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LECTURES
ON THE
REVELATION.
BY
WILLIAM J. REID,
Pastor op the First United Presbyterian Churoh,
Pittsburgh, Pa.
PITTSBURGH:
PBtNTED BY SXEVENSOlf, F06TBR & Co., No. 48 FiFTH A VENUE.
1878.
(
BODL LIBR.
6-MARi918
LOXFORD
PREFACE.
Thb following lectures were delivered on Sabbath mornings in the First United Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa. They were begun October 5th, 1873, and finished March 19th, 1876. Hany who listened to them have re- peatedly requested their publication, and in compliance with this request, they now appear in print.
They do not profess to contain anything new or startling. The author made use of all the authorities within his reach, and endeavored to express in as few and plain words as possible, the result of his studies. Among the commen- taries, to which he feels especially indebted, are the following : Horaa Apoca- lypticse, by Rev. £. B. Blliott, A. M. ; Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Book of Revelation, by Rev. Albert Barnes ; Lectures on the Book of Revelation, by William Kelly ; the Apocalypse, Translated and Expounded, by James Glasgow, D. D. ; Lectures on the Revelation of St. John, by O. J. Yaughan, D. D. ; Apocalyptical Sketches, by John Gumming, D. D. ; Lectures on the Revelation of Jesus Christ, by J. A. Seiss, D. D. ; the Revelation of John, with Notes, by Rev. Henry Cowles, D. J), ; .Lectures on the Book of Revelation, by Rev. C. M. Butler, D. D.
It is well known that the expositors of the Revelation ^differ widely in their views, but they may be arranged in three divisions. 1. Historical or Continu- ous Expositors, in whose opinion the Revelation is ;a^^|sa?egressive history of the fortunes of the church firom the first century to the end of time. 2. Prater ist Expositors, who are of the opinion that the Revelation has been almost or alto*- gether fulfilled in the time which has passed since it was written, and that it re- fers principally to the triumph of Christianity over Judaism and Paganism. 8. Futurist Expositors, who believe that the whole book, excepting perhaps the first three chapters, refers principally, if not exclusively, to events which are yet to come. In these lectures, the historical interpretation has been adopted, not because no objections can be urged against it, but because these objections are lees numerous and weighty than those which are urged against the other theories. ^
The author's experience in the preparation of these lectures is described in the following language of Rev. Albert Barnes, quoted from the preface to his Notes on the Revelation : '' Up to the time of commencing the exposition of this book, I had no theory in my own mind as to its meaning. I may add, that I had a prevailing belief that it could not be explained, and 4hat a]l at- tempts to explain it must be visionary and futile. * * * 1 read it, as I sup- pose most others do, from a sense of duty, yet admiring the beauty of its imagery,
IV PBEFAOE.
the sublimity of its descriptions and its high poetic character ; and though to me wholly unintelligible in the main, finding so many detached passages that were intelligible and practical in their nature as to make it on the whole attractive and profitable, but with no definitely formed idea as to its meaning as a whole, and with a vague general feeling that all the interpretations which had been proposed were wild, fancifiil and visionary. * * * l found myself soon insenBibly inquiring whether, in the events which succeeded the time when the book was written, there were not historical facts of which the emblems employed would be natural and proper symbols on the supposition that it was the Divine intention in disclosing these visions to refer to them, and whether, therefore, there might not be a natural and proper application of the symbols to these events. * * * In this way I examined * * * the whole book; pro- ceeding step by step in ascertaining the meaning of each word and symbol as it occurred, but with no theoretic anticipation as to what was to follow. To my own surprise I found, chiefly^ in Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Boman Empire, a series of events recorded such as seemed to me to correspond to a great extent with the series of symbols found in the Apocalypse. * * * So remarkable have these coincidences appeared to me in the course of this exposi- tion, that it has almost seemed as if he had designed to write a commentary on some portion of this book, and I have found it difiicult to doubt that that distinguished historian was raised up by an overruling Providence to make a record of those events which would ever afterwards be regarded as an impartial and unprejudiced statement of the evidences of the fulfillment of prophecy.'*
The author now sends this volume forth, in the hope that it may be to many members of his congregation a memorial of the pleasant years of his pastor- ate, and with the prayer that it may do something towards the better under- standing of this portion of the inspired word.
Pittsburgh, Pa., October 1st, 1878.
CONTENTS
Page. AKAI.YSIS. 10
LECTURE I. I. 1-3.
PREFATORY, IB
LECTURE II. I. 4-11.
INTRODUCTORY, 1»
LECTURE III. .1. 12-20.
THE SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS, 26
LECTURE IV. II. 1-7.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS, 82
LECTURE V. II. a-11.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA, 89
LECTURE VI. II. 12-17.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAM06, 46
LECTURE VII. II. 18-29. THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA, 53
LECTURE VIII. III. 1-6.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SARDI8, 61
LECTURE IX. III. 7-18.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA, - ... us
LECTURE X. III. 14-22.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA, 75
LECTURE XI. III. 22.
GENERAL REMARKS ON THE EPISTLES TO THE CHURCHES, - . 83
LECTURE XIL IV. 1-4.
THE VISION OF HEAVEN, 91
LECTURE XIIL IV. 6-11. THE VISION OF HEAVEN, CONTINUED, 98
LECTURE XIV. V. 1-7.
THE SEALED BOOK, 105
6 CONTENTS.
Page. LECTURE XV. V. 8-14.
THE HEAVENLY WORSHIP, 112
LECTURE XVI. VI. 1, 2. THE FIRST SEAL, 11»
LECTURE XVIL VI. 8-6.
THE SECOND AND THIRD SEALS, 125
LECTURE XVIII. VI. 7-11.
THE FOURTH AND FIFTH »FjaS, - - IW
LECTURE XIX. VI. 12-17. THE SIXTH SEAL, 14&
LECTURE XX. VII. 1-8.
GOD'S SEALED ONES, IW
LECTURE XXI. VII. 9-17.
THE PALM BEARING MULTITUDE, 160
LECTURE XXII. VIII. 1-7.
THE SEVENTH SEAL AND THE FIRST TRUMPET, 16*
LECTURE XXIIL VIII. 8-18. THE SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH TRUMPETS, 177
LECTURE XXIV. IX. l-ll.
THE FIFTH TRUMPET, 187
LECTURE XXV. IX. 12-19.
THE SIXTH TRUMPET, 1»6
X
LECTURE XXVI. IX. 20,21.
THE EFFECT OF THE DIVINE JUDGMENTS, 204
LECTURE XXVII. X. 1-4.
THE MIGHTY ANGEL AND THE LITTLE BOOK, 21»
LECTURE XXVIII. X. 6-11.
THE MIGHTY ANGEL AND THE LITTLE BOOK, CONTINUED, • - 221
LECTURE XXIX. XI. 1, 2.
THE MEASURING OF THE TEMPLE, 22fr
LECTURE XXX. XI. 3-8.
THE TWO WITNESSES, 285
LECTURE XXXI. XI. 9-18. THE TWO WITNESSES, CONTINUED, 24^
CONTENTS. 7
Page. LECTURE XXXII. XI. 14-18.
THE SEVENTH TBUKl^ET, 260
LECTURE XXXIIL XI. 19.-XII. 2. THE WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN, 258
LECTURE XXXIV. XII. 8-6.
THE WOMAN AND THE GREAT RED DRAGON, 266
LECTURE XXXV. XII. 7-17.
THE WOMAN AND THE GREAT RED DRAGON, CONTINUED, - - 278
LECTURE XXXVI. XIII. 1-10.
THE BEAST WITH TEN HORNS, 281
LECTURE XXXVII. XIII. 11-18.
THE BEAST WITH TWO HORNS, '- - - 292
LECTURE XXXVIII. XIII. 6.
THE DURATION OF THE POWER OF THE BEAST, - - - - aoo
LECTURE XXXIX. XIV. 1-6. THE LAMB AND HIS FOLLOWERS, 307
LECTURE XL. XIV. 6-12.
THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL AND THE FALL OF BABYLON, - 814
LECTURE XLI. XIV. 18-20.
THE BELIEVING DEAD, THE FINAL HARVEST AND THE LAST VINTAGE, - 323
LECTURE XLII. XV. 1-8. PREPARATION FOR POURING OUT THE VIALS, 831
LECTURE XLIIL XVL 1, 2
THE FIRST VIAL, 338
LECTURE XLIV. XVI. 8-7.
THE SECOND AND THIRD VIALS, ' - - 348
LECTURE XLV. XVI. S-11.
THE FOURTH AND FIFTH VIAlfl, - 866
LECTURE XL VI. XVI. 12-14.
THE SIXTH VLAL, 363
LECTURE XLVII. XVL 16, 16. THE SIXTH VIAL, CONTINUED, 371
LECTURE XLVIU. XVI. 17-21. THE SEVENTH VIAL, 377
LECTURE XLIX. XVII. 1-6.
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, 384
8 CONTENTS.
LECTURE L. XVII. 7, 8.
THE ANGEL'S EXPLANATION, ;{92
LECTURE LL XVII. 9-lL
THE ANCiEL'S EXPLANATION, CONTINUED, - 400
LECTURE LII. XVII. 12-18.
THE ANGEL'S EXPLANATION, CONTINUED, 406
LECTURE LIII. XVIII. 1-8.
THE FALL OF BABYLON, 4U
LECTURE LIV. XVIII. 9-24.
THE FALL OF BABYLON, CONTINUED, 422
LECTURE LV. XIX. 1-6.
HEAVENLY HALLELUJAHS, 490
LECTURE LVI. XIX. 7-9.
THE MARRIAOE SUPPER OF THE LAMB, 486
LECTURE LVII. XIX. 10-16.
ANGEL WORSHIP AND THE MIGHTY CONQUEROR, .... 443
LECTURE LVIII. XIX. 17-21.
THE FINAL CONQUEST, 450
LECTURE LIX. XX. 1-8.
THE BINDIN(J OF SATAN, 457
LECTURE LX. XX. 4, 6.
THE MILLENNIUM, 464
LECTURE LXI. XX. 6-10. THE LOOSING OF SATAN AND THE HOSTS OF GOG AND MAGOG, - - 471
LECTURE LXII. XX. 11-16. THE FINAL JUDgSiENT, 476
LECTURE LXIIL XXI. 1.
THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH, 483
LECTURE LXIV. XXI. 2-4.
THE NEW JERUSALEM, -----.--. 491
LECTURE LXV. XXI. 6-8.
THE NEW JERUSALEM, CONTINUED, 4<H»
LECTURE LXVI. XXI. 9-14.
THE NEW JERUSALEM, CONTINUED, 506
LECTURE LXVIL XXI. 16-21.
THE NEW JERUSALEM, Cy)NTINUED, ol4
CONTENTS. 9
Page. LECTURE LXVIII. XXI. 22,28.
THE NEW JERUSALEM, CONTINUED, 522
LECTURE LXIX. XXI. 24,26.
THE NEW JERUSALEM, CONTINUED, 628
LECTURE LXX. XXI. 26, 27.
THE NEW JERUSALEM, CONTINUED, S35
LECTURE LXXL XXII. 1,2.
THE NEW JERUSALEM, CONTINUED, 542
LECTURE LXXII, XXII. 8,4.
THE NEW JERUSALEM, CONTINUED, ...... 549
LECTURE LXXIII. XXII. 6.
THE NEW JERUSALEM, CONTINUED, 666
LECTURE LXXIV. XXII. 6-9. FAITHFUL AND TRUE SAYINGS, 5«2
LECTURE LXXT. XXII. 10, 11. THE UNCHANGING CONDITION OF THE DEAD, - - . . 570
LECTURE LXXVI. XXII. 12, 18.
THE SAVIOUR'S COMING AND REWARD, 576
LECTURE LXXVII. XXII. 14-16. THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY, .... - 683
LECTURE LXXVIII. XXII. 17. THE mVITATION, . - . . _ 590
LECTURE LXXIX. XXII. 18,10.
THE PERFECT BOOK, 596
LECTURE LXXX. XXIL 20,21. THE CONCLUSION, «M
ANALYSIS.
'* Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.'' These words fiirnish the clue to the analysis of the Apocalypse. The apostle is commanded to write the things he had seen, the things which were, and the things which were to be thereafter. In addition to these three divisioQs, there are in this book, as in almost every other, a pre- face and a conclusion. The Apocalypse is then to be divided into five parts, viz.: a preface ; an introductory vision ; a description of the church as it existed in the days of John ; a history of the church from the time of John till the end of the world ; and a conclusion.
I. THE PREFACE. I. 1-8.
This division contains the title and design of the book, the name of the author, and the blessedness of those who read it.
II. THE INTRODUCTORY VISION. I. 4-20.
This division contains the vision of the glorious Redeemer, who stood in the midst of the golden candlesticks and commanded the apostle to write the things he had seen, the things which were, and the things which were to be thereafter.
III. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH AS IT EXISTED IN
THE DATS OP JOHN. II, III.
In this division, the seven churches of Asia are regarded as the representa- tives of the entire church. The epistles to these churches are all fashioned on the same model ; 1st. The name of the church is mentioned. 2d. Some of the attributes of the Saviour are referred to. 8d. Some of the peculiar characteristics of each church are described, and praised or rebuked as they are worthy of praise or rebuke. 4th. There follows advice or counsel or promise or warning, as the circumstances of the case demand. 6th. There is the solemn admonition, <'He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." 6th. There is a beautiful promise to him that overcometh.
IV. THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH FROM THE DAYS OF JOHN
TILL THE END OF TIME. IV. l.-XXII. 5.
An introductory vision, in which the apostle is carried into heaven and shown the great throne and its surroundings, iv. 1-11. A description of the sealed book, which contained, in symbol, the future history of the church, v. 1->14«
The first seal, which was fulfilled in the prosperity of the Roman empire for about one hundred years after the time of the apostle, vi. 1, 2.
ANALYSIS. 11
The second seal, which was fulfilled in the civil wars of the latter part of the second century, vi. 8, 4.
The third seal, which was fulfilled in the famines of the early part of the third century, vi. 6, 6.
The fourth seal, which was fulfilled in the great mortality of the latter part of the third century, yi. 7, 8.
The fifth seal, which was fulfilled in the persecutions of the beginning of the fourth century, vi. ^11.
The sixth seal, which was fulfilled in the alarm that filled the Roman empire on account of threatened barbarian invasions, about the middle of the fourth century, vi. 12-17. A parenthetical vision of the saints in heaven, designed to comfort the persecuted church, vii. 1-17.
The seventh seal, when seven angels with seven trumpets appear, viii. 1, 2.
The first trumpet, which was fulfilled in the invasion of the Roman empire by the Goths under Alaric, about the beginning of the fifth century, viii. 7 •
The second trumpet, which was fulfilled in the invasion of the Roman em- pire by the Vandals under Qenseric, about the middle of the fifth century TUi. 8, 9.
The third trumpet, which was fulfilled in the invasion of the Roman empire by the Huns under Attila, a little after the middle of the fifth century, viii. 10, 11.
The fourth trumpet, which was fulfilled in the destruction of the Western ^empire by the fieruli under Odoacer, about the close of the fifth century. vni. 12.
The fifth trumpet, which was fulfilled in the rise and progress of the Moham- medan power, ftom about 622 to 772. ix. 1-11.
The sixth trumpet, which was fulfilled in the rise and progress of the Turkish power, from about 1062 to 1468. ix. 18-19. Under this trumpet are also the vision of the angel with the open book, fulfilled in the Reformation of the six- teenth century, and the open Bible, x. 1-11 ; the vision of measuring the temple, fulfilled in the re-arrangement of the lines of separation between the true church and the false, xi. 1, 2; and the vision of the two witnesses, ful- filled in the weakness of the true church, its sore persecution, and its revival as if lh>m death, xi. 8-18.
The seventh trumpet was then sounded, and proclamation was made that the world was coming to an end. xi. 18-18. The events which were to take place under the seventh trumpet are minutely described in a new series of visions, which is introduced by xi. 19. A representation of the trae church under the symbol of a beautiful woman, its trials and its escape, xii. 1-17. A repre- sentation of the Papal power, under the symbol of two beasts ; the first, a symbol of the Papal church, and the second, a symbol of the General Councils of that church. XIII. 1-18. A parenthetical vision, introduced to comfort the saints. xiT. 1-20.
Preparation for the final judgments, xv. 1-8.
The first vial, fulfilled in the French revolution of 1798. xvi. 1, 2.
The second vial, fulfilled in the naval disasters of France, xvi. 3.
The third vial, fulfilled in those scenes of carnage which prevailed where the saints had been persecuted, xvi. 4-7.
The fourth vial, fulfilled in the overthrow of those governments which sus- tained the Papal power, xvi. 8, 9.
12 ANALYSIS.
The fifth vial, fulfilled in the temporary conquest of Borne by the French arms. xvi. 10, 11.
The Bizth vial, fulfilled in the decline of the Turkish power, the spread of Christianity in the East, and the rallying of Infidelity, Popery and Mohammed- anism for the Battle of Armageddon. XTi. 12-16.
The seventh vial, fulfilled in the overthrow of the Papal power. XTi. 17-21. This overthrow is so important that it is described in additional visions. A representation of the Papal power, and its destruction, under the symbol of a drunken harlot, xvii. 1-18. A representation of the same power, and its destruction, under the symbol of a great city in ruins. XYiii. 1-20. A repre* sentation of the same power, and its destruction, under the symbol of a mill- stone cast into the sea. xviii. 21-24. A song of victory by the heavenly host. XIX. 1-9. A description of the mighty conqueror, xix. 11-16. A description of the final war, and the destruction of the Papal church, xix. 17-21.
The millennium, xx. 1-6.
The loosing of Satan, and his final imprisonment, xx. 7-10.
The last judgment, xx. 11-18.
The wicked are cast into hell. xx. 14, 15.
The righteous are admitted into heaven, which is described under the symbol of a beautiful city. xxi. 1-xxi. 6.
V. THE CONCLUSION. XXII. 6-21.
In this division there is a solemn declaration that these things are true ; a description of the effects of these visions on the apostle ; a command to publish what he had seen ; a description of the unchangeable condition of the righteous and the wicked in the world to come ; a description of the blessedness of those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb ; the name of the author of this book ; a fVee gospel invitation ; a solemn injunction not to change any- thing written in this book ; a threefold announcement of the speedy coming of the Son of man ; the church's response ; and the apostle's benediction.
