The 7 Churches of Revelation - Ernest Angley (1990)

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May 1990

Topics: Prophecy, TribulationPeriod

Volume 5 A Book on Bible Prophecy

by Ernest An gley

The book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ to John in

visions, prophecies concerning the church age and the fast

approaching Tribulation Period. Blessed is he that readeth,

and they that hear the word s of this prophecy, and keep

those things which are written there in: for the time is at

hand (Revelation 1:3). We live in an hour of unveiling, of open

revelation, open vision, that let us know the time of the fulfillment

of the visions of Revelation is at hand.

Revelation closes with these words of Jesus: Behold, I come

qu ickly: blessed is he that kee peth the sayings of the

prophecy of this book(Revelation 22:7). Blessed are those

who read this great book of prophecy and those who keep its

sayings.

The understanding of Revelation comes through the Holy Spirit as He brings images of prophecies

alive in our hearts. Man has longed to know the future, and through the Word of God, he can. The

future is in the Word of God, but the devil works hard to convince people that God's prophecies are

beyond understanding.

All God's prophecies concerning His Son's first appearance have been fulfilled. The Bible foretold

where Jesus would be born, the province, the city, the tribe He would be from. It tells of His life,

His miracles, His betrayal, His crucifixion, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension into

heaven. The fact that these prophecies have come to pass should give you confidence that all the

prophecies of His second and third comings will be fulfilled also.

Churches of Revelation - Ernest Angley Ministries http://www.ernestangley.org/read/article/the_seven_churches_of_re

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Man has looked to anything but the Bible to know the future, to insane illusions, to magicians,

soothsayers, charlatans, crystal gazers, fortunetellers, astrologers and whoever else would crawl out

from under the rocks with a bony finger pointing to what might come to pass. Half the time they

may be rightanyone can guess that much. But the prophecies in the Bible are one hundred

percent accurate, for they come from the mind of God.

John the Revelator had God's mind when he wrote the Book of Revelation. Today the mind of God

gives us insight into His prophecies.

In a vision, Jesus told John towrite the things which thou hast seen, and the things which

are, and the things which shall be here after (Revelation 1:19). Revelation rightly divides the

past, present and the future. The past is spoken of in the first chapter. The present? The day we

live, and the day John lived. The church age was his present, and it's our present. The things

"which shall be hereafter" cover the Tribulation Period.

The seven churches of Revelation describe the different periods of the church age, painting a

progressive picture of the professing church from the first coming of Christ until the second

coming. The Rapture is not referred to until chapter four when John saw a door opened in

heaven. The Tribulation Period first is mentioned when the Lord tells John about the fourth

church, Thyatira. Keep in mind that each one of these churches describes in detail a certain period

of the church age from the time that the church came to life at Pentecost until the second coming of

Christ.

Ephesus represents the church of the first century; Smyrna the persecuted church of the next twohundred years. Pergamos is the church from approximately 312 A.D. until A.D. 717. Thyatira

represents the church of the Dark Ages until the sixteenth century. Sardis is the church of the

Reformation. Philadelphia is the church of the nineteenth century, and Laodicea is the endtime

church of apostasy, the final church, the church of our day.

The first hundred years of the church of Ephesus includes thirty-seven years of the church in the

Acts of the Apostles. The word "Ephesus" means the desirable one. The church was, oh sodesirable at first. It pulsed with the greatness, the zeal of God. God was its first love in the

beginning. With that first love come all the vision, excitement needed to be a witness. Jesus said:

Ye shall be witnesses unto me un to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). God and

His love make mighty witnesses of those who yield to Him. He puts Himself within His obedient

Children. Paul had that first love when he said: Christ liveth in m e (Galatians 2:20).

At the beginning of the Ephesus church period, the first love, the missionary spirit was alive. Paul,

the disciples, the apostles went everywhere with the story of Jesus. In those first thirty-seven years,


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God was free to move and bless. The nine gifts of the Spirit were in operation, the nine fruits of the

Spirit in great production, and thousands were swept into the Kingdom. Persecutions, trials,

heartaches and despair followed them; but they had great love. In the Acts of the Apostles we find

love, love, lovethose first thirty-seven years were magnificent.

These things saith he [ Jesus] that holdeth the seve n stars [angels of the seve n

churche s] in his right hand, w ho w alketh in the m idst of the seven golden candlesticks

[the seven chu rches]; I know thy works, and thy labou r, and thy patience, and how

thou can st not bear them w hich are evil: and thou hast tried them w hich say they are

apostles, and are n ot, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and h ast patience,

and for my name 's sake hast labou red, and hast not fainted (Revelation 2:1-3). The Lord

was proud of this church. She had workedher works were manyand not fainted. She was

patient.

