The First Church: Ephesus
The Apostle Paul founded a large church in Ephesus, and Jesus addressed the members there, recognizing their efforts to teach biblical truth: “I know your works, your labor, your patience and that you cannot bear those who are evil” (Revelation 2:2). It was also in Ephesus Paul warned: “…after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20: 29-30).
The ruins of Ephesus contain one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Diana, or Artemis, mentioned in Acts 19:27. Thousands of priests and priestesses served the temple, and many of the priestesses were dedicated to cultic prostitution. Even in ancient times the city had a bad reputation. Centuries earlier Heracleitus, an Ephesian philosopher, described the inhabitants there as “fit only to be drowned[,] and the reason why [they] could never laugh or smile was because [they] lived amidst such terrible uncleanness.”
It would have been difficult to live as a Christian in the midst of such an immoral city. Knowing this, Christ promises: “To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life [symbolizing eternal life], which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).
Smyrna: Center of emperor worship
The next city on the ancient postal circuit was Smyrna, about 40 miles north of Ephesus, a center of emperor worship. Jesus tells the church in Smyrna: “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days” (verse 10).
These words were not only prophetic, but had a literal fulfillment in John’s day. Christians endured violent persecution during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian (81-96) and John’s exile on Patmos, (See the previous article Background To The Messages Of Seven Churches Of Revelation for more information about the Domitian persecution of Christians.)
William Barclay comments, ” Such was the reverence of Smyrna for Rome that as far back as 195 B.C. it was the first city in the world to erect a temple to the goddess Roma” (Letters to the Seven Churches, 1957, p. 29). Christ encourages and reminds the Christians in Smyrna that He is offering them something the worship of Caesar could never provide—the chance to live forever. He exhorts them: “He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11).
Pergamos: “Where Satan’s throne is”
Pergamos was the Roman capital of Asia Minor and the center of religious, medical and artistic culture for the region. The city’s famous library, with 200,000 parchment rolls, was rivaled only by the library in Alexandria, Egypt. Christ tells the church at Pergamos: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is” (Revelation 2:13), and warns against giving in to the pagan worship dominating the city (verses 14-16).
The mention of Satan’s throne likely refers to the worship of its most popular deity, the serpent god Asklepios Soter, who supposedly healed the sick, and was called “the Pergamene god.” William Barclay comments: “From all over the world, people flocked to Pergamos for relief of their sicknesses. R.H. Charles has called Pergamos ‘the Lourdes of the ancient world’… pagan religion had its center in Pergamos. There was the worship of Athene and Zeus, with its magnificent altar dominating the city [now partially reconstructed in the Pergamum Museum in Berlin]. There was the worship of Asklepios, bringing sick people from far and near, and above all there were the demands of Caesar worship, hanging forever like a poised sword above the heads of the Christians” (The Daily Study Bible, notes on Revelation 2:12-17, Bible Explorer Software).
Pressure to compromise in Thyatira
Thyatira was important for its commerce in wool and textiles, and was especially famous for its fine woolen cloth, usually dyed in a shade that came to be called Thyatiran purple. Lydia, a seller of purple and convert to Christianity, had come from Thyatira (Acts 16:14).
Ancient Thyatira was excavated from 1968-1971 and inscriptions at the site reveal the existence of trade guilds, many of them associated with the powerful textile industry. Since Thyatira was also a religious center, and the powerful guilds demanded the religious participation of their workers in their banquets, it was difficult for Christians to resist falling into idolatry. Christ warned the Christians in Thyatira about compromising: “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2:20).
Christ reminds the Thyatiran Christians they must come out of worldly society and not compromise with the truth. He promises those who remain faithful that they will be arrayed, not in Thyatiran purple, but at His coming with the spiritual mantle of rulership over the nations (Revelation 2:26-27).
