These give in Rev. 2 and 3. a panoramic history of the Church of God, from the apostolic times to the Lord’s return. Thus, briefly, Ephesus represents the first departure of the Church from love to Christ, Smyrna the terrible persecutions which followed under the Roman emperors, Pergamos is the early Catholic Church, when the emperors no longer persecuted but patronized it. Thyatira, Roman Catholicism. Sardis, Protestantism, while Philadelphia and Laodicea respectively represent those that are faithful and unfaithful to Christ immediately before His return, differing from the other churches in the fact that, while they get both praise and blame, Philadelphia gets only the former, and Laodicea only the latter. It may be remarked that the four last churches are only characterized by the words, “Till I come,” showing that all four go on together until Christ’s return.