Revelation 2:1-7

Church at Ephesus Rev. 2:1-7

The Letter to the Church at Ephesus

Revelation 2:1-7

2:1-7  “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’  ESV

Note: Patmos - “Patmos lies about thirty miles off the coast of modern Turkey, almost opposite the ancient city of Miletus. The island is about ten miles long and six miles wide at its widest point . . .” Neal

“Sir William Ramsey suggests that these seven churches were already known as distribution points for letters of Christian instruction and news, and that it would be understood that anything addressed to them would be intended for the whole province.” Neal

Note:  7 churches - (1) Contemporary; (2) Composite; (3) Chronological? (distribution points - Ramsey).  1-3 - church mentioned 19 times,  Absent from 4-20.

Note:  (1) Greeting; (2) Description of Christ; Commendation and/or Criticism (except Smyran/Philadelphia); Warning; Promise.  (reversed in last 4)

Aquilla, Apollos, Tychicus, Timothy and John all labored there

Ephesus - 

“Its population in the first century of the Christian era has been variously estimated by archaeologists as from two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand or more.” Neal

“It is appropriate that Ephesus receive the first letter: it was the most important city of proconsular Asia.” Mounce

The temple of Artemis - Greek (Diana - Roman) - 425 feet long, 220 feet wide, 60 feet high. 127 marble pillars (36 of them overlaid with gold and jewels) according to Pliny. Mounce 

“Such was the impact of the gospel on Ephesus that four great pillars or towers were placed at the entrance to the harbor, and upon them was the emblem of the cross. One monument was dedicated to Matthew, one to Mark, one to Luke, and one to John.” McGee

It is believed that John was exiled from Ephesus to the island of Patmos for 10 years and returned there to pastor the church again until his death.

“Temple Warden”  “The light of Asia”  Pliny  Residence of Proconsul  

Cayster River deposited silt.  Major seaport.  Great highways converged there.

Domitian - (81-96 AD)

Note:  Acts 19 - Paul founded the church; magical books burned; riot.

Ι. The Christ. vs. 1

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. ESV

““To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who has a firm grasp on the seven stars in his right hand – the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands: NET

Rev. 1:12-20

A. The One Who Holds the Seven Stars.

‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, ESV

“This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who has a firm grasp on the seven stars in his right hand NET

Note: τάδε λέγει - tade legei - The phrase τάδε λέγει (translated as "Thus says" or "These things says") is commonly used in the Septuagint (LXX) to introduce prophetic or divine declarations, similar to the Hebrew כֹּה אָמַר ("Thus says"). Here are a few examples:

Isaiah 7:7 (LXX) "Τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ Θεός· οὐ μὴ γένηται, οὐδ’ οὐ μὴ ᾖ." Translation: "Thus says the Lord God: It shall not stand, nor shall it be."

Jeremiah 2:2 (LXX) "Τάδε λέγει κύριος· ἐμνήσθην ἐλέους νεότητός σου..." Translation: "Thus says the Lord: I remembered the mercy of your youth..."

The Septuagint uses this phrase about 350 times and about 320 times it is used with the “Lord” - a reference to Yahweh - it is used eight times in the New Testament. Seven of those times in Revelation 2 and 3 in each letter addressing the seven churches. (NET notes)

1. The seven stars.

the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches

2. The seven stars held firmly.

holds - ὁ κρατῶν - present active participle, nominative, singular, masculine.

κρατέω, I lay hold of, take possession of, obtain,

The right hand speaks of strength. He holds His messengers firmly - He will not let them go.

B. The One Who Walks in the Midst of the Seven Golden Lampstands.

who walks among the seven golden lampstands. ESV

and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.  Rev. 1:20

ὁ περιπατῶν - present active participle - present active participle, nominative, singular, masculine

1. He walks in the midst of His churches.

who walks among the seven golden lampstands. ESV

ὁ περιπατῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑπτὰ λυχνιῶν τῶν χρυσέων·

2. He walks in the midst of 7 golden lampstands.

Note: He is present with His church (“The One walking”).

