Seven Letters to Seven Churches

Intro: We have been studying the history of the seven churches from Revelation 2-3. We have been considering the historical application, meaning that these are real people, real churches, in real places. The spiritual application, which is how does this pertain to our day and our church, and then there is of course the prophetical application which represents the last 1900 years or so since these letters where written and the seven church ages until the gathering together of the church to Christ!

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 KJV 1900

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

This even, which we call the rapture, coincides with what the Bible says to the church at Philadelphia, and what takes immediately following the church at Laodicea.

Revelation 3:10 KJV 1900

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Revelation 4:1–2 KJV 1900

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) The name means: Fully Purposed… We understand this church and this church period from God’s view was fully purposed in the work and labour of Christ. They were influenced directly by the Apostles of Christ, they had the completed word of God and they were busy working.

Church age period… Approximately 90-200 A.D.

After the death of the apostles, there was a group of men historically known as the “church fathers”. Some call them the “apostolic church fathers.” They came on the scene after the death of John, and they were writers. In fact there writings are still around today… What we find historically is that their writings began to deviate from the word of God. Even though they were little deviations that seemed so subtle, so simple and so insignificant, but when satan gets a foot in the door watch out. Very quickly we would see this become their demise... They had left their first love...