Revelation 2:1-7 – The Letter to the Church in Ephesus
Revelation 2:1-7 (NIV)
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
The message warns against doctrinal purity without passionate love for Christ.
Think back to when you first became a Christian or when you first felt a strong passion for God. What was one thing that excited you most about your faith at that time?
This is the first of seven letters from Jesus to churches in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), dictated to John during his exile on the island of Patmos around AD 95. Ephesus was a major city with a prominent church founded by Paul (Acts 19). By this time, it was led by elders and known for doctrinal purity, but had grown cold in affection for Christ. The “angel” refers to the church’s messenger or leader. The imagery (stars, lampstands) echoes Revelation 1, symbolizing Christ’s presence among His churches. This letter balances commendation, correction, and promise.
1. Commendations from Christ (Verses 2-3, 6):
Jesus praises the Ephesians for their hard work, perseverance in trials, intolerance of evil, testing false teachers, and hatred of the Nicolaitans’ practices (a group promoting compromise or hierarchical abuse in the church). What do these strengths look like in a man’s life today? Standing against compromise?
– Old Testament:
Proverbs 24:3-4 (building with wisdom and knowledge, like their doctrinal testing).
Zechariah 4:6 (perseverance not by might but by God’s Spirit, echoing their endurance).
– New Testament:
1 Thessalonians 5:21 (test everything; hold on to what is good).
Acts 20:28-31 (Paul’s warning to Ephesian elders about false teachers).
As men, where do we see these strengths in our group or church? Share a time when perseverance in faith helped you through a hardship.
2. The Core Criticism (Verse 4):
Jesus says they’ve forsaken their “first love.
What do you think this means? The love for God, for others, or for the gospel mission?
How can we have passion for God that waxes and wanes over time?
– Old Testament:
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (the Shema: love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength, Israel’s “first love”).
Jeremiah 2:2 (God remembering Israel’s devotion in the wilderness like a bride’s love).
– New Testament:
Matthew 22:37-39 (Jesus quoting Deuteronomy on the greatest commandment: love God and neighbor).
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (without love, even great works are nothing).
Reflect personally – have you ever felt your love for Christ grow routine or secondary to work, family duties, or even Christian ministry? What caused it?
3. The Call to Action (Verse 5)
Jesus urges them to “remember” their height, “repent,” and “do the things you did at first,” with a warning about removing their lampstand (losing their witness or presence as a church). See what this means in the text below
What practical “first things” might this refer to (e.g., fervent prayer, evangelism, community)? How does repentance look for a man who’s drifted?
– Old Testament:
2 Chronicles 7:14 (if My people humble themselves, pray, seek My face, and turn from wicked ways, I will hear and heal).
Hosea 6:1-3 (Come, let us return to the Lord).
– New Testament:
Luke 15:11-32 (the prodigal son: remembering, repenting, and returning home).
James 4:7-10 (submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to Him).
Share a story of repentance in your life. What steps can we take this week to “do the first things” again, like prioritizing time with God amid busy schedules?
4. The Promise and Warning (Verse 7):
The victorious get to eat from the tree of life in paradise.
What does “victory” mean here, overcoming through love and repentance?
How does the “ears to hear” phrase challenge us to listen actively to the Spirit?
– Old Testament:
Genesis 2:9 and 3:22-24 (the tree of life in Eden, guarded after the fall—symbolizing eternal life restored).
Proverbs 3:18 (wisdom as a tree of life to those who embrace her).
– New Testament:
John 16:33 (Jesus: in Me you have peace; in the world trouble, but I have overcome).
Revelation 22:14 (those who wash their robes have the right to the tree of life).
How does this promise motivate you in daily battles, such as temptation or discouragement?
“How does this letter to Ephesus mirror challenges in our modern church or personal lives, strong in doctrine but weak in devotion?”
How This Scripture Should Awaken Us
Revelation 2:1-7 is a wake-up call from Christ Himself, urging us not to settle for routine faith. It calls us to examine our hearts: Are we grinding through life, work, and even church duties without the fiery love that first drew us to Jesus?
Verse 5 (More of a Bible study if we need it)
There is disagreement about the ramifications of Christ’s removal of the lampstand. Here is my take and some research I have done. I would be very much interested in your interpretation.
Revelation 2:5 (NIV) states: “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”
This verse is part of Christ’s message to the church in Ephesus, one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation chapters 2-3. The user is asking to justify that this is not a reference to losing personal salvation, and then to explain the meaning of “removing the lampstand.”
Why Revelation 2:5 Is Not About Losing Salvation
The verse is often misinterpreted as a threat of individual believers losing their eternal salvation, but this view doesn’t align with the broader context of Revelation or Christian theological principles, particularly those emphasizing eternal security (the idea that true salvation cannot be lost). Consider these as a confirmation of this interpretation:
1. The messages in Revelation 2-3 are directed to entire churches as collective entities, not to individual souls. Revelation 1:20 explicitly identifies the “lampstands” (or candlesticks in some translations) as symbols of the seven churches: “The seven lampstands are the seven churches.” The warning in 2:5 is thus a judgment on the Ephesian church’s condition and its loss of “first love” (verse 4), rather than a personal removing of salvation for believers within it. Salvation is an individual matter sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) and cannot be undone by human failings.
2. The language of “removing the lampstand” doesn’t imply the removal of spiritual life or the Holy Spirit’s presence in believers’ lives. Instead, it’s about functional removal, not the “snuffing out” of salvation. If it were about losing salvation, I would expect clearer terms like those used elsewhere in Scripture for apostasy or judgment (e.g., Hebrews 6:4-6).
3. The Ephesian church is commended for orthodoxy and good works but rebuked for abandoning fervent love (agape). The call to “repent and do the first works” is an invitation to restoration, not a conditional clause for maintaining salvation.
If this is true, then what does “Removing the Lampstand” Mean?
If not about losing salvation, the phrase “remove your lampstand from its place” symbolizes Christ’s judgment on a church that fails to repent, resulting in the loss of its role as a witness or its very existence as a functioning assembly. Drawing from the sources: