Having seen the Lord Jesus standing in the midst of the seven-branch candlestick, John then hears Him make an address to each of the seven church ages. The words of our Lord in His address to each age are prophetic, for the first church age had only newly begun when John received his visions, and yet every word the Lord spoke would come to pass precisely.
The Lord’s address in the second chapter of Revelation was to the church ages of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira. The duration of these ages was made known to us by the prophet of God. The Ephesian Church Age was from A.D. 53 to A.D. 170, the Smyrnean Church Age was from A.D. 170 to A.D. 312, the Pergamean Church Age was from A.D. 312 to A.D. 606, and the Thyatirean Church Age was from A.D. 606 to A.D. 1520.
To every church age was sent a messenger, represented by the seven stars in the right hand of Christ in Revelation 1: 20. These messengers are stars, and the church ages are the candlesticks, because the light of both are seen at nighttime, during the absence of the S-O-N Light after Jesus ascended to Heaven following Calvary. The seven church ages would be a time of spiritual darkness where the only Light that could be seen was in the messenger and the elected ones of the age. The Apostle Paul, Ireneaus, Martin, and Columba were the messengers chosen by God to bring the Truth of God’s Word to their respective ages of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira.
It is unfortunate, but the early church gradually fell away from its first love (Revelation 2: 4), which was the original pure apostolic teaching of the Gospel. Coupled to this was the rising up of men who were asserting themselves as an authority on the scriptures, and were manipulating the people to their own will rather than the will of God. This was the deeds of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2: 6), from the Greek word “Nikao,” to conquer, and “Laos,” the laity (people). These deeds or actions of Nicolaitan men would later become doctrine (Revelation 2: 15), when the people accepted it and believed that it was how things should be done, when in fact, there was no biblical foundation for it at all.
The early church also faced much persecution from the might of the Roman Empire because of the Christians refusal to worship pagan gods and partake in pagan practices. An especially brutal terror campaign was launched against the Christians, that except for the mercy of God would have wiped out all the believers. The campaign was carried-out under the Emperor Diocletian, from A.D. 302 to A.D. 312, and is the prophesied ten days of tribulation Jesus spoke of in Revelation 2: 10.
Eventually church and state united under the emperor Constantine, whereby the power of political Rome was swung over to the church following the First Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. The uniting of religion and politics was truly foreknown of the Lord, for the very name of Pergamos means, “thoroughly married.” The Roman Empire had changed its outward texture from being a pagan imperial power to becoming a papal religious power. Now under its new guise, Rome would control by religion even more ably than when imperial Rome controlled by the pure iron of force.
No longer were emperors the rulers of the Roman Empire, but popes would now rise up, claiming to be God’s representatives on the earth. What was formerly deeds (Revelation 2: 6) had now become doctrine (Revelation 2: 15), as the false teaching of the false church was pushed upon the people, and by the use of force from the support of the state, the people had no choice but to submit or suffer the consequences.
What followed was the Dark Ages of intense persecution against the true Christians. The fourth age of Thyatira means “dominating female.” And indeed, the false church had become a dominant force that ruthlessly invaded all, conquered all and despotically controlled all. Jesus called such a church “that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess” (Revelation 2: 20), because she would claim to be God’s mouthpiece on the earth, but her “inerrant” teaching was completely contrary to the scriptures.
By Nicolaitanism (Satan conquering the mind to bring the people under his control), Balaamism (the preaching of a false unity that produces hybrid seed and a corrupt worship [Revelation 2: 14; Numbers 25]), and the Doctrine of Jezebel (the establishing of error as absolute truth [Revelation 2: 20]), all of Europe was taken into bondage; and in time, the whole world would feel the effects of Rome’s satanic influence.
Despite the sufferings the faithful Christians endured whilst surrounded by compromise and apostasy, the Holy Spirit would leave a special word of encouragement to the overcomer, to those who had a spiritual ear that was sensitized to what the Spirit would speak to the elected ones of each age. The Spirit’s uplifting words by the message of each age would give the believer a fresh charge of faith to press on despite the opposition they faced.
Proceed to Revelation Chapter 3