... continued from Revelation Chp 1: 12- 20

Grace unto you, and peace,
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Revelation 2:1 "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;"

Church of Ephesus: Perhaps a small detail; but such is written unto seven angels as follows:
- church of Ephesus
- church in Smyrna
- church in Pergamos
- church in Sardis
- church in Philedelphia
- church of the Laodecians
Cleverly written by Paul! Very subtle and allegoric. First and last are "of", whilst the five in the midst are "in"...Perhaps allegorically denoting what's in the midst are as five Mosaic books of law,  but what Paul The Apostle (his angel) as author of Revelation notably always does in his Pauline Epistles format is bring forth firstly pure grace unto you from God our Father and he also plays the last trump of pure grace as being "with" you all (you and all the kingdom of God within you), which is against none of you as law was. For what was (but is not) "against us" is the Law, both OT Law of Moses on high (left) and NT Law of Jesus on high (right); Not the Grace of our Lord Jesus->Christ, which neither accuses (John 5:45) nor condemns (John 3:17; John 8:3-11) anyone, not ever...

The allegoric POINT being His "Grace" is neither of two "law"s in Mt 22:36-40 and Rom 8:2. Grace neither tempts (laws) nor can be tempted (lawed). Grace cannot lie (law) nor die (law).

Remembering it's one book of death (one letter which killeth) to all seven angels of the seven churches of Asia, we might ask why is the Church "of" Ephesus first mentioned? The geographic answer in Revelation 1:11 (see map) is not only was Ephesus closest of seven churches to the isle of Patmos, but also the gateway to the province of Asia by land (central highway) and 'the' sea port (port of 'first landing' by imperial law when entering into Asia).

But it goes beyond this to other reasons. In Paul's canonized writings the church of Ephesus (Ephesians) is notably in the midst of seven, as if the central lamp in the midst of a Menorah seven: Ner Elohim (lamp of God), a seventh in the midst, as two things considered as one light:


as if an eternal light to light the six others (three to the left and three to the right). Yet even Pauline clarified further, is Ephesians is notably written unto two sorts of people at the church of Ephesus: (i) the saints at Ephesus and (ii) the faithful in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 1:1. Timothy was also Pauline directed to abide at Ephesus, not only as the first bishop of the church of Ephesus (see end of 2Timothy), but also bishop over the region, to guard against subversion. John was also head quartered at Ephesus (where John's buried) as popish Peter's bishop over the region. So it was kinda like a chess game with two opposing bishops. And by taking down Timothy first, John could essentially take down all seven of the churches of Asia. Perhaps he did, for Timothy got so depressed he had to be "set at liberty" (Hebrews 13), and there are no churches in the area (now Turkey) even today, even with global evangelism. Go figure.

We know John also wrote separately to Gaius (3John), who's also in the midst of seven mentioned who accompanied Paul into Asia. Using flattery and claiming the children are his, John's complaint was what he wrote to the church was not received, nor was he received. But John does note that Demetrius, who spoke against Paul in Acts, had a good report.

These things saith he(?). We've already discussed the figure like unto the Son of man (should  repent: Numbers 23:19) speaking to John with a great (law) voice as of a trumpet is allegorically the law speaking. And having the seven stars (seven angels) in his right hand speaks of such being sheep of goats/sheep in Mt 25's Son of Man left/right division. And such law, such legalist divisional judgmentalism claims to walk in the midst of seven churches which are allegorized as seven golden candlesticks, as in the tabernacle in the wilderness: law.

Revelation 2:2 "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:"

Here begins flattery which corrupts, along with twisted subtle wisdom. Them which are evil is a subtle reference to Paul and others who established the churches of Asia, whom Demetrius spoke against for saying statues such craftsmen made were no gods, thereby threatening their livelihood. And according to Paul it was James, Cephas(Peter), and John who "seemed to be pillars" and were not; exposing such as subverters of the churches. So we have Johnny's law playing the childish accusational blame game, Paul's grace the awareness game; Paul having put away such childish things: 1Cor 13:11. We have ample evidence Paul's grace should be believed, Johnny's law flushed as dung. For we'll see what a mtn of pew law actually "was".

Revelation 2:3 "And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted."

Just more flattery, with "name's sake" thrown in to make it more believable. Name's sake begins in 1Samuel 12:22 and is found throughout both testaments, but is associated with sin imputation and cover up forgiveness, which when uncovered is blessed + cursed = accursed. That God who was in Christ (the end of the law) reconciling the world unto himself, did not impute any sin, no, not even unto them who did sin: law (Rom 14:23 -> Gal 3:11): 2Cor 5:19.

