Глава 2

Revealed to the Angel of the Ephesian Church Rev.2:1. Write to the angel of the church of Ephesus: Thus says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, He who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: He speaks to the church through an Angel, just as if someone were talking to his disciples through a teacher. Because the teacher, in order to make the student like himself, takes upon himself everything concerning the student - his mistakes and successes. By the seven stars, or Angels, which are mentioned by blessed Irenaeus and Epiphanius under the name of the seven heavens, here we must understand the government of the angelic ranks, held, like all the ends of the earth, in the right hand of Christ, for according to the promise He walks among the churches and rules the world through the holy Angels. Rev.2:2. I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and that you cannot endure the depraved, and I have tested those who call themselves apostles, but they are not, and found that they are liars; Rev.2:3. You have endured much and have patience, and for My name you have labored and have not fainted. Rev.2:4. But I have this against you, that you left your first love. Rev.2:5. Remember therefore from whence you fell, and repent, and do the first works; Praising the church in two or three respects, he condemns and despises (reproaches - Ed.) it in one, which he mentions in the middle, and about praises - at the beginning and end of the speech. He praises steadfastness in faith, hard work and abandonment of vices; also approves of the fact that, “not believing every spirit” (1 John 4:1), they tested those claiming to be apostles and, recognizing them as false, did not accept them; He also praises them because they hated the vile deeds of the Nicolaitans. He condemns and shames for the cooling of love for one’s neighbor, the decrease in charity, to which he calls with the words: “Repent, and be the first to do deeds.” but if not so, I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp from its place, unless you repent. Rev.2:6. However, the good thing about you is that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. The movement of the lamp, or the church, means the deprivation of Divine grace when it is subject to disturbances and fluctuations from the spirits of malice and evil people, their accomplices. By this same movement, some mean the transfer of the high priestly throne from Ephesus to Constantinople. And why God detests the deeds of the Nicolaitans so much is known to everyone who has experienced or knows from reading this despicable heresy. Rev.2:7. Let him who has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches: To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. “He who has an ear, let him hear.” All people have a physical ear, but only a spiritual person acquires a spiritual ear; This was the case, for example, with the prophet Isaiah (Is. 8:5). He promises to give a person who has overcome demonic temptations to eat from the tree of life, that is, to make him a partaker of the bliss of the future life. The tree of life allegorically refers to eternal life, and it is Christ, as Solomon and the same apostle speak about this in another place. Solomon, discussing Wisdom, says that She is the “tree of life” (Prov. 3:18), and the apostle says about Christ that “He is the true God and the eternal life” (1 John 5:20). If we want to achieve it, then I beg you to correct your life and conquer passions. Because, in any case, for your labors there will be a reward according to the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Revealed to the Angel of the Smyrna Church Rev.2:8. And write to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last, Who was dead, and behold, is alive: He is the First - as God, and the Last - as He became man in the last days and opened for us the gates of eternal life with His three-day death. Rev.2:9. I know your deeds, and sorrow, and poverty (yet you are rich), “I know your physical sorrows and poverty, which you endure for My sake, hurt by the infidels and deprived of your property, but spiritually you are rich, for you have treasure hidden in the field of your heart. and slander from those who say about themselves that they are Jews, but they are not, but the synagogue of Satan. I also know the evil blasphemies of the synagogue of Satan, for they are not what they are called: “Not like the Jews... but like them in secret” (Rom. 2:28, 29). Judas means confession and repentance. Rev.2:10. Do not be afraid of anything that you will have to endure. Behold, the devil will cast you from among you into prison to tempt you, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. Do not be afraid of the sorrows that the persecutors of God will inflict on you through wounds and oppression, because they will be short-lived - only for ten days. Therefore, one must neglect death: in a very short time it provides an unfading crown of life. Rev.2:11. He who has an ear (to hear), let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: He who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death. He who has spiritual hearing and has overcome the devil’s suggestions, although he will die according to the flesh, will not suffer harm from Gehenna - the “second death.” Revealed to the Angel of the Church of Pergamon Rev.2:12. And write to the Angel of the Church of Pergamum: Thus says He who has a sword sharp on both sides: Rev.2:13. I know your works, and that you live where the throne of Satan is, The city to which this speech is addressed, praising the faithful for firmly enduring temptations, was an idol city. He calls either the teaching of the Gospel, which circumcises the hearts of people and separates the believers from the wicked, or condemnation, which cuts off the wicked from the Church, a sharp sword. and that you uphold My name, and did not renounce My faith even in those days in which among you, where Satan lives, My faithful witness Antipas was killed. Antipas was the most courageous martyr in Pergamon; I once read about his torment. Here he mentions him to show the patience of the martyrs and the cruelty of the persecutors. Rev.2:14. But I have a little against you, because you have there those who hold the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to lead the children of Israel into temptation, so that they would eat things sacrificed to idols and commit fornication. Rev.2:15. So you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I