The Ephesian Church Age
The Mystery of the Seven Stars and the Seven Golden Lampstand • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
Text - Revelation 2.1-7
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
2 ‘I know your deeds and your labor and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
3 and you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary.
4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
6 But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’
Title - The Ephesus Church Age
Series - Part 1 of The Mystery of the Seven Stars and the Seven Golden Lampstands
Background
The Seven Church Ages illustration
The Seven Church Ages illustration
Quote - The Ephesian Church Age
44 Now, the first church age was the church of Ephesus. The second church age was Smyrna. The third church age was Pergamos. The fourth church age was Thyatira. The fifth church age was Sardis. And the sixth church age was Philadelphia. And the seventh church age was Laodicea.
45 Now, the first church age started about a.d. 53, when Paul established the church in—in Ephesus. On his missionary journey, he established the church at—at Ephesus, the Ephesian church, and was the pastor of it till when he was beheaded in 66, making him about twenty-two years the pastor of the Ephesian church. After his death then we’re told that Saint Paul…or Saint John the divine became the pastor of the church and carried it on up into this age, and the church age lapped over to 170.
46 Then after the Ephesian Church Age, from a.d. 53 until a.d. 170, then started in the Smyrna Church Age which lasted from a.d. 170 until a.d. 312. Then come in the Pergamos Church Age, and the Pergamos Church Age begin at 312 and lasted till a.d. 606. Then come in the Thyatira Church Age, and the church age of Thyatira begin at 606 and went to 1520, the Dark Ages. And then the Sardis Church Age begin at 1520 and lasted till 1750, the Lutheran age. Then from 1750, the next age come in was the Philadelphian, Wesley age; that begin at 1750 and lasted till 1906. And at 1906 the Laodicean Church Age set in, and I don’t know when it’ll end, but I predict it’ll be done by 1977. I predict, not the Lord told me, but I predict it according to a vision that was showed me some years ago, that, five of those things has (out of the seven) has already taken place.
60-1205 - The Ephesian Church Age
Rev. William Marrion Branham
http://table.branham.org
Ephesus, the city
Ephesus, the city
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Ephesus
EPHESUS (Ἔφεσος, Ephesos). On the west coast of Asia Minor. Made the capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor by Augustus (27 BC—AD 14). Ephesus is the setting for Acts 19. Paul taught daily there for two years (Acts 19:9). The elders from Ephesus came to see Paul on his last journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20:17–18), and in 1 Cor 15:32, Paul says that he fought the beasts there. The city was originally founded ca. 1000 BC by the Greeks. It came under Roman control in 133 BC.
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Population
Population
Ephesus was the third largest city in the Roman empire. Its population is estimated to have been around 250,000 during the time of early Christianity.
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Religious Beliefs
Religious Beliefs
During the first century, Ephesus was home to various religious beliefs. People in Ephesus participated in worship of Artemis (Diana), a goddess of fertility, magic, and astrology (Arnold, Ephesians, 19). The Greeks identified the fertility goddess as Artemis and the Romans as Diana. Varieties of animal bones have been discovered around the shrine of this deity, evidence of the sacrifices that were likely a part of this cult (Dieter Knibbe, Via Sacra, 142).
The Artemis statue at Ephesus has many breasts on the upper torso. No one has been able to explain this image. A variety of theories have been offered, associating her breasts with symbols including eggs, nuts, bull testicles, symbols of the zodiac, and jewelry, among others (Brinks, “Great Is Artemis,” 779).
Biblical References
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Biblical References
The Acts of the Apostles record that Paul visited Ephesus on his second and third missionary journeys (Acts 20:17–38). Acts relates several events in the city during Paul’s time there. It was in Ephesus that Priscilla and Aquila taught Apollos a more complete understanding of God (Acts 18:26). In Ephesus, Paul convinced twelve disciples of John the Baptist to receive Christian baptism (Acts 19:1–4), and he healed many diseases—even through his aprons and handkerchiefs (Acts 19:11–12). According to Acts 19:9, Paul had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus at Ephesus. Tyrannus might have been a regular lecturer at the hall or its owner.
The seven sons of Sceva attempted to use Jesus’ name to conduct their exorcisms in the city (Acts 19:13–17). Newly converted Christians burned their magical books in the town of Ephesus (Acts 19:18–20). The riot of the silversmiths occurs at a theater in Ephesus (Acts 19:23–40). The riot occurred because Christianity decreased the sales of the cult of Artemis.
