Jesus.
If there is no purity, but love and doctrine, then your life denies the words that come from your mouth (see 1 Timothy 4:12–16). The Apostle Paul said to Timothy that these kinds of people have a “form of godliness but deny its power.” We can talk about the power of Jesus all we want, but if it is not displayed in changing our lives, then our message is like smoke. It burns for a while, but then fades away.
Conclusion
Jesus closes this admonition to the church in Ephesus with a promise to those who overcome or obey the words of Jesus, as he does in each case of each letter to the churches. To the church in Ephesus, he promises that they would be given the opportunity to eat from the tree of life in God’s paradise. The word for “paradise” in Greek is transliterated as “paradise” in English. This was originally a Persian word, describing an enclosed garden or park that took on religious connotations. It is God’s paradise here, pointing to the new heavens and the new earth of 21:1–22:5 and establishing a contrast with the temple of Artemis that promised an earthly paradise, but didn’t last.93 A paradise prepared by God, owned by God (possessive genitive), and a paradise where God dwells.
In this paradise is the tree of life. The tree of life recalls the tree in the Garden of Eden, which was placed in the middle. Adam and Eve were barred from the tree because of their sin. The faithful who overcome (in their perseverance against false prophets and in their remembrance of love) will be given the privilege to eat from this tree. Ladd aptly writes, “Love and loyalty to Christ will conquer fear of suffering and death.”94 No longer distant from the tree of life, the faithful will have continued access to it.
And for those who have the ears to hear, they will hear the admonitions of Jesus. This phrase was used by Jesus in the synoptic gospels (see Matthew 13:9–17, 43; see also Ezekiel 3:27; 12:2). It is Jesus who speaks, and it is the Spirit who speaks. There is no contradiction here. The Spirit is the Spirit of Christ who interprets the voice of Christ. Throughout Revelation, there is an intimate association between the Spirit of Christ and Christ, as in the rest of the New Testament.95
78. Aune, Revelation 1–5, 110. Beale calls the letters “prophetic messages” rather than epistles—Beale, The Book of Revelation, 225.
79. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 227.
80. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 84.
81. Aune, Revelation 1–5, 131.
82. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, 2002–2223.
83. See Arnold, Ephesians (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament Series, 483–493.
84. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 229.
85. Thomas and Macchia, Revelation, 87.
86. For examining false teachers,, see 1 Thessalonians 5:19–21 and 1 John 4:1–3. Paul warned the Ephesian church of wolves that would rise among them (Acts 20:29; cf. Matthew 7:15).
87. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 230. See a parallel in Matthew 24:12–14.
88. Thomas and Macchia, Revelation, 90.
89. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 88. See also Jeremiah 2:2.
90. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 88.
91. Aune, Revelation 1–5, 147.
92. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 233.
93. Osborne, Revelation, 124.
94. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, 41.
95. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, 40. Consider Isaiah 6:9–11, where those who have ears did not hear and as a result were rejected as part of God’s people.
Revelation 2:8–11
Jesus’ Message to the Church in Smyrna
Introduction
There are many examples of comeback wins in the world of sports. I am a fan of the Chicago Cubs. After 108 years of frustration, they finally won the World Series in 2016. In the last game of the series, with the teams tied after winning three games each, the Cubs lost the lead in the late innings, only to win later in extra innings. It was quite dramatic, and I may never forget where I was (in Thailand) when they won.
More significant than any set-back (like the Cubs’ ninth inning in game 7) in a sports contest is the loss that veterans of wars understand in light of the victories that they set out to achieve. The losses are real, and they hurt, but the victory, if it is a cause worth dying for, outweighs the losses.
And more significant still than even the losses of men in battle for a great cause, are the losses we as believers, soldiers of the Lord, face every day of our lives, the kind of losses that even take lives in some instances, as our brothers and sisters in Christ are dying every day for the sake of Jesus—some tortured, some losing home and family, some losing limbs, and some losing their own lives.
But these losses, and all others, pale in comparison to the ultimate victory. This is the message that Jesus wants to communicate to the church in Smyrna, and it is a message that we need to hear as well. We may not have seen intense persecution, and may not see it in our lifetime, but many believers around the world have endured these kinds of trials. We can take comfort in the truth that the victory is sweeter than the losses along the way. And even though our sufferings may not at times be related to persecution, the joys that we have waiting for us far outshine the hard times of our lives.
Exposition
Jesus knows the situations we face. We remember that he is the One who walks among the golden lampstands. He knows the activities of the evil one, and he is not thwarted by them. Knowing that our Savior knows the suffering we face not only helps us get through them but compels us, just like a son playing harder when his father is watching. We endure through the pain because we know that Jesus is watching.
Jesus knew what was happening to his church in Smyrna. Smyrna is one of two churches about which Jesus had only positive things to say. This was a church that was enduring intense persecution. It seems that often during
