THE
MESSAGES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES
OF ASIA MINOR.

THE
MESSAGES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES
OF ASIA MINOR:
AN EXPOSITION OF THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS
OF THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION.

BY THE REV.
ANDREW TAIT, LL.D., F.R.S.E.,
Canon of St. Mary's Cathedral, Tuam, and
Rector of Moylough, Co. Gahvay.

MaKdpios 6 TT)puv Toiis X1S70VS ttjs
Xpo4>-nTE(a5 TOV PlPXCoV TOVTOV Rev. xxii. 7.

ITmtbon;
HODDER AND STOUGHTON,
27, PATERNOSTER RO"W.
MDCCCLXXXIV.
(All rights reserved.)

Butler &= Tanner,
The Selwood Printing Works,
Frome, and London.

TO THE HONOURABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND
CHARLES BRODRICK BERNARD, D.D.,
LORD BISHOP OF TUAM, KILLALA, AND ACHONRY,
In dratifnl %tta^mtian
NOT ONLY OF THE PRIVILEGES AND BLESSINGS WHICH ARE
INSEPARABLY CONNECTED WITH HIS SACRED OFFICE,
BUT ALSO IN ADMIRATION OF HIS HIGH PERSONAL
QUALITIES BOTH OF HEAD AND HEART,
THESE PAGES
IN ELUCIDATION OF OUR BLESSED LORD'S LAST WORDS TO THE
CHURCHES, ARE MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.

PREFACE.

Although no portion of the New Testament possesses
more interest for the Christian student, or conveys a deeper
instruction, than the first three chapters of the Book of the
Revelation, which contain the Epistles to the Seven Churches
of Asia Minor, perhaps there are fewer expositions of these
Epistles, in separate form, than of any other section of Sacred
Scripture. Next to the Holy Land, Asia Minor has associations and
memories which make it dear to every Christian heart. It
may be called the cradle of Christianity ; for if Judea was
the birthplace of its Founder, Asia Minor was the scene of
its earliest trials and triumphs. Here St. Paul spent several
years of his life, and he wrote Epistles to, at least, three of
its Churches. Towards Asia Minor he directed his steps on
each of his three missionary journeys. At Ephesus he placed
Timothy, whom he calls his own son in the faith ; and there
is no more affecting address than that delivered by St. Paul,
when bidding the elders of Ephesus farewell at Miletus.
Possibly after the martyrdom of St. Paul, St. John left Jeru
salem, and settled at Ephesus; but we find that he was
barlished under Domitian, A,D. 95.

viii Preface.
These Epistles, which were written by St. John, when in
his exile at Patmos, are the last words of Christ to the
Churches ; and, as such, they are weighty, and worthy of
serious consideration by all classes of professing Christians.
"With the exception of the able Commentary on the Epistles
to the Seven Churches, written by Archbishop Trench, there
is scarcely any other in which . the subject-matter of these
Messages is treated critically and exegetically.
There is a popular Commentary by the present Dean of
Wells, Dr. Plumptre, which, while it contains much that is
valuable and instructive, loses considerably in its claim to
acceptance on account of the author contending for an ear
lier date for the Apocalypse than that commonly assigned,
and thereby occasioning no little obscurity and confusion in
the interpretation. In the exposition now offered, it would
be hardly possible for me to claim to be an independent
worker, as I have availed myself of any materials within my
reach by which the work might be rendered more full, and
the interpretation more clear and explicit ; still I venture to
hope that there will be found a considerable amount of
expository matter, the entire of which, if not absolutely
original in its conception, may claim to be new at least in
method and illustration.
The Greek Text is that of Bishop Wordsworth's Greek
Testament, a book which embodies the most elaborate col
lation of the best MSS., the results of the most recent Recen
sions,, and a careful and judicious selection from the various
Readings, making the Text to approximate as closely as it is
possible to perfection. And in referring to the Greek text of

Preface. ix
that elaborate work, I may venture to add that the appended
notes are also of the highest value, marked as they are with
profound erudition and wide patristic research, while in every
page a fragrance of fervent piety is diffused, which is redolent
of heaven.
The Translation is as close as it is allowable for the
Greek idiom to warrant, so as strictly to preserve the correct
meaning of the original. The Revised New Testament has,
in most cases, been adhered to as being generally exact ;
but where the Greek Text required a different rendering,
there has been no hesitation in taking an independent course.
The explanatory remarks on each verse are such as have
suggested themselves as the obvious interpretation, by com
paring Scripture with Scripture, irrespective of any claims of
authority, or any desire to follow implicitly the footsteps of
those who have preceded me in the same path.
If I have ventured to differ from others, it is in no pre
sumptuous or self-confident spirit ; for in handling the Word
of God, one must proceed calmly and carefully, and, by
prayerful guidance, endeavour to ascertain what is really
intended by its Divine Author. Except at the beginnning
of the Message to each Church, I have not entered, to any
great extent, into historical matter, the chief place being
given to the systematic interpretation of each verse, not only
in its general scope, but in its practical bearings ; and when
subjects of controversy or dogmatic theology have presented
themselves, as, for example, " the beginning of the Creation
of God," as applied to Christ, "the second death," the "white
raiment," the worthiness of the faithful of Sardis, the power

X Preface.
of the keys, " the New Jerusalem," the reigning with Christ
in His kingdom, I have carefully avoided all novel or un
authorized speculations, and have endeavoured to give such
expositions as are, in my own opinion, warranted by the
general teaching of God's word, and are in harmony with the
Creeds and Articles of the Church.
On the subject of unfulfilled prophecy, which has been but
slightly alluded to in one or two instances, I have always felt
that extreme caution is necessary, and that we have no right
to dogmatize, or speculate, in treating of the mysteries of the
Seven Sealed Book, which is in the hands of Christ ; yet,
at the same time, we are not forbidden to notice — on the
contrary, we are rather justified in observing — the landmarks
laid down for our guidance, and we are directed to shape our
course accordingly, so that we may be like men that wait for
their Lord's return, and have the blessing of those servants
whom, when He cometh. He shall find watching (Luke
xii. 37).
The following works I have consulted, and have derived
from them important aid, for which I cannot but express
my obligations : — Archbishop Trench, Epistles to the Seven
Churches ; Bishop Wordsworth, Greek Testament with Notes ;
Dr. , Tristram's Seven Golden Candlesticks, a work which is
most valuable in treating the subject from a historic point of
view; Epistles to the Seven Churches, by Dr. Plumptre, Dean
of Wells ; Bampton Lectures, by Canon Liddon ; Meyer,
amongst German writers, I am specially indebted to ; and
the Gnomon of the New Testament, by Bengel. Much valu
able help has also been obtained from Stier, Words of the

Preface. xi
Risen Saviour ; Bishop Lightfoot's Churches of the Lycus, and
the Ante-Nicene Christian Library, published by Messrs. T.
and T. Clark, Edinburgh.
Here I must not omit to express my heartfelt thanks to
my friend and fellow-labourer in the same diocese, the Rev.
James Treanor, M.A., Rector of Ballinrobe, who has ren
dered me valuable assistance in correcting the proof sheets
of this work when passing through the press, and who has
also given me the benefit of his kind suggestions.
I do not expect that freedom from error has in all things
been attained in a work that has been written amid the
necessary calls of public duty, and the distracting influence
of numerous cares ; but I have employed all my endeavour
so as to prevent any passage, or subject connected therewith,
escaping my notice, without offering what I believed a just
and fair interpretation of it. We treasure our Lord's Sermon
on the Mount as containing the true ethical precepts of His
kingdom ; not less so should we hold in estimation thes,e
messages to the Churches, as the last words of the Risen
Saviour coming from heaven to men ; and, when we hear
these Divine utterances, we should feel that they are the
voice of Him who has proclaimed Himself as " the Resur
rection and the Life," and who will not again speak until His
redeemed Church shall hail His Second Advent, and say —
" Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." If
Churches and individuals can only see themselves repre
sented in some of the pictures of these Apocalyptic Churches
portrayed by the hand of Him " unto whom all hearts are
open," and learn the lessons intended to be conveyed by

xii Preface.
the Messages which proceeded from the Saviour's lips
through His inspired servant, then much benefit and bless
ing might be expected to follow. If lessons of patience
under suffering, firmness under persecution, faithfulness in
times of temptation, zeal for God in our Christian profes
sion, and a growing attachment to Christ amid all the
changes and chances of life — if these lessons are acquired,
and enforced, by whatever exposition these pages may con
tain, no greater object could be desired ; nor could any
higher reward be conferred upon the writer, to whom the
investigation of this department of Sacred Truth has been
a labour of love, and the time occupied in its study " a time
of refreshing."

Moylough Rectory,
February, 1884.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
Introduction  xv-xlviii
The Seven Churches. — Their Position. — 'Why Seven? — The Design of
the Messages. — Schemes of Interpretation. — The 'Writer of the
Messages. — Their Authenticity and Genuineness. — Internal Evi
dence. — Why i,pvlov is used in the Revelation instead of d^iu/ds.
— Who are the Angels of the Churches ? — The Date of the Apo
calypse. — Classes of Interpreters. — Praeterists, Historical and
Futurists. — By -whom the Churches -were planted. — Character of
the Apostle. — Christ Himself the Author of the Revelation — St.
John the Amanuensis.
THE MESSAGES TO THE CHURCHES.
Rev. i. 1-8. Title. — Inscription.— Salutation, and Doxo
logy  1-44
General Observations. — Witness-bearing to Christ. — Blessing attached
to the Study of the Revelation, — Style of St. John's Address. —
Meaning of term ' ' Asia. " — Salutation, Greek and Hebrew in
form. — Title 6 Siv. — The Seven Spirits before the Throne. — Names
of Christ. — Proof of an Atonement. — Doxology ascribing Glory and
Dominion to Christ. — The Second Advent. — The Alpha and fi. —
Almighty to Save.
Rev. i. 9-20. Divine Commission AND Vision . . .45-110
St. John identifies himself -with Suffering Church. — Became a dweller
in Patmos. — Commission to write the Messages, and send them to
the Churches, received hy him on the Lord's Day. — Sublime
Vision. — Seven Golden Candlesticlis separated from each other. — ¦
One like the Son of Man in the midst of them. — Description of
His Appearance. — Clothed in a Royal or Priestly Garment.— Hold
ing Seven Stars in His Right Hand. — His Feet like to xa^KoXi^di/o!!
— Derivation of Word.^A sharp two-edged Sword out of His
Mouth. —His Countenance like the Sun in his strength. — Effect of
the Vision upon the Apostle. — How Restored to Consciousness. —
Christ proclaiming Himself as the First, and the Last, and the
Living One. — Holding Keys of Death and Hades. — Explanation
ofthe Mystery ofthe Seven Stars and the Seven Candlesticks.
I. Message to the, Church of Ephesus .... 1 11-180
Rev. ii. 1-7. Ephesus in its Pagan Condition. — The Introduction of
Christianity there by St. Paul. — The Attribute of Christ, 6 Kparuv.
— The Praise given to the Church. — The Censure. — "Leaving first
Love." — The Threatening. — Deeds of the Nicolaitans. — Promise to
the Victor—' ' Eating of the Tree of Life. "

xiv Contents. PAGE
II. Message to the Church of Smyrna .... 181-222
Rev. ii. 8-1 1. Smyrna, its Position and Circumstances. — Polycarp con
sidered to be the "Angel."— Persecutions.— The Title, "The
First and the Last."— A Suffering Church.— Meaning of term
"Jews" in this Epistle.—" Synagogue of Satan."— " Devil cast
ing some into Prison." — Ten Days' Tribulation.— Promise to him
who Overcame: "Not hurt of Second Death "—Meaning of
Expression.
III. Message to the Church of Pergamum . . . 223-254
Rev. ii. 12-17. Historical Sketch.— Title Christ here Adopts.—
Meaning of "Sharp Sword with Two Edges."— Satan's Seat.—
Antipas. — Balaamites ; are they the same as Nicolaitans?^—
Threatening.— Call to Repentance. — Promise to Victor.— Hidden
Manna. — 'White Stone and New Name.
IV. Message to the Church of Thyatira . . . 255-292
Rev. ii. 18-29. Thyatira, connection of with Macedonia. — Lydia. —
Worship of Apollo. — Praise given to the Church. — " That Woman
Jezebel," or, " Thy Wife Jezebel " ? — Her Wickedness in Seducing
the Members ofthe Church. — Profligacy and Idol Meats.— Punish
ment of herself and her Confederates. — " Depths of Satan." —
Promise to him who should Overcome. — Power over the Nations.
—The Gift of "the Morning Star."
V. Message to the Church of Sardis .... 293-332
Rev. iii. 1-6. Sketch of its History. — Worship of Cybele. — Christ's
Title : He that hath the Seven Spirits of God and the Seven Stars.
. — Nominal Christians — Call to 'Watchfulness and Activity. — First
Principles and Repentance. — Threatening. — Sudden Visitation.
—A Faithful Few. — Promise. — Clothed in White Raiment. —
Name in 600k of Life. — Acknowledged in Heaven.
VI. Message to the Church of Philadelphia. . . 333-386
Rev. iii. 7-13. Philadelphia, now Allah Shehr, City of God. — Gibbon's
Testimony. — " He who hath the Key of David."— The "Open
Door," and "Little Strength." — Professing Jews worshipping at
feet of Christians. — Precious Promises. — Safe-keeping in Times of
Tribulation. — A Pillar in Temple of God. — Name of My God. —
New Jerusalem. — New Name.
VII. Message to the Church of Laodicea . . . 387-466
Rev. iii. 14-22. Laodicea, when, and by whom built. — Wealthy In
habitants.— " Epistle from Laodicea" (Col. iv. 15, 16).  The
Amen. — The Witness. — " Beginning of Creation of God." —
Neither Cold nor Hot : Lukewarm.— Rejection by Christ.— Self-
Satisfaction ; Ignorance of Spiritual Poverty. — Gold, White
Raiment, Eyesalve offered.— Rebuke and Chastisement : latter
not Penal but Purifying ; not mark of God's Wrath, but of Mercy
and Salvation. — Christ standing at Door Knocking ; Promise to
him who should Open. — The Crowning promise to the Victor
here-^Sitting with Christ on His Throne in His Kingdom.

Index

467

INTRODUCTION.

The Seven Churches of Asia Minor, to which our blessed
Lord sent messages by His servant, St. John, were situated
in the western portion of that country, not far remote from
the shores of the .^gean Sea. They lay in a group chiefly
in the provinces of Lydia and Ionia, which two divisions
embraced what are called Proconsular Asia. In this limited
signification, we find the term, " Asia," so used in the Acts
of the Apostles, as, for example, when Demetrius told his
fellow craftsmen that St. Paul had persuaded and turned
away much people, not alone at Ephesus, but almost through
out all Asia (Acts xix. 26). The entire district was not more
than one hundred miles square ; and, besides the Seven
Churches to which Epistles were written, there were other
Churches of no less importance included within these re
stricted limits. There were, on the banks of the river
Meander, three cities. Magnesia, Hierapolis, and Colossm, and <
a fourth, Tralles, a little to the north of that river, in all >
of which there were flourishing Christian Churches when St. s
John wrote ; but these are unnoticed in the Apocalyptic
" Vision." There must have been a special design in this.
The Revelation is a book of symbol. While it is the last
book of prophecy — the only prophetic book, properly so
called, of the New Testament — its prophecies are unfolded in
a series of visions, a kind of prophetic tableau, successively

xvi Introduction.
exhibiting the dispensations of God's providence to His
Church, from the early days of Christianity until the Second
Advent and the final Judgment. Just as all the progressive
stages of the earth's history, before man's creation, were
unfolded before the eye of the Hebrew prophet and lawgiver,
until, in the six days' work, the entire series had been fully
brought to view ; ^ so here, in the vision of the Apocalypse,
symbolic representations of events which were to happen
were made to pass before the eye of the Apostle until, like
some dissolving view, the Church's long night of sorrow
melted away into the light of heaven.
The typical number, seven, is employed as the symbol of
perfection, or completeness, ^ and in this sense it frequently
occurs in the Apocalypse — denoting that these messages sent
I to the Seven Churches were for all Churches throughout the
world, and for all time. In accordance with this view, it
has been noticed by some of the early Christian writers that
I St. Paul wrote Epistles to Seven Gentile Churches, because
what he wrote to them he wrote to all ; * and we are there
fore no more warranted in appropriating the consolations, and
hopes, the warnings and rebukes, addressed to the Asiatic
Churches, as solely for their own edification and improvement,
than we are in confining St. Paul's writings to the Churches
of the age when he wrote. The Churches of Asia Minor are
clearly representative. They are types of the Universal
Church in its varied phases of spiritual life, and are designed
so to be until that day when her absent Lord shall return,
and when His people shall, out of every nation, and kindred,
and tribe, stand in His presence, one glorious Church, " with
out spot, or blemish, or any such thing."
1 Kurtz, Bibel und Astronomie.
• Bahl-, Symbolik des Mos. Cult, vol. i. p. 129.
' Cyprian, De Exhort. Martyr., c. 11.

Introduction. ¦ xvii
Schemes of Interpretation.
Some entertain the notion that, while these Churches are
representative, they are so not only as descriptive of the
spiritual condition of the Church of every age, but also as con
taining the outline of the various states through which the
Church of Christ is to pass until the Second Advent of our
Lord. Vitringa, thus expresses this view : " Omnino igitur
existimo Spiritum S. sub typo et emblemate septem Eccle
siarum Asiae, nobis mystice et prophetice voluisse depingere
septem variantes status Ecclesiae Christianas, quibus successive
conspiceretur usque ad adventum Domini, et omnium rerum
finem," etc. This notion is utterly untenable. It has no
sanction from antiquity, nor is it borne out by the condition
of the Church as recorded in history, from the time of St.
John to the present. Archbishop Trench thinks that, because
certain Churches of the seven, of small importance, were taken
into the number, while others of greater note were omitted,
this was for the purpose of supplying types of the different
phases the Church was to assume. But it can hardly be
seriously supposed that the Church of Ephesus, as addressed .
by our Lord, through the beloved disciple, could be a type
of the Christian Church in the first or second century, or
Smyrna, the representative of the succeeding age. The idea
conveyed by the addresses to the Seven Churches is not pro- t
gression. If anything is clearly seen, it is that they are all
communicated with at the same time, and that the substance
of the message — indeed the very introduction of the Speaker
in each case — applies directly to the condition of each Church, ,
and is adapted specially to the circumstances under which the
particular Church addressed was placed. " Where the literal
interpretation will stand, the farthest from it is the worst."
This is one of the rules of the judicious Hooker ; and when
men look for a prophetic meaning in plain historic narrative, b

xviii Introduction.
they betray all the weakness of a vain imagination, that
would be wise above what is written, and, Icarus-like,
foolishly attempt to penetrate beyond the cloud which hides
the dim and distant future from the eye of mortals.
Vitringa sees, for example, the Church of Ephesus repre
senting that period which extended from the Day of Pentecost
to the persecution under Decius ; Smyrna, the period from
Decius to Diocletian ; Pergamum, from Constantine to the
close of the seventh century; Thyatira, the first half of the
Middle Ages ; Sardis, the period from the twelfth century
to the Reformation ; Philadelphia, the first century of the
Reformation ; Laodicea, the Reformed Church at the time
he was writing.^
There may be in this arrangement certain points of coin
cidence between the assumed prophecy and the fulfilment ;
but the application is unnatural, forced, and arbitrary ; and
any one acquainted with Church history must be aware that
there is no connexion between the alleged symbol and the
thing signified. Nor does it appear that those who have
thought that " the promises in the seven Epistles correspond
to the unfolding of the kingdom of God, from its first
beginnings on earth to its consummation in heaven," have
been more fortunate in their scheme of interpretation. For
example — to the faithful in Ephesus is promised " the tree of
life in the Paradise of God " (Rev. ii. 7). This, we are told,
corresponds to the tree of life in Eden, around which were
placed cherubim and a flaming sword. To the faithful in
Smyrna, " they shall not be hurt of the second death." This
corresponds to what is written regarding the introduction
of sin and death into the world. Then the promise made
to Pergamum as to the "hidden manna" brings us to the
journeying of Israel in the wilderness, and so on. To follow
up such designed coincidences would only be perverting
' Lange, vol. ii. p. 472.

Introduction. xix
Scripture, and seeking for concord and harmony where there
was neither aflinity nor cohesion — mistaking the foolish
and vague fancies of men for the mind of the Spirit of God.
Never should we be found taking such unwarrantable
liberties in the matter of Scripture interpretation ; but rather
like the wheels described in Ezekiel, "when the spirit went
they went, and when the spirit stood they stood ; " so should
we ever seek to be guided into all truth by Him who alone
can make us wise unto salvation.
The Writer of the Messages to the Churches.
There is considerable difference of opinion amongst critics
as to the writer of these Messages, and the time when they
were sent to the several Churches. The Revelation is very
unlike any of the other writings of St. John, so much so,
that the genuineness and authenticity of the book have been
questioned. Any one reading the Epistles and Gospel would
find it hard to recognise the Revelation as the work of the
same author, and yet there are certain marks, and finger
posts, which make it clear - that they all came from the same
source. In the Epistles and Gospel of St. John, the title,
" Word," as applied to Christ is found, and this designation
is not used by any of the other Apostles and Evangelists.
We find this appellation in Rev. xix. 13. In the other
writings of St. John, we are reminded of a conflict and a
victory in the Christian life ; so in the Messages to the Seven
Churches, this " overcoming " is the condition of, and qualifi
cation for, the Christian's final glory, honour, and blessedness.
The Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ runs, like a silver
thread, through all the writings of St. John, and imparts
such an individuality of character, as distinguishes them from
the writings of any other Apostle ; and this prominently
appears in the section of the Revelation now under review.
The Epistles to the Seven Churches were received, retained,

XX Introduction.
and acknowledged by the Churches of Proconsular Asia as
having been written by St. John ; and if they had been the
work of one who said he was an Apostle, and was not, they
would have been rejected. Indeed, the very commendation
which St. John gives to the Church of Ephesus for " trying
them that said they were Apostles and were not," indicates
clearly his own claim to Divine inspiration.
There is a marked peculiarity in all St. John's writings
in the affirmation he makes in regard to the accuracy of
his testimony : " This is the disciple which testifieth of these
things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony
is true" (John xxi. 24). See also Rev. i. 2, 3 ; John i. 14, 15 ;
I John i. I, 2.
The designation, " Lamb," and " Lamb of God," as applied
to Christ, is specially characteristic of St. John, although he
employs a different word in the Revelation from that which
he makes use of in the Gospel, to express the title.
I The word apviov is used twenty-nine times in the Revela
tion to describe Christ as the Lamb, while in the Gospel of
St. John it only once occurs, — but in a different application
— (John xxi. 15), the word a/ivo? being invariably employed.
Some have thought that this fact is at variance with St.
John's having been the author of the Revelation. But they
never seem to have inquired whether there was a design in
» this change. 'Apviov is an appellation of tender emotion and
endearment, and is just such a designation as the beloved
disciple would haVe been likely to use in reference to Him
whom he had seen " brought as a lamb to the slaughter," and
upon whom he never could expend too great a wealth of love.
Although the word is in a diminutive form, it had then lost
its diminutive signification, and was well suited to convey the
idea of Christ as the sacrificial Lamb in virtue of His death
still sustaining to His people, in His glorified humanity, the
most intimate and endearing relation as the Apostle and

Introduction. xxi
High Priest of their profession, and the exalted Head of
His Church.
We find apviov first applied to Christ in the Revelation
in connexion with the seven-sealed roll which contained a
prophetic detail of the Church's sufferings, from the period of
the vision of Patmos to the world's close.
In chap. xii. there is a description of t\xQ faithful Church,
symbolized by the woman clothed with the sun ; and in
chap, xvii., we read of the faithless Church under the figure of
a woman seated on a scarlet-coloured beast {Orjpiov), so that
there is a contrast presented, as Bishop Wordsworth observes,
between the v Tropvrj Kai to drjpiov on the one side, and •q vvfi<f>r]
Koi TO apviov on the other ; and to make the contrast more
marked, the word chosen by St. John (apviov) is exactly
adapted. To argue against St. John's authorship of the Revelation,
because in the Gospel the designation, " Lamb," is a/j.vo'i, but
in the former, apviov, would be to ignore the character and
object of these books — the one dealing exclusively, except in
the first three chapters, with prophecy and symbol, th'e other
with historic narrative ; the one in reference to Christ now
glorified on His throne, the other in regard to His humiliation
and suffering here on earth.
This change of expression, which is noticeable here, we find
in other instances also. When in the Revelation St. John
refers to the heavenly Jerusalem, he writes, 'lepova-aXrjfji ; while
in the Gospel alluding to the earthly city it is 'lepoaoXvfia.
In like manner ol 'lovSaioi in the Gospel designates the literal
Jews, the bitter enemies of Christ, yet in the Revelation the
term is used to denote the true followers of Christ (ii. 9 ; iii. 9).
So that, although the Apocalypse differs in style and manner
from the other writings of the Apostle, this may be accounted
for by the difference of subject, and the mode of communica
tion by vision, through which the things he afterwards com-

xxii Introduction.
mitted to writing, were made known to him. By symbol, he
was instructed to depict the Church's condition and history,
her perils and progress, her sorrows and joys, her trials and
triumphs ; and while the world kingdoms were in the fore
ground of the picture in formidable array against the Church,
the full and final triumjA of Christ over every opposing power
was the goal to which all his prophetic disclosures tended.
There is no other Book of Scripture like this ; and we may-
feel assured that no lesser inspiration than that of the Divine
Spirit could have enabled the Apostle to place on record the
marvellous things contained in it, so far beyond what human
foresight could disclose. In parts of Isaiah, Daniel, and
Zechariah, there are some points resembling the Revelation ;
but nothing equal to it in portraying the chequered history of
the Church in the latter days, at the end of which we are taught
to expect the complete overthrow of the world power and the
establishment of Christ's kingdom — that grand consummation
evincing to the universe "the manifold wisdom of God."
That St. John wrote the Revelation was acknowledged
universally until the third century, when certain views re
specting the millennium having been founded on passages
contained in it, by those who were called Chiliasts, to get rid
of the arguments put forward by these men, their opponents
went so far as to deny the authenticity of the Book ; after
wards, however, it regained its ancient authority, and has
never since been questioned as to the place it occupies in the
Sacred Canon.
Who are Meant by the Angels of the Seven
Churches .' (Rev. i. 20).
This question is one of considerable difficulty, and has
received a variety of answers. The cause of the difficulty has
arisen from the term, "Angels," being nowhere else in the
New Testament applied to designate the Heads of Churches.

Introduction. xxiii
The words, " bishops " and " elders," are frequently used in
the Pastoral Epistles as descriptive of those who had the over
sight of Churches ; but the word, " Angel," in this connexion
is a novelty ; hence, there are writers who have denied its
applicability to presidents, or overseers of Churches, altogether,
and who have adhered to the plain and obvious interpretation
of the term, as denoting a heavenly Angel. Bishop Lightfoot
considers the stars as symbolic of the heavenly representa
tives ; the lamps, the earthly realization, the outward embodi
ment of the Churches. In this view the Angels are regarded
as celestial guardians, just as guardian angels are supposed to
be set apart for the bodily protection of individuals. Bishop
Lightfoot further adds : " Whatever may be the exact con
ception, the Angel is identified with, and made responsible for,
the Church, to a degree wholly unsuited to any human officer."
Against this view there are insuperable difficulties. The
idea of Churches having " guardian angels " is not less a
novelty than the term, "Angel," being used in the sense
of bishop. It is true that in i Cor. xi. lo, we read of Angels
being present in the worshipping assemblies of God's people ;
and the argument used by St. Paul for women covering their
heads in the Church, thereby exhibiting reverence, submission,
and modesty, is "because of the Angels," who are present
intermingling in the worship of God, and who veil their faces,
in token of their reverence, and are most pleased when they
perceive in their fellow-worshippers whatever most conduces
to peace, harmony, and edification.
We read, too, that Angels are "ministering spirits, sent forth
to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation " ; and in
Matt, xviii. ID, where our Lord is mentioned as speaking of
children, and where He tells His disciples not to despise them,
however weak and helpless they may appear to be; the reason
is, because they have a dignity and an immortality which will
outlive the stars of heaven, and which dignity and immortality

xxiv Introduction.
are proved by the fact that " in heaven their angels do always
behold the face of My Father which is in heaven."
The words, " their angels " would seem to favour the notion
of guardian angels set apart to keep watch and ward over
the young; and the Psalmist says: "The angel of the Lord en-
campeth round about them that fear Him," — showing that not
merely to children, but also to all, irrespective of age or sex,
who fear the Lord, the same privilege of bodily protection
- and help in difficulty is afforded But with all these passages,
the persons addressed as Angels in the Messages to the
Seven Churches have nothing whatever to do. The Angels
I of the different Churches were to be written to ; they were,
1 some of them, reproved and rebuked, while others were
' approved and praised. This could not apply to heavenly
Angels. It could not be said of one of those bright and holy
beings who stand before the throne of God, "Nevertheless,
I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy
first love " ; or, " I know thy works that thou art neither cold
nor hot"; or, if the reading of Rev. ii. 20, t^i/ '^vvalKo, crov
Te^a/SeX, be correct, which Bishops Wordsworth and Lightfoot
consider it to be, there would be a gross incongruity in
identifying the Angel of the Church of Thyatira with one
of those heavenly spirits, who "neither marry nor are given
in marriage." We may, therefore, dismiss this view of the
term. Angel, in Rev. i. 20, as utterly unsupported, as in
applicable to the requirements of the case, and too fanciful
for a moment to be entertained.
Whatever meaning we may attach to the word, it must be
understood as designating some human being who held a
distinguished place at the head of each of the Churches, and
who was its superintendent, and was responsible for its spiritual
condition. The person styled " Angel," could not have been
an Apostle, as St. John was then the last surviving Apostle of
the Twelve. He must, therefore, have been the president,

Introduction. xxv
chief pastor, or head of the Church to which the message was
sent; and it was intended that, through him, the subject
matter communicated should be conveyed to the particular
Church in which he was an overseer. He is closely identified
with it; so much so, that it is difficult to decide, in many
instances, whether the message is sent directly to himself, or
through him to it. If there is praise or blame, the Angel
receives either the one or the other, just in proportion as the
Church deserves it. Was the Angel then the Bishop of the
Church addressed ? and, if so, why was not the title. Bishop,
used instead of the peculiar designation of Angel .¦"
Timothy had been ordained the first Bishop of Ephesus
by St. Paul, many years before the addresses to the Seven
Churches were sent, and if he was then at Ephesus, it is re
markable that the word " Angel," should have been used to
denote his episcopal office. It does not, however, appear
that, in the days of the Apostles, or for some time afterwards,
the name bishop, as denoting an order superior to that of
presbyter, was in common use, as the words presbyter and
bishop, were interchangeable. Even St. Peter calls himself an
elder ; and St. Paul, in addressing the elders of Ephesus, calls
them all by this name ; and at the same time speaks of them
as overseers {iiriaKoirowi) ; and on his first Apostolic journey
in company with Barnabas, we are told, "they ordained them
elders in every Church." These seem to have occupied in the
Christian Church :a similar position to that which the priests
did in the Jewish synagogue ; and as in Apostolic times the
synagogue was more or less frequented by Christian pro
fessors, the model of the Christian Church was adopted from
and planned according to the organization of the synagogue.
The council which met at Jerusalem was composed of
presbyters, from the number of whom St. James was elected
as president ; and though Apostles were there, presbyters were
associated with them in confirming the decrees of that council.

xxvi Introduction.
We might then expect that the term " presbyter," would be
that by which the president of each of the Seven Churches
should have been designated. It has been observed that the
name Bishop was indifferently used for presbyter ; but it had
not come sufiiciently into recognition while the Apostles lived.
Bishop Lightfoot considers the title Bishop as having been
first used by Gentile Churches, and that it was suggested
by and borrowed from the directors of religious and social
clubs among the heathen.^ He adduces the commissioners
appointed by the Greeks to regulate a new colony, as having
been designated eiria-Korroi, and the Roman magistrates who
regulated the sale of provisions, he tells us, also adopted the
same title. But in Apostolic times, when St. Paul addresses,
epistles or salutations to the bishops and deacons, while he
makes no mention of presbyters, we must clearly infer that
the terms bishop and presbyter were identical.
For half a century from the date of the destruction of
Jerusalem, during which there is a perfect blank in ecclesi
astical history, we have no sure warrant for ascertaining
what were the designations used in the Christian ministry.
So long as Apostles lived, the name "Apostles," was the
distinctive title ; but when they passed away, we may suppose
that, in the organization of the different Churches, there were
men appointed, who, although they did not pretend to per
form the extraordinary functions of the Apostles, in working
miracles, or lay claim to possess the gift of tongues, yet
were set apart for the supervision and effective adminis
tration of the affairs of the Churches. St. Ignatius mentions
the three orders of bishops, presbyters and deacons, in his
Epistle to Polycarp. " Give heed to the bishop, that God also
may give heed to you. I am devoted to those who are
obedient to the bishop, to presbyters, to deacons " (tcG
eTna-KOTTO), irpea^vripoi';, BiaKovois) ; and by this Apostolic
' Bishop Lightfoot, on Phil., p. 95.

Introduction. xxvii
Father, the bishop is always spoken of as the chief officer
of the Church. Now the Epistle to Polycarp was written in
the beginning of the second century, as Ignatius suffered mar
tyrdom in the ninth year of Trajan's reign, A.D. 107, so that
the title bishop had then been recognised as distinct from
that of presbyter. We may believe that those who were set
apart by Apostles for the supervision of special communities
of. Christians, where many Churches were grouped together
— such as Ignatius for Antioch, Polycarp for Smyrna, and
Clement for Rome — were, in virtue of their office, in a higher
position than the presbyters of individual Churches. The
letter of Clement of Rome shows this : "The Apostles having
appointed elders in every Church, and foreseeing that disputes
would arise afterwards, added a codicil, that if they should
fall asleep, other approved men should succeed to their office."^
In the Asiatic Church, we may suppose that during the
thirty years from the overthrow of Jerusalem to the end of
the first century, the organization of these Churches was
carried out by St. John. When Jerusalem was destroyed,
and the disciples of our Lord scattered abroad, Asia Minor
afforded a refuge where they escaped, in some degree, the
persecution which sorely tried the Christians in other parts of
the Roman empire. Christianity was not new to the people
of Proconsular Asia, for there St. Philip had already preached
the gospel, and there also St. Andrew had, for a protracted
period, laboured. St. Paul and St. Barnabas had in previous
times planted many Christian Churches in that country, the
former having remained for three years at Ephesus. If after
the death of St. James, when the disciples met to appoint
a successor, and actually did select Symeon, as Eusebius
mentions, there was an apportionment of districts for mis
sionary effort, we may conclude that the portion assigned to
St. John was Asia Minor, and that, as an Apostle, he was to
1 Clem. Rom., § 44, quoted by Bishop Lightfoot, Comm. on Phil, p. 203.

xxviii Introduction.
exercise authority and jurisdiction over the Churches in that
locality to the end of his life. When he went to Ephesus, if
Timothy was already there, having been appointed by St.
Paul as bishop, this title does not appear to have carried with
it any meaning more than that of chief presbyter, with power
to ordain, to appoint, or depose elders.
In all likelihood, " parishes " had not been regularly
mapped out, but Churches here and there had been col
lected and grouped, and presbyters placed in charge of them.
Now by what name was such a Church officer as Timothy
to be known ? He was not an Apostle, although selected to
fill the post of honour and of duty which an Apostle had
occupied. He was more than an ordinary presbyter, for the
functions of his office were such as a mere presbyter could
not discharge.
The word "Angel" might fitly express the dignity and
importance of the office assigned to him, who held that
intermediate position between an Apostle on the one hand,
and an ordinary presbyter on the other ; and more especially
as the period during which this term was applied was a
transitional one, — the extraordinary dignity of Apostle con
ferred directly by Christ passing away with St. John, and the
ordinary office of overseer, or bishop, being about to take
its place. It is clear that, in the beginning of the second
century, the three orders of bishop, presbyter, and deacon,
were recognised, defined, and confirmed. This is shown from
the writings of Ignatius already referred to, who speaks of
himself as bishop of Antioch, and who expressly specifies the
three orders of bishop, presbyter, and deacon.^ Clemens
of Alexandria states that St. John went about from city to
city in Asia Minor, his purpose being "in some places to
establish bishops, in others to consolidate whole Churches, in
others again to appoint to the clerical office some one of
' Ignat., Epist. to Polyc, 6.

Introduction, xxix
those who had been signified by the Spirit." ^ Of Polycarp,
Bishop of Smyrna, Irenaeus, his pupil, says, " he had not only
been instructed by Apostles, and had conversed with many
who had seen Christ, but had also been established by
Apostles in Asia, as bishop in the Church at Smyrna," ^ In
the Circular Epistle of the Church of Smyrna, relating to the
Martyrdom of Polycarp, that faithful martyr is styled "a
truly Apostolic and prophetic teacher, and the Bishop of the
Catholic Church which is at Smyrna." *
We find then that the term, "Angel," was only of tem
porary application, and it suited the period of transition '
between the last of the Apostles and the development of the
episcopal oflfice. It was not unknown to the Churches as
having been applied to those who spoke in former times in
the name of the Lord, such as Malachi, who is called " My
Angel, or messenger " ; John the Baptist, who is spoken of
by the same figure (Mal. iii. i), and the Jewish priests
(Mal. ii. 7). The expression was apposite, however singular
it may have appeared. As Dean Plumptre says, " It testified
that the servants of God who had been called to this special
office were to lead on earth an angel's life ; that they, both in
the liturgical and the ministerial aspects of their work, were
to be as those who, in both senses, were ministering spirits in
heaven (Heb. i. 14). It helped also — and this may well have
commended it — to bring the language of the Revelation into 1
harmony with that of the great Apocalyptic work of the Old 1
Testament, the prophecy of Daniel. On the other hand, we
need not wonder that it did not take a prominent place in the
vocabulary of the Church. The old associations of the word
were too dominant, the difficulty of distinguishing the newi
from the old too great, to allow of its being generally accepted.
It was enough that it answered, as now, a special purpose." * '
' Quis Div. Salv. f 42, p. 959. ' Iren., iii. 3, 4.
8 Epist. of Ch. of Smyrna, sec. l6. * Dean Plumptre, Ep. to Seven Ch., p. 48.

xxx Introduction.

The Date of the Apocalypse.
The traditional view as regards the date of the Apocalypse
has been recently set aside by some, and a much earlier date
assigned to it. But it is hardly safe, unless upon sufficient
authority, to disturb those long-established bases upon which
the genuineness and authenticity of the books of Scripture
rest. The effect is to loosen the bond which unites us to
them, to engender doubt, and to lead men to say : If there
is uncertainty in such a plain matter as the date of author
ship, what reliance can be placed in results which have been
reached in matters of difficulty, where the data have been
obscure or imperfect t German investigation has frequently
outstepped the bounds of legitimate criticism ; and by vain
speculation, men of the nineteenth century pretend to be
better informed as regards the time and place of the writing
of a book of Holy Scripture than the Apostolic Fathers, and
the other eminent theologians who lived in the early days of
Christianity. Now as regards the time when the Revelation
was written, it is contended that it was in the reign of Nero,
A.D. 54-68, and that the banishment of St. John was contem
poraneous with the martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul ;
but has it never occurred to those who advocate an early date
for the Revelation, that it could hardly be supposed Nero
would put two Apostles to death, and permit a third to end
his days in exile.? Indeed, such a punishment as exile
to Patmos was unknown in the time of Nero, nor is there
any evidence to show that, except at Rome, any Christian
suffered death during his reign.
St. Irenffius, who was a disciple of Polycarp, the actual
disciple of St. John, affirms— and there is no reason to doubt
his testimony — that the Apocalypse "was seen not so long
ago, but almost in our generation, towards the close of the

Introduction. xxxi
reign of Domitian " •} but we are told by Lutzelberger, Renan, ,
Baur, and others, that no value can be attached to any state
ment of Irenaeus, because he held the tradition that Christ
was fifty years old, and he asserted, on the authority of Papias,
that our blessed Lord uttered a strange prediction, to the
effect that "days shall come in which vines shall grow, of
which each shall have ten thousand shoots," etc. When
Irenaeus, therefore, stated that St. John wrote the Apocalypse
towards the end of the reign of Domitian, this statement
is as destitute of historic authority as the other assertions
are of truth, and that it goes for nothing. This inference,
however, is scarcely justified ; for his testimony as to the time
of St. John's writing the Apocalypse is in regard to a matter
of fact, while the other points to which exception has been
taken are only matters of hearsay or tradition.
An attempt has been made to explain away the evidence
of Irenaeus, by making the word " Domitian " identical with
Domitius Nero j but Tertullian, in writing on the same point,
distinguishes clearly between Nero and Domitian, where he
says, " Nero was the first Emperor who used the sword against
the Church, and the next who imitated him was Domitian."^
This distinction clearly shows that there was no such con
fusion of names as is alleged, and that it was therefore not
Nero, who died A.D. 68, but Domitian, who died A.D. 96, that
St. Irenaeus alluded to.
But there is other testimony to the fact besides that of
Irenaeus. Clemens of Alexandria, who was contemporary
with Irenaeus, and who occupied a distinguished place in the
Church towards the close of the second century, does not
name the Emperor, it is true, by whom St. John was banished,
but he says that, " after the death of the tyrant, John went
from the island of Patmos to Ephesus " ; and he adds that
"John remained with the elders of Asia to the time of
' Iren , adv. Har. v., 30, 3. ^ Tertull., Apol., i, 6.

xxxii Introduction.
Trajan."! Xhg tyrant alluded to here is obviously Domitian,
whose cruelty was in no degree less than that of Nero ;
and the allusion to St. John continuing to live through
Nerva's reign to the times of Trajan, is a strong presump
tion that it was not in the reign of Nero he was exiled
to Patmos, but in that of the second persecutor of the
Church, who, according to Tertullian, imitated Nero, namely
Domitian. By the time Domitian died, A.D. 96, we are told St. John
would have been " too old to write the fiery pages of the
Apocalypse." We are not to infer that it was after the
death of the tyrant, but during St. John's exile in Patmos,
in Domitian's lifetime, he wrote the Apocalypse. Besides,
if his life was prolonged until the times of Trajan, we may
suppose that, like Moses who had the vision of God, he who
leant upon the Saviour's bosom may have been similarly
sustained, so that " his eye was not dim, nor his natural force
abated." Trajan came to the throne in A.D. 98, and he
reigned nineteen years. We have further evidence from
Victorinus, who suffered martyrdom, A.D. 303, and who not
only affirms that St. John was in Patmos when " he saw the
Apocalypse," but was banished there by Domitian, to work
in the mines, and that after the assassination of the tyrant, he
was released.^ To this testimony may also be added that of
Eusebius and St. Jerome, both of whom state that it was
in the fourteenth year of the reign of Domitian, A.D. 95, when,
in the isle of Patmos, through the persecution of Domitian,
St. John wrote the Apocalypse. ^
Surely in the face of this external evidence it is impossible
to believe that an earlier date than the close of the first
century could be assigned to the Revelation. But it is said
that there is internal evidence which must go a long way
' Clem. Alex., apud Euseb., iii. 23. » Victor., in Apocal., x. 11.
' Jerome, Dt Vir. Illust., 9. Euseb., Chron. and H. E., iii. 18.

Introduction. xxxiii
to demand an earlier date, and in fact make it absolutely
necessary. The style of the Apocalypse is so poor, and the
structure of the sentences in many cases so defective, that,
when compared with the Gospel, it could scarcely be recog
nised as having been written by the same individual. The
gospel shows an acquaintance with Hellenistic Greek, of
which the Revelation gives not the faintest trace. How then,
it is asked, if the Apocalypse was written in A.D. 95, could the
writer in five years at most have made such progress in the
acquisition of style and in the perfection of language, as to
make the one book almost a contrast to the other ? But do
the facts justify the inference here drawn ? It is admitted
that the Gospel of St. John shows poverty of language and -
style in many respects as great as the Apocalypse. Tholuck,
than whom no scholar was more competent to decide, alludes
to the use of certain particles which are constantly repeated
in St. John's Gospel, and he also speaks of barbarisms and
solecisms, in various places ; so that St. John is not to be
regarded as such a practised and perfect writer, even when
he wrote the Gospel ; and, this being so, there would be no
difficulty in his acquiring, in a very few years, such an im
provement in style as the Gospel evinces when compared with
the Apocalypse, instead of our supposing him to have spent
twenty or thirty years in endeavouring to attain it. Even in
the writings of St. Paul, the most highly educated and gifted
of the Apostles, there are many deviations from pure classic
style. To fix the period of the Apocalypse in the time of Nero,
or Galba, the conspirator, who hurled Nero from his throne,
would be attended with insuperable difficulties.
(i) As has been already shown, it would be contrary to the
voice of the early Apostolic Fathers, some of whom con
versed with St. John, and the latest of whom were separated
from the Apostle by only one generation, and who must,

xxxiv Introduction.
therefore, have been in a better position to know the fact
than we who are removed from him by 1800 years.
(2) If banished in the reign of Nero, he must then have
been a resident in Rome ; but there is no evidence to show
that he was ever in Rome, and the Neronian persecution of
Christians was altogether confined to those who were in the
city. Had St. John been there, most probably he never would
have seen Patmos, but must have endured the same kind
of martyrdom which the other followers of Christ suffered
at the hands of the tyrant Nero. There can be no doubt
that St. John was residing at Ephesus for some considerable
time, before " he became a dweller " in Patmos ; but when he
went to that city, there is no certain evidence. Probably he
did not go to Ephesus until after St. Paul's martyrdom, which
took place in either A.D. 6"] {Euseb), or 68 (Jerome). He was
not there when St. Paul summoned the elders of Ephesus to
meet him at Miletus ; nor have we any proof that he was
there when St. Paul wrote his Epistle to the Ephesians, or
his two Epistles to Timothy, the second of which was written
immediately before his death.
The Jewish war broke out about that time, and if St. John
was then in Jerusalem, he may have gone to Asia Minor,
especially as dangerous heresies prevailed there, and the
presence of an Apostle was needful in order to counteract
them and preserve purity of doctrine. Indeed, Jerome says,
that owing to those heresies, St. John was urged by all the
Asiatic bishops and deputations from many Churches to
write respecting the Divinity of the Saviour.^
That he was in Asia Minor before being sent to Patmos
is clear from the fact that those Fathers who have referred
to his exile, speak of his returning to Ephesus. Irenaeus
for example says : " After the death of Domitian he returned
from Patmos to Ephesus, where he lived to the reign of
1 Hieron., Prafat. in Matth.

Introduction, xxxv
Trajan, and died at Ephesus in the sixty-eighth year after
our Lord's Crucifixion." i So also Jerome : " When Domi
tian was slain and his decrees rescinded by the Senate, on
account of his cruelty, John returned to Ephesus in the reign
of Nerva." ^ Eusebius, following Irenaeus, says that " the
Apocalyptic vision was given to John at the end of the reign
of Domitian;"^ and Tertullian speaks of the Apostle having
been cast into a vessel of boiling oil, by command of
Domitian, and when taken out miraculously unhurt, having
been banished to Patmos.*
If then St. John did not go to Ephesus until after the
martyrdom of St. Paul, and if he was in Ephesus before
being sent to Patmos, as the statements of Irenaeus, Jerome,
and others imply, it is obvious he could have neither been
banished to that island, nor have written the Apocalypse,
during the reign of Nero.
(3) But how can the statement of Irenaeus, that, "when
a boy (about A.D. 150), he had heard from the mouth of
Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, and many other elders, many
memorable things about John, the Lord's disciple, who, as a
successor to St. Paul, lived in Ephesus, wrote the Revelation,
and died at a great age in the reign of Trajan "^ — be recon
ciled with St. John's banishment to Patmos in the reign of
Claudius, Nero, or Galba ?
(4) When St. Paul wrote his Epistle to the Ephesians,
which was during his first imprisonment in Rome, A.D. 61-63,
that Church is spoken of in terms of the highest praise, and
the Apostle " thanks God for their faith in the Lord Jesus
and love unto all the saints" (i. 15). He speaks of them
as " raised up and made to sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus " — " built together for an habitation of God
' Iren., ii. 22, J. ^ Hieron., de Script Eccles., c. lo.
3 Euseb., Eccl. Hist., iii. 18. ¦* Tertul., Prascr. adv. Hcer., c. 36.
° Euseb., V. 20, 24. Iren., adv. Har., iii. 3

xxxvi Introdziction.
through the spirit " (ii. 22) ; and it could hardly be supposed
that, in the course of four or five years from that time,
the Church at Ephesus should have sunk so low as it un
doubtedly was when St. John wrote. Nemo repente turpis-
simus applies to Churches as well as individuals. If St. John
wrote the Apocalypse in the reign of Nero, how was it that
the Church presented such a contrast to what it had been
a few years previously.' This is wholly inexplicable. How
can we account for the sudden departure from " first love " }
Instead of the Church at Ephesus having "lost its first
love," it was flourishing in the days of Nero, as Bishop
Wordsworth well remarks, "in the first springtime of the
gospel, which it had received from St. Paul."
(5) The Seven Churches were, when St. John wrote, not
newly formed Churches, but had been for years in existence ;
they had become thoroughly organized and settled ; they had
suffered trial, and some of them fierce persecution ; there
had been at Pergamum one who is designated by the Lord
Himself, " My faithful martyr" (Antipas), and who had nobly
perished for the truth ; there were heresies prevailing in some
of the Churches to which St. John wrote, and which had not
been known in the time of St. Paul, such as the Nicolaitan
heresy, called also the " doctrine of Balaam," and the perni
cious teachings of the woman (or " thy wife ") Jezebel. Now
if these Asiatic Churches were planted by St. Paul, some very
, considerable time must have passed before they could have
' arrived at the state in which they were when St. John ad
dressed them. We know that Timothy was presiding over
the Church at Ephesus at the time that St. Paul was about to
suffer martyrdom ; and how could St. John say then that he
was "a companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and
patience of Jesus Christ," for we do not find any record of his
having at that time been in any way associated with Ephesus,
at least there is no mention of him by St. Paul in that con-

Introduction. xxxvii
nection? We have no positive information as to the time
when St. John left Jerusalem. No doubt he remained the
twelve years, which tradition says Christ had told His disciples
to stay in the Holy City after His ascension ;! and we may be
assured he continued to dwell there until after the death of
Mary, the mother of our Lord, which took place A.D. 48.
We find SS. Peter, James and John, the Apostles of the
Circumcision, associated together in Jerusalem, and present
at the Council held there in A.D. 50 ; and as there is no
record of St. John having left that city, he may have re
mained there for some years afterwards. It is probable
he was temporarily absent in A.D. 62, when St. James was
martyred by the rulers of the Jews, who were exasperated
because, a year previously, St. Paul had escaped from their
hands. Had St. John been then in the city, it could scarcely
be supposed he should have been spared, as the rage and
fanaticism that had spent their force in slaying one Apostle
would not have been withdrawn or withheld in the case of
another. Possibly between that time and the martyrdom
of St. Paul, he was preparing to leave Jerusalem for ever ;
and the immediate necessity for his going to Asia Minor after
St. Paul's death has already been shown.
That St. John did reside at Ephesus we have positive evi
dence furnished by Irenaeus (iii. 3, 4), Clemens Alexandrinus
(Quis Div. Salv., c. 42), and Eusebius (H. E., iii. 31) ; but we
have no possibility of ascertaining the circumstances under
which, or the exact time when, he removed to that city.
It has been said that the Apocalypse must have been
written before the fall of Jerusalem, because in Rev. xi. i, the
writer speaks of " a reed " having been given to him, with
directions " to rise and measure the temple of God, and the
altar, and them that worship therein." But in reply to this ob
jection, the word, vaof, is never used, throughout the Epistles
' ApoUonius apud Euseb., H. E. V., 18.

xxxviii Introduction.
or in the Book of the Revelation, to denote the literal temple,
tut it invariably applies to the Church of Christ (i Cor. iii.
i6; vi. 19 ; 2 Cor. vi. 16 ; Eph. ii. 21) ; and as the measuring
here applies to the worshippers, as well as the temple, it must
be interpreted in a spiritual sense, as descriptive of that pre
servation and protection which God has at all times bestowed
on His Church, and the pledge of the perpetuity of which is
contained in, " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end
of the worid" (Matt, xxviii. 20). There is no more reason
for holding that the literal temple was then standing when
St. John wrote the passage in Rev. xi. i, than there is for
believing that Jerusalem was standing when St. John wrote
his Gospel, where he says (v. 2), " Now there is at Jerusalem,
by the sheep-market, a pool," etc., the explanation of which
statement is, that the pool remained after the city had been
destroyed ; for it is allowed by those who fix an early date
for the Apocalypse, that the Gospel was written at a late
period, long after the destruction of Jerusalem. See Westcott,
on St. John, p. 87 ; Early Days of Christianity, vol. ii. p. 189.
Tertullian, alluding to the persecution of the Church at
Pergamum, in which Antipas suffered, describes this per
secution as having occurred during the time of Domitian ; so
that the end of the reign of that sanguinary monarch may be
accepted as the time when the Revelation was " seen," as an
earlier date would not accord with the condition of things
which prevailed in the Asiatic Churches when St. John wrote.
" In these seven Epistles," says Wordsworth, " we see
Churches settled with Angels, or Chief Pastors, at their head ;
we see that some years have elapsed since they were planted ;
that time has passed away in which they have been tried, and
some have stood the trial, as Smyrna and Philadelphia ; that
some of them have declined from their primitive standard, as
Ephesus, under fear of persecution, or, through worldliness
and lukewarmness, as Laodicea ; that others have a name

Introduction. xxxix
to live and are dead, as Sardis ; and that heresies have grown
up amongst them, as at Thyatira ; and that they have been
visited by forms of heretical pravity and moral libertinism,
such as the doctrines and practice of the Nicolaitans and
Judaizers, which were the scourges of the Asiatic Churches
at that time." ^ Assuredly such a state of things as is here
described could hardly find a place in a scheme that would
connect the date of the Epistles to the Seven Churches with
Nero's time ; and, but for the gaining of an object, interpreters
would never have thought of adopting such a date.
Three Classes of Interpreters.
There are three classes of interpreters ; the Prceterists, who
consider that all the Revelation has had its fulfilment, except
ing, perhaps, the last four chapters ; the Historical, who
regard the Revelation as a consecutive series of prophecies,
the chief of which have been fulfilled, as shown by the
testimony of history ; and the Futurists, who consider the
entire book as prophecy yet to be fulfilled. The Prceterist
looks upon all that the Apocalypse contains as having had
its fulfilment in primitive times ; first, in the destruction of
Jerusalem, and the subsequent dispersion of the Jewish race ;
and secondly in the downfall of the Roman empire ; and
hence the anxiety to fix an early date for the writing of this
book. The interpreters of this class are generally confined
to the Rationalistic School ; but their views are in direct
contravention of the Fathers and the theological writers of
the first six centuries, and utterly at variance with the whole
course of Providence as developed in the history ofthe Church.
The Praeterist view of the Apocalypse, is to regard it
merely as "an inspired outline of contemporary history,"
and as referring to, and having had its fulfilment in, " events
occurring in the sixth decade of the first century," which
' Bishop Wordsworth, On the Rev., p. 158.

xl Introduction.
corresponds to the last days of the reign of Nero. These
events were made known, we are told, by symbols presented
to the eye of St. John, after the opening of seals, the sound
ing of trumpets, and the pouring out of vials.
The thing signified was the overthrow of the Jewish
nation, the triumphs of Christianity over the Pagan power
of Rome. Nero was the antichrist in St. John's day, just as
Antiochus Epiphanes had been his prototype in the time of
the Maccabees; and the only coming of Christ which was
announced in the Revelation, had its fulfilment when that
political judgment was inflicted upon the Jews in A.D. 70,
by Titus Vespasian, which resulted in the burning of the
Temple, the destruction of the city, and the complete dis
persion of the Jewish race. Some writers on prophecy who
have adopted the Praeterist theory even allege that " the new
heaven and the new earth " (Rev. xxi. i), are to be under
stood as the happy state of the world after the destruction
of Jerusalem, — seeming to forget the ten persecutions which
began with Nero and ended with Diocletian. Now this
may be New Testament exegesis, but it is, to say the least,
sui generis. It yields but little deference to the voice of
antiquity, to the teaching of the Church, and to the creeds
and formularies of the Christian faith, which have been
handed down from generation to generation as "forms of
sound words " that we are to hold dear as life itself. Such
interpretation of the Apocalypse savours some-what of the
secularism of the last times, when men will not endure sound
doctrine, when "they shall turn away their ears from the
truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
If, for example, we take 2 Thess. ii. 8, and apply the
principle of interpretation adopted by the Praeterist to that
passage, we must identify Nero with " the lawless one ; " but
in what way can we suppose he was destroyed by the
manifestation of Christ's personal Presence, inasmuch as that

Introduction. xii
monster of cruelty perished by his own hand two years before
Jerusalem's overthrow, March 19, a.d. 68 .'
Surely this is not the glorious Advent of Christ that we
are taught to look for by our blessed Lord Himself, and by
His Apostles. This could not be the hope which sustained
the, early Christian.s, and led them to glory in tribulations,
in view of " the inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that
fadeth not away." Rather would such a view of our Lord's
coming have had the tendency to extinguish Christian hope,
to paralyse the grandest motives of the Christian life, and
neutralize every noble effort in the cause of God. To think
of Christ's Second Coming as past, reminds one of those
mentioned by St. Paul in his Epistle to Timothy, "who con
cerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is
past already ; and overthrow the faith of some." We might
naturally expect to find amongst such a school of interpreters,
Renan, and Baur, and Maurice, and Strauss, adapting Scrip
ture prophecy to events occurring at the time when the
predictions were written, and seeing only the circumstances
and surroundings of the locality as affording an explana
tion of what was expressed in type or symbol ; but it could
hardly be supposed that men who claim to be defenders of
the faith, and who are recognised as such, would be asso
ciated with those whose teaching tends to loosen the fabric
of Christianity and undermine the bulwarks of the Church.
Then on the other hand, what is to be thought of those who
regard the existence of the Seven Churches as mythical, and
deny a historical foundation to them ? No Churches actually
existed, say they, and the various circumstances expressive
of their spiritual condition were merely inserted to fill up the
details of the story, parable, or myth, as the case might be.
If this scheme had any pretext for its reception, the whole
Bible would be a meaningless pageant, and our common sense
would receive such a shock when we attempted to understand

xlii Introduction.
it, that it would be utterly confounded. To be told there
were no Churches in Asia Minor in St. John's time; no
Epistles sent to them ; no Angels or presidents over them,
would be to ignore all history, to suspend all reason, and
¦get transported into the shadowy region of a dreamy tran
scendentalism.
The Asiatic Churches, by whom Planted.
When, or by whom, the gospel 'was first introduced into
Asia Minor, we have no distinct record. We read that
amongst those who were at Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost,
" dwellers in Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and
Pamphylia," were present. We may, therefore, conjecture
that many of the Jews of those countries, who had seen the
wonders in the city on that day, would be led to believe the
gospel, and carry back to their households tidings of the things
they had seen and heard. But little eflfect was apparent
before the first visit of St. Paul to those places. Indeed, the
Asiatic Churches, of which the chief was Ephesus, we may
regard as primarily having been planted by that Apostle.
In Acts xviii., we find mention of St. Paul, accompanied by
Aquila and Priscilla (A.D. 54), as having left Corinth — where
his missionary exertions had been successful in the conver
sion to the faith, of Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue,
and where " many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and
were baptized ; " and we are told of his having sailed into
Syria, and thence to Ephesus.^ He left Aquila and Priscilla
there, and after reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews, he
sailed from Ephesus and landed at Caesarea, on his way to
Jerusalem. Then we find he went up and saluted the Church,
and afterwards proceeded to Antioch. After spending some
time there, we are informed " he departed, and went over all
the country of Galatia and Phrygia, in order strengthening all
> Acts xviii. 19-24.

Introduction. xliii
the disciples" From this, it appears that Christianity had ex
isted in these quarters previous to St. Paul's first visit there. In
Asia Minor both SS. Andrew and Philip had laboured; there
it was Apollos joined Aquila and Priscilla; and the good work
was carried on by these disciples, and afterwards by Tychicus.
St. Paul, on his second visit to Ephesus, remained there for
three years;! ^^d we may reasonably suppose he would, during
that time, visit the cities which lay contiguous to that great
commercial centre, and establish those Churches which, in
after time, St. John was to have charge of, especially as it was
not St. Paul's rule "to build upon another man's foundation."^
St. Paul remained longer at Ephesus than he did at any of
the other large cities where Churches were planted ; and this
accounts for the superior knowledge in the Divine mysteries
of the gospel possessed by the Ephesians. He placed
Timothy in charge of that Church, and in the Epistles
which he addressed to him, he is styled the first Bishop of
the Church of the Ephesians.
It is thought by some writers, that the Churches of Asia
Minor were first planted by St. John. Their view is, that he
remained at Jerusalem till after the death of the mother of
our Lord, and then went to reside at Ephesus. It is certain
that St. Paul finds him at Jerusalem on the occasion of his
third journey there ^ (A.D. 52), although there is no mention
of his having met him on his first journey.* The death of
the mother of our Lord occurred, according to Eusebius, A.D.
48, so that St. John was still at Jerusalem four years after
that event ; and it is clear that St. John could not have been
at Ephesus when St. Paul in A.D. 58 touched at Miletus, and
sent for the presbyters of Ephesus to meet him there. We
may, therefore, assume that, as has been already shown, not
until after the martyrdom of St. Paul, did circumstances
occur to induce St. John to direct his steps to those Asiatic
1 Acts xix. 10. - Rom. xv. 20. ' Gal. ii. 9. '• Gal. i. 19.

xliv Introduction.
Churches, which the former had founded ; and if this view
be correct, we may regard A.D. 66 or 6^ as the year of St.
John's removal from Jerusalem, and his entering upon the
supervision and nurture of those Churches which occupied
the greater portion of the latter years of his life.
The Character of the Writer.
Of all the disciples of our Lord, St. John stands pre
eminently exalted. He was the disciple whom Jesus loved.
He was one of the three privileged to enjoy the closest
intimacy with the Saviour. He leaned on His breast at the
Paschal supper, and to him our Lord, when on the cross, com
mitted His mother. We see a gentle affectionate disposition
on the part of this Apostle, and yet an impulsiveness, and
a susceptibility of sudden flashes of anger, which made the
title Boanerges peculiarly appropriate to the sons of Zebedee.^
Not that righteous indignation against sin is not allowable,
but our Lord showed that a spirit of severity belonged more
to the Jewish code than the Christian. We see also no
little ambition on the part of this disciple, and not a little
pride of worldly distinction, in the early days of his disciple
ship ; but grace takes the rough stone from the quarry, and
hews and chisels it, and makes it meet to occupy a dis
tinguished place in the Lord's temple. The Apostle St. John
breathes love throughout all his writings, and this shows
us that, in possessing and extolling a quality not naturally
inherent in him, the Holy Spirit exerted that Divine in
fluence upon him which qualified him not only for Apostle
ship, but for writing that portion of the New Testament
which was to be the consummation of the Sacred Canon.
Modern painters have given him- a languid, soft, effeminate
expression, as the type of his character ; but more properly
the eagle should be his symbol. ' Luke ix. 54.

Introduction, xlv
Clemens of Alexandria records a touching story regarding
him on his return from Patmos.^ At one of the Churches
he committed to the care of the bishop, a young man to
whom he felt himself powerfully drawn, and one whom he
considered well suited to the work of the ministry. The
bishop received the young man, and promised to educate and
watch over him, and do all in his power to prepare him for
the course marked out by the Apostle. The youth, freed from
restraint, became idle and dissolute, and at length renouncing
all hope in the grace of God, he joined himself to a band of
robbers, put himself at their head, and surpassed them all in
cruelty and violence. Some time afterwards St. John visited
the city, and after arranging some matters, he said to the
bishop — " Well, bishop, restore the pledge which the Saviour
and I entrusted to thee in the presence of the congregation ! "
The bishop was at first alarmed, supposing that St. John was
charging him with misappropriating money that had been
given to him. At length the Apostle said, " I demand again
that young man and the soul of the brother." The old man
sighed heavily, and with tears, replied : " He is dead ! "
" Dead ? " said the disciple of the Lord. " In what way did
he die ? " "He is dead to God," responded the bishop. "He
became godless, and finally a robber." The Apostle, with a
loud cry, rent his clothing, and smote his head, and ex
claimed — " To what a keeper have I committed my brother's
soul .' " Instantly he takes a horse and a guide, and hastens
to the spot where the band of robbers was to be found. He
is seized by their guard, he makes no attempt to escape, but
cries out : " I have come for this very purpose ; take me to
your captain ! "
Their captain completely armed is awaiting their arrival,
but, recognising St. John as he approached, flees, from a
' Quis Div. Salv. ? u. 42. The Chron. Alexand., says the city, where this
incident occurred, was Smyrna, and that Polycarp was the bishop.

xlvi Introduction.
sense of shame. St. John, nevertheless, forgetting his age,
hastens after him with all speed, crying, "Why, my son,
do you flee from me— from me your father, an unarmed old
man .' Have compassion on me, my son ; do not be afraid.
You yet have a hope of life. I will give account to Christ
for you, should needs be. I will gladly die for you ; Christ
endured death for us. For thy sake I will give in ransom my
own soul. Stop! believe! Christ hath sent me." Hearing
these words, he first stands still, and casts his eyes upon the
ground. He next throws away his arms, and begins to
tremble and to weep bitterly. When the old man approached,
he clasped his knees, and with the most vehement agony-
pleaded for forgiveness, baptizing himself anevs^ as it were,
with his own tears. The Apostle finally led him back to the
Church. Here he pleaded with him earnestly, strove with
him in fasting, urged him with monitions, until he was able
to restore him to the Church, an example of sincere repent
ance and genuine regeneration.
Polycarp records another incident of the beloved disciple,
as presented to us as the Son of Thunder, in the fact of St.
John having fled from a bath in which he found the heretic,
Cerinthus, saying that he feared it would fall upon their heads.
And Jerome adds the following: "When St. John had
reached his extremest old age, he became too feeble to walk
to the meetings, and was carried to them by young men. He
could no longer say much, but he constantly repeated the
words, " Little children, love one another ! " When he was
asked why he constantly repeated this expression, his answer
was, " Because this is the command of the Lord, and because
enough is done if but this one thing be done." ^
Nor do we lose sight of the well defined lines of character
of this eagle-eyed disciple, in the scenes he witnessed, when
he beheld those visions of God in the Isle of Patmos.
1 Jerome, Com. ad Galat., vi. lo, vol. iii. p. 314. "Filioli, diligite alterutrum
— quia preceptum Domini est, et si solum fiat, sufficit."

Introduction. xlvii
The man who could calmly look on, when thunders were
pealing, seals opening, when trumpets were shaking the solid
earth and vials were being poured out with all their scathing
violence, must have had courage of no ordinary character,
faith to enable him to penetrate the dark cloud, and patience
leading him to endure, and wait, and hope for the unveiling
of the mystery. If St. Matthew, in the cherubic symbols of
Ezekiel, might be represented by a Lion, as one who gives
prominence to the royalty of Christ ; if St. Mark may be fitly
represented by a Man, to indicate the manner in which he
sets forth the humanity of Christ ; if St. Luke may be sym
bolized by ah Ox, the animal used in sacrifices, inasmuch as
the priesthood and propitiation of Christ are clearly defined
in his Gospel, we may compare the beloved disciple to the
Eagle, soaring towards heaven, teaching us to look upward,
and gaze on the uncreated glory and splendour of our Divine
Redeemer. He has drawn aside the veil which hides heaven's
glories ; he has opened up a vista, and enabled us to see
unrolled by Him who is styled, " the Lion of the tribe of
Judah," the seven-sealed book of Prophecy and Providence,
with all its dark secrets, with its deep impenetrable mysteries ;
and lest we should be doubtful or discouraged, he has given
us a glimpse of the new heaven and the new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness, and which Christian faith and hope
delight to contemplate.
St. John, the Amanuensis;
Christ the Author of the Revelation.
It has been said, that if our Lord Jesus Christ intended that
men should learn religion from a book. He Himself would
have written that book, but that He wrote no part of the
New Testament. Now the Book of the Revelation is strictly
and properly that of which He has the claim to be the exalted
Author. The book is called the Revelation of St. John, but

xlviii Introduction.
the first verse of the first chapter applies the authorship to
Christ, 'AtroKaXv^it 'Irjaov Xpiarov. He speaks not by in
spiration as the Apostles; but He, "in whom dwelt all the
fulness of the Godhead bodily," directly shows to His servant
John those things which are contained in this book, embracing
the things which were, when St. John wrote, and the things
which were to be hereafter.
Christ told His disciples, " I have yet many things to say
unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.'' He gradually
opened their understandings and hearts to receive the truth.
During the great Forty Days, He was making known to them
the things He had heard of His Father, and afterwards He
sent His Holy Spirit " to show the Apostles things to come ; "
and now, to complete the revealed record, Christ discloses all
that God had designed the Church should know in this dis
pensation, regarding the scheme of redemption. The thread
of the Church's history is taken up here from the Acts of
the Apostles, and as we read in that history of the planting
and watering of Churches by the Apostles in various parts of
the great Roman Empire, so here we get a glimpse of some
of those Churches, half a century afterwards — whether faith
ful or faithless, whether maintaining first love or lukewarm,
whether holding the truth or giving way to error, beacons to
warn us of danger on the one hand, or to guide us safely to
our destination on the other.
Then are we introduced to the Inner Sanctuary. We,
who have been made acquainted with, and have been sharers
in, the sufferings of Christ, are also permitted to see in symbol
and in shadow the glory that is to be revealed— the closing
scenes of this dispensation, and the dawn of that brighter and
better day, which is to be ushered in by the actual manifesta
tion of the Son of God in power and great glory.

THE MESSAGES TO THE SEVEN
CHURCHES OF ASIA MINOR.
INSCRIPTION AND DOXOLOGY.
Chap. i. i-8.

I 'A?roraXvi/'is 'IijiroO Xpiarou, f/v ^So}Kei> air^ 6 Qebs, Sel^cu tois SoiJXois airoO
a S« yeviadai iv rax^i- Kol ia-rniavev AToarelXas Sii. rov &yyiKov auroC r$ SoiXif
aliTov 'lujdvPT],
2 'Os €ii,apTipi](7e rov \liyov'TO\j efou, ko! t^jc /laprvpiav 'l-qaov XpiffToO, Sera etSe.
3 Ma/tdpios 6 cLvayivilKTKWi', xal ol dicoiovTes Tois \6yovs rijs Tvpotfrqreias, Kal
TTjpovvTes TO, iv aln-fj y€ypap.fji,iva- 6 yh,p Kacpos iyyvs.
4 'ladvv-rjs rats eirri iKK\ri<rlats rati iv tt? 'Xirlq.- X°-P" ^f^^" ""^ elp'n''V i^to 0 &V
Kal 0 ijp Kal 6 ipxl>p,evor Kai d-iro tZv iiTTk Tvev/idTOiv & ivJnnov tov 6p6vov airoO.
5 Kai idTTo 'Ii/ffoC XpuTTOv, o puiprvs 6 mo-Tos, 6 TporroTOKOS tuv vtKpiiv, Kal 6
Hpxiiiv tQv PaffiXioiv t^s 7?s- t(} Aya-Truvn ¦lip.as, Kal \oiaavTL r]p,S,! diro rue ap.ap-
Tiiov ijfiwv iv T£p oXp^aTL oiJroO,
6 Kal i-n-ol-q<rev -ri/iSis painXelav lepeTs Tif Oe<f Kal iraTpl airrov, aiT^ t] dS^a Kal to
KpdTos els Toits alwvas tQv altxivojv. ^Afi-qv.
7 'ISoi>, 'ipxirai. /terd tuv ve<pe\uv, Kal Sij/eTai airbv ttSs i<l)6aKiios, Kal o'Itivcs airrov
i^eKivT7)0-av' Kal Ko-^ovTai i-jr avTov Trdtrat al <pv\al ttjs yyjs. Noi, dp,^v.
8 'E716 el/u TO A Kol TO fi, Xiyei Kvpios 0 Geos, 6 &p Kal 6 ^v Kal 0 ipxip-^vos, 6
iravTOKpdTtap. I The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto
His servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass ; and He sent and
signified it by His angel unto His servant John :
2 Who bare witness of the Word of God, and ofthe testimony of Jesus Christ,
even of all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy,
and keep the things which are written therein : for the time is at hand.
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia : Grace unto you, and peace,
from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come ; and from the seven
Spirits which are before His throne ;
5 And from Jesus Christ, the faithful -witness, the first bom of the dead, and
the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loveth us, and washed us
from our sins by His blood.
6 And He made us to be a kingdom to be priests unto His God and Father ;
to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold He cometh with the clouds ; and every eye shall see Him, and they
which pierced Him : and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over Him. Even
so. Amen.
8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was,
and who is to come, the Almighty.

INSCRIPTION AND DOXOLOGY.
Chap. I. Ver. i. AnOKAATTIS 'Irjaov Xpiarov, fjv
eBtuKev aiiTm o 0eo? Bel^ai Tot? Bov\oi<i avrov a Bel jevecrdai
iv Tciyei,, Kal ea-qpiavev airoa-TeiXa^ Bia tou ayyiXov avrov
Tcp BovXm avtov 'Icodvvrj. The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto Him., to show unto His servants, even
the things which must shortly come to pass ; and He sent and
signified it by His angel to His servant John. The most
ancient name of this book is the Apocalypse. St. Irenaeus
speaks of it as the Apocalypse which was seen of John. It
is not " Revelations," but the Revelation. " John wrote it,"
says Bengel, "but Christ was its author." It means an
" unveiling " of what had previously been covered. Now the
future is in the hands of Christ, and in this book He has
unveiled : —
(i) The condition and circumstances of the Seven
Churches, and their subsequent defection and decay.
(2) He has opened the seven seals, and shown the Church's
sorrows and sufferings, and her future triumphs and trans
ports — a history from the First Advent to the general judg
ment. (3) He has revealed the " time, times, and dividing of
time" of Daniel,^ and made them synchronize with the
period of 1260 years, during which the Church of God should
^ Dan. vii. 25.
3

4 The Messages to the Seven Churches
suffer from antichristian power, until that power should
ultimately be destroyed with the brightness of the Lord's
coming. (4) He has revealed the millennial glories of the Church
during that period of a thousand years when Satan's power
shall be overthrown, and when Christ shall "reign on
Mount Zion and among His ancients gloriously."
(5) And, finally, he has told us of a new heaven and a
new earth wherein righteousness shall exclusively dwell,
the curse for ever removed, and the happiness and peace of
primeval Eden restored — a city, too, needing no sun or
moon to shine in it, but lighted up by the glory of God
and the Lamb — " its walls salvation, its gates praise."
We have here a manual for Christians throughout all
time, disclosing, step by step, the purposes of God to His
Church in the world, all these culminating in the final over
throw of the power of darkness, and the erection of that
kingdom which can never be moved. It is a fitting sequel
to the inspired disclosures made to patriarchs and priests,
prophets and apostles.
It stands as the top stone of a magnificent fabric to
perpetuate the wisdom and skill, the power and love, of the
Almighty Architect.
It presents to us a sublime panorama, having in its varied
lines and shadows immortal conceptions, and betraying in
all the hand of One who paints for eternity. It is an
illuminated volume which, as time unrolls it, shall be read
and remembered and revered by admiring ages for ever, as
the record of God's goodness and mercy in the redemption
of man, and his final restoration from the bondage of cor
ruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
a Bel yevkadai iv Td')(ei, which must shortly come to pass.
These words, iv rdxei, seem to confound all our ideas of
nearness as to time; for we are now fast approaching the

of Asia Minor 5
close of the nineteenth century and the things spoken of in
this book have not yet fully come to pass.
There can be little doubt that many of the prophecies of
Revelation have had their fulfilment, but there are many
still unfulfilled. From the frequent use of this expression
by the Apostles, there was an expectation that Christ's .
advent was then at hand, and the Second Epistle to the
Thessalonians was written by St. Paul to remove that ex
pectation. An event measured by a finite scale as distant
would be near to an intellect that moves in a mightier orbit ¦
of thought, and gathers as into a point all the succession of
human history. Our Lord did not gratify the disciples
when they asked, "Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore the
kingdom to Israel ? " He said : " It is not for you to know
the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in
His own power." If there is one thing that brings discredit
on Christianity, it is pious dogmatizing ; fixing those times .
and seasons which God has not been pleased to reveal.
Interpreters of Scripture are not satisfied to adhere to the
" sure word of prophecy," but they must themselves become >
prophets. They must be wise above what is written, and
rashly fix dates for prophetic fulfilments ; and sometimes
these very men live to find their utterances contradicted by
fact. Our aim should be not to speculate, but earnestly and
soberly search and watch and wait for God's time. Like
the wheels in Ezekiel's vision, when the spirit moved they
moved, and when the spirit stood they stood — so should we ;
or to take another figure, we are not to go before the pillar of
cloud or to lag behind, but to regulate our procedure by its
movement. When our Lord has distinctly said : " But of
that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels
which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father," it is
our wisdom to be silent. It is no part of Christ's office to
reveal it. The word olBev in this passage means to deter-

6 The Messages to the Seven Churches
mine, or to declare ; for Christ, as God, knows all that the
Father knows, inasmuch as in Him are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge; but it has been His will and
pleasure to conceal as well as reveal, thereby teaching us to
exercise faith and hope, and wait patiently until the light
of eternity, if need be, will render luminous the darkness of
time. "The things that were shortly to come to pass" were
given by distinct revelation from Christ ; and human cal
culations are all vain conjectures. We are told, for example,
that the measurements of the Great Pyramid at Memphis
exactly correspond to certain fixed periods of Biblical
chronology I If this be so, then the things which " no man
knoweth," are so clearly made known that they are de
monstrated by mathematical precision ! In that case the
Pharaohs and Ptolemies of Egypt who built that pyramid
must have had a special revelation, and a knowledge of facts
of which we are ignorant, and must be ignorant, because
Christ has willed it to be so. Such statements as those
marking a connection between things that are utterly op
posed to one another, or at least that have no affinity, are
mere puerile trifling. Better to be contented with what we
know, and not pry into secrets which lie beyond us. To do
so is like lifting the lid of the ark and looking in, for which
act the men of Bethshemesh perished. " The secret things
belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are
revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever " (Deut.
xxix. 29) .
KoX ia-r}p,avev aTToaTeiXai; Bid tov dyyeXov avrov too BovXco
avTov 'Iwdwrj, and He sent and signijied it by His angel unto
His servant John. The word " it " is not in the original,
and it may either be taken absolutely as referring to the
revelation, or it may be applied to a Bel yeveadai, in which
case the word supplied should be "them." The manner

of Asia Minor. 7
of making known to St. John the things that must shortly
come to pass was "by His angel." This shows us that
angels are in Christ's hands, and under His authority. We
read that the " law was given by the disposition of angels."
" The word spoken by angels " is placed in contrast with the
word spoken in these last days by the Son of God ; so that
angels have, from the earliest times, occupied an important
place in the communications of God's revealed will.
In this book we do not find the angel making known
anything to the Apostle before chap. xvii. i. In chap. vi. i,
one of the four living creatures calls upon St. John to " come
and see"; and in chap. vii. 13 one of the elders gives him
the necessary information ; but there is little to be gathered
from the book as to what was communicated to St. John
by the angel, or how this was done. As symbolic repre
sentations may be supposed to have passed before the Apostle,
perhaps the angel may have made known their meaning,
although we have no direct proof as to whether St. John
knew what these symbols which he saw signified. We
know that much of what was written by the Apostles was
enigmatical to themselves. They prophesied, but knew not
the interpretation of their own prophecies (i Pet. i. 10-12) ;
and we may therefore conceive that the office of the angel
was to present the symbols before the mind of St. John, so
as to enable him to record them. In the administration
of Providence angels are employed for carrying out God's
purposes, and in the afifairs of grace they exert a moral and
spiritual influence for good upon the minds of God's people.
They are ministering spirits waiting to bring support and
relief to His servants under every pressure. " The angel of
the Lord encamps around them that fear Him." We may
therefore understand how they have been employed in
making known the manifold wisdom of God, in the revela
tion of His will.

8 The Messages to the Seven Churches
TO) BovXw avTov 'Iwdwrj, to His servant John. He does
not call himself an Apostle, and it has been contended that
the Book of Revelation was not the work of St. John. But
if this argument has any weight, St. James's Epistle and St.
Jude's would both be wanting in authenticity and genuine
ness, because the writer of each does not style himself an
Apostle. St. John remembered the words of his Master :
" The servant is not greater than his Lord " ; and although
he was permitted to possess the gift of prophecy, and un
derstand all mysteries, and speak with the tongue of angels,
he was not exalted above measure by the abundance of his
revelations, but possessed that ornament of a meek and quiet
spirit which is in God's sight inestimably precious. St. Paul,
in his Epistle to the Romans, calls himself "a servant of
Jesus Christ." Was he less an Apostle, or was his Epistle
less genuine, because he adopted this style of expression ?
Ver. 2. o? ipMprvprjae tov Xoyov tov Geov Kal Trjv fiap-
Tvpiav 'Irjaov Xpiarov, oaa elBe, who bare witness of the Word
of God, and of tlie testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things
that he saw. In Acts i. 8 we find our Lord told His disciples,
" Ye shall be witnesses unto Me." Others may bear witness
respecting the works of Christ, but ye shall bear witness of
His person as the Son of God. Here St. John speaks of his
own witness-bearing. This expression is one in frequent
use by St. John (i John i. 2 ; iv. 14). But what does he mean
to convey by it here ? Vitringa thinks reference is made
to the Gospel which had already been written by St. John ;
but from the style of the writer, and his familiarity with
• Hellenistic Greek, it is considered that the Gospel was written
subsequently to the Apocalypse. May not his witness-bearing
here refer to the testimony he had borne to the Word of God,
whether in teaching or otherwise, and for which he was then
an exile >. All the other books of the New Testament had
already been written. The three Gospels had entered into

of Asia Minor. 9
an historic detail of our Lord's works — His life, death, and
resurrection ; but none of them had sufficiently dwelt on the
Divine side of Christ's character, and we may regard St. John
as prominently proclaiming Christ as. "the true God and
eternal life." Augustine says of St. John : " He speaks of
the Divinity of our Lord as no other person has spoken. He
pours forth that into which he had drunk. For not without
a reason is it mentioned in his own Gospel that at the feast
he reclined upon the bosom of his Lord. From that bosom
he had in secrecy drunk in the stream, but what he drank
in secret he poured forth openly." ^ And Origen, speaking
of the Gospel which St. John wrote, observes : " As the
Gospels are the first-fruits of all the Scriptures, the first-fruits
of the Gospels is that of St. John, into whose meaning no man
can enter unless he has reclined upon the bosom of Jesus."
Nowhere can we see moral beauty so well delineated as
in St. John's testimony of Christ's character ; and that moral
beauty has such a constraining effect as to compel the ad
miration of the world. The Gentile might see in the outer
world the marks of a Divine hand, the Jew might behold
God clothed in majesty — " His pavilion round about Him
dark waters, and thick clouds of the sky " ; but to us Christ
is the personal manifestation of the Divine character. Here
" mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace
have kissed each other." Even to those who are strangers
to the truth, there is something in the character of Christ
so ineflfably sublime and attractive that they are compelled
to say, " Never man spake like this Man." " Go to your
natural religion," — says Bishop Sherlock, contrasting Christ
with the founder of the Mahometan faith, — " lay before her
Mahomet and his disciples arrayed in armour and in blood,
riding in triumph over the spoils of thousands, and tens of
thousands, who fell by his victorious sword ; show her the
^ Aug., Tract, 'id in Joan.

IO The Messages to the Seven Churches
cities which he set in flames, the countries which he ravaged
and destroyed, and the miserable distress of all the inhabi
tants of the earth. When she has viewed him in this scene,
carry her into his retirements ; show her the prophet's
chamber, his concubines and wives, and hear him allege
revelation to justify his lust and oppression.' When she is
tired with this prospect, then show her the blessed Jesus,
humble and meek, doing good to all the sons of men,
patiently instructing both the ignorant and perverse ; let
her see Him in His most retired privacy ; let her follow Him
to the mountain, and hear His devotions and supplications
to God ; carry her to His table to see His poor fare, and hear
His heavenly discourses ; let her see Him injured, but not
provoked ; let her attend Him to the tribunals, and consider
the patience with which He endured the scoffs and reproaches
of His enemies. Lead her to His cross, and let her view
Him in the agony of death, and hear His last prayer for His
persecutors : ' Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do.' When natural religion has seen both, ask which
is the prophet of God ? But her answer we have already
had. When she saw part of His scene through the eyes of
the centurion who attended at the cross, by him she spake
and said, ' Truly this man was the Son of God.' " ^ Contrast
ing Christ with Socrates — Rousseau says : " If the life and
death of Socrates be the life and death of a sage, the life and
death of Jesus were those of a God." How shall we account
for that beauty of character which the very enemies of our
Lord admit .? If Christ be not Divine, then we must reject
it as the baseless fabric of a vision.
KoX Trjv papTVpiav 'Irjaoij Xpiarov, and of the testimony of
Jesus Christ. St. John not only was a witness-bearer of the
Word of God, but of the testimony of Jesus Christ ; namely,
of the testimony which Christ bore to the truth. This clearly
' Sherlock's Sermons, vol. i. p. 271.

of Asia Minor. 1 1
shows that our Lord was a witness. In Rev. iii. 14, He is
called " the faithful and true Witness." Christ bore witness
to the Old Testament Scriptures. He testified to man's con
dition and destiny, and by His resurrection opened up to those
who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to
bondage, the joys and hopes of a bright and glorious immor
tality. St. John was one of the privileged Apostles, and he
had frequent opportunities of hearing from the lips of Christ
those teachings in which, whether in the world at large,
in the Jewish synagogue, or before Pontius Pilate, Christ
witnessed a good confession ; and he alone of all the Apostles
has frequently referred to this. For example, John viii. 18 :
" I am one that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that
sent Me beareth witness of Me." John xviii. 37 : " To this
end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world,
that I should bear witness unto the truth." St. John then
means to convey to us that he was a witness of Christ's
faithful testimony to the truth as connected with those great
eternal realities which He came to reveal to man.
oaa elBe, of all things that he saw. He did not record what
was merely the product of his own imagination, but the things
which God showed to him. "The prophecy came not in
old time by the will of man " — and so here what he saw
was the direct and infallible revelation of Jesus Christ.
Ver. 3. MaKdpioq 6 dvayivoaaKcov, Kal oi dKOVovTei tou?
\070u9 Ttj^ TT/so^ijTeta?, Kal TrjpoijVTe^ to, iv airy yeypap.p,eva-
6 yap Kaipcxi iyyv'i. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that
hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things which are
written therein: for the time is at hand. The allusion is
here to a public reader, whose office it was to read aloud
for the benefit of the audience, as was done in Eastern
countries before the art of printing was discovered, and when
books written on parchment rolls were the only source of

12 The Messages to the Seven Churches
information available, apart from that of vivA voce teaching.
The blessing here applies both to the reader and hearer ;
and we have therefore a very strong argument -against those
who say that the prophetic portions of Scripture should not
be studied, because unprofitable. "All scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness," etc.
(2 Tim. iii. 16). There are three words here, " read," "hear,"
"keep," which show that this book was not merely to be
read, but studied, so as to ascertain, in so far as it is given
to man to understand, the development of prophecy; and,
in the exercise of this investigation, the student would derive
such benefit as would guard him against coming dangers,
and thus prove a blessing to him. The word, dKovovTe<i, here
takes an accusative case after it, and is to be rendered, not
as denoting the hearing of the ear, but the understanding
of the mind and heart.
When a genitive follows, it is to be construed in the sense
of simply hearing with the ear ; when an accusative, in that
of understanding. This distinction is shown in Acts ix. 7,
where we read, the men that journeyed with St. Paul stood
speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. The words
are, a«ouovT6? p^ev Tfj<; ^wi/^?, showing that they merely
heard with the hearing of the ear. If we compare this with
Acts xxii. 9, where we have an account of St. Paul's speech
to the Jews at Jerusalem, in which he rehearses his con
version, we read : Trjv Be (fxov^v ovk ijKova-av tov XaXovvTOi pioi,
but they heard not the voice of Him that spake to me. It
might be supposed there was a contradiction, but this is not
so, for the word riKovaav, is here to be taken in the sense of
understand, i.e. they understood not the voice of Him that
spake to me. So the blessing in Rev. i. 3, is not merely
to those who listen to the public reading of the book, but
who exercise their understandings upon it, and observe the

of Asia Minor. 13
things written therein. It is not enough to be hearers of the
word, but we must also be doers of it (Jas. i. 18). Our Lord,
in the conclusion of His Sermon on the Mount, has forcibly
illustrated this by the parable of the two builders. Many of
the Jews in our Lord's time were relying upon their descent
from Abraham — "We have Abraham to our Father" — and
considered the knowledge of the law was all that was
necessary in order to secure their salvation, just as the
Gnostic teachers taught that a bare knowledge of God was
all that was required. Alluding to these, Justin Martyr
says : ^ " Ye deceive yourselves, and such souls as are like
you, who say that although they are sinners, and if they
have knowledge of God, God will not count their sin to be
sin." There is in Scripture what no other book can give us.
As St. Augustine says : " It is a long letter sent to us from
our heavenly country." Its design is to unveil God to us
as a living, active, moral Being, who knows our wants and
will supply them — who gradually manifested Himself to our
race, and, in the person of Jesus Christ, has intervened to
deliver us from our bondage of sin, and make us heirs of
glory. It is therefore the duty — not only so, but the blessed
ness, the happiness, the comfort, of all to read that book, and
to ascertain what it says to each of us. " Whatsoever things
were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we,
through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have
hope." o ydp KaLpo<i iyyv'i, for the time is at hand. The time is
near when these things which have been disclosed in this
book will come to pass (see ver. i) ; near, in Divine computa
tion, although remote in human reckoning, for one day is with
the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one
day. There is a gradual development in the prophecies of
Revelation— some of them were near as regards their fulfil-
» C. Tryph., p. 370.

14 The Messages to the Seven Churches
ment, while others extended far into the future ; but, in any
case, near, when time is compared with eternity. Judgment,
in accordance with our Lord's prediction, had fallen upon the
Jewish nation for the sin of its rulers, and upon their temple
Ichabod was inscribed. " One stone was not left upon
another that had not been thrown down."^ The Church of
Christ had to encounter persecution, and the assaults of false
teachers bringing in heresies, were not the least of the trials
she had to meet. These were foreseen by Him who sees the
end from the beginning ; and as the seven-sealed book was
unrolled, these visions of the future were developed, and now
have their manifestation in the light of history. The gradual
unfolding of prophecy, therefore, was designed to support
our faith by giving us clear and distinct views of the final
triumph of the Church over all her enemies, and the ultimate
advancement and consummation of the kingdom of God's
dear Son, and the opening up to the eyes of the enlightened
understanding that glorious world where faith shall be ex
changed for vision, and hope merge into eternal joy.
Ver. 4. Ia>avvri<; rat? eTTTa iKKXrjaiai^ Tat? eV t^ Aaia' ydpi^
vp-iv Kal eipijvr] aTro 6 wv, Kal 6 rjv, Kal 6 ep')(pp,evo<;' Kal aTro
TOiv emd irvevp.dTOiV a ivanriov tov Opovov a-uroU, John, to the
seven churches which are in Asia : Grace unto you, and peace
from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come ; and
from the seven Spirits which are before His throne. In this
address, or inscription, St. John speaks of himself as the
author or writer of this book. The style he adopts in this
address is peculiar. He speaks of himself as John. Now
there could be no difficulty in ascertaining who was meant by
this name. He was the only one of the twelve Apostles then
living, and no individual except himself could properly make
use of such a mode of prefacing what he was about to write.
' See Joseph., de BeU. Jud., lib. 7, cap. 8, sect. 7.

of Asia Minor. 15
He does not call himself an Apostle, as St. Peter and St.
Paul, at the commencement of their Epistles, nor does he,
in any way, afford evidence of his identity as the last sur
viving Apostle. Like St. James, in ver. i, he is described as
the Lord's servant, John. In the title of the book he is
styled John the Divine, 6 BeoXLyo%, but this title was given
him by the Fathers because, more than any other of the
inspired writers of the New Testament, he discussed the
sublime mysteries of Christian theology, and particularly
asserted and enforced the doctrine of Christ's divinity.^
Irenaeus, who was brought up under the ministry of Poly
carp, who was contemporary with the Apostle St. John,
in many instances ascribes this book to "St. John, the
Evangelist, the Disciple of the Lord, that John who leaned
on the Lord's breast at the last supper":^ and Polycarp,
Bishop of Smyrna, who was privileged to converse with,
and to be a disciple of, St. John, begins the solemn prayer
which he uttered at the stake, when about to seal by martyr
dom the testimony which he held, with the words of Rev.
xi. 17 : Kvpie, 6 ©eo?, o TravTOKparmp.
Tai<; eTTTa iKKXrjaiai^ Tali iv Tr} Acria, to the seven Churches
which are in Asia. The "Asia" here mentioned was strictly
what was known by Proconsular Asia, and embraced the >
two divisions of Ionia and Lydia. Its capital was Ephesus, >
where, we are informed, St. John lived after his return from
exile, and wrote his Gospel, and died. " After the death of
Domitian, he returned from Patmos to Ephesus, where he
lived to the reign of Trajan, and died at Ephesus in the '
sixty-eighth year after our Lord's crucifixion." *
That these seven Churches were neither the whole of
the Churches of the district, nor in some respects the most
influential, we have evidence to show. At Colossae, Hiera-
1 McLeod on Rev., lect. ii. p. 21. ^ Iren., lib. iv. p. 330.
8 Iren., ii. 22. Euseb., iii. 23.

1 6 The Messages to the Seven Churches
polls. Magnesia, and Tralles, there were Churches ; but these
were unnoticed in the messages conveyed to the Asiatic
Churches. The number seven denotes totality, universality,
• completeness, and therefore the messages sent to the seven
• were designed for the edification of all Churches in every
age. This is clearly seen from the concluding words of
each message : " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the Churches." There is no number of
such frequent occurrence in the Revelation as seven. We
have seven seals, seven candlesticks, seven trumpets, seven
spirits, seven vials, etc., and as it is the number denoting
perfection or completeness, we may look upon the seven
Churches as types of the Christian Church of all ages unto
the end of time. If the Epistles written by other Apostles
to particular Churches were designed for general application,
it could hardly be supposed that these should be limited,
because whatever has been written for encouragement or
warning, for approval or condemnation, for instruction or
discipline, is adapted to all others under the same circum
stances. These Churches illustrate doctrine, they inculcate
obedience now as well as in the first or second century ; and
in this respect they have a prospective reference. But it
should never be supposed that these Churches were so many
allegorical representations of successive stages of Christen
dom. This would be to confound history with allegory ;
and distinctly " the things that are " are marked by a line
of demarcation broad enough for all purposes from " the
things that shall be hereafter." The prophetic part of
Revelation does not commence till the beginning of the
fourth chapter ; and therefore all that is addressed to these
Churches is historic narrative.
'Xdpi'i v/jblv Kal eip-qvr) diro 6 av, Kal 6 ^v, Kal 6 ipyop.evoi;,
Grace unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which
was, and which is to come. This is the usual salutation in all

of Asia Minor. 1 7
the Apostolic Epistles, except in those of St. Paul to Timothy
and Titus, in which e\eo?, mercy, is placed between "grace
and peace." It has been observed by Wordsworth that
Xdpi^, grace, was the Greek form of social greeting {^aipeiv),
and Eip-^vT], peace, the Hebrew D'b^ (shalom), and that St.
John elevates and spiritualizes, consecrates and Christianizes,
the Greek and Hebrew forms of social salutation, and gives
an Apostolic greeting to the world. How different is this
from the conventional mode of salutation amongst us — •
worldly prosperity, health, happiness, and the expression of ¦
our good wishes for each other. St. John in his Epistle to
the well-beloved Gains, conveys the same idea as he has here
expressed : " Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest
prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth "
(3 John 2). He desired for him worldly prosperity in the ratio 1
of his soul's prosperity. Generally we read the Apostle's good
wish backwards : Get worldly advantage at any cost, and,
like Lot, choose the well watered plains of Sodom, even at
the risk of losing the soul ! Grace is the free favour of God,
and peace is the result of it. Every good and perfect gift that
we receive is of God's grace ; and St. Jerome makes use of
the frequent Apostolic salutation as an argument against the
Pelagians, when he says : " St. Paul, who was more eminent
in labours than the rest of the Apostles, is a signal example
of humility, ascribing all his powers to Divine grace." ^ Grace
is designed to bestow upon us the fulness of the blessing of
the Gospel of Christ in our salvation ; and, when that grace
has been conveyed to the soul of a sinner, it issues in his
justification, and peace is the fruit which follows.
diro 6 av, Kal 6 rjv, Kal o epxop'evo'i, from Him which is, and
which was, and which is to come. These words are a paraphrase
of the Hebrew XV\7V_, Jehovah, and the fact of the participles 1
not having been declined, as the name Jehovah was not, would
1 Jerome, adv. Pelag., Dial. ii. p. 515. C

1 8 The Messages to the Seven Churches
indicate that God, the self-existent One, was unchangeable —
the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever ; and what greater
source of consolation to the suffering Christian than to know
that the Being on whom he is relying changes not — that
He "rests in His love." To Moses in the wilderness God
revealed Himself, "E,yai eip,i 6 wv, I am the Existing One:
and the salutation of this passage resembles that description
which God gave of Himself. The Jerusalem Targum renders
the expression / am that I am by the very words before us,
" who was, is, and shall be."^
It may be observed that the word e/j^oyiiero? is the key
note of Revelation. It runs like a silver thread through
the entire book. It enters into it at the beginning, and it is
summed up at the end by " Surely I come quickly." All its
teachings, warnings, hopes, and promises, point to this grand
event, and it is with precision and point well designated the
Book of the Second Advent.
Kai diro TWV eTTTa Trvevpiareov a evwiriov tov dpovov avrov,
and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne. The
Holy Spirit in His sevenfold operations and gifts : one in
essence, but sevenfold in influence ; or as the number seven
is that which marks perfection, the Holy Spirit in His com
plete and perfect energy — must be here understood. Here
the blessings of grace and peace are traced to a Triune
God. It has been thought by some that " the seven Spirits
before the throne" are seven angels which stand in God's
presence, as the Jews were of opinion that as seven princes
stood in the Persian court before the king, angels occupied
a like position in heaven. In the apocryphal Books of Tobit
(xii. 15) and Enoch (xx.) seven holy angels are represented as
' Plumptre, Ep. to Seven Churches, p. 13, quotes the inscription jn the temple
of Athene (the Egyptian Isis) at Sais, alluded to by Plutarch, as bearing a
striking similarity to this Divine Name : 'E7U ei/ni ttoi' to ye-^ovin, Kal iv, Kal
io-6p.evov, I am all that has come into being, and that which is, and that which
shall be, and to this is added, " and no man hath lifted my veil."

of Asia Minor. 1 9
" watching, presenting the prayers of saints, and going in and
out before the glory of God." But surely there would be a
gross incongruity in placing any created being on a level
with the absolute and eternal God, and more so in supposing
that St. John would invoke grace and peace from any but
God. It is true that God in the administration of His provi
dence and grace makes use of angels in carrying out His
purposes ; but we may not, under the pretence of voluntary
humility that man in his fallen state needs the mediation of
angels, worship or invoke them, which is strictly forbidden
(Col. ii. 18 ; Rev. xix. 10). In the Epistle of St. Paul to the
Hebrews, he shows, in chap, i., that Christ is pre-eminently
above angels, which are "ministering spirits sent forth to
minister to them who are heirs of salvation," and that His
dignity is lowered by our yielding homage to those who are
merely His servants. When in early times false teachers,
such as Cerinthus and the Ebionites, introduced angel worship
into their systems, they were condemned by the Church ;
and specially was the Council of Laodicea (AD. 363) con
vened for repressing, among other things, the errors of angel
worship, which council decreed that " Christians may not
leave the Church of God, and go away and invoke the
names of angels : and let such persons be anathema, for
they desert our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God." ^ Can
it be supposed, therefore, that St. John would couple angels »
with God the Father and God the Son, omitting all refer
ence to the Holy Spirit, as the source of grace and peace 1
Besides, angels are never called " spirits " in the Apocalypse. <
The words "who maketh His angels spirits, and His minis
ters a flame of fire" (Ps. civ. 4), have no reference to the
nature of angels, but to the mode of their agency in the ,
natural world, when employed by God as His messengers.
" Who maketh His angels to be winds, and His ministers to
1 Labb., Cone., i. 1530, sq. ed. Coleti.

20 The Messages to the Seven Churches
be a flame of fire," is the correct rendering of that passage.
God makes use of them as His servants ; and they are all
standing to do His high behests. In Rev. iii. i, our Lord is
said, " to have the seven Spirits of God," i.e. all the fulness of
the Holy Spirit that rests on Him (Isa. Ixi. i ; Luke iv. i8).
Now if by these Spirits we were to understand " angels,"
what meaning would be conveyed .' What distinction to
Christ to hold the angels in His hand, as He was Lord of all
creation } It would be a mere truism which would have no
connection whatever with the circumstances of the Church
addressed. In the words, therefore, which we have been
considering, it is no created being that is brought before us,
placed on the same level with the Almighty, but it is He who
inspired the Psalmist to write of the Son of God before He
came into the world, "Let all the angels of God worship Him."
Ver. 5- K-oi drro 'Irjaov Xpiarov, 6 p,dpTv<! 6 ttjo-to?, 6 rrpco-
t6toko<; t(ov veKpav, Kal 6 apj(a)V Tav ^aaiXeav t^? y^?' tm
dyairavTi fip.d<; Kal XovaavTt 'qp,d<; diro t&v dp,apTi&v rip,wv iv
tS a'ipari avTov, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the first born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the
earth. Unto Him that loveth us, and washed us from our sins
by His blood. Christ is called the " faithful witness." He
came from the bosom of the Father to make known His will,
and as a prophet to instruct His Church. Never should we
have known the true and perfect character of God but for
Christ. "The only begotten Son, He hath declared Him."
The light of nature was insufficient to disclose the character
of God to mankind. It had been tried and was found want
ing. The world by wisdom knew not God.
How sad the condition of the heathen world when Plato
addressing the Athenians said : " Unless God in pity send
an instructor, we must continue in a state of sleep for ever."
Christ's Sermon on the Mount dispelled the false teaching of

of Asia Minor. 2 1
the Jewish Rabbis, and removed the mists of barren antino-
mianism which had settled upon the Jewish mind, while His
consistent life of conformity to His Father's will, and His
uplifted Cross, testified to the worid how God could be just
and the justifier of all who would receive and believe on His
Son. With what faithfulness has our blessed Lord witnessed
to the moral condition of man and his destiny. How fully
He has answered the problems of human life : Whence came
I .' What am I ? Whither am I going .' and but for which
answers these diflSculties should have remained for ever un
solved. Richard of St. Victor, as quoted by Trench, has
beautifully alluded to Christ as the faithful witness in these
terms : " He was the faithful witness, because all things that
He heard of the Father He faithfully made known to His
disciples. Because He taught the way of God in truth, and
cared not for man, nor regarded the persons of men. Because
the truth which He taught in words He confirmed in miracles.
Because the testimony to Himself on the part of the Father
He denied not even in death. And because He will give true
testimony of the works of good and bad at the Day of Judg
ment." There is a peculiar construction of the words d-wo
'Ijjaov Xpiarov 6 /ta/>Tu? 6 Trto-To?, where the words which are
in apposition are in different cases. Critics have supposed
that the structure of such phrases shows the Apostle's deficiency «
in the knowledge of the Greek language, never for a mo
ment considering whether there was a design on the part
of the inspired writer in such departures from the ordinary
rules of grammar. In Verse 4, we have had occasion to notice
this already in conpection with the names of God, with whom
there is no variableness nor shadow of turning ; and Bishop
Wordsworth well observes on this point that these remark
able structures which, by their singularity, attract the reader's
attention, serve as mementos that the truths which they ex- i
press transcend the reach of human thought and language.

