Love Letters to the Beloved
Seven Churches
by
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Seven Churches of
The Apostle John sees a vision of the Risen Christ in the midst of seven golden lamp stands. From Rev. 2:1-3:22, he records the messages that Our Lord is sending to the churches. Christ dictates the letters to the angels that are the leaders of the seven churches that He addresses them to. In each letter He expects the leaders to look for the Speaker’s praise, reproof, exhortation, and promise. It will be wise for the Churches of today to take heed to the evaluations that are found in these seven letters, as Jesus is the head of all churches that are called the “Body of Christ” (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18), and it is expected that He will utilize the same format and standards when He judges the churches of this age.
The messages to the seven churches have a fourfold reference:
(1) locally, as they are for the churches actually addressed;
(2) admonitory, as they are written to all churches in all time as tests by which they may discern their true spiritual state in the sight of God;
(3) personal, in the exhortations to “him who has an ear” to hear, and in the promises to “him who overcome”’ and
(4) prophetic, as a pattern that has been repeated again and again through the centuries. Jesus tells John to “write the things that would take place after he finished writing the messages, and then discloses the progress of spiritual state of the church to the end of the church age.
John pronounces grace and peace to the churches from Jesus Christ, who being the faithful witness, has been raised from the dead, and is declared to be “the ruler of the Kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:5). Should we not all hear what the Spirit says to the churches?
At the close of the messages, John is told to write to anyone who will hear: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and dine with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I overcame and sit down with My Father on His Throne.”.
-Revelation 3:21.
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About the Book
“Remember the former things of old: For I am God, and there is non else; I am God and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:9-10).
About the Author
Dr. Laura L. (Wright) Mathews was born in
She has been active in religious education from the time of her fellowship into the church as a member. At Canaan Baptist, she started teaching Sunday School and Baptist Training Union classes in primary department and has been active in religious education from date forward. In her adult years, she studied at the National Baptist Convention, Department of Christian Education where she was awarded a diploma in Christian Education, and Certification as a Dean of Sunday School Training programs, and also as a certified instructor for Wisconsin Baptist State Convention.
To prepare for secular employment, she was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration from