For the past few weeks I've been studying Revelation 2-3 extensively, trying to wrap my head and my heart around each of the issues Jesus rebuked and affirmed in them and the promises to the overcomer given to each of the churches. In the past I have not spent much time in these chapters, but I've recently begun to see their importance and application towards us today. These two chapters are critical to understanding the rest of Revelation, and they're instrumental in motivating us to be an "overcomer".

John penned some hard-to-swallow yet encouraging messages that Jesus gave to the churches during the first century. Some scholars like to apply the spiritual principles set forth to each church to specific ages in the history of Christendom. It may indeed be a worthy way to apply Jesus' words, but I believe the most important application of each letter (after its primary purpose of speaking to real churches in the first century) is speaking to believers who will witness the events of Rev. 6-19 in their own lifetime. That could quite possibly be some of you reading this blog right now.

The main phrase that provoked me to study these chapters in more detail is actually repeated seven times in the 51 verses in Rev. 2-3. Each time Jesus finishes speaking to a church, he closes with the phrase: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Do you have an ear? Jesus is speaking about you and I - the readers and hearers of the words that He spoke. Have we taken heed to the words He's spoken? Does our heart begin to burn when we meditate on receiving a "white stone" (Rev. 2:17) from Jesus? Do we have any idea what it means to have the new name of Jesus written on us? (Rev. 3:12)

I'm just beginning to scratch the surface of the answers to those questions, and I figured a series on my blog would help me to understand them a bit better. So, you get to benefit from my study and my prayer. :) Hopefully it provokes you to go deeper in these things as well!

I'm still helping out with Dave Sliker's Biblical Foundations of Eschatology class at IHOPU for the next few weeks, but expect at least a 7-part (perhaps more) series on Rev. 2-3 in the weeks to come. Stay tuned!