the seven churches in Revelation
Two Witnesses Today’s passage: Revelation 11:1–14 Focus verse: “And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days.” (Revelation 11:3) As we work our way through the second of three woes, we come across two witnesses. God appoints them to prophesy for 1,260 days, almost three and a half years. In a […]
Seven Trumpets and Three Woes Today’s passage: Revelation 8:6–13 Focus verse: I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!” (Revelation 8:13) With the seventh seal broken […]
Praising God as Holy Today’s passage: Revelation 4:1–8 Focus verse: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” (Revelation 4:8) Having considered Jesus’s seven letters to the seven churches, we move forward into the third and longest part of the book of Revelation. Jesus, with a voice booming like a trumpet, explains what’s about to […]
The Church in Laodicea: Lukewarm for Jesus Today’s passage: Revelation 3:14–22 Focus verse: “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:16) We don’t know that Paul ever traveled to Laodicea during his missionary journeys, but he mentions their church in his letter to the […]
The Church in Philadelphia: Weak but Worthy Today’s passage: Revelation 3:7–13 Focus verse: “I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” (Revelation 3:8) The church in Philadelphia is another church that only appears in Revelation. In Jesus’s letter to them, he offers encouragement for […]
The Church in Sardis: A Dead Church Today’s passage: Revelation 3:1–6 Focus verse: “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” (Revelation 3:1) As with the churches in Smyrna and Pergamum, Scripture provides no additional information about the church in Sardis other than what occurs in the book […]
The Church in Thyatira: Sexual Immorality Today’s passage: Revelation 2:18–29 Focus verse: “By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” (Revelation 2:20) We hear of the city of Thyatira once in the book of Acts. It’s the home of Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, […]
The Church in Pergamum: Repent Today’s passage: Revelation 2:12–17 Focus verse: “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you.” (Revelation 2:14) As with the church in Smyrna, the Bible tells us nothing more about the church in Pergamum. But like the church in Ephesus, Jesus’s message to them offers both affirmation and correction. Despite living […]
The Church in Smyrna: Fearless Suffering Today’s passage: Revelation 2:8–11 Focus verse: “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.” (Revelation 2:10) Unlike the church in Ephesus, the Bible gives us no other information about the church in Smyrna outside of two references in Revelation. And, unlike the church in Ephesus and […]
The Church in Ephesus: Their First Love Today’s passage: Revelation 2:1–7 Focus verse: “You have forsaken the love you had at first.” (Revelation 2:4) Of the seven churches, we know most about the church in Ephesus because of the letter Paul wrote to them (the book of Ephesians). In this epistle Paul teaches them about three […]