Revelation 2:2, commentary and pictures

Christ, who holds His ministers in His hand and walks in unwearied watchfulness in the midst of His churches, declares that He fully knows the works, toil, patience, refusal to bear evil, and testing and exposure of false claimants to apostleship. Ephesus stands for the Christian church in the apostolic age, when earnest believers labored untiringly so the gospel sounded to all the world, and the record was written for the encouragement of believers in every age. He commends patient endurance without fainting, firm refusal to tolerate evil, and careful weighing of pretenders until they are found wanting. That commendation does not remove danger, for outward correctness with loss of the first love for Christ and for one another leaves service worthless and unacceptable to God. Therefore the church must remember from where it has fallen, repent and do the first works of love, lest He come quickly and remove its light.

Setting and Symbolism

Ephesus stands as a symbol of the entire Christian church in the apostolic age, when believers filled with earnestness and enthusiasm labored untiringly for Christ. Despite fierce opposition the gospel was sounded to all inhabited parts of the earth in a comparatively short time. The record of works and labor and patience, of refusal to bear evil, and of trying those claiming to be apostles and exposing them as false, was written for the encouragement of believers in every age.

The seven churches are symbolic of the church in different periods of the Christian era, and the number seven indicates completeness to show the messages extend to the end of time and remain in force today. The names describe characteristics of the churches, and the figures are symbolic of the state of God's professed people, with wheat developing among tares and truth standing on its own eternal basis in contrast with error. In this way they portray the state of things existing in the churches of the religious world today. The revelation given to John is also for later times, containing the three angels' messages, warnings about last-day evil and the mark of the beast, and a message to be proclaimed clearly to the world.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ was given to show His servants things that must shortly come to pass, and Christ came in person to present it to John on the Isle of Patmos. John was commanded to write and send it to the seven churches in Asia, to Ephesus with the others. He was a faithful messenger whose testimony about Jesus and the character believers must perfect through Him provoked opposition, so his enemies banished him to Patmos, but God remained with him and showed him heavenly things. His appearance to John in glory at Patmos is described as His second advent, following His first advent at Bethlehem.

The truths given to John for the churches must be kept pure and must shape the training of Christian missionaries. They are vital, important truth for the salvation of souls and must not be set aside as an idle tale while time is given to speculations about the future life that God has not revealed. A teacher who confuses minds by mingling specious scientific errors with instruction leads people away from those truths and is not a safe leader in interpreting Scripture.

Ephesus was once beloved of God, possessing powerful and convincing truth that burned brightly as a candle amid the moral darkness of error to enlighten many souls. He requires fruit-bearing trees of righteousness, abiding in Christ and going from strength to strength and from character to character, with love burning upon the altar of the heart. But she did not know the time of her visitation, did not heed solemn admonitions, and did not maintain vital connection with Christ. Want of love for Jesus and for one another extinguished her spiritual light until it was quenched in darkness, and grievous wolves entered in and spared not the flock.

The early churches did not keep their garments white but let go of purity and simplicity of faith. Form took the place of inward piety and the work that should have been done was left undone, a change that came in gradually through doubt and unbelief. The light should have grown brighter unto the perfect day to convince souls in darkness and sin of the truth. God's design was for His people to gather light from Christ and send its bright rays to a crooked and perverse generation, leaving things behind and going forward to perfection, with faithful improvement of entrusted talents placing the church on vantage ground with Holiness unto the Lord inscribed on every work.

The message to Ephesus was given to John to be written to come down through the ages to the end of the world. With the solemn messages to the churches it calls them to recognize their obligation and make personal efforts in Christ's work of saving souls. Its commendation of labor and opposition to evil includes rebuke of carelessness, backsliding, and sin so that people will repent and confess. Sin is not to be covered, but Christ as first and last and all in all is to be proclaimed, through messengers who reprove wrongdoing and urge overcoming sinful practices without compromise.

Speaker's Watchful Presence

The One who speaks is He who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, the chief in authority who has charge of the seven churches. His message is given by One who has authority and is not to be flippantly turned from. His words to Ephesus were delivered through John to the angel of the church, and they declare His knowledge of works, labor, patience, refusal to bear evil workers, testing of those claiming to be apostles and exposure of them as liars, with endurance and unfainting labor for His name. That faithful labor does not cover loss of first love, and the message calls those gone out of the way to stand on higher and holier ground without fault before the throne of God.