But as time wore on, changes crept in. Jesus said: Nevertheless I have somew hat against

thee, be cause thou hast left thy first love (Revelation 2:4). Until the devil entered years later,

the Holy Spirit had complete control. People held to their first love, the love of Jesus. That firstlove carries a burden for the lost, believes all that Jesus taught and stands for. When you lose your

first love, you lose so much of Jesus that little is left for the Lord to work with. Unless you return to

your first love, you will have no zeal for souls, none of the love of God that loves everyone.

Confusion will enter. You will find yourself a greater hindrance to the cause of Christ than you

could ever be a blessing. It's essential that all hold fast to their first love.

Everything had gone well for the church in the beginning, everything was pleasing to the

Lorduntil the church left her first love.

Jesus goes on to admonish: Remem ber therefore from when ce thou art fallen, and

repen t, and do the first works; or else I will come u nto thee qu ickly, and w ill remove

thy candlestick out of his place, except thou re pent. But this thou hast, that thou

hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an e ar, let him

hear w hat the Spirit saith unto the churche s; To him that overcom eth will I give to e at

of the tree of life, wh ich is in the midst of the par adise of God (verses 5-7). Because this

church had left its first love of the Lord and His will, Jesus warned them what would happen if they

did not repent.

Smyrna, the church of the second period, had these words of Jesus said about them:And u nto

the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last,

which was de ad, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribu lation, and p overty, (but

thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not,

bu t are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:

be hold, the dev il shall cast some of you into p rison, that ye may be tried; an d ye shall


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have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful u nto death, and I w ill give thee a crow n of

life (Revelation 2:8-10). Jesus knew what the church was going through, that they were poor in

material things but rich in the Lord, the greatest of all riches.

The word Smyrna means myrrh, one of the spices used in Israelite religious rituals. To obtain the

fragrance from the plant required beating and pressing. The Christians, too, were beaten and

pressed. In a death grip they were ruled by ten tyrants from Nero until Constantine the Great. The

Smyrna period endured the worst of persecutions. Books could never describe the suffering of it

all. Twice in speaking of the Smyrna church the Lord mentions tribulation. Christians were

burned, beaten, crucified, cast to the lions, tortured to deaththousands and thousands over a

period of two hundred years.

It looked as though Christianity would pass from existence, that it could never last. But it did last;

for people lived close to God, victorious lives in the face of death. Many came to God because of

the faith of those persecuted Christians. As Christians were killed, new converts took their place.

The Smyrna church period saw ten devilish, demon-possessed emperors persecute Christians for

sporthell is filled with people like them, people who have treated God's Children with inhumancruelty. Rome did everything possible to destroy the faith of the Christians and failed. Why did she

fail? Because neither God nor the faith of God can be destroyed. Great separation from the world,

fantastic separation was seen during the persecution of the church; for Christians knew that if they

might be killed for the sake of Jesus Christ, they had better have Him in reality.

In following the seven churches with Jesus Christ, we find that always some held onto God's

unchanging hand. A core of the church was alive, but not alive for the whole world. The tyranny

during the second and third centuries over Christians was extreme; so many were killed, murdered

and cast into prison that the light of God seemed to be flickering out. But it didn't, thank God, it

didn't!

In A.D. 312, after years of horrible persecution, a drastic turnaround took place. Constantine the

Great, Emperor of Rome, on suffering defeat in battle, announced that he had seen a huge cross in

the sky and over the cross these words: "In this sign thou shalt conquer." It was enough for him,

and that old pagan decided if he were to be victorious, he must embrace the cross. He professed to

become a Christian. His armies turned defeat into victory, and Constantine made Christianity thestate religion, compelling all his armies to be baptized.

But people cannot be forced to accept Jesus into their hearts. God doesn't work like that; He wants

people to serve Him because they love Him, not because they have no other choice. Historians

called Constantine's acceptance of Christianity a great blessing, but it grew to be a curse. Soon the

emperor instead of Christ was head of the church. The partnership of church and state became

complete, a union that began to dictate not only religious policy, but governmental policy as well.

Many accepted Christianitybut how many accepted Christ? I dare say, not many.


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The date of this union marked the decline of the spiritual power of the church. No longer were

Christians put to death, crucified, fed to lions, or burned at the stake; but now their dedication was

drying up. With wealth at the disposal of the church, protected by the state, the church soon

became worldlya lover of the worldindifferent to God and powerless.

