Apocalipse 2
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Apocalipse 2
Guzik adds "The letters to the seven churches share a similar structure. They each feature: • An address to a particular congregation • An introduction of Jesus • A statement regarding the condition of the church • A verdict from Jesus regarding the condition of the church • A command from Jesus to the church • A general exhortation to all Christians • A promise of reward We can see the state of each of these seven churches—and the state of our own walk with Jesus—by looking at what Jesus has to say to each church in each section. BACKGROUND ON EPHESUS William Barclay WHEN we know something of the history of Ephesus and learn something about its conditions at this time, it is easy to see why it comes first in the list of the seven churches. Pergamum was the official capital of the province of Asia, but Ephesus was by far its greatest city. It claimed as its proud title ‘The first and the greatest metropolis of Asia’. A Roman writer called it Lumen Asiae, the Light of Asia. Let us look at the factors which gave it its preeminent greatness. Ephesus with Cayster River on North (1) In the time of John, Ephesus was the greatest harbour in Asia. All the roads of the Cayster Valley—the Cayster was the river on which it stood—converged upon it. But the roads came from further afield than that. It was at Ephesus that the road from the far-off Euphrates and Mesopotamia reached the Mediterranean, having come by way of Colosse and Laodicea. It was at Ephesus that the road from Galatia reached the sea, having come by way of Sardis. And from the south came the road from the rich Maeander Valley. Strabo, the ancient geographer, called Ephesus ‘the Market of Asia’—and it may well be that, in Revelation 18:12–13, John was setting down a description of the varied riches of the market place at Ephesus. Ephesus was the gateway of Asia. One of its distinctions, laid down by statute, was that when the Roman proconsul came to take up office as governor of Asia, he must disembark at Ephesus and enter his province there. For all the travellers and the trade, from the Cayster and the Maeander Valleys, from Galatia, from the Euphrates and from Mesopotamia, Ephesus was the highway to Rome. In later times, when the Christians were brought from Asia to be flung to the lions in the arena in Rome, Ignatius, the Bishop of Antioch, called Ephesus the Highway of the Martyrs. Its position made Ephesus the wealthiest and the greatest city in all Asia—and, because it resembled so well John Bunyan’s picture in The Pilgrim’s Progress, it has been aptly called the Vanity Fair of the ancient world. Ruins of Main Street of Ephesus (2) Ephesus had certain important political distinctions. It was a free city. In the Roman Empire, certain cities were free cities; they had had that honour conferred upon them because of their services to the empire. A free city was within its own limits self-governing, and it was exempted from ever having Roman troops garrisoned there. It was an assize town. The Roman governors made periodic tours of their provinces; and, at certain specially chosen cities and towns, courts were held where the governor tried the most important cases. Further, each year, Ephesus held the most famous games in Asia, which attracted people from all over the province. Artemis (3) Ephesus was the centre of the worship of Artemis or, as the Authorized Version calls her, Diana of the Ephesians. Model of Temple of Artemis (Diana) The Temple of Artemis was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was 425 feet long by 220 feet wide; it had 120 columns, each sixty feet high and the gift of a king; and thirty-six of them were richly gilded and inlaid. Ancient temples consisted mostly of colonnades with only the centre portion roofed over. The centre portion of the Temple of Artemis was roofed over with cypress wood. The image of Artemis was one of the most sacred images in the ancient world. It was by no means beautiful but a squat, black, many-breasted figure, so ancient that no one knew where it had come from. We have only to read Acts 19:23-42, 34+ to see how precious Artemis and her temple were to Ephesus. Ephesus also had famous temples to the godhead of the Roman emperors Claudius and Nero, and in future years it was to add temples to Hadrian and Severus. In Ephesus, the ancient religion was at its strongest. COMMENT: This was a cesspool of iniquity filled with temple prostitutes, dancers, eunuchs, drunkenness, orgies. In the middle of this, God birthed His church. God does His greatest work in the most difficult places, because He gets all the glory. Ephesus was in a sense the "gates of Hell!" Ruins of Temple (4) Ephesus was a notorious centre of superstition. It was famous for the Ephesian Letters, (Ephesia Grammata) small objects and charms which were supposed to be infallible remedies for sickness, to bring children to those who were childless and to ensure success in any undertaking; and people came from all over the world to buy them. (Acts 19:1-41-commentary) 1It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 There were in all about twelve men. 8 And he entered the synagogue (IN EPHESUS) and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. (NOTE: THIS IS LIKELY WHEN THE OTHER 6 CHURCHES IN ASIA MINOR WERE BIRTHED BY PAUL'S PROCLAIMING THE "WORD OF THE LORD.) 11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. 13 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. PRACTICE OF MAGIC 17+ This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. 18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. 19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing. WORSHIP OF IDOL ARTEMIS 21 Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. 23 About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; 25 these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men , you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. 26 “You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. 27 “Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis (SEE PICTURE ABOVE) be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.” 28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 The city was filled with the confusion (THERE WERE 250,000 to 500,000 IN EPHESUS), and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31 Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. 32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35 After quieting the crowd, the town clerk *said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven? (cf Ro 1:21 = "they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.") 36 “So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. 37 “For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples (TEMPLE OF DIANA FUNCTIONED AS A MAJOR BANK) nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 “So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39 “But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly. 40 “For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.” 41 After saying this he dismissed the assembly. “The Temple of Artemis was also a major treasury and bank of the ancient world, where merchants, kings, and even cities made deposits, and where their money could be kept safe under the protection of deity.” (Longenecker commentary on Acts) (5) The population of Ephesus was very mixed. Its citizens were divided into six tribes. One consisted of those who were descendants of the original natives of the country; one consisted of those who were direct descendants of the original colonists from Athens; three consisted of other Greeks; and one, most probably, consisted of Jews. Besides being a centre of religion, the Temple of Artemis was also a centre of crime and immorality. The temple area was a recognized place offering asylum; criminals were safe if they could reach it. The temple possessed hundreds of priestesses who were sacred prostitutes. All this combined to make Ephesus a notoriously evil place. Heraclitus, one of the most famous of ancient philosophers, was known as ‘the weeping philosopher’. His explanation of his tears was that no one could live in Ephesus without weeping at its immorality. Such was Ephesus; a more unpromising soil for the sowing of the seed of Christianity can scarcely be imagined; and yet it was there that Christianity had some of its greatest triumphs. Bishop Trench, the nineteenth-century Archbishop of Dublin, writes: ‘Nowhere did the word of God find a kindlier soil, strike root more deeply or bear fairer fruits of faith and love.’ Paul stayed longer in Ephesus than in any other city (Acts 20:31). It was with Ephesus that Timothy had a connection, so that he is called its first bishop (1 Timothy 1:3). It is in Ephesus that we find Aquila, Priscilla and Apollos (Acts 18:19, 18:24, 18:26+). Surely Paul was closer to no one than to the Ephesian elders, as his farewell address so beautifully shows (Acts 20:17–38+). Later on, John was the leading figure of Ephesus. Legend has it that he brought Mary the mother of Jesus to Ephesus and that she was buried there. When Ignatius of Antioch wrote to Ephesus, on his way to being martyred in Rome, he could write: ‘You were ever of one mind with the apostles in the power of Jesus Christ.’ There can be few places which better prove the conquering power of the Christian faith. We may note one more thing. We have spoken of Ephesus as the greatest harbour of Asia. Today there is little left of Ephesus but ruins, and it is now at least six miles from the sea. The coast is now a harbourless line of sandy beach, unapproachable by a ship. What was once the Gulf of Ephesus and the harbour is a marsh dense with reeds. It was always a battle to keep the harbour of Ephesus open because of the silt which the Cayster brings down. The battle was lost, and Ephesus vanished from the scene. (Barclay) Revelation 2:2 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; NET Revelation 2:2 'I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have even put to the test those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false. NLT Revelation 2:2 "I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don't tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. ESV Revelation 2:2 "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. NIV Revelation 2:2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. GNT Revelation 2:2 Οἶδα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ τὸν κόπον καὶ τὴν ὑπομονήν σου καὶ ὅτι οὐ δύνῃ βαστάσαι κακούς, καὶ ἐπείρασας τοὺς λέγοντας ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν καὶ εὗρες αὐτοὺς ψευδεῖς, KJV Revelation 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: ASV Revelation 2:2 I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them that call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false; CSB Revelation 2:2 I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. NKJ Revelation 2:2 "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; NRS Revelation 2:2 "I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. YLT Revelation 2:2 I have known thy works, and thy labour, and thy endurance, and that thou art not able to bear evil ones, and that thou hast tried those saying themselves to be apostles and are not, and hast found them liars, know: Rev 2:9,13,19 3:1,8,15 Ps 1:6 Mt 7:23 1Th 1:3 2Ti 2:19 Heb 6:10 that you cannot tolerate evil men: Rev 2:6,14,15,20,21 Ga 1:7 Eph 4:14 1Th 5:21 2Pe 2:1-3 1Jn 4:1 you put to the test : 2Co 11:13-15 1Jn 2:21,22 4:1 Revelation 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Psalm 1:6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. 2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.” Matthew 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. CHRIST'S COMMENDATION Recall that the church at Ephesus had about as firm a foundation laid for them as any church in history. What do I say that? In his parting words Paul commanded the elders "“Therefore be on the alert (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey), remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears." Ephesus was blessed with 3 years of Pauline doctrine! I know - Know (oida/eido used in all 7 introductions - Rev 2:9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15) and "speaks of absolute, beyond the peradventure (chance) of a doubt knowledge, a knowledge that is self-evident...a positive knowledge...to know absolutely and finally...to know absolutely...a sure knowledge, a positive knowledge...an absolute acquaintance with something." (Wuest) Oida/eido is the perfect tense of the obsolete verb eido (stem = eid- in Latin - "video") which means to see, so literally it means "have seen" hence to know something. Someone has said this verb for know "emphasizes better the absolute clearness of mental vision which photographs all the facts of life as they pass." The use of this verb (eido) indicates that Jesus is intimately acquainted with every aspect of this church (and all 7 churches). He has perfect knowledge of this church. Nothing is hidden from Him. Notice that before He corrects, He commends, which is a good pattern for all of us in authority! And note the many positive things He has to say about Ephesus (they are numbered to make a list). 🙏 THOUGHT - Do you live with a sense of your every thought, word and deed is seen/known by Jesus? Do you live with the idea that we should be motivated to be approved by an audience of One? Do you rely on Him (His Spirit, rest in Him and respond to Him in unhesitating obedience (cf 1Sa 15:22)? This truth applies to all of us. Jesus sees perfectly into our heart, and knows our every thought whether we speak it or not (See what Jesus sees/knows in Ps 139:1-4+). He knows every motive, even for our "good deeds." (cf 1 Cor 4:5+) "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare ("naked and exposed" = Heb 4:13NET+) to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do ("to Whom we must render account" - cf 2 Cor 5:10+)." (Heb 4:13+, cf Eccl 12:14) The reality of this truth should give us cause to pause when we are being tempted to stray (Jas 1:13, 14+), because we can never stray from or hide from His perfect, piercing, righteous gaze! This truth should motivate us, enabled by His Spirit (Php 2:13NLT+) to "to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age." (Titus 2:12+) How could Christ know so perfectly? Of course He is the omniscient God. And in the context John tells us "His eyes were like a flame of fire." Nothing could be hidden from Him. We might try to put up barriers through which He could not see, but His eyes like a flame of fire burn away every excuse, every rationale we might try to offer. Pr 15:3 says "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good." Hebrews 4:13 adds "there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."
