“The Seven Churches of Revelation”
(Rev. 2:1-3)
Dr. Richard S. Koole
Chapel Pointe #4
April 15, 2007
I. Introduction
A. The Death of a Great Church
1. Fountain Street Church
a. A rich history of church planting and growth
1. Most Baptist churches in the area trace roots to them
b. When I first visited....
1. Impressive structure
2. Paid choir
3. Preacher in tuxedo
4. Wow!
c. And yet.....absolutely dead
1. Died in stages
2. Other churches are in various stages of dying
3. Will address the most common American problem
4. Not talking about the Liberal Churches
a. Talking about Evangelical/Fundamental Churches
b. Baptists, Bible, Reformed, CRC, etc.
5. Most don’t go the way of Fountain Street
a. More commonly, they gradually lose their effectiveness
b. Have lost their passion…their first love
6. One of the 7 types of churches identified in Rev. 2 & 3
B. Questions regarding the 7 churches of Rev. 2 & 3
1. Was John talking about 7 churches that existed then?
2. Or was he talking about seven types of churches?
3. Or was he talking about future eras of the church?
a. I decided to read Schaff’s History of the Christian Church
b. 8 vol. with about 600 pages in each
4. The answer is…. “All of the above”
C. Four Applications
1. Primary Application
a. John addressed his letter to seven different local churches located on Asia Minor
b. Gives various warnings and encouragements to them
c. This is the stated, and therefore, the primary meaning
2. Pastoral Application
a. These Seven Churches represent the types of churches we see today and back then
b. Instructions and warnings for all churches today
c. One of the greatest areas of Pastoral/Church instruction in the entire Bible.
d. Pastors get so wrapped up in making them fit into World History that they neglect this application
3. Personal Application
a. The problems faced by the local assemblies are the same as those faced by the individual believer today
b. Satan’s attacks are the same
c. God’s remedies are the same
4. Prophetic Application
a. Seven eras of church history
b. It was all future when John wrote Revelation
c. Many are convinced that the seven churches lead us through Church History up to Rapture of the Church
II. Overview of the Seven Churches
1. Ephesus (A.D. 30-100)
a. “The Apostolic church”
b. Doctrinally pure
c. Separated from the world
d. But they lost their love for:
1. Jesus
2. Lost
e. Dead orthodoxy
f. A Baptistic problem
g. WARNING FOR US!
2. Smyrna (A.D. 100-312)
a. “The Persecuted church”
b. One of two churches that is not criticized
c. Purity due to persecution
d. A time of horrible persecution
*100 – 321 A.D.
e. No chaff in the church
3. Pergamos (A.D. 312 – 606)
a. “The Indulged church”
b. Married to the world
c. Decent doctrine yet unseparated from the world
d. Constantine’s conversion in A.D. 312
1. The State Church of Rome
2. Persecution stopped
3. So did purity
4. Thyatira (A.D. 606 – 1580)
a. “The Pagan church”
b. False doctrine
c. Toyed with the fundamentals
1. Salvation, etc.
d. Open sin
e. The church of the middle ages
1. Growth of the Roman Catholic Dogma
2. Up to the Reformation (1520 A.D)
5. Sardis (A.D. 1520 – 1750)
a. “The Dead church”
b. Disgraceful
c. From Reformation (1520) to The Great Awakening (1750)
1. Jonathon Edwards
2. Wesley
3. George Whitfield
d. Hard for me to call the Reformation a dead period
1. Revival burned
6. Philadelphia (A.D. 1750 – 1900’s)
a. The Loved church
1. “The church that Christ loved”
b. Passion to reach the world
c. Not one word of condemnation
d. The church from 1750 – 1900
1. “Great awakening”