It seems the human race cannot take too much prosperity before they no longer feel the need of

God. Many professed Christianity because it was popular, not in spite of the persecutions they

would face because of heartfelt belief. It's still popular to be a "Christian" as long as people aren't

required to live holy, as long as they can still embrace the world.

People would be living for God today in more holiness and righteousness if they were going to be

killed for their testimony of Jesus Christ. When people are really born of the Spirit of God, they

become new creations in Christ Jesus, separating themselves from the world and its hypocrisy.

Consider further this church of Pergamos. Beginning with the supposed conversion of Constantine,

the third church period lasted until approximately 500 A.D. Pergamos means married, a name that

describes the character of the church in this age. It was a bad marriage. Pergamos remainedmarried to the world for the next two hundred years, like the Israelites when they turned to

worship the golden calf. Committing all kinds of sins, the clergy became very powerful, dominating

the laity, claiming a seat of power and authority so great that they took the place of God as well as

the place of emperors. The laity was put into great bondage in obeying the clergy's rules. God

never planned the church to be in bondage. Ministers were to be loving, God-fearing shepherds to

direct and feed the flock under Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd.

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos w rite; These things saith he w hich hath

the sharp sword w ith two edges; I know thy works, and w here thou d we llest, even

whe re Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, an d hast not de nied my faith,

even in those days whe rein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain amon g you,

whe re Satan dw elleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there

them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, w ho taught Balac to cast a stumb lingblock

before the children of Israel, to e at things sacrificed un to idols, and to com mit

fornication (Revelation 2:12-14). Idol worship, a sin in Old Testament days among the Israelites,

comes into the church among God's people. Like the Israelites, the church couldn't stay away from

idol gods.

I know thy works bu t I have a few things against thee, the Lord told the Pergamos church.They had failed to weed out false doctrine.

What accusation could Jesus bring against you? By not casting out false doctrine, you endorse it.

Hear what Jesus is saying; tune in to the Holy Ghost, to heaven and the love of God. You can have

all of Him you want; His love will furnish the power needed to live the victorious life in Christ. It's

all in the love of God.

So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.


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Repen t; or else I will come u nto thee qu ickly, and will fight against them with the

sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith un to the

churche s; To him that overcome th will I give to eat of the hidden m anna, an d w ill give

him a white stone, and in the stone a new name w ritten, which no man know eth

saving he that receiveth it (Revelation 2:15-17). For the two hundred years of the Pergamos

church, many gave over to the devil, to the pleasures of sin and satisfying the lust of the flesh. The

actions of the church sent up a putrid stench before God. As a whole, the men leading God's people

were not holy; and, unfortunately, today unholiness still exists in all too many of the clergy.

Jesus mentions the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. The doctrine of Balaam

was one of tolerance which caused Israel years ago to mingle with the heathen, to sin against God

and thus lose their separation from the world. It refers to preaching and prophesying for money

and gain, making a racket out of the Gospel. People are still doing that today, making a racket out

of the Gospel. The doctrine of Balaam refers also to laxness in the church, to losing their

separation from the world.

The church in this period became very rich and independent. Worldly practices and alliancespressed in and corrupted the church. Only a few trusted in God, but God always had some, always.

In every period, God has had a peoplenot many at times; but God has always had a people.

The Nicolaitans didn't believe Jesus to be the Son of God. They reasoned that their bodies were

physical and therefore evil, that only what their spirits did was important. This left them free to do

anything that pleased their physical nature. Indiscriminate sexual relationships, eating food

offered to idols were but two of their ungodly practices.

Virtually making slaves of its followers, this self-appointed group of religious dictators of Pergamos

brought about one of the darkest periods of the church age. With power they ruled, reigned,

turning away from the truth of God and setting themselves above God. Instead of obeying the

Word of God, people were forced to obey the head of the church. Forbidding people to even study

the Word of God, the clergy made their own doctrines and laws. It destroyed many, and it's still

destroying today.

In the fourth period of the church age is the church of Thyatira. And u nto the an gel of the

church in Thyatira write; These things saith the S on of God, w ho hath his eyes like

un to a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and

service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be m ore than the

first (Revelation 2:18-19). It's not by works that we have salvation, the Bible tells us, lest any man

should boast. Only through the blood of Jesus do we have forgiveness of sin. The church of

Thyatira went away from the blood.

