WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING TO THE CHURCHES

About 95 A.D the Apostle John was banished to the Greek island of Patmos during the persecution of the Church under the Roman Emperor Domitian.  While there, John was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ and shown the events that would take place in the last days when Christ returns and receives the Kingdom prepared for Him by the Father. 

 

In the beginning chapters of the book of Revelation, the Lord gave to John messages that the Apostle was to write down and deliver to seven churches in Asia Minor (modern Turkey).  They were the Churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.  The messages were very intimate and personal to the believers they were addressed to.  They contained recognition for the things that each Church was doing well, but also reprimands for things that they were not doing so well.

 

It is significant to note that John saw the Lord Jesus “in the midst of” the golden candlesticks which, he was told, represent the seven churches.  In the Lord’s right hand were seven stars, and John was told that these represent the angels of the seven churches.  Out of the Lord’s mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun in its fullness.  What we can gather from this imagery is, firstly, that Christ is always in the midst of His Church.  As He said to His disciples while He was with them, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20).  After all, the Church is Christ’s body, and it is His habitation. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).  Secondly, the angels of the seven churches are in the Lord’s right hand signifying that they are prepared to minister to the Church according to the will of the Son of God.  “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14).  From this we deduce that there is an angel assigned to every church and who ministers to every assembly of God.  Thirdly, a sharp two-edged sword proceeds from the Lord’s mouth which is the Word of God.  His Word is always true and can discern good from bad, and our thoughts from our intentions.  It will always accomplish the thing that it is sent to do.   Finally, the Lord is Light.  In Him is no darkness at all.  The light of His countenance penetrates every shadow, and chases all of the darkness away.      

 

Scholars have different theories as to why these seven churches were singled out for such personal messages from the Lord and other more prominent churches were not.  Churches like those in Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Corinth, Alexandria, Philippi, and Thessalonica were all omitted.  Also, why were the churches that were selected all found in Asia Minor and not other regions?  Some Bible students believe that these churches represent the state of the Church in general during different ages with Ephesus representing the Church during John’s time, and Laodicea representing the Church during the last age.  Probably one of the simplest answers to these questions is that these seven churches formed a good representation of churches in general, their victories and their struggles.  The things that plagued these early Christians are things that also have plagued congregations down through the centuries.  These letters are just as relevant to us today as they were back then.  There are churches that have lost their first love and zeal for Christ like Ephesus; those going through severe tribulation and persecution like Smyrna; those who have adopted strange doctrines, and committed fornication like those in Pergamos and Thyatira; those who are walking in hypocrisy like Sardis; those who are facing great temptation like Philadelphia; and those who have become lukewarm because of their affluence like Laodicea.  They all have relevance for us today.  It is easy to see ourselves in these churches and to relate to all of the issues that affected them. 

 

After addressing each Church, the Lord makes this statement to each of them: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).  It is the Spirit of God that has been sent to us to lead us into all truth (see John 14:26; 16:12, 13).  It isn’t our wisdom, education, studiousness, or cleverly prepared sermons that are important.  It is every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God, ministered by the hand of angels and by the Spirit of Almighty God that is essential.  It is He Who sheds the Light of Life into our assemblies, chases away the darkness, and establishes the Truth among us that we must give heed to.

 

Each message to these churches was addressed to “…the angel of the Church of ________.”  We don’t fully understand the scope of the ministry that angels have been given toward mankind, but what we do know is remarkable.  In both the Old and New Testaments God employed angels to deliver His Word to men and women of faith.  Angels were sent to Lot and his family to warn them about the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.  They appeared to Jacob in a dream in which they were ascending and descending on a ladder that reached to heaven.  An angel was sent to Gideon to prepare him for the part he would play in Israel’s deliverance from Midian.  Hannah, Samuel’s mother, received a visitation telling her that God had heard her prayers and would send her a son.  Hezekiah, Elijah, Zacharias, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds in Bethlehem, to name a few – these all had visitations from angels that announced the wonderful things that God was about to do.  The angels Gabriel and Michael ministered to Daniel and battled with satanic forces in the heavens to deliver an answer to the prophet’s prayers.  Paul informs us that the struggles that we encounter in this life are not against flesh and blood adversaries, even though those do often resist us.  No, our real warfare is against heavenly principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness, and against spiritual wickedness in high (or celestial) places (see Ephesians 6:12).  It is obvious that angels have a very active role in our salvation, protection, and spiritual growth.  As scripture tells us, “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” (Psalms 34:7).  It is also clear that every church has a ministering angel assigned to it by God.  They are God’s messengers and we should be aware of them, but not worship them.

