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The Church Age
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Revelation 2: "Four Church Letters"
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Link to Printer Ready PDF Version of this document. |
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Chapter Highlights
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Chapter Aids
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Topical Index
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Now we are about to embark on the study of seven remarkable letters to seven specifically selected churches. In one sense, they are as ancient as the Apostle John, but in another, they are as modern as today's computers. We could read them as personal messages to people who lived almost 2,000 years ago, but we would be more correct to read them as personal messages to those living today. They were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and their message is of the utmost importance. We should keep in mind that these seven churches represent seven time periods giving us a panoramic view of church history running from Pentecost to the Rapture.
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 The Church Age
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Author
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Ephesus Period
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Smyrna Period
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Pergamum Period
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Thyatira Period
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Sardis Period
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Philadelphia Period
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Laodicea Period
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Tim LaHaye 2-1
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A.D. 30 to
A.D. 100
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A.D. 100 to
A.D. 312
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A.D. 312 to
A.D. 606
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A.D. 606 to. Trib. Period*
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A.D. 1520 to Trib. Period*
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A.D. 1750 to Trib. Period*
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A.D. 1900 to Trib. Period*
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Hal Lindsey 2-2
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A.D. 33 to
A.D. 100
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A.D. 100 to
A.D. 312
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A.D. 312 to
A.D. 590
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A.D. 590 to
A.D. 1517
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A.D. 1517 to
A.D. 1750
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A.D. 1750 to
A.D. 1925
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A.D. 1900 to Trib. Period
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J. Vernon McGee 2-3
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Pentecost to
A.D. 100
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A.D. 100 to
A.D. 314
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A.D. 314 to
A.D. 590
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A.D. 590 to
A.D. 1000
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A.D. 1517 to
A.D. 1800
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A.D. 1800 to
Rapture
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Does not say
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Daymond R. Duck
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Pentecost to
A.D. 100
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A.D. 100 to
A.D. 312
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A.D. 312 to
A.D. 590
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A.D. 590 to
A.D. 1517
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A.D. 1517 to
A.D. 1750
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A.D. 1750 to
A.D. 1900
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A.D. 1900 to Trib. Mid-Point
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*Tim LaHaye believes these 4 church periods all end with the Tribulation Period. |
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Revelation 2:1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
As we just saw in Chapter 1, the seven stars (Revelation 1:16, 20) represent seven angels and the seven golden lampstands (Revelation 1:12, 13, 20) represent seven churches. Since we are following the Golden Rule of Interpretation, we will say this letter was directed to the angel over the church in Ephesus, the same angel who presides over the Ephesus period of the Church Age.
Jesus told John to write this letter, and it is Jesus who holds the seven angels in his right hand and walks in the midst of the seven churches. Jesus is the one who controls the angels and the one who will never leave or forsake his Church. He is obviously a person of great power and love who has a message for the church in Ephesus and the Ephesus period of the Church Age.
What Others are Saying:
- David Breese: I would like, therefore, to suggest that the Bible may be telling us that your church, my church, has an angel. 2-4
Remember This…
- Two Important Things the World Needs to Know About Jesus
- He is all-powerful, yet loving.
- He will never forsake his Church.
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Revelation 2:2, 3 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
The penetrating eyes of Jesus (Proverbs 15:3) are everywhere beholding the evil and the good. He knows everything we do. He knew that the Ephesus church toiled with great difficulty, and he recognized their perseverance under trial. This church refused to tolerate evil men in their congregation that falsely claimed to have known and seen Jesus. These evil men were put on trial and found guilty of lying.
Jesus noted how the Ephesus church remained faithful, even though it was surrounded by immorality and pagan beliefs. This church stood firm against religious deception in the name of Jesus.
What Others are Saying:
- Jack Van Impe: Major Christian denominations have been captured by those who reject the essential truth of the Bible, and the deity of Jesus Christ. 2-5
Something to Ponder
- Why Are These Problems Important to the Church?
- So we can learn from them.
- So we will not repeat them.
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Revelation 2:4, 5 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
In spite of all the good things about the church in Ephesus, there was a problem. There was a decline in the people's relationship with Jesus because they had stopped loving him the way they once did.
Jesus asked them to recall the relationship they once had with him, to take inventory of their lives, and to turn from the things of the world and back to him. If they did not, he warned that they would lose their right to exist as a church. They must stop backsliding or they will die out. The choice was theirs.
Many mistakenly believe the early Christians of the Ephesus church period got on a spiritual mountain top and stayed there. When the period began, the people's highest priority was Jesus. As time went on, they started backsliding. By the end of the period, they needed to get back to their first love.
