A Review
Before we examine the first four of the seven letters to the churches in Asia, let us review some things. Why were these seven churches selected? Why were these seven churches specifically named? We don’t know exactly, but scholars have advanced several reasons or theories for this. I would like to share just a few of those for our edification.
Some emphasize the fact that these churches are located on a road that formed something of a “circle” throughout the interior of the province. Beginning with Ephesus, you could actually trace and go northward and make kind of a big loop around. There was a “royal road” that went through those areas. So some would say, well, those churches were logical choices because of their location.
Some have suggested that perhaps these seven churches were seven churches where John had done missionary work. So because these are the churches where he did his work, then these are the logical choice for the Lord to select and have these things to say. Of course, we have no specific evidence of that in the Scriptures.
Others have said that only these seven churches wore a title of “metropolis,” and were chief cities on the postal districts of the province. We know this is a fact from history itself. Indeed, these seven cities in the 1st Century were major cities. Not all of them equal, and a better word to describe them would be “prominent”—they were prominent cities in the 1st Century.
Another reason advanced for selecting these seven churches is that the number “7” is so prominent in the book of Revelation. As a matter of fact, in our very first lessons we talked about some of the symbolism in the book and numbers are significant. The number “7” is used some 54 times in the book of Revelation. It was regarded by the people of the day as a symbol of perfection. The reasoning is that the number “7” indicates not just those seven congregations. Yes, the letters are addressed to seven specific congregations. They were there—we know that from the Scriptures and also from history itself. But because the number “7” represents “perfection,” what is said in these seven letters to these seven churches transcends and goes beyond just what was applicable to those seven churches—but that what is said goes beyond to all of the churches, both those that existed in the 1st Century, as well as churches throughout the ages.
With this idea in mind, then the conditions and the circumstances of the church at large are dealt with. Yes, specific things pertaining to those specific congregations are dealt with. But once again, these transcend and go beyond just those particular churches. There is a very early canon of the Scriptures dating from the year 170 A.D. We know that a canon is a compendium [a concise but comprehensive summary] of the Scriptures. It is the earliest canon where all of the books of the New Testament are actually listed therein. It also has a number of footnotes. One of the footnotes contained in this particular canon says, “For John also, though he wrote in Revelation to seven churches, nevertheless speaks to them all.”So this was something of a commentary, if you will, that was made in that very early canon of the Scripture.
Again, we don’t know the exact reason why seven, and specifically these seven, churches were selected. I suppose it really isn’t critical to our understanding, but I like to think that this latter reason we’ve been talking about is perhaps one that applies. Yes, seven specific congregations are selected, letters are addressed to them discussing and talking about specific issues they had in that day, but that those apply to us even today.
Here is something else to note: It is evident that the letters did not circulate separately. In other words, these were not like the “separate epistles” that Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, for example, or to the church in Colosse, and so on. These were not individual letters. These were intended to be and have always been a part of this apocalyptic book that we call Revelation.
Here are some common features that we might note as we look at these letters.
First of all, they are all dictated by the Lord Himself. Each one is addressed to the angel of the specific church. Except for Laodicea, the titles by which the Lord describes Himself are all drawn from the vision that is recorded in chapter 1. The titles by which the Lord describes Himself in the letter to the church in Laodicea are drawn, instead, from the salutation of the book, verse 5 and 6. We will notice these as we go through and you will see that each one is going to have a statement of how the Lord addresses Himself, or how He describes Himself.
Again, keep in mind that these are not just arbitrary things that He said; they are things that have come from the first part of the book of Revelation. We can look in the vision, beginning with [chapter 1] verse 12, and we can see the description. John is describing here what he sees and then these will be terms or descriptions that the Lord is going to choose, and each one is going to be different in each of the seven letters. As we said, the description there for the church in Laodicea is found in verses 5 and 6, part of the salutation.
Another commonality to all these letters is the structure that they contain. Not all of the letters possess each element due to certain local conditions. Nevertheless, each one follows primarily this structure. First of all, there is a “salutation,” or a greeting from the Lord. Secondly, there is Christ’s description of Himself, which, as we pointed out, comes from what has already been stated in chapter 1. Then, third, there is His appeal or His warning. Fourth is His exhortation that He gives to each of the seven churches, an exhortation such as, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” [2:7]. That will be common throughout each one of these seven letters. And then finally, He issues a promise to each one of these seven churches that He writes to.
In the last four letters, the fourth and the fifth element are in reverse order. In the letters to Smyrna and to Philadelphia, there are no words of “condemnation,” while in the letter to Laodicea there are no words of “commendation.”
Objectives in Studying this Chapter:
1) To examine the first four of seven letters to the churches in Asia, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira.
2) To glean what we can about the condition of each church: Their strengths and weaknesses, the warnings and promises given.
3) To note that the fulfillment of most promises will be described later in the visions to come.
LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS (verses 1-7)
Let’s begin looking at what is said in the letter to the church in Ephesus. We’ll read the first seven verses of Revelation, chapter 2.
The Lord’s Self-Designation
Verse 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:
(Notice over in chapter 1 where that description is found—again, part of the vision that John had.)
Commendation (verses 2-3, 6); Commendation and Warning (verses 4-5); Exhortation and Promise (verse 7)
Verse 2: “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;
[Verse 3] and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My Name's sake and have not become weary.
[Verse 4] Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
[Verse 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.
[Verse 6] But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
[Verse 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.”