Ephesus, the church age
Ephesus, the church age
The city of Ephesus represents the closing years of the apostolic age.
the apostles were being killed
Paul was killed in c. A.D. 66
Christians struggled because of persecution
The name Ephesus means
Desirable; beloved
A giving away; to relax; loosening.
The church age lasted between 53 - 170 AD
The messenger of the age was Paul
he established the church in Ephesus in 53 AD
The Letter
The Letter
Salutation
Salutation
Jesus introduces Himself
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
He who holds the seven stars in His right hand
Jesus is delegating authority to His 7 messengers to the church ages
these messengers will speak in behalf of Christ
He who walks among the seven golden lampstands
Jesus walks among/in the midst of the 7 lampstands
He is watching over the condition of the church through the ages
Commendation
Commendation
Jesus commends the church in this age
2 ‘I know your deeds and your labor and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
3 and you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary.
Jesus describes the church in a positive way -
the church was a working church (deeds and labor)
the church was patient church (perseverance)
the church was a pure church
she did not tolerate evil persons
the church was a discerning church
she tested and exposed false apostles
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
the church was a persecuted church
she endured persecution in Christ’s name
they were charged them with ‘atheism’ (imageless worship)
they were charged with ‘immorality’ (for secret meetings)
they were charges with “antisociableness’ (they refused to take part in vices of the pagans)
Complaint
Complaint
Jesus has a complaint against the age -
5 Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
The church was leaving her first love -
Christ was her first love
the church was leaving Christ in the form of “sound doctrine”
1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
Why? - New doctrines were rising in the first age -
Nicolaitanism - the heresy which taught a priesthood above the people
6 But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
a system of priesthood governs the life of the body of believers
Peter says we are a kingdom of priests - 1 Peter 2.9
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
the passing away of the apostles focused authority on the bishops/elders
they were appointed by the apostles, hence successors
they became the theologians and defenders of the faith
they became prominent and exalted in the eyes of the common people
Gnosticism - the heresy that teaches salvation by means of acquiring secret knowledge
the apostless taught that salvation is obtained by means of repentance of since, and acknowledging the sacrificial work of Christ through faith and subsequent baptism
Docetism - the heresy that claims that Jesus did not come in the flesh, that he was merely an apparition not a real flesh and blood
the apostles taught that Word was made flesh
Neo-platonism - a philosophy which taught that the goal of the whole creation is to be absorbed or return to the divine essence from it supposedly came
the Bible teaches that there is a place for the wicked ones - hell
Manicheanism - by Mani; teaches dualism; that there exists 2 opposing powers in the universe, eternally coexisting
the Bible teaches that only God existed in the beginning, that He created the heavens and the earth, and that evil exists because one powerful creature of God taught it best to rebel against God.
Why? - The church was “relaxing”
the spiritual gifts were slowly fading away
as their “agape feasts” were replaced with doctrinal debates
the worship services were gradually becoming more formal
with the passing of spiritual gifts
the “agape feasts” was slowly being abandoned
love for Christ and the church was colling down
Warning
Warning
5 Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
The church is advised to repent and get back to her first works
removal of the lampstand means -
the churches and christians who embraced these new doctrines and did not return to apostolic teaches were removed from being part of the people of God.
Promise
Promise
7 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’
The overcomers are those who learned to listen to the voice of the Spirit of God in their midst -
the abiding anointing that teaches - 1 John 2.27-28
27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you remain in Him.
28 Now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not draw back from Him in shame at His coming.
through the messenger sent to her
The reward to the overcomes is “eating” from the tree of life
the tree of life was once forbidden and guarded because of sin, but now it is made available to the saints throught the 7 church ages!
Conclusion
Conclusion
What can we learn from the life of the church in the age of Ephesus?
First - Do not relax!
First - Do not relax!
to relax is to become comfortable and contented in what you have attained
Paul said - I press on
to relax is to be unmindful of what is happening around you
be proactive in your faith walk
be concerned in the life of the church and ministry
be concerned with spiritual condition of your brothers and sisters in Christ
to relax is to be unconcerned with the attacks of the enemy against the faith
stand up for the truth
speak up when the faith is attacked by the enemy
know how to defend your faith, your Christian practices
Second - keep your love for Christ alive!
Second - keep your love for Christ alive!
note - love is an action word
love Christ - through His word
love Christ - through His presence
love Christ - through His church
love Christ - through work
Repent - if necessary and return to your first deeds
prayer
Bible reading
fellowship with the saints
Third - Learn to listen to the voice of the Spirit
Third - Learn to listen to the voice of the Spirit
the secret to overcoming is learning from the overcomer Himself - Christ!
Song - We Press On