Jesus said, I know thy w orksNotw ithstanding I have a few things against thee,

becau se thou sufferest that woman Jezebe l, which calleth herself a prophetess, to


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teach and to sedu ce my servan ts to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed

un to idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repen ted not.

Behold, I will cast her into a bed , and them that commit adultery with her into great

tribulation, except they repe nt of their deeds [the first mention in Revelation of the

Tribulation Period]. And I w ill kill her children with death; and all the chu rches shall

know that I am he which searcheth the reins and he arts: and I will give unto e very one

of you accord ing to your w orks. Bu t unto you I say, and u nto the rest in Thyatira, as

many as have not this doctrine, and w hich have not known the depths of Satan, as

they speak; I will pu t upon you non e other burde n. Bu t that which ye have already

hold fast till I come (Revelation 2:19-25).

Some in the churches were living right; some still embraced the true Gospel. "Hold it fast until I

come," the Lord said. "Don't let it go." But many did let go. The Word of God became further

corrupted. The church age turned from pure grace to a religion of works. Twice the Lord

mentioned works in this passage describing the church at Thyatira. The word Thyatira means

continual sacrifice: it was a church well named. Works took the place of salvation, of redemption.

Thyatira was all works and ceremony. Bow down to man, go man's way.

It's still that way in many churches today. Lacking a sound Gospel, ministers don't preach the

blood; choirs don't even sing about it. By not honoring the blood of Jesus, people have no chance

at salvation. The completeness of the work of Christ is denied. Denying the blood of Jesus is

denying Jesus. Nothing but a form is left.

The blood of Jesus, not works, ensures your salvation. To enter the gates of heaven, you must be

blood-washed, blood-bought blood-cleansed and blood-redeemed. This basic truth is what the

church at Thyatira did away with. No wonder historians call this period of time the Dark Ages!

The Holy Spirit accused this church, in Revelation 2:20, of allowing the woman Jezebel to seduce

the church. Jezebel, notorious for her wickedness, caused many, including her husband Ahab, to

turn from the true God. A better name than Jezebel couldn't be found for that spirit in Thyatira.

Those were the years of the Vandals, the Huns, the Goths. As they overran Europe they brought

with them their own pagan worship and idolatry. The church resorted to a spirit of compromise to

win them, adopting various pagan beliefs into the church. The church became partly Christian,

partly Judaic, partly pagan.

Unlike Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos, the pattern of Thyatira was to continue to the end of thechurch age when those living in that mold would be cast into the Tribulation. Revelation 2:22,23

tells of this judgment: Behold I w ill cast her intogreat tribulation, except they repen t of

their deeds. And I w ill kill her children with death; and all the chu rches shall know

that I am he which searcheth the reins and he arts: and I will give u nto eve ry one of

you according to your works. God has laid facts out in such a way that all people can

understand one thing: God will not accept sin or disobedience.


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The Dark Age church of Thyatira was dominant from around 500 A.D. till the sixteenth century

when the church of Sardis ushered in the Reformation. A change in the church began in the

fifteenth century, but the sixteenth century saw the obvious rebirth. Through much suffering,

God's peoplethe true onesmoved out to take their place in history. Martin Luther came forth

with the thrilling message: The ju st shall live by faith. That great Bible truth, buried for somany years in the Dark Ages, was brought to light once again. Live by faith, not works. For by

grace are ye saved thro u gh faith; and tha t not of yourse lves: it is the gift of God: Not of

works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8,9).

The fifth church period, represented by the church at Sardis, is a remnant of the age of

persecution. And u nto the an gel of the church in Sard is write; These things saith he

that hath the seven S pirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou

hast a name that thou livest, and art dead (Revelation 3:1). What about the

political/religious leaders? You live, but you're dead, Jesus said. All you have is a form. The Lord

counts you as dead if you don't have His life in you, dead in trespasses and sin. Life comes by

receiving Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Be w atchful, and strengthen the things w hich remain, that are ready to die: for I have

not found thy work s perfect before God (Revelation 3:2). The wrong kind of works

penances and burdens, works not according to the teachings Jesus brought to planet Earthhave

nothing to do with forgiveness of sin.

Reme mbe r therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If

therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not knowwhat hou r I will come upon thee (Revelation 3:3). The Lord told the fourth church He would

cast them into Tribulation, and now He is saying to Sardis: you're going, too. The remaining church

periods, from the fourth oneThyatiraright on through the seven, are headed for Tribulation.

Thou hast a few n ames even in SardisOnly a few in Sardis were really serving the Lord,

thosewhich have not de filed their garments. What was their reward? And they shall walk

with me in white: for they are worthy(verse 4).

