At the end of the first chapter of Revelation, we are introduced to the Seven Churches as represented by the seven candlesticks. These Seven Churches make up what is called “the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13). It is also called “the mystery of God” (Revelation 10:7) identified by the apostle Paul as a period in which the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob blinded the Jews and turned to the Gentiles to call a people – For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness is part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (Romans 11:25).
We shall not delve into the historical details of the Seven Churches as they are fully dealt with in “The Exposition of the Seven Churches”.
A Letter to the Church in the Ephesians
Verse 1: Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things say he that hold the seven stars in his right hand, who walk the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
Verse 2: I know thy works and they labor and thy patience and how thou can not bear them which are evil: and thou has tried them which say they are apostles and are not and has found them liars:
Apostle Paul was the angel or messenger to the first church. He was an apostle born out of due season (1 Corinthians 15:8) and was the founder of the church in Ephesus. A revival fore was started in the city and from there is spread to other cities throughout the Asia Minor.
When the church began on the Day of Pentecost it was very stringent in its faith. Tares, if any, were quickly weeded out by the roots so that only the wheat remained (Acts 5). As more converts were added to the church and as the Gentiles accepted the gospel the spirit of antichrist began to work harder. The works and virtues of the believers of every age were known of God. The saints of the first church could not tolerate those who were evil, especially those who claimed that they were the apostles of God but were proven to be liars. The Church of Christ began with the Ministry in the New Testament age and unveiled to them the revelation of the prophetic word. The apostles were highly respected man of God. They were called and sent of God to get God’s people to line up with the Word of God and God’s plan of salvation. Satan knew what God was doing and began to impersonate Him.
Organized Christianity is in a chaos today. Many denominational churches are supporting called it ecumenism, even though they are divided along doctrinal lines. And the individual groups tend to go about doing things according to their own ideas. But the Word of God shows that there would be a message that would wake up the sleeping virgins to call them back to the Word (Matthew 25:1-13).
Verse 3: And hast borne, and hast patience and for my name’s sake hast labored and has not fainted.
Verse 4: Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you has left my first love.
Verse 5: Remember therefore from whence you are fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto you quickly and will remove your candlestick and out of his place, except you repent.
Ephesus means “desirable aimed at”. It shows the spiritual attitude of the saints of that church towards God. They showed a lot of patience and they labored much for the Lord. Ephesus also means “relaxed and drifting”. And that was what happened to many saints who began to relax from the fire that they possessed in the beginning and drift from the Truth and the Love of God.
God is warning His people to repent. Repentance is the only way to get back to God. It has never changed. We are living in an age where “because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12 and 1 Timothy 4:1). We need to heed the warning lest we become like the First Church which, when their fire went out and the lamp stand was removed, never had another renewal – only a dead form remained.
Verse 6: But this thou hast, that thou hate the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
The Nicolaitanes were a group of people who sought to make a distinction between those who ministered the word other called them “clergy or elders” and those who accepted and listened to the Word. They wanted to claim superiority of the ministers over the word. In other words they wanted to conquer the words. When the church elders conquered the words the prevented the Spirit of the Lord from moving about freely in the church to manifest His gifts such as tongues and prophecies.
Verse 7: He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit say unto the churches; To him that overcome will I give to eat of the tree of life; which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
The promise to Ephesus church; to all who received the revelation of the message, was the right to go into the paradise of God and partake of the tree of life (Luke 23:43)
A Letter to the Church in the Smyrnaean
Verse 8: And unto the angel of the church is Smyrna write: These things say the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Verse 9: I know your works, and tribulation and poverty (but your are rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Smyrna means “bitter”. It comes from the word “myrrh”. It was an age of bitter persecution. The saints in the city of Smyrna were stricken with poverty and lived in great hardship. Because of their faith, they were made the laughing stocks in the city, especially by those pseudo-Jews who belonged to the synagogue of Satan. There were also many pseudo-believers who derived and persecuted the saints. They were of the devils assembly. Though they were poor materially, the true worshippers were rich in the Lord because of the revelation they had received through Irenaeus, the messenger of God for the church.
Verse 10: Fear none of those things which thou shall suffer, behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten days: he thou faithful unto death and I will give the a crown of life.
Verse 11: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit say unto the churches, He that overcome shall not be hurt of the second death.
The elect of God do not persecute; rather they are persecuted. Persecution comes upon the elect as a trial of their faith. In the church of Smyrna, the saints endured tribulation brought upon them by the adversary of God. Some were cast into prison.
The “second death” takes place when the spirit of life leaves the soul and body, which happens after the Great Throne Judgment. The “first death” takes places when the soul departs from the body (Revelation 20:14, Genesis 35:18). Jesus said, Fear not them which kill the body, but not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). All sinners will have a share in the Lake of Fire as they are being burn and destroy completely. Yes, the wicked ones will be annihilated.
