The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 64

more in number: compare 'lfJ\.efo1111 0'7//u'la. Authorized Ve:rsion, be me.de to depend upon Toil-rm11 (John vii. 81): 1rAeEo11a lffl/l'll'OJI (John "thou sufferest." For the conatruotion ri/11 xv. 2) ; sJl.•W1111 6ut1l1111 (Heb. xi. 4). But -yu11al/CCI 'lE(a,B-qJ\. ;, Jl.t-youua, oompare -riir both excellence and number may be in- «a111ij$ 'lepov<T«J\.~µ, -,j ,cina/3aC1101JtT1& ( eh. iii. cluded. In any case, the Church at Thya- 12). The word for "seduoe," o:r "lead tim exhibits growth in good works, which astray" (rJ1.a11iv), in the active is frequent is the smest sign of life. Like Ephesus, in St. John, especially in Revelation (xii. Thyatu'a is both praised and blamed; but 9; xiii. 14; xix. 20; xx. 3, 8, 10; John whereas Ephesus hBB gone back (ver. 5), viL 12; 1 John i 8; ii. 26; iii. 7). A oom- Thyatu'a is going forwards. The two parison of these passages will lead to the Churches are in some respects the e:mct conclusion that the word implies seduction opposite one of the other. In Ephesus there into error of a very grave kind. It ia not is· much zeal for orthodoxy, but little love; clear whether "fornication" is to be under- in Thyatira there is much love, but a oare- stood literally, or, as often in the Old Testa. lessneilS about false doctrine. ment, in the spiritual sense of idolatry. Ver. 20.-But I bave against thee that The former seems more probable. "My thou snffareat. This is oertainly right. "A servants" means all Christians, as is .clear few things" (,t,1-ya) is an insertion in some from eh. vii. 3 and xxii. 3; it must not be inferior authorities. Others insert "many limited to those in authority in the Church. things " (,r6Mci) ; the Sinaitio inserts (For "things sacrificed to idols," see notes "much,. (,r&Jl.u); while the best authorities on ver. 14.) have nothing between KM« t1ou and ~ ... : Ver. 21.-Here again the Revised Version and then 3,., must be rendered " that " must be preferred; the .Authorized Version fflther than "because." The construction follows a corrupt Greek text. With the is the same as in. ver. 4. There is a right construction, "I gave her time that (Tva) she and a wrong suffering; and the Church in should repent," comp. eh. viii. 3; ix. 5; xii. Thyatu'a exhibits both. The enduring of 14; xi:x. 8; John xviL 4; 1 John iii. I; v. tribulation (~,roµ.orrli) is commended; the 20. With "·willeth not to :repent," comp. toleration of evil ( a..pe,s) is :rebuked. It is John vi. 21, 67; vii 17; viii. 44. Jezebel not said that Jezebel receives sympathy or "despised the riches of Christ's forbearance encouragement, but merely that she is let and lopg-suffering, not believing that his alone; her wickedness is left uncheeked, goodness led her to repentance" (Rom. ii. 4). and that is sinful. For this use of a.q,/,va,, The whole passage :should be compared with comp. John xi. 48; xii. 7. It is difficult to this (see also Eccles. viii. ll-13; Ps. x. 6; decide between " the woman " ( .,.~., -yuva,1ta} 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4, 9). and "thy wife" ( ,-¾w-yvva,1ta ,roii), authorities Ver. 22. - l!ehold ! The exclamation being much divided; the balance seems in "arrests attention, and prepares the way for favour of the former. But even if. " thy something unexpected and terrible." It is wife" be preferred, there is no need to one of the many differences between the understand Jezebel as indicating a distinct Fourth Gospel and the Apocalypse, that in person. We are in the region of figures and the former WE is the dominant form, while metaphors. Perhape all that is indicated is in the latter !Boil is the invariable form (1tal that the angel of the Church at Thyatira. is !Se in eh. vi. l, 5, 7 is a spurious addition); suffering from the tolerated presence of 11 1006 is very rare in the Gospel; 1'81 is found ba;neful inflnenoe, as did Ahab, "whom nowhere in the Apocalypse. In the Epistles Jezebel his ffJife atir:red up" (1 Kings xxi. neither form occurs. I do cast her into a 25). And if it is not certain that any indi- bed. Bd11.11..,, not {:Jall.oo, is the true :reading; vidual false prophetess ill signified, it_ is the future has been substituted for the pre- scarcely worth while to speculate as to who sent to match the futures in ver. 23. For- this individual is. Jezebel may be a person, bearance having failed, God tries severity; or she may he a form of false doot:rine p8'1'- and, as so often in his dealings with man, sonified. If the former, Jezebel is doubt- the instrument of wrong-doing is made the less not her :real name, but a symbolical instrument of punishment. The bed of sin name of reproach, and what her name and becomes a bed of suffering. Compare " In status were we have no means of knowing. the place where dogs licked the blood of In any case the error represented by the Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, .even name is closely akin to that of the Nico- thine:" and "I will requite thee in this laita.ns and to " the doctrine of Balaam." plat.· saith the Lord" (1 Kings xxi. 19; Whatever differences of detail there may 2 1ungs ix. 26). Bd.V.t.., is one of many have bee-q, all three ma.de Christian liberty worda-w.hich has become weakened in mean. a plea for an a.unchristian licence which ing Di late Greek ; it often means no more claimed t.o be above the moral Law. And she tlum"place" or "put" (John v. 7; xii. 6; ieaoheth aud aeduoath. This is an inde- xiii. 2 ; xviii. 11 ; xx. 25), In the passive i,t pendent statement, and must not, as in the is rather common of being laid up in sick- BBVELA.TlON, r 66 THE REVEL.A'l'ION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. (CH. u.1-29.