The "7 Church Ages" Prophecy

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rockytopva

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The "7 church ages" Prophecy. I have heard this prophecy started by "quacks" and agree that this can be true. Especially when such people make themselves the "angel" of the church age as if all knees should bow to them. My beliefs are that the churches came along as follows....

The purpose of Revelation was to reveal what was going to come to pass....

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.... - Revelation 1:1

Which all of this was to heavy for just ordinary churches in Asia that did not amount to anything....

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; - Revelation 1:20 - Revelation 2:1

Ephesus - Messianic - Beginning with the Apostle to the Circumcision, Peter
Smyrna - Martyr - Beginning with the Apostle to the Un-Circumcision, Paul
Pergamos - Orthodoxy formed in this time... Pergos is a tower... Needed in the dark ages
Thyatira - Catholicism formed in this time - The spirit of Jezebel is to control and to dominate.
Sardis - Protestantism formed in this time- A sardius is a gem - elegant yet hard and rigid
Philadelphia - Wesleyism formed in this time - To be sanctioned is to acquire it with love.
Laodicea - Charismatic movement formed in this time - Beginning with DL Moody, the first to make money off of ministry

Candlesticks - Seven church congregations
Stars - Individuals within the congregations, all held in the right hand of Christ
Seals - The seven seals sealed each congregation within the lambs book of life
Angels - The current preacher to the congregation.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. - Revelation 5:4

If this interpretation is not correct why all the ado? And... If you have a better interpretation please post your info! I dont mind for people to disagree with me and may end up learning a thing of two! I believe the churches came down as seven and each congregation is different in their generation!

254811_e2605e7ea7d44a55b55ec8f9edea64a9.png
 

rockytopva

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The bible, especially Revelation, is written with much metaphor. I cannot believe one can study Revelation, and the bible, and see the same perspective as another fellow believer. You will agree and disagree on the interpretation of different passages...

John Bunyan was a great writer in metaphors/parables and he explains the use of them in his "The Barren Fig Tree" work (http://www.chapellib.../bun-barren.pdf):

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. - Luke 13:6-9

In parables there are two things to be taken notice of, and to be inquired into of them that read.

First, The metaphors made use of.
Second, The doctrine or mysteries couched under such metaphors.

The metaphors in this parable are,
1. A certain man;
2. A vineyard;
3. A fig-tree, barren or fruitless;
4. A dresser;
5. Three years;
6. Digging and dunging, &c.

The doctrine, or mystery, couched under these words is to show us what is like to become of a fruitless or formal professor. For,

1. By the man in the parable is meant God the Father (Luke 15:11).
2. By the vineyard, his church (Isa 5:7).
3. By the fig-tree, a professor.
4. By the dresser, the Lord Jesus.
5. By the fig-tree’s barrenness, the professor’s fruitlessness.
6. By the three years, the patience of God that for a time he extendeth to barren professors.
7. This calling to the dresser of the vineyard to cut it down, is to show the outcries of justice against fruitless professors.
8. The dresser’s interceding is to show how the Lord Jesus steps in, and takes hold of the head of his Father’s axe, to stop, or at least to defer, the present execution of a barren fig-tree.
9. The dresser’s desire to try to make the fig-tree fruitful, is to show you how unwilling he is that even a barren fig-tree should yet be barren, and perish.
10. His digging about it, and dunging of it, is to show his willingness to apply gospel helps to this barren professor, if haply he may be fruitful.
11. The supposition that the fig-tree may yet continue fruitless, is to show, that when Christ Jesus hath done all, there are some professors will abide barren and fruitless.
12. The determination upon this supposition, at last to cut it down, is a certain prediction of such professor’s unavoidable and eternal damnation.

But to take this parable into pieces, and to discourse more particularly, though with all brevity, upon all the parts thereof. ‘A certain MAN had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard.’ The MAN, I told you, is to present us with God the Father; by which similitude he is often set out in the New Testament. Observe then, that it is no new thing, if you find in God’s church barren fig-trees, fruitless professors; even as here you see is a tree, a fruitless tree, a fruitless fig-tree in the vineyard.

