Chapter 22. The Seven Churches—Dispensational Truth—Study Resources (2023)

The Book of Revelation was written in the year 96 AD. The writer was the apostle John. He was told to write down the things he had 'seen' and 'heard'. The book is therefore a book given by God and is the "Revelation of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:1) and not by Juan. It is the most important and valuable prophetic book in the Bible. Throughout the Old Testament there are scattered references to things that will happen in the "last days." The Book of Revelation Revealed

the divine program,

or the order in which these events should occur. It is the final book, and its proper place in the sacred canon is where it is found, at the end of the Bible. The book is action packed. The earth and the sky are close to each other. The clouds part, thrones, elders and angelic figures are seen; Harps, trumpets, cries of disembodied souls and choirs of songs are heard. Earth touches heaven and unfortunately also hell. There are strong moral contradictions. Good and bad date. There is no miscegenation, only strong contrasts and a prolonged conflict that ends in the victory of good.

The book is intended for anyone who"seven churches that are in Asia".Asia does not mean the great continent of Asia or even all of Asia Minor, but only its western edge. It was also not said that the seven churches were the only churches in this district, as there were at least three other churches: Colosso,column 1:2; hierapolis,Kol. 4:13; the Troas,Athos 20:6,7. These seven churches are to be representative or "typical" churches, chosen and descriptive of certain typical and descriptive characteristics of the character of the church of Christ from the end of the first century to the time of Christ's return.

Seven Periods of the Church

clearly defined in church history.

When John received his message, he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. He heard behind him a "loud voice" like a trumpet, and turning around, he saw "seven golden candlesticks", and in the midst of them one like the "Son of Man", holding in his right hand "seven". stars. He was told that the "Seven Stars" were the "Angels" (ministers or messengers) of the Seven Churches and the "Seven Lampstands" represented the Seven Churches. "Chandeliers" is a better translation of the word "chandeliers." found in the margins of our Bibles A "candlestick" requires a light that is itself Let us suppose that a "candlestick" is simply the "stand" for a lamp whose light is supplied by a reservoir of oil, and therefore the oil of the Holy Spirit Thus, Christ does not see the churches as light, but simply as "light-bearers."

The "key" to interpreting the book of Revelation is its "triple division."Revelation 1:19.

I. Past.

The things you've seen."

The vision of Christ in the midst of the "chandeliers". Chapter One.

II. present things.

"The things that ARE."

Obviously, the Seven Churches. Chapters two and three. John was almost 100 years old and the only remaining apostle. The Temple and the city of Jerusalem were destroyed 26 years ago and the Jews dispersed, and John's attention was drawn to the state of the "seven" representative churches of Asia.

third future things.

"The things that will be after."

Beginning with the fourth chapter to the end of the book.Revelation 4:1.

It is worth mentioning that the "Messages to the Seven Churches" are inserted among them.two visions,a"Vision of Christ"between the "Seven Lampstands" in chapters one and"Vision of the Twenty-Four Elders"around the throne in chapter four.

Since chapter four is a vision of"Glorified Church"with the Lord after he was seized (1 Tes. 4:13-17), then the second section of the ledger

"The Things That Are"

and what chapters two and three contain must be a prophetic description or outline of the "spiritual history" of the church from the time John wrote the book in AD 96. until the expulsion of the church, otherwise we do not have a "prophetic vision" of the church during this time, because she disappears from the earth at the end of chapter three and is not seen again until she reappears with her Lord in the chapter nineteen. We will see that it is so.

This interpretation of the "Messages to the Seven Churches" was concealed from the early church because time was needed to develop and write down church history so that a comparison could be made to reveal the correspondence had it been clearly revealed that the Seven Churches represented "Seven Church Periods" that would have to pass before Christ could return, there would be no incentive to attend.

Although the character of these seven churches describes the church during seven periods of its history, we must not forget that the condition of these churches as described was exactly their condition in John's day. Thus we see that at the end of the first century the leaven of "false doctrine" was at work in the churches. The churches are listed in the order listed because the distinctiveness of this church is appropriate to the period of church history to which it belongs. Nor must it be forgotten that what is a distinctive feature of each period of the Church does not disappear with that period, but continues into the following period, and so on to the end, thus magnifying the imperfections of the visible Church, until they have come to an end. their end, in open apostasy, as shown indiagram"Messages to the Seven Churches Compared with Church History".

