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18. And cried, when they saw the smoke of her burning,
דΓ λ Ä ί l Ï ^ S : t r יi : ë ^ ^ : ä : ï ; ; d cried, weeping
linessl for in one hour is she made desolate.
V s 9-19 — A t the fall of Babylon some of the
kings'who bad been hcv supporter.s, will lament tor
her while utterly unable to protect her, and afraul oi
partaking of her plagues. It may be proper to re-
L r k , t h i t the w i r d translated ^^^^ ' יs,''and repeated
in this chapter, is the same m the Greek text as that
^ h i c h is rendered, " w o e " in ch viii 1 3 ; from whmh
fact we are to infer that the fall of mystical baby¬
Ion described in this chapter comes ^^^'^^^f^^
three, or probably the seventh trumpe . Th^* *1«
Turkish empire is to be overthrown V the sixth
trumpet or second woe, and gradually exhausted by
the s L t h vial, hardly admits of a doubt: but it do
not necessardy follow, that sa.d trumpet a ״d via are
to terminate when that judgment ends E a c h trum¬
pet and vial may continue its effects for some t me
after the following one commences.—Kmgs, mei-
chants and shipmasters are mentioned as chiei mourn¬
ers, while they are helpless spectators of this judg¬
ment In all this narrative there is plain allusion to
the language of Old Testament prophets who predict¬
ed the destruction of the enemies of God s people
as Babvlon Tyre, E g v p t . A l l these powerful king-
r i o Ä e bee'n madf^iesolate for their idolatry and
cruelty; and thus history comes in aid 01 prophecy
to confirm the faith of the saints The moral go¬
vernment of the Most H i g h is umform and he 11 .ג
execute vengeance upon his and Zion s impenitent
enemies The merchandise and lamentations are
borrowed from Ezek. x x v i i . In ver. 13 there is men¬
tion made of "the persons of m e n " as part of the
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TllE Al'OCALYPSE. 255
America from complicity in the c ״m e s of mystic ba
b X as one of her dependencies? Whde earthly
i l . i a ״s , sustained by - i ״e ״t divines prock^^
0 the world in gushing oratory * *^־י.^^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
π η asylum for the oppressed of all nat 0ns, - - the
and Ä e free, and the home of the brave ; ' per-
ban the e never was a more effectual refutation of
his popular sentiment, accompanied with a more
b t n g X c a s m , than that w^hich was uttered m den-
sivè song by he sable, coffled chain-gang in the
^ streets of the national c a p i t a l , - " Hail ! Columbia,
^ ^ ; 1 1 ^ ״ ו ^ ת ! ו- וwho are acquainted with the in-
^i-^P^^ I n d n Ä a r h i s t o r y of the United States,
S ^ w tl a U h Ä the " Man of Sin "always
ga^r their suffrages for the support and continuance
' ' ^ : : ' ; : : f ^ r l j o i the articles of merchandise
here enumerated, is calculated to impress the reader
S the idea of the wealth, luxury, splendor and
elf indu ״ence of the metropolis of the idolatrous
Roman empire, the "mother and mistress of all
churches.'׳-i-The prophetic declaration, however -
״X h feigned words shall they make merchandise
of you " 1 2 Pet. ii. 3,) is not confined to the Romish
communion. This fraffic, in souls, pervades all the
tree's of symbolic B a b y l o n . - T h e - e r t h r o w is sud
a e ״and - ^ P . e c t e d - ^n onehour^ J h i s i thrice
S t " ' i s Ä e d ' t o ' h l r prototype in her fearful
end. " T h e y saw the smoke of her burning. (Gen.
xix. 28.)
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'^Ο Rcj־.;lce over her, thou henveu, und ye holy apostles and
prop'hetsi ior God hath aveiged you on her.
γ 20.—Judgments ort the impenitent enemies of
God"and of the saints, are mercies to the cliurch.
(Ps cxxxvi 15-20;) and consequently, while the
former are lamenting for the fall of the great city,
the latter are exhorted to rejoice in her ruin,—all the
members of the church in general, and " h o l y apos-
ties and prophets" in particular. The apostles are
daily worshipped at Korne in their supposed like¬
nesses the work of the "cunning artificer; but here
they are mentioned as rejoicing in the destruction ot
the idolatrous sinners who so greatly dishonoured
them, and detracted from the glory of God.—As .
"there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repent-
cth ' ׳so is there over the destruction of the impeni¬
tent. (Jer. l i . 48.) " So let all thine enemies perish,
0 L o r d . " (Judges v. 31.)
")1 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mill-
.tone and east it into the sea, saying, Thus wUh violence
Hhail th!^ great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be
^ ί Γ ״Γ 1 " : ״ί ^ · ο ί • harpers, and musicians, and of pipei.
. ״d trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all 111 thee ; and no
; f t S ״Γοί• whatsoev craft he be, shall be found any more
;•;;thee i - I d the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more
"'a! I n S e light of a candle shall shine no more at all in
thee• and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shal
be h^a^d no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the
great men 01 the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations
deceived.
Yg . 7 1 _ 9 3 _ T h e emblem of " a great millstone
cast in"io the sea," is a very striking indication of
the sudden and irretrievable ruin of mystic Babylon,
and contains an allusion to Jer. 11. 63 6 4 . - I h e re
moval of " musicians, craftsmen, candles, etc., Irom
this devoted city, as they plainly point to the statu-
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TUK APOCAhVi'SK. 257
ary, music and paintings which have -"racted^m^^^^^
titudes to the idolatry, superstition and harlotry 0
t i c h r i s t i a n Rome, - p l - f ^I'J P - f ^j^^^.
and perpetual desolation of papal Rome Ihe lan_
cniage is borrowed from Isa xxiv. b;, xxv i^U
F z e k x x v i . 1 3 . - H e r merchants being he g eat
S m i of i e earth," and the - r c e r i e s y avhich
the nations were deceived, very Ρ ^ " ״Υ
successful traffic of the "mother ot harlots, - t h e
church of Rome.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
and of all that were sUiu upon the earth. _
V 2 4 . - W h e n the Lord "maketh inqmsition for
blood " the "blood of all that ^^ere slam ^P0^^\l
e i r h ' " - l > r Chrisfs sake, will be found m the skirt
oftlds J e i b e l . Papal Rome ^as shed more innocen^
blood than pagan Rome; thtin ^^^^l^ }jJ^J^
: i f u i X S e r emlorsed a l l the - r d e r o u s persecu¬
tions h-om A b e l down to the present day. (Luke x i .
ro V l Acts v i i . 5 2 . ) - N ״w when we contemplate
in ׳tl light of prophecy, confirmed by authentm ^^^^^^^
toi V, t h ? numberless, aggravated and 1 0 ; g ; ; " ^ ^ ; ;
crimes of Babylon the great, her pride, (v• J O her
c uehy, (V. 3,/her luxury^ her tyranny, b e ^ ^ o j a t r y
her foinication, her impenitence m a l l , ־- c a n w^ hes!
t ä t e to acquiesce in the righteousness of bei tinai
Som, or t^ j o i n in the plaudits of the samts in the
next chapter? ^
CHAPTEH XIX.
honour, and power, unto the L o i d our G o d .
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2. For true and righteous are his judgments : for he hath
judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her
iornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her
hand.
3. And again they said, Alleluia. A n d her smoke rose up
for ever and ever.
4. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell
down and v״orshipped God that sat on tl;e throne, saying,
Amen; Alleluia.
Vs. 1-4.—The frequent repetition of the Hebrew
word " A l l e l u i a " in this chapter, may perhaps be an
intimation of something which specially relates to the
Jews. The perpetuity of the covenant made with
Abraham, renewed to Isaac, and confirmed to Jacob,
(Ps. cv, 9, 10,) is clearly taught in the Scriptures.
(Gen. xvii. 7; Acts i i . 39; Rom. iv. 13; Gal. iii.
14, 29.)
It has been already intimated, (ch. x i . 15,) that at
the sounding of the seventh truiOpet, "there were
great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this
Avorld are become the kivgdoms of our Lord and of
his Christ; and he (Christ,) shall reign for ever and
ever." Beholding the overthrow of Babylon, all the
people of God Avere invited, (ch. xviii. 20,) to "re¬
joice over her," for her downfall Avas efi'ccted under
the last trumpet and vial. With that invitation the
saints here joyfully comply. 3Iuch people in hea¬
ven,'' implies a great augmentation of their number,
and as " h e a v e n ' ' signifies the church on earth, we
are warranted to expect a )•apid increase of her mem¬
bership as the consequence of the sounding of the
seventh trumpet. — A t the pouring out of the third
vial, (ch. xvi. 7,) the angel of the altar said, "True
and righteous arc thy jmigmcnts." The very same
sentiment is repeated here by the "much people,"—
all the saints. I'bus they recognise the faithfulness
and justice of God, as he heard and ansM־ered the
cry of the "soids under the altar;'' (ch. vi. 9, 10,)
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T H E APOCALYP.SE. 250
for he had now "avenged their b l o o d " and that of
their "brethren that had been killed as they were,
upon them that dwell on the earth,—the population
of mystic Babylon. (Ps. cxxxvii. 8, 9.) " A n d agam
they said, Allelulia ; and her smoke rose up for ever
and ever," like that of Sodom. In a l l this, the mi¬
nistry and members of the whole church cordially
join, adding their hearty and solemn " A m e n !
For this protracted joy and exulting praise, two
causes seem to be i n operation, God's judgment on
Babylon, and his mercy on Zion. Both are matter
of praise. (Ps. c i . 1.)
5. A n d a voice came out of the throne, saying. Praise our
God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and
^ T \ n d I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and
as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thun-
derings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God Omnipotent reign-
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to״11n; for
the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made
^ ' 8 ! ׳A n T t o ־h e r was granted, that she should be arrayed in
fine Hnen, clean and white; for the fine Imenisthe righteous-
" T l ï h Î saith unto me, Write, blessed are they which
are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. Ana ne
saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Vs. 5-9.—This happy company are called upon
to renew their song. The call seems to come from
some one Avho is authorized to speak with authority,
"out of the throne." A l l the servants of God are
invited, and a l l appear to respond, " a great multi¬
tude." This is the most animated of all the exam-
pies of praise recorded in this book. It is compared
to the rushing of waters down a cataract, as the roar¬
ing of the sea, or the rolling of thunder in the hea¬
vens. It is •indeed the "voice of them that shout
for mastery,"—and " a l l the people shout with a
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great shout, for the Lord hath given them the c i t y , " —
" A l l e l u i a , praise ye the Lord, for the Lord God om¬
nipotent rciaueth." "Thou wilt perform the truth
to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast
sworn unto our fathers from the days of o l d . " —
These joyful victors encourage each other to prolong
their acclamations:—"Let us be glad and rejoice,"
. . . . " f o r the marriage of the Lamb is come:" and
what can that be, but the recalling of the Jews.f•
This is the day of our ISFew Testament Solomon's
espousals, and the day of the gladness of his heart.
