Introduction
The first century was the best of church history; it was the worst of persecution, it was the age of faith, it was an age of fear, it was the era of belief, it was an era of doubt, it was the season of virtue, it was a season of evil, it was the beginning of hope, it was the end of death. What the Holy Spirit said to the seven churches in Revelation covered all these themes (see Rev. 1-3). They were each located in the Roman province of Asia. In ancient times, the seven cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea followed the same carrier route in a northward arc. John ordered them by their distance from Patmos, his place of exile, around AD 80 (Rev. 1:4, 11, 20). The modern Turkish cities approximate these locations: Selçuk, İzmir, Bergama, Akhisar, Sart, Alaşehir, and Denizli.
When interpreting Revelation, theologians categorize all end times perspectives into four categories: futurism, historicism, idealism, and preterism. Futurists consider most events in Revelation and other apocalyptic texts, such as Daniel, to be primarily in the future. This is the most common view in eschatology, the study of the end times (see "Revelation: Then, Now, and Not Yet"). They believe the fulfillment of Revelation to be a succession of current and future events. Alternatively, historicists read John's apocalypse to see how it plays out gradually throughout the Christian era. For example, they may hold Nero (37–68), Leo X (1475–1521), or Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) to be the antichrist for their specified times in history. Idealists reflect on abstract ideas and virtues when interpreting Revelation. Therefore, the antichrist could be something more like a zeitgeist, or spirit of the age, that affects all humankind rather than a specific individual. Finally, preterists understand that the apocalyptic events narrated by John primarily or entirely happened in the first century. Therefore, Christians read the New Testament not to anticipate the end times but to participate in God's covenant with the church. This article features all four eschatological views.
What the Spirit Is Saying to the Seven Churches
In scripture, the number seven represents completion and wholeness (e.g., Gen. 2:1-2; Exod. 20:10-11; Matt. 18:21-22). It is also the number of branches on the menorah (H4501) and the temple's lampstand (shown at the top). With this in mind, let us consider the seven churches in Revelation as a model of all Christendom throughout time and space. In other words, the Holy Spirit still speaks to the churches today, and Jesus still delegates a messenger to our lampstands. First, we must realize what the Spirit said to the first-century congregations of Asia Minor to grasp what he is saying to us now. Each letter presents this basic format: a christological greeting, details about the community, and a criticism accompanied by encouragement. Jesus ended each letter by saying, "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." The following paragraphs include a historical-grammatical exposition of the text, blending the first-century view with a twenty-first-century parallel.
Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7): Paul of Tarsus founded the church of Ephesus during his two-year stay sometime between AD 53 and 55 (see Acts 19:1, 10). The Christians there had to stand firm in a city renowned for its pagan tourism industry centered around its giant statue of Artemis (see Acts 19:35). It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Jesus praised the Ephesians' devotion to God in such a hostile atmosphere. Yet, their love for him grew cold while they fended off imperial cultists and heretics who professed Jesus. They forgot Paul's lesson to their Aegean neighbors in Corinth: "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing" (1 Cor. 13:2). Jesus contrasted the Artemis cult's tree orchard with the Tree of Life in the garden (paradeisos; G3857, "paradise") created by God (see Gen. 2:8-9).
Ephesus today represents those who emphasize doctrine but do so without compassion. They are "heresy hunters" who cannot read scripture without considering their following argument over the finer points of theology. Many lose their sense of divine mystery, if not their faith in God outright. While it is noble to defend the faith against outside threats of skepticism and inside dangers of false teaching, the modern "Ephesian" must not forget the point: hope in the resurrection (see 1 Pet. 3:15, 21).
We moderns are not above making pilgrimages to visit monuments such as the Statue of Liberty. While it is good to appreciate where you live and work to improve your community as a law-abiding citizen, let that not blind us to love God and our neighbor. If patriotism means having a fondness for the land of one's fathers (Latin: patria), then we do not sin. Yet, if such devotion becomes nationalism, the supremacy of one's nation over others, we must repent (see "Sacralism: Patriot or Pilgrim"). God places us in our times and borders (see Acts 17:26), and Jesus also tells us to baptize disciples from all nations (see Matt. 28:19).
Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11): This city was also very loyal to Rome, which rewarded it with various building projects such as universities and medical centers. Its civic architecture was stunning. However, the Smyrnaean Christians were poor, but Jesus commended them for their spiritual wealth. Like Ephesus, Smyrna was a major epicenter for the Roman imperial cult, and they tried to outdo their Ephesian counterparts in dedication to Caesar. The church of Smyrna also had to deal with a Jewish population hostile to Christians, often turning in their neighbors for calling Jesus "Lord and God" instead of Domitian. While Roman law exempted Jews throughout the empire from having to pay tribute to Caesar, they now deemed Christians as a separate religious sect (see "Jew & Gentile: Parting Ways"). The synagogue leaders agreed as they considered the followers of Jesus to be a ragtag group of apostate Jews and their heathen converts. In his gospel, John noted, ". . . the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue" (9:22). Around the time John penned Revelation, the synagogue leaders added this malediction to their liturgical Eighteen Benedictions titled Birkat ha-Minim (H1293, H4327, "Blessing on the Heretics," i.e., Jews with unorthodox kinds of beliefs):
For the apostates let there be no hope . . . Let the nozerim ["Nazarenes," believers in Jesus of Nazareth; see Acts 24:5] and the minim [Jewish heretics] be destroyed in a moment. And let them be blotted out of the Book of Life and not be inscribed together with the righteous. Blessed are you, LORD, who humbles the arrogant.
Jesus called these leaders the "synagogue of Satan" because of their violent and bitter hatred of his followers in the Smyrnaean church. Do not read this as an antisemitic slur because this was an in-house criticism of Jews by Jews. Furthermore, the Essenes—the ascetic Jewish community who lived at Qumran and wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls—also labeled corrupt leaders as the "synagogue of Beliar," another name for Satan (1QH 2:22; cf. 2 Cor. 6:15). Jesus warned the church that the Romans would imprison them for ten days, a numerical symbol of obedience to God (e.g., Ten Commandments, ten-percent tithe). For their endurance, Jesus promised the crown of life to outlast the laurel wreaths earned by Olympic athletes.
Smyrna today represents low-income and working-class Christians who know they have riches stored in heaven. They respond to God's sovereign grace through faith despite threats of violence and murder in their neighborhoods. Unfortunately, many nonprofit businesses and parachurch ministries in these places are toxic. They demand money from downtrodden people and are eager to report addicts of drugs and alcohol to law enforcement instead of rehabilitation clinics. The modern "Smyrnaean" does not idolize celebrities of entertainment, professional sports, or even church leadership but looks up to Jesus as the only recipient of their devotion.
Pergamum (Rev. 2:12-17): What Jesus called the "throne of Satan" is now an archaeological restoration at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. Pergamum's Gentiles offered Caesar incense at this high altar dedicated to Zeus in the first century. The city was very loyal to Rome, especially during the persecution of the church by the emperor Domitian (AD 51–96). Some Christians, such as Antipas, had been martyred in Jesus' name for refusing to call Domitian "Lord and God" as he demanded. However, the Pergamonian church trifled with pagan beliefs and a heretical sect known as the "Nicolaitans," whom Jesus compared to Balaam son of Beor, a Mesopotamian false prophet who misled Israel into paganism (see Num. 22; Deut. 23:4). Some of the members still worshiped idols and solicited the cultic prostitutes. Jesus told them to repent (metanoeō; G3340) to change their minds about sin or face swift judgment. Yet, those who stand firm God will strengthen with manna as he did the Israelites (see Exod. 16:31). He will also engrave their names onto a small white stone. In ancient Rome, politicians awarded victorious athletes a white stone they could use for admission into private feasts held in honor of their idols. As the faithful Lord and God (see Rev. 1:8), Jesus will outdo the Romans by offering admission to the eternal heavenly banquet prepared only for those who endure the world (see Matt. 12:1-14; Luke 14:15).
Pergamum today represents those churches that dabble in culture and sinful customs while claiming to follow Jesus. This applies to churchgoers in developed nations who blend postmodern and humanistic views with scripture and those in developing countries who syncretize indigenous forms of paganism with Christianity. In short, both humanism and paganism deny the existence of one true God, thereby making truth relative to one's culture and place in history. The "Pergamonian" of today must realize "the LORD our God, the LORD is one" (Deut. 6:4). He is the absolute truth for all nations no matter what (see "Axial Age & Christianity"). If we endure to death with this belief, Jesus will give us that VIP ticket to his heavenly wedding feast to celebrate his victory.
Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29): This was the hometown of Lydia, the dye merchant Paul baptized in Philippi (see Acts 16:11-15, 40). She may have had a role in planting the Thyatira church afterward. If so, Lydia's piety contrasts with the idolatry of Jezebel, a wicked queen who forced the Israelites to forsake God and worship idols (see 1 Kgs. 16:31; 18:4-19; 19:1). Idolatry also served as the underlying motif when Jesus spoke of his eyes burning with flames and his feet appearing like burnished bronze. Thyatira was a metalworking city, and its bestselling merchandise was bronze idols forged by fire. Perhaps Jesus used the illustration of an adulterous woman to jog their memory of Lydia. The church leaders of Thyatira were derelict because of their false teaching and intimidation of faithful members. Just like when God told the prophet Elijah that he had a faithful remnant in Israel who opposed Jezebel (see 1 Kgs. 19:18; Rom. 11:4), he was keeping a group of devout believers that would endure to the end (see Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13; James 1:12) and govern nations during Christ's millennial reign. They would also receive the "morning star," an allusion to the planet Venus, symbolizing victory in Greco-Roman culture. However, its main typology was a messianic interpretation of Numbers 24:17, pointing to Jesus' mention of a sword emanating from him (see Rev. 2:12, 16).
Thyatira today represents those who distort the Christian faith to make it adhere to postmodernism and secular humanism. Although we moderns may not worship physical idols, we must recognize philosophies that negate God's existence, attributes, or sovereignty. Moreover, we must not be deceived by them to deny that Jesus came as God himself in human form, died on the cross, and experienced a physical resurrection. John rightly called anyone who refused these tenets an antichrist (see 1 John 2:22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7). Just as Thyatira, our churches are plagued with false teachers who browbeat sincere Christians foment schisms among parishes and denominations.
Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6): This was the only city out of the seven that did not have an imperial cult. The Sardian Gentiles had a better relationship with their Jewish community than the others. As a result, the church of Sardis reflected their pagan neighbors in culture and socioeconomics. They could openly profess their Christian faith without persecution and reach out to unbelievers. While this made the Sardians feel "alive" and relevant, Jesus scolded them for faithless and ineffective works. The city of Sardis had a dubious history of being caught off guard after dark, from various raids that startled absent-minded guards to an earthquake in AD 17. Likewise, Jesus said his return would also catch them by surprise if they did not keep watch for it (see Matt. 24:43; Luke 12:39). There was a small minority among the Christians of Sardis who were faithful to Jesus. In ancient times, no one dared walk into a temple wearing dirty clothing. The Sardian church soiled their clothes with sin as one who dyed plain fabrics, but Jesus would give them the white robe of glorification if they repented.
Sardis today represents the megachurches of today that teach something like the gospel but dilute it by focusing on wealth creation and other everyday concerns. They pride themselves on having extensive programs for all ages and demographics, especially their relationship with the outside world. In general, megachurches downplay genuine discipleship of Jesus to recruit new members with vain promises of good health and great wealth. Like the church of Sardis, megachurches exist in affluent districts in and around large cities. However, their cultural influence rarely translates to a spiritual revival of the community at large. The "Sardian" of today must expect Jesus' return, knowing and teaching others about him. Only those who endure suffering in the name of Christ will receive a white robe, eternal riches, and perpetual well-being (see Rev. 7:14)
Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13): This city was founded by Attalus II (159–138 BC), who received the nickname Philadelphos (G5361, "brotherly love") because of his loyalty to his brother Eumenes II (d. 160/159 BC) on the battlefield and in government. However, in the first century, the residents wanted to rename it "New Caesarea" because the emperor Tiberius (42 BC–AD 37) generously relieved Philadelphia from having to pay taxes for five years after an earthquake leveled it in AD 17 (Tacitus, Annals 2.47). The city suffered many other seismic events over twenty years. Jesus compares and contrasts these themes to promise the Philadelphians relief greater than anything a political leader could offer. Unlike the past catastrophic earthquakes, the Philadelphia church would be an unshakeable "pillar" of faith and stability. Rather than becoming a "New Caesarea," the Philadelphian church would inherit the heavenly "New Jerusalem" for eternity. They knew about the Romans' sack of Jerusalem and the desecration of the temple in AD 70. This would also be the capital of a new Israel, uniting Jews and Gentiles without the fear of ex-communication from the "synagogue of Satan."
