SEVEN ‘FROM The HEART of JESUS’ LOVE-LETTERS to the SEVEN CHURCHES of REVELATION - To The Church of Ephesus

So now that we have had an introduction and preliminary observations from Chapter One, we will get into each of these seven churches in Chapters 2 and 3 and learn of the LORD's counsels, corrections, and commendations:

Church #1 EPHESUS:

REV 2:1-7

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; 

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: ³ And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. ⁴ Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 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. ⁶ But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. 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.

In the time of the Romans, Ephesus bore the title of "the first and greatest metropolis of Asia." It was distinguished for the Temple of Diana (q.v.), who there had her chief shrine; and for its theatre, which was the largest in the world, capable of containing 50,000 spectators. Dozens of gold covered colonnades shown brilliantly in the morning sunlight. Statues exulting in the goddess Diana were purchased by devotees far and wide and then placed in the Temple. It was known as one of the seven Ancient Wonders of the World.

In this city, the seeds of the gospel were sown immediately after Pentecost (ACTS 2:9; 6:9). At the close of his second missionary journey (about A.D. 51), when Paul was returning from Greece to Syria (ACTS 18:18-21), he first visited this city. He remained, however, for only a short time, as he was hastening to keep the feast, probably of Pentecost, at Jerusalem; but he left Aquila and Priscilla behind him to carry on the work of spreading the gospel.

During his third missionary journey Paul reached Ephesus from the "upper coasts" (ACTS 19:1), i.e., from the inland parts of Asia Minor, and tarried here for about three years; and so successful and abundant were his labors that "all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks" (ACTS 19:10). Probably during this period, the seven churches of the Apocalypse were founded, for the most part, not by Paul's personal labors, but by missionaries whom he may have sent out from Ephesus, and by the influence of converts returning to their homes.

REV 1:1
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;

The angel is the messenger – the one that delivers the Word of the LORD to the church, in this case, it’s not an angel, but a man, a pastor – and he is to deliver this Word to the LORD’s flock.

The LORD holds the seven stars in His right hand – these are all the seven angels, messengers – pastors that He holds: in His right hand – they are in a place of honor and favor, and are provided His grace and strength (REV 1:20). 

He walks in their midst. Any time you have a congregation of saints, who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, even if they are just two or three – that comprises a body, an assembly, a church of sorts: the LORD is in their midst (MATT 18:20), just as the LORD is in the midst of these candlesticks, symbolic of the churches (or more accurately, lamp stands, full of oil (the Holy Spirit) and shining brightly with the LIGHT of the LORD in this dark world (MATT 5:14).

On his return from that third missionary journey, Paul touched at Miletus, some 30 miles south of Ephesus (ACTS 20:15), and sending for the elders of Ephesus to meet him there, he delivered to them that touching farewell charge which is recorded in ACTS 20:18-35.

ACTS 20:28-31
²⁸ Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. ²⁹ For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

So, the church at Ephesus was extremely careful in watching out for false teachers, false apostles, wolves and those from within the church that sought to leads God’s saints astray. Jesus says to them, “I know your works” – something that He says to every one of these seven churches. But to Ephesus He declares that for His name’s sake they have labored and not fainted – they were diligent, industrious, so very busy on their ministry for the King – that they had no time for the King!

REV 2:2-3
 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: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

He tells them, “thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not,” – they had discernment by the Spirit and found the falseness of these so-called apostles. They rejoiced in the Truth of God’s Word and used it to prove who the false apostles were. They had been commended for their patience – the word “patience” is used twice, in verse 2 and 3.
The saints here labored and produced works for His Name’s sake and were faithful – they fainted not. They patiently endured, they continued, they were steadfast, they didn’t give up. They persisted.

How many churches today, which were once faithful, and since have fainted – quit, given up, ceased in their faithfulness to the LORD and the truth of His Word, and the Spirit of Truth. This is the day of apostasy – but devotional prayer will keep us from fainting (LUKE 18:1), and receiving mercy and grace from the LORD, we are enabled to keep going (2 COR 4:1, 15-16); we must encourage ourselves in the LORD (PSALM 42:5,11) and remember that in due season, we shall reap what has been sown into our lives: “if we faint not” (GAL 6:9). 

They are not like those who were mere professors, and claimed to have done so many works for the LORD – of these, the LORD said, “I never knew you” (MATT 7:23). He never says that of this church of Ephesus; He knows them, knows their work. He knows that they didn’t tolerate those who “are evil” – what about some churches today, and what they tolerate ‘in the name of love’ – things that are evil, that Ephesus never put up with.

