THE APOCALYPSE 2

Existing before the opening, and extending into the period of the First seal. Christians fallen from their first love and works - Rev. ii. 4,5. Ignatius A.D. 107.

When John was in Patmos, the Judaic Apostasy as leaven was leavening the whole lump. It was on this account that the seven letters were written to the seven ecclesias

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EPISTLES TO THE ECCLESIAS.

1. The Ephesian.

1. To the Angel [elders (presbytery)] of the Ephesian ecclesia write; These things saith he who holds the Seven Stars in his right hand walking in the midst of the seven lightstands which are golden.

According to Strabo, it was one of the best and most glorious of cities, and the greatest emporium of the proper Asia.

The gospel appears to have been introduced into Ephesus by Paul, who, on his arrival there, went into the synagogue of the Jews according to his usual practice, and reasoned with them. After he left, Apollos visited the city, proclaiming the doctrine of John the Baptist. But he was far behind the times. Paul's christ[adelph]ian friends, Aquila and Priscilla, hearing him in the synagogue, formed an acquaintance with him,

"and expounded unto him the Way of God more perfectly."

Having been thus set right by them, he went to work in the right direction, and mightily convinced the Jews in public, showing them by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Apollos having left, Paul returned, and found there certain disciples who knew only what John the Immerser had taught. They had been immersed upon the faith of the near coming of the Christ; but were not aware that Jesus was he. Paul having rectified their faith re-immersed them; and then, having laid his hands upon them, holy spirit came upon them, and the twelve men spake with tongues, and prophesied, and became a Star of light to Ephesus.

Eureka 2.1.

2. I have known thy works, and thy labour, and thine awaiting, and that thou art not able to endure wicked men; and hast tried them who assert that they are Apostles, but are not, and hast found them liars; 

False Apostles

Are not we the people of the Lord, and are not we endowed with the earnest of the Spirit, as well as he? Are we not inspired with 'the word of wisdom,' the word of knowledge,' the gift of tongues,' 'the operation of powers;' and does not the Lord speak also by us? Having these endowments, we claim apostleship as well as he; and by virtue therefore, of our gifts we affirm, and appeal to them as the proof, that we are the ambassadors of the Anointed Jesus, called and sent of God as Aaron was; and successors of the apostles to the end of the world!"

Such were the assumptions of this class of men after Paul's departure; grievous wolves, not sparing the flock, for with them godliness had become craft, and the feeding of the sheep a merchandize of gain.

Eureka 2.1.2.

3. And thou hast suffered, and hast patient endurance, and thou hast labored on account of my Name, and hast not tired out.

4. But I have against thee that thou hast forsaken thy first love.

They had forsaken their "first love"

Ephesus was in a fallen state. Grievous wolves had secured a foothold, and were ready for every evil work. The opponents of Paul's teaching were among the presbyters [elders], and from them nothing but perversion of the truth could be expected. The abandoning of their first love was the effect of their influence; still there was scope for recovery. They had not gone to the extent of denying the faith, or of holding principles subversive of it.

Though Phygellus and Hermogenes might be presbyters, there were many of the presbytery who had tried them, and found them to be liars, and would not endure them.

5. Remember then from whence thou hast fallen, and change thy mind, and do the first works; but if not, I come to thee speedily, and I will remove thy lightstand out of its place, except thou change thy mind.

Remember from whence they had fallen

-- to recollect the spiritual health they enjoyed when Paul went in and out among them for three years, declaring to them "all the counsel of the Deity." They were exhorted to retrace their steps. To put themselves in their original mode of thought and disposition when in their first love...

Eureka 2.1.2

Removing the lightstand out of its place

But the Star-Angels of the epoch did not recover from their fall. Instead of changing their mind they went on from bad to worse, until at length the time referred to by Paul arrived, when

"prophecies (the gift of speaking to edification, exhortation, and comfort, by inspiration) failed; tongues ceased, and (the word of) knowledge vanished away."

