A Plain Explanation of Revelation, Part 2
Apoc. Cap. 2. v. 1.
VntoUnto the Angell of the Church of Epheſus write, Theſe things ſaith he that holdeth the ſeauen ſtarres in his right hand, and walketh in the middes of the ſeauen golden Candleſtickes, &c.
THe Prophet hauing ſet downe the diuiſion of his Booke, which is, into two parts, concerning things preſent, and things to come. He now commeth to the firſt; namely, concerning thoſe things that were then done: where, firſt hee ſets downe the Epiſtles which Chriſt ſends to the Churches. In the Epiſtles, we are to conſider thoſe things that are common to them all, & thoſe things that are proper to eueryevery one.
The things common to all, are firſt, that they containe titles in them fit for the matter whereunto eueryevery Epiſtle driueth. In the titles it is common to all, that it is directed firſt and principally to the Angell; that is, to the Miniſter, as being principall in the Church: Yet ſo as that it belongeth alſo to the whole Church, as appeareth by the Exhortation in the end of eueryevery Epiſtle, Let him that hath eares heare, &c.
Secondly, this is common to all, in that hee either commendeth their good things they hauehave, or diſcommendeth their euill, exhorting them to the good, and dehorting them from the euill, adioyning promiſes vntounto their good things, and threatning iudgements againſt their euill.
Laſtly, the attention vntounto the promiſes which hee ſtirreth them vp vntounto: and this hee moueth diuerſly. In the three firſt Epiſtles, he ſeemeth more eſpecially to moue them with care, by threatnings, in the foure latter, he more expreſly ſets downe their reward: and thereupon hee ſets downe this exhortation vntounto attention, Let him that hath an eare, heare what the ſpirit ſaith to the Churches.
To come to the Epiſtles particularly: In the firſt he writeth to the Church of Epheſus. Chriſt deſcribeth himſelfe by that, by which he is ſet downe, Chap. 1. 13. 16. namely, to be hee which hath the ſeauen Starres in his hand: noting, that all good things whatſoeuer are in the Miniſters, they come from him, and the praiſe thereof is due vntounto him. And ſecondly, in that hee walketh in the midſt of the Candleſtickes, hee noteth, that hee ſeeth all their doings, and therefore he knoweth their workes and their labours. And here he commends in them, firſt, their Patience, then their Impatience; the latter he handles firſt, as is the manner of the Scripture; namely, that they could not forbeare thoſe that fained themſelues to be Apoſtles, and yet were not, and therefore they proued them and tried, and found them to be lyars: Secondly, their Patience, that they had borne much affliction, and many troubles for the truths ſake, and did ſtill beare in the maintenance thereof, and were not weary, which is required in true patience.
And hauing commended the good in them, hee comes to the reproofe; where hee teacheth thoſe that are to reprehend others, that they ſet downe in the firſt place, the things that are praiſe-worthy in the parties to be reprehended, and then to ſet downe the reproofe: Which condemneth thoſe which vſe to rell the faults, leauing out the remembrance of the good; but the holy Ghoſt here contrariwiſe, doth nominate and commend their vertues, that the better they might be are the reproofe of their vices.
Verſe 4. The reproofe is, that hee ſaith, they had fallen from their firſt louelove: Where hee reprehendeth their want of zeale; ſhewing that the feruencie of their louelove which firſt they had, was now decayed and cooled, therefore hee exhorteth them to a change, firſt, in their iudgement, that they ſhould reforme it, which appeareth in that he ſaith Verſe 5. Remember.
Then in their will and affections in that hee bids them repent.
Laſtly, in their actions, in that hee commandeth them to doe their firſt workes: So that he requireth of them a good and full reformation of all things that were amiſſe, both inwardly and outwardly. And hee ſheweth further, if they will not be reformed, according as he exhorteth them, that hee will remoue their Candleſtickes, that is, either caſt them into baniſhment, and ſuffer them to be led into captiuity, or remoue his Goſpell from them. And leſt they ſhould be too much diſcouraged and caſt downe by this ſeuere and ſharpe reprehenſion, hee doth after mollifie the reproofe by praiſing them againe.
