Revelation 2Keys to Victory for Four Churches
Jesus, standing among the lampstands, writes to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum and Thyatira. Each church gets keys to victory on its own battlefield, and the themes He sets here (He is coming, He judges, don’t compromise, be faithful to the end) carry the rest of the book.
Review from chapter 1
- Revelation is a prophecy, an apocalypse and a letter: a “prophe-pocalypti-letter,” written to 7 churches. Each church needs keys to victory on its own battlefield (chapters 2–3); the overall war is outlined in the whole book and its imagery.
- John’s understanding is thoroughly rooted in the Old Testament. Everything is coming together in this book, the proper culmination of all things.
- This revelation is from Jesus Christ and of Jesus Christ. Apokalypsis means “uncovering, disclosing, revealing” what God makes known.
- Seeing pictures from God is the second most common way God speaks in Scripture.
- Seven blessings run through the book (1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, 22:14). We saw the Trinity!
- Our understanding of God must move us to praise. Your inheritance as a believer includes the kingdom and patient endurance. You can make it.
- “In the Spirit” is a heightened sense of spiritual awareness. Jesus is the Son of Man of Daniel 7:13 and the Great High Priest.
- 7 stars = the 7 angels of the churches; 7 lampstands = the 7 churches (1:20).
Any understanding of God that doesn’t move us to praise is probably incomplete. And any time John tells you what something is, like the stars and the lampstands, you can build your interpretation on it. If he doesn’t tell you, you might be speculating.
Now the letters. What Jesus addresses in each of the churches sets the tone and themes for all of the action and imagery of the rest of the book. And see this: Christ is standing among the churches.
There are seven churches, and seven is the number of completion, so these messages are for all believers everywhere. The churches are addressed as representatives of all churches. They are all reading each other’s mail! They’re not isolated: the church is one in these things, to support one another and hold one another accountable.
The messages of Revelation were not only to address and encourage those being persecuted, as some unhealthy scholars might say. Some of these churches were being persecuted; some were rich and were actively participating in the favor of the demonic governments around them, and Jesus says that’s not good. The letters address sin in the churches and encourage what they’re doing right.
The letters follow a pattern, and Pastor Jared’s notes trace each part of it through all seven. Here they are side by side; chapter 3 covers the last three churches.
The pattern of the seven letters: how Jesus speaks to each church
| Church | “These are the words of him who…” | Encouragement | Charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ephesus | Holds the 7 stars, walks among the 7 lampstands (Rev 1:13, Rev 1:16) | Hard work, perseverance; cannot tolerate wicked people; tested false apostles; persevered, not grown weary (Rev 2:2-3) | Forsaken (released) the love you had at first (Rev 2:4) |
| Smyrna | The First and the Last, who died and came to life again (Rev 1:17-18) | Rich in afflictions, poverty and slander (Rev 2:9) | None |
| Pergamum | Has the sharp, double-edged sword (Rev 1:16) | True to Jesus’ name while near Satan’s throne (Rev 2:13) | Balaam’s teaching: idolatry and sexual immorality; the Nicolaitans (Rev 2:14-15) |
| Thyatira | Eyes like blazing fire, feet like burnished bronze (Rev 1:14-15) | Love, faith, service, perseverance, now doing more (Rev 2:19) | Tolerate the “prophet” Jezebel: sexual immorality (Rev 2:20-23) |
| Sardis | Holds the 7 spirits and the 7 stars (Rev 1:4, Rev 1:16) | A few unsoiled (Rev 3:4) | Dead, asleep, unfinished (Rev 3:1-2) |
| Philadelphia | All new: holy and true, holds the key of David, opens what no one can shut (Rev 3:7) | Kept my word, not denied my name despite little strength, endured patiently (Rev 3:8-10) | None |
| Laodicea | All new: the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation (Rev 3:14) | None | Lukewarm, wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked (Rev 3:15-17) |
The pattern of the seven letters: what Jesus calls them to
| Church | Command | Consequence | Promise “to the one who is victorious” |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ephesus | Repent, do what you did at first (Rev 2:5) | Come and remove your lampstand (Rev 2:5) | The right to eat from the tree of life in God’s paradise (Rev 2:7) |
| Smyrna | Do not be afraid of your trial; be faithful (Rev 2:10) | None | Not hurt by the second death (Rev 2:11) |
| Pergamum | Repent (Rev 2:16) | Come and fight them with the sword of His mouth (Rev 2:16) | Hidden manna; a white stone with a new, secret name (Rev 2:17) |
| Thyatira | To the un-Jezebeled: hold on to what you have (Rev 2:25) | Cast Jezebel on a bed of suffering and strike her children (Rev 2:22-23) | Authority over the nations; the morning star (Rev 2:26-28) |
| Sardis | Wake up! Strengthen what remains (Rev 3:2) | I will come like a thief while they’re asleep (Rev 3:3) | Dressed in white; name never blotted out; acknowledged before the Father and His angels (Rev 3:5) |
| Philadelphia | Hold on to what you have (Rev 3:11) | None | A pillar in God’s temple, never to leave; written on them, the name of God, His city and His new name (Rev 3:12) |
| Laodicea | Buy from Jesus refined gold, white clothes, salve for your eyes; be earnest and repent (Rev 3:18-19) | Spit you out of my mouth (Rev 3:16) | The right to sit with Him on His throne (Rev 3:21) |
2:1Ephesus: Him who holds the seven stars
Revelation 2:1 NIV
1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.
