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Originally Posted by Ohio
I definitely agree that these 7 churches are not historically sequential only.
How interesting is it that the strongest proponents of these views, including Darby, Nee, and Lee, all taught that their assemblies were the fulfillment of Philadelphia?
...Biblical "common sense" tells us that the warnings and the blessings of all seven churches are urgently needed today.
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The letters to the 7 churches were universal, "to show his servants these things which must quickly take place". Each church was to read all the letters.
I see no indication in the text that folks in the first century were supposed to understand that these 7 letters stood for successive "church ages" spanning centuries in the far future. One must then conclude that if so, either John didn't realize the import of his own writings, or his "hidden meaning" wasn't discovered until Darby et al, at which point they discovered that they were the Recovered Church of Brotherly Love. How very convenient. Like the Apostle of the Age recovering the Truth about One Apostle per Age. Or those who meet on the True Ground of the Church, realizing, Hey, they are the (only) ones meeting on the True Ground of the Church. How conveniently self-serving. Let's all congratulate ourselves on having arrived. Too bad for everyone that isn't Me and My Chosen Band.
Even Paul had to admit, "We have not yet laid hold"... what would he have thought of all this thinly disguised self promotion, I wonder.