others, but still they would have the common interest in it which all the church would have, and, in their circumstances of trial, there might be important reasons why _they_ should see the assurance that the church would ultimately triumph over all its enemies. They were to derive from it themselves the consolation which it was fitted to impart in time of trial, and to transmit it to future times, for the welfare of the church at large. ¶ _Unto Ephesus._ Perhaps mentioned first as being the capital of that portion of Asia Minor; the most important city of the seven; the place where John had preached, and whence he had been banished. For a particular description of these seven churches, see the Notes on the epistles addressed to them in ch. ii., iii. 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw [83]seven golden candlesticks; 12. _And I turned to see the voice that spake with me._ He naturally turned round to see who it was that spake to him in this solitary and desolate place, where he thought himself to be alone. To see _the voice_ here means to see _the person_ who spake. ¶ _And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks._ These were the _first_ things that met his eye. This must have been in _vision_, of course, and the meaning is, that there _seemed_ to be there seven such lamps or candelabras. The word rendered _candlesticks_ (λυχνία) means properly a light-stand, lamp-stand――something to bear up a light. It would be applied to anything that was used for this purpose; and nothing is intimated, in the use of the word, in regard to the form or dimensions of the light-bearers. Lamps were more commonly used at that time than candles, and it is rather to be supposed that these were designed to be lamp-bearers, or lamp-sustainers, than _candlesticks_. They were seven in number; not one branching into seven, but seven standing apart, and so far from each other that he who appeared to John could stand among them. The lamp-bearers evidently sustained each a light, and these gave a peculiar brilliancy to the scene. It is not improbable that, as they were designed to represent the seven churches of Asia, they were arranged in an order resembling these churches. The scene is not laid in the temple, as many suppose, for there is nothing that resembles the arrangements in the temple except the mere fact of the _lights_. The scene as yet is in Patmos, and there is no evidence that John did not regard himself as there, or that he fancied for a moment that he was translated to the temple in Jerusalem. There can be no doubt as to the _design_ of this representation, for it is expressly declared (ver. 20) that the seven lamp-bearers were intended to represent the seven churches. Light is often used in the Scriptures as an emblem of true religion; Christians are represented as “the light of the world” (Mat. v. 14; comp. Phi. ii. 15; Jn. viii. 12), and a