The Roman province of Asia included more churches than these seven. Why did John single them out?
One theory is that these seven cities may have been centers of seven postal districts. These seven churches all stand on the great circular road which formed a rough circle around the west central part of the Roman province of Asia. As such, these seven sites served as good centers of communication for the surrounding districts. Letters in the first century had to be handwritten, and a letter sent to one church would be passed on to be read by Christians in other congregations.
The more popular theory is that these seven churches represented the seven different ages of the church. For more information, read Revelation Unveiled by Tim LaHaye.
The letters to the seven churches called for the Christians to repent of sin and return to faithfulness and good works; encouraged them to stand firm for Christ against the temptations, trials, and persecutions of the Roman Empire; and promised specific rewards to the martyrs who faced death without denying Christ.
ASIA - was the name of a Roman province in western Asia Minor which included Mysia, Lydia, Caria, and the coastal islands as well as western Phrygia. The borders of this province were, for the most part, those of the earlier kingdom of Pergamos.
The kingdom of Pergamos gained its independence from the Seleucids with help from the Romans. By the time of Augustus, the first Roman emperor (27 B.C. -A.D. 14), Asia had become a senatorial province (a Roman political division governed by a proconsul), with Pergamos as its capital.
Three cities continued to compete for the role of principal city: Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos - the first three cities mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Eventually, Ephesus became the chief commercial center and was known as the most prominent city of the province. The Roman Senate granted both Ephesus and Pergamos the right to have three imperial temples for the worship of the emperors.
Although scholars disagree on the time when Ephesus became the capital, it probably occurred after the death of the apostle Paul and perhaps as late as the time of the emperor Hadrian (about A.D. 129). The fact that the martyr Antipas is mentioned in connection with Pergamos (Rev. 2:13) argues for the capital's being at Pergamos during the time the Book of Revelation was written.
The governor of a senatorial province was called a Proconsul, and the proconsulship of Asia became one of the most prized among all in the Roman Empire. The wealth and culture of Asia was legendary. When the New Testament mentions the officers of Ephesus, the term used is Asiarchs (local elected authorities), or "officials of Asia" (Acts 19:31).
The seven cities mentioned in the Book of Revelation follow two principal north-south roads of Asia, beginning with Ephesus, the largest city, and ending inland with Laodicea. John must have known these cities of Asia fairly well, because each of the letters (Revelation 2-3) alludes to some important fact about that city.
At the beginning of his second missionary journey, the apostle Paul was "forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia" (Acts 16:6). Thus, he made his way to Troas, the northwestern seaport of Asia, and entered Europe (Acts 16:6-10). On his return trip, however, he visited Ephesus (Acts 18:9). On his third missionary journey, he spent more than two years in ministry in this region. During this time, "all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the LORD Jesus, both Jews and Greeks" (Acts 19:10).
EPHESUS - a large and important city on the west coast of Asia Minor where the apostle Paul founded a church. A number of factors contributed to the prominence which Ephesus enjoyed.
The first factor was economics. Situated at the mouth of the river Cayster, Ephesus was the most favorable seaport in the province of Asia and the most important trade center west of Tarsus. Today, because of silting from the river, the ruins of the city lie in a swamp 9 to 11 km. (5 to 7 miles) inland.
Another factor was size. Although Pergamum was the capital of the province of Asia in Roman times, Ephesus was the largest city in the province, having a population of perhaps 300,000 people.
A Third factor was culture. Ephesus contained a theater that seated an estimated 25,000 people. A main thoroughfare, some 35 meters wide (105 feet), ran from the theater to the harbor, at each end of which stood an impressive gate. The thoroughfare was flanked on each side by rows of columns 15 meters (50 feet) deep. Behind these columns were baths, gymnasiums, and impressive buildings.
The fourth, and perhaps most significant, reason for the prominence of Ephesus was religion. The Temple of Artemis (or Diana, according to her Roman name) at Ephesus ranked as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. As the twin sister of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus, Artemis was known variously as the moon goddess, the goddes of hunting, and the patroness of young girls. The temple at Ephesus housed the multi-breasted image of Artemis which was reputed to have come directly from Zeus (Acts 19:35).
The temple of Artemis in Paul's day was supported by 127 columns, each of them 60 meters (197 feet) high. The Ephesians took great pride in this grand edifice. During the Roman period, they promoted the worship of Artemis by minting coins with the inscripture, "Diana of Ephesus".
The history of Christianity at Ephesus began probably about A.D. 50, perhaps as a result of the efforts of Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:18). Paul came to Ephesus in about A.D. 52, establishing a resident ministry for the better part of three years (Acts 20:31). During his Ephesian ministry, Paul wrote I Corinthians (I Cor. 16:8).
