Commentary on the Book of Revelation; Chapters 1-5
by Dave Brown
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Revelation - Overview and Flow of the Book
General Comments on Revelation
Go to Revelation Chapters 6-10
Go to Revelation Chapters 11-15
Go to Revelation Chapters 16-19
Go to Revelation Chapters 20-22
Appreciation - Many thoughts and references are from notes developed by Bryan Gibson. The opinions given are those of Dave Brown.
We appreciate any suggestions for improving this commentary.
Revelation 1
1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants, (even) the things which must shortly come to pass: and He sent and signified (it) by His angel unto His servant John;
[God gave the Revelation to Jesus Christ, who in turn has given it to us (his servants). The book is largely prophesy, and these things will "shortly come to pass." This is a relative term and we know that some of the things in the book refer to the final judgment, which has not yet come to pass. But for the book to be relevant in the first century, some of these things were going to have to come to pass either in the first or second centuries. His angel is an angel of Jesus. Jesus sent the angel (which generically means messenger). The things in the book are "signified" -- that is, many are signs and not to be taken literally. A sign relates to the real thing -- it is something that is obvious (in an obvious spot and with obvious message), and it points to the real thing, thus giving an indication of what and where the real thing is. This is quite important when we interpret this book. The things presented are in terms of figurative language. This is not to obstruct, it is to clarify. But if we think that the sign is the real thing that it is pointing to, you can imagine how convoluted the understanding will become. Can you see the absurdity of someone standing at a highway sign and claiming that they have reached their target city destination? So it is with those who would cling to a sign as being the real thing.]
2 who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, (even) of all things that he saw.
[This is talking about John who wrote the things down that we are reading. What he is writing is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus that came through the angel, but also things that John saw directly in heaven.]
3 Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.
[This is you and me as well as those in the first century. This relates to "shortly." While for sure some of the things were going to happen within a few years, there are other principles laid down in the book of Revelation that relate to the nature of peoples and nations in general. For that reason they have application to us today. It could be that the specific event that is being referenced in the book is something that would happen related to the Roman empire. However, the Roman empire is not at all unlike your empire or my empire -- our respective countries. The nature of nations has not changed. The nature of power has not changed. The nature of war has only become worse. My point is that when we read these things we can in general relate them to our situations today -- in general, that is important. It is an error to make specific predictions -- there is no way that that can be done using the Bible alone, and those who claim to do it would have us believe that they have some special powers that you and I do not have. Thus, we have to enslave ourselves to them if we are going to take advantage of their "special powers." Believing that is very foolish. What does it say? -- "Blessed is he that reads and they that hear the words of this prophecy" -- that is you and me individually, not someone telling us what it means. "Keep the things that are written" -- there are commands given in this book that we have to keep. There are examples given that we have to follow. There are necessary inferences made that are binding on us to learn and to regard as sacred obligations that we have toward God. "The time is at hand." We live in the final time, and any one of us could die or be killed tonight. We should live our lives and render obedience to God recognizing that these things will shortly come to pass for us as they did for those of the first century because in the affairs of mankind, nothing really changes.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne;
[The figurative language has started -- surely there were more than seven churches in Asia that John wanted to read this book. Note when I say John wrote, I am talking about the Holy Spirit through John, and in this case perhaps the words of the angel of Jesus Christ. So, I am not trying to imply at all that John authored this ... we know he did not. But even here John himself is claiming figurative authorship. John did not literally create these thoughts. Sure, he wrote them down, But, as we will see in the next verse, it was actually Jesus who was conceiving the thoughts. The address: "Grace to you and peace" is a common salutation wishing them the grace of God and the peace of mind that results from our molding ourselves to the words revealed by that grace. Him who is and was and is to come must be God the Father, since Jesus is mentioned in the next verse as being an author as well. This established the eternal nature of God as opposed to our temporal natures. In the next verse we see Jesus as another author. So we have the Father and the Son, it would only be expected that the "seven Spirits that are before the throne" would map to the Holy Spirit. Some might object that the Holy Spirit is singular and not seven. We could equally argue that the Holy Spirit is infinite in number and not seven. Our ability is extremely limited to perceive of just what the Holy Spirit is. Certainly, He can go in seven or an infinite number of directions at once, and the number seven here is just one of completeness and perfection. So here I believe that the Holy Spirit is represented by these seven Spirits before the throne, although there is considerable controversy among the scholars in this regard. The alternative view is that these are seven angels who are before the throne and constantly ready to go forth and do the will of God. If this is the case can there be any doubt that the Holy Spirit would be in each one of them? Thus holding alternative positions on the exact meaning of "the seven Spirits" is not one that is critical to the message of Revelation.]
[The Number "7" When man began to analyze and combine numbers, he developed other interesting symbols. He took the perfect world number "4" and added to it the perfect divine number "3" and got "7," the most sacred number to the Hebrews. It was earth crowned with heaven--the four-square earth plus the divine completeness of God. So we have "7" expressing completeness through union of earth with heaven. This number runs throughout the book of Revelation, There are seven Spirits, seven churches, seven golden candlesticks, seven stars, seven sections to the book, each, save the last, divided into seven parts. The sacred number, multiplied by the compete number "10," resulted in the very-sacred "70." There were seventy member of the Jewish high court, Jesus sent out seventy prepared workers. In a sweeping figure he presented the idea of an unlimited Christian forgiveness when he told a disciple to forgive his brother seventy times seven. Source: Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press), pp. 21-25]
5a and from Jesus Christ, (who is) the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
[In reference to the salutation of grace and peace, it was also from Jesus, Taking advantage of this reference to further explain the nature of our Lord, it is stated that he is the faithful witness. A good reference for this is John 1:17-18 "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared (him)." This declaration, or witness, was "faithful" to the truth. Jesus so reflected the truth of the Father that he could say: "I and the Father are one." He is also the firstborn of the dead -- the first in rank as the oldest son was in the Jewish culture. All other persons will be resurrected at the time of the final judgment. And those of us who have been baptized for the remission of our sins are now resurrected from the dead when we were buried with Christ and arose to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-7). But the more natural reference here would be to the actual resurrection that all of us will experience from the grave when Jesus comes again. He is also "the ruler of the kings of the earth." This may not appear to be the case with all of the corruption and turmoil that we see around us, but we can be assured that there is ample reason for it, and that Jesus has the full capability to take total control at that point in time when the Father deems best.
5b Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;
6 and he made us (to be) a kingdom, (to be) priests unto his God and Father; to him (be) the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
[An extremely powerful sentence spanning these two verses. This is a restatement of what Peter said in 1 Peter 2:9-10: "But ye are a elect race , a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for (God's) own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." For those who are looking for a physical kingdom to be established some time in the future, all we can say is "you are missing it." Clearly it exists now, and for you to marginalize what is now and put your hope in another kingdom that is not even defined in the Bible is a great loss. We are a kingdom now; we are a royal priesthood now. Let us glorify God the Father for all that He has done for us NOW and let us not invent things that are of a worldly nature and substitute them for the great honor and blessings that we have in Jesus Christ now.
7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
[Speaking of Jesus. It will not be a hidden event. Clearly, it has not yet taken place. There will be judgment that has been described by Jesus and by his apostles. And so there will be great mourning from those who are not ready. Even so, Amen -- so be it -- let God's will be done.]
8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
[Is this speaking of God the Father or of Jesus Christ? Certainly it is true of both. The context is one of the coming of Jesus unto judgment, an event that will occur at the end of the world as we know it. The commentary on this is in Rev. 22:12-13: "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." The context identifies the speaker as Jesus. Who can possibly doubt his Divinity?
9 I John, your brother and partaker with you in tribulation and kingdom and patience (which are) in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
[There was great persecution of Christians at this time from several different directions. The tribulation was real as was the kingdom, as was the patience that Christians had at this time. John wrote from Patmos while in exile, but he does not see it as a burden but as an opportunity -- he was there "for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." It might seem to some that John was in great turmoil, but to John it was a great blessing.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet
[In the Spirit, as we can all be in the Spirit allowing the word of God to totally control our lives. Romans 8 uses the term "Christ in you" synonymously with the Holy Spirit in you. as does Paul in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that (life) which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, (the faith) which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me." But in this case John seems to be referring to a special time and perhaps a special place where he worshiped on the Lord's day, which is generally recognized to be the first day of the week. In the Spirit: "The fair meaning of the passage is, that he was at that time favored, in a large measure, with the influences of the Holy Spirit -- the spirit of true devotion; that he had a high state of religious enjoyment, and was in a condition not inappropriate to the remarkable communications which were made to him on that day." (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.). This term is also used in Revelation 4:2, 17:3 and 21:10, in which cases it may also infer that John was not physically moved to observe what was shown to him.
And as he was in this exalted state of prayer and meditation, he heard this great voice that had to be a surprise him ...]
11 saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send (it) to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
[So this is the initial charge to John to send the things that he will see and hear and write down to these seven churches. They had their issues and they had their faithful. We will learn much about them as we continue. But is it not strange that the letter was not sent to the ecclesiastical ruling body that governed all of the churches? Not at all, for such did not exist then, and would not exist now were it not for man-made doctrines that evolved out of the apostasy in the second and third centuries. Prior to that the only churches that existed on the earth were local churches.
12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks;
[John makes a simple statement about his vision. At this point we do not need to wonder what it means. Let us just see in our mind what John saw. Some versions call them lamp stands. It does not matter, but the image of a candle stick and its holder would certainly be in order ... let us not make it complicated.
13 and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.
[The being looked human in form -- easy for us to imagine -- with a long flowing garment and a golden band well above the waist to restrain the robe. We can easily see in our minds what John saw apparently with his eyes. This human like figure was in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, and there can be little doubt that this maps to Jesus Christ -- see verses 17-18.]
14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, (white) as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
[Don't worry abut the significance of all of this -- just see what John saw at this point. "As" indicates a simile -- his eyes were not flames -- they were just like flames in some regard ... in exactly what regard we can only imagine.]
15 and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.
[Burnished -- smoothed with a tool and polished -- not adulterated brass, but brass without a flaw, as brass that had been purged of all impurities. He was speaking and his voice was as the sound of much water flowing in a river, although no doubt the voice of a human.]
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength.
[This is what John saw. John was not asking what the significance of all of this was at this point -- it was just what he saw. He is telling us so that we can imagine what he saw; not so that we will start asking -- what does this mean or what does that mean. Just enjoy seeing what John saw, and if you want to make something of it, that is fine. Seven stars? it is hard to imagine how he could have seven literal stars in his right hand. It is hard to escape the figurative significance of these statements. Our rule should be: take everything literally unless there is a good reason not to. As we read this verse we might think that this COULD be literal. But then again, maybe not. Surely anyone who can hold seven stars in his right hand must be a being of power that we have never before experienced even to its smallest fractional degree. His power is clearly infinite. The two-edged sword reference brings to mind Hebrews 4:12: "For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart." We can conclude that when this being speaks that He is speaking the Word of God and that only. His countenance confirms His glory and might, reinforcing the figure of strength already conveyed. The literal mapping of these figures is deferred a few verses by the Holy Spirit and Jesus, but they will be revealed in verse 20 shortly.]
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last,
[We should not have to be told that this is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. But if there is any doubt it will be shortly dispelled. What would you expect John to do? -- he turns around and sees the sight that we can only imagine. All lessor appearances of angels (to our knowledge) recorded in the Bible indicate fear on the observer, and this is no exception. You and I are startled by people we know who might come into our presence without our being aware of it. Can you imagine seeing an angel, or this image of the Son of God? It had to be scary -- to the point that John become unresponsive to his ability to move ... as one dead. Jesus has other ideas for John and addresses him with tenderness, letting John know not only who He is, but of some of His characteristics. In this case -- "I am the first and the last" -- comparable to the Alpha and Omega statement above, with no beginning and no end, He is the eternal God.
18 and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
[The living one -- physically (not JUST spiritually). "I was dead" (physically -- Jesus was never dead spiritually). "Alive evermore" both physically and spiritually. Physically in the sense that Jesus can materialize his presence at will, as clearly he is doing here. It could be argued that this was just a vision that John was seeing, but what does it matter? He is alive in this sense evermore, as only God can be. He has the keys of death and Hades -- death being separation that could be either physical or spiritual; and Hades being the world of disembodied spirits. As it says in James 2:26: "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead." Some versions (KJV) have hell in here -- the KJV did not make a distinction between Hades and hell. But there is a big one. All disembodied spirits go to Hades and it has a great gulf fixed between those in Abraham's bosom and those in torment (see Luke 16:19-31). Keys -- control, domination, ownership -- we do not have to worry about death or Hades if we are in Christ.
