The Seven Churches
of Revelation
When we read the first verse of the Book of Revelation we are told that this is a
revelation of Jesus Christ, authored by God the Father, to show His servants what
must soon take place. No wonder they (the 144,000) are featured so prominently in
this book. They have been given the awesome responsibility of revealing Christ to
every nation, kindred, tongue and people. They do this by preaching the Everlasting
Gospel (the Word of God) and are empowered by the testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit
of Prophecy (Rev.19:10). They are prophets -- that's why they are called
"His servants the prophets."
They are also overcomers. In their conflict with the dragon in Rev. 12:11 they
overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not
love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
In the study of the "Seven Churches" we find them overcoming the obstacles
encountered by each of these churches, and of being overcomers to all of these obstacles,
as they have been selected from each of the seven churches. I believe seven churches
are presented as completeness of God's church.
Rev. 1:19 -- Write, therefore, what you have seen, What
is now and what will take place later.
What is now is what is happening, and the problems facing the members of those
specific churches at that time. What will take place later is much more important
and represents the problems the 144,000 will face in the various churches that they will
be called out of when they are selected by God and sealed with the Holy Spirit. To
him that overcomes in each church, and with the promises associated with it is referring
to those selected servants from that specific church. This is not to infer that
other members of that church-type are not overcomers, but these listed are the ones who
are chosen to make up this number of 144,000.
Rev. 1:20 -- The mystery of the seven stars that you saw
in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the
angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
When I became aware that the book of Revelation was authored by God to show His
servants (144,000) what must soon take place, it greatly helped me in removing
interpretations of this book to events happening 2000± years ago. I still wondered
-- "Why start out the book by describing the seven churches?" which had
always been dry reading for me. When I found the overcomers in each church group was
referring to the 144,000, it brought its relevance up-to-date. I would like to quote
two texts which opened this up for me.
Rev. 12:1-3 -- A great and wondrous sign appeared in
heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve
stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give
birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads
and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads...
The dragon stood in front of the woman who was
about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
Vs. 5 -- She gave birth
to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter, and her
child was snatched up to God and to His throne.
According to the introduction to Revelation this must be an end-time event -- not
one that happened 2000 years ago. I realized this, but it was Isaiah who brought it
into focus.
Isa. 66:7,8 -- Before she goes into labor, she gives
birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard
of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things?
Can a country be born in a day or a nation be
brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to
her children. (144,000)
Vss. 14-16 -- When you see this, your heart will rejoice
and you will flourish like the grass; the hand of the Lord will be made known to His
servants, but His fury will be shown to His foes.
See, the Lord is coming with fire, and His
chariots are like a whirlwind; He will bring down His anger with fury, and His rebuke with
flames of fire. For with fire and with His sword the Lord will execute judgment upon
all men and many will be those slain of the Lord. (Second Coming)
Then suddenly I could see why the book begins with the seven churches. This is a
graphic presentation of how these seven churches give birth to the 144,000 -- the
male child. The seven are used to represent completeness. This is Zion at the
end-time delivering her children. Keep this thought in mind as we study each
individual church.
For completeness read the entire instructions to each church. Only portions will
be excerpted in this study to give the context and meaning. Remember, at the
summation of each church's condition it lists to "him who overcomes" -- (the
144,000).
Church of Ephesus
Rev. 2:1-7 -- To the angel of the church in Ephesus
write:...
I know your deeds, your hard work and your
perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those
who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered
and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken
your first love... Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not
repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place...
To him who overcomes, I will give the right
to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
This symbolic church at Ephesus, real though it was, symbolizes a church at the time of
the end with similar problems and circum- stances.
Among the group who have become overcomers of the difficulties presented, a number are
selected as members of the 144,00. They are members of that group of witnesses who
prophesy for 1260 days and after they have finished their testimony the beast from the
Abyss makes war on them, overcomes them and kills them. After 3-l/2 days they are
brought to life and called up to heaven. Read this in Rev.11:7-12. Immediately
following this, the Seventh Trumpet sounds, announcing:
1. Your wrath has come (The Seven-last Plagues)
2. The time for rewarding your servants the prophets.
Immediately following this the Seventh Trumpet sounds announcing the Seven Last
Plagues, and many other things.
These witnesses are in heaven during the time the Seven Last Plagues are
dispensed. This gives them several weeks, at least, to partake of the tree of life
before they return with Christ for His Second Coming -- described in Revelation
17:12-14. This gives them ample time to fulfill that promise made to the overcomers
from the church at Ephesus.
Church of Smyrna
Rev. 2:8-11 -- To the angel of the church in Smyrna
write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life
again.
I know your afflictions and your poverty -- yet
you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are
a synagogue of Satan.
