Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · 요한계시록 3장

Revelation 3:2. That are ready to die:— By this death we must understand the death of their faith, since, when men lose their faith, they are dead to Christ. When our Saviour says in the beginning, that he hath the seven Spirits, that is, the Spirit of God in all his active powers, he there lays a foundation, upon which the whole epistle is built, which runs throughout in the same allegory. I have not found thy works perfect, means, "I have found the greatest deficiency in thy works."Before God is emphatical; for God is here opposed as a witness and judge to them. He did not approve what was commended bythem. Short-sighted man may be deceived; the Omniscient God never can be deceived.

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Revelation 3:3. Remember, therefore, &c.— Reflect again and again what doctrine thou hast received and heard from the apostles of the Lord; for this is a plain reference to the doctrine of Christ and his apostles; from which, as from a fountain, all the streams of sound Christian doctrine have flowed; and from the simplicity of which doctrine the Sardians had swerved.

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Revelation 3:4. Thou hast a few names— Names are here used for the persons called by them. This symbol therefore seems to allude to the diptychs or matricula used in the primitive church, in which were registered the names of all the faithful; whence St. Luke uses this very phrase, Act 1:15 and St. John hereafter, ch. Rev 11:13 and this is according to the Mosaical institution in the book of Numbers, and the constant use of the Israelites afterwards, to keep exact accounts of the genealogies. The phrase, which have not defiled their garments, is a Hebrew symbolical phrase, arising from the pollutions contracted upon the garments, which rendered men defiled under the Mosaic law, and incapable to appear before God in his temple. Here therefore it signifies, that, corrupt and indolent as the general state of the church of Sardis was, these had not polluted themselves with the abominations by which so many had contracted gross defilements. The allegory is continued in the remaining part of the verse, and the reward suited to the communication just given. They shall walk, signifies here, as in ch. Revelation 21:24 shall abide, prosper, flourish, and be every way happy. The reason of this symbol is to be taken from the notion of the word Αγιος, holy; for they who sanctified themselves to perform any acts of religion, clothed themselves in white, which was also the habit of nobles and priests. With me, is fulfilled and explained in ch. Revelation 20:4.—For they are worthy: "As they have been distinguished by their fidelity and zeal, I will distinguish them bymy special favour, and raise them, ere long, to those seats of complete glory, where they shall walk with me in white robes, and be of the number of my joyful and triumphant train; for they are worthy of such distinguished honour, as they have been especially careful to keep themselves from those evils which have been generally prevailing around them." Vitringa and many others are of opinion, that here is an allusion to the custom of the Sanhedrim, when they examined the candidates for the high priesthood. To the man they judged worthy, they gave a white garment; but, if unqualified, he was sent out from among them in mourning.

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Revelation 3:5. And I will not blot out his name— The same allegory is pursued. This is elsewhere stiled to cast out the name (Luke 6:22.)—to reject, to excommunicate, by blotting the name out of the matricula, or catalogue of Christ's saints, which is here called the book of life; none but saints who are in it being to expect eternal life. See ch. Rev 20:12 Revelation 21:27.

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Revelation 3:7. Church in Philadelphia— So called from Attalus Philadelphus, its builder. It is distant from Sardis about twenty-seven miles to the south-east, and is called by the Turks Alah-shahr, or "the Beautiful City," on account of its delightful situation; standing on the declivity of the mount Tmolus, and having a most pleasant prospect on the plains beneath, well furnished with divers villages, and watered by the river Pactolus. It still retains the form of a city, with something of trade to invite people to it, being in the road of the Persian caravans. Here is little of antiquity remaining, besides the ruins of a church dedicated to St. John, which is now made a dunghill to receive the offals of dead beasts. However, God has been pleased to preserve some in this place to make profession of the Christian faith, there being above two hundred houses of Christians, and four churches. Next to Smyrna, this city has the greatest number of Christians, and Christ has promised a more particular protection to it. Doddridge observes upon the expressions he that is holy, he that is true, that this being so peculiarly the prerogative of God, it is to be admired that no greater stress should have been laid upon it, in proof of the Deity of our blessed Redeemer, &c. See ch. Revelation 6:10. The expression he that hath the key of David, is an allusion to Isa 22:22 where the prophet promises to Eliakim, under the symbol of the key of the house of David, the government of the whole nation. See Job 12:14.Revelation 1:18; Revelation 1:18. The words that follow, shew that Christ's power is absolute. David is very often, in the prophets, a type of the Messiah. See Jeremiah 30:9.