“To the angel.” There is an angel in charge of each of these churches. These churches had angels assigned to them, and the angels were now to help these churches follow the words of Jesus to them.
“These are the words of him who” starts each of the 7 letters. What follows is almost always part of the picture of Christ in Revelation 1:13–16. Two of the seven descriptions, to Philadelphia and Laodicea, are all new (see the pattern table above).
Philadelphia, as we’ll find through this study, is the favorite. Jesus says, “I’m going to reveal something fresh and new just for you guys.” Laodicea, which did not get a good letter, got a new description too.
“The seven stars,” the angels, are in Christ’s right hand, meaning Christ has complete control. And He walks “among the seven golden lampstands”: Christ Himself is present among the churches.
2:2–3Three things Jesus knows about Ephesus
Revelation 2:2–3 NIV
2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Three encouragements that Jesus knows about the Ephesian believers:
What Jesus knows
- Your deeds, hard work and perseverance
- You cannot tolerate wicked people; you tested false apostles
- You persevered, endured hardships and have not grown weary
Their deeds were specifically about upholding the truth of the Gospel against false teachers and false apostles. And “not grown weary”: some of these believers had been at it for 40 years plus.
The “I know” phrase is in almost every one of the letters, and it usually comes with an encouragement. This is a different kind of definition of deeds than you’d see in the book of James, for instance.
Each church is encouraged by Jesus (see the pattern table above). As a leader you reward the things you want more of. This is what Jesus is doing here! Do more of these things!
2:4–7Released the love you had at first
Revelation 2:4–7 NIV
4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
5Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
“I hold this against you” is more literally “Nevertheless, I have this on you”: the word “against” isn’t there in the Greek.
“Nevertheless, I have this on you: that you have released the love you had at first.” It’s the picture of someone who held something, didn’t hold it tight enough, and it slipped out of their grip.
It’s not a scathing rebuke. It’s very gentle. Then He gets a little more intense: “Consider how far you have fallen!” That speaks of some awesome people. You guys were awesome! Things aren’t quite as awesome at the moment.
“Repent” is literally “to think differently” (metanoia). Spiritually it’s to change your heart, mind and direction. “Do the things you did at first”: the road back to where they were is the same road they’ve already traveled. They know the way!
“I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” That’s a big deal. The rebuke is gentle, but the consequence is huge!
That’s the biggest consequence we see for an entire church. Getting back to what they did at first isn’t optional; it’s mandated by Jesus.
The Nicolaitans. It’s not 100% clear who they were and what they were doing. The leading theory is that the Nicolaitans were teaching Christians to compromise with the Imperial cult in order to gain status in the Empire and avoid persecution.
They’re only mentioned twice in the Bible, both in this chapter: Ephesus and Pergamum. Jesus names the Balaam group and the Nicolaitan group separately in Pergamum, so it’s probably two separate problems. Balaam’s sin was sexual immorality and idolatry; the Nicolaitans’ sin was compromise with emperor worship. That’s the theory I agree with. The Ephesian church hated their teaching and faced economic hardship and political pressure because of it.
There is a level of government control that Christians are unable to comply with. Don’t follow the Nicolaitans and compromise with demonic government edicts. That theme of not compromising with demonic government edicts is carried forward throughout the book!
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches” hints at the universal nature of all these letters for all believers. This refrain is repeated in all 7 letters toward the end. Our hearing is key. It’s the Spirit’s message, and Jesus Himself is speaking: the Trinity is in agreement.
“To the one who is victorious” is also in all 7 letters (see the promises in the pattern table above). Victorious means listening to and doing what Jesus and the Spirit are saying to the churches; in verse 26 the victor is the one who “does my will to the end.”
2:8–11Smyrna: rich in poverty, faithful to death
Revelation 2:8–11 NIV
8“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
A poor church in a wealthy city means they were probably under some economic persecution, which was common then: people wouldn’t do business with you because you weren’t of their faith. It’s common in the Middle East today.
Jesus does something here that He doesn’t do with Ephesus. He gives Smyrna a prophetic encouragement.
