THE COUNSEL - Revelation 2:7

Revelation 2:7

THE COUNSEL

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’ (Revelation 2:7).

Let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches – emphasizes the sober responsibility believers have to heed God’s voice in Scripture. Christ and the Holy Spirit are so much “one” that what one says the other says. (John 17:17)

Him who overcomes – We overcome by repenting, when we have backslidden from Christ, our first love.

Tree of life – the Heavenly Tree of Life will last throughout eternity, and thus symbolizes eternal life (Genesis 2:9; 3:22; Revelation 22:2, 14, 19).

Paradise of God – this refers to Heaven (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4).

Christ confronts the Ephesian church:

1. Confronting was done with love and the goal of restoration (Ephesians 2:4-5).

2. Encouragement preceded correction (Ephesians 2:2-3, 6).

3. Christ openly and concisely stated the problem (Ephesians 2:4-5)

4. He told them how to be restored (Ephesians 2:5): remember your past, repent of your error, and return to your best.

5. Christ clearly laid out the consequences if they did not obey (Ephesians 2:5).

6. He wrote with the expectation that they would respond positively (Ephesians 2:7).