Seven Churches

Dictionary of Biblical Words:

These give in Rev. 2 and 3. a panoramic history of the Church of God, from the apostolic times to the Lord’s return. Thus, briefly, Ephesus represents the first departure of the Church from love to Christ, Smyrna the terrible persecutions which followed under the Roman emperors, Pergamos is the early Catholic Church, when the emperors no longer persecuted but patronized it. Thyatira, Roman Catholicism. Sardis, Protestantism, while Philadelphia and Laodicea respectively represent those that are faithful and unfaithful to Christ immediately before His return, differing from the other churches in the fact that, while they get both praise and blame, Philadelphia gets only the former, and Laodicea only the latter. It may be remarked that the four last churches are only characterized by the words, “Till I come,” showing that all four go on together until Christ’s return.

Concise Bible Dictionary:

There were seven assemblies in Asia, to which the vision of the Son of Man, inspecting the candlesticks, was to be communicated, and to each of which a separate address was given. These addresses dealt with the state those churches were in at that time. A perfect number was chosen out of the many assemblies then existing, showing that they were symbolical of the church generally, and prophetical of the history of the church to the end. The assemblies were at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea, places comparatively near together in the west of Asia Minor.

Seven Churches

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