Revelation 2

Revelation 2:1

We come now to the second section of the Book of Revelation, which deals with “the things which are” (Rev_1:19). As he addresses the seven churches of which he was an overseer, John paints a portrait of church history in its entirety. The seven messages that follow have a four-fold application… First, they are to be applied locally. The cities of the seven churches are given in the order of an ancient Roman postal circuit. Thus, they could be easily circulated among the churches addressed. Second, they apply ecclesiastically. Anyone who cares about the church or is involved with the church needs to study these letters because every problem, difficulty, and challenge facing the church is addressed in these seven letters. Third, they apply personally. These letters apply to us individually. How do I know? Because each letter ends with “Let he that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith.” Thus, this applies to anyone who has an ear. If you have two ears, it’s a double directive! Fourth, the letters apply prophetically. For us today, most of the events are history because we’re approaching the end of the church age. But for John, at the beginning of the church age, the events of which he wrote had not yet transpired. In addition to a four-fold application, there is also a four-element pattern seen in each letter… First, there is positive affirmation, where Jesus finds something to affirm in the churches. Second, there is corrective exhortation. Third, there is an eternal motivation. And finally, there is partial revelationas each of the churches reveals something of the nature of Christ. You see, the only way we’re going to see the complete picture is to embrace the church in totality. That’s what is so important about the body of Christ. As I look at the body, each person exhibits a unique aspect of Jesus Christ. It takes the whole body to truly magnify the Lord. That’s why the psalmist said, “O magnify the Lord with me” (see Psa_34:3). May we be those who embrace other believers and other churches because they each reveal something of Him. Meaning “messenger,” it is most likely that the word angelous used here speaks of a pastor, or leader. The church of Ephesus speaks of the period of church history from A.D. 33 to A.D. 100. By A.D. 97the year John recorded this bookthe church was already a mess. The Book of Acts presents the model of the way the church was supposed to function. But Acts only covers a span of thirty years. By the time John penned Revelation a mere sixty years later, the purity of the church had been compromised to such a degree that they were in a position to hear the Lord say, “Unless you repent, I’ll not stay in your midst” (see verse Rev_2:5). Those caught up in some of the so-called revivals of today say, “We can’t explain from the Bible what is happening in our church, but in earlier days, we read of people barking or shaking…” as they turn not to the Scriptures but to church history for justification of aberrant behavior. Let it be noted, precious people, that we can’t appeal to church history for practices of doctrine because the church has had problems from the very outset. I don’t ever defend church history. But I do defend the church as seen in the Book of Acts. Appeal only to the Bible, gang, because that’s where you find safety and sanity. You’re always on solid ground if you stick with Scripture. Who are the seven stars? The leaders of the seven churches. Where is Jesus walking? In the midst of the church. You will meet Christians who say, “Well, I’m not into church.” That’s too bad, because Jesus is. “Yeah, but the churches around here are really hurting,” they’ll say. So were these. And yet Jesus was in their midst.

Revelation 2:2

Here, Jesus gives His affirmation. He says, “First of all, I affirm you for staying with the task. That is, you’ve worked hard. You haven’t fainted. Secondly, you’ve stood with the truth. You’ve rooted out the deceivers who have come into your midst.” On occasion, people will say to us as Christians, “Don’t judge me. Didn’t Jesus say to judge not lest ye be judged?” And I tell them He did. But I also remind them that fifteen verses later, He said, “Beware of false prophets who will come into your midst as wolves in sheep’s clothing. By their fruit you shall know them” (see Mat_7:15-16). So what is Jesus saying? In Mat_7:1, He says we’re not to judge for condemnation. In verse Mat_7:15, however, we are instructed to judge for identification. If we only teach the Word, but don’t warn the flock about liars and deceivers, then we simply fatten people up for the kill. Part of the job of parenting and pastoring, part of the responsibility of any believer is to warn of false doctrine and false teachers.

