Revelation’s second and third chapters are significant ones. Here, we find letters to 7 individual churches, written by John, aided by God. Some may question why these 7 churches were selected. They are not all the same churches that Paul wrote to. In fact, there is a debate amongst scholars as to why these 7 were the one’s selected. No matter why God picked these churches, there are a few things to look at:
All of the churches resided in modern day Turkey They were all along the same trade route. A ship would come in, most likely to the port city of Ephesus, and be dispersed along this trade route.
The bigger idea is this: God chose these churches for His purposes. As we will discover, these churches also have something else in common: they are indicative of our churches today. As we look through each letter, we’ll see that each bares a universal characteristic of the modern-day church. Each letter is set up in the same fashion, with the following seven characteristics:
There is an address to the church. An introduction (description) of Jesus; an aspect of Jesus the specific church needs to understand, Christ will assess the condition of the church (what they are doing right). Christ will issue a verdict on the church (what they are doing wrong). There will be a command from Jesus (what should be done). General exhortation (listen and obey). Promise.
These church conditions can be applied to a church (a group of believers) as well as our own personal lives.
To the Church in Ephesus
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Ephesus (City of the Mother Goddess) was a major city on this time frame. It was famous for culture, economy and was a center of religious practices. The Temple of Diana was located there. It was a hulking temple that was central to the worship of the Greek goddess. Once a year a great pilgrimage came to the city to worship at the temple. Ephesus’ economy was so tied into the festival of Diana that it was indiscernible. Ephesus was also the setting of many biblical stories including the book of Acts and Timothy. Paul also wrote a famous letter to the Ephesians, captured in the New Testament. The Nicolatians (mentioned in verse 6) were a sect in Ephesus, during this time. They were made up of former Christians who began to follow a leader named Nicholas who allegedly blended Christian beliefs with the traditions of Balaam. They mingled idolatry, sexual rites and brought them into the Christian church.
Address: Found in 2:1
Introduction: 2:1 Jesus introduces himself as the authority over the church (holding the 7 stars in his right hand) and walks amongst the lamp stands (churches).
Condition: (2-3)First, Christ tells Ephesus what they are doing correctly: There is hard work, perseverance, intolerance to wickedness, Discernment and patience.
Verdict: (4) Despite all the good, they have forgotten about their first love. The word used is forsaken or abandoned. Aspects of first love are the desire to be close, to learn about others, to do things that please and compliment the church. The problem is this: working hard sometimes eclipses a love relationship. We can sometimes work tirelessly for God and end up “doing” a lot of things but losing the relationship. The depth of love, which we are supposed to be operating in, can be lost through activity. Ephesus, on the surface, looks very healthy and vital. The people are busy, but at the core have left the love behind. In this church it could look like an uptick in baptisms, presence in the community, converts- but the motivations have changed.
Command: (5-6) Consider how far you have fallen! Christ wants them to individually asses where they used to be with God, in the relationship (Luke 15:17-19). He tells them to repent (or he will remove the church). He wants the church to go back to the basics of the relationship: spend time int he word, pray, and have joy in the people (fellowship).
Exhortation: (7) There is a call to listen and obey.
Promise: (7): The one who is victorious (overcomes) the problem areas (v.4, lack of love), there will be a return to Eden (restoration).
To the Church in Smyrna
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. 11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
The church of Smyrna (City of Myrrh) was a rich trade city. Myrrh was used primarily in perfumes and medicines, so this city enjoyed a bustling business of shipping their resin all over the known world. Besides its robust trade, there were five prominent temples in the region: Cyrele, Apollo, Asklepolis, Aphrodite and Zeus. But during this time, the temples were dying out and giving way to a new type of worship: Emperor Worship. The reigning (and sometimes deceased) Emperors were suddenly merged with god and symbols of worship. In 23 AD Smyrna won the rite to build the first tempe dedicated to Emperor Tiberius. Emperor Domitian (Emperor who imprisoned John) would become the first to demand worship as a form of political loyalty.
