And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
26. And he that overcometh, &c.] Literally, And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth, &c.
my works ] “Such works as I do” is rather the sense than “such as I approve.” Cf. Joh 14:12, “The works that I do shall he do also.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And he that overcometh – notes on Rev 2:7.
And keepeth my works unto the end – The works that I command and that I require, to the end of his life. Compare Joh 13:1.
To him will I give power over the nations – The evident meaning of what is said here, and in the next verse, is, that in accordance with the uniform promise made to the redeemed in the New Testament, they would partake of the final triumph anal glory of the Saviour, and be associated with him. It is not said that they would have exclusive power over the nations, or that they would hold offices of trust under him during a personal reign on the earth; but the meaning is, that they would be associated with him in his future glory. Compare the Rom 8:17 note; 1Co 6:2-3 notes.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. Power over the nations] Every witness of Christ has power to confute and confound all the false doctrines and maxims of the nations of the world, for Christianity shall at last rule over all; the kingdom of Christ will come, and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end: See Poole on “Rev 2:7“, See Poole on “Rev 2:11“, See Poole on “Rev 2:17“. Overcoming is here expounded by keeping Christs works; that is, either the works by him commanded, or walking as he walked, and persevering therein to the end of his or their lives.
To him will I give power over the nations; either to judge those who live heathenish lives; or to convert nations to the faith; or, which is most probable, he shall sit with me upon a throne in the day of judgment, Mat 19:28, and judge the world, 1Co 6:2.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26. Andimplying the closeconnection of the promise to the conqueror that follows, with thepreceding exhortation, Re 2:25.
and keepethGreek,“and he that keepeth.” Compare the same word in the passagealready alluded to by the Lord, Act 15:28;Act 15:29, end.
my worksin contrast to”her (English Version, ‘their’) works” (Re2:22). The works which I command and which are the fruit of MySpirit.
unto the end (Mt24:13). The image is perhaps from the race, wherein it is notenough to enter the lists, but the runner must persevere to theend.
give powerGreek,“authority.”
over the nationsatChrist’s coming the saints shall possess the kingdom “under thewhole heaven”; therefore over this earth; compare Lu19:17, “have thou authority [the same word ashere] over ten cities.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he that overcometh,…. Jezebel and her idolatries, her children, and all that commit adultery with her; such as are not drawn into the same evil practices with them, but bravely stand their ground against the Romish antichrist and his followers, and bear their testimony against his impious doctrines and idolatrous practices:
and keepeth my works unto the end; either of life, or of this church state, or of time, when Christ will personally appear, even at the end of the world; and by his works are meant, not the works which were done by him, as his miracles and works of mercy to the souls and bodies of men, and works of righteousness in obedience to the law, and the work of redemption and salvation; though these are works to be observed, and kept in view, and to be preserved in memory, and for the encouragement of faith and hope; but the works which are commanded, and required by Christ to be done by his people; as the public work of the ministry, by the preachers of the Gospel; and every private work, both internal and external, as the work of faith, the labour of love, and every act of obedience, which is constantly to be discharged. The Arabic version reads, “and keepeth my words and my works”; things both relating to doctrine and practice:
to him will I give power over the nations; or Gentiles, the Papists; so called because of the Pagan notions and worship introduced by them; and because they consist of many nations, tongues, and people, who are deceived, and drawn into idolatry by them: and this power over them may be understood in a spiritual sense, through the preaching of the Gospel, which being attended with the power of God, is the means of converting sinners, and so of weakening the kingdom of Satan, and of antichrist; and which had its fulfilment, at least in part, at the time of the Reformation, and onward, and will have still a greater accomplishment in the spiritual reign of Christ and his people, under the Philadelphian church state; and it may also design the temporal power which the saints shall have over antichrist, when they shall take away his dominion, and consume and destroy it, and the kingdom and the dominion under the whole heaven shall be given to the saints of the most High; Da 7:25.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He that overcometh and he that keepeth ( ). Present active articular participles of and in the nominative absolute (nominativus pendens) as in Rev 3:12; Rev 3:21, resumed by the dative (to him), as in verses Rev 2:7; Rev 2:17.
Unto the end ( ). That is, above.
Authority over the nations ( ). From Ps 2:8f. The followers of the Messiah will share in his victory over his enemies (Rev 1:6; Rev 12:5; Rev 19:15).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And he that overcometh,” (kai ho nikon) “And the one conquering or overcoming,” among you all, the one “keeping his body under subjection,” continually, with perseverance and fidelity, shall have high rank of honor in reigning with Christ and his church, in the future, 1Co 9:27; Joh 15:14; Rev 3:21.
2) “And keepeth my works unto the end,” (kai ho teron achri telous ta erga mou) “And the one keeping my works or standing guard until the very end,” the end purpose of the Christian life of service and glory to God is, the church, Eph 3:21; Col 3:17; Mat 28:18-20.
3) “To him will I give power over the nations,” (doso auto eksousian epi ton ethon) “I will give to him administrative power, authority, or jurisdiction over the nations or races,” a kingdom heritage of rulership, Act 26:18; Rom 8:17-18; Gal 4:7; 2Ti 2:11-12; Luk 22:28-30; Luk 19:14-17; Luk 19:19; Rev 3:21.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(26, 27) Power (or, authority) over the nations: and he shall rule them (or, shepherd them) with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers.The promise is of authority (the might of right, not the right of might) to share in the shepherd-like sovereignty of the anointed King. (Comp. the Messianic prophecy of Psalms 2) Those who refused to stoop to the customs around them, and to gain influence by crushing or ignoring their convictionsthose who, like their Master, refused to win power by doing homage to wrong (Mat. 4:8-10), would share the nobler sway which He now established. Wherever the Church has illegitimately grasped at power, she has lost it. The wretched power which she had wrenched and stolen from the nations has been turned against her; she has been obliged to crouch to them, and beg their help, and they have justly spurned her. She has chosen to exalt herself like Lucifer, and she has fallen like Lucifer. If she had trusted her Lord, He would have given her the morning star. She would have derived from Him what she claimed independently of Him. She would have dispensed light to the world.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. Unto the end Of his life trial.
Power over the nations Identification with the Son of God, who is heir of all the promises of the second psalm.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him will I give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron (or iron sceptre), as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers, as I have also received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star.’
The ones who stand firm will enjoy with Christ His authority over the nations, something far better than aligning themselves with the Emperor of Rome. This promise is taken from Psa 2:8-9 where the rule of the Messiah over the nations is linked with their being broken with a rod of iron, (or iron sceptre), and dashed in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Thus it is a ruling in judgment that is in mind. ‘Ruling with a rod of iron’ means acting in judgment.
As Christ has received an iron sceptre from His Father, so will He share it with His people. They too will share in the judging of the world (1Co 6:2). Indeed they too will judge even angels (1Co 6:3). Notice that here overcoming is described in terms of ‘keeping my works to the end’. There is a constant emphasis to this church on the need to endure.
‘And I will give him The Morning Star.’ This idea comes from Num 24:17. ‘There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, and a rod (or sceptre) shall arise out of Israel’. (The word, usually translated ‘sceptre’ here, most often means ‘rod’). So the coming of Messiah as a star is there connected with His arising as a rod which will bring judgment on their enemies, which is like the description here in Revelation 2. That this reference in Numbers specifically applies is confirmed in Rev 22:16 where Jesus says, ‘I am the root and offspring of David, the bright, the morning star’, connecting the morning star with the Davidic king. Notice that the giving of the morning star in Revelation follows, or parallels, the exercising of the iron rod. The idea of the morning star cannot therefore refer to a parousia before Christ’s final coming. Indeed the reason for the use of the adjective ‘morning’ is stated. It is because of the special brightness of that star (Rev 22:16).
So the brilliant star which is the Messiah will be given to the overcomers, who will thus share in His glory and His final judgment. The idea of the ‘morning’ star may have partly come from Job 38:7 where we learn ‘the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God (bene elohim – angels) shouted for joy’. Thus morning stars are connected with heavenly beings. But here the writer sees Jesus as not a morning star, but The Morning Star. He is the supreme heavenly Being.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Rev 2:26. Will I give power over the nations: This is suitable to the title of the Lord Jesus in the beginning of this Epistle, where he calls himself the Son of God, which implies the possession of regal and universal power; and that the Jews so understood it, is plain from Joh 1:49 which passage, as well as our Saviour’s promise here, plainly allude to the second Psalm. Wherefore our Saviour, after this promise, shews that it is in the same manner that he will give power, as he received it of his Father; who, by declaring him his Son, declared him his Heir in universal power and dominion. How he means that this promise shall be accomplished, is fully shewn, chap. Rev 20:4 and Rev 21:7.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Rev 2:26-28 . The promise to the victor.
The combination with Rev 2:25 , indicated by the , [1279] lies in the fact that the victory is won by the , which in meaning is nothing else than the commanded in Rev 2:25 . With respect to the form of the expression, the corresponds to the , the to the . The find their explanation partly in opposition to the works of Jezebel, [1280] and partly in combination with Rev 2:25 ; they are such works as the Lord requires by the commandment which he imposes. Incorrectly, Grotius: Metonymy, for are said to be precepts concerning works.
Concerning the broken construction of the sentence, Rev 2:26 , as the refers back to absolute preceding nominative , . . ., cf. Winer, pp. 170, 533.
The substantial sense of the promise
is that the victor is to share in the work of establishing the [1281] at the coming of the Lord. For just as the Son has already received ( .) from the Father power over the heathen, that he breaks them like earthen vessels with a rod of iron, [1282] so also will they who believe in Jesus Christ be raised by him, their Mediator, through whom they have already at the present time the kingdom, [1283] to participation in the glory which then becomes manifest. [1284] The coming of the Lord completely and actually effects the victory over all that is hostile; and he who remains faithful until that coming will then receive as a reward the royal glory in its fuller development, whose possession in faith has already conditioned the victory over all temptations or persecutions on the part of the world. Incorrectly Grot., on . . .: “I will raise him to the grade of presbyter, that he may judge concerning those who live not in a Christian but a heathen way;” and Rev 2:27 of excommunication. [1285] The conversion of the heathen, also, we must regard neither alone, [1286] nor with the addition of the idea of the future royal dominion. [1287]
[1288] according to the LXX., Psa 2:9 , for (break), is interchanged with (feed).
In the epistle to the church at Thyatira, this promise has its reference to the opposition to the heathen libertinism of Jezebel and her party.
. . . . , Rev 2:28 , cannot be like , . . . [1289] That the morning star which Christ will give to the victor is “the glorious body refulgent with the endowment of brilliancy,” [1290] is an entirely arbitrary assumption of exegetical helplessness; while still others have advanced the idea, with allusion to Isa 14:12 , that by the morning star the Devil is to be understood, [1291] or the Babylonian, i.e., the most powerful king of the world. [1292] According to Rev 22:16 , to understand Christ himself [1293] is impossible because of the , which makes us expect [1294] a gift of the Lord. According to the analogy of Dan 12:3 , Mat 13:43 , 1Co 15:40 sqq., the expression in general designates the bright glory, [1295] the heavenly , [1296] with which the victor is to be endowed, without regarding itself as used [1297] of nothing else than “brilliancy and rays of the star.” [1298] Yet it is difficult for the discourse to be in reference to a domination of the star, similar to that in what precedes. [1299] The bold poetical idea appears rather to be, that the victor beams in the brilliancy of the morning star, because he has the morning star in his possession, just as a precious stone adds its effulgence to those who wear it. [See Note XXXIV., p. 157.]
[1279] Cf. Bengel, De Wette, Hengstenb.
[1280] Rev 2:22 . Eichh., Heinr., Ewald, etc.
[1281] Cf. Rev 19:15 , Rev 12:5 .
[1282] Cf. Psa 2:8-9 .
[1283] Rev 1:6 ; Rev 1:9 .
[1284] Rev 3:21 , Rev 20:6 .
[1285] . . word of God, a part of which is excommunication.
[1286] Cf. Primas, Beda, Alcas., who immediately regard the iron rod as a designation of the bishop’s crosier.
[1287] Cf. Ebrard.
[1288] Cf. Rev 12:5 , Rev 19:15 .
[1289] Eichh. Cf. also Heinr.
[1290] N. de Lyra. Cf. Rev 2:17 .
[1291] Cf. Rom 16:20 . Andr., Areth.
[1292] Zll.
[1293] Primas, Beda, Alcas., C. a Lap., Calov., Vitr., Wolf, Beng., Stern, Ebrard, Klief.
[1294] Rev 2:17 ; Rev 2:10 .
[1295] Aretius.
[1296] De, Wette. Cf. also Hengstenb.
[1297] Ew. ii. wishes to insert the entire promise of Rev 2:28 into Rev 3:5 , and then to interpret . according to Rev 1:20 .
[1298] Rev 12:1 . Heinr., Ewald.
[1299] Cf. De Wette.
NOTES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR
XXXIV. Rev 2:28 .
Luthardt, briefly: “That the new day of Jesus Christ is to break upon him.” So Stier does not approve of the application of the words, in this connection, to Christ himself, but finds in them first the messenger heralding the day, and then the beginning of participation in the heavenly kingdom. According to his scheme of interpretation, he finds the first realization of this in the Reformation. Tait: “A share in my kingdom at its first manifestation.” Plumptre, on the other hand: “The fruition of his glorious presence. When he gives that star, he gives himself (ch. Rev 22:16 ). The star had of old been the emblem of sovereignty; cf. Num 24:17 ; Mat 2:2 . It was the symbol of sovereignty on its brighter and benignant side, and was, therefore, the fitting and necessary complement of the attributes which had gone before. The king came not only to judge and punish and destroy, but also to illumine and cheer (Luk 1:8 ). The conqueror in the great strife should receive light in its fulness, and transmit that light to others (Dan 12:3 ).”
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
DISCOURSE: 2493
EPISTLE TO THYATIRA
Rev 2:26-29. He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.
NOW we come to the encouragement which our Lord gives his faithful people to maintain their integrity. To the steadfast and victorious he promises the glory and honour and immortality which they seek for. The terms indeed, in which these promises are conveyed, are not easy to be understood; but, when understood, they are very cheering to the soul: I will, therefore,
I.
Explain the promises here given
The saints at Thyatira had been, as in truth they are in all times and places, subjected to persecution from their enemies: and here our Lord promises them,
1.
Honour, when all others shall be abased
[Now the enemies of Christ reign; and his people are trodden under foot [Note: Jer 12:10.]: but, ere long, the state of things shall be reversed. Even in this world the time is coming when the saints shall possess the kingdom [Note: Dan 7:22.], and when those who seek to oppress them shall be destroyed with a terrible destruction. Till that period shall arrive, the saints are to bear and suffer all things: but, at the time of the Millennium, when there will be a formidable and almost universal combination against them, God has ordained, that they shall be his instruments to punish his enemies, just as they were when he sent them to extirpate the seven nations of Canaan [Note: Rev 19:11-21.]. Foreign as war and bloodshed are to the wishes and feelings of a Christian mind, there will be no more reluctance in the saints then to execute the commission given them, than there was in the angel to slay in one night all the Egyptian first-born, or one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrian army. Of that period the Psalmist speaks: Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds: let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishment upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written. This honour have all his saints [Note: Psa 149:5-9.].
But this honour will they possess in a far higher degree in the day of judgment. For then will the Lord Jesus Christ put all enemies under his feet [Note: 1Co 15:25.], and execute vengeance on them; as God has said: Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel [Note: Psa 2:9.]. In the whole of that transaction the saints will bear their part. They will sit with Christ, as his assessors in judgment; and will concur with him in all that he shall do; saying, True and righteous are his judgments; and to every one of them we say, Amen, Amen, Hallelujah, Amen [Note: Rev 19:1-4.]. This is so unquestionable a truth, that St. Paul takes for granted that every saint must be well acquainted with it: Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? yea, know ye not that we shall judge even angels [Note: 1Co 6:2-3.]? Yes, brethren, then will be fulfilled that saying of the Psalmist, Man, being in honour, abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. Like sheep they are laid in the grave; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning [Note: Psa 49:12; Psa 49:14.].
2.
Glory, when all others shall be put to shame
[Now, the ungodly shine forth with splendour; whilst the godly, if not immured in prisons, are put altogether in the back-ground, in a state of darkness and obscurity. But the time is coming when God will give to his saints the morning star. The morning star rises with peculiar brilliancy a little before the sun, when all the other stars of heaven fade away, and vanish from our sight. And so will it be with the saints in the day of judgment. When the fashion of this world shall have passed away as a passing scene or vision, then shall the saints shine forth as the stars of the firmament for ever and ever [Note: Dan 12:3.]: then shall be seen upon them the bright radiance of the Saviours beams; and they shall, as it were, be his harbingers to proclaim his advent: yes, thus shall they be exalted in glory [Note: Psa 112:8-10.]; whilst the wicked, who once treated them with scorn and contempt, shall themselves be silent in darkness [Note: 1Sa 2:8-9.].]
Having explained the promises, I will now,
II.
Commend them to your most attentive consideration
Let your minds, my brethren, rise to the occasion. See, in these promises,
1.
What encouragement they afford to the followers of Christ
[The Lords people hare, in this world, their cross to bear, and are destined to follow their Divine Master through much tribulation: but they are assured, that, if they suffer with him, they shall also reign with him [Note: 2Ti 2:12.], and that not the meanest of their services shall be unrewarded [Note: Mat 10:42.]. And here I would particularly call your attention to the parallel which our Lord himself has drawn in our text: To him will I give .even as I have received of my Father. Yes, every thing which God the Father has given to his Son, as the reward of his services, he will give to us, so far as we are capable of receiving and enjoying it. Has the Father given to him a throne and a kingdom? such will Christ confer on us also. He himself says, I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me [Note: Luk 22:29.]: and again; To him that overcometh, will I grant to set with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father upon his throne [Note: Rev 3:21.]. There is no part of the glory which his Father has given him, which he will not, according to our capacity, give to us [Note: Joh 17:22.]. And shall not the prospect of it all operate on us, as it wrought on Christ himself, when, for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, and despised the shame, till he sat down at last at the right hand of the throne of God [Note: Heb 12:2.]? I say, then, consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds [Note: Heb 12:3.] ]
2.
