REVELATION CHAPTER 2 REVELATION 2:1 What John was commanded to write in commendation or reproof to the angels of the churches of Ephesus, REVELATION 2:8 Smyrna, REVELATION 2:12 Pergamos, REVELATION 2:18 Thyatira. CHAPTER INTRODUCTION Some things are to be observed of all the epistles, before we come... [ Continue Reading ]
I KNOW THY WORKS: these words being in the front of all the seven epistles, cannot be interpreted as signifying a knowledge of approbation, as PSALMS 1:6, but of a comprehension in the understanding, and as signifying Christ's omnisciency; though it be true, that the Lord both understood and approve... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAST BORNE the contradiction of false teachers, and the persecutions of Jews and pagans; for at this time the second persecution was began by Domitian. AND HAST PATIENCE; grace (with quietness and submission) to bear the will of God in any sort of evils. AND FOR MY NAME'S SAKE HAST LABOURED; and... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS I HAVE SOMEWHAT AGAINST THEE; something to accuse thee of, and blame thee for. BECAUSE THOU HAST LEFT THY FIRST LOVE; of late thou hast not been so warm in the propagation of my gospel, and maintaining my truth. The love of many in this church, both toward God and their brethren, probab... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER THEREFORE FROM WHENCE THOU ART FALLEN; that is, in what degree thy love was formerly, and compare it with what it is now. AND REPENT; repentance in man, signifieth both the change of the heart and of the actions. AND DO THE FIRST WORKS; recover thy former warmth of love, and zeal for good w... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THIS THOU HAST; thou hast yet thus much to commend thee. THAT THOU HATEST THE DEEDS OF THE NICOLAITANES; thou hatest the deeds of those who teach the lawfulness of a common use of wives, and eat things offered to idols; for these, they say, were the tenets of the Nicolaitanes, so called from one... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR; to whom God hath given an ability and power to understand what I say. It is a form of speech which Christ often used, when he would quicken up people's attention, MATTHEW 2:15; MATTHEW 11:9,43 MARK 4:9,23 MARK 7:16: we shall find it again in these two Chapter s six... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; SMYRNA was a city in Ionia; we read not when, or by whom, the gospel was first planted and a church gathered there; nor can we tell who are meant by THE ANGEL of this church: see REVELATION 1:20. That it was no single person is probable, for he speaks plurally, REVELATION 2:10, _the devil sh... [ Continue Reading ]
I KNOW THY WORKS, AND TRIBULATION: though the term _know_ doth not necessarily signify approbation, yet, both as to the church of Ephesus and Smyrna, the particular works mentioned assure us, that God approved their patient suffering affliction for his name. AND POVERTY; and the poor condition (as t... [ Continue Reading ]
FEAR NONE OF THOSE THINGS WHICH THOU SHALT SUFFER; thou art like to suffer yet sharper things than thou hast suffered, the persecutions are but begun; but pluck up a good courage, fear not your enemies, MATTHEW 10:28. BEHOLD, THE DEVIL SHALL CAST SOME OF YOU INTO PRISON; you shall be cast into priso... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES;_ He that overcometh:_ for the opening of these passages: SEE POOLE ON "REVELATION 2:7". SHALL NOT BE HURT OF THE SECOND DEATH; we read of _the second death,_ REVELATION 20:6,14: the meaning is, that he shall escape the eterna... [ Continue Reading ]
PERGAMOS was a famous city of Troas; we read of Pergamos no where else in Scripture, but of Troas we read of Paul's being there, ACTS 16:8,11 ACTS 20:5,6, and preaching Christ there, 2 CORINTHIANS 2:12. THESE THINGS SAITH HE WHICH HATH THE SHARP SWORD WITH TWO EDGES: see the notes on REVELATION 1:16... [ Continue Reading ]
I KNOW THY WORKS, AND WHERE THOU DWELLEST; God knows all his people's circumstances, where they dwell, as well as what they do, and how they behave themselves in their habitations. EVEN WHERE SATAN'S SEAT IS; where the devil rules by his pagan deputies and antichrist's officers. AND THOU HOLDEST FAS... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I HAVE A FEW THINGS AGAINST THEE; though I have much to commend thee for, yet I have some things to accuse thee of, and to complain of thee for. BECAUSE THOU HAST THERE THEM THAT HOLD THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM: by _the doctrine of Balaam, _ he means the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, (as he expounds... [ Continue Reading ]
