In Part 1, I wrote on some general points to be aware of in reading the book of Revelation and provided an example from the book’s first Chapter. I want to say a few things about Chapters 2 and 3, which contain the seven letters addressed to the seven churches in Asia Minor in the first century. Let’s briefly say something about how John structures the book around the theme of judgment. 1 Peter 4:17 expresses an idea about judgment beginning with God’s household, the church. John takes the idea very seriously in the way Revelation is structured. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on “judgment” or warning/encouragement of the churches, while the rest of the book is about judgments/warnings of the world.

Perhaps the most interesting question in these chapters is the identity of the seven angels of the churches in today’s western Turkey. The literature has two interpretations: the angels are either humans or divine beings. The text identifies each of these beings as an “angelos,” meaning “messenger.” In the Bible, this term can refer to both humans and divine beings.