12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 12. I turned. - The voice had been behind him; ver. 10. He had been instructed, What thou seest, or art about to see, write in a book. He turned to see who addressed him. ¶ Seven golden candlesticks. Here again the number seven is preserved. It was a sacred number, or series, made so in the first place, perhaps, in the minds of the Jews, by the seventh day being established as a day of rest. Thus seven became a sacred round of days, and signified to the mind of the pious Hebrew the idea of sacred completeness and perfection. The revelator evidently draws several of his metaphors in this chapter from the sacred furniture of the temple. Moses was commanded to make a golden candlestick, of massive size, having branches, three upon a side, very highly ornamented; and these, with the help of the main shaft, would hold seven lamps. See God's command to Moses to make this candlestick, Exod. xxv. 31-40, where a very particular model of it is described, and the manner in which it was made is showed; Exod. xxxvii. 17-24; Numb. viii. 4. It stood in the holy place without the vail, was fed with pure olive oil, and was lighted by the priests every evening, and extinguished every morning. Do we not have here the origin of the figure of the seven golden candlesticks? True, they were all united in one main shaft; but there were seven. There is a remarkable resemblance in Zech. iv. and v. to the style of the Apocalypse. The prophet saw a vision of a candlestick all of gold, with seven lamps thereon. These figures of speech were probably well known to the revelator. He, therefore, employed the well-known metaphor to represent the seven churches to whom he was to write. 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 13. In the midst of the seven candlesticks. - A person was seen in the midst of the seven candlesticks. When the high priest was behind the branches, moving about to dress the lamps, he appeared to an observer in the front to be walking in the midst of the seven candlesticks. These candlesticks represented the churches, whose duty it was to let their "light shine before men, that others might see their good works, and glorify their Father in heaven;" Matt. v. 16. Christians were called the light of the world. Jesus was the true light; John i. 9; and John the Baptist was "a burning and shining light;" John v. 35; that is, a light of great brilliancy. Perfectly correspondent was it to these figures, which John knew his Lord had used, to represent the seven churches by the seven-fold lamp-bearer in the temple. ¶ One like unto the Son of man.-This language is borrowed from Daniel. "I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him ;" vii. 13. This was the title which our Lord took to himself" Son of man." How is it to be interpreted? Does the word son here have the same force that it has in other New Testament combinations in which it is used? Is the term significant of distinction? or does it merely import that Christ was a human being like other men? Perhaps the modesty and humility of Jesus inclined him to use this term in reference to himself, in preference to one of higher distinction; or, perhaps, he used it to signify to the Jews that he was the personage referred to in the prophecy of Daniel. Clothed with a garment. He is represented as appearing in the girt about the paps with a golden | brass, as if they burned in a furgirdle. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; nace; 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 15 And his feet like unto fine edged sword: and his counte dress of a Hebrew priest,-a garment, or ephod, reaching down to the feet, and girt about the breast with a golden girdle. For an account of the ephod and the girdle of the priest, see Exod. chapters xxviii. and xxxix. Jesus is well described in the dress of the high priest, as he is the high priest of the Christian profession, "a high priest over the house of God;" Heb. x. 21. Daniel had described the heavenly messenger whom he saw. His images were not the product of any wild fancy of his own; he drew them from the sacred books of the Jews. "As the sound of many waters." The figure here is truly grand. It is borrowed from the Old Testament. See Psa. xxix., "The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thundereth; the Lord is upon many 14. White like wool. This descrip- waters; the voice of the Lord is tion is evidently copied from Daniel. powerful; the voice of the Lord is "I beheld till the thrones were cast full of majesty." See also Psa. xciii. down, and the Ancient of days did Ezekiel's metaphor is very forcible : sit, whose garment was white as "His voice was like a noise of many snow, and the hair of his head like waters, and the earth shined with the pure wool: his throne was like the his glory." These things are metfiery flame, and his wheels as burn-aphors merely; they have no foundaing fire;" Dan. vii. 9. It is Daniel's description of the appearance of the Son of man. Possibly, the whiteness of the hair is mentioned to add venerableness to the description. His cyes. - His eyes were said to be as a flame of fire, that is, exceedingly brilliant, searching. 