Now we will see each message individually.

I. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS. Revelation 2:1-7.

The charge that Christ brings against this church is that"She had left her first love."Its character is already evident in the name, since Ephesus means "let go", "relax". he had become afallen church.Paul, who founded them, warned them of what was to come in his farewell message.

“I know this, that after my departure, bad wolves will come among you, who will not spare the flock.Athos 20:29,30.

The importance of this warning is seen in the recommendation of the message, v. 6: "But this is what you have, that you 'hate' the actions of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." Here Paul's "wolves" are called Nicolaitanes. They were not a sect but a party in the church trying to establish an "order of priests." They are probably trying to model the church on the Old Testament order of priests, Levites, and common people. This is seen in the meaning of the word taken from "Niko" which means to conquer, overthrow, and "Laos" which means people or laymen. The object was to establish a "Sacred Order of Men" and place them above the laity, which was alien to the New Testament plan, and to call them not pastors, but clergy, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, popes. Here we have the origins of the dogma of “apostolic succession” and the separation of the clergy from the laity, something that God “abhors”.

The character of the church at Ephesus is a good sketch of the period of the church from A.D. 70 to 170.

II The Message to the Church in Smyrna. Revelation 2:8-11.

After the Church lost her "first love" in her "Ephesus Period", the Lord now "punishes" her to induce her to return to Him. The root of Smyrna means "bitterness" and means "myrrh", an associated ointment with death, and we see in the meaning of the word a prophecy of persecution and death that would fall on the members of the Church of Smyrna. They were instructed not to "fear" the things they were called to suffer, but to be faithful "until" death, not "until" death. That is, they should not "retract" to the end of their "natural" lives when they are asked to face martyrdom, but remain faithful until death redeems them from their sufferings. The reward would be a "crown of life". This is the martyr's crown.

They were told that the "originator" of their suffering would be the devil and its duration would be "ten days", no doubt a prophetic reference to the "ten great persecutions" under the Roman emperors, beginning with Nero in AD 64. with Diocletian in 310 AD. Seven of these "great persecutions" occurred during the "Smyrna period" of church history. Or it may refer to the 10 years since the last and fiercest persecution under Diocletian. This period covered from 170 AD. C. until 312 d. C of Constantine.

third The Message to the Church of Pergamum. Revelation 2:12-17.

In this message, Pergamum is referred to as "Satan's throne." When Attalus III, the priest-king of the Chaldean hierarchy, fled from the Persian conquerors and settled in Pergamum, Satan moved his capital from Babylon to Pergamum. He first persecuted the followers of Christ, and Antipas was one of the martyrs. But he soon changed tack and began to glorify the church and, through Constantine, he brought church and state together and offered all sorts of incentives for secular people to join the church. Constantine's motive was more political than religious. He wanted to unite his Christian and pagan subjects into one people and thus consolidate his empire. The result of this union was that two false and harmful doctrines infiltrated the Church. The first was the "Balaam Doctrine" and the second the "Nicolaitan Doctrine". We have already considered the latter in the message to the church at Ephesus. And the position he gained in the Church was shown at the First Great Council of the Church, which was held in AD 325. at Nicaea. The council consisted of about 1,500 delegates, and the laity outnumbered the bishops by a ratio of 5 to 1. It was a tumultuous council, full of intrigue and political methods, and was evident by the dominance of the "clergy" over the " laymen" that the "doctrine of the Nicolaitanes" had found a solid and lasting foundation.

The "Balaam Doctrine" is revealed in the story of Balaam found in the Book of Numbers, chapters 22 to 25 inclusive. When the children of Israel came to the land of Moab on their way to Canaan, King Balak of Moab sent for Balaam the son of Beor, who dwelt in Pethor by the Euphrates, to come and curse them. When the Lord would not allow Balaam to curse Israel, he suggested Balak invite them to the wild festivities of “Baal Peor” and thus lure Israel into a trap that would make the Lord so angry that he would destroy them himself. This is what Balak did, and the result was that when the men of Israel went to these sensual feasts and saw the "daughters of Moab," they committed fornication with them, which inflamed God's anger so much that he sent a plague upon them. the 42,000. of them destroyed. Now the word "Pergamum" means "marriage", and when the church entered into union with the state, it was guilty of "spiritual fornication" or "balaamism".

