02.08. LECTURE No. 8 -- Rev_2:6-7
LECTURE No. 8 -- Revelation 2:6-7
Words of Commendation for the Church at Ephesus - The Nicolaitanes, Were Troubling the Church, by Seeking to Divide It. Jesus Was Humble and Helpful and He Wants Us to Be Like Himself - Jesus Hates the Self-Seeking Spirit Among Christians and Condemns It - A Divine Warning and a Prophetic Promise
LET US REMIND you once again that the divinely given title of this book, as given in the first verse of the first chapter is “THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.”
The word “Revelation” you will recall means to “reveal,” or make manifest, in the sense of unveiling something to view. Therefore, the entire Book which we are now studying is devoted to the task of making Christ more fully and completely known to us, than in any other portion of God’s Word.
Christ As Revealed In Revelation 1:1-20! In keeping with this general purpose of the book, Christ has been revealed to us already in Revelation 1:1-20 - (1) “The Faithful Witness;”
(2) “The First Begotten of the Dead;”
(3) “The Prince of the Kings of the Earth;”
(4) Also as the ONE “who loved us, and who washed us from our sins in His own blood;”
(5) He is also revealed in this chapter as the Son of Man, and as the LORD and JUDGE of all the Churches;
(6) In Revelation 1:1-20 He is also revealed as the ONE “who liveth and was dead, and who is alive forever more.”
(7) Also as the ONE “who holds the keys of hell and death;”
(8) And as the ONE “who holds the Seven Stars (i.e., the Ministers of His Word) in His own right hand.” The Seven Messages To The Seven Churches
Now in Revelation 2:1-29 and Revelation 3:1-22 we have a still MORE COMPLETE and DETAILED REVELATION of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the SEVEN MESSAGES to the SEVEN CHURCHES which we have recorded here.
In these SEVEN MESSAGES to the SEVEN CHURCHES we behold Christ speaking as one in authority, and not as the Scribes and Pharisees!
We have already stated that these messages to the Churches constitute a very definite division in our study of the Book of Revelation, and that they are one of the most enlightening portions of Scripture which we have anywhere in the Word of God.
Let me remind you once again that these messages to the Churches have a threefold application-
(1) First to the local Churches addressed.
(2) Then to the entire Church, by which we mean all churches of the entire Church age, (3) They also have a personal application to every individual Christian.
In our last message we began a study of the message which Jesus sent to the Church at Ephesus. He addressed Himself to this Church as the one who holdeth the Seven Stars in His right hand, and who walketh in the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks.
In our last message we considered Jesus’ words of commendation which He had for the Church at Ephesus. He also rebuked them, however, because they had left their first love. Therefore, He admonished them earnestly to repent and do the first works, or else He would come and remove their Candlestick. The Nicolaitanes And now at this point we shall continue our study of the message of our Lord to this Church, by reading what is stated in Revelation 2:6-7; where it says:
“But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
“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.”
In Revelation 2:6-7 we have some very suggestive truth, which well deserves our careful attention. Who The Nicolaitanes Were In Revelation 2:6 Jesus commended the Church of Ephesus because they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, and in the same statement He announced His own divine hatred of the same group!
This terse, pointed statement, against the Nicolaitanes naturally arouses our curiosity to know just WHAT SORT OF FOLK they were, and WHAT SORT OF SIN they had committed to arouse the enmity of the Church at Ephesus, and the announced displeasure of our Lord against them.
A footnote in my Bible says that the word “Nicolaitanes” is taken from two words, ’“Nikao”-to conquer, and “Laos” which means the people or laity. The analysis of the word is very interesting because it reveals there were those who were trying to divide the Church of Christ, (which was at that time a COMMON BROTHERHOOD OF BELIEVERS) into a system of Ecclesiastical authority, by dividing the groups of believers INTO THE CLERGY and THE LAITY.
While He was yet on earth Jesus did not approve any spirit among believers which would divide them, by exalting some, to positions of authority, and reducing others to mere servants. In Luke the 22nd chapter and the 24th (Luke 22:24) verse we read that a strife had arisen among the disciples as to who should be the greatest, and to all of their carnal strife Jesus answered saying,
“The Kings of the Gentiles exercise LORDSHIP over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. BUT YE SHALL NOT BE SO: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
“For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meat? BUT I AM AMONG YOU AS HE THAT SERVETH.”
Jesus Was Humble
Thus, my friends, we see that Jesus Himself, as the spiritual leader, and as the founder of the True Church, even washed His disciples’ feet, and in no wise sought to exalt Himself, but won His place of leadership among them by humble service, rather than by self-exaltation.
