Citizens of New Jerusalem
Jesus Christ has been building His Church since Pentecost AD 33 (or 30).
That church is nearly completed now in 2021.
What will the completed church look like?
Jesus Christ has been building His Church since Pentecost AD 33 (or 30).
That church is nearly completed now in 2021.
What will the completed church look like?
Ephesus 60 million
The Apostolic Age 32-100 AD32-100 AD (~70 years, 2 generations @40 years per generation)
Total Christians from this church in history past: 10% of 300 million per generation or 60 million in two generations.
The total world population at this time was about 300 million.
From 100 AD until now perhaps x millions have come under the umbrella of this church.
We are now 48 generations from the close of the age of Ephesus.
Smyrna 120 million
The Persecuted Church160-320 (~160 years, 4 generations)
Total Christians from this church in history past:The total world population at this time was about 300 million. If 10% became Christians under the aegis of this church, this would be 120 million.
From ~320 AD until now perhaps x millions have come under the umbrella of this church.
Since 320 AD the total number of people who have lived on earth has numbered about 7 billion. (This is the total integrated area under the population growth curve below).
We are now 43 generations from the close of the age of Smyrna.
Pergamum 245 million
The Medieval Church320-600 AD (~280 years, 7 generations)
Total Christians from this church in history past: 10% of 350 million for 7 generations: 245 million
The total world population at this time was about 350 million.
From 600 AD until now perhaps x millions have come under the umbrella of this church.
Since 100 AD the total number of people who have lived on earth has numbered about ~7 billion. (This is the total integrated area under the population growth curve below).
We are now 36 generations after the close of the age of Pergamum
Thyatira 1200 million
The Catholic and Eastern Church300-1500 AD (~1200 years, 30 generations)
Total Christians from this church in history past:The total world population at this time was about 400 million. 10% of 400 million for 30 generations is 1200 million.
From 1500 AD until now perhaps x millions have come under the umbrella of this church.
Since 100 AD the total number of people who have lived on earth has numbered about 7 billion. (This is the total integrated area under the population growth curve below).
We are now 13 generations from the close of the age of Thyatira
Sardis 180 million
The Church of the Reformation1500-1650 (~150 years, 4 generations)
Total Christians from this church in history past:The total world population at this time was about 450 million. 10% of 450 million for 4 generations is 180 million
From 1650 AD until now perhaps x millions have come under the umbrella of this church.
We are now 9 generations from the close of the age of Sardis
Philadelphia 100 million
The Evangelical Church1850-1930 AD (~80 years, 2 generations)
The total world population at this time was about 500 million. Total Christians from this church in history past: 10% of 500 million times 2, or 100 million.From 1930 AD until now perhaps x millions have come under the umbrella of this church.
We are now 2.3 generations since the close of the age of the Philadelphia Church.
Laodicea 900 million
The Church at the End of the Age1930-present (~90 years, 3 generations)
The total world population at this time averaged was about 3 billion. Total Christians from this church in history till now, 10% of 3 billion times 3 or 900 million.
From 1930 AD until now perhaps x millions have come under the umbrella of this church.
Ephesus 60 million
Smyrna 120 million
Pergamum 245 million
Thyatira 1200 million
Sardis 180 million
Philadelphia 100 million
Laodicea 900 million
TOTAL: 2700 million
The Data Below on the Seven Churches is Tentative
I have displayed here a crude estimate of the number of true Christians in each of the Seven Churches. I assumed that 10% of the population in each generation came to know Jesus under the umbrella of the prevailing church. I found a free pie chart generator and my first chart was a bit of a shock. It’s easy to change the data and make more charts.
I need to make a chart of how many have come into each church since that church was in his heyday. For example I did not guess how many people in the church of Thyatira have come to know Jesus since 1500 AD, in the past 13 generations.
I am being generous by claiming that God saves about 10% of the population in each generation and that those saved are members of the dominant church in that age.
This says nothing about evangelism, revivals, and the issue “are the heathen lost?” I suspect the last generation before the Flood of Noah AND the curent Laodicean age of the churvh were both characterized by apostasy. Did this change the total number saved?
Each of the Seven Churches is still drawing in members today. The above list does not take that into account.
It’s probably nonsense to suppose that most of the people who have ever lived were “saved” but who cares? Is hell that big?
Ethnic diversity in New Jerusalem is hinted at in the charts at the bottom. Most of the residents of the heavenly city will not be white Anglo Saxon Protestants like us.
The world population grew from two persons to probably possibly 5 to 17 billion persons (about 20 generations) in the 1656 years years from the creation to the Flood of Noah. Noah preached for 120 years but gained no converts except for his immediate family of 8, assuming that 10% of the people are saved in every generation is naive. (Barry Setterfield estimates the time between Adam and the Flood was 2256 years).
From the Flood to the time of Christ was about 3500 years when the world population grew from 8 to about 300 million at the time Jesus was born. If a generation was 40 years this is 88 generations. we do have a genealogy from Adam to Jesus--77 generations--recorded in Luke. The idea of human progress and advancement is an illusion! The course of civilization has been downhill since the beginning.
Noah 0-930 BC
Seth 130+807=937 years
Enosh 815+90=905 years
Kenan 70+840=910
Mahalelel 60+830=869
Jared 800+162=962
Enoch 365 (translated)
Methusaleh 687
Lamech 182+595=777
Noah 1056 Flood at 600 died age 850 years Population 5-17 billion. I used 9 billion below.
Shem 8
"When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that they were fair; and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. Then the Lord said, ‘My spirit shall not abide in mortals for ever, for they are flesh; their days shall be one hundred and twenty years.’ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterwards—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown.
The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created—people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’
But Noah found favour in the sight of the Lord.
These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
"Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and put the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks. For my part, I am going to bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind shall come in to you, to keep them alive. Also take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them.’ Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him." (Genesis 6)
God has is no respecter of persons. No one is lost unless they choose to remain lost. All are without excuse because the revelation of God in nature is sufficient. (Romans 1:18-20)
There is but one true God over all nations and people. He is the Sovereign Being who created us and He is the Just moral Governor over all human affairs. We are all accountable to Him. God does not govern every age of human history using the same protocol. The season of history now drawing to a close has focused on the calling out of a gentile Bride for His Son, the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua HaMasciach. This interval, now 2000 years in process, began at Pentecost AD 30 (or 33?) and will close with the departure of the Bride of Christ at the Rapture. This season is often called "The Great Parenthesis" because before and after this interlude, the center of God's activity in the world was on Jerusalem and the Jewish people.
In 605 BC, with Israel declining rapidly in regard to obeying their God, God transferred world dominion from Israel to Babylon, ushering in a time of gentile world dominion. Israel's long awaited Messiah, Jesus, arrived exactly at the appointed time but He was rejected.
The Age of the Church now ending focused on world wide evangelism and local churches. The churches acted like "salt" and "light" in a decadent society. God governs the True Church directly through Jesus Christ, plus the original Apostles and Prophets--with the Bible as sole guide and authority. The union of Christ and His Bride will occupy God's people during the ensuing seven yeas of history, while on earth God will manage the nations directly. Individuals can can no longer flee to a local church as a sanctuary but will find they are accountable to one of two sovereigns One is the coming world leader the Bible calls "the Antichrist" and the other is the real Messiah, Jesus Christ.
For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’
But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down)
‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.
For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed?
And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard?
And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?
And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent?
As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’
But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’
So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:5-17)
Psalm 19To the leader. A Psalm of David. The heavens are telling the glory of God; |
The Wife of Jehovah, The Bride of Christ
The Seven Churches in New Jerusalem
The Management of the Universe
The Rapture and the Second Coming
