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As we begin this section, we need to recall some of the
comments made in the previous chapter. These seven letters are more than merely
letters to these seven churches. While they certainly reflect the conditions
present at those particular churches at that time, they also have another
meaning. They represent the conditions experienced by the Lord’s Church, from its inception in A.D.
30, to the end of time. The conditions of those churches paralleled the
conditions of the Lord’s Church as it progressed through history. Taken in
the order in which they were written, the seven letters successively describe
the progression of the Church through history. This idea will be discussed
more in the future, but for now it will suffice to allow us to begin our
study of these letters.
However, there is one final note that needs to be made about this before we
do begin. Due to the possible difficulty in simultaneously explaining both
meanings of the letters they have been given separately. The literal
interpretation, which refers to the actual churches, appears first. The
figurative interpretation, concerning the Lord’s Church down through the ages, has
been deferred to its own section following chapter three. This will allow for
a more clear and concise explanation in both cases.
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;
Ephesus was “A city of Lydia on the western coast of Asia Minor, at the
mouth of the River Cayster, nearly midway between Miletus on the south and
Smyrna on the north. Situated at the junction of natural trade routes, and
near a far-famed shrine of an Asiatic nature goddess, whom the Greeks
identified with Artemis, its growth was assured. In the eleventh century B.
C. the town was seized by the Ionians, a section of the Greek race. Ephesus became one of
the twelve cities belonging to their confederation, and itself the capital of
Ionia. About 555 B. C. the city submitted to Crœsus, king of Lydia, whose
capital was at Sardis, but it soon fell under the Persian domination. When
the victories of Alexander the Great overthrew the Persian Empire, Ephesus
came under Macedonian Greek rule. Hitherto it had been confined to a low
alluvial plain liable to be flooded. About 286 B. C., however, Lysimachus
extended it to an adjacent eminence which the water could not reach. By this
change of location the temple of Artemis was left outside the city walls. In
190 B. C. the Romans, after defeating Antiochus the Great at Magnesia, took
Ephesus from him and gave it to Eumenes II., king of Pergamos. On the death
of Attalus III. of Pergamos in 133 B. C. it reverted to them, and eventually
became the capital of the Roman province of Asia. In A.D. 29 the city was
much damaged by an earthquake, but was rebuilt by the emperor Tiberius. Many
Jews with Roman citizenship
resided at Ephesus and maintained a synagogue; and Paul, on his way to Jerusalem, toward the end of his
second missionary journey, paid a short visit to the place, preached in the
synagogue and left Aquila and Pricilla there, who continued the work. On his
third journey he labored there at least two years and three months, leaving
the city after the riot which was stirred up by Demetrius, a maker of small
silver models of the temple, who found his craft endangered by the preaching
of the apostle.”1
Once again, Christ is given as the author of
the letters and is depicted as holding seven stars. The stars, which first
appeared in chapter one, verse sixteen, are the seven angels of the Seven
Churches to whom Christ is writing. The fact that Christ holds them in His
hand demonstrates His authority over them. The seven golden candlesticks,
which first appeared in verse twelve of chapter one, represent the Seven
Churches. Christ is shown in the midst of them demonstrating His continued
presence among His people.
2:2 I know thy works, and thy labor, 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:
In this verse, Jesus hands out nothing but
praise to the Church. He commends them in five areas; their works,
labor, and patience must have been exemplary. Although He does not actually
say they had done well in these areas, it is implied by the context. The term
“I know” does not necessarily mean anything good or bad, but merely
conveys knowledge of their activities. It means that He was aware of what
they had been doing. Since He did not follow this up with any negative
comments, we can assume they had done well in these areas.
Everything in verses two and three is complimentary; it is
not until we get to verse four that he addresses their problems. He
purposefully deals with their good points first and then turns to their
faults. Usually, you will have a better effect on someone when you do things
this way. If He were to have jumped immediately into their problems, He could
have caused them to be offended, and this certainly was not His intent. He
wanted them to repent so He tried to be as tactful and diplomatic as
possible. He first praised them for what they were doing correctly and then
reprimanded them for their mistakes. We will see Him follow this course of
action in almost all of the letters.
We can see that the Church at Ephesus had good works,
abundant labor, and great patience. He then commends them for their stand
against error. It is not enough to take a stand FOR truth, one must
also take a stand AGAINST evil. Then He mentions their treatment of
those who had claimed to be apostles of the Lord but were really frauds. This
Church tried these men, which means they put them to the test. In other
words, they demanded that these men back up their claims with some sort of
proof. All of the apostles had the capacity to perform miracles in order to
demonstrate their authenticity (Hebrews 2:4). In addition, they gave
spiritual gifts to others who they felt were worthy to have them and would
use them wisely (Acts 8:18). But since these men were fakes, they would have
lacked this ability and could have been found out very easily.
This all sounds simple, but it begins with people being concerned enough to
check the credentials of someone who sets himself up to be one who speaks for
God. It is far too common today for people to take the word of so called “men
of God” at face value and never question their teachings. Although men today
are not capable of miracles to show that God is with them, there is the Bible
which can and should be used to confirm or refute the claims of men.