An Introduction to the City of Ephesus
The City of Ephesus was very significant in its day. It was a beautiful city and, as a matter of fact, it was one of the most important cities in the Roman province of Asia at that time. It was located at the mouth of the Cayster River and it was an important commercial center. There was a road that led down to the harbor and ones like John and Paul may have disembarked from a ship right there and walked up to the City of Ephesus. That area has been filled in with silt over the last 2,000 years, and the Aegean Sea is now, they say, some seven miles distant from what was the City of Ephesus. But in the 1st Century, Ephesus was a very important harbor city. And it is an ancient city, dating all the way back to the 12th Century B.C. Pergamos [also “Pergamus”] was the capital city of the province in the 1st Century, and we’ll talk more about Pergamos later, but Ephesus was the sea port and the commercial center, as well as the center of the worship of Diana, or Artemis.
Ephesus had been sacred to the worshippers of Diana for centuries, and the temple, which was dedicated to her, was rebuilt after a fire in 365 B.C. It continued to be used and to be a prominent center of worship for this “goddess of fertility” until 262 A.D. This temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world in that day. It was 200 feet wide and 425 feet long. It was four times the size of the Parthenon in Athens. It had 120 columns, each one of them 60 feet high and each one a gift from a king. The image of Diana in this temple was believed to have fallen from the heavens (we can read about that in Acts 19, verse 35: [“And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: ‘Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?’”]). This temple was regarded to be the most sacred in the ancient pagan world. The City of Ephesus took great pride and great pleasure in being referred to and known as the “temple keeper of Artemis.”
Thinking about what we can read about the City of Ephesus and this pagan worship, we could turn to the book of Acts and make some references to some things that we learn there. Acts, chapter 19 [verse 24], talks about the sacred “shrines” that were dedicated to Artemis there. The temple was not only a place of worship, but also a place where great wealth was kept. It was something of an ancient “bank.” It was also a sanctuary for criminals who found refuge there regardless, apparently, of the crime committed. I had not realized that until I read that in my study. You will recall that under the Old Law, the children of Israel had “safe cities.” Those who had committed certain types of crimes were able to go to those safe cities and find refuge. Apparently here in the temple of Diana in the City of Ephesus, any criminal who had committed any kind of a crime could find safe harbor. The distance of safety was a “bow shot” from the Temple. Now I suppose one could argue about how far someone could shoot an arrow from a bow. If you happen to get caught by someone, maybe you could make an argument that you were in that safe distance.
The type of worship to Diana was a mixture of Greek and oriental cultic practices in which prostitution figured very strongly. In addition, Ephesus was the center of worship to the emperors. The officials of the imperial temples are mentioned in Acts 19, verse 31.
Now here is something of a contrast. In the 1st Century, Ephesus becomes a principal center for Christianity. We know that the apostle Paul was instrumental in establishing the church there. He briefly spent some time in the City of Ephesus on his second missionary journey. We can read about that in Acts, chapter 18. Then on his third missionary journey, he spent a significant amount of time in that city, possibly as much as three full years, Acts 20, verse 31 [Paul, speaking to the elders of the church in Ephesus: “Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”] The church grew and was so successful in its growth that it had a significant affect on paganism, on this pagan worship of Diana, or Artemis. The effect was such that a riot broke out there in the City of Ephesus. Those who were particularly involved in the trade of selling the images or icons of the idol [Diana] became highly upset because of the influence of Christianity. We can read about that riot in Acts, chapter 19.
While Paul was working in the City of Ephesus, Christianity spread throughout the entire province. We believe that Paul used Ephesus as a base of operations—particularly during the period of time that he was there, perhaps as long as three years—as he went out into other areas of the region preaching and teaching and establishing other congregations. We might also recall that Paul had a meeting with the elders of the church in Ephesus, Acts, chapter 20, beginning with verse 17. We know that they came and met him at a place called Miletus, and there Paul talked to them and they said farewell. During the time that Paul was with them, he warned them about some things that they would face. And it is to this church, the church in Ephesus, that Paul addresses a letter that we know as Ephesians. This is one of his “prison letters,” and was carried to Ephesus by Timothy.
One other thing that is significant about the city is that we know that it is generally believed that Ephesus became the apostle John’s final place of abode, even after he was released from his exile on Patmos. He came to Ephesus and spent the last years of his life there in that city and in that area.
The Lord’s Self-Designation (verse 1)
In the salutation of this letter [verse 1], Christ describes Himself as the one “holding the seven stars in His right hand” and “walking in the midst of” His churches. He is saying that He holds their spiritual life in His grasp, and He is in close proximity to all of His churches. He reminds them that He knows His churches, and His knowledge of His churches is borne out in the letters that follow. The Lord mentions, or makes an illusion to, geographical things, cultural things, things that were unique and specific to a region, or to a city, or to a particular congregation, confirming that He knows. He knew His churches then; He knows His people and His churches now.
Commendation (verses 2-3 and 6)
We see in verses 2 and 3 that He praises their toil, their work, their effort, and their patient endurance, an endurance that bore up under all kinds of difficulties, all kinds of struggling, and all kinds of suffering. They did so, He says, without growing “weary.”That is a wonderful testimony. Any congregation of the Lord’s people would be glad to receive that evaluation from the Lord.
He also praises them because of their vigilance in looking out for and identifying those who would be false prophets, false apostles, and they were apparently good at doing this. You will recall that Paul had warned the elders of the church of Ephesus about that very thing—that there would be some who would rise from their very midst [either from among the elders themselves, or from among the congregation of the Lord’s people in Ephesus] who would teach false things. So the Ephesian elders apparently took that warning to heart and they were good at identifying those who would be false teachers. They were also vigilant as they looked out for others who would have a negative impact on the Lord’s church and on the work there, specifically the Nicolaitans [verse 6]. The Lord said to them “you have identified them”—“you hate them just as I hate them.”
