William Burkitt Notes and Observations - Revelation 2:1 - 2:1

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William Burkitt Notes and Observations - Revelation 2:1 - 2:1


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Note here, 1. That the church of Ephesus, with the other six churches of Asia, were, at the time of St. John's writing, very flourishing churches, favoured as much with the special presence influence of Christ as ever any churches were.

Note, 2. That these churches are written to as a sort of types of all the Gentile churches unto the end of the world, and patterns also which the Gentile churches were to take warning by, Christ hereby declaring what all other churches, offending and declining in the same manner, might expect.

Note, 3. That the first church St. John is commanded to write unto, is the church of Ephesus, and what is written is directed to the angel, the bishop, the president and chief minister in that church, to be communicated to all in the church, both ministers and people, as that which nearly concerned them all.

Note, 4. That Christ in the beginning of every epistle doth notify himself by some one of those characters which he gave of himself in the former chapter, either as the faithful and true witness, or as the first and the last, or as having the seven stars in his hand.

Thus here, These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand.

Mark, he holdeth the stars in his hand, to show his power, supporting and directing them, for the good of his people. It is added, that Christ walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. Which expression denotes Christ's gracious presence with them, his strict observation of them, his tender care over them, his protecting and defending of them in doing their duty to him, his encouraging or reproving, his rewarding or punishing, as there should be cause: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, and walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.

Learn hence, 1. That the ministers of Christ are stars, yet but stars, they shine but with a borrowed light, with a light derived from the sun: they shine but for a time, the day hastens when these stars shall disappear for ever.

Learn, 2. These stars are in the right hand of Christ, in his power, and at his disposal; he appoints them their orbs where they shall shine, and appoints them also their time for shining.

Learn, 3. That the church is a candlestick, a golden candlestick. As a candlestick has no more light than what is put into it, and must by continually maintained by a new supply of oil, such is the state of the church; and as a candlestick is a moveable thing, remove the candlestick, and the light is removed with it: so when God removes the light of the gospel from a people, he unchurches them.

Farther, the church is called is called a golden candlestick, because as gold is the purest of metals, and excels other metals in preciousness, so God expects his church should differ as much from the world, as gold doth from common clay.

Learn, 4. That there is a special gracious presence of Christ with his church in all her adminstrations. He walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks; it denotes his presence with them, and this presence, and a joyous presence.