LECTURE I.
PREFATORY.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass ; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who hare record of the word or God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, andof all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, ahd they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein : for the time is at hand. — Rsv. 1 : 1-B.
I HAYi selected the book of the Revelation as the subject of a series of expository lectures, because I have not given it in the past as much study as I have bestowed on other portions of the Bible. I have not had a dear and distinct idea of its wonderful visions. Nor do I think I am alone in this regard. Ghriistians generally regard the things written in thiB book, at least some of them, as things with which they have nothing to do at present A little reflection must convince us that we are in error here. This book is a portion of the inspired word of Ood, which is profit- able for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction. It is said of it, as well as of the rest of the Bible, *^ Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." Of its contents it is said, '^ Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book.'* A peculiar blessing is pronounced, both at the beginning and at the close of the book, upon those who read and ojbey the revelations con- tained in it. Such considerations and promises as these should lead to its reverent and careful study.
I am not vain enough to flatter myself that I will remove the difiicul- tiea which are to be found in this portion of God's word. I do not start oat with an ambition to utter what will be original or brilliant. I wUl oarefully study this book, aided by all the helps which I can reach, and will bring to you the results of such investigations. When I meet with what I do not understand, I will freely acknowledge the fact. If I should become completely baffled in my attempts to fathom the meaning of the Spirit, I will at once suspend this series of lectures and try another more in accordance with my ability. Many have entered upon the study of this book with some preconceived theory to support. I have no such theory. While I have a general idea of the plan which should be adopted, an idea which I will explain at the proper time, I am ready to follow the leading of the Spirit of truth, as I may be able to understand it. My great object will be to discover the truth, to apply it to our hearts and
14 LEOTURE I.
lives, to comfort our troubled souls, to inspire them with greater faith, and to prepare them for that unspeakable glory which is revealed in the con- cluding chapters of the book. That this object may be accomplished, I ask you to give such time and thought to the words to be considered as you may be able to give, to follow in your Bibles the verses as they will be taken up in their order one after another, and to pray that the word of Grod may have free course and be glorified. I do not ask you to accept any explanation because I may make it, but to search the Scriptures dili- gently and see whether these things are so.
The words which are to be considered in the present lecture constitute the inspired preface to this wonderful book. This preface contains a brief state- ment of the contents of the book, the name of its author, and a decla- ration of its value. To these three points I invite your attention. After having discussed these points, I will briefly refer to any others which I may think necessary to prepare the way for future exposition.
I. Let us consider the oontents of this book as they are described by the Spirit himself. The book is called the Revelation. The word which is thus translated has become familiar in its English dress. It is the Apocalypse. This book is almost ajs frequently called '* the Apocalypse" as " the Revelation." But this name is sometimes confounded, especially by the young, with the Apocrypha, a name which is applied to those un- inspir^ books which are found in some Bibles between the Old Testament and the New. There is a similarity in^the names, but they have an oppo- site meaning. Apocrypha means that which is covered or hidden ; Apoca- lypse means that which is uncovered or revealed.
This book is not only the Revelation, it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. This does not mean, as many seem to think, that it is a revelation given by Jesus Christ, for in this respect it does not diflfer ^om any other book in the Bible. They are all given by Christ, and inspired by his Spirit. It means that it is a revelation of Jesus Christ ; that is, it reveals Christ ; it makes him known. It is true that in this sense the gospels are a revela- tion of Jesus Christ. They reveal him as the suffering, dying, buried Sa- viour of his people. They reveal him as he was when he came to earth to do his Father's will. This book reveals him in a new light. It reveals him as conqueror over his enemies and Lord over his earthly church, leading it to final victory, and making all things work together for its good. It also reveals him as the Supreme Judge of all the gathered multitudes of the universe. This book, then, is a revelation or apocalypse of Jesus Christ, different from any other which the Spirit has given us in the holy word. As the gospels contain a revelation of his first coming and of his earthly life, so this book oontains a revelation of his heavenly life and of his second coming, when he shall come the second time without sin unto
PREFATORY. 15
salvation. Therefore, in the study of this book, we may expect to find soch a revelation of Jesns Christ as is not vouchsafed to us elsewhere ; we may expect to find descriptions of glory which will fill our souls with com- fort and with unutterable longings for the things which are to be hereafter.
And this book is not only the Revelation of Jesus Christ, it va also the Bevelation which " God gave unto him." We are clearly told in the New Testament, that the mediatorial kingdom, with all its glory, is the reward which the Saviour received from the Father when the great work of re* demption was finished. We may therefore consider all the glory of the Messiah, revealed in this book, as the gift of God. We may also consider the revelation of this glory as the gift of God. It is made known to man by the will of God. And besides this, the revelation is a part of the glory, for even such glory would have been no glory, if it had continued for ever unknown.
The object of this God-given Revelation is " to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass." By the servants of God are meant of course the true members of the church on earth. We must re> member the circumstances in which these servants were placed, or we will not be able to understand the design of this book. They were to pass through great persecutions; men and devils were to be arrayed against them; error and Antichrist were to oppose them; their blood was to be poured out like water in the streets of every city. Against the coming of such dark days of persecution, the servants of God needed encouragement. If they were not encouraged and strengthened, they would think their God had forgotten them, and make shipwreck of their faith. What would strengthen them more than to forewarn them of the persecutions through which they had to pass, to assure them of the protection of their divine Lord and of their final triumph, and to reveal to them the ever- lasting glory of Christ in which they were to have a share ? What would encourage them^ more than to reveal to them the history of the church and its divine Lord from that day untU the time when all the great multi- tude of the redeemed should be gathered home ? Therefore God, by this revelation, would show unto his servants ^'things which must shortly come to pass." This does not mean that he would reveal all things that were to come to pass, but only the main events in the histoiy of the church, which it was important for the members of his church to be acquainted with. Nor does this declaration, of necessity, mean that all the things revealed would soon come to pass. It means that their fulfillment would shortly b^in, though the complete fulfillment of all the things predicted might not be for ages in the future. It indicates a train of consecutive events whose beginning was at hand, but whose end might be very remote.
This Revelation of Jesus Christ was given by the ministry of an angel. '^ He sent and signified it by his angel." What particular angel was em-
16 LECTURE I.
ployed on this occasion, we have not been informed. All we know of him is summed up in his own words, '^I am thy fellow servant, aod of thy brethren the prophets, and of them who keep the sayings of this book.' From this, it has been thought that this angel was one of the old prophets, or some one who on earth had been a faithful member of the church, and that he was now honored by being permitted to reveal to his fellow servants on the earth the things of the future. And it is to be noticed, that this angelic messenger did not reveal these things so much by words bb by signs. The word translated ''signified " indicates that this revelation was to be made by symbols. The office of the angel was to make one magnificent picture after another pass before the eyes of the apostle. We must bear this in mind or we will not be able to understand the things which are written in this book. The whole book is a series of visions which were made to pass before the apostle like a great panorama. It was the province of the angel to unroll the panorama. How this was done I am not able to say ; but that it was within the power of the angel, commissioned of God for this purpose, no one wUl deny. Nor am I able to say how far John understood thewonder- ful visions which he saw. Probably he understood them no better than we understand them, when we read the descriptions which he was inspired to write and which, preserved through all the centuries, are as full of comfort for us as they were for him.
II. Let us now turn to the authorship of this book. This Revela- tion of Jesus Christ, which was given of God and signified by the angel, was recorded by John for the information of all coming time. There need be no doubt as to the John, to whom was accorded this high honor. It was the John *' who bore record of the word of Gt>d, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw." By the '' word of God " is meant of course the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God. Who was it that bore witness of this Word ? Who was it that said, ^' In the be- ginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God''? Who was it* that bore testimony of Jesus Christ as the Word which was made flesh and dwelt among us ? Who was it that bore testi- mony of all the things he saw, when that incarnate Word tabernacled among men ? To these questions, but one answer can be returned. It was John the apostle, the son of Zebedee, the author of the Fourth Gospel, the be- loved disciple who leaned upon the Master's breast.
If necessary, this reasoning might be strengthened and confirmed. There is a similarity in style and language between this book and the acknowledged writings of the apostle, which cannot be accidental, and which proves that the same author wrote them all. Of course there is a certain dissimilarity, but this dissimilarity must be expected, because the subjects discussed are very different ; but the points of similarity are so many and so marked.
PREFATORY. 17
that thej are sufficient to determine the author, even if his name had not heen mentioned. Besides this, the concurring voice of the Christian fathers declares the author to be John, the beloved disciple. I need not repeat their testimony. It can be found in almost any of the commentaries on this book. It is sufficient to say that the authorship and genuineness were not called in question until the third century, when some, whose theories it endangered, ascribed it to a heretic. Notwithstanding this, no book of the New Testament has stronger external evidence in its favor. We may, therefore, be sure, as we pass from verse to verse, and from chapter to chapter, that we are studying the words of that disciple who was in a peculiar manner honored with the Saviour's love when he was here on earth.
III. We were to notice the value of this book. All Scripture is of value, but many have thought that the mysterious visions contained in this book are among the least valuable portions of Holy Writ. It must be admitted that there are in it many things which are hard to be understood. When we read over the many expositions of the Apocalypse, no two of which agree ; when we study the different theories of interpretation which have been proposed, and find that they are as opposite as light and dark- ness ; we may think that we might expend our time more profitably than in the study of a book, whose meaning seems to be beyond the reach of the finite mind. It would seem as if he, who gave this revelation of Jesus Christ, knew how men would be discouraged in their attempts to understand and explain it, and he has held out a special promise for their encouragement, a promise which seems to be peculiar to this book, and which shows its unspeakable value. " Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein ; for the time is at hand." Over the very vestibule of this temple the hand of the Lord has written an invitation to enter, and this invitation contains a promise of blessedness, which is repeated in the inmost shrine ; for in the last chapter, it is said, " blessed is he that kecpeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."
Surely, then, we have encouragement to enter upon the study of the Apoc- alypse. He that readeth these words is blessed. They that hear them read are blessed. They that keep them are blessed. Let us observe, and let us be thankful while we observe, that it is not said, he that fully understands the things written in this book is blessed. If this was the condition, none of us might hope for blessedness, for there are mysteries here which no man has yet been able to fathom. We may not be able to understand fully this book, but we can read it, we can hear it read, we can keep the things writ- ten in it as far as we are able to understand them ; and as we can do all this, we are sure of the blessing. If we enter upon the study of this portion
of the Scriptures in humble dependence on the Spirit and with earnest
2
18 LECTURE I.
prayers for divine enlightenment, we will be better able to understand what is meant by this blessedness in the future than we are at present.
There is a reason why we should be diligent in our study of this book : " for the time is at hand*' ; and if this reason had weight when the exile in Patmos wrote these words, nearly two thousand years ago, how much greater weight they must have now. As I have already intimated, I do not understand these words as meaning that the time was at hand for all the things written in this book to be fulfilled, but that the time was at hand for the fulfillment to begin, a fulfillment which has been going on through all the ages since, and which will continue till the end of the present order of things shall be reached.
There are two or three other points which should be noticed in this prefatory discourse, but I will notice them with brevity. One is the place where this book was written. It was written on the isle of Patmos. As we will have occasion to speak in a subsequent lecture of this island, and of the reasons why it was chosen as the place of the apostle^s banishment, this point may be passed over for the present.
Another point is the time when this book was written. All ihe main opinions on this point may be reduced to two. The first is, that it was writ- ten in the reign of the emperor Nero ; the other is, that it was written in the reign of the emperor Domitian. After reading carefully the evidence which has been brought forward in proof of each of these dates, I am of the opinion that the latter is correct, viz., that this book was written in the reign of Domitian, or about the year 96. Therefore, when John wrote this book, he must have been an old man ; for though we do uot know his exact age, yet he must have been bom about the beginning of the Chris- tian era. But it must not be thought that this is the last written book of the Bible. John did not write his gospel for two or three years after this time. This gospel must have the distinction of being the last words which have been preserved for us from an inspired pen. When the Apocalypse was written, John was an old man, almost one hundred years of age, tho last survivor of the apostles. When he wrote it, all the other writers of the New Testament were mingling with the dust, and he survived only a few years longer, till he could put the finishing touch to the canon of inspira- tion in the gospel which bears his name.
INTBODUCTOBY. 19
LECTURE II.
INTRODUCTORY.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia : Grace be 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 ; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that 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. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds ; and every eve shall see him, and they also which pierced him : and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so. Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in tne isle that is called Patmos, for the word of Gk>d, and for the testi- mony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard be- hind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last : and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia ; unto Ephesus, and unto Smvrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and onto Laodicea.— Rsv. 1 : 4-11.
In mj last lectare I considered the inspired preface to this book, which, from anything which appears in it, may have been written by John himself, or by some one else specially directed by the Spirit to do this work. In the subject of the present lectare, we have John's special introduction to the series of visions he was about to record. In this in- troduction, which prepares the way for the things to be revealed, we have the following points : 1. The usual salutation, verses 4, 5. 2. An as- cription of praise, verses 5, 6. 3. The statement of an important fact, verse 7. 4. The Deity of the coming one, verse 8. 5. The circumstances in which th!e vision was seen, verses 9-11. To these points, in their order, I invite your attention.
I. Let us attend to the usual salutation. This book is an epistle or letter. In this respect, it does not differ from Ihose books of the New Testament which follow the Acts of the Apostles. Paul's first recorded epistle was primarily addressed to the members of the Christian church in Borne, but it was also intended for all Christians the world over. So this book was primarily addressed to the churches of Asia, but it was also in- tended for all Christians everywhere. And as this book is an epistle, we would expect to find in it the salutation usual to the epistles of the apos- tolic age.
1. In this salutation we have the name of the writer. It is John. Though there were many of this name in the early church, there can be no doubt as to the particular John who is here described. The points of similarity between this book and John's gospel and epistles, and the overwhelming
20 LBOTUBB II.
testimony of the Christian fathers, must conrince us that the author is no other than John the apostle, the son of Zehedee, the disciple whom Jesus loved. But mark the modesty of the apostle's saintly heart. He does not enumerate his titles and the offices he had filled and the hooks he had written, as modem authors delight to do ; he knew that the simple name was sufficient for the members of the churches to whom he was writing ; for to those among whom he had labored so long and so faith- fully, there could be but one John.
2. We have the persons to whom the salutation is addressed, viz., '^ the seven churches of Asia." By "Asia" we are not to understand the conti- nent of Asia ; nor are we to understand by it that large peninsula, which thrusts itself out from western Asia between the Mediterranean and Euxine seas, and which has for many centuries been known by the name of Asia Minor. It describes only a small portion of the western coast of that penin- sula, that province of Asia Minor of which Ephesus was the capital and the principal city, and which is generally called Proconsular Asia. It is in this restricted sense that the word is used in the Acts of the Apostles : as for example in these passages : "All them that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus"; " throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away much people." In this Proconsular Asia, John had long preached the gospel. According to tradition, soon afler he was lefl at lib- erty to depart from Jerusalem by the death of Mary, the Lord's mother, who had found a home in hb house ever since the crucifixion, he came to Ephesus, and was chosen bishop or pastor of the church in that city. When he was banished from his field of labor, how natural it would be for
f him to remember those with whom he had been so intimately associated, and to send to them this epistle from the isle of Patmos. I need not now mention the names, or speak of the circumstances and history of the seven churches. It will be a more proper time for this, when we come to speak of the messages which were sent to them. It should, however, be re- marked, that these were not all the Christian churches which had been established in that part vof Asia Minor, but theee seven were selected, either because they were the principal churches, or becausQ the number seven is in Biblical language the symbol of completeness.
3. The substance of this salutation is grace and peace. It is worthy of mention that this is the substance of the salutation in every one of Paul's epistles, though in the epistles to Timothy and Titus he prays for " mercy" as well as " grace and peace," thereby seeming to teach us that ministers of the gospel y owing to the responsibility of their work, need mercy more than otber men. These apostolic salutations were not meaningless forms ; they expressed the sincere wish of the writer s heart. The word " grace " in this connection includes in it all the favors of God, needful for time and eternity. The word " peace " includes in it peace of conscience, peace with
INTRODUCTORY. 21
men, and peace with God, which the world can neither give nor take away. Therefore the salutation is equivalent to this : my heart's desire and prayer for you is, that divine favor and divine peace may be yours. Blessed are they for whom this prayer is offered, and in whose experience it is answered ! And this is the unceasing prayer of the Christian church for all its members.
4. We have the source from which the apostle implores this blessing of grace and peace. It is from the triune God. It is from the Father, who is here described by a three-fold title ; " him which is, and which was, and which is to come." This is but a translation of " Jehovah," the incom- municable name of God, which describes his eternal and uncreated exist- ence. The Father exists now, he has existed in the past, he will exist in the future. He is the unchanging one, without beginning of days or end of years, the same yesterday, to-day and forever, from everlasting to ever- lasting. All this, and even more, is expressed to the reverent heart by the words '* which is, and which was, and which is to come."
This blessing is implored from the Holy Ghost, who is also described by a three-fold title. He is a Spirit, he is the Seven Spirits, he is before the throne. The number seven, as I will have occasion to say again and again during the exposition of this book, is in Biblical language the symbol of completeness or perfection. Therefore the Holy Ghost is called *' the Seven Spirits," because of the completeness and perfection, as well as the diversity of his operations; and he is said to be *^ before the throne," thereby indicat- ing that he is ready and waiting to go forth and accomplish his work, viz., the sanctification of the church.
This blessing is also implored from Jesus, who is also described by a three-fold title. He is ^^ the faithful witness." "To this end," as he him- self tells us, " was I bom, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." He bare such witness during his life in the face of his enemies, and he sealed his witness-bearing with his blood on the cross. And he is also *^ the first begotten of the dead"; not that he was the first that came forth from the grave, for passing by the few in- stances recorded in the (Hd Testament, and the sheeted dead who after the resurrection were seen walking in the streets of Jerusalem, Jesus by his own power raised from the dead the daughter of Jairus, the widow's son, and Lazarus of Bethany. Jesus is the first begotten of the dead in that he is the most illustrious of the dead, and in that he was the first of them all who rose from death to immortality. The others who were raised died again ; Jesus rose to die no more. He is also " the prince of the kings of the earth." He is exalted above kings of the earth as they are above their meanest subjects. He is ''King of kings and Lord of lords."
