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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 1 - BEHOLD, I AM COMING QUICKLY! (REVELATION 1:1 - 3:22)
PART 1.2 THE FIRST VISION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON EARTH: THE APPEARING OF THE SON OF MAN TO SANCTIFY HIS CHURCHES (REVELATION 1:9 - 3:22)
PART 1.2.2 THE LETTERS OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA MINOR (REVELATION 2:1 - 3:21)

1. The Letter of Jesus Christ to the Pastor in Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7)


Nevertheless I have this Against You, That You have Left Your First Love: The criticism aimed at the diligent pastor hit him like a thunderbolt from heaven. Jesus saw through his earnestness, his pressure to do well, his fanaticism for the truth, and his faithfulness in service. But the Lord did not say that this pastor had no love at all, for his many services proved his sense of sacrifice. The Lord’s criticism was rather aimed at the type of love – whether it was still burning, enthusiastic, pure, childlike, confident, and full of joy. This church and its leaders waged hard battles for the truth of the Gospel. They had to expose, resist, and invalidate lies. They fought the devil personally. However, the earnestness for the truth made the love of many grow cold. Jesus Himself had warned: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12-13).

Jesus, however, showed us what “first love” means. He greeted Judas as a friend, as this man gave Him a traitor’s kiss upon His cheek. He prayed on the Cross while in excruciating pain: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus gave everything he had – His very self – in order to save us, the unworthy and unjust. His saving love is the motive of “first love”.

The Holy Spirit compels us to love our enemies. True Christian discipleship can be seen in constant prayer for all who oppose, pressure, or harm us. We are to love, not hate, evil liars. When confronted with such people, the truth should not be silenced but proclaimed tactfully. He who speaks the truth without love is like one who strikes another with a club; and he who practices love without truth runs the risk of becoming a hypocrite or a liar. However, joining love with truth is a wonder of the Holy Spirit, and we are to pray earnestly for this gift.

Whoever is led by his first love, thanks the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from his whole being for His unfathomable love, grace, mercy, and patience. The mighty praise of the saved and sanctified is a manifestation of spiritual rebirth, not only at the beginning of salvation, but throughout all eternity. The joyous adoration of the redeemed honors the Holy Trinity. Has the singing in our hearts ceased? Has a chord in our souls snapped? Muslims do not sing in their worship ceremonies, but Christians live to sing their Lord’s praises. Worshipping the Adored One is the secret of our dedication, for He first loved us. Our service to God is not based on our fear of Him, but on our thankfulness and praise for His eternal love. Jesus joined all the commands of the Old and New Testaments into a single sentence: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). With this command, Jesus made Himself the measure of true love. “First love” is the love that Jesus has for the Father and mankind. Only in Him, with Him, and through Him, can we practice this love.

Remember Therefore from Where You Have Fallen; Repent and Do the First Works! We are not to carry on as usual when the Word of God speaks to us; rather, we are to become still and reflect on what he have heard or read. In silence before God our sins will begin to speak loudly. Remember therefore from where you have fallen! Do not remain prostrate, but get up. Confess your sins to your God and be reconciled with your enemy. If you hate someone in your heart, your “first love” cannot develop fully in your heart. Forgive your adversary, because if you cannot, then God will also not forgive you. If you smash your pride and hate and become like water in God’s hands, then He can pour out the Holy Spirit in you and give you His boundless love. This love will drive you to evangelization, to service, and to prayer. Jesus wants to become manifest in you. His strength is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Few people really repent, because they want neither to acknowledge nor to confess their sins. But repentance is a joyous act, just as recovering from an illness. Whoever wants to repent should pray for a steadfast will to renounce and hate sin and in some cases to make restitution. The Holy Spirit will lead us to return things that do not belong to us and to ask forgiveness from those we have offended. Our pride, selfishness, egoism, and greed must be put off, so that Christ’s humility and essence can take shape in us.

One who repents should not remain in his depression and should also not seek self-improvement in his own strength; rather, because such a one has been purified through the shed blood of Christ he should rise up in his strength and love and begin to serve others. In the Church the most diverse services are needed. These should not be performed routinely, hastily, and without love; rather, they are to be carried out spontaneously and joyfully through the indwelling presence of Christ and proceed from His serenity.

I will Come to You Quickly and Remove Your Lampstand From its Place - Unless You Repent: The judgment of God begins in His Church. God will judge the shepherds first and then the flock, according to His Word. He penetrates their hearts, breaks their pride, and puts an end to their empty business.