Fruit is not so easily brought forth as a profession is got into; it is easy for a man to clothe himself with a fair show in the flesh, to word it, and say, Be thou warmed and filled with the best. It is no hard thing to do these with other things; but to be fruitful, to bring forth fruit to God, this doth not every tree, no not every fig-tree that stands in the vineyard of God. Those words also, ‘Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away,’ assert the same thing (John 15:2). There are branches in Christ, in Christ’s body mystical, which is his church, his vineyard, that bear not fruit, wherefore the hand of God is to take them away: I looked for grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes, that is, no fruit at all that was acceptable with God (Isa 5:4). Again, ‘Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself,’ none to God; he is without fruit to God (Hosea 10:1). All these, with many more, show us the truth of the observation, and that God’s church may be cumbered with fruitless fig-trees, with barren professors.
 
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rockytopva

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If the Lord Jesus was trying to talk to the churches in time and generation he said a whole lot in just a few words. As far as history Foxes Book of Martyrs has the church persecutions as ten. If this indeed the Smyrnaen Church age then...

The Smyrnaean Church age persecution became great with the Roman Emperor Nero burning down Rome and accusing the Christians of doing it. Smyrna in the Greek means “Myrrh,” in which the Smyrnaean martyrs represented the most pure form of Christianity of all the church ages. The martyred crowns were many as the Smyrnaean church age progressed.

Ye Shall Have Tribulation Ten Days…
Time Persecutor Description
67 AD Nero The Smyrna Church Age begins with Nero setting fire to Rome, and then blaming the Christians
81 AD Domitian Declaration that no Christian should be exempt from punishment, Paul’s Timothy died in 97 AD.
108 AD Trajan and Adrian Severe persecution against Christians from 108 to 138 AD during the time of the Bishop Ignatius
162 AD Marcos Aurelius Marcos Aurelius, commendable in study of philosophy, sharp and fierce towards Christians.
192 AD Severus This persecution was carried out by the will and prejudice of the people and extended into Africa.
235 AD Maximus Numberless Christians were slain without trial and burned indiscriminately in heaps
249 AD Decius Began because of the amazing increase in Christianity, and with the heathen temples forsaken.
257 AD Valerian The martyrs that fell during this persecution were innumerable, their tortures and deaths painful.
274 AD Aurelian A brief persecution that ended with the emperor’s assassination.
303 AD Diocletian The last persecution ended with Constantine’s triumph against Rome in 313 AD
 
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Desire Of All Nations

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What i'd like to know is why should anyone take your word over those of the people you accuse of placing themselves in the leadership position of the church eras.

Your "belief" of who led the 7 Church eras and when don't amount to a hill of beans when you can't prove that any of it is true.
 

Davy

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Christ's 7 Messages to the 7 Churches are ALL STILL ACTIVE TODAY. "How so?", some might ask.

The Church you attend, you are to look at all 7 of Christ's Messages in Revelation 2 & 3 and compare.

There were only 2 Churches that Lord Jesus had no rebuke for. So those represent His very elect. You might study what they knew that the other 5 Churches didn't.

At the end of Revelation 1, Jesus also showed John that there are 7 CANDLESTICKS represented in HEAVEN for the 7 Churches. That means... the 7 Churches REPRESENT a symbolic PATTERN IN HEAVEN for ALL... Churches, from the start of the Church all the way up to the day of Christ's future return.


But MEN'S FALSE DOCTRINES like Darby's false Dispensationalist theories, instead try to force Christ's 7 Messages to the 7 Churches into a false 'Church Ages' theory. Doing that destroys... what Lord Jesus gave His 7 Messages for! How?