Well who are these Nicolaitans? We don’t know exactly. They are not specifically identified here. They are mentioned again in verse 15 in the letter to the church at Pergamos. We see that they are closely identified with the teaching of Balaam. Apparently they were those who were teaching that it was all right to compromise with the world—to engage in heathen, pagan festivals. They were apparently not teaching or not pushing this practice on worldly people, but they were pushing it on Christians. In effect, they were saying, “You can do this and you won’t damage your relationship with the Lord; you won’t have any negative effect on your soul.” They perhaps took part in a form of popular error in that day that made a radical distinction between “acts of the flesh” and “acts of the spirit,” believing and teaching that nothing done by the flesh could have any affect on the spirit. In this way, they could justify compromising and being involved in immoral behavior. Even though we don’t know specifically who they are, historians in the 2nd Century mention these people again. In fact there are several, including Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus and others, who mention them and they are always identified as individuals involved in lives of self indulgence.
Well, the Ephesian church had vigorously opposed their false teaching, and so the Lord had some good things to say about them, their work, their patience, their endurance, their ability to endure suffering and persecution, their vigilance in watching out for false teachers, and even people such as the Nicolaitans.
Condemnation and Warning (verses 4-5)
“Good job,” but, there is that word “nevertheless,” that we run into there in verse 4. The Lord had something against this church. They were outstanding in what they did; but they were also negligent. The Lord says they had left their “first love”—the love that they had had at first [verse 4]. What is the Lord talking about here? What is it that they have left? It could be several things. Perhaps, though, it doesn’t deal with doctrinal issues. You know, at first we might look and say, well, maybe they have the “spirit of denominationalism.” Maybe they are not doctrinally sound. Maybe they are drifting away from the faith. Maybe…but on the other hand, they’ve just been praised for being diligent and identifying false apostles, and hating the Nicolaitans and not having anything to do with their teachings, and so on. So maybe it wasn’t a doctrinal issue or a doctrinal problem that they had there at all.
What was it? Well, we really don’t know, but several writers whom I have read suggest that it might have been their love for one another. Was it that they maintained their vigilance, their doctrinal soundness, perhaps even their love for the Lord, but their love for one another had waned? Was this what the Lord is now criticizing them about?
We can’t be certain. All we can say is that they had lost their “first love,” what they had loved at first. We see that the Lord makes an appeal to them, and if you stop and think about it, this appeal that He makes to the Christians here in Ephesus is the same appeal that He makes to everyone today. It is a three-part appeal that we see in verse 5 of the text. Let’s look at that again: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen.” Everyone needs to remember from where you have fallen—remember what the Lord has done for you. The second part of the Lord’s appeal is, “repent.” Stop doing what you are doing; turn around; have a change of heart. And the third component of His appeal is, “do.” Remember, repent, and do. Take action. If you repent of the actions that you’ve been involved with, that have, or that would cause the Lord to be critical of you, then, take action. Don’t do them any more! “Take action to do the things that the Lord would have you to do,” I believe, is the Message here for these Christians.
Comments from class members as to possibilities of why they had left their first love:
Joe Mahaffey makes the comment that “leaving their first love” may have been an indication that they had actually left the Lord. Maybe there was a Pharisaical attitude there, where they were keeping the “jots and the tittles,” but they had left their real love for the Lord and the recognition of what He had done for them.
Dennis Gruening pointed out Acts 20:35, where Paul warned the elders of the Ephesian church. Dennis was saying, “Amen….” He also mentioned that in loving the Lord, there must also be an evangelistic spirit if one is to be a follower of the Lord. Perhaps while they were being correct in the outward things that they did, they had lost the zeal—the desire—to share the Gospel with others.
Mark Wilkerson said, yes, that is possible, and, of course, we see this as something that, no doubt, every one of us fights against and deals with. We lose our exuberance; we lose the fire and fervor that we had when we first became Christians. We forget about the great sacrifice that was made for us and lose our enthusiasm about sharing that with other.
Marlin Akers points out that we don’t know the full history of these churches and we don’t know when they actually ceased being identified, when their lampstand was removed, not only the church in Ephesus, but the others that we are reading about in Revelation 2 and 3.
Now with some of these congregations, there is some thread of history that points out, like the church in Ephesus, where the church apparently continued on for a couple hundred years at least. We do know that in about the 6th Century, in that area (which is now the country of Turkey) the spread of Islam took place. One thing we can certainly say is that in some cases those cities are not there at all. They are still under rubble and dirt, and there are certainly no congregations of the Lord’s people in any of those places. Their lampstands have been removed somewhere along the line. When did they become a “denomination”? Certainly all of these ideas are possible and good comments.
Condemnation and Warning (continued) (verses 4-5)
The Lord has an exhortation. He says that He “will come…quickly and remove your lampstand” unless they repent. We talked about the implication of the lampstand. It represented their “association”—their being a part of the Body of Christ. If the Lord removes the lampstand, then they are no more the Body of Christ. Apparently they did repent, because we know from both the Biblical record, as well as from church history, that there was a congregation of the Lord’s people there in the City of Ephesus clear up until about the 3rd Century. So apparently they did repent. The Lord did not, at least immediately, remove their lampstand.
When the Lord says, “I will come to you quickly” [verse 5], His coming probably does not refer to the second coming, the Day of Judgment, but, rather, it refers to the preliminary visitation of God’s judgment upon disobedient people.
Exhortation and Promise (verse 7)
Verse 7introduces us to the first instance of the formula that is common to all seven Messages. The exhortation here that the Lord gives says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” That sounds very familiar.
