Words Of Truth

Studies In Revelation
Chapter Two

Revelation 2:1 “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;”

• At the conclusion of chapter one, we addressed the angels of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20). The term “angel” [messenger] here is the same Greek word as we saw there (Strong’s # 32). Jesus, through the pen of John, is addressing the messenger of the church in Ephesus. We know this is Jesus because He, as we saw in chapter one, is the one that was holding the seven stars [angels] in His right hand and walked among the seven golden candlesticks [churches].
• We can look at the book of Acts to see the beginning of the Lord’s work in Ephesus (Acts 18:18-19:7).
• Standing for the truth in Ephesus was a dangerous endeavor (Acts 19:23-41 and I Corinthians 15:32).
• Paul told of a troubled future for the church in Ephesus (Acts 20:17-32).
• Paul had to have Timothy intervene in the work in Ephesus (I Timothy 1:3-7).
• We also have a letter written to the saints in Ephesus for plenty of background information (Ephesians).

• Jesus knew… (John 2:24-25, John 5:42, John 6:64, II Timothy 2:19, and Revelation 2:23; cf. Revelation 2:9, Revelation 2:13, Revelation 2:19, Revelation 3:1, Revelation 3:8, and Revelation 3:15).
• It matters that Jesus, the Judge (II Corinthians 5:10), knew their works (Matthew 16:27, John 5:28-29, Matthew 25:31-46, Galatians 6:7-9, and Hebrews 6:9-12).
• Jesus knew their labour and that matters in Judgment too [labors; trouble; weariness] (I Corinthians 3:8).
• Jesus knew their patience [endurance] (Romans 2:7, Romans 5:1-4, Hebrews 10:35-36, and James 1:2-4).
• The saints in Ephesus did not bear with those who were evil (Psalms 97:10, Psalms 101:3, Psalms 119:104, Psalms 119:128, Romans 12:9, Galatians 2:1-5, Ephesians 5:6-11, Hebrews 1:8-9, and II John 1:6-11).
• They tested those claiming to be apostles (Matthew 7:15-20 and I John 4:1; cf. II Corinthians 11:12-15).
• They found those claiming to be apostles to be liars, false (Proverbs 12:17).
• Remember, in there were “signs of an apostle” to test (II Corinthians 12:12).

• They had borne. This means to lift, literally or figuratively (endure, declare, sustain, receive, etc.): - bear, carry, take up” (Strong’s # 941). There are different things to be borne in Christ (Luke 14:27, John 16:12, Acts 9:15, Romans 15:1, Galatians 6:1-5, Galatians 6:17, etc.).
• We talked of their patience [same word in Greek here too] in verse 2.
• They labored for the sake of Christ (Romans 16:6, Romans 16:12, I Corinthians 15:9-10, Galatians 4:11, and I Thessalonians 5:12).
• Think about the wording “name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22, Matthew 19:29, Matthew 24:9, John 15:20-21, and I John 2:12).
• The fact that they had not fainted (Proverbs 24:10, Galatians 6:7-9, and Hebrews 12:1-3).

• Notice this huge point, all your good works do not outweigh, on some imaginary scale, something sinful (Ezekiel 18:24 and James 2:10).
• Jesus warned, that before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the love of many would wax cold (Matthew 24:12).
• They were working, enduring, etc,; but it was not out of love which is the true engine behind what we do for God (I Corinthians 16:14, Galatians 5:13, Colossians 3:14, and Hebrews 6:10). Think about the value of good works without love (I Corinthians 13:1-3).
• The first love of the saints (Mark 12:30).
• So, what good is a loveless marriage? Will God accept leftovers and half efforts (Malachi 1:6-10)?

• The Lord wanted the saints in Ephesus to remember where they had fallen from. Think about how the lost son in Jesus’ Parable remembered what home was like in contrast to where he was (Luke 15:11-19).
• While they were going through all sorts of right motions, they are fallen (cf. Luke 8:13-14, John 6:60-66, I Corinthians 10:1-12, Galatians 5:4, Galatians 5:7-9, I Timothy 4:1, Hebrews 3:12-13, Hebrews 12:15-17, II Peter 2:20-22, and Revelation 22:18-19).
• It was time to turn this around (Hosea 14:1).
• They needed to repent as all sinners must do so (Ezekiel 14:6, Ezekiel 18:30, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 21:28-32, Luke 5:32, Luke 13:1-5, Acts 3:19, Acts 8:12-24, Acts 17:30, II Timothy 2:24-26, and II Peter 3:9).
• They had left their first love. To return, they need to do the first works. Repentance includes works (Matthew 3:1-8 and Acts 26:18-20).
• The first works are about a return to the beginning (I John 2:24).
• Later in this chapter we will see the Lord give space to repent (Revelation 2:21). We know God is longsuffering (Psalms 86:15). Such should lead to repentance (Romans 2:4).
• Here, we see that the space to repent is short. The Lord promises to be quick [shortly; speedily] in His removing their candlestick. Remember, the candlestick represents the congregation (Revelation 1:20). So, the Lord is going to remove them as a congregation quickly if they do not repent.

