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2:1 "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;"
Ephesus being translated means "permitted." Ephesus at the time was considered the center of Christendom and was where Paul wrote Acts 19 in A.D. 54-57. Christ is writing this letter to the angel of that church. This is one of the angels described in the earlier chapter described as seven "stars."
2:2 "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:"
God is concerned with works. They could spot false prophets because they were well trained in the word. There were no buildings of worship or seminaries until Constantine put an end to Christian persecution two hundred years after Paul. People met not in congregations but in homes all over the city lead by elders, or bishops trained by Timothy.
2:3 "And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted."
Christ commends them for their strength. Even lacking a traditional infrastructure they managed a great proliferation of the word of God and caused many conversions. Their numbers and resolve were great.
2:4 "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."
Works are never enough. It's the heart that matters and if you don't have love all is for nothing. 1 Cor 13:1 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." 1 Cor 13:2 "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."
That word "charity" is Agape: 26, and it means good will and brotherly love. Agape love is altruistic and unconditional. What is the Christian’s first love? God and the Son. If you love Christ you will do what he asks. What he wants from us is simple. John 21:17 "He saith to him the third time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved, because he said to him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said to him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith to him, Feed my sheep."
He has given so much more than he asks. Ephesus had a lot to be proud of but let there pride over rule God's discernment to judge who was worthy of redemption. Christ died that all might come to repentance and that should have been their primary concern. Mat 18:11 "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." 2 pet 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." The word "all" is the Greek word pas and it means, "each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything" The saved are saved already; it is the lost that need redemption.
2:5 "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."
Christ urges them to repent their failing and return to do "the first works" which they had fallen away from else he remove them. It was the first works that made them strong to begin with. It is not for us to say who will receive the Word. Stay focused on God and feed the sheep.
2:6 "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate."
The Nicolaitanes were a sect of Gnostics who supposedly come from Nicholas the deacon in Acts 6:5. It is where we get the term "laity" for the catholic priesthood. The Nicolaitanes taught that adultery and fornication where acceptable and mixed pagan and Christian rituals. God's way is pure and needs no help from mankind.
2:7 "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."
All the Son has drawn will hear this message when spoken. Only the wealthy or blessed of the time could read. The word paradise means, "garden". Paradeisos 3857 The Tree of Life is Christ who is the living Word of God. This is a message for all generations.
2:8 "And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;"
Smyrna means myrrh, which is a sweet smelling perfume and medicine. They made myrrh in Smyrna which was about 50 miles north of Ephesus and was the birthplace of Homer. Christ was crucified and rose again in the third day. He was dead and is alive. Christ is the first and the last.
2:9 "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."
Once again He is concerned with works. They were a poor church without the numbers or prestige of Ephesus yet the city in which they resided rivaled it for beauty. Who are these Jews who are of the synagogue of satan? The Kenites became the scribes for Judah. 1Chron 2:55 "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab." Kenite translated instead of transliterated means "son's of Cain."
In Jer 35:1 "The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying," 2 "Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink." God invited the Kenites to fully take part because he is fair and merciful. Yet they did not accept for they had been commanded by their father not to. Jer 35:6 "But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:” Jonadab was not only a Kenite but was a willing baal worshipper as well which is shown in 2 Kings 10:15-27. Jud 1:16 "And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people." Just because you move to Jerusalem and are by local a Jew, that does not make you Jewish. Ro 9:6 "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:"
They had become so integrated into the society that they challenged Christ himself. John 8:39 "They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith to them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham." They claim to be of Abraham but their works prove differently. John 8:42 "Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me." John 8:43 "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word." John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
Christ goes on to further elucidate who they are and where they came from. John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." Cain was the first murderer, satan was the first liar. (Gen 3:4, Gen 4: Their children, the Kenites, are those that are of the synagogue of satan trying to destroy the church from within.
We must never forget what David, on his deathbed, taught us with his dying words in 2Sam 23:2-4 & 6-7 2.) "The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." 3 "The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear (reverence "Yir'ah: 3374") of God." 4 "And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain." 6 "But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:" 7 "But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place."
There is a righteous King coming who was that Rock of Israel (1Cor 10:4). He's returning not to harm the children of God but to save them from and destroy utterly the children of the wicked one who will do anything to drag us down with them.
2:10 "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."