2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast
labored, and hast not fainted.
Jesus continues to shower the Ephesian
Church with compliments; once again commending their
patience and their ability to bear the persecutions they were facing. Not
only had they managed to hold out in the face of opposition, but they were
still laboring abundantly. “Hast not fainted” means they had not
fainted in their heart. In other words, they had not become overwhelmed by
the tribulations that were coming their way that they would give up and
forsake the Lord.
“For my name’s sake” shows that they had the proper motivation for the
things they were doing. As the Apostle Paul instructed, “And
whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord”
(Colossians 3:17). They were not doing things for the sake of popularity or
praise of men. They genuinely sought to please the Lord.
2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy
first love.
After all of the commendations, Jesus
finally brings up something that they were doing wrong. “Left thy first
love” means they had ceased to do many things from a standpoint of pure
love. They were doing these things because they were commanded to, not
because they wanted to. In I Thessalonians 1:3, the Apostle Paul speaks of a “labor of
love.” This is how a Christian should feel about everything he does. He
should not mind doing anything for the Lord, simply because he loves Him.
A good illustration of this might be a married couple who have drifted apart
over the years. Perhaps both are heavily involved in their careers and, after
spending time with the children, they just seem to have very little time left
for each other. Now the problems that once seemed insignificant give rise to
big arguments. In becoming so wrapped up in themselves and their careers,
they have forgotten how to love each other.
This analogy can perhaps help us see what had happened to the early
Christians. The excitement of those first disciples in the months and years immediately
following Christ’s death and resurrection must have been
overwhelming. Just imagine having seen the Lord die on the cross and then a
few days later to see Him walking around! Then a few weeks later, the Church was established in an
inspiring show of power by the Holy Ghost. Within days, thousands had
been added to the number of disciples. Indeed, what an exciting time to have
been a Christian. But just as in a marriage we know that the honeymoon must
end, both literally and figuratively, so too the wave of great excitement
begin to fade after a while.
Disciples were no longer made by the thousands or even hundreds. Persecution
was ever present at the hands of the Jews and Romans. The day of the
great apostles of Christ was coming to a close. The number of those
alive who had actually known Jesus
and had been witness to the awesome events of A.D. 30 was growing smaller and
smaller. Only the elderly would have been from the first generation of
Christians. Those younger than about seventy-five would have no personal
knowledge of Jesus and may well have been
raised as Christians by their parents. As is often sadly the case, many
children do not share their parent’s zeal about religion. This generation of
Christians might have learned what to do, but have failed to learn to truly
love the Lord.
Christ desires for those who serve Him to be zealous
and hardworking. This the apostle Paul pointed out in his letter
to Titus. “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works”
(Titus 2:14). This zeal was missing from the hearts and lives of those in
Ephesus. They were doing only what was commanded of them and only because it
was a commandment.
They had become very much like the unprofitable servant Christ spoke of. “So likewise
ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are COMMANDED you, say,
‘We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do’”
(Luke 17:10). Someone who only does what he has to do can never please the
Lord; this was the condition of the Ephesian Church. This whole situation just
goes to prove that good deeds do not justify a person, if their heart is not
in what they do. It is as the Apostle Paul said, “Though I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as
sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And
though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to
be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing” (I Corinthians
13:1-3). Without charity, or love, a person’s profession of Christianity is
worthless.
2:5 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.
Now that He has told them where their error is, Jesus
instructs the Ephesian Church to repent. He tells them to
remember how it used to be and try to return to that state. They need to
rekindle their love. Continuing our example from the previous verse, perhaps
the husband could bring his wife flowers like he did when they were dating.
In addition, a lot of the other little things that had made their
relationship special in the beginning could be renewed.
Love
is not something that merely happens, it is something that can be cultivated
and grown just like a flower. But if they fail to heed His instructions He
gives them, He will remove their candlestick. Since the candlesticks
represent the congregations, removing their candlestick would symbolize their
removal as a congregation of His Church. He would not literally
remove them from the face of the earth, but he would no longer consider them
as His. This is a lesson good for all time. Just because a group sets
themselves up to be a congregation of the Lord’s Church, this does not mean
that is what they really are. If they are not following the commandments of
God, He may well have already removed their candlestick. Luke told us that “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved”
(Acts 2:47). If the
Lord adds to the Church, then He can certainly remove people or entire
congregations from it as well.
2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the
Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
After a stern rebuke, Jesus here commends them once
again. This time it was for taking a stand against the Nicolaitanes, which He
says He hates. Nicolaitanes is from the Greek ‘Nikolaites’ which Strong’s
defines as, “a Nicolaite, i.e. adherent of Nicolau’s:-Nicolaitane.”2 This word comes from the Greek ‘Nikolaos’ which
Strong’s defines as, “victorious over the people; Nicolau’s, a
heretic:-Nicolaus.”3 This word, in turn,
comes from two Greek root words ‘nikos’ and ‘Laodikeus.’ Which Strong’s
defines respectively as, “a conquest (concretely), i.e. (by implication)
triumph:-victory,”4 and “a Laodicean, i.e.
inhabitant of Laodicia:-Laodicean.”5 The idea
is that men were seeking to abandon the scriptural leadership of elders and
supplant it with an ill conceived hierarchy. Scriptural elders have very
little authority and are expected to lead more by example, whereas these
usurpers wanted absolute power over the believers.