The Book of Acts reports that "all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the LORD Jesus" (Acts 19:10), while Paul taught during the hot midday hours in the lecture hall of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9). Influence from his ministry undoubtedly resulted in the founding of churches in the Lycus River valley at Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossae.
So influential, in fact, was Paul's ministry at Ephesus that the silversmith's league, which fashioned souvenirs of the temple, feared that the preaching of the gospel would undermine the great temple of Artemis (Acts 19:27). As a result, one of the silversmiths, a man named Demetrius, stirred up a riot against Paul.
During his stay in Ephesus, Paul encountered both great opportunities and great dangers. He baptized believers who apparently came to know the gospel through disciples of John the Baptist (Acts 19:1-5), and he countered the strong influence of magic in Ephesus (Acts 19:11-20).
After Paul departed from Ephesus, Timothy remained to combat false teaching (I Tim. 1:3; II Tim. 4:3; Acts 20:29). Many traditions testify that the apostle John lived in Ephesus toward the end of the first century. In his vision from the island of Patmos off the coast of Asia Minor, John described the church of Ephesus as flourishing, although it was troubled with false teachers and had lost its first love (Rev. 2:1-7). In the sixth century A.D. the Roman emperor Justinian (A.D. 527-565) raised a magnificent church to John's memory in this city.
Ephesus continued to play a prominent role in the history of the early church. A long line of bishops in the Eastern church lived there. In A.D. 431, the Council of Ephesus officially condemned the Nestorian heresy, which taught that there were two separate persons, one divine and one human in the person of Jesus Christ.
For more information about the Ephesian church, see chapter 2 of "Revelation Unveiled" by Tim LaHaye.
SMYRNA - a city in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey) where one of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation was situated (Rev. 1:11; 2:8-11). Smyrna's superb natural harbor made the city an important commerical center. In spite of keen competition from the neighboring cities of Ephesus and Pergamum, Smyrna called itself "the first city of Asia".
As early as 195 B.C., Smyrna foresaw the rising power of Rome and built a temple for pagan Roman worship. In 23 B.C., Smyrna was given the honor of building a temple to the Emperor Tiberius because of its years of faithfulness to Rome. Thus, the city became a center for the cult of emperor worship - a fanatical "religion" that later, under such emperors as Nero (ruled a.D. 54-68) and Domitian (ruled A.D. 81-96), brought on severe persecution for the early church. The apostle John encouraged the persecuted Christians of Smyrna to be "faithful unto death" and they would receive a "crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).
Smyrna, known today as Izmir, is the chief city of Anatolia and one of the strongest cities in modern Turkey. Excavations in the central part of Izmir have uncovered a Roman marketplace from the second century A.D.
For more information on the church of Smyrna, see chapter 3 of "Revelation Unveiled" by Tim LaHaye.
PERGAMOS - The chief city of Mysia, near the Caicus river in northwest Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and the site of one of the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 1:11; 2:12-17; Pergamum, RSV, NIV, NEB, Nasb). The city, situated opposite the island of Lesbos, was about 24 km. (15 mi.) from the Aegean Sea.
In its early history Pergamos became a city-state, then a powerful nation after Attalus I (241-197 B.C.) defeated the Gauls (Galatians). It stood as a symbol of Greek superiority over the barbarians.. Great buildings were erected and a library containing over 200,000 items was established. The Egyptians, concerned with this library which rivaled their own at Alexandria, refused to ship papyrus to Pergamos. As a result, a new form of writing material, Pergamena charta, or parchment, was developed.
In the days of Roman dominance throughout Asia Minor, Pergamos became the capital of the Roman province of Asia. In a gesture of friendship, Mark Antony gave Pergamos' library to Cleopatra; its volumes were moved to Alexandria.
Not only was Pergamos a government center with three imperial temples, but it was also the site of the temple of Asklepios (the Greco-Roman god of medicine and healing), and the medical center where the physician Galen worked (about A.D. 160). Here also was a temple to Athena and a temple to Zeus with an altar showing Zeus defeating snake-like giants. In the Book of Revelation, John spoke of Pergamos as a place "where Satan's throne is" (Rev. 2:13). This could be a reference to the cult of Emperor worship, because Pergamos was a center where this form of loyalty was pledged to the emperor of the Roman Empire.
For more information about Pergamos and the church there, see chapter 4 of "Revelation Unveiled" by Tim LaHaye.
THYATIRA - a city of the province of Lydia in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey) situated on the road from Pergamos to Sardis. The city was on the southern bank of the Lycur River, a branch of the Hermus River.
Although never a large city, Thyatira was a thriving manufacturing and commercial center during New Testament times. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of many trade guilds and unions here. Membership in these trace guilds, necessary for financial and social success, often involved pagan customs and practices such as superstitious worship, union feasts using food sacrificed to pagan gods, and loose sexual morality.
