He who has an ear...

Revelation 2:1-29

In Carl’s introduction to the book of Revelation last week he reminded us of the wonderful promise at the beginning that states that we are blessed to hear this book and take it to heart. As I looked at Chapter 2 for today, I was so blessed that I wrote one of my longest messages yet – only to realize that today is a Sharing Sunday, which means it should be a short message. So I had to do some painful pruning. There is so much in this chapter.  So without further ado, let’s pray and dig into this rich passage.

I wanted to say something about the symbolism that we find in Revelation and how sometimes literal pictures are not very helpful – at least I don’t find them so. Rather than considering a question like, How could Jesus speak with a double-edged sword coming out of His mouth? It is more helpful to think about what the sword might mean, in the light of other scriptures. The sword is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, dividing soul and spirit, and judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart, as it says in Hebrews 4:12. The word of God is able to pierce through the junk that may be in my mind, will, and emotions – the impurities in my soul – to touch the core of who I am, my eternal spirit, which is where I can truly connect with God. That’s the sword coming out of Jesus’ mouth. It’s the word of God that lays bare who we are deep inside, at our very core, where it really matters.

Last time we were introduced to the vision of Jesus as high priest, holding seven stars in his right hand and walking among seven lampstands, representing seven churches in Asia Minor to be addressed in chapters 2 and 3. The seven stars are seven angels or messengers that will each carry a specific letter to each church. It is as though John is taking dictation of these letters, which may well have been sent on physical paper to each church. Carl pointed out that the seven churches are in a logical order for a human messenger to carry the documents from Patmos to all of the locations.

Overall the message is one of encouragement and rebuke for the churches. I know what you are facing and what you are doing right, but I have this against you, therefore do this. Two churches he doesn’t rebuke at all; a couple he doesn’t seem to have anything good to say about. Every individual message starts out, “I know.” Jesus is not distant and uninvolved. He is among these lampstands. He knows what is going on, and He speaks to the heart of it. He stands here among us today. We are not hiding anything from God. He knows. He knows what it going on in our church and in each of our lives. His word is for us here today, just as it addressed the specific situation in each of these seven churches back in the first century.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This invitation is repeated in each of the letters. I understand that the tense of this verb is actually present continuous: what the Spirit is saying. The Spirit is speaking and continues to speak through these words. What does it mean to have an ear to hear? Obviously this is not referring to physical ears. It refers to a spiritual openness and focus, a willingness to lay aside distractions and preconceived notions, all the things that clutter our minds and understanding. If we honestly and humbly go before God and say, “What are you saying to me?” then He will answer. It may be a different answer for you than for other people, but always in line with the whole message of scripture – spiritually discerned, something that touches you deep within. “He who has an ear, let him hear.”

We will look at four of these letters today and three next week. Revelation 2:1-3:

“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.  I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, 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.”

Ephesus has been described as the New York of its day, a prominent center of culture and commerce. The apostle John is thought to have been bishop of the church there for a time, and that church was considered the “mother church” for the others in the area. It had a reputation for being strong doctrinally. Externally, it looked like it was doing all the right things. We see that in the verses we just read. The church worked hard, it opposed false teaching, it was even willing to endure hardship for the sake of Jesus. We have a picture of strength, of standing for the truth, of working hard even in the face of opposition – and there was plenty of that in Ephesus, home of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the temple of Artemis.

 So what was the problem? (verse 4)

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

The church was doing the right things, but for the wrong reasons. It had lost its first love. It was no longer passionately in love with Jesus. Its work and it service were no longer flowing out of that love and thankfulness to him for saving wretches like them. A spirit of pride and self-righteousness had crept in, a tendency to look down on other people. Sinners probably didn’t feel welcome in their meetings. People probably had to meet a certain standard before they would associate with them. Of course this was to maintain doctrinal and moral purity. But what does Jesus say in verse 5?

“Consider how far 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.”

“Consider how far you have fallen!” This is a serious failing. Lack of love is a sin that requires repentance. The Ephesians needed to remember how they had been when they were first saved, eager for others to receive the same gift of grace, reaching out with a welcoming and loving attitude. If they carried on as they were now, it would be the end of the church. And apparently it was. The city was destroyed by the Goths in 262, and the church disappeared. A town in the area today is called Ayasaluk, a name that commemorates not Ephesus, but John himself.

It wasn’t that standing for the truth wasn’t important. Jesus reinforces this in verse 6.

“But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

The Nicolaitans were heretics. We don’t know much about them, but apparently they had taken the concept of Christian liberty too far and had made deadly compromises with the pagan culture around them, probably condoning idolatry and immorality. Jesus wanted his church to be pure, but he also wanted it to be known for its love, love for God and love for other people. That needs to be the reputation of every church and every believer, and it is an area where we too often fall short. Verse 7:

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

Each of the promises in these letters looks forward to some aspect of the final chapters of Revelation. Here we have a preview of the tree of life described in chapter 22, a source of sustenance and healing.

Continuing on our journey, we now come to Smyrna.  Revelation 2:8-11:

“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. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.”

