“‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'”
Our verse for today is part of the message that the Apostle John gave to the “angel of the church in Ephesus” (Revelation 2:1), one of the seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:4). Each of the angels of the seven churches received a message from John, as recorded in Revelation 2-3. John received these messages from the Spirit of God speaking through the risen and glorified Jesus Christ.
Because these letters are God’s, their messages can speak to every church of every age, not just to the seven addressed in Revelation. The messages are words of commendation and encouragement, but also rebuke and warning. In the message to Ephesus, for example, Jesus says, “‘But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first,'” (Revelation 2:4). At the end of each message, Jesus speaks the same words as those of our verse for today: “‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'”
That exhortation means that pastors and their churches should take to heart what the Spirit says. It is important not just because there are bad consequences for failing to listen (see, e.g., Revelation 2:5), but also because there are rewards for listening. The church at Ephesus, for example, was specifically promised the right to eat from the “tree of life” located in the “paradise of God,” (Revelation 2:7).
The Spirit, of course, still speaks to pastors and their churches. He speaks to us through the authority of the Bible. To hear the messages, however, we must have “an ear.” Is your spirit listening for the Word of God? Have you been seeking the things of this world, dampening the Spirit’s voice; or have you been seeking out that which is true, honorable, and pure (Philippians 4:8)?
As children of God, we have the amazing privilege of speaking with—and hearing from—our Heavenly Father. Are you listening to what He has to say?
By John Huisman, friend of Bible League International
