Do the seven churches in Rev. 2-3 symbolize seven "church eras" in church history?

[Carry_Your_Name]

Hi Carry_Your_Name

My take on the opening letters written for us as a testimony in the Revelation of Jesus, is that they are actual letters from the Lord given for John to write down for us about being careful what we believe and follow in our fellowship gatherings. They were written to bring out problems within our practices of fellowship that have been with us since pretty much the beginning of the 'church'. I don't believe that they have any reference to different ages or eras of the church but are rather cautions to us throughout the church age, which began when the Holy Spirit was released at Pentecost or thereabouts, that we be careful as to what we assimilate in our teachings and practices of pure worship for God.

That might be the case for Paul's letters, as each of his letters was his response to particular problems in each of these churches, but these seven letters from the Lord himself are more like a review of each church's job performance. Paul wrote from the perspective at the beginning of the church age in the 1st century, offering advice and guidance; what Jesus doled out in these seven letters, however, was his evaluation and judgement. These were written on the Lord's Day at the END of the church age, each church was reviewed retrospectively.

 

[miamited]

These were written on the Lord's Day at the END of the church age, each church was reviewed retrospectively.

That's some kind of weird time jump. The letters were written somewhere during the very end of the first century while John was exiled on Patmos. They were written fairly shortly after the beginning of the church age. Just a few dozen years after Paul's letters.

 

[Carry_Your_Name]

That's some kind of weird time jump. The letters were written somewhere during the very end of the first century while John was exiled on Patmos. They were written fairly shortly after the beginning of the church age. Just a few dozen years after Paul's letters.

Yes it might be weird, yet that was the case. John was in spirit on the Lord's Day, Rev. 1:10, that's the context. He was seeing end time events, i.e. what "must take place after this", go check it out yourself.

 

[miamited]

That's a sketchy interpretation. Mine says: On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,... I don't take that qualifier 'Lord's Day' because that would mean that all of this is over. Why would Jesus send a letter out to be put in God's testimony concerning the way the 'churches' in Asia and the Middle East had believed and practiced if it was all over? If, on the other hand, John, on the first day of the week, was in the Spirit to receive the warnings and atta boys of the early churches so that corrections could be made over the centuries of the times of Gentiles, then such a testimony would be of value to us as we were going to be living through the next centuries.

On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

Then there's the matter that if this is the 'Day of the Lord', as opposed to the 'Lord's Day', then who would John be sending the letters to. His instructions were to send it to the churches, but they won't be there on the 'Day of the Lord'. Certainly won't be there long enough to get these letters.

So, your understanding is that John has been taken to the time of history that the Scriptures refer to as the 'Day of the Lord'. The day that Jesus returns in judgment against all mankind. And on that day, he's telling John to write down and deliver these letters to the various churches that likely won't even really exist by that name on that day. Letters that then tell them to keep on working out righteousness and to set aside wickedness in our fellowships. Honestly, I don't see why God would do it that way.

 

[Elijah7777]

This is a popular doctrine taught by William Branham, that Jesus's letters to the seven churches in ancient Asia Minor and modern day Turkey are a timeline of the entire church age from His ascension to his return

The Hasidic talk about there being up to 100 layers of meaning to scriptures. There are seven churches, seven angels, seven lamp stands. I think all churches today are one of those seven even though there are no two churches that are the same. They all have their strengths and weakness.

I remember when I was in Flordia for 6 weeks once and I attended different churches. One was very friendly and everyone in that church welcomed me and invited me to become a part of their church. Then another church was the opposite. NO one assigned to greet people, only one person even talked to me and I was wondering about him.