Revelation 2:1-11 Ephesus and Smyrna Parkdale Grace Fellowship Sunday PM, March 4, 2012 These seven churches were each actual historic churches that were in existence at the time this book was written. John, who received this message from Jesus for the seven churches would have personally known each of the churches and likely knew their pastors. The condition that is described of each church in these two chapters would have been an accurate description of the actual conditions in each church. There was back then, just as there is today, a great variety of different spiritual conditions existing in the various different churches. There has never been a point in history when we could say that all of the churches were identical or even much the same in their spiritual temperature and level of maturity. There have always been zealous churches and lukewarm churches co-existing in the same time frame. Even in times of revival there have been some churches that were in apostasy and decline. So one of the messages of this chapter is that right from the beginning there has always been diversity and variety in the spiritual climate of the church of God. However, keeping this truth in mind that there is variety, there have often been prevailing trends that commonly characterize the average church of any given period of history. And many who have studied the book of Revelation have noticed a pattern in the descriptions of the churches in chapters two and three that parallels in many ways the pattern that Christianity has broadly followed through its history. What is the significance behind the message to these seven churches as an introduction to a book that is dedicated to revealing the future? Is there a veiled prophetic message in chapters two and three? Is it possible that the factual conditions of these historical churches, listed in the particular order in which they have been arranged, also serve as types representing general stages of church history? We can see a definite pattern in these seven churches that corresponds in a very general way with church history from the time of Christ up to the present. Keep in mind that at every stage of church history there have probably always been examples of all seven churches in existence at any time. Some students of Revelation have suggested that the second and third chapters are in a very subtle way a prophetic revelation of the unfolding history of the church age. Here in this study I suggest a possible correspondence between each of these churches and the period of church history that they represent. This is somewhat speculative because there is no indication in the scripture itself that these chapters serve as typology pointing to seven general periods of church history, and certainly not all scholars agree or accept the following outline. However, if you are at all familiar with church history I think that you will agree that there is a very interesting correspondence between the characteristics of these churches and the characteristics of various stages of church history. The seven local churches in Asia addressed in Revelation 2 and 3 seem to parallel and represent seven periods of church history over the last two thousand years. The seven periods of church history represented by these seven churches are not precise periods of time with an exact starting date and a definite cutoff date. These periods all overlap and blend into each other. However
2 below is a general classification of the periods of church history that seem to most clearly correspond with the order of the seven churches: 1. The Ephesian Church represents the Apostolic church age up to the end of the first century. 2. The Smyrna Church represents the persecuted church of all ages but particularly parallels the early church under official Roman persecution by ten Emperors from Nero to Diocletian, during the years 60 313 AD. 3. The Pergamos Church represents the beginning of Roman Catholicism characterized as the compromising church period in which the church married the state beginning with Emperor Constantine in 313 AD. 4. The Thyatira Church is characterized as the corrupt church and represents the deepening of Roman Catholicism under the popes and the establishing of the worship of Mary. This period runs primarily through the dark ages up to the protestant reformation. 5. The Sardis Church is characteristic of the Reformation church of 1517 AD and following. 6. The Philadelphia Church represents the period of spiritual awakenings and great missionary outreach from about 1660 to the early 1900 s AD. 7. The Laodicean Church portrays the liberal ecumenical church of the 20 th and 21 st Century. Because our primary focus in this study of Revelation is to get a good general overview of the prophetic message of this book I will therefore focus largely in chapters two and three on the prophetic significance of chapters two and three. Though I acknowledge that is not the primary message of these two chapters. EPHESUS (First Century Church) Revelation 2:1, To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:" The word angel is literally messenger. Therefore it is believed that the messenger of the church of Ephesus was referring to the pastor of the church of Ephesus as John would not be writing to an angelic being. So now this verse gives us a key to interpreting 1:16 & 20, He had in His right hand seven stars... 20 the seven stars are the angels [messengers/ pastors] of the seven churches. (The Bible itself is the best key for interpreting the Bible.) The Lord holds the pastors in His right hand and walks in the midst of the churches. For churches facing persecution these are words of comfort: we are in the palm of His hand, and He is in the midst of us. Ephesus was the shipping port and center of commerce for 230 cities in the interior of Asia Minor. Therefore the Apostle Paul made Ephesus one of his main centers for evangelistic outreach. As a result the church at Ephesus became the Mother church and ministry center for all the surrounding communities. Ephesus was one of the primary and most influential churches of the first century.