19 Write therefore the things which thou saw, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter;
[Jesus is about to give instructions and messages to John. These in some way will allude to the past, but mainly they are related to things that currently are happening (or were at that time), and things that will be in the future.}
20 the mystery of the seven stars which thou saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.
[So our original guess as to the meaning of this figurative language was not far off. First that it WAS figurative, and second what those figures represent. That would be a mystery if we were not told. And we could never possibly guess or understand it -- there are other figures that we are left to wonder about, but not these. This is like a first grade course -- it starts out rather simple explaining everything as it goes along. The seven stars are angels to the seven churches (just 7? -- isn't everyone supposed to read this book and be blessed?) The seven candlesticks are the seven churches.. So then, what would it mean for a church to have its candlestick removed? I would expect that this would be saying that God would no longer regard them as being one of our Lord's churches. We (and they -- John and Jesus) are using the word "church" in its local sense -- local congregations. In the universal sense there are not multiple churches -- there is only one -- recall Jesus said: Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18) -- church, not churches. But each local area has its called out ones who meet together, and they are referred to as churches.
Revelation 2
2:1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things saith he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:
[So Jesus now begins to give instructions as to what to write to this church (established by Paul who left Priscilla and Aquila in Acts 18:19f, and later visited by Paul in Acts 19, and still later Paul addressed the elders of this church when in Miletus -- Acts 20:17ff.]
2 I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them that call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false;
[All quite commendable ... this shows the experience that they had been having with false teachers -- this is always a problem in any sound church. Evil will creep in, or sometimes those who are faithful will be corrupted. Clearly there were no apostles other than the original 11, Mathias who replace Judas, and Paul. It is quite commendable that the leadership at Ephesus would systematically rid themselves of those who were imposters.]
3 and thou hast patience and didst bear for my name's sake, and hast not grown weary.
[And so they still were holding the course -- at least some, and we would hope, most of them.]
4 But I have (this) against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love.
5 Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.
[What does it mean to leave thy first love? What are the greatest commandment in the law? -- to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves. Their first love was obviously God and their Savior, Jesus Christ. But they were in some way deficient in this regard, obviously loving the world far more than they should have, and we might expect that this was a general problem in this church. They were fallen and those who teach that it is impossible to fall from grace do so to their own destruction. Dozens of scriptures and examples indicate that the saved can fall. What was commanded them under these circumstances? Repent and get back to the works of love that characterized you when you were first converted. The threat is given that Jesus will remove their candlestick. I cannot see what this would mean other than he would stop regarding them as His church (called out).
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
[There is no record in the bible as to who the Nicolaitans were or what they taught. This could well be by design -- does it matter? Very clearly they had infiltrated the church or were at least trying to influence those who were Christians. The lack of definition here enables us to apply this to any group of false teachers. Equally as clear, their teachings were contrary to the truth. "By their works ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:16-20), and false teaching will inevitably lead to evil works. The Ephesians identified them and did what they could to withdraw and/or avoid these evil false teachers.]
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcomes, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.
[This is a verse that is LOADED with doctrines. First of all, it implies, as Jesus did when he was saying some things that were rather profound and might require some intense thought, that the things that he is saying may need some additional parsing and meditation. But it is also saying that we CAN hear it if we will listen. Second, it is the Spirit -- the Holy Spirit -- that is speaking to John. But, was it not Jesus' truth? Yes. Consider Acts 1:1-3: "The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God:..." If your boss gives you orders that are to be passed down to your subordinates, could we not say that it is both you and your boss that are giving these orders? Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit and in this regard, the words of the Holy Spirit are the words of Jesus, and vice versa. But Jesus and the Holy Spirit are still to be regarded as two separate entities. You might say you are one with your boss, but that does not mean that you ARE your boss -- only that you are in total agreement. "To him (the Christian) that overcomes" -- overcomes what? This will become clear if it is not already. The Nicolaitans, for example -- they were overcome. The works of the flesh -- they need to be overcome. The persecution that is expected -- that needs to be overcome. Note that salvation is not to everyone, but to those who persist and overcome. I take it that "eating of the tree of life" and residing in the "Paradise of God" are figures referring to salvation.
8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived (again):
[We have no reference to Smyrna anyplace in the New Testament except in this book. Interesting to note at this point that John is not commanded to write to the church or its elders -- he is commanded to write to the angel of the various churches. The word angel can have a variety of meanings, but its functional meaning is that of a messenger that is sent -- similar to the generic meaning of the word apostle. The idea is that the messenger will deliver the things written to all who are members of this church. It is again reiterated that the one giving the orders here is none other than Jesus Christ. As for Smyrna, this is one of only two (along with Philadelphia) churches that were not rebuked for their sins.]
9 I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they art not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
[So they were clearly in persecution and many had probably been cast out of the synagogue, which had dire economic consequences back at that time for the Jews. What were they to do? So the persecution and poverty went hand in hand. "But thou are rich" -- oh that we could hear such beautiful words said of us. We know this is speaking spiritually since he already stated their physical poverty. Sometimes there is a direct inverse relationship -- the richer we get the less we depend on God. So while we pray for spiritual riches we might also pray for physical poverty so that we can better appreciate the spiritual. The problem here is clear -- like so many churches that had a significant Jewish component, they were plagued by what we call Judaizers -- those who were trying to pull the Christians and especially Jewish background Christians back under the Law of Moses (e.g., see Acts 15). Why was this so bad that they would be called a synagogue of Satan? Quite simply -- if we can be saved by keeping the OT law then Jesus died for nothing. We should realize that we are no longer under that system of law, but are now under a system of faith, where God makes us righteous through faith by the blood of Jesus (Romans 1:16-17). We are still under a type of laws, but they are more in principle than in physical details that characterized the OT laws. Those laws were the shadow; we now enjoy the substance of salvation by grace through faith in God's righteousness, which Paul called a law of faith (Romans 3:27). "They say they are Jews." in this case, this means faithful to God through Jesus Christ. Nationality and religiously they were Jews, but in this context, the "true Jew" is dedicated to Jesus. ]
10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
[I think we can discern the literal and the figurative here. Being cast into prison is literal. Being tried probably had two meanings: (1) tried by those who are persecuting you, and (2) having their faith tried, as the New Testament often says when we are called upon to take a stand for Jesus (e.g., Hebrews 11:17 "By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten (son); ..." On the other hand -- "tribulation ten days" is an indication of a short period of time. Certainly a long enough time to feel the pains of whatever afflictions were going to be endured, but short enough to give hope that God had not forsaken them. And so the final qualifier is given: "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." Their faithfulness was not to waiver in the face of affliction and persecution even if it were to require their lives. This is a hard condition and we cannot expect salvation under any other circumstances. Nevertheless, we are promised that with every temptation God will give us a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:10), and that He will provide all that we need in times of trial. "The devil" here is Satan -- a very literal character. The crown of life is not unique to Revelation; see 1 Corinthians 9:25; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4.]
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.
[See verse 2:7. Once the background is established, this will be covered in more detail when we get to Revelation 21:8: "But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part (shall be) in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." Clearly this is the wrong side of judgment that we do not want to be on.]
12 and to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword:
[This is another church that we only read about in this context. The one who has the two-edged sword was identified as Jesus in chapter 1, although at that point it was stated that the sword was coming out of his mouth, But that should not be of relevance -- Jesus has physical power to wage war; generally God chooses to use the weaknesses of man in this regard to ultimately bring about good.]
13 I know where you dwell, (even) where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
[Another instance of a church location is not discussed outside of this context. However, since the location is mentioned to be "where Satan's throne is," we might consider its geography and history a bit closer:
Not only was Pergamos a government center with three imperial temples, but it was also the site of the temple of Asklepios (the Greco-Roman god of medicine and healing), and the medical center where the physician Galen worked (about A.D. 160). Here also was a temple to Athena and a temple to Zeus with an altar showing Zeus defeating snake-like giants. In the Book of Revelation, John spoke of Pergamos as the place "where Satan's throne is" (Revelation 2:13). This could be a reference to the cult of EMPEROR WORSHIP, because Pergamos was a center where this form of loyalty was pledged to the emperor of the Roman Empire.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
I doubt that Pergamum was unique in its wickedness, and it is a credit to this church that the persecution that they were enduring was noted to be so severe as to come from the throne of Satan.]
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.
While they were cited for being so strong to the point of giving their lives for the faith, there were a number of defects that they had. This shows that even when there is a perception of strength in a church, it can well have an underbelly that is not in accord with God's will. The problems were:
16 Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
[We need to realize that this warning would be of no use to us today at all if it were merely a local thing to the Christians at Pergamum. If we are going to be blessed in reading this book we need to recognize that whatever our sin might be, we need to repent of it, turn from it and ask for forgiveness as soon as possible. It is hard to contemplate the consequences of Jesus making war against us.]
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.
[The hidden manna -- can it be any better or different from the bread of life offered elsewhere by Jesus; e.g., John 6:35 "Jesus said unto them. I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall not hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst." While that figure is easy to interpret, a white stone is not mentioned elsewhere in the entire bible. But let us not try to make it into something that it is not. Can we imagine receiving a pure white stone that has a new name for us written on it -- a name given to us by Jesus Christ himself. We can almost take this literally. The only name given to God's people today (collectively) is the name Christian (1 Peter 4:16). I believed upon my first interpretation of this that it is talking to individual Christians, not to the church collectively. However, it could be recognized that while the word Christian is thrown around much in this day and age, only those who are legitimately of Christ know what it really means. The word is often used today without a clue as to its true meaning. And many Christians unfortunately, do the same thing. See also comments for 3:12. The positive aspects of being named and having the name written is also referenced in 14:1 and 22:4.
18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass:
[These figures are discussed at the end of chapter 1. If anyone would question that Jesus was not explicitly stated prior to this point it might indicate our being mistaken in concluding that it is Him. But this verse nails down that the one speaking is the "Son of God."]
19 I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first.
[This is quite a commendation -- faith and love both are motivators -- if we have them as we should, works will follow (James 2), and the works will confirm that we have them. Further, they have been growing in these things, again as indicated by their works.]
20 But I have (this) against thee, that thou suffers the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess; and she teaches and seduces my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
21 And I gave her time that she should repent; and she wills not to repent of her fornication.
[The historic wife of Ahab is documented from 1 Kings 16 through 2 Kings 9. The evil that she wroght is unimaginable, and her fate was well deserved. It seems difficult for us to believe that someone as wicked as this would be tolerated by the church at Thyatira. It is doubtful that anyone would be given this name, so this name is surely being used metaphorically. Could it be that they rationalized her worldly ways and in their desire to be worldly themselves did not realize the slippery slope they were sliding down? If so, could you think of a better way to inform them of their deficiency? The indication is that some may have confronted her for the sin that she was causing, but she did not take that opportunity to repent. That her fornication could have been literal is validated by 1 Corinthians 5 in which this type of sin was being practiced and apparently approved of by the church at Corinth. Also the Old Testament uses the words fornication and adultery to reference all kinds of sin, and that may well be the case here.
22 Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works.
[This is talking about erring Christians at Thyatira. The adultery may well be figurative of any sin, but we do not want to exclude the possibility that it is literal. In the Old Testament idolatry was often called spiritual adultery akin to leaving their spiritual husband, God the Father. The great tribulation of those who indulge in sin is an obvious reality. Venereal diseases, addiction, various mental afflictions, and often such distress and dissatisfaction with life that suicide follows. But whether this is the specific "great tribulation" or not cannot be resolved. This well could be talking about their eternal fate in hell.
23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searches the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.
[There is no more anguish than can come from the death of one's child; even contemplating it brings terror into the hearts of most parents. This is true in general, and only the most callous or the most wicked would not relate to the fear of such a loss. To "kill with death" is a Hebraism of repetition to emphasize the certainty of the threat. Whether this is literal or figurative is of little consequence. Ask yourself -- if it is figurative, what type of horror would it be figurative of? Does it really matter? Can you think of anything worse? The reins is an old expression for the inward parts; literally the kidneys. We no longer think of our inward parts as being the seat of our emotions, but we still refer to the heart in this same way. While neither is where our emotions originate, both enter into our feelings. It is Jesus who is speaking here and asserting His omniscience -- his ability to see into the heart, and the judgement that he issues to Jezebel and her lovers is something that should be well known and understood by us even if it has not yet come to pass. We will all be judged according to our works Revelation 20:13).]
24 But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden.
[Those who had not been influenced either by Jezebel or similar wicked influences, and thus do not know the teachings, which they (who are righteous) refer to as "the deep things of Satan." This reflects their attitude toward them. They are not just things of Satan, but the deep things of Satan, and thus they are taking precautions to flee from them. Jesus says he would cast upon them none other burden as opposed to those who were influences and who were cast into a bed of tribulation along with Jezebel. This could indicate that they were not called upon to explore the deep things of Satin. Sometimes it is best to know where NOT to go, and this may well be one of them. Let us remember: Ephesians 5:11-12: "... and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them; 12 for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of.]
