Lesson 6
1:20 As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw
in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the
seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the
seven lampstands are the seven churches.
What does the explanation in verse 20 mean? First, the
lampstands depict churches. We have already noticed that a
lampstand is used elsewhere in the Bible to denote God’s
people, but it is a particularly good symbol for the
church. Recall Philippians 2:15 ―
That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God
without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation, among whom you shine as lights in the
world.
Although we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14),
we are not the source of that light. Jesus is the true
light of the world “which lighteth every man that cometh
into the world”(John 1:9, 8:12), and the church is an
earthly container for that true light. Christian light is
always borrowed light. The church is a lampstand.
Second, the seven stars are the angels of the seven
churches. Who are these angels in verse 20? It seems here
that perhaps the explanation in verse 20 needs it own
explanation!
Some suggest that the angels are men sent to John to
inquire about his condition on Patmos and report back to
the churches. Others suggest that the angels are the elders
or the ministers of the churches. I don’t see much evidence
for either of these views.
Others suggest that the angels are actual angels who are
responsible for the churches. Note, however, that while the
letters are addressed directly to the angels, the comments
in the letters are addressed directly to the churches. For
example, in 2:1-2, we read, “To the angel of the church in
Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars
in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden
lampstands. “‘I know your works, ... .’” Thus, it appears
that the angels are the churches, unless, we take the
“works” here to be the works of the angels rather than the
works of the churches, which would not make much sense. If
this is an actual angel, then we would have to conclude
that this angel is somehow responsible for what the church
has done right or wrong. If the angel is responsible, then
don’t we have to conclude that the angel exercises some
control over the church? And how would that fit in with our
own free will? In short, taking these angels to be literal
angels does not fit well with the text and I think is a
position that must be rejected.
I think Milligan may have the right explanation. He says
that the angel of a given thing is that thing itself in its
essential nature. When the angel of a thing is discussed,
that thing is invested with angelic personality in order to
act out its part in the scheme of the book. Later in
Revelation we will find rivers, winds, bowls, trumpets, and
books that also have angels. Thus, under this view, the
angel of a church is the personification of that church so
that it can act out its role in this book. This view fits
very well with the context of Chapters 2 and 3.
One final question before we reach the letters in
Chapters 2 and 3 is why the letters are included in this
book?
These letters are not an afterthought. They are not
separate and unrelated from the rest of the book as many
commentators suggest or imply. These letters are an
integral part of this book, and any view of Revelation that
makes them anything less than integral is an incorrect view
of this book. These letters tell us about the initial
audience of this book, and these letters are crucial in
understanding the rest of the book.
Revelation is primarily about a great threat to church
from without by the Roman empire, but these letters show us
that the church also faced a great threat from within. That
threat will be different for each of the seven
congregations, but taken together they provide a powerful
lesson to every congregation of the Lord’s body, even to
those today that no longer face great threats from
without.
In the remainder of this book, we will see the church
largely take on a passive role while Jesus takes care of
the mighty Roman empire. But in these letters we see the
church commanded to take an active role when it comes to
battling the problems that faced the church from
within.
Chapter Two
The Letter to Ephesus
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The
words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand,
who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “‘I know
your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how
you cannot bear evil men but have tested those who call
themselves apostles but are not, and found them to be
false; 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up
for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I
have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you
had at first. 5 Remember then from what you have fallen,
repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will
come to you and remove your lampstand from its place,
unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have, you hate the works
of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him
who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which
is in the paradise of God.’
The city of Ephesus has been called the “first and
greatest metropolis of Asia.” Ephesus had the greatest
harbor in Asia, and it was the greatest and wealthiest city
in Asia.
Ephesus was one of the few “free cities” in the Roman
empire, which means that within its own limits it was
self-governing. Ephesus could never have Roman troops
garrisoned within it.
Ephesus was the center of worship of Artemis or Diana.
The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus was one of the seven
wonders of the ancient world. Acts 19 tells us about
Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis and who saw
his livelihood threatened by the spread of Christianity.
Ephesus also contained temples dedicated to Nero and
Claudius. One commentator said that in Ephesus, pagan
religion was at its strongest.
Ephesus was also a center for crime and immorality. The
Temple of Artemis was filled with hundreds of priestesses
who were sacred prostitutes. Heraclitus, the weeping
philosopher, attributed his tears to the fact that no one
could live in Ephesus without weeping at the
immorality.
Although Ephesus seemed very unpromising soil for the
word of God, some of the church’s greatest triumphs
occurred there. Trench wrote: “Nowhere did the word of God
find a kindlier soil, strike root more deeply or bear
fairer fruits of faith and love.” There is a lesson here
for us. Sometimes we are tempted to write off someone or
some group because we are sure they will never listen to us
or obey the gospel. And yet, as Ephesus shows us, God can
reap a wonderful harvest from unpromising soil if we will
but plant the seed. We must never write off anyone for whom
Jesus died!
Of the cities Paul visited on his missionary journeys,
Paul stayed longer in Ephesus that in any other. (Acts
20:31 says he was there for three years.) Aquila,
Priscilla, and Apollos were in Ephesus (Acts 18). Paul’s
great farewell address was delivered to the Ephesian elders
in Acts 20.
What had this congregation done that was right? They had
worked hard, they had endured patiently, they did not bear
evil men, they tested and exposed false teachers, and they
had not grown weary.
With all of that going for them, what could possibly be
wrong? Verse 4 tells us that the Ephesian congregation had
a major problem. They had abandoned their first love.
It is interesting to note how Paul ended his letter to
the Ephesians in Ephesians 6:24 ― “Grace be with all those
who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.” That letter
was written about 10 years before this second letter. At
some point between the two letters the Ephesians had
abandoned their first love. It can happen quickly!
They had lost their proper focus – perhaps their
programs and their labors had become an end rather than a
means to an end. Their actions were right, but their
motivation was wrong.
Listen to what one denominational commentator had to say
about this malady in the denominational world. I think his
comments can serve as a warning to us as well.
It is one of the remarkable features of contemporary
church life that so many are attempting to heal the church
by tinkering with its structures, its services, its public
face. This is clear evidence that modernity has
successfully palmed off one of its greatest deceits on us,
convincing us that God himself is secondary to organization
and image, that the church’s health lies in its flow
charts, its convenience, and its offerings rather than in
its inner life, its spiritual authenticity, the toughness
of its moral intentions, its understanding of what it means
to have God’s Word in this world.
The world’s business and God’s business are two
different things. The fundamental problem in the
evangelical world today is not inadequate technique,
insufficient organization, or antiquated music, and those
who want to squander the church’s resources bandaging these
scratches will do nothing to stanch the flow of blood that
is spilling from its true wounds.
The fundamental problem in the evangelical world today
is that God rests too inconsequentially upon the church.
His truth is too distant, his grace is too ordinary, his
judgment is too benign, his gospel is too easy, and his
Christ is too common.
And what would happen to the Ephesian congregation if
the situation were not remedied? Jesus says in verse 5 that
he would come and remove their lampstand from its
place.
What this tells us is that it is possible for an entire
congregation of the Lord’s church to be plunged into such
darkness that it ceases to be a congregation of the Lord’s
church. They may not change the sign outside the building
that says “Church of Christ” – but what you find inside is
no longer a church of Christ, a church that belongs to
Christ. Its lampstand has been removed from its place.
In verse 5, we see a figurative “coming of Christ” of
the sort we have already talked about. Here the coming
depicts a coming in judgment against this congregation if
they do not repent.
Verse 6 is interesting. Jesus says that he hates the
works of the Nicolaitans.
When Jesus says he hates something, it should really get
our attention. If Jesus hates it, then we must hate it as
well – and if we don’t, then it tells us we have a problem.
Jesus commended the Ephesians in verse 6 because they also
hated the false doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
The Nicolaitans were a sect that some surmise (without
much evidence) was started by Nicolas, one of the first
deacons in Acts 6:5. Another theory is that the name is
symbolic (as most likely is the name “Jezebel” that is used
in a later letter). The Greek word “Nikolas” means
“destroyer of the people.”
This group was known for their “loose thinking and their
loose living.” The wolves mentioned by Paul in Acts 20 in
his address to the Ephesian elders had arrived. And perhaps
it was because of Paul’s warning that the Ephesian
congregation was not taken in by these false teachers. They
recognized and hated their false teachings.
To love the truth, we must hate what is false. If we do
not hate what is false, then we cannot say that we love the
truth. Jesus hated this false doctrine, and he commended
this congregation for also hating that false doctrine. (We
will see a congregation with a different attitude when we
get to Pergamum.)
What is the lesson to the church from Christ’s letter to
Ephesus? Look at verse 4. This congregation had lost its
focus. They were still doing the programs and the
activities, but they had forgotten why they were doing the
programs and the activities. They had left their first
love.
The lesson for us today is that the church of Christ
must always focus on Christ. He must always be our “first
love.”
Remember Paul’s description of loveless works in 1
Corinthians 13:3 ― “And though I bestow all my goods to
feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but
have not love, it profits me nothing.”
And remember John 14:15, where Jesus told us what it
means to love him: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
There is no such thing as a disobedient love.
The Letter to Smyrna
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The
words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “’I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are
rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews
and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear
what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to
throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and
for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto
death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.’
Smyrna was the loveliest city in Asia. It was called the
ornament of Asia, the crown of Asia, and the flower of
Asia. It stood at a crossroads and was a great trading
city, and its harbor was Asia’s safest and most
convenient.
Smyrna was a center of culture housing a large library
and many famous temples. It claimed to be the birthplace of
Homer.
In a sense, Smyrna had also “died and come to life” as
Jesus says of himself in verse 8. Smyrna was founded in
1000 BC as a Greek colony, but it was destroyed in 600 BC
by the Lydians. It was rebuilt as a planned city around 200
BC.
Smyrna, like Ephesus, was a free city. It was
self-governing and had no Roman troops. The city had cast
its lot with Rome long before Rome became the undisputed
leader of the world. Smyrna had erected a temple to the
goddess Roma as far back as 195 BC.
Having a temple to the emperor was a matter of great
pride to the city of Smyrna, and a refusal by any citizen
of the city to pay tribute in that temple was seen as a
disgraceful lack of patriotism.
The Jews in Smyrna were very influential and numerous,
and verse 9 tells us they were slandering the Christians
there.
We are willing to suffer for those who we love, and the
congregation at Smyrna was willing to suffer for Jesus
Christ. As one commentator said: “It was a dangerous thing
to be a Christian in Smyrna. There was no knowing what
might happen to you.” Indeed, Jesus tells them that they
could expect poverty, slander, prison, and death.
It was in Smyrna that Polycarp was martyred. When he was
commanded to “sacrifice to Caesar or be burned,” he
responded, “86 years have I served Christ, and he has never
done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my king who saved
me?”
To receive a certificate to conduct business, you were
required to burn incense on an altar to Caesar once a year.
The Jews had received an exemption, but the Christians had
not. The persecution against the Christians was apparently
being fanned into flames by the local Jewish population,
who would throw the Christians out of the synagogue and
then inform on them to the local authorities.
Who are the Jews that are not really Jews in verse 9? We
find similar descriptions elsewhere.
• In John 8:39 Jesus told some Jews that they were not
truly Abraham’s children.
• In Romans 9 Paul explained that all Israel is not
Israel.
• In Romans 2:28–29 Paul explained that to be a true Jew
one must believe in Jesus Christ.
The Jews of that day who called themselves Jews yet were
not faithful to God were no more Jews than are the
Christians of today who call themselves Christians and yet
are not faithful to God really Christians. God’s people are
faithful people, or else they are not God’s people no
matter what they may call themselves.
