When we venture into a study of the End Times, and specifically the book of Revelation - we see the following outline, with most discussions focusing on chapter 4 and forward. But today I would like to dwell on the Seven Churches of Revelation.
In Revelation 1:19 Christ tells the apostle John, "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things." This verse sets the tone and the unfolding of the End Times.
(1) The things which you have seen: The apostle John walked with Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry. On the isle of Patmos some sixty plus years later, John is the last living apostle. The things he had seen began with his personal time with Christ during those three years of His earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit coming upon the 120 disciples in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, and the years of the early church after the ascension of Christ back into heaven.
Slowly the apostolic church period which was begun on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD is drawing to a close. The things which John saw were the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ and the beginning and building of His apostolic church.
(2) And the things which are: This is speaking of the Seven Churches which represent the church, the body of believers, from the Day of Pentecost 33 AD until it is raptured into heaven.
(3) And the things which will take place after these things: What are these things which are yet to come? In chapter 4, John is called into heaven (representing the church being raptured) - John witnesses the heavenly worship in the throne room of God. In chapter 5 John is witness to the prelude to the Seven Seals and the Lamb of God opening the scroll which will begin the seven years of Tribulation, beginning in chapter 6 with the Seven Seals.
Chapters 6 through 18 encompass the full seven year Tribulation. In chapter 19 we read of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb - and then His return to earth, His Second Coming to establish His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom on earth.
Chapter 20 gives us the binding of Satan for 1000 years in the abyss, the 1000 year Millennial Kingdom, and the Great White Throne Judgment of all non-believers.
Chapter 21 and 22 tell us of the New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem and Jesus Christ taking all believers into Eternity - to be in His presence eternally. These are the things which will take place "after these things" - i.e., after the church age and the Rapture.
In Revelation 4:1 John is told to come into the throne room of God, "After these things, I saw a door open in heaven: and the first voice was as of a trumpet saying unto me; Come up hither, and I will show you things which must be." This is symbolic of the church being raptured.
Most discussions of Revelation and the End Times center on the Tribulation period. But, Let's talk about the Seven Churches of Revelation. In a recent dialogue on the "Rapture Discussion: Pretribulation, Posttribulation, or Prewrath?" Facebook group page, I posted the following response to a member's post, "In the book of Revelation, we find chapter 1 is the introduction - chapters 2 and 3 address the seven conditions of the Christian church over the coming millennia - chapter 4 and 5 symbolize the church being raptured and the throne room of God, i.e., the third heaven."
And another group member replied to me, "Chapter 2-3 do NOT symbolize the church over the millennia. That is a joke if you believe that. Those letters were written to the 7 churches in that day - and are useful today (only) for seeing what spiritual condition that we are in now. You believe a big story, Bill."
My response:
There are two predominate views of the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. One, which is common but which I cannot agree with, teaches that each of the seven churches represent seven periods of time starting with the Day of Pentecost 33 AD and ending when the church is raptured.
That does not make theological sense to me, that God would create those specific time periods and found a church to represent the failures and successes of each of those specific periods. It makes more sense that He would be viewing the "spiritual condition" of the many churches and denominations which He foreknew would evolve after church was born on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD and the apostolic church period came to an end.
My personal belief is that the seven churches represent seven "spiritual conditions" of churches during all of the Church Age, i.e., from the Day of Pentecost 33 AD until the church is raptured:
It makes greater theological sense that God would be most concerned about the spiritual condition of His church and its member churches - rather than dividing time periods.
I must confess that I was not really clear about what my Facebook Friend was telling me when he posted,"Chapter 2+3 do NOT symbolize the church over the millennia. That is a joke if you believe that. Those letters were written to the 7 churches in that day and are useful today (only) for seeing what spiritual condition that we are in now. You believe a big story Bill."
It appears that we are agreeing, for he says that we are "seeing what spiritual condition that we are in now" - and that is what I am saying. I just spread it over the entire Church Age.
That sense of agreement seems to be true, for he next posted, "I glad that you don't believe that chapters 2 & 3 of Revelation are periods of time over the history of the church. Many well known teachers and preachers teach that the 7 churches are the history of the church. It's really sad that Christians believe such fiction."
