Introduction to the letters of the 7 churches of Asia minor
Many theories abound as to the meaning of the letters of the seven churches. They can range from, “they don’t apply to us because they are written to the churches of Asia, and we don’t live in Asia minor” to, “each letter represents a different period in your life, and as you progress as a believer…you move on to a different letter.” This type of teaching is completely void of any kind of truth, and needs to be silenced. Because with this type of teaching, how is one to ever realize which letter is theirs? Which was the reason for the letters…to help in understanding the times in which you live, and to help you correct the error in your life.
If you have gone through the studies in Daniel that are on this site, you have seen that right from the very start, all of Daniels visions were laid out into a common subject, and that subject, was given in the beginning in the 4 parts of a statue. The letters to the seven churches in Revelation do the exact same thing, but instead of 4 parts of a statue, the subject is the history of the Messiahs church since He finished His work. Each letter, represents a different time in church history, just as Daniels statue, represented a different kingdom in the history of man.
If you have gone through the studies in Daniel that are on this site, you have seen that right from the very start, all of Daniels visions were laid out into a common subject, and that subject, was given in the beginning in the 4 parts of a statue. The letters to the seven churches in Revelation do the exact same thing, but instead of 4 parts of a statue, the subject is the history of the Messiahs church since He finished His work. Each letter, represents a different time in church history, just as Daniels statue, represented a different kingdom in the history of man.
Watch…for one, each book is written in 4 parts
In the book of Daniel, the very first vision Daniel had, was an interpretation of a dream. This dream was of a statue of 4 individual parts, a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, and legs of iron that blended into iron mixed with clay to form the feet and toes. Each part, represented a different kingdom in the future, and as we studied Daniels visions, we seen that all of the visions were connected, and that each vision that Daniel had was no more than more just details of the very same subject…the 4 parts of the statue. The book of Revelation is no different, and it is laid out in the exact same manor. The entire book Revelation can also be broken up into 4 parts, just as Daniels statue…
1.The seven letters to the churches
2. The seven seals,
3. The seven trumpets
4. The seven bowls of the wrath …just like Daniels statue. This is also the subject of all the prophesies John will discuss in the book of Revelation, just like the book of Daniel. Get it? Just as all of Daniel discussed the 4 future kingdoms of the world, John, in Revelation, will discuss the time frame of the 7 letters to the churches. And will continue to do so all throughout the book of Revelation, exactly as Daniel did in his book.
It’s a brilliant way of writing, absolutely amazing! The two books are connected, why would we expect anything different?
1.The seven letters to the churches
2. The seven seals,
3. The seven trumpets
4. The seven bowls of the wrath …just like Daniels statue. This is also the subject of all the prophesies John will discuss in the book of Revelation, just like the book of Daniel. Get it? Just as all of Daniel discussed the 4 future kingdoms of the world, John, in Revelation, will discuss the time frame of the 7 letters to the churches. And will continue to do so all throughout the book of Revelation, exactly as Daniel did in his book.
It’s a brilliant way of writing, absolutely amazing! The two books are connected, why would we expect anything different?
Look at it from another viewpoint. Look at the introductions from both books…
The book of Daniel opens up in chapter one with a story about Daniels captivity. It gives an introduction about Daniel, who he is, what had happened to him, and who was with him…and the exact same thing happens in Revelation.
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of the Messiah, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of the Messiah. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. Revelation 1
This is the exact same thing that had happen in Daniel. In Daniel chapter 1 we were introduced to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Here, we are introduced again to the 4 characters of the story, Messiah, John, the 7 Spirits if YHWH and the 7 churches of Asia minor. The two books have a completely identical format, all the way down to the number of characters involved.
Get it? Its crazy stuff when you really look into it…its nuts!
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of the Messiah, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of the Messiah. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. Revelation 1
This is the exact same thing that had happen in Daniel. In Daniel chapter 1 we were introduced to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Here, we are introduced again to the 4 characters of the story, Messiah, John, the 7 Spirits if YHWH and the 7 churches of Asia minor. The two books have a completely identical format, all the way down to the number of characters involved.
Get it? Its crazy stuff when you really look into it…its nuts!
Now watch this…
In Daniel chapter 2, Daniel has his first vision. The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar has a dream of a statue, and Daniel is the only one that can interpret the statue. Daniels interpretation is that the statue represents the 4 future kingdoms of the world. Babylonian empire, the Medo Persian empire, the Macedonian empire and the Roman empire. These 4 empires will be broken down into details in the visions to follow. Bit by bit, piece by piece we will see Nebuchadnezzar’s statue broken down into more and more detail…and the same damn thing happens in Revelation. Only this time, the subject isn’t a statue, this time the subject is the history of His 7 churches....
But we're still talking about the same statue...
