Tag: Book of Revelation

Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. …

Revelation 2:7; The Desired Outcome Read more »

Revelation 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. God’s fear continues to abide in this church for they hated that which …

Revelation 2:6; God’s Fear Read more »

Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. The candlestick refers to the …

Revelation 2:5; Thy Candlestick Read more »

Revelation 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

In the early church at Jerusalem, when Pentecost came, the Spirit of God came mightily to save many and a description of that first love is given to us in Acts 2:41-47.

Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto themabout three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

This is the church that is living in her first love. Brotherly love was an authentic proof of faith in Christ. They shared their resources. Brotherly love cannot be separated or substituted from love for Christ, but it is a proof of that love.

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

The treatment that Christ would prescribe to the church in Ephesus consists of three commands in given verse 5 – Remember, Repent, Do – Repent, Return to the first works. The first command “remember” has the sense of the continuous tense means “to keep remembering”. To think back in time at what point in their lives that the service of God became mechanical, to recall how God had saved them from spiritual darkness and how by God’s almighty power that bondage was broken and how jubilant we were.

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Remember the story of the lost coin that our Lord gave in Luke 15. The coin in the house but lost in the house of God. There yet not there! Unlike the lose sheep where the shepherd has to go out of the way to the wilderness to bring the sheep back. This lost coin was there in the House of God, yet lost.

Luke 15:8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and herneighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Our Lord is saying the members of the church at Ephesus – you may have been Christians for a long time, you have experienced what is called revived. Where has that fire gone?

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Jesus warns us that the world, ruled by Satan is always on the prowl to win our affections – Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

These are the (1) cares of the world (2) deceitfulness of riches and (3) lust of other things. The repeated use (4 times) of the conjunction “and” in Mark 4:19 emphasizes the constant bombardment of these ungodly pursuits that prevent the hearer from receiving the Word of God and bearing fruit.

These are literally the worries, anxieties and distractions of this present life that hold captive the hearts and minds of the hearers to the extent that there is no room for God in their lives; no room to consider, ponder, receive and give priority to things eternal. We see here the weariness from the energy-sapping effect of the cares of the world. They drain the heart of strength so much so that it cannot find true hope and life. To these, Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

In one statement, Christ isolates a critical problem in the church. It is in spiritual decline. There is an ailment, a trouble of the heart that is diagnosed here. They have been busy doing but they have forgotten why they are doing it. The word “left” is the verb “to let go, leave, forsake, depart”. It is the technical term for “divorce”. It can be translated “forsaken”.

What is this “first love”? It was that love of God that brought us to salvation in Christ when we experienced the forgiveness of sins and becoming spiritually alive. There is a fervent love for Christ and for sharing God’s love with others. Remember at the Gate Beautiful in Acts 3, when Peter and John gave to gospel to the man who was lame from his mother’s womb? The sharing of the gospel to the lame man by Peter and John and he finds salvation in Christ, that leaping joy, praise God. A deep sense of gratitude – 1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Revelation 2:2-3 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Our Lord Jesus gives commendation to the church in Ephesus for earnestly contending for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude3). They have refused to give in to the in-route of false doctrines and falsehoods but were steadfast in dealing with false teachers and in ensuring the purity of doctrine within the church.

They have searched the Scriptures and the fear of God and the knowledge of God’s Word has enabled them to depart from evil and maintain a righteous course. As Solomon taught in Proverbs 2:1-5, they have obeyed, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

Revelation 2:2 … and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

The Church at Ephesus had spiritual discernment, able to tell good from evil, true from the false. You may say, they took full heed to Paul’s advice to them when Paul left them in Acts 20 after 3 years of ministry.

Acts 20:28-31 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

They had the best of teaching. The Apostle Paul himself taught them.