REV.1 revealed to us the one orchestrating John's experience here: Yahuah the Almighty Creator, Al' Shaddai (of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob's 12 Tribes) ... Who came as the prophesied human being, Yahusha Messiah ... died, resurrected and ascended on high as mankind's only source of deliverance: the Alef, Tau, Beginning, End and Eternal Word made flesh.
Now Rev. 2 and 3 deals with what Yahusha had to say personally to these 7 specific Assemblies in Asia. These 7 letters are not threats or judgments aimed at the world but at ACTUAL IMMERSED BELIEVERS . . . . . . . and are universally vital for the 21st Century Bride today ...
REVELATION 2
( PHRASES `ALLUDING' TO OLDER PROPHECIES etc ARE WRITTEN IN ORANGE )
>> END OF CH.1 FLOWING INTO CH.2 >>
Now write what you've seen, both now and what'll happen real soon. The 7 stars are Messengers (HUMAN LEADERS) of the 7 Assemblies and the 7 Lampstands are the 7 Assemblies themselves.
Now write this to the Messenger of the Assembly in EPHESUS:
I'm the one who holds the seven stars in My right hand, and walks among the seven golden lampstands, so listen to what I have to say.
YAHUSHA IS IN HIS ASSEMBLY !
EPHESUS IS AN ASSEMBLY THAT HAD BEEN PERSONALLY MENTORED BY PAUL AND IS THE SUBJECT OF HIS LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS. THE WELL-KNOWN TEACHERS OF THE GOSPEL PRISCILLA, AQUILA, AND APOLLOS LIVED THERE AND WORKED HARD TO SHEPHERD THE BELIEVERS AND WE ALSO READ IN ACTS ABOUT PAUL’S CLOSE CALL IN EPHESUS AND ABOUT HOW THE GODDESS ARTEMIS (ALSO KNOWN AS DIANA) WAS THE PATRON DEITY OF THE CITY. EPHESUS HAD A LARGE JEWISH POPULATION AND AT THE SAME TIME WAS REGARDED AS THE MAIN CENTRE OF HELLENISTIC GREEK CULTURE AND PAGAN IDOLATRY IN ASIA. SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT THIS ASSEMBLY WAS ON PAUL'S RADAR AND A FOCUS HERE IN REVELATION.
I know everything you’ve done, including your hard work and how you’ve endured. I know you won’t put up with anyone who’s evil, and when people pretend to be My followers, you’ve tested their behaviour and found them to be liars, and not My followers at all!
THESE CARPET-BAGGING, FALSE-LEADERS (WHO CAME AS WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING) WERE NOT WORLDLY PAGANS (FOR NO TESTING WOULD HAVE BEEN NEEDED TO RECOGNISE THEM) - RATHER THESE FAKE BELIEVERS CAME AMONG THE EPHESIANS AS INTELLECTUAL TEACHERS OF TRUTH WITH SELF-CONFESSED CREDENTIALS AND QUALIFICATIONS, AND SO TESTING WAS OBVIOUSLY NEEDED TO DETERMINE THEIR AUTHENTICITY BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE AND FANCY WORDS COULDN’T BE COUNTED ON TO AVOID DECEPTION, BUT BEHAVIOUR COULD!
Yes you’ve indeed endured and gone through hard times because of Me, and you haven’t given up ... But I do have something against you! You’ve lost the love you first had.
THE EPHESIANS WERE ENDURING THE CONSTANT ONSLAUGHT OF FAKE-FOLLOWERS AND RESISTED THE NEVER-ENDING PRESSURES OF THE LOCAL PAGAN SOCIETY, BUT THEY'D FORGOT THAT LOVE (FOR YAHUSHA AND THEIR NEIGHBOUR) MUST BE AT THE VERY CORE OF THEIR BEHAVIOUR. REMEMBER ALL OF YAHUAH'S INSTRUCTIONS ARE BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT YAHUSHA HIMSELF TAUGHT: "LOVE YAHUAH YOUR ALAHIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART, BEING, AND MIGHT, AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF".
LOVE - RELATIONSHIPS - BUILDING PLATFORMS - ONLY KIND WORDS FROM THE TONGUE !!
So think about where you’ve fallen from and turn back, repent and behave the way you first did. For if you don’t repent, I'll come quick-smart and take away your lampstand completely.