The believers in Smyrna are about to undergo some severe suffering. They are feeling weak and vulnerable. Jesus does not criticize them for that. He reminds them of his own suffering and death – but also of His resurrection, which gained for them eternal victory as well. The church might be financially poor, but it had received all the spiritual blessings that it needed. The Christians were disheartened by the slander of the Jews opposing them and telling lies about them. Jesus says, “I know, I know – but, don’t be afraid. Be faithful to death, and I will give you life. The best is yet to be.” The suffering is temporary: persecution for ten days. Life with Jesus will be eternal. Better a physical death now for His sake than spiritual death for eternity.

Do some of you feel like you are living in Smyrna right now? Are you facing suffering and feeling weak and helpless? Jesus is with you in it, and He urges you to keep your eyes on His prize.

What happened in Smyrna? We know that there was severe persecution of the church there, especially in the second century, for its unwillingness to worship the Roman emperor. Its well-known (and loved) bishop, Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John, was martyred. He died by faith, but his legacy lives on. He is thought by some to have been the main person to compile and publish the New Testament. And the city of Smyrna lives on as the thriving city of Izmir in modern Turkey.

We continue our journey now inland toward Pergamum. Revelation 2:12-17:

“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”

Pergamum had erred in the opposite direction from Ephesus. While the Ephesian church was so strict that it excluded the very people it should have been reaching out to, Pergamum was so accepting that it had compromised its standards. One commentator has noted how narrow the path is between the sin of intolerance and the sin of tolerance! But the church in Pergamum wasn’t all bad. Antipas, according to tradition the first martyr in Asia, is described as a faithful witness, and the church as a whole would not deny Jesus and give in to its persecutors. But it was putting up sin within the body rather than confronting it.

What was so bad about situation at Pergamum? Why was Satan so powerful there? Well, if Ephesus was the New York of its day, Pergamum was Washington DC. It was the center of the Roman government of the region and its state-sponsored worship of the emperor. It represented the World – with a capital “W” – powerful and alluring, the system that Satan has set up to oppose the truth. Worldly ways creep into our thinking so easily. That is why Jesus warned against it so frequently.

Balaam is one of the Old Testament allusions that Carl mentioned are so common in Revelation. He was the wicked prophet hired by King Balak to curse the Israelites in Numbers 22. The Lord prevented him from cursing the Israelites, but he evidently gave Balak advice as to how to make the Israelites curse themselves by enticing them with Moabite prostitutes and idolatry. Somehow the problem of sexual sin and idolatry had infiltrated the Pergamum church. The Nicolaitans were leading people astray in this regard as well. Actually, sexual sin can be considered a form of idolatry, worshiping something else in the place of the true God. Idolatry can take many forms. Many are very subtle compromises: things that are good in themselves, like work or family, but dangerous if they become more important to us than God. But Jesus says, “Take this seriously!” His truth is the only thing that will root out the idols – the sword of His mouth.

To the victor He promises some hidden manna, heavenly food in contrast to the corrupting food offered to idols. And how cool is this white stone with a secret name – a special, individual token that allows entrance into the wedding feast of the Lamb, coming up in Revelation 19.

Onward to Thyatira. Thanks for hanging in with me here.  Revelation 2:18-25:

“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”

The situation here in Thyatira sounds similar to that in Pergamum. Instead of Balaam, we have Jezebel, another Old Testament character who led the Israelites away from worshiping the true God. But here the attack of Satan sounds more subtle, more insidious. Jezebel’s teaching seems to be referred to as “deep secrets,” something beyond and better than orthodox Christianity. She is misleading believers, and the sin is starting in their hearts and minds, before being reflected in evil deeds. So Jesus says that he will expose all that. His eyes are like blazing fire as He searches hearts and minds. His radiance is far beyond that of Apollo, the sun god, who temple was the centerpiece of Thyatira. With blinding light Jesus will not only expose the sin, He will burn it away.

Hold on to what you have. Do not be lured away into the deep secrets, some special revelation that errs from Biblical truth. It has been known to happen in some churches.

^“To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations — that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’— just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”   Revelation 2:26-29

As long as we hold to the truth, no power on earth can stand against us. We have the authority of Jesus, but sometimes we are afraid or reluctant to use it. The quote here is from Psalm 2, a messianic prophecy giving Jesus the nations as His inheritance. Now that we are included in that promise, we can ask for the nations, too. This is a foreshadowing of the millennial reign described in Revelation 20. The greatest prize, however, is the morning star. Jesus is offering us Himself, the promise of radiant light after the time of darkness in the world.

“He who has an ear, let him hear.” All of these things written to the churches are ultimately addressed to us as individuals, too. We may not be contending with the same external challenges as these first century churches, but these principles are eternal and applicable for all times. What has been speaking to you from these letters? Have you lost your first love? Do you love Jesus but are you ignoring some compromises in your spiritual walk? All of us do, to some extent, so we need to ask God to help us see those things for what they are, to be open and honest about them, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit in renewing our minds. Is there something that you sense God may want you to lovingly confront in someone else rather than just put up with? Are you facing suffering of some kind for which you need to receive strength and peace from the Lord? Maybe you can mention in the sharing time what God has been saying to you from His Word.