Verſe 6. And hee ſaith, that they hauehave this good thing, that they hate the ſinne of the Nicolaitans, which he alſo hated, to wit, both ſpirituall and corporall fornication. And laſtly, he ſhutteth vp the Epiſtle, adding a promiſe, if they returne and ouercome, they ſhall eate of the tree of life; that is, be partakers of Chriſt, who was repreſented and figured by the tree of life in Paradiſe, of whom, whoſoeuer eateth, ſhal neuer die, Ioh. 6.
Verſe 8. The next is the Epiſtle to the Church of Smirna, and amongſt them hee findeth nothing but matter of commendation.
Verſe 9. And here firſt hee praiſeth them for their patient ſuffering of afflictions; through which, they were become poore, yet ſo as that by the bleſſing of God, that pouertie was turned to their further ſpirituall riches.
After, hee comes to ſhew wherein their affliction conſiſted, and was more grieuous vntounto them, namely, in that they had ſuch among them, which profeſſed themſelues Iewes, that is, children of God, that is, Chriſtians, but yet were not, but would maintaine the ceremonies of the Law, and preferre them before the ſubſtance of the Goſpell, and would mingle the ceremonies of the Law with the Goſpell.
Verſe 10. And becauſe they were afraide of future euils, hee fore-telleth them of ſuch troubles which ſhould befall them, that they might be the better prepared againſt them, and the more comforted in them. And hee telleth them that ſome of them ſhould be caſt into priſon, and that they ſhould hauehave tribulation, that is, grieuous afflictions and perſecution, ten daies, that is, tenne yeares; eueryevery day being counted for a yeare, according as that phraſe is vſed and expounded in Daniel, as afterward it came to paſſe, from halfe the raigne of Traian, to the time of Adrian, for which ſpace the Church ſuffered extreame perſecution.
And howſoeuer their Perſecutors might ſeeme to doe it in the ſeruice of God, yet he ſheweth them that it ſhould be the onelyonly hand of the Diuell, and through his malice, & therfore they ſhould not be diſcouraged, but ſhould rather be comforted; for, ſeeing the Diuell was againſt them, God was therefore with them on their ſide, to defend them and take their part. And to the end they might be the more confirmed hereof, hee comforteth them with an argument drawne from the hope of their Reſurrection; that howſoeuer here in this life they ſhould be perſecuted, and ſhould ſuffer, euen vntill death, yet they perſeuering vntounto the end, ſhould not be hurt at all with the latter death. And for this cauſe alſo he vſeth, in the Title, an argument drawne from his owne perſon, in that he is firſt and laſt, and therefore able to deliuer them: As alſo, that he was dead and is aliue; and therefore howſoeuer they might ſuffer temporary death, yet they ſhould riſe againe as he did, and liue with him eternally.
Verſe 12. After followeth the Epiſtle to the Church of Pergamus, where hee findeth ſome good things which hee commendeth: namely, their conſtancie in profeſſing of religion, and their patience; which he commendeth by two circumſtances, both in regard of the place, and of the time wherein they liued.
Verſe 13. Concerning the place, it was there where the Diuell erected his throne, that is, where hee ſeemed at his pleaſure to raigne, as Prince in his Subiects: Neuertheleſſe, they were conſtant and kept their profeſſion of the Goſpell.
For the time, it was when the faithfull man Antipas was put to death: that is, in ſuch a time wherein perſecution was very hot againſt the Children of God, and yet notwithſtanding they ſtarted not from their profeſſion.
Verſe 14. Yet for all this, hee hath certaine things againſt them, which he reprehendeth: namely, that they permitted certaine falſe Prophets amongſt them, and did not withſtand them, as the Church of Epheſus did, but ſuffered them to teach dangerous doctrine of Balaam, which taught and maintained bodily whordome and fornication, whereby the people were brought to Idolatry, of which ſort were thoſe amongſt them which held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, to wit, that ſpirituall and bodily whoredome.