He goes from church to church, from congregation to congregation, from heart to heart and from soul to soul in unwearied vigilance. He neither slumbers nor sleeps, but watches as the true Watchman of the house and the faithful and true Warder of the temple-courts of the Lord. Even while undershepherds may be asleep or engrossed with matters of small importance, He that keeps Israel does not slumber nor sleep. He walks in the midst of His churches through the length and breadth of the earth, present in every assembly, looking with intense interest to see whether His people are spiritually able to advance His kingdom.

The church is not left to the care of human agents nor given into the hands of men, for if it were the light would flicker and go out. Believers are not dependent on the presence of earthly priest or minister, but are kept by the power of God through faith, and that not of themselves, for it is the gift of God. Christ gave His life for the world so that all who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life, and His presence and sustaining grace are the secret of all life and light.

His presence is constantly with His church, constantly imparting knowledge and grace to His representatives. He expects those who receive His gifts to impart them to others, sending His disciples out with the word Go to teach all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all He commanded. He joins to that commission the promise that He is with them always even unto the end of the world.

The seven stars represent ministers, who are under Christ's control and depend on His power to do good and reflect His light. He speaks as one having supreme authority over His workmen who by appointment fill positions of trust in His church. Because Christ holds that place, no one man is to take jurisdiction as supreme authority over an institution, church, or sanitarium, or confine its running and management to one man's supervision and decisions. Ministers and physicians are to blend and grow together as a holy temple in the Lord, each acting from his own individual mind while seeking divine wisdom, studying the Word prayerfully, consulting together in united wise counsel, and keeping their first love in their councils. Those workers must receive responsibilities with self-distrust, work under His direction, receive power from Him to increase the talents lent them in trust, and strive to become wise, faithful workers possessing clear discernment and wise mastery.

His declaration that He knows what His people do is certain truth because He cannot lie. His knowledge deals in no uncertainties. He keeps an account of every day's labor and is acquainted with the spirit in which the work is done. Because He knows all, He can never excuse underhanded work or dishonesty, and not one thread of deception belongs in the work.

Meaning of Knowing

“I know thy works” means He knows the works and the labour and the patience, the refusal to bear them which are evil, and the trying of them which say they are apostles and are not and the finding them liars. It is recognition of faithful work and labour and patience and of endurance and unfainting labour for His name, joined to commendation of not tolerating evil and of carefully testing false claimants to apostleship and exposing them as liars. This knowing is spoken to those set as watchmen and to all to whom the message is addressed.

As the great Heart-searcher His eye is upon all work and all plans and all imaginings of every mind, reaching beneath the surface of things to the thoughts and intents of the heart and reading each one as an open book. No deed of darkness and no plan and no imagination of the heart and no thought of the mind is hidden from Him, and no act and no word and no motive escapes Him. Every act and every word and every motive is faithfully chronicled in the records and in books in heaven. That recorded knowledge stands against false representations and claims of being misjudged and treated severely, against acting a lie and deceiving others, forcing home truth already known so the heart will humble itself before God instead of closing the eyes of understanding.

He is acquainted with the history and experience of each one who professes to receive and believe, having graven His people upon the palms of His hands and carefully cherishing every act of love and endurance. He knows the needs of poor trembling souls and how to help them, and He knows both the highest and the lowliest so that lives and conduct are seen. They can turn to Him directly for guidance and strength and comfort. Those with unseen principles of grace in their lives are distinguished as acquainted with God in open communion.

His knowing joins recognition with searching judgment, active now in the time when everything that can be shaken is shaken so that only what cannot be shaken remains, when every case comes in review before God as He measures the temple and the worshipers in it. Works pass in review before God and should be honest and pure and holy so they can bear inspection, through self-examination and living connection and the oil of grace that keeps satanic influence from shaping the experience or marring the work. As the faithful Witness who knows the spirit cherished within, with the thoughts of the heart not hid from Him, His knowing means words and deeds will judge every person in the last great day. At final judgment nothing is hidden, for God knows which opportunities have been neglected and how persistently the Good Shepherd has sought wanderers, calling them back and lighting their way through His word, so those who ignore His calls until probation ends face just judgment without excuse. His knowledge of works is applied to men in responsible positions whose conduct will be examined in the judgment of the living and the dead.

His knowledge applies to every transaction and examines work by the searching standards of His Word, to be practiced and expressed in actual life so as to elevate and sanctify teacher and receiver. Those who use institutions to oppress workers, impose terms they would not accept themselves, or gain advantage through unjust dealing and broken contracts are accountable and will face judgment, for such conduct misrepresents God and money gained through oppression and selfishness does not glorify Him or serve His truth. His knowledge reaches selfish medical work done for personal gain rather than with an eye single to the glory of God, especially when physicians follow their own impulses, refuse counsel, and exact exorbitant prices from rich and poor in suffering who must have help, with money taken beyond the value of services reckoned as dishonest gain. Withholding unfavorable facts or exaggerating benefits to secure a sale, and using guile in business, violates conscience and deceives, while those serving God must be strictly honest with truthful speech He can commend. No hidden opposition escapes Him, including secret labor to disaffect minds toward His appointed servant by placing him in a wrong light while concealing that course, which His knowledge exposes as close rebellion against reproof and management.

His knowledge includes whether one remains faithful to strict moral principles, with departure damaging the person and corrupting and harming others through influence. His knowledge is personal and present, not too distant or indistinct to guide those who come to Him in contrition and living faith. This knowledge calls Christians to reject half-hearted service and to watch faithfully against sin and selfishness and passion. It calls every person to know Him and live by truth rather than rely on confidence or boasting or despair, seeing the heart including hypocrisy or self-deception. Christ as Witness is present in all work and in all words and knows what is done and said, so daily life is lived under His notice, with every effort to bless humanity recognized in heaven, calling for dependence on God and all He has promised and for bringing the warmth of love into daily life with undivided mind.

He knows and records actions including irreverent thoughts and conduct in worship, with nothing hidden from searching sight, so indifference and inattention in His house must be corrected through deliberate practice of reverence until it becomes habitual. In the home coarse speech and vulgar jokes and sensuality and recrimination are witnessed by God, while love and truth and kindness and forbearance are to be cultivated instead. He knows conduct and purpose and word fully open to inspection, leaving no excuse for breaking His law or leading others to disobey through evasions or claims or lies. He approves practical generosity such as youth keeping from worldly pride and using means to help widows and fatherless children in need and to support His work, and faithful support including giving to poorer fields belongs to the works He knows and blesses. His knowledge of deeds includes wrongdoing and dishonesty that parents fail to recognize in children, making parents accountable to discern and address danger rather than accept appearances or remain indifferent.

Faithfulness Christ Commends

Christ knows and commends works, labor, patience, patient endurance, and faithful service for His name without fainting, including bearing trial and having patience. That faithful earnest labor converts souls and brings new life into the churches. The church had advanced in spiritual knowledge, had labored patiently, had endured hardship, and had not grown weary.

Not bearing those who are evil means the church cannot tolerate evil people and workers, hates evil, and is firm to condemn and resist evil. It means they were not open sinners but had the truth established in doctrine. In practice it means never giving encouragement to evil while not finding fault and accusing. This commendation of firmness is followed by loving reproof.

Trying those who say they are apostles and are not and finding them liars means careful testing and discerning of pretensions. It means examining vain talkers whose influence is misleading, stopping their mouths, weighing them in the balances where they are found wanting, exposing them, and giving faithful reproof that may save them. Unless they repent they will be weighed in the balances and found wanting. He weighs the characters of all taking His name, knowing works, religious experience, thoughts and intents of the heart, every word and act, and whom each loves and serves, which calls for close self-examination.

This discernment gives God's people in the last days as keepers of His law the disagreeable task of keeping evil out by testing claimants and finding them false. It requires much diligence and continual struggle and rigid impartial discipline against those with only a form of religion who undermine the faith of others while secretly working to exalt self and holding onto defects. It includes rejecting with stern rebuke teachings that would overturn foundational present truth. It unsparingly condemns the doctrine of the Nicolaitans now largely taught that the gospel makes God's law of no effect, that believing releases men from being doers of the word, that faith alone suffices and imputed righteousness fulfills the law so there is no obligation to obey and men are saved in transgression, which Christ hates.

Knowing works and labor requires earnest missionary work to enter destitute unworked fields and place workers there instead of selfish neglect. It confronts selfishness in working fields or not working fields and rebukes leaving destitute places unworked with so little earnest effort. Followers must do their work amid trials and exposure to persecution and peril to life itself. They must not become dim or cease to shine as lights amid moral darkness but eradicate the gloom of immorality and sin. They must unite in bearing burdens and be a combined united power in love and efficiency to be light to the world.

