7 PIECEsA brief introduction to churches.
1 All was well in the church at Ephesus. Denied the lie that held the truth but lost the first love from God.
2. Everything was fine in the temple in Smyrna, but it was under severe persecution.
3. The church in Pergamum made a compromise.
4. The church in Thyatira was caught in adultery, wickedness, immorality.
5. The church in Sardis was a spiritually dead church.
6. The church in Philadelphia was steadfast and strong in its faith.
7. He did not say anything good to the church in Laodicea. Neither hot nor cold therefore I will give you counsel. How cold are you and how hot are you? You cannot serve God and money, Amen.
The Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation
was real. The name of the congregation at that time
In the same city as at present
many
Lord's flocks name their own church
Christians throughout the city, unlike the rest
given to the group. When speaking of the church of Ephesus, it was not a group of believers called Ephesus, but the believers of the Lord throughout the city of Ephesus. Therefore, these addresses are faithful to the city as a whole
We can understand that it was aimed at.
Thus John addressed the 7 churches
4 of the cities seem non-existent
3 cities are in ruins and still exist today as modern cities. Cities like Ephesus, Laodicea, Sardis, and others that were almost non-existent
Pergamum is the site of Smyrna, Thyatira, and Philadelphia.
1 The church in Ephesus
When John addressed the Ephesians, (Revelation 2:1-7) he asked them to return to their first love for the Lord because the influence of other faiths was increasing in the Ephesian church. Ephesus was a very large trading center at that time. In this city, there was a temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This temple was attacked by Goths AD. It was destroyed in 262. After that, the city could never return to its former state. AD In 431 the congregation held a great assembly. But after that Ephesus was successively attacked by the Arabs, the Truxes, and finally in 1403 by the Mongols, and now only the ruins of the city remain.
2. Church of Smyrna.
Addressing the church in Smyrna, John praised the great community of believers there (Revelation 2:8-11). But they also warned that it should be treated like persecution. Christians were persecuted from the time of John (AD 90) until about 312. e. No. In 155 AD, the famous Christian martyr Polycarp was burned alive in this city. AD In 178 AD, the city was completely destroyed by an earthquake, but it was soon rebuilt, but the city also survived the attacks of the Truks and the Mongols. At present, it has become an important city in Turkey, with about 5 million people living there.
3. The Church of Pergamum .
John told the church in Pergamum that they were above Satan’s throne. John warned this church about following worldly things (Revelation 2:12-17). The city had statues of many Roman-Greek gods. The church in Pergamum also suffered great persecution. e. No. In 312, the city became an important Christian center when Emperor Constantine ended the persecution and brought about changes in the church. But this city AD. It fell under the Arab invasion of 716-717 and never regained its political hegemony. Gradually this city turned into ruins.
4. The Church of Thyatira
John warned the church in Thyatira against worshiping false idols (Q. 2:18-29). That city did not have many prominent idols but warned against false life. Worldly pleasures and pleasures were their idol worship. The city was attacked several times but was rebuilt each time. Currently, 50,000 people live in Akhisar, known as the city of Turkey. Because it was made many times, the signs and signs of the time of the apostles are barely visible in the current situation.
5. The Church of Sardis.
John warned the church in Sardis that they had no life or were dead (Revelation 3:1-6). Sardis Sadar et al. No. It was rebuilt after the earthquake of 117 with financial support from the Roman Empire. Gradually, the strength of this city decreased and finally it was destroyed in the Arab invasion of 716. After that only few people started living in this city. In 1403, it was destroyed again in the attack of Trux. At present, only one village remains in the place where the city used to be.
6. The Church of Philadelphia
The church that John praised for its patience is Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13). This city is in a place where there are many earthquakes and it was destroyed and rebuilt many times. Although the area was populated by Turks and Muslims, this city remained a Christian city until much later, but in 1390 it fell under the control of Muslims. At present, it is a modern Turkish city with a population of about 25,000 people. It is now known as Alashehir which means City of God.
7. The Church of Laodicea
The city of Laodicea was a trading center. Around the fourth century, the congregation of this city became the headquarters of the congregations of this region. This city had regular drinking water brought from other cities and hot water was heated by the sun. That is why John addressed this city by depicting hot water from Chisor (Q. 3: 14-22). The city was not rebuilt and was completely abandoned. Today, only ruins remain.
In this way, the cities and churches that once made a great place in the history of the church no longer exist. There is no congregation even in cities. But the Church of God has not disappeared from the world and we see that these churches have been replaced by other cities and churches. The warnings and messages that were given to this church in the book of Revelation serve to show the way to today’s church as well. We should have received a warning and education from this, otherwise God can displace us even if we are proud and proud like we are today, if we do not move according to God’s word.
