The apostle John identifies several congregations of believers in southwestern Asia Minor (Turkey), in a clockwise path from the southwest, to whom he sent this book. The first one mentioned in his letter is Ephesus, where he apparently lived, and the remainder on a Roman circuit, which are Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (Rev 1:11 lists each of these).1
John greets his readers similar to the apostle Paul, with the Greek and Hebrew words grace (charis, a Greek greeting) and peace (shalom, a Hebrew greeting), from the eternal God (Heb 13:8) and (most likely) the seven spirits before the throne.2 The apostle Paul greets in a similar manner to churches to whom he wrote. This grace and peace comes from the eternal God and the seven Spirits who are before His throne.
These seven Spirits may refer to the seven angels of the seven churches in chapters 2-3, to the seven angels mentioned in Rev 8:2, or to the fullness of the Spirit of God referred to in Isaiah 11:2.3 At times numbers in the book of Revelation, and other places in the Bible, have meaning beyond the literal meaning of the text.4
When John wrote his work to the seven churches, what is today known as Turkey was known as Asia Minor. The Revelation of John was specifically addressed to churches in seven communities within an area with fifty miles on each side. The letters are addressed clockwise from the church at Ephesus to Laodicea. John's method of address begins with a common greeting that includes the Greek word for grace (charis) and the Hebrew greeting for peace (shalom). The origin of this grace and peace comes from the eternal God and the seven spirits of God (most likely a reference to Isaiah 11:2). Some have argued that the seven spirits speak of the angels (chs 2 and 3) or pastors of the seven churches. More likely, the text speaks of the Old Testament passage of Isaiah 11:2.
The Seven Churches in Asia
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| Gary W Derickson
1:4 John now communicates God’s greetings to the seven churches, which were the original recipients of this Revelation. Their location is identified as “Asia,” the designation given to the region by the Romans. Today, it is often referred to as Asia Minor in light of our knowledge of the existence of East Asia. We are also introduced to the first trinitarian formula in Revelation. The order of the members of the Godhead differs from other parts of the New Testament, identifying God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and then the Son. However, it reminds us that the members of the Godhead are co-equal.
God the Father is identified as the eternal One, “who is and who was and who is to come.” The grammatical construction of this title emphasizes the eternality of God, present, past, and future. It involves a solecism, which means that it uses Hebrew grammar with Greek words. Here, the title is in the nominative case, which is normally used for the subject of a sentence. However, it is the place of a direct object and so should, in normal Greek grammar, be in the accusative case. In Hebrew, God’s names and titles are always in the nominative case even when not the subject of the sentence. This is a sign of respect for God and recognizes that He is the subject of the universe.
The Holy Spirit is referred to as “the seven Spirits” before God’s throne. Later, in chapter 4 the Holy Spirit will be symbolized by a menorah with seven lamps.
1He came to Derbe and Lystra; and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed, but his father was a Greek. 2The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him. 3Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. 5So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
6When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them. 8Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him and saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.” 10When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Good News to them. 11Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis; 12and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.
13On the Sabbath day we went outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul. 15When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
16As we were going to prayer, a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. 17Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!” 18She was doing this for many days.
But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour. 19But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city 21and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”
22The multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates tore their clothes from them, then commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. 24Having received such a command, he threw them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.
25But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened. 27The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself, for we are all here!”
29He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, 30brought them out, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.
33He took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. 34He brought them up into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with all his household, having believed in God.
35But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go.”
36The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace.”
37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!”
38The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city. 40They went out of the prison and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, then departed.