10 I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard 11 behind me a loud voice like that of a trumpet, saying: Describe what thou seest in a book, and send it to the seven churches; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamus, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to day of Pentecost; and all who are in that kingdom reign with Christ even during the time of their earthly pilgrimage. How much more when they pass from the Church militant to the Church triumphant; from the wilderness of this world in which the Church is corrupted, to the Paradise of God where she rests with Christ in glory!-- Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' I 10, 11. The apostle tells us that he is not in his ordinary state, but under the overpowering influence of God's Spirit. In that condition he hears spoken words and sees symbolic pictures. But these are entirely subjective, and must have been very much like exceedingly vivid but unusually coherent dreams. The imagination of the seer was entranced by the Spirit, but his reason was not dormant. Dreams are not only fanciful but also incoherent; because, although the imagination is active, the judging faculty which requires con He stant mental effort is resting. It was not so with St. John. gives us abundant proofs, that, although he heard and saw things which were impressed only upon his imagination and so had no objective reality, he had full power over all his other faculties; he could judge, compare, and remember, and therefore he could describe with accuracy the things which he heard and saw for the instruction of the Church in all ages. Seven, the sacred number of the Old Testament, the perfect number of the Jews, the sum of four and three, is used in this prophecy, together with twelve, the product of four and three, the number of the tribes of Israel and of the apostles of the Lamb, to give the idea of completeness to the symbols with which it is connected. Scarcely a number is mentioned in this book, except the three sixes, the mystical number said to contain the name of the wild-beast, and the thousand years of chapter xx., which is not a multiple either of seven or of twelve. The future fortunes of the Church, and the judgments of God to be inflicted 1 St. Luke xxiii. 42, 43. 12 Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. And I turned to observe the voice which was speaking with me, and 13 having turned, I saw seven golden lamps, and in the midst of the seven lamps one like the Son of man, clothed down to the feet, and girt about the breast with 14 a golden girdle; and his head and his hair were on her opponents and corrupters, are classified as it were arbitrarily in sevens, with a marked difference in each case between the first four and the last three. And the times connected with these visions are usually multiples of seven. The effect produced by the contemplation of these numbers upon the mind of the suffering Christian is that of implicit confidence in the marvellous foreknowledge of God, and a conviction that His judgments and His deliverances will all come to pass in their season, although the times and the seasons may still be retained in His own power. There can be no question, therefore, that we should regard the seven churches of Asia as selected types of the whole Church of Christ in every nation, and in every age from the beginning to the end. And the Epistles addressed to them teach especially this lesson, that the one Church of Christ, may vary to any extent in different ages and in different parts of the world, in character and outward circumstances-may be more or less zealous, more or I Rev. iii. 4. less afflicted, more or less faithful, more or less worldly, more or less spiritually dead, more or less powerful, and more or less lukewarm-without ceasing to be a branch of the one indivisible Church, and a means of grace to all its true and faithful members. "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis.' 1 'What if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect?' 2 Salvation is promised in every age and in every place to him who overcometh the evil of his day. 12-20. Seven lamps of pure gold enlightened the temple of Solomon, and here they symbolise the light which God has kindled in this world, the universal Church of Christ; as Jesus said to His disciples, 'Ye are the light of the world.' 3 His angels or messengers of salvation, the rulers of their several churches, are the most brilliant portion of that light, shining ever like stars in the right hand of Him who walks in the midst of His people and takes notice of their doings, though they see Him not. 'Where two or three are gathered together 3 St. Matt. v. 14. 2 Rom. iii. 3. white as wool or as snow; and his eyes were like a 15 flame of fire; and his feet were like glowing brass, as if they had been burned in a furnace; and his voice 16 was as the voice of many waters; and he held in his right hand seven stars; and a sharp two-edged sword issued from his mouth; and his face was as the sun 17 shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead; and he laid his right hand upon 18 me saying, Fear not, I am the first and the last, and I am the Living One; and I was dead, and, behold, I am alive for ever and ever; and I have the keys of 19 death and of Hades. Describe, therefore, the things which thou hast seen; both the things which are now (what thou seest before thee at present) and the things which are about to be after them (the visions. which will be shown to thee when these now present 20 are over). The mystery (the hidden meaning) of the seven stars which thou sawest on my right hand, and the seven golden lamps: the seven stars represent the angels of the seven churches; and the seven lamps represent the seven churches. in my name, there am I in the midst of them !'1 Oh! when shall we feel as we ought the unseen presence of the Lord of glory walking in the midst of the churches! When shall He trim afresh and fill with the oil of His spirit the lamps which burn so dimly in His temple! When 1 St. Matt. xviii. 20. shall the stars, now so hidden in earthly clouds, shine again with apostolic brightness in the right hand of Him who was dead and is alive again; who holds the keys of death and Hades; and who will come at last, not only to destroy His enemies, but also to purify the sons of Levi!' 2 2 Mal. iii. 3. CHAPTER II. 1-7 The Epistle to Ephesus—the Church beginning to fall away. 8-11 To Smyrna―the Church purified by suffering. 12-17 To Pergamus—the Church making compromises with the world. 18-29 To Thyatira—the Church beginning her spiritual fornication. 1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things saith he who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven 2 golden lamps. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and that thou canst not bear the wicked, and hast tried them which call themselves apostles, and are not, and hast found them to be 3 false; and thou hast patience, and hast endured for 4 my name's sake, and hast not grown weary. But I have this charge to make against thee, that thou hast 5 forsaken thy first love. Remember therefore whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do as thou didst at first. But if not, I am coming to thee quickly, and will remove thy lamp out of its place, unless thou 6 repentest. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the 7 deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that 1-7. The Ephesians ought to have remembered the teaching of their great founder St. Paul. Neither eloquence, nor knowledge, nor wonder-working faith, nor the most self-denying liberality, nor steadfastness in the profession of Christianity even to death, will stand in the place of a loving heart. This the 1 Cor. xiii. 1–3. hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the seven churches. I will grant to him that overcometh to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God. 8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write : These things saith the first and the last, who was dead 9 and rose again to life; I know thy works, and thy tribulation, and thy poverty-but thou art rich-and I know the blasphemy of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer. Behold, the devil is even now about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto 11 death, and I will give thee the crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death. Ephesians once knew, but were already beginning to forget. The mystery of iniquity was already beginning to work. A separation was beginning to be attempted between the outer life and the inward state of the heart, as if they could be separated; as if the one could be of any value without the other; works without love or love without works; the soul without the body or the body without the soul; a sound creed and a self-denying life without charity, or charity not putting forth these as its living fruit. The enthusiasm of their conversion was already beginning to cool down. The warning, therefore, is needed. Remember what was at first the fervour of thy devotion, and fill thy lamp again with the oil of love, that thou mayest feed with thine heart as well as with thy mouth upon the fruit of the tree of life; upon the flesh of the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. 8-11. Polycarp, the disciple of St. John, the future martyr, was probably at this time the angel or bishop of Smyrna. Suffering and poverty and the calumnies of false brethren will often mark out the true disciple of the Man of sorrows, of Him |