2 2 The Messages to the Seven Churches
o •npwTOTOKO'i T&v veKp&v, the first born of the dead. This
designation peculiariy belongs to Christ. He was the first
raised from the dead never to die again. He had raised others
— Jairus' daughter, the widow's son at Nain, and Lazarus
' —but all these were restored to life by Him who is the Prince
of Life, only to die again. But Christ being raised from the
dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him.
He was the Firstfruits of them that slept. As the firstfruits of.
the barley harvest were taken into the temple and presented
as a wave offering before the Lord, the pledge of the coming
harvest ; so Christ was the Firstfruits from the grave, the
earnest, and pledge, and pattern of that future resurrection
to which the Church of God in every age has been looking
forward in anxious expectation. He was the first who could
say, " O grave, where is thy victory 1 " His primogeniture
is threefold : (i) From eternity he was the first begotten
of the Father. (2) When He was born at Bethlehem, He
was the firstborn son of Mary. (3) And here He is by His
glorious Resurrection proclaimed the Firstborn of the dead
— the Son of God with power ; and, in virtue of His being,
the Firstborn of the dead, He is the source of that spiritual
life by which the new creation is quickened and sustained.
Hence He is the Head of the Church which is His body,
the fulness of Him that fiUeth all in all. In the expression,
irpwTOTOKos, we see One who, by His resurrection, carried
life into the chambers of the dead ; for, on the morning of
the resurrection, many saints which slept arose, and formed
the vanguard of His mighty train. He was TrpeoTOTo/eo?,
I because He was the first to arise by His own power. He
had said, " I have power to lay down My life, and I have
power to take it again." In all who returned to life before our
Lord's resurrection, life was not merely resumed, but restored ;
it was given back, not taken. He had laid it down voluntarily,
and now He takes it again. He is Tr/aoiTOTKoo?, because He

of Asia Minor. 23
has taken precedence of His people who shall at His sum
mons rise from the dead : " Because I live, ye shall live also."
He is the harbinger of our resurrection, the Elder Brother of
the family that no man could number, redeemed out of every
nation, and kindred, and people, and tongue — countless as the
sand on the seashore, bright and varied as the myriad stars
which light up the dome of heaven. Blessed day when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
immortality ; and when shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, " Death is swallowed up in victory " !
KoX 6 ap'xwv TOiv ^aaiXecov t-»j? 7)}?, and the ruler of the kings
of tJu earth. When our Lord had achieved the victory over
death. He proclaimed Himself as having all power in heaven
and on earth. When He had endured the cross, despising the
the shame, God highly exalted Him. His triumphs were the
reward of His humiliation. These are and have been appa
rent in the history of His Church for nineteen centuries ; nor
are His conquests ended. " His name shall endure for ever ;
it shall be lasting as the sun ; men shall be blessed in Him ;
all nations shall call Him blessed." Voltaire said he lived in
the twilight of Christianity, meaning that it should soon die out
in endless night ; but it was the twilight before the dawn of a
yet brighter and more glorious day than ever the world saw :
that day when the Prince of the kings of the earth shall be
crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. " The kings of the
earth have set themselves, and the rulers have taken counsel
together against the Lord and against His Anointed, but
He that sits in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have
them in derision." There need be no fear of the Gospel failing
in success, or being driven back to the shores of Gennesaret.
It has had opponents in the past, as it has enemies now ; but
it has gone forward in its march of conquest from victory to
victory, and will not cease until He, whose right it is to take
the kingdom to Himself and reign, shall come with power and

24 The Messages to the Seven Churches
great glory. Religions have risen in opposition to the religion
of the Cross, but they have become feeble and effete, while
Christianity is yet young, because her Author lives, and " has
still the dew of His youth." Empires rise and fall, kingdoms
fade and perish, but the kingdom of Christ, which is the
Church, can never be moved, for He is in the midst of her, and
He shall help her and that right eariy. " By Me kings reign,
and princes decree justice." Every event occurring around
us is only the forerunner of the overthrow, the final overthrow,
of the powers of darkness, the unbolting of the bars of the
prison of bondage and corruption, and the delivering of groan
ing creation from the curse, and the ushering in of the joyous
Advent when, as amid the voice of many waters and the
voice of mighty thunderings, shall the welcome of the count
less multitude of the ransomed of the Lord be heard, saying,
" Alleluia ! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" (Rev.
xix. 6, 19-21).
Tc5 dyairavTi rjp,d<; Kal XovaavTi 'fjp,d<; drro twv ap^apTiuv
¦fjfiSiv ev TO) a'ip,aTi avrov, unto Him that loveth us, and washed
us from our sins by His blood. , The participle, df^a-irwvTi,
is the present tense, and conveys to us the idea of a per- '
petual love. Those whom He once loves He loves to the
end. " Who can separate us from the love of Christ .' " Cer
tainly nothing external to us, but we must exercise vigilance
and prayer, lest the enemy of souls get an advantage over us.
While Christ alone can keep us from falling, we are told
to keep ourselves in the love of God.^ It is needful both to
believe as if Christ did all, and to work as if we ourselves did
all in the matter of our salvation. Our love to Christ springs
from His love to us ; and if the love of Christ, even to His
death for us on the Cross, does not constrain us to give our
selves — our souls and bodies — as a living sacrifice to Him,
nothing else can. Christ is the exponent of the Father's love, *
' Jude 21.

of Asia Minor. 25
not the procuring cause of it. It was not that God did not
love us, and that Christ came and removed the hindrances ;
for the heart of God was not turned away from His wayward
children ; but Christ's coming into the world was a proof of
the love of God : so that we may well say with the Apostle,
" O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and know
ledge of God ! how unsearchable are His judgments, and
His ways past finding out ! " (Rom. xi. 33).
Kal Xovaavri fjp.d<i, k.t.X., and washed us from our sins by
His blood. There is another reading here, Xvaavri, instead
of XovaavTi, and it is difficult to know which is the correct
one, as there are many authorities for both. The sense,
however, is not affected in either case, for the proof of
Christ's love to us was His redeeming us by washing away
our • .sins by His blood. We were in bondage, sold under
sin, and Christ's blood was the price of our redemption. By
its being shed on the Cross, there is deliverance to the
captive, and the opening of the prison to them that were
bound. " Ye are not your own ; for ye are bought with a
price " (i Cor. vi. 19, 20). " The Son of man came not to
be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a
ransom for many " (Matt. xx. 28). The connection, how
ever, would lead us to prefer XovaavTi, who washed us, espe
cially as the words which follow, and hath made us kings
and priests unto God and His Father, convey the idea of
ablution rather than that of releasing as from bondage.
Under the Jewish law it was necessary, before the priest put
on his holy garments, as they were called, to wash himself,
indicating that he who undertakes so sacred an office must
be pure and holy. In the same way, those whom our Lord
makes priests and kings, before attaining to that high honour,
must have their sins washed away by His blood. It is at the
same time, quite true that the image of releasing us from our
sins is as frequently employed in Scripture as washing us, and

26 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Christ is often spoken of as a Xvrpov. In i Peter i. 1 8, it is
thus used : " Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
but with the precious blood of Christ, etc : " so in i Tim. ii. 6,
Christ is spoken of as having "given Himself a ransom
(XvTpov) for all, to be testified in due time." See also Acts
XX. 28; Eph. i. 7; Col. i. 14. The Vulgate version has — et
lavit nos ; so has also the Vatican, Xovaavn, who washed us,
while the Alexandrine, the Sinaitic, and the Codex Ephraem
Syri rescriptus, and others of lesser note, have Xvaavn, who
released us. The washing us from our sins by His blood
implies an atonement. Under the law, without shedding of
blood there could be no remission of sin ; hence the sacrifices
wherein the life of the victim was taken away were propiti
atory. Now Christ, by shedding His blood upon the Cross,
made an expiation for sin : He gave His life for ours ; He died
the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God. He
was our substitute — He stood in our place — He took our sins
upon Him — " He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." And
as He took our sins away by His meritorious death upon the
Cross, He makes us righteous by His righteousness imputed to
us and received by faith. The doctrine of an atonement for sin
is thus clearly established and in virtue of that atonement we
are washed from our sins by His blood. Tell us not then that
the death of Christ was that merely of a martyr, a spectacle
before men and angels of the dignity of self-sacrifice — that
it was intended to reconcile man to God by preaching to us,
through a mortal, the evil of sin and the majesty of sorrow !
What meant that agony in Gethsemane, that conflict with
the powers of darkness, that bitter cup which, for the mo
ment. He prayed, if it were possible, His Father might permit
to pass from Him ? There, there was no audience to teach, nor
any spectacle to exhibit. To die for us men and for our sal
vation was the object of His life ; and in view of that being

of Asia Minor. 27
accomplished He said in His intercessory prayer : " Father, I
have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do." How
could such words as these which we have in this passage be
applied to a mere mortal — " Unto Him who loveth us, and
washed us from our sins in His own blood " .? Could they be
used in reference to St. Peter or St. Paul, when they endured
the martyr's cross, on their way to the martyr crown ? or to
Polycarp, or Ignatius, or Antipas, the faithful martyrs >. Im
possible. The martyrs' blood could not wash the stain of
sin from their own souls. No man could redeem his brother,
or give to God a ransom for him. Each must own, "Jesus
Christ is my Redeemer." And the theme of rejoicing through
eternity will be this grand fact, that Christ has washed us from
our sins in His own blood. When one of the elders asked the
Seer of Patmos, " Who are these arrayed in white robes, and
whence came they? " and when St. John teplied : " My Lord,
thou knowest," the answer came : " These are they which
come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes,
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb : therefore
are they before the throne of God" (Rev. vii. 13-15).
Ver. 6. KoX itroirjaev rjp.d<; ^aaiXeiav iepei<; tS ©e<p Kal
Uarpl avTov, avrS rj Bo^a, Kal to Kpdro';, et? tou? aia)va<;
TCOV aicovcov dp,iqv, and He made us to be a kingdom to
be priests unto His God and Father ; to Him be glory
and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Here the
abstract word, ^aaiXeiav, kingdom, is put for the concrete
^aa-iXeh, kings, and this in the most ancient MSS. The
Vulgate reads, " Et fecit nos regnum." The meaning,
however, is unchanged. It corresponds exactly to what is
expressed in i Pet. ii. 9, " Ye are a chosen generation, ^aai-
\eiov iepaTevfia, a royal priesthood!' Ye who are Christ's
are in the enjoyment of all the privileges and prerogatives of
God's chosen people as promised in former times ; ye are a

28 The Messages to the Seven Churches
royal priesthood, or a kingdom of priests unto God, because
you are in union with Him who is your Head, Christ Jesus,
who is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek. Here
every believer in Christ is in a certain sense a priest, because
he offers spiritual sacrifices. He presents himself, his soul
and body, as a living sacrifice to his Redeemer (Rom. xii. i).
He offers the sacrifice of praise continually, the fruit of lips
which make confession to His name (Heb. xiii. 15). And
in the exercise of prayer he is offering a spiritual sacrifice
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (i Pet. ii. 16). If
then every Christian believer is a priest, what need of a
Christian ministry ? If all the world were really converted
unto God, there would be no need of the special and distinc
tive office of the Christian qiinistry. It will be so in heaven,
for in Rev. xxi. 22, we read, " And I saw no temple therein,
for the Lord God, the Almighty and the Lamb, are the temple
thereof." But while here it is otherwise. Christ gave the
gifts of the Holy Ghost to His Church, and " He gave some
to be apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and
some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints
unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the
body of Christ," etc. (Eph. iv. 1 1). Here the Apostle shows
that it was Christ's own appointment to have divers orders
and degrees in the Church, so as to promote spiritual life
and growth in faith and knowledge. Christ gave not all, but
some to be Apostles, and in i Cor. xii. 29, St. Paul asks, " Are
all apostles } are all prophets ? are all teachers ? " showing
that there should be no schism in Christ's mystical body, but
that each should occupy the sphere in which the Head of
the Church has placed him. If every one was a priest, why
did St. Paul, addressing the elders of Ephesus, tell them
specially, " Feed the flock of God"? Why set apart Timothy
and Titus by the imposition of hands ? Why leave Titus in
Crete to set in order the things that were wanting, and ordain

of Asia Minor. 29
elders in every city ? (Tit. i. 5-7). Why ordain seven deacons
in the Church at Jerusalem, and set them apart distinctly
for this office by the imposition of hands and prayer } Why
are St. Paul and St. Barnabas spoken of in Acts xiv. 23 as
ordaining elders in every city ? These statements must have
no meaning if they do not convey to every intelligent mind
the fact of a regular order having been established and •
observed in the early Christian Church, in regard to the
Christian ministry. In the cases alluded to, we find that holy
orders were conferred by those who had derived their com
mission from our Lord or His Apostles; and we have no single
instance recorded in Scripture of any one taking upon him
self the office of public preaching except those who were
ordained and appointed thereto by men who had authority
to call and send ministers into the Lord's vineyard. When
we read, therefore, that Christians are made a kingdom, •
priests unto God and His Father, we are to understand
that they are to be distinguished from the world, as the Jews
were from other nations ; that Christians are to be distin
guished from those who are not Christians by their being a
royal priesthood, offering up constantly to God the sacrifice
of praise and prayer, and giving themselves in body, soul and
spirit, to. Him who loved them and gave Himself for them.
(See August, Tract, in Joan., 51, quoted by Wordsworth.)
avTa rj Bo^a Kal to KpdTO<; ei? tov<; aiava'i twv aicovtov dp.rjv,
to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
There are four doxologies in the Revelation, the one ex- »
ceeding the other in fulness.^ That which we have here, and
which is twofold, ascribing glory and dominion to Christ ; a
second in Rev. iv. 9, 11, which is threefold, and which is the
doxology of the four and twenty elders ; a third which is
fourfold, the angelic song of praise to the Lamb (Rev. v. 13) ;
and there is a fourth which is the fullest of all (Rev. v. 12 ; •
' See Trench, in loco.

The Messaa-es to the Seven Churches

i>

vii. 12) in which there is a sevenfold ascription of praise to
God and to the Lamb. It is remarkable that the article
is placed before each of the subjects of praise which make
up this doxology, thus confining the honour to those to
whom it is ascribed, a clear proof of the Godhead of Christ.
All these doxologies are of the nature of prayer, not petition
but adoration, which is the highest form of prayer, and which
will enter largely into the communion of saints with God in
heaven. The Te Deum, the Gloria in Excelsis, the Sanctus,
are all of this character. In the Temple service, public
prayer always concluded with a doxology. The people made
the response : " Blessed be the name bf the glory of His
kingdom for ever and ever." The doxology was never used
in private prayer, or in the synagogue ; and in this respect
we have an argument for the use of the Lord's prayer both
in public and private, as recorded by St. Matthew and St
Luke, occurring as it does in the one Gospel with a doxology,
and in the other without it. The more we dwell upon the
excellencies of the Divine character, the more do they be
come the subjects of thankful praise and adoration, and
kindle within us feelings of joy and reverence and love.
Praise takes the place of prayer, and we enter as it were
within the sacred precincts of the Holy of Holies. We join
for the moment with the general assembly and Church of the
firstborn in heaven, and mingle with angels and archangels
and all the company of heaven, in their hallowed, appropriate
and unremitting employment. It is for this reason that
doxologies are of such frequent occurrence in Scripture.
They express an acknowledgment of all blessings and gifts
as coming from a Triune God, and gratitude to Him as the
Giver of every good and perfect gift. Here glory and
dominion are ascribed to Christ : glory, the bright manifesta
tion of His excellencies ; dominion, the right which belongs
to Him of universal sovereignty, whether in the kingdom of

of Asia Minor. 3 1
Providence or grace. There is glory in the natural world,
and every devout Christian as he looks upward to the bound
less fields of space must join the Psalmist in saying, " The
heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth
His handiwork " ; but what perfections meet in all their
loveliness and beauty — wisdom, power, justice, mercy, faith
fulness, and love — in that new creation which He has made
in the hearts of men, with its joys, and hopes, and aspirations,
and which will outshine the stars of heaven, and last when
the cycles of time shall have ceased to revolve !
" It is more blessed to give than to receive." God is al
ways giving, never receiving ; and there is glory in this. On
the Cross of Calvary we might read in letters of gold : " Ye
know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He
was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye, through
His poverty, might be rich." It is said that on one occasion
Alexander the Great told the philosopher, Anaxarchus, to go
to his treasurer, and ask from him anything he wanted. The
treasurer was surprised at the magnitude of the demand, and
refused to pay it without first consulting the king, as he
added : " It seemed too much for one man to receive." The
king replied : " It is not too much for Alexander to give.
He does honour to my riches and liberality by so large a
request." So with our faithful covenant-keeping God : " He
that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up to death
for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all
things V (Rom. viii. 32).
Dominion is also ascribed to Christ. " On His head are
many crowns."
Creation is His, for all things were created by Him and
for Him.
Providence is His, for of Him and through Him and to
Him are all things.
Grace is His — He opens and no man shuts. He shuts and

32 The Messages to the Seven Churches
no man opens. He has the keys of death and Hades. He
is Head over all things to His Church, which is His body,
the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.
And His are crowns of victory too. While He has do
minion by right, He has it also by conquest. " His own right
ihand and His holy arm hath gotten Himself the victory."
He has triumphed over the world. He could say to His
disciples, " Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
The world which He has overcome is that which St. John
has described as the " lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye,
the pride of life," all of which presented to Him their tempt
ing power, but in vain. " The prince of this world cometh
and hath nothing in Me." He has vanquished Sin and
Satan. He has spoiled Death of its power, and delivered
them who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime sub
ject to bondage.
" His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion
endureth throughout all generations." The " stone " spoken
of in Daniel ii. 45, " cut out of the mountain without hands,"
is yet destined to break in pieces every earthly sovereignty
and fill all lands with glory. Even, so, blessed Jesus ! Thy
name shall endure for ever : men shall be blessed in Thee :
all nations shall call Thee blessed. " Let the whole earth be
filled with Thy glory. Amen and Amen."
Ver. 7. 'IBoi) epyerai p,eTd Ttov ve^eXwv, Kal oyfrerai avrov
7ra? 6<f>daXp,oi, Kal oiTive<; aiirov i^eKevrrjaav, Kal KOifrovrai
i-TT avrov trdaai, ai (pvXal t^? 77}?' val, dp.ijv. Behold He
cometh with the clouds; and every eye sliall see Him, and they
which pierced Him : and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn
over Him. Even so, Amen. The Second Advent of our
Lord Jesus Christ is here distinctly announced ; and, how
ever much men may differ as to the time, manner, and
circumstances of that great event, every section of the Chris-

of Asia Minor. 33
tian Church admits it as a fact, and as an article of faith.
It is the theme of the first prophet, for Enoch the seventh
from Adam prophesied " The Lord cometh with ten thousands
of His saints "; and St. John, the last inspired Apostle, begins
and ends the Book of Revelation by directing attention to
that sublime subject : " Behold He cometh with the clouds."
In St. Luke we are told, " And then shall they see the Son
of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." St.
Matthew records our Lord's words : " Hereafter shall ye see
the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and com
ing in the clouds of heaven " ; and we may believe our Lord
in these two passages is appropriating to Himself the words
of Daniel's prophecy (vii. 13) — "One like the Son of man came
with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days,
and they brought Him near before Him, and there was given
Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people,
nations, and languages, should serve Him." Can it be sup
posed for a moment that these events have already had their
fulfilment, as Hengstenberg has represented — that the coming
with clouds was the fiery train in which Jerusalem was en
veloped when destroyed by the overwhelming power of the
Roman army ? Strauss has upheld this view from our Lord's
words — " This yeved (race) shall not pass away till all be
fulfilled " (Luke xxi. 32) — but with a different object, namely,
that of discrediting our Lord's prophetic character. He
renders the word 7evea as denoting a generation of thirty or
forty years, and he says, if the words spoken by our Lord
were true, the advent of Christ should have been shortly after
His ascension. But if the word 76vea be examined, it will
be seen to have no connection whatever with the destruction
of Jerusalem, as it stands immediately connected with our
Lord's Second Advent. Now instead of the word yeved de
noting a generation, Stier renders it a race, nationality, class, -
and by it he understands the Jewish race. Dean Alford also
D

34 The Messages to the Seven Churches
adopts the same view : (i) Because there is not one word in
reference to the Jews, or Jerusalem, where this verse is intro
duced. (2) Because in Matt. xxiv. 36, our Lord has said, " Of
that day and hour knoweth no man," etc. If the word 761'ea
meant the generation of men then living, our Lord must have
announced the day, as the event would have taken place
within the limits of a generation. (3) But long after Jerusalem
had been destroyed and its inhabitants scattered to the four
corners of the earth, the last surviving Apostle and the early
Christians were still looking for the Second Advent. The
Jewish race are still surviving, and their existence will be
coeval with the fulfilment of our Lord's prophecy.
Other races have mingled like streams in the great river of
humanity ; the Jewish race have been persecuted, trampled
upon and crushed, but like the bush which burned at Horeb,
they have not been consumed. In their existence in the
world, they stand as a living witness for the truth of Christ
ianity ; and they await the great event, which is fast drawing
nigh, when, like converging streams, they shall meet together,
and greet the Messiah — whom they pierced — with their glad
Hosannah to the Son of David, " Blessed is He that cometh
in the name of the Lord."
When our blessed Lord was about to leave the world, it
is remarkable how much the Second Advent occupied His
thoughts. Every object seemed to turn His attention in that
direction. The goodly stones of the temple, the children
crying in the temple, the fig-tree putting on its green leaves
— all these spoke to Him of that event, and led Him to
impress upon His disciples the need of watchfulness, and the
duty on their part of waiting the development of God's
plans, and marking the lines of Providence in His dealings
with His Church ; and although He left them in uncertainty
as regards the time of the end, they could look around them
and see God's purposes ripening, and a succession of events

of Asia Minor. 35
occurring which were all to lead to that grand consumma
tion. To us who are living in the " last times," there is a con
firmation of the faith which the Apostles had not. " Blessed
are the eyes which see the things that ye see," may appro
priately be applied to us. Glance at the course of Scripture
prophecy, and surely there is much to awaken hope in those
who look for and love the Saviour's appearing ; while, on the
other hand, there is much to excite alarm in those who dread
His coming.
(i) Forty years had scarcely elapsed from the time of our
Lord's ascension, when Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple
burned, and its very foundations upturned — " one stone not
left upon another," — and the Jews scattered through all lands,
a hissing and a by-word among all nations, until the times of
the Gentiles be fulfilled.
(2) We live in an age when we are witnessing the expiring
throes of two great apostate systems, both of which arose
together, and which were to exist side by side with the Church
of God for 1260 prophetic years.
(3) We iind, the gospel has been preached in many lands
for a witness to man's condition, to God's unbounded mercy,
to the fulness of Christ's atonement, to the inexcusableness of
all before God. Within the last fifty years the gospel has
been translated into upwards of two hundred languages and
dialects spoken by 800,000,000 of mankind ; and we know
that, when it is preached for a witness to all nations, then
shall the end come.
(4) We have seen, and are seeing daily before our eyes,
iniquity abounding, the love of many waxing cold, scoffers
walking after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the
promise of His coming, for since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue as they were from the beginning of the
world } " — men losing their belief in the supernatural, and
regarding the world as governed by the iron law of necsssity.

36 The Messages to the Seven Churches
This was not so in the past ; it belongs to, and is one special
mark of, the age in which we live, not merely observed by
the enthusiast in the study of prophecy, but by men who are
remarkable for calm and sober views of Scriptural truth.
"We are passing over an interval," says Canon Liddon,
" which separates the religious past, whose opportunities have
been too sadly neglected, from a future of pure secularism." ^
New forms of evil seem to multiply. Those three unclean
spirits like frogs (Rev. xvi. 13), infidelity, secularism, and
apostasy, are polluting the nations with their foul and offen
sive touch, and the witnesses for God and His cause are but a
little flock. When the Son of man comes will He find faith
on the earth ? Men do not retain God in their knowledge ;
they ignore Him, if they do not deny Him ; their lives are for
the world alone, as if there was no account to render, as if
there was^o retribution to apprehend. For the great event
that is to come — we know not when, we know not how,
except in so far as God hath revealed it — everything would
appear to be in preparation, bidding God's people " to lift
up their heads, for their redemption draweth nigh."-
p^erd TWV ve(peXwv, with the clouds. As He passed away
to heaven from the gaze of His astonished disciples, in like
manner Christ shall come again. A cloud received Him from
their sight, and now " behold He cometh with the clouds."
This indicates the majesty arid glory with which the Second
Advent shall be ushered in ; but the clouds with which He
shall be surrounded rather bespeak terror than joy. They are
symbols of wrath to sinners (Ps. xcvii. 2 ; xviii. 11). God is
frequently represented as encompassed with the clouds as His
chariot, and which contribute to veil from the eyes of men
His awful majesty (Job xxii. 14 ; Isa. xix. i). While the
return of Christ will bring joy and gladness to the hearts of
His people, it will be a day of judgment and anguish for His
, ' Canon Liddon's Sermons, vol. ii. p. 104.

of Asia Minor. 2)7
enemies. Perhaps there is no more terrible expression in
Holy Scriptur^e than "the wrath of the Lamb" (Rev. vi. i6).
" Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way,
when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they
that put their trust in Him " (Ps. ii. 12).
Kal ot^eTai avrov trd'i o^daXp.o';, and every eye shall see
Him. Not in any spiritual or transcendental sense shall
Christ our King and Judge be seen ; but all who are alive at 1
His coming, as well as those who shall have a share in the 1
first resurrection, shall see Him — see Him as He was when,
from the Mount of Olives, He left this earth, bearing in His
body those marks of suffering which He carried with Him
to heaven — those "wounds wherewith He was wounded in
the house of His friends " (Zech. xiii. 6). Was not the seeing
Christ what Job, the patriarch of Uz, so ardently longed for ?
" Yet in my flesh shall I see God." I — this poor creaturely
being, racked with pain, and weak with sores, brought down
with infirmity and disease to the very dust, helpless, bereaved,
alone — I shall see the Redeemer for myself, mine eyes shall
behold Him, and not another (Job xix. 27). Every eye shall
see Him, not " with visage marred more than any man, and
His form more than the sons of men " — " an astonishment
and a byword" (Deut. xxviii. 37) — so that those who saw Him
were dumb with the amazement of scorn at one so abject
claiming to be the Messiah ; but now He shall be seen coming
as from Bozrah, travelling in the greatness of His strength,
proclaiming Himself as He that speaks of righteousness,
mighty to save those who trust in Him, while He will inflict
judgment upon His enemies. It will be a day of judgment
to the hostile Gentiles, as His first coming was to the unbe
lieving Jews.
Every eye shall see Him. Now the heavens have received
Him ; He has entered within the veil, and as He has gone out
of sight of bodily eye. He is forgotten and disowned. Men

38 The Messages to the Seven Churches
live and act as if He was never to return, and as if there was
no responsibility. They say, " God hath forgotten : He hideth
His face. He will never see it" (Ps. x. ii). Life to them is
a mystery ; death a leap in the dark. Eyes have they, but
they see not. The god of this world hath blinded the minds
of those who believe not ; and with capacities which if rightly
made use of, with reason which ought to dignify them, with
conscience— the eye of the soul— with all these high endow
ments, they bring themselves to a level with the brutes that
perish. If one would come back from the dead, they would
believe— if some sign would be given, the ungodly world would
be converted ; but no sign greater than what has been given
will be afforded, until they shall see the sign of the Son of
man coming in the clouds of heaven, too late for their pardon
and peace, too certain to bring dismay and disaster among
the ranks of those who knew not the day of their visitation.
Blessed are they who, having not seen yet have believed, who
now in this their day can adopt the words of the Apostle of
the Circumcision, when speaking of those who would be found
unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus
Christ : " Whom having not seen, ye love ; in whom, though
now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy un
speakable and full of glory" (i Pet. i. 8).
KoX oiTivei avTov i^eKevTtjaav, Kal K6-<^ovTai, k.t.X., and
they which pierced Him, and all tlie tribes of the earth shall
mourn over Him. There are two Old Testament prophecies
relating to the circumstance of the piercing of Christ, viz. Ps.
xxii. i6, and Zech. xii. lo. In the one, there is an allusion to
the piercing of His hands and feet with the nails; in the other,
' there is a prophecy of the conversion of the Jews, when God
shall turn the captivity of Zion and plant them in their own
land, and when they shall look upon Him whom they pierced.
St. John quotes the latter passage in his Gospel (xix. 37).
"OyjrovTai et? ov i^eKevrrjaav. In the Hebrew it is -"npT

of Asia Minor. 39
(dakaru), which is correctly rendered " pierced." The Septua
gint version is here different ; KaTwpyf\aavTo is used, which
signifies " danced for joy," or " insulted." The Jews pierced
Christ not less by their cruel mockeries and insults than they
did by the spear. As He listens to the taunts of the reckless
multitude, and watches their malignant doings, how deeply
must their bitter arrows have penetrated His soul, when He
cried, " They that see Me laugh Me to scorn, they shoot out
their lips, they shake their heads, saying. He trusted in the
Lord that He would deliver Him ; let Him deliver Him if
He delight in Him " (Ps. xxii. 8, comp. with Matt, xxvii. 42).
But in Zechariah the words which St. John here refers to, and
which are also alluded to in his Gospel, are connected with a
gracious dispensation. They speak of repentance and a return
to the Lord ; here, however, there does not appear to be any
manifestation of grace, but rather a revelation of judgment
and righteous indignation. The restoration of the Jews and
their final conversion are clearly the subjects of prophecy ;
and St. Paul in Romans xi. has shown that they shall occupy
a prominent position, and serve an important purpose, in the
future of the Church ; for " if the casting away of them be the
reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be
but life from the dead .''" (Rom. xi. 15). Except by way of
adaptation, the words here can hardly apply to the Jews at
all. All the tribes of the earth — irdaai ai (f)vXal t-^? 7^? —
refer to the Gentile world, " the world that lieth in the evil
one." Our Lord in the Gospel (Matt. xxiv. 30) has used these
latter words in this connection, as indicative of the confusion
and despair of unbelievers, when they shall see Him whom
they slighted and rejected, coming in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory ; and we cannot doubt that the
expression. All the tribes of the earth, includes all to whom
the message of salvation has been offered in vain — all whose
god is the world, whose treasure is here, whose hearts have

40 The Messages to the Seven Churches
been detached from God, their true centre, and who have not
set their affections on things above. They shall wail with
remorse and despair, because the things belonging to their
peace, once within their reach, are now hid for ever from
their eyes. That the phrase the tribes of the earth bears this
signification we may refer to St. Augustine (as quoted by
Wordsworth), Serm. 57 : " Ecclesia Dei ccelum est, inimici
Ejus terra sunt." The Church of God is heaven. His enemies
are the earth.
Nal, dp,rjv, even so, A men. This is not the expression of
a wish on the part of St. John ; it is rather the affirmation
» of a certainty. A double Amen — the one in Hebrew, the
other in Greek. It is God's seal to the truth of these solemn
statements of revelation, to assure us that though heaven and
earth pass away. His word shall not pass away. God's
promises and threatenings are unchangeable. If God is
eternal, then what He proclaims as truth is eternal ; whether
that truth is revealed in His word, or in the human conscience,
it lasts ; it is above the water-floods of change. " Thy word,
O Lord, endureth for ever in heaven."
Ver. 8. '£!7(» etyiti to "AX^a Kal to fl, Xeyei Kvpio<; 6 ©eo?
o wv, Kal 6 ?jv, Kal 6 ip-^op-evoi;, 6 iravTOKpaTwp, I am the
Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, wlio is, and who
was, and who is to come, the Almighty. It would seem difficult
to ascertain whether this designation. Alpha and 12, refers to
God the Father, or God the Son, in the passage now before
us, as the declaration is that of " the Lord the God," without
any special adaptation to one person more than another of the
Trinity. In verse 4, God the Father is spoken of by the very
same terms which are here used, " who is, who was, and who
is to come ; '' but as the Revelation is that of Jesus Christ, as
He is the author of it (verse i), we may regard these words
as spoken by Him. In verse 17, Christ calls Him.self the First

of Asia Minor. 41
and the Last ; and in chapter ii. 8, the title is more definite
still, for He adds, "which was dead, and lived again." In
chapters xxi. 6, and xxii. 1 3, the expression. Alpha and 12 is »
applied by our Lord Jesus Christ to Himself; and as it is thus
used in other portions of the Revelation in regard to Christ,
we may also consider it as applicable here. There is, however,
the designation, 6 ep^o/tevo?, who is to come, which must be ^
taken to convey a different meaning from 6 iaopi.evo^, who
shall be ; and surely it was not without some intention that the
one word was used instead of the other. The Coming One is
the theme, the subject and substance of the book, and can
only refer to the Second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. '
With it the book begins, with it it ends. The Alpha of the
Old Testament was laid in Paradise lost, the Omega of the
New is in Paradise regained. Alpha and 12, as applied to
Christ, is a proof of His Godhead. He is the initial cause, as
well as the end of all creation. The Jewish Rabbins use to
speak of the commencement and end of a thing as being from
K to /I ; and the use of the Greek letters, instead of the
Hebrew, would indicate the universality of the Gospel dispen
sation, the revelation of the mystery which was from all ages
hid in Christ. The beginning and end of all things is Christ,
as He was at the starting-point of all time. " In the begin
ning was the Word." At a point when time was not, when
as yet the orbs of space were uncreated, Jesus Christ existed,
not irapd tw @ew, along with God, but tt/so? tov Qeov, with »
God, in close and constant communion.
iv dp'xv- In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth, iv dpxfi- In the beginning was the Word. Do these
refer to the same point of time ? Certainly not. We may •
regard the act of creation as occurring at the initial moment
of time ; but the iv dpxu ^^ ° X670? goes back beyond our •
conceptions of time to the aeons of past duration — and then
was the Logos existing, everlastingly present with God. The

42 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Word was God ; and if so, how can we conceive of His being
God, and other than eternal .'' ^
" This declaration of Christ concerning Himself, ' I am the
Alpha and the i2,' was reverently accepted," says Wordsworth,
" by early Christian art, and is often seen in ancient inscrip
tions, particulariy in the catacombs of Rome, where the
symbols A and i2 are frequently accompanied by the well-
known monogram of Christos, ^. In one case the symbol
is accompanied with the words ES DEIS, probably DEUS,
' Thou art God,' asserting the Godhead of Christ." "- The use
of the definite articles prefixed to the A and i2 clearly shows
that Christ is the only beginning and end of all things, and
that beside Him there is no other, a distinct proof of the
co-equality and co-eternity of Christ with the Father (Isa.
xii. 4 ; xliv. 6 ; xlviii. 1 2).
6 wv, b rjv, Kal 6 ipxbp-evo<;, the existing one. He who was,
and He who is to come. Christ's names here with the article
before each may be regarded as proper. The 6 wv, k.t.X.,
correspond with the Hebrew Tf\TV, and reminds us of the
description given by the Angel of the Lord who appeared
to Moses at Horeb in the bush. He who is at once God
and His Angel is Christ; and when Moses asked God His
name, God said, 'Eyw et/tt o "flv, and 6 "flv sent me'to you.
" This is My name for ever, and this is My memorial unto
all generations." From this it appears that Christ's name
from eternity was 6 V2i', or the Existing One (John i. 18;
vi. 46). Christ then is 6 wv in His unity with God
from everlasting ; He is o ^v after His incarnation, and 6
€'jO%6ju,6vo?, in His Second Advent as our King and Judge.
r 6 ¦jravTOKpaTwp, the Almighty. Excepting in 2 Cor. vi. 18,
a quotation from Isaiah, this word does not occur in any
part of the New Testament besides the Revelation, where
' See Canon Liddon's Bampton Lectures, p. 226.
2 Bp. Wordsworth, on Rev., p. 168.

of Asia Minor. 43
it is found in iv. 8 ; xi. 17 ; xix. 6 ; and xxi. 22. It is
correctly rendered " Almighty." The Hebrew words corre
sponding to it are '•'71^ (Shaddai), TiytXlt nini (Jehovah
Sabaoth), the one indicative of the power with which God
works, and the other the instrumentality with which He
executes that power. All power in heaven and earth be
longs to Christ ; He can therefore save His people under
every circumstance, and scatter His enemies, like the dust
before the wind. As He is the Omnipotent Lord God,
there need be no discouragement to His suffering people,
or any doubt that what He has purposed shall come to pass.
Christ's dominion was to be universal ; His kingdom an
everlasting kingdom, and of His dominion and government
there should be no end. The powers of the world were
then directed against His Church in the person of His
persecuted Apostle, but His name is 6 iravTOKpdrwp, the
Almighty — " I am the Lord, I change not," I ever live, and
what I have spoken shall stand from generation to genera
tion. " Unto the Son God saith, Thy throne, O God, is
for ever and ever " (Heb. i. 8).

DIVINE COMMISSION AND VISION.
Chap. i. 9-20.

9 'E7<!) 'Xoidvvris o dSeX0o! vp,(Sv Kal (rvyKoivoivos iv t-^ OXl\j/ei Kal pa(Ti\el(f Kai
i-iro/iov^ iv XpuiTCf 'Itjitou, iyev6p,riv iv T-§ vfiirtii T-rj KoKovpAv-y IldTfiip, Sid tov A6701'
TOU QeoO, Kal Sid ttjv fiaprvplav 'l'r}o-ou XpiffTov.
10 ''Eyevdp.'qv iv HpeiJ/taTi iv T-g KVpiaK-g -tipipf Kal -fJKOvcra i-wlaoi p,ov ^oivtiv
p.eydXrjv ws ffdXTtyyos,
1 1 Ae70U(r7;s- "0 /SX^ireis, ypa\j/ov els ^i^Xlov, Kal irip.-ij/ov rats ^Trrd iKK\->i<rlats, «'s
"E^ea-QV, Kai ds l^p-ipvav, Kal els nipyaix,ov, Kal els OvdTeipav, Kal els SdpSeis, Kai eis
^i\a8i\tptav , Kai els AaodUei-av.
12 Kai i-iriffTpey/a pXi-ireiv ttjv <j>avT}v -iJTis iXdXei /leT ifiov' Kal i-iriaTpi^j/as eXSov
i-TTTci Xv%vlas xpvo-ds'
13 Kai iv piffifi TUIV iirTh Xvxvi.uv op,oiov Tiip dvdpdmov ivSeSvpiivov iroS-Z/pri, Kal
Trepiet^ojo-pivov Trphs rois ^aCTols ^iinn)V xp^o-ijv.
14 'H 5^ Ke^aX^ airrov Kai al Tplxes XevKoX us Ipiov XevKov, lis x"'"' fai oi
6^&aX/xoi aiiroD us ^Xo^ irvpds,
15 Kai oi irSSes avTov Sp.0101 xaXKoXL^dvcp, us iv Kap.lv<p ire-irvpaiiAvoi, Kal t) tfiwvT)
airrov us <puvij iidaTuv -jroXXuv,
16 Kai ?X"'' ^'' ^V Se^ijT airrov x^V' do-ripas iiTTa' Kol iK tov o-TofiaTos airrov
pop.<j)ala Bl<rTop,os oleia iKVopevop,ivri, Kal t) &\j/is airrov lis 6 -IjXiOS (fialvei iv T-g Svvdfiei
aiiTov. 17 Kai Ih-e etdov airrov, ^-jrea-a irpos Tois ir65as airrov us veKpds' Kai ^drfKeT-nvSe^tcLV
aiiTov iir ip.i, Xiyuv Mi] 4>o§ov' iyib elp,L 6 irpuTOS Kal 6 ^axaTos,
18 Kai 6 ^uv, Kai iyev6p,7jv veKpbs, Kai Idod ^v elp,i. els tovs aluvas tuv altavuv
Kai *exo> Tds KXels tov BavdTov koX tov q,dov.
19 Tpd^ov oSv & eldes, Kai d elirt,, Kai & /lAXet ylveffdai ^tterd TavTa.
20 T6 p.vffT'^pLov TUV e-iTTd daripuv Siv eXSes iiri ttjs Se^ids p^ov, Kai rds iirrd
Xvxvias Tds x/jwffds. Oi eTrrd dcTTipes, dyyeXoL tuv i-jrTa iKKXea-iuv eltri' Kai Xvxvlai
al iiTTd, iiTTd iKKXf^fflat elal.
9 I John, your brother, and partaker with you in the tribulation, and kingdom
and patience which are in Christ Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for
the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice,
as of a trumpet, ,
II Saying, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it to the seven
churches ; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto
Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
12 And I turned to see the voice which spake with me. And having turned, I
saw seven golden candlesticks :
13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like the Son of man, clothed
with a long garment reaching down to his feet, and girt about at the breasts with
a golden girdle.
14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, as snow ; and his
eyes were as a flame of fire ;
15 And his feet like unto burnished brass, as if they burned in a furnace ; and
his voice as tlie voice of many waters.
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars : and out of his mouth proceeded
a sharp twoedged sword : and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his
strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right
hand upon me, saying. Fear not ; I am the first and the last,
18 And the Living one ; and I was dead ; and, behold, I am alive for evermore,
and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
19 Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are,
and the things which shall come to pass hereafter ;
20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and
the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven
churches : and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.
46

DIVINE COMMISSION AND VISION.
Ver. 9. 'Eyw 'Iwdvvrj<;, 6 dBeX<po<; vp,wv, Kal avyKoivwvof;
iv Trj ffXiyjfei, Kal /Saa-iXeia Kal virop-ovfj iv XpiaTw 'Irjaov,
iyev6p,rjv iv Trj vrjaw rrj KaXovfiivrj IIdTp,q}, Bid tov Xoyov tov
Oeov, Kal Bid ttjv p^aprvpiav 'Irjaov Xpiarov. I John, your
brother, and partaker with you in the tribulation, and kingdom
and patience which are in Christ Jesus, was in the isle that
is called Patmos, for the word of God, and the testimony of
Jesus Christ. In the previous part of this chapter, we have
had the title and inscription of the book, and the salutation
which ends in verse 8. We now come to the Revelation
proper, the first portion of which is occupied with the
messages to the seven Churches. In this verse we have
the Apostle's commission, and the circumstances under
which he was placed when that commission was bestowed
upon him. He addresses the seven Churches as being in the
same suffering condition as he was, and not as one desiring
to exercise lordship over God's heritage ; he has learned to
" weep with them that weep." He calls himself their brother
and fellow-sufferer. The word «ai, rendered also, in A.V. is
not found in ancient MSS. and is not inserted here, because
it would seem to imply that he was more than a fellow-
sufferer — that he was an Apostle, and also partaker in the
affliction and kingdom and endurance in Christ Jesus. The
Apostle St. Peter uses similar language : " The elders who
are among you I exhort, who am a fellow elder," etc.

48 The Messages to the Seven Churches
In this we see nothing of supremacy claimed by St. Peter
over his brethren ; nor in the case of St. John do we see
any marks of that striving for superiority which our blessed
Lord rebuked. The grace of God had subdued his pride
and moderated his ambition ; and while he was the last
surviving Apostle, and might have claimed honour from and
dictated to the Churches, he breathes the spirit of deep
humility, and rejoices in identifying himself with those who
were suffering in the cause of Christ. With the Psalmist
he might well say, "Thou hast also given me the shield
of Thy salvation, and Thy gentleness hath made me great."
(2 Sam. xxii. 36). He speaks in the first person, " I John."
Nowhere else do we find him adopting this form. ¦ He
speaks of himself as the disciple that Jesus loved, the
disciple that leaned on Jesus' breast, the disciple who testi
fieth of these things ; but never does he speak of himself in
I the first person, except in the Revelation, and this he does
in two places besides this, viz. : Rev. xxi. 2 ; xxii. 8. The
same style is found in the Book of Daniel also in three
I places, Dan. vii. 28 ; ix. 2 ; x. 2 ; and we may consider this
feature of St. John's writing as exhibiting a point- of resem-
' blance between the Hebrew prophet of the Captivity and
the New Testament seer. Indeed, the Revelation may be
regarded as the sequel to and completion of Daniel's Pro
phecy. o dBeX<f>o'; vp,wv, I John, your brother — not, I John, the
Apostle, the privileged disciple, who had been an eyewitness
of the transfiguration ; who had been at the last supper,
at Gethsemane, and at the cross ; to whose care the Saviour
of the world committed His mother in His last agony,
and who had been one of the earliest to see the risen
Redeemer on the morning of His resurrection day— but,
I John, your brother in Christ Jesus— one who has become
partaker of the Divine nature, being born again by the Holy

of Asia Minor. 49
Ghost, — who am a member of the same household of faith,
a sharer with you in all your joys and sorrows, your trials
and triumphs, and who now identify myself with the suffering
Church. The Roman orator once said,^ "I am a man, and
whatever relates to man cannot be a matter of indifference to
me ; " so here the last surviving Apostle, no longer looking
for a seat on the right hand or the left hand in an earthly
kingdom, is content to style himself a brother in adversity,
happier in his exile than Caesar on the throne of the world.
He was then doing the will of his heavenly Father, and like
his Lord and Master, by the things he suffered he was learn
ing obedience, establishing his claim to be one of Christ's
" brethren," and, as such, the brother of all who are united
to Christ in the bonds of the Gospel.
KoX avyKoivwvo<i iv Trj dXi-\(rei, k.t.X., and partaker with you
in the tribulation, and kingdom and patience which are in
Christ Jesus. Tribulation was a portion of Christ's legacy
bequeathed to His Church (John xvi. 33), and it is here called
" the tribulation," because it is the necessary process through
which the Christian must pass previous to entering the
kingdom. St. Paul has said : " Yea, and all who will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution " (2 Tim. iii. 12).
The true Israel of God redeemed from every nation are said
to have come out of the great tribulation (Rev. vii. 9), and
we may regard it therefore as the Christian's heritage. It is
needful in order that we may be like Christ, that we should
be conformed to Him in suffering. Was not this what St.
Paul desired when he wrote, " That I may know Him and
the fellowship of His sufferings".? Christ's sufferings, from
the perfection of His nature, were greater than the sufferings
of others, for the more perfect the life, the greater the
capacity for pain ; and, therefore, St. Paul wished to have
the fellowship of Christ's sufferings, because, to have that
^ Terence, Heautontimor., Act i. sc. I. E

50 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Tellowship, he should be raised in the scale of being. St.
John does not murmur because he was a fellow-partaker in
the tribulation. He knew if he could be brought nearer his
Divine Master than he was, if he could attain to a higher
life, the path was by suffering. This is so still. There is no
royal road to heaven ; each one must be prepared to take
up his cross if he would follow Christ, and never falter,
or feel discouraged because of the roughness of the way.
We need purity of heart, holiness of life, and an upward,
heavenward, aim of our affections. Our pride must be
mortified, our self-esteem lessened, our presumptuous self-
confidence humbled ; and what is better adapted to this end
than the lessons which we learn in the school of affliction }
We would like to have the maximum of happiness with the
minimum of sorrow, to enjoy the triumphs of victory without
undergoing the struggle ; but it is otherwise ordered ; and
we may here venture to suggest that in St. John's parti
cipating in the sufferings of the Church, he was, perhaps
unconsciously, fulfilling the Lord's prediction respecting the
drinking of His cup and being baptized with His baptism
(Matt. XX. 22). St. James, the first Apostolic martyr, had
long previously been put to death by the sword ; and St
John has to drink Christ's cup in a different manner, by
patient and protracted suffering in a lonely island.
Koi PaaiXeia Kal vrrop.ovfj, k.t.X., and kingdom and patience
which are in Christ Jesus. St. John adds that, while fellow
partaker in the tribulation with the Churches addressed, he
was also co-partner with them in the kingdom now realized by
hope, and to the final enjoyment of which the safe way was
calm endurance. The tribulation is placed first in order, the
kingdom next ; for the one leads to the other. " If we suffer,
we shall also reign with Him." The places sought for St.
James and St. John on the right hand and left hand of Christ
in His kingdom, were not to be enjoyed without first drinking

of Asia Minor. 5 1
Christ's cup, and being baptized with His baptism. In our
Authorized Version, the gift of the kingdom is made to read as
if Christ's right of bestowal was Ignored, and the Revised New
Testament has not improved the old rendering, which has
always been regarded by the best critics as objectionable; but
the Greek plainly recognises Christ's right to confer the king
dom, for it is, TO Be KaOiaab eK Be^iwv p.ov, Kal i^ euojvu/twv p,ovy
OVK eanv ipiov Bovvai dXX' ol<; rjroipaaTai vtro tov Uarpot;
p,ov, " but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand, is not
mine to give, save to those for whom it has been prepared of
my Father." ^ The mother of St. James and St. John sought
for her sons the highest honour that could be bestowed ; and,
considering her views of an earthly kingdom, it was not alto
gether unnatural for her to seek such preferment ; but she
was ignorant both of the nature of the kingdom and the
principles upon which admission to places of honour were to
be obtained. She likely thought that, as Eastern princes and
potentates -were accustomed to grant requests in an arbitrary
manner, Christ would probably do the same. This our Lord
showed her could not be. The honours belonging to His
kingdom His Father had prepared. There was nothing left
to be arranged according as circumstances should occur. All
had already been arranged — places, crowns, robes — all ready
for those who drink Christ's cup and are baptized with His
baptism ; and they shall be given by the Great Master, not
by way of boon or favour, but according to the principles of
justice and impartiality, for there is no respect of persons with
Him. In the cup of Christ and the baptism of Christ, we
have two kinds of suffering expressed, one or other of which
we must all be prepared to undergo. St. James and St. John
illustrate both respectively — the one, the baptism of blood; the
other, the bitter cup of affliction. The seats prepared are yet
to be obtained, and for them the Church above and the Church
' Matt. XX. 23.

52 Ihe Messages to the Seven Churches
on earth are patiently waiting in hope ; and the bestowal of
them will be Christ's rightful prerogative as Head of His
Church and Judge of all men. So St. Paul distinctly states
when, speaking of his hopes beyond the grave, he says, "There
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day " (2 Tim. iv. 8).
eyev6p.rjv iv Trj vrjaw Ty KaXovp,evrj UaTfjiw, Bid tov Xoyov
TOV OeoC, k.t.X., was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the
word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ. The word
iyev6p,rjv. Bishop Wordsworth renders became, and supplies
the word dweller to make the clause read intelligibly. Dr.
Vaughan also translates eyevoprjv, became, and makes this
word mean came into. It is singular that neither in the
Authorized Version, nor in the Revised New Testament, this
rendering has been recognised. The passage reads as if the
Greek had been 97V, was, instead of eyev6p.rjv, became ; and it
is not without good reason the change alluded to has been
made. As it reads in our English version, we have no in
dication as to whether St. John was in Patmos voluntarily,
or otherwise — whether he went there of his own accord to
preach the gospel, or to receive the sublime revelation which
he has recorded for our instruction ; or whether, on the other
hand, his dwelling in Patmos was not his own choosing, but
by constraint. The word eyevopijv, conveys to us the latter
view, / became — f found myself \n the island that is called
Patmos. It is not reasonable to suppose that St. John, in his
extreme old age, would have left Ephesus and his interesting
and important work in that city, to go to a sterile, remote and
desolate island, to preach the gospel ; nor is it probable that
he was directed to go there to write the Apocalypse, for he
could as well have received at Ephesus, where he wrote his
Gospel, the necessary instruction for enabling him to commit
to writing the things he had seen in vision. The cause of his
being in Patmos was compulsory—" on account of the word of

of Asia Minor. 53
God " — on account of his preaching the word of God, and his
testimony to Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Saviour of
the world. What that testimony was we may gather from
Acts iii. 12-22 ; iv. 10-12, 20. That St. John was so banished
from Ephesus we have the testimony of Eusebius, who relates
that some of the Christians were banished by the Emperor
Domitian, and confined as prisoners in a small island off
the coast of Etruria ; and then he states that St. John was 1
banished to the Isle of Patmos by Domitian.^ St. Jerome ,
says that St. John was banished to the isle of Patmos in the ^
fourteenth year of the reign of Domitian, and there he wrote ^
the Apocalypse.* St. Irenaeus states that for sixty years after,
the Ascension, St. John preached orally till the end of Domi- .
tian's reign, and after the death of Domitian, having returned >
to Ephesus, he was induced to write his Gospel concerning
the Divinity of Christ co-eternal with the Father, in which he
refutes the heretics, Cerinthus, and the Nicolaitans, and the
Ebionites, who denied that Christ had existed before Mary.^
All these writers show that, for the faithful testimony which
St. John bore to the word of God and to the Lord Jesus
Christ, he was exiled to the isle that is called Patmos.
Irenaeus further states that, after the death of Domitian, St.
John returned from Patmos to Ephesus, where he lived to the
reign of Trajan, and died at Ephesus in the sixty-eighth year
after our Lord's crucifixion.*
ev Trj vrjatp ry KaXovp,evrj UaTp^w, in the island that is called
Patmos. This island was one of a group in the wfEgean Sea
called Sporades, and was situated about 30 miles south of
Samos, and 60 miles S.W. of Ephesus. It was so small ,
and insignificant that it was httle known in St. John's.
day, and we can therefore understand the particularity with
which he describes it—" the island that is called Patmos." It
' Euseb., Chron., lib. ii. ad Olymp. 218. ' St. Jerome, Ep. 87,
3 Iren., v. 30, 3. ¦* •^''««-. "• 22, S-

54 The Messages io the Seven Churches
was a rugged, bare and rocky island, about 8 miles long
by one mile broad, and 15 miles in circumference, without
cultivation, except in small patches among the rocks, and
possessing but few inhabitants. Victorinus, bishop and
martyr, at the close of the third century, tells us that, when
John saw the Apocalypse, he was in the island of Patmos,
being condemned by Domitian Cffisar to the mines there;
and that when John, on account of his old age, supposed he
would have a release by death, Domitian was slain, and his
decrees were rescinded, and John was liberated from the
mines.i Condemnation to the mines wcts the punishment
inflicted upon criminals of the worst sort ; and it has been
considered that banishment was the only punishment St.
John suffered, as there is no allusion by any of the early
writers, except Victorinus, to the circumstance of the
Apostle's working in the mines. Amongst the Romans,
transportation was a common punishment.^ Patmos is now
called Patmo, or Patmosa, and has a town called Patmos,
with a harbour and some monasteries of Greek monks ; and
on the side of the hill on which the town is built, a natural
grotto is shown in a rock, where St. John is said to have seen
his visions and to have written the Revelation. Domitian
thought to silence the Apostle, and crush the infant Church,
by sending the aged president of the Church at Ephesus into
exile, but in vain did the waves of persecution beat against
the ark of God, because God was upholding it. And in that
lonely island of Patmos, where the Apostle was cut off from
all means of usefulness, where no longer he could go up to
the house of God with them who kept holy day, where no
longer he could teach the faithful flock at Ephesus the great
truths of Christianity with that Apostolic authority and love
for which he was so remarkable, he was not left comfortless.
' Victorinus, in Apoc. x. 1 1, quoted by Woi-dsworth.
"^Juvenal, i. 73. Tacit., Aimed., i. 39.

of Asia Minor. 55
In his retirement and banishment he had a work to do for •
God, greater perhaps than what he could have done at
Ephesus ; he had to record the closing scenes of Revelation,
the last words of Christ to mankind, until that day when
we shall no longer see in a mirror dimly, but behold our
Saviour face to face, when He shall come again, to be glorified
in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.
And is it not so that in our own experience we have often
found that, when deprived of those earthly stays on which 1
we have been leaning, and when the gourd which we looked
upon as " a shadow to our heads to deliver us from our grief,"
has been removed, the Lord Himself has come to us and
whispered in our ears, " Fear not, for I am with thee " 1 Our
earthly joys are often like the incoming wave which breaks
upon the shore, while our sorrows are like the wave which
recedes, carrying us out to the great ocean of Godhead, and
making us cling more firmly to Him who is " the same
yesterday, to-day, and for ever."
Ver. 10, II. 'Eyevop/Tjv iv Hvevp^art iv t-t} KvpiaK-rj rjfiepa'
Kal rjKovaa oiriaw fiov ^wvfjv pieydXrjV w? aaXTnyyo';, Xeyovarji'
*0 ySXeTrei? ypdi^ov et? ^i^Xiov, Kal irep.'^ov Tat? "eTTTa iKKXrj-
aiaii;, et? "E^eaov, Kal et? Sp,vpvav, Kal et? IIepyap,ov, Kal et?
©vdreipav, Kal ei'; SdpSeiv, Kal et? ^iXaBeX4>eiav, Kal et?
AaoBiKeiav. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and T
heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, What
thou seest, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches ;
unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto
Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto
Laodicea. 'Eyevop-rjv iv Hvevp^ari, I became in tJu Spirit. He became
a dweller in Patmos, and while there he became supernaturally
influenced. His mental and spiritual faculties were so re
moved from the regions of time and sense, that he was, as it

56 The Messages to the Seven Churches
were, transported out of himself. Like St. Paul, whether in .
the body or out of the body he could not tell. We call this
transition a state of trance, or ecstasy. In the case of St.
Paul, that extraordinary rapture to the third heaven, which he
» speaks of in 2 Cor. xii. 2, was vouchsafed when he was about
to enter upon his great mission as the Apostle of the Gentiles,
probably because he was to labour more abundantly, and
endure more humiliation, afifliction and suffering, than the rest
of the Apostles ; and to strengthen him for the work before
him, it was needful he should have visions from the Lord, so
that, amid all his trials and sorrows, he could look upward
and say : " For I reckon that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us " (Rom. viii. 1 8). In like manner, St.
John describes himself as being carried out of himself, and
becoming the subject of distinct supernatural manifestations —
of hearing things not to be kept secret, and seeing things
which were not to be concealed — but he was privileged to see
the vision in order that he might record it for the benefit of
the Church, and that his faith might be strengthened in those
dark and lonely hours of exile he was called upon to endure
for the sake of his Lord and Master. As his day, so should
his strength be ; and as the sufferings of Christ were abundant
in him, so his consolation was made to abound by Christ.
iv TTj KvpiaKTJ rjpiipa, on the Lords day. Not the Day of the
Lord as some would interpret it, because if such a meaning
were attached to the expression, it would suppose St. John
was carried in some extraordinary manner to the Day of
Judgment, and the scenes with which its advent would be
accompanied, and that on that day when the Church on earth
would be exchanged for the Church in heaven, he was to write
certain Epistles to seven Churches in Asia Minor ! There
are only two places in the New Testament where the word
rj KvpiaKrj occurs, namely here, rj KvpiaKrj rjp,epa, and i Cor.

of Asia Minor. 5 7
xi. 20, KvpiaKov BeiTTvov. When the Day of the Lord is spoken
of it is always '^p,epa Kvpiov that is used. The Lord's day,
or the day belonging to the Lord, is some day that He has
specially made His own by some signal act, and properly
applies to the day of our Lord's resurrection. It was the day
on which He was declared to be the Son of God with power by
the resurrection from the dead (Rom. i. 4). It was His resting
day, because on that day the work of atonement had been
for ever completed. The day of Christ's incarnation or His
passion could not be called by the name, the Lord's day,
because He had yet to labour before He entered into His
rest ; nor could the day of His ascension be called the Lord's
day, for by His ascension He only entered into His place of
rest. He having by His resurrection already entered into His
state of rest ; so that the first day of the week, or Christian
sabbath, has, ever since the morning of His resurrection,
been designated the Lord's day. Christ arose from the dead
on the first day of the week. Twice he appeared tb His
disciples on that day; on that day He gave special evi
dence of His resurrection ; on that day He gave first the
earnest of the Spirit, and afterwards poured out upon His
Church the full effusion of the Holy Ghost on the day of
Pentecost, which was the fiftieth day after the Passover, as we
find in Lev. xxiii. 16, where it is said, the morrow after the
seventh sabbath is the fiftieth day ; and on the first day of
the week the Apostles and early Christians were accustomed
to meet for religious worship and "breaking of bread."
In Acts XX. 7, we read that " on the first day of the week,
when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul
preached to them." Now we find in verse 6, that he had
already been seven days with the disciples at Troas, yet on
none of the seven are we told they met for public worship, but
on the first day of the week only. For all these reasons, the
day on which St. John was in the Spirit was the first day

58 The Messages to the Seven Churches
of the week, or Lord's day. It was known as such when
St. John wrote the Revelation, and we find that on that day
it was customary for the disciples to meet together for the
reception of Holy Communion and for hearing the word of
' God. Justin Martyr, in his Apology, i. 85, says : " On the day
called Sunday, our common assembly of all who are in the
cities and the country is held, and we read the writings of the
apostles and the books of the prophets." Then, after describ
ing the sermon, the administration of Holy Communion,
and the collection of alms for the poor, he adds " We all
assemble together in common on the day called Sunday,
because it is the day on which God created the world out of
darkness and vXrj, and on which Jesus Christ our Saviour
arose from the dead ; for on the day before Saturday they
crucified Him, and on the day after Saturday He arose from
the grave, and taught His apostles and disciples those things
which we have delivered to you." St. Ignatius, Bishop of
Antioch, who was a martyr in the reign of Trajan, desires
• those to whom he wrote to " keep the Lord's day, on which our
) Life arose," ^ and St. Barnabas, his contemporary, says, " We
observe the eighth day with gladness in which Jesus rose from
I the dead." ^ And Eusebius bears testimony to the first day of
the week as the Lord's day, when he writes : " The Logos
(Christ) by the new covenant translated and transferred the
feast of the sabbath to the morning light, and gave us the
symbol of true rest, the saving Lord's day, the first day of
the week. On this day we do those things, according to the
spiritual law, which were decreed for the priests to do on the
sabbath ; all things proper to do on the sabbath we have trans
ferred to the Lord's day. . . . it is delivered to us that we
should meet on this day."* It was then the day of our Lord's
resurrection, the first day of the week, that St. John was privi-
' S. Ignat., ad Magnes., sec. 9.
2 S. Barnab,, Ep., c. xv. 3. ' Euseb., H. E., iv. 23, 8.

of Asia Minor. 59
leged to enjoy that marvellous manifestation which he after
wards describes ; and therefore the observance of that day
for religious worship has both the authority of Christ and
Apostolic sanction. St. John did not forget the claims of the
Lord's day in his lonely exile, and as he honoured God, God
honoured him. That day for the Apostle, as it should ever be
for us, was the Day of days. It taught him that the resurrec
tion power of Christ was the guarantee for the efficacy of His
sacrifice and the salvation of His people, to the end of time.
It told him that Christ lives to intercede, and, because He
lives, we shall live also ; it poured a flood of light upon the
Garden and the Cross, and pointed to the rest that remaineth
for the people of God. Well might he take up the words of
Psalm cxviii. and say, " This is the day which the Lord hath
made ; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
Kai rjKovaa oiricrw p,ov, k.t.X., and f heard behind m,e a great
voice as of a trumpet. When in that state of ecstasy in which
his bodily and mental existence were merged in the spiritual,
he heard a great voice, as of a trumpet, to summon his
attention, and gradually prepare him for what he was now to
see. He had in his early days been familiar with the sound
of the trumpet, which the priests were accustomed to use, in
publishing the approach of festivals, or giving the signals of
war. The first day of every month was sacred to the Jews,
and was announced by the sound of a trumpet. Every solemn
festival and every public assembly was introduced by the deep '
sound of a trumpet as recorded in Numbers x. 10; and perhaps
as this sound was so familiar to St John, he makes use of it
to describe the character of that voice which he heard behind
him. In Psalm xxix. the voice of the Lord is compared to the
loud thunder peal, and therefore it may be said to be a great
voice. The trumpet is alluded to as calling the dead to judg
ment (Matt. xxiv. 31 ; I Cor. xv. 52 ; i Thess. iv. 16). The
object of that loud and thrilling voice which the Apostle

6o The Messages to the Seven Churches
heard could not be mistaken, and he proceeds to tell us the
instruction he received.
Xeyovarji- *0 /SXcTrei?, ypd-^ov, k.t.X., saying, What thou
seest, write in a book, etc. The revised New Testament
properly omits the words, " I am Alpha and Omega, the first
and the last," which words are not in the Greek text, and
must have found their place in any copy in which they are
inserted, by the carelessness of transcribers. The things that
thou now seest, write at once (ypdyfrov) into a book. The
word ^i^Xiov means a roll or scroll, books having been
written in ancient times in that form ; and even still the
Jews use rolls in their synagogues. Various materials were
used for writing before the invention of paper. Parchment,
•n-epydixrjvrj, takes its name from Pergamum (the seat of one of
the seven Churches of Asia Minor), and was invented by the
kings of that place, because the kings of Egypt refused to
allow the exportation of papyrus out of their dominions, as
they were jealous of any imitation of their great library at
Alexandria. Hesiod's works were written on leaden tablets ;
the laws of Solon on wooden planks ; and the moral law, which
God delivered to Moses, on tables of stone. St. John was
enjoined to write immediately upon a roll what he saw, and
we may therefore believe the vision was recorded by hiir
while he was in Patmos. But why enjoined to be written }
Might not the Apostle have been the sole guardian of that
Revelation, and have dispensed a knowledge of it to the
"Angels" ofthe seven Churches from time to time, as they were
able to receive it, so that they might communicate it to the
people 1 If there is any meaning in this direction given to
St. John, it is that all possibility of change or error, in the
lapse of time, should be prevented, and that the Churches
should not be left to the uncertain voice of tradition, in
ascertaining the knowledge of God's will. Why were the
tables of stone delivered to Moses .' That Divine truth might

of Asia Minor. 6i
be preserved, and handed down to future generations. Why
were the books of the New Testament ordered to be written ?
" These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the
Christ the Son of God, and that, believing, ye might have life
through His name " (John xx. 31). Jren^us says : " We know
not the dispensing of our salvation through any others than
those by which the gospel came to us ; what they then
preached, afterwards indeed by the will of God they delivered
to us in the Scriptures, to be the ground and pillar of our
faith."! St. Augustine also adds his testimony in a similar
manner : " Therefore since they have written what He
(Christ) made known and spoke, it is by no means to be said
that He did not write Himself, since His members performed
that which they knew by the dictation of the Head ; for
whatsoever He wished us to read concerning His deeds and
words, this He commanded to be written by them, or by
His members." *
The word was written that the faith might be preserved
and that no admixture of error should be permitted to enter
into God's revealed will. And to St. John, the last surviving
Apostle, was made the final communication of that will, not
for himself alone ; but he was commanded to write it in a
book — that in future ages we, through patience and comfort
of the Scriptures, might have hope. To him the eventful
history of the Church in her trials and triumphs was disclosed,
and by him recorded as a chart to guide her through the ocean
of the world, in the dark midnight of time. The distinction
therefore between the written and unwritten word is un- »
tenable. If tradition contradict the word of God, it must be '
rejected ; if it agree with it, it is useless. What has not been .
committed to writing must, in the lapse of centuries, have lost "
much of its original character, and would therefore be a very .
' Adv. Hares., lib. xi. c. 47.
' Aug., de Consensu Evang., lib i., cap. ult.

62 The Messages to the Seven Churches
unsafe guide to depend upon. Even in the written word we
find interpolations and omissions, the insertion of side notes
in the text, and various readings of many passages. If it was
hard to preserve in its integrity what was written, how much
more difficult to keep, with any degree of trustworthiness,
what was unwritten. Never can we forget the withering re
buke given by our Lord to the Pharisees and scribes : " Full
well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep
your own tradition. In vain do they worship Me, teaching
for doctrines the commandments of men " (Mark. vii. 7, 9).
What thou seest, write in a book. What things were to be
written t Evidently all the vision that the Apostle saw ; not
merely the things contained in chapters ii. and iii., but the
whole of the Revelation. The seven Churches were not only
to have the advantage of those special Epistles that were
addressed to them ; but the entire Revelation which Christ
was pleased to show to His servant John. The seven
Churches were as much concerned in knowing the whole
book, as they were in being made acquainted with the mes
sages sent to them. Just as the Epistles addressed to these
Churches were not for them alone, but for all Churches — " He
that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
Churches '' — so the unveiling of the mind of God in regard
to the Church, through the centuries which were to pass,
concerned the Asiatic Churches as much as it does ourselves.
It gave them the same hopes, comforts, and consolations in
their sufferings and sorrows as it has afforded to Christians in
every age, making earthly things fade away by reason of " the
glory that excelleth," and opening to the enraptured vision
that bright world where faith and hope and patient waiting
for Christ, shall have their full and perfect consummation.
The things that St. John was to write are enumerated in verse
19 : " The things which thou hast seen, the things that are,
and the things which shall be hereafter." " The things which

of Asia Minor. 63
thou hast seen" are clearly those referred to in verse 11, and
are identical with "the things that are, and that shall be
hereafter." Dean Alford is hardly justified in construing the
Kal d eia-i to mean " what things they signify " ; because the '
a etcrt are clearly put in contrast with a p.eXXei yiveadai. '
Bishop Wordsworth also takes the same view as Alford.
He says : " St. John was not only admitted to see, and en
abled to describe, the mysteries of the spiritual world and of
futurity, but also to explain them." What thou seest, St. John '
was to write in a book, and this vision was to include the
things that are — the present condition of the Churches, and *
what should be the future disclosures of God's Providence in «
relation to His Church till the end of time.
KoX rrkp/^ov Tat? CTTTa iKKXrjaiai<; k.t.X., and send it to the
seven churches, etc. Why these seven Churches were selected
to the exclusion of others in the same region, such as Tralles,
Magnesia, Miletus, Hierapolis, and Colossae, we have no means
of ascertaining satisfactorily. We may conjecture, and offer
some reasons which may occur to us as guiding this selec
tion ; but, at best, the solution of this difficult question must
only be considered as probable, (i) The number seven is
typical and representative, and is used to denote complete
ness and universality. So St. Augustine writes : " Numero
septenario Universae Ecclesiae significata est plenitudo : prop
ter quod et Joannes Apostolus ad septem scribit Ecclesias,
eo modo se ostendens ad unius plenitudinem scribere." ^ It
has been observed that St. Paul wrote seven Epistles to»
Gentile Churches, and in doing so, he wrote to all. So in the
Revelation seven Epistles are written to seven specified
Churches, and all Churches are addressed.
(2) There may have been in these Churches certain fea
tures or characteristics which would be observable in the
Church of Christ in every age, and in directing attention to
1 Aug., de Civ. Dei, xvii. 4.

64 The Messages to the Seven Churches
them, whether by way of approval or censure, they would
afford a beacon light through all time, either to warn of
danger, or to guide in safety into the desired haven. This
may account for Churches of lesser note having been
addressed, while those of more importance were omitted.
If we may suppose the condition of these several Churches
to embrace all the marks of faithfulness or unfaithfulness,
of vitality or decay, of earnest zeal or hollow indifference, of
spiritual progress or hopeless retrogression, then it will be
clear that, in selecting these Churches, the great Head of the
Church designed to impart a lesson which might be learned
with profit in every age.
(3) That such was His design, we have only to examine
the state of the seven Churches addressed.
Ephesus is addressed first, being the capital of Proconsular
Asia, nearest to Patmos, and the Church which had been
presided over by St. John himself. It was marked chiefly
for its intolerance of evil, and of those who said they were
Apostles and were not ; but it was censured because it had
left its first love.
Smyrna was a seaport town of Ionia, about forty miles
north of Ephesus. The " Angel " of the Church of Smyrna,
Christian history informs us, was Polycarp, the disciple of
St. John. The commendations given to the Angel of the
Church of Smyrna agree well with this fact, for in the entire
Epistle there is not a word of censure, but, on the contrary,
the highest praise for patience and faithfulness during a
period of persecution.
Pergamum, now called Bergama, was a city of Mysia, one
of the most renowned of Asiatic cities, once the residence of
King Eumenes, and of other Attalic princes. The Church in
that place was first praised for constancy and firmness in hold
ing fast the faith in the midst of fearful persecution ; yet there
is censure, because she kept within her communion certain

of Asia Minor. 65
persons of corrupt lives and erroneous doctrine — Balaamites
or Nicolaitans, who were a stumbling-block to weak brethren,
and a disgrace to the Christian profession.
Thyatira was in Lydia, and is first mentioned in the Acts ,
of the Apostles, xvi. 14, as the city to which Lydia, who
was converted by the preaching of St. Paul, belonged. The
Church of Thyatira is addressed in terms of praise and blame ;
her faith, works, patience, and charity, are all recognised ; but
having permitted the false prophetess to seduce many, she is
called upon to repent, or, if not. He whose eyes were as a
flame of fire and whose feet were as fine brass, would visit her
transgressions with the rod, and her iniquity with stripes.
Sardis, the ancient capital of Croesus and the Lydian kings 1
was situated at the foot of Mount Tmolus, on a plain watered
by the river Pactolus, whose waters are said to have carried in
their current golden sands, the source of the immense riches
amassed by these potentates.
The Church of Sardis was characterized by its members
having a high name while they were spiritually dead. Spi
ritual declension was everywhere apparent, and the Church
is reproached for backsliding, apathy, and hypocrisy. High
in reputation among the other Churches, He who searcheth
the heart and trieth the reins of the children of men,
weighs her in the balance and finds her wanting — her pro
fession no better than "the sounding brass or tinkling
cymbal." Philadelphia, the sixth in order of the Churches here
named, was situated in the province of Lydia, and so called
from Attains Philadelphus, king of Pergamum, by whom
the city was founded. It stood on a lower slope of Mount
Tmolus, about 28 miles S.E. of Sardis. This city was;
greatly subject to earthquakes. The Church of Philadelphia
receives unmixed praise. She had little strength, and in a
time of severe trial was faithful in keeping Christ's word ; and
F

66 The Messages to the Seven Churches
an open door of usefulness was set before this Church by
Christ Himself.
Laodicea was in Phrygia, and was so called from Laodice,
wife of Antiochus II. It was not far from Colosse, and was
watered by the river Lycus. Its ancient name was Diospolis,
afterwards Rhaos, and lastly Laodicea; a great commercial
city. The Church here was rich in its own estimate, " having
need of nothing," and is characterized by want of zeal in
the cause of Christ, and a lukewarmness which our Lord
condemns in the strongest terms, preferring even the want
of religious profession to that condition which is described
as being "neither cold nor hot." In Apostolic times this
I Church had Archippus (Col. iv. 17) as its bishop, who was
also a martyr in the cause of Christ.
In all these Churches we see every condition of spiritual
vigour and decay illustrated, and if we could , only realize
the ideal of a perfect Church, it would be by eliminating
the defects, errors, and infirmities, for which these several
Churches are censured, and combining the virtues and excel
lencies for which they are praised — blending, as the seven
prismatic colours are united in a ray of pure light, all those
% varied qualities of spirituality, zeal, love, patience, faithfulness,
perseverance, and service, which constitute the household of
God what the Psalmist has so appositely designated it —
" the Perfection of Beauty " (Ps. 1. 2).
Ver. 12. Kat eirearpeylra ^Xeireiv Trjv <f)wvrjv ^Tt? iXdXei pier'
ipov' Kal i-jria-Tpe-\lra^ elBov eTrrd Xv)(via<; '^pvad';, and I turned
to see the voice which spake with m.e. And having turned, I
saw seven golden candlesticks (lampstands). The instructions
hitherto received by St. John were addressed to the ear —
he heard the voice, but saw no man — now he turns in the
direction from which the voice proceeds, and he sees, all of
a sudden, a marvellous scene — seven golden candlesticks, or

of Asia Minor. 6 7
lampbearers, separated the one from the other, with sufficient
space between them to admit of a person passing. The
Apostle was familiar with the golden candlestick in the
Temple, which had its six branches, together with a central
stem, constituting its seventh arm or lampstand ; but these
branches were all united. The lamps were supplied with oil
which flowed through the tubes into the bowls ; and all the
lights were supported from one common source. Here, how
ever, the lampstands were quite different. There does not
appear to have been any connection between them. They
were separate and distinct, and probably arranged in such a
position as to be fit representations of the several Churches
they were designed to symbolize. In the fact of these lamp-
bearers being seven in number, we may consider them as
indicating totality, or universality ; and, in their separation,
they may fitly represent the Churches of Christendom at
large. The Church of the Jew was one, as the seven branches
were all joined in the one golden candlestick. This was
appositely symbolic of the Temple, which was the Church of
one people or race ; but here, under the New Testament dis
pensation, there are many Churches, because all nations, and
kindreds, and peoples, and tongues, are sharers in the bless
ings of a full and free salvation ; yet all derive their support
from Him who walks in the midst of the candlesticks, which
have no oil or light in themselves, but give light only as they
are supplied from the pure word of God by the influences of
the Holy Spirit. In some the Hght is obscured, in others
it burns brightly, just in proportion as the lamps are supplied
with the pure oil of sound doctrine derived from the fountain
of Revealed Truth ; while, in a few instances, the light is
all but extinct from the adulteration and corruption of the
material which feeds the flame.
The lampstand, or candlestick, is a fit representation of
what a Church should be. It is not to obscure the light, or

68 The Messages to the Seven Churches
take its place, but to hold up the light to the world. The
motto of the Waldensian Church is properly descriptive of.
what the office of the Church should be : " Lux lucet in
tenebris." " Ye are the light of the worid. A city that is
set on a hill cannot be hid," our Lord said to His disciples ;
and if it is true individually, it is not less so collectively.
St Paul uses the same metaphor in Phil. ii. iS, "Among
whom ye shine as lights in the world." This too shows the
condition of the worid into which the light is thrown. The
world is like Egypt during the plague of darkness, while the
Church is Hke Goshen, where the children of Israel had light
in their dwellings. But for the Church of God what would
the world be .' A waste howling wilderness, with no shadow
of a rock in a weary land — a troubled sea casting forth mire
and dirt, and no hope of crossing it, or reaching a haven.
The Church is the world's regenerator. Like the branch
thrown by the prophet into the waters of Marah, this " goodly
vine " has neutralized the sources of man's misery, while it
has purified the fountains of his joy. It has been a mighty
breakwater to resist the flood of vice, sensuality, and crime ;
and, but for it, no embankment, constructed by human hands,
could have withstood the pressure, and prevented the ruin
in which the whole social fabric would have been involved.
It stands above all human institutions, a witness for Christ in
the world, the pillar and ground of the truth, proclaiming the
power and triumphs of Christianity ; a remembrancer from
generation to generation that God has not left us to ourselves,
but that the true Light, that enlighteneth every man who will
receive it, has come to give light to them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way
of peace.
hrrd Xvyyia'i y^pvad'i, seven golden lampstands. These
candlesticks were of gold to denote the preciousness of
everything connected with the Church, and, we may add.

of Asia Minor. 6g
the beauty of the Church and her holy services. " The hill
of Zion is a fair place, and the joy of the whole earth."
" Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined."
Christ has purchased the Church with His own blood, and
the price He has set upon it is far above rubies. He calls
the Church by His own name; she is His bride, and He
bestows upon her all the treasures of His grace. " For all
things are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's."
The Church is the admiration of the universe — not merely
the source of peace and happiness to man, but the fountain
of knowledge and enlightenment to the angels in heaven,
whose views of their Creator are enlarged as they learn from
the Church the manifold wisdom of God (Eph. iii. lo). We
may, therefore, see in the golden candlesticks, how perfectly
the symbol corresponds to the thing signified.
Ver. 13. Kai ev p.ea(p twv eirTa Xui^vtwv ofioiov Tiw dv-
upwTTov, ivSeBvp,evov iroBrjprj, Kal 7repie^wap,evov ttjOO? Tot?
fiaarol'i ^wvrjv ^pva-rjv, and in the fnidst of the seven candle
sticks one like the Son of man, clothed with a long garment
reaching down to his feet, and girt about at the breasts with a
golden girdle. Between the candlesticks, St John saw one
" like the Son of man." The article is omitted in the Greek,
but the omission occurs in like phrases, vi6<i Qeov, irveijfjia
Qeov, TTjv 6B0V Kvpiov, where obviously the translation requires
the definite article to be supplied. The expression, " Son of
man," is here one of two instances only, where, in the New
Testament, this title is applied to Christ by any one but Him
self.- It is His own adopted designation, and is commonly
used by Him in speaking of Himself, or addressing His disci
ples. St John had been accustomed to hear it, and it comes
up instinctively as the title of the Messiah. No doubt, in
adopting this form of expression, our Lord had in view the
prophecy of Dan. vii. 13, where the prophet tells us he "saw

70 The Messages to the Seven Churches
in the night visions, and behold one like the Son of man
came with the clouds of heaven . . . and there was given
Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people,
and nations, and languages, should serve Him : His dominion
is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and
His kingdom that which shaH not be destroyed."
When our blessed Lord was before Caiaphas and adjured
to tell whether He was the Christ, He said : " Hereafter shall
ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power,
and coming in the clouds of heaven." The Jews understood
what the expression, " Son of man," meant. They knew that
Messiahship was involved in the title, and claimed by Christ.
Hence the high priest cried out, "He hath spoken blasphemy"
(Matt. xxvi. 65). The name. Son of man, therefore, did not
mean that our Lord was possessed of true humanity merely,
though it also implied this, but that He was the. Representa
tive, and Pattern man — the Seed of the woman that should
bruise the head of the serpent — the Head of the new creation,
the only true and perfect flower that had ever sprung from
the root of humanity — the Restorer of our race, the Second
Adam, who should undo all that had been wrongly done by
the first. But more than this, the title was a distinct claim
to Messiahship. The Head of the kingdom that should arise
after the four great monarchies had passed away, represented
as they were by " the four beasts," descriptive of their true
character, which was inhuman, was to be the Son of man.
His sovereignty was to be humane, — " with righteousness He
should judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek
of the earth " ; and, while His real humanity was indicated
by the use of the title, it was in this character He would
judge the world, for the Father hath given Him authority to
execute judgment also because He is the Son of man. Even
before our Lord's incarnation, the expression, " Son of man,"
was familiar to the Jews; for in the apocryphal Book of

of Asia Minor. 71
Enoch, which critics have agreed was written in the second
century before Christ, this title is frequently used as desig
nating the Messiah.! By reason of .Daniel's prophecy, it
became a popular title of the Messiah, and those who were
at all conversant with that prophecy must have at once
understood it in this sense. When our Lord put the question
to His disciples, " Whom do men say that I, the Son of man,
am ? " in marked contrast to the hesitation of the Jews, who,
from prejudice, were slow in admitting the justice of the
claim, St. Peter, as the mouthpiece of the Apostles, confesses :
" Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." We
therefore see that, even before our Lord appeared in the flesh,
the title. Son of man, was known as the official name by
which He should be designated as the long-expected Messiah,
whose goings forth were of old from everlasting. And now
in Patmos, when He is seen by St. John in the midst of the
seven golden candlesticks, He is at once recognised, as He
was by the prophet of the Captivity, as " One like the Son
of man."
ivBeBvyikvov iroBrjprj, clothed with a long garment reaching
down to His feet. The garment is here called iroB^prj,
which corresponds to the chetoneth described by Josephus
Antiquities, Book iii. chap. 7, and which was a long loose gar
ment flowing down to the feet, worn by the high priest. The
word TroBrjprj<; is used by the LXX. in Exod. xxviii. 4, to
denote the robe of Aaron, the high priest, and which Moses
was enjoined to make for him " for glory and for beauty."
In the description of Daniel's vision (x. 5), which, in many
respects, resembles that of St John, we read that He whom
he saw was clothed in linen, or a linen garment This was
the emblem of dignity, and specially belonged to royalty as
well as priesthood. Jesus is now a Priest upon His throne,
combining the power of royalty with the dignity of priest-
' See Canon Liddon's Bampton Lectures, Lecti i. p. 7.

72 The Messages to the Seven Churches
hood — a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek ; and
we may conceive that the vision which the Apostle had in
Patmos revealed Christ in that double aspect, not merely in
His sacerdotal character, but as Head over all things to the
Church, ruling over her, and in her, until that day when He
shall come agciin, as the High Priest from within the veil, to
bless the people, and proclaim the glad jubilee of the world's
redemption from the curse, even the glorious liberty of the
children of God.
KoX ¦7repie^wa-p,evov, k.t.X., and girt about at the breasts
with a golden girdle. The girdle was also one of the
sacerdotal appendages. It was not however of gold, but
only wrought with gold (Exod. xxviii. 8). It was used for
binding the linen garment worn by the high priest. For
ordinary purposes the girdle was worn round the loins, so
as to collect the loose garments, and prevent them from
being an obstruction in walking ; but here the girdle is seen
about the breasts ; and Josephus, speaking of the vestment
of the high priest, says, " it is girded to the breast, a little
above the elbows, by a girdle often going round, four fingers
broad, but so loosely woven that you would think it was
the skin of a serpent." ^ This higher cincture gave more
freedom, and enabled the priests to maintain more dig
nity. The girdle was an emblem of power and strength.
St Paul, speaking of the Christian's armour, mentions the
need of having our loins girt about with truth ; and Isaiah,
predicting the Messiah, says : " Righteousness shall be the
girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins "
(Isa. xi. 5).
The girdle was as much the emblem of royalty as of
priesthood, and was worn by kings as well as priests ; so
that, although the itoBrjpij<i is rendered in the Rhemish
version a priestly garment, it may denote any stately
' Joseph., Ant., Book iii. chap. 7.

of Asia Minor. 73
garment, and the cincture by a girdle may apply to either
priest or king indiscriminately. The description given of
our blessed Lord, as seen by the beloved Apostle, would
convey to us the fact that Jesus wears His priesthood still,
that He ever lives to make intercession, and that He is also
a King upon His holy hill of Zion. He who has procured
salvation for us, and who is now interceding as a Priest, was
"made after the power of an endless life," so as to apply
redemption, to make men " willing in the day of His power,"
to accomplish the number of God's elect, and to hasten His
kingdom. He who once opened a way to the Father ever
lives to keep it open, and through Him all impediments are
removed. That sublime vision which St. John saw is to us
an assurance that our Great High Priest has passed into the
heavens, and is exalted to the seat of power and honour,
from henceforth expecting until His enemies be made His
footstool. Flesh and blood, in some glorified form, have
been carried into the inner shrine of the upper sanctuary.
How great the honour thus placed upon human nature ! and
if we are Christ's, such honour have all the saints. He is
the pledge of safety to all His people. He has said,
" Because I live ye shall live also." If He has entered into
the august presence of His Father and our Father, of His
God and our God, it is that He may remember the struggling
Church in the wilderness, and uphold her weakest member.
None need perish while He is within the veil. Attached to
that curious girdle was the high priest's breastplate, on which
were set twelve precious stones, to represent the twelve
Hebrew tribes, so that, when intercession was made. He
might as it were carry them on His heart before God. And
does not Jesus, our great High Priest, bear all His people's
wants, and cares, and anxieties, on His heart before God.?
" He fainteth not, neither is weary." Of His Church He
says : " Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of My

74 The Messages to the Seven Churches
hands: thy walls are continually before Me" (Isa. xlix. i6).
We stand here waiting in the outer sanctuary ; and as the
worshippers in the outer court of the temple heard the
tinkling bells of the high priest's vestments, which told them
he was interceding, so may we now, from the Holy of Holies,
with the ear of faith, catch the music of their sacred chimes,
and enjoy the blessedness of those who know the joyful
sound. His work will continue till "time, times, and the
dividing of time," in restraining evil, presenting prayer,
bestowing grace, keeping the feet of His saints, controlling
the affairs of Providence; then shall the GREAT Sabbath
come, when peace shall flow through every land like a river,
and righteousness like the waves of the sea, when nature's
harmonies shall be restored, the world's wastes reclaimed,
creation's groaning no longer heard, — "violence no more
heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy
borders ; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy
gates, Praise," — and Christ shall reign, a Priest upon His
throne, in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His
ancients gloriously (Isa. xxiv. 23).
Ver. 14. rj Be KeipaXrj avrov Kal ai Tpt%e? XevKal «? epiov
XevKov, ft)? ')(iwv Kal oi 6^6aX/j,ol avTOV co? <f>Xo^ Trupo?, and
His head and His hair were white as white wool, as snow; and
His eyes were as a flame of fire. The description here given
corresponds exactly with that which Daniel gives of the
Ancient of Days (Dan. vii. 9, x. 6), and which would seem
to indicate eternal duration, or perhaps more properly to ex
press the glory of Christ's Godhead. We can hardly regard
this whiteness, which the Apostle desires to intensify by
selecting wool and snow as its symbols, to be indicative of
age, or of the decay which accompanies it ; for this would be
inadmissible in speaking of Him who is from everlasting to
everlasting, with whom one day is as a thousand years and a

of Asia Minor. 75
thousand years as one day, who gathers as into a point all
the duration of human history, and who is the mighty centre
of two eternities. Solomon speaks of the hoary head as a
crown of glory, and it is always associated with honour and
respect But we must attach some other meaning to the
appearance here described, as it would be an incongruity to
apply the symbol of age to one who had just risen from the
dead, and who would be in the full vigour of youth and im
mortality. In Christ there could be neither weakness nor
decay, for as the Psalmist in the i loth Psalm, when alluding
to the Messiah as the Ruler of His people in the Gospel dis
pensation, says, " Thou hast the dew of Thy youth," thus
showing that Christ's strength and activity continue unim
paired, refreshed and renewed by the dew of God's grace and
Spirit ; or that His body is constantly refreshed and strength
ened by successive accessions of people, as dew from the
morning. The angel at the sepulchre, as described by St.
Mark (xvi. 5), is spoken of as a young man sitting on the right
side, clothed in a long white garment ; how much more then
are youth and vigour applicable to Him who is the angels'
Lord .' The head and hair white as wool and snow would
properly recall the transfiguration scene, when His face did
shine as the sun, and His raiment white as the light; St. Mark
says, " exceeding white as snow." If the transfiguration scene
foreshadowed His glory After His decease, St. John, who had
been an eye-witness of that scene, must have had it vividly
impressed upon his memory ; and now that the Lord appears
to him with all the brightness, radiance, and intense splendour
which he had observed on Hermon, he must have had no
difficulty in recognising his risen and ascended Saviour, and
in fully understanding what the transfiguration was intended
to convey. He is the specially favoured Apostle,, and while
St. Peter and St. James were admitted to one glimpse of the
heavenly glory, he was privileged to have the vision repeated

76 The Messages to the Seven Churches
for his special support and encouragement in Patmos. In
the days of His flesh, Christ had given him a manifestation
of the glory of His Divine Person, to prepare him for the
dark scenes of His sufferings and of His death; now the glory
of the risen and exalted Saviour is again brought before
him to quicken his faith and strengthen his hope, when
banished from the Church he loved, and to make him feel
that " though persecuted he was not forsaken, cast down, he
was not destroyed," — that, in the hour of his deepest gloom,
there was One present who could say, " Fear not, for I am
with thee."
KoiX oi 6cf)6aX/jiol avrov, k.t.X., and His eyes were as a
flame of fire. This indicates the powerful, penetrating, all-
searching glance of Christ, to whom all hearts are open, all
desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid. "All
things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom
we have to do." In the address to the Church at Thyatira
(Rev. ii. 18) this attribute of Christ is alluded to, and is
there designed to inspire awe by the thought that nothing
can be concealed from His view; indeed, in ii. 23, He explains
the purport of the symbol here used by saying, " And all the
Churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins
and the hearts." But the words of this passage show not
merely that Christ's eyes are so searching that nothing can
escape His notice; they have a still deeper meaning, and a
more judicial application. Fire, in most places where it is
mentioned in Scripture, is indicative of indignation and wrath
against sin. Perhaps the only exception is where our Lord is
spoken of as baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with fire ;
there indicating the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost
in tongues of fire. "Eyes, as a fiame of fire," signify that
withering condemnation of sin to which He, who is of purer
eyes than to behold iniquity, always in dealing with Churches
or individuals gives expression. Sin cannot stand in His

of Asia Minor. 77
presence, and wherever it appears it calls forth His righteous
indignation. In this case the adversaries of the Church were
Domitian and the power of heathen Rome ; and those Eyes,
which the Apostle compares to a flame of fire, were indicative
of retribution against that power, and of the speedy overthrow
of the Church's enemies.
In chapter xix. 11, 12, where Christ is represented as
"judging and making war" upon His enemies, it is imme
diately added in connection with that execution of judgment,
" His eyes are as a flame of fire."
Ver. 15. Kal oi iroSe? avTOv o/ioioi "xaXKoXi^avw w? ev
Kap,ivw Treirvpwp.evoi, Kal rj ijjwvrj avrov w? (pwvrj vBdrwv
iroXXwv, and His feet like unto burnished brass, as if they
burned in a furnace ; and His voice as the voice of many
waters. In Daniel's vision -by the river Hiddekel (x. 6) He
whom he saw, who was clothed in linen, and whose loins were
girt with fine gold of Uphaz, and whose eyes were as lamps
of fire, had arms and feet like in colour to polished brass ;
and in Ezekiel's vision (i. 7) the feet of the living creatures
"sparkled like the colour of burnished brass." The word
¦XaXKoXi^dvw has afforded scope for much investigation by
critics, as its etymology is involved in doubt. It occurs only
twice in the New Testament, and in both places in the
Revelation ; here, and in ii. i8. We know that ;;^a\A:o?
means brass, but what Xi^av6<; means is the difficulty. Per
haps it corresponds to the Hebrew ]^b, to be white ; but to
what the allusion is there is a variety of opinion. As St.
John has clearly in view the description given by Daniel, we
may be safe in following the Hebrew analogy, and construe
the word as meaning shining brass, or molten brass in a state
of incandescence in a furnace. The light from brass molten
in a furnace is insupportable, and it may be fitly used as an
image of that dazzling brightness with which the feet of the

78 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Saviour shone, and which St. John compares to %aXKoAtySai/o?.
The Vulgate renders the word auricJtalcum, or orichalcum, an
alloy of gold and brass. Some think that the last half of the
word {Xi/3av6(;) should be detached from the first, and con
strued as a proper name, to mean " Lebanon," and that the
whole word would then mean, " brass of Lebanon," or moun
tain brass. Wordsworth conjectures that the word \t/8avo?
may be taken to mean frankincense, and that the reference is
to copper in a state of ignition, like frankincense when it is red
hot. Trench makes the word a hybrid, the first half Greek,
and the second Hebrew, the word XtySavo? being taken from
the Hebrew p7 (laban) white ; the entire word would then
mean, brass in a state of white heat. There is great objection
to this, as it is a very unusual thing to have such a combina
tion, except perhaps in proper names. If then a Greek word
could be found from which Xij3avo'; could be derived, it would
be preferable, and Wordsworth has suggested that it might
come from Xei^m (liquo), and that the word would then
mean, liquid or molten brass. This finds acceptance from the
words which follow, " as if they burned in a furnace " ; and,
considering the variety of views which have been advanced,
we may regard this derivation as conveying the meaning of
the passage as fully as any other, besides being in closer
analogy with the requirements of the language.
The description here given seems to indicate judgment,
just as the preceding clause was expressive of indignation
against the Lord's adversaries. In Isaiah Ixiii. i, the question
is put, " Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed
garments from Bozrah ? " and in the answer it is said, " I have
trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was
none with Me : for I will tread them in Mine anger, and
trample them in My fury." In Malachi iv. 2, 3, reference is
also made to this mode of executing judgment : " Ye shall
go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall

of Asia Minor. 70
tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles
of your feet." We may, therefore, consider the imagery here
introduced as denoting the power with which Christ should
subdue His enemies, and bring deliverance to His oppressed
and down-trodden servants.
Kai rj (f>wvrj avTov fa? (jtmvrj vBdrav •jroXXwv, and His voice
as the voice of many waters. This is descriptive of majesty
and authority. Next to the power and majesty of the voice
of the Lord in the loud thunder-peal we may regard the
deep sound of the waters of the sea. In Daniel x. 6, the
imagery used is less in grandeur than that here introduced.
" And the voice of His words, Hke the voice of a multitude,"
does not give the same idea of overwhelming majesty and
might as the voice of the far-sounding sea. Ezekiel has
adopted the latter symbol (xliii. 2) when, speaking of the
glory of the God of Israel, he says : " His voice was like the
sound of many waters, and the earth shined with His glory."
When, at the cave of Horeb, the Lord appeared to Elijah,
there was the wind that rent the mountains, then the earth
quake, and the fire, — but the Lord was not in these, — and,
after the' fire, a still small voice. He came to give strength
and a fresh commission to His servant, to confirm the hands
that were hanging down and the feeble knees ; therefore that
voice was the voice of love and mercy. And when the Lord
Jesus Christ went forth on His mission of love to the souls of
men, the spirit of Prophecy had declared respecting Him :
" He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear His
voice in the streets." UnHke the ostentatious Pharisees, His
demeanour was calm, yet dignified ; His preaching earnest,
yet unobtrusive. But now, when He comes to the Apostle in
Patmos, His voice is as the voice of many waters — solemn
and deep, loud and penetrating. It is not the gentle voice
which was lifted up in pity, pleading for the Jews, His
countrymen : " Ye will not come unto Me that ye might have

8o The Messages to the Seven Churches
life " ; not the voice which spoke in accents of sorrow as He
saw Jerusalem for the last time, " How often would I have
gathered thee, but ye would not"; nor was it the voice that
woke the dead at the gates of Nain, or brought back Lazarus
from his tomb. It is the voice of judgment addressing im
penitent sinners, carrying in its deep tones alarm to the con
science, and conveying a sense of remorse to those who have
set themselves against Christ, alike to false friends and open
foes, to whom nothing remains but a fearful looking for of
judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the ad
versaries. However much His rebellious subjects may rise
against Him, and however loud their hard sayings, the voice
of Christ is irresistible, for He shall " smite the earth with the
rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He
slay the wicked " (Isa. xi. 4).
Ver. 16. KoiX 'e'j(wv iv ry Be^ia avrov %ei/3t daTepa<; eirTa,
Kal iK TOV aTOfiaro^ avrov pop,<j)aia BiaTop,o<; o^ela iKTropevo-
p.evrj, Kal fj 01/ri? avrov <b? 6 ^\to? ^aivei iv ttj Bvvd/jiei avrovt
and he had in his right hand seven stars : and out of his mouth
proceeded a sharp twoedged sword, and his countenance was as
the sun shineth in his strength. The appearance presented to
St John was that of seven stars, held in the right hand of
the august Personage whom he saw. We are not informed
how these stars were arranged, whether in the form of a
circlet, or coronet, or whether their order bore any analogy
to the position of the Churches over which these stars ex
ercised an influence. Their number and symbolic character
are explained in verse 20, as indicating the Angels of the seven
Churches ; but in the fact of these stars being in the hand
of Christ there was conveyed the instructive and comforting
assurance that, whatever evils might betide the suffering
Church, those who, like the Apostle, were called upon to
endure persecution for righteousness' sake, might rely upon

of Asia Minor. 8 1
the arm of Omnipotence for protection and support. Indeed
the same assurance is given to every member of Christ's
flock, as well as to those who are shepherds and overseers :
" I give unto them eternal Hfe, and they shall never perish,
neither shall any one snatch them out of My hand." Though
that hand was pierced on the Cross, it was not palsied, nor
has it lost its life-giving touch. "The Lord's hand is not
shortened that it cannot save."
If the soldiers of the Cross could only realize this in their
conflicts with the powers of darkness, with what fresh vigour
should they go forth, and with how many victories would
they be crowned ! But in looking to ourselves, instead of
Christ, we become weak in the day of battle, and the enemy
easily gains the advantage over us. "Who is sufficient for
these things ? " we frequently exclaim, while we overlook the
answer to this question which the Apostle of the Gentiles has
given : " I can do all things through Christ which strength-
eneth me." All the Hght which those stars emit comes from
Him who is the Sun of Righteousness, and they are pre
served in their orbits by the attractive influence of that Great
Central Sun.
/cat e'/c TOU aTdp.aTo<i, k.t.X., and out of His mouth pro
ceeded a sharp two-edged sword. In the character of our
Great High Priest, He will also be our Judge. The sharp
two-edged sword is the symbol of rigid justice. It will
pierce us through ; it will reach not merely our outward
acts but ouij inward motives ; it will lay bare the inmost
secrets, our thoughts and purposes, as well as those acts of
transgression we have committed ; it will take cognisance
no less of the spirit than of the letter; and with right
eous judgment to each will be apportioned either stern
retribution or gracious reward. So we read in Hebrews
iv. 12 : "The Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing.
G

82 The Messages to the Seven Churches
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart." If by "the Word of God" we are here to understand the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself, which many of the Apostolic
Fathers held, among whom were SS. Clement^ and Polycarp,^
we have a practical exposition of the symbol which St. John
saw when he speaks of the 'sharp two-edged sword that
proceeded out of Christ's mouth. The two-edged sword
was used by barbarous nations for punitive purposes ; so the
sword by which Christ shall execute punishment upon His
enemies is the Divine Word which proceeds from His mouth —
the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and which,
while it exercises a convincing and converting power upon
His people, will carry dismay and destruction to His enemies.
In the word St'o-To/xo? (two-edged) Tertullian recognises a
spiritual meaning, for he applies it to the Old and New
Testaments,^ as does also Richard of St Victor as quoted
by Trench : " It is called a sword with two edges, because in
the Old Testament it cuts into fleshly deformities ; in the
New Testament, also into spiritual. It is sharp on both sides,
because externally it removes the lust of the flesh, internally
the malice of the heart. It is sharp on both sides because it
punishes in body and soul those who reject its precepts. It
is a sharp sword with two edges because it distinguishes
between good and bad, and renders to each one his deserts."
Kai rj Skirl's avroi), k.t.X., and his countenance was as the
sun shineth in his strength. There could be no more sublime
symbol of majesty and power than that which is here in-
' Clement, Epist. ad Corinth., sec. 21.
* Polycarp, Ep. ad Phil., sec. 4.
* Tertullian (c. Marcion, iii. 14) thus writes on this passage : " The Apostle St.
John in the Apocalypse describes a sword coming forth from the mouth of God,
with two edges and sharp at the point, which is the Word of God sharpened with
the two edges of the two Testaments — the Law and the Gospel."

of Asia Minor. 83
troduced. It is that by which the glory of Christ in His
Transfiguration is depicted : " His face did shine as the sun."
Here it is, " as the sun shineth in his strength," without any
intercepting clouds. The same figure is used in the Song of
Deborah to describe the power and glory of those who love
the Lord : " But let them that love Him be as the sun when
he goeth forth in his might" (Judg. v. 31). So also at His
Second Advent, "the righteous shall shine forth as the sun
in the kingdom of their Father" (Matt xiii. 43). What
a wonderful contrast have we in this place to our Lord's
humiliation 1 Then He was a worm and no man — His visage
marred more than any man, and His form more than the
sons of men — the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief.
Then the glory of His Divine person was veiled with the
thick folds of His humanity, because He came to bear our
infirmities and carry the burden of our sins. He took upon
Him the form of a servant, and came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.
On the morning of His resurrection all that life of humiliation
and suffering had passed away, and at the open tomb, it is
said of the angel who stood there, "hi^ countenance was
as lightning " ; what must then have been the overpowering
splendour of the countenance of Him who was the angel's
Lord .? All these symbols which are here introduced to
describe the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to St.
John are purely mental conceptions. They passed before the
mind's eye of the Apostle as ideal representations, not as
the actual glorified body of the Son of God. That glorified
body the heavens have received, and shall ie:ain, until the
final revelation — the glorious appearing— when He shall
come to be glorified in His saints, and admired in all them
that believe. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom o."
God, nor would it be possible for any mortal to behold the
glory of Christ on His mediatorial throne. Not until this

84 The Messages to the Seven Churches
mortal shall have put on immortality can we be adapted for
that sight which we shall have of Him " Whom having not
seen we love." It is sufficient for us here to be instructed
that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall
see Him as He is; and we are assured by St Peter that
the dazzling glory of the Transfiguration scene, which the
Apocalyptic vision so closely resembled, was a representation
of the future power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
(2 Pet i. 16-18), and that the glorified humanity of Jesus is
to be the pattern of our bodies at the resurrection (Phil.
iii. 21), and that we shall then no longer see in a mirror
dimly, but face to face ; that when that great change, de
scribed by St. Paul as " bearing the image of the heavenly,"
shall come to all Christ's believing people, we shall not
merely in some visionary or transcendental sense, but actually
and literally behold the Saviour's face in righteousness, and
be satisfied when we awake in His likeness.
Ver. 17. KoiX ore eiBov avTOV, 'eireaa irpo'i roi)'; vroSa? avTov
ft)? veKpo'i' Kal edrjKe rrjv Be^idv avrov err ip.e Xe7ft)i;, M.rj i^o^ov,
iyd) eip,i 6 irpwro^ Kal 6 'ea'^aTO';, and when I saw him, f fell
at his feet as one dead. A nd he laid his right hand upon me,
saying. Fear not ; I am the first and the last. It is impossible
for human eyes to behold the Divine glory. When the
Lord appeared to Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus,
Saul was smitten with blindness from that intense Hght which
encircled him, and both he and all who accompanied him
fell to the earth, and for three days he was without sight,
and did neither eat nor drink. On mortal eyes such has
ever been the effect of a vision of the glory of Christ. Was
not this so in the case of Ezekiel (i. 28), when he saw " the
appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord " ?
And when a similar vision was vouchsafed to Daniel, which
caused his companions to quake from fear, and flee to hide

of Asia Minor. gc
themselves, do we not find that even of Daniel, " the man
greatly beloved," it is said, "there remained no strength in
him, for his comeliness was turned in him to corruption,
and he retained no strength " (Dan. x. 6-8) .? This near ap
proach of Deity has ever had the effect of impressing men
with a deep sense of their sinfulness, and the impossibiHty
of .the sinner's standing in the presence of that purity and
holiness, before which even the very angels veil their faces,
while they adore, with deep reverence, the thrice Holy God.
The nearness of Deity has always had an humbling effect.
Even in the case of the most experienced Christian, he feels,
in the presence of God, how many are his shortcomings. The
last words of Archbishop Usher were : " O Lord, forgive me,
especially my sins of omission ! " The more we know of
God and Christ, the more we feel remains to be known. Of
the best it can only be said with St Paul : " Not as though
I had already attained." Even through eternity we may
be acquiring fresh accessions of knowledge respecting the
manifestations of God, ever approaching, like that beautiful
line, the asymptote in relation to its curve, nearer and
nearer in knowledge, in holiness, in perfection to God, yet
never reaching the perfection of the Infinite and the Absolute.
The eflfect of the wonderful vision upon St. John exhibits
the exact working of every soul that is conscious of its sin
fulness when brought into contact with God. So Jacob,
when he awoke from his sleep at Bethel, exclaimed : " Surely
the Lord is in this place and I knew it not ; " and afterwards
when he wrestled with the angel at the ford Jabbok : " I
have seen God face to face and my life is preserved."
The unholy cannot bear the presence of the holy, nor would
heaven be a place of happiness to an unholy man. He would
be in an element that was not adapted to him, nor he to it
And even those who are God's own children feel an awful
dread in standing face to face with God. Was not this the

86 The Messages to the Seven Churches
beloved disciple, he who leaned on Jesus' breast at supper,
and said : " Lord which is he that betrayeth thee t " Was
it not the disciple to whom Christ on the Cross said : " Son,
behold thy mother," — the disciple whose eyes had seen, and
whose hands had handled, the Word of Life — and yet, who
after beholding the vision we have already described, tells us :
" When I saw Him (Christ) I fell at His feet as one dead " t
Kal edrjKe rrjv Be^idv, k.t.X., and he laid his right hand
upon me, saying: Fear not, I am the first and the last.
These words must have fallen upon the Apostle's ears like oil
on a surging sea. They must have spoken peace to his soul,
and have been an antidote to his fears and misgivings. Fear
not, trembling, troubled one. I have redeemed thee — thou
art Mine ; when thou passest through the waters of affliction,
I will be with thee. Fear not, thou faint-hearted and weary
one. My grace shall be sufficient for thee and My strength
shall be made perfect in thy weakness. Fear not, tempted,
tried and suffering disciple, a sojourner in a strange land, —
thine earthly peace and blessings removed — heart and flesh
may fail, but I am the strength of thy heart and thy
portion for ever. Fear not thou who art now expecting death
at the hands of the persecutor. I am He that liveth and
was dead. I have fought and conquered Death on his own
dark and dismal territory ; and when death comes, like a
cold ghastly shade moving on the midnight air, thou shalt
hear My voice, mightier than the voice of many waters, and
feel the touch of a sustaining hand — lost to sight but present
to faith — enabling thee to go on thy way rejoicing, until thou
hast safely reached that happy resting-place, out of which
no friend can ever depart, and into which no enemy can
ever enter, there to be a trophy of My cross, ahd a partner
with Me in My crown and kingdom.
And He laid His right hand upon me, etc. The right hand
is the hand of strength, and by the touch of that hand the

of Asia Minor. 87
Apostle's strength is regained. That right hand had been
stretched out to rescue the sinking disciple, St. Peter, when
he had ventured to walk on the water to meet Jesus. It had
been stretched out over the troubled waves of the Sea of
Galilee, and smoothed them, calm as the placid lake in sum
mer. It had touched the bier on which the widow's son was
being carried out for interment, and had delivered him to his
mother. It had fashioned the worlds, and was still upholding
them, and there was virtue in its touch. It was an angel
touched the prophet at Beersheba, and gave him vigour to go
on, forty days and forty nights, until he came to Horeb, the
Mount of God ; but here the Lord of Life puts forth His
hand, and the Seer of Patmos receives fresh vigour and
strength for the work he has yet to do.
/ am the first and the last. This claim is expressive of
absolute and eternal Godhead. Christ is the First, as by
Him all things were created which are in heaven and earth ;
whether there be thrones or dominions, principalities or
powers, all were created by Him and for Him. He is not,
as the Arians pretend, one of a series of created beings
between God and man, the First in rank of that order ; but
He was begotten before all creation. He is the e'lKwv tov
@eov TOV dopdTov, the image of the invisible God, the reflec
tion of God in Himself, and the medium of revelation to
His creatures. Thus Christ is First as the Creator, for before
Him there was no creative process ; and all things were
created for Him, not for a superior Being, for He and the
Father are one,—" the exact likeness of the Father in every
respect, except being the Father." He was before all things,
and by Him all things consist. That creative force which
summoned all things out of nothing, into being, and which
sustains all things, was His. In Him dwelt all the fulness
of the Godhead bodily. All the attributes, virtues, energies,
which belonged to Deity were in Christ. God the Father

88 The Messages to the Seven Churches
is the source of all life, while the production of created
beings depends immediately upon the Son.
He is First, not only as Creator, but He is First in honour
and dignity, although that is not what this declaration of
Christ was intended to convey : Last in humiliation, lowest
in profound sufiFering and shame, dying the agonizing, igno
minious and cursed death of the' Cross. This expression,
"the first and the last," is used three times in Isaiah (xii. 4;
xliv. 6 ; xlviii. 1 2), and it also occurs three times in the Reve
lation. It clearly indicates that Christ was from eternity,
and that He shall endure to eternity, the glorious Head and
originating Cause of all creation, and the final Cause to which
all creation tends ; for the ultimate end of all creation is the
service and glory of Him who called it into being. It is
beside the question to say that Christ is called " the Firstborn
of every creature," and that it is in this respect He is first,
because He stands at the head of all created intelligences.
The passage in Colossians i. 15, does not admit of such an in
terpretation, for the context assigns the reason why Christ is
TTjOftiTOTOKo?, namely, because He was before all things and
by Him all things consist ; and the meaning of the word is
not " firstborn of all creation," but born before all creation, or,
born before every creature. The same construction of TrpaTa
with a genitive case is in John i. 30, irpwroi jwv rjv. He was
before me, so that irpwroTOKO': bears the interpretation, born
before the whole creation. On the passage under considera
tion Richard of St. Victor writes : " Christ was the First on
account of creation, the Last by reason of suffering ; the
First, because before Him there was no God formed, the
Last, because after Him there shall be no other; the First,
because from Him are all things, the Last, because to Him
all things return." Justin Martyr ^ says, that "the Word is
the Firstborn of God, and is God." Clement of Alexandria ^
' Just. Mart., Ap., 83. ' Clem. Alex., Strom., v. 14.

