2:1 – “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.”

The little congregation at Ephesus was representative of all the assemblies of God (at Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Corinth, Colosse, Philippi, Thessalonika, etc., so well as the other six churches in Asia Minor), during the first – the initial stage or period of the Christian Church’s development.

But, who was the “angel” or messenger of this “Ephesus” church? We believe it was Paul; for while all the Apostles – Peter, John, etc., were “stars” or light- bearers to the early church, it was Paul, who more than any other, fulfilled the mission of “the angel” or “the star”! This becomes very evident when one examines his life, his epistles, and his work. Surely, he was richer in visions by far, than all the other Apostles combined. “… the care of all the churches.” (2 Cor. 11:28)

“St. Paul, the most learned of the twelve … after his eyes of understanding had been opened, and after he had become a spirit-begotten new creature, St. Paul manifested a wonderful insight into the things divine. Explaining this insight, he declared that he had visions and revelations more than had all the other apostles of the Lord together. (2 Cor. 12:1, 7, 11, 12)

“All this was in harmony with what the Lord said respecting him: ‘He is a chosen vessel unto me.… I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.’ (Acts 9:15,16) Naturally, the Lord could use a well-talented man, a well-educated man, who had fully given up his own will, to better advantage than he could use an illiterate man; and of some of the remainder of the apostles it is written that even the multitude perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant. (Acts 4:13) Not so with St. Paul, however. He had education and a wonderful breadth of mind. All the spirit-begotten children of God, able to understand the deep things of the Bible, are surely amazed at the logic, the wisdom and the power of St. Paul’s writings! We know of nothing in the world that will compare with them.

“Pushed to the front as the Lord’s mouthpiece to the Gentiles, St. Paul’s mind grasped more quickly than did the minds of the other apostles, the things pertaining to the new dispensation; and he perceived that the Gentiles were to be fellow-heirs with the Jews in the kingdom privileges. (Eph. 3:12; Col. 1:25-27) Naturally, some thought that St. Paul was going too far; and the argument was raised that he was not one of the twelve, that he was not to be ranked as an apostle, etc.

“However willing St. Paul might have been to be nothing and to let others take their own estimate of him, nevertheless he felt a duty toward the truth. This led him to tell us in no uncertain terms that he had full proof of his apostleship, and that he was not a whit behind the very chiefest of the apostles in the understanding of the divine program – yea, that to him more than all the others the Lord had revealed more of those things to come which our Lord Jesus had spoken. (John 16:13; 2 Cor. 11:5; Gal. 2:2-10; etc.)” (R5941:6)

Was it not St. Paul, as the “angel” of this Church, who identified for those of “Ephesus” the One who had commissioned him to give the message (Acts 9:15; Rom. 1:1; Eph. 3:7-9); the One “who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks,” (Rev. 2:1) – as the high priest of our profession? (Heb. 3:1; 8:1-3; See also Heb. 5:1-3; 7:26, 27; 9:11, 24; 10:11, 12)

Heb. 3:1 – “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, [to be] Christ Jesus.”

Heb. 7:26, 27 – “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”

Heb. 8:1, 2 – “… we have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

Heb. 9:11 – “Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands.”

Heb. 9:24 – “Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

The Priest and the Candlestick

Lev. 24:3, 4 – “… in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations. He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.”

Ephesus

“The word Ephesus means first, desirable. During this period our Lord ‘holdeth the seven stars in his right hand,’ etc. (Chapter 1:20) The messengers of the churches – St. Paul, St. Peter, St. John etc. – were so powerfully led and kept in the grasp of our Lord during this epoch that we accept their teachings

as his, believing that their words were really his words. This stage of the church is commended for its faithful, patient labor and for its discernment of truth and true teachers.” (Acts 20:28-30; 1 Cor. 11:19)

“It was characteristic of this period that ‘they forsook all and followed him.’ They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods. They sold what they had and gave to those in want. Though often deprived of the bread of this present life, they not only had the Living Bread, but had the promise of ‘the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.’ It will be remembered that all the trees in Eden were trees of life, but that the one in the midst of the Garden was then a forbidden tree, the disobedient eating of which brought death upon Adam and all his race. That tree in the midst of Paradise was called ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’; and our Lord’s promise in today’s study is that the overcomers of the Gospel age shall have full liberty to partake of that tree under most blessed and satisfactory conditions when the knowledge will be of benefit to them under divine approval, and will not then bring a curse.” (R5992:3)

Paul and the Church at Ephesus!!!

“Ephesus was in many respects the scene of the Apostle Paul’s most successful work. He spent about three years there altogether, accompanied by Timothy, Erastus, Titus, and, possibly others. The influence of This work, either directly or indirectly, extended to other cities round about. It is supposed that it was during this stay at Ephesus that congregations were started in nearby places, mentioned in Revelation as ‘the seven churches of Asia’ (Minor). Our last lesson showed the Apostle beginning his work at Ephesus in the synagogue. He continued to present the truth until opposition to it became quite marked, and certain of the Jewish adherents began to speak evil of the teachings of the believers. Then the apostle and those who believed, unwilling to continue a condition of strife, discontinued their attendance at the synagogue, and began a separate meeting, apparently in a rented public hall, called ‘The School of Tyrannus,’ because, according to the custom of that time, it was used by him for this purpose in the forenoons.” (R3157:3)

City of Ephesus

“Ephesus: an illustrious city in the district of Ionia, nearly opposite the island of Samos, and about the middle of the western coast of the peninsula commonly called Asia Minor. Of the Roman province of Asia, Ephesus was the capital.”(Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible)

“Ephesus means, first, desirable.” (R491:1)

Paul – First Messenger!

“Besides … the care of all the churches.” (2 Cor. 11:28)

“Upon him devolved the care of all the churches of the Gentiles, and great were the responsibilities of the office. Though the position was a most laborious and trying one, requiring great fortitude, zeal, energy and self-denial to fill it, it was also one of great honor.” (R1744:3)

2:2, 3 – “I know thy works, and thy labor, 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 labored, and hast not fainted.”

Again, it was the Apostle Paul, as the “angel” of the Church of “Ephesus,” who commended the Church of this period for its “faithful, patient labor and for its discernment of truth and true teachers. (Acts. 20:28-30; 1 Cor. 11:19)

Rev. 2:2, 3 – “I know thy works … labor … patience… hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.”

1 Thes. 1:3 – “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thes. 1:8 – “… in every place your faith to God- ward is spread abroad.”

Rom. 1:8 – “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.”

2 Cor. 8:2 – “… in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.”

Heb. 10:34 – “… ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.”

“It was characteristic of this period that ‘they forsook all and followed him.’ They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods. They sold what they had and gave to those in want.”(R5992:3)

Not only did the Lord thus, through the “angel” commend them for their work, toil and patience, but also, because they could “… not bear them which are evil: and … tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.”

“… because ‘thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.’ Why, in apparent opposition to the general command, ‘Judge not,’ are they commended at this and only this time for trying these false teachers? Because to the first church (and only to her) was given the supernatural power of discerning of spirits. The case of Ananias and Sapphira, of Simon and Elymas the sorcerers, and others, reveal this power.” (W. I. Mann; R336:4)

There was an evil at Corinth, concerning which Paul was in some way apprised; and it grieved him. He wrote to them about it; and they too were grieved; but they were also moved to correct it. Evidently, they had been unaware of it; at least, did not fully appreciate its evil potentialities! Now he writes to them again:

2 Cor. 2:3-6 – “… lest when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. But if I have caused grief, he hath not grieved me – but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many.”

There were some also, who had come to Corinth, claiming their word to be of equal weight to that of the original Twelve; in other words, that they too were Apostles. They tried these; found them lacking in the spirit of the truth – found them liars, and turned away from them. (Rev. 2:2)

These false teachers, who even during the very lifetime of the original Twelve, claimed their words and teachings had equal weight to those of the Apostles, subsequent to the death of the latter, claimed themselves to be their successors; and by this, these “Nicolaitanes” have ever since sought to lord it over God’s heritage – the Church of God! It was Paul who first drew attention to this “mystery of iniquity.” (Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thes. 2:7) God hates them; and commends those, who having a sufficiency of the Spirit of Truth motivating them, also hate and despise these workers of iniquity. (Rev. 2:6) St. Peter’s admonition to the elders of his day, is worthy of note: “… feed the flock … taking oversight … not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples of the flock, and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (1 Pet. 5:2-4)

The True Church and the False The Sanctuary Class and the Host

“Thus is shown a division of the church into two marked classes, distinguished in Dan. 8:11-14 as the sanctuary and the host; one class, corrupted by the flattering honors of the world, violated its covenant with God, while the other class was really strengthened by the persecutions to which their loyalty to God exposed them.” (C37)

Apostles … are not!

“… he said, ‘The Word of God is sufficient, that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished.’ (Acts 20:32; 2 Tim. 3:15-17) We see, then, that the Church needed no more than the twelve Apostles, nor any further revelation of any kind than those given to her through this inspired Apostle- ship. But that there would be some who mistakenly would claim to be apostles, the Lord Jesus clearly indicated, declaring that there would be false apostles, ‘who say that they are apostles and are not.’ (Rev. 2:2)” (OV396)

Would-Be Apostles (or Apostles’ Successors)

“About the year 325 A.D. the Bishops of the Church, misled by Satan, proclaimed themselves to be successors of the Apostles in power and Divine authority; whereas the Bible declares that there were only ‘Twelve Apostles of the Lamb.’ (Rev. 21:14)

“When in the Sixteenth Century the light of the Reformation began to break, the people began to look past the Bishops and to enquire what Jesus and the Apostles had said. They wanted the Bible. But for a time the Bishops stood in their way. It was in the year 1526 A.D., exactly twelve centuries after the making of the first creed, that Professor Tyndale, a godly man and a scholar, translated the New Testament into English and sought to give it to the British people. Although printing and paper had been invented, he could not have his work published in Great Britain; for the power of the Bishops was too strong. No printers dared offend them.

“Professor Tyndale finally succeeded in having his work printed on German presses in the city of Hamburg, and then imported these New Testaments into London. They appeared in shop windows, and the people rejoiced. But the masses found themselves unable to read; for education was only amongst the favored few. They started to have Bible readings – to hire scholarly persons to read them. But the Bishops, learning of these things, bought up the entire edition of Tyndale’s New Testament and publicly burned the books in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral, in London – Protestant Bishops of the Church of England! They reasoned that if the people got back to the Bible, they would ignore the creeds and those who had made the creeds; and that thus their own honor and influence be lost. They foresaw also that all the creeds would be challenged by Bible authority, and that their Apostolic claims also would be challenged by the words of Jesus, who declares that those who so claim ‘do lie.’ – (Rev. 2:2)” (SM549)

“So Soon Removed …”

“To the church of Galatia he wrote: ‘I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him [Paul] that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another Gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ.’ But now let me tell you; ‘Though we [Paul and his associates] or an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that we have preached … and ye have received, let him be accursed.’ (Gal. 1:6-9)

“And let me say further, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me, is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (vs. 11, 12) I Paul am an Apostle, not of men, neither by man’s appointment, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from the dead. (vs.1) You heard of me in times past how I persecuted the Church of God and how I wasted it and how zealous I was for the tradition of my fathers. (vs. 13, 14) (And he verily thought he did God’s service. Acts 26:9) But when it pleased God who from my birth called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood, but went forth at once to preach the faith which once I persecuted. (vs. 15, 16, 23)

“To prove to you that I received my commission and authority direct from the Lord and not from them which were Apostles before me, let me tell you that I did not go up to Jerusalem until three years after my conversion; and then I went to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days; but other of the Apos- tles saw I none save James, the Lord’s brother.” (R551:1)

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.”