Apocalipse 2
Guzik - When the Prodigal Son was in the pigpen, the first step in restoration was remembering what life was like back in his father’s home (Luke 16:17–19+). This is always the first step in getting back to where we should be with the Lord. What are the first works? Remember how you used to spend time in His Word? Remember how you used to pray? Remember the joy in getting together with other Christians? Remember how excited you were about telling others about Jesus? Garland on importance of remember - The solution is found in retracing our steps back to where we went astray (ED: Think of the story of Hansel and Gretel and their bread crumbs!) and calling upon the Lord as we did at the first. After straying in Egypt, Abraham returned to “the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abraham called on the name of the Lord” (Ge 13:3-4). Hansel and Gretel an excerpt - "They would just need to find the breadcrumbs and that would lead them home. Yet when they looked for breadcrumbs, there were none to be found - all the breadcrumbs were gone! A bird whooshed up into the air and in its beak was a large crumb. Hansel and Gretel were struck with grief – the birds must have taken all their breadcrumbs! A wolf howled in the distance. The sun was setting. Hansel and Gretel were lost and hungry. Now they were scared, too." 🙏 THOUGHT - Jesus puts this command remember in the present tense which indicates that our heart is prone to wander and will always (daily) need to recall when we by grace through faith first fell in love with Jesus and our passion for Him was at a fever pitch, red hot. Remember is also in the active voice which means we each individually must choose to made a definite decision of our will to remember Jesus, our first love. I would submit that such a continual obedience to Christ's command is IM-possible but is only HIM-possible. In other words we need to continually, daily rely not on our natural strength to remember our first love of Jesus but we must learn to rely wholly on the Holy Spirit's supernatural power to enable us to successfully obey this command! There is simply no other way to obey! It is either to try and obey in our natural, fleshly power (and fail, and begin to "fall" or drift or "cool" in our love for Christ) or it is to trust in the Spirit's power to enable us to obey! This necessitates that we must daily be filled with His Spirit (Eph 5:18+) Who is controlling us "at work (energeo in present tense = "continually energizing") in (us), both to will and to work (giving us the "desire" to obey and the "power" to obey) for His good pleasure." (Php 2:13NLT+). One other important point is to note the clear association of being filled with His Spirit and filled with His Word. (See the chart comparing Filled with His Spirit/Richly Indwelt with His Word which shows the incredible parallel in Ephesians 5:18ff+ and Colossians 3:16ff+) In short, our remembering needs to be energized by the Spirit and the Spirit's flame is fueled to full blaze by us choosing to spend time in God's Word, daily sitting at the Master's feet, listening to His Word (cf Mary's "one thing" in Lk 10:39-42+). We need to be more like kneeling Mary than like busy Martha to whom Jesus gently said "only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10:42+). Only one thing is really necessary to enable us to continually remember our first love. Have you chosen that one thing? Are you daily in His Word, sitting and soaking, even singing (play My One Thing)? Or are you in His Word with a stopwatch in your hand, ready to race off into the busyness of your day? Our love for Jesus will be kindled by kneeling at our Master's feet! A T
Apocalipse 2
Guzik - When their lampstand was removed, they could continue as an organization, but no longer as a true church of Jesus Christ. It would be the church of Ichabod, where the glory had departed (1 Samuel 4:21+ = What does Ichabod mean). Apparently, at least in the short term, the Ephesians heeded this warning. In the early second century (not too long after John wrote), Ignatius praised the love and the doctrinal purity of the Ephesians. “You, who are of the most holy Church of the Ephesians, which is so famous and celebrated throughout the world … you, being full of the Holy Spirit, do nothing according to the flesh, but all things according to the Spirit. You are complete in Christ Jesus.” (Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, Chapter 8. From the Ante Nicean Fathers Volume 1, page 52). From what Ignatius wrote, it seems that the Ephesians returned to their first love without compromising doctrinal purity. That isn’t always an easy balance to keep, but the Ephesians apparently kept it, at least for a time. Wiersbe "The glorious city of Ephesus is today but a heap of stones and no light is shining there." (Borrow Be Victorious) 🙏 THOUGHT - Just as Jesus walked around and examined the lampstands, so Christ is walking around and examining whether our own lights of love have dimmed. How common it is for believers who were once ablaze with love for God and love for others to slowly soften to smoldering embers! Christ wants to fan the flame so we’ll become brilliant beacons of love in a loveless world. Stop and think. Has your love grown cold? Reflect on your own love for the Lord and for others when you first came to Christ. Would you say your current attitudes and actions reflect a greater, lesser, or similar love? If you feel your love has lessened, what specific unloving behaviors have developed? (Charles Swindoll - see Insights on Revelation) Vance Havner - “Repent... or else....”—Revelation 2:5, 16 - (Borrow his book - Repent or Else) THE LAST WORD of our Lord to the church is not the Great Commission. The Great Commission is indeed our program to the end of the age but our Lord’ last word to the church is “Repent.” That was His command to five out of seven of the churches in Asia and that proportion still holds. Five out of seven Christians and churches today need first of all to repent. The present religious world is marked by three movements. There is a wave of religious interest, a wave of mass evangelism and a wave of church activity. But none of these, nor all of them put together, add up to revival within the church. There is a wave of religious interest. National organizations sponsor “Back-to-Religion” campaigns. Civic groups put on “Go-to-Church” drives. I visited a church that was observing “Go-to-Church Sunday.” (I had always thought any Sunday was “Go-to-Church Sunday.”) Books are being written by the dozen based on the Gospels, the early church, the Roman persecutions. Certain Bible characters have “made Hollywood.” I notice that when I mention such characters nowadays a lot of people look intelligent who hadn’t done so before—and they haven’t been reading the Bible, I fear. Editorials on Christianity appear along with liquor ads in the same periodicals. Auditoriums are crowded to hear religious ragtime and gospel boogie. Politicians take time out to say a good word for God. People are talking religion but many of them are not willing to face the cross of Christ and all that it means for the saint as well as the sinner. Like those who stood at the cross long ago, they say, “Let Him now come down from the cross and we will believe Him.” They are willing to accept the joy and peace that salvation brings but they are not willing to admit that they are sinners and build their hopes on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Sometimes it is a fad, like reducing or antiques. We should buy up whatever opportunities it affords but of itself it does not mean revival. There is a wave of mass evangelism. We thank God for it. It sends a backwash of blessing into the churches, for church members are converted and sinners are saved. It is part of God’s program, and a great part; but the extensive movement needs to be joined with a corresponding intensive movement in the local churches. Both are set forth in the Scriptures. Our Lord preached to the multitudes and He made disciples out of a handful. There must be the double movement, for either without the other is incomplete. Let me illustrate. In a city-wide campaign some members of a certain church are stirred and awakened; some are saved and others brought to a new experience of dedication. They return to their church where most of the members, the officers and workers, have not been moved at all. These awakened members are like hot coals in cracked ice—the church has had no revival and is in no condition to receive them. It is like putting a new baby in a refrigerator or, as another has put it, turning a newborn child over to someone who, however well-intentioned, lacks the love of the mother who gave the child birth. Moody was asked, “Would you put live chicks under a dead hen?” True church revival is where the church hatches and mothers her own chicks. It has been said that it is hard to win to the church those not won through the church. The proper combination is a local church aflame with revival sharing in mass evangelism. When Mr. Moody held his great campaign in Boston, Dr. A. J. Gordon was being used of God to revive Clarendon Street Baptist Church. Moody's evangelism poured new members into Gordon's church and gave it a “blood transfusion” but at the same time, under Gordon's leadership, the church was being readied to nurture the converts. The ideal is to have the local church be the center of evangelism. The Welsh Revival was an awakening within the churches that spread from church to church. Today we are seeing God work in great meetings. It has been pointed out that the movement is from evangelism to revival, that it is aimed at the outsider and does not dwell on the need of Christians, for that is not its mission. Along with mass evangelism we still need to see a movement from within the churches. Evangelism is not revival. There are local and occasional revivals, of course, but no general and genuine repentance leading to a clean break with the world, the flesh and the devil. There is a wave of church activity today but that is not revival. Church membership, church building, church attendance and church work are at an all-time high but the morals of the country are at an all-time low. That does not make sense. Churches are busy but so were the churches in Asia, yet five of the seven needed a revival. When church membership grows statistically but the church members do not grow spiritually in proportion, that is not revival. The greatest need of the church today is not more members, more buildings, more money. The supreme issue is not even missions or evangelism. It is repentance and revival. It is regrettable that the words “revival” and “evangelism” have become synonymous in our thinking. They do not mean the same thing at all. Evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel in order to win the lost. Revival is a work of the Spirit among God’s own people whereby they get right with God and with each other. It is sometimes said that there is not much in the New Testament about revival. One would not expect to find much in Acts. They did not need a revival—they had a “vival”! The normal New Testament Spirit-filled church is in the Acts. But in the first three chapters of Revelation we have the church in need of revival. Strictly speaking, revival is an Old Testament term: “Wilt thou not revive us again,” “Revive thy work, O Lord.” The New Testament word is “Repent.” Revivals should not be necessary. God intended that His people should grow in grace without periodic spells of backsliding and repenting. But so long as we have such a malarial brand of Christianity, a fever and a chill, a fever and a chill, we shall need revivals. Nor is a revival a mere emotional upheaval. The way out of a stupor is not by getting into a stew. God does not intend that we live in a fever of excitement all the time. The farmer must break up his fallow ground, but if he did only that he would never plant or cultivate or reap. Surgery may be necessary at times but it is not normal to live in a hospital. What we call revival is simply a return to normal New Testament Christianity. Most of us are so subnormal that if we ever became normal we would be considered abnormal! Revival means self-examination on the part of Christians—repentance, confession of sin, renunciation of sin, restitution, submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, separation from the world, being filled with the Spirit. Finney says, “Revival is the renewal of the first love of Christians, resulting in the conversion of sinners to God. It presupposes that the church is back-slidden and revival means conviction of sin and searching of hearts among God’s people. Revival is nothing less than a new beginning of obedience to God, a breaking of heart and getting down in the dust before Him with deep humility and forsaking of sin. A revival breaks the power of the world and of sin over Christians. The charm of the world is broken and the power of sin is overcome. Truths to which our hearts are unresponsive suddenly become living. Whereas mind and conscience may assent to truth, when revival comes, obedience to the truth is the one thing that matters.” Too many “revivals” begin with the assumption that the present church membership is in good shape. That is usually wide of the mark. Some hold that the regular activities of the church will take care of the spiritual needs of the members. They should but one needs only to take a good look at the average membership to be cured of that illusion. Others fear that setting a high standard for church members will frighten away some prospects. It probably will. After the death of Ananias and Sapphira, the superficial dared not join the church but multitudes believed and were added to the Lord. The church needs time out to tune up. We are so busy building a bigger orchestra that we cannot stop to tune our instruments. What good is a big orchestra if two-thirds of the members never show up for practice or else are off key when they perform? We are too busy chopping wood to sharpen the axe. Just as we are often too busy to have a physical check-up, so the church is often too occupied to submit to spiritual examination. Yet we never needed one more. We never need to go to the mourner's bench more than when we feel least like it. We are lengthening our cords without strengthening our stakes. Our intensive program must match the extensive. We must improve the sort while we increase the size. We need to face the Christ of the Candlesticks, the Lord of the Lampstands, calling the church to repentance. Too many Christians have an incomplete and inadequate vision of our Lord. You will remember that Rip Van Winkle awoke from his long sleep to find that times had changed. When he went to sleep, King George III was the ruler of the American colonies. When he woke up, George Washington was President of the United States. Unaware of all that, Rip began to whoop it up for the King and got himself into trouble. He was yelling for the wrong George! Some today are trying to follow a Galilean Teacher but a lot has happened since Jesus walked on earth in the days of His flesh. Calvary has taken place and the resurrection and Pentecost. We are not dealing now with only a meek and lowly Jesus going about doing good, with nowhere to lay His head, and upon whose breast John laid his head. That chapter is past. We are dealing now with a crucified, risen, ascended, glorified and coming Lord with His countenance as the sun, His eyes like fire and His voice like the sound of many waters, and before whom John fell as dead. In the Gospels we have Christ, the Example (and that is important for if we are to walk as He walked, we must know how He walked). In the Acts we have the Christ of Evangelism, the complete gospel message. In the Epistles, we have the Christ of Christian and church experience. But in the Revelation we have the Christ of Revival and the Coming King who will return to destroy the powers of evil, put the devil out of business and reign forever. And while He still says, “Come unto me and I will give you rest,” and while He still says, “Go ye into all the world,” His last word to us is a call to repentance. A lot of Sunday-morning Christians, who want to sit with folded hands and listen to a mild discourse on the Teacher of Galilee, need to be aroused from their stupor by a vision of the flaming Christ of the Candlesticks. Eight times in these messages to the churches He says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear.” Eight times in the Gospels He says, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Some of us have ears... period. “Hearing we hear not.” We sit at church looking but not listening. God grant us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches! And eyes to behold the Lord of the Lampstands bidding us “Repent... or else!” Vance Havner - Revival—or Else Thou hast left thy first love. Revelation 2:4. In the course of history, Christianity periodically clutters up with its own projects and paraphernalia. Then God raises up a new fellowship of fresh Christians somewhere, all aglow in simple faith and obedience. Sometimes this happens in a local church, either when the old crowd has a revival or there is a blood transfusion of new converts. In individual experience we tend to get away from our first love, not always into false doctrine or worldly living, but, like the saints at Ephesus, while still orthodox and busy at church work. Happy is the man who can go deeply into profound doctrine or multiplied activities and yet not lose the warmth of simple faith and love. How to maintain the glow of our early love for Christ amidst all the complexities of today and not lose the best amongst the good is a major matter. How to delve deeply into the mysteries of God and still be just a simple Christian; how to work hard in involved labors of the church and yet be just a humble believer is a supreme concern. If you have left your first love, the way back is Remember, Repent, Repeat. Our Lord offers a grievous alternative... Removal. It is Revival—or else. Alexander Strauch - Love or Die: Christ's Wake-up Call to the Church - Growth in love does not happen overnight. I once heard a country preacher tell how he discovered the limitless capacity of love. When he was in his early twenties and still quite immature, he and his wife had their first child. He loved his newborn baby girl so much that he couldn’t imagine having a second child. He was a completely devoted father. He carried her picture with him and showed it to everyone. He couldn’t wait to get home from work to see and hold his baby girl. He didn’t think he ever could love anyone else as much as he loved her. He thought he had no more love to give. After a period of time, his wife suggested that they have another child. He protested, “But dear, I don’t have any more love to give. I’ve poured out all my love on our little girl. It’s not possible to love any more!” Well, his wife prevailed and a year later they had a beautiful baby boy. Quickly the father discovered he loved his new baby boy as much as his little girl. Now he loved two children equally. After a year or so, his wife said, “We should have another child.” Again he protested, “Sweetheart, I don’t have any more love in me. I love these two children with all the love I have. I’m loved out.” His wife prevailed and they had a third child, another boy. When the third child arrived, the father found that he had plenty of love. He loved the third child as much as the other two. Finally he understood that he wasn’t going to run out of love. The same is true of us. As believers, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we have an immense capacity to love all people—even our enemies and those who are unlovely or disagreeable. We have the power to love as Jesus loved and to continue to abound in love throughout life. Commentator William Hendriksen states the principle well: it “is of the very essence of love … to overflow.” I cannot encourage you enough to make praying for love a regular part of your prayer life. - Alexander Strauch Review of Strauch's book - Excerpt - "Pastors, get this book and consider how love should permeate each aspect of your church. Pass it out to other leaders. Consider using it for a Sunday School class or as a discipling tool. Lovelessness poses a terrible threat to the health and vitality of our churches. Pastors, we must constantly remind our sheep of its dangers and encourage our church members to cultivate their affection for Christ and for one another." Here is Strauch's list of Fifty Key Texts On Love- "Read and slowly meditate on each of these fifty texts of Scripture. If you desire, look up each text in your Bible so that you can read each one in its full context. Don’t rush! Say with the Psalmist “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97)." 