Revelation Chapter 2
Introduction to the letters to the churches
In Revelation chapter 1, we saw the risen Christ still active in leading His church
He is pictured as walking among the candlesticks
He has the ministry in His hand
And He has a message for each church
He is aware of what is going on
This book of Revelation was written to be an encouragement to a suffering church
They were experiencing persecution and opposition
Their leader, the apostle John had been exiled
These letters show the churches that God was still leading and guiding
Even though John was sidelined, Jesus was not
As I mentioned last week, these were all churches that John ministered to in the Roman Province of Asia Minor, which is largely the modern day state of Turkey
John lived at Ephesus and the churches are listed in the order that he would have traveled to visit them
Letter to the church at Ephesus
Rev 2:1 ESV "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.
Rev 2:2 "'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.
Rev 2:3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.
Rev 2:4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
Rev 2:6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:7 He 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.'
These are Jesus words, His message to the church
Jesus reminds them that He is active and in control
In each letter, Jesus commends the church for those things they were doing well, and then warns them what needs corrected
Ephesus was an ancient and important city
It was the chief capital of the Proconsular Asia
It was also the home of the temple to the goddess, one of the seven wonders of the world
The church at Ephesus has many things right
This was a prominent church
Paul established the congregation and labored there longer than any other place
John lived there and ministered there
This church held to holiness
They worked hard, they endured patiently, they held to the truth
They were enduring the persecutions without growing wearing and giving up
Truthfully, they were fighting the good fight
But they had a problem…their love had grown cold
Their love for God
Their love for one another
Unless they repent, Jesus was going to remove the candlestick
That which made them a bearer of the light
His Spirit, His ministry, His Word
Losing our love is a serious matter
Many of our holiness churches battle this today
He does commend them for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which was plague many of the other churches
His promise to the overcomers, those who regained their first love, was to eat of the fruit of the tree of life in paradise
The promise of faithfulness is eternal life
Letter to the church at Smyrna
Rev 2:8 ESV "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
Rev 2:9 "'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.
Rev 2:10 Do 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.
Rev 2:11 He 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.'
Smyrna was a city of great importance and known for its beauty
It was also the center for the worship of Caesar
During the reign of Domintian, the worship of Caesar became compulsory
At least once a year, everyone was required to burn incense and say “Caesar is lord”
Refusal meant disloyalty to the empire
The believers here in Smyrna remained faithful even unto death
They were poor, because failing to worship Caesar would have caused them to be cut off financially
Yet they were rich!!
Not only did they have to deal with the Romans, they had to deal with the Jews
Described here as false Jews
The Jews continued to persecute believers, either directly of by reporting them to the Roman authorities
Jesus introduces Himself to each church in terms related to His message for them
Here He introduced Himself as He who died but lives
He warns them of a period of persecution, 10 days
This ten year period probably represents the 10 years of Domitians cruel persecution
His promise to those who faithful unto death is eternal life
The second death shall not hurt them
Note that there was no correction give for this congregation
Letter to the church at Pergamum
Rev 2:12 ESV "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
Rev 2:13 "'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
Rev 2:15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Rev 2:16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
Rev 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.'
Pergamum was a city of heathen gods and pagan altars
It was a center of idolatry in John’s day
It is described by Jesus as Satan’s throne, where Satan dwells
Notice how Jesus introduces Himself
Having the sharp two edged sword
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
First, Jesus commends them for their faithfulness and loyalty to Him
They had held fast their faith even unto death (Antipas is mentioned)
Yet, He had also noticed a problem here
The problem was that they had compromised to accommodate themselves to the society around them
The doctrine of Balaam is mentioned
Remember that story from the Old Testament?
Couldn’t curse the children of Israel, but told Balak how to get God to curse them
The compromise that Jesus is condemning is the eating of foods offered to idols and sexual immorality
The pagan temples were the centers of social life in that time
It was a controversy that Paul addressed
The problem wasn’t in the eating of the meat
The problem was the association and how easily it led to sin, particularly sexual immorality
We are to be separate from the world
Not in a sense of moving to a convent, but separate in our thinking and way of life
We have lost that separation from the world in most of our churches today
Many today are working hard to blur the lines…Jesus message remains the same
His promise to those who overcome was the Hidden manna and a White stone, with a new name that no one knows but He who has it
Letter to the church at Thyratira
Rev 2:18 ESV "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
Rev 2:19 "'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.
Rev 2:20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Rev 2:21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
Rev 2:22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,
Rev 2:23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
Rev 2:24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.
Rev 2:25 Only hold fast what you have until I come.
Rev 2:26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,
Rev 2:27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.
Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'
Thyratira was a city of great commerce
There were pagan temples there but Caesar worship was not pronounced
Persecution from the outside was minimal
The church had done very well in their love, their faith, their service and endurance
This was a church that was spiritually alive
These virtues were not only there, they were growing
There was a problem, though
They were tolerating a false teacher
Notice again, the problem is eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality
Thyratira was a city of great commerce
However, their trade guilds of the day functions much like unions
There gatherings were held at the idol temples, where wine and immorality were rampant
To not be part, hindered Christians in their business
We have seen this problem a couple of times already
Notice Jesus introduces Himself has having flaming eyes and feet of brass
He sees the hidden parts, He discerns
He moves with purpose
He had given a period for repentance, now was the time for action
We cannot tolerate false doctrine that will destroy the work of God from within
The longest letter of the seven was written to the church with the least outward opposition
The condemnation was the churches tolerance of the false teacher
Jesus tells them He will judge the false teacher with sickness
Rev 2:21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
Rev 2:22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,
Rev 2:23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
In our age of tolerance, there are false doctrines that cannot be tolerated
Give the overcomer to rule with a rod of iron
Give the Morning Star