• We read of the Nicolaitans here and later in this chapter (Revelation 2:15). In the present and later we learn there is a doctrine held by these people that the Lord hates. These are the only mentions of them in the Scriptures.
• We have already talked about the militancy of the Ephesians (Revelation 2:2-3).
• Those who love the truth certainly hate all false doctrines and act accordingly (Psalms 1:1-2, Psalms 26:4-5, Psalms 97:10, Psalms 101:3, Psalms 139:21-22, Jeremiah 15:17, John 2:13-17, Romans 12:9, II Corinthians 6:14-18, Ephesians 5:6-11, and Jude 1:3-4).

• He that hath an ear (Proverbs 2:1-2, Proverbs 5:1-2, Proverbs 25:12, Matthew 11:15, Matthew 13:9, Matthew 13:43, Mark 4:9, Mark 4:23, Mark 7:16, Luke 8:8, Luke 14:34-35, John 8:43, and Acts 28:27).
• If we put a few Scriptures together, we can see that paradise is in the realm of Hades (Luke 16:19-31, Luke 23:38-43, and Acts 2:22-32).
• Paul had a vision of a man caught up into paradise (II Corinthians 12:1-4).
• The tree of life is a figure that takes one back to the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9; Genesis 3:22-24).

• As we saw with Ephesus (Revelation 2:1), the address is “unto the angel” of the church in Smyrna. As we addressed at the conclusion of chapter one, the word “angel” means “messenger” (Strong’s # 32).
• The first and the last, which was dead, and is alive is Jesus (Revelation 1:17-18).
• This reiterates that King Jesus is speaking to them (Revelation 1:1-5).
• Jesus is the first begotten from the dead (Colossians 1:12-18), thus the resurrection is communicated here to these saints.
• We will see that these faithful saints are going to face tribulation. Consider how encouraging it is for those persecuted to think about Jesus and the resurrection (II Thessalonians 1:3-10 and I Peter 1:3-9).

• As we saw with Ephesus (Revelation 2:2) and will continue to see with the other churches addressed, Jesus knows their works.
• He knows the tribulation they are suffering. Of course, such suffering is a concern for the spiritual well-being of some saints (Mark 4:16-17). Suffering in the flesh doesn’t mean saints cannot have peace at the same time (John 16:33).
• Jesus did not try to “sell” some false idea of trouble-free Christianity to anyone (Matthew 5:10-12, Luke 6:22-23, and John 15:18-20).
• Like tribulation, being a Christian doesn’t make one free from poverty (Luke 6:20).
• Jesus serves as an example on the fact that poverty is not necessarily a reflection of anything lacking spiritually (II Corinthians 8:9; cf. Luke 9:57-58).
• One can be physically poor, but rich spiritually (Proverbs 13:7, Hebrews 11:24-26, and James 2:5; cf. Luke 12:15-21).
• The blessings of the saints are in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).
• Let’s think here about the point of the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not (Romans 2:17-29). Think of what Paul, when he was known as Saul of Tarsus, did to saints (Acts 22:1-5, Acts 26:9-11, I Corinthians 15:9, and Galatians 1:13) and how because of that he referred to himself as a blasphemer (I Timothy 1:12-13).
• Some of the Jews stood in the way of the Gospel (I Thessalonians 2:14-16; cf. Acts 14:2 and Acts 17:13).
• When one stands against Jesus, they are standing for Satan (John 8:30-44, Acts 13:6-12, and I John 3:1-10).
• Jesus draws clear lines (Matthew 12:30 and Luke 11:23).