1. The Lord…proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious…abounding in steadfast love.” (Ex. 34:6) 2. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Lev. 19:18) 3. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deut. 6:5) 4. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you…but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers. (Deut. 7:7-8) 5. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them. (Deut. 10:15) 6. But I have trusted in your steadfast love. (Ps. 13:5) 7. His steadfast love endures forever. (Ps. 106:1) 8. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them. (Isa. 63:9) 9. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. (Jer. 31:3) 10. And the Lord said to me [Hosea], “Go again, love a woman [Gomer] who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods.” (Hosea 3:1) 11. I will love them [Israel] freely. (Hosea 14:4) 12. Love your enemies. (Matt. 5:43) 13. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.... This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. (Matt. 22:37-40) 14. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son. (John 3:16) 15. The Father loves the Son. (John 3:35) 16. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15) 17. I [the Son] love the Father. (John 14:31) 18. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. (John 15:10) 19. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:9) 20. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?... [Nothing] in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:35, 39) 21. Let love be genuine. (Rom. 12:9) 22. Owe no one anything, except to love each other. (Rom. 13:8) 23. Love is the fulfilling of the law. (Rom. 13:10) 24. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds. (1 Cor. 8:1) 25. And I will show you a still more excellent way [love]. (1 Cor. 12:31) 26. If I…understand all mysteries and all knowledge…but have not love, I am nothing. (1 Cor. 13:2) 27. The greatest of these is love. (1 Cor. 13:13) 28. Pursue love. (1 Cor. 14:1) 29. Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Cor. 16:14) 30. For the love of Christ controls us. (2 Cor. 5:14) 31. The fruit of the Spirit is love. (Gal. 5:22) 32. But God…because of the great love with which he loved us…made us alive together with Christ. (Eph. 2:4) 33. To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. (Eph. 3:19) 34. Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. (Eph. 5:2) 35. And this is my prayer that your love may abound more and more. (Phil. 1:9) 36. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Col. 3:14) 37. May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all. (1 Thess. 3:12) 38. The aim of our charge is love. (1 Tim. 1:5) 39. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love. (Heb. 10:24) 40. Love one another earnestly from a pure heart. (1 Peter 1:22) 41. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) 42. Whoever does not love abides in death. (1 John 3:14) 43. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us. (1 John 3:16) 44. Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18) 45. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7) 46. God is love. (1 John 4:8) 47. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10) 48. We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19) 49. Keep yourselves in the love of God. (Jude 21) 50. To him [Jesus] who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. (Rev. 1:5) Joseph Stowell - LOVING JESUS “YET I HOLD THIS AGAINST YOU: YOU HAVE FORSAKEN YOUR FIRST LOVE.” —Revelation 2:4 Feeling good about Jesus is not what He had in mind when He reproved the believers at Ephesus for not making Him their “first love.” Loving Jesus is not an issue of manipulating our emotions to always “be in love with Him.” It is rather a transaction that takes place in our wills . . . in the choices we make. Obviously, the emotional dimension of our relationship with Christ is very satisfying. But the central issue in a thriving relationship with Him is to love Him by choosing to make Him our absolute priority—the consuming center of all that we are and do. Loving Jesus like this will cause something down deep inside to resist because placing Christ at the core threatens the sin, the false security systems we have constructed, the importance of some valued relationships, and the fulfilling of some desires. It is far more comfortable to have Him along for the ride than sitting in the driver’s seat. In fact Satan would be delighted if you felt “in love with Jesus” while continuing to manage your own life. So delighted that he offers a whole menu of things as substitute priorities. You can name them—goods, friends, pleasures, business, plans, and dozens of other delights. But, in the end, wouldn’t you rather have Jesus? And, it must be noted, a “first love” commitment is not a one-time, never-to-be-repeated experience. As my friend who, when teaching Romans 12:1, says that the trouble with living sacrifices is that they keep climbing off the altar. Having Christ at the core is like marriage; it is not the original investment but the maintenance that makes the long-term difference. Putting Christ first in our choices fuels the burners of our emotions for Him. When we live lives that are directed into righteous ways by Him, joy is the promised result (John 15:11). The more He is in charge, the closer we get to Him; and in that closeness is potential for falling in love with Him afresh. What would it take to make Him your “first love”? (Borrow Strength for the journey : day-by-day with Jesus) OUR FIRST LOVE “YET I HOLD THIS AGAINST YOU: YOU HAVE FORSAKEN YOUR FIRST LOVE.”—Revelation 2:4 At first blush, we’d vote for the church at Ephesus as described in Revelation 2:1–3 to receive the “Church of the Year” award. In His first letter to the churches of Asia Minor, Jesus showered the Ephesians with bouquets of affirmation for their faithfulness, doctrinal purity, and perseverance. But before we voted, we would need to hear what else Christ had to say. He added, “Yet I hold this against you” (v. 4). That’s an unsettling charge. We revel in the claim in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” but what if the reverse is true? Christ’s complaint? “You have forsaken your first love” (Revelation 2:4). The Greek word for “first” here doesn’t mean first in terms of time. It’s not referring to how they felt the first day they were saved. We’ll never feel the same way again until we get Home. He meant first in terms of priority or preeminence. Christ was saying that the Ephesians had abandoned Him as the priority of their love. They were busy doing all the right religious things, but they were not doing them because they loved Him. Which leads us to ask some important questions of ourselves. Why do you resist temptation? Because you might get caught or because you fear the consequences? Why do you give your money? So He will bless you in return? Why do you teach or serve on committees and boards? For your own glory? Do you sing in the choir because you love to sing? When we do what we do for God for any reason other than the expression of our love for Christ, we become busy for all the wrong reasons. That was Christ’s point. All we do should be about Him, for Him, and because of Him. Jesus calls us to repent and cultivate hearts that serve Him for one central reason: because we love Him. Happily, doing all we do because we love Him keeps us at it regardless of who sees or affirms or what the outcomes might be. Loving Him makes serving Him worth it, regardless. Do you serve Christ because you love him, or has He gotten lost in your good works? (Borrow Strength for the journey : day-by-day with Jesus) David Cooper - When Revival Comes Text: Revelation 2:1-7 Revival... we hear the word a lot these days. What is revival? The word revival simply means "a coming back to life again." It describes a spiritual awakening; a restoration of spiritual passion; a renewal of faith; a returning to God. A revival is more than emotionalism or spiritual phenomena. One of the biggest misconceptions about revival is that revival is only needed by those who have fallen away from God—for those who are "backslidden," to use an old-fashioned term. The truth is that revival is needed in every believer's life, in every church's life. We all need seasons of spiritual renewal where the latter rain of the Holy Spirit is poured out to refresh and renew us. So, our prayer for revival is not an indictment but, rather, a recognition of our need of God. In other words, good churches need revival too. Revival is both personal and corporate. Throughout the Scripture, we hear a stream of prayers for revival: • Psalm 51:10-13: "Create in me... restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then will I teach transgressors..." • Psalm 85:6: "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" • Isaiah 44:3: "For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants." • Joel 2:28, 29 • Acts 3:19 What is a revival? It was a revival when... • Samuel interceded at Mizpah (1 Samuel 7:2-6) • Elijah prevailed at Carmel (1 Kings 18:39) • Hezekiah called the nation to repentance (2 Chronicles 30:18-20) • Ezra proclaimed the Word (Nehemiah 8:10) • John the Baptist announced the Messiah (John 1:29) • Jesus ushered in the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17) • The Spirit came at Pentecost (Acts 2:4) • The martyred church stood firm under the persecution of Rome. The Reformation was born under men like John Wycliffe, Martin Luther and John Calvin. The first Great Awakening came in the 1700s with John and Charles Wesley in England. The Puritans and Anglicans founded Harvard and Yale to educate ministers. Jonathan Edwards (c. 1750) led a revival in Massachusetts. George Whitefield, associate of the Wesleys, began preaching tours in the U.S. David Brainerd and others preached to the American Indians and African-Americans. The second Great Awakening came in the 1800s. The Sunday school outreach began in England. World mission endeavors were birthed through William Carey and David Livingstone. Inner-city revivals emerged with D.L. Moody. The church acted to abolish slavery and to secure women's rights. Charles Finney's revival in New York (1824) produced far-reaching results. Revival came in the early 1900s with... • The Asuza Street Revival • Billy Graham's evangelistic crusades in the 1950s where he preached Christ to the world • The Charismatic Renewal broke through denominational barriers • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the Civil Rights Movement and brought social justice. • The modern church growth movement and the seeker-sensitive movement opened the door of the Kingdom in new and dynamic ways to the lost of this generation. Past revivals are great, but we, too, need revival. Our hearts are hungry. Our prayers are ascending heavenward We are not content to live on yesterday's manna. We cry out with the psalmist, "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" (Ps 85:6). We learn important truths about revival from Jesus' message to the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:1-7. This church was founded by Paul on his second missionary journey. He preached there for two years, and from Ephesus, the message of Christ was preached in the entire area so that everyone heard the word of the Lord. On the one hand, Ephesus was a great church. Christ commended them for their service (deeds, hard work, perseverance); their stance (they did not tolerate wicked men, they tested those who claimed to be apostles and were not, and found them to be false, they hated the practices of the Nicolaitans); and their steadfastness (they endured hardships for His name and did not grow weary). Yet, they needed revival. What are the conditions and marks of real revival? When revival comes, there is... I. A Rekindling of Our Love for God A. "You have left your first love" (Revelation 2:4, NKJV). You have abandoned, or forsaken, your first love. What is "first love"? The analogy is made to the inception of love, a deep passion for God, a pure love for Jesus unencumbered by the weights of human religion, uncomplicated with the details of theological doctrine. Wilson Carlisle, founder of the Christian Army said, "Jesus captured my heart. For me to know Jesus is a love affair." B. The greatest mark of revival is a rekindling of our love for God (Deuteronomy 6:5). II. A Refreshing of the Spirit's Power A. "Remember the height from which you have fallen" (Revelation 2:5). What does He mean? I believe He is recalling their remembrance to their beginning point—the outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 19:1-6). The Ephesian church was born out of a reenactment of Pentecost. E. Stanley Jones said in The Way to Power and Poise, "The Holy Spirit has been lost in large measure from modern Christianity. We are presenting a Holy Spiritless Christianity—a demand without a dynamic." B. Pentecost is a recurring experience in the believer's life (Acts 1:8; 4:31; 13:52). In Ezekiel's vision of the valley of the dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10), when he prophesied to the wind (that is, the Holy Spirit), they stood on their feet as an exceedingly vast army. When the Spirit blows the wind of Pentecost in the church, we, too, stand up as an exceedingly vast army, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against us! III. A Return to the Basics A. "Repent and do the things you did at first" (Revelation 2:5). Return to the basics of discipleship and the essential ministry of the church. The German adage is apropos; "The main business is to keep the main business the main business." B. The church often gets distracted from its mission. One church analyst observes that 70 percent of America's churches are in a survival mode; 25 percent are in a success mode; and only 5 percent, in his opinion, have moved past success to dealing with issues of significance (David Shibley, "What Is God Saying to the American Church?" Global Advance Update [Summer/Fall 1996]). In an article in the Atlantic Monthly, Peter Drucker says: "Every agency, every policy, every program, every activity, should be confronted with these questions: What is your mission? Is it still the right mission? Is it still worth doing? If we were not doing this, would we go into it now?" These questions get at the heart of honest self-evaluation, enabling any organization, whether spiritual or secular, to remain on the cutting edge. These are the questions we need to ask ourselves today as the church of Jesus Christ and return to our mission of making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). If we succeed at this simple mission, we will hear Christ say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servants" (see Matthew 25:21, 23). (Borrow Preaching Through the Year: 52 Motivational Messages) QUESTION - What are the first works mentioned in Revelation 2:5? ANSWER - Jesus Christ’s letter to the first-century church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:1–7) expresses a concern our Lord might share with any number of churches today: “I have this against you,” He writes, “that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:4–5, NKJV). Jesus calls the Ephesian Christians to repent because they have stopped loving as they had initially. They are still very busy, observes Jesus: “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting” (Revelation 2:2–3NLT). Despite all their labor and patient suffering, Jesus recognizes that they have lost their initial zeal and abandoned their first love. Some scholars believe “first love” refers to the fresh passion and devotion believers have for Christ when they are newly saved. Set in the context of Revelation 2, “first love” seems also to speak of their love for one another, which Jesus said would “prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35NLT). The “first works” mentioned in Revelation 2:5 correspond directly with their “first love.” Their “hard work” and “patient endurance” are commendable. But as time passed, they had become more motivated by a sense of duty than passionate love for God as demonstrated in compassionate service to others. Most of us have experienced the uninhibited enthusiasm that accompanies new love. In the initial stages of romance, we will do almost anything for our beloved without batting an eyelash. The honeymoon period of a new job is similar. We will work tirelessly and serve unselfishly. The Ephesians stopped performing “first works” because they had lost their “first love.” The Lord had a similar case against His people in Jeremiah’s day: “I remember the unfailing loyalty of your youth, the love you had for me as a bride. I remember how you followed me into the desert, into a land that couldn’t be farmed” (Jeremiah 2:1–2, GW). Like many of us today, the Ephesian believers were busy keeping themselves set apart from evil people and identifying false apostles while neglecting heartfelt devotion. To stay the course in “first works,” we must remain fervent in undying “first love” for Christ (see Ephesians 6:24; 1 Thessalonians 1:3+ = "labor of