2:1 “To the angel [messenger, whether divine or human; perhaps pastor] of the church [read Acts 19-20 regarding founding of the church at Ephesus] in Ephesus [administrative center; large and influential city; most famous for its association with Artemis or Diana, the goddess of love] write: These are the words of Him who holds [keeps carefully or faithfully] the seven stars [cf. Rev. 1:20] in his right hand [authority over and protection of His churches/leaders] and walks among [Jesus is aware of what goes on in His churches; cf. Matt. 18:20] the seven golden lampstands [cf. Rev 1:12,16]:

2:2 [commendation] I know [Gr. oida: complete knowledge] your deeds [good and right deeds], your hard work [exhaustive labor in Christ’s cause; this strong evangelistic church helped spread gospel to all Asia (Acts 19:10)] and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate [bear] wicked men [Ephesus was a city filled with sexual immorality associated with the worship of Artemis (Diana in Roman culture), the goddess of fertility; the church did not tolerate sin among its members ], that you [discerning/mature] have tested [because they valued doctrinal purity; 1 John 4:2-3 explains the way to test if a person has the Spirit of God] those who claim to be apostles [term refers to early Christians who had seen the resurrected Lord; in this case itinerant missionaries with questionable credentials; false teachers who tried to draw the people away from their faith (Acts 20:29-31)] but are not, and have found them false [wolves disguised as sheep (Matt. 7:15-16)].

2:3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary [cf. 1 Cor. 15:58; Gal. 6:9].

2:4 [condemnation] Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken [because they were so busy preserving orthodoxy] your first [cf. “things you did at first” in v. 5] love [love for Christ demonstrated by a love for one another and for the lost].

2:5 [note three imperatives: 1] Remember [a motivation to repent] the height [love and a deep commitment to God had once characterized this church (Eph. 1:15)] from which you have fallen! [2] Repent [turn away from a lack of love] and [3] do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you [indicates special judgment against them] and remove your [specific churches can become extinct] lampstand from its place.

2:6 But you have this in your favor [an additional commendation to the church in Ephesus]: You hate the practice of the Nicolaitans [the name is a Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word for “Balaamites” (Num. 31:16);  those who had compromised their faith in order to participate in the sinful practices of their culture and were likely advocates of compromise with and tolerance of the evil around them], which I also hate.

2:7 [each of the seven letters ends with this exhortation] He who has an ear, let him hear [all the letters were to be circulated and read to all the churches] what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life [pictures the gift of eternal life], which is in the paradise of God.

2:8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna [wealthy and beautiful port city located on a gulf 40 miles north of Ephesus; leading center of emperor worship] write: These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last [everlasting deity; cf. 1:8,17; Christ was all they needed], who died and came to life again [refers to Christ’s work of redemption; encouragement to those who daily faced threat of death].

2:9 I know [see and understand] your afflictions [Gr. thlipsin: tribulations or intense pressure from the outside; persecution and possibility of death; result of not endorsing emperor worship] and your poverty [materially destitute; probably result of persecution; confiscation of property (cf. Heb. 10:34)] – yet you are rich [spiritually; cf. Matt. 6:19-20]! I know the slander [malicious and hurtful lies intended to discredit church’s witness] of those who say they are Jews [ethnically; large Jewish population persecuted Christians] and are not [spiritually, because of their rejection of Christ; cf. Rom. 2:28-29 re: true Jew], but are a synagogue of Satan [ultimate source of opposition/ persecution].

2:10 Do not be afraid [words of reassurance] of what you are about to [trouble was coming] suffer [dangerous to be a Christian in Smyrna]. I tell you [advance warning], the devil will put some of you in prison [suggests persecution would get worse] to test [cf. 1 Pet. 1:6-7] you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days [either literal ten days or reference to short period of time; number “ten” represents human completeness; limited period of suffering but eternal reward]. Be [continually, even in the future] faithful [committed; implies trustworthiness, steadfastness, and courage], even to the point of death [martyrdom: supreme price to pay for faithfulness], and I will give you the crown [symbol of victory (athletic games)] of life [eternal in quality/duration].

2:11 He [individual responsibility] who has an ear [to receive and act upon Christ’s message], let him hear [and be strengthened by what he hears] what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death [eternal and spiritual death; separation from life (20:14)].

2:12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum [called “the greatest city in Asia Minor” and located about 55 miles north of Ephesus; city had large library of 200,000 scrolls; a center of worship for Asclepios, the god of healing represented by a serpent entwined on a staff; a center for the worship of Dionysus (aka Bacchus in Greek culture), Zeus, and other pagan gods] write: These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword [ability to protect and to judge; cf. Rev. 1:16; see Heb. 4:12].

