The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 2
REVELATIONS 2 1-29
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;
2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy
patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are
evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are
apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my
name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee,
because thou hast left thy first love.
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.
2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of
the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
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.
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;
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.
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.
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.
2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos
write; These things saith he which hath the sharp
sword with two edges;
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.
2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because
thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of
Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock
before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed
unto idols, and to commit fornication.
2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of
the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and
will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
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.
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;
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.
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.
2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her
fornication; and she repented not.
2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that
commit adultery with her into great tribulation,
except they repent of their deeds.
2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the
churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the
reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you
according to your works.
2:24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira,
as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not
known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put
upon you none other burden.
2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I
come.
2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works
unto the end, to him will I give power over the
nations:
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Chapter 2
2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the
vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers:
even as I received of my Father.
2:28 And I will give him the morning star.
2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches.
Chapter 2 begins with the message to
the 1st church, the church at Ephesus.
Before we look
at each verse,
let's take a look
at the city of
Ephesus and
the Apostle
Paul's influence
on the city. In
the ancient
world, Ephesus
was a center of
travel and
commerce.
Situated on the
Aegean Sea, the
city was one of
the greatest
seaports of the
ancient world.
Three major roads led from the seaport: one
road went
east
towards
Babylon
via
Laodicea,
another to
the north
via
Smyrna
and a third south to the Meander Valley.
In 2003, my wife and I had the
wonderful opportunity to walk the streets of
Ephesus. I remember standing in the Roman
theater where the Apostle Paul once stood.
The pictures you see of the ancient city are
those taken on our trip to Ephesus.
The theater originally held 25,000
people. Designed
for theatrical
performances, later
alterations allowed
gladiatorial
contests to be held
here.
In Acts 18:19, you read about the
Apostle Paul's 1st visit to Ephesus. It is
believed to be about AD 50, Paul stops in
Ephesus on his way to Jerusalem. He went
to the synagogue and reasoned with the
Jews. They wanted him to stay, but he
couldn't, but he did leave his two
companions Priscilla and Aquila.
In Acts chapter 19, you read about the
Apostle Paul's 2nd visit to Ephesus. Paul
came across certain disciples. The first
question he asked, "Have you received the
Holy Ghost since ye believed"? These
disciples responded with, "We have not so
much as heard whether there be any Holy
Ghost". What a strange question to ask. I
believe it's because Paul knowing there were
disciples in Ephesus, he was expecting to see
the power of the Holy Ghost moving in
Ephesus. He was expecting to see the
outward signs of their conversion and since
he didn't see it, he asked the question. It
seems these disciples were only baptized by
John with the baptism of repentance. The
apostle Paul baptized them and when he laid
his hands on them they received the Holy
Ghost, spoke with tongues and prophesied.
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Chapter 2
The Apostle Paul would spend 2 years
in Ephesus. He first went to the synagogue,
and spoke boldly for 3 months. When he
saw their hearts were hardened, he departed
from them. By Paul's hand the sick were
healed and evil spirits were cast out. There
was an incident where a Jew, one of the chief
priests (along with other exorcists) attempted to
cast out evil spirits in the Name of the Lord
Jesus who Paul preaches. The evil spirit
spoke and said, "Jesus I know and Paul I
know, but who are you"? The man
possessed then leaped on these "exorcists"
causing them to run out naked and wounded.
A great revival broke out and fear among
both Jew and Greek's caused the name of the
Lord Jesus to be magnified.
As Paul was leaving Ephesus, there
was a commotion. A silversmith who made
silver shrines to the Goddess Diana, gathered
others with like occupations. He was
addressing the concern for their craft and for
their temples. This Paul, not only in
Ephesus but of all Asia, was persuading the
people that there are no gods that are made
with hands. The whole city was filled with
confusion and moved their wrath and yelling
into the theater. Paul's disciples convinced
him not to enter the theater. After the
commotion died down, Paul and his
companions left Ephesus. The Apostle Paul
must of had a heart after Ephesus. He
mentioned on several occasions, wanting to
get back to Ephesus. But, he never did.
