THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION.
VERSES 18-29. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira (as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak,) I will put upon you none other burden; but that which ye have already, hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers; even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Thyatira signifies sweet savor of labor, or sacrifice and contrition, which seems descriptive of the church of Jesus Christ during the 1260 years of Papal persecution. This age of dreadful cruelty, and martyrdom of the true church, improved her real condition. "I know thy works, and charity, and patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first." How necessary to the purity and prosperity of the church, has been persecution and affliction! and how corrupting and destructive to holiness has been worldly prosperity! "Jezebel," says Wm. Miller, Lectures, p. 142, "is a figurative name, alluding to Ahab's wife, who slew the prophets of the Lord, led her husband into idolatry, and fed the prophets of Baal at her own table. A more striking figure could not have been used to denote the Papal abominations. See 1 Kings xviii, xix, xxi. It is very evident from history, as well as from this verse, that the church of Christ did suffer some of the Papal monks to preach and teach among them. See the History of the Waldenses." Watson's Bible Dictionary says: "The name of Jezebel is used proverbially, Rev. ii, 20."
The Comprehensive Commentary, upon verse 23, "I will kill her children with death," &c., says: Children are spoken of, which confirms the idea that a sect and its proselytes are meant.
The death here mentioned is doubtless the second death, at the close of the 1000 years of chapter xx, when the righteous retribution from the Searcher of "the reins and hearts" of men will be given. And, further, the declaration, "I will give unto every one of you according to your works," is proof that the address to this church prophetically looks forward to the final reward or punishment of all accountable beings. The expression, "I will put upon you none other burden," may have been incorrectly applied to the reception, and living out of the present truth by the aged. Truth is not a burden to any accountable beings. We suggest that reference is made to the false teachings of Jezebel, or the Roman church, and that a prophetic allusion is here made to the influence of the reformation in exposing the corruptions of the Papal system, which gave the church rest from the burdens under which she had suffered. The days of tribulation were shortened for the elect's sake. Matt. xxiv. "And the earth helped the woman." Chap. xii, 16. "They shall be holpen with a little help." Dan. xi, 34. "Hold fast till I come," saith the Son of God. This unqualified expression has reference to his second, personal appearing. We find the following threatening to the church of Ephesus. "I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." This is a conditional visitation of punishment for neglect of duty, and can have no reference to Christ's second advent. Again, the church in Pergamos have a like threatening,—"Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth." These conditional threatenings apply to periods of time when the church could not scripturally look for the second advent of Christ. But the unqualified exhortation, "hold fast till I come," addressed to the church in Thyatira, has no threatening connected with it. It is thrown in as a matter of encouragement to the faithful, hence must refer to the glorious second appearing of Jesus Christ. It should here be borne in mind that this fourth state of the church reaches down to within sixty-four years of the present time. The signs in the sun and moon were fulfilled in 1780, eighteen years before the close of this period; and in reference to these signs the Saviour said, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth near." Luke xxi, 28. The time had come for the church to look up and expect her coming Lord in the clouds of heaven; hence it is said to some in Thyatira, "Hold fast till I come." The end mentioned in this address, can refer to but one thing, and that is the end of the Christian age; hence we conclude that the address touches upon the leading events connected with the people of God during this long period, then glides to the end, expressing the victories of the overcomers. The morning star is the same as the "day star" of 2 Pet. i, 19. During the saint's weary night of watching, the sure word of prophecy, the Bible, is a light in a dark place; but at the voice of God the day will dawn, and the overcomers will have that visible assurance that the day of glory is opening, represented by the morning star. Verses 1-6. "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received, and heard, and hold fast and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Sardis signifies, song of joy, or that which remains. If we are correct in the application of the first four churches, then Sardis represents the nominal churches for the last half century or more. This church has a name that it lives, but is dead. Look at the exalted position and name which the nominal churches have had among the nations of the earth. Look at her high-sounding titles, and the applause she receives from what is called the world. The nominal churches have the name of the churches of Jesus Christ, and have the credit of doing much for the world. But they are dead to the pure principles of the gospel, and to good works as taught by Christ and his first ministers. During this period of the church the message of the second coming of Christ is proclaimed, and the duty to watch for that event is enjoined. Those who do not watch will be overtaken by Christ's coming as by a thief, verse 3, while those who do watch are "not in darkness that that day should overtake them as a thief." 1 Thess. v, 4. There are a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments. These come out of the different branches of Babylon, and unite upon the glorious theme of the second advent of Christ, leaving their denominational tenets behind, and form the church of brotherly love. Verses 7-13. "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God; and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Philadelphia signifies, brotherly love, and expresses the position and spirit of those who received the advent message up to the autumn of 1844. As they came out of the sectarian churches, they left party names and party feelings behind, and every heart beat in union as they gave the alarm to the nominal churches and to the world, and pointed to the coming of the Son of man as the consummation of the true believer's hope. Selfishness and covetousness were laid aside, and a spirit of consecration and sacrifice was cherished. The Spirit of God was with every true believer, and his praise on every tongue. Those who were not in that movement know nothing of the deep searching