(Song iii. I L ) — N o t only the Jews, but the great
majority of professing Christians during the 1260
years of Antichrist's usurpations, have refused to
"submit themselves to the righteousness of God,''
(Rom. X. 3.) The kings of the earth also have
fostered the pride ami proiligacy of the great whore,
instead of the bride of the Lamb. The lewd woman,
ami the woman in the wilderness hitherto, are now
to be distinguished. As their character and conduct
are diifercnt, so is their raiment. The gaudy and
splendid attire of tho former, is in striking contrast
with that of the latter; which is that of a "woman
professing godliness," (ch. xvii. 4; 1 T i m . i i . 10.) —
" T o her was granted,"—Precious words; for the
" L a m b ' s wife יof herself was utterly destitute, (ch.
i i i . 17.) The Jews, in the day of their Messiah's
power, (Psa. cx. 3,) convinced of the law as trans¬
gressors, will be brought to adopt the language of
their own prophet, (Is. Ixi. 10;) "he hath clothed
me Avith the garmeiits of salvation, he hath covered
me Avith the robe of righteousness." The righteous¬
ness of Christ imputed for justification, and the Spi¬
rit of Christ imparted for sanctification, together with
good Avorks, the visible evidence of both, Avill consti¬
tute tho "fine linen, clean and Avhite, Avhich is the
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THE APOCALYPSE. 261
righteousness of saints." This is, after all, a more
cmtly, as well as more comely attire, than that of
the mother of harlots. (Ps. xlv. 13, 14.)—"And he
saith.''—rhat is, say some, the angel, (ch. x v u . l ,
7 ; or ch. x v i i i . 1 ;) but we are rather to view him
as the same who brings a l l these messages from
Christ to the apostle, (ch. i . 1.) The angel pro¬
nounces those "blessed who are called to the mar¬
riage supper of the L a m b . " — I n the beginning of the
N e w Testament dispensation, the invitation was to a
dinner. (Matt. x x i i . 4.) The day wUl have been far
spent at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, when
Jews and Gentiles are called to this supper. It will
be the last greatfeast of the church militant. But who
shall live to partake of the banquet? The angel
gives his solemn attestation to "these sayings."
10. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto
me. See tlwu do it not; I am thy fellow-servant, and ot thy
brethren that have the testimony of Jesus. Worship bod : lor
the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
V . 10.—This is a surprising incident,—an aged,
experienced and holv man, an apostle, "falling doAvn
to Avorship the angel!" A n d we are told that he
relapsed into tbe same sin, (ch. x x i i . 8, 9.) L i k e
Peter on the mount, who "Avist not what to say;" or
Paul in the " t h i r d heaven . . . . whether in the body
or out of the body, he could not tell." (Mark ix. 6;
2 Cor. xii. 3.) John had become overpowered by the
visions and transported by the high praises which he
saw and heard. The like effects were experienced
by Daniel, (viii. 18; x. 8, 17.)—This sin of idolatry
bv the apostle was doubtless permitted by the L o r d ,
in order to furnish occasion for a testimony from the
angel, against the "voluntary humility and worship¬
ping of angels," (Col. ii. 18 ;) practised by the P a -
pisti, and to leave them without excuse.—The abrupt
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language of the angel in this and a subsequent case,
is strongly expressive of resentinent:—"See—not."
Such is the curt, sententious utterance in the Greek
text. He a.ssigns the best reason and strongest ar¬
gument against idolatry : — " I am thy fellow-servant,"
a creature as well as yourself: we are servants of one
Lord, who alone is the object of our devotion, "Wor¬
ship God.'' This is the best counsel, enforced by
the most cogent reasoning,—"For the testimony of
Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy." This sentence
may be read,—"The Spirit of prophecy is the testi-
nuכny of .)csus;" and it will be equally true. " T o
him give all the prophets witness,'' (Acts x. 43;) for
"the Spirit of Christ was in them;" (1 Pet. i . 11;)
and this fact is well known to holy angels. (Eph. i i i .
10; 1 Pet. i . 12.) So this angel plainly declares.
11. And I saw lieavfii 0|)e11ed, 1)זמ1, liphold, a white horse:
and he that sat ujioii liini Λvas called Faithful and True: and
in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12. His eyes were as a ila־ne of fire, and on his head were
many crowns: and he had a name written, that no man knew
but he himself.
1;i. A n d lie Avas clothed Avitli a \׳estnru dipped in blood:
and his n:\me is called The Word of Goil.
14. A n d the armies whicli were in heaven followed him
upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15. A n d out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with
it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a
rod of iron: and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God.
KNIG OF KIKGS, AÎ;D LOED OF LORDS.10 And he hath on his vesture, and on his thigh a name
written,
A^s. 1 1 - l C . — " H e a v e n opened" once more, allows
the apostle to look upon Messiah the Prince going
forth to fresh conquests. A s he began, (ch. v i , 2,)
so he continues, " i n righteousness to judge and make
war;'' not as the ambitious tyrants who "destroy the
earth,'' (ch. x i . 18.) H e has here three names,—
" Faithful and True, The Word of God, king of kings
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THE APOCALYPSE. 263
and Lord of lords; yet he has a " name written which
no man knoweth but he h i m s c l f . " - H i s infinite es¬
sence and eternal generation are incomprehemsible
by angels and m e n . - H e is, however, known by his
mediatorial t i t l e s , - " f a i t h f u l and true' to all cove¬
nant engagements; as the prophet of the church he
"declares the Father," making known the "word of
G o d • " and his lordship is at once a warning to his
enemies and security to his f r i e n d s . - " On his head
were many crowns," emblematical of his numerous
victories over the princes of the earth, especially the
" t o n kings," (ch. xvii. 1 4 . ) - " H i s eyes as a flame
of fire," going though the whole earth " i n every
place," (Prov. xv. 3;) render it impossible for his
enemies to elude discovery. (Jer. x x m . 24.)—Uis
"vesture dipped in blood," refers to his victories
over all his malicious and impenitent foes. (is. Ixm.
1-3· Rev xiv. 20.)—His "armies on white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean," are uniformed
like their leader, (ch. x i i . 7;) for "they that are
with him are called, and chosen, and faithful, (c 1.
x ^ i i 14.)—The weapon with >vhich he "smites Üie
nations" that oppose him, is the "sharp sword, an
emblem of his ruinous and avenging justice; tor he
"tradeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath
of Almighty G o d . " — " On his thigh," where he wears
his swonl, there is a legible inscription, indicating
his universal and righful authority.
17. A n d I saw an angel standing in the sun; and h^^
with a loud voice, saying to all the towls that Y \^
of heaven. Come and gather yourselves togethei imto the
supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, a1!< the Aesh ot
c a j t i n s , and'the flesh of mighty men, ^ ^ ; ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ : ^
and of them that sit on them, and the fltsh ot all men, Doiu
free and bond, both small and great.
lU. A n d I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and
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their arniies, gathered together to make war against him tliat
sat on the horse, and against Iiis army.
20. And the beiist was tiiken, and with him the false prophet
that wro\jght mirnclps before him, with which he deceived
them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that
worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake
of fire, burning with brimstone.
21. And the remnant were slain with t i e sword of him that
sat upon the hoi'se, which sword proceeded out of his mouth:
and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Vs. 17-21.—The positioii of the "angel standing
in the sun," and " c r y i n g with הloud voice;'' repre¬
sents, that Messiah's judgments Avould be visible to
all the world; and the extent of the invitation to
the " f o w l s , " indicates the vast slaughter of his ene¬
mies. Babylon being "utterly burned with tire,"
(ch. xvii. 16, xviii. 8,) as a suitable punishment of
an apostate cliurcli ; 1110"Π0311 of )•;ings, of captains,
of migljty men," etc., as a sacrifice to divine justice,
is given as a feast to the fowls of heaven. The al¬
lusion h(!rc is to the destruction of " G o g and Ma¬
gog." (Ezek. xxxix. 17-20.) These enemies of the
saints a,rc to appear and bo overthrown before the
rnillonniura ; and although John borrows tho names
of these enemies, (ch. xx. 8,) they are not the same
as those of E z e k i e l ; the one appearing before, tho
other after the thousand years. We have often
found the enemies of the church called in the Apoca¬
lypse by the names of persecutors nnder the Old
Testament ;—Babylon, Egypt, etc.—We may consider
the "fowls,'' the birds of prey, as symbolizing tho
kings Λγΐιο retaliate upon Babylon; (as in ch. xvii.
16;) or rather, as the L o r d ' s people reclaiming their
own, of which they lurd been uttjustly and long de¬
prived,—"spoiling the Egyptians," (Exod. x i i . 36.)
Soine suppose that the confederacy of the " k i n g s
of the earth'' with the beast, (v. 19,) is a distinct
attack from that mentioned in chapter seventeenth;
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•Illli APOCALVr.^lî. 2G5
(V 14;) but perhaps it is safer to co.tsider it as
he same, only more distinctly and fully exhibi ed
W e Indeed it seems, from the agency of he
"false prophet," to be the same event as that under
the sTxth vial, (ch. xvi. 14;) preparing to the battle
0 Irnageddoti. The Lord Jesus as "captainof
îhe Lord^ hosts," and the army of heaven following
'n>, all of them on white horses, appear to be on
he one side; and the beast with the kings of the
earth nstigated by the false prophet, on the other
The ank and file, like their leaders are described
as havin" ״received the mark of the beast and wor-
ïrippe ?lis image." But the beast of the earth,
cl xiii. 11,) causes all ranks to receive the mark
i n d worship the image of the beast, (-· ! י י ־/ ^ •
The beast of the earth, the woman, atid the false
prophet, all mean the same thing; and that is, an
S a t e church in ttUiance with tyrannical civil pow¬
ers ich xvii. 3.) Now, if the great city Babylon, a
svmbol which comprises the whole antichristian con¬
federacy, has been utterly destroyed, as appears in
the eighteenth chapter, whence come these enemies
beariii" the same characters.? The only solution of
this apparent diûiculty is by supposing as we have
done, that this is a re-exhibition of what has been
more obscurely symbolized, (ch. xiv. 20 ; xvi 17 ,
xvii. 16; xviii. 2, 8, 20,) in order more distmctly to
point out the end of two principal lealers,-tl1e
"beast and the false prophet," the empire and church
״f Rome "These both were cast alive into a lake
: fire burning with brimstone."-" The remnant
were slain " When the leaders were discomfited,
the ranks were soon broken, and the whole army
melted away. They were slain with Messiah s sword,
the emblem of his justice, (ch. i . 16.)
Thus "Babylon is fallen, to rise no more at a l l .
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all Ibo visible enemios of tl.e Lord and his Anointed
AVIOare cut oli from the face of tlie e a r t h : and it remains
only that lie originated the rebellious conspiracy
JIO put under necessary restraint.
CHAPTER X X .
1. And I saw an an־:el come down from heaven, havin ״the
i־ss tüh,ee ddeèvÎiil, a. ndrl Satan, and'Λb'o׳u^n"df h:״iיm^'a״*יt*hoג״uג׳sa«n"d•Pyeneta,rsw. hich
« !;״i / ' ^"ו 1"''" ״,י׳ pit, and shut him up,
and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations
no more, t.ll the thou.sand years should be fuÎlbled L d aft^^^
that, he must be loosed a little season.
