Lesson 4 Jesus’ letters to the churches in Ephesus and in Smyrna (Rev 2:1-11)
Ephesus means “overseer.” It is a loveless church.
Jesus’ Letter to the Church in Ephesus (Rev 2:1-7)
Characteristics of Jesus
1) He holds the seven stars in his right hand
2) He walks among the seven golden lampstands.
His supreme authority: The 7 stars are angels (messengers) or human leaders of the 7 churches
His pastoral oversight: The 7 golden lampstands are the 7 churches (see Jesus as “Shepherd” and “Overseer” in Jn 10:11-16; Heb 13:20; 1 Pet 2:25, 5:4; Rev 7:17).
Commendation by Jesus
v2 “‘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.
v3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for My Name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
v6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
“I know” – His intimate knowledge of the church’s works and stand on evil, false teachers and works of the Nicolaitans.
Nicolaitans encourage sexual immorality. For 40 years, the Ephesian Christians endure patiently and testify for Christ’s Name.
Complaint by Jesus
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
The first love is the initial devotional love the believer has for Jesus Christ. Many Christians regard defense of doctrine and sacrificial works for Christ as important. Love is greater than faith and hope and all other good works (1 Cor 13:13). They offer their heads and hands, but Christ wants their hearts.
Counsel by Jesus
v5 Remember therefore 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.
Three commands to the individual are given:
1) Remember that you have fallen out of the 1st love
2) Repent – change your habit and attitudes to Jesus Christ
3) Return to do the works of love (Eph 1:15-16)
Did the church listen to Jesus’ counsel?
The church responded to Jesus’ counsel and obeyed the Spirit. The Council of Ephesus was held in AD 431.The city of Ephesus declined in the 4th-5th centuries. In the 6th-7th Centuries, the Persian and Arabs attacked the city. The Byzantine Empire fell to the Seljuk Turks in the 11th century. Under the Ottoman conquest (14th-15th centuries). Ephesus is called is Selcuk today. The ruins of the Basilica of St John built in the 6th century stand as silent witness to the loveless church in Ephesus.
Hear the Spirit
v7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Here is a challenge to every Christian to respond to Jesus’ counsel.
Promise by Jesus
To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
The promise to eating of the tree of life harks back to tree of life in the Garden of Eden. The tree of life is mentioned four times in Revelation (Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19) and four times in Proverbs (3:8; 11:30; 13:12; 15:4).
1) Wisdom (Prov 3:8)
2) Righteousness (Prov 11:30)
3) Satisfied hope (Prov 13:12)
4) Controlled speech (Prov 15:4)
Certainly, every believer in Jesus will receive the gift of eternal life, based on the grace of God (Eph 2:8-9).
This is a special promise to the one who conquers, who heeds the counsel of Jesus. These virtues of wisdom, righteousness, satisfied hope and controlled speech are needed in order to rule with Jesus in the millennial kingdom and beyond.
Jesus’ Letter to the Church in Smyrna (Rev 2:8-11)
Smyrna means “myrrh or ” It is a fragrant church.
Characteristics of Jesus
1) the first and the last,
2) who died and came to life.
He is the Eternal One
He had died. He is the Risen Son
Commendation by Jesus
v9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
In this world, Christians will face tribulation. In Jesus Christ, there is peace (Jn 16:33). Jesus has overcome this world. The great tribulation will come when the wrath of God and of the Lamb is poured on the earth during the seals, trumpets and bowls judgments.
The Smyrnaean Church faced abject poverty, but they were spiritually rich. The Jews from the nearby synagogue slandered the Christians. They were adversaries of Paul and the early Christians. Satan means “Adversary,”
Complaint by Jesus
None
Jesus had no complaint or rebuke for the Christians in Smyrna.
Counsel by Jesus
v10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil (slanderer or accuser) is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
When Polycarp, the bishop at Smyrna, was martyred in AD 155, the Jews gathered the Sabath wood for the fire in which he was burned. Polycarp was discipled by the Apostle John.
Did the church listen to Jesus’ counsel?
The church lasted quite long until the Turks captured Smyrna. There was a great fire in 1922, a key event that ended the Greek and Armenian Christian community in Smyrna. Today it is called Izmir.
10 days of tribulation can mean
1) a brief duration
2) 10 periods of persecution under 10 Roman emperors
3) Symbolic for complete tribulation
4) 10 literal 24-hour days
Hear the Spirit
v11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Promise by Jesus
The one who conquers will not (Greek “ou mei” double negative, “never ever”) be hurt by the second death.’ (…and I will give you the crown of life).
Litotes is a figure of speech to affirm a positive idea with the use of the negative of its opposite, e.g. I am not unhappy. Every believer will not face a second death. The added motivation for the overcomer facing martyrdom is a guarantee of never ever be hurt by a second death. The first death is the separation of the soul from the body. The second death is the eternal death and separation from God in the lake of fire (Rev 20:14-15; 21:8). Eternal death is not annihilation but conscious unending torment for sins and unbelief.
The “crown of life” is a reward for the overcomer
1) the fulness of eternal life as a reward for enduring persecution
2) the victor’s crown (Greek “stephanos”) for enduring trials and tests of life even to the point of death without denying Christ (1 Cor 3:13-14)
Believers’ crowns as rewards:
1. Imperishable crown for leading a disciplined (temperate) life (1 Cor 9:25)
2. Crown of rejoicing/boasting for doing evangelism and discipleship (1 Thess 2:19)
3. Crown of righteousness for loving the Lord’s appearing (2 Tim 4:8)
4. Crown of life for enduring trials of faith (Jas 1:12, Rev 2:10)
5. Crown of glory for shepherding God’s flock faithfully (1 Pet 5:4)