But St. Paul would have been unfaithful as the “angel” to this “Ephesian” Church, had he not also made them mindful of the fact, that some among them had left their “first love.” (Gal. 1:6-9)

Though Paul, in this passage – “so soon removed from him who called you into the grace of Christ,” may have had particular reference to himself (R551:1), it stands to reason, nevertheless, that by transferring their personal affections from the Apostle Paul, to those who were propounding “another gospel” they also removed themselves from the One, who in, and above all things, ought to be their “first love.”!

This other “gospel” makes consecration a far less difficult matter, for it proposes certain compromises, which will not be quite so offensive to the world, the flesh, and the devil. Thus –

“Some, who started out with an appreciation of God’s gift and their consequent reasonable service of full consecration to God’s service, have been side-tracked and hindered, by ‘the cares of this life or the deceitfulness of riches’ (sought, even if not secured). These do not love sin, nor delight in its practice; they love righteousness in word, thought and deed, and wish that circumstances were favorable to righteousness, and long for the time when Satan and sin shall be bound for the thousand years of Christ’s reign, and pray fervently, ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.’ Yet they are so in bondage to the customs of society, so fond of the approval of fellow creatures, and the spirit of Christ in them is so blended with the spirit of worldliness, that they are hindered from performing the sacrifice of earthly things and interests which they covenanted to do when flushed with their warm first love and appreciation of God’s goodness and grace in Christ. They have lost much of their first love; and, consequently, self-sacrifices for the King, and his cause are more painful and more difficult. At first they accounted it joy to be permitted to suffer for the truth and for right doing with and like their Lord: now it is a painful duty which they shirk repeatedly, and repeatedly mourn over. They resolve that they will again take up the cross and find the old joy in bearing it; yet they do not do so.

“Their fault and hindrance began in dividing their hearts between heavenly and earthly interests. They listened to the voices of the world, the flesh and the devil (and the nominal church), saying, ‘Be not an extremist in piety; take a moderate course, else you will be considered a religious fanatic…’ They had no thought of abandoning their covenant of suffering and death with Christ, but intended merely to do their suffering and dying in a more moderate way than a full surrender – an out and out sacrifice, once and for ever, of earthly hopes, aims, friendships, etc. Alas! they did not realize that they could not sacrifice themselves, – that only the High Priest of our profession Christ Jesus, can perform the great sacrifice by which we become dead to the world and alive toward God. He must lay his hands (power) upon those who would be joint-sacrificers; he must offer them. And The offers none except the fully consecrated; nor would the Father accept upon his altar any others than these. In determining to sacrifice themselves piecemeal when and how they and their friends might please, was the primary mistake.… And the mistake continues: therefore their repeated determinations to ‘suffer joyfully’ are always failures.

“The only way out of their difficulty is to do their first works (Rev. 2:5) – to commence over again by a full surrender of themselves to the Lord, that he may sacrifice them and give them grace to endure it joyfully and thus through full obedience restore them … ‘overcomers’ who shall ‘inherit all things’.” (R2020:2,3)

Perhaps it was the sense of security in themselves – an element of spiritual pride – that caused some of this early “Ephesian” church to fall from their original position of grace and favor, and to the loss of their “first love.” But were they not duly warned against this? Had not their “angel” admonished them not to think of themselves more highly than they ought; to think soberly? (Rom. 12:3; Gal. 6:3) He well knew that there was nothing wrong about standing in the grace and favor of God’; but he also knew that this required great humility – a thing so delicate that even to think that we have it can damage or destroy it. Accordingly, he wrote to them: 1 Cor. 10:12 – “Let him that [even] thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Indeed, the Lord does strive with his people: he is patient, long-suffering and kind. Yet there does come a time when his striving must cease. Note carefully, how he bore with Israel of old, from the time when he delivered them – liberated them from the bondage of Egypt, until he had brought them to Kadesh Barnea, the portal of the Promised Land. Time after time he seemed to ignore their unbelief and disobedience! Then there came an end to this, when he said to them that because they had seen his glory and his miracles in Egypt, and in the wilderness, but had tempted him ten times without even hearkening to his words, he would now punish them by not allowing them to enter the land, and by turning them back into the howling wilderness until they should die. (See Num. 14:21-23, 32, 33; also Amos. 3:2)

So also, did our Lord strive with the Spiritual Israel represented in the “Ephesus” church. He would have all of them hearken to his “Repent … do thy first works,” else he would remove them as a candlestick out of its place! (Rev. 2:5) This, seemingly, implies that there was a certain time allotted to those of the early church in which to make their “calling and election” sure; but that this time could and would be cut short if they failed in time, to “earken,” “repent,” and do their “first works.”

Is not this the very import of the “angel’s” message to this church when he writes:

Heb. 10:32, 33, 35-39 – “… call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath

great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

Peter … This Fall!

“Notwithstanding all that Jesus Thad said to forewarn him of the sifting experiences that were just before him, St. Peter realized no dread, no fear. Hence he did little watching and praying in comparison with what he should have done, and self-confidence led to his undoing for a time.

“It was the same St. Peter who, when told he would deny our Lord before the time for the cock to crow the next morning, declared that it surely was a mistake, for he was ready to die with his Master. It was the same St. Peter who drew the sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, afterward healed by Jesus. It was the same impulsive St. Peter who was the first to acknowledge the Messiahship of Jesus.…

“Temptations will come in an insidious form. We cannot imagine that at the time when he cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant St. Peter had any sympathy with the thoughts of denying our Lord. But circumstances and conditions changed. The Master was taken prisoner. Whatever power he had previously exercised whereby he walked away from his enemies, and they could not take him because his ‘hour had not yet come,’ that power he evidently was not exercising now – his hour had come. To see his Master apparently without friends in heaven, delivered over to his enemies and led from one tribunal to the other, had a paralyzing effect upon St. Peter.…

“‘Let him that thinketh The standeth, take heed lest he fall.’ When we are weak in our own estimation and, full of faith, cling tenaciously to the Arm of the Lord, then we are really strong in the might which God supplies through His Eternal Son.” (R5563:1,3,5)

God’s Forbearance (patience)

Num. 23:21 – “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.”

2:6 – “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.”

“The ‘doctrine of the Nicolaitanes’ seems to be the theory of lordship or headship in the church. The

strife as to who should be the greatest of the patriarchs – fathers – of the prominent churches. At their councils there was a bitter fight for supremacy. The tendency was toward an earthly head, and of course many coveted the honor. The patriarchs of Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople and Rome were the most prominent. The first two dropped out of the conflict, but the strife continued for several hundred years between Constantinople and Rome. It was settled only by a division of the church: the Eastern, or Greek Church, accepting the Patriarch of Constantinople for its head; and the Western, or Papal Church, acknowledging the bishop – pope or father – of Rome.”(R5993:1)

In support of the foregoing suggestion that the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes seemed to be the theory of lordship or headship in the church, we will here quote the following excerpt from a lengthy article in McClintock & Strong’s Cyclopedia:

“The ingenious conjecture of Michaelis is worthy of consideration, who supposes that by Nicolaitanes, (Rev. 2:6, 15) the same class of persons is intended whom Peter (2 Pet. 2:15) describes as followers of the way of Balaam; and that their name, Nicolaitanes, is merely a Greek translation of their Hebrew designation, the noun Νικολαοl (from νικαω and λαοl being a literal version … the master of the people; or, according to another derivation, the devourer of the people …”

“The name, like other names, Egypt, Babylon, Sodom, is symbolic. Cf. v. 14, 15, which shows the true sense of Nicolaitanes; they are not a sect, but prophesying Christians who, like Balaam of old, tried to introduce into the Church a false freedom, i.e., licentiousness; this was a reaction in the opposite direction from Judaism, the first danger to the Church combated in the council of Jerusalem, and by Paul in the Epistle to Galatians. These symbolical Nicolaitanes, or followers of Balaam, abused Paul’s doctrine of the grace of God into a plea for lasciviousness (2 Pet. 2:15, 16, 19; Jude 4, 11; who both describe the same sort of seducers as followers of Balaam).” (Critical & Explanatory Commentary – Jamieson, Fausset and Brown – comment on Rev. 2:6)

Anent the Nicolaitanes

“How ready is Christ to commend his people for whatever good qualities they may possess! If there is anything of which he approves, he mentions that first. And in this message to the church of Ephesus, having first mentioned their commendable traits and then their failures, as if unwilling to pass by any good qualities he mentions this, that they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which he also hated. In verse 15 the doctrines of the same characters are condemned.

It appears that they were a class of persons whose deeds and doctrines were alike abominable in the sight of Heaven. Their origin is involved in some doubt. Some say that they sprang from Nicolas of Antioch, one of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5); some, that they only attribute their origin to him to gain the prestige of his name; and others, that the sect took its name from one Nicolas of a later date, which is probably the nearest correct. Concerning their doctrines and practices, there seems to be a general agreement that they held to a community of wives, regarded adultery and fornication as things indifferent, and permitted the eating of things offered to idols. (See Religious Encyclopedia, Clarke, Kitto, and other authorities.)” (Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation – Uriah Smith)

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.”

This entreaty, to him “who hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,” being the same for all the churches (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 21), indicates that while the messages were to specific churches, by way of specific messengers, and in specific periods, they were really intended for all of them; for, in the final analysis these seven churches represented the seven stages in the development of the one true church!

Messages To Churches, Applicable to All

“There are many reasons for concluding that, while the various messages in the second and third chapters of Revelation were given to the seven churches specified and were applicable to them, they should properly have a wider application to the whole church of Christ, the number seven representing completeness, and the order representing different epochs in the history of the church. Thus the church at Ephesus would represent the condition of the church in the Apostle’s day, at the time of the writing of the messages, while the Laodicean church would represent the church in our day, in the end of this Gospel age. The other churches would correspondingly represent different epochs intermediate, between the beginning and now.

“To think otherwise would be to attach more importance to those seven comparatively small churches of Asia Minor than would seem to have been appropriate, and would imply an ignoring of other churches larger and more influential than they, as, for instance, the churches at Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Colosse, Philippi, Thessolonica, etc.” (R4870:1)

“The first three chapters of Revelation contain particular specifications and general admonitions, not only for the local church therein mentioned, but for all ‘overcomers.’ They apply not only to the different epochs in the history of the church as a whole, but to different classes in any one epoch in the history of the church.” (R4870:2)

Many, of course, have ears with which to hear; but there are also many voices that are calling to be heard. Which voice shall it be? The Lord answers this question for us: “hear what the Spirit saith.” (Rev. 2:7)

Just who, or what, is this Spirit that speaks to the churches? It is the holy Spirit, concerning which Jesus spoke to his disciples before he left them, saying,

John 16:13, 14 – “… when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.”

“Only by the Holy Spirit are we guided beyond the mere letter of the divine testimony, into a true appreciation of ‘the deep things of God,’ and all those things which God hath in reservation for them that love him, which the human eye hath not seen, the human ear hath not heard, neither hath entered into the human heart to understand and appreciate. (1 Cor. 2:9, 10)” (E164)

But there was a particular message to the “Ephesus” church: “to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Yet, this message applied not only to those of “Ephesus” but also to the whole Gospel age church – to all who would be “overcomers.”

“Though often deprived of the bread of this present life, they not only had the Living Bread, but had the promise of ‘the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.’ It will be remembered that all the trees in Eden were trees of life, but that the one in the midst of the Garden was then a forbidden tree, the disobedient eating of which brought death upon Adam and all his race. That tree in the midst of Paradise was called ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’; and our Lord’s promise … is that the overcomers of the Gospel age shall have full liberty to partake of that tree under most blessed and satisfactory conditions, when the knowledge will be of benefit to them under divine approval, and will not then bring a curse.” (R5992:5)

2:8 – “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive.”

