And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. SARDIS - the ancient capital of Lydia, the kingdom of wealthy Croesus, on the river Pactolus. T... [ Continue Reading ]
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. BE, [ ginou (G1096)] - 'Become' what thou art not, 'watchful' [ greegoroon (G1127)], 'waking.' THE THINGS WHICH REMAIN - those thy remaining few graces, which, in thy... [ Continue Reading ]
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. HOW THOU HAST RECEIVED - (Colossians 2:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:20.) Sardis is to... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 'Aleph (') A B C,Vulgate, prefix 'nevertheless' (notwithstanding thy spiritual deadness), and omit "even." NAMES - persons named in the book of life (), known b... [ Continue Reading ]
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. THE SAME - `THIS man;' he alone. So B; but 'Aleph (') A C, Vulgate, Coptic, Syriac, 'shall THUS be clothe... [ Continue Reading ]
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Note, .... [ Continue Reading ]
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; PHILADELPHIA - in Lydia, 28 miles southeast of Sardis, built by Attalus Philadelphus,... [ Continue Reading ]
I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. I HAVE SET - `given;' my gracious gift to thee. OPEN DOOR - for spiritual usefulness. The opening of a door by Him to the... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. I WILL MAKE - present, 'I make;' 'I give' (note, ). The promise to Philadelphia is larger than to... [ Continue Reading ]
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. PATIENCE. 'The word of my persevering endurance' is my Gospel word, which teaches it in expectation of my coming (Revelat... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. BEHOLD. Omitted by 'Aleph (') A B C, Vulgate, Coptic, Syriac. I COME QUICKLY - the great incentive to faithfulness, and the consolation under trials. THAT FAST WHICH THOU HAST - "the word of my patience" (),... [ Continue Reading ]
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. PILLAR IN T... [ Continue Reading ]
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Note, .)... [ Continue Reading ]
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; LAODICEANS - in the southwest of Phrygia, on the river Lycus, not far from Colosse, lying between it and Philadelphia: destroyed by an earthq... [ Continue Reading ]
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. NEITHER COLD - antithesis to "hot" [ zestos (G2200) boiling ("fervent," Acts 18:25; Romans 12:11: cf. Song of Solomon 8:6; Luke 24:32), requires that "cold" should mean more than negatively cold; positively, icy... [ Continue Reading ]
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. NEITHER COLD NOR HOT. So A, Vulgate; but 'Aleph (') B C, Syriac, Coptic, transpose, 'hot nor cold.' The adjectives are in the masculine, agreeing with the angel; not with the Church (feminine). The Lor... [ Continue Reading ]
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: A lukewarm state generates fatal self-sufficiency (note, Revelation 3:15). THOU SAYEST - mentally, if not in words. INCREAS... [ Continue Reading ]
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. Gentle, loving irony. Take my advice, thou who fanciest thou... [ Continue Reading ]
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Proverbs 3:11.) So Manasses (2 Chronicles 33:11). AS MANY. All. 'And shalt thou be an exception? If excepted from the scourge, thou art excepted from the number of the sons' (Augustine). An encouragement to Laodicea not... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. STAND - waiting in wonderful condescension and long-suffering. KNOCK - a further manifestation of His loving desire for our salvation. Himself "the... [ Continue Reading ]
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. SIT WITH ME IN MY THRONE - (; ; ; ; ; Revelation 2:26; .) He whom Christ just before threatened to spue out of His mouth, is now offered a seat with Him on His t... [ Continue Reading ]