The man
The Line and the Love
Jesus addressed two churches with very different problems.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.
Revelation 2:1-7 · Revelation 2:18-29
The scene
Jesus begins with the church in Ephesus.
He knows their works, their labour and their perseverance. They cannot tolerate evil people. They have tested people claiming to be apostles and found them false. They have endured for his name without growing weary.
Jesus commends them for these things.
"But I have this against you, that you left your first love."Revelation 2:4
He tells them to remember where they have fallen from, repent and do the works they did at first.
Then comes the warning:
"Or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless you repent."Revelation 2:5
Revelation has already told us what the lamp stands represent: the churches.
Later Jesus speaks to the church in Thyatira.
"I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first."Revelation 2:19
Their love is real. Jesus says so.
"But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed to idols."Revelation 2:20
Jesus gave her time to repent.
She refuses.
"Behold, I will throw her and those who commit adultery with her into a bed of great oppression, unless they repent of her works."Revelation 2:22
"I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds."Revelation 2:23
There is some debate over what "her children" means. It most likely refers to her disciples, people formed by her teaching.
Ephesus can recognise evil and false teaching, but has left its first love.
Thyatira has love, faith, service and growing works, but tolerates teaching Jesus condemns.
Jesus doesn't ask either church to exchange one failure for the other.
Ephesus is told to repent. In Thyatira, those sharing in what Jesus condemns are warned to repent, while the others are told to hold firmly to what they have.
The point
I know your works.Revelation 2:2, 19
Sit with this
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.Revelation 2:7, 29