Author: Kristen Kansiewicz, LMHC

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:

‘I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things. But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.

‘Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve. But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. 

‘To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end,

‘To them I will give authority over all the nations.
They will rule the nations with an iron rod
    and smash them like clay pots.

‘They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!

‘Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.'”

It’s amazing how people like to twist the very idea of truth. It happens today and it happened thousands of years ago as we read here. This female leader was advertising “deeper truths” and encouraging people to sin. Notice that her teachings about sexual sin and food sacrificed to idols are the same as those that Balaam was teaching in yesterday’s passage (2:14).

What’s interesting to me is that Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 8 about ways in which believers in Jesus do not need to fear eating food sacrificed to idols. So what is it such a big deal here? The key difference is in my favorite word: freedom. Christians are free to eat any food, and we do not need to be fearful or superstitious about eating foods sacrificed to idols. On the other hand, someone teaching others that it is good to eat food sacrificed to idols constitutes idol worship.

God says in today’s passage that this false teacher refused to repent even though he gave her time to do so. A repentant heart is one of the most valuable things to your spiritual life. Over and over again, God opposes those whose hearts are hard and offers grace to those who turn from their ways. Keep your heart soft. Stay moldable and teachable. Stay honest with God, yourself and others. This softness of heart will help you avoid falling for the “deeper truths” of false teachers.

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword:

‘I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city. But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

‘Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.'”

When I was a child I used to love the story of Balaam and his donkey. I thought it was so funny that Balaam talked back when his donkey started talking to him. Balaam didn’t seem surprised! The reference in today’s passage caused me to dig into Balaam’s story more deeply. The talking donkey isn’t the most important part of his story. You can read about him in Numbers 22-23, Deuteronomy 23, and Joshua 24. If you read the Numbers account quickly, it may seem like Balaam was faithful to God, since he repeatedly said that he would not be able to say anything that God did not direct him to say. While that was true, notice that Balaam was willing to take a bribe in an attempt to curse the people of Israel. It didn’t work because God’s will prevailed, but in the end it showed us Balaam’s heart. He was willing to do anything for money, and he sought to obtain messages from God through methods that God did not approve of.

Critical thinking and spiritual discernment go hand-in-hand. Teachers like Balaam may sound convincing, and God may even speak through them in spite of their wickedness. I am concerned that the church in America today is not producing discerning disciples. We are easily lured in by false teachers of all kinds. We seem to believe that any invitation into power or any financial “blessing” is from God. Thus, we follow anyone who offers us power or money and we call it good.

Pay attention. There are a lot of talking heads out there trying to get your attention, convince you to follow them, sell you a product, or paint a picture of an “alternative truth.” If you do not have a discerning and critical spirit, you will easily be convinced. We know that anyone who promises to save you and points to themselves rather than Jesus is a false teacher. My heart has been broken in the recent years for the ways that the church has been led astray by larger than life leaders who claim to be great. If you don’t know who I am talking about, then pause and check in on your information intake. What sources are you leaning on for truth? Who’s cause are you focused on — Jesus’ or someone else’s?

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

‘I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

‘Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.'”

One of the biggest problems in the American church today is our view of suffering. Some high profile Christian leaders complain about being “persecuted” and this drives their political ambitions. They attempt to put people in power who will protect their religious rights. If someone is crying about being a martyr, it’s a clear sign that they aren’t really being one.

The Bible talks extensively about the benefits of suffering. It is spiritually important, and not just because of how it grows our character, perseverance, and maturity. There are real spiritual battles being fought and won when we deny our flesh and surrender our rights. In today’s passage we see the instructions for how to handle actual persecution: remain faithful.

Earthly power does not bring victory to Christians. The outcomes of courts or elections do not bring victory to Christians. Steady, unwavering faithfulness in the midst of suffering leads to eternal victory and the crown of life. Death on earth matters a whole lot less when God is prepared to reverse it. In fact, he goes out of his way to make the point in this passage that he was dead and is now alive. He’s overcome death before and he will maintain that victory. When we suffer on earth, whining about it is the opposite of Jesus’ example. Let’s be careful to avoid undermining the Gospel by demanding our “rights,” seeking political power, and having thin skin. Jesus never did any of those things.

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:

‘I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.

‘But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.

‘Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.'”

Often when we read the Bible, and especially devotionals that accompany Scripture, we seek to apply it to our lives. That approach can be a very individualistic and self-focused way to try to understand God’s word to us. Not all of the words in the Bible are directly to you. Some are, and some we can learn from. As we explore the letters to the seven churches over the coming days, let’s avoid making them about us while still learning about who God is.

As always, I’m going to encourage us to focus on the central character in this story: Jesus. He was described in chapter 1 and he’s this dramatic, powerful, divine ruler who holds seven stars in his hand beside seven lampstands. Those lampstands, we are told here, represent these seven churches to which letters are written. (Side note: it’s fascinating that each letter was written to an angel that was specifically connected to each church. There’s a lot we don’t know about how angels serve the church!)

What I notice about Jesus in this letter to the church in Ephesus is that he draws them back to love. They’ve worked hard, patiently endured, driven out evil, and never given up. But they lost one of the most central things about God: love. He calls them to repentance for their lack of love, and without repentance it might cost them their place among the churches. Let’s keep the main thing the main thing and love like God loves. His heartbeat is coming through loud and clear.

“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. It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. It said, ‘Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.’

When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 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.

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. 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.

‘Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. 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 of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.'”

Many of the early Christians were arrested and jailed for preaching the Gospel. In this case, John was exiled to the island of Patmos, which you can see on a map here:

Today, Patmos is a luxurious resort island, but back then it was a far removal from society. Pretty hard to preach from an island out in the middle of nowhere.

Let’s notice that just as was the case in Paul’s life, God’s mission is not thwarted by John being in exile. Supernatural messages can get through anywhere. John begins to see and hear things that freak him out a little bit, but he is faithful to write them down the best he can. You’ll notice he struggles for words at times to describe what he is seeing. A voice “like” a trumpet blast. Someone “like” the Son of Man.

John, and most others in the Bible who hear directly from God or angels, reacted with fear. Supernatural messages can be overwhelming and scary. Yet the reassurance is always the same, “Don’t be afraid.” God still speaks to us today through the Holy Spirit, and it’s not a bad idea to write down what you think you hear from God. If John had not written down what he saw and heard right away, he probably would have lost the vivid imagery. His brain couldn’t have held it all. If you believe you are hearing God’s voice, it may not sound like a trumpet blast and it is possible that you could be wrong. That’s okay. For years I have written out prayers and I write down what I think God is saying to me. Over time, it’s become clearer to me what is God and what is not. Some of those prayers and words from God speak louder to me today than they did when I first wrote them down. Don’t be afraid of God’s voice, just write what you hear. If it lines up with the Bible, that’s a good sign that you are being directed by the Holy Spirit to write.