As we read through Jesus’ letters to the churches of Revelation chapters two and three, we’ll find that there are certain commonalties within these messages. For instance, we’ll find that Jesus gets directly to His point in each of these letters. He will address the condition of each church and offer a message of praise and approval if the church deserves it. In other instances, He will present a message of reprimand and disapproval. Sometimes, He will offer both. Jesus tells each church what He wants them to do regarding the issues that exist and warns them about what will happen if they fail to act.
Finally, Jesus will end each letter with a statement of encouragement and a promise to those who are victorious in living a God-honoring life. He then closes each letter with the same statement: “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (NLT). This tells us that the things we read in these letters are for anyone who will listen and apply them- including those of us who live in the 21st century.
The first of these letters was delivered to the church that met in the ancient city of Ephesus. While the New Testament book of Colossians mentions the city of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) and Acts chapter sixteen features the city of Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29), Ephesus was a far more prominent city from a Biblical perspective.
The first-century city of Ephesus was located in an area of the world that encompasses the modern-day nation of Turkey. At the time of this letter, Ephesus was a busy metropolitan area. It held a strategic position within the Roman Empire and featured a large harbor that facilitated the shipment of goods and passengers to various ports throughout the known world. Ephesus was also a place where wealthy first-century residents might keep a summer home.
Ephesus boasted a large theatre with a seating capacity of approximately 20-30,000 people that appears in Acts 19:29. In addition, the city featured an extensive library for the academically inclined. However, Ephesus was perhaps best known as the home of the Temple of Diana, a structure that was considered to be among the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Diana (or Artemis as she was also known) was a pagan deity who was worshiped as the “goddess” of the moon, hunting and wild animals. Her Temple was constructed of marble and stood 425 feet (130m) long and 220 feet (67m) wide. One hundred and twenty-seven vertical support columns standing sixty feet (18m) tall served to uphold this impressive structure.
We’ll continue our look at Jesus’ message to this church next.
Image Credit: Hamilton, N. H. (n.d.). Seven Wonders of Ancient World, undated. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nat507/44980191934>Roman_Drits