‘I, John... was on
the island called Patmos, because of the word of God
and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on
the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice
like the sound of a trumpet, saying, “Write in a
book what you see, and send it to the Seven
Churches.” Rev. 1:9-11
The Seven Churches mentioned by St. John in the Book
of Revelations ( The Apocalypse) are all found in
Turkey and each was a founding community of
Christianity.
In the book of Revelation of the Bible are written
messages to seven of the most prominent churches of
the Roman Province of Asia, which are located in
western Turkey. When we use the word “church” we
mean a group of Christians, not a building.
Therefore, on a tour of the Seven Churches, we are not
looking for remnants of church structures. However,
a visit to the impressive excavations of the sites
of the ancient Roman cities where these seven
churches existed can be quite fascinating,
informative and moving. These sites show marks of
the passing empires and cultures of the Greeks,
Romans, Byzantines, Selcuk Turks, Ottomans and the
modem Turkish Republic. A visitor to these ancient
places finds remains of massive pagan temples,
beautiful Muslim mosques, as well as many Christian
church buildings, which were of course built much
later in history.
The seven cities mentioned in Revelation form what
the Rev. John Stott calls “an irregular circle”,
and “are listed in the order in which a messenger
might visit them if commissioned to deliver the
letters”. Sailing from the island of Patmos, to
which John had been banished, he would arrive at
Ephesus. He would then travel north to Smyrna and
Pergamum, southeast to Thyatira, Sardis and
Philadelphia, and finish his journey at Laodicea. He
would need only to keep to what Professor William
Ramsey calls “the great circular road that bound
together the most populous, wealthy and influential
part of the Province, the west-central region.”
Though the book of Revelation was penned by the hand
of the Apostle John, it is claimed that these
letters emanate directly from the lips of the
ascended and glorified Jesus Christ. Stott notes
that “in them, by praise and censure, warning and
exhortation, He makes plain much of His will for His
people. The seven churches of Asia, though
historical, represent the local churches of all ages
and of all lands”. The onslaught on the Church was
physical through a persecuting emperor and his
deputies, intellectual through false cults, and
moral through sub-Christian ethical standards. As we
look around the world today, the same pressures are
harassing different churches and the messages in
these letters are also for the Church in the world.
Stott says “it’s a call to Christians to endure
tribulation, to hold fast to the truth, to resist
the deceptions of the devil and to obey the
commandments of God.” In each of the seven letters,
which follow, the risen Christ lays emphasis, either
in rebuke or in commendation, of one particular
characteristic of an ideal church. Put together,
these characteristics constitute the seven marks of
a true and living church.
The Letter to Ephesus urges Christians to return to
a love for Christ (Rev. 2:3-4 “You have left your
first love”). The Apostle Paul spent two and a half
years here on his 3rd missionary journey, and in Acts
19, a riot broke out over the drop in sales of the
silver models of Diana’s temple. According to an
early tradition John replaced Timothy towards the
end of the first century as leader of the Ephesian
church, and probably wrote his first epistle for
them. The excavations done by Austrians are
considered to be the largest excavated ruins in the
world.
The Letter to Smyrna encourages followers to have a
willingness to suffer for Christ (Rev. 2: 10 “Do not
fear what you are about to suffer”). Smyrna is now
the modern city of Izmir, known in history as the
“Pearl of the Aegean”, and is located about 35 miles north of Ephesus. If the first mark of a true
and living church is love, the second is suffering,
for a willingness to suffer proves the genuineness
of love. Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna in the 2nd
century, proved his love when he was martyred here. Izmir (Smyrna) is the only one of the seven that has
had continuous Christian congregations meeting
within the city. |
In the Letter to Pergamum, Christ commends the
church in regards to holding to the truth (Rev.
2:12-13 “You hold fast My name, and did not deny My
faith”), but then reproves them for tolerating some
false prophets. “The seat of Satan” (2:13) may refer
to this city being a strong center of paganism with
many temples on top of the fortified hill known as
an Acropolis. Because of the strong worship of
Asklepios, the god of healing, it became a center of
medicine. The modem excavations of these places are
quite impressive.
The Letter to Thyatira gives emphasis to a holiness
of life (Rev.2:19-20 “I have this against you, that
you tolerate the woman Jezebel “). It was the
smallest of the seven cities and was a garrison city
used to deter enemies from reaching Pergamum, 40
miles to the northwest. It was a prosperous trading
center and the writer knew of the bronze worker
guilds there when he wrote “These are the words of
the Son of God, whose feet are like burnished
bronze” (2:18). Stott tells us that “while the
church manifested love and faith, service and
endurance, there was moral compromise, a lack of
righteousness of character”.
The Letter to Sardis emphasizes the need for inward
reality behind the church’s outward show (Rev. 3:1
“You have the name of being alive, and you are
dead”). Sardis was the converging point of several
inland roads situated in a fertile valley at the
foot of Mount Tmolus. However, its ancient history
was more distinguished than its modern. Once a
splendid and wealthy city, but after severe defeats,
it fell greatly. Its religious history, like its
civil, belonged to the past. The ruins unearthed
give a glimpse of the city’s beautiful past that is
now dead.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches.” Rev. 3:22
The Letter to Philadelphia reminds of the need for
an evangelistic outreach to others (Rev. 3:8
“Behold, I have set before you an open door”). Like
Sardis, it was in the fertile region of the Lydian
kingdom. The severe earthquake of AD 17, which
devastated Sardis almost completely, demolished
Philadelphia. According to Prof William Ramsey, the
intention of the city’s founder had been “to make it
a center of the Greco-Asiatic civilization, and a
means to spreading the Greek language and manners.
It was a missionary city from the beginning.”
The Letter to Laodicea emphasizes a wholeheartedness
in everything (Rev. 3:15-16 “You are lukewarm, and
neither hot nor cold”). About forty miles southeast
of Philadelphia, there are three famous cities
clustered in a valley. Hierapolis stood on the north
of the river, while on the south bank were Laodicea
and Colossae.
Its beginnings and past are not clear but Christ
sends to this church the sternest of the seven
letters. There’s no mention of heretics or
persecutions, simply that they were “neither hot nor
cold”. The hot springs of Hierapolis become lukewarm
by the time they reach Laodicea. Perhaps none of the
seven letters is more appropriate to the modern
Church than this one.
So as you can see, when a visitor comes to these
remarkable Roman ruins carrying his New Testament
and reflects on what happened in the past and
meditates on the universal lessons to be learned
today, a trip to the Seven Churches of Revelation in
modem Turkey can be an unforgettable experience.
Turkey, with its thousands of ancient sites
reflecting its centuries of history and culture
spanning more than 5000 years combined with its
modem beauty, sunny beaches, crystal-clear waters,
exotic bazaars, world-renowned cuisine, and
hospitable people, is a destination guaranteed to be
a life-changing trip. |
Sardis
Pergamon |