And, I respond, "You and I are in full accord on that. And as you can see in my previous posts, while I have high respect for many great pastors, teachers, scholars, and theologians - at times I will disagree with them. For like you and me, they are human and prone to error. I give great respect and credibility to their years of Biblical training, education, and dedication - but I see only one source that is truly inerrant, the Bible."
Let me digress a wee bit and state that dialogues on End Times prophecies and the book of Revelation, as well as other issues such as baptism method and timing, tithing (Genesis 14:18-20) versus giving from the heart (2 Corinthians 9:5-8), prayer and fasting, days of Creation, age of the earth, Spiritual gifts of healing and tongues, and many more where the Bible is silent or not explicit - DO NOT affect our salvation. They are interesting and instructive to discuss, but we must not divide over them.
There is a true saying which was written by the German Theologian Rupertus Meldenius, which instructs us regarding Essential Bible Doctrines versus Non-Essential Bible Doctrines: "In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity." And I would modify the last phrase to read, "In All Things Charity, Love, and Fellowship." These thoughts should be the motivating factors in all our Bible discussions.
I pray that you have found this blog instructive and useful. If so, please feel free to share it with all your FRANs (Friends, Relatives, Associates, Neighbors) - all those in your Circle of Influence whom you want to meet in heaven one day.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Chapter 1 ~ The Introduction: John, exiled on the isle of Patmos, receives a revelation, or vision, of the things to come.
Chapters 2-3 ~ Letters from Jesus Christ to the seven churches of Asia.
Chapter 4 ~ John, in spirit, taken into the throne room of God, where he experiences heavenly worship - symbolic of the coming Rapture.
Chapter 5 ~ Prelude and opening of the Seven Seals, the beginning of the Tribulation.
Chapters 6-18 ~ The seven year Tribulation, the church is totally absent from earth during this time, for we are in heaven.
Chapter 19 ~ The Wedding Feast of the Lamb and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in glory.
Chapter 20 ~ Satan is bound in the abyss for the full 1000 years of the Millennial Reign of Christ. This chapter tells of the Great White Throne Judgment of all non-believers. And Satan is released and leads all Millennium born non-believers in one final revolt against God.
Chapters 21-22 ~ The New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem - and Eternity.
In Revelation 1:19 Christ tells the apostle John, "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things." This verse sets the tone and the unfolding of the End Times.
(1) The things which you have seen: The apostle John walked with Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry. On the isle of Patmos some sixty plus years later, John is the last living apostle. The things he had seen began with his personal time with Christ during those three years of His earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit coming upon the 120 disciples in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, and the years of the early church after the ascension of Christ back into heaven.
Slowly the apostolic church period which was begun on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD is drawing to a close. The things which John saw were the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ and the beginning and building of His apostolic church.
(2) And the things which are: This is speaking of the Seven Churches which represent the church, the body of believers, from the Day of Pentecost 33 AD until it is raptured into heaven.
(3) And the things which will take place after these things: What are these things which are yet to come? In chapter 4, John is called into heaven (representing the church being raptured) - John witnesses the heavenly worship in the throne room of God. In chapter 5 John is witness to the prelude to the Seven Seals and the Lamb of God opening the scroll which will begin the seven years of Tribulation, beginning in chapter 6 with the Seven Seals.
Chapters 6 through 18 encompass the full seven year Tribulation. In chapter 19 we read of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb - and then His return to earth, His Second Coming to establish His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom on earth.
Chapter 20 gives us the binding of Satan for 1000 years in the abyss, the 1000 year Millennial Kingdom, and the Great White Throne Judgment of all non-believers.
Chapter 21 and 22 tell us of the New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem and Jesus Christ taking all believers into Eternity - to be in His presence eternally. These are the things which will take place "after these things" - i.e., after the church age and the Rapture.
In Revelation 4:1 John is told to come into the throne room of God, "After these things, I saw a door open in heaven: and the first voice was as of a trumpet saying unto me; Come up hither, and I will show you things which must be." This is symbolic of the church being raptured.
