Author:
John of Patmos
Was he John the Apostle? John the Presbyter (the “Elder”)? Some other John?
“If the author of Revelation was indeed one of the apostles, it would seem implausible that he would list the names of the apostles as a group distinct from himself.”
“The Greek of the Gospel of John is simple, but grammatical. The Greek found in Revelation, however, is described by Raymond Brown as ‘the poorest in the [New Testament] to the point of being ungrammatical, which probably reflects one whose native language was Aramaic or Hebrew.’"
“Though inconclusive, these hints serve to show that the authorship of Revelation cannot be known with certainty. There is no way to verify whether John the Apostle, John the Presbyter, or some other unknown John was actually the author. The name "John" was, evidently, a common name among the early Christians. Therefore, possibilities abound.”
Date:
About A.D. 95.
“The earliest external evidence for the date of Revelation is the statement from Irenaeus (c.130-c.200 C.E.) that the book was seen at the end of the reign of Domitian. Domitian was emperor from 81 to 96 C.E., so this account would suggest a date of authorship around 95-96 C.E.”
“After the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in A.D. 70 by Titus, "Babylon" had become a symbolic name for Rome in Jewish literature. This symbolic association is used by the author of the epistle of First Peter as well.”
“The designation originated, in part, due to it having been Babylon that had destroyed the first Jewish temple and Rome which had destroyed the second.”
“The designation also associated the Rome of that day with the decadence, wealth, and great power of the Babylon of 600 B.C.”
“This type of symbolic language implies that Revelation was written after the destruction of the Temple by Titus.”
“A date after the Temple's destruction would also fit the description of the Temple in 11:2 where John writes that the temple's outer court has been ‘handed over to gentiles - they will trample on the holy city for forty-two months.’"
Place of composition:
Western Asia Minor
Audience:
Seven churches of Asia Minor
Structure of Revelation
Prologue: The Author’s Self-Identification and the Basis for His Authority – Divine Revelation (1:1-20)
Jesus’ Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor (2:1–3:22)
Visions from Heaven: Seals and Trumpets (4:1–11:19)
Signs in Heaven: The Woman, the Beast, the Plagues (12:1–16:21)
Visions of the “Great Whore” and the Fall of “Babylon” (17:1–18:24)
Visions of the Warrior Messiah’s Defeat of Evil (19:1–20:15)
Visions of New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem (21:1–22:5)
Epilogue: Authenticity of Author’s Visions, Nearness of Their Fulfillment (22:6-21)
Themes of Revelation
“Revelation affirms Christianity’s original hope for an immediate transformation of the world and assures the faithful that God’s prearranged plan, including the destruction of evil and the advent of Christ’s universal reign, is soon to be accomplished.”
“The book presents an apokalypsis (unveiling) of unseen realities, both in heaven as it is now and on earth as it will be in the future.”
“Placing governmental tyranny and Christian suffering in cosmic perspective, Revelation conveys its message of hope for believers in the cryptic language of metaphor and symbol.”
Prologue: The Author’s Self-Identification and the Basis for His Authority – Divine Revelation (1:1-20)
Prologue (1:1-3)
Text is identified as a “revelation” of what “must soon take place.”
The revelation was sent from God to Jesus to the angel to John to the churches.
Greetings and Doxology (1:4-8)
Greetings
The letter is addressed to the seven churches in the province of Asia.
Blessing of grace and peace given to the reader from “the one who was, and is, and is to come.”
The “seven spirits before the throne” and Jesus Christ also send their blessings.
Jesus is identified as…
The faithful witness
The firstborn from the dead
The ruler of the kings of the earth
Our lover
Our liberator from sin
The one who made us a kingdom of priests
Worthy of praise
Doxology
“Look, he is coming with
the clouds,”
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of
him.”
So shall it be! Amen.
John’s Vision of Christ (1:9-20)
The writer identifies himself as John, and says that he, like others, has endured suffering for Jesus.
He says is on the island of Patmos because of the testimony of Jesus.
