Memory verse: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 2:5

Jesus selected from the map of Asia a circuit of cities. They were symbolized to represent the Christian churches, as it progressed through history and became visible. We will begin with The church of Ephesus (Revelation 1:11). Let’s look at the messages to the churches, from God. Each age of the church had it’s own message from God, each was found to be in different conditions some times living for God, at other times fallen. There were many Christian churches in Asia at the time; but God choose these seven because they best represented the seven periods of His church. They began at His ascension until His return.

Name: Ephesus means desirable – was in a desirable location geographically. Date: 31 A.D. – 100 A.D.

“The names of the seven churches are symbolic of the church in different periods of the Christian Era. The number 7 indicates completeness, and is symbolic of the fact that the messages extend to the end of time, while the symbols used reveal the condition of the church at different periods in the history of the world.”

“Christ is spoken of as walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks. Thus is symbolized His relation to the churches. He is in constant communication with His people. He knows their true state. He observes their order, their piety, their devotion. Although He is high priest and mediator in the sanctuary above, yet He is represented as walking up and down in the midst of His churches on the earth. With untiring wakefulness and unremitting vigilance, He watches to see whether the light of any of His sentinels is burning dim or going out. If the candlesticks were left to mere human care, the flickering flame would languish and die; but He is the true watchman in the Lord's house, the true warden of the temple courts. His continued care and sustaining grace are the source of life and light.”

“Christ is represented as holding the seven stars in His right hand. This assures us that no church faithful to its trust need fear coming to nought, for not a star that has the protection of Omnipotence can be plucked out of the hand of Christ.”

"These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand." Revelation 2:1. These words are spoken to the teachers in the church - those entrusted by God with weighty responsibilities. The sweet influences that are to be abundant in the church are bound up with God's ministers, who are to reveal the love of Christ. The stars of heaven are under His control. He fills them with light. He guides and directs their movements. If He did not do this, they would become fallen stars. So with His ministers. They are but instruments in His hands, and all the good they accomplish is done through His power. Through them His light is to shine forth. The Saviour is to be their efficiency. If they will look to Him as He looked to the Father they will be enabled to do His work. As they make God their dependence, He will give them His brightness to reflect to the world.” Acts of The Apostles 585-586

1. We will be looking at seven points on each church, God’s call to each one was similar. This church started in 31 A.D. We know Christ went to heaven after His resurrection in 31 A.D. We see Him walking among the candlesticks. We know from our study that the candlesticks were in The Holy Place (The First Apartment) of the sanctuary in heaven. Read Hebrews 9:12. What is in His right hand? Revelation 2:1 “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the ________ _________ in his right hand, who _________ in the __________ of the seven golden _____________.” “The seven stars” are the angels of the seven churches, “Angels” sometimes mean human messengers. The Greek word for angel is “Messenger”.

2. Note these verses, we are looking at are all Jesus words, they are in red letters. What did John say about this church? Revelation 2:2, 3. “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy _____________, and how thou canst ______ ________ them which are __________: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast ______________, and hast ______ ___________.”

3. Jesus pointed out where they were failing in Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast _______ thy _______ _____________.” “In a single generation the gospel was carried to every nation under heaven. But little by little a change came. The church lost her first love. She became selfish and ease-loving. The spirit of worldliness was cherished. The enemy cast his spell upon those to whom God had given light for a world in darkness,” 8 Testimonies page 26, This church became selfish and ease loving.

4. Jesus gives a call to repent and come back to the fruit of love and do His work. Revelation 2:5 (first part) “Remember therefore from whence thou ________ _______, and _________, and ______ the ________ __________; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” He gives a warning of what would happen if they didn’t. Revelation 2:5 (last part) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else _____ _______ __________ unto thee quickly, and will ________ thy ________ out of his place, except thou ___________.”

We have studied the sanctuary service some. We know on the day of Atonement all sins were taken out of the sanctuary and placed on the Scape Goat. Sinners were put out of the camp. When Jesus work of atonement is done before He comes back, all that have not repented of their sins, their name will be taken out of The Book of Life. To be removed would mean to be lost.

5. What was the call for them to do in? R __ __ __ __ __. Revelation 2:5 “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

6. Jesus said, they hated what? Revelation 2:6 “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the ________ of the ___________, which I also _________.” The Nicolaitans were a group of believers who believed, that it was not necessary to restrain the desires of the flesh, as required in God’s moral law. These Nicolaitans believed in freedom from God’s law. The church of Ephesus upheld the love of Christ. This love which can alone fulfill God’s law.

