Revelation Chapter Two, Being Patient

Revelation 2:2c I know…your patience,

Jesus our Lord informs and reminds us that works and labor require patience. Strong’s Concordance defines patience as cheerful or hopeful endurance or constancy. Jesus, when addressing the apostles about the Tribulation or the Day of the Lord, said, “By your patience possess your souls,” Luke 21:19. The generation that would endure the events Jesus was describing in Luke chapter 21 (which corresponds to our current study in Revelation) have to do with the final days prior to His millennial reign, see Luke 21:28.

Revelation Chapter Two, Laboring

Revelation 2:2b I know…your labor,

The Greek term for “labor,” is, “kopos.” It means, “toil (as reducing the strength), pains, or a striking beating, toil resulting in weariness.” Jesus knew the labor of the Ephesians. Paul knew a little something about labor, too.

Revelation Chapter Two, Christ Knows Our Works

Revelation 2:2a “I know your works,

Our Lord begins His dissection of the livelihood of the Ephesian church with a commendation. He says that He knows their works. This, of course, is a comment favoring Ephesus, not a dead work done in lieu of having salvation.

Revelation Chapter Two, The Letter To Ephesus

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.