Very strong language is used in verse 9 to describe
these slandering Jews who were not really Jews. “I know the
blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but
are a synagogue of Satan.”
Synagogue of Satan? Who was the mean-spirited, divisive,
unloving, hatemonger who came up with that phrase? Oh. What
do you know? It was Jesus. And this was not the first time
he had used this description. Listen to what he said to the
Jewish leaders in John 8:44.
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of
your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there
is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from
his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of
it.
It doesn’t sound much like Jesus thought the Jewish
leaders were just on another path to God. But that message
does not go over very well in today’s modern world. As an
example, compare Jesus’ description with the following
quote from a modern religious scholar:
[Saying that] ‘We believe that we know God, and we are
right; you believe that you know God, and you are totally
wrong,’ … is intolerable from merely human standards. It is
doubly so from Christian ones. Any position that
antagonizes and alienates rather than reconciles … is
unlovely, is un-Christian. ... I rather feel that the final
doctrine on this matter may perhaps run along the lines of
affirming that a Buddhist who is saved, or a Hindu or a
Muslim or whoever, is saved because God is the kind of God
whom Jesus Christ has revealed him to be.
According to this fellow, Christ himself is
un-Christ-like!
This author believes that the Muslims and the Buddhists
are saved because “God is the kind of God whom Jesus Christ
has revealed him to be.” But if I can be saved apart from
the blood of Christ, then Christ died for no reason. If
there is a path to God around Jesus Christ, then his death
was not necessary. What would that tell us about the God
revealed to us in scripture? What kind of God would he be
if he sent his son to suffer and die for no reason?
There is one way to God, and only one way to God, and we
do no one any favors when we teach or suggest
otherwise.
• 1 John 2:22-23 ― Who is a liar but he who denies that
Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father
and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the
Father either.
• 1 Corinthians 3:11 ― For no other foundation can
anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus
Christ.
• Acts 4:12 ― Nor is there salvation in any other, for
there is no other name under heaven given among men by
which we must be saved.
• John 14:6 ― Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me.”
And what does the world say in response to that? Rita
Gross has written a book entitled “Buddhists Talk about
Jesus.” She describes Jesus’ statement in John 14:6 as
“dangerous, destructive, and degraded” and “one of the most
immoral ideas that humans have ever created.”
And she’s not finished. Here is what her book says about
Christ’s miracles: “Most, and perhaps all, of the
extraordinary feats performed by Jesus would be classified
by Buddhists as common accomplishments ... requiring a
certain degree of meditative competence, but no real degree
of permanent spiritual maturity.”
That’s a strong claim – particularly given the fact that
Jesus is alive and Buddha is dead and buried!
I have news for these Buddhists. Buddha can meditate all
he wants to, but he’s not coming out of that tomb until
Jesus commands him to, and when he does come out of that
tomb, Buddha will bend his knee and confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord. That’s true for Buddha, that’s true for
Mohammed, and that’s true for every other person who has
ever walked on this earth.
The Bible proclaims peace between Jew and Gentile – but
that peace exists in the church. It is in the church that
the middle wall of partition has been broken down. For
those outside of the church to come to the Father – whether
they be Jew or Greek – they must find salvation in Jesus
Christ. There is no other way. To say otherwise is to call
Jesus Christ a liar. (John 14:6)
A few years ago, Mel Gibson produced a movie about the
life of Christ. Some at the time expressed worry that the
film might somehow suggest that the Jews were responsible
for the death of Christ. But, of course, if they weren’t
responsible, then who was? The Romans certainly did not
wish to see Jesus dead, as Pilate himself stated at the
time. That the Jews killed Jesus is a fact of history that
cannot be changed by modern day denials.
Speaking to fellow Jews in Acts 2:23, Peter said: “Him,
being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge
of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified,
and put to death.”
And again, speaking to fellow Jews, Peter said in Acts
5:30, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you
murdered by hanging on a tree.”
Did the Jews murder Jesus? Yes. But here we need to be
very careful that we do not judge someone while having a
beam in our own eye.