Most discussions of Revelation and the End Times center on the Tribulation period. But, Let's talk about the Seven Churches of Revelation. In a recent dialogue on the "Rapture Discussion: Pretribulation, Posttribulation, or Prewrath?" Facebook group page, I posted the following response to a member's post, "In the book of Revelation, we find chapter 1 is the introduction - chapters 2 and 3 address the seven conditions of the Christian church over the coming millennia - chapter 4 and 5 symbolize the church being raptured and the throne room of God, i.e., the third heaven."
And another group member replied to me, "Chapter 2-3 do NOT symbolize the church over the millennia. That is a joke if you believe that. Those letters were written to the 7 churches in that day - and are useful today (only) for seeing what spiritual condition that we are in now. You believe a big story, Bill."
My response:
There are two predominate views of the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. One, which is common but which I cannot agree with, teaches that each of the seven churches represent seven periods of time starting with the Day of Pentecost 33 AD and ending when the church is raptured.
(1) Ephesus represents the years - Pentecost to 100 AD
(2) Smyrna represents the years - 100 to 313 AD
(3) Pergamum represents the years - 313 to 590 AD
(4) Thyatira represents the years - 590 to 1517 AD
(5) Sardis represents the years - 1517 to 1790 AD
(6) Philadelphia represents the years - 1730 to 1900 AD
(7) Laodicea represents the years - 1900 AD to the Rapture.
That does not make theological sense to me, that God would create those specific time periods and found a church to represent the failures and successes of each of those specific periods. It makes more sense that He would be viewing the "spiritual condition" of the many churches and denominations which He foreknew would evolve after church was born on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD and the apostolic church period came to an end.
My personal belief is that the seven churches represent seven "spiritual conditions" of churches during all of the Church Age, i.e., from the Day of Pentecost 33 AD until the church is raptured:
(1) Ephesus represents the Persevering Churches
(2) Smyrna represents the Persecuted or Suffering Churches
(3) Pergamum represents the Compromising Churches
(4) Thyatira represents the Counterfeit Churches
(5) Sardis represents the Lukewarm Churches
(6) Philadelphia represents the Faithful Churches
(7) Laodicea represents the Dead or Apostate Churches.
It makes greater theological sense that God would be most concerned about the spiritual condition of His church and its member churches - rather than dividing time periods.
I must confess that I was not really clear about what my Facebook Friend was telling me when he posted,"Chapter 2+3 do NOT symbolize the church over the millennia. That is a joke if you believe that. Those letters were written to the 7 churches in that day and are useful today (only) for seeing what spiritual condition that we are in now. You believe a big story Bill."
It appears that we are agreeing, for he says that we are "seeing what spiritual condition that we are in now" - and that is what I am saying. I just spread it over the entire Church Age.
That sense of agreement seems to be true, for he next posted, "I glad that you don't believe that chapters 2 & 3 of Revelation are periods of time over the history of the church. Many well known teachers and preachers teach that the 7 churches are the history of the church. It's really sad that Christians believe such fiction."
And, I respond, "You and I are in full accord on that. And as you can see in my previous posts, while I have high respect for many great pastors, teachers, scholars, and theologians - at times I will disagree with them. For like you and me, they are human and prone to error. I give great respect and credibility to their years of Biblical training, education, and dedication - but I see only one source that is truly inerrant, the Bible."
Let me digress a wee bit and state that dialogues on End Times prophecies and the book of Revelation, as well as other issues such as baptism method and timing, tithing (Genesis 14:18-20) versus giving from the heart (2 Corinthians 9:5-8), prayer and fasting, days of Creation, age of the earth, Spiritual gifts of healing and tongues, and many more where the Bible is silent or not explicit - DO NOT affect our salvation. They are interesting and instructive to discuss, but we must not divide over them.
There is a true saying which was written by the German Theologian Rupertus Meldenius, which instructs us regarding Essential Bible Doctrines versus Non-Essential Bible Doctrines: "In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity." And I would modify the last phrase to read, "In All Things Charity, Love, and Fellowship." These thoughts should be the motivating factors in all our Bible discussions.
I pray that you have found this blog instructive and useful. If so, please feel free to share it with all your FRANs (Friends, Relatives, Associates, Neighbors) - all those in your Circle of Influence whom you want to meet in heaven one day.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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