Notes on Revelation 2-5

The letters of Revelation, often treated as though they are less interesting than the vivid imagery of future things, are actually the key to understanding the purpose of the book. John is writing to argue that a true Christian is one who values Christ above all other things, even his own life. As such, those who value Christ more than all else are encouraged to continue on in their work, since it will result in the reception of all of the promises of God's new creation and victory; and those who do not are told to repent lest they are cast out and partake of the damnation of the devil, beast, and false prophet.

Along these lines, John desires to communicate that there are three groups in the world: professing believers who are truly saved, the non-professing world that is damned, and professing believers who are not truly saved. Each is known by its faith and works together (as is a common theme in the Synoptics and General Epistles).

The seven churches likely represent the whole church, and not just the specific churches that are being addressed in the chapters. This is confirmed by the fact that each letter to a specific church ends with the statement, "He who has an ear to hear, he better listen to what the Spirit says to the churches (plural)." These churches, therefore, merely stand as representative of the entire church.

All of them are encouraged to continue in those things that are faithful to Christ. All but two (Smyrna and Philadelphia) are encouraged to repent where they are not faithful.

An inclusio is created from what is said to the first church, Ephesus, and the last church, Laodicea, where those in Ephesus were compromising by not having Christ as their primary love, i.e., choosing Him above all other things, and those in Laodicea who were doing the same by not choosing Christ over other things, but instead mixing their "love" of Christ with their love of a rich and comfortable lifestyle. In other words, Christ is not valued above all other things. He is not their "first" or "preeminent love." This then gives the framework for the rest of the letters. The real problem of theological and ethical compromise is not merely in actions, but in not loving and valuing Christ, not choosing Him, above all other things with the result that one loves his or her life and the things the world offers to that temporary life, more than Christ.

Hence, with this rejection of Christ is the warning that those who do not repent will not inherit the promises of the new creation. They do not do so because inheritance has to do with unification with Christ (i.e., taking upon oneself His name) and one who professes Christ while denying Him through either his compromised worship and activity does not take upon His name, i.e., is not united to Him, and thus, is not saved.

The eating things sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality is stock New Testament language that utilizes the figure of speech called synecdoche (a part represents the whole). Eating meat sacrificed to idols refers to pagan worship, i.e., the worship of other gods/theology of another religion. Hence, it represents pagan ideas concerning who God is, what is true, etc. In that regard, we might just summarize it as bad theology, false doctrine. Likewise, the practice of sexual immorality refers to a distortion of the creational activity of the image of God that undergirds all biblical ethics. As such, it stands at the head of all ethical understanding, and represents bad, chaotic, anticreational ethics. It is why the Gentiles are told in Acts 15 that, although they do not need to worry about practicing the rituals of the law that are mere pictures of holiness and have been fulfilled in Christ, they do need to observe biblical theology and ethics, i.e., abstaining from pagan worship and sexual immorality.

This is the book's concern. Christians are being pressured by the world to compromise in their theology and ethics by partaking in the worship and practices of the Roman world. This will culminate in the description of worshiping the beast and his image.

But John's point will be that one is made to be a priest of the kingdom today, a martyr/witness in one's life, not just in one's death. One who gives his life for Christ by being executed is one who has been giving his life for Christ all the while before it. This is what it means to be a victor (nikon) in life as a Christian. To the victor is given the spoils, and John's point is that only those who are victors will be given them.

Thus, after the rebuke and exhoration of the letters, John moves on to give the heavenly vision of God and Christ as the only Ones worthy of being worshiped and followed, the only Ones who should be valued above all other things. God the Father, who is described as having the beauty of precious jewels and halos of light, who is worshiped by angels and all of the patriarchs of the Old and New Testament, hands His scroll over to the Son, who alone is worthy to open it. It contains the power of rule and judgment upon the world that also saves His people from the oppression of the world. He is also said to have achieved victory via His death. He is described both as a lamb that is slain and the Lion of Judah who has a crown of seven horns (i.e., complete rule and authority), displaying that His path to life, victory, and rule was suffering and death, as He now calls His people to follow.