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.
I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will
suffer persecution for ten days.
Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I
will give you the crown of life...
He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by
the second death.
"Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer." The 144,000 are the
ones this book is revealed to, to show them what is going to happen. I'm sure they
know the fate that awaits them and that they all will be martyred. Christ tells them
not to be afraid. Be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you the
crown of life. "He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death."
Notice the promise to those listed in the first resurrection, which describes this same
group.
Rev. 20:6 -- Blessed and holy are those who have part in
the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. (They
will not be hurt at all by the second death.)
Church of Pergamum
Rev. 2:12-17 -- To the angel of the church in Pergamum
write: These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.
I know where you live -- where Satan has his
throne.
Yet you remain true to my name. You did
not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness, who was
put to death in your city -- where Satan lives.
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:
You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the
Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual
immorality...
To him that overcomes, I will give some of the
hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it,
known only to him who receives it.
Pergamum is located in the area where Satan has his throne. In spite of this,
they remain "true to my name." Wherever this beast from the Abyss (mystery
of iniquity) has his abode must be where this church is located; from which, from among
the overcomers, members to the 144,000 will be selected. To the overcomers so
selected are promised two gifts:
(1) Some hidden manna;
(2) A white stone with a new name on it, known only to him who receives it. What
does the hidden manna represent?
John 6:48-51 -- I am the bread of life. Your
forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.
But here is the bread that comes down from
heaven, which a man may eat and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from
heaven. If a man eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world...
Vss. 61-63 -- Aware that his disciples were
grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?... The Spirit
gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are
spirit and they are life.
In Revelation 20:4-6 we are given a description of those who are raised in the first
resurrection. The reason for their demise was that they had received the hidden
manna and because of their witnessing this manna (the words of Christ) they were martyred.
Rev. 20:4 -- And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the Word of God.
We know that the testimony for Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy (Rev.19:10). These
are martyred prophets -- those who have been receiving the words of Christ as
relayed to them by way of the Holy Spirit; with whom they have been sealed.
"And because of the word of God." This represents the Everlasting
Gospel by which they are revealing Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue and
people. This is more of the hidden manna which they had been given.
Now, we come to the white stone with a new name on it, known only to him who
receives it. Consider Christ coming in His glory at the second coming:
Rev. 19:12 -- His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his
head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one but He Himself
knows.
Following their 1260 days (3-l/2 years) of prophesying, these servant prophets were
martyred and after 3-l/2 days were called up into heaven, as we have already noted.
We have their group picture and their description which was, soon thereafter, taken in
heaven:
Rev. 14:1-4 -- Then I looked, and there before me was
the Lamb, standing on Mt. Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father's
name written on their foreheads...
They follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
This all reveals that when Christ comes, at the Second Coming, He will have a name
written on Him that no one but He Himself knows. I believe the 144,000 will have
that same name written on their foreheads. On that white stone that they have been
given "with a new name on it, known only to him who receives it." I
believe this can only be their new name which they will have for eternity.
Church of Thyatira
Rev. 2:18-28 -- To the angel of the church in Thyatira
write:... I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and
that you are now doing more than you did at first.
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You
tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she
misleads my servants to do sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to
idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling...
Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to
you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I
will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come.
To him that overcomes and does my will to the
end, I will give authority over the nations -- "He will rule them with an iron
scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery" just as I have received
authority from My Father, I will also give him the Morning Star.
The big problem facing the church in Thyatira in the end-time will be "that woman
Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess." This is a false church or religious
system. By her false doctrines she is teaching and misleading some of the members of
the church at Thyatira. This Jezebel is also called the great harlot, or great
prostitute of Revelation 17.
Rev. 17:6 -- I saw that the woman (Babylon, the
mother of prostitutes) was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those
who bore testimony to Jesus. (The testimony to Jesus is the Spirit of
Prophecy -- Revelation 19:10.)
This blood that she is drunk with is from martyred prophets. The only group of
prophets mentioned in Revelation is "His servants the prophets" -- the
144,000. The fact that their blood was found in her proves that they overcame her by
refusing to accept her false doctrines.
Revelation presents the scene in heaven with God the Father holding the scroll with the
seven seals. Only Christ was found worthy to break the seals for the following
reasons:
Rev. 5:9 NEB -- Thou art worthy to take the scroll and
break its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood dids't purchase for God men of every
tribe and language, people and nation; thou hast made of them a royal house, to serve our
God as priests; and they shall reign upon the earth.
Rev. 20:4-6 -- And I saw the souls of those who had been
beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus (martyred prophets) and because of
the Word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received
his mark on their foreheads or their hands.
They came to life and reigned with Christ
1000 years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1000 years were ended.
This is the first resurrection.
