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Revelation 2 – Jesus’ Letters to the Churches

Contributors include: F. Bruce, I. Ellison, and others. Commentaries by F. That larger volume has been called "one of the best commentaries on this book of Scripture.

F. F. Bruce Commentaries and Writings

It reflects both Bruce's careful study of Acts as well as his passion for proclaiming the Bible as God's guide for our lives. This book is intended for the general Christian reader who is interested in serious Bible study, not for the professional or specialist student. Therefore Bruce deals only lightly with textual, linguistic and other critical questions. Bruce's exposition and introduction to the Epistles of John is amazingly relevant today. His insights speak sharply but lovingly. Drawing on his years of scholarship, Bruce presents the meaning of the epistles in a straightforward and understandable way, touching only lightly on textual, critical, and linguistic questions.

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Martin, lecturer at University of Liverpool, and F. Bruce, professor at the University of Manchester, wrote a little book stating the case for the deity of Christ "with biblical reverence and theological power," said Christianity Today. And how was its first preached--and defended? Opposition of many kinds--religious, political, and cultural--met the early Christians in their eagerness to tell the world about Jesus Christ.

The kinds of opposition they faced still exist in new guises and we can learn much from the sensitive way the apostles tackled them. While adapting their approach, the early Christians never watered down their message. Its spiritual resources are never stronger than in times of seeming disaster. Bruce gives the reader a feel for the evangelistic fervor of the Apostles and the early Christians in a narrative filled with solid, well-reasoned, richly researched facts. What did He do? What is He doing now?

And what is He going to do? Bruce lets the Bible speak for itself in this brief but illuminating introduction to the past, present, and future work of Jesus. And there was a rainbow about the throne. Moreover, the rainbow round about the throne has the same colors. The rainbow is called a bow from what the Lord spoke to Noah and to his sons, that they should not fear any further deluge in the generation of God , but fire.

For thus He says: I will place my bow in the clouds, that you may now no longer fear water, but fire. And before the throne there was, as it were, a sea of glass like to crystal. That is the gift of baptism which He sheds forth through His Son in time of repentance, before He executes judgment. It is therefore before the throne, that is, the judgment. And when he says a sea of glass like to crystal, he shows that it is pure water, smooth, not agitated by the wind, not flowing down as on a slope, but given to be immoveable as the house of God. And round about the throne were four living creatures.

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The four living creatures are the four Gospels. The first living creature was like to a lion, and the second was like to a calf, and the third had a face like to a man , and the fourth was like to a flying eagle; and they had six wings, and round about and within they were full of eyes; and they had no rest, saying, Holy, holy , holy , Lord Omnipotent. And the four and twenty elders, falling down before the throne, adored God. The four and twenty elders are the twenty-four books of the prophets and of the law, which give testimonies of the judgment. Moreover, also, they are the twenty-four fathers — twelve apostles and twelve patriarchs.

And in that the living creatures are different in appearance, this is the reason: the living creature like to a lion designates Mark, in whom is heard the voice of the lion roaring in the desert. And in the figure of a man , Matthew strives to declare to us the genealogy of Mary , from whom Christ took flesh. Therefore, in enumerating from Abraham to David, and thence to Joseph, he spoke of Him as if of a man: therefore his announcement sets forth the image of a man.

Luke, in narrating the priesthood of Zacharias as he offers a sacrifice for the people, and the angel that appears to him with respect of the priesthood , and the victim in the same description bore the likeness of a calf. John the evangelist , like to an eagle hastening on uplifted wings to greater heights, argues about the Word of God. But John, when he begins, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God , and the Word was God , sets forth the likeness of a flying eagle.

Moreover, not only do the evangelists express their four similitudes in their respective openings of the Gospels , but also the Word itself of God the Father Omnipotent, which is His Son our Lord Jesus Christ , bears the same likeness in the time of His advent. When He preaches to us, He is, as it were, a lion and a lion's cub. And when for man's salvation He was made man to overcome death, and to set all men free, and that He offered Himself a victim to the Father on our behalf, He was called a calf.

And that He overcame death and ascended into the heavens, extending His wings and protecting His people, He was named a flying eagle. Therefore these announcements, although they are four, yet are one, because it proceeded from one mouth. Even as the river in paradise, although it is one, was divided into four heads.

Moreover, that for the announcement of the New Testament those living creatures had eyes within and without, shows the spiritual providence which both looks into the secrets of the heart, and beholds the things which are coming after that are within and without. Six wings. These are the testimonies of the books of the Old Testament.

Thus, twenty and four make as many as there are elders sitting upon the thrones. But as an animal cannot fly unless it have wings, so, too, the announcement of the New Testament gains no faith unless it have the fore-announced testimonies of the Old Testament , by which it is lifted from the earth, and flies.

