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"The synagogue of Satan" at first sight seems to refer to the Jews. But Jews, so far, have shown no disposition to become Christians, although the age of Philadelphia is far advanced. The early Church looked upon the Jews who rejected the Messias as false Jews. As S. Paul taught, it was not the exterior observance but the inward spirit that marked the true Jew of his time. But the Jews of to-day "who say they are Jews," in point of fact, are Jews, and are accepted as such by the whole world. We may look upon the Jews in this passage as figurative. In wording a message to the nineteenth century in a book given to the first, it was necessary to employ the symbols of the first century. This promise is a continuation and specific illustration of the "door opened." It means that even those Christians who were zealous in persecuting the Church aforetime, in the erroneous belief that they were serving God, would be converted to the one true fold, and make submission to the Vicar of Christ. The synagogue indicates in a special manner the ministers or clergy of other faiths, a great number of whom have, as a matter of fact, joined the Catholic Church in our time.

The growth of the Church in America illustrates the open door. The New York Journal published statistics (in the year 1908) of the Catholic population, showing 3,000,000 in 1856, at the beginning of the Philadelphian era, and "between thirteen and fifteen millions" in 1908.

The prediction of "the open door" cannot be applied to the local Church of Philadelphia in Asia. It was never a famous, populous, or opulent Church. We have the writings of S. Ignatius of Antioch, Eusebius and others, but there is not the slightest indication of anything of the kind at Philadelphia. Quite the contrary. What missionary effort there was in Asia Minor proceeded from Ephesus, or Laodicea, and later from Antioch. Its door so far from being open was closed centuries ago. By no stretch of the imagination can we apply this letter to it. We know the broad lines of its history, how it shared in the general excommunication of the Greek Church pronounced by Leo IX., and how its door was closed by the Turks. It belongs to the past, and these predictions have not been fulfilled in its regard. But prophecies are not made void. This letter indicates the sixth age in which we live, and not the vanished Church of Asia Minor.

There is still greater difficulty in applying this prediction to the local Jews of Philadelphia. Considering all that we see in the Acts of the Apostles of the anti-Christian tone and temper of the Jews in Asia Minor in the first century; considering, also, that the synagogue of Satan is accused of "blaspheming

the Church of Smyrna, not far from Philadelphia; considering, again, that there is no record of Jewish conversions at Philadelphia, either in Christian or Jewish writings, it does not appear that we can read this message into the history of the local Church. Besides, it is not easy to understand why Jews should recognise the Divine mission of the Church of Philadelphia and not that of the neighbouring cities with which they were in daily communication.

There is no reason why the Jews should "come and adore before the Church of Philadelphia," passing by the more imposing Churches of Ephesus, Laodicea, Smyrna and Pergamos, where in fact the Jews were chiefly congregated. The history of Antioch, which became the Mother Church of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor, is known. Antioch was noted by historians for the frequent collisions between the Jews and Christians which took place there. There was much bloodshed in these conflicts from the fourth to the seventh century (Leclercq, Dict. d'Arch. et de Liturg. chap. i. col. 2396).

10. Οτι ἑτήρησας τὸν λόγον τῆς ὑπομονῆς μου, καγώ σε τηρήσω ἐκ τῆς ὥρας τοῦ πειρασμοῦ τῆς μελλούσης ἔρχεσθαι έκ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ὅλης, πειράσαι τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon the whole world to tempt them that dwell upon the earth.

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In verse 8, the Church is praised for having "kept my word, and hast not denied my name." This is developed here into "the word of my patience." Compare "Ts on " with τὴν ὑπομονὴν τοῦ χριστοῦ, “the patience of Christ (2 Thess. iii. 5), and with voμový tŵv åyíwv, in R. xiv. 12, where the patience of the saints is explained, "as of those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Because of this, another recompense is promised. "I will keep thee from the hour of temptation." An hour is used in this Book to denote a long period, as at R. xiv. 7, "the hour of his judgment is come," on the Roman Empire, understood. That hour lasted more than a century.

Пleipao μós means temptation to sin of some kind, in the ordinary sense of the word. This temptation shall come upon the whole world. A distinct prediction of a wide-spread temptation. "To tempt them that dwell upon the earth.” 'Em Tis yns is put in this Book for the opponents of the

Church. There is one temptation which has spread over a great part of the world, with the sanction of legality. Divorce is its name. It would be difficult for a writer in the first century to characterise it in plain language. It means polygamy and polyandria, for those who can afford the cost of divorce-court proceedings. And the solicitude of the world in this "hour" is to make it cheaper and easier; to extend its benefits to the poor! The moral and physical ruin brought into family life by divorce is not before us, but the extent of the evil is. Its geographical extent is known. It is widespread. Its latitude, in another direction, may be gauged by an announcement in the American papers at the close of the 19th century. They chronicled the marriage of a lady to her eighth husband, and mentioned that she received the congratulations of five former and still living husbands! Thousands of divorces are granted daily in the combined divorce-courts of the world.