love"). Our love for Him is the fuel that fires our compassion and service to others. Jesus told the Ephesians how to keep their first love alive. First, He said we must remember, which literally means “to remember and respond” in the original Greek language. We ought to continually call to mind the things we have lost, abandoned, or neglected (Psalm 119:55; Psalm 42:5–6; Jeremiah 51:50; Matthew 16:9–10; Acts 20:35; Galatians 2:10; Hebrews 13:2–3; 1 Corinthians 11:24–28). Next, we repent. We respond to our memories by changing our minds about sin, confessing our sins to the Lord, and returning to Him, our First Love (Revelation 3:3; 1 John 1:9). Third, we return; we do the first works. For believers, the “first works” are to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33+). We regain the lost ground “from where we have fallen” by stoking the fire of our devotion and nurturing our relationship with the Lord. We spend time in God’s presence, worshiping, praying, and letting His Word go deep into our hearts (ED: SEE Meditation). Wisdom instructs, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 3:3+). As we abide in Jesus Christ, we will bear the fruit of obedient service (John 15:4–8). With His love burning bright in us, we naturally demonstrate compassionate love for our brothers and sisters (1 John 4:10–12; Ephesians 5:1–2). Only through His power and grace working in us can we continue to do the first works “which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10+; see also Philippians 2:13+).GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What does it mean to repent and do the first works (Revelation 2:5)? ANSWER - In Revelation 2:5, the apostle John records Jesus exhorting the church in Ephesus to “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” (NKJV). If they fail to heed His words, Jesus gives a warning: “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (verse 5). Paul had written a letter to the church in Ephesus roughly 30 years prior to Jesus’ letter. At that point in the Ephesians’ growth, Paul commended them for their love (Ephesians 1:15–16). In Revelation 2:1–7, Jesus also commends the Ephesians for some things: 1) their toil and perseverance, 2) their intolerance of evil people, 3) their discernment amongst false apostles, and 4) their endurance for Christ (Revelation 2:2–3). Jesus’ issue with the Ephesians is that they “have forsaken the love [they] had at first” (Revelation 2:4). The church at Ephesus was a hard-working, faithful church, but they were lacking in love. In response to this abandonment of their first love, Jesus exhorts them to “repent and do the first works.” Repentance is confirmed in the follow-through; repentance is followed by reformation. John the Baptist stressed the need for action in his preaching: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8+). Jesus points to the early days of the church in Ephesus and bade His people remember the service they had accomplished and the love they had expressed—and then do those things again. There is also a relationship between works and love here. The apostle John attests to this reality in 1 John 5:3: “This is love for God: to keep his commands.” This echoes Jesus’ words in John 14:23: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word” (ESV). It seems that, as one grows in love for Christ, he or she will desire to obey even more. In Revelation 2, Jesus exhorts the Ephesians to do the works they did before, encouraging the love they once had for God. These “first works” aren’t defined in the text. Jesus could be referring to their past zeal in maintaining pure doctrine or their eagerness to love their neighbors as themselves. Whatever the specifics, Jesus wanted the Ephesians to do the first works, which would encourage them to return to their first love. What does it mean, then, to “repent” and do the first works? Repent, in its most literal sense, simply means “to change one’s mind.” A change of mind often results in a change of attitude, emotion, and action. This meaning can be seen clearly in Acts 2. Peter is presenting Jesus as the rightful Messiah, King of Israel. His hearers are comprised of the very people who had crucified the Lord via the Romans. Peter tells them they needed to repent, or change their mind, and be baptized (Acts 2:38). Their repentance involved changing their minds about Jesus being a mere man and their own need to be forgiven. Happily, about 3,000 people repented and were saved that day (Acts 2:41). In Revelation 2:5, Jesus exhorts the Ephesians to repent, and that change of mind would lead to a change of attitude. The follow-through would be a return to their first works, encouraging their love for God. Jesus’ message to the church of Ephesus should be a warning to all of us. We can do great works and persevere through trials and still lose sight of loving God. Saying or doing the right thing is meaningless without love (1 Corinthians 13:1–3+). We must not forsake our first love, and we must continue doing the things that encourage our love for God. GotQuestions.org Revelation 2:6 'Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. NET Revelation 2:6 But you do have this going for you: You hate what the Nicolaitans practice– practices I also hate. NLT Revelation 2:6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do. ESV Revelation 2:6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. NIV Revelation 2:6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. GNT Revelation 2:6 ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἔχεις, ὅτι μισεῖς τὰ ἔργα τῶν Νικολαϊτῶν ἃ κἀγὼ μισῶ. KJV Revelation 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ASV Revelation 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. CSB Revelation 2:6 Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. NKJ Revelation 2:6 "But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. NRS Revelation 2:6 Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. YLT Revelation 2:6 but this thou hast, that thou dost hate the works of the Nicolaitans, that I also hate. that: Rev 2:14,15 2Ch 19:2 Ps 26:5 101:3 139:21,22 2Jn 1:9,10 Revelation 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Yet - Another term of contrast. So after the strong warning just given, Jesus gives them another commendation, which should be an encouraging word to motivate them to heed His commands to remember, repent and repeat, and experience revival of their first love for Him. This you do have, (10) that you hate (miseo) the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate (miseo) - Interesting contrast - just spoke of love and now of hate. Notice that they hate the deeds, not the doers. The verb hate (miseo) is used twice both in the present tense speaking of continual hate—both the Ephesian saints and Jesus were in ongoing opposition to the works of the Nicolaitans. As we often hear, God hates the sin, but loves the sinner (enough to give His Son to die in their place - Jn 3:16+). It is to easy to fall into the trap to hate the doers more than their deeds. Who were the Nicolaitans? We cannot be sure, but Jesus uses the term again in Rev 2:15 which reads in context as follows... But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel (HAPPENED IN Num 25:1-2+), to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15 ‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. (Rev 2:14-15+) Comment - We may not know their exact identity, but we can definitely know their modus operandi. The trafficked in the trickery of Balaam and the result was they led people into idolatry and immorality. And Jesus hated their abominable deeds as did the Ephesian believers. Peter also mentioned false teachers (make a list of their characteristics) "having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." (2Pe. 2:14,15+) Nicolaitans (3531)(nikolaites from nikos = conquer, victory + laos = people) was an adherent of Nikolaos or a Nicolaitan, but that is not a very helpful "definition." Nicolaos means victor or conqueror of the people and Balaam means devourer of the people. See Tony Garland's lengthy discussion of Nicolaitans. If the derivation is accurate one simple descriptive definition is conqueror of the people. John Walvoord writes "“Some have interpreted their name as meaning ‘conquering the people’ from nikaō, meaning ‘to conquer’ and laos, meaning ‘the people.’ This view considers the Nicolaitans as the forerunners of the clerical hierarchy superimposed upon the laity and robbing them of spiritual freedom.” Interesting. Whoever they are Jesus hates them! Question - Who are the Nicolaitans mentioned in Revelation 2:6, 14-15? ANSWER - The exact origin of the Nicolaitans is unclear. Some Bible commentators believe they were a heretical sect who followed the teachings of Nicolas—whose name means “one who conquers the people”—who was possibly one of the deacons of the early church mentioned in Acts 6:5. It is possible that Nicolas became an apostate, denying the true faith and became part of a group holding "the doctrine of Balaam," who taught Israel "to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality." Clement of Alexandria says, “They abandoned themselves to pleasure like goats, leading a life of self-indulgence.” Their teaching perverted grace and replaced liberty with license. Other commentators believe that these Nicolaitans were not so called from any man, but from the Greek word Nicolah, meaning "let us eat," as they often encouraged each other to eat things offered to idols. Whichever theory is true, it is certain that the deeds of the Nicolaitans were an abomination to Christ. They, like the Gnostics and other false teachers, abused the doctrine of grace and tried to introduce licentiousness in its place (2 Peter 2:15, 19; Jude 1:4). Jesus commends the church of Ephesus for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans as He does (Revelation 2:6). No doubt the leaders of the Ephesian church protected their flock from these destructive heresies and kept their people from committing the same evil deeds. All sin is hateful to Christ, as it should be to His followers, as we hate men’s evil deeds, not the men themselves. For the church at Pergamos, Jesus had not commendation, but censure. Unlike the Ephesians, they actually embraced the teachings of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:15). Jesus warns them that unless they repent, they are in danger of the judgment that is sure to fall on those who teach false doctrine, attack His church, and destroy His people. The sword of judgment is poised over their heads, and His patience is not limitless (Revelation 2:16; 19:15). The lesson for us is that the church of the Lord Jesus throughout the ages has been plagued by those of the Nicolaitan spirit. The only way to recognize false teaching is to be intimately familiar with truth through the diligent study of the Word of God.GotQuestions.org Revelation 2:7 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.' NET Revelation 2:7 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will permit him to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.' NLT Revelation 2:7 "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God. ESV Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.' NIV Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. GNT Revelation 2:7 ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. τῷ νικῶντι δώσω αὐτῷ φαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς, ὅ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦ θεοῦ. KJV Revelation 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. ASV Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God. CSB Revelation 2:7 "Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in God's paradise. NKJ Revelation 2:7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."' NRS Revelation 2:7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God. YLT Revelation 2:7 He who is having an ear -- let him hear what the Spirit saith to the assemblies: To him who is overcoming -- I will give to him to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God. He who has an ear: Rev 2:11,17,29 3:6,13,22 13:9 Mt 11:15 13:9,43 Mk 7:16 let him hear: Rev 14:13 22:17 1Co 2:10 12:4-12 To him who overcomes: Rev 2:11,17,26-28 3:5,12,21 12:10,11 15:2 21:7 Joh 16:33 1Jn 5:4,5 I will grant to eat of the tree of life: Rev 22:2,14 Ge 2:9 Ge 3:22-24 Pr 3:18 11:30 13:12 15:4 the paradise: Lu 23:43 2Co 12:4 Revelation 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 2:9+ Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3:22-23+ Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”–23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. Proverbs 3:18 She (WISDOM) is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls. Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 15:4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit. Revelation 2:7 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ Revelation 22:2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes (HOW? SEE Rev 7:14), so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Revelation 22:19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. CHRIST'S EXHORTATION TO OVERCOMERS TO HEAR & HEED It is interesting to ponder the rewards to the overcomers, for they are all promises that Christ will fulfill in the future and they are all essentially a description of what our life will be like in Heaven, so that each reward amplifies the description of Heaven in Revelation 21-22! So as you study the promises to overcomers, let these picture of our eternal bliss motivate each of us to diligently discipline ourselves (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) for godliness which "is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1Ti 4:8+)! He (singular) who has an ear, let him hear (akouo) what the Spirit (pneuma) (present tense - continually) says to the churches (ekklesia) - Let him hear is a command in the aorist imperative and the only way we can obey is by depending on the Holy Spirit to give us the desire and power to obey (Php 2:13NLT+). This command is found only on the lips of Jesus, 8 times while He was still on earth and 8 times after He ascended to Heaven! The command conveys a sense of urgency, what I like to call the "Nike commercial command" "Just Do it!" Hear it and heed it. Hear and obey. The idea is do not delay, procrastinate or prevaricate! Note the recipient is churches plural so this combined entreaty and command is repeated to every church (See Pattern). The command to hear is similar to the Hebrew command shema, “hear (so as to heed is the idea)” (Dt. 5:1; Dt 6:4; Dt 9:1; Dt 20:3; Dt 27:9–10).And remember, the idea of akouo is not just to hear the "sound waves" but to heed (obey) what is heard. It is not to be in one ear and out the other, because that results in self-delusion as Jesus' half-brother James wrote "But prove (present imperative) yourselves doers (poietes) of the word, and not merely hearers (akroates) who delude (paralogizomai - present tense continually deceiving by false reasoning) themselves.." (James 1:22+).This addresses any and every person who has a "spiritual" ear. As Paul says in 1 Cor 2:14+ we know "a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand (AKA CANNOT "HEAR") them, because they are spiritually appraised." The Spirit speaks all 7 letters to the churches in John's day and throughout the church age! (cf Rev 14:13 and Rev 22:17). So in all 7 messages, both Christ and His Spirit deliver the messages! 🙏 THOUGHT - If you are a pastor it would behoove you to consider an expository series on these letters to the 7 churches every few years, like performing "preventive maintenance on the heart and soul of the congregants. Jesus speaks to the vital importance of hearing and heeding... “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 “But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”(Lk 6:46-49+, cf James 1:22+)
Apocalipse 2
Guzik - This is what Jesus thought of them, and if Jesus considered them rich, then they were rich. Our estimation of ourselves is far less important than God’s estimation of us. In contrast, the Christians at Laodicea thought they were rich, but they were really poor (Revelation 3:17+). Laodicea was a poor rich church. Smyrna was a rich poor church. Better to be a rich poor church than a poor rich church. The contrast between material poverty and spiritual riches of the Christians in Smyrna reminds us that there is nothing inherently spiritual in being rich. Nevertheless, there is also nothing inherently spiritual in poverty.. Material riches are an obstacle to the Kingdom of God, an obstacle that some do not overcome (Mark 10:23–25). There is nothing wrong with having money; the trouble is that money so easily “has” us. Often, material riches are acquired and maintained at the expense of true spiritual riches. A story is told of the glory days of the Renaissance Papacy, when a man walked with the Pope and marveled at the splendors and riches of the Vatican. The Pope told him, “We no longer have to say what Peter told the lame man: ‘Silver and gold have I none.’ ” His companion replied, “But neither can you say, ‘rise up and walk.’ ” Jesus gave a stern warning against fixing our hopes on temporal treasures in a parable about a rich man - (Context = Lk 12:16-19+) "But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21+) Paul gave a similar warning to Timothy commanding him to "Instruct (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope (ONE OF THE FEW PLACES "HOPE" IS USED IN THE WORLDLY SENSE) on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. [Instruct them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share." (1 Ti 6:17-18+). Guzik - The Christians of Smyrna knew poverty because they were robbed and fired from jobs in persecution for the gospel. Early Christians joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven (Hebrews 10:34+). This kind of economic persecution was one important reason why Christians were poor in Smyrna. Even today, this is a common form of persecution against Christians. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. --- Proverbs 23:5 CHRIST FOLLOWING JEWS PERSECUTED BY "JEWS" And (4) the blasphemy (blasphemia - slander) by those who say they are Jews (Ioudaios) and are not (cf Acts 13:45+) - Why would they blaspheme the inhabitants of Smyrna? Most likely some were members of the synagogue began to believe the Gospel and understand that Jesus was their long expected Messiah. Recall that the early church began primarily among the Jews and so for a period there was an association of non-believing and believing Jews in the Synagogues, but this soon changed into ethnic ("orthodox") Jews persecuting believing Jews. Note that despite the suffering and persecution of the church at Smyrna, they did not forsake their first love as did the busy, successful church at Ephesus. Who was really the most "successful" church? That's rhetorical of course! The church persecuted is the church purified.
