REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 2.4

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES

 

CHAPTER 2

 

 

Outline

1.   The Addressee – To whom the letter is addressed (2:1)

2. The Address – To where the letter is addressed (2:1)

3.  The Addresser – From whom the letter is addressed (2;1)

4.   The Approval – The acclamation of good qualities (2:2-3)

5. The Accusation – The presentation of bad qualities (2:4)

6.  The Appeal – The application to change (2:5-6)

7.  The Advice – The recommendation to change (2:7)

 

Ephesus

After reading all the good things about the Church at Ephesus, you are probably thinking, "Wow, what a fantastic Church! If there was one in my area, I would join its membership immediately. They have everything I’ve always wanted in a Church.”

Itemized:

1.  They had sound doctrine

2.  They had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

3.  They heard first-hand accounts from the disciples

4.  They did not waiver from their beliefs

5.  They worked and practiced their faith

6.  They had an intolerance for evil

7.  They possessed solid moral standards

8.   They had spiritual discernment

9.    They loved the Lord

10.             They loved one another

11.             They had time for worship

12.             They praised the Lord in song

13.             They had Bible studies

14.             They studied the whole counsel of God

15.             They heard and acted upon the Word

16.             They had prayer time

17.             They prayed for one another

18.             They had a heart for evangelism

19.             They had a heart for missions

20.             They persevered through suffering

21.             They stood up against false preachers and teachers

22.             They were developing the fruit of the Spirit

23.             They wore the armor of God

24.             They searched the Scriptures

25.             They were Berean minded

In effect, Christ just finished saying all these nice things about this church. What could be wrong? Notice what the Lord says next: Nevertheless, But…

 

5. The Accusation – The presentation of bad qualities

 

 

(Verse 4)

 

Nevertheless I have somewhat (this, something) against thee (you).Because thou hast(you have) left thy (your) first love (for Me).

 

Jesus had found a fatal defect in the character of this Church, and He says, to them, “I need to correct you.” Then He proceeds to portray their failure. Notice first: Jesus said they did not lose their first love, but they left their first love. The problem was:

1.  They fell out of love with Jesus Christ

2.  Their first love waned

3.  They lapsed into spiritual poverty

4.  They professed Christ instead of possessing Christ

5.  Their first love took a back seat to everything else

6.  They were superficial on the outside and void on the inside

7.  Their cooled heart caused a departure from the faith

 

This is a perfect example of when a church becomes apathetic. But Jesus warned against this:

John 15:5 - I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.

 

Jesus is saying, "Without the vine, the branches are useless. Where is that exciting engagement romance you once embraced? Your love for Me must always be a priority in your life. I need your uncompromising love.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 - And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

 

I Corinthians 13:13 - Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love.

 Love is the one thing that outweighs all other things.

 

Love

There are four basic words in the Greek language that designates the expression of Love:

1.  Storge – This type of love is an emotional form of love that exists between family members, such as mother and daughter.

 

2.  Eros – Eros is a word used for highly emotional and sensual love, such as a physical attraction between a male and a female, i.e., intimate love.

 

3.  Phileo – This form of love is a friendly or brotherly love between believers apart from any physical attraction.

 

4.  Agapao – Agape love is the highest and purest love anyone can attain. This kind of love is always associated with God. It is a self-sacrificing love - not a feeling.

 

Examples:

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it;

 

John 15:9 - As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.

 

What happened in Ephesus? How does a church grow complacent with that kind of foundation? First of all, the love for Jesus Christ diminished. It was a heart issue. Then, once this love is lost, the love for one another begins to decline. And when that disappears, one becomes a part of the world again. As each letter to the churches unfolds, this formula becomes visible.

 

Question:

How does a person leave his first love?

Answer:

One peruses the wrong personal goals apart from Jesus Christ. Temptation is the main culprit.

 

There are three main temptations in the Bible [as demonstrated in the Temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (cf. Luke 4:1-13)] listed as follows:

1.  The lust of the flesh - sexual

2.   The lust of the eyes - material

3. The pride of life – mental/ego

Scripture:

1 John 2:16 - For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

 

Secondly, a brief comparison to the Church at Corinth, Greece examples of other problems that lead to spiritual bankruptcy. This assembly also had a genuine beginning. Corinth likewise was similar to Ephesus. Polytheism dominated the city. This congregation was engulfed in heathenism. Of all the churches Paul addressed, Corinth was the most burdened with obstacles.

 

The root problem with the Corinthian church was divisions within the body of Christ. All other problems in any church stem from this cause and can lead any church astray, and into deterioration. These divisions were caused primarily by believers following different church leaders within the assembly. For example:

1.  Those who were supporters of Paul’s teachings

2.  Those who were following the teachings of Apollos

3.  Those who were pupils of Cephas

4.  Those who were disciples of Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 1:12-13a - Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided?

