The 7 Churches in Revelation

        

        I thought it only fitting, considering the times we are living in, to discuss the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation. These are churches that are specifically addressed by God for the purpose of staunch warning. This message was not to a specific church during a specific time, but it was a message for all churches of all times during the dispensation of grace. We are currently living in what has been coined as the "age of grace." This refers to the period of time after the resurrection of Christ, up to the rapture of the church in the end times. Therefore, these letters are addressed to any and all churches within that time period. Why is this important to understand? Because this makes the letters just as relevant today as they were when they were written. This is key considering they are placed in the book of the apocalypse or directly associated with the end time prophecies found in Revelation.

        The next thing to understand is that these words are written in "RED!" Therefore, these are direct warnings from the mouth of Jesus. If we understand nothing else, we must understand the weight these words carry and the implications if they are ignored. These letters give us the perfect example of how to give correction in love. Jesus does not hold back on the truth, however, you will take note that he points out the good first. This is establishing a message of love and trust. We might know this better as the "I love you, but..." type of message. If you're ready, and I hope you are ... let's dig in!

        Each of these churches were located within close proximity of each other (see map below). When I began to study this, I thought we would do a simple overview of the churches. The more I studied, the more I realized a simple overview would be doing a disservice. Therefore, I started down the rabbit hole of the churches to gather further clarity. What I began to uncover was quite staggering in terms of how these churches line up with end-time prophecy.

        

Locations of the 7 Churches (Map from ConformingtoJesus.com)

        

Down the rabbit hole we go:

        First, let's look at some significant numbers. There are seven churches represented in these verses and we all know the number seven is significant. As you may know, the number seven in scripture represents the number of completion. So, why seven churches in the "Book of Apocalypse?" It represents the coming end of the church age, or the age of grace. As I stated above, this is the time period from the resurrection up to the rapture of the church. Another interesting thing is that after this, there is not further mention of "The Church" throughout Revelation. That's for another time though!

        The Lord had seven messages he wanted to deliver to the churches prior to the end. Therefore, the "seven letters" would mean bringing closure or bringing to completion, his plan. There would be no further need to address the churches after this. The Bible teaches us that the Lord is patient toward us, but after these seven letters, there will be no further need to communicate with the church. This further solidifies the rapture of the church prior to the period of great tribulation.

        Now, there are many scholars who believe each church represents a specific time period within the church. I do not believe this. If you look at the history, you can see pieces from each church throughout all history. Something you must know going into this, these churches were literal churches, however, the letters were addressing characteristics and behaviors within these churches. One key thing to keep in mind to understand that these messages are just as relevant today, the letters were addressed to the "Angels" of these churches. Not directly to the members! Therefore, we must understand, the angelic messengers of God transcend time and space. They are as alive today as they were in that day. They are still delivering these letters today in hopes of repentance before the end of the age. In fact, we know Jesus was charging angelic forces with the delivery of these letters because John was exiled to Patmos at the time.

        So, what does all of this mean? The messages to the churches were addressing characteristics that are alive and well in the church today. The letters weren't meant just for the churches in existence at the time of the writing, These are messages the Lord is trying to communicate to us right now. These messages are not just for the church as a whole, they are to the individual hearts who bear the image of these churches. The call is to each of us to repent and return to Christ. Unfortunately, we live in a time where people are blind, hard-hearted, and arrogant. We are quickly coming to completion of the age and the unrepentant church will pay the consequences.

What were the characteristics of the churches?:

1. Ephesus - A loveless faith who gets wrapped up in worshipping their works rather than Jesus.
2. Smyrna - The persecuted church in need of encouragement.
3. Pergamum - The church of compromise who tolerates and celebrates sinful lifestyles.
4. Thyatira - The church whose leaders tolerate false teachers among the ranks of the leadership.
5. Sardis - The lazy church who needs to wake up before it's too late.
6. Philadelphia - The remnant that remains faithful and true, though small with little influence, they stand firm.
7. Laodicea - The prosperity gospel mentality. In fact, this church is probably better known as the one trying to fit in with culture to remain relevant. This church is the church who has their mind set on the things of this world while professing Jesus. 

        We will spend some time in the next few posts, breaking these down in more detail. The reason I wanted to bring this up now is because we know the rapture cannot happen until "The great rebellion" mentioned by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. "Let no one deceive you, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first." This rebellion is referring to the apostate church which rebels against the faith. The church as a whole will abandon the truth and lead many astray. The seven churches in Revelation are a clear message to reveal exactly how the church will rebel and abandon the faith. It is a slow process leading to full blown rebellion. Such a slow moving process, that many will not even realize how far off track the church really is, unless of course they are well studied on scripture, specifically end-time prophecy.

Join me back tomorrow as we breakdown the "Church at Ephesus!"

God Bless!