← Back to the beginning of Revelation 2
Ver. 8. Of the church in Smyrna] Sweet smelling Smyrna, the poorest but purest of the seven.
Ver. 9. I know thy works and tribulations] Mark (saith one) the conjunction, “works and tribulations.” Active stirring Christians are like to suffer much. Of Sardis and Laodicea only, we read not of any troubles they had. And poverty, but thou art rich.] Poverty discommends not any to Christ; money bears no mastery in his kingdom. Thou art poor, saith he here; but that is neither here nor there; it is a matter of nothing, that, stumble not therefore at the Church’s poverty. She is ever rich: 1. In reversion, and hath heaven and happiness; she is ever rich in bills and bonds. 2. In an apparent pledge that is worth all the world besides; that is, in Christ. If he have given us his Son, &c. All is yours who are Christ’s, &c. That say they are Jews] That is, right worshippers, as the Turks at this day style themselves Mussulmans, that is, the only true believers; Papists, the only Catholics. Faciunt et vespae favos, et simiae imitantur homines. Cyprian.
Ver. 10. Fear none of those things] Quit thy heart of that cowardly passion, and die rather than deny the truth. Put on that resolution, Necesse esse ut eam, non ut vivam, Duty must be done, though I die for it. Behold, the devil] viz. By his imps and instruments whom he acts and agitates, Ephesians 2:2. But he and his are overruled and limited; for he shall cast some of you, not all of you, into prison, not into hell, that ye may be tried, not destroyed; and this for ten days only, not for any long continuance. Be thou faithful unto death] Say as one martyr did, “The heavens shall sooner fall than I will deny my dear Lord”; and as another martyr, “Though you may pluck my heart out of my bowels, yet shall you never pluck the truth out of my heart.” A crown of life] A crown without cares, corivals, envy, end. Kings’ crowns are so weighty with cares, that often they make their heads ache. Not so this crown; the joys whereof are without measure or mixture.
Ver. 11. Shall not be hurt of the second death] Shall not be killed with death, as Revelation 2:23. Death shall not be to him (as it is to the wicked) a trap door to hell, but ianua vitae, porta caeli, door of life and the gate of heaven, an inlet into life eternal. (Bern.)
Ver. 12. And to the angel] [See Trapp on “Re 2:1”] [See Trapp on “Re 1:16”]
Ver. 13. Even where Satan’s seat is] There was the court of King Attalus (discedat ab aula Qui velit esse pius; ” flee thee away, O thou seer, for this is the king’s court,” Amos 7:13), and there was afterwards the seat of the Roman persecuting proconsuls, Qui ab ascensore suo Satana perurgebantur, as Bernard hath it. Such a seat of Satan is both old and new Rome. At Constantinople (which was called new Rome) Arius, that arch-heretic, sedens in latrina effudit intestina, voided his entrails at the stool, and left Mahometism there behind him as his excrement. Yet, as at Pergamos also God had a Church, so hath he still even at Constantinople; the patriarch whereof, Cyril, hath lately set forth a confession of the faith of those Eastern Churches, agreeable in all points almost to the Protestant religion, but diametrically opposite to Popery. Thou holdest fast] κρατεις, as with tooth and nail, or by main strength. Who was slain] An honour not granted to the angels of heaven, as Latimer was wont to say.
Ver. 14. I have a few things] More he might have had, but the Lord is not extreme to mark what is amiss in his weak but willing people. The high places were not removed; nevertheless (though that was his fault) the heart of Asa was perfect all his days, 2 Chronicles 15:17. And to commit fornication] Nothing hath so enriched hell (saith one) as fair faces. These were those Balaam’s stumblingblocks that Israel so stumbled at.
Ver. 15. The doctrine of the Nicolaitans] [See Trapp on “Re 2:6”] In the year 1067, the popish synod of Milan made laws against simony and the heresy of the Nicolaitans; by which latter they meant priest’s marriage. Brutum fulmen, novum crimen. Heavy blow, new sins. The act or practice of buying or selling ecclesiastical preferments, benefices, or emoluments; traffic in sacred things. ŒD
Ver. 16. Or else I will come unto thee] He was in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks before. But when he comes to correct, he comes out of his place, Isaiah 26:21, and it is a motion that he hath no such mind to, Lamentations 3:33, it is to do his work, his strange work, Isaiah 28:21. With the sword of my mouth] With fearful threatenings, terrible executions, having vengeance in readiness for the disobedient, 1 Corinthians 10:6. Elisha had his sword as well as Jehu and Hazael theirs, 1 Kings 19:17. See Hosea 6:5 Jer 1:10 Isa 11:4.
