Sorry I wasn't sure what sub-forum to put this thread/topic in, I looked through the titles but wasn't sure of what one suited.
(Note: I searched and found there were already topics/thread on this, but there were more than one and I couldn't decide whether to post this in them and I thought I'd prefer to do this in a separate new thread rather than posting in the middle of other threads.)
Although it is true that the 7 churches in Revelation 1-3 were real historical churches in Asia Minor in John's times, and although it may be true that there are Christians & churches of each of all the 7 types here and now, I also agree with the theory that they are also types of 7 church ages between the time of John and now in the order they occur in Revelation. This thread is about my own tentative matches of the churches with periods of christian church history, though everyone is welcome to discuss/debate and to post their own ideas/info/insights/revelations. I know there is a lot of disagreement about exactly which churches correspond to certain periods of christian history, and you are welcome to post your own ideas/info, but I think I have some good matches evidences for some of the churches which I hope people will find awesome.
My tentative matches of the 7 churches with periods and cites is this:
1 Ephesus - early church with centre at Jerusalem.
2 Smyrna - persecuted church with centre maybe at Alexandria
3 Pergamum - church centred at Rome?
4 Thyatira - church with centre at Byzantium/Constantinople?
5 Sardis - church of inquisition & conquistadores with centre maybe at Madrid?
6 Philadelphia - church of puritans/pilgrims centred at Philadelphia USA?
7 Laodicea(ns) - modern Victorian church with centre at London.
The only two I am most sure of are Ephesus and Laodicea. Smyrna seems certainly to match the persecution(s) time(s) but I'm not totally sure of its centre. Pergamum does seem to have matches with Rome but I can't be totally definitely sure. Thyatira and Philadelphia seem to have fairly good matches but I'm not totally sure especially of Thyatira. Sardis is the one I am most unsure about what the correct period and centre is.
I noticed another poster on this forum has Pergamum as Byzantine and Thyatira as Rome, but I think they seem the other way around, though I can't be totally sure which way around they are.
I will now post more detailed matches evidences so you can see why/how the churches may match those periods and centres. We will start with the two more certain ones Ephesus and Laodicea at either end and then do the ones in between.
Please note that where we post matches between the words in Revelation verses and our periods & centres that we are only focusing on things at the time in those places which are similar to the words in the verses. We don't mean that they are correct theological/spiritual intrepretations/applications of the verses, but just that there "coincidental" similarities with things in those times and places which help to confirm the match of the church age with the time period and centre. This is abit like "word pictures" or parables. The bible often has more than one layer of possible meanings/applications.
(Note: I searched and found there were already topics/thread on this, but there were more than one and I couldn't decide whether to post this in them and I thought I'd prefer to do this in a separate new thread rather than posting in the middle of other threads.)
Although it is true that the 7 churches in Revelation 1-3 were real historical churches in Asia Minor in John's times, and although it may be true that there are Christians & churches of each of all the 7 types here and now, I also agree with the theory that they are also types of 7 church ages between the time of John and now in the order they occur in Revelation. This thread is about my own tentative matches of the churches with periods of christian church history, though everyone is welcome to discuss/debate and to post their own ideas/info/insights/revelations. I know there is a lot of disagreement about exactly which churches correspond to certain periods of christian history, and you are welcome to post your own ideas/info, but I think I have some good matches evidences for some of the churches which I hope people will find awesome.
My tentative matches of the 7 churches with periods and cites is this:
1 Ephesus - early church with centre at Jerusalem.
2 Smyrna - persecuted church with centre maybe at Alexandria
3 Pergamum - church centred at Rome?
4 Thyatira - church with centre at Byzantium/Constantinople?
5 Sardis - church of inquisition & conquistadores with centre maybe at Madrid?
6 Philadelphia - church of puritans/pilgrims centred at Philadelphia USA?
7 Laodicea(ns) - modern Victorian church with centre at London.
The only two I am most sure of are Ephesus and Laodicea. Smyrna seems certainly to match the persecution(s) time(s) but I'm not totally sure of its centre. Pergamum does seem to have matches with Rome but I can't be totally definitely sure. Thyatira and Philadelphia seem to have fairly good matches but I'm not totally sure especially of Thyatira. Sardis is the one I am most unsure about what the correct period and centre is.
I noticed another poster on this forum has Pergamum as Byzantine and Thyatira as Rome, but I think they seem the other way around, though I can't be totally sure which way around they are.
I will now post more detailed matches evidences so you can see why/how the churches may match those periods and centres. We will start with the two more certain ones Ephesus and Laodicea at either end and then do the ones in between.
Please note that where we post matches between the words in Revelation verses and our periods & centres that we are only focusing on things at the time in those places which are similar to the words in the verses. We don't mean that they are correct theological/spiritual intrepretations/applications of the verses, but just that there "coincidental" similarities with things in those times and places which help to confirm the match of the church age with the time period and centre. This is abit like "word pictures" or parables. The bible often has more than one layer of possible meanings/applications.