The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.

While in exile on the Island of Patmos, the Apostle John received this instruction from Jesus: "Write what you see into a book. Send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea" (Revelation 1:11; The Message Bible). Jesus then proceeds to dictate to the apostle personal messages to each of the seven churches. The content of these messages does not contain the opinions, or instructions of a pastor, deacon, elder or governing church council. These messages were sent directly from Jesus and reveal his assessment of each church. This in itself should be sufficient reason for taking the time and exerting the energy to do an exhaustive study of the seven churches. But there are additional reasons as well which are dealt with extensively in this book. The messages reveal what is acceptable and unacceptable to Jesus in the life of a church. They also reflect seven periods of church history. In addition, the messages explain a Christian's relationship to the group of believers with which they are associated. Furthermore, they stress the responsibility of every Christian to protect the spiritual welfare of the local church. Finally, these messages provide the proper perspective of what Jesus values most in a church. At the end of each message Jesus makes this statement: "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches!" (Revelation 2:7; New Living Translation). The messages to the seven churches of the Apocalypse are as relevant today as they were when John received them. They are intended for anyone who has ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

A book to help leaders understand their church culture and adjust their leadership style for the body they serve.

To properly interpret the Book of Revelation, we must have a thorough understanding of the New Covenant Spiritual Life. We must learn to emphasize the spiritual over the material. We must have a Heavenly orientation, as opposed to an Earthly orientation, to life, history, and our future.

A top New Testament scholar, preacher, and tour guide to the lands of the New Testament offers an informed commentary on this challenging portion of Scripture with an eye toward preaching the text. Jeffrey Weima explains the meaning of the seven "sermons" of Revelation 2-3 and provides sample sermons that show how these ancient messages, despite their subtle Old Testament allusions and perplexing images, are relevant for the church today. The book includes photos, maps, and charts and is of interest to preachers, students, teachers, and Bible study groups.

William Barclay devotes two chapters to each of the seven churches addressed in the book of Revelation. One chapter characterizes the ancient city and the other comments on John's message to the members of that community. This reissue of an older Westminster Press title makes a welcome addition to the highly popular William Barclay Library series. The William Barclay Library is a collection of books addressing the great issues of the Christian faith. As one of the world's most widely read interpreters of the Bible and its meaning, William Barclay devoted his life to helping people become more faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

If you have ever read about the seven churches of Asia Minor, or the seven churches in Revelation, and wondered what they are all about, this book will help you get a deeper insight into the character of these churches. You will get a look at their geographical locations, their historical backgrounds, and their experiences that shaped the way Christ addressed them. Christ introduced himself to these seven churches in seven different ways because their works were different, and he wrote them according to their works. The church of Ephesus--the first of the seven, left its first love, and the last of the seven, the church of Laodicea focused on material wealth without recognizing that Christ was on the outside knocking, seeking the opportunity to come in. The Seven Churches of Asia Minor, (The Churches in Revelation) will take you through each church one by one; it will help you to identify actions for which they were chastened or encouraged. Five out of these seven churches were admonished, warned, and given specific steps to take for their restoration. They could take these steps of face the consequences that were meted out by Christ himself. This book will certainly be an eye-opener for any church or individual who are curious to know more about the seven churches in the book of Revelation.

What if Jesus wrote a letter to your church? This eight-session LifeGuide® Bible Study helps us engage with the words of Jesus in the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation. Studying this Scripture with a group or individually allows us to ask some hard questions—of ourselves, of our leaders, and of the Lord.

In the book of Revelation, God unveils the world as it really is, identifying an unseen spiritual war and announcing a very real day of judgment. We need to be convinced that Jesus is reigning as the risen King. We need to have him speak to the situation in our churches. We need to see how God will pulverize wickedness, obliterate those who oppose him, and set up his kingdom. Revelation has exactly what we need. Useful for personal study, as well as for preaching and teaching (Hamilton even includes helpful charts and tables to highlight key themes and literary elements), the thirty-seven sermons in this volume have a clear structure: introduction, body, and conclusion. Hamilton successfully grabs the reader's attention, raises awareness of a real need, and states the main point of the sermon text. In addition to explaining the meaning of each passage, Hamilton connects the main ideas to applicable analogies and actionable points. Revelation is a prophecy of epic proportions and Hamilton invites readers to love God and his people by expositing this revelation of Jesus, and to say along with the apostle John, "Come, Lord Jesus." Part of the Preaching the Word series.

If you have ever read about the seven churches of Asia Minor and wondered what they are all about, this book will help you get a deeper insight into the character of these churches. You will get a look at their geographical locations, their historical backgrounds, and their experiences that shaped the way Christ addressed them. Christ introduced himself to these seven churches in seven different ways because their works were different, and he wrote them according to their works. The church of Ephesus--the first of the seven--left its first love, and the last of the seven, the Church of Laodicea, focused on material wealth without recognizing that Christ was on the outside knocking, seeking the opportunity to come in. The Seven Churches of Asia Minor will take you through each church one by one; it will help you to identify actions for which they were admonished or encouraged. Five out of these seven churches were admonished, warned, and given specific steps to take for their restoration; they could take these steps or face the consequences meted by Christ himself. The Seven Churches of Asia Minor will be an eye-opener for churches and individuals alike.