By creating a FALSE AGE for each Church Message, that is to WRONGLY assign them to past history, which in turn means to DISREGARD them as already fulfilled! Thus you will DISREGARD Christ's warnings in them of potential errors in YOUR OWN CHURCH you go to, thus not compare errors that might associate with those early 7 Churches, and thus Christ's rebuke and warning to repent!
 

Heart2Soul

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The "7 church ages" Prophecy. I have heard this prophecy started by "quacks" and agree that this can be true. Especially when such people make themselves the "angel" of the church age as if all knees should bow to them. My beliefs are that the churches came along as follows....

The purpose of Revelation was to reveal what was going to come to pass....

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.... - Revelation 1:1

Which all of this was to heavy for just ordinary churches in Asia that did not amount to anything....

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; - Revelation 1:20 - Revelation 2:1

Ephesus - Messianic - Beginning with the Apostle to the Circumcision, Peter
Smyrna - Martyr - Beginning with the Apostle to the Un-Circumcision, Paul
Pergamos - Orthodoxy formed in this time... Pergos is a tower... Needed in the dark ages
Thyatira - Catholicism formed in this time - The spirit of Jezebel is to control and to dominate.
Sardis - Protestantism formed in this time- A sardius is a gem - elegant yet hard and rigid
Philadelphia - Wesleyism formed in this time - To be sanctioned is to acquire it with love.
Laodicea - Charismatic movement formed in this time - Beginning with DL Moody, the first to make money off of ministry

Candlesticks - Seven church congregations
Stars - Individuals within the congregations, all held in the right hand of Christ
Seals - The seven seals sealed each congregation within the lambs book of life
Angels - The current preacher to the congregation.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. - Revelation 5:4

If this interpretation is not correct why all the ado? And... If you have a better interpretation please post your info! I dont mind for people to disagree with me and may end up learning a thing of two! I believe the churches came down as seven and each congregation is different in their generation!

254811_e2605e7ea7d44a55b55ec8f9edea64a9.png
I have always believed the 7 churches in Revelation was a metaphor for the 7 church ages that would become evident in time.
 

Trekson

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The "7 church ages" Prophecy. I have heard this prophecy started by "quacks" and agree that this can be true. Especially when such people make themselves the "angel" of the church age as if all knees should bow to them. My beliefs are that the churches came along as follows....

The purpose of Revelation was to reveal what was going to come to pass....

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.... - Revelation 1:1

Which all of this was to heavy for just ordinary churches in Asia that did not amount to anything....

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; - Revelation 1:20 - Revelation 2:1

Ephesus - Messianic - Beginning with the Apostle to the Circumcision, Peter
Smyrna - Martyr - Beginning with the Apostle to the Un-Circumcision, Paul
Pergamos - Orthodoxy formed in this time... Pergos is a tower... Needed in the dark ages
Thyatira - Catholicism formed in this time - The spirit of Jezebel is to control and to dominate.
Sardis - Protestantism formed in this time- A sardius is a gem - elegant yet hard and rigid
Philadelphia - Wesleyism formed in this time - To be sanctioned is to acquire it with love.
Laodicea - Charismatic movement formed in this time - Beginning with DL Moody, the first to make money off of ministry

Candlesticks - Seven church congregations
Stars - Individuals within the congregations, all held in the right hand of Christ
Seals - The seven seals sealed each congregation within the lambs book of life
Angels - The current preacher to the congregation.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. - Revelation 5:4

If this interpretation is not correct why all the ado? And... If you have a better interpretation please post your info! I dont mind for people to disagree with me and may end up learning a thing of two! I believe the churches came down as seven and each congregation is different in their generation!

254811_e2605e7ea7d44a55b55ec8f9edea64a9.png
They are only referencing those literal churches in John's day. There are no ages in them, but every generation has had some individual christians or churches dealing with the problems of all seven. If you're speaking of the seven seals of Rev. 6 you couldn't be farther from the truth. The stars and the angels are the same thing, the pastors of the congregations (Rev. 1:20)
 

rockytopva

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They are only referencing those literal churches in John's day. There are no ages in them, but every generation has had some individual christians or churches dealing with the problems of all seven. If you're speaking of the seven seals of Rev. 6 you couldn't be farther from the truth. The stars and the angels are the same thing, the pastors of the congregations (Rev. 1:20)

In the past few weeks I have taken my elderly dad to all kinds of different church services...