of Asia Minor. 89
speaks of Him as being the Author and Archetype of all
existing beings ; and Irenaeus,^ the disciple of Polycarp says :
" None is directly called God save God the Father of all
things, and His Son Jesus Christ. In both Testaments Christ
is preached as God and Lord, as the King eternal, as the
Only Begotten, as the Word Incarnate ; " and he sums up
the argument in defence of Christ's Godhead by saying : " If
Christ is worshipped, if Christ forgives sins, if Christ is Medi
ator between God and man, this is because He is really a
Divine person." The Apocalypse is full of imagery as well
as direct statements bearing upon the Divine character of our
Lord. He is the First and the Last, the Alpha and the
Omega, the Beginning and the End of all existence. His
name is called " the Word of God," as in the Gospel He is
called the Word in the beginning. The name on His vesture
and on His thigh is "King of kings and Lord of lords."
Now what do these expressions mean ? Are they designed
to teach that, in the strict and proper sense, Christ is not
absolutely and essentially the true God and Eternal Life ]
No, on , the contrary, they all unite in conveying to us the
one important truth that, from everlasting to everlasting,
Jesus Christ is God, and that we may therefore feel confi
dence in reposing upon Him who is " mighty to save." ^
Ver. 18. Kai 0 ^wv, koi iyevop/qv veKpo<;, Kal tSou ^wv et/tt et?
Toi)<; at'wva? tcSv aiwvwv, Kal e^w to? /cXei? tov Bavarov Kai
Tov aBov, and the Living One; and I was dead ; and, behold,
I am. alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and
Hades. Christ is the Living One, not merely as opposed
to the lifeless deities of the heathen, or the impersonal to Trav
of the Pantheist, but the self-existent source and spring of
universal Hfe. The Hfe which is in God is an underived life ;
1 Iren., Adv. Hcer., iii. 19, 22, 2.
2 See Canon Liddon's Bampton Lectures, pp. 312-323-

90 The Messages to the Seven Churches
it comes forth from itself, and passes again into itself. It is
Being, originating, creating, and bestowing life upon countless
orders and intelligences, and returning into itself as the object
upon which it finds perfect pleasure and satisfaction. As God
the Father has life in Himself, so hath He also given to the
Son to have life in Himself. The same underived life which
was in God the Father is equally in Christ, so that Christ is
the source and supply of life to others. " In Christ was life,
and His life was the light of men." He proclaims Himself
as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. What creature could
apply- such words to himself? or who could claim absolute
Hfe in himself but Christ ; for what have we that we have
not received "> Owing to that consubstantiality between the
Father and the Son, Christ could proclaim Himself as the
Resurrection and the Life, and declare that he that had seen
Him had seen the Father ; not that Christ was the Father,
as the Patropassians alleged, but because of Christ's co-
equality with the Father. On this passage St. Chrysostom
says : " He who sees My Divine substance sees the substance
of the Father. Whence it is clear that Christ is not a creature,
for they who see the creature see not God. Christ is there
fore consubstantial with the Father." All life is the gift of
Christ, and Christ is therefore called the Word of Life (i John
i. i), the Logos whose essence is Life. It was Christ's object
to manifest this life as well as to communicate it. Life, and
love, and light constituted the irXijpwp.a, or fulness which dwelt
in Christ, of which His disciples have received. Of Christ
it may be said as in Psalm xxxvi. 9, " For with Thee is
the Fountain of Life : in Thy Hght shall we see light." As
God, He is the Fountain of Life, for all created life has pro
ceeded from Him. This St Paul, in his speech before the
Athenians, took occasion to inform the benighted Agnostics,
when he quoted one of their poets (Aratus) : " For in Him we
live, and move, and have our being ; as certain also of your

oJ Asia Minor. 91
own poets have said. For we are also His offspring." All
derived life proceeds from Christ, and depends for its main
tenance upon Him, whether we view it physically or spiritu
ally. Life in Christ is personal life. All life is not represented
here as proceeding from a great boundless expanse, and each
individual unit of existence as coming from this great ocean
and returning to it again. Pantheistic ideas of God are quite
inconsistent with what oUr blessed Lord here describes Him
self, and the Living One. Pantheism makes God and the uni
verse one, and regards all manifestations of outward activity
and life as expressions of the working of this speculative
deity, if we can apply this term to an impersonality. The
Pantheist's notion is that the aggregate of life is God, life in
the plant, life in the animal, or the higher Hfe in man. We
can find no place for personality in the Pantheist's God,
no consciousness, no memory, no will. And it is singular
that, while we recognise personal existence here, and beings
endowed with personal faculties, yet, on the Pantheist's
hypothesis, the source of life must have communicated to
others what it did not itself possess I In this view of God
we see no room for morality — no distinction between good
and evil. We hear not the voice of the Lord by the prophet
saying : " Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with
him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto
the wicked ! it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his
hands shall be given him" (Isa. iii. 10, 11). Yet the Pan
theistic theory is plausible. It tells us that what once exists
can never cease to exist, and therefore holds out the hope of
immortality ; but it is an immortality which, to all intents
and purposes, is no better than non-existence ; for if the
soul loses all its powers — if the Ego, that which distinguishes
one from another — if personal identity be lost, what good can
there be in the prolongation of existence.' what greater benefit
to continue in endless Hfe than to become finally and for

92 The Messages to the Seven Churches
ever annihilated? To all who know the power of Christ's
resurrection, how different the prospect, how infinitely brighter
the hope ! " Because I live," says Christ, " ye shall live also "
— not in some impersonal unconscious condition, but as par
takers of the Divine nature, and as sharers with Him in the
happiness of a personal immortality ; that which the patriarch
of Uz, with the eye of faith, looked forward to, when he
said, " I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though after my
skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I
see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall
behold and not another" (Job xix. 25-27). And what was
the hope of the Apostle of the Gentiles when he was about
to lay down his life in exchange for the martyr's crown } —
" Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that
day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love
His appearing " (2 Tim. iv. 8).
Kai iyev6p,rjv veKp6<;, Kal iBoii ^wv eip,i et? Toii<; at'cSva?, k.t.X.
This applies strictly to Christ's death and resurrection. St.
John had been an eyewitness of the Crucifixion, and was one
of the two disciples who went, at the dawn of the first day
of the week, and who had seen the empty grave. He had
seen Christ after His resurrection, and had heard his Lord's
answer to St. Peter, when he asked respecting the beloved
disciple, " Lord and what shall this man do ? " — " If I will that
he tarry till I come, what is that to thee ? Follow thou Me "
(John xxi. 21, 22). The Resurrection of Christ was the grand
central fact of Christianity. Upon it the whole weight of
Christianity depends. It is like the keystone to the arch, like
the central sun to the solar system. If it was essential for
Christ to die to save the world, it was equally necessary that
He should rise again from the dead to prove Himself a Saviour.
If He died to purchase redemption — to give His life a Xiirpov

of Asia Minor. ni
(ransom) for many — He rose again in order that He might live
to apply the benefits of that purchase to the souls of His
people. To this great fact our Lord frequently pointed His
disciples during the period of His personal Ministry; and, after
His resurrection, when one was chosen to fill up the gap left
by Judas, the object of this election was, that "one must be
ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection" (Acts
i. 22). What is the evidence upon which our Lord's resurrec
tion rests ? In this age of myths and misbeliefs, it is needful
that the Christian should thoroughly see that he is following
no cunningly devised fable, but that the evidence upon which
his faith stands is sufficient to support that faith amid all the
chances and changes of time. In every Christian's own bosom
there is an all powerful evidence. He may not be able to
enter into and appreciate all the external evidences which may
be appealed to in order to convince the gainsayer, but he
can say with the blind man whose eyes the Lord opened —
" Whether Christ be a sinner or no, I know not ; but one
thing I know, whereas I was blind, now I see." Happy are
they who thus have experimental evidence, who know in their
hearts the joy and peace in believing ; who have not sought
for the touch required by the incredulous disciple, but who
enjoy the blessedness of those who, having not seen yet have
believed. What have Christianity and its great Author done
for me .¦• Do I know Him .¦" Am I found in Him not having
mine own righteousness which is of the law, but the righteous
ness which is of God by faith .' Am I living to magnify Him
in life and in death, and have I the calm assured hope of
living with Him hereafter .? But there are people who are
differently constituted, who will not be satisfied unless they
can have all their doubts and misgivings removed, and whose
rule is, " Prove all things, and doubt all things until they be
proved." Among men of this class was our Lord's disciple,
St. Thomas, and the Lord graciously condescended to his

94 The Messages to the Seven Churches
weakness " for the more confirmation of the faith," and gave
him the proof of His resurrection which he required, after
receiving which he exclaimed " My Lord and my God ! "
There is one case of conversion to Christianity on record to
which every doubting inquirer should refer, namely, that of
St. Paul. We ask how it was that Saul of Tarsus, when
going to Damascus to persecute the Christians, suddenly
became converted ? He was a Pharisee, an able dialectician,
a man of influence, of means, and education, and one not
favourably disposed to the despised sect of the Nazarenes —
he was one capable of weighing evidence, and not likely to be
imposed upon ; and we should sooner expect the high priest
to descend from his palace, and cast in his lot with the perse
cuted followers of Jesus, than this cruel, blood-thirsty, blas
pheming murderer, who was mad with passion against the
Christians. Why did he suddenly lose that savage nature,
that cruel taste for blood, and become a preacher of the
Cross .-" He tells us in i Corinthians xv. 8, and ix. i —
" Have not I seen Christ Jesus the Lord ? " He proclaims
himself a witness of the resurrection. He was thoroughly
convinced that Christ had actually spoken to him on his way
to Damascus ; and in proof of that firm persuasion regarding
the truth of our Lord's resurrection, he went and preached
that gospel which he once endeavoured to destroy.
When our Lord appeared to His scattered followers on the
morning of the resurrection day, could it have been a dream,
or a vision ? If there had been only an appearance to one,
such might be possible ; but there were five disthict appear
ances on the day of the resurrection. For forty days He
manifested Himself; He was seen ofthe disciples in breaking
of bread— by the way — in the city — by the side of the Lake
— in Galilee, by 500 at once — they talked to Him, and He to
them — they ate with Him, they saw His face, they knew the
familiar voice, — they saw He was no spirit ; — in His resur-

of Asia Minor. gc
rection body He gave them tangible proofs when He said,
" handle Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones
as ye see Me have," — and at the end of the forty days He
ascended in their presence from " the Mount called Olivet " to
heaven. What followed ? The Holy Ghost, according to His promise,
was sent on the Day of Pentecost to bestow the miraculous
gift of tongues. What caused the change of the Sabbath
from the seventh to the first day of the week 1 Surely what
had been observed from the creation of the world, and had
become one of the most sacred of the Jewish ordinances,
could not have undergone a change so suddenly without
sufficient grounds. What was the cause of the establishment
of a Christian Church upon earth .-' It could not have arisen
without some all-powerful impulse. The two or three humble
followers of the despised Nazarene could not have accom
plished the " turning of the world upside down," unless there
was power given them from on high. And then when we
look at the lives of the Apostles — all, excepting the aged
disciple of Patmos, after testifying to the fact of our Lord's
resurrection, laying down their lives in defence of what they
had believed and taught — surely we have such evidence as
carries with it overwhelming conviction, and if we are not
persuaded by it, neither would we be persuaded though one
rose from the dead.
Christ then appeared to St. John more than thirty years
after the last of the witnesses of the resurrection in the person
of St. Paul had passed away. He might feel, like Elijah, that
he was left alone, unbefriended, and helpless ; that Jesus whom
he had seen go away from Mount Olivet was still within the
folds of that ascending cloud, and while a spectator of the
trials and sufferings of His disciple, was too far removed to
bring him relief ; but Christ once more reveals Himself to him,
as he had proclaimed Himself at the grave of Lazarus, " The

96 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Resurrection and the Life." " I was dead, and behold I am
alive for evermore." " Christ being raised from the dead, dieth
no more, death hath no more dominion over Him." He still
lives, and because He lives, our prayers are presented before
God ; because He lives, our daily infirmities and transgressions
are forgiven ; because He lives, the door of heaven is kept
open and the repentant sinner may find access, for over its
archway is written, " By Me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture." Because
He lives, we can calmly await the issues of life, and meet the
last enemy in the mortal struggle, not as an adversary, but
a friend sent to unbar the prison gates which surround us,
and set free the emancipated spirit, to find a shelter and
home in His bosom, until the day shall dawn and the
shadows flee away, when He shall have swallowed up death
in victory.
Koi e%ft) Ta? «X6t?, k.t.X., and T have the keys of death and
of Hades. In the Revised Version the reading is properly
changed into " of death and of Hades," which appears more
in harmony with the nature of things. It is death which
contributes to the filling up of the unseen world, and day by
day multitudes are borne thither to swell the myriad throng.
Of death and Hades, Christ holds the keys. By His victory
over natural death. He proved His power and authority, of
which the keys are the emblem ; and in every soul which is
reclaimed from the thraldom of Satan, He asserts His power
over spiritual death.
During our Lord's ministry. He exercised lifegiving power
over three individuals who had been claimed by Death as his
trophies ; and by His own glorious resurrection, we are told,
" He destroyed death and him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil, and delivered them who, through fear of
death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. ii.
14, 15). And now, by His word and Spirit, He is robbing

of Asia Minor. 97
the prince of darkness of his spoils, and opening up the
kingdom of heaven to all believers. When we think on
the triumphs of the Cross, during the past, we may well
exclaim : " What hath God wrought " ! Each land retrieved
from barbarism — each soul quickened and converted, sancti
fied and saved — is evidence that the keys are still in Christ's
hands, that He openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth
and no man openeth. Multitudes now live to bear testimony
to the moral conquests of Him who, in the words of Richter,
" being the Holiest among the mighty, and Mightiest among
the holy, has lifted with His pierced hand empires off" their
hinges, has turned the stream of centuries out of its channel,
and still governs the ages.'' Every effort made to check
the spread of Christianity and to extinguish the name of its
Founder has only recoiled disastrously upon the assailants,
and given fresh strength to the cause they sought to destroy.
Porphyry, and Celsus, and Julian, strove in past times, to
overthrow the City of God, but the Stone of Stumbling fell
upon them, and crushed them to powder. Nor will it be
otherwise now in these last days. While the keys are in the
hands of the Son of God, it needs no prophet to predict the
perpetuity of spiritual life in the world.
Christ has also the keys of Hades. This word corresponds
to ^iJ^'i^ (Sheol) in the Old Testament, and never in any
passage does it mean the final abode of the reprobate. In
the New Testament it is used to denote the place of dis
embodied spirits, or the unseen world. Now we profess
in the Creed to believe in the descent of Christ into hell,
and in Art III. " As Christ died for us, and was buried, so
also is it to be believed, that He went down into Hell." In
Ps. xvi. David says, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,
neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption ; "
and in Acts ii. St. Peter tells us that this passage refers
prophetically to Christ : so that when we declare our belief
H

98 The Messages to the Seven Churches
in the descent of Christ into hell, or Hades, it is important to
understand what is meant by it By the word Hades, we are
to understand the place of departed spirits, whether good or
bad ; to the one class, a state of bliss and peace — a foretaste
of heaven — th6 complete happiness of which will be realized
at the Resurrection ; to the other, a place of restraint and
anguish, and also a foretaste of that greater woe which awaits
the ungodly. In the unseen world there are two states or
conditions : Paradise, into which the soul of Christ entered
after its separation from the body, and Gehenna, where the
souls of the ungodly remain until the General Resurrection.
These two states are separated from each other by an impass
able gulf, as we read in the parable of the rich man and
Lazarus. The place of eternal torment, which is spoken of as
the second death, has never yet had, and will not receive any,
occupants until after the Great Day. Disembodied spirits do
not enter at death into that perfect glory to which after the
Resurrection they shall attain. Hades is not in itself a place
of happiness or misery ; yet those who enter it must be either
happy or miserable according to what their lives have been
here. Lazarus was comforted, while the rich man was tor
mented. The dying malefactor was with Christ in Paradise
that very day on which his body was left hanging on the
cross, a deformed spectacle, showing to men and to angels
that he was not fit to live. The felicity which will arise to the
righteous between death and the resurrection, will proceed
from a sense of God's favour, and the everlasting security of
God's preservation against external foes ; and the misery of
the wicked in Hades will proceed from remorse of conscience
— from memory reminding them of what they might have
been, had they been wise in time — and possibly from a sense
of anticipation of their final doom ; and if they are not
excluded from seeing beyond that gulf— as the rich man saw
Lazarus in Abraham's bosom — the comfort and safety of the

of Asia Minor. 99
blessed, from the enjoyment of which they are for ever shut
out, — this will in itself be an aggravation of their sufferings.
There is one passage bearing on this subject in i Peter
iii. 18, where we read of Christ having gone and preached
to the spirits in prison during the interval between His
having been "put to death in the flesh," and His resurrec
tion. This has received a variety of interpretations, as well
in early as in modern times. The obvious reading of the
passage would lead one to believe that Christ went in spirit,
i.e. without any instrumentality of the body, and preached
to the spirits of those who were shut in Hades, in safe
keeping, but who had been disobedient in the days of Noah.
Why did Christ preach to them, and for what purpose?
Did He proclaim the gospel to them with the object
of leading them to repentance "i A very able writer ^ has
recently answered this question in the affirmative, and has
adduced Matthew xii. 32, to prove that repentance, recon
ciliation, and salvation are admissible in Hades, and that
the special proclamation of peace to the souls of the ante
diluvian sinners would in equity demand the communication
of it to all who have not heard it here. But it might be
askeid, how could this view be reconciled with what our Lord
says in Luke xvi. 26, about a great gulf fixed, so as to
prevent any communication between the two portions of
Hades >. Read also John ix. 4 ; Heb. iii. 13; ix. 27. All the
calls to repentance, which the Scriptures contain, are ad
dressed only to those who are in the flesh — we find none
speaking of repentance and salvation beyond the grave.
cure ev toutw to3 aiwvi, ovre iv tw /ieXXoj/Tt has been sug
gested as implying eternal hope; but this expression is a
Hebraism for nunquam."^ In the parallel passage in St.
1 Dean Reichel, Serm,. Ch. of Eng. Pulpit, vol. xii. p. 145.
2 6 oiibv oStos corresponds to the Messianic age, just as ^i* ti? /iAXoi/n, refers to
the time that follows the Second Advent, and the phrase combined may be
regarded as a Hebraism equivalent to semper, as in Ephesians i. 21.

IOO The Messages to the Seven Churches
Mark, we read he hath never forgiveness (Mark iii. 29),
St. Mark explains what St. Matthew has expressed enig
matically. The view taken by the writer alluded to above
is not unlike that of Origen, one of whose heresies was that,
after many ages, all sinners should obtain pardon. How
then is the preaching of our Lord to the spirits in prison
to be explained ? We know neither the subject matter of
Christ's preaching to the spirits in prison, nor do we know
of any results which followed. We are not told of any of
the people during the 120 years in which the ark was in
building, having been saved, except Noah and his family.
By Christ's going in Spirit, and preaching to the spirits in
prison, may it not have been with the design of making
known His power and triumph over death and Satan, to all
disembodied spirits t Besides, the circumstances of the ante
diluvians were unique. A similar condition can never occur
again, for God has given us the assurance that He will never
again destroy the earth by a flood of waters. Dean Alford
has also entertained the notion that a second day of grace
was granted in Hades to the antediluvians ; but, as has
been already observed, " Now is the accepted time, now is
the day of salvation." There would be less difficulty in ex
pounding this passage if, instead of taking the Spirit of
Christ to mean His disembodied spirit, separated from the
body by death, it were to be taken as that quickening energy
by which He raised Himself from the dead, and by which
He went and preached — iropevOeli; iKrjpv^ev. The Syriac
version has Et predicavit. Cases might be found in Greek
writers where the phrase. He went and preached, may be con
sidered a pleonasm for simply, " He preached." In Ephesians
ii. IS, 17, we read, iXOwv evrjyyeXia-aro, and came and preached
peace, etc. Now Christ did not go personally to the Gentiles
to preach peace to them — He did so by His apostles ; so by
His Spirit in Noah He preached for 120 years to the antedi-

of Asia Minor. loi
luvians, who were disobedient and perished for their unbelief.
When Noah preached to them, they were men in the flesh ;
they were now spirits in prison when St. Peter wrote, kept
unto the judgment of the Great Day. Or the prison may be
construed as indicating the condition in which the souls of the
antediluvians were bound upon the earth, during the time
that God's long-suffering waited, just as the fallen angels
are said by St. Jude to be in chains, under darkness, unto
the judgment of the Great Day, although now permitted to
exercise their malignity upon the earth. There is a parallel
passage in Isaiah xxiv. 21, 22, where the Jews are represented
as being shut up as in a prison, and which may have had
its fulfilment when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, and
afterwards when Titus Vespasian surrounded it, and shut in
the inhabitants, previous to their final overthrow. What then
will the passage in i Peter iii. 19, teach ? It will show us
that Christ, by His Spirit in Noah, preached for 120 years
to the antediluvians, who were then as in prison, being
bound by the chain of their sins. A proclamation of mercy
was given them, but they took no heed to it. That Spirit
in Noah enabled him to bear the reproaches and blasphemies
of that wicked race, and steadfastly to stretch out his hands-
to a disobedient and gainsaying people. This same Spirit of
Christ can enable you, the Christians of the dispersion, to
suffer patiently the fiery trial through which you are now
passing, " not accepting deliverance, that you may obtain a
better resurrection." But why is reference made to the days
of Noah at all, as the Apostle is speaking of patient en
durance and suffering for righteousness' sake .-• Because not
only was Noah a perfect example in this respect, but the
ark in which he was safely kept was a symbol of the bless
ings which Christians derive from being admitted into the
ark of Christ's Church, and sealed with the baptismal seal
of the New Covenant And as the ark was a type of

102 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Christ's Church, the admission to which is by baptism, so the
flood, which destroyed the ungodly, was a like type of that
everlasting destruction with which the wicked in this dispen
sation shall be punished, " from the presence of the Lord and
from the glory of His power " (2 Thess. i. 9).
Eight persons were saved by water ; for that which
brought safety to them, brought destruction to the world of
the ungodly. This water, which was thus the medium of
safety to Noah :and his family, was a figure of the waters
of baptism, which is now putting us into a state of salvation.
It was not the fiood that preserved Noah, but it was the
means of sustaining the ark ; it transferred him from the
old world to the new, and was therefore to Noah a kind of
baptism, just as the Red Sea was to the children of Israel.
"The Hke figure whereunto even baptism doth also now
save us " — not of itself, but the spiritual thing conjoined with
it, repentance and faith, of which it is the sign and the seal.
Christ has therefore descended into the region of the dead,
and has come forth the conqueror of its tyrant king ; and
He holds in His hands alike the keys of the grave and the
unseen world, admitting and excluding as He pleases, until
He shall return to unlock their prison doors for ever, and
swallow up death in victory.
Ver. 19. Tpd-^ov ovv a etSe?, Kal d eiai, Kal d p,iXXei
yiveadai p^erd ravra, write therefore the things which thou
sawest, and tJte things which are, and the things which shall
come to pass hereafter. The a et'o-i is interpreted by some as
the same as d eiBe'i, and the former is taken as an explana
tion of the things St. John had seen — or " what they are " ;
and this view is supported by the fact that an explanation is
at once given of the mystery of the seven stars and the seven
golden candlesticks.
In this respect St. John was specially privileged, as the

of Asia Minor. 103
Apostles were not instructed, as a rule, to throw Hght upon
what had been communicated to them, by ofifering an ex
planation. But the things St. John saw included more than
the a eiai, for the vision we have just now described, and en
deavoured to elucidate, and the whole indeed of chapter i.,
are quite distinct from the d eiai, which occupies the ad
dresses to the Seven Churches in chapters ii. iii. " Write : for
what thou sawest is proof that I, the first and the last, and
the Living One, am able to fulfil what I promise, and that
My words shall stand to a thousand generations — that heaven
and earth may pass away but My words shall not pass
away. Write, therefore, because I have the keys of death
and Hades, and I know the Church's trials, and will bring her
safely through them all. Write, for her encouragement, for
her comfort, for her support" " The things that are," relate
to the condition of the Churches of Asia Minor, to which he
was instructed to give both warning and consolation. " The
things that shall be hereafter," refer to the things recorded
from Revelation iv. to the end, and which are a symbolical
representation of the Church's future history. The words,
p,erd Tavra, after these things, are indefinite. They do not
fix the period embraced by the Apocalypse ; but we know,
from the concluding portions of the book, that, as the Bible
begins with Paradise lost, it ends with Paradise regained ;
and the grand terminus of prophecy is, therefore, reached,
when, after all the events connected with the Second Advent,
the first resurrection, the binding of Satan, the millennial reign
of Christ with His risen saints, the General Judgment follows,
and the new heaven and new earth, fitted for the reception
of the redeemed, are occupied by their pure and spotless
inhabitants, whose unending and unabated enjoyment and
happiness shall be the service of their God. Heaven shall be
the Great Temple of the Universe, lighted up by the presence
of God Himself. His servants shall serve Him; they shall see

I04 The Messages to the Seven Churches
His face ; enjoy, what they ardently longed for here, the
rapture of the Beatific Vision ; and His name shall be in
their foreheads ; and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Thus the perd ravra reaches to the final consummation
of all things ; and the outlines of the Church's history were
intended to be defined with accuracy and precision, from
the period in which the Apocalyptic vision was revealed until
the end, when the Church militant here on earth would be
exchanged for the Church triumphant in heaven.
Ver. 20. TO pivaTrjpiov toii/ emd darepwv, wv eiBe<; irrl t-^?
Sefta? p.ov, Kal Td<s eirrd X-u-xyia'i to? ')(^pvad<;. Oi eTrrd
daTepe<; dryyeXoi twv eTrrd iKKXrjaiwv eiai' Kal Xu^viat ai eTrrd
eTTTa eKKXrjo-iai eiai, the mystery of the' seven stars which
thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candle
sticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches,
and the seven candlesticks are seven churches. A mystery
is a revelation unexplained. It is not something that cannot
be discovered by natural reason, and was never intended to
be so discovered ; but, in Scripture, it signifies something of
which we have a Divine revelation, but as to the meaning of
which we are ignorant. The word is derived from the Greek
p,vw, to shut, or, as others suppose, from the Hebrew "IJIDD
(mistar) a hiding-place, and therefore conveys to us the idea
of something concealed. The disciples of our Lord knew
the meaning of the parables (pvarrjpia), which meaning was
concealed from the scribes and Pharisees. What was there
fore a mystery to the one class was a revelation to the other.
In the mystery of the seven stars, which St. John saw here
in the right hand of Christ, the Apostle did not know what
the symbol was meant to convey. But Christ now proceeds
to reveal it. The seven stars are the angels of the seven
Churches. Those stars were beautiful emblems of the re
presentatives of the several Churches. They were set in the

of Asia Minor. 105
firmament of the Church catholic, and furnished with gifts and
grace for its guidance and support ; while these qualifications
were borrowed from the great central luminary, Christ, the
Sun of righteousness, and the stars themselves kept closely in
His right hand. There is a systematic arrangement here, a
regular order observed. Just as we see in the planetary sys
tem all its movements in harmonious order, so that we infer
that the laws by which the stars are regulated are the design
of an intelligent lawgiver ; so here the seven stars which St.
John saw in Christ's right hand, are arranged in their re
spective places, and directed and governed by Him who is the
Church's Head. Nothing is left to chance ; there is no self-
constituted ministry ; the Church is not less the object of
Christ's care and supervision, than the worlds which. He has
made. He is her Lawgiver ; He is her King ; and those who
are placed in positions of responsibility and trust for the
edification of the body of Christ are His appointment
01 eTTTa acTTe/se? dyyeXoi, k.t.X. The explanation of the
mystery here given has been the occasion of considerable
controversy. Who are meant by the A ngels of the Seven
Churches is not so clear as at first sight may appear.
According to the peculiar views on Church government of
interpreters, the word, dyyeXoi, has received meanings which
are very far from the mind of the Holy Spirit, indeed, quite
adverse to the whole tenor of Scripture. The best mode of
arriving at the true meaning of Scripture is by comparing
.Scripture with Scripture, and seeing that the result of our
investigations is not at variance with the general teaching
of the Word of God. It has been thought that the word,
dyyeXoi, is to be interpreted literally as heavenly angels, and
that the guardian angels of the Churches are here respec
tively addressed ; and they who take this view assert that, as
there are guardian angels over individuals, there is no reason
why there should not be such over Churches. But whether

io6 The Messages to the Seven Churches
this be so or not, it is very clear that there are objections
which are so strong against this view as to render it quite
untenable. (i) The Apostle is instructed to write to the Angel of each
Church ; now we cannot conceive of any such communica
tion between angels and men.
(2) The Angel is addressed in some cases as blameworthy
which could not be predicable of holy angels.
(3) If the reading in the address to the Angel of the Church
of Thyatira, on d(f)el^ rrjv yvvaiKa aov 'le^a^rjX, be correct,
it would imply that the presiding angel had a wife, whereas
amongst heavenly angels " they neither marry nor are given
in marriage." And, although the application of the word to
heavenly beings is so grotesquely absurd, this interpreta
tion was adopted by Origen and Jerome. Another mode of
interpretation is to regard these Angels, not as presiding over
the Churches, but as messengers sent by the Churches to
St. John, and commissioned by them to bring back messages
to the respective Churches. This will not stand for an
instant, for there is no evidence whatsoever that the Churches
sent any such messengers to the Apostle, nor would it have
been practicable if the Churches had so intended. Besides,
the message was not sent by messengers, St' dyyeXwv, but to
them, " Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus, write," etc.
The Angels therefore here addressed can neither be
heavenly beings, nor messengers sent from the Churches ;
and it only remains for us to regard them as Presidents,
Superintendents, or Bishops, exercising authority and juris
diction over the respective Churches. We cannot suppose
that Churches, which in St. Paul's time, thirty years before,
had been in the most flourishing condition — for example,
Ephesus, where St. Paul had laboured for three years, and
from which a considerable number of presbyters came to
take leave of him at Miletus — could have now dwindled

of Asia Minor. 107
down to so low a condition as to consist of one congregation
in each of the cities, with one presiding presbyter. On the
contrary, we have reason to believe that the Gospel rapidly
progressed during the intervening period, and that the
Churches were greatly enlarged ; and we may therefore
conclude that there were in cities like Ephesus and Smyrna,
not merely one Church ministered unto by one presbyter, but
many Churches placed under one president, who is called by
the name " Angel." This name is not, certainly, applied
elsewhere in the New Testament to a bishop, nor is it applied
to a presbyter ; but it is in perfect accord with the symbolical
character of the book in which it occurs, and is admirably
adapted to express the nature of the office, and the responsi
bilities of those to whom the spiritual charge of the several
Churches was committed.
On this point Archbishop Trench well remarks : " Those
to whom this title is ascribed are herein presented to the
Church as clothed with a peculiar dignity, and are herein
themselves reminded that they stand before One whose
ministries of grace and love they should be swift to fulfil on
earth, even as those whose names they bear are swift to fulfil
them in heaven."
We have distinct proof that, in Ephesus, there were several
ordained presbyters and deacons. Compare, for example.
Acts XX. with St Paul's Epistle to Timothy (i Tim. iii. 12 ;
V. 7). In what position was Timothy at Ephesus? He was
to superintend the doctrinal teaching of the clergy (i Tim. i.
3, 4 ; iv. 6), and to examine the character and qualifications of
candidates for the orders of presbyter and deacon (i Tim. iii.
1-8, 14). This authority had been given to him by the laying
on of St. Paul's hands (2 Tim. i. 6), together with the laying
on of the hands of the presbyters (i Tim. iv. 14).
If the word "Angel," then, applies to the highest order in
the Christian Church, as we believe it does, clearly, in the

io8 The Messages to the Seven Churches
case of the Church of Ephesus at least, Timothy may be re
garded as overseer of the Churches at that place, of which
Churches, and indeed the whole of Asia Minor, St. John had
been the Metropolitan. So also, in the case of Smyrna and
other Churches, the term, "Angel," equally applies. In the
only letter which is extant of Polycarp, there is evidence
that he was Bishop of Smyrna. His words are : " Polycarp,
and the Presbyters who are with him, to the Church of God
which sojourneth in Philippi, mercy to you, and peace from
God Omnipotent, and Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, be
multiplied ;" and in Sec. 5, he exhorts the people to be "sub
ject to the presbyters and deacons as unto God and Christ." ^
In the letters of Ignatius, the disciple of St John, Polycarp
is called Bishop of Smyrna in the sense in which we now use
the title ; and Irenaeus, the disciple of Polycarp, towards the
end of the second century, calls himself Bishop of Ephesus,
and says he was the eighth holder of that office, having been
preceded by seven.
That these Angels were bishops, we have the testimony of
St Augustine : "Angeli non debent hie intelligi, nisi Episcopi,
aut Propositi Ecclesiarum."
These " Angels " being addressed directly by Christ is a
proof that He gave His sanction and approval to that form
of Church government which then existed in Asia Minor; and
moreover, while He censures them for some delinquencies,
He never attaches blame to them for occupying the positions
they held as bishops, which, as Wordsworth well observes. He
would have done if it had been contrary to His will.
Although the word dyyeXoi is not used in reference to
earthly beings in the New Testament, except here and in
Luke vii. 27, where it is applied by our Lord to John the
Baptist, yet it is the word used in the Old Testament (Hag.
i. 13), where Haggai is called the Lord's Angel, and in Malachi
' Polyc, Ep. ad Phil, i. 5.

of Asia Minor. 109
ii. 7, it is the word by which the Jewish priests are described :
For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, for he is the angel
of the Lord of Hosts : and there is no reason why a name
which was applied to the prophets and priests under the Old
Law should not more properly belong to those who presided
over the Asiatic Churches in the Christian dispensation.
Kal Xv^yiai ai eTrrd, k.t.X, and the seven candlesticks are
seven churches. The seven lamp-stands, as it should be more
properly rendered, are seven Churches, i.e. they represent
seven Churches, they are symbols of them, and are descriptive
of their character. Seven was the number of perfection.
This idea was taken from the fact of the work of creation
being ended on the seventh day. The completeness sym
bolized by this number is that of rest after labour. This
number occurs in the Revelation more frequently than any
other, and its use is to designate rest after toil. Here the seven
Candlesticks denote the seven Churches, not all the Churches
of Asia Minor, for there were many others, but it gives us
the idea of perfection, and applies to the Church universal.
There are seven Seals. These symbolize the sufferings of
the Church in the world, all terminating in the rest of heaven.
There are seven Trumpets. These announce the judgment
of God on the enemies of His Church during this dispensa
tion, and until our Lord shall come. There are seven Vials.
These pour out God's wrath upon mystic Babylon. There
are various other places where the same number occurs.
Why is it so frequently adopted ? Because if is the sign of
God's covenant relationship to His people, which runs like a
silver thread through the whole of Old Testament Scripture.
The seven Candlesticks represent the universal Church.
In their sevenfold unity, they are types of the Catholic
Church of every country and age. When compared to
seven golden Candlesticks, we have an image of her beauty
and excellency. From Christ, her living Head, all her light

I ro The Messages to the Seven Churches
proceeds. In Him was life, and the life was the light of
men ; and by her doctrine and holy conversation, she affords
light to them that sit in darkness. She waits outside the
veil, and is designed to exhibit the Saviour to the world.
How high her privilege to be the light-bearer of Him who
is the Light of the world ! In proportion as Christ, the true
Light, is upheld, will her usefulness and glory appear. When
ever she fails in this respect, she loses her claim as the pillar
and ground of the truth. Of some Churches it may be said,
" They have taken away the Lord, and we know not where
they have laid Him." There is the empty form, but the sub
stance is gone. The candlestick is there, but the light has
ceased to burn. It was thought by the ancients that if ever the
fires which burned on the altar of Vesta became extinct, they
could not be rekindled unless by being brought in contact
with the sun ; and it is no less true that if the Church of God
is to " shine forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as
the sun," it must only be as she draws her Hght from Christ
as her central Sun. It is His gift to diffuse spiritual know
ledge, and life, and joy among His people ; and, by His
presence, to drive away the dark shadows of ignorance,
superstition and sin. In His light alone the Church can see
light. The false glare of the world is thereby dissipated, and
life appears in its naked reality and its true proportions. We
see our place in God's universe, and our destiny beyond the
grave ; and we are taught to regard Christ as " all our salva
tion and all our desire." The lampstands of ordinances and
ceremonies may be there, but, until He comes, there can be
no light in the soul. None need remain in darkness, for the
true Light now shineth, " A light to lighten the Gentiles, and
the glory of His people Israel." With gratitude and love
may we join the Apostle of the Gentiles, and say, — " Thanks
be unto God for His unspeakable gift ! "

THE MESSAGES TO THE CHURCHES.
Chaps, ii. iii.

THE MESSAGES TO THE CHURCHES.
Before considering the Message addressed to each Church
separately, there are a few things which apply indiscrimin
ately to all the Churches, and which show that in this
respect there is a perfect unity of design and symmetry of
arrangement in all these Messages.
There is a precision and purpose pervading these Messages
which, while furnishing evidence that they all came from the
same Divine source, also indicate that each individual Church
was thoroughly sifted and examined by the "Searcher of
hearts," and that the Message sent was appropriately suited
to the condition and circumstance of that Church.
I. Each of the Churches is addressed through the President
or Bishop. In this mode of communication there is implied
not only a recognition of the position held by each " Angel,"
but also responsibility to God for the manner in which the
solemn trust committed to that " Angel " was discharged.
2. The message is in each case prefaced by an allusion to
some attribute of Christ, which bears directly upon the state
of the Church addressed.
(i) To Ephesus : the Speaker introduces Himself as He
who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.
(2) To Smyrna : The First and the Last, who was dead
and is alive.
(3) To Pergamum : He that hath the sharp sword with
two edges.
(4) To Thyatira : The Son of God, who hath His eyes as a
flame of fire.

114 The Messages to the Seven Churches
(S) To Sardis : He that hath the seven Spirits of God and
the seven stars.
(6) To Philadelphia : He that is holy and true, and who
hath the key of David.
And,— (7) To Laodicea : The Amen, the faithful and true Wit
ness. In closely examining the respective messages, it will be
found that the attributes of Christ above alluded to have an
appropriate application to the condition of each Church.
3. To each of the Churches Christ says, " I know thy works."
He expresses His Divine Omniscience. There was nothing
hidden from Him. He needed not that any one should testify
of man, for He knew what was in man. His Divine Omni
science was a proof of His Godhead, and also showed that He
who was walking in the midst of the seven golden Candle
sticks was neither uninterested in their condition, nor an idle
spectator of their requirements : but that when He saw
neglect or blameworthiness. He would censure ; and when
faith, love, and obedience were observable. He would praise.
" I know thy works." He knows all things. He knows the
end from the beginning, and yet we find in Mark xiii. 32,
speaking of the day of His Second Advent, Christ says, " Of
that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels
which are in heaven ; neither the Son, but the Father.'' This
does not imply ignorance ; but the Son, who is the only
Messenger of Divine revelation to man, does not know it so
as to reveal it ; it is no part of His prophetical office to do so.
Aug., de Trin., xii. 3, " Non ita sciebat ut tunc discipulis in-
dicaret 1 " Christ claims that absolute knowledge of the
secret hearts of men which left the conviction on the minds
of His disciples — " We are sure that Thou knowest all things,"
— nor could it be otherwise, for " in Him are hid all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

of Asia Minor. 1 1 5
4. Each of the messages has an injunction and a promise
annexed to it ; the injunction, " He that hath an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches,'' clearly
indicating that the message was of such great importance as
to demand attention ; and that, while it was addressed to each
individual Church, it applied equally to all Churches. The
promise varies as to the subject-matter in each case, but in
all, the thing promised will only be conferred on him who
overcomes. In each address the Church of God is viewed
as a Witness for Him in the world, and the members of
the Church are considered as warring a good warfare. The
Christian life is a . conflict. There are enemies to be met,
difficulties to be overcome, self-denial to be exercised, trials
to be endured, and those who will have the name of their
Master written hereafter on their foreheads, must be prepared
now to bear the cross, "confess the faith of Christ crucified,
and manfully to fight under His banner, against sin, the
world, and the devil."
5. There are two of these Churches — Smyrna and Phil
adelphia — which receive approval and praise from Christ.
There is nothing in doctrine, discipline, or manner of life, in
respect of them, worthy of censure. Indeed, in regard to all
the Churches, Christ is more willing to praise than to blame ;
and even when He has censured, where censure was neces
sarily required. He returns to praise, showing us that He has
more pleasure in expressing approbation than in finding fault.
In this respect do we not perceive the same loving and
gracious Spirit which once said to the sinner, " Hath no man
condemned thee } Neither do I condemn thee ; go, and sin
no more" ?
Two of the Churches are censured — Sardis and Laodicea —
the one for having a high profession and yet being in reality
dead ; the other for worldliness and lukewarmness ; and
yet the loving and merciful Saviour is careful to exempt the

ii6 The Messages to the Seven Churches.
few faithful ones wherever He finds them. " But thou hast a
few names in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments."
And while Laodicea is in the deep sleep of spiritual indiffer
ence, and must be roused from it by strong, and if need be,
afflictive measures. He points out to her members that it is
in love to their souls that this is done. " As many as I love
I rebuke and chasten ; be zealous, therefore, and repent."
He willeth not the death of sinners, but rather that they
should turn to Him and live. The three remaining Churches,
Ephesus, Pergamum, and Thyatira, are alike praised and
blamed. Their condition is such that, while there is much
to approve, there is also much to condemn. Ephesus had left
her primitive standard, and her spirituality had declined, yet
she had exercised patient endurance, and borne the reproach
of Christ when men brought in false doctrine, and had pro
tested against it.
Ephesus was in some respects superior to Pergamum, for
while the former hated the false teachers and cast them out,
the latter retained them within her communion. Pergamum
receives credit for faithfulness in time of severe persecution ;
but she is called upon to repent for not showing a greater
regard for preserving purity of doctrine. As to Thyatira,
heresies had grown up there, and had been encouraged
by T^i; yvvaiKa aov 'le^a^rjX ; and fearful punishment is
threatened ; but Thyatira has many things which Christ
takes occasion to commend, viz. works, charity, service, faith,
patience, and her last works more than the first. Thus, on
reviewing the condition of all these Churches, we find the
Church Universal represented, and at once a beacon and a
bulwark furnished for guidance and defence unto all Churches
throughout the world till the end of time.

I
THE MESSAGE TO EPHESUS.

I Tl? dyyiXqi Tys iv 'Bi/)^o-%) iKKX-qalas ypd-^oV TdSc Xiyei 6 Kparuv Toiis eirrd
dcTTipas iv T-g 5e|ip aiiTov, o irepiTraTuv iv piiacfi tuv eirTd XvxVi-uv tuv xP"'^^'''
2 OlSa Td Ipya aov, Kai Tbv Kbirov aov, Kai tt)V v-iropi,ovrjV ffov, Kal Sri oi d^v-g
paa-Tdaai KaKois' Kai iirelpaffas Toiis Xiyovras eavroi'S diroiTTdXovs eXvai, Kai oiiK elal-
Kai eUpes airroiis ^evSets'
3 Kai virop,ov^v lx"Si ""-^ i^daTacas, Sia Tt) 6vopd p,ov Kai oiiK ixorlaa-as.
4 'AXX' ^w KaTd a-ov, Sti t-tjv dyd-n-qv aov t-^v irpiiTrfv d^iJKas.
5 Mv-riiidveve oSv T68ev iriirTUKas, Kal ixeTavh-rfaov , Kai Td irpurra Spya irolijaoV
ei Si p,fi , Ipxo/iai aoi Taxi, Kal Kiv-rjau ti]V Xvxvlav aov iK tov Tbirov avTrjs, idv ii-q
p.€Tavo-r}a-ris. 6 'AXX4 TOVTO ?X"5i ^¦'¦' P^aeis Ta Ipya tuv NikoXoI'tuv, fi Ki^yd} pj.au.
7 '0 ?xwv oSs, dKovadTU tI to liveOp^. Xeyec rats iKKXrja-laiS' T(? vikuvti Suau
airri^ ipayeiv iK tov ^6Xov ttjs i^ui}S, o iffTiv iv piiffi^ tov irapaBeiaov tov Qeov p,ov.
I Unto the angel of the church in Ephesus write : These things saith He that
holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, He that walketh in the midst of the
seven golden candlesticks ;
2 I know thy works, and thy toil, and patience, and that thou canst not bear
them which are evil : and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and
are not, and hast found them liars :
3 And hast patience, and didst bear for My name's sake, and hast not grown
weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against thee, that thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first
works ; or else I come to thee quickly, and will move thy candlestick out of its
place, except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I
also hate.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches :
To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of tlie tree of life, which is in the
midst of the paradise of my God.

Il8

MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS.
Chap. ii. 1-7.
Chap. II. Ver. i. Tw dr/yeXw t»7? iv 'E^eaw iKKXTjaiaf
ypd-^ov unto the angel of the church in Ephesus write.
Ephesus was the chief city of Ionia, and the capital of Pro
consular Asia. It was called by Pliny, "the ornament of
Asia." As Corinth was styled, " Achaiae caput," and by Cicero,
" totius Graeciae lumen," Ephesus was called, " Asiae lumen."
Here the Roman proconsul had his residence ; here was the
seat of government for the whole province ; and here was the
great centre where men of wealth and learning met. This
city was renowned for trade and commerce, and was in Roman
times the great emporium of the East. Although it was a
purely heathen city, still many Jews had found their way there
both for the sake of commerce, and in order to avoid the
persecution to which they were subject elsewhere. But what
rendered Ephesus famous was its great temple to the goddess
Diana, which stood on a commanding elevation between
the harbour and the city, and had been raised at the expense
of all Asia, and occupied more than two hundred years in its
erection. This temple was one of the wonders of the world,
and attracted a vast concourse of strangers ; so that Ephesus
may be considered the very centre of heathenism, and the
throne of idolatry in the Apostolic age. Pilgrims came from
afar to worship before the image of the great Artemis, and
to carry away the silver shrines (which were small models of

1 20 The Messages to the Seven Churches
the heathen goddess) to their own lands, as not only
souvenirs of their visit, but as safeguards, as they supposed,
against all evil influences.
The Ephesian Artemis was a huge ill-proportioned repre
sentation of the prolific powers of Nature, and in hideous de
formity was more like a Hindoo idol than the graceful sculp
ture of Greece and Rome. Jerome contrasts the huntress
Diana with her bow and quiver, — " quae arcum tenet, atque
succincta est," — with the Diana of the Ephesians, whom he
calls, " illam multimammiam quam Graeci TroXvpiaaTov vocant."
The votaries of this disgusting idol believed that it fell down
from Jupiter, the Father of the heathen gods ; and models of
it were set up for worship in many other heathen cities.
Ephesus was no less remarkable for its idolatrous worship
than for its talismans, or books pf curious arts, as they
are called in Acts xix. 19. It was the resort of diviners,
sorcerers, and magicians, and the magical figures and
symbols which they used were called 'Ecpeaia ypdp,p.aTa ;
and these books of curious arts were a source of immense
gain to those who practised the occult sciences.
Jews, no less than Gentiles, were engaged in these magical
arts, and for the sake of gain and popularity they fell into the
practices of the heathen, instead of openly testifying against
them. We read of the seven sons of one Sceva who were
exorcists, and of Alexander, Acts xix. 33, who may be
identified with Alexander the coppersmith, mentioned by
St Paul in his Epistle to the Bishop of Ephesus (2 Tim. iv.
14), and who no doubt was connected with Demetrius and his
craftsmen who made silver shrines for Diana. Here then
was a field for Apostolic labour which, if once cultivated,
would produce a plentiful harvest. If this stronghold of the
Prince of Darkness was won for Christ, all Asia would
ultimately be reduced into subjection to the power of the
Cross.

of Asia Minor. 121
The planting of a Church in Ephesus was the work of
St. Paul. We do not undervalue the labours of Apollos,
nor do we forget that there were in Jerusalem on the day
of Pentecost, Jews from Pontus and Asia, who might have
brought back to their own country the tidings of the
outpouring of the Holy Ghost, and the conversion of vast
numbers of Jews to the Christian faith, although on reading
Acts xix. I, one would suppose that those disciples of the
Baptist whom St. Paul met had never heard of a Holy Ghost
This, however, is not what the passage conveys. Rather the
disciples of the Baptist had not heard of the fulfilment of the
promise made by their master, that Christ would baptize with
the Holy Ghost and with fire. We may suppose that these
disciples of the Baptist exercised according to their light the
functions of their master in some respects, in calling upon
their kinsmen to repent. With what effect we are not told,
nor do we know of any missionary effort of importance
having been made at Ephesus until the arrival of St Paul,
there, as recorded in Acts xix. After going down to
Antioch, he went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia
in order, strengthening all the disciples, after which he came
to Ephesus.
He first enters the synagogue and preaches to his country
men that Jesus was the Christ This he did for three months,
yet not without opposition, for the Jews were incensed
against him because he preached salvation without obedience
to the law of Moses. He could no longer continue in the
synagogue, and was obliged to separate the disciples from
the unbelieving Jews, and hold his public preaching in the
school of one Tyrannus. He had done similariy when he
was at Corinth (Acts xviii. 7). Who Tyrannus was we have
no possibility of knowing — some think he was a converted
teacher of rhetoric or philosophy, others that he was a
physician, and that the a-^dXij Tvpdvvov Ttvo? was a school of

122 The Messages to the Seven Churches
medicine belonging to Tyrannus, who had become acquainted
with St Paul's friend and companion, "the beloved phy
sician," through whose instrumentality the lecture room was
obtained.! For two years the school of Tyrannus was the centre
of the Apostle's labours in Ephesus, so that here all they
who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews
and Greeks.
The truth which he taught was attested by miracles :
"insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his
body, handkerchiefs, or aprons, and the diseases departed
from them, and the evil spirits went out'' (Acts xix. 12).
Just as we find in Acts v. 15, where we read, "they
brought forth the sick into the streets, that at the least the
shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of
them ; " so here they took away napkins or aprons used by
St Paul, to the sick who could not come to him ; not that
there was any virtue in these, but in the response of Christ
to the touch of faith. He had promised that His disciples
should do greater works than those which He had done,
when His bodily presence had been withdrawn ; and now in
that city where magical arts, and sorcery, and witchcraft,
were practised — where the spirit that worketh in the children
-of disobedience was deceiving the people — God would show
by his Apostle, through these weak instrumentalities, the
power that He could put forth to destroy the works of the
devil. As the touch of faith had healed the woman who had
the issue of blood, and who said, " if I may but touch His
garment I shall be made whole," so now power is exer
cised adapted to meet the faith of the Ephesians in those
superstitious practices with which they were conversant, and
convince them that the finger of God was present, just as in
the time of Pharaoh, and that no resistance, whether in the
^ Plumptre's Ep. to Seven Churches, p. 56.

of Asia Minor. 123
human heart or in the outer worid, can be made to His will.
If the ordinary course of God's Providence will not effect His
purpose. He has recourse to miracles — " His strange work."
If a rent has occurred in nature's harmony — if sin has entered
into God's creation and disturbed those beautiful laws which
were first established — then miracle is necessary in order
to counteract the consequences of sin, and reproduce that
equilibrium which originally prevailed. Those who will not
admit of miracle tell us that if God were to interfere with
the laws of nature, the world would go to ruin. In reply, it
may be said, if the world as it is were left to itself, it would
go to ruin, and it only remains because god has from time to
time interfered to restore its order and to readjust the balance
which had been overthrown by sin. How effectually the
power of Satan was overcome in the case of the Ephesians is
shown by the fact that those who practised curious arts were
so convinced of the power of Christianity through the Apostles,
that they brought their books and burnt them in some open
place, publicly before the people, and their value amounted
to 50,000 pieces of silver. If the drachma of the Levant was
that which was in circulation in Ephesus, the price of these
books would be about .^2,000. " Sb mightily grew the word
of the Lord and prevailed." In this open repudiation of
idolatry and sorcery on the part of the Ephesians, we see
how widespread were the effects of St. Paul's teaching, and
how great a testimony is borne to the power of the Gospel,
which was received with such a warmth and welcome, that,
not only did they cheerfully cast in their lot with the
followers of Christ, but took steps to prevent their ever after
wards having recourse to the soul-deceiving tenets they had
once maintained.
We-may look upon Ephesus as the Church above all others
that enjoyed the Apostle's highest confidence, as here he
remained longer than at any other place, instructing the

124 The Messages to the Seven Churches
people in the principles and practices of the Gospel — indeed,
from the Epistle he afterwards wrote to that Church, we may
regard the Ephesians as more highly instructed in the truths of
Christianity than any other Church, as there are revelations
of sublime mysteries communicated to them, which other
Churches could not have understood, unless they had under
gone a thorough training in the doctrines of the Christian
faith. This Epistle, which he wrote during his first imprison
ment at Rome, contains no censure, nor does it allude to
any declension of the Ephesians from their first love. When
on his way to Jerusalem for the last time, the Apostle had
sent for the Presbyt^s of Ephesus to meet him at Miletus ;
and although he had in that solemn charge he there delivered,
warned them against the grievous wolves that, after his
departing, should enter in among them, not sparing the flock,
yet in the Epistle to the Church at Ephesus he makes no
allusion to the fulfilment of that circumstance. On the
contrary, he speaks of the Church in terms of the highest
praise, and makes special allusion to the faith and love of the
Ephesian Christians (Eph. i. 15). The men who should arise
from themselves speaking perverse things, such as Hymenaeus,
Alexander, and the Nicolaitans (i Tim. i. 20; Rev. ii. 6),
Phygellus and Hermogenes (2 Tim. i. 15), had not yet made
their appearance. To such St John alludes in his first
General Epistle, — " They went out from us, because they were
not of us." It is true that, in writing to Timothy, he does
speak of a denial of the resurrection on the part of some, and
a barren Antlnomianism rejoicing in a pretended illumination,
yet not careful to maintain good works — a hypocritical
profession while the life was inconsistent and godless. The
germs of Gnosticism were then floating in the religious
atmosphere ; but they had not developed into that matured
state which we find so strongly condemned by Him " who
holds the stars in His right hand, and walks in the midst of

of Asia Minor. 1 2 5
the seven golden candlesticks." There were "perverse dis-
putings of men of corrupt minds, having a form of godliness
but denying its power." There were those who " crept into
houses and led captive silly women laden with sins, led away
by divers lusts, ever learning and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth." Timothy, who had been with St
Paul when he gave his charge to the Presbyters of Ephesus,
had been afterwards appointed as Bishop of the Church in
that place. For thirteen years he had been St Paul's faithful
companion, and he had had the benefit of the Apostle's ex
perience and administration ; and as St Paul was desirous,
before being called away, of having the Church of Ephesus
placed under a Bishop whose faithfulness, zeal, and devoted-
ness were indisputable, Timothy was chosen to discharge
the duties of his office there. He was a young man when
appointed to this post (i Tim. iv. 12). Servius TulHus, in
classifying the Roman people, divided their age into three
periods : childhood he limited to the age of seventeen ; youth
from that to forty-six ; and old age from forty-six to the end
of life. Now supposing Timothy to have been eighteen years
old when he became St. Paul's assistant, A.D. 50, he would
not be more than thirty-two in A.D. 64, when two years after
the Apostle's release from imprisonment, he wrote his Epistle
to Timothy. If then Timothy's life was spared until extreme
old age, we may regard him as the Angel of the Church at
Ephesus when the message was sent to that Church through
St John. In that case, he and St John were both residing
in Ephesus at the same time ; but this circumstance would
present no difficulty, for St John, as the last surviving
Apostle, would have jurisdiction over all the Asiatic Churches.
Eusebius makes Timothy first Bishop of Ephesus, and
Nicephorus states that he was clubbed to death at Diana's
feast for having denounced its licentiousness;! There is much
• Euseb., Eccl. History, iii. 43.

126 The Messages to the Seven Churches
in the message to the Church at Ephesus which exactly
corresponds with the character of Timothy ; and his natural
temperament was such as likely to cause him " to leave his
first love." The solemn injunction of St Paul (2 Tim. i. 13)
would have a powerful application if viewed in the light of
subsequent events ; and if Timothy was the Angel of the
Church at Ephesus when St. John wrote, there is conveyed
the lesson alike to pastor and people, not to weary in well
doing — and having put the hand to the plough, not to look
back. The records of history are obscure, and there is little
known positively regarding the last days of the first Bishop
of Ephesus. The martyrologies state, and it is also in ac
cordance with the tradition of the Church at Ephesus, that
he suffered death by stoning in that city.
But what is of most importance is whether Timothy was
indeed the Chief Pastor of the Church at Ephesus when St.
John wrote. If so, we may see that there had been good
reasons for St. Paul's exhortations : " Take heed unto thyself
and to the doctrine." " Hold fast the form of sound words "
(2 Tim. i. 13). "Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the
grace that is in Christ Jesus " (2 Tim. ii. i). " Watch thou
in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thy ministry " (2 Tim. iv. 5). It has been
thought that the work, the labour, and endurance, spoken of
in the message to the Church at Ephesus, were the, points
to which Timothy's attention is directed in St Paul's second
Epistle, and in which he is exhorted to abound more and
more. From this it is inferred that an earlier date must
be fixed for the messages to the seven Churches than has
generally been supposed, in fact, that they must have been
written during the lifetime of St Paul, and not in the reign
of Domitian. But in the time of St. Paul, we do not find any
denial of Christ's humanity, at least we have no allusion to

of Asia Minor. 127
it, nor is the sect of the Nicolaitans even mentioned. His
writings are chiefly directed against Jews, Judaizing teachers,
or false Christians ; but in the writings of St John, there
were certain heresies then alluded to, such as those of the
Cerinthians, Ebionites, and Nicolaitans, and which he took
occasion to refute systematically ; and whatever semblance
" the work, the labour, and endurance," for which the Apostle
gives credit to his beloved son in the faith (Timothy), may
have to those good qualities for which the Church at Ephesus
is praised by the Great Head of the Church in the message
sent to it, the coincidence could hardly be considered as an
argument in favour of an earlier date for the Revelation.
Intolerance of evil, scrutiny of false apostles, yet an easy
self-satisfied condition, wanting zeal, earnestness, and vitality
— these are the marks of the Church at Ephesus when St.
John wrote ; and we cannot find such prevailing at the time
when either St. Paul wrote his Epistle to that Church, or
when he wrote his Pastoral Epistle to Timothy. Indeed,
labour, work, and endurance, are what might be expected to
be found in any Church ; but what peculiarly is noticeable in
the Ephesian Church when St. John wrote, was the Angel
of the Church " having left his first love " — for it is of him
specially predicable, because he was the representative, and
had the souls of all the Christians at Ephesus committed to
his care. Nor are we to suppose that the members of the
Church at Ephesus had maintained their enthusiasm, when
their spiritual master had become relaxed in his love. There
is always a reciprocal feeling between pastor and people ;
and if the one gets careless or cold, so will the other. The
living fire which glows in the heart of the preacher will make
itself felt in the hearts of the people ; and we are therefore
warranted in believing that the departure from first love was
not confined to the President or Bishop of that Church. We
may gather from St. Paul's Pastoral Epistle to Timothy, that

128 The Messages to the Seven Churches
there were certain conditions to be fulfilled, certain duties
to be performed, and precepts to be observed, if he would
maintain energy and enthusiasm. He calls upon him to
endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Chri.st ; to stir
up the Grace of God, dvat,wTrvpeiv (rekindle) ; to abide in the
things which he had learned ; to be instant in season, out
of season ; to be sober in all things, and do the work of an
evangelist What was " the first love " which the Angel of
the Church of Ephesus had left .? Was it love to God and
Christ, or love for the souls of men ? This will come before
us more properly hereafter when the first portion of the
message has been noticed. The Angel of the Church at
Ephesus occupied the highest position amongst the chief
pastors of the Asiatic Churches, and according to his eminent
standing, his responsibilities were enhanced. A Church
which one Apostle planted, and another watered, was un
doubtedly a highly privileged one, and we would be prepared
naturally to expect from it a noble testimony for Christ, and
the diffusion of much spiritual enlightenment to the world.
Whether it answered these expectations we may gather from
the Message addressed to it.
TdBe Xeyei 6 Kparwv toi)? eTrrd darepa^ iv ry Be^id avrov,
6 TrepiTrarwv iv peaw Twf eTrTa Xu^^vtoiv twv j(^pvawv. These
things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand.
He that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.
Each Message opens with a description of Him who instructs
St. John to write, and has some attribute of Christ which has
a direct reference to, and bearing upon, the circumstances of
the particular Church. The Message here sent comes from
Him who holds — o Kparwv, not as in chap. i. i6, 6 ej^wv. He
that hath — the seven stars in His right hand. There cannot
be a more comforting and assuring thought than to feel that
those whom the Head of the Church appoints to the work of
the sacred ministry He holds in His right hand. So long as

of Asia Minor. 129
these stars reflect His Hght, He will be their Great Centre.
He who marshals the hosts of heaven, calling them all by
their names, will guide, protect, and uphold, those who, in His
Church, are designed to be His messengers ; yet, if they are
unfaithful, if they hold not forth the Word of Life brightly
and steadily before men, let them know that they shall
forfeit all claim to be upheld by Him, and shall be rejected
by Him as castaways.
6 irepnraTwv iv p-eaw, k.t.X., He that walketh in the midst
of the seven golden candlesticks. As the high priest moved in
the sanctuary backwards and forwards, so here Christ walks
in the midst of His Church. He is unwearied in His active
exertions on her behalf; He restrains her foes. He guards
her against the assaults of the adversary ; He corrects her
abuses by chastisement if need be ; and makes His pleasure
to prosper in her hand. His eye is ever scrutinizing the
motives and springs of the Church's life, and if He sees the
lamps need fresh oil, He gives the needful supply, and if
they require trimming. He withholds not His Hand in order
that they may burn brighter. But if there are those who, like
the foolish virgins, are sitting beside dim and expiring lamps,
from sloth and indifference, while inexhaustible supplies of
oil are within easy reach. His voice will be heard in con
demnation — " Woe to them that are at ease in Zion."
When St. John saw the vision described in the previous
chapter, Christ was in the midst of the seven golden candle
sticks ; but now he beholds Him walking up and down in the
midst of them. As Hanani, the seer, when reproving Asa for
his league with Benhadad, said,— "The eyes of the Lord run
to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself
strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward
Him" (2 Chron. xvi. 9), so the presence and power of Christ
are still with His Church. '' He is in the midst of her, and
He will help her, and that right early." When we see human
K

130 The Messages to the Seven Churches
stays and helps removed, we are apt to be discouraged ; and
when we find "the powers that be" not wishing to retain
God in their knowledge, and divorcing religion from the
State, we feel as if an insult were offered to High Heaven,
and as if blight and barrenness would come upon the nation,
for such open disregard of Him by whom kings reign and
princes decree justice ; but, on the other hand, when we
refiect that danger lies in the way of the Church's spiritual
vitality, when the sunshine of imperial patronage beams too
brightly ; we must acquiesce in Divine Wisdom and be taught
not to lean on the arm of flesh, but upon Him who ordereth
all things according to the counsel of His own will. We want
more of that faith which led the prophet to say when he saw
the dark shadows of the captivity gathering around his nation
— " Though the everlasting mountains be scattered, and
though the perpetual hills do bow, yet I will rejoice in the
Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation " (Hab. iii. 6, 18).
Christ walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks
either to contribute to their stability, or, if they have become
useless light-bearers, to have them replaced by others more
worthy. While He will not quench the smoking flax, but
administer the needful means of fanning it into flame. He will
not overlook the condition of the Church which by its self-
sufficiency and self-righteousness has ceased to derive its life
from the Sun of Righteousness — which has lost sight of the
loadstar of heaven, and is groping its way by the dim guide-
posts of earth. Have we not an illustration in our Lord's
dealings with Jerusalem .' It was the Church of His early
affections, , the home of His soul in the days of His flesh,
His Father's House, where His Father's business was done
by Him ; and yet when it knew not the day of its visitation
though dear to Him as the apple of His eye, or the signet on
His right hand. He will cast it away as vile and worthless.
And Churches now which are unmindful of the mainten-

of Asia Minor. 1 3 1
ance of spiritual life, and active energy in the cause of God
when opportunities are presented to them of letting their light
shine before men, shall equally fall under the rebuke of Him
who walks still amid the seven golden candlesticks. He is
the source of the light which all Churches should hold forth
to the world. Just as the sun is the great centre and light-
contributor to the planetary system, at once the source of
its unity and the support of its glory, so is Christ to the
Church. He has promised that wheresoever two or three are
gathered together in His name, there He will be in the midst
of them.^
" Ubi Christus est ibi ecclesia " is not less true now than
it was when Lactantius wrote it. Without that presence the
skeleton may be there, but the soul is gone. And if Christ
is walking in the midst of His Church, it needs no prophet
to predict her safety. The bush may burn, but it will never
be consumed. The children of God, like those in the fiery
furnace, may have to encounter the fiery trial, but they need
fear no evil, for the Son of God shall be with them. The
storms of affliction and the fierce tempests of bitter tribula
tion may beat in all their fury against the Ark of God, but
amid the rifts of the dark clouds will His Heavenly Form be
seen, as it was by the disciples, and His voice be heard above
the waterfloods, " Be of good cheer : it is I, be not afraid."
" Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world," is
the Church's charter. Her Divine Head has gone to His seat
above, yet He is still present Need we fear for the future
that His promise shall fail .? Sooner may the harps of angels
be unstrung, and the melodies of heaven's minstrelsy cease —
sooner may the laws of Nature be reversed, and all things
return again to primaeval chaos, than one jot or tittle of that
' St. Jerome, speaking ofthe Church, says: "Ecclesia non parietibus consistet,
sed in dogmatum veritate : Ecclesia ibi est, ubi fides vera est.'' Jerome, in
Psalm, cxxxiii.

132 The Messages to the Seven Churches
promise fail. If only the Church of God could realize this
Divine Presence— if individual Christians could — what a
power would be imparted ! and with what increased energy
and zeal should we go forth into the world to war a good
warfare, if we could confidently say, " The Lord of Hosts is
with us, the God of Jacob is our Refuge."
Ver. 2. OlBa rd 'epya aov, koX tov kottov aov, Kal ttjv
VTTopbovrjV aov, koi on ov Bvvrj /Saaracrai KaKov^' Kai
i.Treipaaa'i roii^ XeyovTa<; eavroiit aTToaToXovi eivai, Kai ovk
eial, Kal evpet auTou? ¦\jrevBel';, I know thy works, and thy
toil, and patience, and that thou canst not bear them which
are evil, and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles,
and are not, and hast found them liars. The words, " I know
thy works," apply to all the Churches. This formula is the
preface in each address to what the Searcher of hearts has to
say of each Church, whether of praise or blame ; and, there
fore, although it is connected with labour, and patience, and
intolerance of evil, on the part of the Angel of the Church
at Ephesus, we must not regard the expression as here
conveying any idea of their quality. Here they were good ;
in the case of the Church at Sardis, they were imperfect.
What is expressed by this formula is the omniscience of Him
who walketh in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks.
The Church at Ephesus had been careful to maintain good
works, and when St. Paul wrote to that Church, he took care
to show the Ephesians that they were not to depend upon
them for salvation, but in the work of Christ received by
faith : not that good works are not pleasing and acceptable to
God when they spring from a lively faith, for when the Holy
Spirit works in us, and makes us His workmanship, by be
stowing upon us the Divine nature, we must necessarily bring
forth the fruits of righteousness. Each of us has a work to do
for Christ It is not sufficient to profess Christ, and rest in a

of Asia Minor. 133
barren profession. When Solomon looked abroad on the world,
he found all things full of labour; it is not less so in the Church
•of God. Each has talents from God, which He has given us
as a trust, and to improve these is what He requires us to do ;
and for the manner in which we have used them, we must
render an account In His great house there are vessels of
greater or less capacity, and all should be used in the service
of the Master. The noblest encomium perhaps ever bestowed
upon a follower of Christ was — " She hath done what she
could ! " Before entering on His service, we must count the
cost There is no use in making profession of loyalty and
obedience, unless we are prepared to practically carry it out.
"Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest" was
said by one who, when he heard from the Saviour's lips,
" the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but
the Son of man hath not where to lay His head," abandoned
his purpose ; nor did the young ruler, who came running to
Christ to ask Him what good thing he should do to inherit
eternal life, when asked to sell all he had and give to the
poor and follow Christ, show that he had any real earnestness
to follow Him, because he went away sorrowful. Work
was appointed in Eden before sin made labour toilsome
and oppressive ; and, it is said, that in heaven God's ser
vants serve Him day and night in His temple. Works
are the evidence of faith ; and when our blessed Lord said
to the Angel of the Church at Ephesus, " I know thy
works," this was as much as to say, I have evidence of your
earnest heartfelt desire to serve me, and I recognise your
" work of faith and labour of love," which shall not be over
looked in the estimate I may form of your spiritual condi
tion. It is added, /cat tov kottov aov, and thy toil, or active
unwearied energy. 'The word, kottov, is derived from kotttw,
to hew wood, and hence the idea of unwearied toil which it
conveys. In i Thess. ii. 9, it is placed in connection with

134 The Messages to the Seven Churches
p,ox^ov, rendered travail, or patience in bearing the load that
is placed upon us. The words are distinct ; for, while the
one indicates active energy, the other denotes passive endur
ance. It would seem that the /cotto? here refers to ministerial
labour, and it is so employed in Rom. xvi. 12: "Salute
Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord." If the
labour alluded to in the Message to the Church of Ephesus
refers to that of the Angel of the Church, we know that St
Paul had exhorted the Bishop of Ephesus to exercise himself
in this labour, when he calls upon him to be " a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, to endure afflictions, and do
the work of an Evangelist." This exhortation had not been
in vain, if Timothy was the Angel of the Church when St
John wrote ; or, if not, it would seem that his successor had
laid the Apostle's words to heart, and in either case the ex
hortation had not been without producing fruit It is what
St Paul has expressed when he says, " Be not weary in well
doing." Do not run well for a time, and then stop ; but by
patient continuance in well doing„you shall succeed in accom
plishing the purpose of your ministry, and put to silence the
ignorance of foolish m.en.
The Christian ministry and the Christian calling alike
demand active unwearied energy. We can never rest satis
fied with present attainments, but the goal of to-day must
be taken as the starting point of to-morrow. " Not as
though I had already attained, or were already perfect,"
should ever be the incentive to fresh exertion in running the
heavenly race. St. Paul knew nothing of either sinless per
fection, or positive assurance ; but his desire was to lay hold
upon that for which he was apprehended of Christ Jesus. He
had not got into that state which, in this age, some people
flippantly allege they have attained, when they exclaim, " I
am saved." The probation of the soul has ceased, the assur
ance of the future is enjoyed. All further aspirations, move-

of Asia Minor. 135
ments, efforts, in the Divine life are superfluous. We, on
the contrary, must still be engaged in the Koiro'i. Like the
Apostle of the Gentiles, we must still be reaching forth to
the things before, in earnest faith and unremitting assiduity,
remembering the saying of St. Augustine — " Non progredi est
regredi." When we see the means of grace abandoned, the
institutions and ordinances of Christ ignored and slighted,
a pretended sinlessness claimed, proud presumption taking
the place of humility, the mortifying the deeds of the body
overlooked and neglected, and a settling down upon the lees,
we are reminded of what is said in Rev. xviii. 7, " I sit a
queen, and shall never see sorrow," instead of the humble
self-denying Christian, adding to his faith virtue, to virtue
knowledge, to knowledge temperance, to temperance patience,
to patience godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to
brotherly kindness charity (2 Pet i. 5-7).
Human life is a struggle, and in the battle, the weak suc
cumb while the strong survive ; but the Christian life in this
respect is different : the weak as well as the strong, babes in
Christ as well as devoted Christians — they who have faith as
a grain of mustard seed, as well as those who have " like pre
cious faith " — equally may reach the goal and gain the prize.
In this warfare there must be — there need be — no cessation,
because our aim is not to achieve a triumph, but to grow into
a character — to become like Christ. Like the sunflower
opening to the radiant sunbeams, and drooping in sadness
when the sun is gone, so our highest, best, and purest aspir
ation should ever be to know Christ, to magnify Christ, and
to feel that in His presence is life. Christian progress is
possible only in Christ Apart from Him, Christianity
vanishes into vapour; virtue becomes a dream, and human
life an enigma that can never be solved. Whether then, as
ministers or people, whether as teachers or taught, we should
never forget that whilst here, active unwearied energy is the

136 The Messages to the Seven Churches
essential condition of Christian progress— " the kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force "
—and that this /cotto? must be put forth under Him who is
the great Captain of our salvation, and who has said, " With
out Me ye can do nothing."
/cat rrjv vTTop.ovtjv aov, and thy patience. Calm endurance
under undeserved wrong — this is patience; and there was
need of inculcating it in the case of the eariy Christians,
as they had to endure a great fight of afflictions from
their Jewish and heathen persecutors alike. At Ephesus,
St. Paul himself had well nigh lost his life, in that tumult
that was raised by the united efforts of Alexander the
coppersmith and Demetrius the silversmith, the one a Jew,
the other a Gentile ; and we cannot forget that it was to
the Bishop of Ephesus he said, " Yea, and all who will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suflTer persecution." In imita^
tion of our blessed Lord, who, when He was reviled, reviled
not again ; when He suffered He threatened not, but com
mitted Himself to Him that judgeth righteously ; so should
His followers act The patience with which the early Chris
tians bore the scoffs and ridicule, the wrongs and bufferings
of their cruel enemies was a mark of their having drunk
deeply, from their Divine Master, the pure and heavenly
doctrines which He taught in His Sermon on the Mount, and
which He inculcated by sublime example. Here patient
endurance is combined with active exertion. The Angel of
the Church at Ephesus is praised for these virtues, whether in
the exercise of his pastoral office he had recourse to correc
tion or forbearance. But we cannot separate the chief pastor
from the people, for what is addressed to him applies equally
to the Church over which he presides. Long tried patience,
then, we may regard as a mark of the Church at Ephesus.
It is sometimes difficult to exercise this virtue, but it is a
duty enjoined by the Church's Head. " Blessed are ye when

of Asia Minor. \ 3 7
men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner
of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be exceeding glad."
Not in exemption from suffering, but, in patient endurance of it,
were they to possess their souls. This is a secret that heathen
ism never knew. The heathen world gave men credit for
possessing the heroic virtues of strength and military prowess,
but passive endurance, patience, submission, meekness under
undeserved wrongs, never entered into their minds. If these
latter virtues ever came before them, they were looked upon
as evidences of weakness and effeminacy. Christianity has
ennobled those qualities which had been previously despised.
Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, gentleness, meek
ness, faith — these are the fruits of her heavenly mission, and
with what force have they turned the world upside down. If
we would exercise patience, we must only do so by imitating
our Lord and Master, who, from beneath His crown of
thorns, blessed a scoffing world ; and it is only by looking to
Him, and the glories of the unseen world, which the eye of
faith can alone detect, we shall be enabled to persevere. We
can only endure by seeing Him who is invisible.
/cat oTt ov Bvvjj, k.t.X., and that thou canst not bear them
whick are evil. The Church has just been praised for patience,
and now it is spoken of as not bearing them that are evil. It
is one thing to suffer patiently undeserved wrongs for Christ's
sake ; it is quite another to be tolerant of evil : and we may
bear and forbear with sinful men, while we hate their sin.
Indeed, to be intolerant of evil is a Christian virtue.^ We
may be angry and sin not. We may use our strongest pro
testation against sin, while we have pity for, and love towards,
the individual. The heathen sinned openly without com
punction. They had no proper feeling as regards the nature
' One of the darkest features in the character of a bad man as described by the
Psalmist is — " Neither doth he abhor anything that is evil ; " and Bishop Butler
has shown that anger itself may find its legitimate exercise in the service of God.

138 The Messages to the Seven Churches
of sin ; their consciences were hardened, and they felt no
shame, no matter how flagrant the crime. St Paul speaks of
them as being past feeling (Eph. iv. 19). Here there can be
no doubt the Church at Ephesus had exercised its discipHne,
whether in the way of excommunication, or in a milder form
by raising its protest against those who while professing to
be Christ's in works denied Him ; and for this there is un
qualified approval. It is a sign of decay, which will speedily
end in death, when we find all self-respect gone, and such
complete demoralization in a Christian community, as will
bear the workers of iniquity in its midst, and draw no distinc
tion between the man that leads a consistent life, and him
who is a reproach. In the Church at Ephesus, it had been
foretold by St Paul that men should arise from among them
selves speaking perverse things, and drawing the disciples
after them. There are a Phygellus and a Hermogenes men
tioned in 2 Tim. i. 15, and Hymenaeus and Philetus in 2 Tim.
ii. 17. Who they are that are referred to in the message to
the Church at Ephesus we have no positive means of knowing.
It is sufficient for our purpose to know that they were evil
men, and that the Angel of the Church could not bear them,
which indicates that they had been separated from the fellow
ship of the faithful. In the visible Church the evil are ever
mingled with the good, and this will so continue to the, end.
The tares and the wheat grow up side by side until the
harvest ; so in the Church of Christ At the same time
notorious offenders are not only to be rebuked, but rejected,
until they be reconciled by penitence, and restored to the
unity of the Church. Here St Augustine *-ell observes :
" Ab iniquis recedere non potes, quia mixta est palea tritico
usque dum ventiletur. Necesse est ut si proficis inter iniquos
vivas. Ab iniquis recedere non potes : ab iniquitate recede."
Aug., in Psa. xcii. While in this world, we cannot altogether
depart from evil men ; but we m~ust depart from their iniquity.

of Asia Minor. 139
We are enjoined to bear one another's burdens, and we are to
bear the weaknesses and infirmities of weak brethren (Gal.
vi. 2) ; but it is quite another thing to bear the evil of false
brethren. " By their fruits shall ye know them." We are to
have no fellow.ship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather to reprove them ; and, in doing so, we may save a soul
from death, and hide a multitude of sins.
The early Christians had to bear much for the name of
Christ When brought before heathen magistrates, Pliny tells
us they were commanded Christo maledicere (Ep. x. 27), and
to maintain their patience under such circumstances required
that strength which comes from Him who has said, " As thy
day, so shall thy strength be." And not only had they to
bear reproaches from the heathen, but to endure the weak
nesses of professing Christians. In this respect St. Paul, who
was jealous of any interference with his spiritual liberty, was
content to forego his privileges, and to have that liberty
circumscribed for the sake of weak brethren (i Cor. viii. 13).
And even the Apostle of Love, who had thoroughly understood
the power of that new commandment that Christ gave to
His Church, however much he was prepared to exercise the
charity that suffers long and is kind, that beareth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all thing.s, endureth all things
(i Cor. xni. 4, 7), yet when heresy was making its inroads
in the Church, through the influence of evil men, he gave the
most emphatic direction to have such propagators of error
excluded from the society of the faithful. " If any one come
to you, and bringeth not this doctrine, do not receive him into
you? house, nor bid him God speed, |5r he that biddeth him
God speed partaketh in his evil deeds " (2 John 10). These
heretics who denied either'Christ's humanity on the one side, or
His Divinity on the other, were unsparingly censured by him.
And practically the Apostle showed his detestation of such
men as adulterating the faith, for we are told that he left the

140 The Messages to the Seven Churches
bath where Cerinthus, the heretic, was, fearing lest it should
fall because the heretic was there.^ Of Polycarp, Bishop of
Smyrna, Irenaeus records the story, that when addressed by
Marcion the heretic, and asked by him, " Dost thou not know
me ? " he replied, " Yes, I know thee, the firstborn of Satan."
The Church at Ephesus had then been so far faithful in dis
countenancing the abettors of evil whether in doctrine, or in
practice, and for this it is commended.
Kal irreipaaat; tou? XeyovTa<;, k.t.X., and thou hast tried
them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found
them liars. It is difficult to know who these teachers were to
whom reference is made in this clause. Our Lord had fore
told the rise of false Christs, and false prophets, who would
show great signs and wonders that, if it were possible, they
should deceive the very elect (Matt. xxiv. 24). But it might
be said that this was fulfilled previous to the destruction of
Jerusalem, and that the appearance of these false Christs was
confined to Palestine ; or if these false Christs have a future
manifestation, we are to look for them previous to the Second
Advent ; and in either case they cannot have any connection
with those spoken of as having had a place in the Church at
Ephesus. There were " grievous wolves " alluded to by St
Paul in his address to the Presbyters of Ephesus, who should
enter in, not sparing the flock, and, of these very Presbyters
men were to arise " speaking perverse things, drawing away
disciples after them." We may regard these false apostles as
being of the same class of false teachers as St. John alludes
to in I John iv. i, and called by him there ¦fevBoTrpo^TJTai.
Among these were men who denied the proper humanity of
Christ, such as the followers of Simon Magus and the Docetae,
who taught that Jesus Christ had hot come in the flesh, but
that all He did was merely in appearance. There were others,
such as Cerinthus, who considered Jesus as a mere man, and
• Iren., c. Hcer., iii. 3.

of Asia Minor, 1 4 1
Christ an ^on, who came from what the Gnostics called the
Pleroma, and chose for a time the person of Jesus, entering
into Him in the form of a dove at the waters of Jordan, and
forsaking Him when He was about to suffer, then ascending
on high, and leaving the man Jesus to die tbe death of the
Cross. In addition to these false teachers there were the
Nicolaitans to whom we shall refer in 'verse 6, and the Ebion
ites, a sect of Judaizing Christians, who considered Mosaic
rites and ceremonies as necessary to salvation, and taught
that Jesus was a mere man, thus denying His Godhead.
Against the teachings and practices of these heretics, St John
writes in his first Epistle, and especially in chapter iv., where
he says, " Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God, for many false prophets are gone out into
the world." He speaks afterwards of them as Antichrists,
seducers, liars, deceivers. And he alludes to one prominent
trait in their teaching — the denial of Christ having come in
the flesh. Our Lord had given the touchstone by which they
were to be tried — " By their fruits ye shall know them." If
they do not teach that Jesus Christ is God and man in two
distinct natures, and one person for ever — that these natures
are indissolubly united in that Divine Person, who is very
God and very Man — then, no matter what their pretensions
to Divine authority may be, whether they work miracles in
confirmation of their doctrines, or appear as angels of light,
they are to be rejected as possessing the spirit of Antichrist.
By what means the Angel of the Church at Ephesus had tried
these false apostles, we are not informed, but our Lord's test
(Matt. vii. 16) was no doubt adopted, both, as to their fruits
of doctrine and manner of life. " Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God," was the confession of the Apostle of
the Circumcision, upon which confession our blessed Lord
said, he should build His Church ; and now St John in his
first Epistle reiterates this as the test whereby false teachers

T42 The Messages to the Seven Churches
were to be known from true. Not that this in itself would be
sufficient, because there might be many who would confess
that Christ was come in the flesh, who, in works, would deny
Him. The works, however, would be evidence that the con
fession was insincere, and that the faith which prompted it
was only such as the devils have, who believe and tremble.
These pretenders to the Apostolate do not seem to have
had so much a leaning in the direction of Judaism as towards
that of heathenism, as their practices are directly subversive,
not merely of the ceremonial law, but of all true morality.
And furthermore, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans spoken of in
verse 6, is a clear proof that it is not anti-Judaizing teaching
that is combated, as it was in the time of St. Paul, but
another form of heresy that had developed itself in a later
period ; for although St Paul had warned the Ephesians of the
heresies which should arise, it required time for them to take
root, and spring up, so as to render them sufficiently formed,
in order to be grappled with. Their saying they were Apostles
would give them no claim to that distinction, no more than
a man saying he had faith would necessarily imply that he
possessed it In an Apostle strictly so called there were three
special qualifications which entitled him to that designation :
(i) Every Apostle must have been an eyewitness of Jesus
Christ after His resurrection (i Cor. ix. i). (2) He must have
had power to work miracles ; and (3) He must have had the
capability of communicating that power to others. We do
not find that these so-called " Apostles " laid claim to such
prerogatives as these. Their doctrines and practices were a
sufficient test of their having been destitute of the least title
to the name they assumed, and hence they were found liars.
St. John says : " Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus
is the Christ ? He is antichrist that denieth the Father and
the Son." We may therefore suppose that the false doctrine
taught by these propagators of error had reference to the same

of Asia Minor. 143
subjects which St. John alludes to in his first Epistle, and
which were held towards the end of the first century by the
heads of those sects already mentioned.
Ver. 3. KaX VTrofwvrjv e';;^et?, Kal e^daraaa'; Bid to ovop,d
p,ov, Kal OVK iK0TTiaaa<i, and hast patience, and didst bear
for My name's sake, and hast not grown weary. It would
seem here as if there was a repetition of the praise given
in the previous verse, but on closely examining the words,
we find it different In the previous verse, the patient
endurance, the k6tto<;, was chiefly in having to bear the
reproach of Christ and the false teaching and corrupt
practices of the evil workers, at least for a time ; for we
find the praise is accorded because the Angel of the Church
had been intolerant of evil. Now the commendation is
given because he had endured patiently so long amid so
much that was God-dishonouring and debasing. There were
things which he had borne, and things he could not bear.
He had borne the reproach of Christ — he had taken up
his cross, and was not wearied by the load : but to bear
the wicked, the profane, the propagators of pernicious errors,
would have been to show a craven spirit, and to be un
faithful to his Master.
We are to bear one another's burdens, their infirmities,
and weaknesses, and we are to help those who are suffering
under a load too heavy for themselves to bear, by our
sympathies, by our sharing in their sorrows, and by rendering
our charitable assistance. Each one will have to bear his
own </)o/3Ttov — the load laid upon his back. He cannot shift
his personal sins upon another — for them he is held ac
countable. The Pharisees imposed heavy burdens upon the
people, and they themselves would not touch them with one
of their fingers. And there are some now who would like
to shift the responsibility from themselves, and lay their

144 The Messages to the Seven Churches
^opriov at the door of their spiritual guides ; but every one
of us must give account of himself to God. But then there
is the /3apo?, the load, the heavy burden which would crush
us to the earth if there was no one to share it with us.
Our blessed Lord has taken the heavy load of our sins upon
Himself, and He has given us His light burden ; and all
who are His, while they are not without law to Christ, must
regard His service as perfect freedom. To bear cheerfully
the cross for Christ's sake is the mark of every Christian.
St. Paul counted all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord.
The Codex Sinaiticus inserts after /cat vTrop^ovrjv e-^eii;,
the words koI dXi-^ei^ rrdaai;, and all tribulations, but this
reading is not found in any other ancient MS., and it must
have found its way into the text by the carelessness of
transcribers. Kal OVK iKOTTiaaat;, and hast not grown weary. The verb,
KOTTidw, does not mean merely to labour, because, if so,
there would then be a direct contradiction between this
verse and the preceding one. There the Angel of the Church
is praised for his labour, and here if ovk iKOTTiaaa<; meant
didst not labour, it would be directly opposed to what goes
before. The word, kottmw, however means, like kottc;, toil,
or weariness from exhausting labour ; and the sense will be
— Thou hast patience, and didst bear for My name sake,
and didst not grow weary or faint Bengel paraphrases it
thus : " Novi laborem tuum ; non tamen laboras." " Thou
toilest, but dost not feel the toil ; such is thy patience."
The praise is here given because the Angel had not grown
weary with labour. He did not become " weary in well
doing." The burden and heat of the day he had borne,
but he had not fainted, or become exhausted. Well doing
is one thing : constancy in well doing is quite another. " Ye
did run weU ; who did hinder you that you should not obey

of Asia Minor. 145
the truth .? " We may not put our hand to the plough and
look back. It is possible to begin in the spirit, and end
in the flesh. The brightest morning is often obscured by
clouds. Through inconstancy, how often have the fairest
plants of Grace been blighted ; how often have the golden
apples which the world strews across the path of the racer
for the immortal prize tempted him to stoop and gather
them, and, in doing so, to lose the crown which seemed all
but within his grasp. Constancy of action is what God
demands of us : not profession for a time, and then in
difference ; but an enduring toil which, because of our
patience, we do not feel to be toil — a persevering life-long
service. What good is the vain abortive effort which begins
to build, but is not able to finish? It is only he that
endureth to the end that shall be saved (Matt. xxiv. 13).
Everything we see above, and around us, is ever active in
fulfilling the purpose of its being : and should we be less
so in doing the work which God has given us to do .-• " Life
is real, life is earnest" Whether in the ranks of evil, or
good, the forces which are being exerted are real : and we
are all leaving our footprints on the sands of time, whether
we will it or not " The evil that men do lives after them ;
the good is oft interred with their bones : " so said one who
was a thorough judge of human nature ; still the statement
is hardly true, for good deeds will be held in everlasting
remembrance. No pious effort, no holy thought, no aim
for God and Christ, no high impulse in the path of duty,
can ever perish.
In the commendation of the Church of Ephesus, all that
was deserving of praise is first mentioned before the weak
points are noticed, which shows how full of tenderness and
kindness is Christ, more desirous to find out the excellencies
of individuals and Churches, and to record, with loving
approval, the humblest effort put forth in His name, ra.'ther
L

146 The Messages to the Seven Churches
than to crush with condemnation the weak and erring
disciple. Yet He will not be blind to the faults and faiHngs
of His servants; for, while not extreme to mark what is
done amiss. He will come even to the Angel of the Church,
and when there seems to be a spiritual stupor over him. He
will gently awake him as He did His disciples in the garden
— " What, could ye not watch with Me one hour ? " With
what thankfulness should His gentle and timely warning be
received, so that what has been permitted through indo
lence, or instability, to be well nigh forfeited, may, by re
pentance, be renewed and restored.
Ver. 4. ^XXa e')(W Kara aov on ttjv dydrrrjv aov ttjv irpw-
Ttjv d<^fjKas. Nevertheless I have this against thee, that thou
hast left thy first love. This vitiates in a grea't degree all
the foregoing good qualities which are enumerated — ortho
doxy of faith, earnest zeal, patience in unremitting labour;
for what were all these without charity? No better than
" sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." Let love be absent,
and there may be a habit of duty, but there will be a want
of religious affection, which will make our services cold and
insipid ; the casket may be there, but the jewel which gave
it value will be gone. What makes our service acceptable
to God is not the act of duty in itself; it is the affection,
the love, the motive which prompted it. The absence of
religious emotion cannot be compensated for ; and to him
who thinks he can serve God without it," it may be said,
" One thing thou lackest." Like a great machine without the
motive power, or a ship without its compass — all the parts
may be complete, but there is no aim, no purpose, no end in
view. In the Authorized Version the word somewhat is sup
plied, as if the ground of the censure was only a trifle, whereas
it is of vital importance. There is no word in the original
corresponding to ''somewhat" It is, "Notwithstanding I

of Asia Minor. 147
have . . . against thee ; " so that the word, " this',' may
be properly taken to fill up the omission.
What was the First love to which reference is here made,
and from which the Angel of the Church at Ephesus had
departed } The idea is that of a bride having given her
warm affection in the days of her youth to the object of
her choice, and as time passed by gradually declining in her
fervour. So Jeremiah (ii. 2) was enjoined to cry in the ears
of Jerusalem, " Thus saith the Lord ; I remember thee, the
kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when
thou wentest after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was
not sown. Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the first
fruits of His increase." Now the Angel, as the representative
of the Church at Ephesus, is reminded of the early devotion
of that Church to God. When St Paul wrote his Epistle
to it, he thanks God for their love to all the saints, and for
having chosen them that they should be holy and without
blame before Him in love. He prays that being rooted and
grounded in love, they may know the love of Christ which
passeth knowledge ; and, in the end of the Epistle, he prays
that grace may be with them that love our Lord Jesus
Christ in sincerity. We may, therefore, believe that the
first love of the Church at Ephesus was strong, incomparably
stronger than that of any other of the Churches founded by
St. Paul. The earnestness which showed itself in consuming
in the flames the books of curious arts was a proof of the
warmth of the affections of the Christians in their early
profession of the faith. They thus rendered it impossible to
go back to heathenism ; they deprived themselves of all avail
able means of retreat, and gave themselves up to the living
and true God and His Son Jesus Christ, as the object of their
fresh and fervent love. Their motto would seem to have
been, nulla vestigia retrorsum. Having named the name of
Christ, they must for ever depart from iniquity. There is

148 The Messages to the Seven Churches
something beautiful, and elevating, and ennobling in seeing
one whose heart beats with first love to God, who gives up
himself to Christ when, as in confirmation, he professes to be
His faithful soldier and servant unto his life's end ; and who,
in first communion by faith lays hold upon that pierced
Hand, and pledges himself to cling to it in life and in death.
It is as if an angel shook his wings, for it is redolent of
heaven. It is as if, with the three disciples, we had been
on the mount of Transfiguration, and were so enchanted
with the heavenly vision that we would never like to leave
the spot " It is good for us to be here." What is first love
but the spontaneous glowing warmth of religious affection
spending itself upon God as its chief good ; and how deep
these spiritual emotions were may be gathered from the
description of the Church's state before its first early fervour
abated. That description, which the previous verses of the
chapter contain, one would think, ought to be worthy of
imitation by Churches now, and, so far from indicating
declension, disclosed a very high standard of religious attain
ment ; but what of all that is pure, and lovely, and of good
report, if the evidence of spiritual vitality is not apparent.
That spiritual declension did not take place suddenly. It
required time to show itself, and we see no marks of it
when St Paul wrote his Epistle to the Ephesians, or when
afterwards he wrote his Pastoral Epistle to Timothy. There
were then no symptoms whatever of that decay of spiritual
fervour designated " having left first love " : and this is a
strong presumption in favour of a later period for the
Revelation than the reign of Nero, and would appositely
apply to the period which tradition fixes as the time when
St John wrote, namely, the latter part of Domitian's reign.
What then may we regard as the causes for the Church
at Ephesus thus declining .' The conversion of her children
was attended with no small amount of excitement ; and what

of Asia Minor. 149
was quickly accomplished in the beginning was likely to be,
in some respects, superficial. The seed sown on the stony
ground speedily sprang up, but not having sufficient depth
of soil into which to strike its roots, it soon withered away.
However, we can hardly say that the Church at Ephesus
possessed little real depth, for, if that were so, its members
would not have been praised for their patient endurance
under circumstances of trial.
Rather, it is to be feared, the fascinations and attractions
of social life in Ephesus had a considerable influence in
effecting that decline which is here alluded to. Ephesus was
the centre of refinement, and strangers congregated here
from all parts of the world ; and may we not suppose that
the sunshine of patronage and power effected what the rough
winds of persecution could not ? There were in Ephesus
lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God ; and when the
heart is occupied with the vanities and frivolities of the
world, it gradually becomes insensible to the claims of God,
and gets indurated through the deceitfulness of sin. The
world has a depressing effect ; it corrodes the soul, and its
breath so bedims the conscience that the mirror, instead
of reflecting truth, ceases to act In proportion as we look
downward or upward, we are either earthly or heavenly in
our aims : if we look downward, the spirit sinks, and charac
ter sinks too ; if we look upward, nature rises, and beholding,
as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into
the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of
the Lord. It is quite true that, as we make progress in the
Divine life, the enthusiasm which may have marked our first
steps will have become less apparent, because it has settled
down into a fixed principle. We become rooted and
grounded, and we can withstand the fierce assaults of our
spiritual foes with more certain hope of success. The storm
which uproots the tender, plant only causes the oak of the

150 The Messages to the Seven Churches
forest to strike its roots the more deeply into the soil. What
is therefore lost in fervour is gained in force. There is greater
calmness, because the stream has deepened in its channel,
and rolls in greater majesty ; but let us not suppose that
this was the condition of the Church at Ephesus as described
in the message—" Thou hast left thy first love." There is
the possibiHty of "departing from grace given and falling
into sin, and by the grace of God we may arise again, and
amend our lives " (Art. XVL). St. Paul said to the Galatian
Church, " Whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are
fallen from grace " (Gal. v. 4). There is no such thing as
indefectible grace. Indeed this censure of the Church at
Ephesus clearly implies that that Church had fallen from
a high state of spiritual fervour, and required the grace of
repentance, in order to regain what had been lost. And is
not such a state predicable of many of our Churches now ?
When we see less zeal for the truth, a wider latitude for
religious views, greater charity for those who hold deadly
error, first love is then languishing, and it is only a question
of time how long it will exist.
Ver. 5- Mvrjjioveve oSv rrodev TreTTTfti/ca?, /cat pieravor/aov
Kal Ta TTpwTa epya TToirjaov et Be p,rj epj(opi,ai aoi Tajfv Kal
Kivtjaw Trjv Xv)(yiav aov iK tov tottov avTrj<;, edv p,rj piera-
voijcfrji;. Remember, therefore, from whence tliou art fallen, and
repent, and do the first works ; or else I come to thee quickly and
will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.
In our Lord's dealings with the Angel of the Church at
Ephesus, He will not leave him in despair under a sense of
his grievous backsliding. As He sent a special message on
the morning of the Resurrection day to the disciple who had
denied Him, lest he should be " swallowed up with overmuch
sorrow " (2 Cor. ii. 7), so He calls upon the Angel to repent
He has descended from a higher to a lower level, and when a

of Asia Minor. 151
Christian teacher does so, he sins against light In Ezekiel,
the Jews are admonished, " That which cometh into your
mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the
heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and
stone." They could not by any possibility divest themselves
of the knowledge of the true God which they possessed ; nor
can a Christian, without imperilling his soul, descend from a
high state of gospel privilege to one which only regards
him as a Christian in name. This fall is one which incurs
judgment. It is a grieving of God's Spirit — it is treating,
as of little value, the possession of the love of Christ ; there
is, therefore, a call to repentance.
Repentance is, like faith, a saving grace which comes from
God. We cannot repent of ourselves. The heart will never
turn itself to God by its own mere inclination. As well
expect the Ethiopian to change his skin, or the leopard his
spots ; and yet there is a call addressed here to the Church to
repentance. Repentance is an abiding principle, which we can
never dispense with while here : for, not until God shall wipe
away all tears from our eyes in heaven, shall we cease to
mourn over our sins and shortcomings. It is the companion
of the Christian's Hfe, and may only be parted with when he
has entered the gates of the New Jerusalem. Sinless perfec
tion is a state which belongs not to this life : it may apply to
that of an angel, but of man it is said, " In many things we
offend all," even of them who are perfect The will needs
constant renewing. It is the rudder which steers the ship of
the soul over life's ocean ; and, just as it is influenced, it will
act upon us either for good or evil, enabling us either to
choose the ways of wisdom, or " the way which seemeth right
unto ourselves," and which terminates in our ruin.
Repentance, thoiigh it may produce in us godly sorrow for
sin, will not make amends for it Our future obedience, if
such we could render, would have no effect in cancelling past

152 The Messages to the Seven Churches
disobedience and transgression. Repentance will not renew
first love, or restore it. That holy fervour which characterized
our early profession cannot be reproduced all at once, by our
earnest desires. By waiting, watching, praying, it may be kept
from losing its force ; but when once, like the morning cloud
or early dew, it has passed .away, it requires persevering effort
to have it restored. The difficulty is so great that this verse
places before us two important helps which we are to have re
course to, in order to rouse the dormant spirit, and to quicken
"the cold heart — (i) Memory of what we once were, and of
what we lost, — those peaceful hours we once enjoyed, when,
Hke Adam and Eve, who walked with God in Paradise, be
fore sin had darkened their minds, we felt one day in the
courts of the Lord better than a thousand, and never wearied
in rendering to Him the wilHng service and sacrifice of
praise, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name (Heb.
xiii. 15). And (2), Doing the first works, which, although
" first love " has ceased, may still be within the compass
of our exertion. Memory will bring vividly back the joys of
former time. It will recall not only our joys, but our sorrows
too. It has a wonderful power of bringing back again past
associations, whether of pleasure or of pain. What has once
been the object of memory can never be lost. The ship may
sink in ocean's depths, but, years after, it may be, the wreck
age will be found strewed on many a distant shore. So with
memory. There are events and circumstances which we may lose
sight of for a time, and they may appear to have sunk
hopelessly into oblivion ; but let some mental excitement
occur, and they will stand in prominent review before us.
Call then to mind the former days when you tasted of the
heavenly gift, and when the beams of heaven's mercy were
shining upon you. Think what it was to see the fulness of
Christ's atonement, and to have shared in 'che benefits of His

of Asia Minor. 153
sacrifice, and to have been made partaker of the Holy Ghost,
and to have felt the rapture of communion with God when,
like Moses as he descended from the mount, whose face did
shine, you beheld as in a mirror the glory of the Lord and
were changed into the Divine image. Will the remembrance
of such happy moments not bring with it a salutary disci
pline .? Perhaps the bitterest ingredient in the cup of the rich
man was in the words — " Son, remember ! " but memory then
could produce no remedial effect. The harvest was past, the
summer ended, and he was unsaved. Not so with the Angel
of the Church at Ephesus. The experience, however pain
ful, of past neglect, would tend to rouse the conscience, and
stimulate to determined purpose after new obedience. The
peace and joy, the hopes and aspirations of other days, the
heavenly manna which fell each morning round the tent, and
the river of the water of life which on every side abounded,
refreshing the soul, and filling the heart with gladness, were
now things of the past ; but they had notwithstanding, in
memory's exercise, a present value and force. They spoke of
oases in the desert, of gardens enclosed by grace from the
world's wilderness ; and that they had been once enjoyed was
more than a peradventure — it was a presumption — that they
might once again be attained. "Remember from whence
thou art fallen." Think humbly, reverently, prayerfully on
these things, and you may yet hear those gracious words of
consolation and encouragement from Him whose thoughts
are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways — "I
win heal their backslidings ; I will love them freely ; for mine
anger is turned away from him. Ephraim shall say, What
have I to do any more with idols } I have heard him and
observed him. I am like a green fir-tree. From Me is thy
fruit found " (Hosea xiv. 4, 8).
The feeling will gradually come — first it may be remorse,
then bitter sorrow, like that of the prodigal in his exile from

154 The Messages to the Seven Churches
his father's home ; but, when we have reached the lowest
depths, we shaH begin to ascend, and the memory of the
fall will be the harbinger to guide our feet into the way of
peace. But we are also to have recourse to the other means of
repentance — " To do the first works''
Emotion and action are reciprocal. When love has been
lost, we are not to try to bring it back by letting the soul
react upon itself. This would be fruitless ; but we are to do
the works we were accustomed to do in the days of our fer
vent attachment to our Risen Lord. As works are the result
of heartfelt love — faith working by love — and love proceeding
from Him who first loved us ; so when love becomes cold,
" doing the first works " will bring back first love.
The Church of Ephesus had already been praised for its
works. Let these then be engaged in, and the warm feeling
will return, and the heart will no longer continue in its es
trangement, nor the will in its perverseness ; but, like the
dove returning to the ark, the wayward spirit shall seek
repose under the overshadowing wings of Him upon whom
it shall never cease to bestow its gratitude, or to lavish
its wealth of love.
et Se pUj epxopal, k.t.X., or else I come to thee quickly, and
will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent. In
the Revised Version the word rayy is omitted, yet without
good reason, for although it is not found in the Alexandrine
and the Codex Ephraem Syri, it does occur in the Vatican
MS., which possesses equal authority with those mentioned.
Archbishop Trench thinks it has found its way into the text
here from ver. i6, and has considered it of no authority.
Christ's coming in regard to the other Churches is spoken of
as " quickly," and therefore we may believe that the analogy
holds good in reference to this. The coming here alluded
to is quite distinct from His Personal coming. It is in the

of Asia Minor. 1 5 5
exercise of His Providential administration of the affairs of
the Churches that His coming is here spoken of. He came
to destroy Jerusalem, and to punish the impenitent Jews
for their rejection of the gospel ; and now the professing
Christian Church which will not be faithful to its trust,
which will not keep the lamp burning brightly, but suffers it
to grow dim. He will come and visit in chastisement, if it
will not repent.
By the removal of the candlestick we would understand
the withdrawal of grace and gospel privileges from that
Church, and the bestowal of these upon others. Just as the
Jews, who knew not the day of their visitation, had the offers
of mercy withdrawn, and, because of their wilful blindness
and obduracy, beheld the blessings which were within their
reach bestowed upon the Gentiles ; so here the Church at
Ephesus, although highly favoured and commended as it had
been for its works, labour, and patience, yet, because of its
having grown weary in well-doing, because of its having
relaxed its speed in running the heavenly race, is now threat
ened with the removal of its lampstand. It is not the ex
tinction of the Hght that is here implied, for if that had been
so, the judgment would have been general, and the means of
grace would have been rendered void ; but, in the removal
of the lamp from one place, its light would be enjoyed in
another, where perhaps it would be more appreciated, and
where more extended usefulness would follow. The lamp,
owing to neglect, had lost much of its original lustre, and,
if moved out of its place, others would trim it, and the light
would diffuse itself more brightly, and with greater benefit
As the persecutions, which the early Christians suffered, drove
them from place to place, the principles of Christianity were
extended, and good was brought out of evil ; so the with
drawal of the lamp from Ephesus would only prove a blessing
to some other locality which was yet in darkness and the

156 The Messages to the Seven Churches
shadow of death. But the threatening is conditional, " except
thou repent:' We may believe that there was repentance
exercised, for there was a flourishing Christian Church at
Ephesus after St. John's time, when St. Ignatius, Bishop of
Antioch, wrote an Epistle to it, congratulating the Ephesians
on their high dignity as being initiated into the mysteries
of the gospel, together with Paul, the sanctified ; and we
cannot forget that in the second century it was at Ephesus
Justin Martyr held a conference with Trypho the Jew, and
that one of the first four General Councils was held at
Ephesus in A.D. 431, for the purpose of condemning the
Nestorian heresy, which regarded Christ as possessing two
distinct personalities that, in their operations, had only one
aspect. The candlestick was not then removed, but it was
withdrawn afterwards ; and, so completely has the threaten
ing fallen upon that Church, that now the very name of
Christianity has perished there.
It is in accordance with God's uniform plan that His
coming to inflict punishment on guilty nations is delayed or
hastened, according to the manner in which they manifest
their penitence or impenitence. It was so during the time His
longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, and it is so now
to the world at large. " The Lord is not slack concerning
His promise, as some men count slackness ; but is longsuffer
ing to US-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance." For His ancient people's sake.
He kept back the rushing tide. He made the heavenly bodies
cease their motions in their orbits, and He delays His Second
Advent until opportunities of repentance are afforded, so that
the number of His redeemed may be gathered in. The re
moval of the candlestick from Jerusalem was effected by the
Roman general when he took the city. Literally, that seven-
branched candlestick, or lampstand, which stood in the Holy
Place, was carried away to Rome — and a facsimile of it is to

of Asia Minor. 157
this day seen engraved on the Arch of Titus — typical indeed
of what was afterwards to happen to the Church at Ephesus,
and to all who are unfaithful in the positions of responsibility
which they occupy in the house of God. We may suppose
that this warning applied both to the Angel and people ; and
if anything would tend to stimulate the former to fresh zeal,
and enable him to reach again that stage of Christian love
from which he had fallen, it is the threatening of the removal
of the candlestick. To see all his work rendered nugatory —
to lose " the joy and crown " which those whom he had com
mitted to his care should be, if he had proved faithful — to lose
that exalted position which they who turn many to righteous
ness should attain in Christ's kingdom — this thought should
have been quite sufficient to lead him to repent.
Ver. 6. 'AXXd tovto 'eyeit on piael<; rd epya tiSv
NiKoXaiTcav' d Kdyw piaw, but this thou hast, that thou hatest
the works of the Nicolaitans, which f also Jtate. After our
Lord had censured the Angel of the Church at Ephesus
for departing from first love, and called upon the Church,
through its representative, to repent. He recurs to praise.
He began with making mention of the good deeds of the
Church at Ephesus, especially in its intolerance of evil, and
now He has recourse to another subject, wherein He finds
occasion to approve. Whether the words in verse 2, " And
that thou canst not bear them which are evil," are only
reiterated here in a more express form, and with greater
emphasis, where the concrete is used for the abstract, has
been disputed. The sect here spoken of had not been men
tioned previously, and it would seem that, after censure had
been administered, our blessed Lord would heal the wound
He had inflicted by finding another redeeming quality in that
Church in its intolerance of evil, by its hating the works of
the Nicolaitans, which Christ also hated — not the individuals

158 The Messages, to the Seven Churches
themselves, but their works, as the heathen poet^ has it:
" Pacem cum hominibus, bellum cum vitiis habe." It is not
clear what that sect was, or whether in the time of St John
there was any sect in existence that bore that name. In
the second century there was a sect of Nicolaitans who were
Antinomian Gnostics, and of whose teachings and practices
Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria both write. That
unbridled licentiousness was a prominent feature in their
character we have ample historic proofs ; but that the
Nicolaitans of the second century were the spiritual repre
sentatives of those mentioned in the address to the Church
at Ephesus, we have no possibiHty of ascertaining. It has
been thought that the Nicolaitans were a sect that arose in
the Apostolic age, and had for its founder one of the seven
Deacons, Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch. Ewald points to
the fact as suggestive that Nicolas is last enumerated in the
list of the Deacons, just as Judas Iscariot is last placed in
the list of the Apostles. It certainly does not appear from
the Acts of the Apostles that there was an apostate among
the Deacons. Irenaeus was the first to charge Nicolas of
Antioch with departure from the faith, and leading a cor
rupt life ; but Clement of Alexandria^ denied that such a
charge was well founded, and states that the heretics who
were known by the name of Nicolaitans were not followers
of the proselyte of Antioch. On the contrary, they perverted
the teaching of Nicolas, who let a word drop, " that the flesh
ought to be abused," meaning, that we should regulate our
desires, and control and suppress our inclinations to con
cupiscence and libertinism ; but these men taught that the
flesh ought to be abused by punishing and afflicting it ;
and that they might give loose reins to their lusts, and
indulge their sinful passions until their capability for
' Publius Syrus, B.C. 44.
2 Clem. Alex., Stj-om,, iii. 4.

of Asia Minor. 159
indulgence had passed away. Then they could say that
the flesh had been so far subdued, that lust had no power
over them. The two principal tenets which they espoused
seem to have been the turning the grace of God into lasciv
iousness, and eating meats sacrificed to idols. Irenaeus ^ tells
us they made no difference in regard to such matters, as if
they were allowable under the gospel : " NuUam differentiam
esse docentes in moechando et idolothyton edere." He also
says they were a branch of the Gnostics, and it was against
them St. John wrote the Gospel. Their denial that Christ
had come in the flesh we may consider as characteristic of
them as of Docetae, Cerinthians, or other heretics who were
imbued with Gnostic principles, all of whom disowned, in a
greater or less degree, the gospel teaching regarding the in
carnation, passion, and resurrection of Christ.
Michaelis considers the name, " Nicolaitan," to be derived
from the Greek word JVt/coXao?, Conqueror of the people, and
which is the Greek synonym for D,J^7^ Bileam, which has the
same signification, Balaam being composed of two Hebrew
words i^^3 (Belang) and D,V (am), Destroyer of the people, or
absorbens populum, or victor populi. In the Revelation there
are such bipartite applications of Hebrew and Greek names,
ex. gr. Apollyon, Abaddon, Devil, Satan, yea (val) and d/u.j?v.*
In this view these persons called by the name, Nicolaitans,
were not then formed into a sect, but were professing Christ
ians who, Hke Balaam, were, for personal ends, perverting the
truth of God, in order to gratify their corrupt hearts by en
couraging practices which were subversive of all true morality,
and bringing upon themselves swift destruction. Balaam not
only departed from the way of godliness to gratify his love
of lucre, but he gave counsel to Balak of the most impious
character, in order to allure the people into idolatry and Hcen-
tiousness, so that they might become an easy prey to the
' Iren. i. 29. - Archbp. Trench, Epist. to Seven Churches, p. 85.

i6o The Messages to the Seven Churches
Moabites.^ Now in the case of these professors of Christianity
who were called, devourers of the people, there was not only a
departure from all Christian precepts, but under pretence of
liberty there was an utter disregard of all law. The early
Church had chiefly to guard its converts from becoming again
enslaved with the bondage of Judaism ; but now the danger
lies in quite another direction. These seducers abuse Christian
liberty. They make it a cloke of maliciousness. Indulge
your propensities, say they, to any extent you please. Eat
meats sacrificed to idols — the idol is nothing — you Christians
know that those gods to whom meat is offered have no exist
ence ; and you show by partaking in meats offered to idols
that you believe they have no existence. You show your
superiority of knowledge, and your strength of faith. In the
abstract this may be true, yet eating things sacrificed to idols
must be viewed in regard to the effect produced on others,
and our liberty may then become a stumbling block. Hence,
among other things, this practice was condemned by the
Council of Jerusalem (Acts xv. 28); because, if weak brethren
see meats offered in sacrifice to idols eaten in their presence,
they may consider such participation as a conniving at idola
try, and a tacit acknowledgment of idol worship. The same
might be said in regard to meats unclean under the Jewish
law. If indulged in, weak brethren might suppose the Levi-
tical law was not from God ; but, under other circumstances,
St. Paul lays down the rule that every creature of God is
good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with
thanksgiving. The early Christians had no slight difficulty
to contend with in the matter of idol meats, for their heathen
persecutors, in order to tempt them, caused all animals to be
slaughtered at heathen altars, and sprinkled with libations
from these altars, before meat was offered for sale. These
Nicolaitans committed sin wilfully under pretence that their
^ Num. xxxi. 16, comp. with Rev. ii. 14.

of Asia Minor. i6i
knowledge and faith were such as to prevent any injury
arising from the act, just as their ideas of mortification of the
flesh led them to exercise themselves in all manner of sinful
indulgences : Eat idol meats, arid you show you care
nothing for the idol ; indulge in sin, and you will the sooner
mortify the deeds of the body ! These teachings the
Church at Ephesus had repudiated and condemned, and
our blessed Lord would show that He heartily commended
the Church for this, by adding the words, a Kayw p.iaw, which
T.also hate. The protest of" the Church at Ephesus against
such pernicious teachings as those of the Nicolaitans, was
a sign that there was still life in her. Although she had
left her first love, and that early affection seemed to have
got into the condition described as that of "decaying and
waxing old," it had not yet " vanished away." There was still
existing the spark which might be again fannned into a
flame ; and there was still hope that Ephesus would recover
from her decline of spiritual fervour, and bear a noble
testimony for Christ So long as hatred of that which God
hates characterizes a Church, there is evidence of the activity
of conscience ; and though there may not be that living force
which showed itself in early times, yet in upholding the truth
against God-dishonouring error, there is one mark of ear
nestness — the earnestness of contending for the faith once
delivered to the saints — which the Head of the Church will
not fail to notice and recognise with approbation.
The words, " which I also hate," show us how closely Christ
is scrutinizing the conduct of Churches as well as individuals ;
and while He is the Love that was manifested. He will not
permit sin to escape unpunished ; while He is the Lamb of
God that taketh away the sin of the worid. He is the Lion
of the tribe of Judah who has power to tread down His
enemies. " Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish
from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little
M

i62 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him" (Ps. ii. 12).
If the Church at Ephesus had borne with these evil workers,
and had not rejected them from its communion, it would
have been a proof that it acquiesced in their practices, and
would have implied disaffection and disloyalty towards God.
They were traitors to the King of heaven, and they must be
expelled. It was not a matter of indifference whether they
should remain in the Church. It was hateful to Christ —
dishonouring to God, and injurious to men's souls — that they
should be allowed to continue in fellowship ; so our blessed
Lord, while expressing approval of the Church's intolerance
of evil, adds the words — " which I also hate." There are
persons who think God cares little as to what men do : if
so, why did He place us here at all 1 God takes cognisance
of everything done, whether by Churches or individuals ; and
He hates sin — His nature shrinks from it, just as the sensi
tive plant shrinks from the human touch ; He hates the sin,
while He loves the sinner — "Amat errantes, odit errores";
and we should observe that Christ specially makes the dis
tinction here, " which (works) a epya, I also hate."
Ver. 7. 'O 'i'xwv oS? aKovadrw ti to IIvevpM Xeyei Tat?
iKKXrjaiai^, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith to the Churches. These words show that the
subject-matter of the Message to the Church at Ephesus was
of primary importance, and that it not only concerned that
Church directly, but all Churches. What was written for one
was written for all. It is repeated seven times ; in the first
three, it stands before the promise with which each Epistle
ends ; and in the last four, it comes after it. Whether there
is any good reason for this order, we have no means of ascer
taining. This formula our Lord had frequently used, if not
exactly in the same words, at least in meaning — " He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Matt xi. 15 ; xiii. 9). Christ's

of Asia Minor. 163
words demand attention, and the repetition of this saying in
every Epistle shows how listless and indifferent men are even
to the weightiest utterances of Him who speaks to us from
Heaven. The words and sayings of Christ, when uttered in
the ears of the world, resemble Himself in this respect — there
is no beauty in them that men should desire them. In the
days when He was on earth, how needful was the oft re
peated saying, " He that hath ears to hear, let him hear," to
rouse the careless and inattentive to listen to His arguments,
exhortations, and instructions. And now that He is sending
a Message to the Church at Ephesus, the same urgent call
to attention is still necessary. He will not suffer the Church
to close its ears to His warnings and encouragements. If
its members are any of them in spiritual slumber. He will
kindly awake them as He did His disciples in the garden,
and impress upon them the duty of watchfulness.
The words of the prophets were greater than the prophets
themselves ; but the words of Christ added nothing to Him
self They were uttered by Him who spake as never did
man. And why is it that men are so slow to hear the saying
of Christ ? Because they are not addressed merely to the
natural ear, but to the spiritual ; and " the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; for they are
foolishness unto Him : neither can He know them, because
they are spiritually discerned" (i Cor. ii. 14). We need not
to be reminded of worldly considerations, or to have them
enforced by precept. We instinctively lay hold upon them.
They require no public proclamation to commend them, or
to make their reception acceptable. But it is different in
matters of religion. It was so even when our Lord was upon
earth. Those who then Hved enjoyed a sight, and heard
truths, which it had never been the privilege of mankind
before to share in ; and yet, " Eyes have you, but ye see not ;
ears, and ye hear not," were the reproaches which frequently.

