Revelation 2:1-11 May 10, 2015

As we study the seven letters to the seven churches, let us pay special attention to any resemblance to churches in our lifetime. Only two churches of the seven received commendations: Smyrna and Philadelphia. Let’s read verse 20 in Chapter 1 to recap.

Revelation 1:20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

“Each church was given a message to the faithful overcomer. Keep in mind that these seven churches represent all of the Church of that day. The word “angel” means messenger, both angelic and human.” The words written in red are words of Christ. The message was written to the ministers of the seven churches and their congregation.

Revelation 2: To the Church in Ephesus This was a famous city in the ancient world, with an equally famous church. Paul ministered in Ephesus for three years (Acts 19:1, Acts 10, Acts 20:31). Aquilla and Priscilla, with Apollos served there (Acts 18:24-28). Paul's close associate Timothy (1 Timothy 1:3) worked in Ephesus. According to strong and consistent historic tradition, the Apostle John also ministered there.

Ephesus was a center of wealth and a stronghold for Satan. It had temple to pagan Gods Artemis and Diana. The temple of Artemis was also a major treasury and bank of the ancient world.

¹"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. ²"'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. ³ I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.

Though Jesus resides in heaven, He sees all that is happening in His churches. Jesus is holds the stars(ministers) in His right hand and walks among the churches. Even today Jesus should be recognized as the center of the church.

Something can be lost quite by accident, but leaving is a deliberate act, though it may not happen suddenly. The Ephesian church was a working church. Sometimes a focus on working for Jesus will eclipse a love relationship with Him. We can put what we do for Jesus before who we are in Him. We can leave Jesus in the temple, just as the parents of Jesus did (Luke 2:45-46).

Like Joanne mentioned last week sometimes we try to do too much. Satan can keep us to busy that we lose our joy. As Lillian commented last week if we grumble about working for Jesus our reward will be burned up as straw and hay.

Galatians 1:10 ESV For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

⁴But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. ⁵  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and your remove lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

We should heed the warning given to the Church at Ephesus. The removing of the church’s lampstand meant Christ’s Spirit would depart and leave them on their own, which in turn would result in them being as Laodicea (“men’s opinions ruling in place of God”). Loyalty to Christ can and often is replaced by loyalty to an organization, a church, and its leaders, substituting new rules and interpretations for Biblical truths. We can see this example in the cults.

We find that all the churches mentioned in Revelation existed at the same time, and we can still find the faithful church existing alongside the unfaithful church today.

ACTS 20:29-31 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. 

⁶Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Who are the Nicolaitians? Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch

Acts 6:1-4  A complaint by the Hellenist disciples (Greeks)because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. The twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, (who we remember is the first martyr and stoned for his faith)and Philip, four names had to pronounce, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.

Could be a perversion of the teaching of Nicolaus advocating that the people of God commit sexual immorality or intermarry with the heathen and compromise in the matter of idolatrous worship.”—Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ,

John had not lived in a Greek city without becoming aware that the two things were in fact closely bound up together. Throughout the Bible God has commanded His people to be separate from other nations. Gentile converts had been rescued from their former worship of idol. Pagan festivities were too often occasions of immoralities.

⁷He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'

Verse seven is a word of encouragement. Saint Ignatius, student of John the Apostle and was the third bishop of Antioch, writing a generation later, still accorded the church high praise. The minister and his congregation must have repented and done their first works over; therefore, they went back to their first love. Ephesus became a seat of bishops, where a notable council was held as late as A.D. 431. The lamp stand wasn’t removed from the church in Ephesus for at least 375 years after John’s vision. Zondervan  Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible.

As we talked last week about Genesis and Revelation the first and the last books of the Bible, let’s read the description of the tree of life in the paradise of God.

Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3:24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Revelation 22:2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

 To the church at Smyra

8"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9"'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

Who is the first and the last? What slander is being spoken? What is he saying against the other Jews?

¹⁰Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

What is the reward for those who die for their faith? There are seven crowns awarded in heaven, we will learn more about that later.

¹¹He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.'

V. 11a will be repeated in every letter.  Ladies we are conquerors and are spared the second death which the Lake of Fire.

Revelation 21:8  …the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Romans 8: 35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?³⁶As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Here is our promise sisters:

³⁸For I am sure that neither death nor life,
 nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come,
nor powers,³⁹nor height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For Further Study Questions shared from Executable Outlines,
Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2013

1.     What congregation does Jesus address first? _____________________________

2.     What does the word angel mean? ______________________________________

3.     What is Jesus holding? _______________________________________________

4.     Where is he walking? ________________________________________________

5.     What two words are identical for each congregation (Revelation 2:2; 9; 13; 19; 3:1; 8; 15)? _____________ __________________

6.     In what ways does Jesus commend the congregation in Ephesus? ___________

7.     What does Jesus rebuke them for? _________________________________

8.     To remove the candlestick would be equivalent to what ____________________

9.     What deeds did the church at Ephesus hate? _____________________________

10.   Who else hated the deeds? _________________________________________

a.     What are we supposed to hate (Psalms 119:104)? __________________

11. What did Jesus hate about the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:15)? ________________

12.  What is the church to hear? _________________________________________

13.  What are we promised if we overcome? ________________________________

14. Where is the tree of life (Revelation 22:2; 14)? _____________

15.Who tells the angel to write unto the church at Smyrna? ______________________________________________________________

16. What three things did Jesus know about this congregation? ______________

17. Who makes up the congregation of Satan? _____________________________

18.  What should they brace themselves for? _______________________________a.     What promise is given? ______________________________________