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Revelation 2

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The Letter to the Church in Ephesus 1–7

1
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks: ​
2
I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them that call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false;
3
and thou hast patience and didst bear for my name’s sake, and hast not grown weary.
4
But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. ​
5
Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent. ​
6
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God. ​

Message to the Church in Smyrna 8–11

8
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived again: ​
9
I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ​
10
Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to 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 the crown of life. ​
11
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Message to the Church in Pergamum 12–17

12
And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword: ​
13
I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s throne is; and thou holdest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth. ​
14
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. ​
15
So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.
16
Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
17
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it. ​

Message to the Church in Thyatira 18–29

18
And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass: ​
19
I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first.
20
But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. ​
21
And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication.
22
Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works.
23
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works. ​
24
But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden. ​
25
Nevertheless that which ye have, hold fast till I come.
26
And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations:
27
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father: ​
28
and I will give him the morning star. ​
29
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Revelation 2

Verse 1

holdeth the seven stars… walketh in the midst — 'The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches' (Rev 1:20). Krateo, to hold fast, speaks of Christ's grip on the messengers; peripateo, to walk about, speaks of his presence among the churches.

Verse 4

thou hast left thy first love — Agape, love; aphiemi, 'left', is the verb also rendered forgive and forsake. The charge recalls the LORD's word to Israel: 'I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals' (Jer 2:2). Works and doctrine (vv.2–3) stand, yet this is the one thing held against them.

Verse 5

remove thy candlestick — The candlestick is the church itself (Rev 1:20), so removal means the loss of its place as a light-bearer. Kineo, to move. The way back is three commands: 'Remember', 'repent' (metanoeo), and 'do the first works'; the warning is repeated in v.16 to Pergamos.

Verse 7

the tree of life… the paradise of God — The tree barred to fallen man (Gen 3:22) is offered again to the one who 'overcometh' (nikao). It stands 'in the midst of the street' of the city (Rev 22:2). Paradeisos is also Christ's word to the thief: 'To day shalt thou be with me in paradise' (Luke 23:43).

Verse 8

the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive — This is the title of the LORD in Isa 44:6, 'I am the first, and I am the last', which Christ takes in Rev 1:17–18. The second half (nekros, dead; zao, live) suits a church facing death (v.10): the one who writes has passed through it.

Verse 9

poverty, (but thou art rich) — Ptocheia is destitution, set against plousios, rich. It is the reverse of Laodicea's 'I am rich, and increased with goods' (Rev 3:17), and follows Christ's own path: 'though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor' (2 Cor 8:9). 'Synagogue' (synagoge) is a gathering; 'they are not all Israel, which are of Israel' (Rom 9:6).

Verse 10

ten days… a crown of life — Stephanos is the victor's wreath, not a king's diadem. The 'devil' (diabolos, slanderer) is named as the one behind the prison, yet the purpose is 'that ye may be tried'. The same promise is made in James 1:12, 'he shall receive the crown of life'. The time of trial is bounded: 'ten days'.

Verse 12

the sharp sword with two edges — Rhomphaia, the long broad sword, with distomos, 'two-mouthed', i.e. two-edged. It is the sword seen proceeding from Christ's mouth (Rev 1:16), turned in v.16 against those in the church who hold false doctrine and against the nations in Rev 19:15. The word of God is 'sharper than any twoedged sword' (Heb 4:12).

Verse 13

Satan's seat… Antipas — Thronos is a throne, the word for a seat of rule. Martys, witness or martyr, is applied to Antipas, 'my faithful martyr', as Stephen is called 'thy martyr' (Acts 22:20). The church 'holdest fast my name' (krateo, as in v.1) where Satan dwelleth.

Verse 14

the doctrine of Balaam — Balaam's counsel led Israel into the matter of Peor (Num 31:16), where the people 'began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab' (Num 25:1). Skandalon, a trap-stick or snare, names the lure: 'to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication', as Jezebel does in v.20.

Verse 17

the hidden manna… a white stone — The manna was kept 'before the LORD' in a pot (Ex 16:33); Christ is 'the living bread which came down from heaven' (John 6:51). Psephos is a smooth pebble, used as a token or vote. The 'new name' is known only to its receiver, as a name 'that no man knew' marks Christ in Rev 19:12.

Verse 18

eyes like unto a flame of fire… feet… like fine brass — The Son of God appears as in Rev 1:14–15, where the eyes and feet are first described. Chalkolibanon, the word for 'fine brass', is a burnished metal, 'as if they burned in a furnace'. The eyes anticipate v.23, where he 'searcheth the reins and hearts'.

Verse 20

that woman Jezebel — She is named for Jezebel, the Zidonian king's daughter whom Ahab married, when he 'went and served Baal' (1 Kings 16:31). Eao, 'sufferest', is to let alone, so the fault of the church is tolerance. She 'calleth herself a prophetess' and her teaching matches Balaam's: 'to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols' (v.14).

Verse 23

searcheth the reins and hearts — Nephros, the kidneys, the inmost mind, with kardia, heart. It is the LORD's claim in Jer 17:10: 'I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways'. Here Christ applies it to himself, and 'all the churches shall know' it.

Verse 24

the depths of Satan, as they speak — Bathos, depth. 'As they speak' marks the phrase as the teachers' own boast, a counterfeit of 'the deep things of God' which 'the Spirit searcheth' (1 Cor 2:10). The faithful remnant receive only 'none other burden', echoing Acts 15:28, 'no greater burden than these necessary things'.

Verse 27

a rod of iron… broken to shivers — This is drawn from Ps 2:9, 'Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel'. Poimaino, rendered 'rule', is literally to shepherd. The same rule is ascribed to Christ in Rev 19:15; 'even as I received of my Father' shows the authority is shared with the overcomer.

Verse 28

the morning star — Proinos aster. Christ names himself 'the bright and morning star' in Rev 22:16, so the gift is a share in him. The star heralds day, as Peter says: 'until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts' (2 Pet 1:19). It follows the promise of rule in v.27.