The Revelation Revealed, Chapter 3 · Verse 14
Ver. 14. 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.
The ſeventh and laſt of Chriſt's monitory Epiſtles, is written to the chief Miniſter or Paſtor of the church of the Laodiceans, which was Archippus, as ſome ſay, mentioned Coloſſ. 4.17. not far from Philadelphia, in the leſſer Aſia. It was called Laodicea, from Laodice, wife of Antiochus, who built it in honour of his wife, and called it according to her name▪ Laodicea; which name in the Greek ſignifies as much as Commandreſs, Princeſs, or Dictatrix of the people.
The nature and diſpoſition of this church was ſomwhat agreeable to the nature of her name: She conceived her ſelf to be a glorious church, a Princeſs amongſt the reſt of her Siſter churches, for ſo in verſ. 17. ſhe vaunts her ſelf to be rich, to be increaſed with goods, and to want nothing: But when the Spirit of Chriſt brought her to the tryal, ſhe was found wretched, miſerable, poor, blinde, and naked. Hence by the way Note,
Obſerv. That God does often in his providence ordain names to perſons and places, ſutable and well comporting with their natural diſpoſitions and qualities.
Chriſt was called Jeſus, becauſe he was the Saviour of the world: Ioſhua had a name alſo from the ſame root, he being alſo a temporal Saviour unto Iſrael, leading them into the land of Canaan, ſaving and delivering them from the hands and fury of the Canaanites, the ancient inhabitants of the holy Land. Many examples are found of the like kinde, as Iohn, whoſe name and nature both were gracious: Chryſoſtome he was an eloquent golden mouthed Father, and he had a name ſutable to his nature. Many more of the like kinde will offer themſelves to the obſervant eye, but theſe ſhall ſuffice.
2. For places and churches, Rome was called Roma, from Romulus, from ſome old word of the like ſound, which ſignifies ſtrength. Babylon, from Babel, confuſion. Philadelphia had a beloved name, and ſhe was a beloved church. Laodicea had a vain-glorious name, and ſhe was a vain-glorious church, much boaſting of her ſpiritual riches, whiles miſerable, poor, and naked.
Theſe things ſaith the Amen, &c.]
Chriſt is here deſcribed under a threefold property, 1. As the Amen. 2. As the faithful and true witneſs. 3. As the beginning of the Creation of God. Theſe three properties are taken out of the general deſcription of Chriſt in the preliminary Epiſtle to the ſeven churches in the firſt chapter.
Firſt he is called the Amen, out of the eighteenth verſe of the firſt chapter, to denote unto us,
Obſerv. That what Chriſt promiſeth and predicteth in this book of Propheſies, muſt ſurely come to paſs.
And that the truth hereof may not fail, he adds another property taken out of chap. 1. v. 5. He being the faithful and true witneſs. Now what this Amen hath promiſed, predicted, and ſaid in theſe propheſies muſt needs be ſure and firm; for, In him, according to that of the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 1.20. are all the promiſes of God, yea and Amen: and that he may get the better faith and credence thereunto, he adds another title, The faithful and true witneſs. Paul could publiquely profeſs, That he was a faithful witneſs of the mind and counſel of God to his diſcſples, and that he had hid nothing back that did neceſſarily conduce to their ſalvation: and think ye that Chriſt in theſe Revelations hath not dealt as the faithful and true witneſs, who is the God of all truth himſelf? O ye of little faith, that will not believe the truth of thoſe Propheſies, the downfal of the Beaſt, Babylon, and the whore, together with the reſurrection of the witneſſes, and the churches glorious reſtored ſtate on earth before the end of the world, which are clearly and fully aſſerted and evidenced from this book of Propheſies? Hath not Chriſt promiſed it that is the Amen? in whom all the promiſes are yea and Amen, and coming from him that is the true and faithful witneſs, that can never fail? And to take off all ſuſpition of failure of the truth of thoſe propheſies, there is a third property here added, The beginning of the Creation of God. This hath relation to that deſcription of Chriſt in chap. 1. v. 8. foreign. It may be rendred either, The beginning of the Creation of God, or, The principality of the Creation of God. For Chriſt is both the beginning of all creatures; for, by him all things were made, and without him nothing were made: and he is alſo the ſupreme Prince and Governour of all the works of the creation; for ſo it neceſſarily follows, That all things ſhould be ſubject to his principality and government, who did at firſt create them, and give a Being to them. Therefore to ſhut up this, The ſayings of theſe Propheſies in this book muſt needs be ſure and come to paſs in their appointed ſeaſons, ſeeing the Amen, the faithful and true witneſs, and the Creator, Preſerver, and Governour of all the works of the Creation hath ſaid and ſpoken them; who will not then believe them, coming firſt from ſo faithful and true a witneſs, and from one who is the beginning and Prince of the whole creation, and therefore moſt able to perform them?