2:13 [approval] I know [to have a complete knowledge of a situation] where you live [aware of their circumstances] – where Satan has his throne [city was a leading center for emperor worship in Asia]. Yet [in spite of living in a difficult place where they were surrounded by pagan influences] you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me [suggests an occasion where they had to make a choice], even in the days of Antipas [perhaps a pastor or member of the church; church tradition says he was a physician who was suspected of secretly spreading Christianity], my faithful witness [martyr], who was put to death [martyred; church tradition records that he was put inside a copper bull which was then heated thus leading to an excruciating death] in your city [perhaps because he refused to worship the emperor (affirm loyalty to Caesar)] – where Satan lives.

2:14 [accusation] Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people [the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6)] there [people who had infiltrated the fellowship] who hold to the teaching of Balaam [Num. 22-25], who taught [advised; cf. Num. 31:16] Balak [king of Moab] to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols [this was religious compromise; as part of a pagan feast; cf. 1 Cor. 10:1-24] and by committing sexual immorality [this was moral compromise; Num. 25:1-3].

2:15 Likewise you also have those who hold [rather than hate; cf. Rev. 2:6] to the teaching of the Nicolaitans [possibly a sect that promoted the teaching of Balaam and tolerated sexual immorality (cf. 1 Cor. 5:1-13) and eating meat sacrificed to idols; some members had affirmed that “Caesar is Lord” thus committing “spiritual fornication”].

2:16 [admonition] Repent therefore [clean house (remove the false teachers from the church) or risk the Lord’s judgment; the Lord hates religious and moral compromise; turn from your sin and live differently]! Otherwise, I will soon come to you [indicates special judgment against them] and will fight against them [the Nicolaitans and their followers] with the sword of my mouth.

2:17 He [every individual is responsible for hearing and obeying] who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him [every individual is responsible for overcoming] who overcomes [those who faithfully stand against compromise], I will give some of the hidden manna [God’s provision for His people in the wilderness (a place where nourishment was hard to find); Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35)]. I will also give him a white stone [“put into a vessel by a judge to vote acquittal” and “used like a ticket to gain admission to a feast” (Wiersbe)] with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

2:18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira [famous for the production of a rare and expensive purple dye; cf. Acts 16:14; Lydia, Paul’s first convert in Philippi, was from Thyatira (Acts 16:14)] write: These are the words of the Son of God [only occurrence of this title in the Book of Revelation; sets Him against Apollo and the emperor who were regarded as sons of Zeus], whose eyes [penetrating in their gaze; everything we do is in His sight (no one ever does anything behind God’s back)] are like blazing fire and whose feet [strong; able to crush opposition] are like burnished bronze [cf. Rev. 1:14-15].

2:19 [commendation] I know your deeds, your love [in contrast to church in Ephesus] and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more [progressing] than you did at first.

2:20 [condemnation] Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate [many people confuse love with tolerance] that woman Jezebel [not necessarily her name but a person similar in character/deeds to OT queen who promoted idolatry in Israel (1 Kings 16:31-33); proverbial name for wickedness], who calls herself a prophetess [one who speaks truth from God]. By her teaching [cf. Rev. 2:2, church at Ephesus tested/rejected false teachers] she misleads [ungodly influence; her teaching promoted ungodly behavior] my servants into sexual immorality [Jezebel’s teachings likely said that what happened in the body was not sin, so therefore one could fulfill their sexual desires outside of marriage without consequence; sex outside of marriage always hurts someone] and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

2:21 I have given [graciously] her time [Gr. chronos] to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling [and therefore will suffer the consequences].

2:22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering [punishment fits crime], and I will make those who commit adultery with her [spiritual adultery that led to moral compromise] suffer intensely, unless [gracious opportunity] they repent of her [Jezebel’s] ways.


2:23 I will strike her children [Jezebel’s followers; those whom she had convinced to compromise] dead. Then all the churches will know [as a result of witnessing the judgment against Jezebel] that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

2:24 Now I say to the rest of you [those who had not followed Jezebel] in Thyatira, to you [those who had seen through Jezebel’s deception] who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets [Jezebel likely promoted these as things that would lead to a deeper spiritual life], ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,



2:25 except to hold on to what you have [their pure faith in Christ as opposed to the “so-called deep secrets” of Jezebel] until I come.’

2:26 To the one who is victorious [over Jezebel] and does my will to the end [a reference to Christ’s second coming], I will give authority over the nations [see Psalm 2:8-9] — 



2:27  that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter [a symbol of judgment] and will dash them to pieces like pottery [see Isaiah 30:12-14 and Jeremiah 19:11]’ — just as I have received authority from my Father.



2:28 I will also give that one the morning star [appears just before dawn when the night is darkest and coldest; Jesus is the morning star (Rev. 2:28; 22:16; 2 Pet. 1:19].



2:29 Whoever has ears, let them hear [the letters to the seven churches were meant to be read to each church that each church might listen and learn] what the Spirit says to the churches.