The Seven Churches

Oh boy. I cannot insert enough disclaimers here. I am way out of my league. Revelation is a book of symbolism and prophecy that is subject to interpretation and speculation. There are countless camps of doctrine as it relates to eschatology (which is the study of the "last things" or end times)...pre-tribulation vs. post-tribulation and pre vs. post millenial, to name the most dominant debates. Many preachers do not teach from the book of Revelation because they deem it too difficult to understand. Even John Calvin, the great theologian, excluded the book of Revelation from his commentary of the entire Bible. In short, it is a tough book to understand, and I'm sure we are not supposed to understand it fully. However, when the generation alive during the end times reads the words of Revelation, the meaning will be clear and highly significant. We are told by John that the events he saw in his vision "must soon take place", which is intended to create a sense of urgency in the readers, as Christ will return suddenly and unexpectedly. However, because nearly 2000 years have passed since John wrote Revelation in 95 AD, the word "soon" is an odd choice. Was John mistaken in his assessment of the timeline or are we to use God's vantage point of "1000 years being like a day" and vice versa or is there another meaning for the word "soon" that makes more sense? Of these three explanations, the first is least probable. Since Christ Himself had said that "no one knows the hour or the day" of His return, it is unlikely that John intended to imply that he knew when these events were to take place. There is certainly truth in the second possibility, in that things which seem imminent to us, as finite beings, can equate to thousands of years to an eternal being. But there is also an alternate meaning for the word "soon", which could explain the difficulty. "Soon" can also mean "in short order" or "in rapid succession", meaning that once these events begin to unfold, everything will come to pass quickly.

Once John sets the stage for his vision, he unfolds the details as they were revealed to him by the angel sent by the Lord. He begins by addressing the seven churches, all of which were then in existence in the area now known as Turkey. John, at the age of near 90, was writing as an exiled prisoner/slave laborer on the island of Patmos in the Mediterranean Sea. These seven churches, of the hundreds that were in existence more than 60 years after Pentecost, seem to have been selected based on historical, representative, and prophetic value. The messages were intended for each church at that time, were also representative of the seven phases of church history throughout the church age, and finally, prefigured seven aspects of the professing church at the time of Christ's return. Tim Lahaye (the man who co-authored the "Left Behind" series) put together a chart of these church messages in his book "Revelation Unveiled" that helped me get a handle on the layered revelation of the messages.

Ephesus : representative of the Apostolic church (from Pentecost until about 100 AD); characterized by fervent evangelism

Smyrna: representative of the persecuted church (100 to 312 AD); characterized by the worst period of persecution the church has suffered to date; this was the era during which Christians were fed to lions in the amphitheaters, boiled in oil, burned at the stake, covered in tar and set ablaze to serve as human torches, etc.; it is estimated that millions of Christians were martyred for their faith during these two centuries

Pergamum: representative of the indulged church (312 to 606 AD); after the reign of Diocletian (considered the greatest antagonist of the Christian faith because he led a violent attempt to destroy the Bible entirely), Constantine became Emperor and issued an edict of tolerance for Christianity. Pagan religions adapted their practices to "fit" within the state religion of Christianity, resulting in the blurring of the lines between Christianity and pagan religions as well as a reduction in spiritual fervor. The church became "married" (which is the meaning of the word pergamum) to the government and became more Roman than Christian. According to Lahaye, the Roman Catholic Church traces it's roots to this time in history.

Thyatira: representative of the pagan church; (606 to 1520 AD): also known as the "dark ages" when the merging of paganism and Christianity begun under Constantine gave way to complete paganism, nearly snuffing out the light of Christ. Lahaye has a great deal to say about the negative influence of the Catholic church during this time in history, noting specifically the 1229 doctrine that forbade laypeople to read the Bible.

Sardis: representative of the dead church (1520 to 1750 AD); also known as the Reformation when Martin Luther led a secession from the Catholic church due to its adherence to pagan doctrines as opposed to Scripture. This period is characterized as the "dead church" because the reformation churches became "state churches" as well, with the end result being the catering to the government rather than the Word of God. Furthermore, the Reformation churches did not sufficiently change the pagan practices that had infiltrated the Christian church during the Dark Ages.

Philadelphia: representative of the missionary church (1750 to 1900 AD); characterized by revival in the church and missionary emphasis

Laodicea: representative of the apostate church (1900 AD to the tribulation); characterized by lukewarm indifference and "fence-sitting"; Lahaye also refers to this church as the "people's church" because of it's emphasis on what people want rather than what God requires.

A note about the Nicolaitans, to help understand the messages to the first three churches... Surprisingly little is known about this sect outside of john's comments in his messages to the first three churches in Revelation. There are two opinions as to the identity of the Nicolaitans. One possibility is that they were a sect following the teachings of Nicholas, one of the seven men chosen to lead the church in Acts 6:5. If this interpretation is correct, Nicholas led his followers into some abhorrent forms of heresy. Another possibility is that "Nicolaitans" is not derived from the name Nicholas but from a construct of Greek terms.

The word comes from two Greek words niko meaning "to conquer or overthrow" and laos meaning "the people, laity". Taken together, the concept is one of "lording authority over the common people". If this interpretation is correct, "nicolaitans" could refer to those who established and enforced ecclesiastical order (the setting up of a hierarchy within the church involving bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and popes). Adherence to this heresy enslaved the church to human beings rather than to the Holy Spirit.


Tomorrow's reading: Rev. 3:1-6:17