Revelation 2:4

The corrective exhortation concerns the fact that, although they labored faithfully and showed discernment theologically, they had left their first love. Notice He doesn’t say they lost their first love. He says they left it… While chopping trees for the expansion of their facility, the axe head of one of Elisha’s students flew into the Jordan River. Ever feel like the cutting edge is gone from your ministry, like the power is absent from your life? Since wood is biblically symbolic of the flesh, this guy with the wooden handle still in his grasp could have said, I can still make noise banging trees with the handle. Maybe no one will notice that nothing’s happening in the way of effective ministry." But he didn’t. Instead, he did what Jesus tells you and me and those at Ephesus to do: he cried, “Master, it’s not there anymore. The cutting edge is gone.” “Take me to the place you had it last,” said Elisha. And the young man took Elisha to the edge of the river where he had last seen the axe head. Elisha ripped off a limb from a nearby tree, put it in the river, and miraculously, the axe head floated to the top. “There it is, son,” said Elisha. “Now reach in and grab it” (see 2Ki_6:1-7). It’s a perfect picture of what Jesus is about to say to those at Ephesus and to those of us who have left our first love…

Revelation 2:5

Remember how it felt to have the cutting edge, when you were passionate, when your walk was vibrant. Remember how it used to be when you had it last. “Repent” simply means “change direction.” What were you doing when you were on fire for the Lord? “I was going to church.” Go again! “I was getting up early for morning devotions.” Do it again! “I sang praise to the Lord as I drove down the street.” Sing again! Remember how it used to be when you were amazed by the Lord’s goodnessdo again what you were doing then, and you will see the cutting edge return. The injunction of Jesus is simple: Remember, repent, and return. You may have lots of programs and lots of activities. You may even have doctrinal purity. But Jesus will not stay in a church where there is not true love because without love, nothing else matters (1Co_13:2).

Revelation 2:6

“Nicos” meaning “conquest” and “laity” meaning “people of the church,” the Nicolaitans were evidently those who came on the scene, saying, “I will tell you who to marry, where to live, and what to do because I am your spiritual leader.” But what did Paul say? He said, “We do not seek to have dominion over you, but we are helpers of your joy” (see 2Co_1:24). Sometimes people say, “Jon, I want you to know I’m submitted to you.” While I hear their heart, I say, “Don’t submit to me. I’ve got a tough enough time trying to figure out what I should do! I’d love to share with you from the Word and pray for you each day. But it’s Jesus alone to whom you must submit.”

Revelation 2:7

What did the Ephesians lack? Love. What would they get if they changed their ways? The fruit of the tree of life, the fruit of the Spirit: love. Thus, the eternal motivation for the Ephesian church perfectly answered their greatest need.

Revelation 2:8

The church in Smyrna represents the period in church history from A.D. 100 to A.D. 312. The word “smyrna” comes from myrrha fragrance released only when crushed. At His birth, Jesus was presented with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold was for kings, frankincense for priests. But myrrh was a burial spice. Jesus is a King, yes. He is a Priest, indeed. But He’s also the Prophet who said, “Destroy this body and in three days, I will rise again” (see Joh_2:19). On the Cross, Jesus was presented with myrrh when a soldier offered it to Him to deaden His pain. Let Jesus’ refusal of the myrrh offered to Him on the Cross be an example to us in a culture that says, “Depressed? Take an antidepressant. Feel pain? Try this drug.” May we be those who, when the process of crushing takes place, let the Cross do its job. Myrrh was offered to Jesus a third timewhen the women came Easter Sunday to put burial spices on His body. But He wasn’t there. He had risen. So, too, when Jesus returns in His Second Coming, Isaiah writes “all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord” (see Isa_60:6). The people of Sheba will bring gold for the King; frankincense for the Priest. But they won’t bring myrrh because when Jesus comes back, He’s not coming to die. He’s coming to rule and reign. In Smyrna, as in other places, Jews would sometimes take the heat of persecution off themselves by inciting the Romans against the Christians. They would present Communion in a wrong light by accusing believers of drinking blood and eating broken bodies. Thus, in God’s economy they were no more His people in reality than were the Christians who, in the Name of Christ, slaughtered Jews by hundreds of thousands during the Crusades. The pastor of the church at Smyrna was a man named Polycarp, the last man personally discipled by John. At eighty-six years of age, amidst one of the numerous waves of persecution, Polycarp was ordered to burn incense at the altar of Caesar. “How can I deny Him who has been faithful to me these six and eighty years?” he asked. Consequently, he was sentenced to burn at the stake. When the fire failed to come near him, however, a frustrated guard pierced Polycarp’s shoulder with his swordinadvertently drawing blood, which put out the flame. At times, the only substance powerful enough to extinguish the fire of persecution was the blood of the saints.

Revelation 2:10

In the years A.D. 100 through A.D. 313, there were ten Roman emperors who correspond to the ten days spoken of here. They launched such massive attacks against the believers that between five and seven million Christians were killed during their rule. Notice that for this group, Jesus doesn’t have a corrective exhortation. Perhaps this is because by enduring persecution, they remained pure. But notice also that Jesus makes no promise to lighten their affliction. On the contrary, He says, “Go through the pain and crushing. Be faithful unto death.”

Revelation 2:11

What is the second death? At the end of the Millennium, the unbeliever will be resurrected to stand before the Lord at the Great White Throne Judgment. There, his failure to believe on the Lord and his refusal to accept God’s payment for his sins will condemn him to outer darkness (Rev_20:6). But for those who, like the church at Smyrna, stay true, the second death will have no effect.

Revelation 2:12

The Greek prefix per, seen in words like “pervert,” means opposition. The suffix gamos, seen in words like “monogamy” or “bigamy,” means “marriage.” Pergamos, then, means “objectionable marriage"a fitting description of the next phase of church history… The year was A.D. 312. The last of the ten Roman emperors who had persecuted the church was dead, ushering in a power play for the reins of the empire. To this end, one young hopeful prepared to engage in a huge battle. According to legend, he saw a cross in the heavens and heard a voice saying, “In this sign conquer.” And as a result, young Constantine fell to his knees and became a born-again believer. According to history, however, what really happened was that, substantially outnumbered, Constantine noticed that Christians were not enlisting in anyone’s army. Realizing that if he converted to Christianity, he would have access to a potential infusion of new troops, he became a Christian. And the Christians responded by siding with him. But it would turn out to be an unmitigated disaster. As a result of Constantine’s Edict of Toleration, which forbade persecution of Christians, Christianity became the official religion of Rome. In fact, soon all Roman babies would be legally required to be baptized into the Christian faith. Yes, the Christians were in power, but, understanding the political expediency of concession, Constantine compromised with the pagan priests and traditions that permeated Rome. “I feel your pain,” he said. “Let’s find common ground. Let’s meet halfway.” So a marriage took place that was perhaps most clearly illustrated by the coin issued shortly thereafter. Christian symbols were stamped on one side of the coin and pagan symbols on the other. From A.D. 313 to A.D. 600, church and state worked together as a political powerand as a result the church began a downward spiral from which she has yet to recover, as we shall see. According to Greek mythology, Pergamos was the birthplace of Zeus. “Satan’s seat” is in reference to the one hundred-fifty-foot-high structure dedicated to Zeus in the middle of the city of Pergamos. The historian Tertullian tells us that, because Antipas, a physician in the city of Pergamos, wouldn’t renounce his faith, he was fried to death.

Revelation 2:14

You remember the story of Balaam. Asked by Moabite King Balak to pronounce a curse on the people of Israel, God forbade the prophet Balaam to go. But Balaam went anyway, and after a short discussion with a donkey, he wound up on a mountain overlooking the encamped Israelites upon whom he was to issue a curse. After three failed attempts, realizing he couldn’t curse them, Balaam resorted to an alternate plan. “If your women seduce the Israelite men,” he said to Balak, “they can introduce idol worship to them through which Israel will thereby bring a curse upon herself” (see Numbers 22). What, then, is the doctrine of Balaam? It is Pergamos: objectionable marriage with the world.

Revelation 2:15

Not only had the church in Pergamos embraced the marriage of church and state, but they embraced the Nicolaitansthe priests, pontiffs, and people who think they are infallible.

Revelation 2:16

How do you know who’s who or what’s what in a world so prone to the Pergamos tendency? Stick with the Wordwith that which divides sin’s mind-set from that which is right eternally (Heb_4:12).

