Revelation 2:1 To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, and who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
The church of Ephesus is the only church that had an epistle written to them that was canonically accepted into the Bible. Though dates can be (and will be) speculative as to precisely when each epistle was written, it is generally believed that the letter to the Ephesians was written around 60 AD.
I would like to address the concept of truth. There is a saying that has been bandied around for a long time and it goes like this: “All truth is God’s truth.” Perhaps upon first blush that saying sounds right, but is it? What is it actually implying? And how are some well-meaning Christians falling victim into thinking that there is any veracity behind it?
Revelation 1:20 “The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
Our Lord gives John an explanation as to what the nature of the stars and lampstands are, so as not to leave the apostle (or us) in the dark. Christ is expositing His own word so that we may clearly understand the symbolism being invoked. And to be transparent, yes, symbolism is used in Revelation.
Revelation 1:19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
This verse requires a little consideration, since it is something of a lynch pin for chapter one. In verse 1 we are told that there are, “things which must shortly take place.” This is further stressed in verse 3, where we read that, “the time is near.”
