A Little Bit of Error
To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come.
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
“He will rule them with an iron sceptre;
he will dash them to pieces like pottery”—
just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The Seven Churches of Asia were the subject of rather intense scrutiny as we began our studies in the Book of Revelation during Sunday School. We discovered that these churches actually existed, and therefore the messages which John delivered were practical, prophetic and perennial. These messages which John penned were actually to be delivered to those churches then in existence, yet they outline the course of church history until the judgements of God are delivered during the Great Tribulation. At the same time, each church in existence throughout this Church Age may well find itself described by the message delivered by the faithful servant of God.
Orthodox and discerning, but cold and sterile—that’s Ephesus. Faithful, yet assaulted—that’s Smyrna. Publicly famous for its fidelity; nevertheless, compromising inwardly, privately—that’s Pergamum. The fourth church to which we are introduced is Thyatira, a church which was rather insignificant in comparison to the previously named churches. Thyatira was obscure, situated as it was in an out-of-the-way territory. Religiously, the community had no significant temples; politically, it was overlooked; militarily, it was a sentinel town designed to be captured by an enemy, if necessary, to delay aggression against a more strategic city. Commercially, Thyatira was a place of many small trades and the site of purple dye manufacturing.[1]
The Thyatiran congregation is described by Christ as active, loving and determined. In spite of its strengths, the church at Thyatira tolerated a “Jezebel” in her midst. Christ’s stinging rebuke left little doubt where He stood regarding her, and those of us like the Thyatirans who tolerate a little bit of error.
Christ Examines the Church — These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Carefully note how the Lord describes Himself to this congregation. He identifies Himself as the Son of God with blazing eyes and brilliant feet. This is the only time in all the letters that the Risen Christ identifies Himself as the Son of God. There is no doubt significance in this identity, though it is not immediately obvious. Momentarily we shall review this title and see if we can determine its significance.
The alteration of Christ’s name to Son of God has roots in a Jewish and Christian interpretative tradition that understood the Son of man from Daniel 7:13 as identical to the Son of God in Daniel 3:25, so that the two titles were sometimes interchangeable. This interpretative tradition is utilised here to provide an anticipated link with Psalm 2:9, which will be cited explicitly at the conclusion of the letter [Revelation 2:27].[2]
United with the divine name is a depiction reminiscent of the description of the divine Judge of all mankind which was previously given to John [see Revelation 1:13-15]. Among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
In the earlier chapter, the Judge of all mankind presents Himself as the One standing in the midst of His churches where His flaming eyes examine the hearts of those who claim His Name, exposing what lies within. He also presents Himself as the One whose feet are glowing and purified in the flame. It is as though we are forced to take cognisance of the fact that this One alone is able to judge the heart since He alone is pure. He calls His churches, among whom He walks, to purity and examines their hearts.
Christ shall judge His churches, and He does so even now. The transferral of attributes from the judicial figure of the Ancient of Days [cf. Daniel 7:9-12] to Christ also evokes His role as the latter-day, divine judge, which is also clear from Revelation 19:12 (where oiJ de; ojfqalmoi; aujtou` »wJ"¼ flo;x purov" [His eyes are like blazing fire]) is a metaphor of judgement… This role of judgement is enforced by Daniel 10, since there the primary purpose of the heavenly man is to reveal the divine decree that Israel’s persecutors would assuredly be judged [see Daniel 10:2-12:13]. Daniel 10:6 even depicts the Son of man as having eyes like flaming torches.[3]
Earlier, John had faithfully delivered the words Jesus spoke concerning this issue in another context. I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgement to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him [John 5:19-23].
What I would urge you to see is that the Risen Christ presents Himself as judge of the churches. The description before us is one of judgement. It is as though Christ confronts this church of Thyatira—a church noted for activity (your deeds), renowned for love (your love and faith), and known for determination (your service and perseverance)—and says, “You cannot hide from me.” The examination which the Thyatiran church undergoes (and the examination our own church experiences), is thorough, exhaustive and continuous. As is true in most instances where the Risen Christ presents a message to a church, He begins with a commendation before He proceeds to the confrontation. We should see both sides of this issue, looking first at the commendations for this church.
Permit me to make an observation of grave significance. Christ does not judge casually. When He presents His judgement of a congregation, that judgement is based upon knowledge. Note that the assessment of the Thyatiran church begins with the words I know. The Son of God examines minutely the churches, and His assessment is based upon His careful examination. We need to recognise that Jesus here presents richly deserved commendations for this church. Would we merit as much?
The Thyatiran church was composed of Christians. How do I know this? The commendation leaves no doubt that they were known to Christ, and their lives in great measure revealed their love for Him. Though this church was seriously compromised, it was commended for the works presented before the Lord of all mankind. The works for which the church was commended were love and faith, and service and perseverance. Moreover, these deeds for which they were commended were not one-time events, for they had been growing with time [you are now doing more than you did at first].
What is not apparent from our English text is that the specific deeds Christ mentions are unique to this church. This is apparent in the original language by the inclusion of a definite article with each work [oi\da sou ta; e[rga kai; th;n ajgavphn kai; th;n pivstin kai; th;n diakonivan kai; th;n uJpomonhvn sou, kai; ta; e[rga sou ta; e[scata pleivona tw`n prwvtwn]. We can say with confidence that this was a congregation composed of Christians. Their deeds gave witness to their Faith. Similarly, their spiritual development was also witness to their relationship to the Lord. As time passed, they were becoming more productive and more active.
Whatever else I may say concerning the Church at Thyatira, I am compelled by the words of the Son of God to confess that they were Christian. More than that, they were active in their Faith. They were not noted for sitting on the premises, but they were active and growing in their Faith. We, also, merit the commendation of the Son of God if we are active and growing in the Faith of Christ the Lord.
Christ calls us to be workers, not shirkers. Jesus tells His disciples that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field [Luke 10:2]. There is a place of service for each of us, if we only look. There is no gift of warming a pew, nor is there place for the complacent among the people of God. Every Christian is to labour in the Faith, praying and witnessing.
In contrast to the commendation which the Thyatiran congregation received, we might well conclude that that congregation which is complacent and lethargic is also senescent and moribund. Consequently, such a congregation cannot hope to receive Christ’s commendation. Instead, they are in the uncomfortable position of the church at Sardis which was warned, I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up [Revelation 3:1, 2]!
Christ Exposes the Church — Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come.
Moral decay had crept into the church, and it was this moral decay which brought about condemnation from the Judge of all hearts. The people tolerated that which they knew to be wrong, and as a consequence, they slipped into immorality and idolatry. Before we examine what is meant by immorality and idolatry within the church, I need to make an observation for the benefit of each of us. Immorality and idolatry are intimately associated throughout the Word of God. Whenever a people become idolatrous, the first evidence is immorality, usually of a sexual nature. Similarly, whenever a people begin to exaggerate sexual pleasure, they have almost always already slipped into idolatry. Whether Israel inviting Moabite women into the camp [Numbers 25], or whether the people of God attempting to cling to the past [cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Ephesians 5:3-6], immorality is viewed as idolatry and idolatry is seen as immoral.
Who was this Jezebel? We don’t know. Some people have concluded that this was a pastor’s wife.[4] There exists some strong evidence that the text could read gunai`ka sou jIezavbel, or your wife Jezebel. Though most evangelical scholars reject this particular reading, it cannot be utterly discounted.
From the language and the construction, I could readily be led to conclude that this actually refers to a woman presenting herself as a prophetess. The language does evoke the phrase, To the chosen lady and her children in 2 John 1, an apparent reference to a church and adherents to whom John wrote. The later reference to striking the children of Jezebel dead [see Revelation 2:23] leads me to conclude that this was a religious system which was being accepted within the church at Thyatira. The religious system was teaching error—error which was obvious and which of necessity would eventuate in the wickedness of immorality and idolatry which the Son of God condemned.
To understand this reference, we need to remind ourselves that it was Jezebel who incited Ahab, King of Israel, to lead the nation into compromise through worshipping Baal [cf. 1 Kings 16:31; 21:25]. In a similar fashion, the false teachers in this church were arguing that some degree of participation in idolatrous aspects of Thyatiran culture was permissible[5], and perhaps even necessary for effective witness. The actions arising through the teaching of this system are strikingly similar to the actions described of the church at Pergamum in Revelation 2:14. You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. The word order is different, but the actions are identical.
This is not to say that the situation in the two churches was identical. Whereas in Thyatira the situation appears to be entrenched, in Pergamum it appears to be just beginning. Pergamum had some people who held to the teaching of Balaam; Thyatira tolerated the ongoing teaching. The emphasis here is on the errant prophecy, or errant preaching which the people, in a spirit of tolerance, refused to condemn.