164 The Messages to the Seven Churches
fell from the Saviour's lips when addressing the people of
that age — and why ? — Because it is so difficult to rouse us
from the engrossing concerns of time, and to lead us to fix
our thoughts on the unseen and eternal. We are chained
down to earth as if we were in a prison, and it is only when
the soul gets unfettered that we can "trace our better portion."
We need the eyes of the understanding enlightened, and the
ears unstopped, so that we may gaze in rapture upon Christ,
and catch sweet sounds from the upper Sanctuary ; and this
we shall be enabled to do, if we only come to Him who has
all fulness, and offer the prayer of the Psalmist, " Open thou
mine eyes, that I may see wondrous things in Thy law." Only
when, like the Patriarch of Uz, we have our spiritual organsl
touched, we shall be enabled to say — " I have heard of Thea
by the hearing of the ear ; but now mine eye seeth Thee
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes " (Job
xlii. 5, 6). But these words are addressed to all — " He that
hath an ear, let him hear." There is no exception ; the
application is wide as humanity. As the offer of the gospel
is universal — " Ho ! every one that thirsteth " — so is the call
in this passage. " Awake, and Christ shall give thee light."
" Hear, and your soul shall live." In exercising the hearing-
ear, just like the man who had the withered hand, there will
come forth power and blessing from Him who, in the use of
means on our part, waits to bestow the blessing. We are called
upon to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.
There are two important truths conveyed to us here, (i)
That as the Son and the Father are one, so Christ and the
Spirit are one. The Message to the Church at Ephesus was
sent by Christ, yet He Himself caHs upon all who have ears to
hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. It was the office
of the Holy Spirit to take of the things of Christ and show
them unto us ; and while the message is Christ's, the Spirit's
office is to make it known to the Churches— to apply it to

of Asia Minor. 165
the hearts and consciences of men, and make them see, in the
condition of the Ephesian Church, those phases of character
which would be either patterns for imitation on the one side,
or beacons to warn of danger on the other. He is still declar
ing what Christ has revealed, and while He is an abiding
influence in the Churches, imparting guidance and shedding
illumination. He does not leave the world absolutely to itself,
but exerts upon the wills and hearts of men, a softening influ
ence ; hence we see an elevation of character on the part of
some who are strangers to the gospel, and who never would
have had that elevation but for Christianity, the claims of
which they either neglect or ignore. (2) The call which is
contained in this verse is to the Churches. Our Lord had
only sent a message to one Church, and yet He says in that
one message, the Spirit was speaking to the Churches at large.
Not merely the Church, or Churches, at Ephesus, but all with
out exception.
It has already been observed that in the seven Churches all
professing Christian Churches are represented. There is no
state of spiritual progress that is not directly or indirectly
noticed ; and in every condition conceivable, there are words
addressed to each Church, whether of encouragement or
reproof, warning or approbation, so that when the Churches
are in possession of the entire Epistles addressed to them,
they are left without excuse. If they relax their love, zeal
and devotion to Christ, they must do so wilfully, and they can
never plead that they were ignorant of the claims which He
who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks had
upon them. The words of Christ will stand for ever. They
are spoken with an authority which man could never claim.
They are no vague obscure guesses ; they are immutable and
infallible truth, before which we are to bow with a docile
spirit, and which we are to lay up in our hearts and practise
in our lives. The truth of God is spoken now to the

1 66 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Churches as it was eighteen centuries ago, yet it is the same,
having undergone no fresh change with the lapse of time.
The empire of the Caesars has passed and gone— the proud
legions of imperial Rome are mouldering in the dust— and the
crescent waxes pale, almost ready to vanish away ; but the
Words of Christ still survive. "Wherefore, we receiving a
kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby
we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear" (Heb. xii. 28).
Ver. 7. Tw viKwvTi Bwaw avrw efiayelv eK tov ^vXov tt}?
^wrj<!, o ianv iv tw irapaBeiaw tov Qeov fMov, to him that
overcometh, to him will / give to eat of the tree of life which is
in the Paradise of My God. The word pi.ov is omitted in the
Alexandrine and the Codex Ephraem Syri, but is found in
the Vatican MS. and many Cursives. Why it has not been
retained in the Revised Version does not clearly appear. In
Rev. iii. 12, this reading occurs in four clauses of the verse ;
and that verse contains the promise to the Church in Phila
delphia ; and from analogy one would think the same reading
should occur here. Archbishop Trench believes that the
omission from early MSS. was in order to avoid anything
disparaging to the Divinity of Christ, as the Arian heresy
was widespread at the time when these MSS. were written.
But this could scarcely be, for we find our Lord saying
to Mary after His resurrection — " I ascend to My Father and
your Father, to My God and your God " (John xx. 17) ; and
besides, if it was to guard against Arian tendencies, why
not omit it also in Rev. iii. 12? There is again the word,
avTw, after tw vikwvti — to him that overcometh, to him, etc.
The object of this repetition would seem to be to render
the verse more emphatic. The expression, " to him that
overcometh," is used in the promise to each of the seven
Churches, and it is clearly intended to show that theXhrist-

of Asia Minor, i6'j
ian course is a life-long struggle — a battle to be fought, and
a victory to be won — a race to be run in the stadium, and
a prize to the successful competitor. He who will wear the
crown must be prepared to bear the cross — to endure hard
ness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. This expression is
one which occurs no fewer than twenty times in the writings
of St. John. The keynote, which he took up, was given by
Christ in the concluding portion of the discourse at the Last
Supper, just before His Intercessory prayer — " Be of good
'cheer ; I have overcome the world." That made an im
pression upon him which was never forgotten. In his Epistles,
this idea of Christian warfare is found in i John ii. 13, 14;
iv. 4 ; V. 4, S ; and in the messages to the Churches of Asia
Minor, there is a promise connected with the faithfulness
with which the struggle has been conducted, and correspond
ing to the character of the work in which each Church was
engaged. It is obvious that the circumstances of all Churches
are not alike, nor are the dangers and difficulties which beset
them of the same nature. What had the Church of Ephesus
to contend with .'' Clearly the evil workers who were propa
gating the Nicolaitan heresy. The world and its pleasures
were the chief good, which had been placed above all spiritual
considerations, and these Christian professors were carried
away by its attractions. The lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eye, and the pride of life, were the gods they worshipped,
and the Almighty was dethroned. The world is ever
exerting its power to dethrone Christ in the soul. It tells
the young man who came running to Christ with the question,
" What good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life ? " that
he must not forego his prosperity, or station, or rank, to
follow the fortunes of One who had not where to lay His
head. It says to Demas, the companion of St, Paul in the
prison of Rome, why should you exchange your liberty and
enjoyment at Thessalonica for the dreary dungeon and its

i68 The Messages to the Seven Churches
wretched fare .' It presents its glittering bribes before the
eyes of its votaries, and tries to dazzle with its tinselled
glare the thoughtless and unsuspecting, asking in exchange
for its worthless wares the priceless value of immortal souls.
And what is the worid .' Certainly not the natural worid
which God, when He had created it, pronounced very good ;
and which, although now marred by sin, yet still possesses
evidence of God's handiwork, and traces of its pristine beauty.
The world is something impalpable to sense. It is whatever
object we inake our chief good instead of God, and which
thus becomes a hindrance to us on the path to heaven. And
in the case of the Church at Ephesus, it is something in its
favour that it exercised self-denial, in abstaining from sacri
ficial meats, and fornication, while there were so many
temptations placed in its way. The members of that Church
were encouraged to war a good warfare against evil, while
they were to follow peace with all men. They were not to
be overcome of evil, but to overcome evil with good. The
world, like some fair enchantress, held out to them " the
pleasures of sin for a season," and seemed to say, " Let us
continue in sin that grace may abound," but well they knew
that its friendship would only be enmity to God ; and they
are encouraged to crucify the flesh with its affections and
lusts. While as soldiers of the cross, we have to wage war
with sin, we are not sent defenceless into the arena of conflict.
The weapons of the Christian are not carnal, but mighty
through God to the pulling down of strongholds; and if
they are only kept bright by prayer, they shall always be
found equal to every emergency.
If the world presents its attractions, we should not be
allured by its smiles. It will to-day cry " Hosanna," and to
morrow " Crucify," as it did to our blessed Lord. Whatever
may be its fascinations, there are counter ones incomparably
more worthy of our regard. What are its brightest joys

of Asia Minor. 169
when compared with the joy realized at the Cross of Christ,
the joy of repentant sinners returning to the Shepherd and
Bishop of souls, the joy and peace in believing, the joy
which is unaffected by external circumstances — alike filling
the soul with its pure and warm emotion, in the sunshine of
prosperity and the winter of adversity — because it is fed
from the perennial spring of the Saviour's love, and therefore
in those who experience it, " a well of living water springing
up into everlasting life " ? Let it not be supposed that evil
is inevitable — that it is either the result of an evil principle,
and therefore resistless, or that it is a part of the Divine
activity, as the Pantheist says, and therefore may be treated
with complacency. It is the work of the perverse will of
man himself — it is the abuse of the gift of God against him
self — " Binding nature fast in fate, He left free the human
will," — and evil is the rejection of the law of his being on the
part of man, the turning away of his desire from the true
Centre of his existence, like as if one of the worlds in space
were to get detached from its proper orbit. " Wandering
stars," St. Jude calls false professors : having got out of their
true path, they rush on, regardless of any controlling influence.
If the power of Christ were not supreme, then might we be
at times discouraged ; but He has already triumphed — " Be
of good cheer ; I have overcome the world." His passive
virtues were stronger than the active energies of His assail
ants — His patience and heroic endurance, His humility and
meekness. His Divine charity and world-embracing forgive
ness, praying for His enemies — "Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do " — these were the unseen yet
all-powerful influences by which our Master won His tri
umphs ; and it is by these secret forces — for " the kingdom
of God cometh not with observation" — that the Christian's
success in life's battle will be achieved. Under Him, who is
the Captain of our salvation, we shall, in the exercise of these

170 The Messages to the Seven Churches
hidden springs of action, go forth with an assured hope, and
be crowned with certain victory.
Bwaa avT^ ^ayelv, k.t.X., to him will I give to eat of the
tree of life which is in the Paradise of my God. The word
Bwaw, " I will give',' shows that the conferring of the reward
is in the hands of Christ. This is so stated in 2 Tim. iv. 8,
" Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that
day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love
His appearing." This throws light on that passage in Matt.
XX. 23, where Christ said to the two sons of Zebedee, "Ye
shall drink indeed of My cup, and be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with ; but to sit on My right
hand and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given
to them for whom it is prepared of My Father." This
passage in the Authorized Version was always felt to be
unsatisfactory in its rendering, as the words which are found
in itaHcs, not being in the original Greek, were inserted by
the translators without any authority, and counter to the
express statements of other portions of Holy Scripture. The
Revised Version was looked forward to as likely to correct
the false rendering in question, but in vain do we look for any
change for the better. Rather the filling up of the deficiency
in the passage is for the worse — because a new idea is im
ported, and a new verb, is. As it reads in the Revised
Version, it takes the gift equally out of the hands of Christ ;
and there is no warrant whatever for the gloss put upon it
by the Revisionists. As it now stands it is as follows : " but
to sit on my right hand, and on my left hand, is not mine
to give, but it is for them for whom it hath been prepared of
My Father." This is entirely contrary to the promise made
by our Lord to the Church at Ephesus. The words in the
Greek are ovk eariv ip,bv Bovvai dXX' ol? 'QToip.aaTai vtto tov
naTp6<s p,ov, and there surely cannot be much difficulty in

of Asia Minor. 1 7 1
rendering them simply as they stand : // is not Mine to give
(dXXd) save to those for whom, it has been prepared of My
Father. The word dXxd in Matt. xix. 11, and Mark ix. 8, is
used in this sense ; and this is in accordance with the j-ight
of Christ to bestow the gift. He would not grant it as a mere
boon or favour, or in respect of persons ; but he would give it
according to a fixed rule laid down by God, " for what things
soever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise "
(John V. 19). As all judgment is committed to the Son, so the
distribution of rewards will be in His gift, and He will dis
pense them with unerring justice and perfect impartiality.^
^ayelv iK tov ^vXov, k.t.X., to eat of the tree of life which
is in the Paradise of My God. The imagery is here taken
from the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis ; and the
allurements which were presented to the Church at Ephesus
to eat things sacrificed to idols are here set aside by a counter
attraction — the fascination of fleshly indulgence is met by
the promise of one of a higher and more worthy character.
To him who would exercise self-denial, and abstain from
partaking of dainties which had come from the idol temple,
and which in their use was dishonouring to God, to Him there
would be meat provided that the world knows nothing of —
he should "eat of the tree of Hfe which is in the Paradise
of My God."
By eating of the forbidden tree, our first parents lost the
enjoyment and comfort of the tree of life ; but Christ has
removed the penalty attached to that first act of disobe
dience, and has given the promise of enjoyment of that
tree around which cherubim and a flaming sword had
been placed, and which represented the immortality of bliss
in glory. In Gen. iii. 23, 24, we are told that God drove out
the guilty pair from Eden, and placed at the east of the
garden, cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every
' Compare comment on Rev. i. 9..

172 The Messages to the Seven Churches
way to keep the way of the tree of life. Can we doubt that
in those cherubim was typified the Church of Christ — and
that that flaming sword, or literally the flame of a sword
turning itself was a symbol of the Divine presence, which
afterwards manifested itself in the tabernacle and temple as
the Shekinah. That flame had a twofold effect : it was fitted
not only to deter the unrepentant sinner — to tell him " the
soul that sinneth, it shall die"; but also the symbol was
designed to keep the way of the tree of life, not that all
access to it was shut — that no mortal should again taste
of its fruit, for here and in xxii. 14, there is a promise of
admission to this privilege, which was to be enjoyed when
the appointed time had come. Fairbairn, in his Typology of
Scripture, vol. i. pp. 253-255, truly observes : " The privilege of
partaking its immortal fruit was only withheld for a season,
not finally withdrawn — waiting until a righteousness should
be brought in, which might again open the way to its blessed
provisions." And the Jews had some expectation of this, for
the same author says : " Of the seven things which they
imagined the Messiah would show to Israel, two were the
garden of Eden and the tree of life. And they declare there
are those who say of the tree of life that it was not created
in vain ; but the men of the resurrection shall eat thereof
and live for ever." The flame in the midst of the cherubim
taught that man should not be banished for ever from God's
presence, but that God should dwell in the midst of His
Church ; and that in resurrection glory one of the enjoyments
of His redeemed people should be to eat of the tree of life
" in the midst of the Paradise of My God." God dwelt at
Eden after the FaU to keep the way to the tree of life open,
as well as to keep the impenitent from access ; and in those
symbols which were placed at the east of the garden we have
an intimation that, while God is just, He is the justifier of
all who believe on His Son, in whose atoning work " mercy

of Asia Minor. 173
and truth meet together, righteousness and peace have kissed
each other." Probably the object of that manifestation in
Eden was to prevent the possibility of sun worship ; but
primarily the design was from the beginning to have a
revelation of mercy, and to show that while the Divine
presence visibly manifested itself to the ancient Church, that
was only an earnest and pledge of Incarnate God, in the
person of Jesus Christ, tabernacling among men, who beheld
His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father
full of grace and truth.^
The tree of life in Eden has its counterpart in Christ,
as Rev. xxii. 2, clearly indicates. " The restitution of all
things" by Christ presented to the eye of faith a more
beautiful Paradise than the earthly one ; and eating of the
tree of life in the Paradise of God is a figurative expres
sion, denoting that the Christian conqueror would enjoy
glory, honour, and immortality in heaven. To the Jewish
mind " Paradise '' would convey the idea of a beautiful
garden, with all manner of trees and pleasant fruits, watered
by refreshing streams, and fanned by the soft breezes of the
south ; and our Lord would make use of this word to describe
the fruition of that life which was to be participated in when
this mortal shall have put on immortality. " Paradise " in
this passage involves more than is conveyed to us by our
Lord's words to the dying malefactor (Luke xxiii. 43), " To
day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise." Paradise is a region
of the unseen world where disembodied spirits are kept until
the Day of Resurrection. Thither our blessed Lord went
between His death and resurrection.
In Hades, or the unseen world, all, whether good or bad,
await their final destiny. This intermediate state does not
necessarily imply either happiness or misery, although accord
ing to our life here shall we experience the one or the other.
' See The Church in the Cherubim, by Tanner, pp. 57-82.

174 The Messages to the Seven Churches
That there is a separation in Hades, or the invisible world,
we may gather from the great gulf fixed between Lazarus
and the Rich Man, the one being comforted while the other
was tormented. The place of the lost has never yet been
tenanted, and never shall be until after the Resurrection,
when Death and Hades shall give up their dead. Now the
promise which is made to the Church at Ephesus cannot be
merely that of the imperfect condition of souls in the invisible
world, for that would have ministered small encouragement to
maintain the Christian struggle; but it is "the Paradise of My
God," which corresponds with the dwelling place of God, or
heaven. Thither the Apostle of the Gentiles was borne — to
the third heaven, or heaven of heavens, the region where the
Angels of glory stand around God's throne and enjoy the
Beatific Vision. He was also carried to " Paradise," which he
distinguishes from the third heaven. In the one he beheld
the heavenly glory ; in the other he saw the ante-room of the
palace of the Great King. The one was a remote object of
hope, the other was near ; and in the immediate prospect of
entering into a state-of blessedness from a world of sin, there
were ministered to him comfort and encouragement in his
sufferings, and unequivocal proof as to how light were these
sufferings when compared with the glory that should be
revealed. The promise to the Church at Ephesus embraces a great
deal more than a transition from earth to the unseen world ; it
reaches to the scenes which are to take place after the general
Resurrection and the great Judgment Day. Between death
and the resurrection there will be an existence in a disem
bodied state, but happiness and misery will be imperfect ;
and not only will there be existence, but conscious existence.
There can be no annihilation. There never has been any
annihilation of matter since the creation of the world — matter
has been transformed, but has never been struck out of

of Asia Minor. 1 75
existence ; nor has there been any annihilation of force —
force may have been transmuted, but it has never been lost.
The sun's heat which has been stored up in plant and tree
can never be annihilated ; and what has once been endowed
with the gift of life can never perish. So our Lord told
the disciples to fear not them which kill the body and are not
able to kill the soul, but rather to fear Him which is able to
destroy both body and soul in heU.
Here our Lord clearly shows that something shall still
survive when human life has been sacrificed to truth and
duty, and which may be lost if the lower life be more highly
prized than the higher. What was the condition of our
Lord's human spirit between His death and resurrection ?
He was put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the spirit
(l Pet. iii. 18). His human spirit being liberated by death
from the burden of the flesh, acquired new Hfe by death — ¦
gained new powers, and travelled into the region of dis
embodied spirits. His human spirit was not in any way
impaired by death ; and hence there is to us the assurance
that our spirits, on their dissolution from the body, will not
lose any of their energies. " The Paradise of My God "
reaches to the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness. To this the Church of God has been looking
forward in earnest expectancy. She has yet to wait, but
one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day. There will be first the glorious reign of
Christ on earth with His risen saints, then the general judg
ment, and the final conflagration, when the earth and the
things thereon shall be burnt up ; and out of this dissolved
world there shall arise a new earth, with a new aerial firma
ment ; so that this world upon which we now live and move
and have our being, shall be yet fitted up as one of the many
mansions for God's redeemed family. The earth was cursed
for the sake of man, and it will share in the restoration from

176 The Messages to the Seven Churches
the curse — subjected to vanity (or weakness) through no fault
of its own, but subjected in hope, that as it has sympathized
with man in his bondage, so it shall share in the glorious
deliverance in Christ. All things lost by the Fall shall be
restored in Christ.
The occupation of the new heaven and new earth is the
theme of "the elders'" song; it is the promise given to
the "meek" (Ps. xxxvii. 11, compared with Matt v. 5).
Canaan was promised to Abraham and his seed for an ever
lasting possession. All he ever yet possessed of it was a
grave. He was a stranger in a strange land ; and it is only in
the new heaven and new earth that he shall obtain personal
inheritance. New Jerusalem shall descend from heaven from
God — quite distinct from the earthly Jerusalem in which
Israel in the flesh are to dwell during the Millennium. This
will be the City of God on earth, not mere Paradise as Eden
was. It will be a city built of living stones, each prepared for
its place, and in it God will tabernacle with men in the glory
of His manifested Godhead. This will be " the Paradise of
My God," into which he that overcometh shall be admitted,
whence no friend can. ever depart — where no enemy can ever
enter — where we shall behold the Saviour's face, and be
crowned as kings and priests unto God, and serve Him day
and night in His temple — " And there shall be no more curse
but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it." It has
been noticed that there is a beautiful gradation in the promises
given to the seven Churches — that there is an ascending scale
of dignity and blessedness ; and if we examine these promises
we shall see how they exceed one another in greatness ; but
he who has the privilege of " eating of the tree of life which is
in the Paradise of My God," wiU have his perfect consum
mation in bliss. To reach the eternal throne, to behold
the eternal glory, to hold communion with Christ, in whose
presence there is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand

of Asia Minor. 177
there are pleasures for evermore— this should satisfy the
highest aspirations of every longing heart, and compensate
for all the sorrows and sufferings we have had to endure in
this troublesome world.
It would seem as if there were different degrees of glory
to be enjoyed by the respective Churches, from the par
ticipating in the tree of life, or holding communion with
Christ, to the sitting with Christ upon His throne. We know
that one star differs from another star in glory, yet each may
shine in perfection, although the capacity of the one may be
less than that of the other ; so the image of God will shine
in some with greater splendour and intensity than in others.
The more we grow in grace here, the higher rank shall we
take in heaven ; and in proportion to the manner in which we
have been faithful to the trust committed to us, so shall our
dignity and glory be hereafter.
What the Church at Ephesus did to retrieve her back
sliding does not appear. We know that the disciple of St.
John and Apostolic Father, St. Ignatius,^ Bishop of Antioch,
wrote an Epistle to that Church in the beginning of the
second century, A.D. 107, and that he speaks of its members
as initiated with Paul the sanctified into the mysteries of the
gospel, of having rekindled their life, of carrying God and
Christ in their hearts, and of having become Theophori
(temples of God), and Christophori (temples of Christ). St.
Ignatius mentions Onesimus as the Bishop of Ephesus at that
time, and, while referring to him in terms of the highest
praise, thanks God for having given him to them, and speaks
of them as " worthy of him." There is evidence from this
Epistle that the Church had then recovered from her declen
sion, for Ignatius commends the Ephesians for living accord
ing to the truth, having no heresy dwelling among them,
hearkening to no one more than to Jesus Christ, and for
' Ignat., Ep. to Eph., 9, 12 ; comp. Ep. to Magves., 12. N

178 The Messages to the Seven Churches
having stopped their ears that they might not receive the
things sown by some who passed by, having perverse doctrine.
From that period onward the Church at Ephesus shone
brightly, permitting no heresy to mar its lustre, or detract
from its fame as the great central Church of Asia Minor,
until, rent asunder by the strifes, divisions, and heresies which
prevailed in the fifth century, its light faded away — its
candlestick was finally removed — and for long ages no trace
has been discovered of a Christian Church ever having been
there. Amid the ruins of Ephesus we may sadly learn that our
Lord's threatening has been literally fulfilled. Gibbon (vol.
iv. p. 260) writes : " In the loss of Ephesus, the Christians
deplored the fall of the first angel, the extinction of the first
candlestick ofthe Revelation; the desolation is complete; and
the temple of Diana, or the church of Mary will equally elude
the search of the curious traveller." Dr. Chandler says of it :
"Its fate is that of the entire country — a garden has become
a desert. Busy centres of civilization, spots where the refine
ments and delights of the age were collected, are now a prey
to silence, destruction, and death. Consecrated, first of all, to
the purposes of idolatry, Ephesus next had Christian temples
almost rivalling the Pagan in splendour, wherein the image of
the great Diana lay prostrate before the cross : after the lapse
of some centuries, Jesus gave way to Mohammed, and the cres
cent glittered on the dome of the recently Christian church.
A few more scores of years, and Ephesus has neither temple,
cross, crescent, nor city, but is desolation, a dry land and a
wilderness." The same writer adds : " The present state of
Ephesus affords a striking illustration of the accomplishment
of prophecy. Ephesus is the first of the Apocalyptic
Churches addressed by the Evangelist in the name of Christ :
his charge against her is a declension in religious fervour
(Rev. ii. 4), and his threat in consequence (Rev. ii. 5), a total

of Asia Minor. 1 79
extinction of her ecclesiastical brightness. After a protracted
struggle with the sword of Rome and the sophisms of the
Gnostics, Ephesus at last gave way. The incipient indiffer
ence, censured by the warning voice of the prophet, increased
to total forgetfulness, till at length the threatenings of the
Apocalypse were fulfilled, and Ephesus sunk with the general
overthrow ofthe Greek Empire in the fourteenth century."
Truly may it be said that when a Church loses its first love
to God, it has got upon an inclined plane that will bring
not only degradation upon itself, but scatter ruin broadcast
around it. Ephesus is a warning to all Churches to be
faithful, to keep up the life of religion as well as the form, and
to remember that it is only they who endure to the end that
shall be saved. Better not to have known the way of right
eousness than to have departed from the holy command
ment delivered unto them. Beginning in the Spirit, it is a
melancholy spectacle to end in the flesh. We cannot retrace
our steps so easily, for our previous high attainments and
Christian graces will be swift witnesses against us. It is not
sufficient to know the Master's commands ; true happiness
is found in doing them.

II.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA.

iSi

8 Kol T^ iyy{X(f ttjs iy 'Sp.ipvQ iKKXijHas ypd^ov TdSe Xiyei b irpuros Kai
i laxaTos, Ss iyiveTO veKphs, Kal i^ijaev
9 OlSd aov Td (pya Kai tt]v 6XT\j/iv Kai ttjv irraxelav, {dXXd irXoiaios el) Kal
TTjK piXaaip-qpiav ix tuv XeyovTWv 'lovdalovs eXvai iairrois, Koi oiiK elalv, dXXd
avvay uy^ tov Sarava.
ID ift-ij 0o/3oO ft p.l>CKeis irdaxeiv ISoi S-rj piiXXei pdXetv 6 StdpoXos i^ ip.uv els
(pvXaKiiv, Iva ireipaaBiJTe- Koi ^fere BXt^iv -qpLepuv SiKa'. Tlvov Trio-rds &xpi BavaTov,
Kai Siiau aoi Tbv OTitjiavov ttis ^utjs.
II '0 ix'^" o^'i dKovaaTU tI t6 Hvevp,a Xiyei Tois iKKXijalais' '0 vikuv oi fiij
dSiKrjB-S iK TOV BavaTov tov Sevripov.
8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write ; These things saith the first
and the last, which was dead, and lived again.
9 I know thy works, and thy tribulation, and thy poverty, (but thou art rich)
and the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and they are not, but a syna
gogue of Satan.
lo Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer ; behold already the
devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried ; and ye shall
have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee
the crown of life.
II He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

i8&

II.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA.
Chap. H. 8-12.
Ver. 8. Kat tw dyyeXw t-i}? iv Sp^vpvrj iKKXrjaia^ ypdyfrov'
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write. Smyrna is not
mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, so that we have no means
of ascertaining when and by whom the Christian faith was
first planted there. We may however conjecture that that
great commercial city did not escape attention either by St
Paul or his associates in missionary effort, during his three
years' stay at Ephesus. Smyrna stands at the head of one
of the finest bays in the world, and from its central position,
its easy access and excellent harbour, it commands the com
merce of the Levant. It is the chief city of Ionia, and is
situate about forty miles north of Ephesus. It was a very
ancient city, and was one of seven that claimed to be the
birthplace of Homer ; and it is considered that its claim in
this respect was better founded than that of any of the other
cities which contended for the honour. It was subject to
various vicissitudes both physically and politically. It was
overthrown by earthquakes, damaged by conflagrations, laid
waste by invasion, and held in turn by .iEolians, lonians,
Lydians, and Macedonians. In A.D. 177, it was destroyed by
an earthquake, but rebuilt by Marcus Aurelius, with more
than its former splendour. It is now one of the most
flourishing of the cities of Asia Minor, and indeed the most
important Its population amounts to 140,000, of whom
183

184 The Messages to the Seven Churches
there are 20,000 Greeks, 8,000 Armenians, about 2,000
Europeans, and 9,000 Jews. There are more Christians in
Smyrna than in any other Turkish city in the worid ; and
it is therefore peculiarly unclean in the eyes of the strict
Moslems, who call it Giaour fzmir, or Infidel Smyrna.
Religious toleration has always been more fully permitted
in Smyrna than in other cities under Mahommedan control,
and rarely has Turkish fanaticism been directed against
Europeans. It is a great centre of missionary effort, and in
Smyrna the light of Christianity has never been exdnct from
Apostolic times. Yet we are not to suppose that Christians
have not been subject to severe persecutions. Trials, courage,
faithfulness, and constancy, are the key-notes of the message
to the Church at Smyrna. It was as famous for the worship
of Dionysos, as Ephesus was for the worship of Diana. The
Dionysia, or festivals in honour of Bacchus, were amongst
the most debasing and demoralizing spectacles which
heathendom ever introduced, and contributed greatly to the
corruption of morals among all ranks of the people. Vast
numbers of Jews had congregated in Smyrna for the sake of
commerce, and whenever they had the opportunity of resist
ing Christianity, they were not less zealous than Alexander
the coppersmith, and his companions at Ephesus, in waging
war against its supporters ; and the missionaries of the Cross
had as much to fear from them as from the Bacchus wor
shippers with whom they were surrounded. It is thought,
not without some probability, that the martyrdom of Ger-
manicus and others of Smyrna, who suflTered under Marcus
Aurelius, is alluded to in the passage where it is said — " the
devil shall cast some of you into prison " ; and we know from
the manner in which the Jews joined with satanic rage in
carrying out the martyrdom of Polycarp, how virulent they
were in their persecution of the Christians, and how powerful
as a body they were in Smyrna.

of Asia Minor. 185
Smyrna, in ecclesiastical history, is celebrated as the
Church over which Polycarp presided as Bishop. Polycarp
was the disciple of St John, and there is a strong probability
that he was the Angel of the Church here addressed. He
was contemporary with St Ignatius, who was also a disciple of
St John, and who suffered martyrdom in A.D. 107, eleven years
after the Messages to the Churches were delivered. Now
there are two letters of Ignatius extant, — one addressed to
the Church at Smyrna, written by him from Troas, and the
other addressed directly to Polycarp, who was then Bishop of
Smyrna. Archbishop Usher is at considerable pains to show
that Polycarp was the Angel of the Church at Smyrna, over
which Church he must have presided seventy-four years.
That he was an extremely old man when in A.D. 167, he
suffered martyrdom, we learn from the interrogation of the
proconsul, who after asking him if he was Polycarp, added,
" Have pity on thy own great age." When further urged to
reproach Christ and his life would be spared, he said,
" Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He hath never
wronged me, and how can I blaspheme my King who hath
saved me .' " These eighty and six years cannot be the entire
age of Polycarp, but the period which elapsed from his con
version, which must have taken place according to this calcu
lation in A.D. 81, so that fifteen years must have passed from
the time he first knew Christ until the Epistle to the Church
at Smyrna was written. This, says Archbp. Trench, will afford
quite sufficient time for his promotion to the highest seat of
honour in the Church. But positive testimony is borne to this
fact by Irenaeus, who affirms that he had in his youth often
talked with Polycarp, who had been consecrated Bishop of the
Church of Smyrna by St John; and like tesrimony is given
by Tertullian, De Prcescrip. Hceret., 32. If then we are to
regard Polycarp as the Angel of the Church of Smyrna, there
will be considerable light thrown upon the particular refer^

1 86 The Messages to the Seven Churches
ences mentioned in the message to that Church, especially
those relating to them who say they are Jews, but are not ;
and the exhortation and promise at the end of the Epistle
will have their apposite force and application.
TdBe Xeyei a TrpwTO? /cat 6 'ea')(aTO<;, o? iyevero veKpo<;, Kai
e^rjaev these things saith the first and the last, which was
dead, and lived again. The Head of the Church here reveals
Himself as One who had triumphed over death, and by that
victory was able to sustain those who were about to undergo
cruel torments and meet death in its most terrible form.
Wild beasts and fire were the dread alternatives which the
heathen persecutors presented before the suffering Christians.
When the proconsul said to Polycarp, " I have wild beasts ;
I will expose you to them unless you repent." — " Call them,"
replied the martyr ; " our minds are not to be changed from
the better to the worse, but it is a good thing to be changed
from evil to good." " I will tame your spirit by fire," said
the proconsul, "since you despise the wild beasts." — "You
threaten me with fire," answered Polycarp, " which burns for
a moment, and will be soon extinct ; but you are ignorant of
the future judgment, and of that fire that is reserved for the
ungodly." What could have given martyrs such courage —
what, but thp conscious presence of Him who walked with
the three children in the fiery furnace of Babylon } It is
recorded that the multitude of Jews and Gentiles, who
clamoured ¦ loudly against Polycarp, called on the Asiarch,
Philip, that he would let loose a lion upon him; and the
popular cry of the heathen in times of persecution was,
" Christianas ad Leonem ! " Now under such circumstances
nothing could bear them up but the assurance that they were
in the hands of Him who is "the same yesterday, to-day,
and for ever"; who passed through the bitter pangs of death,
and is now alive for evermore.
¦ Death in its most appalling forms might be near at hand —

of Asia Minor. 187
the most cruel persecution that ever was invented by the
malignity of the servants of the Prince of Darkness might be
imminent — but whence those fears } " When thou passest
through the fires thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the
flame kindle upon thee." Like the bush at Horeb, the
Church may burn, but it will not be consumed, for Christ is
in the midst of it. They may kill the poor body, but they
cannot kill the soul, which, when the earthly pitcher is
broken, shall shine like Gideon's lamps. Like the chariot of
fire in which the prophet ascended, so the flame of persecu
tion, how fiercely soever it may burn, will only bear the soul
of the martyr to the bosom of his God.
Ver. 9. OlBd aov Ta 'epya Kal ttjv dXlyJriv Kal ttjv Trrwy^eiav,
(dXXd TrXouCTto? et) /cat rrjv pXaa<^rjp.iav iK twv XeyovTWV
IovBaiov<; eivai eavToi)'; Kal ovk eiaiv, dXXd avvajywyrj toij
Saravd. I know thy works, and thy tribulation, and thy
poverty, (but thou art rich) and the blasphemy of them which
say they are fews, and they ar^ not, but a synagogue of Satan.
What is here said of Smyrna is of the highest praise. There
is no admixture of blame in it. Christ was walking in the
midst of that Church, and was keenly observing all its doings,
whether in upholding truth or witnessing against evil.^
From the Epistle of Ignatius, written to the Smyrneans in
A.D. 107, we may learn what the works of that Church were.
They had weathered the storm of persecution in the time of
Domitian, and had been "perfect in the immovable faith
of our Lord Jesus Christ" They had resisted the inroads of
the Docetae, who were at that time endeavouring to introduce
the heresy of a denial of Christ's perfect humanity, and for
this they are highly commended; and he asks the Church
to pray for these heretics that if possible they might be
converted. They were careful to maintain the fundamental
' See on Rev. ii. 2, where this formula is considered.

1 88 llie Messages to the Seven Churches
principles of Christianity ; they adhered closely to Christ,
whose Godhead and manhood, whose atonement and inter
cession were unspeakably precious to them ; and they were
careful to withdraw themselves from those who were walking
disorderly, or bringing in doctrines which were subversive of
the truth. By these means the Church was kept pure, and
the lamp of Divine truth was long preserved and made to
burn with a bright and steady flame.
Kal TTjv dXiip-iv, K.T.X., and thy tribulation, and thy poverty,
(but thou art rich). The Church at Smyrna was in deep
affliction. When the message was sent to it, the persecution
which had been raised by Domitian was felt everywhere
throughout Asia Minor, but more so in those places where,
owing to their easy access, the Roman power could exercise
its full vigour, and where vast numbers of Jews had congre
gated, — for we are not to suppose the dXl^i<s under which
Smyrna was then suffering was instigated only by the heathen,
but by Jews and heathen combined. Except from the
Epistle to the Church at Smyrna, we have no means of ascer
taining what was the nature of that tribulation the Church
was then enduring. Its members were no doubt experiencing
the effects of the wave which was then threatening to submerge
the entire Church, and remove Christianity from the face of
the earth. In the reign of Trajan, who succeeded Nerva,
in A.D. 98, Christians were treated with great severity, and if
they were not altogether exterminated, it was not owing to
want of strong hatred and violent persecution against them.
This may be inferred from the Emperor Trajan's interview
with Ignatius, whom he met, when he came to Antioch, on
his way to the Parthian war. When Ignatius called himself
Theophorus, and told the Emperor he assumed this name,
because he carried Christ in his heart, the Emperor replied :
" Since Ignatius confesses that he carries within himself Him
that was crucified, we command that he be carried, bound by

of Asia Minor. 189
soldiers, to Great Rome, there to be thrown to the wild beasts
for the entertainment of the people."
The sufferings of this Church were of no ordinary cha
racter. They were for the truth's sake, and sustained against
terrible odds. "All the day long," we may well say, those
humble Christians were "accounted as sheep appointed for
the slaughter." It is harrowing to think what cruelties and
barbarities the early Church had to meet at the hands of their
persecutors ; but the blood of the martyrs has been the seed
of the Church. Under each renewed tribulation it has come
out of the fiery furnace with fresh beauty and splendour,
inasmuch as in all the Church's affliction, her living Head
and Lord was afflicted ; and because in each special case of
persecution He presented Himself to the Church in a peculiar
manner, adapting Himself to her wants, and brightening her
Cross with fresh glory. If there was fear of the Church at
Ephesus relaxing its spirituality and zeal, He reminds it that
He walks in the midst of the Churches to try the reins
and search the hearts ; and if He finds Smyrna faltering, or
fearing the terrible forms of death which the Christians had
to meet. He reminds them of His trials and triumphs, and
that He is able to make them more than conquerors.
KoX Trjv TTTwxeiav, k.t.X., and thy poverty, (but thou art
rich). This is the very opposite of what is said to the Church
at Laodicea: "Thou sayest, I am rich and increased in
goods, and knowest not that thou are wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked," etc. This very poverty,
under which the Church at Smyrna was labouring, may have
been the result of the severe persecution her members had
been called upon to meet, even "to the spoiling of their
goods " ; and when this was added to the bitter cup they had
to drink,— the scanty fare, the insufficient clothing, the cares
and anxieries of providing for their daily wants,— we can
understand how much need there was for Divine support

190 The Messages to the Seven Churches
and encouragement It is not difficult to make a profession
of religion when everything looks bright around us, wheh
we have no worldly anxieties to encounter, and when life is
flowing smoothly onwards ; but this was not the condition
in which the early Church was placed. Persecution seemed
the rule, and the calm enjoyment of Christian liberty the
exception ; so that St. Paul has laid it down even as a mark
of faithfulness — "Yea, and all who will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution " (2 Tim. iii. 12). It is hard to
bear the shame which, to those who were once in comfortable
circumstances, poverty brings with it — " the cruel scorn which
virtue, sunk to poverty, will meet from giddy passion and low-
minded pride"; and when we consider the circumstances of
those who cast in their lot with Christ and His Apostles in
the first ages of the Church, we cannot wonder at their deep
poverty, nor can we be surprised if their persecutors would
take advantage of it, in order the more effectually to crush
them, if they failed in bringing them back either to Judaism
or Paganism. St. James hints at one circumstance which
would appear to bear upon this point — the distinctions
observed in the synagogue between rich and poor — the one
class having the chief seats, and the other relegated to some
obscure corner, or made to sit beneath the footstool of the
rich. There are distinctions in our social condition, and there
will be such until the end ; nor are these contrary to the ordi
nance of God, but in exact harmony with it. We are com
manded to render to all their due ; " tribute to whom tribute
is due, custom to whom custom is due, honour to whom
honour " (Rom. xiii. 7). And we may suppose that there are
differences in the hierarchy of heaven, for we read of "thrones,
and dominions, principalities, and powers." Indeed, if order
is Heaven's first law, variety is the second — and, regarding
this arrangement, we can only say, " Even so. Father, for thus
it seemeth good in Thy sight" But, in the Church of God,

of Asia Minor. 1 9 r
these preferences should not be observed. Here rich and
poor meet together, the Lord, the Maker of all. We should
see no difference between man and man in the order of
Christian brotherhood — at Holy Communion — or in the as
semblies for public worship ; as the Church below should be
a representation of the Church in heaven, where Lazarus is
found in Abraham's bosom, and where the dying malefactor
finds a place with Christ in Paradise. In the Church at
Smyrna, those Christians who were in deep poverty may
have had, in pubHc assembhes, to bear the insults and scoffs
of the wealthy, such as are referred to by St. James (ii. 3),
where he speaks of partiality in regard to personal distinc
tions in places of religious worship (avvaywyai), and which
partiality he condemns as inconsistent with all true charity,
opposed to Christian brotherhood, and dishonouring to Christ.
The name Ebionite was given to the first Christians in derision,
for this name implies their great poverty. Their poverty
aggravated their sufferings ; but He who was rich and for our
sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich,
told them — though He knew their poverty, yet they were rich.
This paradox can only be explained as regards their possess
ing the true riches — they were rich in faith and good works.
They were rich in that sense in which the Apostles were
" poor, yet making many rich ; as having nothing, yet pos
sessing all things." There is a wealth which in God's sight
is poverty, and there is a poverty which is in His sight
inestimable riches. It is not uncommon to find men laying
up treasure for themselves, and not being rich towards God ;
and what will that treasure profit ? It will perish in the
using — it will never satisfy the soul. It will not smooth life's
rough way, nor remove the thorn from the brow of care ; it
will not heal the broken heart nor strengthen the spirit for its
flight to the unseen world. The riches which God recognises,
and which are in His sight of inestimable value, are the riches

192 The Messages to the Seven Churches
of goodness, the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, the
riches of grace, the riches of glory, the riches of His inherit
ance in the saints, the unsearchable riches of Christ A
different standard is this from what the world counts riches,
and one which has its practical application in the Holy Home
of Nazareth. The Church in Smyrna was in this respect like
the Church of the Apostles. " Silver and gold it had none " ;
but it had what was infinitely better — it had faith and forti
tude, enabling it to look beyond the trials and troubles of
life, to that world where faith shall be exchanged for vision,
and hope merge into everlasting joy; and her children gloried
in their tribulations, feeling that they were only the winds
sent from a loving Father to waft them the more speedily
across the sea of time. Tribulation to a Christian is quite
different from what it is to a worldling — to the one it is
paternal, to the other it is penal — to the one it is the chastise
ment of sons whom God is preparing for a throne ; to the
other it is the infliction of the sentence of a judge upon a
criminal. " If we are without chastisement, whereof all are
partakers," we are not sons, "for what son is he whom the
father chasteneth not .? " (Heb. xii. 7, 8). In the sunshine
of prosperity we see least of God; it is only when night
comes, and heaven is lighted with its myriad lamps, that
we can fully trace His handiwork — and so as regards the
Church's tribulation :
" Then sorrow touched by Thee grows bright.
With more than rapture's ray ;
As darkness shows us worlds of light,
'We never saw by day."
Kal TTjv ^Xaa<^7jp.iav e'/c twi/ XeyovTwv, k.t.X., and the blas
phemy of them which say they are Jews, and they are not,
but a synagogue of Satan. The preposition e/c here inserted
gives the idea that the " blasphemy " alluded to had been
directed against the suffering Church, and had been endured

of Asia Minor. 193
by it It was not blasphemy directly against God, so much
as reviling and pouring contempt and scorn upon the
Christians of Smyrna. The hatred of the Jews against the
followers of Christ was bitter in the extreme, and every epi
thet of the coarsest character was pitilessly directed against
them. In Judea the Jews were the sole persecutors of the
Christians, and although their political power did not reach
beyond the bounds of Palestine, yet, whenever they were
able, they instigated the heathen to persecute them ; nor
were they in the lea.st scrupulous as to the means wljich were
used, provided the end was obtained. They effected the
Crucifixion of our Lord by representing Him to be a rival of
Caesar, and they stirred up the heathen through the extent of
the Roman Empire to oppress and persecute the Christians
on the ground that the Gospel which they held and taught,
inculcated disloyalty to Caesar.
St Paul's sufferings, through the hostility of the Jews, are
frequently mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles — at Antioch
in Pisidia, at Iconium, at Lystra, at Thessalonica, at Berea,
at Ephesus (Acts xiii.-xix.). Now the question in this place
which we have to deal with is : Who are those named by
the term "Jews " ? Are they unbelieving Jews, or are we to
regard them as Judaizing Christians, — Jews who had some
kind of faith in Christ, yet who retained all the enmity and
bitterness of their original Pharisaism } Was the Church at
Smyrna suffering from a Judaizing party within, who were
flinging reproach and calumny upon the followers of Christ,
or from unconverted, hostile, and avowed Jews without ? It
is more natural to adopt the latter interpretation. Judaizing
Christians might give considerable trouble, as we find they did
to the Galatiin Church, but we do not find their opposition
amounting to pains and penalties, such as were inflicted
upon the Church at Smyrna. The Jews were much more
violent in their opposition to, and persecution of, the Christ-
O

194 The Messages to the Seven Churches
ians than were the heathen. The latter were only roused
into active antagonism spasmodically. At times, under such
Emperors as Nerva and Antoninus Pius, the Christians en
joyed immunity from open hostility, and it was only when
circumstances arose to turn special attention to them for
some aUeged breach of duty, or some political delinquency,
which generally the jealousy and enmity of the Jews ori
ginated, that the Roman power directed its strong arm
against them.
These Jews professed to be attached to the Mosaic ritual,
to be the natural seed of Abraham, and probably the
spiritual descendants too ; they regarded themselves as the
favourites of heaven, and the children of the promise, and
they hated the followers of Christ with a rancour and ma
lignity of the fiercest character. Their fathers blasphemed
Jesus of Nazareth and crucified Him, and cried, "His blood
be upon us and on our children"; and in every age since
they uttered that fearful imprecation, the Jewish race have
been crucifying Him afresh and putting Him to an open
shame. They cried out for His condemnation, when the
heathen governor was disposed to set Him free. They
stoned the martyr Stephen, " calling upon God, and saying.
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" At Antioch, "when they
saw the multitudes assembled to hear the Word of God,
they were filled with envy, and spake against the things
that were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming."
They stirred up the devout and honourable women of the
same city, and raised a persecution against Paul and Bar-.
nabas, and expelled them out of their coasts ; and so here
the Jews were the most determined enemies of the Church
at Smyrna. And thus, instead of being acknowledged as
the chosen people of God, the natural seed of Abraham, —
instead of being regarded with favour as holding the rites
and ceremonies of the law of Moses, they are not worthy

of Asia Minor. igc
of the name of Jews, they are pseudo-members of the
synagogue, and are "a synagogue of Satan." Their spirit
was that of Satan, under whose influence they appear to
have been acting, and they had no claim to be recognised
as members of the true Church of God.
In the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna, which Eusebius
has carefully recorded, and which contains an account of the
martyrdom of Polycarp, one cannot fail to notice the malignity
which the Jews exhibited in effecting that martyrdom. When
the Roman proconsul had found it impossible to terrify the
aged bishop, either by threats of exposure to the lions, or death
by fire, and was so embarrassed when he saw the calmness and
confidence of the martyr, that he did not well know how to
act, the multitude of Gentiles and Jews who dwelt at Smyrna,
with insatiate rage shouted aloud, — "This is the doctor of
Asia, the father of Christians, the subverter of our god.=,
who hath taught many not to sacrifice nor to adore. Let the
lions loose against Polycarp I " When this was refused, they
then unanimously shouted, " Let him be burnt alive ! " We are
told this business was executed with all possible speed ; and
that the Jews distinguished themselves, with their usual malice,
by gathering, from the workshops and baths, fuel for this pur
pose ; and after the body was consumed, their malevolence
was so extreme, that they endeavoured to prevent the friends
of the martyr from gathering up his bones for burial, on pre
tence that the Christians of Smyrna would "leave the Crucified
One, and begin to worship him." Well may it be said they
were not Jews, for that name is derived from ill-in (praise),
and a Jew is one who praises the true God and acknowledges
Him. The true Jew is he who is not one outwardly, but
who is one inwardly, who is circumcised in heart and spirit,
not in the letter — whose praise is not of men but of God
(Rom. ii. 29) — one who owns Christ as the Messiah of the
Old Testament prophecy, and submits himself to Him. All

196 The Messages to the Seven Churches
others are spurious, because they reject the testimony which
God has given of His Son.
dXxd avvaywyrj tov "Zaravd, but a synagogue of Satan.
The word, synagogue, does not apply in the New Testament
to a place of Christian worship; except in one or two in
stances where it is used by Jewish Christians. There is in
James ii. 2, the word avvaywyrjv, translated " assembly," and
which the Revised New Testament has rendered synagogue
in the text, and assembly in the margin ; but the term is used
here, by way of adaptation, to denote a place of assembly
which was to the Christians what the synagogue was to
the Jews. Some have thought that the word here strictly
refers to the Jewish synagogues, because at Jerusalem there
were many such, and the Jewish Christians had not wholly
severed their connection with the synagogue, but were in a
kind of transition state. It is true that Ignatius, in his
Epistle to Polycarp, makes use of the term to denote a place
of Christian worship, when he says, " Let assemblies (awa-
ywyal) be more frequent"; but, in the New Testament,
the word Church (eKKXrjo-id) is almost invariably used as
descriptive of the place of Christian worship. This word,
avvaywyrj, is a further proof that it is of Jews properly
so called, and not of Christianized Jews, the expression "a
synagogue of Satan," is intended. The spirit of Satan was
working in them, — the spirit of scorn, pride, contempt,
cruelty, and malicious wickedness. They were worse than
the heathen, for they had, by their bitter hostiHty to Christ
and the followers of Christ, shown that they were anti-
Christian. Had they been the true sons of Abraham, they
would have believed in the God of Abraham and Abraham's
Saviour, for Abraham desired earnestly to see the day of
Christ, and he saw it and was glad (John viii. 56). Though
they worshipped in a synagogue, and professed to belong to
the true God, yet they were unworthy of the name Jews, and

of Asia Minor. 197
the service in which they engaged more properly belonged to
the Prince of Darkness, than the living and true God. It is
sad to reflect how much Christianity has had to endure from
its enemies, and how great have been the efforts made to
crush it The Church may well adopt the words of the
Psalmist and say, " Thou hast known my reproach, and my
shame, and my dishonour ; mine adversaries are all before
Thee." All opposition to the spread of Christianity seems
only to have concentrated the energies of its friends, and to
have given them fresh power in their onslaughts against the
strongholds of Satan ; and the weapons of scorn, ridicule, and
reproach used by its adversaries, have recoiled, and smitten
with confusion and dismay those who. had recourse to them.
Both as regards the confessor before his judge, and the martyr
at the stake, the secret of their strength lay in this — " The
Lord of Hosts is with us ; the God of Jacob is our Refuge."
Ver. 10. HArj (j)o^ov a ytteXXet? Trao-T^etv t'Sou Bfj ytteXXet
^dX^iv 6 Aid^oXa e'f vp,wv et? <J3vXaKfjv iva TreipaaOrJTe' Kal
e^ere OXiyfriv 7jp,epwv BeKa. Tivov TTiaT0<i d^pi Oavdrov, Kal
Bwaw aoi TOV a-Te<f>avov ttj? fw^?. Fear not the things which
thou art about to suffer ; behold, already the Devil is about to
cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried ; andye shall
have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I
will give thee the crown of life. The Church at Smyrna had
undergone severe suffering, yet her trials were not ended, and
to prepare the faithful followers of Christ for the storm that
was impending. He exhorts them not to be discouraged,
as they should not be left alone in their sufferings. Some
might have said — "Sorrow ends not when it seemeth done;"
and the; thought of its return would only add to its depth, as
there would be a double load to be sustained,— one part by
anticipation of coming evil, the other by enduring it when it
came. But our blessed Lord would bear the burdens of His

198 The Messages to the Seven Churches
people. He would not leave them under the impression that
the path to heaven was easy, and that there were no dangers
to be met He would show them, as He did His disciples,
that, as He was, so should they be in the world — that the
servant was not greater than his master, nor the disciple
above his Lord — that if they had persecuted Him, they
would also persecute His followers. To St. Paul, after he
had that wonderful vision on his way to Damascus, there was
made known what his course in this life should be, — " For I
will show him how great things he must suffer for My name's
sake" (Acts ix. 16). He would have him count the cost
before he set out on the enterprise, and not have it said,
" This man began to build, but was not able to finish." The
Christian warfare is not to be abandoned when we are once
engaged in it. The command is, like that given to Moses
at the Red Sea, " Go forward ! " A half-hearted Christianity
will never carry any one to heaven ; nor will a religion which
is not based upon sound principles stand the fiery trial which
will try every man's work. Principles are to character what
the root is to the tree. If there are large boughs and feeble
roots, it will not stand the storm ; nor will the Christian
professor, unless he is rooted, and grounded, and settled on
Christ Like the Apostle of the Gentiles, amid bonds, and
imprisonments, and persecutions, he who is so estabHshed,
will be enabled to say, " Yet none of these things move me "
(Acts XX. 24). On the contrary, knowing in whom he has
believed, he can "glory in tribulations also," happier in
enduring afflictions for Christ, than Caesar seated on the
throne of the world.
Mrj ^£B/3ou, Fear not! How often our blessed Lord thus
comforted His weak and faltering disciples. These words
spoke of " the calm, the stilly hour, when storms were gone."
They came Hke balm to troubled spirits, or as celestial chimes
from the upper sanctuary, telling of the eternal joy and rest

of Asia Minor. 199
of heaven. Suffering Church in Smyrna, fear not My
grace is sufficient for you, and My strength is made perfect
in weakness. Beaten down with a great fight of afflictions,
your earthly blessings dissipated like chaff before the whirl
wind — "fear not" When flesh and heart fail, God will be
the strength of your heart and your portion for ever. You
who through fear of death were all your lifetime subject to
bondage, fear not. Christ has driven the last enemy from
the field. He has passed through the grave and gate of death
to a joyful resurrection ; and He has this message for His
followers : " O death, I will be thy plagues ; O grave, I will
be thy destruction ! " Fear not bonds. Prison walls cannot
shut out Christ Fear not poverty, for Christ can make you
rich. " All things are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ
is God's." Every one of that multitude in heaven who have
washed their robes, and made them white in the blood .of the
Lamb, has come out of the great tribulation. Their life has
been a daily conflict, and through Him who is the Captain of
their salvation, they have been more than conquerors.^
t'Sou Brj p,eXXei, k.t.X., behold already the Devil is about to
cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried. The word
Brj, already, Wordsworth has retained which, although it is
not in the " Textus receptus," is in the Vatican MS., and has
been restored by Tischendorf It has been omitted by the
Revisers, yet from the fact of its having a place in three
of the oldest MSS., and from the manner in which it con
nects the persecution that follows with the preceding clause
which speaks of sufferings that were impending, it is not an
unimportant particle. It intimates that the storm was close
at hand, and that there was the more need for preparation
to meet it The 'work of imprisonment and death is here
assigned to the Devil, not his instruments. It was not
merely because the Jews and heathen found their systems
' Compare Rev. i. 17.

200 The Messages to the Seven Churches
of religion overthrown by the power of the Gospel, or their
woridly interests interfered with, as in the case of Demetrius
and Alexander at Ephesus, that the Christians of Smyrna
were persecuted - to bonds, imprisonment, and death; but it
was owing to the direct agency of Satan acting upon the
unregenerate heart. The work is here attributed to the
personal agency of the Devil. It is quite common in the
present day to find men denying the existence of Satan, and
speaking of the expressions denoting personal intelHgence and
will, as applied to him, as only another name for an abstract
evil principle. Like the Manicheans, possibly they would
make good and evil coeval, if they would admit of any dis
tinction between them. Evil was in matter, the Manicheansi
thought, and good was in spirit, and hence they had recourse
to several devices for keeping the material part of man in
subjection. But it is singular that it never struck those philo
sophical enthusiasts that pride and envy, two of the most
virulent and deadly sins that man is capable of, have no
connection with matter whatsoever. As to the personality
of Satan, it is clearly brought before us in this passage. If
amongst holy angels we may conceive of a hierarchy repre
sented by " thrones and dominions, principalities and powers,"
there is no reason why we may not believe in the existence
^of a hierarchy of evil spirits, with Satan at their head. We
have a natural bias to evil, but if there was no living personal
intelligence to give an impetus to it, its range would be
limited, and its power would be ineffectual. If we had only
an abstract evil principle to deal with, the capability of resist
ing and overcoming it would be brought within a possible
range ; and if there was only an abstract good principle, and
not a living personal intelligence in whom goodness was a
leading attribute — indeed whose nature was goodness, — can
we suppose that that abstraction would have such over
whelming power as to lead men so much to appreciate and

of Asia Minor. 201
follow after goodness ? Read the account of the temptation
in the'^garden, the trials of Job, or the numbering of the
people by David, and in each case we must be convinced of
a concrete powerful intelligence prompting to evil. What
did our Lord mean when He used such expressions as the
following : " Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have
you, that he may sift you as wheat : but I have prayed for
thee, that thy faith fail not " ; " I beheld Satan as lightning fall
from heaven " ; " The prince of this world cometh, and hath
nothing in Me " 1 What is meant by the wiles of Satan, the
devices of Satan, the snares of Satan ? All these expressions
and allusions indicate clearly that the Scripture takes cog
nisance of a personal spiritual adversary which, in the battle
of life, we have to meet, and against whom we should have
little hope of success, had we not One who for us has gained
the victory over him. And the words of our Lord in the
message to the Church at Smyrna fully recognise one whom
He names o .<dta/3oXo?, the Slanderer, or accuser, who was
then at work rousing the fierce passions of the Jews, and
instigating the heathen to persecute to the death those who
were named by the Christian name — the poor but devoted
followers of Christ at Smyrna. This passage is referred to in
the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna written after the martyr
dom of Polycarp ; and the wicked instruments who carried
out that infamous crime are spoken of as being under the
influence of Satan : " Much did Satan contrive against them
(the Christians) ; but, thanks to God, did not prevail against
them all."
The Devil was then about to cast some of them into prison,
and after suffering torture there, they were to emerge from it
only to meet death in its worst and most terrible forms.
tva ireipaaQrjTe, that ye may be tried. The Devil's casting
them into prison was in order that they might go back unto
perdition ; that they might fall into his snare and be led

202 The Messages to the Seven Churches
captive by him at his will ; but the Christians at Smyrna
were not to be so drawn aside from their faithfulness to
Christ, and what the Devil designed as the means of their
destruction would only be the means of their greater stead
fastness in Christ's cause, and greater zeal for His glory.
Like gold tried by the fire, so should their faith be "found
unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus
Christ" (i Pet i. 7). The temptation of Satan was to solicit
to sin, but God overruled it so that it was a test, or proof, of
the power of religion in the souls of the faithful. This tempt
ation from the Devil was evidently what was to be added
to the bitter cup of suffering of the Smyrnean Church. All
temptations which proceed from sinful motives, and with a
view to an evil end, are from the Devil. When God sends
temptations, they are those of a Father's hand to try and
prove His people, and produce in them more and more the
*
fruits of righteousness. In Ecclesiasticus xv. 11, 12, 20, it
is said, " Say not thou. It is through the Lord that I fell
away : for thou oughtest not to do the things that He
hateth : say not thou, He hath caused me to err. . . .
He hath commanded no man to do wickedly, neither hath
He given any man licence to sin."
And St James says : " Let no man say when he is tempted,
I am tempted of God : for God cannot be tempted with evil,
neither tempteth He any man." Although we read, "God
did tempt Abraham," it was not to entice him to sin ; it
was with a good motive, and for a good end. He tried him,
to bring out more prominently that faith, and that obedience,
for which he is extolled, and of which he is, and shall be,
a noble exemplar to the end of time. Tertullian, writing on
this passage, says : " God forbid that we should imagine that
He tempts any one, as if He were ignorant of any man's
faith, or desired to make any one fall. No ; such ignorance
and malice belong not to God but to the Devil. Abraham

of Asia Minor. 203
was commanded to slay his son, not for his temptation, but
for the manifestation of his faith as a pattern and proof to
all that no pledges of love, however dear, are to be preferred
to God."i But what could be the object of the Devil
casting some of the Smyrnean Christians into prison? If
with the object of tempting them, could the temptation
not have been as readily and successfully effected under
ordinary circumstances } There is something specific in this
statement He would do in prison what he could not do
with the same degree of success out of it When thrown
into prison, and there subject to torture and the scourge,
they would be more likely to succumb to the demands
of their heathen persecutors. Both in the Epistle of the
Church of Smyrna, and in that of the Churches of Vienne
and Lyons, we have accounts of terrible sufferings which
the Christians had to undergo in prison at the hands of
their bitter foes. In the latter Epistle we are told that
the Devil was driven to new resources of torment, so that
"Christians were thrust into the darkest and most noisome
parts of the prison ; their feet were distended in a wooden
trunk, even to the fifth hole, and in this situation they suffered
¦all the indignities which diabolical malice could inflict.
Hence many of them were suffocated in prison, whom the
Lord, showing forth His own glory, was pleased thus to take
to Himself The rest, though afflicted to such a degree as
to seem scarce capable of recovery under the kindest treat
ment, destitute as they were of all help and support, yet
remained alive, strengthened by the Lord, and confirmed
both in body and mind, and these encouraged and comforted
the rest" The details are most harrowing, and such as could
only have been prompted by the malignant cruelty of the
Spirit of all Evil. It was natural to expect that some would
relapse under such a terrible ordeal ; but there were many
1 Tertull., de Oral., c. 8.

204 The Messages to the Seven Churches
who, amid the most excruciating agonies, remained faithful,
thinking not their lives dear unto themselves that they might
finish their course with joy, and testify to the world the
power of that grace which enabled them to triumph over the
malice of the Wicked One.
Kal e'feTe &Xl-^iv rjp,epwv BeKa, and ye shall have tribula
tion ten days. Considerable difference of opinion is held as
to the time here specified. Some interpret the ten days on
the year-day theory, and make them to mean ten years.
The passages on which this theory is founded are Num.
xiv. 34 ; Ezek. iv. 6 ; Dan. xii. 1 1. They who adopt this
view allege that the ten years' ^Xti/rt? was during the reign
of the Emperor Diocletian, the last of the persecutors of the
Church of God, previous to the time of Constantine. We
are quite willing to believe that, under Diocletian, the Asiatic
Churches suffered severely, and their period of suffering may
have lasted about the term specified. But it is scarcely
allowable to apply the ten days' tribulation mentioned in
this verse to a period so remote, especially as the pre
vious portion of the passage speaks of immediate suffering.
Besides, this tribulation is predicable only of the Church at
Smyrna, and must have had its fulfilment in connexion with
that Church. There are some who interpret this passage
of the ten persecutions, beginning with Nero, and ending
with Diocletian, which for upwards of three hundred years
the Church had to endure ; but surely this is a fanciful view
and one that has nothing to sustain it in the words in ques
tion. The period, ten days, indicates rather a short season
of tribulation than a protracted one, and there is no reason
to interpret it differently from its plain and obvious meaning,
especially as it occurs in epistolary writing, and in reference
to historic facts which transpired in connexion with the
Church addressed. The shortness of the time is given as a
reason why the Church should be faithful, and endure her

of Asia Minor. 205
trials patiently : " Heaviness might endure for a night, but
joy should come in the morning." This motive for calm en
durance is expressed by St Peter, in his Epistle addressed
to " the strangers " scattered through lesser Asia, during the
persecution raised by Nero. "Wherein ye greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness
through manifold temptations " ( i Pet i. 6). And why may
we not look for the prediction having its fulfilment in regard
to the Church at Smyrna.? We are told that persecutions
broke out at fixed intervals, or on special occasions, such as
the celebration of the heathen games, when large crowds were
gathered together, and when some supposed slight may have
been the originating cause, or when some false report may
have reached the ears of those in authority.
Why may we not consider the ten days' tribulation to have
been fulfilled at the time Polycarp suffered martyrdom, as the
persecution in which he was a martyr lasted considerably
beyond the days appointed for the games, and may have
literally been ten days in duration .' At all events, the whole
spirit and scope of the passage is to give us the idea of a
brief period of tribulation, and thus to afford comfort and
encouragement to the faithful in the Church at Smyrna.^
Tivov TTio-To? a%jOf Oavdrov, k.t.X., Be thou faithful unto
death, and T will give thee the crown of life. These words
contain a solemn charge, and a glorious promise. They read
as if the faithfulness spoken of was meant to apply to the
whole Hfe of the Christian ; but this is not its meaning here,
although it is true that it is only they who endure to the end
who shall be saved. The exhortation or charge does not
' Dean Plumptre takes quite a different view of this passage. He considers
the number ten as symbolic, being the last ofthe scale of numbers, the total of the
first four units, each of which has a mystic meaning of its own. Here he regards
it as the representation of completeness, and therefore of persecution carried to
its fullest extent, and lacking nothing that could make it thorough and perfect as
a test. This interpretation, he tells us, is based upon Bahr, Symbolik, ii. 2, § 8.

2o6 The Messages to the Seven Churches
contemplate any portion of time whatever ; it rather speaks
of the degree of suffering to be undergone. Do not falter
under any kind of persecution, whether it be torture, or
bonds, or imprisonment, or even death. Whatever may be
the nature of the persecution you may have to endure —
whatever may be its severity — even though you should be
called upon to exchange your natural life for the martyr's
crown, be faithful. Do not flinch in view of the tortures of
the heathen persecutors, as some have done. We read of
Quintus, mentioned in the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna,
who trembled when he saw the wild beasts, and who was
induced by the proconsul to swear by Caesar, and renounce
Christ Like St Peter, he had been self-confident and
boastful, and, when his courage was put to the test, he
basely denied his Master. What is faithfulness ? It is alle
giance to Christ ; it is the due performance of a trust com
mitted to us as stewards ; it is the constant and persevering
progress in the path of duty. " Who then is a faithful and
wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his
household, to give them meat in due season ? Blessed is
that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so
doing " (Matt xxiv. 45). If we are the faithful servants of
Christ, we shall find Him a good Master, not requiring us
to reap where we did not sow, or gather where we had not
strawed ; but we must not presume upon His goodness by
neglecting to discharge the duties connected with the trust
committed to us. We may not be selfish, apathetic, in
different, but energetic and active in His service. We may
not choose present ease and comfort, and enjoyment, in
preference to self-denying activities and the enduring hard
ness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Lot did so, and the
penalty came with terrible power. If Christians at all, we
should concentrate our energies on our Christian calling.
See with what purpose and singleness of aim men in every

of Asia Minor. 207
pursuit in life follow out the objects of their choice, how
united they are, all minor differences set aside, and no pains
considered too great, so as to reach the goal of worldly
ambition. Can we see such faithfulness, zeal, and devotedness, in the
service of our blessed Lord and Master .'' Why are we not as
earnest for the world to come as the world we are leaving ?
The children of this world rise up early, sit up late, and eat
the bread of carefulness, that they may secure the ends which
they have contemplated : how much more we who have
become enrolled Christ's faithful soldiers and servants unto
our lives' end. We must be faithful to Christ We have
enlisted in His service, and His mark is on our forehead.
We must therefore be jealous for His honour, earnest in His
cause, and true to His standard. We must not be ashamed
to confess Him before men, or to own Him as our Lord.
We must be faithful to the truth. Whether it brings with
it strife or division — whether its profession is attended with
risk to our present peace, as it was to Daniel amid the beast-
worshippers of Babylon, or whether we may be called upon to
suffer because of our firm adherence to it, as did the Three
Children who would not bow before Nebuchadnezzar's image,
we must hold it dear as Hfe. That mistaken notion that it
matters little what a man believes, provided his life be right,
has no place in that Truth. Are people to suppose they are
less responsible to God for the use they make of their mental
and spiritual faculties, than for their actions ? Is reason not
God's gift .' Is not conscience the eye He has placed in the
soul ? Are understanding, memory, will, not to be exercised
in a right direction ? Is unregulated desire not to be brought
under proper control ; nay, is not every thought to be
brought into obedience to Christ t If the springs of action
are impure, so will the life be ; and if the heart is right with
God, the life will also be right A right faith, and a right

2o8 The Messages to tJie Seven Churches
life, may always be regarded as having a close affinity and a
mutual concord, and against their divorce it may well be said,
— " Quis separabit " .? We should be faithful to the distinctive
teachings of our Church. Dogmatic definition is thought
by some to possess too stringent properties, and to be adverse
to the spirit of Christian liberty. But if we are to have
no symbols of faith, no creeds, no formula, the condition of
religion would be somewhat like the state of the Jewish
commonwealth in the time of the Judges, when every one
seemed to do what was right in his own eyes, there being no
king in Israel. Take away law from society, and it is no
better than a rope of sand ; and take away forms of faith,
and the Church must fall to pieces, because there is no bond
of union left by which its maintenance may be secured. We
must also be faithful in Christian duty. Religion is a system
of doctrines to be believed, and it is not less a system of
duties to be practised. "If ye know these things," said
Christ, " happy are ye if ye do them." The Gospel does
not free us from its obligations. It is not enough for a man
to' say he has faith : he must show it by his works. The
Gnostics taught the bare knowledge of Christ was all that
was necessary, and if a man possessed this knowledge, it was
a matter of indifference what his life was. This shocking
Antinomian heresy, while it perverted the truth, produced
results of the most lamentable character in the lives of its
professors. If one says, I am no longer to yield obedience to
the law as a rule of life, I am free to act as I please, it is
obvious that a very questionable morality must proceed from
such abnegation of all law, and instead of being faithful in
duty, we may look for consequences which will be fatal
to Christianity. This charge, " Be faithful unto death," is
one given only to Christ's freemen. Those who are neither
His soldiers nor servants will refuse to bear Christ's yoke,
and to submit to Him. Like Gallio, they will care for none

of Asia Minor 209
of these things, and to them this exhortation can have no
appHcation. On the other hand, the faithful servant will
always consider that he can never do enough for Christ, and
he will bring his best and choicest gifts, and lay them at his
Master's feet with a devotion similar to that which prompted
the star-conducted sages to present their gifts, gold, frank
incense, and myrrh. Like Ruth to Naomi, there will be a
fixed determination that nought but death can sever ; or like
the Patriarch of Uz, the faithful servant will ever be ready
to say, " Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."
There are faithless ones now, as there have ever been, who
are feeble in the day of conflict, and who are like the disciples
when their Master was delivered up to be crucified, of whom it
is said — " All forsook Him." To those who thus turn back in
the day of battle, life can never be happy. Conscience will
at times be their accuser, and the thought will force itself
involuntarily on the mind — Oh, that I had never known the
way of righteousness, rather than having known it, to turn
away from it ! For such there remaineth no more sacrifice
for sin. They have vilely thrown their shield away in the
presence of the enemy, and have made shipwreck of faith and
a good conscience. What good to such was the profession
of Christianity, when they did not hold fast the beginning
of their confidence steadfast unto the end }
Let these words, " Faithful unto death," be written not
merely " with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond,"
on the inner chambers of our dwellings, but let them be
indelibly engraven on the fleshy tables of our hearts, that
they may never pass from our memories while the day of
trial lasts. Let them be handed down from parent to child
as a cherished tradition, all the more dear because of the
successive generations that made them the watchword of
life, and let them be a stimulus to duty through ages yet
to come ; for their virtue and power cannot be impaired P

2IO The Messages to the Seven Churches
by the lapse of time. Let them never be forgotten by the
Church of Christ in its continued conflicts with the world,
the flesh, and the devil : let there never be any compromise
with error, any surrender of the truth, any relaxing of re
ligious principle ; but with faith and patience, and earnest
and unwearied self-denial, let all her members adopt these
words as their daily motto ; and in life's closing hour, they
shall be enabled to say, "When flesh and heart fail. Thou,
O God, art the strength of my heart and my portion foi*
ever." KoX Bwaw aoi tov ark^avov T-ij? f«o'}?, and I will give thee
the crown of life. As "to the conqueror in the Olympic and
other ancient games, so the promise to the faithful follower of
Christ is tov are^avov. The word is distinct from BidBrjp.a ;
the one indicating the crown of the conqueror iare^avo^) as
distinguished from the crown of the emperor (BidBrjp,a). In
2 Tim. ii. 5, the words, he is not crowned are ov ar-e^avovrai.
In 2 Tim. iv. 8, the crown promised to St. Paul is o t^?
SiKaioavvrj^ areifsavo';. In St. James i. I2, it is tov -aTe^avov
Tfj<i ^wrj<;. In I Pet V. 4, the crown described is t^? 66|^7;?
a-Te<j)avov. In all these passages it is a-reipavo^ that is used ;
and the idea seems to be that as the racer, or athlete, who
had been successful in these games, was crowned at the end
of the struggle with a chaplet of pine leaves, parsley, or
wild olive, so the crown of immortality will be awarded by
Christ to all who have been found faithful. It is a crown
of righteousness, a crown of life, a crown of glory, expressions
denoting its incomparable value. It is a prize which is above
all price ; it is not merely the life of the soul that is promised,
but resurrection life. The competitor in the ancient games
ran, or strove, to obtain a corruptible crown ; we an in
corruptible. It is sad to reflect how comparatively few there
are who are really striving in the Christian course ; and the
reason is that they undervalue, and do not rightly appreciate,

of Asia Minor. 211
the prize that is before them, because they are ignorant of
the hope of their calling, and of the glory of the saint's
inheritance. If we could only keep our eyes upon that
inheritance — if we could think of angels' society, and
angels' blessedness, heaven's purity, and heaven's peace, our
Father's service, and the Redeemer's love, there are few trials
here which we would not willingly bear in the prospect of
those bright enjoyments, and more especially when we know
that the more severe the trial, the brighter will be the crown.
And are there not many encouragements to make us per
severe in our course, and manfully struggle for the victory }
The eyes of God are upon us — the eyes of Christ are directed
towards us with sympathy and sweetness in their glance.
The eyes of holy angels are upon us, watching for opportuni
ties to strengthen us by their invisible aids, wherewith both
by day and night they minister to them who are heirs of
salvation. The eyes too of glorified spirits are upon us — we
are surrounded with a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. xii. i).
They were once as we now are ; the grace which saved them
is sufficient for us. Faint not, thgn, in the course. Tire not
in the exercise of the strife. It is only he who endures
to the end who shall be the recipient of the crown. Vigour
and alacrity in youth, noble self-sacrifice in manhood, the
longest running and the best running will be of no use, if
we suffer any influence, such as that which drove back the
Galatian Church, to impede our progress. It has been dis
puted whether the crown here referred to is the diadem of
royalty, or the garland of victory. Archbishop Trench
inclines to the opinion that it is the former that is spoken
of. At the same time he admits that aricfiavo^ is seldom
used in this sense. The word is derived from VTe^w, to
encircle, and, in the passive voice, 'to be crowned, wreathed,
garlanded ; and this word points directly to the usages of
the games. When the victor was wreathed it was with leaves

212 The Messages to the Seven Churches
— with KOTiva (wild olive) at the Olympic, Bd<f)vrj (laurel) at
the Pythian, o-eXtvov (parsley) at the Nemean, and Kiaaov
(ivy) at the Isthmian. Throughout the New Testament,
where the crown of the conqueror is alluded to, it is always
expressed by the word a-Teij>avo<;, excepting in reference to the
crowns of the dragon (Rev. xii. 3), of the Apocalyptic Beast
(Rev. xiii. i), where the word, BiaB-qfiara, is used, and in
Rev. xix. 12, where the same word is found expressing the
Royalty of Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. At
the opening of the first seal (Rev. vi. 2), Christ is introduced
as wearing a crown of victory (ari^avo^), for He goes forth
conquering and to conquer ; but when He is seated on the
throne of the universe, crowned Universal King, the kingdoms
of this world having become those of Christ, he wears the
BidBrjp,a. It is hardly an argument in proof of the a-Te(})avo<;
of the passage before us being understood of a royal crown,
to say that this word is used to denote the crown of thorns
which our Lord wore ; for surely the crown of thorns was
as much an investiture in token of the victor's triumph, as
that of mock royalty. It has been objected that the Asiatic
Churches were not familiar with the games, and that it would
therefore have no meaning to them if the term was used to
denote anything but royalty; but surely the people of Smyrna
were familiar with the Dionysian " Mysteries" as they were
called, and in those games the victor, as in the games cele
brated in Greece, received a crown or garland as a badge of
triumph. If those Churches were planted by St. Paul, there
could be no difficulty on the part of the persons addressed
understanding the allusion to the conqueror in the games,
for no doubt St. Paul would instruct them in the imagery
by which he designed to enforce and apply spiritual truth ;
and as in Corinth he alluded to the Isthmian games, so in
Smyrna, he would take advantage of the Dionysia to tell
them of the Christian conquest, and the Christian's crown ;

of Asia Minor. 2 1 3
and if our Lord intended in His address to the Church at
Smyrna to have conveyed to it that those who were faithful
unto death should have a crown of royalty. He would have
used the word BidBrjp,a, instead of aricpavoi} ; and therefore
we are to take the word chosen to express the honour con
ferred on the successful combatant in the battle of life, in its
natural and obvious signification.
In the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna, there is an
allusion to this very passage. Speaking of the martyrdom
of Polycarp, we are told, " Polycarp by his patience overcame
the unrighteous ruler, and received the crown of immortality."
This shows that the Smyrnean Church not only under
stood this passage, but took it as indicating that the crown
bestowed, like that in the games, was given as a badge of
conquest, and not as an emblem of royalty. The crown
of the Christian will be like that which Jesus now wears.
" Such honour have all the saints." What are all our earthly
tribulations when compared with the glory that shall be
revealed ? How dim the lustre of every worldly crown
when viewed in the dazzling light of the glory that ex
celleth ! Those faithful followers of Christ in Smyrna may
have had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea more
over, of bonds and imprisonment ; yea they may have had,
many of them, to seek a refuge in the deserts and in dens
and caves of the earth, but here their afflictions end ; and
happiness, and calm, and peace, are the martyr's heritage
after the victory is won, as the crown of immortality will
be the unfading emblem of his glory and honour in that
"house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
Ver. II. 'O e'xjwv o5? dKovadrw Tt to Ilvevp,a Xeyei Tat?
iKKX7ja-iai<s : He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the Churches. These words have been already
noticed in the exposition of verse 7. The same formula

214 The Messages to the Seven Churches
enforcing attention, is attached to each message, and inti
mates that the address to each individual Church is to be
heard, and listened to, by all with due consideration and
respect. o viKwv OV ' p,rj dBiKTjOrj iK tov Oavdrov tov Bevrepov, he
that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. " The
second death!" This expression we meet nowhere but in
the Revelation. Here it is the peculiar privilege of those who
triumph in Christ that they shall be exempt from the suffer
ings attached to the second death. In Rev. xx. 6, those
who shall partake of the first resurrection shall have the
immunity of escaping the power of the second death. And
if we would inquire as to the nature of that second death,
we are told in Rev. xx. 14, "And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death." And if we
would further desire to know upon whom this second death
would come with all its terrible power, in Rev. xxi. 8, we
read, "The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone : which is the second death."
Although our Lord in His teaching did not in express
words make use of this awful phrase, yet it is by implication
necessarily contained in several places where His sayings
regarding the conditions of a future life are recorded. He
speaks of the Gehenna of fire (Matt v. 22) ; of fearing Him
which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt x.
28) ; of His sending forth His angels, and their gathering out
of His kingdom them that do iniquity, and casting them into
the furnace of fire (Matt xiii. 41, 42) ; of the judgment of hell
(Matt xxiii. 33) ; and of those on His left hand going away
into eternal punishment, and the righteous into eternal life
(Matt xxv. 46). In all these passages it is implied that
there is a death which is to be feared beyond the mere death

of Asia Minor. 2 1 5
of the body. As the life of the body was not the only or
true life of the faithful, so the death of the body was- not all
that the wicked should be subject to, but a death more to- be
dreaded-;-that which is here designated "the second death."
The second death is equivalent to Hell, the final abode of
the lost — "the lake of fire" of Rev. xx. 14; and that death,
whatever it may be, will be one of enduring punishment.
The eternity, or non-eternity, of future punishment is a
question much agitated just now. Some would try to show
that the punishment will be only temporary, and that, after
the wicked have undergone a penal and purifying process,
they shall be saved. Others would like to regard the death
of the wicked as annihilation, and ignore " the second- death "
altogether. Notwithstanding what has been said in support
of these theories, the teaching of Holy Scripture leads to a
different conclusion. In the face of such words as Matt. xxv.
46, where the eternity of the life of the righteous is. placed in
contrast with the eternity of the punishment of the wicked, it
is impossible to explain away the obvious meaning of these
teachings ; and to limit in one clause of the verse what is
without limit in the other is certainly a mode of exegesis
which bids defiance to all correct rules of Scripture interpreta
tion. To say, as some have alleged, that the word aicovto? does
not necessarily imply unending duration, would only argue
that the existence of God Himself was not eternal, for it is
the same word which is used to express His eternity.^ In
Heb. ix. 14 we read. Bid Uvevp.aro'i aiwviov, through the ever
lasting Spirit. In Heb. i. 8, " Unto the Son He saith, Thy
throne, O God, is et? tov a'lwva tov atwvo?, for ever and ever."
In I Tim. i. 17, "Now unto the King eternal, Tw Be BaaiXel
TWV aiwvwv, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour
and glory, et? toiii atcSw? twv aiwvwv, for ever and ever."
1 In Homer, Iliad, book i. line 290, the word used to denote the immortality
of the gods is aliv idvres, always being.

2x6 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Now if aiwviov in these places does not imply unlimited
duration, surely words have lost their meaning. But it is
said it is not compatible with God's justice to inflict ever
lasting punishment for finite transgressions. Here the sin
of man is only for a life, at most of seventy or eighty years,
and the punishment is out of all proportion to the sin.
But we are very inadequate judges of the nature and con
sequences of sin ; at least we are not unbiassed witnesses.
We look upon it in a superficial aspect, but do we judge of it
as God does ? Sin is an evil of terrible magnitude. By the
strength of the embankment, we may form an estimate of the
power of the rushing tide which it has to stem ; and by the
infinite value of the Atonement provided to meet the malig
nant consequences of sin, we may form an estimate of the
nature and extent of the effects of moral evil. What is evil ?
It is unregulated desire ; it is the rejection by man of the law
of his being ; it is the concentration of desire upon some
other being than God ; it is the abuse of God's highest gift —
man's free will — against God. Evil, as it presents itself here,
is only the segment of a wider circle which has swept through
all human history, and embraced within its range beings of
higher intelligence than man. The consequences of that first
sin by which the angels were condemned have never yet
ceased, and never shall ; and who shall dare to tell us that
sin is a finite breach of a law which only demands a finite
punishment ? If so, why then did not a finite atonement
suffice ? Why could no less a sacrifice than that of God's
eternal Son satisfy for man's transgression ? The first sin in
the garden of Eden might be supposed a little thing, and yet
what have been its consequences ? The partaking of —
" the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
¦With loss of Eden,"—

of Asia Minor. 2 1 7
as Milton puts it, was no light matter ; and we are therefore
not to lay down our finite scale to measure magnitudes of
the extent of which we have no conception.
It is said it would be utterly inconsistent with all we know,
and can conceive, of the character of a loving and merciful
God, to permit His creatures to languish in endless misery
and suffering ; and why should He not rather annihilate them,
than perpetuate their existence in irremediable and intermin
able wretchedness 1 We might go farther by asking why did
He who foresaw the end from the beginning, ever permit sin
to mar His handiwork at all .-' and we can only answer by say
ing. He foresaw in the cure of evil a good which would more
than compensate for the ravages effected by its introduction
into the world — that, " as sin abounded, grace would much
more abound." We have seen the existence of evil in the
world for 6,000 years, but who will calculate as to the
character of its effects ; and surely if it has not been incon
sistent with His love as the Moral Governor of the world to
permit evil thus to be developed, with all its tale of unutter
able suffering, how can it be inconsistent with His love to
visit with eternal punishment those who ^repudiate the law of
their being, and say in defiance of their Creator, " Who made
Thee a Ruler and a Judge over us ? "
When a man dies, by which expression we mean the separ
ation of the soul from the body, are we to suppose the soul
undergoes any change of character or disposition .' Does the
enmity of the creature against the Creator cease to exist —
does the perverse will which has been in opposition to God's
will, the unregulated desire which has been seeking another
than the true centre of its being, become properly adjusted
by that change ? Assuredly not " In the place where the
tree falls, there it shall be " (Eccles. xi. 3). The direction
and bias of the will at death become permanently fixed either
towards the true Centre, God, or away from that Centre;

2 1 8 The Messages to the Seven Churches
and in so far as probation is concerned for shaping the soul
for eternity, that process is over. At the same time, in
regard to the souls of the righteous, there may be moral
progress and enlightenment in that state which intervenes
between death and the resurrection, when in communion
with Christ and the spirits of the just made perfect, know
ledge will be increased, and the spirit, being delivered from
the burden of the flesh, will be purified, and fitted for a
higher and closer fellowship. But as to a probation for those
who have died impenitent, or the possibility of altering their
condition in the eternal world, there is not the shadow of a
foundation for such a hope held out in Holy Scripture. The
gulf is impassable ; and there is no hope of reversing what
man, by his own wilful disobedience, has effected. Eternal
life is the prolongation of a spiritual life begun here, which
will expand and be increasing in knowledge, in felicity, and
love ; and eternal death is the prolongation of a spiritual
¦death actually begun here and perpetuated.
It is common to hear men talk of annihilation, as if that was
the synonym of the second death ; but, as has already been
shown in the exposition of Rev. ii. 7, there is no such thing as
annihilation. Matter is transformed, and, like Proteus, it
changes its shape and substance ; but it never ceases to exist.
There is no annihilation of force. The sun's heat is now stored
in the plant and in the tree, just as it is stored in the coal
which we dig from the earth, and which is the conserved energy
of the sun acting upon the vegetation of primaeval times.
Force has been transmuted, but it has never ceased to exist ;
so what has once been endowed with the gift of life can never
perish. The personality is no way impaired by death. We
see this distinctly in the case of the Spirit of our blessed
Lord. We see it also in the parable of the rich man and
Lazarus. There was distinct individuality in both cases ; and
memory, consciousness, and will were still possessed by the

of Asia Minor. 219
respective spirits of the departed. Indeed memory will be
one of the bitter ingredients in the cup of the wicked : " Son,
Remember ! " If, at death, man was to be annihilated, surely
there would be no meaning in the sacrifice of the Son of God,
for it would be out of all proportion to the object attained.
Besides, if God intended to strike out of existence any being
ever created, why should He haveever brought such a being
into existence at all, and subjected him to suffering, if such
suffering be inconsistent with the attributes of a God of
mercy t Of Judas,' perhaps the greatest sinner who ever
existed on this earth, it is said (Acts i. 25), that, after his
dreadful death, " he went to his own place." There was no
annihilation in his case. He went to a place of his own
proper procurement. What then is meant by the punish-
of the wicked, or the second death f If eternal life is the
enjoyment of God's presence, the knowledge of the true God
and Jesus Christ through eternity, fulness of joy in His
presence, and at His right hand pleasures for evermore ; then
eternal death must be the opposite— banishment from God,
conscious separation from Him, and a dejection of spirit,
under a sense of God's displeasure, memory filling the soul
with remorse, " the worm that never dies, and the fire that is
not quenched."
Canon Cook, in the Speaker^s Commentary, on the words
"where their worm dieth not," thus writes: "Literally
•endeth not,' a fearful commentary on 'eternal' (a'lwvioi),
making it equivalent to ' unending ' (dreXevrrjToi). The
'worm' represents the subjective anguish of remorse un
ending so long as memory remains, and is burdened with
the consciousness of unpardonable sin. The fire is the action
of Divine wrath : in fact the presence of God revealed, a
•consuming fire' to the lost" The words, "their worm,"
show that, as the punishment is eternal, so also they who
suffer will exist for ever. In Matt. xxv. 41, the sentence of

2 20 The Messages to the Seven Churches
the righteous Judge upon the wicked is recorded — "Depart
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the
Devil and his angels." The happiness of the righteous is in
verse 34, described as an inheritance — a kingdom prepared
from the beginning for men ; and if men forfeit their claim
to it, the blame rests with themselves. The fire which shall
be the portion of the reprobate is everlasting — the punish
ment is everlasting ; then those who are to be punished must
everlastingly subsist to endure the punishment, otherwise,
there would be a punishment inflicted and none endured,
which is a contradiction (Pearson on Apostles' Creed).
What the early Church taught on this very solemn subject
we fully know, inasmuch as Origen wrote in defence of
the non-eternity of future punishment, and was thoroughly
refuted by St. Augustine, St. Chrysostom, Lactantius, and
others. The meaning of the word, aiwvio<;, is clearly laid
down in the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna, where
speaking of the constancy of the martyrs enduring bodily
tortures, the writer says : " And fastening their mind's eye
on the grace of Christ, they despised worldly tortures,
through one hour purchasing an exemption from the ever
lasting punishment (^id p.id'; wpa:; rrjv aiwviov KoXaaiv
i^ayopa^6p,evoi) ; and the fire inflicted upon them by their
cruel tortures was to them cool ; for they held before their
eyes the escaping from the fire everlasting, and which is
never quenched " (ttjoo 6<pdaXp.wv ydp et-^ov (j>vyelv to atcovtov
Kal p,7]BeTroTe a^evvvpievov irvp).
It is a pleasant thing to the imagination to indulge in
the thought of eternal hope — of a period when the punish
ment of the reprobate shall come to an end, and when,
in the great restitution of all things, no place in God's
universe will be found for the Devil and his angels ; and if
there was only any reasonable ground in Holy Scripture
for such a conjecture, it would be calculated to give

of Asia Minor.

221

sincere pleasure to every Christian heart. God is a God
of love : He wills not the death of sinners, but rather that
they should come to Him and be saved. But we must
not forget that He is a God of justice too, and that where
His love has failed to attract. His justice will fall with
stern reality : " Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be
weU with him:, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
Woe unto the wicked! it shall be iU with him: for the
reward of his hands shall be given him" (Isa. iii lo, ii).
These words stand as a protest against universal salvation,
conditional immortality, ^ and eternal hope. By the last
expression is meant the hope that, after years of suffering
and punishment for sin in the unseen world, the sinner shall
ultimately be rescued from the gulf of black despair, and
brought to glory. It would be a grand picture to look at,
to see sin rolled away from creation, and the earth clothed
in more perfect beauty than when it first came pure and
spotless from the hands of its Almighty Creator. But when
we search the Scriptures for proofs of this " fond desire, this
pleasing hope," we fail to find them, and our earnest ex
pectations melt away into thin air.
When the millennial age shall have passed, and when the
general judgment shall have taken place. Death and Hades
shall be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
Into this shall those enumerated in Rev. xxi. 8, be also cast,
and the sentence shall go forth, " He that is unjust, let him
be unjust, still : and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still."
No silvery lining is thrown upon the dark cloud : all is left in
the blackness of darkness for ever. What that lake of fire
win be is veiled in obscurity. If figurative, it is designed to
convey some deep and solemn reality that lies beneath the
figure. The Gehenna, or Valley of Hinnom, was well known
to the Jews as the place of Moloch worship which King
Josiah defiled, and which afterwards was made the common

222 The Messages to the Seven Churches.
receptacle where the bodies of the worst criminals were
thrown and left unburied, and where fires were lit to purify
the contaminated air. It was a striking symbol of the lake
of fire, — the second death. From the power of that second
death the faithful martyrs and followers of Christ in Smyrna
were to be freed ; and not only they, but all His servants
to the end of time, who will " fight the good fight of faith,"
shall be freed ; for the Gospel excludes none from parti
cipating in the joys of heaven, but those who, by their own
fault and deliberate choice, shut out themselves through
rejecting the offer of grace and salvation by Jesus Christ.
To such as wilfully and wantonly, openly and defiantly,
despise the proffered mercy, "there remains no more sacri
fice for sins, but," only " a certain fearful looking for of
judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the
adversaries " (Heb. x. 27). St. Augustine well says : " Vita
damnatorum mors est." If the presence of God will be the
happiness of the righteous, the exclusion from His presence
and the glory of His power will be a portion of the privation
of the wicked. If in His presence is life, utter alienation
from Him is death; but the second death will not only in
volve the soul's banishment from God, but that of body and
soul for ever. The kingdom of heaven is now opened to all
believers. Over its high archway may be seen in letters of
gold, so bright that he may run that readeth it : " By Me
if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and
out and find pasture."
Blessed Jesus, make us willing, in this the day of Thy
power !

III.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN
PERGAMUM.

12 Kal Tiji dyyiXcp ttjs iv 'nepydp,ij3 iKKXijalas ypd^ov TdSe Xiyei b Ix'^" '"'?''
pop,^aiav T-tjV blaTop.ov ttjv d^eXav
13 0X5a ret ^pya aov, Kai irov KaToiKeXs, oirov b Bpbvos tov Sarapa' Kai KpaTels Tb
bvop,d p,ov, Kai ovk -fjpv-fjau t-tjV irlaTiv p,ov, Kal iv tois ^p,ipais ats 'KvTliras a p,dpTVS
p,ov 0 ina-Tbs p,ov, Ss direKTdvBi} irap' ipuv, oirov b 2aTavds KaTomel.
14 'AXXct ix^ KaTa aov dXlya, oti ^x^'* ^KeX KpaTovvras ttjv diSax-^v BoXa^^, 5s
iBidaaKev ry BaXaK ^aXetv aKavbaXov iviiiiriov tuv vluv *lapa-^X, 0a7eti' elbuXbBvTO,
Kal iropvevaaL.
15 Olh-us ^eis Kal ai KpaTovvTas rTji* Si,Sax-rjv tuv NocoXa'irMC bfiolus.
16 M.eTav6Tja-ov odv' ei di p.ij, ^pxop.ai aoi Taxi, Kai iroXep.-^au fier airruv iv Ty
pop,(j>ala TOV aTbp,aT6s p,ov.
17 '0 ?xw*' oCs, dKOvadTU tL Tb Tlvevp,a Xiyei Tats iKKXTjalaA.s' Ti^ vikuvti Suaof
aiT(^ TOV p,dvvaTov KeKpvp.fiivov. Kal Suau aiTt$ ^pi]<pov XevK-^v, Kal iiri ttjv ^l/ijtpov
6vop,a Kaivbv yeypap,p.ivov, S oiSels oXdev el p,-rj b Xap.pdvuv.
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write ; These things saith he
that hath the sharp twoedged sword ;
13 I know thy works and where thou dwellest, namely where Satan's throne
is : and thou boldest fast my name, and thou didst not deny my faith, even in the
days of Antipas that faithful martyr of mine, who was killed among you, where
Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that
hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before
the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit forni
cation. 15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like
manner. 16 Repent, therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I -will make war
against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ;
To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give
him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth
but he that receiveth it.

