“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)

The occurrence of the word Repent in the messages to the Seven Churches is truly remarkable. The word Repentance — in the mind of the average Christian–is connected with sinners and not with professing Christians. And yet the word used throughout the New Testament in the presentation of the Gospel message to sinners is exactly the same word repeated by our Lord in His messages to the Seven Churches.

The word Repent occurs over seven times in these seven messages. It is omitted from two of them–Smyrna, the poor, persecuted Church–for a church in persecution is generally a purified one, and Philadelphia, the loyal Church, the Church that had kept the faith. The noun metanoia (repentance) is defined variously as a change of mind, a change of heart, a change of attitude, or a change of direction.

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