.1 V o , ' ^ ' ' • ' ~ ־/ ' ! ^ ''''' ^ " This angel is
the L o r d Christ (011. x. 1.) The key is the symbol
of author, y (Ls. x.vii. 2 2 ; chs. i . 18; üj. 7.) The
dragonhad been previously cast down from heaven,
ch x i i . 9;) by tiie Reformation, and durin•^ tho
•short tune of his liberty, he persecuted the woman
and the remnant of lier seed, on the earth. Now
liowever. Ins career is arrested. " S e i z i n g , bindi״11,'
ca.st״,g , ״1 0 tl.e abyss, shutting up, and s e t t i ״ ״° à
seal upon that old sei^pent," (ch. x i i . 9,) are strong
ligurative expressions, by which his secure confine¬
ment is signified. Thus is the devil to be restrained
irom deceiving the nations for a "thousand years."
J hat this period is to be taken in a proper, and not
m a mystical sense, appears thus. I f we multiply
one taousand by three hundred and sixty, as some
fancifully do, the resulting number of years, three
hundred and sixty thousand, would be out of all pro¬
portion to the past duration of the world, as well as
the well-defined period of 1260 years. A d d to this
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THE APOCALYPSE. 267
that when by Daniel and John definite duration is
symbolically mentioned, it is by " months, days ;
time, times and a half a time,'' or " the dividing of
time,''—never by "years."
A t the expiration of the thousand years, Satan
will be loosed a " l i t t l e season,"—Uttle, as compared
with the thousand years; so little, as not to be
deemed worth estimating.
4. A n d I saw thrones, and tEey sat upon them, and judg¬
ment was given unto them: and 1 saw the souls of them that
were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of
God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his
image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads,
or in their hands: and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years.
V . 4 . — " A n d I saw thrones.'' Here there is no
mention of heaven being opened. Nothing hence¬
forth obstructs John's vision. " T h e darkness is
past, and the true light now shineth.''—"At evening
time it shall be light." (Zech. x i v . 7 . ) — " A n d they
sat on them." Who.''—There is here what may be
termed a remarkable chasm in the language of the
text. There is no visible or proximate antecedent.
Who are they who " s i t on thrones.?" D i d Millina-
rians only put this question, and patiently search
for the solution in the context, agreeably to the alle¬
gorical texture of this whole book, a l l their halluci¬
nations might be easily and happily obviated. The
inspired writer assumes, of course, that the reader
will readily identify these persons, who are thus pro-
!noted to honour, now that Antichrist is no more,
and society is to be reorganized.—Daniel furnishes
a satisfactory answer to our question. " I beheld
till the thrones were cast down." (Dan. vii. 9.) The
Roman imperial thrones of civil despotism were sub¬
verted. A g a i n , — " B u t the judgment shall sit, and
they shall take away his dominion, to consume and
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to destroy it ״: , t o the end." (v. 20.) The Rom
imperial throne of ecclesiastical domination shal
destroyed Tlien when Messiah " s h a l l have p
down all rule, and all authority and power," of bo
sorts of tyranny, "the kingdom and dominion, a
the greatness of tho kingdom under the whole he
ven, shall be given to the people of the saints of t
M o s t H i g h , whoso kingdom is an e v e r l a s t i n ״k i n
dom and all dominions, (rulers) shall serve and o
him ' (v. 27.) Tiie "saints of the Most H i g h , " a
cording to Daniel, are to be exalted to civil rule, an
these are the same whom John saw ".sitting o
thrones.' Now, the eifect of the seventh trump
becomes a fact in history.—" The kingdoms of t l
world, which had been controlled by the beast, an
botwitched by the sorceries of the lewd woma
are becoine the kingdoms of our L o r d and of id
U i r i s t . —hor in the millennial state of the worl
there will be ^ plumllty of kingdoms.—lUnce a ver
common petition of pious but ignorant people,
l i i a t the kingdoms of this world may soon becom
the kingdom of our Lord a n d Saviour Jesus Christ
neither will, nor ever can bo answered.—Under th
righteous a n d benign a׳11ninistration of the saint
k־n;gs shall be nursing-fathers, and their queen
nursing-mothers to the church:" for "the nation
and kingdoms that would not serve her, have perishe
yea, those nations have been utterly wasted " i l s
xl.x. 2 3 ; Ix 1 2 . ) - T h e souls which the apost
saw under che altar, whose cry for vengeance h
heard and who were directed to rest for a little sea
son, till the roll of their martyred brethren shoul
be completed, are here presented in quite a new po¬
sition, " s i t t i n g on thrones," (ch. v i . 9.) A l t h o u U
they are not the same identical persons physically
they are the same morally; for the life of the twÎ>
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THE APOCALYPSE. 269
man witnesses is commensurate with the reign of Anti¬
l be christ,—twelve hundred and sixty years. These
put "lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years; that
oth is, in their successive generations: for otherwise they
and would over-live the age of Methuselah !—Souls are
ea¬ here evidently persons, and not souls as distinct from
the bodies, as some needlessly argue against Millenarians :
n״- for "foreheads" and "hands'" are attributed to them:
ohey but foreheads cannot be fiterally ascribed to those
ac¬ who had been "beheaded."' Their living is to be
nd understood of their succeeding to the same scriptural
on position occupied by their predecessors, as well as
pet succeeding them in the order of natural generation.
lis I'he Holy Spirit says, " Levi, who receiveth tithes,
nd paid tithes in A b r a h a m . " (Heb. vii. 9, 10.) E l i j a h
an, reappeared in the person of John the Baptist. (Matt,
ds xi. 14.) Jezebel and Balaam were recognised in their
ld, wicked successors, (ch. i i . 14, 20.) But this is the
ry very structure of the Apocalypse, being composed of
,-- hieroglyphics, that the free agency of the wicked might
be left untrammelled, and the diligence of God's peo-
me ]lie might be tested iu "searching the Scriptures."
"
5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand
he years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
ts,
ns V . 5.—"The rest of the dead" supposes two classes
ns of the dead. These are the witnesses, who died a
ed · violent and cruel death, and the wicked, who died a
s' natural death,—there "were no bands in their death.'"
tb A s there are two kinds of death, so are there two
he kinds of resurr-ection,—a first and second of each.
a¬ Those who had been "beheaded for the witness of
d Jesus," etc., lived in their successors,—sat on thrones,
o¬ reigned vrith Christ a thousand years. Of course
U those who Avere slain by Christ and his army at the
y, battle of Armageddon, and whose flesh was given to
> the fowls of heaven, " l i v e d not again'' in their sue-
19
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cessors, " u n t i l the thousand jcars were finished."
Consequently, " this is the first resurrection," Avith
which the true disciples of• Christ shall be honoured.
I h e y must, however, die as all others, and await the
second )•esurrection: but " on them the second death
shall have no power."
6. Bles.׳ed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurree-
tion; on such the second death hath no power; but they shall
thoSsanïylri"' "^''"^׳ '""'^ ^^^^ ^^''' יי
V . 6—"Blessed and holy,"—and blessed, because
holy; ior sm is the procuring cause of misery. This
IS a summary description of the millennial period,
i h e dragon being bound by the almighty power of
Christ, and not permitted to deceive the nations,
wars shall cease unto the ends of all the earth : the
population of the globe must be rapidly and greatly
multiplied beyond all precedent. (Ps. xlvi. 9,^ Ixxii.
0nUx\ ί man will be prolonged; (Isa. Ixv.
^υ-.^ο,) holiness, righteousness and praise shall sprin״
forth before ail the nations, (Ixi. 11.) °
That condition of our globe, which divines call tho
m1lle71mum,—a state of holiness and happiness, sc-
Cond only to the enjoyment of heavenly felicity, is as
clearly and frequently promised to God's people, as
the promise of the Messiah was under the former
economy. B u t a s many were " i n expectation that
the kingdom of God should immediately appear,"
who then entertained unwarrantable and carnal con¬
ceptions of the Messiah's person and reign, just such
groundless and gross expectations and aspirations
are cherished now. A literal resurrection of all the
righteous, who shall have died before the millennium
IS supposed to take place at the personal appearance
of Christ; and this, too, before the general judgment.
i5y personal, they mean corporeal: for tho L o r d
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THE APOCALYPSE. 271
Christ promised his gracious personal presence with
his people all days, when he Avas about to disappear
from their bodily vision. (Matt, xxviii. 20.) " To
them that look for him shall he appear the second
time, (not a third,) without sin unto salvation." (Heb.
ix. 2 8 ; Rev. i . 7.) Besides, is it for a moment sup-
posable that saints Avho have passed into glory, are
to be brought upon earth to conflict once more Avith
enemies, when Gog and Magog shall surround the
ץcamp of the saints.?" Such is a specimen of ques¬
tions suggested by the Millenarian system, which
have failed of either scriptural or rational solution
by all the learning and ingenuity of its fanciful ad-
vacates.
The whole series of the Apocalypse proves that
the two witnesses live and prophesy throughout the
1260 years of Antichrist's reign. Their lives and
their testimony end together, (ch, x i , 7.) B u t the
beast that slays them is himself with his ally, the
false prophet, at the close of the contest, cast alive
into the lake of fire, (ch. xix, 20.)
After three and a half prophetical days, the Avit-
nesses are raised, and ascend up to heaven, (ch. x i .
12;) and this is the identical fact which is more fully
presented here in the 20th chapter. The resurree-
tion of the witnesses in the 11th chapter is a spiri¬
tual and mystical resurrection in the persons of their
successors; the heaven to Avhich they were exalted is
a mystical heaven : and just so of those beheaded
and advanced, after their resurrection, to positions
of civil and ecclesiastic power as i n this 20th chapter.
Thus exalted, and ruling in the fear of God, they
become a terror to evil doers, and a praise to them
that do well. (Rom. x i i i . 3.) Then shall be realized
the glorious predictions of Isaiah and the Sweef
Psalmist of Israel. (Isa. xi. 1-9; Ps. Ixxii. 1,)
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V. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be
loosed out of his prison. *
8. A n d shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them to¬
gether to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the
sea.
9. A n d they went up on the breadth of the earth, and com¬
passed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and
fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
V s . 7 - 9 . — " S a t a n shall he loosed out of his pri¬
son.''—The L o r d Christ will remove the restraint
Avhich had repressed the chief enemy during the
thousand years, that the Faithful and True Witness
may give a final testimony to the moral universe,
that neither the philosophy of proud man, nor the
law of Moses,—no, nor the ordinances of the gospel,
Avill ever change the nature of a sinner:—That nei¬
ther judgments nor mercies have any efficacy to sub¬
due the stubborn will, or renew the desperately
wicked heart of man; and that it is a righteous thing
ivith God to render tribulation to them that trouble
his saints and insult his Majesty.