God’s intent for the government of His people has remained
essentially the same for the last four-thousand years, but, unfortunately, so
has man’s rejection of God’s plan. Under the Law of Moses, God was to be the King of
the nation of Israel. Because of the imperfection of the Old Law,
God continually sent prophets to teach and guide the people and to be the
mediator between Himself and the people. Each city was overseen by the
respected elders of the city. “And when
he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the
gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of
that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place,
that he may dwell among them” (Joshua 20:4). In times of crisis, the
elders of all Israel would assemble. “So
all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a
league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over
Israel” (II Samuel 5:3). God realized the importance of utilizing those
with experience and wisdom to help Him rule the people.
The people, however, decided that a man could rule them
more effectively than God. “But the
thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And
Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the
voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not
rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought
them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have
forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore
hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew
them the manner of the king that shall reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:6-9).
These men eschewed the blessings and leadership of God for
the domination of men with evil ambitions who were often inept, oppressive,
and very wicked. God warned them what they were getting themselves into. “And Samuel told all the words of the Lord
unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the
manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and
appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some
shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over
thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground,
and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments
of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and
to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your
vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his
servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and
give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants,
and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put
them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his
servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye
shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day” (1
Samuel 8:10-18).
Despite the warnings, the people would not be deterred
from their intent of rejecting their Creator in favor of imperfect men. “Nevertheless the people refused to obey
the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and
go out before us, and fight our battles. And Samuel heard all the words of
the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said
to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king” (1 Samuel
8:19-22).
God’s intent for the government of the Church is very similar to that of
Israel; the role of elders is clearly seen. “And when they had ordained them elders in
every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on
whom they believed” (Acts 14:23). “And
from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church”
(Acts 20:17). “For this cause left I
thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting,
and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee” (Titus 1:5). It
is very important to note that, just as was the case with Israel, every
church was to have a plurality of elders. When power and authority are vested
in one man, those subject to his authority are at the mercy of his ambitions
and faults. When that same power is divided among two or more men, it is much
less likely that they will agree together to work corruption. God wisely
recognizes that no one man should ever be entrusted with authority in a
church. The elders then answer to the Head of the Church. “For the husband is the head of the wife,
even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the
saviour of the body” (Ephesians 5:23). “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence”
(Colossians 1:18).
God’s intent was that Christ is to be the Head of the
Church and He is to have absolute power over it. There
is no need for a continuous string of prophets as was the case with the Old
Law, because the Church is under “the
perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25). It is unfortunate, although not
unexpected, that men have chosen to reject Christ as the Head of the Church,
just as Israel rejected God from being their King. Most
denominations are today ruled by “ministers” (a gross misuse of the
scriptural term) at the congregational level, and by councils, conventions,
synods, etc. at the regional or national level. The height of apostasy is the
hierarchy established by the Roman Catholic Church. Modeled after the
civil administrative network of the old Roman Empire, they have a succession
of leaders at various levels, culminating in one infallible, essentially
divine man, the pope. This centralization of authority has made it possible
to completely overthrow the principles of New Testament Christianity in favor of
the doctrines of men. They are as Paul spoke of the Jews of his day. “For I bear them record that they have a
zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not
submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:2-3). In
many ways, the false prophets of Rome will be the focus of a large part of
the remainder of the book of Revelation.
Returning to the verse at hand, we also notice that after Christ had rebuked the Ephesian
Church for their error, He hands out a little more
praise. This serves to ‘smooth their ruffled feathers.’ He is showing Himself
to be a master of diplomacy here by the way He is handling the situation. I
have often heard others say that the way to effectively deliver some bit of
necessary criticism to someone is to first ‘butter them up’ with a
compliment, then give them the bitter medicine, and then give them some more
praise for what they have been doing right. Perhaps a bitter pill is more
easily swallowed if it is in the middle of a sweet sandwich.
2:7 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.
“He that hath an ear, let him hear” is to me
an indication that we should look very closely at what has just been said.
Hear not only means to listen to the words but to understand and digest them
as well. Hear is from the Greek word “akouo,” which Strong’s defines as “a
primary verb; to hear (in various senses):-give (in the) audience (of), come
(to the ears), ([shall]) hear (-er, -ken), be noised, be reported,
understand.”6
It is understanding that the Lord desires people to gain, not merely
listening to the words.
But the way he uses the word here in this particular phrase has a very
special meaning. It is a clue that some great truth has been indirectly
spoken. It is like saying “he that has the ability to understand, let him
understand.” In the gospels we find Christ using this phrase several
times, and each of those times He seems to be telling His listeners to think
closely about what He has said.
In
Matthew chapter eleven, Christ speaks of John the Baptist and in doing so
says more than His words might indicate. “For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before
thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you,
Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John
the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he. And from the days of
John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the
violent take it by force. For all the
prophets and the law prophesied until John.
