John To The Seven Churches

Revelation 1:4
"John to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace be unto you, and peace, from him

which is to come; and from the seven

Spirits which are before his throne."

         The Revelation is a letter, written to the seven Churches which are in Asia. In the New Testament Asia is never the continent but always the Roman province. The seven Churches are named in Rev. 1:11 Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. These were by no means the only Churches in Asia. Why did John single out only these seven? There can be more than one reason for his selection. These Churches might be regarded as the center of seven postal districts, being all on road which circled the interior of the province. 

        Letters delivered to these seven cities would easily circulate in the surrounding areas; and since every letter had to be hand written, each letter would need to be sent where it would reach the greatest number of people. Any reading of the Revelation will show John's preference for the number seven. It occurs fifty four times. There are seven candle sticks (Rev.1:12), seven stars (Rev. 1:16), seven lamps (Rev. 4:5), seven seals (Rev. 5:1), seven horns and seven eyes (Rev. 5:6), seven thunders (Rev. 10:3), seven angels, plagues and bowls (Rev. 15:6-8). The ancient peoples regarded seven as the perfect number, and it runs all through the Revelation.

         Seven is the perfect number because it stands for completeness. It is, therefore, suggested that, when John wrote to seven Churches, he was, in fact, writing to the whole Church. This is all the more likely when we remember how often John says: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches" Rev. 2:7, and all through the Book of Revelation.
       Now for the seven Spirits with the the seven Churches, in Heb. 2:4; we read of God giving "gifts of the Holy Spirit. God gives a share of his Spirit to every man. So the idea here would be that the seven Spirits stand for the share of the Spirit which God gave to each of the seven Churches. It would mean that no Christian fellowship is left without the presence and the power and the illumination of the Spirit. That my friend means all generation's. It would be who of us to read and spiritually understand "The Book of Revelation."

        Amen!!

Reading: (Rev. 1:4-20)

               (Rev. Chap. 2, 3)

 May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry