Revelation for Beginners

THE MISSING INGREDIENT, Rev. 2:1-7

Have you ever made a recipe and then realized you had left out something critical? I have made oatmeal mush only to discover I had forgotten to add salt. That really made a huge difference–it tasted pretty blah! We’ll see something similar in the description of this church, but first note what our approach will be.

As we begin our journey through the seven churches, keep in mind we are looking for three types of application. 1) It would be relevant to the local congregation itself–they would recognize themselves in this message 2) This congregation would serve a symbolic role to describe the Christian church’s general characteristics during a particular era of history and 3) There are spiritual lessons to be learned from each congregation that are relevant to us today. In one sense, while exhibiting the qualities of the church characteristic of this era, God’s followers today are also to some degree a composite of all that have gone before.

In the previous posting a basic paradigm, pattern, or outline for each of the church descriptions was listed. Here is how it would look for the church at Ephesus:

Christ:
He holds the 7 stars in His hand and walks among the 7 golden lampstands.

Commendation:
I know your works, labor, patience, you can’t bear those who are evil,
you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars, you have persevered, have patience, have labored for My name’s sake and not become weary, you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate

Censure:
You have left your first love

Counsel:
Remember from where you have fallen, repent and do the first works, (or else I will
come quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent), hear what the Spirit says to the churches

Covenant (promise):
To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

What is the point of all this? Why is it all included here? Jesus had promised in John 14:1-3 that He would come back again to take His followers to heaven to be with Him. But He also knew that they would face many trials and challenges before that time should come, so He wanted to prepare them to “endure to the end.” As He walks among the 7 golden lampstands–representing the 7 congregations/churches–in one sense it is almost like an inspection of the space shuttle before launch when the inspectors want to make sure there is nothing that would destroy the shuttle during the stressful trip about to take place. We know from experience how critical that is. The whole idea is not a final judgment to destroy but an evaluation to enable a successful mission. Jesus has an intense desire to see His church successful.

It is important to note that the first item in this outline is a picture of Jesus. We see that specific characteristics from Christ’s description in chapter one have been selected, and as we go through the outline, we will see that those specific characteristics are the very ones the particular congregation needs to meet its deficiencies and needs. Isn’t that just like Jesus?! He has a solution to every problem before we realize we even have a problem. It is also encouraging to see that Jesus looks for things He can praise the church for before He gets into the problems it has. And then He has sound advice for the church, which if followed, will resolve the problem. And finally, every church, no matter how problematic it is, has the possibility of change and a wonderful promise to those who respond. None are automatically cast out as long as they meet the conditions, not even Laodicea. And that is important for us as individuals as we are not saved by church or denomination, but as we individually have a saving faith relationship with Jesus.

Looking at the description of Christ, why are the 7 stars in His hand significant? Note the problem of the church–you have left your first love. Apparently the church was really in love with Christ and zealous for Him, even being very careful to have sound doctrine and reject those who were false professors. But evidently, while they held to straight doctrine, they lost something they once had–their first love experience. Perhaps it became just routine, they went through the motions without love. Christ makes it plain that while He commends their faithfulness to the truth, love is not optional. Consider 1 Corinthians 13 where the apostle Paul states in verses 1-3: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” We know that Paul was also a stickler for true doctrine, but He makes it clear that without love it is all meaningless. The author of Revelation, the apostle John, adds that “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8

I remember reading a story one time about a couple who were having some difficulty. The husband traveled a lot and the relationship left much to be desired. One Monday morning a local florist delivered a box of a dozen roses to the wife from her husband, who was out of town. She was thrilled. Then the next Monday there was another box of roses. Again she was delighted. The next Monday there was another, the next Monday another, etc. Finally she called the florist about it and was told her husband had left a note to deliver a dozen roses every Monday till further notice. After awhile, the wife came to hate Mondays when the roses were delivered because she came to realize there was no love involved. He didn’t even have to think about her. Apparently God had a similar experience as told in Isaiah 1:10-15–He came to hate all their sacrifices and religious ritual, even though He had told them to do such things. He told them in verses 16-20 what He really wanted from them–true heart service. It is still our hearts and committed service He desires today.

What do the stars in the hands symbolize here? If the members in Ephesus had remained “in Christ,” they would have maintained their first love experience, they would have been allowing Him to keep them in His hands, they would have been abiding in Him. Jesus promised if they would do that, “neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:28 So Jesus wants them to come back to that intimate relationship they once had. In Job 38:31 it talks about God holding the 7 stars in His hands, referring to the Pleiades. He is in control of the heavenly bodies and just so He wants to be our guide, to control us according to His benevolent will. And so He wanted to hold the church leaders in His hands, so to speak.

We have more information about the church in Ephesus than some of the others because the book of Ephesians was written to them. The first three chapters talk all about the close relationship God plans for His followers by being “in Christ.” The last three chapters discuss how that impacts everyday relationships–in the home, in the church, in the workplace, etc. Perhaps we can take a closer look at that book at a later time. It mirrors the two great commandments–love to God and love to man. If the Ephesians had taken the counsel in that letter to heart for the long term, perhaps we would not be reading about them losing their first love experience.

You may be wondering who those Nicolaitans were. As near as I can discover, they were a heretical sect in the early church. Their beliefs apparently included dismissing the law as a guide, i.e. they believed deeds had nothing to do with salvation so you were basically free to do anything you were inclined to. Perhaps they carried the love idea too far–i.e. just love and do as you please? Jesus certainly didn’t approve of their practices.

What about the 3 levels of application? I think you can see from what has been covered so far how the congregation in Ephesus (which was in what is present day Turkey) would find the message to them very relevant for their immediate challenges. Secondly, this church, according to historicist interpreters, would also become a symbol for the Christian church in the apostolic era (to about 100 A.D.–the dates are approximate and not really critical for the interpretation). The early church was in its “first love” experience but in danger of losing it. And thirdly, what lessons are we supposed to learn from this? Actually, the last-day church–Laodicea–seems like it is in need of a good dose of “first love” experience, for it has become very lukewarm and somewhat apathetic. If you are a Christian, perhaps you can remember when you first came to the Lord and how on fire you were, but now you may have lost that early fervor. It is easy for our experience to become like that described in Jesus’ parable of the soils. “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22

So what is the remedy? Jesus said the need was to repent–ask for forgiveness. Then go back to basics, back to the last place you saw the light, when your experience was on fire. Seek to know Jesus personally, study His life in the gospels again, talk to Him about anything on your mind, learn to recognize His voice and trust Him implicitly. Let Him live out His life in you through the power of the Holy Spirit and put your energies on His side to cooperate with Him. Seek His counsel and as He Himself said, “If you love me, keep my commandments,” not as a means to gain salvation or favor, but as an outgrowth of a relationship with Him. After all, if Jesus is living in you (see Galatians 2:20–“Christ lives in me”), what kind of a life will He live? Will He lead us to be obedient or disobedient? But most of all, let’s allow His love to be the controlling force in our lives personally and in the way we relate to others. The counsel to the Ephesians is good for us too.

CHURCH UNDER FIRE, Revelation 2:8-11

Ever felt persecuted or attacked for your convictions? The church in Smyrna (in modern day Turkey) certainly was experiencing that. Now Jesus has a message for that afflicted congregation. Following our template for these letters, we should first see those portions of the description of Christ seen in chapter one that meet the needs of this particular congregation. These are Jesus’ words from that description that fit: “These things says the First and the Last, who was dead and is come to life.” Jesus is saying, to paraphrase, “What I begin, I can finish. It may look like it’s the end for you, but don’t worry–you won’t lose out in the end because I will achieve my goals. Besides, I know what it’s like to die–I did and was resurrected. That’s your assurance that you, too, will be resurrected if you should lose your life here.”

