Tags
Now first off every one of these letters dealt with specific issues of specific churches that were dotted along eastern area of Asia Minor, two of which were on inlets to the coast.
Ephesus the church who left its first love
Rev 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 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:
Rev 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5 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 out of his place, except thou repent.
Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 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.
“Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5 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 out of his place, except thou repent.”
Left your first love… In the Greek we find that this more like having forsaken the foremost affection and or benevolence. Now all these things this church did, the labor for His name’s sake and the patience and not putting up with evil people in the midst and testing out those who were false apostles and finding them out as liars and more than likely taking the heat for it too. He is even happy that they nicolaitins because He hates them too. But in all this stuff they were doing they were not fainting or quitting but they were… losing the fervor, the fire of His love in them and this is a problem. Paul says “1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”
Now the words translated charity and love are the same Greek word. So all that they were doing was beginning to be fruitless and we are of course to be … bearing fruit. So the cure was repentance and getting back into that “first love”. If one did this, one overcame and for that overcomer is this reward.
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Now the last time we saw this tree, it was being guarded by a flaming sword and two hapless individuals were being thrown out of the Garden called Eden. That tree makes apparently for immortality or really great health and longevity; however you want to think about it. Now how does one rekindle that type of flame? By receiving and living in the love of God which is shed into the heart.
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Finally what is the Revelation of Jesus here? These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;… The stars and candlesticks are representative images here. Remember this book is the record of a vision and is therefore very symbolic in nature. In Chapter One of this book we were told what the candlesticks and or lamps on stands actually and the stars represented. Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
There you have it. This is the One who said that whosoever was committed into His hand He did not drop.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
The Churches are represented as LIGHTS because the entire church system of the universal or global network of Believers who gather together in their localities are considered to be one WHOLE BODY and SALT AND LIGHT IN THE WORLD. So then the love of God is what causes the zeal for the work of the Lord. In His power yes, but also in His LOVE He holds the angels or messengers each assigned to a distinct church but notice that the churches themselves are on stands. When this was rewritten into the English for King James the church of the day used candles, not oil lamps and the concept was rather difficult to convey so they use the image of the candle but the original concept was laid out by the Lord when He spoke of the lamp being not covered under a bushel basket or placed under a bed but placed on a lampstand. This is the image of the church. In that He walks among the lampstands means He is ALWAYS WITH us.
Looking At The Last Book Of The Bible 