01A.03. The Seven Churches of Revelation

3. The Seven Churches of Revelation The seven churches of Revelation 2:1-29, Revelation 3:1-22, in addition to being seven literal and historical local churches existing in the apostle John’s day, are also prophesies that outline the trends and characteristics of the seven eras of our own Church Age, an interpretation evidenced as follows:

John’s apostolic authority (especially as the last apostle) extended to the entire Church, not just these seven (1 Corinthians 9:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Galatians 2:7-9). This is not a message designed by him to address specific issues in particular churches (as 1-3 John), but a message given by God to the seven "churches" (Revelation 1:10 : the definite article is significant here, because there were clearly more than seven local churches at the time of writing). Our Lord Jesus Christ is and was concerned for His entire Church, not just for these seven local churches. This revelation of His Person is clearly meant to be for His entire bride, whole Church universal, and not merely for a very small portion of it. The book of Revelation is the heritage of the entire Church. It is meant to bless all who read it (Revelation 1:3), and meant to show all who consider it (Revelation 22:6) what will happen in the end times.

Revelation, after beginning with the messages to the seven churches in chapters two and three moves immediately to the history of the end times on the far side of the Church Age’s two millennial days. The book is indisputably focused on the conclusion of the Church Age, so that the preceding messages to the seven churches only make structural sense as an overview of the intervening two millennia. The seven lampstands cannot well be understood as only these seven local churches, for they are seen alone in the presence of Christ in chapter one (Revelation 1:12-13), and again alone in the presence of the Father’s throne in chapter four (Revelation 4:5). The lampstands, light-giving bodies which represent the role of the Church universal in reflecting the truth of Christ in this dark world, and doing so as a totality in both instances, must therefore represent more than seven local churches in the first century. The description of Jesus Christ as "in the midst" of the seven lampstands, holding the seven stars, the angels of these churches (Revelation 1:12-16), is symbolism which strongly suggests His authority over the Church, and the entire Church at that, and would be very hard to apply exclusively to seven local churches. The number seven, the number of perfection in the Bible, also argues for these seven "churches" to be a symbolic representation of one complete Church (cf. the seven spirits of Isaiah 11:1-2 and Revelation 4:5 standing symbolically for the one and only Holy Spirit). The text of Revelation 4:1 "what must take place [i.e. the Tribulation and following] after these things [i.e., the "events" of the seven churches]" only makes good sense if the seven churches be taken as the aggregate period of time between John’s penning of these words and the commencement of the Tribulation.

Finally, it is appropriate for the last book of the Bible to be addressed to Christ’s entire Church (rather than merely to seven local ones). The composition of the seven eras represented by the seven churches may be summarized as follows:

1. Ephesus: 12 years 70 to 82 A.D. "The Era of Transition"

2. Smyrna: 360 years 82 to 442 A.D. "The Era of Persecution"

3. Pergamum: 360 years 442 to 802 A.D. "The Era of Accommodation"

4. Thyatira: 360 years 802 to 1162 A.D. "The Era of Compromise"

5. Sardis: 360 years 1162 to 1522 A.D. "The Era of Corruption"

6. Philadelphia: 360 years 1522 to 1882 A.D. "The Era of Revival"

7. Laodicea: 144 years 1882 to 2026 A.D. "The Era of Degeneration" The relationship of each Church era to false teaching and the infiltration of unbelieving elements into the Church-visible may be summarized as follows:

Ephesus: False apostles rejected; Nicolaitans hated [the false kept out of the Church].

Smyrna: Slandered by the Synagogue of Satan [the false attacking from outside the Church].

Pergamum: You have Balaam and Balak [the false accommodated within the Church].

Thyatira: Jezebel [the false compromised with and in turn compromising the Church from within].

Sardis: No group mentioned [the true excluded by the false from the visible, apparent "church"].

Philadelphia: Acknowledged by the Synagogue of Satan [the true has separated from the false].

Laodicea: No group mentioned [the false has infiltrated and blunted the true Church].