Ver. 17. Of the hidden manna] That is, of Christ, whom none of the princes of this world knew; but God hath revealed him to his hidden ones by the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 2:8,10 cf. Ps 83:3, and given them to taste of that heavenly gift. A white stone] In token of absolution. With this white stone may the saints comfort themselves against all the black coals wherewith the world seeks to besmear them. If Libanius could say, βασιλειου με επαινεσαντος κατα παντων εχω τα νικητηρια (In epist, ad Basil.), Let Basil praise me, and I shall sing away all care, whoever reproaeheth me; may not we much more say so of Christ? “It is he that justifieth us; who shall condemn us?” Romans 8:34. A new name] Better than that of sons and daughters, Isaiah 56:5. The assurance whereof is (saith Father Latimer) the deserts of the feast of a good conscience, which is inconceivable and full of glory.
Ver. 18. Who hath his eyes, &c.] [See Trapp on “Re 1:14”] [See Trapp on “Re 1:15”]
Ver. 19. The last to be more] This is not every man’s happiness. [See Trapp on “Re 2:4”] It is a disputable question (saith one) whether any Christian (except he die soon after his conversion) do go on from strength without some sensible decay of the inward power of that grace wherewith he is endued.
Ver. 20. Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel] It is a fault, then, not only to be active in evil, but to be passive of evil. Non faciendo malus, sed patiendo fuit, said the poet concerning the Emperor Claudius. The kings of the earth are taxed, Revelation 18:9., for not rooting out the Romish religion and setting up the truth.
Ver. 21. And I gave her space to repent] “In space comes grace” proves not always a true proverb. They that defer the work, and say that men may repent hereafter, say truly, but not safely. The branch that bears not timely fruit is cut off. John 15:2. The ground that yields not a seasonable and suitable return is nigh unto cursing, Hebrews 6:8. The chick that comes not at the clucking of the hen becomes a prey to the kite, &c.
Ver. 22. Behold, I will cast her into a bed] A bed of affliction for that bed of security upon which she had stretched herself, Amos 6:4. God hath his season, his harvest for judgment, Matthew 13:30. Men may expect a time of healing when they shall find nothing else but a time of trouble, Jeremiah 14:19. One may defer a sore till it be incurable. See Ezekiel 24:13.
Ver. 23. And I will kill her children with death,] All men die (saith a divine, descanting upon this text), but all are not killed with death. As a godly man said, that he did aegrotare vitaliter, to be sick so as to endow with life, so godly men do mori vitaliter. die so as to endow with life. He that can so die, is fit to die; and the contrary. Oh, it is a woeful thing to be killed with death.
Ver. 24. But unto you I say] Here Christ comes with his fan, shedding and shoaling out his own from others, that they might not be disheartened, when worse men were menaced, The depths of Satan] That science falsely so called, 1 Timothy 6:20. Those profound points, which the impostors professed and pretended to: as the Gnostics, who would needs be held the only knowing men; the Illuminates, and other seducers, who had taken up a trick to qualify their devilish doctrines with the name of depths or profundities. Depths they are granted to be, but depths of the devil; the whisperings and hissing of that old serpent, not the inspirations of God’s Spirit.
Ver. 25. Hold fast] κρατησατε, hold by stro ng hand, tug for it, with those that would take it from you.
Ver. 26. And keepeth my works] In opposition to Jezebel’s works, q.d. that keepeth himself unspotted from the world, that foul lust that lieth in that wicked one, 1 John 5:19.
Ver. 27. And he shall rule them] q.d. I will communicate myself wholly to him. See Psalms 139:6-9 Mt 19:28 1Co 6:2,3.
Ver. 28. I will give him the morning star] i.e. I will clear his wronged innocence, Psalms 37:6, and grant him a glorious resurrection, Daniel 12:3.
Ver. 29. He that hath an ear] [See Trapp on “Re 2:7”]