Previous Section: Chapter One - Prologue
OTY: The Revelation (5)B -Revelation Commentary
Revelation 2:7
(1) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (2) To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the (3) tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.
1. Admonition = all seven churches receive this concluding admonition, which Aune indicates can have two nuances: (1) what is said has a deeper, hidden meaning or (2) the hearer must obey what is given. Both nuances are intended. The inclusion of "the churches" demands a near/far application.
The Lord Jesus is reported to have used a similar statement by Matthew, Mark and Luke (Mark 4:9, 23; Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 43; Luke 8:8, 14:35). In each case, the saying is a queue to look deeper into the Lord’s words. The "simple sense" is the basic story. The intended significance is the spiritual truth beneath the basic story.
2. Overcomes = this Greek verb nikan (from which we get our English word nike which means to conquer).
Nikan can refer in a metaphorical sense to either an athletic contest or military battle.
One can be an overcomer in two ways in the New Testament: (1) salvific and (2) sanctification. The difference is one of conditionality. John states in I John 5:4-5, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" This is clearly salvific in nature. Our salvation is not conditional. 1 John 5:1 indicates that to be born of God, one must believe. Belief is not mere intellectual assent, but life transforming commitment to Jesus Christ. The result is eternal life.
However, the overcomer in Revelation is vastly different. The overcomer in Revelation is one who perseveres to the end. He remains faithful under difficult circumstances. "The overcomer is the individual Christian who enjoys special benefits in eternity for refusing to give up his faith in spite of persecution during life on earth." (J.C. Dillow, The Reign of the Servant Kings, 481) Revelation lists thirteen rewards for the overcomer:
(1) Authority over nations (2:26)
(2) Name not erased from book of life (3:5)
(3) Inherits the earth (21:7)
(4) New name on a white stone (2:17)
(5) Eat of hidden manna (2:17)
(6) Pillar in temple (3:12)
(7) Sits on Christ’s throne (3:21)
(8) Tree of life (2:7)
(9) Not hurt by second death (2:11)
(10) Morning star (2:28)
(11) White Garments (3:5)
(12) Name of God, city, and Christ written on him (3:12)
(13) Name confessed before the Father and His angels (3:5)
The rewards and the warnings make no sense unless some believers will not receive them because of their unfaithfulness. Why warn a person about something he cannot lose? We can debate what is lost, but there is no debate that something is lost with grave consequences to follow (See I Cor. 3:16 and I John 2:28).
Those individuals in the seven churches who are not overcomers are promised:
(1) War with the sword from the Lord’s month (2:16)
(2) To be thrown into the great tribulation (2:22)
(3) Children killed with the pestilence (2:23)
(4) To receive according to their deeds (2:23)
(5) Come like a thief (3:3)
(6) Spit out of the Lord’s mouth (3:16)
(7) Reproof and discipline (3:19)
True believers do not have to persevere to win salvation, nor must they be faithful to keep it. Any conditionality automatically removes the issue from a consideration of salvation to the issue of sanctification and rewards. The overcomer in Revelation can lose his reward. It is not eternal. To compromise in the face of physical danger will have severe consequences during the persecution by Antichrist and when one stands before the Lord in judgment.
The apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." Paul indicates a "pay back" for the "bad" done in the body. What the "pay back" is for bad deeds is not indicated, but there is a "pay back."
3. Tree of life = first stated promise to the overcomers. The tree of life is first mentioned in Genesis 3:22. This tree stood in the Garden of Eden. This tree was not forbidden to Adam and Eve. Whether they ate from it before the fall is not certain. Only after their sin does God forbid their eating from it. If Adam and Eve had eaten from "the tree of life," they would have removed the curse of death—immortality. That the faithful, who already are immortal, will be able to eat from this tree indicates that immortality is not the benefit the righteous will derive from this tree.
Revelation 2:8
"And to the (1) angel of the church in (2) Smyrna write: (3) The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:
1. Salutation = Angel (supernatural being)
2. Smyrna = the physically persecuted church
3. Identification of Christ as Sender = The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life is a fit description of the Lord. It refers to Revelation 1:18. This is a very appropriate description of the Lord for this church. As the Sovereign of time and One who has experienced death, the Lord’s description is an encouragement to the Smyrnaeans. As the persecuted church, the Symrnaeans may face death, but the Lord will raise them as He Himself was raised.
Revelation 2:9
(1) 'I know your (2) tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
1. Assertion of Knowledge = the Sovereign of time knows all things.
2. Comment = tribulation is used to describe John's situation in Revelation 1:9. It is used throughout the N.T. to describe the difficulties of believers at the hand of the wicked.
Revelation 2:10
(1) 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. (2) Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
1. Exhortation = Do not fear indicates specific events, which the Smyrnaeans were not to be afraid of. The imprisonment is intended to test them. The Smyrnaeans also have to look forward to ten days of tribulation.
2. Promise = "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Physical death results in eternal resurrected life. James 1:12 indicates that the "crown of life" is God’s payment for persevering through suffering.
Revelation 2:11
(1) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (2) He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second (3) death.'
1. Admonition and Heed = same as above.
2. Promised Blessing = the second stated promise of blessing to the overcomer. Shall not be hurt carries the idea to harm unjustly. For the overcomer, the second death would be an unjust hurt.
