In the Message to Pergamos

It is spoken of as "Satan's Seat." Satan through Constantine united the Church and the State and offered all kinds of ways for worldly people to come into the Church.

The Promise to the Church of Pergamos

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

The Warning to the Church of Pergamos

Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

The Complaint to the Church of Pergamos

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the Children of Esrael, to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication.
So hast thou also them that hold the Doctrines of the Nicolaitianes, which thing I hate.

The Commendation to the Church of Pergamos

I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's Seat is: and thou holdest fast My name and hast not denied My Faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

The Church at  Pergamos
       A Licentious Church.   Rev. 2:12-17

And to the Angel of the Church in Pergamos write: These things saith He which hath the Sharp Sword with two edges.

Seven of the 'Great Persecutions' occurred during the 'Smyrna Period' of  Church History.

The Smyrna Christians were told that the author of their suffering would be the Devil and it would last 'ten days' which was a prophetic reference to the "Ten Great Persecutions" under the Roman Emperors.

The Smyrna Christians weren't to recant if they were called on to face a Martyr's death, but remain faithful until death relieved them of their suffering.

        The reward would be a "Crown of Life".
        This is the Martyr's crown.

The Smyrna Christians were told not to "fear" the things that they should be called to suffer, but to be faithful 'unto' death, not 'until' death.

That is, not until the end of their natural lives.

The meaning of Smyrna at its root is 'bitterness' and means 'Myrrh' an ointment associated with death and in this meaning of the word a prophecy of the persecution and death which was to befall the members of the Smyrna Church.

The Church in its "Ephesian Period" having lost its "First Love", the Lord is now about to  chastise it, so as to cause it to return to Him.

The Promise to the Church of Smyrna.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the Second Death.

The Exhortation To The Church of Smyrna

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:
behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.

The Persecution of the Church of Smyrna.

I know thy works and tribulation and poverty, (but thou art rich), and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are of the 'Synagogue of Satan'.

THE CHURCH AT SMYRNA.
         Persecuted church.    Rev. 2:8-11

And unto the Angel of the Church in Smyrna write; These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead and is alive.

The Church of Ephesus wasn't deceived, but recognized them [the Nicolaitane] as false apostles and liars.

                   The character of this church is a fair description of the Church Period from A.D. 70 to A.D. 170.

The Nicolaitanes were not a sect, but a party in the Church who were trying to establish a Priestly Order.

                 Probably trying to model the church after the Old Testament of Priests and common people. Their object was to establish a holy order of men and place them over the common people.

The importance of the warning to the
               Church of Ephesus
is seen in the approval of the message, in verse 6 "But this thou hast, that thou 'hatest' the deeds of the Nicolaitanes which I also hate."

The complaint that Christ makes against the Church of Ephesus is that it had left its first love.

           It had become a backslidden Church.

THE PROMISE to the CHURCH of EPHESUS.

        He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches: to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God

THE COMPLAINT to the CHURCH of EPHESUS.

         Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS.
         A Backslidden Church.    Rev. 1-7

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

       The "Salutation" to each church contains a reference to some characteristic of the Son of Man that's described in chapter one.

The messages to the Seven Churches compare with church history.

            That which is a distinctive characteristic of each Church Period, doesn't disappear with that Period, but continues on down through the next Period and so on until the end, increasing the imperfections of the visible Church, until it ends in an open Apostasy.

At the close of the First Century the leaven of False Doctrine was working in the Churches.

                       The churches are given in order because of the peculiar characteristics of that church applied to the period of church history to which it is assigned.

While the character of these Seven Churches is descriptive of the Church periods of her history, we must not forget that the condition of those churches were their exact condition in John's day.

If it had been clearly revealed that the Seven Churches stood for "Seven Church Periods" that would have to elaspe before Christ could come back, the incentive to watch would have been absent.

This interpretation of the "Messages to the Seven Churches" was hidden to the early Church, because time was required for Church History to develop and be written, so a comparison could be made.

The Church disappears from earth at the close of chapter three of Revelation;
appears in heaven in chapter four
and reappears with the Lord in chapter nineteen.