Key Symbols:
- Ephesus
- backsliders
- the church should
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Revelation 2:6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Exactly who the Nicolaitans were, and what they did, is anyone's guess. Some say they were a cult that tried to create a ruling class of priests in the Ephesus church. Others say they taught that Christians could sin because what is done in the flesh does not affect the spirit. Still others say they taught that Christians needed to indulge in sin to understand it. Whoever they were, and whatever they did, the church in Ephesus hated it. And so did Jesus.
During the Ephesus period, many groups tried to introduce false doctrines and false practices into the Church. What they were doing was repulsive to Christians, and more importantly, it was repulsive to Jesus.
Jesus didn't say he hated the Nicolaitans, but he did say he hated what they were doing. This is a classic example of New Testament teaching, Jesus loves the person, but hates the sin (Amos 5:15; John 15:12).
What Others are Saying:
- Ed Hindson: One of the great warnings of prophetic Scripture is that false teaching will bring deception upon professing Christendom in the last days. Jesus himself warned that many will come in my name, claiming, "I am Christ," and will deceive many (Matthew 24:5). He also predicted that many false prophets will appear and deceive many people (Matthew 24:11). Our Lord said this would continue throughout the Church Age, but he also spoke of a time at the end of the age in which false messiahs and false prophets would perform miracles to deceive the world and even confuse the elect. 2-6
Remember This…
- Sin is the transgression of the Law; breaking God's rules (1 John 3:4).
- Sin is knowing to do good but not doing it (James 4:17).
- Sin is anything that is not of faith; not trusting in God (Romans 14:23).
- Sin is all unrighteousness; wickedness (1 John 5:17).
- Sin is a disease of the soul; the inner part of man that lives forever (Psalm 41:4).
- Sin is foolishly thinking we can ignore God (Proverbs 24:9).
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Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Although this letter was specifically addressed to the church in Ephesus, the last line is addressed to anyone who will listen. He has a blessing for those who overcome (1 John 5:4). After Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:3-22) they were forbidden to eat the fruit of the tree of life. Apparently there was something on that tree that could cause a person who ate it to live forever. It amounted to a permanent cure for death. Jesus promises to give overcomers the opportunity to eat from that tree. It was located in the Garden of Eden, but now is located in paradise.
Remember This…
- 3 Steps to Overcoming Sin
- Remember the height from which you have fallen (your first love).
- Repent of your backsliding or falling away.
- Restore the good deeds you did at first.
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Revelation 2:8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
The church in Smyrna was experiencing great persecution, so Jesus reminded them that he is the First and the Last (Revelation 1:8), the Alpha and Omega. He is the one who created all things, and the one who will end all things.
Just like this church, Jesus was also persecuted. His enemies falsely accused him, beat him, spit on him, ripped out his beard, crowned him with thorns, and nailed him to a cross (Matthew 27:35) where he died.
Remember This…
- When You're Persecuted, Remember:
- Jesus has always existed.
- Jesus will never cease to exist.
- Jesus died.
- Jesus triumphed when he rose from the dead (John 20:15-18).
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Revelation 2:9 I know your afflictions and your poverty, yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Jesus knows what his Church is facing. He knows every prayer, every hymn, every gift, every Sunday School lesson, every sermon, every visit, every good thing, and every bad thing. He knew about the poverty of the Christians in Smyrna. He knew they were serving under the most difficult of circumstances. Their property was being seized and many had no source of personal income.
Those of us who live today often think of poverty in terms of not having enough money to live comfortably. In a real sense, that is exactly what poverty is, but in a higher sense, poverty is not having an acceptable relationship with God. In that sense, these Christians were rich. They were children of God and were destined for heaven. They were laying up their treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). We can be rich in the temporary things of this world and poor in the permanent things of heaven, or we can be poor in the temporary things of this world and rich in the permanent things of heaven.
Key Point
- We can be either rich in the temporary things of this world or rich in the permanent things of heaven, we can't have both.
- Jesus also knew about a group in Smyrna who falsely called themselves Jews. They even called their place of worship a synagogue, inferring that it was the synagogue of the Lord. But Jesus called it the synagogue of Satan. Even today some religious pretenders call themselves members of God's Church, but Jesus knows their really members of Satan's church. It does not matter what we call ourselves because Jesus knows his sheep (John 10:14).
What Others are Saying:
- Wim Malgo: It was some years ago when statistics told us that more than 500 churches of Satan exist in the United states. These "churches" are dedicated to worshipping Satan. 2-7
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