Letters to the Seven Churches

Many commentators assume that John’s letters to the seven church in Revelation are prophecies for the future still waiting to be fulfilled. This is a mistake.

The letters were written to actual churches in the first century. The warnings would have been fulfilled at the time, unless the church repented.

Of course, the letters contain principles that still apply. If a church does this, that will happen. So we will see a particular letter being fulfilled from time to time, if a church behaves in the way described in the letter. ie if the cap fits you will wear it.

But the letters are not a sequence that cover church history.