SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION Why not choose Corinth, Rome, Philippi, Antioch, Pella, Derbe, and Jerusalem, or any other seven churches? Is it merely coincidence that Ephesus to Laodicea is clearly established by history as seven stages on a first-century mail route? Could a postman deliver his mail to all seven at once? Also, groups of seven are characteristic of Christs writing style. In each case, the seven are sequential, not simultaneous. Why should chapters 2 and 3 break the pattern? Christ chose those cities because the patterns suited His purpose perfectly. The chapters themselves imply the movement of time. The last four messages mention Christs return, the first three not at all. To Thyatira: Hold fast till I come (Revelation 2:25). To Sardis: You will not know what hour I will come (3:3). To Philadelphia: Behold, I come quickly! (3:11). To Laodicea: Behold, I stand at the door . . . (3:20). Is it not interesting that the last four churches, not the first four, receive this end-time language? These comments show there will be either remnants of, or sizable portions of, at least four eras existing at Christs return. What is wrong about this? Nothing! Think about this. Revelation deals with global events. The church of God is not just an American and Canadian institution raised in the last two generations. Members of the true church live all over the world. God understands humanity to a depth we can only begin to imagine. Along with listing the stages of the churchs growth until Christs return, Revelation 2 and 3 describe the attitudes many Christians go through during their converted lives. Do we go through them all at once or in stages? The chapters also describe the personality changes most congregations experience over time. Nobody has to be any one of these attitudes simply as a random matter of calling. Revelation 2 and 3 reflect both eras and attitudes. Christ simply asks us to use this to identify where we stand as individuals, a congregation, or a church. Notice the plural churches. Each message is to the churches. What the Revealer says to the Ephesian church is also intended to be instruction, knowledge, information, and motivation to all the other churches as well. What is said to Ephesus is also intended for Smyrna, is also intended for Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. What is said to Laodicea is also intended for Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Pergamos, and so on. Therefore, all the messages are for each church as well. Christs warning to Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea gives very strong indications that these groups will be extant at His return. He omits statements like that to Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos altogether, suggesting the progression of time from the moment the first letter begins until He is standing at the door knocking. Are we talking about eras here, or are we talking about seven small congregations in western Asia Minor who just happened to have these attitudes? We have here eras progressing from the first century right up until the second coming of Jesus Christ. There is tremendous evidence that Revelation 2-3 is talking about church eras. Christ is revealing to His church that they will be both the major attitudes that will be present in His church at any given time, as well as the dominant attitude of the era as the church moves through these periods. There will always be people at any time within the church who have lost their first love. There will always be people who are dead as the Sardis group is. The application is dual; there are both attitudes and eras at the same time We all understand that the book of Revelation is an end-time book, and its primary focus is on things that shall be. As a book intended for the end time, the primary instruction in Revelation 2 and 3 concerns the end-time church. When Revelation was written at the end of the first century, all seven churches existed at the same time, therefore the seven conditions—the messages described—also existed at the same time. They were local and personal conditions to be sure, but all of them were within the greater church at the same time. Some of those churches had some wide divergences from Gods truth, yet God still considered them to be part of His church. In the same way, why can they not all exist simultaneously at the end as well? Even as they formerly existed all at once, they will again exist all at once. In fact, we are living them right now. All seven messages of Revelation 2 and 3 reveal a clear, end-time connection. There are statements such as, Behold! I come quickly, or Hold fast till I come, showing that His return is imminent. The conclusion is inescapable—all seven will be in existence at the end. Equally important is that they also show a consistency in that Christ exhorts them all in such ways as, Hold fast till I come, Hold fast what you have received, Remember therefore from whence you are fallen, or Be faithful. Each of these exhortations is directed toward commanding those seven churches to be steadfast to, or to turn back to, something that they had previously received. Most specifically, we find in several places—in the Revelation 2 and 3 messages, and in other places in the writings of Paul, Jude, John, and Peter—that they are to be steadfast and devoted to the doctrines once delivered to the saints through the apostles. With these two factors—the imminence and exhortations to hold fast—the conclusion is that all seven of these very different groups described in Revelation 2 and 3 are part of the end-time church. Considering both what is happening in the world and the state of the church, we are living these messages right now. The general solutions to our present dilemma are given in them. We have to devote ourselves to returning to the faith once delivered through the apostle. Revelation 2 and 3 give us a sense of direction and urgency. Is there a connection between the preaching of the gospel and the feeding of the flock—even beyond the healing that is so badly needed within the church today? Yes, there is, and it is very important in Gods eyes. Neglecting the feeding the flock is in turn very badly damaging to preaching the gospel to the world. The letters language indicates an end-time frame of reference: To Ephesus and Pergamos, He says He will come to [them] quickly. To Thyatira, He will cast her into great tribulation, and her faithful should hold fast . . . till I come and [keep] My works to the end. To Sardis, He will come . . . as a thief (see Matthew 24:43). To Philadelphia, He mentions the hour of trial and I come quickly. To Laodicea, He says they will be tried in the fire, a symbol of tribulation, and He [stands] at the door, indicating immediacy. The seven churches of Revelation may include at least three fulfillments: 1. All seven existed as church congregations in physical cities in the first century. 2. The seven successively span the churchs 2,000-year history, culminating with the last three eras extant in the last hundred years. 3. All seven churches—as groups or attitudes—exist concurrently just before Christ returns. Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Upon establishing His church, Christ affirms that it would not die out, but continue until His return. This means a body of true believers has continued from Pentecost AD 31 until today. Revelation 2-3 is written in such a way that any Christian in any century could examine it and conclude he had some characteristics of each era, just as we can today. As described in Revelation 2:1-7, the record of the Ephesian church closely resembles what happened to the apostolic church. Research done in the early days of the Worldwide Church of God also showed a close parallel between Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira and the sketchy history of true believers until the modern age. This information indicates a possible succession of eras.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 09:59:31 +0000