Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible




"Write [this] to the angel [i.e., the messenger] of the church at Ephesus [Note: These "messengers," (verses 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14) are thought by some to be evangelists]: These things are the words of the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know about your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. [I know] that you cannot tolerate wicked men and that you have tested those who call themselves apostles, but really are not, and found them to be liars. And you have persevered and endured [suffering] for my name's sake [i.e., in my service] and [yet] have not grown weary. read more.
"But, this is what I have against you, that you have forsaken your first love [i.e., love for Christ and His church]. So, remember where you have fallen from and repent [i.e., change your hearts and lives] and do the things you did at first [i.e., when you were first converted], or else I will come and remove your lampstand from its place [i.e., I will not permit the congregation to survive], unless you repent. But you have this [in your favor]: You hate the [evil] deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate [Note: These people were probably followers of someone named Nicolas and were known to be false teachers. See verse 15]. "The person who has an ear should listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches. To the person who has victory [in the Christian life] I will give [the opportunity] to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God." [Note: "Paradise" is equivalent to heaven. See II Cor. 12:4].

I am the gate; if anyone enters [the corral] through me, he will be saved [i.e., from condemnation], and will find pasture [i.e., will receive spiritual nurturing]. Verse ConceptsSpiritual FoodAccess To God, Through ChristWay, TheChrist And His SheepPenitentAdmission Into God's PresenceEntering LifeFeeding AnimalsGoing Out And Coming InBeing SavedThe Narrow Gate

"The person who has an ear should listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches. To the person who has victory [in the Christian life] I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will [also] give him a white stone with a new name written on it, which no one understands, except the one who receives it." Verse ConceptsSpiritual FoodMannaNewnessUniquenessWhiteOvercomersDelicaciesUnknown ThingsHidden ThingsGod Renaming PeopleWriting On ObjectsOvercoming Through ChristTaught By The SpiritA New NameBenefits Of HeavenSpiritual crownsOvercomingChange And Growth



I am the living bread who came down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. Yes, and the bread that I will give [him] is my physical body, [so] that the world can have [never ending] life." Verse ConceptsSpiritual FoodFlesh, Description Ofeternal life, nature ofThe EucharistChrist Going DownEating Christ's BodyLife In ChristChrist And HeavenChrist's LifeJesus As FoodLife Is In ChristBreadCompetition




And they all ate the same spiritual food [i.e., the supernatural manna. See Ex. 16:4-5], and drank the same spiritual drink [i.e., water coming from a rock supernaturally. See Ex. 17:6]. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. [Note: Besides actual water, they were refreshed from the spiritual presence of Christ].




and down the middle of the city's street. And on each side of the river stood the tree of life; it produced twelve crops of fruit, yielding a crop every month. And the leaves of the tree [served as medicine] for healing the nations. Verse ConceptsThe Number TwelveHealingMedicineWorldlinessYearsAbundance, MaterialUnceasingContinual GoodIncreasing FruitFoliageMetaphorical TreesTwelve ThingsGod HealsHealing Of NationsBenefits Of HeavenRiver Of LifeTree Of LifeRiversHerbsMonthsGod Healing Our LandGod's Healing Love















Then Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise [Note: This is a place in God's presence, referred to as "the third heaven" (II Cor. 12:2-4), and where overcomers will be able to eat from "the tree of life" (Rev. 2:7)]." Verse ConceptsDeath, Of BelieversFutureGarden Of Eden, Theeternal life, experience ofLand, Spiritual Aspects OfParadiseRest, EternalConsciousness Following DeathDeath Of The Saints, Examples OfReceived OutcastsChrist Telling The TruthTodayChrist With People In SpiritTaken To HeavenConsciousness After DeathIntermediate StateThe Crossthieves

was [actually] taken up into Paradise. [Note: This is the same as the "third heaven" of the previous verse, and was a place in the presence of God. See Luke 23:43; Rev. 2:7]. There he heard inexpressible words which are not permitted for people to repeat. Verse ConceptsEarsHearing God's WordTaken To Heaven