Thus released " f o r a little season,'' the prime ene¬
my goes out as before to "deceive the nations." H e
is successful. " The rest of the dead," Avho lived not
again during the 1000 years, at once re-appear in
the persons of their genuine successors. They are
the children of them that killed the witnesses;—the
seed of the serpent aiming a last fatal stroke at the
seed of the woman.—They are called " G o g and Ma¬
gog;'' and because of the identity of names, many
have supposed them to be the .same as those enemies
of the people of God described by Ezekiel, (chs.
xxxviii., xxxix.) This view is, however, without
sanction i n the Scriptures. The characters are rays-
tical according to the uniform structure of the Apo¬
calypse. Ezekiel's Gog and Magog come from the
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THE APOCALYPSE. 273
"north quai'ters;" those of .John from the "four
quarters or corners of tho earth.'' It is also proba¬
ble, if not absolutely certain, that the enemies pre-
dieted by Ezekiel are to appear before, while those
of John are to arise after the millennium. The over¬
throw of Gog and Magog, foretold by Ezekiel, is evi¬
dently connected with the conversion of the Jews,
(ch. xxxix. 22,29;) but that event must precede the
millennial period. (Rom. x i . 26.)—Magog is reck¬
oned with Meshech and Tubal among the sons of
Japheth, (Gen. x. 2;) and those nations called in
history Scythians and Tartars, in the " north quar¬
ters" of Europe and A s i a , as well as the " i s l e s of
the Gentiles," are supposed to be their descendants.
By the "three unclean spirits," (ch. x v i . 13,) a con¬
federacy was effected under the sixth vial to the bat¬
tie of Armageddon; and the same is again presented
in ch. x i x . 20, as the final attempt against the saints
previously to the mülennium, when two of the prime
instigators, the beast and the false prophet, are cast
into the lake of fire. Thus we may suppose eastern
and western Antichrist finally destroyed.
Ezekiel's Gog and Magog being slain in the battle
of Armageddon, how or where shall we find those of
John.? They are to be found precisely on the same
principle on which Ave find the witnesses of Christ i n
this chapter. Satan is loosed " a little season,"—
little as compared with the thousand years of Mes-
slab's r e i g n ; or rather, as compared with the 1260
years of the dragon's successful enterprises against
the saints through the beast and false prophet as
agents. I'hese being now cast into the lake of fire,
Satan is for ever deprived of their agency. During
the mUlennial period people will be born in sin as at
other times; and at the close of that happy period.
Almighty God will display his sovereignty by with-
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t w o n l V r ' ' ^^]f ^ ^''^ demonstration may b
g n e to all the world of the necessity and efficac
'^' ^'''•^V V i t h ״, t f r ' ׳/ " ״f ^ «i
rlo.Z i\ ^"^^״f«t1« ״of the beast or the fa
?״Λ ' "ייי.^''''ז׳^־ direct tempta
ions to gather together to battle a multitude of th
•same spint ^sEzekieVs Gog and Magog display
Ο Π Ο Η Γ V ^'^'^י'' *'''יי* ^''''^ י ^g "••^־till th
Z, ״finished." As the "deadl
Aound of the mv,l beast "was healed," and he re
ce vod a. new hf^. to the astonishment of spectators
f,,*^'' witnesses received " t h e Spirit o
] fe from G o d , " to the dismay of their enemies ; (chs
Ä 1 . 11; XX 4,) so Gog and Magog re-appear in the
persons and bloody cruelties of fheir g e n i r s u c c e s
sors. A n d in language similar to that in the contex
we may warrantably s a y , - t h i s is the second resu
reoäon; for when it is declared that the "rest of the
of dir " P ^ ^ S ^ ' " ' " it is manifest that two classes
of dead are intended. A l l are said to be dead; the
tnesses, slam by the beast; their enemies, slain by
ttie L o r d The witnesses rise, and " t h i s is the first
S r ״W li ..1" > ף ^ ־- ? « ^ ג נsecond of the sam
/and W e l l , "the rest lived not again till the thou¬
sand years were finished." What then.? Why, sim¬
ply th1s,--that the other remaining class of the dead
vtd agam; and this appears to be the obvious scope
and meaning of these terms, so vexing to many cri-
B y deception Satan prevails to assemble the na¬
tions m vast multitudes, "as the sand of the sea " _
a proverbial form of expression applied to Abraham's
oof f tΐhe ?e"arאtזh^.' · " ׳Cn•o^m• ing" '^fr^o^m'׳y t^h־יe^""*״foΡu°r" quartberresadotfh
the earth, they " compassed the camp of the saints."
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THE APOCALYPSE. 275
be The allusion here is twofold: to Israel in the wilder¬
cy ness, in the time of Moses; and to the holy city Je¬
rusalem, in the days of David; (Ps. cxviii. 10-12,)
"״er. for often did the enemy with "joint heart" attempt
alse to " c u t off the name of Israel." (Ps. Ixxxiii. 4-8.)
a- Never was Pharaoh or Sennacherib more confident
he of a sure and easy victory over the saints. (Exod.
yed XV. 9; Isa. xxxvi. 20.) A s in the days of Noah,
most of the generation of the righteous had been
he taken home to glory before the ungodly were do-
ly stroyed by the deluge, so we may suppose the "camp
e- of the saints" to be but a " l i t t l e flock," when as¬
s, sailed for the last time, while they are in a militant
of state.—The issue in this case, however, will be more
s. decisive and glorious than any other battle with the
e powers of darkness. We may adopt and apply the
- words of the prophet to God's people in the time of
xt Jehoshaphat:—"Thus saith the L o r d , — B e not afraid
ur- nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude ; for
e the battle is not yours, but God's. Y e shall not need
s to fight in this battle." (2 Chron. x x . 15, 17.)—
e " F i r e came down from God out of heaven, and de¬
y voured" this great multitude. This most dreadful
t of a l l elements in the material universe, is that which
is commonly employed to represent the wrath of God.
me B y it Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Corah
¬ and his rebellious company, tbe captains and their
¬
d fifties; fire proceeded out of the mouth of the two
e witnesses and devoured their enemies; Gog and Ma¬
- gog are consumed by this element ; the heavens and
the earth which are now, are reserved unto fire; the
h Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven . . . . in
flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know
not God, and that obey not the gospel,—most proba¬
bly these very enemies; and a l l such are to be con¬
signed to " t h e fire that never shall be quenched."
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Awful thought! Tremendous destiny ! Who would
not fear thee, 0 L o r d ; who art a consuming fire to
all thy impenitent enemies?
10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake
ot fare and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet
are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
V . 10.—The ^^rsi rebel against the righteous au¬
thority of the L o r d and his Anointed, and the cease¬
less instigator of all rebellions of individual and social
man, is the last to be consigned to adequate punish¬
ment. When the L o r d first called sinners to account,
the same order is noticeable: First, Adam, then Eve,
and last the serpent. The beast and the false pro¬
phet are already in the lake of fire; (ch. x i x . 20;)
and now, Satan, who is here called the devil, is dis-
inissed after them, that they may all be tormented
"for ever and ever,"—words, as already noticed,
which are the strongest in the Greek language, to
convey to the human mind the idea of endless dura¬
tion.
11. A r d I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it,
Irom whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there
was found no place for them.
\ ^''^^ ^'^^^' ™^^^ great, stand before God:
and the books were opened; and another book was opened,
which IS the brok of life: and the dead were judged out of
those things vhich were written in the books according to
their works. יי
13 A n d the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and
death and hen_ delivered up the dead which were in them:
and they were judged every man according to their works.
14. A n d deal h and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This
IS the second death.
10. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life
was cast into the lake of fire.
A׳s. 11-15.—Nothing now remains to bring to a
close the moral administration of Messiah, but the
raising of the dead and pronouncing final sentence
on all the subjects of his government. There is no
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TUB APOCALYPSE. 277
intimation that any events shall intervene between
the casting of the devil into the burning lake, and
the appearing of the Judge.
The "great white throne" is suitable to the ma¬
jesty and holiness of the Judge. H e is not at^ first
called by any name, for "every eye shall see," and
seeing, recognise his divine dignity. I n the next
verse he is styled God, not to identify him, but as a
matter of course in the narrative.—No sooner did the
Judge take his seat, than "the earth and the heaven
fled away." The simplicity and subhmity of this
language are inimitable by human genius; and rarely
if at a l l equalled, even by those who spake as they
were moved by the H o l y Ghost. I'he first inspired
writer uses language very similar. (Gen. i . 3.) We
are frequently and sufiiciently taught that the L o r d
Christ in person is to be the judge of quick and dead.
(Acts xvii. 31.) " A l l must appear before the judg¬
ment seat of Christ." (2 Cor. v. 10.) N o person is
competent to this work of judgment but one who is
omniscient and omnipotent, not to speak of other di¬
vine perfections. The "Judge of ail the earth" is a
divine person, possessed of all the attributes of deity;
and as there is not now «mong apostate angels, so
there will not then be a child of A d a m , to deny the
supreme deity of Jesus öhrist. (Matt. v i i i . 29.) O f
this he gave intimation at the beginning of the Apo¬
c a l y p s e : — " E v e r y eye shall see him, and they also
which pierced him,'' (ch. i . 7 ;) yes, they pierced him
for blasphemy, " because that he, being a man, made
himself God." (John x. 33.) Here the Judge on the
throne demonstrates to an assembled universe, the
scriptural warrant for the language of the Reformers
when they say he is " v e r y God, and very man."
" G o d is judge himself," (Ps. i . 6,) in the person of
the Father; but "he hath appointed a day in the
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Which U Will judge the world in righteousness, by
that man whom he hath o r d a i n e d . ' ׳- ( A c t s xvii. 31.)
V Î Î f '•'ghteous Judge " s h a l l be gathered al
nations,' (Matt. xxv. 32,) all that have ever lived
upon the earth, from the creation till the end of time,
all rank, and degrees, however diversified by sex
S Γ T i ξ?'^*'?"' ^ghteous and wicked,'Jew
and GentUes, Herod and Pontius Pilate, Cain and
Abel, Judas, etc.
In order to this general assize, "the dead shall
hear he voice of the Son of G o d , " (John v. 25, 28,
e.; h * ^ ' י ״that sleep in the dust of the
earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some
to shame and everlasting contempt." (Dan. x i i . 2.)
the place of souls as separated by death from their
bodies, which are thus awfully, but beautifully per¬
sonified, shall su״x>״der their respective tenants,
that they may stand before the Son of man in j u d g !
m e n t . - O n l y such as have died are mentioned h e r l •
but some will not die, but "•remain ahve unto the
coming 0 the L o r d , " the judge; and these, it is pro¬
bable. Will be the "camp of the saints" which have
been miraculously delivered from the rage of Goir
and Magog, (vs. 8, 9.) There is a beaufiful ordef
r L firit"' ׳η Τ Γ ' * ^ " ' • " ״i ' h e â e a d in Christ shall
rise first. _ (1 Thess. iv. 16; 1 Cor. xv. 23.) N e x t
wil be raised the wicked; for " l i k e sheep hey a Î e
laid in the grave; death shall feed on them, and the
uprigh shall have dominion over them in the m o r ״-
'g. (Ps. xhx. 14. The dead, being all raised
those who shall be alive will undergo a f h a ״ ״e eaui
valent to d e a t h « i ״a moment, i S the t . d ״k i n f o
ZTJhitthem which were asrle^e^p^;"" that Pis^,^t^h^e"y* w(ailnl tincoipt ltbee
until their companions ar^ e . i . ] ״
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THE APOCALYPSE. 279
y grave, etc. A l l being now "before the judgment seat
) of Christ,"—the "books are opened!" Oh, what emo¬
tions will swell and heave the bosoms of the right-
d eons!—"joy unspeakable and full of g l o r y : " for be¬
, fore the sentence of acquittal is publicly pronounced,
their position on the Judge's right hand indicates the
sentence. A n d next what terror insupportable will
now seize the wicked! What "fearful looking-for of
judgment and fiery indignation," when in breathless
suspense, they await the just sentence,—"Depart
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for
the devil and his angels!'' (Matt. xxv. 4 1 ; Heb. χ.
