Revelation 1:9-11 English Standard Version
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
Psalm 50:23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”
International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia
Order: (‘arakh, “to arrange”; tassein ( diatassein, taxis, tagma)): “Order” in Biblical phrases may indicate
(1) arrangement in rows,
(2) sequence in time,
(3) classification and organization,
(4) likeness or manner,
(5) regulation, direction or command, or
(6) the declaring of a will.
In many passages it is difficult if not impossible to determine from the English text alone in which of these senses the word is used. (end quote)
We must keep these issues in mind that the word order indicates that these issues are important to God but do not imply that the order in which these churches are listed is one of sequence of time. Nor does it eliminate that possibility.
We may find that (4) likeness or manner is noted in our own experiences in that it appears to be something we see happening during our own lives. Then again, not all of our experiences and observations are equal.
What can be observed is that the advice contained in each and every church is important to God and should not be written off as unimportant in our own time period. Just because we do not see it in our church does not mean it isn’t happening in others.
Things to avoid because of instruction are good for all ages.