 

Along with the phrase “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”, each of these seven churches received an admonition that starts out with the words “To him that overcometh…” followed by a particular blessing that belongs to those who overcome.  Things like access to the Tree of Life, deliverance from the second death, heavenly manna, authority in heaven, and being adorned in white raiment (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21).  The way that these two phrases are linked, it suggests that our ability to overcome is directly connected to our willingness to hear “what the Spirit saith unto to the churches.”  Like seeds sown in a field, the Spirit of Christ broadcasts His Word to the members of His Church so that they may mature in Him and produce much spiritual fruit.  As we receive His good Word, we gain power to overcome and to become the sons of God (John 1:12).  The things that the Spirit ministers to each assembly are designed to empower and direct them in order for them to fight the good fight.

 

Tragically, there are pastors, prophets, and leaders who are not walking in the Spirit.  They have substituted a form of religion in their assemblies that relies on human reasoning and fleshly intellect instead of faith and trust.  Jeremiah prophesied concerning such leaders when he said, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:16).

 

Jesus spoke of the time when men would abandon their vain efforts to please God by strength of will and instead worship Him in spirit and in truth.  “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23, 24).  This was what the 1^st century Church was all about.  They did not place their trust in temples, rituals, or ceremonies, but in the revelation of Jesus Christ ministered through God’s own Spirit.  Man’s doctrines and opinions didn’t matter; it was what the Spirit was speaking to the Church that mattered.  Paul wrote, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3).  And to the Roman believers He said, “But now we are delivered from the Law...that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:6). 

 

Paul speaks to the importance of worshipping and serving God in the spirit in the 2 chapter of 1 Corinthians.  He begins by saying, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:1, 2).  Paul didn’t want to come among the Corinthians with a bunch of preconceived notions about what they needed to hear.  Neither did he try to learn what the problems were within the church and then craft a message to address it.  Paul, instead, waited on the Lord to give him a word, and that word was Christ crucified, the hope of glory. 

 

Surprisingly, Paul wasn’t a confident speaker.  He came before the Corinthians in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.  His speech and his preaching were not with polished and persuasive words.  “For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” (2 Corinthians 10:10).  Instead, Paul became a demonstrator of the Spirit and power of the Gospel, overcoming his personal shortcomings so that the faith of these new believers would not stand in Paul’s natural wisdom or strength, but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:3-5).

 

“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.” (1 Corinthians 2:9).  The Apostle tells us that the natural man cannot see, hear, or discern the limitless blessings and promises that God has prepared for those who love Him.  He writes, “…the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14).  Consequently, there is a change that must take place in mankind’s nature so that they are able to comprehend God and His ways.  That change is the New Birth.  Just as we were born once and became natural, carnal, and self-centered beings (thanks to Adam and Eve), we must now be born again in order to become spiritual beings capable of knowing God in an intimate way.  God places His own Spirit into our hearts when we are born again so that we can discern the depth of God’s heart and His purposes for us.

 

Paul goes on to say that God has revealed the things that were hidden to the natural man to us “by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10).  These are the things that the Spirit is saying to the churches.  Words that will produce life and growth in us.  Paul says, “…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 Corinthians 2:12).  God has many blessings to bestow on His people and they are all freely given to us.  The natural man conforms himself to the world and its ways.  It is the kingdom that he is born into and, therefore, he adapts himself to how the world functions.  The spiritual man, on the other hand, is reborn into a brand new Kingdom which he never knew existed.  It is invisible to the natural eye, but very real to those who have been born into it.  In this new Kingdom all of the promises of God become real.  Jesus said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).  The Word of God quickens (gives divine life to) our spirits just as the world ministers death to the fleshly man.  There is, therefore, a warfare that goes on between our spiritual nature and our fleshly nature.  This is why we need to pay close attention to the things that the Spirit is saying to us so that we can claim the power that God has given to us to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. 

 

Paul wrote to the Ephesian Church and said, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…that He would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.  Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14, 15-21).  Oh, to know the breadth, depth, length, and height of God’s love for us and to have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to us at all times! 

 

“But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:17).