He says that he was “in the Spirit” on “The Lord’s Day” when he heard a trumpet-like voice behind him telling him to write down what he saw and to send it to the seven churches.
He then turned to see seven gold lamp stands, and a fiery man, bright as the sun, holding seven stars in his hand, and with a sword coming out of his mouth.
John then faints and the man touches him and tells him not to be afraid.
The man identifies himself, saying, “I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
The man then says that the seven stars represent seven “messengers” and the seven lamps represent the seven churches.
Jesus’ Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor (2:1–3:22)
John directs the record of his visions to the seven churches in the province of Asia, which incorporated approximately the western third of Asia Minor.
His words to the churches contain evidences that he was familiar with the local conditions and traditions of these churches, which may have been personally known to him from his association with that area.
His reason for selecting these seven churches, as well as the order in which the churches are listed, probably has to do with geography and communications: The cities in which the churches are located are all centers of communications, and a messenger bearing Revelation to the cities would arrive in Ephesus from Patmos, travel by a secondary road north to Smyrna and Pergammum, and then go east on the Roman road to Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
To the Church in Ephesus
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lamp stands:
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place.
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
-- Revelation 2:1-7
Ephesus
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Ruins of Mary’s Church in Ephesus
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Ephesus was the center of commerce in first-century Asia Minor.
It was home to the Apostle Paul, his disciple, Timothy, and later, the Apostle John.
According to church tradition, John was accompanied to Ephesus by Mary, the mother of Jesus.
It is believed that she lived here for several years, and that she died here and was buried near what was later named Mary’s Church.
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The Great Ampitheater
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This church was the location of the First (431) and Second (449) Ecumenical Councils.
Ephesus was the major sea port on the coast of Asia Minor, constructed with beautiful white marble and architecture that rivaled that of Rome.
The Arcadian Way (the way of the sea) went directly from the port of Ephesus to the great amphitheater that we read about in Acts 19:23-41, where the crowd rioted because the spread of Christianity was impacting the sales of idols.
During the first century, there were two primary deities worshiped in Ephesus – Artemis (Diana) and Caesar (actually, multiple Caesars, beginning with Augustus, later Nero, Domitian and, finally, Trajan).
Additionally, there are indications that the cult of Mithras also had a foothold in the Roman legions housed in Ephesus.
Each of these false gods has a part to play in the Apocalypse of John.
The Mystery Religion of Mithraism
Mithraism likely began in the first century BC or early in the first century AD, as an attempt to explain a great crisis in astronomy.
Greek astronomers discovered ancient writings that claimed the sky was in Taurus during the vernal equinox instead of the normal Aeries, indicating that someone had at some point “killed” Taurus.
They believed that whoever had the power to kill Taurus also had power over “the seven stars” of “the heavens” – those being the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
They didn’t know that the earth’s “wobble” would take it through each of the signs of the Zodiac, changing every 2160 years.
That “something” had to be bigger than the heavens, and it controlled the seven stars – which would lead departed souls from earth to the heavens.
For adherents of this ‘mystery religion‘, Mithras was identified as the “something” controlling the universe.
He had a miraculous birth in a shepherd’s cave, he was visited by Magi, and he died and was resurrected, along with many other similarities to Jesus and Christianity.
At the time John was in Ephesus, Mithraism was competing with Christianity, and by the time of Constantine in the early fourth century, it was the primary religion competing with Christianity.
And so it is that John identifies Jesus as:
“Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lamp stands.”
This is in direct opposition to Mithras, who was believed to hold the “seven stars” – the path from earth to the heavens – in his hands.
The Emperor Cult
In Ephesus, there were two incredibly large Agora, places of buying and selling.
In order to buy and sell in the marketplace, everyone had to burn incense and declare that Caesar was lord.
If you needed food, or water, or clothing, or goods, you could not get into the Agora without worshiping Caesar.
By the time Domitian came to power, you could be put to death if you did not declare him lord and have his mark on you or your goods.
