Seven Churches are not Seven ages

Exploring Prophetic Mysteries

With Daniel Speck 11.4.13

The Seven Churches of Revelation

The Seven Churches do not represent seven ages of the Church

The greatest mistake many prophecy “experts” make about the Seven Churches of Revelation is teaching that they represent seven ages of the Church. This is a false teaching and a complete fabrication by John Nelson Darby without any evidence to support it from anywhere in the Bible. The Church age is spoken of in the Scriptures only as one complete age and never as more than one. “And lo I am with you always, even to the end of the (Church) age.” Matthew 28:19.

A problem for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture

The seven ages were invented by Darby because these particular Scriptures posed a problem for his fallacious Pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrine. If taken as clearly stated, these letters portray a Church that is being warned and prepared for the test of the approaching Tribulation period. Unless an alternative interpretation was fabricated, the letters to the Seven Churches would destroy any notion that the Church will not be here during the Apocalypse, hence no Pre-Trib rapture either. Interpreting these as seven church ages pulls the Seven Churches back into history instead of on the cusp of the Tribulation. A clever trick, to be sure, but wholly unbiblical and contradictory to what the Seven Letters actually describe.

Freed to understand the real message of the Seven Letters

The problem with this false teaching is that it corrupts and hides the true purpose of these seven letters to the Seven Churches of Revelation. Many believers have been confused by Darby’s teaching on this and so don’t realize what the Lord Jesus really wants to teach us here. The lessons we need to understand from these seven letters is of vital importance to the Church as we approach the Tribulation period.

Much like a “State of the Union” Speech

The Seven Letters could be described as a “State of the Church” message. In these letters the Lord is telling us as the Church (or churches) where we stand at this time in history and what we need to do to become spiritually prepared for His Return. The Letters to the Seven Churches are prophecies about the End Times Church. The same way John the Baptist was sent to prepare Israel for Christ’s first coming, these letters were written to the Church of the Last Days to prepare us for His second coming.

Christ’s immediate Return is declared to the Seven Churches

The Lord makes it very clear to all Seven Churches that He is about to return:

“I am coming to you”...“I am coming to you quickly”...“hold fast until I come”...“you will not know what hour I will come to you”...“I am coming quickly”...“I stand at the door.” This is the true definition of imminence, that one short period just before the Tribulation begins, not the false definition that supposedly has gone on for 2,000 years according to the pre-Tribulation theory.

Revelation was written specifically to End Times believers

It is clear that the Lord is writing to these seven churches as if they were all about to go into the Tribulation period. In fact the whole of the book of Revelation is presented in this “futurity” literary style, as if John were seeing it all take place right then. Much like the book of Daniel, Revelation has apparently been “concealed and sealed up” until the End Times (Daniel 12:9), that is, a fully accurate understanding of it would be given only to those believers who would be here when it all occurred. This is why Revelation has been the most misunderstood and misinterpreted book in the Bible.

The Apostles were told of the Lord’s Return, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” Acts 1:7. This makes perfect sense because first century believers did not have to prepare for the Tribulation because it wouldn’t happen for another 2,000 years. The Church through the centuries didn’t have to understand the times of the Apocalypse but we do. We are the generation that this will all happen to. Like giving a passenger their ticket just before the plane departs, a full and accurate understanding of Revelation is now being disclosed to believers that past generations were not privileged to see.

Only those who heed the words of Revelation will be blessed

“And behold I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:7.

The prophecy “experts” who continue to reject Christ’s warnings to the churches to prepare them for the approaching Apocalypse will remain in a state of confusion about this book. Only those who actually heed the Revelation of John will understand it fully and be blessed by it. Those who brush it aside by denying the Church will be here during the Tribulation will be dangerously unprepared. They will easily fall victim to the Antichrist and will not live to see the day of Christ’s return. Just as those who do not heed the warnings of an approaching storm are the ones who will be its victims. The people of Noah’s day did not heed his warnings and were swept away. The people of Jeremiah’s day did not heed his warnings and were taken away. “Behold I have forewarned you.” Matthew 24:25.

The Great Apostasy

Any believer can learn a great deal about the End of Days by studying the book of Revelation, but only those who actually heed its words will fully understand it and receive its full blessing. Those who don’t cannot expect to survive the Tribulation and be here when Christ returns. The great Apostasy of our generation is the false doctrine of the invisible Return and Pre-Tribulation Rapture. It’s a dangerous contradiction to Christ’s straightforward teachings on the End Times. It will prove catastrophic for the millions of believers who don’t expect to be here when the Antichrist arises.

The pandemic of “Darbyitis”

This “malignant power,” as Charles Spurgeon called Darbyism, is like a contagious virus that is infecting most of the evangelical Church today. Our task is to do everything we can to cure this pandemic of “Darbyitis” with prophetic doctrine that comes directly and solely from the written Word, not filtered through some faulty system of theology like Dispensationalism.

Time to wake up, repent and prepare

Revival is the theme of Christ’s letters to the Seven Churches. Nothing is sugar coated. High praise and stern warning are given. Each church has its own set of shortcomings or circumstances to address. Wonderful, distinctive rewards are promised to those who heed His words. It is clear the Lord wants His Bride to be ready for His return but He also wants to build her character and spiritual depth to face the unprecedented challenges of the Tribulation.

Victory in the Tribulation will come from heeding Christ’s words

They (brethren) overcame him (the Dragon) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life, even when faced with death. Revelation 12:11. Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commands of God and their faith in Jesus. Revelation 14:12.

The identity of the Seven End Times Churches

The exact identity of each of the Seven Churches may not be readily apparent. Whether they describe churches in the seven regions of the world (the seven continents) or seven types of churches found throughout the world or something else, may not be clear as of yet. At this point I would personally see them as describing the seven churches in the seven major regions of the world.

The Church of Philadelphia is unique in that it is the only one of the seven that is promised to be kept from the test that is coming upon the whole world. “Because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name... I also will keep you from the hour of testing hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Revelation 3:8,10. They will be spared the worst of the Tribulation period. This may be because they will have already been tested by trials and have been proven faithful, even though they are not a powerful church. Pre-tribulation advocates insist that only the Philadelphia church is the church of the Last Days, and so is evidence that the Church will not go through the Tribulation, but this contradicts what the text actually says. You could hardly describe the Church in America as having little power. The Lord is telling all of the seven churches that His is coming to them quickly. It it clear that He wants them all to understand (not just the church of Philadelphia) that all seven churches will see Him shortly.