66 tions in fact; they are the appearances which the vivid imaginations of the Hebrew poets supposed the Holy One to assume in the presence of men. 16. In his right hand seven stars. — That is, in the hand of him who was in the midst of the seven candlesticks. 15. And his feet. The description It has been conjectured by some one, of the feet is also copied from Daniel. that this figure originated in the cirIn describing the eminent messenger cumstance, that the priest, in dressthat appeared to him in his vision, he ing and lighting the seven golden said, His body also was like the lamps in the holy place, carried in beryl, and his face as the appearance his right hand a rod with seven minof lightning, and his eyes as lamps iature lights attached to it, intended of fire, and his arms and his feet like for ornament, symmetry, and use in color to polished brass, and the If so, it was natural to say he had in voice of his words like the voice of a his right hand seven stars, or twinkmultitude;" Dan. x. 6. His voice ling lights. They appeared to the as the sound of many waters. This is beholder like stars. What they repclearly taken from the verse last resented will be seen under ver. 20. quoted. It will be seen, then, that¶Sharp two-edged sword.— This seems the revelator sought to describe the at first an unnatural metaphor, appearance of the Son of man him- sword going out of one's mouth. We self, in the same terms in which suppose it must have originated in a nance was as the sun shineth in his strength. this way: As the word goes out of the mouth, and as it is compared to a sword on account of its potency, piercing even to the heart, so the sword is said to go out of the mouth. Paul, in describing the Christian armor, expressly tells his brethren that the word of God is the "sword of the spirit" Eph. vi. 17. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews says, That "the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword;" Heb. iv. 12. In Rev. xix. 15, we read that the Son of God riding forth to victory, showeth a sharp sword going out of his mouth. It is a proof of the spiritual nature of the Christian religion, that it has no sword except the "word of God." The prophecy concerning the Saviour in Isaiah has a similar metaphor. "But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove 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;" Isaiah xi. 4. Here, instead of the sword, we have the rod of his mouth. Paul has still a different metaphor, "the spirit of his mouth." "And then shall that wicked he revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming;" 2 Thess. ii. 8. "These passages afford considerable light to the expression before us; and show clearly the nature of the weapons by which our Lord and his church are to gain their victories; not by the usual instruments of human warfare, but by the preaching of his word in evangelical purity and truth.” — (Woodhouse.) His countenance was as the sun.- It was a very ancient form of blessing the people :- "The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give It 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he thee peace;" Numb. vi. 24-26. Hence comes the prayer, "Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us;" Psa. iv. 6. See, also, xxi. 6; xlii. 5; xliv. 3; lxxxix. 15. The description of the angel who appeared at the sepulchre at the resurrection of Jesus corresponds with the description of the Son of man. "His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow;" Mait. xxviii. 3. So Christ appeared at the transfiguration. "And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering;" Luke ix. 29. seems from all these facts that spiritual beings, and especially visitants from the heavenly world, were represented in the whitest raiment, and with countenances glowing like fire. Such is the appearance of the Son of man described to be in the verses before us. After Moses had communed with God upon the mount, his face shone with brightness. "And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in tc speak with Him;". Exod. xxxiv. 35. It was perfectly in keeping, therefore, with Scripture metaphors, for the revelator to use the style he did. They were not the product of a wild and unguided fancy in him; but were figures familiar to him, from his intimate acquaintance with the Old Testament. was 17. Fell at his feet. The vision which the revelator had of the glory and power of the Son of man truly overwhelming. He fell like a man stricken dead. Similar was the effect on Daniel, when the glorious personage appeared to him, whom we have already mentioned. "Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, laid his right hand upon me, I have the keys of hell and of 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 and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground;" Dan. x. 8, 9. The revelator evidently copies from Daniel all along in this description. He laid his right hand. So Daniel: "And behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees, and upon the palms of my hands;" x. 10. ¶ Fear not.