Apocalipse 2
Guzik - Surely, the devil wanted to imprison them for a longer time, but God limited the tribulation to ten days. Being thrown into prison was severe persecution. In that day, prison was never used to rehabilitate someone, and rarely used to punish someone. Normally, you were thrown into prison as you awaited trial and execution. Vitringa - “Affliction, like it, is bitter for the time being, but salutary; preserving the elect from corruption, and seasoning them for immortality, and gives scope for the exercise of the fragrantly breathing Christian virtues”. Henry
Apocalipse 2
Guzik - However, there is no compelling reason to believe it means anything other than ten days of severe persecution, with an emphasis on the idea that it is a limited time. BE FAITHFUL Be faithful (pistos) until death - The verb be is in the present imperative (see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) This is the only command to be faithful in the entire Bible! There are two ways to interpret this and (in my opinion) they overlap - (1) Be faithful (Do not deny Christ) even if it costs you your life! In context this is likely the main sense (2) Be faithful until you take your last breath. Those who are prepared to die for Jesus are most prepared to live for Him Regarding both interpretations (1) and (2), if one continues to be faithful until death (for the rest of their life), this is evidence that they are a genuine believer, a "possessor" not just a "professor" of Jesus. (cf Mt 24:13+, Heb 3:6,14+ - See Perseverance of the Saints) The expression of time until means something will continue to happen up to a point and then it will not happen. In context what Jesus calls for is continued faith until our last breath (on a stake being burned or on one's death bed), for upon our last breath, our faith will become sight. At that moment and forever after, we will be in the presence of the One we have believed in, longed for and been faithful to. What we (and the saints at Smyrna) see now by faith (2Co 5:7+, cf 2 Cor 4:18+), we shall soon see by sight (1Jn 3:2+). So in a sense "faith" is no longer necessary (compare "Hope" in Ro 8:24+). As Paul said in 1 Cor 13:13+ "now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." In Heaven our faith becomes sight and our blessed hope is realized, but love will endure forever and ever. Amen. Ease and prosperity are nowhere promised the Christian as a reward for his faith. -- John Phillips Faithful is a key word in Revelation 1-3 - Rev 1:5 (Rev 19:11), Rev 2:10, Rev 2:13, Rev 3:14. It is one of the 3 characteristics of those who return with Jesus when He judges the earth (Rev 17:14). Finally twice in the last two chapters of the Bible we are reminded that "these words are faithful and true" (Rev 21:5, Rev 22:6)! You can trust these words all the way to the end!!! William McDonald- The believers were encouraged to be faithful until death, that is, to be willing to die rather than renounce their faith in Christ John
Apocalipse 2
Guzik - Sexual immorality marked the whole culture of the ancient Roman Empire. It was simply taken for granted, and the person who lived by Biblical standards of purity was considered strange. To paraphrase the Roman statesman Cicero, cited in Barclay “If there is anyone who thinks that young men should not be allowed the love of many women, he is extremely severe. I am not able to deny the principle he stands on. But he contradicts, not only with the freedom our age allows, but also with the customs and allowances of our ancestors. When indeed was this not done? When did anyone find fault with it? When was such permission denied? When was it that what is now allowed was not allowed?” To keep from sexual immorality in that culture, you really had to swim against the current....Satan couldn’t accomplish much by persecution, because many did hold fast, like Antipas. So Satan tried to accomplish his goals by using deception. The strategy was first violence, then alliance. A difficult environment never justifies compromise. It is easy for a church in such difficulty to justify this compromise in the name of “we need all the help we can get”—but no church needs that kind of help. And to commit acts of immorality (porneuo) - Mark it down that where you find idolatry, you will usually find immorality. And what was the "fruit" of Israel's idolatry and immorality when they stumbled over Balaam's trap? Some 40 years earlier Paul had indirectly alluded to the subtle teaching of Balaam in his first letter to the Corinthian church (a church that had a bit of a problem with idolatry and immorality!). Now these things happened (STORIES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT like Numbers 25:1-2, etc) as examples for us, so that (TERM OF PURPOSE) we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7 Do not be (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) idolaters, as some of them were (NOTE THE PATTERN - FIRST SUBSTITUTE A FALSE "NON-JUDGMENTAL" GOD FOR THE TRUE GOD WHO TRULY JUDGES); as it is written, “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.” 8 (PAUL'S SECOND EXAMPLE IS FROM NUMBERS 25 AND THE FRUIT OF THE ERROR OF BALAAM) Nor let us act immorally (porneuo - SAME WORD JESUS USES IN Rev 2:14), as some of them did, and 23,000 fell in one day....Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction (nouthesia - ADMONITION - WARNING), upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore (TERM OF CONCLUSION) let him who thinks he stands (DANGER OF SELF-DECEPTION!) take heed (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) that he does not fall.(1 Cor 10:6-8, 11, 12+) COMMENT - Here Paul says "23,000 fell in one day" and in Nu 25:9+ Moses records "those who died by the plague were 24,000." So is this another "error" in the Bible? Of course not. The next day or so another 1000 were killed! 🙏 THOUGHT - What does idolatry do to God? Ezekiel 6:9+ answers "Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot (Septuagint = porneuo) after their idols; and they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations." Teaching (instruction) (1322) didache from didasko = to give instruction in a formal or informal setting with the highest possible development of the pupil as the goal; English = didactic = intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive) is a noun which describes the activity of teaching (instruction). Teaching or doctrine is that which communicates to another the knowledge of that which heretofore that person was ignorant or ill informed. Didache uses in the Revelation - Rev. 2:14; Rev. 2:15; Rev. 2:24 Teaching (1321) didasko means to teach a student in such a way that the will of the student becomes conformed to the teaching taught. So the teacher teaches in such a way that as the student is taught, he now changes his mind saying in essence ''I won't do it my way, but I will do it God's way because I've learned this doctrine or this teaching.'' Doctrine determines direction of our behavior, conformed to world or to God? (Ro 12:2) Teaching that Scripture finds significant is not that which provides information alone but also the teaching that produces (Spirit enabled) transformation, that creates disciples to supernaturally live in responsive obedience to God's will. The only other use of didasko in the Revelation is Rev 2:20. Stumbling block (4625)(skandalon) was originally the piece of wood that kept open a trap on which the bait was laid, and when touched caused the trap to close on its prey. Figuratively skandalon refers to the "trap" by which a person is drawn into error or sin. It looks alluring, but when touched, it captures its unsuspecting prey! Skandalon - 15x/13v - cause for stumbling(1), hindrances(1), offense(2), stumbling block(7), stumbling blocks(4). Matt. 13:41; Matt. 16:23; Matt. 18:7; Lk. 17:1; Rom. 9:33; Rom. 11:9; Rom. 14:13; Rom. 16:17; 1 Co. 1:23; Gal. 5:11; 1 Pet. 2:8; 1 Jn. 2:10; Rev. 2:14 Before (in sight of) (1799) enopion from en = in + ops = the eye/see [cp optanomai = see, perceive with eyes, look at, implying not only the mere act of seeing but actual perception of what one sees]) means literally in sight, in front of, in the presence of. Being in sight. Before the face and thus the idea of face to face! Of doing something in someone’s presence. Enopion in the Revelation - Rev. 1:4; Rev. 2:14; Rev. 3:2; Rev. 3:5; Rev. 3:8; Rev. 4:5; Rev. 4:6; Rev. 4:10; Rev. 5:8; Rev. 7:9; Rev. 7:11; Rev. 7:15; Rev. 8:2; Rev. 8:3; Rev. 8:4; Rev. 9:13; Rev. 11:4; Rev. 11:16; Rev. 12:4; Rev. 12:10; Rev. 13:12; Rev. 13:13; Rev. 13:14; Rev. 14:3; Rev. 14:10; Rev. 15:4; Rev. 16:19; Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:12 Commit immorality (4203)(porneuo from pornos = literally the purchasable one, the one you buy, the harlot, the prostitute) means to prostitute one's body to the lust of another, to give oneself to unlawful sexual intercourse. To commit fornication. Used as a Hebraic sense as a figure of speech to describe one who worships idols rather than the living God. Porneuo is used in the Septuagint to describe Israel who was pictured as God's wife (Jer 31:32, Isa 54:5) (See Israel the Wife of Jehovah) and yet who was unfaithful and like a wife who became a prostitute, figuratively committed acts of immorality against God. See 1 Cor 6:18 and 1 Cor 10:8 Porneuo - 8x - act immorally(1), commit...immorality(2), committed...immorality(3), did(1), immoral(1). - 1Co 6:18; 1Co 10:8; Rev. 2:14; Rev. 2:20; Rev. 17:2; Rev. 18:3; Rev. 18:9 Sacrificed to idols (1494) eidolothuton from eidolon = idol + thuo = sacrifice) refers to whatever is sacrificed or offered to an idol such as flesh (pagan sacrifices). meat offered to an idol, remains of victims sacrificed to an idol and reserved for eating. It refers to sacrificial meat, part of which was burned on the altar as the deities’ portion and part was eaten at a solemn meal in the temple, and part was sold in the market (No uses in the Septuagint (in Apocrypha - 4 Macc 5:2 = "ordered the guards to seize each and every Hebrew and to compel them to eat pork and food sacrificed to idols.") Arndt and Gingrich note: "From the Jewish viewpoint it was unclean and there-fore forbidden" (cf. Nu 25:2+; Ps. 106:28). Dean Stanley observes: "This identification of a sacrifice and a feast was carried to the highest pitch among the Greeks. Sacrifices are enumerated by Aristotle and Thucydides amongst the chief means of social enjoyment" Eidolothuton - 9v - Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25; 1 Co. 8:1; 1 Co. 8:4; 1 Co. 8:7; 1 Co. 8:10; 1 Co. 10:19; Rev. 2:14; Rev. 2:20 Related Resources: See In Depth Commentary on Numbers - Numbers 22 Commentary Numbers 23 Commentary Numbers 24 Commentary Numbers 31:8,16 Commentary Who was Balak in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Did Balaam’s donkey really talk to him? | GotQuestions.org What is the significance of Shittim in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Who were the Moabites? | GotQuestions.org Idolatry and Immorality - the relationship and the antidote. McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Immorality Charles Buck Dictionary Immorality Holman Bible Dictionary Immorality What is sexual immorality? Robert Neighbor - The Church at Pergamos "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" (Rev. 2:14) We are approaching now that time in church history when satan seems to have gotten strong grip upon the church. The church still has its faithful ones, those who hold fast His name, and do not deny His faith. The church still has its martyrs, such as Antipas, the faithful witness. However, there are some strong statements made against Pergamos for its sins. Let us notice three of these: 1. Christ's first charge against the Church at Pergamos. "Thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel." The story of Balaam is familiar ground. Enticed by the honor and the rich rewards of Balac he had gone in order to curse Israel. God had first refused him the privilege to go, and then His angel had withstood him in the way. Finally God put His Spirit upon Balaam and the lips of Balaam prophesied only good of Israel, and not evil at all. Balaam, unable to curse Israel, offered to Balac some advice which smells of the pit from whence it came. In Revelation we read that "Balaam taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before Israel," and in Numbers 31:16 we read: "Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord." In the Church at Pergamos, emanating from satan's own throne, came this same doctrine of Balaam — world-mixing. It was a sad day for the church when she became so entangled. Did Israel of old play the harlot? So has the church. Did Israel have many lovers? So has the church. Did Israel treacherously depart from the Lord as a woman would treacherously depart from her husband? So has the church. Did Israel hew out for herself cisterns, broken cisterns, which could hold no water? So has the church. Did Israel scatter her ways under every green tree? So has the church. 2. Christ's second charge against the Church at Pergamos. "Thou also hast them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate." The word "Nicolaitanes" means "conquering the people." Our word "laity," the people, comes from this same root. What have we then in this specially named doctrine? We have a church taken out from under the leadership of Christ, and placed under the authority of domineering men. The Word of God seven times, in the seven Letters to the Churches of Asia gives warning against this very thing, when He says, "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches." One does not need to go to Roman Catholicism to find this "conquering of the people." It is seen today in every Protestant denomination. Denominations like the Congregationalists and Baptists, which place special emphasis on the independency of the local church, are little by little adopting methods of coercive instead of co-operative work. (ED: I AGREE WITH THIS ASSESSMENT OF THE MODERN CHURCH FOR I KNOW OF A LARGE NON-DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH THAT ONLY ALLOWS ITS "HOME MADE" TEACHINGS TO BE TAUGHT IN THEIR CLASSES AND FROWNS ON ANY TEACHING THEY HAVE NOT AUTHORED. ONE OF THE BEST BIBLE STUDIES I HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN 38 YEARS OF BIBLE STUDY IS PRECEPT INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDIES AND THESE ARE STRONGLY DISCOURAGED!) Thus churches are becoming more and more dominated by their leading boards, by denominational machinery. (ED: THE CHURCH I ALLUDE TO ABOVE HAS A VERY STRONG INDIVIDUAL WHO OVERSEES AND APPROVES ALL THE CHURCH'S ACTIVITIES AND THIS INDIVIDUAL IS NOT EVEN A PREACHER OF THE WORD OF GOD!) 3. The correlated passage from the 13th of Matthew. The parable is that of the mustard tree. Christ described in this mustard tree, first of all, an abnormal growth; and the "birds of the air," as they lodged in the branches thereof. The birds are the children of the wicked one. It is not the ship in the water that causes havoc, it is water in the ship. It is not the church in the world that is her undoing, it is the world in the church. 4. The Church of Pergamos in its historical setting. The third period of Church history as suggested by this third Church brings us to the days of Constantine. Emperor Constantine came into the church, and thousands of people hastily followed his example. It was then also that the council of Nice was held (Nice makes one think of the first part of the word "Nicolaitanes"), which was pre-eminently a council of bishops and presbyters ruling, with the laity shut out. We give a quotation taken from Dr. Ottman's book on "The Unfolding of the Ages," which will be illuminating. In this council the clergy were manifestly supreme. The laity had no part in it whatever. The council was summoned in the year 325 by Constantine. The Roman empire had at that time some 1,800 bishops and 1,000 of these were in the Greek provinces and 800 in the Latin. According to one statement, 318 of these attended the council, and the whole number of delegates, including presbyters and others, was about 1,500. The opening of the council is described by Eusebius as follows: "After all the bishops had entered the central building of the royal palace, on the sides of which very many seats were prepared, each took his place with becoming modesty, and silently awaited the arrival of the emperor." The above must suffice. We have seen the sad defection from the Lord, begun in the loss of the first love in Ephesus, as the years went by, and now developed into world-mixing Balaamism, and people-conquering Nicolaitanism. We have also seen how this defection is even now prominently operating in church life all around us. May God keep us from the sweep of apostasy. Question - Who was Balaam in the Bible? Answer: Balaam was a wicked prophet in the Bible and is noteworthy because, although he was a wicked prophet, he was not a false prophet. That is, Balaam did hear from God, and God did give him some true prophecies to speak. However, Balaam’s heart was not right with God, and eventually he showed his true colors by betraying Israel and leading them astray. In Numbers 22—24, we find the story about Balaam and the king of Moab, a man called Balak. King Balak wanted to weaken the children of Israel, who on their way to Canaan had moved in on his territory. Balak sent to Balaam, who lived in Mesopotamia along the Euphrates River (Numbers 22:5), and asked him to curse Israel in exchange for a reward. Balaam was apparently willing to do this but said he needed God’s permission (verse 8). Balaam, of course, had no power, in himself, to curse Israel, but, if God were willing to curse Israel, Balaam would be rewarded through Balak. God told Balaam, “You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed” (verse 12). King Balak then sent “other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first” (verse 16), promising a handsome reward. This time God said, “Go with them, but do only what I tell you” (verse 20). The next morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and left for Moab (Numbers 22:21). God sent an angel to oppose Balaam on the way. The donkey Balaam was riding could