The Book of Revelation refers to a certain woman known as "Jezebel" who taught and beguiled the Christians at Thyatira to conform to the paganism and sexual immorality of their surroundings (Rev. 1:11; 2:18-29). In the church in Thyatira, one of the "seven churches which are in Asia" (Rev. 1:4), Jezebel's followers seem to have been a minority because the majority of Christians in this church are commended.
The apostle Paul's first convert in Europe was "a certain woman named Lydia...a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira" (Acts 16:14). The modern name of Thyatira is Akhisar, which means "white castle".
For more information on Thyatira and its church see chapter 5 of "Revelation Unveiled" by Tim LaHaye.
SARDIS - The capital city of Lydia in the province of Asia, in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The church at Sardis was one of the seven churches mentioned by John in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 3:1-6).
Sardis was situated on the east bank of the Pactolus River about 80 km. (50 mi.) east of Smyrna; it occupied a rocky spur of Mount Tmolus and a valley at the foot of this mountain. In ancient times Sardis was well fortified and easily defended. It became the capital of the ancient Lydian empire, then passed successively to the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans during their respective dominance of the ancient world.
During its days as a Roman city, Sardis became an important Christian center. However, the church at Sardis was evidently affected by the complacency of the city and its reliance on past glory: "You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead" (Reb. 3:1). Sardis, the dead church, was like "whitewashed tombs which...appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones" (Matt. 23:27). Its thriving, healthy appearance masked an inner decay.
The most impressive building on ancient Sardis must have been its magnificent Temple of Artemis, built in the fourth century B.C. The temple was 100 meters (327 feet) long and 50 meters (163 feet) wide and had 78 Ionic columnc, each 17.7 meters (58 feet) high. Some of these columns remain standing until this day.
For more information about Sardis and its church, see chapter 6 of "Revelation Unveiled" by Tim LaHaye.
PHILADELPHIA - a city of the province of Lydia in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and the site of one of the seven churches of Asia to which John wrote in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:11).
Philadelphia was situated on the Cogamus River, a tributary of the Hermus (modern Gediz) and was about 45 ki. (28 mi.) southeast of Sardis. It was founded by Attalus II (Philadelphus), who reigned as king of Pergamos from 159 B.C. until 138 B.C. Philadelphia was a center of the wine industry. Its chief deity was Dionysus, in Greek mythology the god of wine (the Roman Bacchus).
In the Book of Revelation, John describes the church in Philadelphia as the faithful church and the church that stood at the gateway of a great opportunity (Rev. 3:7-13). Christ said to this church, "See, I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it" (v. 8). The "open door" means primarily access to GOD, but it also refers to opportunity for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Still a city of considerable size, Philadelphia is known today as Alasehir, or Allah-shehr ("the city of GOD").
For more information on Philadelphia and the church there, see chapter 7 of "Revelation Unveiled" by Tim LaHaye.
Laodicea - a city in the fertile Lycus Valley of the province of Phrygia where one of the seven churches of Asia Minor was situated (Rev. 3:14). About 65 km. (40 mi.) east of Ephesus and about 16 ki. (10 mi.) west of Colossae, Laodicea was built on the banks of the river Lycus, a tributary of the Maeander River.
The words of the risen Christ to Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22 contain allusions to the economic prosperity and social prominence of the city. Founded by the Seleucids and named for Laodice, the wife of Antiochus II (261-247 B.C.), Laodicea became extremely wealthy during the Roman period. For example, in 62 B.C. Flaccus siezed the annual contribution of the Jews of Laodicea for Jerusalem amounting to 20 pounds of gold. Moreover, when the city was destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 60 (along with Colossae and Hierapolis), it alone refused aid from Rome for rebuilding (compare the self-sufficient attitude of the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:17). Laodicea was known for its black wool industry; it manufactured garments from the raven-black wool produced by the sheep of the surrounding area.
The apostle Paul does not seem to have visited Laodicea at the time he wrote Colossians 2:1. Epaphras, Tychicus, Onesimus, and Mark seem to have been the early messengers of the gospel there (Col. 1:7; 4:7-15). A letter addressed to the Laodiceans by Paul (Col. 4:16) has apparently been lost; some consider it to be a copy of the Ephesian letter. A church council was supposedly held at Laodicea (A.D. 344-363), but all that has come down to us are statements from other councils.
The site of Laodicea is now a deserted heap of ruins that the Turks call Eski Hisar, or "old castle".
According to the comments about the church at Laodicea in the Book of Revelation, this congregation consisted of lukewarm Christians (Rev. 3:14-22). The living LORD demands enthusiasm and total commmitment from those who worship Him.
For more information about the church at Laodicea, see chapter 8 of "Revelation Unveiled" by Tim LaHaye.
Most of the above article was taken from the "Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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