To the angel of Messiah’s community in Ephesus write: “Thus says the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks in the midst of the seven golden menorot: I know all about your deeds and your toil and your patient endurance, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. You have tested those who call themselves emissaries and are not, and have found them to be liars. You have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

But this I have against you, that you have forsaken your first love. Remember then from where you have fallen. Repent and do the deeds you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your menorah from its place—unless you repent.

Yet you have this going for you, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Ruach is saying to Messiah’s communities. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:1-7

The heart of the city was fueled by worship of Artemis, the goddess of fertility. Known also as “The Queen of Heaven” and “The Perpetual Virgin,” Artemis was one of the most revered of the Greek deities. Her temple, originally built in 600 B.C. by Sardis's King Croesus, was considered to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. As protector of the city, Artemis was very powerful. Ephesus was chosen as “neokoros” for her temple, responsible for the purity of worship given to her. People would flock to the city and deposit money in her temple like a bank, believing Artemis would make them successful, powerful, and rich. Money was borrowed at high interest rates, causing the wealth of the city to swell. 

Situated outside the city, her temple sat in the middle of a swamp. A boundary of space surrounded every temple, creating a sacred enclosure called “paradise.” This word “paradise” was borrowed from the Persian language meaning “garden,” and found its way into the Septuagint—the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures—which was read by the early church. This sacred enclosure was a safe haven for criminals, an asylum sanctioned by the city. The size of the paradise could vary from ruler to ruler. In 41 B.C., Mark Antony expanded the borders of the sacred enclosure to encompass 1/4th of the city, giving free reign to petty criminals, increasing corruption. In the first century A.D., Ceasar Augustus returned the borders to their original boundary, only to have the perimeter swell again during the reign of Domitian.

Inside the paradise for Artemis a sacred tree grew, called “The Tree of Life.” Many cultures attributed life-giving properties to trees, but this tree that fed criminals stood in stark contrast to the Tree of Life mentioned in the paradise of Eden found in Genesis 2:8.

“To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). 



The context could not be clearer to the early believers in Ephesus. This message was a direct affront to the gods of their city. This promise given to them through John's revelation clearly established Yeshua's supremacy and superiority over the gods of the earth. The inferior reality of their natural world would be supplanted by the superior promise of the spiritual realm—Everlasting Life in the Presence of God.

The Seven Churches of Revelation

Community Reputation: The Persevering Church

Correction Needed: Return to your first love

Promise Given: Overcomers granted the right to eat from the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God

The theme of God's love permeated the Apostle Paul's writing to the Ephesians, as did the Apostle John's books (1, 2, 3 John and the Gospel of John), which were written from this city.

Spiritual Inheritance

Courage through times of tribulation and testing, yielding eternal benefits that cannot be bought