ANATOLIA DURING THE TIME OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Few people realize that approximately 60% of the place names mentioned in the Bible are in Turkey. According to the Old Testament, Noah's children and the animals he saved in the ark began the repopulation of the Earth from Mt. Ararat in eastern Turkey. Abraham's call to greatness came in Harran, in southeast Turkey. This city was called Ur of the Chaldeans. Archaeologists have found that the Hittites, Urartians, Assyrians, Phrygians, Cimmerians, Lydians and many other nations who were important to the Old Testament once lived here. King Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria, conquered both Israel and Urartu. The people of the Bible have left records of their activities in Anatolia that span the ages from Noah to St. Paul. Here also in Anatolia rise the two rivers that bounded Eden. Lake Hazar south of Elazig in the Taurus mountain range is the source of the Tigris. The Euphrates comes from the snows and rains that fall on the mountains in eastern Turkey.

EPHESUS: Revelation 1:11, 2:1-7;
 Acts 18, 19-28; 19:1-41 Ephesians
SMYRNA (IZMIR): Revelation 2:8-11
PERGAMON: Revelation 2:12-17
THYATIRA: Revelation 2:18-29; Acts16:14
SARDIS: Revelation 3:1-6
PHILADELPHIA: Revelation 3:7-13
LAODICEA: Revelation 3:14-22; Colossians 2:1,4:13 -16

ANATOLIA DURING THE TIME OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Up until the unification of the greater part of Asia Minor under the Roman Empire, its history had been one of a succession of small states. Roman control began in 190 B.C. when the Seleucid ruler Antiochus the Great was defeated at Magnesia, and spread in 133 B.C. when the first Roman province of Asia was organized in the region near Ephesus. Bithynia, Pontus and Cilicia then came under Roman rule. Shortly before the Christian era, Galata and Cappadocia fell under Roman influence. It was in Antioch; today's Antakya in southern Turkey that the disciples were first called "Christians" (Acts 11:26). The destruction and plunder of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Romans under Titus was followed by a great emigration, conducive to the spread of Christianity in all directions. The first Christian community came to encompass the Mediterranean area from Syria to Spain. St. Paul and his writings were very important in the spread of Christianity and the blending of Hebrew and Near Eastern thought. The period of the early development of Christianity was one of peace and stability but after the re-organization of the Roman Empire by Diocletian in 297 A.D. the area was again split into small political units. Christianity provided a common language and religion

Introduction

Church tradition indicates that the apostle John moved to Ephesus with many Palestinian Christians around a.d. 65 before the fall of Jerusalem in 70. During Nero’s persecution against Christians in Rome at that time, both Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome. As the leader of the Asian church John was targeted by Roman authorities and exiled to Patmos (Rev. 1:9). While on the island John received his apocalyptic vision about the spiritual situation of seven Asian churches as well as about the future of the church and the world (1:10–11, 19). The order of the seven churches—Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea—follows a route that a messenger would naturally follow in visiting the cities. During Paul’s ministry in Ephesus many churches were established in Asia. Hence these seven churches seem to represent many other churches that were in Asia at the time (e.g., Miletus, Troas, Assos, Cyzicus, Magnesia, Tralles, Metropolis, etc.). The style of the seven messages is similar, with the heart of each focused on commendation and correction concluding with a promise of victory. The historical and spiritual situation of each church aids in interpreting the details of its message.

These seven important churches of Christianity are all situated in the western part of Anatolia. Three out of these seven places are still occupied by people : Philadelphia (Alasehir),Smyrna (Izmir), Thyatira (Akhisar). All the others are also very close to current settlement points of Turkey.

Ephesus is the most renovated and impressive of them. The book of Revelation, written by John, was intended to be heard by all Christians not only by these addressed seven churches of Anatolia. He wanted to prevent the disintegration of Christianity by clarifying and making clear the alternatives facing the followers of Jesus : the choices of worshipping Roman gods or the almighty god of Christianity.

He wrote revelation in the apocalyptic form to persuade the intended community clearly.