The Nicolaitans were Christians who believed that since Caesar was not God, they could still burn incense to him for the sake of convenience.
If they needed fire, they could go to the Temple of Hestia (goddess of hearth and home) and burn incense to her in order to get fire, because they ‘knew’ she was not God.
If they needed food, they could go to the altar of Caesar, burn incense in his name (while ‘knowing’ he was not God), and receive freshly-sacrificed meat.
It appears, though, that this practice was not condoned by the Ephesian church:
“But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
Artemis, the Goddess of Fertility
Ephesus was the center of worship of the goddesses Artemis and Cybele, housing the Temple of Artemis – one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
In this Temple, criminals could come to seek sanctuary, and as long as they didn’t leave the grounds, they couldn’t be prosecuted.
Additionally, it was believed that Artemis would protect women who were in childbirth, with some records indicating that 250,000 women each year came to the temple for such protection.
In the center of the Temple of Artemis was a large enclosed garden, called the ‘Paradise of Artemis’. In the center of this paradise were two intertwined linden trees. This tree was called by the Artemis worshipers, ‘The Tree of Life’.
Jesus promises that “to him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” – not the paradise of Artemis.
In the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (Septuagint), there are two words for ‘tree’ – dendron and xulon.
Dendron is used almost exclusively for all living trees.
However, xulon, which is used to denote dead wood, is used less often, but is the same word used for Jesus being hung on a tree.
When John describes the tree of life in the paradise of God, the tree (xulon) of life is the cross!
First Love
While we know a lot about Ephesus and the Ephesian church, we do not really know what problems they are dealing with in Revelation.
They seem to have resisted the blatant worship of other gods that was constantly going on in the city, yet it appears they were guilty of another form of idolatry – one of the heart.
Jesus says to them that they have forgotten their first love, but what does this mean?
It is possible that while the Ephesians had done a great job in following all the rules regarding not worshiping other gods, they had perhaps forgotten to love their own God.
How is it that we love God? By loving others.
To the Church in Smyrna
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
-- Revelation 2:8-11 .”
Smyrna
Smyrna, the modern-day city of Izmir, was founded as a port on the Agean sea in the region of Anatolia ("land of the rising sun").
This city is located at the head of the fertile Hermus valley, and provided a key port for transportation of Roman armies during the Second Temple period and continued in this function on into the Early Church period.
The city sits by the Aegean Sea surrounded by mountains and cliffs, on which were built battlements to protect the city.
These natural walls, with their watch-fires at night, were often called “the Crown of Smyrna”, because of their beauty and utility.
Smyrna had one of the largest marketplaces, the agora, in the ancient world. It was also home to a large Jewish population from the diaspora, which helped in the spread of the gospel to this region, but also led to divisions when gentiles were allowed into the Christian church.
The church in Smyrna is the only church to receive a letter from Jesus, through John, without admonishments against its behavior. This church is believed to have been very poor both on the basis of John’s letter and the archaeological record, as opposed to the Jews in the city, who were very well off.
In addition to this, it is believed that the Jews in Smyrna were among those who were chief in persecuting this church.
This may be what John is talking about when he says: “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Polycarp
The leader of the church at Smyrna during the latter first century on into the second century was one of John’s disciples, Polycarp. He and many of the Christians in the church of Smyrna were early martyrs in the Christian faith.
At the age of 87, Polycarp was a widely respected leader in the church at Smyrna, who had escaped death several times.
However, pressure from Caesar regarding the matter of Christians in Asia Minor led the local authorities to arrest Polycarp. In order to escape death, he was given an opportunity to declare that Caesar was god. Polycarp refused.
John writes: “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
It should be noted that the ‘crown’ mentioned in John’s letter is not a kingly crown, but the wreath awarded to the winner of a race or athletic event. And so the image is that if the church in Smyrna should endure persecution, they would be rewarded for their perseverance.
It is also interesting that Jesus uses the image of a crown of life as the reward for faithfulness, as Smyrna was seen as a “crown” of beauty in the Roman Empire.
