English · KJV

Revelation 2

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

The Letter to the Church in Ephesus 1–7

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
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:
3
And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. ​
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. ​
6
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
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. ​

Message to the Church in Smyrna 8–11

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; ​
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. ​
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. ​
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.

Message to the Church in Pergamum 12–17

12
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; ​
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. ​
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. ​
15
So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16
Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
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. ​

Message to the Church in Thyatira 18–29

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; ​
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.
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. ​
21
And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
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.
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. ​
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. ​
25
But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
26
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
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. ​
28
And I will give him the morning star. ​
29
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · 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, 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 — 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 — 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: 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 — 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.