However, about 5 years later (AD 60),
he does write a letter to the Ephesians. The
book of Ephesians's key themes:
• the nature of salvation and Divine election (1:3-14; 2:1-10)
• prayer for spiritual understanding, power, and transformation (1:15-23; 3:14-21)
• the nature of the church as the unification of Jew and Gentile in one “new man” (2:11-22)
• positional and practical unity in the church (4:1-6)
• the purpose for spiritual gifts (4:7-16), personal and corporate holiness (4:17-5:14)
• the husband-wife relationship (5:22-33) and the spiritual warfare the church must engage in as it opposes Satan and his demons (6:10-18)
The central theological idea in Ephesians is
that through Christ’s atoning work , God has
mightily brought about the church— the
unification of Jew and Gentile in one new
man.
Tradition has the Apostle John in
Ephesus prior to his exile to the island of
Patmos. Patmos is an island not far from
Ephesus. It is said, that John at some point
was a spiritual leader in Ephesus. So with
Acts chapter 18& 19 along with the book of
Ephesians as the back drop to our study, let's
now take a look at Chapter 2 of the book of
Revelations.
Chapter 2 begins with Jesus telling
John to write these things to the "angel of the
church of Ephesus". As we discussed
earlier, the angel of Ephesus is the "pastor or
spiritual leader". Again Jesus tells us He
holds the seven stars (seven pastors) in his
hand and walks in the midst of the seven
golden candlesticks. As he revealed in
chapter 1, the seven golden candlesticks are
the seven churches. Again, emphasizing that
He has full control and watches over the
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pastor and the congregation. Jesus will
address Ephesus in the same manner as He
does with the other 6 churches, with Praise,
Criticism, Exhortation and Reward.
The Praise: works, labor, patience, never
give up, no tolerance for those that do evil.
They test against the gospel teaching the
words of any perceived spiritual leader
(apostle) and if not correct they will call
them out. But what kind of works, labor and
patience is Jesus talking about? The Apostle
Paul may have given us the answer in his
letter to the Thessalonians:
1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without
ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love,
and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus
Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
Criticism: They left their first Love. What
did Jesus mean by their first love? What is
our first love?
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first
loved us.
I believe we (the Church) are the Lord's first
love and He should be our first love. In
essence, Jesus was telling them that they
abandoned the love they had for him when
they first believed.
When we've been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise, than
when we've first begun.
From the time of the Apostle Paul's
missionary journey and his letters of
encouragements, it's been several years.
What caused them to lose their first love?
Since it's not revealed to us in scripture , and
we can't question each individual, can we
ever really know the answer to this question?
I think maybe we can. Whether you're in the
1st century church or the 21st century church
I believe the answer is the same. When we
first believed, our hearts were overflowing,
our minds consumed with His word. But
time is not our friend. For many, it will
erode our joy, and then "all that He was to
us" becomes compartmentalized. As we go
about our lives, we find ourselves spending
more time in the flesh and less in the Spirit.
And like the Ephesians we focus heavily on
the things of this world.
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness,
but denying the power thereof: from such
turn away.
Psalms 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. John 21:17 He saith unto him the third time,
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter
was grieved because he said unto him the
third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto
him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou
knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto
him, Feed my sheep.
Jesus tells Peter, if you want to show that
you love me, feed my sheep. One of the
outward signs of our "First Love", is telling
others about Jesus.
Exortation: Jesus tells them to remember the
heights to which they have fallen:
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one:
3:11 There is none that understandeth, there
is none that seeketh after God.
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3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they
are together become unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one.
3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with
their tongues they have used deceit; the
poison of asps is under their lips:
3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and
bitterness:
3:15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
3:16 Destruction and misery are in their
ways:
3:17 And the way of peace have they not
known:
3:18 There is no fear of God before their
eyes.
Jesus says, "Repent, and do the first works;
or else I will come unto you quickly, and will
remove thy candlestick out of his place"
Before Jesus offers them their reward
for those who "overcome", he acknowledges
their "hatred" of the deeds of the
Nicolatanes, which Jesus also hates. In the
Greek, the word Nicolatanes means
destruction of the people or power over the
people. We see these deeds again associated
with the Church at Pergamos. Here in
Ephesus the Church recognized this false
doctrine, but in Pergamos they are rebuked.
