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The Revelation · New Testament

Revelation 2

Revelation 2: messages to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos and Thyatira

General context

Four messages are dictated, each opening with an instruction to write to the angel of a named church. To Ephesus: works, labour and patience are commended, along with testing those who claim to be apostles, but the charge is "thou hast left thy first love", with a warning that the candlestick may be removed. To Smyrna: tribulation and poverty are named alongside the statement "but thou art rich", with a warning of prison and tribulation ten days, and the promise of a crown of life. To Pergamos: the church holds fast the name even where Antipas was slain, but some there hold the doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans, and the call is to repent. To Thyatira: charity, service, faith, patience and increasing works are commended, but the church suffers the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess; judgment on her and on those with her is announced, while the rest are given no other burden. Each message includes a call to hear what the Spirit says and a promise to the one who overcomes.

Cited passages: Revelation 2:1, Revelation 2:2, Revelation 2:4, Revelation 2:5, Revelation 2:6, Revelation 2:7, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 2:9, Revelation 2:10, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:13, Revelation 2:14, Revelation 2:15, Revelation 2:16, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 2:18, Revelation 2:19, Revelation 2:20, Revelation 2:22, Revelation 2:23, Revelation 2:24, Revelation 2:26, Revelation 2:28

Revelation 2 (KJV)

1Unto 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;

2I 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:

3And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5Remember 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.

6But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7He 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.

8And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

9I 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.

10Fear 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.

11He 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.

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

13I 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.

14But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

15So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

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

17He 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.

18And 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;

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

20Notwithstanding I have a few things 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.

21And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

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

23And 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.

24But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

25But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

26And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

27And 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.

28And I will give him the morning star.

29He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The four messages are addressed to the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos and Thyatira, the first four of the seven listed in the previous chapter. Antipas is named once and described only as "my faithful martyr, who was slain among you"; the text gives him no family, office, place of origin or date. The Jezebel of this chapter is a woman at Thyatira "which calleth herself a prophetess"; the text supplies the name and nothing connecting her to any other bearer of it. Balaam and Balac are named in a charge about teaching, not as figures present in Thyatira or Pergamos. The Nicolaitans are named twice, once for their "deeds" and once for their "doctrine", with no description of either. The text does not say what the angel of each church is, and it names no ruler, city official or event outside these messages.

Cited passages: Revelation 1:11, Revelation 2:1, Revelation 2:6, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:13, Revelation 2:14, Revelation 2:15, Revelation 2:18, Revelation 2:20

Literary context

The four messages share a fixed frame. Each begins with an address to the angel of a named church, then a self-description of the speaker taken from the vision of chapter 1: the one who holds the seven stars, the first and the last "which was dead, and is alive", the one with "the sharp sword with two edges", the one whose "eyes like unto a flame of fire". Then comes "I know thy works", a commendation, usually a charge introduced by a contrast word, a call to repent or hold fast, the refrain "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches", and a promise "To him that overcometh". The pattern is not rigid. Smyrna receives no charge at all, and in the Thyatira message the promise comes before the refrain rather than after it. The judgments are stated without softening, including "I will kill her children with death".

Cited passages: Revelation 1:13, Revelation 1:16, Revelation 1:18, Revelation 2:1, Revelation 2:7, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 2:18, Revelation 2:19, Revelation 2:20, Revelation 2:23, Revelation 2:26, Revelation 2:29

Key moments

  1. The first love left (Revelation 2:4). Ephesus is told it has left its first love.
  2. Faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10). Smyrna is warned of prison and tribulation ten days and promised a crown of life.
  3. Antipas named (Revelation 2:13). Pergamos is credited with holding the name in the days when Antipas was slain among them.
  4. Jezebel at Thyatira (Revelation 2:20). The church is charged with suffering a woman who calls herself a prophetess.
  5. Judgment announced (Revelation 2:23). Death is announced for her children, and repayment to every one according to their works.
  6. The morning star promised (Revelation 2:28). The one who overcomes at Thyatira is promised the morning star.

For reflection

Three of the four churches hear a commendation and a charge in the same breath, and Smyrna hears no charge at all. What do you make of a message that praises and accuses the same readers without separating them?

People in this chapter

Also indexed here:

  • Antipas