Philadelphia today represents those Christians who have Post-Traumatic Church Disorder (PTCD), a form of spiritual trauma not unlike Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). They have an unshakeable faith in Jesus despite being shaken from past spiritual abuse under manipulative church leaders and the outside world. While the ancient church of Philadelphia had good leaders, the allegory of unshakeable faith best describes those Christians who remain faithful to God no matter what. This applies to believers who gather in war zones and nations hostile to Christianity. The "Philadelphian" extends familial love to fellow Christians and knows that "church shouldn't hurt." Jesus rewards them with God's peace "that exceeds all understanding" (Phil. 4:7).
Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22): Whereas Jesus focused on historical details with the other six Asia Minor cities, he alluded to physical geography with Laodicea. The town was dead center between Hierapolis' hot springs and Colossae's cold streams. As a result, the water piped in from the local aqueducts was lukewarm. While thermal water was beneficial for therapy and cool water was helpful for drinking, the ancients judged tepid water uselessly. Yet, Laodicea was a wealthy city despite its poor water quality. Jesus was reprimanding them for being so ineffective. Both hot and cold are valid expressions of the Christian faith, meaning the church is a place of healing and relief. In the text, Jesus spits lukewarm water from his mouth out of distaste, just as we do today. In ancient times, it sickened people due to its high, unfiltered mineral content. In other words, the church of Laodicea was making their neighbors spiritually ill, not just failing to convert them with evangelistic zeal.
In AD 60, a significant earthquake rattled Laodicea. When Rome offered a disaster relief package, the city declined, mentioning its strong economy and self-reliance. Instead of bragging about their wealth, Jesus instructed the Laodiceans to humble themselves before God to obtain eternal riches in heaven rather than temporal ones on earth. Laodicea was distinguished for its international banking system, black wool textiles, medical school, and the manufacture of its famous collyrium. Accordingly, Jesus told the Laodicean Christians that they could heal and treat their neighbors' spiritual blindness. Paul greeted the Lycus Valley churches of Laodicea and Hierapolis in his letter to nearby Colossae, all three of which were planted by a disciple named Epaphras (see Col. 1:7; 4:12). He also mentioned another epistle he wrote to the Laodiceans that is now lost to us (vv. 2:1; 4:13-16). Sometime between AD 60, when Paul wrote the Colossians letter, and when John composed Revelation, the church of Laodicea lost its faith and efficacy. Jesus asked them to welcome him back into their homes and house churches, but they had to choose.
Laodicea today represents those churches that do not effectively bring healing or comfort to their people. Most of us know what it feels like to work outside for hours and then sip lukewarm water—yuck! The faithful and helpful church must preach the good news of Jesus in a way that inspires sinners to repent and mature in their knowledge of God. We must be careful about communicating the gospel, even if we speak the truth. For example, manipulating people into being saved with an emphasis on hell usually results in shallow religion, not faith. Jesus himself only talked about eternal judgment with believers, especially religious hypocrites such as the Pharisees and Sadducees. The good news that brings us comfort is not that we are merely saved from hellfire, but even more, that we are born anew to know God's perfect love in Christ (see 1 Pet. 1:22-25). The "Laodicean" of today effectively teaches others how to worship God "in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
Conclusion
In conclusion, exploring the themes and interpretations within Revelation offers a multifaceted understanding of the early church's experiences and anticipation of the future. As we delve into the historical context of the seven churches in Asia, we encounter diverse challenges and triumphs, reflecting the dichotomies of faith and fear, virtue and evil, and hope and death that characterized the first century of church history. The geographical and theological positioning of these churches invites us to contemplate the enduring relevance of Revelation's message across time and space. Furthermore, the four eschatological perspectives—futurism, historicism, idealism, and preterism—underscore the richness of interpretation inherent in John's apocalyptic vision. Whether we envision Revelation's prophecies unfolding in the distant future, gradually throughout history, as symbolic representations of timeless truths, or as events primarily confined to the first century, each perspective contributes to a nuanced understanding of God's ultimate purposes for humanity. Ultimately, the study of Revelation transcends mere speculation about the end times; it calls us to actively engage in God's covenant with the church, participating in the ongoing narrative of redemption and restoration. As we navigate the complexities of our own faith journeys, may we draw inspiration from the enduring witness of the early church and remain steadfast in our hope for the fulfillment of God's promises.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe; you led your apostles to nominate ministers everywhere. Grant that your church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable persons for the ministry of Word and sacrament and may sustain them in their work for the expansion of your kingdom; through the Great Shepherd, our souls, Jesus the Messiah our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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