Revelation 2:25

2:18-29 Even when the Lord knows the works of his people to be wrought in love, faith, zeal, and patience; yet if his eyes, which are as a flame of fire, observe them committing or allowing what is evil, he will rebuke, correct, or punish them. Here is praise of the ministry and people of Thyatira, by One who knew the principles from which they acted. They grew wiser and better. All Christians should earnestly desire that their last works may be their best works. Yet this church connived at some wicked seducers. God is known by the judgments he executes; and by this upon seducers, he shows his certain knowledge of the hearts of men, of their principles, designs, frame, and temper. Encouragement is given to those who kept themselves pure and undefiled. It is dangerous to despise the mystery of God, and as dangerous to receive the mysteries of Satan. Let us beware of the depths of Satan, of which those who know the least are the most happy. How tender Christ is of his faithful servants! He lays nothing upon his servants but what is for their good. There is promise of an ample reward to the persevering, victorious believer; also knowledge and wisdom, suitable to their power and dominion. Christ brings day with him into the soul, the light of grace and of glory, in the presence and enjoyment of him their Lord and Saviour. After every victory let us follow up our advantage against the enemy, that we may overcome and keep the works of Christ to the end.

But that which ye have already,.... Which was something good, even the faithful word, the form of sound words, the mystery and doctrine of faith; this they had received from Christ and his apostles; they had it in their hearts, and a comfortable experience of the truth and power of it, and had made a profession of it, which they now held, and are here exhorted to hold fast: hold fast till I come; meaning the coming of Christ, either at the Reformation by Luther, Calvin, and others, which began at the close of this church state, when the hands and hearts of those professors would be more strengthened, which seems to be the first sense of the words; or to judge Jezebel, destroy antichrist, which will be by the brightness of his coming; till which time the doctrine of the Gospel is to be held fast: and such an exhortation will be always necessary, since, till then, there will be always more or less an opposition to it, and attempts made to wrest it out of the hands of its professors, to cause them to hesitate about it, and to intimidate them in the profession of it, by loading them with reproaches, calumnies, and persecution.

But that which ye have already; than you already groan under. Or, no other precepts than what you have had from the apostles: the precepts of God are called burdens, Matthew 11:30 Acts 15:28 . Hold fast till I come; hold fast your profession, your faith and holiness, till I come to judgment.

Revelation 2:25 . Πλὴν ) Amos 3:2 , רק . Septuagint, πλὴν .— ἄχρις οὗ ἂν ἥξω ) Ἤκω , derived from the preterite of the verb ἵημι , already in the present involves the preterite [I am come, I am present]. And so the future, ἥξω , I will be present, ch. Revelation 3:3 , is nearer than the present ἔρχομαι itself, when taken alone. Thus, ἥκω , ἥκει , ἥκουσι , John 8:42 ; John 2:4 ; John 4:47 ; 1 John 5:20 ; Luke 15:27 ; Mark 8:3 , note. Whence, Hebrews 10:7 ; Hebrews 10:9 , ἥκω is used for the preterite באתי , Psalm 40:7 ; and thus the Septuagint everywhere: Numbers 23:1 (or Numbers 22:36 ); Deuteronomy 33:2 ; Joshua 23:14-15 ; Jdg 16:2 ; 1 Samuel 16:2 ; 1 Samuel 29:6 ; 1 Samuel 29:10 ; 2 Samuel 3:23 . There is a remarkable instance in Ecclesiastes 5:14 , ἐπιστρέψει , ὡς ἥκει .

Verse 25. - Howbeit . Not simply ἀλλά or δέ , but πλήν , which occurs nowhere else in St. John's writings. Although no other burden than this is imposed, yet remember what it implies. Hold fast the love, and faith, and service, and patience, and the growth in these virtues, for which thou hast been commended (ver. 19). Comp. Revelation 3:11 , where a similar charge is given to the Church at Philadelphia. The Greek for "till I come" is remarkable - ἄχρις οῦ α}ν ἤξω ; where the α}ν conveys a touch of indefiniteness as to the date specified - until the time whensoever I shall come. We have a similar construction in 1 Corinthians 15:25 . Revelation 2:25

[Bible] 1:18. And alive, and was dead. And behold I am living for ever and ever and have the keys of death and of hell. 1:19. Write therefore the things which thou hast seen: and which are: and which must be done hereafter. 1:20. The mystery of the seven stars, which thou sawest in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. And the seven candlesticks are the seven churches. Apocalypse Chapter 2 Directions what to write to the angels or bishops of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamus and Thyatira. 2:1. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These things saith he who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks: 2:2. I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them that are evil. And thou hast tried them who say they are apostles and are not: and hast found them liars: 2:3. And thou hast patience and hast endured for my name and hast not fainted. 2:4. But I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first charity. 2:5. Be mindful therefore from whence thou art fallen: and do penance and do the first works. Or else I come to thee and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou do penance. 2:6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaites, which I also hate. 2:7. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches: To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of my God. 2:8. And to the angel of the church of Smyrna write: These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead and is alive: 2:9. I know thy tribulation and thy poverty: but thou art rich. And thou art blasphemed by them that say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

2 Corinthians 1:9 . ἀλλὰ αὐτοὶ κ . τ . λ .: nay, we ourselves had the sentence of death in ourselves; i.e. , the danger was so great that the sentence of death had been already pronounced, as it were. ἀπόκριμα might mean “answer,” as the Revisers translate it (they give sentence , with the A.V., in their margin); cf. the verb ἀποκρίνειν . But in the other places where this rare word is found ( e.g. , Jos., Ant. , xiv. 10, 6, and an inscription of 51 A.D., quoted by Deissmann, Neue Bibelstudien , p. 85) it stands for an official decision or sentence. Cf. κρίμα θανάτου , “the sentence of death” ( Sir 41:3 ). The tense of ἐσχήκαμεν is noteworthy; it seems to be a kind of historical perfect, used like an aorist ( cf. chap. 2 Corinthians 2:13 , 2 Corinthians 11:25 , Revelation 5:7 ; Revelation 8:5 , for a similar usage).— ἵνα μὴ πεποιθότες κ . τ . λ .: i.e. , “the gravity of the danger was such as to impress upon me the vanity of putting my trust anywhere save in God, who has the power of life and death”. God can “raise the dead” (see chap. 2 Corinthians 4:14 ); much more can He bring back the dying from the gates of death.