A few had kept holiness alive in the church, but there was much gloom and darkness from the

preceding years that needed to be lifted. God had enough. If God weren't so patient, loving and

kind, if He didn't love human beings in such an unbelievable way, He would have come down and

destroyed civilization many, many years ago for the way His Son has been treated.

The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries saw spiritual stirring, but now the great awakening is about

to come, aided by the printing press invented in 1550. It made all the difference in the world. The

previous religious/political leaders had not taught the true Word. Just a few people owned Bibles

and had access to the truth; but as that first press went to work, Bibles began to be distributed.

People were hungry, excited, eager to read the Word of God for themselves. Martin Luther hit the


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trails, encouraging everyone to study the Word of God. Know what thus saith the Lord! Read,

read, read! Let nothing stop you! Dissenting religious leaders burned Bibles in an effort to keep

the Word of God away from people, but nothing would stop the revival now. Putting their lives on

the line, true men of God rose up. Their yoke was more than they could bear, but the Lord said to

take His yoke, for His yoke is easy and His burden light.

Imagine what it would be like if you never had a Bible. Perhaps you knew a little about Jesus, but

you wondered when you saw the practices of the church. Should the political/religious leaders rule

you with an iron fist, those who seemingly are lacking completely in love? Should the innocent be

imprisoned for certain "crimes" against the church, acts the Bible didn't condemn? Now people

could find out for themselves.

Many are still in bondage today, trying to make their own way to heaven by man's rules and not

God's. Only holy living and the blood of Jesus applied to your heart will make you eligible for

heaven. Those in darkness and bondage remain so because they simply love darkness and

bondage. They don't want to come out, but thank God for those who do!

Some in the Sardis church broke free from the religious/political bondage and darkness, but it took

the nineteenth century before the great revival fires began to fall in earnest. The lost fruits of the

Spirit were rediscovered, unbiblical practices and false doctrines exposed, and honest-hearted

people gladly accepted what thus saith the Lord. The stage was set for the church of Sardis, the

Reformation church, to sweep over Europe under the leadership of Lefever, Calvin and others.

Later, reform landed in Scotland under John Knox. The Gospel had come to life in the minds and

hearts of peoplea jubilant, wonderful time. Souls by the thousands were swept into the Kingdom.

This church of Sardis was described 1,600 years before it came into being. God is exacting in His

prophecies. Looking back in history to the seven church ages that John the Revelator described, we

see that his vision covers the periods of time chronologically just the way the Lord gave it.

The Sardis church leads to the church of Philadelphia. Philadelphia means brotherly love; it was

well named. The carnality, the division, the worldliness of the church of Sardis was rebuked by

God. God hated its orthodoxy. But the remnant of the Reformation church became a greatmissionary thrust in the Philadelphia period. Jesus speaks to that remnant: I know thy works:

behold, I have set before thee an open d oor, and n o man can shut it: for thou hast a

little strength, and hast kept my wo rd, and hast not den ied my name (Revelation 3:8).

The spiritual rebirth at Philadelphia marked the first missionary insight and vision that the church

had experienced in hundreds and hundreds of years. It was a great time, an open door. What did

this mean? The Lord set before the church an open door to the nations. Go forth, carry this

Gospel, take it to the world, He urged. I've opened the doors for you, and all you have to do is walk

through.


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And to the an gel of the churc h in Philadelphia write; These thin gs saith he that is holy,

he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that opene th, and no m an shutteth;

and shutteth, and no man openeth (Revelation 3:7). The Philadelphia church went forth with

great, great victory. It was wonderful for God as well as man. The missionary fires blazed strongly

as people received the Gospel. At last the hope of the Rapture was preached again, the return of

Jesus. For so many hundreds of years, the knowledge of the return of our Lord had been lost to the

people.

An angel of God had told the disciples of Jesus' return to Earth:Ye men of Galilee, w hy stand

ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken u p from you into heaven,

shall so come in like mann er (Acts 1:11). What an exciting time that was for the disciples! Now

in the Philadelphia church age the impact of the second coming burst to life in believing hearts.

Glorious truths were coming alive! Now at last the whole Gospel was being taught again, the true

Christians were fired up, inspired, excited and eager to spread the Gospel. One must know that

Jesus saves, that He is coming again before the responsibility is felt to tell the Good News.

Whitefield, Wesley, Edwards, and later Moody and Spurgeon came on the scene, preaching,preaching, preaching. Revival swept across the land. Souls were saved; people came to God. It

was the greatest missionary love since the early church.

