The Seven Churches of Revelation

Hi!

Hope y'all doing great.

Allow me to share with you an excerpt from Chuck Pierce's book The Future War of the Church, from the chapter, The Presence and Glory War.

I need not say an understanding of this is key, need i?

Enjoy:

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The Lord has given us keys to victory during these times of darkness. I believe one of those keys is found in Revelation 1. There, the apostle John sees a vision of seven golden lampstands. In context, I believe these are seven menorahs, that is, these are seven "seven-branched" lampstands. The Lord then tells John that these seven lampstands represent seven churches.

What are these seven churches? First, we know that they were literal churches. John lists seven of the churches that existed in his day in the Roman province of Asia. But it's clear that these churches are more than just seven churches chosen at random. They are called the seven churches—in some way, these seven churches represent all of the Church! Some have suggested that these seven churches represent seven eras of Church history, that each of the seven churches pictures a different historical time period, beginning with Ephesus as the Early Church and ending with lukewarm Laodicea as the Church today. The problem with that interpretation is that it doesn't work.

The "eras of Church history" interpretation might sound convincing to Christians living in America, where many churches match the description of the lukewarm Laodiceans. But the American church is only a fraction of the Church worldwide. In places such as China or Africa, major segments of the Church today are filled with life and power in the midst of severe persecution. The fact is, the majority of the Church today worldwide is not Laodicean.

I believe a better explanation of these seven churches is that they represent seven kinds of churches. These church types exist in every age of history, although at certain times and in certain places, each tends to be more representative than the others. That means that every church—and every Christian—is to be found somewhere among these seven churches. In these seven churches, we see all the different strategies Satan uses to keep God's people from fulfilling their call. But in each we also hear a word from Jesus. He is walking among the lampstands, tending to each one, and offering instructions to each church for how to become a brightly burning lampstand.

I am fortunate enough to minister with Robert Heidler, one of the most profoundly straightforward theologians I know. I believe Robert's incredible teaching on the seven churches of Revelation is vital for us today if we are to continue to pray for transformation in our regions. The seven churches represent regions—they are lampstands in a region, the menorah lights of a region. Each has an array of characteristics—some good, some bad. That is why the Lord commended each church and then revealed any weak point that needed to be addressed for these churches. Below is an analysis of each church, compiled from Robert's audio series, How Is Your Lampstand Burning: Understanding the Seven Churches of Revelation. Review your region and see how the lamp of God is burning.

Ephesus: The Church That Lost Its Fervent Love

The first church is the church at Ephesus, which represents the church that has departed from its first love. Ephesus had been a brightly burning lampstand. Jesus commended those in the Ephesian church for seven things.

· Their living faith (their deeds)

· Their diligence (their toil)

· Their standards (they did not tolerate evil)

· Their discernment (they tested apostles to see who was true)

· Their perseverance (they kept going despite opposition)

· Their endurance (they were in it for the long haul)

· Their strength (they had not grown weary)

But the Ephesian church had a problem: Somehow, in the midst of all their work, they had lost the love of God they had once known. They still did a lot of good things, but the fervent love that once motivated them was no longer there. The result was that their lampstand had begun to go out! Because of this, Jesus gave them a warning: "Repent! . . . Or I will come and remove your lampstand out of its place." All the work in the world counts for nothing if you've lost your love!

Jesus then showed them the path to restoration. To regain what they had lost, they needed to do three things:

1. Remember from where they had fallen.

2. Repent to change their direction.

3. Do the deeds they did at first.

Smyrna: The Persecuted Church

Smyrna was a large and prosperous city, a seat of learning and culture. The Smyrnans were proud of their city and had a fanatical loyalty to Rome. Within this culture, the highest form of worship was worshiping the Roman Emperor, and the Smyrnans had no tolerance for those who would not worship the Emperor. As a result, the church there suffered for its faith. In Mark 10:29-30, Jesus promised that along with many blessings, we would receive persecutions. The church at Smyrna had experienced that persecution and was about to go through more.

But Jesus had a promise for His persecuted church: "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. . . . He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (Rev. 2:10-11). Jesus assured them that while they may face suffering and even physical death, they had eternal life. Essentially, His message to Smyrna was, "In the midst of persecution, be faithful!" Jesus identified Himself to them as the One "who was dead, and came to life" (v. 8). He was reminding them that death is not the end—if you are faithful, you will receive a victor's crown! Even if you suffer in this life, it's worth it to follow Jesus. Even if you die for your faith, you still have won!

Pergamos: The Unfaithful Church

Pergamos was a center of paganism. On the hill above the city was the Pergamos acropolis, crowded with pagan temples. The most striking feature of the acropolis was a huge temple, shaped like a giant throne. It was the altar to Zeus, ruler of all the Greek gods.