3. The second death is defined in Revelation 20:14 as the lake of fire. Death in its essence is a separation. If the lake of fire is the second death and the lake of fire is the home of the wicked then the second death must be the spiritual separation of the wicked from the presence of God. The first death occurred in connection with the sin of Adam. The second death will occur in connection with the judgment of the second Adam. Question: why warn believers about something, which is not a possibility? Stated another way: will unfaithful believers be hurt by the second death? It makes no sense to warn a person about something that cannot hurt them unless it really can hurt them. As is the case in other places, Scripture does not tell us what the exact consequences are for those who are unfaithful. We are not told how the second death will effect the unfaithful. The fact that it will have some effect is warning enough to be faithful.
Revelation 2:12
"And to the angel of the church in (1) Pergamum write: (2) The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:
1. Pergamum = a church of compromise
2. Identification of Christ as Sender = refers back to Revelation 1:16. This "sharp two-edged sword" comes from the mouth of the Lord. The "sharp two-edged sword" is an instrument of war as seen in Revelation 2:16 and 19:15, 21. The "sharp two-edged sword" is not literal. The "sharp two-edged sword" is a figure of speech—metonymy of cause for effect. The spoken words of the Lord have the same effect that a "sharp two-edged sword" has. The result is the same—physical death.
Revelation 2:13
(1) 'I know (2) where you dwell, where (3) Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days of (4) Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
1. Assertion of Knowledge = same as above.
2. Comment =
a. You live in a very difficult place.
b. You hold fast My name.
c. You did not deny My faith even in the face of the treat of death.
3. Satan’s throne = is mentioned in Revelation 13:2 and 16:10. Throne is used throughout the New Testament to depict the place of official seat or chair of state. Matthew 5:34 states, "But I [Jesus] say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God…." Heaven is the official seat or chair of state for God Almighty. Why Pergamum is chosen as Satan’s official seat is not indicated. However, this is where Satan lives.
4. Antipas = the first martyr mentioned in Revelation.
Revelation 2:14-15
(1) 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold (2) the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, (3) to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit {acts of} immorality. (4) 'Thus you also have some who in the same way hold (5) the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
1. Criticism = Matthew 5:23 indicates that "to have something against another" prevents God’s acceptance of one’s gifts.
2. The teaching of Balaam = mentioned also in Jude 11 and 2 Peter 2:15. Both Jude and Peter indicate that the motive of Balaam’s actions was money. However, Revelation 2:14 refers to Balaam’s activities: (1) to cast a stumbling block;
3. (2) to eat meat sacrificed to an idol as an act of worship; and (3) to commit sexual immorality. After God prevented Balaam from cursing Israel at Balak’s request, Balaam taught Balak the secret to Israel’s destruction—compromise. Numbers 25:1-2 states that Israel played the harlot with the daughters of Moab, along with going to their sacrificial services, eating and worshiping the Moabite god, Baal. Because of Israel’s sin, God instructed Moses to kill the leaders of the people. Twenty-four thousand individuals died. Thus, Balak got his wish. He did as Balaam instructed. It is in Numbers 31:16 that we later discover that Balaam taught Balak this strategy.
4. Thus = also = in the same way = a direct comparison is intended. The teachings of Balaam are the same as the teachings of the Nicolaitans.
5. The teaching of the Nicolaitans = unlike the Ephesians who hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans, some in Pergamum tolerated their teaching. Balaam/Nicolaitans taught people to compromise with the religious culture around them. This is the reason God hates the teaching of the Nicolaitans. It specifically breaks the first commandment of Moses.
Revelation 2:16
(1) 'Repent therefore; or else I am (2) coming to you quickly, and (3) I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.
1. Exhortation = repent
2. Coming to you quickly = occurs five times in Revelation (2:16; 3:11; 22:7, 12 and 20). Revelation 22:7, 12 and 20 refers to the Lord’s parousia. Describes how the Lord will come—quickly. Revelation 2:16 and 3:11 refer to an immediate judgment before the Lord’s parousia.
3. War… sword of My mouth = is a metonymy of cause for effect. This is a promise of physical death if repentance does not occur.
Revelation 2:17
(1) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (2) To him who overcomes, to him I will give {some} of the (3a) hidden manna, and I will give him a (3b) white stone, and a (3c) new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'
1. Admonition and Heed = same as above.
2. Promised Blessing = See nike discussion above.
3. The overcomer will receive three things:
a. Hidden manna = manna refers to the miraculous feeding of Israel in the wilderness detailed in Exodus 16:4-36. Manna is identified as "bread from heaven" in John 6:31-33. The "hidden manna" refers to Exodus 16:31-33 where a jar of manna was placed in the ark for the following generations to remember God’s provision throughout the wilderness wanderings. Unlike the manna of the Israelites that spoiled after one day, the manna in the ark never spoiled even after hundreds of years. This figure of speech indicates that the victorious bond-servants will be given the "manna" that lasts forever.
b. A white stone = possibly a special vote
c. A new name = as was the habit of the Lord to give his followers a new name, the overcomers are promised new names. Names, which will reflect the victory achieved by perseverance in the face of persecution. As Saul became Paul and Simon became Cephas (Peter), all overcomers will receive a new name fitting their faithful lifestyle on ear
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