This is the source from which the blessing is invoked. Let us com- prehend it as well as we can. There is God the Father, the same in the past, the present and the future ; there is God the Spirit, in all his perfect
22 LECTURE 11.
and manifold operations ; there is God the Son, the faithful witness, the first hegotten of the dead, and the head over all things for his church. A blessing from such a triune God has in it a blessedness, wbose^height and depth, and length and breadth, cannot be measured.
II. The apostle, having been led by this salutation to speak of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, breaks out in a loftt ascription
OF PRAISE.
1. The object ta whom this praise is ascribed is not mentioned by name, but there can be no doubt that he is none other than the Lord Jesus. The exalted description which is here given is fulfilled in him alone. '* Unto him that loved us,'' or as it is now agreed that the text should read, '^ unto him that loves us." There are others who love us, but the love of Jesus towers above theirs ; there are others who have done much for us, but Jesus has done more than they all. We sometimes think of his great love as past; we speak of it as if it culminated in his sufferings on the cross; but not so. It is a present love. It neither increases nor diminishes. It is a free and undeserved love. It is a love which passeth knowledge.
" Unto him that loves us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Though the love of Jesus is a present love, this washing from sin is past. The atonement is a finished work. His sacrifice will never have to be repeated, for it is perfect. While the sanctification of the saints on earth is progressive, they are completely justified, adopted and pardoned, and they can say with as much truth as the saints in heaven, " he has washed us from our sins in his own blood." And if Jesus washed them from their sins in his own blood, he must have been a man, for he had blood to shed ; he must have been a suffering man, for he shed that blood ; he must have been more than a man, for no human blood has such efficacy ; and he must have died, not merely as an example, but as an atonement, for by his blood sins were washed away.
'* Unto him that loves us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." That Jesus should love us is a wonder ; that he should wash us from our many and aggravated sins in his own blood almost surpasses our belief; but if we are Christians at all, we are not only loved and washed, but also made kings and priests. To love and pardon, are added kingly honor and priestly dignity. There is not a saint, however lowly, who is not a son of the Great King and a priest of the Most High God ; and if he is a king, he must have a kingdom ; if he is a priest, he must be holy.
2. The praise ascribed to this glorious person is, that to him may be "glory and dominion forever and ever." Jesus is worthy of this praise. He has accomplished a work which no one else could have done ; he has a name which is above every name ; and he has a kingdom which will
INTRODUCTORY. 23
oever end. Therefore, all those whom he loves, whom he has washed, and whom he has made a royal priesthood to his Father and God, may say both on earth and in heaven, '^ to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.''
in. This ascription of praise, which led the apostle to speak of the king&hip and priesthood of the saints and of the everlasting dominion of Christ, reminds him that these things were not to be in all their fullness till A GREAT EVENT had taken place. He, therefore, makes a brief statement of that important event.
1. This event is stated in the words, *' he cometh.'' The name of the coming one is not mentioned, but every one must know from the connection in which this verse is found, that the coming one is he who loves us and who has washed us and who has made us kings and priests. Jesus is to come again "the second time without sin unto salvation." When he was here on earth, he spake of that coming once and again ; the apostles spake of it after his departure ; the church has believed in it through all the ages of its history. Christians may differ as to the time and manner of his coming, hut as to the fact all are agreed. And all agree that this coming must precede the fulfillment of the most of the glorious things which have been spoken of the church.
2. Notice the importance of this event, an importance which is here indicated by the word " behold," and in other parts of Scripture by the frequency with which it is referred to.
3. Notice the ghry of his coming. " He cometh with clouds." The Scriptures represent the coming one as riding in a chariot of the clouds ; and our finite minds can conceive of no greater manifestation of glory than that of him who maketh the clouds his chariot, and who rideth on the wings of the wind.
4. Notice t?ie publicity of his coming. " Every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him." When he came the first time, his coming was almost unknown ; only a very few knew of the babe who was born in Bethlehem's stable. But it will not be so when he comes the second time. ^^ As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west ; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." " Every eye shall see him." The Grentile nations will behold him, and so will the Jews who rejected and crucified him. His true children will behold him, and so will those who have pierced him by their ingratitude and unbelief. Those who are alive on the earth will behold him, and so will the dead who shall be called from their graves to witness the glory of his coming. Those will behold him who say, " Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him," and so will those who cry to the mountains and rocks, '^ fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne."
24 LECTURE II.
•
5. Notice the sorroic/ulness of his coming to his enemies. " All kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." The coming of the Son of man will be an occasion of sorrow to all who have rejected him, whether they belong to the tribes of Israel, or to the kindreds of the Gentiles ; because this event will bring their sins to remembrance, and because they will be overwhelmed with apprehensions of approaching wrath, which they can no longer hope to escape.
6. Notice the emphatic expression with which this statement concludes, '^ even so, amen"; an expression which indicates not only the certainty of the Lord's coming, but also the earnest wish of the apostle's heart that he might come quickly, a wish, in which every waiter for the heavenly consolation and for the glorious things which are to be will join. ''Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
IV. The Deity op the coming one is announced by himself. "I
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which
is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." The event, which
has just been predicted, has such an important bearing on our lives and
hnppiness, that our faith in it needs to be confirmed ; and what could
furnish better confirmation than this sublime statement ? The coming one
is " Alpha and Omega." These, as you know, are the names of the first
and the last letters of the Greek alphabet. If made in English, this
statement would be, " I am the A and the Z"; that is, I am the first and
the last ; there was no one before me, and there will be no one after me.
\y<^j^V»-> [And as the alphabet is the means of communicating truth, this expression
j^^^*/*^^j^* Jniay mean that the Saviour is the sum of all knowledge and the embodiment
,j^ .,^^«^^of all truth.
\fuy*^^^^ Again : the coming one is " the beginning and the ending." This
•i V^,^"^ clause is not found in the earliest manuscripts and the best versions. It
^ has probably been inserted by some transcriber to explain the preceding
clause, of which it is an equivalent. Both express the Saviour's eternity.
Again : the coming oneis he " which is, and which was, and which is to
come." This sublime description was, in verse 4, applied to the Father ;
and as it was there explained, it need not detain us now. But as the
same description is here applied to the Son, it follows that the second
person of the Trinity is equal with the first. If one is Jehovah, so is the
other ; if one is eternal and immutable, so is the other.
Again : the coming one is " Almighty." He can have no greater name than this, for it includes all power. And as he has all power, he will come at the very time and in the very manner he has promised. May this statement of the Deity of the coming one not only confirm our faith in his coming, but also inspire us to be diligent in preparing for his great appearing !
INTRODUCTORY. 25
V. I invite your attention to the circumstances in which this vision was seen. Yon will remember that I have described this book as a series of visions, which the ministering angel unrolled before the eyes of the apostle like a great panorama. Let us sketeh the surroundings of the apostle when this panorama was unrolled, and as they are revealed to us in verses 9-1 1. The seer of this vision was John, the apostle. Though he was the last survivor of the apostles, and the most distinguished member of the Christian church on earth, he claims for himself no higher honor than to be a companion and brother of the saints. He was one with them in tribulation, for the same persecutions and afflictions had befallen them all. He was one with them in the kingdom of Jesus Christ, for they would be partakers of the same glory, and the heirs of the same inheritance when their present sufferings were ended. He was one with them in patience, for they all had to manifest the same Christ-like endurance.
When John saw his wonderful vision, he was an exile in the island of Patmos, a little, barren, rocky island, which lies out in the open sea not far irom the coast of western Asia Minor, and which was made a penal colony for the adjacent provinces. If tradition can be believed, John and his fel- low exiles were sentenced to penal labor in the mines of Patmos. But though John was an exile and a companion of criminals, he had been guilty of no crime. He had been banished " for the word of Ood and for the testimony of Jesus Christ" ; that is, he had been banished because he had been faithful in preaching the word of God and in bearing testi- mony to the divine mission of Jesus in the city of Ephesus, in which God had called him to labor. While he was an exile in this barren island of Patmos, on a certain Sabbath, the Holy Spirit came and took possession of his faculties. His eyes no longer saw the bleak rocks and walls of his island prison ; they looked through the open gate of heaven and saw a vision, the like of which was never vouchsafed to any other dweller here on earth. His ears no longer heard the dashing waves of the Mediter- ranean sea against the rocky shores ; they l^eard a great voice from heaven, a voice as loud and clear as a trumpet. It was the voice of one who an- nounced himself, in the figurative language which has already been el- plained, as from everlasting to everlasting, who commanded him to write in a book the things he was about to see, and to send the written book to the seven churches of Asia, which are mentioned by name. No wonder John was astonished. No wonder he turned quickly to see him who could speak such language in such a voice ; but what he saw when he turned, even the first great vision in the glorious panorama, must be reserved for consideration in another lecture.
In the meantime, let us prepare ourselves by prayer and meditation for those things we expect to see. We have now passed through the intro- duction, and {Cre ready to enter upon the Apocalypse itself. We have en-
26 LECTURE III.
tered the building, we have listened to the explanatory lecture, the lights have been extinguished, and we are patiently waiting for the great scenes^ painted by the Spirit of God, to be unrolled. God help us to understand t}iem when the unrolling begins, and to his name be all the praise !
LECTURE III.
THE SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS.
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks ; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as wnite as snow ; and his eves were as a flame of fire : and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace ; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars : and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword : and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not ; I am the first and the last : I am he that liveth, and was dead ; and, behold, 1 am alive for evermore, Amen ; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter ; the mys- tery 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 which thou sawest arc the seven churches. — Rev. 1 : 12-20.
When John turned to see the speaker, he saw sights and heard words which he was moved to record for our instruction, and which we are to consider in the present lecture. In the wordd which have been announced as the subject of lecture, there are three points to which I invite your at- tention : the vision itself; its effects on the apostle; and its explanation.
I. In accordance with this plan, we are, in the first place, to notice the VISION. While we consider and attempt to explain what John saw, we must remember that he was a Jew; that he was familiar with the writings of the old prophets ; that he was well acquainted with the rites and ceremonies of Jewish worship ; that he had often stood in the courts of the temple at Jerusalem, and watched the priests and levites as they performed the duties to which they had been appointed, before that temple was made a ruin by the armies of Rome ; and therefore we may expect to find his vision tinged with light reflected from the Old Testament and from the temple service. This expectation is fully re- alized. The entire passage leads us to believe that John saw in vision a magnificent temple court, similar to the holy place in the tabernacle of Moses and in the temple of Solomon, but it had a brightness and a glory which the tabernacle and the temple never knew. The apostle does not
THE SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS. 27
Stop to describe the general appearance and furniture of this beautiful and holy room, which the ministering angel caused to pass before his eyes with all the viTidness of reality. There were two objects which at once caught his eye and enchained his attention, which are so glorious in themselves, and which have such an important bearing on all the subsequent visions, that they only are thought worthy of description.
1. When John turned to see who it was that spake to him, he saw '' seven golden candlesticks." The word " candlestick " at once carries us back to the directions which were given to Moses for the building of the tabernacle. He was commanded to make a candlestick of pure gold, with three branches coming out of one side, and three branches coming out of the other side. These six branches, together with the main stem, formed seven branches, each one of which was crowned with a lamp to give light to the holy place. This candlestick was placed on the lefl side of the holy place, as one looked towards the ark of the covenant, and opposite the table of shew bread. A similar candlestick was made by Solomon and placed in the same relative position in the temple.
It should, however, be noticed that the translation " candlestick " does not exactly express the meaning of the original, either in the description of the tabernacle or in John^s vision. The instrument he saw was not an instrument for holding candles, but for holding lamps ; for lamps, and not candles, were then used for illuminating purposes. Therefore it would be a better translation to say, " I saw seven golden lamp-stands."
There was this noticeable difference between what John saw and the lamp-stand of the Old Testament. That was one massive piece of furniture, but John saw seven candlesticks. Though the proper time for explaining the meaning of this vision is in a subsequent part of my lecture, I cannot refirain from saying here that this difference seems to shadow forth one great difference between the Jewish and the Christian church. The Jewish church was one, one in its organization as well as in its faith and worship ; the Christian is not one in its organization, though it has one Lord, one faith and one baptism. Then there was but one candlestick, now there are seven ; but the Old Testament candlestick, like those of the New, held up the lamps to give light in all the world.
These candlesticks were of gold. In this respect they resembled the furni- ture of the holy place in the old dispensation. There, everything was made of gold except the heaviest articles, and they were overlaid with gold. No one can read this book without being astonished at the number of emblems which are said to be fashioned out of this most precious metal. There are the golden girdle, and the golden crowns, and the golden vials, and the golden censer, and the golden altar, and the golden rod, and the golden streets of the celestial city. No doubt the preciousness of the church, and of all things belonging to the church, is thus indicated. And throughout
28 LECTURE III.
the ancient East, gold was regarded as a sacred metal, the only metal which was worthy to be used in the worship of the Deity. Therefore the gold emblems in the apostle's visions indicate the sacredness as well as the pre- ciousneas of the church of God.
2. John does not stop to tell us how these golden candlesticks were grouped in the holy place, but they were so arranged that a man might walk in the midst of them. And there was one walking in the midst of them, on whom the apostle's attention became riveted. This is the second recorded object in his two-fold yision. Of this glorious person John gives us a minute desoription, which we will follow step by step.
In the first place, he was like 'Hhe Son of man." And who is the Son of man ? Who was it that Daniel called by this name ? Who was it that called himself by this name ? It was the Lord Jesus Christ. But this name is applied to him when he appears in human form. Therefore the one whom John saw walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks was Jesus Christ; not, however, Jesus Christ clothed in all the glory of his divinity, ^but Jesus Christ as man. John had not forgotten the personal appearance of his Lord, though sixty years had passed away since he had been permitted to look upon his face ; and though he had then seen Christ only in his estate of humiliation, he at once recognizes him in the midst of all this glory as the same Son of man on whose breast he had leaned at the supper.
Again : this Son of man was '' clothed with a garment down to the foot." The prophet Daniel, who saw the Saviour in a similar vision, tells us that his robe wajs linen. A linen robe, long and full, was the usual dress of the kings and priests of the old economy.
Again: this Son of man was " girt about the paps with a golden girdle.*' In the olden time, those who were engaged in active labor girded their robes tightly about their loins, so that these robes might not interfere with the work they had to do. Josephus tells us that the priests were girded about the breasts ; and it is obvious that this higher cincture could be used only by those whose stations did not require active labor, or those whose active labor was ended. And as the Son of man was girded in this way, it implies that his great work was accomplished, and that he had entered upon the enjoyment of his reward. And the girdle, and not merely the clasp with which it was fastened, was of precious and saored gold ; or, as Daniel describes it in a similar passage, " of the fine gold of IJphaz."
Again : the head and the hairs of the Son of man were " white like wool,
^ as white as snow." This Son of man was " the ancient of days" whom the
prophet saw and of whom the prophet said, " the hair of his head was like
' • ^ pure wool." This appearance indicated the antiquity, the dignity and the
* ,^^ I majesty of him who was walking in the midst of the candlesticks ; for it is
V I i\j ; true the world over as the Scriptures tell us, " the hoary head is a crown
of dory.**
V
THE SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS. 29
Again : the eyes of the Son of man were " as a flame of fire." They were bright, sharp, penetrating; they could see all things everywhere ; they are Ihe'eyes of him of whom it is said, " his eyes see, and his eyelids try the children of men" ; " all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." If I mistake not, these flaming eyes of the Son of man indicate the power of his wrath against all those in whom he sees iniquity and rebellion.
Again: the feet of the Son of man were ^' like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a fornace." Fine brass, glowing in the furnace, has all impurity burned out of it, and is of a dazzling whiteness and beauty. Such are the feet with which the Son of man walks in the midst of the churches, and up and down among the nations of the earth. They are beautiful to those who fear him, and terrible to those on whom they tread.
Again : the voice of the Son of man was ''as the sound of many waters." It is a voice which will sound through all time, which will arouse even the dead who are in their graves, which believers will hear, and from which unbelievers cannot escape; The figure which John employs is one which would naturally be suggested to him by the circumstances in which 4\>C*yf^*'' be was placed. By night and by day his ears would be filled with the ^w^^jc^*'^^^ loar of the billows as they dashed against the rocky coast of Patmos. All ^^'"'^'^^^^T!- those who have stood beside the ocean and listened to its mighty thunder, ^ ^ ^/iua^ wiU appreciate the majesty of him whose voice is " as the sound of many W^*-^**^^ * ^^ waters."
Again : the Son of man '' had in his right hand seven stars." According to the custom of the kings of the East, there were ring^ on his hands. These rings sparkled with jewels, but these jewels were not diamonds or rubies, or any precious gems of earth ; every jewel was a shining star. These emblems are afterwards explained by the Son of man himself.
Again : out of the mouth of the Son of man '' went a sharp two-edged sword." I do not understand this to mean that John saw a sword issuing from the mouth of him who walked in the midst of the golden candlesticks, for there is an incongruity in this idea, which is not in keeping with the rest of the vision. I believe the meaning to be this : that which pro- oeeded out of his mouth, that is, his word, was like a sharp two-edged swoid. This is in perfect harmony with what is said of that word else- where. *' The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow." And this is a truthful description of the word. Nothing can stand before it ; it has two edges ; it cuts both ways ; it kills and it cures; by it, some are saved, and others are destroyed. Let us then in forming a mental picture of John's vision, regard this clause as if it read, '' the word of his mouth was like a sharp two-edged sword."
Again : the countenance of the Son of man was " as the sun shineth in
30 LVCTURB III.
his strength." Ghurehes are lataops ; ministers are stars; but Ohrist is the sun. As the sun is the most glorious object in the natural world, it is an appropriate emblem of him who is the only begotten of the Father, and God over all, blessed forever more.