We will see this false doctrine and associated
deeds more closely with our discussion of
the message to the Church at Pergamos.
Jesus made it very clear, Repent or He
would remove the candlestick out of his
place. He would personally "extinguish" the
light. The Church at Ephesus would no
longer be an effective church where the Holy
Spirit dwells. Have we lost sight of the
seriousness of sin and how far we have
fallen? Have we forgotten that God Chose
us and has redeemed us from the power of
sin?
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come,
8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
Reward: The reward is not limited to the
Church at Ephesus but to all the Churches.
But more specifically those who have an ear
and to those who overcome:
Psalms 10:17 LORD, thou hast heard the
desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their
heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
Jesus declares, "I will give to eat of the tree
of life, which is in the midst of the
paradise of God".
The story of God's relationship with
man begins with two trees strategically
planted in the midst of a garden. God
created Adam and Eve in his own image,
blessed them, and gave them dominion over
the earth. God placed Adam and Eve in the
garden as caretakers. God told Adam they
could eat of all the trees with the exception
of the tree of the knowledge of Good and
Evil. While the bible doesn't say how long
before Satan would come and tempt them, it
appears that it wasn't long at all. We know
the story, our relationship with God was
severed. The eating of the fruit from the tree
of the Knowledge of Good and Evil resulted
in losing our access to the tree of Life. The
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reward offered to the Church at Ephesus, the
promise Jesus makes is the restoration of full
access to the tree of Life.
Jesus addresses the 2nd
Church in
Smyrma. Before the praise, he introduces
himself again with the same descriptive
name He used in chapter 1. He is the First
and the Last, which was dead, and is alive.
Adam was the first man and every man up to
Jesus died by the power of sin. Like Adam,
Jesus became a man, but through the power
of the resurrection, He broke this chain of
death and became the last Adam.
1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written,
The first man Adam was made a living soul;
the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
The Praise: Jesus praises the Church at
Smyrna similar to the Church at Ephesus.
He sees their works, tribulation and poverty.
Although they are poor by the world's
standard, Jesus says they are rich!
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply
all your need according to his riches in glory
by Christ Jesus.
Criticism: Jesus can see that among the true
believers there are the pretenders. There is
nothing that will go unnoticed. Jesus also
reminds us that it is Satan who stands ready
to divide the Church.
2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for
Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light.
Exortation: Jesus tells them not to fear the
things that they will suffer. Again, he
declares that Satan is the author of this
suffering. But, He says be Faithful unto
death.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing happened unto
you:
4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are
partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when
his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad
also with exceeding joy.
Reward: For those faithful unto death, a
crown of Life.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord
hath promised to them that love him.
Again, those who have an ear and to those
who overcome shall not be hurt by the
second death.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that
hath part in the first resurrection: on such the
second death hath no power, but they shall
be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were
cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death.
During our Lord's ministry on earth
certain Sadducees tried to trick him with
their conversation about the resurrection (the
Pharisees believed in the resurrection while the
Sadducees did not). They presented a scenario
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of a woman who married several times due
to several of her husband's untimely death.
Who would be her husband in the
resurrection?
Luke 20:34 And Jesus answering said unto
them, The children of this world marry, and
are given in marriage:
20:35 But they which shall be accounted
worthy to obtain that world, and the
resurrection from the dead, neither marry,
nor are given in marriage:
20:36 Neither can they die any more: for
they are equal unto the angels; and are the
children of God, being the children of the
resurrection.
This is typical of how unbelievers today will
try to trick and confuse issues. Jesus shows
us how to deal with this sort of trickery:
1. Acknowledge what is correct about
the skeptic's comments.
2. Give a response that is directly
supported by scripture.
Here in Luke's Gospel, we see Jesus
proclaiming a reward to "they which shall be
accounted worthy..." similar to the Church of
Smyrma, "those who have an ear and to
those who overcome". What will they
receive:
1. That Heavenly World
2. Part of the First resurrection of the
Dead
3. Equal to the Angels
4. Children of God
5. Second Death as no Power over us
6. Priests of God and of Christ
7. Reign with him a 1000 years
Jesus addresses the
3rd
Church in
Pergomo. History
tells us that there
was a great library
in ancient Pergomo
that rivaled the
library in Alexandria. It was also the center
of four cults. The chief cult had a symbol of
a serpent and was considered a god of
healing. Once again, just prior to the Praise,
Jesus declares He has a sharp sword with
two edges. Is Jesus talking about a literal
sword that is holds in His hand to smite him
enemies?
Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to
send peace on earth: I came not to send
peace, but a sword.
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God:
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick,
and powerful, and sharper than any two
edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints
and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.
Jesus is the Word that became flesh, it is the
Words of God that cuts deep as a sword. It
is the message of the gospel that divides a
nation, a household, even penetrating the
human soul as it draws the elect to himself.
The Praise: Jesus praises the Church at
Pergamos. He knows their works and where
they live. Living in Pergamo meant living
shoulder to shoulder with the Greek cults
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and their gods, the constant pressure of
Rome, the worship of the emperor and side
by side with Satan himself. In the midst of
all this, including the martyring of His
Faithful Antipas, the church holds fast His
name without denying His faith.
Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn
them from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance
among them which are sanctified by faith
that is in me.
Criticism: Among the church at Pergamos
there were those that held to the doctrine of
Balaam and that of the Nicolatanes. Balaam
was a soothsayer, who was able to foretell
events and predict the future. He was able to
both bless or curse. He first appears in
Numbers 22-24. The children of Israel
wanted to pass through the land of the
Amorites, but the king of the Amorites
wouldn't let them. So Israel fought against
them and drove them out and took all their
cities. Israel then started to move towards
Moab on the Jordan river by Jericho. When
Balak, the king of Moab, saw this he was
afraid. Balak turned to Balaam. He sent
messengers with the money for Balaam to
have him come and put a curse on the
children of Israel. What is interesting about
this story is that Balaam's gift came from
God. When the messengers came Balaam
told them to lodge here, while he speaks with
God. God came to Balaam and told him not
to go with these messengers and not to curse
the children of Israel because they are
blessed. So Balaam sent them away. Balak,
the king of Moab, sent more messengers to
Balaam and offered greater rewards and
honor to Balaam to convince him to come
and curse Israel. Balaam again told the
messengers that he could not go against the
words of his God. The scriptures are very
clear on this point. While Balaam was
sought out for his gifts, Balaam recognized
that his power came from God. Again God
came to Balaam and told him IF the
messengers come to call him, then he would
rise up and go with them, and tell them what
God would say to them.
Balaam doesn't wait to see if the
messengers would come. In his heart he
wants to go with them, he wants to receive
the promised rewards. So he gets up early
and saddles his ass. God was angry and sent
an angel to prevent Balaam from going. As
Balaam was riding his ass, the angel stood in
the way with his sword drawn. The ass saw
the angel and would not proceed. No matter
how Balaam tried to turn her, the ass would
not move past the angel. Balaam struck the
ass on three different occasions. Finally,
God opened the mouth of the ass. The ass
asked Balaam why did he hit her these three
times? As long as Balaam had the ass didn't
she always obey him? God opened the eyes
of Balaam, and he then saw the angel of the
Lord. The angel told Balaam, if it wasn't for
your ass, the angel would have slain Balaam.
Balaam realized he had sinned and that he
should go back home. But the angel told
Balaam to go with these men, but only speak
the words of God.
When you finish reading the rest of
the story of Balaam in the book of Numbers,
you will see that Balak the king of Moab
tried three times to convince Balaam to curse
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Israel. Three times from a high place they
would look over the lands. They would,
offer a burnt offering to God and but would
only receive God's blessings for Israel.
Before Balaam was discharged of his
services, he foretells the happiness of Israel
and gives a prophecy concerning the
messiah.
Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now:
I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall
come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall
rise out of Israel,
Unfortunately, the story doesn't end
there. Instead of trying to curse and defeat
Israel, Balak had a different idea. It turns
out that Israel through the counsel of
Balaam, committed whoredom with the
daughters of Moab and the sacrificed and
bow downed to their gods. Needless to say,
this angered the Lord resulting in God
slaying all those sinned against Him. It
appears that although Balaam couldn't curse
Israel, he did provide counseling to Balak
the king of Moab.
