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CLARKE'S COMMENTARY - REVELATION
1
THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
Chronological Notes relative to this Book.
- Year of the Constantinopolitan era of the world, or that
used by the Byzantine historians, and other eastern writers,
5604.
- Year of the Alexandrian era of the world, 5598.
- Year of the Antiochian era of the world, 5588.
- Year of the world, according to Archbishop Usher, 4100.
- Year of the world, according to Eusebius, in his
Chronicon, 4322.
- Year of the minor Jewish era of the world, or that in
common use, 3856.
- Year of the Greater Rabbinical era of the world, 4455.
- Year from the Flood, according to Archbishop Usher, and
the English Bible, 2444.
- Year of the Cali yuga, or Indian era of the Deluge,
3198.
- Year of the era of Iphitus, or since the first
commencement of the Olympic games, 1036.
- Year of the era of Nabonassar, king of Babylon, 845.
- Year of the CCXVIIIth Olympiad, 4.
- Year from the building of Rome, according to Fabius
Pictor, 843.
- Year from the building of Rome, according to Frontinus,
847.
- Year from the building of Rome, according to the Fasti
Capitolini, 848.
- Year from the building of Rome, according to Varro,
which was that most generally used, 849.
- Year of the era of the Seleucidae, 408.
- Year of the Caesarean era of Antioch, 144.
- Year of the Julian era, 141.
- Year of the Spanish era, 134.
- Year from the birth of Jesus Christ, according to
Archbishop Usher, 100.
- Year of the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 96.
- Year of Pacorus II, king of the Parthians, 6.
- Year of the Dionysian period, or Easter Cycle, 97.
- Year of the Grecian Cycle of nineteen gears, or Common
Golden Number, 2; or the first embolismic.
- Year of the Jewish Cycle of nineteen years, 18; or the
year before the seventh embolismic.
- Year of the Solar Cycle, 21.
- Dominical Letters, it being the Bissextile, or Leap
Year, CB.
- Day of the Jewish Passover, the twenty-fifth of March,
which happened in this year on the day before the Jewish
Sabbath.
- Easter Sunday, the twenty seventh of March.
- Epact, or age of the moon on the 22d of March, (the day
of the earliest Easter Sunday possible,) 11.
- Epact, according to the present mode of computation, or
the moon's age on New Year's day, or the Calends of January,
19.
- Monthly Epacts, or age of the moon on the Calends of
each month respectively, (beginning with January,) 19,21,
20,21, 22,23, 24,26, 26,27, 29,29.
- Number of Direction, or the number of days from the
twenty-first of March to the Jewish Passover, 4.
- Year of the Emperor Flavius Domitianus Caesar, the last
of those usually styled The Twelve Caesars, 15: Nerva began
his reign in this year.
- Roman Consuls, C. Antistius Vetus, and C. Maulius
Valens.
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Verses
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- The preface to this book, and the promise to them who
read it, 1-3.
- John's address to the seven Churches of
Asia, whose high calling he particularly mentions; and
shows the speedy coming of Christ, 4-8.
- Mentions
his exile to Patmos, and the appearance of the Lord
Jesus to him, 9-11.
- Of whom he gives a most glorious
description, 12-18.
- The command to write what he saw,
and the explanation of the seven stars and seven golden
candlesticks, 19,20.
The Revelation of St. John the divine.
To this book
the inscriptions are various.
- "The Revelation.
- -The
Revelation of John.
- -Of John the divine.
- -Of John the divine and
evangelist.
- -The Revelation of John the apostle and
evangelist.
- -The Revelation of the holy and glorious apostle
and evangelist, the beloved virgin John the divine, which he
saw in the island of Patmos.
- -The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
given to John the divine."
These several inscriptions are
worthy of little regard; the first verse contains the
title of the book.
.
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Verse 1 .The Revelation of Jesus
Christ
The word (οις ),
from which we
have our word Apocalypse, signifies literally, a
revelation, or discovery of what was
concealed or hidden. It is here said that this
revelation, or discovery of hidden things, was
given by GOD to Jesus Christ; that Christ gave it to
his angel; that this angel showed it to JOHN; and that
John sent it to the CHURCHES. Thus we find it came from God to
Christ, from Christ to the angel, from the angel to John, and
from John to the Church. It is properly, therefore, the
Revelation of God, sent by these various agents to his
servants at large; and this is the proper title of the
book.
