church. It is a kingdom of great power and glory, Ver. 28. The morning star.] A star is a teacher†; shale our Lord is eminently such; and such he intitles himself in ch. xxii. 16. ὁ αστηρ ὁ λαμπρος και ορθρινος, “ the shining and morning star." As such he was foretold in Numbers, xxiv. 17; and a star, in the eastern and The the morning quarter of the hemisphere, preceded his birth. As this star, seen by the wise men, signified to them his first coming; so by the star, promised in this passage, we must probably understand ging the signs denoting his second coming; a knowCledge of com ledge of "the mysteries of the kingdom of hea ven §," and of its approach in power. Saint Peter, speaking of prophecy, whose office it is in part to reveal these mysteries, recommends us to attend diligently to this "light shining in a dark place," until some clearer manifestation shall be revealed; έως 8, ημέρα διαυγασε και φωςφορος ανατελή εν ταις nagdias úμwv, until the day shine forth, and the day * Dan. vii. 27. See the note, ch. ii. 7. and the Scriptures there quoted. This reign of the saints is again described in ch. xix. 15. + See note, ch. i, 16. Matt. ii, 2. § Matt. xiii. 2. commentcament of the milennium, Bus Authe to the sequel of the back over time it be Ch. ii. 18-29.] APOCALYPSE. 77. sea.” at the tem star (or morning star, for so it should be translated,). + 1 Cor. xiii. 10. & 12. + Is. xxv. 7. John viii. 56. Hab. ii. 14. John xvi. 22. PART PART I.. SECTION VIII. The Address to the Church in Sardis. 1 Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἐκκλησίας γράψου Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὰ ἑπλὰ πνεύμαλα το Θεῖ, καὶ τὰς ἁπλὰ ἀτέρας Οιδά σε τὰ ἔργα, ὅτι ὄνομα ἔχεις, ὅτι ζῆς, καὶ νεκρὸς εἶ 2 Γίνε γρητοςῶν, καὶ ςήριξον τὰ λοιπά, ἃ μέλλει ἀποθανεῖν Η γὰρ εύρηκά σε τὰ έρα πεπληρωμένα ἐνώπιον τῇ Θεέ με. 3 Μνημόνευε ε, πως εἴληφας καὶ ήκεσας, καὶ τηρεῖ, καὶ μελανόησον· ἐὰν ἔν μὴ χρη[ορήσῃς, ἥξω ἐπὶ σὲ ὡς κλέπτης, καὶ ὲ μὴ γνῶς, ποίαν ὥραν ἔξω ἐπὶ σέ. 4 Αλλ' ἔχεις ὀλίγα ὀνόματα ἐν Σάρδεσιν. ἢ ἐκ ἐμόλυναν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ περιποιήσεσι μετ' ἐμὲ ἐν λευκοῖς· ὅτι 5 ἄξιοί εἰσιν. Ὁ νικών, Στος περιβαλεῖται ἐν ἱμαλίοις λευκοῖς• CHAP. iii. VER. 1-6. 1 And to the angel of ful, and strengthen die; for I have not For fect before my God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. if thou shalt not be watchful, I will come upon thee, as a thief; and thou shalt not know at what hour I shall come upon thee. 4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. He that over 1 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 2 dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before 3 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 4 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. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be καὶ ὁ μὴ ἐξαλείψω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ἐκ το βίβλο της ζωής, καὶ ὁμολογήσω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ἐνώπιον το παλεός με, καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων 6 αὐτῆ. Ὁ ἔχων ες, ἀκεσάτω, τὶ τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. cometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name from the book of life; and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his 6 Angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 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 6 angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Ver. 1. Sardis.] Sardis, situated on the Pactolus, the ancient seat of Croesus, and of the Lydian kings, was proverbially the seat of Riches. This city had suffered grievously by an earthquake some time before the date of this vision; but, by the bounty of Tiberius Cæsar, had been restored to splendour *. Sardis possessed, from its natural situation, extraordinary means of acquiring riches. But riches are corruptive, and are apt to lead to that supineness in religion, and profligacy in morals, which in this epistle are so severely rebuked. Sardis is now no more than a village. An ancient Christian church supplies the Turks, who inhabit it, with a mosque. The few Christians (if such they may be called) who still continue there, are represented to have neither Church nor minister. Ib. The seven Spirits of God.] See note, ch. i. 4. Ib. Name.] Character or reputation. Ib. That thou livest, and thou art dead.] In the same figurative language, our Lord commanded his disciples to let the dead bury their dead *.' The word vengo, a dead body, is used in its metaphorical sense; "dead," as Saint Paul expresses it, "in tres passes and sins; alienated from the life of God †." The same metaphor occurs frequently in Scripture. A person living in the defilements of the world, in whom the spiritual life in Christ hath little or no vigour, is said to be "dead while he liveth;" as, on the contrary, of him who meets death in the discharge of his Christian duty, it is pronounced, that "he liveth, though he diet." "The use of this metaphor has been so common with the Jews, that, as "Maimonides informs us, they proverbially say, Impii etiam viventes vocantur mortui, The wicked are dead, even while they are alive; for he, saith "Philo, who lives a life of sin, TεOvnE TOV εudaiμova, "is dead as to a life of happiness: his soul is dead, "and even buried in his lusts and passions. And "because the whole Gentile world lay more especially "under these unhappy circumstances, whence the "apostle styles them sinners of the Gentiles ¶, it was proverbially said by the Jewish doctors, Populi "terrarum, i. e. Ethnici, non vivunt, the heathens "do not live **." An attention to this use of the words death, die, dead, &c. in this figurative language of Scripture, will tend to illustrate many passages otherwise obscure. Such are Matt. xxii. 32. iv. 6. Luke i. 79. Rom. vi. 2. viii. 6. 2 Cor. 1. 9, 10. iii. 6. 1 Pet. iv. 6. So likewise in the sequel of * Matt. viii. 22. + Eph. ii. 1, 5. iv. 18. ↑ John xi. 26. Matt. iv. 16. Rom. viii. 6. Eph. v. 14. 1 Tim, v. 6. 1 Pet. iv. 6. 1 John iii. 14. Jude 12. § More Nevoch. lib. 1. Gal. ii. 15. Leg. Alleg. c. 1. ** Whitby on 1 Pet. iv. 6. |