III.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN
PERGAMUM.
Chap. H. 12-18.
Pergamos, or more properly Pergamum, now called Ber
gama, was a very illustrious city of Asia Minor. It was the
centre of a mighty empire founded nearly 300 years before
the Christian era, and was governed by Eumenes, Attains,
Eumenes II., and Attains Philadelphus, in succession.
Attains Philomator, B.C. 133, made a bequest of it to Rome,
because he had no children ; but the Romans did not enjoy
peaceable possession of it. It was in the province of
Mysia, and situate on the banks of the river Caicus, about
60 miles N. of Smyrna, and nearly opposite the island of
Lesbos. It is not mentioned elsewhere in the New Testa
ment, nor do we know anything regarding it in Christian
times except what we gather from the Epistle addressed
to the Church there. It was a great stronghold of idolatry,
and is appropriately called " Satan's throne " (Rev. ii. 13). It
was remarkable as a metropolis of paganism, for besides the
temple of ^sculapius, the tutelary god, there were edifices
raised in honour of the leading deities of the Greek mytho
logy. Some traces are still to be seen of the walls and
columns of what was once the temple- of .^sculapius. Per
gamum was the birthplace of Galen, the physician, and was
described by Pliny as longe clarissimum Asice Pergamum.
Its fame was high on account of the temple of the healing
22J Q

2 26 The Messages to the Seven Churches
god ; but it was still greater on account of the Library
founded by Eumenes IL, who sought to rival the celebrated
Alexandrian Library of the Ptolemies. This collection of
literature and philosophy consisted of 200,000 volumes, and
had been the work of the different kings of Pergamum.
In connection with this library we get the name parchment
— Charta Pergamena — because it was first invented and
used at Pergamum for transcribing books, when Ptolemy,
King of Egypt, prohibited the exportation of papyrus from
his kingdom, jealous of his rival, Eumenes, having a library
as valuable as his own. This noble collection was afterwards
transported to Egypt by Cleopatra, where it enriched the
Alexandrian library, till it was destroyed by the Saracens in
A.D. 642. But it is not with its history when in its pagan state
that we are chiefly concerned, although we must bear in mind
there were certain circumstances connected with it in its
pre-Christian character, which gave it a preponderance in
deeds of darkness over the other cities which are grouped
with it, and which render the designation, " Satan's throne,"
peculiarly applicable to it
Ver. 12. Kat to3 dyyeXtp tj}? ev Ilepydp.w eKKXrjaia<s
ypdyjroV TdBe Xe7et 6 e-^^wv rrjv pop,(j)aiav rrjv BiaTop.ov
TTjv o^elav. And to the angel of the Church in Pergamum write ;
These things saith He that hath the sharp two-edged sword.
As in the Epistle to the Church at Ephesus, Christ, the High
Priest who walks amid the seven golden candlesticks, presents
Himself as the Searcher of hearts ; and as in the address
to the Church at Smyrna He introduces Himself as " the
First and the Last," the Conqueror of Death, because im
prisonment and death were impending over that Church ;
so here He presents Himself in a menacing attitude with a
sharp two-edged sword coming out of His mouth, the emblem
of censure and punishment ; because there was the temptation

of Asia Minor. 227
to compromise religion, and tolerate iniquity, for the sake of
some worldly advantage, and to withhold faithful testimony
for Christ, through the fear of man which bringeth a snare.
In the explanation of i. 16, allusion has been already made
to the sharp sword with two edges, which St. John saw in
his vision of the Son of man. We may, however, observe
here that the particular attitude of Christ towards this Church
was for a twofold obj ett : (i) to promote the conviction and
conversion of some ; (2) to carry into effect the dondemnation
and punishment of others. We may take it that the two-
edged sword is the Word of God, which St Paul speaks of
as "sharper than any two-edged sword." That .sword is
designed for a double purpose, either to smite to heal, by
bringing conviction to the conscience — " piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit,'' and revealing to man
the plague of his own heart ; or to smite to destroy, as in
Isa. xi. 4 : " And He shall smite the earth with the rod.
of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay
the wicked." Those whom the Word does not convert, are
condemned by it. Either the old nature is changed and
renewed, or it is made more determined in its hostility
against God. To them who believe He will speak peace ;
to those who are disobedient and rebellious He will come
in swift destruction. He will whet His glittering sword, and
cut off all evil doers from the city of His God. To His
Church, Christ may be regarded as coming in His judicial
capacity. He was coming to purge His floor — to cut off" the
dead branches — and even where Satan might be supposed
to have erected his seat, to achieve successive victories.
Ver. 13. OtSa rd 'epya aov, Kal ttov KaTOiKeli;, ottov 6
dpovov ToO Saravd' Kal Kparelv to 6vop.d (lov, Kal ovk rjpvrjaw
Trjv Triariv p,ov, Kal iv Tat? rjp,epai'; ah 'AvTtVa? 0 p.aprv; p,ov
6 iriaTov p,ov, 0? drreKrdvdrj Trap' vp,lv, ottov 6 Saravdi: KaroiKel.

2 28 The Messages to the Seven Churches
I know thy works, and where thou dwellest ; namely, wltere
Satan's throne is : and thou holdest fast My name, and thou
didst not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas that
faithful martyr of Mine, who was killed among you, where
Satan dwelleth. From the symbol of the sharp two-edged
sword, we might naturally look for immediate judgment, yet
the merciful Saviour proceeds to commend the good that
was in the Church of Pergamum before He condemns
the evil. Indeed, He would seem to give the Church credit
for faith and constancy amid great temptation, and even
allow a certain degree of palliation for the weakness of those
who had been faithless, on account of the terrible power
which they had to withstand. " I know where thou dwellest,
namely, where Satan's throne is." .^sculapius, the healing
god, was worshipped in the great temple built in his honour
at Pergamum. The serpent, the symbol of Satan, was
sacred to him. He was represented as having one hand
resting on a serpent's head, and the other holding a staff,
round which a serpent was entwined ; and connected with
that form of idol worship, a great medical school was estab
lished, of which Galen was the head. From the names given
to .^sculapius, XwTrjp, 0eo? Xwrijp, Pergameus Deus,^ and
from the prominent symbol of the wreathed serpent, which
was the most conspicuous object in the great temple, there
could hardly be any mistake on the part of Jews or Christians,
in supposing that the Devil was worshipped under the ser
pent's form by the people of Pergamum, and therefore the
term, " Satan's throne," might be appropriately applied to it
But while idolatry is declared to be the work of Satan,
it may also be conjectured that Satanic power was being
exerted in other ways in Pergamum, instigating the heathen
inhabitants to commit the most horrid crimes ; for we read
' This title, Tacitus tells us, is found on many of the ancient coins of the king
dom. Tacit. Annal., iii. 63.

of Asia Minor. 229
of one who had been put to death in that city, and whom
we may regard as the first to suffer martyrdom, as a faith
ful witness for the truth, amongst the Christian professors in
the Asiatic Churches.
Archbishop Trench does not admit the possibiHty of the
idol worship of .(Esculapius, or the malignant persecution to
death of Antipas, as accounting for the use of the expression,
" where Satan's throne is," or " where Satan dwelleth," and
regards it as "an unsolved riddle." But we must bear in
mind that for long ages before Christianity was introduced
into Pergamum, and even afterwards, that city was the scene
of the very worst and most debasing practices, which could
only have their inception and execution under the prompt
ings of the Prince of Darkness. Was it not the place where
the mysteries of the Cabiri were celebrated, so shocking that
writers of every country have passed them over in silence,
saying it was unlawful to reveal them .' Were not the festi
vals of the Dionysia, in honour of Bacchus, observed here as
well as in Smyrna, and were not these festivals so corrupting
to morals, and so subversive of public decency, that they were
banished from Rome by a decree of the Senate .'' And may
we not add to these the Aphrodisia, in honour of Venus, and
other sacred rites, not less marked by profligacy and wicked
ness .? and crowning all, the worship of .^sculapius already
noticed, whose votaries blasphemously attributed to him
power to raise the dead, and honoured him with the most
sacred titles of the Saviour .' Surely if such a centre of evil
as was Pergamum, in the days of the last of the Apostles,
did not properly come under the appellation of " Satan's
seat," it would be difficult to find a place where the term
could more appropriately apply. It was the headquarters of
evil, where wicked spirits were honoured and worshipped, and
that by all classes ; and where men were instigated to per
petrate the foulest deeds that ever debased humanity.

230 The Messages to the Seven Churches
The allusion to " Satan's seat," or throne, expresses a
distinct proof of a personal Satan. An influence or evil
principle could not be spoken of as having a throne, or as
dwelHng locally. He is called the Prince of the power of the
air (Eph. ii. 2), which is the empire where he and his angels
operate, until the Kaiphv, or season of judgment is come,
when he shall be cast into " the lake of fire" (Rev. xx. 10).
Why Satan is permitted to erect his throne in certain
localities, and to do incalculable mischief to the Church of
God, as at Pergamum, is one of those mysteries of which it is
now impossible to give any satisfactory solution. We cannot
see as God sees, and we must patiently wait for the light of
eternity to dispel those dark shadows which perplex and
bewilder us here. It is sufficient for us that Christ was the
spoiler of principalities and powers, making a show of them
openly, triumphing over them in His Cross ; and to know
that through His grace " all those evils, which the craft and
subtilty of the devil or man worketh against us, will be
brought to nought, and that by the providence of His good
ness they shall be dispersed." It is our privilege, and it is
our strength too, to feel that when temptations assail — when
lagging behind in the discharge of duty, or being lured on
ward in the path of sin — while we are conscious of the
subtilty of the tempter, there is One ever near us, who over
came the Prince of Darkness, and who is able to defend and
to succour those who are tempted. That the Church in
Pergamum should be so beset by the powers of evil was its
trial ; but, through its living and Divine Head, it might also
be its triumph.
" I know where thou dwellest" It was not the Church's
choice to fix its dwelling there — not like Lot, selecting the
well watered plains of the Jordan — it was the appointment
of Christ that even there it should be as a light shining in
the darkness, bearing witness for Him, and protesting against

of Asia Minor 231

both the abominations of heathenism, and the impious teach
ing of false brethren. It is as much as to say, " I know your
difficulties, and the perils to which you are exposed, and I
sympathize with you." It is said that love lightens labour :
not less does sympathy alleviate sorrow; and to have the
assurance in our hearts that there is One who, in all our
sorrows and sufferings, is " a brother born for adversity," re
conciles us to our lot, and removes the dark cloud. " I know
where thou dwellest." Christ has placed us there, and we
have a mission to discharge ; and, whatever may be the
surroundings, the thought that we are in His service, and
carrying out His purpose, is sufficient to cheer us onward,
knowing that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be re
vealed in us. These Christians at Pergamum, Hke Daniel
and the three children at Babylon, were found faithful among
the faithless ; they were not carried headlong by the strong
current of temptation, but "resisted unto blood striving
against sin." He who had given them grace to triumph
might make them, by their example, the means of leading
others from their dumb idols to the service of the living
God. Koi Kparelv to ovop,d p,ov, k.t.X., and thou holdest fast
My name, and didst not deny My faith, even in the days of
Antipas. Of this faithful martyr we know absolutely nothing
except what is said here respecting him. Some have con
jectured that the name, i4vTt'7ra?, which signifies against all,
is to be taken in a symbolical, not in a literal, signification ;
but there are no good grounds for this. No doubt, like
Athanasius, he was one who stood out against the world ;
and although early writers pass him over in silence, we
are not to suppose he had no actual existence, Tertullian ^
makes a passing reference to him, it is true, but he throws
no Hght upon his position in or relationship to the Church
' Scorpiace, cap. 12.

232 The Messages to the Seven Churches
at Pergamum. Later writers have published details of his
martyrdom, but they have no reliable authority. In the Acta
Sanctorum, it is stated that he was Bishop of Pergamum
in the reign of Domitian, that by order of the tyrant he was
shut up in a brazen bull, which was afterwards heated red
hot, and that having thus suffered the most agonizing death,
he obtained the Martyr's crown. It is strange that Eusebius,
who gives so full an account of the martyrdom of Polycarp,
Bishop of Smyrna, has taken no notice of Antipas, one who
has received so noble a testimony to his faithfulness from
Christ Himself ; and it is even more surprising, when we find
mention made by Eusebius ^ of at least four who suffered
martyrdom — three at Pergamum ; Carpus, Papylus, and Aga-
thonice, and one who suffered in the persecutions of Lyons
and Vienne, and who belonged to Pergamum. But what mat
ter that the name has not found a place on the records of
historians, when it is registered in the Lamb's Book of Life ;
and, like her who took the alabaster box of precious oint
ment and poured it on the Saviour's head, wheresoever in the
whole world the gospel is preached, the honoured name of
Antipas, who was faithful unto death, shall be proclaimed,
and the noble testimony of the Church in Pergamum, with
which he was connected, shall be handed down from genera
tion to generation. He shines as a star of the first mag
nitude in the galaxy of Revelation, unnoticed among men,
for "the world knoweth us not," but honoured of Christ, for
" the Lord knoweth them that are His.'' On the bead-roll
of Christianity, among the noble army of Martyrs, his name
is found marked with distinguished glory, for the inscription
was dictated by the Son of God Himself: "ANTIPAS THAT
FAITHFUL MARTYR OF MiNE ! " When the monumental
brass and the sculptured marble shall have perished in the
decay of nature, this memorial shall stand, because it is the
record of Him whose words shall never pass away.
* Eusebius iv. 15.

of Asia Minor. 233
It is to the honour of the Church at Pergamum that, at the
time when Antipas was the faithful martyr' of Christ, there
were many others who had not been influenced by the fear
of death to deny the faith, or disown Christ, but were ready,
if called upon, to brave all danger, and endure the bitter
pains of death in its most terrible forms, rather than become '
traitors to the cause of truth. The heathen god, .^sculapius,
had claimed to be healer, saviour, protector ; and the Christ
ians, who regarded these blasphemous assumptions as dero
gatory to the glory of their master, must have faithfully
proclaimed Christ as the true and only Xwrrjp, and, by so
doing, made themselves objects of detestation to some like
Demetrius the silversmith, and others at Ephesus, who saw
their craft in danger. We must admire the zeal and earnest
ness of those brave followers of Christ amid the temptations
with which they were surrounded. If the heroes who fight
their country's battles are the recipients of weU-earned dis
tinctions on their return after victory, surely those who, in
the cause of truth and righteousness, have witnessed bravely
for Christ, are no less entitled to the admiration and esteem of
their brethren who have enlisted in the same cause, although
they may not have to engage in the same hard warfare.
It has been said, " Prosperity gains friends, but adversity
tries them " ; and it is not otherwise as regards the friends
of Christ. In the days of calm and sunshine, it is not
difficult to bless God, when we see around us so many
tokens of temporal prosperity ; but when called upon to meet
the tribulation, when we see the little cloud on the horizon,
like a man's hand, foreboding the gathering storm, — when
long-cherished plans fail, friends become either faithless or
few, the springs of health get diminished or dried up, dis
appointments meet us here and sufferings there, — the test of
our religious principles is then applied, and whether they
will bear the strain, this is the difficulty. If we were to place

234 The Messages to the Seven Churches
ourselves in the same position as the Church of Pergamum,
could we hope to receive the same approval from the lips
of Christ? Many of those early Christians had manfully
struggled, and the trial of their faith redounded to the honour
and glory of God. Would it be so now .¦• " When the
Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth ? "
Ver. 14. 'AXxd e%w Kard aov dXiya, on e%et? iKel Kpa-
TovvTav rijv BiBaxvv BaXadp,, o? iBiBaaKev toi BaXaK ^aXelv
a-KdvBaXov ivwmov twi' utwv 'laparjX, (jjayelv eiBwXodvra Kai
TTopvevaai. But f have a few things against tJue, because thou
hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught
Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of fsrael,
io eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Hitherto all that has been said of Pergamum was highly in
its praise — good works apparent, much zeal for God shown,
faithfulness to the truth in the midst of gross idolatry and
wickedness, although that faithfulness had deprived the
Church of one of its brightest ornaments in the person of
Antipas. Now what the fires of martyrdom could not accom
plish, a secret and insidious snare within the Church itself
was capable of effecting. " But I have a few things against
thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of
Balaam," etc. Balaam was a man of considerable pretensions
to religion, who had, at the same time, strong tendencies to
vice. His character is a kind of puzzle, as in him extremes
meet That he was gifted with the spirit of prophecy does
not necessarily imply that he had the higher endowment of
Divine grace. While, on the one hand, he professed devotion
to God ; on the other, he was carried away with the besetting
sin of selfishness, which manifested itself in covetousness and
ambition. He pretended to have great zeal for God, yet the
measure of it was the worldly gain that he might derive from
it. His hollowness and hypocrisy point him out as one of

of Asia Minor. 235
the most subtle and dangerous enemies of the Church of God,
and he is designated by St. K-agxiaMiviQ, propheta Diaboli. When
he went to curse Israel it was to obtain " the wages of un
righteousness." He knew the people were blessed of God, and
that it was contrary to the Divine will that any one pretend
ing to be commissioned by God should curse them ; but the
rewards of divination operated with such force on his corrupt
heart, that he was ready to go at all hazards to secure the
prize. It may be said, God gave him permission to go ; but
that permission was a judicial act, and as a punishment to
him, for " there is a way that seemeth right to a man, but the
end thereof are the ways of death." His conscience told him
he was acting wrongly, yet he sinned against its most solemn
promptings. Conscience and covetousness were like two
forces acting at right angles, and for a time there was a com
promise between depravity and duty ; but at length, when he
found he could not obtain " the wages of unrighteousness "
by cursing Israel, he instructs Balak, King of Moab, as to the
means by which, with carnal- fascinations, he might corrupt
those whom it was vain for him to curse. And when the
people of Israel were thus overcome, they joined themselves
to Baal-Peor, by participating in heathen worship, and eating
meats offered in sacrifice to idols (Num. xxv. 3).
Now the blame attached to the Church at Pergamum is
that it had in it them that held the doctrine of Balaam, who
taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of
Israel. In the Book of Numbers (xxiv. 25,) we are not told
directly that Balaam gave these instructions. It is merely
said that he returned to his place, and Balak went his way,
after Balaam had uttered the sublime' prophecy of the Star
that should come out of Jacob ; but the expression, " returned
to his place," may mean nothing more than that he set off"
towards home, and proceeded only as far as the encampment
of the Midianites ; for it is certain that, shortly after, he was

236 The Messages to the Seven Churches
slain among the Midianites (Num. xxxi. 8). There was there
fore sufficient opportunity for communicating to Balak the
plan by which the Israelites were to be seduced from their
allegiance to God and to become worshippers of Baal-Peor.
The construction, o? iBiBaaKev to3 BaXdK, has been alluded
to by some writers as an instance of the imperfect knowledge
of Greek which led to the use of an idiom more or less Hebraic,
rather than as a deliberate use of the dativus commodi ; and
they refer to ver. 20, where the verb, BiBaaKei, takes an accusa
tive after it, as verbs of teaching properly do. But if there"
was imperfect knowledge of Greek in the construction in
ver. 14, is it not strange that this imperfection should vanish
in ver. 20 .¦¦ The dative tco BaXaK coming after e'St'Saa/ce is
not a construction which points to insufficient knowledge
of Greek, for in Heracl, 576, and Eurip., Med., 279, we find
the dative of the person following the verb BiBaa-Ke, ex. gr.
BiBaaKe p.01 ToiovaBe TO-vaBe TralBav et? to irdv aoipovv warrep
av. That Balaam directly communicated the instruction to
Balak is here shown, but how came the name of Balaam to be
the synonym of the corrupt doctrines that were being taught
and propagated in the Church of Pergamum ? Has the
Hebrew, Balaam, any similarity to the Nicolaus, or Nico
laitans, of the New Testament .¦" In Num. xxii. 5, where
Balaam's name is first introduced, it is in Hebrew Uyb'Z.
(Bileam), and is derived from Vd^, "to devour, or destroy," and
U)) "the people." The form, Balaam, is taken from the Septua
gint Now the word "Nicolaitans," exactly expresses in Greek
what " Balaamites " does in Hebrew, for iVt/coXao? is derived
from viKuw, "to conquer, or vanquish," and Xaov, "the people."
We may, therefore, regard the words as synonymous ; and
"those that hold the doctrine of Balaam,'' and those that hold
the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, as identical.^ Balaam, in Old
Testament times, was typical of the founder of the sect of
' Compare Rev. ii. 6.

of Asia Minor. 237
the Nicolaitans, who, under the assumed garb of high spiritual
pretensions, encouraged and indulged in the most vicious
practices which ever debased the name of Christianity. The
stumbling-block which they placed before the Church of
Pergamum was that which Balak, taught by Balaam, had
recourse to in order to destroy the people of Israel.
In Pergamum, idolatry of the most revolting character was
shamelessly practised. The heathen worship of Aphrodite
was conducted by harlot priestesses, and the most infamous
and profligate conduct characterized the votaries of that
deity. The heathen felt no compunction of conscience ; on
the contrary, they were self-satisfied because they were only
faithfully carrying out the precepts of their religion ; but the
Christians, who had been taught the principles of the Gospel,
must view these matters differently. They had a higher code
of morals, and their responsibility was proportionately in
creased ; and what might be in some degree palliated, from
ignorance, in the heathen, would be treated as highly sinful
on the part of those who knew a purer faith. The heathen
might look upon these excesses with impunity, but not so
others. Now these Nicolaitans seem to have taken the
heathen standpoint, while pretending to be Christians — pro
fessing to know God, but by their works denying Him,
"being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good
work reprobate."
The word translated "stumbling-block," aKavBdXov, means
a trap, or snare, which, placed in one's way, might entangle
the foot, and cause one to fall. It is used in this sense
by the LXX., who render the Hebrew, ^^^ (mokesh), by
the Greek, aKavBaXov, and in the New Testament, it bears
the same meaning — anything placed in the way that would
cause one to stumble. Christ said to St Peter (Matt. xvi.
23), " Get thee behind Me, Satan ; thou art a stumbHng-stone
(cTKavBaXov) to Me." By attempting to dissuade Christ from

238 The Messages to the Seven Churches
dying, he showed he did not rightly understand the object of
Christ's coming into the world ; and that carnal weakness
which, he evinced would possibly have its effect upon others.
So these Balaamites, by their wicked practices and corrupt
teaching, were bringing disgrace upon the Church, and were
an occasion of stumbHng to many weak Christians ; while to
the heathen who were looking on, they would appear as full
of hypocrisy and deceit Balaam, the hypocritical prophet,
taught Balak how to entrap a nation, and lay it prostrate
at his feet ; not less so were these imitators, and followers
of the wicked prophet, by their practical Atheism and un
blushing depravity, undermining the very foundations of
Christianity and morality, and attempting to destroy the
Church at Pergamum. What fellowship could there be
between Christ and Belial — what communion between light
and darkness — what part could the worshipper of the Holy
God have with the votary of Venus or Bacchus, or the devil-
worshipper of the entwined serpent, as the representative of
.^sculapius, the healing god ? The two prominent sins of
the Balaamites of Pergamum consisted in eating meats offered
to idols, ^ayelv eiBwXoOvra, and in committing fornication
(TTopvevaai). As regards " meats offered to idols," or things sacrificed
to idols, we find in the decisions of the First Council of the
Christian Church held at Jerusalem, that abstinence from
these was positively enjoined (Acts xv. 20, 29). There was
a Hke precept given as regards fornication ; and the reasons
were obvious.
(i) Because the eating meats sacrificed to idols was always
connected with the worship of idols. While meats used in
such sacrifices were partly the perquisite of the priests, and
when they had more than they could use, the surplus was
sold to the meat-dealers, who, afterwards, disposed of it to
the public ; still the purchase of such meats, and their use.

of Asia Minor. 239
though matters of indifference, in so far as the individual
conscience was concerned, were not so in regard to the
consciences of weak brethren.
(2) Then fornication, amongst the heathen, was treated as
lawful, nay, it was consecrated by sacred rites, and temples
and priests and priestesses were set apart in its honour ; and
to prevent Gentile converts from falling back into the prac
tices of the heathen, it was necessary to exhort them, and not
only so, but bind them, by solemn precept, to abstain from
that particular sin. The heathen treated it with indifference,
but Gentile converts must be taught that it was contrary to
the precepts of the New Testament, not less so than to the
law of Moses. In i Cor. viii., St Paul shows that some
things which are in themselves indifferent, are to be strictly
avoided, when they are the occasion of stumbling to weak
brethren. Among these are meats ofifered in sacrifice to idols.
Many of the Christians at Corinth, to show their superior
knowledge, and the strength of their faith, boasted that they
might sit in the idol temple, and eat the meats offered in
sacrifice to idols, because an idol was nothing in the world
— the gods represented by these simulacra had no existence
— and therefore there was no scruple of conscience in such
an act ; but, on the contrary, the very fact of eating freely
what was offered in sacrifice to them was a proof of their
belief in the non-existence of these false gods. They
knew the living and true God, of whom are all things, and
if they had believed in the " gods many and lords many "
of heathendom, they would have hesitated before eating such
meats, because they who participated in them ate them with
the consciousness of the idol, as offered in worship to it,
and with that reverential dread with which the Gentiles
approached their deities. Now St. Paul, while treating the
case of eating, or not eating, as a matter of indifference
abstractly, tells them they have not merely to please them-

240 The Messages to the Seven Churches
selves in this instance, but they are to take care as to the
effect that their conduct will have upon others. " All things
may be lawful, but all things are not expedient ;'' and what
might be quite indifferent as regards each one personally,
would be viewed in a very different light in relation to those
who were looking on at a distance. We are not to become
an occasion of stumbling to weak brethren. If Gentile con
verts, whose eyes may not have been fully opened, but
who, like the blind man at Bethsaida, when first touched by
our Lord, merely could see men as trees, walking, would
notice their fellow-Christians, of enlarged minds and matured
experience, sitting at the feasts in the idol temple, they might
naturally think that the purer faith which they now professed
was no better than that which they had abandoned, and
gradually sink back into heathenism ; and, therefore, the
faithful in Pergamum must take heed lest their liberty should
become a stumbling-block to the weak, and destroy the weak
brother for whom Christ died.
There are some writers in the present day who have en
deavoured to show that the Pauline teaching in this matter
is in direct antagonism with that which we have in the
Epistle to the Church at Pergamum — because eiBwXodvra
is not condemned by St Paul in the abstract, while it is
here alluded to as one of the forms of error for the per
mission of which the Church at Pergamum is censured. The
Council at Jerusalem had placed " things sacrificed to idols "
in the same category as eating of blood and things
strangled, and fornication ; but St. Paul does not make any
reference to the decision of that Council as of authority, but
takes a course that some might suppose to be adverse to
the decree made at Jerusalem. That decree was a kind
of compromise for the Jewish Christians not enforcing
circumcision upon the Gentile Christians ; but what St Paul
says respecting "idol meats," he states upon the authority

of Asia Minor. 241
01 Divine inspiration, and independent of all Church de
crees. The eating, or not eating, things sacrificed to idols
was a matter of conscience. If one could partake of them
without violating its dictates, abstractly there would be no
injury done; for it was a thing indifferent If one par
took of them he was no worse, if he abstained he was no
better. The fact was it was almost impossible for the
Christians who were residing in heathen cities to obtain meat
which had not either directly or indirectly been used in
idol worship. If invited to a feast, no one could positively
know whether the meat that was eaten had not previously
been offered to one of the heathen deities, or the wine
which was drunk had not been part of a libation. If the
Christians partook of it, asking no questions for conscience'
sake, they were not to be condemned for that act ; but if
they knowingly received it as a portion of what had been
offered in sacrifice, or if, by doing so, they offended the
conscience of weak brethren, they were censurable. They
were not to do evil that good might come, or enter an idol
temple, and sit at a banquet, on pretence of glorifying God,
by treating idol meats as indifferent, because the gods re
presented by the idols had no existence; but they were to
keep their own consciences pure, and to guard against any
thing that would offend the conscience of those who were
fellow-worshippers. St. Paul in no way places himself
against either the decree of the Council at Jerusalem, or the
teaching of the Epistle to the Church in Pergamum ; for
nowhere does he enjoin the use of meats offered to idols,
but, speaking abstractly, merely regards them with indif
ference, if used in ignorance of their application, and con
demns their use if attended with consequences which were
perilous to the faith. Marcion and his followers boasted
that they could sit in an idol temple, and partake of the
idol meats, and be in no way injured by them— and this
R

242 The Messages to the Seven Churches
on pretence of the exercise of Christian liberty ; but Justin
Martyr, in his dialogue with Trypho the Jew, condemned these
self-willed usurpers of the name of Christ as acting utterly
at variance with the precepts of Christ and His Apostles.
The Nicolaitans, or Balaamites of Pergamum, were the
forerunners of the Marcionites of a subsequent period, and
these Balaamites, had their representatives in the Church
at Corinth at an earlier time ; for St. Paul distinctly alludes
to the doings of the Israelites in Shittim, as a warning to
the Corinthians against the excesses which brought destruc
tion to three and twenty thousand in one day (i Cor. x. 8).
At Pergamum, there was good reason why Christian pro
fessors should be careful to shun the very appearance of
evil, for their heathen neighbours were persecuting them to
the death ; and, under such circumstances, it was not to be
supposed there could be much social intercourse, and, least
of all, that Christians should be seen in an idol temple
partaking of idol meats, in company with those who were
doing their utmost to exterminate Christianity from the face
of the earth. If, therefore, the Church in Pergamum kept in
its communion persons who thus acted — who one day would
be seen in the assemblies of Christians, and the next in a
heathen temple, conniving at idolatry if not actually enter
ing into idolatrous worship, and guilty of the demoraHzing
practices connected with such worship, it would be unworthy
of the Christian name ; and for omitting to manifest a holy
impatience of evil, it would be highly censurable. Tolerance
of evil indicated a decadence from the first principles of
Christianity, and brought rebuke upon Pergamum. How
different in this respect was the Church at Ephesus, that
could not bear evil men, and that " tried them that said they
were Apostles but were not, and found them liars." The
promise of Paternal 'recognition and receprion on the part of
God is only conditional on our maintaining separarion from

of Asia Minor. 243
the world that lieth in the wicked one : " Come out, and be ye
separate, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive
you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons
and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Cor. vi. 17, 18).
Ver. 15. OvTwv e';^et? koI av KparovvTav ttjv BiBayrjv
NiKoXaiTwv ofioiwv' So hast thou also some that hold the teach
ing of the Nicolaitans in like manner. The word, 6p,oiw<s, like
wise, or in like manner, shows that the teaching of Balaam
was identical with that of the Nicolaitans. Those who re
peated the sin of Balaam so as to draw away Christians from
their allegiance to God; by holding out inducements to in
dulge in sensual gratification, under pretence of mortifying
the flesh, and to join in idol feasts by way of showing their
disregard for idolatry, and under pretence of honouring God,
may be considered as belonging to the Nicolaitans. They
did not form a distinct sect in the ApostoHc age, although
afterwards they did ; for Clement of Alexandria speaks of
them as a sect existing in his time, and alludes to their
abominable practices. As in the first age the great contro
versy was as to the admission of the Gentiles into the Church
without circumcision, so .in the second century there was this
Gnostic libertinism eating like a canker into the very centre
of the Church's life. Men turned the grace of God into las
civiousness, abused the freedom of the Gospel, and promised
liberty to others, while they themselves were the servants of
corruption ; and, having forsaken" the right way, went astray,
"following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the
wages of unrighteousness." That the Churches of Lesser Asia
were infested with these corrupt teachers, we have full proof;
for while Ephesus, to which reference has already been
made, was praised for its intolerance of this form of false
doctrine, Pergamum is censured for its supineness in per
mitting those who held such errors to remain in fellowship

244 The Messages to the Seven Churches
with it In some MSS. the words, o p,iaw, are added after
6p,oiwv, or ofjioiwi is placed after 6 p,iaw. The "Textus
Receptus " has these words, and therefore they are found
in the Authorized Version : not so in the Revised New
Testament They are omitted without note or comment
The weight of authority seems without doubt to be with the
Revisers, for o p,iaw are not found in any of the ancient MSS.
They are not in the Alexandrine, the Vatican, the Sinaitic, or
the Codex Ephraem Syri : and in the few Cursives in which
they are found, they may have been inserted by mistake for
oyttotffl? — adopting o piaw in place of op.oiwi — between which
words there is a great similarity ; or because this expres
sion occurs in ii. 6, where the deeds of the Nicolaitans are
mentioned as hated by the Angel of the Church in Ephesus,
it may have been thought by transcribers necessary to add
o p,iaw in a similar connexion. That such teachings and
manner of life as characterized the Nicolaitans were hate
ful to the Head of the Church is obvious ; and what was
hateful to Him, should have been hated by the Angel of the
Church in Pergamum ; and for the want of this righteous
indignation against evil, we see how solemn a call to repen
tance is addressed to that Church, and what a fearful punish
ment is threatened in case of disobedience. (Compare ii. 6.)
Ver. l6. Meravorjaqv ovv et Be p,rj, 'ep'xppai aoi ra^v, Kal
TToXepirjaw p-er avrwv iv rfj pop,^aia roij crTO/iaTO? pov. Repent,
tJierefore ; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war
against them with the sword of My mouth. There is a transi
tion in this verse from the Angel of the Church, to whom the
first clause evidently refers, to the Church itself, to which the
threatening in the last part applies. Repent, or else I will
come to thee quickly : and will fight against them with the
sword of My mouth. Clearly the Angel of the Church was
blameworthy, as well as the Church itself; for he had been

of Asia Minor. 245
remiss in his duty of warning the people against the Nicolai
tans and their false teaching. There had been a great want
of force of character, a moral feebleness, which caused the
trumpet to give an uncertain sound. The wicked was not
warned from his evil way, he was kept in connexion with the
Church, and allowed to go on and to die in his iniquity ; so
his blood would be required at the watchman's hand (Ezek.
xxxiii. 6). He was now called upon to repent, so as to testify
against the deeds of the Nicolaitans, if haply he might recover
some of them from the snare of the devil, who were led cap
tive by him at his will, or to expel them from the communion
of the faithful, if they should still persist in their wickedness.
By so doing he would deliver his own soul, as he would
be pure from the blood of these perverse libertines ; but
if he neglected to rouse himself from apathy and culpable
negligence, the Lord would come to him quickly with the
solemn call : " Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou
mayest be no longer steward." For the rest, he would come
to them with judgment. He would fight against the workers
of iniquity as his enemies. His Church must withdraw from
those that walk disorderly. " I have written unto you," says
St. Paul to the Corinthians, "not to keep company, if any
man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous,
or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner,
with such an one no not to eat" (i Cor. v. 11).
Christ's coming with the sword of His mouth may be either
with the object of punishing, or persuading. Some think the
allusion is to the manner in which Balaam was slain by the
sword of the children of Israel (Num. xxxi. 8), which was
also the sword of God. Christ's coming in that sense would
be punitive; but may it not have a purifying effect too.' The
sword which St. John saw proceeding out of Christ's mouth
was r] pop^aia, the heavy broadsword with two edges. In
this verse it is the same, poptpaia, and while the sword of

246 • The Messages to the Seven Churches
Christ's mouth goes forth to punish, it has also another
mission, that of rousing the conscience to vigorous action.
The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, and may we not
regard it here as indicating that Christ would raise up faithful
teachers who would go forth in the power of the Spirit, and
destroy not only those forms of error which had disfigured the
Church in Pergamum, but bring back the wayward and erring
apostates to the knowledge of the truth .-• The weapons em
ployed in this warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the pulling down of strongholds.
Ver. 17. 'O e%a)v oj5? dKovadrw ri to Uvevpia Xe7et Tat?
eKKXrjaiai';' Tw viKwvn Bwaw avrw Toi) p,dvva tov KeKpvp,pevov
Kai Bwaw avrw y^^ov XevKrjv, Kal irrl ttjv ¦\jrrj(f)OV 6vop,a Kaivov
yeypap,pevov, h ovBel<; oiSev et p,rj 6 Xa/j,^dvwv. He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith ujito the Churches ;
To him that overcometh, to him will f give ofthe hidden manna,
and / will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new
name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.
Here is a warfare to be accomplished, and to the victor in the
battle, there is a promise of a reward suited to the character
of the conflict. To those who had not been carried away by
temptation so as to sit in the idol's temple, and join in the
idol feasts, there should be given meat to eat that the world
knows not of The conqueror of self, the controller of un
regulated desire, he who had not been carried away by divers
lusts, should have the hidden manna. St John had already
been conversant with the figure. In John vi. 51, our Lord
had spoken of giving His disciples the living bread which
came down from heaven, and partaking of which they should
live for ever. For forty years the Israelites were fed with
manna in the wilderness. This was typical of Christ the
true Bread, and those spiritual and heavenly blessings which
we enjoy through Him ; and the conqueror's reward here

of Asia Minor. 247
promised was obviously communion with Christ, and the un
ending bliss of His Divine Presence.
The reward is future, although there are here foretastes
of it. Those who are Christ's are here fed with Angels'
food, for their souls are strengthened and refreshed by His
Body and Blood. The outer world understands not the secret
of the Christian's joy, for it is hidden from the eye of sense
and concealed from the carnally minded. "Our life," says the
Apostle, " is hid with Christ in God." In Him are laid up
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, as the manna of
old was laid up in the Ark of the Covenant There can be
no doubt that reference is here made to the manna which was
by Divine command deposited in the golden pot, and placed
in the Holy of Holies before the Testimony, where it was
preserved for many generations. The Jews believed that
the sacred treasures of the sanctuary were never lost Even
when the Chaldeans invaded Judea, and carried into captivity
the two tribes which remained after the ten tribes had been
reduced to exile by Shalmanezer, it was thought that the
Prophet Jeremiah had carried these treasures to Mount
Pisgah (2 Mace. ii. 4, 7), " The mountain where Moses climbed
up, and saw the heritage of God," and that they were to be
kept there, no man knowing of the place, "until the time
that God gather His people again together, and show them
His mercy." The manna laid up before the Testimony re
ceived the name of hidden, not " occultum," but " reconditum,"
as Archbishop Trench properly observes, and it was a perfect
type of Christ's body now "within the veil," withdrawn
from sight, but yet to be revealed when the " times of re
freshing shall come, from the presence of the Lord." The
word " hidden," is used in some parts of Holy Scripture in
the sense of " precious," as in Ps. xvii. 14 : " Whose bellies
thou fiUest with thy hid treasures;" so that the "hidden
manna," would express all that was unspeakably sweet and

248 The Messages to the Seven Churches
delightful. " The pleasures for evermore," are those which the
sanctuary of God in heaven affords, and the fulness of joy such
as "a stranger cannot intermeddle with." The Beatific Vision,
and, through it, the transformation into Christ's image,— this
will be the fruition of the hidden manna, this will be the ful
filment of the promise to those who " touch not the unclean
thing," who keep their garments spotless, and whose lives are
hid with Christ in God.
/cat Bwaw avrw yjr^^ov XevKrjv, k.t.X., and I will give
him a white stone, etc. There has been a great variety of
opinion as to what this means, and it is difficult to arrive at
a correct interpretation of the passage. Illustrations have
been sought from Grecian, Roman, and Jewish Customs, and
none of them have removed the obscurity with which it is
invested. In no previous portion of Holy Scripture do we
read of any such gift bestowed on account of faithful service,
nor, indeed, any allusion to a "white stone" at all. The
word, Xeu/co?, white, corresponds to the Latin "candidus,"
and gives the idea of brightness, such as that which charac
terized the Lord's Transfiguration, and it is used to express
the dazzling splendour of that appearance. White is the
emblem of purity, and it also denotes joy and gladness. It
is the colour which is associated with all our ideas of heaven.
There are white robes for the redeemed ; the Redeemer is
described as clothed in garments of light ; and the New Jeru
salem is compared to a stone most precious, even like a jasper
stone, clear as crystal. All these descriptions indicate that
white is the symbol of that world where Christ in His glorified
humanity reigns ; and, when He shall return. He shall take
His seat on the great white throne.
From this particular view of the word, Xeu/co?, Archbishop
Trench considers that the stone in question must have been
a precious stone ; one not merely white in appearance, but
glistering white, as a diamond ; and he further thinks that

of Asia Minor. 249
we are not to look for the meaning of the " white stone " out
side Jewish symbols — that the customs of heathen antiquity
are not to have a place in our interpretation of the Apo
calypse, This rule seems rather too severe, and especially as
Pergamum was a heathen city, and the practices condemned
were in connexion with the idolatries of the heathen. If,
then, there was to be something to overbalance the pleasures
enjoyed by the Nicolaitan, whose chief good seemed to be
the sitting at idol feasts in the idol temple, and the indul
gence of carnal gratification, surely we have no reason to
look far for a symbol by which admission to a heavenly feast
might be foreshadowed ; and therefore, in the " white stone "
in its use as a passport to heaven's joys and pleasures, we
may not be wrong in borrowing our ideas from the practices
which prevailed at the time when the Message was sent to
Pergamum. But before noticing these, we shall see whether
Archbishop Trench's application of the white stone to the
Urim and Thummim is warrantable.
What were the Urim and Thummim ? They are first
mentioned in Exod. xxviii. 30. There is much diversity of
opiflion as to what is meant by these. Some refer them to the
stones set in the breastplate of the High Priest, on which were
engraved the names of the twelve Hebrew tribes. The LXX.^
have rendered these two words by rj BijXwafi Kal rj dXrjQeia,
Manifestation and Truth (Exod. xxviii. 30) ; and it is thought
these are merely explanations of the stones on the breast
plate. Some are of opinion that the Urim and Thummim
were something attached to the breastplate, and quite distinct
from the twelve stones, and that in this was placed one or
two stones — diamonds it is supposed, because the diamond is
not mentioned among the other stones of the High Priest's
1 It may be noticed here that the rendering of the LXX. is imperfect, for
although DH-IK might be represented by ^ S-fiKoxns, D^Bfl which means perfection,
does not correspond to ^ dX-i^Beia, truth. The most correct rendering of the two
Hebrew words is ^wnc/ioi Kol Te\e((5i)res,[signifying respectively Light and Perfection.

250 .,The Messages to the Seven Churches
breastplate; and that upon this was engraved the Tetra-
grammaton, or name, nin\ This was the opinion of Epi
phanius, but St Augustine does not admit of either these
additional stones, or of any miraculous splendour in them,
because Holy Scripture says nothing respecting them. The
Urim and Thummim belonged solely to the High Priest,
and were consulted by him on rare occasions, and only
for public personages.
The Rabbins consider that this oracular manifestation
continued only during the period of the Tabernacle. They
say, " The Holy Spirit spoke to Israel by Urim and Thummim
under the Tabernacle ; under the first Temple by prophets ;
and under the second Temple by the Bath-col, or Daughter
of the Voice, meaning a voice sent down from heaven, such
as at Christ's baptism and transfiguration." Josephus states
that this oracle ceased 112 years B.C. But what meaning
could be conveyed to the Angel ofthe Church at Pergamum.
by the promise of the "white stone," as connected with the
hidden manna .' There is no reference to the Urim and
Thummim in the New Testament ; and surely a particular
oracular manifestation confined to the Jewish High Priest
could hardly be regarded as a symbol of admission to the
feast of love in heaven. Besides, although the term XevKo-i,
is applied to what is bright and shining, the word i/rij<^o?,
does not convey the idea of a precious stone, but rather a
coarse stone, such as a pebble. The word Xt'^o?, is used by
the LXX. to denote a precious stone, and it would, most
likely, have been adopted here if the Urim and Thummim
were referred to.
The white stone was to be the possession of all who should
overcome ; not merely that of the Angel of the Church, but of
every member of the flock who had overcome the temptations
presented by the idol meats, and abominable indulgences.
We must, therefore, look for its meaning in some usage which

of Asia Minor. 2 5 1
was understood at the time, and which would convey a
motive for steadfast resistance to temptation on the part of
the Church at Pergamum. White pebbles, or beans, were
used in ancient times in casting lots, and were always asso
ciated with what was happy, joyous, and propitious. The
Thracians, or Scythians,, barbarous as they were, were accus
tomed to mark each happy day they spent by casting a white
stone into an urn, and each miserable day by a black stone ;
and, when they died, their survivors took out the stones and
counted them, and according as the white or black stones
preponderated, they regarded their lives as either happy or
wretched.^ There was another use of white stones in ancient times.
In the administration of justice by the Greeks, when persons
were put upon their trial, the presiding judge gave to each of
the judges associated with him, a white and black stone, or
pebble, and after the evidence was heard, each judge dropped
into the ballot box, or urn, either a white stone or a black,
according to his opinion of the innocence or guilt of the
individual accused. If the white stones were more in number
than the black, the accused was acquitted ; if otherwise, he
was condemned. So Ovid, Metam., xv. 41, says,
" Mos erat antiquus niveis atrisque lapillis.
His damnare reos, illis absolvere culpi."
This usage is merely alluded to in order to show that the
custom of having recourse to white or black stones was
well known throughout the heathen world, and that the white
stone would always convey the idea of what was joyous
and fortunate, while black stones would indicate the reverse.
It is quite true, that in the case of the administration
of justice, the stones were not given to the acquitted or
condemned, and that in this particular the application fails
in regard to the promise to the Church in Pergamum. It
' Pliny, H.N., vii, 41, quoted by Trench.

252 The Messages to the Seven Churches
further fails, inasmuch as the mere acquittal, or expression of
approval, on the part of the judge, could scarcely be construed
into a reward for self-denial and perseverance in resisting
the inducements to temptation presented by the temples
of the heathen gods, and their idolatrous feasts. We would
look for something beyond the " well done ! " something
which would cause the pleasures of sin to lose their attrac
tiveness, and the fading things of sense to dissolve into
vapour by reason of the glory that excelleth. The substantial
enjoyment of the bliss of heaven, the transformation into
Christ's image, the crown of life — all these would be rightly
conferred upon him to whom the white stone was presented ;
and the allusion must therefore be looked for to some usage
of a different character.
That which seems most suitable is the tessera, or stone
which the conquerors at the Olympic games received from
the master. These stones were called by the Greeks,
^iip^oXa, and upon those who received such stones there
were certain distinctions conferred, and privileges bestowed,
amongst which there was the right of free access to the
public entertainments. These tesserce extended to private
life, and when they were exchanged between individuals,
the parties so bound by these tokens, would necessarily re
cognise one another in offices of friendship and hospitaHty.
This is the view taken by Ewald, and others as to the in
terpretation of the white stone. Plumptre adds to this,
what may be regarded as making the application still more
warrantable, that the use of the tessera was well known
in Asia Minor as a passport to heathen banquets. To each
guest invited to the idol feasts, a stone was given with the
name of the person written on it; and specimens of such
tesserce, giving the bearer admission, for example, to the
theatre of Dionysos, at Athens, are to be now seen among
the Greek antiquities of the British Museum. If, therefore

of Asia Minor. 253
such stones were given to those who were invited to the
heathen feasts, there is a perfect connexion between the
different parts of the passage ; and the Church in Pergamum
would readily understand thit those who were faithful in
resisting the errors of these Nicolaitan seducers, would receive
a tessera that would be a token of admission to the great
marriage supper of the Lamb.
/cat irrl ttjv i/rij^ov 6vop,a Kaivov, k.t.X., and upon the stone a
new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth
it. As upon the tessera the name of each guest was written
and as it could not be used by any but the person for whom
it was intended, so no one can enter into the presence of
Christ by the merits of others. In Isa. Ixii. 2, a new name
was promised — " Thou shalt be called by a new name which
the mouth of the Lord shall name." The change of name
in ancient times was always accompanied by some special
grace. When Abram was changed into Abraham, it was
after God had promised a seed through Isaac, numerous as
the stars of heaven ; and when Sarai was changed into Sarah,
"Mother of nations," the transformation had the same sig
nificance ; so in the New Testament, Simon Barjona, after his
confessing Christ, the Son of the Living God, was changed
into Peter, as was Saul of Tarsus into Paul, on entering
upon his first Apostolic journey, as we find in Acts xiii. 9.
So, too, the followers of Christ were first called disciples ;
at Antioch, they were called Christians, named by the
name of their Master. What this new name shall be that
shall be written on the white stone we know not, nor was
it intended to be known by us here. We must only wait
until the day shall come when Christ shall name it In the
meantime, he that believeth on the Son of God hath the
witness in himself (i John v. 10). He can say, "I know in
whom I have believed," and in the day of Christ's appearing,
when the right of admission to the banqueting house of
the Great King shall be obtained, the new name will also

2 54 The Messages to the Seven Churches.
be disclosed, indicative of that transformed character which
we shall possess when "beholding the face of Christ in
righteousness, we shall be satisfied when we shall awake in
His likeness." " The secret of the Lord is with them that fear
Him, and He will show them His covenant " (Ps. xxv. 14).
Who is there that can most feel the joy of pardoning grace
and mercy, but he who has most known the plague of his
own heart 1 and who is there that can enter into perfect com
munion with Christ, but he who has that relish for heavenly
things which the Holy Spirit alone can give "i Heaven would
be no heaven to an unrenewed heart. To realize its joys and
happiness there must be here a corresponding spiritual sense,
a preparatory process by which, as in a glass beholding the
image of the Lord, we become transformed into the same
image, from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord.
The investing with a new name is a token of honour and
dignity ; so there is honour awaiting all the saints. Eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love Him. Compared with
earthly things they stand out in overwhelming magnitude.
They have eternity inscribed upon them. The kingdom
which we shall receive is one that can never be removed, the
manna upon which we shall feed shall never lose its life-sus
taining properties, and the new name shall never become
obliterated from the tessera which Christ shall give us. When
the names of kings and heroes and sages shall have perished
from the records of earth, the new name shall stand un
changed, because it is registered in the Lamb's Book of Life.
It was this which Christ told His disciples to rejoice in, and it
is this that shall be the theme of wonder to angels, as it shall
be the source of joy to the redeemed family of God through
eternity, as they chant the praises of Him who washed them
from their sins through His blood. " Blessing, and honour,
and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever " (Rev. v. 13).

IV.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA.

l8 Koi Tip d77Aij) TTJs iv Ovarelpots eKKXiialas ypafoV tdSe Xe7et 6 tlbs tou
6eoO, 6 ix'^" T-ois btpdaX/iois airov ihs ipXbya irvpbs, Kai ol irodes airrov Sp.01,01
XaXKoXi^dvip' 19 OiSo aov rd Spy a, Kai ti]v dydirriv, Kai t^v SiaKovlav, Kal rijV irlaTiv, Kal t^iv
virop,ov-r]V aov, Kai Td ipya aov, Td SaxaTa irXelova tuv irpdyruv.
20 'AX?i' ix'^ Kard aov Sti, d(peTs t^v yvvaiKa aov 'lefa/3tt, t) Xeyovaa Kal iavT^v
TpocpTJTiv, KaidtSdaKei Kai irXavq, Toisip,ois boiXovs, iropvevaai Kal (payeiv elSuXoBwra.
21 Koi MuKa avT-g XP'""'" I""- p^eTavo-j^aTj- Kai oi BiXei /leTavaljaai iK ttjs iropvelas
airrrls. 22 'I5o!>, pdXXu aiT^v els kXIvtiv, Kai Tois p.oix^iovTas p,eT airrijs, els 6XX<j/iv
p.€ydXT)v, idv p,^ peTavoTrjauaLV iK tuv Spyuv airr^s.
23 Kai rd TiKva aiTTjS diroKTevu iv BavdTi^' Kai yvdaovTai irdffai al iKKXijalai, 8ti
iyd} elpi b ipevvuv ve^pois Kal KapSlas' Kal 5(j!)au ipuv iKaaTtp Kara Td ipya vp,uv.
24 'Tp,Xv Si Xiyu, toXs XoiiroXs tois iv QvaTeipots, iaoi oiK ix°^'''- '''7/'' bi5axT)v
Tairrriv, oiTives ovk lyvuaav ri ^aBia tov 2aTavd, us Xiyovaiv, oi /SoXXiS i<f> u^iSs
liXXo pdpos'
25 IIXtji' S ^ere, /fpar^irore dxpi-s oS &v -Ij^u.
26 Kai 6 viKuv, Kai b Tijpuv dxpi TeXovs rd Ipya p,ov, 5uau airrQ i^ovalav iiri
Twv iBvuv.
27 Kai irotpavet airrois iv pd^bip aibTjp^' Cjs Td ffKeiij Ta Kepap,iKd awTpi^erat,
us Kdyia eiXTjtpa irapd tov IlaTpds pov
28 Kai duau ourcp Tbv dffTipa Tbv irpuXvbv.
29 '0 fx'^" "'S) dKovadTu tI ro Hvevpta Xiyei rois iKKXrjalais.
18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the
Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet like to burnished
brass. 19 I know thy works, and thy charity, and thy service, and faith, and thy
patience, and that thy last works are more than the first.
20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest thy vrife Jezebel, who
calleth herself a prophetess ; and both teacheth and seduceth my servants to com
mit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21 And I gave her time that she should repent; and she is not willing to
repent of her fornication.
22 Behold, I cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into
great tribulation, except they repent of her works.
23 And I will kill her children with death ; and all the churches shall know
that I am he who searcheth the reins and hearts ; and I will give unto each one
of you according to your works.
24 But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this
teaching, who did not know the depths of Satan, as they say ; I cast not upon
you any other burden.
2$ But that which ye have, hold fast till I come.
26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to
him will I give authority over the nations :
27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron ; as the vessels of a potter are
broken to shivers : even as I have received of my Father.
28 And I will give him the morning star.
29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
256

IV.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA.
Chap. ii. i8, to end.
Ver. 1 8. Kai tc3 dyyeXw t-jj? iv ©vareipoi^ iKKXrjaia<;
ypay^ov TdBe Xeyei 6 Tio^ tov Qeov, 6 e^aii/ tov^ oipdaX-
p,oi)<s avTOv to? (j}X6ya Trupo?, /cat ot Tr6Be<; avrov opoioi
')(aXKoXi^dvw. And to the angel of the Church in Thyatira
write : These things saith the Son of God, who hath His
eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like to burnished
brass. In regard to the Churches of Smyrna and Pergamum
we are quite uninformed as to their history antecedent to
the time when the Apocalyptic Messages were sent, as no
mention of their names is found elsewhere than in the Revela
tion ; but in respect to the Church in Thyatira it is different.
In Acts xvi. 14, Thyatira is casually referred to in connexion
with St. Paul's second missionary journey. After that re
markable vision which the Apostle had at Troas, summoning
him to Macedonia, we are told that he went in a straight
course by the island of Samothrace, and reached the har
bour of Neapolis, which was not far from Philippi. This city
is described as rrpwrrj Tfj<; piepiBo^ r-fj^ M.a')(eBovia<; tt6Xi<;
KoXwvia ; not the capital city, for AmphipoHs was the chief
city of the district ; but rather the first city of the province of
Macedonia to which St Paul came under Divine direction.
There it was that, on the sabbath day, he first sought the
TTpoa-evxVi or place of public prayer, where the Jews were accus
tomed to assemble, as there was no synagogue, and where the
majority of those present were women. Amongst them was
=57 y

258 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Lydia, a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, in Lydia.
Whatever she may have been previously, it is clear she was
not a heathen when St. Paul first met her, for in Acts xvi. 14,
we read that she " worshipped God," and that she was with
the Jews on the Sabbath by the river side, " where prayer was
wont to be made " — thus showing she had joined with them
in the Proseucha, probably as a proselyte.
On hearing St. Paul preach, "the Lord opened her heart."
Not that in every case of conversion the disposition of the
heart and will to receive the truth is not attributable to God ;
but this case was so marked, her conversion having been so
immediately effected, and it stood in such prominent contrast
with that of her associates, none of whom on that occasion
embraced Christianity, that it is specially stated " the Lord
opened her heart." She is baptized — her whole household
are also admitted to baptism, and she shows her great
gratitude, by the reception of the Apostles into her house,
which was the first Christian Church planted by St. Paul in
Europe, while she was the first convert. We may suppose
that Lydia, who was so earnest, and zealous, and whose influ
ence was so powerful in the conversion of her own house,
would exert herself, when she returned to Thyatira, in spread
ing abroad the knowledge of salvation among her country
women and others with whom she came in contact ; and we
may therefore reasonably conjecture that Thyatira had heard
of Christ before St Paul visited Asia Minor, an account of
whose labours there we have in Acts xix.
Thyatira, in its geographical position, lay to the S.E. of
Pergamum, on the Roman road from Pergamum to Sardis,
and about midway between these cities. It was a Macedonian
colony founded by Alexander the Great, after his conquest of
the Persian Empire. From this fact, we can readily under
stand how it was that Lydia, the seller of purple, of Thyatira,
was in Philippi, the Macedonian city, because there would

cf Asia Minor. 259
necessarily be intercommunication between the colonies and
the mother country. Thyatira was celebrated for its great
success in the art of dyeing, and in this respect rivalled, if it
did not surpass, the reputation of the Tyrians. Inscriptions
on ancient monuments confirm this. One has been discovered
in honour of Antonius Claudius Alphemus, which concludes
with the words, 01 ySa^et?, the dyers ; and while Lydia
carried the purple dye to Philippi, and remained there for
some time to buy, and sell, and get gain, she returned to
bear back to her own country the untold riches of the grace
of Christ.
There is another circumstance which connects Thyatira
with Macedonia. In Acts xvi. we read of a female slave who
had a spirit of divination, in connexion with the Pythian
Apollo, who, among the Olympian deities, was the impersona
tion of moraHty. At Philippi, the worship of Apollo held a
high place ; and we might naturally expect that the same
worship would be found in Thyatira as in the mother country,
of which it was a colony ; nor are we wrong in this conjecture,
for, at Thyatira, the chief object of religious worship was
Apollo, who was venerated as the Sun god. In the Message
to the Church at Thyatira, Christ introduces Himself as the
Son of God " whose eyes are like a flame of fire, and His feet
like to burnished brass " — the one figure indicating keen
discernment, the other strength to tread down His enemies.
This is the only place in the Revelation where Christ speaks
of Himself as the Son of God. In Rev. i. 13, in the remark
able vision which St John was privileged to see, Christ is
spoken of as " One like unto the Son of Man, in the midst of
the seven golden candlesticks;" but in the Message to be sent
to Thyatira, Christ declares Himself as the Son of God. In
Rev. xix. 13, He is called "the Word of God," an expression
peculiar to St. John, and which is also found in his Gospel
and Epistles ; but the title, " Son of God," is one which ex-

26o The Messages to the Seven Churches
presses more than any other His essential dignity and equality
with God the Father. It is not merely to be taken in the
sense of theocratic, such as the relationship into which God
entered with Israel, nor merely ethical as denoting that
authority with which judges, representing God in the Jewish
theocracy, administered justice; but truly and properly Divine.
There is no doubt that reference is here made to Ps. ii. 7,
where Christ is spoken of in connexion with the God of Israel
as His anointed Son, and which verse St. Paul, in Heb. i. 5,
quotes in proof of Christ's Divine nature, as far above angels
and all created intelligences. "When He bringeth in the first
begotten into the world. He saith. And let all the angels
of God worship Him. — Unto the Son He saith. Thy throne,
O God, is for ever and ever" (Heb. i. 6, 8). Surely these
passages distinctly proclaim Christ's Godhead ; and when He
appropriates this title. Son of God, to Himself, He claims to
be Supreme Deity. The Jews understood such a title as
implying proper Divinity ; for on Christ's admitting before
the High Priest that He was the Son of God, the High Priest
rent his clothes, saying, " He hath spoken blasphemy," and
the Jews, on being appealed to, said, " He is guilty of death."
It was a claim to substantial oneness with the Father,
"very and eternal God;" and when, in addressing the Church
at Thyatira, our blessed Lord applies this designation to
Himself, it is to impress that Church with a deep sense of
His Omnipotence, as One who is able to bestow what He
promises, and to inflict the punishment which He threatens.
Those who will not be subject to His gentle rule must
succumb to His punitive power. He will crush His enemies ;
" He will break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in
pieces like a potter's vessel," which, when once shivered,
cannot be repaired ; and all opposition to the erection
and extension of His kingdom shall be overthrown. And
yet, while He is a God of judgment. He keeps mercy for

of Asia Minor. 261
thousands: "Blessed are ah they that put their trust in
Him." Compare Rev. i. 14, 15, where the description, " His eyes
like unto a flame of fire, and his feet Hke burnished brass,"
is explained. Ver. 19. OtSa aov rd epya, Kal rfjv dydrrrjv, Kal ttjv
BiaKoviav, Kal rfjv Triariv, Kal rrjv VTTopovrjv aov, Kal rd 'epya
aov, rd 'iajfara rrXeiova twi/ rrpwTwv. I know thy works, and
thy charity, and thy service, and faith, and thy patience, and
that thy last works are more than the first. The praise here
expressed resembles in many points that bestowed upon the
Church at Ephesus. Indeed, it has been observed with truth,
that the excellencies which are here enumerated, are seen in
a very prominent degree in the members of the Church at
Philippi. St Paul speaks of their love, and prays that it may
yet abound, more and more in knowledge and in all judgment,
that they may approve things that are excellent, that they
may be " sincere and without offence till the day of Christ ;
being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by
Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (Phil. i. 9-12).
Those Christian graces which characterized the Philippian
Church, it has been thought were owing, in a considerable de
gree, to the influence brought to bear upon it by the first con
vert; and if, as we may suppose, Lydia returned to Thyatira,
some time after her conversion, her influence would be no less
felt in her native city in producing those "fruits of righteous
ness " for which Thyatira here receives deserved praise. Nor
were these virtues and excellencies becoming weakened and
losing their lustre by exercise. On the contrary, the last works
were more than the first Under such a healthy condition,
one would scarcely be prepared for the censure that follows.
While there was much love, and patience, and service, and faith,
there was a want of firmness in dealing with error — an effem-

262 The Messages to the Seven Churches
inate profession which would overlook defects, and permit
evil workers to remain in communion with the Church, without
any protest on the part of the body of the faithful against
their principles and practices. In this respect Thyatira was
not unlike Pergamum ; but what was required was righteous
indignation against evil workers, and the exercise of a godly
discipline for the punishing of offenders.
Not only had the Church of Thyatira been remarkable for
the manifestation of Christian graces, but it had been a grow
ing Church. The members of that Church had not been resting
upon privileges and attainments, but they were making pro
gress, "adding to their faith virtue ; and to virtue knowledge ;
and to knowledge temperance ; and to temperance patience ;
and to patience godliness ; and to godliness brotherly kindness ;
and to brotherly kindness charity " (2 Pet. i. 5-7). This was
just as it should be ; for when God works in us by His Holy
Spirit, we are influenced to work for Him. The life of God
in the soul is progressive. In the Christian race we cannot
here feel satisfied that we have reached the goal. " Not as
though we had already attained, or were already perfect," is
still the motto of the most experienced Christian. The ter
minus he reaches to-day is the starting point of to-morrow.
Life is a day, and man goeth forth to his work and to his
labour until the evening. The measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ is not attained at once. The gourd may
grow up in a night, and wither in a night ; but the oak needs
years to mature ; and the blast which uproots the tender plant
will only cause the monarch of the forest to strike its roots
deeper and deeper into the soil. Progress onward, progress
ever, is the Christian's aim. "The path of the just is as the
shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
Let us ever be found in that path — the highway of the King
of heaven ; and when we have reached the end of our course,
and go to rest in the world's night, weary with the work of

of Asia Minor. 26

J

life, it will only be to awake to a joyful resurrection, and find
in the retrospect of a blessed experience that " the Lord is a
sun and shield ; that He will give grace and glory : and no
good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly."
(Ps. Ixxxiv. 11).
In striking contrast to the Church of Ephesus, the
special note of praise is recorded — "I know thy works
. . . and the last to be more than the first." Here was
a constant continuance in well-doing, a gradual progression
towards perfection ; but, in the case of Ephesus, she had left
her first love ; her first works were more than her last ; she
was hopelessly retrograding, and if she did not repent, and do
the first works so that her flickering light might be made to
burn more steadily, it would only result in the candlestick
being removed out of its place. In 2 Pet ii. 20, the Apostle
speaks of those who, having escaped the pollutions of the
world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, becoming again entangled therein and overcome
yeyovev avTol<; rd ea^ara j(eipova twv rrpwTwv, the last state is
become worse than the first. This was so as regards those
Gnostic teachers who, under pretence of being free from all
moral restraints, on account of their superior intelligence,
taught thejr followers that they were free to live as they
pleased. Better never to have known the truth than to have
perverted it. It is like taking the lamp of heaven to light
the dark regions of the lost Having once known the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can never unchristianize our
selves, — we can never divest ourselves of our responsibilities, or
think of occupying the same level as the heathen. It has
been said that every good man whom we meet with in life
adds to the sense of our responsibilities. His holy walk and
conversation are beams of light reflected from Christ, the Sun
of Righteousness, and they show us not only what we are,
but what we may hope to be. Let it then be our aim to rise

264 The Messages to the Seven Chttrches
higher and higher in the knowledge of God our Saviour ; and
He shall make us drink of the river of His pleasures; for with
Him is the fountain of Hfe, and in His light shall we see
light Ps. xxxvi. 8, 9.
Ver. 20. HXX' 'e-yw Kard aov on dcfiei<; ttjv yvvaiKa aov
le^a/SeX rj Xeyovaa Kal eavrrjv rrpoi^rjnv, Kal BiBdaKei Kai rrXava
Toix; ipoi"; BovXov<;, TTopvevaai /cat (ftayeiv eiBwXoOvra. But T
have this against thee, that thou sufferest thy wife Jezebel, who
calleth herself a prophetess ; and both teacheth and seduceth my
servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to
idols. The above reading, t^v yvvaiKa aov 'le^a/SeX, is found
in both the Alexandrine and Vatican MSS. and in many
Cursives besides. Why it was not adopted by the Revisers is
not clear, especially as, in the side note, they observe, " Many
authorities, some ancient, read, 'thy wife'." Although this
reading is not found in the Sinaitic MS. it is received and
approved by Tischendorf, in preference to the Textus Recep
tus, T-Tjv yvvaiKa, the woman. Archbishop Trench considers
the authority for the insertion of o-ou after rrjv yvvaiKa insuffi
cient ; yet here are two of the oldest MSS., many Cursives,
the Syriac Version, and several of the Fathers in favour of
it ; and Bishop Wordsworth has adopted this reading as the
correct one. (See Greek Test., Rev. ii. 20.) The verb e'a?, thou
lettest alone, is found in three old MSS., but d^el'i, thou
sufferest, is in the Alexandrine, Vatican, and Codex Ephraem
Syri. The sense, however, is unaltered, whether we adopt
the one or the other of these words. 'OXiya, a few things, is a
corruption of the text and seems to have been brought down
from ver. 14. The only point of textual criticism which the
verse under consideration involves, is as regards the pro
noun, aov, after t-^v yvvaiKa, which would necessarily limit
the latter to the Angel, or Bishop of the Church in Thyatira.
If the aov were omitted, the t^v yvvaiKa would have an inde-

of Asia Minor. 265
finite application, or at least it would be difficult to decide
whether there was then in the Church at Thyatira a woman of
the name here mentioned, or whether she was a symbolical-
Jezebel. It would be a very severe rebuke to the President of
the Church in Thyatira to have his wife called by the name
" Jezebel," if that was not her real name, since there is not in
the whole of Old Testament Scripture, a more abominable
character recorded. Facts sometimes are stranger than fic
tion, and it may have happened that the wife of the presiding
Angel, instead of being a Helpmeet, was a hindrance. Whoever
she was, she claimed to be a prophetess, and by a false spiritual
ism, to lure the people of God into the same gross sins as
those committed by the Balaamites, or Nicolaitans. Pretend
ing that libertinism and eating of idol meats were indifferent,
and overruling the authority of the Angel of the Church by an
assumed spirit of inspiration, the woman, Jezebel, was to the
Church in Thyatira what the wife of Ahab, the literal Jezebel,
was to the weak-minded king and the people of Israel. She
was the great seducer to idolatry in the later history of Israel ;
and as the worship of the Phoenician Astarte, or Venus, was
accompanied with the grossest impurity, her name became the
synonym of all that was debasing and profligate. It is hardly
allowable to regard " the woman Jezebel," of Thyatira, to be
a myth, as Dean Alford supposes, when he states that " the
woman Jezebel represents not a person, but a sect, as the femi
nine in Hebrew is often used collectively to express a multi
tude. In that sense the idea conveyed would be that a number
of false prophets were united, or formed into a sect in Thyatira,
for the express object of influencing that Church in the direc
tion of sensuaHty and idol meats, in the same way as a strong-
minded wife would exercise her power over her husband, and
that "Jezebel" is the concrete form in which this idea is
expressed. There is not the shadow of a foundation for such
a notion, for throughout the entire Epistle to the Church in

266 The Messages to the Seven Chtirches
Thyatira, a single individual is clearly kept in view ; and
there is no more reason for regarding " Jezebel " here as the
personification of a sect, than there is for doubting the historic
character of the Churches themselves. She occupies, in the
Church at Thyatira, a similar position to that of her proto
type in the Old Testament The latter was daughter of
Ethbaal, king of Zidon, who was also priest of Astarte, and
who gained for himself the throne by the assassination of his
predecessor Pheles. Rawlinson says that Jezebel was great-
aunt to Pygmalion and Dido, and this may account in some
degree for her fierce and sanguinary character, and for her
determination to establish the gods of her country in the
kingdom of Ahab.^ She was "swift to shed blood," and it
was natural to expect that, from such parentage, she could
not but be cruel and depraved. The worship of the true
God was not totally given up until Jezebel brought in her
Canaanitish gods, and cut off the Lord's prophets. To Baal
a temple was built in Samaria, and a grove was inade to
Ashtaroth. Through her influence, idolatry was everywhere,
like a plague spot, infecting and polluting the land ; and after
the memorable decision on Carmel, and the slaughter of her
priests, she was filled with terrible rage, and threatened re
prisals of the fiercest character. There are no bounds to her
fury ; and if Elijah can be discovered, soon and sudden will
her vengeance be wreaked upon his head. When women
hate, they do it thoroughly, they never do it by halves.
" Aut amat aut odit mulier, nihil est tertium."
" A woman either loves or hates, she knows no medium." ^
Her whole life was spent in promoting the worship of
her gods, and probably she herself was a priestess of the
Phoenician Aphrodite. Jehu speaks of her whoredoms and
witclicrafts (2 Kings ix. 22) ; and perhaps it is to the scene,
when, with painted face and tired head, she looked out of her
' See Pulpit Comm. in loco. - Publius Syrus, B.C. 44.

of Asia Minor. 267
palace window, for the last time, trying to lure or to lull the
avenger, that the female Antichrist of Thyatira most closely
corresponds to her elder prototype, and most keenly points
the rebuke administered to the Angel of that Church. The
" woman Jezebel," was doing the work of her historic name
sake in seducing the people of God to immorality and
idolatry ; and the Angel of Thyatira was so weak that, like
Ahab, he took no steps to prevent her, but rather encouraged
her in her sin. History often repeats itself, and human nature
was just the same in the first century as it had been a
thousand years before, with this difference, that as the light
of the gospel was diffused, men's- responsibilities became
increased. Sad must have been the influence that was at
work in Thyatira. If one had but knowledge, the "Pro
phetess " taught that there was no sin in eating things offered
in sacrifice to idols, and that the filthy conversation and
impurities of the heathen were indifferent in themselves ; and
there was no need of any Christian enduring martyrdom
rather than be guilty of these practices. Such infamous
teaching was calculated to extinguish the very name of
Christianity, when inculcated by professing Christians ; for
if those who had espoused Christ's cause were to indulge in
the practices of the heathen, what better were they than the
heathen themselves t On the contrary, they were infinitely
worse ; for, pretending to know the pure precepts and prac
tices of Christianity, they were sinning against light — their
conscience was seared as with a hot iron, and the last state
of such persons was worse than the first.
It is rather unusual to find women in the Church of God
corrupting the faith and morals of the people. They have
been, on the contrary, the first to receive the truth, and the
most devoted followers of our Lord. Indeed, no encomium
in the New Testament is equal to that which Christ pro
nounces upon her who poured the ointment on His head :

268 The Messages to the Seven Churches
"Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole
world, there shall also this that this woman hath done, be told
for a memorial of her" (Matt. xxvi. 13). Is not the woman
of Canaan extolled for the greatness of her faith, and were not
pious women last at the Saviour's cross, and earliest at His
grave ? We may therefore regard " the woman, Jezebel," as
an exception to the rule, and look upon her perverseness
and apostasy as an isolated case, where the love of pleasure,
and the friendship of the world, induced her to make ship
wreck of the faith. The censure here falls directly upon the
Angel, or Bishop of the Church, as he is charged with per
mitting Jezebel to lead astray " the Lord's servants." By the
word, BovXovi, here we are to understand the whole body of
the Church ; and while the leaven of malice and wickedness
was doing its work, there was no effort made to counteract
it Now He, "whose eyes are as a flame of fire," cannot
tolerate religious indifference. Indeed, one of the weightiest
curses pronounced upon Meroz in the time of the Judges was
for this very thing. " Curse ye Meroz, said the Angel of the
Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof ; because they
came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord
against the mighty '' (Jud. v. 23). Meroz had done nothing
amiss. It had taken no part in the struggle against the
enemies of the Theocracy — it showed that its heart was not
sound ; and by this very neutrality which it disclosed, it was
virtually guilty of apostasy.
It was so with the Angel of the Church in Thyatira.
Under his eyes there was unsound teaching, and the
members of the Church were being drawn gradually away
into heathen practices, yet there was no warning voice, no
protest raised, no effort made to stem the current which was
bearing souls to ruin. The opportunity of bearing testimony
for Christ had come and gone, and it could not be brought
back again. How earnest should we be in taking advantage

of Asia Minor. 269
of seasons of usefulness when within our reach, so that the
reproach of apathy may not fall upon us ; and that if any
wanderer, through our feeble instrumentality, may be brought
back, we may possess the joyous assurance that "he that
converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save
a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
Ver. 21. Kat eBwKa avrfj j^^povov 'iva p,eTavoi]arj' Kal ov
6eXei pieravorjaai e/c t^? TTopveia'} avrrjij. And I gave her time
that she should repent ; and she is not willing to repent of her
fornication. God is long-suffering, and slow to anger. He
wiUeth not the death of any sinner. But often the forbear
ance of God is abused, and because punishment does not
immediately come, it may be thought that it will never come.
It was so in the days before the flood ; it will be so in the
days immediately before the Second Advent. If the flood
is to destroy the earth, Noah, a preacher of righteousness, is
commissioned to warn the disobedient during one hundred
and twenty years. If Sodom and Gomorrah are to be
overthrown, Abraham intercedes, and angels are sent to bring
Lot and his family outside the doomed cities. If Nineveh is
ripe for destruction, Jonah is sent to give the alarm : " Yet
forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." And we
cannot forget that over impenitent Jerusalem, Jesus wept, and
in accents of the most inexpressible tenderness, exclaimed :
" How often would I have gathered thy children, as a hen
gathereth her brood under her wings, but ye would not ! "
When Jezebel had been given space for repentance, she
was unwilling to repent. She seemed hardened in sin — the
conscience, which had been at one time tender, was now
indurated — hard as the nether millstone, and, like the ther
mometer when frozen, would no longer give any indication
of impressions. She had first grieved the Holy Spirit, then
resisted His promptings, and now she had quenched the

270 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Spirit; and had done despite unto the Spirit of Grace.
What was now before her but a certain fearful looking for of
judgment and fiery indignation that should devour the
adversaries 1
" She was not willing to repent" How hardening is the
influence of sin ! Like Ephraim, she was joined to her idols ;
let her alone. If God saves men. He will not save them
against their wills. There is no iron law of necessity com
pelling them to be saved, whether they will it or not. There
is a possibility of receiving the grace of God in vain, of fall
ing from the most hopeful condition, if by watchfulness and
prayer we do not constantly keep our eyes on Him from
whom cometh our aid. When space is afforded for repent
ance, and no repentance comes, like the condition of the
barren fig-tree, the soul must wither and die. Every delay,
every arrest of justice mercifully vouchsafed, seems to say,
" Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, O house of Israel .' "
God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, men
unconverted, men who have lapsed from grace, men who
have received the grace of God in vain.
On this side of the grave there is always room for repent
ance. Let it not be said that an unconverted man should
not be told to repent and pray. How is the Spirit of all
grace to be obtained but by asking God for it ? (Luke
xi. 13). Was not Simon, the sorcerer, told by St Peter to
repent of his wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the
thought of his heart might be forgiven him ? (Acts viii. 22).
So also with those who have left their first love. It is quite
true that the Christian life is a warfare, and by grace we
stand ; yet this grace never destroys the perfect freedom of
man as a moral agent. St Paul was apprehensive to the last
lest, while he preached to others, he himself should become
reprobate. We know that nothing external can pluck the
soul out of Christ's hand, but we may by our wilful perversity

of Asia Minor. 271
and abuse of God's choicest gifts against Himself do what no
• outside force can effect We are not machines or automata ;
and we are therefore called upon to look diligently lest any
of us fail of the grace of God. We are to be ever watchful,
for while we may be able to say, " I know in whom I have
believed," the Christian's shield has a reverse side, on which
we may read : " Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed
lest he fall." Our profitable companion to the gate of heaven
is repentance, for if we say we have no sin we deceive our
selves. Let it never be said that they who leave out repent
ance preach the gospel. It may be the gospel of man, but it
is not the gospel of the Grace of God. It is gross Antino-
mianism, a treading under foot the Son of God, and counting
the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing (Heb. x. 29).
Let us never forget from whose lips those words came, words
of love as they are words of warning of coming danger :
" Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish '' (Luke xiii.
3). Jezebel was" not willing to repent The will is the rudder
of the soul. It either steers the ship into the wished-for
haven, or drives it on shoals and quicksands. Blessed Jesus,
thou " who holdest the helm and guidest the ship," make our
wills subservient to Thine ; so shall we be willing in the day
of Thy power, and follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.
Ver. 22. 'ISov, /3aXXw avrrjv et? KXivrjv, Kal toii? /i.ot;^euovTa?
/iCT avTTj's et? OXl^lriv pieydXrjv, idv p-rj p,eTavoijawaiv e'« tcSv
epywv avTrj^. Behold, I cast her into a bed and them that
commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they
repent of her works. Temporal sins bring temporal chastise
ments. Although, in this dispensation, temporal rewards and
punishments are not the rule in the administration of God's
providence, as it was under the Jewish economy, still we
are not to suppose that there are no temporal punishments
inflicted here, and no rewards attached to virtuous conduct.

272 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Sin and punishment are linked too closely together in this
world to permit us to ignore the connexion between cause
and effect There is sufficient evidence to warrant us in
believing that there is verily a God who judgeth the earth,
and yet we do not see that Divine administration so fully
exercised as to forbid us to look for a final adjustment of
wrongs and inequalities, as well as a perfect recognition of
weU-doing in a future state. God is pleased in His love and
mercy to chastise the sinner while He hates his sin, in order
that he may be roused to see the danger of his ways, and be
led to repentance. No chastisement is for the present joyous,
but grievous, yet afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of
righteousness in them that are exercised thereby. It was for
this object the offending Corinthian mentioned in i Cor. v. 5,
who had been excommunicated by St. Paul, was delivered
unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit
might be saved in the day of the Lord. The chastisement
was from the Lord, that he might not be condemned with
the world ; or, as Bishop Wordsworth expresses it, " God in
His mercy sends Kplpa, a judgment, in order that he may
escape KaraKpipa, condemnation'' The expression " delivered
unto Satan," implies that all physical evil is due to the
influence and agency of Satan, and that, as by excommuni
cation, all the channels through which the grace of God's
Spirit flows, are closed, the sinner is given over to the service
of the master he preferred to God. Yet it is a source of
comfort to know that God does not finally leave the offender
in that position, but being thus chastened, repentance is
awakened, in order that he should not be punished with
the world. So again we read in i Cor. xi. of those who
profaned the Supper of the Lord by partaking of it after
indulging in idol meats, and in their Agapce, feasting and
drinking to excess. St. Paul speaks of them as drinking
the cup of devils or false gods ; and for their guilty profan-

of Asia Minor. 273
ation of that Holy Sacrament, they were visited with sickness
and death. They had treated the ordinance of God irreve
rently, as common food, and in their very reception of that
Sacrament, it became the instrument of their punishment.
Nor are we here to see merely an ordinary affliction in
the case of that woman Jezebel and her adherents, but a tem
poral punishment, an immediate visitation of God, in token
of the Divine indignation against sin. In Isaiah xxviii.
19-21, we find an express statement of the visitation which
came upon the degenerate descendants of Ephraim — when it
is said : " The Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim ; He
shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do
His work. His strange work, and bring to pass His act.
His strange act." It has been remarked that crime and
punishment grow out of the same stem — that punishment
is a fruit that, unsuspected, ripens within the flower of the
pleasure that concealed it " Whatsoever a man sows, that
shall he also reap." If we have given way to the indulgence
of sense, if we have followed the bent of our unrenewed wills,
it may be expected that the seeds we have sown will produce
fruit after their kind : and though sometimes the punishment
may be long delayed, yet it is certain eventually to come.
The threatening applies not only to Jezebel, the false
prophetess, but also to her adherents. They were to be
visited with sickness, unless they would repent of her works.
Some have conjectured that the words, /SaXXw avrrjv et?
KXivrjv, K.T.X., are in allusion to Ahab (i Kings xxi.), as
lying down upon his bed, and turning away his face in
childish grief, because he could not become possessor of
Naboth's vineyard, and of Jezebel his wife coming to him,
and soothing his troubled spirit ; but there can hardly be any '
connexion between the two cases. The design of casting
the false prophetess on a bed, by which we would under
stand, a bed of sickness, as distinct from one of sinful
T

2 74 The Messages to the Seven Churches
indulgence, was in order to awaken her to a sense of her
real state, and lead her to see how fearful the evil was into
which she and her followers had fallen. She and her com
panions were to be visited with sickness, and great tribulation,
but it is added —
Ver. 23. Kat rd reKva avTrj<i drroKTevw iv Oavdrar Kai
yvwaovTai rrdaai ai iKKXrjaiai, on iyw eip,i 6 ipevvwv vecppovi
Kal KapBia^' Kal Bwaw vplv eKaarw Kara Ta epya vp,wv.
And f will kill her children with death; and all the Churches
shall know that I am He who searcheth the reins and hearts ;
and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.
There is clearly a distinction between those mentioned in
the former verse as her adherents and followers, and her
children in ver. 23. Are her children to be taken in a
figurative sense, or a literal } There is no good reason why
we should depart from the literal meaning in this instance.
Those connected with her in ver. 22, were to be cast upon
a bed of wasting and languishing sickness, to bring them, if
possible, to repentance ; but her children were to be killed
with death. She was to be left childless in the world. Just
as the child which was born to David after the death of
Uriah was removed by death as a punishment for David's sin ;
so here the children of Jezebel were to be cut off, and any joy
and pleasure which they might have brought her in after
life, of this she was to be for ever deprived. In the Old
Testament we frequently read of the children being cut off
on account of the iniquity of the parent, for example, in the
case of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin, his posterity were
swept away from the face of the earth. Of all the evils which
could befall a Jew, none was greater than the loss of posterity,
and the cutting off" a family was considered a retribution of
great severity. For Saul's slaughter of the Gibeonites, we
are told, his seven sons were hanged before the Lord (2 Sam.

of Asia Minor. 275
xxi. 8, 9). If temporal visitations do not follow now the
individual crimes committed by open transgressors of God's
law, it is not that these are less sinful, but because "judgment
to come " is more clearly revealed now than it was under the
Law ; and Christianity enjoins forbearance, and teaches us to
leave retribution to Him who has said, " Vengeance is Mine ;
I will repay."
God expressly says, He will visit the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
them that hate Him ; which implies that wicked parents may
live to see their posterity of these generations, and recognise
their own sin in the punishment of their offspring. Zedekiah,
for his sins, saw his sons and the princes of Judah slain before
his eyes (Jer. Hi. 3, 10). Even the heathen had a presenti
ment of retributive justice following the track of the wicked,
for after the fall of Carthage by the Romans under Scipio,
Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, who regarded the Car
thaginians as descendants of the Canaanites, exclaimed — " I
recognise the doom of Carthage," — feeling that the curse of
Canaan rested upon the race. Now we may consider Jezebel,
for her wickedness, punished in seeing her children perish
before her eyes, these children being the fruit of her sin,
while she herself and her adherents were cast upon a bed of
sickness, pain, and sore tribulation. While alluding to the
punishment of the godless, it may be asked. Does God
visit the sins of the parents upon the children, who may be
brought up to lead a godly life? We sometimes see God's
people deprived of their children — one by one removed from
their sight — and they themselves left behind to have their
gray hairs brought down with sorrow to the gra,ve. This
cannot be viewed as penal, although it may appear so. It
is the paternal act of Him who is our Father in heaven,
and whose purposes are now hidden. It may be to check
some rising spirit of pride, or overweening fondness, or pre-

276 The Messages to the Seven Churches
vent our attachments getting too deeply rooted in the world.
For the children, it is well with them. They are taken away
from the evil to come, they escape the corruptions of the
world, and its manifold temptations ; and they beckon us
onward and upward to follow them to their happy haven
of rest in the bosom of Christ.
Some have thought that the words, Ta reKva avTrj<;, are
to be understood of those who were deceived by Jezebel,
and that the toxj^ poixevovTa<s pier' avTrj<; of the previous verse
are to be taken as descriptive of those who were joined with
her in her confederacy of wickedness — the promoters of her
wicked teachings and corrupt practices : but it is not clear
how the less guilty should be punished with death, while
the more prominent abettors of her wickedness should only
be visited with sickness. Upon the whole, the explanation
which regards " the children " as the literal offspring of
Jezebel has more to commend it than any metaphorical
interpretation, especially as such retributive justice might
naturally be expected, from the wicked and abandoned life of
that woman (or rrjv yvvaiKa aov) Jezebel.
Kal yvwaovTai rrdaai ai iKKXrjaiai, k.t.X., and all the
Churches shall know that I am He who searcheth the reins and
hearts. The attribute of searching the reins and hearts — the
one the seat of lusts, the other of the affections — belongs to
God. Christ here claims it as His prerogative ; therefore,
there is here a direct proof of Christ's Divinity. The
mode in which all the Churches should know that Christ was
Divine was by the exercise of judicial authority and penal
discipline not only in regard to that woman Jezebel, but all
those connected with her. If the Church at Thyatira had
fully recognised Christ's Divine authority, it would have been
likely to ponder before it r^n into such a course of profli
gacy. Many of the evils which existed in that Church might
have escaped detection by the eyes of men ; but there is

of Asia Minor. 277
One " unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and
from whom no secrets are hid," who will come, at times,
" with a rod," who will both " bring to light the hidden
things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of
the hearts," and expose and call to repentance those who
are living in error themselves, or causing others to follow
their pernicious ways. When He inflicts chastisement on
those who continue to go on still in their wickedness, then
shall all the Churches acknowledge that He is Omniscient,
that He needs not that any should testify of man, for He
knows what is in man. The sins of men, though they may
seem to pass for a time unpunished, shall not escape His
righteous judgment, but will frequently bring upon those who
commit them, swift destruction- Not only the Church at
Thyatira, but all the Churches, s'hould be possessed of this
evidence of Christ's Divine character. The leaven of wicked
ness which was working at Thyatira had been spreading
abroad. Its effects were felt throughout Asia Minor — in
deed we have noticed that, at both Pergamum and Ephesus,
the germs of Antlnomianism were already being developed.
Under the pretence of knowledge (7z/wo-t?) and liberty (iXev-
Oepia), men were practising the most impure deeds. They
professed to understand all mysteries, and by their high
sounding pretensions they led astray the unwary ; but Christ,
by visiting them in punishment, would show to the Church
at large, whether the pretended mysteries of the Gnostics,
or the power of the Divine Saviour should be the more
worthy of their regard. He would show them that He only
knows the hearts of the children of men, and can turn them
as He does the rivers of water whithersoever He wills. It
is always a sign of decay where Churches are tolerant of
evil — while they permit it to continue in their midst, and do
not reprove it. Very often it is with Churches in this respect
as with individuals, who say. Am I my brother's keeper }

278 The Messages to the Seven Churches
What have I to do with the conduct of others — to their own
Master they stand or fall .' This is a mistaken view, for are
we not members one of another "i The Church is constituted
as a family ; and surely no parent would permit one of his
children to go astray, and lead others in the downward path,
without reproving him. Christ's title in this passage, " the
Searcher of hearts and reins," is put in contrast to the as
sumptions of those who, in ver. 24, are spoken of as con
versant with the depths of Satan. They professed to know
secret mysteries, and by this pretended knowledge, they
beguiled unstable souls to their ruin. Christ here expresses
His own Omniscience, as knowing alike the secret heart of
man and the hidden purposes of God, and that not merely
by the exercise of observation of events occurring around
Him, but by "knowing in Himself," by "perceiving in His
Spirit," the thoughts, motives, volitions which were being
formed within, and were afterwards to become developed in
actions. The sin of the transgressors was certain to find
them out — what they were sowing would undoubtedly be
reproduced in a harvest of evil, and all the Churches would
have evidence that, while He was full of tenderness and
compassion to the weakest member of His Church, He would
in no wise clear the guilty.
Kal Bwaw vplv eKdarw, k.t.X., and f will give unto each one of
you according to your works. He here reproves the false pro
phetess and other teachers of Thyatira who had been relying
solely on a profession as sufficient ; who had the yvwai'^, and
taught that it made no matter as to the Hfe. They were
heretical in doctrine and licentious in their lives. They
taught that "they who believed in Christ were free to live
as they pleased, that men would be saved by His grace and
not according to their works, and that nothing is good by
nature, but only by institution."^ Some of these Antinomian
' Iren., i. 20. ; Euseb., ii. 13.

of Asia Minor. 2 79
teachers affirmed that they were perfect ; that no one, not
even St Paul, or St Peter, could soar to the heights of their
knowledge, and that they were above all power, and were
free to do all things on account of their emancipation from
thraldom, and could not be apprehended or even observed
by the Divine Judge.^ Good works they do not seem to
have taken into their reckoning. Make a profession, get
knowledge; and libertinism, if you are only adepts in this
yvwaif, may enter into your religious system ! No wonder
that, under such teaching as this, the Searcher of the reins
and hearts would say — " I will give to each of you according
to your work." Works are not meritorious before God. By
doing them they neither entitle us to receive grace, nor do
they procure our acceptance before God. If we make them
the foundation of our hope, they become not only worse than
useless, but positively injurious. " They are," says an able
writer, " the offerings which guilt makes under the pressure
of fear to the God whom the conscience dislikes, because of
His holiness." ^ But while in the wrong place they are inju
rious, in the life of a Christian they are necessary. They are
the fruits of faith, and spring necessarily from it ; and when
they thus spring from the life of the soul, they are both
pleasing to God and profitable to men. It is absolutely
sinful to keep works in the background in connexion with
the Christian life, for those who are created anew in Christ
Jesus are created unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them.
There is a rule of recompense laid down here from which
we learn that, though we are not saved by our works, we
shall be judged according to our works — that the measure of
the reward, and of the retribution, shall depend upon what
our works have been. While the Christian loves the truth
' Iren., i. 13, quoted by Wordsworth.
^ Arnot, Laws of Heaven, etc.

28o The Messages to the Seven Churches
for the truth's sake, and the service of his Master in heaven
for the sake of that perfect moral Being whose he is, and
whom he serves, he shall have his reward in the approval of
God, and in the lasting communion he shall enjoy with Christ
and the blessed saints in heaven. But there is another side
to this : the wicked, the godless, and profane — they too shall
have the requital of their evil deeds. The object thfey have
kept in view they shall reach, and they shall therefore have
it altogether. What they have laboured for, toiled for, paid
for, they shall have ; but it will be only a fading and fleet
ing thing at best. Whatever object men seek apart from
God can never give them satisfaction. " Thou wilt keep him
in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he
trusteth in Thee." The work that springs from an impure
or selfish motive will only be disowned by Him who is of
purer eyes than to behold iniquity. If the motive which in
spires it be unworthy, it will be like the dead fly which causes
the most precious unguent to give forth an ill savour. Let
the tree be good, and the fruit will be good. Whatever is
not of faith is sin : and no matter what may be the pretexts
or outward appearance, if actions do not proceed from a
regenerate and renewed heart, they are, in the sight of the
Searcher of hearts, of no value, but, like counterfeit coin,
which, though possessing the image of Caesar and superscrip
tion, is intrinsically worthless. What are we doing for God,
for Christ, for the Church, for the souls of men "> The rule
of the judgment will be Matt xxv., " Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have
done it unto Me."
Ver. 24. T/tiv Be Xe7w TOt? XotTrot? Tot? iv OvaTeipoi^, oaoi
OVK 'i'xpvai, rrjv BiBa-)(rjv ravrrjv, otrtve? ovk eyvwaav rd ^a6ea
TOV Xaravd, tu? Xeyovaiv, Ov /3aXXft) e'^' vpd^ dXXo ^dpa.
But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many

of Asia Minor. 281
as have not this teaching, who did not know the depths of
Satan, as they say ; T cast not upon you any other burden.
Although in the Church at Thyatira, many had been led
into error, and been deceived by false teachers, yet there
were some, at least, who had remained faithful, and to them
there are words of encouragement and approval addressed.
The seeds of Gnosticism were sown in the Apostolic age,
and they had been germinating and maturing towards a
harvest of evil, at the end of the first century, when St. John
wrote. These Gnostic teachers, to whom the Apostle refers
as having boasted that they knew the deep things of God,
were claiming superior wisdom to others. The depths they
were desirous to fathom were on the subject of evil — rroQev fj
KaKia ; whence did it come .' How account for its existence ?
If God evolved the world out of nothing, it must have been
perfectly good, and evil could find no place in it There
must have been some opposing influence or principle ; hence
dualism, by which they understood all good to exist in God,
arid all evil in matter.
God could not come into contact with matter, except by
self-limitation, and when He would manifest Himself, he
must only do so by a series of successive emanations, which
become feebler on each occasion, until at length He is
brought in contact with matter, and creation follows.^ There
is then a constant warfare between matter and spirit, and
one of "the depths" is to know how to keep the higher
nature pure, while brought into close connexion with matter.
Keep the material part of man in subjection, practise austeri
ties of the severest kind, and if the material frame is wasted,
the spiritual part of man will rise to its true and proper level.
But this does not satisfy, as it only affords a palliation
for the evil it affects to cure. The Gnostics alluded to in
' See Bishop Lightfoot, on Coloss. Heresy, p. 76.

282 The Messages to the Seven Churches
the address to the Church in Thyatira adopted a different
principle. They had no recourse to asceticism. They would
have no mortification of the flesh. They would courageously
enter the kingdom of Satan, and they would show utter
indifference and contempt for worldly things by following
their impulses unconstrained. What, say they, have we to
do with matter } we may use it or not, as we think fit It
is no great exercise of self-denial to be superior to pleasure
by avoiding it, but the triumph is to enter the domain of
evil, to give way to every corrupt passion, to let the body
indulge in every vice, and yet preserve the spirit pure and
undefiled. This is to know "the depths," to be fully in
formed of Satan's devices, and to conquer Satan with his
own weapons — to continue in sin that grace may abound !
But so far from Satan being conquered, the more they knew
and had experience of his devices, the more strongly did
they rivet the chains which bound themselves to him, and
the more effectually did they become the slaves of corruption.
They had fathomed the depths of wickedness, and how could
they pretend to be pure .¦' It was not the " deep things of
God " they knew, but those of Satan.
We read of the synagogue of Satan in the address to the
Church at Smyrna ; the place where Satan has his seat in the
Message to the Church at Pergamum ; but here the Gnostic
libertines are spoken of as knowing the depths of Satan. " Let
us do evil that good may come," seems to be the spring of
their actions ; and the greater the depth of evil that they
reached the higher their claim to perfection. But there was
amongst this godless community, a remnant according to the
election of grace. As in the time of Israel's most marked
corruption, there were seven thousand who had not bowed the
knee to Baal, nor kissed the hand to him, so there were not a
few who kept their garments clean, and protested against the
fearful depravity of these followers of Satan. They had not

of Asia Minor. 28

o

got any insight into the working of this Satanic delusion,
which applauded knowledge, but ignored holiness ; they seem
to have turned a deaf ear to its erroneous teaching, and now
our Lord addresses Himself to them. As regards them. He
says, " I cast not upon you any other burden." Any other
burden than what ? Was it the burden of sorrow they were
enduring on account of the perversity and malignity of these
men among whom their lot was cast? Or rather was it
the burden, if such a term can be used to designate it, of
Christ's easy yoke, and their maintaining a firm profession
of the faith once delivered to the saints, in the face of that
open, reckless impiety which prevailed ? They did not know
these so-called depths as the followers of Jezebel had known
them — they did not know them to be depths of Satan at all
— they had no experience of them — they had, in the abound
ing iniquity, kept themselves pure, and looked upon the errors
of the age with grief and sorrow, while they had no power
to correct them ; and in standing aloof from these wicked
teachers who were, under the pretext of a false freedom,
the very slaves of corruption, they had, in some degree, been
witnessing for Christ On them the loving Saviour would
lay no other burden than that of protesting against evil, and
keeping themselves undefiled.
The word rendered burden is /3dpo<;, not ^opriov, the one
meaning an oppressive burden which may be dispensed with
as occasion requires, the other, a load which each one is ex
pected to carry. Christ says. You are called upon to bear a
burden ; and, however difficult to endure, you are not to have
it removed, but, on the contrary, in sustaining it you are to
consider yourselves favoured and fortunate. In this sense,
the word, ^dpo<s, occurs in Acts xv. 28, 29, where abstinence
from these very sins of which the followers of Jezebel had been
guilty is spoken of as a /Sapo? — " It seemed good to the Holy
Ghost and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these

284 The Messages to the Seven Churches
necessary things ; " and, in all likelihood, our blessed Lord
had the decree of the Council of Jerusalem in view, when
He spoke of putting on the faithful in Thyatira no other
burden. The words which precede, " I cast upon you no
other burden," w? Xeyovaiv (as they say), are construed by
some as referring to the Christians of Thyatira themselves
in their testimony against the followers of Jezebel ; but they
would appear to be more appropriately applied to the evil
workers in the Church, who professed to fathom the depths
Satanic. " But I say unto you," in the first clause of the
sentence, would require, " as you say," in the latter part of
the verse, if the words referred to what was spoken by
" the rest in Thyatira," in contradistinction from the Gnostic
libertines, who pretended to sound the deep things of God,
which the Spirit had revealed to them. These devotees of
Jezebel gloried in their shame, and boasted that they could
indulge in all the lusts of the flesh, and maintain their
spiritual nature perfectly pure, that they could enter the
domain of Satan and despoil the strong man armed, of his
armour, but after a peculiar fashion, by assuming the char
acter of Satan, and then fighting against him, which looks
very like what may be understood as Satan reproving sin !
The vaunted knowledge of these false teachers was such that
they pretended to instruct their votaries in " depths " that
Apostles knew nothing of, that human plummet could not
fathom, for even the lake of fire they pretended they could
sound, and some of them considered they could receive no
injury from worshipping the devil himself! (See authors
quoted by Wordsworth in Greek Testament, vol. iii. p. 178.)
Ver. 25. UXfjv o ex^re, Kparrjaare dxpi's ov dv rj^w. But
that which ye have, hold fast till I come. They are to hold
fast the form of sound words which they have already re
ceived, permitting no one to rob them of it. They are to

of Asia Minor. 285
keep the faith pure and undefiled, and earnestly contend for
it, not allowing anything to be added to or taken from what
has been once delivered to the saints. They are to be
witnesses for the truth, and in bearing their testimony they
are not to shrink from the difficulties and dangers which may
come across their path. When the Lord shall come they
shall be recognised by Him as His faithful servants, and as
they have been faithful in a few things they shall become
rulers over many things. Some have thought that our Lord
here refers to the burden of which He had been speaking, and
which the Church at Thyatira — at least the portion of it that
did not know the depths of Satan — was called upon to bear ;
but this would be to prolong the existence of the Church at
Thyatira to Christ's coming, and to imply that these two
features of Gnostic heresy which had been disfiguring the
Church — namely idol meats and libertinism — were to be
the direct marks of apostasy against which the faithful were
to protest until that event. To warrant this exposition, the
latter clause of ver. 24 is added to ver. 25, by which the
passage is made to read : " / will put upon you none other
burden, but that which ye have already ; hold fast till I come''
The semicolon, however, after the word " already," separates
the words, " hold fast till I come," from what goes before,
and would necessarily require us to insert some word to com
plete the sentence. What were the faithful to hold fast t
They might bear a burden, but there is no sense in which
they could hold it fast The holding fast must therefore be
the maintenance of sound doctrine and of a holy life. The
gift of grace which Christ had bestowed upon them, the faith
of the gospel, the witnessing a good confession, a Hfe hid
with Christ in God, in opposition to a life of sin — these were
to be maintained and held firmly to the end. Just as at the
Council of Jerusalem the Apostles enjoined upon the early
Christians the necessity of abstaining from certain things

286 The Messages to the Seven Churches
which had been in themselves detrimental to the well-being
and safety of the Church (Acts xv. 28), so here the same
injunction is given ; but in addition to the negative abstain
ing from self-indulgence, there is also the positive precept to
"hold fast that which ye have." A like precept is given
to the Church at Philadelphia (Rev. iii. 11). There is no
restraint put upon Christian liberty more than the gospel
enjoins. It is only when that liberty becomes a cloak of
maliciousness that it must be kept in proper limits, for free
will, under such circumstances, becomes the slave of every
corrupt passion, every sinful desire, and every base and
wicked deed. Hold fast, ye faithful in Thyatira, like the
tempest-tossed voyager to the ship. Cling to the Crucified
One amid all the storms of life. Let hope in Him be the
anchor of your souls ; then earthly cares and crosses may come,
but they will vanish like foam on the crested wave ; and
having Christ in you the hope of glory, you can be assured of
the truth of the declaration that " all things are yours"
(I Cor. iii. 22).
Ver. 26. Kat o vikwv, /cat o rrjpwv d^pi TeXovi; rd epya pov,
Bwaw avTw i^ovaiav iTrl twi/ iOvwv, And he that overcometh,
and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will / give
authority over the nations. The promise is here made to the
victor in the battle of life, and especially to him who would
steadfastly resist the seductions of Jezebel. The works alluded
to and spoken of as " My works," are put in opposition to the
works of darkness, or those Satanic depths which the Gnostic
teachers had been shamelessly glorying in. Works, which
spring from faith and love, and which are the expression of
willing obedience and service to Christ, seem to be implied, and
according to these will the reward be bestowed ; for although
we are not saved by our works, we shall be judged according
to them. There is a connexion observed between the works

of Asia Minor. 287
and the reward. The temptation presented to the Church at
Thyatira was to heathen practices. The danger the faithful
had to guard against was their being drawn into the depths of
Satan. They had perhaps a want of firmness and determina
tion to openly avow themselves followers of Christ ; hence
the promise addressed to those who would be faithful to
the end — not merely to him who would begin to run well, but
to him who would patiently endure to the end. It is not
sufficient to put on Christ's armour ; we must be His faithful
soldiers and servants unto our life's end.
The promise is only to the persevering, earnest, and valiant
soldiers of the Cross, who were uninfluenced by the fear of
man, and who were not ashamed to confess the faith of Christ
crucified. To them should be given power over the nations.
There is an allusion here to Ps. ii. As in that Psalm Christ's
victory over the nations is spoken of; so here that of His
people in virtue of their union to Him is assured ; as He, the
King set upon the holy hill of Zion, should reign until all
enemies were placed under His feet, so should His people
share the honour and victory with Him. The kingdom of
Christ had been wrongly interpreted by the Gnostic heretics
as a reign of sin and sensuality ; but those who were now
subjects of the true kingdom of Christ, which consisted not in
meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost, would ultimately, when Christ should return to
establish His kingdom upon earth, have true power over the
nations, as enjoying Christ's dignity, and becoming partners
with Him in His crown.
Ver. 27. Kat Troip,avel aiiTov<; e'c pd/3Sw aiBrjpa' tu? rd aKeiirj
rd Kepap,iKd avvrpi^erai, w? Kayw e'lXrj^a irapa tov Uarpo's
piov. And He shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels
of a potter are broken to shivers ; even as I have received
of My Fatlier. The nations that would continue hostile He

288 The Messages to the Seven Churches
should rule with a rod of iron. The word " rule" is rroipiaveh,
in the Septuagint in Ps. ii. ; in the Hebrew it is " break,"
and the latter part of Ps. ii. 9 would indicate that this was
the idea of the Psalmist ; but there may be a double allusion,
that of breaking in pieces, and pasturing, or shepherding,
descriptive of judgment meted out to the adversaries of
Christ, and love and tenderness to those who would be
prepared to hail Him as their king. But the shepherding
here is the result of that i^ovaia, that lawful dominion with
which Christ would invest His faithful followers ; and in
this dignity and honour which His saints should possess
would be seen their complete triumph over the heathen,
whether open persecutors, or false teachers, such as Jezebel,
who would undermine, and lead astray, Christ's followers.
The power with which His people should be invested would
be no usurped power, Bvvapiv, such as the votaries of heathen
superstition exercised ; it would be, on the contrary, the
power which cometh from Christ, who has all power in
heaven and earth. Over His own, Christ will, through His
authority delegated to His saints, have a gentle and loving
rule, but the crook of the shepherd will become a rod of
iron in Christ's hands to dash to pieces His enemies.
Archbp. Trench considers the threat for the nations is one
of love, and that Christ shall rule them with a rod of iron, so
as to make them capable of being ruled with a sceptre of
gold — that the ruling here is disciplinary, or remedial, not
punitive. It may be so ; but we cannot doubt that when
Christ shall come, judgment shall be meted out to His ene
mies, as well as mercy to His faithful followers and friends
(2 Thess. i. 8, 9 ; 2 Pet n. 9 ; Jude 13, 15).
to? Kdyw e'iXrjipa Trapd tov Harpo'; pov, even as T have re
ceived of My Father. Immediately before Christ's ascension.
He declared, " AH power is given unto Me in heaven and in
earth" (Matt xxviii. 18). By that we understand all media-

of Asia Minor. 289
torial power. As God He is absolutely Omnipotent ; but in
His character of Godman, as the reward of His sufferings and
deep humiliation, God hath highly exalted Him to the throne
of the universe, from thenceforth expecting until His enemies
be made His footstool. He is now seated on His Father's
throne, and will continue to exercise Mediatorial power until
all His people for whom He travailed in soul shall be
gathered in ; afterwards this kingdom shall be delivered up to
His Father, and He shall then assume the crown of all the
earth, and be recognised as King of kings and Lord of lords.
" I appoint unto you," He says, speaking to His disciples, " a
kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me" (Luke
xxii. 29). At Christ's resurrection His royalty began ; then
it was the promise had its fulfilment, " I will give thee the
heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession." Then we see fully realized what
had long been shadowed in symbol, " I have set My king
upon My holy hill of Zion." He who was arraigned before
the bar of Pilate, taunted with being a king, and crowned
with thorns, is now exalted with great triumph in the
heavens, and because He is thus honoured, such honour shall
be the privilege of all the saints. " Know ye not," says St.
Paul, "that the saints shall judge the world ? " (i Cor. vi. 2).
Only at Christ's Second Advent shall the saints possess the
kingdom (Dan. vii. 18, 27). Of the wicked it is said, " Like
sheep they are laid in the grave, death shall feed on them,
and the upright shall have dominion over them in the
morning." Christ has a triple crown ; He has it by right
of creation ; He has it by conquest ; and He has it also by
inheritance. All earthly rule is but the shadow of His
throne, and all earthly crowns borrow their dignity and lustre
from Him. Satan claimed power not only to hold, but dis
tribute the kingdoms of the world according to his will, while
he had not one foot of earth to bestow ; but God has given
U

290 The Messages to the Seven Churches
to Christ i^ovaiav, lawful authority, to rule over the kingdoms
of this worid, and ultimately to make them the kingdoms of
the Lord and of His Christ.
Ver. 28. Kat Bwaw avrw tov darepa tov Trpwivov, and I
will give him the morning star. What is meant by this .'
Does it simply mean, I will give unto him Myself, who am
the Morning Star.? (Rev. xxii. 16).
We must look for the meaning of this promise as some
thing more than a mere intimation that to him who should be
found faithful Christ would give Himself, for even now Christ
dwells in the hearts of His people (John xiv. 23 ; xvii. 23 ;
Col. i. 27). The promise is yet future, just as that of the
context respecting the power over the nations is future, and
it relates to some privilege to be enjoyed in Christ's kingdom.
The morning star is not that which gives us the light of day ;
it is only the harbinger of day ; and, in this view, the words
might mean. To him that overcometh will I give a share in
My kingdom at its first manifestation. The star is always
symbolical of royalty, and the morning star may denote the
royalties of Christ which would be shared with, and imparted
to those who had been faithful to Him amid the darkness of
surrounding error, and had borne witness to the truth, and
upheld the honour of His name. If there is any reference to
local circumstances — and it is probable that in all the pro
mises attached to the faithful in the different Churches, there
was some contrast presented which more than compensated
for the worldly advantages and enjoyments offered to the false
professors — the contrast may be to the Sun god. Thyatira
was the city of Apollo, the heathen deity who represented the
sun, and whose head was surrounded with a crown of rays,
emitting a dazzling light ; and it was an appropriate and
intelligible promise which the followers of Christ were cheered
with— that Christ, who calls Himself the " Morning Star,"

of Asia Minor. 291
should give to them a better than Hesperus, or Phosphorus,
a star that should not set, but shine on for ever, filling the
New Jerusalem with its light, and the Universe with its
glory. In the beautiful words of Bishop Wordsworth, whose note
on this promise is here quoted — " ' And I will give unto him
the morning star,' which puts to flight the night and ushers
in the dawn ; an emblem of the victory of Light over dark
ness, and of the triumph of the children of light over those
false teachers who are like wandering stars, to whom is
reserved the blackness of darkness for ever (Jude 13), and
therefore a fit emblem of Him who is the Dayspring from
on high (Luke i. 78), and brings life and immortality to light,
and whose appearance at the last day will be like the morning
star of eternity, ushering in that glorious day which has no
evening (Rev. xxii. 16) ; and who will grant to His faithful
servants to shine like the stars for ever (Dan. xiii. 3)."

