Revelation 2 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Rev 2:1-7

1 ‘To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

4 Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favour: you hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

A. Find Out:

1. How is Jesus described? v.1
2. What did he know about them? v.2
3. For what did he commend them? v.3,6
4. What did he have against them? v.4
5. What did he instruct them to do? v.5
6. What would the overcomer receive? v.7

B. Think:

1. How would you summarise the good things about this church?
2. What was their major weakness?
3. How is there both warning and encouragement here?

C. Comment:

     Jesus comes to this church as the one who oversees all the churches in Asia Minor. Ephesus may have been the capital but Jesus oversees them all. He is the Lord of all the church. He comes with all-seeing eyes and sees that they are a hard labouring church, that perseveres, is discerning and rejects false teachers and false cults (Nicolaitans were possibly a licentious cult). In all of that they showed good orthodoxy, possibly like many good evangelical churches.

      However they had left, forsaken or walked away from their original spiritual vitality where their love for Jesus had been new, vital, exciting, where they yearned for his presence and were open to his moving all the time. It is easy to leave this and be left with dull orthodoxy, but that is not Jesus’ will for his church. Indeed he instructs them to return to that first love and warns them that if they don’t, so serious is he about it, that he will remove their church!

     To the person who responds and overcomes, He promises real life, eternal life. Thus by implication, Jesus expects every believer to be an “overcomer” for eternal life is promised to every believer!

D. Application?

1. Orthodoxy or that vital love that we knew at the first? Do we need renewing?
2. Nothing is hidden from Jesus’ eyes! Do we try and hide anything from him?

Passage: Rev 2:8-11

8 ‘To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty – yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

A. Find Out:    

1. How is Jesus described? v.8
2. What did he say he knew about them? v.9
3. What did he warn was going to happen? v.10a
4. What did he challenge them to be? v.10b
5. What did he promise for the overcomer? v.10c,11b

B. Think:

1. How does Jesus’ description of himself, go with what is happening in Smyrna?
2. How would you summarise what is taking place there?
3. How does an eternal perspective help here?

C. Comment:

      Jesus speaks to this church as the One who has been through death; he has been through suffering, and he has triumphed. He can understand what they are going through because he has been through it himself. In all this he comes as a comforter. This church is revealed as one that feels poor and afflicted, that has been slandered by the so-called Jews (Jews are supposed to be the people of God, but Jesus says that in this city they are in fact people of Satan!). Jesus warns them it is going to get worse and says that some of them will be imprisoned for their faith. But don’t worry, he says, there are three things to help you.

     First, he says, I’m allowing this to test your faith. See it as under my watchful care. Second, it will be for limited duration, I have decreed its length. Third, be prepared to go to death if necessary, remembering that those who are faithful have eternity with me. Death may come but they will rule (the crown) in eternal life, they will not face the destruction of judgement, they will live for ever with the one who has overcome death, and lives for ever. Observe in all this Jesus encourages by reminding them of who he is and what he’s been through.

D. Application?

1. Jesus has been through the worst that can be on earth and has triumphed over it.
2. He is with us in whatever we have to go through.

Passage: Rev 2:12-17

12 ‘To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live – where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city – where Satan lives.

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: there are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

A. Find Out:

1. How is Jesus described? v.12
2. What does he reveal about Pergamum ? v.13
3. For what does he commend them? v.13
4. Over what 2 things does he rebuke them? v.14,15
5. What does he warn he will have to do? v.16
6. What did he promise for overcomers? v.17

B. Think:

1. How does the description of Jesus suit the situation here?
2. What was good and bad about this church?
3. What did the blessings for the overcomer indicate in the light of what has  gone before?

C. Comment:

      Jesus comes as one who speaks the cutting words of truth. He comes to challenge the lies that Satan promotes, to a church who live where Satan is very prominent and exercises power and authority. First Jesus commends them for standing firm in the face of opposition and persecution, even when one was killed for his faith. This was obviously a difficult place to be a Christian and the enemy was clearly strong there.

      Second he challenges them for allowing some of the church to hold wrong doctrines. Baalam was known for compromise, so there were some who sought to compromise with the enemy. The Nicolaitans also had influence here and as we have seen previously their practices and beliefs were hated by the Lord. The overcomer is promised unseen heavenly food for strength, and an identity that is unique and intimate, known only to God and the individual. If they will remain true and pure in the face of the enemy, they will be special, precious to God, holding a relationship of intimacy with Him.

D. Application?

1. Even when the enemy is tough we are to hang on without compromise.
2. The Lord looks for purity and truth and promises a closeness of relationship if we will commit our hearts and our lives to that end.

Passage: Rev 2:18-29

18 ‘To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, “I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.”

26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations – 27 that one “will rule them with an iron sceptre and will dash them to pieces like pottery” – just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

A. Find Out:

1. How is Jesus described? v.18
2. What did he say he knew about them? v.19
3. What did he have against them? v.20
4. What was he going to do about it? v.21-23
5. What did he say to the rest? v.24,25
6. What did he promise to the overcomer? v.26-28

B. Think:

1. How does the description of Jesus suit what he is doing?
2. What was really wrong here in this church?
3. How does the overcomer’s reward match what is happening?

C. Comment:

     With blazing eyes Jesus comes as the one who sees all, who searches hearts and minds (v.23). With feet like burnished bronze he stands strong, steadfast and immovable, a picture of stability and strength, coming to challenge what is false and evil.

     First, he commends them for their love, faith, service and perseverance. Oh that we might similarly be commended! But then he, with devastating detail, highlights the sin in their midst: they tolerated a false and deceiving woman (? literally a single person?) who claimed to be a voice from God but who taught evil. She led them into adultery (more likely spiritual adultery) and taught them evil things (deep things of Satan).

     Jesus warns that he will soon be dealing with her and with any who have dealings with her and who refuse to repent. He is going to bring strong and clear judgement. The overcomer will become a ruler and be like the bright light that shines in the darkness at the break of day. Such a one will have learnt to overcome evil in the midst, to shine in the midst of darkness.

D. Application?

1. Do we tolerate voices that permit or even encourage evil thinking and practices? Beware!
2. May we shine like lights in the darkness of this world (Matthew 5:16 / Hebrews 5:14b)