The term seven churches speaks of the seven ( spiritual perfection ) church ages:
1. EPHESUS - APOSTOLIC CHURCH
2. SMYRNA - MARTYRCHURCH
3. PERGAMOS - STATECHURCH
4. THYATIRA - PAPAL CHURCH
5. SARDIS - REFORMATIONCHURCH
6. PHILADELPHIA - MISSIONARYCHURCH
7. LAODICEA - APOSTATECHURCH
-We can now see and understand that the mystery of the seven stars speaks of God, throughout the church ages, laying hold of a remnant ( His messengers ), and elevating them to a position of power, strength, and authority.
"These stars shall give forth His light, HIS MESSAGE, to stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the power of His right hand. They shall abide-- not like unto those who rise up in a brilliant display to dash across the heavens, and burn out-- these are FIXED in God, positioned in the place He has prepared for them, and prepared them for. They are His sign of PEACE when the enemy would tread in the palace-- seeking to usurp the dominion. They shall destroy the adversaries with the brightness of their shining, and they shall restore righteousness in all the earth. "Peace on earth, good will toward men.
Let me find that letter I wrote a while back concerning the seven churches.
There is more wisdom in a single scripture thanwe will ever really understand in this lifetime.
When Jesus tells john to write to the seven churches, one must stop and wonder.
"Why were there seven churches?"
In all other scripture, we see a letter is addressed to a single "church" or else to the entirety of the "Church", but here we see letters addressed to "seven" churches.
Traditionally, this is taught as the number "seven" signifying completeness or perfection. HOwever, this does not properly apply, because the churchs are being rebuked for sin, and even very harshly. The number seven can also signify "totality" or even "indefinite", and in this context we see what Jesus was saying.
Ultimately, Jesus' is rebuking denominationalism, for the Church has been totally divided. We see "seven" different doctrines at "seven" different churches, each recieves at least a mild rebuke, with several being rebuked very sharply.
However, the point is, there are a myriad, and indefinite number, of doctrines that Jesus is here rebuking. Seven are mentioned directly, but "seven" does not mean "complete" or "perfect" in this context, but means "indefinite", or "a whole lot" or "every false way". as David wrote, "I hate every false way."
In the book of Acts, they were in "one accord" eleven times. After this, you see Paul pleading with them to be in "one accord," but they are never in "one accord" again.
In Acts they are in "one accord" eleven times, falling short of 12, which is God's number of Order and Government.
In Revelation, they are indefinitely divided, having "seven" churches and "seven" doctrines.
How could this happen?
Because almost nobody had "Ears to Hear," and among those who did, some didn't listen even then, and among those who did listen, nobody else would listen to them.
They had the "Laity Conquerers", who ruled by means of oppressive, unscriptural church governments.
They had the false prophets telling them to do all sorts of sinful things.
They had the church that really didn't care all that much. Wanted to be called "christian", but didn't want to live for God.
Every church had their own doctrine and their own philosophy, and nobody else could tell them any different...not even the Holy Spirit...not that He didn't try, they just wouldn't listen.
And so, a famine of the HEARING of the Word of God came. for 1900 years almost nothing of any consequence happened in the church, other than "christians" murdering "christians".
But then the Holy Spirit came once again at the end of the 1800's and in the early 1900's.
The Lord got hold of certain men and women who were willing to go the extra mile, not that they did anything of themselves, but that God did it through them by the works of Jesus Christ. to cry out to God on their faces hours on end interceding for a hurting and dying world, to go through to the baptism of the Holy Spirit when nobody had seen or heard it in hundreds of years. To preach something other than vain religion and rituals. to set at liberty those who are captive. to heal the broken hearted.
Some have called this the "latter rain" outpouring. But things have gone full circle. Just as the "former rain" Church fell into all these sins Jesus rebuked, so too has the "Latter rain" Church (assuming that application of scripture is correct at all).
Even among this great move of God, which became "pentecost", all the sins and wrong doctrines have resurfaced.
Satellite Christianity: man following the "big man of God" instead of following the Holy Spirit. The "Big man" stumbled, and everyone else fell. And kicked dirt in one another's faces, and I was more guilty than them all.
Witchcraft masquerading as worship.
The Spirit of God has been replaced by an evil spirit.
In many cases, the Glory has departed from the temple, and the "worshippers" never even noticed.
But the Father seeks those to worship in "Spirit and in Truth".
I will stand up for Jesus.
I do not count myself to have attained. Far from it.
"Christ died for sinners, of whom I am chief."
God is able to deliver even this generation. God is able to save not by the thousands nor even by the millions, but by the billions.
"God is able to save by few as well as by many".
I'm not so interested in people joining my favorite church. I'm interested in people joining the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ and his precious blood.