V.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS.

Kei/). y .
I Koi ry dyylkip ttjs iv Xapdeaiv iKKXTjalas ypdij/ov liSe Xiyei b ^x'-'" ''^ ^"'''oi
TrKeiJ/iora tov SeoC, Koi Tois JirTd daTipas' Oldd aov Td ^pya, Sti 6vop.a Ix^'S S'"'
(^s, Koi veKpbs eX.
2 Tlvov ypTiyopuv, Kal aT-qpurov t& Xoiird & lp,eXXov diroBaveXv oi ydp eSpiiKa
aov Td ^pya ireirXT}pup,ivd ivuircov tov Qeov p,ov.
3 MvTjpbveve oiv irus efXi;0as Kai -IJKOvaas, Kai T-fjpei Kal pLeTavbrjaov. ''Edv oiv
p-l] ypT}yopTja-rjs, -Ij^u iTi ai lbs KXiiTTijs, Kai oi pij yi'^'^ iroiav djpav f/|w ^Tri ai.
4 'AXXa ?x^^' 6X^70 6v6p,aTa iv ^dpSeaiv, 8, oiK i/ioXvvav Td ipAna aiTuv,
Kai irepiiraT^aovai p,eT ip,ov iv XevKoXs, 3rt d^iol elaiv.
5 '0 viKuv, oSros irepi^aXeiTai iv IpuTlois XevKoXs' Kai oi p,T] i^aXel\j/u Tb tvop,a
airrov iK r^s pi^Xov T-rjs foils' Kal bp,oXoy-^au Tb 6vop,a airrov ivdnriov tov JlaTpos
p,ov, Kal ivtbinov tuv d-y^iXuv airov.
6 '0 ^uv o5s, dKovaaTu tI Tb Uvevpia Xe7et rots iKKKijalais.
I And to the angel of the church in Sardis write : These things saith he
that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars ; I know thy works, that
thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.
2 Be watchful, and stablish the things that remain, which were ready to die :
for I have not found thy works fulfilled before my God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear, and hold fast
and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief,
and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis, which did not defile their garments ;
and they shall walk -with me in white : for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment ; and I will
in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name
before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

294

V.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS.
Chap. iii. 1-7.
Kat TW dyyeXw ttj? ev ^dpBeatv iKKXrjaiai; ypd-\^ov TdBe
X67et o e^wi/ Ta errrd irvevpiaTa tov Qeov, Kal Toi/'i errrd
daTepa<;' OlBd aov Td epya, OTi 6vop,a e^et? OTt 5s?) **'
veKpix; et. And to the angel of the Church in Sardis write:
These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and
the seven stars ; T know thy works, that thou hast a name
that thou livest, and thou art dead.
Sardis was the ancient capital of the kings of Lydia. It
was situate at the foot of Mount Tmolus, on the banks of the
famous Pactolus, whose waters we are told deposited golden
sands, which attracted, in days long passed away, many a
foreigner, and were said to be the source of the wealth of
Croesus. Its present name is Sart, a miserable village con
taining a few hovels, standing in an unhealthy desert, which is
the only remnant of the perished splendour of the illustrious
city of the kings. Long before the foundations of ancient
Rome were laid, was Sardis a royal city. Its first historic
king was Candaules, B.C. 716, and its last was Croesus.
It was taken by storm, B.C. 546, by Cyrus, one of whose
soldiers, seeing a Lydian descend by steps cut in the steep
rock on which the citadel stood, entered by that way, leading
the Persians into the Acropolis.
It was on that occasion that Croesus was taken prisoner
and loaded with fetters, and sentenced by Cyrus to be burnt
395

296 The Messages to the Seven Churches
alive. Croesus had taken the opportunity at some previous
time to show Solon, the Athenian philosopher, his treasures,
and, vaingloriously proud of his riches, asked him. Who
did he think was the happiest of men.? The philosopher
spoke of one who, happy in his family, yet of humble
position, had fallen for his country in the moment of
victory. He next spoke of two dutiful sons who, , after
winning the prize in the public games, had drawn their
mother to the temple, and there died with their honours
fresh upon them. Croesus was quite disappointed at not
being told that a man possessing such wealth must be the
happiest of men ; but instead of that, Solon warned him of all
the changes of fortune that might come this side the grave,
and added, " Call no man happy until his death." When
the fire that, by the mandate of Cyrus, was to consume
Croesus, was being kindled, he cried loudly three times, " O
Solon ! Solon ! " Cyrus having inquired the meaning of this
exclamation, and being told the story of the warning Crcesus
had received from the philosopher, and probably feeling that
it was possible that some change of fickle fortune might
befall himself, ordered the flames to be extinguished, and had
the captive brought before him, who made his submission to
Cyrus, and afterwards became his faithful friend and follower.
Sardis was in the zenith of its splendour in the time of
Crcesus. Its trade and commerce far surpassed those of any
of the neighbouring kingdoms, for the kings of Lydia had
made it the centre of trade in wool and woollen fabrics ; it
was famous also for its bronze (electrum), and it was here the
art of dyeing, for which Thyatira was remarkable, was first
invented. When the city fell into the hands of Cyrus, he
added to it, and made it the seat of the Governor of Asia
Minor. In the reign of Darius it was burnt accidentally by
the lonians, which act so incensed the Persians that it led
to the invasion of Greece, first by Darius, and afterwards by

of Asia Minor. 297
Xerxes, his successor, who made Sardis his headquarters,
before he began his disastrous march on Greece. Although
the Persian power was overthrown in Greece, Sardis never
regained its independence until the time of Alexander the
Great, who invaded Asia B.C. 334, and defeated 600,000 Per
sians under Darius, by 30,000 Macedonians. Sardis opened
its gates to Alexander, who gave back to its inhabitants
their Greek laws, built a temple to Jupiter Olympus, and
restored the city to its early prestige and splendour. For a
lengthened period it remained united to Greece, until the
time of Antiochus, King of Syria, by whose army it was in
vested, and after a siege of more than a year, taken by storm.
After Antiochus had been defeated by Scipio, Sardis
passed into the hands of the Romans. In the reign of
Tiberius it was destroyed by an earthquake, but, by order
of the Emperor, it was again built and brought back to its
ancient glory.^
Sardis is not mentioned in the New Testament except
here. We have, therefore, no ecclesiastical record respecting
the founding of a Christian Church in that city. That there
was one when St. John wrote is clear, and that whatever it
had been at a previous time, it was then in a state of spiritual
decay, well nigh bordering upon extinction. It is not open
persecution that is complained of, nor is it heresy in faith ;
it is the keeping up the name of religion, while the life, the
spirit and power, are gone. " She glories in being alive,"
says Ebrard, " but is dead, because the truth which she once
embraced with subjective heartfelt zeal is now regarded only
as an objective treasure for the head ; because an awakened
Christianity is wanting in her, she makes only masses of
Christians." It is therefore apposite that the Head of the
Church should address her as "He that hath the seven Spirits
of God, and the seven stars."
1 See Tristram's Seven Golden Candlesticks, pp. 93-98.

298 The Messages to the Seven Churches
The Church needed spiritual life, and the Holy Spirit is
the " Giver of Life," and the bestowal of the Spirit is in the
hands of Christ This procession of the Holy Ghost from
both Father and Son, which the Eastern Church will not
admit, is here undoubtedly implied. It is the Holy Ghost
in His sevenfold plenitude and power, whose office it is to
impart spiritual life ; but the gift of the Spirit is Christ's. " If
I depart," says our blessed Lord, "I wiU send Him unto you"
(John xvi. 7). " When the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father . . . He shall testify of
Me " (John xv. 26). Christ may, therefore, be here said to
have the seven spirits of God. In the days of His flesh the
Holy Spirit was given to Him without measure ; now He
is the giver of that Spirit to quicken His Church. He
will not go back to those days of His humanity and say —
" The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because He hath
anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek " (Isa.
Ixi. i). He is now the Possessor of that Spirit, and He can
bestow it to quicken whom He will. He has "the seven
stars " also — who are the Angels of the seven Churches —
those who minister in holy things, the instruments for which
the sevenfold influence of the Spirit is needed. Whatever
life there is in the Christian ministry must come from the
possession of that Spirit, just as each planet has no inherent
light, but receives its light from the sun, the great centre
of the system. And if there is an absence of that Spirit's
power, there is not only danger of loss to the Church, but
personal danger of wandering away from the true centre.
Like the lamps of the sanctuary which were fed with the
oil that flowed through the golden pipes, if the ministry
is to be successful, the grace of the Spirit must be sought
for and obtained. It is comforting to those who are but
" earthen vessels," to know that the Spirit's fulness, and the
instruments into which that fulness is imparted, are in the

of Asia Minor. 299
hands of Christ. And to that Church in which there was
but a faint spark of life still lingering, that was no better
than "smoking flax," these words with which the Head of
the Church addresses it, must have conveyed a welcome note
of encouragement, considering the languid condition of the
Angel, and the spiritual feebleness which characterized those
who were under his charge.
What was the cause of this moribund state of the Church
in Sardis? The people of Sardis were idolaters — they
worshipped the mother goddess, Cybele. The fragments of
the temple that was erected to her honour still remain, and
there are two stately columns, with Ionic capitals, which
are fully 60 feet high and about 6\ feet in diameter, whose
bases are deeply imbedded in the rubbish that has fallen
down from the citadel. Her worship was of the most
debasing character, and orgies like those of Dionysos were
practised at the festivals held in her honour. Sins of the
foulest and darkest impurity were committed on those
occasions ; and when we think of a small community of
Christians rescued from such abominable idolatry, living
in the midst of scenes of the grossest depravity, with early
associations, and companionships, and connexions, all exert
ing a force in the direction of heathenism, it may be
wondered that the few members of the Church in Sardis
were not drawn away altogether, and swallowed up in the
great vortex.
Then again, Sardis has been alluded to as a city of great
wealth and magnificence. Worldliness may have put forth
a power, even greater than heathen superstition, to make the
Church lethargic. Like the vampire, which, by the gentle
agitation of its wings, lulls its victim to sleep, while in the
meantime it is extracting the very Hfe blood, so material
prosperity was exercising a marked influence in producing
spiritual torpor, and making men forget God. The Church

300 The Messages to the Seven Churches
which had begun in the Spirit, now seems to have been
ending ingloriously in the flesh ; the body was there, but it
was ghastly pale, for the spirit had all but fled.
" Demas hath forsaken me,'' said St Paul, " having loved
this present evil world." See that young man coming to
Christ in seeming earnestness, and asking the most important
question which could concern an immortal spirit — "What
good thing shall I do, that I may inherit eternal life .' " When
told to part with the engrossing love of mammon, the most
crooked of all the spirits that fell, he went away sorrowful,
for he had great possessions. He bartered his immortal soul
for the love of gain ; he crossed the Saviour's path once for
all, and passed away into the gloom of night. Like some
stately vessel outward bound, with sails set and favouring
breeze, for the moment he was hopeful of reaching his wished-
for haven, but the giddy whirlpool of worldliness soon ab
sorbed his soul, and he perished miserably in its depths.
And from the statement in ver. i, respecting the Church
in Sardis, it would seem as if it had a high reputation, as if
it stood well in the view of other Churches ; " Thou hast a
name." What is the use of a name } We may deceive the
eye of man, but there is One unto whom all hearts are open,
and from whose scrutiny nothing is hid — Him we cannot
deceive. "We be Abraham's children, and were never in
bondage to any man," was the boastful self-confidence of the
Jews, at the very time they were groaning under Caesar's
yoke, and the spiritual bondage of a debased and hypocritical
priesthood. The Church in Sardis clung on to the withered
branches of a tree which had no root, and was sheltering
itself under the shadow of past attainments. There was no
public testimony borne to the truth ; nor do we find the
" steadfast few " contending earnestly for the faith, in oppo
sition to false teachers, as was the case in other Churches.
There was a quiet self-complacency, which allowed every-

of Asia Minor. 301
thing most valuable and praiseworthy to drift like sea-weed
on the bosom of the tide. Now moral indifference is not far
removed from open apostasy, and some of the heaviest cen
sures recorded in Scripture are directed against that calm
easy neutrality, which will put no difference between the man
that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not. " Curse
ye Meroz," said the Angel of the Lord, " Curse ye bitterly
the inhabitants thereof." Why ? What has Meroz done >.
Nothing. It sat still while Barak with his ten thousand men
of Naphtali and Zebulun were doing battle with the over
whelming forces of Jabin ; and so it is said, " Because they
came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord
against the mighty" (Judg. v. 23). One of the worst features
of character described in the Book of Psalms is this sitting
at ease in Zion. " Neither doth he abhor any thing that is
evil," is the record respecting an individual who is placed
by the Psalmist in the category of the wicked. There was
a pretentious appearance about the Church of Sardis; but
it was hollow in the extreme, unsubstantial, as the baseless
fabric of a vision. It had a reputation for what it was not
In the eye of the world there were to all appearance green
leaves, but these only concealed the barrenness of the tree,
and deceived the unthinking multitude ; but the all-searching
eye of the Lord detected its unreal character, and we hear
His verdict : " Thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art
dead." In mercy He does not seal its doom in perpetual
blight, as he did the barren fig-tree. He does not say, " No
man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever." If there is still
lingering about its root some faint sign of life. He will not
extinguish the little that remains, however weak, but will
strengthen it, so that there may be eventually fruit to His
glory in the salvation of souls.
It is very possible if Sardis had endured the same fiery
trial which some of the other Churches sustained, there would

302 The Messages to the Seven Chui'ches
not have been such a noted absence of spiritual life. It has
been remarked that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed
of the Church," and it cannot be doubted that the Church
of God was never more vigorous than in those early days of
suffering when Paganism and persecution were endeavouring
to obliterate its existence from the earth. Better far that
Sardis could have said, " It is good for me that I have been
afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes."
Ver. 2. Tivov yprjyopwv, Kal arrjpiaov rd Xoivd d epeXXov
diToQavelv ov ydp evprjKa aov rd 'epya TreTrXrjpo)p,iva ivwTTiov
TOV Oeov p,ov. Be watchful, and stablish the things that
remain, which were ready to die : for I have not found thy
works fulfilled before My God. The words in Greek have
greater force than in our English version, as they convey the
idea of the Church not merely being more watchful for the
future, but of becoming watchful — of entering upon a duty
that had been neglected. Become as one who watches, is
addressed to the Angel. You have been called to spiritual
life — " Arise, and shine, since your Hght is come." This torpor
and spiritual paralysis which have been stealthily creeping in,
will issue in the extinction of the Church's life. Shake it off,
and become a true watchman on the walls of Zion.
Become watchful ! applies equally to the Church. As sen
tinels, " Watch ye ; stand fast in the faith ; quit you like
men ; be strong." As guardians of the lamp of life, see that it
never gets dim, and that it may pass unsullied to those who
come after you. The duty of watching implies detachment
from the life that now is, and preparation for that which is to
come ; it is the keeping Christ in His sacred person and in
His work ever in view, and acting under the impression that
we are in His presence. In ihe parable of the Ten Virgins,
while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
The world has a depressing influence ; its breath tends to rust

of Asia Minor. 303
and bedim the soul and render it unfit for active exercise.
So forcibly does this appear, that even amongst our Lord's
disciples, when He was entering upon the last stage of His
sorrow and suffering, there was an absence of watchfulness
that necessitated the warning — " Watch and pray that ye
enter not into temptation."
The cause of this spiritual stupor in the Church at Sardis
was doubtless owing to that inglorious ease which character
ized its members, who seem to have had no contention for the
faith, and to have suffered no persecution from either open
foes or false brethren. Carried away by life's smooth current,
the Church lost all sense of witness-bearing, and was drifting
fast into perilous waters, where rocks and quicksands were on
every side.
Watch then, for dangers and temptations threaten, perilous
alike to faith and duty. Watch against sin and error ; watch
against self-confidence and the illusive glare of a high repu
tation, which, like the apples of Sodom, might be beautiful
to outward appearance, but inwardly full of corruption and
deceit Watch for Christ, lest, coming suddenly, He find you
sleeping. Kal arrjpiaov rd Xoirrd d eytteXXov aTTodavelv, and stablish
the things that remain, which were ready to die. What were the
Ta X.ot7ra 1 persons, or things .' The use of the neuter gender
is not decisive, for a mass of individuals in a paralysed, or
dead condition, might well be represented by the rd T^xurrd.
The fact of "a few names" afterwards occurring in ver. 4,
would turn the balance in favour of persons being here
understood. If the " things that remain " are not to be taken
in this sense, we are then to understand by them graces, or
qualities, which had been allowed to become all but extinct
by the apathy and indifference of the members of the Church
at Sardis. Both Trench and Stier regard the Ta Xoirrd as
individuals, " an inert, dead mass and majority, called ' the

304 The Messages to the Seven Churches
rest,' in opposition to the awakened kernel of the Church."
Just as our Lord said to St Peter, " when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren," so here when thou by repentance
hast become truly alive, watchful, and strong, then strengthen
the remainder which are at the point to die, and who shall die
if there be no effort made to infuse spiritual vigour into them.
The exhortation here is similar to that given in Ezek.
xxxiv. 4 : " The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither
have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up
that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that
which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which
was lost ; but with force, and with cruelty, have ye ruled
them." The very exercise of imparting strength to the weak
and sick of the flock would have a reflex influence upon the
Angel of the Church, who had shared in the languishing con
dition of His people. There were still signs of life in " the
remainder," but they were very feeble ; and before the Angel
of the Church could bestow vigour upon them, it was neces
sary that he should rouse himself, and seek from the great
Head of the Church that strengthening power which He
only could bestow. He could then exercise the gifts and
graces he had received, and in awaking from spiritual slumber
those who are here spoken of, he should be found going on
from strength to strength. While watering others, his own
soul should be watered. It is only those who have received
spiritual life themselves who can impart any spiritual benefit
to others. The dead may bury their dead, but they cannot
by any process of exorcism restore the dead soul to life :
hence the call to become watchful, and not permit the expir
ing embers of a Christian profession to become extinct in
Sardis. How gracious and merciful is our blessed Redeemer.
He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking
flax. He will first woo them to repentance by calls of love ;
but, if there is no response, he will have recourse to sterner

of Asia Minor. 305
measures. He seems to say, " How shall I give thee up
Ephraim ? How shall I deliver thee, Israel } How shall I
make thee as Admah .' How shall I set thee as Zeboim .?
Is Ephraim a dear son .' Is he a pleasant child .' for since I
spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still."
ov ydp evpijKa aov rd epya TreTrXrjpwfieva ivwmov tov Qeov
pov, for I have not found thy works fulfilled before My God.
The word, TrerrXrjpwpeva, implies that prescribed duties had
been allotted to the Angel of the Church to perform, and these
had not been completed. He had not been a faithful labourer
for Christ, yet he stood well before His fellow-men, and even
before the various Churches ; but he could not stand the
scrutiny of Him who hath the seven Spirits of God. He was
weighed in the balance and found wanting. God has ap
pointed to each of us a work, and he bids us " to go forth to
our work and labour until the evening." How many there
are who waste their time in trifles, and, when it is too late,
find to their sorrow and dismay, that they have neglected to
discharge the obligations imposed upon them by the Great
Master. The work of faith and labour of love have been
engaged in with half-heartedness, and spiritual languor has
often taken the place of earnest witnessing for Christ.
Especially is this to be deplored in those who are Set apart to
the office of the ministry — who begin in the Spirit, and who
depart from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
St. Paul had three great desires, which should ever influence
every true and faithful Christian : — 1st, to know Christ; 2nd,
to magnify Christ ; and 3rd, to be with Christ In this
consist the whole aim and end of the Christian Hfe.
The Apostle could say when he came to the close of his
career and was about to exchange his natural life for the
martyr's crown, "I have fought a good fight; I have kept
the faith." It is only faithfulness unto death that will fit us
for the crown of righteousness. It is possible to discharge ex-
X

3o6 The Messages to the Seven Churches
ternal duties with perfect regularity, to be most punctilious in
attending to the exact letter of the commandment, while the
power of religion is unfelt and unheeded ; but this superficial
empty formalism cannot escape the observation of Him who
searcheth the heart If there is no zeal for God, no mortify
ing of the flesh, no deadness to the world, no purity of life, no
outward activity in seeking for the wandering sheep of Christ's
flock, no copying of the example of the good Samaritan in
works of benevolence and mercy, it is clear that the spirit of
religion has fled ; and the profession, however respectable it
may appear before men, is no better than "sounding brass or a
tinkling cymbal." It is to be feared that, in this age of secular
ism, the least service we can render to God, while we maintain
our respectability before the world, is more frequently sought
to be discharged by us, than the consecration of body, soul, and
spirit, to Him who bought us with His precious blood. Can it
be that cold, heartless service will commend us to that Master
whose meat and drink were to do His Father's will and to
finish'His work ? Are there not many standing idle even at
the eleventh hour in the market place, and yet hoping to be
no worse off in the end than others ? Their Hfe was a dream,
their light was an ignis fatuus, and only when their sun was
beginning to sink in the west, did they begin to rouse them
selves from their stupor, and feel how far below their high
calling they had lived. To such the words of a great writer^
fitly apply —
" Be good," my friend ; " and let who will be clever ;
Do noble things, not dream them all day long ;
And thus make life, death, and that vast Forever,
One grand sweet song."
Ver. 3. Mvrjp^Qveve ovv •n-di? eiXrj(f>a^ Kal i^Kovaat, Kal rrjpei
Kal peravorjaov. 'Edv ovv p,rj yp^yopijarji;, ij^w ijrl ae ta?
/cXe'TTTij?, Kal oil p,rj 71/oi)? wotov wpav ^^w ctti ai. Remember
' Rev. Charles Kingsley.

of Asia Minor. ^I'^'j
therefore how thou hast received and didst hear, and hold fast
and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on
thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come
upon thee. In these words our Lord would recall the Church
at Sardis to a sense of duty. " Remember ! " Ephesus
was called upon to remember from whence she had fallen,
namely, from the early love of her " espousals in the day of
the gladness of her heart ; " but Sardis is reminded of her
reception of the truth, and the manner in which she first
heard it. It is not what she first heard, but how she heard
that she is called upon to remember — not the matter, but the
manner — not that she had corrupted the truth, but kept it in
a cold, heartless, indifferent way. There is no charge against
Sardis for conniving at, or tolerating, false teachers, or
erroneous doctrine ; it is altogether as regards the absence
of spiritual life that the censure upon that Church falls. It
is because she had forgotten how, with holy zeal and heart
felt love, she had first received and heard the truth ; how
with great joy, as in Samaria (Acts viii. 8), it took pos
session of the hearts of her people, and produced happiness
and peace, that memory is appealed to in order to bring
those " times of refreshing " vividly to view, so as to stir up
again the warmth of early profession, and renew the vigour of
spiritual life. Were these things dreams, or were they blessed
realities ? Like the goodness of Ephraim, were they as a
morning cloud, and as the early dew, which passeth away ?
Highly privileged Church in Sardis ! You have seen what
many prophets and kings have desired to see, and have
not seen — to you has the word of this salvation been sent.
It came to you at first with demonstration of the Spirit
and power. Think then what you once were, and let this
reflection stimulate you to regain that happy state from which
through your indolence and indifference, you have fallen.
But her members are enjoined to hold fast what they origin-

3o8 The Messages to the Seven Churches
ally received and heard, and to repent. As St Paul addressed
Timothy, " Hold fast the form of sound words which thou
hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
That good thing which was committed unto thee, guard,
through the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us" (2 Tim. i. 13,
14) ; so here they were required to go back to first principles,
to hold them fast, and repent. Our Lord does not allow them
to settle down on the lees of a bare speculative Christianity,
or flatter themselves with the hope that He that had begun a
good work in them would not suffer them to fall away. On
the contrary. He deals with them as He finds them. He will
not leave them in a state of hypocrisy, retaining the name of
a profession without the power. They must " hold fast," as
one grasps a life buoy when struggling for life amid the
surging waves; they must "repent," acknowledging before
God their sad departure from grace given," deploring their
declension, and seeking that He would restore unto them the
joy of His salvation, and make them glad with the light of
His countenance. And can we doubt that even to Sardis,
sunk in deep spiritual torpor, there will be the response from
the Church's Head, " I will heal your backslidings, I wiU love
you freely " ? (Hos. xiv. 4).
'edv ovv prj yprjyoprjarj<;, k.t.X., if therefore thou shalt not
watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know
what hour I will come upon thee" These words are associated
with Christ's Second Advent, yet they are here applied to
denote His coming in special judgment on the Churches.
Twice in the days of His flesh Christ spoke the same words,
(Matt xxiv. 42, and Luke xii. 39), but they pointed then to
the great event which the Church is still looking forward to
in high expectancy. They left a marked impression on the
early Church, for they are referred to again and again by the
Apostles Their design was to keep up watchfulness. Our
Lord had just told the Church at Sardis to " become watch-

of Asia Minor. 309
ful." He here shows what will follow in the event of His
injunction being neglected. To continue in deep spiritual
slumber as they were would tend to their utter extinction.
Sleep has always been the opportunity for the subtle adver
sary to gain advantage. " While men slept the enemy sowed
tares," and while the Church is in the condition of Sardis, we
may look for the most disastrous results. It was not false
teaching, nor perversion of the truth, that produced that self-
complacency and security which were so perilous to Sardis ;
but rather the absorbing power ofthe world, which had made
its people forget God. To some who are so engrossed, Christ
comes as he did to the rich man in the parable : " This night,
thy soul shall be required of thee." To others He comes
and awakes them kindly, with the words in which St. Paul
paraphrases Isa. Ix. i : — " Awake, thou that sleepest, and
arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee Hght." How
careful should we be to keep before us this Christian duty of
watchfulness ! Watch against sin in its beginning. " Obsta
principiis." Watch against worldliness : while duty points in
one direction, convenience takes another ; and frequently, like
two forces acting, at right angles, we take the middle course.
Watch for Christ ; whether in His Second Advent, or in
His nearer and more immediate judgments upon Churches
and individuals. As regards the Church at Sardis, His
coming, which is here threatened, was more disciplinary than
penal. He proclaims the stealthy and sudden mode of His
approach, whether in persecution, or distress, or loss of goods
or reputation. The Greek proverb, " The feet of the gods are
shod with wool," expressed the subtlety and surprise with
which their judgments were executed, and conveyed the
lesson enforcing constant preparation and watchfulness. We
may believe that the warning given to Sardis had the desired
effect: for Ecclesiastical History tells us of a flourishing
Church in Sardis in the second century, with Melito as its

3IO The Messages to the Seven Churches
Bishop, a man eminent for learning and piety, who, to assure
himself of the completeness of the Old Testament Canon,
took a journey to Palestine, and gave the result of his inquiries
in a most interesting Epistle. He also was the first who
wrote a commentary upon the Apocalypse.^
Ver. 4. 'AXXd e%ei? oXt7a ovopara iv SdpBeaiv, d ovk
ipoXvvav Ta ipdna avrwv, Kal TTepiTrarijaovai per epov ev
XevKoU, on d^ioi eiaiv. But thou hast a few names in Sardis,
which did not defile their garments ; and they shall walk with
ine in white : for they are worthy. In the addresses to the
other Churches, we find the good that was in them first
spoken of by our Lord, before He took notice of their
failings and faults ; but it is otherwise here. He first lays bare
the wound that was fast spreading, pours in oil and. wine, and
would heal the spiritual malady ; yet if the Church will not
rouse itself, and make some vigorous exertion, it must be pre
pared to expect the doom of the unprofitable servant. It
must have been encouraging and hopeful to the Angel of the
Church at Sardis to be informed that, even there, there were
" a few names ; " and it must at the same time have conveyed
a rebuke when he thought of what had been already said re
garding himself personally : " Thou hast a name that thou
livest, but thou art dead." The name is indicative of the
person, as we find in Acts i. 15 ; Rev. xi. 18. The Angel of
the Church had a name — it was only a name — but there were
some in the Church over which he presided who had more
than a name ; they had the reality. They had not the form
of godliness merely, but they had also the power.
The insertion of diXXd (but) at the beginning of this verse,
and the omission of /rat (even) are in accordance with the
readings of three of the oldest MSS., and have been adopted
in the Revised Version. ^ Euseb., iv. 26.

of Asia- Minor. 3 1 1
" The few names " are here to the csredit and honour of the
Church ; " the few things " ih connexion with the Church of
Pergamum were against it, and to its condemnation. He who
was the Angel of the Church does not seem to have known
" the few names," just as the Prophet did not know the seven
thousand in Israel, who had not bowed their knees to Baal.
God has His people where we know not. There, in the midst
of declining zeal, and dying love, were to be found a faithful
" few," according to the election of grace, who had kept their
baptismal covenant, and remained Christ's faithful soldiers
and servants, and determined to do so till their life's end.
The Church of God, compared with the mass of unbelievers,
has always been but a little flock ; it has been in the world,
but not of it, and has kept a clear line of separation as a
witness for Christ The names spoken of here are not those
of high distinction — of persons who had left a mark in the
world by deeds of valour or patriotism. They are, on the
contrary, those who silently and steadily were holding forth
the Word of Life in the midst of a crooked and perverse
nation ; and active and unobtrusive, were like some broad
and deep river, calmly flowing on to the ocean, almost unob
served, but for the verdure which clothed its banks. Never
has the Church of God been so low that there have not been
a faithful few. It has had its vicissitudes like other institu
tions ; but, unlike them, it has survived those shocks which
hurled down dynasties, and overthrew kingdoms ; for God
was in the midst of it.
There was a Noah in the Antediluvian world — a preacher
of righteousness, and one who walked with God — an Abra
ham in Ur and a Lot in Sodom, a Job in Uz and an
Obadiah in the Court of Ahab ; and in that period in
which with Malachi, the prophet, the volume of the Old
Testament dispensation closed, there were, amid the dark
ness, degeneracy, and corruption of the times, a remnant that

312 The Messages to the Seven Churches
feared the Lord, and spoke often one to another, and God
entered their names in the book of His remembrance, and
promised they should be His in the day on which He should
make Up His jewels. God has never left Himself without
a witness in the world, nor shall He till the end. We are
disposed sometimes to ask, " are there few that be saved ? "
This question was asked our Lord by one who was inquisi
tive, but He did not answer it During His personal ministry,
there were but few attracted to Him, and He frequently
spoke of " the strait gate and the narrow way " leading to
life, while the way to destruction was wide and broad ; yet
we cannot draw from this fact the deduction that few shall
be saved ultimately. As sin has abounded, grace does much
more abound : and we can hardly suppose that He, who
came to destroy the works of the devil, shall fail in seeing
the travail of His soul in myriads of redeemed and rejoicing
saints. In that glorious vision of the Apocalypse, the Apostle
saw a great multitude that no man could number, of all
nations, kindreds, and peoples, and tongues, standing before
the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes
and palms in their hands. In all things Christ must have
the pre-eminence ; and so far from few being saved, there
shall be multitudes numerous as the sand on the sea-shore,
or as the stars of heaven. The very silence of our Lord
to the question which had been proposed on this subject,
was a rebuke to curiosity ; and it was also a tacit admission
that the question was to be answered negatively ; for if the
answer had been in the affirmative, our Lord could hardly
have refrained from expressing it, especially as the know
ledge of that fact would have been a stimulus to duty, and
would have tended to promote anxious self-examination and
a holy life. When we think of the multitudes that die in early
Hfe — perhaps half the world's population die before attaining
manhood — when we think of the millions that have died in

of Asia Minor. 3 1 3
Christ from Apostolic times to the present, and the still vaster
numbers that shall reign with Christ during the thousand
years millennial glory, which we are looking forward to,
and waiting for, in earnest hope — when we think of the
myriads of heathen who have never known Christ, and yet
have " the law written in their hearts," and shall be judged
by that law^we may, without indulging in any vain or
speculative theories, respecting a remedial process after this
life, between death and the resurrection, believe that the
numbers saved shall infinitely exceed those who shall be
lost It would be a pleasant hope, if we could only enter
tain it, that there is even now a refining process going on
whereby the old leaven is being purged away, and, through
which, those who died without repenting of their sins have
an opportunity of yet regaining the bliss, that, by their
wilful wickedness, they forfeited ; but there is no warrant
in Scripture for such a view, except what may be inferred
from our Lord's preaching to the spirits in prison, and which
passage, in i Pet. iii. 20, may be interpreted in different ways.^
We know God willeth not the death of sinners — He desires
that all men should be saved — His mercy is over all His
works — Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance, to seek and save the lost ; but to speculate
upon what may occur after the period of man's probation
here has ceased, is only vain presumption. When our Lord
wept over Jerusalem, He said the things belonging to its
peace were then hidden from the eyes of its people — He
recognised no further time of trial to make amends for past
neglect " It is appointed unto men once to die, but after
death the judgment"
a OVK ip,6Xvvav, k.t.X., which did not defile their garments.
These few in Sardis are said not to have defiled their
garments — they kept themselves from the impurity into
' Compare Rev. i. 18.

314 The Messages to the Seven Churches
which others had fallen, and which St Jude has spoken of
as "the garment spotted with the flesh." From Joshua^ filthy
garments were taken away, as a sign that his iniquities were
removed, in order that he might be clothed with a new
garment Ye who have put on Christ in baptism must be
careful how you maintain your Christian profession, by not
getting stained in your intercourse with the world, through
lust and sin. At baptism, the persons to be baptized were
clothed in white in token of the purity of their life, which
they undertook to observe and maintain. Archbishop
Trench distinguishes between the " white raiment " of the
next clause, and the undefiled garments here. The latter
he calls " the garment of grace " put on at our entrance by
baptism into the kingdom of Grace ; the former, " the gar
ment of glory," put on at our entrance, by the resurrection,
into the kingdom of Glory. Stier considers the garments
which the few of Sardis had not defiled as symbolizing the
righteousness of Christ received by faith, which only in the
few had exerted its full power unto that sanctification which
is valid before God, and which He looks for as fruit from
a tree. There may be an allusion to the wedding garment
of the parable which those invited to the supper were re
quired to put on. They had named the name of Christ,
and they had departed from iniquity. Their religion had not
been merely in name ; but their whole course of life was like
that of the Apostle who said, " To me to live is Christ"
Having put on Christ, they crucified the flesh with its
affections and lusts. No longer their own, but bought with
a price, they glorified God in their bodies and spirits which
were His. They were separated from " the world that lieth
in the wicked one," and disringuished by zeal for God, love
to one another, and purity of life. They were " the salt of
the earth," preserving the Church in Sardis from utter cor-
' Zech. iii. 3-5.

of Asia Minor. 3 r 5
ruption, purifying themselves from all filthiness of the flesh
and spirit, and perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.
Like the palm-tree in the desert, the leaves of which are
always green, whether the baleful simoom blows, or sand-
clouds scatter dust around, the faithful few in Sardis were
always vigorous, and flourishing, and true to their Christian
profession. KoX TrepnraTrjaovai p,eT ip,ov, k.t.X., and they shall walk with
me in white : for they are worthy. This is the promise given
to those who had not defiled their garments. It clearly
refers to the future state ; to the enjoyments and blessings
and dignities of heaven. The faithful few had walked with
Christ here ; they had been followers of the Lamb whither
soever He went, not lagging behind in base distrust, or going
before in proud presumption, but doing His will and yielding
themselves as a willing sacrifice to Him. Archbp. Trench
observes, " Here are many promises in one. The promise
of life, for only the living walk, the dead are still ; of liberty,
for the free walk, and not the fast bound ; of beauty, for
the grace and dignity of long garments only appears to the
full when the person wearing them is in motion ; therefore
is it that the Scribes desire to walk in long robes " (Luke xx.
46).^ The white robes of the Sardian few are indicative of
purity and victory. Those who came out of the great tribula
tion had ." washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb." We could not now gaze upon the in
effable glory of our Ascended Lord. Perfect correspondence
with Christ is needed for perfect life. Before His saints can
"see Him as He is," their bodies must be transfigured like
to His glorious body. They must possess the same properties
and faculties, and their eyes the same power of vision, before
they can stand in the dazzling splendour of His presence, or
be admitted to complete and intimate communion with Him.
> Archbp. Trench, Epist. to Seven Churches, p. 169.

3i6 The Messages to the Seven Churches
As in nature there are certain substances which are incom
patible, and will not coalesce, so in order to perfect fellowship
there must be mutual adaptation. " How can two walk to
gether unless they be agreed V They must be of one mind,
and of one heart There shall be no misgivings of His love,
no doubts as to His Providence ; for then every veil will
be removed, every cloud dissipated, and they shall see His
face in righteousness, and be satisfied when they awake
in His likeness. Perfect purity will then characterize
those who have kept themselves here unspotted from the
world. The sky shall have no cloud, the day shall have no
night, " the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to
Zion with singing and everlasting joy upon their heads, and
sorrow and sighing, shall flee away." Whatever they may
have been here — " though they had lien among the pots, they
shall then be like a dove covered with silver, and her feathers
with yellow gold " — now faultless before the throne, washed,
justified, sanctified; "redeemed from among men, firstfruits
unto God and to the Lamb." There the Tree of life has no
Tempter. Heaven's door will shut them in, and they shall
go no more out. The service of Christ will be their constant
employment, unbroken by exercise and unimpaired by time.
No moth shall corrupt those heavenly garments, no rust shall
corrode that burnished gold ; nothing then shall enter in that
defileth ; but perfect purity, and love, and life, shall be the
fruition of those who are Christ's for ever.
OTt d^ioi eiaiv, for they are worthy. There are two senses
'in which this word may be taken. " Thou art worthy to take
the Book," etc. (Rev. v. 9). No one is worthy in this sense ;
no one is worthy in the sense of merit; for what have we
that we have not received from Him who is the Giver of every
good and perfect gift >. This expression here does not mean
that the few faithful of Sardis were deserving of heaven by
their own works, but that there was a fitness — they had been

of Asia Minor. 3 1 7
made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints
in light They had that spirit and temper which qualified
them for the enjoyment of the heavenly world. They were
adapted to it. It was the element in which they could live,
the atmosphere which they could freely breathe. They were
not like as if they had gone to a strange land, where they
would hear a language they could not understand. They had
come to their home, for which they were longing, and had
been preparing. They had been growing in grace ; their
character was daily becoming more heavenly ; their spirit,
their feelings, their desires, had been gri-dually rising above
earthly things ; and there was a fitness, on their part, for
entering into that Presence of perfect purity, and holding
constant and close communion with Him.
The redeemed in glory take no merit to themselves. They
cast their crowns before the Saviour's feet, and they ascribe
their salvation unto Him. " Unto Him who loved us, and
washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us
kings and priests unto God and His Father ; to Him be glory
and dominion for ever and ever." It is possible for us to
deserve well of one another, to bestow favours, and confer obli
gations ; but in the relationship in which we stand to God
it is otherwise. We are His creatures — it is He who hath
made us and not we ourselves — and we can give nothing to
God that is not really His own. The highest archangel owes
his life and preservation to God, and he possesses nothing that
is properly his own ; and what the bounty of God has given
must surely belong still to God. All our powers, possessions,
services, we are obliged to consecrate to God, and when we
have done all things commanded us, we must still say, " We
are unprofitable servants." Of merit we have none, for a
creature meriting of the Creator would be impossible. If we
had merit, we could save ourselves without the intervention
of Christ ; but as Christ only has merit, and we have none.

3 1 8 The. Messages to the Seven Churches
He alone can save us. The worthiness, therefore, of the few
faithful of the Church in Sardis is not to be taken in the
sense of merit, but in that of fitness, preparedness, meetness,
or adaptation, for that world of light which is illuminated
by the presence of God and the Lamb. And is not this
the effect of the redemption purchased by Christ } As St.
Augustine has said respecting the Church : " Foedam amavit,
ut pulchram faceret " — " He loved her foul, that He might
make her fair." He came to redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, that He might
present His Church to Himself a glorious Church, not having
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. He who has secured our
pardon for us has also provided our fitness for heaven. He
has not only reconciled us unto God, but He heis made us
meet for the inheritance.
If one part of salvation was effected, and the other part
unprovided, there would be no hope of reaching the Heavenly
City. By His intercession, our daily infirmities, and weak
nesses, and backslidings, are overlooked ; God and man are
brought into communion, and by the continual application
of Christ's blood, every breach is healed, where one might
apprehend separation. Preparation for heaven then must
be begun here. Our wills, inclinations, desires, actions, must
be in harmony with God's revelation. The bud must be
formed here, if we are to look for the blossom in heaven.
Life is a discipline, a work of preparation ; and if we are to
have the encomium bestowed upon the faithful few of Sardis,
we must cultivate holiness, without which no man shall
see the Lord. Heaven's enjoyment wiH consist in eternally
walking with God, in being in constant contact with Deity.
There must then be a perfect accord. " Let that mind be
in us, which was also in Christ Jesus."
Ver. 5. '0 viKwv outo? Trepi/SaXelTai ev iparion XevKolq- Kal

of Asm Minor. 319
ov prj e^aXeiylra to ovopa avToC eK t^? ^i/BXov Trj'i ^wrj's'
Kai op,oXoy-)jaw to ovopia avrov ivwrriov tov Uarpos H-ov, Kal
ivwTTiov TWV dyyeXwv avrov. He that overcometh, th£ same
shall be clothed in white raiment ; and I will in no wise blot
his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name
before My Father, ajid before His angels. In the Revised
New Testament the word, ovTO<i, is translated as if it had been
ovTWi. Although the Revisers may have had authority from
ancient MSS. for substituting outw?, yet, by the change the
meaning of the passage is not rendered more clear. There is
no doubt a repetition of the previous verse ; but there is no
description of the raiment in that verse which would warrant
the OUTO)? of the next. It is merely said "They shall walk with
Me in white." He that overcometh — even he — ovto^. He
alone and no other, as Stier renders it, the same shall be
clothed in white garments. White is the colour of heaven —
indicative of purity, perfection, glory. Our Lord spoke of
the righteous " shining forth as the sun " in the kingdom of
their Father ; and when He would give to His disciples a
foretaste of the future world, which He did in the "Holy
Mount," we are told His face did shine as the sun, and
His raiment was white as light He was clothed with light
as with a garment; His body had undergone such an ap
parent change as it was afterwards really to assume in
His resurrection : and the promise here given to him who
should overcome is not only that he should be clothed with
the righteousness of Christ to enable him to overcome, but
with that resurrection body which would be fashioned like to
Christ's glorious body. The faithful few in Sardis had kept
their garments clean ; now they are to have raiment white
and glistering, as the reward of their willing and devoted
service. We know little of what the resurrection body of the
saints shall be. It doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but
it is enough to know that our resurrection bodies shall be

o

20 The Messages to the Seven Churches

fashioned like to Christ's glorious body : for we shall be like
Him. In the two appearances of Christ after His ascension,
first to St. Paul and secondly to St. John, we are told, in the
one case, "there shined round about a light from heaven,
above the brightness of the sun," and in the other, the beloved
Disciple describes the appearance, " His countenance was as
the sun shineth in his strength." The two angels which came
to the sorrowing disciples after Christ's ascension, to allay
their anxious thoughts, are represented as in white apparel.
It would be in vain to contemplate the transcendent glory of
the resurrection body, when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality.
That there will be bodies, we have proved to us by Christ's
body; and that there will be a place for these bodies is as clear
from the fact that there is some place in the Universe where
Christ's body is now. "It is sown a natural body; it is raised
a spiritual body." This does not mean that the resurrection
body shall partake of the nature of spirit, and that the laws
of matter shall have no application in this case ; for we
cannot for a moment doubt that Christ had a real human
body after His resurrection. " Handle Me and see, for a
spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have ; " but Christ
had power over the laws which regulate the condition of
human bodies, and He could suspend them at His will, as He
did before His death by gliding invisibly through the midst of
His enemies, and, after His resurrection, by entering the room
when the doors were shut. " The natural body," as spoken
of by St. Paul, refers to the animal body now marred by sin,
'and compassed with infirmity, and this He contrasts with the
resurrection body which shall be moulded by the spirit, and
fitted to man's higher nature — a body in which the spirit shall
predominate, and the animal soul shall be in abeyance. Here
the body is such as is adapted to the animal soul — there the
body shall be fitted to the capacities and requirements of the

of Asia Minor. 321
nobler part of man's nature, and actuated and regulated by
the spirit
We cannot tell where the place of our future life may
be. Heaven is wherever Christ is. It may be far away from
earth, or it may be here. At least this earth, which was visited
by the Son of God, where for thirty-three years He taber
nacled in human flesh, and where He suffered and died, may
be one of the " many mansions " of our Father's house ; and
where, after its purification by fire, the redeemed may enjoy
the presence of, and hold perfect communion with their Lord.
We do not know anything further than that we shall awake
in Christ's likeness, if planted together in the likeness of His
death. This may, of course, refer to spiritual likeness — like
Him in the spirituality of our nature, Hke Him in holiness of
character, like Him in dominion over the lower creation as
at the beginning ; but Christ's body is the pattern of what
ours shall be — and this clearly implies a dwelling place, and
a home, and a reunion.
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, —
not that the substance of flesh is denied this privilege,
but flesh as flesh, with a sinful depraved nature, cannot
be brought into contact with absolute purity. Our bodily
frame must undergo such a change as will enable us to
approach and hold intercourse with Him. When on earth
He permitted His followers to maintain the most intimate
relation with Him ; but as soon as He assumed His glorified
humanity he maintained communication by His Holy Spirit.
And if there will be such a change wrought in the body at
the resurrection as to fit it for intercourse with Christ, there
will be a corresponding change in the soul. Perhaps the soul
is now undergoing that educational process, in its state of
separation from the body, that will qualify it for reunion with
the glorified body ; and, if this be so, we can understand in
some degree why it is that many of our friends are taken
Y

322 The Messages to the Seven Churches
away, as we may consider, prematurely, since their early
removal is only in order that they may be trained for a higher
and purer sphere of existence, when "death shall be swal
lowed up in victory." All that multitude that St John saw,
and which he tells us no man could number, were clothed in
white robes. They had washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb— the glorious company of the
Apostles, the goodly fellowship of the Prophets, the noble
army of Martyrs — their warfare over, the great tribulation
forgotten, now they rest in the Saviour's presence, awaiting
the dawn of the First Resurrection.
The redemption of the body from the grave is that for
which the groaning creation is waiting in earnest expectation.
The souls of all who have died in Christ are still in conscious
bliss, no individuality lost, but each maintaining a distinct
personal existence. There is no warrant for entertaining the
belief of what is called " conditional immortality" " Man,"
we are told, "is not immortal by the terms of his nature,
but may become immortal if saved by Christ." Everywhere
throughout Holy Scripture man is dealt with, and spoken
of, as endowed with the gift of immortality. God is the
only Being who has immortality by an inherent necessity
(i Tim. vi. 1 6) ; but in the case of man it is bestowed by
his Creator. He who at first breathed into man the breath
of Hfe and man became a living soul, continues to breathe
into each individual in the act of His creation a personal
spirit, and has endowed it with the gift of immortality.
There is by the very terms of man's nature, whether for weal
or woe, an undying existence ; and whether saved or not,
whether believer or unbeliever, the soul is indestructible and
immortal. The very heathen could, by the light of nature,
understand this. They felt instinctively that all did not
end at death. There were desires, hopes, fears, which gave
presentiments of an existence after death, and which could

of Asia Minor. 323
be explained by any materialistic theory of a mere animal
existence, but which pointed to a coming immortality.
So Addison makes Cato say in his soliloquy : —
" It must be so ! Plato, thou reasonest well :
Else whence this pleasing hope, this fond desire.
This longing, after immortality ?
Or whence this secret dread, and inward horror,
' Of falling into nought ? Why shrinks the soul
Back on herself, and startles at destruction ?
'Tis the Divinity that stirs within us :
'Tis heaven itself that points out an Hereafter,
And intimates eternity to man."
Let us ask how it is that after the mere animal life has
begun to decline, the spirit continues to rise to higher degrees
of intellectual and moral power — as Goethe has put it — " The
mental and moral activity which has lasted to the very
moment of dissolution cannot be arrested by the death of
man's outward husk, but must continue in some other form
and sphere beyond it".? How is it that a God of justice could
permit the balance of human suffering and sorrow to remain
for ever unadjusted, and never be supposed to redress the
terrible inequalities that exist in human life as at present
constituted ? Our Lord has put the argument for the solil's
immortality beyond dispute, when, in His reply to the Sad
ducees, on the subject of the resurrection. He says : God
called Himself the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob, centuries after these patriarchs had passed
away. He did so when speaking to Moses at the burning
bush. Now God calls Himself their God still. He would
not do so if they had no existence, for He is not the God of
the dead but of the living. He is not the God of that which
has gone to nothingness. He is the God of beings who exist ;
and it is added in Luke xx. 38, "for all live unto Him."
And to make men's hopes stronger, to enable mankind to rest
upon a basis which is infaUible as God Himself, there is the

324 The Messages to the Seven Churches
great central fact of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
from the dead. Christ had taught of "many mansions,"
of a prepared place ; and He had assured His disciples if there
was any doubt on these points He would have told them.
j^n earnest of future glory was given, when two visitors
from the unseen world were present with Christ on the
mount ; but He established a glorious immortality by a fact,
patent to the simplest apprehension, that beyond this visible
world, a world unseen and eternal awaits us hereafter. The
fact was verified by a sufficient number of reliable witnesses,
and established in the face of the most violent adversaries,
who used every endeavour to evade its force, and explain it
away ; but those who were witnesses of this great fact were
prepared to sacrifice all they had, and even their own lives,
rather than surrender the testimony which they bore to the
reality of their Lord's resurrection. If Christ then has risen
from the dead, if He has gone within the veil, if He is now
in the great Holy of Holies, in the temple not made with
hands eternal in the heavens, then we may be assured of our
personal immortality, for over the gates of that temple may
be found inscribed, " Because I live, ye shall live also."
Away then with the materialistic notion that death is the
extinction of the soul. Life and immortality are brought to
light by the gospel. No longer are we left to grope our way
by dim and uncertain guide-posts, or to make guesses as to
the great Hereafter. Away, too, with the Pantheistic theory
of an impersonal immortality; of the soul of man passing
away into an ocean of boundless life, where it is lost to con
sciousness and personaHty. If morality is anything more
than a name, if there is a living personal Christ in the uni
verse, if there is accountability to God, then personal spirit
must be maintained, and those marks of individuaHty which
distinguish man from man must last for ever. If then I am
endowed with personal immortality, and if this personal

of Asia Minor. 325
immortality is maintained after death, is there not involved
in this the idea of reunion and recognition ? because, if
individuality remains, there must always be that feature or
mark by which one shall be distinguished from another. Of
course, our feelings and affections will be different in heaven
from what they are here. Whilst here, in greater or less
degree, " self-love, the spring of motion, acts the soul." The
love of God shall then be supreme, and, loving Him, we shall
love one another. Overcoming, conquering in life's battle, we
shall receive the crown from Him under whose banner we
have fought. His best and greatest gift is yet to be bestowed.
Now if we are His, He hath taken our souls and bodies, and
joined them indissolubly to His own Divine Person. He is the
Head, we are the members ; but what we shall be when He
shall transfigure our bodies with the splendour of a new life
will only be manifest when, after life's storms, we are brought
" to the haven where we would be," and where, on the Day
of Redemption which is fast drawing nigh, we shall see
His face, for "in His presence is fulness of joy, and at His
right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
KaX ov pirj i^aXei'fJrw, k.t.X., and I will in no wise blot his
name out of the book of life. All the Israelites who came up
out of Egypt had their names entered on a muster roll, and
each year the names of those who died were removed from
the roll. This record was called, " the writing of the house
of Israel " (Ezek. xiii. 9), or " the book of the living " (Exod.
xxxii. 32) ; and those whose names were found inscribed in
it were said to be written among the living (Isa. iv. 3). The
same figure is here used to denote those who have been
faithful, amid the faithless, in upholding the truth, and bear
ing witness to their Lord and Master. " This book," says
Kiel, " contains the list of the righteous, and ensures to those
whose names are written therein, Hfe before God, first in the
earthly kingdom of God, and then eternal life also.

326 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Many have been curious to know whether their names
were written in this book, and some have taken for granted
that this was so, and have, by their abandoned and profligate
lives, denied the Lord that bought them. No one has any
claim to have his name in this muster roll, who is not culti
vating holiness, who is not bringing forth the fruits of the
spirit, and whose life is not characterized by "whatsoever
things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report"
(Phil. iv. 8). The world sees us, and we see ourselves, differ
ently from the point of view in which we are seen by' God.
There are many now with high-sounding names in this world,
and who are regarded by their fellow men as especially
praiseworthy, whom the Hght of eternity shall make manifest
as having been no better than the great mass of professors in
Sardis, with only a name to live ; and the names of such are
liable to be erased from the Book of Life, if we can suppose
them to have ever been recorded there. They may have been
numbered among the Lord's true disciples ; like Judas, in the
Church of God, but not of it ; and the nearness of communion
with believing souls, and the glory of the light which
brightened their path, will only enhance their responsibility,
and add to their condemnation. There is no one who has
ever been brought into the society of the people of God — the
excellent of the earth — whose privileges have not been in
creased, and whose accountability has not been proportion
ately magnified.
We see only the appearance, but God sees the heart ; and
many whom we suppose to be in God's Book of Life, are not
found written there, while some whom man would exclude
from the heavenly citizenship, are the true and recognised
denizens of the city above, whose Builder and Maker is God.
They are unnoticed among men, for " the world knoweth us
not " ; they are registered in Heaven, for the Lord " knoweth
them that are His." Indirectly this statement implies that

of Asia Minor. 327
those who had been alluded to as having a name, as living
and yet being dead, would 'be blotted out of the book of the
living ; and this throws light on a point which has given rise
to considerable disputation, whether or not there is what is
called indefectible grace — whether there are names now written
in the Book of Life that may afterwards be erased from it.
We cannot suppose that, in the secret purpose of God, any
are written in the book of the living but those who shall enter
into life eternal — " The foundation of God standeth sure,
having this seal ; The Lord knoweth them that are His." It
is not consistent with the Omniscience of God to conceive of
His Book of Life as being liable to erasures. He will have
all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of
the truth (i Tim. ii. 4) ; and our Lord expressly told His
disciples, speaking in reference to children, " It is not the will
of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little
ones should perish " (Matt, xviii. 14). The gracious will of
God is for the salvation of the human family ; but man's
perverse will rejects the counsel of God against himself, and
is the efficient cause why he " receives the grace of God in
vain." Our Lord encouraged His disciples on their return from
their first mission, by telling them not to rejoice merely
because the devils were subject unto them through His name,
but rather because their names were written in heaven ; yet
we can hardly think that, amongst the seventy, there may
not have been some who, like Judas, forfeited their high
privileges. Bp. Lightfoot, on Phil. iv. 3, says, " It is clear from
the expression, 'blotting out of the Book' (Rev. iii. S), that the
image suggested no idea of absolute predestination " ; and
Bp. Wordsworth, on the same passage, says, "That this saying
does not imply any assertion concerning the certainty of their
salvation appears from Exodus xxxii. 32 ; Psalm Ixix. 28 ;
Revelation iii. 5, where names once written in the Book of

328 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Life are represented as liable to be blotted out" The few in
Sardis to whom the promise was given had not been satisfied
with an inoperative faith, they had used all diligence to make
their calling and election sure, they had taken up their Cross
and followed Christ; and now the book of the living, in which
God had enrolled them, would bear everlasting testimony
before God, angels, and men, that they were worthy of a
name and a place amongst God's sons and daughters.
When the names of the world's heroes had perished from the
register of time, theirs should stand in imperishable majesty
for ever.
The very opposite to this high honour is spoken of as
regards apostates and those who have no fixed principles,
who are halting between two opinions, and have not followed
the Lord fully, — " O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake
Thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall
be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord,
the Fountain of living waters " (Jer. xvii. 13).
KaX opoXoyrjaw to ovopia avroi), k.t.X., and T will confess
his name before My Father, and before His angels. There is
here distinct allusion to Matthew x. 32, and Luke xii. 8,
passages spoken by our Lord in reference to the collective
body of the disciples in their conflict with the world. The
promise in these passages implied a warfare and a victory ;
so in the message to the Church in Sardis, the promise is to
those who overcome. Those who will keep their garments
clean, who will be unspotted from the world, who will not
be ashamed to own and to follow their Divine Master in " the
world that lieth in the wicked one," Christ will acknowledge
as His in the day when God makes up His jewels. Prob
ably there may be some reference to Psalm Ixxxvii. 5, 6,
where the nations are alluded to which shall, in future time,
turn to the Lord, and shall be admitted into His kingdom.
Egypt and Babylon are spoken of as being joined to Zion in

of Asia Minor. 329
that day, and with them Philistia and Tyre, with Cush, where
the Eunuch of Queen Candace was the first-fruits unto Christ
When the Lord writeth up the people, when He takes a census
of those who shall be born anew as His own children from the
heathen world, in Zion their true home, He shall rehearse, or
reckon, the names of those who had been registered in the
book of the living. He shall preside at this enrolment, and
intimate who are to be marked down. The enumeration
hitherto has been insignificant compared with what it shall
be when hosts of nations shall be added to His' kingdom.
When Christ reveals Himself in His glory, the reproach of
His followers shall be wiped away, the long and dreary night
of tribulation shall be succeeded by the morning of ever
lasting joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee for ever away.
Having been faithful in a few things, they shall now be rulers
over many things. " Those who have followed Him in the
regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of
His glory, they also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel." This was distinctly spoken of the
Apostles, but the honour is not merely theirs — " Know ye not
that the saints shall judge the world .'' " (i Cor vi. 2.) What
honour shall thus be conferred on human nature ! The
Psalmist says " What is man, that Thou art mindful of him ? "
But here we see man exalted to the highest seat in the
universe, and associated with Christ in the judgment. This
honour, this recognition, this supreme advancement, will add
to the confusion and condemnation of Satan, and make the
cup of the wicked more bitter than it would otherwise be.
We do not know on what thrones the saints of God shall sit,
we do not know over whom they shall reign. It may be that
they shall have rule over other orders of being, that they shall
be as princes in the kingdom of God, invested with authority
over those angels who have been ministering spirits to them
here, and who may be their messengers in the revolving cycles

330 The Messages to the Seven Churches
of their triumphs. If the saints of God are to sit in assize
upon evil angels, what a dignity shall then be conferred upon
human nature, and how fully shaH it then be known how
Christ has fulfilled His promise that He will " confess " His
faithful servants, not only of Sardis, but of every Church in
the wide world, before His Father and the holy angels !
Then shall the " recompense of the reward " be clearly under
stood, and those who have laboured and suffered for Christ,
and in His cause, shall look back on the dim present, only to
enhance their bliss, when earth's brightest possessions are
seen to fade away by reason of the glory that excelleth.
But we must not fail to " confess Christ " here, if He will
confess us before His Father, and before His angels. The
confessing Christ will call for the exercise of self-denial, and, if
need be self-sacrifice ; but what are all our poor imperfect ser
vices when viewed in the Hght of immortality ? " If we have
only hope in this life, we are of all men the most miserable "
might truly be said of our Lord's early followers, when fire
and sword, and the dungeon and exile, were the goal to which
their Christian profession led. But when they looked upward
beyond this earthly pilgrimage to the golden streets, and
pearly gates, and thrones of dazzling whiteness, and crowns
of amaranth, and the City of God lighted up by the presence
of the Eternal King, and where harps of gold were strung,
and touched by heavenly hands, whose music rolled in
sweetest harmony, with voices, deep as the sound of many
waters, arising from a multitude that no man could number,
ascribing blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, to Him
that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb — how infini
tesimaUy small would all the acts of self-devotion rendered
in the service of Christ appear, and the aspiration uppermost
on every heart would be, " O the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are
His judgments, and His ways past finding out" "Them that

of Asia Minor. 331
honour Me I will honour," were the Lord's words to one of
His prophets ; and what honour can exceed the recognition
of His followers as His friends, for He shall not be ashamed
to call them Brethren. Fallen, debased humanity, ,washed,
justified, sanctified, brought into closest fellowship with God,
nearer to His throne than angels — " Such honour have all the
saints ! "
Now is the time to confess Christ. When He comes,
it will cost nothing to do so. In His triumphs every one
will be ready to join ; but now when, to own His name,
and avow His cause, and to bear reproach for Him, there
may be some little* self-denial required, let it be seen that
we are not ashamed of Him whom the best adore and the
purest love. He lived for others. His life was one of self-
sacrifice ; He pleased not Himself, He sought not His own
glory. He came not to do His own will, and He would have
His followers imitate His example. Let us ever cling to
His cross, grasp firmly His pierced hand, hold closely by His
side, whether called on to be confessors before unrighteous
judges, as were those sainted witnesses in the Catacombs,
or to be martyrs Hke Polycarp, because we would refuse to
dishonour Him for the bare boon of life. Let houses and
lands, and family and home, fortune and friends, all be for
saken, if need be — yet the promise remains, " All things are
yours " ; and with the prophet who, seeing the dark shadows
of the Captivity falling on his country, could look up calmly
and confidently, let us in faith and assurance adopt his
words — " Though the everlasting mountains be scattered,
and the perpetual hills do bow, yet will I rejoice in the
Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
Ver. 6. 'O e^mv ov^, dKovadrw Tt to Tlvevpa, k.t.X., He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto
the Churches. This is the usual formula with which all

33^ The Messages to the Seven Churches.
the Epistles to the Churches end. For an exposition, see
chap. ii. 7, where the words first occur in the Apocalypse,
although of frequent use in the first three Gospels, but never
in the fourth. They indicate that the subject matter of these
Epistles is of supreme importance, and that they concern the
Church of every place and of every time.

VI.

THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN
PHILADELPHIA.

sii

7 Koi ry dyyiXip ttjs iv ^i.XaSeX(pel<f iKKXTjalas ypdipov TiSe Xiyei 6 dyios, b
dXTjBivbs, b ^xw ''"n" KXeXv tou Aa^ld, b dvolyuv, Kai oiSels kXelaei, Kal KXelet Kai
oibels dvoi^ei.
8 OXSd aov rd Ipja- ISoi SiduKa iviiiribv aov Bipav dveifypivriv Kal oiSels Sivarai
KXeXaai avTTJv, Sti piKpdv ^eis Sivap-iv, Kai iT^pijads pov rbv Xbyov, Kai oiK -f/pv^au Tb
Svopd pov.
9 'ISoi>, SlSupi. iK TTJs avvayuyfis tov Saroca tuv XeybvTuv iavrois 'lovSalovs
e&oi, Koi oiK elalv, dXXi feiSovrai,' ISoi, iroi-^au airrois 'Iva -ij^uai Kai irpoaKW-^auaiv
ivdjiriov Ttov irobuvaov, koX yvuaiv Uti iylb -qydirijad ae.
10 "On ir-qpTjaas Tbv Xbyov t^s viropov^s pov, Kdyii ai Ti/p-fiau iK ttjs Upas tov
ireipaapov r-^s ;aeXXoiJ<r);s IpxeaBai iiri ttjs olKOvpivijs 0X575, ireipdaai tovs KaroiKOvvras
iiri TTJs yrjs.
II. "Epxopai Taxi' Kpdret S Ix^is, tva pijSeis Xd^j; Tbv aTe(pavbv aov.
12 "0 viKuv, iroi-fiau airbv aTvXov iv tQ vaQ roC Qeov pov Kal l|(tf oi p-rj i^iXBTj
^TL, Kai ypd-ipu iir airbv rb 6vopa tov Qeov pov, Kal Tb 6vop,a r^s irbXeus tov Qeov pov
T^s Kaiviis 'XepovaaX-rjp, t} Kara^alvovaa ix tov oipavov dirb tov 6eoO p.ov, Kal to bvopa
pov Tb Kaivov.
13 "0 Ix''" o^^i dKovadrbi tI Tb Uvevpa Xiyei raXs iKKXijalais.
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write : These things saith he
that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and
none shall shut, and that shutteth and none shall open.
8 I know thy works ; behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which no
one is able to shut ; that thou hast little power, and didst keep my word, and
didst not deny my name.
9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them which say they are
Jews, and they are not, but do lie ; behold, I will make them to come and
worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also vnE keep thee from
the hour of trial, that hour which shall come upon all the world, to try them that
dwell upon the earth.
Ill come quickly : hold that fast which thou hast, that no one take thy
crown. 12 He that overcometh I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and
he shall go out thence no more : and I will write upon him the name of my God,
and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out
of heaven from my God, and mine own new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

VI.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN
PHILADELPHIA Chap. iii. 7-14.
Ver. 7. Kal tw dyyeX(p T-rji ev ^iXaBeX(j)eia eKKXrjaia<s ypd-yjrov
TdBe Xeyei 6 dyio<;, 6 dXrjOivo^, 6 ejjjtav Trjv /cXetv tou Aa^lB, 6
dvoiywv Kal ovBel<i /cXet'cret, Kal KXeiei Kal ouSet? dvoi^ei. And
to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write : These things
saith He that is holy, He that is true. He that hath the key of
David, He that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth
and none shall open. Philadelphia was a city of Lydia, which
stood about midway between Sardis and Laodicea, on a slope
of Mount Tmolus, near where the valleys of the Hermus and
Meander converge. It was founded B.C. 140, by Attains
Philadelphus, and called after his own name, Philadelphia —
Brotherly Love. It has no great traditions to boast of, like
Sardis, or Pergamum, and it was chiefly designed for purposes
of commerce. It stood on the banks of the Cogamus, a
tributary of the Hermus, was strongly fortified, and, from its
commanding position, was a city of considerable importance.
It was through the valley which adjoins Philadelphia that
Xerxes led his forces on his' way to Greece; and a plane-
tree is spoken of by Herodotus under which Xerxes rested,
and with the beauty of which he was so much struck, that
he presented the tree with golden ornaments, and entrusted it
to the special care of one of his body-guard. ^ The volcanic
^ See Tristram's Seven Golden Candlesticks, p. 112.
335

oj>-

The Messages to the Seven Churches

soil of Philadelphia was well suited for the cultivation of the
vine, and it was celebrated for the excellence of its wines.
It suffered greatly from earthquakes, so much so, that Strabo
calls it TToXt? aeiapwv rrXrjprj'^, and we are told that, in the
reign of Tiberius, most of the people left the city and lived
in the fields, fearing lest they should perish in their houses. ^
With all these indications of instability and change, Phila
delphia has survived to the present day. It is now called
by the Turks, Allah Shehr, " the City of God," showing
that they attach some peculiar sanctity to it. Ruins of a
church wall are still apparent there, and these date from.
the time of Theodosius. There are about 5,000 Christians
of the Greek Church now in the city, which has a bishop
and fifteen or twenty clergy. Gibbon, speaking of the ruin
of the Churches of Asia Minor, says : " Philadelphia alone
has been saved by prophecy or courage. At a distance from
the sea, forgotten by the emperors, encompassed on all sides
by the Turks, her valiant citizens defended their religion
and freedom above four-score years, and at length capitulated
with the proudest of the Ottomans. Among the Greek
colonies and Churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect —
a column in a scene of ruins — a pleasing example that the
paths of honour and safety may sometimes be the same" ^
It is not mentioned in any other place in Holy Scripture,
nor have we any means of obtaining a knowledge of its
spiritual condition, except what we derive from the message
addressed to it. There seems to have been a very powerful
disturbing Jewish element in this heathen city, and also
Jewish Christians, as distinguished from converts from
heathenism ; so that there are a colouring and an imagery
borrowed from Old Testament usages.
The name by which Christ describes Himself is 'O 0710?,
The Holy One. This term clearly denotes One who is per-
' Tacit., Ann., ii. 47. 2 Decline and Fall, chap. 64.

of Asia Minor. 337
fectly free from sin. One who hates sin as utterly opposed
to His very nature. Just as the sensitive plant shrinks from
the touch of the human hand, so does the nature of Christ
from anything unholy or impure. Holiness is an attribute
which belongs absolutely to God. He charges His angels
with folly, and in His sight the very heavens are unclean ;
how much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh
iniquity like water .'' The title the Saviour takes to Himself
in the message to the Church at Philadelphia is — " He that
is Holy." This attribute the Old Testament appropriates to
God exclusively ; and there is therefore a claim to absolute
Godhead established by the 'O dyio^ of this verse.
And was not the claim well founded ^ He only of all
the sons of men could say : " The Prince of this world
cometh, and hath nothing in Me." The sun has its spots,
the azure sky its clouds, the purest gem its flaws ; but no
stain leaves its imprint on Him who is holy, harmless, un
defiled, and separate from sinners," " the sweetest among ten
thousand, and altogether lovely." Never does He utter word
to God or man, while tabernacling on earth in the days of
His flesh, that expresses or implies the consciousness of a
single defect.
Take the life of any one who ever lived, the most sainted
and illustrious of the world's great and good, and we shall
find there is always a consciousness of shortcomings, omis
sions, inconsistencies, an.d sins. But Christ reproaches Himself
for nothing ; He regrets nothing. His work was His Father's
business ; His will — " I do always those things that please the
Father." He was in our world and subject to temptation, but
in His life we fail to detect the least deviation from the path
of holiness and truth. Well has it been said: "No lower in
clinations of sin, no paltering with truth, no swerving from
justice, no selfseeking, no covetousness, no ambition, can find
a place in that character of such lofty purity, of such stern
Z

338 The Messages to the Seven Churches
veracity, of such considerate equity, of such unreserved self-
sacrifice, of such disinterested love."^ There were jealous
eyes upon His every movement, which scanned His daily
actions, and had there been one failure in Jthe smallest
degree, it would have been detected. There were charges
made that He was in league with Satan, that He was a
political adventurer, a friend of publicans and sinners; but
these calumnies soon refuted themselves, and for nearly
1900 years His enemies have been wasting their energies to
discredit His holy life, and defame Him as a deceiver ; but
they have succeeded no better than His contemporaries. It
has been said, He gave way to anger when He drove the
money-changers out of the temple ; but it is quite possible
" to be angry and sin not." There was no blind passion in
the exercise of righteous indignation against the desecration
of His Father's house, but only holy zeal for God's honour
which consumed Him. Then we are told He devoted to
destruction the barren fig-tree on His way to Jerusalem,
and destroyed the herd of swine at Gadara ; in the one case
without any object, in the other interfering with the rights
of property. But the objector forgets that the material
world is ever made subservient to the moral, and in the
barren fig-tree there is a representation of the condition and
condemnation of the Jewish nation. As regards the trans
action at Gadara, the Hfe of the man who was healed was
of more value than many swine ; and as the cattle upon
a thousand hills are the Lord's, He may have punished the
Jews for engaging in a traffic which showed that they were
despisers of the Mosaic law.
He could defiantly put the question to His accusers :
"Which of you convinceth me of sin V and the silence which
followed proved their inability to point to one blot in His
perfect character. Had there been one flaw, it should then
' Canon Liddon, Serm., vol. ii. p. 297.

oJ Asia Minor. 339
have been exposed to the light ; but their profound silence
gave consent to the fact, " He did no sin, neither was guile
found in His mouth." Did not Judas the traitor cry out
under the influence of bitter remorse, " I have sinned in that I
have betrayed the innocent blood ? " and Pilate, after washing
his hands and delivering Christ to the Jews, could say, " I
find no fault in Him"; and the centurion who watched at the
Cross was so struck with the beauty of that spotless character,
that we hear his voice, when the rending rocks and the
three hours' darkness and the opening graves had borne
their awful testimony, saying, "Truly this was the Son of
God." Jesus is the Holy One — the absolutely Holy One.
Never can we claim such a title — it would be utter blas
phemy. To tell us that when we believe in Christ we are
saved, and when thus saved we are free from sin — that we
are holy, as our Redeemer is holy — is a perversion of all
truth, a presumption bold enough for him who said — " Ye
shall be as gods, knowing good and evil ! " Human life
is a struggle. "Not as though I had already attained" is
written of them who are perfect. While no one can ever
reach Christ's standard, by keeping Him before us it is
possible to attain a high degree. Here beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord, we shall be changed into the
Divine image. The noblest virtues of the highest saints —
the faith of Abraham, the purity of Joseph, the patience
of Job, the piety of David, the fidelity of Daniel, the zeal
of St. Paul, and the love which glowed in the bosom of St.
John — all these are but the faint reflections of Him who
is the Holy One of God, the only pure and perfect flower
which ever grew from the root and stock of humanity.
o dXrj6ivo<s, He that is true. Jesus Christ calls Himself
the Truth (John xiv. 6), and the spirit of prophecy had
declared of Him that righteousness should be the girdle of
His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins. Truth is

340 The Messages to the Seven Churches
the girdle of the Christian (Eph. vi. 14). To be true is to be
like God. Man has lost that beautiful trait through sin ;
and it is only by becoming Christ-like that we regain that
noblest of all qualities. If there is one feature which stands
in bold relief in the matchless character of Christ, next to
absolute purity, it is sincerity. Of all the sins which Christ
most powerfully rebuked, and which drew from Him His
most fierce indignation, it was that of hypocrisy. "Woe
unto you. Scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites." Hypocrisy has
been well defined, the homage which vice pays to virtue. It
is the counterfeit of sincerity, the polished veneer with which
falsehood assumes the appearance of truth. In our blessed
Lord there was a reality which is not apparent in others.
He was no flatterer. Whether truths were palatable or
otherwise, they were enunciated ; whether they came with
withering rebuke, or were soft as the gentle dew on the
opening flower. Alike He exposes the motives of His adver
saries, as He does the weakness and unreality of those who
wished to espouse His cause. When the multitudes who were
fed by Him crowded around Him, He said, " Ye seek Me
not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of
the loaves and were filled." When the young ruler came to
Him with the epithet on his lips, " Good Master ! " " Why
callest thou Me good 1 " or, " why askest thou Me concerning
the good?" was Christ's answer. Why apply a title to Me
which you know not whether I deserve ? Why come to Me
about the chief good } there is none good but God. The
words of the Ruler were applied without thought, and He
who is the Truth rejects them. He will have His followers
count the cost of discipleship before they begin to build.
Before His judges He was characterized by the same un
flinching regard for sincerity ; for when asked by Pilate,
" Art thou a king then } " He answered, " Thou sayest that
I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause

of Asia Minor. 341
came I into the world, that I, should bear witness unto the
truth." The word here used as describing Christ's character
is not dXrjdrji;, but aXij^tvo?, and the meaning to be conveyed
is that He is not only true as opposed to false, " the God
that cannot lie," but He is true, as distinguished from all
imperfect manifestations, or approximate realizations of it
He is true, as God is true in contrast with false gods or dumb
idols. His purpose cannot change : " He is not a man that
He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent :
hath He said, and shall He not do it ? or hath He spoken,
and shall He not make it good .' " Every engagement
Christ undertook He was faithful to fulfil to the letter.
Even on the Cross, that the Scripture might be fulfiUed, He
said, " I thirst." While any prophetic utterance remained
unaccomplished, the final scene could not occur. And the
faithfulness of Christ in fulfilling His promises when on
earth, is a pledge and an assurance that every believing
Christian may commit the keeping of his soul to Him in
well-doing as unto a faithful Creator. He will not withdraw
His loving kindness from us, nor suffer His faithfulness to
fail. When doubts and fears arise, like the boisterous waves
of some angry sea, and seem to imperil the safety of many
a voyager crossing life's ocean, then He will come as He
did to His terrified disciples — He will rebuke the fierce
winds of unbelief, and His gentle voice will be heard saying
to the sea of perplexity and unrest, " Peace, be still ! "
The truth of Christ can never fail. Heaven and earth
may pass away, but the word of Christ shall not pass away.
There are writers in the present day, as there have been
in the past, who say it is only a question of time when the
teachings of Christ, like all others, shall be forgotten. Christ
is the dXrjdiv6<;, and that being so. His truth shall endure
through all generations. If that truth could be withdrawn
what would replace it ? What would answer the most

342 The Messages to the Seven Churches
solemn questions — What am I .'' whence came I .'' whither
am I tending .' what is to follow my short existence here }
From the philosophy of the world, Hke the Phoenician deities,
there is no voice, nor any to answer, nor any to regard. But
Christ has rolled away all the mists and darkness with which
these great questions have been surrounded. Other systems
of religious belief are gradually getting feeble, because they
are held by races which have no future, and because of their
own inherent weakness to meet the wants and satisfy the
aspirations of man ; but the truth of Christ is progressing
with steady march, " casting down imaginations and every
thing that exalts itself against Him." It has been scattered
upon the broad wastes of humanity, and it has been the
power of God to salvation to them that believe. It has been
flung upon the wings of the wind, and it has never returned
void, nor shall it be otherwise to the end : —
" Eternal are Thy mercies Lord,
Eternal truth attends Thy word ;
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore.
Till moons shall wax and wane no more."
•
6 'exoiv TTjv KXelv tov Aa0iB, k.t.X., He that hath the key
of David, He that openeth and none shall shut, and He that
shutteth and none shall open. The key is the symbol of
authority, and Christ here claims authority over the house
of David. Now what is meant by this ? We must go back
to a passage in Isa. xxii. 22, where we have Shebna, the
scribe, and Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was over the
household of Hezekiah, placed in juxtaposition. Shebna, in
his pride, is to be driven from his post, and Eliakim, in his
stead, is to be invested with the government of the house of
David, the duties of which office he would fulfil with all the
tenderness and benevolent care of a parent. " The key of the
house of David will I lay upon his shoulder ; so he shall open,
and none shall shut ; and he sh^ll shut, and none shall open."

of Asia Minor. 343
Our blessed Lord appropriates this language to denote
His own exclusive power and authority over what the house
of David symbolized — namely, the kingdom of heaven ; and
He clearly claims sole and supreme sovereignty over that
kingdom. The keys of that kingdom are His by rightful
ownership, and He can commit them to those who by Him
are delegated to receive them. To St Peter and the rest of
the Apostles He handed those keys, investing His Apostles
with authority " to bind and loose," " to open and shut" But
we should always understand that the authority which was
committed to the Apostles was different from that which He
Himself retained. What Apostle could dare to say, "I am He
that liveth and was dead, and am alive for evermore. Amen ;
and have the keys of Death and of Hades"? The power of the
keys conferred on the Apostles extended only to the organ
ization and subsequent discipline of the Church ; but Christ's
sovereignty extended to the unseen world, to admit and
exclude according to His Divine will. This supreme power
Christ has never committed to any of His servants ; and we
hear His declaration still, as when spoken in the days of His
flesh, " I am the Door ; by Me if any man enter in, he shall
be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture."
The keys of the house of David to be used in opening and
shutting have more reference to the Church of Christ on
earth than to the world that lies behind the veil ; and in this
view it is a comforting reflection that, however men may err
in their judgment, however faulty their administration of
justice may be, there is One to whom we can always look to
rectify abuses of power, to bring to light the hidden motives
of men, and to dispense righteous judgment We are not
to suppose an absolute power was bestowed upon the Apostles
to admit and exclude at pleasure, except in so far as they
possessed the knowledge to discern spirits, which faculty they
did possess, and which for a time remained in the Church.

344 The Messages to the Seven Churches
These words of Christ were spoken long after the martyr
dom of St Peter — St John was the only surviving Apostle—
and so far from Christ's having given absolute authority of
the keys to St Peter and his successors, we find He Himself
claimed the right to own the keys, and hold possession of
them in His own hands. If such a power as that which our
Lord retains, and which is claimed by some who " sit in Moses'
seat," were really conferred, it would place man's eternal
destinies arbitrarily in the hands of a hierarchy who would
frequently, in the words of Ezekiel, " make the heart of the
righteous sad, whom God hath not made sad, and strengthen
the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his
wicked way by promising him life " (Ezek. xiii. 22). Can we
doubt that, in those days of persecution, when the sword and
the stake were the substitutes for liberty of conscience, and
when the martyrs were made to drink deeply of the bitter
cup of suffering, the decrees of wicked men were reversed by
Him who is the Righteous Judge ; and that those, whom
ignorance, bigotry, and superstition, would exclude from their
society on earth, were welcomed and honoured in glory?
Christ has the keys ; " He openeth and no man shutteth, and
shutteth and no man openeth." "The Father hath given
Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal Hfe to
as many as He hath given Him."
It is not the less Christ's high prerogative to hold the
key of David when, in a secondary sense, the power of the
keys was bestowed upon the Apostles. That power was
promised to be conferred on St. Peter and his brethren of
the Apostolate ; and that the Apostle of the Circumcision
exercised that gift is fully shown by the fact, that he was
the first to admit into the Church of Christ, by the ministry
of the Word and Sacraments, both Jews and Gentiles, in
recognition of his noble confession, " Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God ; " and if there were priority or pre-

of Asia Minor. 345
ference among the Twelve, which our Lord always taught
His disciples to guard against, St. Peter's spiritual apprehen
sion and ready acknowledgment of Christ's claims, in that
confession, entitled him to such preference. It was not
that our Lord placed St Peter by any act or word over the
Twelve, for He calls Himself their Master, and He says,
" All ye are brethren." He promises twelve thrones, not
one for St. Peter above all the others ; and the Church is
built (not founded) upon the foundation of the Apostles and
Prophets, Jesus Christ being the Head Corner Stone. The
same power of binding and loosing was given to all the
Apostles (Matt xviii. 18), and St Paul recognises no superi
ority, or supremacy, when he calls himself " not a whit
behind the very chiefest of them."
This " binding and loosing " was primarily bestowed upon
the Apostles, but secondarily upon all who dispense the
Word and Sacraments, and who are stewards of the mysteries
of God, and exercise the ministry of reconciliation. The
figure is taken from those who were bound in chains as
prisoners. By " loosing," the minister acts as the physician
by giving the remedies which God has appointed for the re
mission of sin. By "binding," the same instrumentality is
used in withholding the means of grace. In Apostolic times
there was a godly discipline exercised in the Church. The
Apostles, we find, exercised that discipline for the correction
and salvation of men. In the case of the Church at Corinth
( I Cor. V. 4), the Apostle claims to pronounce sentence either
of acquittal or condemnation in the person, and with the
power, of Christ.
See how that power was manifest in the Apostle's deliver
ing Hymenseus and Alexander unto Satan, by a solemn act
of religious discipline — excommunication from the fellowship
of the Church — that they might learn not to blaspheme, that
bodily sickness and chastisements might bring them to a

346 The Messages to the Seven Churches
sense of their sin, and that they might, by means of this
salutary discipline, humble themselves, so that their spirits
might be saved in the day of the Lord. We are also familiar
with that discipline as laid down in St Paul's instructions
to Timothy, wherein such directions are given as, " Reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." " Them
that sin ffebuke before all, that others may fear "\; or as given
also to Titus, "Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they
may be sound in the faith." This was assuredly an exercise
of the power of the Keys, which, while delegated to those
in authority in the Church, are still held in the hands of the
Church's Head and King.
Ver. 8. OXBd aov rd epya' tSou BeBwKa ivwrriov aov Ovpav
dvemypevrjv, Kai ovSel^ B-uvarai KXelaai avrrjv, on piKpav e;)^et?
Bvvapiv, Kal iTTjprjadt; pov tov Xoyov, Kai ovk rjpvrjaw to bvopa
pov. I know thy works ; (behold, f have set before thee a door
opened, vuhich no one is able to shut) that thou hast little power,
and didst keep My word, and didst not deny My name. When
Christ says, " I know thy works," it is not to attach censure
for their imperfection, as it was to the Church in Sardis,
but to recogijise them as worthy of all praise. Everything
that is spoken of Philadelphia redounds to its honour, and
elicits from Him who walks in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks unequivocal approbation. The word tSou, BeJwld,
is significant ; it marks the distinguished favour which Christ
had towards Philadelphia, and is the precursor of precious
promises and rich blessings, which our Lord designed for the
strengthening and extending of that Church.
"The ' behold' so frequent in the ancient prophets," says
Stier, ^ " which was spoken only once to Smyrna as noting
the temptation, and only once to Thyatira as conveying a
threatening, and to Laodicea once more in connexion with
' Stier, Words of Risen Saviour, p. 1S2.

of Asia Minor. 347
warning and exhortation (ver. 20), is addressed to Philadelphia
thrice in connection with the highest grace and honour."
What Christ, the giver of all good things, has given to this
Church, is an open door, and which when He openeth, no man
can shut, but shall be kept open in spite of all adversaries.
The expression, " open door," is one which frequently occurs
in the writings of St Paul, and in its application here, there
is a beautiful harmony between the Apocalyptic- messages
and the teaching of the Apostle of the Gentiles. Throughout
St Paul's writings, the " open door " refers to the admission
of the Gentiles to the Church of Christ, and the opportunities
and advantages which were presented for the accomplishment
of that purpose. In the Acts of the Apostles, St Luke, the
companion of St. Paul, relates how the Lord had opened
the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts xiv. 27). In i Cor.
xvi. 9, the Apostle speaks of tarrying at Ephesus, because
" a great door and effectual " was opened unto him, and there
were many adversaries. So in 2 Cor. ii. 12, he records how
when he came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, a door
was opened unto him of the Lord ; and in Col. iv. 3, he
asks the prayers of the faithful at Colosse, that God would
open to him a door of utterance to speak the mystery of
Christ, for which he was also in bonds. The expression then
was easily understood by the Church at Philadelphia, which
had been conversant with St Paul's teaching, and afforded
encouragement to that Church to persevere in its work of
faith and labour of love, knowing that He who had the key
of David had opened up a door of access to the Gentiles ;
and, no matter who were the opponents, none could shut
it Men might try to fight against God, but they should
be broken in pieces like a potter's vessel, and crushed like
summer dust under the wheels of the chariot. The door was
opened for doing Christ's work. There was a rich harvest,
and the labourers had only to go forward earnestly to the

348 Tlie Messages to the Seven Churches
work, and they should return with joy bringing their sheaves
with them.
There was an opening for the spread of gospel truth, and
the assurance given by Christ was the warrant to the Church
that in the use of means God would give His blessing. No
doubt there were Judaizing teachers trying to shut the door,
who pretended, as their fathers had claimed, to have the
key of knowledge, and who, in their exclusiveness, were
ready to shut out any who would not comply with their
requirements. Such had been the case in the Churches of
Galatia, and these false Jews were censured by St. Paul for
their efforts in endeavouring to close the door against any
who would not turn back to the weak and beggarly ele
ments of Judaism, whereunto they desired them again to be
in bondage (Gal. iv. 9). St Ignatius, in his Epistle to the
Church of Philadelphia,^ in his comment on the passage under
consideration, thus writes : " If any one preaches Judaism do
not hearken to him. It is better to receive Christianity, from
one who is circumcised, than Judaism from one who is uncir-
cumcised. Unless they preach Jesus Christ, they are mere
pillars and tombs of the dead, on which the names of men are
inscribed. Christ alone is the door to the .Father, through
which Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the Prophets and Apostles
of the Church, enter in." He alone can open the door of the
heart, as He did that of Lydia, so that men will attend to the
things that are spoken. The door of Christ's fold is wide
enough for all to enter — Him that cometh He will in no wise
cast out He has never left Himself without witness. When
men have tried to shut the door of His grace. He has kept it
open. In Ahab's time there were still seven thousand who had
not bowed the knee to Baal. A door was opened in Babylon
too, and the monarch on his throne had to acknowledge the
God of the captive Israelites, as the Lord of heaven and earth.
' S. Ignat., Ep. to Philad., sec. 6.

of Asia Minor. 349
In the early ages of Christianity, after the persecuting
power of Pagan Rome had spent itself — see that proud city
crumbling into fragments, and its fall paving the way for the
establishment of Christ's Kingdom. Christianity had its
adversaries then, as it has now, but, Hke Julian the Apostate,
they were forced to cry, " O Galilean, Thou hast conquered ! "
The word of God will have free course and be glorified, in
the conversion of sinners and in the ingathering of saints into
Christ's Kingdom, until the number of God's elect is accom
plished, and the Church shall be complete : and, at last. He
who has the key of David, shall open the bars of the grave,
and gather from east and west, and north and south. His scat
tered children, and presenting them before His Father and
our Father, His God and our God, shall say of them : " These
my children were dead and are alive again, they were lost and
are found." "Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world."
on piKpdv e%et? Bvvapiv, k.t.X., that thou hast little
power. In the rendering of our English version, and indeed
the Revised Version, the translation is not exact. It is not
" because thou hast a little strength," for that would be to
ascribe power to the Church of Philadelphia ; whereas it is
weakness that is intended, and in this weakness to make
manifest the power of God. Because human strength was
so slight, and yet it had been mighty through God to the
pulling down of strongholds — it had carried the truth success
fully into the ranks of paganism ; for the work of God was
spreading widely wherever ^ the ambassadors of the gospel
penetrated — this is the reason why the praise is here be
stowed. It is considered that the Church in Philadelphia
was poor in worldly goods, and possessed of but few earthly-
advantages ; hence, as it was at Corinth in the days of St
Paul, the foolishness of God was wiser than men ; and the
weakness of God stronger than men.

35° The Messages to the Seven Churches
God sets before the Church here an open door, because she
has little strength, her conscious weakness fitting her the more
as an object of the Lord's power. It shows how God takes
the weak things of this world to confound the mighty, and
things that are not to bring to nought things that are, that no
flesh should glory in His presence. We may suppose a weak
flock and a little flock, but it was the Father's good pleasure to
give them the kingdom. Though feeble in temporal power,
they were not so in spiritual ; they were rich in grace, rich in
faith and good works, and by persevering effort in the cause
of truth, never wearying in well doing, they might well be
pointed to as answering the question, " Who hath despised the
day of small things ? " Where there is but little strength, if
we only put it forth, in the act of using it more will be given.
Like the widow's oil, it will be multiplied. We should always
remember that, whatever we are, it is God's grace has made
us so. " By the grace of God I am what I am," was St Paul's
personal experience, and the same must be that of all
Christian believers till the end of time. Like the man with
the withered hand, when Christ told him to stretch it forth,
he made the effort, and in the act of doing so, it was restored
perfectly whole. It is not otherwise in God's gracious deal
ings with the soul. While there is no inherent power, while
spiritual paralysis has crept through every part, when Christ
manifests Himself, and knocks at the door of the heart, on
our putting forth the effort to receive Him, He will command
the blessing. When there are so many adversaries to contend
with, one would suppose that " little strength," would be
utterly inadequate to enable the spiritual combatant to fight
the good fight ; but just as the little pebble from the brook,
because it was directed by the power of God, smote down the
proud GoHath, so it needs no prophet to predict on what side
shall be the victory, for "as thy days, so shall thy strength be."
There had been some period in the history of the Church at

of Asia Minor. 351
Philadelphia when the faith of its members had been put to
the test We cannot specify the exact time, as we have no
data except what the passage here furnishes ; but whatever
that trial had been, whether persecution, such as had over
taken the Church in Smyrna, through Judaizing teachers, or
whether there had been an attempt made to obliterate the
past triumphs of the gospel, and to arrest its future progress,
it is cheering to have the testimony from the Saviour's lips —
" Behold I have set before thee a door opened, because thou
hast little strength, and didst keep My word, and didst not
deny My name." The door could not be shut when Christ
set it open. All the power of the combined forces of the
Prince of darkness would be in vain. The Angel of the
Church had kept the faith, he had been loyal to his Lord, he
had not been ashamed of Christ before men, he had not cried
" Anathema," as the unbelieving Jews did to the name of
Christ ; therefore, he receives the " Well done ! " from the
Church's Head. What a noble testimony to the primitive
excellence of this Church ! Well might they take up the
triumphant challenge of the Apostle of the Gentiles and say
— Who shall separate us from the love of Christ } Shall tri
bulation? No, it shall but hurry us to Him for shelter. Shall
distress f No ; it shall only make us grasp the more firmly
His pierced hand. Shall persecution? No; the dungeon shall
be a Bethel, and the Martyr's Cross shall only be the passport
to the Martyr's Crown. Shall famine ? No ; in the land of
His exile, the prodigal will more quickly return to His Father's
house where there is plenty and to spare. Shall nakedness ?
No ; there is a robe of spotless purity which Christ offers to
all who will accept it, in which we can stand in the presence of
God, faultless before His throne. Shall peril ? No ; as He
came in the fourth watch of the night to His despairing and
toiling disciples, who, through the rifts of the storm, saw His
form and heard His voice — so shall we, in the dark night of

352 The Messages to the Seven Chtrches
our difficulty, hear Him say, " It is I, be not afraid." Shall
sword ? No ; it is powerless to sever the ties which bind us
to the everlasting throne. " Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors, through Him that loved us."
Ver. 9. 'IBov, BiBwpi eK t-^? avvarywyrj^ tov Saravd twj'
XeyovTWV eavTOiK; 'JouSat'ou? etvat, /cat ovk eiaiv, aXXa -yfrev-
Bovraf tSou, TroiTjaw avroi)'} iva rj^wai Kai TrpoaKVvrjawaiv
evwTTiov TWV TTwBwv cTou, Kal yvwaiv on e7ta rjyarrrjaa ae.
Behold I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them which say
they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie ; behold, / will make
tJiem to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that f
have loved thee. Tbe most inveterate enemies of the Church
of Christ were the Jews. We read of them in Thessalonica,
in Smyrna, and here in Philadelphia ; and in every case most
hostile and embittered against the Christians. In Palestine,
they were the sole persecutors of the Church ; and, elsewhere,
if they did not directly oppose the Gospel, they instigated
others to do so. In Smyrna, the same term, " Synagogue of
Satan," is applied to them as here. The Jews claimed to
be God's people, but they who denied that Jesus was the
Son of God, who reproached and reviled Him, could not
belong to the true synagogue ; they were a synagogue of
Satan, and were unworthy of the name Jew. The curse
they invoked upon themselves, when they cried that Christ's
blood might be on them and on their children, is still in
force, and in the persecution of Christians they have been in
every age crucifying the Son of God afresh. In the ancient
Epistle of the Church of Smyrna, containing an account
of the martyrdom of Polycarp, we find that no people
were more virulent and wicked than the Jews. Christ's
message to the Smyrneans was, not to fear their enemies,
but to be faithful unto death. There was One with His
people then, as there had been in the fiery furnace with the

of Asia Minor. 353
three Hebrew children, and , they should come forth from
every trial and persecution unscathed. But here the Saviour
goes a step further, and extends His promise ; for it is not
only that the Church of Philadelphia should be preserved
from the power of the enemy, but that it should triumph over
its most powerful foes — that the very opponents of Christ, who
were now working with malice against the spread of Gospel
truth and trying to extinguish it from the face of the earth,
would, many of them, be brought to conviction, and led to
acknowledge that God was with His people of a truth. The
very wrath of man would be overruled so as to be made to
praise God. There was to be a sifting of the Church, a time of
fierce persecution ; and many of these very people who were
then the most determined opponents of Christianity would,
when the Heathen power involved all in one common calam
ity, come and do homage to those noble confessors of Christ,
when they saw their consistent lives and virtuous conduct
taking knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.
Stier considers the allusion is here not to Jewish con
verts, but to false Christians, who should be aroused to see
their sin of opposing God, and be humbled and converted ;
and he says in a note : ^ " The Apocalypse, so frequently
condemned as Jewish, nowhere speaks expressly of Israel's
restoration, and final place of honour ; only in chap. xx. 9,
is there even a hidden allusion to it Here in chap. iii. 9,
there is certainly no reference to the conversion of the Jews
and missions to that people." Archbishop Trench, on the
other hand, sees the Jewish persecutors of the Church of
Christ in Philadelphia acknowledging the presence of God
in that Church, and brought to own Jesus of Nazareth, as
the promised Messiah, of whom Moses and the Prophets
did write. In further proof of this position, in the Epistle
of St Ignatius to the Philadelphian Church, sec. 8, p. 102,
1 Stier, Words of Risen Saviour, p. 1 86.
A A

354 The Messages to the Seven Churches
it is taken for granted that there were then in the Church of
Philadelphia those who were converts from the Jewish faith ;
for St. Ignatius writes, " I have heard some say. Unless I find
it in the ancient writings, I will not believe in the gospel
... but to me the most ancient records are Jesus Christ."
We are not to expect a general conversion of Jews in this
dispensation — only a remnant according to the election of
grace — nor are we to look for the Gospel universally received
before the Second Advent, for it is only to be preached for a
witness unto all nations ; and what occurred at Philadelphia
in those early days of Christianity is still manifest in the world.
We have seen in the history of the Church, many who were
its greatest enemies — who were infuriate against it — led to the
feet of Jesus. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Is not His
word as the hammer that breaketh the flinty rock in pieces ?
And when its power is seen in the life of a Christian, is it not
a proof that Jesus is still in the midst of us ? When a man's
ways please the Lord, He maketh his enemies to be at peace
with him ; and when He reclaims the wanderer, when He
restrains the lawless, when He changes the stony heart into
one of flesh, and stays the fury of the persecutor — can it be
doubted that Christ loves His Church, and will permit no
weapon formed against it to prosper ? These very persons,
who had been of the synagogue of Satan, would come and
be willing to take the lowest offices in the Church, and do
homage to those whom they once persecuted, just as it was
in the early days of Christianity, when we read of a great
company of the priests becoming obedient to the faith, or the
gaoler at Philippi falling down trembling at the feet of Paul
and Silas, or when at Ephesus multitudes brought their
books of curious arts — the 'Eifteaia ypdppiara — and burned
them, " and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty
thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God
and prevailed " (Acts xix. 19, 20).

of Asia Minor. 355
Ver. 10. "Oti eT-)jpr]aa<i tov Xoyov tij? UTTO/tov^? p,ov, Kdyw
ae TTjprjaw eK t% wpa'i tov Treipaap^v Trj'i p^eXXovat]'; epxeaQai
irrl Tfjf oiKovpivrji oXrj^, rreipdaai Toi>^ KaroiKOVVTaf errl Trj<}
717?. Because thou didst keep the word of My patience, I also
will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which shall
come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the
earth. What are we to understand by the word of Christ's
patience? Was it the message of Christ that taught en
durance, as we find in Matt. xxiv. 13, " He that endureth to
the end, the same shall be saved " ; or the injunction in the
same connexion, when speaking of the persecution His dis
ciples should meet from their adversaries. He said, " In your
patience possess ye your souls"? Does He here inculcate
the exhibition of that calm, meek submission on the part of
the Church at Philadelphia, which He who had endured the
contradiction of sinners against Himself had ever shown ?
In the life of Jesus, " The Man of Sorrows and acquainted
with grief," we see at all times a spirit of meekness and long-
suffering. When the disciples would have called down fire
from heaven upon the Samaritans, He rebuked them, and said,
" Ye know not what spirit ye are of. The Son of Man came
not to destroy men's lives, but to save them." The word of
Christ's patience may be taken as denoting the whole of His
teaching, which, from His Sermon on the Mount to His last
utterances, was full of that calm spirit of endurance under
injuries wrongly inflicted, and which we look for in vain in
the teaching of the Jewish Rabbis. The people whom he
addressed were not to retaliate, or render evil for evil, but '
wait patiently until Christ should come, who would render to
every man according to his works.
Persecution was at hand either in the reign of Domitian,
or that of Trajan, which would be more fierce and wide
spread than it had been during the reign of Nero, whose
violence was directed chiefly against the Christians in Rome.

356 The Messages to the Seven Churches
The Church's Divine Head is desirous to prepare the Christ
ians for the trials which were yet before them. They were
not to be exempted from persecution — " Yea, and all who
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution," St.
Paul had already declared. This was part of the discipline
by which God was to prepare the Church for the calm and
rest of heaven. Better to suffer patiently for well doing,
than fall under the punishment justly deserved for wrong
doing. In the one case, it would prove salutary, in the other
it would be penal. The attitude of the Philadelphian Church
had been one of patient waiting for Christ. They did not
cry with the prophet of old, " O that Thou wouldst rend
the heavens and come down " ; but were looking, through the
events of providence, to Him who was " ordering all things
according to the counsel of His own will." There were in
the Church many who had borne aggravated and cruel suffer
ings, simply because they were the followers of the meek and
lowly Jesus, and in this way they had shown they were not
ashamed of Him, and of the cause for which they suffered.
They had been following the blessed steps of His most holy
life, " Who did no sin neither was guile found in His mouth,
who when He was reviled, reviled not again, when He
suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him
that judgeth righteously," and who had taught publicly, both
by precept and example, the glory of patience under unde
served wrong. " Blessed are ye when men shall revile you,
and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you
falsely. Rejoice and be exceeding glad."
Christians are not to seek persecution or trial, but, when it
comes, they are to be brave and meet it with calm endurance.
There are professing Christians who will tell us, this submis
sion to undeserved wrong is unmanly — that it evinces weak
ness and cowardice, and is unworthy of that force of character
which should characterize those who claim to be men. But

of Asia Minor. 357
they who thus speak have never asked themselves, in what
does moral strength consist ? The ancients thought heroism,
courage, physical strength, were the essence of virtue, and
the Greek word, djoeT^ (virtue), was derived from "Aprj<i,
Mars, the god of war. Moral strength is not greatest when
most demonstrative ; on the contrary, to calmly await the
issues of God's dealings as our blessed Redeemer did, and
bless a scoffing world from beneath His crown of thorns, is
an illustration of moral strength greater than the excitement
which leads the soldier into the thick of battle, or to charge
the enemy at the cannon's mouth. The rule laid down by
our Lord is positive. It is not for us to cry " an eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth," but rather to listen to the
Divine teaching, " But I say unto you, that ye resist not
evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn
to him the other also." " As He is, so are we in this world."
We are to be followers of Him ; and therefore if we would
be kept by Him, we must also keep the word of His patience.
How far the tribulation extended, which is here alluded
to, we have no possibility of ascertaining. The clause, " them
that dwell upon the earth," is indefinite, although, in the
previous part of the . verse, the trial is said to be about to
come on all the world. But " all the world " is an expression
which frequently is used in the New Testament to denote
the Roman Empire ; and this may have been the meaning
of it' in the time of Trajan, who caused St Ignatius, Bishop
of Antioch, to be martyred for the faith, in the year 107,
very shortly after the time of St. John. The Angel of the
Philadelphian Church, to whom the promise is here made, is
spoken of by St. Ignatius in terms which exactly correspond
to his having kept " the word of Christ's patience " ; for he
says that " he knew him not to have obtained the ministry
by selfish, or worldly motives, nor through vainglory, but
from the love of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

358 The Messages to the Seven Churches
I am perfectly charmed with His meekness ; when silent, he
exhibits more power than vain speakers." ^ The passage here
alluding to the tribulation which was to try them that dwell
upon the earth, may have a prophetic bearing upon the latter
days as to the Church of Christ There will, no doubt, be
an hour of temptation before the final conflict, when some
will be influenced by strong delusion to believe a lie ; but
there will be also the faithful who, by watchfulness and
prayer, will keep the word of Christ's patience, and who will
find the protection promised, and be triumphant in the
struggle. Ver. 1 1. 'Epxopai Ta^v' Kpdrei o ej^ei?, iva p,rjBel<; Xd^rj tov
aretfjavov aov. T come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast,
that no one take thy crown. The word 'ISou, Behold, is not
in the Greek. It is a spurious reading from Rev. xxii. 7,
and it has been omitted in the Revised Version. This word,
introduced frequently by the prophets in order to call atten
tion to- their communications, is used on several occasions
in the Revelation.
The Second Advent of Christ is the sum and substance
of the Apocalypse. It is the keynote struck in the be
ginning of the first chapter, and it re-echoes throughout the
entire book until its close. It was the star of hope to the
suffering Church ; for, however great her trials, she felt that
they would be of short duration, and more than compensated
by the exceeding weight of glory she should realize when
He, who is the Church's Life, should appear. But though the
announcement, " I come quickly," led the Church to believe
that the Second Advent was near, one generation succeeded
after another without seeing the object of their hope attained.
This seemed to confound all ideas of nearness and dis
tance ; but an event, which would be remote, when measured
• Ignat., Epist. to Philad., sec. 1.

of Asia Minor. 359
by a finite scale, would be near to an intellect that
gathers as into a point two mighty eternities. There was
a certain nearness according to Divine computation, but a
possible nearness according to human ; and there was a wise
design in this, for it was to meet the conditions of the
Church in all ages. It was among the things God had kept
in His own power ; He did not make the exact time a subject
of revelation.
There are things He has put in our power. He has ijiade
known certain facts to us, and when He has done so. He
has in a sense rendered it impossible to recall these facts.
He cannot lie. He cannot change. He cannot deny Him
self — but the precise period of the Second Advent is un
known to men and angels. This is designed to promote
watchfulness ; for had there been a fixed time revealed, or
had a time been named so distant that a given generation
could have calculated on living out its day, the world would
have been lulled into carnal security, and a spiritual lethargy
would have seized all its members. As it is, it is difficult to
prevent even those who are waiting for Christ from slumber
ing. "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered
and slept" The course of Providence has afforded us certain
landmarks by which we may take our bearings, and find
our position ; but if there is one thing more objectionable
than another, it is to hear people speak of that great event,
as if they themselves were possessed of the spirit of prophecy,
and to make positive statements, many of which even the
very men who made them have lived to see falsified.
We are to wait, as well as watch, not to yield to impatience,
and be led to say with the scoffers, " Where is the promise of
His coming, for since the fathers fell asleep, all things con
tinue as they were from the beginning of the creation ? " It
is not reverent to lift the lid of the ark and look within. We
must be content to survey the outlines of prophecy fulfilled

360 The Messages to the Seven Churches.
and being fulfilled, and feel that, though Christ's Advent may
not be in our day, it shall assuredly take place when the pre
paratory processes shall have been completed. God's move
ments are slow and regular. How slow are the processes
of the natural world — the long progressions by which it was
fitted up as the abode of man — how slow, too, were the de
velopments of Revelation, when four thousand years elapsed
before a manifested Saviour took His place among the things
of time and sense ! See also the events of history, all of
which had a long period of preparation. The flood did not
come until the wickedness of man had reached its utmost
limit, and until a hundred and twenty years had been allowed
to pass, during which offers of mercy were held out in vain.
Or to take an event in more recent time, the French Revolu
tion. We might suppose from the suddenness with which
it burst in 1789, that it was the result of some immediate
impulse, and had no previous period of preparation ; but,
as Canon Liddon observes, its forces were collecting
slowly and surely for three generations at least, amid the
splendours and sins of the old French monarchy. The
Second Advent is not yet at our doors ; but if we can gauge
the deep things of prophecy — now matters of history — with
any degree of accuracy, we are forced to believe that every
thing is in preparation for it As moments pass, as actions
are done or left undone, as lives are lived, there is a secret
communication between earth and heaven, and when all is
complete, the announcement shall be made, " It is done ! "
" The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of
our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever."
We are told that in the last days perilous times shall come.
We have much to be thankful for, but never were the days
of peril more appalling than now. Lawfully constituted au
thority is resisted, and its claims are ignored ; and secularism,
socialism, and infidelity are raising their hydra-like heads, in

of Asia Minor. 361
ungovernable rage, and spreading consternation and panic over
the face of the earth. Forty years after our Lord's ascension,
Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Jews were scattered to the
four winds of heaven, to be trodden under foot of the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Wherever there is
a Jew on the face of the earth, he affords eloquent evidence
of the truth of Christianity. We point to him and say. In
your history and the history of your race, has not the impre
cation, " His blood be upon us, and on our children," been
fully verified 1 There is too the gradual " drying up of the
Euphrates," or the wasting away of the Mahometan power.
There is fast approaching, judging from the clouds now
gathering, a terrible struggle between light and darkness ;
and although God shall never be left without a witness, yet
from our Lord's own words, " when the Son of Man cometh
shall He find faith on the earth } " it would seem as if these
witnesses would be few.
There never was a time when scoffers were more numerous,
or when faith in the supernatural had lost its hold on men's
minds to the same extent as the present. All looks quiet and
settled, say they, events occur in regular sequence, nature's
uniformity prevails, and the cycles of -time revolve precisely as
a thousand years ago. An iron law of necessity regulates
creation, and there is nothing new under the sun. This may
be the treacherous calm, before the outbursting of the storm.
This may be the pause, like that given for the Christians
before Jerusalem's overthrow to flee to Pella. As it was in
the days of Noah, as it was in the days of Lot, so shall the
coming of the Son of Man be. There are a few certain land
marks which we find laid down for our guidance.^ If the
Second Advent was near in the days of the Seer of Patmos,
how much nearer now 1 When we see these things begin
to come to pass, we are told to lift up our heads, for our
1 See on Rev. i. 7.