Numbers 31:16 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.
Joshua 13:22 Balaam also the son of Beor,
the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay
with the sword among them that were slain
by them.
Jesus was telling the church at
Pergamo they had those that held to the
doctrine of Balaam. The word "doctrine"
means something that is taught, believed in,
or considered to be true. Jesus described
this doctrine of Balaam:
1. how to cast a stumbling block
2. eat things sacrificed unto idols
3. commit fornication
Essentially, Jesus was saying there are those
among you, like Balaam, know God's truths
and yet for personal gain will cause the
people to question His truths and turn from
God and entertain sin.
Jesus also says the church has those
who hold to the doctrine of the Nicolatanes.
We saw with the church at Ephesus, the
church recognized and hated the deeds of the
Nicolatanes Once
again, in the Greek, the
word Nicolatanes means
destruction of the people
or power over the people.
The Nicolatanes seemed to have been around
during the first three centuries and were
considered Gnostic. Gnosticism was
perhaps the most dangerous heresy that
threatened the early church. Gnosticism is
based on two false premises. First, it asserts
that matter is inherently evil and spirit is
good. Therefore, Gnostics believe anything
done in the body, even the worst sin, has no
meaning because real life
exists in the spirit realm
only.
Second, Gnostics
claim to possess an elevated
knowledge, or “higher truth”
known only to a certain few. Gnosticism
comes from the Greek word gnosis which
means “to know.” Gnostics claim to possess
a higher knowledge, not from the Bible, but
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acquired on some mystical higher plane of
existence. Gnostics see themselves as a
privileged class elevated above everybody
else by their higher, deeper knowledge of
God.
The infiltration of false doctrines,
false prophets and false teachers planting
their heresies seemed to plague the church
right from her beginning. We would see the
Apostle Paul constantly
instructing, even pleading
with the churches to stay
the course that He laid
down for them. In 2001, the "World
Christian Encyclopedia" listed 33,000 +
total "Christian" denominations. I wonder
how many have the doctrines of Balaam and
the Nicolatanes?
Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel
from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto
you, let him be accursed.
1:9 As we said before,
so say I now again, if
any man preach any
other gospel unto you
than that ye have
received, let him be
accursed.
Exortation: Jesus tells them to repent; or
else he would come unto them quickly, and
will fight against them with the sword of his
mouth. This sword is the Word of God that
will be used to Judge the world.
Again, those who have an ear, let them hear
what the Spirit is saying to the churches;
For us today, we must always be in tune with
the Spirit of God. Seeking Him always.
Psalms 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his
testimonies, and that seek him with the
whole heart.
Reward: 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.
Psalms 78:24 And had rained down manna
upon them to eat, and had given them of the
corn of heaven.
John 6:58 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.
The Children of Israel were given
manna to eat every day during their 40 years
in the wilderness. They could not store it,
but only gather what they needed. God was
teaching them to rely on him every day, not
just to satisfy they physical hunger but also
to satisfy their spiritual needs.
Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee,
and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee
with manna, which thou knewest not, neither
did thy fathers know; that he might make
thee know that man doth not live by bread
only, but by every word that proceedeth out
of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
During those 40 years, if the children
of Israel gathered more than what was
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
allotted, by the next morning the manna
would have worms and stink. When they
disobeyed the laws associated with the
gathering and/or storing of the manna, it
would spoil and corrupt. But the
manna for the hidden man of the heart would
not spoil! This hidden manna is
incorruptible, it's Jesus, the Bread of Life.
1 Peter 3:4 But let it be the hidden
the heart, in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,
which is in the sight of God of great price.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am
the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall
never hunger; and he that believeth on me
shall never thirst.
Jesus would also give those who
overcome a white stone, and in the stone a
new name written,
which no man knoweth
saving he that receiveth
it. When you research
the use of a white stone
you would find there
was an ancient Roman custom that a white
stone was given to the winners of athletic
games. A white stone with their name
inscribed on it. This then served as his
"ticket" to a special dinner in honor of the
winners of the games.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they
which run in a race run all, but one receiveth
the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of
The Revelation of Jesus ChristChapter 2
, by the next morning the manna
When they
disobeyed the laws associated with the
gathering and/or storing of the manna, it
would spoil and corrupt. But the hidden
for the hidden man of the heart would
l! This hidden manna is
the Bread of Life.
hidden man of
the heart, in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,
which is in the sight of God of great price.
