The revelation of Jesus Christ, His Coming in Glory for all to see, that God has given Him to show to His servants, and in particular to His servant John, to reveal what is shortly to take place,2 are to contain three elements: what you have seen, what is, and what will take place later.3 This is what he has to write in a book destined for the seven churches.4 The seven missionary letters then follow—the seven messages from the glorified Christ to those seven churches. They contain His message to the whole church—in every era and everywhere on earth. They constitute the content of the first, great vision that John receives on Patmos, when Christ appears to him there.5
They lead the way, before the things are revealed to him that have to do with the end of this ‘age’, this aioon, this era/aeon, this part of world-history the world and mankind is passing through.
First of all, the Church is shown how this part of world-history will end. The picture is not rosy, however. When you read the seven letters to the seven churches one after the other it looks as if the story of the Church on earth gradually gets worse and ends badly. The story is one of increasing decay. Indeed, the Church’s great confessions of faith, the Christian Creeds, are immediately necessary to oppose all kinds of ‘winds of doctrine’, as Ephesian 4:14 says: “…as a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” They defend the mysteries of the Christian faith against all kinds of attacks, for instance the mystery of the two natures of Christ’s Person, the mystery of the Trinity, the reliability of the Bible, election and grace, a holy lifestyle, etcetera. It is a confirmation of what was foretold, i.e. that wolves in sheep’s clothing would come,6 who would not spare the flock. Attacks from within and from without.
The Church would always remain a little flock.7 Paul hoped to save some.8 James speaks of God choosing a people for His name from the Gentiles.9 There is absolutely no expectation of the Gospel penetrating so deeply in the world that the whole world will finally be converted to Christ or become Christian. On the contrary. Christ says: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”10
The word ‘church’, or ‘congregation’, is the translation of the Greek word ‘ekklesia’. This means literally: called out—brought forth from the great masses. This can involve large numbers sometimes (this word is used for the congregation in Acts 19:32, for example) but it usually indicates a small group of ‘called-out ones’. Just as little Israel was called out from among the many mighty peoples of this world,11 in the same way the congregation, the Church consisting of Jews and non-Jews, is also called out from the vast population of the world as a small group.
The true Church is but a small group even in the many countries and within the large churches of Christendom. But one thing is certain: God will never be without a witness to His Name on earth during all the apostasy, inside and outside the churches.12
• There were nevertheless some who could not bear the lost first love in Ephesus and they opposed the works of the Nicolaitans. There were nevertheless some who were not afraid of all the poverty, the persecution, and the ‘synagogue of Satan’ in Smyrna. There were nevertheless some who did not deny the faith in spite of all the adulterous temptations of Balaam and the all-powerful throne of Satan in Pergamum.
• In spite of the uncleanness of Jezebel in Thyatira, there were nevertheless some who did not want to become acquainted with the depths of Satan. In spite of all the deadness of Sardis, there were a few names of people who had not soiled their clothes. In spite of all the people who had been caught up in the prosperity in Philadelphia, there was a small group, with little strength, which continued to look to Jesus’ return and did not deny His name.
• Even in spite of all the lukewarm attitudes prevalent in Laodicea, the Lord Jesus kept knocking on the door, hoping for and expecting a few to let Him in.
Bible References:
1.NIV 2.Revelation 1:1 3.Revelation 1:19 4. Revelation 1:11 5.Revelation 1:12–18 6. Acts 20:28–30; Matthew 7:15, 10:16 7.Luke 12:32 8.1 Corinthians 9:22; Romans 11:14 9. Acts 15:14 10.Luke 18:8 11.Deuteronomy 7:7 12.Comp.Luke 17:26–37
