What are the Letters to the Seven Churches About?
Revelation 2 and 3 contain letters from Jesus Christ to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor.
There has been a lot of speculation regarding the exact nature of these churches and what they represent. I remember hearing that these churches represent seven church ages or epochs that stretch from the first century until the second coming of Jesus Christ. Of course, the primary application was that we are presently in the age of the Laodicean church. I think I would disagree with that interpretation.
According to a literal, historical, and grammatical interpretation, these seven churches would represent exactly what the text declares them to be—seven, literal, existing churches. There were churches present and active in each of the cities mentioned and we presume that these churches got the messages specifically intended for them.
There seems to be a strange similarity between these letters to the churches and the blessings pronounced on children by dying parents in the Old Testament—like Jacob’s “blessing” on his 12 sons. I put blessings in quotes because sometimes blessings are condemnations. The difference with these is that the messages to the Churches include a call to repentance and restoration.
When we step back and look at the messages, we do see seven kinds of churches—churches with a very specific set of problems. It is likely that our Lord chose these churches and inscripturated the messages because churches like all of these exist in all ages and all locations throughout the church age. In this sense, they are representative. I cannot make the case that they represent church ages because there are churches like this in every age, and I would have to call the Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages a true church.
Is the order significant?
If we look at a map, it is pretty easy to see that the churches are ordered geographically based on travel. The messenger delivering this letter would arrive at Ephesus—nearest the seaport landing from Patmos (where John was receiving this message). From there he would travel directly north to Smyrna and then Pergamum. From there he would go east to Thyatira and then travel southeast to Sardis, Philadelphia, and finally Laodicea. It is a delivery route.
Why churches and not individuals?
The coming age would be the church age. We know this because that is what has transpired. God does His work through local churches in this age. Along with the family and government, the church is the only other institution God established. Jesus prophesied that the Gates of Hell would not prevail against His church in this age and that He would build His church on Peter’s confession in Matthew 16.
I hear people very piously say that they have withdrawn from institutional churches because they are all corrupt. There might be many corrupt churches, but not all of them are, and the local church is still God’s plan for this age and will be until the rapture of the Bride. The promise to the church of Philadelphia to be kept from the hour of trial that will try the entire world (Revelation 3:7) seems to be an indication that there will be faithful local churches present and operating when the rapture occurs.
God deals with individuals as individuals and groups as groups. We can easily be challenged individually by these messages to the churches, but we also should be challenged as collective local church bodies. Your church probably resembles one of these churches fairly closely.
Every local church should pay attention to the messages to the Seven Churches and do some careful spiritual evaluation. If we respond as commanded—repent and obey. We might see a true revival and a more widespread movement of God.