Things which must shortly come to
pass
On the mode of interpretation devised
by Wetstein, this is plain; for if the book were
written before the destruction of Jerusalem, and the
prophecies in it relate to that destruction, and the civil
wars among the Romans, which lasted but three or
four years, then it might be said the Revelation
is of things which must shortly come to pass.
But if we consider the book as referring to the state of the
Church in all ages, the words here, and those in Revelation
1:3, must be understood of the commencement of the
events predicted; as if he had said: In a short time the train
of these visions will be put in motion:-
_____et incipient magni procedere menses. "And those
times, pregnant with the most stupendous events, will begin to
roll on."
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Verse 2 .Who bare record of the word
of God
Is there a reference here to the
first chapter of John's gospel, In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, Word John did
bear record. Or, does the writer mean the fidelity with
which he noted and related the word-doctrines or
prophecies, which he received at this time by revelation from
God? This seems more consistent with the latter part of the
verse.
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Verse 3 .Blessed is he that
readeth
This is to be understood of the
happiness or security of the persons who, reading and hearing
the prophecies of those things which were to come to pass
shortly, took proper measures to escape from the impending
evils.
The time is at
hand.
Either in which they shall be all
fulfilled, or begin to be fulfilled. See Clarke on Revelation
1:1.
These three verses contain the introduction; now the
dedication to the seven Churches commences.
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Verse
4 .John to the seven Churches
The apostle begins this much in the manner of the Jewish
prophets. They often name themselves in the messages which
they receive from God to deliver to the people; e.g. "The
vision of ISAIAH, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning
Judah and Jerusalem." "The words of JEREMIAH, the son of
Hilkiah; to whom the word of the Lord came." "The word of the
Lord came expressly unto EZEKIEL, the priest." "The word of
the Lord that came unto HOSEA, the son of Beeri." "The word of
the Lord that came to JOEL." "The words of AMOS, who was among
the herdsmen of Tekoa." "The vision of OBADIAH; thus saith the
Lord." "The word of the Lord came unto JONAH." So, "The
revelation of Jesus Christ, which he sent and signified to his
servant JOHN." "JOHN to the seven Churches,"
The Asia here mentioned was what is called Asia
Minor, or the Lydian or Proconsular Asia;
the seven Churches were those of Ephesus, Smyrna,
Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and
Laodicea. Of these as they occur. We are not to suppose
that they were the only Christian Churches then in Asia Minor;
there were several others then in Phrygia, Pamphylia, Galatia,
Pontus, Cappadocia, to the apostle, and were more particularly
under his care; though the message was sent to the Churches in
general, and perhaps it concerns the whole Christian world.
But the number seven may be used here as the number
of perfection; as the Hebrews use the seven names
of the heavens, the seven names of the
earth, the seven patriarchs, seven suns, seven
kinds, seven years, seven months, seven days, in
which the rabbins find a great variety of mysteries.
Grace be unto you
This form of apostolical benediction we have often seen in
the preceding epistles.
From him which is, and which was,
and which is to come
This phraseology is
purely Jewish, and probably taken from the Tetragrammaton,
YEHOVAH; which is supposed to include in itself all time,
past, present, and future. But they often use
the phrase of which the (οις),
of the
apostle, is a literal translation. So, in Sohar
Chadash, fol. 7, 1: "Rabbi Jose said, By the name
Tetragrammaton, (i.e. Yehovah,) the higher and lower regions,
the heavens, the earth, and all they contain, were perfected;
and they are all before him reputed as nothing:- vehu
hayah, vehu hoveh, vehu yihyeh; and HE WAS, and HE
IS, and HE WILL BE. So, in Shemoth Rabba, sec. 3, fol.
105,2: "The holy blessed God said to Moses, tell them:- ani
shehayithi, veani hu achshaiu, veani hu laathid labo; I
WAS, I NOW AM, and I WILL BE IN FUTURE."
In Chasad Shimuel, Rab. Samuel ben David asks: "Why
are we commanded to use three hours of prayer? Answer:
These hours point out the holy blessed God:- shehu hayah,
hoveh, veyihyeh; he who WAS, who IS, and who SHALL
BE. The MORNING prayer points out him who WAS before the
foundation of the world; the NOONDAY prayer points out him who
IS; and the EVENING prayer points out him who IS TO COME."