Address: Found in 2:8
Introduction: Jesus introduces Himself as having an eternal character, and has been resurrected.
Condition: (9) There are afflictions they have been through. There is poverty and slander (persecution) they’ve experienced. We see stories in this era that Christians were robbed and lost positions due to their faith. The Jews maligned Christians and denied their heritage.
Verdict: (9) Jesus calls them rich. Perhaps, what was happening in Smyrna was that Christians believed that poverty somehow brought them closer to God. But the best guess is that they endured much hardship and didn’t see much hope in their circumstance. In other words, their perseverance was challenged and they had trouble sustaining the faith.
Command: (10) Stop being afraid. Suffering is allowed by God to test you. Be faithful, commands Jesus. You will earn the victor’s crown. The suffering is for a limited amount of time.
Exhortation: (11) There is a call to listen and obey.
Promise: (11): When victorious (overcoming) persecution, you will not be hurt by the second death (hell). Perseverance in trial leads to a strengthening that leads to trust, which leads to salvation. To the Church in Pergamum
12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
Pergamum was the capital of the Roman Province of Asia the Less. There were many Greek and Roman temples there. There were also three temples dedicated to Roman Emperor worship. There was also a huge throne-like altar dedicated to Zeus. Pergamum was a central location for the deity Askelopis (god of healing and knowledge). People would come from all over the known world to be healed by Askelopis. This was also a great University city and was well-known for its library.
Address: Found in 2:12
Introduction: Jesus introduces himself as a double-edged sword. This is a symbol for the truth (the word of God), power, authority and vengeance.
Condition: (13) The church has remained true to Jesus’ name and did not renounce the faith, even though this is where satan lives. That is a reference to the Emperor worship, in which Pergamum was a central place for it. Verdict: (14-15) The problem with Pergamum is that they are too tolerant to those who have accepted false doctrine and have lived immorally. It was probably easier in Pergamum to simply turn a blind eye to all the false teaching around them in an effort for peace.
Command: (16) Repent. If they do not, they will face the double-edged sword of truth.
Exhortation: (17) There is a call to listen and obey.
Promise: To the one who is victorious (overcomes) accommodation of false teaching, there will be perfect provision (hidden manna). White stone: In this time frame, a white stone could be a ticket, a sign of friendship or an acquittal in court. It is an assurance of blessing. New name: This means that there will be a renewing of intimate relationship with God.
To the Church in Thyatira
18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ 26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The Church in Thyatira is the smallest church of all. There is little to no record of this church. It was a wealthy town that stood on the trade route between Pergamum and Sardis. There was a temple of a Lydian sun god there. Thyatira was a prosperous manufacturing and commercial center with lots of trade guilds and unions. Membership often involved worship of guild patron gods or goddesses and sexual immorality.
Address: Found in 2:18
Introduction: Jesus introduces Himself as the Son of God (deity) and has the eyes of blazing fire (judgment) and feet like burnished bronze.
Condition: (19) Love, Service,Faith, Perseverance (patient endurance) and doing more than you did at first.
Verdict: (20-21) There is a prophetess named Jezebel (a callback to the story of Elijah) who is immoral and pulling people away from the truth (corruption). She did not repent. But the bigger issue is the church allowed this to happen.
Command: (23-23) The unrepentant will suffer. Jesus will strike her children dead. It will be a lesson to all churches.
Exhortation: (24-25) For those who are not under her spell, hold on to what you have until I come.
Promise: (26-28) Those who are victorious (overcomes) who obey God until the very end, will be given authority over all nations. He will give the Morning Star, which is shepherding (Daniel 12:3), and the promise of resurrections at Christ’s return.
It is important to note that Jesus commands two of seven churches in Revelation to repent of sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols. Eating food sacrificed to idols is not an issue in today’s churches, but because sex outside of marriage is so prevalent and accepted in our society, many of today’s churches tolerate sexual immorality without confronting it, just like Pergamum and Thyatira did. If Jesus gave the church of Pergamum and Thyatira sharp words of discipline for tolerating this evil, what is He saying to churches today?