The “Ephesus” period ended after all the Apostles, save John, had “fallen asleep”; perhaps about A. D. 70 or A. D. 73. Paul, the “angel” or messenger of that period, according to tradition, was beheaded during the reign of Nero, about A. D. 68.

“Nero’s death occurred in June A.D. 68. Accepting, therefore, as we do, the Universal tradition that St. Paul was executed in the reign of Nero, his execution must have taken place not later than the beginning of June.” (The Life And Epistles of St. Paul – Conybeare & Howson, footnote, p. 781)

John, the beloved, who “tarried” (John 21:22), and who probably lived to the very end of the first Century, we believe, was the “angel” or messenger to the next succeeding period – the “Smyrna” period of the church, which period seems to have continued right into the reign of Constantine, i.e., to about A.D. 325.

The Apostle John’s Death

“… it may be concluded from the almost constant precedence given to James in the Gospels that he was the elder brother, for the greater historical importance of John was well known by the time the gospels were written. According to an old and wide-spread tradition, John was the youngest of all the apostles. If this is accepted, it adds to the probability of the assertion that he died a very old man after the accession of Trajan, 98 A.D.” (The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. 6, p. 202)

As the “angel” of this church, John identified the author of the message as “the first and the last.” (Rev. 2:8) This he did when he wrote in his Gospel:

John 1:1, 3, 10 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God … All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made … the world was made by him.”

“In his message to the church of this epoch our Lord styles himself ‘the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive.’ In no other sense or way could he be the First and the Last than as the only direct creation of the Father, through whom all else was created. Any other view would be in conflict with the Scriptures. – (Rev. 3:14; Col. 1:15; 1 Cor. 8:6; John 1:1-3, Diaglott)” (R5992:5)

The First and the Last

“In no other sense or way than as the ‘Only’ direct creation of God, through whom all else was created, could our Lord be the first and the last of God’s creation. Any other view, therefore, would be an incorrect one, and in conflict with all … Scriptures.” (E93)

Yet, not only did John thus identify Jesus for the “Smyrna” church, as “the first and the last” but also, as the One “which was dead and is alive.” (Rev. 2:8)

Now it must be admitted that John’s Gospel is unique; it is not a Synoptic! However, it does record certain events in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, that the Synoptic Gospels do not give; but which in a very special way reveal the glory of him, whose earthly ministry was cruelly terminated on Calvary’s cross.

Thus, the glory of Jesus was manifested at the marriage feast of Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11); in the cleansing of the Temple (John 2:13-23); in his discourse with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21); in his visit to Samaria (John 4:1-42); in his healing of the nobleman’s son (John 4:46- 54); in the miracle at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-47); in the Synagogue discourse on the “Bread of Life” (John 6:26-65); in the healing of the blind man (John 9:1-41); in the reawakening of Lazarus (John 11:17-46); in the coming of the Greeks (John 12:20-33); in the washing of the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17); in his prayer for his disciples (John 17); in his testimony before Pilate (John 18:29-37). But seemingly, this all terminated, as it were, in Jesus’ death on Calvary’s cross, whereon he cried, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

Let it be carefully noted, however, that despite the fact that the death of Jesus is recorded by Matt. (27:50); Mark (15:37); and Luke (23:46); not any of these was actually an eye witness to it; for it is clearly stated that This disciples “forsook and fled” from the scene. (Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:20) Only the beloved John, the “angel” of the “Smyrna” church remained to be the eye-witness of the event; and he recorded it in these graphic words: “one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” (John 19:34) Note also, the words which follow this: “… The that saw it bare record, and his record is true, that ye might believe.” (John 19:35)

Not only did John bear witness of Jesus’ death on the cross, but together with the other evangelists, he recorded the burial of Jesus in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. (John 19:38-42) In addition to this, John was among the earliest of the Apostles to become convinced in his own mind of the fact that The “which was dead … is alive.” (See John 20:19-23, 25, 29; 21:1-24) John’s three Epistles, even aside from the Revelation, bear evidence to the fact that he not only believed, but that he also knew, the resurrection of Jesus to be a truly accomplished, and not a mere fancied event! John, for the “Smyrna” church, identified Jesus of Nazareth, as the author of his particular message – the One who died, but was now alive; and he further declared that he was writing this to them concerning “the Christ, the Son of God … that, believing, ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:31)

Smyrna

“Smyrna means bitter. Myrrh and Marah are kindred words. This stage of the Christian church was the period of most bitter persecution, under the Roman Emperors from Nero to Diocletian. In his message to the church of this epoch our Lord styles himself ‘the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive.’ In no other sense or way could he be the First and the Last than as the only direct creation of the Father, through whom all else was created. Any other view would be in conflict with the Scriptures. (Rev. 3:14; Col. 1:15; 1 Cor. 8:6; John 1:1-3, Diaglott)

“‘The devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days.’ Thus the Lord informed his faithful servants of this period that theirs would be a time of great persecution. Pagan Rome, here symbolized as the devil, has been the most devilish of all earthly governments, when viewed in the light of its bloody persecutions. The ten symbolic days refer to the last and most severe persecution under the Roman Emperors – that of the reign of Diocletian, A.D. 303-313. Those who have read the history of this period can understand the depths of the words, ‘that ye may be tried.’ Some of the most sublime pictures of Christian endurance that the world has ever seen were enacted during the Smyrna period of the church. The call was for faithfulness unto death; the promise was that the overcomers should ‘not be hurt of the second death,’ but should receive the crown of life – immortality.” (R5992:6)

2:9,10 – “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

In the days of the “Smyrna” church, it really meant something to be a Christian – to live the Christ-life of full and complete consecration and dedication to the Will of God. (Heb. 10:7, 9) And the Lord, both recognized and appreciated this, and commended those saints, many of whom were quite poor, and even destitute. Addressing them through their “angel” he said, “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty,” and then, sweetly, and comfortingly added, “but thou art rich.” (Rev. 2:9) Surely, they had the blessing and favor of God; what more could they need! (Prov. 22:10; Luke 12:16-21)

Christianity had not yet become the religion of the State, nor of the populace; and therefore, there was much of persecution from both.

Some persecutions, however, came from their Jewish brethren, who by this time had learned to hate and despise them bitterly. Even as in Jesus’ day there were those who prided themselves on being “the chosen people of God” – the “children of Abraham.” (John 8:39) Having rejected the prophet of Nazareth, they, of course, took no heed to his word to the effect that: “Your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:38); nor had they recognized the “baptism of fire” that in A. D. 70, came upon them as a nation, when the Roman Titus, on capturing the city of Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and desecrated its vessels. (See Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16; 19:43, 44; 21:20, 24) The fleshly “seed” of Abraham had been displaced by the spiritual; and as Ishmael of old, persecuted Isaac (Gal. 3:7, 9, 29), so did the fleshly Israel persecute that which was of the Spirit. (Gen. 21:9)

“Israel, like Ishmael, mocked at the spiritual Israel, the true heir of the divine favors, and persecuted those that were born (begotten) after the spirit.” (R2777:6)

These persecutors, now constituted the “synagogue of Satan”! No wonder then, that the Lord commended his faithful ones of the “Smyrna” period, saying, “I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and which are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” (Rev. 2:9)

“‘They are not all Israel which are of Israel.’ (Rom. 9:6, 7) And again, ‘He is not a Jew which is a Jew outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but The is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart.’ (Rom. 2:28, 29) And again, the words of our Lord in addressing his church: ‘I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan.’ (Rev. 2:9; 3:9)” (R2443:1)

It is interesting to note that there was not a word of condemnation for this “Smyrna” church; only commendation! Knowing the severity of the trials that were yet to come upon them, the Lord warned them, so that they might not be taken unawares; but might find comfort and encouragement in the knowledge, that in all of their trials, he would be with them, suffering their afflictions with them.

“The Scriptures point out the fact that the Lord’s consecrated people belong so completely to him that in all their afflictions he is afflicted. (Isa. 63:9)” (R5173:3)

“A great conflict between Christianity and the Graeco-Roman world was inevitable. Christianity challenged almost everything for which the Roman world stood, and condemned or excluded many phases of the life of antiquity …

“In the Graeco-Roman world the State was conceived of as the Highest Good. The State included all the possible good that could come to man, even religion, which was subordinated to the State. Hence supreme loyalty to the State was the great Roman ideal. Service to the State was the purpose of life. But Christians were citizens of a kingdom that was not of this world. (John 18:36) They recognized an authority that was higher than the State, and if the law of the Empire came in conflict with the law of God, they would obey God rather than man. (Acts 5:29) It was this supreme loyalty to a law outside the Roman law that irritated and worried the Roman authorities more than all other accusations against Christianity combined …

“The Christians refused to live like other people. The Roman world advocated pleasure, happiness, and the satisfaction of the senses as personal ends. The Christian preached and practiced self-denial, and emphasized the joy of a future life …

“The Roman Religion was purely external; consequently it was very impressive. The Romans could not conceive of religious services without temples and images, altars and sacrifices. The early Christians had no impressive temples or images. They had no sacrifices and no altars. They prayed to an unseen God. The Romans could not understand such worship. They reasoned that the Christians had no God and that they therefore were atheists. But atheism was a very serious offence in the Roman Empire. Hence, away with the atheists! Charges of atheism and superstition were common during the reign of Domitian, A.D. 81-96.

“The Christians consistently refused to worship the Emperor because such worship would involve a denial of their Lord. The government considered such refusal an act of high treason and punished the offenders accordingly.” (A History Of The Christian Church – Qualben, p. 57-59)

It is no wonder, then, that the Emperors of Rome were so cruel in their persecution of the early church: they really feared their righteousness and holiness. In his message to the “Smyrna” church, the Lord admonished it to “fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days.” (Rev. 2:10)

The devil who would cast some of them into prison, that they might be tried, was the Roman State.

“John the Revelator, seeing in vision the same symbolic beast (government), was also at a loss for a name by which to describe it, and finally gives it several. Among others, he called it ‘the Devil.’ (Rev. 12:19) He certainly chose an appropriate name; for Rome, when viewed in the light of its bloody persecutions, certainly has been the most devilish of all earthly governments. Even in its change from Rome Pagan to Rome Papal it illustrated one of Satan’s chief characteristics; for he also transforms himself to appear as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), as Rome transformed itself from heathenism and claimed to be Christian – the Kingdom of Christ.” (A258)

“that ye may be tried” does not have reference to the trial by the State, but rather to the trial of their faith, which Peter had declared was more precious than that of gold, even though it be tried with fire. (See 1 Pet. 4:12, 13) For some, this involved the “tribulation ten days” which the Lord specifically mentioned in his message.

“It was the period of most bitter persecution, under the Roman Emperors from Nero to Diocletian. ‘The devil (Pagan Rome) shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days’ (last and most severe persecution, A.D. 303-313).

“Those who have read the history of this period can understand the depth of the words, ‘that ye may be tried.’ Some of the most sublime pictures of Christian endurance that the world has ever seen were enacted during the Smyrna period.” (R491:2, W. I. Mann; 5992:6)

Paganism and the Early Church

“Many pagan philosophers find that it would be policy to join the ranks of the rising religion, set about paving an easy way to it by trying to discover correspondencies between Christianity and Paganism, and so to blend the two together. They succeeded only too well. Many sought ‘to form to themselves a middle kind of religion, between the ancient theology and the new doctrine that was now propagated in the empire; and they persuaded themselves that the same truths which Christ taught had been for a long time concealed by the priests of the gods under the veil of ceremonies, fables, and allegorical representations.’ (Mosheim) As the old theology had a number of chief gods, with many demi-gods of both sexes, the Pago-christians (if we may coin a word) set themselves to construct a list for the new theology. At this time, therefore, the doctrine of three Gods was invented – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Also, the Goddess Mary. To make the list respectable in numbers as the long line of pagan deities, they canonized the dead apostles and an unlimited number of martyrs, angels, etc., real or imaginary.