This phraseology is exceedingly appropriate, and strongly
expresses the eternity of God; for we have no other
idea of time than as past, or now
existing, or yet to exist; nor have we any idea of
eternity but as that duration called by some
aeternitas a parte ante, the eternity that was before
time, and aeternitas a parte post, the endless duration
that shall be when time is no more. That which WAS, is the
eternity before time; that which IS, is time
itself; and that which IS TO COME, is the eternity which
shall be when time is no more.
The seven Spirits-before his
throne
The ancient Jews, who represented
the throne of God as the throne of an eastern monarch,
supposed that there were seven ministering angels
before this throne, as there were seven ministers
attendant on the throne of a Persian monarch. We have an ample
proof of this, Tobit 12:15:I
am Raphael, one of the SEVEN HOLY ANGELS which present
the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out
before the glory of the Holy One. And in
Jonathan ben Uzziel's Targum, on ; Genesis
11:7: God said to the SEVEN ANGELS which stand before
him, Come now,
In Pirkey Eliezer, iv. and vii: "The angels which
were first created minister before him without the veil."
Sometimes they represent them as seven cohorts or
troops of angels, under whom are thirty inferior
orders.
That seven ANGELS are here meant, and not the
Holy Spirit, is most evident from the place, the
number, and the tradition. Those who imagine the
Holy Ghost to be intended suppose the number
seven is used to denote his manifold gifts and
graces. That these seven spirits are
angels, see Revelation
3:1;; 4:5;
and particularly Revelation
5:6, where they are called the seven spirits of God
SENT FORTH INTO ALL THE EARTH.
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Verse
5 . The faithful witness
The
true teacher, whose testimony is infallible, and whose sayings
must all come to pass.
The first-begotten of the
dead
See Clarke on Colossians
1:18.
The prince of the
kings
(οις),
The chief or
head, of all earthly potentates; who has them all under
his dominion and control, and can dispose of them as he will.
Unto him that loved
us
This should begin a new verse, as it is
the commencement of a new subject. Our salvation is attributed
to the love of God, who gave his Son; and to the love of
Christ, who died for us. See John
3:16.
Washed us from our
sins
The redemption of the soul, with the
remission of sins, and purification from unrighteousness, is
here, as in all the New Testament, attributed to the blood
of Christ shed on the cross for man.
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Verse
6 .Kings and priests
See on
1 Peter
2:5,9. But instead of (οις),
kings and
priests the most reputable MSS., versions, and fathers
have βασ. . . , a kingdom and priests;
i.e. a kingdom of priests, or a royal priesthood. The
regal and sacerdotal dignities are the two
highest that can possibly exist among men; and these two are
here mentioned to show the glorious prerogatives and state of
the children of God.
To him be
glory
That is, to Christ; for it is of
him that the prophet speaks, and of none other.
For ever and ever
εις. . . To ages of ages; or rather,
through all indefinite periods; through all time, and
through eternity.
Amen.
A word of
affirmation and approbation; so it shall
be, and so it ought to be.
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Verse
7 .Behold, he cometh with clouds
This relates to his coming to execute judgment on the
enemies of his religion; perhaps to his coming to destroy
Jerusalem, as he was to be particularly manifested to them
that pierced him, which must mean the incredulous and
rebellious Jews.
And all kindreds of the
earth
(οις),
All the
tribes of the land. By this the Jewish people
are most evidently intended, and therefore the whole verse may
be understood as predicting the destruction of the Jews; and
is a presumptive proof that the Apocalypse was written
before the final overthrow of the Jewish state.
Even so, Amen.
(οις),
Yea, Amen. It is true, so be it. Our
Lord will come and execute judgment on the Jews and Gentiles.
This the Jews and Romans particularly felt.
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Verse
8 .I am Alpha and Omega
I am
from eternity to eternity. This mode of speech is borrowed
from the Jews, who express the whole compass of things
by aleph and tau, the first and
last letters of the Hebrew alphabet; but as St.
John was writing in Greek, he accommodates the whole to
the Greek alphabet, of which α alpha and ω
omega are the first and last letters. With the rabbins
meeleph vead tau, "from aleph to tau,"
expressed the whole of a matter, from the beginning to
the end. So in Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 17,4:
Adam transgressed the whole law from aleph to
tau; i.e., from the beginning to the end.
