The introduction to these letters is in Rev. 1. Therefore, write down the things that you have seen, those that are, and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lamp stands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches. Some of the things that are written in Revelation existed when John wrote them down, and some are yet to come. The letters are addressed to the angels of the seven churches. That may have been some greeting lost in history, but to my 21st-century mind, I wonder where I would send that. The first five letters are an interesting history of the church, but the last two, Philadelphia and Laodicea, are relevant for today. I will write about the last two.