That is a phrase that the Lord used a number of times during His earthly ministry. We can go back to the Gospel accounts and see in three of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, each one of them reporting occasions when Jesus had this similar statement to make: “He who has an ear, let him hear.” This exhortation that the Lord gives here, and that He will give in each of the seven letters, reminds us that while each church receives a specific Message, the other churches are to heed the Message as it may well apply to them! We have mentioned this already, but it’s worth mentioning again. Yes, these were epistles. No they weren’t individual epistles that were sent out individually. They were a part of this entire book that we call “Revelation.” But, nevertheless, they were individual epistles to seven churches. These churches were real churches—they existed. What is described are real conditions—real circumstances—real situations. So, since this was written to the church in Ephesus, can we just ignore then what the Lord has said to them? No, not at all! Neither would have the churches at Smyrna, Laodicea, Philadelphia, Thyatira, Pergamos and Sardis ignored what was written to the church in Ephesus. As they would all read this epistle, they would have looked at each one of these letters and seen how it applied to them. That’s what we should do today as well!
Revelation is also addressed specifically to each one of us as individual Christians. The one who conquers—the one who is faithful to the end—is a victorious one. The Lord says here that that one will “eat from the tree of life,” and partake of everlasting life, that which was forfeited in the Garden of Eden in the long ago. Christ restores for man what Adam lost for man. Yet, it depends on individual faithfulness to share in this blessedness, doesn’t it? Yes, we are a congregation. We are, as a group of people, the called out. We comprise a part of the church of Christ universally. But we will be responsible individually. We must be obedient individually. We must live our lives individually, and we will answer individually to the Lord. Yes, it depends on the faithfulness of each individual Christian to be able to share this blessedness.
The Lord refers to “the Paradise of God.”I thought it was interesting that this word that is translated into the English “paradise” is actually a word that was brought over from the Persian language into Greek, and it literally means “a park” or “a garden.” Well, many of the descriptions and terms that we are going to see in the book of Revelation are terms that will appeal to the human mind—to the human intellect. They are not necessarily descriptive of what is actually being stated. In other words, does God really have “a park”—a “theme park” maybe? Does he really have “a park” prepared? I don’t think so. I think what He has prepared for us—a place that we will share eternity with Him, with His Son, with the Holy Spirit, with the heavenly hosts—is a place that is so appealing that we can’t put it into words adequately enough to describe it! But certainly the understanding, or idea, of “a park” or “a beautiful garden” helps us to approximate that phrase, “Paradise of God.”
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA (verses 8-11)
Let’s move on now to the letter to the church in Smyrna.
Revelation, chapter 2, beginning with verse 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:
[Verse 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.
[Verse 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.
[Verse 11] 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.”’”
An Introduction to the City of Smyrna
Smyrna was directly north of Ephesus, about 35 miles. It was located right on the Aegean Sea and they had an excellent, very deep harbor there. It was apparently a very beautiful place. It was a “safe harbor.” It was called in that day—the 1st Century—“the Port of Asia.” The City of Smyrna had been founded in the 3rd Century BC. It had a lovely climate; it was said to be a delightful place to live. The City was well thought out and well laid out. It was laid out in rectangles with well-paved streets. It had a famous street called “the Street of Gold,” which ran from the Temple of Zeus to the Temple of Cybele. The hill that rose behind the city was crowned with beautiful temples and public buildings and the hill was called “The Crown of Smyrna.” The city had been long noted for its devotion to Rome. They had erected a temple to the Goddess Roma, the personification of Rome, in 195 BC. Cicero called Smyrna “one of our most faithful and most ancient allies.” It is not strange, then, that this should become a center for emperor worship in the New Testament period. We are going to see that the Lord makes a comment about worship in this letter that He writes to the church in Smyrna.
The Lord’s Self-Designation (verse 8)
In the salutation of this book of Revelation, chapter 1, verse 8, Christ describes Himself as the One Who was dead and lived again. No doubt this was to help encourage Christians, like these ones here in Smyrna, in their times of testing and suffering. The Lord had overcome death and He was now—is now—continues to be— the Living Lord.
Commendation (verse 9a)
“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich)”… [verse 9a]. Jesus says that He “knows” the church—He “knows” this group of Christians here, and He “knows” what they have gone through and the affliction they have endured—their “poverty,” their imprisonment. And though they were poor, yet they were “rich.” The implication is very clear here. They were “rich” spiritually. They may have been destitute in material things. They may have even had their property and their possessions pillaged by these hostile Jews or others, but because of their faithfulness, they were “rich” in spiritual things. We notice that the Lord does not promise His followers that, even though they may be faithful and devoted, they will not escape sufferings, or even physical death. After all, why should they? As their leader, Jesus Himself suffered. He was persecuted. He was treated unjustly. In the end, He was unmercifully crucified on a cross. He would say on one occasion and remind His disciples that “a disciple is not above his teacher,” Matthew 10, verse 24.
Exhortation and Promise (verses 9b-11)
This was a church which had undergone real persecution. It would appear that maybe the ringleaders in their persecution—those who were after them the most, so to speak—may very well have been local Jews who prided themselves in their blood and in their heritage, but were not real Jews, according to Christ. Paul speaks about he who “is not a Jew who is one outwardly, Romans, chapter 2, verse 28-29 [“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”]. Now, were these some Jews who had all the “exterior” things down—all the things like circumcision and their blood lines and their heritage—but in spirit, they were not Jews at all? We know from secular history that there was a large population of Jews here in the City of Smyrna. Indeed, Jesus will refer to them here as a “synagogue of Satan,” [verse 9b]. They were such in their blasphemy, speaking against Christ and His followers.