In verse 9 He commends the church: “I know your works, tribulation [trials and persecution you’re going through], and poverty (but you are rich).” Interestingly, this is the opposite of the church in Laodicea that thinks it is rich but is really poor. Jesus also knows all about the troublemakers who pretend to be followers of God but really are followers of Satan. They no doubt were also a trial for the church.

As far as censure, this one of only two churches that receive no censure.

In verse 10 Jesus begins His counsel to this congregation, to paraphrase: “You are going to be experiencing some periods of severe trials and suffering ahead, but don’t be afraid. In fact, the devil will see that some of you are thrown into prison. You will be tested for sure. There will even be a 10 year period of specially trying persecution. But be faithful, even if it costs you your life in this world, because your resurrection is assured, and I’ll give you a crown of life–eternal life in a better place.”

Finally, in verse 11, the covenant appears. “He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.” That summarizes the previous promise, i.e. you may die the first death in this old world, but you will be resurrected from that (1 Corinthians 15:51-55). But what really couonts is that you will not have to face the second death experience (ch. 20:6, 14) from which there is no resurrection, i.e. you will spared eternal extermination, you will live with Christ forever. The apostle Paul looked forward to that fulfillment of Christ’s promise when he wrote to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:6-8–“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

This message had special meaning for the congregation in Smyrna–they would have recognized themselves in that message. In the historicist view of prophecy, that congregation would become a symbol of the Christian church as it went through times of terrible persecution. Some scholars give approximate dates of 100-313 A.D. as that time in church history. Today you may be going through tough times. Remember God’s promises in Isaiah 41:10–“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Hebrews 13:5–“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” He is able to carry you through just as He did Daniel and his friends with the fiery furnace and lions’ den experiences. Yet, even if we should lose our lives in the process, whether through accident, illness, or martyrdom, Jesus’ promise to us is that if we have been faithful to Him (trusting in Him), there is a crown of life in our future, symbolic of life eternal (i.e. without end). What a wondrous assurance!

Pergamos

PERGAMOS

As we take a look at the third church in the sequence of the 7, let’s review what Jesus is doing and why. Revelation 2:1 represents Him as walking among the 7 lamp stands with the implication that there is a burning lamp on each stand. It has already been established that the lamp stands represent the seven churches. Part of Jesus’ job is akin to that of the old lighthouse keeper–to see that the light keeps burning; in other words, a keeper of the flame. I remember the summer Olympics one year when the relay of the Olympic torch came through our town. There was great excitement and many people came out to see a runner carrying the torch, escorted by Highway Patrol vehicles. Then it was passed on to the next person to continue its journey. In similar manner the torch of truth and love was to be passed on from one generation to the next, from one era to another, until the work of the gospel should be completed and Jesus returns again.

Jesus is seeking to preserve His people and ultimately create a safe place for them to live and worship, where they can dwell together with Him for eternity. Compare Psalm 105:45 where God says He brought them out of Egypt so they could keep His commandments (Remember Pharaoh’s complaint that Moses was making the people rest [i.e. keep the Sabbath] so he made things harder for them. See Exodus 5:5). And if cleansing is necessary, He does that, too, much as the lighthouse keeper kept the lenses and windows of the lighthouse clean, so that His church may be the true light of the world, undimmed by human corrosive thinking. Think of Jesus cleansing the temple of the business commotion so those who wanted to worship in peace could do so. Thusly, as in Revelation 2:1 Jesus is represented as walking among the candlesticks to be sure all is well, and to correct any deficiencies that might interfere with His ultimate goal for them. He loves them too much to let them go to eternal destruction without seeking to save them from themselves.

