The last book of the Bible is of prophetic nature and contains most essential information for the course of the entire church history, and gives us a deep insight into the plan of salvation. It opens up with, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him (John), to show unto his servant’s things which must shortly come to pass...”

Right here, we are taken into the holiest of holies to receive the final revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, what a thrill it will be to all, who will see Jesus in His gloried state the way John saw Him, “And he had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and his countenance was as the sun shineth in its strength.” (Rev.1: 16)! Oh, what an overwhelming experience it must have been for John, when he beheld the majestic sight of his loving Saviour and fell at His feet as dead, “And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death.” (v.17)! John continues to say, “And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like the Son of man...” (Rev.1: 12-13). John was told what the mystery of the seven stars was, “The seven stars are angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches” (v.20).

The messages were addressed to the seven churches in Asia, because they were characteristic of the oncoming seven church ages. Thus, they were of prophetic nature and can now be identified in the course of the church history.

John saw the seven angels in the right hand of the Lord of Glory –not in the hand of a person or a church. The Lord Himself has chosen the seven stars, which are the seven angels to the seven church ages. The seven distinct eras can be identified in the ministry of Paul, Ireneus, Martin, Columba, Luther, Wesley, and without doubt, in the ministry of Bro. Branham to the Laodicean Church Age.

Among all the men used of God in the first century, John was chosen to see the preview of the entire plan of salvation. He saw the white throne judgment, the new heaven and the new earth –the merging of time into eternity. The statement “to show unto his servants...” is in the plural and is spoken in reference to the servants of the Lord, who were to receive the revelation required for their age. Paul was the first messenger to the church, who could say, “...for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), and God continued to have His messenger right up to the present ‘church age of Laodicea’ with the closing revelation of God.

Since the reformation, God did not cease to bring His church back to its original condition. She has to be freed from the old leaven of Rome, to be flawless and blameless before Him. Millions will thank God throughout eternity for sending His servants and prophets to call them out of confusion. It has now taken a prophetic ministry to unveil the whole plan of salvation. It is written, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants, the prophets” (Rev.10: 7). In each of the messages to the seven churches, the promise is only given to the overcomers. The elect recognized their “today”, received and obeyed that, which the Spirit saith unto the churches. Of them it is written, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony...” (Rev.12: 11). The Word of God is the testimony of the Lamb. They are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph.1: 13). They believed the Word-promise; they followed the Lamb and became the Word-bride. “...For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev.19: 10). Here, it does not speak of the prophecy, but the Spirit of prophecy –the testimony of Jesus Himself. “He that hath received his testimony hath set his seal to his that God is true” (Jn.3: 33). The prophets and apostles had described the Lord in His different attributes –as Creator, Redeemer, Lamb of God, Son of God Mediator, King, etc., but His own, all sufficient testimony of Himself is, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev.1:8). The testimony of Jesus is in full agreement with the prophetic Word and is the testimony of very believer.