INTERPRETATION.

*

The titles of the books of Scripture have in some instances been added by transcribers. But the present seems undisputedly the writing of St. John. The concluding words, "for the time is at hand," imply the Apostle's pen; and in addition, this title is found nearly entire in the fathers.t

But the head line, "The Revelation of St. John the Divine," is not established. Griesbach rejects it, as wanting in some of the older MSS. The book was originally named "The Apocalypse of John." But when the doctrine of the Trinity had come into controversy, John's powerful testimony to the Divinity of the Son, the Osov oyos, made the application of the epithet Theologus usual to both him and his distinguishing doctrine. ‡

The third verse, "Blessed is he that readeth," &c. is one among the many encouragements to the unrestrained use of the Scriptures. "And they that keep the things which are written therein, for the time is at hand."-Keep, in the original, (Tɛpaw) is not merely, to observe, but to hold in possession, to preserve against a peculiar effort to wrest the Christian faith from the disciples. "For, the time is at hand,"-in the natural meaning of the words, directs this part of the prophecy to St. John's contemporaries. He gives them the immediate warning, because the danger is on the heels of the prediction.

PROPHECY.

Ver. 4. John to the seven Churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the

* Michaelis, Introd. c. 7.

See Euseb. H. E. 1. iii. c. 24.

† Euseb. H. E. 1. vii, c, 25.

first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

7. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

INTERPRETATION.

The seven Churches of Asia, in the days of St. John, formed the most considerable, if not the only regularly established portion of Christendom. They were under the peculiar superintendence of the Apostle. They acted with something of the union of an ecclesiastical commonwealth, they had mutual correspondence, and St. Paul desires that his Epistle addressed to one of those Churches shall be communicated to another. In Asia the Gospel chiefly flourished; and in Asia was subsequently the chief violence of pagan persecution. A general address to the seven congregations was virtually an address to the Christian. world.

Asia in the ancient writings bore four meanings. The third part of the globe.

Asia Minor.

Asia on this side of mount Taurus.

Proconsular Asia, extending along the Mediterranean, and bounded inland by a line from Pergamos to Caria, with mount Tmolus for its Lydian boundary. This, with perhaps some little enlargement of its limits, is the Asia of the Apocalypse.*

The announcement of the general prophecy is of the most solemn kind. It comes from the Three persons of the Godhead; the Father in his eternity, the Son in

* Sigon. de Antiq. Jure Prov. Vitring.

his character of King and Saviour, and the Spirit in his Omnipresence, the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."+

The characteristics of our Lord (ver. 5,) all have a reference to Christianity. He is the faithful witness, (o paprus) the first begotten from the dead," or first fruits of the resurrection; and "the prince of the kings of the earth," the universal Sovereign of the approaching period of the purified world.

It is also declared (ver: 7,) that his coming is to be signalized by a tremendous and universal infliction, palpable to mankind as the work of heaven,-utter wrath upon the rebels to his religion, those who daily crucify him afresh and put him to open shame;' (Heb. vi. 6,) ruin upon the whole body of impurity and idolatry.

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It is among the unanswerable proofs of the Divine Nature of our Lord, that he is distinguished in the Scriptures by the same Eternity which here distinguishes the Father, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."+

PROPHECY.

Ver. 9. I John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet,

11. Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven Churches which are in Asia, unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

• Seven implies perfection. "Unum spiritum dicit septiformem quæ est perfectio et plenitudo." (Bede.)

† Apoc. v. 6.

+ Heb. xiii. 8.

The original is, "In Spirit," ('v яvevμati,) in a state of Divine vision.

PROPHECY.

Ver. 12. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

13. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

14. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

15. And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

16. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, fear not; I am the first and the last:

18. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

19. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are; and the things which shall be hereafter;

20. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks; the seven stars are the angels of the seven Churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven Churches.

INTERPRETATION.

In this passage our Lord declares himself the Almighty,—the first and the last," shows his perpetual superintendence of the Christian Church, by walking among its lights, and appears, at once, in the garb of the high priest, and in the splendour peculiar to the Deity."The Ancient of days, whose garment was white as snow.*-His body like the beryl, and his eyes like lamps of fire, and his arms and feet like in colour to polished brass." Expressions probably altogether inadequate to the vision, yet the only ones within hu† Dan. x. 5, 6.

* Dan. vii. 9.

man language. This symbolic appearance is immediately explained, ("The seven stars are the seven angels," &c.) for the purpose of appearance was immediate. Angel or messenger was the title of the chief minister, the Sheliac Zibbor, of the synagogue; from which it was transferred to the Christian congregations.

PROPHECY.

CHAPTER II.

Ver. 1. Unto the angel of the Church of Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured and hast not fainted.

4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

INTERPRETATION.

Ephesus, seated in the richest part of one of the richest regions of the Roman Empire, was remarkable for its opulence, its voluptuousness, and its idolatry. The celebrated temple of Diana attracted worshippers from all the realms of Paganism. To combat evil in its source may have been among the motives of that strong interest which St. Paul felt towards this city. He resided in Ephesus two years. It was also a cen