Ibid., fol. 48,4: Abraham observed the law, from
aleph to tau; i.e., he kept it entirely, from
beginning to end.
Ibid., fol. 128,3: When the holy blessed God
pronounced a blessing on the Israelites, he did it from
aleph to tau; i.e., he did it perfectly.
The beginning and the
ending
That is, as aleph or
alpha is the beginning of the alphabet, so am I the
author and cause of all things; as tau or omega
is the end or last letter of the alphabet, so am I the
end of all thinks, the destroyer as well as the establisher of
all things. This clause is wanting in almost every MS. and
version of importance. It appears to have been added first as
an explanatory note, and in process of time crept into the
text. Griesbach has left it out of the text. It is worthy of
remark, that as the union of aleph and tau in
Hebrew make eth, which the rabbins interpret of the
first matter out of which all things were formed, (See
Clarke on Genesis
1:1.;) so the union of α alpha and ω omega,
in Greek, makes the verb αω, I breathe, and may very
properly, in such a symbolical book, point out Him in whom we
live, and move, and have our being; for,
having formed man out of the dust of the earth, he
breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life, and he became a living soul; and it is by
the inspiration or inbreathing of his Spirit
that the souls of men are quickened, made alive from the dead,
and fitted for life eternal. He adds also that he is the
Almighty, the all-powerful framer of the
universe, and the inspirer of men.
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Verse
9 .Your brother
A Christian,
begotten of God, and incorporated in the heavenly
family.
Companion in
tribulation
Suffering under the persecution
in which you also suffer.
In the kingdom
For we are a kingdom of priests unto God.
And patience of
Jesus
Meekly bearing all indignities,
privations, and sufferings, for the sake and after the example
of our Lord and Master.
The isle that is called
Patmos
This island is one of the
Sporades, and lies in the AEgean Sea, between
the island of Icaria, and the promontory of
Miletus. It is now called Pactino,
Patmol, or Palmosa. It has derived all its
celebrity from being the place to which St. John was banished
by one of the Roman emperors; whether Domitian,
Claudius, or Nero, is not agreed on, but it was
most probably the latter. The island has a convent on a well
fortified hill, dedicated to John the apostle; the inhabitants
are said to amount to about three hundred men, and about
twenty women to one man. It is very barren, producing very
little grain, but abounding in partridges, quails, turtles,
pigeons, snipes, and rabbits. It has many good harbours, and
is much infested by pirates. Patmos, its capital and
chief harbour, lies in east LONG. 26?, north
LAT. 37?. The whole island is about thirty miles in
circumference.
For the testimony of Jesus
Christ.
For preaching Christianity, and
converting heathens to the Lord Jesus.
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Verse 10 .I was in the
Spirit
That is, I received the Spirit of
prophecy, and was under its influence when the first vision
was exhibited.
The Lord's day
The first day of the week, observed as the Christian
Sabbath, because on it Jesus Christ rose from the dead;
therefore it was called the Lord's day, and has taken
place of the Jewish Sabbath throughout the Christian world.
And heard behind me a great
voice
This voice came unexpectedly
and suddenly. He felt himself under the Divine
afflatus; but did not know what scenes were to be represented.
As of a trumpet
This was calculated to call in every wandering thought, to
fix his attention, and solemnize his whole frame. Thus God
prepared Moses to receive the law. See Exodus
19:16,19,
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Verse 11 .I am Alpha and Omega, the
first and the last: and
This whole clause
is wanting in ABC, thirty-one others; some editions; the
Syriac, Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Slavonic,
Vulgate, Arethas, Andreas, and Primasius.
Griesbach has left it out of the text.
Saying-What thou seest, write in a
book
Carefully note down every thing that
is represented to thee. John had the visions from heaven; but
he described them in his own language and manner.
Send it unto the seven
Churches
The names of which immediately
follow. In Asia. This is wanting in the principal MSS.
and versions. Griesbach has left it out of the
text.
- Ephesus
This
was a city of Ionia, in Asia Minor, situated at the mouth of
the river Cayster, on the shore of the AEgean Sea,
about fifty miles south of Smyrna. See preface
to the Epistle to the Ephesians.
