Seven letters from Jesus (Revelation 2-3)

Episode 301: Seven letters from Jesus

Revelation 2-3

To the angel of the church of Ephesus

2 ¹ Write this to the angel of the church of Ephesus:

I hold seven stars in my right hand, and I walk among the seven candlesticks.

² You examined the false apostles and found them to be liars.

⁴ But I've got something against you because you left your first love.

⁵ Repent or I'll remove your candlestick.

⁶ You hate the deeds of Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

⁷ Listen to what the Spirit says to the churches:

If you overcome, I'll let you eat from the tree of life,

which is in the middle of God's paradise.

To the angel of the church in Smyrna

⁸ Write this to the angel of the church in Smyrna:

I'm the first and last. I was dead, but now I'm alive.

⁹ I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews but are not.

They belong to the synagogue of Satan.

¹⁰ The devil will cast some of you into prison.

You'll have tribulation for ten days.

Be faithful unto death, and I'll give you a crown of life.

¹¹ Hear what the Spirit says to the churches:

If you overcome, you won't be hurt by the second death.

To the angel of the church in Pergamos

¹² Write this to the angel of the church in Pergamos:

I am the one with a sharp, two-edged sword.

¹³ I know you live where Satan's throne is.

You didn't deny my faith even when Antipas, my faithful martyr, was killed where Satan lives.

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you.

Some of you believe the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.

¹⁵ Some of you also believe the doctrine of Nicolaitanes, which I hate.

¹⁶ Repent, or I'll come quickly, and fight you with the sword of my mouth.

¹⁷ Hear what the Spirit says to the churches:

If you overcome, I'll give you hidden manna to eat, and a white stone with a new name on it, which no one knows (except the one who gets it.)

To the angel of the church in Thyatira

¹⁸ Write this to the angel of the church in Thyatira:

I am the Son of God, who has eyes like fire and feet like brass.

²⁰ I have a few things against you, because you let Jezebel seduce my servants to commit fornication, and eat things sacrificed to idols.

²¹ I gave her a chance to repent, but she didn't.

²² So I'll cast her into a bed with those who will commit adultery with her.

²³ I'll kill her children with death.

And I'll punish you according to your works.

²⁶ To those who overcome and keep my words to the end, I'll give power over the nations.

²⁷ They will rule them with an iron rod and smash them like they were clay pots.

²⁸ And I'll give them the morning star.

To the angel of the church in Sardis

3 ¹ Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis:

I have the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

I know that you have a name and are the living dead.

² Strengthen the things that are ready to die because your works aren't perfect.

³ Repent, because I will come as a thief in the night, and you don't know when that will be.

⁴ There are a few in Sardis that haven't soiled their clothes.

They will walk with me in white clothes because they are worthy.

⁵ Those who overcome will be clothed in white, and I won't erase their names from the book of life but will mention their names to my Father and his angels.

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia

⁷ Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:

I have the key of David.

I can open doors that no one can shut and shut doors that can't be opened.

⁹ I'll force the synagogue of Satan (those who claim to be Jews but are lying) to worship at your feet.

¹¹ I'll be coming soon.

¹² For those who overcome, I'll write on them the name of my God, God's city (New Jerusalem), and my new name.

To the angel of the church in Laodicea

¹⁴ Write this to the angel of the church of the Laodocians:

The Amen knows that you are neither cold nor hot.

¹⁵ I'd like you to be one or the other.

¹⁶ Because you are neither hot nor cold, I'll spit you out of my mouth.

¹⁸ I advise you to buy gold from me, so you'll be rich, white clothes to cover your nakedness, and eye salve, so you can see.

²¹ Whoever overcomes will sit with me in my throne, as I am sitting with my Father on his throne.

A few more words about this episode

You hate the deeds of Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. (2:6): The Nicolaitanes were a Christians who were considered heretical by some in the early Christian church. Jesus hates them. (See also 2:15)
If you overcome, I'll let you eat from the tree of life. (2:7): God was worried that Adam and Eve would eat from the tree of life live forever, so he drove them out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-24). But Jesus says he'll let the Ephesians eat from the tree of life if they overcome.
The synagogue of Satan (2:9, 3:9): Jesus accuses Jews of blasphemy and calls them the synagogue of Satan. Antisemites have done likewise ever since.
If you overcome, you won't be hurt by the second death. (2:11): The second death is eternal punishment in a lake of fire after death. (Rev 20:14; 21:8)
Antipas, my faithful martyr, was killed where Satan lives. (2:13): No one knows where Satan lived or who Antipas was. But that hasn't stopped believers from making up stories about him.
Satan's throne (2:13): Jesus knows where it is - it's in Pergamon. Some scholars say this is a reference to the Pergamon Altar.
Some of you believe the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication. (2:14): There is nothing about this in the story of Balaam in Numbers 22-25. But he was later blamed (without evidence) and killed for encouraging the Israelites to have sex with Moabite women in Numbers 31:16. For the details see Drunk With Blood: The Midianite massacre
The doctrine of Nicolaitanes, which I hate (2:15): Jesus not only hates the deeds of Nicolaitanes (2:6), but also their doctrine.
You let Jezebel seduce my servants to commit fornication. (2:20): Apparently there was a woman in Thyatira that Jesus refers to as "Jezebel." Jesus plans to punish her by forcing her to commit adultery. Then he'll kill her children (with death).
I'll give them the morning star. (2:28): If the Christians in Thyatira overcome, Jesus will give them the morning star.; So I Jesus going to give the church members in Thyatira the planet Venus? Or Lucifer? (Isaiah 14:12) Or himself (Revelation 22:16)?
My new name (3:12): According to the Branch Davidians, Jesus's new name is "Branch."
The Amen (3:14): Jesus refers to himself in this verse as "The Amen". Maybe that's the new name that will be written on believers that is referred to in 3:12.