OLBGrk; REVELATION CHAPTER 1 REVELATION 1:1 The preface. REVELATION 1:4 John's salutation to the seven churches of Asia. REVELATION 1:7 The coming of Christ, REVELATION 1:8 his eternal majesty. REVELATION 1:9 John relateth his vision of the Son of man with the seven stars and the seven golden... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO BARE RECORD OF THE WORD OF GOD: this phrase determines the controversy about the penman of this part of holy writ, and puts it out of doubt that it was John the apostle and evangelist; the phrase so agrees to 1 THESSALONIANS 1:19,32,34 19:35. The word in the Greek signifies, bare testimony to, o... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED IS HE THAT READETH, AND THEY THAT HEAR THE WORDS OF THIS PROPHECY: from hence is well concluded, that this is a portion of holy writ to be read publicly and privately, otherwise no blessing would have been pronounced to the readers or the hearers of it. It is also well from hence concluded,... [ Continue Reading ]
JOHN TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES WHICH ARE IN ASIA: John, the apostle and evangelist, writes either to all the churches of Asia under the notion of seven, (which is the number of perfection), or to those seven churches mentioned REVELATION 1:11, _Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FROM JESUS CHRIST, WHO IS THE FAITHFUL WITNESS: here is an express mention of Jesus Christ, because he was the procurer of our redemption, and our Mediator, to whom the Father committed all power as to the church. He is called _the faithful_ and true _witness;_ 1 TIMOTHY 6:13, he _witnessed a go... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HATH MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS UNTO GOD AND HIS FATHER: _kings, _ to rule over our own appetite, and govern ourselves by the law of his word, to fight and conquer the world, the flesh, and the devil. Kings in a spiritual sense, for our kingdom is like his from whom we derive it, _not of this wor... [ Continue Reading ]
St. John being to speak of the various afflictions of the church of God, which should immediately begin, and hold on during the whole time that Rome should continue heathen, and one thousand two hundred and sixty years after, during the whole reign of the beasts, prepareth Christians for it, by call... [ Continue Reading ]
ALPHA and OMEGA are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet, as _Aleph_ and _Tau_ are in the Hebrew alphabet: the meaning of these is expounded, THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING; he who was before all, and shall continue to exist when all creatures shall cease to be; the first and the last, as... [ Continue Reading ]
I JOHN, WHO ALSO AM YOUR BROTHER; the same mentioned REVELATION 1:4, the apostle of Jesus Christ, yet he disdaineth not to call those his brethren whom his Lord so called. AND COMPANION IN TRIBULATION: the pagan persecutions were now begun. Nero first began them about twenty-three years after Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
I WAS IN THE SPIRIT; not only in spiritual employment, suppose meditation and prayer, but in an ecstasy; my soul was (as it were) separated from my body, and under the more than ordinary influence and communications of the Spirit, as ACTS 10:10, ACTS 11:5 16:9 18:9. ON THE LORD'S DAY; upon the Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE FIRST AND THE LAST; I, who speak unto thee, am the eternal, immutable God. WHAT THOU SEEST, WRITE IN A BOOK; what thou shalt presently see, write in a book, not in loose papers. Whence we may observe, that this book is not only the revelation of the will of Christ, but writ... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I TURNED TO SEE THE VOICE THAT SPAKE WITH ME; that is, to see the person whose voice I heard speaking to me: or else, by seeing is meant understanding; but that he might have done without turning; he therefore turned, hoping to see the person that spake. AND BEING TURNED, I SAW SEVEN GOLDEN CAND... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; AND IN THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN CANDLESTICKS; that is, of the churches, resembled by the golden candlesticks. ONE LIKE UNTO THE SON OF MAN: we say, no like is the same; but Christ, who was the Son of man, and who ordinarily calls himself so throughout the gospel, is undoubtedly here meant, as... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS HEAD AND HIS HAIRS WERE WHITE LIKE WOOL, AS WHITE AS SNOW: whiteness signifies purity; whiteness of hair signifies old age ordinarily, which commonly is attended with more prudence, as having most experience: hence this appearance of Christ may denote both his purity and wisdom, and that he is _... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS FEET LIKE UNTO FINE BRASS: there are nice disquisitions what this chalcolibanum (which we translate, _fine brass_) was: vid. Poli Synopsin. I understand not of what profit the determination will be to us. By the feet of Christ (probably) are signified his ways, counsels, and methods, in orde... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE HAD IN HIS RIGHT HAND SEVEN STARS: the right hand is the hand of power, PSALMS 21:8; and of favour, PSALMS 44:3; and of honour and dignity, PSALMS 110:1. The _seven stars_ are expounded, REVELATION 1:20, to be the ministers of the gospel, his messengers to his churches, who having in all time... [ Continue Reading ]
I FELL AT HIS FEET AS DEAD; astonished at the majesty and glory of the appearance: see JOSHUA 5:14 DANIEL 8:17,18 MT 17:6 ACTS 9:4. AND HE LAID HIS RIGHT HAND UPON ME, SAYING UNTO ME, FEAR NOT; to comfort me, and let me know, that I had no reason to be afraid, he would do me no harm. I AM THE FIRST... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM HE THAT LIVETH, AND WAS DEAD; AND, BEHOLD, I AM ALIVE FOR EVERMORE; the living God, who had life in myself, and gave life to the world, but assumed the human nature, and was made man, and in that nature died; but I rose again from the dead, and shall die no more, but ever live to make intercess... [ Continue Reading ]
WRITE THE THINGS WHICH THOU HAST SEEN; either the things which thou hast seen from the beginning of the gospel; for John, MATTHEW 4:21, was a companion of Christ from the time presently following his baptism and temptations: or, the vision of me which thou hast now had; which I judge most probably t... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; THE MYSTERY OF THE SEVEN STARS, AND THE SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS: see REVELATION 1:12,16. THE SEVEN STARS ARE THE ANGELS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES; that is, they signify the angels of the seven churches. By _angels_ he means God's messengers and ambassadors to the seven churches, called _angels... [ Continue Reading ]