REVELATION’S 7 CHURCHES ( #1 EPHESUS ) by Pastor James Wright

REVELATION’S 7 CHURCHES( #1 EPHESUS )

Revelation 2:1-4 – 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;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, 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:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

IN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE REVELATION, THE PROPHET JOHN OUTLINED THE
SUBJECT OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES, REPRESENTED BY THE SEVEN CANDLESTICKS, AND
THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCHES, REPRESENTED BY THE SEVEN STARS, EVIDENCED IN
VERSE-20 OF CHAPTER ONE;

20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

THE SEVEN CHURCHES HERE REFFFERED TO ACTUAL HISTORICAL CONGREGATIONS IN FIRST-CENTURY ASIA MINOR (MODERN DAY TURKEY). THESE LETTERS IN REVELATION 2&3 USED SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES, SPIRITUAL TRIUMPHS, AND MORAL FAILINGS OF EACH CHURCH TO ADMONISH THE ENTIRE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY TO THE END OF TIME.

This period of church history (A.D. 31-100) covered by Ephesus, started in the time of Christ, and ended with Jesus’s last living disciple, John who wrote the book of the Revelation. He saw the triumph of the gospel in spite fierce oppositions from the Jewish Sanhedrin, and the pagan Roman Empire. Despite this opposition the gospel went forth conquering and to conquer, as is illustrated by the account of the first Apocalyptic horseman in Revelation 6:2 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

IN REVELATION 19, JESUS IS SEEN RIDING ON A WHITE HORSE:

Rev 19:11-13
11 And I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL AGE, MARKED BY THE
CHURCH AT EPHESUS, THE FIRST OF SEVEN CHURCHES, IS
ALSO ILLUSTRATED BY THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE
UNDER THE FIRST OF SEVEN SEALS, (Rev 6:1-2), The gospel triumphed. Using Apocalyptic symbols of the Rider on a
white horse, having a bow, a instrument used to shoot Arrows, representing the giving of the arrows of the word of God. The rider was also given a Crown (Greek-4735, Stephanos- a victor’s crown). Despite their commendation of good works, labour,
patience, tried those who had infiltrated the church claiming to be apostles but were not, and found them liars, laboured
and had not fainted, nevertheless Jesus said:

Rev 2:4

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

The Apostle Paul, writing under the Ephesian period of church history, wrote to the Colossians:

Col 1;23 23

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.
In Acts 11 the Apostle Peter was accused by the Church Council in Jerusalem of eating with the Gentiles, verse-4 cited. He defended his actions with the vision the Lord gave him of different animals, with the instructions to kill and eat. These different animals represented different races of people that Peter and the Christian church should not be prejudicial
against, but to present the gospel that is capable of crucifying the carnal nature, and to bring about a new man in Christ Jesus. After the Church understood the Gospel’s Commission in

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost.

Then Acts 11:21 says; 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord.

Then Acts 11:29-30 says; Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
30 Which also they did and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Then in verse-26 it says; The disciples were first called Christian in Antioch.

As time progressed, the Christian Church lost its first love, its devotion to Christ, which led away from their devotion to their
fellowmen. ITS TIME TO RETURN TO THE LORD.