22 December | EVERYONE
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7)
Does God know the end from the beginning? Is it possible to know what will happen in the future by reading Revelation? The answer is yes. Prophecy describes the future. That does not mean things will happen because prophecy foretells it. That would be fatalism. Prophecy foreshadows the future because the omniscient God knows the choices humans freely make.
Included in the early chapters of Revelation are seven letters written to seven churches in Asia Minor. Writing them was not a mere human initiative, but John obeyed God's command. “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this" (Revelation 1:19). The message to these churches is real; but at the same time, it is a prophecy that announces the history of the church from the days of John to the coming of Christ.
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea were seven cities where there were real Christian churches with real spiritual problems. John's letters were originally intended to help the brethren in these churches solve their problems. However, based on them, God also describes the spiritual characteristics and problems of the Christian church throughout history. In the letters, there is always a call to repentance and, in the cases of Smyrna and Philadelphia, to move forward.
The seven letters retain the same structure: Jesus' introduction, a statement about the present condition of that church, divine order, and finally, a promise to those who overcome.
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If Jesus presents a promise to the victors, it is because victory is not a mere utopia, but a reality guaranteed to His children. Look at it this way, and fill yourself with confidence by embracing that promise.