v. 1-7 To the angel of the church in Ephesus-- the Lord is holding seven stars in His right hand and He walks among the churches. He knows their hard work and perseverance. They hate wicked men and have exposed false apostles. They have not grown weary in their hard work. But they have lost their first love. The Lord warns them to repent and do the things they did at first (when they first believed). If they don't repent He will come to them and personally "remove their lampstand" (their church) from its place. Nevertheless, He is pleased that they hate the practices of the Nicolaitans which He also hates. Those who overcome will be given the right to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God. 

What does this letter say about the Lord?

He holds the churches in His hand, walks among them and knows their deeds. He commends them for their hard work and perseverance but will remove their church from its place if they do not repent of having forsaken their first love. Their hard work and diligence is not a substitute for the love they once showed for the Lord.  

What does this say about the believers in Ephesus?  

It seems that when they first became believers they had a passionate love for the Lord. But perhaps they lost that "first love" when they got busy exposing false teachers and enduring hardships for the Lord. The warning indicates that the Lord is more concerned with their love for Him than their willingness to work hard and endure difficulties. Those who repent and do the things they did at first will have the right to eat from the tree of life and live forever (Genesis 3:22) in the paradise of God.

v. 8-11 To the angel of the church in Smyrna-- the Lord is the First and the Last, He died and came to life again. He knows their afflictions and poverty, yet He calls them rich. The Lord knows they've been slandered by men who claim to be Jews but are actually "a synagogue of Satan." The believers are going to suffer but they are told not to be afraid. They'll be persecuted and the devil will put some of them in prison. This persecution will last "10 days" and will test their faith. Those who remain faithful even to the point of death will be given "the crown of life" by the Lord. Those who overcome will not be hurt at all by the second death.  

What does this letter say about the Lord?  

He is the First and the Last. There is none before Him and there will be no one after Him. He died on the cross and came back to life at His resurrection. He knows that the believers in Smyrna are physically poor and afflicted but they have great spiritual riches. He knows that men masquerading as Jews have slandered them and because of that slander they will be persecuted. The Lord will reward those who overcome with "the crown of life" and they will never die again.  

What does this letter say about the believers in Smyrna?  

They were impoverished and suffering but they were rich in their faith in Christ. These Christians were being persecuted, imprisoned and executed by men who claimed to be Jews but who were actually being influenced by Satan. Their persecution would last only a short time, perhaps not literally ten days, but for a fairly brief period. Nevertheless, some would die for their faith but would be richly rewarded with eternal life.

This letter has no correction and no warning about what will happen if they do not repent.

v. 12-17 To the angel of the church in Pergamum-- the Lord has a sharp double-edged sword. He knows that Satan has his throne where they live. He knows that Antipas, a man of faith, was put to death in their city yet they did not renounce their faith in Him. Nevertheless, the Lord knows that some of them are practicing idolatry and are sexually immoral. Some also hold to the teachings of the Nicolaitans, which He hates. The Lord will come personally to fight against those in the church who don't repent of these sins. His weapon will be the sword of His mouth-- His word. To those who overcome He will give some hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written on it.  

What does this letter say about the Lord?  

The Lord has a sharp double-edged sword which He fully intends to use. He knows everything about each one of them-- where they live, the sins they commit, and what their new names will be. He knows who among them are faithful to His name. He will come to them and fight against the unrepentant sinners in their church using His own words. But to those who overcome, the Lord will feed them from the hidden manna. He will give each one a white stone with a new name and that name is known only to the one to whom He gives it.  

What does this letter say about the believers in Pergamum?

They are living in a city that is a stronghold of evil. Perhaps there were temples for Satan worshipers or maybe a less visible undercurrent of demonic influence corrupted many people in that city. In any case, these Christians were living in a city where Satan had his throne, yet at least some of them remained faithful to Christ. The Lord holds each of them responsible for their own actions and beliefs. Those who are sinning must repent or they will see what it means for the Lord to come and fight against them with the sword of His mouth. But those who repent will be given manna (bread from heaven) and a new name. In class we discussed whether this white stone with a name known only to the person holding it might be like a modern-day password or pin number allowing the holder access that is denied to those who are not given a white stone.

Take a moment once again to look at the chart with all seven letters. (See Chart) 

 We still have four more letters to go. See you next time.