Revelation of John the Theologian, Chapter 2 - The second chapter of the Book of the Apocalypse ( 2: 1-29 ). In it, John continues the theme outlined in the previous chapter, and voices the messages to 4 of the 7 churches of Asia.
Structure
- Appeal to the Church of Ephesus (1-7)
- Appeal to the Church of Smyrna (8-11)
- Appeal to the Pergamon Church (12-17)
- Appeal to the Church of Thyatira (18-29)
Contents
The chapter contains letters to 4 of 7 churches:
- Ephesus - This church is known for the false apostles and Nicolaites ( Rev. 2: 7 )
- Smyrna (now Izmir ) - this church suffered from those who called themselves Jews , but who were not ( Rev. 2: 9 ). This is the "persecuted church."
- Pergamum is the church located where the throne of Satan is ( Rev. 2:12 )
- Thyatira (near Akhisar ) - This church suffered from Jezebel ( Rev. 2:20 )
The structure of the letters to all 7 churches is built on the same principle:
" ... what you see, write in a book and send to the churches located in Asia "
| [To] | write: it says so ... | I know your affairs, and ... | But I have against you that ... | [future time] | [about the Nicholas ] | He who has an ear (hear) let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: ... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2: 1 Angel of Ephesus Church | Holding seven stars in his right hand , walking in the midst of seven golden lamps | 2: 2 ... your work, and your patience, and the fact that you cannot bear the depraved, and experienced those who call themselves apostles , but they are not like that, and found that they are liars; 2: 3 you endured a lot and have patience, and for My name you labored and not exhausted. | 2: 4 ... you left your first love. | 2: 5 So remember where you fell from, and repent, and do the former works; and if not, I will come to you soon, and I will move your lamp from its place, if you do not repent. | 2: 6 However, it is in you that you hate the affairs of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. | 2: 7 ... to him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life , which is in the midst of God's paradise |
| 2: 8 And the Angel of the Church of Smyr | The first and the last, who was dead, and behold, alive | 2: 9 ... sorrow, and poverty (though you are rich), and slander from those who say about themselves that they are Jews , and they are not like that, but a bunch of satanic. | 2:10 Do not be afraid of anything you need to endure. Behold, the devil will cast you out of his midst into prison to tempt you, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life. | 2:11 ... he who overcomes will not suffer harm from the second death. | ||
| 2:12 And the Angel of Pergamon Church | Sharp sword on both sides | 2:13 ... that you live where the throne of Satan is, and that you contain My name, and you have not denied My faith even in those days in which you, where Satan lives, have faithfully witnessed My Antipas . | 2:14 ... do you have Balaam’s teachings there that taught Balak to seduce the sons of Israel so that they ate idolatry and fornication. | 2:15 And so do you have the Nicolaitans holding on to the teachings that I hate. 2:16 repent; but if not, I will come to you soon and fight against them with the sword of My mouth. | 2:17 ... to the overcomer I will give to taste the hidden manna , and I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone, which no one knows, except the one who receives. | |
| 2:18 And the angel of the church of Thyatira | The Son of God, whose eyes are like a flame of fire, and his feet are like halkolivan | 2:19 ... love, and service, and faith, and your patience, and the fact that your last works are greater than the first. | 2:20 ... you let the wife of Jezebel , who calls herself a prophetess, teach and mislead My servants, fornicating is idolatrous. 2:21 I gave her time to repent of her fornication, but she did not repent. 2:22 Now, I cast her on her bed and those who commit adultery with her in great tribulation, if they do not repent of their deeds. 2:23 And I will smite her children with death, and all churches will understand that I am the one who tests hearts and insides; and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. | 2:24 But to you and others who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this doctrine and who do not know the so-called depths of Satanic, I say that I will not impose another burden on you; 2:25 keep only what you have until I come. | 2:26 Whoever conquers and keeps My work to the end, I will give authority over the Gentiles to him , 2:27 and shepherd them with a rod of iron; like clay vessels, they will be afflicted, just as I received [authority] from My Father; 2:28 and I will give him the morning star. 2:29 [see title] | |