The "Balaam method" employed by Constantine was to give the bishops of the Church a series of imposing buildings, called basilicas, to convert into churches, the decoration of which he donated generously. He also provided splendid garments for the clergy, and soon the bishop found himself clad in costly garments; seated on a high throne in the apse of the basilica, with a marble altar bedecked with gold and precious stones on a lower level before him. A sensual form of worship was introduced, the character of the sermon was changed, and the great "pagan feasts" were introduced with little change to please Gentile church members and attract pagans to the church. To illustrate, since the winter solstice falls on December 21, the shortest day of the year, and does not begin to lengthen until the 25th, this day was regarded throughout the pagan world as the "birthday" of the "sun god." a great party held in Rome for the "Great Games" of the circus, it was thought prudent to subtract the birth of the Son of God from April, when he was probably born on December 25, for as it was the "Sun of Justice, what more fitting birthday could He have that of the pagan “sun god”?

that was back then

"Postmillennial Views"

had its origin. As the church grew rich and powerful, it was suggested that through the union of church and state a situation would develop that would usher in the millennium without the return of Christ, and since such a doctrine required some biblical support , it was claimed that the Jews were expelled "forever" and that all prophecies of Israel's future glory were for the church. This "period" extends from Constantine's accession to the throne in AD 312. C. until 606 d. C., when Boniface III. he was crowned universal bishop.

IV The Message to the Church of Thyatira. Revelation 2:18-29.

In his praise of this church, Christ emphasizes their "works" as depending on them, stating that they deserve merit for "works" of "supererrogation." But He had a charge against them that was terrible in its terror. He not only accuses her of allowing an evil woman, Jezebel, who called herself a "prophet," to remain in the church, but of allowing him to "teach" her harmful doctrines and "deceive the servants." '. ' and 'eating things sacrificed to idols'.

Who was this woman is a question. She was a "pretender" and she called herself a "prophet". She was probably of noble descent. Without a doubt, she was a woman of overwhelming influence. Whether her real name was Jezebel or not, she so closely resembled the Old Testament model of her, Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, that Christ called her by that name. Jezebel, Ahab's wife, was not Abraham's daughter by birth, but a princess of idolatrous Tyre, even though she was royal.The family was famous for its cruel savagery and its intense devotion to Baal.and Astarte. His father Eth-Baal, a priest of the last deity, assassinated the reigning monarch Phales and succeeded him. Ahab, king of Israel, married Jezebel to strengthen her kingdom, and she, with Ahab's aid and abetting, introduced rampant Baal worship into Israel and killed every prophet of the Lord she could find. And she exerted this influence not only during the lifetime of her husband, but also during the reigns of her two sons, Ahaziah and Joram. In addition, the marriage of his daughter Athaliah to Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, introduced idolatry into Judah, and it was not long before a house of Baal was built in Jerusalem, causing all Israel to follow him. Jezebel, sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. .1 Reyes 16:29-33.

There is no question whether Jezebel was a real person or not, she embodied a "system" and that "system" was the "papal church". When the "Pontifical Church" introduced images and images into their churches to make people bow down to them, they became idolaters. And when he affirmed that the doctrine of the church was superior to the word of God, he assumed the role of "prophet". A careful study of the "Papal System" from AD 606 to the Reformation of AD 1520, with its introduction of the "Mass of Sacrifice" and other pagan rites, reveals the rule of "Jezebelism." It was also a time of "Jebelite persecution", as seen in the wars of the Crusades and the rise of the Inquisition. A careful comparison of this "message" with the parable "The Leaven" (see the "Kingdom" chapter) will reveal the wonderful correspondence between the two, the "Jezebel" of the Thyatira Church being the "woman" of the parable. , the inserted "leaven" of "false doctrine" in the gospel dinner. This period spanned from the year 606 AD. until the Reformation in 1520 AD.