“Mosheim says of this period: ‘The public processions and supplications by which the Pagans endeavored to appease their gods, were now adopted into Christian worship, and celebrated in many places with great pomp and magnificence. The virtue which had formerly been ascribed to the heathen temples, to their lustrations (ceremonial cleansings by water, etc.) to the status of their gods and heroes, were now attributed to Christian churches – to water consecrated by certain forms of prayers, and to images of holy men.’

“‘The propensity of rude and uneducated converts (?) from Paganism to cling to the festal rites of their forefathers proved to be invincible, so that it seemed to be necessary to adopt the old usages to the new worship, rather than to abolish them altogether.’ (Encyl. Brit.)” (R359:2, W. I. Mann)

“Christians thought it would be fine if all the Gentiles could be united in religion. Thus the majority gradually worked in with the Greek philosophers and fraternized with them. Numbers of the adherents of paganism made a profession of Christianity, being reinforced later by many others from the more northern tribes of Europe, these all joining some of their heathen philosophies and theories with Christianity.” (R5910:6)

An Historian’s Account of the Times

“At the death of Paul, some thirty years after the death of Christ, there were Christian congregations, we know from the Book of Acts, in all the large cities of the eastern part of the empire and in Rome. These congregations were made up almost solely, as yet, from the humblest classes of society – slaves and poor laborers. Women were particularly numerous and influential among them. The religion of mercy and gentleness and hope appealed especially to the weak and downtrodden. So far, it got no hearing from the rich and powerful and happy. To the Roman historians of the age, Christianity was known not at all, or only by vague rumors, as a vicious sect of the despised Jews. The moralist Tacitus was a boy in Rome during the great fire in Nero’s time. Fifty years later (115 A.D.), he wrote an account of it. Even then he knew of the Christians, it is plain, only by misleading scandal, though he is the first pagan writer to give any important mention of them.

“Nero had himself been accused of setting the conflagration, explains Tacitus: ‘Therefore, to stop the rumor, he (Nero) falsely charged with guilt and punished with fearful tortures, the persons whom the vulgar call Christians, and who were already branded with deserved infamy. Christus, from whom the name was derived, was executed as a criminal, when Tiberius was imperator, by Pontius Pilate, the procurator in Judea. But the pernicious superstition, checked for the time, again broke out, not only in Judea, where the mischief began, but even in Rome, the meeting place of all horrible and immoral practices from all parts of the world’.” (Ancient World – West, p. 535, Sect. 654)

The Tribulation, Ten Days!

“The ten symbolic days refer to the last and most severe persecution under the Roman Emperors – that of the reign of Diocletian, A.D. 303-313.” (R5992:6)

The historian says that Diocletian reigned from A.D. 284-305. However, he does agree, that
“Toward the close of his reign he was induced to carry on the most terrible and thorough of all the persecutions of the Christians.” (Ancient World – West, p. 542, Sect. 662)

In section 672, West says:
“In 303, after long hesitation, Diocletian began the most terrible of all the persecutions of the Christian church.”

Thus, regardless as to who the emperor was after him, the persecution started with Diocletian in A.D. 303 and ended in 313.

These persecutions represented for those of the “Smyrna” period, the permissive will of God; in which, they could, if they but would be rightly exercised, prove their worthiness of identification with Jesus in the glory of his Kingdom. It might cost them their earthly lives; but had they not consecrated to lay these down in obedience to that Will of God? And would they not, as a reward for their faithfulness, receive the life more abundant? Thus –

“The call was for faithfulness unto death; the promise was that the overcomers should ‘not be hurt of the second death,’ but should receive the crown of life, immortality.” (R5992:6)

“Faithful Unto Death”

“What a lesson … for those who have covenanted with the Lord to serve him first and chiefly … These the Lord urges, saying, ‘Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.’ ‘He that over- cometh (who conquers in himself the spirit of the world), the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his holy servants.’ ‘Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.’ (Rev. 2:10; 3:5, 11)” (C225)

The Death of Jesus

“It is … claimed that our Lord’s death on the cross, so much sooner than was usual, was occasioned by a literal breaking of his heart, the rupture of its muscles, and that this is indicated by the flow of both blood and water from the spear wound in his side after death.” (E123)

The Crown of Life

“The Apostles James and John speak of the same crown and call it the crown of life. (Jas. 1:12; Rev. 2:10), and the Apostle Peter speaking of the same calls it the crown of glory. (1 Pet. 5:4) The thought at the bottom of each of these expressions is evidently the same; namely, the custom in olden times of running races and the giving of a crown to the successful runner at the end of the course. As it was not sufficient to enter a race, or start to run, but it was required that the race be run faithfully and perseveringly to a conclusion, so with this race which we are running as followers of Jesus, it is essential not only that we shall make consecration to the Lord, but that we persevere to the end, and our reward will be the crown of life in the sense that we will get life on the highest plane, inherent life, immortality.… The crown of glory is another name for the same grand reward – the glory of the kingdom, the glory of immortality, the glory of the Father’s favor, the glory of being joint- heirs with Christ in his kingdom.” (R3211:6)

2:11 – “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”

Here again, we are reminded that while the messages were to specific churches, by way of their specific messengers, in specific periods, they were really intended for all of them: for in the final analysis the seven churches represented seven stages in the development of the one true church! And what is it that the Spirit says to this Church of God? Is it not this, “be thou faithful unto death” for then, you “shall not be hurt of the second death”?

“It is required by the consecration that this perseverance in sacrificing and well-doing shall be continued patiently and faithfully, and that the end, with us as with our Lord and Head, shall be literal death.… This faithfulness, this daily dying, is requisite to our making our calling and election sure; and it is to such as faithfully walk in the footsteps of the Lord that he promises the glory, honor and immortality reserved for the faithful overcomers who shall constitute the ‘Very Elect’ members of the New Creation. Our Lord’s words are, ‘Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.’ (Rev. 2:10)” (F444)

2:12 – “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;”

The “Pergamos” period of the church began about A.D. 325 and we believe, continued until about A.D. 1160. During it, the nominal church was gradually elevated; its kind of “Christianity” becoming popular with both the State and the people.

Pergamos

“Pergamos means an earthly elevation. The Speaker is ‘He who hath the sharp Sword with two edges’ (Greek, two-mouthed) – the Word of God. During this period, while the nominal church was growing popular, the true Christians were tested and proved by the introduction and development of Pagan and Papal ideas. The Pagan priests, unwilling to lose their position of honor and influence amongst the people, sought to bend their ideas to fit the new religion. Thus while nominally professing Christianity, they brought many of their former ideas with them into the Christian church. These were eventually grafted upon the true stock – ‘the faith once delivered to the saints.’ – Jude 3

“Thus gradually the church was led into error, evil practices, and away from God. This is what is meant in Verse 14 by the allusion to Balaam and Balak. It will be remembered that Balaam, who had been a prophet of God, instructed King Balak how to tempt Israel to sin, and thus brought about what he could not accomplish by his own powers. (Num. 23; 24; 31:16) So these Pagan priests taught the church to indulge in spiritual fornication, and thus brought upon her the withering blight of the wrath of God.

“The ‘doctrine of the Nicolaitanes’ seems to be the theory of lordship or headship in the church. The strife as to who should be greatest existed amongst many of the patriarchs – fathers – of the prominent churches. At their councils there was a bitter fight for supremacy. The tendency was toward an earthly head and, of course, many coveted the honor. The patriarchs of Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople and Rome were the most prominent. The first two dropped out of the conflict, but the strife continued for several hundred years between Constantinople and Rome. It was settled only by a division of the church; the Eastern, or Greek Church, accepting the Patriarch of Constantinople for its head; and the western, or Papal Church, acknowledging the bishop – pope or father – of Rome.

“Many of the true followers of the Master in the churches denounced this attempt to disobey the direct command of Jesus, ‘Call no man father.’ (Matt. 23:9) Of course, they received the promised persecution (2 Tim. 1:12) This class in Pergamos is commended by our Lord under the symbol of ‘Anti-pas, my faithful martyr.’ In the Greek, anti means against, and Papas signifies father. In this stage of development of the church those who sought to be popular received the emoluments of the church; but the promise to the overcomers is that pleasure and honor that shall be eternal.” (R5992:6)

The Two-Edged Sword of Truth

“It is not surprising, either, that when the two-edged sword of truth enters, it creates division. This is one evidence that we are now in the harvest, and that this truth is the harvest sickle. So it was at the first advent. Wherever our Lord and the apostles and their message went, there was a division of the people concerning him; so much so, that in one place ‘they entreated him that he would depart out of their coasts.’ (Matt. 8:34; Mark 1:24; Acts 13:50) What did our Lord do – change his gospel to suit them? No: he continued his work, until the whole city was in an uproar and the order-loving scribes and Pharisees had him executed, saying that it was expedient that one die for the (good of the) people, that all might not perish. (John 11:49-53)

“Wherever the truth goes it has such an effect. The heathen nations all claim that it disturbs the spirit of their devotions and distracts the reverence formerly paid to Brahm and Buddha. The effect was the same in the days of the apostles. (Acts. 13:50) Paul and Barnabas were arrested for disturbing the peace and unsettling the minds of those who worshipped the goddess Diana; and ‘the whole city was in an uproar.’ (Acts 19:40; 20:1; 21:31) But the apostles, instead of wavering and stopping, went right along and preached the same Gospel which made a disturbance everywhere. It became so notorious, that the knowledge of it spread from city to city, in times when they had neither mail routes nor telegraph lines; so that it was declared at Thessalonica, ‘These who have turned the world upside down are come hither also.’ (Acts 17:5, 6)” (R1633:3)

“The only sword which the Lord’s people now may use is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and it is to cleave its way by its own sharpness and penetrating power rather than force of language and invective, or any manifestation of anger on the part of those who use it. On the contrary, they are directed to speak the truth in love, that thus the truth may do its work in its own way.” (R3888:1)

Constantine and the Nicean Creed

“To Constantine’s influence the Adoption of the Nicean definition was due. That he ever understood its shades of meaning is more than doubtful; but he wanted a united expression of the faith of the church on the question in dispute, and believed that he had found it. Under his supervision, all but two of the bishops present signed it. These, and Arius, Constantine sent into banishment. The imperial politics had apparently secured the unity of the church, and Thad given it what it Thad never before possessed, a statement which might be assumed to be a universally recognized creed.” (A History of the Christian Church – Walker, p. 117)

… under Constantine’s reign, the opposition of the empire to Christianity gave way to favor, and the Imperial Pontifex Maximus became the patron of the professed but really apostate Church of Christ; and, taking her by the hand, he assisted her to a place of popularity and splendor from which she was able afterward, as the imperial power grew weak, to put her own representatives upon the religious throne of the world as Chief Religious Ruler – Pontifex Maximus” (B290)

It was in this period too, that the great controversy arose with regard to the nature of Christ Jesus: was he “God of very God,” or was he the Son of God? Was he one in substance with the Father, or actually a created being – “the beginning of the creation of God,” the “first born of every creature”? (See Rev. 3:14; Col. 1:15) It will be recalled that Jesus had identified himself to the “Smyrna” church, as “the first and the last, which was dead and is alive.” (Rev. 2:8) As already suggested, the implication here is, that he was not one in substance with the Father; and that he was at the time of his death, at least, not a God – an immortal being, who for that very reason could not have died! He was rather, the only direct creation of God, through whom God’s power was exercised in the rest of the work of creation (John 1:3): and he had come into the World to “reveal” the Father, who, of course, was, is and ever will be, invisible for natural human eyes to see.

