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Seven churches of Asia
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Seven churches of Asia
The Seven Churches of Revelation, also known as the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse and the Seven Churches of Asia, are seven churches of early Christianity mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelation. All of them were located in then-Greek-speaking Asia Minor, and currently sit within the borders of present-day Turkey.
According to Revelation 1:11, on the island of Patmos in the far east of the Aegean Sea, Jesus instructed John of Patmos to "[w]rite in a book what you see in your visions, and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
The seven churches are named for their locations. The Book of Revelation provides descriptions of each Church.
The letters follow a common pattern. For example: the Lord first addresses each church and identifies Himself,[full citation needed] then defines things that He knows about the church in question.[full citation needed] After this, a challenge or reproach is given,[full citation needed] followed by a promise.[full citation needed] In all seven cases the admonition, "He who has an ear, let him hear what Spirit says",[full citation needed] is appended, although sometimes this comes before the promise and sometimes after.
Although the letters differ in length in accord with the needs of each community, all conclude with an appeal to hold fast and to listen to what Spirit is saying. Each church is promised that everyone who conquers will be rewarded by Christ.[citation needed]
Some historicists typically interpret the seven churches as representing seven different periods in the history of the Western Church from the time of Paul until the return of Jesus Christ. Scofield states that "these messages by their very terms go beyond the local assemblies mentioned." He is of the opinion that the letters have a prophetic purpose disclosing the seven phases of the spiritual history. Other writers, such as Clarence Larkin, Henry Hampton Halley, Merrill Unger, and William M. Branham also have put forward the view that the seven churches preview the history of the global Church.
Historicism has been criticised by the Eastern Orthodox priest Dimitri Cozby, who writes that historicists take a greatly oversimplified view of history: "Since dispensationalism is Protestant in origin its 'Church history' is strictly Western. The dispensations take into account almost nothing of Orthodox history after the period of the early councils which we share with the West."
Chapters 2–3 of the Revelation have specific messages for each of the seven angels of the seven churches. The message of each of the seven letters is directed to the angel of the particular church that is mentioned.
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Seven churches of Asia
The Seven Churches of Revelation, also known as the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse and the Seven Churches of Asia, are seven churches of early Christianity mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelation. All of them were located in then-Greek-speaking Asia Minor, and currently sit within the borders of present-day Turkey.
According to Revelation 1:11, on the island of Patmos in the far east of the Aegean Sea, Jesus instructed John of Patmos to "[w]rite in a book what you see in your visions, and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
The seven churches are named for their locations. The Book of Revelation provides descriptions of each Church.
The letters follow a common pattern. For example: the Lord first addresses each church and identifies Himself,[full citation needed] then defines things that He knows about the church in question.[full citation needed] After this, a challenge or reproach is given,[full citation needed] followed by a promise.[full citation needed] In all seven cases the admonition, "He who has an ear, let him hear what Spirit says",[full citation needed] is appended, although sometimes this comes before the promise and sometimes after.
Although the letters differ in length in accord with the needs of each community, all conclude with an appeal to hold fast and to listen to what Spirit is saying. Each church is promised that everyone who conquers will be rewarded by Christ.[citation needed]
Some historicists typically interpret the seven churches as representing seven different periods in the history of the Western Church from the time of Paul until the return of Jesus Christ. Scofield states that "these messages by their very terms go beyond the local assemblies mentioned." He is of the opinion that the letters have a prophetic purpose disclosing the seven phases of the spiritual history. Other writers, such as Clarence Larkin, Henry Hampton Halley, Merrill Unger, and William M. Branham also have put forward the view that the seven churches preview the history of the global Church.
Historicism has been criticised by the Eastern Orthodox priest Dimitri Cozby, who writes that historicists take a greatly oversimplified view of history: "Since dispensationalism is Protestant in origin its 'Church history' is strictly Western. The dispensations take into account almost nothing of Orthodox history after the period of the early councils which we share with the West."
Chapters 2–3 of the Revelation have specific messages for each of the seven angels of the seven churches. The message of each of the seven letters is directed to the angel of the particular church that is mentioned.
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