These 10 days is an individual number for each of God's elect at this time meaning no more than ten days of trail for each person. This is not the "ten persecutions" of Christians by Rome as put forth by Foy E. Wallace and Gaebelein as they failed to apply this information to the subject of Christ's return, which is the point of Revelation. In truth those Christians who were delivered to Roman justice for heresy against the empire to prison were merely awaiting their death sentence; but has scripture has revealed satan had the power of death. Heb 2:14 "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;"
If Christ hasn't yet returned, then the Roman Emperor wasn't the anti-christ. satan's will be pretending to be Christ and it's to the devil tribulation Christians will be delivered. Mark 13:6 "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Mark 13:12 "Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death." We will not be killed, yet if we remain faithful we will live with Christ in joy forever Mark 13:9 "But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them." This has happened much over the centuries and will occur globally one final time wherein satan brings about his own fall.
Mark 13:10 "And the gospel must first be published among all nations." It has been. Paul declared the gospel known to "every creature under heaven" in Col 1:23, yet he was only speaking of the known world of his time. Today the known world is the globe in it's entirety and the gospel has been spread to all nations via literature or radio and television signals. The book of Genesis has even been broadcast from the other side of the moon. Mark 13:11 "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost." The hour of temptation is the five month period of satan's rule as antichrist. Take heed to what Christ has to say to the seven churches for it also aplies to us.
2:11 "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."
The second death is the death of the spirit, which only God can do. Matt 10:28 "And fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Smyrna knew who was of the synagogue of satan and this is why Christ favored them. In their persecution and poverty they stayed true to word of God and did not "change with the times" to suit those who were against God to begin with. If we stay true as Smyrna then Christ will have favor on us as well.
2:12 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;"
Pergamos means "height" or "a high place". (Pergamos: 4010) Pergamos was the capital city of Mysia until 133 B.C. and is situated 15 miles inland in the Caicus valley, which is in the modern land of Turkey. They were rife with pagan worship and one of their chief gods was Asklepios who had the form of a serpent. Christ is the one with the two-edged sword. His tongue is the sword that cuts with truth, the Word of God.
2:13 "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."
Still he is concerned with works. In this verse we are given a frightening revelation that satan is alive and well on the planet earth and even has his throne in Pergamos where he resides. It is no wonder that one of their chief god's was the serpent. Nothing much is known of Antipas save that he was martyred for Christ and the event was well known among them. Those faithful in Pergamos were under constant tribulation and that they remained faithful is a testimony to their strength.
2:14 "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 stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication."
Even with their works and a martyr the Lord holds some actions against them. Balaam was a priest. God had blessed Balaam that whosoever he blessed, God would bless and whosoever he would curse, God would do likewise. Balac, king of the land of Moab, learned of God's blessing on Balaam and he feared the Israelites for what they did to the Amorites. Num 21:34-35 Balac had sent his messenger's with lots of money to Balaam to buy his prophesy concerning what the Lord might think of Balac. Thinking he was next after the Amorites, considering their proximity, he tried to bribe Balaam to curse the Israelites. Num 22:5-7
It must have been a lot of money for Balaam to ask God to give divination to the enemies of Israel. God told Balaam directly no and not to go with them. Num 22:12 So Balaam tells the princes that no matter how much money they offer he cannot go but if they stay with him God may change his mind. Num 22: 18-19 So after the messengers had retired, God tells Balaam that if they come back and ask again he can go as long as he keeps and does the word of God. Num 22:20 They never came back to ask again, figuring his last words was his final answer, yet Balaam rises early and catches up with them any way. Num 22:21
His love for money outstripped his love for God and this angered the Lord fiercely. He sent an angel to stand before his dingo so that the animal turned from the path. Num 22:22 Balaam beat the animal each time to turn it back and each time the angel stood to block it, leading it into a narrow alley and crushing Balaam's foot against a wall and then to fall stopped underneath him. Num 22:23-27 As he beat his mule with a staff the Lord caused the beast to speak and ask him why he beat him three times so far? Num 22:28 Balaam seeing only his frustration tells the animal he would kill it if he had a sword. Num 22:29 The beast implores him further saying was he not a faithful and loyal servant since the beginning until this day to which Balaam replied, no. Num 22:30 The Lord revealed the angel to Balaam and when he saw him he fell on his face. Num 22:31
The angel told Balaam that had the dingo not turned away he would have killed Balaam and Balaam knew he had sinned. Num 22:32-34 He then charged Balaam to go with the princes of Moab to king Balac but only to speak the word that he would be given by God. Num 22:35 King Balac was very happy to hear Balaam was coming and ran out to meet him, took him back to the city and gave him gifts. Num 22:36-40 Three times Balac asks Balaam to curse Israel and three times in three different places he meets Balaam who meets with God only to come back with blessings for Israel and curses for her enemies. Num 23-24:11 Balac saw that he could never defeat Israel in combat and was wroth but let Balaam live and paid him his due. Num 24:25 Instead of going to war with Israel, Balac becomes neutral that through cultural dissemination the Israelites would become like those in Moab. In Num 25:1-3 we see the outcome of this meeting.
Had Balaam not loved his money so much he would have never gone out to meet Balac and Israel would have decimated them like the Amorites in the immanent war. Instead, in making this truce, Balaam unwittingly and continually lead his people into whoredom and idolatry. You can't bargain with the world and there is no middle ground between the heavenly and the profane.
2:15 "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."
They allowed Nicolaitanes to hold offices in the church. You cannot compromise with pagans no matter how insistent or prevalent they are.
2:16 "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."
Christ urges this Church to repent of its tolerance of false doctrines and idol worship before he destroys them with the truth of his word.
2:17 "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."
The names of the churches have changed over the centuries but it is the content of their doctrine we must consider and it is by their teachings that you will know them no matter what they are called. Manna is angel's food. Psalm 78:24 "He rained down manna on them to eat, And gave them food from the sky." Psalm 78:25 "Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full." Hidden manna is the bread of life, the Living Word of God. Every time you take communion you take a part of the body of Christ and when that bread is broken and you receive it, like a spiritual seed, it grows within you that you might be a branch grafted to the vine and produce fruit. The hidden mana brings servants to God Almighty. The word for stone (psephos) is a "sister word" for the word "count" used in Rev 13:18. They both mean verifying by contact of stones worn smooth by counting over a long period of time.
Psephos: 5586, stone. a small worn smooth stone, a pebble in the ancient courts of justice the accused were condemned by black pebbles and the acquitted by white a vote (on account of the use of pebbles in voting)
Psephizo: 5585, count = to count with pebbles, to compute, calculate, reckon to give one's vote by casting a pebble into the urn to decide by voting
The Israelites would decide major issues democratically by voting with smooth river stones. Some were black and some were white. A black stone would indicate a mark against and a white stone would be a vote in favor. The white stone the faithful are given is an indication of Christ "voting" you in to become apart of the body of Christ forever. Christ will give us a new name as he has done for Abram and Jacob and we will be full members of his divine family. Gen 17:5 "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee." Gen 32:28 "And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."
2:18 "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;"
Thyatira means "odor of affliction" and was a city in the province of Asia on the borders of Lysia and Mysia, which is in modern day Turkey. The eyes mirror the soul and the feet a man's foundations. Christ is pure and powerful through and through unlike other past kings of the earth. No one can stand against our Lord.
2:19 "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."
Still, he is concerned with works. Thyatira loved God's people and had a great compassion to spread the redemptive word of the Lord, which only increased.
2:20 "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."
Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab, one of the worst kings of Israel, and lived circa 875-854 B.C. She was a Sidonian princess who through fraud, collusion and deception had a good man killed so her husband could take possession of his land. 1Kings 21:1-16 She maintained herself as head of over 850 false prophets of baal and ashtoreth while presiding over the deaths of many prophets of Jehovah.1Kings18: 13,19 Baal worship involves sacrificing your infant children for his favor. A few steps from the temple of ashtoreth at the excavation site of Megiddo (Harvard University, 1931) they unearthed a cemetery where many jars were found with infant remains still inside. She was also a prostitute witch who claimed to be a prophetess. 2Kings 9:22
This is obviously not the Jezebel of Thyatira as she lived several hundred years prior. She, through her infamy, spawned a cult of her own that held her tenants whose adepts would take her name. The Lord uses "types" or examples that we may better understand his word. 1Cor 10:11 "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." Their Jezebel taught the inclusion of the pagan ideologies of fornication, adultery and to trust in the false promises of her ability to tell the future that she might destroy the salvation of God and join the church with the pagan nations.
The Jezebel of our age seeks to kill the children of God so that her husband might take possession of the whole world. She promises peace in the future though compromise, tolerance and freedom but truly seeks to bring all subject to her lord. You can not say you are apart of a group when you are tolerant of it's enemies. The fornication of the nations is when they claim one ideology and entertain another. The Muslim nations are true to their father and their tenants state you will be blessed for killing an infidel. Yet some of the Christian nations of the world are so quick to jump into bed with any faction of theology in the name of tolerance. They are so quick to bend to satiate the secular masses to recruit membership. They stop giving the bread of life to regurgitate a bread of death, which pleases the ears but leads to destruction.
2:21 "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not."
God gave her a chance to change and she rejected him. God withholding his wrath isn't proof he doesn't exist; it only proves how merciful he is. How long will this world mock him?
2:22 "Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds."
The word bed is better translated "hospital bed" as in a bed for the infirm. Their Jezebel very well could have been the first to carry and transmit venereal disease. Our Jezebel seeks to unite the nations in all in one bed. Monotheism does not abide polytheism or vice versa. A monarchy can't tolerate a plutocracy. Dictators don't compromise with prime ministers. To say that two opposing sides that are diametrically anti-thethetical can co-exist is madness to suggest. Yet this is what our Jezebel promises will work. When we join ourselves to a system contrary to what the Lord desires the result always leads to dissention and cause the participating nations to lose their sovereignty. In the end, it is the strongest, most stubborn and prolific society that will prevail.
God doesn't bless the Christian nation who mixes with the heathen and their enemies have always overcome those who have done so. Look at England today compared to the times before the European Union and tell me that country isn't nationally infirm. As venereal disease is passed among the fornicators of flesh so a cultural disease is passed among the fornicators of ideologies. It is never too late for any nation to turn back to the Father and he will forgive them and take them back into his bosom to receive his blessing.
2:23 "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."
The “children” of their “Jezebel” is most likely a reference to the priestess who engaged in her lifestyle. The children of our Jezebel are the nations who whore after her one world under hedonism. From the acceptance of heresies and idolatries they will lose the wisdom of God and their sight for truth. They endanger their very lives by accepting her wisdom in exchange for the laws of God. In the one world nations of today, you can see a definite increase in the mortality rate but the death of the soul is much more important than the death of the flesh. The faithful know this and they can see the effect of the new tolerance on the nations of the earth and it causes them to fear God even more as his prophecies unfold. To everyone he gives according to their works, the good and the bad. You do reap what you sow.
2:24 "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."
A promise to the faithful who don't follow the doctrine of Jezebel that God will not overload his children with trail in this time of temptation.
In the 1800's the rapture doctrine came into existence. There is more teaching on the Millennium in Ezekiel than any other book.(from chapter 40 on)
Ezek 13:18 "And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?" 19 "And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?" 20 "Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly."
God has his arms outreached for his children but the teachers of this doctrine "cover " his outstretched arms.
Ezek 13:1 "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying," 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;" 3 "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!"
2:25 "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."
The word was given already and we have it with us always. Don't let some man or woman lead away from what you know in your heart already to be true for some new doctrine that exists outside the laws of God.
2:26 "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:"
As with most all his holy promises, there is a provision to the reward. Christ will reward the faithful with true power, which is full disclosure on the truth about everything, to reign with him a thousand years, but only if we keep his doctrine and do the things of his Father's will with all diligence unto death. It's easy for those who love him.
2:26-27 " "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."
Christ is the Master Shepherd. Shepherd's carried a crook, which was a long staff with a large hook at the top for pulling out sheep caught in the briar, and a rod which was usually a club made of wood used to fight off wild animal attacks. Christ's rod is made of iron. When he came in the flesh he came gently and with compassion. When he returns in the glory of His holy spirit, he comes to rule as a fierce and righteous king. The nations will be broken and the faithful made rulers over them as Christ comes into his inheritance.
2:28 "And I will give him the morning star."
Christ will grant the early light of illumination to the faithful, which is the knowledge of understanding in the wisdom of love. Christ is the Morning Star. Be careful, for in Isa 14:12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" Isa 14:13 "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:" Satan is also called a morning star. (Lucifer = Heylel: 1966 "light-bearer" , shining one, morning star, Lucifer of the king of Babylon and Satan fig.) Which morning star will you follow; The one that rose, or the one that fell?
2:29 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
Always listen to the Holy Spirit.
Ephesus being translated means "permitted." Ephesus at the time was considered the center of Christendom and was where Paul wrote Acts 19 in A.D. 54-57. Christ is writing this letter to the angel of that church. This is one of the angels described in the earlier chapter described as seven "stars."
2:2 "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:"
God is concerned with works. They could spot false prophets because they were well trained in the word. There were no buildings of worship or seminaries until Constantine put an end to Christian persecution two hundred years after Paul. People met not in congregations but in homes all over the city lead by elders, or bishops trained by Timothy.
2:3 "And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted."
Christ commends them for their strength. Even lacking a traditional infrastructure they managed a great proliferation of the word of God and caused many conversions. Their numbers and resolve were great.
2:4 "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."
Works are never enough. It's the heart that matters and if you don't have love all is for nothing. 1 Cor 13:1 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." 1 Cor 13:2 "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."
That word "charity" is Agape: 26, and it means good will and brotherly love. Agape love is altruistic and unconditional. What is the Christian’s first love? God and the Son. If you love Christ you will do what he asks. What he wants from us is simple. John 21:17 "He saith to him the third time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved, because he said to him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said to him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith to him, Feed my sheep."
He has given so much more than he asks. Ephesus had a lot to be proud of but let there pride over rule God's discernment to judge who was worthy of redemption. Christ died that all might come to repentance and that should have been their primary concern. Mat 18:11 "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." 2 pet 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." The word "all" is the Greek word pas and it means, "each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything" The saved are saved already; it is the lost that need redemption.
2:5 "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."
Christ urges them to repent their failing and return to do "the first works" which they had fallen away from else he remove them. It was the first works that made them strong to begin with. It is not for us to say who will receive the Word. Stay focused on God and feed the sheep.
2:6 "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate."
The Nicolaitanes were a sect of Gnostics who supposedly come from Nicholas the deacon in Acts 6:5. It is where we get the term "laity" for the catholic priesthood. The Nicolaitanes taught that adultery and fornication where acceptable and mixed pagan and Christian rituals. God's way is pure and needs no help from mankind.
2:7 "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."
All the Son has drawn will hear this message when spoken. Only the wealthy or blessed of the time could read. The word paradise means, "garden". Paradeisos 3857 The Tree of Life is Christ who is the living Word of God. This is a message for all generations.
2:8 "And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;"
Smyrna means myrrh, which is a sweet smelling perfume and medicine. They made myrrh in Smyrna which was about 50 miles north of Ephesus and was the birthplace of Homer. Christ was crucified and rose again in the third day. He was dead and is alive. Christ is the first and the last.
2:9 "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."
Once again He is concerned with works. They were a poor church without the numbers or prestige of Ephesus yet the city in which they resided rivaled it for beauty. Who are these Jews who are of the synagogue of satan? The Kenites became the scribes for Judah. 1Chron 2:55 "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab." Kenite translated instead of transliterated means "son's of Cain."
In Jer 35:1 "The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying," 2 "Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink." God invited the Kenites to fully take part because he is fair and merciful. Yet they did not accept for they had been commanded by their father not to. Jer 35:6 "But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:” Jonadab was not only a Kenite but was a willing baal worshipper as well which is shown in 2 Kings 10:15-27. Jud 1:16 "And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people." Just because you move to Jerusalem and are by local a Jew, that does not make you Jewish. Ro 9:6 "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:"
They had become so integrated into the society that they challenged Christ himself. John 8:39 "They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith to them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham." They claim to be of Abraham but their works prove differently. John 8:42 "Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me." John 8:43 "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word." John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
Christ goes on to further elucidate who they are and where they came from. John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." Cain was the first murderer, satan was the first liar. (Gen 3:4, Gen 4: Their children, the Kenites, are those that are of the synagogue of satan trying to destroy the church from within.
We must never forget what David, on his deathbed, taught us with his dying words in 2Sam 23:2-4 & 6-7 2.) "The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." 3 "The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear (reverence "Yir'ah: 3374") of God." 4 "And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain." 6 "But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:" 7 "But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place."
There is a righteous King coming who was that Rock of Israel (1Cor 10:4). He's returning not to harm the children of God but to save them from and destroy utterly the children of the wicked one who will do anything to drag us down with them.
2:10 "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."
These 10 days is an individual number for each of God's elect at this time meaning no more than ten days of trail for each person. This is not the "ten persecutions" of Christians by Rome as put forth by Foy E. Wallace and Gaebelein as they failed to apply this information to the subject of Christ's return, which is the point of Revelation. In truth those Christians who were delivered to Roman justice for heresy against the empire to prison were merely awaiting their death sentence; but has scripture has revealed satan had the power of death. Heb 2:14 "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;"
If Christ hasn't yet returned, then the Roman Emperor wasn't the anti-christ. satan's will be pretending to be Christ and it's to the devil tribulation Christians will be delivered. Mark 13:6 "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Mark 13:12 "Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death." We will not be killed, yet if we remain faithful we will live with Christ in joy forever Mark 13:9 "But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them." This has happened much over the centuries and will occur globally one final time wherein satan brings about his own fall.
Mark 13:10 "And the gospel must first be published among all nations." It has been. Paul declared the gospel known to "every creature under heaven" in Col 1:23, yet he was only speaking of the known world of his time. Today the known world is the globe in it's entirety and the gospel has been spread to all nations via literature or radio and television signals. The book of Genesis has even been broadcast from the other side of the moon. Mark 13:11 "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost." The hour of temptation is the five month period of satan's rule as antichrist. Take heed to what Christ has to say to the seven churches for it also aplies to us.
2:11 "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."
The second death is the death of the spirit, which only God can do. Matt 10:28 "And fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Smyrna knew who was of the synagogue of satan and this is why Christ favored them. In their persecution and poverty they stayed true to word of God and did not "change with the times" to suit those who were against God to begin with. If we stay true as Smyrna then Christ will have favor on us as well.
2:12 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;"
Pergamos means "height" or "a high place". (Pergamos: 4010) Pergamos was the capital city of Mysia until 133 B.C. and is situated 15 miles inland in the Caicus valley, which is in the modern land of Turkey. They were rife with pagan worship and one of their chief gods was Asklepios who had the form of a serpent. Christ is the one with the two-edged sword. His tongue is the sword that cuts with truth, the Word of God.
2:13 "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."
Still he is concerned with works. In this verse we are given a frightening revelation that satan is alive and well on the planet earth and even has his throne in Pergamos where he resides. It is no wonder that one of their chief god's was the serpent. Nothing much is known of Antipas save that he was martyred for Christ and the event was well known among them. Those faithful in Pergamos were under constant tribulation and that they remained faithful is a testimony to their strength.
2:14 "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 stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication."
Even with their works and a martyr the Lord holds some actions against them. Balaam was a priest. God had blessed Balaam that whosoever he blessed, God would bless and whosoever he would curse, God would do likewise. Balac, king of the land of Moab, learned of God's blessing on Balaam and he feared the Israelites for what they did to the Amorites. Num 21:34-35 Balac had sent his messenger's with lots of money to Balaam to buy his prophesy concerning what the Lord might think of Balac. Thinking he was next after the Amorites, considering their proximity, he tried to bribe Balaam to curse the Israelites. Num 22:5-7
It must have been a lot of money for Balaam to ask God to give divination to the enemies of Israel. God told Balaam directly no and not to go with them. Num 22:12 So Balaam tells the princes that no matter how much money they offer he cannot go but if they stay with him God may change his mind. Num 22: 18-19 So after the messengers had retired, God tells Balaam that if they come back and ask again he can go as long as he keeps and does the word of God. Num 22:20 They never came back to ask again, figuring his last words was his final answer, yet Balaam rises early and catches up with them any way. Num 22:21
His love for money outstripped his love for God and this angered the Lord fiercely. He sent an angel to stand before his dingo so that the animal turned from the path. Num 22:22 Balaam beat the animal each time to turn it back and each time the angel stood to block it, leading it into a narrow alley and crushing Balaam's foot against a wall and then to fall stopped underneath him. Num 22:23-27 As he beat his mule with a staff the Lord caused the beast to speak and ask him why he beat him three times so far? Num 22:28 Balaam seeing only his frustration tells the animal he would kill it if he had a sword. Num 22:29 The beast implores him further saying was he not a faithful and loyal servant since the beginning until this day to which Balaam replied, no. Num 22:30 The Lord revealed the angel to Balaam and when he saw him he fell on his face. Num 22:31
The angel told Balaam that had the dingo not turned away he would have killed Balaam and Balaam knew he had sinned. Num 22:32-34 He then charged Balaam to go with the princes of Moab to king Balac but only to speak the word that he would be given by God. Num 22:35 King Balac was very happy to hear Balaam was coming and ran out to meet him, took him back to the city and gave him gifts. Num 22:36-40 Three times Balac asks Balaam to curse Israel and three times in three different places he meets Balaam who meets with God only to come back with blessings for Israel and curses for her enemies. Num 23-24:11 Balac saw that he could never defeat Israel in combat and was wroth but let Balaam live and paid him his due. Num 24:25 Instead of going to war with Israel, Balac becomes neutral that through cultural dissemination the Israelites would become like those in Moab. In Num 25:1-3 we see the outcome of this meeting.
Had Balaam not loved his money so much he would have never gone out to meet Balac and Israel would have decimated them like the Amorites in the immanent war. Instead, in making this truce, Balaam unwittingly and continually lead his people into whoredom and idolatry. You can't bargain with the world and there is no middle ground between the heavenly and the profane.
2:15 "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."
They allowed Nicolaitanes to hold offices in the church. You cannot compromise with pagans no matter how insistent or prevalent they are.
2:16 "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."
Christ urges this Church to repent of its tolerance of false doctrines and idol worship before he destroys them with the truth of his word.
2:17 "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."
The names of the churches have changed over the centuries but it is the content of their doctrine we must consider and it is by their teachings that you will know them no matter what they are called. Manna is angel's food. Psalm 78:24 "He rained down manna on them to eat, And gave them food from the sky." Psalm 78:25 "Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full." Hidden manna is the bread of life, the Living Word of God. Every time you take communion you take a part of the body of Christ and when that bread is broken and you receive it, like a spiritual seed, it grows within you that you might be a branch grafted to the vine and produce fruit. The hidden mana brings servants to God Almighty. The word for stone (psephos) is a "sister word" for the word "count" used in Rev 13:18. They both mean verifying by contact of stones worn smooth by counting over a long period of time.
Psephos: 5586, stone. a small worn smooth stone, a pebble in the ancient courts of justice the accused were condemned by black pebbles and the acquitted by white a vote (on account of the use of pebbles in voting)
Psephizo: 5585, count = to count with pebbles, to compute, calculate, reckon to give one's vote by casting a pebble into the urn to decide by voting
The Israelites would decide major issues democratically by voting with smooth river stones. Some were black and some were white. A black stone would indicate a mark against and a white stone would be a vote in favor. The white stone the faithful are given is an indication of Christ "voting" you in to become apart of the body of Christ forever. Christ will give us a new name as he has done for Abram and Jacob and we will be full members of his divine family. Gen 17:5 "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee." Gen 32:28 "And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."
2:18 "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;"
Thyatira means "odor of affliction" and was a city in the province of Asia on the borders of Lysia and Mysia, which is in modern day Turkey. The eyes mirror the soul and the feet a man's foundations. Christ is pure and powerful through and through unlike other past kings of the earth. No one can stand against our Lord.
2:19 "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."
Still, he is concerned with works. Thyatira loved God's people and had a great compassion to spread the redemptive word of the Lord, which only increased.
2:20 "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."
Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab, one of the worst kings of Israel, and lived circa 875-854 B.C. She was a Sidonian princess who through fraud, collusion and deception had a good man killed so her husband could take possession of his land. 1Kings 21:1-16 She maintained herself as head of over 850 false prophets of baal and ashtoreth while presiding over the deaths of many prophets of Jehovah.1Kings18: 13,19 Baal worship involves sacrificing your infant children for his favor. A few steps from the temple of ashtoreth at the excavation site of Megiddo (Harvard University, 1931) they unearthed a cemetery where many jars were found with infant remains still inside. She was also a prostitute witch who claimed to be a prophetess. 2Kings 9:22
This is obviously not the Jezebel of Thyatira as she lived several hundred years prior. She, through her infamy, spawned a cult of her own that held her tenants whose adepts would take her name. The Lord uses "types" or examples that we may better understand his word. 1Cor 10:11 "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." Their Jezebel taught the inclusion of the pagan ideologies of fornication, adultery and to trust in the false promises of her ability to tell the future that she might destroy the salvation of God and join the church with the pagan nations.