362 The Messages to the Seven Churches
redemption draweth nigh. The announcement, " I come
quickly," how greatly it must have animated and encouraged
the Philadelphian Church, which had been told of the coming
trial that was to, try all that dwell on the earth. Though the
opposing forces were powerful, though the contest would be
severe, yet there was One coming to redress the overweighted
balance, and who would dash to pieces the enemies of His
Church, and uphold those who had not been ashamed to
confess the faith of Christ crucified.
Kpdrei o 6p(;et?, k.tX., hold that fast which thou hast, that no
one take thy crown. The time was at hand when they should
no longer be "prisoners of hope." Their calm endurance
would soon be ended, and their patience would have its perfect
work. The crown of Hfe would be bestowed, but not till the
end. They were yet in the battle of life, and the crown was
not to be conferred till the warfare was accomplished. The
exhortation given here is to hold fast that thou hast. What
was this .? Was it her little strength — her heroic patience —
and her unflagging zeal — all of which had been characteristic
of this Church ? Stier paraphrases the verse thus : "Hold fast
thy standing in grace, with persevering fidelity, that no man
may receive at the last thy crown of victory ; that is, instead
of thyself" Surely we are not to suppose there are a certain
number of crowns laid up, which if some were forfeited, other
competitors would receive. There will be crowns of righte
ousness for all them who love Christ's appearing. There is
a crown for each faithful servant, and no one can lose his
crown but by his own fault "It is not the will of your
Father that one of these little ones, which believe in Me,
should perish." God willeth all men to be saved. The word,
crown, is not BiaBfjpa, but arecjjavo';. The latter was the
laurel crown made of bay leaves, or parsley, which, at the
Olympic and other games, was given to the conqueror.
The figure is here introduced as applicable to the Church

of Asia Minor. 363
at Philadelphia contending for the faith once delivered unto
the saints, and its members are called upon to endure hard
ness as good soldiers. Amid all their patient endurance,
they were ever to be looking forward, keeping their eyes
fixed on the things which God hath prepared for them that
love Him. They were not to look back, as this was the
first step towards apostasy. They were to keep the crown
in view, and not lose it in the battle of life. Indeed, the
language here used would lead us to suppose that, though
still a militant Church, it was assured of the prize for which
it was contending. In this case, it should never be that the
last should be first and the first last, yet still warning was
needful. St Paul could say, " I have fought a good fight ;
I have finished my course, I have kept the faith ; henceforth
there is a crown of righteousness laid up for me, and not for
me only, but for all them also that love His (Christ's) appear
ing " ; a^d yet in i Cor. ix. 27, he speaks as if he had not that
assurance which he expresses here, and as if he did not know
whether he might not fall away from grace given, and become
reprobate. It is a dangerous error which has crept in among
some professing Christians to speak of personal assurance
of salvation, as if they had entered within the pearly gates,
and were walking the golden floor of heaven. It is true we
should endeavour to give all diligence to make our calling
and election sure, to ascertain what the ground of our hope
is, and to labour that our hearts condemn us not of any dis
regard or neglect of duty which we owe to God ; but, even
then, we can only see ourselves as man seeth, and it would
be highly presumptuous to suppose that there are not many
defects in us which have escaped our own detection, that are
apparent to the eye of Him who seeth not as man seeth, and
in whose sight the very heavens are unclean.
What then may we regard as implied in the exhortation,
"hold fast that thou hast"? If the Church at Philadelphia

364 The Messages to the Seven Churches
did not hold fast what was here enjoined, it should lose the
crown. The injunction implies, Hold fast the truth. Buy
the truth and sell it not — keep fast the word of Christ's
patience. It is the rule of your life, and of your faith. It is
the gift of God to your souls, and in it you hear His voice
speaking to His children. It contains all things necessary
to salvation ; and while it discloses an answer to the question.
How shall a man be just with God ? it reveals also the secret
as to how we may be made meet for heaven.
" This lamp from off the everlasting throne
Mercy brought down, and in the night of time
Stands, casting on the dark its azure bow.
And evermore beseeching men with sighs and tears.
And earnest prayers, to read, believe and live."
Hold fast Christ and Him crucifled. Justification through
faith in Him has been well called the Article of a standing
or a falling Church. Whenever we lose sight of this grand
cardinal doctrine of Christianity, we get entangled with
human systems, and lose our way. This is the great stem of
the tree of Christianity ; all other doctrines are like the shoots
which branch from it. It is the great keystone of faith. Let
this be weakened, undermined, or removed, and all hope
perishes. If I am told I need absolution, I can say, "Who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect .' It is God
that justifieth ; who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that
died ; yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right
hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." If it is
said, I must do good works which may procure God's favour,
I find it written : " But after the kindness and love of God our
Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us
by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost" If I want peace with God, " Being justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" If

of Asia Minor. 365
I want a title to heaven, I, hear the voice of Jesus saying, " By
Me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in
and out and find pasture." All we need we have in Christ.
He is made to us our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, so that he that glorieth let him glory in
the Lord.
But, what was the Church at Philadelphia specially en
joined to hold fast 1 They had little strength ; they were to
use it, and to find that they could do all things through Christ
who strengthened them. They had an open door — means of
usefulness ; they were to keep it open in the face of all oppo
sition, knowing that more were they who were for them than
they who were against them. They had exercised patience ;
they were still to endure, like Moses, as seeing Him who was
invisible. They had been zealous in Christ's cause ; they were
not now " to weary in well doing," but go on adding to their
Christian virtues and excellences, so that they should be
neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ. All these graces were to shine conspicuously
in their daily lives, and these saving principles were to be
treasured up in their hearts ; and whatever sorrows or troubles
might come, yet they should fear no evil, but feel that though
the mountains should depart and the hills be removed, God's
loving kindness should not depart from them, nor should the
covenant of His peace be removed. Hold fast that which thou
hast ; that no man take thy crown. The crown which is laid
up for thee in heaven — it is yours, and see that you are not
deprived of it by your own default Persevere in the course
which you have begun — ^be faithful unto death, and yours
shall be the crown of life. Trench paraphrases the passage
thus : " Let no man, Christ would say, deprive thee of the
glorious reward laid up for thee in heaven, of which many
of My adversaries and thine would fain rob thee ; but which
only one, even thyself can ever cause thee to lose indeed."

o

66 The Messages to the Seven Churches

Ver. 12. 'O viKwv, rroirjaw avrov arvXov iv tw vaw rov Qeov
pov Kal e^w oil p,rj e^eXdjj en, Kal ypdyfrw err avrov to ovop,a
TOU Qeoij p.ov, Kal to ovopa Trj'i rroXewi tov Qeov p,ov, rrjg
Kaivrj'i 'lepovaaXrjp, rj Kara^aivovaa iK tov ovpavov drrb tov
Qeov pov, Kal to 6vojj,d p,ov to Kaivov. He that overcometh I
will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall
go out thence no m,ore : and I will write upon him the name
of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new
Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God,
and Mine own new name. The successful competitors in the
Christian race have a higher honour than that to which
reference is made in the preceding verse. There they are
spoken of as about to be crowned like the athlete who won
the prize in the ancient games ; but here there is still some
thing more to be enjoyed when the struggle is over, and
which is fitted to give fresh stimulus to the Philadelphian
Church in running, the heavenly race, and to inspire it with
fresh ardour in maintaining the fight of faith. " To him that
overcometh." The Judaizing teachers would require to be
met, and their false tenets exposed, and afterwards when
tribulation should arise because of the word, they who would
be found faithful in the trying ordeal, they who would hold
fast that which they had hitherto held — their zeal, their faith,
their constancy, patience, the Httle strength they had — would
have an honour bestowed upon them by the Son of God,
in comparison with which the noblest rewards conferred on
earth's heroes would fade away into obscurity. What that
honour would be opens up to us some of those grand and
glorious visions, with which the Book of Revelation closes.
" I win make him a pillar in the temple of My God."
It has been thought by some that, as reference is made in
the previous part of this Epistle, to Shebna, the steward of
Hezekiah, and Eliakim, who was Prefect of the Palace, the
former having been degraded, while the latter was raised to

of Asia Minor. 367
the highest dighity, so here there is an allusion to this cir
cumstance, in the promise that he that overcometh should
go no more out ; that is, that he should not be cast out and
displaced as Shebna was, but that Christ would make him a
pillar in the temple of His God ; like to Eliakim, who was to
be fastened as a nail in a sure place. But there is something
very much higher in dignity than this allusion would typify ;
and the "pillar in the temple of My God," is an emblem
of distinction and glory to be enjoyed at Christ's Second
Advent, when the New Jerusalem shall come down from
heaven. The word, " pillar," aptly applies here ; for Philadelphia had
been frequently visited by earthquakes, and the emblem of
stability and permanence has a special significance. St. John
was familiar with the Temple of Jerusalem — he had gone out
and in with Him who was Lord of the Temple — he had been
amongst the Twelve who were admiring the stones of that
Temple when Christ foretold that there should not be left one
stone upon another that should not be thrown down. Now, if
there were in the Philadelphian Church converts from Judaism,
they must have known something of the colossal marble pillars
which were the glory of the Herodian Temple, and which
symbolized strength and duration. Or, looking back through
the vista of a thousand years, perhaps our Lord would remind
that Church of the two bronze pillars which stood in front
of the Temple of king Solomon, and which remained amid
all the vicissitudes of the nation, until the time of the Cap
tivity, when they were broken up by the Chaldeans (Jer.
Hi. iS7). They were called Jachin (Establishment) and Boaz
(Strength). Both pillars pointed to the God of Israel as the
support and upholder of His Church. Now he who would
overcome should be like one of those pillars, not in the
Church on earth, but in the Heavenly Temple. And when
we think of what is said of the Church of Philadelphia^—

368 The Messages to the Seven Churches
" Thou hast little strength " — out of weakness she is made
strong — does not the promise here show how Christ can
take the humblest, weakest instrument in His Church, and
fit him for holding the highest dignity and honour in glory ?
Bishop Wordsworth says that, in the ancient temples of Asia,
the country to which St John wrote, and of Greece, pillars of
temples were often sculptured in human shape, such as the
Caryatides or Canephorce, now standing in the Erectheum at
Athens, and the Atlantes, Telamones, and Persse, of which
some specimens are still visible at Pompeii, and are repre
sented in the paintings on the Baths of Titus, at Rome.^
Indeed the word, " pillar," has been applied in Gal. ii. 9, to
SS. Peter, James, and John. The Church at Jerusalem was
the Temple of the living God ; and these Apostles, who are
called "pillars," were so designated from the power with
which they taught the great doctrines of Christianity, just as
the Jews applied the term to designate the great teachers
of the law. In classical writers the same idea is conveyed —
where for example, we read, arvXoi ydp oXkwv eial iralBa
dpaeve'i, " Male children are the piUars of houses " (Eurip.
fph. T, 57). As the faithful at Philadelphia had upheld the
cause of Christ against their adversaries, they might well be
called pillars ; but whatever they had been on earth, Christ
says of every one that would overcome, he should be a pillar
in the house of His God. In the words of Isaiah, " Even
to them will I give in Mine house, and within My walls, a
place and a name better than of sons and daughters. I will
give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off""
(Isa. Ivi. S).
Archbishop Trench does not think there is any reference
whatever in the promise to the Church at Philadelphia to the
pillars that were in the porch of Solomon's Temple, because
the words, " and he shall go no more out," would imply that
' Bishop Wordsworth, on Rev., p. i8a

of Asia Minor. 369
the pillars were within the Temple, whereas they were always
without the Temple, and would have served very ill to set
forth the blessedness of the redeemed, who shall be always
within it But it is a vexed question as to whether the
bronze pillars were in the porch, or before it, and whether
they formed supports to the roof, or were merely ornamental.
The language of Scripture is not decisive on this point.
Rawlinson tells us that the Phoenicians used isolated metal
columns as sacred ornaments ; and the late Dean Stanley
says, that " when we get a representation of a Phoenician
temple, it always has a pillar, or pillars, standing within or
before it." There are others who have argued that the pillars
were within the porch, and were made to give support to the
roof of the porch, which was 30 feet wide, and required some
such pillars upon which to rest beams ; but the balance of
evidence is in favour of the view that the pillars, Jachin and
Boaz, were within the porch, not as affording support to the
roof, but as ornaments, to give beauty and dignity to the
temple, and to symbolize the power and dignity of the Being
to whom it was dedicated.^
May we not suppose that the word "pillar," is to be
taken here in the abstract, just as we find it applied in
Gal. ii. 9, where the Apostles are called by this name, from
the manner in which they had upheld, the truth of God, and
proclaimed it to the world ? The Church is called the pillar
and ground of the truth, because it upholds the truth and
displays it to the world. Now he that overcometh would
be like one of those finished and stable pillars which St.
John was familiar with, as beautifying and giving dignity to
buildings. He should be in the heavenly temple — essentially
changed from what he was here, " having but Httle strength "
— stablished, strong, and unfailing as a pillar ; as in Zech.
xii. 8 : "In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of
' See Pulp. Comm., on i Kings vii. 21. B B

370 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Jerusalem ; and he that is feeble among them at that day
shall be as David, and the house of David shall be as God,
as the angel of the Lord before them." Their dwelling
would be in God's house, and the idea of security, safety,
and strength, is implied in their going no more out. All
temptation shall there be at an end, and there shall be no
danger of any falling back ; for having reached that place
of honour and eminence, its happy enjoyment can never
be forfeited. Even on earth we may regard those who are
eminent for piety as pillars to the Church. There is no one
that comes in contact with the excellent of the earth, who, if
not benefited, but must have his responsibilities increased.
Pillars were erected in ancient times to record remarkable
events. Trajan's Column at Rome was one such ; and if
we go back to Jewish times, Samuel, on the occasion of the
deliverance wrought for the nation by God in scattering and
discomfiting the Philistines, raised a pillar at Mizpeh, with
the inscription : " Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." So
shall the Christian conqueror be a monument in the City
of God, and in the Heavenly Temple, to that grace which
enabled him to overcome ; a monument which will last when
earth and the things upon it shall be consumed, one which
the rude hand of time shall not deface, but which shall
remain immoveable among the things that are shaken.
There is a beautiful contrast shown here, as has been
already observed, between the Church " with little strength,"
struggling against its formidable foes in the world, and now
having accomplished her warfare, fixed in everlasting security
and strength ; and there may be also noticed a second con
trast between the holding fast that which the Church had
received on earth, and being now a pillar set fast in the
temple of God.^ Who but the dweHer in Philadelphia, a
city so frequently visited by earthquakes, that the inhabit-
' Bishop Wordsworth, on Rev., p. 180.

of Asia Minor. 371
ants had on several occasions, at the first premonitory
symptoms, to betake themselves to the fields to escape im
mediate death — who but he could so well enter into the
fulness of the promise that he should go no more out .'
Time after time had all the stately columns pf the heathen
temples and other public edifices been laid in ruins, and there
was no guarantee that scenes of desolation might not at any
moment appear. Now the promise taught the Church to
look forward to a day when these disasters should have for
ever ceased, and when safety and stability would mark the
Christian's dwelling place — when he should never be startled
by the rumbling earthquake, and when he should never have
occasion to go any more out As a recent writer has beau
tifully said, alluding to the promise, " He shall go out no
more " — for no earthquake can move the eternal pillars, no
shaking of the strong foundations drive out the inhabitants
of the Heavenly City.^
There is a striking appropriateness in this promise, if we
think of the special antagonists which the Church at Phila
delphia had to contend with — if we think of a Synagogue
of Satan, of unbelieving Jews, who were using all craft and
subtilty of unrighteousness to undermine the faith of the
Christians. Probably they would say. Why do you abandon
the teaching of the Prophets ? Why separate yourselves
from God's ancient people } You have no city to pray to
wards, and you cannot expect God to accept your worship.
Renounce Jesus of Nazareth, and attach yourselves to us who
have the promises, covenants, and hopes of the Fathers, and
God will then be ready to hear your prayers and help you.
Christ's promise is, " Him that overcometh (this temptation
among others) will I make a pillar in the temple of My God,"
in the temple not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Whatever may be the treatment he shall experience at the
1 Tristram, Seven Golden Candlesticks, p. 124.

372 The Messages to the Seven Churches
hands of the Synagogue of Satan— excommunication or ex
clusion — from the heavenly temple he shall go no more out
Besides, when St. John wrote the Revelation, we may con
sider the Temple at Jerusalem was no more. The soldiers
of Titus had burned it, and by fire and sword had brought
incalculable suffering on the nation. The Church at Phila
delphia might therefore ask. Where is now your Temple
that was once your boast ? It has fallen, and your race are
scattered to be trodden under foot of the Gentiles until the
times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. You are to be a hissing
and a by-word among all nations ; but we. Christians, have
a kingdom that cannot be removed — we have a city whose
builder and maker is God — we have a Temple lighted up by
the presence of God and the Lamb. Jerusalem may become a
desolation, but we are citizens of Heaven, from whose ineffable
glory we can never be separated, but where we shall stand
as pillars to perpetuate the praise of Him who loved us and
washed away our sins in His own blood.
" He shall go no more out." While here there is the
possibility of failure ; to the very last we need to exercise
constant watchfulness and prayer ; and even an Apostle,
who was indeed a pillar, feared lest he should fail at last
and be rejected ; but the conquerors in the battle of life
are to have, as the reward of their earnest and persevering
struggles, an assurance of a permanent possession. They
had each been " living stones " in the spiritual Temple on
earth ; nbw they are to be " pillars " in the heavenly.
Truly beautiful are St Augustine's ardent aspirations to
realize the promise here made to the Philadelphian Church,
when he exclaimed : " Quis non desideret illam Civitatem
unde amicus non exit, quo inimicus non intrat?" "Who is
there that will not long for that City, out of which no friend
departs, and into which no enemy can enter } "
When they have reached the heavenly kingdom, the object

of Asia Minor. 373
of their ambition, they are closed in for ever— for ever with
the Lord — the doors are shut to afford them security, and to
exclude the stranger and alien, who would intermeddle with
their joy. They have gained the victory on earth, and now
the warfare over, the great tribulation forgotten, they stand
before the throne. Already has heaven been gathering in
the spoils of many generations, already many a noble pillar
has been erected within the portals of the Great Temple — the
gate is yet open — yet there is room. But soon heaven's door
shall be shut, to keep in the family when all are gathered
home; and those very Philadelphian witnesses shall be among
the brightest trophies of the Saviour's conquest, their lustre
undimmed by any passing cloud, and their stability un
affected by change, and unimpaired by time.
KoX ypd-yfrw err avrov, k.t.X., and I will write upon him the
name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the
new Jerusalem, etc. Inscriptions were in ancient times, as
they are now, engraven on pillars, but the idea of a pillar is in
this part of the verse lost sight of, and what is promised now
is an inscription written upon the victor himself. The name
of God will be written on their foreheads (Rev. xiv. i),to indi
cate whose they are, to show openly that they belong to God ;
not as when they were on earth, frequently unnoticed and
unknown amongst men ; and to exhibit to the Universe their
right and title to be admitted into the Heavenly City. Like
the Jewish High Priest who, upon his forehead, wore a golden
plate attached to the mitre, on which was inscribed, " Holiness
to the Lord," so here the conqueror would have the name
of God inscribed on his forehead, to mark proprietorship.
While on earth, they were priests unto God, in so far as pre
senting their bodies as a living sacrifice, as offering the sacrifice
of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of their lips
giving thanks to His name ; and now they are sharers with
their Lord in his kingly priesthood. That royal priesthood

374 The Messages to the Seven Churches
they enjoyed in some degree while even on earth, for they
were members of the mystical body of Christ, who is a priest
for ever after the order of Melchizedek ; but now they are
manifest as kings and priests unto God, by having God's
name written on their foreheads. It will be then apparent in
whose service they had been enlisted, to what family they
belonged, and what noble acts they had done to prove their
right to be recognised and estabHshed as pillars in heaven.
The name of God was not only to be written upon them,
but their heavenly citizenship proclaimed. " And the name of
the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down
out of heaven from My God, and Mine own new name ! "
The rights and immunities of the new Jerusalem were to be
theirs who should conquer. They should become citizens of
that city which is above, whose builder and maker is God,
and which city shall be ultimately manifested as the dwelling
place of God with His saints. All should know the city to
which the conqueror belonged, and to whose privileges he
was entitled. There is clearly reference here to Rev. xxi.
IO. Roman citizenship was the highest honour that could
be conferred for services rendered to the state, and was the
much coveted dignity of many who desired to come under the
protection of ancient Rome. It might be inherited, pur
chased, or conferred as a reward for faithful service. It was
the proud boast of St. Paul that he was a free born Roman
citizen, which the chief captain had acquired after a lifelong
ambition only by purchase (Acts xxii. 28). This dignity in
cluded the right of voting in the Roman tribes, the privilege
of being under Roman law, the protection of the Empire, the
right of appeal from an alien tribunal to the imperial power ;
and, by the Porcian and Sempronian laws, the man who
enjoyed Roman citizenship could neither be bound nor
scourged. Cicero says : " Facinus est vincire civem Roma-
num ; scelus verberari." Whoever possessed this privilege,

of Asia Minor. 375
which was alike the envy and the pride of thousands, might
freely breathe the air of liberty, and proudly bid defiance to
his enemies. Citizenship was the palladium of safety, and
the guarantee of speedy redress from wrong.
Now taking this figure, the Apostle of the Gentiles speaks
of heavenly citizenship (Phil. i. 27 ; iii. 20). The kingdom of
heaven is even now (vTrdpxei) our kingdom, to which as citizens
we belong. Though absent in body, still we enjoy its civic
privileges and protection. It is possible to live in a city,
and not be a sharer in its privileges ; but while here our
TO TToXfreu/ta eV ovpavol<i vrrdp^ei — our freedom as citizens
already exists — our kingdom is present. We are united to
Christ, we are members of His mystical body, and if the Head
is in heaven, so virtually are we there also. While here on
earth we are only pilgrims and sojourners ; here we have no
continuing city, but we are journeying to our true home, the
eternal city, whose rights and prerogatives we even now enjoy.
We are under the protection of the heavenly Jerusalem, we
owe it true loyalty and patriotism. We owe obedience to the
laws of the state of which we are subjects ; it should be our
constant endeavour to conform to the will of Christ, and yield
to Him a willing service. And while we have duties to per
form, we have also immunities to claim. We have a right to
claim, and we are encouraged to seek. Divine support and
protection. The Eternal God our refuge, and beneath us His
everlasting arms. In all our weary wanderings — in all our
hard and fierce temptations — in our deep and painful sorrows,
in our severe crosses, losses, and disappointments — there is a
shield placed around us which is never withdrawn ; and in
the charter of heaven we may read, " all things are yours."
Not only are salvation and its blessings secured, but there is
grace bestowed to enable us to partake of them.
The writing of " the name of the city of My God " upon
him who should conquer would show that he belonged to the

37^ The Messages to the Seven Chtirches
heavenly city — that the privilege of citizenship was truly and
properly his. But it is added, "the new Jerusalem, which
cometh down from heaven from My God." Now what can we
understand by this ? A city called New Jerusalem, now in
heaven, and ultimately coming down from heaven to earth
after the restitution of all things ? As it is now, it is the
dwelHng place of the redeemed. St. Paul speaks of the Jeru
salem above which is free, and which is the mother of us all
(Gal. iv. 26), in which passage the earthly Jerusalem is spoken
of as in bondage. The Jewish Rabbins speak of the Tepou-
aaXrjp. dvw as an actual city, and have invested it with strange
and sensuous conceptions. They regard it as the counterpart
of the earthly Jerusalem in its topography and its furniture ;
but it is rather to be regarded as a symbol, or image, repre
senting that spiritual city of which the Christian is even
now a denizen.^ Even Christian writers and preachers, like
the late Rev. Capel Molyneux, have gone into material
and sensuous views of the new Jerusalem. Speaking of the
Jerusalem that now is, and contrasting it with the ^ Be dvw
'lepovaaXrjp, he asks what is the Jerusalem above ? " The
contrast is between the present Jerusalem visible, and the
present Jerusalem invisible. It is just what the word ex
presses — it is the Jerusalem, the city which is above. It is as
literal as the other Jerusalem. Is there no city, think you,
above ? What is heaven with the many mansions of our
Father's house ? We believe the city of God above to be as
real as the city of London : we believe she has her mansions
and palaces as much as any other city on the face of the
earth." 2
Wherein, it may be asked, does such a notion as this differ
from the description of heaven given in the Koran ? Both
are exactly of the same character, and are equally grotesque
> Schottgen's Hor. Hebr., vol. i. p. 1205, as quoted by Bishop Lightfoot.
^ Sermon by Rev. C. Molyneux, on "The Heavenly J'erusalem."

of Asia Minor. 377
and puerile. By way of adaptation, we may call heaven a
city ; but we have no warrant in Holy Scripture to regard
it as corresponding to the earthly Jerusalem. To suppose a
city actually in heaven, and literally descending from heaven,
and suspended in the air over the earthly Jerusalem, this
city being in the form of a cube — length, breadth, and
height, equal (Rev. xxi. 16), 12,000 furlongs in extent, equi
valent to 1,500 miles on its four sides — or 375 miles in
height, made of pure gold, and with gates of pearls, and
precious stones for foundations, and having jasper walls, needs
only to be mentioned to show how liable even good and
pious men have been to fall into the most ridiculous mis
conceptions in the interpretation of prophetic teachings.
The figure of a city is emblematic of the heavenly state —
and Jerusalem, the holy city, of which " glorious things are
spoken," was a beautiful type of the home of the redeemed in
glory. The words, t?}? /catvjj? 'lepovaaXrjp, are put in contrast
to the literal Jerusalem which had been destroyed by the
Roman armies under Titus, and the greater number of whose
inhabitants had been slaughtered, while those who escaped
the merciless sword of the conqueror had been scattered to
the four winds of heaven. It has been noticed by Bengel that
the form of the original word expressing Jerusalem differs
when the old Jerusalem is referred to in contradistinction to
the new. The latter is expressed by 'lepovaaXrjp,, while the
old Jerusalem is written ' Iepoa6Xvp,a. This distinction St;
John keeps up, for in his gospel he always writes 'lepoaoXvpia
of the old city, while in the Revelation he always writes
'lepovaaXrjp of the new. The latter is the Hebrew name,
the original and more holy one; the former is the Greek
name, and used in a political sense.
While the old city had passed away, and the Jewish polity
and commonwealth had closed, there was a home of souls
for all true Israelites, for all who, like Simeon, were waiting

37^ The Messages to the Seven Churches
for the Consolation of Israel. And who could be true
Israelites but those who were expecting the Messiah, and who
received Him as such when He came among them ? It was
not the true Israelites who despised and rejected Him, for
had they known the Scriptures, they would have found in
Christ a complete fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies.
They knew not the time of their visitation, and when the
true Messiah offered Himself to them they rejected Him. In
this way they fell away from Christ, who was the true end
and exponent of Jewish history. The true Israelite was
the man who, Hke Nathanael, could say, " Rabbi, Thou art
the Son of God ; Thou art the King of Israel " ; or, like
Philip, who brought Nathanael to Christ, " We have found
Him of whom Moses in the law and the Prophets did
write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph " Qohn i. 45, 49).
Such true Israelites would find a city to look forward to.
In the Christian Church here on earth they would find a
rest and a home ; and in the heavenly Jerusalem they would
finally sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, heirs with
them of the same promise.
'' I will write upon, him the name of the city of My God''
Are we to suppose that the name here alluded to is some
thing yet to be disclosed, and of which we have no sure in
dications in Scripture.? In the prophecies of Ezekiel and
Jeremiah, we have two distinct epithets by which the Church
of God was to be distinguished in its glorified and trans
figured state. In Ezek. xlviii. 35, the name is given, a name
most appropriate, as any other would fall far short of ex
pressing all that was implied in the inheritance of the saints
in glory— it is "Jehovah Shammah,"— « The Lord is there."
And the name is recorded in Jerem. xxxiii. 16, "This is the
name wherewith she shall be called, ' The Lord, our Right
eousness.' " This was a new name for the city. The Bride
of Christ was to be called by the name of the Bridegroom ; and

of Asia Minor. 379
what appellation could afford greater delight to heaven's
inhabitants than to have that name in which they gloried
while on earth, in relation to their blessed Lord, and from
which they derived special joy and comfort, now inscribed
upon their foreheads, as a mark of heavenly citizenship } Of
three names, therefore, we may select any one as being perfectly
applicable — Holiness to the Lord, The Lord is there, and The
Lord our Righteousness. In what sense then may Jerusalem,
the City of the Redeemed, be called " New " } It would super
sede the old Jerusalem, and would be subject to no decay.
It would be new, because occupied by new inhabitants, or
old ones made new. If any man be in Christ he is a new
creature — old things are passed away, and all things are
become new. Its inhabitants would be no longer the subjects
of sin. Before reaching the gates of the New Jerusalem, all
that defiled must have been removed, for nothing entereth in
that defileth, or worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but
only they whose names are written in the Lamb's book of
life. They are washed, justified, sanctified, and therefore they
are prepared to enter within the city.
All creation would then be in perfect harmony, and this
would make the name " New " appropriate. There would be
nothing to mar the everlasting peace between earth and
heaven. Redemption has had its effects upon the heavenly
inhabitants, who never sinned, as well as the race which fell.
Christ is Head of Redemption to man. He is Head of Preser-
¦vation to angels. Man has been placed within the City of the
living God, where he shall go no more out. Angels are con
firmed in bliss, and no rebellion can ever be possible amongst
the first created sons of God. They shall form, with the
isaints who have been redeemed, one family, and join with
them in their ascription of praise to God and the Lamb.
Perhaps there will be new views of providence and grace.
Our Lord told the disciples — " I have yet many things to say

380 The Messages to the Seven Churches
unto you, but ye cannot bear them now " ; and He also said
to St. Peter, who could not understand the reason of His
washing the disciples' feet, "What I do thou knowest not
now, but thou shalt know hereafter." Mysteries will then be
solved, dark Providences will be unravelled, and many besides
the Psalmist will be able to say, in reviewing the ways in
which they were led, Surely it was good for me that I was
afflicted (Ps. cxix., 71).
The word /catvo?, which is used here in reference to Jeru
salem which is above, gives the idea of what had been made
new, as contrasted with that which was old, decaying, and
worn out. The word i/eo? is employed to denote what had
recently come into existence.^ Already God's people are
spoken of as having come to Mount Zion, the City of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. xii. 22). Already
are we raised up, and made to sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus (Eph. ii. 6). By virtye of our
incorporation into the body of Christ, who is now ascended
to the highest seat of honour on God's right hand, we are
already risen, and in hope seated in heavenly places. So
writes St Augustine : " In Coelestibus Christus jam sedet,
nondum autem nos. Sed quia spe certa quod futurum est
jam tenemus, simul sedere nos ih Coelestibus dicit Apostolus
nos, nondum in nobis, sed jam in Illo." ^ While we look upon
Christ at God's right hand, we see ourselves in heaven — our
citizenship is there — our home, our country is there, and
where our treasure is, our hearts should be there also. Christ
has gone up to the inner sanctuary, and He has taken His
people there too. The name of the Eternal City is already
placed on our foreheads, and we have only to wait in patience
and hope until the actual freedom of that city is conferred.
Now are we the sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what
' Trench, Synon. of N. T.., sec. 60.
' Aug., c. Faustum, xi. 8.

of Asia Minor. 381
we shall be. It is sufficient that we shall be like Christ, our
Head, and be in His presence, and enjoy His love for ever.
Here we are like Israel in the wilderness, in search of a home
and a rest There we shall have a rest that time shall only
strengthen, when in that eternal haven we shall serenely re
main at anchor, firmer than the island in mid-ocean, where
the soft waves keep up an enduring requiem. And though
gathered from all nations, and kindreds, and tongues, and
tribes, all God's children make but one company, they all join
in one anthem. There are many mansions under one roof.
They are all one household, one family. How little do we
see of this here ; how little there is of a genuine Christian
brotherhood ! Rather have we to deplore party, strife, divi
sion — " Ephraim envying Judah, and Judah vexing Ephraim,"
until one is often ready to say, " O that I had wings like a
dove! for then would I fly away, and be for ever at rest"
To have the New Jerusalem in view is to get rid in a great
measure of these unhappy hindrances to spiritual life and
progress. The storms of life will not, cannot, touch our real
selves, any more than those which sweep along the surface of
the ocean can touch or agitate the depths below. Fix our
eyes, blessed Jesus, upon that heavenly inheritance, so that
washed in Thy blood, and sanctified by Thy Spirit, we may
live daily for that world, where we shall no longer look
through an imperfect medium, but where the Lord Himself
shall be to us for an Everlasting Light, and our God our Glory.
Kal TO ovopia p,ov to Kaivov. And Mine own new name.
This is the crowning distinction which the conqueror is to
have conferred upon him — Christ's own new name. To the
Church at Pergamum there was to be given a white stone on
which was a new name written, which no man knew but he
that received it. What this new name to be bestowed upon
the citizens of the New Jerusalem may be, is beyond our
comprehension. To fix upon one or another of Christ's titles.

382 The Messages to the Seven Churches
whether in the Revelation, or elsewhere mentioned in Holy
Scripture, and affirm that that was the new name alluded to,
would be bold presumption. When our blessed Lord has
not revealed it, surely it is vain for us to conjecture. In the
Revelation He is called by several names — the Alpha and
Omega, the Faithful Witness, the Beginning of the Creation
of God, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb,^ the
Word of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the
Faithful and True, the Root and Offspring of David, the
Bright and Morning Star. These are descriptive of His
character, and show the relation in which He stands to us ;
but the name which is yet to be given is Christ's own new
name. He will stand in a new relation to His people, and
He will have a name corresponding, and which He here
promises to the conqueror. In Rev. xix. 12, where the
description of the vision of Christ as seen by the Apostle is
most sublime, and where Christ is spoken of as having on
His head many crowns, it is added — " And He had a name
written, that no man knew, but He Himself." Whatever
this name shall be, it shall be shared in by all who are
faithful. Whatever Christ has been to His Church in the past,
there is still to come a more glorious manifestation of His
character than has ever yet appeared. When Christ comes
to take the kingdom to Himself and reign — when the present
dispensation has closed — the new name shall be conspicuous
on all who shall be pillars in the heavenly temple. It has
been noticed by Stier as a remarkable coincidence in the
Providential government, that the historical Philadelphia to
which this promise was sent is now called by another name.
Then it was " brotherly love," now it is called Allah Shehr,
' "'Apviov, ' The Lamb,' is used in twenty-eight passages in this book." Note
in Plumptre's Ep. to Seven Churches. See Introduction, where the use of 'Apviov
instead of 'Apvbs, in the Revelation is referred to.

of Asia Minor. 383
the City of God. May not this symbolize that change of
name which Christ shall confer in His kingdom, when He
shall appear as Almighty Conqueror and Universal King?
In that day of His sublime manifestation, all things shall be
made new (Rev. xxi. S). There shall be a new heaven, and
a new earth, a new creation, a new Jerusalem, a new song,
and a new name. That state shall be new — the citizens of the
New Jerusalem shall have new joys, new hopes, new pleasures,
and new employments. It is apposite, therefore, that the
occupants of the New Jerusalem should be called by a 'new
name. But it is Christ's new name by which they shall be
distinguished, thus showing that they belong to Him — that
they are trophies of His Cross, and are now partners with
Him in His crown and kingdom. And this mark of Divine
approbation is not only for the Church of Philadelphia,
but for all who have like faith, zeal, and patient endurance,
for all who shall overcome as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.
" Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown
of life." " Bring near Thy great salvation.
Thou Lamb for sinners slain.
Fill up the roll of Thine elect.
Then take Thy power and reign :
Appear, Desire of Nations,
Thine exiles long for home ;
Show in the heavens Thy promised sign.
Thou Prince and Saviour come."
Ver. 13. 'O exytv o5? aKovadrw ri to Uvevpa X67ei Tat?
iKKXrjaiah. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the Churches. See on ii. 7.
The historian Gibbon,^ when speaking of the overthrow
of the Christian power in Asia Minor by the Turks, under
Othman and his son Orchan, in the 14th century, writes
as if he felt that the calamities which befell the Church
' Gibbon's Decline and Fall, chap. 64, p. 141. Bohn's Brit. Classics Edit.

384 The Messages to the Seven Churches
were in fulfilment of prophecy. We know how our Lord's
predictions were verified in regard to the cities of Palestine
— how literally true in the destruction of Jerusalem,
and the Herodian temple, which was the object of such
admiration and pride to the Jewish nation — and not less
apparently have His words been fulfilled in the history of
Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum, His own city, which
He said was exalted to .heaven, but which would be thrust
down to hell. So striking are the remarks of the historian,
who was no friend to Christianity — and as they proceed
from an unwilling witness, they bear the more weight — that
we cannot overlook them. And specially his testimony in
the case of the Church at Philadelphia is so greatly to the
credit of that Church, which was perhaps the poorest of the
seven — which had " little strength " — that we have a happy
illustration of the honour God bestowed upon it because it
honoured Him. After alluding to the subjugation of the
kingdom of Bithynia, the historian says : " The captivity or
ruin of the seven Churches of Asia was consummated ; and
the barbarous Lords of Ionia and Lydia still trample on
the monuments of classic and Christian antiquity. In the
loss of Ephesus, the Christians deplored the fall of the first
angel, the extinction of the first candlestick of the Revela
tion ; the .desolation is complete and the temple of Diana,
or the Church of Mary, will equally elude the search of the
curious traveller. The circus and those stately theatres of
Laodicea are now peopled with wolves and foxes ; Sardes is
reduced to a miserable village ; the God of Mahomet, without
a rival or a son, is invoked in the mosques of Thyatira and
Pergamos ; and the populousness of Smyrna is supported by
the foreign trade of the Franks and Armenians. Philadelphia
alone has been saved by prophecy or courage. At a distance
from the sea, forgotten by the Emperors, encompassed on all
sides by the Turks, her valiant citizens defended their religion

of Asia Minor. 385
and freedom about fourscore years ; and at length capitu
lated with the proudest of the Ottomans. Among the Greek
colonies and Churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect — a
column in a scene of ruins — a pleasing example that the
paths of honour and safety may sometimes be the same."
Philadelphia was the last of the cities of Lesser Asia to
succumb to the Moslem invaders. In the fourteenth century,
when the whole of that country was subjugated by Orchan,
it still held out After months of severe privation and
suffering during a protracted siege, it at last surrendered to
that terrible scourge of the Christians, Bajazet ; and some
years afterwards it was besieged and stormed by Timour, or
Tamarlane, the great Mogul Emperor : but it is noteworthy,
that in all its reverses, the conquerors dealt more leniently
towards it than to any other city, influenced, as they seem
to have been, by some superstitious feeling respecting its
sanctity. May not this very circumstance be in some
measure a fulfilment of the promise of protection in the
hour of trial to those who had " kept the word of Christ's
patience " ?
Throughout the entire period of Moslem misrule and op
pression of the Asiatic provinces, Philadelphia has enjoyed
freedom of religious worship and other immunities which
have been elsewhere withheld. The Christian Church still
stands there, amidst the mosques and minarets of the False
Prophet — "a strong city, with salvation for its walls and
bulwarks," — and never yet has the lamp of Truth become
extinguished. Through all the vicissitudes of dynasties and
empires and kingdoms, the column which commemorates the
triumph of the Cross remains unshaken, because " the found
ation of God standeth sure," while the rock on which the
worid-kingdoms have relied " is not as our Rock, our enemies
themselves being judges " (Deut xxxii. 31). C C

VII.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA.

387

14 Ka! Tif dryAif) TTJs iv AaoStKet(} iKKXijalas ypd\j/ov tdSe \iyei b 'Aprf 6 pAprvs:
6 iriarbs KoX oXtjBlvos, ^ dpx'H "^V^ Krlaeus tov Qeov.
IS 0I5(i aov Td Ipya Sti oihe fvxpbs el, ofre garbs' S(j)eXov fvxpisfis, Jj ^earbs'
l6 OCrus, on -xXiapbs eX, Kal o&re {-earbs oSts ij/vxpbs, piiXXa ae ipAaai ix tov
arbp,arbs pov.
17 "Ori X^ets' nXoiJa-ios elpi Kal ireirXo&niKa, Kal oiSevbs xpf'o'' ^Xi^-i «<«' «*«
oXSas on ai el 6 roXafTrwpos, ko! iXeeivbs, Kai WTuxbs, Kal ru0XJ's, Kai yvp,vos,
18 Xvp^ovXeiu aot dyopdaai irap ipov XP^'^I'^^ ireTvpup,ivov iK irvpos, tva. irXov-
Tjjo-T)!, Kal Ipdna XevKd, iva irepiPaX-ij, Kai pAi ^avepuB-ff i] alaxiyv -r^s yvfivbTTjTbs
aov, Kai KoXXoipiov iyxplaai Tois b<j>8aXpois aov, tva pXiir-r)S.
19 'E7(b otroi/s idv tpiXw, eXiyxoi Kal iraiSeiw t^Xeve oiv, Kol peraviijaov.
20 'ISoi, laTTjKa ivi tt/v Bvpav, Kai Kpovw idv ris dKovarj ttjs (puvijs p,ov, Kal
dvol^ TTIV Bipav, Kal elaeXeiaopai irpos airrov, xal Seiirv^au p,eT airov, Kal airros
pier ipov.
21 '0 VIKUV, Siiau ouTip KaBlaai per ipov iv rif 6p6vip p,ov, (is Kdyi) ivlKrjaa, Kai
iKdBiaa perd tov IlaTpbs pov iv r y Op6v(p airrov.
22 '0 ^x'*'' o'Si dKovadriii tI to Hvevpu Xiyei toIs iKKXrjalais.
14 And unto the angel of the church in Laodicea write : These things saith
the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God ;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot : I would thou wert
cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I -will spue
thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and I have gotten riches, and have need of
nothing ; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked ;
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest be
come rich ; and white garments that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the
shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest ; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes,
that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I dearly love, I reprove and chasten : be zealous therefore, and
repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and am knocking ; if any man hear my voice,
and open the door, I wUl come in to him, and wiU sup with him, and he with
me. 21 He that overcometh I -will give to him to sit dovm -with me in my throne, as
I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

VII.
THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA.
Rev. iii. 14-22.
Kat TW dyyeXw t^? ev AaoBiKeCa eKKXTjaiat ypdyfroV TdSe
Xeyei 6 'Ap.rjV, 6 p,dpTV9 6 TriaTOi Kal dXrjOivo^, rj dp')(ij Trj'i
KTiaewi TOV Qeov. And unto the angel of the Church in Laodicea
write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true
witness, the beginning of the creation of God. Last in order
of the Seven Churches is that of Laodicea, a city of great
opulence which stood on the banks of the river Lycus, one of
the many rivers which sweep down the slopes of Mount
Cadmus, and all of which combine to form the Meander, that
falls into the .^gean Sea close to Miletus. It was on the
confines of Phrygia and Caria, and occupied a prominent
position for commerce, as it stood on the great high road
between Ephesus and the interior. In early times it was
remarkable for its material prosperity in trade, especially for
the beauty and fineness in texture of its wool, which brought
large revenues to its merchant princes. Jews, in large num
bers, attracted by the commercial prosperity of this city,
had settled there, long before the commencement of the
Christian era. Pliny speaks of the Ionian Greeks as its
founders, who named it Diospolis, "the City of Jupiter," and
it was afterwards called Rhoas. It is now known by the
Turkish name, Eski Hissar, or Old Castle, and is only a heap
of ruins, which, however, are enough to indicate its ancient
grandeur. It was named Laodicea by Antiochus II., king of
389

390 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Syria, who rebuilt it after having been almost destroyed
during the wars of the successors of Alexander, and he so
named it in honour of his wife, Laodice.
In Roman times it suffered in the contests between the
Romans and Mithridates, king of Pontus, but it speedily rose
again to power and affluence. Strabo speaks of one of its
merchants, Hiero, who, at his death, bequeathed 2,000 talents
to be expended for public purposes. This may throw some
light on the boastful language of its people in ApostoHc days —
" I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing." Here, too, the arts and sciences were cultivated,
and a great school of medicine flourished, which may have
had its attractions for St. Luke, " the beloved physician," and
which was presided over by some of the most distinguished
successors of Galen. We are, however, more concerned with
its Christian aspect, than its material or literary prestige.
Doubtless when St. Paul planted the Gospel in Ephesus, it
would find its way to Laodicea, both from the central position
of the city, and from the large number of Jews who had
congregated there. Laodicea is not mentioned in the Acts
of the Apostles, but we find it associated with Hierapolis
and Colossae in St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians, iv. 13-16.
Indeed these three cities were in a cluster, Laodicea 18
miles west of Colossae, and 6 miles south of Hierapolis.
Like Philadelphia, it was greatly affected by earthquakes, and
in A.D. 62, it was completely destroyed by one, but almost
immediately rebuilt through the unaided opulence of its
citizens.^ In Apostolic times it must have been a city of great
importance, if one can form an estimate from the grandeur
and extent of its ruins, which exhibit remains of a theatre,
amphitheatre — the area of the latter 1,000 feet in extent — and
sculptures of various kinds.
' Tacitus, Annal., xiv. 27. "Nullo a nobis remedio, propriis opibus re-
valuit."

of Asia Minor. 39 1
The gospel is supposed to have been first introduced
there by Epaphras, who is spoken of in Col. i. 7, as St
Paul's " dear fellow servant," and to that Church " a faithful
minister of Christ," implying probably that he was also
the founder of the Colossian Church. In Philemon he
is mentioned as St. Paul's " fellow prisoner " ; whether so
designated as imprisoned like St. Paul for conducting the
same Christian warfare, or as merely one who ministered to
St Paul in imprisonment, is not clearly shown. One thing
is certain from Col. ii. i, that St. Paul had never been in
Laodicea when he wrote his Epistle to the Colossians, for he
distinctly says that they had not seen his face in the flesh ;
but, through Epaphras, he had learned that false teachers had
been propagating pernicious doctrines both at Laodicea and
Colossi, and to counteract their efforts, he wrote his Epistle
to the Colossians, and desired them, when they had read his
letter, to send it on to the Laodiceans. This clearly shows the
design of St Paul in writing his Epistles, viz. that they might
be read by the Churches and circulated. In the first Epistle
he wrote — that to the Thessalonians — this object he carefully
kept in view, for in i Thess. v. 27, he says, " I adjure you by
the Lord," that this Epistle be read to all the holy brethren,
not merely at Thessalonica, but throughout Macedonia.
Can any Church which does not read the Holy Scrip
tures, or in which the Word of God is kept back from the
people, be ApostoHc, when such is the express teaching of
St Paul? Bengel says: "Quod Paulus cum adjuratione
jubet, id Roma sub anathemate prohibet" The Epistles were
addressed for the most part not to private individuals, but to
Churches, and, when read, they were to be passed on to other
Churches. So in Col. iv. 15, 16, "When this Epistle is
read among you, cause that it be read also in the Church of
the Laodiceans, and that ye read the Epistle from Laodicea "
—not the letter written from Laodicea, for Col. ii. i, shows

392 The Messages to the Seven Churches
he had never been there — but an epistle which had been sent
to Laodicea, and transmitted to Colossae from that place.
KaX Tj)v e/c AaoBiKeia'i 'iva Kal vp,el<i dvayvwre. This ex
pression is somewhat ambiguous, for it might mean the Epistle
the Apostle wrote to Laodicea, or that which the Laodiceans
wrote to him, or a letter received by the Laodiceans from
some other Church, which they had been directed to send on
to Colossae, as was the practice, so that the writings of the
Apostles might be universallydififused throughout the Churches.
These Epistles were of the same authority as the writings of
Moses and the Prophets, and as the latter were read in the
Synagogues, the Apostle's letters were also to be read in the
Churches. There was a spurious Epistle, purporting to have
been written by St Paul to Laodicea, but it was unknown to
the early Fathers ; it was never found in Greek, only in Latin,
and entitled " Epistola ad Laodicenses " ; and from internal
evidence it is clearly shown that it was a compilation taken
from St Paul's Epistles to the Galatians and Ephesians, and,
so far from being canonical, it was only a clumsy forgery.
We may believe that the Epistle from Laodicea was St Paul's
Epistle to the Ephesians which had been forwarded to that
place, and which the Church at Laodicea was directed to send
to Colossae. There is no trace of any lost letter of St. Paul,
nor any allusion to such in the history of the early Church.
Ephesus, situate on the sea coast, was the principal city of
Asia Minor. It would be natural that the Epistle addressed
to it first should be sent inland, and as Laodicea was on the
great highway to Inner Asia, the letter would come, in geo
graphical order, to Laodicea, and thence to Colossae ; and the
order from St. Paul to send the Epistle addressed to Colossi
to Laodicea, and receive another from the latter Church
would indicate that it was one of his own Epistles he referred
to. Neither SS. Irenseus, Ignatius, Polycarp, nor any of the
early Fathers ever knew of any lost Epistle of St. Paul, or of

of Asia Minor. 393
any canonical Epistle written directly to the Laodicean Church.
There is negative evidence at least that Marcion, the heretic,
wished to alter the title of the Epistle to the Church at
Ephesus, and make it read " To the Laodiceans,'- so says
Tertullian.^ It is possible Marcion might have found in some
copies of the Epistle to the Ephesians, the inscription, " To
the Laodiceans," for the Ephesians were likely to send the
Epistle thither, after it had been read in their own Church.
But that the Epistle to the Ephesians was called by another
name there is even stronger evidence than this ; for Ter-
tulHan, in his book c. Marcion, v. 11, after coming to the
Epistle to the Ephesians in the course of his writing, says :
" We now come to yet another Epistle which we entitle the
Epistle to the Ephesians, but the heretics entitled it, to the
Laodiceans!'^ We may therefore conclude that the Ephesians
were instructed by Tychicus, the bearer of St. Paul's Epistle
to them, to send it to the Laodiceans, who in their turn were
enjoined to send it to the Colossians.^
The Angel of the Laodicean Church is considered to be
Archippus, whom St. Paul had, thirty years previously, en
joined to be diligent in his ministry. "Take heed to the
ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou
fulfil it" Epaphras had been in charge of the Church at
Colossae, but, in his absence, Archippus had been appointed
to the pastoral' office ; and the charge which is in Col. iv. 17,
applies equally to pastor and flock — to the one, to be diligent,
to the other, to obey those who thad the rule over them.
Archippus is supposed to be Philemon's son, as he is included
in the salutation given to Philemon, beloved Apphia, and the
Church in Philemon's house. He may have been wanting in
* Tertul. , c. Marcion, v. 1 1.
" Bp. -Wordsworth, Introd. to Epistle to Ephesians, p. 280.
3 The most able and exhaustive dissertation ever written on " The Epistle
from Laodicea " will be found in Bp. Lightfoot's Commentary on the Epistle to the
Colossians, pp. 274-300.

394 The Messages to the Seven Churches
zeal, though called by St Paul " our fellow soldier," or it may
be his first love had abated. If there is no advance, there
must be retrogression, — " Non progredi est regredi." If the
forces opposed to spiritual progress be not resisted, if we cease
to go forward, seeking the things above, we shall very speedily
begin to recede ; and lukewarmness is only the antecedent
stage to irreligion and final apostasy.
The wealth and luxury of the citizens of Laodicea seem
to have produced a self-satisfied, self-righteous condition in
spiritual things ; and Hke the rich man who said, " Soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease,
eat, drink, and be merry," they did not seem to feel the
need of anything. It is very remarkable that the two
Churches which were most highly favoured in temporal
blessings were those most severely censured ; while the
Churches which were most afflicted, and suffered most from
persecution, were those which received from the Saviour's
lips the highest praise. This contrast will be clearly seen
by comparing Sardis and Laodicea with Smyrna and Phil
adelphia. Had Archippus, if he was Bishop at the time the mes
sage to Laodicea was sent, been mindful of the charge given
by St. Paul to Timothy (2 Tim. iv. 2-5), matters never
would have gone so badly as to call for the rebuke and
threatenings which the Epistle to the Church at Laodicea
contains. That Archippus, the same person who was warned
against negligence more than a quarter of a century before,
was Bishop of Laodicea, when the Apocalyptic message was
sent, appears to be established as a fact from the Apostolical
Constitutions, viii. 46, as in them it is distinctly stated that
he was the first Bishop of Laodicea. His father had been
one of the principal converts of Colossae, and we may suppose
it most likely that if not for his own sake, at least for
his father's, he may have been selected to fill the office of

of Asia Minor. 395
Bishop of a Church, which was only a few miles from his
father's home; and it is not improbable that he was still
presiding over that Church at the time of St. John's exile
in Patmos. He seems not to have cared to endure hardness
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, but to have preferred the
ease and self-seeking of a religious neutrality to a life of
active effort in the cause of Christ. There may have been
an adherence to the letter without the spirit, but there were
no uprooting of idols from the heart, and no desire to make
others partakers of the same hope which he possessed.
There was a want of watchfulness, of " looking diligently lest
any man fail of the grace of God," and that arose from a
self-confident self-righteous spirit. The "Angel" of the
Church does not seem to have attended to the caution given
by St. Paul, " Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed
lest he fall " — " Take heed to the ministry — make full proof
of it " — " Watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the
work of an evangelist."
The atmosphere of Laodicea seems to have had a
depressing effect. There is a law of assimilation by which
man becomes like the objects on which his attention is
fixed. As there is what is called persistency of impression
on the retina of the eye, so there is persistency of impres
sion on the eye of the soul. When the eye was fixed on
Mammon, the Laodiceans soon became lukewarm to God,
and luxury and pride led them "to halt between two
opinions." It is no true work that is broken through half
way. Life is a work to be completed, and whether teacher
or taught, there is a work assigned to each. To Ephesus
Christ said, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou
hast left thy first love;" but Laodicea had gone further
on the inclined plane than this. She was in that state of
base neutrality which brought the curse on Meroz (Judg.
v. 23) " Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse

39^ The Messages to the Seven Churches
ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof ; because they came not
to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against
the mighty," We do not know whether the rebukes and
threatenings given to Laodicea produced any effect for the
time ; but we do know that, in years afterwards, the Church
of Laodicea was in a hopeful condition. Laodicea was
raised to Metropolitan dignity, and several Councils were
held under the roof of its cathedral church. One important
Council was held in A.D. 363, in which the Canon of Scripture
was finally settled, and the particular decree establishing the
Canon was, in a.d. 451, ratified by the Council of Chalcedon,
But whatever means had been taken to recover that Church
from its retrograde condition, the result was only the hectic
flush, which told of speedy dissolution. Long since, all traces
of Christianity have perished from Laodicea — the candlestick
has for centuries been removed, and the site of the once
famous city is hardly discernible. The river of life sweeps
on, but the very name of Laodicea is forgotten. She knew
not the day of her visitation, and now she is blotted out
of the registers of time, a solemn warning to Churches, as
well as individuals, that it were " better never to have known
the truth, than to depart from the righteous commandment
delivered unto them."
TdBe Xiyei 6 'Apfjv, 6 piaprv^ 6 iriarb'i, K.T.X., these things
saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness. Nowhere,
except in this place, does our Lord appropriate the word,
'Apifjv, to himself. It is here made a proper name, but
in other passages it is used by Him to express the
solemn importance and truthfulness of "His weighty dis
courses. The word, 'Ap.rjv, is rendered " verily," or " truly,"
and, in St John's Gospel, it is always doubled at the
commencement of the sayings of Christ, while in the other
Gospels it is used singly. It belongs only to Christ to
apply such a name to himself, who is the Truth. His

of Asia Minor. 397
direction to us is "let your communication be, Yea, yea;
Nay, nay," a simple affirmation or denial; but to express
His authoritative declarations, which the people of th^t time
were slow to believe, He sealed them with. Amen, Amen.
" The Amen " may not only have been adopted by our
Lord with this view, but to impress upon the Jews the
identity of Himself with the Jehovah Amen, of Isa. Ixv. 16,
or the God of Amen — the God of Truth — of the ancient
Church. Twenty-five times in St. John's Gospel is the
'Aprjv, ""Apiijv, found at the beginning of our Lord's dis
courses. He is the personal Truth, when compared with
His messengers, who merely communicated the truth made
known to them by Him.
He is the "Amen," because whatever He says is true —
His promises and threatenings are alike reliable — there is
no fickleness in His purposes, or feebleness in their execu
tion. When He speaks, let all mankind listen, and "serve
the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." The Church
at Laodicea, wise in her own conceit, and puffed up with
her own self-sufficiency, might be disposed to question any
statement affecting the position in which she stood before
God ; but the Head of the Church will show her how hollow
her profession has been ; He will strip from life its tinselled
ornaments, and He will lay bare her real state as that of
self-deception in the presence of Him unto whom all hearts
are open, and from whom no secrets are hid. He will,
therefore, preface the rebuke which He has to convey by
proclaiming Himself as the " Amen." It is as if He would
say, " It is I, the Eternal Truth, who speak, who know you
better than you know yourselves — shall the potsherds of the
earth strive with their Maker } wilt thou maintain thy cause
against Me?" The Apostle of the Gentiles speaks of all
the promises of God in Christ, Yea, and in Him Amen, unto
the glory of God. No variableness, nor shadow of turning

39^ The Messages to the Seven Churches
in the great verities of the gospel — whatever God hath
promised in Christ shall be confirmed by Christ — their
Amen, or verification, is therefore indisputable.^
But to prevent any misconception as to His meaning. He
reiterates the expression in a simpler form — in fact. He gives
the Hebrew word its proper signification — the faithful and
true Witness. In chap. i. 5, He is called " the faithful Wit
ness " — here the faithful and true. It might be thought that
He, who was love itself, was too tender and merciful either
to threaten or to punish ; but in order to be " faithful and
true," the sterner side, in dealing with the weaknesses and
and faults of Churches, must not be overlooked. Perfect love
is no less apparent in correction than in praise ; and if, for
the purpose of correcting the false estimate which the Church
of Laodicea had formed of its own position, it was found
needful to warn, reprove, rebuke, it was an act of love and
mercy towards that Church to come with the rod, so as to
raise it from its lethargy and lukewarmness, and, if possible,
save it from spiritual decay and dissolution. Christ, when He
speaks to that Church, does so with authority. He came
to bear witness to the truth. Nature and conscience might
speak, the one externally, the other to the inner man ; but
man needed a better light than both. There are dark and
inexplicable mysteries in nature, there are mazes which
conscience in vain tries to disentangle ; but Christ has spoken
with a certainty and reality which have put everything con
nected with man's present and eternal destiny beyond con-
' Canon Westcott thus explains the "Amen, Amen,'' which we meet so fire-
quently in the Gospel of St. John : — " The phrase is found in the New Testa
ment only in the Gospel of St. John (who never gives the simple Amen) and (like
the simple Amen in the Synoptists) it is used only by Christ. The word, Amen,
is represented by in truth or truly, in Luke iv. 25 ; ix. 27. In the LXX. the
original word is retained only in responsive phrases (Neh. v. 13 ; viii. 6). Else
where it is represented, " be it so " {7&oiro), Ps. xii. 13 ; Ixxii. 19 ; Ixxxix. 52.
The word is properly a verbal adjective "firm," "sure." Comp. Isa. Ixv. 16
(God of the Amen. LXX., 0 Qebs b dXT]Bivbs) Rev. iii. 14 (the Amen)." — Westcott,
Comm. on St, John's Gospel, i. 51, p. 28.

of Asia Minor. 399
jecture. He has borne testimony regarding the character and
moral government of God. He has spoken of the infinite
evil of sin, and man's moral impotence, and how, through
Himself, man's need, wide as humanity itself, could be
satisfied-^how God could be just and the justifier of them
who believe in His Son. " Verily, verily, I say unto you,"
is the authority which supersedes that of all human teachers,
because there is a certainty here which chases away all
surmises from the soul, and places those problems, we are
most concerned to know, regarding life and immortality,
plainly and intelligibly before us. And when He speaks.
He never thinks of whether truth is palatable or otherwise ;
He never adapts himself to circumstances, holding back
what would be likely to displease, and enunciating only what
would be acceptable to those addressed. When we hear
some teachers, they speak as men of a craven spirit, and
sometimes when truth should be told, they flatter and deceive
until the soul sickens, and we feel as if truth had perished
from the face of the earth. When we begin to seek for com
promise between truth and error, to promote some social
eirenicon, it is like halting between two opinions whether we
should serve God or Baal ; and like the resultant of two
forces thus acting at right angles, going diagonally, we are
led aside from the true course into one of lifeless neutrality,
which differs little from positive abnegation of the truth.
Now our blessed Lord was the faithful and true Witness,
because He paid no deference to the prejudices or preposses
sions of the people. See in the Sermon on the Mount, how
he feared not to sweep away the false tenets of Judaism,
which had been woven into the very life of the people, and
had been sanctioned by the approval of a venerable antiquity,
" Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time,
but I say unto you." He never courted the applause of the
people, nor did He strive to secure success in His. mission

400 The Messages to the Seven Churches
by pandering to their feelings, failings, or faults. But in one
particular point He dififered from all who went before Him,
namely, in speaking the truth in love. Even over guilty
Jerusalem, which was foully stained by the blood of the
prophets, and whose inhabitants were preparing to imbrue
their hands in His own, in deep emotion He shed tears, and
in accents of inexpressible tenderness He exclaimed, " How
often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not " (Matt xxiii. 37).
In love not merely for the Church or the nation, but
for individuals, we see this faithful witnessing to the truth
manifested. We see it in His dealings with Mary Mag
dalene, with the woman of Samaria, and above all in the
home at Bethany. The philosopher would lay down his
dry and rigid propositions, but to yield to any tenderness of
feeling was a thing to which he was a stranger ; not so the
Great Teacher, who taught with Divine authority : there was
a deep love for the souls of the people with whom He came
into contact ; and we see this feature most clearly in the case
of Laodicea : for when He reproves it for its lukewarmness,
we hear Him say, " I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in
the fire, etc. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten ; be
zealous therefore, and repent." He was the Witness of the
everlasting love of God to man ; and while He has the most
tender compassion for the sinner, he does not cease to testify
against the sin. He knew what was in man, and he speaks
what He knows, and testifies what He has seen. Archbishop
Trench notices that the word rriaToi may be taken in either an
active or a passive sense, meaning "trusting" or "trustworthy."
In the latter sense it can only apply to God. We may and
do exercise faith, but God never does; we may be trustworthy,
God is always so ; and it is in this latter sense that the word
"faithful " can be appHed to Him.

of Asia Minor. 401
Tj apyrj t^? KTiaewi tov Qeov, the beginning of the creation
of God. The Greek word, dpyjj, means the origin, the first
cause, not, as Arians would interpret it, the first of God's
creation. If we turn to Col. i. 15, Christ is there called the
image of the invisible God, irpwToroKO'i TTaarj<; Kriaewi, the
first begotten before every creature. He was begotten before
all creation as God's eternal Son, and the Trpb (the prepo
sition in TTpwTOTOKO'i) shows that it is to be taken in this
sense, for it governs iraarj^ Kriaewi in the genitive. The
verse which follows clearly shows this to be the meaning :
not that Christ was a Creature, but the Creator ; " for by
Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones,
or dominions, or principalities (dp-x,al), or powers : all things
were created by Him, and for Him " (Col. i. 16). It is further
stated, "and He is before all things, and by Him all things
consist." Trpb irdvrwv, before all things; and if so, how
could it be said that He was the first of God's creatures ?
As Theodoret puts it, " not as if He had the creature as a
brother, but as being born before any creature. For how
can He be a brother of creatures, and yet their Creator, as
the Apostle hdre declares Him to be > " He is " begotten,
not made," as the Nicene Creed has it; and, if not made
therefore not a creature.
The word dpxv indicates also supreme power or sovereignty,
corresponding to the Latin word, " Principalitas ; " dpxv Trj'i
jiaia<i, for example ; so while Christ is the Initial Cause, the
source and spring of all things. He is also the Head of
all things — all things are placed under His supremacy — " All
power is given to Me in heaven and on earth." Angels and
Archangels are under His supreme Headship. It might be
considered, because He was man, that Angelic natures were
above Him ; but, even in His Manhood, He is their Lord,
and He has raised human nature to the highest honour
d d

402 The Messages to the Seven Churches
and dignity that it is possible to reach ; so in Ps. viii. 5-7,
" What is man that Thou art mindful of him ? and the son
of man that Thou visitest him ? . . . Thou hast crowned
him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have
dominion over the works of Thy hands." Also in Ps. Ixxxix.
He is spoken of. as having sovereignty over all the kings
of the earth.
The two ideas then which are involved in dpyjj are priority
to all creation, and sovereignty over all creation ; the one indi
cating absolute pre-existence, the other universal supremacy.
In the Book of Proverbs, viii. 22, Personal Wisdom is called
dp')(rj oBwv ToO Qeov — the " beginning," or rather " beginner,"
of the ways of God. To speak of Christ as the first of God's
creatures would be to falsify the whole consensus of Holy
Scripture ; for He is acknowledged as " Creator " in John
i. 1-3 ; in i Cor. viii. 6 ; Col. i. 15-18 ; Eph. in. 9 ; Rev. v. 13 ;
and many other passages. But why does Christ call Him
self dpyrj TJ}? Kriaewt tov Qeov here ? What connexion has
this with the other title, the faithful and true Witness ?
We have already shown how the Laodiceans, wise in their
own conceits, considered themselves as wanting nothing, as
being absolutely perfect ; but the Searcher of hearts would
lay "judgment to the line and righteousness to the plummet,
and sweep away the refuges of lies." He would testify
against them as to their danger, and rouse them from
their spiritual stupor to consider their true state before God.
But now the figure is changed, and the all-glorious Creator
is introduced, to remind them that every good gift, and
every perfect gift, comes down from above — that satisfac
tion and confidence in themselves were vain — that they
possessed nothing that they had not received from Him
who is the 'Ap'yrj, the originating Source of all things, who
was before all time, and the Spring of all life, whether
natural or spiritual, the o dpyrjyb^ t^? foi^?, the Prince of

of Asia Minor. 403
Life, and therefore they should come and buy of Him the
good things they really wanted ; otherwise, instead of being
in need of nothing, as they supposed, they should find
themselves in the lowest and saddest condition of spiritual
destitution, strangers to Christ and aliens from God. The
title Christ here adopts may also have been chosen to con
demn the false teaching which then existed at Laodicea, and
which was closely related to the tenets St Paul stigmatizes
in the Colossian Church, viz.: Angelology, and the worship
of angels as inferior deities, or mediators with God, thereby
disparaging the Divinity of Christ, and slighting His medi
atorial office.
There had been on the part of certain Judaizing teachers
a strong effort made to subvert the faith of the people
from the simplicity of the gospel, and to lead them back
to what is called, rd dadevrj Kal inwxjd aroixeia, the weak
and beggarly elements of Judaism, and thereby unchristianize
them — for enjoining those practices which were followed
by the Essenes and Pharisees was only a step towards
heathenism — and therefore Christ would show the Church
at Laodicea that He was the Creator of all things, and at
the Head of the Universe — that all mediatorial authority
and power were in Him, and that this will-worship and
voluntary humility were derogatory to His dignity and
office as Head over all things to His Church. These false
teachers would probably try to persuade the Church at
Laodicea, as at Colossae, that man in his fallen condition
needs Angels as Mediators through whom God is to be ap
proached, and they would say that God had employed Angels
in revealing His will to patriarchs and prophets, and that
the law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai by the minis
try of Angels ; but Christ, the One Mediator between
God and men (i Tim. ii. S), would tell them that man's
necessities are all met in Him— that through Him both Jew

404 The Messages to the Seven Churches
and Gentile have access, by one spirit, unto the Father, and
that no man comes unto the Father but through Him. They
should, therefore, abandon such heathenish notions, and come
directly to Him in whom dwells all the fulness of the God
head bodily, and they should find true rest for their souls.
Man needs no Mediator but Christ, nor could there be
any found to assume such an office, as no one could oc
cupy the position of Mediator in heaven who did not make
atonement for sin on earth. In the Jewish tabernacle and
temple there were two altars — the brazen altar for the sacri
fices, and the golden altar for incense. Now the coals with
which the censer on the golden altar were heated were
taken from the altar of sacrifice ; and until the propitiatory
sacrifice was offered, there could be no incense presented
before God. It was so arranged that on the Day of Atone
ment, the sacrifice was first offered, then the high priest
went to the golden altar, and having the censer heated by
the fire that consumed the sacrifice, he carried the incense
within the veil, and made intercession. So our blessed
Redeemer, having first made a full, perfect, and sufficient
sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole
world, ascended on high, and entered within the veil, bearing
the marks of suffering in His glorified body, and ever living
to make intercession for us.
None but Christ can say, " I will that they also whom
Thou hast, given Me, be with Me where I am, that they
may behold My glory." None but He has power with
God and can prevail. It is He alone whose plea is founded
on a basis which can never be shaken, and in regard to
whom every true believer can adopt the calm and assured
language of the Apostle : " If any man sin we have an
Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and
He is the propitiation for our sins." The prayers of all
saints are perfumed with the incense of His merits, and

of Asia Minor. 405
we know that Him the Father heareth always. We stand
in need of none but Jesus ; for just as on the Day of
Atonement no voice within the veil was heard but that of
the high priest — he alone stood, and pleaded, and sprinkled
the blood upon the mercy seat — so no Mediator of interces
sion but Jesus within the precincts of that heavenly temple is
required — neither saint nor Angel — to plead for the scattered
Church in the wilderness of this world. "We have not. an
high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin ; and in that He Himself hath suffered being
tempted. He is able to succour them that are tempted." The
Laodicean Church might therefore firmly rely upon Him
who was the dpyrj, and if they would share in His salva
tion, they must not derogate from the dignity, power, and
all-sufficiency of His Mediatorial character and work.
Ver. 15. OXBd aov rd epya, on ovre ¦^jrvxpo'! et, oiire ^earo'i'
o(j>eXov i|ru%/3o? ^?, ^ ^ecTTo?. / know thy works, that thou
art neither cold nor hot : I would thou wert cold or hot. The
works here alluded to were of a purely negative character.
There was certainly religious profession. The people of
Laodicea had named the name of Christ, and professed
to be His followers ; but their lives showed no practical
holiness. There was no zeal or enthusiasm in their Christ
ianity. They resembled cold statues more than living
men ; yet there was a little life, but not enough to set the
mechanism in motion — they were neither fervid on the one
hand, nor icy cold on the other ; and if they followed Christ
at all, they followed Him afar offi What produced this inter
mediate state of religion which was neither hot nor cold ?
The cause is not far to seek ; for when we think of the
woridly prosperity of the people of Laodicea, and the wealth
which seems to have been accumulated there, we may

4o6 The Messages to the Seven Churches
suppose that many of the Laodicean Christians belonged to
the opulent class, and the tendency of affluence has been
always to make men forget God. They increase in pride and
self-sufficiency as riches increase, unless the grace of God is
given to keep them humble, and to lead them to see at every
turn of life, that all things are of God, and that in propor
tion as outward prosperity is apparent, responsibility for the
proper use of our talents is proportionally increased. If there
had ever been genuine love it was now waxing cold, and if
some immediate effort was not made to resuscitate the dying
embers, the very name of Christianity should be obliterated
from Laodicea.
There are two extremes in religion equally to be avoided —
absolute indifference on the one side, and fanatic zeal on the
other. The " cold " are not those who have never made any
profession, for such could not come under the category of
Christians at all ; but the word implies that, while they are
numbered amongst the Lord's people, their hearts have never
yet been touched by grace, but are still hard as the nether
millstone. They are like those described in Ezek. xxxiii.
31:" They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they
sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but
they will not do them : for with their mouth they show much
love, but their heart goeth after covetousness." The light of
heaven illuminates the world, but they see it not ; the sun
diffuses warmth in his beams on every side, but they are
unaffected as the glacier on some Alpine summit ; warnings,
exhortations, entreaties, fall upon their ears unheeded ; and
unless God takes them in hand, and has mercy in store for
them, their hard hearts will become still more obdurate
through the deceitfulness of sin, until, through grieving, resist
ing, and finally quenching the Spirit, the dread sentence
issues as in the days of the prophet : " Ephraim is joined to
his idols : let him alone." " Better never to have known the

of Asia Minor. 407
way of righteousness than after having known it to turn from
the holy commandment delivered unto them." They stand
like barren trees, in those gardens enclosed by grace from the
wilderness of the world, withering daily, unaffected by rain or
sunshine, until, seared and dead, they are removed to make
way for others. Nothing is too hard for the Lord, and even
such as those whose hearts are cold as icicles. His grace can
melt, and make receptacles of His love.
On the other hand, there may be religious zeal bordering
on fanaticism. There may be excessive enthusiasm, which
is only another word for frenzy. This condition is the oppo
site extreme. Generally, when such occurs, it is shortlived.
Like the rapid torrent which sweeps down the mountain
sideband which may be produced by the thunder shower —
rushing impetuously and making itself heard a long way
off, there is too frequently the noisy profession, which
excitement has occasioned, and which suddenly dies out
when the excitement is withdrawn. Like Jonah's gourd, it
comes up in a night and perishes in a night. This reli
gion of high-sounding claims — and which works on the
feelings, that are as fickle as an April sky — however full of
enthusiasm, is not all that God requires us to possess. It
is the calm assured faith which, like some deep river, flows
smoothly on, widening gradually, and hollowing out its
channel as it nears the ocean, and producing verdure on every
side. On the part of the disciple who wrote the message to
the Church of Laodicea, there was once a fervour, which our
Lord checked ; for this Son of Thunder, with his brother,
had desired to call down fire from heaven and consume the
Samaritans who refused to receive his Master; and we are
told how Jesus rebuked the sons of Zebedee, and said, "Ye
know not what manner of spirit ye are of." When we see
fanaticism, whether in open hostility to the truth, or per-
vertino- the truth to the detriment of men's souls, it is not

4o8 The Messages to the Seven Churches
to be regarded as fervent zeal, but the outcome of feverish
excitement, the product of a "heat-oppressed brain," alike
injurious to faith and to morals.
By the word "hot," then, we are to understand those
whose hearts were influenced with spiritual fervour, who were
warmed with the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and in
whom the love of God was shed abroad by the Holy Spirit.
We can easily apprehend the relative wish here expressed by
Christ, in so far as the alternative of the Church's being "hot"
was cohcerned ; but there is less clearness when He says,
" Would that thou wert cold." He who is lukewarm is one
who has tasted the heavenly gift and the powers of the world
to come, and yet there is no, love kindled in the heart. He
seems to be a professor of religion, but it has not touched the
secret springs of action ; his will is uninfluenced, and there
fore the rudder of the soul is not in gear to drive the ship.
Like Balaam, he will neither bless nor curse. Like the wor
shippers of Mount Carmel, he stands halting between two
opinions. He is not far from the kingdorn of God, yet he
never thinks of venturing in — he is almost a Christian, and
altogether a worldling— he professes love to Christ, but in
works he denies Him — his pretence is on the side of religion,
but his heart and soul are engrossed with the world.
There is a want of earnestness, which is considered by some
to be allowable in religion, but in nothing else besides. The
man of the world rises early and sits up late, and eats the
bread of carefulness ; the ancient athlete exercised a severe
discipHne to fit him for striving in the stadium ; the merchant,
the mechanic, the husbandman, are all alive to those special
seasons that will advance the objects they have in view.
They do it for a corruptible crown ; and yet we, who are
running as in a racecourse for an immortal crown, halt and
get weary, and frequently sit down, forgetful of our destina
tion. Is the salvation of the soul not of equal importance

of Asia Minor. 409
with the material interests of man ? Some think here they
may go with the tide, and drift safely to the eternal shore ;
but the forces which are at work in the outer world will never
insure the safety of the soul. They will break on the shores
of time, and make shipwreck of our hopes ; they will never
carry us away to the haven of rest, where, in the bosom of
Jesus, no storm or tempest can ever overtake us.
Life is a work for eternity, and we cannot afford to stand
all the day idle. Our individual exertions now wiH not fail to
impart a complexion to our future destiny. What our hands
find to do should be done with all our might. Our heaven
must be begun here, if we would realize the beatific vision of
Christ hereafter. What infatuation, what reckless folly, to
occupy that neutral position in this life that it cannot be seen
whose we are and whom we serve .-" Is it not a spectacle fit
to make the very angels weep, to perceive graces languishing
and lethargic lukewarmness dulling the energy of devotion ;
and thus to see men standing as listless spectators, instead of
earnest workers for God 1 They may think that any work
done for 'God, any holy impulse heavenwards, perishes, but it
is not so. Philosophers tell us that if a single grain of sand
could be projected into space beyond the earth's attraction,
it would exercise an effect upon the most distant planet ; so
the humblest effort for Christ will not be unnoticed. No pure
thought, no good resolve, no loving act, will go forth in vain.
By the lukewarm, the voice of Heaven may be heard,
"Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and
Christ shall give thee light." That light will act like a torch
carried into the battlefield at night, or like a flash of lightning
on the crew of some shipwrecked vessel. It will dispel
illusions, it will reveal the true state of the soul, and exhibit
its naked deformity. Lukewarmness is akin to doubting ;
because if we only felt the power of religion within, we
should not be unconcerned, but cry out with one of old, who.

4IO The Messages to the Seven Churches
when the scales fell from his eyes, said, "Lord, what wilt
Thou have me to do ? " Doubt is not a healthy condition
of the soul ; it dishonours Christ, it is a stumbling-block
to weak brethren. It is not sufficient that through doubt
and darkness we enter the kingdom ; " yet so as by fire,"
is an unenviable salvation. There is pride at the root of
doubt ; for men look within themselves for a reason of
assurance which they cannot find, instead of looking out of
themselves to Christ and resting upon His sufficiency. While
we doubt we continue apathetic, and it should always be our
aim to rise above these mists, which are of the earth earthy,
and on the wings of faith get into the serene region where
Christ dwells, and with our eyes fixed on Him, we shall soon
be able to say, " I know in whom I have believed." Then
we shall adorn the doctrine of Christ and recommend it
to the world, and show to those who are around us that
" Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
peace." But what does our Lord mean by the exclamation, " T
would thou wert cold or hot " ? It cannot be supposed that He
would prefer a condition of absolute unbelief to one in which
faith had been once manifest, but was now feeble, and where
love was languishing. To have no faith at all would surely
not be a better alternative than to have some feeble remnants
of it to mark that it once was there. Christ will not quench
the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed ; and lukewarm
as the Church of Laodicea was. He will, in His mercy and
His love, still fan the flame of love, and bring its members
to repentance, if they will.
Better for the Church of Laodicea not to have had the
knowledge of the truth, than resting self-satisfied on that
bare fact, to sit in indolence, apathy and stolid indifference ;
for he that knew his Lord's will and did it not, was beaten
with many stripes, while he that knew not, and did com-

of Asia Minor. 411
mit things worthy of stripes, was beaten with few stripes
(Luke xii. 48). There would be more hopefulness of the
conversion of one who has not known the truth, than one
who had known it and abused it, or turned a deaf ear to it
Besides, none do more injury to the cause of Christ's gospel
than lukewarm professors. They make a profession of
Christianity, and they rest in the name of Christian, but they
bring discredit upon that sacred name by heartless neutrality,
or inconsistent lives. There is gross dishonesty here, and
whatever may be the high sounding name, it is like the snow
covering the mounds where the dead are laid — a fair pretence,
but inwardly full of corruption and deceit. There is a mean
ness in the man who is " a hypocrite in mask," and clothes
himself with the robes of heaven for the service of Satan ;
and an open enemy would be always preferable to a false
friend. If a man is earnest, whether right or wrong, there is
respect for him — one admires his zeal, his sincerity, his tenacity
of purpose ; and if he go in a wrong direction, there is still
hope that the good and loving Saviour who turned the water
into wine at Cana, may, in His own time, change the natural
faculties which have got a warp in a mistaken course, into
those of a higher order, producing fruit that will ultimately
redound to the glory of God. When Saul of Tarsus was
going to Damascus in his mad zeal — a persecutor, a blas
phemer, and injurious — there was no hypocrisy or insincerity
in him. He was honest, he was earnest, but he was ignorant ;
and there was more hope of his conversion when instructed,
than there could ever be of such a person as Judas, though
one of the Twelve. The latter was essentially mean — he was
a backslider and a traitor; and though numbered amongst
the Apostles, and under the personal ministry of Christ, he
remained a hardened hypocrite, of whom nothing could be
expected. The effect of the gospel upon him was " a savour
of death unto death." The longer he lived the more the evil

412 The Messages to the Seven Churches
heart of unbelief departed from the living God, he fell farther
from grace, and like sunshine and rain upon a lifeless tree,
the gifts of God's Providence, which brought others to repent
ance, only involved him deeper and deeper in spiritual decay.
We find that during our Lord's ministry on earth, it was
never from the lukewarm he obtained any of His followers ;
even a Mary Magdalene is reclaimed, while the indifferent
Scribes and Pharisees go further and further from the king
dom of God. We can therefore understand what the force
of our Lord's words was when He exclaimed : " / would
thou wert cold or hot ; " as a lukewarm condition was the
most hopeless and deplorable state in which professing
Christians could be found, a wretched caricature of religion,
which was blinding the minds of men with self-satisfaction
and deception.
Ver. l6. OvTWi, on xXiapb^ et, Kal ovre ^earbii ovre ¦yjrvxpo'i,
p,eXXw ae ipieaai iK tov arop.aTo'i pov. So then because thou art
lukewarm,- and neither hot nor cold, T will spue thee out of My
mouth. Laodicea's state was one of confirmed lukewarmness ;
it seems to have gone beyond a temporary or transitional
form, and that being so, there is nothing left but a fearful
looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall
devour the adversaries. The expression is very strong, " I will
spue thee out of my mouth." Like lukewarm water, which
has the tendency to produce nausea, so the moral and spiritual
condition of this Church was such as to occasion moral loath
ing. In Ps. lv. 12, where the Psalmist is speaking of Ab
salom's revolt, and in connexion with which Ahithophel is
introduced, he rebukes the latter in these words : " For it
was not an enemy that reproached me, then I could have
borne it ; neither was it he that hated me that did magnify
himself against me, then I would have hid myself from him ;
but it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and my ac-

of Asia Minor. 413
quaintance. -We took sweet counsel together, and walked
unto the house of God in company."
The most intense disgust is created when one who
professes friendship, and has been tried and trusted, turns
recreant. It is impossible to repose any confidence in the
deceiver afterwards ; and an open enemy is much more to be
welcomed than he who has proved himself a traitor. The
latter is blind to his own delinquencies, and having lost all
sense of shame, and become lost to principle and honour,
the last state of that man is worse than the first. There was
no further use in expostulation ; the harvest was past, and
the summer ended ; and now the dreadful threatening is
about to be carried into execution. Yet there is one ray of
mercy still remaining. There is a short respite before the
judgment shall issue. If even now, though their hearts were
frozen like the iceberg, they will rouse themselves to repent
ance, the long suffering compassion which spared Nineveh
will be extended here, although Laodicea had sinned against
light The words in the Greek are p,eXXw ae ip,eaai, f am
about to spue thee out of My mouth, unless you lay aside your
self-sufficiency and divest yourself of self-deceit. This form
of expression Bengel calls modalis sermo, when what is cate
gorical is expressed with some intimation respecting the mode
in which the thing is to be done. He implies the denial
which is about to take place in the event of their continuing
"lukewarm," before His Father.^ The threatening is clear,
that if they continue in the same condition in which Christ
then found them, they shall be cast off as a Church.
It is to be noted that the adjectives i/rv^joo? and i,eaTb<i are
in the masculine gender, showing that the Angel or Bishop of
the Church is the person addressed, not how-ever individually,
but as the representative of the Church, because he is respon-
' Bengel, On Apoc, pp. 215, 417.

414 The Messages to the Seven Churches
sible for the souls of the people, if he has not warned them of
their danger (Ezek. xxxiii. 7, 8). He may have been " luke
warm " as well as the people, and if, as we have before sup
posed, Archippus was the Angel of the Church at Lapdicea,
it was with a prescient mind and a well-formed estimate as
to the character of the son of Philemon, St. Paul gave the
injunction, " Take heed to the ministry which thou hast
received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it" (Col. iv. 17).
The inhabitants of Canaan had been dealt with in previous
times as Laodicea was now, in regard to punishment. The
sins of the people had brought down God's judgment. The
land was defiled by their abominations, and God said to His
people Israel, " Ye shall keep My statutes and My judgments,
and shall not commit any of these abominations ; neither any
of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among
you, . . . that the land spue not you out also when ye
defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you"
(Lev. xviii. 26, 28). Now the Church at Laodicea was in like
manner to be rejected. There was a name to live, but no
more ; and what more revolting, in the presence of God who
searcheth the heart, than a hollow conformity to religion,
while the conscience was seared as with a hot iron, and while
the heart felt no spiritual emotion towards God. Falsehood
and hypocrisy had seated themselves in the inmost shrine of
the soul, and the secret rejection of sacred truth, with a seem
ing acquiescence in the profession of it, was the climax of
self-degradation, and told too plainly that the time of
Laodicea's visitation in judgment was at hand.
Ver. 17. "On Xeyei<i' ITXouo-to? et/ti Kal irerrXovTrjKa Kal
ovBevb<i xp^iav exa>, Kal ovk otSa? oTt aii el 6 TaXairrwpo^, Kal
eXeetvo?, Kal tttw^oi, Kal TV<j>Xb^, Kal yvp,vb^. Because thou
sayest, I am rich, and I have gotten riches, and have need of
nothing ; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one, and

of Asia Minor. 415
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. There are two
points to be noticed here : (i) the Laodiceans' estimate
of themselves ; and, (2) Christ's description of their true
character. The Church had a high opinion of its status, and seemed
to consider itself in need of nothing. When it said, " I am
rich, and have gotten riches," are we to suppose it was boast
ing of its outward condition as regards worldly prosperity .-'
This boast would have been quite true. Laodicea, as has been
already noticed (ver. i), was the wealthiest in worldly riches
of the seven Churches, while Philadelphia was the poorest ;
but if the reference in this verse was to outward prosperity,
the contrast which follows could not properly apply. At the
same time when riches increase, and people set their hearts
upon them, they have the effect of making them forget God.
They draw away the mind from God, and lead men to
suppose they are in need of nothing, dependent for nothing,
and that all that they have is the result of their own abiHty,
energy, and skill.
Mammon, the most crooked of the spirits that fell, is a
god that men very extensively worship. It was so in
the days when our blessed Lord was on earth, and some of
His most withering rebukes are directed against such mean
idolatry. " How hardly shall they that have riches enter the
kingdom of God," was His observation after the young ruler
had gone away sorrowing, because Christ told him to exercise
self-denial (Mark x. 21). So too, in our Lord's Sermon on
the Mount : " Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, etc.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"
(Matt vi. 20, 21). He asks with overwhelming power : "What
shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose
his own soul ? " and to His disciples He said, with pointed
emphasis, " Beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth
not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth"'

41 6 The Messages to the Seven Churches
(Luke xii. 15). It is not incompatible with the religion of
Christ that a man should have wealth, or that a society of
men should have material prosperity. The friends of Christ
were in the household of Caesar, and a Joseph of Arimathea,
and a Centurion, and a Nicodemus, were men of good position
Jn society. It is only when riches are made the end of man's
existence, when the production of wealth is regarded as the
chief object of life, that they become a snare to lead men to
perdition. If we are to imitate our Great Master, there must
be self-sacrifice and self-consecration to Him. There must be
presented to the enchantment which chains us to the world
a counter-enchantment which will draw us upward to God.
We have that in Christ's redeeming love ; for He said,
" And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto me." " Who is he that overcometh the world, but he
that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God."
The boast of the Laodicean Church did not refer to out
ward things. It was an absence of poverty of spirit ; it spoke
of a self-sufficiency and self-deception, which were alike dis
honouring to God and perilous to the souls of men. They
had a persuasion that there was something good within them,
and, acting upon that persuasion, they said they wanted
nothing. This condition reminds one forcibly of some in
"these last days" who have laid claim to possess such an
assurance of salvation that they need no longer pray for.
forgiveness, for they commit no sin to be forgiven, and being
" saved," they no more need the ordinances of religion and
means of grace. Like those whom the Apostle reproves
(i Cor. iv. 8), on account of their presumptuous notions of
perfection reached all at once, they stand before the world
self-condemned by spiritual pride and self-sufficiency. How
censorious too they are of others ! The tongue which is " an
unruly evil " is ever ready to slander and revile those who in
the eye of God, it may be, are far superior to themselves. "Ye,"

of Asia Minor. 4 1 7
said the Apostle to the Church at Corinth, " are full ; ye are
rich to satiety-»-What then ought we your spiritual parents
be .? But what is the fact ? God has put us forth last in the
Christian race, while ye imagine yourselves to be first ; we are
appointed to death, while ye sit as spectators and reign as
kings I And we are patient and bless Him. If such is our
case, ye may be sure that pride and vainglory and self-
confidence, such as yours, are no fit badges of Christians." ^
This irony of the Apostle comes forcibly upon the Corinthians,
who had got into a state of self-satisfaction, and might be
well and carefully noticed by some of the same class in the
present day.
In the Old Testament there is a similar boast to that of
Laodicea, and it is supposed that reference is made to it
in the message of the blessed Saviour (Hosea xii. 8), " I am
become rich, I have found me out substance ; in all my
labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin."
The people of Israel flattered themselves that, inasmuch as
everything succeeded with them, God was favourable, and
the result of this notion was that they turned a deaf ear to the
prophets and their reproofs ; because, they said, if God were
not propitious. He never would have advanced them to so high
a degree of worldly prosperity. " I am become rich," and I
am quite satisfied with my lot, and I care nothing for what
the prophets may say.^ They went on to say they were free
from every fault and vice, because the outward tokens of
blessing were so' obvious. If they had only thought of what
Solomon said (Prov. xxv. 14), " Whoso boasteth himself of
a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain," they would
perhaps have hesitated before they turned the gifts of God
against Himself, and began to reject His counsel, because He
had dealt so leniently and generously to them. It is nothing
1 Bishop Wordsworth, Notes on I Cor. iv. 8.
2 Calv., Com. on Hos. xii. 8.
E E

4i8 The Messages to the Seven Churches
short of daring impiety, when men thus recklessly set them
selves against God — when the goodness of God does not lead
them to repentance — and when they think that worldly pros
perity is a token of spiritual blessing; that in the ratio of
good fortune in the things of this life, the favour of God must
also be. Such people forget the corollary our Lord deduced
from the parable of the rich fool : " So is he that layeth up
treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
The prosperity of the Church of Laodicea in temporals had
the effect, like as in the time of the projphet who has been re
ferred to, of making it satisfied that the riches of the Saviour's
grace were as largely enjoyed as worldly riches. The Church
has never gained much by material prosperity. In the days
of Constantine, when maintained by state support, we have
abundant proof that although the sunshine of outward pros
perity shone upon her, she lost considerably in spirituality.
There is always a tendency, when affluence is enjoyed, to have
our graces weakened ; and it is not less true as regards Churches
than it is as regards nations, that luxury and wealth lead to
effeminacy, because they engender ease and self-satisfaction.
The expression " Thou sayest, I am rich," refers specially to
the high estimate the Laodicean Church had of its spiritual
attainments ; and there could not be found a more forcible
illustration of the deceptive character of feeling than that
which we have here. There are many who feel certain inner
persuasions regarding their state before God, which are as
adverse to their real character as darkness to light. " If a
man say he hath faith and have not works, can faith save
him ?" asks St James (ii. 14) ; and if a man says he feels he
is saved, and neglects the ordinances of religion and despises
the means of grace, prays for no forgiveness, but considers
himself perfect as an Angel of God, can this feeling save him ?
Whatever may be his feeling, or his profession, unless he
shows his love to Christ by walking in His commandments,

of Asia Minor. 419
by crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts, by main
taining the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, and by
bringing forth the fruits of righteousness, his character is not
that of the Christian as set forth in Holy Scripture. What
is the use of calling Christ, Lord ! Lord ! and not doing the
things which He says? We should always remember that
the heart is deceitful, and that he that trusteth in his own
heart is a fool ; and our good feelings, if they are leading us
to run counter to the written Word, are only the fanciful
chimeras of a vain imagination. Feelings are so liable to
change that, like the sky, which may be bright at noontide,
but clouded an hour afterwards, they are not a safe index
of a Christian's hope. Take any saint of either dispensation,
and on inquiring into the nature of his religious experience
as derived from his feelings, we shall find him at one time
rejoicing in God, at another crying out, " Why art thou cast
down, O my soul ? and why art thou disquieted within me .' "
At one time rising with an assured faith to say, " I know in
whom I have believed," and again even an Apostle fearing
lest when preaching to others he himself should be rejected.
There has been no truth more perverted than the inward
consciousness of a sinner's hope. Mere excitement of the
overwrought feelings of people of nervous temperament has
been supposed to be the work of grace, and fanaticism has,
in certain cases, resulting from such excitement, brought
contempt upon religion. At the same time although truth
may be, and often has been, perverted, we are not to ignore,
or speak slightingly of it If we have a good hope through
grace, we cannot but be conscious of it. St Paul speaks
of the hope that maketh not ashamed, because the love of
God is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost (Rom.
V. 5) ; but this hope, or rather the consciousness of it, may
vary in the same person at different times. It is impossible
to pass from death unto life, and know nothing of this

420 The Messages to the Seven Churches
change. It might with as much reason be said that the blind
man (John ix.) who was restored to sight, or Lazarus who
was raised from the dead, had no consciousness of it But
while this is admitted, there must be evidence that the feeling
or consciousness is founded upon a sound basis. " Every one
that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as Christ is
pure " (i John iii. 3). He will glorify God in his body and in
his spirit which are His. He will come to the house of God
with them that keep holy day, and show forth the praises of
Him who hath called him from darkness into His marvellous
light ; and instead of carping censoriousness, which magnifies
the mote in a brother's eye — self-sufficiency, which exclaims,
" I have need of nothing," — and PharaSaic exclusiveness being
exhibited with an assumed air of superiority which seems to
say, " Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier
than thou," — he will lead his weak and erring brother or sister
to the great Master, tell the story of His redeeming love,
and show the fulness of that grace and mercy which is in
Christ to meet the wants of every downcast and desponding
soul. The Church at Laodicea considered itself perfectly safe,
but at that very moment it was in the last stage of moral
decrepitude and decay, that was soon to be followed by the
candlestick being removed out of its place. They thought
themselves the favoured of heaven and in need of nothing.
They were exalted above measure through self-satisfied pride,
and like Agag before Samuel, they seemed to say, " Surely
the bitterness of death is past " ; but in the view of Christ
they were wretched (TaXatVwpot) above all others, miserable
(eXeetvo^), objects of extremest pity, and poor (rrTwypy) ; while
in the possession of the greatest riches yet spiritually poor
indeed, because their hearts were not rich toward God ; and
blind (tv^Xoi), like the Pharisees (John ix. 40), who said to
Christ " Are we blind also ? " and to whom He replied, " If ye

of Asia Minor. 42 1
were blind, ye should have no sin, but now ye say We see ;
therefore your sin remaineth," — and naked (yvp,vo)) ; they were
in the filthy rags of their own self-righteousness, and as such
unfit to stand in the presence of Him who is of purer eyes
than to behold iniquity.
Ver. 18. SvpfiovXevw aoi dryopdaai trap' ip,ov xP^'^io^
TTeiTvpwp.evov eK TTvpb<i, iva ttXoi/tjjctjj?, kui ip,dna XevKd 'iva
Trepi^dXrj, Kal p,rj (f}avepw6y rj aia^vvrj Trj'i yvpvoTjjTO'i aov,
Kal KoXXovpiov iyxpiaai Tov<i 6(p9aXp,ovi aov, 'iva ^Xerrrjii. I
counsel thee to buy of Me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest
become rich; and white garments that thou mayest clothe thyself,
and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest;
and eyesalve io anoint thine eyes that thou mayest see. Did
not our Lord tell the Church in the preceding verse, that it
was in the most abject poverty and wretchedness } and surely
it sounds like cruel irony to hear the people counselled to
" buy," when we may regard them as in a state of bankruptcy.
The merchant princes of Laodicea were familiar with the
usages of trade ; buying and selling and getting gain were
the things that were foremost in their thoughts ; and yet they
were spending their money for nought, and their labour for
that which did not satisfy. Christ tells them to buy of Him,
and we see at once that it is the pearl of great price He
desires them to secure. It is neither the beautiful wools of
Laodicea, nor changes of garments of the finest texture, nor
unguents of the most precious rarity and the most priceless
value, that He counsels them to trade in. He tells them He
has something to sell them far above all these. Gold that
will not perish in the using, or make to itself wings and flee
away ; raiment which will make them acceptable in the
presence of the Great King ; and ointment which if applied
will remove every film of obscurity from their eyes, and
enable them not only to see themselves as God sees them,

422 The Messages to the Seven Churches
but to see the things which belong to their soul's everlasting
peace. One would think that, with such offers presented, with
such prospects before them, they would cry out at once with
the Apostle, " Lord, to whom shall we go " (but to Thee) ?
" Thou hast the words of eternal Hfe " (John vi. 68).
There was a further reason why they should come and
buy from Him ; for, although in some respects they had to
contribute towards the acquisition of these incomparable
possessions, in another sense they were to be had without
money and without price ; they had to deny themselves,
take up their cross and follow Christ ; they had to renounce
their self-righteousness, and, like the Apostle of the Gentiles,
say, "The things which were gain to me, those I counted
loss for Christ." They must get rid of their fancied self-
sufficiency, and, like the publican of old, come to Him,
saying, " God be merciful to us sinners ! " and shall they be
sent empty away? He in whom dwelt all the fulness of
the Godhead bodily would satisfy their mouths with good
things, — " they should not be ashamed in the evil time, and,
in the days of famine, they should have enough." The poor
man who had no earthly riches, might come here and be
made rich in faith and good works. He might say, " I have
nothing to offer Thee, blessed Lord, but myself: take my
heart, make it Thy temple ; take my soul, and wash it in
Thy blood ; take my body, make it the habitation of Thy
Spirit ; and so in body, soul, and spirit preserve me blame
less till Thy coming and kingdom." What is the gold tried
in the fire, but faith that would stand the test of tribulation,
that would rise with each difficulty, and, like that of the
Patriarch of Uz, cry out in calm confidence, "though He
slay me, yet will I trust in Him."
Possibly the Church at Laodicea supposed that these
spiritual attainments were hers already. The proud boast.

of Asia Minor. 423
" I am rich," implied as much. But he that is vain of his
high spiritual attainments has least to boast of; for in pro
portion as one grows in grace he is humbled, because the
more he knows, the more persuaded is he of the vast unex
plored depths of wisdom and knowledge that lie beyond him.
Earthly good will not satisfy the cravings of the immortal
soul. The German poet Goethe thus wrote at the close of
his Hfe : " They have called me the child of fortune ; nor
have I any reason to complain of the events of my life : yet
it has been nothing but labour and sorrow ; and in seventy-
five years I have not had four weeks of true comfort." And
if we take another illustration from one of our own most
gifted poets. Lord Byron, we shall hear his experience testi
fying to the same melancholy fact :
" Count o'er the joys thine hours have seen.
Count o'er thy days from anguish free ;
And know, whatever thou hast been,
'Tis something better not to be.
No ; for myself so dark my fate,
Through every turn of life hath been —
Man and the world so much I hate —
I care not when I quit the scene."
In the case of the one, we have the experience of the
optimist, who looks upon all human existence as sunshine,
who "snatches joyfully the gifts of the passing hour, and
leaves the sterner side of Hfe unnoticed " ; and in that of
the other we hear the deep groan of the pessimist, who sees
everything around him dismal and dark — only death in life
—in history no progress, but everything tending to bar
barism, and in the sum total of human existence the evil
constantly triumphing over the good. And why is this?
Because neither the one nor the other has sought " the gold
tried in the fire" from Him who counsels Laodicea and every
other Church to come to Him. If resting on ourselves, we

424 The Messages to the Seven Churches
have only a frail support. We may try wealth, talents,
health, possessions, friends — and we shall have to say in the
end, " Miserable comforters are ye all!" These supports will
not stand the strain which they have to bear. They are not
ours more than the dress we wear. We want something
which we can really call our own, something that will last
when all that is outward fails ; and what is this ? A firm
faith on Jesus as the Gift of God to a sinful world. He who
has Him has "unsearchable riches"; he has the riches of
pardon, of sonship, of sanctification and complete redemption.
And without Him he has nothing, though he were seated,
Hke Alexander, on the throne of the world.
Even from a temporal point of view, the life of the Christian
is brighter, better, and happier than that of the unbeliever.
He exercises virtue, which is its own reward. He avoids
the excesses, the follies, the evils which, woven into the web
of life, frequently make it hard to be borne, and at times
cause the maddened brain to exclaim, "Is life worth living?"
So that if the Cross of Christ had never possessed the effect
of neutralizing the sources of man's misery and purifying the
fountains of his joy, and if Christ had never been more than
the humble Nazarene, whose holy life and self-sacrificing
death, were examples for our imitation — then even on this
ground, the Christian should have had the victory. But
when we come to know the plague of our own hearts, when
we feel we are sinners and guilty before God, when conscience
accuses and our own hearts condemn us, is it not assuring
to know that God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all
things, and that Christ, who knew no sin, has been made sin for
us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him ?
This gold which Christ counsels Laodicea to buy is gold
that has been tried in the fire, refined by fire, fresh from the
furnace, and which, being purified, still retains its bright and
beautiful gloss. Now the unsearchable riches of Christ are

of Asia Minor. 425
"tried" riches. They are always available when needed,
they are subject to no change, and they never fail to satisfy
their possessor. Thousands have tried them, and they have
never been 'disappointed. From the righteous Stephen, the
first Christian martyr, all through the centuries, the gold of a
pure and steadfast faith has been thoroughly put to the test ;
and whether " tried " in the dungeon, or at the stake, it has
always come forth bright and burnished.
At the very time when the Message to Laodicea was
written by the disciple whom Jesus loved, that disciple was
undergoing a trial of faith in a desert isle ; yet the veil of
heaven, was rent, and he saw a vision of glory, such as no
human eye had ever seen before : and the trial of his faith
has issued in the record of that Revelation, which has cheered
the eye and gladdened the heart of a multitude that no man
can number, through their pilgrimage of sorrow and suffering
to the home of the blessed.
Kal ip-dnaXevKa, 'iva Trepi^dXrj, k.t.X., and white garments,
that thou mayest clothe thyself. Together with " gold tried in
the fire," Christ counsels them to buy white garments, that
they may be clothed. This implies their utter misery and
wretchedness ; and the clothing corresponds to the beauty,
and honour, and dignity, which were to be bestowed by Him.
The wools of Laodicea were noted for their fleecy whiteness ;
but there is an offer here of raiment far more white, and
which may be taken to represent the righteousness of Christ
imputed so as to procure the sinner's justification before God,
and His righteousness imparted, so as to procure his sanctifi
cation. Both are needful, and both go together in man's
salvation. This is the wedding garment (Matt xxii. 11-13).
This is the " best robe " the father put on the prodigal (Luke
XV. 22). This is the fine linen, pure and bright, in which
Christ's bride was to array herself for the marriage supper of
the Lamb (Rev. xix. 8).

