Rev 2-3 are the words that Jesus Christ dictated to John what he was to write to the seven Churches. These are seven letters embedded within the letter of Revelation follow a well defined structure
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The Church as Both a Spiritual and Physical Organization
In Revelation 1:21, church means spiritual organization and its attributes, as defined by the meaning of the symbolism of the candlestick. The word church, as used in chapters 2-3, is a reference not to the spiritual organization but to the physical organization and its attributes. In the letter to the church in Ephesus, Christ threatened to “come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent (Rev 2:5).” If the lamp-stand of Ephesus is the church of Ephesus, how can the church be removed from the church. This only makes logical sense if it is understood that the word “church” (GR Ekklesia) is used in two distinct senses.
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Spiritual Organizations legally constituted Assemblies
The word ekkesia was used in Greco-Roman times as a legal term used to refer to legally constituted assemblies. Today, entities like legislatures and boards of directors could also be thought of as ekkesias. The legal authority of the ekklesia that is the church is spiritual and connected to our seat in heaven with Christ (See last chapter, pg 10-11 & Eph 2:4-7). Christ is telling the church in Ephesus that she is in danger of losing her legal privilege before God and access to His light. No  physical organization is guaranteed access to privilege simply because it was founded by an apostle or has a succession of leaders started by an apostle. If any physical organization is established under God’s command and with His blessing, it will continue to be blessed only upon continued faithfulness to the divine mandate, faithlessness forfeits the blessing.
Physical Churches only Carry authority to degree of Spiritual faithfulness
When Christ built the church, His promises were made to a spiritual organization constituted under the authority of Jesus Christ. This spiritual organization is  instantiated in various physical organization. these physical organization carry legal authority only as long as they are faithful to the spiritual mandate. The history of the church is largely a failure of physical organizations, including but not limited to the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, to remain faithful to the divine mandate.
Seven letters a diagnostic and primer.
Christ does not assume that these physical organizations will be faithful. The letters to the seven churches, which are letters to physical organizations, reveal a mixed record of faithlessness and faithfulness. These letters also reveal that both membership and leadership are a mixture of saved and unsaved people. These letters are both a diagnostic and primer for distilling out of these  churches a pure bride of saved over-comers who can take their place in God’s Holy court for the coming battle. It is this group who will overcome the enemy throughprayer,praise, andproclamation of the Word of God.
Diagnosis and treatment follow precise algorithm.
Each letter begins with the words “To the angel of the church of…” Angel here likely mean messenger.  These were the evangelists who, in the early church, often served as lines of communication between the Apostles and the churches. These letters were intended to address real-world issues in a particular church.
After these words, Christ would introduce Himself to each of the seven churches using a relevant attribute needed to address the situation that the particular church was facing. Ephesus, for example, was in danger of losing her light, so Christ identified himself as  one ”Âwho walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands (2:1).” Smyrna was suffering intense persecution, so Christ identified himself as  one ”ÂFirst and the Last, who was dead, and came to life (2:8).” They needed to know that Christ not only conquered death, but is in charge of the bigger picture. Pergamos has a mixture of godly and ungodly, so Christ identified himself as  one ”Âwho has the sharp two-edged swordÂ(2:12).”
After the introduction, Christ would give praise for the good things that the church was doing. Because of his great love, He gives good commendations first to set a positive tone so that the coming rebuke, if needed, would have constructive outcome. Sadly, He had nothing good to say about the churches of Sardis and Laodicea. After the commendations, Christ would then issue his rebukes. Philadelphia and Smyrna did not receive any rebukes.
After Christ would give his diagnostic of the Church, He would issue appropriate warnings of judgment or promises of blessing. He threatened to remove Ephesus’s light but promise the church in Philadelphia to “open a door that no man can shut.” Judgments, when executed, were designed to discipline the true saints (Hebrews 12:1-12) and weed out of the churches those who refuse repentance.  god’s program for the churches does not ultimately depend on the churches getting in position to play their role, rather Christ works in people to will and do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). The story of the overcoming church in Revelation is the story of Christ overcoming by preparing her and then deploying her in battle alongside Him rather than the story of the church.
Christ would give a promise to those who overcome. Jesus Christ gave promises thatpositioned the over-comers in God’s presence. This is important because it is the over-comers who will be given the ability to make use of their royal seat in heaven to access God’s great power for the purpose of propelling God’s judgment to bring this age to its close.
 
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Christ opened the door for general application when He said “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” These churches are prototypes for all churches. These letters are to be read today as a diagnostic for church problems and primer for the solutions.
 Next chapter will be an analysis of these problems and solutions: