THE REVELATION OF JESUS

THE SEVEN CHURCHES
REVELATION 2

  "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." Revelation 1:20

In the first chapter Jesus starts talking about the 7 churches and tells John to send the messages to them. Now there were more than 7 churches in John’s day, so we know that the number and the names of these churches has a prophetic meaning. Seven in Bible numbers means complete or perfect. The seven churches means all God’s people; both back then and also down through the ages to the end of time.

It is important to understand that some of the Greek words, that John originally used to tell us about what Jesus showed him, are a bit different than we see them in English. The word used for ‘churches’ meant congregations, or groups of believers. And the word ‘angels’ means ‘messengers’.

In each period in history, God’s true people had a special ‘message’that was Present Truth for their day, and Jesus showed us that all who carry that message for their time are carefully held in His hand. He watches them with love. He ‘walks among the seven candlesticks’; this means He is always with His true people, guiding and teaching them.

These ‘churches’ stand for different periods in history, but the lessons in the messages to them, also have instruction for all of God’s children in all times.

1 - EPHESUS 31 - 100 AD

"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;” Revelation 2:1.

Ephesus is the first and it was the church of John’s time. Its time was from Jesus’ resurrection to around the death of the last of the apostles. This early church was pure and eager to spread the truth about Jesus to the entire world. They watched carefully, so that those who were false and meant to sneak in and do the church harm, were sent away and the true believers were carefully taught.

"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: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted." Revelation 2:2, 3.

The early apostolic church carried the Gospel to all the then know world before the last of the Apostles died! They suffered persecution, many died for their faith and their eagerness to obey Jesus' command to 'teach all nations' carried them to the ends of the earth.

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 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." Revelation 2:4, 5.

But already there was a problem in this church; Jesus said ‘they had left their first love’. By John’s day there had come into the church those who wanted to rule and tell all others what to do. Paul said 'the mystery of iniquity was already at work'. They were already looking to men, and not as much to Jesus, as they had been at first. Jesus warns them to go back to their first love or he would ‘remove their candlestick’; they would cease to be His people.

"But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." Revelation 2:6.

The Nicolaitans were followers of a teacher called Nicholas, who began, among other things, to teach that the death of Christ on Calvary had done away with the 10 Commandment Law and it was now not longer necessary to keep the Law of God. 

This doctrine is now also taught; that the gospel of Christ has made the law of God of no effect; that by "believing" we are released from the necessity of being doers of the Word. This is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which Christ so unsparingly condemned Some also say that the teachings of this group also brought in the idea that the 'clergy' were separate from the 'laity' and should rule over them. Of course that idea was as old as paganism because it always taught the same thing. Jesus says we all are brethren!

THE PROMISE:  "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." Revelation 2:7.

2 - SMYRNA 100 - 313 AD 

  “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 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.” Revelation 2:8, 9.

Smyrna means a sweet smell, like a perfume. This was the time when God’s people went through a terrible persecution by the emperor Diocletian. They would "have tribulation ten days." In Prophecy a 'day' represents a literal year. This refers to the ten years of persecution from A. D. 303-313, where thousands were slain. Their faithfulness and they stood for His truth, was like a sweet perfume to God.

Though some of the people in the first ‘church’ had not gone back to their ‘first love’, most had, and now in this church they stood bravely for the truth. This is one church that Jesus has nothing bad to say about them. 

"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." Revelation 2:10.

Persecution has a way of making the church very pure, because selfish people are afraid to join it, and those who do, are ready to die for it. There were many martyrs during those ten years and if we are faithful, we will meet them when Jesus comes and raises them to take them home with all of His people.

There were some in the beginning of the time of this church, who were pretending to be Christians, but were not, and were just there to harm the church. Because this is a prophecy, ‘Jews’ here means Christian believers, because after the death of Jesus, the real Jews were no longer God’s special people. The 10 DAY persecution no doubt got rid of many of the false ones as they would quickly leave.

The promise to this ‘church’ was that if faithful, they would not be ‘hurt by the second death’. This means they would be raised to have Eternal Life.

 How kind Jesus was to point out to these dear people going through this terrible time, that He had also been dead and rose again, so they, if faithful, would also.

THE PROMISE: "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." Revelation 2:11.

