What About the Rebukes of Revelation?

“God is not mad at you, he’s mad about you.”

“Oh, yeah? What about the rebukes of Revelation? How does that fit your lovey-dovey grace theology?”

Tell people that God loves them just as they are and someone will invariably point to those scary seven letters to the churches at the back of your Bible.

“Haven’t you seen how Jesus spoke harshly to the Revelation churches? ‘Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline’ (Rev. 3:19). God expects us to be holy. If we’re not holy, we can expect harsh training, correction, even scourging.”

As if.

I am well acquainted with the so-called Christ’s letters to the Revelation churches. I wrote a book about them. Contrary to what you may have heard, the warnings in his letters should not scare you. As we will see, they should cause you to praise God for his grace and kindness.

But first, what are…

The rebukes in Revelation

Here’s a summary of the rebukes or warnings found in the opening chapters of Revelation:

1. Ephesus – you have left your first love and need to repent (Rev. 2:4)
2. Smyrna – no rebuke
3. Pergamum – some of you have been influenced by the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:15)
4. Thyatira – you tolerate the false prophet Jezebel (Rev. 2:20)
5. Sardis – some of you are dead in sin and need to repent before it’s too late (Rev. 3:1–3)
6. Philadelphia – no rebuke
7. Laodicea – you are lukewarm and self-righteous (Rev. 3:16–17)

Note that only five churches receive a reproof or warning. Let’s take a closer look at these five reproofs and see what they reveal about the character of God.

The Ephesians were hard-working Christians. “’I know your deeds, toil and perseverance,” says Jesus. But like many busy believers they had wandered from their first love (Rev. 2:4). They were no longer resting in God’s love for them.

Many Christians make the same mistake. Instead of abiding in the love of God, they are trying to prove their love for God. Instead of receiving his favor, they are striving to earn it.

The remedy is to “remember the height from which you have fallen, repent and do what you did at first” (Rev. 2:5). In other words, go back to the feet of Jesus and remain there.

To all the weary Christians out there, Jesus is saying “Rest in my love for you. Make your home in my love and let nothing move you.” It’s a word of healing and restoration. More here.

The Pergamenes were praised by Jesus for holding fast to his Name despite persecution. These were tough Christians, but some were listening to a Balaamite message of idolatry. The Balaam followers were called Nicolaitans and they were bad news (Rev. 2:15).

Jesus does not rebuke the church but he warns them to beware these false teachers. Turf them out. Don’t give them a platform. And if they don’t? “I will make war against them (not you) with the sword of my mouth” (Rev. 2:16).

Jesus does not threaten his church, but false teachers who try to seduce his bride will feel the cold steel of his truth.

When Christians fall for lies and false teaching, Jesus doesn’t threaten them; he protects them. He fights for us because he cares for us. More here.

The Thyatirans were praised for their “later, greater deeds”. They were growing in the grace of God. But some of their number had fallen under the influence of a false prophet known as Jezebel. It was a mess, but Jesus promised to deal with it (Rev. 2:20–23).

The letter to Thyatira is often passed off as a treatise in church discipline. “Watch yourself, or else!” But Jesus commends the faithful Thyatirans, promises to deal with the Jezebel situation, then says, “I will place no other burden on you” (Rev. 2:24). The only “burden” we are meant to carry is the light and easy yoke of Jesus.

If you have Christian friends or family members who have fallen under a bad influence, the letter to Thyatira is pure encouragement. You can trust the Good Shepherd to care for his sheep. Your part is to hold fast to Jesus and keep his deeds (keep trusting in his work) until he comes. More here.

The Sardians were a mixed bunch. Some were believers who had not soiled their garments, while others remained dead-in-sin sinners who had heard the gospel but not received it. The former are praised, while the latter are told to make up their minds and repent before it’s too late.

If you are playing church or trying to be religious, you need to repent and believe the gospel. Abandon your futile attempts at self-improvement and put your faith in the grace of God.

But if you are a believer, the letter to Sardis is full of wonderful promises about walking in white and never having your name erased from the book of life. More here.

The Laodiceans are held up as the worst of the worst because their lukewarmness made Jesus nauseous (Rev. 3:16). To be lukewarm is to submit neither to the cold demands of the law nor the white hot love of the Father. It’s standing on your own merits and boasting “I am rich and in need of nothing,” when in fact you are “poor, miserable, naked and blind” (Rev. 3:17).

Those who boast in their accomplishments, religious or otherwise, have effectively locked Jesus out of their lives. They are saying, “Christ died for nothing.”

But Jesus does not get angry and vengeful. Instead he gently knocks on the door of your heart, hoping to be invited in. More here.

The Jesus of Revelation

Tradition portrays the Jesus of Revelation as a stern taskmaster who commends us if we do well but condemns us if we don’t. No matter how weary or broken you may be, the Lord demands results. Fail to live up to his high standards and you may lose your crown, have your name erased, and be punished with death and damnation.

It’s not true. The angry vindictive Jesus is an invention. He is not the Jesus of the Bible.

The Jesus we see in Revelation is the same Jesus of the Gospels who died for us and who now lives for us:

• In the letter to Ephesus, Jesus is the Good Shepherd calling to his lost and weary sheep with promises of rest and comfort.
• In the letter to Smyrna, he is the resurrection and the life comforting those facing trials and death.
• In the letter to Pergamum, he is the Lord-above-all, slicing through lies and ambiguity with the sword of truth.
• In the letter to Thyatira, he is the exalted Son of God confronting a charlatan to protect those walking in his Father’s love.
• In the letter to Sardis, he is the spiritual Savior exhorting an unspiritual people to wake from their stupor and be clothed in his righteousness.
• In the letter to Philadelphia, he is the Holy One who opens doors, empowers the weak, and gives names to nobodies.
• In the letter to Laodicea, he is the faithful Witness who gives a true account regarding the lostness of the lost before inviting himself around for dinner.

The common theme running through these letters is grace, or God’s undeserved favor for all, from the saintliest Philadelphian to the most odious Laodicean.

Yes, God disciplines us, which is to say he trains us like a loving Father. Typically, he trains us through his word. Always, he trains us with grace. Never does he train us with punishment, sickness, or scourging.

In none of the Revelation letters do you find Jesus making the sort of outrageous claims that are sometimes attributed to him. Instead you find grace upon grace—grace for salvation, sanctification, and everything besides. As John says in his preface:

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come. (Revelation 1:4a)

It really is grace from start to finish.

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Extracted and adapted from Paul’s award-winning book, Letters from Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ’s Letters to the Churches.

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