Home

Vision of seven Churches of God

These days, the people of God throw mud on, accuse and condemn one another. Some denominational churches find fault with the other denominational churches in matters concerning doctrines, methods of worship, etc. All these people thus forget that they are of the same body of Christ. Recently, I came across a book written by a servant of God in which he made a critical study of the ministries of certain renowned servants of God, quoting many instances to prove that their ministries were based on false doctrines. He dared to brand the whole Pentecostal or the Catholic Church’s Charismatic movement as occult movements triggered by the Devil in these last days.

Golden lamp-Stands

In this context, it is worth looking at the present-day churches of God through the prophetic vision of John in the 1st chapter of Revelation. John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day when, on hearing a loud voice and turning to see the voice, he saw first the vision of the seven golden lamp-stands and then the vision of one like the Son of Man. While describing the vision of the One like the Son of Man, he says, “He had in His Right Hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged Sword……….” (Rev.1: 16)

What a glorious vision! Firstly, he hears a loud voice proclaiming, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last”. Secondly, he gets a glimpse of the seven golden lamp-stands likened to the seven churches in Asia. Only after seeing the lamp-stands, he sees the One like the Son of Man. He does not choose to call the Person seen by him as the Son of Man but merely calls Him as the One like the Son of Man. Here, the blessed Holy Spirit attaches more importance to the churches of God, which represent the body of Christ than to the image of the Son of Man.

The churches of God existing today are likened to the seven golden lamp-stands. Those who have been baptized by one Spirit into one body by repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Saviour do form part of the body of Christ, irrespective of whether they are affiliated to different church denominations or not (I Cor.12: 13). The Holy Spirit calls these churches as “golden lamp-stands”.

In the eyes of God, the churches of the living God are as precious as gold. By virtue of the spiritual state of these seven churches in Asia, the Holy Spirit rates the church in Ephesus as the loveless church, the church in Smyrna as the persecuted church, the church in Pergamos as the compromising church, the church in Thyatira as the corrupt church, the church in Sardis as the dead church, the church in Philadelphia as the faithful church and the church of the Laodiceans as the lukewarm church.

Except the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia, the other five churches fall short of the standards fixed by God.

Let us now look at the spiritual state of these five churches through the prophetic eyes of John. The church in Ephesus left her first love for God. The church in Pergamos believed in the doctrine of Balaam “who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality”. The church in Thyatira allowed “that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols” (Rev.2:20). The church in Sardis had a name that she was alive but was dead, and had not her works “perfect before God”. The church of the Laodiceans was neither cold nor hot.

Son of Man in the midst of the churches

In fact, there may be a number of churches or servants of God in our midst who believe in those doctrines, which put a stumbling block before His children; who allow themselves to be influenced by the prophecies/teachings of false prophets or teachers like Jezebel. Nevertheless, the Son of Man is “in the midst of the seven golden candle-stands” and is not seen in the proximity of the candle-stands of Philadelphia or Smyrna.

Stars in His Right Hand

Before proceeding to describe the Person of the Son of Man in the subsequent verses, John mentions about the seven stars in His Right Hand likened to the seven angels of these churches. Who are these angels of the seven churches? They are none but the ministers of God in these churches whom John calls as the angels. John does not refer here to “His angel” sent by God to “His servant John”. The Son of Man is holding all the servants of God including them who are of these five churches in His Right Hand. He has not forsaken any of them. He still loves and holds them in His Right Hand. This shows that He loves all the children of God in all these seven churches alike and without an iota of partiality.

Sharp two-edged Sword

John saw a sharp two-edged Sword coming out of His mouth. This shows that we should not quote the Word of God from one angle only. The Devil quoted the Word from its one side only while tempting Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus defeated the Devil by quoting the Word from its other side. The servant of God whom I have referred to above did quote the Word from its one side to prove that certain evangelists were the end-time false prophets. Let us be careful when we interpret the Word of God (II Tim.2:15)

- Job Anbalagan