- Smyrna
Now
called also Ismir, is the largest and richest city of
Asia Minor. It is situated about one hundred and eighty-three
miles west by south of Constantinople, on the shore of
the AEgean Sea. It is supposed to contain about one hundred
and forty thousand inhabitants, of whom there are from fifteen
to twenty thousand Greeks, six thousand Armenians, five
thousand Roman Catholics, one hundred and forty Protestants,
eleven thousand Jews, and fifteen thousand Turks. It is a
beautiful city, but often ravaged by the plague, and seldom
two years together free from earthquakes. In 1758 the city was
nearly desolated by the plague; scarcely a sufficient number
of the inhabitants survived to gather in the fruits of the
earth. In 1688 there was a terrible earthquake here, which
overthrew a great number of houses; in one of the shocks, the
rock on which the castle stood opened, swallowed up the castle
and five thousand persons! On these accounts, nothing but the
love of gain, so natural to man, could induce any
person to make it his residence; though, in other respects, it
can boast of many advantages. In this city the Turks
have nineteen mosques; the Greeks, two churches; the
Armenians, one; and the Jews, eight synagogues;
and the English and Dutch factories have each a
chaplain. Smyrna is one hundred miles north of the island of
Rhodes, long. 27? E., lat. 38? N.
- Pergamos
A town
of Mysia, situated on the river Caicus. It was the
royal residence of Eumenes, and the kings of the race
of the Attali. It was anciently famous for its library,
which contained, according to Plutarch, two hundred thousand
volumes. It was here that the membranae Pergameniae,
Pergamenian skins, were invented; from which we derive our
word parchment. Pergamos was the birthplace of
Galen; and in it P. Scipio died. It is now
called Pergamo and Bergamo, and is situated in
long. 27?E., lat. 39? N.
- Thyatira
Now
called Akissat and Ak-kissar, a city of Natolia,
in Asia Minor, seated on the river Hermus, in a plain
eighteen miles broad, and is about fifty miles from
Pergamos; long. 27? E., lat. 38? N. The houses are
chiefly built of earth, but the mosques are all of marble.
Many remarkable ancient inscriptions have been discovered in
this place.
- Sardis
Now
called Sardo and Sart, a town of Asia, in
Natolia, about forty miles east from Smyrna. It is seated on
the side of mount Tmolus, and was once the capital of
the Lydian kings, and here Croesus reigned. It
is now a poor, inconsiderable village. Long. 28?E., lat. 37?
N.
- Philadelphia
A
city of Natolia, seated at the foot of mount Tmolus, by
the river Cogamus. It was founded by Attalus
Philadelphus, brother of Eumenes, from whom it
derived its name. It is now called Alah-sheker, and is
about forty miles ESE. of Smyrna. Long. 28? E., lat. 38? N.
- Laodicea
A town
of Phrygia, on the river Lycus; first called
Diospolis, or the city of Jupiter. It was built by
Antiochus Theos, and named after his consort Laodice.
See Clarke on Colossians
2:1. And, for a very recent account of these seven
Churches, see a letter from the Rev. Henry Lindsay,
inserted at the end of See Clarke on Revelation
3:22.
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Verse 12 .And I
turned For he had heard the voice behind him. To see
the voice; i.e., the person from whom the voice came.
Seven golden
candlesticks
(οις),
Seven
golden lamps. It is absurd to say, a golden silver,
or brazen candlestick. These seven lamps represented
the seven Churches, in which the light of God
was continually shining, and the love of God
continually burning. And they are here represented as
golden, to show how precious they were in the sight of
God. This is a reference to the temple at Jerusalem, where
there was a candlestick or chandelier of
seven branches; or rather six branches; three springing
out on either side, and one in the centre. See Exodus
25:31-37. This reference to the temple seems to intimate
that the temple of Jerusalem was a type of the whole Christian
Church.
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Verse 13 .Like unto the Son of
man
This seems a reference to Daniel
7:13. This was our blessed Lord himself, ; Revelation
1:18.
Clothed with a garment down to the
foot
This is a description of the high
priest, in his sacerdotal robes. See these described at
large in the notes on Exodus
28:4, even in heaven. He is still discharging the
sacerdotal functions before the throne of God.
Golden girdle.
The emblem both of regal and sacerdotal
dignity.
