Dr. Couch, I understand many dispensationalists hold to the “time period” in
interpreting the seven churches of the book of Revelation. Is there a
normative dispensational view concerning these seven churches? What
position holds the greatest weight?
There is no evidence in Revelation 2-3 that these seven churches
represent seven periods of church history, if that is what you are
referring to! I use the desert island interpretation and method of
studying the Bible. If I was on a desert island, and had no Bible with
study notes with me, simply a King James Version, let’s say, how would I
take the clear and normative reading of these seven churches?
I would interpret them in a normal, contextual, ordinary sense. These
were seven actual, existing churches that John was addressing in his
day! Any other approach is a “stretch” and is not indicated in the
verses. Many Bible teachers are not consistent, though all should be.
And I know for a fact that dispensationalists are the most consistent,
from Genesis to Revelation, above say, the Reformed folks who are
allegorists.
To say that the seven churches represent seven periods of church history is a form of allegory and some dispensationalists
wrongly have fallen into that “spiritualized” trap! You need to get my Handbook to the Book of Revelation (Kregel)
found on the Scofield Prophecy bookstore.
I discuss this issue thoroughly. Larkin appears to be the first
dispensationalist who came up with the Church-age view. While I admire
so much that Larkin did for early dispensationalism, he was wrong with
this Church-age view. I write in my Handbook:
This view, however, faces several problems. First, to make the seven churches representative of church history, one has to force the specific problems of each congregation into a certain period of church history. And those issues do not fit as easily a one may wish. Church history is far more complex.
Second, the Scriptures give no indication that the churches are to be understood in this way. We should not impose on the Scriptures a theory without some evidence that it stems from the Bible. Third, one can readily observe that all seven kinds of congregations exist now and have probably existed simultaneously throughout much of church history. (p. 127)
Thanks for asking,
Dr. Mal Couch