We also had a hand in the death of Christ. How? Because
of our sin. We crucified the Son of God by our sin. Hebrews
6:6 tells us that if some fall away and return to their
former sins then they “crucify again for themselves the Son
of God, and put Him to an open shame.”
Since all men have sinned, all men had a hand in the
murder of the Son of God. We should not deny our role in
that event – and neither should the Jews deny their
role.
The phrase “synagogue of Satan” is strong, but it was
fitting. The Jews of that day stirred up a lot of trouble
for the early Christians. But the history of anti-semitism
shows us that people calling themselves Christians have
over the years also stirred up a lot of trouble (and,
indeed, a lot more trouble) for the Jews. Both sides are
wrong.
When it comes to salvation and the great commission, the
Gospel of Jesus Christ divides people into two groups and
only two groups: those in Christ and those out of Christ.
Galatians 3:28 could not be any clearer on this issue.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor
free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one
in Christ Jesus.”
God wanted peace between the Jew and the Gentile in the
first century, and he still wants it today, but that peace
is found only in Christ. No man cometh to the Father except
by him.
Since there was a “synagogue of Satan” somewhere in the
first century, might there be a “church of Satan” somewhere
today?
What if there were a religious group somewhere that
called themselves a Christian church, and assume that they
not only approved of homosexual conduct, but they elected
as one of their leaders a practicing homosexual who had
left his wife and children to move in with his gay lover.
Then assume that after he was elected, a fellow church
leader was quoted in the newspaper as saying that this
leader’s “consecration would bring in new, youthful
members” and that “We have here a wonderful evangelistic
tool to strengthen the life of the church.” And then,
finally, assume that after he was elected, the homosexual
leader himself was quoted as saying “God has once again
brought an Easter out of Good Friday.” If that group is not
a church of Satan, then I submit that there is no church of
Satan.
Verse 9 tells us that these Christians were in poverty
yet were rich. Without that certificate we talked about, it
was very hard to find work. There are two Greek words for
poverty, one that means destitution and another that means
having nothing extra. The one used here means destitution.
Their homes may have been plundered as well. Recall Hebrews
10:34 ―
For you had compassion on the prisoners, and you
joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since
you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an
abiding one.
And yet they were rich! Again, we are called upon to
view the situation through God’s eyes rather than through
our own. We have all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.
Recall Ephesians 1:3 ―
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places.
What is the 10 day tribulation in verse 10? It may
simply refer to a short period of trial. Recall Daniel 1:12
―
Test your servants for ten days; let us be given
vegetables to eat and water to drink.
This period preceded Daniel’s vision as this one
precedes John’s vision. Recall also Genesis 31:7 regarding
Jacob and Laban ―
Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten
times, but God did not permit him to harm me.
It could be a literal 10 days. The language in these
letters is not all apocalyptic. The churches and all or
most of the names are literal. The main vision does not
begin until chapter 4. Interestingly, Walvoord says the 10
days here is figurative and yet the 1000 years in Chapter
20 is literal!
What about the second death in verse 11? Stay tuned! We
will discuss that when we get to Chapter 20.
What is the lesson to the church from Christ’s letter to
Smyrna? Look at verse 9. The lesson for the church today is
that Christ is not just a way – Christ is the way. The
modern world gnashes its teeth and recoils at the idea that
there is one and only one path to the Father – but we must
never cease to proclaim it, no matter the cost.
The Letter to Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13 “‘I
know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; you hold
fast my name and you did not deny my faith even in the days
of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed
among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things
against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of
Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before
the sons of Israel, that they might eat food sacrificed to
idols and practice immorality. 15 So you also have some who
hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent then. If
not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the
sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will
give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white
stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one
knows except him who receives it.’
Historically, Pergamum was the most famous city in Asia.
It had been a capital city for 400 years. First, it was the
capital of the Seleucid kingdom that appeared after
Alexander the Great. Next, it was the capital of the
province of Asia formed by the Romans. It was situated on a
hilltop from which the Mediterranean Sea could be seen 15
miles away.
Pergamum was a center of culture surpassing even Ephesus
and Smyrna. It had a library that was second only to that
in Alexandria. (200,000 volumes copied by hand!)
The word “parchment” is derived from “Pergamum.” In the
third century BC, a Pergamene king attempted to lure away
the librarian at Alexandria. The Egyptians imprisoned the
librarian and banned the export of papyrus to Pergamum.
Pergamum, in response, invented parchment (or vellum) from
animal skins.
Pergamum was also a great religious center. The city
contained a great altar to Zeus that was set 800 feet up on
the side of a hill. The altar looked very much like a large
throne. This altar is most likely what is called “Satan’s
throne” in verse 13. The city was also a center of Caesar
worship.
Roman governors were divided into two groups – those
with the right of the sword and those without. The governor
of Pergamum had that right, which meant he could execute
Christians for any reason. And yet Christ in verse 12
refers to himself as the one with the “sharp two-edged
sword.”
The word “witness” in verse 13 in Greek is “martus” from
which we get martyr. The Greek word did not mean “martyr”
until New Testament times.
In verse 16, we have yet another figurative coming in
judgment.
Jesus promises them a white stone in verse 17. What does
that mean? Stones were given to indicate a verdict at a
trial, with a white stone denoting an innocent vote and a
black stone denoting a guilty vote. Stones were also given
as a reward for heroism or victory, as passes to enter the
games, and sometimes exchanged between friends. Here it
seems to indicate a reward or an indication of innocence or
acquittal.
Also, in verse 17, Jesus says that there will be “a new
name written on the stone which no one knows except him who
receives it.” What does that mean? Later in 19:12, we will
be told that Jesus has a name that no one knows, and yet
that name is given in verses 13 and 16. Names in the Bible
have a special significance. We know that names were often
changed to indicate a change in status or circumstances, as
for example with Abram and Jacob. To have a name that no
one else knows means that you have a status or a relation
that no one else can share. That is true of those who
conquer.
Pergamum was locked in a battle between truth and error.
As one commentator reminds us: “Christ is deeply concerned
about the preservation and propagation of the truth. This
whole letter is devoted to that theme. ... Jesus came into
the world to bear witness to the truth. He loves the truth.
He speaks the truth. He is the truth. How can we be
indifferent to it?”
The Pergamum congregation had some within it who held to
the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
It is worthwhile noting that what was hated in Ephesus was
being tolerated in Pergamum.
Many commentators believe that the teaching of Balaam
and the teaching of the Nicolaitans were one and the same.
It is generally identified with the group mentioned in Jude
1:4, 11 and alluded to in Romans 6:1. (See our website for
notes on Romans and on Jude.)
Jude 1:4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who
long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly
men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny
the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. … 11 Woe unto
them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran
greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished
in the gainsaying of Core.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in
sin that grace may abound?
We have already discussed the Nicolaitans. But why also
the reference here to Balaam? In Numbers 25, the Israelites
played the harlot with the daughters of Moab, who then
caused the Israelites to turn to false gods. Later in
Numbers 31:16 we learn that these women along with the
Moabite king Balak acted under the influence of Balaam.
One commentator wrote that “pagan women and pagan food
were his weapons against the rigid Mosaic code.” Balaam is
a prototype of all corupt teachers who betray believers
into a fatal comprise with the world. Balaam worked from
within to do what had not been possible to do from without.
(Recall our comments about Constantine.)
As we study the entire book of Revelation, we will
discover that a major theme of this book is a warning
against compromise with the world.
Listen to what Martin Luther said about compromise:
If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest
exposition every portion of the truth of God except
precisely that little point which the world and the Devil
are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ,
however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle
rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to
be steady on all the battle front besides, is merely flight
and disgrace if he flinches at that point.
What is the lesson to the church from Christ’s letter to
Pergamum? Look at verse 15. The lesson for us today is that
Jesus cares very deeply about the doctrine that is taught
and proclaimed by his church.
