| 1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; | To the Church of Ephesus the Lord describes Himself as the One who holds the seven stars (angels) - the One who inspires and authorises them regarding their ministry to the church. He is also present in each of the seven churches. | |
| 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: | The Lord Jesus now list several
good and bad points regarding the Church at Ephesus:- The Good Points a) They were working hard for the Lord. This probably means that they were diligent in all aspects of Christian ministry. b) They laboured on despite personal difficulties. c) They endured even when they were being assaulted by those of this wicked city - i.e. pagans and idolaters. d) They had no place in the Church for wicked men, those who attended Christian worship but also accommodated the world and false religion. e) They did not accept all who claimed to be preachers of righteousness but judged each one according to what the word of God said. f) By this method they were able to spot false teachers a mile off. |
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| 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. | g) They stood their ground in
Christ regardless of how many were giving themselves over to
unrighteousness and compromise. h) Their patience (endurance) is remarked on again. They were leaving everything firmly in the hands of the Lord - they had patient trust. i) They laboured for Christ's sake and refused to give up no matter how hard it became to stand. |
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| 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. | The Bad Points a) They had left their first love. This may mean that they had become ritualistic - that everything they did was out of duty rather than from a love for God. Their love for God was growing cold through religion. |
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| 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. | b) They had fallen (backslidden).
Backsliding happens when a church gets itself involved with false
doctrine, religion, or become content with routine. The Remedy a) Remember. They needed to reconsider their standing before God, to look back and see how far they had come away from God's grace. b) Repent. A backsliding church needs to repents of the way it is going - it needs to get right with God as a congregation, not only as individuals. c) Return. Get back to the beginning. Get back to the place where it is known we walked away from God. By return or reversing, they will renew their love for Christ. The Warning a) They must act quickly because the Lord certainly will! There was no time for putting it off for another moment, because God cannot put off His judgement any longer. b) They would be removed as a church if they did not repent. Their spiritual light would be extinguished and the 'star' would no longer minister within them. Immediate repentance was a must. |
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| 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. | Major Good point They rejected false doctrines and practices of the Nicolaitans (ritualists and clergy-class / priest-craft). This was one thing in their favour that was delaying the coming judgement. |
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| 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. | The Rewards a) To those who listen to the message (in all the churches) will receive God's eternal reward. This reward is only available to the overcomer - the one who bucks the downward trend of religion. b) They will receive spiritual food of everlasting life here and would enjoy the glories of God in Heaven. Whilst on earth they would know the eternal truth that sets the soul free. |
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| 8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; | The Lord Jesus Christ gives a
description of Himself in this verse. This three-fold description is one
that the church of our day needs to remember. It is an important part of
Christology. a) His Eternal Nature. b) His Messiahship. c) The Risen Lord. |
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| 9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. | Good Points a) They worked hard for the Gospel's sake. This was not salvation by works (which all false religions promote), but working as a fruit of being saved. They were simply doing what Christ expects from all His churches. b) They were persecuted for their Christian faith in Smyrna, but this did not stop them from serving the Lord - it probably gave them even greater determination to the the message of the Gospel out to their city. c) They were not a wealthy congregation by any means, yet they used what they had to advance the truth. In God's eyes they were spiritually rich and were laying up treasure in Heaven. d) They stood firm even when being opposed by the Jews in the city. These Jews thought that they were doing God's will by persecuting the followers of Christ and blaspheming His holy name, but in reality they were on the pay roll of Satan - doing his business. Bad Points There are no bad points mentioned regarding this church. |
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| 10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. | Rewards a) These persecuted believers would receive the Crown of Life if they maintained their faith in the face of such onslaught. Their faith in Christ would dispel the fear of imprisonment and death. |
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| 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. | b) The overcomer may indeed die at the hands of his tormentors, but that is all that can happen. Dead but not destroyed. The true believer has no fear of death and Hell. We are free from the fires of the eternal lake of fire and brimstone. | |
| 12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; | The Lord is seen with the sharp two-edged sword in His hand. The reason for this is because this church had become heretical and needed to be judged and disciplined. | |
| 13 I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. | Good Points a) They worked for the Lord in a very difficult location. It seemed that Pergamos was the very headquarters of Hell on earth. This was due to the high level of satanic and occultic practices in the area. b) They held fast the name of Christ as the only way of salvation. c) They remained faithful to Christ and did not deny Him even when suffering severe persecution. They had seen the death of fellow Christians but kept their faith nevertheless. |