3 Vs. 2-3, " I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name s sake and have not become weary." The Lord acknowledges the good works of the Ephesian church. Vs.4, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love." How important is it to have a passionate, fervent love for the Lord? What is more important in God s sight, to work diligently and patiently for the Lord s sake, or to give Him your love? The Lord makes it clear love is greater than service. Vs.5, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent." What were the first works and why did God prefer them to their present works? Verse four has the answer. The first works were motivated by love. Fervent spiritual love will produce all kinds of service that the Lord will delight in. The early church at Ephesus had spread the gospel and planted churches all over Asia Minor because of their great love for the Lord. But now their service was loveless and sterile and no longer bearing fruit to the glory of God. Vs.6, "But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." The Nicolaitans were a heretical sect of professing Christians. They sought to establish a compromise with paganism, to enable Christians to take part without embarrassment in some of the social and religious activities of the close-knit society in which they lived. (The New Bible Dictionary) As a result they became characterized by sensuality, encouraging the participation of Christians in pagan feasts which involved idol worship and sexual immorality. Vs.7, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. This tree of Life refers to the tree of life that once existed in the Garden of Eden (Gen.3:22-24) and will again be physically available to believers who overcome when they get to heaven, Revelation 22:1-2, "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." The tree of life is also a picture of Jesus who is spiritually available to believers today. The church at Ephesus is a type representing all the churches of the 1 st century apostolic age. The early church was zealous in their love for Jesus. Acts 8:4 says they went everywhere preaching the word so that by the end of the first century churches had been planted in virtually every
4 corner of the Roman Empire and beyond reaching to India and possibly as far east as China. But toward the end of that first century the love of many was growing cold, many heretical sects were springing up and many of the second generation were abandoning the faith of the pioneers. At the end of his life Paul was grieved by this cooling off trend in the church as he writes his last letter to Timothy. 2 Timothy 1:15, "This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes." 2 Timothy 2:16-18, "But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some." 2 Timothy 4:9-16, "Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica... 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. 15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. 16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them." Notice the warning of Revelation 2:5, repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place. The church eventually did disappear from many of those great early Christian centers like Ephesus, Jerusalem, Antioch, Thessalonica and Corinth. The Lord removed the lampstand from its place. The greater Church of Jesus Christ however did not die. New centers sprang up as the church was plunged into two hundred years of great persecution which strengthened the church immensely. This next period of official Roman persecution in history is represented by the message written to the church in Smyrna. SMYRNA (Persecuted Church late 1 st century to 313 AD) Revelation 2:8, "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:" Smyrna had a reputation for being one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was a very prosperous city with a great emphasis on culture and the arts. But the Christians of this city were outcast, persecuted and cut off from society because of their faith. Vs.9, "I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." Notice in verse 8, the Lord identifies with their suffering by reminding them of His own death and victory over death.
5 The name Smyrna comes from myrrh, a balsam herb which grew in the area. When the stems of this shrubby tree are bruised, they give off a liquid... it is the blood of the tree and has several uses as a spice and a medicine. Myrrh is the biblical symbol of the suffering and death of Christ. Myrrh was one of the gifts given to baby Jesus. See its association with Jesus suffering in Mark 15:23, (Myrrh is also a pain-killing drug). "Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it." And Jesus body would have been embalmed in myrrh and aloes as they were the main spices used for embalming. Therefore with this symbolism the church of Smyrna represents the suffering church of all ages, but particularly describes the early church persecuted under the Roman Empire. Vs.10, "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Ten specific days of great persecution must have come upon this poor church in Smyrna but we have no record of it in history. Here is some of what we do know of the church in Smyrna and it is consistent with the characteristic of suffering: Polycarp, a disciple of the Apostle John, was the senior pastor of the church in Smyrna for more than 50 years following this Revelation. At the time of his death in 155 AD, he was led into the arena to be martyred for the entertainment of the crowd. Following Polycarp s death we are told that 2300 martyrs shed their blood in Smyrna, refusing to renounce their faith in Christ. (LeRoy Gager, p.81) Some have suggested that the ten days of tribulation may also have a prophetic element and is believed by some to possibly refer to ten periods of officially sanctioned persecution endured by many churches under ten Emperors of Rome beginning with Nero, Domitian, and Trajan in the first Century. Then in the second century the persecution continued under Marcus, Aurelius, Antonius and Severus. In the third century Maximus, Decius, Valerian and Aurelian all continued to persecute the church. And finally in the fourth century the last Roman emperor to persecute the church was Diocletian. Ten days of tribulation and ten emperors in all who officially sanctioned persecution of the church during the time of their reign. (LeRoy Gager, p.80) It was the conversion of Constantine who became emperor in 313 AD which brought an end to the official Roman persecutions of the church. However, it is significant to note that it has been said that the Church was never so pure as when it was in the fires of persecution. Vs. 10b-11, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." Believers are encouraged by this reminder of what awaits them after death. While their persecutors could take their physical lives, it would only result in their receiving great reward, including the crown of life. The crown of life is one of several crowns promised to Christians
6 (cf. 1 Cor. 9:25; 1 Thes. 2:19; 2 Tim. 4:6-8; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev. 4:4). The crown of life is also mentioned in James 1:12. (Dwight Pentecost, p. 935) The Lake of Fire is the second death which is no threat to the child of God Revelation 20:14, "Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." Much of this material on chapters 2 and 3, particularly the parallels with seven periods of church history, is gleaned from John Walvoord s commentary, The Revelation of Jesus Christ and from LeRoy Gager s commentary on Revelation, The Second Exodus, Chapters 7-11. Copyright 2012 by Parkdale Grace Fellowship Permission: You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.