Hymns 1274

Scripture Reading:

Rev. 1:4           John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.

THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA, BEING ACTUAL LOCAL CHURCHES,
SIGNIFYING PROPHETICALLY THE SEVEN STAGES
WHICH THE CHURCH HAS GONE THROUGH AND WILL GO THROUGH

The seven epistles in chapters two and three of Revelation are the record of the actual situation existing in the seven churches of Asia (1:4) at the time these epistles were written. However, since this book is a book of signs with a prophetic nature, the situations of the seven churches are also signs, signifying prophetically the progress of the church in seven stages. The first epistle, to the church in Ephesus, affords a picture of the church at the end of the first stage, during the last part of the first century. The second epistle, to the church in Smyrna, prefigures the suffering church under the persecution of the Roman Empire, from the last part of the first century to the early part of the fourth century, when Constantine the Great brought the church into imperial favor. The third epistle, to the church in Pergamos, pre-symbolizes the worldly church, the church married to the world, from the time Constantine accepted Christianity to the time the papal system was established in the latter part of the sixth century. The epistle to the church in Thyatira depicts prophetically the apostate church, from the ordination of the papal system in the latter part of the sixth century to the end of this age, when Christ comes back. The fifth epistle, to the church in Sardis, prefigures the Protestant church, from the Reformation in the early part of the sixteenth century to Christ’s coming back. The sixth epistle, to the church in Philadelphia, predicts the church of brotherly love, the recovery of the proper church life, from the early part of the nineteenth century, when the brothers were raised up in England to practice the church life outside all denominational and divisive systems, to the second appearing of the Lord. The seventh epistle, to the church in Laodicea, foreshadows the degraded church life of the brothers in the nineteenth century, from the latter part of the nineteenth century until the Lord’s return. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 235)

ALL THE LAST FOUR KINDS OF CHURCHES
WILL REMAIN UNTIL THE LORD’S COMING BACK

The seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 not only signify prophetically the progress of the church in seven stages but also symbolize the seven kinds of churches in church history: the initial church, the suffering church, the worldly church, the apostate church, the reformed church, the recovered church, and the degraded recovered church. The initial church had its continuation in the suffering church; the suffering church turned into the worldly church; and the worldly church became the apostate church. Hence, the first four churches eventually issued in one kind of church, that is, the apostate church, the Roman Catholic Church. Then, as a reaction to the apostate church, the reformed church came into existence as another kind of church, a church not fully recovered. Following this, the recovered church was raised up as a full recovery of the church life. By the degradation of the recovered church, the degraded recovered church came into being. These four kinds of churches—the Roman Catholic Church, the reformed church, the recovered church, and the degraded recovered church—will remain until the Lord comes back. Undoubtedly, only the recovered church can fulfill God’s eternal purpose, and only she is what the Lord is after.

The recovered church has not only returned to the Lord’s word in a full way but has also abandoned all names other than that of the Lord Jesus Christ. The recovered church belongs to the Lord absolutely, having nothing to do with any denominations (any names). The recovered church has no denominations (names) but the unique name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The return to the pure Word from all heresies and traditions and the exaltation of the Lord’s name by abandoning every other name are the most inspiring testimony in the recovered church. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 238)

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 235, 238; CWWN, vols. 4-5