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| 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. | Bad Points a) They fellowshipped with false teachers and prophets. They even allowed them into the Church of Christ! The false teachers were laying snares that would eventually trap them in immorality and idolatry. |
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| 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. | b) They also allowed the clergy-class to rule their thinking instead of being guided by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. Gnostic teachers (the Faith Teachers of the day) were corrupting them. | |
| 16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. | The Remedy a) Repent. They needed to get rid of these false teachers and doctrines. If they did not then Christ would act against them with the two-edged sword. b) Do it quickly. They must act quickly because Jesus would act quickly. Do they really want to find the Lord fighting against them? They must separate from falsehood. |
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| 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. | The Rewards a) Hidden Manna = The spiritual food of God instead of the corrupt servings of the false teachers. b) A New Name on a white stone. This would be proof of their citizenship in Heaven. Therefore it needed individual members of this church to get right with God before it was too late. |
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| 18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; | Jesus comes before this church as the Searcher of Hearts. His eyes burn deep into every soul and mind. He stands as the pure and unchanging Lord. His word is firmly established. His Kingdom is firmly established (unlike the kingdom of iron and clay.) | |
| 19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. | Good Points a) They laboured for God. They were a church which believed and lived the Good News. These good works were a result of their ongoing commitment to Christ. b) Charity. True Christian love amongst each other. c) Service. They were willing to be servants of Christ and to each other. This speaks of their humility and meekness. d) Faith. Their faith was manifest. They really lived what they believed. They were not hypocrites. e) Works. This maybe seen as their humanitarian service to the world. It is possible that this kind of activity was overdone at the cost of the spiritual. Christianity today has become just another humanitarian organisation instead of the vessel God uses to spread the Good News. These works are commendable but can never save the soul. |
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| 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. | Bad Points a) They allowed a false prophetess to minister in the Church. This woman was seeking to introduce idolatry and immorality. This symbolism is a fine portrayal of the roman Catholic Church and the Vatican (the harlot). It is also possible that feminism is referred to here, especially that which leads to goddess worship. |
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| 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. | The Lord gave this harlot system time to repent, but she did not. She loved her formalism and idolatry more than Christ. We should notice that there was a certain amount of Christianity about her to make her acceptable to the Thyatira Church. | |
| 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. | The Remedy The Lord Himself would deal with the harlot / false prophet / false teacher. The victims of false teachers are not considered innocent by Christ. Both the deceiver and the deceived will suffer the safe punishment for refusing Christ. |
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| 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. | All who follow false doctrine will experience the Second Death - eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire. This is meant as a warning to all the church of Christ in all ages, for the Lord knows what is going on in every one of them. Each congregation and its individual members are accountable to the Lord for what they have or have not done. | |
| 24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. | The Rewards a) These rewards are only available to the overcomer. These are they that have separated themselves from false teachers and false doctrines. All false doctrines are part of Satan's schemes, lies and deceits that entrap the believer who will not stay in the truth. The 'Depths of Satan' may refer to the favourite doctrine of 'Spiritual Warfare' promulgated by the Gnostics. b) The fact that the Lord speaks of putting no other burden upon them reveals just how severe a time they were already undergoing. The intensity of persecution caused some to compromise, but the Lord encourages them to stand firm. In certain ages it takes all the Church's strength to stand against the invasion of false teachers and prophets. |
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| 25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. | This is why the Lord commands them to hold fast to the purity of the true word until He returns. | |
| 26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: | c) The overcomer will be given authority to govern with Christ in His Millennial Kingdom. It is His works we must do not ours (see :19 & :26). | |
| 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. | The overcomer will rule over the nations that exist during the 1000 year reign of Christ on this present earth. The government will be under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ. | |
| 28 And I will give him the morning star. | d) The overcomer will be given the 'Morning Star'. This probably means that they will receive spiritual light and understanding than comes from the person of Christ. Though Jesus is the Morning Star, they cannot receive that which they already received at salvation. | |
| 29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. | This message is for all the church of every age until Christ returns. Are we willing to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us through the Book of Revelation (and the other 65 books of the Bible)? |