To the Church in Pergamum
To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live, where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city, where Satan lives.
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
-- Revelation 2:12-17
Pergamum
Pergamum was the seat of political power in Asia Minor, and it was also home to the frumetaria, a Roman garrison that protected food shipments through the major trade route from the Agean into Asia Minor.
Where Satan has His Throne
When we read John’s letter to the church in Pergamum, we must wonder why John twice refers to this city as a place where Satan rules.
One possibility is that the people of Pergamum may have been some of the first to deify their kings upon death, constructing places of hero worship upon their tombs.
Many scholars believe that the Caesars were impressed by this practice in Pergamum, and that it led first to the deification of the Caesars in the outlying provinces, and then to the deification upon death of Caesars in all of the Empire – including Rome, and finally, with Domitian, to the deification of Caesar while still living.
At Pergamum, upon the Acropolis, are the ruins of a once great temple to Trajan Caesar (Emperor from 98 – 117 AD).
With the atrocities conducted against early believers who refused to bow to Caesar, this is one possibility why this might be “Satan’s Throne.”
The Agora
Another possibility lies in the agora (marketplace) on the Acropolis of Pergamum.
It is here that the practice of burning incense to Caesar in order to be able to buy and sell in the market may have first begun.
This practice later spread to Ephesus and became so pervasive that one could not buy or sell, get fire or water, or acquire meat without declaring Caesar was god, and to refuse could mean death to the believer.
It is very likely that this is the practice referred to in Revelation, with the “beast” most likely representing Nero or Domitian:
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:16-17)
The Theater
A third possibility may have been in the Theater, whose purpose was to make its views the peoples’ views.
The 10,000-seat theater on the Acropolis in Pergamum, the largest of several in the city, was dedicated (as all Hellenistic theaters were) to the god Dionysus, the god of wine and orgy.
Right next to the theater was the temple of Dionysus, and just before each performance, the people would go and partake of all the free wine they wanted before watching the day’s pornographic performance.
Afterwards, many of the people would go next door to drink as much wine and eat as much raw meat as they could, before vomiting into the lowered center of the room and then eating and drinking more. This would put them into an ecstatic state where they could have “visions” from Dionysus, after which they would leave and hook up with the temple prostitutes.
Balaam
The mention of Balaam the letter is interesting, as in Numbers 22-24, Balaam was called on to curse Israel so that Balak (a Moabite king) could defeat them with his military might.
However, Balaam could only bless the people of Israel.
So how did Balaam entice the Israelites to sin?
In Numbers 25, we find the people of Israel involved in sexual immorality and idol worship with the Moabites.
Healing
Roman citizens from all over the empire would come to the asclepieon of Pergamum for healing, where they would stay through their illness and then, sometimes, even years after they were healed.
Once healed, the grateful parishioner would carve out a large white stone, detailing how Asclepius healed him or her, and would include his name upon the stone.
And so it is that John writes
To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
He is telling the church in Pergamum that they won’t need a frumetaria to protect their food or to debase themselves (like the Nicolaitans) to receive food, and that if they can overcome, they will receive their own white stones – not from Asclepius, but from Jesus.
To the Church in Thyatira
To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come. To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations:
‘He will rule them with an iron scepter;
he will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
-- Revelation 2:18-29
Thyatira
Thyatira is seated on the Lycus River, approximately 40 miles east of Pergamum.
It was a city founded on trade, producing its own wool and royal purple cloth.
Historical
records show that Thyatira was home to several powerful trade guilds, all of
which paid allegiance to one or more of the patron gods of the city: Tyrimnos and the Roman Caesar
– both of whom were considered to be sons of Zeus. As such, it is interesting
to note that this
is the only one of
the seven letters to refer to Jesus by His title “Son of God”, perhaps in
direct defiance of the worship practices in the city.
To be a member of one of the many trade guilds, you were required to participate in the guild banquets. In these banquets, all meat and wine were sacrificed to Tyrimnos or the god associated with that guild.
