I made these studies to focus on Jesus and get a better grasp on who He is and what He’s done for us. The Book of Revelation is an unveiling of Christ. It has many doctrinal statements about Christ that are hard to find anywhere else. The point is to take these names and worship Him and place Him above anything else I have. Nothing I have will give me life like He can. Nothing I own will result in everlasting glory and rewards—it all comes from a loving, obedient relationship with Jesus the Christ, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
The Church of Ephesus, Rev. 2:1-7
Rev. 2:1 “He who holds the seven stars in His right hand”
The seven stars are identified in Rev. 1:20 as “the angels of the seven churches.” The angels could be spiritual beings, but more likely are human messengers. (The Greek for “angels” can be translated as “messengers.”) A messenger is addressed at the beginning of each letter, and he is identified with the church, so the angel is a human messenger in that church. When God “holds” someone, as used several times in the OT, His hand is a place of safety and protection. (Psa. 94:18, 119:117, 139:10. Isa. 41:13, 42:6.) The Lord protects His messengers who rest in that place of refuge. Do you bear the Lord’s blessings to His people? Then enjoy the blessings of His protection over you.
Rev. 2:1 “who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands”
The seven lampstands are explained in Rev. 1:20 as the seven churches listed in that chapter. Jesus is walking in their midst. Deut. 23:14 tells us, “For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.” God is not distant. Jesus is among the churches. God is not a watchmaker, who, finished with his creation, lets it wind down. He is active in the world, though ascended to the right hand of God.
Overall, we see the care and presence of the Lord who continues to be with His people according to His grace, though the church has forgotten their first love, Rev. 2:4. The church is not aware of its perilous position because they are busy pursuing good deeds and measuring things against the Bible. Any pastor, lay worker, or writer can be guilty of doing this, and so lead people to be like themselves: busy, but heart not right with God. Will the church turn and value His presence among them more?
God’s love in the gospel should ground the church in love for the Lord and care for one another, for without love, the church profits nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-3). God is love, after all (1 John 4:17), and the purpose of our lives and works is to be images of that God of love displayed to the world. The Lord will uphold His messengers, His pastoral workers, but only as long as they repent and put the emphasis back where it belongs, back to devotion to Him and to humbly seek His will for the course of the church body. The Lord who allowed the destruction of the Jewish temples in the OT has no qualms about removing the lampstand from His presence in our day, Rev. 2:5. Let’s seek the Lord in the Word, and prize Him when He reveals Himself (John 14:21). Let’s make time to find His will and not pursue works ahead of pursuing Him.
As we pursue Him in the Word, He will reveal Himself (John 14:23); and as we take that image of Him to heart, we’ll be transformed by the Spirit to His likeness (2 Cor. 3:18). Then we are not merely talking about the gospel, but are living proofs of the gospel’s life-changing work.
Personally meditating on these names and titles of the Lord can have that effect on us, if we let it and seek it. If He walks in the midst of the golden lampstands, the churches, then where should we be found? If He considers the lampstands to be gold, then how precious do we find the church of Christ, His body on earth? If He promises the overcomers unsearchable riches, then will we encourage the wayward with gentle words to turn them to the Christ who helps them overcome? Will we be more like Christ?
One interesting thing the Lord does not do to the troubled churches is tell them, “Get as far away from that troubled church as possible. Leave.” No; for even then He is in charge and using that backdrop to mold and shape those who struggle to stand up straight again. You don’t break the cocoon of the butterfly that is struggling to get out, otherwise it wouldn’t strengthen its wings in the process. It is that process that turns the caterpillar into an overcomer and able to fly to new heights. In the church, the Lord can strengthen those overcomers to open the eyes of other church members to the triumph of gospel redemption.
