1: 16 "And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and hid countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Seven stars - I will discuss these in chapter four as there is some background necessary in the first three chapters.
Sharp two edged sword: this speaks of the Word of God ref.: Hebrews 4: 12 " the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercng even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Countenance: his appearance was as the sun in the strength of it's brightness, blinding appearance.
1: 17 John, upon seeing the Lord in his blinding glory falls at His feet as one tha is dead. Christ lays his right hand on the Apostle, telling him " Fear not; I am the first and the last (alpha and omega):
1: 18 "I am he thaat liveth, and waas dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore. (This identifies Him as both God and Christ, for God was the first and is the last. Christ was God incarnate in the flesh, who was alive and died and is yet alive forever more), Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Since Christ alone holds the keys of hell and death, He is the only one who can open and shut hell and has mastery over death, and by extension, life.
No man on earth can decide who does or does not go to hell, or to Heaven, but Christ alone who is in Heaven.
1: 19Christ tells John to write what he has seen, the things that are, and the things to come.
1: 20 Christ tells John that the mystery of the seven stars and the seven candlesticks (lampstands) which John saw in the right hand of the Lord is this: that the seven stars are the angels/messengers
properly the pastors of the seven churches; and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches.
2: 1 Christ addressed the minister (angel) of the church at Ephesus; “These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in hi right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.
2: 2 Christ acknowledges their patience (perseverance in the faith), and that they can not bear them which are evil, and that they have tried (tested) those who say they are apostles but are not and have proven them to be liars.
2: 3 And thou hast borne (persevered) and hast endurance (patience) and for my name's sake hast labored (in teaching the word and in good deeds), and hast not fainted.
2: 4 Nevertheless I have some what against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
It would seem that they were no longer doing these things strictly for the love of Christ and in obedience to Him, but in expectation of rewards.
2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen (grace), and repent, and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly (suddenly), and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
As he refers to the church as a candlestick, it appears that he is saying that the destruction of the church will come, which in fact happened in past history. Ephesus is in what is now Turkey, and for a period of time, there were no longer any major Christian churches under the rule of the Muslims in Turkey.
2: 6 Nicolaitan - one of a sect in the ancient Christian church, so named from Nicolas, a deacon of the church of Jerusalem. They held that all married women should be held in common to prevent jealousy. They are not charged with erroneous opinions respecting God, but with licentious practices.
For all seven churches, the statement "unto the angel of the church" refers to the bishop or pastor.
Seven Stars refer to the
light of Heaven that shines on each church as seven seven candlesticks or lamp stands refer to the light that shines in each church.
The seven stars and the seven lamp stands are both in reference to the messengers of Christ, the ministers.
Christ first addresses the church at Ephesus.
2: 6 Christ commends them in that they hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, licentiousness.
2: 7 Christ says : to he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. Those who overcome will He give to eat of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God.
Who are those who overcome? They are not the bench warmers who are in church by family tradition, but those of the church who surrender to Christ and the will of God, knowing there are no works righteousness that will suffice to gain them entry into the gates of Heaven, but that they are totally dependent on the grace of God who spared not His only begotten son, but sent him to the cross to atone for us.
2: 8 He now addresses the church at Smyrna. He acknowledges their tribulation and poverty, but then he says they are rich. There is no contradiction, He speaks of their actual poverty
and the persecution they suffer, but points to their richness in the grace of God.
2: 10 he exhorts the members of this church not to fear the things that man can do to them, prison and death; reminding that those who are faithful unto death will receive a crown of life.
2: 11 Reiteration that those who can hear the words the Spirit says unto the churches, or in other words, the true believers, shall not need to fear the second death; the eternal separation from the Glory of God's light and Being.
2: 12 Christ now addresses the minister and curs of Pergamon. He reminds them that he has the sharp two edged sword, then proceeds to their works.
He first praises them for standing faithful in the city where Satan's throne was, for holding fast His name and not denying His faith even in the day that one of their number, Antipas by name, was slain by those who persecuted the church.
He now proceeds to the things in which they area failing. They have among their membership those who hold the doctrine of Salaam the Old Testament prophet who sought wealth in the use of his ability to prophesy. He told King Balak, an enemy of the children of Israel how to weaken the Israelites by sending their women to the men to seduce them and divert them to worshiping the false gods of Balak's people.
Another strike against them was that they also had among the congregation the Nicolaitanes.
2: 16 Christ ends with a warning to them that if they don't repent, He will come and fight against them with the sword of His mouth, the Word of God.
2: 17 Again He repeats the phrase about he that hath an ear to hear, but the promise this time is that he that overcometh He will give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone with the persons new name, known to none except the one receiving it.
2: 18 Christ now turns his attention to the minister and the church at Thyatira. He first describes himself as The Son of God, with eyes like flames, and feet like find brass.
2: 19 Next He describes the good they have done: charity and service, faith, patience, and again their works, pointing out that their latter works are more in number than their first works.
2: 20 Never the less, He says, He has a few things against them, because they allow a false prophetess named Jezebel to teach and seduce His servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
2: 21-23 Christ tells John that he gave Jezebel time to repent, but she did not.
He then describes her end, and the ends of those who follow her.
2: 24 Christ says that to as many in Thyatira as have not known, or studied, the deep knowledge of Satan, He will place no other burden.
2: 25 He exhorts them to hold fast that which they have, the true Gospel and their Faith until He comes.
2: 26 A promise; To he that overcometh and is faithful to the end, H will give power over the peoples.
2: 27 The ones who receive that promise will rule the people with a rod of iron, speaking of the power of their rule; that they will break the powers and governments of the nations, even as with the power that Christ has received form the Father.
2: 28 Christ says He will give them the morning star, which is one of the names of Christ, and so I believe he speaks of giving them Himself, as in Christ is our reward.
2: 29 A repeat of the formulaic let him who has and ear....
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