— These are the same encouraging words which were spoken to Daniel; x. 12. First and the last. · See on ver. 11. 18. Jesus bade him fear not. I am (said he) none other than the first and the last; see i. 11, and ii. 8; "I am he that liveth and was dead;" [surely this is a description of the risen Jesus ;] "and am alive for evermore, Amen." And have the keys. Keys are an emblem of power and government. When Christ gave Peter authority in the kingdom, he said to him, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven;" Matt xvi. 19. So it is said of Eliakim, by the prophet, "I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand; and the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder;" Isaiah xxii. 21, 22. Jesus is said to have had the keys of hell and of death, because he had power over them. Of hell and of death. The word hell is not to be understood here as signifying a place of punishment beyond the grave. It signifies the state of the dead. It is the Sheol of the Hebrews, the Hades of the Greeks; and Hades is the word used in this place. To have the keys of hell and of death means, to have death. 19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; power over death and the grave. In the metaphorical style of the Hebrews, Sheol, or Hades, was regarded as a place, a dark prison, or region, surrounded with walls, and having gates. Jesus spoke of the gates of hades Matt. xvi. 18; and the keys of hades is certainly a corresponding meta phor. Jesus had power over death and the grave. He called up Lazarus from the dead. He had been raised from the dead himself by the power of the Father. All at last shall be made alive in him. He will deliver them from the power of death. Hence he is said to have the keys of death and hades, or hell, the grave. 19. Write the things. Because they were of the utmost importance to the churches. The contents of this book are not light and fanciful, but worthy of deep attention. What was worthy of record, by command of the Son of man, is worthy of the attention of the Christian church. ¶ Which thou hast seen. - There were three classes of facts to be recorded. 1st. Those the revelator had seen; 2d. Those which existed at that time; and, 3d. Those which were about to be. It is not possible to divide the book of Revelation to conform to these divisions in all things, though some respect may be paid it. It is very necessary, however, to remember that all which was described in the Apocalypse was not future. We shall have occasion to see this before we get through the book. That part of the book which is principally prophetic commences at the fourth chapter. "After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which 20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my CHAPTER II. NTO the angel of the church right hand, and the seven golden of Ephesus write: These candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; churches in Asia; and those communications are recorded in chapters ii. and iii. They may be seen as foilows: To the Church at Ephesus, chap. ii. ver. 1-7. Smyrna, TEN ii. 8-11. ii. ii. iii. 12-17. 18-29. 1-6. 7-13 Philadelphia, iii. Laodicea, iii. 14-22. There are certain features common to all these epistles. 1st. The churches are all assured that it is Jesus, the faithful and true witness, by whom they are addressed, not. withstanding he is described under different titles. 2d. They are all promised a reward, if they will be faithful unto the end, and overcome their enemies, or come off victorious in the spiritual contest in which they said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be HEREAFTER." Compare i. 19 with iv. 1. 20. The mystery of the seven stars. We meet with the word mystery often in the New Testament. It does not signify something absolutely unintelligible and incomprehensible. The word never bears such a sense in the New Testament. It sometimes signifies a matter hidden, or not fully made manifest; but we are not to suppose it cannot be understood when it is made known. In the case before us, mystery is synonymous with metaphor. The metaphor of the seven stars and seven candlesticks was about to be explained by the Son of man. For further illustration of this sense of the word "mystery," see the notes on xvii. 5, 7. ¶ The seven stars. — Star metaphorically sig-were engaged. 3d. The whole of them nified a ruler; see Numb. xxiv. 17, and Dan. viii. 10. The revelator (xxii. 16) calls Jesus "the bright and morning star," shining above all other stars. The seven stars intended the seven angels, or pastors, of the seven Asiatic churches. Jesus held them in his right hand; that is, he had them at his command; he had a rightful control over them. Seven candlesticks. These are explained to signify the seven churches mentioned in ver. 11, and to whom the epistles recorded in chapters ii. and iii. were addressed. For further, on this point, see the note on Rev. ii. 5. CHAPTER II. 1. We have been led by the first chapter to expect to find, as we shall proceed, communications to the seven |