V. The Message to the Church in Sardis. Revelation 3:1-6.

The church in Sardis was called the "dead church," even though it had a name to live by. That is, it was a "formalist church", a church dedicated to "formal" or "ritual" worship. He had the "deity form without the power". The meaning of the word "Sardis" is "to flee" or "to go out", and therefore it is a distinct type of the Church of

Renovation period.

By the Reformation we mean that period in the history of the Christian church when Martin Luther and various other reformers protested against heresy, tyranny, and the claims of the papal church.

This period began around 1500 AD. The situation in the empire ruled by the Papal Church became unbearable and reached a crisis when, in 31 AD. 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. From this moment, the Reformation began. But it was more of a fight for political freedom than a purely Christian or religious movement.

It had the benefit of promoting and assisting the spread of the Scriptures, hitherto a sealed book, the revival of the doctrine of "justification by faith," and a return to simpler forms of worship; but the proliferation of sects only led to bitter and controversial claims, which, though they shed much light on the Word of God, greatly interfered with the spiritual condition of the church, until it could truly be said, "That she had a name that I could live". and she was dead."

Although the Reformers swept away much ritual and doctrinal rubbish, they failed to recapture the promise of the second advent. They turned to the God of idols, but not to "wait for his Son from heaven." The "Sardinian period" spanned from 1520 CE to about 1750 CE.

HE SAW. The Message to the Church in Philadelphia. Revelation 3:7-13.

The meaning of the word Philadelphia is unquestionable. It means "brotherly love" and describes well the charity and brotherly fellowship that assuaged the bitter personal animosities that characterized the theologians of the "Sardis period" and made possible the evangelistic and missionary work of the past 150 years.

Three things are said about this church.

1. He had a "little power". He was like a person who came back to life and was still very weak. It was the "dead" Church of Sardis that was "revived," and revivals were characteristic of the Philadelphia period. These revivals began with George Whitefield in AD 1739, followed by John Wesley, Charles G. Finney, and D. L. Moody.
2. He set before him an "open door" that no "man" could close. Note that this promise was made by the One who "has the 'key of David', the One who 'opens' and no one shuts, and 'shuts' and no one opens." In 1793, William Carey sailed to India, where he found an "open door," and since then the Lord has opened the door to China, Japan, Korea, India, Africa, and the islands of the sea, until there is no country left in the world. the world where the missionary cannot go.
3. It must be preserved from the "hour of temptation" (tribulation) that will come upon the whole world. Since the church in Philadelphia still exists and is the only one of the seven to have survived, and although it has more or less suffered the "ten persecutions" of the "Smyrna period", it has never suffered such persecution throughout the world. Therefore, this "hour of temptation" must still be in the future, and undoubtedly refers to the "great tribulation" that will come upon the "whole world" just before the Lord returns to set up His millennial kingdom, and as promised that the "Church of Philadelphia" shoulddo not go through the tribulationIs this not further proof that the church is about to be "overlooked"?before the tribulation?

The "Philadelphia Period" covers the period between AD 1750 and AD 1900. We must not forget that the characteristics of all these periods endure in the Church to the end. This is true of the "Philadelphia period" evangelistic and missionary movements, but now they are more mechanical and based on business methods, and there is less spiritual power, and will remain so until Christ returns.

VII The Message to the Church in Laodicea. Revelation 3:14-22.

Christ has no "praise" for this church, but he does have a lot to cry about. He says-

I know your works, you areneither cold nor heat;you would be worthcold or hot.good because you arewarm,and neither cold nor heat, I will do itspit you out of my mouth."

There is nothing more disgusting or nauseating than "warm" water. Therefore, there is nothing more repulsive to Christ than a "lukewarm" church. He would rather have a "frozen" or "boiling" church. It was the "cold spiritual atmosphere" of the Church of England that led John Wesley to start those open-air meetings which became so well known for their "religious zeal" and it was the same "cold atmosphere" of the Methodist church that William Booth, for his time, was driven to become a "hot" Salvationist.

