Following the prologue, John greets the seven churches on behalf of the Father, Spirit, and Son, whose redemptive work has released us from sin and given us new status as a kingdom and priests to God (1:4-6). For the church to persevere in the midst of tribulation and culture’s pressure to compromise, we need God’s grace and peace. Moreover, despite overwhelming odds and difficulties which try faith, Jesus stands victorious and present with His church through the sevenfold presence of the Spirit (1:4). Hence, as we carry out Christ’s mission in darkening days, we do so with the One who holds the seven stars (angels) in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands (the churches). Jesus commends Ephesus for its perseverance, rejection of false apostles, and hatred of the deeds of the Nicolaitan; however, Jesus calls them to repent over the “loss of their first love” and to return to “the deeds they did at first.” While zealous to protect the pure Word of God, the Ephesian Christians had turned inward, meaning their fervour to witness and win the lost had waned. If the Ephesians do not repent, it can destroy their fellowship with Christ (i.e., He threatens to remove them as a church). Believers who do overcome will enjoy eternity in God’s paradise.

The church at Ephesus resisted false teaching, and Smyrna endured persecution. Believers at Pergamum battled both fronts. Twice Jesus acknowledges Satan’s throne and presence in their midst (the only city where Satan is said to have his throne!). Pergamum was the first city in Asia Minor to build a temple for emperor worship, boasting of itself as a “temple-warden.” As such, it became a leading center for this idolatrous practice. Pergamum was also a center for the cult of Asclepius, the god of healing whose symbol was a serpent. Furthermore, Pergamum had various pagan temples, including one in the form of the throne of Zeus, the father of the gods. Satan’s evil workings led to Antipas’s martyrdom, yet Jesus commends believers there for holding fast to His name and not denying the faith. Satan has also been sowing seeds of false doctrine among them, for some are guilty of harboring/condoning Nicolaitan heresy (sexual and spiritual immorality). Jesus calls His church to repent, lest He wield His sharp two-edged sword against them. Believers who conquer in faith receive hidden manna (to be consumed at the marriage feast of the Lamb - 19:9) and a white stone with a new name written upon it. White stones were given to victors at games as entrance passes to a great banquet, as well as by jurors at trials to vote for acquittal. Both gifts suggest different types of eternal blessing and reward.