1 And to the messenger of the assembly in Sardis write: These things saith he who is having the Seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I have known thy works, and that thou hast the name that thou dost live, and thou art dead;
John to the seven assemblies that `are' in Asia: Grace to you, and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is coming, and from the Seven Spirits that are before His throne,
and I saw, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb hath stood as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the Seven Spirits of God, which are sent to all the earth,
and out of the throne proceed do lightnings, and thunders, and voices; and seven lamps of fire are burning before the throne, which are the Seven Spirits of God,
`I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last;' and, `What thou dost see, write in a scroll, and send to the seven assemblies that `are' in Asia; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.'
These are in your love-feasts craggy rocks; feasting together with you, without fear shepherding themselves; clouds without water, by winds carried about; trees autumnal, without fruit, twice dead, rooted up;
because this my son was dead, and did live again, and he was lost, and was found; and they began to be merry.
I have known thy works, and love, and ministration, and faith, and thy endurance, and thy works -- and the last `are' more than the first.
I have known thy works, and where thou dost dwell -- where the throne of the Adversary `is' -- and thou dost hold fast my name, and thou didst not deny my faith, even in the days in which Antipas `was' my faithful witness, who was put to death beside you, where the Adversary doth dwell.
but to be merry, and to be glad, it was needful, because this thy brother was dead, and did live again, he was lost, and was found.'
for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.
even being dead in the trespasses, did make us to live together with the Christ, (by grace ye are having been saved,)
Also you -- being dead in the trespasses and the sins,
and this having said, he breathed on `them', and saith to them, `Receive the Holy Spirit;
`And when the Comforter may come, whom I will send to you from the Father -- the Spirit of truth, who from the Father doth come forth, he will testify of me; and ye also do testify, because from the beginning ye are with me.
And in the last, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, `If any one doth thirst, let him come unto me and drink; he who is believing in me, according as the Writing said, Rivers out of his belly shall flow of living water;' and this he said of the Spirit, which those believing in him were about to receive; for not yet was the Holy Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
for he whom God sent, the sayings of God he speaketh; for not by measure doth God give the Spirit;
and I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water, He said to me, On whomsoever thou mayst see the Spirit coming down, and remaining on him, this is he who is baptizing with the Holy Spirit;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Revelation 3
Commentary on Revelation 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
Here we have three more of the epistles of Christ to the churches:
Rev 3:1-6
Here is,
Rev 3:7-13
We have now come to the sixth letter, sent to one of the Asian churches, where observe,
Rev 3:14-22
We now come to the last and worst of all the seven Asian churches, the reverse of the church of Philadelphia; for, as there was nothing reproved in that, here is nothing commended in this, and yet this was one of the seven golden candlesticks, for a corrupt church may still be a church. Here we have, as before,