Note: A picture of the worth of His church and the cost of His church (“golden lampstands”).

Note:  His Deity - Omniscience; Omnipresence; Omnipotence.

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

II. The Commendation. vv. 2, 3, and 6

2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.  ESV

6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ESV

Note: Know (γινώσκω) personal experience (ginōskō) and (οἶδα) (oida) absolute

Note: His omniscience 

Cp. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 “remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

A. Their Works. vs. 2

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  Tit. 3:5  KJV

B. Their Toil. vs. 2

Note:  to labor to the point of weariness.

C. Their Patient Endurance. vs. 2

“and your patient endurance”  ESV

and steadfast endurance, NET

Note:  special challenges living in Ephesus.

D. Their Disdain for Evil. vs. 2

“and how you cannot bear with those who are evil,”  ESV 

“and that you cannot tolerate evil.”  NET

κακοὺς - evil persons, harmful

E. Their Discernment. vs. 2

“but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.”  ESV

Note:  Ignatius some years later.

Cp. 1 John 4:1–3 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” 

Acts 20:29 “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;” 

F. Their Endurance. vs. 3

“I know you are enduring patiently”  ESV

“patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance”

G. Their Stedfastness. vs. 3

“and bearing up for my name’s sake,”  ESV

H. Their Stamina. vs. 3

“and you have not grown weary.”  ESV 

Note:  “I can illustrate it by what Dwight L. Moody once said when he came home exhausted after a campaign and his family begged him not to go to the next campaign. He said to them, ‘I grow weary in the work but not of the work.’” McGee

I. Their Mutual hatred. vs. 6

6 “Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”  ESV

Nicolaitans - From νικᾶν to conquer, and λαός the people. Or Balaam - destroyer or corrupter of the people. Compromise, Corruption with immorality?  Moral and spiritual compomise?

“Notice that it is the deeds and not the persons which are the objects of hatred.” Morris

III. The Complaint. vs. 4

4 ἀλλὰ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην ἀφῆκες. 

“left” - “. . . is a strong term. We could translate it ‘abandoned’.” Morris

“‘I once heard a preacher refer to people whose theology was “clear as ice and just as cold.’” 

(Matt 22:37–40). 

Jeremiah 2:2 speaks of the “love of courtship”; that is, a first love.

Jeremiah 2:2 ““Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord, “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.” 

IV. The Counsel. vs. 5

A. Remember. 

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; ESV

Therefore, remember from what high state you have fallen NET

μνημόνευε οὖν πόθεν πέπτωκας, 

“The Greek imperative is present, with a meaning like ‘keep on remembering’, ‘hold in memory’.” Morris

Note: The previous position - πόθεν πέπτωκας, 

B. Repent.

“repent, and do the works you did at first.”  ESV 

“The second step is repent (the aorist points to a sharp break with evil).” Morris

C. Return.

“and do the works you did at first.”  ESV 

“and do the first works;”  KJV 

Note: example of Abraham - Genesis 13:1–4 “So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.” 

"And he went on his journeys from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord." (Genesis 13:3-4, NKJV)

D. Realize.

“If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”  ESV

ἔρχομαί σοι

V. The Final Command and Comfort. vs. 7

7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’  ESV

The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will permit him to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.’” NET

A. The Command to Hear.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  ESV 

1. An individual command.

2. A corporate command,

B. The Comfort to the Overcomer.

To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’  ESV

To the one who conquers, I will permit him to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.’” NET

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4–5).

“‘The paradise of God’ means the garden of God. Heaven is is a garden of green primarily and not just a place with streets of gold.” McGee

“Paradise was originally a Persian word for pleasure garden.”  Mounce A frequent term for the cross of Jesus in the NT is ‘tree’ (especially on the lips of Peter; see Acts 5:30; 10:39; 1 Pet. 2:24).

Note: “Tree and Paradise”

Genesis 2:9; 3:22–24; Revelation 22:2.

Word Studies in the New Testament Chapter 2

Revelation 22:2 “through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”