Most of our churches today are in this "lukewarm" state. There is very little warm spirituality. There is a lot going on in them, but to a large extent they are mechanical and social. Committees, societies and clubs multiply, but the "spiritual warmth" is lacking. Revival meetings are held, but instead of waiting for the Lord's power, paid evangelists and singers are hired and soul-winning becomes a business.

The cause of this "lukewarmness" is the same as that of the Church of Laodiceaself delusion

"Why do you sayI'm rich,miincreased with goods,and hasyou don't need anything;and I don't know who you arepathetic,mimiserable,miArm,miblindmino."

they thought they werereich,and outwardly they were, but Christ saw the poverty of their hearts. There are many such churches in the world today. More than at any other time in church history. Many of these churches have cathedral-like buildings, stained glass windows, eloquent preachers, paid singers, large congregations. Some of them have large tracts of land and are well endowed, but they are poor. Many, if not most, of the members are secular Christians, who play cards, dance, and go to the theater. The poor and the saints are not welcome in such churches because their presence is a reproach. These churches do not see that they aremiserable, miserable, poor, blind,mino.

If we were to visit those churches, they would proudly show us around the building, praise the preaching and singing, boast about the character of their congregations, the uniqueness of their membership, and the attractiveness of all their services, but if we had a series of events to " deepen thespiritual life,"or the"Conversion of the unsaved",they said: "Oh no, we don't want meetings like that, we haveHe doesn't need anything."The church in Laodicea was not overloadedDebt,but he was chargedFORTUNA.

The problem with the church today is that it thinks nothing can be done without it.Money,and that if we had the money, the world would become this generation. The world should not be changed by money, but by themthe spirit of God.

The problem with the Laodicean Church was that their "gold" was not the right kind, so they were advised to buy from the Lord."Gold tested in fire."What is this gold? It is gold without stain. it's not goldLoco,the guaranteed byfraud,or withhold a fair wage. What description do we have of those days in Laos inSantiago 5:1-4.

But the Laodicean Church was not only poor, but also rich.blind.Or to be more precise"Short-sighted."They could see their worldly wealth, but they were"short-sighted"as for heavenly things, the Lord advised them to anoint their eyes with them"Hail for the eyes."Its merchants traded in ointments and herbs of great healing power, but they had no healing ointment.impaired spiritual vision,soloanointing of the saintcould do that.

But the church was not only poor and blind, it was veryno.His outer garments were undoubtedly of the finest fabric and of the latest fashion, but not such as would adorn the person of a child of God. So they were advised to buy Christ"White tunica",in exchange for the "ravens' wool cloaks" for which the clothing makers of Laodicea were famous.

Then an amazing revelation was made to the Church of Laodicea, Christ said:

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock."

These words are commonly quoted as appealing to sinners, but they are not, they are addressed to aIglesia,and to a church in the midst of which was Christonce confessedbut now foundeliminatedmistay outbeat.

This is the most amazing thing recorded in the New Testament, that it is possible for a church to be apparently prosperous and yet not have Christ in its midst and not be aware of the fact. This is a description of aChristian Church.yes yes

CHRIST EXCLUDED.

Excluded from their own nation, for themrefusedYour; Get away from the world socrucifiedYour; excluded from his Church, for he is at your doorBeat to enter.

How did Christ leave the church? He had been there once, otherwise there would never have been a church. How did he come to leave? of course notimpulseHe left because they don't seem to have missed His presence. They continued to worship him, sing his praises, and participate in all kinds of Christian ministries, but he withdrew. Why? The reason is summed up in one word.Secularism.

But how will Christ return to his Church? Is a unanimous vote or invitation of members required? not "If anyone hears my voice andopen the door,I will go to Him and do it.drink with himand he with me.” That being said, the way to revitalize a lukewarm church is for individual members to open their hearts and admit Christ.times and open a doorfor his comeback.

The character of the Church today is Laodicean, and since the Laodicean period will last until the "newborn" Church is done away with, we cannot expect much change until the Lord returns.

"If Christ came today,
I won't be here tomorrow;
He will take his redeemed
Of death, sin and suffering.
In the air it will come
To call your loved ones home
To take them to the 'ready place',
As he explained before leaving.