The gifts of the Spirit were withdrawn, because they had been abused; and "faith, hope, and love" only remained to a remnant of the saints; and "the greatest of these is love;"...

comprehensive of "faith and hope;" while a man may believe and hope, but not rejoice in and obey the truth.

"Love does not rejoice in iniquity," therefore, it is hostile to the clerical apostasy in all its forms. Love is the greatest of the three; yet a houseless wanderer in the "religious world," where none will take him in!

Eureka 2.1.2.

6 But thou hast this, that thou hatest the works of the Nikolaitanes, which I also hate.

Nikolaitanes

it is a word compounded of victory, and people; and as a mystical name, signifies Vanquishers of the People.

... the transgression into which they were beguiled by Hymeneus, Philetus, Alexander, Phygellus, Hermogenes, Demas, Diotrephes, and other men of their stamp

... Judaizers were not alone the perverters and vanquishers of the people. Another faction arose from among the Gentile element of the Star-Angels 1 Tim 6: 20.

"O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane, vain, babblings, and oppositions of Gnosis, or knowledge falsely so called; which some professing have erred concerning the faith."

These came to be called Gnostics because of their professing what they called Gnosis, or knowledge, a false science, whose principles were subversive of the truth. The same thing is styled in our day "theological science," "divinity," "ethics," "hermeneutics," and so forth; terms invented to amaze the ignorant, and to impress them with the necessity of schools and colleges for the indoctrination of pious youth in the mysteries they learnedly conceal.

...Gnostics were a sort of immersed philosophers -- Gentile professors of "the wisdom" then current in the world among the admirers of Plato, and other heathen speculators upon the unknown. They had acquired a smattering in the truth, and had been immersed, and so "brought in unawares."

...they conceived the idea of so commingling the speculations, or fables, of heathenism with the doctrine of the apostles, as to make the compound palatable to the respectability and learning of the age.

Eureka 2.1.3.

...real Christianity has nothing whatever to do with all this trash, which, in the days of the apostles and many ages before, constituted "the wisdom of the world;" a prime element of which is the dogma, that the real man is in the body; and that he shall die no death at all. This dogma is commonly expressed by the phrase "the immortality of the soul" -- the indispensable and vital principle of Nikolaitane theology.

Being bewitched by this pagan myth, the Gnostics were impelled to the assertion of many things utterly subversive of the gospel of Christ. The first thing they affirmed was that "the resurrection is past already." This was tantamount to saying that "there is no resurrection of dead ones" (1 Cor. 15:12; 2 Tim. 2:18). Upon what ground could they affirm that "it is past"? By falling back upon the resurrection of the saints, who came out of their graves after Jesus rose (Matt. 27:52).

This was a past resurrection, which was admitted by the deniers of a future one. But upon what principle could they deny a future resurrection? Either by affirming that when men died they perished, without exception, as the beasts; or that, having "immortal souls" in their bodies, which passed into heaven or hell instanter, the resurrection and a post-resurrectional judgment were unnecessary and superfluous.

...Their argument was, "There is an immortal soul in the body which is the real man; when he puts off the body he goes to his reward beyond the skies, which is his judgment. Men are judged only once, therefore, being judged, there is no necessity for resurrection to judgment; consequently, we deny that there is hereafter any resurrection of the dead."

The next thing these Nikolaitanes were impelled by their gnosis to affirm was, that the real Son of the Deity was "the Immortal Soul" that tabernacled in the body, which body was nothing else than the son of Joseph and Mary, consequently, that the Son of the Deity had no real humanity.

That it was the son of Joseph who died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, while the Son of God being immortal, did not, and could not, die upon the cross, but only appeared to die. Now this was tantamount to saying, that Jesus was not the Christ; because the Christ was to be both Son of Deity and Son of Man, in a special sense, at the same time; but they allowed that Jesus was no more than Son of Man, and therefore, could not be the Christ promised in the prophets.

Some of the Gnostics, however, admitted that Jesus was really the Son of God; but then they nullified this admission by affirming that "He did not come in flesh." They would not allow that he had the same kind of flesh and blood, nor "in flesh," as we. They considered it a holy and immaculate appearance, entirely free from all the emotions and affections of our nature.

Eureka 2.1.3. 

7. He that hath an ear let him hearken to what the Spirit saith to the ecclesias. To him that overcomes, to him I will give to eat of the Wood of the Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of the Deity.

Imperative!

To the saints in general.

These words seven times repeated to all the ecclesias whose spiritual condition at a certain stage of apostasy was represented by that particular one. They are addressed to every one that hath an ear for the truth; to every one of "the servants of the Deity," for whose instruction the Apocalypse was communicated.

Eureka 2.1.4.

To him that overcomes

The Nikolaitanes professed to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, in a sense of their own; but their "faith" did not incite them to a contest with the world, nor strengthen them in conflict for its subjugation. Many, however, did overcome the world. The apostles overcame it, and all who adhered to their teaching.

...They set their mind upon the things which are higher than the things on earth; and no efforts the world could bring to bear against them, could turn them aside from the hope of the calling. They knew in whom they believed; and that "their life was hid with the Anointed in the Deity; and that when the Anointed One, their life, should be manifested, then they also would appear with him in glory" (Col. 3:2-4).

Eureka 2.1.5.

2. To the Smyrnean

8. AND to the Angel of the ecclesia of the Smyrneans write; These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead and lived; 

9. I have known thy works, and the tribulation and the poverty; though thou art rich; and the blasphemy of those who say that they themselves are Jews, and are not, but a Synagogue of the Satan.

10. Fear not the things which thou shalt suffer. Behold the Diabolos will cast of you into prison that ye may be tempted; and ye will have a tribulation of ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give to thee the coronal wreath of the life

11. He that hath an ear let him hearken to what the Spirit saith to the ecclesias: he who overcomes shall not be injured by the Second Death.

3. To the Pergamian.

12. AND to the Angel of the ecclesia in Pergamos write; These things saith he having the sharp double-edged longsword; 

13. I have observed thy works and where thou dwellest, in which place is the throne of the Satan; but thou holdest fast my name, and deniedst not my faith even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful witness, who was put to death with you where the Satan sojourns.

14. But I have against thee a few things; that thou hast there men holding the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices and to fornicate. 

15. So hast thou also men holding the teaching of the Nikolaitans, which thing I hate. 

16. Change thy mind; but if not, I come to thee speedily, and I will fight against them with the longsword of my mouth.

17. He having an ear let him hearken to what the Spirit saith to the ecclesias. To him that overcometh, I will give to him to eat of the manna that hath been hidden; and I will give to him a white pebble,

and upon the pebble a New Name that hath been engraved, which no one knew except the receiver.

4. To the Thyatiran.

18. AND to the Angel of the ecclesia among Thyatirans write; These things saith the Son of the Deity, having his eyes like a flame of fire; and his feet like to incandescent brass;

19. I have known thy works, and thy love, and service, and faith, and endurance; and that thy works, even the last, are more than the first.

20. But I have a few things against thee, because thou permittest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to fornicate, and to eat idol-sacrifices. 

21. And I gave her time that she might heartily turn from her prostitution; but she turned not. 

22. Behold I cast her into a bed, and them committing adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they may have heartily turned from their works. 

23. And I will slay her children with death; and all the ecclesias shall know that I am he that searcheth reins and hearts; and I will give to you, to each one, according to your works.

24. But I say to you, and to the rest among the Thyatirans, as many as do not hold this teaching, and who acknowledged not the depths of the Satan as they speak; I will cast upon you no other burden.

25. Moreover that which ye have, hold fast to the time that I may have come. 

26. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my appointments to an end, I will give to him dominion over the nations; 

27. And he shall govern them with an iron sceptre: (as the potter's clay-vessels it is breaking to pieces) as also I have received from my Father. 

28. And I will give to him the Morning Star.

29. He that hath an ear let him hearken to what the Spirit saith to the ecclesias.