Miller on the Prophetic 7 Churches

“Were the Seven churches used as a figure of the whole Christian dispensation, or were they not?” 

I answer, In my humble opinion, they were. 

Because, first, the book of Revelation does evidently contain a prophecy of things which did not concern those seven literal churches in Asia; for those churches have long since passed away and be come extinct; yet the book of Revelation contains prophecies which are daily fulfilling, and have been for eighteen centuries. 

It is also said to be a revelation of things which must shortly come to pass. 

Revelation 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass. 

Not things that have been. Yet if Christ is only giving ad monitory

advice to those seven literal churches, then He is only relating their characters as they then were, and so far as these churches were concerned it would cease to be a prophecy, and the very first verse in Revelation would be violated. 

Again, vs.3 Blessed is he that reads and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand. 

We see that it is called a prophecy in this verse, and must allude to the whole book; but who will pretend that the three chapters in the beginning of Revelation are a prophecy, if we understand them as relating the character of seven literal churches in Asia only?

None, none. 

Again: the word seven is often used in the word of God as a mystical number, meaning the whole, as seven spirits, seven stars, seven angels, seven candlesticks, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials, seven thunders, seven plagues, seven mountains, seven heads, seven eyes, seven horns, seven crowns, seven kings, and seven churches.

All these are used in Revelation and apply to or concerning the whole Gospel period. If, then, the number seven is used so often in this book in a figurative sense, may we not reasonably suppose that it is so used in the dedication of this book to the seven churches in Asia, and the history of those seven churches be prophetic? for no scripture is given for any private interpretation, and surely the instruction in the introduction of the book carries us down to the coming of Christ in the clouds." 

William Miller

The Garments of Sardis

"The church’s works were “incomplete in the sight of God”

(Revelation 3:2), demanding repentance; otherwise, Jesus warned He would “come like a thief” against them (Revelation 3:3). In verse four, however, Jesus stated, “you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.”

Apparently, all but a handful of individuals in Sardis wore “soiled” garments. Given that the wider church would be unable to stand before God if Jesus should come “as a thief” without their repentance, these soiled garments corresponded to the majority church’s condition of sinful inadequacy before God. 

Commentators have noted that Jesus’ reference to soiled clothing recalls Old Testament principles of uncleanliness, showing that most church members in Sardis were unfit for life with God in the New Jerusalem. These individuals needed purification through the only means possible—the atoning blood of Jesus. Most professing believers in Sardis, however, were living as enemies of the only Person who could save them.

Jesus described these believers’ reward in verse five: “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.”

To reiterate, believers do not actively achieve this state by clothing themselves in their own righteousness. 

Instead, Jesus promised that faithful Christians in Sardis would “be clothed.” This phrasing suggests the believers’ righteousness is a gift from God."
AIG

Jezebel of the 7 Churches and that "Space to Repent"

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

Revelation 2:20,21

"....no bet­ter symbol could be used than the pagan queen Jezebel to represent the Church of Rome during the 1260-year period of Thyatira, for all the kings of the Holy Roman Empire committed fornication with her in supporting the union of church and state. 

God gave Jezebel time to repent of her un­holy alliance with the state, but she would not; hence, when we reach the churches of Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, there is no mention made of the papal church, whose probation ended as a church, and who was, his­torically, an organization wounded to death in 1798 A. D. 

Thyatira is the true church in the wilderness. Jezebel, the papal church, through seduction caused some of her doctrines to be taught in Thyatira, such as the immor­tality of the soul...." MinistryMagazine 1935

Paul's Advice Applied to Presenting 3 Angel's Messages Today

 2 Pieces of Paul's Advice to Church

1-Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, 

2-making the most of the time.

  And when this epistle is read among you, 

cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans;

Colossians 4:5,16 RSV

Repentance has been Present Truth in Every Age of the Church

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, 

Repent... 

Matthew 4:17

 The Message is the Same for each Age of the Church....

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus....To him that overcometh....

Rev. 2:1,7

And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna.....He that overcometh...

Rev.2:8,11

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos....To him that overcometh....

Rev.2:12,17

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira...And he that overcometh....

Rev.2:18,26

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis....He that overcometh....

Rev.3:1,5

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia....Him that overcometh.....

Rev.3:7,12 

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans...To him that overcometh...

Rev.3:14,21

"A Most Beautiful Truth"

"The message to the seven churches covers a period in

ecclesiastical history, extending
--from the time of Christ's first advent
--to His second coming.

To John,
---Christ appeared walking in the midst of the churches,-the candlesticks;
---and it is a most beautiful truth that the Divine Presence has never been withdrawn from the earth.

One of the last promises made by Christ to His disciples was, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world," (Matt. 28:20) and it matters not how torn or scattered His people may have been, that promise, reverberating from age to age, has been the comfort and solace of each individual Christian, and of the church as a body. Heaven looks upon the earth as one vast mission field, and the church is a beacon light in the midst of darkness."
Stephen Haskell 

Digging Deep Into Smyrna Church

Church of Smyrna (100-325 A. D.)

