The Seven Churches of Revelation

The book is written to the seven churches located in Asia Minor (Modern Turkey). The seven churches represent the world at large, the condition of the church and more specifically the individual attitudes and behavior of people towards Christ.

These seven churches described in Revelation 2–3 are seven literal churches at the time that John the apostle was writing Revelation. Though they were literal churches in that time, there is also spiritual significance for churches and believers today. The first purpose of the letters was to communicate with the literal churches and meet their needs at that time. The second purpose is to reveal seven different types of individuals/churches throughout history and instruct them in God’s truth.

John explicitly addresses Revelation to the seven churches in Asia Minor. These churches are located in seven different cities being, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea (Rev 1:4, 1:11). When reading about these churches, they represent the character of the seven churches. They are seven different conditions of the church, seven ministry types, seven groups of people that have seven different personalities or attitudes toward Christ. These seven represent seven continents or in other words, the entire world’s spiritual condition is established in one of these seven dispositions. You “personally” and specifically fall into one of these seven churches, or attitudes at one point or another during your lifetime. The goal to end with the character of Philadelphia.

A third purpose is to use the seven churches to foreshadow seven different periods in the history of the Church. Each of the seven churches describes issues that could fit the Church in any time in its history. The seven churches are:

(1) Ephesus (Revelation 2:1–7) — the church that had forsaken its first love (2:4).

(2) Smyrna (Revelation 2:8–11) — the church that would suffer persecution (2:10).

(3) Pergamum (Revelation 2:12–17) — the church that needed to repent (2:16).

(4) Thyatira (Revelation 2:18–29) — the church that had a false prophetess (2:20).

(5) Sardis (Revelation 3:1–6) — the church that had fallen asleep (3:2).

(6) Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7–13) — the church that had endured patiently (3:10).

(7) Laodicea (Revelation 3:14–22) — the church with the lukewarm faith (3:16).