Can we make a connection to our church and our day? Is there a note of caution which could be issued to this congregation in the particular situation in which we find ourselves? How does a church earn the censure of the Risen Son of God? One way is to tolerate just a little bit of error. Leading the Progressive Conservative Party to oblivion, the only female Prime Minister Canada has had demonstrated her ignorance when she insisted that the greatest virtue was tolerance. Her statement was the height of foolishness, though it reflected the prevalent view of the nation. Unfortunately, the prevalent view of tolerance, arising from liberal social policies advanced for years by politicians bent on social engineering, has been embraced by the churches.
We should not delude ourselves that we have not been effected by these social pressures. Without doubt, we want to be liked. I confess that the strongest pressure I feel as a pastor is the pressure to be acceptable to people. I want to be liked. Certainly, I know that outsiders expect the churches to meet certain criteria in order to be acceptable. Generally, a church is expected to be tolerant of divergent views, refusing to condemn anyone or anything, except for the gravest sins, which seldom contaminate any of us. May I remind you of a startling fact? The Laodicean church made Christ sick to His stomach. Yet, this congregation was not condemned for moral turpitude. They were condemned for the self-satisfied, self-reliant attitude which marked them as a people.
Permit me to be somewhat pointed and personal as I make application. Churches generally co-operate with other churches in ministerial associations for a variety of activities. Unfortunately, for co-operation to continue, we cannot be divisive. Therefore, we want to demonstrate that we are good Christians and so we are silent about niggling little issues which make us somewhat uncomfortable. We look for the positive.
It is true that the Catholic priest kills Christ each time he offers Mass, but he preaches a message which sounds evangelical. Likewise, he does worship Mary as the Mother of God, but he is a good man and sympathetic to seeing Jesus as God. Though he looks to the Pope as the Vicar of Christ on earth, he encourages a measure of thinking. Consequently, the pastor who cautions his church against co-operation in any endeavour which lends credence to the priest as representative of the Christian Faith is seen as mean spirited and small minded. It is of no consequence that the priest must of necessity hold the power of death and life over the Son of God, that the priest must embrace error or that the priest must encourage good works as necessary for salvation. To refuse to share in prayer and other religious activities would be intolerant.
Likewise, the Pastor of the Anglican Church supports a system which rushes to defy the Word of God through ordination of sodomites and women to holy office, but she is a nice person. The prayers of the Anglican priest are so beautiful and full of meaning, even though she is uncertain that there is a God. She sees herself as alone having received apostolic authentication through the ceremonies of that particular religious organisation, but she is broad-minded about other ministers. Should the pastor question why he would wish to co-operate with her in religious activity is to reveal himself as narrow minded and unkind, opening himself to censure by the Christian community.
In our rush to demonstrate that we are tolerant, we do not wish to say that the United minister participates in a religious society which denies that Jesus is God, which denies there is any such thing as salvation by faith in the Son of God, which denies that God shall judge the wicked. We are willing to seek comity with Adventists, though they teach a strange mixture of faith and works as necessary for salvation and exalt a deluded woman as a prophet of God whose writings are equal to those of Paul. The charismatic pastor may be in error when he exalts his revelation so-called to a position equivalent to that of the Word of God, but his worship is so lively and meaningful. Likewise, He may insist upon his own spiritual superiority to other Christians because of his peculiar experience, but he is such a spiritual man. Certainly, Promise Keepers have some strange speakers and they make some unconscionable demands upon the churches, but when all those men get together, the singing is so meaningful and we feel so powerful. Whenever the pastor stands firm against such error, good spirited people wonder why he can’t be just a little more open-minded and a little more accommodating.
God’s judgement on a church tolerating a little bit of error is that He will cast the false teacher on a bed of suffering. All who commit adultery with such false prophets will also suffer intensely. Those included in the error will be struck dead. The Jezebel system will be increasingly sickly. When God says He will cast her on a bed of suffering, it should make us wonder. Is it possible that the grave haemorrhage of members from such systems as the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada and even from the Catholic Church is a divine judgement for their spiritual prostitution. We Baptists, if we continue to tolerate a little bit of error, can anticipate precisely such judgements upon our own churches!
