Below are four video guides through the cities and the letters of the Seven Churches in Revelation. At the start of the book of Revelation we read seven letters written to seven churches in Asia minor. This video guide is a good background supplement to understanding the context of these letter. They are part of a series from Day of Discovery.
A video guide through the city of Ephesus from Day of Discovery
A video guide through the city of Smyrna
A video guide through the city of Pergamum
A video guide through the letter to the church at Pergamum
Note:
*The term used in these letters referring to the synagogue as the "synagogue of Satan"needs an important comment. Christianity and Judaism have often been at odds with each other. Anti-semitism and anti-Jewish feelings are still too frequent today. The social context of the seven letters includes to the persecution of early Christians by both Jewish and Roman sources. It is my interpretation that the writer was indicating that Judaism, true to its faith, would not actively seek to destroy others of a different faith. This illustrates that all religion, when used as an instrument of destruction, can be an instrument of the evil one. The "false synagogue" were those Jews that weren't being true to their faith, persecuting the early Christians. People of all faith, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam should keep in mind that we are most true to our faith when we reach out to those that are different than ourselves in love, not in hate. Christians have also been guilty of persecuting Jews and the Holocaust is a vivid reminder in our modern times of the evil we can inflict on our fellow humans. We must take this admonition as a mandate to always be true to our faith, but likewise, be respectful and gracious when we engage those that are different from us.
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