And Jesus said unto them, I am
: he that cometh to me shall
never hunger; and he that believeth on me
Jesus would also give those who
overcome a white stone, and in the stone a
was an ancient Roman custom that a white
stone was given to the winners of athletic
games. A white stone with their name
erved as his
in honor of the
Know ye not that they
run all, but one receiveth
the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let
us run with patience the
before us,
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought a
have finished my course, I have kept the
faith:
This map shows the seven churches as if
they were cities along a journey through the
area. The apostle
John said, "He was
in the Spirit on the
Lord's day". I often
wonder if he was
not looking over
across the waters
towards these
churches. Lifting them and praying for
them.
Jesus addresses the
Thyatira. The city was
and was a center of
the indigo trade.
Among the ancient
ruins of the city,
inscriptions have
been found relating
to the guild of dyers in the city.
were known in Thyatira than any other
in the Roman province of Asia mention the following: wool
workers, makers of outer garments, dyers, leather
workers, tanners, potters, bakers, slave
bronze-smiths).
As before, Jesus introduces h
the church. He calls himself the Son of God,
who has eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet
are like brass. We first are introduced to the
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let
us run with patience the race that is set
I have fought a good fight, I
have finished my course, I have kept the
This map shows the seven churches as if
they were cities along a journey through the
churches. Lifting them and praying for
Jesus addresses the 4th
Church in
The city was famous for its dyeing
to the guild of dyers in the city. Other guilds
known in Thyatira than any other city
in the Roman province of Asia (inscriptions
mention the following: wool-workers, linen-
workers, makers of outer garments, dyers, leather-
workers, tanners, potters, bakers, slave-dealers, and
As before, Jesus introduces himself to
the church. He calls himself the Son of God,
like a flame of fire, and his feet
We first are introduced to the
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 2
concept of the Son of God in the book of
Daniel.
Daniel 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see
four men loose, walking in the midst of the
fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of
the fourth is like the Son of God.
They are not hurt! When you know and trust
in the Son of God, you won't be hurt.
1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in
him, and he in God.
1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the
Son of God?
As the children of Israel were
wondering in the desert, they became
discouraged. They spoke against God and
Moses asking, "Why did you bring us out of
Egypt to die in the wilderness. We have no
real bread and water and they can't stand
the light bread -manna". This encounter is
depicted in the book of Numbers chapter 21.
Not much different in the Church today. We
so quickly forget all that the Lord is to us
and all that He has done. We lose our First
Love! God sent fiery serpents and they bit
the people; and many of the people of Israel
died.
1 Corinthians 5:5 To deliver such an one
unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh,
that the spirit may be saved in the day of the
Lord Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and
Alexander; whom I have delivered unto
Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Essentially, by delivering one to Satan is
asking God to remove his protection. Here
we see the Apostle Paul doing just that.
When God is not protecting us, Satan can
have free reign over our lives. The children
of Israel did repent and asked that the
serpents be taken away. Don't wait to be
bitten ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins
right now. God heard the prayers of His
people. Strangely,
the Lord told Moses
to make a fiery
serpent, and set it
upon a pole: and it
shall come to pass,
that every one that is
bitten, when he looks
upon it, shall live.
Moses made a
serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole.
Those that were bitten, when they looked at
the serpent of brass, they lived.
The serpent has played a key role in
God's plan of redemption. Take a look:
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more
subtle...
Genesis 3:13 ...And the woman said, The
serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Exodus 4:3 ...and it became a serpent; and
Moses fled from before it.
Exodus 7:12 ...and they became serpents:
but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
Numbers 21:6 And the LORD sent fiery
serpents among the people, and they bit the
people; and much people of Israel died.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 2
Isaiah 27:1 In that day the LORD with his
sore and great and strong sword shall punish
leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan
that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the
dragon that is in the sea.
Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as
sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore
wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Matthew 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation
of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation
of hell?
Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power
to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over
all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall
by any means hurt you.
The story of the fiery serpents and the
redemptive work of the cross is found in
the following:
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of man be lifted up:
1 Corinthians 10:9 Neither let us tempt
Christ, as some of them also tempted, and
were destroyed of serpents.
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any
means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through
his subtilty, so your minds should be
corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ.
As we think of Jesus depicted here with feet
like fine brass, we can look back to the
children of Israel and the brass serpent
hanging on a pole. In faith, we look up to
the cross and see Jesus our Redeemer!
The Praise: Jesus praises the Church at
Thyatira. He knows their works and charity,
and service and faith, and patience and
works; and the last be more than the first.
Here we see Jesus commending them for
their works and in fact the more recent works
greater than the first.
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall
come in the glory of his Father with his
angels; and then he shall reward every man
according to his works.
We are seeing clearly that Jesus commends
all the churches for their works. But what
kind of works? The same works that Jesus
did, the works of God, works that bear
witness of Him.
John 5:36 ...the same works that I do, bear
witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What
shall we do, that we might work the works of
God?
The Apostle Paul spends a lot of time
developing the teaching about Faith and
Works so that we would not confuse the two.
Romans 9:11 (For the children being not yet
born, neither having done any good or evil,
that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that
calleth;)
Romans 9:32 Wherefore? Because they
sought it not by faith, but as it were by the
works of the law. For they stumbled at that
stumblingstone;
Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no
more of works: otherwise grace is no more
grace. But if it be of works, then it is no
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 2
more grace: otherwise work is no more
work.
2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own
purpose and grace, which was given us in
Christ Jesus before the world began,
Titus 3:5 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;
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God:
While we are saved solely by grace through
faith, "good" works should follow a true
believer.
James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain
man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren,
though a man say he hath faith, and have not
works? can faith save him?
James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not
works, is dead, being alone.
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast
faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith
without thy works, and I will shew thee my
faith by my works.
What kind of works?
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these
things I will that thou affirm constantly, that
they which have believed in God might be
careful to maintain good works.
But too often the works are not for the glory
of God, but for man's own ego.
Matthew 23:5 But all their works they do
for to be seen of men.
Criticism: Among the church at Thyatira
Jesus said He had a few things against them.
He tells them they have tolerated the woman
Jezebel, the one who calls herself a
prophetess and teaches my servants to
commit fornication, and eat things sacrificed
unto idols.
While there may have been a woman
actually named Jezebel, I believe the Lord is
talking about Jezebel, the wife of king Ahab
(I Kings 16:29). It turns out Ahad, who
reigned for 22 years, did more evil in the
sight of the Lord than all the kings before
him. King Ahad married Jezebel the
daughter of the king of the Zidonians.
Jezebel served and worshiped Baal.
Baal was the name of the supreme god
worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia.
The practice of Baal worship infiltrated
Jewish religious life during the time of the
Judges (Judges 3:7), became widespread in
Israel during the reign of Ahab (1 Kings
16:31-33) and also affected Judah (2
Chronicles 28:1-2). The word baal means
“lord”; the plural is baalim. In general, Baal
was a fertility god who was believed to
enable the earth to produce crops and people
to produce children. Different regions
worshiped Baal in different ways, and Baal
proved to be a highly adaptable god. Various
locales emphasized one or another of his
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 2
attributes and developed special
“denominations” of Baalism. Baal of Peor
(Numbers 25:3) and Baal-Berith (Judges
8:33) are two examples of such localized
deities. The Canaanites worshiped Baal as
the sun god and as the storm god—he is
usually depicted holding a lightning bolt—
who defeated enemies and produced crops.
They also worshiped him as a fertility god
who provided children. Baal worship was
rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic
prostitution in the temples. At times,
appeasing Baal required human sacrifice,
usually the firstborn of the one making the
sacrifice (Jeremiah 19:5).
Before the Hebrews entered the
Promised Land, the Lord God warned
against worshiping Canaan’s gods
(Deuteronomy 6:14-15), but Israel turned to
idolatry anyway.
