Revelation 2:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "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.

NIV: "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.

NASB: To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

CSB: "Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: Thus says the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven golden lampstands:

NLT: Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:

KJV: Unto 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;

NKJV: “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:

The first letter from Jesus is addressed to the church at Ephesus. The city of Ephesus was an important seaport on the Aegean coast. Of the seven churches Jesus addressed, Ephesus was closest to the island of Patmos, where the exiled apostle John received these messages, dictated by Jesus to send to the seven churches (Revelation 1:9–11).

The apostle Paul had spent three years at Ephesus (Acts 20:31) about forty-three years before John sent Jesus' letter to the church there. During Paul's ministry at Ephesus, the Word of God spread throughout Asia (Acts 19:10). Tradition places John at Ephesus as the church's pastor until he was banished to Patmos. This is the same Ephesian church to which Paul wrote his letter, the New Testament book of Ephesians.

In verse 1, John portrays Jesus as holding the "angels" of the seven churches in his right hand and walking among the seven golden lampstands. Since the Greek and Hebrew words translated as "angel" both literally mean a "messenger," this might refer to the pastors of those churches, to literal spiritual angels, or to the messengers charged with communicating on behalf of those congregations. Jesus, the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18) possesses and protects these "angels." Also, He is present among the churches and observes all that they are and do.

Revelation 2:1–7 is the first letter Jesus dictated to John, intended for the church at Ephesus. This congregation is praised for patient endurance and for rightly rejecting false apostles. Despite such an excellent beginning, however, Ephesus had abandoned its first love. They were drifting into coldness and rote religiosity. Jesus instructs the church to remember its early days, repent, and conduct itself as it had done initially. He promises a reward to the victor.

The contents of Revelation 2 are miniature letters to four churches, dictated by Jesus to John. Ephesus and Smyrna were coastal cities, whereas Pergamum and Thyatira were inland cities. Three more such letters are in Revelation 3. Each of these messages contains a unique description of Jesus, a command, a promise. All but one—the church in Laodicea—receive some commendation. All but two of the seven letters—those to the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia—also contain a critical rebuke. Like churches today, most of the congregations addressed by Jesus had both good characteristics and at least one point which needed correction.

In chapter 1, John introduced his order from Jesus Christ: to write out a message to seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:9–11). Here in this chapter, John writes to the church in Ephesus, the church in Smyrna, the church in Pergamum, and the church in Thyatira. Chapter 3 will continue with messages to the other three churches. The rest of Revelation will explain future events connected to the ''end times.''

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''