hate. This city, apparently, had two iniquities: firstly, there were many Greeks in it, and secondly, among those who were called faithful were the Nicolaitans, like evil tares mixed with wheat. That is why he mentions Balaam, saying: “like Balak’s cup.” These words point to the mental Balaam - the devil, who once taught Balak, through the sensual Balaam, to tempt the Israelites into fornication and idolatry (Joshua 24:9), for they, deceived, fell so low that they made sacrifices to Beelphegor. Rev.2:16. Repent; but if not so, I will quickly come to you and fight with them with the sword of My mouth. The threat is softened by philanthropy, because, he says, I will not fight against you, but against those who are sick without hope of healing. Rev.2:17. Let him who has an ear (to hear) hear what the Spirit says to the churches: To him who overcomes I will give to eat the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except the one who receives it. “Hidden manna” is the heavenly bread of life, which came down from heaven for our sake and became poisonous. Manna is the figurative name for future blessings coming down from heaven, from where Jerusalem above comes. Those who defeat the devil will inherit these blessings; they, having been worthy to stand at the right hand, will receive both the “white stone,” that is, the conquering one, and a “new name,” unknown in this life. For the eye has not seen, the ear has not heard, and the mind has not understood the future blessings and the new name that the saints will inherit (1 Cor. 2:9). Revealed to the Angel of the Thyatira Church Rev.2:18. And write to the angel of the church of Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and feet like chalcolivan: The fiery appearance of the eyes indicates the enlightenment of the righteous and the destruction of sinners. “Feet” and “chalkolivan” mean the fragrance of the mental world of Christ in those being saved and the union of the Divinity with humanity inseparably and unmerged in Christ. It is not accessible to human understanding, as kindled by the Spirit of God. Rev.2:19. I know your works and love and service and faith and patience, and that your last works are greater than your first. Rev.2:20. But I have a few things against you, because you allow the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and mislead My servants to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols. “We are in charge of your business.” If he praises for faith, service, complacency and patience, he rightly also condemns for allowing the heresy of the Nicolaitans (due to their wickedness and vices, figuratively called Jezebel), which gives rise to temptations for the faithful and draws them to idolatry, which they had previously perfectly renounced. She must be destroyed because, with the help of an evil spirit, she falsely presents herself as having prophecies. Rev.2:21. I gave her time to repent of her fornication, but she did not repent. Rev.2:22. Behold, I will cast her on her bed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. Rev.2:23. And I will kill her children. “And give her time.” Their harmful heresy did not take advantage of the time given to her for repentance - “Behold, I lay you on my bed.” Continuing to speak figuratively, he compares the cunning and flattery of heretics with the harlot, threatening to strike her with illness and death, as well as all those who defiled themselves with her and committed adultery before God, unless they repent and turn to Him. and all the churches will understand that I am the one who searches the hearts and the reins; and I will reward each of you according to your deeds. Rev.2:24. But to you and to the others who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching and who do not know the so-called depths of Satan, I say that I will not place another burden on you; Rev.2:25. Just keep what you have until I come. He says this to the seduced heretics and those who seduce others, but he consoles the simplest: since in the simplicity of your morals you do not find the strength to resist the crafty and inventive with words, for, as you claim, you do not fully know the depths of Satan, then I do not demand from you a verbal struggle with them, but preserve only the teaching you have accepted until I take you from there. Rev.2:26. Whoever overcomes and keeps My works to the end, to him will I give authority over the Gentiles. Rev.2:27. and he will rule them with a rod of iron; like earthen vessels they will be broken, just as I received power from my Father; “I’ll give him power.” To him who does My works I will give power, as promised in the Gospel, over five or ten cities. Or does this indicate the judgment of the unbelievers, when the deceived, condemned by those who believed in Christ, will be crushed as if shepherded by a rod: “The men of Nineveh will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it,” said the Lord (Matthew 12:41). The words: “as I also received from My Father” are given according to humanity for the sake of taking on the flesh. Rev.2:28. and I will give him the morning star. Rev.2:29. He who has an ear (to hear), let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He calls the morning star or the one about whom the prophet Isaiah proclaims: “How did the morning star fall from heaven?” (Isa. 14:12), and promises, having crushed it, to place it under the feet of the faithful (Luke 10:16–19; Ps. 90), or the star mentioned by blessed Peter, shining clearly in the hearts of believers (2 Pet. 1:19), that is, the enlightenment of Christ. John the Baptist and Elijah the Thesbite, the forerunner of the first rising of the Sun of Truth and the forerunner of His second coming, are also usually called Lucifers. And we believe that those who overcome the devil will be their partners. There is nothing surprising in the fact that such opposites are called by the same name. We know from the Holy Scriptures that under the name, for example, lion, interpreted in different meanings, there is of course both Christ - the Lion of Judah, and the devil - the lion of Bashan. And also: by the east we can understand the beginning of the future day, with which the darkness of this life will dissipate, and the Angel preaching about this day, for he precedes Christ - the Sun of Truth, enlightening the faithful and dispelling the darkness of this life. May we also be enlightened by His rays by the favor of the Father and the Holy Spirit. To him be glory forever, amen. You might be interested in: