What John was commanded to write in commendation or reproof to the angels of the churches of Ephesus, 1-7, Smyrna, 8-11, Pergamos, 12-17, Thyatira, 18-29.
Some things are to be observed of all the epistles, before we come to the particular epistles. 1. God’s writing in this form, (as a man to his friend,) speaks Christ’s love to the church, his spouse. 2. There were not seven books written, but one book in which these seven epistles were, out of which each church, or the church in its several periods, might learn what concerned it. 3. These epistles concerning matters of faith and manners, are written plainly, not in mysterious expressions. 4. The scope of them all is to instruct, reprove, commend, and comfort. 5. They are all directed to the ministers of the churches, as their heads, but the matter concerns the whole church. 6. It is also observed, that Christ, in the beginning of every epistle, notifieth himself by some one of those things mentioned in the vision in the former chapter. Revelation 2:1, These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars, Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:8, The first and the last, which was dead and is alive, Revelation 1:17, 18; Revelation 2:12, These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges, Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:18, The Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass, Revelation 1:14, 15; Revelation 3:1, He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, Revelation 1:4, 16; Revelation 3:7, He that hath the key of David, that is holy and true, that openeth, etc., Revelation 1:5, 18; Revelation 3:14, The faithful and true witness, Revelation 1:5.
Westminster Confession of Faith 25:4: 'This catholick church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and publick worship performed more or less purely in them [Revelation 2-3].'
George Swinnock's The Beauty of Magistracy: 'Good duties need much pressing. Such is the dulness and indisposition of our natures to the best things, that without much pressing they take little or no impression upon us: hence it is that the Lord here calls on judges again and again to defend the poor and fatherless, and to deliver the needy out of trouble. So in Revelation 2-3, Christ calls again and again to those that have ears to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. We must have line upon line, and precept upon precept, and all little enough to make the word effectual. It is not sufficient to say, I know this and that, but you must lov…
Westminster Confession of Faith 25:5: 'The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error[Revelation 2-3]; and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there shall be always a church on earth to worship God according to his will.'
Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections: 'The sins and falls of the saints may be for their good, and for the better, in this respect, that the issue may be better than if the temptation had not happened, and so the occasion not given, either for the sin of yielding to the temptation, or the virtue of overcoming it: and yet not in the respect (with regard to their sins or falls in general) that it should be better for them in the issue, that they have yielded to the temptation offered, than if they had overcome. For the fewer victories they obtain over temptation, the fewer are their good works, and particularly of that kind of good works to which …
William Tong (for Matthew Henry): 'The apostle John, having in the foregoing chapter written the things which he had seen, now proceeds to write the things that are, according to the command of God (Revelation 1:19), that is, the present state of the seven churches of Asia, with which he had a particular acquaintance, and for which he had a tender concern. He was directed to write to every one of them according to their present state and circumstances, and to inscribe every letter to the angel of that church, to the minister or rather ministry of that church, called angels because they are the messengers of God to mankind. In this chapter we have, I. The message sent t…