But the “mystery of iniquity” which Paul had already recognized as being at work during the “Ephesus” period (2 Thes. 2:7), had by this time grown to such proportions as to constitute a veritable threat to the life of the saints of the “Pergamos” period. Men, indeed had arisen, from amongst them, speaking perverse things (Acts 20:30), deceiving; and had it been possible, the very elect! But praise God, it was not possible to deceive these; though there were many others who followed. No wonder, then, that Jesus, to this “Pergamos” church, identified himself as “he which has the sharp sword with two edges” (Rev. 2:12) separating, as it were, by way of the Truth, the true saints, from the false!

“The philosophy of Plato was ingrafted, a parasite upon the Scriptural stock. This vile fungus, planted by Satan in Eden (Gen. 3:4), watered by the Egyptians, and brought to an increase by a pseudo-christianity, has borne an abundant harvest of errors, and exhaled an influence more deadly than the Upas tree. Purgatory, Eternal Sin, Eternal Torment, Mariolatry, Saint Worship, Transmigration, Moham-medanism, Swedenborgianism, and Mormonism are some of its legitimate fruits, which could not have existed without it.” (W. I. Mann – R359:3)

The messenger to this “Pergamos” church, we believe, was Arius, who believed, and bore record of the fact that:

“… there was a time when the Son was not, since the Father who begot must be before the Son who was begotten, and the latter, therefore, was not eternal.” (McClintock & Strong’s Cyclopedia, Vol. 1, Article: “Arianism”)

Arius thus believed “that the Son had a beginning, and that God has no beginning.” However, the opposition to this truth was very strong: and waxed hot and hotter until the Emperor, Constantine, took a hand in the matter.

“The Roman Emperor Constantine saw a vision – probably when wide awake a vision of greater prosperity for himself and his Empire, by a recognition of Christianity as the religion of his Empire instead of paganism, which had previously been recognized …

“Constantine’s influence in Church affairs became great. He proposed the calling of a council of all the bishops, numbering about one thousand. He wanted to know why these apostolic bishops, all inspired with the same Spirit of God, taught so differently. He offered to pay the expenses of all the bishops to the Council at Nice; but the majority, fearing that the Emperor would be under the control of the Roman bishop (not yet claiming to be pope), declined to attend.

“Only 384 came. But even they were unable to agree.… Many held to the Bible teaching that Jehovah is the One, Supreme God; that the Lord Jesus Christ was His Son and honored Agent in all His creative work; and that He, having manifested faith and loyalty to the Father to the extent of leaving the Heavenly glory becoming a man and dying, the Just for the unjust, has been exalted by the Father to His own right hand of majesty and power.

“But the mystification thought of trinity had gained a hold on some of the bishops, amongst others the Bishop of Rome. The questions at issue were argued for months. With all his powerful influence, the Bishop of Rome could not bring the majority of the Council to acknowledge the doctrine of the trinity. Thereupon Constantine decided the matter; and the Nicean Creed backed by the Emperor’s authority and power, was declared to be the Christian faith, and anything contrary to it, heresy.

“Yet be it remembered that only about one-third of the bishops were present at the Council: and that they could not be coerced into substituting ‘mystery’ for the Word of God, until the Emperor lent his influence. His decree was that Christian doctrine as thus defined in the Nicean Creed should have the prestige of the support of the Emperor and of all his subordinate officers throughout the Roman Empire. All believing contrary to this would be heretics, and be considered in opposition to the Emperor, and such had the privilege of leaving the Empire. Thus was the mystery of trinity enshrined by a heathen emperor, not baptized – not even sprinkled.” (The Bible Students Monthly, Vol. 6, Issue #4)

The Rise of the Papacy

“The first ecumenical Council of Nice (325), in its sixth canon, makes only an incidental mention of the Roman bishop.… The bishops of Rome, however, with great consistency and prudence, knew how to enlarge the precedence which Thad been accorded to the Church of the Imperial City, and the honors which for personal merits had been conferred upon individual occupants of the See into a permanent ascendancy, for which a divine origin was claimed, in order to make it an organic part of the doctrinal system of the Church …

“The first pope, in the real sense of the word, was Leo (440-461). Being endowed by nature with the old Roman spirit of dominion, and being looked upon by his contemporaries, in consequence both of his character and his position, as the most eminent man of the age, he developed in his mind the ideal of an ecclesiastical monarchy, with the pope at the head, and endeavored with great energy to transform the constitution of the Church in conformity with his ideal.… As bishop of Rome, he carried through his claims to supreme power over the whole Church with a greater energy than any of his predecessors. The bishops of the African and Spanish churches submitted to his demands …

“Gregory I (590-604) was, next to Leo I, the greatest of the Roman bishops during this first period of their history.… Gregory marks the transition of the patriarchal position of the Roman bishops into the strict papacy of the Middle ages. He saw that the bishop of Rome could not enjoy the ecclesiastical supremacy at which they aimed until they threw off their political dependency, and he skilfully used the settlement of the Lombards in Italy to prepare the way for their independence. The triumph of the Catholic Church over Arianism in Spain, and the success of the Roman mission in England, greatly promoted the plans of Gregory …

“In the 7th and 8th centuries a series of important events added to the ecclesiastical ascendancy of the popes a high and influential position among the secular government of the world. In proportion as the Byzantine emperors lost their hold of Italy, and especially the city of Rome, the actual power in the latter passed over into the hands of the pope as the head of an aristocratic municipal government …

“In 1073 Hildebrand, after being for about twenty- five (25) years the guide of the papal policy, ascended himself the papal chair under the name of Gregory VII. He is commonly regarded as the greatest pope of all times. He clearly and boldly set forth the theory of a theocratic rule of the pope over all nations of the world. The priesthood was regarded by him as the only power directly instituted by God, the power of secular rulers as the product of human agencies. The pope, as vicar of God, was to stand in times of violence between princes and their people enforcing the law of divine right by his spiritual power, and able either to humble the people or to depose princes.”(McClintock & Strong’s Encyclopedia – Article: Papacy)

“In 534 A.D. the emperor of Rome, Justinian, recognized the Bishop of Rome as chief bishop, or POPE – the head of the religious affairs of the Roman empire, which for centuries had ruled the world.

“… The beginning of this temporal power was gradual, from A.D. 539, but it was fully established in A.D. 800, when Charlemagne, king of France, was crowned by Pope Leo III, and accepted from him, and by his supposed divine authority, the title of Emperor of the West. There, really, what was afterward known as the ‘Holy Roman Empire’ had its beginning.” (R1093:6)

See also “Establishment of the Papacy” page 101, and

“The Exaltation of the Papacy” page 140.

2:13 – “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.”

The Apostolic writings were fraught with timely words, which the “angels” of all periods might draw upon. Had not Jesus declared unto his Apostles, that, “whatever things ye bind on earth, shall be having been bound in heaven, and whatever things ye loose on earth, shall be having been loosed in heaven.” (A. Marshall’s translation) And since we are not told just how Arius, the “angel” of the church of “Pergamos” ministered the Lord’s message to them, we can only assume that he drew heavily, yea, mightily, upon those inspired writings. From the fact that the Lord declared, “I know thy works,” (Rev. 2:13), we conjecture that Arius comforted those saints with the thought that the Lord had promised to be with his saints, even unto the consummation of the age (Matt. 28:20); and that the Comforter (John 14:16-20; 15:26) – the holy Spirit, as an indwelling, would bear witness unto them of their sonship unto God, even in the midst of their trials and temptations. (Rom. 8:16-18) Concerning this holy Spirit, we read:

“It was to be in God’s people according to the degree of their consecration and zeal toward God and his righteousness, and by reason of the prevalence and power of the spirit of evil in the world about them was to prove a test of their characters, present conditions demanding that whosoever would live godly in this present time must suffer persecution – must be willing to have ‘all manner of evil’ falsely spoken against them and yet take it patiently, as did their Master, continuing, nevertheless, faithful to the Lord and his cause at any cost – counting not their earthly lives dear unto them. (2 Tim. 3:12; Matt. 5:11; 1 Pet. 2:23; Acts 20:24)” (E191)

“The Spirit of God, through the Word … testifies or witnesses to us the rule of our heavenly Father’s dealing with This sons – chastisements, pruning, taking away of the dross, and a development of the fruit-bearing qualities.” (E231)

“… as with our Lord, so also with his faithful followers, divine providence leads the faithful and obedient into the path of suffering and self-denial, not as chastisement of a contrary will, but as tests, by self- sacrifice, of the measure of love and devotion to the Father’s will, and to the cause of righteousness. As our Lord was chastened for our transgressions, not his own, when he bore the sins of many, so his followers in many respects suffer, not for their own wrong-doings, but by reason of the wrong- doings of others, for they are called as the Apostle declares, to ‘fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ, for his body’s sake, which is the church.’ (Col. 1:24)” (E234)

Such, were the “works” – “before ordained” of God (Eph. 2:10), the “works” which the Lord recognized, and for which he commended the “Pergamos” saints!

The Lord continues the thought: not only do “I know thy works,” but also “where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is.” (Rev. 2:13) From this, it is quite evident that the Lord was cognizant of the unfavorable situation in which the saints of the “Pergamos” period found themselves. And, while Satan is ever to be found busily engaged wherever God’s people dwell, there seem to be times and seasons wherein he seems to work with special power; and the period covered by this church was one of these. During this period Satan was laying the very foundation of the most stupendous system of wickedness, the papacy. Yes, indeed, “I know where Satan’s seat is.” And O, how, comforting the words which follow: but “thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.” (Rev. 2:13)

“Their fidelity is more particularly noted because of their adverse surroundings. At this time there were many teachers, and more controversy than ever before. Light was darkened by words, and truth with sophistry. During this period also arose the old dispute of ‘who should be the greatest.’ The bishops, or Patriarchs, as they preferred to be called, of Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, and Constantinople, had acquired a degree of preeminence over the others, and there was a long-continued rivalry between them; the supremacy being finally divided between Rome and Constantinople. The nominal church was split in two, chiefly over the question of image-worship; the idolaters ranging under the bishop of Rome, who received the name of Pope (Latin, papa – the father), while the image-breakers, as they were called, formed the Greek Church under the Patriarch (chief father) of Constantinople…

“Anti, in Greek, means opposite or against; papas is father. In the usual manner of forming words, Antipas would evidently mean against the father, or opposed to the Pope or Patriarch; as we use the name anti-christ, the opponent of Christ. It is clear, then, that our Lord here commends the faithful band who, ‘holding fast’ the endearing name of our ‘Father,’ in obedience to the command, ‘Call no man Father,’ opposed the development and establishment of the Papacy, with its attendant heresies of a class of holy (?) and Rev. (?) fathers (Psa. 3:9), who, being called by the church – or the almighty dollar – or love of honor and ease, as the case may be, profess a superior sanctity; privilege and authority for the exposition of God’s Word.” (R359:5, W. I. Mann)

“Antipas”

“It is supposed that Antipas was not an individual, but a class of men who opposed the power of the bishops, or popes, in that day, being a combination of two words, anti, opposed, and papas, father, or pope; and at that time many of them suffered martyrdom in Constantinople and Rome, where the bishops and popes began to exercise the power which soon after brought into subjection the kings of the earth, and trampled on the rights of the church of Christ. And for myself, I see no reason to reject this explanation of this word Antipas in this text, as the history of those times is perfectly silent respecting such an individual as is here named.” (William Miller’s Lectures, pages 138, 139, as quoted in Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith)

“Many of the true followers of the Master in the churches, denounced this attempt to disobey the direct command of Jesus, ‘Call no man father.’ (Matt. 23:9) Of course, they received the promised persecution. (2 Tim. 1:12) This class in Pergamos is commended by our Lord under the symbol of ‘Anti-pas, my faithful martyr.’ In the Greek, anti means against, and Papas signifies father. In this stage of the church those who sought to be popular received the emoluments of the church; but the promise to the overcomers is that of pleasure and honor that shall be eternal.” (R5993:2)

2:14, 15 – “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.”

The Doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes

“From what has been said, the spiritual meaning of the Balaam teaching should be easily seen. The blasphemous doctrines of eternal torment, and the endless existence of sin and sinners; also the fiction of the short line from the death-bed to heaven, and kindred fancies, have always been a ‘stumbling block’ to the church. The homage given to pagan rites, ceremonies, festivals, etc., Christianized (?) such as prayers to the dead, sacred places, days, and per- sons; union with earthly powers and with those who do such things, would in our opinion be Balaam service.

“The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, noticed in the Ephesus message, found its development in this age; and has been a burden to the church ever since. Nicholas means a conqueror of the people. In the church of Rome the laity or people are as much the subjects of the Pope, both in spiritual and temporal things, as any of earth’s conquerors ever dreamed of demanding. This, in the face of Christ’s plain statement that there is but one Lord, one Father, ‘and all ye are brethren.’ (Matt 23:8-12) The command ‘Search the Scriptures,’ was intended for every one; the commission to ‘preach the good news’ to all who have received the Spirit; and if any one has not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His, and can only be a blind leader of the blind.” (R359:6, W. I. Mann)

“Guided by Balaam, King Balak communicated with the leading people of the Midianites, and urged that their wives and daughters should apparently fall in love with the Israelites, and introduce them to the sensuous religious rites practiced by Midian. The scheme was successful. Some of the leading wives and daughters of the Midianites attracted some of the leading men of Israel to adultery, and to idol worship and orgies. Forthwith a plague started amongst the Israelites, according to their covenant with God at Sinai, Ebal and Gerizim.” (R5323:3)

“Disadvantages in the situation are no excuse for wrongs in the church. Although this church lived at a time when Satan was especially at work, it was their duty to keep themselves pure from the leaven of his evil doctrines. Hence they were censured for harboring among them those who held the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes. What the doctrine of Balaam was, is here partially revealed. He taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel. (See a full account of his work and its results in Numbers, chapters 22-25 and 31:13-16.) It appears that Balaam desired to curse Israel for the sake of the rich reward which Balak offered him for so doing. But not being permitted by the Lord to curse them, he resolved to accomplish essentially the same thing, though in a different way. He therefore counseled Balak to seduce them, by means of the females of Moab, to participate in the celebration of the rites of idolatry, and all its licentious accompaniments. The plan succeeded. The abominations of idolatry spread through the camp of Israel, the curse of God was called down upon them by their sins, and there fell by the plague twenty- four thousand persons.

“The doctrines complained of in the church of Pergamos were of course similar in their tendency, leading to spiritual idolatry, and an unlawful connection between the church and the world. Out of this spirit was finally produced the union of the civil and ecclesiastical powers, which culminated in the formation of the papacy.” (Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation – Uriah Smith [1897])

The expression “to eat things sacrificed unto idols” is a very apt one since it signified how these “Nicolaitanes” and “Balaamites” were causing Spiritual Israel to appropriate unto themselves such mutilated, twisted and distorted doctrines as would satisfy their creed-idols; and – “… gradually the church was led into error, evil practices, and away from God. This is what is meant in Verse 14 by the allusion to Balaam and Balak. It will be remembered that Balaam, who had been a prophet of God, instructed King Balak how to tempt Israel to sin, and thus brought about what he could not accomplish by his own powers. (Num. 23; 24; 31:16) So these Pagan priests taught the church to indulge in spiritual fornication, and thus brought upon her the withering blight of the wrath of God.” (R5993:1)

It is no wonder then that the Lord hated both the doctrines and the deeds of the “Nicolaitanes” and commended those among his people who likewise hated them.

“When the Lord’s people hate the idea of a class that seeks to be ‘lords over God’s heritage’ (1 Pet. 5:2, 3), they hate something that the Lord hates.” (The Finished Mystery, p. 26)

2:16 – “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

“Repent; or else …” was a very urgent admonition to certain ones of the “Pergamos” period, who, evidently were not making the most of their opportunities to develop the requisite character, i.e., to make their “election” sure. (2 Pet. 1:10) Some, undoubtedly, under the stress and strain of the times, had allowed themselves to be beguiled through “enticing words” or otherwise, and were now in grave danger of losing their eternal reward of “glory and honor and immortality.” (Col. 2:4, 18; Rom. 2:7) The Lord was reminding these in this way, that the time in which it was possible for repentance to work, was for them, growing short. (Matt. 27:3-5; Heb. 12:17) Their failure to be rightly exercised by this admonition, would soon cause him to cease being their Advocate with the Father, thus becoming their opponent, fighting against them with the sword of his mouth. (Rev. 2:16)

2:17 – “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 hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”

Here, again, we are reminded of the fact that while there were specific messages, to specific churches, by specific messengers, in specific times, what the Spirit had to say to one, it had to say to them all. And what was it that the Spirit had to say to those of “Pergamos”; yet was intended for all – the one and only, the complete church of God? It was this: “to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.”

The Original Pot of Manna

Exod. 16:32-34 – “And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your gener- ations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.”

“The manna recalls the story of Israel in the wilderness. Hidden would point as an index finger to the golden bowl of manna laid away in the Ark of the Covenant as a memorial of the faithfulness of Jehovah, who led and ‘nourished’ his people in the wilderness. It is a pledge to the Pergamos church that he who watched over literal Israel in their journeyings would care for them in the weary march that was about to begin.

“The manna, of course, typifies spiritual food, the Word of God. Perhaps some were enabled to see a deeper meaning, that it referred not only to the written word, but to the living Word; the true Bread of Life who came down from heaven to give life to the world. (John 6:47-51)

“It was a promise in the face of desolation and death, of a life that should be hid – from all the power of persecution – with Christ in God.” (R360:1)

“The Golden Pot of Manna represented immortality as being one of the possessions of the Christ of God. Our Lord Jesus doubtless refers to this when he says: ‘To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.’ (Rev. 2:17)

“Manna was the bread which came down from heaven as a life-sustainer for Israel. It represented the living bread, supplied to the world by God through Christ. But as the Israelites needed to gather this supply of manna daily or else starve, so it will be necessary for the world ever to seek supplies of life and grace if they would live everlastingly.

“But to those who become Christ’s joint-heirs, members of the Anointed Body, God makes a special offer of a peculiar sort of manna, the same and yet different from that given to others – ‘the hidden manna.’ One peculiarity of this pot of manna was that it was incorruptible; hence it well illustrates the immortal, incorruptible condition promised to all members of the ‘Seed’ – which is the church. The manna or life-support fed to Israel was not incorruptible and must, therefore, be gathered daily. So all the obedient of mankind who shall by and by be recognized as Israelites indeed, will be provided with life everlasting, but conditional, supplied and renewed life; while the ‘little flock,’ who under present unfavorable conditions are faithful ‘over-comers,’ will be given an incorruptible portion – immortality. (Rev. 2:17)” (T122)

Also, to him that overcometh, I “will give … a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving The that receiveth it.”

“In ancient times the Greeks and the Romans had a custom of noting and perpetuating friendship by means of a white stone. This stone was divided into halves, and each person inscribed his name on the flat surface, after which the parts of the stone were exchanged. The production of either half was sufficient to insure friendly aid, even from the descendants of those who first divided the stone. A similar custom was sometimes observed by a king, who would break a white stone into two parts, one of which he would retain and the other part give to a special ambassador. That part could be sent to the king at any time and would insure aid. Thus the divided stone became a mark of identification.

“Rev. 2:17 seems to refer to this ancient custom. The white stone signifies a precious token of the Lord’s love, and the new name written in the stone suggests the Bridegroom’s name. The statement indicates a special acquaintance with the great King of Kings’ secret between himself and the individual. The overcomers are not to be recognized merely as a class – the bride class – but each will have the personal favor of the Lord. Of this no one will know save himself and the King. There is an individual and personal friendship between the Lord and the overcomers, who may be said to receive the mark of identification – the antitypical white stone – now, in this life.

“This mark is the sealing of the holy Spirit by which the Lord identifies the overcomers. While this is said to be a part of the final reward of the church, yet, from the very beginning of our experience we have this personal acquaintance with the Lord. The full seal of the holy Spirit will be given in the resurrection, when we receive the new body. Then we shall have the complete knowledge of the name by which we shall be known to the Lord and he to us forever.” (R5113:1)

The Church’s New Name

“God proposes a new name for his people, his church – the bride, the Lamb’s wife. As Jesus was our Lord’s name and he became the Christ, the Messiah, so all who become members of his body come under his new name, and are recognized of the Lord and may be recognized of each other as members of the Christ (Rev. 3:12); and again, the Lord prophetically speaking of Christ, says, ‘This is the name whereby he shall be called, The Righteousness of Jehovah’ (Jer. 23:6); and again, speaking of the bride of Christ, we read, ‘This is the name by which she shall be called, The Righteousness of Jehovah.’ (Jer. 33:16) The name of the bridegroom is given to his bride – ‘They shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels.’ (Mal. 3:17) And those who will get this new name, we may be sure, will all be called upon to demonstrate that they will be overcomers. They must all pass approval before the Lord for their faith and their persistency in holding him and his gracious promise – the Oath- bound Covenant.”(R3970:2,3)

2:18 – “And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass.”

“Thyatira seems to mean ‘the sweet perfume of sacrifice.’ It was the period of Papal persecution. The virgin church was enduring the hardships of the wilderness; while the apostate church sat on the throne of her royal paramour! The message is sent by him ‘who hath eyes like a flame of fire,’ to watch over his faithful ones as they wandered through the dark valleys or hid in the darker caves of earth; and ‘feet of hard brass,’ to walk by their side as they sealed the rugged mountains or wandered footsore and weary, seeking a place to plant the seeds of truth.

“The message contains an allusion to a faithful old prophet who fled for his life into the wilderness from the wrath of the idolatrous wife of a king. The picture is from the history of the Prophet Elijah. (1 Kings 18:19) Jezebel was the protector of the priests of Baal. Her husband was king, and she wielded his power for her own ends. The drought of three and a half years was evidently a type of the ‘time, times and a half’ – 1260 years – of the spiritual famine, ‘not of bread nor of water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.’ (Amos 8:11)” (R5992:2)

We believe the messenger or “angel” of this church was Peter Waldo, a rich merchant of Lyons, who, on learning from a translation of the Gospels into the French language, of the great divergences between the Roman Catholic church and its teachings, and the early, or primitive church, determined to become a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. He accordingly, sold all he had; gave to the poor, so that he might become rich in the treasures of heaven.

“… the four gospels in French … the first appearance of the Scriptures in any modern language. The possession of these books soon discovered to Waldo and his people that the Church was never designed to be dependent on a priesthood, even for the administration of the sacraments; and his instruction, boldly followed by practice, became so obnoxious to the Church that he was first persecuted by the archbishop of Lyons, and at length anathematized by the pope. No longer safe in Lyons, Waldo and his friends took refuge in the mountains of Dauphiny and Piedmont, and there formed those communities which grew in peace and flourished in rustic simplicity.… From these mountains and valleys the simple doctrines of Christianity flowed out in multiplied rivulets all over Europe. Provence, Languedoc, Flanders, Germany, one after another tasted of the refreshing waters, until, in the course of ages, they swelled into a flood which swept over all lands. Waldo is understood to have traveled in Picardy, teaching his Reformation doctrines hundreds of years before Luther was born. He finally settled in Bohemia, where he died in 1179, the same year in which his tenets were denounced by an ecumenical council. The Waldensian Church was a light on the mountains during the Dark Ages, and amid all the corruptions of the Church, it held its open Bible and pure doctrines; and the same Church still survives, the basis of all reformatory movements in Italy.” (McClintock & Strong’s Encyclopedia, Vol. 10, p. 857 – “Waldo (or Valdo), Peter.”)

