overcometh, shall not be hurt of the second death.

12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write ; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is : and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain

xxxi. 9: “The Lord's fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.” They suffered the second death, then, – an utter, total death, – at the time of the entire overthrow and extinction of their nation. “He that overcometh, shall not be hurt of the second death;” i. e., he that is faithful through all tribulations, shall not be involved in the general calamity which is about to fall on the Jews, and on all the enemies of Christ. Let the reader examine the following passages, and he will see that the terms “fire and brimstone” are terms frequently employed by the sacred writers to describe the judgments of God in the present life; Gen. xix. 24; Deut. xxix. 23; Job xviii. 15; Psa. xi. 6; Isa. xxx. 33; xxxiv. 9, 10; Ezek. xxxviii. 22; Luke xvii. 29. For further remarks on the second death, see our comments on Rev. xx. 6, 14; and xxi. 8.

EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN PERG AMOS.

12. Angel. – See the notes on ii. 1 and 8. T Pergamos. – This place is mentioned but twice in the Scriptures; Rev. i. 11; ii. 12. It was a celebrated city of antiquity, the most important place in Mysia, and the most northerly of the places that contained the seven apocalyptical churches. It probably existed eight or ten centuries before Christ. It was famed for its library, which yielded only to that of Alexandria in extent and value, and it is said to have contained upwards of two hundred thousand volumes. It was the birth-place of the celebrated Galen, and in its vicinity there was a famous temple of AEsculapius. The modern town

retains the name of Bergamo, Bergamah, or Bergma. T He which hath the snord nith two edges.—This is a reference to the Son of man; see i. 16; and to the notes on that text we refer the reader. 13. I know thy norks. – This was said to the whole seven of the churches. I Where thou drvellest. — The place is specially referred to, as if for some reason it was worthy of particular observation. The peculiarity is brought out in the next words. I Where Satan's seat is. – That is, his location, his place of influence and power. There had been a great opposition to Christianity there. It was a place of great heathen strength. The immense library was there, which perhaps brought together the heathen and Jewish scholars from all parts of Asia, Greece, and the more western parts of the world. This would tend to give character and strength to the opposition to Christianity. The word Satan has much the same general use in the Scriptures as diabolos, or devil. In the case before us it is used for the adversaries collectively at Pergamos. Peter was the Satan when he opposed his master; Matt. xvi. 23; Mark viii. 33. In one case Satan seems to signify a disease; Luke xiii. 16. But when Paul says, “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly,” Rom. xvi. 20, he refers undoubtedly to the human adversaries of Christianity. The word seems also to bear the same sense in 1 Thess. ii. 18 : “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.” We do not suppose Paul meant

among you, where Satan dwelleth. 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to

eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. 16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and

that some invisible, intangible, malicious agent had power enough over him to succeed for a length of time in hindering him against his will from doing his duty. We shall define Satan's seat then to be the place of a powerful and wicked opposition to Christianity. , And yet the church as a body stood fast. Hast not denied my faith. — They did not abandon the name of Christ, and they held fast his faith, even in those terrible days when Antipas was slain. Dr. Hammond tells us that Antipas was cotemporary with the apostles; that he was bishop of the church of Pergamos, and that in his very old age he fed and ruled the flock in all godliness. He was a faithful martyr, and was slain where Satan dwelt. It is certain from the text that he was a Christian, that he was faithful even unto death, and that he was slain at Pergamos as a witness of Jesus. The character bestowed upon this church was, in general, very honorable to them. 14. But I have a fen, things against thee.—Notwithstanding the praise which had been bestowed upon them, there were some things among them that were wrong. They had not divorced themselves from those who held the error of Balaam. And what was that ? Balaam taught Balak, king of the Moabites, “to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel.” See Numb. xxxi. 16: “Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord, in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.” Balaam was not in all

