Scholars and commenters have long tried to determine the significance to the seven specific churches named by Jesus. The most prevalent understanding among modern commentaries is that either the 7 Churches summarize seven ages of the Church from the first century to current or that, taken together, they summarize the state of the Church at any time from the first century. What these assessments lack is the relationship of the messages in chapters 2 and 3 to the rest of the book. Yet, everything promised to those who endured, the “what is”, is given in the following chapters of the Revelation, the “what will take place after this”1.
| Church | Promised | Fulfilled |
| Ephesus | “eat from the tree of life” Rev. 2:7 | Rev. 22:14 |
| Smyrna | “shall not be hurt by the second death” Rev. 2:11 | Rev. 20:6 |
| Pergamos | “a white stone” Rev. 2:17 | Rev. 20:42 |
| Thyatira | “give power over the nations” Rev. 2:26 | Rev. 20:4 |
| Sardis | “clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life” Rev. 3:5 | Rev. 7:14; 20:15 |
| Philadelphia | “I will write on him the name of My God” Rev. 3:12 | Rev. 22:4 |
| Laodiceans | “sit with Me on My throne” Rev. 3:21 | Rev. 20:4 |
The book of Revelation relies heavily on symbolism to convey its message and part of that symbolism is the use of the number 7 to represent fullness or completeness: 7 churches, 7 Spirits of God, 7 stars, 7 lamps, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls, 7 angles, 7 thunders, 7 heads, 7 hills. It is certain that the messages to the seven churches is meant to apply to the Church as a whole. The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that there would be a great falling away of the Church prior to the second advent of Jesus3. The messages to the seven churches give the composition of the great falling away, that tolerance of false and corrupt doctrine had permeated the first century Church. The Church that enters the Great Tribulation will be unaware of its faults as was these seven churches of the first century. The Tribulation Church will forget to love one another as Jesus loves them (Ephesus), fear suffering for keeping the testimony of Jesus Christ (Smyrna), cause the saints to stumble (Pergamos), tolerate false doctrine (Thyatira), dying spiritually (Sardis), deny Jesus as the Son of God (Philadelphia), and be indifferent to the majesty of God (Laodicea). 4
The messages to the seven churches are a preamble that echoes the prophecy Jesus gives in the Gospel of Matthew:
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
(Matthew 24:9-13 NKJV)
The chapters that follow, chapters 4 through chapter 19, give additional details of the “great tribulation”, the events the saints will endure and that are prophesied in Matthew 24:21-25 and in the book of Daniel. All the apostles thought their Church age was the Church of the second advent. But much time has passed and numerous historical predictions of the second appearing of Jesus have proven false. The Church has been left like the ten virgins of Matthew 25, asleep to the signs of His coming. Some in the Church will have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit that will strengthen them to endure the persecution of the Tribulation and enter Paradise with Jesus while the rest of the Church will not have that relationship and fall away.
Whether this is the Church age of the return of Jesus or not the message still applies, seek a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit so that we can endure all the trials of life no matter how great.
1 Revelation 1:19-20
2 A white stone was used to cast a vote of approval. Those who received a white stone were judged approved.
3 2 Thessalonians 2:3
4 The churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia were not fearful or denying but they are encouraged not to become that way.