And if ye will receive it,
this is Elias, which was for to come.
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:10-15). That last
phrase is what tips us off to the fact that He has said something more than
it appears; and that He wants us to figure it out. What did Jesus say here
that is hidden in His words? While discussing John he said that he was
actually Elijah who was prophesied to return. This prophesy is found in Isaiah
40:3. “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare
ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
What is the significance of this prophesy? Prepare ye the way of the Lord
means to prepare the way for the Messiah. If John is Elijah, then the one he
has been preparing the way for must be the Christ. That, of course, is Jesus
Himself. Jesus claims to be the long-awaited Messiah without ever directly
saying it. He hints at it and then uses the phrase, “He that hath ears to
hear, let him hear.” For those who were interested enough to ponder the
situation it would become obvious that Jesus
was claiming to be the Lord’s
Christ.
Many times after teaching a parable, Jesus used the statement “He
that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” He was exhorting them to give
thought to His parables in order that they might understand the deeper truths
which characterized His teachings. In our situation here in Revelation, Jesus
again wants us to see something that will not be apparent on the surface.
These letters, for the most part, are fairly simple and do not appear to be
harboring any secrets. But as has been mentioned previously, these letters
represent not only the named congregations, but also all congregations of the
Church at different periods of time throughout the
entire Christian age. Ephesus, which we have just looked at, being the first,
represents the Church from its foundation in A.D. 30 until around A.D. 180.
At the end of chapter three a synopsis of Church history, as revealed through
these letters, will be given and should make all of this much clearer.
The Spirit which is saying these things to the churches, is the Spirit of
God, which He often employs in such activities. “To him that overcometh
will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise
of God.” “Him that overcometh” is anyone who triumphs over Satan
and all of his efforts to defeat him. This would include temptation as well
as persecution. Any person who is able, through submitting himself to the
power of God, to overcome Satan will earn the right to partake of the tree of
life, which gives eternal life. Man lost his access to the tree of life after
the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. “And
the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and
evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life,
and eat, and live for ever:’ so he drove out the man; and he placed at the
east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every
way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Genesis 3:22, 24). But now,
through the death of Christ, man has been reconciled to
God (Romans 5:10), and through obedience to God can someday regain access to
the tree of life that is in Heaven (Revelation 22:14).
2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the
first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Smyrna was “a city of Asia Minor, situated on the Aegean Sea, 40 miles
north of Ephesus.”7 It was “a city of great
antiquity on the western coast of Asia Minor. It was possessed by the Æolian
Greeks, and finally the Ionian Greeks admitted it to their confederacy. The
Lydian king, Alyattes, destroyed it, and it lay waste for some 200 years,
till the plan of rebuilding it was formed by Alexander the Great, and
executed by his immediate successors, on a new site nearby. It then became a
large and flourishing commercial center, retaining its importance under the
Romans. It became a part of the province of Asia, organized after 133 B. C.
Its bishop Polycarp suffered martyrdom by fire,
near the stadion, probably in A. D. 169. In A. D. 178 Smyrna was destroyed by
an earthquake, but was speedily rebuilt. Lying as it does at the extremity of
a fine bay, in the track of trade, it is admirably adapted for commerce, and
even under Turkish rule remains a highly flourishing city, the largest and
most important in Asia Minor.”8
Smyrna was one of the two churches which had nothing
spoken against it by Christ; Philadelphia was the
other. Jesus again refers to Himself as
the first and last. This coincides with the phrase “Alpha and Omega,” which
He often uses to show His eternal nature; that nothing was before Him and
nothing shall come after Him. He also points out that He “was dead, and is
alive.” No one else can make such a claim. Christ is the only one to ever
conquer death, by being resurrected to die no more.
2:9 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.
The Church at Smyrna was commended for the work they were
doing, the tribulation they were enduring, and the poverty they were
suffering. It does not really sound like an appealing life, but they
apparently were doing all as a labor of love, in contrast to Ephesus who had
lost their first love. Although Christ refers to their poverty, He
still says they are rich. One reason they probably were so poor was the
persecutions they were suffering. One of the first things an oppressor often
goes after is someone’s possessions. They were no doubt lacking in a material
way, but because of their dedicated service to God, they had laid up for
themselves unsearchable riches in Heaven (Matthew 6:20). Therefore,
where it really counted, they were rich. Their situation is exactly the
opposite of what we will find in the seventh church, Laodicea. Christ
described Laodicea this way, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art
wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation
3:17). Laodicea had material wealth but spiritual poverty. It is often the case
with men that a scarcity of material goods will cause people to seek after
God, and correspondingly, an abundance of material goods will cause people to
turn from God. This point is well borne out in these two churches.
“Them which say they are Jews” refers to people who
were actually of the Jewish race but did not adhere to the laws they
professed to follow. This type of person, who is insincere from the start, is
a prime candidate to join in the persecution of other groups. These who
professed to be followers of God, were actually blaspheming Him by
persecuting those who were His true followers, and denouncing their
practices. They had crucified God’s Son and were now trying desperately to
stamp out His followers. If they had been sincere and knowledgeable from the
start, they would have accepted Christ when He came. Since they
were working against God, it can then be said they were working for Satan. “He
that is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30). This is the reason
for saying they are “the synagogue of Satan.” They serve Satan, and
the term synagogue is added, because this is where they claim to worship God.
