Season 3 Podcast 23 Letter of John to the Church of Ephesus
John’s Letter to the Church of Ephesus
In the Book of Revelation, John writes seven letters to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Of course, they are real letters to real churches in real places in real time; however, as all other images in Revelation, they are universal and need to be read collectively because they transcend time and place. They apply to Christians today as much as they applied to the early Christians.
The letters are written to the church collectively but to the saints individually. Though we may preach the gospel to others, we should never impose our will upon others. We may only impose our will upon ourselves. We may not be able to change others, but we may always change ourselves.
The letters have four parts: virtues, vices, warning, and promise (Or promised blessings) In the Holy Scriptures, language is very precise. In this Podcast Linda and I will discuss John’s Letter to the Church of Ephesus found in Revelation 2: 1-7.
“1 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;”
In the Holy Scriptures, the number 7 appears often. It is used for a number of reasons. Among those are to express completeness, perfection, and holiness. For example, this is symbolized by the creation of the earth. God rested on the seventh day following the six days of creation. The seventh day is considered a holy day, a sabbath of the Lords, a day of rest, a day of sanctification and worship.
It is Christ who is speaking to John, and he holds “seven stars in his right hand” and he walks in the “midst of the seven golden candlesticks.” Both are symbols of light and truth. Christ, though unseen, walks among the saints of God.
By holding The seven stars in his right hand, Christ is holding the church in his right hand. In Exodus we read
6 Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. (Exodus 15:6)
In John we read
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29)
The seven golden candlesticks are a temple image. The temple is a house of holiness. The candlesticks are part of the temple imagery. In the Book of Numbers, we learn
2 Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.
3 And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the Lord commanded Moses.
4 And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the Lord had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.
5 ¶ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. (Numbers 8:2-7)
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