7 Churches of Revelation

The 7 churches of Revelation/Apocalypse 2-3 were 7 churches in the times of the apostle John (between 30s to 100 ad), but many agree that they seem to also match 7 church ages between the time of Jesus and modern/future times because the details are similar to the history of christianity/church. This may be supported by the match with the 7 x 7 in Zechariah. (7 lampstands/candlesticks could be either one menorah or 7 menorahs.) 7 x 7 = 49, and 49/50/52 is the pentecost. However, we have made even further possible discoveries that the 7 churches may also analogously match 7 centres of the 7 church ages:

1 Ephesus - Jerusalem
2 Smyrna - Alexandria
3 Pergamum - Rome
4 Thyatira - Constantintople
5 Sardis - not sure (see post when comes for candidates)
6 Philadelphia - Philadelphia in USA
7 Laodicea - London.

We have already leaked info on these in some forums in last few years, but this is a more improved and easier to read version. Part 1:

1. Ephesus:

Ephesus the 1st of the 7 churches certainly seems to match (the early church with centre at) Jerusalem, as seen by that the details of Ephesus are very analogously similar to ones of Jerusalem.

Ephesus meaning of name: "desirable" / "overseer/rule", or "border".

Name is similar to Jebus or Cephas or Eucharistus/Evaristus or Jesus or Ephrathah or Ebionites or Essenes or episcopal "bishop" or Eve.

Ephesus secular historical/geographical details:
- original inhabitants Carians & Leleges followed by Ionians,
- Croesus,
- gateway to the east,
- one of oldest  cities of Asia Minor,
- centre of Roman province of Asia,
- "in the Roman province of Asia no city was more important than Ephesus",
- seat of proconsul,
- shrine/temple of many-breasted divine mother Diana/Artemis who was worshiped all over Asia (compare "Jerusalem is the mother of us all", - "mother church", "Mary Mother of God"),
(- Diana/Artemis/Ashera virgin goddess,)
- temple one of the 7 wonders of the world,
- visited/founded by Paul,
- "John church leader in Ephesus",
- epistle/letter to Ephesians,
- capital of Ionia,
- on Aegean sea,
- zealous,
- one of chief centres of Eastern church / important centre of christianity / Christian centre of Asia,
- important commercial city,
- importance as a religious centre,
- substantial Jewish population,
- home of Timothy,
- noted for commerce, learning, architecture,
- riot at Ephesus in Acts,
- surrendered to Cyrus,
- destroyed by an inundation (compare the diaspora "flood"),
- "today Ephesus is a desolate ruin",
- temple destroyed by maniac,
- ruined by quake 17 ad,
- Paul preached here,
- scene of ecclesiastical riots,
- church councils,
- regular excavations,
- Ephesians decree in Josephus,
- south of Smyrna,
- "one of most important cities of Roman Empire alongside Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, Corinth (compare 7 church patriarchates included Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome).
- center/temple of imperial cult / caesar worship (compare Romans put Jupiter in temple, and Jerusalem is a catholic centre).
- Inscription stone at Ephesus similar to temple one in Jerusalem.

Ephesus/letter details in Revelation 2:
- 1st of 7 churches,
- apostles,
- midst of paradise (compare ideas that Jerusalem is site of Eden),
- "works/teaching of the Nicolatines" ("victory over the people", clergy ruling the people, also at Pergamum),
- 7 lampstands/candlesticks (menorah/menorahs, hanukah),
- "Saturday" (ref B Thierring)? (Though more likely 1st church matches 1st day?)

2. Smyrna

Smyrna the 2nd of the 7 churches seems to symbolise the persecuted church, with its centre maybe at Alexandria (Egypt) or else Antioch (Syria)? As we see below that the details of Smyrna are very analogously similar to ones of Alexandria/Egypt:

Smyrna means "myrrh", or "goddess Myrrha".