Jesus had to direct words of threat to the pastor in Ephesus, because this man could not find his proper footing amidst all of his business and hard-heartedness. The spiritual life of this pastor’s congregation was at risk. Therefore, Jesus placed a stop sign directly before his eyes: he could not go on in this way any longer! If this man would not change from the ground up, Jesus would need to come and chastise him.

Of what would the chastisement of Jesus consist? The Lord threatened that He Himself would come and redirect this very busy and heard-hearted pastor. The coming of Christ is not just sunshine and good fortune, but also punishment that produces positive change in the beloved through painful correction. This results in a proper redirection of motives in the beloved.

The Lord did not say He would extinguish and overturn the lamp of the church, but that He would move it away to another place. If the church members notice no more love in their leader and if they miss his spiritual oversight and do not hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in his sermons, they will stop coming to his church and find another in which they will receive nourishment for their souls, as well as comfort, strength, and love. The congregation would not be destroyed but dispersed, and the busy preacher, who was lacking in love, would be removed. Empty churches are often signs of inadequate repentance by their leaders and elders. They must learn to become still in the presence of Jesus Christ, and to bow down, so that the Lord can fill them with His own love. Then the congregation will receive new radiance and vigor. The Holy Ghost wants to lead such spiritually attuned penitents to people who need our help, guidance, comfort, and encouragement.

This second mentioning of the coming of Jesus Christ in the Revelation relates to the busy church-leader in Ephesus, who, despite being very busy for the Lord, had nevertheless lost his first love. The first mentioning of the coming of Jesus related to the promised repentance of the Jews at His return (Revelation 1:7). Both instances show the pastoral love of Jesus as the motive for His return.

But This You Have, That You Hate the Deeds of the Nicolaitans, Which I Also Hate: It is not known today exactly who the Nicolaitans were. It is unlikely there is any connection between them and the Nicolas referred to in Acts 6:5, for this man was a Spirit-filled deacon and evangelist. Rather, it is suspected that either a church member or a group of like-minded individuals were being referred to, perhaps a group that attempted to establish a false peace with animists or the Jews in Ephesus. They sought to align themselves with those whose beliefs were different from theirs. It is possible that they affirmed justification through the law and the necessity of circumcision. They may have also gone to the idolaters and taken part in their sacrificial feasts at the temple of Artemis, at which the presence of women, wine, and song led to obscene orgies.

Jesus said to the leader of this church that he was conducting himself appropriately when he judged and hated these syncretistic overtures. However, Jesus did not reject the Nicolaitans as persons; rather, He merely rejected their deeds. Jesus hates sin but loves the sinner. He cast out unclean spirits and freed those who were possessed. It is the Holy Spirit that drives us not only to love all people, but also to uncover and condemn their error. Every Christian is called to love Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and Jews with his whole heart. However, the teachings and deeds of these people, as well as their spirit, must be exposed, hated, and rejected as anti-Christian powers and machinations.

Jesus, the personification of God’s love, often said that He, too, hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. What condemnatory words! The Holy Spirit does not permit compromise with sin. He Himself is holy and sanctifies all who follow Jesus. He separates us from all worldviews and people that oppose the spirit of Jesus Christ, so that we will not participate in their evil and unclean practices. Jesus allows no compromise with any lawlessness or sin. Nevertheless, at the same time the Spirit of Jesus compels us to honor and respect all Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, and other people, to pray and to sacrifice for them, to evangelize and serve them. But we are neither to affirm their anti-Christian practices nor to participate in them. The ability to hate sin but love sinners is no human achievement, but rather a gift of Jesus Christ. In this seeming conflict we see an aspect of God’s salvation which every Christian needs to practice and preach: to remain steadfast in one’s first love, while also hating all demonic forces.

He Who Has an Ear, Let Him Hear What the Spirit Says to the Churches: St. Clement of Alexandria wrote that faith is the ear of the soul. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:27). It is the grace of God when He speaks to us and when we hear and understand His words. Jesus wants to remove the “ear plugs” of self-justification, self-sufficiency, and over-business from our ears, so that we can quietly learn to hear again in His presence.

We are to ask Jesus in prayer that we not fall for other voices, but rather that we listen to the words of the Holy Spirit. We are in desperate need of the Holy Spirit’s gift of spiritual discernment, so that we will not misinterpret the voice of Satan for the voice of God. Muhammad wanted to be an envoy of Allah, but became instead a prophet of Satan.

