Revelation – Vital Truth #2

I have to work a little to internalize the second vital truth because it involves putting myself in someone else’s shoes. Imagine for a minute that we are members at the Pergamos Church of Christ (Rev 2:12-17). Persecution has progressively gotten worse, and one of our members was even killed for being a Christian. We’re not sure what to make of all this or how to carry on, as it seems there isn’t an end in sight. But then, there is unexpected good news! Jesus Christ has appeared to our brother John, the last living apostle, and He has sent messages – messages of encouragement, messages of correction, and even messages concerning what is going to become of us. Finally! Just as we’re ready to throw in the towel, the Lord lets us know He’s still with us, and He has answers to our collective question – What is going to happen?

Can you imagine the excitement amongst those seven churches as they received this letter from John? The relief? The tears of joy? Now, bring them to a sudden halt. Uh-oh. They can’t understand a single word of the letter past chapter three. Chapter five if they’re lucky. Unfortunately, because the book deals with events that will happen thousands of years later, it is both confusing and irrelevant to the churches in Asia.

Likely? I don’t think so.

Vital truth #2 is that this letter was written to seven churches in Asia, and we need to get this sentence stuck in our brains, “It means to us what it meant to them.” They were the primary target audience of this book. Does that mean that it doesn’t hold meaning for us? No – of course it holds meaning for us. However, it cannot hold different meaning for us than it did for them. Our mindset must be conformed to reading with a 1st century perspective, but people often try to conform this book to fit into a 21st century setting. We can’t get to the beast and say that this is Hitler, Bin Laden, or Obama. It means to us what it meant to them.

This truth is stated in Rev 1:4 and again in verse 11 – “what you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia…” Christ specified the target of this letter, and we don’t need to miss that. As a side note, Dale gives a simple way to remember the seven churches. Say this out loud (it has a ring to it): ESP-TSP-L.

Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

It means to us what it meant to them.