What John was commanded to write in commendation or reproof to the angels of the churches of 1Ephesus, 8Smyrna, 12Pergamos, 18Thyatira.
1UNTO 1the angel of the church of 2Ephesus write; These things saith 3he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who 4walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
1 That is, the overseer or pastor of the church; as it is explained in Rev. 1:20. This is set down here in the singular number, either thereby to understand their entire fellowship of overseers, as Mal. 2:7, where under the name of angel in the singular the entire fellowship of the priests was to be understood; or, because that someone of them had in the rank the precedence among them, by whom it was to be communicated to the others, as appears in Acts 20:17, 28, that there were more elders or overseers in the church of Ephesus, whom Paul charges in his last farewell to take heed unto themselves, and to the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit had made them episcopus, that is, overseers, to feed the flock. It is than groundless by some to infer from this an episcopal authority of one person above the others. For, the very matter itself, written here to the angel of the church, is written for a warning to the entire church, as appears from verse 7 hereafter, and above in Rev. 1:11.
2 Of the geographical position of this city, see Rev. 1:11.
3 Namely, Christ, to Whom these attributes have been ascribed, Rev. 1:13, 16, where it is likewise explained.
4 Namely, to provide and furnish them with their spiritual light and adornment (as the priests were wont to do it outwardly in the temple) and to take heed to their good order and government; not that He is everywhere present with His body, but because He is ever with His churches by His Spirit and Word, thereby enlightening and governing them, according to His promise, Mat. 18:20; 28:20. See the like in Lev. 26:12.
25I know thy works, and 6thy labour, and 7thy patience, and how thou canst not bear 8them which are evil: and thou hast 9tried them 10which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
5 That is, all your deeds, good and evil, as the sequel shows. Christ does not only speak here of mere knowledge, but of such a knowledge as is joined with an operative care and purpose, to reward or punish the same, as appears plainly in this and all the following letters.
6 Namely, in constant teaching and exhorting. See 1 Thes. 5:12; 1 Tim. 5:17.
7 Namely, in bearing persecutions, as is further declared in verse 3.
8 That is, who commit offenses in life and in doctrine. Their zeal is thus commended here in the exercise of ecclesiastical discipline.
9 Gr. tempted, or, searched, proved, sifted out, in order that you have uncovered their falsehood.
10 That is, such as pretended they were sent by Christ, there at that time being many false teachers and false apostles risen up already in the churches, Acts 20:29, etc.; 2 Cor. 11:13, etc.
3And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left 11thy first love.
11 That is, your first zeal in the exercise of your office and the works of love, as is shown further in verse 5.
5Remember therefore 12from whence thou art fallen, and 13repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee 14quickly, and will remove 15thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
12 That is, from how great a zeal into how great a laxity.
13 Namely, unto your former zeal. For, that he was not completely fallen away from the love and from the faith, appears plainly by the commendation still given him by Christ in the second and third verses before, and in the sixth following.
14 Namely, with My punishments and chastisements.
15 That is, your church, here spoken of in Rev. 1:20; from which it appears that the church itself was also fallen into the same slackness, whom Christ, by this threat, labors to rouse up again to their former zeal. For, albeit that Christ’s church never perishes, Mat. 16:18, yet nevertheless she is removed from the one place and planted upon another, as Christ threatens the Jews, Mat. 21:43.
6But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds 16of the Nicolaitans,a which I also hate.
16 This sect of the Nicolaitans, as some ancient writers testify, taught that harlotry was no sin, and that it was lawful to eat what was sacrificed to idols, against which the apostles had determined, Acts 15:29. Some think that Nicolas, one of the first deacons, Acts 6:5, was the first founder thereof, as being fallen away from the purity of the doctrine of Christ, like another Judas. Yet others clear this man of it, ascribing it to another Nicolas, who brought it in, misusing the name of the former Nicolas in that behalf. See Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. lib. 3, cap. 26 and Irenæus, lib. 1, cap. 7.
a verse 15.
7He that hath an 17ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of 18theb tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
17 Or, ears. Gr. ear. See Mat. 13:43; Mark 4:9.
18 Gr. the wood of life. This has respect to the tree of life that stood in the midst of the earthly paradise, Gen. 2:9, which paradise is taken as a type and shadow of heaven, or the habitation of the elect in heaven, as also Luke 23:43 and 2 Cor. 12:2, 4. The tree of life is a shadow of Christ, the Author of life, of which such as persevere in faith shall participate forever, as likewise hereafter that Tree of life is to stand planted in the new Jerusalem, Rev. 22:2, Whose leaves serve for the healing of the Gentiles, the virtue which proceeds only from Christ, John 11:25; Acts 4:12.
b Gen. 2:9; Rev. 22:2.
8And unto 19the angel of the church in 20Smyrna write; These things saith 21thec first and the last, 22which was dead, and 23is alive;
19 See the annotation at Rev. 2 on verse 1.
20 This was also an important city in Ionia, situated at the seaside, somewhat more to the north than Ephesus, out of which it started as a colony.
21 See the annotation at Rev. 1 on verse 8.
c Isa. 41:4; 44:6; Rev. 1:17.
22 Namely, according to His human nature, 1 Peter 3:18.
23 Namely, through His resurrection from the dead. Or, was living; namely, according to His Divine nature, whilst He was dead according to His human nature.
9I know thy works, and tribulation, and 24poverty, (but thou art 25rich) and I know 26the blasphemy of them which 27say they are Jews, and 28are not, but are 29the synagogue of Satan.
24 Namely, by the deprivation of your goods in the affliction.
25 Namely, after the spirit, or in spiritual and heavenly goods, which no enemy is able to take away, Mat. 6:19.
26 Namely, wherewith they blasphemed Christ as a deceiver, and His church as enemies of the law, apostates from Moses and as rioters; this likewise appears generally in the Gospel and Acts of the Apostles, and they persecuted the Christians under that pretense. See Acts 13:50 and 14:2 and more elsewhere.
27 That is, boast of it that they are Jews, and that therefore they are God’s people and zealous maintainers of the law, Rom. 2:17, etc.
28 That is, they are no true Jews, nor Abraham’s children, as they boast, but are rather the children of the devil, whose works they follow, John 8:39, etc.
29 That is, assembly. Since the Jews used to call their assemblies or churches synagogues, therefore the evangelist uses this word.
1030Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, 31the devil shall cast some of you 32into prison, that ye may be 33tried; and ye shall have tribulation 34ten days: be thou faithful 35unto death, and I will give thee 36a crown of life.
30 Namely, that it would make you to shrink back, or to grow fainthearted.
31 Namely, by his instruments, the tyrants whom he shall raise up for that purpose.
32 Namely, to inflict on them all kinds of scorn and grief.
33 Or, proved, namely, whether you shall remain steadfast in the truth.
34 Some take these days to signify so many years, Num. 14:34, as shortly afterwards a ten year persecution is caused against the Christians under the Emperor Trajan. Others take it for a short time or a few days, Hosea 6:2, in regard that this is brought in here, by way of comfort.
35 That is, so as not to be terrified with death itself; or, unto the end.
36 That is, everlasting life, as a crown or gracious recompense for your labor, 1 Peter 5:4, a similitude taken from those who combat or run a race for a prize; see 2 Tim. 4:7, 8.
11Hed that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of 37the second death.
d Mat. 13:9.
37 That is, eternal death; for, even as the first death is a separation of the soul from the body, so is the second death a separation and repudiation of man from God, joined with everlasting pains and torments in hell, as John declares it, in Rev. 20:14; 21:8.
12And to the angel of the church in 38Pergamos write; These things saith he 39which hath the sharp sworde with two edges;
38 This Pergamos was the capital city of a part of Asia Minor, where the Attalian kings had kept court previously and where at this time the Roman governors had also their residence; which city was full of splendor, unrighteousness, harlotry and idolatry, having a temple, in which the devil by the name of Æsculapius used to give answers, as the heathen writers testify. And where also the church of the Christians was most persecuted and oppressed, and contended with great heresies.
39 See hereof the annotation at Rev. 1 on verse 16.
e verse 16; Rev. 1:16.
13I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s 40seat is: and 41thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein 42Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
40Christ calls this city here the throne of Satan, because Satan bare sway there in a special manner by idolatry and tyranny; according as hereafter the throne of the dragon is given to the beast with seven heads and ten horns, Rev. 13:2.