All those in attendance had to eat and drink – honoring their patron – and they were also expected to participate in the other “festivities”, which were often public and sexual in nature.
Christians in Thyatira who did not belong to one of the guilds were faced with many challenges.
Who is Jezebel?
It is likely that ‘Jezebel’ in this passage is a symbolic figure in Thyatira and not a physical one.
Jewish Christians in Thyatira would recognize her name as being one of the most reviled in history. Her primary sin was leading the Israelites into Baal-worship.
From the context of the passage and the culture to which it was written, it would be reasonable to infer that the warning to those in Thyatira was to avoid becoming so enmeshed in the systems of their culture (economic, political and religious) that they began worshiping the ‘gods’ that supported them.
Even more importantly, it is the leading of others to this sin that garnered these first century ‘Jezebels’ the level of condemnation received in this letter.
To the Church in Sardis
To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
-- Revelation 3:1-6
Sardis
Sardis was a key Roman city in the Hermus valley, and sat at the mid-point in the mail route that comprised the Seven Churches in Revelation.
Mount Tmolus rises above the city, with the remains of a protective fortress high upon it.
Sardis became wealthy and powerful as a result of gold recovered from the Hermus River, which flowed through it.
There is evidence that Sardis was one of the centers that Jewish people settled during the diaspora. The Jewish synagogue discovered in Sardis is the largest yet found in Asia Minor, decorated in elaborate mosaics and marble.
The synagogue was located directly adjacent to the Roman gymnasium and its grounds in Sardis – where students were taught Greco Roman culture (in the nude, of course), and where perfection of the body was seen as all-important.
Ruins of early churches in Sardis have been found near the Temple of Artemis, and a fourth-century chapel was built into the back of the remains of this temple.
Strengthen What Remains
Another hint from history reflected in the text is that after it was leveled by the earthquake of 17 AD, Sardis was only partially rebuilt.
It may also be of note that the textile industry in Sardis was a source of its wealth, and to say that few people in Sardis had not soiled their clothes would have been striking for such a proud people.
Another common practice in Sardis was their worship of the Emperor – etched in the doorways and arches of their architecture, declaring Caesar to be ‘King of King and Lord of Lords’ – a title demanded by Domitian, even from his wife.
John makes it abundantly clear who the real King of Kings and Lord of Lords is in Chapters 17 and 19, but the Sardinian participation in worshiping Caesar as God was surely one of their sins.
Perversion
Sardis was a center of worship for the Greek goddesses Cybele and Artemis.
According to legend, Agdistis was originally born from the earth where Zeus’ semen fell as a hermaphroditic demon. The other gods were afraid of Agdistis and severed its male sex organ, which fell to the earth and grew into an almond tree.
After this, Agdistis became the female goddess Cybele. Later, Cybele fell in love with her son/grandson, Attis, and took him in as a lover. One day, in a fit of jealousy, she drove him mad and he castrated himself and died, but was resurrected as a pine tree.
In response to these legends, the people of Sardis worshiped Cybele and held almond and pine trees in reverence, while also holding fertility festivals in celebration of Attis’ re-birth.
In these celebrations, all the people of Sardis would wear white robes, and the worshipers and priests of Cybele would parade down the main street of Sardis, cutting themselves until they reached the shrine of Cybele, where a few of the worshipers would castrate themselves and offer their severed parts to Cybele.
Those along the parade route who had the blood of the worshipers sprayed upon their cloaks were said to be favored by the goddess.
This practice continued well into the First and Second Centuries.
To the Church in Philadelphia
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars, I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
-- Revelation 3:7-13
Philadelphia
Philadelphia sits midway on the route between Laodicea and Sardis on the Roman mail route which defined the Seven Cities of Revelation.
Very little of the ancient city of Philadelphia remains, and we do not have much archaeological context for what was written in Revelation.
