Characteristic Names for Jesus in Revelation 2 & 3 when He is speaking to all the Christian Churches  –

The Words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven lamp stands, The First and The Last, He died and came to life, The words of Him who has the sharp double-edge sword, The Son of God, Whose eyes are like blazing fire and feet are like burnished bronze, The words of Him who holds the seven stars, The words of Him who is Holy and True, who holds the key of David, What He opens no one can shut what He shuts no one can open, These are the words of The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Ruler of God’s Creation.

What He sees and knows of the Churches –

1. He knows the Church in Ephesus deeds, their hard work and perseverance, their inability to tolerate wicked men, that they have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not and have found them false, they have persevered and have endured hardships for His name and have not grown weary.
2. He knows the Church in Smyrna’s affliction and poverty–yet they remain rich, He knows the slander of those who say they are Jews but are not and are of the synagogue of Satan.
3. He knows where the Church in Pergamum lives, where Satan has his throne, He knows that they remain true to His Name, that they did not renounce their faith in Him even in the days of Antipas His faithful witness, who was put to death in their city.
4. He knows the deeds of the Church in Thyatira, their love and faith, their service and perseverance and that they are now doing more than they did at first.
5. He knows the deeds of the Church in Sardis, their reputation of being alive but they are dead.
6. He knows the deeds of the Church in Philadephia that they are of little strength, yet they have kept His Word and have not denied His name
7. He knows the deeds of the Church in Laodicea, that they are neither hot nor cold.  He wishes that they were either one or the other.

His critical commands and promises for the Churches –

1.  Ephesus – He holds this against them: They have forsaken their first love.  They are to remember the height from which they have fallen!  They are to repent and do the things that they did at first.  If they do not repent, He will come and remove their lamp stand from its place.  They have this going for them that they hate the practice of the Nicolaitans, which He also hates.
2. Smyrna – Do not be afraid of what they must suffer, that the Devil will put some of them in prison to test them, and that they will suffer persectution for ten days.  He tells them to be faithful, even to the point of death and He will give them the crown of life.
3. Pergamum – He has a few things against them, they have people there who hold to the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israeltistes to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.  They also have people who hold to the teachings of the Nicolaitans.  They are Repent therefore! Otherwise, He will come to them and will fight against them with the sword of the mouth.
4. Thyatira – He has this against them: that they tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess.  By her teaching she misleads His servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.  He has given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.  So He will cast her on a bed of suffering, and He will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.  He will strike her children dead.  Then all the churches will know that He is the one who searches hearts and minds and He will repay each of them according to the their deeds.  Now He says to the rest in Thyatira, to those who do not hold to her teaching, and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (He will not impose any burden on them): He says only to hold on to what they have until He comes.
5. Sardis – Wake up!  They are to strengthen what remains and is about to die, for He has not found their deeds complete in the sight of His God.  They are to remember therefore, what they have received and heard; obey it and repent.  If they do not wake up, he will come like a thief, and they will not know at what time He will come to them.  Yet, they have a few people who have not soiled their clothes.  They will walk with Him dressed in white, for they are worthy.  Those who overcome will, like them, be dressed in white.  He will never blot out their names from the Book of Life, and He will acknowledge them before the Father and His angels.
6. Philadelphia – He will make those who claim that they are Jews but are really from the synagogue of Satan come and fall down at their feet and acknowledge that He has loved them.  Since they have kept His command to endure patiently, He will also keep them from the hour of trial what is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.  He is coming soon.  He wants them to hold on to what they have so that no one will take their crown.  To him that overcomes He will make a pillar in the temple of His God.  Never again will He leave it.  He will write on them the name of His God and the name of the city of His God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from His God.
7. Laodicea – Because they are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, He will spit them out of His mouth.  They say that they are rich and have acquired wealth and do not need anything.  But they do not realize that they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  He counsels them to buy from Him gold refined in the fire, so that they can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so they can cover their shameful nakedness; and salve to put in their eyes, so they can see.  Those whom He loves He rebukes and disciplines.  So He says they should be earnest and repent.  Here I am!, He says.  He stands at the door and knocks.  If anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in and eat with them and them with Him.

Each of these churches was promised a reward for those that overcome.  Many were also promised that they would suffer specific judgment for not heeding His direction.  Every Christian should feel the urge to study Revelation 1-3, fully understanding what the “Spirit says to the churches”.  Praise You Lord.  I thank you so much for showing us what must certainly swiftly soon come to pass.

There are so many things we can personally and collectively understand and reflect upon in our review of Your Church evaluation.  How do Your words of encouragement or warning apply directly to my walk of faith or to those actions and inactions of the Churches in our city?  Was this meant to prepare us for the days to come?  Do all of these historic Churches resemble the behavior of Churches in modern day?  Do we all have a bit of characteristics of each of these Churches to which You have spoken?  Lord, I pray that if these warnings are meant to sound the alarm to all Churches, that we in fact pay close attention and follow Your direction, repenting and renewing our walk as Your Church body and bride.  Oh that all of us who call ourselves by Your name would demonstrate our love for You by doing just as You have commanded.  Thank You for the warning Lord Jesus.