7 Churches of Revelation

The Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation while on exile in Patmos. In Revelation, he recorded what God revealed to him about the seven prominent churches located in Asia Minor (today’s Turkey).

 

Explore the ancient cities of these seven churches and learn more about the challenges and admonishments written to the churches.

 

Check out these Biblical Sites!

Smyrna (Rev 2:8-11)

- The church that was poor and persecuted.
- Smyrna is now a modern city called Izmir. In ancient times, it used to be a thriving port that competed with the city of Ephesus. Only a portion of the ancient city of Smyrna has been excavated.

Ephesus (Rev 2:1-7)

- The church that forsook its first love.
- See the famous Library of Celsus. The third largest library in the ancient world, it used to store over 12,000 scrolls.

Thyatira (Rev 2:18–29)

- The church that committed sexual immorality and ate food sacrificed to idols.
- Thyatira was famous for its dyeing facilities and purple cloth trade. You will see inscriptions of the guild of the dyers in the city remains.

Pergamon (Rev 2:12–17)

- The church that needs to repent from false teachings.
- Explore the remains of the Pergamon Altar, which was once a grand structure dedicated to Zeus and Athena.

Sardis (Rev 3:1-6)

- The church that is spiritually asleep.
- See the synagogue and gymnasium of the ancient city. The presence of a synagogue in Sardis signifies a sizeable Jewish community living there.

Philadelphia (Rev 3:7-13)

- The church that is faithful.
- Visit St Jean Church and see what is left of the ancient city.

Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22)

- The church that is lukewarm.
- Walk down the colonnaded streets. Explore the ruins and see an on-going excavation of the ancient city.