 

Note: People today still want to follow leaders, instead of Jesus Christ. In many churches, self-appointed religious dictators try and succeed in overrunning proven pastors. The key principle is this: God chooses leaders - not man. Throughout the Bible spiritual leaders are chosen and empowered by God. However, men want to be dominant in the church due to pride, recognition, and self-righteousness, thus causing division. A pastorate is a supernatural calling. And God is adamant regarding this. God says in 1 Chronicles 16:22 and Psalm 105:15, “Touch not mine anointed, and do them no harm.”

 

Most likely this cancer spread in the church of Ephesus after John was exiled to Patmos. Paul gives a noble argument to quell this degeneration:

Philippians 3:16 - Let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

 

The very first church after Christ’s ascension establishes the best example for us to follow - being in one accord.

Acts 1:14 - These all continued with one accord (absolute unanimity) in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

 

As you read through the epistle of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses one problem after another. The letter is an excellent primer on obstacles that lead a church astray. But God always provides a solution.

 

6. The Appeal – The application to change

 

 

(Verse 5)

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick (lampstand) out of his place, except thou repent.

 

Repentance

There are three basic ingredients to repentance (turning one’s life around). They are found in this formula:

A.    Remember

1.  How you felt at your conversion

2.  How you were excited about Jesus

3.   How dearly He meant to you

4. What caused you to become indifferent to Him

5.   What caused you to backslide

6. What worldliness and loneliness represented

7.  What God’s conditions were for improvement

 

B. Repent

Repentance is not an admission of sorrow, but the confession of your faults to God, having a change of mind. Consequently, it requires action. It is a 180-degree turning away from your sins (turning one’s life around) and returning to the fellowship, grace, and favor of God. The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 vividly illustrates this point.

 

C. Return

In the biblical sense, it is the emancipation of your old nature to your new nature in Christ. Go back to your first love.

 

7. The Advice – The recommendation to change

 

 

(Verse 7)

 

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh (that gains the victory) will I give (to him the right to) to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

 

1.  Churches

First, notice the word churches. It is an indication that the total church (past, present, and future - of John's day and subsequent generations) is still being ministered to by the Holy Spirit. In essence, Jesus is saying, “He who has an open ear, heart, and mind, listen to what the Holy Spirit of God is saying to you.” Take the wax out of your ears and listen to the Holy Spirit – not what others are telling you.

 

2. Overcomers

Question:

Who and what are overcomers?

Answer:

The Greek word for overcomer is nikao [The Nike Missile derived its name from this Greek word], which means to conquer, overpower, prevail, and be victorious. An overcomer overcomes worldly desires and lives their life for Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:4 - For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

First love is not salvation, but a testimony. It is not a religion, but a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is pure. It is unselfish. It is a red-hot, self-sacrificing agape love.

 

3.  The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life yields food for physical immortality. I remember my seminary professor once asking the question: “What would happen if Adam and Eve hadn’t eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?” Smilingly he answered, “There wouldn’t be any need for the Bible - and you wouldn’t have class today.”

 

The Tree of Life first appears at the beginning of the Bible in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2:9 - And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the Garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

 

Genesis 2:16-17 - And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree (Including the tree of life) of the Garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (physical death).

 

Our first parents ate of the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As a result of their disobedience (known as the fall of man), sin entered into the world thus causing God’s judgment. [The pride of life is the motive behind Adam and Eve’s sin (You shall be as Gods – Genesis 3:5)]. God then removed the tree from the Garden and placed it in an area where it was unreachable, east of Eden.

 

Genesis 3:24 - So he drove out the man; and he placed (the Tree of Life) at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

This is where the tree exists today, guarded by Cherubim (one designation of angels) with flaming swords.

 

The Tree of Life also appears in this passage. And, at the end of the Bible, the tree reappears.

The location:

Revelation 22:2 - In the midst of the street of it (the city called New Jerusalem), and on either side of the River (water of life), was there the Tree of Life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

 

We will discuss the Tree of Life in more detail when Chapter 22 of Revelation is studied.

 

 

4.  Paradise of God

Strong’s Concordance (Paradises: Greek [G3857]) defines it as a park that is (specifically) an Eden, a place of future happiness.  Paradise is mentioned three times in the (KJV) Bible.

a.  Luke 23:24 - And Jesus said unto him (the thief on the cross), Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

 

b.  2 Corinthians 12:4 - How that he (the Apostle Paul describing himself in a vision) was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

 

 

c. Revelation 2:7 - To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

 

In a glorified state, an overcomer of the world will have the reward of eating from the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God, the Eternal Kingdom.

 

 

In the next lesson, our focus will be on the Persecuted Church - the Church at Smyrna. Read ahead.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.  What made Ephesus a favorable church in God’s eyes?

2.   Did this church lose or leave its first love?

3.  What leads some churches into apostasy?

4. Define the highest form of love.

5.  Describe the main cause of a failed church.

6.  What is repentance?

7.  What are the promises to an overcomer?

 

 

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