Revelation 2:4 "Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."

Here comes the "against" thee part, denoting it's surely law, for Col 2:14 speaks of such ordinances being "against" us. As for their first love, it was law; And the second (law) love is said to be "like unto" the first law (love) in Mt 22 (Rom 8), in such things are an allegory, and a mystery to solve "in time" with "help" from His grace, lest all perish by law <- law instead of none perish by grace void of  such law law. For even though law was never given to Gentiles, they feared it, thereby giving it place to the point of it being globally feared. His grace is not accusational: John 5:45, nor condemning: John 3:17, nor sin imputing: 2Corinthians 5:19.

Revelation 2:5 "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."

How subtle, to suggest converting to grace is "fallen". It would be if law were your God and law thought to be what reigns in heaven. But we know better, since the throne therein is called a "throne of grace" where only mercy is obtainable. And "do the first works" speaks of  things like sin imputation, wrath, vengeance, killing, pre-emptive wars, slavery, judgmentalism, etc. And the "or else" is certainly not grace us nor merciful nor peaceful; but legalistic threatening.

Revelation 2:6 "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

The deeds of the Nicolaitans (Nicolaitanes): Nicolaitans? Nicolaitans is also spelled Nicolaitanes in older Bibles? Deeds of the Nicolaitans (Nicolaitanes)? Strong's concordance defines Nicolaitanes as 'destruction of people'; so we could safely interpret the allegoric meaning as law being the doctrine of Nicolaitanes, law abiding "the deeds of the Nicolaitans".

Nicolaitans is a Greek word derived from Nicolas (victory of the people). We find Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch, among seven deacons, the seventh, chosen in Acts 6 to serve tables. Such a proselyte is defined as one who has come over from Gentile religion to Judaism; so it's LAWED-Grace. Indeed law hates the mixture of law and grace as much as grace also finds the mixture of grace and law to be "all vanity and vexation of spirit", frustrating (Gal 2;21); For it makes a polluted perversion rather than either law or grace. So, again it's subtle subversion.

Revelation 2:7 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

"He than hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches": is the first of seven such word for word exhortations in Revelation, an exhortation which I believe to be from Paul, not John. For what the Spirit saith unto the churches is found in Galatians. For although the word churches is used oft in the NT, the phrase "unto the churches" is only used in Galatians. And we can safely discern the Spirit (God [is] a Spirit; one Spirit) would not be tempting the churches of Asia to strive for something they've already been "freely given". For in James it states God can neither be tempted nor tempts anyone. So what "the Spirit" saith is not here.

"He that hath an ear let him hear". The sevenfold exhortation mentions only one ear, which allegorically speaks of grace of law/grace and truth of lie/truth which came by Jesus Christ.

"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life": Notably we find a questionable "will I" in the presumed promise to overcomers. Such is mirrorly the reverse of "I will", denoting we are dealing with the reverse of God (Dog), the opposite of grace, which is law. Law promises in the Bible are oft worded as questionable: "shall I", "will I", "have I", etc. Another example is: "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43). Grace promises are worded I shall, I will, I have, thou shalt; And such things are an allegory.

The midst of the paradise of God? The "tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God"? Paradise is mentioned twice elsewhere in the Bible besides this Revelation Chp 2 verse. First mention is noted in the paragraph above. Yet such is spoken by Jesus, of Jesus Christ, who firstly ascended to plural Fathers and plural Gods: to my Father and your Father, my God and your God; which allegorically speaks of law and grace, albeit to the right side of such God on high in the midst of plural heavens (is not higher God in "heaven": "higher than the heavens").

Paradise? In 2Corinthians 12 "paradise" is directionally up, and also called the third heaven, a place where someone Paul knew (in Christ above) got caught up unto, and there heard unspeakable things which were not lawful for a man (of child/man) to utter.. perhaps things like "I will have mercy and not sacrifice", which allegorically meaneth I will have grace and not law. Paul alludes to such a one (as John) caught up to third heaven (right of plural heavens on high) as being a "messenger of Satan"(allegory: messenger[servant] of Peter); For since Peter is the only man called Satan in the Bible: Matthew 16:23, the messenger of Satan would be John, popish Peter's bishop over the churches of Asia from Ephesus. For we do have some evidence John was like unto a "thorn" to Paul, by constantly subverting the churches Paul and others established in grace, by suckering them into another law of their top dogs law law... which in Revelation becomes two beast law <- law where the second gives power to the first: Revelation 13, and "the second is like unto the first": Matthew 22:36-40, and the first is notably  "sin and death" = law and death = a dead end: Romans 8:2.