• When Jesus sent out the disciples to preach among the children of Israel, He gave them words that puts the “fear none of those things…” point in perspective (Matthew 10:16-33). Peter addressed this principle too (I Peter 3:14-17). This point is about looking forward (Luke 12:4-5).
• Does this mean there is to be no fear of man, ever for any reason? NO, not necessarily (Romans 13:1-7 and Ephesians 6:5). It is not wrong to understand consequences for actions and fear those consequences (Proverbs 20:2). However, we cannot allow fear for what man could do to us to outweigh the fear we should have for God (Acts 5:27-32; cf. Acts 4:20).
• Fearing man is a trap (Proverbs 29:25).
• Think about what fearing the ungodly can do (Matthew 26:47-56; 26:69-75 and John 9:1-22).
• While it was man that imprisoned saints, the devil is the contributor through his influence (cf. John 13:1-2).
• Prisons were not uncommon places for the faithful to be found (Acts 16:22-36, Acts 22:3-4, Acts 26:10, and II Corinthians 6:1-6).
• Whether prison is the threat, or worse; there is nothing to fear when the Lord is on your side (Romans 8:28-31, II Timothy 1:7, and I John 4:18).
• What they were to face was the trial and such was not strange as we saw already (I Peter 4:12).
• While being tried, they need to remain faithful till death (II Timothy 4:6-8; cf. Colossians 1:21-23 and Jude 1:21).
• The focus has to be on the end reward (Matthew 5:10-12, Luke 10:20, Romans 12:12, I Peter 1:1-7, and I Peter 4:13).

• As we have seen already (Revelation 2:7) we will keep seeing “he that hath an ear…” (Revelation 2:17, Revelation 2:29, Revelation 3:6, Revelation 3:13, Revelation 3:22, and Revelation 13:9).
• The Spirit is the revealer (II Samuel 23:2, John 16:13, and I Corinthians 2:9-13) of the message of Christ from the Father (Revelation 1:1-2).
• The seven churches are the addressees (Revelation 1:11).
• The second death (Revelation 20:14-15 and Revelation 21:8).
• In this letter, the focus is on overcoming (Revelation 2:7, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 2:26, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 3:12, Revelation 3:21, and Revelation 21:7).

• As we have addressed since Revelation 1:20, the angel is the messenger of the church. This could mean the local preacher or similar person.
• He which hath the sharp sword… The first chapter of this book reveals this is Jesus (Revelation 1:9-20) and the sword is the word (Ephesians 6:17). See notes on: Revelation 1:16
• Thinking about times of judgment, what comes forth from the Lord’s mouth can slay the wicked (Isaiah 11:1-4).

• As with the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna, Jesus points out that He knows their works (Revelation 2:2 and Revelation 2:9).
• As the Judge, that matters as we talked about in earlier verses (Matthew 16:27 and II Timothy 4:14).
• Smyrna had those opposing them who were of the synagogue of Satan (Revelation 2:9). Pergamos had to contend with being where “Satan’s seat” is. This is as if saying Satan’s throne [seat = Strong’s # 2362]. That Greek term is often translated as “throne” (Matthew 5:34, Matthew 23:22, Matthew 25:31, Luke 1:32, etc.).
• Just remember, those working contrary to the will of God are called “Satan” (Matthew 16:21-23). Thus, Pergamos was a place of heavy resistance to the Lord’s will.
• In light of what they were facing, they held fast (Hebrews 3:1-6 and Hebrews 10:23).
• The faithful cannot deny Jesus even in the face of persecution (Luke 12:4-9, Romans 10:9-10, I John 2:22-23, and I John 4:15).
• When faced with earthly consequences, some have decided not to confess our Lord (Luke 22:54-62, John 7:12-13, John 9:15-23, John 12:36-43, and Acts 26:11).
• They did not deny the faith even when Antipas was killed among them. So, it was not just the threat of violence, but action had occurred. This typically, and rightfully so, would bring about fear and flight (Acts 8:1-4).
• Think about the imagery of Satan dwelling somewhere. He is the lion seeking to devour (I Peter 5:8). They stood fast where they were.

• Though they did not deny Jesus, they didn’t defend the truth. How can God’s people stand quiet in the presence of error (Psalms 26:4-5, Psalms 97:10, Psalms 119:104, Psalms 119:113, Psalms 119:163, Romans 12:9, and Ephesians 5:6-11)?
• They were not defending the truth as they should have (I Timothy 1:3-7, Titus 1:10-14, and Jude 1:3-4).
• This congregation is not unified (Amos 3:3, I Corinthians 1:10, Philippians 2:2, and Philippians 3:16).
• Balak (king of Moab) hired Balaam (a prophet) to stop the progress of the children of Israel (Numbers 22-24). Balaam taught Balak to have the children of Israel to eat meat sacrificed to idols, to commit fornication, and it worked (Numbers 25:1-9).
• Churches had been taught to avoid pollutions of idols and fornication (Acts 15:20; 15:29; 21:25).
• Flee fornication (I Corinthians 6:18); abstain from it (I Thessalonians 4:1-7).