Ultimately what Jesus is interested in is the salvation and character development of His followers, as well as the vindication of God, His character and purposes. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this. For example, He testifies of Jesus (John 15:26), He reminds us of what Jesus taught (John 14:26), guides us into all truth, and reveals things to come (John 16:13). The whole subject of the Holy Spirit is a large one, but this must suffice for our purposes here for now.
* * *
What does Jesus have to say to this congregation and, by extension, us? Is it still relevant for us 2000 years later, or is it just a bit of historical trivia suitable for “Jeopardy”?This message begins, as our original paradigm suggests, with a portrait of Christ, taken from the description in chapter one. The attribute selected for the particular needs of this church seems somewhat bizarre, something like a circus sword swallower. However, in that case the sword goes into the mouth whereas here it is coming out of the mouth. It also says it is two-edged and sharp. What can this mean? Often Jesus used symbolic language to represent Himself and His work, such as shepherd, vine, temple, light of the world, bread of life, eating His flesh/drinking His blood, etc. Allowing the Bible to interpret itself, the symbolism of a sword is also seen in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Obviously we’re here talking about spiritual issues, not physical ones. The fact that the sword is pictured coming out of His mouth reinforces the idea of this referring to the words that would come from His mouth.

Interestingly, the apostle Paul uses the same symbolism in referring to the spiritual armor the Christian is to wear: “….the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17. As Jesus Himself proclaimed, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6: 63. Two-edged? It can cut both ways, inwardly and outwardly; and it’s sharp enough to do its job quickly and effectively. It may be painful, but is for our good in the long run. You can read Hebrews 12 for more thoughts on God’s discipline. Apparently this congregation needed a good dose of this symbolic activity in real life. And Jesus cares too much about people and their salvation to be merely “politically correct.” So His words might sting a bit sometimes, but they uttered in love andare ultimately for our blessing in order for us to become the people He longs for us to become.

But before Jesus exposes the underlying problems of the church, He first looks for something to commend about it, and He finds a few things that are in fact commendable about Pergamos. ” I know your good works.” He has noticed the positive things they are doing and acknowledges them. There is more. “You live among Satan’s seat.” At first this sounds like a criticism, but it is actually letting them know He realizes the challenges they face in daily living. Some scholars believe this is referring to the heathen temple overlooking the city. It is no longer at the Pergamos site, but is now in a museum in Berlin where German archaeologists transported it many years ago. I have personally been there and walked up the stairway to the temple proper. As in many cities of the time, the local temple would have a strong (negative) influence in the community, as the apostle Paul found out on more than one occasion. There is yet one more praise. “You hold fast to God’s name and have not denied the faith.” That certainly sounds praiseworthy.

In view of these praises, the censure that follows certainly seems to counteract the them. But the church is not perfect, and the “faithful witness” must be honest–He can’t lie. He is anxious for the church to succeed, but first they must understand the truth about themselves. In Hebrews 12:6 it reminds us that “whom the Lord loves, He chastens.” So it is out of infinite love that He disciplines us. Perhaps in another sense it might be also seen as a sort of “vetting” process, as God can’t take rebels to heaven, for they would start the whole sin problem all over again. Think about this–would you be comfortable flying on a plane with known terrorists aboard? Ultimately, God’s desire is for His children to be with Him for eternity in a safe and peaceful location.

But what are the problems of this particular congregation? Why now the need for censure? He begins this section by stating, “You have some there who believe the doctrine of Balaam.” And what was wrong with that? “He taught King Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel–to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.” As if that weren’t enough, they also accepted “the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” So what’s the issue here and who were Balak and the Nicolaitans? It appears that though Pergamos had some things going for it, it was also tolerant and accommodating to idolatry and sexual immorality amongst their membership and no one was doing anything about it. It would put out the light of this church if it continued as it was. And Jesus loves the church too much to leave these issues unaddressed.