Then Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise [Note: This is a place in God's presence, referred to as "the third heaven" (II Cor. 12:2-4), and where overcomers will be able to eat from "the tree of life" (Rev. 2:7)]." Verse ConceptsDeath, Of BelieversFutureGarden Of Eden, Theeternal life, experience ofLand, Spiritual Aspects OfParadiseRest, EternalConsciousness Following DeathDeath Of The Saints, Examples OfReceived OutcastsChrist Telling The TruthTodayChrist With People In SpiritTaken To HeavenConsciousness After DeathIntermediate StateThe Crossthieves

was [actually] taken up into Paradise. [Note: This is the same as the "third heaven" of the previous verse, and was a place in the presence of God. See Luke 23:43; Rev. 2:7]. There he heard inexpressible words which are not permitted for people to repeat. Verse ConceptsEarsHearing God's WordTaken To Heaven

I am the gate; if anyone enters [the corral] through me, he will be saved [i.e., from condemnation], and will find pasture [i.e., will receive spiritual nurturing]. Verse ConceptsSpiritual FoodAccess To God, Through ChristWay, TheChrist And His SheepPenitentAdmission Into God's PresenceEntering LifeFeeding AnimalsGoing Out And Coming InBeing SavedThe Narrow Gate

"The person who has an ear should listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches. To the person who has victory [in the Christian life] I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will [also] give him a white stone with a new name written on it, which no one understands, except the one who receives it." Verse ConceptsSpiritual FoodMannaNewnessUniquenessWhiteOvercomersDelicaciesUnknown ThingsHidden ThingsGod Renaming PeopleWriting On ObjectsOvercoming Through ChristTaught By The SpiritA New NameBenefits Of HeavenSpiritual crownsOvercomingChange And Growth



I am the living bread who came down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. Yes, and the bread that I will give [him] is my physical body, [so] that the world can have [never ending] life." Verse ConceptsSpiritual FoodFlesh, Description Ofeternal life, nature ofThe EucharistChrist Going DownEating Christ's BodyLife In ChristChrist And HeavenChrist's LifeJesus As FoodLife Is In ChristBreadCompetition




And they all ate the same spiritual food [i.e., the supernatural manna. See Ex. 16:4-5], and drank the same spiritual drink [i.e., water coming from a rock supernaturally. See Ex. 17:6]. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. [Note: Besides actual water, they were refreshed from the spiritual presence of Christ].



Then the angel [See 21:9] showed me the river of the water of life. It was crystal-clear as it flowed out of the throne of God and the Lamb, and down the middle of the city's street. And on each side of the river stood the tree of life; it produced twelve crops of fruit, yielding a crop every month. And the leaves of the tree [served as medicine] for healing the nations.


I am the Alpha and the Omega [See note at 1:8], the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Those who wash their robes are blessed because [then] they will have the right to [eat from] the tree of life, and will [be able to] enter the city through the gates.

For you [Gentiles] were cut off from a natural wild olive tree and [then], contrary to the natural process, were grafted into a cultivated olive tree. [Since that has happened], how much more likely is it for these [Jews], who are the natural branches, to be grafted [back] into their own olive tree [again]? Verse ConceptsOlivesParticipation, In ChristTreesCutting Off BranchesJoined To The ChurchOlive Treescutting


Those who wash their robes are blessed because [then] they will have the right to [eat from] the tree of life, and will [be able to] enter the city through the gates. Verse ConceptsAvoiding SinGatesHappinessHeaven,  Redeemed CommunityRightsRitual WashingRobesTreesWashingThe Water Of LifeBeginning And EndWashing ClothesEntering LifeMetaphorical TreesBlessed In ServiceHealing Of NationsPromise Of HeavenUniversalism

and down the middle of the city's street. And on each side of the river stood the tree of life; it produced twelve crops of fruit, yielding a crop every month. And the leaves of the tree [served as medicine] for healing the nations. Verse ConceptsThe Number TwelveHealingMedicineWorldlinessYearsAbundance, MaterialUnceasingContinual GoodIncreasing FruitFoliageMetaphorical TreesTwelve ThingsGod HealsHealing Of NationsBenefits Of HeavenRiver Of LifeTree Of LifeRiversHerbsMonthsGod Healing Our LandGod's Healing Love

The person who has victory [in the Christian life] will be dressed like that, in white clothing, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life. And I will confess his name in front of my Father and His angels. Verse ConceptsBook of lifedefeatSatan, Resistance ToVictory, Over Spiritual ForcesWhat Heaven Will Be LikeOvercomersWhite And Bright ClothesWhite ClothsThe Witness Of ChristBlotted OutNames Blotted OutAngelsOvercoming Through ChristRelationship Of Father And SonOvercomingRemoving People From Your Life