7 churches in revelation

[gwyyn]

I was just wondering if anyone else has seen the teaching that the 7 churches in Revelation may also refer to 7 different types of churches/reforms Christianity will go through before the end times?

I have a panoramic Revelations study guide, I will have to hunt it down, cause I think it was what I saw that mentioned it!

if anyone else has heard of this please let me know

 

[GraftMeIn]

qyyne,
are you talking about the seven periods of church history?
where it kind of explains it as being from the beggining of the church age to the end of it? I think this is mentioned in Thy Kingdom Come, and there's a downloadable version of it. I can find the URL for it if you're interested. I think it's available in Adobe acrobat.

 

[gwyyn]

yea i think so, if i'm thinking right aren't each of the church ages named for the seven churches addressed in revelation

 

[GraftMeIn]

yes each church is named in the bible, John was told to write to the seven churches of, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatria, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

 

[GraftMeIn]

Ok looks like there's an online version of the book also.
Here's a link to the section about the seven churches. I think it might be what you're talking about.

http://www.ldolphin.org/kingdom/ch3.html

 

[Mandy]

I believe that the seven churches not only depict the different periods in church history, but are also applicable to us as individuals.

 

[GraftMeIn]

Mandy,
That is so true, I remember when reading the one about being luke warm, and thought yikes! that's me! I better do something about it.

 

[Mandy]

I know exactly what you mean!

 

[gwyyn]

I agree with a you guys, but I also think we entering the church age where doctrine is changed to suit the churches needs, and ignoring the real law of sticking to God's truths and wishes

 

[GraftMeIn]

ahhh the age of the 7th church gwyyn? certainly feels like we're getting there.

 

[rollinTHUNDER]

It seems like you all are right on the mark here. Remember when Jesus told Peter, "On this rock (foundation) I build my Church"? He didn't say churches. He is the Head of the Church, not churches. So it appears that this must be meaning to say that there would be different time periods. I'm not too sure how these time periods are divided up, but I like the dispensatioal idea.

One thing for sure, God doesn't change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. I believe that all the promises given to those seven churches in Revelations apply to the entire church, of every generation. I also believe that the warnings to the seven churches also apply to each and every generation. I can't wait to get to heaven!! The Bible says that we will know and be known. Can you imagine just arriving into heaven, and one of the original Apostles comes up to you and says, "Welcome home (your name)"? Or knowing who King David was without being formally introduced?? It's going to be awesome!!! And that also applies to members we knew on this Forum!!! I can't wait to meet you all!!

 

[postrib]

...different time periods...

Note that in the 7 letters which begin Revelation, Jesus doesn't refer to 7 future "church time periods," but only to 7 present churches "which are in Asia" (Revelation 1:11). I believe the 7 letters to them are "the things which are" in the passage which says: "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter" (Revelation 1:19). It's not until after the letters that Jesus says: "Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter" (Revelation 4:1).

...I believe that all the promises given to those seven churches in Revelations apply to the entire church, of every generation...

Is Revelation 2:10 for us?

 

[Mandy]

I believe the letters to the churches were for the churches of that time, and for us now. I think we can see many of those churches then in some of today's churches and individuals. I clearly see warnings that apply today for churches today as well as individuals.

 

[rollinTHUNDER]

Originally posted by postrib

Is Revelation 2:10 for us?

Yes, I believe that is meant for the five foolish virgins, that miss the Lords coming for His Bride. Since you are a post-trib believer, we will never agree. We can't combine our beliefs of the end times, and make sense too. And I'm not here to debate you. But didn't we try that before? And wasn't it fruitless?

 

[postrib]

...the five foolish virgins...

In the parable of the 10 virgins, some believe the wise virgins must be taken in a pre-trib rapture. But the door is closed at Christ's coming (Matthew 25:10, compare Luke 13:24-28), which Jesus had just finished saying would be "immediately after the tribulation" (Matthew 24:29-31). There's no 3rd coming of Christ.

 

[Bright Eyes]

Although it's not reasonable to rule out the possibility that the seven churches of Revelation might be refering to certain Church periods that were to follow, I found that I couldn't be as certain on this point as I once was, and now I am more inclined to doubt this interpretation.

Having studied some of Church history, I didn't find that the history of the Church lent itself to the revelation divisions. while a lot of things have happend in the history of the Church, I did not find that any of it resembles the systematic layout given in Revelation.

Having said that though, I will say that one thing that really stands out is that Jesus kept saying, 'Let the person who has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' Now, the other time Jesus used the expression 'ears to hear' was in Mark 4:9; 4:23; (cf Luke 8:8; 14:35); all of which indicated that Jesus was saying something that meant more than what it appeared on the surface.

From that I surmise that Jesus, in addressing the seven churches, was saying more than it appeared on the surface, but I don't see that he was meaning seven periods of characteristcs of the global Church. Rather, I suspect we haven't yet worked out what he meant and it continues to be a mystery.