1 UNTO the angel of the church [ The IV/JST changes “angels” to “servants”, so this would be then addresses to the servant or Bishop of the church, speaking of the mortal Bishop-like servants referenced in the IV/JST on 1:4-5 and 1:20] of Ephesus write; [ So John was commanded by the Lord to write the following to the church at Ephesus. Though not the capital of the Roman province of Asia, Ephesus was nevertheless one of the major cities of the Empire. It was fourth largest in population and the largest city in all of Asia Minor. Its strategic location made it not only an important harbor but also the junction for important highways and trade routes. ] These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, [ The Lord holds the destiny of these seven churches in the hallow of his hand. ] who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

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, [ Or good job you saints of Ephesus - you have had these among you who have proclaimed that they are greater than the apostles, that they know more and you have not listened to them. Good job. ] and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, [ While the saints in Ephesus had been diligent in defending the doctrines from false teachers they were guilt on not living them. ] 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.

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, [ Nicolaitans gets is orgin from the Greek words nikos (To conquer and subdue) and laos(people). Members if the church who were trying to maintain their church standing while continuing to live after the manner of the world. A term used to represent Gentile idolatries leaking into the church. ] which I also hate.

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh [ To overcome comes from the Hebrew word "yakol"; Notice that the word for Temple is Hekal, which is derived from yakal. The blessings of the temple are contingent on our ability to endure or “overcome”. What are the blessings of the temple? “All that the Father hath” (omnipotent and everlasting). ] will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. [ To eat from the Tree of Life means to have eternal life. Genesis 2:9; 3:22, 24. This is where we derive the aspect of everlasting. Whereas; Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat the fruit of the tree of life (see Genesis 2:17) the elect here will partake of the fruit of the tree of life. The tree of life was one of the central trees in the Garden of Eden, and Adam and Eve were forbidden from partaking of its fruit following the Fall. The tree of life would continue to play an important role in the temple as the menorah served as a representation of the tree of life with its seven branches (see Exodus 25:31–37). I suppose that Adam and Eve and their children came to the eastern gate of Eden to worship God, build their altars, and bring their sacrifices. It would only make sense as they would want to be as close to God as they could, they knew where he was, but also knew they could not enter. This arrangement could have lasted until the time of the global Flood, suggesting maybe that the Garden of Eden was removed from the earth at the time of the Flood. ]

[ Verses 8-11 address the church and it's members at Smyrna. ]

8 And unto the angel of the church [ The IV/JST changes “angels” to “servants”, so this would be then addresses to the servant or Bishop of the church, speaking of the mortal Bishop-like servants referenced in the IV/JST on 1:4-5 and 1:20. ] in Smyrna write; [ Called by many ancient writers, “The Jewel of Asia,” Smyrna disputed with Ephesus over the right to be called the first city of Asia. Situated on an excellent harbor that is still one of the major ports of Turkey (present-day Izmir), Smyrna was an important trade center. Destroyed by earthquake in 627 B.C., it was completely rebuilt by Lysimachus, one of the successors of Alexander the Great, about 290 B.C. Thus it was one of the few “planned” cities of the ancient world. As early as 195 B.C., Smyrna built a temple to the goddess of Rome and thereafter was one of the first and foremost cities to heartily embrace the Imperial Cult (emperor worship). In light of the special encouragement given to the angel (servant in the Inspired Version) of the church at Smyrna, it is interesting to note that Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, was martyred in the city when he refused to deny Christ. He was burned at the stake and smitten with a sword as the flames were encircling him. ] These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful [ yakol ] unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

[ Verses 12-17 address the church and it's members at Pergamum. From the temple context we learn that death entered the world because of the transgression of Adam and Eve (see Genesis 2:17;3:3). Here we are taught that the elect will have power over the second death. Only by remembering and staying true to their temple covenants can the Saints, then and now, survive turbulent times, avoid the pains of the second death, and hope to return to the presence of God. ]

12 And to the angel of the church [ The IV/JST changes “angels” to “servants”, so this would be then addresses to the servant or Bishop of the church, speaking of the mortal Bishop-like servants referenced in the IV/JST on 1:4-5 and 1:20. ] in Pergamos write; [ Also called Pergamum, this city was the provincial capital of Asia. Although eager to claim for itself the status of being the most important city in the province, it was clearly eclipsed by both Ephesus and Smyrna. Peramos became a major center for emperor worship and was most famous for its library which housed over 200,000 scrolls. It was also the major center for the worship of the serpent god Aesculapius, whose temple stood in the city. The city was a place of much wickedness. ] These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; [ The Lord identifies himself as one who speaks with power. ]

