The Seven Churches of the Apocalypse

THE SEVEN CHURCHES

OF THE APOCALYPSE

by Richard O. Govier

Copyright © 2020 by Jeff Govier

Bible quotations unless otherwise identified are taken from

the King James Version with emendations by the author.

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®,

Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995

by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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CONTENTS

Introduction

I. The Church Of Ephesus

II. The Church Of Smyrna

III. The Church Of Pergamum

IV. The Church Of Thyatira

V. The Church Of Sardis

VI. The Church Of Philadelphia

VII. The Church Of Laodicea

About the Author

Introduction

The Apostle John, like Daniel, was used of God to leave with the world a series of pictographic prophecies related to God’s purpose for His covenant people. The visions of John, not unlike those of Daniel, were given in series, sometimes repeating the same events (e.g. The second and the seventh chapters of Daniel) for the purpose of clarification, but at the same time they exhibited a certain amount of chronological sequence (e.g. the four wild beasts of Daniel followed one another as they actually occurred in history). The book of Revelation is not only a continuation of the prophecies of Daniel, but bear the same pattern as though given by the same author, viz., God the Holy Spirit. We believe the book of Revelation contains the ultimate prophetic word given to the Church before Jesus comes again to reap the harvest of the earth. It is important, therefore, that we understand what these visions imply in their relationship to the Church, and history, for they seem to imply them both. However, the book of Revelation is highly symbolic, and like the Book of Daniel, contains a numerical pattern that is also prophetic. It was therefore incumbent on the Holy Spirit, not only to describe the events in symbolic form, but also to set the time frame for their occurrence - not for setting dates, but also to recognize them when they did occur. There are certain events of the book of Revelation that have already occurred and are clearly identifiable, not only in their symbolic form, but in their numerical setting as well. It is misleading to contend for a future fulfillment, when they have already occurred in the past. Such a view of the Book of Revelation has led to the Futurist view of eschatology that has led to a false view of the Church and its position at the end of time.

Joseph Mede

Joseph Mede apparently was one of the first theologians who recognized the synchronisms and mutual relationships of the several parts of the Book of Revelation, which is so important in its understanding. It was in 1627 that Mede published his first work on the subject, his Clavis Apocalyptica and in 1632 his Commentary. The reputation of these works, especially in England, is well known. He was looked on, and written of, as a man almost inspired for the solution of the apocalyptic mysteries. And certainly of his general discernment and theological learning, as well as of that which he brought to bear on prophecy, these might well be entertained a high opinion (E.B. Elliot). In the world of English academic prophecy expositors, something resembling a Copernican revolution had taken place in the decade before Newton was born. A novel interpretive system for Daniel and Revelation had been devised by Cambridge Greek professor Joseph Mede.

During the reformation, exposition of prophecy had been piecemeal. Fragments of light fell here and there to form a patchwork quilt totally lacking in design. Mede observed that the historical events foretold by the symbols in the Apocalypse did not parallel the order of the visions themselves chapter by chapter. A system had to be invented to determine the chronological sequence which had been confused by earlier expositors.

Mede discovered that there were a number of progressions of visions which were synchronized one to another. For instance, the Seven Churches of Revelation 2 and 3 overlap the history of the Seven Seals and treat a different theme. In identifying and regrouping these preparatory to interpretation, he came upon a method that was to be the model used by all reputable expositors. His admirers glorified his discovery by equating it in importance to Aristotle’s syllogistic reasoning. Newton was heir to Mede’s methodology and extended Mede’s syllogistic logic into a completed interpretive system which would stand the test of time.¹

My personal understanding of the Book of Revelation has come by slow degrees and by my own study of the book, and by certain patterns that I have observed while studying history. I had never been introduced to the writings of Joseph Mede, nor of Sir Isaac Newton. I suppose that my real introduction to the Historicist view of eschatology came through an English professor at the Elim Bible Institute at Lima, New York. Brother Parkins was from England and, unlike American theologians who leaned heavily toward Futurism he had been exposed to the Historicist view through such theological giants as Joseph Mede, Sir Isaac Newton, and Grattan Guiness. He loaned me a book written by Grattan Guiness that answered many of the questions that had troubled me about the Futurist view of eschatology. I inadvertently came across some of the teachings of Isaac Newton through quotations from a book that has helped to form my present view of the Book of Revelation. I am eternally grateful to Professor Edward Parkins for his wise council and his superb knowledge of the scriptures. Our encounter at Elim has not been in vain, but it will bear fruit in the days to come, for I believe that many of the mysteries, sealed for generations, are now being revealed to God’s children.

Sir Isaac Newton

Many students of Bible Prophecy know of the Jesuit origins of Futurism and Preterism, but few know the role that Isaac Newton played in creating the Protestant Historicist interpretation. Unlike the two Catholic interpretations which were created during the Counter-Reformation to defend a corrupt church, the Historical Interpretation evolved over many centuries.² Most of the Reformation fathers of the 17th century adopted the Historicist interpretation including the Irish Articles (1615), the original Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), the Savoy Declaration (1658), and the London Baptist Confession (1688). However, the Counter Reformation launched against the Protestants by the Jesuits, began to affect the historic view of the Reformation Fathers. It was at this time that Isaac Newton was born in 1642 at Lincolnshire, England. There entered the world one of the strangest and most baffling figures in the history of human thought. Einstein remarked that Newton was a more significant figure than his own mastery makes of him, since he was placed by fate at the turning point of the world’s intellectual development. Isaac Newton was to be the starburst of the Enlightenment.³ Even though his reputation rests on his scientific work, science was not his principle interest. He became engrossed in interpreting the Book of Daniel and the Revelation. Over the remainder of his life he would write over 1,300,000 words on religious subjects with prophecy his principal focus (Andrade). His consuming interest in prophecy stemmed from three fundamental beliefs:

(1) The Book of Daniel was a pre-written history of the world and to interpret it would unlock a treasure of understanding.

(2) The book had been sealed (Daniel 12:4) and Newton believed the appointed time had arrived to break the seal.

(3) God had chosen him to interpret it. This remarkable fact surfaced from recently discovered manuscripts of his. He was haunted all his life by this calling.⁴

It has been said by certain authors of Bible Code publications that Newton died with the belief that the Bible contained secret codes, which he believed to be in the Bible. Newton stated in his observations that previous interpreters had given prophecy a bad name by attempting to foretell the future. The design of God was much different. He gave the prophecies, not to gratify the curiosity of man to know the future, but that after they were fulfilled they might be interpreted by the event (John 13:19). Then the God who saw all from the beginning would receive the glory and men’s faith would increase.⁵

Newton’s remarkable work in astronomy, history and chronology all grew out of his consuming interest in the book of Daniel. In tracing the symbolic unfolding of history, Newton devoted several decades to the reading of ancient history. In his generation, chronology was a pivotal battleground upon which the theologians, philosophers, deists and atheists contended. And without historical benchmarks the prophecies in the book of Daniel were in question.

"The need for chronological precision led