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Rev_3:1. ὁ ἔχων τά ἐπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ θεοῦ . This designation of the Lord is new rather as to form than as to sense; for Christ would not be everywhere Lord of the Church in the sense declared by the following predicate, and the entire description recurring in the commencement of the epistles (Rev_1:12 sqq.), if he were not the one “having the seven spirits of God.”[1306] Christ, as the Son of God, has[1307] the Spirit of God, as of the Father; thus Christ works and speaks through the Spirit in and to the churches,[1308] and thus both designations of the Lord, Ὁ ἜΧΩΝ ΤᾺ ἘΠΤᾺ ΠΝΕΥΜ . Τ . Θ . and ( Ὁ ἜΧΩΝ ) ΤΟῪς ἘΠΤᾺ ἈΣΤΈΡΑς ,[1309] appear in their inner connection.[1310] But, just because the ἜΧΕΙΝ Τ . Έ . ΠΝ . Τ . Θ . applies to Christ in his relation to his Church, not as something particular, but as something general, and as expressing a principle, the declaration Ὁ ἜΧΟΝ , Κ . Τ . Λ ., cannot be referred like, e.g., Ὁ ἜΧ . Τ . ὈΦΘΑΛΜΌΥς , Κ . Τ . Λ . (Rev_2:18), etc., in the beginning of the epistles, to any special manifestation of the Lord; neither to his omniscience, according to which he tries the hearts and reins, and also judges aright what is hidden;[1311] nor to his unlimited power to punish and reward.[1312] The Lord designates himself, in general, as the one from whom the spiritual life-forces of the Church proceed,[1313] and who thus continually rules in his churches,[1314] sending forth the seven spirits as his Spirit, and speaking, reproving, warning, consoling, and promising through the same. In a like general way, the relation of Christ to the churches (Rev_2:1, Rev_3:14) is made prominent; yea, even the more special features in the other titles to the epistles, with their more precise references to the special contents of the epistles, have, at the same time, an entirely general significance, and make known the specific position of the Lord with respect to his churches in general. Hence it is an arbitrary assumption, when Ebrard lays emphasis upon the fact that Christ, “in the first part of his missive, does not appeal to that point in his manifestation[1315] which afterwards[1316] is established with special reference to Sardis,[1317] viz., to the white robe; but to his general relation to all the seven churches.” There is, therefore, no foundation whatever for the explanation of this “remarkable” circumstance, by the fact that the epistle to the church at Sardis has, in addition to its historical, a special “prophetical sense;” and, as the first of the epistles referring to the “synchronistic” condition of the church, it symbolizes that “among the ecclesiastical bodies which arose in consequence of the Reformation,” in which “there was a possession and boast of pure doctrine, while there was such an over-estimate of doctrine and the objective institution of the Church, that, on that account, the continual reformation of the life was neglected.”[1318]
[1306] Cf. Rev_1:4.
[1307] Cf. Rev_5:6.
[1308] Cf., e.g., Rev_2:7; Rev_2:11; Rev_2:17, etc., with the introductions to the epistles.
[1309] Cf. Rev_1:16; Rev_1:20.
[1310] Cf. also Bengel, Ewald, Hengstenb., Ebrard.
[1311] Vitr., Züll., De Wette.
[1312] Hengstenb.
[1313] Beng.
[1314] Ebrard.
[1315] Rev_1:13 sqq.
[1316] Rev_3:4 sq.
[1317] This is not even altogether correct; the “white robes,” Rev_3:4 sqq., do not have a special relation to the Lord’s garment, Rev_1:13.
[1318] p. 572.
Upon οἶδα depends, first of all, the accus. σου τὰ ἔργα , then the clause ὅτι ὄν . ἔχ ., κ . τ . λ ., before which a καὶ dare not be inserted.[1319] The inner relation of the two expressions placed alongside of one another, without an express combination, is that the Lord, just because of his knowledge of the imperfection of the works of the church (Rev_3:2), knows that the same, although it has the name that it lives, is nevertheless, in truth, dead. The expression ὀνομα ἔχεις refers neither to the individual name of the bishop, as Zosimus, Vitalis, etc.,[1320] nor to the name of his office;[1321] but designates the reputation and esteem of the church,[1322] yet in its opposition to actual truth, which is then expressly made prominent.[1323] The “life,” if it were actually present, and then, of necessity, would efficaciously manifest itself, would be “to live according to Christ;”[1324] but the judgment has the force: νεκρὸς εἷ ; i.e., not “nigh to death,”[1325] but instead of the indeed seeming, yet deficient, life, death is there. This, of course, is to be understood, not unconditionally, but as, according to what follows already in Rev_3:2, where the call to watch sounds forth, the being dead is represented as a sleep,[1326] it is to be limited according to the spiritual meaning of the expressions ζῇς and νεκρὸς ἐι . Cf. Jam_2:17.
[1319] De Wette: “And that thou hast the name.” Cf. Rev_3:15.
[1320] C. a Lap., Beng.
[1321] Hengstenb.
[1322] N. de Lyra, Zegar, Areth., Ewald, etc.
[1323] De Wette, Ebrard. Cf. Herodot., vii., p. 485: ἡ στρατηλασία
όνομα μὲν εἶχε , ὡς ὑπʼ Ἀθήνας ἐλαύνει , κατίετο δὲ ἐς πᾶσαν τὴν Ἐλλάδα (“The expedition had a name, as though directed against Athens, while it was really put in motion against all Greece”).
[1324] Grot.
[1325] Eichh.
[1326] Cf. Eph_5:14.