Sunday because it was the day Jesus
rose from the grave. It became the Christian tradition to gather on the Lord’s
Day to worship.
John is told to write this down and send it to the seven churches. These are real churches that were located in what is today modern-day Turkey. They were not the only churches at the time—there were also churches in Jerusalem, Rome, and Alexandria—but these seven were chosen to receive this revelation.
The seven churches named are: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis,
Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
It’s important to understand that in New Testament times, when they said
'church,' they weren’t talking about a building. They were talking about the
gathering of believers. Today, when we say 'church,' we usually think of the
building—'I’m going to church this morning'—meaning a location like Pleasant
Grove Methodist or Grove Level Baptist.
But literally, 'church' means the gathering of the believers. Each city would
have a gathering of believers. They might not have had a church building like
we have today. They might have gathered in homes, or even in secret. Still, you
would say that is the church in Jerusalem, or the church in Ephesus—it’s all
the believers living in that city.
So when we talk about these seven churches, we’re talking about seven different
communities of Christians—not buildings, but people—whom Jesus was addressing
through John’s revelation.
There are a lot of symbols in this passage we’ve read, so let’s go through some of them. The first is the seven lampstands. Jesus tells us in the passage that these represent the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
It’s fitting that they are represented as lampstands because they are meant to
shine God’s light into a dark world. This has always been the purpose of God’s
people. Even in the Old Testament, God said that the Jewish people were to be a
light to the nations—a light to the Gentiles living in darkness.
In the New Testament, we see that the Church now fulfills that role. The Church
is represented as candles or lampstands burning brightly for Christ, because
that is the purpose of the Church. And that is the number one thing we need to
receive from this today: if we are part of the Church, what is our purpose? It
is to shine the light of Christ.
We sometimes get this wrong. We think the Church is where we come primarily to
get fed, to get a blessing, or maybe to celebrate a tradition we love, or even
to be entertained by good music or a good message. But those things, while
meaningful, are not the purpose of the Church. The purpose of the Church is to
shine for Jesus Christ.
Just like it was in the first century, it is for us today as well.
In the passage, it says that the one like the Son of Man is walking among the churches, among the lampstands. Who is this 'Son of Man' figure? It is the Messiah, Jesus Christ. From Daniel 7:13, we learn that the Messiah—Jesus, the glorified and risen Christ—is given authority by God and referred to as the Son of Man.
As we read through the description of this figure, it becomes clear that this
is Jesus. He is wearing a long robe and a golden sash—garments that resemble
those of a high priest and a king. Jesus is both. He is our great High Priest
who intercedes for us, and He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Often when we picture Jesus, we think of the baby born in a manger, or the
suffering Savior hanging on the cross. But in this vision, we see the glorified
Lord—radiant, powerful, and full of majesty. There is nothing weak or broken
about this Jesus. He wears the robe and the golden sash as our reigning Lord.
His hair is white, not from age or weakness, but as a symbol of divine wisdom
and purity. His face shines like the sun—radiant with overwhelming holiness.
His eyes are like flames of fire, meaning He sees into the very soul of a
person. He knows the true condition of your heart, your family, your church,
and your community.
His feet are like polished bronze—strong, stable, and unshakable. His voice
sounds like rushing waters—majestic and authoritative. And from His mouth comes
a sharp double-edged sword—not literally, but as a symbol of the power of His
words. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is alive and active, sharper
than any double-edged sword, able to judge the thoughts and attitudes of the
heart.
Jesus' words pierce deeply. He speaks to the seven churches—and He speaks to
us, too. To the discouraged, the distracted, the faithful, the weary, and the
wandering: Jesus speaks. We don’t need to guess what He wants. We can hear it
clearly in His Word, especially in the letters we’ll be studying throughout
this series.
There is also this image: the Son of Man—Jesus Christ—is holding seven stars in His hand. The passage tells us these are the angels of the seven churches. Now, this can be a little misunderstood. What does that mean?
The word translated as 'angels' can mean heavenly beings, but it also means
'messengers.' In the New Testament world, there was an idea that each church
had an angel who watched over it. That’s one interpretation. But there’s
another, more practical interpretation too. The early church often saw pastors,
bishops, or church leaders as the messengers of God to the churches—God’s
representatives delivering His Word.
When Jesus holds these stars in His hand, it’s a powerful image. He’s holding
the leaders. He’s protecting them. He’s sustaining them. And that matters
especially because this letter was written to people facing intense
persecution. Guess who faced the most danger? The leaders. Because leaders are
the ones who step out front. They’re the ones who get noticed. And when the
authorities wanted to punish someone, they went for the leaders.
So this image says something powerful: Jesus sees the leaders. He holds them in
His hand. He cares for them.
I can tell you, as one of your pastors—I need your prayers. Being a messenger
isn’t always easy. But it’s comforting to know that Jesus holds me in His hand.
And not just me—He holds all of us. Because we’re all called to be His
witnesses. We are His people, and He is walking among us.
Closing Meditation
Revelation was
shared to help persecuted Christians in the first century looks past their
immediate experience. It called believers
to recognize God was at work behind the scenes and that His eternal Kingdom was
breaking into our world despite the awful things they were seeing the evil
kingdoms of the world perpetrate.
As we
close, I want to invite you to close your eyes and try to imagine what God is
really doing behind the scenes in our own lives. So, close your eyes…
… and
begin to imagine this room—our church sanctuary—as it really is right now.
Not just filled with people… but filled with lampstands.
One for every believer. One for every family. One for our church.
Each
lampstand is glowing because God has given it His own light to shine…
And now, look—Jesus is here… The risen
Lord. The Son of Man.
His robe flows with heavenly majesty… His sash gleams with golden light.
His eyes burn with compassion and truth. His face shines like the sun. And He is walking…
Jesus is
here. He is not pacing in anger… not
rushing by…
But gently, purposefully, walking among us, His lampstands.
He pauses
beside you. He sees you. He knows your name.
He sees the burdens you’ve been carrying…
He sees the faith no one else noticed…
He sees the doubt you've tried to hide…
He knows
your weariness.
He knows your prayers.
He knows your joy.
He knows your sin.
And still…
He lays His hand on your shoulder… and
says to you,
“Don’t be
afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One.
I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever.
I died for you, because I love you.
I rose for you, so you can live forever with me.
And now I reign forever, and my Kingdom lives in you.”
Stay with Jesus
in this moment.
Let Him speak.
Let Him comfort.
Let Him correct.
Let Him restore.
Now, in a
moment, we’ll open our eyes…
but may we not forget what we’ve seen.
Because Jesus is still walking among His churches.
And He’s walking among us.
Amen.
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