27.) The righteousness of this sentence will be at¬
tested by the "opened books,"—of the divine omnis¬
cience, the human conscience, and in the case of
gospel-rejecters, the Bible. (2 Thess. i . 7, 8.) A n d
the like condemnation would pass upon the right-
ecus, but that "another book is opened,'' in which
are inscribed the names of all the objects of God's
electing love: and this will be the key-note in their
songs of praise to all eternity. (Jer. x x x i . 3; Rev.
i . 5.) A l l are "judged according to their works,''
as these are witnessed by the books,—for " t h e i r
works do follow them," (ch. xiv. 13.)
" D e a t h and hell were cast into the lake of fire."
Death, or the grave; hell, or the separate state, will
never again be needed, as prisons to keep their in¬
mates for trial. " T h e lake of fire'' is the place of
ceaseless and endless torment for all who are not
"found written in the book of l i f e ; " and this place
seems to be distinct from the "bottomless pit," Sa¬
tan's "prison,'' out of which he had been loosed, (v.
7.)—Of the beast it was said, he "ascendeth out of
the bottomless pit," but not that he was remanded
thither again: he is said to " g o into perdition,"
which must be "the lake of fire." (Compare ch. x v i i .
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S, with xix. 20; and xx. 1-3 with v. 10.)—The plain
and obvious meaning of these closing verses of the
20th chapter, as delineated in its general import by
appropriate and familiar symbols and intelligible
words, for ever excludes, and emphatically condemns
the conscience--stupifying heresies and blasphemies
of Unitarians and Universalists. The God-man Me¬
diator, seated upon the "throne of his glory," before
whose face the " earth and the heaven fled away," is
thus evidenced to be the Son of God, Jehovah's Fel¬
low. A n d we may here adopt the a.ssertion and can-
tion of the "beloved d i s c i p l e , " — " T h i s is the true
God and eternal life.—Little children, keep your¬
selves from idols." (I John v. 20, 2l.)-Morcove1•,
these verses reveal a place or state, more to be
dreaded than the " k i l l i n g of the body,''—"the lake
of hre, which is the second death," "where their
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Matt
X. 28; 2 Thess. i . 8-10; Heb. χ . 20-31.)
With the 20th chapter of the Apocalypse termi-
nato the events of time, in which the divine Author
demonstrates, that "known unto him are all his
works, from the beginning of the Avorld." (Acts xv.
18.) Many, indeed, of the learned and pious have
supposed the remaining chapters of the Apocalypse,
to be a description of the church on earth during tho
millennial period. But besides the series, coherence
and dependence of the several parts of the book, pre-
eluding such retrogression, this interpretation over¬
throws the scriptural distinction between the mili¬
tant and triumphant state of the church. A n d it is
not to be thought out of place, that the inspired pro¬
phet should describe, by suitable emblems, the out¬
ine of the heavenly state; for this he has done brief-
iy already in a number of instances. (See chs. i i
and 111., also ch. v i i . 15, 1 7 . ) - T h o s e who consider
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THE APOCALYPSE. 281
the last two chapters as a delineation of the church
on earth, have first formed in their minds ideas of a
corporeal or bodily presence of Christ, and of a lite¬
ral and visible reign on the earth. Such views we
have already shown to be without scripture warrant,
yea against plain declarations of the Holy Spirit,
(as Acts i i i . 2 1 ; Matt. xvii. 11, 1 2 ; Heb. i x . 2 8 )
Hence we shall contemplate the symbols of the fol¬
lowing chapters,—except as incidents or allusions
may render this incompatible,—as shadowing forth
the glories of the church's heavenly state.
CHAPTER XXI.
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was
no more sea. -,
3 And I .Tohn saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned
for her husband. ^, . • ״, י,,
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, üenoiü,
the' tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwe 1 with
them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be
with them, and be their God. ״,. Λ
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, nei¬
ther shall there be any more pain: for the former thmgs are
passed away. ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ i\,xo^ae, said Behold I make
all things new. And he said unto me. Write: for these
-words are true and faithful. ^ ., , , ^
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and 0me-
ga,'the beginning and the end: I will give unto him that 13
athirst, of the fountain of the water of lite freely.
7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things: and 1 will
be his God, and he shall be my sou.
Ys. 1_7. It is unquestionable that the phrase
"new heavens and a new earth" is to be understood
sometimes as descriptive of moral renovation in the
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w o r k . A s the moral change effected by grace in
the character of an individual sinner is called a new
creation, and is in truth no less, so in respect to a
coramunitj. The analogy in this case is the same
as between a revolution and an earthquake. Thus,
we must understand Is. Ixv. 17, Ixvi. 22, of that
great moral change which will characterize the mil-
Jenmum. But the "new heaven and the new earth"
are here contrasted with the " first heaven and the first
earth which were passed away," (ch. x x . H ) The
apostle Peter describes the very same grand and glo-
nous change. Mingling the important f!cts of autlfen-
ns f ' ' 7 Z\' ^""'Ύ ^''''״ יf prophecy, he tells
us that the 'heavens and the earth which are now, .
are reserved unto tire.״-He speaks obviously of t h é
m i b l e heavens and earth. These "heavens shall
pass away and "the earth also shall be
burn up." H e a d d , s , - " We look fo'r new heaÎeris
(2Pn, "i'.^J^^^tJ' wherein dwelleth righteousness."
i e d - s ' 1 ' ־7 ^ ^ - H ' T h e r e was no more sea," no
oie disorderly passions, animosities, arising from
Itjf'^ f ׳r''hu^xn depmvity to interrupt the delightful harmony
S a t S^'^'y- It i« estimated
water In that happy place occupied by the people
room ' י י ' ' ״ " י י ' ג׳׳consequently, " y e t there is
room, many mansions, room enough for all the re¬
deemed. . " T h e holy c i t y , " compared to a " b d d e "
vmh״T^ ;•;congruous emblems, shows the poverty of
tYinmnh' . Κ ^"^^׳ϊ^^^«/ represent the church
hi Î'U ' ^ ' ' '^^« ״-'ted objects furnish
suitable emblems of the glorious and glorified Bride-
i f s r ״. ״h ' • "?u '''y '"'"^'^ t« the apostle as
f suspended in the air on the same plane with him¬
s e l f f o r now he stood neither on "the sand of the
sea, (ch. x ״1 . i j foj. «^^^^,^ ^^,^^ ^^^,^ ״
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THE APOCALYPSE. 283
nor upon the earth, for it was "passed away." N o
intervening object could obstruct his view.—He
heard a voice from heaven, saying, " Behold, the ta¬
bernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with
them," as his reconciled and beloved people. A s a
tender Father, he will "wipe away a l l tears from
their eyes." " There shall be no more death," either
of themselves or their beloved friends, to open the
fountain of tears any more for ever. But death is
the last enemy to be destroyed; (1 Cor. xv. 26;)
how then can these words apply to any state short of
immortality in heaven? "Neither sorrow nor cry¬
ing,"—for sin or sufliering; "neither shall there be
any more pain," causing tears or cries: and what is
this but heaven ί Y e s , " the former things are passed
away." Now " h e that hath the bride is the bride¬
groom,'' and she shall never be false to her marriage
covenant any more.—"He that sat on the throne,"
denotes the Father most frequently in this book, as
he is distinguished from the S o n ; but the Son " i s
set doAvn with his Father in his throne," (ch. i i i . 21 ;)
and the Son is to be viewed as the person on the
throne here, as the following words, compared with
the twentieth chapter, verse eleventh, make evi¬
dent.—He it is who " makes all things new." H e
left his disciples as to his bodily presence, and went
to "prepare a place for them," (John xiv. 2;) and
now he has come again and received them to himself,
in fulfilment of his promise. Having sent the Holy
Spirit to create them anew and to carry on to com¬
pletion their sanctification, he now sees of the travail
of his soul, the Father has given him his heart's de¬
sire', and hath not withholden the request of his lips.
Now, all his ransomed ones are with him, in answer
to his prayer, and also their own prayers, that they
may behold his glory which the Father gave him.
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(Ps. XXI. 2; John xvii. 24; P h i l . i . 2 3 . ) - T
Christ sai.l to J o h n , — " W r i t e ; for these
true and faithful." A n d what has sustaine
nts, animated the liopes, and filled with exu
the confessors, witnesses and martyrs of J
faith's realizing views of the K i n g in his be
the glories of Immanuel's land? For this pe
the disciples of Christ have been as speckl
men wondered at, in a l l generations.—"It
so he said at the pouring out of the seve
(ch. XVI. 17;) wOen the final stroke was giv
antichristian enemies: but now these word
the completion of the whole counsel of th
God, as carried into eifect by the Captain
tion, in bringing the beloved and adopted
daughters of the Father homo to glory. (Ilcb
He w-ho is the " A l p h a and Omega," is the
and finisher of their faith."—Although the L
sus has made of sinners " n e w creatures,"
them as "vessels of mercy unto g l o r y , " an
duced them into heaven, they are creatures
necessarily de[)cndent. They thirst for ref
suited to their holy nature; and accordingly
of tho "fountain of the water of life freely,"
strea?Jîs of A\hich they thirsted, " a s the heart
for the water brooks," while they sojourned
and parched land, far from their Father's
Man's sin consisted in forsaking this "Foun
living waters," and his recovery and felic
arise from his returning from his own "bro
t e r n s " to the original spring.—The water of
purchased at infinite cost by Christ; but he of
the thirsty without price. (Is. Ixv. 1, 2.)—Th
are refreshed by the streams of the water
have many enemies to encounter in their
state, but all who overcome are encouraged
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THE APOCALYPSE. 285
The Lord warfare by the animating promise, that they shall
words are
ed the spi- "inherit all things." (1 Cor. i i i . 2 1 . ) — " H e shall be
ulting joy,
Jesus, but my son," and " i f a son, then an heir of God, and
eautv, and
eculiarity joint heir with Christ."
led birds, 8 But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable,
is done,"
enth vial, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idola.
ven to the ters, and all hars, shall have their part i n the lake which
ds import burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.
