Revelation 2

In the following 2 chapters, Jesus instructs John to write to the Seven Churches in his Diocese. Each of these letters is addressed to the Angel: again, possibly a church's guardian angel, but more likely, the "messenger" at that Church: the priest. As chapter 1 states, these letters were to be read aloud. Each letter also deals with the particular circumstances that each parish was facing—though often in a figurative sense, usually by alluding to a relative story from the Old Testament (i.e., Balaam, Jezebel). Each letter also has a word of encouragement to persevere, and a word of conviction, to bring the church to repentance, except for three cases, which will be discussed individually. The final thing to note is that each individual letter makes a reference to some characteristic of Jesus that John saw in his vision from chapter 1. A different characteristic of Jesus is referred to at the beginning of each letter, and the promise of reward or penalty to the churches that concludes each letter is a call-back to that respective element.

Viewing Revelation liturgically, chapters 2 and 3 nicely correspond to the reading of the Scriptures at Mass.

2"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear evil men but have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and found them to be false; 3I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'

Jesus refers to Himself as the one with the seven stars in His hand, and who walks among the lampstands. We recall from the end of chapter 1 that these stars are those angels of the churches, and the lampstands are the churches. Hence again, Jesus reminds the Church at Ephesus that He is with them, and holds them in His hand. He begins by praising them for their practices, and especially that they stick very closely to sound doctrine, testing anyone who comes and preaches to them. However, Jesus then turns and says "Right doctrine isn't enough." He tells them that they know the truth, but they don't love the truth. Their passion and love for Christ has waned.

This distinction is a crucial one. It has been remarked that "we can miss heaven by 18 inches: the distance from our heads to our hearts." Often, as Christians we can become so focussed on "the truth" and the theory of theology and orthodoxy, that we never stop to figure out how that applies to the world in which we live. Both truth and love must coexist together. St. Paul writing to this very same church, states, "If we live the by the truth and in love, we shall grow completely into Christ, who is the head" (Ephesians 4:15 NJB). That's the plus. The negative side of the coin is that, if we fail to do so, Jesus tells the church that its lampstand will be taken away.

Jesus doesn't end on a negative note, though, and tells the Ephesians that He is pleased with their hatred of the works of a group known as the Nicolaitans. Very little is known about this sect. The most complete description is from Eusebius (Church Histories, III, xxix), that the sect was named after Nicholas the deacon (Acts 6:5), and claimed to follow his teachings, but Eusebius tells us that they had actually twisted words that he had spoken that were in themselves harmless, in order to indulge in promiscuous and otherwise immoral behaviour. The early Church Fathers unanimously taught that this sect was short-lived.

Jesus promises that those who overcome will get to "eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God," an allusion to Genesis 2:9. This tree stood alongside the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that led to the fall of humanity into Sin. According to Genesis 3:22-24, God banished Adam and Eve from Eden for the sole purpose of preventing them from eating from this tree, and so live forever. Hence, this tree is a reference to the eternal life in God. For Christians, we recognise that this Tree was "replanted" at Calvary, and that the fruit of this Tree is Jesus Himself, in the Eucharist, which He says, "anyone who eats...has eternal life" (John 6:54, NJB).

8"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.'

The letter to Smyrna is the first "exception" mentioned above. While the typical format for these correspondences is praise, criticism, praise, the letter to the Smyrnaeans is all praise and encouragement. Jesus here identifies Himself as the beginning and the end, and as the Resurrected One. He empathises with the persecutions that Smyrna struggles under, and how poor this has made them in earthly things, but yet, He calls them rich. Their persecutors are the Jewish people of Smyrna, who would turn them over to the Romans to face their punishments. Jesus is harsh with these Jews, calling them a "Synagogue of Satan," which is reminiscent of His condemnation of the religious leaders in John 8: "You are from your father, the devil, and you prefer to do what your father wants. He was a murderer from the start; he was never grounded in the truth; there is no truth in him at all. When he lies, he is speaking true to his nature, because he is a liar, and the father of lies" (v.44, NJB).

Jesus tells us that Satan is behind the persecution about to come upon the church at Smyrna, but that they should not fear. Ten days is a reference to a rather short period of time, in contrast to Jesus' self-designation of the First and the Last. He is in charge all throughout, and to those who overcome, and remain faithful, even if they die, Jesus, who Himself "died and came to life" will grant them the Crown of Life. Throughout, Jesus reminds us of His teaching in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the poor in spirit" and "Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness." Notably, both these first and last beatitudes have the same promise: "The Kingdom of Heaven is theirs" (Matthew 5:3,10, NJB). For a discussion of "the second death", see the note in Chapter 20.

12"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; you hold fast my name and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice immorality. 15So you also have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it.'

Jesus here identifies Himself in terms of the two-edged sword coming from His Mouth, which is God's Word (cf. Hebrews 4:12). This word of power is ready to be exercised against those who have strayed from Him. Jesus is mindful of Pergamum's somewhat precarious location: "Where Satan's throne is," a reference to Pergamum being a major hub of idolatry and Emperor Worship in the ancient world. Jesus commends the church there for staying true during a major persecution, even when Antipas, the bishop at Pergamum, was martyred during the persecution of Domitian (which, incidentally, goes a long way in dating the writing of Revelation to the mid to late 90's, since Domitian was emperor from 81-96, and Antipas died in 92).

However, Jesus then indicts the church of Pergamum for following the teaching of Balaam. This is an allusion to Numbers 22-24. Balak, King of Moab, feared the Israelites as they journeyed toward the Promised Land, because God had used them to wipe out all those who stood in their way. So Balak hired Balaam, a prophet, to curse the Israelites. However, Balaam could only bless the Israelites, because God was with them. Balaam counselled Balak to set traps for the Israelites to lead them into immorality so that through their sin, they would lose the blessing of God and Balaam could then curse them. This reference to Balaam and Balak corresponds to the church of Pergamum's members who belong to the Nicolaitans and practice their immoral behaviours as well. Here then we have the reverse of the letter to the Ephesians. The Pergamum church was faithful in their love of God, even in the face of persecution, but had allowed false teaching to creep in, and were just as guilty. To them, Jesus says that if they do not repent, that sword in His mouth will make war on the sinners.

But to those who stay faithful and overcome, He will give the Hidden Manna, again, a reference to the Eucharist, and a white stone with a name on it that only the one who receives it would know. The white stone means innocence. During a trial, the court would condemn a man using a black stone, and acquit him using a white stone. This white stone, then, means that those who have overcome will be found Innocent before God, and welcomed into His Kingdom.

18"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality. 22Behold, I will throw her on a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her doings; 23and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. 24But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay upon you any other burden; 25only hold fast what you have, until I come. 26He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations, 27and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from my Father; 28and I will give him the morning star. 29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Jesus identifies Himself to the Thyatirans in terms of His appearance to John with fiery eyes and brazen feet, references to Daniel 10:6, and Daniel's description of the Messiah. Jesus commends the church's love, faith, service, and patient endurance, and that these works have only become greater as they've grown in Him. However, Jesus rebukes them for tolerating Jezebel, a so-called prophetess, who has taught them to be sexually immoral and commit idolatry. Jezebel is a reference to 2 Kings 9:22, "As soon as Jehoram saw Jehu, he asked, 'Is all well, Jehu?' 'What a question!' he replied, 'when all the while the prostitutions and countless sorceries of your mother Jezebel go on'" (NJB) Hence, some woman in Thyatira was claiming to receive prophecies from God that taught immoral practices and idolatry. Jesus says that He had given her time to repent, but that soon, she and all her followers would be punished. Whether the adulteries are literal or not is open to interpretation, since throughout the Bible (cf. Ezekiel 23), idolatry has been symbolically compared to adultery, and is again later in Revelation itself. Either way, sin is sin.

The just punishments dealt serve to show that Christ is the just judge, who repays all according as their works deserve. But for the rest, Jesus encourages them to continue as they have, and if they overcome, they will be given to share in Jesus' authority and Messianic reign, as the allusions to Psalm 2:8-9 indicate. The Morning Star that Jesus promises to give is Himself.

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