The Seven Churches of Revelation
The modern country of Turkey is home to all seven of the churches mentioned in the opening chapters of Revelation. The Book of Revelation is the last book in the New Testament. While the rest of the New Testament is made of narratives and instructional letters, Revelation is an apocalyptic work. It consists of visions, predicts future dramatic events, and uses a great deal of symbolic language. Interpretation of the Book of Revelation is a task that has kept biblical scholars busy for centuries.
However, Revelation begins like most other New Testament books: as a letter from a prominent church leader to various churches. The author of Revelation identifies himself as John, who had been exiled to the island of Patmos for his Christian faith. This John is generally believed to be St. John the Apostle, the beloved disciple of Jesus and the author of the Gospel of John.
In the opening chapter of Revelation, John send his greetings then describes a vision he had on Patmos. The remainder of the book consists of his descriptions of what he saw and heard. John relates that while he was "in the Spirit" one Sunday, he heard a voice say, "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
Turning around, John saw the voice belonged to a brilliant white figure, clothed in a white robe and with eyes blazing like fire. The figure told him the trembling John not to be afraid, and identified himself as the Risen Christ: "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." The vision again commanded John to write everything that he will hear and see.
John's vision that was recorded in Revelation began with specific messages to seven different Christian communities in modern-day Turkey. Some are addressed to the "angel" of that city, the meaning of which is not known for certain. It may symbolize the spirit of that city or refer to an actual heavenly or earthly messenger (the Greek word for angel also means "messenger").
The messages also speak of stars and lampstands, which the robed figure explained in Chapter 1: "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."
Click on the name of one of the seven churches below for information on the message given to it in Revelation, what the city was like in New Testament times, and what the city is like today. Want to visit these sites on a guided tour? There are several coming up! Click to learn more about the Seven Churches of Revelation tours.
| Ancient Name (Modern Name) | Revelation Message | The Modern City | Related Sites |
| Ephesus (Ephesus or Efes) |
Ephesus receives praise for its perseverance, but criticism for forsaking its "first love." (Rev. 2:1-7) | Ephesus is a major tourist destination and main stop for cruise lines due to its extensive archaeological ruins. | Basilica of St. John |
| Smyrna (Izmir) |
Smyrna's message speaks of false Jews and impending persecution, but encourages perseverance which will be rewarded. (Rev. 2:8-11) | Izmir is the 3rd largest city in Turkey, with 2.5 million people. It is known as the " Pearl of the Aegean" and is one of Turkey's most Westernized cities. | St. Polycarp Church
Archaeological Museum Izmir Agora |
| Pergamum (Bergama) |
Pergamum, described as having the throne of Satan (the Zeus altar?), is praised for its martyrdom and perseverance but those who hold false teachings are criticized. (Rev. 2:12-17) | Bergama is a small modern village overlooked by many tourists. | Archaeology Museum
Zeus Altar (in Berlin Museum) |
| Thyatira (Akhisar) |
Thyatira is praised for its increasing faith and service, but criticized for its tolerance of Jezebel, an immoral women who calls herself a prophetess. (Rev. 2:18-29) | The ruins of ancient Thyatira are in a fenced-off area in the center of modern Akhisar. | 4th-6th cent. public buildings |
| Sardis | The church of Sardis is described as dead, and it must wake up. However, there are some who have not "soiled their clothes." (Rev. 3:1-6) | Sardis is about 50 miles east of Izmir, and is solely an archaeological site. A small village nearby is named Sart. | Sardis Synagogue
Temple of Artemis Byzantine Church |
| Philadelphia (Alasehir) |
Philadelphia is praised for having little strength but still persevering. Those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are actually of the "synagogue of Satan," will be judged. (Rev. 3:7-13) | Alasehir is a small town of about 40,000 people with narrow winding streets and a Byzantine wall. Few ruins remain at the site of ancient Philadelphia. |
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| Laodicea (near Denizli) |
The church of Laodicea is sharply criticized for being lukewarm. Its wealth hides its spiritual poverty. (Rev. 3:14-20) | Nearby Denizli is an attractive market town with a population of about 200,000. Laodicea is solely an archaeological site. | Stadium
Sarcophagi |
