The Book of Revelation addresses seven letters written by the Apostle John to Seven Churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 2-3). These seven churches were early Christian communities, all located on a well-worn trade route in the Aegean region of modern Turkey.
In the first century A.D, John the Apostle was exiled to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea for his "crime" of practicing Christianity. While in Patmos, John received prophetic visions from Christ instructing him to:
Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches:
Ephesus
Smyrna
Pergamum
Thyatira
Sardis
Philadelphia
Laodicea
Each church received a specific letter to be delivered to the congregation, calling them to repent for their sins and correct their current course. Each message concludes with a reminder that those who overcome will be rewarded by God (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). These messages were distributed in order, allowing them to circulate throughout the Christian community. The first church was located at Ephesus, followed by Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and finally Laodicea.
These seven churches, named by their locations, were not the sum total of all the congregations of the Church of God in the first century. Additional congregations, among others mentioned in the New Testament, were located at:
- Antioch (Acts 13:1)
- Derbe, Lystra and Iconium (Acts 16:1-2)
- Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:2)
- Philippi (Philippians 1:1)
- Colosse (Colossians 1:2)
- Rome (Romans 1:7)
There are many other religious sites in Turkey belonging to all faiths.