What a recompence they hold forth for our poor services
[Methinks, if nothing more had been said, than that his faithful people should have all their guilt cancelled, and be delivered from the judgments which they have so richly merited, it would have been an ample recompence for all that we could either do or suffer for him in this life. Suppose that such a proposal were now made to one of the fallen angels, or to the rich man that is now lifting up his eyes in hell torments; would he not gladly embrace the offer, and account all his future labours well repaid, even though nothing but annihilation awaited him when he had performed his task? Let us look at our works, and see what they are: tell me if there be one for which you do not blush, on account of its defects? and whether, if they had been a thousand times more perfect, you would not still have accounted yourselves unprofitable servants [Note: Luk 17:10.]? But it is not in this way that God magnifies his grace. No: he giveth not in such scanty measure to his beloved children; nor does he so estimate their poor imperfect services. He accounts not all the glory and felicity of heaven too great for them. He makes them his very heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; that, having suffered with him, they may also be glorified together [Note: Rom 8:17.]. In truth, at the last day the saints shall all resemble Christ. It is said of him, that he shall smite the nations, and rule them with a rod of iron; and tread the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God [Note: Rev 19:15.]. He, too, says of himself, I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star [Note: Rev 22:16.]. And this is the honour, and this is the glory, which he has promised to confer on us. As Joshua commanded the captains of his army to come and put their feet upon the necks of the vanquished kings [Note: Jos 10:24.], so will the Great Captain of our salvation make those who have fought under his banners to participate the glory and felicity of his triumphs. Tell me, then, whether it does not become us to keep his works with all diligence; accounting no commandment grievous; nor hesitating, if called to it, to lay down our life for his sake? Let us keep them then, my brethren, yea, and keep them all, and even to the end. Let us never be weary in well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not [Note: Gal 6:9.]. I may further add, that every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour [Note: 1Co 3:8.]. No doubt there will be a difference in the rewards, as well as the punishments, of men in a future life: for one star will differ from another star in glory [Note: 1Co 15:41.]. And this may well stimulate us to the utmost possible exertion in the service of our God. But to the least and meanest of the saints shall the recompence be inconceivably great: for the very lowest in glory shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, for ever and ever [Note: Mat 13:43.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Ver. 26. And keepeth my works ] In opposition to Jezebel’s works, q.d. that keepeth himself unspotted from the world, that foul lust that lieth in that wicked one, 1Jn 5:19 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
26 .] And (the announcement of reward to the conqueror now first precedes the proclamation to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches: and is joined, here alone , by (to the preceding portion of the Epistle; being indeed more closely connected with it in this case than in any of the others; see below) he that conquereth and he that (by the second , this is precluded from being taken as introducing a clause merely epexegetical of , as Dsterd., al. Rather must we say, that by it . . . is included in the class pointed out by ) keepeth to the end (it is remarkable that immediately after the words, so pointedly alluded to above, in the apostolic decree, Act 15:28 , was added, ) my works (contrast to , Rev 2:22 ; but extending beyond that contrast to a general and blessed truth. , gen. possess, which belong to Me, are the attributes of Myself and of mine), I will give to him authority over the nations (compare the in Luk 19:17 , which is the reward of him who obeyed the command . The authority here spoken of is that which shall be conferred on the saints when they shall inherit the earth, and reign with Christ in His Kingdom. It has been gradually realized, as the stone cut out without hands has broken in pieces other kingdoms; but shall only then find its entire fulfilment. Various insufficient meanings have been given: of which one of the most curious is that of Grot., “Evolvam ilium in gradum presbyteri, ut judicet de iis qui non christiane sed vivunt;” who also understands Rev 2:27 below of excommunication, “per gladium hic intelligitur verbum Dei, cujus pars est et excommunicato”), and he shall govern (lit. “ shepherd .” It is the LXX rendering of the Heb. , break in pieces , which they have taken as , shepherd , in ref. Ps. The saying, as rendered by them, is sanctioned by being thrice quoted in this book, see reff.) them with (see 1Co 4:21 ) a rod of iron (a sceptre of severity: “inflexibili justitia,” as Lyra), as the vessels of pottery are broken up ( , are crushed, or shivered, or broken up: the gives the idea of the multitudinous fragments collapsing into an heap: the “broken to shivers” of the E.V. is very good), as I also have received from my Father (viz. in Psa 2:9 , in which Psalm it is said , Rev 2:7 . The power there conferred on Me, I will delegate to my victorious servant; see Luk 22:29 ). And I will give to him the star of the morning (it is not easy to say what, in strict exactness, these words import. The interpretations given, even in the Catena, are very various and inconsistent. Andr [46] and Areth [47] understand it of the Lucifer of Isa 14:12 , i. e. the devil, whom our Lord saw as lightning fall from heaven, or, as there imported, the King of Babylon, the most powerful monarch on earth; so Zllig. Another meaning in the Catena is , 2Pe 1:19 . Victorinus says, “Primam resurrectionem scilicet promittit.” Primas [48] , Bed [49] , Alcas., Corn.-a-lap., Calov., Vitr., Wolf, Beng., Stern, Ebrard, understand Christ Himself, who, ch. Rev 22:16 , declares Himself to be , : and doubtless, as has been before remarked on the fruit of the tree of life, Rev 2:7 , and on the hidden manna, Rev 2:17 , in the mystical sense, Christ Himself is the sum and inclusion of all Christ’s gifts: this truth serves to connect the symbolism of all these passages, but does not justify us in disturbing that of one by introducing that of another. Here the morning star clearly is not Christ Himself, the very terms of the sentence separating the two. Then again, we have Lyra, “id est, corpus gloriosum dote claritatis refulgens,” nearly the same words in which he before explained the white stone, Rev 2:17 , only that there it was “ charitatis :” Grot., “dabo et fulgorem, non qualis cuique stell, sed Luciferi, qui cteras stellas multum vincit.” And this interpretation is probably near the mark. In Dan 12:3 we read that the righteous shall shine , and in Mat 13:43 that they . And in Pro 4:18 we read that “the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Still, this interpretation does not quite satisfy the words : unless indeed the poetic imagery be, that he is imagined as clad in the glory of that star, putting it on as a jewel, or as a glittering robe. De Wette supposes it is to be given to him as its ruler: but such an interpretation would lead into a wide field of speculation which does not seem to have been opened by Scripture, and is hardly required by the passage itself).
[46] Andreas, Bp. of Csarea in Cappadocia, Cent y . VI.
[47]
[48] Primas ius , Cent y . VI.
[49] Bede, the Venerable , 731; Bedegr, a Greek MS. cited by Bede, nearly identical with Cod. “E,” mentioned in this edn only when it differs from E.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Rev 2:26 . Triumph here consists in unflagging attention to the duties of a Christian vocation. The are (Rev 14:12 , Rev 19:8 ) the normal activities of this calling, viewed as the outcome of a personal relation to Jesus; they are “his,” as commanded by him and executed in his strength. The general idea of this and the following verse is that the only irresistible force is the force of a life which is able to resist seduction and compromise, because it holds to faith and purity. The promise of reward, preceding (as in Rev 3:5 ; Rev 3:12 ; Rev 3:21 ) the appeal for attention, is couched in terms of messianic conquest (from Psa 2:8-9 ). In a more or less figurative form, the rule of the saints, a cherished hope of Jewish eschatology, had its own attraction for some circles of early Christianity (see on Rev 5:10 and 1Co 6:3 ; and for , the well-known flail wielded by Horus, the Egyptian god of requital or warfare): evidently it appealed to their eagerness for a righting of present wrongs and a reversal of the immoral sway of captain ill over captive good. The (by which they are not governed but shivered in irreparable ruin; cf. Isa 30:14 , Jer 19:11 ) is defined with ferocious detail in 27; the whole description is modelled on a traditionally messianic application of (LXX) Psa 2:8-9 . For the shepherd’s staff as a royal sceptre see E. Bi. 4317. . . ., God, Christ, and the individual Christian as in Rev 3:21 (Joh 17:16-22 ). “Illud aliquam similitudinem, non paritatem significat” (Rosenmller). Joh 21:15-17 is not “a deliberate correction of this terrible sentence” (Selwyn, 195), but the mature expression of Christian solicitude in a different province, from which messianic incongruities have been wholly purged.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Revelation
IV.-THE VICTOR’S LIFE-POWER
Rev 2:26-28 .