25 Nevertheless that which ye have, hold fast till I come.
[Don't let down your guard -- the good things of the past are helpful, but they are not your guarantee -- you must continue to hold fast to the truth, as further emphasized in the following verse.]
26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations:
27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father:
28 and I will give him the morning star.
[It is not the beginning that is important but the end. The Bible is very definitive on the judgment of those who make a great start and then fall away. These as contrasted with those who have, like the prodigal son, started off on a life of sin and, recognizing their folly, have come back to the Lord. Is this speaking about some ruler of the saints, an apostle or an elder? Remember that Jesus said those greatest among you would be your servants. So it is that the lowliest among us will be given authority to rule over the nations with a rod of iron to break them into shivers. This is obviously figurative language ... the nations clearly representing worldliness and Jesus giving those who would serve and obey Him power over this sinful world to overcome it and to rule over it in righteous living. Jesus says he has received such from His Father, and He will give it unto us conditioned on our holding fast till He come. The morning star -- Revelation 22:16: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright, the morning star" -- is probably best viewed as Jesus Himself. What more could we ask for help in our battle against the sin of this world than the presence of our Lord and Savior? Jesus is promising to give himself -- to help with our struggles. He has already given himself on the cross, but that is only the beginning of the blessings to those who are in Him.]
29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
[We repeat, this is often an imperative that is made following a passage that requires some intense thought and meditation. Let us not just read it and dismiss it. Let us HEAR -- listen to -- what it says, for only in intense meditation can we obtain the full implications of what our Lord is saying to us.
Revelation 3
3:1 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.
[The "seven spirits of God" -- see Revelation 1:4. Jesus is said to have them as well as the seven stars, which represent the angels to the seven churches (Rev. 1:20). Jesus knew their works and their reputation; but it seems clear that their works did not live up to their reputation. "Thou art dead" is a stinging rebuke -- speaking spiritually, how should those who had been born again (John 3; Romans 6) understand this judgement of them? Effectively, you are alive physically, but you are dead spiritually. It is also further qualified by that given in the next verse.]
2 Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God.
[We can be dead despite the fact that we are still doing some good things and holding to some sound beliefs. But we need to continue to strive for full growth and development. Let us never assume that we have arrived and need not put forth efforts even in those things that we seem to have under good control (1 Corinthians 10:12). Watchfulness and diligence is essential to not being overwhelmed by the evils of Satan.]
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep (it), and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
[Does he urge them to go into some mystical trance and get some direct power from the Holy Spirit? No, the power is in the gospel (Romans 1:16-17), and just as the Hebrews writer warned about neglecting so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:2-4), so Jesus warns them to remember what they already had received, heard, and kept. He thus urges them to once again repent of their sins, which in this case involves their negligence in not being aware that their garments were getting defiled. "Watch" is repeated here again with the warning that when we fail to observe the evil around us we tend to rationalize it and engage in it. To Christians who would do this is given the warning that, without notice, Jesus will come as a thief, and then it will be everlastingly too late. Let us be diligent, not partaking in sin, but knowing its sordid nature and the consequences of its wickedness.]
4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.
[This impresses upon us the fact that we are not judged by the organization (e.g., church) that we might be a member of (even if it is a sound local church). We are judged as individuals and our salvation is our individual responsibility. Walk in white is figurative of the purity with which Christians are to keep themselves, as illustrated by the figure of defiled garments. "They are worthy" not because of their own works or righteousness but because they have availed themselves by faith in the saving blood of Jesus.]
5 He that overcomes shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
[Those already saved as well as those who might be fallen -- this verse has no meaning if it does not apply to both, since it is primarily written to those in Christ. "Book of life" is not a new concept -- it appeared first in Psalms 69:28, a Psalm that is clearly messianic describing many of the sufferings of Jesus prior to his crucifixion. That the "book of life" must have been part of the Jewish oral tradition is clear from the fact that it is not defined -- the writer of the Psalm assumes that the reader knows well what he is talking about. After this, its mention does not appear again until Philippians 4:3, where Paul also assumes that the reader will understand his reference to it. It is defined for us by this context -- clearly those who are saved have their names written in the book of life, and Jesus will confess them before the Father and before his angels. Equally clear is the fact that names can be blotted out of the book of life, which is strong evidence that those who are saved can be lost. References to the book of life will also be made in Revelation 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 20:15, 21:27 and 22:19. White garments clearly refer to those who are sinless or whose sins are forgiven, a figure that will recur in Revelation 6:11; 7:9 and 7:13-14]
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
[See comments on 2:7. This was repeated four times in Chapter 2, and it will also occurs three times in Chapter 3; thus once for each church, and it is an exhortation to think through what is being said -- do not just read it over lightly and think you understand it.]
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that opens and none shall shut, and that shuts and none opens:
[Philadelphia along with Smyrna were the only two churches that received no rebuke. Characteristics of Jesus given: holy, true, has total authority and will use it in due time. The key is a symbol of authority (see Isaiah 22:22 and Matthew 16:19), re-emphasizing that Jesus now has all authority (Matthew 28:18-20), and that His judgment is final -- He can and will use the key to open and shut, and no one will have the authority to over-ride His judgments.]
8 I know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name.
["A little power" might be regarded as a rebuke, but it is stated in a positive way, and we also see no other things that might be negative about the church in Philadelphia. So, we might regard this as a warning that just because no specific negatives are given, it is important to keep growing in the Lord. So, knowing their works and that they have a little power, they are commended for keeping the word of Jesus and not denying his name (continuing to do things strictly according to His word). Also, He has entrusted them with an opportunity to preach the word; He has opened a door for them and it cannot be shut.]
9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
[This is the second mention of the synagogue of Satan, and in both places it is mentioned that they are liars, which is appropriate since Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). They are dominated by lies stating that they are God's chosen people (Jews) when in fact, that is no longer an attribute of a nationality, but is now a spiritual attribute (Galatians 3). So anyone claiming it based on race or nationality is a liar and clearly is rejecting the authority of Jesus. Their current persecution will soon be replaced by "worship before thy feet," with a knowledge that Jesus loves those who have subjected themselves to Him. There is no inference here that this worship will be due to their repentance and recognition of their sin. In addition, the word "worship" has a range of meaning from honor that might rightfully be paid to those with whom it is due, to the recognition that the one being worshiped is God. It is in the former sense that the word is being used here, with a de-emphasis upon those worshiped and an emphasis upon the synagogue of Satan coming to a full recognition of the idolatry in taking refuge in their nationality.]
10 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that (hour) which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
[The word of my patience -- see verse 3 -- it would seem that the sub-theme of patiently waiting for and expecting the coming of Jesus is being repeated. Because of their faithfulness in this regard, they are given a promise that they will be kept from the "hour of trial." This does not necessarily mean that no trial, or that a lighter temptation will come upon them than others. The idea is that because they have conditioned themselves to serving the Lord, continuing in that regard will be much easier for them to endure and come through it without falling. Those who are not faithful and who are looking for a way of sin to avoid the trials will surely find it, but in taking that route they will seal their fate.]
11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
[Quickly is a relative term. All of the original people who John was writing to are now deceased and they have recognized the brevity of life. Those who have retained their crowns clearly recognize that what they endured was well worth anything that they might have given up.
12 He that overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name.
[A pillar in a building is something that is quite substantial and unmovable, and this is the obvious intent. In this context the temple is a metaphor for the body of Christ, the church (1 Corinthians 3:16), as is the new Jerusalem spoken of later in this verse. Not only will those who are faithful have their names written in the book of life, but the name of the God of Jesus will be written upon them, thus identifying them as God's possessions. Two other names:
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
[See Revelation 2:19.]
14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:
[View these three descriptions of the speaker, Jesus Christ, as being different words that describe much the same thing (in the Jewish style of such repetition):
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
[In what way are the cold preferable to the luke warm? We might find a devout atheist who has never been exposed to the truth of God's word -- as is true with many, they have not been given the truth, and in many cases overwhelmed with Satan's lies about the Bible. This person is in a superior position to someone who has learned the truth and even been obedient in the past (as clearly the Laodiceans were), but now has a lackadaisical attitude toward his service to God. Jesus is saying that he prefers the atheist in this case to the lukewarm "believer." A good example of a cold person would be Paul (Saul) prior to his conversion. God sees that a potential exists with the unbeliever that is not present with the uncaring Christian. It is interesting that a church that seems to have no Satanic influence or moral decay would be the only one that is not given any commendation for its good works, further reinforcing God's regard to lukewarmness.]
16 So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
[This analogy needs no explanation and we will not try the reader's patience with such. What can it possibly mean other than the lukewarm Christian will be rejected by God in the same way that lukewarm food might be spit out by someone who was expecting it to be either hot or cold. Much foolish argumentation must be employed in an attempt to show people that this is not stating that those who once were faithful can fall away from their salvation.
17 Because you say, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and know not that you art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:
[The first riches mentioned here appear to be physical because this is talking about their self-reporting. It is certain that the second would be of a spiritual nature (wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked). We infer that the Laodiceans were relatively well off physically, and they may have felt that this wealth was evidence of their status with God, i.e., that they were also rich spiritually. Conventional wisdom at the time was just that -- that those who were rich physically arrived at that status because of their righteousness. Thus we have the disciples in Matthew 19:25, when told how hard it was for a rich man to enter into heaven, asking Jesus: "who then can be saved?" It this were the case, then using these figures of speech would fit them perfectly. Denying even their physical confidence with the words wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked would impress upon them that their image of themselves was indeed false.]
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou may become rich; and white garments, that thou may clothe thyself, and (that) the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eye salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou may see.
[Continuing with the same analogy he uses physical elements to reflect upon their spiritual lacking -- note that all of these things would be "purchased" from Jesus, as all spiritual blessing are in Jesus (Ephesians 1:3):
19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
[This is an affirmation of the love of Jesus toward them and his motivation, not to cause them pain but to encourage them to become hot (zealous) and that, in turn would cause them to repent of their lukewarm attitudes.]
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
[Could there be an more decisive statement for free will and against total predestination? Whosever will may come -- Revelation 22:17: "he that will, let him take the water of life freely." "If ANY man hear my voice ..." No further explanation is needed.]
21 He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.
[Revelation 20:4: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: ..." The promise is given here; the fulfillment is to come. But there is also a current fulfillment described in Revelation 5:9-10: "And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood (men) of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them (to be) unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon earth." This is present tense -- something that God has already done for His faithful. Something we should enjoy now.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
[See Revelation 2:29.]
Revelation 4
4:1 After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, (a voice) as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter.
[A door opened in heaven allowing John to observe certain things in that realm. A voice was heard that he could best describe as being like a trumpet, but it was speaking with him. It requested John to go up so that he could see things that would come to pass in the future. This would be in John's future, not necessarily ours. Recall that the major part of these things were to shortly come to pass (1:1).]
2 Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne;
[See 1:10 for a discussion of "in the Spirit." It states there that being "in the Spirit" is something that all Christians can be and should be at all times, i.e., guided totally by the teachings and attitudes of the Holy Spirit. The use of the term here seems to have added significance, however, in that John was in the process of receiving revelation directly from God, something that is no longer needed today. John is informing us here that he was in a type of absorbed trance in which the things around him of a physical nature became of no relevance or distraction -- much like Peter's trance in Acts 10. There is nothing particularly miraculous about such a trance per se -- most people often get caught up in things to the exclusion of their physical surroundings. Such was for John here a means to the end of obtaining the information that he was about to receive directly by his vision and his hearing. It does not matter if this was the result of actual physical things that produce the sights and the sounds, or if it was merely "in John's head" so to speak. Apparently some have made a big issue of this in the past, causing Paul to state and repeat regarding his vision recorded in 2 Cor 12:3 "whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; God knows." While this is not the same issue here, neither Paul, nor John could answer the details of such trivial questions, and neither should we be bothered by things that are of no relevance. The important thing is what he saw: a throne and one sitting upon the throne. This is literally what he saw, and it is what we should see now as though John is telling this to us. Recognize the importance of the fact that it is "set in heaven" -- that is, we are told the place that these objects and events are being perceived to exist and take place. There is no reason to second guess the objects or the events that John saw -- they are exactly as he is describing them.]
3 and he that sat (was) to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and (there was) a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.
[This might be where some get the inclination to think that they have to create a meaning to assign to each of the things that John saw. If the simile of these precious and beautiful stones that he saw when he looked upon the occupant of the throne, and the emerald that is used to describe the rainbow convey to you a magnificent scene, be satisfied with that, for we feel that this is the intent. An emerald is a bright green transparent precious stone, so that might modify our view of the throne. See what John saw and feel what John felt. John does not identify the being on the throne -- perhaps he does not know at this point, so he does not want to speculate. The identification will come in verse 8 by those who are worshipping "He that sat" on the throne.
4 And round about the throne (were) four and twenty thrones: and upon the thrones (I saw) four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments; and on their heads crowns of gold.
[Numeric reference. The Number "12" In the field of multiplication, "4" was multiplied by "3," and the resultant "12" became a well-known symbol. In Hebrew religious thought it was the symbol of organized religion in the world. There were twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles, twelve gates to the Holy City in Revelation.
Source: Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press), pp. 21-25]
[At this point John may not have known just who the occupants of these thrones were, but he was able to identify them in general as elders. We would expect that these were faithful elders of churches having met all of the qualifications and served faithfully. Their righteousness is apparent from their white garments, and the golden crowns on the heads certainly attested to their ruling wisely. We know no more than this as far as identification is concerned. Obviously at this point there were probably many more than 24 elders who had served, and so it is reasonable to conclude that this subset would represent all of them. The 24 elders may be representative of all elders of all time, just as the 7 churches of Asia might represent all faithful (albeit not perfect) local churches of all time. It is fitting that there are at least two elders for each church, since the New Testament always uses the word "elders" in the plural when referring to those within any given church.]
5 And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders. And (there was) seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;
[Action. Lightnings and voices and thunders. The seven lamps might be the form that the seven Spirits of God took upon themselves, but the use of identity metaphors is quite common throughout the New Testament (e.g., God is love), and should not be taken literally when that meaning is not reasonable, as is the case here. Instead it tells us that there are things about the essence of the lamps of burning fire that map closely to the characteristics of the seven spirits, e.g., their ability to enlighten and bring truth to a dark and dying world. See 1:4 for a discussion of the Seven Spirits of God.]
6 and before the throne, there was a sea of glass like a crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.
[Note the figures -- the sea of glass like a crystal could not be literal. It might be a sea of water that was smooth as glass like a crystal, or it could have been glass like crystal that was so immense that it was like a sea of water. The term "sea of glass" tends to convey this latter idea, but our minds eye view of it would be the same in either case. If we view the throne as being square in shape, then the four living creatures could be both in the midst of the throne and round about the throne -- in its midst in that they were centered on each of its four sides, and this would simultaneously cause them to be all around the throne. These were four living creatures taking a form as animals with multiple eyes both in front and behind their heads. While such animals have never been seen apart from visions of heaven, it is not difficult for us to visualize them in our minds from this description.]
[The Number "4" When man went outside his home and looked about him, he had no conception of the modern world as we know it. No Copernicus had ever opened his eyes to the vast significance of the universe. To him the world was a great flat surface with four boundaries, east and west and north and south. There were four winds from the four sides of the earth. There were four angels, he thought, to govern the four winds. In the town he placed himself within the limit of four walls. Thus when he thought of the world he thought in terms of four. Four became the cosmic number. In Revelation there appear four living creatures symbolical of the four divisions of animal life of the world. There are four horsemen symbolical of the destructive powers of the world at war. The world in which men lived and worked and died was conveniently symbolized by "4".
Source: Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press), pp. 21-25]
7 And the first creature (was) like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature (was) like a flying eagle.
[The major conclusion that we can draw from this description is that these creatures were not like anything that would be found on earth. Thus, they exist (or perhaps existed) by special creation separate and apart from the creation on earth. We see their function in the next verse.]
8 and the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, (is) the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
[A further description of the creatures precedes their activity description. The six wings would be easy to imagine had they just been typical feathered wings. But these wings are also full of eyes all aound them and also within, i.e., inside the wing when it is folded. The preponderance of eyes is emblematic of total omnicient perception -- nothing occurs that is not known and recorded. Not only do these creatures provide total sight but they do this constantly and without rest. The term "day and night" is used accommodatively here to represent this constancy; it is not to infer that there is day and night in heaven, in fact, Revelation 21:25 tells us there is "no night there". Their function -- to praise and worship God who exists from everlasting to everlasting, identifying the occupant of the throne as such.
9 And when the living creatures shall give glory and honor and thanks to him that sits on the throne, to him that lives for ever and ever,
10 the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sits on the throne, and shall worship him that lives for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created.
[The living creatures giving glory to God was previously described as a continuous event that never ceases. Here, however, the word "when" might infer that there was a starting and stopping point. We should rather see it as stating a concurrency; i.e., at the same time as the living creatures are giving glory, the 24 elders participate in the praise and worship to God along with the four living creatures. The One who sits on the throne is the One who lives for ever and ever, i.e., God. In a sign of humility, they cast their crowns before the throne and sing praises to God for all things, but specifically for creating all things. While we know that all things were created through Jesus Christ, this was done with the full knowledge and authority of God the Father.]
Revelation 5
5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals.
[The word book can refer to written materials in a wide variety of forms, and since most common writings at that time were on scrolls, this is probably the best conclusion. This concurs with the fact that he could see writing on the outside of it -- "written within ..." (which he could not see because it was sealed up) "... and on the back" (which he could see directly.). Seals were used in legal documents to prevent unauthorized people from viewing the manuscript. Only those authorized could break the seal (or seals) under very strict penalties.]
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
[The significance of a strong angel -- clearly the angel was acting with the authority of God on the throne, so the choosing of a strong angel to make this proclamation with a great voice was calculated to get everyone's attention in heaven, and now it has gotten our attention as well.]
3 And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon.
[This was the initial response to the proclamation. No one could open the book so obviously no one could state what was written in it. The use of the written word is shown to be important -- as important as the spoken word, perhaps even more so. For the written word can be studied and made part of the reader's heart and mind much more effectively than that of the spoken word, which can so easily be forgotten. We know this cannot be an absolute statement, and so the meaning is that at this point, no one had been found.]
4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon:
[Why would this be such a traumatic event to John? He clearly understood that this book contained much of the revelation that he was charged to observe and record for all of mankind. If this book could not be opened because the sin in the world made no one was worthy, then Satan has won the victory and we are all doomed to hell. That was not a pleasing thought to one who had such great love for Jesus, and who had enjoyed the love of His fellowship. Yes indeed, there was great reason for John to be upset to the point of not only weeping, but weeping much.]
5 and one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.
[Just how this elder knew this or why a human should be chosen to bring the message we cannot say. But we do know that humans are charged by Jesus Christ to carry the gospel into all of the world (Matthew 28:18-20), and if they do not do it, then to the best of our knowledge, it just will not get done. The elder tells John that there is no reason to weep because Jesus Christ has overcome all of the evils of Satan to be worthy to open the seals on the book. Jesus is described here as the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David -- bringing recall to the promises that God had made to Abraham and to David.]
[Potential related passages:
Genesis 49:9 -- Jacob's prophesy concerning his 12 sons:
9 Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, thou art gone up: He stooped down, he couched as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
2 Samuel 7:12-17
12 When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, that shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish His kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of His kingdom for ever.
14 I will be His father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten Him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;
15 but my lovingkindness shall not depart from Him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
16 And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Isaiah 11:1-10
11:1 And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of His roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
3 And His delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears;
4 but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth; and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the sash of His waist, and faithfulness the sash of His loins.
6 And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
10 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the peoples, unto Him shall the nations seek; and His resting-place shall be glorious.]
6 And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.
[The introduction of the form and figure of Jesus Christ at this point is as dramatic as the description of the one who sat upon the throne, and rightfully so, for this chapter proclaims that Jesus Christ is God. The figures used here are easy to interpret --
["The Number "7" When man began to analyze and combine numbers, he developed other interesting symbols. He took the perfect world number "4" and added to it the perfect divine number "3" and got "7," the most sacred number to the Hebrews. It was earth crowned with heaven--the four-square earth plus the divine completeness of God. So we have "7" expressing completeness through union of earth with heaven. This number runs throughout the book of Revelation, There are seven Spirits, seven churches, seven golden candlesticks, seven stars, seven sections to the book, each, save the last, divided into seven parts. The sacred number, multiplied by the compete number "10," resulted in the very-sacred "70." There were seventy member of the Jewish high court, Jesus sent out seventy prepared workers. In a sweeping figure he presented the idea of an unlimited Christian forgiveness when he told a disciple to forgive his brother seventy times seven."
Source: Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press), pp. 21-25 ]
7 And he came, and he took (it) out of the right hand of Him that sat on the throne.
[Clearly showing the accord between the One sitting on the throne and the Lamb. Reference to the "right hand" is probably just to demonstrate the importance of this document.]
8 And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
[These were giving glory to the One on the throne. Would it show rudeness and disrespect for them to stop that worship and now turn to give glory to the Lamb? We have no evidence that they stopped worshiping God as He was still on the throne as they also began to worship the Lamb. In fact, it is impossible to worship one without worshiping them both (and the Holy Spirit for that matter). The 24 elders had cast their crowns before the throne, and now they fall down before the Lamb and worship with the aid of their harps and golden bowls full of incense. Again we have an identity metaphor as the incense is stated to be the prayers of the saints. The idea of prayers and sacrifices being as incense is a very common one in scripture, and incense was mentioned well over 100 times as part of their worship in the Old Testament. Incense has already been stated to be the prayers of the saints in 5:3, and it will again be referenced that in 8:3-4.]
9 And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood (men) of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,
10 and made them (to be) unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon earth.
[Jesus commanded us to go into all of the world -- to all people, every tribe, and tongue and people and nation -- in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), and Peter stated in Acts 10:34-35: "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that fears him, and works righteousness, is acceptable to him." That God wants to make of all different peoples but one kingdom of priests is a tenet taught throughout the New Testament and heavily alluded to in the Old Testament as well. Any prejudice that we might have against those who are different from us is sin, and we will be held accountable for it. Present tense: "and they reign upon the earth." Is it possible that this is a prophecy, that it is being spoken of in the present tense but will not be accomplished for some time in the future? There is nothing in the context to indicate that, and if it were the case we might have to say that everything that John was seeing would have the same characteristic. Since we have not thought to apply such an interpretation to these other events, what justification would we have for applying it to this one now? But this is not the first time in the New Testament that such has been stated. Consider Romans 8:33-39:
33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies;
34 who is he that condemns? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
This cannot be understood by those who think in worldly ways (1 Corinthians 2). But in a more real spiritual sense our victory over Satan and this world through the blood of Christ makes us fit to be a kingdom of priests and a royal priesthood (see 1:6-9). We would do well to keep this in mind as we encounter passages that deal with the saints on the earth at this current time.]
11 And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might and honor, and glory, and blessing.
[Can anyone deny after hearing this (can you hear it?) that Jesus is God? Would the angels, living creatures and elders all be practicing idolatry in worshiping Jesus in the very presence of God? How could anyone even entertain this thought?]
13 And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things are in them, heard I saying, Unto him that sits on the throne, and unto the Lamb, (be) the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever.
[At this point John witnesses all things, both animate and inanimate giving praise to both the Lamb and the one who sits on the throne.
14 And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshiped.
[It is fitting that the ones who initiated the worship and praise should affirm their agreement with it both by saying Amen and by falling down and continuing their worship.]
Go to Chapters 6-10
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Revelation 1
1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants, (even) the things which must shortly come to pass: and He sent and signified (it) by His angel unto His servant John;
[God gave the Revelation to Jesus Christ, who in turn has given it to us (his servants). The book is largely prophesy, and these things will "shortly come to pass." This is a relative term and we know that some of the things in the book refer to the final judgment, which has not yet come to pass. But for the book to be relevant in the first century, some of these things were going to have to come to pass either in the first or second centuries. His angel is an angel of Jesus. Jesus sent the angel (which generically means messenger). The things in the book are "signified" -- that is, many are signs and not to be taken literally. A sign relates to the real thing -- it is something that is obvious (in an obvious spot and with obvious message), and it points to the real thing, thus giving an indication of what and where the real thing is. This is quite important when we interpret this book. The things presented are in terms of figurative language. This is not to obstruct, it is to clarify. But if we think that the sign is the real thing that it is pointing to, you can imagine how convoluted the understanding will become. Can you see the absurdity of someone standing at a highway sign and claiming that they have reached their target city destination? So it is with those who would cling to a sign as being the real thing.]
2 who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, (even) of all things that he saw.
[This is talking about John who wrote the things down that we are reading. What he is writing is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus that came through the angel, but also things that John saw directly in heaven.]
3 Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.
[This is you and me as well as those in the first century. This relates to "shortly." While for sure some of the things were going to happen within a few years, there are other principles laid down in the book of Revelation that relate to the nature of peoples and nations in general. For that reason they have application to us today. It could be that the specific event that is being referenced in the book is something that would happen related to the Roman empire. However, the Roman empire is not at all unlike your empire or my empire -- our respective countries. The nature of nations has not changed. The nature of power has not changed. The nature of war has only become worse. My point is that when we read these things we can in general relate them to our situations today -- in general, that is important. It is an error to make specific predictions -- there is no way that that can be done using the Bible alone, and those who claim to do it would have us believe that they have some special powers that you and I do not have. Thus, we have to enslave ourselves to them if we are going to take advantage of their "special powers." Believing that is very foolish. What does it say? -- "Blessed is he that reads and they that hear the words of this prophecy" -- that is you and me individually, not someone telling us what it means. "Keep the things that are written" -- there are commands given in this book that we have to keep. There are examples given that we have to follow. There are necessary inferences made that are binding on us to learn and to regard as sacred obligations that we have toward God. "The time is at hand." We live in the final time, and any one of us could die or be killed tonight. We should live our lives and render obedience to God recognizing that these things will shortly come to pass for us as they did for those of the first century because in the affairs of mankind, nothing really changes.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne;
[The figurative language has started -- surely there were more than seven churches in Asia that John wanted to read this book. Note when I say John wrote, I am talking about the Holy Spirit through John, and in this case perhaps the words of the angel of Jesus Christ. So, I am not trying to imply at all that John authored this ... we know he did not. But even here John himself is claiming figurative authorship. John did not literally create these thoughts. Sure, he wrote them down, But, as we will see in the next verse, it was actually Jesus who was conceiving the thoughts. The address: "Grace to you and peace" is a common salutation wishing them the grace of God and the peace of mind that results from our molding ourselves to the words revealed by that grace. Him who is and was and is to come must be God the Father, since Jesus is mentioned in the next verse as being an author as well. This established the eternal nature of God as opposed to our temporal natures. In the next verse we see Jesus as another author. So we have the Father and the Son, it would only be expected that the "seven Spirits that are before the throne" would map to the Holy Spirit. Some might object that the Holy Spirit is singular and not seven. We could equally argue that the Holy Spirit is infinite in number and not seven. Our ability is extremely limited to perceive of just what the Holy Spirit is. Certainly, He can go in seven or an infinite number of directions at once, and the number seven here is just one of completeness and perfection. So here I believe that the Holy Spirit is represented by these seven Spirits before the throne, although there is considerable controversy among the scholars in this regard. The alternative view is that these are seven angels who are before the throne and constantly ready to go forth and do the will of God. If this is the case can there be any doubt that the Holy Spirit would be in each one of them? Thus holding alternative positions on the exact meaning of "the seven Spirits" is not one that is critical to the message of Revelation.]
[The Number "7" When man began to analyze and combine numbers, he developed other interesting symbols. He took the perfect world number "4" and added to it the perfect divine number "3" and got "7," the most sacred number to the Hebrews. It was earth crowned with heaven--the four-square earth plus the divine completeness of God. So we have "7" expressing completeness through union of earth with heaven. This number runs throughout the book of Revelation, There are seven Spirits, seven churches, seven golden candlesticks, seven stars, seven sections to the book, each, save the last, divided into seven parts. The sacred number, multiplied by the compete number "10," resulted in the very-sacred "70." There were seventy member of the Jewish high court, Jesus sent out seventy prepared workers. In a sweeping figure he presented the idea of an unlimited Christian forgiveness when he told a disciple to forgive his brother seventy times seven. Source: Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press), pp. 21-25]
5a and from Jesus Christ, (who is) the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
[In reference to the salutation of grace and peace, it was also from Jesus, Taking advantage of this reference to further explain the nature of our Lord, it is stated that he is the faithful witness. A good reference for this is John 1:17-18 "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared (him)." This declaration, or witness, was "faithful" to the truth. Jesus so reflected the truth of the Father that he could say: "I and the Father are one." He is also the firstborn of the dead -- the first in rank as the oldest son was in the Jewish culture. All other persons will be resurrected at the time of the final judgment. And those of us who have been baptized for the remission of our sins are now resurrected from the dead when we were buried with Christ and arose to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-7). But the more natural reference here would be to the actual resurrection that all of us will experience from the grave when Jesus comes again. He is also "the ruler of the kings of the earth." This may not appear to be the case with all of the corruption and turmoil that we see around us, but we can be assured that there is ample reason for it, and that Jesus has the full capability to take total control at that point in time when the Father deems best.
5b Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;
6 and he made us (to be) a kingdom, (to be) priests unto his God and Father; to him (be) the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
[An extremely powerful sentence spanning these two verses. This is a restatement of what Peter said in 1 Peter 2:9-10: "But ye are a elect race , a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for (God's) own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." For those who are looking for a physical kingdom to be established some time in the future, all we can say is "you are missing it." Clearly it exists now, and for you to marginalize what is now and put your hope in another kingdom that is not even defined in the Bible is a great loss. We are a kingdom now; we are a royal priesthood now. Let us glorify God the Father for all that He has done for us NOW and let us not invent things that are of a worldly nature and substitute them for the great honor and blessings that we have in Jesus Christ now.
7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
[Speaking of Jesus. It will not be a hidden event. Clearly, it has not yet taken place. There will be judgment that has been described by Jesus and by his apostles. And so there will be great mourning from those who are not ready. Even so, Amen -- so be it -- let God's will be done.]
8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
[Is this speaking of God the Father or of Jesus Christ? Certainly it is true of both. The context is one of the coming of Jesus unto judgment, an event that will occur at the end of the world as we know it. The commentary on this is in Rev. 22:12-13: "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." The context identifies the speaker as Jesus. Who can possibly doubt his Divinity?
9 I John, your brother and partaker with you in tribulation and kingdom and patience (which are) in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
[There was great persecution of Christians at this time from several different directions. The tribulation was real as was the kingdom, as was the patience that Christians had at this time. John wrote from Patmos while in exile, but he does not see it as a burden but as an opportunity -- he was there "for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." It might seem to some that John was in great turmoil, but to John it was a great blessing.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet
[In the Spirit, as we can all be in the Spirit allowing the word of God to totally control our lives. Romans 8 uses the term "Christ in you" synonymously with the Holy Spirit in you. as does Paul in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that (life) which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, (the faith) which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me." But in this case John seems to be referring to a special time and perhaps a special place where he worshiped on the Lord's day, which is generally recognized to be the first day of the week. In the Spirit: "The fair meaning of the passage is, that he was at that time favored, in a large measure, with the influences of the Holy Spirit -- the spirit of true devotion; that he had a high state of religious enjoyment, and was in a condition not inappropriate to the remarkable communications which were made to him on that day." (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.). This term is also used in Revelation 4:2, 17:3 and 21:10, in which cases it may also infer that John was not physically moved to observe what was shown to him.
And as he was in this exalted state of prayer and meditation, he heard this great voice that had to be a surprise him ...]
11 saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send (it) to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
[So this is the initial charge to John to send the things that he will see and hear and write down to these seven churches. They had their issues and they had their faithful. We will learn much about them as we continue. But is it not strange that the letter was not sent to the ecclesiastical ruling body that governed all of the churches? Not at all, for such did not exist then, and would not exist now were it not for man-made doctrines that evolved out of the apostasy in the second and third centuries. Prior to that the only churches that existed on the earth were local churches.
12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks;
[John makes a simple statement about his vision. At this point we do not need to wonder what it means. Let us just see in our mind what John saw. Some versions call them lamp stands. It does not matter, but the image of a candle stick and its holder would certainly be in order ... let us not make it complicated.
13 and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.
[The being looked human in form -- easy for us to imagine -- with a long flowing garment and a golden band well above the waist to restrain the robe. We can easily see in our minds what John saw apparently with his eyes. This human like figure was in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, and there can be little doubt that this maps to Jesus Christ -- see verses 17-18.]
14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, (white) as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
[Don't worry abut the significance of all of this -- just see what John saw at this point. "As" indicates a simile -- his eyes were not flames -- they were just like flames in some regard ... in exactly what regard we can only imagine.]
15 and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.
[Burnished -- smoothed with a tool and polished -- not adulterated brass, but brass without a flaw, as brass that had been purged of all impurities. He was speaking and his voice was as the sound of much water flowing in a river, although no doubt the voice of a human.]
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength.
[This is what John saw. John was not asking what the significance of all of this was at this point -- it was just what he saw. He is telling us so that we can imagine what he saw; not so that we will start asking -- what does this mean or what does that mean. Just enjoy seeing what John saw, and if you want to make something of it, that is fine. Seven stars? it is hard to imagine how he could have seven literal stars in his right hand. It is hard to escape the figurative significance of these statements. Our rule should be: take everything literally unless there is a good reason not to. As we read this verse we might think that this COULD be literal. But then again, maybe not. Surely anyone who can hold seven stars in his right hand must be a being of power that we have never before experienced even to its smallest fractional degree. His power is clearly infinite. The two-edged sword reference brings to mind Hebrews 4:12: "For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart." We can conclude that when this being speaks that He is speaking the Word of God and that only. His countenance confirms His glory and might, reinforcing the figure of strength already conveyed. The literal mapping of these figures is deferred a few verses by the Holy Spirit and Jesus, but they will be revealed in verse 20 shortly.]
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last,
[We should not have to be told that this is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. But if there is any doubt it will be shortly dispelled. What would you expect John to do? -- he turns around and sees the sight that we can only imagine. All lessor appearances of angels (to our knowledge) recorded in the Bible indicate fear on the observer, and this is no exception. You and I are startled by people we know who might come into our presence without our being aware of it. Can you imagine seeing an angel, or this image of the Son of God? It had to be scary -- to the point that John become unresponsive to his ability to move ... as one dead. Jesus has other ideas for John and addresses him with tenderness, letting John know not only who He is, but of some of His characteristics. In this case -- "I am the first and the last" -- comparable to the Alpha and Omega statement above, with no beginning and no end, He is the eternal God.
18 and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
[The living one -- physically (not JUST spiritually). "I was dead" (physically -- Jesus was never dead spiritually). "Alive evermore" both physically and spiritually. Physically in the sense that Jesus can materialize his presence at will, as clearly he is doing here. It could be argued that this was just a vision that John was seeing, but what does it matter? He is alive in this sense evermore, as only God can be. He has the keys of death and Hades -- death being separation that could be either physical or spiritual; and Hades being the world of disembodied spirits. As it says in James 2:26: "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead." Some versions (KJV) have hell in here -- the KJV did not make a distinction between Hades and hell. But there is a big one. All disembodied spirits go to Hades and it has a great gulf fixed between those in Abraham's bosom and those in torment (see Luke 16:19-31). Keys -- control, domination, ownership -- we do not have to worry about death or Hades if we are in Christ.
19 Write therefore the things which thou saw, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter;
[Jesus is about to give instructions and messages to John. These in some way will allude to the past, but mainly they are related to things that currently are happening (or were at that time), and things that will be in the future.}
20 the mystery of the seven stars which thou saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.
[So our original guess as to the meaning of this figurative language was not far off. First that it WAS figurative, and second what those figures represent. That would be a mystery if we were not told. And we could never possibly guess or understand it -- there are other figures that we are left to wonder about, but not these. This is like a first grade course -- it starts out rather simple explaining everything as it goes along. The seven stars are angels to the seven churches (just 7? -- isn't everyone supposed to read this book and be blessed?) The seven candlesticks are the seven churches.. So then, what would it mean for a church to have its candlestick removed? I would expect that this would be saying that God would no longer regard them as being one of our Lord's churches. We (and they -- John and Jesus) are using the word "church" in its local sense -- local congregations. In the universal sense there are not multiple churches -- there is only one -- recall Jesus said: Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18) -- church, not churches. But each local area has its called out ones who meet together, and they are referred to as churches.
Revelation 2
2:1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things saith he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:
[So Jesus now begins to give instructions as to what to write to this church (established by Paul who left Priscilla and Aquila in Acts 18:19f, and later visited by Paul in Acts 19, and still later Paul addressed the elders of this church when in Miletus -- Acts 20:17ff.]
2 I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them that call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false;
[All quite commendable ... this shows the experience that they had been having with false teachers -- this is always a problem in any sound church. Evil will creep in, or sometimes those who are faithful will be corrupted. Clearly there were no apostles other than the original 11, Mathias who replace Judas, and Paul. It is quite commendable that the leadership at Ephesus would systematically rid themselves of those who were imposters.]
3 and thou hast patience and didst bear for my name's sake, and hast not grown weary.
[And so they still were holding the course -- at least some, and we would hope, most of them.]
4 But I have (this) against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love.
5 Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.
