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 1^st Century, Ephesus was a very important harbor city. And it is an ancient city, dating all the way back to the 12^th Century B.C. Pergamos [also “Pergamus”] was the capital city of the province in the 1^st 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.