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.
1When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band. 2Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us. 3The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself. 4Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. 5When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 6There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board. 7When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
9When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them 10and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul. 12Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking southwest and northwest.
13When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore. 14But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon. 15When the ship was caught and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat. 17After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along. 18As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard. 19On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands. 20When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.
21When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete and have gotten this injury and loss. 22Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve, 24saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me. 26But we must run aground on a certain island.”
27But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land. 28They took soundings and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms. 29Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight. 30As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow, 31Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.” 32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and let it fall off.
33While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. 34Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.” 35When he had said this and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all; then he broke it and began to eat. 36Then they all cheered up, and they also took food. 37In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship. 38When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. 39When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it. 40Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. 41But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.
42The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. 43But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land; 44and the rest should follow, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.