Now to the promise "to him who overcomes and does My will to the end," I
will give authority over the nations. This is speaking of these servants the
prophets who remain faithful to the end. The end being when they are martyred by the
beast from the Abyss.
Have you ever wondered who the nations were that God promised to give them authority
over, and to rule them with an iron scepter; and to dash them to pieces like pottery (if
the need should arise)? Note the description of Christ at His Second Coming:
Rev. 19:13-15 -- He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,
and his name is the Word of God.
The armies of heaven were following him, riding
on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which
to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter.
He will strike down the nations with the sharp sword that comes out of His mouth.
The wicked will all be destroyed but remnants of these nations remain. This must be
the case for Him to rule the nations with an iron scepter. Remember in this promise
to the overcomers in Thyatira, "just as I have received authority from My Father, I
will also give him (the overcomer) the Morning Star."
The morning star refers to Christ. So this is speaking of, just as God the Father
gave authority to Christ to rule these nations with an iron scepter; Christ has given of
His authority to them to rule these nations with an iron scepter also. This is what
it is speaking of when it says that they (the 144,000) will reign with Christ for 1000
years. Revelation 5:10 states that they will reign on this earth.
Church of Sardis
Rev. 3:1-6 -- To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!
strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in
the sight of my God...
But if you do not wake up, I will come like a
thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have
not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are
worthy.
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in
white. I will never erase his name from the book of life, and will acknowledge his
name before My Father and His angels.
This seems to be referring to a church which has a reputation for being alive.
Probably a church impressed with externals but inwardly about to die. Yet there are
some who have not soiled their clothes and will be dressed in white, if they are
overcomers.
We have another picture taken in heaven describing this group being spoken of
(144,000). Each picture features a different identifying mark or characteristic.
Rev. 7:9 -- After this I looked and there before
me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and
language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb...
Vss. 13-15 -- Then one of
the elders asked me, "These in white robes— who are they, and where did
they come from?"
I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said,
"These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; They have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore, they are before the throne of God
and serve Him day and night in His temple.
These members, dressed in white who have just come out of the Great Tribulation,
describes the 144,000 because there is no mention of any other large group being taken up
to heaven -- who have come out of the Great Tribulation. The overcomers from
Thyatira are also described as being dressed in white.
Church of Philadelphia
Rev. 3:7-12 -- To the angel of the church in Philadelphia
write:...
I know your deeds. See, I have placed
before you an open door that no one can shut.
I know that you have little strength, yet you
have kept my word and have not denied my name.
I will make those who are of the synagogue of
Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars - I will make them come and
fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
Since you have kept my command to endure
patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the
whole world to test those who live on the earth...
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the
temple of My God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on Him the name
of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which is coming down out
of heaven from My God; and I will write on him my new name.
This is the church that describes this group the best, and in different ways.
"See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut." Christ is
this open door. This door is open during the entire 1260 days of their prophesying;
offering salvation to everyone who believes in the gospel that they are preaching.
There is no other door which can make that offer.
John 14:6 -- Jesus answered, "I am the way and the
truth and the life. None comes to the Father except through me."
This is earth's greatest evangelistic series and shortly after termination of this
final roll-call Christ will come in the clouds of heaven.
Rev. 3:8 (Last part) -- I know that you have little
strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name. (They have
refused to worship the beast and his image.)
Revelation 14 describes them as not defiling themselves with women, for they kept
themselves pure. Another way of saying the same thing.
Rev. 3:10 -- Since you have kept My command to endure
patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon
the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
This hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test them is the test
by the beast from the Abyss.
Rev. 13:15 -- And there was given to him (the beast
from the Abyss) to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast
might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
This is a Universal Death Decree to all who refuse to worship the image to the
beast. It will be a modern version of the three Hebrew children's test when they
were commanded to bow down and worship the golden image in the land of Babylon. This
test, however, will be world-wide and Scripture does not outline the specifics of this
command, but it does require worship of a false god. This is the hour of trial that
is coming to the whole world which the 144,00 will be excluded from facing.
Notice how this comes about; in speaking of the 144,000 witnesses of Revelation 11:
Rev. 11:7 -- Now when they have finished their testimony,
(after 1260 days of prophesying) the beast from the Abyss will attack them, and
overpower and kill them.
Vss. 11,12 -- But after the 3 l/2 days a
breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet and terror struck those
who saw them.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say-
ing to them, "Come up here," and they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their
enemies looked on.
The testimony of the 144,000 begins immediately before the beginning of the Great
Tribulation, so at the time their testimony ended it is 1260 days into this time of Great
Tribulation. When they are raised from the dead and called up to heaven the Seventh
Trumpet sounds, which is the official signal ending the time of the Great Tribulation,
prior to the Seven Last Plagues. Daniel tells us the time when this universal decree
is set up to be enacted.
