Today, we are starting a new series, “Seven Letters to Seven Churches.” In case readers haven’t figured it out yet, our new series will be about the 7 Letters Jesus Christ dispatched to the seven churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation.
FYI, for no other reason that I want to, this new series will run Monday and Friday, and the “Follow Me,” articles are going to Tuesday and Thursday.
Even though this is from the Book of Revelation, this will not be any type of study of Eschatology. I’m actually not the biggest student of that; maybe later in my Christian “career,” I will be, but I am not now. Don’t get me wrong; it’s very important that we study and try to understand every single word in the Bible. So, while I do like to study eschatology, I am far from ready to write an actual “study” about it.
Having said that, we are going to keep this simple. There is a Historicist view of the seven letters that suggest they were designed to represent 7 different periods of church history from the time John was inspired to write this book until the present. We aren’t actually going to look at them from that angle at all. I am not really a fan of that interpretation of these letters.
The letters seem very straight forward for the most part, and the vivid symbolism we see in much of Revelation is absent. We see here, seven letters dictated to the Apostle John by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to be delivered to what were, at the time, seven real congregations in Asia Minor(present-day Turkey.) So, immediately we can see that there was an immediate application to reach churches in real time. Jesus was writing about very specific concerns He had with these churches.
Since every word in the Bible is ultimately intended to today’s audience(whenever today happens to be,) we are going to approach this from the standpoint of how we can apply the lessons in these letters to churches today. Because many, at different times, may have had these issues, or may in the future.
So, we will be keeping things simple for the next bit. I’m all about the application of God’s Word, and there is plenty of that in these letters to keep us busy for a bit.
If you want to read ahead, here is our full text for this study.
Introduction: Revelation Chapter 1(list from gotquestions.org)
Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) – the church that had forsaken its first love
Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) – the church that would suffer persecution
Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) – the church that needed to repent
Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) – the church that had a false prophetess
Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) – the church that had fallen asleep
Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) – the church that had endured patiently
Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) – the church with the lukewarm faith
July 15, 2019 at 10:06
YAY! Exactly…looking forward to it!
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July 15, 2019 at 11:10
Thanks
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July 15, 2019 at 10:19
I quite agree that these are seven historical congregations and that they do not represent seven stages in the history of the Church. On the other hand, the choice of seven congregations, rather than six or eight or ten, is significant. Throughout Revelation, John frequently uses numbers in a symbolic fashion, and sevens are always complete sets. So these seven congregations represent all the congregations, the entire Church. It is interesting that the Bible also includes letters from Paul to seven congregations (although two of the seven received a pair of letters). J.
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July 15, 2019 at 11:10
Yep!
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July 15, 2019 at 10:33
I’m anxious to hear your thoughts on this important book of the Bible. There is so much that we will never understand until those prophesies are fulfilled, but also much that we can apply to our walk on earth😀
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July 15, 2019 at 11:13
Exactly!
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July 15, 2019 at 10:47
I hope I can keep up with this!! Thanks, Wally! Glory to God!!!
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July 15, 2019 at 11:13
Lol..I hope I can keep up too
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July 15, 2019 at 11:14
👍🏻😁
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July 15, 2019 at 10:49
Really looking forward to this!
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July 15, 2019 at 11:13
Thanks
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July 15, 2019 at 11:17
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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July 15, 2019 at 12:08
Thanks brother Vincent
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July 15, 2019 at 13:24
You’re very welcome Brother Wally 😎
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July 15, 2019 at 12:22
Brother Vincent. I haven’t seen you reblogging my posts of late. Is everything OK?
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July 15, 2019 at 13:27
I reblogged an update on my blog the other day. I’ll be reading (and re-blogging) Monday thru Friday til approximately mid to late August, then 7 days a week as in the past. Missed reading your blog Brother 😎
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July 15, 2019 at 12:21
As I stated in my own series on the Book of Revelation, I align with Futurists and Premillennialists. However, I do think that Historicists have a valid view that the seven letters could represent seven major periods in church history as well as all seven being seen in contemporary churches.
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July 15, 2019 at 12:23
Its not totally without merit, but can get very forced and artificial at times.