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Verse 14 .His head and his
hairs were white like wool
This
was not only an emblem of his antiquity, but it was the
evidence of his glory; for the whiteness or
splendour of his head and hair doubtless proceeded from the
rays of light and glory which encircled his
head, and darted from it in all directions. The
splendour around the head was termed by the Romans
nimbus, and by us a glory; and was represented
round the heads of gods, deified persons, and saints. It is
used in the same way through almost all the nations of the
earth.
His eyes were as a flame of
fire
To denote his omniscience, and the
all-penetrating nature of the Divine knowledge.
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Verse 15 .His feet like unto fine
brass
An emblem of his stability and
permanence, brass being considered the most durable of
all metallic substances or compounds.
The original word, (οις),
means the famous
aurichalcum, or factitious metal, which, according to
Suidas, was ει. . . , "a kind of
amber, more precious than gold." It seems to have been a
composition of gold, silver, and brass, and the same with the
Corinthian brass, so highly famed and valued; for when
Lucius Mummius took and burnt the city of Corinth, many
statues of these three metals, being melted, had run together,
and formed the composition already mentioned, and which was
held in as high estimation as gold. See Pliny, Hist.
Nat., lib. 34, c. 2; Florus, lib. 2, c. 16. It may
however mean no more than copper melted with lapis
calaminaris, which converts it into brass; and the
flame that proceeds from the metal during this operation is
one of the most intensely and unsufferably vivid that
can be imagined. I have often seen several furnaces employed
in this operation, and the flames bursting up through the
earth (for these furnaces are under ground) always called to
remembrance this description given by St. John: His feet of
fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; the
propriety and accuracy of which none could doubt, and every
one must feel who has viewed this most dazzling operation.
His voice as the sound of many
waters.
The same description we find in Ezekiel
43:2: The glory of the God of Israel came from the way
of the east; and his voice was like the noise of many
waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
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Verse 16 .In his right hand seven
stars
The stars are afterwards
interpreted as representing the seven angels,
messengers, or bishops of the seven Churches. Their
being in the right hand of Christ shows that they are
under his special care and most powerful protection. See
below.
Out of his mouth went a sharp
two-edged sword
This is no doubt intended
to point out the judgments about to be
pronounced by Christ against the rebellious Jews
and persecuting Romans; God's judgments were just now
going to fall upon both. The sharp two-edged
sword may represent the word of God in general,
according to that saying of the apostle, Hebrews
4:12: The word of God is quick and powerful, sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, the word of God
is termed the sword of the Spirit, Ephesians
6:17.
And his countenance was as
the sun shineth in his strength.
His face
was like the disk of the sun in the brightest summer's day,
when there were no clouds to abate the splendour of his rays.
A similar form of expression is found in Judges
5:31: Let them that love him be as the sun when he
GOETH FORTH IN HIS MIGHT. And a similar description
may be found, Midrash in Yalcut Simeoni,
part I., fol. 55,4: "When Moses and Aaron came and stood
before Pharaoh, they appeared like the ministering
angels; and their stature, like the cedars of Lebanon:-
vegalgilley eyneyhem domim legalgilley chammah, and the
pupils of their eyes were like the wheels of the
sun; and their beards were as the grape of the palm
trees:- veziv peneyhem keziv chammah, and the
SPLENDOUR of THEIR FACES was as the SPLENDOUR of the
SUN."
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Verse 17 .I fell at his feet as
dead.
The appearance of the glory of
the Lord had then same effect upon Ezekiel, Ezekiel
1:28: and the appearance of Gabriel had the same effect on
Daniel, Daniel
8:17. The terrible splendour of such majesty was more than
the apostle could bear, and he fell down deprived of his
senses, but was soon enabled to behold the vision by a
communication of strength from our Lord's right hand.