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Revelation 3:8. Behold, I have set before thee an open door,— St. Paul uses this symbol to signify the free exercise and propagation of the gospel; Act 14:27. 1Co 16:9 but at the same time this shews, that the liberty here used, is in a more limited degree than when other symbols are employed; and therefore it is said here, that this angel has but a little strength. See Revelation 4:1; Revelation 19:11. Thus this expression coincides with the allegory, which was begun with the key of David. One Demetrius is named in the Apostolical Constitutions, as ordained by St. John bishop of Philadelphia; and in 3Jn 1:12 one of that name is commended; but whether it be the same person is doubtful. And hast kept my word signifies "hast endured persecution for my sake, and kept the faith manfully." The word Λογος, in this book, has a peculiar reference to martyrdom. Vitringa and others give the following turn to this verse. "I know thy works, and, on that account, I, who have the keys of the kingdom of heaven, have taken care that a door for freely preaching the gospel should be opened before thee, and which I will take care that thy enemies shall not close upon thee, because thou hast but a little strength; notwithstanding which, thou hast kept my word," &c. See ch. Revelation 2:13.

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Revelation 3:12. Will I make a pillar— As a pillar is both an ornament and a support of the building, so these martyrs and confessors shall accordingly have greater power, and thus bear the weight of government in the New Jerusalem more than others. The allegoryis here continued from buildings,and perhaps there may be an allusion to the two pillars of Solomon's temple, Jachin and Boaz, 1 Kings 7:13; 1 Kings 7:51. He shall go no more out, plainly implies an eternal state to be enjoyed in the New Jerusalem. He goes on, and I will write upon him the name of my God: it was usual to grave inscriptions on pillars: here the apostle intimates the graving the name of God, as under his divine auspices the victory was gained; as likewise the name of New Jerusalem, to signify that the victor belonged to it, and was free of it. Few texts in the whole New Testament are more illustrated by antiquity than this. Great numbers of inscriptions are yet remaining, brought from the Grecian cities of Europe and Asia, and some from islands in the neighbourhood of Patmos, in which the victories of eminent persons are commemorated. Some of these were placed near the temples of their idol deities,others in the temples themselves, to signify their being put under the particular protection of those deities; whose names were therefore inscribed upon them, as well as the names of the conquerors, and of the cities to which they belonged, together with the names of the generals by whose conduct the victory was gained. See Isaiah 62:12.Ezekiel 48:35; Ezekiel 48:35. It is observable, that during the persecuted state of the church, Christ is constantly called the Lamb, or denominated by such symbols as express the same state; but on his entrance into the New Jerusalem, he changes it, and puts on his new, secret, or wonderful name of King of Kings and Lord of Lords; and that is, because he has then wholly changed his state, and entered upon a new one; a secret never yet thoroughly known here below, but wonderful, great, and glorious. Because the true worshippers of Christ have never yet been whollyfree from persecution, Christ has never yet shewn us his new name; wherefore those here spoken of, on whom he bestows it, are such as shall be made partakers of the same state wherein he hath it as mediatorial King.

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Revelation 3:14. The church of the Laodiceans— Laodicea lay south of Philadelphia in the way to Ephesus; and if you inspect the maps, you will find the seven churches to lie in a kind of circular form; so that the natural progress was from Ephesus to Smyrna, from Smyrna toPergamos, from Pergamos to Thyatira, from Thyatira to Sardis, from Sardis to Philadelphia, from Philadelphia to Laodicea, and from Laodicea round to Ephesus again; which is the method and order that St. John has observed in addressing them, andwas probably the circuit that he took in his visitation. That there was a flourishing church in Laodicea in the primitive times of Christianity, is evident from St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians, wherein frequent mention is made of the Laodiceans; as well as from this Epistle of St. John. But the doom of Laodicea seems to have been more severe and terrible than that of almost any other of the churches: for it is now utterly destroyed and forsaken of men, and is become an habitation only for wolves, foxes, and jackals, a den of dragons, snakes, and vipers: and that because the Lord hath executed the judgment that he hath pronounced upon her; that all the world might know and tremble at the fierce anger of God against impenitent, negligent, and careless sinners and apostates. For such was the accusation of the lukewarm Laodiceans, who grew proud and self-conceited, thinking themselves much better than they really were. Wherefore because they were neither hot nor cold, they were loathsome to Christ, and he therefore assured them, that he would spit them out of his mouth, Revelation 3:15-16. The ruins shew it to have been a very great city, situated upon six or seven hills, and encompassing a large space of ground. Some notion may be formed of its former greatness and glory from three theatres and a circus, which are remaining, one of which is truly admirable, as it was capable of containing above thirty thousand men; into whose area they descended by fifty steps. The city is now called Eski Hisar, or the Old Castle; and though it was once the mother church of sixteen bishopricks, yet it now lies desolate, not so much as inhabited by shepherds; and, so far from shewing any of the ornaments of God's ancient worship, it cannot now boast an anchorite's or hermit's chapel, where God's name is praised and invoked. Such is the state and condition of these seven churches, and there cannot be a stronger proof of the truth of prophesy, nor a more effectual warning to other Christians. The first bishop of Laodicea ordained by the apostles, is said to have been Archippus, in the Apostolical Constitutions. See Colossians 4:17. The Amen, is one of God's titles in Isaiah 65:16. (in the Hebrew). That prophesy seems to be applied to the Messiah, and therefore relates to our case. The words which follow, are synonymous, explaining this; for the faithful and true Witness is the same as the Amen. The confession and promises of Christ are true, and certain to every persevering believer: he was firm and unmoved in his confession, and he will never fail his faithful saints in what he has promised, and sealed with his blood. Instead of the beginning of the creation of God, Fleming renders it the efficient cause of God's creation; and the word αρκη has frequently that signification. The meaning is, that the whole creation was produced by him, and he is the Head and Governor of all that he has made.