Jesus' message to the church in Pergamos began with: "I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is" (v. 13). False gods are demons, which means the worship of false gods is the worship of demons. Zeus, as the ruler of false gods, represented the head of all demons, Satan—which means that above the city of Pergamos was a huge throne dedicated to the devil! Jesus later added that their city was "where Satan dwells." As the worship of God brings God's presence, so the worship of Zeus had caused Pergamos to be a place where Satan's presence dwelt in a discernable way. This church was called to stand in a hard place, and Jesus immediately acknowledged that they had held fast to His Name.

Unfortunately for them, Jesus also had some issues with their current state. He told them that they had fallen into the trap of the Nicolaitans. These were false teachers who perverted the idea of freedom in Christ. They taught that since we are free in Christ, why should we invite persecution by being legalistic? Their view was, "Pagan gods are nothing! They don't exist! It doesn't hurt to eat at a pagan feast. It doesn't hurt to put incense on an altar."

The Christians at Pergamos had been seduced by this teaching. They compromised with the pagan world, even joining in feasts given to honor demons! Jesus compared this to the trap set for Israel by Balaam (see Num. 22–24). If joining in pagan feasts was the equivalent of fornication, to be seduced by the world is adultery. As a result, Jesus gave this church a harsh warning: "Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth" (v. 16). Thankfully, Jesus also promised a reward to those who would repent.

Thyatira: The Church Invaded by a Religious Spirit

Thyatira was a city known for its purple dye and fabrics. It was home to corporate guilds of potters, tanners, weavers, dyers and robe makers. To hold membership in these guilds it was necessary to feast at the temple of Apollo. Guild business dinners were held there and were usually followed by orgies. Obviously, this made it difficult for Christians to prosper in Thyatira.

Jesus' issue with the church was this: "You allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols" (v. 20). The main problem at Thyatira was that the church tolerated the teachings of a false prophetess. An influential woman in the church had identified herself as a prophet and justified the practice of fornication, idol worship and eating of meat sacrificed to idols. We can presume this false teaching was welcomed because it allowed church members to join the guilds. Yet it is interesting that Jesus never said exactly what this woman's teaching was, He simply identified the spirit behind it—that of Jezebel!

In certain church circles, the term "Jezebel" is tossed around frequently nowadays. The problem is, many believers do not accurately understand the Jezebel spirit. A Jezebel spirit is not a "female" spirit—in fact, many men have a Jezebel spirit. It does not always work behind the scenes. What actually characterizes a Jezebel spirit is that it is always religious. A Jezebel spirit seeks a position of influence among God's people so that it can promote a false system of religion. Here are some characteristics:

· A Jezebel spirit seeks to draw God's people into false religion—any kind!

· It operates through control, false teaching, manipulation and intimidation.

· It often identifies itself as a defender of the faith and promotes false prophets.

· It opposes the Holy Spirit and all of His manifestations.

· It hates the true prophetic word and persecutes God's prophets.

A Jezebel spirit is a mean spirit. It shows no mercy. In this passage, Jesus personally decreed judgment on Jezebel. To those who had not followed her, He had a word of encouragement: "Hold fast until I come!" Thyatira was a good church. It did not have a lot of problems—apart from Jezebel! Simply put, Jesus was saying, "Deal with her and you'll do great! Keep moving forward!"

Sardis: The Comfortable Church

Sardis was one of the most pleasant places to live in the ancient world. It was a center of worldwide trade and one of most affluent cities in the world. Life was easy in Sardis. Even in the pagan world, Sardis had a reputation for materialism and decadence. The pagans there were extremely accepting and didn't care if you worshipped their gods or not—they just wanted to make money and have a good time.

The church in Sardis was also comfortable. There is no mention of persecution or opposition whatsoever, no issue of false teaching or heresy. They were contented and well-off—yet Jesus had nothing good to say about this church! He told them, "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead" (3:1). Ouch! In other words, Jesus was saying, "You have an appearance of life, you look good. You are doing lots of good things—but there's no life!"

The church at Sardis was the Church of the Living Dead. They had become too attached to the world. They loved all the luxuries Sardis had to offer and their hearts were captured by the affluence of the city. Jesus' exhortation to the church at Sardis was to wake up! (Sardis was not all dead, but it was losing strength fast.)

"Strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God" (v. 2). He then told the people, "Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent" (v. 3). They didn't need a new message; they needed to hold on to what they received, turn back and get on the right path.

Jesus warned the Sardites that He would come to examine His church. The word He used actually suggests an audit. If they would stay as they were, they would forfeit their destiny. But if they woke up and overcame, they would take their part in ministry among His priests, and He would confess them before the Father and all the angels.

Philadelphia: The Church of God's Favor

Philadelphia was located on the Royal Road, the main east-west trade route into the interior of Asia. Because of this, it was built as a missionary city. It was designed as a showplace for Greek civilization in Asia to spread Greek language, culture and religion to the barbarians of the East. In fact, it had so many temples it was known as "little Athens."

In ad 17, a massive earthquake struck and the city was literally destroyed overnight. Emperor Tiberius rebuilt the city and restored its beauty, but massive aftershocks continued to hit the city for decades. The result was that the majority of its people lived in the surrounding countryside. Few were brave enough to live in the shaky city.