They hypocritically tried to worship God from a synagogue, but because of
their blind ignorance were actually serving Satan’s purposes.
2:10 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.
This verse elaborates on the persecution that the Church at Smyrna was suffering.
Despite the persecutions, Christ exhorts them not to fear
those things that they might be put through. “And fear not them which kill
the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is
able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). He tells
them that if they are faithful UNTO death then they will receive, as a
reward, a crown of life. This crown of life signifies victory over Satan and
everything evil. It also means that its owner is entitled to eternal life in
Heaven.
Being faithful ‘unto’ death, which He commands here, is not the same as be
faithful ‘until’ death; although it does include that. Being faithful until
death means to remain faithful to God as long as you live. However, being
faithful unto death, means standing firm even if you are put to death for
your beliefs. It is one thing to profess Christianity when you are not
opposed for doing so, but it is quite another to profess it when Christians
are being killed and tortured all around you. This is exactly what Christ asks of His followers.
After all, He did this for them, why should He not ask for the same in
return?
He also reveals to us the identity of the one who is behind all of this evil
which is befalling these saints. It is no surprise to find that it is Satan
who is masterminding it all. The ten days of tribulation does not appear to
have any direct application to the Church at Smyrna, but it has a
very obvious meaning for the Church as a whole during the period of time
represented by the Church at Smyrna, which was A.D. 180 to A.D. 313. This
point will be elaborated on in the summary that follows chapter three.
2:11 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.
Once again we see the phrase “He that hath an ear, let him hear.”
Indeed we will see it after each of these seven letters. This again alerts us
to look for a subtle meaning in this letter. This is of course its
application to the history of the entire Church.
“He that overcometh” is anyone who triumphs over Satan and all of his
efforts to defeat him. This would include temptation as well as persecution.
Any person who is able, through submitting himself to the power of God, to
overcome Satan will not be hurt of “the second death.” The second
death is spiritual death. Death is not a cessation of life but rather a
separation. Physical death is the result of the separation of the body and
spirit of man. “For as the body without the spirit is dead” (James
2:26). This is the first death. The second death is spiritual, and results
when a soul is separated from God. This occurs when a person is cast into
eternal Hell. In other words, a person who does not yield to God will be cast
into Hell. All of this will be discussed in greater detail in chapter twenty.
It is very appropriate that Christ described the heavenly
reward as He did to the Ephesian Church. With all of the
persecution they were suffering, Christians must have been dying quite often.
He points out to them that for their efforts, they will be spared the second
death. Compared to the first death, the second is a much more serious matter,
and will, unfortunately, overtake most men.
2:12 And to the angel of the
church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword
with two edges;
Pergamos, also known as Pergamum, was a city located about forty miles
north of Smyrna. It was situated on the Caicus River about twenty miles from
the sea. It was a great center of idolatrous worship, containing temples of
Zeus, Athena, Apollo, and Aesculapius.9 “It had a vast library of 200,000 volumes, which was
moved by Antony to Egypt and presented to Cleopatra. In this town was first
discovered the art of making parchment, which was called pergamena. The city
was greatly addicted to idolatry, and its grove, which was one of the wonders
of the place, was filled with statues and altars. The wealth of the Attalic
princes had raised Pergamum to the rank of the first city in Asia as regards
splendor. It was a sort of union of a pagan cathedral city, a university
town, and a royal residence, embellished during a succession of years by
kings who all had a passion for expenditure and ample means of gratifying
it.”10
Here Jesus describes Himself as one
possessing a sharp sword. He also used this description of Himself in the
previous chapter. It refers to His being the Word of God made flesh (John 1:1, 14). The Word of God
is also said to be as the sword described here (Hebrews 4:12).
2:13 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.
As with the first two churches, Christ begins His remarks by
stating that He knows their works. This is a statement of overall approval of
what they had been doing. It does not mean they were doing nothing wrong,
because in the next verse we find that they were. But, as with Ephesus, He
begins with praise for their good works and then reproves them for their
faults. He then mentions the area where they live as being Satan’s seat. In
the description of this city, it was noted that Pergamos was a great center
of Idolatry. There were many temples there dedicated to pagan Roman gods.
This certainly does not seem to be a very conducive environment for the
spread of Christianity, but nevertheless a congregation had been established
there. Even in the face of this stiff opposition from the idolatrous people
of the city, they held fast the name of Christ. They, like Smyrna, did not
faint due to the tribulations they were facing.
The persecutions at Pergamos were even to the point where disciples were
being slain because of their faith, Antipas is even given as an example of
that here. Considering the circumstances it seems quite remarkable that this
Church was able to hold out. They were in the midst
of a center of idolatry, they were being persecuted by the idolaters, with
some of them were even being killed because of their faith. However, we will
see in the next verse that the Church did not come out of all this totally
unscathed. They did have their problems, but we can at least partially
attribute this to their surroundings.