THE CONSEQUENCE OF DISOBEDIENCE TO THIS WARNING IS YAHUSHA REMOVING THE LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE, SYMBOLISING YAHUAH’S LIGHT AS YAHUSHA IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
ISN'T THE LIGHT OF YAHUSHA WITHIN US IN THE FORM OF THE SET-APART SPIRIT THROUGH THE PORTAL ON OUR CIRCUMCISED HEARTS? SO IF THE LIGHT OF YAHUSHA IS EXTINGUISHED, THEN THE SET-APART SPIRIT IS NO LONGER PRESENT ...
... AND JUST LIKE THE TEMPLE OF OLD (AFTER YISHARAL'S DIVORCE) WHEN THE LIGHT (THE PORTAL) IS REMOVED, THE ASSEMBLY (OR INDIVIDUAL) WILL CEASE TO EXIST AS PART OF MESSIAH’S BODY. THEY MAY KEEP UP APPEARANCES AS A SOCIAL GROUP BUT YAHUSHA HAS BLOCKED THEM AND CLOSED THE PORTAL. THEY MAY EVEN KEEP TEACHING AND DECLARING THEY KNOW THE WAY!
YAHUSHA IS LOVE ETERNAL, SO IF WE’RE NOT PROVING OUR BELIEF THROUGH LOVING BEHAVIOUR, IT’S SUCH A SERIOUS CRIME TO HIM THAT HE'LL REMOVE US FROM HIS LIGHT COMPLETELY ... NO LIGHT = NO DELIVERANCE.
THE PUNISHMENT FOR ATTEMPTING TO FOLLOW YAHUAH’S LAWS AND COMMANDS WITHOUT THE BEHAVIOUR OF HEARING AND DOING YAHUSHA'S SPIRIT OF LOVE IS EXTREMELY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS ISN'T IT!
But there is one thing you are doing right. You hate what the Nicolaitanes are doing, and so do I.
THE NICOLAITANES WERE CARPET-BAGGERS (OF ALL WALKS AND BELIEFS) WHO WANTED A HIERARCHY OF POSITION TO CONTROL THE SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NOBILITY AND COMMON FOLK.
SO THAT EVERYONE IS COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THEM FOR ALL SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE, HELP, GUIDANCE, AND ACCESS TO YAHUSHA ... WHO SAYS HE HATES THESE WHITE-WASHED TOMBS FILLED WITH DEAD MEN'S BONES, BECAUSE THESE BROOD OF VIPERS STAND IN THE DOORWAY TO THE NARROW-GATED PORTAL ...
REMEMBER WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT WORLDLY RELIGION FOR THESE BEHAVIOURS - IT'S GROWING RIGHT HERE AMONG US IN THE BRIDE - SOON TO BE PLUCKED OUT AND THROWN INTO THE FIRE - FOR A LACK OF LOVE !
So if you have ears, then listen to what the Spirit says to the Assemblies (AND DO IT!)
I will let everyone who overcomes eat from the Tree of Life in the midst of Yahuah’s Paradise.
REMEMBER YAHUSHA SAID THAT HE'S THE BREAD AND WATER OF LIFE AND ANYONE WHO EATS AND DRINKS OF HIM WILL NEVER HUNGER OR THIRST AGAIN'...
SO THE REWARD FOR THE BELIEVER AT EPHESUS WHO REPENTS AND OVERCOMES THEIR EVIL WORLDLY BEHAVIOUR WILL BE ETERNITY AND THOSE WHO DON’T OVERCOME THEIR SIN, LOSE THEIR LAMPSTAND AND CAN'T EAT FROM THE TREE OF LIFE (YAHUSHA HIMSELF).
THE ALLUSION TO GENESIS 3 IS AMAZING BECAUSE JUST AS YAHUAH THREATENS EPHESUS WITH THE REMOVAL OF THEIR LAMPSTAND (CLOSING THE PORTAL AND REMOVING THEM FROM HIM), ADAM AND KUAH WERE REMOVED FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN WHERE THE TREE OF LIFE WAS, AND THE DIMENSIONAL PORTAL WAS CLOSED.
SEE THE REALITY OF THE GARDEN MARRIAGE HOME SHADOWED FORWARD IN THE TABERNACLE/ TEMPLE FURNITURE ... FINDING IT'S ULTIMATE FULFILMENT IN YAHUSHA AND HIS BRIDE?
GENESIS 3 ALLUSION :