So He calls upon these Christians here in Smyrna to not be afraid [verse 10], but to be fruitful, regardless of the things that they will face. Is suffering and persecution justification for quitting the church? Is suffering and persecution justification for not working for the Lord? No. It wasn’t for these ones; it isn’t for us either.
Verse 10reminds them of whom the real source of their trouble is—who the real source of their persecution is. And this is a point that is going to be made repeatedly throughout Revelation. Who is it? Who is the real source of their trouble and their persecution—their suffering? It’s, of course, the devil. He says, “the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison.” This is a term called “proleptic”—that is, it anticipates something that will happen [proleptic: refers to the principle of prolepsis, or anticipation, which is defined as the tendency of the writer to anticipate in earlier sections, by mere allusion, what he is only to explain at a later point]. It is already happening—it will continue to happen. It’s not the devil, himself. The devil himself doesn’t come and put them in restraints and take them to prison. He uses those who are willing to follow him. In this case, it would have been, perhaps, civil authorities. It was certainly these Jews whom we have talked about earlier.
There is a period of time mentioned here—a period of “ten days,” [verse 10]. This is simply symbolic for the time of their persecution. It is not a literal number and doesn’t mean that they will be in prison for “ten days.” But it represents a “period of time,” and it is a small period of time, no doubt, to impress upon them that the period of their suffering is miniscule compared to eternity.
The Lord urges them to, “be faithful.” Literally, here the Greek means “go on being faithful,” even in the face of suffering, of persecution, and yes, even unto the penalty of “death.”The promise of the Lord here is that He will give them an everlasting “crown.”The word “crown” here is the word used in the Greek for the “wreath of victory,” which runners and other participants in athletic games won when they won the race or contest. It was a victor’s crown. You will recall that this is used on more than one occasion by the apostle Paul. For example, as he wrote to Timothy, Paul anticipated a “crown of righteousness” that was “laid up for him,” and for “all” those who were faithful, 2 Timothy 4, verse 8 [“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing”.].
The promise is made to the one who overcomes. He will receive that crown—that victor’s crown—and he will also not be harmed or hurt by what the Lord refers to here as “the second death,” [verse 11]. Now, what does He mean—what is He talking about when He talks about the “second death”? This will be a term which will be used several times in Revelation.
Let’s look in Revelation, chapter 20, verse 6: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Here this term, “second death,” is being used once again, but to what does it refer? Let’s look at verse 14 of Revelation chapter 20: “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” Also, look at chapter 21, verse 8, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Well, we see that the “second death” is the equivalent of being thrown into this “lake of fire and of brimstone.” It’s another way of saying that one who shrinks from the sufferings of persecution and physical death will be eternally separated from God’s fellowship and will be under God’s condemnation.
Elsewhere in the New Testament, the eternal destiny of the wicked is described as “death.” For example, as Paul writes in Romans 6, verse 23, he talks there about this very thing [“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”]. Now obviously, we’re not talking about—the Lord is not talking about—Paul was not talking about—“physical death.” No, He’s talking about a “spiritual death.” The unbeliever who comes to physical death will also experience the “second death”—an eternal separation from the fellowship and the blessings of God, as Paul says in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse 9 [“These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”]
Eternal punishment—there are many metaphors and euphemisms [euphemism: the use of a less direct expression or word or phrase (the substitution) of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant; the expression/word/phrase which is substituted] that we see and that we use to represent “hell,” to represent “eternal punishment.” And I’m not sure this teaching about hell/eternal punishment was ever a popular teaching, but it certainly isn’t a popular teaching today—not for people in a society who want nothing but happiness, want nothing but to feel good about themselves and about others, who don’t want to be judgmental about their own actions, or behaviors, or those of others, as well.
There are many ideas such as “universalism,” for example, which suggests that any separation from God or punishment is only temporary, and in the end, all will be enjoying the benefits of an eternal home with God. There are those who believe in what is called “annihilation,” and that is, after death there is no experience, no knowledge, no feeling at all, for those who are in this state of condemnation. There are those who just don’t believe in any kind of separation or punishment at all. That’s not what we are going to read about and study about in the book of Revelation. Of course, it’s not the only book in the Bible that speaks about eternal punishment, but in this book it is made abundantly clear through the imagery that, indeed, there is a place, an eternal place of punishment, that is reserved for those who are outside of Christ—for those who are unbelievers.
As we finish looking at the church in Smyrna, it’s worth noting that this persecuted and suffering church is not condemned for any fault. They are a faithful congregation of the Lord’s people, suffering mightily, but nevertheless remaining faithful.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMOS (verses 12-17)
We’ll now move on to the church in Pergamum, or Pergamos.
Let’s read the text beginning with verse 12, “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:
[Verse 13] “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My Name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
[Verse 14] But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
[Verse 15] Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
[Verse 16] Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
[Verse 17] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’”
An Introduction to the City of Pergamum (Pergamos)
You may remember that one of the things that was outstanding about the City of Pergamum or Pergamos was that was where parchment was invented. This writing material was called parchment from the name of the city.
Pergamum was situated about 55 miles northeast of Smyrna. Remember that Smyrna is about 35 miles north of Ephesus, so we’re going north now, and inland from the Aegean Sea.
The 1st Century historian Pliny spoke of this city as being the most famous city in Asia. In about 240 BC, the Pergameneswon a great victory over the savage invading Gauls. History tells us that a great battle was fought there. To commemorate that victory, they built an altar to Zeus (Jupiter), in front of the temple that had already been consecrated to Athena. This altar was built on a ledge of rock and, because of its positioning and because of the architecture—being on the rock and with the background of the Temple of Athena—it had the appearance of being a great throne. And from its altar came the smoke of pagan sacrifices everyday. Do you suppose this is what the Lord had in mind when He talked about the “throne of Satan” here in Pergamos? Maybe so!
But, there were other pagan gods—other gods that they worshipped, that they followed after, that they sacrificed to, and so on. For example, there was Dionysus, the “god of wine,” whose cult was wide-spread in the 1st Century, including here at Pergamos. Then there was Asklepios, the “god of healing,” and his symbol was the wand with the coiled serpent, which remains even to this day as the world-wide emblem or symbol of the medical profession. So we have here a number of idols that were worshipped, a number of pagan gods that they worshipped, and even temples built to them.
But, in addition, Pergamos was the first city in Asia to establish emperor worship. They even built a temple that was dedicated to the divine Augustus, and the goddess Roma. Once again, this city became a center of emperor worship. It was during the reign of Domician, who reigned over the Roman Empire from AD 81 to AD 96, when emperor worship became a test of loyalty to those who lived in the empire. You were given a choice: you either worshipped and proclaimed Caesar as your lord and god or, if you did not do that, then you faced death. This is what was going on here in this ancient city.
We see many things that would have been deleterious [harmful to health or well-being; injurious], or would have made being a Christian and worshipping God very, very difficult! When you consider all of the pagan worship and when you consider, maybe most especially, emperor worship—you could get by with denying the pagan gods, but you couldn’t get by if you denied Caesar, the Emperor. Maybe it was all of this combined that caused the Lord to describe this city as being the place where “Satan’s throne” was [verse 13].
The Lord’s Self-Designation (verse 12)
The Lord describes Himself here as One Who has a “sharp two-edged sword” coming from His mouth.
Commendation (verse 13)
And we see that He commends the church here for holding fast to His Name and not denying the faith despite the place where they lived. We see that the Lord acknowledges, “I know where you dwell.” That may almost sound like a threatening statement—you know, someone says, “If you give me trouble, I know where you live!” No, the Lord is acknowledging here that this was a difficult place to be a Christian.
Thinking about this description or term of “Satan’s throne,” the term “throne” occurs 45 times in the Book of Revelation. When it is used in the New Testament, and also here in the book of Revelation, it is used to signify the “seat” or the “chair of state” for kings, for God, for Christ, for the 12 apostles as judges, and, in this instance, that Satan holds court here in Pergamos and is enthroned here. The fact that both Zeus and Asklepios bore the title of “savior,” in contrast to Jesus, would indicate just how strong paganism was here. As we said before, it was also the center of emperor worship, representing as “god” a ruler whose evil ways and persecuting policies were legion and were well-known at that time, and well-known even to today. The things that he did were devastating to the church. Again, the Lord knows and understands how difficult it was there for the church to live in this kind of environment. The test was made particularly poignant when “Antipas,” who the Lord describes as “My witness,” “My faithful one,” was killed. We don’t know who Antipas was. This is the only place where he is mentioned. We know that he was a faithful disciple; we know that he suffered the death of a “martyr,” as we might term it today. He gave his life for Christ, for his belief. And, notice, he is referred to by the Lord Himself and given a title that Jesus was also called—“the faithful witness,” Revelation 1, verse 5. Antipas’ death confirms that it was not an easy thing to be a Christian in Pergamum, with these strong pagan influences at the very seat of Satan’s power. Pressures must have been great upon these people to compromise themselves and to also tolerate such compromise.
Condemnation and Warning (verses 14-16)
All is good so far; however, the Lord says, “I have a few things against you.” While they resisted these pagans, while they held forth the Name of the Lord and they kept their faith, they entertained those who were called “Nicolaitans.” We can infer some things here. They were, perhaps, led by a “prophet” whom the Lord refers to as “Balaam.” Chances are his name was not “Balaam;” but, rather, the Lord here is making a parallel between what this leader was doing there within that church in Pergamum, and what the Balaam that we read about in Numbers, chapter 25, did with the children of Israel—he was the one who was responsible for teaching and urging Israel to engage in fornication and idolatry, and so on. This is, no doubt, the reason the Lord makes this parallel—these are the same things that the leader of the Nicolaitans is doing there among the Christians in Pergamum. They were being encouraged to eat at the table of gods, where they were compromising with the idolatry of the time. We know from Paul’s writings in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 10, verse 20, that God condemns such. Paul says you are not to have “fellowship with demons,” and he was making that statement in the context of those Christians in Corinth wanting to eat meat that had been sacrificed to these idols [“Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? 1 Corinthians 10:18-22].
Back to Pergamum, one of the biggest temptations they had, and I submit to you that it is one of our biggest temptations today, was to compromise with the world: compromising by watering down Christianity—watering down what we believe. There is a popular phrase that has been used in regard to education in some parts of our country. The terms that is used is “dumbing down.” There are many school systems apparently who bring down their standards of excellence and standards of learning to meet the level of sub-standard students, rather than raising the students to a higher standard. That was, perhaps, what those in Pergamum were doing. That is what we are tempted to do even today. Instead of lifting the world up to the high standards of Christ, we are tempted to lower ourselves and our standards down to theirs.
Several writers I have read say that here in this City of Pergamum, these pagan temples that we have described employed many, many people. The writers suggest that perhaps even some members of the church there in Pergamum may have been employed in the pagan temples as well. For them, it would have been extremely difficult not to eat and not to drink what was offered in honor of these pagan gods.
Again, the Lord says that He is going to bring the battle; He’s going to come with the “sword of His mouth”—the Word of God. And He will make war with His enemies—in this case, those who are false teachers. But we see that the entire church has been implicated—the entire church is called to repentance because of a spirit of compromise.
