The real meaning of the seven Churches in Asia:
Rev 1:20
20 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.
KJV
Apostle John saw by heavenly vision seven candlesticks with Jesus standing among them. Each candlestick represents one of the seven Churches in Asia. The literal geographic location layout of those seven Churches in John's day was like a circle. Our Lord Jesus had a Message for each one of them.
But those seven Messages are not... just for those seven Churches back in history, they are still for His Church today, as they represent seven TYPES of Churches that can be found today. Look at your Church. It will fit one of those seven Messages our Lord Jesus gave.
Dispensationalists like to divide these seven Messages of Revelation 2 & 3 into periods of Church history. That application is a doctrine designed by men, and goes against what our Lord Jesus showed John about the seven candlesticks as the seven Churches, a heavenly vision of their placement by Jesus that only He can remove:
Rev 2:5
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
KJV
So were the seven Messages to the seven Churches in Asia actually to... them historically? Yes, of course. But those seven Messages are the 'blueprint' for seven types of Churches that can be found existing today. Just applying them as Church periods of history will destroy their application for today's Churches, which is why that idea is a doctrine of men influenced by you know who.
Five out of the seven Churches our Lord Jesus had problems with, He reubked, and told them to repent. Two out of the seven Churches He had no problem with, i.e, the Churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia. Thus the seven Messages pack a lot of info on what our Church should and should not be following today. This is actually how the seven Messages Jesus gave are to be applied today, for they are all still in effect for today's Churches.
So which Church type are you in today?
Rev 1:20
20 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.
KJV
Apostle John saw by heavenly vision seven candlesticks with Jesus standing among them. Each candlestick represents one of the seven Churches in Asia. The literal geographic location layout of those seven Churches in John's day was like a circle. Our Lord Jesus had a Message for each one of them.
But those seven Messages are not... just for those seven Churches back in history, they are still for His Church today, as they represent seven TYPES of Churches that can be found today. Look at your Church. It will fit one of those seven Messages our Lord Jesus gave.
Dispensationalists like to divide these seven Messages of Revelation 2 & 3 into periods of Church history. That application is a doctrine designed by men, and goes against what our Lord Jesus showed John about the seven candlesticks as the seven Churches, a heavenly vision of their placement by Jesus that only He can remove:
Rev 2:5
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
KJV
So were the seven Messages to the seven Churches in Asia actually to... them historically? Yes, of course. But those seven Messages are the 'blueprint' for seven types of Churches that can be found existing today. Just applying them as Church periods of history will destroy their application for today's Churches, which is why that idea is a doctrine of men influenced by you know who.
Five out of the seven Churches our Lord Jesus had problems with, He reubked, and told them to repent. Two out of the seven Churches He had no problem with, i.e, the Churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia. Thus the seven Messages pack a lot of info on what our Church should and should not be following today. This is actually how the seven Messages Jesus gave are to be applied today, for they are all still in effect for today's Churches.
So which Church type are you in today?