The Philadelphia church had experienced shaking also. They had been through seasons of persecution. They had been through a hard season, and they felt weakened. But Jesus had a word for them—the most positive word given to any of seven churches. He told them: "You have suffered for your faith, but you persevered . . . and that's something very important to God. You kept My Word and did not deny My Name. You endured patiently. And because you have remained steadfast, God has opened up a door for you that no one can close." In short, Philadelphia had passed the test and, as a result, now had a golden opportunity.

For the Philadelphians this included an open door to their city. They had been falsely accused, and their reputation in the city had been tarnished. Yet Jesus promised vindication. He said that even their enemies would acknowledge that God was with them. Their open door was also one to the entire world. Philadelphia was called to be a missionary city. Through the Church, Philadelphia would begin to fulfill its destiny as a gateway to the world.

Philadelphia indeed became a gateway city for the gospel. We know from history that missionaries went out on the Royal Road that ran through Philadelphia and established thriving churches in Persia, India and even as far as China.

Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church

Laodicea was a major trade center and banking capital. It was built on the crossroads of several trade routes, and its banking system and the many caravans that came through made it a wealthy city. It was also an important medical center. Built at the foot of a volcanic mountain known for its hot mineral springs, the city had many health spas where the sick came for treatment. Jesus described His relationship with this church in Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

That's probably the most famous verse in Revelation. We frequently talk about Jesus "knocking on the door" of an unbeliever's heart. Yet few Christians really understand this verse. In its context, Jesus wasn't knocking on an unbeliever's heart—He was knocking on the door of His Church! It's important that we understand this picture. The second and third chapters of Revelation show Jesus moving from church to church. He is tending His lamps to keep them burning brightly. He comes to each one to correct and encourage—but when he comes to Laodicea, He can't get in!

Other churches had problems, but Laodicea had gone a step further. Something about the church at Laodicea shut the door against Jesus coming into their church. Jesus described the problem in Laodicea with one word: lukewarm.

If anyone understood what it meant to be lukewarm, it was the Laodiceans. The hot springs up on the mountain were wonderful for the health spas, but by the time the hot water flowed through the aqueducts to the city, it cooled off. The city's water was lukewarm mineral water, and it was considered almost undrinkable. In fact, it was nauseating! Jesus said to the believers of Laodicea, "Your church is like your water!" He then added a surprising twist: "I wish you were cold or hot."

To be cold is to reject Jesus, yet Jesus can deal with rejection. If you are cold to Him, it just means you have never known His love. The truth is, there is great hope for those who are cold. When they see who He really is, they can quickly change from cold to hot. On the other extreme, to be hot is to be on fire for Jesus. Madly and passionately in love. That's what Jesus is looking for! That's what He deserves! He gave Himself completely for us, and He wants us to give our hearts completely to Him.

The Laodiceans were neither cold nor hot. They were lukewarm—about as middle-of-the-road as you can get. They didn't oppose Jesus, but they weren't excited about Him either. They were indifferent to the One who gave His life for them.

To that attitude, Jesus' response was harsher than any of His others to the churches: "I will vomit you out of My mouth" (3:16). Vomiting is a violent involuntary reaction to something that is totally unpalatable. It is a knee-jerk, natural response that requires no thinking. And here Jesus is saying, "Lukewarm Christianity makes me want to puke!" That's what kept the door closed for Jesus. He couldn't come into a church like that.

But Jesus did not give up on Laodicea. He was still knocking at the door, calling out for someone to open it. In fact, the Lord had high hopes for it: "If you will open the door, I will come in!" Their solution was to gain a new perspective on life. They thought they were rich and needed nothing. Jesus' response? "[You] do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (vv. 17-18).

Jesus wanted the Laodiceans to see their need and come to Him as their source. He promised that if they would open the door to His presence, He would be faithful to come in. They would feast with Him! Not only would they feast with Him, Revelation 3:21 guarantees that if they would overcome in the battle before them, they would gain a place on His throne.

Jesus' word to Laodicea was simply this: "It's a battle to break out of the lukewarm. But if you overcome, You will gain great authority in the earth. You will reign with Me!"¹²

When I cannot hear God or revelation seems to be blocked, I have learned to do two things. First, I always ask God what I should give. I find that if I obey God in giving after the pattern He created for us in redemption, then things around me will begin to move in a new way. Faith will begin to rise, and I will see what I need to see.

Second, I read John's Revelation of the seven churches and I ask God, "What church am I?" If I am in intercession, then I ask, "What church am I dealing with?" This always points me to my lampstand first to see if it is burning brightly. Remember: Jesus said that before we deal with our brother's sin, we must first examine our own shortcomings (see Matt. 7:3). So it is when we search for a reason behind the absence of His voice or revelation. This also allows me to see how powerful the fire is burning in the atmosphere of the group with which I am worshiping. I always feel that the group or ministry where I have been assigned reflects one of the churches mentioned above. This gives me great insight for how to pray.

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Hope you got a thing or two...

Shalom!