.to be continued
We shall not delve into the historical details of the Seven Churches as they are fully dealt with in “The Exposition of the Seven Churches”.
A Letter to the Church in the Ephesians
Verse 1: Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things say he that hold the seven stars in his right hand, who walk the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
Verse 2: I know thy works and they labor and thy patience and how thou can not bear them which are evil: and thou has tried them which say they are apostles and are not and has found them liars:
Apostle Paul was the angel or messenger to the first church. He was an apostle born out of due season (1 Corinthians 15:8) and was the founder of the church in Ephesus. A revival fore was started in the city and from there is spread to other cities throughout the Asia Minor.
When the church began on the Day of Pentecost it was very stringent in its faith. Tares, if any, were quickly weeded out by the roots so that only the wheat remained (Acts 5). As more converts were added to the church and as the Gentiles accepted the gospel the spirit of antichrist began to work harder. The works and virtues of the believers of every age were known of God. The saints of the first church could not tolerate those who were evil, especially those who claimed that they were the apostles of God but were proven to be liars. The Church of Christ began with the Ministry in the New Testament age and unveiled to them the revelation of the prophetic word. The apostles were highly respected man of God. They were called and sent of God to get God’s people to line up with the Word of God and God’s plan of salvation. Satan knew what God was doing and began to impersonate Him.
Organized Christianity is in a chaos today. Many denominational churches are supporting called it ecumenism, even though they are divided along doctrinal lines. And the individual groups tend to go about doing things according to their own ideas. But the Word of God shows that there would be a message that would wake up the sleeping virgins to call them back to the Word (Matthew 25:1-13).
Verse 3: And hast borne, and hast patience and for my name’s sake hast labored and has not fainted.
Verse 4: Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you has left my first love.
Verse 5: Remember therefore from whence you are fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto you quickly and will remove your candlestick and out of his place, except you repent.
Ephesus means “desirable aimed at”. It shows the spiritual attitude of the saints of that church towards God. They showed a lot of patience and they labored much for the Lord. Ephesus also means “relaxed and drifting”. And that was what happened to many saints who began to relax from the fire that they possessed in the beginning and drift from the Truth and the Love of God.
God is warning His people to repent. Repentance is the only way to get back to God. It has never changed. We are living in an age where “because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12 and 1 Timothy 4:1). We need to heed the warning lest we become like the First Church which, when their fire went out and the lamp stand was removed, never had another renewal – only a dead form remained.
Verse 6: But this thou hast, that thou hate the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
The Nicolaitanes were a group of people who sought to make a distinction between those who ministered the word other called them “clergy or elders” and those who accepted and listened to the Word. They wanted to claim superiority of the ministers over the word. In other words they wanted to conquer the words. When the church elders conquered the words the prevented the Spirit of the Lord from moving about freely in the church to manifest His gifts such as tongues and prophecies.
Verse 7: He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit say unto the churches; To him that overcome will I give to eat of the tree of life; which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
The promise to Ephesus church; to all who received the revelation of the message, was the right to go into the paradise of God and partake of the tree of life (Luke 23:43)
A Letter to the Church in the Smyrnaean
Verse 8: And unto the angel of the church is Smyrna write: These things say the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Verse 9: I know your works, and tribulation and poverty (but your are rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Smyrna means “bitter”. It comes from the word “myrrh”. It was an age of bitter persecution. The saints in the city of Smyrna were stricken with poverty and lived in great hardship. Because of their faith, they were made the laughing stocks in the city, especially by those pseudo-Jews who belonged to the synagogue of Satan. There were also many pseudo-believers who derived and persecuted the saints. They were of the devils assembly. Though they were poor materially, the true worshippers were rich in the Lord because of the revelation they had received through Irenaeus, the messenger of God for the church.
Verse 10: Fear none of those things which thou shall suffer, behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten days: he thou faithful unto death and I will give the a crown of life.
Verse 11: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit say unto the churches, He that overcome shall not be hurt of the second death.
The elect of God do not persecute; rather they are persecuted. Persecution comes upon the elect as a trial of their faith. In the church of Smyrna, the saints endured tribulation brought upon them by the adversary of God. Some were cast into prison.
The “second death” takes place when the spirit of life leaves the soul and body, which happens after the Great Throne Judgment. The “first death” takes places when the soul departs from the body (Revelation 20:14, Genesis 35:18). Jesus said, Fear not them which kill the body, but not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). All sinners will have a share in the Lake of Fire as they are being burn and destroy completely. Yes, the wicked ones will be annihilated.
.to be continued
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