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Post #27:
That is a good question.
Let’s see if it can be done some justice.
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First of all, each letter is addressed to “the angel (or messenger) of” the particular church. Those angelic or physical or allegoric beings are pictured as stars in Revelation 1:16 and Revelation 1:20. Also, only seven of the many churches in existence at the time, are written to. They are described as seven candlesticks, which is a reference to the menorah – the seven-branched candelabrum associated with God’s Holy meeting place with Israel. The actual completeness of the menorah can be seen to symbolise the completeness of the message for all churches.
In some, but not all, instances, reference is made to conditions associated with a church’s physical location, and used in an allegorical picture. There is also evidence that (as some people suggest) the letters represent progressive prophetic pictures of identifiable, then-future, church ages.
So, it would seem that the letters potentially operate on four levels simultaneously:
- They speak directly to individual churches then in existence;
- They speak directly to all churches, then and throughout future history (including our time);
- They employ allegorical pictures to enhance understanding;
- They open a window into future, unfolding church history.
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With respect to unfolding church history, it is possible to cast doubt on the identification of Philadelphia with the Reformation (or at least the identification of its “angel” as Martin Luther). However, bearing in mind that Revelation makes constant reference to the Old Testament (directly and indirectly), could a historical anchor be established pertaining to the church of Thyatira? An allusion is made in that letter to a historical figure – Jezebel. Is there something that stands out about the original Jezebel? Well, among other things, she arranged for an innocent person to be accused of blasphemy and killed, so that his property could be confiscated.
The question is: Was there ever a time in history when the church of the day (the Roman Catholic Church) accused innocent, wealthy people of blasphemy, so that it could acquire their property? (And did it kill some of them, to boot?) If that period of history can be identified, we can work backward and forward from Thyatira through the list of churches, and determine the historic period associated with each.
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Do we not thus see the wisdom of God revealed yet again? (This time in Revelation Chapters 2 &3.)
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