Matthew Poole and continuators on Revelation 3:20

20 Behold, I stand at the door , and knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door , I will come in to him , and will sup with him, and he with me .

There is a double Interpretation of this Text, each of them claiming under very valuable Interpreters, some making it a Declaration of Christ's readiness to come into Souls, and to give them a spiritual Fellowship and Communion with himself. Others interpreting it of Christ's readiness to come to the last Judgment, and to take his Saints into an eternal joyful Fellowship and Communion with himself: Hence there is a different Interpretation of every Sentence in the Text, I stand at the Door; either in my Gospel-dispensations, I stand at the Door of Sinners Hearts, or, I am ready to come to judge the World.

And knock by the inward Monitions and Impressions of my Spirit, or my Ministers more externally: Or, I am about to knock, that is, I am ready to have the last Trump sounded.

That is, If any Man will hearken to the Counsels, and Exhortations of my Ministers, and to the Monitions of my Spirit, and not resist my Holy Spirit: Or, If any Man hath heard my Voice, and opened his Heart to me,

I will come in by my Spirit, and all the saving-Influences of my Grace: Or, I will come to him as a Judge to acquit him.

And I will have a Communion with him in this Life, he shall eat my Flesh, and dr[illegible: 1 letter]nk my Blood: Or, I will have an eternal Fellowship and Communion with him in my Glory. The Phrase seems rather to [illegible: 1 letter]avour the first Sense, the so frequent mention before of Christ's coming to Judgment, and the Reward of another Life, as Arguments to perswade the Angels of the Churches to their Duty, favours the latter Sense.

Marginal references: Cant. 5.2. Joh. 14.23.