Jesus said to this little minority in the Philadelphia church: Thou hast a little stren gth, and

hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Becau se thou hast kept the word of

my patience, I also will keep the e from the ho ur of tem ptation, which shall come u pon

all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come qu ickly: hold that

fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crow n (Revelation 3:8,10,11). The promise? To

keep the faithful from the hour of temptationthe Tribulation Period. Earlier, Jesus told how He

would cast the disobedient into the great Tribulation and bring judgments. But now the promise of

a way of escape came from the lips of Jesus. Hold fastlet no one rob you of that wonderful

privilege of making the Rapture.

The promise to the church of Philadelphiaand to youmeans you must be alive in the Lord, full

of missionary vision for the nations if you expect to be ready to meet your Lord in the air. Lacking

that vision today, many are not on fire for God. Dead, dead church members harvest dead works.

If you make it through to heaven, you will be rewarded for your good works; but good works are

not your passport into heaven. Except a man be born again, he cann ot see the kingdom of

Go d (John 3:3).

The spirit of Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea all will continue to exist together until the

end of the age. Keep this in mind or you will become confused about the role of these churches in

our present church period. Mark down that only the Philadelphia church was promised to be taken


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out, kept from the hour of temptationthe Tribulation Periodthat was to come upon all the

Earth. Philadelphia would escape the Tribulation Period because of its love, its zeal for souls.

The one great fault of the Reformation was in failing to return to the early church's love of the

truth. Lack of this fundamental requirement caused the movement to split in all directions,

resulting in the many, many denominations today. The Reformation started out to change the

church the way Jesus wanted, I'm sure; but religious leaders couldn't agree among themselves.

Arguments on sanctification arose, disagreement on the Holy Scriptures, on what God had

ordained.

Remember, the seventh church of Laodicea along with the three that went before, will close out this

church age. And u nto the an gel of the church of the Laodiceans w rite; These things

saith the Amen , the faithful and tru e w itness, the be ginning of the creation of God; I

know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I wou ld thou w ert cold or hot. So

then be cause thou art luke warm , and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my

mouth (Revelation 3:14-16). Sinners are not in the mouth of God, only Christians. Why would the

Lord spew out Christians? Because they're tainted with the spirit of indifference, of lukewarmnessthat He hates. They have soured God's stomach, and He will cast them into the Tribulation Period.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers

of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to paren ts,

un thankful, unholy, Without natural affection, truce breaker s, false accusers,

incontinent, fierce, de spisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded,

lovers of pleasure s more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but den ying

the power thereof: from such turn away(II Timothy 3:1-5). This prophecy brings us down to

the perilous times of our day. The church age that started with an almost perfect church, ends

tragically as many turn away from God and the power of God. Some congregations today are on

fire for God while others won't accept His truth. Many ministers present a social gospel; the blood

is no longer preached.

Study what God told these seven churches. Learn what the Lord held against the churches, and you

will know what you must be rid of to make the Rapture.

The unfailing accuracy of Bible prophecies should let you know that we're in the last church age,

that seventh period, along with the three church ages immediately prior to ours. The church

periods, I say again, are all running together now; it's almost midnight.

Signs, wonders, miracles and healings have taken place since the founding of Grace Cathedral in

1954 because it was organized in the Spirit of the early church. I let the Holy Ghost set the plan in

order. When the life, the teachings, and the doctrines of Jesus Christ are preached, signs, wonders,

miracles and healings take place. The early church spread the Word, and the Lord confirmed it

with signs and wonders.


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Jesus is still alive today, still opening the eyes of the blind, unstopping deaf ears and making the

crippled to walk. God will do what He said He would do, and He promised to give miracles and

healings in this outpouring of the Spirit in our day.

Recently in a service, I met a woman afflicted with a disease that caused her body to swell until it

was mammoth. I prayed for her in that terrible condition, and God moved immediately. As I went

on ministering to others, I heard people rejoicing around her. I looked back and saw that her body

was going down, down, down. She was pulling her dress away from her body to show the great

difference. The more room she had in her dress, the more thrilled she became, and the happier it

made the people around her. I had never before witnessed a miracle quite like it. Watching the

hand of the Lord move upon her was an incredible sight! The miracle was God's; I had nothing to

do with it. I only carry the truth to people; and if they accept it, the gifts of God go into operation.

The power of God flows into them as I touch them, and wonderful things happen. It's just that

simple. This is the kind of miracle that took place in the early church, miracles that have been lost

to God's people for centuries.