For in every case, what has been told before, and is afterwards found to have happened, that begets an undoubting faith. Again, also, if wings be not attached to the living creatures, they have nothing whence they may draw their life. For unless what the prophets foretold had been consummated in Christ , their preaching was vain. For the Catholic Church holds those things which were both before predicted and afterwards accomplished. And it flies, because the living animal is reasonably lifted up from the earth.

But to heretics who do not avail themselves of the prophetic testimony, to them also there are present living creatures; but they do not fly, because they are of the earth.

WORSHIP LEADER LOSES IT IN CHURCH!!! : COMMENTARY

And to the Jews who do not receive the announcement of the New Testament there are present wings; but they do not fly, that is, they bring a vain prophesying to men , not adjusting facts to their words. And the books of the Old Testament that are received are twenty-four, which you will find in the epitomes of Theodore. But, moreover as we have said , four and twenty elders, patriarchs and apostles , are to judge His people. For to the apostles , when they asked, saying, We have forsaken all that we had, and followed You: what shall we have?

And from the throne proceeded lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and seven torches of fire burning. And the lightnings, and voices, and thunders proceeding from the throne of God , and the seven torches of fire burning, signify announcements, and promises of adoption, and threatenings. For lightnings signify the Lord's advent, and the voices the announcements of the New Testament , and the thunders, that the words are from heaven.

The burning torches of fire signify the gift of the Holy Spirit , that it is given by the wood of the passion.

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And when these things were doing, he says that all the elders fell down and adored the Lord; while the living creatures — that is, of course, the actions recorded in the Gospels and the teaching of the Lord — gave Him glory and honour. In that they had fulfilled the word that had been previously foretold by them, they worthily and with reason exult, feeling that they have ministered the mysteries and the word of the Lord.

Finally, also, because He had come who should remove death, and who alone was worthy to take the crown of immortality , all for the glory of His most excellent doing had crowns. And they cast their crowns under His feet. That is, on account of the eminent glory of Christ's victory, they cast all their victories under His feet.

This is what in the Gospel the Holy Spirit consummated by showing, For when about finally to suffer, our Lord had come to Jerusalem, and the people had gone forth to meet Him, some strewed the road with palm branches cut down, others threw down their garments, doubtless these were setting forth two peoples — the one of the patriarchs, the other of the prophets ; that is to say, of the great men who had any kind of palms of their victories against sin , and cast them under the feet of Christ , the victor of all. And the palm and the crown signify the same things, and these are not given save to the victor.

And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals. This book signifies the Old Testament , which has been given into the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ , who received from the Father judgment. And I saw an angel full of strength proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no one was found worthy, neither in the earth nor under the earth, to open the book.

Now to open the book is to overcome death for man. There was none found worthy to do this.


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Neither among the angels of heaven, nor among men in earth, nor among the souls of the saints in rest, save Christ the Son of God alone, whom he says that he saw as a Lamb standing as it were slain, having seven horns. What had not been then announced, and what the law had contemplated for Him by its various oblations and sacrifices , it behooved Himself to fulfil.

And because He Himself was the testator, who had overcome death, it was just that Himself should be appointed the Lord's heir, that He should possess the substance of the dying man, that is, the human members. Lo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah , the root of David, has prevailed. We read in Genesis that this lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered, when the patriarch Jacob says, Judah, your brethren shall praise you; you have lain down and slept, and have risen up again as a lion, and as a lion's cub. But because He overcame death, and anticipated the duty of the executioner, He was called as it were slain.

He therefore opens and seals again the testament, which He Himself had sealed.

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The legislator Moses intimating this, that it behooved Him to be sealed and concealed, even to the advent of His passion , veiled his face, and so spoke to the people; showing that the words of his announcement were veiled even to the advent of His time. For he himself, when he had read to the people, having taken the wool purpled with the blood of the calf, with water sprinkled the whole people, saying, This is the blood of His testament who has purified you.

For it is not sufficient that that law is spoken of, but it is named as a testament. For no law is called a testament, nor is any thing else called a testament, save what persons make who are about to die. And whatever is within the testament is sealed, even to the day of the testator's death. Therefore it is with reason that it is only sealed by the Lamb slain, who, as it were a lion, has broken death in pieces, and has fulfilled what had been foretold; and has delivered man, that is, the flesh, from death, and has received as a possession the substance of the dying person, that is, of the human members; that as by one body all men had fallen under the obligation of its death, also by one body all believers should be born again unto life, and rise again.

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Reasonably, therefore, His face is opened and unveiled to Moses ; and therefore He is called Apocalypse, Revelation. For now His book is unsealed — now the offered victims are perceived — now the fabrication of the priestly chrism; moreover the testimonies are openly understood. Twenty-four elders and four living creatures, having harps and phials, and singing a new song.