This promise to the victors in Thyatira differs from the preceding ones in several remarkable respects. If you will observe, the summons to give ear to ‘what the Spirit saith to the churches’ precedes the promises in the previous letters; here it follows that promise, and that order is observed in the three subsequent epistles. Now the structure of all these letters is too careful and artistic to allow of the supposition that the change is arbitrary or accidental. There must be some significance in it, but I do not profess to be ready with the explanation, and I prefer acknowledging perplexity to pretending enlightenment.
Then there is another remarkable peculiarity of this letter, viz., the expansion which is given to the designation of the victor as ‘He that overcometh and keepeth My works unto the end.’ Probably not unconnected with that expansion is the other peculiarity of the promise here, as compared with its precursors, viz., that they all regard simply the individual victor and promise to him ‘partaking of the tree of life’; a ‘crown of life’; immunity from ‘the second death’; ‘the hidden manna’; the ‘white stone’; and the ‘new name written’; which, like all the rest of the promises there, belonged to Himself alone; but here the field is widened, and we have others brought in on whom the victor is to exercise an influence. So, then, we enter upon a new phase of conceptions of that future life in these words, which not only dwell upon the sustenance, the repose, the glory that belong to the man himself, but look upon him as still an instrument in Christ’s hands, and an organ for carrying out, by His activities, Christ’s purposes in the world. So, then, I want you to look with me very simply at the ideas suggested by these words.
I. We have the victor’s authority.
Now the promise in my text is moulded by a remembrance of the great words of the second psalm. That psalm stands at the beginning of the Psalter as a kind of prelude; and in conjunction with its companion psalm, the first, is a summing up of the two great factors in the religious life of the Hebrews, viz., the blessedness in the keeping of the law, and the brightness of the hope of the Messiah. The psalm in question deals with that Messianic hope under the symbols of an earthly conquering monarch, and sets forth His dominion as established throughout the whole earth. And our letter brings this marvellous thought, that the spirits of just men made perfect are, somehow or other, associated with Him in that campaign of conquest.
Now, there is much in these words which, of course, it is idle for us to attempt to expand or expound. We can only wait, as we gaze upon the dim brightness, for experience to unlock the mystery. But there is also much which, if we will reverently ponder it, may stimulate us to brave conflict and persistent diligence in keeping Christ’s commandments. I, for my part, believe that Scripture is the only source of such knowledge as we have of the future life; and I believe, too, that the knowledge, such as it is, which we derive from Scripture is knowledge, and can be absolutely trusted. And so, though I abjure all attempts at rhetorical setting forth of the details of this mysterious symbol, I would lay it upon our hearts. It is not the less powerful because it is largely inconceivable; and the mystery, the darkness, the dimness, may be, and are part of the revelation and of the light. ‘There was the hiding of His power.’
And so, notice that whatever may be the specific contents of such a promise as this, the general form of it is in full harmony with the words of our Lord whilst He was on earth. Twice over, according to the gospel narratives – once in connection with Peter’s foolish question, What shall we have therefore? ‘and once in a still more sacred connection, at the table on the eve of Calvary – our Lord gave His trembling disciples this great promise:’ In the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’ Make all allowance that you like for the vesture of symbolism, the reality that lies beneath is that Jesus Christ, the truth, has pledged Himself to this, that His servants shall be associated with Him in the activity of His royalty. And the same great thought, which we only spoil when we try to tear apart the petals which remain closed until the sun shall open them, underlies the twin parables of the pounds and the talents, in regard to each of which we have, ‘Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things’; and, linked along with the promise of authority, the assurance of union with the Master, ‘Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’ So this book of the Revelation is only following in the footsteps and expanding the hints of Christ’s own teaching when it triumphs in the thought that we are made kings and priests to God; when it points onwards to a future wherein – we know not how, but we know, if we believe Him when He speaks, that it shall be so – they shall reign with Him for ever and ever.
My text adds further the image of a conquering campaign, of a sceptre of iron crushing down antagonism, of banded opposition broken into shivers, ‘as a potter’s vessel’ dashed upon a pavement of marble. And it says that in that final conflict and final conquest they that have passed into the rest of God, and have dwelt with Christ, shall be with Him, the armies of heaven following Him, clad in white raiment pure and glistening, and with Him subduing, ay! and converting into loyal love the antagonisms of earth. I abjure all attempts at millenarian prophecy, but I point to this, that all the New Testament teaching converges upon this one point, that the Christ who came to die shall come again to reign, and that He shall reign, and His servants with Him. That is enough; and that is all. For all the rest is conjecture and fancy and sometimes folly; and details minimize, and do not magnify, the great, undetailed, magnificent fact.
But all the other promises deal not with something in the remoter future, but with something that begins to take effect the moment the dust, and confusion, and garments rolled in blood, of the battlefield are swept away. At one instant the victors are fighting, at the next they are partaking of the Tree of Life, and on their locks lies the crown, and their happy lips are feeding upon ‘the hidden manna.’ And so, I think, that though, no doubt, the main stress of the promise of authority here points onwards, as our Lord Himself has taught us, to the time of ‘the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory,’ the incidence of the promise is not to be exclusively confined thereto. There must be something in the present for the blessed dead, as well as for them in the future. And this is, that they are united with Jesus Christ in His present activities, and through Him, and in Him, and with Him, are even now serving Him. The servant, when he dies, and has been fitted for it, enters at once on his government of the ten cities.