see the angel, but Balaam could not, and when the donkey three times moved to avoid the angel, Balaam was angry and beat the animal. “Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth” (verse 28), and it rebuked the prophet for the beatings. “Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn” (verse 31). The angel told Balaam that he certainly would have killed Balaam had not the donkey spared his life. Ironically, a dumb beast had more wisdom than God’s prophet. The angel then repeated to Balaam the instruction that he was only to speak what God told him to speak concerning the Hebrews (verses 33–35). In Moab, King Balak took the prophet Balaam up to a high place called Bamoth Baal and told him to curse the Israelites (Numbers 22:41). Balaam first offered fourteen sacrifices on seven altars and met with the Lord (Numbers 23:1–5). He then declared the message God gave him: a blessing on Israel: “How can I curse / those whom God has not cursed? / How can I denounce / those whom the Lord has not denounced?” (verse 8). King Balak was upset that Balaam had pronounced a blessing on Israel rather than a curse, but he had him try again, this time from the top of Pisgah (Numbers 23:14). Balaam sacrificed another fourteen animals and met with the Lord. When he faced Israel, Balaam again spoke a blessing: “I have received a command to bless; / he has blessed, and I cannot change it” (verse 20). King Balak told Balaam that, if he was going to keep blessing Israel, it was better for him to just shut up (Numbers 23:25). But the king decided to try one more time, taking Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland (verse 28). Again, Balaam offered fourteen animals on seven newly built altars (verse 29). Then “the Spirit of God came on him and he spoke his message” (Numbers 24:2–3). The third message was not what the Moabite king wanted to hear: “How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, / your dwelling places, Israel!” (verse 5). Balaam’s three prophecies of blessing on Israel infuriated the king of Moab, who told the prophet to go back home with no reward: “Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded” (Numbers 24:11). Before he left, Balaam reminded the king that he had said from the very beginning he could only say what God told him to say. Then he gave the king four more prophecies, gratis. In the fourth prophecy, Balaam foretold of the Messiah: “A star will come out of Jacob; / a scepter will rise out of Israel. / He will crush the foreheads of Moab, / the skulls of all the people of Sheth” (verse 17). Balaam’s seven prophecies were seven blessings on God’s people; it was God’s enemies who were cursed. However, later on Balaam figured out a way to get his reward from Balak. Balaam advised the Moabites on how to entice the people of Israel with prostitutes and idolatry. He could not curse Israel directly, so he came up with a plan for Israel to bring a curse upon themselves. Balak followed Balaam’s advice, and Israel fell into sin, worshiping Baal of Peor and committing fornication with Midianite women. For this God plagued them, and 24,000 men died (Numbers 25:1–9; Deuteronomy 23:3–6). Balaam’s name and story became infamous, and he is referred to several times in the New Testament. Peter compares false teachers to Balaam, “who loved the wages of wickedness” (2 Peter 2:15). Jude echoes this sentiment, associating Balaam with the selling of one’s soul for financial gain (Jude 1:11). Finally, Jesus speaks of Balaam when He warns the church in Pergamum of their sin: “There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality” (Revelation 2:14). Satan’s tactics haven’t changed all that much. If he cannot curse God’s people directly, he will try the back-door approach, and idolatry and sexual immorality are his go-to temptations. (Source: GotQuestions.org) Question - What is the doctrine of Balaam? Answer: In Revelation 2:14, the church of Pergamum is scolded for tolerating the “teaching of Balaam,” or the “doctrine of Balaam.” Balaam’s name is also invoked in 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 1:11, both in warnings about the conduct and message of false teachers. All of these are references to the Old Testament character of Balaam, who tried unsuccessfully to prophesy against the people of Israel (Numbers 22). He eventually advised King Balak of Moab, the enemy of Israel, to pursue a campaign of seduction against them (Numbers 31:8). The doctrine of Balaam is not only a serious problem, but a devious one. When the frontal assault failed, Balaam took a back-door approach. Balaam, a prophet from Mesopotamia, was willing to use his God-given talents for illicit purposes. Even though he knew Balak was God’s enemy, he tried to sell his prophetic gifts to help him. When that didn’t work, Balaam counseled Balak on the most effective way to weaken Israel. This was through seduction, using Moabite and Midianite women to tempt the Israelites into sexual relationships and into pagan rituals. The Israelites who participated brought God’s judgment upon themselves (Numbers 25:1–9). According to 2 Peter 2:15, Balaam’s “way” is a choice to promote falsehood for financial reasons. According to Jude 1:11, Balaam’s “error” was his willingness to accommodate pagan beliefs out of greed. Jude 1:4 also refers to the sin of those “who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality.” One trait of false teachers in the church is that they attempt to turn Christian liberty into a “freedom” to be promiscuous (see Romans 14:1–5). Putting these ideas together gives a clear view of the doctrine of Balaam. It is the attitude that one can be fully cooperative with the world and still serve God. The doctrine of Balaam teaches compromise, wanting Christians to forget they are called to be separate and holy (Leviticus 20:26; 1 Peter 1:2); the doctrine of Balaam makes believers indistinguishable from the unbelieving world (Matthew 5:13). The doctrine of Balaam is a belief that “a little sin” doesn’t hurt (Galatians 5:9), especially if there’s some financial or personal benefit involved (1 Timothy 6:5). A person following the doctrine of Balaam is willing to compromise his beliefs for the sake of economics. He acts to enable sinful behaviors for personal gain or even participate in them (Romans 1:32). In practical terms, the teaching or doctrine of Balaam is the view that Christians can—or even should—compromise their convictions for the sake of popularity, money, sexual gratification, or personal gain. It’s the attitude that treats sin as “no big deal.” Christians can’t—and shouldn’t—totally shun the presence of sinners or unbelievers (Luke 7:34; 1 Corinthians 5:9–13), but we are obligated to stand up for truth (Ephesians 4:25), righteousness (Proverbs 23:20; Romans 14:22), and goodness (2 Peter 1:5, Matthew 5:16), whether it’s what others want to hear or not (John 4:16–18; 8:11; Acts 24:24–25). (Source: GotQuestions.org) QUESTION - What was Jesus’ message to the church in Pergamum in Revelation? ANSWER - Revelation 2:12-17 continues with the third of seven messages to the churches of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) during the apostle John’s time. Each of these messages includes a specific word to a specific church, but there are also lessons applicable to the lives of believers today. This third letter is to the believers in Pergamum (or Pergamos), which was a beautiful and art-filled city in the province of Asia built along two tributaries of the Caicus River. Pergamum was a center for the worship of Dionysus, Zeus, and other pagan gods. The message to the Pergamene church was from the Lord Jesus Christ, specifically addressed to the “angel” (or “messenger”) of the church: “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword’” (Revelation 2:12). This was not John’s message to the believers at Pergamum; it was a message from Jesus Christ. The depiction of Jesus holding a sharp, two-edged sword refers to the Lord’s readiness to bring judgment (cf. Revelation 1:16). First, Jesus affirms the church’s positive actions: “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives” (Revelation 2:13). The Pergamene believers lived in a difficult place, surrounded by pagan influences, yet they held fast to Christ’s name and did not deny Him during difficult times. One Christian in Pergamum named Antipas is mentioned as a “faithful witness.” Church tradition says that Antipas was a physician suspected of secretly propagating Christianity. The Aesculapians (members of the medical guild) accused Antipas of disloyalty to Caesar. Upon being condemned to death, Antipas was placed inside a copper bull, which was then heated over a fire until it was red-hot. The church was not perfect, however, and Jesus took note of their sin: “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans” (Revelation 2:14-15). The “teaching of Balaam” is explained in the context, as Christians were eating food that had been sacrificed to idols (religious compromise) and committing sexual immorality (moral compromise). The original Balaam’s deceitful work is described in Numbers 25:1-3 and Numbers 31:15-16. The Nicolaitans are mentioned only in this letter and in the letter to the Ephesian church (Revelation 2:6). They were likely a group similar to those who held the teachings of Balaam, though the exact nature of their doctrine and practice is unknown. Jesus then issues a clarion call to repent of their sin: “Repent therefore!” (Revelation 2:16). Our Lord hates religious and moral compromise. He calls His people to live differently. Jesus notes the judgment that would take place if the church of Pergamum did not repent: “I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (Revelation 2:16b). The Nicolaitans and those who were teaching Balaam’s error would be destroyed, along with their followers, from the congregation at Pergamum. Jesus desires purity among His people, and we have a responsibility to remove false teachers from the church. Jesus makes a final promise to the believers in Pergamum: “To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it” (Revelation 2:17). The three blessings are hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name. The precise explanation of these three items is disputed; however, all three blessings must concern the believer’s victorious reign with Christ, consistent with the blessings bestowed on the other six churches of Revelation 2–3. The “hidden manna” is likely an allusion to the manna hidden in the Ark of the Covenant, representative of God’s faithful presence and sustenance. The “white stone” could be a reference to the stones used for entrance into temple events in ancient times or to one of the stones on the high priest’s breastplate (Exodus 28:21), although the exact meaning of the stone is uncertain.GotQuestions.org ILLUSTRATION - The classic story during Roman days of a group of wrestlers who were Christians. This is a retelling of the famous account of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, Christian soldiers who were executed around A.D. 320 for refusing to renounce Christ. The historical tradition includes the detail that one soldier left the ice, while a guard, moved by the others' steadfast faith, took his place so that the number remained forty. They would wrestle for Caesar. There were 40 of them and they would stand before Caesar and say "We are 40 wrestlers, wrestling for thee oh king and to thee belongs the glory and to thee the victor's crown." And as the persecutions began to intensify, these men because of there high positions were ordered to recant their faith in Christ and they opted not to and so were marched out to a great pond in the dead of winter. In the middle of this frozen pond they were stripped down, made to sit on the ice and the centurion built fires all around the lake. As these men began to go into hypothermia, they knew that if they would just recant they could come and sit by the fires, if they denied their faith. As the tale goes they began to cry out "We are 40 wrestlers wrestling for Thee, Oh Christ. And to Thee belongs the glory and to Thee the Victor's crown." As the hours passed their voices became a bit weaker and weaker. And that centurion sat watching them as they slowly but surely approached death's door. Their bodies became motionless until at dusk you could see one body begin to crawl from the circle of wrestlers and to lay by the fires. And you heard this weak voice from the group "39 wrestlers wrestling for Thee Oh Christ, to Thee belongs the glory and to Thee the Victor's crown." And as that centurion watched the unchanging, unflinching, uncompromising devotion to a King in the light of death as the tale goes, the centurion stripped off his clothes and walked in the middle of the ice and set down and the cry arose and the strong voice of the centurion "We 40 wrestlers, wrestling for Thee Oh Christ, to Thee belongs the glory, to Thee the Victor's crown." This story was held forth as to the act of nobility as to what a true Christian is: HE IS SOMEONE WHO WILL HOLD FAST TO WHAT HE BELIEVES, TO WHAT IS RIGHT, TO WHAT IS TRUE, AND TO WHAT IS GOOD, WHO HAS DELIVERED HIS BODY A LIVING AND HOLY SACRIFICE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD AND HE IS NOT A PERSON WHO LIVES IN A FOG BUT WHO SAYS THIS IS TRUE, THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS RIGHT AND THIS IS HOLY AND I WILL HOLD TO THAT UNTIL I DIE! Walter Kaiser - see page 708 in Hard Sayings of the Bible - Rev 2:15 Who Were the Nicolaitans? Revelation has many strange symbols and images, but there are also unusual names. In Revelation 2:6, 15, the unfamiliar name blocks understanding. Here in two verses in letters written to two different churches (Ephesus and Pergamum) we discover the Nicolaitans. Presumably the author believed that the readers of the letters would know who they were, but we are not in their position. What were their practices, and why would God hate them? The earliest identification of the Nicolaitans, found in the church fathers, was as followers of Nicolas of Antioch, a proselyte to Judaism, who was one of the Seven (Acts 6:5). Unfortunately, none of the writers seems to know much about the heresy, and one, in fact, argues that Nicolas himself was orthodox but had been misunderstood. While it is possible that some of this information is accurate (there have been Spirit-filled church leaders who have lapsed into heresy), this looks like an attempt to find some name in Scripture to use to identify this sect. Nicolas may have simply had the misfortune of bearing the wrong name. Still, even if the Nicolas of Acts had nothing to do with the movement, it is probable that some Nicolas was the leader of the group (after all, Nicolas was a reasonably common name). A second identification common in some theological circles is to look at the Greek etymology of “Nicolaitan” (nikan and laos meaning respectively “conquer” and “people”) and argue that this was a group that suppressed the laity in favor of the developing clergy. However, this explanation is determined more by modern concepts of clergy and laity than by any first-century information, for such terminology (such as the use of laos for only a section of the church) was unknown this early. Etymology is a notoriously dangerous way to discover the meaning of a term. Furthermore, there is nothing in the text to support this meaning. The clue to the real meaning of this term is found in the identification of the Nicolaitans with “the teaching of Balaam” in Revelation 2:14–15. Not only is it possible that “Nikolaitan” is a Greek form of “Balaam” (as understood by the rabbis), but, more important, this interpretation fits both the text and the first-century situation. John identifies the teaching of Balaam with two problems: “eating food sacrificed to idols” and “sexual immorality.” The early church constantly struggled with compromises with paganism, as we see in Paul’s long discussion in 1 Corinthians 8–10, as well as in the conclusions reached in Acts 15:20, 29. Both of these center on food offered to idols, Paul’s conclusion being that one could eat such food if purchased in the marketplace, but one should not go to a meal in a pagan temple. Following this Pauline rule, however, would cut one off from membership in trade guilds, patriotic celebrations (including ceremonies honoring the emperor, considered essential to good citizenship, although not taken seriously by the upper classes as religious events) and many family celebrations. We can easily see the pressure to rationalize and thereby develop a compromise. The issue of sexual immorality is more difficult, for it is also mentioned in Revelation 2:20, 22, in the case of Jezebel (an Old Testament code word for a New Testament woman leader of the church in Thyatira, indicating her spirit and God’s evaluation, rather than the woman’s actual name). On the one hand, sexual immorality was a problem in the early church, as Paul’s discussions show (1 Cor 5:1; 6:12–20; compare Heb 13:4). In the middle of a pagan society that accepted the use of prostitutes (although wives were expected to remain faithful), it was difficult to remain obedient on this point and relatively easy to compromise. On the other hand, “sexual immorality” was used in the Old Testament for involvement with pagan deities. For example, the Old Testament Jezebel was not to our knowledge physically immoral—she was likely faithful to Ahab all her life—but she did lead Israel into Baal worship. Since Israel was God’s “bride,” such involvement with other gods was called “adultery” or “sexual immorality.” Furthermore, the line between the two meanings of “immorality” was difficult to draw. Sexual immorality was involved in the Peor incident (connected to Balaam, Num 25:1–18), but the biggest issue was that the women were Moabites or Midianites, pagan women, and they led the men to eat feasts associated with their gods and then to worship the gods themselves. In other words, the sexual immorality was wrong because it was associated with the worship of other gods, a commonplace in the pagan world in which many temples had prostitutes in them through whom a man could become “joined” to the god. If, then, John is taking the Old Testament