Rev 2:1 | KingComments | STEP | Revelation 2 and 3 are of exceptional interest. Therefore I would like to make some introductory remarks before we deal with the text itself. In these two chapters seven churches are addressed with regard to their actual spiritual condition. It is however clear that the meaning goes beyond what happened then. It is also clear that you can draw spiritual lessons from their spiritual condition for our time. But these two chapters show in the seven churches also seven sequential stages in church history, from the beginning of the church until its rapture. They contain a prophetic outline of the history of professing Christianity, for the whole book is after all prophecy ( ), thus including both these chapters. You read here the history of the church as it has behaved and developed on earth through the ages. It is all about its responsibility. On other places in the Bible you read about the church as how it has been formed and seen by God. In that case we speak about the church in accordance to the counsel God , wherein everything is perfect. That is not the side from which the church is presented in this book. In this book of judgment the house of God, professing Christianity, is judges first ( ). This judgment takes place in accordance to the way it has fulfilled its duty to be a testimony (a ‘lampstand’) in the world. After the judgment on professing Christianity, from chapter 4 the judgment on Israel and on the world follow. Briefly said you can see in the sequential letters the following periods in church history: 1. Ephesus (means: lovely) is the time that followed right after the death of the apostles when outwardly a lot of things were in order, but the first love had been abandoned. 2. The time of Smyrna (means: bitterness) corresponds with the time of the Christian persecution by the Romans. Of all these persecutions there were ten that took place under ten Roman emperors. It could be that the tribulation of ‘ten days’ refers to that ( ). That period comprises the end of the second century and the third century. 3. The time of Pergamum (means: fortress) runs from the fourth to the seventh century. It begins with the acceptance of Christendom by emperor Constantine. Christendom became the state religion. It became advantageous to be a Christian. 4. The time of Thyatira (means: incense or sacrifice) covers the period from the seventh to the sixteenth century. In that period the roman-catholic church dominates in the person of the pope over the world, the reverse of Pergamum, where the church sought protection from the world. As a ruling church the roman-catholic church has (for now) come to an end, but as an institution it still exists and it will exist until the coming of the Lord. 5. In the time of Sardis (means: remnant) protestantism originates from and next to the roman-catholic church in the sixteenth century. Also the protestant churches will exist until the coming of the Lord. 6. During the period of protestantism, the period of Philadelphia (means brotherly love) emerged in the nineteenth century. God’s grace causes in dead protestantism a faithful biblical revival movement that separated itself from it. Like roman-catholicism and protestantism, Philadelphia remains until the coming of the Lord. 7. The final stage of church history is characterized by Laodicea (means: people’s government) which also finds its origin in the nineteenth century. The characteristic of Laodicea is lukewarmness. There is the high confession of Philadelphia, but the Lord is outside. We find that spiritual condition in all kinds of churches and denominations that emerged from the revivals of Philadelphia, but which are today often worse off spiritually than Sardis. Also Laodicea remains until the coming of the Lord. To conclude these introductory remarks on Revelation 2 and 3, let me point out the structure of the letters. It is roughly the same in all the letters: 1. The command: “write”. 2. A characteristic of Christ from chapter 1 followed by: “says this”. 3. The assessment: “I know”. 4. The judgment (except for Smyrna and Philadelphia): “but I have against you”. 5. The exhortation: “repent”. 6. The appeal: “he who has an ear”. 7. The promise: “to him who overcomes”. It is also remarkable that in the last four messages the promise is first given and then the appeal follows. . The first message is addressed to the church in Ephesus. This church has played a major and typical role in the early church history: 1. Paul has worked there during his third missionary journey for a period of three years ( ); 2. he has spoken out his important farewell speech to the elders of Ephesus with a warning for the oncoming decay ( ); 3. he wrote to them his letter with the highest Christian truths (the letter to the Ephesians); 4. after Paul also Timothy worked there ( ); to him Paul wrote his farewell letter about the decay in the last days and about the path of the believer in that time, the second letter to Timothy; 5. and now the Lord addresses Himself to the church in Ephesus as the first of the seven churches. John does not receive the command to write to the church in Ephesus, but to the angel of the church . As I already remarked earlier, angel means ‘messenger’ or ‘representative’. To think of a literal angel gives more troubles than solutions. As a matter of fact, there is nowhere an example that an angel fails in his duty and even less that an angel is called to repent. The angel represents people who are responsible for the condition in the church. You could think of persons who have a special responsibility in a church, like elders. But that doesn’t alter the fact that also the rest of the people have a responsibility. Each member of the church is responsible to ensure that the church is faithful to God’s Word and that there is faithfulness in testifying to the truth. You can compare this with the people of Israel and the king who ruled over them. God held the king responsible for the condition of the people, but He did not thereby diminish the guilt of the people. The Lord Jesus presents Himself here as “the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand”. All stars are in His hand. He “holds” them in His right hand (cf. ). That indicates power and authority, protection and support to keep it from total ruin, but also to exert control over her. This authority He exerts in all local churches and He checks up on it whether His authority is taken into consideration in the right way. Therefore He walks “in the middle of the seven golden lampstands”. He, as it were, goes around to see whether the lampstands are burning clearly, whether they spread the light which He has kindled. Now read Revelation 2:1 again. Reflection: Learn the order of the seven messages by heart and try to relate them to the sequential periods in church history.