he will of
of salva¬ Y . 8.—" B u t the fearful," who dread suffering or re¬
sons and proach for the cause of Christ,—not the self-diffident
b. i i . 10.) who loves his Captain, but the coward or deserter,
who "turns back in the day of battle,'' who fears the
"author enemy more than his Captain:—"and unbelieving,"
L o r d Je¬ not the misbelieving, as Thomas; nor the weak i n
prepared faith, but such as have no Mth,—infidels;—''the
nd intro¬ abominable," defiling the flesh as Sodomites:—
still, and "murderers," suicides, duelists, assassins, burglars,
freshment etc., "whoremongers," adulterers, fornicators: —
y he gives "sorcerers," necromancers, spiritualists, who are the
" for the devil's prophets, pretending to new revelations,
t panteth " a n d all liars," perjured persons, deceivers, hypo¬
in a dry crites, false teachers, Avho handle the word of tho
s house. L o r d deceitfully, for filthy lucre's sake,—all such
ntain of shall have their part in the lake, with the devil, the
ity must beast, and the false prophet. (1 Cor. v i . 9, 1 0 ; G a l .
oken eis- v. 19-21; Eph. v. 5,6; 2 Cor. xL 13.)
f life was
flfers it to 9. A n d there came unto me one of the seven angels which
hose who
r of life, had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked
militant
in their with me, saying. Come hither, I w i l l show thee the bride,
the Lamhיs wife. , .^ ״. J
10 A n d he carried me away i n the spirit to a great and
high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Je-
lusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11 Hkving the glory of God: and her light was like unto a
stone most precious, even like a jasper-stone, clear as crystal;
12 A n d had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates,
and at the gates twelve angels, and names Avritten thereon
which are the names of the twelve tribes of the chddren ot
Israel.
20
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13. On the east, three gates; on the north, three gates; o
the south, three gates; and on the west, three gates.
14. A n d the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and i
them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
V s . 9-14.—This " a n g e l " is probably the sam
who had shown John the mystic Babylon and he
destruction, (ch. x v i i . 1;) and who now proposes
show him the "bride of the L a m b " by way of con
trast.—Under the influence of the Spirit, who ha
access to the soul without the use of the bodily or
gans, (2 Cor. x i i . 2,)—John was "carried to a grea
and high mountain," where the prospect might b
sufficiently enlarged. When the angel proposed t
show him the "scarlet whore," he "carried Inm int
the wilderness,'' intimating that such is the only p
sition in which tho " m y s t e r y of the woman, and
the beast that carrieth her,'' can be clearly seen o
perfectly understood. (2 Pet. i . 9.) Great indeed
the contrast. Both objects are complex, and th
combination of symbols, wholly incongruous in na
ture, admonhshes the sober interpreter to beware o
indulging his vain fancy by attempting to trace an
logics in detail, where none arc intended by the Ho
Spirit. The true church of Christ is compared to
virtuous and fruitful woman, (ch. x i i . 5;) and th
apostate church is symbolized by a fruitful but pro
fligate woman, (ch. x v i i . 5.) Then both are also re
presented by two cities, which are equally contraste
A s the Avomen differ in their outward adornmen
(chs. x i x . 8, xvii. 4,) so do the cities in the qualit
of population, commerce and employment, (ch. xvii
4; xxii. 14.)—The nuptials being consummated b
made "comely through his comeliness put upou her
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THE APOCALYPSE. 287
on rendered beautiful and illustrious beyond conception
or expression: for the happiness of heaven results
in from conformity to the God-man, communion with
him and communications from him. (1 John i i i . 2.)—
me " H e r l i g h t " resembled the "jasper, clear as crys¬
er t a l . " The knowledge of saints in heaven will be in¬
to tuitive: they will no longer "see through a glass
n• darkly,"J)y word and sacraments; nor shall the glo¬
as rious Bridegroom show himself as formerly "through
r¬ the l a t t i c e ; " (Song i i . 9;) but they " s h a l l see him
at as he is.'' (1 John i i i . 2 . ) — " A wall great and h i g h "
be denotes the security ofthis city, which can never be
to scaled by an enemy. The "twelve gates" are to
to admit the twelve tribes of God's spiritual Israel,—the
po¬ sealed ones, (ch. vii. 5-8;) who "shall come from the
of east, and from the west, and from the north, and
or from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom
is of G o d . " (Luke xiii. 29.)—At the gates were
he "twelve angels,'' as guards and porters. The "foun¬
a¬ dations" of the wall, named after the "twelve apos-
of ties," denote that all who enter the city, gained ad¬
a- mission by "belief of the t r u t h " as taught by the
ly apostles,—had "continued steatlfast in the apostles'
a doctrine and fellowship,'' in the face of reproach,
he persecution and apostacy. They were "built upon
o¬ the foundation of the apostles and prophets,''—Old
e¬ and New Testament be levers saved by the blood of
d. the L a m b : for the twelve tribes, multiplied by the
nt, tAvelve apostles, make a hundred and forty-four; and
ty these again, multiplied by a thousand, make the whole
ii. number who appeared with the Lamb on Mount
be- Zion, (ch. xiv. 1;) the public witnesses of Christ, i u
the church militant during the great apostacy. .
r,''
15. A n d he that talked with me had a golden reed to mea¬
sure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16. A n d the city lieth four square, and the length is as large
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as the breadth. A n d he measured the city with the ree
twelve thousand furlongs: the length, and the !;rcadth, a
the height of it are equal.
17. A n d he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and fo
and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that
of the angel.
Ys. 15-17.—The apostle borrows the symbols a
language of preceding prophets, especially those
E z e k . ( x l . 3,) and Zech. (iL 1.) The " f u r l o n g
measured by the " r e e d , ' ' indicate a city of vast d
mensions; and being " four square,'' each side wou
be about fifteen hundred miles! A n d as the "leng
and breadth and height of it are equal,'' Ave are hereb
taught that no gross conceptions are to be form
in our imaginations, since a city fifteen hundr
miles high, is utterly inconceivable. The instructi
intended to be conveyed to us by the vast dimensio
and precious materials of this city may be, the i
comprehensible nature and transcendent glory
heaven. (1 Cor. ii. 9.) A cubit, as the word signifi
" i s the measure of a man'" from his elbow to
end of his middle finger. The measure of the Av
in height or breadth, Avas a hundred and forty-fo
cubits, or the twelve tribes, as before, multiplied
the tAvelve apostles; for the idea of a cube, as
most perfect symbol of symmetrical form, seems to
intended.
18. A n d the building of the wall of it was of jasper: a
the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass:
19. A n d the foundations of the wall of the city Avere g
nished with all manner of precious stones. The first found
tion was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third chalcedo
the fourth, an emerald;
20. The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seven
chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the ten
a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an am
thyst.
21. A n d the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every seve
gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was p
gold, as it Ave re transparent glass.
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THE APOCALYPSE. 289
ed, V s . 18-21.—The "jasper, gold and glass," are
and here all combined* though their natural properties
and chemical elements are so different. Glass is
orty clear, transparent, but brittle; gold is solid and shi¬
is, ning, but opaque. In heaven, the saints shall know
move than we can now imagine. The glass Avill be
and all gold. A s the eye sees an object through glass
of at a glance, so the saints in heaven will perceive
truth without the tedious process of comparison and
gs" reasoning. The gold will be all glass. A l l these
di¬ symbols are intended to show to the devout reader,
uld that the antichristian harlot is incomparably eclipsed
gth by the glory of the Lamb's bride,—having " no glory,
b.y by reason of the glory that excelleth."—The twelve
med "precious stones" Avhich "garnished the foundations
red of the Avail of the c i t y , " are an allusion to those of
ion Aaron's breastplate of judgment. (Exod. xxviii.
ns, 17-20;) indicating that the Urim and Thummim, the
in¬ lig/it and jjerfection of glory, shall be there, super¬
of seding the oracle and Shekinah: for one thing is pe¬
ies, culiar to this city by which it is distinguished from
the the old Jerusalem,—no temple.
vail,
our 22. A n d I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God A l -
by
the miffiity, and the Lamb, are the temple of it.
be
'23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the
and
moon, to shine iu it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and
gar¬
da¬ the Lamb is the light thereof. , , ו, ״· וו
ony;
24 A n d the nations of them which are saved shall walk m
nth,
nth, the light of it, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory
me¬
and honour into it. ״, י/•
eral
pure 2ל. A n d the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; tor
there shall be no night there. ״ ״,
26. A n d they shall bring the glory and honour of the טa-
*"27 An*d^there shall i n no wise enter into it any thing that
defileth, neither whatsoever woiketh abomination, or maketh
a he; but they which are written i u the Lamb's book of lite.
Vs. 22-27.—There was " no temple therein." As
there was a temple in the city which Ezekiel saw in
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vision, (ch. x i i . J,) and this fact determines t
point, that his prophecy relates tfo the church m
tant; so, the absence of even the semblance of su
a structure here, proves that this is a description
the church triumphant. In heaven there is no ne
of external, material, visible symbols of God's pr
sence. A s the ceremonial " l a w had a shadow
good things to come,'' but "vanished away" wh
Christ appeared, (Heb. χ. 1,) so will it be in he
•ven; no ordinances will be used to act upon eith
sense or faith, these having issued in vision.
The glorious presence of "the Lord God Almigh
and the Lamb,'' having superseded the necessity
a temple; the light of the sun and moon shall be
longer needed. " G o d is light, and in him is
darkness at a l l , ' ' (1 John i . 5;) and "as long
Christ was i n the world, he was the light of t
world." (John i x . 5.) W e have seen that oth
suns and moons which were symbolical, have b
darkened or blotted out of existence by the omnip
tent Mediator; but now these natural luminaries a
totally and for ever obscured by the ineffable elf
gence of uncreated light,—the manifested and imm
diate presence of the Father and the S o n . — A l l t
redeemed shall "walk in the light of the L o r d ; " a
all the glory of "the kings of the earth," concentr
ted in one place, would bear no comparison with t
splendor of this " h o l y city." The gates are not
be shut during the " d a y ' ' of eternity; and since t
"excellent ones of the earth'' shall a l l enter t
twelve open gates from every part of the world,
may be truly said " t h e y bring the glory and hon
of the nations into it.'' What a delightful scene
a holy, happy, safe and harmonious fellowship!—
is observable that the apostle a l t o ^ t h e r drops pe
sonalities here. H e seizes only upon properties
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THE APOCALYPSE. 291
the qualities,—" any thing,"—so holy is the place, and
mili¬ se holy the inhabitants; yea, so safe and secure, that
no creature,—no "beast of the field which the Lord
uch God has made," shall ever gain an entrance into this
of heavenly Paradise: but only those Avhose names are
"written in the Lamb's book of life;" who, despite of
eed the Serpent, brings all his spiritual seed safe to
re¬ glory.
of
hen CHAPTER XXII.
ea-
her 1 A n d he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as
crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lainb.
hty
of 2 In tlie midst of the street of it, and on either side of the
no river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of
no fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves ot
as the tree were for the healing of the nations.
the
her 3 A n d there shall be no more curse: but the throne οt Uoa
been and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve
po¬
are ^"'4.' A n d they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their
ful-
me¬ foreheads. ., , י,״ ג י
tho
and 5 And there shall be no night there: and they need no
ra¬
the candle, neither light of the aun : for the Lord God giveth them
to
the light: and they 8haU reign for ever and ever.
the
, it Yg, 1-5.—These verses, being a continuance of
nor the description of the " h o l y city," naturally belong
of to the preceding chapter.—The angel proceeds to
—It show John the source and current from which ema-
er¬ η ate a l l heavenly blessings. The allusion is to E z e -
s or k i e l , x l v i i . 1-12; but both he and John call our at¬
tention to man's primeval state, when our first parents
dwelt in Eden. This abode of the blessed is beauti¬
fied and enriched with a l l the products, delights and
attractions which are adapted to the refined senses
of holy creatures,—"pleasant to the eyes, and good
for food." It is Paradise restored, by the "doing
and dying י׳of the second Adam. It is also Para-
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dise improved, having not only the "tree of life,'' as
the first had, but also, in addition, the "water of
life." The " t r e e of l i f e ' ' was to sinless Adam a
symbol and pledge of immortality to himself and all
his posterity whom he represented in the Covenant
of Works. Now that heaven is procured for all be¬
lievers by the second Adam, it is emblematically re¬
presented to our weak apprehension by directing
our attention to the primitive and earthly Paradise.