examples as the basis for his discussion, the sexual immorality is figurative, standing for their worship of other deities, which was implied in their attending feasts in idol temples. If, on the other hand, he is using the Old Testament examples loosely, he may be indicating two related problems, attending feasts in idol temples and engaging in extramarital sexual intercourse, probably with prostitutes. The difference between the two explanations is narrow. Both types of problems are condemned elsewhere in the New Testament, however one may interpret this particular passage. The Nicolaitans, then, appear to be a group that corrupted God’s people by suggesting compromise with the culture of the day. Rather than worship God and him alone, they suggested that it was appropriate to engage in patriotic ceremonies (such as feasts associated with the worship of the emperor) and other cultural institutions (for example, trade guilds, something like our modern unions or professional associations, and their worship). It is possible that either as part of these ceremonies or as a separate area of compromise they also permitted the use of prostitutes (perhaps as an accepted part of the “business ethic” of their day). Jesus (who is speaking through John) was not impressed. In fact, he threatened judgment on the church. While the exact issues are different, similar compromises face the church today. Each society has its own “idols” that it expects all its citizens to worship, whether those idols be the government itself or some values or practices of the society. These “idols” are the places at which the values of the society conflict with total allegiance to Christ. Furthermore, the Nicolaitans are still with us under a variety of names, for there are always people who in the name of being “realistic” or under any number of other theological justifications counsel compromise with the dominant culture. This passage warns us that Jesus will not “buy” these justifications. He demands nothing less than total loyalty to his own person and directions. Anything less than this will put those who compromise in danger of his judgment. Revelation 2:15 So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. BGT Revelation 2:15 οὕτως ἔχεις καὶ σὺ κρατοῦντας τὴν διδαχὴν [τῶν] Νικολαϊτῶν ὁμοίως. NET Revelation 2:15 In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. NLT Revelation 2:15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. ESV Revelation 2:15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. NIV Revelation 2:15 Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. GNT Revelation 2:15 οὕτως ἔχεις καὶ σὺ κρατοῦντας τὴν διδαχὴν [τῶν] Νικολαϊτῶν ὁμοίως. KJV Revelation 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. ASV Revelation 2:15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner. CSB Revelation 2:15 In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. NKJ Revelation 2:15 "Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. NRS Revelation 2:15 So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. YLT Revelation 2:15 so hast thou, even thou, those holding the teaching of the Nicolaitans -- which thing I hate. NAB Revelation 2:15 Likewise, you also have some people who hold to the teaching of (the) Nicolaitans. NJB Revelation 2:15 and among you too there are some also who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. GWN Revelation 2:15 You also have some who follow what the Nicolaitans teach. BBE Revelation 2:15 And you have those who keep the teaching of the Nicolaitans. the teaching: Rev 2:6 Revelation 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: ‘Rev 2:6+ - Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. TOLERATING THE NICOLAITANS So you also have some who in the same way (homoios) hold the teaching (see didache) of the Nicolaitans - Hold is krateo in the present tense again presenting the contrast between holding fast to the truth about Christ (Rev 2:13) and holding fast to the counterfeit. The church at Ephesus hated the Nicolaitans as did Jesus, but the church at Pergamum tolerated them and compromised with them. So what is the teaching of the Nicolaitans? Here is where attention to the context (and comparison with other Scripture Rev 2:6) can be very helpful in interpretation. Notice the phrase in the same way (homoios) which indicates Jesus is comparing the teaching of this group with the teaching of Balaam. This supports the interpretation that the Nicolaitans held to similar scandalous teachings regarding idolatry and immorality. The Scripture tells us nothing else about them and secular writings likewise do not mention this particular group. This paucity of information suggests that it would be fruitless and futile to spend too much time trying to explain who they were. Mounce - Only a portion of the church has fallen prey to the pernicious doctrine of the Balaamites, but all are guilty of not taking action against their presence. The fault of Pergamum is the opposite of Ephesus, where the heretics were rooted out but love was missing (Rev 2:2, 4). (See The Book of Revelation) A T Robertson on in the same way - The use of homoios (likewise) here shows that they followed Balaam in not obeying the decision of the Conference at Jerusalem (Acts 15:20, 29+) about idolatry and fornication, with the result that they encouraged a return to pagan laxity of morals. As Swindoll says "While Ephesus understood how to love the sinner and reject the sin, Pergamum chose to love the sinner and accept the sin! They compromised doctrine and morality for the sake of peace and unity in the church. They took Christian love and grace to an extreme." (See Insights on Revelation)
Apocalipse 2
Guzik points out that "Judgment will begin at the house of God." Peter wrote "For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17+). And I will make war (polemeo) against them - Notice He switches from to you to them, speaking of the false teachers. The sword of His mouth was the words from His mouth and with these words Christ would remove the "spiritual cancer" from Pergamum. The NET translation seems to favor this interpretation reading "If not, I will come against you quickly and make war against those people with the sword of my mouth." The NET Note says "Greek “with them”; the referent (those people who follow the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans) has been specified in the translation for clarity." Newell agrees that "The targets of Christ’s sword would be chiefly those practicing these evils,—“against them.” (Revelation 2) Grant Osborne on against them - This war will be “against them,” meaning the wrath will be directed at the heretics rather than the believers. But it will still be a judgment of the church, for the true followers allowed the cult to remain among them and even more seriously allowed some of them to join it. The war would be directed at their loved ones whom they let defect to the Nicolaitan camp. (Pdf - Revelation Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) John Phillips on against them - Notice carefully the change in the pronouns. The Lord says, “I will come unto thee; I will fight against them.” The church is still His, but those who are defiling it, He disowns. Against them, in fact, He declares war. Truly the Lord knows them that are His. He knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the goats. (See Exploring Revelation) John
Apocalipse 2
Guzik - Thyatira was a model church. They had four great essential qualities. They had love, both for the Lord and for one another. They knew service, and had faith and patience worth mentioning. And service (diakonia) and perseverance (hupomone - this trait was commended twice to the church at Ephesus - Rev 2:2,3, hupomone in both verses) - This word for service (diakonia) speaks of voluntary humble ministry to the needs of others, like their Lord Jesus Christ, Who did not come to be served but to serve (related verb diakoneo) (Mk 10:45+). Their perseverance (hupomone) does not describe a grim resignation or a passive "grin and bear" attitude, but a triumphant facing of difficult circumstances knowing that even out of evil God guarantees good. For believers hupomone describes a steadfastness, as God's Spirit enables one to "remain under" (or endure) whatever challenges, trials, tests, afflictions, etc, He providentially allows in one's life. It is interesting that no persecution is described in this church, but the commendation of perseverance would imply the true believers had experienced some degree of persecution which is guaranteed to all believers! (cf 2Ti 3:12, Php 1:29, 1Pe 4:12). Their perseverance is also evidence that they were genuinely saved in spite of the evil in this church! Jesus clearly stated that "the one who endures (perseveres, stands firm - hupomeno) to the end, he shall be saved." (Mt 24:13) Their perseverance would not save them, but would be clear evidence that they were saved, because the only way they could persevere would be by the enabling supernatural power of the Spirit of God Who indwelt them (and the same is true for us beloved). 🙏 THOUGHT - How are you doing in this area of perseverance beloved? If you are like me (and most saints), you are experiencing manifold (various) trials (1Pe 1:6+)! Are you bearing up under them, leaning on the everlasting arms of the Holy Spirit (the only way we can supernaturally remain under the "load.")? J Allen - The works (deeds) are then identified as "thy love, thy faith, thy ministry, thy endurance". The repetition of works (deeds) at the end and its qualifying statement thus emphasise the fact that instead of fading with time, as would be natural, their works were actually increasing evidence of the Holy Spirit at work. The more correct order of the RV quoted above (love, faith, ministry, endurance) may possibly unfold the links between the different items. When God works by His Spirit and His word within the believer the result is love and faith. The outward result of service and endurance follow in the life of the saint. Love both toward God and men is the result of the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ro 5:5). Faith is best understood here to be the willingness to believe, and hence to obey, the word of God. The outflowing of their love and the inspiration afforded by their faith resulted in service. The word (diakonia) carries all the dignity of voluntary service which has the good of others in view. Its usage in the NT covers service in both the material and the spiritual realms. Christ is the pattern minister who always acted for the good of others (see Ro 15:8; Gal 2:17). In the spiritual realm Paul served in a deacon ministry for others. The more mundane use of the word covers the giving of the physical necessities of life, food and clothing (Acts 6:2; Rom 15:25, 31; 1 Cor 16:15; 2 Cor 8:4; 9:1; Heb 6:10). Within the context Christ is commending the sacrifice shown in ministering to the needs of others; faith based on the promises of the word of God would inspire their endurance (hupomone) in the trying conditions in Thyatira. The word (hupomone) reflects the steadfastness of christian character that enables believers to hold the head high whatever troubles assail them. (What the Bible Teaches -Revelation) Adrian Rogers - In the first place, I see that it was a going church, because He speaks of their works and of their service. But, not only was it a going church; it was a glowing church, because He speaks of the charity and their faith. And, not only was it a glowing church; it was a growing church, because He speaks of their works and their last more than their first. That is, they were increasing in good works. And that your deeds (ergon) of late are greater than at first - The implication is that they were growing in love, service, faith, and perseverance., evidence of the continual transformative work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The point is that these believers were not stagnant in their spirituality but were growing in Christlikeness (cf 2Co 3:18+) in an environment which was spiritually toxic. They had heeded Peter's admonition to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (2 Peter 3:18). If Jesus had stopped here, this description would be that of an exemplary church! But sadly He had to move on to condemnation in the following passages. 🙏 THOUGHT - These saints continued to grow in Christlikeness. Would Jesus say that about my spiritual life? Am I more like Jesus today than I was last year, 5 years ago, etc? If not, why not? Am I daily in the Word (Mt 4:4, 1Pe 2:2)? Am I obeying (by the Spirit's enabling power) the Word? If the latter answer is "NO," then you have your answer of why your deeds of late are not greater than at first. J
Apocalipse 2
Guzik has an interesting thought writing "Because of the strong trade guilds in Thyatira, the sexual immorality and the eating of things sacrificed to idols was probably connected with the mandatory social occasions of the guilds. Perhaps a Christian was invited to the monthly meeting of the goldsmith’s guild, and the meeting was held at the temple of Apollo. “Jezebel” would allow or encourage the man to go—perhaps even using a “prophetic” word—and when the man went, he fell into immorality and idolatry.. The draw to the guilds and their meetings was powerful. “No merchant or trader could hope to prosper or make money unless he was a member of his trade guild.” (Barclay) Nonetheless, Christians were expected to stand in the face of this kind of pressure. One ancient Christian named Tertullian wrote about Christians who made their living in trades connected to pagan idolatry. A painter might find work in pagan temples or a sculptor might be hired to make a statue of a pagan god. They would justify this by saying, “This is my living, and I must live.” Tertullian replied, Vivere ergo habes? “Must you live?”" So that - NASB adds this phrase but it is not in the Greek text (and is not found in most other modern translations). However, in context so that fits with the result or consequences of Jezebel's teaching which is the rotten fruits of immorality and idolatry. They commit acts of immorality (porneuo) and eat things sacrificed to idols (eidolothuton) - Once again note the close association of the "double I", Immorality and Idolatry. The "modern" false prophetess was like her OT protegee Jezebel who had led the northern 10 tribes (named "Israel") into overt idolatry and immorality by promoting the worship of Baal and Astarte over the worship of Yahweh. So what is the antidote to counteract toleration of false teachers in a church? We need to assess them by the criteria of Jesus... Beware (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) of the false prophets (AND PROPHETESSES), who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 “You will know them by their fruits. (WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IN THYATIRA IT IS THE ACTS OF THE BONDSERVANTS!) Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (IN THYATIRA HE GIVES A CHANCE TO REPENT) 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Mt 7:15-20+) Leads...astray (4105)(planao from plane which describes "a wandering" English word "planet") means literally made to wander and so to go (active sense) or be led (passive sense as of sheep in Mt 18:12-13) astray. The present tense indicates the sad truth that believers in Rev 2:20 are continually being led astray from the truth. John's uses of planao in the Revelation - Rev. 2:20; Rev. 12:9 = Satan deceives; Rev. 13:14 = false prophet deceives; Rev. 18:23 = Babylon deceived by her sorcery; Rev. 19:20 = false prophet deceived those who received the mark of the beast and were eternally damned; Rev. 20:3 = Satan imprisoned so as not to be able to deceive the nations for 1000 years; Rev. 20:8 = Satan released after 1000 years and deceived the nations; Rev. 20:10 = devil who deceived thrown into the lake of fire. Bondservants (Slave, servant) (1401) doulos is the most abject servile term in the Greek to describe a slave who completely surrenders himself to the will and authority of another. Jesus is describing those who had in essence sold themselves into slavery to Jesus and now had their will "swallowed up" (so to speak) in the will of their Lord. John's use of doulos in the Revelation - Rev. 1:1; Rev. 2:20; Rev. 6:15; Rev. 7:3; Rev. 10:7; Rev. 11:18 = "the time to reward Your bond-servants"; Rev. 13:16; Rev. 15:3; Rev. 19:2 = "HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”; Rev. 19:5 = in heaven we are called "His bond-servants"; Rev. 19:18; Rev. 22:3 = "His bond-servants will serve Him"; Rev. 22:6 = Jesus "sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place." What's Wrong? I have a few things against you. — Revelation 2:20 Today's Scripture: Revelation 2:18-21 The 17-year-old young man is nearly everything a parent could ask for in a son. He is loving toward his siblings. He chooses good friends, and he shows concern for those who are not part of his inner circle. He does his share of the work at home, and he holds down a parttime job, while keeping up his grades. There is one problem though. He seems to become a different person when he gets behind the wheel of a car. One day he pulled out of a parking lot with such carelessness that he almost ran into two people standing by a parked car. What were his parents supposed to do about this? Should they overlook his recklessness in light of all his good qualities? Or should they confront him with this flaw in his character? In Revelation 2, the Lord addressed the problem of disobedience in His children. Even if most areas of our Christian life are in line with His will, this doesn’t mean He will overlook those that are not. The point at which we knowingly disobey God is exactly where our faith needs to be reexamined. Our Father is patient and understanding, yet He takes our unfaithfulness seriously. In the matter of spiritual growth, the issue is not just what I am doing right, but what I am doing wrong. By: Mart DeHaan Consider what you're doing right— Thank God for His direction; Consider what you're doing wrong, Then make complete correction. —Hess Sin will add to your trouble, subtract From your energy, and multiply your difficulties. QUESTION - Who was Jezebel in the Bible? ANSWER - “Jezebel” is a name synonymous with evil; she is the epitome of the wicked woman. So infamous is her name that, to this day, no one names their baby daughter “Jezebel.” To call a woman a “Jezebel” is the greatest insult imaginable. Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, a priest of the cruel, sensuous, false god Baal. Ethbaal, the priest-king of Tyre who murdered his own brother to take over the throne, was hardly a good father figure. But Jezebel followed in her father’s footsteps and was herself a power-hungry murderess who stopped at nothing to get what she wanted. The king of Israel at the time was Ahab, a weak, self-pitying man who abdicated his authority to his bride, the princess Jezebel. In spite of God’s laws forbidding idolatry and the worship of any god but the Lord, Ahab married this princess who brought to Israel with her hundreds of priests of lewd Baal worship, a cult that tended to destroy manhood and drag womanhood into shame. Jezebel was such a domineering person that she soon became master over her weak husband. One of her first acts was to order the extermination of the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4, 13) and set up altars to Baal. So pervasive was her idolatrous influence in Israel that Jesus later used her name to refer to a woman who led the church at Thyatira into immorality and the worship of false gods (Revelation 2:20). Jezebel’s strongest enemy was the great prophet Elijah, who defied her and opposed her evil rule. First, he pronounced the punishment of God upon Israel in the form of a drought which lasted three years (James 5:17). This culminated in a contest on Mount Carmel between the powers of Israel’s true God and the Baals. After the 450 priests of Baal and 400 priests of Asherah spent the day beseeching their gods with wailing and self-mutilation to end the drought, all to no avail, Elijah prayed to his omnipotent God who responded by accepting the sacrifice, having the false prophets slaughtered, and providing an abundance of rain (1 Kings 18:16-46). Instead of acknowledging the awesome power of the one true God, Jezebel was enraged and vowed to kill Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-2). Elijah fled from her wrath to the wilderness (1 Kings 19:3-8). In the meantime, Jezebel was proving herself to be the greedy, murderous, evil woman she truly was. A righteous man named Naboth owned a vineyard next to Ahab's palace. Ahab offered to buy the vineyard, but Naboth, honoring God’s command to keep inheritances within the family, rightly refused to sell. Ahab became “sullen and angry” and went home to sulk on his bed. Jezebel ridiculed him for his weakness and told him to cheer up for she would get the vineyard for him. She plotted with two lying scoundrels to have Naboth falsely accused and denounced, then put to death. Then she calmly declared to Ahab that the vineyard was his (1 Kings 21:1-16). Here we see the formula for a disastrous marriage: a weak, childish man who allows his evil, domineering wife to rule the home. This is the exact opposite of God’s plan for marriage: a loving husband who leads his family, and whose care for his wife mirrors that of Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:25-26, 28-29), and a godly woman who submits to her husband “as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22), each submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:7). As with all who defy the Lord, Jezebel’s end was not a pretty one, although it was more gruesome than most, perhaps as an object lesson to all who set themselves up against the one true God. Her doom was sure, having been prophesied by Elijah in 1 Kings 21:23. Even as she saw her death approaching, she remained defiant to the end painting her face and adorning herself in queenly garments. She looked out the window and shouted her defiance to Jehu, the next king of Israel who came to take his throne (2 Kings 9:30-37). Jehu commanded her to be thrown out the window to her death where she was trampled by the horses’ hooves and almost entirely consumed by dogs. Her thirty years of tyranny over Israel had ended. The terror visited upon Jezebel was a testimony to the Israelites, and to us, that God’s power is supreme and those who defy Him will meet a terrible end. (See GotQuestions.org) 🙏 THOUGHT - What was Ahab's first mistake that ended up impacting the entire northern kingdom adversely, ultimately leading to their defeat and exile? He foolishly choose not to order his steps according to the wisdom in God's word! As a king, he at least in theory (Kings were instructed to write for themselves a copy of the law and read it all the days of his life that he might be careful to observe it - Dt 17:18, 19+) should have known Dt 7:3+ “Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them (Dt 7:1,2+); you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons." This could not have been stated any more clearly! Jezebel was an idol worshipping Sidonian princess and should have been shunned by Ahab! Oh, the price one pays for indulging the lust of the flesh! Related Resource: WIKIPEDIA - Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window What is the Jezebel spirit? | GotQuestions.org What is the story of Ahab and Jezebel? | GotQuestions.org International Standard Bible Encyclopedia article on Jezebel Who was Naboth in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Why did Jezebel have Naboth killed? Who was King Ahab in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Revelation 2:21 'I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. time: Rev 9:20-21 Jer 8:4-6 Ro 2:4-5 Ro 9:22 1Pe 3:20 2Pe 3:9,15 Revelation 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Revelation 9:20-21+ The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. Jeremiah 8:4-6 “You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not repent? 5 “Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return. 6 “I have listened and heard, They have spoken what is not right; No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turned to his course, Like a horse charging into the battle. Romans 2:4-5+ Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, MERCIFUL WONDERFUL SAVIOR I gave her time (chronos) to repent (metanoeo) - Gave means God gave as expression of His generosity, His longsuffering and His mercy. When and how Jesus accomplished giving this warning is not stated. God did not have to do this. This is called divine mercy, not giving her what she deserved immediately. Jesus is long-suffering even to the most vile and despicable of sinners (For this all all say "Thank You Jesus!"). There is only one sin He cannot forgive and that is the rejection of His Spirit's wooing of a person to repent and believe the Gospel. John Phillips on time to repent - As so often happens, the Lord’s longsuffering and patience was misconstrued. Because God does not strike down wickedness the moment it rears its head, men deceive themselves and imagine that He never will. “Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” is the way Paul puts it (Rom. 2:4). God stays His hand in government solely that men might have the opportunity to repent. Apparently the woman who was causing the trouble at Thyatira, far from seeing God’s hand of mercy in the absence of judgment, simply congratulated herself on her apparent success. The wickedness she was spreading went on and on.(Borrow Exploring Revelation) 🙏 THOUGHT - While God gives sinners time to repent it is not an unlimited time. Benjamin Franklin (see illustration) (who himself did not believe in Jesus) was correct when he said do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. I would add what you MUST do today. Why? Because you do not know if you will be granted life and breath tomorrow by the omnipotent God (see Dt 32:39+)! And so Paul writes "God says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME (kairos) I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.” Behold, NOW is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, NOW is “THE DAY OF SALVATION." (2 Cor 6:2+). In the OT the LORD said "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever." (Ge 6:3) And God was true to His word, for He sent a global flood to destroy all but 8 souls on the ark. God gives time to repent, but we don't know when our time is up if we continue to reject, put it off, delay or procrastinate! Note also the juxtaposition of sovereign grace (God's gift of repentance offered) and human responsibility (to choose or not to repent). But even our human responsibility is dependent on the Spirit to give us the desire and the power (Php 2:13NLT+). Note Charles Wesley's poignant question in his short hymn... Space to repent without the power, Lord, what would it avail? But grace attends the added hour To turn the hovering scale; If still I slight Thy proffered grace, The fault is mine alone; Yet if Thy mercy I embrace, The praise is all Thine own. -- Charles Wesley (Play hymn) And she does not want to repent (metanoeo) of her immorality (porneia) - It is interesting that the sin to be repented of is immorality and there is no mention of her idolatry or her false teaching, which obviously would have needed repentance! Presumably that is implicit in Jesus call for her to repent. Note the juxtaposition of God's sovereignty in giving her time to repent and human responsibility (choosing not to repent)! Jezebel refused to change her mind! Jezebel rejected the work of the Holy Spirit in her heart (for it is His role to convict of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come - Jn 16:8) and of calling her to repentance (cf Ro 2:4+). "Jezebel" loved sin more than the Savior (in fact she had NO love for the Savior) and she would get her just rewards in eternity. John writes that " everyone who (present tense - continually without repenting) does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (John 3:20+) A couple of additional observations on repentance - Note for Jezebel to repent would mean almost certainly repent and believe (she was not likely a believer). Secondly, her refusal to repent is a foreshadowing of the future events described in chapters 9 and 16 where we see the only other uses of repent in the Revelation and in all 4 uses the earth dwellers just like Jezebel DID NOT REPENT (Rev 9:20, 21, Rev 16:9, 11). It is notable and should not surprise us (in view of that Satan's man the Antichrist is in control of the world system) that immorality (porneia) is a sin that is frequently encountered in John's description of the events yet to come in the future. Thus porneia is found in Rev. 9:21; Rev. 14:8; Rev. 17:2; Rev. 17:4; Rev. 18:3; Rev. 19:2 and porneuo (commit immorality) is found in Rev 17:2 Rev 18:3 Rev 18:9. Immorality (4202) porneia from root verb pernao = to sell, porneuo = to play the harlot; pornos = male prostitute) originally referred to any excessive behavior or lack of restraint, but eventually became associated with sexual excess and indulgence, of every kind of extramarital, unlawful, or unnatural sexual intercourse. It refers to general sexual acts outside of legal marriage. Sex was often linked to pagan religious practice, with the idolatrous worship of false gods (TDNT) Loose morals were a continuous problem in the Greco-Roman world and a continual temptation to the followers of Christ, just as internet pornography is today! Porneia - 25x/24v - fornication(4), fornications(2), immoralities(1), immorality(16), sexual immorality(1), unchastity(1). Matt. 5:32; Matt. 15:19; Matt. 19:9; Mk. 7:21; Jn. 8:41; Acts 15:20; Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25; 1 Co. 5:1; 1 Co. 6:13; 1 Co. 6:18; 1 Co. 7:2; 2 Co. 12:21; Gal. 5:19; Eph. 5:3; Col. 3:5; 1 Thess. 4:3; Rev. 2:21; Rev. 9:21; Rev. 14:8; Rev. 17:2; Rev. 17:4; Rev. 18:3; Rev. 19:2 Revelation 2:22 'Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. NET Revelation 2:22 Look! I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness, and those who commit adultery with her into terrible suffering, unless they repent of her deeds. NLT Revelation 2:22 "Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. ESV Revelation 2:22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, NIV Revelation 2:22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. GNT Revelation 2:22 ἰδοὺ βάλλω αὐτὴν εἰς κλίνην καὶ τοὺς μοιχεύοντας μετ᾽ αὐτῆς εἰς θλῖψιν μεγάλην, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσωσιν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς, KJV Revelation 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. ASV Revelation 2:22 Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works. CSB Revelation 2:22 Look! I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her practices. NKJ Revelation 2:22 "Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. NRS Revelation 2:22 Beware, I am throwing her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress, unless they repent of her doings; YLT Revelation 2:22 lo, I will cast her into a couch, and those committing adultery with her into great tribulation -- if they may not repent of their works, and those: Rev 17:2 18:3,9 19:18-21 Eze 16:37-41 23:29,45-48 unless: Jer 36:3 Eze 18:30-32 33:11 Zep 3:7 Lu 13:3,5 2Co 12:21 2Ti 2:25,26 Revelation 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2 Timothy 2:25-26+ with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. JESUS' WARNING TO JEZEBEL AND HER IMITATORS Behold, (idou - Pay Attention!) I will throw her on a bed of sickness - "Of sickness" is added by NAS translators. Note the three "I WILL's" in the judgments. I will throw is in the present tense, the prophetic future, as if Christ were already in the process of carrying out this judgment, so sure is this judgment to be be executed! Allen - The present tense of the verb "cast" (throw) is a dramatic way of expressing something so certain that it is as if it were already happening. What has been for this woman a bed of pleasure and sin becomes a bed of pain.(What the Bible Teaches -Revelation) Swete points out “In this case there is a sharp contrast between the luxurious couch where the sin was committed and the bed of pain.” Guzik - It is as if Jesus said, “You love an unclean bed. Here, I will give you one, and cast you into a sickbed.” What happened to the "prototype" Jezebel? It was so horrible you may not want to read it! 2 Kings 9:30-37 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window. 31 As Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it well, Zimri, your master’s murderer?” 32 Then he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” And two or three officials looked down at him. 33 He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot. 34 When he came in, he ate and drank; and he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.” 35 They went to bury her, but they found nothing more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 36 Therefore they returned and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘In the property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37 and the corpse of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, “This is Jezebel.”’” And those who (present tense - continually) commit adultery (moicheuo) with her into great tribulation (thlipsis) - "I am going to cast her paramours into great affliction" (Barclay) So what does great tribulation mean? Literally, just what it says, great, pressing circumstances of affliction will come on these believers! Hebrews 12:4-11+ talks about the Lord’s hand of discipline and in Hebrews 12:6+ it says “He scourges (mastigoo in present tense!) every son He receives” where the verb mastigoo means severe distress almost like when one is whipped to the point of removing one’s skin! Have the hide beat off of you (like my granddaddy did one day 72 years ago -- I have never forgotten it!) And there is also the possibility that God might take the believer’s life – 1 John 5:16+ says "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this." Ananias and Sapphira discovered there was a sin that led to their death! (Acts 5:1-11+) The great tribulation is not the last days "Great Tribulation" which will be set in motion when the prophecy in Mt 24:15+ is fulfilled and leads to the actual prophetic time period called "great tribulation" in Mt 24:21+. Paul writes of the danger of believers dying if they celebrate the Lord's Supper without confessing and repenting of their sins - For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason (WHAT REASON?) many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep (EUPHEMISM FOR DEATH). (1 Cor 11:29-30+). John Walvoord makes an interesting comment on the the phrase commit adultery writing that "Those in Thyatira who had sinned in this way had not only violated the moral law of God but had sinned against their covenant relationship with the Lord which bound them to inward purity as well as outward piety." (Revelation 2: The Letters To Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, And Thyatira) Steve Lawson - Sexual promiscuity has a payday someday. Every kick has a kickback. Solomon wrote, "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" (Pr 6:27). Play with fire and you'll get burned." (Borrow Final Call) Certainly in the Old Testament Israel is repeatedly accused of "spiritual adultery" for whoring around with false gods (idolatry) manifesting overt unfaithfulness to her "Husband" Jehovah (see Isaiah 54:5, Jeremiah 31:32+ and discussion Israel wife of Jehovah), Who had cut the covenant with her in Exodus 24:6-8+. John
Apocalipse 2
Guzik - In the days of the New Testament, many non-Christian religions (such as the Ophites and various Gnostic groups) said they knew the “deep things of Satan.” The ancient Christian writer Tertullian said if you asked a Gnostic about their cosmic mysteries, they furrowed their brow and said, “It is deep.” It may be deep—but deep into a dangerous pit. How could Christians ever fall for the depths of Satan? Perhaps the deceptive reasoning went this way: “To effectively confront Satan, you must enter his strongholds, and learn his depths in order to conquer him.” People use similar reasoning in misguided spiritual warfare today. John