Then, after all of His commendation, the LORD says, “Nevertheless . . .”
Suppose you’re up for your annual review at work; your sitting across from your boss’ desk as he rattles off all of your awesome accomplishments, comments that you did really good, but then you hear him say,

“Nevertheless . . .” How does that make you feel? What do you suspect is coming – a pink slip maybe??

REV 2:4-5
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 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.

The LORD tells them that they have left their first love – not only first as in ‘number one’ but also ‘the best’ – though Ephesus was His darling, greatly beloved, they did not reciprocate. They left their intimate relationship with the LORD, the fervency, the longing and yearning, the expectation of meeting – they were just too busy.

The LORD poured out all of His strength, all of His soul and heart, all of His will and passion, and His blood in the holy and consecrated act of the Cross – all so that we would be redeemed, be washed in His blood, obtain right standing before God the Father, receive adoption as His beloved children – for His glory and His purpose, in having fellowship – a love relationship with us. Such is the tender-heartedness of the LORD our God. He loved us with all of His heart and soul and mind and strength, and desires that we should love Him the same way.

DEUT 6:4-5
⁴ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
⁵ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Yet too often, especially in today’s world – we Christians don’t have time; we are so busy, and if the LORD gets any of our time, it’s what’s left over after we are done doing everything else.

Let us change this (if we find this to be necessary): let’s offer the LORD the first fruits of our time, beginning the day with Him, lavishing upon Him the love that He so richly deserves!

The Ephesians didn’t realize their condition; it took the LORD to expose it to them. He admonishes them to remember where they once stood, where they had fallen. To repent of their neglect of their Beloved Savior, “and do the first works” – again, ‘the best’ works – which would be to labor to enter into the rest of the LORD (HEB 4:11), to rest from their own works and find satisfaction in the only One Who can bring such satisfaction (JOHN 7:37).

In a world of deceitful, sinful and empty mirages, amidst the barren bleak deserts of parched souls, there is an O.A.S.I.S.!"

Only the Almighty Savior Immanuel Satisfies! 

If the Ephesian church did not remember from where they had fallen, and repent, then the LORD would remove their candlestick – their witness as a church – the light that they had shown before this darkened world would be removed, and the church in Ephesus would be no more. History shows us that this was in fact, the case.

REV 2:6
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

What are the Nicolaitanes? The word is not absolutely understood, but some believe that the meaning of this word is “ruling over the people”: Nico – to conquer, to experience victory, to have the rule over, and laity – the people. The “deeds” – the conduct, actions, toil in relation to the people by assuming rule over them. Some scholars suggest that this is where the idea of a New Testament priesthood came into being, apart from the priesthood that all Christians are already a part of in Christ, Who is our high priest, after the order of Melchizedek (1 PET 2:9; HEB 6:20).

This false priesthood dominated the Christians and was probably the makings of the Roman Catholic priesthood that came into being centuries later. The deeds developed into the practice (or doctrine) of the Nicolaitanes in Pergamos (vs. 15). Having an ‘upper class’ of Christian rulers, compared to the ‘lower class’ that were kept distant from Christ, is the thing He hates.

REV 2:7
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.

“He that hath an ear, let him hear…” We read this phrase in MARK 4:9 and LUKE 8:8, both having to do with the parable of the sower of the seed. What is the connection between this parable and what the LORD tells these seven churches?
Something for you to pray about; seek the LORD on this and see what He shows you!

To those who are the overcomers – and if we are overcomers, it is because (1) we are born of God and (2) have exercised our faith in the LORD Jesus to overcome (1 JOHN 5:4). The overcomers are blessed in partaking of the tree of Life that is in the midst of the paradise of God (REV 22:2,14).

That life that is eternal is in knowing God the Father and God the Son (JOHN 17:3) – it wasn’t contained in knowing the doctrines of Scripture (JOHN 5:39 “Search the Scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life. . .”). The Tree of Life is entwined in the personal knowledge and relationship with God, in a love for God.

Jesus in vs. 1 that He “… walks in the midst of the seven candlesticks…” – the churches; He isn’t remote or distant, or in a place that’s difficult for us to reach; He is in our midst, and He is accessible to us, who are born of His Spirit, and we can spend time in getting to know and love Him.

Let’s not fail the LORD on this point as Ephesus failed – let us hold fast to our first and best love: the LORD Jesus Christ Himself – experience His love for us, to study His Word devotionally as well as practically, and as we bask in His love, we return that love in response to Him, and this is the best and only motivator where works done in His Name are accomplished!

Next time, we will look at the Love Letter from Jesus to the church of Smyrna! Until then, Keep Your Eyes On the Skies and Don't Believe the Lies - The LORD Jesus Christ Returns Soon From On High!