| 3: 1 And the angel of the Sardinian church | Having seven spirits of God and seven stars | ... you bear the name as if alive, but you are dead. 3: 2 Watch and assert other things close to death; for I do not find that your works are perfect before My God. | 3: 3 Remember what you received and heard, and keep and repent. If you do not stay awake, then I will find on you how to thaw , and you will not know what time I will find on you. 3: 4 However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and will go with Me in white [clothes], for they are worthy. | 3: 5 He who overcomes will be clothed in white robes; and I will not erase his name from the book of life , and I confess his name before My Father and before his angels. 3: 6 [see title] | ||
| 3: 7 And the angel of the Philadelphia church | Holy, True, having the key of David , Who opens - and nobody closes, shuts - and nobody opens | 3: 8 ... now, I have opened the door before you, and no one can shut it; you do not have much strength, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. | 3: 9 Behold, I will do that of the satanic gathering, of those who say of themselves that they are Jews, but not of the essence, but lie, - behold, I will do that they will come and bow before your feet, and they know that I have loved you. 3:10 And as you have kept the word of My patience, I will also save you from the year of temptation, which will come to the whole universe to experience the living on the earth. 3:11 Behold, I am coming soon; keep what you have, that whoever does not delight your crown. | 3:12 I will make the overcomer a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will no longer go out; and I will write on it the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem , descending from heaven from My God, and my name is new. 3:13 [see title] | ||
| 3:14 And the Angel of the Laodicean Church | Amen , faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God | 3:15 ... you are neither cold nor hot; Oh, if you were cold or hot! | 3:16 But as you are warm, but not hot and not cold, I will cast you out of My mouth. 3:17 For you say: “I am rich, rich, and have no need”; but you don’t know that you are unhappy, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. 3:18 I advise you to buy gold from Me, refined with fire, so that you can be rich, and white clothes, to dress and that you cannot see the shame of your nakedness, and put eye ointment on your eyes to see. 3:19 Whom I love, I rebuke and chasten. So be zealous and repent. 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and I will sup with him, and he with Me. | 3:21 I will give to him who overcomes, to sit with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat with my Father on his throne. 3:22 [see title] |
Mentioned
- Seven Churches of the Apocalypse
- Halkolivan
- Nikolaites
- Antipa
- Balaam
- Valak
- Jezebel
Interpretation
There is a version that the "throne of Satan" in Pergamum means the Pergamon Altar . Martyr Antipas - according to the legends of St. Antipas of Pergamon . [one]
Heretics are nikolaitis , but it is not known what their heresy was. There is a version that “the Nicholas and those who adhere to the teachings of Balaam are the same heretics. This is a pun. The name Nicholas , the founder of the heresy of the Nikolaiites, can be formed from two Greek words nikan - to conquer and Laos - the people; and the name Balaam is from two Hebrew words, Bela - to conquer and Haam - the people. Thus, these two names mean the same thing and both of them can be interpreted as a vicious teacher who defeated the people and conquered their poisonous heresy ” [2] .
Iconography
The second chapter of the “Book of the Apocalypse” was rarely illustrated in other genres, besides West European medieval miniatures, although there are also stained glass windows dependent on it. Traditionally, these are four monotonous miniatures, each of which depicts John along with an angel giving him a message to a church, the name of the city can be signed. Or these four buildings can be combined on one sheet. In the late Gothic era, for example, in the manuscript Apocalypse flamande (BNF Néerl3), a more complex combination may appear - in this case, all 4 churches are combined on the sheet, as well as the images mentioned in the accusatory speech - the harlot Jezebel and others. However, less detailed cycles of illustrations of this and the next chapters are usually neglected [3] [4] .
Ephesus Episode, Saint-Sever Beatus Miniatures, XI Century
"Message to Smyrna"
"Message to Pergamum"
“Message to Tiatira”
Illustration for the 2nd chapter, Apocalypse flamande, 15th century
Notes
- ↑ O. Alexander Men. Reading the apocalypse. Conversations on the Revelation of St. John the Theologian. Chapter 2 . www.alexandrmen.ru. Date of treatment February 3, 2018.
- ↑ Revelation of John the Theologian. Comments by William Barkley. Chapter 2 . allbible.info. Date of treatment February 3, 2018.
- ↑ Johannesoffenbarung - Apokalypse des Johannes . www.johannesoffenbarung.ch. Date of treatment March 29, 2018.
- ↑ Apocalypse, Iconography of - Dictionary definition of Apocalypse, Iconography of | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary . www.encyclopedia.com. Date of treatment March 29, 2018.