Revelation 3:22 kjv
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 3:22 nkjv
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ' "
Revelation 3:22 niv
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Revelation 3:22 esv
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"
Revelation 3:22 nlt
"Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches."
Revelation 3 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 2:7 | "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." | Echo of the command, general appeal. |
| Rev 2:11 | "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." | Echo of the command. |
| Rev 2:17 | "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." | Echo of the command. |
| Rev 2:29 | "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." | Echo of the command. |
| Rev 3:6 | "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." | Echo of the command. |
| Rev 3:13 | "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." | Echo of the command. |
| Matt 11:15 | "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" | Jesus' frequent call for spiritual hearing. |
| Matt 13:9 | "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" | Jesus emphasizing parables need deep understanding. |
| Matt 13:43 | "He who has ears, let him hear!" | Conclusion of parable about the kingdom. |
| Mk 4:9 | "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" | Jesus' call to heed kingdom teachings. |
| Lk 8:8 | "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" | Emphasizing fruitfulness depends on listening. |
| Deut 4:1-2 | "Hear now...the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them..." | Call to listen and obey God's laws. |
| Ps 95:7-8 | "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts..." | Warning against disobedience. |
| Jer 7:23 | "Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people..." | Importance of obedience to God's voice. |
| Ezek 3:10 | "All My words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart and hear with your ears." | Prophetic command to receive God's word. |
| Matt 7:24-27 | "Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them..." | Building on the rock of hearing and doing. |
| Lk 6:46 | "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I say?" | Hearing without doing is hypocrisy. |
| Jn 8:47 | "Whoever is of God hears the words of God..." | True spiritual connection evidenced by hearing God. |
| Jn 10:27 | "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." | Marks of true discipleship. |
| Jn 14:26 | "The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things..." | The Spirit's role in teaching and revealing truth. |
| Jn 16:13 | "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth..." | The Spirit guides into all truth. |
| Acts 13:2 | "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said..." | The Spirit speaking directly to the church. |
| 1 Tim 4:1 | "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith..." | The Spirit giving prophetic warnings. |
| Heb 3:7-8 | "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts..." | Admonition against resisting the Spirit. |
| Jas 1:22 | "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." | Practical call to act on what is heard. |
Revelation 3 verses
Revelation 3 22 Meaning
Revelation 3:22 serves as a concluding, universal, and ongoing call for spiritual receptivity and obedience. It urges anyone possessing spiritual discernment to actively listen to, understand, and heed the perpetual message delivered by the Holy Spirit, which is addressed to all congregations and individual believers. This command transcends specific time or place, signifying the necessity of responsiveness to divine counsel.
Revelation 3 22 Context
Revelation 3:22 concludes the seventh and final letter to the church in Laodicea (Rev 3:14-21) and acts as the culminating exhortation for all seven messages Christ sent to the churches of Asia Minor (Rev 2-3). While specifically concluding the Laodicean message, which addressed their spiritual blindness, lukewarmness, and self-sufficiency, its plural phrasing ("to the churches") confirms its universal application. This phrase is a recurring refrain at the close of each letter, emphasizing that the principles and warnings conveyed were not limited to a single congregation but resonated with broader spiritual realities relevant to all believers throughout history. Historically, the letters challenged the spiritual apathy prevalent in the flourishing cities of Asia Minor, warning against comfort-induced complacency.
Revelation 3 22 Word analysis
- He who has an ear (ὁ ἔχων οὖς, ho echōn ous): This phrase goes beyond mere physical hearing. It denotes a spiritual readiness, a capacity for discernment, and an internal disposition to receive and process divine revelation. It speaks of spiritual perceptiveness, indicating that not everyone who hears outwardly will understand inwardly. It highlights the distinction between a passive audience and one spiritually attuned to God.
- let him hear (ἀκουσάτω, akousatō): This is an imperative verb, a direct command. It demands not just an auditory perception of words, but an active, attentive listening that leads to understanding, comprehension, and a willingness to obey. It implies internalizing the message and allowing it to influence one's actions and life. This is an invitation to engage fully with the truth.
- what the Spirit says (τί τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγει, ti to Pneuma legei): This identifies the authoritative source of the message: the Holy Spirit. It asserts that the words spoken through John (and thus the entirety of Christ's messages to the churches) are divinely inspired truth, emanating directly from God. The Holy Spirit acts as the revelatory agent of God's will to His people. This underscores the profound weight and eternal significance of the words.
- to the churches (ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, tais ekklēsiais): While each message was specifically addressed to an individual church, the use of the plural here, as in the introduction of Rev 2 and 3, clearly indicates that the messages hold universal relevance. They are intended for the collective body of believers—all local assemblies, groups, and individuals within the body of Christ across all generations. It shows that the issues and divine counsel are perennial for the entire Christian community.
Words-group analysis
- He who has an ear, let him hear: This phrase, frequently uttered by Jesus in the Gospels and recurring at the conclusion of each of the seven letters in Revelation, serves as a crucial call for spiritual discernment. It is a divine filter, challenging listeners to move beyond superficial hearing to active spiritual reception and understanding. It suggests that while God's truth is universally proclaimed, only those with spiritually opened ears will truly grasp its meaning and respond appropriately. It is a demand for self-examination regarding one's spiritual condition and readiness.
- what the Spirit says to the churches: This grouping clarifies the source and target of the divine communication. The messages are not mere human observations or historical records but ongoing, living revelations from the Holy Spirit. By addressing them "to the churches" in the plural, Christ signifies that these prophetic insights, admonitions, and promises have perpetual application for the global and local expressions of the Christian faith, calling every generation to listen for and respond to the Spirit's ongoing guidance and warning.
Revelation 3 22 Bonus section
The repetitive nature of this exhortation (appearing at the end of all seven letters) serves a significant structural and theological purpose. It emphasizes the collective responsibility of all churches to internalize the entirety of the messages, not just the one addressed directly to them. This phrase functions as a kind of "divine postscript," sealing the divine authority of the message and personalizing the call to every individual believer within the broader Christian community. While primarily an invitation, it also carries an implicit warning: those who choose not to hear will bear the consequences of their spiritual deafness, as illuminated by the strong words of judgment associated with the unrepentant within these letters.
Revelation 3 22 Commentary
Revelation 3:22 caps Christ's fervent address to His churches, transforming His specific admonitions to Laodicea into a timeless, universal command. This verse underscores that spiritual truths necessitate more than physical reception; they demand a spiritually awakened ear, one ready to discern and obey the Holy Spirit's continuous communication. The persistent reiteration of this phrase across all seven letters and its connection to Jesus' own teaching highlight the critical importance of actively internalizing divine revelation. It's a call to profound introspection: are we genuinely hearing, understanding, and living out the Spirit's present word, or are we deafened by apathy, complacency, or worldly distractions? Our spiritual vitality hinges on our readiness to respond to Christ's living voice through His Spirit.
Practical usage:
- A reminder for daily quiet time: Do I truly listen to God's Spirit in His Word, or just read?
- Church evaluation: Is our congregation actively discerning and responding to the Spirit's leading today, or living on past traditions only?
- Personal challenge: Am I open to uncomfortable truths the Spirit might reveal about my lukewarmness or complacency?