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Revelation 3:15. I would thou wert cold or hot.— This is not to be understood absolutely, but comparatively; as when our Saviour says, If any one come to me and hateth not his father, &c. the meaning is, not that a Christian should absolutely hate his father, but that he should love Christ above him, or any worldlyconsideration. So here Christ does not approve of coldness in religious matters absolutely; but declares that lukewarmness therein is a worse disposition than absolute coldness: the reason of this is plain; because that faint heat here expressed to be in the angel of Laodicea, is a false and deceitful principle, which makes a man presumeupon himself, as if he were good enough, and hinders him from aiming at genuine Christian experience and holiness of heart: whereas flat coldness is plain and sensible, and does not fill a man with such false notions; but makes him rather immediately, upon feeling the truth of it through grace, ready to hearken to the admonitions of Christ. So that in reality, when exactly compared, it is a better disposition than lukewarmness, which must of necessitybring along with it negligence and hypocrisy, by making them seem wise and good in their own conceits; and it is plain from what follows, that the Laodiceans were so.

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Revelation 3:16. I will spue thee out of my mouth.— The allegory is continued, for lukewarm things, as water, provoke to vomit, according to the observation and prescription of the ancient physicians. See Celsus de Re. Med. lib. 1. 100. 3.

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Revelation 3:17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, &c.— This angel, or his church, is quite the reverse of the angel of Smyrna: ch. Revelation 2:9. Here is a beautiful gradation in the words before us. It is something to be rich, more to be increased with goods, and still more to be in want of nothing; this is preserved with equal beauty in the latter part of the verse: the whole alludes to their spiritual state and spiritual goods. According to the common language of scripture, they only are wretched and miserable, who are oppressed with sins; Mat 11:28 they arepoor, who lose their own soul; Mat 16:26 they are blind, who see not their own sins; Joh 9:40-41 and they are naked, who are utterly destitute of true holiness; see ch. Rev 16:15 Revelation 17:16.

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Revelation 3:18. I counsel thee, &c.— "I counsel thee, that, with a humble sense of thy condition, so extremely unhappy, thou apply to him, who alone is capable of helping thee: and as I require no price or equivalent for my treasures, but only a conviction of such an incapacity to make an adequate return for them; I advise thee in that way to buyof me a full supply for all thy necessities; blessingsmore desirable than gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest, indeed be rich before God in holiness and good works; white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed; adorned with every Christian grace and virtue, which can render thee lovely in the sight ofGod; putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. And whereas thou art blinded with such unhappy self-conceit, come, and anoint thy eyes with my sovereign eye-salve, that thou mayest see; for the illuminating grace of my Spirit will bring thee to right sentiments of thyself and of thy state, and teach thee to judge of objects according to their real worth."

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Revelation 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:— "Behold, I have stood for a long time, and I still stand at the door, and knock; waiting for admittance into your hearts. If any man hear my voice with a due regard, and open the door; if he welcome me with affection due to such a Friend and such a Saviour, how mean soever his circumstances in life may be, and how faulty soever his character may formerly have been, I will enter into his house, and,like some princely guest, will bring my own rich and delightful entertainment along with me; I will sup with him, and he shallsup with me; I will treat him with the most endearing and familiar friendship, accept the tokens of his affection, and give him the most solid evidences of mine." See Luke 14:15; Luke 14:35.John 10:2; John 10:2; John 10:42.

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