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Verse 18 .I am he that liveth, and
was dead
I am Jesus the Saviour, who,
though the fountain of life, have died for mankind; and being
raised from the dead I shall die no more, the great sacrifice
being consummated. And have the keys of death and the
grave, so that I can destroy the living and raise the
dead. The key here signifies the power and
authority over life, death, and the grave. This is also a
rabbinical form of speech. In the Jerusalem Targum, on
Genesis
30:22, are these words: "There are four KEYS in the hand
of God which he never trusts to angel or seraph. 1. The
key of the rain; 2. The key of
provision; 3. The key of the grave; and
4. The key of the barren womb."
In Sanhedrin, fol. 113,1, it is said: "When the son
of the woman of Sarepta died, Elijah requested that to him
might be given the key of the resurrection of the
dead. They said to him, there are three KEYS which
are not given into the hand of the apostle, the key of
life, the key of the rain, and the
key of the resurrection of the dead." From these
examples it is evident that we should understand (οις),
hades, here, not as hell, nor the place of
separate spirits, but merely as the grave; and
the key we find to be merely the emblem of
power and authority. Christ can both save
and destroy, can kill and make alive.
Death is still under his dominion, and he can recall the dead
whensoever he pleases. He is the resurrection and the life.
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Verse 19 .Write the things which
thou hast seen
These visions and prophecies
are for general instruction, and therefore every circumstance
must be faithfully recorded. What he had seen was to be
written; what he was about to see, relative to the
seven Churches, must be also written; and what he was to
see afterwards, concerning other Churches and states, to
be recorded likewise.
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Verse 20 .The mystery
That is, the allegorical explanation of the
seven stars is the seven angels or ministers of
the Churches; and the allegorical meaning of the seven
golden lamps is the seven Churches
themselves.
1. IN the seven stars there may be an allusion to
the seals of different offices under potentates, each
of which had its own particular seal, which
verified all instruments from that office; and as these seals
were frequently set in rings which were worn on the
fingers, there may be an allusion to those brilliants
set in rings, and worn (οις),
, UPON the right
hand. In Jeremiah
22:24, Coniah is represented as a signet on the
right hand of the Lord; and that such signets were in
rings see Genesis
38:18,25; ; Exodus
18:11; ; Daniel
6:17, ; Haggai
2:23. On close examination we shall find that all the
symbols in this book have their foundation either in
nature, fact, custom, or general opinion. One of
the cutchery seals of the late Tippoo Saib, with
which he stamped all the commissions of that office, lies now
before me; it is cut on silver, in the Taaleck
character, and the piece of silver is set in a large gold
ring, heavy, but roughly manufactured.
2. The Churches are represented by these lamps; they
hold the oil and the fire, and dispense the
light. A lamp is not light in itself, it
is only the instrument of dispensing light, and it must
receive both oil and fire before it can dispense
any; so no Church has in itself either grace or
glory, it must receive all from Christ its head, else
it can dispense neither light nor life.
3. The ministers of the Gospel are signets or
seals of Jesus Christ; he uses them to stamp his
truth, to accredit it, and give it currency. But
as a seal can mark nothing of itself unless applied by a
proper hand, so the ministers of Christ can do no good,
seal no truth, impress no soul, unless the great owner
condescend to use them.
4. How careful should the Church be that it have the
oil and the light, that it continue to
burn and send forth Divine knowledge! In vain does any
Church pretend to be a Church of Christ if it dispense no
light; if souls are not enlightened, quickened, and converted
in it. If Jesus walk in it, its light will shine both
clearly and strongly, and sinners will be
converted unto him; and the members of that Church will be
children of the light, and walk as children of the light and
of the day, and there will be no occasion of stumbling in
them.
5. How careful should the ministers of Christ be that they
proclaim nothing as truth, and accredit nothing
as truth, but what comes from their master!
They should also take heed lest, after having preached to
others, themselves should be cast-aways; lest God should say
unto them as he said of Coniah, As I live, saith the Lord,
though Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, were the SIGNET
UPON MY RIGHT HAND, yet would I pluck thee thence.
On the other hand, if they be faithful, their labour shall
not be in vain, and their safety shall be great. He that
toucheth them toucheth the apple of God's eye, and none shall
be able to pluck them out of his hand. they are the angels and
ambassadors of the Lord; their persons are sacred; they are
the messengers of the Churches, and the glory of Christ.
Should they lose their lives in the work, it will be only a
speedier entrance into an eternal glory.
The rougher the way, the shorter their stay,
The troubles that rise Shall gloriously hurry their
souls to the skies.
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- Revelation 1:1.
Copyright Statement
The Adam Clarke Commentary is a derivative
of an electronic edition prepared by GodRules.net.
Bibliography
Information
Clarke, Adam.
"Commentary on Revelation 1". "The Adam Clarke
Commentary".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=re&chapter=001>.
1832.
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