[What does it mean to leave thy first love? What are the greatest commandment in the law? -- to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves. Their first love was obviously God and their Savior, Jesus Christ. But they were in some way deficient in this regard, obviously loving the world far more than they should have, and we might expect that this was a general problem in this church. They were fallen and those who teach that it is impossible to fall from grace do so to their own destruction. Dozens of scriptures and examples indicate that the saved can fall. What was commanded them under these circumstances? Repent and get back to the works of love that characterized you when you were first converted. The threat is given that Jesus will remove their candlestick. I cannot see what this would mean other than he would stop regarding them as His church (called out).
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
[There is no record in the bible as to who the Nicolaitans were or what they taught. This could well be by design -- does it matter? Very clearly they had infiltrated the church or were at least trying to influence those who were Christians. The lack of definition here enables us to apply this to any group of false teachers. Equally as clear, their teachings were contrary to the truth. "By their works ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:16-20), and false teaching will inevitably lead to evil works. The Ephesians identified them and did what they could to withdraw and/or avoid these evil false teachers.]
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcomes, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.
[This is a verse that is LOADED with doctrines. First of all, it implies, as Jesus did when he was saying some things that were rather profound and might require some intense thought, that the things that he is saying may need some additional parsing and meditation. But it is also saying that we CAN hear it if we will listen. Second, it is the Spirit -- the Holy Spirit -- that is speaking to John. But, was it not Jesus' truth? Yes. Consider Acts 1:1-3: "The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God:..." If your boss gives you orders that are to be passed down to your subordinates, could we not say that it is both you and your boss that are giving these orders? Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit and in this regard, the words of the Holy Spirit are the words of Jesus, and vice versa. But Jesus and the Holy Spirit are still to be regarded as two separate entities. You might say you are one with your boss, but that does not mean that you ARE your boss -- only that you are in total agreement. "To him (the Christian) that overcomes" -- overcomes what? This will become clear if it is not already. The Nicolaitans, for example -- they were overcome. The works of the flesh -- they need to be overcome. The persecution that is expected -- that needs to be overcome. Note that salvation is not to everyone, but to those who persist and overcome. I take it that "eating of the tree of life" and residing in the "Paradise of God" are figures referring to salvation.
8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived (again):
[We have no reference to Smyrna anyplace in the New Testament except in this book. Interesting to note at this point that John is not commanded to write to the church or its elders -- he is commanded to write to the angel of the various churches. The word angel can have a variety of meanings, but its functional meaning is that of a messenger that is sent -- similar to the generic meaning of the word apostle. The idea is that the messenger will deliver the things written to all who are members of this church. It is again reiterated that the one giving the orders here is none other than Jesus Christ. As for Smyrna, this is one of only two (along with Philadelphia) churches that were not rebuked for their sins.]
9 I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they art not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
[So they were clearly in persecution and many had probably been cast out of the synagogue, which had dire economic consequences back at that time for the Jews. What were they to do? So the persecution and poverty went hand in hand. "But thou are rich" -- oh that we could hear such beautiful words said of us. We know this is speaking spiritually since he already stated their physical poverty. Sometimes there is a direct inverse relationship -- the richer we get the less we depend on God. So while we pray for spiritual riches we might also pray for physical poverty so that we can better appreciate the spiritual. The problem here is clear -- like so many churches that had a significant Jewish component, they were plagued by what we call Judaizers -- those who were trying to pull the Christians and especially Jewish background Christians back under the Law of Moses (e.g., see Acts 15). Why was this so bad that they would be called a synagogue of Satan? Quite simply -- if we can be saved by keeping the OT law then Jesus died for nothing. We should realize that we are no longer under that system of law, but are now under a system of faith, where God makes us righteous through faith by the blood of Jesus (Romans 1:16-17). We are still under a type of laws, but they are more in principle than in physical details that characterized the OT laws. Those laws were the shadow; we now enjoy the substance of salvation by grace through faith in God's righteousness, which Paul called a law of faith (Romans 3:27). "They say they are Jews." in this case, this means faithful to God through Jesus Christ. Nationality and religiously they were Jews, but in this context, the "true Jew" is dedicated to Jesus. ]
10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
[I think we can discern the literal and the figurative here. Being cast into prison is literal. Being tried probably had two meanings: (1) tried by those who are persecuting you, and (2) having their faith tried, as the New Testament often says when we are called upon to take a stand for Jesus (e.g., Hebrews 11:17 "By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten (son); ..." On the other hand -- "tribulation ten days" is an indication of a short period of time. Certainly a long enough time to feel the pains of whatever afflictions were going to be endured, but short enough to give hope that God had not forsaken them. And so the final qualifier is given: "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." Their faithfulness was not to waiver in the face of affliction and persecution even if it were to require their lives. This is a hard condition and we cannot expect salvation under any other circumstances. Nevertheless, we are promised that with every temptation God will give us a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:10), and that He will provide all that we need in times of trial. "The devil" here is Satan -- a very literal character. The crown of life is not unique to Revelation; see 1 Corinthians 9:25; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4.]
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.
[See verse 2:7. Once the background is established, this will be covered in more detail when we get to Revelation 21:8: "But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part (shall be) in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." Clearly this is the wrong side of judgment that we do not want to be on.]
12 and to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword:
[This is another church that we only read about in this context. The one who has the two-edged sword was identified as Jesus in chapter 1, although at that point it was stated that the sword was coming out of his mouth, But that should not be of relevance -- Jesus has physical power to wage war; generally God chooses to use the weaknesses of man in this regard to ultimately bring about good.]
13 I know where you dwell, (even) where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
[Another instance of a church location is not discussed outside of this context. However, since the location is mentioned to be "where Satan's throne is," we might consider its geography and history a bit closer:
Not only was Pergamos a government center with three imperial temples, but it was also the site of the temple of Asklepios (the Greco-Roman god of medicine and healing), and the medical center where the physician Galen worked (about A.D. 160). Here also was a temple to Athena and a temple to Zeus with an altar showing Zeus defeating snake-like giants. In the Book of Revelation, John spoke of Pergamos as the place "where Satan's throne is" (Revelation 2:13). This could be a reference to the cult of EMPEROR WORSHIP, because Pergamos was a center where this form of loyalty was pledged to the emperor of the Roman Empire.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
I doubt that Pergamum was unique in its wickedness, and it is a credit to this church that the persecution that they were enduring was noted to be so severe as to come from the throne of Satan.]
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.
While they were cited for being so strong to the point of giving their lives for the faith, there were a number of defects that they had. This shows that even when there is a perception of strength in a church, it can well have an underbelly that is not in accord with God's will. The problems were:
- Some held the teaching of Balaam -- the complete story is quite lengthy -- Numbers 22-25 and also a reference in 31:16. The essence of his "teaching" was that while he would not curse them directly, the same effect could be attained by enticing them to lust after the things of the world ...
- To eat things sacrificed to idols -- while not condemned per se, at this time it would clearly be wrong because of the temptations that would come with such feasts;
- To commit fornication -- this was the major thing that Balaam recommended would bring the Children of Israel down; and
- Some held the teaching of the Nicolaitans that seemed to be quite comparable in worldliness.
16 Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
[We need to realize that this warning would be of no use to us today at all if it were merely a local thing to the Christians at Pergamum. If we are going to be blessed in reading this book we need to recognize that whatever our sin might be, we need to repent of it, turn from it and ask for forgiveness as soon as possible. It is hard to contemplate the consequences of Jesus making war against us.]
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.
[The hidden manna -- can it be any better or different from the bread of life offered elsewhere by Jesus; e.g., John 6:35 "Jesus said unto them. I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall not hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst." While that figure is easy to interpret, a white stone is not mentioned elsewhere in the entire bible. But let us not try to make it into something that it is not. Can we imagine receiving a pure white stone that has a new name for us written on it -- a name given to us by Jesus Christ himself. We can almost take this literally. The only name given to God's people today (collectively) is the name Christian (1 Peter 4:16). I believed upon my first interpretation of this that it is talking to individual Christians, not to the church collectively. However, it could be recognized that while the word Christian is thrown around much in this day and age, only those who are legitimately of Christ know what it really means. The word is often used today without a clue as to its true meaning. And many Christians unfortunately, do the same thing. See also comments for 3:12. The positive aspects of being named and having the name written is also referenced in 14:1 and 22:4.
18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass:
[These figures are discussed at the end of chapter 1. If anyone would question that Jesus was not explicitly stated prior to this point it might indicate our being mistaken in concluding that it is Him. But this verse nails down that the one speaking is the "Son of God."]
19 I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first.
[This is quite a commendation -- faith and love both are motivators -- if we have them as we should, works will follow (James 2), and the works will confirm that we have them. Further, they have been growing in these things, again as indicated by their works.]
20 But I have (this) against thee, that thou suffers the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess; and she teaches and seduces my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
21 And I gave her time that she should repent; and she wills not to repent of her fornication.
[The historic wife of Ahab is documented from 1 Kings 16 through 2 Kings 9. The evil that she wroght is unimaginable, and her fate was well deserved. It seems difficult for us to believe that someone as wicked as this would be tolerated by the church at Thyatira. It is doubtful that anyone would be given this name, so this name is surely being used metaphorically. Could it be that they rationalized her worldly ways and in their desire to be worldly themselves did not realize the slippery slope they were sliding down? If so, could you think of a better way to inform them of their deficiency? The indication is that some may have confronted her for the sin that she was causing, but she did not take that opportunity to repent. That her fornication could have been literal is validated by 1 Corinthians 5 in which this type of sin was being practiced and apparently approved of by the church at Corinth. Also the Old Testament uses the words fornication and adultery to reference all kinds of sin, and that may well be the case here.
22 Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works.
[This is talking about erring Christians at Thyatira. The adultery may well be figurative of any sin, but we do not want to exclude the possibility that it is literal. In the Old Testament idolatry was often called spiritual adultery akin to leaving their spiritual husband, God the Father. The great tribulation of those who indulge in sin is an obvious reality. Venereal diseases, addiction, various mental afflictions, and often such distress and dissatisfaction with life that suicide follows. But whether this is the specific "great tribulation" or not cannot be resolved. This well could be talking about their eternal fate in hell.
23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searches the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.
[There is no more anguish than can come from the death of one's child; even contemplating it brings terror into the hearts of most parents. This is true in general, and only the most callous or the most wicked would not relate to the fear of such a loss. To "kill with death" is a Hebraism of repetition to emphasize the certainty of the threat. Whether this is literal or figurative is of little consequence. Ask yourself -- if it is figurative, what type of horror would it be figurative of? Does it really matter? Can you think of anything worse? The reins is an old expression for the inward parts; literally the kidneys. We no longer think of our inward parts as being the seat of our emotions, but we still refer to the heart in this same way. While neither is where our emotions originate, both enter into our feelings. It is Jesus who is speaking here and asserting His omniscience -- his ability to see into the heart, and the judgement that he issues to Jezebel and her lovers is something that should be well known and understood by us even if it has not yet come to pass. We will all be judged according to our works Revelation 20:13).]
24 But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden.
[Those who had not been influenced either by Jezebel or similar wicked influences, and thus do not know the teachings, which they (who are righteous) refer to as "the deep things of Satan." This reflects their attitude toward them. They are not just things of Satan, but the deep things of Satan, and thus they are taking precautions to flee from them. Jesus says he would cast upon them none other burden as opposed to those who were influences and who were cast into a bed of tribulation along with Jezebel. This could indicate that they were not called upon to explore the deep things of Satin. Sometimes it is best to know where NOT to go, and this may well be one of them. Let us remember: Ephesians 5:11-12: "... and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them; 12 for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of.]
25 Nevertheless that which ye have, hold fast till I come.
[Don't let down your guard -- the good things of the past are helpful, but they are not your guarantee -- you must continue to hold fast to the truth, as further emphasized in the following verse.]
26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations:
27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father:
28 and I will give him the morning star.
[It is not the beginning that is important but the end. The Bible is very definitive on the judgment of those who make a great start and then fall away. These as contrasted with those who have, like the prodigal son, started off on a life of sin and, recognizing their folly, have come back to the Lord. Is this speaking about some ruler of the saints, an apostle or an elder? Remember that Jesus said those greatest among you would be your servants. So it is that the lowliest among us will be given authority to rule over the nations with a rod of iron to break them into shivers. This is obviously figurative language ... the nations clearly representing worldliness and Jesus giving those who would serve and obey Him power over this sinful world to overcome it and to rule over it in righteous living. Jesus says he has received such from His Father, and He will give it unto us conditioned on our holding fast till He come. The morning star -- Revelation 22:16: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright, the morning star" -- is probably best viewed as Jesus Himself. What more could we ask for help in our battle against the sin of this world than the presence of our Lord and Savior? Jesus is promising to give himself -- to help with our struggles. He has already given himself on the cross, but that is only the beginning of the blessings to those who are in Him.]