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July 15, 2019 at 12:40
Not to be argumentative, but I disagree. Having done a serious study of this view, the main interpreters of the Historicist view, such as John Calvin, believed that the Philadelphia Church represented the reformation period. I don’t know if you are aware, but John Calvin, Poole, and a few others taught that the Church replaced Israel (Replacement theology) and that the promises to Israel are all symbolic.
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July 15, 2019 at 22:54
Eh and that’s why I’m not a fan of that model. Things get forced that don’t always fit. Even though its not my view I can’t say it has no merit. Replacement theology is still quite popular btw.
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July 15, 2019 at 12:43
I’m very interested Wally… I am doing a FB verse by verse study of the Book of Revelation. The other day, I started with the Church of Ephesus and ran out of time to discuss any further.
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July 15, 2019 at 13:28
Well I hope you won’t be disappointed.
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July 15, 2019 at 13:40
Patrick ~ you are on Facebook? I couldn’t find you.
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July 16, 2019 at 07:11
I will see if I can find you…
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July 16, 2019 at 07:43
You did.
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July 15, 2019 at 12:50
You’re a brave man Wally! I’m looking forward to this study. Blessings!
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July 15, 2019 at 13:29
Lol well I wont be going past the churches..that’s for the pros
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July 15, 2019 at 17:34
Good idea for a series, Wally!
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July 15, 2019 at 18:48
Thanks Tom
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July 15, 2019 at 20:15
I’ve taught local Bible studies on these 7 churches twice. There is so much that can apply to our lives today. Sadly, many of the Christians in the studies had never even heard of these churches before! But on a positive, I was able to introduce them!
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July 15, 2019 at 20:58
Amen! I am glad you could
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July 15, 2019 at 21:43
Look forward to it. When you get to Laodicea, isn’t it there works–not their faith–that is lukewarm? (And we use that idiom in a different way than would have been meant then.)
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July 15, 2019 at 22:15
Hmm. That’s something to exlpore.
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July 20, 2019 at 06:46
I’ve written briefly on the light geography sheds on the term “lukewarm” in an old blog:
https://thetaladyblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/12/lukewarm-neither-hot-nor-cold/
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July 16, 2019 at 03:39
Nice to see this upcoming series!
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July 16, 2019 at 05:32
Thanks
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July 16, 2019 at 10:46
Hope you got some sleep
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July 16, 2019 at 11:34
I did!
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July 16, 2019 at 12:21
Glad to hear that!
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July 16, 2019 at 08:56
“I’m all about the application of God’s Word,” I love that about you Brother Wally and probably because I am that way too. History and historical significance IS important because we have to learn to prevent some of the same mistakes BUT with that said, the Bible is a book of ACTION. It tells us of our relationship with the Father, why and how we were created and throughout it is meant to LEAD us BACK to a relationship with the Father; in our day and age of Grace, through the Blood sacrifice of Christ Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit. If you can’t APPLY the Word of God to situations and circumstances and individual lives as well, then it IS nothing more than a historical book. The thing is, it is the written embodiment of Christ Jesus Himself Who is the LIVING Word. What we read will never contradict, what we see in Christ, NEVER! If we are truly Christians, we follow HIS example, HIS life and what better way to become more intimate and acquainted than to see what it says about HOW we should “strive” to be?!
Looking forward to this series. I have never done a series on it, but have read it over and over again in the light of what we see happening in the organized churches today!! Everybody has there gift brother, some teach from a historical perspective and some from an applicable, YOU, my brother, use the gift and inspiration the Holy Spirit reveals to you!! God bless!
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July 16, 2019 at 10:16
Thanks my brother!
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July 16, 2019 at 16:42
I have this starred on my bookmark so I can keep up. :))
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July 16, 2019 at 16:46
Cool!
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July 17, 2019 at 09:29
Reblogged this on Broken Pieces and commented:
Wally Fry. Thanks for writing this study.
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July 17, 2019 at 09:41
Thanks for sharing brother
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August 2, 2019 at 10:14
I’m quite intrigued, Wally, having read the first two posts, and I’m actually reading the rest. Keep up the good work!
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August 2, 2019 at 14:08
Thanks much Samuel!
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September 3, 2019 at 10:54
Great series brother! God bless you!
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September 3, 2019 at 10:57
Thank you for reading
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