Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

“The word of God constitutes his testimony; Re 1:3, "the words of this prophecy." the testimony of Jesus--"the Spirit of prophecy" (Re 19:10). and of all things that, &c.--The oldest manuscripts omit "and."”

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.

“Note: the term "prophecy" has relation to the human medium or prophet inspired, here John: "Revelation" to the Divine Being who reveals His will, here Jesus Christ.”

John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven Spirits…

“Grace . . . peace--Paul's apostolical greeting. In his Pastoral Epistles he inserts "mercy" in addition: so 2Jo 3. him which is . . . was . . . is to come--a periphrasis for the incommunicable name JEHOVAH, the self-existing One, unchangeable.”

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

“The image is not as if the grave was the womb of His resurrection-birth [ALFORD]; but as Ac 13:33; Ro 1:4, treat Christ's resurrection as the epoch and event which fulfilled the Scripture, Ps 2:7, "This day (at the resurrection) have I begotten Thee."”

who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

“God and his Father--There is but one article to both in the Greek, therefore it means, "Unto Him who is at once God and His Father." glory and dominion--Greek, "the glory and the might."”

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.

“Even the godly while rejoicing in His love shall feel penitential sorrow at their sins, which shall all be manifested at the general judgment. because of--Greek, "at," or "in regard to Him."”

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.

“Greek, "I am the Alpha and the Omega." The first and last letters of the alphabet. God in Christ comprises all that goes between, as well as the first and last.”

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and…

“Thus John drank of Christ's cup, and was baptized with His baptism (Mt 20:22). for--Greek, "for the sake of," "on account of"; so, "because of the word of God and . . . testimony."”

saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

“The words, "which are in Asia" are rejected by the oldest manuscripts, A, B, C, CYPRIAN, Vulgate, and Syriac; Coptic alone supports them of old authorities.”

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,

“She is to be a light-bearer to His glory. The candlestick stood in the holy place, the type of the Church on earth, as the holiest place was type of the Church in heaven.”

and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest.

“Righteousness and faithfulness are Christ's girdle. The high priest's girdle was only interwoven with gold, but Christ's is all of gold; the antitype exceeds the type. 14.--Greek, "But," or "And." like wool--Greek, "like white wool."”

He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

“He holds them as a star-studded "crown of glory," or "royal diadem," in His hand: so Isa 62:3. He is their Possessor and Upholder. out of . . . mouth went--Greek, "going forth"; not wielded in the hand.”

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid.

“So fallen is man that God's manifestation of His glorious presence overwhelms him. laid his right hand upon me--So the same Lord Jesus did at the Transfiguration to the three prostrate disciples, of whom John was one, saying, Be not afraid.”

the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.

“His having passed through death as one of us, and now living in the infinite plenitude of life, reassures His people, since through Him death is the gate of resurrection to eternal life. have . . . keys of hell--Greek, "Hades"; Hebrew, "Sheol."”

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden…

“For three years Paul labored there. He subsequently ordained Timothy superintending overseer or bishop there: probably his charge was but of a temporary nature. John, towards the close of his life, took it as the center from which he superintended the province.”

I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely…

“The Greek means "labor unto weariness." patience--persevering endurance. bear--evil men are a burden which the Ephesian Church regarded as intolerable. We are to "bear (the same Greek, Ga 6:2) one another's burdens" in the case of weak brethren; but not to bear false brethren.”

But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love.

“How characteristic of our gracious Lord, that He puts foremost all He can find to approve, and only after this notes the shortcomings! left thy first love--to Christ. Compare 1Ti 5:12, "cast off their first faith." See the Ephesians' first love, Eph 1:15.”

But you have this to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

“MICHAELIS' view is probable: Nicolaos (conqueror of the people) is the Greek version of Balaam, from Hebrew "Belang Am," "Destroyer of the people." Revelation abounds in such duplicate Hebrew and Greek names: as Apollyon, Abaddon: Devil, Satan: Yea (Greek, "Nai"), Amen.”

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

“So Christ calls God, "My God and your God" (Joh 20:17; compare Eph 1:17). God is our God, in virtue of being peculiarly Christ's God. The main bliss of Paradise is that it is the Paradise of God;”

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life.

“TERTULLIAN [The Prescription against Heretics, 32], and IRENÆUS, who had talked with POLYCARP in youth, tell us POLYCARP was consecrated bishop of Smyrna by St. John. the first . . . the last . . . was dead . . .”

I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich!

“As the Jews more and more opposed Christianity, and it more and more rooted itself in the Gentile world, the term "synagogue" was left altogether to the former, and Christians appropriated exclusively the honorable term "Church"; contrast an earlier time when the Jewish theocracy is…”

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for…

“"The Captain of our salvation never keeps back what those who faithfully witness for Him may have to bear for His name's sake; never entices recruits by the promise they shall find all things easy and pleasant there" [TRENCH]. devil--"the accuser."”

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword.

“It was capital of Attalus the Second's kingdom, which was bequeathed by him to the Romans, 133 B.C. Famous for its library, founded by Eumenes (197-159), and destroyed by Caliph Omar. Parchment, that is, Pergamena charta, was here discovered for book purposes.”

I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits. Yet you have held fast to My name and have not denied your faith in Me, even in the…

“Two oldest manuscripts read, "My witness, MY faithful one"; two read as English Version. Antipas is another form for Antipater.”

In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

“Nicolaitanes, with this important difference, Ephesus, as a Church, hates them and casts them out, but thou "hast them," namely, in the Church. doctrine--teaching (see on Re 2:6): namely, to tempt God's people to idolatry.”