Exhortation and Promise (verse 17)
Then the Lord promises them what He refers to as “hidden manna.” “Manna”—is the food of God; the food at God’s heavenly banquet table. Now, think about that in contrast to the pagan banquets and feasts which were held, and in which some of these Christians may have been enticed or maybe even forced to be involved with and to participate in due to their employment. They compromised and participated in what was forbidden by the Lord. Now the Lord is offering here this great contrast to pagan banquets: “hidden manna”—the food of God; at the heavenly table of God.
He also promises what is referred to as the “white stone,” that is inscribed with the “new name” that “no one knows except the one who receives it.”
There are several different interpretations from those who have studied this. One interpretation is that this was a small stone that was used for counting or voting, signifying a jury-type of situation. If the white stone was drawn, it signified acquittal. If the black stone was drawn, it signified guilt. So the word-picture there is, if one is given the white stone, then they are acquitted—or not guilty. That’s one understanding.
Another interpretation is that the white stone refers to a little stone tablet upon which something was written.
Others have referred to this white stone as the tickets that were used and given for food and drink to victors in the games/contests/arena games entitling them to eat at public expense. We might be reminded of that metaphor used before about the crown in reference to the athletic games, and so on. This may be another metaphor.
Some have related the white stone to the stone on the Jewish high priest’s breastplate where were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
There are several other ideas that have been advanced. In fact, I have six or eight more written down here. But it probably refers to the high honor which the Lord will give to him who overcomes as one of His Own; that is, the individual to whom this image—this “white stone”—is given. The implication is that the “new name” that is “written” there is the individual’s name. It is my name—it is your name. It is the name of those who were faithful there in Pergamum—those who would repent and return to the Lord.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA (verses 18-29)
This is the longest of the seven letters and the Lord has much to say to the church in Thyatira. Let’s begin Revelation, chapter 2, verse 18: "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, Who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
[Verse 19] "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.
[Verse 20] “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
[Verse 21] “And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
[Verse 22]“Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.
[Verse 23] “I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He Who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
[Verse 24] “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.
[Verse 25] “But hold fast what you have till I come.
[Verse
26] “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until
the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
[Verse
27] “‘He shall rule them with a rod of
iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s
vessels’—as I also have received from My
Father;
[Verse 28] “…and I will give him the morning star.
[Verse 29] “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
A Reminder
You might be reminded of the order in which these letters are written. First of all, we see a consistency in each one of them where the Lord does sort of a self-designation, and then He will have some commendation to make, or some condemnation, as the case may be. Then He will make some promises, give some exhortations and then He will close out the letter. As we said in the Introduction, this is consistent throughout each of these letters. Even though they are written to seven different churches, they were not sent out separately as separate epistles, but rather contained in this one volume.
An Introduction to the City of Thyatira
Thyatira was not a very important city in its day. It was referred to as a “frontier town.” It was in decline in the latter part of 100 and 200 BC, but in the middle part of AD 100, Emperor Claudius, the emperor of Rome, began to revive this city as a center of trade and manufacturing. It seems to have been the center of a number of Trade Guilds. As a matter of fact, there are several which have been identified, both through written history and in excavations of this area. There were people who were involved in the trades of the making of dye, in cloth manufacturing, in the making of pottery, in brass making, as well as other trades. They were members of Trade Associations, or what we refer to today as Trade Unions. In fact, they say that more than, perhaps, any other ancient city, there may have been more Guilds, or Trade Associations, here in Thyatira than in any other city in the area of Asia.
Let me ask a question: Do we know of anyone else who we read about in the pages of the New Testament who was associated with this city? Does it ring a bell to you? How about in Acts, chapter 16, verse 14, a woman named Lydia? Do you remember where she was from? She was a seller of purple and she was from Thyatira. Well, there is a bit of a connection. She was involved, apparently, in one of the trade activities that this area was known for. Of course, we know from reading Acts, chapter 16, when Paul was in Philippi, that she became a Christian—she and her household. She was apparently there in Philippi on business-related matters, we assume. [Acts 16:14-15: “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ So she persuaded us.”]
As part of their fellowship and association together, these Guilds or Associations would have common meals. These meals were often held in some temple or in some other area where sacrifices were made to a patron god or goddess. Each one of the Trade Guilds had a god or a goddess that they worshiped that was associated with their trade. As they had these meetings and made these sacrifices, often drunken revelry would accompany these feasts.
The Lord’s Self-Designation (verse 18)
The church was planted in Thyatira. In addressing this church of Christ, Christ Himself refers to Himself as “the Son of God.” This title is found no where else here in the book of Revelation, although it is certainly implied. He is described as having “eyes like a flame of fire,” and “feet like fine brass,” or “burnished bronze,” according to other translations.
Here again, do we see a connection between this description of the Lord and what went on in the city of Thyatira? Well, I think we do. They were known for their Trade Associations and Unions that were associated with making of metals—of bronze, or brass. They used fire—very hot fire—to burnish the brass and to take out the impurities, and so on. This may be where this image of “fire” comes from. And then think of the image of these “feet” of the Lord Himself “like fine brass” or “burnished bronze,” depending on your translation. He is depicted as treading in powerful judgment upon those who oppose Him.
Commendation (verse 19)
There are many things for which the Lord will commend this church. We see that they are commended for their “love,” for their “faith,” for their “ministry,” and for their “patient endurance.” In fact, the Lord will compliment them, saying that the things that they were doing now were better—were greater—were of more significance than in the beginning.
