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The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting (Biblical Resource)

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Colin J. Hemer, who unfortunately passed away, has written a masterful work which will be a classic in years to come, on the seven churches of Revelation 2-3. Originially published in 1986 by Sheffield press, this book is a welcomed addition to the study of Revelation. Hemer brings his vast knowledge of Greco-Roman culture and geography and accompanied by an excellent grammtical-historical interpretation, brings us the best work on Revelation 2-3 ever. This book is particulary helpful in analyzing the various approaches to Revelation. Whether you are preterist, futurist, idealist or historicist you will find a goldmine of information in this book. This is a book which Revelation scholars have been waiting for and which will not too soon be surpassed. If you are ready for an in-depth understanding of Revelation 2-3 do not hesitate to buy this book!

I recently used this volume as background material for a sermon series on the Seven Churches of Asia, and found it to be a remarkably informative study of the seven cities. It's an invaluable resource alongside a good commentary on the book of Revelation. It deals with the economic, social, and religious aspects of life in each city, and what they had in common. He identifies familiar sayings, pivotal events such as earthquakes and battles that would have provided background imagery to the original audience, as well as the religious atmosphere of the cities. Hemer builds off the work of the scholar Sir William Ramsay, and provides some corrections based on more recent archaeology and scholarship. Each of the seven letters in Revelation chapter 2-3 has a variety of local references that remain obscure to the modern reader. Hemer unearths a rich history of each city, and pieces together suggestive possibilities for the local references and features of each letter. As the foreward notes, many of the arguments and inferences are circumstantial, but added together, they often give compelling insight. Some of the explanations seemed a stretch, but there was plenty of material that opened up the meanings of the letters. A fascinating look into the history of the Biblical world.