Part 94 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says that Revelation is the only book of the Bible that nobody decided to write. John simply wrote down what he saw and heard at the instruction of an angel. Jesus appears to him in a vision, but now his glory is apparent. David says that we need Revelation to fill out our picture of Jesus. Jesus reveals a knowledge of 7 cities and their churches to whom he is giving personal, individual messages. These cities in The Fertile Crescent are a melting pot of culture, politics and religion where roads between Europe and Asia traverse. Also, it was the area where Satan had his headquarters. The number seven is God’s perfect number and appears throughout this book. There are 7 parts to the letters – the Address, an Attribute of Jesus, an Approval of the church, an Accusation, Jesus’ Advice to put things right – sometimes with a warning that they will be closed down if they continue in wrong, an Appeal for them to heed, and finally an Assurance.  For two of the churches – the largest ones – he has nothing good to say about them. For those who are suffering persecution, he has no accusation. David gives an outline of the whole book, and though things will get worse, they will ultimately get better and stay that way.