Revelation 2:1-29

Contents: Message to Ephesus concerning things «which are.» Their first love left. Message to Pergamos concerning false doctrines. Message to Smyrna concerning persecutions. Message to Thyatira concerning Balaamism and Nicolaitanism.

Characters: God, Christ, Holy Spirit, Messengers of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyratira, John, Satan, Antipas, Balaam, Balac, Jezebel.

Conclusion: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit would say to the Church, and let him beware lest by turning a deaf ear to the voice of the Spirit he lose his faculty of spiritual hearing and thus grow cold toward Christ, be without victory in tribulations or find himself an apostate carried away by every wind of doctrine. Those are bound to be overcomers under every test whose faith keeps them in vital touch with Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church (1 John 4:4).

Key Word: Messages to Churches (Overcoming), Revelation 2:7; Revelation 2:11; Revelation 2:17; Revelation 2:26.

Strong Verses: Revelation 2:4; Revelation 2:7; Revelation 2:10; Revelation 2:11.

Striking Facts: The letters to the Churches are Epistles of Christ dictated before the throne (Revelation 2:1) and with holy awe we should therefore read, then obey them. While these letters deal with Churches existing in John's time, it is believed that they are also symbolical of seven stages of the Church during the present Church age, because Jesus speaks of the «mystery» connected with them; because of the number «seven» connected with them, and always symbolical in this book; because the promises and warnings are continuous and because the prophetic view corresponds exactly with events thus far in the history of the Church.