The last part of Daniels statue, were the feet and toes of iron and clay, and the letters to the 7 churches in Revelation discuss in detail those feet an toes, because the Messiah's church, is the clay…
8But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Isaiah 64
These 7 letters do the exact same thing as Daniels statue. Daniels statue broke down the 4 kingdoms of the world, and the 7 letters break down the history of the church since the Messiah came here and finished his work. The 7 letters are no more than the churches history, that’s it. And just like Daniels statue, this church history is the subject of the entire book of Revelation. Its not a complicated thing, why would we expect it to be? And seeing how the books of Daniel and Revelation are connected, we should expect them to be written in the same manor.
As you go through these studies, you’ll see a strong church grow weaker, until it finally dies in the 5th letter, to the church of Sardis. Then you’ll see the message come back to life in the 6th letter, to the church of Philadelphia. Which were those of the Reformation, those that broke free from the confines of the catholic system, and gave us our very own printed version of the bible. Which is something the catholic church cannot stand to this very day. But these letters go even further than this…because this is just the beginning. These letters are the subject for the book of Revelation, they are covered over and over again throughout the entire book.
8But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Isaiah 64
These 7 letters do the exact same thing as Daniels statue. Daniels statue broke down the 4 kingdoms of the world, and the 7 letters break down the history of the church since the Messiah came here and finished his work. The 7 letters are no more than the churches history, that’s it. And just like Daniels statue, this church history is the subject of the entire book of Revelation. Its not a complicated thing, why would we expect it to be? And seeing how the books of Daniel and Revelation are connected, we should expect them to be written in the same manor.
As you go through these studies, you’ll see a strong church grow weaker, until it finally dies in the 5th letter, to the church of Sardis. Then you’ll see the message come back to life in the 6th letter, to the church of Philadelphia. Which were those of the Reformation, those that broke free from the confines of the catholic system, and gave us our very own printed version of the bible. Which is something the catholic church cannot stand to this very day. But these letters go even further than this…because this is just the beginning. These letters are the subject for the book of Revelation, they are covered over and over again throughout the entire book.
Watch…lets go to chapter 12 of the book of Revelation and Ill show you what I mean.
1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. Revelation 12
This woman, is Israel, and the 12 stars are the 12 tribes of Israel. She is in labor, about to give birth…
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. Revelation 12
The red dragon is satan, and he drew 1/3 of the angels of heaven to try and kill the child that this woman Israel was going to have…
5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Revelation 12
She had a Son, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and this is the Messiah. The red dragon failed, the Messiah finished His work, and was caught up to YHWH and His throne…
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12
Upon the Messiahs return to His home, war broke out in Heaven…and the dragon and his angels were no longer welcome. There was no longer any place for them, satan was defeated, and no longer welcome in the place where the Messiah was seated.
And the story is told all over again…but this time from a different viewpoint. Which is the exact same thing that happened in the prophesies in Daniel. It looked at Daniels statue from many different angles, so there was no mistake as to what the prophesies of Daniel were about. The same thing happens all throughout the book of Revelation. Right after the 7 letters to the 7 churches, comes the 7 seals of the scroll. And if you use the 7 letters as a guideline, you will see that the 7 seals are another viewpoint from the birth of the Messiah forward throughout history.
The book of Revelation is not hard to understand, once you have the format in which it is written. Which just so happens, to be the very same way that the book of Daniel is understood.
Go figure...
Its an unbelievable way of writing…proving over and over again that the bible was penned by the very Creator of mankind.
Enjoy…
This woman, is Israel, and the 12 stars are the 12 tribes of Israel. She is in labor, about to give birth…
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. Revelation 12
The red dragon is satan, and he drew 1/3 of the angels of heaven to try and kill the child that this woman Israel was going to have…
5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Revelation 12
She had a Son, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and this is the Messiah. The red dragon failed, the Messiah finished His work, and was caught up to YHWH and His throne…
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12
Upon the Messiahs return to His home, war broke out in Heaven…and the dragon and his angels were no longer welcome. There was no longer any place for them, satan was defeated, and no longer welcome in the place where the Messiah was seated.
And the story is told all over again…but this time from a different viewpoint. Which is the exact same thing that happened in the prophesies in Daniel. It looked at Daniels statue from many different angles, so there was no mistake as to what the prophesies of Daniel were about. The same thing happens all throughout the book of Revelation. Right after the 7 letters to the 7 churches, comes the 7 seals of the scroll. And if you use the 7 letters as a guideline, you will see that the 7 seals are another viewpoint from the birth of the Messiah forward throughout history.
The book of Revelation is not hard to understand, once you have the format in which it is written. Which just so happens, to be the very same way that the book of Daniel is understood.
Go figure...
Its an unbelievable way of writing…proving over and over again that the bible was penned by the very Creator of mankind.
Enjoy…