The name Smyrna/Izmir is maybe similar to "Symon zelotis Egiptum" or Simon Stylites or Sara or St Mark (Pharos) or Stella Maris (Isis/Mary) or Mizraim?
(Maybe connected with St Nicholas of Myra?)

Details of Smyrna from general history and geography:
- large sea-port town,
- gifted with a free civic life by Romans,
- one of earliest places to establish imperial cult,
- emperors worshiped as gods in temples erected in their honour,
- myrrh exported for manufacture of perfume & incense as well as for medicinal use,
- important city on west coast of Ionia,
- old city dates back to Theseus,
- Alexander the Great built the new city,
- became subject to Rome,
- noted for beauty,
- Christianity got early foothold there,
- a centre of early christianity,
- sent bishop to Nicea 325,
- mixed nationalities and creeds,
- considerable commercial importance,
- at head of gulf,
- figs, raisins, tobacco, carpets, rugs,
- chief commerical centre of Levant.

Details of Smyrna from Revelation/Apocalypse 2:
- 2nd church between 1st Ephesus/Jerusalem & 3rd Pergamum/Rome. (Compare concord between Ephesus/Artemis and Alexandria/Serapis might match 1st & 2nd churches Ephesus & Smyrna/Alexandria?)
- "who was dead and has come to life" (= Serapis?)
- oppression (= compare Hebrew slaves in Egypt?)
- synagogue of Satan of "those who say they are Jews but are not" (also at 6th church Philadelphia) (= proseuche prototype of synagogue at Alexandria? archisynagogus at Alexandria? Set/Seth? synod?)
- 10 days persecution (= "10 persecutions from Nero 67 ad to Diocletian 313 ad"? 10 yrs persecution of Diocletian 303-313?)

Alexandria was a centre of early christianity and/or heresies, in times between the apostolic church and later Roman church (Gnostics, Apocrypha, Nag Hammadi text, Septuagint, Oxyrhynchus, St Mark, Jacobites, Coptic, Simon Stylites, St Antony, Sara, one of the 5/7 patriarchates, etc).

3. Pergamum.

The 3rd church Pergamum seems to match church centred at Rome, as seen by that the details analogously match Rome:

Name Pergamum/Pergamos means "tower, citadel, heights, fortress" (maybe also a hint of -gamy "(sacred-)marriage"?) Compare St Peter's & the obelisk in front of the Vatican. (May also match the forts of feudalism of the middle ages?)

Details of Pergamum/letter in history & geography:
- large city in Mysia, a city of Mysia, nw Asia minor,
- chief centre for worship of (Roman) emperors,
- refusal to sacrifice to emperors the supreme test,
- parchment,
- famous as a Greek centre of art & culture (classics),
- temple of Zeus (Jupiter),
- temple of Augustus,
- Berosus,
- near Lesbos/Lesbians,
- celebrated for library, library rivaled Alexandria's, library transfered to Alexandria, (compare Vatican library)
- centre moved from Babylon to Pergamos to Rome (ref Hislop).

Details of Pergamum/letter in Revelation:
- where Satan's throne is, where Satan dwells (compare the throne that pope sits on, compare 4th beast dragon in Daniel).
- witness/martyr Antipas (meaning "like the father" or "anti father/pope" or "in place of father") "my faithful one" killed in the midst of you (compare Telemachus/Almachus killed in Colosseum in ca 391/404/410 ad? Pope Joan/Agnes/Anglicus slain in street in Rome? "great martyr" pope Telesphorus? Paul executed in Rome?)
- teaching of Nicolatines (Nico-las "(clergy's) victory over the people". pope Nicholas Breakspear? Nicolo Macchiaveli? council of Nicea? Santa Claus?)
- hidden manna ("supernatural food", compare catholic mass waffers)
- at the hghst top/peak of arch of 7 churches plotted on map going from Ephesus (s.w.) upto Pergamum (n.w.) and back down to Laodicea (s.e.).