The churches addressed in Revelations 3 are:
- Ephesus
- Smyrna
- Perganum
- Thyatira
- Sardis
- Philadelphia
- Laodicea
The Characteristics of the Seven Churches1
- All the Churches receive a message from Jesus.
- They represent the visible church, which includes all professing believers whether they really are or not, not the universal/invisible Church.
- Jesus has something against five of the Churches and nothing against two
- Jesus finds good in six of the Churches and nothing good about one
- Jesus is intimately aware of the state of each Church
- The letters are for seven literal churches existing in Johns day, and seven types of churches which will exist during the Church Age.
This statement has broad agreement. - While all seven types of churches always exist, one type dominates a particular era of the church history.
This statement is controversial amongst pre-millennial theologians and is known as the "Historical-prophetic interpretation".
- Ephesus - AD 30-100 Apostolic Church
- Smyrna - AD 100-313 Roman Persecution
- Pergamum - AD 313-600 Age of Constantine
- Thyatira - AD 600-1517 Dark Ages
- Sardis - AD 1517-1648 Reformation
- Philadelphia - AD 1649-1900 Missionary Movement
- Laodicea - AD 1900 - Present Apostasy
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And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Footnotes:
- Dr Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of the Messiah, pp 47 - 90
