Seven Stages of Church History

R.L.,

I do not believe the seven churches of Revelation represent seven stages of church history, although the particular situations of these churches mirror a repeated process of obedience and disobedience that have plagued not only the New Testament church but also Israel and Judah. In that sense, they are symbolic but not representative. Just my 2 cents.

 

And they possibly symbolize parts of the church in all ages.

 

Just seven churches, some of whom failed then in the same manner that churches fail today.

 

Are, they, the outgrowth of this, " I will build my church;" and are the failures the result of, "the gates of hell"?

At what point, "in time," will, "they/it," overcome the gates of hell, and or, the gates of hell will no longer prevail against her?

 

Does that verse mean that every local church ever built will endure to the end? I don't believe it does. There will always be a church, but, sadly, plenty of local churches have met their end.

Or do we allegorize the Ottoman beylik that conquered Asia Minor as the gates of hell?

 

No it means that Satan will never wipe out the church however much he tries.

 

I believe it means exactly what it says,

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

I believe those underlined and those in bold are both in the church of Matt 16:18 with the ones underlined having passed through the gates of Hades.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

I believe those of 1 Cor 15:50,51 are the same, of the church of Matt 16 and of those of 1 Thes 4:13-17

Thus the statement V 55 where, O Death, thy sting? where, O Hades, thy victory?'