요한계시록 Chapter 2

Translation: ESV

1

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.'

Key Message

Christ walks among the churches, knowing and governing all things.

This is the beginning of the letters to the seven churches.

This is the beginning of the letters to the seven churches. Each letter follows the same structure: description of the sender → commendation → rebuke → exhortation → promise. Ephesus was the largest city in Asia Minor and the missionary center of Paul and John. Christ is introduced as the one 'who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands,' emphasizing that he governs the churches and is present among them.

2

'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.'

Key Message

Doctrinal discernment and patience in faith are essential virtues the church must possess.

Christ first acknowledges the positive aspects of the Ephesian church.

3

'patient and enduring for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.'

Key Message

Patient endurance and perseverance for the name of Christ is itself precious devotion.

The commendation of the Ephesian church continues.

4

'But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.'

Key Message

All forms of faith and endurance are empty without the first love.

This is the central rebuke that follows all the commendation.

5

'Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.'

Key Message

The path back to the first love passes through three steps: remembering, repenting, and acting.

Three actions are required: remember (recall), repent (turn around), do the works you did at first (act).

6

'Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.'

Key Message

Firmly rejecting false doctrine that Christ himself hates is the duty of the church.

Another commendation follows the rebuke.

7

'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'

Key Message

The one who conquers will forever enjoy the fruit of the tree of life in God's paradise, lost in Eden.

Two elements appear at the end of each of the seven church letters: the exhortation 'let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches' and the promise to 'the one who conquers.

8

'And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.'

Key Message

Christ, who conquered death, encourages the church standing before the threat of death.

The second letter is sent to the church in Smyrna.

9

'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.'

Key Message

A church that the world calls poor may be rich in God's eyes, and vice versa.

The Smyrna church faces three hardships: tribulation, poverty, and slander from Jews.

10

'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.'

Key Message

To the one who is faithful unto death, Christ promises the crown of life.

'Do not fear' are Christ's words of comfort.

11

'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.'

Key Message

The one who conquers may experience physical death but will not be harmed by the second death.

This is the promise to the Smyrna church.

12

'And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.'

Key Message

The sword of Christ's word judges and removes false doctrine within the church.

The third letter is sent to the church in Pergamum.

13

'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.'

Key Message

Maintaining faith in an environment like Satan's stronghold is true faithfulness.

The reason Pergamum is called 'where Satan's throne is' is interpreted as the massive altar of Zeus (now in the Berlin museum), emperor worship, or as the location of the Roman governor.

14

'But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.'

Key Message

Compromise within the church and mixing with the world is a more covert and dangerous threat than direct persecution.

The rebuke of the Pergamum church begins.

15

'So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.'

Key Message

Tolerance of false doctrine is not a virtue but a danger that contaminates the church.

It is pointed out that the teaching of the Nicolaitans that the Ephesian church had rejected is present in the Pergamum church.

16

'Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.'

Key Message

If the church does not purify itself, Christ directly judges with the sword of his word.

This is a strong call to repentance directed at the Pergamum church.

17

'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.'

Key Message

The one who conquers enjoys a deep personal relationship with God through the heavenly manna and a new name.

'The hidden manna' refers to a spiritual nourishment more excellent than the wilderness manna—Christ himself (John 6:48–51).

18

'And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.'

Key Message

Christ the Son of God sees through all the realities of the church with eyes like flame.

The fourth letter is sent to the church in Thyatira.

19

'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.'

Key Message

Even a growing church whose latter works exceed the first must be vigilant against internal false doctrine.

Rich commendation for the Thyatira church follows.

20

'But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.'

Key Message

Do not tolerate a false prophet who claims spiritual authority within the church and teaches compromise.

This is the serious rebuke of the Thyatira church.

21

'I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.'

Key Message

God gives opportunity for repentance, but stubborn refusal of that opportunity brings judgment.

God has already given this woman prophet time to repent.

22

'Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,'

Key Message

The place of sin becomes the place of judgment; without repentance, tribulation cannot be avoided.

Specific judgment is declared for those who refused to repent.

23

'and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.'

Key Message

Christ is a fair judge who examines both acts and the motivations of the heart.

'The one who searches mind and heart' reflects Psalm 7:9 and Jeremiah 17:10.

24

'But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.'

Key Message

For faithful saints, holding firmly to the truth already possessed is required, not new burdens.

This is care for the faithful saints who did not follow the teaching of Jezebel.

25

'Only hold fast what you have until I come.'

Key Message

Holding firmly to the faith already possessed until the Second Coming is the task of faithful saints.

This is a simple yet powerful exhortation to the faithful saints.

26

'The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,'

Key Message

The one who conquers faithfully to the end inherits the glory of ruling the nations together with Christ.

This is the promise to the one who conquers in the Thyatira church.

27

'and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.'

Key Message

Christ shares the ruling authority received from the Father with those who conquer.

This is a quotation from Psalm 2:9.

28

'And I will give him the morning star.'

Key Message

The greatest gift given to the one who conquers is Christ himself, the morning star.

This is the second promise to the one who conquers in Thyatira.

29

'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Key Message

Listening attentively to what the Spirit says to the churches is the fundamental responsibility of the church in every age.

This is the common exhortation repeated at the end of each of the seven church letters.