The Jezebel of our age seeks to kill the children of God so that her husband might take possession of the whole world. She promises peace in the future though compromise, tolerance and freedom but truly seeks to bring all subject to her lord. You can not say you are apart of a group when you are tolerant of it's enemies. The fornication of the nations is when they claim one ideology and entertain another. The Muslim nations are true to their father and their tenants state you will be blessed for killing an infidel. Yet some of the Christian nations of the world are so quick to jump into bed with any faction of theology in the name of tolerance. They are so quick to bend to satiate the secular masses to recruit membership. They stop giving the bread of life to regurgitate a bread of death, which pleases the ears but leads to destruction.
2:21 "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not."
God gave her a chance to change and she rejected him. God withholding his wrath isn't proof he doesn't exist; it only proves how merciful he is. How long will this world mock him?
2:22 "Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds."
The word bed is better translated "hospital bed" as in a bed for the infirm. Their Jezebel very well could have been the first to carry and transmit venereal disease. Our Jezebel seeks to unite the nations in all in one bed. Monotheism does not abide polytheism or vice versa. A monarchy can't tolerate a plutocracy. Dictators don't compromise with prime ministers. To say that two opposing sides that are diametrically anti-thethetical can co-exist is madness to suggest. Yet this is what our Jezebel promises will work. When we join ourselves to a system contrary to what the Lord desires the result always leads to dissention and cause the participating nations to lose their sovereignty. In the end, it is the strongest, most stubborn and prolific society that will prevail.
God doesn't bless the Christian nation who mixes with the heathen and their enemies have always overcome those who have done so. Look at England today compared to the times before the European Union and tell me that country isn't nationally infirm. As venereal disease is passed among the fornicators of flesh so a cultural disease is passed among the fornicators of ideologies. It is never too late for any nation to turn back to the Father and he will forgive them and take them back into his bosom to receive his blessing.
2:23 "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."
The “children” of their “Jezebel” is most likely a reference to the priestess who engaged in her lifestyle. The children of our Jezebel are the nations who whore after her one world under hedonism. From the acceptance of heresies and idolatries they will lose the wisdom of God and their sight for truth. They endanger their very lives by accepting her wisdom in exchange for the laws of God. In the one world nations of today, you can see a definite increase in the mortality rate but the death of the soul is much more important than the death of the flesh. The faithful know this and they can see the effect of the new tolerance on the nations of the earth and it causes them to fear God even more as his prophecies unfold. To everyone he gives according to their works, the good and the bad. You do reap what you sow.
2:24 "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."
A promise to the faithful who don't follow the doctrine of Jezebel that God will not overload his children with trail in this time of temptation.
In the 1800's the rapture doctrine came into existence. There is more teaching on the Millennium in Ezekiel than any other book.(from chapter 40 on)
Ezek 13:18 "And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?" 19 "And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?" 20 "Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly."
God has his arms outreached for his children but the teachers of this doctrine "cover " his outstretched arms.
Ezek 13:1 "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying," 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;" 3 "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!"
2:25 "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."
The word was given already and we have it with us always. Don't let some man or woman lead away from what you know in your heart already to be true for some new doctrine that exists outside the laws of God.
2:26 "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:"
As with most all his holy promises, there is a provision to the reward. Christ will reward the faithful with true power, which is full disclosure on the truth about everything, to reign with him a thousand years, but only if we keep his doctrine and do the things of his Father's will with all diligence unto death. It's easy for those who love him.
2:26-27 " "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."
Christ is the Master Shepherd. Shepherd's carried a crook, which was a long staff with a large hook at the top for pulling out sheep caught in the briar, and a rod which was usually a club made of wood used to fight off wild animal attacks. Christ's rod is made of iron. When he came in the flesh he came gently and with compassion. When he returns in the glory of His holy spirit, he comes to rule as a fierce and righteous king. The nations will be broken and the faithful made rulers over them as Christ comes into his inheritance.
2:28 "And I will give him the morning star."
Christ will grant the early light of illumination to the faithful, which is the knowledge of understanding in the wisdom of love. Christ is the Morning Star. Be careful, for in Isa 14:12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" Isa 14:13 "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:" Satan is also called a morning star. (Lucifer = Heylel: 1966 "light-bearer" , shining one, morning star, Lucifer of the king of Babylon and Satan fig.) Which morning star will you follow; The one that rose, or the one that fell?
2:29 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
Always listen to the Holy Spirit.
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