Before I get into the scriptures concerning the 7 churches of Revelation, I want to clarify something about the proper perspective when considering these churches.
I will later amend the introduction article so that it includes this point.
Some say that the churches represent a progression of the apostacy. I do not see it that way. I also will not identify any church with another past or present-day church explicitly. For example, I will not say that one of the 7 churches represents Catholicism and another represents Protestantism.
These are not to be considered churches of time or place, but of type. Heart types.
Why?
We are “hearing” what the “Spirit says unto the churches.” The Spirit will speak concerning the spirit of a matter, not according to the letter of the law. Meaning, not according to the understanding of the literal or of the flesh. Flesh sees physical churches of time and type. Spirit sees the heart.
When I consider these churches, I’m considering their heart towards God and fellow Christians. Therefore, we might be of one or more of these churches at the same time in spirit. Though we might think about correlations between denominations or sects today, it is more profitable that we consider our own selves individually, lest we become accusers, slanderers, and hypocrites.
Jesus Alone 