Revelation Chapter 2

The First Church

 VERSE 7 continued, “He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

He that has an ear let him hear…

Jesus frequently used this familiar saying during his earthly ministry to call attention to remarks he wished his disciples to especially heed, grasp, and remember (Matt 11:15; 13:9; Mark 4:9,23; Luke 14:35). Such information was meant neither for the world nor for mere believers (nominal Christians), but was intended only for those (fully consecrated) who earnestly sought to know and do the Master’s will, thus leaving all to follow him, forsaking the world and its allurements.

Unto such “it is given . . . to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [the superficial hearers] it is not given” (Matt. 13:11). The multitudes, who heard Jesus but were not sufficiently impressed to desire further knowledge of his doctrine and how it pertained to them, followed him for the loaves and fishes; that is, for the temporal benefits and advantages they might acquire either through association with him or as recipients of his healing powers (John 6:26).

The majority of the professing church today falls into this class. Most are content with a mere superficial knowledge of the truth, the mere “husks” they are fed by the blind guides; assured of their own salvation and of a heavenly inheritance if they but repent and profess Christ, the blind guides having left out the particulars as in how the latter is to be actually accomplished this because they know not the way themselves (Luke 11:52).

To this class Jesus has not disclose the exceeding great and precious promises reserved for those who love the Lord in the day of his humiliation, in this age of ungodliness prior to the day of his glory soon to be ushered in.

Here the Savior is urging his followers to heed the advice given to them: “He that hath an ear [to understand spiritual things], let him hear [hearken further and obey].”

“Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear . . . So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him” (Psa 45:10, 11).

What the Spirit says to the churches.

This text harmonizes with Rev 1:4, where the message to each church is designated a Spirit, thus making a total of seven Spirits to correspond with the number of churches. Although at first it may seem obvious that Jesus is “the Spirit” in verse 7, the meaning is otherwise. This text is a message emanating from the Father Himself; it is “of God” from “before the [His] throne” (Rev 3:1; 4:5). The message is a dispensational outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit peculiarly suited to the requirements of the Church during the Ephesus period. The application of the term “Spirit” to signify a doctrine or teaching is used elsewhere in the Scriptures. “The Spirit [personified as the voice of prophecy] speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith” (1 Tim. 4:1). “Beloved, believe not every spirit [doctrine], but try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1; see also 2 Thess. 2:2).

That the term “the Spirit,” signifying message, concludes Jesus’ utterances to each of the seven churches again confirms the thought that these Spirits are “the seven Spirits of God” (Rev 2:7,11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). This instruction delivered from the Redeemer’s lips is really the Father’s message to the Church (Rev 1:1). Although Jesus is the speaker in Verse 7, he is not referring to himself as “the Spirit,” but is calling attention to the words uttered under the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God, his Father.

The words addressed to the first Church (Verses 1 to 7) comprised the message of the hour for the saints of that day and were specially adapted to their needs. However, in both application and instruction, the message is not limited solely to that era. It has had a salutary effect upon God’s people throughout the entire Gospel Age, benefiting the whole Church in all seven stages of its development: “what the Spirit saith unto the [seven] churches (plural).”

We continue with Verse 7 in our next post.