The Waldenses

“These were so called after their founder, Peter Waldo, or Valdez, a rich merchant of Lyons on the Rhone river. In 1167 he became concerned about his salvation and was told by a clergyman: ‘If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have a treasure in heaven; and come follow Christ.’ Waldo obeyed this instruction to the letter. He resolved to dress and live as the apostles had done when Jesus sent them on preaching missions. He acquired a New Testament in translation in order to know better what he ought to do. Soon his friends began to join him and to follow his example. By 1177 the little group living in apostolic poverty was preaching repentance to others. For this work they needed license to preach and they sought it from the Church at the Third Lateran Council in 1179. But the council realized, that the ‘Poor in Spirit,’ as the Waldenses called themselves, had no training for preaching, and pope Alexander 3rd refused them preaching license. But the Waldenses thought God ought to be obeyed rather than men, they went on preaching, and for this disobedience pope Lucius 3rd excommunicated them in 1184.” (A History of the Christian Church – Kromminga, p. 131)

“The early characteristics of the Waldenses … rapidly developed. Thief of all was the principle that the Bible, and especially the New Testament, is the sole rule of belief and life.… As unbiblical, they rejected masses and prayers for the dead, and denied purgatory …

“Waldenses were to be found in northern Spain, in Austria and Germany, as well as in their original homes. They were gradually repressed, till their chief seat came to be the Alpine valleys southwest of Turin, where they are still found. At the Reformation they readily accepted its principles, and became fully Protestant. Under modern religious freedom they are laboring with success in many parts of Italy. Their story is one of heroic endurance of persecution – a most honorable history – and they are the only medieval sect which survives, though with wide modification of their original ideals and methods.” (A History of the Christian Church – Walker, p. 253)

2:19 – “I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.”

“I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience.” It seems almost as if the Lord was here addressing his message to the messenger, rather than to the church of “Thyatira.” Surely, for Waldo, the “works” were those “before ordained” that he should walk in them (Eph. 2:10); and which called for the selling of all he had (Luke 18:22); and this he did! His “charity” was evidenced in the gifts he gave to the poor; his “service” in the preaching of the Word of truth unto others; and in the example he set before them! These all, were the works of faith (Jas. 2:17, 22), and involved much of patience! However, there were other saints in this period who were inspired by Waldo’s example, and they too, brought forth in their lives, “works,” “charity,” “service,” “faith,” and “patience” which the Lord here commended. It should also be noted that “works” are mentioned twice, by the Lord, but he adds that the last were more than the first. (Rev. 2:19) Perhaps this signified that the “first works” of self-denial, self-sacrifice, etc., though very commendable, were surpassed in His estimation, by the “last” – the suffering which they endured for righteousness’ sake!

“So general and widespread became the so-called heresy that Innocent 3rd, one of the proudest and most bigoted of the Roman pontiffs, determined to crush it out – ‘exterminate the whole pestilential race,’ was the language of which he made use. The commission he gave to the authorities, who knew no law above that which went forth from St. Peter’s, was to burn the chiefs of the Vaudois, to scatter the heretics themselves, confiscating their property, and consigning to perdition every soul who dared to oppose the haughty mandate of the pope. How these commands of his holiness were carried out history is a faithful witness. Joined with him in his relentless persecution of the Waldenses was Dominic, the father of the Inquisition, the prime article in whose creed came to be that it was a crime against God and the Church to keep faith with heretics.”(McClintock & Strong’s Encyclopedia – Article: “Waldenses” Vol. 10, p. 855)

“I Know Thy Works …”

“Concerning the little, despised, humble, local assemblies, the Waldenses, etc., and their pastors of this period, we should keep in mind that as a remnant, they are distinctly singled out in the Thyatira message, and that neither the Jezebel system nor her children are included among them. By so doing we will be better able to appreciate this testimony on the Lord’s part as to what He saw commendable in them. How little do we know of the hidden lives of those who, amid the days of Roman pride and tyranny, walked humbly and in secret with their God. It is very comforting and encouraging to realize how fully Christ could appreciate their stand for Him, even though in a measure defective, and how openly He will in the day of His manifestation acknowledge them as His own.… Here is the record, that they are not forgotten, those nameless ones, or of dishonored names: ‘works and love and faith,’ how tested! ‘and service,’ amid what discouragement! ‘and thy patience,’ marked and emphasized in the language used – that long endurance!” (The Revelation of Jesus Christ – Streeter, Vol. 1, p.169)

“But even in an assembly where gross corruption was permitted there was that which the Lord could commend. ‘Love, and faith, and service, and thine endurance, and thy last works to be more than the first.’ One delights to think of the personal devotedness found in many saints during what are called ‘the dark ages.’ Many whose writings, or portions of them, have been preserved to us evidently loved the Lord and labored for Him; and probably the vast majority of devoted ones left nothing to perpetuate their names, and never got a place in church history. The Lord could recognize even in such an assembly as Thyatira a remnant who were not Jezebel’s children, nor personally corrupted by her teaching; and His consideration for them is very touching.… He takes account of them as having that which was of divine value, and which was to be held fast till He should come. Their love, faith, service, endurance, and increasing activity in works were the evidence of what was in their ‘reins and hearts’.” (An Outline of the Revelation – Coates, p. 34)

2:20 – “Notwithstanding I have this¹ against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.”

Since the candlesticks of Revelation 1:20 represent “the Lord’s nominal people of this Gospel age, including This ‘members’,” we ought not be surprised to find that the messages of the Lord are addressed to the respective “churches” as units: the commendation being for the Lord’s true saints in the periods involved, and the condemnation unto those who are merely nominally his. (R3659:4) Accordingly, we read: “Notwithstanding [the fact that there are those among you, whom I have com- mended] I have this against thee [those of you who profess my name, but do not heed my words] because thou sufferest that woman, Jezebel [the Roman Catholic Church], which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication [i.e., to foster an illicit relationship between church and state] and to eat [appropriate unto themselves as truth] things [doctrines twisted, distorted, and mutilated] sacrificed unto idols [the creed-idols set up by the various ecumenical councils].” See also Rev. 2:14.

“The Book of Revelation (2:20-25; 18:7) pictures to us Queen Jezebel as representing a great religious system of this Gospel age which did great violence to the truth. Ahab represents the worldly governments. His wife represented a false Christian church system married to earthly governments. As Ahab represented the worldly governments claiming to be Christ’s kingdoms, so Queen Jezebel pictured, or typified, a false church system, which, instead of maintaining its purity as a virgin church of Christ, became married or united to these earthly systems. Contrary to this, the virgin church of Christ was to remain faithful to her heavenly Lord, awaiting his second coming; and her marriage to Him was then to be accomplished.

“As the Prophets of Baal were under the care of Queen Jezebel and under the patronage of King Ahab, so the priests and religious representatives of a great church system have been the obedient servants of the great institutions pictured by Ahab and Jezebel.” (R5751:2)

The Allusion to Israel’s History

“An allusion is made to a faithful prophet who had to flee for his life into the wilderness from the idolatrous wife of a king. This picture is from the history of Elijah, Jezebel and Ahab. Jezebel was the protec- tor of the priests of Baal. Her husband was king, and she wielded his power for her own ends. The drouth of three and a half years was evidently a type of the ‘time, times and a half’ – 1260 years – of the spiritual famine, ‘not of bread nor of water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.’ (Amos 8:11)” (R491:4, W. I. Mann)

Jezebel

“Jezebel, as the nourisher and protector of the prophets of Baal, is a type of the Papal Church, the mother of abominations. (1 Kings 18:19; 2 Kings 9:22) Ahab, her husband, the king of Israel, represents the kings or kingdoms of Europe who commit- ted spiritual fornication with the ‘mother church’.” (R389:2, W. I. Mann)

Spiritual Fornication

“The temptation before Spiritual Israel, which was illustrated by fornication in fleshly Israel, is a more insidious kind, and we are frequently warned against it, in the book of Revelation. (See Rev. 2:21; 14:8; 17:2, 4, 5; 18:3; 19:2) The use of the word in these cases cited seems to imply as its higher meaning or symbolical significance any illicit fellowship with the world, on the part of those who have betrothed themselves to be God’s consecrated people: in other words, fellowship in spirit with those who have not the spirit of the Lord, but the spirit of the world. To how large an extent is this improper course, this sinful fellowship, indulged in by the professed church of Christ! Are not the worldly not only invited but almost pressed into foremost positions in the nominal church, while those who are faithful to the Lord and who stand aloof from and rebuke worldly aims and methods, are disesteemed as being fanatical and peculiar people?” (R2300:1)

2:21 – “And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.”

The word here rendered “space” is the Greek word, χρονοl, otherwise translated “time.” While it is possible that the time here referred to, is one of an indefinite period; it is also possible, and even very probable that a symbolic “time” of 360 years is meant. If the latter, we would naturally be much interested to know just where the period began. Bro. W. I. Mann (in 1883) conjectured that it began at about the time of Luther’s reformation,

¹The words “a few things” do not appear in the ancient MSS. They are not found in the Sinaitic MS., and do not appear in the recensions of Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, Alford and Wordsworth.

extending from 1517 A.D. to 1878 A.D. – when, according to the parallel dispensations, it was declared to the nominal church, “Your house is left unto you desolate.” (R491:5) This, however, would place the “time” beyond the period of the “Thyatira” church, and its messenger, Peter Waldo. To meet this objection, it has been suggested that this “space” commenced at least, within the period, at about 1160 A.D., and thus extended to 1520 A.D., by which time Luther’s reformation had been fully launched. But, this much is certain, “Jezebel” did not, and has not since, repented; and today seems even more involved in political intrigue than ever before!

Luther’s Original Endeavors

“Luther … forwarded his theses to the archbishop, and added a postscript inviting him to read them, in order to convince himself on how slight a foundation the doctrine of indulgences was based.

“Thus, Luther’s whole desire was for the sentinels of the Church to awaken and resolve to put an end to the evils that were laying it waste. Nothing could be more noble and more respectful than this letter from a monk to one of the greatest princes of the Church and of the Empire. Never did man act more in accordance with this precept of Christ; ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God, the things that are God’s.’ This is not the course of those fiery revolutionists who ‘despise dominion and speak evil of dignities.’ It is the cry of a Christian conscience – of a priest who gives honor to all, but who fears God above everything.” (History of the Reformation – D’Aubigne, p. 100)

2:22 – “Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.”

Even as the rewards to the overcomers of the respective church periods, did not come within those periods, but awaited fulfillment at a later time, so likewise is it with the punishment to be meted out to Jezebel and her paramours (who would not repent of her deeds) it would come later – in an appointed time! The “bed” referred to was not to be one of ease and comfort for her, but rather, one of affliction. (See Rev.2:22 – Diaglott) Already, since 1799 A.D., (see C122, 129) she has suffered “afflictions,” but the most severe are still to come, when in the great time of trouble with which this age is to end, the rejected church system (also known as Babylon – Rev. 17:5, 6) will be called upon to suffer her greatest humiliation and tribulation.

Some Afflictions Still to Come to Babylon (Jezebel)

“The tribulations upon Babylon will constitute a part of the great tribulation with which this Age will terminate and the New Dispensation of Messiah’s Kingdom be ushered in – ‘a Time of Trouble such as was not since there was a nation.’ Let God’s people remember that loyalty includes action and faithfulness even unto death. – (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21)” (SM411)

“The Papal dominion … was broken down at the beginning of the Time of the End – 1799; and, though the subsequent process of consumption has been slow, and there have been occasional signs of apparent recovery, which never seemed more flattering than at present, assurance of Papacy’s final destruction is positive, and its death struggle will be violent. First, however, she must attain more of her old-time prestige, which will be shared with a confederated association of her daughters. Together they will be lifted up, that together they may be violently thrown down.

