The Church, The Book Of Revelations, And Today

The number seven is the amount of completion and fulfillment and within the book of Revelations we clearly read about seven churches, which are: The church of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. These seven churches are collectively referred to as the Asia Minor churches of John's day. The writer of the Book Of Revelations does not mention other churches within the exact same region, including the church of Collosse, why, what's it about these seven churches that spans almost 2000 years from the death / resurrection of Christ till today. Mcdougal John clearly states the next within Revelation chapter 1 vs 10-11:

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, at the time of a trumpet, (11) saying, "I'm the Alpha and the Omega. the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which come in Asia: to Ephesus, Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."

The aforementioned verses really are a clear and concise directive from Jesus too John, as He identifies Himself since the "Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last ".The Lord directs John to these specific churches, which span a church age of approx 90 years, during the time of John's writing. If we are to trust these churches are gentile and established following the death and resurrection of Christ then he is writing too these churches around 94 (AD) and in accordance with strong and consistent historical church traditions, the Apostle John ministered in one or more of the churches, Ephesus.

I think these seven churches are very strongly related us as individuals because each one of these depicts us as sinners, searching for a righteous walk with Christ. We ought to discern the spiritual truth about each church (which I discussed in an earlier posting) from enough time of John's writing to today.

The churches from Ephesus to Laodicia;

Ephesus "The backslidden spirit" Smyrna "The persecuted spirit" Pergamous "The licentous spirit" Thyatira "The lax spirit" Sardis "The spiritual dead" Philadelphia "The favored spirit" Laodicea "The lukewarm spirit"

The sins of the church today are represented by each Asia Minor church of John's day, this maybe the main reason Jesus focused His attention on these 7 churches, comprehending that the "sinner" of the church from inception, growth and departure will be represented by these 7 churches of Asia Minor.

I believe the culmination of the Church age can be represented by these same churches, as Jesus's owns words may hint towards my conclusion. The eleventh verse of chapter 1 begins with Jesus's words, "I am the Alpha and the Omega. the First and the Last", these words may not only represent Christ as the savior of the planet, from birth to death to resurrection, it could encompass the Pentecostal Church of Acts chapter 2 from birth to death to rapture, let's review the Acts chapter 2 Church age in the last 1900 years and what the Asia Minor churches could also represent Ortonville church.

Ephesus represents the "Apostolic Church Age" which covers the time frame ahead of 110 A.D Smyrna represents the "Age or Church Persecution" which covers the time frame from 110 A.D to 320 A.D. Pergamos represents the "Church's Imperialistic Age" which covers the time period from 320 A.D to 600 A.D. Thyatria represents the "Church Papacy Age" which covers the time period from 600 A.D. too 1520 A.D. Sardis represents the "Age of Church Reformation" which covers the period of time from 1520 A.D to 1720 A.D. Philadelphia represents the "Age of Church Missionaries" which covers the time frame from 1720 A.D to 1910 A.D. Laodicea now represents "Age of Greed, and Apostasy" which covers the period of time from 1910 to today. (disclaimer: Time periods are not definitive because overlapping is expected)

The church age today is among greed, apostasy and being lukewarm, it's hard to distinguish between the sins of the entire world (non-believer) and the sins of the church (believer). The worldly message within this Church Age (Laodicea) is described within Revelations 3:16 which reads; "Since you say, I am rich, have grown to be wealthy, and have need of nothing'and don't know that you're wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked" This Church Age is high in material wealth, and spiritual emptiness, proven by the Church's silence against the sins of this Age, exactly the same silence found within the Laodicea church of John's time.

Christ may have presented the prophetic history of the Church within the messages to the 7 churches of Asia Minor in His opening statement of Revelations 2:11 "I'm the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last ".He is the First Love of Ephesus and the Last Love in Laodicea ".The First Love of the "Apostolic Age" and the Last Love in the "Apostasy Age ".

Jesus Christ will move within this Age (Lukewarm Age) to separate your lives the "Wheat from the Tare" even as we read in Matthew 13:30;

'Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I'll tell the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."' "

How you can burn a "Tare" (lukewarm believer) in this Church Age, would be to destroy their wealth, their lifestyle, cause them to become naked before the Lord, showing them that their wretched, miserable, poor and blind without Christ. Jesus is moving through this Church Age, the lukewarm age of materialism, separating the "Wheat from the Tare ".The First and Last, Alpha and Omega will probably destroy many lukewarm ideologies and lifestyles in ab muscles near future, preparing His "Wheat" for entrance in to the kingdom of Heaven, the rapture.