The Seven Churches
Revelation Chapters 2 and 3
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These
things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right
hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks. Rev 2:1
The Seven Churches
More than Meets the Eye
For centuries the letters to the seven churches in the
book of Revelation were understood to have been
literal letters that were sent to seven churches in Asia
minor. But in the late 17th century, a brilliant eccentric
in England perceived that there was more to the seven
churches than meets the eye.
The Seven Churches
Parallel the Levitical Calendar
The church ages fall in an irregular sequence. Three
church ages were fulfilled quickly but the fourth church
age streches nearly 1000 years. Then three short
church ages are grouped at the end of the age.
Did God cause HIStory to fit a predetermined mold or
did He merely foresee that history would unfold as it
did. The answer is found in the book of Leviticus.
The Seven Churches
Parallel the Kingdom Parables
The parallel between the seven kingdom parables of
Matthew 13 and the seven churches of Revelation
chapters 2 and 3 is well known. Not only do futurist
and historicist expositors see it but it is commonly
understood by bible students in general.
The Seven Churches
Rated from One to Ten
In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus judged
each of
the seven churches. The 7 letters mix praise and
censure with the exception of the letters to
Smyrna
and Philadelphia. These churches were commended
without reservation.
If you were to assign a scale of one to ten that
reflected Christ's judgment, Ephesus would
start out
as a ten but end up as a six. Smyrna was a
ten but
Pergamus fell to a five. Thyatira was a two
but Sardis
was a five. Philadelphia was a ten but
Laodicea falls
off the chart.
The Seven Churches
Reliving the Kingdom Age in Type
Now you are prepared to see something truly
amazing. The seven church ages prophesied in
Revelation 2 and 3 are paralleling the
kingdom age!
Halley's Bible Handbook
The Most Popular Historicist Commentary of All Time
This is an eye opener!
The Problem with Preterism
The Date is THE Problem
Ask a preterist about preterism and he will
talk about
Nero, the fall of Jerusalem and Matthew 24.
But ask an historicist about preterism and he
will
argue that the book of Revelation was written
in A.D.
96 during the reign of Emperor Domitian.
The Seven Trumpets
A Good Place to Start
If you enjoyed the study of the Seven
Churches you
can continue our series on the historicist
interpretation
of Revelation by clicking on the link below..
The Seven Trumpets are a good place to start for
a new student because they are the least
controversial symbols in the Apocalypse.
