R.S. Helms Commentary

The Loveless Church We come to the First Church in the list of Seven, (Rev. 2:1 – 7), However, if you recall some of the introduction in chapter one, it is the Lord Jesus’ revelation to His servant John and in verse three, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” So, what does “is near” mean?   Well God knew just how long it would take Christianity to run its faithful and committed course and He didn’t make me or anyone privy to how long it would actually be until the end of its age and sufferings, of its persecution.   We do know that Jesus will come in the clouds and those who sleep in the Lord will rise first, then those of us who are still struggling along, will meet them in the air, in a twinkling of an eye.   That will be the close of the church age, when Christ collects His church. Chapter two verse l: -- 7: “To the angel of the church of Ephesus wr

  The Lukewarm Church       This church , ‘The Lukewarm Church’ in my studied opinion, is the worst of the seven, as far as spiritually or the church doing what the church needs to be doing.   Lukewarm, like the city where it is located, the people and the community in general, we in a comfort zone of life, they had the location on the ‘Roman Road’, and was a big trade center; it was also a center for medicine, and produced an eye powder and ointment to heal the eye from various conditions.   It had bad water, which came from springs eight miles across the valley, through an aqueduct.   Some scholars say the springs were hot and held a high content of minerals being high in Sulfur, and became lukewarm while traveling through the aqueduct.   The sulfur and temperature made it horrible.   These same scholars claim that the city and water is where Jesus gained His comparison points.   Nevertheless, the method