13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, [ The Lord commends them for their diligence in spite of the considerable adversity they face. ] even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, [ “To divine for hire; to give counsel contrary to the divine will; to pervert the right way of the Lord—all with a view to gaining wealth and the honors of men. In effect, to preach for money, or to gain personal power and influence. In the very nature of things such a course is a perversion of the right way of the Lord. See 2 Pet. 2:10–22.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:450.) This is a warning for them to stay away from practices which are contrary to the gospel. Balaam is the OT prophet who was perusaded by Balak to prophesy against Israel for worldly reward (cf. Num. 22-24), who therefore represents those in the Church who are seduced by things of the world. Both the Hebrew name “Balaam” and the Greek name “Nicolaitans” mean 2.4 “devourer of the people”. Thus, the Lord is applying the Greek equivalent name of Balaam to this group of Church members who are being seduced by the world, as was Balaam. The sin they are committing is the general accusation of eating things sacrificed to idols and of sexual immorality. These two acts are equated because various idolatrous rites of the Gentiles were lascivious orgiastic feasts. , the more general implicit prohibition is that of mixing Gentile idolatries with Christian faith. some commentators equate this reference to Nicolaitans to the Antinomian Gnostics of the same name, but the context does not suggest this is the case. The context indicates the individuals being addressed are engaging Gentile idolatries whereas the Gnostics were guilty of doctrinal heresies. Smith’s Bible Dictionary suggests this group of Gnostics adopted the name of “Nicolaitans” out of spite for John because of his antignostic position. Other commentators speculate that the name “Nicolaitans” is derivative of the name Nicolas, who was an early disciple (cf. Acts 6:5), and there are a group of his followers who have gone astray. There is nothing to suggest such a connection except for the similarity in names. ] who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, [ This activity is explicitly forbidden in Acts 15:20. While the specific activity is obviously prohibited and was an apparent problem (cf. 2 Pet. 20] and to commit fornication. [ Sexual immorality. ]

15 so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, [ The idea that all you have to do is say that you believe, you do not have to do anything just believe. So you can sin as you please - just say that you believe and everthing will be ok! ] which thing I hate.

16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh [ Worthy to enter the temple. ] will I give to eat of the hidden manna, [ Or the fullness of the Gospel, the Bread of Life - manna is equated with the word of God in Deut. 8:3, also cp. Matt. 4:4. This is the word of God hidden from the world, a gift granted to the faithful, cp. Isa. 55:1. He that is given to eat of the bread of life will never hunger or thirst again. Why? Because they will have become one with the Father, The son, and the Holy Ghost. In other words they will inherit all that the Father has to offer. This is a comparison to Adam and Eve eating bread by sweat (see Genesis 3:19). ] and will give him a white stone, [ The symbolism is probably drawn from the Acts 26:10 usage of the same Greek term "psephos", or pebble (the KJV on Acts 26:10 paraphrases the term to "voice", in the sense of one casting their voice as a vote). It is a stone which is used to indicate one casts their ballot, or lot, for a particular cause or position. Thus, the white stone indicates the individual has cast their lot with the Lord. Also see D&C 130:10-11 where it states the white stone will become a Urim and Thummim to the one who possesses it, meaning that the one who has his allotment with the Lord has all things of His kingdom revealed to them. This explains why it is called "white", that being a symbol of sanctification and purity. ] and in the stone a new name [ A new name is symbolic of becoming a different person. It implies that through making and keeping sacred covenants we can become new people, born again so to speak, with additional opportunities for growth and progress toward our own exaltation. There is no implication here that this is the new name given in the temple as it is NOT. ( Isaiah 62:2; Isaiah 65:15.) The new name implies entrance into a new life for the one receiving it is to enter into a higher stage of existence. ] written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. [ Temple Ordinances - the symbol of a new name is drawn from the original covenant making of Abram and Jacob, cf. Gen. 17:5, Gen. 32:28, also cp. Isa. 56:5. The new name symbolizes the new man, the man who has covenanted with God. The Lord is the only one who knows a person's heart (1 Sam. 16:7, and so He is the only One Who knows who has entered into 2.5 covenant with Him. Hence the apparent secrecy, even though secrecy was never the goal from the outset. The apparent secrecy shows the individual and private nature of the covenant. This is not a corporate covenant, it is a One on one where the Lord knows precisely who He is dealing with, as was the case with Abraham and Jacob. Nobody else knows the name because nobody else is involved. ]