During the reign
of Ahab and Jezebel, at
the height of Baal
worship in Israel, God
directly confronted the
paganism through His
prophet Elijah. First,
God showed that He,
not Baal, controlled the
rain by sending a
drought lasting three-
and-one-half years (1
Kings 17:1). Then Elijah called for a
showdown on Mt. Carmel to prove once and
for all who the true God was. All day long,
450 prophets of Baal called on their god to
send fire from heaven—surely an easy task
for a god associated with lightning bolts—
but “there was no response, no one
answered, no one paid attention” (1 Kings
18:29). After Baal’s prophets gave up, Elijah
prayed a simple prayer, and God answered
immediately with fire from heaven. The
evidence was overwhelming, and the people
“fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD–he is
God! The LORD–he is God!’” (verse 39).
In Matthew 12:27, Jesus calls Satan
“Beelzebub,” linking the devil to Baal-
Zebub, the Philistine deity (2 Kings 1:2).
The Baal's of the Old Testament were
nothing more than demons masquerading as
gods, and all idolatry is ultimately devil-
worship.
1 Corinthians 10:19 What say I then? that
the idol is any thing, or that which is offered
in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
1 Corinthians 10:20 But I say, that the
things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they
sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I
would not that ye should have fellowship
with devils.
The story of Jezebel is a story of the
destructive power of being "unequally
yoked" together with unbelievers.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers: for what
fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath
light with darkness?
One of the first things Jezebel did during the
reign of Ahab was to kill all the prophets of
Israel (although 100 were hid in a cave).
Jezebel knew that God speaks to his people
through His prophets. Her goal then and her
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 2
goal today is to remove God's presence and
prophetic word from the people.
2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets
also among the people, even as there shall be
false teachers among you, who privily shall
bring in damnable heresies, even denying the
Lord that bought them, and bring upon
themselves swift destruction.
Some at Thyatira were seduced and were
lead away from the teaching of Christ, even
to fornication, adultery and idolatry.
Exortation: Jesus tells them to repent of
their deeds or else he would kill her children
with death. Why, so that all the churches
would know that it is Jesus that searches the
reins and hearts, and He would give to
everyone according to their works.
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are
called by my name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and
turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear
from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and
will heal their land.
Psalms 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God
full of compassion, and gracious,
longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and
truth.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing
that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance.
I believe the Lord gives believers plenty of
room to repent and turn from sin and get
back on their path of sanctification. And
like the Church at Ephesus, Jesus gives us
the remedy - coming back to our first Love -
Jesus.
"And I will kill her children with
death..." I thought the God of the new
testament was a nice God, it's the old
testament God that was mean? Jesus is
Love, He would never do something that
horrible! Like these statements, I believe
many have a distorted view of our God. He
is our Heavenly father and He loved us
before we loved Him, but He is still the
Potter and we are still the clay.
In Acts chapter 5, we read about
Ananias and Sapphira who sold a possession
of theirs, and keep back for themselves a
portion of the money, and the rest they gave
to the Apostle Peter. Peter recognized that
Satan filled their hearts to lie to the Holy
Ghost. They both were confronted with the
lie and then died and great fear came upon
all the church.
Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change
not;
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not
mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap.
Reward: To him that overcometh will I:
• give power over the nations
• he shall rule them with a rod of iron
• give them the Morning Star
Isaiah 2:4 And he shall judge among the
nations, and shall rebuke many people: and
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 2
and their spears into pruning hooks: nation
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more.
2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also
reign with him: if we deny him, he also will
deny us:
Let us reflect on these words to the first four
churches in order to be refined and be
transformed.
Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third
part through the fire, and will refine them as
silver is refined, and will try them as gold is
tried: they shall call on my name, and I will
hear them: I will say, It is my people: and
they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Malachi 3:2 But who may abide the day of
his coming? and who shall stand when he
appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and
like fullers' soap
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 2
Today's Relevance from Chapter 2
1. A summary of the Book of Ephesians
2. Jesus address all the churches, with Praise, Criticism,
Exhortation and Reward.
3. Highlights from the first 4 Churches
4. Let us reflect on these words to the first four churches in order
to be refined and be transformed.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter 2
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