Revelation 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. HE THAT HATH AN EAR. This clause precedes the promise in the first three addresses, succeeds to it in the last four. Thus, the promises are enclosed on both sides with the precept urging the deepest attention to most momentous truths. Every man "hath an ear" naturally; he alone will be able to hear spiritually to whom God has given "the hearing ear;" whose 'ear God hath wakened' and "opened" (). Compare 'faith, the ears of the soul' (Clemens Alexandrinus). THE SPIRIT SAITH - what Christ saith; so one are the Second and Third Persons. UNTO THE CHURCHES - not merely to the particular, but to the un...

1-7 These churches were in such different states as to purity of doctrine and the power of godliness, that the words of Christ to them will always suit the cases of other churches, and professors. Christ knows and observes their state; though in heaven, yet he walks in the midst of his churches on earth, observing what is wrong in them, and what they want. The church of Ephesus is commended for diligence in duty. Christ keeps an account of every hour's work his servants do for him, and their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. But it is not enough that we are diligent; there must be bearing patience, and there must be waiting patience. And though we must show all meekness to all men, yet we must show just zeal against their sins. The sin Christ charged this church with, is, not the having left and forsaken the object of love, but having lost the fervent degree of it that at first a...

Verse Revelation 2:7. _HE THAT HATH AN EAR_] Let every intelligent person, and every Christian man, attend carefully to what the Holy Spirit, in this and the following epistles, says to the Churches. Matthew 11:15, where the same form of speech occurs. _TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH_] To him who continues steadfast in the faith, and uncorrupt in his life; who faithfully confesses Jesus, and neither imbibes the doctrines nor is led away by the error of the wicked; _will I give to eat of the tree of life_. As he who conquered his enemies had, generally, not only great _honour_, but also a _reward_; so here a great reward is promised τῳ νικωντι, _to_ _the conqueror_: and as in the Grecian games, to which there may be an allusion, the conqueror was crown

HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR ... - This expression occurs at the close of each of the epistles addressed to the seven churches, and is substantially a mode of address often employed by the Saviour in his personal ministry, and quite characteristic of him. See Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:23; Mark 7:16. It is a form of expression designed to arrest the attention, and to denote that what was said was of special importance. WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES - Evidently what the Holy Spirit says - for he is regarded in the Scriptures as the Source of inspiration, and as appointed to disclose truth to man. The “Spirit” may be regarded either as speaking through t

EXPOSITION REVELATION 3:1 _The epistles to the seven Churches. _Once more we have to consider rival interpretations. Of these we may safely set aside all those which make the seven letters to be pictures of _successive periods _in the history of the Church. On the other hand, we may safely deny that the letters are _purely typical, _and relate to nothing definite in history. Rather they are _both historical and typical. _They refer primarily to the actual condition of the several Churches in St. John's own day, and then are intended for the instruction, encouragement, and warning of the Church and the Churches throughout all time. The Catholic Church, or any one of its branches, will at any period find itself reflected in one or other of the seven Churches. For two Churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia, there is nothing but

HE THAT HATH AN EAR,.... Such who have new ears given them, as all have who are made new creatures; such who have their ears circumcised, and opened by the Spirit of God; who hear with understanding, affection, and faith; who try what they hear, and approve, embrace, and retain that which is good. LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES; let such hearken, and listen with attention to what is said by the Spirit, in what goes before, and follows after, in this epistle, designed for the use of all the churches; from whence it appears, that this epistle was endited by the Spirit of God, and is of divine inspiration; that it was not intended for the single use of the church at Ephesus, but of all the churches; and not of the seven churches only, though the Alexandrian copy reads, "to the seven churches": but of all the churches in that period of time, which the Ephesine church r...

REVELATION 2:7 qeou/ {A} A number of minuscules, influenced by the recollection of qeou/ mou in Revelation 3:2 and four instances of the expression in Revelation 3:12, have added mou to qeou/ in Revelation 2:7....

II. THE THINGS WHICH ARE, THE SEVEN CHURCH MESSAGES, AND THEIR PROPHETIC MEANING CHAPTER 2 _ 1. Ephesus: The post-apostolic period (Revelation 2:1)_ 2. Smyrna: The period of persecution (Revelation 2:8) 3. Pergamos: The corruption period (Revelation 2:12) 4. Thyatira: The Romish corruption (Revelation 2:18) The two Chapter s which follow the introductory chapter contain seven messages to seven local churches which were in existence in the province of Asia in the days when the Apostle John was prisoner in the isle of Patmos. The view held by the late Dr. Bullinge

THE LETTER TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS. Revelation 2:1. Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia (Revelation 1:4 *). The worship of Artemis, for which it was notorious, is referred to in Acts 19, which also gives an account of Paul's three years-' work in the city. Paul's speech to the elders of Ephesus (Acts 20:18) throws no little light on the character of the church. The Epistle to the Ephesians is probably a circular letter, but there can be little doubt that Ephesus was one of its recipients. Tradition connects the Apostle John with Ephesus, and probably the Fourth Gospel and the Johannine Epistles reflect the influence of his teaching. HE THAT HOLDETH: this description of Christ is borrowed

The church at _Ephesus_ was founded by Paul (Acts, XVIII. and XIX.); enjoyed the labors of Aquila and Priscilla, of Apollos and of Timothy; had at one time the presence of the great apostle for three years and. half, and finally enjoyed the presence of John. The seat of government for the province of Asia, and the commercial metropolis of Asia Minor, the strong church established in this great center received an unusual share of attention, and was honored with two epistles, one from the apostle of Christ, and the other directly from the Lord. During the half century of its existence, which had passed when John wrote, it had fallen from its first love and was threatened with extinction. It continued to have. visible existence until the Mahometan torrent swept over Asia Minor about six hundred years after John wrote. When the light appears after. century of darkness, confusion, and carnage...