2. Edwards
3. Wesley
4. Whitfield
e. Revivals of 19th Century
1. D.L. Moody
2. American and British Missionary Work
7. Laodicea (A.D. 1900 to Present)
a. The Lukewarm church
b. Not a single word of commendation
c. Counterfeit
d. Run by Satan
e. Cultic
f. The church from 1900 to present
1. I don’t know
2. Certainly there are many
3. Yet revival burns hot!
2. Africa (Cameroon)
3. Korea
4. Brazil
5. New Guinea
6. Etc. – China
III. All seven types exist today
1. Ephesian
a. Dead orthodoxy
b. Most prevalent
2. Smyrna
a. Persecuted
b. China
c. USSR -- Georgi Vins
3. Pergamum
a. The indulged churched
b. Mainline Protestant Churches
c. Anglican Church
4. Thyatira
a. False doctrine
b. Cultic
c. Unification – Scientology
5. Sardis
a. Dead churches
b. Everywhere
6. Philadelphia
a. Passionate outreach
b. Our church
c. Age of great churches
7. Laodicea
a. Counterfeit
b. Luke warm
c. Most are luke warm
IV. The Church of Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7)
A. Jesus is the speaker.....v.1
1. John is the mere penman
2. “These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands” (v.1)
a. Same as Rev. 1:17-20
b. “I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!” (v.18)
c. Jesus will be the speaker to all seven churches
3. He’s told to “Write these things to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus”
4. Many good people believe this is the pastor of that church
a. Greek word “angelos” means messenger
b. Used in some Greek literature to refer to minister
5. Arguments in favor of “angels”
a. “Angelos” used 67 other times in the Book of Revelation (outside this section in dispute)
b. Likewise in his other books (Gospel of John = 4 times)
c. John always uses other Greek words to refer to pastors/messengers
d. “Angelos” used 185 times in the N.T. (Textus Receptus)
1. Translated Angels = 178 times
2. Messengers = 7 times
*Usually John the Baptist
*Paul’s thorn in the flesh
6. Yet context suggests it could refer to pastors or messengers
a. No harm either way
B. The Congregation (v.1)
1. The “Apostolic Church”
a. Founded by Paul, one of the Apostles (chosen by Jesus)
1. On his 3rd missionary journey
2. Stayed there longer than in any other church
b. Followed by:
1. Timothy (Paul’s son in the faith)
2. Apollos
3. Aquilla and Priscilla
2. The greatest church of its day
a. Great zeal for evangelism
1. Reached all of Asia Minor
2. Located between the other churches
b. Paul told Corinthians he couldn’t leave Ephesus yet
1. Tremendous opportunities
2. Acts 19:20 – “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.”
c. Paul’s message ignited riots in the streets
d. Ruined their economy
1. Made statues of silver
2. Sight of Temple of Diana
3. Silver dashboard idols and crucifixes
4. Principal trade
5. So many got saved, they hurt the economy
6. (Acts 19:23) – “And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way.”
7. Magicians got saved and burned their books (worth 50,000 pieces of silver)
e. Had great spiritual leadership
1. Acts 20 – Paul’s farewell to the elders of Ephesian church
2. He commends them
3. Warns them to watch out for false teachers and false doctrines
4. And they did!
5. The approval of Jesus
C. The City (v.1)
1. The greatest city in the area
a. Greatest harbor in Asia Minor
b. Up the Kaystor River (3 miles)
c. Four major highways converged
d. The marketplace of Asia Minor
2. A free city
a. No Roman garrison
b. Self-governing
3. Site of annual games
a. Like the Olympics
b. People from all over the world
c. Why Paul chose to wait there (I Cor. 16:8)
4. Center of worship of Artemetis (Diana)
a. Her temple – magnificent
b. One of the 7 wonders of the ancient world
1. The lighthouse in Alexandria
2. The Pyramids near Cairo
3. The wall and hanging gardens of Babylon
4. The Mausoleum of King Halacarnasis
5. The Colossus of Rhodes
6. The Statue of Zeus
7. The Temple of Diana in Ephesus
5. The Temple
a. 425 ft. long x 260 ft. wide
b. Glistening Persian marble
c. 130 hand carved columns
d. 60 ft. high
e. 37 were studded with jewels and gold
f. An altar beyond description
g. Became the Bank of the Mediterranean
h. Made silver statues of Diana
6. Diana worship
a. One giant orgy
1. Priestesses = prostitutes (thousands of them)
2. They went into the city at night
b. All kinds of sexual sins
1. Diana
2. An ugly statue with breasts hanging all over it
7. The city was as corrupt as any city of its day (or of any day)
a. In the middle was a small band of believers
b. And they were growing rapidly
8. Their message hurt the economy
a. The silver smiths’ union
b. No one wanted idols anymore
c. Ran Paul out
d. An incredible RIOT! (Acts 19:23à)
V. Summary
A. We’ve seen
1. The City
2. The Congregation
(next week )
3. The Commendation
4. The Concern
5. The Counsel
6. The Challenge
B. Why this is so important for us (only one with 2 weeks)
1. We are building a church very similar to the church in Ephesus
2. We are stressing what He stressed
3. We have just studied the book of Ephesians (his letter of instructions to them)
4. We have many of the strengths which they have
5. We are in a similar position as far as societies go
6. We are of a similar age
7. Churches like ours have stood where we now stand and have slipped just like the Ephesian church
8. This is a letter to good churches
a. Hard working
b. Separated
c. Doctrinally pure
d. Steadfast
9. But they died!
a. Why?
10. Next week.
C. Next Week
1. “The greatest threat to Chapel Pointe”
2. How to safeguard ourselves – our body – so important
D. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (v.7)