29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
[We repeat, this is often an imperative that is made following a passage that requires some intense thought and meditation. Let us not just read it and dismiss it. Let us HEAR -- listen to -- what it says, for only in intense meditation can we obtain the full implications of what our Lord is saying to us.
Revelation 3
3:1 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.
[The "seven spirits of God" -- see Revelation 1:4. Jesus is said to have them as well as the seven stars, which represent the angels to the seven churches (Rev. 1:20). Jesus knew their works and their reputation; but it seems clear that their works did not live up to their reputation. "Thou art dead" is a stinging rebuke -- speaking spiritually, how should those who had been born again (John 3; Romans 6) understand this judgement of them? Effectively, you are alive physically, but you are dead spiritually. It is also further qualified by that given in the next verse.]
2 Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God.
[We can be dead despite the fact that we are still doing some good things and holding to some sound beliefs. But we need to continue to strive for full growth and development. Let us never assume that we have arrived and need not put forth efforts even in those things that we seem to have under good control (1 Corinthians 10:12). Watchfulness and diligence is essential to not being overwhelmed by the evils of Satan.]
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep (it), and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
[Does he urge them to go into some mystical trance and get some direct power from the Holy Spirit? No, the power is in the gospel (Romans 1:16-17), and just as the Hebrews writer warned about neglecting so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:2-4), so Jesus warns them to remember what they already had received, heard, and kept. He thus urges them to once again repent of their sins, which in this case involves their negligence in not being aware that their garments were getting defiled. "Watch" is repeated here again with the warning that when we fail to observe the evil around us we tend to rationalize it and engage in it. To Christians who would do this is given the warning that, without notice, Jesus will come as a thief, and then it will be everlastingly too late. Let us be diligent, not partaking in sin, but knowing its sordid nature and the consequences of its wickedness.]
4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.
[This impresses upon us the fact that we are not judged by the organization (e.g., church) that we might be a member of (even if it is a sound local church). We are judged as individuals and our salvation is our individual responsibility. Walk in white is figurative of the purity with which Christians are to keep themselves, as illustrated by the figure of defiled garments. "They are worthy" not because of their own works or righteousness but because they have availed themselves by faith in the saving blood of Jesus.]
5 He that overcomes shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
[Those already saved as well as those who might be fallen -- this verse has no meaning if it does not apply to both, since it is primarily written to those in Christ. "Book of life" is not a new concept -- it appeared first in Psalms 69:28, a Psalm that is clearly messianic describing many of the sufferings of Jesus prior to his crucifixion. That the "book of life" must have been part of the Jewish oral tradition is clear from the fact that it is not defined -- the writer of the Psalm assumes that the reader knows well what he is talking about. After this, its mention does not appear again until Philippians 4:3, where Paul also assumes that the reader will understand his reference to it. It is defined for us by this context -- clearly those who are saved have their names written in the book of life, and Jesus will confess them before the Father and before his angels. Equally clear is the fact that names can be blotted out of the book of life, which is strong evidence that those who are saved can be lost. References to the book of life will also be made in Revelation 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 20:15, 21:27 and 22:19. White garments clearly refer to those who are sinless or whose sins are forgiven, a figure that will recur in Revelation 6:11; 7:9 and 7:13-14]
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
[See comments on 2:7. This was repeated four times in Chapter 2, and it will also occurs three times in Chapter 3; thus once for each church, and it is an exhortation to think through what is being said -- do not just read it over lightly and think you understand it.]
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that opens and none shall shut, and that shuts and none opens:
[Philadelphia along with Smyrna were the only two churches that received no rebuke. Characteristics of Jesus given: holy, true, has total authority and will use it in due time. The key is a symbol of authority (see Isaiah 22:22 and Matthew 16:19), re-emphasizing that Jesus now has all authority (Matthew 28:18-20), and that His judgment is final -- He can and will use the key to open and shut, and no one will have the authority to over-ride His judgments.]
8 I know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name.
["A little power" might be regarded as a rebuke, but it is stated in a positive way, and we also see no other things that might be negative about the church in Philadelphia. So, we might regard this as a warning that just because no specific negatives are given, it is important to keep growing in the Lord. So, knowing their works and that they have a little power, they are commended for keeping the word of Jesus and not denying his name (continuing to do things strictly according to His word). Also, He has entrusted them with an opportunity to preach the word; He has opened a door for them and it cannot be shut.]
9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
[This is the second mention of the synagogue of Satan, and in both places it is mentioned that they are liars, which is appropriate since Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). They are dominated by lies stating that they are God's chosen people (Jews) when in fact, that is no longer an attribute of a nationality, but is now a spiritual attribute (Galatians 3). So anyone claiming it based on race or nationality is a liar and clearly is rejecting the authority of Jesus. Their current persecution will soon be replaced by "worship before thy feet," with a knowledge that Jesus loves those who have subjected themselves to Him. There is no inference here that this worship will be due to their repentance and recognition of their sin. In addition, the word "worship" has a range of meaning from honor that might rightfully be paid to those with whom it is due, to the recognition that the one being worshiped is God. It is in the former sense that the word is being used here, with a de-emphasis upon those worshiped and an emphasis upon the synagogue of Satan coming to a full recognition of the idolatry in taking refuge in their nationality.]
10 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that (hour) which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
[The word of my patience -- see verse 3 -- it would seem that the sub-theme of patiently waiting for and expecting the coming of Jesus is being repeated. Because of their faithfulness in this regard, they are given a promise that they will be kept from the "hour of trial." This does not necessarily mean that no trial, or that a lighter temptation will come upon them than others. The idea is that because they have conditioned themselves to serving the Lord, continuing in that regard will be much easier for them to endure and come through it without falling. Those who are not faithful and who are looking for a way of sin to avoid the trials will surely find it, but in taking that route they will seal their fate.]
11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
[Quickly is a relative term. All of the original people who John was writing to are now deceased and they have recognized the brevity of life. Those who have retained their crowns clearly recognize that what they endured was well worth anything that they might have given up.
12 He that overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name.
[A pillar in a building is something that is quite substantial and unmovable, and this is the obvious intent. In this context the temple is a metaphor for the body of Christ, the church (1 Corinthians 3:16), as is the new Jerusalem spoken of later in this verse. Not only will those who are faithful have their names written in the book of life, but the name of the God of Jesus will be written upon them, thus identifying them as God's possessions. Two other names:
- "The name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem ..." (see Revelation 2:21) -- this is looking forward to that point in time (or after time exists) when the saints inhabit the heavenly realm; and
- "And mine own new name." We cannot be sure just what this new name is, but we can be sure that it is a great blessing to have it written upon us. It could well be that spoken of in Isaiah 62:2, which we believe to be the name "Christian" (1 Peter 4:16), in which case it is not a new name for Jesus but a name owned by Jesus that was given to his faithful.]
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
[See Revelation 2:19.]
14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:
[View these three descriptions of the speaker, Jesus Christ, as being different words that describe much the same thing (in the Jewish style of such repetition):
- Amen -- an affirmation of truth -- Jesus was the creator of all truth but prior to his term on the earth the truth was revealed through various angels and prophets and a variety of ways (Hebrews 1). To this the very existence of Jesus and his fulfillment of the Old Testament law (for us) was a clear affirmation of agreement with it.
- Faithful and true witness -- see the similarity with Amen. Jesus could witness to the existence of the Father because he had been with the Father "before the world was" (John 17:5) and had actually seen the Father (John 6:46).
- Beginning of the creation of God -- not the first thing created, because Jesus created all things (Jn. 1:3), but the initiator of the creation (the one who began it); thus, the one who was responsible for getting the creation started.]
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
[In what way are the cold preferable to the luke warm? We might find a devout atheist who has never been exposed to the truth of God's word -- as is true with many, they have not been given the truth, and in many cases overwhelmed with Satan's lies about the Bible. This person is in a superior position to someone who has learned the truth and even been obedient in the past (as clearly the Laodiceans were), but now has a lackadaisical attitude toward his service to God. Jesus is saying that he prefers the atheist in this case to the lukewarm "believer." A good example of a cold person would be Paul (Saul) prior to his conversion. God sees that a potential exists with the unbeliever that is not present with the uncaring Christian. It is interesting that a church that seems to have no Satanic influence or moral decay would be the only one that is not given any commendation for its good works, further reinforcing God's regard to lukewarmness.]
16 So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
[This analogy needs no explanation and we will not try the reader's patience with such. What can it possibly mean other than the lukewarm Christian will be rejected by God in the same way that lukewarm food might be spit out by someone who was expecting it to be either hot or cold. Much foolish argumentation must be employed in an attempt to show people that this is not stating that those who once were faithful can fall away from their salvation.
17 Because you say, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and know not that you art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:
[The first riches mentioned here appear to be physical because this is talking about their self-reporting. It is certain that the second would be of a spiritual nature (wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked). We infer that the Laodiceans were relatively well off physically, and they may have felt that this wealth was evidence of their status with God, i.e., that they were also rich spiritually. Conventional wisdom at the time was just that -- that those who were rich physically arrived at that status because of their righteousness. Thus we have the disciples in Matthew 19:25, when told how hard it was for a rich man to enter into heaven, asking Jesus: "who then can be saved?" It this were the case, then using these figures of speech would fit them perfectly. Denying even their physical confidence with the words wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked would impress upon them that their image of themselves was indeed false.]
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou may become rich; and white garments, that thou may clothe thyself, and (that) the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eye salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou may see.
[Continuing with the same analogy he uses physical elements to reflect upon their spiritual lacking -- note that all of these things would be "purchased" from Jesus, as all spiritual blessing are in Jesus (Ephesians 1:3):
- Gold refined by fire -- gold will be referenced again in 4:4; 9:7; 9:20; 17:4; 18:12 and 16; 21:18-21. In about half of these cases, the word is used in a physical sense and generally refers to wealth. However here and in several other places it is used to refer to the splendor of truth, righteousness and spirituality.
- White garments -- See Revelation 3:5, this is obviously referring to a life of righteousness.
- Eye salve -- the common remedy for normal eye issues at the time, prescribed here as a metaphor for the spiritual perspective that is essential to seeing the full truth of God's word (1 Corinthians 2).]
19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
[This is an affirmation of the love of Jesus toward them and his motivation, not to cause them pain but to encourage them to become hot (zealous) and that, in turn would cause them to repent of their lukewarm attitudes.]
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
[Could there be an more decisive statement for free will and against total predestination? Whosever will may come -- Revelation 22:17: "he that will, let him take the water of life freely." "If ANY man hear my voice ..." No further explanation is needed.]
21 He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.
[Revelation 20:4: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: ..." The promise is given here; the fulfillment is to come. But there is also a current fulfillment described in Revelation 5:9-10: "And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood (men) of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them (to be) unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon earth." This is present tense -- something that God has already done for His faithful. Something we should enjoy now.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
[See Revelation 2:29.]
Revelation 4
4:1 After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, (a voice) as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter.
[A door opened in heaven allowing John to observe certain things in that realm. A voice was heard that he could best describe as being like a trumpet, but it was speaking with him. It requested John to go up so that he could see things that would come to pass in the future. This would be in John's future, not necessarily ours. Recall that the major part of these things were to shortly come to pass (1:1).]
2 Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne;
[See 1:10 for a discussion of "in the Spirit." It states there that being "in the Spirit" is something that all Christians can be and should be at all times, i.e., guided totally by the teachings and attitudes of the Holy Spirit. The use of the term here seems to have added significance, however, in that John was in the process of receiving revelation directly from God, something that is no longer needed today. John is informing us here that he was in a type of absorbed trance in which the things around him of a physical nature became of no relevance or distraction -- much like Peter's trance in Acts 10. There is nothing particularly miraculous about such a trance per se -- most people often get caught up in things to the exclusion of their physical surroundings. Such was for John here a means to the end of obtaining the information that he was about to receive directly by his vision and his hearing. It does not matter if this was the result of actual physical things that produce the sights and the sounds, or if it was merely "in John's head" so to speak. Apparently some have made a big issue of this in the past, causing Paul to state and repeat regarding his vision recorded in 2 Cor 12:3 "whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; God knows." While this is not the same issue here, neither Paul, nor John could answer the details of such trivial questions, and neither should we be bothered by things that are of no relevance. The important thing is what he saw: a throne and one sitting upon the throne. This is literally what he saw, and it is what we should see now as though John is telling this to us. Recognize the importance of the fact that it is "set in heaven" -- that is, we are told the place that these objects and events are being perceived to exist and take place. There is no reason to second guess the objects or the events that John saw -- they are exactly as he is describing them.]