Antipas is given as an example in this verse of a man who was a martyr of
Christ. We know the man was killed, not because he
was a martyr, but because it states that he was slain. Unlike its usage
today, in the past, the word martyr has not always meant dying for a cause.
Thayer gives the following definition, “a witness (one who avers, or can
aver, what he himself has seen or heard or knows by any other means.”11 Certainly, if a person dies in the defense of a
cause, he becomes the ultimate witness for that cause. Someone does not have
to die to be a martyr, but dying for a cause is the greatest form of
martyrdom.
2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them
that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock
before the children of Israel, to eat things
sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
After a rousing commendation in verse thirteen, Christ begins this verse by
telling them that all is not well. They have problems and He is about to
address those problems. Within the fellowship of the Church at Pergamos, were certain
ones who advocated the doctrine of Balaam. Balaam was a prophet spoken of in
the Old Testament. He was called by the Moabite king Balak to curse Israel. Four times Balaam,
speaking as God had instructed him, blessed Israel instead of cursing them as
Balak had requested. Finally, Balak sent Balaam away in disgust. But this was
not the end of the matter.
Apparently, before leaving, he gave advice to Balak as to how he might be
able to weaken Israel. This was by enticing them into idolatry and
fornication. “And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit
whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the
sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their
gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was
kindled against Israel” (Numbers 25:1-3). Moses is the one who revealed the
fact that Balaam was the person who was behind this evil. “Behold, these
caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit
trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among
the congregation of the Lord” (Numbers 31:16). Thus we have Christ’s statement “Balaam, who
taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat
things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” Balaam was
eventually slain in a battle between Israel and the Midianites (Numbers
31:8). The problem that the Church at Pergamos had was very
similar. There were those among them who were advocating the same ideas that
Balaam conveyed to Balak. That is to eat things sacrificed to idols and to
commit fornication.
As concerning the eating of things offered to idols, I
feel we need to pause momentarily and discuss this matter further. As the
following reference points out, a decree had been issued from the meeting in
Jerusalem which stated “That ye
abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall
do well” (Acts 15:29). However, the apostle Paul seemingly contradicted this
statement when he said, speaking of meat offered to idols, “But meat commendeth
us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat
not, are we the worse” (I Corinthians 8:8).
The question now arises, is it lawful to eat meat offered to idols or not?
The answer is quite simply, yes and no. The situation determines the legality
of eating meat offered to idols. Let us look at Paul’s comments from I
Corinthians just a little closer. “As concerning therefore the eating of
those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol
is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though
there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be
gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of
whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all
things, and we by him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for
some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered
unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth
us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat
not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours
become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which
hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of
him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to
idols; and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom
Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak
conscience, ye sin against Christ” (I Corinthians 8:4-12).
A couple of chapters later, Paul touched on the subject
again and helped to clarify the situation immensely. “If any of them that
believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set
before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man
say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that
shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the
fullness thereof: conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why
is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience? For if I by grace be a
partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether
therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the
Gentiles, nor to the church of God” (I Corinthians 10:27-32).
So is it wrong to eat meat sacrificed to idols? Technically, no. As Paul points out, meat is meat.
However, because some people would be offended by seeing another eat meat
that had been sacrificed to an idol that meat should not be eaten if it is
known that it was sacrificed to an idol. Paul says not to ask if meat has
been sacrificed to an idol because, if you do not know, then no harm is done.
But, if you do have knowledge of it, then you should refrain from eating it.
For one thing, you show the person serving the meat that you do not believe
in their idolatrous practices and will not have anything to do with it.
Therefore, if the Nicolaitanes were advocating the eating of things
sacrificed to idols they were also probably teaching that it was alright to
take part in other idolatrous activities.
2:15 So hast thou also them
that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
Another charge against the Church at Pergamos was similar to
the first. It again involved having people within their fellowship who were
practicing and advocating unscriptural ideas. The Nicolaitanes were first
mentioned in connection with Ephesus, however, that church did not condone or
fellowship these people, and for this they were commended by the Lord. The
sin of these people was that they were attempting to wrest control on the
congregations from the scripturally appointed elders and create a man-made
government within the church. They were rejecting Christ as the Head of the Church
and seeking to place a man in His stead. Christ hated this doctrine as indeed
all righteous people would. But, unfortunately, Pergamos had allowed itself
to become corrupted with this spiritual plague. They were allowing men to create
positions of power and authority not found in the Bible or the original
Church.
2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against
them with the sword of my mouth.
After stating the error of the Church, Christ tells them that they must
repent of their evil or else face the consequences. The consequences would
be, as He put it, “I...will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
This sword is His Word, which has been explained on a couple of prior
occasions. He could have fought against them with His Word by having someone
like the Apostle Paul come in among them and
“clean house.” Doing so would certainly cause much controversy and could
easily be labeled a fight. They would certainly be much better off removing
the error themselves than having someone else come in and stir up the
proverbial hornet’s nest.
