Identifying the Spirit of the Age

[Thad]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

Good point.

Amazing that when the laity rules, the church ends up lukewarm.

seems everything in life is a balance though don't you think ?

IF a man is given too much power they often abuse it and the people & the church suffers. but if the people rule, it's as you say, the church ends up lukewarm.

I've seen churches with no boards, no trustees, the pastor was like King Tut, then I've seen board ran churches and what a distaster that was too

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by ManOfWord

William Marion Branham believed and taught that he was the 7th angel to the 7th church age. However, this dispensational view of the 7 churches corresponding to the 7 church ages did not originate with him.

Does anyone have any information on the teaching of the 7 churches in revelation being indicative of church ages going on before William Branham.

Also... is there any reason that we would view these letters as church ages?

[Nahum]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Does anyone have any information on the teaching of the 7 churches in revelation being indicative of church ages going on before William Branham.

Also... is there any reason that we would view these letters as church ages?

Arthur Pink's prophecy book pre-dates this. I can't remember the name of it. ARRRGGGGH!

I also know that dispensationalism has been around for over a century.

FYI, these letters are literal.

[SDG]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

FYI, these letters are literal.

Absolutely.

[Thad]

i have the book that Branham wrote about the 7 churches and him being the 7th angel of course. as i've stated many times, my Bro in law's family are all branhamites we use to have C'mas with them and they gave me this book.
what PP wrote is not the same thing

[Nahum]

http://www.pbministries.org/books/pi...ks_archive.htm

Click on this link and read "A Study of Dispensationalism" by Arthur Pink

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

Arthur Pink's prophecy book pre-dates this. I can't remember the name of it. ARRRGGGGH!

I also know that dispensationalism has been around for over a century.

FYI, these letters are literal.

Yes sir... I probably have a completely wrong view of dispensationalism. I have always thought of dispensationalism as what was taught in Search For Truth.... dispensation of grace... dispensation of law etc.

That is why I have seen a difference between dispensationalism and the church ages... I guess I had that wrong.

I too feel that the letters were literal.

I see no biblical reason to view these letters as church ages.

[Nahum]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Yes sir... I probably have a completely wrong view of dispensationalism. I have always thought of dispensationalism as what was taught in Search For Truth.... dispensation of grace... dispensation of law etc.

That is why I have seen a difference between dispensationalism and the church ages... I guess I had that wrong.

I too feel that the letters were literal.

I see no biblical reason to view these letters as church ages.

I think there are attitudes found in these churches that have resurfaced throughout church history. I guess I am a dispensationalist in that regard.

But, I'm with you, these letters were literal - and meant for the pastors of specific churches at the time.

When we look carefully, we can glean lessons regarding the grace and judgement of God towards his pastors and churches. I see no other specific examples in the Word, of direct communication from God to His pastors, that compares to the events of Revelation 1-3.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

I think there are attitudes found in these churches that have resurfaced throughout church history. I guess I am a dispensationalist in that regard.

But, I'm with you, these letters were literal - and meant for the pastors of specific churches at the time.

When we look carefully, we can glean lessons regarding the grace and judgement of God towards his pastors and churches. I see no other specific examples in the Word, of direct communication from God to His pastors, that compares to the events of Revelation 1-3.

Yes sir... everything is so subjective to me.

I wonder if there is any point in Christian history that someone in that age wouldn't have tagged it as "Laodicean".

Probably not...

We can see anything in any particular part of time that we want to.

If someone wants to take lessons from the letters that would be one thing... but it just seems too flimsy for someone to make a belief of it.