The reformation whereof hee exhorts them to, in bidding them repent; and this hee doth by theſe reaſons; to wit, firſt, if they would repent, they ſhould be partakers of the hid, that is, ſpirituall Manna, in the wilderneſſe, which was hidden in the Arke in a pot.
By Manna is meant (as Ioſh. 6.) the grace, righteouſneſſe, and holineſſe of Chriſt, imputed vntounto vsus, and that Iuſtification by him which came downe from heauen, which none know, but thoſe which hauehave it. Secondly, another reaſon, that he that did ouercome, he would giuegive him a white ſtone: Which phraſe of ſpeech is a ſimilitude taken from the manner of the Gentiles, (as in times paſt the Prophets vſed to take borrowed ſpeeches from the cuſtome of the Iewes, in the Law,) becauſe now the Church was communicated with the Gentiles, the Goſpell being now ſpread among them. This cuſtome was eſpecially amongſt the Grecians; The manner of it was, that when any one was accuſed of ſome criminall matter, he was ſtraight-way put to his triall; if hee were found cleare, hee had a white ſtone giuen him, if otherwiſe he was found guilty, and was to be condemned, hee had giuen him a blacke ſtone, or ſome other colour: So that now in that it is ſaid, that hee which ouercommeth, ſhould hauehave a white ſtone giuen him, hee meaneth that hee ſhall hauehave nothing laide to his charge, but ſhall be freed from all his ſinnes.
Verſe 18. Laſtly, hee commeth to the Church of Thyatira, where he findeth many good things, which he commendeth, as their louelove, (contrary to the Church of Epheſus) and the fruits thereof; their ſeruiceableneſſe, their faith alſo, and their patience, and their workes, to hauehave beene more at the laſt, then at the firſt.
Verſe 20. Yet hee hath ſomewhat againſt them, to wit, that they ſuffered Iezabel (albeit they themſelues maintained her not) whether one of that name, or ſuch a one as Iazabel was, it is vncertaine; yet ſuch a one as calling her ſelfe a Propheteſſe, did ſeduce the people with her whordomes and Idolatries, and therefore he chargeth the Church, becauſe they did let her alone: for it is not enough for the Church of God to doe well themſelues, and to refraine from thoſe that are euill-doers in the ſame, but if it lye in them, the Church of God is to refraine others from thoſe euils, and to puniſh the offenders ſo farre as they may.
Verſe 22. Now therefore the Lord ſaith, that hee wil execute iudgement vponupon her, by caſting her into a Bed, that is, laying a moſt grieuous and heauie affliction vponupon her, and not onelyonly vponupon her, but vponupon all that committed fornication with her; that is, which were partakers with her in her ſinnes of whoredome and idolatrie: namely, thoſe that were her vpholders & maintainers. And not onelyonly on them, but this iudgement ſhould alſo be manifeſted vponupon her Children; by Children, meaning either her Schollers which learne of her, or her poſteritie, and then he ſaith he will kill, that is, cleane roote them out of the earth. And howſoeuer they would pretend great Miſteries and Reuelations, as to be guided by the ſpirit of Prophecie, (as the Anabaptiſts in our times alſo doe) and to hauehave Reuelations, yet ſeeing their manners and actions are filthie, abhominable, and deteſtable, therefore the Lord will execute iudgement vponupon them. And hee will doe it vponupon the tranſgreſſors themſelues, but as for the Church, albeit they had thus ſuffered them, yet he would not puniſh them after this ſort, but hee would hereby (namely by the puniſhment inflicted on the euill doers) be content to call them to repentance for that ſinne of theirs in ſuffering them.
Verſe 26. Laſtly, he ſaith, to thoſe that ouercome hee will giuegive authority: firſt, to be Kings ouer the Gentiles, and to beare rule ouer the wicked, and to ſubdue them, being ioyned with Chriſt in his Kingdome. And ſecondly, he would make them partakers of his glory, in making them Prieſts vntounto God, which hee ſets downe by the morning Starre, which Starie, as it commeth next to the Sunne, ſo it is next vntounto it moſt glorious, ſignifying that the righteous ſhould come neare vntounto Chriſt, and be euen ioyned with him in his glory, at his glorious comming.