Well, that is a good thing to note, because sometimes just the opposite is true, isn’t it? Particularly as we think of individuals as they become Christians. We use this term sometimes: “They are on fire for the Lord!” But then as time goes on, their work, their service, their faithfulness, and so on, dwindles away. Not so, apparently, with the church here in Thyatira. This was a church that was very active and very busy.
Condemnation and Warning (verses 20-23)
Yet, there was a problem—a very severe problem here. There was an evil leader in the midst of this church and this evil woman was in the process of corrupting and defiling the church. That woman is referred to as “Jezebel, who calls herself,” the Lord says, “a prophetess.” She, indeed, apparently had tremendous influence upon the church there. The Lord says that she was “teaching” and “seducing” the same false teaching that we have identified in other locations, specifically that of the Nicolaitans. She apparently had many who were following her. It is clear that she was violating the doctrine of Christ. She was encouraging and condoning and, perhaps, providing an outlet for these things.
We’re reminded, perhaps, of Acts, chapter 15, verse 29, where they were dealing with the problem of circumcision that Paul brought to the attention of the elders in Jerusalem. We recall the letter that was written by James, the brother of the Lord, and in that letter, among other things, was the instruction for those who read it to “abstain from sexual immortality,” “from things strangled,” and “from things offered to idols.”
Well, here we see those very things being done in this church. Now, her name was not “Jezebel.” It was rather to symbolize the Jezebel that we read about in 2 Kings, chapter 9, who had such a terrible effect upon the children of Israel. As a matter of fact, there is one translation that, instead of referring to her or calling her by the name, “Jezebel,” calls her “that Jezebel of a woman.” I think that is pretty accurate. That gives us a better understanding.
The Lord emphasizes that He had given her warnings before [verse 21]. We don’t know exactly how that was done. It may have even been through Paul or through John or some other inspired man. The Lord does not indicate. But she refused to “repent;” she and “those who commit adultery with her” refused to change. She is now at the end of the time of trying the Lord’s patience—He will not be patient with her any longer. She is at the end of the time that He has permitted, and judgment is coming upon her and upon those who participate in her “deeds.”
The Lord says that He will bring “death” upon “her children” [verse 23]. There is some discussion about what the Lord actually means here. Does He have in mind her physical family? Did she have children and offspring? Well, that could be—we don’t know. If that’s the case, perhaps that is what the Lord has in mind. Maybe this is similar to the son of that illicit relationship between David and Bathsheba who died [2 Samuel 11]. But more than likely, when the Lord is speaking about “her children,” He is referring to her disciples—those who were following her—those who were involved in these evil activities.
The implication here is very strong. What “her children,” “those who commit adultery with her,” were involved with was physical, sexual immorality—physical fornication. Also, we might point out that “sexual immorality” is an expression which is also used when speaking of being spiritual adulterers and adulteresses. That terminology is used both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Perhaps these people were involved in some kind of fertility rights—we don’t know. Regardless, they were involved in spiritual adultery. They had gone from their first love—love of the Lord—and were now following this “Jezebel of a woman.”
Again, it’s obvious that she has gone beyond the limit of God’s patience. Christ, therefore, will help all the churches to know that He understands the feelings and the thoughts of every man. He knows fully and perfectly each one, so that He can judge each one according to his works. […“and all the churches shall know that I am He Who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works,” verse 23].
One of the important things that is set forth in the Scriptures in a number of places, and is expressed here as well, is that God’s judgment will be executed against each of us according to the deeds—according to the actions of our lives. These obviously include not only the things that we do, the things that we don’t do, but also the feelings and the thoughts of our minds and hearts, which, as someone said, is the mainspring of one’s actions. [1 Chronicles 28:9b: “…for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” Proverbs 20:27: “The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being.” Hebrews 4:12-13: “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account.”]
So we have this dual look here at the church of Christ in Thyatira. They were full of “love,” and “faith,” and “patience,” and good “works,” and they were seemingly increasing in those. But they allowed something to fester within the church, which was tearing the church apart, and which was going to condemn a number of people in the church, perhaps even the entire church itself.
Exhortation and Promise (verses 24-29)
Yet, Jesus has a Message of hope to those who have not defiled themselves with these false teachings and so-called deep things or “the depths of Satan,” [verse 24]the things that really belong to Satan. First, the Lord says,“I will put on you no other burden,”and then exhorts them to “hold fast what you have till I come,” [verses 24b-25].
The Lord is making His promise to the one who conquers, to “he who overcomes,” [verse 26]. The Lord is putting those who “overcome” or “conquer” on an equivalent basis here. We have spoken in the past and know that as He talks about a “crown of righteousness,” there is the overtone of athletic games and the prize which was given. When He speaks here about “conquering” or “overcoming,” this has to do, again, with an athletic application, a number of athletic contests, and so on. For example, boxing and what was referred to as Grecian-type wrestling where one “conquered” another. But there is a qualification a person must meet to be a conqueror, an “overcomer.” The Lord says that he who “keeps My works until the end” is he who conquers, is “he who overcomes,” is he who, if you will, will receive the crown of righteousness.
The Lord’s promise is to give them “power,” or that He, rather, the Lord, will have “power” to overcome “nations” and “He shall rule them with a rod of iron”. He says that those “who overcome”—those who conquer—will be with Him in this ruling aspect [verses 26-27].
The victorious Christian shares in Christ’s glorious triumph, shares in His authority, and possesses Christ as an everlasting treasure. Whatever may be the inconveniences, whatever may be the difficulties, whatever may be the hardships along the way, the faithful Christian will share in all of the joy and all of the triumph of the victorious Christ. That is the Message to the church at Thyatira. That is the promise that the Lord makes to that church, and that promise extends to us today.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”