Dan. 12:11 -- From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and
the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1290 days.
Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1335 days.
Could any decree be a greater abomination or cause greater desolation of God's people
than one which required them to renounce their allegiance to God and to worship a
counterfeit God, or be put to death?
To pinpoint the starting point of the 1260 days of witnessing of the 144,000 we need to
read the first part of Rev. 7.
Rev. 7:1-4 -- After this I saw four angels standing at
the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any
wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel
coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God.
He called out in a loud voice to the four
angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: "Do not harm the
land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants
of our God."
Then I heard the number of those who were
sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
Immediately following the sealing of these witnesses the way was cleared for these
winds of strife to be released by the four angels; -- this to begin the Great
Tribulation. Note how this comes about:
Rev. 8:2-5 -- And I saw the seven angels who stand before
God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Another angel, who had a golden censer,
came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of
all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne...
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with
fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,
rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Vs. 6 -- Then the seven
angels who had the trumpets prepared to sound them.
This passage reveals the four angels ready to release the winds, to bring harm to the
earth. This harm is the Great Tribulation. The angel from the east calls to
them to wait until he has sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets were set to begin the devastation.
Before this was started the angel at the golden altar filled his censer with incense
and coals from the altar and hurled it onto the earth. This represents the
termination of a holding back of this long-delayed event -- the Great
Tribulation. This service, which was terminated in heaven, was represented in the
earthly sanctuary as the evening, morning sacrifices, or the daily -- as it was
commonly known as.
The 144,000 were sealed and began their witnessing immediately prior to this casting
down of the censor, which is the time the clock starts ticking on this 1335 day time
envelope, called the Day of The Lord.
The witnesses were all martyred just before the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet.
They were raptured to heaven just before it sounded. This would represent 1260 days
into this 1335 day time-frame.
We read earlier how that, from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the
abomination that causes desolation is set up (Universal Death Decree to those refusing to
obey the command to worship the image to the beast), there will be 1290 days. This
would be 30 days after the Seven Last Plagues were initiated and at a time when the
144,000 are around the sea of glass in heaven; thus fulfilling the promise God had made to
them that they would be kept from the hour of trial to test all the rest of the world at
that time. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the 1335 days -- because
that represents the return of Christ to this earth to slay the wicked and to redeem His
living saints. Now back to the church at Philadelphia:
Rev. 3:12 (First part) -- Him who overcomes I will make a
pillar in the temple of My God. Never again will he leave it.
In describing this group in heaven after they had been redeemed from the earth
we find this identifying description:
Rev. 7:14,15 -- These are they who have come out of the
great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb.
Therefore, "they are before the throne
of God and serve Him day and night in His temple."
Notice how the description in the overcomers from the church at Philadelphia is in
harmony with the description of the 144,000 in Revelation 7. Now the last passage
from this church:
Revelation 3:12 (Last part) -- I will write on him the
name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which is coming down
out of heaven from My God; and I will write on him My new name.
Notice, again, a description of the 144,000, noted to be in heaven, and that they had
been redeemed from the earth.
Rev. 14:1 -- Then I looked, and there before me was the
Lamb, standing on Mt. Sion, and with him 144,000 who had His (Christ's) name and
His Father's name written on their foreheads.
This is another undeniable match, and gives us no reason to not be able to see
that these overcomers from all these churches are referring to these 144,000 -- the
group that this book was primarily authored for. Now we come to the last of these
seven churches.
Church of Laodicea
Rev. 3:14-21 -- To the angel of the church in Laodicea
write:
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold
nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
So, because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor
cold -- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
You say, "I am rich; I have acquired
wealth and do not need a thing;
But you do not realize that you are wretched,
pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in
the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your
shameful nakedness. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline...
To him who overcomes, I will give the right
to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His
Throne.
This church is one that is proud of its wealth and possessions and with a feeling of
not needing a thing -- not realizing that they are spiritually bankrupt. To
the overcomer in this church is promised a great gift -- the right to sit with
Christ on His throne. To sit with Christ on His throne can only mean that they rule
or reign with Him because that is what is indicated by sitting on a throne. Notice
this group in the First Resurrection:
Rev. 20:4 -- And I saw the souls of those who had been
beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God.
They had not worshipped the beast or his image
and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to
life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
We know, from the first sentence of the book of Revelation, that it was written to show
His servants (144,000) what must soon take place.
As they realize the message to these churches, they can't help but see the many
wonderful promises made to them, if they should be faithful to the end. They will
also see that the road will not be easy. They will all know at the onset of their
witnessing that it will end in martyrdom. That's why it says of them: "They
overcame him (the beast) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death" (Rev.12:11).