7. Jesus makes a call and gives a promise, to those who obey. Revelation 2:7 “He that hath an ear, let him ________ what the ________ saith unto the ____________; To him that overcometh will I give to ________ of the _______ of ________, which is in the midst of the ________ of God.” Revelation 22:1, 2 “And he showed me a pure river of -__________ of __________, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the _________ of __________, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” This is a promise that they would be with Jesus in heaven some day, to eat of the tree of life and drink of the water of life.

A. Verse 1: “He that holdeth the seven stars in His hand.

Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.”

B. Verse 2, 3: Laboured, and not fainted, patience. Can’t not bear evil, rejected the teachings of the Nicolatines.

C. Verse 4: Hath left thy first love.

D. Verse 5: I will remove thy candlestick out of His place. Where is the candlestick? In the sanctuary! To be removed from the sanctuary would mean to be eternally lost.

E. Verse 5: Repent, turn and do right.

F. Verse 7: Eat of the tree of life, in the midst of the paradise of God. “In a single generation the gospel was carried to every nation under heaven, but little by little a change came. The church lost her first love. The spirit of worldliness was cherished. The enemy cast his spell upon those to whom God had given light for a world in darkness.” 8 Testimonies page 26

“The discussion of unimportant points of doctrine, and contemplation of pleasing fables of man’s invention, occupied time that should have been spent in proclamation of the gospel.” Acts of The Apostles page 580

Name: Smyrna means sweet smelling or myrrh. Read Psalms 45:8 Date: 100 A.D. – 313 A.D.

Smyrna was also known as “The city of death”.

8. To the church of Smyrna, Jesus said Revelation 2:8 “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was _______, and is _______;” Many died from persecution; but they were alive in Christ. Smyrna, or sweet scent, applies to those who make willing offered their lives for their faith. In the second era of Christianity was marked by intense persecution. Many were accused of crimes against Roman society. Christians were punished with the death sentence. You may have heard of polycarp, a famous Christian bishop of the 2ND Century was martyred. During the 3RD century, the emperors, alarmed by the crumbling of Roman society, began executing those who would not participate in Emperor worship. There are many countries today that still worship their Emperor’s. The message was given them here in verse 8, by him “Which was dead, and is alive.” Those who died for Christ will live again at His second coming.

9. Jesus said “I know your works; I know what you have been through. Revelation 2:9 “I know thy works, and ___________, and ___________, (but thou art rich) and I know the ____________ of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the _______________ of ____________.” (Read Romans 2:17) “Christ speaks of the church over which Satan presides as the synagogue of Satan. Its members are the children of disobedience. They are those who choose to sin, who labor to make void the holy law of God. It is Satan's work to mingle evil with good, and to remove the distinction between good and evil. Christ would have a church that labors to separate the evil from the good, whose members will not willingly tolerate wrong-doing, but will expel it from the heart and life.” Review and Herald Dec. 4, 1900

10. Revelation 2:10 “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be ________; and ye shall have __________ _______ _______: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” To those who were faithful until death, they were promised a crown of life. The worst time of persecution came during a ten year period from 303 A.D. – 313 A.D. Prophesied by Jesus (a day for a year in prophetic time Ezekiel 4:6) the tribulation begun by Diocletian in 303 A.D. and went to 313 A.D. These ten years were the worst time of persecution during the 1260 years of persecution.

11. Jesus said to the church of Smyrna. Revelation 2:10 “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou _________ unto ___________, and I will give thee a _________ of ________.” To those who were faithful until death, they were promised a crown of life. 2 Timothy 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

12. Jesus called them to be overcomers, they were to overcome all sin, and live for Jesus. If they did, what did Jesus, promise them. Revelation 2:11 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that ________ shall _______ ______ ________ of the _______ ________.” The first death is when we die here on this earth. The second death is when the wicked are raised to see Jesus come and then destroyed in the lake of fire. We, like the faithful in the church of Smyrna, will not have to die in the lake of fire. We want to be faithful.

13. What were they promised in Revelation 2:10 (Last part) “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” 1 PETER 5:4 “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

“Christ speaks of the church over which Satan presides as the synagogue of Satan. Its members are the children of disobedience. They are those who choose to sin, who labor to make void the holy law of God. It is Satan's work to mingle evil with good, and to remove the distinction between good and evil. Christ would have a church that labors to separate the evil from the good, whose members will not willingly tolerate wrong-doing, but will expel it from the heart and life.” Review and Herald Dec. 4, 1900 Christianity was an illegal religion. During the period of Smyrna, Roman Emperors aided and abetted the persecution of Christians. There were attacks on Christians during the reigns of:

It began by Diocletian in 303 A.D. attacks on the christians continued until Christianity was recognized as a legal religion by the famous Edict of Milan, passed by Constantine in A.D. 313