Everyone (with any interest in the matter) knows that judgment is a major theme in the book of Revelation. Whereas numerous Scriptural texts portray judgment upon individuals (e.g. Herod in Acts 12:23), cities (e.g. Sodom and Gomorrah), and nations/kingdoms (e.g. Egypt), Revelation addresses The Big One. The Final One. The Ultimate One. Judgment Day itself.

The whole world is in scope, as is especially clear in the language of the seven bowls in chapter 16 and onwards: “every living thing died that was in the sea”, “a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth”, “all nations were deceived by your sorcery”, “[birds shall] eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great”, “I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.” So it is right to say Revelation presents the whole world as the object of God’s judgment, sparing only those whose names are graciously written in the Book of Life (20:15).

And yet, within this overall picture of God’s judgment, there is also a particular subgroup singled out: The Lord is particularly concerned with the worldly church that has conformed to the worldly system set for destruction. This should come as no surprise in light of numerous other passages which indicate that God applies something like a “pull the plank out of your eye rule” when prioritizing His judicial acts to first deal with those people called by His own name:

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Pe 4:17).

Revelation’s critical tone toward worldly Christianity begins, and comes through most clearly, in the letters to the seven churches. The rebukes to the majority of the churches are transparent enough on their own right, but Prof. Greg Beale makes some observations that emphasize even further just how bad the situation is:

“The seven churches fall into three groups. The first and last are in danger of losing their very identity as a Christian church. […] The churches addressed in the three central letters have to varying degrees some who have remained faithful and others who are compromising with pagan culture. […] The second and sixth letters are written to churches which have proved themselves faithful and loyal to Christ’s “name” even in the face of persecution from both Jews and pagans. […]
In this light, the condition of the churches is presented in the literary form of a chiasm: a b c c c b’ a’. The significance of this is that the Christian church as a whole is perceived as being in poor condition, since not only are the healthy churches in a minority but also the literary pattern points to this emphasis because the churches in the worst condition form the literary boundaries of the letters and the churches with serious problems form the very core of the presentation. This is highlighted as we recognize that at the center of the middle letter stands a general statement that “all the churches will know” that Christ is the omniscient judge of his unfaithful followers (2:23). This statement is conspicuous as the only thing said in the letters about all “churches” other than the conclusion of each letter.”

“All the churches will know” is also provocative because it evokes Ezekiel’s “then they will know” emotive language indicating that this judgment is of a sort that will never be forgotten.

Revelation’s critical eye towards the worldly churches doesn’t end at verse 1 of chapter 4, it just gets a bit more subtle. By chapter 11 the number of faithful lampstands is down from seven to two, presumably in part as a result of “the nations” ransacking the “outer court” of “the temple” which the angel forbid John from including under God’s protective measure. It is highly likely that such an “unbelieving Gentile infiltration” of the churches is when the threat of losing their lampstand (2:5) would be executed. As I’ve written about elsewhere, the “666” of 13:18 alludes to Solomon, his excessive wealth, and his other patterns of worldliness in defiance of Torah. Indeed, the entire “beast of the earth” section (13:11-18) is packed full of allusions to unfaithful behavior, not from the seas of the general unbelieving world, but from the community of God’s own select people. And when “my people” are called to “come out” from the whore of Babylon, the implication is that the Christians have been sent into a spiritual exile recapitulating that of adulterous Israel.

Someone will say, “Yikes! If Revelation takes such a bad view of even the overall Christian church itself, then what hope is there?” To which I reply that if our present exposition has led to such a woeful cry then I think it confirms this analysis of the book of Revelation aligns with the apostolic track. Because when Peter considered this same schematic, his reaction (1 Pe 4:18) was to exclaim:

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”