41 That is, you are not afraid to profess My Name, notwithstanding all the difficulties you encounter thereby.
42 Of this Antipas there is but little mention made in the old ecclesiastical histories. It seems by this place that he was a prominent overseer or pastor of that church, who, having suffered as a martyr or witness of the truth of Christ and sealed the same with his death, is brought in here and set before the eyes of that church as an example for their imitation.
14But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there 43them that hold the doctrine 44of Balaam,f who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
43 That is, permit to associate and teach among you, as is further declared in verse 20, without removing them by ecclesiastical censure from among you; whereof the contrary practice is commended in the angel of the church of Ephesus, verse 2.
44 See in Numbers 22; 23; 24 for this narrative; who, when God would not suffer Balaam to curse the Israelites, gave counsel to Balak, the king of the Moabites, to entice them to their idolatrous feasts and to harlotry by certain daughters and women whom he sent into the camp of the Israelites, as appears in Num. 25:1, etc., compared with Num. 31:16, so that thereby they might incur God’s displeasure, as it also came to pass. This was indeed a most diabolical counsel, which Peter, in his second epistle, and Jude also, have written against these types of men.
f Num. 22:23; 24:14; 25:1; 31:16.
15So hast thou also them 45that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
45 That is, even as the Israelites were deceived by the counsel of Balaam unto idolatry and harlotry, so these are those among you, who follow the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, teaching that it is lawful which Balaam had counseled Balak. Of these Nicolaitans, see the annotation at Rev. 2 on verse 6.
16Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them 46withg the sword of my mouth.
46 That is, by My threatenings and spiritual power. See above, Rev. 1:16 and 2 Cor. 10:5, 6.
g Isa. 49:2; Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 1:16.
17He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat 47of the hidden manna, and will give him 48a white stone, and in the stone 49a new name written, 50which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
47 The apostle has here respect to the pot of manna, which was set by and kept in the Holy of Holies, as we read in Exod. 16:33, 34 and Heb. 9:4; whereby Christ, the Bread of life, Who was to come, was typified with all His merits and benefits, as is declared in detail in John 6:31, etc. Here thus is promised the close communion with Christ, and the enjoyment of all spiritual benefits, and also of the glory which He has purchased for us, as in verse 7 is promised to us by the Tree of life; since it has pleased the Father that in Him dwelleth all the fullness, and we are made perfect in Him, Col. 1:19; 2:9, 10.
48 This is the Holy Spirit, Who transfers into our consciences this white stone of the Father, and bears witness that we are justified in God’s judgment for Christ’s sake, by faith, from all sins and guilt thereof, 2 Cor. 1:22. This is a similitude taken from the voting among the Greeks and Romans in the condemning or absolving of malefactors. To condemn one, it occurred by the black stone, and to acquit the white one. See something similar, Acts 26:10.
49 This name is, that he, who formerly was a child of wrath and destruction, is now become a child of God, and heir of life everlasting, as Paul speaks in Rom. 8:15.
50 For, the natural man does not understand the things which belong to the Spirit of God, but we have received the Spirit of Christ, to the end that we may know what it is which God has granted unto us. See John 14:17; 1 Cor. 2:9, 10, etc.
18And unto the angel of the church 51in Thyatira write; These things saith 52the Son of God, whoh hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are 53like fine brass;
51 This was the last city in Mysia; situated opposite to Macedonia, southward of Pergamos, whereof see Acts 16:14.
52 Here Christ calls Himself by His name, according to His Divine nature, as He in Rev. 1:13 in the vision calls Himself the Son of man, according to His human nature, because He is God and Man in one Person. And He ascribes here unto Himself the attributes, which were before declared in the representation of His Person, Rev. 1:14, 15.
h Rev. 1:14, 15.
53 Or, shining brass.
19I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; 54and the last to be more than the first.
54 Some copies leave out here this particle and.
20Notwithstanding I have a 55few things against thee, because thou sufferest 56that woman Jezebel,i which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
55 Namely, in number, though great of weight, as also verse 14. And this Christ says, the better and more easily to persuade and encourage them to correction.