When Christ pronounced His judgement, He says that what He does will serve to warn all the churches [verse 23]. All Christians will know that Christ is the One who searches hearts and minds. Therefore, His warning applies to all churches (including our own), just as it also applies to each Christian. I suggest that the frightful portion of this divine warning is not only that the Son of God will make the spiritual adulteress ill [bavllw aujth;n eij" klivnhn], but that He will also hold those who commit adultery with her accountable. Those who refuse to exercise discernment will be cast into great tribulation [literal interpretation of bavllw aujth;n … eij" qli`yin megavlhn]. It is an awful warning against continued flaunting of God’s grace. It serves to call those among us willing to tolerate a little bit of error to examine their way and repent before it is too late.
Those who follow Jezebel’s system become almost identical with the world. Since it is earth dwellers [literal meaning of tou;" katoikou`nta" ejpi; th`" gh`"] who will pass through the Great Tribulation, the warning implies that those who tolerate the Jezebel system become essentially identified with the world itself. Consequently, they, together with the remainder of the earth dwellers, must suffer the Great Tribulation. The only cure to this threatened judgement is repentance now.
Christ Encourages the Church — To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
“He will rule them with an iron sceptre;
he will dash them to pieces like pottery”—
just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Even a compromised church will have those who neither tolerate nor hold to the errant teachings of the Jezebel system. Such individuals are encouraged to hold to what they have until the Saviour comes. Those who have not yet compromised are encouraged by Christ to refuse to tolerate a little bit of error. We need not speak vilely of the errant to reject error; we need but identify the error and refuse to participate in that error.
Would you reign with Christ? Would you share in His authority over the nations? You must overcome compromise. You must refuse to give in to the siren call to tolerate just a little bit of error. You must resist the temptation to demonstrate the breadth of your embrace of deviant theology, refusing to compromise even a little.
Christ authenticates the Second Psalm as Messianic by citing it here.
He will rule them with an iron sceptre;
he will dash them to pieces like pottery
Not only does He authenticate this Psalm as applying to Himself, but He also makes the offer to share His reign with those who stand firm without compromising. He begins this letter by identifying Himself as the Son of God, and He concludes the letter by revealing His reign as Messiah according to the Word of God.
How many otherwise good Christians have sacrificed Christ’s promise through giving in to the pressure to be tolerant? We cannot know what losses some have suffered because they sought to be well liked in their community. The “funny damned mentalists” will be ridiculed and derided throughout this life, and the most painful mockery is that which is bruited about by fellow Christians who, though knowing that our stance is correct, do not wish to be identified as intolerant or narrow minded.
The overcomer will receive the morning star, a promise iterating that which was just advanced. This particular meaning is confirmed from Numbers 24:17-19.
I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a sceptre will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.
Edom will be conquered;
Seir, his enemy, will be conquered,
but Israel will grow strong.
A ruler will come out of Jacob
and destroy the survivors of the city.
The Messiah is identified as a star and a sceptre who will crush the skulls of the nations. Strengthening this identification is the knowledge that this One shall be a ruler out of Jacob. Christians who overcome and refuse to compromise will share in the reign of Messiah. The implication is that those who compromise reveal their hearts desire, whereas those who refuse to give in to pressure to tolerate just a little bit of error reveal that they are more concerned about God’s glory than about their own peace in the world.
I recall the discomfort of a fellow pastor in a certain town who phoned to invite me to lead the congregation I pastored to unite in a night of prayer for Christian unity. When I stated my refusal and my reason for such co-operation, I asked why he united to pray with those who were quite clearly unbelievers. His people would draw the conclusion that he was lending approval of their deviant doctrines through his union. He murmured that he agreed with me, but could not face the prospect that some would think him unkind. Yet another pastor, facing the same issue, stated to me that he did not wish to face his church board should he not compromise. I’m not questioning their Christian faith, but I do wonder about their suitability to lead. I encouraged either of those pastors to stand firm with me in refusing to compromise and not to give in to the pressure to compromise just a little. My encouragement fell on deaf ears.
It is fitting that I suggest appropriate applications for us as a congregation. Certainly, any application I should make would apply to each of us as individuals. Consider the following points of application which are readily suggested by the text. Write them down in the margin of your Bible for later reference.