426 The Messages to the Seven Churches
In Jer. xxiii. 6, Christ's name is given as " The Lord our
Righteousness ;" and in Rom. xiii. 14 we are told to put on
Christ ; and (Gal. iii. 27), as many as have been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ Now all these passages show
that when we come to Christ, He takes away our "filthy
garments," as the angel of the Lord (Zech. iii. 3-5) did to
Joshua, the high priest, and clothes us with a change of
raiment. It was for this object Christ came into the world, —
that He might " cover our sins," and clothe us in the spotless
robe of His own righteousness. The law of God required a
perfect righteousness, and that law can never change. The
soul that sinneth, it shall die, unless a substitute is found to
meet the requirements of a broken law, and render satisfac
tion to Divine justice. Christ has become such a substitute.
He has magnified the law and made it honourable. He
has died, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. His
righteous life and meritorious death are put to our account ;
as Art. XI. states, " We are accounted righteous before God
only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by
faith, and not for our own works or deservings." Christ Our
substitute took our " filthy raiment," which had come down
to us stained from Paradise lost, and He puts upon each one
who will receive it, the robe of His righteousness, and so we
are accounted righteous before God. And not only so ; but
He imparts His righteousness to us also, to form our ruined
hearts anew, and make us heirs of heaven. Christ bore no
sins of His own, for He was holy, harmless, undefiled and
separate from sinners; He suffered because of our sins,.
which were laid upon Him. We are saved because of His
righteousness which is imputed to us, and which our faith
receives. The law has been satisfied ; Christ has endured the
Cross, despising the shame, for us. We have the joy, and
the reward, and the glory, of His great humiliation. There
are many who profess Christ, but it will be of no avail unless

of Asia Minor. 427
they put on Christ, unless they take hold of His pierced
hand, and cling to His wounded side, and in the language of
appropriating faith say with the Apostle St. Thomas, " My
Lord and my God ! "
It is sometimes said by those who should know the Scrip
tures better, "Christ lived the life of a sage, and died the death
of a martyr. In His death there is the most perfect exhibi
tion of self-sacrifice, preaching to us through a mortal the
evil of sin, and the majesty of sorrow !" If this were all, what
better would Christ be than any of those on the roll of the
noble army of Martyrs ? Was not self-sacrifice apparent in
the highest degree in the martyrdom of St. Polycarp, and the
evil of sin and the majesty of sorrow were as fully exhibited
in the sufferings of St. Polycarp, or St. Ignatius, as it was
possible for a mortal to make them manifest ; but who ever
thought of becoming converted to God by contemplating
such examples of self-sacrifice? If we are merely to be
taught to exercise like virtues of patient endurance and heroic
fortitude, what better is Christianity than paganism? In
heathen lands are not such exercises common ? Exclude the
idea of Christ as our substitute, our surety, our sin-bearer,
and all the types of Old Testament times are an insoluble
enigma ; but view them as pointing to Him as the sinner's
substitute, and the mystery is at once solved.
We hear it also said : If God is looked upon as requiring
an atonement. He must be regarded as a rigorous exactor,
who requires His wrath appeased by the blood of an innocent
sufferer ! This is an unfounded assumption and utteriy irre
concilable with fact. There was no vindictive wrath on the
part of God, for twice the Voice came from Heaven, " This
is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased " ; and Christ
says. He came to do the will of His Father ; so that the
satisfaction made by Christ was not to appease an angry
exactor, but to carry out the righteous principles df eternal

428 The Messages to the Seven Churches
truth. If we trace man's salvation to its source, we must go
further back than Calvary. We must trace it through the
cycles of time, further back than creation, when the morning
stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy —
we must go back to the bosom of the everlasting Father.
The love of God dates from eternity, when God had not
yet called into existence any creature to be a co-worker with
Himself ; and the great central truth of the Bible is that God
does not love us because Christ died for us, but Christ died
for us because God loved us.
Vicarious suffering is the law of human life. It is written
in the history of the hero who dies far away in the field of
battle; it is written in the life of the philanthropist who sacri
fices himself that the guilty may not perish in sin; it is written
in the life of every martyr who dies to win souls to Christ ;
it is written in letters of light on the Cross of Calvary, " He
saved others. Himself He cannot save." It is for us to accept
Him as our surety, to put on His righteousness by faith ;
and, arrayed in this spotless garment, we shall pass through
the gate of the grave undismayed, and stand in the presence
of God, the judge of all, without fault and in perfect peace.
/cat KoXXovpiov iyxpiaai toik; oj>6aXp,ov^, k. t. X., and eye
salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. This is the
third article of merchandise which Christ counsels the Church
at Laodicea to buy. It is noticeable that in all the things to
be purchased there is some severity and suffering implied.
The gold was to be tried in the fire — the garments were to
provide freedom from the blush of shame — and the eyesalve
was to act keenly on the eyes, so as to remove any film that
might interfere with vision. This anointing of the eyes is
to be taken in a spiritual sense. The Laodiceans were like
the Pharisees to whom we have already referred. They said,
" We see." They were not conscious of their own blindness.
Christ has come into the worid, that they which see not

of Asia Minor. 429
might see, and that they which see might be made blind.
There is no worse condition than wilful blindness, when men
shut their eyes to the truth ; and in the case of those who
reject it, it is more from wilful perversity than from want of
evidence that they throw it aside. Conscience is the eye of
the soul. It is by this medium that the light of heaven
reaches the heart, or is debarred from access to it. So our
Lord said in His Sermon on the Mount : " The light of the
body is the eye ; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole
body shall be full of light, but if thine eye be evil, thy whole
body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in '
thee be darkness, how great is that darkness" (Matt. vi. 22-24).
He who has no will for the things belonging to his peace
shall have no saving knowledge of them. If conscience be
enlightened and in active exercise, the Hght will be apparent
throughout the entire body ; but if there is an unenlightened
evil conscience, there will be an opposite result. The word
here used is aTrXoS?, simple, and it gives the idea of one
singly intent upon heaven, instead of regarding earthly things
as the highest good. Man is represented as possessing an
inward eye capable of discerning the true end of life ; and if
that eye be blinded, how much greater is the spiritual dark
ness than if the outward eyesight were destroyed. Now to
apprehend spiritual truth, the eyes of the understanding must
be enHghtened (Eph. i. 18), for until this is realized, no man
can see himself in his true position before God. " No man
can say that Jesus is the Lord, but of the Holy Ghost"
The removing the obstruction from our spiritual vision is the
first thing a sinner needs ; so the Psalmist says, " Open Thou
mine eyes that I may see wondrous things out of Thy law."
We see ourselves in our natural state, just as a sailor sees
objects in his night glass. The image is inverted ; we often
put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter, and it is only when,
through the Holy Spirit, the blessed Redeemer applies the

430 The Messages to the Seven Churches
eyesalve to the spiritual eye, and convinces us of our sinful
ness, that we really see ourselves in the true light in which
we ought to be seen. There was a very significant anointing
recorded by St. John, in his Gospel, chap, ix., that of the
eyes of the man who was born blind, and St. John must
have been an eye-witness to it ; so that the direction to the
Laodiceans to buy the eyesalve to anoint their eyes must
have brought up that circumstance to his mind, iriore espe
cially as that miracle there recorded was a parable and a
prophecy of things which were afterwards to be effected in
the kingdom which Christ was to establish, and which did
not consist in meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace,
and joy in the Holy Ghost.
When the light of heaven is admitted to the conscience,
it discovers frailties and infirmities which we never dreamt
of as having had any place in us before ; it shows our spiritual
poverty, and makes' us know ourselves to be poor, and
wretched, and miserable, and blind, and naked, and causes
us to look away from ourselves to Him who hath all fulness,
and " of whose fulness we have all received, and grace for
grace " (John i. i6). Whatever we may be naturally, what
ever gifts or accomplishments we may possess, they will be
of no value without Divine teaching ; and all education
which is merely secular, and which takes no cognisance of
man's moral and spiritual faculties, that keeps back the
Word of God from the young, however useful it may be to
fit man to maintain a position in the world, is worse than
useless to solve the questions — What am I ? Whence came
I ? Whither am I tending ? What is to be my great and
profound future ? How shall I be just with God ? and what
relation shall I sustain to Him through eternity ? There
must be, to enable us to solve these questions, the application
of the Divine eyesalve, which Christ exhorts the Church at
Laodicea to buy,—" the anointing " of which St John speaks

of Asia Minor. 431
in his Epistle, and which he said they, to whom it was
addressed, had received : " Ye have an unction from the
Holy One, and know all things " ; and the Divine teaching
the Prophet promises— " All thy children shall be taught of
God, and great shall be the peace of thy children."
What a fearful proof of how far man has gone from God
is the need there was of an atonement ; and this alienation
is even more apparent when we reflect that it requires God
Himself to convince us of the absolute necessity there is for
us personally to become sharers in the benefits of that re
demption. And how is this ? It is not that the intellect
is at fault, or that there is not sufficient evidence of the
fact that Christ was the true Messiah ; but the stubborn will
resists and overpowers the understanding ; so that now the
words of our Lord are as truly applicable to the world as
they were in the days of His flesh — " Ye will not come to
Me that ye might have life." If there is a desire for the
truth on the part of people, they are sure to find it ; but if
they are not really in earnest about it — if their inquiries are
for the sake of cavil or disputation, while there is no heartfelt
love for its principles — it is hard to expect that it will be
profitable, because it is not mixed with faith, and whatsoever
is not of faith is sin.
The Jews, in our Lord's day, were fully aware of the Old
Testament prophecies ; they saw the wonderful works of
Christ, they heard the words of Him who spake as never
did man, and yet they remained blind to their best interests.
It was not their intellectual powers that were unenlightened,
but they did not like a teacher whose doctrines were, as
they considered, an innovation upon all that had been taught
in the synagogue — who made them dissatisfied with their
own tenets, and showed them that whatever the letter of the
law might be, they had entirely mistaken its spirit, and mis
understood its force. They could not understand a righteous-

432 The Messages to the Seven Churches
ness which was not of the law, but through the faith of Christ;
and unless the eyes of their understandings received Divine
illumination, their asserting that they saw, only rendered
their case the more hopeless. When the Holy Spirit opens
the eyes, it is like the effect of a lamp carried into some deep
cavern, pointing to danger on the one side, and grandeur and
beauty on the other. But for that holy influence, we never
should see or know ourselves, nor should we be otherwise
than the Church at Laodicea, which felt no spiritual need.
The grace which makes us what we ought to be is not in
ourselves, nor of ourselves. The law of God we could not
fulfil, and therefore it never could be a law of life to us. We
need help from above — that we have only from Christ. We
cling naturally to the earth, and it would be as reasonable
to expect water to rise above its level without the application
of force, as to raise ourselves by any efforts of our own. But
as St Augustine has well said: "He who has made us without
ourselves. He who remade us without ourselves, will not save
us without ourselves." He will not save us against our wills,
or in spite of ourselves. We must lay hold of His perfect
righteousness, and be not faithless but believing.
Christ has not come as a resistless influence acting upon
us, as if we were mere machines. We are always dealt with
as moral and responsible beings ; and just as our wills are
prepared to welcome Christ, in the same proportion shall
we be benefited. While He is the Foundation Stone of His
Church, and Headstone of the Corner, He is also a Stone
of stumbling and Rock of offence to both Houses of Israel,
as Isaiah had foretold. He is such to others also ; and when
privileges are misused, which were designed to lead to God
— when the foolish heart is darkened, and the will, under the
influence of the old fallen nature, is turning away the soul
from God — what can be expected but a quenching of the
Spirit, and the sorrow of the world which worketh death. To

of Asia Minor. 433
Laodicea the counsel was needed, and it is not less so to the
Churches still, whose members have eyes but they will not
see ; as if the means of grace were not intended for them,
. or as if it were immaterial whether they accepted them or
not. Should not our prayer ever be, " Lighten mine eyes,
lest I sleep the sleep of death"? (Ps. xiii. 3). "O send out Thy
light and Thy truth ; let them lead me ; let them bring me
unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles " (Ps. xliii. 3).
Ver. 19. lEiyw oaov<i idv <piXw, iXeyx'^ Kal TraiBevw' ^ijXeve
ovv Kol pieTavorjaov. As many as I dearly love, f reprove and
chasten ; be zealous therefore, and repent. The word, iXeyx'^,
which is here joined to rraiBevw is to be taken as conveying
more than a simple rebuke. Ebrard says that "judicial in
flictions are not here threatened to the Laodiceans, the fear
of which might urge them to repentance, but that the past
rebukes and threatenings are, as it were, affectingly apologised
for as having proceeded from love." Surely there was more
than this in the stern threatening directed against the Church
in Laodicea ; and Laodicea was not to be brought to a sense
of its true state before God by mere words. eXiyx<>> shows
that mere reproof was not all that our Lord intended, but
such reproof as would bring conviction, and lead the luke
warm professors of Laodicea to acknowledge their sin, and
be brought back, if need be, by sharp discipline to repent
ance. The same word is used in John xvi. 8, as describing
the office of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. "He shall
reprove (so as to convict) the world of sin." So also the
word, iraiBevw, means not only to instruct, but to instruct
by means of correction. The Psalmist David, by the
pointed parable addressed to him by Nathan, was led to
acknowledge his sin. Here was the rebuke that brought
conviction ; but the death of the child was the correction
which accompanied it; and both were designed to bring
F F

434 The Messages to the Seven Churches
him back to repentance and restoration to the favour of
God. Do not suppose, Christ says to the Church at Laodicea, I
am not your friend because I speak sharply to you : " It is
better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear
the song of fools " — I rebuke you for your welfare, to make
you feel the danger of your position , and the chastisement I
am about to inflict, however severe it may seem to you, will
be for your spiritual profit, and growth in grace. This is
still the object of chastisement ; and although some consider
human suffering as punishment for sin, it is often quite the
reverse. There are those who have said, as the Jews did in
the time of our Lord, of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate
mingled with their sacrifices, that they were greater sinners
than others because they suffered such things ; and some are
still ready to justify the inference that the eighteen upon
whom the Tower of Siloam fell were sinners above all
that dwelt at Jerusalem. Job, the perfect man of Uz,
was considered by his friends to have been a very heinous
transgressor, because of the misfortunes and calamities that
befell him. But this was not so, as he himself oftentimes
urged against his censors, and the latter end of his life
justified his own conviction, as well as the ways of God to
men. This St. James also confirms, when he says : " Ye
have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of
the Lord ; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy "
(Jas. V. II) ; and in the same connexion he says : "We count
them happy that endure."
In St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews we read : " Whom
the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son
whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth
with you as with sons, for what son is he whom the
father chasteneth not ? " And just immediately before St.
Paul's death, in the last Epistle he wrote, when he was a

of Asia Minor. 435
prisoner at Rome, suffering for the testimony he had borne
to the truth, and while speaking of all his persecutions and
afflictions, he adds : " Yea, and all that will live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution"; as if the absence of
suffering implied a want of sonship. In these passages we
see that pain and suffering are not penal, but purifying;
not damnatory, but disciplinary ; forming part of the rraiBeia
which follows, in most cases, the eXeyxo^. To be always
living in the sunshine of prosperity, spreading our branches
like the green bay tree, is not necessarily a token of God's
approval. Better far to be able to say when undergoing the
salutary discipline by which God is fitting us more fully for
the enjoyment of heaven : Thy right hand shall hold me up,
and Thy loving correction shall make me great (Ps. xviii. 35).
Suffering then may be a friend in disguise ; do not therefore
faint when thou art rebuked of the Lord. Those swelling
waves and stormy winds are destined the more speedily to
waft you over the troubled sea of life. Look to the Cross of
Jesus, and see there the Prince of Life, the Prince of sufferers
— and yet perfectly sinless ; and know that if you suffer with
Him, you shall also reign with Him. Look upon all as
the result of Divine arrangement, and extract from it that
healing medicine, which will restore your souls to manly
vigour, and make you the better qualified to press onward in
the path that leads to heaven.
Away with the Manichean heresy which would ascribe all
pain to the Evil principle opposing God's will, as if there
were two supreme wills in antagonism. Away with the
Stoical hypothesis that there is no difference between pain
and pleasure except what we choose to make ourselves — all
evil being only unripe good. And away with the Epicurean
notion that God does not attend to the minute concerns of
men so as to inflict chastisement upon them. One reason
why dark Providences have so little effect upon us is that

43^ The Messages to the Seven Churches
they are not looked upon as part of God's plan, but they are
thought to be the result of chance ; whereas the history of the
Church, from the time of righteous Abel to the present, is a
commentary on the words, " As many as I love dearly, I re
prove and chasten." It is only when viewed in the Hght of
the Cross that the mystery of pain is really explicable ; it is
there transfigured. It is there seen to be the balm of life, the
branch to destroy the bitterness of every Marah which the
world may disclose, and purify every fountain of man's joy.
When chastening comes from the hand of God, there is
always a " need be," and it should ever be our prayer that it
may be sanctified. There is in nature a beautiful equilibrium
preserved ; but if it was never disturbed, if there were not
occasionally the earthquake, the thunder, and thg storm, the
atmosphere would be charged with pestilence, and destruc
tion to man and beast would follow. In God's spiritual
kingdom there is also a balance kept up; hence we read : "As
the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation
also aboundeth by Christ" (2 Cor. i. 5). There is a wise
design further to teach us patience and reliance upon Him.
When our Lord was made acquainted with the fact that
Lazarus was sick. He abode two days in the place where
he was. He does not exempt His people from trials, but He
gives them strength to meet them. We sometimes entertain
hard thoughts of God, and say, "God cannot care for me
when He permits such heavy trials to fall upon me." Gideon
so reasoned : " If the Lord be with me why has all this befallen
me ? " " Hath God forgotten to be gracious," says David ; " is
His mercy clean gone for ever," and am I left here no better
than a wreck upon a lonely shore ? Look upward and see ;
and from the Man at God's right hand the assuring answer
will come : " In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a
moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on
thee. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed,

of Asia Minor. 43 7
but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall
the covenant of my peace be removed."
We often say in regard to this life and the present world :
"This is my rest; here will I dweU." God embitters the
world's pleasures, and dims the lustre of its joys. We stoop
to pick up the golden apples which are thrown on our path,
and are hindered in running our heavenly race. The joys
of life are like the incoming wave which breaks upon the
shore, but the sorrows of life carry us outward to the eternal
ocean, and to the unfathomed depths of Godhead. We are
borne thus nearer to Christ, and the objects of time become
dim and worthless by reason of the glory that excelleth. And
will not the glory of heaven be all the more welcome after
the rough voyage which we have had in reaching it? To
heighten the lighter shades in a picture, there is always a
dark background. Who best enjoys the sweets of home,
but the traveller who has crossed the burning sands, and been
exposed to dangers innumerable both in flood and field ?
Who but the mariner who has weathered many a storm can
best realize the calm and comfort of a haven ? So with
the child of affliction : are not these fierce winds and dark
tempests the harbingers of the rest and peace of heaven ?
We should therefore welcome the darkness as well as the
,, light, the sorrow as well as the joy, if brought nearer Him
who is the Captain of our Salvation, who holds the helm
and guides the ship.
What led St. Paul to wish to be a sharer in the sorrows
of his Lord ? He desired that he might know Him and the
power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffer
ings, being made conformable unto His death (Phil. iii. 10).
What was this but desiring to be holy Hke Christ, and
wishing to have Christ's nature; therefore he wished for
fellowship in Christ's sufferings. He desired to be raised in
the scale of being, and he knew he could not have the Lord's

438 The Messages to the Seven Churches
holiness without His sorrows. The springs of love in Christ
Jesus shall never dry up. Of His kingdom there shall be no
end. He is always the same, and whatever our feelings may
dictate, if we have only faith to penetrate the clouds and
darkness that are round about Him, we shall find that
righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His seat.
Jacob said once in despair: "All these things are against
me," but he ignorantly misinterpreted Providence. We see
but the outward course of events, but we know nothing of
God's designs, and we therefore misjudge. We see but the
scattered patches of heaven's sunshine, we read the broken
and fragmental paragraphs of God's seven-sealed book.
Only when we have reached the goal, when the morning of
eternity dawns, and these earthly shadows flee away, shall we
know the depth of those " mysteries of grace," those "ways
that we cannot tell;" and the calm, the rest, the joy of
heaven will be all the sweeter for the roughness of the way.
^ijXeve ovv Kal pieTavorjaov, be zealous therefore, and repent.
The zeal is first required, then the saving change by which
they were to be renewed and re-established in their love to
Christ One would suppose repentance would have first
been enjoined, and then fresh zeal in the cause of truth ; but
it is otherwise, and the reason is because the want of zeal
was that which had exposed the Laodicean Church to such
severe censure. There was no warmth, no fervour, no earnest
ness, and the first step which they should take was to
strengthen the things that were ready to die — to stir up the
dying embers of a religious profession, and awake from their
sleep of lukewarm indifference, and arise from the dead and
Christ should give them light. " It is good to be zealously
affected in a good thing," and probably there had been con
siderable warmth of feeling shown in the early days of that
Church ; but now how cold it had grown I Let but the
spring-time again return, now that the blighting influences of

of Asia Minor. 439
winter had left their sad traces behind, and with a fresh bound
they should regain that happy state in which they found it a
joy to go to the solemn assemblies with them that kept holy
day, like the Psalmist, who exclaimed, "I was glad when they
said unto me. Let us go into the house of the Lord," or as
in another Psalm, when in ecstasy he cried out, " My soul
thirsteth for God, for the living God : when shall I come
and appear before God ? " (cxxu. i ; xlii. 2).
Zeal in the service of God is a Christian duty ; for if this
be wanting, the graces of faith and love will soon languish,
and when these dry up there is no source from which obe
dience can be maintained. If we take the example of Christ,
we find Him at every turn of His active, earnest, holy life,
burning with zeal for the glory of God, until the disciples
could truthfully say, as they observed His unremitting assi
duity in maifttaining the sanctity of His Father's House,
that the words of Psalm Ixix. 9, had their literal accom
plishment in Him : " The zeal of Thine house hath eaten
me up" (John ii. 17). He was alike desirous of preserving
the holiness of God's house and the holiness of those who
came to worship there ; and as the Speaker's Commentary
has the passage, it is still more forcible : " The zeal of Thine
house will eat (devour) me," ; the words bearing unequivocal
proof to the untiring energy, the unflagging constancy with
which He laboured for the honour of God and for the benefit
of the race He came to save ; thus verifying His own state
ment, " My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and
to finish His work."
People never attain to any eminence, even in temporal
things, by half-heartednesss. It requires the full energy of
mental and bodily powers to reach success in any worldly
enterprise ; and yet when men have expended all their efforts
to gain the object upon which their enthusiasm has been
fixed, they find it only a phantom after all. Should the

440 The Messages to the Seven Churches
children of this world in their active energy, and wise, far-
seeing plans to secure the object of their ambition, be wiser
than the children of light? It is not reasonable to enter
tain such a thought, and yet from practical experience it is
shown to be true. In our religious profession we are apt to
be satisfied with reaching a certain point and stopping there,
as if Christian life was not one of progress, constant progress,
onward, upward, heavenward. "Not as though I had al
ready attained, or were already perfect," says the Apostle,
" but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus " (Phil. iii. 13, 14). Our blessed Lord
did not encourage an easy self-satisfied spirit amongst His
disciples when He was on earth, but quite the reverse. He
spoke of the kingdom of heaven suffering violence, and the
violent taking it by force, ^laaral dpTrd^ovaiv avr/qv, which
clearly indicates that only those who strive can enter. Since
the days of the Baptist, there has been an eager irresistible
striving after the kingdom of the Messiah, which is as though
it were being taken by storm. That calm expectant state
was then at an end, and there were energy and effort being
put forth, so that those who were looking for it were struggling
hard for its possession. What does this show but the zeal
of the early followers of our Lord, in order to their obtaining
a share in the spiritual kingdom which He was erecting
in the hearts of men? It is so still. There must be the
same zealous affection manifested, whatever the world may
say to the contrary. How strange it is that the energy the
world approves in securing success in worldly pursuits, it con
demns and ridicules in matters of religion.
A man who is zealous in a worldly point of view is to be
commended ; a Christian who would show his earnestness in
regard to the pressing subject of the destiny of the soul is

of Asia Minor. 441
to be condemned ! No moderation in anything but religion ;
and what is this but to encourage the dreamy lukewarmness
of the Church of Laodicea. Surely our zeal, in proportion
to the importance of the enterprise in which we engage,
should be measured ; and as the concerns of immortality are
more valuable than the things of time, which perish in the
using,, so much the more should our zeal be ardent It is
possible, however, to. be zealous, and that in the cause of God,
and yet derive no benefit. Jehu was zealous ; for he said,
" Come and see my zeal for the Lord ; " but his motive was
self-interest. So St Paul speaks of his countrymen as
"having a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge,"
such as he himself had before his conversion. Men may err,
and often have erred, in religious zeal, when ignorant of the
truth. What but this ignorance of God's word, coupled with
intense zeal on the part of persecutors, has, in times past,
lighted the fires to consume the martyred saints of God, and
been erecting a Golgotha in every age.
True zeal, which Christ enjoined in the case of the Lao
diceans, was the new life of Christianity in the soul ; an earnest
active effort to rouse themselves from spiritual stupor, and be
constrained by the love of Christ to live to Him who gave
Himself for them. This holy fire of Divine love the long-
suffering Saviour desired to see rekindled in their hearts, as,
otherwise, there could be no hope for the Church, which was
now reduced to the lowest degree of feebleness, and the
lamp of which should soon be quenched in darkness, and the
candlestick removed out of its place.
But the exhortation also adds, KaX p^eravorjaov, and repent.
The repentance was, in this instance, to follow the zeal,
because the charge against this Church was lukewarm indif
ference. Their first object was to shake off dull sloth, to stir
themselves from their drowsy condition, to make a stand
on the Lord's side, and then the Holy Spirit would " renew

442 The Messages to the Seven Churches
them again unto repentance." The same call was addressed
to the Church at Ephesus: "Repent, and do the first works."
(See on Rev. ii. 5.)
What is repentance ? It is a transformation of the moral
disposition, a change of heart, a turning from sin unto holi
ness. Under the law, repentance was enjoined, but the
change had respect to the ^moral requirements of the law ;
but under the gospel, while repentance is equally required —
for no one can hope for salvation while there is no heartfelt
sorrow for sin, and no purpose of amendment of life — faith
in Jesus Christ is inseparably connected with repentance, so
that there can be no true repentance without it A question
has been frequently asked as to whether faith or repentance
comes first in the order of a sinner's salvation. There is a
repentance that comes before faith, and there is a deeper
repentance which follows faith, and which is the effect of
saving faith. There must be a sense of guilt, and need of
forgiveness, experienced before we flee to Christ for salvation.
Like the prodigal, when he spent all his substance and began
to be in want, he at length came to himself. This was the
turning-point in his history. Then he thought of his father's
' house, where there was enough and to spare. Then he became
humbled, and was sorry for what he had done, and confessed
how sinful and unworthy he was, and resolved to retrace his
footsteps to his father's house, and pour out his humble and
contrite appeal, " Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."
Repentance is illustrated in that beautiful and most elaborate
of all the parables of our Divine Lord. It is illustrated in
the woman who was a sinner, standing in the house of Simon
the Pharisee, behind the Saviour, weeping, washing His feet
with tears and wiping them with the hairs of her head,
kissing His feet and anointing them with her precious oint
ment And what more perfect picture than the Apostle, after

of Asia Minor. 443
his base denial of the best of masters and the most faithful of
friends, going out and weeping bitterly for the crime which
his conscience told him he had been guilty of !
Let no one suppose that repentance is not as necessary
under the new law as it was under the old. It was the first
doctrine of the -Baptist; it was among the first recorded of
our Lord's teachings (Mark i. 15). It was inculcated from
time to time during His public ministry : " Except ye repent,
ye shall all likewise perish." It was taught in His parables
and embodied in some of His most powerful exhortations ;
and when about to leave the world, it was the last charge He
gave His Apostles : " That repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem " (Luke xxiv. 47). And now, when He visits
the Seer of Patmos in his lonely exile, and directs him to
convey the several messages to the Churches, first and last
He calls them to repentance. But, it may be said, when we
have come to believe in and receive Christ, when we have
undergone the great transition to newness or amendment of
life, we do not need repentance ; for then we are assured
of salvation — we have then reached a perfect state, and from
that condition we cannot possibly fall !
Surely those who speak thus have never known the plague
of their own hearts. Surely they have never considered from
Whose lips the Divine direction came, " Repent ye, and be
lieve the gospel" (Mark i. 15). Nor can they have realized
the length and breadth of that love which passeth knowledge,
which was no less apparent in warning of coming danger,
than in establishing the Saviour's followers in the hopes of the
gospel. Where are they, who while under the burden of the
flesh, have reached a condition of perfection, or where are
they to whom the words of St James do not truly apply: "In
many things we offend all "? Had St. John, the beloved dis
ciple, not passed to newness of life, and was he not living in

444 The Messages to the Seven Churches
communion with his Lord, when he wrote, "If we say that we
have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us " ?
Is there any positive guarantee given, whereby the Christian
is insured against all liability to fall from grace given ? or is
the place of forgiveness to be denied to such as truly repent ?
Certainly not (See Article XVI.)
Our Christian Hfe is stiU one of probation, and while, on
God's part, there is nothing that can separate us from Him,
on our own part. there is constant need of watching, praying,
and guarding against those weaknesses to which the new life
is liable to succumb. It is needful not to touch " the unclean
thing," to shun the sin-polluted atmosphere, if we would go
on with firm step and constant perseverance to heaven. Let
it not be supposed that, without repentance — no more than
holiness — any one can see the Lord. Meetness for heaven is
as much dependent upon repentance, as it is upon the grace
of the Holy Spirit in sanctification ; for it is as necessary
first to forsake sin and begin a new life, as it is to die daily
unto sin and live unto righteousness. Tell us not that they
preach the gospel who leave out repentance. It may be the
gospel of man, but it is not that of God. It is barren Antlno
mianism, which would teach that Christ will save the sinner
in unrepented sin, instead of from sin and its effects.
The Laodicean Church had fallen grievously, but instead
of the dread sentence conveying the punishment which was
so richly deserved, we see mercy rejoicing against judgment
The day of grace had not yet closed, as it had in the case of
Jerusalem, when the things belonging to its peace, which had
been neglected, were then hid from the eyes of its people.
By repentance this last of the seven Churches might still
reach the place of safety. Yet a little while, and the call
which was now given, if riefused, should cease ; and the
next verse shows the pressing urgency with which Christ, in
His unwearied search, is constraining souls to comply with

of Asia Minor. 445
the invitations of love and mercy, and of which, through a
timely repentance, they may be still sharers.
Vers. 20. 'IBov, earrjKa irrl rrjv Ovpav Kal Kpovw idv Ti<i
aKOvarj Tfji (f)wvr]<; p,ov, Kal dvoi^rj ttjv di/pav, Kal eiaeXevaopiai
trpb'i avTbv, Kal Beirrvrjaw pier avrov, Kal avrb'i pier ip,ov.
Behold, I stand at the door, and am knocking ; if any man hear
My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with Me. No verse in the New Testament
shows more fully and forcibly the patience, condescension,
and deep yearning love of Christ for man, than this. From
the cross we see Him dying for us ; but after He has endured
the cross, and has gone away from the ungrateful world He
came to save, He is no idle spectator of the wants and woes
of humanity, but still ' cherishes the same deep compassion
for sinners as when He wept over Jerusalem. From the
lukewarm condition of the Church of Laodicea, we might
have expected its utter extinction — that having grieved and
resisted the strivings of the Holy Spirit, Christ would have
finally and for ever withdrawn His mercy ; but, on the
contrary, even at the eleventh hour of the day, there is a
call to labour for Him. The rebuke he gave to Laodicea
was not that of a stern unrelenting judge, but of one who was
touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and who chastened
that Church, as He does every Church still, for its profit,
that it might be a partaker in His holiness (Heb. xii. 10).
How varied are the gracious invitations in Holy Scripture,
and under how many beautiful images are they presented to
us. Here Christ is represented not only as waiting for the
conversion of sinners, but knocking for an entrance into the
sinner's heart. The figure of a door is one that He applies to
Himself. John x. 9 : " I am the door ; by Me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved, and go in and out, and find
pasture." Now if Christ is the door of heaven, surely we

44^ The Messages to the Seven Churches
ought to be found waiting there, watching, knocking, and
earnestly seeking admission through Him ; but such is human
nature that it wanders away further and further from God,
like some orb in space that has gone beyond the controlling
power of its central sun, and while rushing to its own des
truction, is a source of danger and dread to others. The
relationship between Christ and the sinner is here reversed.
Instead of our seeking Him, He is represented as seeking
us, just as He is portrayed in the parables of the lost sheep
and the lost coin. He had encouraged us to knock, and
given the assurance that it should be opened to us ; but seeing
we go so slowly to avail ourselves of the blessed privilege.
He condescends to our weakness, and changes places with
us. He is represented as standing at our door and knocking,
that we may open.
The imagery of this vej-se is taken, we may believe, from
the Song of Solomon, although some have conjectured
that there is no connexion between that book, and the times
of our Lord, and that no allusion to it is made in the New
Testament Surely this very passage has its counterpart
in Canticles v. 2-6. If we regard the Song of Solomon as an
allegory, setting forth the spiritual relation between Christ
and His Church, the very condition of the Bride in that
book is exactly that of the Church at Laodicea ; for it is
during her hours of inattention and heedlessness, the Bride
groom takes His departure, and "the voice of the Beloved
that was knocking " was for the time silenced. It has been
thought by some that the figure is rather that of a guest
at night coming to the house of his friend for comfort, and
cheer, and guidance, and who cries at the door for admission,
so that his friend within may know who it is that has
come. Ewald considers the allusion here to St. Peter's stand
ing, and knocking at the door of Mary's house, after having
been released from prison. This is extremely far-fetched, and

of Asia Minor. 447
we can hardly think such a circumstance as this would have
suggested the call addressed to the Church at Laodicea.
The figure is suggestive of spiritual blessing, and there is
no good reason for departing from the view entertained
by the early Church, that Canticles v. 2-6, is here alluded to.
Who is it that stands knocking at the door of the sinner's
heart ? It is the glorified Lord, the Alpha and the Omega,
He who liveth and was dead, and hath the keys of death and
Hades. He stands, waiting, calling, knocking, seeking an
entrance. He does so still, by the ministry of the Word and
Sacraments, by mercies, trials, temptations, reverses, by the
voice of conscience. " Unto you, O men, I call, and My voice
is to the sons of man."
But the picture we have here suggests to us that men's
hearts are shut against the blessed Saviour. How can this
be ? Can men be so devoid of feeling, so blind to their
eternal interests, as to refuse admission to Him who thus
stretches out His hand, as He did to St Peter, to save us
from death ? It is difficult to understand why it is so, but
we know it as a fact that, although Christ, the Lord of
Glory, calls, men refuse, and turn aside, " one .to his farm,
another to his merchandise." The sinner's heart is bolted
and barred ; and whether the house be empty or furnished
with guests, there is no room for Christ more than there was
for His virgin Mother in the inn at Bethlehem.
There are many opposing forces — prejudice, love of the
world, ambition, pride, vanity, pleasure, and unbelief — all
these keep Christ away, and leave no room for Him. He
could open the heart if He chose. He could break open
the door, and force an entrance ; but He does not except
by the use of means. He is here represented as a suppli
ant seeking admission. He does not enter any man's heart
against his will. He does not save any man against his
will. Man's will is left free to refuse, or to accept ; so that

448 The Messages to the Seven Churches
we are treated always, not as machines, but as accountable
beings. We may regard the bolt as on the inside, and
Christ calls upon us to withdraw it But perhaps it will
be said, "We have no power." Yes, we have power to
use means, we have power to resist evil habits, we have
power to avoid evil influences. There are many things
placed in our own power, and we are accountable for the
use we make of them. Christ's voice is heard in creation.
The heavens above and the earth beneath, with all their
beautiful order and adaptation and design, tell of the wisdom
and goodness of their Almighty Architect. But in redemp
tion every step reveals the footfall of the Redeemer, and
every voice carries with it a proclamation of grace and mercy
for sinners : " This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners, of whom I am chief." Conscience too, that inner
monitor, which reproves when we do wrong, and approves
when we do right — what is this, but the voice of Christ
knocking at the door ?
By Christ " knocking," we may understand the free exter
nal offer of God's grace ; but the opening of the door requires
more than the effort of the natural will. The Pelagian heresy
finds no place in Scripture. As well expect water to rise
above its level without force applied, the Ethiopian to change
his skin, and the leopard his spots, as to save ourselves with
out the predisposing grace of God. The gift of a spiritual
appetite must come from above, and when provided with
this spiritual gift — God's gracious favour — it is upon the use
we make of it that our spiritual destiny mainly turns.
And there is no one in Christ's Church who has not had, at
one time or another in his life, Christ knocking at the door
of his heart, seeking admission ; but poor earthborn mortals
that we are, engrossed with the things around us, and heed
less of our better portion, we too frequently shut our ear, like

of Asia Minor. 449
the deaf adder, or like one of old, procrastinate and say :
" When I have a more convenient season I will send for thee."
Truly it may be said, "The ox knoweth his owner, and the
ass his master's crib : but Israel doth not know. My people
doth not consider."
Kal eiaeXevaopiai tt^o? aiiTov, k.t.X., I will come in to him,
and will sup with him, and he with Me. This is the promise
given to him who not only hears Christ's voice, but opens
the door. He draws His people with the cords of a man,
and with bands of love (Hosea xi. 4) ; not by means which
are harsh or cruel, but by humane influences, by reason and
judgment, and by paternal affection. He opens the heart
by gentleness, kindness, and constraining I6ve ; yet when
the unclean spirit has got powerfully entrenched in it, there
are stronger measures sometimes brought to bear. " Knowing
therefore, the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men." When
the voice of Christ is disregarded, and when the heart is
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, He comes and
strips it of its armour wherein it trusted, by some of those
providential dispensations which are in His hands ; and when
we refuse to listen to His voice. He makes us listen to His
chastisements. " If any man hear My voice.". The hearing
ear is the first thing, before the heart is made to understand.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
It matters not who they are. The passage says " Any man :"
barbarian, Scythian, bond and free, learned and unlearned,
Jew and Greek, the call is addressed to all. This was the
last warning cry to Laodicea — the most urgent and direct
appeal. Apostles had toiled in sowing the good seed in
Laodicea — they had watered it with their tears ; they had
laboured in vain to rouse the lukewarm and lethargic people ;
and now He who has the keys of death and Hades, who
shutteth and no man openeth, who openeth and no man
shutteth, comes, and puts forth one further effort to obtain an
G G

450 The Messages to the Seven Churches
entrance into the heart. The voice was not the roll of the
earthquake or the thunder, but the still small voice — the
voice of love and mercy.
He had sent messenger after messenger, like the pro
prietor of the vineyard to receive the fruits, but hitherto the
Laodiceans had been, like barren fig trees, producing no
fruit. Now He comes Himself. There is no gulf so broad
that the wings of love will not span it. If at last they
will hear His voice, He will come in to them and sup with
them and they with Him. He calls upon them to open their
hearts, and He stimulates them to exertion* by the promise
here held out But is it not said regarding the heart of
Lydia, that " the Lord opened her heart ? " This does not
mean that the first impulse in every case, the m,otus inevita-
bilis of grace does not come from Him, for that " gracious
favour " with which the sinner is " prevented " comes always
to the sinner from God ; but Lydia's conversion, her baptism,
and the faith of her household, came all so quickly in suc
cession, that the Evangelist notices the Divine impulse in
a special manner. The spiritual appetite and desire were
imparted, and there was a ready acquiescence — no resistance
to the grace which was offered, but, " with willing submission,
she rendered the moral self-conscious compliance by which
she arrived at faith." ^ Now what is the promise ? " I will
come in to him and sup with him, and he with Me."
Eating and drinking together was a symbol of reconcilia
tion. The promise then is one which speaks of friendship
and communion. Holy Communion is called the Supper of
the Lord. It is an emblem of Christ and His people dwelling
together in unity and at peace, and is a bond of perpetual
friendship. It brings the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ
prominently to view ; in it we are one with Christ and
Christ with us ; it is the strengthening and refreshing of
1 Meyer, Handbook on Acts, xvi. 14. Luthard, On Free Will, p. 427.

of Asia Minor. 45 1
our souls for life's journey, just as in the wilderness, Elijah
by partaking of that mysterious food, was fitted for his
journey to the Mount of God. The blessings bestowed by
Christ are frequently brought under our notice by the figure
of a supper. Indeed, during the Old Testament dispensa
tion, the same emblem of eating and drinking is frequently
used to denote reconciliation. In Exod. xxiv. 10, we are
told that the elders on the Mount Sinai saw God and did
eat and drink. This sacrificial feast upon the peace offerings
was prefigurative of the Divine feast instituted ,by our Lord
for His people, and was a type of that marriage supper
of the Lamb, which we shall partake of with our Lord in
heaven. When Christ received sinners. He ate with them,
and when He left us a memorial of His death till He come,
He appointed the Holy Feast of His broken body and of
His shed blood, a feast also founded upon a sacrifice — a peace
offering to be partaken of by Christians to strengthen them
for their journey heavenward, and to give them closer fel
lowship with their Redeemer, than they could have from
any other act of their Holy Faith. By faith they feed upon
Him whose flesh is meat indeed, and whose blood is drink
indeed. They are incorporated into Christ, they realize His
spiritual presence. His heavenly light illumines their souls,
they see Him, the sweetest among ten thousand and alto
gether lovely, and they have a prelibation of the bliss of
heaven. Supper was the last meal of the day, and there was a
special fitness in Christ saying to the Church at Laodicea,
that He would sup with them — that in life He would hold
communion with them, and at last, when about to depart
from the scene of their earthly pilgrimage. He would refresh
them by His presence. He would bid the troubled Jordan,
through which they had to cross, divide, and bring them
safely to the everlasting Canaan, the rest that remaineth for

452 The Messages to the Seven Churches
the people of God. Could there be more comforting assurance
than this ? That when the night should gather around them,
when their eyelids were about to close in death, they would
enjoy His presence. " When thou passest through the waters
I will be with thee, and through the fires thou shalt not be
burned;" but relying on that presence, like the Psalmist,
they would be enabled to say, " Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil ; Thy
rod and Thy staff they comfort me " (Ps. xxiii.).
How different the usages of the Prince of Peace to those
of Eastern princes. The latter always ate apart from their
subjects, and there could be no communion, no companion
ship. What wondrous condescension on the part of Him
who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords ! If He meant
to reach the hearts of His people. He would not keep them
at a distance ; but He would be among them as one that
doth serve. He would weep with them that weep, and re
joice with them that rejoice. He would sanctify all life. He
would consecrate its times of joy, and times of sorrow ; and,
by His Divine presence, ennoble all He should come into con
tact with, transfiguring the base into the beautiful, making
saints out of sinners, angels out of men, and from the wilder
ness of this world a new Paradise of God.
The promise of supping with Christ and Christ with us is
one which reaches into the eternal future ; its fulfilment is not
to be measured by any earthly standard. It extends far
beyond the boundaries of time. Its full realization will only
be manifest when the voice shall come out of the throne, the
voice of a great multitude as the voice of many waters, and
as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, " Alleluia ! for
the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth." Then shall it be said.
The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made
herself ready.
The angel voice is next heard directing the Seer of Patmos

of Asia Minor ^ 453
to write : "Blessed are they which are called to- the marriage
supper of the Lamb." The same figure of a supper isi still
kept in view. The last scene on earth— a supper— Christ
supping with those who open their hearts to receive Him;
and the first scene of heaven — a supper — the installation
banquet of those who have been washed in the blood of
Christ, who are arrayed in the bright and perfect robe of
Christ's righteousness, and who are made kings and -priests
unto God. Suffering with Him- in His humiliation, they
shall then be sharers with Him in' His glory. Eating and
drinking now at His table, they shall drink with Him the
new wine in His Father's kingdom; With these exceeding
great and precious promises in view, we should readily yield
ourselves as willing subjects to Him ; and instead of keeping
Him knocking at the door of our hearts^ for an entrance, we
should rather say to the door of our hearts, " Lift up your
heads, O ye gates, that the King of Glory may come in."
Ver. 21. 0 VIKWV, Bwaw avrw KaOiaat pber ipov iv tw
6pwv(p pov, (B? Kayw iviKrjaa, Kal eKadiaa pierd tov Uarpo'i
pov ev Tft) Opovw avTov. He that overcometh I will give to
him to sit down with Me in My throne, as I also overcame, and
sat down with My Father in His throne. With this sublime
promise the Epistles to the Seven Churches end, and this is
the climax of all that preceded it It is the highest honour
in Christ's gift to bestow — an honour higher than that
reserved even for Apostles, for they were to sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel — it is more than
the seat of honour which the sons of Zebedee were desirous
to obtain for themselves in Christ's kingdom, and which they
were looking for as a temporal one. The high dignity is
promised to those who are already rebuked for their luke
warmness, if they will only become valiant soldiers of the
Cross, if they will resist and strive against the indifference of

454 The Messages to the Seven Churches
the Laodicean professors, and overcome the easily besetting
sin of that Church.
This promise reminds us of the language of our Lord's
intercession on behalf of His disciples, when He prayed :
" Neither pray I for them alone, but for them also which shall
believe on Me through their word : that they all may be one,
as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also
may be one in us ; that the world may believe that Thou
hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have
given them, that they may be one even as We are one.
Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me, be
with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which
Thou hast given Me." The highest position and honour
attainable by an Oriental was considered to be a 'seat on
the right hand of the king ; so when Bathsheba, the mother
of king Solomon, came to him on behalf of Adonijah, a seat
was placed for her on his right hand. The next highest
seat was on the left hand of the king ; so that the mother of
Zebedee's children sought the most distinguished places that
could be held by any subject.^ The words of the promise
to Laodicea convey the idea of sharing with Christ in His
throne, not occupying separate thrones as were promised
to the Twelve, or seats apart on His right and left as were
asked by Salome for James and John ; for the Greek, as
Bishop Wordsworth has observed, is Kadiaai per ipov iv
TW Opovw pov (not irr), upon), and this use of the preposition,
iv, as coupled with Opovw, while it occurs 'twice in this verse
is found nowhere else in the New Testament, although
e'TTi is used with other cases of Opov^ often (Matt. xix. 28 ;
xxv. 31 ; Rev. iv. 2, 9 ; v. i, 7, 13 ; vi. 16). What then
is the force of the two prepositions ? ev gives the idea of
admission into and session in the same throne, whereas irrl
represents the act of taking a seat upon a separate throne.
' Joseph., Antiq., vi. 11, 9.

of Asia Minor. 455
Now there are two thrones spoken of in the verse ;
Christ's own throne and His Father's throne. The latter He
is now seated upon, and none but Christ could have a
place there. That is the seat and centre of essential God
head and power, and the creature can have no place on
that throne of majesty and glory, before which the Angels
veil their faces. The honour then which those who overcome
have to look forward to, is to share with their glorified Lord
His own throne, which is yet to be erected at His Second
Coming. Since His ascension to heaven. He sits at the right
hand of God, from then'ceforth expecting until His enemies
be made His footstool (Phil. ii. 9 ; Heb. i. 3 ; xii. 2). He
overcame death and him that had the power of death. He
had victory over sin and the world, and having triumphed in
the conflict with the three great enemies of His people, God
hath highly exalted Him. Like Him, each faithful follower,
must endure the conflict, for the honour reserved for the
faithful in Laodicea is only to be enjoyed by those who
" overcome." What then was the peculiar contest they had to engage in ?
The difficulties to be met, the dangers to be avoided, and the
temptations to be resisted in the several Apocalyptic Churches
vary according to the peculiar character of the opposing
forces. Here the sins to be overcome were those of luke
warmness, which was so offensive to Christ that He said,
" Because thou art neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out
of My mouth" — worldly-mindedness and pride, and self-
sufficiency and sadsfaction. These were the leading evils
which the Christian conqueror had to overcome, and in
resisting these, he was to be raised to the highest dignity
which could be conferred upon any creature. What do the
Scriptures reveal to us regarding this throne, on which the
faithful shall sit with their once humbled, but then glorified
Redeemer ?

45 6 The Messages to the Seven Churches
Jesus Christ is now exalted to the right hand of the
Father as the avvOpova of God. He is now occupying the
regency of the universe, as the reward of His humiliation, and
in His mediatorial character He will remain there until all
hostile powers shall have been overcome. There He is the
Apostle and High Priest of our profession ; there He exercises
regal power as Mediator to save and defend us. As our
Mediator he instructs in His prophetic office. He intercedes
in His priestly office, and He rules as our King. But when
the end of the present economy has come, the dominion of
Christ shall in no wise cease, for He shall continue a King for
ever ; even when the beatific vision shall have rendered pro
phetic instruction unnecessary, and when a present enjoyment
shall have superseded all intercession, Christ shall continue a
king for ever. We read that the kingdoms of this world are to
become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He
shall reign for ever and ever (Rev. xi. 15). His kingdom is
yet to be established on earth, and to this the whole creation
is looking forward in earnest expectation ; and we may be
assured that the promise contained in the message to the
Church of Laodicea is to be fully realized when that grand
event shall occur.
Christ's promise is that those who overcome should sit
with Him on His own throne. Now this cannot be at
present, for Christ has no throne apart from His Father's,
and when He shall have put down all rule, and all authority
and power hostile to God, He shall deliver up His media
torial kingdom to the Father, inasmuch as the Father gave
it to Him (John xiii. 3), and He shall be glorified with the
glory He had with the Father before the world was. The
whole work of Mediator shall then have been completed,
and as there shall be then no militant Church on earth to
govern, the regency shall cease ; but the kingdom shall last
for ever, Christ Himself becoming subject to the Father, that

of Asia Minor. 457
God may be all in all. Upon the throne on which Christ
now sits with the Father, neither Angel nor Archangel could
have a place, because it is the throne of Divine majesty, which
no created being could share ; and to be installed in it is to have
a royalty which is absolutely supreme and incommunicable ;
and while the exaltation of Christ to this the highest seat of
honour in the universe, was His rightful prerogative, in virtue
of His humiliation and suffering, it also unequivocally proves
the Divine character of the Son of God. But the promise
to sit with Christ on His own throne is quite distinct from
any spiritual enjoyment of Christ now, or any transcendent
privileges to be attained after the general judgment, for Christ
is now, and will then be, reigning conjointly with God the
Father upon the eternal throne which the Three Divine
Persons, in One God, hold in common, and shall hold for ever
and ever.
Christ's own throne is that which, at His Second Advent,
He shall set up over the whole earth, and in this throne,
those who have " overcome " shall undoubtedly share. It is
to the Second Advent the Church of God has in every age
been looking in high expectancy, and longing for its realiza
tion ; and her earnest desires may be faithfully expressed in
the words of one of the sweetest of the sons of song :
" Come then, and added to Thy many crowns.
Receive yet one, the crown of all the earth.
For Thou alone art worthy. It was Thine
By ancient heritage ere nature's birth ;
And Thou hast made it Thine by purchase since,
And overpaid its value with Thy blood."
The sitting with Christ on His Throne will be at His
glorious appearing, when His transfigured Church shall with
Him reign over, and judge the nations in the flesh— when
Satan shall be bound, and when he shall have no longer
power to deceive the nations. In the person of Antichrist

45 8 The Messages to the Seven Churches
there shall be one final struggle made to overthrow Christ's
kingdom ; but as every similar effort has been foiled from
the beginning, so will it be then. At Christ's coming they
who have, during the past, been faithful to Him,- who have
suffered in His cause, and who have witnessed against the
opposing world power, shall rise from the dead, and reign with
Him. s This is called the First Resurrection, and on such as
are partakers of it, the second death hath no power ; but
they shall be priests of God, and of Christ, and shaU reign
with Him a thousand years. This is the millennial period
which has been marked out by the earliest and latest
prophecies — Enoch's, as recorded by St. Jude, and that of
St. John the Divine, closing up the volume of inspiration
with the " Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come.
Lord Jesus." Thus while one end of this rainbow-like promise
rests on Paradise lost, the other stretches on to Paradise
restored. Was not the first resurrection what St. Paul
ardently desired ? not merely to be raised from the dead,
et TTOJ? Karavrrjaw ei<: rrjv i^avdaraaiv rrjv iK veKpwv, if so be
I may attain the resurrection which is from the dead. Not
that he had any misgivings as to attaining to the resurrection ;
not that he felt it likely he should remain alive until the
Parousia, or personal appearing, of Christ ; but he desired,
if possible, to be a sharer in the first resurrection, the
dvdaraai'i tcov BiKaiwv. Lightfoot says, the resurrection
from the dead is the final resurrection of the righteous to
a new and glorified life. This meaning, which the context
requires, is implied by the form of expression. The general
resurrection of the dead, whether good or bad, is 17 dvao-Tao-t?
Tftiv veKpwv ; on the other hand, the resurrection of Christ,
and of those who rise with Christ, is generally ^ dvdaraai'i
rj iK veKpci)v (Luke xx. 35 ; Acts iv. 2 ; i Pet i. 3).
To the Apostles the promise was given that " they should
eat and drink |at His table, and sit on thrones judging the

of Asia Minor. 459
twelve tribes of Israel " (Luke xxii. 30) ; and in i Cor. vi. 2,
the Apostle of the Genriles asks the Church : " Do ye not
know that the saints shaH judge the world ? " and in ver. 3,
"Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much
more things that pertain to this life ? " This would imply
that the saints are to be rrdpeBpoi, or assessors in the great
judicial transactions which are to wind up the o aiwv peXXwv
in contradistinction to the 6 aiwv ovTo<i. This refers to
the close of the period when Christ shall have erected His
throne upon the wreck of all human empires, and during
which He with His saints in transfigured bodies will reign
over men in the flesh. The saints of God shall condemn
the world, because they have manifested holiness in life
and patiently suffered for Christ, while the world has been
guilty of base ingratitude. Evil angels shall be condemned
by the saints of God, showing how they, weak and
fallible men, remained firm and faithful in their allegiance
to God, while beings of higher nature, who enjoyed God's
presence, fell sadly from their more exalted station.
But the expression " Know ye not that we shall judge
angels ? " refers to some judicial functions the saints will,
with the glorified Lord, be called upon to discharge. We
do not know whether this may mean that saints shall have
rule over other orders of being. This may be so ; for man's
dignity, in virtue of Christ's death, is second only to that
of Christ Himself. There is no nature that is brought into
such intimate union with the Divine as man's nature. It
may be that, in the millennial time, God shall carry on His
government through the instrumentaHty of His saints, just
as He is now doing through the instrumentality of angels,
who are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them
who are heirs of salvation ; and if the transfigured Church
is to sit in assize on evil angels, we may also conceive its
possessing authority and being invested with dignity over

460 The Messages to the Seven Churches
the good. Whatever honour shall be conferred at Christ's
Second Advent on those who have witnessed and suffered
for Him in times of trial, when the love of the world, or
the bare boon of Hfe, led many to draw back and aposta
tize, the faithful in Laodicea should enjoy. ¦ But as Christ
overcame, they would also overcome ; and the victory that
overcometh the world, St John tells us, is our faith.
To witness for Christ in the face of an opposing world, and
in opposition to all the wiles and temptations of the prince'
of darkness, is not an easy task ; but by the grace and
power of Christ, it has been done, and can be done. It is
not enough to believe with the heart unto righteousness; it
is also necessary with the mouth to make confession unto
salvation. It is not so difficult to "overcome" in our day
as it was in the days that are past, when the dungeon, or
exile, or stake, was the terrible alternative which the early
Christians had to prepare for, if found bearing open testimony
to their Divine Redeemer ; and we know that hundreds did
not even dread the fiery ordeal, but welcomed it rather
than do dishonour to Him who gave Himself as a sacrifice
for them. The witness which they bore, the noble con
fession they made, the death agonies they endured, are all
recorded to rebuke our feeble half-hearted Christianity ; and
the blood of the Martyrs has been the seed of the Church.
" If we suffer with Christ," says the Apostle, " we shall
also reign with Him." If we have here entered into fellow
ship with Christ in His sufferings, we shall have a future
participation in Christ's glorified life, and especially in that
reign which will commence at His appearing.
As the Church began at Christ's ascension, the visible
kingdom of Christ will begin at His Second Advent The
glorious kingdom of the Messiah which is yet to be estabHshed
is as certain an event as His First Coming to our world in
great humility, and should be desired, expected, longed for, by

of Asia Minor. 46 1
every Christian heart It formed an Article in every ancient
Creed, and animated and comforted the Christian Church
in every age. It should have the same blessed effect still ;
for we see what the early Church saw not, the whole current
of events of history and prophecy having been fulfilled, and
being fulfilled, in these last days, showing that the time
is narrowing, and that what was an object of far distant
hope to those who Hved in Apostolic times, is now brought
close to us, even at our very doors. Those who have loved
and laboured for, and honoured Christ amidst indifference
and coldness and opposition — who have enjoyed His living
presence in their hearts, and have remained faithful amid
the faithless, will then be crowned with glory and honour
and immortality ; for when He who is their life shall appear,
they shall also appear with Him in Glory. Then shall be
seen the true character of men in the light of that Presence
from which nothing is now hid, and it will be manifest,
whether to individuals or Churches, that only they who have
patiently endured to the end — who have earnestly contended
for the faith of Christ, who have refused the world's glittering
bribes, and resisted its bewitching charms — who have not been
ashamed of Him in this sinful generation, shall sit down
with Him on His throne ; and then receiving a kingdom
which cannot be moved shall remain firm and undisturbed,
when everything else shall be shaken. Blessed Jesus, Thou
who didst, after overcoming death, open the kingdom of
Heaven to all believers, ever keep our eyes fixed on that
glorious inheritance which Thou hast provided for Thy
people, when we .shall no longer see Thee dimly in type and
shadow, but behold Thee face to face, and drink of the river
of Thy pleasures, and with the plenteousness of Thy house
be abundantly satisfied (Ps. xxxvi. 8.)
Ver. 22. 'O e'l^wi' 0^? aKovadrw Tt to Uvevpa Xiyei ral'i

4^2 The Messages to the Seven Churches
eKKXrjaiai'i. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith to the Churches. (Compare ii. 7.) The messages to the
Seven Churches which have now been considered in regular
sequence, here close. In them we may see every phase of
Christian life and Christian experience clearly depicted — the
secret of a Church's strength and the safeguards by which
it may be maintained; while on the other hand we may
learn the dangers, temptations, and evil influences, by which
Churches, as well as individuals, may fall away and perish.
We may hear the voice of the Head of the Church exhorting,
encouraging and approving ; or rebuking, threatening, and
condemning. The same voice is still heard among the
Churches, for Christ still " walks amidst the seven golden
candlesticks," not the literal Asiatic Churches, some of which
have now become extinct, but the Churches represented by
them, and for whose instruction and guidance the messages
were communicated. It has been thought that in these
messages there is a gradual development of the Kingdom of
God, from its first beginnings on earth to its grand consum
mation in heaven. It may be fanciful, but there is no doubt
a singular correspondence, indeed in some respects a re
markable coincidence, between the promises to the several
Churches, and the chronological unfolding of the Church
throughout the different dispensations.
The promise to the faithful in Ephesus is, that they should
eat of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God.
This brings us back to Eden, and tells us of the Church of
God there, when the tree of Hfe was guarded by Cherubim
and a flaming sword, and man was driven out from the
enjoyment of primaeval bliss, on account of that first act
of disobedience which brought death into our world and all
our woe.
To Smyrna the promise is, " Be thou faithful unto death,
and I will give thee a crown of life." Here is the bow in the

of Asia Minor. 463
cloud, the removal of the curse, and the offer of eternal Hfe
through a Saviour. Next Pergamum, with the promise of the
hidden manna and the white stone, the Urim and Thummim,
as has been supposed by some, corresponding to the Church
in the wilderness and the Mosaic dispensation in general.
Thyatira has the promise held out to the faithful in her,
of power over the nations, in which we are told there is a
representation of the palmy days of king Solomon, when the
Jewish kingdom, collateral with the Church, extended from
sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth, and
when all nations were brought under his sway. The scene
now changes and next ushers in the kingdom of a greater
than Solomon, and the honours and triumphs to be obtained
by those who are faithful. The Church of Sardis, with the
white raiment of those who have not defiled their garments,
speaks of the blessings resulting from the Second Advent,
the registry in the Lamb's book of life, the acknowledgment
of His servants before His Father, and the glorified bodies
of the Saints.
To the faithful in Philadelphia is promised heavenly citi
zenship, the high honour of being members of the New Jeru
salem, where no friend ever departs, and no enemy can ever
enter. This honour is enjoyed in common by all whose names
are on the roll of Heaven. And then the last is still the best
— the Laodicean witness, who has overcome the lukewarmness
of that Church, is to have exceeding glory. He is to sit
down with Christ on His throne. What more than this
could the most ardent spiritual heart desire— to sit with
Christ when He shall come in His kingdom, to share the
honours of His royalty, to enter into sweetest communion
with Him, and to learn from Him some of the " many things "
which the disciples could not bear when He was on earth, and
to understand the unfolding of those mysteries which He
alluded to when He said, " what I do thou knowest not now.

4^4 The Messages to the Seven Churches
but thou shalt know hereafter." Whether these coincidences
have any solid foundation has been disputed ; but one thing
is clear, there is not a single phase in the whole development
of the life of God in the soul, or the progress and power of
religion in the Churches, but is here marked most minutely
as beacons for all time to come, alike to warn the Christian
voyager of danger, and to guide him into the desired haven.
It would be contrary to the original intention of these
observations on the Seven Churches, and outside the sphere
of interpretation, to speak of the condition of these Churches
in the period subsequent to that in which these messages
were sent ; but any one interested in this inquiry would
find valuable help from a work already referred to, entitled,
The Seven Golden Candlesticks, by Dr. Tristram, who treats
of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor from a historic point
of view, giving in detail their past distinctive features, and
also the present condition of the cities where these Churches
once existed.
Some of them long survived the period when St John wrote.
It should not be forgotten that more than three hundred years
after the time of St John, the Christian faith flourished in
Ephesus, for in A.D. 431, a General Council ofthe Church was
held there to condemn the heresy of Nestorius. Nor should
we omit to state that Smyrna, which suffered so much from
successive persecutions, still maintained its Christian cha
racter long after the removal of the last of the Apostles, for
there in A.D. 167, Polycarp, its Bishop, the disciple of St
John, suffered martyrdom in the persecution under Marcus
Aurelius. Indeed, amid the vicissitudes of war and tumult
Smyrna has never yet allowed the lamp of life to become
extinguished, and it is even now spoken of with scorn by the
Moslem, as " the infidel Smyrna."
At Sardis, although its name appears rarely in Christian
history, there was one remarkable man in the second

of Asia Minor. 465
century, Melito, its Bishop, who travelled to Palestine in
order to acquire information regarding the Canonical books
of Holy Scripture ; and his catalogue is the earliest made
by any Christian writer. This was completed about A.D. 170.
And in the fourth century we find Sardis still holding forth
its Christian character in being famous for the Council held
there in A.D. 347.
Philadelphia was the last of the Christian cities of Asia
Minor taken by the Turks. In A.D. 1391, when Orchan
subjugated the whole of Asia Minor, Philadelphia still held
out, and at last it was taken by treachery. It has never
lost its freedom, and its Christian independence, for it is still
erect, as Gibbon has recorded — "a column in a scene of
ruins " — and has even now, within its walls, more than 6000
Christians. Laodicea too, the lukewarm Church, must have roused
itself from its apathy, influenced by the solemn warning
addressed to it ; for there is evidence also that in the latter
half of the second century, that Church occupied a very
prominent position, as Laodicea seems to have been the
head-quarters of the controversy which then arose about
the regulation of the Easter Festival ; ^ and in A.D. 363,
an important Council was held there for determining
some points of Church discipline, but incidentally the
Bishops were led to make an order settling the Canon
of Scripture.^ Both Laodicea and Hierapolis were always
represented by their Bishops at all the more important
assemblies of the Church, thus showing clearly that, long
after the time of St John, these Churches existed, and
proving, against the " Mythical " interpreters, the historic
character of all these Churches. The tread of the False
Prophet has been painfully felt over that region in which
" Lightfoot, On Churches ofthe Lycus, p. 64.
2 Ibid., p. 67.
H H

466 The Messages to the Seven Churches.
these ancient Churches lay, yet still the Crescent has not
been able to extinguish the Cross. Christianity is destined
to ultimately triumph. While the other religions of the
world are getting feebler, and gradually decaying, Christi
anity possesses the dew of its youth. There is no future
for the races which are now under the rule of the False
Prophet; there is none for the Hindoo, and other pagan
nations ; but there is a mighty future for nations professing
Christianity. It is therefore going forth conquering and to
conquer. Never can it fail, because its Author " is the same
yesterday, to-day, and for ever." Let us thankfully receive
and hold fast the Truth, assured, that in doing so, we are
erecting a fabric which will stand ; building, like the wise
man, upon a rock ; and thus grounded and established, we
can await every event of Providence in calm composurej
feeling that " Behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping
Watch above His ovni," —
and recognising in every fresh change, in each new dis
closure, each gradual fulfilment of prophecy, those premoni
tory signs which the Church in these last days has been
bidden to expect, of that great event which is to turn the
long night of her sorrow into joy, when her absent Lord shall
come forth from within the veil, and be greeted by the
acclamations of a mighty throng that no man could number,
as " King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

INDEX.

Absence of spiritual life. Church of
Sardis censured for, 307.
Addison, quotation from, regarding
soul's immortality, 322.
Advent, the Second, manner in which
it should be expected, 5 ; subject
of, runs through entire Book of
the Revelation, 33.
jEsculapius, temple of, at Pergamum,
225.
Agapae (love-feasts), profanation of
Ploly Communion at, 272.
aliivios, meaning of, as given by Church
of Smyrna, 220.
Alexander the Great, and Anaxarchus
the philosopher, 31.
Alexander defeated the Persians under
Darius, 297.
Alexander (Acts xix. 33), idenfified
Vfith Alexander the coppersmith,
120.
Alexandrian library, enriched by that
of Pergamum, 226.
Alford (Dean), on the word yeved, 34 ;
on d elai, 63.
Alienation from God on man's part,
shown by the need of an atone
ment for sin, 431.
Allah Shehr (City of God), modem
name of Philadelphia, 336.
Almighty, 6 HavTOKpdTup, 42.
Alpha and 0 — meaning of the title, 40.
Amen, affirmation of a certainty, 40 ;
one of the titles of Christ, 396 ;
explanation of, 397.

Angels, in the administration of Provi
dence, 7 ; service of, in Revela
tion, ibid.; Psa. civ. 4, meaning
of, 19-
Angel worship, condemned (A.D. 363),
by Council of Laodicea, 19. '
Angels of the Seven Churches, 104 ;
not heavenly Angels, 105 ; not
messengers sent by the Churches,
106 ; Jewish priests called by this
name, 108 ; Presidents or Bishops
of the Churches, 106-108 ; Angel
of the Church, ignorant of "the
few names " in Sardis, 311.
Angry and sin not, meaning of, 137.
Annihilation, doctrine of, not taught in
Holy Scripture, 172, 218.
Anointing the eyes with eyesalve, ex
planation of, 428.
Antediluvians — whether a second day
of grace given to, 100.
Antichrist, he that denieth the Father
and the Son, 142.
Antiochus, king of Syria, besieged
Sardis, 297.
Antipas, "My faithful martyr," 231;
how put to death, 232 ; inscription
dictated by Christ, ^id. ; Bishop of
Pergamum in reign of Domitian,
232-
Antlnomianism, germs of, at Pergamum
and Ephesus,' 277.
Aphrodisia, festivals in honour of
Venus, 229.
Apollos, labours of, at Ephesus, 121.

467

468

Index.

ApoUo, worshipped by the people of
Thyatira, 259.
Apostle, three marks of an, 142.
Apostles, they who said they were, 140.
Apocalypse, most ancient name of the
Revelation, 3.
Arch of Titus, facsimile of seven-
branched candlestick on, 156.
Archippus (Col. iv. 16), Bishop of
Laodicea, 66; supposed to have
been the Angel of the Church in
Laodicea, addressed in the Apo
calypse, 393.
Ark, type ofthe Church, 101.
Article XVL, quoted, 150.
Asia Minor, meaning of, in the Revela
tion, 15.
Atonement, proved by Christ's wash
ing us from sin through His blood,
222.
Attalus Philomator (B.C. 133), be
queathed Pergamum to Rome, 225.
Augustine, St. (a.d. 395), on the Divinity
of Christ as taught by St. John, 9 ;
on the Church, 317; on Christ's
writing the Scriptures, 61 ; on
Holy Scripture, 13 ; on the tribes
of the earth, 40 ; on Bishops being
named Angels, io8 ; on ignorance
of the day of Christ's Second Ad
vent, 114; on Christian progress,
135 ; on the second death, 222 ;
on the number seven as applied
to the Churches, 109 ; distinguishes
between the wicked and their
iniquity, 138 ; calls Balaam a pro
phet of the devil, 235 ; desires to
realize the promise to Church at
Philadelphia, 372 ; shows that
men cannot be saved against their
wills, 432.
Authority over the nations, promised to
the faithful in Thyatira, 286.
Awaking in Christ's likeness, meaning
of, 321.

Bacchus, worshipped by the people of
Smyrna, 184.

Balaam, teaching of, 234; derivation of
name, 236 ; counsel of, to Balak,
159-
Balaamites, whether the same as
Nicolaitans, 65 ; 236.
Baptism, prefigured by the water of the
Deluge bringing safety to Noah and
his family, 101.
Baptized with Christ's baptism, 170.
Barnabas, St. (a.d. 120), on the
change of the Sabbath, 58.
/Sd/jos and ^oprlov, difference between,
144, 283.
Bearing one another's burdens, 143.
Become watchful, part of the message
to the Church in Sardis, 302.
Beasts, the four (Dan. vii. 3), repre
sented the four great monarchies,
70.
Beginning, in the, meaning of, 41 ;
"beginning of the creation of
God," not the first of God's crea
tures, but the initial Source and
Author of all creation, 88, 401.
Bells, tinkling, of high priest's vest
ments, heard outside by the people,
74-
Bengel regards St. John as the aman
uensis, Christ as the Author of the
Revelation, 3 ; his explanation of
the threatening against Laodicea,
413-
Binding and loosing, meaning of, 345-
Blasphemy of them who say they are
Jews, 192.'
Blind, condition of the Church in
Laodicea, 428.
Boasting of spiritual gifts, a proof
that few such gifts are possessed,
417.
Book, St. John commanded to write
into a, 60.
Book of Life, blotting name out of, 325 ;
meaning of, 326.
Breastplate, attached to girdle of high
priest, worn when going into
Holy of Holies to intercede, 73.
Brother, I John, your, 48.
Burden, on Church of Thyatira, to bear

Index.

469

testimony against, and to- abstain
from, the abominations of, Jezebel,
281.
Burning of " the books of curious arts,''
at Ephesus, 123.
Burnished brass (x'CXKo'Ki^dvos), deriva
tion of, 77, 78.
Butler, Bishop, on the nature of anger,
137-
Buying of Christ, meaning of, 421.
Byron, Lord, quoted as regards the
virretchedness of human life (with
out God), 423.

Cabiri, mysteries of, people of Per
gamum initiated in, 229.
Candlesticks, the seven, denoting the
seven Churches, 67 ; showing what
the Church should be, ibid.-, why
golden, 68 ; removal of, indicating,
155 ; seven-branched candlestick of
Temple carried to Rome by Titus,
156.
Canon of Holy Scripture, settled by
Council of Laodicea (a.d. 363),
and confirmed by Council of Chal
cedon (a.d. 451), 396.
Carthaginians, destroyed by the Ro
mans, fulfilment of curse upon
Canaan, 275.
Catacombs, inscriptions in. Alpha and Q
frequently found on, 40.
Cerinthus, heresy of, 141 ; Cerinthus
and the Ebionites introduced Angel
worship into their religious systems,
19-
Chandler, Dr., on the fulfilment of
threatening against Ephesus, 178.
Change of names, occasioned by the
occurrence of remarkable events,
253-
Charge of St. Paul to the Presbyters
of Ephesus, 124.
Charity, mark of the Church in Thya
tira, 261.
Chastisement, disciplinary not damna
tory, 434 ; reasons why God chas
tens, 436.

Cherubim and a flaming sword (Gen.
iii. 24), meaning of, 171.
Children of Jezebel, to be " killed with
death," 274.
Children of righteous taken away, not
penal but paternal, 275.
Children cut oif on account of the
iniquity of parents, ibid.
Christ foretold His Second Advent, 33 ;
every event seemed to suggest it in
the days of His flesh, 34.
Christian's shield has two mottoes, 271.
Christianity, having the promise of the
life that now is, as well as that
which is to come, 424.
Christian ministry, what need of, if all
Christians are priests, 28.
Citizenship of New Jerusalem, 366 ; its
privileges, what, 375.
Clemens of Alexandria (A.D. 200-218),
denied that Nicolas the deacon
was founder of the sect of Nicolai
tans, 158 ; on the title, " the First
and the Last," 88.
Clouds, the, Christ's coming vidth, 36 ;
emblems of terror to His enemies,
ibid.
Cold nor hot, neither — lukewarm, 405 ;
more hope of those who never
made a profession of Christianity,
41 1 ; cause of Laodicea's luke
warmness, 405 ; meaning of ex
pression, ' ' I would thou wert cold
or hot," 410.
Coming of Christ, spoken of as near, in
message to the Church in Philadel
phia, 358.
Commendation of Churches noticed
before their correction, 145. .
Commentary, Speaker^, on " the second
death," 219.
Commission of St. John to send mes
sengers to the Churches, 47.
Condition of the soul after death, 98.
Conditional immortality, meaning of,
322.
Confessing, Christ's, faithful people
before His Father and His Angels,
328.

470

Index.

Construction of words in apposition not
being in same case, Bishop Words
worth's explanation of, 21.
Conversion of St. Paul, evidence for
the truth of Christianity, 94.
Correspondence with Christ needed in
order to perfect life, 315.
Council of Laodicea (a.d. 363), Angel
worship condemned by, 19 ; of
Ephesus (a.d. 431), condemned
Nestorian heresy, 156.
Creeds necessary for Church's unity and
stability, 208.
Crcesus and Solon, 296.
Crown of life, 210 ; crown, let no man
take thy, 362.
Crowns of Christ, many, 219, 31 ; His
triple crown, 289.
Cush, country of Queen Candace and
Ethiopian eunuch, 328.
Cybele worshipped by the people of
Sardis, 299.

Daniel's prophecy of the Ancient of
Days, applied by Christ to Him
self, 70.
Darius, in reign of, Sardis burned, 296.
Dativus commodi, example of, 236.
Day of Christ's Second Advent, " no
man knoweth," J-
Death, keys of, in Christ's hands, 96.
Death, Christ's, not merely that of a
mart)rr, but as an atonement for
sin, 427.
Death, no change of character at, 217.
Death, the second, meaning of, 214.
Decline of the Church at Ephesus,
causes of, 148.
Deeds of the Nicolaitans, 157.
Defiling their garments, meaning of,
3»3-
Deliverance from the second death,
214.
Delivered unto Satan, explanation of,
272.
Demetrius and Alexander employed in
making silver shrines for Diana,
120.

Depths, Gnostics pretended to fathom,
281.
Descent of Christ into Hades, meaning
of, 97.
Desires, three great, of St. Paul, 305.
Devil casting into prison some mem
bers of the Smyrnean Church,
meaning of, 199 ; worshipped at
Pergamum in the form of a serpent,
228.
Diana, image of, at Ephesus, 120.
SiaS-rjpa and OTe^avos, distinct in
meaning, 212.
Dionysos or Bacchus, worshipped at
Pergamum, 229.
Dionysia, festivals in honour of Bacchus,
229 ; at Smyrna, 212.
Distinctions in places of religious wor
ship, condemned by St. James,
191-
Divination, spirit of, connected with
the Pythian Apollo, 259.
Doing first works, means of regaining
first love, 152.
Dominion over the nations, 286.
Door open to Church of Philadelphia,
which none could shut, 346.
Doxologies in the Revelation, four in
number, 29 ; use of, in Temple
service, 30 ; never used in private
prayer, ibid.; argument for use of
Lord's Prayer in public and pri
vate, ibid.
Drinking of Christ's cup and baptized
with His baptism, 170.

Eating of the tree of life, meaning of,
171.
Ebionites, Angel worship of, 19 ; their
views as to the necessity of rites
and ceremonies of the law in regard
to salvation, 141 ; Christians so
called on account of their poverty,
191.
Ebrard quoted as regards the condition
of the Church in Sardis, 297.
Ecstasy, or trance, St. John in, on the
Lord's Day, 56.

Index.

471

Educational process of the soul between
death and resurrection, 321.
Eliakim superseding Shebna, alluded to
in Rev. iii. 7, 342.
iv apxv, meaning of, 41 ; i/ &px^ ttis
Krlaeus tov Qeov, 401 .
Ephesus, Church of, why first addressed,
119; planted by St. Paul, 121;
Timothy, Bishop of, when St. John
wrote, 125 ; promise to Church of,
presents counter attractions to idol
meats, 168 ; Council of, condemned
Nestorian heresy, 156 ; 'E0^(ria
ypi/iptara, 120 ; Church at, long
^er time of St. John, 155.
Ephraem Syrus (a.d. 372), Codex of,
in Rev. ii. 7, omits fiov, 166.
" Epistle from Laodicea," what is meant
by the expression, 391-393.
Ipxiptevos, why used instead of iab-
/twos, key-note of the Revelation,
iS.
Eumenes II., founded library of Perga
mum, 226.
Euphrates, drying up of, meaning,
361.
Euripides, Medea, quoted, 236.
Eusebius (a.d. 341), on St. John's
banishment from Ephesus, 53 ;
testimony of, as to first day of week
being Lord's Day, 58.
Evidence of truth of Christianity, from'
the resurrection of Christ, 92-96.
Evil, abuse of man's freedom of vrill
against God, 160 ; extent of, 216 ;
punishment of, not inconsistent
with God's moral attributes, 217.
Ewald considers the fact of Nicolas of
Antioch being placed last in list of
deacons as indicating that he was
probably founder of the Nicolaitan
sect, 156.
Eye, every, shall see Christ — in what
sense? 37.
Eyes, Christ's, as a flame of fire, mean
ing of, 76 ; contrasted with Apollo,
the sun god, 290.
Eyesalve, the Church of Laodicea
counselled to buy, 428.

Faint, didst not, 144; Bengel's para
phrase on words, ibid.
Fairbairn's Typology of Scripture,
quoted, in reference to tree of life,
172.
Faith, a mark ofthe Church in Thyatira,
261.
Faithful unto deafh, charge of Christ
to Church in Smyrna, 205.
Fear not, assuring words with which
St. John was addressed, 56 ; same
words spoken in message to
Smyrneans, 198.
Feelings, our, deceptive character of,
418.
Feet like to burnished brass (xoXkoM-
^aro;/), 77 ; derivation of word,
78 ; symbol denoting judgment,
iUd.
Fellowship, the, of Christ's sufferings,
49. 437-
Fire, eyes of Christ as a flame of, in
dicative of searching scrutiny, 76.
First and the last, title expressive of
Christ's Godhead, 87.
First-born of the dead, meaning of,
22.
First love, departure from, 146; how
manifest in the Church of Ephesus,
147 ; how renewed and regained,
151 ; causes of decline in spiritu
ality, 148 ; two helps for renewing
first love — memory, and doing the
first works, 152.
Flaming sword, explanation of, Church
in the Cherubim, quoted, 172.
Formula, " I know thy works," ex
presses Christ's Omniscience, 132.
Fornication of Jezebel, 264 ; her im
penitence, 269 ; she and her con
federates threatened with sickness
and tribulation, 271 ; visitation of
punishment on her children, 274.
Future punishment, eternity of, 2x5.

Garments, not having defiled their,
descriptive of the "faithfiil few"
in Sardis, 313.

472

Index.

yiewa, that state of Hades where the
ungodly await the final judgment,
98 ; the Valley of Hinnom, 221.
yeved, interpreted by Strauss to dis
credit Christ's prophetic character,
33 ; explanation of, 34.
Giaour Izmir — infidel Smyrna — so
called by Moslems, 184.
Gibbon alludes to the extinction of the
first candlestick of the Revelation,
178 ; his testimony regarding Phil
adelphia, 336, 383.
Gift, to eat of tree of life, promised to
Church in Ephesus, 1 70; Christ's
bestowal of, ibid.
Girdle, a. golden, worn by high priest,
72; indicative of Christ's priest
hood, ibid. <
Gnostic teaching in Apostles' age, 281 ;
Gnostics taught their followers, on
pretence of being free from all
moral restraints, to live as they
pleased, 263.
"Go no more out," promise to faithfiil
in Philadelphia, 372 ; referring to
blessedness of heaven, unde amicits
non exit, quo inimicus non intrat,
ibid.
God's love to us not procured by Christ's
death, but Christ died because God
loved us, 428.
Goddess Cybele worshipped by the
people of Sardis, 299.
Goethe quoted, as regards the soul's
indestructibility, 323 ; on the un
satisfying nature .of the world to
fill the cravings of the soul,
423-
Gold tried in the fire, what ? 424.
Gospel preached in many lands, sign of
nearness of Christ's Second Advent,
35-
Grace and peace united in the Apostles'
salutation, 16 ; indefectible, not
taught in Scripture, 150; contrary
to Article XVL, «i5ii/.
Greek proverb in reference to the
stealthy approach of the gods,
309.

Hades, the unseen world, keys of, in
Christ's hand, 97.
Hanani, the seer, reproving Asa, speaks
of the all-pervading presence of
God, 129.
Hand, right, emblem of strength, 86.
Hannibal, on overthrow of Carthage,
recognises the curse of Canaan,
275.
Happiness of the righteous at death — in
what it consists, 98.
Hatred of what God hates, evidence of
spiritual life, 161.
Head and hair of Christ, white as wool,
etc., 74.
Hearing the words of prophecy, equi
valent to exercising the under
standing, 12.
Heart and life, correspondence of, 207.
Heathen had a presentiment of retri
butive justice, 275.
Heavenly citizenship, its rights and
obligations, 375.
Heaven, a place, not a state merely,
shown from Christ's resurrection
body, 320.
Hengstenberg regards Christ's coming
as fulfilled in Jerusalem's over
throw, 33.
Hermon, the Mount of the Transfigura
tion, supposed to be, 75.
Herodotus speaks of a plane tree orna
mented by Xerxes, 335.
High priest's breastplate, Urim and
Thummim considered by some as
diamonds attached thereto, 249.
Hold fast, the Church of Thyatira called
upon to, 285 ; same injunction to
the Church of Sardis, 306 ; also to
Philadelphia, 364.
Holy, He that is, title implying God
head, 335 ; why adopted in the
message to the Church in Phila
delphia, 337.
Holy Ghost, not so much as heard
whether there be any (Acts xix. I),
.121.
Homer uses the word aliivias to denote
the immortality ofthe gods, 215.

Index.

473

Hot, in opposition to cold, as desired
for the Church in Laodicea, 410.
Hour of temptation — what? 355.
Humility of St. John, shown from the
manner in which he speaks of him
self when commissioned to write
the Apocalypse, 8.

Idols, meats offered to (eiSaXoflura),
238.
'lefa^^X, tV yvvaiKa aov, thy wife
Jezebel, or the woman? 264 ; her
prototype in the Old Testament,
265 ; sketch of her history, 266 j
one of the worst characters recorded
in the Scriptures, 267 ; the Angel
of the Church censured for not
restraining Jezebel of Thyatira,
268 ; opportunities of repentance
vouchsafed in vain, 269 ; temporal
punishment of Jezebel and her
adherents, 271 ; her children killed
with death, 274 ; visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the
children, 275.
Ignatius, St. (a.d. 107), on the Lord's
day observance, 58 ; on Bishops,
108; writes to the Church in
Ephesus, 156 ; speaks of its mem
bers as Theophori and Christophori,
177 ; mentions Onesimus as Bishop
of Ephesus at that time, ibid.;
applies the word avvayuySf] to
denote a place of Christian wor
ship, 196; condemned by Trajan,
because he called himself Theo
phorus, 188 ; two letters of, one to
the Church in Smyrna, the other
to Polycarp, 185 ; converts from
Jevrish faith in Philadelphia, 354 ;
on patience of Angel at Phila
delphia, 397.
Image of the invisible God, explanation
of, 87.
Immortality, conditional, meaning of,
322.
Impersonal immortality of Pantheism
refuted, 324.

Imputed and imparted righteousness
necessary to man's salvation, 426.
Individuality in the unseenworld, 218.
Indefectible grace.'doctrine of, not taught
in Holy Scripture, 326.
Infidelity prevailing, a sign of the
approach of Christ's Advent, 35.
Intercession of Christ needed in order
to forgiveness of daily sins, 318.
Intolerance of evil, a mark of the
Church in Ephesus, 137.
Irenasus, St. (a.d. 177-202), testimony
of, respecting Christ's Divinity, 89 ;
regarding the time when St. John
wrote his Gospel, 53 ; speaks of
the Holy Scriptures as the ground
and pillar of our faith, 61 ; calls
himself Bishop of Ephesus, 108 ;
writes in support of the authenticity
ofthe Book of the Revelation, iJ ;
affords conclusive evidence regard
ing the time of St. John's death,
S3-
Israelites, the true, who they were, 378.

Jabin, king of Canaan, defeated by
Barak, while people of Meroz
neutral, 301.
Jachin and Boaz, pillars of Solomon's
Temple, 369.
Jerome, St. (a.d. 378), on the banish
ment of St. John to Patmos, 53;
considered the frequent Apostolic
salutation an argument against the
Pelagians, 17 ; contrasts Diana
the huntress, with her image at
Ephesus, 120 ; note of, respecting
the true Church, 131.
Jews, name derived from Judah, signi
fying Praise, 195.
Jews, existence of, in world, an evidence
for the truth of Christianity, 361 ;
they who say they are, in Phila
delphia, worshipping at feet of
Christians, 354 ; in what sense
were those mentioned in connection
with the Church in Smyrna, 193 ;
expected the Messiah would show

474

Index.

seven things to Israel, two of which
were the garden of Eden and the
Tree of Life,' 172 ; believed that
Jeremiah, on the invasion of Judea,
carried the sacred treasures of the
sanctuary to Mount Pisgah, 247.
Jezebel, a myth, according to Dean
Alford, 265 ; the female Anti
christ of Thyatira, 267.
John the Divine, QeoKayas, why so
called, 15 ; calls himself Christ's
"servant, 8 ; his leaving the bath
where Cerinthus had entered, fear-,
ing lest it should fall, 140; the
leading incidents of his life noticed
in Introduction, passim.
Judicial authority of Christ a proof of
His Divinity, 276.
Judging the world, saints, meaning of,
329-
Julian, the Apostate, an enemy of the
Church, 97 ; his dying declaration,
349-
Justin Martyr (A.D. 167), describes the
mode of worship of the early
Christians, and speaks of Sunday
as set apart for God's service, 58 ;
on the teaching of the Gnostics,
13; on the title "Word," as
appHed to Christ, 88 ; his confer
ence with Trypho the Jew, 156.
Juvenal speaks of transportation as a
punishment ofthe Romans, 54.
Key of David, or key of House of
David, 342 ; key of kingdom of
Heaven, 343 ; power of the keys,
344 ; keys of death and Hades,
meaning of, 96 ; in Christ's pos
session, 97.
Kiel quoted in reference to " the Book
of Life, "325.
Kingdom of priests — concrete form used
instead of abstract, 27.
Kingdom and patience, explanation of,
50 ; kingdom of Christ, media
torial, 289 ; nature of, ibid.
Kings and priests unto God, meaning
of, 27.

Kingsley, Rev. Charles, quotation from,
306.
Knocking at door, Christ standing,
and, 444 ; imagery, whence de
rived, 446.
Knowing not the day of Christ's Second
Advent, 5, 34.
Karros, unwearying toil, mark of Church
in Ephesus, 134.
Kpip,a and KardKpipa, Bp. Wordsworth's
interpretation of, 272.
Labour of the Church in Ephesus, 143,
144.
Lactantius (A.U. 300), quotation fi:om,
131-
Lake of fire, corresponds to "the
second death," 221.
iJiodicea, a city of Phrygia, so called
from Laodice, vrife of Antiochus
II., 66 ; sketch of its history, 389 ;
Gospel supposed to have been in
troduced there by Epaphras, 391 ;
threatening against Church, 412.
Last times, the, signs of, 35, 36.
Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, 98.
Library of Pergamum transported to
Egypt by Cleopatra, 226.
Liberty abused by the Nicolaitans, 241.
Liddon, Canon, on present condition of
the age, 36 ; on character of
Christ, 337.
Life, three persons restored to, by
Christ, 96.
Life, the book of, 325 ; holy, proceeds
from renewed heart, 280 ; personal,
in Christ, 91 ; refiitation of Pan
theism, ibid.
Light of the Church, borrowed from
Christ, 109.
Lightfoot, Bp., on blotting name out of
Book of Life, 327.
XlBos and \l'ij^os, difference between,
250.
Little strength, apparent in Church at
Philadelphia, 349.
Living One, the, source of life to others,
89 ; title opposed to the theories of
Pantheists, 90.

Index.

475

Lord's Day, in the Spirit on, meaning
of, 56 ; different from day of the
Lord, 57; two places in N. T.
where word /cupioKi} occurs — Lord's
day and Lord's supper, 56 ; cor
responds to the first day of the
week, 58.
XoirravTi, or Xiaavn, washed, or re
deemed us — which ? 25.
Love, absence of, vitiates all duty, 146 ;
first, having left, 127.
Loves, as many as Christ, He rebukes
and chastens, 433.
Lukewarm condition of Church in
Laodicea, 412.
Xirpav, meaning of, implying atone
ment, 26.
Lydia, the seller of purple (Acts xvi.
14), 258.

Maccabees, Book of, quotation from,
247.
Malefactor, the dying, informed he
should be with Christ in Paradise,
98.
Manicheans taught that good was in
spirit and evil in matter, 200, 435.
Manna, type of that spiritual food with
which Christ sustains His people,
246; hidden, ibid.; 'Caa.'i laid up
before the testimony, type of
Christ's body now within the veil,
247-
Marcion, the heretic, answer of Polycarp
to, 140.
Marks of apostasy in Church of
Thyatira — idol meats and libertin
ism, 285.
Materialistic idea that soul extinct after
death, refiited, 324.
Matthew, St., xx. 23, wrongly rendered
in both A.V. and R.V., 50, 170.
Meats offered to idols, 238.
Mediation of Christ in heaven founded
on His sacrifice on earth, 404.
Melito, Bishop of Sardis in second
century, his labours in reference to
the Canon of Scripture, 309.

Memory, a bitter ingredient in. the cup
of the wicked, 218; of what we
once were, means of regaining
"first love," 152.
Merit, creature, impossible, 317.
Meroz (Judg. v. 23), an illustration of
the neutrality of the Church in
Sardis, 301.
Messages to i[he Churches, 114.
p-erd. ravTa (Rev. i. 19), extends to final
consummation of all things, 103.
Michaelis, on derivation of word
"Nicolaitan," 159.
Miletus, Presbyters take leave of St.
Paul there, 28.
Milton, quotation from, 216.
Ministry, Christian — If Christ has made
His people priests unto God, what
need of special ministry ? answered,
28 ; no self-constituted, 29.
Miserable, real state of Church in
Laodicea, 415.
Molyneux, Rev. Capel, quoted respect
ing the New Jerusalem, 376.
Money changers, driven out of Temple,
not result of passion or caprice,
338.
Monogram, ancient, of Christ, 42.
Moral and responsible beings, Christ
treats us as, 432.
Morning star. The, 290; Bishop
Wordsworth's explanation of, 291.
My God, Paradise of, /*ou omitted in
some MSS., Archbishop Trench's
reason for omission, 166.
Mystery, derivation of word, 104 ; of
seven stars and seven candlesticks,
explained, 104.

Naked, expresses spiritual destitution
of Church of Laodicea, 425.
Name that thou livest, and thou art
dead, 300 ; not blotted out of
Book of Life, 325 ; of faithful in
Sardis, confessed before God, 328 ;
of My God, 373 ; written in Book
of Life, 325 ; change of, on special
occasions, as recorded in Scripture,

476

Index.

253 ; of the city of My God, 374 ;
what it implies, 379; new, on
white stone, 252.
Names, a few, even in Sardis, 310 ; of
Christ in Book of Revelation, 382.
Names of .^Esculapius, the healing god
at Pergamum, 228.
Neutrality, not far removed from
apostasy, 301.
New Jerusalem, that cometh down out
of heaven from My God, 175 ;
distinct from earthly Jerusalem,
ibid.; strange views respecting it,
376, 377-
New name, Christ's own, to be written
upon the Philadelphian conquerors,
381.
Nicolaitans, derivation of word, 159 ;
Nicolas, the deacon, thought by
some to be the founder of the sect,
158; doctrine of the, ibid.; two
tenets — licentiousness and eating
idol meats, ibid. ; Irenseus calls the
Nicolaitans a branch of the
Gnostics, 159.
Noah, those who were disobedient in
the days of, 100 ; Noah, an
example of patient endurance, loi.
6 KpaTuv, "He that holds," name by
which Christ introduces Himself
to the Church in Ephesus, 128.
8 pj.au, considered a. corruption of
6/io/us (in Rev. ii. 15), 243.
abros, or oStwj, in reference to Church
in Sardis, 319.
b Siv, title by which God revealed Him
self to Moses, 18.
Observations applicable to all the
Churches, 113-116.
Onesimus is said by St. Ignatius to have
been Bishop of Ephesus at the
time he sent his Epistle to the
Ephesians, 177.
Open door, meaning of, in message to
Church of Philadelphia, 347.
Optimism and pessimism alike in
capable of solving the mystery of
life, 423.

Orders, Holy, instituted by Christ and
recognised by the Apostles, 28.
Origen (A.D. 230), regarding eternal
hope, 220 ; ou St. John's Gospel,
9-
Overcometh, he that, meaning of, 167 ;
occurs twenty times in the vpritings
of St. John, 167.
Ovid alludes to the custom of judges
dropping a white or black stone
into an urn, as respectively indi
cating acquittal or conviction, 251.

iraiSeiu, peculiar meaning attached to,
in message to Laodicea, 433.
Pantheistic theories, refutation of, 91.
JlavTOKpdTup, applied to Christ, proof
of Godhead, 42.
Paradise of My God (Rev. ii. 7), 171 ;
different from Paradise (Luke
xxiii. 43), 173 ; place of rest
where the souls of the righteous
dead await the resurrection, 98.
Patience, a virtue not recognised by
the heathen, 137 ; of Church of
Ephesus, 136 ; of Thyatira, 261 ;
most marked in Philadelphia, 356.
Patmos, situation and extent of, 53 ;
was St. John's going there com
pulsory ? 52 ; tradition in regard to
the spot where St. John vyrote the
Apocalypse, 54.
Paul, St., three great desires of, 305.
Pearson, on Creed, quoted as to
eternal punishment, 220.
Pebble, or "white stone," sentence of
acquittal by Greek judges con
sidered by some as referred to by
the, 251 ; by others, the Urim and
Thummim, 249 ; while it is
generally supposed that the tessera
is alluded to, 252.
Pergamum, 225 ; parchment discovered
here, 226 ; censured for having
retained the Nicolaitans in com
munion, 242 ; modern name,
Bergama, 225 ; Satan's throne at,
228.

Index.

477

Perseverance in the service of God,
necessity of, 145.
Personality, not impaired by death,
2l8.
Peter's, St., alleged supremacy, argu
ment against, 47.
Philadelphia called by Strabo " a city
of earthquakes," 336 ; founded
by, 65.
Pierced, Him whom they — whether
" they " refers to Jews ? 38.
Pillar in the temple of My God, imply
ing permanence and strength, 367.
Plato, quotation from, respecting state
of the heathen before Christ came,
20.
Pleroma, as applied to Christ, 90.
Pliny refers to the custom of Scythians
throwing stones into an urn accord
ing to the kind of day they passed,
250 ; says that when Christians
were brought before heathen
magistrates they were commanded
" Christo maledicere" 139.
Plumptre, Dean, quotation from, re
garding the title b Siv, 18 ; his
interpretation of Smyrna's ten
days' tribulation, 205 ; considers
" the white stone " as the tessera,
252.
IIo5iJ/)i7!, equivalent to chetoneth, de
scribed by Josephus, 71.
Polycarp (a.d. 82-168), words with
which he begins his prayer at the
stake, 15 ; the Angel of the Church
in Smyrna, 108.
Poverty, a mark of the Church in
Smyrna, yet said to be rich, 189 ;
predicable of Church of Laodicea,
415.
Power over the nations, 286.
Priesthood royal, 28 ; In what sense
are Christians to be considered
priests? 28.
Primogeniture of Christ, threefold, 22.
Prince of the kings of the earth, applied
to Christ, 23.
Prison, spirits in (i Pet. iii. 18), mean
ing of, 99.

Procession of the Holy Spirit from the
Father and the Son, 298.
Prophetess, one in the Seven Churches,
but only in name, 264.
Prosperity, material, not tending to
promote the Church's spirituality,
418.
irparbToKos, why applied to Christ, 22,
401.
Publius Syrus (b.c. 44), quotation from,
158 ; on woman's hate, 266.
Pyramids, measurement of, in connec
tion with Biblical chronology, 6.

Quintus, alluded to in Epistle of Church
in Smyrna as one who trembled
when he saw the wild beasts, and
basely renounced Christ, 206.

Raiment, white, clothed in, 318 ;
Church of Laodicea counselled to
buy, 425.
Rawlinson, on the pedigree of Jezebel,
266.
Recompense, rule of, judged according
to works, 279.
Records, modes of writing in early
times, 60.
Religion in the soul, progressive, 262.
Remedial process after this life ends,
unfounded, 313.
Remember and repent, the Saviour's
rebuke of Sardis, 307 ; also of
Ephesus, 1 50.
Repent, Church in Ephesus called upon
to, 154 ; Church in Laodicea also,
441 ; Pergamum threatened unless
it would repent, 244.
Repentance, a saving grace coming
from God, 151 ; an abiding prin
ciple, ibid.; companion through
life, ibid.; no true preaching
without repentance, 271, 441.
Responsibility increased by coming
into contact with God's people,
326.
Restoration of all things by Christ, 175.

478

Index.

Resurrection of Christ, 92 ; evidence,
experimental, 93 ; external, 94.
Resurrection bodies of the saints, 3 IS,
319-
Rewards, distribution of; in Christ's
gift, 171.
Rich, Church of Smyrna — in what
sense? 189.
Rich, Church of Laodicea said she
was, 417; her self-sufficiency con
demned, 420 ; counselled to buy
of Christ, 422 ; meaning of "the
gold," 421 ; the white garments,
425 ; the eyesalve, 428.
Richard, of St. Victor (a.d. 1173),
quotation from, regarding the
faithful witness, 21.
Richter quoted as to the conquests of
Christ, 97.
Right hand, symbol of power and
authority, 86.
Rod of iron, ruling vrith a, 287.
Rolls,, use of in synagogue, 60 ; St.
John commanded to write upon a
roll, ibid.
Roman citizenship, benefits which it
conferred, 374 ; by Porcian and
Sempronian laws special immuni
ties, ibid.
Rousseau, the testimonyof, to Christ, 10.
Royalty of Christ, 289.
Rule of Christ's administration, ' ' ac
cording to your works," 278 ; of
saints over angels, 329.
Ruler of the kings of the earth — title
of Christ, 23.
Sabbath, the Christian, called Lord's
Day, 57.
Saint Victor, Richard of, on Christ's
witness bearing, 21.
Salome's request for her sons, how
answered, 51.
Salutation, mode of, adopted by St.
John, 17.
Sardis, situation of, 65, 295 ; sketch of
history, 297 ; state of Church of,
299.
Satan's seat, 282 ; depths of, 282 ;

personal, 200, 230 ; delivering one
unto, 345.
Saved, number of the, will exceed that
of the unsaved, 312.
School of one Tyrannus, a school of
medicine, 121.
Scipio defeated Antiochus, and Sardis
passed into the hands of the
Romans, 297.
Scriptures, Holy, blessing of those who
hear and keep them, 12 ; com
mitted to vnriting to guard against
the uncertainty of tradition, 61.
Seals, seven, symbolize suffering, 109.
Searcher of hearts, title proves Divinity
of Christ, 276 ; contrasted with
those who "know depths of
Satan," 278.
Second Advent, everything in prepara
tion for, 360.
Seeing Christ at His Advent, as beheld
by disciples on His going from
Mount Olivet to heaven, 37.
Septuagint renders Urim and Thummim
by Manifestation and Truth, 249 ;
translation imperfect, ibid.
Serpent, the symbol of Satan, sacred
to .iEsculapius, 233.
Service of God, in heaven, grandeur of,
330 ; mark of Church of Thyatira,
262.
Servius TuUius classified the Romans
into three grades, according to age,
125.
Seven, number denoting perfection,
109 ; Churches, why this number
mentioned, 16 ; Spirits of God,
meaning of, 20 ; Angels interpreted
by some, refuted, 18 ; Spirits
before throne, 18 ; stars, Christ's
holding in right hand, 80 ; golden
candlesticks, 66 ; seals, meaning
of, 109 ; trumpets, ibid. ; vials,
ibid.; candlestick, seven-branched,
carried to Rome by Titus, 156.
Shakespeare, quotation from, 145.
Shebna and Eliakim supposed to be
referred to in the expression, "he
shall go no more out," 366.

Index.

479

Sherlock, Bishop, contrasting Christ
with Mahomet, 9.
Sickness threatened against adherents
of Jezebel, 273.
Signs of Second Advent, proximate, 34.
Silver shrines of Diana, 119.
Sin and punishment, in the relation
of cause and effect, 272.
Sin of fathers visited upon their
children, 275.
Sinlessness of Christ, 338 ; sinlessness
of a Christian impossible while on
earth, 443.
Sitting on Christ's right and left hand
in kingdom, 5 1 ; upon the throne,
453-
Smyrna, a seaport tovsm of Ionia, 183.
Son of Man, why applied to Christ, 69 ;
of God, proof of Christ's Divinity,
260.
Soul, human, not impaired by death,
175-
2uT^p, title applied to .^sculapius,
233-
Spirits in prison (l Pet iii. 18), mean
ing of, 99, 102.
Spirits, unclean, like Irogs (Rev. xvi.
14). 36-
Stanley, Dean, quoted in reference to
Phoenician pillars, 369.
Stier, Rudolph, on the word yevia, 34;
on those " who say they are Jews
and are not," 353 ; in regard to
the word "Behold," in the message
to Church at Philadelphia, 346 ;
on the undefiled garments of "the
few " in Church at Sardis, 314.
Strength, little, implying poverty, 349.
Strengthening the things that remain,
303-
Stumblmg-block (aK&vSdXov), meaning
of, 237.
Supping, Christ's, with him who opens
the door of his heart, 449.
Sun in his strength, symbol of majesty,
82.
Swine, destruction of, at Gadara, not
an interference with rights of
property, 338.

Sword, sharp two-edged, double pur
pose of, 227, 244; proceeding from
mouth of Christ, 80; emblem of
punishment, 81 ; Clement and
Polycarp interpret it of Word of
God, 82.
Synagogue of Satan, applied to Jews in
Smyrna, 196 ; also in Philadelphia,
352.

Tacitus, on transportation as a Roman
mode of punishment, 54.
Tanner's Church in Cherubim, reference
to, 172.
rd XoiTrd, as mentioned in message to
Church in Sardis, 300.
Taxi, omission of, in message to
Church in Ephesus, without due
authority, 154.
Temple of Diana, at Ephesus, 1 19 ; of
Jerusalem, destruction of, literal
fulfilment of our Lord's prediction,
14.
Temptation, of Satan, always to sin ;
temptation of God, never, 202.
Ten days' tribulation of Church in
Smyrna, not to be interpreted on
the year day theory, 204.
tV yvvaiKa aov 'lefa/S^X, is this read
ing correct ? 264.
Terence, quotation from, 49.
Tertullian (A.D. 200-218), interprets
the sword proceeding from Christ's
mouth, 80 ; on Epistle of St. James
i. 13 — 202.
Tessera, given to conquerors in the
games, considered as referred to by
"the white stone," 252.
Tetragrammaton, the name of God
with four letters — Jehovah, 249.
Theologos, as applied to St. John,
IS-
Theophori, Christophori, names applied
by St. Ignatius to the Christians in
Ephesus, 177.
Thief, coming upon as a, 309.
Things, a few, oh account of which
Pergamum censured, 3 10.

48o

Index.

Thracians marked each happy day by
casting a white stone into an urn,
250.
Threatening against Jezebel, 276 ; evi
dence of Christ's Godhead from
execution of judgment, 276.
Threatening against Church in Ephesus
conditional, 155.
Throne, sitting with Christ on, 453 ;
Christ sat down with His Father
on His, 455 ; to be realized at
Christ's glortous appearing, 457.
Thyatira, a city of Lydia, 65, 257 ;
conversion of Lydia (Acts xvi. 14),
258.
Tiberius, in reign of, Sardis destroyed
by an earthquake, 297.
Time when Apocalypse was written,
15. (See Introduction.)
Timothy, for thirteen years St. Paul's
companion, 125 ; his labours and
death, ibid. ; message to Church in
Ephesus, corresponding to the
character of Timothy,' 126.
Titles of Christ — why 6 Siv, Kal b 9jv
K.T.X. , undeclined, 17.
Tradition, great uncertainty of, 60;
condemnation of the traditions of
Scribes and Pharisees by our Lord,
62.
Trajan (a.d. 107), condemned St.
Ignatius to be thrown to the wild
beasts at Rome, 189.
Trance, St. John in a, when he had the
vision of the Apocalypse, 59, 83.
Transfiguration scene, meaning of, 319.
Tree of life, eating of, promise to
Church in Ephesus, 171.
Tree, fig, barren, representative of Jew
ish nation.
Trench, Archbishop, on designation
"Angels," as applied to presidents
of the Seven Churches, 107 ; con
siders the white stone (Rev. ii. 17)
as the Urim and Thummim, 249 ;
on those who say they are Jews
and are not, 353.
Tribes, all the, of the earth, applies to
the Gentile world, 39.

Tribulation, Christ's legacy, 49 ; design
of, 50 ; mark of Church in Smyrna,
192 ; ten days, 204.
True, He that is, title, marking Divine
perfection, 339.
Trumpet, Jewish festivals announced
by, 59 ; public assemblies sum
moned by sound of, ibid. ; seven
trumpets announce judgment of
God against the enemies of His
Church, 109.
Truth prominently marked the perfect
character of Christ, 340.
Tullius Servius, classification of Roman
people, 125.
Twelve thrones. Apostles sitting on,
329-

Unclean spirits like frogs (Rev. xvi.
14). 36.
Ungodly at death, their misery, 98.
Urim and Thummim, supposed by
some to be referred to by, "the
white stone " (Rev. ii. 17), 249.
Usher, Archbishop, of Armagh (A.D.
1624-1655), last words of, 85 ;
held that Polycarp was Bishop of
Smyrna, when the Apocalyptic
message was sent to that Church,
185.

Vessels of a potter, 287.
Vials, seven, God's wrath upon mystic
Babylon poured out by, 109.
Vicarious suffering, the law of human
life, 428.
Victor, St., Richard of, interprets
"sharp sword with two edges"
as symbolizing the Old and New
Testaments, 82 ; on " The First
and the Last," 88.
Victorinus (a.d. 440), bishop and
martyr, states that St. John was
condemned to the mines, and
released on death of Domitian, 54.
Vines, soil of Philadelphia suited for,
336.

Index.

481

Violent, taking kingdom of heaven by
force, explanation of, 440.
Virtues, passive, despised by the
ancients, 357.
Vision of Christ, effect of, upon St.
John, 84.
Vitringa considers St. John's Gospel
written before the Revelation, 8.
Voice, as of a trumpet, heard by St.
John when in a state of ecstasy in
Patmos, 59 ; of Christ, like the
voice of many waters, 79.
Voltaire's predictions regarding the
extinction of Christianity, falsified,
23-

Walking, Christ's, in midst of seven
golden candlesticks, 129 ; object
of, 130 ; with Christ in white
garments, 315.
Watchfulness enjoined upon the Church
in Sardis, 302, 308 ; neglect of,
consequences following, 308.
Wealth not incompatible with religion,
416.
Weary in well doing, meaning of, 144.
Went and preached, pleonasm for " He
preached," 100.
Westcott, Canon, quotation from, in
reference to the word "Amen,"
398-
White, the colour of heaven, symbol
of purity, perfection, glory, 319 ;
garments, clothed in, 318, 425 ;
stone, white, 248 ; white raiment
and undefiled garments distinct,
314 ; Laodicea counselled to buy,
425.
Whiteness of Christ's head and hair, as
seen by St. John, not symbolic of
age or decay, 75.
Withdrawal of candlestick threatened
against Church in Ephesus, 155.
Witness-bearing of St. John to Christ,
II.
Witness, " Faithful and true,'' title of
Christ, ibid., 398-400; faithful,
20 ; God never left without, 311.

Words, in apposition in different cases^
explanation of, 21.
Wordsworth, Bishop, on blotting name
out of Book of Life, 327 ; on
peculiar structures of certain ex
pressions in the Revelation, 21 \
on Alpha and O, 42 ; on "the
morning star," quotation from,
291 ; his interpretation of Kpipjji
and KaraKpipu, 272.
Word of Christ's patience, kept by the
Church in Philadelphia, 355.
Works, Christ's knowing the, meaning
of, 132 ; not found perfect before
God in case of Sardis, 302 ; good,
evidence of faith, 133, 139 ; 01
Nicolaitans, hated by Christ, 161 ;
last more than the first, as regards
Thyatira, 263 ; not meritorious
before God, 279 ; place they occupy
in the life of a Christian, 279.
World, all the, expression limited to
Roman Empire, 357 ; neither in
this world nor in the world to
come (Matt. xii. 32), explanation
of, 99 ; saints judging the, 458.
Worldliness, sin of Sardis, 300.
Worship of Cybele practised by the
people of Sardis, 299.
Worthiness of " the few " in Sardis,
316 ; two senses of term, ibid.
Wretched condition of the Church in
Laodicea, 415.
Write, the things St. John commanded
to, 102.
Writing, subject matter of, by St. John,
62 ; materials used for, in early
times, 60 ; more security against
error than tradition, ibid.; name
of God written on victor at Phila
delphia, 375.

Xerxes occupied Sardis before his
memorable defeat at Thermopyls,
297 ; led his army through the
valley near Philadelphia, when on
his way to Greece, 335 ; Herodotus
speaks of a plane tree under which
I I

482

Index.

Xerxes rested, and the beauty of
which he so greatly, admired that
he decked it with golden orna
ments, ibid.

Year day theory, not applicable to the
ten days' tribulation of Church in
Smyrna, 204.
Youth, Christ has still the dew of His,
75-
Young ruler's worldliness repeated in
the imperfections of the Church in
Sardis, 300.

" Zeal of Thine house hath eaten me
up," explanation of, 439 ; zeal of
Jehu, 441.
Zealous, be, and repent, 438 ; why zeal
placed before repentance, ibid.
Zebedee, two sons of, sitting on Christ's
right and left hand in His kingdom,
170 ; faulty translation of Matt.
XX. 23, ibid.
Zechariah, quoted as to Joshua the
high priest's change of raiment, in
illustration of those in Sardis that
did not "defile their garments,"
314-

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