The Philadelphian Church, to which we belong, will be kept from this temptation by the celibacy of the clergy and by the stringent laws of the Church against divorce.

Of course this exegesis is provisional and limited to the present horizon. Some other temptation may arise in the future. It has not shown itself yet, however, although the Philadelphian age is passing into that of Laodicea.

It would be useless to inquire what was the temptation which came upon the whole world, which the local Church of Philadelphia in Asia was preserved from. That Church is not in the purview of these warnings.

11. Ερχομαι ταχύ. κράτει ὃ ἔχεις, ἵνα μηδεὶς λάβῃ τὸν ô iva στέφανόν σου.

11. Behold I come quickly; hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

"Behold I come quickly," addressed to the Angel of the last Church but one, has an eschatological significance. Sent to this particular Church, it must be taken, like the other predictions in these Letters, as a special warning to the Church addressed. No previous Angel was given this warning. The Bishop of Laodicea, the last Church, is told, "Behold I stand at the door and knock" (R. iii. 20). Even we, of the Philadelphian age, are warned that the world is nearing its end. "Hold fast that which thou hast "=" thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word and hast not denied my name (R. iii. 8).

"Thou hast kept the word of my patience" (R. iii. 10). For these things the Church is praised, and rewards are promised to it. Hold them fast, "that no man take thy crown σTepavov, the reward of victory in the contests of the arena. The danger comes from man. Not by way of persecutions, but in some other way, as by modernism, worldliness, wealth, indifferentism, etc. The crown we have had before as one of persecuted age of Smyrna, "the crown of And when the prince of pastors shall receive a never-fading crown of glory"

the rewards of the life" (R. ii. 10). appear, you shall (1 Pet. v. 4).

12. Ὁ νικῶν, ποιήσω αὐτὸν στύλον ἐν τῷ ναῷ του Θεοῦ μου, καὶ ἔξω οὐ μὴ ἐξέλθῃ ἔτι· καὶ γράψω ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ μου καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς πόλεως τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, τῆς καινῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἡ καταβαίνουσα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, καὶ τὸ ὄνομά μου το καινόν.

12. He that shall overcome, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and my new name.

The expression, 'O vikov, "He that shall overcome," is used in the letters to the Churches of Smyrna, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Smyrna and Sardis, we have seen, were martyr Churches. We shall find that Laodicea also is marked out for persecution. "To him that overcometh," tậ vikŵvti, is employed in the letter to the Churches of Ephesus and Pergamos. To Thyatira alone it is said, "He that shall overcome and keep my works to the end," indicating the manner of overcoming, viz., by works.

This forewarning to the Church of our age puts it upon its guard against temptations, and urges it to hold fast its faith. Our Church is not accused of anything. There is no mention of punishment in its message. On the contrary. It is the Church of the open door, and this promise of the "Holy One and the True One," is incompatible with persecution. In this case the victor figures as a pillar in the temple of God. SS. Peter and John were pillars of the Church (Gal. ii. 9). "And I will write upon him the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and my new name." This reference to the New Jerusalem is repeated almost word for word at the end of the Book.

“ Καὶ τὴν πολίν τὴν ἁγιάν Ιερουσαλὴμ καινὴν εἶδον καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ” (R. xxi. 2). "And I saw and behold a Lamb stood on Mount Sion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written in their foreheads " (R. xiv. 1). And when the "New Jerusalem" appears, it is said of the inhabitants, "His servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be on their foreheads" (R. xxii. 3-4). The connection between different parts of the book of Revelation is evident.

O TÒ

13. Ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.

13. He that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith to the Churches.

This particular warning is addressed to the Angel of the Church of our own day, and through him to us. We are all agreed that this Book is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to make known to His Servants the things which must shortly come to pass (R. i. 1). Here and now the Holy Spirit warns us "to hear," that is to examine carefully the mystery of this message to Philadelphia. See R. ii. 7,

notes.

LAODICEA.

14. Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Λαοδικίᾳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον. Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἀμήν, ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινός, ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ.

14. And to the angel of the church of Laodicea write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, who is the beginning of the creation of God.

Laodicea was situated on the high road, about forty miles south-east of Philadelphia. It is now a ruin, and shares with Ephesus the peculiar distinction of having been blotted out altogether by the hand of time. It is very significant that these two great cities, the first and the last of those which gave their names as emblems of the ages of the Church, should now be buried in the dust of ages. Laodicea stands for the last age of the Church. The current Philadelphian age will merge into it unnoticed. The warning is addressed to "the Angel" responsible for the Church. We know from S. Paul's Epistle to

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