This was John's glorious vision. Let us get as clear an idea of it as we ' can, for otherwise we will not be able to undeistand either its effects on the apostle or its explanation. There is unrolled before our eyes the picture of a sanctuary which resembles the holy place of the Jewish temple. In that sanctuary we see seven lamp-stands of pure gold, and one walking in their midst, whose dress and appearance indicate him to be both a priest and a king. Beauty and majesty, love and tenderness, power and wrath are all to be seen in the countenance of the kingly pri^t and the priestly king. Oh, that I had power to make this picture so vivid that it might have on us something of the same effect that it had on the apostle !
II. For it did have A wonderful effect on him. *^ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.'' These visions of spiritual things must inspire the human heart with terror. They show us the ex- istence of another world, only a little way beyond this, and separated from it by a thin vail, which will one day be removed. They hint, not darkly, at the intimate relations which we sustain to that world, and at the terrible consequences which will result, if we do not prove faithful to those relations. Therefore, such visions have overcome all to whom they have been vouch- safed. Daniel, who stood unmoved in the presence of kings and in the ' den of lions, was left without strength in him, when his eyes were opened to see the things which were beyond the present. So it was with Ezekiel, and with Isaiah, and with John, and with all the rest who have passed through a similar experience. And these men were familiar with the things of God. If they were thus affected by the revelations of the future, how much greater should be the effect produced on us ? And yet we sometimes long for such revelations. Let us rather thank God that such longings are not gratified. Those who claim to hold communication with the spirit world must be mistaken, for their pretended revelations do not produce the inevitable effect of such revelations which is always seen in the lives of the prophets in the olden time, and which must always accompany the unfolding of the eternal and the invisible. But these things will be revealed by and by. When we die, they will be seen, not dimly as John saw them, but in all their ineffable splendor. If John's vision had such an effect on him, what effect will the revelations of death have on us, especially if we have not, by faith and prayer, made ourselves familiar with the hidden things of God ?
It seems there was another reason for John's overwhelming emotion. He recognized that glorious one who was walking in the midst of the
THE SBYBN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS. 31
golden candlesUcks as bis risen Lord. He had a peoidiar love for Jesus. When Jesus was here on earth, he and his Saviour were almost inseparable. But be bad not seen the Lord's face since that Lord bad gone up firom the summit of Olivet some sixty years before, aud be did not expect to see that &ce again till be himself bad passed over the river. But now, in an unexpected hour, be saw one who reminded him of the Son of man. Could it be the Son of man ? He looked again ; be saw the countenance be remembered so well, as be had once seen it transfigured on the mountain, but clothed with a glory and a radiance far brighter. It was bis risen Saviour, and be feU at bis feet as if dead.
m. We were to consider the explanation of this vision. Before die priest -king could explain to John the things he had seen, it was neoessaiy to administer comfort. Accordingly be laid his band upon the apostle and said unto him, ^*fear not." By this assuring touch and these assuring words, John is strengthened and prepared to understand the vision.
In the first place, be who walked in the midst of the candlesticks revealed himself to the apostle ; not that John had any doubts as to who be was, but to strengthen John's faith in what he was. He is " the first and the last"; words which here, as before, describe the Son of man as eternal and unchangeable. He is the living one, for the words translated ^' I am he that livetb," would be better translated '< the living one." The Son of man has life in himself; he depends on no other for existence ; therefore, be is Ghxl. He is the one who " was dead," and whom John's loving hands bad helped to bury in the sepulchre of Joseph. Though he was once dead, be was now alive *^ forever more," and over him death would have no power. This statement is confirmed by the emphatic '' amen." He bad '^ the keys of bell and of death." By '' bell," is not meant the place of the lost, for Mb place is described by a very different word in the original. It means the place or state of the dead, without reference to their happiness or misery. When Jesus claims to have the '' keys of hades and of death," it means that be has all power over the invisible world, and over Satan who has the power of death.
This revelation must have strengthened and comforted the apostle ; but it was given not only to strengthen and comfort him, but also to lay the foundation for an important command. The connection between this rev- elation and the commandment of verse 19 is not marked in our translation, for our translators have unaccountably omitted the word '^ therefore," which / is found in all the manuscripts and in almost all the ve^ions. " Therefore," because I, who make these revelations, am the first and the last, the living one who have the keys of invisible hades and of death itself, ^' there- fore write the ^ings which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and
32 LECTURE IV.
the things which shall be hereafter." These words contain a synopsis of this book, and Aimish the key to unlock its meaning. John was to ^^ write the things which he had seen" ; that is, this vision of the tabernacle, and of the candlesticks, and of the royal priest. But he was also to write " the things which are"; that is, he was to describe the church as it then existed in the world, its imperfections, its faith, its trials and its triumphs. This command he obeyed in the epistles to the seven churches of Asia, which are contained in chapters II and III. He was also to write ** the things which shall be hereafter"; that is, the things which were to be fh>m that day till the end of time. This commandment he obeyed in that part of the book which begins with chapter IV. Let us bear this synopsis in mind, and we will have no little assistance in understanding this book. The royal priest, having thus explained who he himself was, proceeds to explain the other part of the vision. The stars and the candlestick are called a " mystery," a word which in Biblical language means something which man cannot understand if left to himself, but which he can under- stand if explained by God ; and according to this divine expounder, '' the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches"; not holy angels, but pastors. Pastors are so called because they are light-givers. According to the same divine expounder, ^' the seven candlesticks are the seven churches." They are so called because they are light-bearers. And as the stars were seven, and the candlesticks seven, the number of completeness and perfec- tion, it'foUows, that though these epistles were primarily addressed to the churches of Asia, they are also intended for all ministers and all churches everywhere. Therefore, when we enter upon the explanation of the epistles to the seven churches, let us expect to find lessons of instruction and com- fort for ourselves. The churches to which these epistles were written have had no existence for centuries, the very cities in which they flourished have fiillen into ruins, but there are counterparts of Ephesus, and Smyrna, and Philadelphia, and all the rest, scattered through Christendom, and the words of the inspired seer of Patmos are as full of meaning now as ever. May Grod open our eyes to see and understand the things he has written for our edi- fication !
LECTURE IV,
THE EPISTLE TO THE OHUECH IN EPHESUS.
Unto the anpjcl of the church of Ephesus write ; These things saith he that holdeth the seyen stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how 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 : and hast borne,
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS. 33
and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Bemember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick nut of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ; To him that overcometh will I give to oat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. — Rev. 2 : 1-7.
The great high priest commanded the exiled apoetle, " Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." He obeys the first part of this three-fold command in chapter L We now enter upon the second part of the revelation, a part which has reference to the things which then existed in the world, and which is com- prised in the epistles to the seven churches of Asia. These epistles describe the actual condition of the churches to which they are addressed. Of course, I do not exclude their representative character. Human nature is the same in all ages ; the duties, temptations and trials of all churches are in a measure the same ; and therefore the words addressed to one are to a certain extent applicable to all. Besides this, the number seven, the symbol of completeness, indicates the universality of these epistles. We may, then, in our study of these epistles, expect to find much that is suited to ourselves, and to the circumstances of the church at the present day.
Why the churches whose names are mentioned in the context were chosen, is impossible to say. They were not the largest and most celebrated churches of that time, but they have been lifted to a high place as the representatives of the church of God. The cities in which these churches were planted were all in Proconsular Asia, the most westerly province of Asia Minor. They may be described as placed on a curved line, somewhat in the form of a horse shoe, so that a traveler might visit them in the order in which their names stand in this book. From Ephesus, which is the nearest to Patmos, and distant from it about forty miles, he would go north to Smyrna, fifty miles ; thence north to Pergamos, sixty miles ; thence east to Thyatira, thirty miles; thence south to Sardis, forty miles; thence south- east to Philadelphia, thirty miles; thence south-east to Laodicea, fifty miles. Of these seven cities, three were on the Egean coast ; the others were inland.
The seven epistles are all fashioned aft«r the same model. In each one, the^e are the following pointA : 1st. The command to write. 2d. One or more titles which the Saviour claims for himself, and which are generally drawn from that revelation of Christ which is contained in chapter I. 3d. The actual message from Christ to the church, in which the Saviour, after dedaripg his intimate knowledge of its condition, rebukes^ or praises, or ad- monisheS) as the circumstances of the church may require 4th. A solemn exhortation to every one to hear what the Spirit had to say to the churches. 5th. A beaatiftd promise' to every one who overcomes.
8
34 LECTURE IV.
Let us DOW turn to the epistle to the church of Ephesus, and let us notice the five parts into which it may be divided.
I. The command to write is as follows : " Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write." Ephesus was the chief city of Ionia, the civil and ecclesiastical centre of that Asia with which we have to do. It was wealthy and prosperous. WhDe it was famous in heathen history on many accounts, it was especially famous on account of the temple of Diana, which was reckoned among the seven wonders of the world. But Ephe- sus had a still better, title to honor. In the matter of Christianity it was a favored city. Paul labored there for three years with marked success. Timothy exercised his minbtry there for a time. Apollos, Aquilla and Priscilbi, and others, whose names are famous, were connected with the Ephesian church. Judging from Paul's words when he took leave of the elders of Ephesus at Miletus, and from his epistle to the Ephesians, the church in that city was a highly prosperous one. John had labored there for a considerable portion of his life, and for this church he must have had a peculiar affection. Perhaps this is the reason why the epistle to the church of Ephesus stands first among the epistles.
This epistle is addressed, not to the churches of Ephesus, but to the church of Ephesus. It would seem, from the length of time since the gospel had been preached there, and from the success which had attended its preaching, as indicated in the Acts of the Apostles and in the epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, that there must have been many believers in the city ; so many that they could not all meet for worship in one place ; still all Christians there were regarded as members of one church. And this epistle was not addressed directly to the church itself; but to the angel, or minister, or bishop of the church. A pastor is the angel or messenger of God to those to whom he ministers ; he brings to them mepsages of in- struction, peace and pardon, and thus acts the part of an angel.
II. The titles, which the Saviour claims for himself, are revealed in these words : '' These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks." These titles are quoted from the preceding chapter, and they identify the speaker in this epistle with the great high priest whom John saw in his preliminary vision. As these titles have already been explained; they need not detain us now. Christ holds the seven stars, the ministers of the churches, in his right hand ; he has absolute control over them ; they are to go where he sends them, and to do what he bids them, and to speak what he commands them. Christ also walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks, which are the churches. He is acquainted with them all ; he knows how they are performing their Christian duties and living the Chris- tian life. He can continue the ordinances in any church or remove them
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS. 35
from it. It was important for the ohurch of Epbesus to know this, and it is no less important for us to have the same knowledge. If ministers do not remember that they are in Christ's right hand, thej will become unfaithfnl in duty; if churches do not remember that Christ is walking in their midst, they will grow careless in light giving, and their candlestick will be removed out of its place.
III. The actual message which the Saviour sends to the church, is contained in verses 2-6.
1. We have an explicit statement of the Saviour^ 8 intimcUe hnovoledge of the condition of the Ephesian church. '* I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how 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: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored and hast not fainted." " I know thy works," is the com- mon formula with which all the epistles are introduced. It was designed to impress them deeply with the conviction that the Saviour was acquainted with all they did, and therefore abundantly qualified to bestow rewards or administer punishments. It must not be forgotten that the word '' works," as used in this formula, does not refer simply to outward actions ; it refers to the thoughts of the heart as well as the deeds of the hands ; it declares that all things are naked and open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
The particular works which the Saviour knew, he proceeds to mention. He knew their ^' labor." Their labors were neither few nor small. There was a great vineyard to cultivate in Ephesus ; there was a ripening harvest to reap, and the members of the church there were not backward in doing the Lord's will. In their times of discouragement, they may have thought that their Lord knew nothing of what they had to do, but he here assures them that he was intimately acquainted with their labors. This thought must have encouraged them, and it should encourage us who are engaged in similar labors.
Christ also knew their ^^ patience." Though their labors had not been crowned with immediate success, still they labored on. When there was opposition to their preaching, they bore it patiently ; when false teachers tried to undermine the church they had builded, they bore it patiently ; when members of the church did not do honor to their profession^ they bore it patiently ; when the heathen hardened their hearts against their ministry and laughed them to scorn, they bore it patiently. And while they bore all these tbings patiently, they labored on, hoping for better things to come. Patience is necessary to any successful labor, but it is especially necessary in labor for Christ, because of the formidable obstacles in the way of immediate success.
36 LECTURE IV.
Christ also knew that they could " not bear them which are evil." There were evil doers aroundi if not within, the Ephesian church, but the true members of that church had no sympathy with them ; they gave them no countenance ; they extended to them no fellowship ; they exercised towards them necessary discipline. This is one of the hardest things a church has to do ; and when it is faithful, it deserves and receives commendation.
Christ also knew that they had " tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars." Fa^se teachers had visited this church as well as others ; they claimed to have gi-eat authority ; they de- manded for themselves the honor and obedience which belonged to the inspired apostles ; they pretended to have equal rank with Peter, James and John ; but the Ephesians investigated their claims and found them to be groundless. These men were not apostles — they were not even true ministers — they were liars ; they claimed to be what they were not. A true and pure ministry is important for every church ; and every churcK which exercises care in thb regard deserves commendation.
Christ also knew that they had ^^ borne** ; that is, that they had borne the trials, persecutions and afflictions which had fallen to their lot. Though the saints know that trials are a necessary part of the discipline of life, yet even they sometimes murmur when trials come.
Christ also knew that they ^^ had patience, and for his name's sake had labored and had not fainted." There is this difference between the patience referred to here and the patience referred to in verse 2: that refers to patience under labor ] this to patience under trial. There are many things to do and to bear for Christ and for the advancement of his cause, and those who do and bear these things with patience are the ones whom the Saviour will own and bless,
2. It is to be observed that in all these things the members of the church in Ephesus are commended. The Lord, by implication at least, praises them for their labor and patience, for their faithfulness against evil men and false teachers, and for the manner in which they had borne their many trials. But they also needed rebuke, which is faithfully adminis- tered. This rebuke is the second part of the actual message. '' Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.*' The word " somewhat " is a supplement of the translators, which weakens the sense. It implies that it was a little thing which the Lord had against hi» Ephesian church, whereas it was a great thing. The idea would have beea more accurately expressed in this way : " Nevertheless I have this against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." The church is here, as in many other places in the Scriptures, compared to a bride. In the days of their espousals their love for their divine husband was ardent, but there had been a sad faUing away. Though the church was yet faithful in the discharge of her outward duties, though she patiently labored and patiently bore her
EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IX EPHESUS. 37
trials, yet there was not the same affection which once existed. She did not take the delight in communing with her Lord, in doing his will, and in meditating upon his perfections she once did. She was therefore in danger. If this falling away was not stopped, the most disastrous results would follow.
3. The Lord saw the danger, and he addresses words of earnest exhorta- tion to the declining church. This exhortation is the third part of the message. ** Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works." He exhorts the members of the Ephesian church to call to remembrance their former state, its joy, its zeal, and its love. Nothing is better adapted to reclaim a backsliding Christian or a backsliding church, than to remember the happy days of early love. The joy then experienced, the honor then reflected on religion, the good then done, the peace of mind then enjoyed, contrasting strongly with present unhappiness, must lead towards repentance. The Saviour also exhorts the members of the Ephesian church to repent. They were to sorrow over all their trans- gressions, to turn from them unto Ood, and to do as they had done in the ardor of their early Christian life. They were to show the same love, and the same zeal, and the same untiring energy which they showed when th^ were first brought Into the church. They were to do for their own sancti- fication, for the salvation of others and for the glory of God, as they did when their hearts first throbbed with the love of Christ.
4. This exhortation, as is frequently the case, is enforced by a threaten- ing. *' Or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candle- stick out of his place, except thou repent." A candlestick is a symbol of the church ; and to remove the candlestick from any place signifies the removal of the church with all its blessings. It is to be observed that the threatening is not that the church will be destroyed, but that it will be removed. And so it has been. Ephesus did not repent and do its first works, and the church has been removed from that place ; but the ofauroh still exists elsewhere, and it still performs its mission by holding up the light of the world. How literally this threatening has been fulfilled, every recent visitor testifies. One modern traveler tells that he found but three Christians there, and they were so ignorant that they had hardly heard of Paul or of John.
5. As if for fear that this rebuke might overwhelm the members of the church in Ephesus, the Saviour once more turns to something good he had seen in them : " But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nlcolaitanes, which I also hate." Who were these hated Nicolaitanes ? Some have supposed that they were a sect of heretics, who took their name from Nicolas the deacon, or from some other man of the same name. But there is no evidence that such a sect existed in the early church, at least not before the beginning of the third century. Probably there was no
J
38 LECTURE IV.
such sect in Ephesus. As the other names vsed in this book, as for example, Sodom, Egypt and Babylon, are symbols^ we may safely conclude that this name is symbolical. In order to determine who are described by this name, we must discover its meaning. Nicolas is derived from two Greek words, and means '^ a destroyer of the people." Balaam is derived from two Hebrew words, and means " a destroyer of the people." We may therefore conclude that the Nicolaitanes are the same persons who are described elsewhere as the followers of Balaam. As I will have occasion hereafter to speak of the peculiarities of these Balaamites, a remark or two is all that is necessary in the present connection. The first great danger which threatened the Christian church was from Judaizing teachers. They sought to lead Christians back to the observance of circumcision and of all the rites of the law of Moses. After this danger had passed^ another and a greater one threatened the church. There were those who tried to intro- duce into it the freedom and license of heathen worship. They taught that the gospel was a gospel of liberty, and that believers in the gospel were to do as they chose. These heathen seducers are, I believe, the persons who are called Balaamites and Nicolaitanes, for this is given as the sum and substance of their doctrine. They cast a stumbling block before the people of Gh)d, and taught them to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. Those who held and taught such doctrines as these were hated by the members of the church in Ephesus, and the Saviour com- mends them for it. Having been compelled to speak sharp words, he will also speak tenderly. Having been compelled to wound, he will also heal. He therefore concludes his message with these words of praise, for it b no email praise to be reckoned among those who love what Christ loves, and who hate what Christ hates.
IV. The solemn exhortation to heed the epistle is contained in these words : " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." This expression occurs at the close of each one of the seven epistles. Similar expressions were often used by our Lord whea on earth. It is a solemn call to hear, to notice, and to obey. And thi» exhortation shows that the epistle to the church of Ephesus was intended for all churches, for it is not said, ^^ he that belongeth to the church of Ephesus, let him hear," but <'he that hath an ear, let him hear."
y. The beautiful promise to the final victor is : "To him that over- Cometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the pahidise of God." There is a paradise of God. There is in it the tree of life. Some are to eat of the fruit of that tree. Who are they ? Not all who are born into the world ; not all who have said, " Lord, Lord." They only who overcome besetting sins and trials, and the world and Satan, and every enemy, may hope to inherit this ble:»edness.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA. 39
We have a battle to figlit; we have eDemies to conquer ; we often grow disoouraged ; but we have this gracious promise to inspire us. Qod grant that we may be among the victors who will eat of the tree of life which b in the midst of the paradise of Qod 1
LECTURE V.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA.
And unto the aneel of the church in Smyrna write ; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribula- tion, and poverty, (hut thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of thoee things which thou shalt suffer : behold, the devil shall 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 five thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ; He that ovcrcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. — Rev. 2 : 8-1 1.
The epistle to the church of Smyrna contains the five parts which have been mentioned as belonging to each of the seven epistles : 1st. The com- mand to write. 2d. The titles which the Saviour claims for himself. 3d. The actual message. 4th. The solemn admonition to hear and heed. 5th. The beautiful promise to the victor. These five points will be considered in order, bat of course the most time will be given to those which differ from the epistle to the church of Ephesus, discussed in the last lecture.
I. The command to write this epistle is, ''unto the angeP' that is, the minister, or pastor, or bbhop, ''of the church in Smyrna write." The only thing in this command which requires attention, is the city in which the church addressed was located. Smyrna was one of the chief cities of Asia ; and of course I use the word "Asia" in that restricted sense which has been defined. It was situated — I might say, it is situated, for it is the only one of the seven churches which has survived the desolation ** of the agee~-on the Egean sea, about fifty miles north of Ephesus. It is one of the ancient cities of that part of the world ; and though it has been devastated by wars, and overthrown by earthquakes, it has always retained something of its wealth and commerce. It was a beautiful city. Its streets were laid out at right angles with each other, and its palaces took high rank even among the magnificent palaces of the East. In the days of the apostle, its inhabitants called it "the pride of Asia,'' a name which was not whoUy undeserved. It b still a city of considerable importance, having upwards ^ of one hundred thousand inhabitants.
40 LECTURE V.
Such was the city in which the church was established, to which John was commanded to write. We learn, from the contents of this epistle, that that church differed somewhat from the church in Ephesus. The church in Ephesus was diligent in the discharge of all outward duties, but it was for- saking its first love. For that, it was commended; for this, it was rebuked. In the church of Smyrna, the Spirit finds nothing to rebuke sharply or to praise highly. It was small, poor in this world's goods, surrounded by enemies, called to pass through the fires of persecution ; but it wafl rich in grace, and the heir of the crown of life. But extended remarks on the condition of the church in Smyrna will be more appropriate when we come to consider the Saviour's actual message to that church.
II. 1*HE TITLES which the Saviour ckims for himself are expressed in these words : " These things saith the first and the last, which was dead and is alive.'' These titles are quoted from the introductory vision of chapter I. There the great high priest had said of himself, '* I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more." Christ here claims for himself the attributes of an eternal and unchange- able existence. No one was before him, for he is the first ; no one can be after him, for he is the last. Through all duration, from that unknown beginning to that unknown end, he is ^' without variableness or shadow of turning." I will not attempt to prove, either from reason or revelation, that the Saviour is eternal and unchangeable. I wQl take this for granted, and will refer only to the appropriateness of these titles to the case in hand. This epistle is addressed, as I have intimated, to a tried and perseoated church. But when trials and persecutions come, how it sustains and com- forts those who are compelled to pass under the rod, to remember that though their outward circumstances may change, and they may in some measure change in them, yet God is the same yesterday, to-day and forever; that he is the first and the last, and that his love for them never changes. And there is a beautiful propriety in the other title which the Saviour elaime for himself, ^* he who was dead and is alive." The members of the church in Smyrna were exposed to dangers, and many of them were to be oalled to seal their testimony with their blood. And surely it would strengthen them to be reminded that their Saviour, in whom they tmated, could sym- pathize with them, for he had suffered persecution and experienced the pangs of a punful death ; and that he could reward them, for though he was dead once, he was now alive forever more. No titles, among all the tiUes of the Saviour, could be more appropriate in the present case. To the members of the church in Smyrna, persecuted, imprisoned, and dying, there could be no words of greater strength, or sweeter sympathy, or pro- founder consolation than these with which the Saviour introduces his epistle ; " these things st ith the first and the last, which was dead and is alive."
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA. 41
III. The Saviour's actual message is contained in verses 9 and 10. This message consists of two parts : Ist. A declaration of the Saviour's in- timate knowledge of the condition of things in Smyrna. 2d. A solemn exhortation to be fearless and faithful. The declaration of the Saviour's knowledge is contained in verse 9. " I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know* the blasphemy of tbcm which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." We have here the common formula, which introduces the actual message in each one of the seven epistles, " I know thy works," an expression which points to the omnipresence and omniscience of the Saviour, and which is well cal- culated to prepare and sober the heart for the explicit statement which is to follow.
The Saviour knew the " tribulation" of his people in Smyrna. The force and beauty of our word "tribulation" will be increased, if we call to mind its etymology. It is derived from the Latin word " tribulum," the name of a threshing instrument in common use among the fkrmers of the Roman empire. This instrument consisted of a wooden frame, not unlike a modem harrow, underneath which were fastened sharp pieces of iron or stone. "When the sheaves were laid upon the threshing floor, this instru- ment was dragged over them, cutting the straw in pieces and loosening the grain from the chaff. This process, by a figure of speech, describes those who are in affliction. When the people of God are suffering from calamity, or persecution, or sickness, or bereavement, they are in tribulation, they are under the sharp threshing instrument of the divine husbandman ; but it is for their good ; for though they are bruised and broken by it, their precioos wheat is separated from the worthless chaff. Through such trib- uUtion, the members of the church in Smyrna were passing, and th^ir Saviour knew it. What the source of their tribulation was, we are not informed ; but from what follows we may be sure that, among other things, they were being threshed and beaten fine as dust by poverty and penecn- tions and imprisonments, and it could not be otherwise than comfoiting to them to be assured that he who had himself been called to pass under the rod, but was now exalted to glory, was intimately acquainted with (heir tribulstion.
The Saviour also knew their " poverty." This church must have been poor beyond the rest of the Asian churches, for it is the only one of which poverty is predicated. And although no reason for their poverty is as- signed, it is probable that it can be traced to the persecutions through which they w^re passing. When the civil authorities and the wealthy and influential part of a community are arrayed against the Christians, they are not able to acquire property or to retain it afler it is acquired. They can neither obtain employment nor engage in trade ; and through fines and imprisonments, and the scattering of their families, what little they have
42 LECTURE V.
will soon disappear. Whether this was the immediate cause of the poverty ^ of the church in Smyrna or not, it is certain it was poor. And this was not an uncommon characteiistic of the early Christians, and in fact of Christians of all ages. But though it was poor, it is the only one of the ^ seven churches which has survived, and therefore its poverty may not. after all, have^heen a disadvantage.
Notwithstanding this poverty, Smyrna was " rich," not, however, in this world's goods, but in the grace and favor of God. These things are often united. There is nothing in poverty unfavorable to piety ; but the Scriptures often contrast worldly wealth with spiritual riches in such a way as to show that both will not likely be enjoyed at the same time. ^'Ye can not serve God and mammon." " It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." ^' Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." " Hearken, my beloved brethren ; hath not Gt)d chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to them that love him ?"
The Saviour also knew the "blasphemy" of those whose misrepresenta- tions helped on the tribulation and poverty of the church in Smyrna. As a general thing, in the days of the apostles, and during the following cen- tury, the persecutions against the church were stirred up by the Jews. In proof of this I need only refer to the Acts of the Apostles. Nearly every disturbance began in the synagogue, and was brought to the notice of the civil authorities by the zealous Jews. And this is what we might expect. The new religion had not yet made much impression upon the Pagan re- ligions of Rome, and the government of Rome did not feel called upon to array itself against Christianity. But this new religion was even then making great inroads in the synagogue. Many of the more devout Jews were led to believe on Jesus ; and their unconverted brethren, filled with jealousy and national pride, were very diligent and bitter against the Christian church. There were such Jews in Smyrna; they claimed to be- long to the only true church ; they prided themselves on their descent from Abraham ; but they were not true Jews ; their conduct showed that they had not the spirit of the Jewish religion, and that they were not shaping their lives according to the teachings of the Jewbh church. If they had been true Jews, they would have examined the claims of Christianity with candor, and recognized Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah. Therefore, though they did belong to the Jewish nation, they were not true Israelites ; they belonged rather to the synagogue of* Satan. They worshiped ^him, they served him, they associated with his servants. These false Jews were guilty of blasphemy. They heaped reproaehes and re- vilings upon the people of God ; they accused them falsely ; they spake all manner of evil against them fur the Saviour's sake. In so doing, they
EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IS SMYRNA. 4^
were guilty of blasphemy agaiost God, for God has said that he and his people are one.
This was what the Saviour knew of the church in Smyrna. He knew its tribulation, its poverty, and the blasphemy of the Jews. He also knew that those who were in such a case as this needed to be strengthened and eneouraged by faithful exhortation, and this faithful exhortation is the second part of his message. *^Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer : behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye- may be tried ; and ye shall have tribulation ten days : Be thou &ithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." He did not conceal from his faithful ones what they would have to suffer for his name*s sake.. This he never does. He does not entice men into his service by assuring them that they will find all things easy and pleasant. He tells them of
^ the crosses they will have to bear ; of the labors they will have to perform;
^ of the temptations they will have to meet. And thus he did to the mem- bers of the church in Smyrna. He exhorts them not to be afraid, but at the same time he assures them that there were many things they would have to suffer. Among other things, they would be cast into prison. And though their imprisonment would be brought about by the hands of men^ the Saviour traces it to its true source. The devil would cause them to be imprisoned. He would so influence those who belonged to his synagogue,, that they would carry out hb will in this regard. And it is right enough to say, that is done by Satan which is done by his agents. The design of this imprisonment was to try the faith of the saints. The Saviour permit- ted trials to come upon his saints that the reality of their religion might appear. He permitted them to be trodden under foot that their sweet odor might go forth through all the world.
The members of the church in Smyrna were not only to be imprisoned, they were also to have other tribulation ten days ; that is, they were to have great and long continued tribulation. We use the words *^ ten " and
^ " ten-fold '' to indicate a large though indefinite quantity ; and in this sense the word is used in the passage we are now considering. The best commentary on this verse is to be found on the pages of early ecclesiastic cal history. We read that in the year 167, le9s than 100 years after this epistle was written, the Christians of Asia suffered from violent persecu- tions. At this time the angel or pastor of the church in Smyrna was the aged Polycarp, whose name is known and loved through Christendom. la his youth be had been a disciple of John, and he seems to have resembled his teacher in love, gentleness and purity. When the persecutions broke out, Polycarp was a marked man. Though his first desire was to remain at his post, yet feeling the force of the Saviour's injunction, ^'when perse- cuted in one city flee to another," and yielding to the entreaties of his congregation, he sought one hiding place after another. At last his place
44 LECTURE V.
â–
of retreat was discovered, we are told, by the evidenoe of a little child who was forced by tortare to reveal what he knew. The aged dificiple came down from the upper story of the house in which he had been hid- ing, gave himself up to his captors, and asked from them this favor, that he might have one hour of prayer. And though the ftillness of his godly heart kept him kneeling for two hours at the mercy seat, the heathen sol- diers were so impressed by the old man's earnestness that they would not disturb him. After his prayer was ended, he was taken back to the city of Smyrna and placed on trial before the Roman mi^trate. This mi^s- trate, who seems to have been a humane man, was inclined to deal gently with his aged prisoner. He asked him, " What harm can it be for you to offer sacrifice to the emperor " ? But when Polycarp stoutly refused to be guilty of any such idolatry, the magistrate lost his patience and cried : '* Curse Christ and I will set thee free.'' The old man answered in words which are familiar to the Christian church : *' Eighty and six years have I served Christ, and he has never done me wrong ; how then can I grieve him'' ? After many indignities, which he bore meekly and bravdy, he was condemned to be burned alive. Then the Jews who belonged to the synagogue of 8atan, ran with all their accustomed eagerness to collect Aiel for the funeral pile. The old man laid aside his own garments and took bis place in the midst of the fiiggots. When his executioners would have bound him to the stake, he said, " leave me, I pray you, thus unfastened ; he who has enabled me to brave the fire will give me strength also to en- dure its fierceness." Then he uttered this brief prayer: '*0 Lord, Al- mighty Qod, the Father of thj beloved Son Jesus Christ, through whom ^e have received « knowledge of thee ; Ood of the angels and of the whole creation, of the whole race of men and of the saints who live be- fore thy presenoe ; I thank thee that thou hast thought me worthy this day and this hour to thare the cop of thy Christ among the number of thy witnesses." And then the torch was applied, and in a Utile while Poly- carp, the angel of the church ia Smyrna, having been faithfU unto detth, received the crown of life.
This is but one example oat of many. In those days the ohureh of Smyrna was baptized with blood. As the Saviour knew that these perse* ctttions were coming, how appropriate is his exhortation, ** be thou fmckful unto death" ; and how cheering his promise, ^* I will give tbee a crown of life." This future crown is ever the same, though it is called by various names. James calls it, as the Saviour calls it in this verse, *' the erown of life" ; Paul calls it << the crown of righteousness" ; Peter catls it ** the <;rown of glory" ^ Isaiah calls it " the erown of beauty." This pronise may well strengthen the saints to witness a good confession, notwithstand- ing ail the tribulations and persecutions which the synagogue of Satan may bring against them. To reach this crown of life, we need not of necessity
EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA. 45
pan throQgh sunless dungeons and scorching fires and the tortures of the sword. He who is faithful unto death, no matter in what form death comes ;. he' who patkntlj bears whatever trials the Master requires him to bear, will receive the reward; for the golden crown must ever follow the faithful life.
ly. We may pass over the fourth part of the epistle without a single remark, for it is the same solemn call to attention and obedience^ which was considered in the epistle to the Kphesian church. ^' He that hath an ear, let him hear."
Y. The beautiful promise to the final victor is, *^ he that over- cometh shall not be hurt of the second death/' The members of the church in Smyrna were surrounded by the same enemies which have sur- rounded the saints in all ages. Prominent among these enemies are Satan, the fallen angels, wicked men, the world with its allurements, and the remaining corruption of our own hearts. It is no easy matter to wrestle with these principalities and powers, but there, is a blessed promise for our encouragement, for he that overcomes these enemies will not be hurt of the second death.
We know, from our own observation, what the first death is. It is the end of our present earthly life. It is the severing of the ties which bind body and spirit together, so that the body returns to the dust as it was, and the spirit goes to God who gave it. There are few who do not regard the first death as the king of terrors, and fear his approach. But as there is a life beyond this present, for the faithful ; so there is a death, which is be- yond that death which has come under our observation, for the wicked. This other death, which is nothing else than the eternal punishment of the ungodly, is the death which is referred to in the text. Over him that over- cometb, this seoond death will have no power. He will live forever, with* out lear of everlasting punishment.
We aie surrounded by the same enemies which surrounded the Christians of Smyrna. It is true these enemies do 9ot manifest their enmity in the same way, for imprisonments, and persecutions, and bloodshed for the sake of Gbriat are suspended, if they have not oome to a full end. Still these enemies are full of hatred and power, and we cannot hope to be victors over them without a terrible struggle. But to every one who has ears to hear, to every victor in this struggle, this promise is given: '*he that overoometh shall not be hurt of the second death." Our religion does not promise exemption from the first death. Such a promise is certainly witUn the power of Crod. He could remove all his redeemed to heaven OS he removed Enoch and Elijah, but for seme good reason he does not. May we not see one reason in this, that the glories of heaven may, by eontrast, be enhanced to those who enter it through the darkness and
46 ^ LECTURE VI.
dust of death ? But better than any promise of exemption from the first death, is the promise of exemption from the second death. All we need to make the trials of life endurable is the assurance, that when our earthly life is ended, there is nothing to hurt or harm beyondi Let us, then, take this promise for our battle-cry in the conflict of life, " he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death*' !
LECTURE VI.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMOS.
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he Tvhich hath the sharp sword with two edges ; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is : and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful mar- tyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. * But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, \^lio taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or •else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of mj mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.^Rsv. 2 : 12-17.
The analysis of the epistle to the church in Pergamos is the same a§ that of the epistles we have already considered.
I. There is nothing in the command to write this epistle, which requires explanation, save the location and characteristics of the city of Pergamos. " Unto the angel/' that is, the pastor, "of the church in Per- gamos write." Pergamos was situated a little more than fifty miles north of Smyrna, and about a hundredp miles north of Ephesus. It was a com- mercial city, for though it was not directly on the Egean coast, it was located on the banks of the mej Caicus, only a few miles from its mouth. Up until about two hundred years before this epistle was written it had been the capital of Asia. The kings of the Attalic dynasty, as it is called, had made it their royal residence, and had lavished their immense wealth upon it with an unstinted hand. After they had bequeathed it to the Romans, its old time splendor was not dimmed for many years. This city was celebrated not only for its splendor, but also for its library and its learning. Its library contained two hundred thouiAnd volumes, an immense collection for those days. By its devotion to literature, this city has inscribed its name upon the very structure of our own language. The king of Egypt would not
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN PEROAMOS. 47
pennit tbe exportation of the papyrus plant, which was then used for writiDg, as we use paper, and from which our word ** paper" is derived; and > the philosophers of Pergamos were under the necessity cf providing a substitute. This they did by preparing sheep skins and goat skins in a peculiar way, and on these they were accustomed to write their books. The preparation of these skins was brought to perfection in Pergamos. and from this circum- stance they were called *^ Pergamana Charta/' a name which has been con- tracted and modified by passing through various languages until it stands in our tongue, parchment ; that is, the paper of Pergamos, a name which will forever commemorate the zeal of the inhabitants of Pergamos in the pur- suits of literature. But Pergamos was especially celebrated for its idolatry. It was filled with heathen temples, and in some of them a worship was con- ducted whose licentiousness was too repulsive for description, or even allusion. Jupiter, and Athene, and Apollo, and Venus had temples here, but the most famous of them all was a temple which had been erected for the worship of JEsculapins, the founder and father of medical science, the ruins of which still remain. This gross idolatry and lasciviousness must be borne in mind, or we will not be able to understand the praise which the Saviour bestows upon the church which maintained, in a measure, its integrity in the city of Pergamos.
II. The TITLE by which the Saviour here reveals himself is, " these things suth he which hath the sharp sword with two edges." This title, like the titles which stand at the beginning of the other epistles, is quoted from tbe introductory vision of chapter I. . In that vision John had seen one ^' out of whose mouth went a sharp two-edged sword"; an expression equivalent to this: " the word which proceeded out of his mouth was like a sharp two-edged sword." The word of the Lord is well compared to a sword. It goes forth to smite, to punish and to slay. By his word kings are brought down to the dust, his enemies are overwhelmed with shame and confusion, and the wicked are cast into hell with the nations that for- get God. And this title is especially appropriate to the case in hand. The Saviour was about to rebuke sharply the members of the church in Pergamos ; he felt called upon to threaten them with his sore displeasure ; and to give this threatening its full force, it was well to remind them that he still held in his hands the sharp sword with two edges, which had been such a terrible instrument of punishment to the church and the world, and whose edge was still unblunted, for the destruction of the ungodly in all time to come.
IIL The Saviour's actual message to the Pergamcne church is three-fold.
]. In this epistle, as in the others, we have a statement o/vhat the Sa*
48 LECTURE VI.
viour knew about the church in Pergamos. ** I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is; and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipa& was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth." The introductory formula, ^^I know thy works," common to all the epistles, may be passed over without a single remark. What particular ^^ works " he knew, the Saviour proceeds to specify. He knew their dwelling place and surroundings. ^^ I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is." Why Pergamos, rather than any other of the seven cities, is called Satan's seat or throne, is a question which is not easy to answer. But a reasonable answer can be discovered in some remarks which have already been made. We know that the worship of some heathen gods and god- desses was ten-fold more vile and degrading than that of others, that those cities in which the vilest of the deities were worshiped, were far more corrupt in their morals and practices than others. No one can read the history of pagan Qreece, or even the epistles of Paul to the Corinthians, without being convmced that Corinth was such a city. And from what history has toM us, as well as from what is contained in this brief epistle, we must believe that Pergamos was such a city. The worship in the temples of Venus and ^l^sculapius had gone to the ex- treme verge of indecency and blasphemy. The morals of the people were corrupt. Satan ruled over them with unquestioned authority. So abso- lute was his power, and so extensive his sway, that Pergamos was appro- priately called his seat. Such was the city in which the Christians of Pergamos lived, and the Saviour knew its character. He knew the temp- tations to which they were exposed, the dangers by which they were sur- rounded and the allurements which beckoned to them from every side. A knowledge of these things is necessary to impartial judgment. It will help us to judge of men's characters, to know where they live and their circumstances. It is far easier to be virtuous and pious in some places than in others, and at some times than at others. Before we can justly praise men for their virtues or blame them for their faults, we must know their temptations, their weaknesses and their surroundings. Because we do not know these things, we often bestow praise and blame where they are not deserved. But the Saviour knows, and therefore he can render to every man according to his works.
The Saviour also knew the faithfulness of the members of the church in Pergamos. ^* Thou boldest fast my name, and hast not denied my &ith." In scripture language, the name of any person is that by which he is made known. The name of Christ would therefore be that by which ho is made known ; that is, the gospel. These Christians in this unholy city had held fast to the gospel. They had not been ashamed of the name of Christ or of their faith in Christ. No matter what temptations surrounded them, or
TH£ EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN PERQAM08. 49
what perseondons thieatened them, they held ie^Bt to the one and would not deny the other ; and without doubt these temptations and perseontions were hard to bear. They liyed in the " days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwdleth/' Of this Antipas we know nothing, save what is recorded in these few words. From these words we know that he was a distinguished saint in that church, and that he had been called to seal his testimony with his blood. Whether he was only one martyr in the midst of a great cloud of witnesses in some general persecution, or whether he was the solitary yictim in some local outbreak, as Stephen was, we do not know; but we know that he was counted worthy to share the cup of suffering with Christ, and to have his name written on the pages of the word of Grod and in the Lamb's book of life. But though there had been persecution in Pergamos which might have excused a wavering faith, the Christians there had held fast the Christian name and had not denied the Christian faith.
All this the Saviour knew ; and in stating what he knew, he indirectly but plainly praises the members of that church. Their lot had been cast in a wicked city, where Satan sat enthroned ; they had lived in a time when persecutions and bloodshed had tried their faith and tested their con- stancy ; but their faith and constancy had not failed. While their stead- fastness would have been praiseworthy in any circumstanoes, it was espe- cially praiseworthy in the circumstances in which they had been placed. Therefore the Saviour^ who is just in all his ways, praises them. Let us do honor to the £uthful ones of Pergamos, and let us strive after a like honor, ever remembering that they who are tempted and yet victorious, who are tried and yet faithful, who are in danger and yet brave, are the ones whom the Saviour writes on the palms of his hands.
2. The next thing in the Saviour's message is a sharp rebuke. '^ But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-blook be- fore the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to com- mit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.** The church in Pergamos tolerated cer- tain persons who taught error and who practiced immorality. With such they should of course have held no fellowship. They should have exer- cised discipline upon them, and if they could not bring them to repentance in this way, they should have cut them off from all connection with the holy church of God. But instead of this they recognized them as mem- bers of the church and their brethren in the Lord. They associated with them, and thus brought their own integrity into jeopardy every hour. The Saviour knew this, and for this he rebuked them. This was what he had against the church in Pergamos.
These &lse teachers and evil doers are here described as those '' that
4
50 LECTURE VI.
hold the doctrine of Balaam." This does not mean that they fonned a distinct sect, calling themselyes Balaam it es ; it does not mean that they openly taught what Balaam taught ; it means that their doctrines and practices were substantially the same as those of the false prophet, and that they deserved to be placed in the same class with him. What the peculiar doctrines and practices of Balaam were, we may learn from a ref- erence to Old Testament history. When the children of Israel, in their journey through the wilderness, were approaching Moab, Balak, the king of that country, was sore afraid. He sent for Balaam, who seems to have mingled sorcery with some knowledge of the true Ood, to come and curse Israel, in the hope that under the influence of that curse his armies might obtain a victory over the hostd which Moses was leading. Balaam covet- ed the great reward which the king of Moab promised, and after repeated intercession he obtained the permission of Ood to go with the messengersi but only on the condition that he should speak what the Lord told him to speak. . You remember how, on one hilltop after another, and beside one altar after another, he tried his best to corse Israel, but every trial proved a failure. Words of present blessing and of ftiture greatness fell from his lips ; words, whose eloquence are not surpassed in sacred or profane litera- ture. Balak was naturally displeased with his hired prophet, and he sent him home in disgrace. But Balaam was determined to possess himself of the magnificent reward which the king of Moab had promised, and he set himself at work to devise a more successful plan. The Moabites, in ac- cordance with his advice, sent their most beautiful women to the neigh- borhood of the camp of Israel, and the Israelites were captivated by the daughters of Moab. But these women, instructed by those who .had sent them out, would not yield to the solicitations of the men of Israel untU the men of Israel had promised to offer saorifioes to the idols of Moab. By this idol worship, and by these unholy matrimonial allianoeSy the anger of the Lord was kindled, and he sent a plague upon the people, in which twenty-four thousand died an untimely death. Thus far the plan of Ba- laam had worked well If it had worked on as he expected it to do, Is- rael would soon have become so weak that it would have fiillen an easy prey to Moab. But Israel repented ] the plague was stayed ; the armies of the Lord went forth against the armies of Moab and utterly defeated them ; and Balaam himself was slain with the sword. I have not time to refer to all the passages, scattered through several chapters of Old Testament history, which prove the truth of these statements. I will quote a single passage, which contains the substance of what I have said. When the children of Israel returned from the conquest of Moab, they brought back some of the women of Moab as captives. Moses, who had gone out to meet them on their return, commanded these captive women to be put to death at once, saying, ^^ behold, these caused the children of Israel, through
THE EPISTLX TO THE CHURCH IN PEBQAMOS. 51
the counsel of Balaam, to oommit trespass against tbe Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.'' Num. 31 : 16.
These facts are in perfect harmony with what is contained in the verse we are now considering. Balaam laid a stumbling-block in the way of the Israelites, over which they fell. Through his instruction they were in- volved in sin, they were led to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to com- mit fornication. Those who taught similar doctrines and introduced simi- lar practices into the Christian church, are called followers of Balaam. Peter says of such, *' they follow the way of Balaam the son of Bozor" ; Jude says of such, ** they run greedily ailer the error of Balaam." Such men were to be found in the church of Pergamos, for the Saviour says, ^' 80 hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nioolaitanes, which thing I hate." As has been said, the Nicolaitanes were the same as the followers of Balaam. This may be inferred from the verse we are now considering, in which it is implied that the influence of Balaam over Ba- lak was similar to that which was exerted by the Nicolaitanes over the church of Pergamos. This may also be inferred from the names by which they are called, for Balaam and Nicolas mean the same thing, viz., '^ a destroyer of the people." This may also be inferred ^m what is told us in the revelation and in early ecclesiastical history of the doctrines which they held. What were these doctrines ? Manifestly that it was not a sin to eat things sacrificed to idols or to commit fornication. It may seem strange that such doctrines were ever taught by persons connected with the church of Christ, but the fact cannot be denied. The moral sensibili- ties of the Gentiles were blunted by long indulgence in vice, and they could not see its vileness as men of purer lives could do. Some Gentile converts talked loudly of the liberty of Christ, and used that liberty '' for an occa- sion to the flesh"; ''they turned the grace of Gt)d into lasciviousness" ; " they continued in sin that grace might abound" ; they maintained that Christians were free to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to engage in the festivities of sacrificial feasts, with which licentiousness was almost insepa- rably connected. It was the presence of such men in the church, which called forth the decree of the council in Jerusalem, which reads, " it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater bur- den than these necessary things ; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication." Acts 15 : 28, 29. It was the presence of such men in the church of Per- gamos, which called forth the stem rebuke we are now considering. And surely this rebuke was deserved, for they who extend Christian sympathy and fellowship to those who teach and practice such things, ^e not doing honor to the church which God has purchased with his own blood.
3. The next thing in the Saviour's message is a fearful threaUfidng,
52 LECTURE YI.
"Repent; or else I will oome unto thee quickly, and will fight againit them with the sword of my month/' The Saviour may visit a ohuroh in mercy, or he may visit it in wrath. It is of the latter visitation he here speaks. No church can retain notorious sinners in its memhership and he guiltless. But the Saviour's wrath would he especially directed against the followers of Balaam. Against them he would fight with the sword of his mouthy that is, the command would go fi)rth out of his mouth, and in obedience to that command judgments would cut them off. In what form these judgments would come, he does not say. It might be in the form of persecution, or famine, or pestilence. When the judgments came, though the Nicolaitanes would suffer most, the true members of the church would also suffer, for in such a trial both the gold and the dross are cast into the ftimace, though the latter only is consumed. The only way by which they could escape from this visitation was by the door of re- pentance ; and this is the only door by which any of us can hope to es- cape ; for to all those who are sinners, or who are bidding sinners God- speed, the Saviour is ever saying, " repent ; or else I will come unto thee quickly."
lY. The rolemn call to attention and obedience does not differ from the one which has been considered in the former epistles. " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
Y. The promise to the final victor is, " to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that re- ceiveth it." You remember the event in Jewish history to which refer- ence is made, viz., the feeding of the Jews with manna in the wilderness. You remember, also, the pot of manna which was hidden for a memorial in the most holy place of the temple. There is here an allusion to this pot of manna. But what was symbolized by it ? Eveiy one who has read the Ghwpels must answer ; it is the Lord Jesus who is represented, and who represents himself as the bread which cometh down from heaven. He is now hidden in heaven, far beyond the reach of the human eye and the search of the human mind ; but they that overcome those spiritual enemies, common to the saints of Pergamos and to the saints in all the ages, wUl find him, and partaking of the fullness which is treasured up in him, will live forever.
These victors will also receive a " white stone" ; that is, a glittering gem. The high priest of the Jewish economy had a breast plate, which sparkled with jewels. The allusion may be to this ; or, it may be to the fisict that kings often gave a signet ring to the man whom they delighted to honor. In either case the meaning is the same. The victor is to be both a priest
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHUROH IN THTATIRA. 63
and a king ; he will have the apparel of a priest, and the ring of a king. And on this white stone, there would be a new name, which the Christian wearer had won for himself in the conflicts of life, and which would con- tain in it a reference to the battles he had fonght, and the victories he had gained. This name would be a secret one, for his hardest battles, and his greatest victories, are known only to the Christian himself and to his Qod. Therefore, the name which commemorates these things, can be known only to him who receives it, and to the Ood who gives it. There must ever be a loneliness about the Christian life and experience, which is shadowed forth by the Saviour's treading the wine press alone, and which is expressed in the words, " the heart knoweth its own bitterness, and a stranger intermed- dleth not with its joys." God grant this manna, and this stone, and this name, may be ours !
LECTURE VIL
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHUROH IN THYATIRA.
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write ; These things saith the Son of €rod, who hath hie eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass ; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works ; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit for- nication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to re- pent of ner fornication ; and she repented not. Behold, 1 will cast her into a oed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death j and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts : and I will give unto every one of vou according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak ; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast tilt I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto tne end, to him will I give power over the nations : and he shall rule them with a rod of iron ; as the vessels of a potter shall thev be broken to shivers : even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. — Rev. 2 : 18-29.
In tius epistle, as in the ones we have already considered, there are five parts, viz., the Saviour's command, titles, message, promise and exhortation ; though ibr some reason, which is not veiy clear, the exhortation follows the promise and does not precede it, as in the former epistles.
I. The Saviour's command to write the epistle is: "And unto the angel" that is, the pastor, "of the church in Thyatira write." In our
54 LECTURE VII.
excursion among the churches of Asia, we have thus far been traveling north. At Pergamos, we turn directly to the east and travel about thirty miles into the interior of Asia, to the city of Thyadra. This was never a large or famous city. Little is said of it on the pages of history. We know that it was a Macedonian colony. It is a slight but remarkable con- firmation of the New Testament narrative, that on the occasion of Paul's first visit to Macedon, he met there one Lydia from the city of Thyatira. And this is just what we might have expected. Surely those who had emigrated from Macedon would, when their business and circumstances permitted it, return to visit their native land. There is another slight con- firmation of the history which deserves a passing notice. A traveler who recently visited the village which stands on the site of the ancient city, tells us that in the gardens of the village, and on the plain on which the village stands, are raised large quantities of a kind of madder, whose root is now and has been for centuries extensively used in coloring red. And we are told of Lydia, whom Paul met in Macedon, that she was " a seller of purple." We do not know when or by whom the church of Thyatira was planted, but certainly there is a probability that this purple-seller had some- thing to do with its establishment. She was a proselyte to the Jewish faith when Paul met her, for she was then a worshiper of Gtod. And when she heard the gospel, " the Lord opened her heart that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul." It therefore gives me pleasure to believe that she who had gone forth to buy and sell, and get gain« returned to her home bringing richer merchandise than any she had hoped to obtain, and that she was instrumental in helping to establish a church, which grew until it was thought worthy to be numbered with the other churches of Asia.
II. We have the titles by which the Saviour reveals himself to this church. ^' These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass." The speaker claims to be " the Son of God," a name which the Jews rightly understood as implying equality with the Father. The other titles which the Saviour claims for himself, have all been noticed and explained in the introductory vision of chapter I. His eyes were like *' a flame of fire." Nothing, however hid- den, whether in the world or in the human heart, could be concealed from them, and their fierce brightness would bum up everything that was offen- sive. His feet were like " fine brass," a figure which indicates the majesty and power with which he walks in the midst of his church. Under his stately steppings all his people's enemies are ground to the dust.
These titles are not accidentally bestowed in this connection. They have a direct bearing upon the message which is about to be delivered. The Saviour was about to give a sharper rebuke than any he had yet given ; he was
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA. . 55
about to utter a more fearful threatening than any he had yet uttered ; he was about to offer a more astonishing reward than any he had yet offered ; and it was in the highest degree appropriate for him to remind the mem- bers of the church in Thyatira that he was the Son and equal of God, and that he had the right to rebuke, threaten, punish and reward ; that hii^ eyes of fire could not be deceived ; and that the goings of his feet of burn- ing brass could not be stayed. The deity, the omniscience and the omni- presence of the Saviour, and these are the things which are shadowed forth by the titles we are now considering, lead directly to the threatenings and the promises with which this epistle is filled. We can appreciate neither the feariulness of the threatenings nor the blessedness of the promises, if we do not remember that the speaker is ^Hhe Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass."
III. The Sayiour^s actual message is contained in verses 19-26. This message contains the usual declaration of knowledge ; a sharp rebuke ; a fearful threatening ; and an earnest exhortation. Let us take up these parts in order.
1. We have the usual declaration of knowledge, ^' I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and the last to be more than the first" The introductory formula, "I know thy works,'' requires no explanation. Let us hasten on to notice the par- ticular "works'' of the Thyatiran church, which the Saviour knew. He knew their "charity"; that is, their love to their fellow men, which mani- fested itself in kindly words and deeds, and their love to God, which manifested itself in affectionate worship and service. He also knew their '^ service." God does not call his people to idleness. They are his servants, and they have their work to do. They have to labor for their own sancti- fication, for the conveision of others, and for the glory of God. ' This is hard work, but it is well for them to remember, for their encouragement, that their works of &ith and labors of love are all known and noted. He also knew the ''faith" of his people in Thyatira. He knew that they trusted in him for salvation, and that they showed their trust by unwavering fidelity in his cause. He also knew their ''patience" under all the persecutions and afflic- tions which had come upon them to tiy their &ith, and to test their constancy. He also knew that they were making progress in their inward sanctification and in their outward Christian life ; for it is now generally acknowledged that the last clause of the verse should read, " thy last works to be more than the first" He knew that their works, which he had just mentioned, were growing in number and greatness; he knew that their love, and service, and fiiith, and patience, were greater now than in the beginning of their Christian life. In one word, he knew they were making progress. This is an honorable commendation, which every soul and every church should
56 • LECTURE VII.
seek to gain. He whose last works are not greater than his first, who is not less selfish, and less proud, anA less irritable, and more useful, and more diligent, and more self-denying than he was when he began the Christian pil- grimage, has reason to tremble for his safety, for he is not growing in grace.
