Revelation 2:1: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write.”

The message to the angel of the church at Ephesus was probably meant to be not only to the Ephesians, but also to the several churches on the trade route into Asia Minor. Especially significant for this writing would be the fact that the seven churches addressed in Revelation 2 and 3 were located in cities which constituted one of these trade routes.

Two Maps

In the message to the churches of “Asia,” two maps may be in view: the terrestrial and the celestial. The heavenly, celestial, map is of the polar region, with Christ represented by the pole star and the seven stars by the constellation we know as “Ursa Major,” but which was known in Hebrew as ‘ash. The earthly map is of Asia Minor, wherein the seven contemporary churches lay in a configuration roughly comparable to that of the constellation.

The terrestrial, earthly, map bears a remarkable resemblance to the head of a horse outstretched in a running position[1]. The city of Ephesus lay at the point resembling the horse’s mouth and indeed was the entry point for trade routes to the interior of the continent. The word transliterated to Hebrew might be ‘aph sus the ‘nose of the horse’. The apocalyptic writers typically employed words cryptically; that is, they played with the sounds and made puns on words. The word ‘Ephesus’ could have been used as a pun for the Hebrew words peh sus “horse’s mouth.” The word ‘Ephesus’ then would cryptically suggest that the “horse’s mouth” was the entry point to the other six churches.

Since Ephesus was at “the Horse’s Mouth” it served as an entrance point for those things which were to circulate throughout that portion of Asia.[2]

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.”

“Them which say they are apostles and are not.” This is in anticipation of the warning in 2:9 (to Smyrna) and 3:9 (to Philadelphia) against “those who say they are Jews but are not.” These false apostles are judged like the false Jews, – they are liars.

Eusebius quotes the writings of Hegesippus concerning “the seven sects” which divided the Church in his day:

“Every man introducing his own opinion in his own particular way. From these in turn came false Christs, false prophets, false apostles, who split the unity of the Church by poisonous suggestions against God and against His Christ.” (4.22.4).

[1] See map of Asia Minor in Kee, Young, Froelich, Understanding the New Testament, 444.

[2] See Lindsell, Harper’s Study Bible, 1746.