I say “little Church” because it’s likely an accurate numerical description of that Assembly of Believers. Plus, Jesus called His Own a “little flock” in Luke 12:32!

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Our Bible Text …

“1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

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Verse 1 … “these things saith He” is linguistically parallel to the Old Testament Expression “Thus saith the Lord!”

415 times in the Old Testament … “Thus saith the Lord!”

Clearly meaning … Jesus is God!

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Verse 2 … the Lord “knows” (the Greek verb “eido” can mean “to see”) His Ephesian Church! Of course …

Proverbs 15:3 … The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

(A great memory Verse for children or grandchildren!)

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Verse 3 … which leads up to Jesus’ pretty stringent criticism of the Church at Ephesus … that about leaving their first love …

But please note that there are more positives than negatives, considerably so, heaped upon this Congregation!

(A fact not the case in reference to the Church at Laodicea, for example.)

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Verse 4 …

An earlier generation of Ephesians did practice love for the brethren, according to their first Pastor, the Apostle Paul!

Ephesians 1:15-16 … Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers …

(About 40 years earlier, best I can figure.)

But the younger generation has lost that love! Do notice they are still “in” the Church, however!

John employs the word “love” often in His Writings …

In all his Corpus (1 Gospel, 3 Epistles and 1 Revelation)!

Love = 62x! Loved = 29x!  (Total … 91x!)

Even in little 2^nd (verse 5) John and 3^rd (verses 5-6) John! The Crown Jewell being … John 13:35!

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Verse 5 … the solution to sin in one’s life …

Remember, Repent, then DO!

Jesus loves enough to discipline!

Five of the seven Churches are told to “repent,” even though they had differing “problems!” (Many sins, but only one way to forgiveness, repentance!)

Not the Churches at Smyrna or Philadelphia though! No repentance needed there!

A Change of mind … should lead to … A Change of Action!

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Verse 6 … “hatred?”

Hebrews 1:9 … quoting Psalm 45:7 … Thou (Lord Jesus) hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Hate the sin but love the sinner!

Verse 7 …

“Jesus saith” is parallel to “the Spirit saith!”

Emphasizing the Unity of the Godhead!

To the “Churches” …

Each “Message” (though fashioned for its specific Church) is applicable and helpful to them all, to all seven Congregations aggregately!

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This too …

Each Sermon (each little Epistle from Jesus to His seven Churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3) ends in victory, or at least the promise of victory … each ends on a positive note!

This informative little quote is accurate … “Victory” is as dominant in John as “faith” is in Paul!

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Watch the Class as well …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Our Bible Text …

“17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; 20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”

This Paragraph leads us into a seven Lesson series on the Churches of Asia Minor. Three of these “Churches” are specifically reminded of Jesus’ Second Coming!

Thyatira … Revelation 2:25 … But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

Sardis … Revelation 3:3 … Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Philadelphia … Revelation 3:11 … Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

I forgot to mention this fact in our most recent Lesson!

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Here is the full list of people who saw the Lord or were in His Presence … and their reactions:

Abraham

Genesis 17:3 … And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying

Manoah and his Wife (Samson’s Parents)

Judges 13:20 … For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.

Ezekiel (many times)

Ezekiel 3:23 … Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

Daniel (repeatedly)

Daniel 8:17 … So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

The Disciples (At the Transfiguration)

Matthew 17:6 … And when the disciples heard it (God’s Voice) , they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Gideon

Judges 6:22-23 … And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. 23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

Job

Job 42:5-6 … I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Isaiah

Isaiah 6:5 … Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Zacharias, father of John the Baptist

Luke 1:12 … And when Zacharias saw him (the Angel of the Lord), he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

Peter

Luke 5:8 … When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

Even this, the wicked during the Tribulation…

Revelation 6:16-17 … And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

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Jesus defeating the devil, particularly on the Cross …

Hebrews 2:14 … Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy (abolish 3x, cease 1x = root = kata + argeo = to render inactive, to make idle, to delay) him that had the power of death, that is, the devil …

Praise the Lord!

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The Book of Revelation is literally built on the number “seven!” It realistically contains …

Seven Churches!

Seven Seals!

Seven Trumpets!

Seven Personages!

Seven Vials (Bowls of Judgment)!

Seven Dooms!

Seven New Things!

More about these seven groups of seven as we study the whole Book of Revelation here in class!

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I enjoyed this thought …

Remember, candlesticks in that bygone day needed oil! No oil, no light! Such was their fuel! And so do our Churches today need the Oil of the Holy Spirit to radiate the Light of Jesus to the world!

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Watch the Lesson now …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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This is unique Scripture …

12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Talk about candlesticks, about being “light” …

Paul wrote to the Philippian Church … in Philippians 2:15 … “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world ….”

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In our Text Jesus is described much along the same lines as God the Father, the Ancient of Days, back in Daniel 7:9-10 …

Yes, here is God the Father … rarely described …

Daniel 7:9-10 … I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him …

No wonder Jesus said … in John 14:9 … “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.”

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Here are the two verses I mentioned about honoring the elderly, particularly the godly elderly …

Leviticus 19:32 … Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Proverbs 16:31 … The hoary head (gray hair) is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

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Jesus (the Master Expositor) will further explain the seven stars in our next Lesson, in Revelation 1:20 …

“The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”

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And as I generally say, watch the video Lesson now …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Keep in mind the fact that John may have been as old as 90 (years) while he was being imprisoned on the little island of Patmos! And history would indicate that he was a slave laborer there as well. How cruel, yet God can get Glory out of some unusual circumstances!

Here’s our Text, Revelation 1:9-11 …

9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

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“WRITE IN A BOOK” … Verse 11 … this is the first of twelve commands in the book of Revelation for John to write what he saw (again in 1:19; then 2:1, 8, 12, 18; Revelation 3:1, 7, 14; then 14:13; 19:9; and 21:5); and on one other occasion he was forbidden to write (10:4).

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The little island of Patmos … only 13 square miles! (7 miles by 3 miles) Elongated, vertical, hourglass shaped! 37 miles southwest of Miletus! But just 30 miles from nearest land! Mountainous, rocky and barren! (What John had been faithfully doing for sixty years, preaching Jesus, is now a criminal activity punishable by imprisonment or death!)

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I really did not omit much from the video class. It’s really best to watch it anyway …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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I am late posting the Column today because of technical difficulties here at the motel in North Carolina.

Our Text …

“7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

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Here at the end of verse 8 Jesus calls Himself “Almighty” … in Greek that’s spelled pan (pas) + kratos. It means “all power!” Back in John’s Day the Roman emperors spoke of themselves with the word auto + kratos (“an absolute ruler”). John may be attributing to Jesus this exalted Title that is rightfully our Lord’s in spite of the prevailing “politically correct” attitude!

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Dr. John Morris says there are several (more) great “I AM” Statements of Jesus in Revelation!

Here in verse 8 is the first!

Alpha and Omega … repeated after 1:8 here … 1:11 (nearly again in 1:17), 21:6, and 22:13!

Revelation 1:18 … I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen.

Revelation 2:23 … And all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

Revelation 22:16 … I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Wow!

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I was surprised (and amazed) to learn this.

The word “GRACE” is only found 2 times in the whole Book of Revelation, at least in King James Version!

Revelation 1:4 … John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you …

Revelation 22:21 … The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Bookends, inclusio!

The Book of Judgment both begins and ends with Grace!

Hallelujah!

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That’s about all I forgot to say!

But you can watch …

Dr. Mike Bagwell

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