3 and he that sat (was) to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and (there was) a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.
[This might be where some get the inclination to think that they have to create a meaning to assign to each of the things that John saw. If the simile of these precious and beautiful stones that he saw when he looked upon the occupant of the throne, and the emerald that is used to describe the rainbow convey to you a magnificent scene, be satisfied with that, for we feel that this is the intent. An emerald is a bright green transparent precious stone, so that might modify our view of the throne. See what John saw and feel what John felt. John does not identify the being on the throne -- perhaps he does not know at this point, so he does not want to speculate. The identification will come in verse 8 by those who are worshipping "He that sat" on the throne.
4 And round about the throne (were) four and twenty thrones: and upon the thrones (I saw) four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments; and on their heads crowns of gold.
[Numeric reference. The Number "12" In the field of multiplication, "4" was multiplied by "3," and the resultant "12" became a well-known symbol. In Hebrew religious thought it was the symbol of organized religion in the world. There were twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles, twelve gates to the Holy City in Revelation.
Source: Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press), pp. 21-25]
[At this point John may not have known just who the occupants of these thrones were, but he was able to identify them in general as elders. We would expect that these were faithful elders of churches having met all of the qualifications and served faithfully. Their righteousness is apparent from their white garments, and the golden crowns on the heads certainly attested to their ruling wisely. We know no more than this as far as identification is concerned. Obviously at this point there were probably many more than 24 elders who had served, and so it is reasonable to conclude that this subset would represent all of them. The 24 elders may be representative of all elders of all time, just as the 7 churches of Asia might represent all faithful (albeit not perfect) local churches of all time. It is fitting that there are at least two elders for each church, since the New Testament always uses the word "elders" in the plural when referring to those within any given church.]
5 And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders. And (there was) seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;
[Action. Lightnings and voices and thunders. The seven lamps might be the form that the seven Spirits of God took upon themselves, but the use of identity metaphors is quite common throughout the New Testament (e.g., God is love), and should not be taken literally when that meaning is not reasonable, as is the case here. Instead it tells us that there are things about the essence of the lamps of burning fire that map closely to the characteristics of the seven spirits, e.g., their ability to enlighten and bring truth to a dark and dying world. See 1:4 for a discussion of the Seven Spirits of God.]
6 and before the throne, there was a sea of glass like a crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.
[Note the figures -- the sea of glass like a crystal could not be literal. It might be a sea of water that was smooth as glass like a crystal, or it could have been glass like crystal that was so immense that it was like a sea of water. The term "sea of glass" tends to convey this latter idea, but our minds eye view of it would be the same in either case. If we view the throne as being square in shape, then the four living creatures could be both in the midst of the throne and round about the throne -- in its midst in that they were centered on each of its four sides, and this would simultaneously cause them to be all around the throne. These were four living creatures taking a form as animals with multiple eyes both in front and behind their heads. While such animals have never been seen apart from visions of heaven, it is not difficult for us to visualize them in our minds from this description.]
[The Number "4" When man went outside his home and looked about him, he had no conception of the modern world as we know it. No Copernicus had ever opened his eyes to the vast significance of the universe. To him the world was a great flat surface with four boundaries, east and west and north and south. There were four winds from the four sides of the earth. There were four angels, he thought, to govern the four winds. In the town he placed himself within the limit of four walls. Thus when he thought of the world he thought in terms of four. Four became the cosmic number. In Revelation there appear four living creatures symbolical of the four divisions of animal life of the world. There are four horsemen symbolical of the destructive powers of the world at war. The world in which men lived and worked and died was conveniently symbolized by "4".
Source: Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press), pp. 21-25]
7 And the first creature (was) like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature (was) like a flying eagle.
[The major conclusion that we can draw from this description is that these creatures were not like anything that would be found on earth. Thus, they exist (or perhaps existed) by special creation separate and apart from the creation on earth. We see their function in the next verse.]
8 and the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, (is) the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
[A further description of the creatures precedes their activity description. The six wings would be easy to imagine had they just been typical feathered wings. But these wings are also full of eyes all aound them and also within, i.e., inside the wing when it is folded. The preponderance of eyes is emblematic of total omnicient perception -- nothing occurs that is not known and recorded. Not only do these creatures provide total sight but they do this constantly and without rest. The term "day and night" is used accommodatively here to represent this constancy; it is not to infer that there is day and night in heaven, in fact, Revelation 21:25 tells us there is "no night there". Their function -- to praise and worship God who exists from everlasting to everlasting, identifying the occupant of the throne as such.
9 And when the living creatures shall give glory and honor and thanks to him that sits on the throne, to him that lives for ever and ever,
10 the four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sits on the throne, and shall worship him that lives for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created.
[The living creatures giving glory to God was previously described as a continuous event that never ceases. Here, however, the word "when" might infer that there was a starting and stopping point. We should rather see it as stating a concurrency; i.e., at the same time as the living creatures are giving glory, the 24 elders participate in the praise and worship to God along with the four living creatures. The One who sits on the throne is the One who lives for ever and ever, i.e., God. In a sign of humility, they cast their crowns before the throne and sing praises to God for all things, but specifically for creating all things. While we know that all things were created through Jesus Christ, this was done with the full knowledge and authority of God the Father.]
Revelation 5
5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals.
[The word book can refer to written materials in a wide variety of forms, and since most common writings at that time were on scrolls, this is probably the best conclusion. This concurs with the fact that he could see writing on the outside of it -- "written within ..." (which he could not see because it was sealed up) "... and on the back" (which he could see directly.). Seals were used in legal documents to prevent unauthorized people from viewing the manuscript. Only those authorized could break the seal (or seals) under very strict penalties.]
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
[The significance of a strong angel -- clearly the angel was acting with the authority of God on the throne, so the choosing of a strong angel to make this proclamation with a great voice was calculated to get everyone's attention in heaven, and now it has gotten our attention as well.]
3 And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon.
[This was the initial response to the proclamation. No one could open the book so obviously no one could state what was written in it. The use of the written word is shown to be important -- as important as the spoken word, perhaps even more so. For the written word can be studied and made part of the reader's heart and mind much more effectively than that of the spoken word, which can so easily be forgotten. We know this cannot be an absolute statement, and so the meaning is that at this point, no one had been found.]
4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon:
[Why would this be such a traumatic event to John? He clearly understood that this book contained much of the revelation that he was charged to observe and record for all of mankind. If this book could not be opened because the sin in the world made no one was worthy, then Satan has won the victory and we are all doomed to hell. That was not a pleasing thought to one who had such great love for Jesus, and who had enjoyed the love of His fellowship. Yes indeed, there was great reason for John to be upset to the point of not only weeping, but weeping much.]
5 and one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.
[Just how this elder knew this or why a human should be chosen to bring the message we cannot say. But we do know that humans are charged by Jesus Christ to carry the gospel into all of the world (Matthew 28:18-20), and if they do not do it, then to the best of our knowledge, it just will not get done. The elder tells John that there is no reason to weep because Jesus Christ has overcome all of the evils of Satan to be worthy to open the seals on the book. Jesus is described here as the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David -- bringing recall to the promises that God had made to Abraham and to David.]
[Potential related passages:
Genesis 49:9 -- Jacob's prophesy concerning his 12 sons:
9 Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, thou art gone up: He stooped down, he couched as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
2 Samuel 7:12-17
12 When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, that shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish His kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of His kingdom for ever.
14 I will be His father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten Him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;
15 but my lovingkindness shall not depart from Him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
16 And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
Isaiah 11:1-10
11:1 And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of His roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
3 And His delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears;
4 but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth; and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the sash of His waist, and faithfulness the sash of His loins.
6 And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
10 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the peoples, unto Him shall the nations seek; and His resting-place shall be glorious.]
6 And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.
[The introduction of the form and figure of Jesus Christ at this point is as dramatic as the description of the one who sat upon the throne, and rightfully so, for this chapter proclaims that Jesus Christ is God. The figures used here are easy to interpret --
- The lamb of God, Jesus, called also our Passover since the Lord's supper has taken the place of the Passover in bringing to remembrance all that God has done for us.
- Standing as though it had been slain -- in reference to the sacrifice of the lamb of God on the cross for the remission of our sins.
- Seven horns -- the symbolic meaning of the perfect number of horns is most often that of power -- the power of an animal to dominate others, figurative of the total authority that has been given to Jesus by God today (Matthew 28:18-20).
- Seven eyes -- eyes of perfect number capable of observing everything, as we saw with the seven churches, Jesus knew everything that there was to know about them.
- The seven spirits of God, which we have been introduced to in 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; and here in 5:6, will be the last reference to them. That these seven Spirits are here described to be the seven eyes should not be difficult to understand since this is the common identity metaphor that is used quite frequently throughout the New Testament. It is not to be taken literally in that this might not fit with some of the other descriptions (e.g., the lamps burning with fire in 4:5). In this figure the spirits as eyes would provide total omniscience to the Lamb while serving to enlighten the saints with the truth of God's word. Their domain is the entire earth as they are "sent forth into all the earth."]
["The Number "7" When man began to analyze and combine numbers, he developed other interesting symbols. He took the perfect world number "4" and added to it the perfect divine number "3" and got "7," the most sacred number to the Hebrews. It was earth crowned with heaven--the four-square earth plus the divine completeness of God. So we have "7" expressing completeness through union of earth with heaven. This number runs throughout the book of Revelation, There are seven Spirits, seven churches, seven golden candlesticks, seven stars, seven sections to the book, each, save the last, divided into seven parts. The sacred number, multiplied by the compete number "10," resulted in the very-sacred "70." There were seventy member of the Jewish high court, Jesus sent out seventy prepared workers. In a sweeping figure he presented the idea of an unlimited Christian forgiveness when he told a disciple to forgive his brother seventy times seven."
Source: Ray Summers, Worthy is the Lamb (Nashville: Broadman Press), pp. 21-25 ]
7 And he came, and he took (it) out of the right hand of Him that sat on the throne.
[Clearly showing the accord between the One sitting on the throne and the Lamb. Reference to the "right hand" is probably just to demonstrate the importance of this document.]
8 And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
[These were giving glory to the One on the throne. Would it show rudeness and disrespect for them to stop that worship and now turn to give glory to the Lamb? We have no evidence that they stopped worshiping God as He was still on the throne as they also began to worship the Lamb. In fact, it is impossible to worship one without worshiping them both (and the Holy Spirit for that matter). The 24 elders had cast their crowns before the throne, and now they fall down before the Lamb and worship with the aid of their harps and golden bowls full of incense. Again we have an identity metaphor as the incense is stated to be the prayers of the saints. The idea of prayers and sacrifices being as incense is a very common one in scripture, and incense was mentioned well over 100 times as part of their worship in the Old Testament. Incense has already been stated to be the prayers of the saints in 5:3, and it will again be referenced that in 8:3-4.]
9 And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood (men) of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,
10 and made them (to be) unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon earth.
[Jesus commanded us to go into all of the world -- to all people, every tribe, and tongue and people and nation -- in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), and Peter stated in Acts 10:34-35: "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that fears him, and works righteousness, is acceptable to him." That God wants to make of all different peoples but one kingdom of priests is a tenet taught throughout the New Testament and heavily alluded to in the Old Testament as well. Any prejudice that we might have against those who are different from us is sin, and we will be held accountable for it. Present tense: "and they reign upon the earth." Is it possible that this is a prophecy, that it is being spoken of in the present tense but will not be accomplished for some time in the future? There is nothing in the context to indicate that, and if it were the case we might have to say that everything that John was seeing would have the same characteristic. Since we have not thought to apply such an interpretation to these other events, what justification would we have for applying it to this one now? But this is not the first time in the New Testament that such has been stated. Consider Romans 8:33-39:
33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies;
34 who is he that condemns? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
This cannot be understood by those who think in worldly ways (1 Corinthians 2). But in a more real spiritual sense our victory over Satan and this world through the blood of Christ makes us fit to be a kingdom of priests and a royal priesthood (see 1:6-9). We would do well to keep this in mind as we encounter passages that deal with the saints on the earth at this current time.]
11 And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might and honor, and glory, and blessing.
[Can anyone deny after hearing this (can you hear it?) that Jesus is God? Would the angels, living creatures and elders all be practicing idolatry in worshiping Jesus in the very presence of God? How could anyone even entertain this thought?]
13 And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things are in them, heard I saying, Unto him that sits on the throne, and unto the Lamb, (be) the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever.
[At this point John witnesses all things, both animate and inanimate giving praise to both the Lamb and the one who sits on the throne.
14 And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshiped.
[It is fitting that the ones who initiated the worship and praise should affirm their agreement with it both by saying Amen and by falling down and continuing their worship.]
Go to Chapters 6-10