2. The next thing in the Saviour's message is a sharp rehuke. ^^ Not- withstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication ; and she repented not." According to the best critics, the words, ^' a few things*' should be stricken from the text, and it should read, "I have this against thee, that thou suf- ferest, &c." There is another remarkable variation in the reading here, which must not be passed over without an observation or two. Some of the ancient manuscripts and versions have the text aa it is in our version ; others have it <Hhy wife Jezebel." If this is the correct reading, it ap- peais that the wife of the pastor of the church in Thyatira was a notoriously wicked woman, that she had used all her influence to corrupt the faith and morals of the church, and that her husband had not restrained her or cut her off by the exercise of ecclesiastical discipline. But the general mean- ing of the passage is the same whichever reading is adopted, only in one case the notorious sinner was the wife of the pastor, and in the other case she was not.
The following things are clear: the name '^Jezebel*' describes a person, and not a class. It is true, in the preceding part of the chapter, the words ''Nicolaitanes" and ^^Balaamites" are used to describe classes. If in this verse it had been said, ^Hhou sufferest the Jezebelites," or "thou sufferest them that hold the doctrine of Jezebel," then we would of course have seen in the language a description of some class of men and women who resem- bled Jezebef. But by the language that is used, some particular individual is pointed out, and that particular individual is called Jezebel. It is also clear that this particular individual was a woman. The name, and all the circumstances mentioned, are decisive on this point. It is also clear that this woman was called Jezebel, not because this was her real name, but because she resembled the wicked wife of Ahab, who is one of the notorious characters of sacred history. Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaaly the king of Tyre and Sidon, and of cou^ devoted to the worship of the gods of these heathen cities. After her marriage widi the weak Ahab, she exerted a controlling influence over him and over Israel. Before the reign of Ahab, the ten tribes had worshiped the two golden calves, but still God had received some worship and his law some honor. The wicked Jezebel introduced the worship of Afihteroth, a wor- ship too impure, licentious and blasphemous to be described, and the Israelites were only too willing to imitate her example and worship her
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA. 57
gods. The New Testament Jezebel resembled her of the Old Testament. She claimed to be a prophetess, that is, a teacher. If she was the wife of the pastor of the ohureh in Thjatira, as the old Jezebel was the wife of the king of Israel, we can readily see how she could establish her claims and multiply her influence. Like her Old Testament namesake, she taught the people of Gtod to take part in sacrificial feasts, and in all the undeanness which was inseparably connected with those feasts. It is, there- fore, erident that she taught the same doctrines, and practiced the same im- moralities which the Nioolaitanes and Balaamites taught and practiced, for the same words are used to describe her sin which are used to describe theirs. She seduced God's servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols, offenses which in those days seem to haye been in- separable.
The leader in this error in the Thyatiran church was a woman, possibly the pastor's wife. Such a sin, on the part of such a person, was one of fearftd aggravation ; and yet Ood did not at once punish her. ''I gave her space to repent of her fornication ; and she repented not." In some way Ood had warned her of her sin, and had threatened her with punishment^ but she would not repent and turn from the sins which she loved. During all this trial of the divine patience, the pastor and office bearers of the church had suffered her to continue in her immoral practices, which show- ed that she was the very opposite of what her name signifies ; for Jezebel, or Isabel], as the name stands in our language, means chaste. That they should suffer her thus to continue seems almost incredible, but they did. Does not this fact furnish additional confirmation to the supposition that she was the pastor's wife? For would so much forbearance have been exer- cised towards one who did not stand in intimate relationship with those whose duty it was to exercise discipline ? No doubt they thov^ht they had some excuse for their forbearance, but the Saviour thought otherwise, and he administered to them this sharp rebuke, which must have cut them to the heart.
3. The next part of the Saviour's message is a fearful threatening, " Behold, I wiU cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds." The sin of Jesebel and her followers was great, but their day of grace had not ex- pired, though it was rapidly drawing to a close. If they would exercise repentance, which includes sorrow for the past and reformation in the fu- ture, they would obtain the favor and promise of Gk)d; but if not, he would turn their bed of adultery into a bed of sickness, and their sin into great tribulation. There is often a strange correspondence between sin and its punishment. Jacob deceived his father, and he was deceived by his chil- dren. David violated the sanctities of the family, and the sanctities of his family were violated. In our own day, lewdness is followed by languish-
58 LECTURE VII.
ing and loathesomeneBS. So it would be with the vile adulterers of Th ja- tira. Their bed of pleasure would be turned into a bed of pain.
They would not only suffer pain, their pain would be unto death. '^And I will kill her children with death." By what means they would be brought to death, is not expressly stated ; but it seems to be implied that it would be through some disease which was the natural result of their sinful life, and a judgment upon it.
This judgment, in whatever form it would come, was designed not only for the punishment of Jezebel and her fellow sinners, but also for the in- struction of all. ^^All the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts." In scripture language, the reins are re- garded as the seat of the passions, and the heart as the seat of the affec- tions. Therefore, in the words we are now considering, the Saviour claims the attributes of God, in that he knows the secret passions and affections of men ] and the punishments which he sends upon them, and which cor- respond sometimes in form, always in degree, with the sins for which they are sent, show that his claims are well founded. His judgments are the jud^ni^ents of one who is omniscient as well as omnipotent.
This threatened judgment, when it came, would be nothing new under the sun ; it would be in accordance with the principle announced here and in many other places in the inspired word. "I will give unto every one of you according to your works." This promise or threatening, for it may be either a promise to those who humbly strive to do the works of God, or a threatening to those who serve Satan, is not fully executed in this life, but it will be fulfilled to the very letter when all men will stand before the bar to be judged according to the deeds done in the body.
4. The next part of the Saviour's message is an earnest exhortation, " But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already, hold last till I come." The first clause of verse 24 should read, " but I say unto you, even the remnant in Thyatira.'' Our translation conveys the idea that the per- sons who are here addressed are different persons from those who are ealled the remnant of Thyatira. This is not correct. This remnant is composed of those who are true members of the church. This is evident from the description which follows. They are described in the first place as those who *'have not this doctrine"; that is, they had not been cor- rupted by the teaching and example of Jezebel. They are also described as those who ''have not known the depths of Satan.'' The depths of Satan, what are they ? They are the deep arts with which he beguiles men, and the deep sins into which he leads them. There were men in the church in the days of John, and there have been many since his day, who said it was a Christian duty to know the depths of Satan. They said, how can a man resist Satan unless he knows what Satan's wiles are ? They
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA. 59
said that it was a small thing to despise pleasure and to live above it, if one eyer fled from its presence. The true victory was to visit the place where sinners gathered, to feel the force of temptation, to indulge in sin, and yet to keep the upper hand of it ; the true victory was to give the body to the lusts of the flesh, and yet maintain a mind above these things. Thus they prated about "the depths of Satan/' as they called them, which it was their duty to &thom. Are there not such persons in our own day ? If I mistake not, there are those who say, the right thing to do is not to ab- stain from intoxicating drinks, but while indulging in them to have full power over our own will; the right thing to do is not to keep away from the drinking saloon, the gambling hell, and the place of sinful amusement and doubtful propriety, but while visiting them and seeing and sharing their pleasures, to keep the mind uncontaminated ; the right thing to do is not to avoid ungodly companions, but while associating with them and going where they go and doing what they do, to remain unharmed ; the right thing to do is to know "the depths of Satan," but while knowing them to live above them. Such men preach an impossibility, for no man can take fixe in his bosom and his clothes not be burned.
There were such men in Thyatira. They held the doctrines of Jezebel and maintained that it was their duty to know the depths of Satan. But there were others in Thyatira who did not hold this doctrine ; who did not think it needful for them to know from experience what the depths of sin are ; who did not think it necessary to go to this school of Satan to learn the full measure of evil ; and who were content with the simple knowledge of the good. To them the Saviour addresses his words of exhortation. He would put upon them no other burden than the one they were already called to bear. They were still to abstain from and protest against the abominations by which they were surrounded. He would impose upon them no additional burden, on condition that they would hold fast what they had. Whatever of sound doctrine and holy living they had attained, they were to hold so firmly that no one could wrest it from them. This firm faithful- ness was to continue till the Lord should come to receive them to himself. Then the long struggle against error and for truth would come to an end, and they would enter their reward.
IV. The promise to the final victor b contained in verses 26-28. "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations : and he shall rule them with a rod of iron ; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers ; even as I received of , Ct
my Father. And I will give him the morning star." Those who obtain r ^ ,^ the victory over their spiritual foes are to reign, but they reign only be- ^ ^'* « cause Christ reigns, and they are united with him ; they are to have power over the nations only because Christ, with whom they are united, is "King of
60 LECTURE VII.
kings and Lord of lords" ; they are to rule with a scepter of iron, which cannot be resisted or broken only because Christ, with whom they are united, is the omnipotent one. All this is evident, because the words which are quoted from Psalm 2, and which describe the submission and destruction of the church's enemies, were in the first instance spoken with reference to Christ. But Christ here applies them to his saints, thereby intimating that they have a part in his future triumph, and a share in his fiiture gloiy. This is a blessing which it is the Saviour's to give, for he has received it of the Father. As he said to his own when he was here on earth, so he is saying to them yet, and so will he continue to say to them till his words have received their complete fulfillment, " I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father has appointed unto me.*'
The Saviour promises to give to his victorious ones not only a kingdom but also '^ the morning star." Can any one ask, what is meant by the morning star, when this same Saviour has said in the concluding words of this book, ''I am the bright and morning star"? Jesus is himself the morning star. He therefore promises to give himself to his saints, to im- part to them of his glory, and to share with them his royal dominion. What a sublime promise ! The morning star which shines in our heavens is a near fore-runner of the approaching day ; so he who receives the star of the celestial morning may know that he is about to enter the unclouded glory of the unending day.
Y. Well then may the Saviour, for the encouragement of his tried and battling ones, conclude this epistle with the usual call to attention and obedience. " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." This call is for us. The members of the church of Thyatira are sleeping in their unknown graves ; the city of Thyatira itself can hardly be found ; but Jezebel has her followers yet *, there is yet need of encouragement and faithfulness ; the promise yet holds good. Then, for the sake of the glorious kingdom, for the sake of the morning star, and above all for the sake of him who promises even to us the kingdom and the star, let us hold fast that which we have already till he comes to receive us to himself.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SABDIS. 61
LECTURE VIII.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS.
And unto 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 art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are readv to die : for I have not found thy works perfect &fore God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and tnou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments ; and they shall walk with me in white : for they are worthy. He that over- cometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. — Bey. 8 : 1-6.
The epistle to the church in Sardis is one of the saddest and sharpest of them all. In the other churches the Saviour finds a few things to con- demn ; in this church he finds only a few things to praise, for in Sardis there were only a few names which had not defiled their garments.
L The command to write this epistle is in these words: " and unto the angel of the church in Sardis write." The seven cities of Asia have already been described as located something in the form of a horse- shoe, with its toe turned towards the north. From Patmos to Ephesus, from Sphesos to Smyrna, and from Smyrna to Pergamos, we followed the .west nde of the shoe; from Pergamos to Thyatira, we followed the crown; and now we begin our return on the east side, for Sardis was about forty miles south of Thyatira.
Sardis was one of the famous cities of antiquity. Though this is the only connection in which its name is mentioned in the Scriptures, page after page of profiine history is occupied with the story of its riches and its beauty, its defeats and its victories. It was the chief city of Lydia, one of the provinces of Asia. It was situated on the banks of the river Pac- tolus, famed in ancient story for the golden sands which its waters washed down from the mountains beyond. It was the capital of the kingdom of Croesus, whose wealth, gathered in part from the gold-washings of the river which flowed by his city, was so great that " as rich as Croesus " has been a proverb in all the ages. It might be interesting to recall some of the incidents in the life of this distinguished man ; to tell of the famous re- ply of the heathen oracle, '' when thou crossest thy boundary, thou shalt destroy a kingdom" ; a reply which led him to make war with the Persians and to lose his own throne ; to tell of his interview with Solon, during which that great philosopher warned him of the instability of riches; to
62 LBOTUBE VIII.
tell how the remembrance of that interview and the repetition of the name of Solon saved his life when Cyras, his conqueror, was abont to put him to death. But as these incidents, and many others which might be gathered up from history, would throw no light on the passage which we are now considering, it would be a waste of time to dwell upon them. Let this only be borne in mind. The inhabitants of Sardis, we are told, were held in ill repute, even among the ancients, for their voluptuous habits of life. This must be remembered, or we will not appreciate the full force of the words, " thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments." It will give emphasis and pathos to the threatenings of this epistle, to remember that a few miserable huts and acres of crumbling ruins are all that now remain of that city whose beauty was so great that even the riches of Croesus could not make it more beautiful.
II. Let us now notice the titles by which the Saviour reveals him- self to the church of Sardis, ''These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and 'the seven stars." These titles are not new to us ; we have already heard them and tried to apprehend their meaning. The Holy Ghost is here called 'Hhe seven Spirits of God " to indicate the per- fection of his manifold operations, for seven is the symbol of perfection. Christ is said to have the Holy Ghost, because the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Christ and proceeds from the Son as well as from the Father. This is in accordance with what the Saviour says in his farewell address to bis disciples : '* when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father^ even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." Therefore, it can be said that the Spirit is sent to do Christ's will, just as it is said that Christ was sent to do the Father's will.
The Saviour has also " the seven stars," and the seven stara are the angels of the seven churches; that is, still remembering that seven is the number of perfection, the seven stars are Christian ministers in all the di- versified and perfect work which their Master has given them to do. The Saviour holds all ministers in his hands. They are his ; his to do what he bids, to go where he sends, to speak what he commands. It is well for them, and for all who are engaged in teaching in any department of the church, to remember this, for this thought will be to every one of them a warning and an encouragement.
These titles were selected by omniscience with special reference to the circumstances of the church in Sardis. That church was growing cold and lifeless. The flickering lamps of their piety were dimly burning. It was well to remind them that their Saviour held in his hand the Holy Ghost, who is the great source of all spiritual influences, and the ministers of the word, who are the great instruments by which these spiritual influences are brought to bear on men. If they wished their souls to be revived, and
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHUBOH IN SARDIS. 63
the lamps of their piety to shine with renewed brightness, they must seek the desired blessing alone from him who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.
in. The Saviour's mbssaqb to the church of Sardis is contained in verses 1-4. This message consists of four parts, viz., the usual declaration of knowledge, an exhortation, a threatening, and a word of praise.
1. We have the usual dedairatimi of knowledge* The first clause of this declaration, '^I know thy works," is explained in the second dause, '* that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." By a veiy common figure of Scripture, death denotes a state of sin ; as for example when Paul says, '' and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." By another closely related figure, life denotes the state of a regenerated and saved soul. The meaning, then, of the words under consideration is this : the members of the church in Sardis professed to be Christians, but they were in a state of sin, they were not Christians, their profession was but a name. Of course this description does not apply to all the members of that church, for there were some who had not defiled their garments. And if I mistake not, these words mean something more than that they had made a profession of religion, while they were in a state of unbelief. They mean that the members of the church in Sardis had a name and re- putation for piety through all that region of country ; they were celebrated as a model church; men pointed to them as an example in the management of their church affairs, and in all the externals of their religion ; and yet all the time they were dead in trespasses and sins. Are there no such model churches in the days in which we live ? Are there no churches which devote their time and attention to those things which will make a show before the world, and, while their praise is in every one's mouth, are lifeless ? A condition more sad could not be described. Better be dead and know it, than be a ghastly skeleton clothed with the semblance of life ! If there are any of us who have reason to suspect that this is our state in the sight of God, let us enter with diligence upon the work of self- examination, for it is not a reputation for piety, but a livmg and saving faith, which is the unfailing characteristic of the people of God.
2. The Saviour's message to the church of Sardis contains an earned est^hortatum. '* Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die : for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fiist, and repent." The first part of the exhortation has reference to that watch- fulness which is so often enjoined upon the soldier of the cross. His enemies are numerous and powerful, and he has to watch their plans. His own weakness is great, and he has to watch his infirmities. His duties are many, and he has to watch the time and place in which they should be
64 LEGTUBE VIII.
performed. But watchfulness was especiallj neoessaiy for those who, like the church of Sardis, had fallen into a state of moral death. To all such, the Saviour's command is, " awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light''
A second part of the exhortation is, '^ strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die." The members of that church still possessed some languishing graces, which seemed just ready to perish ; and it was their duty to cultivate and cherish these graces, and to inspire them* with new and vigorous life. The garden of the soul is filled with tender plants. Even when they are in the most flourishing condition, a rude blast will cause them to wither and fade; but when they are the reverse of flourishing, when they are ready to die, they require most tender care.
A reason is assigned why this watching and strengthening were neces- sary, viz., "for I have not found thy works perfect before God." The word which is here translated " perfect" is not the one which is usually translated by this term ; it literally means complete or fall. Their works had not reached the full standard of what was expected of them ; they had coiyie short of what was required at their hands ; they may have thought themselves diligent in every good word and work ; and their words and works may have seemed complete to their fellow men ; but they were not complete before God. Of what Christian, of what church, of what community is not this true ? Whom may not the Saviour reproach with this veiy language ?
The third part of the Saviour's exhortation is, ^'remember therefore how thou hast received and heard." When they first heard the gospel their hearts were filled with joy, and they heard it with gladness ; they thought they could not do too much for the gospel or love their Saviour too well ; but these times of delight,'^ when first they found the Lord," had passed away. They now revised to hear the word, or heard it with coldness. The Saviour exhorts them to look back to the days when they gave themselves to Christ, and to remember the joy they then found in the way of duty. It is always well for Christians to call to mind the days of their espousals, when their souls were filled with all the love of the new convert ; for such an exerdse, if blessed of God, will lead them to do again their first works.