Activity is not necessarily indicative of blessing. Don’t be surprised. The Thyatiran church was commended for its deeds [e[rga]. It was a loving church, even a church exhibiting great faith. The service [diakonivan] and perseverance demonstrated by this congregation was commendable. Moreover, they were growing; they were more active at the time Christ addressed them then they had been at the first. Nevertheless, they were tolerating evil. They had compromised their testimony and brought upon themselves one of the most severe threats issued by the Risen Son of God to His churches. Death faced them, unless they repented.
Just so, activity is no gauge of spiritual blessing. Some of the largest assemblies may be among the most compromised assemblies. Likewise, some of the congregations with the most activity may be more compromised than you could ever imagine. If you think that the pressure to conform is great in a small town, the pressure increases exponentially as the size of the congregation increases.
Wrong teaching can come from gifted individuals. Don’t be misled. Gifted speakers are not always right. Harry Fosdick was one of the most gifted speakers of the past century. Long pastor of Riverside Church in New York City, Harry Emerson Fosdick was a spokesman for liberalism. He ridiculed the faith of the servants of God, ridiculed their naïve acceptance of the Bible as authoritative, and ridiculed their belief in heaven and in salvation. Nevertheless, hundreds of thousands either listened to him or read his sermons on a weekly basis.
Gifted individuals are responsible to adhere to the revealed Word of God. They do not have a luxury of preaching their own suppositions or parading their doubts as truth. The people of God are responsible to scrutinise the teaching of those purporting to be ministers of the Word, holding them to the standard of what is revealed in the Word. Ultimately, you the congregation are responsible to ensure that the church is not led into error. Ultimately, you as an individual are responsible to ensure that you don’t tolerate just a little bit of error. Watch out for what you tolerate. Watch out what you swallow.
Deceptive actions can hurt even the innocent. Don’t be stubborn. Most of us are prone to support time-honoured institutions. We are often incapable of distinguishing between that which honours God and the institution which has existed throughout much of our lifetime. It is what pleases God which must gauge our actions.
One of the grave censures issued by the Lord Jesus was that against the Pharisees when He said, Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel [Matthew 23:16-24].
The grave sin of the Pharisees was honouring institutions over the God of those institutions. Just so, good people can sometimes turn a blind eye to practises which dishonour God because those practises are performed within the context of beloved institutions. A beloved church which has existed for a long time may be excused as it slides into compromise because a person thinks he or she does not wish to injure that beloved church. A pastor dearly loved by the people will be excused for an ungodly act because he is loved and the people do not wish to hurt him.
The warning to you is to watch out. Don’t be stubborn and foolishly promote the welfare of some institution over the glory of God. We are to serve the Lord God and every action must be presented before Him for either His approval or for His censure. Don’t stubbornly cling to error just because it seems to preserve some institution.
Timely words can encourage demoralised individuals. Don’t be hesitant. Even among the people of God in Thyatira were some who had refused to compromise. To them, the Son of God offered encouragement, just as He encourages us. Encouragement comes in the form of a warning and a recitation of the consequences of obedience. Disobedience brings death; but obedience brings exaltation and a share in the reign of the Messiah.
In a similar manner, we can either be agents of life or agents of death to those about us. We can either encourage them to do right and stand with them, or we can cave in to the pressure to compromise and lead others into a march leading to death. Paul reminds us as Christians that we are the fragrance of Christ regardless of our situation. He speaks of being the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved just as we are the aroma of Christ to those who are perishing. To the latter we are the smell of death; to the former we are the fragrance of life [2 Corinthians 2:15, 16]. How we live and what we say will either condemn or encourage others. Let us determine that we will both stand firmly with Christ and encourage others to stand with Him.
To the lost, we invite you to now believe this message of life in Christ the Lord. We declare to you that God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God [2 Corinthians 5:21]. Thus, we call you to faith in the Son of God. Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Reject Him, and you remain under condemnation. Our invitation is an invitation to life as you place your faith in Him who loved you and gave Himself for you. Amen.
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[1] Charles R. Swindoll, Letters to Churches … Then and Now (Insight for Living, Fullerton, CA 1982) 14
[2] G. K. Beale, The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Book of Revelation (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI 1999) 259
[3] Beale, op. cit. 209
[4] Henry Alford, The Greek New Testament (Moody, Chicago, IL 1958) 573, cited in John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Moody, Chicago, IL 1966) 73
[5] Beal, op. cit. 261