The Holy Spirit can be discerned in that He glorifies Jesus as the crucified and resurrected Son of God. The Son revealed the Father and always hallowed His name. Therefore, all voices that do not acknowledge or confess the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or which reject them outright, are not the voice of God (1 John 2:23; 4:1-5). Beware of all misleading and false revelations of God. The Apostle Paul wrote, “We preach Christ crucified …” (1 Corinthians 1:23). With these words he had in mind the many voices, tongues, prophecies, and theologies in the churches, and wanted to remind the believers in Corinth about the foundation of their faith.

The Spirit that inspired John on the Isle of Patmos also wanted to prepare the Church for the return of Jesus. According to the Revelation, all blessings, judgments, calls to repentance, bowls of wrath, words of comfort, personifications of evil, and catastrophes ultimately have as their goal the inevitable and unstoppable return of Jesus, who will come to realize the kingdom of His Father.

Whoever has an hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. It is not only the main church in Ephesus that is being addressed here, but all churches in Asia Minor and each church in the entire world. What is the Holy Spirit saying to the followers of Christ today?

To Him Who Overcomes, I Will Give to Eat from the Tree of Life: Christians have been reborn for victory (1 John 4:4-6). All powers that oppose God are to be overcome through the faith, love, and hope of those who follow Jesus. Each of the seven churches in Asia is called to overcome, just as Jesus Christ Himself overcame (Revelation 3:21; 5:5). In the Revelation it is indicated clearly who it is that seeks to overcome the Church: Satan, the accuser (Revelation 13:1) and his beast (Revelation 15:2). They will, however, be overcome legally (Revelation 12:10) and also through courageous spiritual battle (Revelation 17:14). The victory will often be achieved through death, just as Jesus Himself overcame sin, Satan, death, and God’s wrath through His vicarious death. Full salvation is promised to the overcomers as their inheritance.

We can incorporate “overcoming” in our personal lives when we take it upon us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus. This is not wrong, because Jesus said, “Whoever loves Me, keeps My commandments.” This obedience to the faith includes overcoming one’s own desires, wishes, weaknesses, and tendencies. The goal of our lives is not self-realization, but rather, the glorification of Christ in us.

The special overcoming to which Jesus called John through His spirit is something much more profound than mere self-denial. It relates to the end-time powers and forces, which Jesus’ Church is to conquer through His strength in faith, suffering, and death. However, no one is capable of such a feat in and of himself. Paul had written the church in Ephesus earlier that all Christians are to put on the armor of God. We would do well to study this instruction carefully and to follow it (Ephesians 6:11-12).

Jesus has authority to grant grace to those who overcome during the end times, and such that our minds can hardly comprehend. He Himself is the greatest of all gifts! But He also stands before us as the One who gives to each that which He has promised. In the seven letters there are twelve promises, which are trophies to be given to those who love Jesus more than honor or might, and who prefer to die rather than deny their Lord.

What is the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God? We read in Genesis 2:9 that the tree of life stood in the middle of the Garden of Eden. Whoever would eat of this tree would live eternally. This promise, mentioned again in Revelation 22:2,14,19, is both the final and the greatest promise, one that includes all other promises, because it deals with immortality, one of God’s own characteristics. Whoever washes their clothes spotless in the blood of the lamb receives eternal life – even today (John 3:15-18).

This promise to the church in Ephesus is strong enough to overpower the church members’ fears of martyrdom. The church was to be prepared for merciless persecution in the end times. That is why Jesus called the attention of those who overcome by faith to the eternal life that awaits them.

A tree of life in the paradise of God* is also mentioned in Revelation 2:7. According to Revelation 22:2, such trees of life stand in the middle of the New Jerusalem. This means that eternal life is found wherever God’s presence is. From the Cross Jesus, as the representative of mankind, assured the criminal being crucified beside Him that he would be with Him in paradise that day (Luke 23:43). Jesus and God the Father will be present in Paradise. Christians do not anticipate earthly delights in paradise, as is promised to Muslims in the Qur’an; rather, they long to return home to their Father and Savior. They are the family of God, His very own guests and children. Jesus promised them: “In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). Moreover, Jesus prayed the following in his high-priestly prayer: “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).

* The Persian word paradise means a small, enclosed garden.

PRAYER: We are ashamed to raise our eyes to You, incarnate love, because You loved us that much to die for us on the cross, while we only love ourselves and our clan feeling no concern about the widows, the orphans, the simple and the infidels. Forgive us our selfishness and fill our hearts with the divine love that we may glorify You indeed, and overcome our weakness by the power of the Holy Spirit.

QUESTION:

  1. What are the shortcomings of the pastor of the church in Ephesus and what is he promised if he overcame himself in the power of the Holy Spirit?

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