Questions and Answers

From: Christian Treasury: Volume 7

• 1 min. read • grade level: 5

QUESTION: What is taught by the seven churches? What is the "synagogue of Satan"? (Rev. 2:9;3:9⁹I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. (Revelation 2:9)
⁹Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. (Revelation 3:9).)

ANSWER: Seven is the number of spiritual completeness. Rev. 2 and 3 give us a complete picture of the spiritual state, or condition, of the Church as the Lord's witness here on earth from the time John wrote, till its end when Christ comes to claim His own out of it. The chief mark of each we might say is: Ephesus, declension; Smyrna, persecution or suffering for Christ; Pergamos, worldliness; Thyatira, seeking worldly power; Sardis, formal religion; Philadelphia, revival of the truth of Christ's Person and coming; Laodicea, indifference to the claims of Christ. The last four run on concurrently till the end. May the Lord keep our hearts true to Himself.

“The synagogue of Satan" is spoken of in the two phases of the assembly where no fault is found with them. It is there that traditional religion opposes the truth; they "say they are Jews"—the people of God—"but [they] do lie." They try to improve the flesh and to keep the law, and this recognizes good in man, whereas the truth is "in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." Compare the word "Jew," which means "praise" (Rom. 2:17,18¹⁷Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, ¹⁸And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; (Romans 2:17‑18); Gen. 29:35³⁵And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing. (Genesis 29:35)), with those that say they are Jews, and praise themselves; they are good in their own eyes.

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