56 By this description some do understand the sect of the Nicolaitans, as by the whore of Babel, which hereafter in Revelation 17, is understood the total idolatrous dominion of the antichrist. Yet, seeing Christ names this sect the second time here, it is more probable that here is meant a certain woman of note and repute among them, making a great show of godliness, and boasting of a prophetical spirit of her own, who in the same manner (as the true Jezebel of old) enticed and deceived the people of Israel to the idolatry of Baal, and consequently also to bodily harlotry, commonly attending such idolatry, likewise sought to draw and bring the Christians by her pretenses and persuasions as to matters of indifference, and to that end kept open house.
i 1 Kings 16:31; 2 Kings 9:7.
21And I gave her space to repent 57of her fornication; and she repented not.
57 Namely, spiritual and physical, both of them being expressed previously.
22Behold, 58I will cast her into a bed, and 59them that commit adultery with her 60into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
58 Namely, into a grievous and tormenting sickness; so that the bed, which formerly served her for pleasure, may serve now to afflict and punish her, and that she may have some time yet, together with her children, to repent, as follows.
59 That is, idolatry and harlotry, both together, as before. For, idolatry is also spiritual adultery. It turns away the soul of man from God, the true Husband of His church.
60 Namely, either by punishment from the authority, or by diseases, or also by the torments of their own conscience about their evil life.
23And I will kill 61her children with death; and all the churches shall know 62thatj I am he which searcheth the reinsk and hearts: andl I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
61 Some understand here her disciples. Yet these being already spoken of before, others think that this passage has regard to the children which originated of this woman and her followers. Here is doubtless glanced at the children which descended from Ahab and Jezebel, who were all of them destroyed by the sword of Jehu, as we read in 2 Kings 9:22; 10:6, etc.
62 This Christ adds here, since the leaders of this sect put forward some pretenses for their abominations, and sought to obscure among the simple persons their vileness under the appearance of spiritual mysteries and christian liberty; as it appears in the next verse, and as some of the sects of the libertines do yet at this day; against which Christ places His omniscience, in judging their very reins and thoughts of their hearts.
j 1 Sam. 16:7; 1 Chron. 28:9; 29:17; Psalm 7:9; Jer. 11:20; Acts 1:24.
k mind, inmost being (literally, kidneys)*
l Psalm 62:12; Jer. 17:10; 32:19; Mat. 16:27; Rom. 2:6; 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:5; Rev. 20:12.
24But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have 63not known 64the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you 65none other burden.
63 That is, as yet not understood, nor approved.
64 That is, those dark mysteries of their satanic doctrine, which they pretend to proceed from the Holy Spirit, and wherewith they deceive others.
65 That is, no punishment, no temptation, as the prophets generally call them a burden. Others take it for the burden of ceremonies, or the observation of certain grievous commands, as Acts 15:10, 28, such commands are expressly called a yoke and a burden.
25But that which ye have already holdm fast till I come.
m Rev. 3:11.
26And he that overcometh, and keepeth 66my works unto the end, to him will 67In give power 68over the nations:
66 That is, My precepts and instructions; as faith also itself is called a work of God, John 6:29.
67 The place here is taken out of Psalm 2:8, where this promise is made by God the Father to His Son Jesus Christ, in Whose communion Christ does promise here to receive the true believers, who persevere to the end, after the same manner, as Rev. 3:21 promises, that He gives them to sit with Him in His throne, as He Himself does sit in the throne of the Father. See also Rom. 8:17; Eph. 2:6; 2 Tim. 2:12.
n Psalm 2:8.
68 That is, over the enemies of His church, as the heathen were always enemies to the people of God.
27And 69he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
69 Hereby is understood the spiritual power against and victory over all the enemies of the church of Christ, who set themselves against the salvation of the children of God, whereof they enjoy the beginnings here through the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony, which is the scepter of this Kingdom, Rev. 12:11, and at the last day hereafter, they shall judge as kings together with Christ the unbelieving world, Mat. 19:28; 1 Cor. 6:2, 3.
28And I will give him 70the morning star.
70 Hereby may appropriately be understood a greater light of the knowledge of Christ, which, as the morning star precedes the day, shall here likewise shine in our hearts continually, until the star of the perfect knowledge of God shall shine in us, when God shall be all in all, 1 Cor. 15:28. See also 2 Peter 1:19; Rev. 22:16, where Christ and His knowledge is likened unto the morning star.
29He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.