Revelation 2:17

Since the Pergamos mind-set was a mixture of political power and religious mystery, it is interesting to note the three things the Lord promised to those who overcome this tendency… A young man in a hotel on the corner of Chicago’s 5th and Broadway prayed, “Lord, I’m not going to leave this room until you empower me.” Four days later, the Holy Spirit came upon him and D. L. Moody was empowered in such a way that he said, “Lord, if You don’t back off, I’m going to die of ecstasy.” The secret ballot of John’s day was a stone. A black stone was “no”; a white stone “yes.” We still refer to this practice when we say someone was “blackballed.” Thus, Jesus was saying, “If you turn away from paganism, compromise, and the Pergamos mentality, I’ll give you a white stone, which means you’re not guilty; you’re righteous; you’re free.” “If you’re looking for mystery,” says the Lord, “don’t look to worldly traditions. Look to Me, and I will give you hidden manna, a white stone, and a secret, pet name.” Watch out for the Pergamos mentality, gang. It’s tempting to seek political changeto make our voice heard, to get our candidates in, to make our agenda happen. But history proves that strange things happen when church and politics get in bed together. If we think the key is to engage ourselves in political activism in the Name of Jesus Christ, we are in danger of committing the same historic error. Watch out. Keep your focus on the kingdom. Keep your passion for Jesus. Keep true to the Word, and God will bless you with the manna of salvation, the white stone of acquittal and approval, a new name of special affection. On the island of Patmos, the Lord told John to write seven letters that were to be delivered to seven churches in Asia Minor. But evidently these churches did not receive or respond to the messages, for if you look at Asia Minor, or present-day Turkey, you see one of the most spiritually dark regions in the world. May the Lord help us and be merciful to us that we don’t simply take in these messages without personally embracing them. We now come to the fourth perioda period of time that begins in A.D. 600 and goes to the present. The following four churchesThyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodiceaall represent churches on the earth today. How do we know this? Because it is to these churches that Jesus talks about His coming and about the Tribulation.

Revelation 2:18

In Thyatira, we see a church emerge in the year A.D. 600, which will exert major influence on Martin Luther and the Reformers through A.D. 1500. This church still exists presently. This is the only time in the entire Book of Revelation that Jesus identifies Himself as the Son of God rather than as the Son of Man. He chooses this reference because fire and brass speak of judgment.

Revelation 2:19

Although Jesus is about to give a heavy word of judgment to the church at Thyatira, He first finds six areas in which to commend them.

Revelation 2:20

Based on the account in Acts 16, wherein we read that Paul encountered a group of women worshiping by a riverside, it is very possible that the church at Thyatira was founded by a woman. However, in addition to being founded by a woman, the church at Thyatira was floundering because of a woman. A woman who called herself a prophetess had persuaded people to eat food sacrificed to idols. Her influence upon the church was reminiscent of one of the most ungodly women in Israel’s history… Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, was given to King Ahab of Israel, in marriage. Since Ethbaal was the high priest of Ashtarothgoddess of sensuality and fertilityJezebel’s background adversely influenced God’s people. For example, finding Ahab weeping one day, Jezebel asked the reason. “Our power is growing and our influence is increasing,” answered Ahab. “But a man named Naboth won’t sell me his property.” “If you’re the king, you should have it,” answered Jezebel. “Leave it to me.” So saying, she hired some men to falsely accuse Naboth of cursing God. And, following an inquisition and mock trial, Naboth was put to death (1 Kings 21). Thus, Ahab and Jezebel inherited the land in a power play and an inquisitiona microcosm of the grander scale we will see as the story of church history unfolds.

Revelation 2:21

Keep in mind that fornication does not refer exclusively to physical relationships. It can refer, as it often does in the Old Testament, to a spiritual relationship with idolatry. This New Testament woman, following in the footsteps of her predecessor of old, was encouraging idolatry in the church at Thyatira.

Revelation 2:22

If the Jezebel spirit, prone to idolatry, is not rejected and turned from, this churchrepresenting not only a local congregation but an epoch in church historywill go into the Tribulation period.

Revelation 2:23

Not only Thyatira, but her offspring will also go through judgment and death as well.