1. Pentecostal Holiness - A meal at the church I am a member of
2. Lutheran - Men's bible study and breakfast
3. Baptist - Men's bible study and breakfast
4. Charismatic - They have had wonderful worship this whole Covid season.
5. Church of God - Wonderful Saturday evening service
6. Catholic church - May even get to visit the Catholic church for Christmas

This past Sunday we...

1. Presbyterian church 9AM - for meal
2. Charismatic church 10AM
3. Baptist church 5PM
4. Pentecostal Holiness church 7PM

So there is a variety of churches I attend. I believe it was Saint Jerome who said, "When in Rome do as the Romans." And I like to know where the different churches stand so I can attend in a gentlemanly well mannered style. But with as with a lot of these posters these days I cant help but to wonder what kind of foundation they base there beliefs on. The congregations that I am unfamiliar with are the first three...

1. Ephesus - Messianic
2. Smyrna - Martyr (Foxes has the Roman persecutions as ten)
3. Pergamos - Orthodox - Greek Orthodox
4. Thyatira - Catholic - After Constantine
5. Sardis - Protestant - After Martin Luther
6. Philadelphia - Methodist - And the many subsequent denominations
7. Laodicea - Charismatic

254811_e2605e7ea7d44a55b55ec8f9edea64a9.png


I post these things as I am trying to figure out the foundation so many are building upon these days... What is it? Where did it come from?
 
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Ronald D Milam

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The "7 church ages" Prophecy. I have heard this prophecy started by "quacks" and agree that this can be true. Especially when such people make themselves the "angel" of the church age as if all knees should bow to them. My beliefs are that the churches came along as follows....
I do not think it is 7 Ages, but rather 7 types of Churches and 7 means Divine Completion, so they represent every church type throughout the whole (complete/7) church age.

This ma shock some, but agglelos in Greek simply means Messenger, so an Angel is a messenger of God, of course, but who is John writing unto here? Why would God/Jesus need John to write to an Angel? I mean, why does no one see this fallacy? They are in heaven with God.

Rev. 2:1 Unto the angel(Messenger) of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

To the Messenger of the church in my mind is that days Preacher, or one who delivers God's message every week. The Pastor so to speak. God says he know THEIR works, labor and patience. I just never understood why people think these are angels that John needs to INFORM when Gid Himself could inform the angel, the book of Revelation was unto the 7 Churches !!

Rev. 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: (Not to the 7 Angels per se) Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

It's kind of semantics, but I think John is writing to the Messenger of the actual church, not an Angel here. That's just something to think on, this is one I can't of course be 100 percent on.

The bible, especially Revelation, is written with much metaphor. I cannot believe one can study Revelation, and the bible, and see the same perspective as another fellow believer. You will agree and disagree on the interpretation of different passages...
Well, if people are CORRECT on their interpretation, everything will be the same, because even metaphors or codes have an actual meaning. So, if your interpretation is of God, others who are informed by God will likewise see the same thing. The problem many have is they are really just guessing.
 

rockytopva

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ell, if people are CORRECT on their interpretation, everything will be the same, because even metaphors or codes have an actual meaning. So, if your interpretation is of God, others who are informed by God will likewise see the same thing. The problem many have is they are really just guessing.
Metaphors... "Figures of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable." This is what will make every sermon on the churches unique as the Holy Spirit brings out new things out of each of the many biblical metaphors. None of us will ever come to arrival until we hear, "Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
 
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rockytopva

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And this opening single scripture speaks volumes and could be discussed for decades… “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;” - Revelation 2:1
 
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Trekson

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In the past few weeks I have taken my elderly dad to all kinds of different church services...

