Hear, Hear! by Vagans

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the [churches]”, a phrase repeated in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 in the King James Version of the Bible. The churches referred to are listed in Revelation 1:11, thus: “Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto EPHESUS, and unto SMYRNA, and unto PERGAMOS, and unto THYATIRA, and unto SARDIS, and unto PHILADELPHIA, and unto LAODICEA.” These were highlighted in the grid, the third as PERGAMUM.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 ALEPH [H]E in ALPH
7 SUSPECT (PROSP[E]CTUSES − PROS) *
12 LORRAINE LORE around [T]RAIN
13 HOHS H[H] + OHMS − M
15 DICE DI[A] + CE
16 RESCUE (CUE RES[T]) *
17 GODLIER G[H]OSTLIER with D for ST
19 REELERS EEL in RE[A]RS
20 FA’ARD FA[T] + ARD
22 EGON GO in [H]EN
24 INKED [A]IN + KED
26 SAD SA[N]D
27 TUMESCE [E]XCUSE-ME * with T for X
29 BUS [A]BUS(e)
31 NAPES (Semi)NA[R] PES(t)
34 LIAS (IS AL[L]) *
35 EULER EU + LE[E] + R
36 TONEPAD TO + NE[T] + PAD
39 AMES-ACE S[H]AME * + ACE
42 FEHMIC FE + H + [I]’M + I/C
43 MUST MUS(cat) + [M](erlo)T; 2 meanings
44 NETE NET[H]E(r)
45 ENCHAINS SE[E]N * around CHAIN
46 TRESTLE T[A]LE around REST
47 ENTER [R]ENTER
Down
2 LOPER LO[W] + REP <
3 ERASE ERA + S[H]E
4 PRECENTRESSES P[A]RE + CENTR(e) + ESSES
5 HAMULI (Got)HAM UL[T]I(mately)
6 EILEEN E(v)I(l) L(i)E(s) [T](o) E(d)N(a)
7 SNAG ((Af)G[H]AN S(tory)) <
8 SUDD DD after US[E] <
9 PHILADELPHIAN P(ut) H(is) [S](oul) I(nto) L(ate) A(cceptance) + DELPHIAN
10 CHEERS R in CHEE[P]S
11 TSAR [I]SA in TR
12 LARGESSE LARGE[R] + S + S + E
14 OOSES (O + [I]S) in OES
18 IAMBI GAMBI[T] with first letter advanced two places alphabetically
21 DISSECTS SECT[S] in DISS
23 ODYLE (ELY + [A]DO) <
25 KEP KEP[I]
28 MATCH MAT[T] + CH
30 MUMMER M in [H]UMMER
32 EN FACE FIG[U]RE-DANCE * − GRID *
33 SEETHE (u)SE [N]ET HE(adlines)
37 AMRIT MI[T]HRAIST * − HIS *
38 DIANE AID < + [O]NE
39 AUNT [T]AUNT
40 AT IT A + TIT[H](e)
41 EYNE (th)E (wa)Y (sh)[E] (ca)N (mak)E
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