of heart, consecration of all to God, peace, joy in the Holy Spirit, and pure, fervent love for each other, which true believers then enjoyed. Those who were in that movement are aware that language would fail to describe that united, happy state. The Son of God is the rightful heir to the throne of David, and is about to take to himself his great power and reign, hence is here represented as having the key of David—a figure of power. The throne of David, or of Christ, on which he is to reign, is the capital of his kingdom, the New Jerusalem now above. The opening and shutting can refer only to the change of ministration from the holy to the most holy of the heavenly sanctuary, at the end of the 2300 days, in 1844. It was then that the ministration in the holy place closed, and the ministration in the most holy for the forgiveness of sins, and to cleanse the sanctuary, was opened by him that hath the key of David. For a full exposition of this point, see work entitled, The Four Universal Kingdoms, the Sanctuary, and Twenty-three Hundred Days. Behold I set before thee an open door. Compare this with Rev. xi, 19. We can apply texts of this class to no other events than to Christ's entering the most holy in 1844, and opening his ministration there, where the ark of ten commandments is, hence, since that time the Sabbath, with the whole law of God, has been present truth in a special sense. Compare with the above texts, Dan. vii, 13, 14; Ps. ii, 8, 9; Rev. xi, 15; Matt. xxv, 10. That Christ receives the kingdom, takes the throne of David, before his second advent, is plainly taught. This union is represented by the marriage of Matt. xxv, 10, and is called "the marriage of the Lamb," Rev. xix, 7. Since 1844, has been the patient, waiting, watching time. "Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God." Rev. xiv, 12. "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding," &c. Luke xii, 35, 36. Those who keep the word of Christ's patience, will be kept from the hour of temptation which is to try all the world. Those who now live in patient, faithful obedience to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ, will be kept in the dreadful deciding hour before us. See chap. xiii, 16, 17. The personal appearing of Jesus Christ is also expressed in this address—Behold I come quickly! This shows the application of the testimony to the church in Philadelphia, to that period when Christ's second advent may be scripturally looked for, and shows the absurdity of that theory which makes the seven addresses to the churches, narratives of matters of fact21which occurred, or were to occur, in seven of the churches of Asia Minor, in John's day. There are no such expressions in connection with the first three churches, from the fact that they did not reach down near to the end. In this address the overcomer has the promise of being made a pillar in the temple of God, to go no more out, which here must mean the church (see 2 Cor. vi, 16), where he is fully established in the truth, and sealed. And let it be distinctly understood, that these are all marked direct for the New Jerusalem above, and not for Old Jerusalem where our Age-to-come friends think of going. God save us from that mark. These have written upon them, GOD, NEW JERUSALEM, because they are the property of God, purchased by the blood of his dear Son, to be taken to the New Jerusalem. How glorious the promise!—"I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name." Verses 14-22. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent. 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. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Laodicea signifies the judging of the people, or according to Cruden, a just people, and fitly represents believers in the third message in the great day of atonement, or judgment of the house of God, while the just and holy law of God is taken as their rule of life. They are described as being neither hot nor cold. As a body they have not that zeal, devotion, and those good works which are taught in the Scriptures, and yet their efforts to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus are such that they cannot be said to be cold. They are lukewarm, a condition offensive to the faithful and true Witness. They say they are rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing. They say this, because they believe their condition in spiritual things, and their standing before God, is such. They are under a most terrible deception, as shown by the declaration, "and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." They are not hypocrites. The words, "and knowest not," vindicate them from all charge of hypocrisy. They honestly think their condition very good, when it is very bad. This is a period of dreadful deception in spiritual things, hence pointed testimony is called for to arouse the deceived to their real danger, and to continually warn the people of God to be free from Satan's deceptive power. The very climax of deception, in which Satan may most exult, is a spirit of fear for the result of the plain and pointed testimony which the deceptions of this period of the church call for. Ministers should cultivate a love to speak forth the reproofs of God's word, and the people should cherish a love for the plain testimony. The people, and especially unconsecrated professors, love smooth things. They love to be deceived. "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so, and what will ye do in the end thereof?" Jer. v, 30, 31. The true Witness counsels the people of God of this time to buy of him tried gold, which may represent true faith; white raiment, which may represent grace from him to enable his people to live a spotless life; and to anoint their eyes that they may see, which may represent the influence of the Holy Spirit upon the mind which will remove the dreadful deception upon it, so that they may correctly understand their true position and duty at this time. He stands at the door of the heart knocking for admission, but spiritual blindness on the part of the lukewarm shuts him out. He pleads for admission, and promises those who will hear his voice, and open the door, that he will come in and sup with them, and they with him. In this appeal to the lukewarm, the Son of God uses most touching figures—figures which illustrate his matchless love for his people who are thrown upon the deceptive perils of the last days, and then closes his special message to them with the soul-inspiring promise of the highest exaltation—"To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." In this appeal the true Witness sets forth (1) the terrible deception of the lukewarm, (2) their danger, and fate if they then remain, (3) the requisite zeal in repentance, (4) his willingness to impart to them great blessings, and (5) points them, on conditions that they overcome, to a seat with him on his throne in the kingdom. This is enough! O God, let thy Holy Spirit strike this message home to the heart of every Laodicean. Amen.