The reference to Balaam takes us back into the Old Testament to Numbers 22. It seems that Israel was on the march toward the land God had promised them, but King Balak, who ruled a territory east of the Jordan River, was quite anxious and looked for a way to mess up their plans so he could defeat them. He had heard of a prophet in the region named Balaam and decided to enlist his support. He sent a delegation with an “honorarium” to help grease the request he was making, namely to come and curse the Israelites for him. You can read the whole story in Numbers 22, including the story of Balaam’s debate with a talking donkey. The bottom line was that God refused to allow Balaam to curse Israel–only to pronounce God’s blessings on them. But Revelation 2 gives us some additional insight into the story. Apparently Balaam was so eager to get Balak’s money he thought of a way to get Israel to bring a curse upon themselves without Balaam’s direct involvement. So the Israelites were invited to come to a great festival the Midianites were having where they would engage in worship of idols and prostitution. At first it seemed succssful as there was apostasy at the Jordan followed by God’s discipline of their behavior. Yet Balaam shortly thereafter lost his life in a battle with Israel (Numbers 31:8), so “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36) And the Nicolaitans? They were a more contemporary group that had an issue with the law of God, sort of forerunners of “antinomians,” those who were against law as being a valid guide for Christians, notwithstanding Jesus’ words “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) And Paul’s statement in Romans 7:7 that he would not even know what sin was if it wasn’t for the commandments. Apparently Jesus saw that Pergamos harbored these teachings and was deeply concerned for the church’s future.

Having said all that, was there hope for the church in Pergamos? Jesus always holds out hope, but first it must include repentance in order to be truly hopeful, otherwise Jesus’ words in John 12:48 will come true: “The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” The good news is that as they receive His counsel, and through His grace overcome their deficiencies, they get “hidden manna”–the truth of the gospel; a white stone–perhaps the sign of acquittal in the judgment; and a new name–representing the new and loyal character they have developed by God’s grace. This is the special covenant promise for those overcomers.

So how do we apply all this? To begin with, the congregation in Pergamos would recognize itself in the description of its condition. Secondly, this congregation is also a symbol of the church in general during a period of history which historicist scholars date to approximately 313-538 A.D. More could be said about that but perhaps that is sufficient for now. And thirdly, what about us? We face some of the same challenges, such as worldliness/idolatry (anything that takes priority over God or substitutes for Him). But the same hope is also for us as we repent of our sins and allow Jesus to have full sway in our lives, so that like the apostle Paul we can say, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I Iive, yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

REVELATION, CREATION, & EVOLUTION

Did God really make the earth and everything in it in six days as it states in Genesis 1? Or did God use evolutionary processes to do the job over millions of years as some suggest.
Others even go so far as to say that chapters 1-11 of Genesis are not literal–that section never actually happened as written. Is that true? It depends on whether you believe the Bible is accurate or not. This assumes that you even believe there is a God at all. This website takes the position that there is a God as the Bible describes Him. But what about those who believe in God but not as described in Genesis 1-11?
To me, the clearest statement of what happened is found in Exodus 20:8-11. Let me review it here, keeping in mind that this comes from the center of the 10 commandments, written on stone by God Himself. This is as direct as it gets. God didn’t even trust this document to dictation. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, not thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor they cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” How could it be any plainer? While some declare that God did this in millions of years, God Himself said He did it in 6 days. Or is God a liar? The Bible says He isn’t (Titus 1:2). It is interesting to note that after Moses shattered the tables of stone when he saw the idolatry of Israel, God told him to bring some more stone and He would write the same words on stone again. (Ex. 34:1 and Dt. 10:1-5) So twice God wrote those same words on stone. It sounds like He indeed wanted these words to be remembered for posterity. If you can’t believe these words coming from God, why would you believe Him anywhere else in the Bible? It reminds me of Satan in the Garden of Eden when He got Eve to disbelieve the clearest command of God (Genesis 3:4, cf. 2:17). So, whom do you believe?
Some have suggested that each day in creation was in reality a long period of time, such as a thousand years, or even millions of years. But notice what the text says–the seventh day of the week was to commemorate the creation of earth in 6 days. And in Deuteronomy 23:32 it proclaims, “from even unto even shall ye celebrate your sabbath.” In other words, this was a 24 hour day. So if the seventh was a 24 hour period, then it stands to reason the other 6 days were the same length.
As I have read the Bible through over a dozen times, I have found the Scriptures reminding me over and over again that God is the Creator of all things, and quickly, designing all for our benefit. Notice Psalm 33:6, 9: “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth…For He spake and it was done, He commanded, and it stood fast”. Nothing long and drawn out here.
This theme runs throughout Scripture. Even Jesus said, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female.” Mt. 19:4 See Genesis 1 and 2 for a more complete description of this event. Again, John 1:3: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” See also Colossians 1:16: “…by Him all things were created….”. You get the idea.
But what does Revelation have to do with this idea? Does it have any indication that this will be an important issue in the last days? I believe so. Check out Revelation 14:7: “…Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of waters.” The implication is that it may be a controverted issue in the end time, so much so that God has to remind them not to worship anything else. We can see the problem developing today. Even some Christian churches are accepting the evolutionary concepts in place of the clear Biblical teaching of creation. Once more in Revelation 4:11, 24 elders worship God and say,” You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For you created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created”. So do we have a bunch of liars in heaven, or truth tellers?
For one thing, the Bible says liars don’t make it to heaven (Rev. 21:8, 27). So that just leaves truth tellers.
The Bible says God is love. Out of that love He created this earth and the Garden of Eden for mankind. He wishes simply for us to acknowledge that and appreciate what it means to have a loving relationship with Him. He even created a day in time (the Sabbath) to give us opportunity to reflect and rejoice.
Where do you stand? Think about it.

Thyatira

Eyes like fire; feet like brass. What do these two elements represent? You can find an explanation of them as they appear in chapter 1 at the beginning of this website/blog listed under the dates of June 09 and November 09. These two characteristics of Jesus presented as shown in these two symbols, were chosen by Jesus to portray His character as meeting the particular needs of this individual congregation. The congregation would recognize themselves in the description that goes with them. But besides that, this congregation would also be symbolic of the Christian church during a certain era of church history. Historicist interpreters suggest the dates of 538 A.D. to 1565 A. D. It could symbolize the apostasy of the medieval church as well as the progress of the reformation. The actual dates are not critical to understanding this passage but do help place this church symbolically in the right relationship to the other of the seven churches. So the first application is for the named church itself. The second is to see its symbolic place in history. The third is to see what spiritual lessons we can learn for ourselves living in the tail end of earth’s history.

The picture is a mixed bag. We have seen before that both the fire eyes and brass feet can be seen as both good news and mercy as well as justice and judgment. Jesus sees both good and bad. As with most of the seven churches, He begins with the positive. He commends them for their works, love, service, faith, and patience. Sounds pretty good, but there is more. He also censures them for allowing “Jezebel” to seduce His people with immorality and idolatry. God says he was patient (fortunately for us!) and gave her time to repent, but she didn’t.

Now, who was Jezebel? This is why the Old Testament is so important in interpreting the book of Revelation. We discover there that Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab of Israel. Her father was king of Tyre and Sidon (after murdering his brother to get him out of the way of his ambitions). Jezebel brought her heathen religion with her and influenced Ahab to go along with her. Unfortunately the entire nation allowed her to seduce them into idolatry in clear violation of the first of the 10 commandments. Along with it came the immorality, in violation of the 7th commandment. It seems that when the devil finds something that works pretty well for him, he keeps using it through the centuries. Immorality and idolatry (not just bowing to statues but anything that takes the place of God in our lives or that becomes more a priority than He is) are still effective tools Satan uses. He knows which buttons to push!

And what about the eyes like fire and feet like brass? We have previously seen in chapter 1 that these symbols can represent both mercy and justice (judgment). Apparently there is both concern and hope for this church. It is noteworthy that every church listed in chapters 2 & 3 is offered hope in overcoming problems through the promises, no matter how bad the problems. So there is hope for us as well.
Jezebel’s children (followers of her philosophy) don’t fare too well in the long term, but God has special blessings for His followers. And as the text says, “let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Jesus, the morning star (ch. 22:16) will be their special reward as they will be able to be with Him throughout eternity.