Thus this promise of my text, in its deepest meaning, corresponds with the deepest needs of a man’s nature. For we can never be at rest unless we are at work; and a heaven of doing nothing is a heaven of ennui and weariness. Whatever sneers may have been cast at the Christian conception of the future, which find vindication, one is sorry to say, in many popular representations and sickly bits of hymns, the New Testament notion of what that future life is to be is noble with all energy, and fruitful with all activity, and strenuous with all service. This promise of my text comes in to supplement the three preceding. They were addressed to the legitimate, wearied longings for rest and fullness of satisfaction for oneself. This is addressed to the deeper and nobler longing for larger service. And the words of my text, whatever dim glory they may partially reveal, as accruing to the victor in the future, do declare that, when he passes beyond the grave, there will be waiting for him nobler work to do than any that he ever has done here.
But let us not forget that all this access of power and enlargement of opportunity are a consequence of Christ’s royalty and Christ’s conquering rule. That is to say, whatever we have in the future we have because we are knit to Him, and all our service there, as all our blessedness here, flows from our union with that Lord. So when He says, as in the words that I have already quoted, that His servants shall sit on thrones, He presents Himself as on the central throne. The authority of the steward over the ten cities is but a consequence of the servant’s entrance into the joy of the Lord. “Whatever there lies in the heavens, the germ of it all is this, that we are as Christ, so closely identified with Him that we are like Him, and share in all His possessions. He says to each of us, ‘All Mine is thine.’ He has taken part of our flesh and blood that we may share in His Spirit. The bride is endowed with the wealth of the bridegroom, and the crowns that are placed on the heads of the redeemed are the crown which Christ Himself has received as the reward of His Cross – ‘even as I have received of My Father.’
II. Note the victor’s starry splendor.
The second symbol of my text is difficult of interpretation, like the first: ‘I will give him the morning star.’ Now, no doubt, throughout Scripture a star is a symbol of royal dominion; and many would propose so to interpret it in the present case. But it seems to me that whilst that explanation – which makes the second part of our promise simply identical with the former, though under a different garb- does justice to one part of the symbol, it entirely omits the other. For the emphasis is here laid on ‘morning’ rather than on ‘star.’ It is ‘the morning star,’ not any star that blazes in the heavens, that is set forth here as a symbolical representation of the victor’s condition. Then another false scent, as it were, on which interpretations have gone, seems to me to be that, taking into account the fact that in the last chapter of the Revelation our Lord is Himself described as ‘the bright and morning star,’ they bring this promise down simply to mean, ‘I will give him Myself.’ Now though it is quite true that, in the deepest of all views, Jesus Christ Himself is the gift as well as the giver of all these sevenfold promises, yet the propriety of representation seems to me to forbid that He should here say, I will give them Myself!’ So I think we must fall back upon what any touch of poetic imagination would at once suggest to be the meaning of the promise, that it is the dawning splendor of that planet of hope and morning, the harbinger of day, which we are to lay hold of. Hebrew prophets, long before, had spoken of Lucifer, ‘light bringer’ ‘the son of the morning.’ Many a poet sang of it before Milton with his
‘Hesperus, that led the starry host, Rode brightest.’
So that I think we are just to lay hold of the thought that the starry splendor, the beauty and the lustre that will be poured upon the victor is that which is expressed by this symbol here. What that lustre will consist in it becomes us not to say. That future keeps its secret well, but that it shall be the perfecting of human nature up to the most exquisite and consummate height of which it is capable, and the enlargement of it beyond all that human experience here can conceive, we may peaceably anticipate and quietly trust.
Only, note the advance here on the previous promises is as conspicuous as in the former part of this great promise. There the Christian man’s influence and authority were set forth under the emblem of regal dominion. Here they are set forth under the emblem of lustrous splendor. It is the spectators that see the glory of the beam that comes from the star. And this promise, like the former, implies that in that future there will be a sphere in which perfected spirits may ray out their light, and where they may gladden and draw some eyes by their beams. I have no word to say as to the sky in which the rays of that star may shine, but I do feel that the very essence of this great representation is that Christian souls in the future, as in the present, will stand forth as the visible embodiments of the glory and lustre of the unseen God.
Further, remember that this image, like the former, traces up the lustre, as that traced the royalty, to communion with Christ, and to impartation from Him. ‘I will give him the morning star.’ We shall shine as the ‘brightness of the firmament, and as the stars for ever,’ as Daniel said – not by inherent but by reflected light. We are not suns, but planets, that move round the Sun of Righteousness, and flash with His beauty.
III. Lastly, mark the condition of the authority and of the lustre.
Here I would say a word about the remarkable expansion of the designation of the victor, to which I have already referred: ‘He that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end.’ We do not know why that expansion was put in, in reference to Thyatira only, but if you will glance over the letter you will see that there is more than usual about works – works to be repented of, or works which make the material of a final retribution and judgment.
Whatever may be the explanation of the expanded designation here, the lesson that it reads to us is a very significant and a very important one. Bring the metaphor of a victor down to the plain, hard, prose fact of doing Christ’s work right away to the end of life. Strip off the rhetoric of the fight, and it comes down to this – dogged, persistent obedience to Christ’s commandments. ‘He that keepeth My works’ does not appeal to the imagination as ‘He that overcometh’ does. But it is the explanation of the victory, and one that we all need to lay to heart.
‘My works ‘: that means the works that He enjoins. No doubt; but look at a verse before my text: ‘I will give unto every one of you according to your works.’ That is, the works that you do, and Christ’s works are not only those which He enjoys, but those of which He Himself set the pattern. He will ‘give according to works’; He will give authority; give the morning star. That is to say, the life which has been moulded according to Christ’s pattern and shaped in obedience to Christ’s commandments is the life which is capable of being granted participation in His dominion, and invested with reflected lustre. If here we do His work we shall be able to do it more fully yonder. ‘The works that I do shall he do also.’ That is the law for life – ay and it is the promise for heaven. ‘And greater works than these shall he do, because I go to My Father.’ When we have come to partial conformity with Him here we may hope – and only then have we the right to hope – for entire assimilation to Him hereafter. If here, from this dim spot which men call earth, and amid the confusion and dust and distances of this present life, we look to Him, and with unveiled faces behold Him, and here, in degree and part, are being changed from glory to glory, there He will turn His face upon us, and, beholding it, in righteousness, ‘we shall be satisfied when we awake with His likeness.’
Brethren, it is for us to choose whether we shall share in Christ’s dominion or be crushed by His iron sceptre. It is for us to choose whether, molding our lives after His will and pattern, we shall hereafter be made like Him in completeness. It is for us to choose whether, seeing Him here, we shall, when the brightness of His coming draws near, be flooded with gladness, or whether we shall call upon the rocks and the hills to cover us from the face of Him that sitteth on the Throne. Time is the mother of Eternity. To-day moulds to-morrow, and when all the to-days and to-morrows have become yesterdays, they will have determined our destiny, because they will have settled our characters. Let us keep Christ’s commandments, and we shall be invested with dignity and illuminated with glory, and entrusted to work, far beyond anything that we can conceive here, though, in their farthest reach and most dazzling brightness, these are but the continuation and the perfecting and the feeble beginnings of earthly conflict and service.
Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren
keepeth. See Rev 1:3.
end. See Mat 24:13. Compare App-125.
power. App-172.
over. App-104.
nations. Greek. ethnos. Genitive translation Gentiles.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
26.] And (the announcement of reward to the conqueror now first precedes the proclamation to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches: and is joined, here alone, by (to the preceding portion of the Epistle; being indeed more closely connected with it in this case than in any of the others; see below) he that conquereth and he that (by the second , this is precluded from being taken as introducing a clause merely epexegetical of , as Dsterd., al. Rather must we say, that by it … is included in the class pointed out by ) keepeth to the end (it is remarkable that immediately after the words, so pointedly alluded to above, in the apostolic decree, Act 15:28, was added, ) my works (contrast to , Rev 2:22; but extending beyond that contrast to a general and blessed truth. , gen. possess, which belong to Me, are the attributes of Myself and of mine), I will give to him authority over the nations (compare the in Luk 19:17, which is the reward of him who obeyed the command . The authority here spoken of is that which shall be conferred on the saints when they shall inherit the earth, and reign with Christ in His Kingdom. It has been gradually realized, as the stone cut out without hands has broken in pieces other kingdoms; but shall only then find its entire fulfilment. Various insufficient meanings have been given: of which one of the most curious is that of Grot., Evolvam ilium in gradum presbyteri, ut judicet de iis qui non christiane sed vivunt; who also understands Rev 2:27 below of excommunication, per gladium hic intelligitur verbum Dei, cujus pars est et excommunicato), and he shall govern (lit. shepherd. It is the LXX rendering of the Heb. , break in pieces, which they have taken as , shepherd, in ref. Ps. The saying, as rendered by them, is sanctioned by being thrice quoted in this book, see reff.) them with (see 1Co 4:21) a rod of iron (a sceptre of severity: inflexibili justitia, as Lyra), as the vessels of pottery are broken up (, are crushed, or shivered, or broken up: the gives the idea of the multitudinous fragments collapsing into an heap: the broken to shivers of the E.V. is very good), as I also have received from my Father (viz. in Psa 2:9, in which Psalm it is said , Rev 2:7. The power there conferred on Me, I will delegate to my victorious servant; see Luk 22:29). And I will give to him the star of the morning (it is not easy to say what, in strict exactness, these words import. The interpretations given, even in the Catena, are very various and inconsistent. Andr[46] and Areth[47] understand it of the Lucifer of Isa 14:12, i. e. the devil, whom our Lord saw as lightning fall from heaven,-or, as there imported, the King of Babylon, the most powerful monarch on earth; so Zllig. Another meaning in the Catena is , 2Pe 1:19. Victorinus says, Primam resurrectionem scilicet promittit. Primas[48], Bed[49], Alcas., Corn.-a-lap., Calov., Vitr., Wolf, Beng., Stern, Ebrard, understand Christ Himself, who, ch. Rev 22:16, declares Himself to be , : and doubtless, as has been before remarked on the fruit of the tree of life, Rev 2:7, and on the hidden manna, Rev 2:17, in the mystical sense, Christ Himself is the sum and inclusion of all Christs gifts: this truth serves to connect the symbolism of all these passages, but does not justify us in disturbing that of one by introducing that of another. Here the morning star clearly is not Christ Himself, the very terms of the sentence separating the two. Then again, we have Lyra,-id est, corpus gloriosum dote claritatis refulgens,-nearly the same words in which he before explained the white stone, Rev 2:17, only that there it was charitatis: Grot., dabo et fulgorem, non qualis cuique stell, sed Luciferi, qui cteras stellas multum vincit. And this interpretation is probably near the mark. In Dan 12:3 we read that the righteous shall shine , and in Mat 13:43 that they . And in Pro 4:18 we read that the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Still, this interpretation does not quite satisfy the words : unless indeed the poetic imagery be, that he is imagined as clad in the glory of that star, putting it on as a jewel, or as a glittering robe. De Wette supposes it is to be given to him as its ruler: but such an interpretation would lead into a wide field of speculation which does not seem to have been opened by Scripture, and is hardly required by the passage itself).
[46] Andreas, Bp. of Csarea in Cappadocia, Centy. VI.
[47] Arethas, Bp. of Csarea in Cappadocia, Centy. X.2
[48] Primasius, Centy. VI.
[49] Bede, the Venerable, 731; Bedegr, a Greek MS. cited by Bede, nearly identical with Cod. E, mentioned in this edn only when it differs from E.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Rev 2:26. – ) The things which you may suppose not to sound so well in Greek, will sound well when cast in Hebrew mould of thought. See instances, ch. Rev 6:8, Rev 7:2, Rev 9:12 (where the feminine is put for the neuter), 14, Rev 20:8. There is a very similar construction, , , Psa 11:4; and so Psa 57:5 (4), Psa 103:15.- ) Psa 2:8-9, , , , .
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
he: Rev 2:7, Rev 2:11, Rev 2:17, Rev 3:5, Rev 3:12, Rev 3:21, Rev 21:7, Rom 8:37, 1Jo 5:5
keepeth: Mat 24:13, Luk 8:13-15, Joh 6:29, Joh 8:31, Joh 8:32, Rom 2:7, 1Th 3:5, Heb 10:38, Heb 10:39, Jam 2:20, 1Jo 2:19, 1Jo 3:23
to him will I give: Rev 3:21, Rev 20:4, Rev 22:5, Psa 49:14, Dan 7:18, Dan 7:22, Dan 7:27, Mat 19:28, Luk 22:29, Luk 22:30, 1Co 6:3, 1Co 6:4
Reciprocal: Lev 25:44 – General Jos 10:24 – put your feet Jdg 5:13 – he made 1Ki 22:4 – I am as thou Psa 2:9 – General Psa 119:33 – I shall keep Isa 26:6 – General Isa 40:10 – his arm Isa 60:12 – General Mic 4:13 – thou shalt Mat 10:22 – but Mat 25:21 – I will Luk 6:23 – your Luk 19:17 – been 1Co 6:2 – the saints Gal 6:9 – if Heb 6:11 – unto 1Jo 5:4 – overcometh Rev 12:5 – rule Rev 12:10 – the power Rev 12:11 – they overcame Rev 22:19 – and from
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rev 2:26. Figurative language must be based on some literal fact or possible fact. Christians are not to exercise any temporal rule over the world on the basis of their religious profession, but they are to be joint rulers with Christ as to spiritual conduct that will please the Lord. (See the comments at Rev 1:6.) This partnership with Christ is on condition that the disciple is faithful unto the end, which means until death if such should be imposed upon him.