1. Pentecostal Holiness - A meal at the church I am a member of
2. Lutheran - Men's bible study and breakfast
3. Baptist - Men's bible study and breakfast
4. Charismatic - They have had wonderful worship this whole Covid season.
5. Church of God - Wonderful Saturday evening service
6. Catholic church - May even get to visit the Catholic church for Christmas

This past Sunday we...

1. Presbyterian church 9AM - for meal
2. Charismatic church 10AM
3. Baptist church 5PM
4. Pentecostal Holiness church 7PM

So there is a variety of churches I attend. I believe it was Saint Jerome who said, "When in Rome do as the Romans." And I like to know where the different churches stand so I can attend in a gentlemanly well mannered style. But with as with a lot of these posters these days I cant help but to wonder what kind of foundation they base there beliefs on. The congregations that I am unfamiliar with are the first three...

1. Ephesus - Messianic
2. Smyrna - Martyr (Foxes has the Roman persecutions as ten)
3. Pergamos - Orthodox - Greek Orthodox
4. Thyatira - Catholic - After Constantine
5. Sardis - Protestant - After Martin Luther
6. Philadelphia - Methodist - And the many subsequent denominations
7. Laodicea - Charismatic

254811_e2605e7ea7d44a55b55ec8f9edea64a9.png


I post these things as I am trying to figure out the foundation so many are building upon these days... What is it? Where did it come from?
Categorizing them is the wrong thing to do. I'm not sure about the first two but that last five were hundreds of years away from the times of those churches thus are irrelevant to the conversation. Denominationalism is one of the great historic downfalls of the church. Just look for one that preaches the simple biblical gospel truth. Everything else doesn't matter in the long run.
 

rockytopva

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Categorizing them is the wrong thing to do. I'm not sure about the first two but that last five were hundreds of years away from the times of those churches thus are irrelevant to the conversation. Denominationalism is one of the great historic downfalls of the church. Just look for one that preaches the simple biblical gospel truth. Everything else doesn't matter in the long run.
In which... I believe denominations were the highlight of the Sardisean church age. In which you would not have wanted to have went against the teachings.
 

Ronald Nolette

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The "7 church ages" Prophecy. I have heard this prophecy started by "quacks" and agree that this can be true. Especially when such people make themselves the "angel" of the church age as if all knees should bow to them. My beliefs are that the churches came along as follows....

The purpose of Revelation was to reveal what was going to come to pass....

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.... - Revelation 1:1

Which all of this was to heavy for just ordinary churches in Asia that did not amount to anything....

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; - Revelation 1:20 - Revelation 2:1

Ephesus - Messianic - Beginning with the Apostle to the Circumcision, Peter
Smyrna - Martyr - Beginning with the Apostle to the Un-Circumcision, Paul
Pergamos - Orthodoxy formed in this time... Pergos is a tower... Needed in the dark ages
Thyatira - Catholicism formed in this time - The spirit of Jezebel is to control and to dominate.
Sardis - Protestantism formed in this time- A sardius is a gem - elegant yet hard and rigid
Philadelphia - Wesleyism formed in this time - To be sanctioned is to acquire it with love.
Laodicea - Charismatic movement formed in this time - Beginning with DL Moody, the first to make money off of ministry

Candlesticks - Seven church congregations
Stars - Individuals within the congregations, all held in the right hand of Christ
Seals - The seven seals sealed each congregation within the lambs book of life
Angels - The current preacher to the congregation.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. - Revelation 5:4

If this interpretation is not correct why all the ado? And... If you have a better interpretation please post your info! I dont mind for people to disagree with me and may end up learning a thing of two! I believe the churches came down as seven and each congregation is different in their generation!

254811_e2605e7ea7d44a55b55ec8f9edea64a9.png
Well this list is much different than the one i know and believe.

I believe the seven churches are seven literal churches with seven literal messages to them. Also they are 7 attitudes of believers and yes 7 ages since pentecost.