things faithful. He led the children of Israel somewhat into idolatry and uncleanness. There were men like him in the church at Pergamos, who were willing to compromise with their heathen neighbors, for the gratification of their lusts. Persons of this description are mentioned by Peter, 2 Epis. ii. 10–15, and Jude 4. 15. Doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. – This church differed from the church at Ephesus. The latter hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, but the church at Pergamos had those among them who held the doctrines of that sect. Who these were, and what were their faults, will be seen by the notes on ver. 6. 16. Repent. —This is a word of wide import. It signifies not only to change the mind, not only to have sorrow for past misdeeds or neglects, but to reform the life. Thus the church at Ephesus was called on to “repent, and do the first works,” ver. 5; i. e., reform their lives, and get back again to duty and faithfulness. T Come unto thee quickly. — See what is said on this topic in the notes on i. 1, 3. It is remarkable how particular the Son of man was to show that his coming in judgment was not distant. See, also, Matt.xvi. 27, 28; Mark viii. 38; ix. 1; Luke ix. 26, 27. T Snoord of my mouth. — This is a reference to what is said i. 16; “out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.” This two-edged sword was the word of God. The word of God is repeatedly represented by a sword. “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” said Paul, Eph. vi.

17. The author of the epistle to will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat

of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. 18 And unto the angel of the

the Hebrews employs a comparison instead of a metaphor. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart;” Heb. iv. 12. The word of God being the sword, is said to be the sword of the mouth. By that word they would be condemned, if they did not reform. 17. He that hath an ear. — See the remarks on verses 7 and 11 of this chapter. T Hidden manna. — The manna was that food from heaven by which the children of Israel were sustained in their forty years' journey through the wilderness. It was a favorite custom of the apostle John to represent the gospel under the figure of food. He learned it of his Master. Jesus called himself the bread of God, that came down from heaven to give life to the world. It was the same style of metaphor to represent the gospel by manna, – hidden, not visible manna. This may have reference to the manna being kept in a pot in the temple; or it may mean spiritual manna, such as is not visible to the outward sense of sight. In ver. 7 we read that he who overcame should “eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” The hidden manna is another metaphor to describe the same thing. The intention was, to signify that the Christians who were faithful under the trials described in the Apocalypse, should be entitled to, and should enjoy, the highest delights of the gospel. T White stone. — This was a mark of honor. The stone here referred to was a beautiful white tab

let. It was a sign of worth and purity. The figure perhaps was drawn from the breast-plate of the high priest, which had four rows of precious stones, three in each row, and on each stone was engraved the name of one of the tribes. In this way Aaron bore the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgment upon his heart, when he went in before the Lord. He thus presented them justified in God’s sight; Exod. xxviii. 29, 30. God threatened the Jews who showed signs of idolatry, that he would destroy them, “and blot out their name from under heaven;” Deut. ix. 14. Here are the opposites. Those who forsook the true God, and turned to idolatry, were to have their names blotted out; while those who were faithful to the end, and kept themselves free and uncontaminated by the idolatry by which they were surrounded, should have a new name, a more honored name, which, like the names of the tribes on the breast-plate of judgment, should be engraved on a stone, white as a sign of purity and honor. And this name should be a pass-word to glory and distinction. None should know it, except him who received it. It could not, therefore, be counterfeited ; and it was a sure security to the individual who possessed it that his honors should never be lost.

EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH AT THYATIRA.

18. Thyatura. — This was a considerable city, not a great distance from Pergamos, and in the way from the latter place to Sardis. It is mentioned in Acts xvi. 14, where we are told that the pious Lydia, who received Paul and Silas at Philippi,

church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith,

and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first : * 20 Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a

belonged to Thyatira. The modern name of it is Akhissar. Smith and Dwight, the American missionaries at Armenia, state that its aspect is poor and mean, that it has of late been built up of wood, and that it probably has not more than five thousand inhabitants, of whom fifteen hundred may be Greeks. Mr. Elliott, in his Travels, gives a more favorable account, and represents the inhabitants to be nearly double the number given above. Perhaps, says McCulloch, the truth may lie between these conflicting statements. T Son of God. — This is the only instance of this phrase in the Apocalypse. We find the expression in all the New Testament; but no writer employs it so often as John ; see Gos. i. 34; iii. 18; v. 25; ix. 35; x.36; xi. 4; xix. 7; xx. 31; 1 Epis. iii. 8; iv. 15; v. 5, 10, 13, 20. By the use of this phrase in the case before us, we are distinctly told that the glorious personage mentioned in chapter i. as being “like the Son of man,” was the Lord Jesus Christ. Compare i. 14, 15, with ii. 18. This will verify the fact completely. In both cases his eyes are said to be as flames of fire, and his feet as fine brass. 19. I know thy norks. – It will be seen that norks are twice referred to in this verse. We think the sense of the verse is this: “I know thy works in general, - thy charity, thine administering to others, thy faith, thy patience,—these are thy works. * And the last more than the first.— Two seasons are here referred to, viz., the season before, and the season during, tribulation. In the last, the church at Thyatira appeared to more advantage than in the first. This