However, we do have a number of writings from this time, and records from nearby cities, including those of church fathers, like Polycarp. From these, we see a picture of Jews persecuting Christians.
During the reign of Domitian (81-96), the Christians in Philadelphia escaped much of the persecution suffered by those in the outward cities of Ephesus and Smyrna, and this may be what is referenced in verses 10-11:
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
In 17 AD, the city was devastated by an earthquake (which completely destroyed Sardis and other nearby cities), and because of it location near the fault line, it suffered aftershocks for over twenty years.
As a result, its people lived in fear, and would frequently flee the city into the hills, where they would live in tents and booths, before returning when the aftershocks subsided.
Philadelphia was founded by the kingdom of Pergamum during the second century BC, and underwent many name changes until it was given the name “Philadelphia” by Eumenes II in honor of the love he held for his brother, Attalus II.
In 17 AD, when Tiberius paid to rebuild the city, its name was changed to Neo-Ceasarca – a name the city’s residents came to despise. And so, it is interesting that this ‘naming’ imagery is also brought out by Jesus, through John:
“I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.”
To the Church in Laodicea
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
-- Revelation 3:14-22
Laodicea
Laodicea is located in the Lycus River Valley in southwest Turkey, in an area that was once the Roman territory of Phrygia. It was on the Roman mail route with the other 6 cities addressed by Jesus through John in his Revelation.
Lukewarm
One of the keys to understanding the letter to Laodicea may lie in understanding its water situation.
Approximately 12 miles east of Laodicea was the city of Colossae. The city of Colossae was well-known for its refreshing cold waters, which came down from melted ice and snow and rain from Mount Cadmus.
About 7 miles north of Laodicea was the city of Hierapolis, a large Roman city with centers dedicated to the worship of Apollo and, later, Caesar – Domitian, in particular. Probably its most famous feature was its hot baths, fed by hot springs, which were used to cure ailments.
Between Colossae and Heirapolis sat Laodicea, where the streams of cold water from the west and hot water from the north met. The mixing of the mineral-rich hot water and the cold water created a lukewarm water which tasted awful and could make the people of the town sick.
The water, which was brought into the city via an aqueduct and distributed through clay pipes, had such high mineral content that it was frequently plugging the pipes it flowed through with deposits, resulting in frequent need of repair.
In the context of Laodicea, it may be a valid interpretation of this scripture to say – I wish you were useful – either like the hot water of Heiropolis that heals those who bathe in it or cold, like the water of Colossae that refreshes those who taste it. Instead, you are a lukewarm mess like your own water that makes those who drink it want to throw up!
But why are they lukewarm?
We need of nothing…
In 60 AD, Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake. When Nero offered them assistance in rebuilding their city, they wrote back to him, telling him that they were wealthy and that they could rebuild it themselves.
And so it is that the sin of pride is revealed as the sin of Laodicea, with their own sense of self-sufficiency making them unfit for service.
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Sources
Dr. Ray Vander Laan. That the World May Know. Volume 5 | The Early Church. Becoming a Light in the Darkness.
Fishing the Abyss. The Lessons of Laodicea (The Seven Cities of Revelation, Part I). 2006.
Fishing the Abyss. Philadelphia – A New Name (The Seven Cities of Revelation, Part II). 2006.
Fishing the Abyss. The Seven Cities of Revelation V: Sardis – Wake Up!. 2006
Fishing the Abyss. The Seven Cities Of Revelation IV: Tolerating Jezebel. 2006
Fishing the Abyss. The Seven Cities of Revelation III: Pergamum – Satan's Throne. 2006
Fishing the Abyss. Smyrna – Faithful Unto Death (The Seven Cities of Revelation, Part VI). 2006
Fishing the Abyss. The Seven Cities of Revelation: Ephesus, First Love. 2006.
D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo. Introducing the New Testament: A Short Guide to Its History and Message. Zondervan, Mar 5, 2013.
D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo. Introducing the New Testament: A Short Guide to Its History and Message. Zondervan, Mar 5, 2013.
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