The letters to the seven churches have multiple levels of meaning. Remember that scripture has the meaning for the people that it was written for, it has the meaning for the people that will read it in the future and often times a deeper prophetic meaning. The Word of God is living. It is eternal.
The letters each contained a message for the churches that were in Asia Minor.
Where were the churches located? Look at the map below.
| The Church | City’s Name Meaning | The Message | Scripture Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ephesus | “desirable” or “belonging to the goddess Artemis.” | They had left their 1st love. | Revelation 2:4 |
| Smyrna | myrrh (often used in ancient times for embalming and burial practices, symbolizing death and mourning.) | They were enduring tribulation and poverty | Revelations 2:9 |
| Pergamum | often referred to as “where Satan’s throne is” | They were holding to several false doctrines | Revelations 2:14-15 |
| Thyatira | continual sacrifice | They were being seduced by a woman. | Revelation 2:20 |
| Sardis | A remnant, escaping | They had people about to spiritually die. | Revelation 3:2 |
| Philadelphia | brotherly love | They were given an open door and protection | Revelation 3:8-10 |
| Laodicea | Justice of the people | There were lukewarm and would be spewed out. | Revelation 3:15-16 |
These letters had a historical meaning that shows a timeline from the beginning of the world to the end of the world. Remember that each church was promised a specific blessing for overcoming. Those blessings are connected to a major historical movement in history. Just because it represents a time period, does not mean that it is in that time period.
| Church | Blessing | Historical Imagery |
|---|---|---|
| Ephesus | They will eat from the tree of life (Rev. 2:7). | The Garden of Eden (Tree of Life). |
| Smyrna | They will not be hurt by the second death (Rev. 2:11). | The Sin of Adam (sin = death). |
| Pergamum | They will eat from hidden manna (Rev. 2:17). | The Exodus (eating manna) |
| Thyatira | They will be given power over the nations (Rev. 2:26). | Joshua and David (they defeated their enemies) |
| Sardis | They will be dressed in white and names written in the book of life (Rev. 3:4-5) | The Crucifixion |
| Philidelphia | They will be made a pillar in the temple of God (Rev. 3:12) | End of the church age |
| Laodicea | They will sit on Christ’s throne (Rev. 3:21) | The Millennium |
Some Scholars believe that these 7 churches also represent the different church ages. This theory teaches that there are 7 prophetic time periods with the last time period being the Laodicea church. The Laodicea church represents the spiritual condition of the church just before the return of Christ. Below is a chart detailing this theory.
| The Church | Church Age | General Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Ephesus | The Apostolic church | 30 to 100 |
| Smyrna | The Persecuted Church | 100 to 312 |
| Pergamum | The Roman Church | 313 to 600 |
| Thyatira | The Dark Ages | 600 to 1517 |
| Sardis | The Reformation | 1517 to 1700 |
| Philidelphia | The Missions Church | 1648 to 21st Century |
| Laodicea | The Lukewarm Church | the present situation |
It also has individual meanings to people and churches. The different situations that each church represents can be found in churches and people all across the world. In the next few weeks, I will be teaching on the individual churches. The links to the individual teachings will be linked below.
- Returning to First Love: Insights from Ephesus
- The Church of Smyrna
- The Church of Pergamos
- The Church of Thyatira
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