Seven churches

THE SEVEN CHURCHES
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John 15:26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the
Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 And you also
must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
John 16:1 "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.
Notice here that the function of the Holy Spirit is to continue with the testimony of Jesus.
But Holy Spirit is not the only testimony we have - we also have the testimony of the
disciples. This is the written word of God. Thus we have for a certainty two testaments.
One of the Spirit and the other of the Written word. One cannot contradict the other. In this
sense the revelation is closed but is progressive. The final revelation is found in Jesus
Christ, Lord and Savior. But unfolding of Jesus in the hearts and minds and bodies of
people is an ongoing process. Jesus is born everyday in the hearts of men and transforms
them. Jesus reveals himself to his children in special ways. The revelation is eternal.
Revelation is continuous.
Here in the book of revelations, John received a revelation. But we should know that it is
not a new revelation. It was simply a detailed presentation of what was already explained
by Jesus himself during his period of residence on earth.
John 5:27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 28 "Do
not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his
voice 29 and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have
done evil will rise to be condemned.
John 12:47 "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not
judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48 There is a judge for the
one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will
condemn him at the last day.
Jesus was talking about the last day. This is implied in his manifesto which was delivered
early in his ministry.
Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good
news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of
sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."