Revelation 2:24

The “depths of Satan” speaks of the esoteric mystery of the false, cultic Babylonian religion. “We alone know the mysteries, the deep things,” said the Babylonian priests. But those who didn’t buy their line were exempt from God’s judgment.

Revelation 2:25

“Till I come” is the first promise of Jesus’ return found in these letters to the seven churches. That’s how we know this church goes on to Jesus’ Second Coming.

Revelation 2:26

“Those in Thyatira,” says Jesus, “who have not bought into the seductive teachings of Jezebel will be given nations to rule.” What was Jezebel’s goal? Ahab and Jezebel united in marriage to increase their power by merging countries and joining religions. The result? As seen in the story of Naboth’s vineyard, they wielded power and gobbled up land. “If you’re not a part of the Jezebel mentality, you will rule and reign with Me,” Jesus says. “But if you try to do it in the spirit of Jezebelthrough inquisition and manipulationyou’ll be cast into a bed with other harlots in the great Tribulation.”

Revelation 2:28

The Old Testament image of Jesus is as the Sun of Righteousness (Mal_4:2). Here in the New Testament, He’s seen as the Morning Star.

Revelation 2:29

I believe the church at Thyatira refers to the Catholic Church because “Thyatira” speaks of “continual sacrifice.” You see, the Catholic Church traditionally, historically, and presently embraces the idea that in Communion, the elements are transformed into the literal, physical body of Christ in a process called transubstantiation. Thus, Catholic priests ensure that during the Mass, all of the wine is drunk and all of the bread eaten because they believe the elements are the actual body of Christ and, therefore, cannot be poured down the drain or thrown out. They think that the continual sacrifice of Christ is what really brings grace, or salvationwhich is in direct contrast to what Jesus declared from the Cross when He cried, “It is finished” (Joh_19:30). The price is paid. The work is done. During the Inquisition Period from A.D. 600-A.D. 1500, the Catholic Church amassed great amounts of wealth through political power plays. Consequently, the Catholic Church is extremely wealthy due to their land holdings and banking system. Please hear my heart, folks, I’m not Catholic-bashing. This is history. For nine hundred years, vast amounts of money, property, and treasures were accumulated by keeping people in spiritual darkness… For example, if you were going to a party on Saturday evening, you could buy an indulgence from a priest, and thus be “pre-forgiven” of any ensuing sin. During this time, the “doctrine of purgatory” was also developed, which stated one could speed up the process of the purging of a deceased loved one’s soul by buying candles and lighting them on his behalf. And even as Naboth was killed, so were tens of millions of believersincluding Hugh Latimer and John Hus, followers of John Wycliffe. What did Wycliffe want to do? He said it wasn’t right that one had to go through a priest to get his sins forgiven. He said purgatory and the selling of indulgences were an abomination. He said the Mass being held in Latina language people couldn’t understandwas nothing of what Jesus was about. As the fire that would burn them at the stake was lit, John Hus turned to Hugh Latimer and said, “Today they are igniting a candle that will never go out.” Presently there are excellent Catholic churches and wonderful Catholic pastors. There are those who have not bought into the deception of Jezebel. There are substantial segments of the Catholic Church who love Jesus Christ and are not into the hocus-pocus imagery and idolatry that keep people away from knowing the Lord personally. On the other hand, much of the Catholic Church still has the Thyatira mentalityjust as much of the Protestant Church is deader than a doornail, as we’ll see in the next chapter. What does this have to do with us? I think a whole lot because the error of Thyatira is possible today. We can also have idols. We can look to a church, a person, a program and say, “I’m going to put all my hope in that structure, or those guys"no longer just loving the Lord, staying close to the Lord, getting our cues and directions from the Lord, but leaning on idols and structures and people. Likewise, there can be those who imply that the common people can’t understand the Bible because they have not attended seminary and therefore cannot grasp the intricacies of theology. Not true. While Greek and Hebrew can, indeed, help give illumination, the Book we hold in our hands was written for you and me, for the man and woman on the street. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t know God’s will or His heart, His ways or His Word. We must make sure we say no to idolatry, to systems of religion, to spiritual hierarchies. May God give us wisdom. May God help us to keep the focus on Jesus. May God give us the grace to keep it simple.