‏ Revelation of John 2:1

The Seven Messages

Revelation 2 and 3 are of exceptional interest. Therefore I would like to make some introductory remarks before we deal with the text itself. In these two chapters seven churches are addressed with regard to their actual spiritual condition. It is however clear that the meaning goes beyond what happened then.

It is also clear that you can draw spiritual lessons from their spiritual condition for our time. But these two chapters show in the seven churches also seven sequential stages in church history, from the beginning of the church until its rapture. They contain a prophetic outline of the history of professing Christianity, for the whole book is after all prophecy (Rev 1:3), thus including both these chapters.

You read here the history of the church as it has behaved and developed on earth through the ages. It is all about its responsibility. On other places in the Bible you read about the church as how it has been formed and seen by God. In that case we speak about the church in accordance to the counsel God, wherein everything is perfect. That is not the side from which the church is presented in this book.

In this book of judgment the house of God, professing Christianity, is judges first (1Pet 4:17). This judgment takes place in accordance to the way it has fulfilled its duty to be a testimony (a ‘lampstand’) in the world. After the judgment on professing Christianity, from chapter 4 the judgment on Israel and on the world follow.

Briefly said you can see in the sequential letters the following periods in church history:

1. Ephesus (means: lovely) is the time that followed right after the death of the apostles when outwardly a lot of things were in order, but the first love had been abandoned.

2. The time of Smyrna (means: bitterness) corresponds with the time of the Christian persecution by the Romans. Of all these persecutions there were ten that took place under ten Roman emperors. It could be that the tribulation of ‘ten days’ refers to that (Rev 2:10). That period comprises the end of the second century and the third century.

3. The time of Pergamum (means: fortress) runs from the fourth to the seventh century. It begins with the acceptance of Christendom by emperor Constantine. Christendom became the state religion. It became advantageous to be a Christian.

4. The time of Thyatira (means: incense or sacrifice) covers the period from the seventh to the sixteenth century. In that period the roman-catholic church dominates in the person of the pope over the world, the reverse of Pergamum, where the church sought protection from the world. As a ruling church the roman-catholic church has (for now) come to an end, but as an institution it still exists and it will exist until the coming of the Lord.

5. In the time of Sardis (means: remnant) protestantism originates from and next to the roman-catholic church in the sixteenth century. Also the protestant churches will exist until the coming of the Lord.

6. During the period of protestantism, the period of Philadelphia (means brotherly love) emerged in the nineteenth century. God’s grace causes in dead protestantism a faithful biblical revival movement that separated itself from it. Like roman-catholicism and protestantism, Philadelphia remains until the coming of the Lord.

7. The final stage of church history is characterized by Laodicea (means: people’s government) which also finds its origin in the nineteenth century. The characteristic of Laodicea is lukewarmness. There is the high confession of Philadelphia, but the Lord is outside. We find that spiritual condition in all kinds of churches and denominations that emerged from the revivals of Philadelphia, but which are today often worse off spiritually than Sardis. Also Laodicea remains until the coming of the Lord.

To conclude these introductory remarks on Revelation 2 and 3, let me point out the structure of the letters. It is roughly the same in all the letters:

1. The command: “write”.

2. A characteristic of Christ from chapter 1 followed by: “says this”.

3. The assessment: “I know”.

4. The judgment (except for Smyrna and Philadelphia): “but I have against you”.

5. The exhortation: “repent”.

6. The appeal: “he who has an ear”.

7. The promise: “to him who overcomes”.

It is also remarkable that in the last four messages the promise is first given and then the appeal follows.

Rev 2:1. The first message is addressed to the church in Ephesus. This church has played a major and typical role in the early church history:

1. Paul has worked there during his third missionary journey for a period of three years (Acts 20:31);

2. he has spoken out his important farewell speech to the elders of Ephesus with a warning for the oncoming decay (Acts 20:17-35);

3. he wrote to them his letter with the highest Christian truths (the letter to the Ephesians);

4. after Paul also Timothy worked there (1Tim 1:3); to him Paul wrote his farewell letter about the decay in the last days and about the path of the believer in that time, the second letter to Timothy;

5. and now the Lord addresses Himself to the church in Ephesus as the first of the seven churches.

John does not receive the command to write to the church in Ephesus, but to the angel of the church. As I already remarked earlier, angel means ‘messenger’ or ‘representative’. To think of a literal angel gives more troubles than solutions. As a matter of fact, there is nowhere an example that an angel fails in his duty and even less that an angel is called to repent. The angel represents people who are responsible for the condition in the church.

You could think of persons who have a special responsibility in a church, like elders. But that doesn’t alter the fact that also the rest of the people have a responsibility. Each member of the church is responsible to ensure that the church is faithful to God’s Word and that there is faithfulness in testifying to the truth. You can compare this with the people of Israel and the king who ruled over them. God held the king responsible for the condition of the people, but He did not thereby diminish the guilt of the people.

The Lord Jesus presents Himself here as “the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand”. All stars are in His hand. He “holds” them in His right hand (cf. Rev 1:16 ; 20). That indicates power and authority, protection and support to keep it from total ruin, but also to exert control over her. This authority He exerts in all local churches and He checks up on it whether His authority is taken into consideration in the right way. Therefore He walks “in the middle of the seven golden lampstands”. He, as it were, goes around to see whether the lampstands are burning clearly, whether they spread the light which He has kindled.

Now read Revelation 2:1 again.

Reflection: Learn the order of the seven messages by heart and try to relate them to the sequential periods in church history.