Symptoms of a Problem

he introduction to Revelation has come to an end, and the Apostle John faithfully writes some words from our Lord to seven churches in Asia Minor. He sends a message to each church. Sometimes he gives words of encouragement, and at other times words of rebuke. Two of the seven churches receive only positive encouragement. but five of them are rebuked. These were real churches with real problems. These churches had problems just as we do today. The Lord’s warnings and encouragement to these seven churches are applicable to every church today. One of these churches probably compares to your church and to you. The first church our Lord writes to is Ephesus.

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this . . . (NASB) Rev. 1:1

Revelation 1:20 reveals that the seven stars are the pastors of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. So Jesus is simply saying, “I am in control of each pastor and each church." We will see in our coming studies of these churches that Jesus gives us freedom to do what is right or to commit sin. But He can destroy a church or bring blessings to it if He wants to. It depends on the people in the church and their leaders.

City of Ephesus. Ephesus was a harbor city near the Cayster River. It was the largest city in Asia Minor with a population estimated at 250,000. It was a great commercial center and had an amphitheater that could seat 24,000 people.

The city had many temples to various gods and goddesses. One such goddess was Artemis. Artemis was her Greek name, and Diana was her Roman name. Her temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The temple was magnificent, with 127 columns which stood 197 feet high (60m). The temple measured 425 feet by 220 feet (130m x 67m), but today the temple is in ruins with only a single column remaining.

The Greeks believed that Artemis ruled the moon, was the goddess of the hunt, protected animals, and protected women during childbirth. She guarded three cities: Ephesus, Syracuse, and Massalia.

Her temple was a place of prostitution even though she was supposedly a virgin. The Ephesians highly respected her, even believing that her idol or image fell down out of heaven. We discover this in the book of Acts where we are told that a silversmith by the name of Demetrius was worried that his idol business would decrease when the Apostle Paul came telling others about Jesus. Listen to this,

For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; these he gathered together . . . and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. And not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship should even be dethroned from her magnificence.” And when they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”. . . And after quieting the multitude, the town clerk said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, and of the image which fell down from heaven? (NASB) Acts 19:24-28, 35