“That the punishment of Babylon will be great is assured.… While the broadest application of this language is, of course, to Papacy, it also involves all who are in any degree in confederation or sympathy with her. All such will be sharers in her plagues. (Rev. 18:4)” (D37)

“The harlot’s bed of ease and a sick bed which usually follows, are thus contrasted. ‘One cannot be indulged in without leading on, sooner or later, to the horrid sufferings of the other.’ The same contrast is brought out in the vision of the final destruction of the Jezebel system, called there, ‘Babylon the Great.’ (Rev. 17:5) ‘How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her.’ (Rev.18:7) ‘Those committing adultery with her’ – those who imbibe her spirit of selfish ambition and worldliness, those who advance the claim of being the divinely appointed channel, etc., – will meet the same punishment, suffering the bitter disappointment and distress of the great tribulation coming, in which Babylon will eventually be destroyed.” (The Revelation of Jesus Christ – Streeter, p. 176)

2:23 – “And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”

Undoubtedly, the “children” here referred to, are those otherwise known as her “daughters.” But who are her daughters?

“Protestantism, as it exists today, is not the result of the Great Reformation, but of its decline; and it now partakes to a large degree of the disposition and character of the Church of Rome, from which its various branches sprang. The various Protestant sects … are the true daughters of that degenerate system of nominal Christianity, the Papacy, to which the Revelator makes reference in applying to her the name ‘Mother of harlots.’ (Rev. 17:5)

“… Since Papacy, the mother is … a great religious system, in keeping with the symbol we should expect to see other religious systems answering to the illustration of daughters of similar character – not, of course, so old, nor necessarily so depraved, as Papacy – but, nevertheless, ‘Harlots’ in the same sense; i.e., religious systems claiming to be either the espoused virgin or the bride of Christ, and yet courting the favor and receiving the support of the world, at the price of disloyalty to Christ.

“To this description the various Protestant organizations fully correspond.”(D28)

As “Jezebel’s children” these sects and denominations of Protestantism, will also be destroyed “with death” in the tribulations of the great Time of Trouble!

“And all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and the hearts.” This reminds us of the words of the Psalmist who said, “Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins.” (Psa. 7:9) This “all the churches shall know.”

“Applying these words as addressed to the Church as a whole throughout the entire Age, we understand the meaning to be that the time would come in the end of the Age when all who were members professedly or truly of the Church of Christ would see the wisdom and justice displayed in the judgments that would fall on apostate Christianity.” (The Revelation of Jesus Christ – Streeter, p. 176)

And there can be no doubt about the matter, the Lord will judge his people – the Church (nominal and true) righteously! “I will give to every one of you according to your works.” He says also: “Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 7:21)

“The point of this lesson is specially for those who have named the name of Christ, and who are professing to be his disciples. It is not enough that we profess discipleship; unless the matter goes deeper than this we will be rejected. Our professions of discipleship must be sincere, and the Lord knoweth the heart and will. Although he will judge us leniently so far as unwilling and unintentional weaknesses and imperfections are concerned, The will judge us most strictly in respect to our purposes, the intentions of our hearts …

“While the Lord’s people of the present age are not to be judged by their works but by their faith, as the Apostle Paul distinctly points out, saying, ‘By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in God’s sight,’ but we are justified by faith, nevertheless works will be required. By our works we must demonstrate to him the loyalty of our intentions, our wills.… If our works demonstrate to the Lord the sincerity of our faith, that faith will be acceptable to him and we will be counted perfect and be granted a share in the kingdom – great and precious things which the Lord has in reservation for those who love him – not merely in word, but also in deeds – for those who strive by deeds of life to show forth, to demonstrate, their love.

“The Lord … does not merely refer to people who are nominally called Christian en masse. From the Lord’s standpoint the great majority of these would be classed as Gentiles; because they have never entered into any covenant relationship with God. The reference in this passage is evidently to those who have made a consecration of themselves to the Lord – to those who have outwardly professed a change of heart and vital relationship to the Lord. More than this, he includes not only a few, but ‘many,’ who in their outward course in life have in some measure acknowledged the Lord publicly and as here expressed.” (R3317:6)

2:24, 25 – “But unto you I say [and unto – omitted in oldest MSS], the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths [deep things – S.R.V.] of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.”

Then once again, the Lord directs his remarks to the faithful little “remnant” – those, who had not accepted “Jezebel’s” doctrine to the effect that the Kingdom was already established, and “she” was sitting as its Queen (Rev. 18:7); nor Thad they known (learned) the so-called “deep things” of Satan i.e., they Thad not been seduced into appropriating unto themselves, “things” “Jezebel” Thad decreed in ecumenical councils, should be offered to her creed-idols. (Rev. 2:14, 20) The Apostle Paul had earlier, in writing to Timothy, told him of how the holy Spirit had expressly foretold that in “subsequent seasons” (Diaglott), there would be some who would depart from the faith, giving way to seducing spirits and the doctrines of devils. (1 Tim. 4:1) The time had now come, and our Lord commended the faith of the few in “Thyatira,” comforting them, and promising that he would add no further burden. However, he also admonished them, “that which ye have already hold fast till I come.” (Rev. 2:25)

2:26, 27 – “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron: as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”

We are not told as to just how Peter Waldo, the “angel” or messenger to the “Thyatira” church, conveyed this message of the Lord to them; but, we believe, he did endeavor to comfort the saints of this period with the comfort of the Scriptures (Rom. 15:4), reminding them, that even though they were hated and despised because of their loyalty to the Lord and his truth, if they would endure to the end, they would be privileged to experience and enjoy the fulness of their salvation. (Matt. 10:22)

As already suggested, their first works of self-denial and self-sacrifice were very commendable, but their last works, the works of suffering for righteousness’ sake were even greater. (Rev. 2:19) The Lord would remind them that if they continued as overcomers, they would one day be given power over the nations, to rule them with a rod of iron, to break them in pieces as a potter’s vessel! This promise, of course, had reference to a time then still in the future, when he (the Lord) would again be present, not merely to reward his saints, but also to humble those who had been so cruel and heartless toward his saints. This time would be ushered in by the great tribulation of the Time of Trouble foretold of in Dan. 12:1, and reiterated by our Lord in Matt. 24:21.

“Our Lord and his church will not be absent from the earth during the period of the world’s tribulation; but on the contrary, will continue present, but invisible, bringing upon the world the tribulation foretold in the Scriptures, which will result in the humbling of the hearts of mankind, that they may say, eventually, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain (kingdom) of the house of the Lord, that he may teach us his ways, that we may walk in his paths.’ – (Isa. 2:3)

“This fact is abundantly proved by the Lord’s statement of what shall be the reward to the overcomers, a part of which is ‘He that overcometh, and keepeth my words to the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken in pieces; even as I have received of my Father.’ (Rev. 2:26, 27) Again, the same matter is mentioned by the Prophet David, saying, ‘This honor have all his saints – to execute the judgments written’.” (R2975:4)

Reward of Overcomers

“… the Redeemer assured His faithful Apostles that, after being tested, the worthy ones would be associated with Himself in His Heavenly Kingdom – His Millennial Kingdom … they would sit on twelve thrones judging or ruling. No doubt some special glory and honor is provided in God’s great Plan for the twelve faithful Apostles – St. Paul taking the place of Judas. Nevertheless the Lord afterward declared that all of His faithful followers would be granted a share with Him in His glory and power. Mark His words: ‘To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne’ – ‘I will give Him power over the nations’ – the Gentiles. (Rev. 3:21; 2:26)” (OV379)

The Adversary – a Potter – and his Vessels

“While the Lord as the great Divine Potter has been molding and fashioning the vessels of mercy and of glory to be the Kings and Priests of the world during

the coming age, the Adversary has undertaken to be a potter, and, cooperating with human tendencies and ambitions has created some wonderful vessels. These are found in high positions in Babylon, in the seats of popes, cardinals, bishops, kings, princes, financial magnates, etc., etc. The work of the Adversary seems to be much greater, much more glorious, much more honorable, than the work of God, who, describing His vessels of mercy, declares that amongst them are not many wise, not many learned, not many great, not many noble, not many rich, according to the course or judgment of this world. – (1 Cor. 1:26-29)

“… the power shall be exercised in the hands of the great Redeemer, which will utterly dash in pieces all the existing institutions, that seem so great and so wonderful, those vessels of the Adversary potter. They shall be broken to shivers.” (SM716)

Jesus says, “even as I received of my Father.” Oh how sweet and precious is this! Jesus had received from the Father, the right, authority and power, to judge the world of mankind in equity and justice (Matt. 28:18), and this, Jesus is willing to share with those who had suffered with him. (2 Tim. 2:12) Ultimately, these, as the promised “Seed of Abraham” will be the blessers of all the families of the earth. (Gen. 22:18; Gal. 3:29)

“Those who will constitute the spiritual phase of the kingdom are the overcoming saints of the Gospel age – the Christ, head and body – glorified. Their resurrection and exaltation to power precedes that of all others, because through this class all others are to be blessed. (Heb. 11:39, 40) Theirs is the first resurrection. (Rev. 20:5) The great work before this glorious anointed company – the Christ – necessitates their exaltation to the divine nature; no other than divine power could accomplish it. Theirs is a work pertaining not only to this world, but to all things in heaven and in earth – among spiritual as well as among human beings. (Matt. 28:18; Col. 1:20; Eph. 1:10; Phil. 2:10; 1 Cor. 6:3)” (A288)

2:28 – “And I will give him the morning star.”

Christ says in Rev. 22:16, that he, himself, is the “bright and morning star.” Could this, “I will give him the morning star” mean that he would give himself to the overcomer? If so, it would be no more than the bride-groom does on his wedding day: he gives himself to his bride! And she, thus, not only accepts him, but also takes his name, and so, becomes identified with him forever after; for shall not the twain be one! What a blessed thought!

However, there is also significance to the fact that He is here called “the morning star.” The morning star is the herald or harbinger of a new day. This suggests that the overcomer will be granted the right to share in the First Resurrection in the dawning of the new, the Millennial, day, before becoming identified with the “sun of righteousness” which will arise with healing in its wings. (Mal. 4:2)

2:29 – “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.”

Instead of this entreaty – “to him that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,” preceding the promise to the overcomers, it now for “Thyatira” and the remaining church periods, follows it. This may, or may not, be significant. But this we do know, that while the entreaty is addressed to each of the “churches” respectively, it is intended for all collectively: for it is ever and always one and the self-same Spirit addressing itself to those who would be overcomers – members of the ‘body’ of the Christ. For these, as they suffer for righteousness’ sake, he speaks encouragement and comfort, regardless of the time (period) in which they may live. This is exactly what Jesus meant when speaking to his disciples, he said,

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.… But the Comforter, which is the holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:16, 26, 27)

“…The correct thought is that of help, encouragement, assistance, strengthening. Thus our Lord’s promise implied that the holy Spirit which the Father would send in Jesus’ name and as Jesus’ representative would be near his followers, a present help in every time of need – the holy power by which he would guide and direct his people and enable them to ‘walk by faith and not by sight.’ Indeed, our Lord gives us to understand that all the ministrations of the Spirit are his own ministrations saying, ‘I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you’ (John 14:18); he thus identifies the holy Spirit with himself. ‘If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is not of his’ – and has not the parakletos, the divine aid.

“This power of God is with the whole Church.” (E202)

This holy Spirit of God was what Jesus referred to when he entreated those who had ears, to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. For them it was to be the Spirit which would guide them in matters of truth, and encourage and sustain them, yea, comfort them in times of trials and persecution.