This is repeatedly done in Scripture. The L o r d
Jesus, before he expired upon the cross, said to the
penitent thief,—" To day shall thou be with me in
Paradise. (Luke x x i i i . 43.) Paul was "caught u p "
thither, (2 Cor. x i i . 4;) and he calls the place "hea¬
ven," (v. 2;) and in this book, (ch. i i . 7,) the L o r d
promises,-—" I will give to him that overcometh to
eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the
paradise of G o d . " The " t r e e " is an emblem of
Christ, (Song i i . 3;) the "river of the water of l i f e "
symbolizes the Holy Spirit, (John vii. 38, 39;) for
as the Son and the H o l y Ghost proceed from the
Father, the former by generation, the latter by ema¬
nation from eternity,—so "that eternal life which
was with the F a t h e r " in the person of the Son, and
purchased by the Son, is communicated by the H o l y
Ghost to all the redeemed by regeneration. (2 Cor.
iii. 6; Rom. viii. 2.)—Thus, the eternal duration of
life in glory "proceeds out of the throne of God and
the L a m b . " On each side of the river "the tree of
life" is accessible by the inhabitants; and the fruits
of the tree, ripe in all months of the year, and adapt¬
ed to every taste, each one may " p u t forth his
h a n d ' ' as he passes, " a n d take . . . . and eat, and
live for ever." (Gen. i i i . 22.) Or, "the people that
are therein'' may " s i t down under its shadow, and
its fruit will be sweet to their taste ' — ז י ר ״, ״1״nv״a
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TIIE APOCALYPSE. 29s
of the tree'' are for medicine, being preventive of all
disease, so that "the inhabitant shall not say, I am
sick: the people that dwell therein are forgiven their
iniquities." (Is. x x x i i i . 24.) "There sliall be no more
curse " Satan gained entrance into the garden ot
Eden, and succeeded in entailing the " c u r s e " upon
man, and upon beast, and upon the frmts of the
ground; but he shall never be loosed again, or
emerge from "the lake of fire," to disturb the repose
of that blessed society in heaven, (ch. xxi. 2T.)—As
the "throne of God and the L a m b " is one, (ch. 111.
21 ·) so it is remarkable that the distinction of per¬
sons is omitted, as though the Father and the Son
were but one person. True, Christ said, " I and my
Father are one," (John x. 30 ;) but he referred to uni-
iv of nature and purpose, not of personaUty; for, i n
consistency with this, he said a l s o , - " M y F a t h e r i s
greater than I ; " an assertion which must consist
with the former, and which plainly involves personal
distinction, (ch. xiv. 2 8 . ) - " H i s "ame shall be in
their foreheads."—Which of them ? W^e have found
Christ's Father's name "written in the foreheads
of a hundred and forty-four thousand samts mihtant,
(ch xiv 1.) While in conflict, " t h e world knew
them not," and the adherents of Antichrist " cast
out their names as e v i l , " branding them as heretics;
but now they are known to the whole universe, as
the covenant property of both the Father and the
Son, (ch. i i i . 1 2 . ) - " Behold, I and the children
which God hath given me;" (Heb. i i . 13.) " I have
manifested thy name unto the men which thou
gavest me-cut of the world. Thine they were, and
thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
A l l mine are thine, and thine are mine; and 1
'am"glorified in them." (John xvii. 6,10.)-There will
be no intermission or interruption of service, no
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night there,''—no hidings of God's countenance, no
desertions; for "they shall see his face" in the " e x -
3ress image of the Father's person," be assured of
lis love;—"need no candle," nor any earthly accom¬
modation; "for the Lord God giveth them light; and
they shall reign for ever and ever," in fulness of joy
and unalloyed pleasures for evermore. (Ps. xvi. 11.)
H o w different is this heaven frora the Mahometan
paradise, which, if real, could gratify only carnal and
sensual sinners! yet the imaginations of many, and
their aspirations too, with the Bible in their hands,
are little better than those of Mahometans or pagans.
A l l speculations of heathen philosophers about the
"chief good,'' or the enjoyments of their imaginary
gods, are so gross and brutish as to demonstrate the
all-important truth, that "except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of G o d . ' ' (John i i i .
3.) A n d it is too evident that some modern philoso¬
phers are as little acquainted as Nicodemus with the
humbling doctrines of the gospel. The society of
learned men, making perpetual advance in natural
science, especially in astronomy,—would seem to be
the highest conception of happiness which too many
modern philosophers can reach. They know not
some of the elementary teachings of the Holy Scrip¬
tures; such as,—"Without holiness no man shall see
the L o r d ; " and that this imiispensable preparation
for heavenly felicity consists in " t h e Avashing of re¬
generation, and the renewing of the H o l y Ghost."
The hundreds of diverse and conflicting opinions
of learned writers on the summum bonum, or chief
good, proves to demonstration, that Avithout super¬
natural revelation and regeneration, man cannot con¬
ceive in what happiness consists. Thus far is the
description of the heavenly state; and how little can
Ave knoAV, or e\׳en conceive of t' ' • י ־׳ י
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THE APOCALYP.iE. 295
of the upper santuary ! W e must still say with the
prophet Isaiah and the apostle P a u l , — " E y e hath
not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things Avhich God hath pre¬
pared for them that love him." (Isa. Ixiv. 4 ; 1 Cor.
i i . 9.)
G. A n d be said unto me, These sayings are faithful and
true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel
to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be
"7.^׳Behold, I come quickly; blessed is he that keepeth the
sayings of the prophecy of this book.
V s . 6, 7.—The angel assures the apostle and all
Avho read, that " these sayings are faithful and true,"
however sublime and incomprehensible; however, in¬
credible to infidels; however contradicted and mism-
terpreted by antichristian apostates and enthusiasts.
They are all from " the L o r d God of the holy pro-
N phets,"—from Jesus Christ and God the Father, (ch.
i . ! . ) — A l l prophets who wrote any part of the Bible,
were " holy men of G o d . " (2 Pet. i . 21.)—Of "these
things" some were "shortly to be done;" and a l l i n
regular series would be accomplished in due time.—
" B e h o l d I come q u i c k l y . " Christ is the speaker
here, and declares that each one is "blessed who
keepeth the sayings . . . of this book." This bene¬
diction Avas pronounced on such at the beginning of
this Revelation, (ch. i . 3,) and it is repeated by its
immediate divine Author, to encourage all to study
it. This blessing is not to be expected by any who
merely read ovhear, but by those only who keep the
"sayings of this prophecy." Its Author foreknew
its enemies and corrupters.
8, A n d I John saw these things, and heard them. A n d
^ h e n I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the
of the angel, which showed rae these things.
9. Then saith he unto me. See thou do it not: for i am
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thy folh.w-servant, and of thy brethren <י1° V ^ J l f è o ï ^
them which keep the sayings of th.s book : woiship God.
V s 8 9 — x i second time, John attempts an act of
idolatrv'! While we may wonder at this let us not
fa to admire the wonderful wisdom of God tn per¬
mitting his servant to fall, as he did tn he case of
on firft father A d a m , that he might take occasion
i L v e fully to display his glory in '^-J^%,ff^
out of evil." The Apocalypse is directed chiefly
against that primary feature of the great Antichrist,
S i V This was part of "the mystery of inquity
I t h L already wo'rk" in the time of J o s es,
(Col. i i . 18,) and was to be fully developed after¬
wards (2 Thess. i i . 4.) This second rebuke of an
apostle, by one of the most exalted of creatures, for
^ e r an'swcrs all arguments of Papists or others who
plead for, or palliate the "worshipping of angels or
S s of men. Idolaters worship angels and souls
when absent, as though they were
,,resent and omnipotent; thus giving the glory to
•reatures of these divine perfections: whereas this
1 e ™ l y messenger, whJ present, keenly re.ents
this indignity to his and the apostle s adorable Ciea
tor and Lord. Once more the angel directs John
!:;״1 all men to join him and all the heavenly host in
observing "the first and great commandment, -
" Worship G o d , " (ch. V. 11-14.) This angelic re¬
büke leaves Papists for ever without excuse, and
onseqaently all others who deny the « « j , r m e
of OUI Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and yet woi-
ship him.
10 A n d he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the pro¬
phecy of this book; for the time is at hand.
11 He tbat is unjust, let him be unjust still; and be wmcn
is fi thy la him be iilihv 8tiU; and he that f'־/;g^teou8 1 t
him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy
still.
