I have been doing some study on the book of Revelation and recently learned that all my views were wrong! My premillennial view was incorrect. But I have one lingering question: How are the seven churches of Revelation 2-3 symbolic in representing seven periods of church history? Where do scholars come up with this? Supposedly we are in the last church period characterized as the church of Laodicea -- a lukewarm church. Is this a valid viewpoint? -- Mark Pinkney (Atlanta)

I think you are attributing the "historicist" view to your local church leaders. This view holds that Revelation describes the church through the centuries era by era. (That is not what premillennialists teach.) Yes, in the Bible the number seven is often symbolic or representative. The seven churches of the province of Asia in Revelation 2-3 seem to represent all of Christianity in the first century; they are not seven consecutive eras.

So to answer your question, No, I do not think this is a valid viewpoint. For more, please hear my audio series Revelation and the End of the World.

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