SO HAST THOU ALSO THEM THAT HOLD THE DOCTRINE OF THE NICOLAITANES; so, saith he, thou sufferest in thy communion filthy persons, who maintain fornication lawful, and the lawfulness of eating meat offered to idols, which exactly corresponds with Balaam's doctrine or counsel given to Balak, in order t... [ Continue Reading ]
REPENT; thou that art guilty of conniving at such things, change thy mind and practice, and let those who have entertained these opinions, and run into those filthy practices, change their hearts and practices; OR ELSE I WILL COME UNTO THEE QUICKLY; I will quickly come against thee, and punish thee:... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES; _To him that overcometh:_ see the annotations on REVELATION 2:7. WILL I GIVE TO EAT OF THE HIDDEN MANNA; here is a manifest allusion to that _bread from heaven, _ with which God fed his people in the wilderness, called _angel... [ Continue Reading ]
THYATIRA was a city of Mysia or Lydia, not far from Philippi, the chief city of Macedonia; for Lydia, who traded in purple, and was of this city, went to Philippi to trade, as we read, ACTS 16:12,14. EYES LIKE UNTO A FLAME OF FIRE: see REVELATION 1:14,15: it signifies either angry eyes, or quick and... [ Continue Reading ]
I KNOW THY WORKS; the works of the ministry of this church were such as Christ knew, not only with a knowledge of comprehension, but approbation also. AND CHARITY; such were his charity to Christians that were in distress. AND SERVICE; his diligence in his ministration. AND FAITH; his faith, and adh... [ Continue Reading ]
NOTWITHSTANDING I HAVE A FEW THINGS AGAINST THEE: SEE POOLE ON "REVELATION 2:4", SEE POOLE ON "REVELATION 2:14". BECAUSE THOU SUFFEREST THAT WOMAN JEZEBEL: the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, mentioned REVELATION 2:6,15, is so plainly expressed in the latter part of the verse, viz. maintaining the law... [ Continue Reading ]
I was not quick with her, but gave her a time of patience, and did not cut her off at first; but she was incorrigible, and went on in her sinful courses.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL CAST HER INTO A BED; another kind of bed than she hath sinned in and by, not a bed of ease and pleasure, but of pain and torment. Nor shall the seduced escape, they shall also be cast into GREAT TRIBULATION, pains and torments of conscience, or afflictions more corporal, either from the more... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL KILL HER CHILDREN, those who are seduced by her, WITH DEATH; I will destroy them; unless some special death, such as the plague, be here threatened. So shall all the churches near Thyatira know, that I am a God who do not only take notice of overt, scandalous acts, but of the secret thoug... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT UNTO YOU I SAY; you that are the ministers, for they are distinguished from the rest in Thyatira. The word again is plural, which lets us know these epistles were directed to no single persons. AND UNTO THE REST IN THYATIRA, AS MANY AS HAVE NOT THIS DOCTRINE; the rest of the members of the churc... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THAT WHICH YE HAVE ALREADY; than you already groan under. Or, no other precepts than what you have had from the apostles: the precepts of God are called burdens, MATTHEW 11:30 ACTS 15:28. HOLD FAST TILL I COME; hold fast your profession, your faith and holiness, till I come to judgment.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT OVERCOMETH, AND KEEPETH MY WORKS UNTO THE END: SEE POOLE ON "REVELATION 2:7", SEE POOLE ON "REVELATION 2:11", SEE POOLE ON "REVELATION 2:17". Overcoming is here expounded by keeping Christ's works; that is, either the works by him commanded, or walking as he walked, and persevering there... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON: an iron rod either signifies a right rod, that will not be easily bent and made crooked; or a severe rod, which is most probably the sense: see PSALMS 2:9 PSALMS 12:5. The words by the psalmist are applied to Christ, and to the church, REVELATION 12:5: to p... [ Continue Reading ]
Either the light of glory, the blessed vision of God, or a certain hope of eternal life; or the Holy Spirit, called so, 2 PETER 1:19; or rather, of myself. Christ himself is not called the _Sun of righteousness,_ ZECHARIAH 4:2, but _the Morning star,_ REVELATION 22:16, because he excelleth all other... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the same conclusion of this epistle as of all the rest, REVELATION 2:7,11,17: SEE POOLE ON "REVELATION 2:7". Those who make this epistle typical and prophetical, make it a type of all the churches of Christ, from about the year 1260, or the end of the persecution of the Waldenses, until the pro... [ Continue Reading ]