Jesus tells us in verse 15 that he hates this false
doctrine that was being tolerated in Pergamum. The servant
is not greater than his master. (John 15:20) If Jesus hates
this false doctrine, then so must his church. We must not
tolerate that which our Master hates.
The Letter to Thyatira
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of
fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 “‘I know
your works, your love and faith and service and patient
endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20
But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman
Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and
beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat
food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but
she refuses to repent of her immorality. 22 Behold, I will
throw her on a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with
her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent
of her doings; 23 and I will strike her children dead. And
all the churches shall know that I am he who searches mind
and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works
deserve. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not
hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the
deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay upon you
any other burden; 25 only hold fast what you have, until I
come. 26 He who conquers and who keeps my works until the
end, I will give him power over the nations, 27 and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots
are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power
from my Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.’
The least important city got the longest letter. What
little importance Thyatira had came from its location. It
was on a road connecting Pergamum, Sardis, Philadelphia,
and Smyrna. This location made Thyatira a great commercial
town. It was also strategically important because it was a
gateway to Pergamum, the capital of the province.
The city had no particular religious significance. It
was not a center of persecution of the church.
Thyatira was a center of trade for dye and wool. Lydia,
the seller of purple in Acts 16:14, came from Thyatira.
The city had a large number of trade guilds. These
guilds held meals in the temples, where meat that had been
offered to idols was served. Those at the meals often
engaged in drunkenness and immorality. The Christians
refused to participate and thus suffered commercially.
Here we have a very important lesson for modern business
men and women. It is often tempting to follow a crowd to do
evil when that crowd offers a great deal of “client
development.” We must remain true to our Lord, even if
doing so causes us to suffer commercially.
Thyatira had what Ephesus lacked. Verse 19 tells us that
Thyatira rivaled Ephesus in busy Christian service, but it
also tells us that Thyatira had the love that the Ephesians
were lacking. In fact, Jesus tells them that their latest
works exceeded their first works, which means that while
Ephesus was backsliding, Thyatira was growing and
maturing.
And yet verse 20 tells us that they had a serious
problem. There was a malignant cancer growing in the body
and they were permitting it to continue unchecked. Verse 19
tells us that they had been patient. Verse 20 tells us that
perhaps they had been too patient!
The Ephesians could not bear false prophets, and yet
they lacked love. Thyatira had love, but they tolerated
false prophets. We must seek both love and truth, or we
will eventually end up having neither.
The threat against the church in Thyatira came from
within. There was always a temptation to put business
interests ahead of Christ’s interests, and apparently there
was a group within the church led by a false prophetess
referred to as Jezebel that wanted to compromise with the
trade guilds by participating in their immorality and
idolatry.
The confession that Caesar is lord was often required
before one could buy or sell. Some, no doubt, would
compromise and make this confession for business reasons.
Historians tells us that the slogan of those who
compromised was “A man must live.” You can imagine the
rationalizations that must have gone on with some.
And yet the text implies that these compromisers saw
themselves as deeply spiritual people. The “deep things of
Satan” in verse 24 is thought by many to refer to those who
felt they had a duty to experience every kind of sin. Their
goal was to wallow in sin yet keep their soul unaffected.
And they could accomplish this feat, no doubt, because of
their deep, deep spirituality.
Jesus told them in verse 24 that were deep alright, but
they were experiencing the deep things of Satan. Their
spiritual depth was really spiritual death.
For a modern example, have you ever noticed the outward
display of deep spirituality among those who promote the
homosexual agenda in the denominational world? They are so
much more enlightened, so much more mature, and so much
more knowledgeable than the rest of us. That is the same
attitude that Jesus is referring to in this letter. These
people think they are spiritually deep, but in reality they
are spiritually dead. They have cast God behind their
backs!
Ezekiel 23:35 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
‘Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your
back, Therefore you shall bear the penalty of your lewdness
and your harlotry.’” (Compare Romans 1:27.)
Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which
justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts:
for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination
in the sight of God.
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