3 - PERGAMOS 313- 538 AD

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 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.”   Revelation 2:12,13.

Pergamos means ‘lifted up’. This was when Constantine pretended to be a Christian and it began to be popular to be a Christian. This church covers the period of 323- 538. During this time we see the rise of the Papacy, the idea that the Bishop of Rome should rule the entire world as a ‘god on earth’. This letter is addressed to those who were clinging to the truth and not going along with the wrong that was coming in to the ‘Christian church’.

In all these letters we notice that Jesus does not see as people see. He does not recognize the ones who have rejected His truth and are bringing in their own ideas as His ‘church’. One of the things Jesus was telling these people that they were doing wrong, was they were allowing the people who had the wrong ideas to stay and teach among them.

We see here the worship of idols coming in, and the ‘faithful martyr ‘Antipas’ dying for his faith. Who was this? It wasn’t just one person, but meant those who refused to go along with the idea of the Bishop of Rome being the ‘papa’ or pope over the church. Many were killed or had to flee for their lives.

"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 stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." Revelation 2:14, 15.

The doctrine of the Nicolaitans was the idea that the death of Jesus on the cross meant God’s law no longer had to be kept. And Balaam was the one who led Israel into joining with pagan idol worshippers to celebrate their holidays. 'Committing fornication', meant that the church was starting to seek power from the government to enforce her decrees. The true church is to seek only the power that comes from Jesus.

"Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth." Revelation 2:16.

This Sword of His mouth is the Word of God, the Bible, which is what is to be used to expose wrong practices in the church.

Jesus promises those who remained faithful that they would eat of the ‘hidden manna’ and have a white stone with a new name. I sort of think that the stone with the new name meant they would be members of the heavenly church, even though they were being thrown out of the wicked church that was claiming to be God’s church, and having to flee for their lives into the wilderness.

THE PROMISE: "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." Revelation 2:17.

4 - THYATIRA 538 - 1517 AD

   "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; 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."  Revelation 2:18, 19.

Now in Thyatira, which means ‘sacrifice and humility’, we see Jesus is no longer talking to that great ‘church’ that had set itself up as the ‘ruler of the world’ but rather to His true ‘church’ hiding in the wilderness. This is the church of the 1260 years of papal persecution, from 538-1517 or the start of the reformation.

Jesus is pleased with their works as they humbly do their best to serve Him and still share His truths with the world, though often it cost their lives. Their ‘works’ were so wonderful that Jesus mentions them twice.

"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.”  Revelation 2:20.

But there is a problem; they were allowing Jezebel to come among them. Who was this? Well, in the Bible Jezebel was the wicked wife of Ahab that led Israel into idol worship.  So here it is meant that they were compromising by allowing teachers from Rome to come in among them.

This message talks about ‘adultery’; in the Bible God says when His people join with earthly rulers and also with pagan idol worshippers that they commit adultery, just like a wife who runs away with another man, not her husband. Jesus calls His true church His ‘Bride’.

As long as these churches of the wilderness remained pure and stayed completely true to the Bible Truth, they had great protection from God. Sometimes even armies sent out to destroy them were smitten with terror and fled away without ever coming near to the people of God. Other times God sent fog or storms to help his people and hide them from their enemies.

 But when they made deals with the Romans, and began to give in, on even ‘small’ points of truth, God could not protect them so well and terrible slaughters occurred. When Satan can’t get us to go all wrong, he tries to get us to decide it is OK to just give in a little bit, to make others happy. But once we do this, Jesus cannot keep us safe and soon Satan gets us all the way. Never give in to wrong, even a ‘little bit’!

"Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 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." Revelation 2:22, 23.

Here is a clear prophecy made by Jesus, that the course the church was following to seek worldly power and control nations and kings, would lead to great suffering and strife. The 'great tribulation' referred to here is the 1260 years of papal persecution.

"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. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come." Revelation 2:24, 25.

Here Jesus is encouraging those who have not gotten mixed up in this power-seeking and compromise with the world, although they may not know as much as they ought to, He accepts them as they are doing their honest best to serve Him.

THE PROMISE: "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 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. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Revelation 2:26-29.

The church in those days was busy seeking power to rule the nations of earth; the faithful were sorely harassed and hounded by church and state powers but Jesus was telling the faithful ones that if they were true to Him, the day would come when they would have the real power.