The fourth part of the Saviour's exhortation is, " hold fast." It was their duty to remember the truths which they had received in the early part of their Christian life, and to hold them with a firmness which could not be shaken.
The fifth part of the Saviour's exhortation is, "repent." It was their duty to sorrow over their departure from their first love and from the first truths they had received ; to make again their former attainments ; and to press forward to still greater ones. All this is included in evangelical re- pentance.
3. The Saviour's message to the church of Sardis contains a fearful
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SABDIS. 65
ihrtatening, " I€ therefore thou thalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." When Christ was here on earth he twice compared his coming to the coming of a thief. This figure seems to have taken a strong hold on the minds of the early Christians. Paul uses it to descrihe the same event; so does Peter ; so does John. And this figure does describe, in a most impressive manner, the suddenness of the Saviour's coming in his judgments. Even those who were not enlightened by the gospel knew that the judgments of heaven could not be foreseen. The Greeks had a proverb that the feet of the avenging deities were shod with wool ; and this proverb expresses the uni- versal experience of the race. The adverse providences of Qod approach our hearts and homes with a noiseless step, and they may be near at hand when we think they are far ofi". Christ has oflen come to inflict deserved punishment on the ungodly, and these comings of his have generally been as unexpected as the coming of a thief in the night. So it was with the fiery rain by which the cities of the plain were blotted out of existence ; 80 it was with the ruin which came upon the deluded inhabitants of Jeru- salem ; so it was with the deluge, for men were eating and drinking, and marrying and ^ving in marriage, until the flood came and swept them all away ; so it will be in that great day of judgment which is to come upon all the world ; in such an hour as men think not the Son of man will come ; so it was to be in the church of Sardis in case its members did not repent. While they were dreaming in fancied security the Saviour would come as a thief in the night, and before they were aware of it, their spiritual treasures would be taken away. How many have been thus visited and in a moment have been reduced to endless poverty I
4. The Saviour's message to the church of Sardis contains a tmaU measure ofipraite. " Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments ; and they shall walk with me in white : for they are worthy." There is this difierence between the church of Sardis and the churches whose condition we have considered : against each one of them the Saviour had some special fault to find. One had left its first love ; another retained in its communion the followers of Balaam ; another tolerated Jexebel and her disciples ; but against this church the Saviour mentions nothing special. There was a general decline. One point of faith and practice was as weak and as worthy of blame as another. But even in a church in which there was such a general decline of piety, even in the city of Sardis, which was notorious for its voluptuousness, there were a few persons who had not defiled their garments. The garments here spoken of are not the white raiment spoken of in the next verse ; they are not the linen robes, clean and white, which are spoken of elsewhere in this book. The latter refer to the apparel of the saints in glory ; the former to the apparel of the saints on the earth, the garments of a true Christian
6
66 LEOTURE VIII.
profession. There are many ways in whioh such garments may be defiled. The apostle James speaks of the defilement which comes from the world ; ^* pure religion and undefiled before G-od and the Father is this : to visit the fiitherless and widows in their affliction and- to keep himself. unspotted from the world." Jude speaks of the defilement whioh comes from the flesh ; *' hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." The robes of our profession are liable to more frequent and filthy defilement from the flesb than j&om the world. The lusts of the flesh are so mingled with amiable impulses, they have so many plausible excuses, they are always carried about with us, they enter places from whioh the world is easily shut out. They go with the hermit into the desert, with the monk into his cell, with the Christian into his retirement, that the wonder is that garments spotted by the flesh are not more numerous than they are.
In Sardis there were a few saints whose garments were white, and whose hearts were pure. They must sometimes have fallen into sin, for no saint is sinless, but when their garments become spotted, they washed them again in the blood of the Lamb. On this account the Saviour praises them. For their encouragement he assures them that in the future world they would walk in white; their undeflled garments would be changed into white robes, which no impurity could adhere to or stain. And they were not only to be clothed in white, they were also to *^ walk," a word which indicates their freedom and untiring activity. And they were to walk with the Saviour himself, and enjoy unending communion with him. This privilege was to be theirs, "for they were worthy." But worthiness must be regarded as relative and not as absolute. It is founded, not on perfect obedience, but on faith. They are worthy by the law of free grace, though they are not worthy by the law of justice.
IV. The Saviour's promise to the final victor is contained in verse 5. *' He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment ; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels." Let it be remembered that this promise is not alone for the members of the church of Sardis, but for all those who have ears to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. The enemies by whom we are surrounded, and the confiict wliich must precede our final victory, need not again be described. I will notice only the victors' three-fold reward.
1. He that overcometh "shall be clothed in white raiment." White is the emblem of innocence, and therefore it is the color of heaven. The Saviour and all the great multitude which he is leading to glory are rep- resented as wearing shining robes of purest white. Those who have kept their garments unspotted while they walked in the midst of the unnum- bt3red defilements of the present life, will have still brighter garments
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS. 67
given to them in the world to come. They will have all the holiness, and all the peace, and all the honor, which are shadowed forth by their peculiar raiment. Happy are they whose unspotted robes on earth give unfailing promise of the white raiment of heaven.
2. The victors are not only to wear the robes of victory, their names are to stand forever in " the book of life." Heaven is here compared to a city, in which the most perfect order reigns. The names of all its citi- zens are written in a book of record, which is here and elsewhere called the *^ book of life," for those whose names are written therein are heirs of Kfe, and of all the blessings of the celestial city. In one place this book is called " the Lamb's book of life.'^ The names which are written therein can never be erased. The book is in the keeping of the Almighty one, and no one is able to pluck it out of his hand. Those whose names are written therein will never be forgotten, for their names are written in the blood of the great sacrifice. Happy are they whose faith gives assurance that they are enrolled among the citizens of the city of Ood.
3. In addition to all this, the victors are to be openly acknowledged by their Saviour in the presence of G>od and of the holy angels. While they are here on earth, he is not ashamed to call them brethren, neither will he be ashamed to call them brethren when they stand by his side before the bar of the Heavenly Father. Happy are they, whose confession of Ohrist before men gives evidence that they will be confessed before the assembled universe.
v. We have the usual call to attention and obedience, which is addressed to us as well as to the seven churches of Asia. " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
Let me say a ooncluding word to those of us who have a name to live. We have made a public profession of faith. It may be that we regard ouneives, and that others regard us, as model Christians and a model church ; we may flatter ourselves that we are walking in all the ordinances of the Lord blameless ; and yet it may be that we are dead. How can we determine whether we have spiritual life ? Just as we determine whether we have bodily life. Is the soul in exercise ? Is it seeking Glod and com- muning with Qtod, and praying to Gtod, and doing the works of God? Tried by this test, how many of us are alive, though we have a name to live ? How many of us are dead ! All such should hear and heed the words, " awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead." " Be watch- ful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die."
68 LECTURE IX.
LECTURE IX.
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA.
And to the an^el 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 no man shutteth ; and shutteth, and no man openeth ; I know thy works : be- hold, I have set before thee an open door, ana no man can shut it : for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will ms&e them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and 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. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come*^upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly : hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him tnat overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my Grod, and he shall go no more out : and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God : and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. — Rev. 3 : 7-18.
I. In the epistle to the church in Philadelphia, we have, in the first place, THE Savioub's command to wbitb this epistle. *'And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write.'' The only thing here which requires attention at our hands, is the location and histoiy of Philadelphia. This city was situated about forty miles south-east of Sardis. In our excursion among the churches of Asia, we are now on our return journey towards Patmos, the place of beginning. It was the second place in importance in the province of Lydia, and the great wine market for all that region of country. It was so often shaken with earthquakes, that a Greek historian calls it "the city of many earthquakes" ; a fact which gives peculiar emphasis and appropriateness to the concluding promise that the members of the Phila- delphian church would, in the world to come, be made pillars in a glorious temple, which could never be shaken or destroyed. Though this city had a large population, it does not occupy a distinguished place in history. With the exception of its earthquakes and its wines, and from what we can learn the latter seem to have been as fatal to its prosperity as the former, there was nothing to lift it into prominence. It received its name from PhOadel- phus, by whom it was builded. It is stOl a place of considerable size when compared with the other interior towns of Aisia Minor, containing about three thousand houses, and some ten or twelve churches, but with not enough Christians, and they of a doubtfol reputation, to fill one-fourth of these places of worship.
Permit me to read a few sentences from Gibbon's " Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," which describe in graphic words the present condition of the once famous cities of Asia, and especially that of Philadelphia. And while yon will perceive the manifest ridicule which the infidel historian
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA. 69
flings at prophecy and religion, you will not fail to notice that he writes almost like one who believes that the promises and threatenings of God are fulfilled in history.
" In the loss of Ephesus, the Christians deplored the &11 of the first angel, the extinction of the first candlestick of the Revelation ; the desola- tion is complete : and the temple of Diana or the church of Mary will equally elude the search of the curious traveler. The circus and the three stately theaters of Laodicea are now peopled with wolves and foxes ; Sardis is reduced to a miserable village ; the God of Mohammed, without a rival or a son, is invoked in the mosques of Thyatira and Pergamos, and the popu- iousnesB 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 aU sides by the Turks, her valiant citizens defended their religion and freedom above four score years, and at length capitulated with the proudest of Otto- mans. 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 honor and safety may sometimes be the same."
II. Next, we have the three titles by which the Saviour reveals himself to the Philadelphian church.
1. The Saviour calls himself the "holy" one. This attribute of holi- ness is repeatedly ascribed to Christ. David spake of it when he said, " neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption" ; words which the inspired writers of the New Testament have taken up and laid upon the shoulders of Jesus of Nazareth. Gabriel spake of this attribute when he said to the astonished maiden of Galilee, " that holy thing that shall be bom of thee shall be called the Son of God." Peter spake of it when he called the prince of life " the holy one and the just." Paul spake of it when he said that our high priest was " holy, harmless, undefiled and separ- ate from sinners." This attribute of holiness in all its fullness cannot be ascribed to the angels, for God charges his angels with folly ; it cannot be ascribed to men^ for there is not one on earth that doeth good and sinneth not ; it belongs only to him who is God over all, blessed forever.
2. The Saviour also calls himself the <Hrue" one. This attribute of truthfulness is often ascribed to Christ. When he was here on earth, he said of himself, << I am the way, the truth and the life"; and his disciples, especially John the beloved, have repeated this thought in an endless variety of forms. The Saviour cannot deceive. He speaks that which is. A prom- ise of his is as much to be relied on as is the actual fulfillment. But the title which the Saviour here claims for himself means something more than that he is truthful ; it means also that he is true. He is not a pretender. He is nothing more and nothing less than he claims to be, the Son of God and the Saviour of every one that believes in his name.
70 LECTURE IX.
3. The Saviour also olaims to have supreme power over the kingdom of heaveu to admit or exclude whomsoever he will. '^ He that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth ; and shutteth, and no man openeth/' David was a type of Christ, and therefore the house of David can mean nothing else than the Saviour's heavenly home, the glori- fied church. To show his power over this church, the Saviour quotes and applies to himself a well known passage from the book of Isaiah, which primarily referred to the removal of one treasurer and the appointment of another. A key is the badge of office, a symbol of power. He who car- ries the key can open and shut the door at bis pleasure. And Christ carries the key of his church triumphant. It is true, he has committed the keys of the visible church to his servants here on earth, but he retains the administration of the church invisible, in his own hands. If there is any error in their binding and loosing, as there will sometimes be, ''if they make sad any heart which he has not made sad, if they speak peace to any heart to which he has not spoken peace, his judgment shall stand, and not theirs." When he opens the door for any soul to enter, no power in earth or in hell can shut it ; when he shuts the door, no power can open it. The church in heaven is the Saviour's home, and of that home he alone carries the key.
It was well to remind the members of the church in Philadelphia, and it is well to remind us of these things. If our Saviour is holy, we should be holy ; if he is truthful and true, we should be truthful and sincere; if he carries the keys of heaven, we may be sure that none can steal our crown or shut us out from our recompense of reward.
III. The Saviour's actual message to the Philadelphian church, as contained in verses 8-11, consists of three parts, viz., a declaration of knowledge, a particular promise, and an earnest exhortation.
1. The first thing in the message is the usual declarcUion of knowledge. The introductory formula, with which the message to each church begins, '' I know thy works," is explained in the words that follow. The Saviour knew that there was an open door before the members of the church of Philadelphia. *' Behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." The phrase, '* an open door," is frequently used by Paul. In one place, he tells that a '^ great door and effectual " was opened before him in Ephesus. In another place, he tells that a "groat door" was opened unto him in Troas. In another place, he asks the Colossians to pray that Ood would open for him "a door of utterance." In all these, and similar passages, the meaning of the phrase is obvious. It refers to opportunities for doing good. And it may be that this is its meaning here. The members of the church of Philadelphia had opportunities for doing good. They could preach the gospel and in other ways bring the
THE EPISTLE TO THE CHUBGH IN PHILADELPHIA. 71
truth to tbe knowledge of their fellow men. There were dying souls all around them, and if they did not do their duty to these dying souls there was no hope for their salvation. But the words, ^'an open door/' refer- ring back to what the Saviour had just said, may point to the fact that they had free access to their heavenly home. Probably the phrase includes both of these ideas, for it can be said thai work for Christ on earth is the door through which the Christian enters into the enjoyment of Christ in heaven.
This door, whether it refers to opportunity for doing good, or to access to heaven, or to both, cannot be shut. Wherever the Christian's lot is cast, there is Christian labor to be performed; wherever the Christian dies, from that place there is an easy and shining road to the gates of the celestial city. And this door, which leads to the Christian's Work and the Chris- tian's heaven, can never be shut.
The Saviour also knew that they had ^' a little strength." They were probably a little flock, poor in this world's goods, and despised in the eyes of their fellow-citizens; they had but little strength, and yet that strength had been used for the Saviour's glory. This he knew, for he had put them to the test, and they had kept his word and had not denied his name. They had obeyed the commandments which he had given them as a rule of life. When they had been persecuted and brought before the civil magistrates, who tried to make them renounce their allegiance to Christ, they were faithful to the name by which they had been called. The Sa- viour knew all this, and for this he praised the members of the church in Philadelphia. And they deserved the praise. It is an easy thing for those who have great strength, either from their wealth, their learning, or their social standing, to be faithful to Christ; but when those who have but little strength, who are looked down upon by their fellows, who are surrounded by all the disadvantages and persecutions which are wont to gather around the lowly, are faithful, they deserve and receive commenda- tion from him who judges not from the outward appearance but from the heart.
2. The next thing in the Saviour's message is a particular promise to this weak and despised church of Philadelphia. " Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and 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. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I dso will keep thee from the hour of temptation^ which shall come upon all the wwld, to try them that dwell upon the earth." It seems that the persecutions from which the Philadelphian Christians suffer- ed, came mainly from the Jews. We know that, in that age of the world, the Jews were the most bitter persecutors of the church. They prided themsdves on being the descendants of Abraham, and the only members
72 LECTURE IX.
of the true church ; but their conduct showed that they did not have the spirit of Abraham, or of the faithful church, of which Abraham was the ^Either. They belonged rather to the synagogue of Satan ; they were his followers ; they took delight in doing his pleasure. And the first part of the special promise to the church of Philadelphia is that the Saviour would so arrange matters in his providence, as to make it appear to all the world that these persecuting Jews were the servants of Satan. Just how he would reveal their true character and make it hideous, we are not told, but this could easily be accomplished by him who holds all things in his hands.
The second part of the special promise is, that the Saviour would make some of these persecuting Jews come and worship at the feet of the Phil- adelphian Christians, and know the divine love toward them. He would so bless their labors, their example and their influence, that even their en- emies would be converted, would come and join in their worship, and would see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts that the Christian church was the church of Jehovah's love. And though history does not record the fulfillment of this promise, we may be sure that it has been fulfilled, for in every century the vail has been removed from some Jewish hearts, who have then been able to recognize the Messiahship of Je^us of Nazareth. Some of the brightest names among Christian theo- logians and philosophers, have been the names of men who have had the right to call Abraham their father according to the flesh.
The third part of the special promise is expressed in the words, ''be- cause thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth/' Great calamities were to come upon the world, and great persecutions upon the church. Calamities and persecu- tions are temptations, that is, trials, for they are sent to try them that dwell upon the earth. They test the faith and constancy of the people of Gk>d, and put all others to the proof whether they will repent and turn to the Lord, against whom they had hardened their hearts in the days of their prosperity. But when such seasons of trial came, and they came frequently during the first centuries of the Christian era, the Saviour would keep the members of the Philadelphian church. The promise is not that he would keep them from such temptation, but that he would keep them in such temptation. He would not give them over to their enemies, he would not sufler their faith to fail, so that in their experience would be fulfilled the words, " blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him." Behold here the correspondence between the promise and the duty performed on which the promise is founded. " Be- cause thou hast Icept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee."
EPISTLE TO THE GHUBCH IN PHILADELPHIA. 73
*'The word of patience" is the Saviour's word, which enjoins patience. One great characteristic of the word is that it commands patient labor, par tient enduring, and patient waiting. Those who keep this word will them- selves be kept. This correspondence between the duty and the reward is often to be noticed. '' Them that honor me I will honor." '^ He that confesseth me before men, him will I confess before mj Father in heaven.'' 3. The next thing in the Saviour's message is <m earnest exhortation : '' Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." The speedy coming of Christ, which is so often referred to in the New Testament, especially in this book, and which is to be accomplished for every believer at the hour of his death, and for the church and the world at the time of the second advent, is a word of fear to those who are living in carelessness and sin, but a word of comfort and strength to those who are faithftdly and patiently waiting for the recompense of the reward. The members of the church of Philadelphia belonged to this second class ; and therefore ihe Saviour, pointing to his speedy coming, exhorts them to hold fast to the &ith they possessed and to the attainments they had made. There was occasion for such holding fast, for their crown of glory might be taken away. Of course this figure is not to be pressed beyond its propejr measure. No Christian would rob another of his crown if he could. No enemy is able to rob the Christian of his crown. But these enemies are ever making the attempt, and though they cannot entirely succeed, they can mar its brightness, if the Christian is not on his guard. We know that