Rev 2:27. An iron rule does not always mean one of harshness, but that metal should also be thought of as being unyielding and strong and enduring under a strain. All the phrases of this verse should be understood in this figurative sense.
Comments by Foy E. Wallace
Verse 26-27
6. “To him that overcometh . . . will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron”–Rev 2:26-27.
This is not a future millennium text. It is plainly the imagery of the irresistible force of the gospel. It compares with Jer 1:10; Isa 11:9; Psa 2:9; Psa 110:2, and 1Co 6:2. The figure of the rod is used to denote the chastening of the truth, and for the power and authority of Jesus Christ transferred in a figure to his followers who proclaim it. It is used to denote the power of the gospel published in the new dispensation, as previewed in the prophetic psalms– Psa 2:9; Psa 110:2. It is used for censure and discipline in 1Co 4:21. In Rev 2:26 it refers to the impact of the gospel on the pagan world through the victory of the church emerging from persecution.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Rev 2:26. And he that overcometh. We come now to the promise contained in this Epistle for the faithful, and it will be observed that for the first time it is not preceded by the call to him that hath ears to hear. That call in the four last Epistles of the seven is reserved for the close (comp. on Rev 2:7).
And he that keepeth my works unto the end. The construction of the original shows that this description is distinct from the preceding. Attention ought to be directed to the expression My works, commentators appearing to miss their force. They are not simply the works which Jesus commands, but those which He does,a fresh illustration of that close identification of Jesus with His people which marks the writings of St. John. We meet the opposite identification, that of Jezebel and her followers, in Rev 2:22.
To him will I give authority over the nations. By the nations we are not to understand the nations as such, but the nations as opposed to the true Israel of God, and as alienated from God,properly the Gentiles. The allusion is to Psa 2:8-9; and the believer shall not merely have power, but rightful power, authority, over them.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Rev 2:26-29. And he that overcometh That holds fast faith and a good conscience, notwithstanding the efforts of the enemies of my gospel to wrest them from him; and keepeth my works Those which I have commanded to be done; unto the end Of his time and trials; to him will I give power over the nations That is, I will give him to share with me in that glorious victory which the Father hath promised me over all the nations which as yet resist me, Psa 2:8-9. This, says Doddridge, appears to be intended of that final triumph of Christ over his enemies in the last day, when he shall crush them all to utter and irrecoverable ruin, and when all his saints, raised from the dead, and clothed with robes of glory, shall sit down with them on his throne, and constitute that illustrious body which in and with their exalted Head, shall subdue every opposing power. And he shall rule them That is, shall share with me when I do this; with a rod of iron With irresistible power, employed on those only who will not otherwise submit; who will hereby be dashed in pieces, totally conquered. And I will give him the morning-star Thou, O Jesus, art the Morning-Star! O give thyself to me! Then will I desire no sun, only thee, who art the sun also. He whom this Star enlightens, has always morning and no evening. The duties and promises here answer each other: the valiant conqueror has power over the stubborn nations. And he that, after having conquered his enemies, keeps the words of Christ to the end, shall have the morning-star an unspeakable brightness and peaceable dominion in him.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2:26 {20} And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give {21} power over the nations:
(20) The conclusion, in which Christ assures to his servants the communion of his kingdom and glory, in this verse, and that following: and commands a holy attention in the last verse Rev 2:29 .
(21) That is, I will make him a king, by communion with me, and my fellow heir, as it is promised; Mat 19:28; Mat 25:34, Rom 8:17, 1Co 6:3, Eph 2:6, 2Ti 2:12 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
5. Promise 2:26-29
The prize for faithfulness was the privilege of reigning with Christ in His earthly kingdom (cf. Rev 1:6; Rev 12:5; Rev 19:15; Psa 2:8-9; 2Ti 2:12; Rev 20:4-6). As with the promises in the other letters, this one is probably for all believers and would encourage them to overcome the temptations this Jezebel held out. The Lord intended the prospect of this blessing to motivate the unfaithful in the church to return to God’s will for them and to encourage the faithful to persevere. Believers who are faithful will receive authority in heaven from Jesus Christ and will "rule" (lit. shepherd) others during the Millennium (Luk 19:11-27; 1Co 6:2-3; 2Ti 2:12; Rev 3:21). Some believers evidently will receive greater authority for being faithful than others who have not been as faithful (cf. 2Co 5:10). This is the first mention in Revelation of the Lord’s coming for the church, the Rapture (cf. 1Th 4:13-18).
"This is the nearest we have in the seven letters to a definition of the conqueror. He holds fast the traditions of faith and life delivered to the Church till the coming of Christ (Rev 2:25), and he keeps Christ’s works till the end (Rev 2:26)-whether that ’end’ be the Lord’s parousia or his own death." [Note: Beasley-Murray, p. 93.]
While not all Christians will remain faithful to the Lord (2Ti 2:12), He evidently described believers as faithful to motivate them to remain faithful. John identified the "morning star" (Rev 2:28) elsewhere as Jesus Christ Himself (Rev 22:16). The morning star (usually the planet Venus) appears in the night sky just before the dawning of a new day. From Babylonian to Roman times the ancients regarded the morning star as a symbol of sovereignty and, in Roman times, victory. [Note: See ibid., pp. 93-94.] Jesus Christ will guide faithful believers in the future as the new day of His rule dawns (cf. Tit 2:13).
"The gift of the morning star must refer to the fact that the exalted Christ shares his messianic status with the believer who conquers." [Note: Aune, p. 212. Cf. Isaiah 11:1; Revelation 22:16.]
Commentators have pointed out that spiritual conditions during the Middle Ages in the West (A.D. 606-1520), where the church was most prominent in the world, were similar to those that existed in this church. There were faithful believers, but there was also a strong encouragement coming from those who claimed higher authority to do things contrary to the teachings of Scripture. This came primarily from the Roman Catholic Church. Some have also compared the leadership of the Virgin Mary, as promoted by the Roman Church, to Jezebel’s leadership in Thyatira. [Note: E.g., Walvoord, The Revelation . . ., p. 75.]