7/08/26 PROPHECY THAT PROVES PROPHECY
Prophecy can be given for the purpose of foretelling (warning, instruction, or verification), or for the purpose of forthtelling (proclamation or instruction).
Some of the foretelling prophecies concerning Jesus' earthly incarnation were not warnings or instructions, but rather they served as verifications (proofs) after the foretold events had taken place. They proved the veracity and reliability of the prophets and their words, and they proved the identity and authority of Jesus.
This is what we see in the prophecies concerning the Church in Revelation 2 and 3. Obviously, the letters had immediate importance to the seven targeted churches. The letters instructed and warned those specific churches, as well as other local churches that read those letters. Remember, New Testament letters (from the Apostles) were circular in the sense that copies were made by the recipient church and then sent to other churches. The messages in the inspired Apostolic letters were intended for the whole Church.
The seven letters to the seven churches continued to instruct and warn Christians over the past 2,000 years, since they are part of the Book of Revelation. The instructions and warnings in those seven letters have applied to untold thousands of churches throughout Church history. But the prophetic accuracy of the seven letters also verifies what the prophet said in the next 19 chapters of Revelation.
We can now look back and see how the characteristics of the seven churches of Asia Minor became the characteristics of seven different periods of Church history. The seven periods include:
(Ephesus, the Apostolic Church, 33-100 AD) Leaving their first love (relationship with Jesus and Apostolic teaching),
(Smyrna, the Persecuted Church, 100-313) Vicious and widespread persecution at the hands of the State and a Christ-hating society,
(Pergamos, the Compromising Church, 313-590) Acceptance and alliance with pagan rule and religion through compromise (mixing truth with non-Christian beliefs and practice),
(Thyatira, the Corrupted Church, 590-1517) Exchanging Christ's Lordship and Biblical Authority for man-made religion and doctrines of demons,
(Sardis, the Dead Church, 1517-1740) Dependence on Orthodox but lifeless rules and ritual,
(Philadelphia, the Open Door Church, 1740-19??) Rediscovery of transforming truth and evangelistic fervor,
(Laodicea, the Worldly Church, 19??- today) Abandoning spiritual reality and grasping carnal and temporal counterfeits.
Dates are approximate since transitions are not immediate.
This overview of the Church Age culminates in its being caught away, and the beginning of the Tribulation. Obviously, I do not know the schedule or details of God's plan, but I do know the order of events. The plan of God includes His earthly reign, His final victory, and the promise of eternity with Him, for those who trust Him. God is faithful. Put your trust in the Lord.
