Chapters 2 and 3: The Seven Church Messages
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Chapters 2 and 3 contain Christ’s messages to seven different churches in Asia Minor—today’s western Turkey. Combined, these messages represent the first overall message of the book. They are directed to the seven successive eras, or stages, of the Church, and span the entire New Testament period—from the time Christ built His true Church (Matt. 16:18) in A.D. 31, until His Second Coming! God has chosen to work with His Church through sequential eras. Each message contains Christ’s brief description of the spiritual condition of these seven consecutive Church eras.
These messages are not spoken to the many well-known, respected denominations of this world’s professing Christianity. They are directed to God’s one true Church. Men have never understood the messages, because they have never recognized how to identify God’s Church.
All are described as having their own unique set of doctrinal and spiritual problems (Smyrna and Philadelphia are exceptions) that eventually lead to Christ raising up a new leader to establish the next era. These eras are known as Ephesus (Rev 2:1), Smyrna (Rev 2:8), Pergamos (Rev 2:12), Thyatira (Rev 2:18), Sardis (Rev 3:1), Philadelphia (Rev 3:7) and Laodicea (Rev 3:14).
These were actually seven cities lying close together (in this order) on a mail route in Asia Minor. God knew that each city would reflect a corresponding attitude existing in the era it represents. Christ was able to use them to show a pattern that would span the 2,000-year history of His Church.
History demonstrates that most in each of these eras do not heed the warnings spoken to them by Christ. This is never truer than at the end of the age. While the Church has now progressed into the deplorable, seventh (or last) era, known as Laodicea, the most faithful brethren in the Church of God today are a remnant of the sixth, the Philadelphian era. They remain separate from the lukewarm seventh era. (Read our booklet Where Is God’s Church? and our book Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History!)