CHAPTER II. _The epistle to the Church of Ephesus, commending their labour_ _and patience_, 1-3. _And, reprehending their having left their first love, exhorting_ _them to repent, with the promise of the tree of life_, 4-7. _The epistle to the Church of Smyrna, commending their piety,_ _and pr... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:2. _I KNOW THY WORKS_] For the eyes of the Lord are throughout the earth, beholding the evil and the good; and, being omnipresent, all things are continually open and naked before him. It is worthy of remark, that whatsoever is _praiseworthy_ in any of these Churches is _first_ m... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:3. _AND HAST BORNE_] The same things mentioned in the preceding verse, but in an _inverted_ order, the particular reason of which does not appear; perhaps it was intended to show more _forcibly_ to this Church that there was no good which they had done, nor evil which they had suf... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:4. _NEVERTHELESS I HAVE_ SOMEWHAT _AGAINST THEE_] The clause should be read, according to the Greek, thus: _But I have against_ _thee that thou hast left thy first love_. They did not retain that strong and ardent affection for God and sacred things which they had when first broug... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:5. _REMEMBER_] Consider the state of grace in which you once stood; the happiness, love, and joy which you felt when ye received remission of sins; the zeal ye had for God's glory and the salvation of mankind; your willing, obedient spirit, your cheerful self-denial, your fervour... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:6. _THE DEEDS OF THE NICOLAITANES_] These were, as is commonly supposed, a sect of the _Gnostics_, who taught the most impure doctrines, and followed the most impure practices. They are also supposed to have derived their origin from Nicolas, one of the seven deacons mentioned Act... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:7. _HE THAT HATH AN EAR_] Let every intelligent person, and every Christian man, attend carefully to what the Holy Spirit, in this and the following epistles, says to the Churches. Matthew 11:15, where the same form of speech occurs. _TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH_] To him who continue... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Epistle to the Church at Smyrna._ Verse Revelation 2:8. _UNTO THE ANGEL_] This was probably the famous Polycarp. See below. _THESE THINGS SAITH THE FIRST AND THE LAST_] He who is _eternal_; from whom all things come, and to whom all things must return. _Which was dead_, for the redemption of... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:9. _I KNOW THY WORKS_] As he had spoken to the preceding Church, so he speaks to this: I know all that ye have _done_, and all that ye have _suffered_. The _tribulation_ here mentioned must mean persecution, either from the Jews, the heathens, or from the heretics, who, because of... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:10. _FEAR NONE OF THOSE THINGS WHICH THOU SHALT SUFFER_] This may be addressed particularly to _Polycarp_, if he was at that time the bishop of this Church. He had much to suffer; and was at last burnt alive at Smyrna, about the year of our Lord 166. We have a very ancient account... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:11. _HE THAT OVERCOMETH_] The _conqueror_ who has stood firm in every trial, and vanquished all his adversaries. _SHALL NOT BE HURT OF THE SECOND DEATH._] That is, an eternal separation from God and the glory of his power; as what we commonly mean by _final perdition_. This is an... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Epistle to the Church at Pergamos._ Verse Revelation 2:12. _THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH IN PERGAMOS_] See the description of this place, Revelation 1:11. _WHICH HATH THE SHARP SWORD_] Revelation 1:16, Revelation 1:16. The _sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God_, cuts every way; it convin... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:13. _WHERE SATAN'S SEAT IS_] Ὁπου ὁ θρονος του Σατανα· _Where Satan has his throne_-where he _reigns_ as king, and is universally obeyed. It was a maxim among the Jews, that where the law of God was _not_ studied, there Satan dwelt; but he was obliged to leave the place where a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:14. _I HAVE A FEW THINGS AGAINST THEE_] Their _good deeds_ are first carefully sought out and commended; what was _wrong_ in them is touched with a gentle but effectual hand. The followers of Balaam, the Nicolaitanes, and the Gnostics, were probably all the same kind of persons;... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:15. _THE DOCTRINE OF THE NICOLAITANES_] Revelation 2:6, Revelation 2:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:16. _WILL FIGHT AGAINST THEM WITH THE SWORD OF MY MOUTH._] Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:12. He now speaks for their edification and salvation; but if they do not repent, he will shortly declare those judgments which shall unavoidably fall upon them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:17. _THE HIDDEN MANNA_] It was a constant tradition of the Jews that the ark of the covenant, the tables of stone, Aaron's rod, the holy anointing oil, and the pot of manna, were _hidden_ by King Josiah when Jerusalem was taken by the Chaldeans; and that these shall all be restore... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Epistle to the Church at Thyatira._ Verse Revelation 2:18. _THESE THINGS SAITH THE SON OF GOD_] See the notes on Revelation 1:14; Revelation 1:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:19. _I KNOW THY WORKS_] And of these he first sets forth their _charity_, τηναγαπην, their _love_ to God and each other; and particularly to the _poor_ and _distressed_: and hence followed their _faith_, τηνπιστιν, their _fidelity_, to the grace they had received; and _service_, τ... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:20. _THAT WOMAN JEZEBEL_] There is an allusion here to the history of Ahab and Jezebel, as given in 2 Kings 9:1; and although we do not know who this Jezebel was, yet from the allusion we may take it for granted she was a woman of power and influence in Thyatira, who corrupted th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:21. _I GAVE HER SPACE TO REPENT_] "This alludes to the history of Jezebel. God first sent Elijah to Ahab to pronounce a severe judgment upon him; upon which Ahab showed tokens of repentance, and so God put off his punishment. By these means the like punishment pronounced against... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:22. _BEHOLD, I WILL CAST HER INTO A BED_] "This again alludes to the same history. Ahaziah, son of Ahab and Jezebel, by his mother's ill instruction and example, followed her ways. God punished him by making him fall down, as is supposed, from the top of the terrace over his hous... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 23. _AND I WILL KILL HER CHILDREN WITH DEATH_] "That is, I will certainly destroy her offspring and memory, and thereby ruin her designs. Jezebel's two sons, being both kings were both slain; and after that, all the seventy sons of Ahab; (2 Kings 10:1); in all which the hand of God was very v... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 24. _BUT UNTO YOU I SAY, AND UNTO THE REST_] "But unto the rest, c. This is the reading of the Complutensian, and seems preferable to the common one, as it evidently shows that the rest of the epistle wholly concerns the faithful, who have not received the former doctrine of error. _I will pu... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 25. _THAT WHICH YE HAVE_] That is, the pure doctrine of the Gospel, _hold fast till I come_-till I come to execute the judgments which I have threatened.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 26. _POWER OVER THE NATIONS_] Every witness of Christ has power to confute and confound all the false doctrines and maxims of the nations of the world, for Christianity shall at last rule over all; the kingdom of Christ will come, and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 27. _HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON_] He shall restrain vice by the _strictest administration of justice_; and those who finally despise the word and rebel shall be _broken_ and destroyed, so as never more to be able to make head against the truth. This seems to refer to the _heathen_ w... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 28. _AND I WILL GIVE HIM THE MORNING STAR._] He shall have the brightest and most glorious empire, next to that of Christ himself. And it is certain that the Roman empire under Constantine the Great was the brightest emblem of the latter day glory which has ever yet been exhibited to the world... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 2:29. _HE THAT HATH AN EAR_] Let every Christian pay the strictest regard to these predictions of Christ; and let them have a suitable influence on his heart and life.... [ Continue Reading ]