He again and again tells watchmen on Zion's walls that He knows their works so their faith is never eclipsed as they watch for souls as those who must give an account. It is a message of great value joined to the call for an ear to hear the Spirit and to the promise that the overcomer will eat of the tree of life in Paradise. It requires sanctified activity matching profession, ministers not hovering over the churches but going outside the camp to warn unbelievers, and young men proving themselves called and chosen and faithful. Faith uniting to Christ stirs active service and good works though activity alone does not secure salvation. Patient labor for His name questions mere decorative work for homes and friends in contrast to earnest self-sacrificing service bearing His burdens to benefit others.

First Love Lost

The words are commendation and encouragement from the True Witness, crediting excellent qualifications and necessary firmness in works, labor, patience, refusal to tolerate evil, and testing of those claiming to be apostles and exposing them as liars. That commendation does not remove danger, for the church is still guilty and fallen and needs individual heart-searching and reformation, and careful discernment and opposition to false teaching did not make up for loss of love nor prevent Satan from later undermining much good. The strengths did not prevent the early church from leaving its first love, for which the following words call it to repent and return to its former deeds. Love for Christ and for the people for whom He died must be cherished together.

Leaving the first love means leaving Christ out of the service and depending largely upon human capabilities, so no outward service is sufficient and vital godliness fails while outward correctness remains. The love of God wanes, self-love springs into new activity, and love for brethren is lost through cherished selfishness and covetousness, the root of bitterness springing up, and hearts hard as steel toward brethren. It shows in harshness, want of tender sympathy for one another, and a spirit of criticism becoming more and more unlike Christ, with looking for mistakes in others. It shows in becoming strict about outward ceremonies, rigid in criticism and particular about theory while losing sight of the Saviour and the greatness of God's love and sacrifice, with happiness and joy going out unrealized, and a religious life that can be praiseworthy yet deficient in love to God and neighbors so that fellow believers are injured.

First love is the love of God circulating in His own merciful, gracious, longsuffering character, imparted and reproduced in His children so they love God with the whole heart and neighbor as self and keep His commandments. It is love for one another by which all know disciples, and without it revealed no light shines to the world. Christianity as practice of the line of Christ means steady and not capricious love that forbears with the erring, considers self, covers a multitude of sins, and refuses to expose another's wrongs before others unless positive necessity requires it.

Without this love all knowledge and capabilities and outward zeal and service are worthless and unacceptable to God, with no steadfastness of purpose and no grace received from Christ to impart to others. Without Christ good works amount to nothing, and many perform good works without the savor of first love that makes them of value in His estimation, failing to comprehend the value He places on the soul, so that until the first work is done council meetings amount to nothing. All profession of faith without that love will not save a soul from death, and when self swells and Christ is not manifested He cannot own His people.

The church must be aroused to realize her moral fall, remember from whence fallen, repent, purify the heart by belief of the truth as in Jesus, regain the lost love, and do the first works of love. She must turn from differences, humble the soul, seek the Holy Spirit with all the heart, keep faith and holiness alive, and let love dwell in every heart in response to the love in Jesus who gave His life and brings into right relation when His love is exercised toward one another. Keeping the faith preserves first love, while leaving it brings years of unsettled doubt and unbelief, so believers must stand in living communication with God and heed events showing what must soon come. Heeding means seeking the Lord with all the heart, giving due respect for their works' sake to those bearing burden in heat of day, and loving God supremely and neighbor as self until truth prospers as a burning lamp.

Except there is repentance He will come quickly and remove the candlestick out of its place, quenching spiritual light. Leaving first love, especially by teachers, causes loss of spiritual discernment, confused judgment through human wisdom calling darkness light and light darkness, and loss of interest so saving truth is not received, though He has not forsaken His church. Justice and patience without love for Christ and followers means defection from the love shaping daily life and care for the needy. Loving Jesus with the whole heart is opposed to pride and self-love and lawsuits before unbelievers and political contention and disunion counterworking His prayer while sinners die.

The commendation for earnest labor comes first followed by reproof, giving ministers today an example of reproving after commending, approving where He can while rebuking and commanding to remember, repent, and do the first works. Good deeds do not excuse sinful conduct, and those who falsify or make untrue statements to bring about ends remain accountable to God who knows works, for missionaries must never make untrue statements to accomplish purposes. Some fallen will repent and some will not, and those refusing to confess wrongs and humble themselves in genuine reformation to protect influence stand under this warning.