"This church received as a whole a commenda­tion for their works and tribulation; and they were told that persecution, prison, and

tribula­tion were awaiting them, but if faithful they would receive a crown of life. ...We quote from the church historian:
"The Roman jurist, Julius Paulus, cites the following as one of the ruling principles of civil law in the Roman state: 'Whoever introduces new religions, whose tendency and character are unknown, whereby the minds of men might be disturbed, were, if belonging to the higher ranks, to be banished; if to the lower, punished with death.' "

The Christians preached the spiritual king­dom of Christ, which could in no way be modi­fied or altered to suit the Roman religion. The Romans argued that the Christians could wor­ship Christ just as much as they wished to, but they must also offer incense to Caesar and say, "I swear by the genius of Caesar."

One illustration will suffice: When the old bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp, was asked to swear by the genius of Caesar, and revile Christ, he an­swered, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me wrong; and how can I now blaspheme my King that has saved me?"' Being resolute in his opposition to the emperor, he was burned at the stake about 180 A. D.

Here was the real cause for the struggle be­tween Christianity and Roman imperialism.
*Two kings were at war to the bitter end,—King Jesus, with His spiritual kingdom made up of the newborn from all nations, and the Roman emperor, with his state united to the pagan religion.

The fires of persecution served to winnow the chaff from the

wheat, for during the days of tribulation a large number of nominal members. of the church apostatized, and were called lapsi.

These, when the persecution was over, wanted to rejoin the church. Some of the ante-Nicene Fathers died as martyrs.
For instance,
--Igna­tius, bishop of Antioch, was thrown to the beasts in the Roman Amphitheater;
--Justin Martyr died a martyr,
--and there is strong evidence that Irenus, bishop of Lyons, died in the massacre instituted by the emperor Severus.

Persecution followed persecution in different parts of the empire.

Christians fled from one part of the realm to the other, seek­ing a haven of rest. They were hunted like beasts in the fields.
The Decian persecution, in the middle of the third century, lasting for nearly ten years, was one of the most severe in the empire. About fifty years after that, the last and the most terrible persecution broke out under Diocletian, lasting ten years, or from 303-313, in fulfillment of Revelation 2:10-Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

About two hundred fifty heretical sects broke out from the

Apostolic Church between 34 and 314 A. D. Some of these sects, such as the Montanists, had many martyrs for the cause of God and shared in the persecutions of the Apos­tolic Church. There is no denying the fact that there was a gradual apostasy of the dominant church, yet the historian has this to say con­cerning the godly people in the church:
"Some, indeed,
--most certainly and truly cast out demons, so that frequently those persons themselves that were cleansed from wicked spirits, believed and were received into the church.
--Others have the knowledge of things to come, as also visions and prophetic commu­nications;
--others heal the sick by the imposi­tion of hands, and restore them to health.
--And, moreover, as we said above, even the dead have been raised and continued with us many years."'
N. J. WALDORF

Laodicean Message in the Blind Man

"....John 9:41. It is at the end of the account of that man's healing

from the blindness and restoration of sight to the man that had been born blind. What does that verse say?

"Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin; but now you say, We see. Therefore your sin remaineth."

When Jesus tells you and me we are blind, the thing for us to do is to say, "Lord, we are blind."

He told those folks they were blind and they were blind, but they said it was not so. It was so. If they had confessed their blindness they would have seen God in that man's healing from his blindness. Well, then, brethren, the thing for us to do is to come square up to that Laodicean message and say that every word He says is so."
A.T.Jones

Thyatira & Jezebel: Then, Then Again and in the Future

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write;....Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Revelation 2:18,20

Read below what A.T. Jones wrote about Baal/Sun worship and Jezebel, then think of it through the prism of the church of Thyatira...and what that institution will do in the last days..Then, (in the days of Elijah) Then Again (as Thyatira in the middle ages) and in the Future (implementing the Mark of the Beast-a counterfeit Sabbath. Global Sunday Sacredness mandated by Law)...

"Jezebel deliberately set herself to establish the worship of Baal among all Israel.

As we know, a great part of Israel was idolatrous already, in honor of Egyptian idols.
But it was not enough for Jezebel that idolatry should abound;
Baal must be the idol.
It was not enough that one god should be worshiped;
Baal must be that one.
It was not enough for her that some, or even most, of the people should worship the sun; they must all do it.

Consequently she made a systematic attempt, absolutely to suppress the worship of the Lord, and to establish the worship of sun in His place. 

All must be compelled, under penalty of death, to adopt the

worship of the sun. She therefore began to cut off all who still clung to the worship of Jehovah. By such measures, she brought the kingdom to the point where there were only seven thousand out of all Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal; and these escaped only by taking refuge in dens and caves of the earth. They were so widely scattered and so little known to one another, that Elijah thought he was the only one left alive.

As we have seen, sun-worship was in fact only the worship of the principle of generation in nature. It was held that the sun in co-

operation with the earth, was the begetter of all fruitfulness upon the earth. This was the theory of sun-worship as represented in Baal-worship, as well as in all other forms: it being the theory that the sun and the earth together were sufficient for all life, and that it was by the power of the sun that the earth, even, was caused to be fruitful."
Empires of the Bible by A.T. Jones