[ Verses 19-29 address the church and it's members at Thyratia. ]

18 And unto the angel of the church [ The IV/JST changes “angels” to “servants”, so this would be then addresses to the servant or Bishop of the church, speaking of the mortal Bishop-like servants referenced in the IV/JST on 1:4-5 and 1:20. ] in Thyatira write; [ In spite of the fact that Thyatira was the smallest of the seven cities, the church there received the longest letter. The city was best known as a center for many craft guilds, including its dyeing of wool. (It will be remembered that Lydia, “a seller of purple” and a convert of Paul’s, was from Thyatira [Acts 16:17].) The city lay directly on the road from Smyrna and was a garrison city. The military spirit was stressed highly, and its chief deity, Tyrimnos, a sun-god, was typically portrayed in attitudes of military prowess. ] These things saith the son of God, [ He is not the son of Joseph. He is not the son of a man. This title the son Of God means that his Father is literally God our Father in Heaven. ] who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, [ How literally this is to be read is unclear. It seems unlikely there was a woman named “Jezebel” among the church, given the infamy attached to that name, cf. 1 Kings 18-21. Rather, the name is probably being used symbolically, as is the case with Balaam and the Nicolaitans in v. 14-15, to represent some kind of Gentile idolatry that had crept into the church. Whether the fornications were literal or spiritual we simply do not know, but the warnings against immorality are similar to those in v. 14 and read quite literally. So who is Jezebel? She was a false prophetess, she prophesied of doom that would come upon the servants of God. She was most famous for being a temptress that corrupted the entire Kingdom of Israel. She was the wife of King Ahab. She instituted the Canaannite pattern of worship as the state religion which they received from the watchers. They were taught to worship Baal which translates into "the Lord" as well as God's wife Asherah, the queen of Heaven. Baal was a perversion of Jehovah and anti-christ in one manner. Baal was the son of El or Elohim, who was sacrificed and raised from the dead on the third day. The primary difference between Baal and Jehovah was in the perverse manner in which Baal was worshiped. The Canaanite deities were perceived to be beings of great passion and were worshiped accordingly. Indeed, both Baal and Asherah were worshiped using the basest sexual acts imaginable - including ritualized prostitution and homosexuality. The children which resulted from these sensual encounters were then offered to Baal as child sacrifices. They were utterly detestable practices in the Lord's sight. The Lord sent prophets to call Jezebel to repentance - the story of Elijah and the priests of Baal is perhaps the most famous example of this. However, Jezebel would not repent, and her perversion ultimately led to the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel, and the loss of the ten tribes. It is important to note that those who were following Jezebel were not doing so out of weakness but they were doing so because of rebellion against God. ] which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, [ The IV/JST emends this to "I will cast her into hell". The implication, not entirely apparent in the KJV, is the woman will be cast down to her sick bed, with the same pestilence spoken of in v. 23, which will ultimately result in her death. ] and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins [ The word reins literally means kidneys. To the Hebrews, the word signified strength and vigor. The phrase is an idiom, meaning that the Lord knows all things about the inner man, his strengths and weaknesses, his character and emotions. And he shall then be able to “give unto every one of you according to your works.” ] and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

[ These two verses 26 & 27 paraphrase Ps. 2:9, a promise given to the Messiah. The use of this paraphrase suggests the Lord will share His power with His followers when they are exalted as He is. ]

26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: [ What kind of power is he talking about here? The power to become a King and a queen of your own, priesthood power, real power, eternal power. The kind of power that was given Enoch. JST Gen 14:30-31. Temple context: Adam and Eve subdue the earth and have dominion over the animal kingdom (see Genesis 1:28). ]

27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter [ Symbolism derived from Isa. 29:16, Isa. 45:9, Isa. 64:8. ] shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

[ IV/JST: And to him who overcometh, and keepeth my commandments unto the end, will I give power over many kingdoms; And he shall rule them with the word of God; and they shall be in his hands as the vessels of clay in the hands of a potter; and he shall govern them by faith, with equity and justice, even as I received of my Father.

The IV/JST changes the rather violent sounding KJV to a theme of equity and justice. Note the iron rod is equated with the word of God, cp. 1 Ne. 11:25. ]

28 And I will give him the morning star.

29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.