We should note here who Christ tells to repent. Christ tells
the ENTIRE congregation to repent or else He will be forced to come there and
fight against those who hold this false doctrine. Certainly, those who
advocated this doctrine needed to repent, but these are not the ones Christ
was addressing. He told the entire congregation to repent of their sin for
allowing those people to be among their fellowship. They should have
separated themselves from these corrupt individuals in the past but had not
done so. This teaches that an individual is accountable for the beliefs and
practices of his congregation. Christians should not be in fellowship with
unrepentant sinners.
2:17 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.
Again we notice the phrase “He that hath an ear, let him hear”.
This again alerts us to look for a hidden meaning. “Him that overcometh”
is anyone who overcomes all of Satan’s attempts to weaken and destroy his
faith. Any person who is able, through submitting himself to the power of
God, to overcome Satan will be given to eat of the hidden manna. The hidden
manna is a reference to the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8). Just as
the manna from God miraculously sustained the Children of Israel as they wandered in the
wilderness for forty years, so too this manna will sustain the redeemed in
Heaven for all eternity. “This is that bread which came down from
heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of
this bread shall live for ever” (John 6:58). A person who is
faithful to God will receive blessings which he never thought of even in his
wildest imaginings. These things are hidden from the view of carnal men, but
their worth is recognized by those who are spiritual. These things will be
abundantly enjoyed by the spiritual man in eternity.
Another blessing that Christ will bestow upon the
Christian is a white stone with a “new name written” on it. Stones
were often used in those days for writing, so this should not seem strange to
us. But what is this new name? This new name is that of a redeemed person. As
Paul said “if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17). If we are a new
creature, shouldn’t we have a new name?
It was customary for God to give new names to people
during Old Testament times, when He enlisted them into His service. Abram’s name was changed to Abraham (Genesis 17:5) and his
wife’s from Sarai to Sara (Genesis 17:15). Jacob, the father of the twelve
patriarchs, had his name changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28). God has
also named some children before they were born. He named both sons of
Abraham, instructing Hagar to call her son Ishmael (Genesis 16:11) and
telling Abraham to call his son by Sara, Isaac (Genesis 17:19). He also named
his own Son Jesus (Matthew 1:21) as well as
John the Baptizer (Luke 1:13). Christians will not
actually take new names, a practice common today among converts to Islam, but
will have the same type of relationship with God as those who had their names
changed. It is a father’s prerogative to name his children whatever he
wishes, so when someone becomes a child of God He renames them. Even when the
father adopts a child, he can rename the child after himself. The Bible shows
clearly that Christians are the adopted sons and daughters of God. “But when the fulness of the time was come,
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them
that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And
because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a
son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ”
(Galatians 4:4-7).
“No man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” Those
who are lost will not be able to receive this name, since they have not been
adopted by the Father. This stone is to be given to those who overcome. One
has not truly overcome until he has died faithfully in the Lord. Therefore,
Christians will not receive the stone in this life. The lost will have missed
out on all of this and thus will not receive a new name.
The Church at Pergamos is synonymous with the third
period of the Church as described by these letters. This period was from A.D.
313 to A.D. 533. The summary at the end of chapter three will provide further
details.
2:18 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;
Thyatira was a city located between Pergamos and
Sardis. It was east of the road connecting these two cities along the Lycus
River, some 27 miles from Sardis.12 “It was situated on
the confines of Mysia and Ionia, a little south of the river Hillus, and at
the northern extremity of the valley between Mount Tmolus and the southern
ridge of Temnus. It was one of the many Macedonian colonies established in
Asia Minor, in the sequel of the destruction of the Persian Empire by
Alexander. The waters of Thyatira are said to be so well adapted for dying
that in no place can the scarlet cloth, out of which fezes are made, be so
brilliantly or so permanently dyed as here. So in Acts (16:14) Lydia, the
first convert of Paul at Philippi, is mentioned as a seller of
purple from Thyatira.”13
Thyatira lay along an important trade route and was
primarily a manufacturing center, specializing in all manner of textiles. It
was an important center for the production of goods made from wool, linen,
and leather, as well as other materials. Most every aspect of commerce in a
manufacturing center of the time would be controlled by the trade guilds.
Similar to the labor unions of today, the guilds monopolized particular
crafts for their constituents. Each specific trade, such as leather workers,
dyers, etc. would have their own guild. In order to work in a particular
craft, a person would have to belong to the appropriate guild. Any attempt to
circumvent the guild would be met, at the very least, with a legal challenge,
but more probably with outright violence.
“Who hath his
eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass.” The
eyes of fire show Christ’s ability to penetrate and see through
anything. This is how He is capable of knowing the thoughts and intents of a
man’s heart. The feet of brass refer to His firm foundation of truth and
righteousness.
2:19 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.
Again Christ begins His address with the phrase “I know
thy works.” This phrase is used in the sense of approval. He really
starts off by saying that He knows all of the good things they have done,
but..., and the ‘but’ comes in the next verse. He mentions their charity
which refers to their love for others. Their service means the things they
did for Him and for others, which certainly was motivated because of their
charity. Their faith was their conviction and dedication to God. The last
portion of the verse, while not necessarily mistranslated, has at the very
least been mispunctuated, by the King James translators. That a problem
exists should be readily apparent since their works seems to be mentioned
twice. In its intended form, the latter part of the verse should read “thy
patience; thy last works are more than the first.” The idea is that, in contrast to Ephesus, Thyatira’s works were
actually increasing.
Thyatira was a wealthy city due to their reputation as the
foremost dyers of scarlet and purple in the Empire. From Christ’s statement above, it appears
certain that the Church of Thyatira gave generously to those in need.
Their generosity is certainly commendable, but this alone does not justify
them in God’s sight. The Lord Himself gave a very stern warning in His Sermon
on the Mount. “Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have
cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”
(Matthew 7:21-23). We will find, in the next verse, that the Thyatiran Church
was definitely coming up short in some areas.
2:20 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.
“Notwithstanding,” or despite their good characteristics, Christ holds something against the
Church at Thyatira. It just goes to prove that
regardless of how good something may be, if there is a little bad mingled in
with it, God will not be pleased with it. The evil in this case was a woman
named Jezebel. It was not, however, the extent of her evil that Christ was
really so upset about. His accusation was not against her but against the
Church for their tolerance of her. “Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel,”
means they allowed her to practice and teach her false doctrine without
opposition. This Jezebel had set herself up to be a prophetess of God when
she was not. The Church at Ephesus had been commended for their stand against
those who claimed to be apostles but were not. Thyatira, apparently did not
have as much backbone when it came to questioning the correctness of
doctrines taught by others. This is what Christ was so displeased with. They
were allowing her to teach the Christians in Thyatira that it was alright to
commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. This is the same
doctrine that was referred to as the doctrine of Balaam in the letter to
Pergamos. The eating of things sacrificed to idols, and the commission of
fornication, are both things that were often included in pagan religious
rites.
Jezebel is not the real name of the woman involved here,
but is a reference to a truly abominable woman from the Old Testament; the
wife of king Ahab. Jezebel was not even a Jewess, but was a Zidonian (I Kings
16:31). She had all of the prophets of God killed that she could find (I
Kings 18:4). She had a man murdered so that Ahab could take possession of his
vineyard (I Kings 21:7-4). Ahab was the most evil king Israel ever had and Jezebel was no
small reason why. “But there was none
like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the
Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up” (I Kings 21:25). It is no wonder
that she has become the namesake for all women who would seek to influence
others to do great evil against God.
Since little else went on in Thyatira
except manufacturing, it would have been hard to survive there with being associated
with at least one trade guild. On the surface this may seem innocent enough.
For the Christian, however, the guilds often had a darker side. It is not
uncommon today for various types of meetings to be opened with a prayer,
although the rise of secularism has curtailed this significantly in many
arenas. Since the religion of Thyatira was paganism, the guild meetings were
opened, not with a prayer, but with a libation to the gods of the day. This
was usually followed by a meal of things sacrificed to idols. It was not at
all uncommon for things to deteriorate from there into a full blown sex orgy.
So what was Jezebel’s role in all of this? We will
certainly never know exactly who or what she was, but her role in all of this
is nevertheless quite certain. She was a woman of some notoriety who was, for
whatever purpose, espousing the idea that it was acceptable for the Christian
to take part in these pagan activities. Her argument may have been similar to
that of many today whose motto is “business is business.” The notion is that
there are two parts to our lives: business and private. In our private lives
we are certainly expected to be in subjection to Christian principles.
However, in our business lives, we can do whatever we have to do in order to
be successful, and God will certainly understand.
There are indeed two important parts to our lives, but not
in the way so many may view it. These two parts I will call public and
private. Our public lives involve the Church and us functioning as part
of that Church. Our private lives are what we do apart from the Church.
Notice that this is very different from the typical usage of the word
private. In this usage, private would include what we do at home, work, the
mall, or even on a busy highway. But, in each of these instances, we are
practicing our own individual Christian lives. The Bible does make a
distinction and provide different rules and guidelines for these two areas.
For example, women are forbidden to teach publicly (in the Church assembly).
“Let the woman learn in silence with
all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority
over the man, but to be in silence” (I Timothy 2:11-12). “Let your women keep silence in the
churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded
to be under obedience, as also saith the law” (I Corinthians 14:34).
However, they are allowed to teach privately. “And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and
Priscilla (Aquila’s wife) had heard,
they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly”
(Acts 18:26). “The aged women likewise,
that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given
to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to
be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet,
chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word
of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:3-5).
Another example is eating. Eating of meals is a private
matter and cannot be scripturally done when the Church is assembled to worship. “When ye come together therefore into one
place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh
before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What?
have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God,
and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in
this? I praise you not. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye
come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I
come” (I Corinthians 11:20-22, 34). This does not mean that some or all
of the members of a congregation may not eat a meal together. The problem
Paul was addressing was an abuse of the Lord’s
Supper that took place during the public assembly. Once the assembly is
dismissed, they enter the private realm and may eat where and with whom they
choose.
Most people, however, do not make the distinction correctly.
Rather, they follow the example of Jezebel. Their type of reasoning is
necessary to legitimize so much of what occurs in the world today. The
soldier who kills an enemy combatant on the field of battle is simply doing
his job as a good citizen and soldier, therefore Christ’s prohibition against |