Warning for Today

The commendation of works, labor, patience, refusal to bear evil, and testing of false apostles applies to the church in all ages and describes the church at this time as still possessing works, labor, patience and discernment yet showing harshness, want of tender sympathy, and a spirit of criticism increasingly unlike Christ. It is addressed to teachers in every line of work and must be studied earnestly with humble contrite hearts, for without such hearts it will not be understood. When members are deficient in these qualifications they are to be reproved and labored for until the love of Christ embracing the brethren is revived. Those who fill positions of trust by appointment must receive responsibilities in self-distrust, work under the direction of One having supreme authority over His workmen, receive power from Him to increase talents lent in trust, and strive to become wise faithful workers with clear discernment and wise mastery.

The message belongs to those gone out of the way whose present condition is not pleasing to God, calling them to stand on higher and holier ground without fault before the throne. They still need to be converted so as to feel travail of soul for the world and proclaim the last message of mercy entrusted to them to a fallen world. Those having knowledge of the truth must qualify themselves and their children to reach a much higher standard of piety and devotion than before, acting from the highest possible motives of Christian attainment as laborers together with God and co-workers with Christ. True conversion, consecration, zeal, humility and wholehearted service are needed to honor God and communicate the teachings of His Spirit. Believers are to gather divine rays of light shining on the churches, be the light of the world, let that light shine on the pathway of others, stand in living communication with God now more than ever, take heed to events showing what must soon come, and keep love dwelling in every heart in response to the love of Jesus who gave His life and brings into right relation those who exercise His love toward one another.

Responsible leaders whose work was out of harmony with God's mind are met by this knowledge, for despite light given them they failed to appreciate it and continued practices bringing rebuke and weakening the church. The same searching knowledge meets God's people in institutions whose business management has departed from pure and holy principles, for Christ sees their conduct and comes near to rebuke and judge. In the last days God's people hold many truths yet face objectionable theories endangering faith and spoiling experience. They must therefore exercise the same testing of claims, refuse to give heed to seducing spirits, and hold firmly the foundation built point by point by the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Not a single point is to be yielded, since yielding one gives no surety against discarding others until point by point the structure is assailed.

The message speaks to people in this age who have had great light but have not opened the door of the heart to Christ's knock, over which God has a controversy because warnings from heaven have not been heeded. The fires lately raging in New York and other cities were no accident but omnipotent power, showing the Spirit of God withdrawing from the world. A similar condition is coming in among His own people, so they must beware. The position to be held now is to end opposing work among themselves, press together, close divided ranks, stand as a united company with faces to the foe, and work intelligently as one mind and one heart in keen warfare against invisible foes where there can be no peace through conformity and where they must either overcome or be overcome.

Revelation 2:1-6 must be read from beginning to close, studied most earnestly, and kept, with a doing of the first work required because first love has been left. It belongs to the great solemn truths for this time to be most clearly comprehended, proclaimed to the world with all spiritual power, and brought into the very designs and principles of the church. It is part of the evidence given to discern the Spirit and make decisions with eternal consequences, an opportunity not to be repeated so that failure to use it brings increasing blindness and strange things. Heeding the warning means seeking the Lord with all the heart, giving due respect for their works' sake to those who have borne the burden in the heat of the day, loving God supremely and neighbor as self, and humbling the heart before God. When this is done truth prospers in the hands of believers and goes forth as a lamp that burneth, and God sees it safe to work with them and for them.

The same words are repeated over and over to those who talk of principles actuating service and teaching but show by word and deed no transformed heart, no strict integrity and proper dealing, and no light and life and grace drawn from Christ, walking and talking like unconverted worldlings. Those who desire to have these words of knowledge of works, labor and patience spoken to them strive to lead souls to lay hold of the hope set before them in the gospel. Christ strengthens faith to bear trials in resisting the enemy, for looking to Jesus as Redeemer develops patience and patience produces a true well-grounded hope. God searches reins and hearts and gives to everyone according to works, and he who overcomes and keeps His works to the end will be given power over the nations and the morning star. The overcomer is also promised to eat of the tree of life in the midst of Paradise, and the message to watchmen on Zion's walls that He knows their works is of great value joined to the call for an ear to hear the Spirit, requiring faith matching profession by sanctified activity, ministers going outside the camp to warn unbelievers rather than hovering over churches, and young men proving themselves called and chosen and faithful. Spoken under the deep moving of God's Spirit, the message deeply impresses hearers and calls them to give themselves wholly to the Lord, come forward in decision, be converted, and sing a new song of praise.