by Leigh Ann Dilley on July 03, 2024
A few weeks back, I wrote an introductory devotion concerning the seven letters in Revelation. I mentioned we would explore each letter in future devotions. The inspiration for these devotionals comes from a recent trip I took to Turkey to visit these cities. When these letters are read with the proper understanding of the culture, industry, geography, and struggles of faith, they sound very similar to what the church still struggles with today. God told John in Revelation 1:3, "God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy..."
So let's begin with the city of Ephesus.
Read Revelation 2:1-7
First, a little background. Ephesus is the only city of the seven cities that still holds its original name. It is also the city whose ruins remain the most intact. Turkey sits on a fault line; earthquakes and fires commonly demolished the great archaeological buildings of first-century Asia. Ephesus was considered the metropolis of Asia, a world-class city. The city was affluent and cosmopolitan. Access to the Aegean Sea made Ephesus a meeting place for many types of religions and a hub for trade and education. It was located on a trade route from Rome, making it a port city for goods from all over the world. These goods were sold in the massive town market. Another massive presence was the library right in the center of town, symbolizing the pursuit of intellectual status.
Ephesus also held one of the seven wonders of the world, which was the Temple to Artemis (or Diana), a goddess of fertility, making it a cult worship center for many countries. Sexual immorality ran rampant, made easy by the large brothels in town.
Ephesus is the closest city to Patmos, so it's very likely it was the first city to receive John's prophecy. The introduction to each of these letters is significant. Ephesus is a good example. Ephesus considered itself the capital of the Roman Province. The whole region had fallen into emperor worship, considering them gods. The emperor Domitian had a son who died in infancy. Domitian had his son deified by minting a coin in his honor. The coin depicts an infant boy sitting on what appears to be a globe surrounded by six stars. The letter to Ephesus is written from He who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the lampstands. Seven is a number symbolic of completion. God's right hand has been seen throughout the Bible as a source of power, strength, and authority. Could He have been distinguishing Himself as the one true God by drawing attention to the affront of the young Domitian's coin? Revelation 1:20 says the seven stars are the angels and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Pay attention to the "I know" statements in each letter. In this letter, Jesus says I know your good deeds, hard work, and your perseverance. The Christians of Ephesus were privileged to have access to some great apostolic lineages, like John, Mary, Paul, and Timothy. But Christianity was not popular in Ephesus. Many Christians had difficulty running businesses and shopping because they were shunned or harassed in public, much like Paul and John. Yet, the Christians of Ephesus persevered. They were able to recognize false prophets and did not tolerate them and had not grown weary.
The complaint? They had forgotten their first love. This first letter brings out the first marker of a true and living church: love. The church is described as the bride to Christ the bridegroom. Without love, the acts of the church like service, worship, sacrifice, teaching, encouragement, etcetera become lifeless and unfulfilling. Ephesus had fallen into a routine and mediocrity, doing ministry out of a sense of duty or habit. A generation had passed since the founding of the church. And, even though Christians in Ephesus were generally educated and experienced, they lacked love, which adds life to all we do. They were slowly dying. God calls them to remember the heights from which they have fallen, repent, return, and do how they did things before...or He would remove the lampstand that makes them one of His churches.
The letter says, "You have this in your favor. You hate the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." What is the significance of this? Remember, this letter praised the Christians for spotting what is false. Nicolaitans were an early Christian sect that believed God did not expect Christians to obey the moral law because of the blood of Jesus. Christians could go on sinning and living immoral lives through excuses or justifications. Jesus says here He hates this practice.
Each letter ends with a promise to overcomers. For Ephesus, the promise is to eat from the tree of life that is in paradise with God. The same tree, found in the Garden of Eden, will be found again in heaven.
Application: Love — even more than faith and hope — is the ingredient that sustains and adds energy. Who or what needs your love today? Do you believe as the Nicolaitans did? It's true we are consistently called to repent and return to God, but the power to change doesn't come from us, it comes from the power of Christ within us. His spirit enables us to return to what we did before. When we live for Jesus, the rewards are great.
