Reserving any remarks to be made upon the general structure of the Epistles to the seven churches of Asia, and upon their relation to one another, we only notice at present their position in the Apocalypse as a whole. The two Chapter s containing them form the second great section of the book, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:1. The first church addressed is that of Ephesus, the city in which St. John himself is reported, according to the unanimous tradition of Christian antiquity, to have spent the closing period of his life. Yet, even if we adopt the later date for the composition of the Apocalypse, we can... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:2. The address to the Church follows, embracing Revelation 2:2-6. The first part of it, extending to the close of Revelation 2:3, seems to contain seven points of commendation: (1) I KNOW THY WORKS, AND THY TOIL AND PATIENCE. By the word ‘know' we are to understand not approbation, but... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:3. (5) AND THOU HAST PATIENCE. The ‘patience' spoken of is the stedfast endurance already mentioned in Revelation 2:2, but the possession of the grace is enhanced by the use of the verb ‘have' thou _hast_ it, it is thine. (6) AND THOU DIDST BEAR BECAUSE OF MY NAME. They had not borne wi... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:4. Commendation has been bestowed; the deserved blame that had been incurred now follows: NEVERTHELESS I HAVE AGAINST THEE THAT THOU DIDST LET GO THY FIRST LOVE. The Authorised Version is here materially injured by the insertion of the word ‘somewhat,' to which there is nothing in the o... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:5. The exhortation to the church now follows in three parts: (1) Remember therefore from whence thou hast fallen; her first condition being regarded as a height; (2) AND REPENT, by contrasting thy present with thy former state; (3) AND DO THE FIRST WORKS; for it is the duty of the churc... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:6. The Lord cannot leave them without a fresh word of commendation. BUT THIS THOU HAST, THAT THOU HATEST THE WORKS OF THE NICOLAITANS, WHICH I ALSO HATE. Who the persons thus referred to were we shall best learn at Revelation 2:15. In the meantime it is enough to say that we have here m... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:7. A promise is to be added to the main body of the Epistle, but before it is given we have a general exhortation to men to listen. HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES. These words are found in all the seven Epistles, but with a different position i... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:8. The second church addressed is that of Smyrna, a city situated a little to the north of Ephesus, and in the same province of Asia Minor. Smyrna was one of the most prosperous and wealthy cities of Asia, lying in the midst of a rich and fertile region, and enjoying peculiar facilities... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:9. The first words of the address to the church, as given in the Authorised Version, ‘I know thy works,' are to be omitted both here and in Revelation 2:13, the salutation to the church at Pergamos. They are found in all the other Epistles, and we may be assured, therefore, that their o... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:10. An exhortation not to fear the things which it was ABOUT TO SUFFER. Fresh persecution was immediately to arise. The children of God are not comforted amidst their troubles by the assurance that these are about to pass away. It may often happen, on the contrary, that one wave of trib... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:11. For the first clause of this verse, comp. what has been said on Revelation 2:7. HE THAT OVER-COMETH SHALL IN NO WISE BE HURT OF THE SECOND death. For the ‘second death,' comp. chaps. Revelation 20:6; Revelation 20:14; Revelation 21:8, the only other passages where the expression oc... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:12. The third church addressed is that of Pergamos, now generally written Pergamum, a city which, in every thing except commerce, rivalled the most celebrated cities of Asia at the time. Without in any degree attempting to trace its history, which in no way concerns us here, it may simp... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:13. As in the Epistle to Smyrna, the words ‘thy works' do not belong to the true text Three particulars in the state of the church are noted; (1) Its outward position. It dwelt where SATAN'S THRONE IS. The word used is not ‘seat,' but distinctly and intentionally ‘throne' (comp. Psalms... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:14. The defects of the church are next alluded to. There were in Pergamos SOME THAT HELD FAST THE TEACHING OF BALAAM. Comp. Numbers 25; Numbers 31:16. The sins next mentioned are in all probability to be literally understood. It is to be observed that these teachers of erroneous doctrin... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:15. SO THOU ALSO HAST SOME THAT HOLD FAST THE TEACHING OF THE NICOLAITANS IN LIKE MANNER. The chief point of inquiry connected with these words is, whether they introduce a second group of erroneous teachers, or whether they constitute a second description of the Balaamites already ment... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:16. The exhortation follows. REPENT THEREFORE, as in Revelation 2:5 to Ephesus, OR ELSE I COME ONTO THEE QUICKLY. Comp. on Revelation 2:5, but note that the word ‘quickly' is now added, although the coming is still special, not general. We have again an illustration of that climactic st... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:17. The promise contained in this verse has always occasioned much difficulty to interpreters. It consists of three parts: (1) TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH, TO HIM WILL I GIVE OF THE HIDDEN MANNA. The allusion may perhaps be to the pot of manna which was laid up in the innermost sanctuary of... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:18. The fourth church addressed is that of Thyatira, a city finely situated in a rich and well-watered district of Asia Minor, at no great distance from Pergamos, but possessing none of the political importance of the latter. It is interesting to notice in connection with Acts 16:14, th... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:19. The words I KNOW THY WORKS, which had been omitted from the second and third Epistles, are resumed in the fourth, and they meet us in each of the four Epistles of the second group. The general term ‘works' is next specialized into four parts, or two groups of two members each, the m... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:20. What is praiseworthy in the church has been spoken of. The Lord now passes to that in which it failed. Again a division into four parts meets us: (1) THAT THOU SUFFEREST THY WIFE JEZEBEL. We adopt this reading as every way preferable to the reading, ‘that woman Jezebel,' given in bo... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:21. (3) AND I GAVE HER TIME THAT SHE SHOULD REPENT. It is intended by the use of the word ‘time' here, that we should fix our thoughts upon the delay of the Son of God in executing His righteous judgments (comp. chap. Revelation 10:6). All along punishment was deserved, but He withheld... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:22. BEHOLD, I DO CAST HER INTO A BED, etc. The bed is not one of lust, but of sickness and sorrow (comp. Psalms 41:3). AND THEM THAT COMMIT ADULTERY WITH HER. We are not to understand that she is the adulteress with whom sin is committed, but that, as she is an adulteress, so they alo... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:23. AND I WILL KILL HER CHILDREN WITH DEATH. Those thus named ‘her children' are generally distinguished from the persons formerly mentioned either as her ‘proper adherents,' in contrast with ‘those who encouraged her,' or as the ‘less forward,' ‘the deceived,' in contrast with the dece... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:24. BUT UNTO YOU I SAY, THE REST THAT ARE IN THYATIRA. The apostle turns from the church at large to that smaller section of it which had resisted the influences of the false teachers symbolized by Jezebel. They HAVE NOT THIS TEACHING; that is, they have it not as their possession, they... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:25. BUT WHAT YE HAVE HOLD FAST UNTIL I SHALL HAVE COME. It is important to notice the change of expression in the original for the ‘coming' spoken of. Twice already in this chapter (Revelation 2:5; Revelation 2:16) have we read of a coming of the Lord, but on each of these two occasions... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:26. AND HE THAT OVERCOMETH. We come now to the promise contained in this Epistle for the faithful, and it will be observed that for the first time it is not preceded by the call to him ‘that hath ears to hear.' That call in the four last Epistles of the seven is reserved for the close ... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:27. AND AS A SHEPHERD HE SHALL TEND THEM WITH A SCEPTRE OF IRON. The figure has nothing to do, as so often supposed, with the Homeric title, ‘Shepherd of the people.' Jesus as King is Shepherd of His own; but He is also Shepherd of His enemies, though in a different way. Hence the ‘iron... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:28. AND I WILL GIVE HIM THE MORNING STAR. Very various opinions have been entertained with regard to the meaning of this ‘star.' It has been supposed to be the devil, or the king of Babylon, or the glorified body, or the heavenly glory, or the earnest of the sovereignty of light over da... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 2:29. Comp. on Revelation 2:7. In the church at Thyatira we seem to pass for the first time to the Church considered in her widest aspect and as brought into positive relations with the _powers_ of the heathen world. These powers have penetrated within her, and she has in part yielded to... [ Continue Reading ]