How the churches in Revelation look backwards and forwards

The imagery in Revelation can often be confusing. There are probably three ways to help you not be so confused:

1. Read the Old Testament
2. Read contemporaneous apocryphal literature
3. Read Revelation

You may have noticed none of these are "read crazy people on the internet." That's on purpose. But the last one (read Revelation) is important because a lot of the language is self-referential. That is, by reading Revelation, Revelation makes more sense. Images that are in one place are often elsewhere also, and nowhere is that more true in understanding the language used in ch's 2-3, the letters to the seven churches.

You might notice the similarities to my earlier table; this is updated and looking at one question in particular: where is the imagery in the letters from? Specifically, I'm asking where the description of Jesus comes from in chapter 1, and where the promise to the victor comes from in the closing chapters of the book. 

I should clarify that there are other references also, to the Old Testament, probably also to elsewhere in the New Testament, and to other places in Revelation. But the key thing I'm interested in is how is the description of Jesus at the beginning of the book redeployed for each church in their letter, and how are the eschatological promises at the end of the book foreshadowed in the promises to the conquerors of the individual churches.

On a personal note, I'm enjoying our series so far. Week 6/20 and still enthusiastic! And due to COVID-19 issues, we're going to be facebook live streaming tomorrow for my talk on the letter to Sardis, so that's a thing too.