In Matthew 23:1-39, Jesus rebuked this same spirit in the Scribes and Pharisees, whom He said, “sat in Moses’ seat.” They were lifted up with pride of position, and because of this they put a difference between themselves and the common believers in Israel, and Jesus accused them, saying,
“They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers! For all their works, they do for to be seen of men; they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues. And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren,
“And call no man your father; upon the earth; for one is your Father, which is in heaven. NEITHER BE YE CALLED MASTERS; for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
Thus, my friends, from these quotations which we have given, it is perfectly evident that Jesus hated and despised those who assumed positions of dictatorial leadership, and whose authority was not in any wise based upon true merit.
It is also perfectly evident that He hated and despised the Scribes and Pharisees AMONG THE JEWS because they had assumed an air of authority and leadership, which was based neither upon humility nor upon service. On the contrary they made themselves self appointed masters over God’s elect.
What Peter Said: The Apostle Peter also warned of this in 1 Peter 5:2-3, where he said:
“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being Lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock, and when the Chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
From such passages as this, my friends, it is plainly evident that Jesus intends that positions in Church leadership should not be the result of HUMAN APPOINTMENT or self exaltation, but should be attained to because the one in charge has given real service and merits the confidence of the people whom he serves as leader of the flock.
Is it any wonder, therefore that Jesus commended the Church of Ephesus because they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, and that He joined sides I with them by saying, “which I also hate.”
I dare say, my friends, that the SEEDS OF NICOLAITANISM which were planted in that EARLY CHURCH by those who would use the work of the church as a ladder to climb to some position of self exaltation, have been manifest IN EVERY PERIOD of the Church age and are prevalent in a very great degree in the religious world of today. In spite of all the titles which men assume, and which men in ecclesiastical authority bestow upon others, if these titles are not well earned through the divine, rather than the human call upon a man’s life, and have not been earned by humble and sacrificial service to their fellow men, in God’s sight, they are not worth the paper it takes to write them on.
We may assume therefore that the spirit and practice of the Nicolaitanes was a dangerous thing, and that it is something which Christ hates, and which some day He will destroy with a mighty hand. The truth of what I have just said will be confirmed as we continue our study of the Book of Revelation.
In my judgment, (based upon the Scriptures) Jesus will, in the near future bring judgment upon the entire ecclesiastical world, which is shot through from top to bottom, and from stem to stern with a spirit of Nicolaitanism!
Korah An Example
Even in olden times, in the days of Moses, God was displeased with Korah, when He sought to challenge the authority of Moses and sought to trespass into the Priest’s office.
And because this man sought to assume DIVINE AUTHORITY which God had given to another, God sent a terrible judgment upon him and his followers, and it says,
“the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, WENT DOWN ALIVE INTO THE PIT, and the earth closed upon them; and they perished from among the congregation.”
And thus, my friends, all the deeds and the works of the Nicolaitanes will SOONER or LATER perish under the terrible judgments of God. Those, who have assumed ecclesiastical authority by self exaltation rather than by divine appointment, and have used that authority for selfish purposes, and have made themselves LORDS OVER GOD’S HERITAGE, and have enriched their own coffers at the expense of the poor of the land, will yet feel the judgments of an angry God upon them.
Indeed, my friends, ecclesiastical Babylon as well as Political and Commercial Babylon, MUST and WILL fall when God’s time comes. A Prophetic Warning
Therefore in this expression of our Lord in Revelation 2:6, where He said that He hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, we see not only a STATEMENT OF FACT, but one which carries with it a note of Prophetic WARNING TO ALL who belong to the Nicolaitanes of our day as well as then. And you may be assured that anything which Christ hates will eventually be destroyed, and may God hasten the day when the spirit of the Nicolaitanes SHALL BE DESTROYED out of the midst of the Church, and that it can be said once again of all who belong to Christ “WE ARE BRETHREN.”
He That Hath An Ear
We now turn our attention to the statement which Jesus made in Revelation 1:7, where He said:
“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.”
It is interesting to note that the expression “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!” was repeated by our Lord in His message to each of the seven Churches. We have every reason, therefore, to believe that it is a statement of considerable importance, and that it carries a weight of truth, which rightly commands our attention.
First of all, let us note, that the word Spirit used in this expression is spelled with a capital “S”, indicating that it is the Holy Spirit through whom God is speaking to the churches.
Next let us note that Jesus said, “He that hath AN EAR, let him hear.”
The very wording of this introductory expression would seem to indicate that there were some in the Church at Ephesus who having ears were UNABLE TO HEAR THE TRUTH which Jesus had spoken to them in this message.
No doubt this was due to a lack of spirituality.
Their spiritual state and condition are well described in Matthew 13:13-16, where Jesus said:
“Therefore speak I to them in parables; because they seeing, see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, by hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and THEIR EARS ARE DULL OF HEARING, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.”
