Write — So Christ dictated to him every word. These things saith he who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand — Such is his mighty power! Such his favour to them and care over them, that they may indeed shine as stars, both by purity of doctrine and holiness of life! Who walketh — According to h... [ Continue Reading ]
I know — Jesus knows all the good and all the evil, which his servants and his enemies suffer and do. Weighty word, "I know," how dreadful will it one day sound to the wicked, how sweet to the righteous! The churches and their angels must have been astonished, to find their several states so exactly... [ Continue Reading ]
But I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first love — That love for which all that church was so eminent when St. Paul wrote his epistle to them. He need not have left this. He might have retained it entire to the end. And he did retain it in part, or there could not have remained so much of... [ Continue Reading ]
It is not possible for any to recover the first love, but by taking these three steps, 1. Remember: 2. Repent: 3. Do the first works. Remember from whence thou art fallen — From what degree of faith, love, holiness, though perhaps insensibly. And repent — Which in the very lowest sense implies a dee... [ Continue Reading ]
But thou hast this — Divine grace seeks whatever may help him that is fallen to recover his standing. That thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans — Probably so called from Nicolas, one of the seven deacons, Acts 6:5. Their doctrines and lives were equally corrupt. They allowed the most abominable... [ Continue Reading ]
He that hath an ear, let him hear — Every man, whoever can hear at all, ought carefully to hear this. What the Spirit saith — In these great and precious promises. To the churches — And in them to every one that overcometh; that goeth on from faith and by faith to full victory over the world, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
These things saith the first and the last, who was dead and is alive — How directly does this description tend to confirm him against the fear of death! Revelation 2:10. Even with the comfort wherewith St. John himself was comforted, Revelation 1:17, shall the angel of this church be comforted.... [ Continue Reading ]
I know thy affliction and poverty — A poor prerogative in the eyes of the world! The angel at Philadelphia likewise had in their sight but "a little strength." And yet these two were the most honourable of all in the eyes of the Lord. But thou art rich — In faith and love, of more value than all the... [ Continue Reading ]
The first and last words of this verse are particularly directed to the minister; whence we may gather, that his suffering and the affliction of the church were at the same time, and of the same continuance. Fear none of those things which thou art about to suffer — Probably by means of the false Je... [ Continue Reading ]
The second death — The lake of fire, the portion of the fearful, who do not overcome, Revelation 21:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
The sword — With which I will cut off the impenitent, Revelation 2:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
Where the throne of Satan is — Pergamos was above measure given to idolatry: so Satan had his throne and full residence there. Thou holdest fast my name — Openly and resolutely confessing me before men. Even in the days wherein Antipas — Martyred under Domitian. Was my faithful witness — Happy is he... [ Continue Reading ]
But thou hast there — Whom thou oughtest to have immediately cast out from the flock. Them that hold the doctrine of Balaam — Doctrine nearly resembling his. Who taught Balak — And the rest of the Moabites. To cast a stumblingblock before the sons of Israel — They are generally termed, the children,... [ Continue Reading ]
In like manner thou also — As well as the angel at Ephesus. Hast them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans — And thou sufferest them to remain in the flock.... [ Continue Reading ]
If not, I come to thee — who wilt not wholly escape when I punish them. And will fight with them — Not with the Nicolaitans, who are mentioned only by the by, but the followers of Balaam. With the sword of my mouth — With my just and fierce displeasure. Balaam himself was first withstood by the ange... [ Continue Reading ]
To him that overcometh — And eateth not of those sacrifices. Will I give of the hidden manna — Described, John vi. The new name answers to this: it is now "hid with Christ in God." The Jewish manna was kept in the ancient ark of the covenant. The heavenly ark of the covenant appears under the trumpe... [ Continue Reading ]
And to the angel of the church at Thyatira — Where the faithful were but a little flock. These things saith the Son of God — See how great he is, who appeared "like a son of man!" Revelation 1:13. Who hath eyes as a flame of fire — "Searching the reins and the heart," Revelation 2:23. And feet like... [ Continue Reading ]
I know thy love — How different a character is this from that of the angel of the church at Ephesus! The latter could not bear the wicked, and hated the works of the Nicolaitans; but had left his first love and first works. The former retained his first love, and had more and more works, but did bea... [ Continue Reading ]
But thou sufferest that woman Jezebel — who ought not to teach at all, 1 Timothy 2:12. To teach and seduce my servants — At Pergamos were many followers of Balaam; at Thyatira, one grand deceiver. Many of the ancients have delivered, that this was the wife of the pastor himself. Jezebel of old led t... [ Continue Reading ]
And I gave her time to repent — So great is the power of Christ! But she will not repent — So, though repentance is the gift of God, man may refuse it; God will not compel.... [ Continue Reading ]
I will cast her into a bed — into great affliction — and them that commit either carnal or spiritual adultery with her, unless they repent — She had her time before. Of her works — Those to which she had enticed their and which she had committed with them. It is observable, the angel of the church... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will kill her children — Those which she hath borne in adultery, and them whom she hath seduced. With death — This expression denotes death by the plague, or by some manifest stroke of God's hand. Probably the remarkable vengeance taken on her children was the token of the certainty of all the... [ Continue Reading ]
But I say to you who do not hold this doctrine — Of Jezebel. Who have not known the depths of Satan — O happy ignorance! As they speak — That were continually boasting of the deep things which they taught. Our Lord owns they were deep, even deep as hell: for they were the very depths of Satan. Were... [ Continue Reading ]
What ye — Both the angel and the church have.... [ Continue Reading ]
By works — Those which I have commanded. To him will I give power over the nations — That is, I will give him to share with me in that glorious victory which the Father hath promised me over all the nations who as yet resist me, Psalms 2:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he shall rule them — That is, shall share with me when I do this. With a rod of iron — With irresistible power, employed on those only who will not otherwise submit; who will hereby be dashed in pieces — Totally conquered.... [ Continue Reading ]
I will give him the morning star — Thou, O Jesus, art the morning star! O give thyself to me! Then will I desire no sun, only thee, who art the sun also. He whom this star enlightens has always morning and no evening. The duties and promises here answer each other; the valiant conqueror has power ov... [ Continue Reading ]