1. Ephesus=beloved--first century church apostolic age.
2. Smyrna=bitter--the 2-4th century church under Roman persecution
3. Pergamos= citadel- unholy church state marriage 4th-6th century
4. Thyatira= thouroughly blended- rise of the RCC. 6th-15th centuries
5. Sardis= escaping- reformation period 15th 17th centuries
6. Philadelphia=brotherly love- great missions movement globally 17th -19th centuries
7. Laodicea= people rule- growth of the apostate church . 19th cewntury-present!
 

Trekson

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In which... I believe denominations were the highlight of the Sardisean church age. In which you would not have wanted to have went against the teachings.
Actually I would say it started with 1 Co. 3:4 - "For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?"
 

rockytopva

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Well this list is much different than the one i know and believe.

I believe the seven churches are seven literal churches with seven literal messages to them. Also they are 7 attitudes of believers and yes 7 ages since pentecost.

1. Ephesus=beloved--first century church apostolic age.
2. Smyrna=bitter--the 2-4th century church under Roman persecution
3. Pergamos= citadel- unholy church state marriage 4th-6th century
4. Thyatira= thouroughly blended- rise of the RCC. 6th-15th centuries
5. Sardis= escaping- reformation period 15th 17th centuries
6. Philadelphia=brotherly love- great missions movement globally 17th -19th centuries
7. Laodicea= people rule- growth of the apostate church . 19th cewntury-present!
Thanks for sharing! Please know I will take the time to enjoy and study your research.
 

APAK

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Well this list is much different than the one i know and believe.

I believe the seven churches are seven literal churches with seven literal messages to them. Also they are 7 attitudes of believers and yes 7 ages since pentecost.

1. Ephesus=beloved--first century church apostolic age.
2. Smyrna=bitter--the 2-4th century church under Roman persecution
3. Pergamos= citadel- unholy church state marriage 4th-6th century
4. Thyatira= thouroughly blended- rise of the RCC. 6th-15th centuries
5. Sardis= escaping- reformation period 15th 17th centuries
6. Philadelphia=brotherly love- great missions movement globally 17th -19th centuries
7. Laodicea= people rule- growth of the apostate church . 19th cewntury-present!
This is a false doctrine especially instigated by John Darby of England and William Branham in the US. I would not be so lulled into loose theories that quickly develop into concrete traditions and beliefs as we have today in Christian doctrine.

These 7 types of congregation that existed after Christ's in SW Turkey resurrection represent characteristics of typical congregations then, through every generation, and today. There is no intriguing, end-times and nifty time sequence of the predominance of specific characteristics of one congregation in one age over another.

just saying....
 

rockytopva

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This is a false doctrine especially instigated by John Darby of England and William Branham in the US. I would not be so lulled into loose theories that quickly develop into concrete traditions and beliefs as we have today in Christian doctrine.

These 7 types of congregation that existed after Christ's in SW Turkey resurrection represent characteristics of typical congregations then, through every generation, and today. There is no intriguing, end-times and nifty time sequence of the predominance of specific characteristics of one congregation in one age over another.

just saying....
I can lay out my best defense... Not including names such as John Darby and William Branham. This is a perspective and a generality. Specifics will vary from historian to historian. I say historian to refer to we who have studied history and have noted the changes.
 

rockytopva

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Church Ages.... Metaphors...

Candlesticks - Seven church congregations
Stars - Individuals within the congregations, all held in the right hand of Christ
Seals - The seven seals sealed each congregation within the lambs book of life
Angels - The current evangelist, preachers, and teachers to the congregation.

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Problems...

Stars - Individual names in which they declare themselves the star of each church.

If I were to get up and declare an individual the star of the Laodicean church age as if to say you must follow that man and his teaching. And then proceed to make the rest of Christianity as living in heresy for not embracing that individual. Then we would have a great problem in the teaching. Which I believe has been done. In which I would not include any names.