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THE APOCALVrSB. 297
• 1,K׳. nnd mv reward is with
V T 0 - 1 3 . 1 c h r i ־t l>to־־lf addresses John > ־ί ־r -
son/• He h.d d ־ ״ ־so at the ^*?;'״
ous scenes of the future, ( f : '· ^^^י^״, lefore that
L J i s at h a n d " when they f ^^^^^ ^״^^^^״ ^ ״
fied in actual history . ^ ^ ^ f ^ J ^ V t ^ e same omnis-
Daniel's time, ^ ' ^ « / ^ ^ , / " ' P ' ' , , ^ ״ ״s ״Ο Daniel,
eient Spirit to ^ " : ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ even to the
shut up thewords and seal t ^ e v i s ^ ^.^.^^
n
ttihmee eronfpitrhese e0nPde'i^(.^a ^an·df •J(^.r״e^, ^^^^״0^^was to^^^b^e^^ " f o r
many days, (ch. viu. -^>,) t ״e ^^^^
overthrow of the Roniaxi ^^ζχ^ζ'! becoming hu-
^ote. No wonder that Dame ,^^^^^ ״0 , my L o r d ,
nrilitybut intense ^"f ־f .^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Such was
,,hat shall be the end of these thin ^ ( ! P e t . i . l O . )
the subdued anxiety 0 « ^ e i prophe s.^^ ^^^^^^
s
A n d here we ״- ^ 7 / " ? ״/ ^ ; ^^^, · , as measuring the
tinct periods mentioned by Uatie apostacy,
duration of the Roman e m p ״e , the n o
- and as they bear upon the Ρ^«™^^^ John,
. ״.illennium._ The two P - p ^ ? ^ i l t i o n of the
¬ agree in fixing and !^^;^ן״^״^^^י,^' „ement has been
d
Antichrist to 1260 years. greem^e^ ^^^^^
already pointed out T^^^^y beloved" ser-
JÇ-^I^^^- the laudable anxiety of his
^iods of
vaut Daniel, makes mention of two ot j
¬
n . ; r a r r ״ ; ״t ? h : ™ h > ^ V s u ״o ^ th.t th־
t
y
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next thirty years may be occupied in the conversion
of the Jews, and the remaining forty-five in the ef¬
fectual calling of the residue of the gentile nations;
so as to bring the kingdoms of the earth and the
church of Christ to perfect organization and visible
harmony, and the whole population of the globe into
voluntary and avowed subjection to the Lord and
his Anointed,—to perfect millennial splendor, tho
nearest approximation to heaven. (Rom. x i . 25, 2(j;
Ps. cii. 10, 16.) But "who shall live when God
doeth this.?" (Num. xxiv. 23.)—The divine xiuthor
of this book, having given to mankind a complete
and sufiicient revelation of his will, containing invi¬
tations and warnings, at this juncture gives intima¬
tion that obstinate sinners shall at length be left to
the consequences of their own free and perverse
choice, "unjust and filthy s t i l l ; " no further means
to be employed for their conviction ; but those who
have embraced the offer of the gospel, shall be con¬
firmed for ever in holiness and happiness,—"right-
ecus and holy s t i l l . " — H e also repeats the assurances
of his sudden appearance to reward " e v e r y man ac¬
cording as his work shall be." The recompense
which he brings will be of debt or justice to the im¬
penitent unbeliever; but Avholly of free grace to the
believer; for the works of each class shall follow
them, as decisive evidence of their respective charac¬
ters, (ch. xiv. 13.)
13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,
the first and the last.
V. 13.—The Lord Christ here declares and asserts
the eternity of his personal subsistence and official
standing, as an all-sufficient guarantee of his abihty
and authority to deal with the righteous and the
wicked, as also to bring to pass all events by his
providence which arc here predicted. The same
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TUB APOCALYPSE. 299
guarantee he had given at the beginning of the Apo¬
calypse, (ch. i . 8.)
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments,^ that they
may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through
the gates into the city.
γ 14 —Those who " do his commandments, are
belie'vers, (John xiv. 15,) and no others can obtain
a " r i g h t to the tree of l i f e " — a l l the blessings of
Christ's purchase: for "without faith it is impossible
to please G o d , " (Heb. x i . 6;) and "this is the love
of God, that we keep his commandments, ( i John
V 3 ) " B y the deeds of the law,"—keeping the
commandments, Avhether moral or ceremonial, " s h a l l
no flesh be justified in the sight of G o d , " or ment a
"rifrht to the tree of life," or to "enter in through
the gates into the city." This right, power, or pri-
vUege, is confined to those, and to those only, who
"receive and believe on the name of Christ. (John
i . 12.) They who serve the L o r d Christ, are enti-
tied to the reward of the inheritance, (Col. i i i . 24 ;)
and in keeping of his commandments, there is great
reward. (Ps. x i x . 11.) This reward is οΐ grace, not
of debt to any of the children of A d a m : "not of
Avorks, lest any man should boast." (Rom. x i . 6 ; E p h .
ii 9 ) A n d when the last elected sinner, pertaining
to the whole company of the redeemed, shall have
been called, justified and sanctified, then ״AV1th
gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they
shall enter into the King's palace. (Ps. xlv. 15.)
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoreraong-
ers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and
maketh a lie.
γ 1 5 — " W i t h o u t are dogs.''—These characters
have been excluded by the righteous and unalterable
sentence of the judge of quick and dead, having their
part in the " l a k e of fire:" for there is no mtima-
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tion here or elsewhere, of any•purgatoryor interme¬
diate place, with the delusive hope of'which, those
who "love and make lies," flatter themselves and
their blind votaries. Oh, that such "sinners in
Z i o n , " and out of Zion, " m i g h t be afraid ! "—tha
timely "fearfulness might surprise these hypocrites!'
that they might ponder those awful questions!—
" W h o among us shall dwell with the devouring fire.
who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings ?"
(Isa. xxxiii. 14.)
10. I Jesns have sent mine angel to testify unto you these
th1nj;s in the churches. I am tho root and the offspring of
David, and the bright and morning star.
V . 16.—This is the " a n g e l " Avhose ministry the
L o r d Christ was pleased to employ in making known
to the chui'ch through his servant John, most of the
discoveries of this book, (ch. i . 1, I L ) M a n y other
angels have indeed been employed by the Mediator
as the ministers of his providence; but this one
seems to have been the principal all along. None
of these heavenly messengers, however, was found
competent to reveal the purposes of God, (ch. v. 3.)
To this work the eternal Son of God alone was found
adequate by nature and office,—the " L a m b that
had been slain." Christ has a personal property in
the angels, as he is their Creator and L o r d ; and as
they are his creatures and willing servants,—"•mine
angel."—This is perfectly reasonable; for he is the
" R o o t of D a v i d " in his divine nature; and the
" Offspring of D a v i d , " in his human natiare, (Rom.
1. 3.) —God-Man, Mediator. A n d here let it be re¬
marked, that in speaking or Avriting of our Redeemer
there appears to be no scriptural warrant for the po¬
pular phrases,—"the union of the two natures,"—
" Christ as man ; " or, "as G o d . " These expressions
militate against the unity οΐ h ״ ^ ' ־ ״ ׳ ׳- ״- - - ״ ״ ׳ ׳- ׳- ·״׳״׳ ' ׳ ״
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THE APOCALYPSE. 301
¬ sonality; and are calculated,—we do not say intend¬
e ed, to mislead or confuse the mind of his disciples.
d "In him personally, not in the Father or the Holy
n Ghost, "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
at bodily." (Col. ii. 9.)—By John the descent of Christ's
'' human nature is traced through David here, because
— of the Covenant of Royalty; by Paul, he is repre¬
.' sented as being of the "seed of Abraham," by rea¬
" son of the more extended relation involved in the
Covenant of Grace. (Heb. in 16.)—He is also "the
e bright, even the morning star." This may be m re¬
f ference to theless luminous " stars in his right hand,'
(ch. i. 16, 20,) and by way of contrast with them:
e but he takes this name chiefly to intimate that he is
n the Author of all supernatural illumination, whether
e in the kingdom of grace or of glory:—"The Lamb
r is the light thereof," (ch. xxi. 23.)
r 17. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him
e that heareth, 8ay, Come. And let him that is athirst, come.
e And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
d V . 17.—Here is the unrestricted universal call of
) the gospel, to "come" to Christ for eternal life,—
d " We do testify that the Father sent the Son to be
t the Saviour of the world," (1 John iv. 14.)-^The in¬
n vitation is manifold and pressing. ""^^®, ^P/^*
s by the word and conscience says, "Come." " The
e Bride," the church militant and triumphant, says,
e "Come." Every one " that heareth ייthe invitation,
e is warranted to say to others, "Come." Let every
. one that "thirsts" for true and lasting fehcity,
¬ "Come.'' If any one be in doubt, whether his de¬
r sire be spiritual or not, it is added for his encourage¬
¬ ment, as well as suflScient warrant,—"Let whoso¬
— ever will, take of the water of life freely." Any
s sinner of Adam's race may "wash and be clean, in
that "fountain open for sin and for uncleanness; •—
21
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may mth confidence and pleasure, " d r a w water from
the wells of salvation." (Zech. x i i i . 1; Isa. x i i . 3.)
Who can resist these calls, invitations and persua¬
sions, and be guiltless ? or who can devise easier
terms of reconciliation to an offended God, than are
here addressed to the chief of sinners?
18. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of
the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written
in this book :
19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the
hook of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of
the book of life, and out of holy city, and from the things
which are written in this book.
V s . 18, 1 9 . — " F o r I testify."—He who is "the
faithful and true Witness" closes this book of pro¬
phecy, with a solemn and awful sanction. These
tremendous threatenings by the " L o r d God of the
holy prophets," may well cause all who read or hear
to tremble: for who can abide his indignation?—
While the "prophecy of this book'' is primarily in¬
tended, all other parts of the Bible are included in
this solemn conclusion: for doubtless our L o r d in¬
tended the Apocalypse to be a close to the whole
canon. The threatening is twofold, corresponding
to the criminality. Learned, bold and irreverent bi¬
blical critics; enthusiasts and pretenders to new re¬
velations, are in danger of these' judgments. " T h e
plagues that are written i n this book,'' are such as
will utterly destroy the presumptuous sinner who
"adds to these things." A n d he that impiously
"takes away from the words of the book of this pro¬
phecy," exposoS himself to the like awful punishment.
" G o d shall take away his part out of the book of life,
and out of the holy city, and from the things Avhich
are written in this book.''—Tremendous doom ! A l l
that which he seemed to have
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THE APOCALYPSE. 303
fLuke viii. 18.) Great will be the sudden and unex-
nected loss!—These awful denunciations, however
tave special reference, like the rest of the threatened
judgments in this book, to the great, continued and
defiant impieties of the apostate church of Rome.
She has " a d d e d " her traditions to the Scriptures as
part and principal part, of the "Rule of Faith!
She has "taken away" the Scriptures from the body
of her people; or shut them up m an "unknown
tongue,''so that "every man m a y " « o i " h e a r in hi
own tongue wherein he was born the wonderful
works of G o d . " (Acts i i . 8, U . ) This is one of the
articles in Rome's indictment here ; and whatever
modern infidelity or spurious charity may suggest,
this theft of God's word, and robbery of his people,
is not to be expiated with burnt offering or sacrifice
A n d he who scans all time, foresaw this attempt of
the dragon and his allies to deprive the church and
the world of the " l i v e l y oracles; 'therefore, as he
promised a blessing on the reader of this book, as it
lere on the title-page, h e r e j n the close he appends
a malediction, that a l l who read or hear, may be de¬
terred from such sacrilege.
OO He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come
quickly: Amen. Even 80, come, Lord Jesus.
V 20 — " H e which testifieth these things" is the
L o r d Jesus. Again he reminds all to whom these
presents come, of his certain and speedy appearance.
These frequent assurances are not " vain repetitions.
They are intended to strengthen the faith and coun¬
teract the despondency of the samts, and to alarm
the consciences of his enemies. (2 Pet. 111. 3, 4, 8, l U ,
Jude 14 15.) To this "promise of his coming,
John responds in the name of the whole f^^^f^-
" A m e n . Even so, come, L o r d Jesus," to fulfil these
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