The Reformation brought a resurgence of the power of God; but today once again churches as awhole have lost their excitement, their power, their joy in the Lord. Why? The truths of God have

been ignored, the old-time power of God. False doctrine that Martin Luther and others paid such a

great price to destroy is popular once again. When the Word of the Living God is cast aside,

bondage and spiritual deadness result. Walking their own ways, people began to teach lies, that

water washes away sins, that miracles aren't for today, nor is the power of God. The formalism and

dead theology, characteristic of the Sardis church, continue. He that hath an e ar, let him hear

what the Spirit saith unto the chu rches, Jesus tells us.

Jesus said this Gospel must be preached to all nations, and then the end would come. This

Gospelthe one He brought, the one He preached and acted out, the Gospel He used to set the

captives freeincludes the baptism in the Holy Ghost, a requirement to prepare you for the

Rapture. Jesus commanded His followers to receive the Holy Ghost:And [Jesu s], being

assembled together with them, comman ded them that they should not depart from

Jerusalem, bu t wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have he ard of

me. For John truly baptized w ith water; bu t ye shall be baptized w ith the Holy Ghost

not man y days hence (Acts 1:4,5). Those wide awake in the Lord have a desire, an appetite for

the baptism in the Holy Ghost. The Bible said the Lord would give the Holy Ghost to them who

obey Him: the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him (Acts 5:32).

Your change will come according to the power of God that worketh within you. Now un to him

that is able to do exce eding abu ndan tly above all that we ask or think, according to

the power that worketh in us (Ephesians 3:20). Miracle power works within you when you


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have been baptized in the Holy Ghost. Miracle power took brother Elijah up to heaven in a chariot;

miracle power raptured Enoch.

You believe all Christians will go in the Rapture? That isn't what the Bible says. Matthew 22:14

tells us that many are called, bu t few are chosen. The disobedient will not be taken.

Remember, Acts 5:32 states that the Holy Ghost is given to them that obe y him. The obedient

will have the Holy Ghost. The obedient are the ones Jesus is coming after, the glorious church.

Christ also loved the ch ur ch, and gav e himself for it; That he might presen t it to

himself a glorious chu rch, not having spot, or wrinkle, or an y such thing; but that it

should be holy and w ithout blemish (Ephesians 5:25,27).

Let God's sanctifying power move up and down the avenue of your soul, shedding abroad the love

of God in your heart. Ask God to give you vision of what it will mean to be left behind when Jesus

comes again. Realize the importance of receiving the baptism in the Holy Ghost.

You think the baptism in the Holy Ghost is not for you? I read in the Bible that the Holy Ghost is

for everyone. Acts 2:38,39, Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is untoyou, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord ou r

God shall call. All that have answered God's call to salvation are eligible to receive the Holy

Ghost.

I knew the Lord had called me to salvation when I was in my teens. After I received Jesus into my

heart, I sought the baptism in the Holy Ghost. I'd turn to the second chapter of Acts, put my finger

on the passage describing how the Holy Ghost fell on the day of Pentecost, and say, "God, this is

what I want." I needed that keeping power. I had left the world to never go back, knowing it would

take a lot of power, the power of the Holy Ghost. Burning all bridges behind me, I contended for

the Holy Ghost until I received Him.

No one taught me how to receive the Holy Ghost, no one stood by me and said, "Listen to me and

try to talk like I talk." That would have been ridiculous, but many today think they can teach

people to speak in tongues. Only the Holy Ghost is the Teacher; only the Holy Ghost is to be in

control. If anyone tries to give you the Holy Ghost by having you repeat nonsense words, get away

fast. The Holy Ghost is the One to give the utterance, not man. Listen only to Him. No human

taught those in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost to speak in tongues. The Holy Ghost

descended, filled the waiting temples of clay, and they all began to speak in tongues as the Holy

Spirit gave the utterance; and He baptizes people in the same way today.

Thousands have received the Holy Ghost in my servicesas many as 29,477 in one Nigerian

serviceand no one taught any of them to speak in tongues. The Holy Ghost spoke through them.

I cannot emphasize too strongly that speaking in tongues is to be under control of the Holy Ghost,

not man. The Lord wants people to have holy tongues that He can take over and speak with. It

isn't any trouble for the Holy Ghost to speak; He can speak through man in any language or


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dialectwhen tongues are cleaned up, hearts obedient and yielded to Him.

Although the Holy Spirit is being poured out in this last hour, America isn't receiving much of it.