Specific prophetic promises from Jesus
- Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer (2:10 Smyrna)
- I will cast Jezebel on a bed of suffering and strike her children (2:22–23 Thyatira)
- The unsoiled will walk with Me, dressed in white (3:4 Sardis)
- I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut (3:8 Philadelphia)
- I will make the synagogue of Satan fall down and acknowledge you; I will keep you from the hour of trial (3:9–10 Philadelphia)
Smyrna is about to go through persecution. Jesus warns them about it, but He is not going to shield them from it. Instead, the promise assures them that He will be with them through it. That’s the opposite of His word to Philadelphia, that He would keep them from the hour of trial (3:10)!
“The devil” is the one instigating this persecution. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12).
Jesus calls it out for clarity and discernment. It’s helpful for them to know who is behind it.
“Those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” These were likely people who were kicked out of the synagogue and started their own rogue synagogue, which Jesus calls a synagogue of Satan. This is not a statement against all Jews. On the contrary, it’s a statement from Jews, judging others to maintain the purity of the faith before God. Jesus was Jewish, and so was by far the majority of the church at this time; the first Christians in Ephesus were specifically Jewish (Acts 19). It’s a call to purity among Jewish believers.
“Victor’s crown.” This was the reward for sports and military achievements, a wreath crown; the Greek Olympic Games were going on in that period. A crown is also mentioned to the church in Philadelphia (3:11), the only two churches that get one. These two churches are winning!
2:12–17Pergamum: where Satan has his throne
Revelation 2:12–17 NIV
12“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.
13I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
14Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: 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.
15Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
16Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
It might not have been a capital offense yet when the letter was written, but it was very soon afterward. Christians began to be martyred in Pergamum, and that spread to the other provinces.
The church is being chastised for what two groups are doing. One group is following Balaam into idolatry and sexual immorality. Another is following the Nicolaitans, presumably into compromise with the Imperial cult to gain status and avoid persecution. Not everyone in the church is in these two groups, but it affects enough people that the call from Jesus is for everyone to repent!
Balaam was the prophet who couldn’t speak a bad word against Israel at first (Numbers 23:8), but then was welcomed into Israel’s camp and led them into sexual sin and idolatry, resulting in a giant plague (Numbers 25). Not a good dude.
Thousands of people died. Israel had to kill him later in a military conflict (Numbers 31:8).
But the faithful are comforted: Jesus will fight only against the unfaithful with the sword of His mouth (“fight against them”). Even so, the faithful still need to repent for being part of allowing this sin in their church. Interesting. We carry a measure of responsibility for the spiritual health of the believers around us.
“Hidden manna.” The ark of the covenant was lost in 586 BC, as attested by Jeremiah 3:16. But many Jewish traditions (Maccabees, Baruch) declared that Jeremiah had hidden it away. This may be in view here. It probably also points to the bread of life, the spiritual manna of John 6:35–40. It could be a reference to the marriage supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19:6–9.
They’re being declared innocent by Jesus, and given a new, permanent name!
2:18–29Thyatira: He who searches hearts and minds
Revelation 2:18–29 NIV
18“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
22So 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.
23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,
25except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
26To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
27that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father.
28I will also give that one the morning star.
29Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
So idolatry and sexual immorality were wrapped into one monthly meal that anyone who wanted status and business would feel almost required to attend. And with new money, people valued wealth more.
There are two groups in Thyatira: the faithful, who only need to “hold on to what you have,” and the followers of Jezebel, the sexually immoral. It’s extremely bad news for them. Here the faithful are not held responsible for repenting for the actions of this deep-in-sin group. What’s the point? There is a limit to communal responsibility. We’re not responsible for everything everyone in our sphere of influence does.
In Pergamum they were all called to repent for the sins of the groups. In Thyatira, the faithful aren’t.
The biblical Jezebel in the book of Kings was not a prophetess, but she had 900 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:19). So she is connected by her promotion of demonic prophecies. Jezebel was accused in rabbinical commentaries of prostitution, and in 2 Kings 9:22 of witchcraft. In prostitution she becomes a prototype of the Empire in Revelation 17–18.
Some of the prophetic destinies are certain here, like what is going to happen to Jezebel. It’s set; there’s no offer of repentance to her. Most of the people in these churches get an offer of repentance from Jesus, even the followers of Jezebel, with the phrase “unless they repent of her ways” (verse 22). But Jezebel had already been given “time to repent,” and now the time was up! There is a time of repentance, but the window does close.
Then there’s a further description of Jesus at the end of the letter, in the middle of the rebuke, that is unique. After He judges them, He says, “Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” The churches need to know two things, and they’re only going to know them by demonstrated judgment:
What the churches will know
- Jesus searches hearts and minds
- Jesus repays according to deeds
These two are carried forward in the rest of Revelation, especially the second: judgment is a mega-theme in Revelation!
“Rule them with an iron scepter … dash them to pieces like pottery” is from Psalm 2:8–9!