was an excellent commendation, and was the reverse of what was said to the church at Ephesus, verses 4, 5. Still the church at Thyatira was not perfect. Their last state, on the whole, was better than the first, but it was not wholly without fault. 20. That woman Jezebel. — The Jezebel, by way of distinction, was the wife of Ahab, mentioned in the 1st and 2d books of Kings. She led her husband into idolatry, slew the prophets of the true God, entertained the prophets of Baal, in great numbers, at her own table, and at last came to a miserable death. She was a woman of great impurities. The name Jezebel occurs only once in the Apocalypse. It is not probable there was a person at Thyatira by that name; but it is used metaphorically, either for some corrupt woman who had so great an influence in the church that she could not be expelled, or for a body of false teachers. As the Jezebel mentioned by the revelator is said to have claimed to be “a prophetess,” she was probably some influential female, called by that name, because her character and influence were like those of Jezebel of olden time, exceedingly bad. She seduced God’s servants to commit fornication, which may be understood literally or metaphorically, for unfaithfulness to God, and impurity in the matter of faith. T Eat things sacrificed unto idols. – Among other vices she seduced God's servants to eat things sacrificed unto idols. This has been before mentioned as one of the errors of Balaam; see ver, 14. When the early Christians became convinced that it was the purpose of God to receive the Gentiles into the prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit formication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great

tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24 But unto you I say, and

church, the first among the duties impressed upon them seems to have been, that they should “abstain from meats offered to idols;” Acts xv. 20, 29. This prohibition was not given, probably, because the church supposed the food was in itself rendered injurious, but because the reception and constant use of it would lessen the horror of idolatry, which all the holy men of old had sedulously sought to preserve in God's people. The hope of redeeming the world from idolatry was vested in them. Every barrier, therefore, to the ingress of that species of false religion was kept up. The influence of the Gentiles, at their admission into the church, was feared on these accounts. They were required, therefore, as a matter of great importance, that they should not eat the food that had been connected with idolatrous sacrifices; see Acts xxi. 25. Paul did not regard the eating of this food as vicious in itself, but the influence of it was decidedly bad; see the whole eighth chapter of the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians; see also same Epis. x. 19, 28. The influence of Jezebel, then, was decidedly heathenish. The fornication mentioned was perhaps that which was metaphorically so called; for when the Jews worshipped the idols of the heathen, they were said to go a whoring after other gods; Exod. xxxiv. 15, 16; Lev. xx. 5, 6; Deut. xxxi. 16; Psa. lxxiii. 27; Ezek. vi. 9. We are inclined to think this is the sense in which fornication is to be understood in the case before us,

being coupled as it is with eating “things sacrificed unto idols.” 21. She repented not.—She was forborne with, but she reformed not her life; and she deserved, therefore, severe punishment. 22. Will cast her into a bed. — A bed of affliction is intended, as the parallellism shows, to wit, “ into great tribulation.” The style of the metaphor is kept up. Fornication was used metaphorically for heathenish practices, and casting into a bed is put for being thrown into great tribulation. Nothing would save her from this but a thorough reformation of life. 23. And I mill kill her children rith death. — Children seems here put for followers. To kill with death is a Hebraism, signifying utter, thorough death. Her name shall rot; her followers shall die; and her punishment shall be so signal and remarkable that “all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” Such was to be her fate. T According to her n'orks. – This is the principle on which divine retribution is inflicted, as we shall take occasion to show in another place, if our limits will allow ; see, for our present purpose, Psa. lxii. 12; Jer, 1.29; Hos. Xii. 2; Matt, Xvi. 27; Rom. ii. 6; 2 Cor. xi. 15; Rev. xx. 12. Thus we see that the principle referred to is recognized both in the Old Testament and the New. 24. This doctrine. —Wiz., the doc