There are too many Laodiceans. In other nations, however, multitudes have come to God. I've

seen over 100,000 saved in just one service. In one night on foreign soil, 176,000 miracles and

healings took place; 41,000 were healed and set free in that service in a matter of about eight

minutes. God did it. The heavens opened, the fire of God fell, and people were delivered. Many of

them had been devil worshipers, rearing their children in Satanism; but when they heard the truth,

the light of God penetrated into their hearts, and the truth set them free. Bu t this is that wh ich

wa s spoken b y the prophe t Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I

will pour ou t of my Spirit upon all flesh (Acts 2:16,17). The Spirit today is being poured out

on all flesh. How sad that many reject Him!

Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have n eed of nothing; and

know est not that thou art wretched , and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked

(Revelation 3:17). You may be rich in material possessions, but poverty-stricken in spirit. You

think you're happy drinking, rubbing elbows with the world? You're wretched, miserable and don'thave sense enough to know it.

I coun sel thee to bu y of me gold tried in the fire, that thou m ayest be rich; and w hite

raiment, that thou mayest be clothed. If you really want to be rich, the Lord is saying, be

clothed in His holiness and righteousness. Without His robe of righteousness, you are naked,

lacking enough spiritual clothing to cover you. Righteousness comes from the blood of Jesus.And

that the shame of thy nakedn ess do not ap pear; and anoint thine eyes w ith eye-salve,

that thou m ayest see (Revelation 3:18). The truth will set you free, give you sight, hearing.

Jesus accused people when He was here on Earth of having eyes to see but not seeing; ears to hear,

but not hearing. The very Son of God had come down from heaven, and there were people who

didn't want to see or hear Him. That same spirit that plagued the ministry of Jesus while He was

here on Earth has been carried down through the years by rebellious hearts.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock(Revelation 3:20). In the first chapter of Revelation,

we found Jesus standing among the seven golden candlesticksinside the church, in her midst.

Miracles and healings abounded, great wonderful events recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Nowin this last period, the seventh period of the church age, He is shut outside, knocking at the door.

That's the reason so few miracles and healings take place throughout the land even in this hour of

the outpouring of the Spirit. Some churches never have seen a miracle or healing. I've heard

evangelists say they've witnessed only two or three miracles in all of their ministry. I expect

miracles, healings in my services because they are promises God has made to the obedient.

Although Jesus is here to serve, He is standing outside many doors saying,Behold, I stand at the

door, and kn ock: if any man he ar my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,


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and w ill sup with him, and he w ith me (Revelation 3:20). I would come in and dine with you

if you would accept me, but you have rejected me, and I cannot enter. You shut the door on me.

All I can do with my love is knock. I won't push the door down. I gave you ears to hear, and if you

want to hear, you can. I gave you eyes to see and you can see if you want to see.

Think how deeply John must have grieved, heartsick over the prophesied rejection of Christ. But

I'm sure he also rejoiced, praising God that he was living in the first church period. He had

watched the Master walking in the midst of the church in all of His glory and miraculous power;

not until then had He really seen beauty.

The storms of Tribulation are gathering, but Jesus is in the midst of His true church, walking with

the Bride of Christ, preparing her for that great catching-away hour. He is here with all His glory,

all His anointing.

The Lord has come to walk in the midst of His people, just as John saw Him walking. Feel Him,

know Him. He does not want to be a stranger to you any longer. Jesus is the dearest friend you

have, the most understanding, the most loving. He is closer to you than a brother, mother, father,husband or wife. You who are born again are bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh, love of His love

and grace of His grace.

If you are unsure of your salvation, make sure now. Pray this prayer with me, and mean it from

your heart: Oh God, save my soul! Forgive me of my sins. Deliver me from the spirit of

indifference, from the spirit of lukewarmness. Take away every spot, every wrinkle, every blemish,

and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Give me all of you, Lord. Let the blood of Jesus flow over me

now, washing away all of my sins. Come into my heart, precious Jesus.

If you meant that prayer, Jesus has come into your heart; He is no longer outside, knocking at thedoor. Start reading your Bible daily, pray, fast and walk close to Him. Be baptized in the Holy

Spirit, for you know not the hour of His coming. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION, All rights reserved. Copyright 1990 Ernest Angley.

All literature available on this page is owned exclusively by Ernest Angley Ministries and is available for your personal, noncommercial use

only. You may freely download, print or distribute this literature without prior permission, as long as it is NOT altered and is distributed in

its entirety.

1999-2010. Ernest Angley Ministries. All Rights Reserved.


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The 7 Churches of Revelation - Ernest Angley (1990)

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