Some Unable To Hear This passage clearly reveals that there are those within every group of professed believers who are SPIRITUALLY DEAF and SPIRITUALLY BLIND, and this peculiar blindness and deafness is described as being the result of sinning against the light, and the truth which they have seen and heard. Jesus said, “Their eyes they have closed: lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
The very fact that Jesus said in His message to the Church at Ephesus, “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” would indicate that there were those in the church at that time who were UNABLE TO HEAR the message which God had for them.
And my friends, it has been so in every period of Church history, and it is even so yet today. I have found this to be true in my own personal experience in the ministry, and I know it is true, even concerning these messages that we are now giving out. There are many who are unprepared to receive them. Indeed there are thousands of churches over the land today who would not even allow such messages as we are giving out from God’s Word to be preached in their pulpits. Why? Because “their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have been closed: lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted.”
Faith Cometh By Hearing
Indeed, my friends, we must realize that THE EAR as well as the eye is an avenue to the heart. The ear, therefore, holds a very important relationship to the matter of individual salvation, for the Scripture says “that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
There can be no question but what thousands of people stay away from Church today simply TO KEEP FROM HEARING THE TRUTH. They are afraid that the truth which they might hear would uncover the secret sins of their hearts, and expose their evil practices, and their unjust dealings with their fellow men!
They fail to realize, however, that it is necessary for the Word of God to expose their sins, because,
- No man will seek the Lord who does not first feel his need of a Saviour.
- No man will seek the REMEDY FOR SIN, until he has been made to feel the PAIN and the STRENGTH and the PENALTY OF SIN!
- No man will seek for the grace of God (which is unmerited favor), until he has felt the GUILT OF SIN in his own heart.
Such people fail to realize that the SAME BIBLE which teaches them about sin, and warns them against the judgments of God, also teaches them the way of salvation. It tells them of a Saviour who is well able to save from THE UTTERMOST to THE UTTERMOST; them that come unto God by Him.
If all the Bible did was to condemn a man in his sin, and did not offer a remedy, and gave no promise of reward for repentance, and for faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then we could understand why men do not want to hear the Bible. But the Bible, not only teaches a man the SINFULLNESS OF SIN, but it also teaches him A WAY OF ESCAPE!
This being true, the Bible contains THE GREATEST MESSAGE to the human heart that any man could ever hope to hear, and therefore, concerning these messages that we are now giving out over the Radio, we say with all the earnestness of our hearts, “he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
Let us not forget the words of Revelation 1:3, where Jesus said: “Blessed is he that readeth and they that HEAR THE WORDS of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
It Was Necessary
We see therefore that it was necessary for Jesus, in addressing Himself to the Church at Ephesus, and subsequently to all churches throughout the entire Church age, in the strange language which He employed here: because the Church has ever been, in its present state, an admixture of those who TRULY BELIEVE, and are willing to hear the truth when it is preached, and those who are unwilling, and therefore UNABLE TO HEAR THE TRUTH, because they are mere professors and have no real experience of grace in their hearts.
The expression which Jesus used makes allowance for this difference, and we may say that what He said was an admonition to some, and a warning to others! This condition of admixture was nothing new, but has existed from the earliest days of the church.
Strange as it may seem there was a JUDAS among the Apostles, and there was an ANANIAS and a SAPPHIRA among the converts of the early church, and a little later on you will recall there was SIMON THE SORCERER, who tried to buy the Holy Ghost with money, and Peter was compelled to tell him that his heart was not right in the sight of God.
Admixture In The Early Church And so, my friends, we see that this state of admixture existed in the early church, and has continued from then until now, and it will be so, even to the end of this present age, until the time of harvest, as Jesus stated in Matthew 13:36-43. There will be tares among the wheat, and they are to grow together until the harvest.
Indeed, there is no place where God has caused the good seed to be sown, that the same ground has not been oversown with tares. This is a sad truth, which is hard to understand, nevertheless it is true, and so if anyone should be looking for a church that is perfect, and which has no tares in it, he will search all his life and die still searching.
Somehow it seems there is no preaching, however pure and true to the Word of God it may be, and no church discipline, however strict or wise it may be, and no watchfulness, however faithful and diligent it may be, which can keep the tares from creeping into the churches, among the wheat.
And therefore, in view of this condition of admixture, which existed then in the church at Ephesus, and which still exists today, Jesus found it necessary to say: “He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
And, my friends, well may the churches of our day heed the admonition, which was given to the church at Ephesus by the risen and glorified LORD. The Holy Spirit Speaks This very same passage would indicate that Christ was then, and is now speaking to the churches, through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost to abide in the hearts of all who had believed in Christ, and during this entire age, while Christ has been absent, and the Holy Spirit has been present here upon earth, the Lord has spoken to the Church through the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, when the Holy Spirit speaks, convicting men of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment, they would do well to take heed.
~ end of lecture 8 ~