Four: A Letter to Thyatira

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations-
'He will rule them with an iron scepter;
he will dash them to pieces like pottery'-
just as I have received authority from my Father.
-- Rev 2:26-27

The Son of God commends the saints in Thyatira for their love, faith, service, and perseverance, but he is not entirely happy with them because they tolerate "that woman Jezebel," who misleads his servants into immorality and idolatry. She sees no harm in compromising with the pagan culture around them so that the saints might share in the prosperity of the wicked, but the Son of God knows their hearts. She and her children will be punished; they will not survive or possess the kingdom. The kingdom is reserved for the overcomer, and the overcomer will receive authority over the nations just as the Son of Man has received authority from his father.

Guarding against Jezebel and Balaam is an ongoing task. Their influence is clear when divorce and unwed mothers are as common in the church as outside, when "Christians" are as fascinated with sex and sports idols as the world, and when church leaders are as focused on the "bottom line" as CEOs. We must resist the seductions of the world and be overcomers if we are to possess the kingdom.

Three: A Letter to Pergamum

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.
-- Rev 2:14 NIV

God rescued Israel out of Egypt and made her a kingdom and priests unto himself. However, they did not remain devoted to God. At Baal Peor, Moabite women enticed Israelite men to participate in an idolatrous feast according to instructions given to their king, Balak, by the false prophet Balaam. Consequently, God's anger burned against Israel. Now the saints in Pergamum have also been freed from slavery to sin and have also been made a kingdom and priests unto God. Despite dwelling where "Satan has his throne" (probably a reference to a pagan temple), most have remained true to the name of Christ and refused to renounce their faith in him (2:13). Nevertheless, some in Pergamum have been seduced by the pagan culture's promise of full participation in the economy if they would only recognize their gods by eating at the temple feasts.

The Son of Man sends a clear message to those seduced by their culture. The Lord will not tolerate any other gods. If they do not repent, he will come and slay them with the sword of his mouth. The slain will be cut off from further participation in his kingdom. On the other hand, those who heed his warning will receive "hidden manna," true food that endures unto eternal life. They will also receive a white stone with a new name engraved on it. Because white stones were sometimes used as tickets, this may mean that the faithful will be given personalized tickets to the Messianic banquet. It is more blessed to eat in the kingdom of heaven than to eat in the temples of false gods.

Two: A Letter to Smyrna

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
-- Rev 2:10 NIV

The Son of Man wishes to encourage the saints in Smyrna because they live in enemy territory. They are slandered and afflicted. They live in poverty. They are about to face more persecution, and some of them would be put in prison. Nevertheless, they should remain confident. Their Commander had himself endured a cruel death but had come to life again (v. 8). They had true riches (v. 9) laid up in heaven where they could never be stolen. They would suffer persecution, but just as Daniel and his three friends had been vindicated after a trial of ten days (Daniel 1:12 ff.), so they would also be vindicated after ten days (v. 10). Furthermore, those who remained faithful until death would receive a crown of life (v. 10). Their Commander is saying, "Don't give up. You will possess the kingdom!"

One: A Letter to Ephesus

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
-- Rev 2:4-5 NIV

The Son of Man commended those in Ephesus who had been made a kingdom and priests because they did not tolerate false teachers. Nevertheless, he warned them that their lampstand would be removed if they did not reclaim their first love. The essence of priesthood is love, both love for God and love for people. Truth is good, but truth without love will never proclaim the gospel to the whole world or make disciples of every nation. Truth without love will not win the victory. The Son of Man, therefore, exhorts the saints to reclaim their first love so that they might participate in his eventual victory: "To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).

The Son of Man and the Saints

The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
-- Revelation 1:20 NIV

The seven churches have been identified as those in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Certainly those churches are addressed here, but the number seven suggests that they represent all churches of all times because seven is the number of completeness. Here, the Son of Man is pictured as walking among the churches and communicating with them. What is his relationship to the churches and the saints in them?

As mentioned earlier, the vision of the Son of Man is drawn from Daniel 7, which forms the basis of a significant portion of Revelation. In Daniel 7:14, the Son of Man is given an eternal kingdom and rules over all peoples, nations, and languages. There is opposition to his rule for a time (Daniel 7:21), but in the end he will give the kingdom to "the saints of the Most High," and they will possess it forever (Daniel 7:18, 27). The saints in the churches and the saints of the Most High are one and the same. At the beginning of his reign when opposition to his rule has just begun, the Son of Man speaks to the saints who will possess the kingdom. He speaks to them to encourage them and admonish them that they might be patient when suffering and faithful when tempted to compromise so that they will be found worthy to possess the kingdom when victory is achieved. The king is speaking to his army and rallying his troops for the battle ahead. The Son of Man is king and commander. The saints are his soldiers, and the churches are military outposts in enemy territory.